Budapest & The Train Story

So we were in a big hurry getting on the train to Budapest due to a late return from Olomouc. We only had time to buy my ticket, and were informed that it would cost Michela extra to buy her ticket on the train, and that she would not receive the youth discount for being under 26.
Well, we get on the train, and the conductor informs us that, in transit, it is impossible to buy an international ticket. Michela would need to buy a ticket to the end of the Czech Republic, then another for the Slovak Republic, and yet another when we crossed the Hungarian border. So she buys her ticket to the end of the Czech Republic. We get to the Slovak Republic and the Slovak conductor tells Michela her ticket will cost some amount of Slovak currency. Well, we, of course, don't have any Slovak currency on us. The conductor lets out a huge sigh, and asks us what we have. We have Euros. The very irritated conductor converts the amount to Euro. We don't have exact change, so Michela overpays with the bills she has. The conductor looks at the bills, takes HALF the amount of the fare, puts it in his pocket, does not print out a ticket, and tells Michela she's good 'til we reach Hungry.

We get to Hungary. The Hungarian conductor gets on the train. We don't have Hungarian Florints on us. And what do you think he does? That's right, he takes half the fare in Euro and pockets it. Michela ends up paying less than I did for my discounted ticket!
Moral of the story? Well, I'll leave it to the reader to figure that one out.

Budapest was my favourite city to visit on this trip to Europe. The country and people have survived through Nazi and communist occupations. The still visible bullet holes in the walls of the buildings tell the story. We visited the House of Terror, a building (now a museum) that both the Nazis and communists used for torture, the Heroes Square, a Turkish spa bath, the Labyrinths of the Buda Castle, the medievil Lancelot restaurant, and took a river cruise at night down the Danube.

I dragged Michela into the Labyrinth of Courage at the Buda Castle--a room that was pitch black where you could only find your way by hanging onto a rope. Michela's hand was pitch black when we were done (from clutching the rope ...).