Chuck and I got a solid 7 1/2 hours of sleep last night and after an early breakfast, we set out to explore the area around our hotel in the Jewish quarter. We found two synagogues on our stroll and we watched this section of the city wake up.
Yesterday, on the drive from the airport, our driver pointed out to us that while the other Christmas Markets in Europe are ramping up security during the Christmas market season, in Budapest they are not. For the last 600 years the Serbian Muslims and the Bosnian Catholics have taken turns killing each other in repeated wars. Our driver told us that in 2015, Hungary and a few other Eastern European nations had had enough, and they closed their borders to all Muslims. They have not had any terrorist attacks in the last 10 years. I must say that last night while we were exploring the Christmas Markets in downtown Budapest, even though they were very crowded, we felt safe at all times. Everything in life is a trade-off. Hungary and other eastern European nations have chosen safety over diversity.
December 6, 2025 in Hungary ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F