Episode51 : The City That Has Two Name

  A cold wind completely froze the winter air, so the sky was extremely clear. Gellért-hegy* commanded a panoramic view of the Pearl of the Danube far away. The city that has a thousand years’ history consists of two areas whose names’ origin nobody knows precisely. Buds and Pest occupy both sides of the Danube. From the Halàsz bàstya*, we could see Orszaghàz* in Pest area on the other side of the river. Under the blue sky brightened by the morning sunshine, the city was so beautiful beyond my description. But the icy wind made us shrink like the traveler  in “The North Wind and the Sun”.

  Actually, I have had little knowledge about Budapest; the co-capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 19th century, the city that Sisi* loved, and the city where Jim Prideaux* was shot in “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy”. After I bought several pouches of famous paprika powder and a bottle of Tokaj* for souvenirs, I strolled to enjoy the streets’ view.
  I found the architecture decorated with beautiful Zsolnay tiles, and also sometimes a lot of graffiti on the walls and poles. I was really disappointed with them. Of course, although I know some of them might be great “art” or “message” like Banksy, I still wonder if we could call them art. Because despite being “street art”, they occupy public spaces without permission. If street artists want to call their graffiti “art”, why do they paint their works on their own canvas, panels and large cloth?
  I suppose that their purpose is just the expression of egoism, for they spoil the beautiful public places by their selfish brushes.

  As the night was coming, we were cruising on the Danube. We passed under the illuminated Szechenyi Lànchid*. It was a wordlessly wonderful view that the night painted over graffiti with black…

*Gellért-hegy : Gellért Hill
*Halàsz bàstya : Fisherman’s Bastion
*Orszaghàz : Hungarian Parliament
*Sisi : Elisabeth, Empire of Austria and Queen of Hungry
*Jim Prideaux : in the film of ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy’ in 2011 (from the novel of John le Carré)
*Tokaj : Hungarian wine
*Szechenyi Lànchid :The Cain Bridge

*Gellért-hegy : ゲッレールトの丘
*Halàsz bàstya : 漁夫の砦
*Orszaghàz : 国会議事堂
*Sisi :オーストリアおよびハンガリーの皇妃エリザベート
*Jim Prideaux : 映画『裏切りのサーカス』（原作はジョン・ル・カレの『ティンカー、テイラー、ソルジャー、スパイ』）の登場人物
*Tokaj : トカイワイン
*Szechenyi Lànchid :セーチェニー鎖橋（通称「くさり橋」)

 

第51話　二つの名をもつ街

冷えきった風が、冬の空気を氷結させていた。
そのため、空は限りなく澄み渡っていて、ゲッレールトの丘から「ドナウの真珠」の街が遠くまで見晴らせる。
一千年以上の歴史を持つこの街は、二つの地区で構成されている。名前の由来については、正確なところ誰にも分かっていない。ブダ地区とペスト地区が、ドナウ川の両岸を占めている。漁夫の砦*からは、対岸にあるペスト地区の国会議事堂*が見えた。朝の光に照らされた青い空の下、街は形容できないほど美しい。しかし、凍てつくような風のせいで、私たちは『北風と太陽』の旅人のように縮み上がっていた。