Friday

There were a few dark spots in our visits but to be honest I was the cause of them.

In Budapest there is no such a thing as free street parking. Now I learned it the hard way.

One evening we went out to dinner with my cousin in the center of the City and I thought that just because there was no parking ticket machine on the side I parked it was free. Well, it was not. By the time we finished dinner there was a whopping parking ticket on the car.

Understandably my wife was very angry at my misjudgment and I really got it from her. In order to avoid late charges we paid the ticket the next day at a post office.

But this was nothing compared to  the next fiasco I caused.

We went to a short visit to my cousin's apartment. He lives in the heart of the City and finding parking is almost impossible there. However, next to his building there is a short street where it seemed there was a lot of available paring space.

Without thinking I left the car there and followed my wife up to his apartment. We talked for a while and when we decided to leave to my greatest dismay the parking authorities were there placing a ticket on the car. I wasn't to upset until my wife pointed out that the right rear tire also had a boot on.

Fortunately these people were there and after about 45 minutes and a lot of Forint the boot was removed.

But that was the easy part. What I got from my wife afterward was the worst. First the blame then the silent treatment. I don't wish it on anybody. Eventually she forgave me but right there and then it was bad.

I always say that there is something good in every bad thing.

This happened after eight in the evening. These people work only until ten pm and start at six in the morning. We had to be at the airport by about 5:30 am the next morning.

What would have happened if we couldn't get the boot removed?