The first impressions of other countries~

[ffrench]

I also remember when Swedes came to my secondary-school. And they mentioned a famous Hungarian called "Kafka" :-O. Franz Kafka wasn't Hungarian. No, no they mean that woman :-O (No clue)
I had to ask my mother who is a lover of Hungarian literature, and told me they must have meant Kaffka Margit (Margit Kaffka) who was a feminist writer. A year later at school, the teacher mentioned her for a sentence at literature lesson. Never heard of her before and after, in Hungary.

I haven't read any of her work, but I remember that there's a street and I think a café dedicated to her in Debrecen. I'm surprised she'd be so well-known in Sweden though. There's only a couple of English translations of her books, and they seem to be out of print.

[Lietmotiv]

Ukraine - Pretty much like Moldova, same unfriendly staff in restaurants, corrupt policemen, same fashion, same food more or less.

Romania - ugly villages and small towns next to the Moldavian borders and bad roads, some nice towns in Transilvania, restaurants and food a bit cheaper than here.

Russia - different impressions, I've been a few times in Moscow, about 2 times in Peterburg, also in Rostov, Taganrog. A lot of immigrants working there. Many very rich people, but also many poor ones, less alcoholics on the streets in comparison with Moldova.

Hungary - Everything's excellent, except for the fact that they don't quite speak English. Knowing German really helps. Otherwise, the country looks very nice, a really European country, people drive very slow and respect all the rules (unlike here), a lot cheaper and more simple cars than here but a more, well-organised, middle class. Food and clothes cheaper, gas more expensive.

Czech Republic - same thing with the English language, otherwise a very green country with beautiful architecture and nice cuisine.

Austria - A better, well-organised, with beautiful landscape version of Germany. Wonderful cities, less immigrants than in Germany.

Germany - Westfalia is great, but Bavaria is my favourite. Berlin somehow business, many ex-Soviet immigrants, many Turks.

France - Paris - beautiful but dirty. Most immigrants in Europe in my opinion. Dirty, garbage everywhere. The city-center is beautiful, but in just a few km from it you can find a (North)African ghetto.

Bordeaux, Nantes - smaller and more friendly cities, you can feel the true French atmosphere and cuisine. Best city - La Rochelle.

Poland - Warszaw at a first glance looks more of a business-town, sky-scrapers and stuff. Otherwise a very nice and uncrowdy capital-city. The town looks very safe, the locals seem very calm.



To be continued.

My impression of Hungary is: Eastern, Old World, ex-Soviet, cobblestones, beautiful old bridges, alcohol (especially pálinka) and the colour red, both for communism and for paprika, and mathematicians, economists and other scientists. I'm told it's part of "Central Europe" but I tend to think of Europe based on the side each country took during the Cold War despite its ending when I was a baby.

For someone like me, coming from the Wild East, this is a strange comparison, since for me Hungary is West and a true E.U. country, of course one can notice the difference when crossing the border with Austria, but the difference is bigger when crossing from Romania to Hungary.

For me Eastern Europe is : Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus.
Hungary it's Central Europe.
Romania, Bulgaria - Balkans.

[mōdgethanc]

For someone like me, coming from the Wild East, this is a strange comparison, since for me Hungary is West and a true E.U. country, of course one can notice the difference when crossing the border with Austria, but the difference is bigger when crossing from Romania to Hungary.

For me Eastern Europe is : Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus.
Hungary it's Central Europe.
Romania, Bulgaria - Balkans.

You could say that I have what the Germans call "Wall in the head". Hungary might be richer and more democratic than those countries, but I have a hard time thinking of any ex-Communist country as truly "Western", except Germany and maybe the Czech Republic.

[Limagne]

Bordeaux, Nantes - smaller and more friendly cities, you can feel the true French atmosphere and cuisine. Best city - La Rochelle.

La Rochelle is also my favourite city in France

Saint Malo is a close second though.