What better way to chase away the gloom of grey midwinter, than by reminiscing about, and perhaps planning, a summer holiday. The seed of this holiday was in fact sown in winter. A few years ago I had watched the New Year’s Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic, parts of which are always illustrated with short…
Author: pocketdiarybudapest
Hippy Hippos to Doctor Fish- Athens Diaries Continued
There’s a particular subtype of reels, about arrival to Athens airport– just the sliding doors opening, to the backdrop of some longing music. They’re cheesy as hell, but I will invariably watch them again and again, and save them for later. The only thing that beats them is actually arriving to Athens airport-the long labyrinthine…
Burčák, Spice and Everything Nice- The Simon-Judas Day Fair of Štúrovo
One sunny day last autumn, we decided to take the train to Esztergom and then cross the Danube to Štúrovo, or Párkány, as it is known in Hungarian. There is not much sightseeing to do in Štúrovo, except perhaps enjoying great views of the cathedral of Esztergom on the other side of the river. It…
Holy Bones and the Unexpected Delights of Almost Broccoli- A Visit to Bari
As already mentioned in our piece about Matera, the first mystery I tried to unravel upon our arrival in Bari was the name of its airport. Known traditionally as Bari- Palese, after the nearby neighbourhood, it was later renamed Karol Wojtyła. You will surely be delighted to know that John Paul II does have other…
There and Back Again, and Again: The Hydra Diaries, Continued
It’s no secret that Hydra is not a big place so, when you visit often, and talk/write about it, you will unavoidably start to repeat yourself. I tried to focus on new things that shaped this year’s experience, but when I revisited older texts, I found similar information here and there. If you’re here to…
Pocket Diary Sziget 2025: Day One
Before we even start, here is a little something I wrote last year, and the same disclaimer applies this year too. This account is personal and subjective, and means no harm to your favourite band/artist if I happened not to vibe with them. Feel free to enjoy the photos. And dislike my favourite bands, if…
(Not) Everything is Carved in Stone- A Visit to Matera
The one caveat I had about going to Matera was the bus- I don’t like travelling by bus, as a rule, I will always go for the train, if such a choice is available. I must also mention the fact that when it comes to Southern Italy, most people, both locals and tourists, will opt…
Tapas, Poetry and The Red Fortress- A Visit to Granada
The train ride from Málaga to Granada takes you from the sea to the mountains, through stunning valleys bathed in crisp sunshine and fleeting mist, among vineyards and olive groves, in a brief hour or so. Provided there is no lady, Anna Karenina like, on the rails. But there was, and we waited in the…
House of the Winter Sun- A Visit to Málaga
I stepped on the tarmac of Málaga Costa del Sol airport, and I took a deep, hungry breath. I immediately felt it. Plane exhaust. But beyond it, something unmistakable, tugging at the deepest recesses of my sensory memory. Salty, briny, fragrant, almost like an infusion of moss and minerals. I screamed, internally, like the Greeks…
A Good List Goes a Long Way: 2024 Edition
I must confess that I was about to, again, give up on the yearly list exercise. I am too old and wise for this- which is something I often say when I feel lazy to do something, hence being immature. But then I took a look at previous yearly lists and discovered strange and interesting…
Pocket Diary Budapest 