In the middle of… Budapest
(Illustration: Marc Herold)
Nightlife in Budapest is concentrated on the left bank of the Danube, the Pest side, where tram 6 runs as long as the bars are open: all night. The Buda part of town with the hills and the castle is sleepier, the pub on the Chain Bridge closes before midnight. There seems to be another bar around the corner, the sign “Closed Society” on the door brakes. But if you know the innkeeper or the innkeeper knows you or you know someone the innkeeper knows, you walk in and feel like you’re in an old film: Because of closed society, the smoking ban has been lifted, everyone smokes. The landlord behind the counter lifts his nose, sniffs the air and asks: is anyone smoking weed here? No one interrupts the conversation to confirm the obvious. The landlord stays tuned: If I don’t get the joint right away, I’ll call the police! Katalin Molnar
In the middle of… Portland
(Illustration: Marc Herold)
The first walk through the new district leaves question marks. Why do some things seem familiar even though you’ve never been here before? Like some kind of memory that can’t be pinpointed as the path crosses the Burns, short for Burnside Street. Past Flanders, via Kearny and Terdlinger Streets, along Quimby, over to Lovejoy and up to Van Houten Avenue. Later, while chatting with the neighbors, they ask about their first impressions. That’s how you mention the strolling and that this strange déjà vu has crept over you. The neighbors exchange knowing looks. “Do you know the ‘Simpsons’? The animated series?” they ask. Yes, of course, who doesn’t know them? “Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, grew up around the corner – and named many of the series’ characters after the streets here.” Claudia Koestler
In the middle of… Essaouira
(Illustration: Marc Herold)
In the “City of Winds” one must have ridden, they say. The Morocco traveler therefore mounts a horse for the first time. “Pull like this, you go right. Like this, left. Like this, the horse stops” – brief introduction to the art of horseback riding. Then the riding instructor turns to other things. The beginner’s horse decides to breakfast a tree. Hoofbeats, the group rides off. The stallion keeps tearing leaves from the branches. What was the trick for “The Horse Starts” again? Finally, the horse walks on its own, leisurely, it knows the way. His rider relaxes, fears no more wild manoeuvres. Until the teacher turns to the group: “Faster?” The group reminds the beginner: would his horse follow the others? “No, we’ll come back for him,” says the teacher. “No need”, the beginner’s stallion thinks and gallops off. Lara Thiede
You can find more episodes of the “In the middle of …” column here.