It is amazing to think that I have lived in 21 flats in 22 years in Budapest. Sometimes I have had to move because of the son coming back from the army and the family needed the flat the next day, or relatives were coming from the countryside. Sometimes the owners would come in and out of the apartment as they please while I am there, or not. There have been electrical fires in the walls caused by old faulty wiring that I was somehow expected to take responsibility for, or the end of a romantic relationship. Many times I had to move just because the owner decided to double the rent overnight. Whatever the reason, four years ago I finally bought my own flat and threw away the banana boxes I kept around "just in case." Now at the 22nd anniversary of my arrival to Hungary, I am trying to remember these diverse places and anything special about them. Not necessarily in order, and there are a few that I cannot remember...

When I first arrived in August, 1990 International House Language School was supposed to have had accommodation pre-arranged . My friend Karen and I flew into Vienna and then took the train to Budapest. Friends Amy and Eric from Bates College were supposed to meet us at the station and take us to the flat, but were not there. It being nighttime and telephones in the country still quite scarce, we had no recourse but to go to state travel company IBUSZ and get a hotel room. IBUSZ put us way out near the airport. All I remember is the pitch darkness, loud trams just below our window, the damp, and the smell. Karen actually took out a potpourri lamp she had packed and lit it to drive away the moldy smell. The next morning, after taking a taxi back to the school, I found I did not have a flat or roommate as Leslie in Hungarian is a male name and they had put me in with an unwilling female by that name. I have no recollection of where I slept those first few days until a flat was located for me.

My first apartment was on upper Vaci Ut across the street from what is now Duna Plaza, Hungary's first big shopping mall. However, at the time, there was nothing. In fact, the metro only went as far as Arpad hid. To get into work in the center, I used to have to take a long 45 minute route on bus 4 to Deak ter and then walk back up Bajcsy. This flat was my first introduction to all things Hungarian. There was no kitchen table, only a shelf by the window and bar stools looking out the window at another building. There were no plates, just small wooden cutting boards. The centrifuge dryer was an adventure, as we had to place it on a rubber doughnut and then sit on it so it would not bounce all over the bathroom. I used to go shopping at the market off Gyongyosi u. The owners obviously had never had renters before, and felt it was their privilege to enter the flat any time whether or not we were there and without knocking. I had my friend Katie over for dinner one night soon after moving in because she was an Illes fan and the "Hungarian Beatles'" first concert under democracy was being televised. I knew Katie loved eating peppers like apples, so I bought a bunch of nice yellow ones for her at the market. This was my first week in Budapest, and not speaking a word of Hungarian I thought TV paprika meant "as advertised on TV." I chose the other one thinking "eros" meant sweet love, not super hot. Poor Katie took a big bite and watched most of the concert in tears. We moved to the next flat at a most inopportune time, the famous taxi strike of 1990. The MDF Antal Government took away gas subsidies, so the taxis blocked the bridges across the Danube for a few days. Not yet having learned the language, we were all in the dark. Rumors flew about the government bombing the taxis on the bridges from helicopters, etc. All we knew was that most of the bread and milk came from Buda and there was not much in the shops. In the middle of this, we had to move to the new flat on Dagaly u. and had to schlepp everything by foot.

Dagaly u. was more convenient to public transport, and it was next to both a library and the Dagaly Thermal Baths. This was the place we left because of the electrical fire.

I think the next one was on Robert Karoly Krt, in the same area. I shared this with Nick Palmer, the flamenco musician. All I remember from this apartment was having to crack the eggs into a separate cup and smelling them before we cooked them. Nick sometimes batted them out the window with his cricket bat, on occasion forgetting to open the window. Our band Captain Pedantic and the Scurvy Dogs was formed in this flat over too many cups of pyramid PG Tips.

There was a place at Kosztolanyi Dezso ter where we shared a twinned telephone line with downstairs neighbor Paloczy-neni. Right across the street from Feneketlen to (Bottomless Lake), and next to what was then a major bus terminal, we had both some green and gray. I worked from home a lot here, and was one of the first, through a Soros grant to environmental NGOs to have a fax/modem, to have dial-up email in Hungary. The monthly cleaning parties with Jam-es and Chris Aston were always a blast, with DJ Chris pumping out the classic rock tunes. We played many a practical joke in this flat - ask me sometime. There was a homey fast food bar across the street called the Hamm Hamm Bar for cheap fried cheese and beer. Its a bakery now, but the owners are the same. We had an old Hajdu top-loading washing machine which we called "The Shredder" for all the clothes we lost to its maw. There was a blank poster in the wc that we used to re-title books and movies, such as "The Tale of Two Shitties," "Dr. Poo," etc. The band's fiddle player sold me a telephone card with a chip on it and a white button. If you pressed the button and inserted the card into the telephone booth you could talk for free for up to a certain amount. But you had to be caerful to press the button and pull it out before the "credit" ran down or the card would die. The card would then be recharged and you could call the person back. When I moved out of this flat to work in The Netherlands for a few months with Friends of the Earth-NL/Milieudefensie, Chris, Tina and James replaced me with a duck. Seriously. Kevin Kacsa was rule cute swimming in the bathtub until he started crapping everywhere and got too big to be cute.

I had a great place on Chazar Andras u. near to the Sport Mozi and a German language Hungarian high school. The flat belonged to photographer George Konkoly-Thege. Whenever someone entered the flat, Gyorgy took their photo. There was an entire wall full of these snapshots. Daniel and I used to go shopping at the Garay Market where we would bring home hot fresh bread and put nutella on it, or make palacsinta with nutella and bananas or sugar and lemon. Nick took all of my underwear one day, wet them, and then threw them off the balcony into a tree where they soon froze..."The Underwear Tree" is probably still there. Don't worry, I eventually got him back by sewing all of his and Ian's underwear together. We were robbed here twice, but instead of stealing computers, dollars or guitars, the thieves stole a Croatian train schedule, photos of my friends, my poetry and about 50 USD in Russian rubles (a month's salary) I had to pass on to a Russian NGO activist. They even closed the door behind them so our neighbors would not also rob us. Being very near to Dozsa Gyorgy Ut, Balazs and Csaba woke me up one night and dragged me to the street party celebrating the last Soviet soldier leaving Hungary and pretended to be my body guards all night. Nearby Abonyi u., site of the former Dutch Embassy, we used to call "Dog Shit Alley." For three months between environmental jobs, I also ran a bagel business out of this flat on weekends. I made 90-100 bagles at the weekend and sold them as sandwiches through a sandwich company supplying corporate workers. I actually lived here twice, broken up by a stay at Nagybanyi u. below.

The owners of Semiramis, a great Arabic (Jordanian or Tunisian) little hole in the wall on Alkotmany u. were my landlords at the next flat. Semiramis used to have great ful, spinach with lemon and walnut and chicken, and amazing lentil soup. A Hummus Bar is now at that location. Their flat was at the end of the 11 bus on Nagybanyai u. With a wonderful view and access to easy walks through the Buda Hills, it was a grand place to live that summer. Unfortunately, there was no night bus, meaning we could not party unless we wanted to take a taxi home.

In the US for a wedding or something, Martin Curtis, whom I did not know well at the time, called me at my dad's house and offered me a place to live on Bajcsy Zsilinsky Ut if I bought him a washing machine. I must have been moving back from The Netherlands or something and in need of lodging when I moved back. I took him up on his most gregarious offer and moved in while he was working in Poland most of the time. Apparently, Todd Williams also lived there but we never, ever met in the flat somehow. Passing each other on the escalators at Arany Janos u. he asked me if I had been moving his stuff around, but I had not. This and other circumstances remained a mystery until one day I was home sick to be awakened by someone coming in the front door. Surprisingly, it was not Todd, but some strange Hungarian guy with his whole family. Martin had neglected to tell either Todd or I about Attila the cleaning guy. There is a great view of a large reclining statue on the neighboring roof that I had never noticed from the ground before. Of course, NY Bagels was also conveniently located on the ground floor. Speaking with Andy Kamondy at a wedding recently, he took over the the room when I left and was also asked to buy a washing machine. Martin, what were you doing with all these washing machines?!

Verseny u. along the side of Keleti pu. is not the greatest area, but like many things in this city, if you look beyond the facade there are many nice things hidden behind. Our ground floor flat had great big windows looking out into the green courtyard. It was very convenient for when we got the occasional package from abroad and had to pick it up at Customs a couple doors down. Being next to Keleti pu., we got a horde of environmental activists passing through Budapest sleeping on our floor or couch. For some reason there was no heat in the kitchen, and it once got so cold in the winter that our olive oil froze. We held a great Swap here one autumn day. Anything you had but did not want anymore that someone else may find useful can be brought to the swap location. Clothes are put with clothes, jewelry with jewelry, toys with toys, books with books, electronics with electronics, etc. Dump your stuff off and take whatever you like from any section. Any unclaimed large items such as furniture must be taken home by the person that brought it. Everything left over was taken to charity like the Red Cross or Salvation Army. It is fun watching everyone try on each other's clothes, especially if some alcohol is involved. We did our shopping at the un-renovated Garay Market.

Katona Jozsef u. hosted me for awhile. There was a "bird man" making bird calls out the ground floor street window. "Mums Bar" across the street was the scene of my wild 30th birthday party where my then future girlfriend almost bit my nipple off. I certainly remembered to call her in the morning. The restaurant is still there, but I am sure Mum and her hot daughter are long gone.

Aulich u. was the place I lived longest my entire life, 6.5 years being Gergo's lodger! After having to move 1-2 times a year, it was a godsend not having to move again once or twice a year every year for awhile. One of my favorite Hungarian restaurants. The Tukory is right there on Hold u. next to the 5th District Market.  It was and still is one of the few places in town with friendly service. Ownership and staff have changed several times since then, but still a good and relatively inexpensive place. I was very impressed by the original waitresses who used to be able to carry 3-4 korsos of beer in each hand. Aulich u. is named after one of the leaders and martyrs of the 1848 Revolution. He and several others were executed in the Hapsburg barracks that used to dominate the square where the Batthyany Eternal Flame now rests. It is from this event that the Hungarian 150 year ban on clinking glasses during toasts originated. The building used to be owned by a Jewish family who lived on the top floor, and there was even a separate servants elevator. Up until 20 years ago, there still used to be a red carpet on the stairs. I also cooked my first Thanksgiving meal with Josey Walker in this apartment. With only a couple burners and a small oven, we had to time everything over three days of cooking to make sure everything (cornbread, bread, pies, stuffing, turkey, beans, squash casserol, cranberry sauce...) came out in time and was warm when it needed to be. The 18kg turkey we named Kenny (Southpark reference, the first of many with the same name) did not fit in the oven and had to be cooked elsewhere. Buying the turkey at the Hold u. Market, they asked us if we wanted it "szepen bontott" (nicely gutted). Well I did not want the inards taken out in a "csunyan bontott" (uglily gutted) manner, so I said yes. Realising our mistake too late, and screaming "no!," the butcher still proceeded to chop the wings and everything else off. Then we had to start over again with another turkey. Josey and I also once set up a cheap grill on the balcony, and it is a wonder no one called the fire department. We used to go on a big bike ride to Slovakia every 3 months, since back then, all anyone needed was a stamp in their passport every three months as a visa. Heading up into the Pilis, we usually managed to fit about 10 beers in. Uphill past the steapest point at Pilisszentkereszt, it was then 25km downhill from there into Esztergom and then a cable ferry across to Stuovo/Parkany. On the Slovak side of the broken Maria Valeria Bridge (since WWII) was a great restaurant in the middle of the road (since noone expected the bridge to ever be rebuilt). It was fantastic sitting at the end of the shattered bridge and dangling our legs above the Danube looking across at the massive Basilica in Esztergom. Fried cheese and fries and a korso of Gambrinus was about 100 huf. Beers just got cheaper the higher into the Pilis and closer to Slovakia you got. The restaurant was relocated on a nearby boat when the bridge was reconstructed with EU funds.

At Izabella u. 75 we had to replace the gas water heater above the sink since there was no chimney pipe for it and naked flames went up the walls every time we wanted hot water to do the dishes. My favorite cobbler is just downstairs in the courtyard. On national holidays we would be woken up by a serious pounding rain storm, only to look out the window and see troops of Hussars on horses clattering down our street on their way to Hosok tere. Being between jobs, it was a great place to stay in return for paying the common costs and painting the place.

I was staying in an apartment at the bottom of Szepvolgyi Ut in the wooded unnamed square by the HEV tracks when I started Treehugger Dan's. It was close to the Kolosy ter market with its good cheese shop, and the Fapados pub and Daubner Pastry Shop across the way. The underground Admiral Restaurant was always there in the wooded square below our window for a good cheap meal if we did not feel like cooking, and had a terrace in the square in the summers. Even though it was in Buda, I was able to avoid traffic and get to work at Hunyadi ter in 15 minutes by the HEV and 4-6 tram. Arnold's Gym was right across the street for my squash games, and there was a used book store Obuda Antikvarium around the corner on Lajos u.  where I always found a good bargain English book if I searched long enough through the shelves. The owner is a very proper, waxed mustached vested character, classical music ambiance.

I moved to Bogdani u. in Obuda shortly after I opened the bookstore, but did not stay long. The 86, 6, and 60 buses all stopped nearby, and the HEV was only a short walk away. Our French windows looked out over a small green area and a big willow tree. In good fall weather it was nice to walk from there up top the ridge and Harmashatarhegy.

The Hunyadi ter flat was very conveniently located just across the street from Treehugger Dan's Bookstore Cafe and I could just roll out of bed to go to work. The first morning though I scarred the shit out of myself. When I woke up and rolled over I saw a naked person in bed with me - but it was a wall-length mirror I had not noticed the night before. The previous owner had renovated and redecorated the place with plastic pink flowers everywhere. The new owner had not touched anything and said I could throw out whatever I wanted. Four large trash bags of plastic flowers went to the dump! A few months later while working in Kosova I looked up one of my customers who was consulting off and on in Pristina. I mentioned that I was living on Hunyadi ter now, in the area he used to live. It turns out, not only did I live in his old building, but his old flat that his ex-girlfriend had redecorated then sold! Hunyadi ter was and still is the center of my Budapest universe. I was a regular at the Hunyadi Kisvendeglo Restaurant.

I have been at Szondi u. now for almost 4 years, after foolishly buying a flat with a Swiss Franc loan. But after so many moves, so often, it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. I am still getting used to the place. I was very excited last year to dig through banana boxes of photos with Rich and Tara and put my own pictures on my own walls for the first time in my life. I am close to New York Pizza, and one of my favorite pubs, the Potkulcs, and a dirty pub that sells korsos fro 220!. Great for their lunch menus among other things, NY Pizza is 10 minutes up the road. Two recycling islands are within walking distance, as is the Hunyadi ter Market; and I have the all-night pharmacy on the corner. There is even a role playing game shop Szellemlovas down the street for diehard Dungeons & Dragons, Time Traveler, Gamma World or Car Wars fans. Even though it is in the center, it is quiet and near major transport hubs such as Oktogon and Nyugati. I plan on being here for awhile.