That sentence could be taken a few different ways, I suppose. But what I am aiming for is my enjoyment of planning travel. I enjoy planning travel: my travels, others' travels, travels I only dream of doing one day. I enjoy all parts of it. In preparation for our trip to Budapest, I poured through a number of travel books and guides. Rick Steves recommended a book that I picked up by Andres Torok, entitled, Budapest: A Critical Guide.
This is quite an interesting book, particularly because it was written (in the early '90s) not long after the Soviets left Hungary. The Soviets governed the area with an iron fist. And because of that, there weren't too terribly many interesting to see in Budapest when they left. But Torok loved his city and helped tourists find rather interesting spots, even though the air of communism still hung heavy over the area.
This is one such spot:
Underneath the glass windows lay the ruins of the boundary of the Roman Empire. It's quite a stunning site, just from the sheer history that lay underground. But the most amazing thing is how un-marked the site is today. Had I not read Torok's guide, I would have never known about it. Even walking past it, you would have no idea it was here. In fact, I had to come back to the area twice to verify exactly where it is and exactly what it is. There is a small sign laying off to the side of it that is not too terribly descriptive and you have to search to find.
I am not sure why Budapest doesn't do more to let people know the site exists. Perhaps people have not found it to be that interesting over the years. I'm just not sure. But I am glad I found it. And I am glad that I did some extensive research before our trip and knew that it was there.
Now sure, I had lots of time on my hands to travel this trip, more time than most people have before their trips. But if you just do some digging, you can find some incredibly interesting things to see in your travels . . . and your digging will be greatly rewarded.
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