Visiting Tom in Budapest

Thank you to reader Patrick, who sent me these photos from Budapest, with the following note:

Found you hanging out in Budapest.

This was in the Jewish Quarter it is owned by a Polish family that also has a used book store in Krakow. Lovely place, lovely people. Ps- Love your writing. Patrick, Freeman, Mo. Pop. 482

Apart from giving me a lift, Patrick’s photos and kind words struck a deeper memory chord than he might have realized. In the summer of 1989 I hiked and hitchhiked through 13 countries, including Hungary. While in Budapest, I wandered into a used bookstore and bought this book:

I read it over the remainder of my trip and it was always one of my favorites. That said, its been so long since I read it I only recall it in fragments. So now thanks to Patrick, I’m gonna get through it again.

Oh, and I have no idea if it was the same bookstore. That bit is likely lost to history.