Saturday morning …

The overnight in the train was excellent and, by chance, I had the compartment all to myself. 7 hours of sleep being rocked gently by the train.

Woken by border officials as we left Romania and then by Hungarian officials – Passports!

Spent the day with Eva Ujlaky catching up with what is happening in Budapest, with our respective news of our shared colleagues and sharing our own lives. We walked in the Pest part of the city – very elegant – and didn’t get over the river to Buda. We spent too much time having breakfast, coffee, lunch, and later dessert with more coffee – and talking.

I saw with my own eyes the plight of the refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan at the station.

My room faces onto the front of the train station and all evening there has been a demonstration out there by the refugees – but the police haven’t been concerned so perhaps it’s a nightly event.