Across Europe in Luxury
Budapest

I first headed up to the second floor to get an overview. The guide had told us that it was designed like a train station and it did give a flavor of a train shed. There were some plaques that gave the history, but I didn't take pictures of them. Since there isn't a whole lot online, I'm doubly sorry.

Even though it was approaching closing time and some vendors were starting to pack up, there were plenty of crowds. I could tell it was a tourist destination as well as a place for locals to shop because I heard many languages as I wandered around.

Many shops on the second floor sold embroidered tablecloths, runners, clothes, etc. The prices were reasonable, and if I were in a time of life given to collecting things I would have been in trouble. The workmanship was fine.

There were also plenty of souvenir-quality items that may have been made locally or may have come from China for all I know.

The ground floor was taken up by many fruit and vegetable stands. There was a huge variety of quality produce. Where do they get it in December?!

I wish we could get half this quality here at home.

Balázs had warned us that Hungarians, sensible people that they are, make use of all the parts of an animal. This display was of duck heads and feet.

Elsewhere I saw various innards (tripe, kidneys, other organs) and body parts on offer. I am not a fan of organ meats myself, but it is a scandal how much waste there is in this country. It didn't use to be so.

Head cheese was one of my favorites growing up, but I haven't seen it in forever.

Jim says that Pennsylvania Dutch scrapple contained "everything but the squeal." We don't go to eastern Pennsylvania anymore since his family has mostly died or moved away and we've never found a good source south of the Mason-Dixon line. Last time I was at fiddle camp in western PA the cafeteria served scrapple one day. They even had the applesauce to go with it. Yum.

My uncle was a great fan of fried fish fins. They're good too -- crunchy.

Jim tells me his Gram made a good groundhog stew.

Ah well, we're too effete nowadays.

Paprika on the hoof!

It wasn't just food for sale. This was quite a collection of wine, brandy and liqueur. The bottles were in all kinds of shapes.

And then there were more exotic offerings such as Beefeater and Jack Daniels.

Since returning home I've discovered that there was also a basement floor with more meats and such. I'm sorry I missed it.