Budapest, Hungary and Slovakia

Despite my self-imposed rule against "stealth visits," Hungary only got two days... but they were fabulously spent on Budapest. The city is grand and sophisticated, and high holiday services at two different synagogues (including the stunning Dohány) were moving. Two nights at the Marriott right on the Danube in the middle of everything didn't hurt either.

Bratislava, Slovakia has a lovely old town, but the highlight was a hockey match where I happened to sit next to the father of one of the players. He was all smiles when the home team HC Slovan beat Zvolen two to zip. From there I headed East to Terchova (base for a day hiking in the Malá Fatra mountains) and Levoča (lovely town near Slovakia's largest castle and on the way to the High Tatra mountains bordering Poland).

Today I crossed into Poland where I plan to attend Yom Kippur services in Krakow. After that I am bracing myself for a look at Poland's dark history with its Jews including my own grandparents.