PROMPT: Longest Trip

Posted on September 13, 2026 by B Gourley

Daily writing prompt

What’s the longest trip you’ve ever taken?

So far, life is the longest trip I’ve ever taken. The challenge of this question is knowing what counts as a “trip.” I lived in India for over 12 years? Was that a trip? It didn’t feel like it. It felt like my home was in a different country. I think I once spent about two months one Summer in Hungary back in the 90’s? Was that a trip or family time? I’ve spent about a month (just under what would be required to do a “visa run” — more of a fresh stamp run) in Thailand. I suspect the latter is what the question aims at. While I’m pretty far toward the traveler end of the Traveler – Tribesman continuum, 30 days moving about without being someplace that feels home-like is where it starts to wear on me. (Of course, being a traveler, any place can feel homelike if I don’t need to think about where to eat on a daily basis or how to do laundry on a weekly basis.)

Of course, maybe the question is drug related. In which case, I once had psilocybe mushroom tea, and that trip lasted about five hours?

DAILY PHOTO: A Winter Day in Budapest

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Photograph of the Pest side of the Danube River in Budapest taken from Gellert Hill on a December day.

DAILY PHOTO: Scenes from Kossuth Lajos tér

Posted on May 18, 2026 by B Gourley

Photograph of the Hungarian National Parliament (Országház) taken on the Kossuth Lajos tér side.

Photograph of the Igazságügyi palota, (Palace of Justice) taken from in front of the Hungarian Parliament.

Photograph of the Agrárminisztérium (Ministry of Agriculture) taken from near Kossuth Lajos tér Metro Station.

BOOK: “Night Lights” by Molnár József & Péter Szilas

Posted on May 11, 2026 by B Gourley

Night lights by Jozsef Molnar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Publisher – Atlantisz

Budapest was a city on the cutting edge in the 19th century. This fact is often lost to people who today see it as a city that’s doing okay getting to its feet in the wake of the Cold War, but it’s worth noting that it was a major world capital before that. This is exemplified by the fact that Budapest had the first subway train (Line No. 1., opened in May of 1896.) It’s also seen in the subject of this book, the development of streetlights and lighting of public spaces.

This pamphlet / book of 56 pages is put out by Budapest’s City Hall and includes a great many color photos of important structures, historic and modern, from around the city (all taken at night to display said lighting.) The text covers the history of Budapest’s public lighting from a 1777 decree by Maria Theresa (ruler of the Hapsburg monarchy, 1740-1780) that set the stage for the first street lighting to the post-World War II floodlighting of major sights (e.g. Parliament and the Vajdahunyad Palace.) So, the book covers the period from gaslighting (and oil lighting) through the modern electrical grid, as well as the transition between.

I’d recommend this little book for those interested in the development of cities. It’s fascinating considering what the world was like in the absence of infrastructure that we now take for granted.

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DAILY PHOTO: Dégi Park-tó

Posted on December 2, 2025 by B Gourley

HUNGARY LIMERICK

Posted on September 21, 2025 by B Gourley

There was a young man from Hungary
   who always wore his blue dungarees.
   In summer they fit;
   in winter, not a whit.
 Chimney cake made his thighs thundery.