Michele Roohani

Maundy Thursday followed by Good Friday (Black Friday) and Easter Sunday are,  according to Christian scripture,  the days during which Jesus was resurrected from the dead after his crucifixion.

What does all this have to do with chocolate bunnies?

I guess these cute rabbits are happy about Jesus’ resurrection!

I wonder if they sell chocolate in Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem? These rabbits don’t look like they are going anywhere close to the Way of Grief...

“The Easter Bunny is very similar in trait to its Christmas holiday counterpart, Santa Claus, as they both bring gifts to children on the night before their respective holiday.”

Sprungli, one of Switzerland’s most important confectionery producers, drive kids crazy with their chocolate eggs and rabbits.

An army of rabbits…

Eggs, like rabbits are fertility symbols. Since birds lay eggs and rabbits give birth to large litters in the early spring, these became symbols of the rising fertility of the earth at the Vernal Equinox (Nowruz).

Eggs were forbidden to Catholics during the fast of Lent, which was the reason for the abundance of eggs at Easter time. I took these pictures from my favorite florist, Marsano.

This big rabbit sets you back $190!

Happy Spring everybody.

Budapest, the neglected beauty on the Danube, is a city of friendly people, opulent buildings, golden domes, thermal baths and opera.

Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river with a unification on 1873 of right-bank Buda and with left-bank Pest.

A foreign city robs you of your prejudices about different neighborhoods—you look at everything with fresh virgin eyes.

Let’s start by my posh, but relatively inexpensive, hotel room and its great view:

grand cafés everywhere,

like the Callas :

The Hungarians are Opera-crazy and they have their elegant Opera Houses to show it:

There are plenty of beautiful Hungarian girls,

and boys:

and very proud ones at that: The Heroes’ Square welcomes you with seven Magyar chieftains (Magyar: Hungary) who led the Hungarian people in their proud history; I highlighted a couple that I liked best:

Now we’ll take the Budapest metro—super efficient and easy to use— to go places.

Like a good muslim, I first went to visit the great Saint Stephen Basilica:

the madonna looks friendlier in orthodox churches—somehow less aloof, more human…

In spite of all the gold in the public places, Budapest has its share of run-down buildings,

this huge metropolis is not as pretty as her smaller sister city, Prague,

but is as rich in history and as breathtaking in sights:

the sunset on the Danube is majestic:

Again as a good Shiite who does believe in Holocaust,  I went to visit the Dohany street Synagogue of Budapest, the world’s second largest that caters to a mix of Orthodox and Reformed Judaism unique to Hungary:

in spite of its Byzantine Moorish style, the similarities between this synagogue and a grand church are striking: there is an organ (Franz Liszt played on it once),

and even pulpits!

In the Jewish quarter,  you are constantly reminded of the Nazis’ atrocities:

Budapest is known for its 80 geothermal springs but I didn’t have the courage to accompany my friends to these pools in Szechenyi bath:

the Fine Art Museum was more pressing but that should wait for another post; the Hungarian parliament deserves a post all to itself as well.

If you want to stay in great affordable hotels in a great cosmopolitan European city, go to Budapest (or ask my friend, Reyhaneh, who is a champion in finding great deals!)

I leave you with this quote: “The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget” and “Clear thinking requires courage rather than intelligence” by Thomas Szasz.

p.s.  I am not writing about food because the only good meal I had worth writing home about was with my favorite Hungarian,  Professor Ungvari, at Remiz.

Living in the 21st century and exposed to Darfur and Iraq via our television sets, nothing can scare us anymore. Hannibal Lecter opens his victim’s head and eats his brain alive and I remember that instead of being revolted, I smiled at the stupidity/absurdity of the scene – unlike the Exorcist, the horror film masterpiece, that kept me awake for a few nights, 25 years ago…

Walking in my neighborhood, I can tell which houses have kids – they are usually meticulously decorated.

Halloween originated in Ireland and October 31st was perceived as the night during which the division between the world of the living and the dead is blurred hence having jack-o-lanterns (made of pumpkins, turnips or beets) to scare the evil spirits away. Tomorrow night, children (and adults) will dress up as scary creatures: ghosts, ghouls, zombies, witches, and goblins – Harry Potter galore…

The picture below is my last year’s crop.

there was a big “messe/mass ” in Notre Dame cathedral last sunday; i was lucky to see it – beautiful music and a great show for the faithful and the tourists…

this medieval giant of a building remains spellbinding after 800 years; the other churches seem like little dwarves compared to it.

caf