Things I love and hate about Budapest

With every departure from a place, I always feel nostalgic about it during my last days there, and Budapest is no different. I've always known I wouldn't live here forever, and though nine years is far longer than I could have anticipated, there are some things I have never taken for granted, like my daily commute on Margit bridge with its view of the Danube, bridges, Parliament and the castle district, the shadings of the water and sky always different.

Other Budapest things I have loved and will miss:
- Public transport, especially the 4/6 tram, the 2 tram, the 11 bus, the 15 bus, the blue metro
- Spring and summer fruit, especially the berries
- The Hungarian health care system
- Margit island
- Szamos Marcipan's budai kremes, Daubner's eszterhazi torta, Trombitas' gulyas, Indigo, szekelykaposzta, Klassz, Falafel Faloda
- All the rom kerts - I will never forget the first time I walked from a quiet street through a series of double doors into a courtyard that was the Szoda kert of 2003
- Sziget
- The kindness of strangers to a mother and child
- Playgrounds with the ubiquitous sandpits and boats
- Cheap wine and beer

Mixed in with all the rose-tinted nostalgia, however, is, regrettably, relief at leaving some things behind:
- The right-leaning trend of politics and society, and the attendant suspicion/resentment/mistrust of foreigners it brings
- Dour faces and indifferent service
- Shopping that is more expensive than in countries where people get much higher salaries, though this is mostly for 'luxury' items rather than bare necessities

2 more things to mention that have been significant during my time here. First, my workplace. Supportive, flexible, fun, with an ever-rotating but always great group of colleagues.

And, of course, predictably, Budapest will always be the place where I met my partner, and the place where we had Max.

Shot by Marcus Liang - my favourite photo of Max.