It Can Take Your Breath Away

So yesterday I had a chance to really see the city of Pecs (and for my non-hungarian speaking friends, it's pronounced "pay-ch").  My mentor, Palma, and I walked through the city down countless streets and visited my academic center, the Faculty of Humanities, the arkad (mall), and the new public library: Tudaskozpont.  But my favorite part of Pecs? Easily the city center.  

As you can tell, I did not take this picture... I keep forgetting to bring my camera.  Anyway, from the city center stems streets that take you past dozens of stores and restaurants.  The streets themselves are even beautiful: white, uneven stone walkways that give the city its character.  I asked my mentor how old the stone was and she said that the white stones weren't as old as the black stones that you can still find at the surface of the street in some areas (she never gave me an actual age, but I having a feeling that her definition of old is much greater than mine).  

We also walked by the theater in Pecs, which of course I also found breathtaking...

Palma was telling me about how she and her friends have a goal to see at least one performance a month this year, but she also said that it could get pretty expensive.  So I asked her how expensive it could get, to which she replied "about 2000 forints for the best seats."  2000 forints is a little over 10 dollars.... This is so unfair. I should just stay here forever. 

But what really got me? The post office: 

This is the post office of Pecs.... let me remind you what MY post office looks like:

There is really no comparison here.  I just can't fathom how something as simple as a post office can look this amazing.  Everything in Pecs is more beautiful than I could have imagined. Yeah, its settled... I'm not leaving.