DESTINATION BUDAPEST
Francois Panchard talks about his travels
by Karen Guthry
 What awakened your passion for Hungary?
 In 1998 when I was unemployed, I was sent to Hungary by the Swiss government. I took part in an environmental program. My job, in collaboration with the city of Budapest, was to promote the bicycle as a means of transport.
Was this your first visit to Hungary?
Since March 1998, I go back to this country every couple of months because I’m married to a Hungarian woman. So I have roots in this country now…
How long where you away for?
For the www.panoramas.hu project, I stayed for about two months.
How did you get around?
I drove a fancy Renault 19 Broadway.
Describe the place.
Hungary is pretty cold and depressing in winter and very hot in summer. The north of the country is hilly and covered with impressive forests. The south is flat – the famous Puszta.
Did you prefer the cities or the rural areas?
I like both: I like the contrast between Budapest, the capital, and the countryside. Budapest is full of energy and you’ll always find something interesting to do or to see. But like other large cities in the world, people are stressed and they can be pretty unfriendly sometimes, especially in the middle of winter. In the countryside, people are much more relaxed and very helpful. The natural environment is very different from Switzerland, where I come from, but I like it. For instance the forests in autumn were a real revelation to me.
Which was your favorite destination?
People of Budapest will smile about it but we – I was with my wife – particularly liked Miskolc in the very east of the country. The city is surrounded by hills covered with huge forest and we liked the strange atmosphere of the city: the suburb is a witness of the former communist past of the country – imagine these typical big socialist buildings made of concrete, the very nice central street and the incredible availability of the people. Different and cool!
Describe a traditional dish or custom.
The traditional Hungarian kitchen is as good as it is unhealthy. I like it very much even if I look like a real sumo wrestler after a few months there. It’s juicy and greasy with this typical red color because of the paprika, the national spice. The most famous dish – I don’t know why – is the goulash, a soup made of vegetable and meat mixed with paprika.
Describe some of the interesting people you met.
Most of my friends there are linked with my two passions: bikes and computers. I have this friend called Peter who was able to ride more than 20’000 km on a mountain bike in just one season! He showed me so many good trails around Budapest and in the hills all around the country. Another friend is called Balazs and he’s a Web designer. He helped me set up the concept for my own website and provided me with the fast connection to his office. Through his experience I realized that the Internet business has a great future in Hungary. Services are still poor and prices very high. So investors, be ready to invade this country!
What can you do in Hungary that you cannot do anywhere else?
Usually, I don’t like to do nothing but I can sit for hours at the terrace of some fashionable café in Budapest! You leave the place with this question in your head: why did God send so many beautiful girls to this place? When my friends visit me in Budapest, I love to watch their stupid faces, with this typical half open mouth, when some hot woman passed them in the street!
What are the people like?
As I said before, there is a huge difference between the people of the capital and those in the countryside. Budapest is full of beautiful creatures but this gives you a feeling of a kind of superficiality. There are so many couples where the man is like Big Jim (alias Ken), showing off with a gorgeous Barbie on his side. So it’s good to escape this reality sometimes and meet some real people from the countryside.
Would you live there and (if yes/no), why?
Will my wife read this article? No, only joking! That’s our plan for the future: to spend the winter in the Swiss Alps and then spend a few months in Hungary. Both of us have strong roots and we like the idea of living in two countries. We really like the huge contrast between the two spots: Nendaz in the Swiss Alps and Budapest, a city of two million people.
Describe your favorite holiday memory.
The best surprise was the beauty of Gyor. I passed this city many times and the periphery consists of industrialized areas. I wasn’t very excited about the idea of shooting pictures of its center but since the city is one of the largest in Hungary, I went there. The inner city revealed itself to be one of the nicest in Hungary and so, I took more pictures than I had anticipated.
When are you going back?
As soon as I can! I’m pretty busy at the moment but the plan is to recharge my batteries there for a long period of time in 2003. And only then will I keep the promise I once made to my wife: to learn this very difficult language called Hungarian!
info@panoramas.hu
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