The folk song "I went to the market with half the money" is familiar, isn't it? No one should try this if they were to visit one of the Advent fairs in downtown Budapest. Because, either the fair in front of the Basilica or the Vörösmarty Square fair requires a small fortune.
Since my wife and I had other things to do in the city center, once we were there, let's take a look at the colorful whirlwind in front of the Basilica. I thought we'd drink some mulled wine, eat a flame, or something else, but when I saw the breathtaking prices, I didn't even reach for my grocery store. The prices were listed in forints and euros. For example, they asked for 2,000 forints (5 euros) for the plain lángos, but the cheese and sour cream could be had for 3,000 forints. A giant sandwich was offered for 10 euros, i.e. 4,500 forints, the horn cake started at 2,200 forints, the price of other dishes - like beef stew, for example - I leave to the imagination of the dear reader. While I muttered to myself: damn you, I still hoped that we would just eat a few roasted chestnuts. According to the notice, 10 dkg is 5 euros, or 2,000 forints. Quick math and guesswork, I can get roughly 5-7 eyes for that amount of money. Curiosity drove me to Vörösmarty Square as well, but there was no difference in prices.
While I was daydreaming in the whirlwind, something else stood out. You could barely hear a word of Hungarian, you could say, there were only a good number of foreign tourists, which is not a problem, even welcome. However, it seems that these Advent fairs are no longer intended for the people of Hungary - since two parents with three children can eat a flame each for HUF 10,000 - but for visitors here, because as we know, the Budapest one is one of the most beautiful Advent fairs in Europe. This is indeed gratifying, although less so for Hungarians, because for them the Advent fair has become a NO-GO zone.
Image: adventbazilika.hu
