Budapest | Virtually Gina

The Bridge That Glows Golden

February 14, 2016 by Gina Marie

It was nearly midnight on my last night in Budapest, and I was perched by a bay window in our room at the Sofitel, where my new husband and I were staying on the final night of our honeymoon. The room had a magnificent view of the Lanchid, or “Chain Bridge”, aglow with golden lights that spanned the Danube river. As I gazed out the window, I felt tears welling up in my eyes. * * * My father and his family […]

Categories: Ancestry, Budapest, Europe, History, Memoir, Personal, Photography, Travel • Tags: Budapest, Family HIstory, Hungary, Memoir, Photography, Travel

For the Birds

September 1, 2012 by Gina Marie

This post is dedicated to our lovely feathered friends, who are truly quite stunning creatures, when you really stop to think about it. The first photo in this series was captured last weekend in Ocean City, New Jersey, where the seagulls practically outnumber the beachgoers. The following photo features a seagull soaring over an uprooted tree awash in the murky waters of the Mississippi River, just south of Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This little guy (or girl) is […]

Categories: Animals, Art, Birds, Budapest, Minneapolis, Mural, New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, Photography, Zoos • Tags: Animals, Art, Birds, Budapest, Minneapolis, Mural, New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, Photography, Zoos

The Bronzed Ladies of Budapest

August 20, 2012 by Gina Marie

In Budapest, one will note that there are statues nearly everywhere. Photographing the twin statues in bronze featured below, I could not help but wonder what a conversation between them might sound like. Perhaps this (click over image to enlarge) . . . Or maybe this . . . Create your own . . .

Categories: Budapest, Europe, Humor, Photography, Travel • Tags: Budapest, Europe, Humor, Photography, Travel

Budapest’s Dohány Street Synagogue

July 10, 2012 by Gina Marie

The following photos were taken in Budapest, Hungary on an unseasonably warm afternoon in early May. On this particular day, most stores were closed for the May Day (Labor Day) holiday. The Dohány Street Synagogue, however, was open to tourists, so I stopped in to snap a few pictures. I marveled at both the size of the building and at its incredibly ornate interior. Trivia: the Dohány Street Synagogue is the largest synagogue in Europe and the fifth-largest in the […]

Categories: Budapest, Europe, Holidays, Photography, Travel, Trivia • Tags: Budapest, Europe, Holidays, Photography, Travel, Trivia

Széchenyi Thermal Baths, Budapest

May 29, 2012 by Gina Marie

Legend has it that all one needs to do to find geothermal springs in Hungary is poke a hole into the ground. While this may not quite be the case, there may be at least some truth to it: geothermal springs abound in the land of the Magyar. Of the estimated 1,300 geothermal springs in Hungary, about a third are used at spas througout the country. Due to their high mineral content, these springs are often touted for their natural […]

Categories: Budapest, Photography, Travel • Tags: Budapest, Photography, Travel

A Moment in Time: Budapest

April 30, 2012 by Gina Marie

Categories: Art, Budapest, Photography, Travel • Tags: Art, Budapest, Photography, Travel

Another Day in Budapest

April 28, 2012 by Gina Marie

“I took 98 pictures today,” I told my husband while uploading my memory card onto our computer. “Really?” he replied. “It felt more like 743.” Indeed, it was hard not to turn my photographic gaze upon every little detail: the marvelous architecture, the quirky advertisements, the unsuspecting passers-by. Everything seemed so fabulously stunning. I would like to share with you, dear reader, some of the sights I witnessed during my travels in Budapest today. I hope that the following photos […]

Categories: Budapest, Photography, Travel • Tags: Budapest, Photography, Travel

Reflections of Budapest

April 22, 2012 by Gina Marie

In a few short days, Jeff and I will depart for our long-awaited, much-belated honeymoon to Central Europe. The last time I visited was in 2004, when I was a twenty-four year old wannabe gypsy grappling with the recent loss of my father. At that time, my trip to Budapest was an homage to him, since he’d been born and raised there. I brought relatively few possessions with me. However, I was sure to pack a 35mm point-and-shoot camera. For […]

Categories: Ancestry, Budapest, Friendship, Photography, Travel • Tags: Ancestry, Budapest, Friendship, Photography, Travel