Mittel Europa

I'm on my way to Romania on my now-preffered route via Budapest. I always have an hour or two to kill at Kelleti station, and this time was no exception.
The trains from Kelleti to Bucharest actually start in Vienna, and this particular journey has been going since the railway was first built. The old Empire ( Austro-Hungarian that is) was very definitely knitted by railway tracks. It's temple's were the wonderful railway stations in even the smallest outposts, with their solid stone construction and excellent facilities.
What strikes me, however, is how all the countries in a swathe through what is now the proper outposts of Europe, although they run North to South, look very much East and West. This was true even in Franz Joseph's day, when the Empire looked West for culture and East for markets.
Budapest remains a very Parisian city. You can smoke anywhere. Vegetarians are regarded as being seriously ill people. On the menu I was reading tonight there was a beautiful selection of beef, pork, chicken, and veal dishes. Pages of them.Then one line - " Vegetarian food". No description, just a price.
Mind you, I'm not sure I would have wanted one pork dish - " Pork medallion, Brasso style".
But to Kelleti station.
It has been shrouded in wooden planks and scaffolding ever since I have been coming here. Tonight, just in time for the end of the tourist season, they have unveiled what was the old booking hall. I had never seen it, although I had seen pictures of it in it's heyday.
It is now simply stunning. The gold leaf ( stolen by the Russians) has all been replaced and the original frescoes lovingly restored. There is even a plaque commemmorating people who died in 1945 protecting it from the rape of the Red Army. Standing in the centre looking up you can feel history washing over you. I have not been as impressed with any restoration, ever. I felt again the importance of a people's history to it's soul, something the Chinese very definitely played to in their Olympic opening ceremony.
Makes our ghastly effort at the closing ceremony of the Olympics look truly pathetic.
Sighisoara tomorrow morning.