29Budapest, Hungary
The tram bell rang out in the silence of the dawn.
Istvan Kello waited for the carriages to rumble by. Hands jammed in the pockets of his jacket, he looked both ways before venturing across the intersection. Reaching the opposite side of the road, he descended the stairs to the embankment and started his riverside jog to the parliament buildings. He slipped beneath Liberty Bridge, jogged past the moored tourist boats. The Szegedi Halászcsárda floating restaurant, renowned for its Szeged Halászlé — a traditional Hungarian soup of carp, catfish, sturgeon, and pike in a paprika-infused broth — evoked memories of a dinner at which he popped the question and was turned down. He smiled. Persistence paid off: a few months later, she said yes. Elisabeth Bridge and the Chain L
