I was born and raised in Budapest, during the increasingly slack days of Goulash Communism, where you still had to be a pioneer if you were interested in smooth sailing, yet could openly discuss the shortfalls of the system. That is when I learnt reading between the lines and the lesson of not having to make more concessions to your guiding principles than the minimum needed to survive.

After graduating from the Budapest University of Arts and Languages and marrying a fellow teacher of English, it became very obvious very soon, that somebody will have to look for a profession that can support a passable livelihood. I became a guide, then a travel professional and getting around in the world has never ceased to be my prime passion. I lived and worked over 17 years in the United States, most of the time as director for the Hungarian National Tourist Office in New York City. It is the Big Apple, the Throbbing Heart of the Universe where both my sons were also born.

What would you miss most if you moved away from Hungary?
Though I love New York, if I had a free choice where to live, I probably would go for some exotic spot, where the heavy coats never surface; peace, sunshine and hedonism are the words of the day. Mallorca, St. Lucia, Hawaii would all nicely fit the bill. My only concern would be where on earth I could get my hands on REAL paprika (and thus authentic pörkölt, paprikáskrumpli and such) in those places.

Friends are in Budapest for a weekend - what must they absolutely see and do?
What to do in Budapest for a weekend with friends? Well try to squeeze in 4 days' worth into 2. I'll always start with the Citadel, the best place to explain geography, history, location and the soul of this city. Then continue with the cobble stoned, narrow streets of the Castle District, drop in for lunch into either 21 or Pierrot in Fortuna utca, see the military hospital. A pleasant Danube cruise with one of the Legenda boats in season is also a good choice. What comes next is depending on personal tastes: some would not miss one of the exhibitions at the Szepművészeti, or maybe a dip in the hot water at Kiraly Baths. Cocktails and some great music on the A38. Next day go to Gödöllő, see the Palace of Sissi, then have fun at Domonyvölgy, the Lazar Brothers' Estate. Take farewell at
Onyx or eat like the locals at Remiz. Aliz will bring the unsurpassable goose cracklings or a taste of their divine goose liver.

What is your favourite sport / form of exercise?
Favorite sport. Tennis. Fun, challenge and comraderie all at the same time. My favorite place in Hungary is the golf course at Balatonudvari. From there the most bucolic landscape of this country opens: Lake Balaton and the Tihany Peninsula when shrouded in mist in the fall is breath-taking.

What career other than yours would you love to pursue?
If I were not in the travel business, I'd love to be a vet. Helpless animals when in need always move me like nothing else. What I definitely would not want to be is a gynecologist. Babies are welcome, but when you never know if you'll ever be able to finish a good night's sleep, that is a real sacrifice.

Where did you spend your last vacation?
Last summer I spent with the entire family, my wife and two sons in Spain. Andalucia, Mallorca, Barcelona and the northeastern mountains around Cadaques are one of the most cherished memories of any vacation of the past few decades.

Where do you hope to spend your next one?
Never been to Africa, and a safari in South Africa or Tanzania would thrill me.

What was your favourite band, film, or hobby as a teen?
When I was a teen, I was a Beatles fan. I have just translated a book on Mick Jagger's life that was published for the 50th anniversary of the Stones' existence and it came to me how in my youth you were EITHER a Beatles fan OR a Rolling Stones junkie. My favorite band was the YES, IF the film I had seen 5 times and Heller's Catch 22 the novel I read and re-read times and again.

Apart of temptation what can't you resist?
I cannot resist good food, particularly if it is also attractive visually and I drink more red than white.

Book or movie?
I read lots of books and seldom go to the movies, praticularly since all you have to wait for new flicks on the cable networks is just a few months.

Morning person or night person?
I am a night person. I seldom go to bed before midnight, even 1.00 am. And so am quite wobbly in the mornings.

Which social issue do you feel most strongly about?
Living in Hungary I find the ever growing rassism and the chronic devision of the people over political issues devastating. Having lived all those years in America I learnt from personal experience what President Obama said in his acceptance speach: the United States is a great country not because of its size, natural resources or the strength of its army – it has become what it is because of the solidarity of her people and the concensus on at least the basic issues. I wish we would have that here, so these talented people could thrive like so many similar, small nations have, from the Dutch to the Swiss and a few dozen in between.

Buda or Pest side?
God knows. I lived in both. And they do have their different attractions. In Pest you are within reach of shopping, culture and better transportation, while in Buda you have the cleaner air, more space and (at least the appearance of) higher social status.

Which achievement in your life are you most pleased about?
As said, I have worked in the travel business all my life. I first was a guide – and although it was still quasi communism – I travelled the world with Hungarian tourists from Canada to Singapore, the US to most of Europe as a young adult. Then spent decades with convincing (then) completely unsuspecting Americans of the beauty, uniqueness, hospitality and myriad attractions of what is my native city and country: Budapest and Hungary. So the climax of this career, understandably, was when as director of the Hungarian Tourist Office in New York, I could lay the groundwork for and then participate in the operation of the 1988 ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents) Conference in Budapest. Over 7,000 American and international travel professionals descended on Budapest in October, 1988 and one of the most successful Annual Conferences of the Society finally put this city onto the radar screen of American tourists.

What would you say is your personal motto?
My personal motto is: Do not just learn history – learn FROM it.