On beauty

Prague:  pursed lips, red lipstick, quite beautiful but somehow this is tainted by her being so precise and coiled tight.  Had several appointments that day to get waxed, curled, dressed and photographed before she comes to dinner in a fur coat and waits impatiently for the doorman to usher her in and take her coat.  Practically unable to even pull her own seat out from the table. (Underlying feeling driving this image:  hard to do anything in Prague that didn't feel "done" or touristy or predicted by all the people trying to sell you things.  And totally hard to bike here!  Like a lady in too tight a dress who wouldn't want to bike since it would mess up her hair and make-up and god-forbid make her sweat). Oh, she does know of a good gelato place with the best dark chocolate gelato in the world, I will give her that.

Vienna:  uptight middle aged woman squeezed into a corseted dress with her hair fancily done (but in a conspicuous way requiring too many bobby pins), and make-up, way too much make-up, like blotchy red rouge and blue eye shadow and perfume.  Heavy perfume.  Trying really hard to be exactly the imperial beauty she was in 1600, a heavy-handed and effortful approach to appearance.

Bratislava:  young, eager, silly, friendly, fresh-faced and pretty.  Easy to spend time with.  Really wants to hang with the "cool kids", as our guide Sonia says, "we Slovakians really insist that we here in Slovakia are in CENTRAL EUROPE.  Don't mention anything about Eastern Europe...or the movie 'Hostel', ok?"

Budapest:  Gorgeous.  Effortlessly.  Rolled out of bed and her brown tendrils fall around her shoulders, or maybe they are pinned up (but with minimal pins!) Her approach is one of confidence...a chill assuredness that she is stunning and special and it will take the time it will take for others to notice her and notice her they will (and she will not bother spending an ounce of energy trying...she is tied up working in her painting studio or maybe even just walking along the river)...but soon everyone will be staring at her on the street and tram.  Breathtaking and humble.  [albeit smoggy]