THE GRESHAM PALACE FOUR SEASONS, Budapest
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| Keith (photo by Musictimes) |
Arriving at the Gresham Palace from Budapest Airport, we saw huge
crowds camped on the hotel grounds. We
knew they weren’t waiting for us, so we figured someone important must be
coming or going.
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| The Gresham's special grill doors |
I could glimpse what was undoubtedly the royal suite and out marched single-file a procession of the most eccentric and oddly attired older gentlemen. At least one of them seemed to be wearing a clown’s wig, and the four men made me immediately think of the Marx Brothers.
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| The Gresham Palace Budapest 2007 |
Keith Richards probably thought the same thing. He appeared
genuinely taken aback, as though he should know this rather elegant older woman
--indeed just about his own age-- who showed no signs of being a tongue-tied groupie.
“Well, hallo to you,” he said.
“How ARE you? How are you DOING?” His darkly died hair struck out in
all directions from under the ubiquitous bandana.
“Oh, never better,” said Brenda.
“So good to see you.”
“Good to see you again,” said Keith, clearly straining to remember the
identity of this Anglo-Saxon couple in their swimming robes on the fifth floor
of the Budapest Gresham Palace.
Just as we began to move away, he called after us, “and …. really, we MUST quit meeting like this!”
Just as we began to move away, he called after us, “and …. really, we MUST quit meeting like this!”
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| That's Brenda in the Gresham Palace lobby |
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| The Gresham Palace seen at twilight from the Chain Bridge |
SIDEBAR: A look at Budapest's special architecture
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| The Danube, Budapest |
On my first visit in the 1970's, the building facades were so dirty and gray that the specialness of the city's skyline was almost completely camouflaged. Today the transformation is spectacular.
On my most recent return in 2008, I was surprised to see how beautifully and colorfully the city had been restored since the disappearance of the so-called "iron curtain".
I photographed buildings that appealed to our aesthetic senses, but it never occurred to me to find out the names or histories of what I was photographing. So here are a few anonymous but often colorful and original buildings, frequently representing the turn-of-the-century art-nouveau era when Budapest was very much the fashionable place to be and to be seen.
Your input is welcomed: hotel-musings@hotmail.fr
Next Friday: "Last visit with Mickie"
[Photos are mine, unless otherwise credited]
CROSS REFERENCING … a look at other postings
Budapest was also featured in: blog No. 20, "Decaffeinated coffee ... in Hungarian?" Jan. 11, 2013
(to access, click on above title).
24 comments:
Ohh, I love the Rolling Stones, so I probably would have been tongue-tied out of sheer surprise, not lack of confidence :) Amusing post and bravo for Brenda!
I recently finished Keith's autobiography...he is sharp and articulate and therefore his response and banter is not surprising...glad he was able to keep up with Brenda.
Splendid; crisp; concise. A wonderful way for me to start the day...pictures are great!. I feel as if I spent a short time in Budapest.
Dickie
to Kim at France Forever 24/7: I thank you and Brenda thanks you!
I have an important supporting role in this one!
to Brenda: And so you do - the real rock n roller!
I hope to go to Budapest one day.....and I think that Brenda has aged so much better than Keith!!! What a face......
I don't think you would find anyone to disagree with you on that! Cheers!
Great posting, Frank! Brenda rocks!!! More so than Keith. LOL!
BTW, your photos were beautiful. I have never been to Budapest, and your photos have given me the impetus to visit there soon.
Thnx, Kathy. We all agree that Brenda rocks. Keith has had a harder life, and it shows; but he was extremely warm and humorous.
On the other hand, Mick Jagger, who we saw the next day near the check-out desk, was kind of off putting, a little like a frightened, shrivelled up little mouse ... skirting the wall as though it would somehow make him invisible.
Strange, I thought The Stones were more or less my generation ...
You needn't worry, Martin, both Keith and Sir Mick are older than you .... but you'd better not ask by how much!
Your photos are absolutely stunning. Visiting friends in a hotel in Singapore many years ago I saw the much younger Rolling Stones. Let’s say they were different!
Do read about my (cool&fun)Mom bumping into Keith Richards (the Rolling Stones one!).
Was at the Crillon once upon a time, late afternoon --I subscribe to "I may not stay there, but I can have a drink there"-- see a guy, say you must be famous but don't know who you are. Joey Ramone, he says. Had a nice hour or so before his manager pulled him away from me--nice guy.
We just enjoyed your last hotel musings......great story....keep em coming.
I loved this week's account of the meeting with the Rolling Stones and Brenda's wonderful aplomb in the heat of the moment.
Look forward to next week's posting.
So glad to read your comments on Budapest about not being impressed in your 1970 visits. Rudy and I went down the Danube, from Vienna to Istanbul, just after the Iron Curtain lifted. It was a way to see what had been closed to us. I was very disappointed in the cities that we had read about in history. Now Prague, Budapest etc are the "rage". I was just too early.
I loved your meeting with Keith Richards and Brenda'a aplomb - I don't suppose he would be very flattered to know his un-airbrushed picture is being shown around the world thanks to your blog!
Loved this ... and I can imagine Brenda carrying this off as you have described it.
C'est génial ce que tu as fait et c'est très amusant a regarder !
Well, the beautiful Budapest buildings have certainly aged a whole lot better than Keith Richards! I would say that Keith R was probably flattered when the elegant Brenda approached him, given that he looked as if he had just escaped from the London Dungeons! Lovely photographs, and the amusing encounter with the Rolling Stones makes this musing one to remember.
Thanks, Chris. I couldn't agree more about Brenda, but to give credit where credit's due, K.R. was really extremely personable and charming. fwp
Great pics of Budapest, must visit there as well as Prague----Bucket list! hmmmm.
KR,s pic looked like something I've seen airbrushed on a Harley fuel tank. Lol
I had an encounter with Keith Richards in the 1960s when I was directing the orientation program on a student ship for the Council on International Educational Exchange. He arrived with an American girlfriend just as we were about to sail from Southampton to New York and wanted to pay for her passage with a personal check. The person who was in charge of the boarding did not recognize him and was reluctant to accept his check. Fortunately he asked me about it, and I told him that the check would probably be good. It was.
And a few years ago, his current wife, the Victoria’s Secret model, came into our booth at the Greenwich, CT. antiques show and bought five drawings that we had purchased from Olivier at Amicorum. She is still on our mailing list and we send her announcements of all our shows in the area, but we have never seen her again. When I told Olivier that Keith Richard’s wife had bought the Jeannisson drawings, he was so excited that he stood up and danced a little jig.
I saw another of the Rolling Stones in the late 1960s when I came out of the little café that used to be on the corner of rue Bonaparte and rue des Beaux-Arts. Mick Jagger emerged from L’Hotel, crossed the street and, obviously stoned, tried to open a door that was not there.
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