TRAVEL TALES

Young Chang

For the equivalent of three U.S. dollars, Corona del Mar couple Tamar

and Martin Brower enjoyed what they considered a wonderful dinner in

Budapest, Hungary.

Throughout their late May, early-June trip, which covered Budapest,

the Czechoslovakian Republic (Prague) and two cities in Austria, they

listened to concerts in ornate churches and walked through art museums in

structures that were once bigger-than-life castles.

The culture is different over there, the couple said, with art and

music prized like royal jewels. People on the streets even handed out

brochures and fliers about upcoming concerts.

“Vienna is loaded with museums and concert halls,” Tamar Brower said.

“It’s something that we don’t see in cities in the U.S.”

Her husband added: “You walk around Las Vegas, and people are

distributing handbills about girlie shows.”

Tamar Brower remembers the acoustics of the synagogues. Most of them

were beautifully gilded in gold with tiered balconies and high ceilings.

The sound rose up and echoed through the entire sanctuary, she said.

“Many buildings are old,” the 69-year-old added. “The facades are

beautiful and it’s like those old movies we use to see [of life] in the

1700s, 1600s and 1800s. You’re living it again.”

The castles and museums dripped with crystal chandeliers. The floors

were laid with marble, and even the buildings that had been destroyed

during wars had been restored to “opulence,” the Browers said.

And the food -- they can’t forget about the food. Pastries laden with

whipped cream were as aesthetically pleasing as they were edible.

European locals at each of the cities ate slowly, Tamar Brower said, like

a meal was supposed to be enjoyed at length.

“And they don’t worry about calories over there,” said Martin Brower,

who recently retired from his business of publishing the “Orange Coast

Report” newsletter.

Locals also didn’t seem to care much for recreational luxuries.

Patrons would sit for hours with a pastry and coffee or bottled water

while chatting and listening, of course, to whatever music would be

playing.

“And they’re very proud to tell you this is Mozart’s birthplace and

where Strauss played and where they did the first opera by this or that

composer,” Tamar Brower said.

* Have you, or someone you know, gone on an interesting vacation

recently? Tell us your adventures. Drop us a line to Travel Tales, 330 W.

Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; e-mail young.chang@latimes.com; or fax to

(949) 646-4170.