On the 2nd December, the Ambassadors took a walk around a part of Budapest that is very familiar to most of us, but still coated in layer upon layer of history and legends. The Fairy Tales Tour by Budapest Underguide http://underguide.com took us around the Christmas markets, mulled wine in hand, where we heard about colourful folk superstitions and traditions. We visited an atelier in the Luxus department store, where a small team of designers was working hard on Hungarian women's haute couture. Later in the tour we talk a walk down one of my favourite old streets in downtown Pest; the very early 19th century Vitkovics Mihály street, with its lovely old antique store, ice cream shop, butchers and Hollo folk art gallery, which sells sweetly adorned jewellery, hope chests, candlesticks and more. It put this sometimes Scrooge like browser in the mood for some seasonal retail experiences, which was nice and unexpected.

by Scott Alexander Young