If you are ever in Europe, go to Budapest in Hungary and ask yourself how the town got its name.
This photograph is taken from the Buda side of the Danube river that flows through the middle of the capital city. As you have (no doubt) guessed by now, this should mean that the side which is in view is Pest (pronounced "Pesht" just so there are no wisecracks about the people who live there and/or come from there.)
During the Second World War all of the bridges were either bombed or blown up and there was considerable hardship trying to get from one side of the river to the other.
While all of the main bridges were rebuilt following the war, as time passed and Hungary became more and more prosperous, the volume of private ownership of cars increased. In the era of the socialist governments in Hungary many of the vehicles on the road were built in what were known as the "Soviet Bloc" countries, most notably Poland and what was then East Germany. To be kind, pollution control was not something that really seemed to interest the authorities greatly and even though there were relatively few vehicles on the road, the city was continually enveloped in smog and the buildings took on a kind of grey hue that lasted for decades.
These days of course there is a similar, but different problem. With many more people being able to afford cars and motor bikes etc. Not only is the pollution just as heavy as it used to be, but the traffic is a lot more stressful than it used to be, especially during peak hours.
My advice to the budding traveller to Budapest is to take the car in by all means, but PARK IT somewhere and take public transport wherever you can or if you are fit enough use 'shanks pony' (i.e. walk). Unless you want to visit the industrial or outer residential areas.
Public transport in Budapest is simply fabulous and in spite of the incredible price hikes in the last few years, still very affordable and a hell of a lot less stressful.
When you want to escape the urban sprawl and head to the countryside then your car becomes more useful as you can easily visit places you want to see. BTW hiring cars in Hungary was, at the time of writing, prohibitive (at least to my budget) lease a car in France or a Camper van in Germany at around a third of the price.
BTW the picture you see on the screen was taken after a number of days of rain which seems to have literally cleared the air hence the clear views. So check your long range weather forecast and arrive in Budapest towards the end of a wet period - it will make your stay that much more pleasant.
While in England we visited some of Leanne's distant relations. Through the magic of computing and long distance emails we were able to find some lovely folk who live in Kent, not all that far from the place where Leanne's ancestors settled and lived for many generations.
If you are ever in Europe, go to Budapest in Hungary and ask yourself how the town got its name.
It is hard to imagine that so many years ago the Romans could build cities in which there were wide marble streets and so many impressive buildings - yet they did.
What is even more impressive is that they managed to create sanitation that is enviable in many places around the world even today.
It is from this location that most people set out to catch the ferry that takes them across to the island of Capri. Note that people on coach tours will HAVE to transfer to a smaller bus as the ferry is only a small one! 
When I first saw this figure in Pompeii I automatically thought it would present me with an opportunity at some point to run a caption competition.
Love 'em or hate 'em they DO get you there. This was ours in Europe hired from Mcrent in Germany - cheapest country in Europe for hire.
When you travel to France and have the opportunity to visit St Emillion don't just visit the wineries, take the time to visit the town and head down into the main square to see the sights as well as enjoy the food and the wine of the local restaurants. 
