Kilencven kilenc luft balloons?

Well, not exactly 99, but I count 62 hot air balloons in this picture.  This was the third or fourth day that we noticed dozens of these in the air, sometimes floating over the city.  We just thought it was a popular leisure activity for Hungarians here!

I have since discovered that there is an international hot air balloon competition going on here.
A few nights later, I stumbled upon this spectacle downtown.  I was passing through on the streetcar when I noticed a huge crowd downtown gathered all around the front of the big yellow cathedral. Then I saw a lot of people with cameras aimed up at a sharp angle towards the sky.  I jumped out of the street car when it stopped, wondering what all the commotion was.  Then I followed everyone's gaze upward and couldn't believe I didn't see them earlier!

There was one tall skinny blue balloon sponsored by a local phone company called telenor, and a chubby white one that was just being inflated, sponsored by a bank.

 

It was pretty cool to see them struggle in the breeze.  There were a few people clinging to the basket to hold it down, and a couple guys managing the orientation with ropes.  When a mild breeze blew in, the baskets would slide, and the balloons would sway and bend right over, dragging the rope guys around.  I'm still surprised they didn't get hung up on the steeple.