Józsi Bácsi doesn’t speak any Spanish. Why would he anyway? He is a simple, chubby man with a dirty apron who works at a sausage stall on Vörösmarty Square in the center of Budapest (one of the best for grilled kolbász, if you ask me).

But he does speak German, a little bit at least, with that typical Hungarian accent and – due to his limited vocabulary – more gestures than an excited Sicilian discussing politics.

So when this Spanish group of backpackers approached him and inquired about something (a bottle of red wine for take-away) he confidently responded to everything in German, actively pointing alternately at the Danube and his sausages. I doubt neither of the two parties had any idea what the other was saying but eventually an agreement seemed to have been reached – although the Spanish spoke as much German as they spoke Hungarian, which is none at all.

Seemingly happy and satisfied the Spanish took off and Józsi Bácsi focused his attention back on his sizzling sausages.