Category Archives: Weekend Plans

A Birthday Party

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Saturday was Andi Gajdács’ birthday party. Andi and her sister Edi have been Györgyi’s good friends for years, and they were one of the first pair to openly welcome me into Hungary. They don’t speak English, but they generously guided me through the most important Hungarian cuss words and vulgar phrases. They are both gems, and are testament to how regardless of language and understanding, good people are good people.

The party was held at Csabi’s (Edi’s fiance) workplace garage. I don’t know how to describe it officially. I think he owns a business that involves painting or stripping or fixing or repairing cars. On one side of the street was an office and the other was this big warehouse with car bones and lots of open space.  And where in America you might find Buds and burgers circulating a casual birthday bash, in Hungary you find a GIANT cauldron of beef stew being tended by a mechanic and several bottles of Magyar moonshine (my new phrase for homemade pálinka) making their way through the crowd. In addition to wine and other liquors, which Edi and Andi attempted to murder me with throughout the night.

It was a fabulous time. After a few hours the lights were dimmed and old traditional Hungarian folk music came on the speakers and everyone was singing and clapping and dancing. They may not be good at winning wars, but Hungarians KNOW how to party, that is absolutely certain. By the end of the night I was making my way through a limbo line and speaking perfectly fluent Hungarian (well, almost).

Barnabás also attended.  He was fed approximately 15 bowls of beef stew and probably a few sips of vodka (Please address all hate mail to “Friends of Andi, Szeged, Hungary”).

So happy birthday sweet Andi. I hope the next 36 bring you even more happiness and light, because you certainly give away a lot of it to everyone around you. Cheers.

Budavári Pálinka és Kolbászfesztivál

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The weather has certainly been changing around these parts.  Next weekend we’re heading to Salzburg to revisit as many scenes of my absolute favorite childhood movie, The Sound of Music, as possible.  My Mom and I used to watch that movie every single Christmas and I used to think that I would NEVER be old enough to sing I am 16 going on 17.  So it will be a little lifelong dream to see the hills where the music is alive!

As for this weekend, the weather does not slow down any plans or festivals.  The very largest, and the one that probably most people are excited for, is the Palinka and Kolbasz Festival!  There is absolutely NOTHING more Hungarian than this festival.  It’s really kind of evil.  And to make it even better, it will be in Buda Castle.

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It began yesterday and runs through this Sunday.

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The entry price is 1900 HUF (about 7 Euros) and you get a tasting glass and a 500 HUF tasting coupon.  Just like the fabulous wine festival there, you have to buy tickets to sample the palinkas.  And then when you’re too drunk to stand, you can make your way over to the pavilion for kolbasz and music.

Even if you don’t like brandy and are a vegetarian, it’s still a festival that is worth the admission price.  The view is so lovely this time of year, and it’s worth going just for the atmosphere.  Cheers!

Weekend Mornings

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The past two weeks have been so packed and crazy that we’ve spent the weekends just relaxing.  I almost feel guilty that I don’t have anything all that exciting to post–no travels or new discoveries this week.  But I have definitely needed to ease into the fall before the winds start to pick up speed again.

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I love this sculpture, kiskirálylány, “The Little Princess”, even though it’s probably the most popular sculpture in Budapest.  It’s on the riverwalk in front of the Marriott (Danube and Buda Castle in the background) where there is just a long lane of cafes and restaurants.  We went over last weekend just to take a peak around, since it was early and cool and mostly free from crowds.

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Roosevelt Square, at the mouth of the Lánchíd Bridge, which is home to the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the Four Seasons, and the beginning of the riverwalk path, is a place where you are destined to end up if you visit Budapest, as it is one of the most popular stops along the tourist agenda.  But try walking around in the early morning or off season when there aren’t city sightseeing buses emptying themselves into a river of other tourists.  You can get a more authentic sense of the old city then– and there won’t be other people or cameras in your view.

Patron Saints & Fog

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It was a very foggy six am this morning, so thick, in fact, that we couldn’t even see across the river to Buda.  Even as I sit here now  at nearly 9am at my desk facing the river and the water tower on Margit Island, I can’t see the steady-moving river.  Probably by eleven, the sun will burn most of it away.

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Despite the humidity, it was such a peaceful run today.  It had that quality of dream-running, which every runner knows by sensation rather than the visual details.  The heart is pounding, legs moving, lungs expanding and contracting, and yet somehow the view is blurred by the pale sheet of dreaming.  Like mist.  Or, like this morning’s fog.

And because it is Friday we decided to take a different route home, in order to swing by the bakery to get a few fresh kiflis (simple crescent bread with salt on top).  And I don’t know if it was the the different route through old 13th district, or whether is was because of the fog, but I saw so many new things I had never seen before.

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Street signs, old cafes just turning on their lights and preparing their pastries, vegetable stands where owners with their 4am hair lightly water and sweep the stoops.  And on Visegrádi utca this strange little inlaid statue of a saint pouring water onto a burning building.  It looks like it says Saint Flora, but she is the patron saint of the abandoned, converts, single laywomen and victims of betrayal.  So maybe they cut the name short or smashed it into the bottom, just out of sight.  Saint Florian, who is the patron saint of chimney sweeps and fire fighters.  The date:  1935.  And the building was built up again, perhaps damaged again during the war and other occupations, and still stands today.  It’s amazing what you notice in the fog.  Probably because your eyes are just waiting for a cleaning and then you really take in what is available to be seen.  And I know that there is an undisciplined tendency to use words like “perfect” on Fridays, but it was a good morning.

This weekend is the cheap movie weekend here–film days–film napok.  Almost all movies throughout the city are 500 forints per ticket ($2.75) regardless of the time so I think that we’re going to go.  And if the weather holds, we’re going to try to explore the pest side of the river closer to Elisabeth Bridge.  And if the weather doesn’t hold, I won’t mind it.  I’ve really enjoyed the rain in the last two days and what has been lingering in the air after it falls.

Home

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No, that’s not Budapest.  It’s Ohio.  Not too far from my parent’s house, actually.  A kind of place where you see signs like this:

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While I’m not back in the buckeye state yet, I’ll be there pretty soon, so Budajest will be on autopilot for a few days.  Next week I’ll be back to posting, and hopefully can turn over the reins to Györgyi who can share some of her thoughts on America:  that crazy, foreign place she’s never been to.  As for me, I’ve been away for 13 months.  I’m not sure yet how living in Central Europe has changed the way I see things, but it should be interesting to see it through slightly new eyes.  Though I know one thing to be true before I’m even back at home–the Great Lakes beers will have never tasted so sweet.

I can see the warning signs

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The owner of the company (Makrai Futár) who organizes all of the drivers for Györgyi and her BIG OIL friends and colleagues is also named Barnabás.  I write “also” as if our Barnabás holds the patent on the name.  But the human Barnabás is a great guy and even helped us move into our new apartment.  And at Christmas his wife made gingerbread cookies in the shape of taxis.  So cute.  Anyway, he is learning English, and once he was practicing with an English tape while driving Györgyi and Zsolt to Szeged.  (For you second language learners out there, you know how ridiculous and terribly unuseful those language tapes are at giving you practical phrases.)  So Gy and Zs overheard Barni in the front of the car in studied recitation: “I can see the warning sings of a big storm blowing up.”  They joke about it often, applying their best Hunglish accent, and have used this phrase in relationship to just about everything imaginable, except when it’s needed– because who would ever say that, right?  But for some reason when I was thinking of how to start this post, thinking about the bridge fair and the mega-storm that happened a few hours later, the only thing that came to mind was I can see the warning signs of a big storm blowing up.

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On weekends during the summer, the Lánchíd Bridge closes to car and tram traffic and opens up for craft stalls, food and drinks.  Last summer we went a few times, especially when walking home from one of the bars or cafes, as we always had to pass through on our way back up to the castle district.  We hadn’t been this summer and were expecting similar mayham last Saturday.  It was really shocking how few people were actually there.  We didn’t think it was that hot at midday and 100 degrees to keep dedicated tourists away.  But then we were told by the earing lady (who was a little nutty) that there was a huge storm on its way and they were planning on shutting the bridge down early, as to not repeat a tragedy of a few years ago during the August 20th fireworks display when the government didn’t shut down the festivities and a huge storm came through and a bunch of people were struck by lightning and killed.

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Her hair was warning sign enough.  The wind dashing up the Danube was so strong that at its highest gusts even our stubborn little Barnabás had trouble standing and walking.

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But we figured we’d stay a little and enjoy browsing through the stalls without being interrupted by thousands of other people.  There’s not usually anything terribly special or even all that Hungarian there.  Things you find at a lot of crafty stalls in Central and Eastern Europe.  But the atmosphere is always really nice, and on a Saturday afternoon, it’s a cheap way to kill time and people-watch.

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But between people stopping to admire Barnabás, everyone was a little bit wary of when the storm was going to arrive.  You have to understand that it really does not rain here in the summer.  Really, it’s almost always sunny during the summer, which has been such a shock to me as an Ohio native.  So when a storm is coming, people get ready for it.  Because when it rains, it really rains. Not quite as bad as when I lived in Georgia and folks stocked up on milk, bread and batteries when there was a forcast of freezing mist or a hint of snowflake in the air, but close.

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So, we did the responsible thing and bought a few more gifts, a beer of course and a icy elderberry drink.

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Then we decided to head off the bridge with the rest of the people who were sort of lazily walking home as well, or back to their hotels.  (In the pic above, you can see the fabulous Four Seasons)

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And anyway, the heat was really getting to Barnabás.  As soon as he got a chance, he dashed under the metal arm of the bridge where he found a little dog-sized square of shade, and spilled onto the floor refusing to walk more.  So, that was our final warning sign to get to the Palace (Györgyi’s office) and grab him some water before driving home.

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And a coffee for me.  Because I don’t ever refuse a chance to hone my coffee/drink photograph modeling skills.  I’m sure some day it will pay off.  Big time, guys, and you’ll all remember these first pictures, which will be dubbed my “early” period.  Seriously, why do I do this with my head and face when I’m holding a beverage?  I read too many trade catalogs when i was a kid, I guess.

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We made it home just in time to see that low-level cyclone forming over the rakpart.  And since we were home, and not stuck on a bridge in the city center (having paid attention) we were able to actually enjoy that big storm blowing up all around us.

Better Than Expected

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I took about fifteen pictures and I still couldn’t get my little dinky camera to focuson the onion and not the pot, but I’m sure there’s a metaphor in there somewhere.  Still, as you can (almost) see, we have onions!!! Well, maybe they’re still too small to call them onions, completely, but the fact that this little white onion that is now the size of half a pea actual grew, under my care and supervision, from a seed, is really kind of cool, I have to admit.  I haven’t seen any peppers yet, but there is so much going on in that little pot, I’m sure something will bloom soon enough.

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Even though the city is fully buzzing with tourist season and summer  in the air with the smells of warming bricks in the castle and blooming lavender, it’s still seemingly taking forever for July to work its way past me.  Probably because I’m so furiously counting the days until I get to go home for a little bit.  I keep asking myself, when did I become such an Ohio girl?  I can’t remember ever loving Ohio when I grew up there.  And then suddenly when I became an adult I felt such a draw back to it.  Some people call it the curse of the Cuyahoga, that if you ever live in Ohio, you’re doooomed to live there again.  But I don’t think of it as much of as curse.  And a lot of people I know would agree.  Sentimental people like me, probably, with a little nack for the melancholy, or perhaps the poetic heart that feels calmed by family dinners outside in the clean air, bike rides in the valley and beers at the Lizard to follow them.  Farmer’s markets and farmers.  And I could go on, which is why I’m so looking forward to my trip.

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Until then, I’m going to try to occupy my brain with other tasks, first and foremost with surviving the incredibly hot weather (about 100 F the last few days).  I have to plot a long run for tomorrow, buy some clothes for the trip, and maybe, by next week, have everything in order so that I can start the slow and hopefully stressfree process of packing.  Not much for weekend plans.  But it’ll do for an early summer day.

Dóm Cukrászda

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I know, more ice cream, borrrrring.  Or as Hungarians call it fagylalt or fagyi (sounds like “fudgie” so it’s easy to remember).  And you should remember it because if you’re in Hungary, anywhere in Hungary, you’ll see a gelato stand on just about every corner.  It’s cheap, it’s summery, and it doesn’t matter who you are or what time of day it is or what outfit you’re wearing.  You’re the odd one out (especially on weekends) if you’re NOT eating ice cream.  And I blame Györgyi for my new love of ice cream cones, as if I need another thing to give up.  But there could be worse things, I suppose.

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We had a kind of lazy end to the weekend, which included one last ice cream at Dóm Cukrászda.  Györgyi convinced me to go to her favorite place, which is–no coincidence here– next to the apartment house where she grew up.  Then we had to take some new pictures of the flat so that she can advertise it to a new round of medical students in the fall.  Then we went back to Budapest.

Because the American oil execs are in Györgyi’s office this week and weekend, we’re not sure what we’re going to do, so I find myself on this early friday morning not really sure what to write for my weekend plans.  We’d like to go to the Great Synagogue (how many times have I written this now?…) and we’d also like to go to Eger to get some Bull’s Blood wine to take home.  But since it’s summer and I’ve resolved to try to take it easy and not work myself up into a total frenzie before the trip home, I’m just going to leave it up in the air.  As long as I avoid most large crowds of tourists, have a good little lunch in th Jewish district, and eat another ice cream, I think I’ll call this weekend a success.

To the Sea

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We’re a few hours from heading to the Adriatic sea on the Croatian coast for a little weekend getaway.  Not bad for July 4th weekend.  The place where we are going is about six hours from Budapest, and about an hour from Italy.

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I’m extremely excited because we’re staying a luxury bed and breakfast that is in a little mountain nook overlooking the sea.  In addition, they have what’s been noted as one of the best gourmet seaside restaurants in Croatia.

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The hotel (4 rooms) is owned by two couples, and one of the husbands owns a fishing boat, which keeps the restaurant fully stocked with all of the fresh catches of the day.  These of course are just stock photos from their little website, but I’m charging my camera right now, and am looking forward to taking pictures of everything we see and experience.

Hope everyone in America, (and all Americans abroad too), have a happy and safe 4th!

Horvátország

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I knew that it was going to be a busy summer, but now that it’s here, it seems to already be flying by.  Tomorrow we’re leaving for Horvátország, which is Croatia in Hungarian.  Croatia (in Croatian) is Hrvatska and it’s one of the most beautiful destinations in Southeastern Europe.  National forrests, unspoiled lakes, hundreds of quaint islands on the sea with ancient limestone lighthouses at the helm, it’s flies under the radar for most Americans as being somewhere over there, and I’m really glad that we’re going to be exploring it for the weekend.

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We’re going to Plitvice Lakes National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and quite close to the border of Bosnia and Herzegovenia.  There are sixteen lakes, formed from runoff of the Lička Plješivica mountains.  I’ll give a more detailed description of the park and the region when I return on Monday, hopefully with some good pictures to illustrate.

Now I have to pack, make little bags of trail mix, and hang laundry if I want it dried before tomorrow morning.  Today is Barnabás’ nameday, which I learned at about 5am when Györgyi was whispering the name day song to him and feeding him Austrian dog chocolate.  (That is to say before you send off your weekly emails to me with the subject line YOU’RE KILLING HIM! YOU’RE KILLING HIM!– please direct them to Györgyi instead this week.)  But he’s going to have a good weekend too.  We took him to Anna who runs a ranch with her husband on the edge of town  They have horses and farm animals and other dogs, though we just learned that even with all of the animal friends, Barnabás opts to sleep inside, on their bed, with them.

Have a nice weekend, Internet.  Hope June is as bright for you wherever you are as it is here in the Buda.