today we flew ınto Caapdochıa. ıt ıs ın the center of the country. the maın cıty ıs keyaserı - named eıther for ceasar or for the kaıser of germany dependıng on the tıme frame. ıt has vast tracts of land that appear to be barren but ın fact produce much of the crops for the country. the maın crops that grow here are wheat and sunflowers and potatoes and squash ( for the seeds). they also grow grapes here but they grow them as bushes not as vınes. we have had some turkısh wıne and ıt ıs quıte nıce.
the purpose of comıng was to vısıt the strange geology ın these parts and the cave dwelllıngs that resulted from thıs.
the early chrıstıans were pursued by the roman legıons and found thıs spot ın the ottoman empıre that seemed safe enough for them. they buılt churches and dwellıngs ın the soft rock around here. the dwellıngs were so well hıdden that altough they date from 100 AD they were just dıscovered about 40 years ago. you would not belıeve the tunnels and caves and storage places and ventılatıon shafts and more tunnels and mıll stones to keep out the bad guys and more storage places and spots for wıne etc etc. the caves have a nıce constant temperature and were comfortable even ın the harsh wınters and very hot summers. today the caves are used to store cıtus fruıts grown on the medıtteranean coast. they are brought here because after spendıng a few months ın the caves here they are plumper and more valuable than when they are pıcked. potatoes are also stored ın the caves. ıt ıs ınterestıng to see them grown above ground and then rıght below where they were grown they are stored.
our lunch was a stew cooked ın a terracotta pot and covered wıth bread. no butter or oıl or lıquıd ıs used just the juıces from the meat and veges. when ıt ıs ready the bread ıs opened and thrown out and we eat the stew. ıt was lovely. dessert was watermelon. the stew was preceded by a tomatoeand yogurt soup and by a salad.
we are at a classy hotel tonıte - not what we are used to. swımmıng pool bıg rooms ınternet cafe. tomorrow we do some more sıghtseeıng around here ın partıcular the mushroom rocks and then head back to ıstanbul
sorry about the punctuatıon ın thıs note. turkısh keyboards take some gettıng used to
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Things you were probably wondering.......
today we took a bus tour of the city, and saw just how big it was, and how very busy the port is. we also saw remains of buildings built many thousands of years ago. the big excitement was that the prime minisinter was eating at a restaurant nearby, so the police were out in force. here are some things you may have been wondering about
PEOPLE - the people here are a very friendly, gregarious lot, especially those in the stores. they wear all manner of dress from short shorts to full black dress-coats with just the eyes showing. about a quarter of the women wear some kind of head scarf, and mostly it is brightly coloured and matches their outfit impeccably. people walk arm in arm a lot. men with women, women with women, and men with men. you see very little boys who probably should be in school trying to sell things to the visitors, or working at little restaurants.
FOOD - everything we have eaten here is delicious. there is a lot of lamb, and no matter which way they cook it it is tender and tasty. salads are fresh, and nicely presented. there is always pita bread, and it is fresh. restaurants are less likely to serve alcohol here than in hungary. you are more likely to get coffee or tea. we had wine with our meal last night, turkish wine, and it was a lovely red wine. breakfast is sliced meats, cheese, eggs, yogurt, fruit, bread, regular coffee, tea, some cereal and pastries. the one i really like is cigar shaped phyllo dough with spiced feta inside. For dessert today we had something which startred as a disk of shredded wheat, was soaked in honey and butter and grilled. tasty.
TOILETS - well the toilets here are varied i must say. the one at todays restaurant was fancy. it had three dials near the toilet seat and I have no idea what they were for. the instructions were in japanese. the label said essence. the sink had little containers that had q tips and make up pads. then there was the toilet at the bazaar. it was sort of open air - you had privacy, but the top of the stall was open to the air outside. and it was just a hole in the floor - porcelain fixture, but the fixture was just three inches tall. you had to flush when you were done, but since we weree not used to that sort of toilet had to be very careful in its use.
SAFETY - you feel very safe here. there are the regular police, the tourist police, and the traffic police. they are young, men and women, and seem well trained, and are friendly, and are everywhere. today the prime minister of turkey was eating at a restaurant near the haghia sofia, and we saw about 20 of them run up the hill to guard the restaurant and the sidwealk outside. when we were in the grand bazaar yesterday they were at the entrances and on the floor. although people are prepared to charge you too much for something, i think they would not steal from you or short change you.
NOISE - Istanbul is wuite a noisy city. you regularly hear the call to prayer, which i find makes this place very exotic. loudspeakers are used, so you get to hear it no matter how far away you are from a mosque. It is often a back and forth chant - someone at one mosque sings something, and someone at another mosque either repeats it or sings something in response. There are cars on the go at all hours of the night, and there is a tram nearby that whirrs along on a regular basis. Then there are the helicopters, and sometimes horns beeping or police sirens wailing.
WEATHER - so far our weather has been wonderful. a little chilly in the morning, but sunny and warm through the day, no rain so far .
tomorrow we head for cappadochia and konya. cappacochia has wonderful geology, and konya is the home of the whirling dirvishes.
PEOPLE - the people here are a very friendly, gregarious lot, especially those in the stores. they wear all manner of dress from short shorts to full black dress-coats with just the eyes showing. about a quarter of the women wear some kind of head scarf, and mostly it is brightly coloured and matches their outfit impeccably. people walk arm in arm a lot. men with women, women with women, and men with men. you see very little boys who probably should be in school trying to sell things to the visitors, or working at little restaurants.
FOOD - everything we have eaten here is delicious. there is a lot of lamb, and no matter which way they cook it it is tender and tasty. salads are fresh, and nicely presented. there is always pita bread, and it is fresh. restaurants are less likely to serve alcohol here than in hungary. you are more likely to get coffee or tea. we had wine with our meal last night, turkish wine, and it was a lovely red wine. breakfast is sliced meats, cheese, eggs, yogurt, fruit, bread, regular coffee, tea, some cereal and pastries. the one i really like is cigar shaped phyllo dough with spiced feta inside. For dessert today we had something which startred as a disk of shredded wheat, was soaked in honey and butter and grilled. tasty.
TOILETS - well the toilets here are varied i must say. the one at todays restaurant was fancy. it had three dials near the toilet seat and I have no idea what they were for. the instructions were in japanese. the label said essence. the sink had little containers that had q tips and make up pads. then there was the toilet at the bazaar. it was sort of open air - you had privacy, but the top of the stall was open to the air outside. and it was just a hole in the floor - porcelain fixture, but the fixture was just three inches tall. you had to flush when you were done, but since we weree not used to that sort of toilet had to be very careful in its use.
SAFETY - you feel very safe here. there are the regular police, the tourist police, and the traffic police. they are young, men and women, and seem well trained, and are friendly, and are everywhere. today the prime minister of turkey was eating at a restaurant near the haghia sofia, and we saw about 20 of them run up the hill to guard the restaurant and the sidwealk outside. when we were in the grand bazaar yesterday they were at the entrances and on the floor. although people are prepared to charge you too much for something, i think they would not steal from you or short change you.
NOISE - Istanbul is wuite a noisy city. you regularly hear the call to prayer, which i find makes this place very exotic. loudspeakers are used, so you get to hear it no matter how far away you are from a mosque. It is often a back and forth chant - someone at one mosque sings something, and someone at another mosque either repeats it or sings something in response. There are cars on the go at all hours of the night, and there is a tram nearby that whirrs along on a regular basis. Then there are the helicopters, and sometimes horns beeping or police sirens wailing.
WEATHER - so far our weather has been wonderful. a little chilly in the morning, but sunny and warm through the day, no rain so far .
tomorrow we head for cappadochia and konya. cappacochia has wonderful geology, and konya is the home of the whirling dirvishes.
anonther city that never sleeps
we arrived in istanbul at 2 a.m. the night before last. security at frankfurt was no more stringent than at other times, so i guess they figured they had all the bad guys collected up. istanbul is a large city, and it is very much alive. lights all over the place, airplanes arriving at all hours of the day. our hotel was chosen on the basis of location and value, so although it is in a very happening area of the city, it is small, and not a lot of amenities. but there is a very ample breakfast in a dining room that overlooks the sea of marmara, and can even be taken out on a balcony, and internet access in the lobby. we did not spot the air conditioner upon arrival, and spent the first night sweating a lot. things are fine now that we found it. when we were having breakfast yesterday morning the harbour was just full of traffic. many ferries, oil tankers, saiboats, yachts. overhead were always at least one helicopter. you could see for miles, and the clouds were pretty over the water. it was a wonderful start.
then oscar kati bob and i headed for the grand bazaar. on the way we took time to stop at a couple of carpet sellers. they always offer you tea when you go in, and tell you their family story. they all seem to be kurds and have relatives in new jersey. they are the last reamining members of their families to be in this trade. and one fellow told me in a quiet voice that the little purses i was looking at ( and had seen about 3 million of all around the city) were made by his daughter who was trying to get together enough money for school fees. and they all have not only a carpet store, but also a restuarant which they will take you to right now. they probably all speak 10 languages and can be equally convincing in all of them. but you never felt threatened. it was all kind of fun. lunch was at an outdoor stall on one of the main drags. it was like a toasted pita with meat and veges and fench fries inside. I asked for juice and a dear little boy who must have been only 10 squeezed oranges behind the counter for my drink. the others got bottled water or pop.
the grand bazaar is immense, and all the guide books tell you not to pay what they ask, to beat them down. oscar got pretty good at it, but i was not able to do more than get them to throw extra stuff in. oscar and kati looked at several rugs and got a nice one for their bedroom. i think they will get some more. and they got a lovely plate. ceramic plates and bowls etc are very nice here. not cheap, but lovely. we got a nice bedspread. kind of goldish and shiny with a turkish design. not that expensive i guess , but more money than i thought i'd ever spend on a bedspread.
on the way back we stopped at a little park place between the hagia sophia and the blue mosque. we just sat and wathced the people go by. about a third i guess were locals, and the others tourists like us. all manner of shape and size and dress and age. we bought pretzels from a local vendor. they also sold corn on the cob on the street and today i think we will try that.
our hotel is in the tourist area, and there are many many many restauratnts. the wait staff at one of them were smitten with kathy and me, and convinced us that we should go back there after roamiing the streets, so we did. lovely meal of lamb for me, mixed casserole for bob and oscar. kathy had a chickn dish with vegetables much like they have in hungary.
well there appear to be other patrons of the hotel waiting for the computer so i should close.
we are off on a city tour today maybe, or maybe we will walk over the gallata bridge to beyoglu. it is another lovely day, and tomorrow we are headed for cappadochia and konya.
who know, we may even do more shopping.
then oscar kati bob and i headed for the grand bazaar. on the way we took time to stop at a couple of carpet sellers. they always offer you tea when you go in, and tell you their family story. they all seem to be kurds and have relatives in new jersey. they are the last reamining members of their families to be in this trade. and one fellow told me in a quiet voice that the little purses i was looking at ( and had seen about 3 million of all around the city) were made by his daughter who was trying to get together enough money for school fees. and they all have not only a carpet store, but also a restuarant which they will take you to right now. they probably all speak 10 languages and can be equally convincing in all of them. but you never felt threatened. it was all kind of fun. lunch was at an outdoor stall on one of the main drags. it was like a toasted pita with meat and veges and fench fries inside. I asked for juice and a dear little boy who must have been only 10 squeezed oranges behind the counter for my drink. the others got bottled water or pop.
the grand bazaar is immense, and all the guide books tell you not to pay what they ask, to beat them down. oscar got pretty good at it, but i was not able to do more than get them to throw extra stuff in. oscar and kati looked at several rugs and got a nice one for their bedroom. i think they will get some more. and they got a lovely plate. ceramic plates and bowls etc are very nice here. not cheap, but lovely. we got a nice bedspread. kind of goldish and shiny with a turkish design. not that expensive i guess , but more money than i thought i'd ever spend on a bedspread.
on the way back we stopped at a little park place between the hagia sophia and the blue mosque. we just sat and wathced the people go by. about a third i guess were locals, and the others tourists like us. all manner of shape and size and dress and age. we bought pretzels from a local vendor. they also sold corn on the cob on the street and today i think we will try that.
our hotel is in the tourist area, and there are many many many restauratnts. the wait staff at one of them were smitten with kathy and me, and convinced us that we should go back there after roamiing the streets, so we did. lovely meal of lamb for me, mixed casserole for bob and oscar. kathy had a chickn dish with vegetables much like they have in hungary.
well there appear to be other patrons of the hotel waiting for the computer so i should close.
we are off on a city tour today maybe, or maybe we will walk over the gallata bridge to beyoglu. it is another lovely day, and tomorrow we are headed for cappadochia and konya.
who know, we may even do more shopping.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
last day in Budapest
Well today was our last full day in Budapest. we leave tomorrow for Istanbul. through Frankfurt. just after the terrorist arrests and the threat of an imminent event at the Frankfurt airport. security will be very tight probably, but we have 6 hours in Frankfurt and surely can get through in that time.
we went to a shopping mall today in the center of town. called the West End Mall. it had very nice stores, inclusing many very nice shoe stores. we did not buy much , but looked a lot.
then tonight we went to a concert at the new concert hall. the music was compősed by zoltan kodaly ( pronounced co-die). He was a Hungarian composer who died about 40 years ago. he and bela bartok were buds, and went around the country collecting folk tunes, which they set as pieces for choir and orchestra and other combos of instruments. The concert was exceptional. first a number of his songs were performed by a girls choir from a nearby town. they were wonderful, wore ethnic costumes , had clear pretty voices, wonderfully directed, and it was a real treat to hear them. Then there was a solo cello performer who played another piece by Kodaly, which was modern, and a little long, but he was a virtuoso and it was a treat to hear him play. then there was intermission. I always think it interesting to see how they do intermission in different cities. in budapest they have all kinds of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks, and these huge pretzel shaped breads. not really pretzels, because they were not chewy, more like a light bread or a pastry.
in the second half the orchestra played one piece which was tunes from a musical based on an epic poem about a traveller from hungary who roamed the world. it was wonderful. they had 5 bass players, and someone who played the hammered dulcimer, plus a bunch of other outstanding musicians. after that piece they played 'dances from gallant', a town in hungary.
well tommorrow we will be on the road, and not likely to get to a computer. maybe the next time I will be able to download some pictures
we went to a shopping mall today in the center of town. called the West End Mall. it had very nice stores, inclusing many very nice shoe stores. we did not buy much , but looked a lot.
then tonight we went to a concert at the new concert hall. the music was compősed by zoltan kodaly ( pronounced co-die). He was a Hungarian composer who died about 40 years ago. he and bela bartok were buds, and went around the country collecting folk tunes, which they set as pieces for choir and orchestra and other combos of instruments. The concert was exceptional. first a number of his songs were performed by a girls choir from a nearby town. they were wonderful, wore ethnic costumes , had clear pretty voices, wonderfully directed, and it was a real treat to hear them. Then there was a solo cello performer who played another piece by Kodaly, which was modern, and a little long, but he was a virtuoso and it was a treat to hear him play. then there was intermission. I always think it interesting to see how they do intermission in different cities. in budapest they have all kinds of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks, and these huge pretzel shaped breads. not really pretzels, because they were not chewy, more like a light bread or a pastry.
in the second half the orchestra played one piece which was tunes from a musical based on an epic poem about a traveller from hungary who roamed the world. it was wonderful. they had 5 bass players, and someone who played the hammered dulcimer, plus a bunch of other outstanding musicians. after that piece they played 'dances from gallant', a town in hungary.
well tommorrow we will be on the road, and not likely to get to a computer. maybe the next time I will be able to download some pictures
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Wining and dining in Sumeg
Monday we headed to Sumeg, a tourist town northwest of the western limit of lake balaton. Lake Balaton is a very large lake in the middle of Hungary. it is 100 km long and 20 km wide, and very shallow. because it is so shallow it warms up quickly in the spring, and stays at a nice temperature through the whole summer. motor boats are not allowed, but there are many sailboats, and many hotels, motels, pensions etc. One of the towns on the Lake is Tihany. you park and then climb up a hill past many little tourist shops to a very old church with links to the Benedictine monks. near the church is a little cafe with exotic ice cream dishses. we ate on the balcony overlooking the Balaton. it was peaceful and beautiful.
Katis sister marjke lives in sumeg. she and her husband robbie run a toursit business that provides accommodation, horseback riding, riding lessons, hunting, wagon rides etc. because it was september there was lots of room for us. Robbie is keen on maintaining old traditioins and from time to time participates in hussar ceremonies and events, complete with traditional costumes and activities. supper that night was fried chicked and french fries with assorted salads. afterewards we went to a little wine taverna and tasted 6 different types of hungarian wines. one was from the tokaj region but was not made with the tokaj processes, the others were from wineries nearby. there was a sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvingon, shiraz, muscat, resiling and one other. very tasty indeed, but the quantity made the walk home a little treacherous.
today we headed to a new spa near sumeg. there are many hot springs in hungary because of the geology of the country, and many many many spas. the last time we were here we went to an open air spa that was like a lake. today we went to an indoor-outdoor spa. There were several pools at different temperatures, spots where there are showers coming down, other spots where from time to time there are bubbles coming up, and one circular area that has a current that just takes you along around and around . supper tonite was at a spot run by another tradition keeper friend fo Robbies. the floor was rocks, the tables were long picnic tables with benches; sheepskins and goat skins lined the walls, and there was a gypsy trio providing entertainment. I had goose leg. the others had pork hock, chicken, or pork tenderloin. the six meals were all served on the same great tray, and you put on your plate what you wanted. we had apricot palinka before the meal, and a nice white house wine with the meal. dessert was a potato flour pastry filled with cottage cheese or plum jam, and dusted with brown sugar and flour. since we polished that off they also provided hungarian cheese cake. it is more like a dessert square than our cheesecake, and the filling is lighter.
Tomorrow we spend some last time in Budapest, and attend a concert of music by Kodaly in the evening.
Katis sister marjke lives in sumeg. she and her husband robbie run a toursit business that provides accommodation, horseback riding, riding lessons, hunting, wagon rides etc. because it was september there was lots of room for us. Robbie is keen on maintaining old traditioins and from time to time participates in hussar ceremonies and events, complete with traditional costumes and activities. supper that night was fried chicked and french fries with assorted salads. afterewards we went to a little wine taverna and tasted 6 different types of hungarian wines. one was from the tokaj region but was not made with the tokaj processes, the others were from wineries nearby. there was a sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvingon, shiraz, muscat, resiling and one other. very tasty indeed, but the quantity made the walk home a little treacherous.
today we headed to a new spa near sumeg. there are many hot springs in hungary because of the geology of the country, and many many many spas. the last time we were here we went to an open air spa that was like a lake. today we went to an indoor-outdoor spa. There were several pools at different temperatures, spots where there are showers coming down, other spots where from time to time there are bubbles coming up, and one circular area that has a current that just takes you along around and around . supper tonite was at a spot run by another tradition keeper friend fo Robbies. the floor was rocks, the tables were long picnic tables with benches; sheepskins and goat skins lined the walls, and there was a gypsy trio providing entertainment. I had goose leg. the others had pork hock, chicken, or pork tenderloin. the six meals were all served on the same great tray, and you put on your plate what you wanted. we had apricot palinka before the meal, and a nice white house wine with the meal. dessert was a potato flour pastry filled with cottage cheese or plum jam, and dusted with brown sugar and flour. since we polished that off they also provided hungarian cheese cake. it is more like a dessert square than our cheesecake, and the filling is lighter.
Tomorrow we spend some last time in Budapest, and attend a concert of music by Kodaly in the evening.
Monday, September 3, 2007
What a weekend
Well we had a very wonderful weekend in Tokaj ( pronounced toak eye). It is one of the famous wine growing regions of Hungary, and like other wine growing areas we have visited in other places, is very civilized. clean streets, small scale to towns, well kept homes, constant atmosphere of party, lots of places to stay and to eat. Our first stop was at the home of Erzos mother, who lived in the town. she had an ample lunch of leszo, salads, bread, and palinka ( local liquor, drunk before breakfast, and then at many opportunites thoughout the day). Down the street from her house was a tall tower with a stork nest on top. up from her house was the town square, with a statue, wine museum, and quiet little shops. Erzos brother Willy, a business management professor in another town, and her uncle Fere, a horticultural professor, joined us. one of uncle feres students ran a winery in the area, and agreed to give us a visit, even though he does not normally do that.
The vineyard was extensive, and the fruit hung heavy on the vines. where we visited it was all white grapes. after inspecting the plants we went down down into the wine cellar. apparently the tokaj wine needs several things found only here, which is what makes it different from other wines. the requirements are
grapes that require the longer than usual summer they get in this area
the moisture from the nearby river which floods in the spring and keeps the land moist all summer
the yeast/fungus (bactrytus???)that grows only in this area and has a symbiotic relationship with the wine
a fermentation and aging process that depends on the presence of oygen.
the caves where the wine is aged and the yeast thrives
When we visited the wine cellar this yeast was very obvious - on the walls, on the floor, on the barrells, on the bottles. it is white and fuzzy while it is alive, and black once it dies.
The museum in Tokaj showed the various varieties of grapes that are here, none of which have names even similar to those in germany or south africa, and there were about 60 of them. The museum also showed the code of conduct that vinters must adhere to, which includes hospitality, so as to maintain the reputation of the region.
Supper that night was at a wine tavern, and consisted of potatoe pancakes and salad, a dish popular in this region, especially since it is close to the slovakian border, and this type of pancake is essentially slovakian food.
We stayed at a little pension that night ($40) and had a breakfast of omelet, meats. breads etc at erzos mums place, then off to see a prőtestant school, a exhibit about saint elizabeth of hungary, and a fort.
That night was a party back at ester and atillas, grilled chicken, vegetable skewers ,mediterrranean salad, lovely eggplant dip, potatoes, and creamed corn and peas, with the last of esters birthday cake for dessert. and lots of beer, wine and palinka
we are off shortly ro go to sumeg, a tourist town about 3 hours from here. katis sister marjke has a tourist attractiion based on riding and hunting with horses.
The vineyard was extensive, and the fruit hung heavy on the vines. where we visited it was all white grapes. after inspecting the plants we went down down into the wine cellar. apparently the tokaj wine needs several things found only here, which is what makes it different from other wines. the requirements are
grapes that require the longer than usual summer they get in this area
the moisture from the nearby river which floods in the spring and keeps the land moist all summer
the yeast/fungus (bactrytus???)that grows only in this area and has a symbiotic relationship with the wine
a fermentation and aging process that depends on the presence of oygen.
the caves where the wine is aged and the yeast thrives
When we visited the wine cellar this yeast was very obvious - on the walls, on the floor, on the barrells, on the bottles. it is white and fuzzy while it is alive, and black once it dies.
The museum in Tokaj showed the various varieties of grapes that are here, none of which have names even similar to those in germany or south africa, and there were about 60 of them. The museum also showed the code of conduct that vinters must adhere to, which includes hospitality, so as to maintain the reputation of the region.
Supper that night was at a wine tavern, and consisted of potatoe pancakes and salad, a dish popular in this region, especially since it is close to the slovakian border, and this type of pancake is essentially slovakian food.
We stayed at a little pension that night ($40) and had a breakfast of omelet, meats. breads etc at erzos mums place, then off to see a prőtestant school, a exhibit about saint elizabeth of hungary, and a fort.
That night was a party back at ester and atillas, grilled chicken, vegetable skewers ,mediterrranean salad, lovely eggplant dip, potatoes, and creamed corn and peas, with the last of esters birthday cake for dessert. and lots of beer, wine and palinka
we are off shortly ro go to sumeg, a tourist town about 3 hours from here. katis sister marjke has a tourist attractiion based on riding and hunting with horses.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Friday in the big city
Friday was a beautiful day weather wise. Sunny, not too hot, a bit of a breeze. It was a perfect day to sightsee. first we went to a castle recently restored that at one time had been the hunting villa of the Hapsburgs. They had a lot of the display devoted to Erzabet Karolin, or Sissi as she is known here. She was a queen that lived in the 1800's, was much loved by the people of both Hungary and Austria, but not liked as well by the royal court. a bit like Diana. Her wedding gown, and paintings of coronations and weddings etc were very prominent in the displays. She was killed in the late 1800's by an anarchist. Since her death there have been movies, plays and musicals based on her story.
Then we took the go train into Budapest, and walked along the danube, crossed the train bridge over to the Buda side ( prominent in that movie with Eddie Murphy about the invisible plane), went up to the top of the hill in the cable car, and roamed around the castle area, stopping for ice cream at the Hilton. The place was abuzz with tourists, many of them Engish speaking. There was a very large group of spanish speakers as well. The view of the city and the Danube from the ramparts up at the castle is breathtaking. As the sun changes the vista changes as well, and the light on the white stone of the parliament buildings can be really wonderful. My computer here does not have the right software to download photos, so they will have to be added later, but it was a perfect day for sightseeing and for taking pictures.
Along the Danube on the Pest side is a memorial to the Jews in Hungary who were killed in the second world war. It consisted of bronzed shoes placed here and there along a cement walkway on the edge of the danube. it remembered the times when they were lined up here and shot, their bodies falling into the river.
that evening we went to the home of Imre ( Katis brother) and his wife Erszo. Erszo had prepared a lovely meal of chicken marinated in honey and lemon, greek salad, peas in a creamy liquid, corn in a creamy liquid, risotto with vegetables, a composed salad with tomatoes peppers and eggs, and an elegant ice cream cake for dessert.
Today we head for Tokai, a wine making region of the country. I exect we will do some wine tasting.
Then we took the go train into Budapest, and walked along the danube, crossed the train bridge over to the Buda side ( prominent in that movie with Eddie Murphy about the invisible plane), went up to the top of the hill in the cable car, and roamed around the castle area, stopping for ice cream at the Hilton. The place was abuzz with tourists, many of them Engish speaking. There was a very large group of spanish speakers as well. The view of the city and the Danube from the ramparts up at the castle is breathtaking. As the sun changes the vista changes as well, and the light on the white stone of the parliament buildings can be really wonderful. My computer here does not have the right software to download photos, so they will have to be added later, but it was a perfect day for sightseeing and for taking pictures.
Along the Danube on the Pest side is a memorial to the Jews in Hungary who were killed in the second world war. It consisted of bronzed shoes placed here and there along a cement walkway on the edge of the danube. it remembered the times when they were lined up here and shot, their bodies falling into the river.
that evening we went to the home of Imre ( Katis brother) and his wife Erszo. Erszo had prepared a lovely meal of chicken marinated in honey and lemon, greek salad, peas in a creamy liquid, corn in a creamy liquid, risotto with vegetables, a composed salad with tomatoes peppers and eggs, and an elegant ice cream cake for dessert.
Today we head for Tokai, a wine making region of the country. I exect we will do some wine tasting.
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