14 General Impressions and Other Random Thoughts

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS from my limited exposure to the three different destinations:
ICELAND:  While steeped in its varied tumultuous history, replete with Vikings and Volcanoes, it is a young place, moving forward with an independent sense of adventure (of course it could have been the football talking...)


MUNICH: rich in history yet overhung with a cultural dysthymia, perhaps slightly apologetic yet definitely determined to abide by rules and other structures as though hope can be found there.


BUDAPEST: redolent in rich colors on dilapidated architecture, Budapest is a glorious anachronism of school bus yellow and medieval turrets. It has been oppressed yet wears its scars proudly in the confidence that it will ultimately prevail.


SMOKING: the farther east, the more smoking...and less smiles.


CHURCH:
ICELAND: "We are Lutherans! er, or Catholic...or atheist...we aren't very religious..."
GERMANY: Several Catholic cathedrals, but those were mostly historically oriented, it seemed; from what little we saw, it looked to be a great mission field as the greatest faith demonstrated was in the train station ("DO you know what the Bible really says?" signs and people there to chat) and at Karlsplatz fountain, where young people came from as far away as Britain and Slovakia to join with locals in sharing the love of Jesus and His Gospel. However, the church still seems to be the center of small towns, at least geographically.
BUDAPEST: Beautiful architecture--and some life--we saw 2 weddings! The Spirit is moving in many international and planted churches. God is here too! It was a comfort to go halfway around the world to worship with people who love Jesus too.


FOOD and DRINK: Europe has good coffee, Iceland's was okay, but their WATER is THE BEST--and free!!! The beer was all very good, but, to quote Andy, "I'm a Yuengling guy." It was good. Pretzels as a sandwich bread was everywhere, I mean everywhere. I approve.


ARCHITECTURE:
ICELAND--not really any "sort of old" buildings, at least where we were--everything was new and angular.
MUNICH--elaborate government buildings, very simple, rectangular apartments, regimentation in house style in the white/red roof style. Somewhat oppressive and a bit soul-less, perhaps. Maybe I have been overly impacted by Neuschwanstein.
BUDAPEST--such a mix of old and new sharing the same space, much older in the areas we were than Munich--a sense of faded glory but a glimmer of future hope.


FLORA--many similarities and a few differences:
ICELAND: In the southwest corner that we saw there was green scrub against the dark, rich brown and the ubiquitous Alaskan lupine.
MUNICH--Walnut, Elm, Maple, flowers like at home, well, the EDELWEISS!
BUDAPEST: Walnut, sycamore, except the leaf edges are not as toothed, buckeye, black locust, Chinese lantern tree.
CROSS COUNTRY: SPRUCE and SUNFLOWERS!


FAUNA:
ICELAND: Terns and other seabirds, little black flies
MUNICH--pigeons pigeons pigeons, crows, European house sparrow, horsefly/hornet
BUDAPEST--pigeons with much darker patterns, almost all dark grey with black triangles, crows, a bedraggled European magpie, an other bird with backwards markings to the magpie. Sparrow, BATS!!! HARLEY!!! One thing that is cool is that the forint coins have birds on them: the 50 forints coin has a particular falcon important the cultural history, and the 5 forint has a great white egret.


WALKING: People do it a lot. I actually like it; it's much more fun to walk if you have some place to go. Iceland was WINDY, so wear a jacket, but Munich and Budapest had the cobblestones which require good walking shoes. I am so glad that my dear son-in-law, many years ago, sold me some high-quality hiking shoes; they served me well on this trip.


TOILET PAPER: WOW THAT STUFF IS STURDY! It was all over Europe. It must the kind Sheryl Crow was quipping about when she joked about only using one square. I actually tried using two, and it was enough! lol


RANDOM PHOTOS
Andy will be sending me his soon; he didn't
take as many pictures, but the ones he took tend to be of a higher quality.


This view through the Olloclip Fisheye depicts the train station
across from our room; to the left is the entrance, but buses,
cabs, streetcars, bicyclists yelling at each other, etc., at all hours is crazy!



I have become rather partial to this wood floor pattern.
It would be easy to replace single pieces of wood
compared to other options.
Actually, this floor is in Munich,
and the Farthings have a similar pattern there in Budapest.



All the doors seem to have this flange
rather than having door casements like in the US.

There is an ongoing competition between vertical giftedness;
time will tell who prevails!




The manhole covers in Budapest
are beautiful--works of art!
Actually people do come to make
rubbings on them and turn those into
works of art.

More to come...if you have questions, I'll do my best to answer them. 

13 Last Leg of the Trip

Monday afternoon

We made up some of the time we had lost earlier because of the weather as we arrived at London's Heathrow Airport. I was under the impression that we would be staying in the same terminal during our layover and have a simple layover--HAHAHA, what was I thinking? My previous Heathrow experience (on the way to Johannesburg and Victoria Falls) came back to me as we were herded off the plane and on to the first shuttle bus then tram then subway to terminal 5 from 3. It was good that it was a 2 hour layover. We had enough time to stop in a shop, get some snacks, hit the loo, and then get in line...and wait again...

I had one small moment of Aslan (remember in the Chronicles of Narnia who Aslan is in the allegory, so actually the name for our malachite lion was quite appropriate) watching out for me: I pulled out my phone for one reason or another and didn't realize the MY boarding pass now apparently fell out and landed on the floor. I heard "Excuse me, excuse me" a couple times but tended to ignore such comments; this time, though, the persistence made me look around and a very thoughtful young olive-complected man came up to me and said, "You dropped this." I was very grateful, needless to say! Not that we couldn't have traveled without it, but it did save us a deal of inconvenience to say the least. After that we boarded without incident.

British Airways was great and kept us well-informed as we waited out a "spot of weather" on the tarmac. It was good we had gotten those snacks, though! I discovered "Urban Fruit," a delicious lightly baked (sort of dehydrated but not really) fruit snack. I had found some mango in Munich, but the strawberries in London were delicious! I hope I find them online or maybe at World Market because they are that good. I snacked on those a little as well as another brand--"Graze," vegan (or almost, in the case of honey) snacks for travel; one was a granola bar and the other was chili-lime flavored mixed nuts, both packaged in a convenient sliding cardboard covered (recyclable) plastic tray. They fit in my purse perfectly!

Finally we taxied out, and they turned on the entertainment. I chose a documentary on people with autism and Tourette's Syndrome trying to find work. I do hope that they succeeded; I got too depressed with their frustration to watch the video to the end. What was almost as frustrating in the account was that well-meaning friend and family members were setting them up with jobs that were pretty much guaranteeing failure rather than playing to the strong qualities that they had. Oh well, it looked as though there were some employment specialists that were on the right track, so in retrospect I can offer at least a little more optimism than when I first changed the channel.

I let Aslan pick the next one--The Jungle Book! I watched for a while with him, but it too was a downer after a while. Once Balloo gets in the picture it's all monkeys and orangutans and vultures and tigers trying to get the better of Mowgli.

And then dinner break came upon us--suddenly! I couldn't get to my phone to take a picture because the flight attendant shoved the tray into my face as I was trying to get the tray table down. But Andy and I agreed that it was a fabulous meal; he opined that it was the best airline food he had ever consumed: Gemelli salad, an elegant mushroom/cheese risotto, chicken breast and a peppery gravy with kale mashed potatoes, sliced carrots. A small soft Kaiser roll with Irish butter, a mini block of mature Cheddar and for dessert fancy graham rounds with a chocolate/orange pudding so dense it was like ganache. And of course English tea. Delightful!

After that wonderful meal I looked for something a little more uplifting to peruse, so I settled on the account of a new exploration at Pompeii! Well, at least all those people were already dead...

We shared the plane with a little toddler/big baby girl in the seat in front of us. She did remarkably well after the initial whining settling in time--playing with her toes, eating a snack, holding Minnie Mouse near and dear to her heart.

Hm...it doesn't bode well when the "time remaining" on the screen is getting longer rather than shorter. Neither am I filled with great confidence when the map of our journey says, "Airshow Data Transfer Program: Check CD size"...hmmm...who knows where we are actually going? Haha, this is a 7:30-8 hour flight, and it says the time remaining is 14:23...Andy watches "London Is Falling," oblivious to the chronological cataclysm, the grievous rift in the space-time continuum,  occurring right here in our very plane cabin.

At least we are chasing the sunset, though, so that is a good sign. The little girl's eyelids are getting heavier, but she is putting up a valiant fight to stay awake.

The airline must have anticipated my restlessness and sent more food! I shared a nice little chicken salad sandwich on whole wheat with---a KITKAT BAR!!! for a snack.

Eventually we reached IAD, and travelers reflexively unbuckling their seat belts at the first chime only to be good-naturedly directed that it wasn't time yet. Finally we were allowed to stand up, and as we waited to disembark, we struck up a bit of conversation with David, our flight attendant on Andy's side of the place, whose appearance evoked a morphing of Daniel Craig and Mr. Bean. What a nice bloke with a great sense of humor; I told him that the meal was absolutely delicious, and he replied, "Thank you; I made it myself." Andy said that we had endured a long flight, and David indicated that at least it wasn't to Tokyo--that's like 14 hours!

On to customs--there's a nice new automated system--and then on to the baggage claim carousel (okay, AFTER the restroom!). More waiting...but not for long; I guess I was situated favorably around the carousel because all three bags came to me early in the process.

On to Starbucks for a REAL AMERICAN COFFEE!!!! and then to wait for Steph to arrive in the von Blackwood taxi. It was a rather long wait, which was okay since I had my coffee, but people kept parking rather than circling around the terminal as they should. Andy felt compelled to comment on this phenomenon, and when he persisted, I felt compelled to comment to him a little more assertively, "ENOUGH! You have already told me--if it bothers you, go tell THEM!"  He did stop abruptly, which I greatly appreciated! Steph showed up shortly thereafter to rescue us from Dulles Parking Zone and its concomitant drama. And in just a few minutes we were home.

It has taken longer to settle into a routine than usual because every time someone mentions, "How WAS your trip?" I realize it is no longer upcoming but newly recent--WOW, THAT happened fast! I need to document quickly; I am already starting to forget.

I am so glad that I am back home from our trip, but I'm looking forward to the next one!

12 Homeward thoughts

Monday, July 11th


We woke up to a quiet house; the girls were sleeping, and Dave had gone to work to get his new boss signed in, and Sheila had run out for a bit--but not before making a batch of lemon poppyseed muffins! Crazy woman--crazy, wonderful woman! How I miss her and David already! It was good we got our hugs in with him the night before because he was already at work when we got up.

Last minute bag weighings and other details stopped Sheila in her own packing, so we hurried as much as possible to finish our travel preparations. Finally we were all ready to go; I usually like to get to the airport very early, so I was a bit skeptical when everyone else said that two hours would be plenty of time. She drove us to the airport, a 45-minute x 2 out of her day, but she accepted that in good humor, which we greatly appreciated, especially knowing that she would be making the same trip herself only a couple hours later!


She walked in with us and helped us find our British Airways check-in counter--the two terminals were not clearly marked, and of course we went in the wrong one first. Fortunately, it is a small airport, so we quickly found the right line to get at the end of; that, and, as Sheila said, she figured out where SHE was supposed to go that afternoon, so it was a good use of time.






So we made it! The line was very long because the Great Britain Swim Team was apparently returning home from a meet, and so we stood for about a half hour without moving forward. Eventually they opened up another counter, and things went quickly after that. However, it was only due to the grace of strong headwinds of our incoming flight that gave us enough time; had it not been delayed a good half hour, we would have been late. As it was, we had adequate time.


We managed to get through the check-in process with just two "irregularities." The first was that, though Iceland Air allows 2 checked bags per person, British Airways only allows one, so we had to pay a fee anyway. Oh well, thanks to Sheila, at least we hadn't bought a suitcase--and it's a great bag, a nice sturdy framed neon yellow duffel bag with a large main compartment and another subcompartment to hold shoes and the like and strong straps to hold it all together, even wheels and a handle so we didn't have to carry it. That plus it took some strain off the large suitcase we had brought that had less than totally reliable stitching.

The second little hiccup was that, when we went through the carry on security x-ray place, we were required to put our ticket and passport in the bin with our carry on stuff; I guess that would help employees identify if there were some question as to ownership--who knows? Anyway, when Andy got his bin back, one of the boarding passes was missing! It apparently had gotten stuck when the little rubber curtain strips drag over the bin as it went through the machine. Fortunately, he noticed it and was able to retrieve it before we moved on to the gate. It might not have been a problem, but it was a bit unsettling at the time. Obviously that stress called for some iced coffee.
We got to the gate with enough time to get a bite to eat. Andy got some pizza, and I got my iced coffee--this was the first time that someone really didn't understand what I meant though she spoke English very well; she made a regular cup of coffee, put the hot coffee in the handled coffee cup, and then put a couple ice cubes in it. Oh well, it wasn't awful, and she was really nice. I also bought a plastic cup with some cashews which I thought would be good for the plane ride. Actually it was just the right size for a certain lemon poppyseed muffin we had abducted to bring to Dinah, so now it was safely ensconced in protective custody.
I had not eaten the cashews, just wrapped them up in a napkin, so I decided to get something decidedly European for my last meal on the continent; I opted for a long, narrow baguette with Hungarian salami and cheese, a sliced sweet gherkin, and a very light cream cheese spread. Once it was heated up and served, it was delicious ::waxing eloquent a la Chopped or some other cook show::

At the gate was a piano that said, "PLAY ME!" but I couldn't break the relative quiet for more than a couple seconds...it turned out to be out of tune, anyway, which would have been painful for me if no one else...however, those few notes were the only ones I had played in over a week. Time flies.
Anyway, it was interesting to see that at airport, well maybe appropriate to THIS one, Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport, named in honor of the composer and pianist Franz Liszt.


British Airways is known for its excellent service, and they were getting off to a good start.

We weren't up in the air long before they offered us a snack--Andy chose the chicken bacon wrap and I got the veggie option of couscous and pumpkin seed salad--yum! But it was very filling, and I couldn't finish it. But immediately following was the drink cart--with REAL DIET COKE!!! None of that Coke Light stuff. Ahh, back to civilization...
I'm watching the plane map as we fly over Cologne, and for some reason I feel more international than in all the other places we've been. Now we are crossing The Channel. Watching the plane progress map makes me realize how small our world really is--we're not that far from Rome, even Egypt, and the rest of the Mediterranean--just a couple inches away.

11 Sunday church and other events

Sunday, July 10th


Jake was gone to camp, and we got up a couple hours later to prepare for church; it occurred to me that I hadn't worshipped on a Sunday morning anywhere but home for years and years! We drove through town to get there, and it was interesting that some of the shops and other buildings were starting to look familiar; it seemed to be a city of manageable size. We arrived and parked, got out and walked past a coffee shop that was host to a church plant--almost full! We went up an outdoor staircase to the international church where we were meeting. Several rows of chairs were arranged on the terraced risers; many people were on travel, so we had plenty of places to sit, but it filled up rather nicely just the same, with people on travel TO here.








The space notwithstanding, they were using CMG graphics--I recognized them right away!--and were playing preservice music that I recognized-- one was Grace That Won't Let Go. The regular band was not playing, so we heard the keyboard, flute, and cello practicing with the singers when we got there. It was a very different vibe than the energy offered by a good rhythm foundation, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

It was good to sing familiar songs--only one new one to me--and it was fun to sing harmony with Sheila!!! It was good for me to see that it can be hard if you don't know a song, though, so I will have to ponder ways to make it easier for visitors. It was interesting to BE a visitor, though, to be more considerate of how it feels to be in a new place. I was glad to be worshipping, at home with the family of God there in Budapest. A great sermon on forgiveness--and how the resurrection plays into the power of forgiving. It was then I heard about the Dallas event--wake up people!!!


We went home for leftovers for lunch--delicious again!--and then we let the girls stay at home while we took a quick trip over to Castle Hill.

 Again it was nice to have friends with diplomatic parking privileges; we drove right in with no problem. We parked and then strolled through the cobblestoned sidewalks to the Castle area, which is actually a series of ancient buildings, connected by walkways and information signs.

Attention ailurophiles...check out these feline gargoyles!

We first stopped at St. Matyas Cathedral, glistening white and gold, intricate with gargoyles and detailed carvings.


Sheila, tour guide in training

In the courtyard open area stood a tower of saints and angels or the like, very well-maintained.
We continued on, past a construction area and through a spiderweb gate

and past a tall fountain against the wall, a la Trevi in Rome.

Andy was complaining of sciatic issues, so I gave him drugs, and we went through a cooler tunnel to emerge on the back wall of the Hungarian National Gallery, which is hosting a Picasso exhibition. We dismissed the art in favor of some outdoor architecture and took a table facing the walk overlooking the Danube.  I had another iced coffee--NO CREAM, I said, so it came with just ice cream...while Sheila had a raspberry lemonade; the guys had iced tea...


Sheila and I went on a short explore across an elevated walkway to see what was the monolithic statue of a mother and child; was it that they were waiting for father/husband to come home? We both got depressed just on general principle, but then we found out that it was actually Mary and Baby Jesus.

 Music began to waft from a building far below; I looked down and realized how far up we actually were. WOW! But I was quickly intrigued by the source of these beautiful sounds; turns out that it was a brass quintet in full regalia--full wool, that is...I'm sweating just thinking about it! It was hot.

Anyway, the walkway provided an amazing view of the city on the other side of the Danube--the Parliament and St. Stephen's Basilica that we had seen the other day were the highlight of the cityscape, but from our vantage point we could see for miles up and down the river and count at least five or six bridges or turn around and see behind us the ridges we had visited the day before.

It was time to go, so we headed back. We stopped in one shop to purchase some beautiful hand made/dyed hímestojás (Easter eggs) before returning for another homemade meal.






We knew that we would be leaving the next morning, which was a little bit of a downer, but it was so fun to spend the time with them; even Harley let me hold him--twice!!!


Aslan and Harley ponder the possibilities on the other side of the screen...

Sheila gave us a framed duffel bag for checked luggage so that our two wouldn't be overweight and make us pay! Kinda makes one think that maybe, if they charged passengers themselves by the pound, it might make a difference. I packed the bags, wrapping the bottle of Tokaji with extra bubble wrap, in a 1.5 liter Coke bottle, and then in a couple sweaters.

10 Saturday in the Park

Saturday, July 9th




Maddy and Dave made a great breakfast of eggs, sausage, and chocolate chip pancakes--yum!!! Sheila had gone for a rather lengthy run with her friend Kim, so we were fairly relaxed in our approach to the morning. We got everyone piled into the car and set out on a brief excursion to the park, well, a castle and a bridge and a bunch of statues...and more!

We benefitted from the Farthings' special parking status and got a fairly convenient spot in the lightly wooded area near our destination. We strolled past a small skate park and along the sidewalk until we came to a building with a, well, I guess it was a moat! There were ducks for the feeding and a small castle-type dwelling complete with a Rapunzel turret! There was an opportunity or two for the liberation of tourist money, so I did buy a couple items that were easy to carry. 

Afterwards, Andy and Dave took the kids to the other side of the river to rent a paddleboat for a half hour or so while ShiShi and I crossed the bridge and the street to Heroes' Square; it is home to the Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace/Hall of Art.

The whole area apparently has a somewhat tortured history; one reason that it looks relatively new is that it was bombed pretty heavily in WWII and was rebuilt, with some new occupants in the statue complex. It looks great now, though, especially the "Seven Chieftains of the Magyars."

After our quick jaunt, we returned to the paddleboat area to see Andy waiting for us in the shade; Dave was out with the kids in a light blue Polizei paddleboat car.

I ordered a lemon sorbet cone, which was disappointingly small on first appearance, but the flavor was so intense that it was actually just right. Bigger is not always better!



The tzatziki was just the right accompaniment to this caprese panini.

We decided to go ahead and get lunch--grilled cheese and WHATEVER. I got one that was strongly reminiscent of a pizza, mozzarella and sundried tomato, but the main thing was that it was fresh! Delicious. Of course I had to get an iced coffee, which in Budapest means "covered with dangerous amounts of whipped cream and/or ice cream"...yikes! What an enjoyable afternoon, beautiful in the shade, just relaxing with the oleander lining the river.
The time the kids stayed close by, which means we didn't lose them. We made it back home, but then after a short respite, Sheila dragged me (at my request) to the grocery store--it was a tiny store, but apparently there are many of them all over the place rather than just a few larger ones; they have them too, but it seems that the lifestyle is more to just pick up enough for a day and go several times a week.

The produce was absolutely beautiful, and other items looked nice; but the aisles were narrow and not conducive to perusal. We managed, in good American fashion, to waltz out of there with a whole cart full of groceries.

Back home to prepare for a good old fashioned cookout! There were steaks and chops, and I got to help prep the corn for grilling and chop up the cucumber/tomato salad while Sheila prepped veggies to grill and got everything else ready. Dave manned the grill while the table got set, and then we sat down to eat, just like old times. Home is where the love is, just saying.

Afterwards we roasted marshmallows and made "not-quite-s'mores"--little round cookies because there were no graham crackers--and sat and talked around the fire pit long into the evening.

9 We REALLY went to see Dave and Sheila and the Kids

Friday, July 8th




We woke up after 9 am and realized that we hadn't heard yelling or seen any light all night; we had actually slept all the way through! What a difference darkness and quiet make to getting a good night's sleep. Embassy metal window blinds are more than just a fashion or security statement; they really work!


Speaking of...theirs is a very nice house with a very amusing gardener/landlord. He doesn't mean to be amusing, but the expressions on his face make me chuckle, and the stories about the unwitting curmudgeon fit perfectly with the Hungarian vibe of the place. But the grounds are beautiful, there is no denying.

 

 Jake was kind enough to let us sleep in his room and suffer in the basement with the X-Box and other consolations, so we were able to really unpack and settle in for a few days.






Dave fixed us some eggs--the most orange yolks I have ever seen!--and bacon--yum! Then I got the laundry going.  Andy had said, "I'm down to my last pair!", so there was no delaying... Of course I had brought like four extra pairs myself, so I was a little surprised at the thought of not packing enough underwear. But he was the wiser because it was enough to get him through to laundry day!






After we were all dressed and ready, we went for a ride downtown to see the Basilica of St. Stephen and the Synagogue. It was fun to see the mix of old and new--statues of centuries past and also of Ronald Reagan.

So many ethnic restaurants! We went to a different coffee place--a happier vibe than the Starbucks which was nearby.
We approached the basilica as a newly married couple was emerging from the front entrance.

We moved to the side to let them pass and then went through the doorway into the nave proper.


 It was so upliftingly beautiful, Psalm 24 came to mind--

"Lift up your heads, O gates!

    And lift them up, O ancient doors,

    that the King of glory may come in.

¹⁰ Who is this King of glory?

    The Lord of hosts,

    he is the King of glory!"

The Synagogue was something we enjoyed from the outside; apparently the inside is beautiful but we couldn't go in at the time for one reason or another...anyway, there were courtyards and stained glass stars of David and tombstones and a beautiful steel willow tree sculpture that reminded me of Psalm 137, "By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept for Zion; by the moping willows in our midst, we sadly hung there our harps. Our captors said, 'Come sing a song of joy, but how can we sing when joy is gone?"










It was a memorial to lives lost in the Holocaust. My heart wept with them but sensed the hope that springs from tragedy that God is still God and will prevail, maybe just not in ways we expect.

 











cultural diversity on a bun--and see the curly potato
on a stick in the background

All that introspection (and walking) can whet an appetite! So we hunted down the HotDog/ColdBeer hole-in-the-wall carry-out that was on the docket for the day. Ah, the multicultural hot dog--you could get American, German, Italian, Mexican, and Asian, too, if I recall correctly! Very good--but they had a couple neat features. One, their French fry option is actually a spiral cut potato on a stick, deep fried until crispy and then served as potato chips--really good! I shared my hot dog bun with a very friendly pigeon who had only two toes on his left foot; he was almost brave enough to take pieces from my hand, but discretion won over confidence and he kept a little bit of space between us though he was by no means intimidated.





The other item I wanted and would have normally resisted but this day opted to try ("I'll share; it'll be fine!") was the deep fried Bounty (kind of like Mounds bar) bar. It looked like a corn dog, but in no way was it a corn dog! One bite was all I needed because it was so rich, but it was amazing. YAY, junk food!!!






We strolled back to the car and briefly lost the kids because they had walked out of our line of sight, but there was no harm; they were waiting for us when we got there.

When we got back to the house, I helped Sheila sort travel/trial sized shampoo, etc., bottles, then finished our laundry. Sheila is packing, too, well, and so is Jake; he is leaving Sunday morning for Switzerland and a basketball camp, and Sheila is leaving on Monday, a couple hours after we do, for Zimbabwe. Crazy times! But it's all good; everything is under control. Getting ready to go out for dinner--watching Brooklyn 99--sigh...just like home...

We went to an official Hungarian restaurant on the top of one of the many hills.

We tried their version of hummus, which was actually quite good (made of chick peas and lentils, I recall), for an appetizer, then chose a lot of different entrees; I had the roast duck and little fruity fritters along with roasted vegetables. I tried a "brownie" with peach and ginger. It was tasty but not a brownie--kind of eggy, bread pudding texture, not very sweet. The vanilla sauce is a lot like English custard, very thin pudding--can be cloyingly sweet, so I asked for it on the side.

Along with the great diversity in foods, it's interesting to see all the different juices available here. I don't know which I have enjoyed more: the black currant juice in Munich or this Cappy, a peach nectar-type drink--it would have been great with a little spritzwater in it. Of course the ubiquitous beer...Hungary also has its favorite wines, a prominent one of which is Tokaji, a very sweet white.

 

 

Anyway, the food was fine, the company was great, and then after dinner we went out back of the restaurant to a path that gave a great view down to the city; we spent a bit of time there and chatted as we walked back to the car. Sheila was mentioning about it being one of the places she runs; I can't begin to imagine walking these hills much less running! Good for her! I will admire from a distance.

 

Sheila and I had a nice chat in the back yard at dusk as we watched the bats zooming back and forth chasing their dinner of mosquitoes and other batsnacks.

At one point Harley made a brief escape and had his own adventure in the front yard foliage, which to him was likely akin to a jungle. No harm done that a vigorous brushing didn't remedy...

And, after a goodbye hug from Jake, another restful repose...