Hungary - so full of life!
Egeszsegedre! That's Hungarian for 'cheers'!
Pronunciation of that word is "eh gehs shay geh dreh" - actually easier to say after a couple glasses of excellent Hungarian wine!
We stopped at Kohari Cellar in Egerszalok to enjoy a sampling of local wine. We were greeted with violin music and wonderful hospitality from the winery owners. We sipped some excellent wines while listening to how the owners had their land taken away from them when Hungary went under communist rule. They were blessed to get it back in 1989 and seem to still be celebrating. They not only shared great wine and exciting stories - but also taught us a couple of Hungarian songs!
School Visit in RecskOur tour had the pleasure of visiting a small school whose population includes about 30% Roma children - an often marginalized group of people. We helped students practice some of the English they were learning - answering questions such as; what is your name, what are your hobbies, and do you have pets? Many of these children will never meet someone from America, or even any other country. However, I think it was much more exciting for us grown-ups to meet them!
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"Live your life with arms wide open - today is where your book begins"
I Love Budapest!
This was a beautiful, vibrant city and there was so much to see. At first, I thought I'd be intimidated because it has over 2 million people. However, I found it to be pretty easy to navigate and enjoyed exploring - with the group and on my own. Since Peter is from Budapest - he was our local guide one of the days. We visited Heroes' Square, learned to ride the subway system, walked around town and city park, and learned how Budapest did a lot of building in 1896 to celebrate 1000 years of existence. The 2nd day we visited Buda (on the hill) by walking across Chain Bridge, riding the funicular to Castle Hill and taking in the breathtaking views of Pest and the Danube. Many of us ate lunch and shopped in the Great Market Hall and then made our way to the thermal baths for some fun and relaxation.
A rest stop on our way to Croatia that brought out the kid in many tour members! |