Chloe and I finally made it to the medicinal baths today. The Szecsenyi Bathhouse is one of the largest in the city. A huge yellow collaboration between the Turkish and the Magyerok, it is a site to behold. The best part is the people watching here! Cultural note - HUGE age gaps in couples are not uncommon, and many women have chosen to die their hair a particular shade of freakishly bright maroon which Chloe and I both find very appealing (don’t worry, we won’t pick up the trend for ourselves).
The pools and hottubs are filled with mineral water. It is incredibly easy to float here. I actually believe that it takes more effort to hold your hands down than to let them rest on the surface as you relax in a hot tub. The water is said to have healing properties, and I must say I do feel quite relaxed after a day at Szecsenyi.
We left the bathhouse and wandered over to Heroes Square. This bit of accidental sight seeing was fun not only for the majestic columns and statues but for watching other tourists. We took pictures of Korean tourists at their request, and then took some candid pictures of other members of their tour groups without their knowledge. There was an adorable little boy dancing around with a cowboy hat who will be forever memorialized in our trip photos. I find that if you have the urge to take candid pictures of strangers, the best place is always large tourist attractions - they never see it coming.
The rest of our day was spent drinking coffee and shopping at Tesco. Have I described Tesco yet? Tesco is the European version of Walmart. Started in Britain, it is taking over the continent (and parts of Asia). Much like Walmart, there are locals who are anti-Tesco (but shop their anyway for its convenience and low prices). This of course begs the question: does a trip to Tesco count as a cultural experience? I don’t know, but we are certainly becoming very familiar with Walmart’s continental cousin.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
The Return of the Belgians
Today was the day that our pattern for hangout spots became apparent. We return to the Keleti Train Station, where we each enjoyed another falafel. The same woman served us, and we have grown rather attached to our “Falafel Lady.” The other big train station achievement was getting cell phones. Finally, we are once again connected! Bought from a little shop at the train station, they are ooooold phones (especially mine). It’s one of the classic Nokia varieties, and the sides are worn, but it was not badly priced. Besides, I love things with a little character and a good story behind them, and my little Hungarian phone definitely fits the bill. When I got it, it was entirely in Hungarian and our service provider is Hungarian. Bless Chloe’s Hungarian-speaking heart, she found the language option and I can finally understand my phone. As fascinating as my phone is for its sheer age, hers is even better - it used to belong to someone who absolutely loved anime. Who doesn’t love a Hungarian phone stuffed with Japanese pop culture?
Later, we were checking to see if any of the stores outside the train station were open when who should we run into but our Belgian Buddies! We decided to go back to the train station for a cup of coffee. We chatted about our trip up to that point and our plans for later. Then David and Willy showed up. No, this was not another incredible stroke of fate, we called them on our new (old) cell phones. We would have all had coffee together, but the shop closed signaling that it was time to move on.
We bid farewell to the Belgians and left with the French to explore a little more of Budapest. We walked down to where Parliament is. A beautiful building, especially lit up at night. We then ate a lovely dinner by the water. Chloe had a high class version of Hungary’s specialty: fried cheese. It was fried camembert with cooked apple slices and I will say that it was delicious. Not wanting to get the same thing, I got pasta with spicy tomato sauce (so did David). Willy got the other thing I almost ordered: pasta with dill sauce and salmon. Chloe and I shared a glass of Hungarian wine. Everything was absolutely delicious.
Our hostel was on the way to their campground so we continued our walk through our little neighborhood. We stopped back at our little cafe, Gabi, for another round of Hungary’s finest. We then bid farewell and headed our separate ways, but we will meet again.
Later, we were checking to see if any of the stores outside the train station were open when who should we run into but our Belgian Buddies! We decided to go back to the train station for a cup of coffee. We chatted about our trip up to that point and our plans for later. Then David and Willy showed up. No, this was not another incredible stroke of fate, we called them on our new (old) cell phones. We would have all had coffee together, but the shop closed signaling that it was time to move on.
We bid farewell to the Belgians and left with the French to explore a little more of Budapest. We walked down to where Parliament is. A beautiful building, especially lit up at night. We then ate a lovely dinner by the water. Chloe had a high class version of Hungary’s specialty: fried cheese. It was fried camembert with cooked apple slices and I will say that it was delicious. Not wanting to get the same thing, I got pasta with spicy tomato sauce (so did David). Willy got the other thing I almost ordered: pasta with dill sauce and salmon. Chloe and I shared a glass of Hungarian wine. Everything was absolutely delicious.
Our hostel was on the way to their campground so we continued our walk through our little neighborhood. We stopped back at our little cafe, Gabi, for another round of Hungary’s finest. We then bid farewell and headed our separate ways, but we will meet again.
Eurotrip 2009!!!
Well, clearly I haven’t updated my blog in a while and MUCH has happened: the days on Pine Ridge, the drive through the western states, and three weeks in San Francisco. I will try my best to go back and fill in the blanks, but at the moment, I’ll just have to move on from the gap and write about what’s happening right now.
What is happening right now, you ask? I am in Hungary!!! Eurotrip 2009 has officially begun!! Chloe’s mom drove her and I to the Charlotte Airport the day before yesterday morning. We checked in and spent the afternoon using free wireless internet and searching for plugs to power our laptops. Finally, we boarded at 5:00 pm, a little late, but we made up the time in the air. We spent our time in the air watching the latest and worst in romantic comedies: Bride Wars and He’s Just not that into You. Both offensively stereotypical views of men and women, but this is a blog about my trip, not the decline of the film industry, so we’ll move on.
The next morning, we arrived in Frankfurt, collected ourselves at the airport (including a very appropriate first European breakfast of coffee and a croissant), and headed out to meet the Petrillos at about 11:00. Meanwhile, Ann was making her own pilgrimage to the airport to pick up her boyfriend (Dean). We took the metro to the hotel where the kids were waiting, and we went out for a walk. Their hotel, the Leondardo, was right downtown so there was plenty to do. We saw a lot of cute little shops and there was a whole block filled with street vendors selling food. Chloe was enthusiastic about purchasing some bread. At first, I didn’t understand, but after trying a bit of her delicious potato bread with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and spices, I have been converted. The kids, craving something familiar, declared Starbucks to be our next stop. I made what I believe was my only overpriced, impulse buy of the trip so far: mango and maracuya (passion fruit) juice. At 3 Euros for a relatively small bottle, it was admittedly a bit much, but I will always have a soft spot in my heart for maracuya juice.
We went back to the hotel to see if Ann and Dean were back and relax a little bit. After about an hour, we headed out again. This time, the kids took us for a tour to some of the sights nearby. We strolled along the Main River until we got to a cute little square with historical German buildings, including the mayor’s house. From there, we were just feet away from the Frankfurt Cathedral. Just outside, we passed an old Roman bath and were reminded of all the baths that await us in Hungary. Saint Bartholomew greeted us at the door. The cathedral was, of course, massive and majestic in its gothic architecture, and the organ is a sight to behold. We received a call from Ann; Dean was sleeping soundly and she was ready to go see the sights. We headed back and met her at the hotel, where we once again relaxed and waited - this time for Steven, the family’s 21-year-old cousin who had been taking them on tours of the city for the previous few days. At 6:15, Steven arrived. We walked a few blocks to what I believe is the second tallest building in the city, passing the building where decisions about the Euro are made (it had a huge blue Euro with yellow stars outside it). We went to the top floor where we saw many sights including the river and the fair rides that dotted a portion of its shores, the hotel, and the train station. By then it was time to go, so Chloe and I bid farewell to the family, picked up our stuff from their hotel, and walked across the street to our train station.
We shared a 6 bed room with two Belgian travelers, making their way to Romania. They had originally planned to go to Iran, but given recent circumstances, that fell though. Then they considered Turkey, but decided they didn’t feel like going that far after all. So it was Romania; I’d like to go there too one day. Esther and Jurghis and Chloe and I relaxed in the dining car. Chloe and I shared a very simple yet high quality tomato salad, and they shared what seemed to be a very small bottle of champagne (that or a beer that tasted like champagne). Jurghis, it turns out, is a consultant for migrant-related non-profits, and we chatted a little bit about the difference between the US and European NPs. After they made our beds at 10:00, we collapsed in the bed, exhausted.
We woke up with an extra person in the compartment. Lili, who had been traveling to many places (the only one of which I can remember was France) and was returning to her home outside Budapest. The five of us proceeded to have a conversation.
Here’s the line up:
Lili: Hungarian, French, and some English.
Esther and Jurghis: Flemish, German, English, and French (and probably some I forget).
Chloe: English and some Hungarian.
Me: English and Spanish.
The conversation took place largely in French with Chloe and I occasionally chiming in in English, or Hungarian. Flemish and German asides were occasionally included from our Belgian buddies. Topics included: Lili’s travels, Jurgis’s stay in the Congo and the virtues of ethnography, and Harry Potter. Turns out, Elise, Chloe, and I all went to see the premiere of the 6th movie. It’s a small world after all.
After disembarking, our car-mates headed out, off to explore with Lili as the tour guide. Chloe and I had arrangements to make at the train station so we bid our farewells and got down to business. It would have been fun to go with them, but I think its for the best that we didn’t: 5-language conversations give me a bit of a headache in large doses.
Chloe and I exchanged money, made reservations, etc. We also ate delicious falafels. It included yogurt sauce, hot red sauce, that purple stuff. So spicy!! I do declare, Hungarians do falafels right. We arrived in the hotel just in time for an afternoon nap (one does not sleep exceptionally well on trains and when jet-lagged that is just unacceptable). We woke up at 7:00 this evening and went on a wireless pilgrimage. It was found at the Gabi Cafe. There we emailed and updated and met some new friends. The waitress spoke not a word of English, but she is one of my favorite people I’ve met so far (same for the porter on the train although his vocabulary was a wee bit larger than hers). Chloe and I shared two glasses of pear juice and a delicious sandwich (we’ll be back for more). We were entertained/annoyed by an older Norwegian psychologist who told us his opinion on, well, just about everything. In the midst of all this, we met two French boys who are road-tripping around Europe. Willy is landscaper. David certifies pluming (and no, I’m not sure exactly what that entails). Willy’s English is not that great, which made it very difficult to explain that my mom’s partner was into landscaping. Really, it was the edible landscaping part that tripped up the conversation, but he eventually got it (I think). After trying out one of Hungary’s beers, we strolled around the city. Our 18 block round trip walk took us past a shopping district, across a nearby bridge, and too one of the medicinal baths Chloe and I plan on checking out during our stay (which is apparently a nightclub on Friday night). After noting that our bath is currently ending a 15 day hiatus (will open again on the 27th), we circled back to our hotel. We bid farewell to the boys (and yes, they are rather cute).
As soon as we entered our hostel, it began too pour down rain (the poor boys had to walk back to their campsite in this). Chloe and I chatted for a bit as I typed. It’s a large hostel (its a college dorm during the school year) and its a lively one. I’ve been typing to the sounds of my fellow guests raucously celebrating the sounds of American music. Chloe and I were happy to note that “I Got a Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas has made it to Hungary. We were sad to find out that “Right Round” by whoever-came-up-with-that-nonsense did too. Our Belgian friends are here somewhere, but I have a feeling we won’t see them again. Which brings us to when I am right now: nearly 4:30 in the morning on Saturday, July 25. Yes, I know it’s terribly late, but I had to document these events. I’m in my bed, which is squished against Chloe’s. She’s sleeping, as I will be in a moment. Goodnight everybody.
What is happening right now, you ask? I am in Hungary!!! Eurotrip 2009 has officially begun!! Chloe’s mom drove her and I to the Charlotte Airport the day before yesterday morning. We checked in and spent the afternoon using free wireless internet and searching for plugs to power our laptops. Finally, we boarded at 5:00 pm, a little late, but we made up the time in the air. We spent our time in the air watching the latest and worst in romantic comedies: Bride Wars and He’s Just not that into You. Both offensively stereotypical views of men and women, but this is a blog about my trip, not the decline of the film industry, so we’ll move on.
The next morning, we arrived in Frankfurt, collected ourselves at the airport (including a very appropriate first European breakfast of coffee and a croissant), and headed out to meet the Petrillos at about 11:00. Meanwhile, Ann was making her own pilgrimage to the airport to pick up her boyfriend (Dean). We took the metro to the hotel where the kids were waiting, and we went out for a walk. Their hotel, the Leondardo, was right downtown so there was plenty to do. We saw a lot of cute little shops and there was a whole block filled with street vendors selling food. Chloe was enthusiastic about purchasing some bread. At first, I didn’t understand, but after trying a bit of her delicious potato bread with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, and spices, I have been converted. The kids, craving something familiar, declared Starbucks to be our next stop. I made what I believe was my only overpriced, impulse buy of the trip so far: mango and maracuya (passion fruit) juice. At 3 Euros for a relatively small bottle, it was admittedly a bit much, but I will always have a soft spot in my heart for maracuya juice.
We went back to the hotel to see if Ann and Dean were back and relax a little bit. After about an hour, we headed out again. This time, the kids took us for a tour to some of the sights nearby. We strolled along the Main River until we got to a cute little square with historical German buildings, including the mayor’s house. From there, we were just feet away from the Frankfurt Cathedral. Just outside, we passed an old Roman bath and were reminded of all the baths that await us in Hungary. Saint Bartholomew greeted us at the door. The cathedral was, of course, massive and majestic in its gothic architecture, and the organ is a sight to behold. We received a call from Ann; Dean was sleeping soundly and she was ready to go see the sights. We headed back and met her at the hotel, where we once again relaxed and waited - this time for Steven, the family’s 21-year-old cousin who had been taking them on tours of the city for the previous few days. At 6:15, Steven arrived. We walked a few blocks to what I believe is the second tallest building in the city, passing the building where decisions about the Euro are made (it had a huge blue Euro with yellow stars outside it). We went to the top floor where we saw many sights including the river and the fair rides that dotted a portion of its shores, the hotel, and the train station. By then it was time to go, so Chloe and I bid farewell to the family, picked up our stuff from their hotel, and walked across the street to our train station.
We shared a 6 bed room with two Belgian travelers, making their way to Romania. They had originally planned to go to Iran, but given recent circumstances, that fell though. Then they considered Turkey, but decided they didn’t feel like going that far after all. So it was Romania; I’d like to go there too one day. Esther and Jurghis and Chloe and I relaxed in the dining car. Chloe and I shared a very simple yet high quality tomato salad, and they shared what seemed to be a very small bottle of champagne (that or a beer that tasted like champagne). Jurghis, it turns out, is a consultant for migrant-related non-profits, and we chatted a little bit about the difference between the US and European NPs. After they made our beds at 10:00, we collapsed in the bed, exhausted.
We woke up with an extra person in the compartment. Lili, who had been traveling to many places (the only one of which I can remember was France) and was returning to her home outside Budapest. The five of us proceeded to have a conversation.
Here’s the line up:
Lili: Hungarian, French, and some English.
Esther and Jurghis: Flemish, German, English, and French (and probably some I forget).
Chloe: English and some Hungarian.
Me: English and Spanish.
The conversation took place largely in French with Chloe and I occasionally chiming in in English, or Hungarian. Flemish and German asides were occasionally included from our Belgian buddies. Topics included: Lili’s travels, Jurgis’s stay in the Congo and the virtues of ethnography, and Harry Potter. Turns out, Elise, Chloe, and I all went to see the premiere of the 6th movie. It’s a small world after all.
After disembarking, our car-mates headed out, off to explore with Lili as the tour guide. Chloe and I had arrangements to make at the train station so we bid our farewells and got down to business. It would have been fun to go with them, but I think its for the best that we didn’t: 5-language conversations give me a bit of a headache in large doses.
Chloe and I exchanged money, made reservations, etc. We also ate delicious falafels. It included yogurt sauce, hot red sauce, that purple stuff. So spicy!! I do declare, Hungarians do falafels right. We arrived in the hotel just in time for an afternoon nap (one does not sleep exceptionally well on trains and when jet-lagged that is just unacceptable). We woke up at 7:00 this evening and went on a wireless pilgrimage. It was found at the Gabi Cafe. There we emailed and updated and met some new friends. The waitress spoke not a word of English, but she is one of my favorite people I’ve met so far (same for the porter on the train although his vocabulary was a wee bit larger than hers). Chloe and I shared two glasses of pear juice and a delicious sandwich (we’ll be back for more). We were entertained/annoyed by an older Norwegian psychologist who told us his opinion on, well, just about everything. In the midst of all this, we met two French boys who are road-tripping around Europe. Willy is landscaper. David certifies pluming (and no, I’m not sure exactly what that entails). Willy’s English is not that great, which made it very difficult to explain that my mom’s partner was into landscaping. Really, it was the edible landscaping part that tripped up the conversation, but he eventually got it (I think). After trying out one of Hungary’s beers, we strolled around the city. Our 18 block round trip walk took us past a shopping district, across a nearby bridge, and too one of the medicinal baths Chloe and I plan on checking out during our stay (which is apparently a nightclub on Friday night). After noting that our bath is currently ending a 15 day hiatus (will open again on the 27th), we circled back to our hotel. We bid farewell to the boys (and yes, they are rather cute).
As soon as we entered our hostel, it began too pour down rain (the poor boys had to walk back to their campsite in this). Chloe and I chatted for a bit as I typed. It’s a large hostel (its a college dorm during the school year) and its a lively one. I’ve been typing to the sounds of my fellow guests raucously celebrating the sounds of American music. Chloe and I were happy to note that “I Got a Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas has made it to Hungary. We were sad to find out that “Right Round” by whoever-came-up-with-that-nonsense did too. Our Belgian friends are here somewhere, but I have a feeling we won’t see them again. Which brings us to when I am right now: nearly 4:30 in the morning on Saturday, July 25. Yes, I know it’s terribly late, but I had to document these events. I’m in my bed, which is squished against Chloe’s. She’s sleeping, as I will be in a moment. Goodnight everybody.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Therapy with Grandma
This morning we went out for breakfast at Lux. The remaining family members were Grandma, Peyton, Aunt Jodi, Uncle John, Aunt Carolyn, Mom, Bob, and myself. The Spartan Omelette was good, but I am a bit sad that I didn’t get a poached egg. That was delicious. We said fond farewells and each headed off in our separate directions.
Grandma and I returned to the apartment where we proceeded to put sheets and blankets on the bed I’ll sleep in for the next few nights. My Grandma is known for saying that we shouldn’t clean up when we leave. “It’s my therapy,” she says. It’s her therapy to wash the last cup we drank out of, to change our old bed sheets, maybe even to discover that sock we forgot behind the bed. It’s our therapy to run the washing machine and fold the bedding. There is something comforting about the ritual of mundane tasks. Something heartwarming about smoothing out the last wrinkle in a bedspread. No matter how much everything changes or who drifts in and out of our lives, there are the little moments that we repeat that become like the stitches that sew the bits of our lives together.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Amish Country
Today is Saturday, the day after Grandma's birthday and the last day that we will have the majority of the family gathered here in good old Goshen. We ate lunch at Olympia Candy Shoppe. I and about 70% of the people I dined with ordered Olympia's olive nut sandwich (an Olympia classic). I ate at a table with my Grandma, Bob, and Fred (husband of June - my Aunt Carolyn's sister and my mum's friend).
After lunch, I journeyed out to Amish Country with Fred, June, Uncle John, and Aunt Carolyn. We first got some popcorn at a little popcorn shop. They gave free samples at the door - delicious! I purchased red and blue popcorn for Mom and Bob. It was just so pretty. The girl who rang us up had braces and a beautiful smile.
Next we drove up to a farm to purchase strawberries. We were right in the midst of all the bustle of farm life. A little boy who couldn't have been more that 12 years old
Although, I've lived near the Amish for much of my life, I really haven't had an occaision to talk to them before this, at least not that I can remember
And as a side note, "journeyed to Amish Country" makes it sound like we were traveling for hours, but really it was only about 20 minutes outside of town at the most.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Grandma's Birthday
I have officially escaped from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and what's more, arrived at my first stop along the way - Indiana for my Grandma's 90th birthday party.
The trip so far has been fairly exciting. I finally made it out of Winston late Wednesday afternoon. I created roadkill in southern Ohio (that raccoon just could not decide which way he/she was heading). I spent the night in Athens, Ohio, and on Thursday continued onward. I got a speeding ticket somewhere on a flat stretch of 33. I was going 78 where it had just changed from 65 to 60, so that would make it 18 miles over. Oops. Later that day I got lost in Fort Wayne. Needless to say there have been many firsts so far. This will certainly be an interesting journey.
Friday was Grandma's birthday celebration. Most of the family gathered here for the occasion and the resulting festivities have been lovely. We ate lunch together in the dining room of the Greencroft Retirement Center where my Grandma resides. Highlights include controversies over the consistency and taste quality of diet vs. non-diet applesauce jello.
We then went to Maplecrest Golf Course and dined on a delicious dinner. The mashed potatoes were excellent. The company was exquisite. Uncle John gave Grandma a beautiful jewelry box which he made out of blood wood. After dinner, we all returned to Greencroft, where we were joined by even more family and many of Grandma's friends. We talked and ate cake and drank coffee and punch (which despite earlier promises was not spiked). It was a terribly lovely evening, and a fitting celebration for a woman who is simply awesome.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Escape from Winston
It's around 1:00 AM on Thursday, June 4, and I am happy to report that I have finally left Winston-Salem. The trip has been uneventful so far with the exception of the fact that I have officially created road kill. That poor raccoon.
I am currently lounging on a bed in a Days Inn in Athens, Ohio. It's interesting, no matter how nice the hotel is, it always makes a girl want a black light and a pair of tweezers, just in case. Not having both implements, I'm just here, pondering having left North Carolina behind. Not that I don't realize that I will certainly visit. Truth be told, I plan on returning later this summer, but as I sit here in an area code uncertain, I cannot help but ponder all the goodbyes that weren't said or that I'd like to say again. Tomorrow I'll be moving on to Indiana, but tonight I'm thinking about what I've left behind.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)