Hungary's amazing architecture everywhere

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7/5/09
Lily and Austin (with some parent input):
We have been in Hungary for the last 1 ½ weeks, including travels through Budapest, Lake Balaton, and Eger. Budapest is a giant city divided in two by the Danube River. Pest is flat and Buda is hilly. While we were there, the Danube kept getting higher each day until flooding over the banks was prominent. Many different styles of architecture can be seen in Budapest, but one of the most impressive sights is the government building, Parliament (see photograph). Budapest is Austin’s favorite city so far because of the pretty buildings that light up at night, and because it is such a party city after dark. We also saw quite a few motorcades driving diplomats about.
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Lake Balaton was beautiful lake that is a major resort area for Hungary and Europe. The water is warm and shallow, hotels have thermal pools, and inexpensive good food. Not everyone spoke the same languages, yet they all liked jumping into the same cooling lake. Unfortunately for us, this is one of the few places we have been where there are few Westerners. Signs and front desk people spoke 2-4 languages, but English was missing (behind Hungarian, German, Italian, and French).
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While at Lake Balaton, we rented a car for a day to visit the town where Grandpa Steve grew up. Nagyesztergar is still a really small town. We still managed to get an ice cream cone and some photos. We saw plains and plains of glittering wheat where Grandpa Steve’s father likely farmed. We also found a town cemetery where tomb stones of likely relatives were buried (had the Gartner and Waller name).
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Eger is a big college town with amazing churches and castles. We met some kids whose ages are 16, 13, and 8 years old. They are Hungarian, yet speak some English. We were able to communicate by drawing on paper and pointing in order to play card, dice, and “stacking card” games. It was fun.
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Language is a little easier than it was in Bulgaria, yet it has had some interesting consequences. We got on a train going to Vienna (in the wrong direction), and only realized this after it pulled away from the station. We were able to get off at the next station, to take a train back to where we started from (for a fee) one hour later. We also realized on that very hot day about the Eastern European summer heat. It was a long day with four hours of a non-air-conditioned 2nd class train car. The other interesting language occurrence was in Eger when we found ourselves on a tour to see some underground caves, yet the tour was given only in Hungarian. At least, we still managed to see the caves.
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We have tried lots of Hungarian food. And to our amazement, it tasted just like Nani’s (Steph’s Hungarian grandmother).
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We think we are on to Poland next.

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Photos

Nagyesztergar Hungary
We visited the town that Stephanie's father (Stefan) grew up in. They have electricity now.

Hungarian Train
A 90 degree breeze coming in the window as we stopped at every town on the way.

Festetics Palace - Lake Balaton
The library was a highlight for bookworms Lily and Austin, albeit most books in this library were between 100-400 years old and not in English.

Hungarian Circus
We saw a one ring Hungarian circus that came through one town.

Kurtoskalaks
The ultimate Hungarian donut - a shock to the arteries, yet pleasing to the palate.

Kecskemet riders
Hungarian riders are known for their ability to ride standing up on two of the five pulling horses, while at high speed.

Parliment - Budapest
The most photographed site in Hungary (with good reason).

Lycene Library in Eger
The relief ceiling is painted in such a way to give an impression of being a high dome, yet is actually only 1 meter high.

Gellert Thermal Baths
Historic thermal baths in Budapest.