Dance for Kathleen

I miss you every Wednesday night, Kathleen, when we go to a different "dance house". You would have been professional at this one. This was an Irish dance a couple of weeks ago. It is somewhat similar to contra dance and of course you must have grown up with it. Smile!

Now, this is something more unique. A gypsy/Roma (the PC term) band playing at the dance last night. In the very right side of the picture you can see my favourite Roma instrument which is a special milk jug that Romas use not only for keeping milk but also as a percussion instrument. It sounds great!

These dances definitely go into late night, as you can see and if you dance through the whole night, it's better than a workout in the gym. Let's do a couple of these dances when we meet again soon, shall we?

Sissi's Achilleon

Empress Elisabeth, the empress of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, also known as Sissi, spent the latter years of her life in a palace in Corfu. She had the palace built by an Italian architect, near the village of Gastouri with the hero Achilles in mind. She chose to live here alone, that is without the company of her husband Franz Josef. She spent most of her time here reading philosophy, Greek literature, studying old and new Greek, praying, meditating, writing poetry and keeping herself far away from everything that she did not agree with during her active life in the Empire. She was one of history's most fascinating women, not only intelligent and extravagant, but a couple of decades before her time. This freedom-loving and extremely sensitive person had a hard life. She was both a fairy-tale-like princess and an extremely liberated modern woman. During the early period of her life, she lived the life of most little girls' dreams. Empress Sissi , the last queen of Hungary, has a special place in my heart and visiting her palace in Corfu was an unforgettable experience.

One of the cupolas in the castle. The fresco shows Jesus before Pontius Pilate. Another distinctive "story" where you cannot avoid feeling pain and hurt.

The main statue in the garden is the statue of Achilles, showing him in the most vulnerable position in his pain, dying from Paris' arrow wound to his heel. The statue faces skyward and to the sea as if he is asking his mother the goddess Thetis for help. The symbolism is of course obvious as the Empress sought to remember her son, Prince Rudolph, as if he was asking for her help. The statue is so remarkable and so sad that I did not want to show it to you from the front. You have to go there, sit on the bench of tears and you will feel Sissi's pain after so many years. I know I had an overwhelming feeling come over me there in the park that is hard to describe. Now, you followers, can only enjoy this statue from the back, which is more lighthearted and even pleasant for the eyes.

All these beautiful statues of Gods and Goddesses in the parks. Here is my little goddess with the Goddess of Music and Poetry.

And here is one of the gorgeous sea panoramas from the castle. You can spend hours there and still not have seen everything. And Sissi's spirit will definitely follow you around and make you want to be like her.

Corfu 2

98% of Greeks are Greek Orthodox and they take their faith seriously. They have beautiful churches and they are all filled on Sundays, although some of them are not very difficult to fill, since they can only fit five to ten people. They also have so called ecclesias on the side of the road everywhere, so that people can stop and pray anytime they are on the road. The patron saint of Corfu is St. Spiridon, who according to legend protected the country against the enemy a number of times.

Is the water blue enough? Our boat stopped about 200 yards from the shore of the Blue Lagoon and we had to swim to the beach. I was so proud of Kamilla, who swam to the shore and back. The water was 6 meters deep. She was the only child under the age of 12 who did it. Way to go Milli!

And here is a broader picture of the Blue Lagoon. It is NOT the place where the famous movie was filmed.

Corfu

Corfu is the second largest and greenest Greek island on the Ionian Sea. The island is not only breathtakingly beautiful, but steeped in history dating from the beginning of Greek mythology. The weather is perfect in the summer with an average temperature of 36 Celcius (88 F), after a very rainy winter, that makes everything luscious green.

We stayed in Messonghi, on the south-eastern part of the island, where the water temperature is perfect, and the sea is crystal clear. This picture was taken from Captain Mantos' boat Konstantinos. I told him that I would mention him in my blog, especially since he managed take us out on a boat tour the only day in three years when the wind was so strong that we came home by bus after the boat was tossed and turned by the choppy water. We took on so much water that there started to be more water inside than outside.

Syvota Cave. Syvota was the possible landing place of Odysseus, and might actually be the historical Ithaca, right next to the cave of nymphs. According to the legend, if lovers swim through this cave, they will stay together forever. But you really need guts to do that, and the water there is ice cold, so nobody in our group chose to try it, not even honeymooners.

Our pebbly, sandy beach was pefect for long walks and of course swims. Oh, I will miss swimming in the sea! It is a fabulous feeling when you only see the sea and sky and get lost in your thoughts . . . , almost like meditation but you are actually moving and loosing calories . . . what a combination.

More to come about Corfu in the next couple of days, including the legendary Blue Lagoon.

Corfu

I am on Corfu, one of the Greek islands. Pictures and comments are coming on Friday.

Trains

Kamilla loves taking the train in Hungary. She says she loves that she can stand up and play and make friends. she is doing neither here. Personally, I really enjoy reading on trains; I am making up for a lot of lost time from driving here.

Kamilla calculated that by the time we go back to the States, she will have had 24 train rides this summer.

Budapest 3

Vajdahunyad Castle in City Park.

Vajdahunyad castle from the other side; today the Museum of Agriculture.

The statue of Anonymus: his face is hidden in the monk's hood symbolizing the fact that the identity of the 13th century chronicler is unknown, as even today we do not know more about him than that he worked at the royal court. His work "Gesta Hungarorum" written in Latin contains the Hunnish-Hungarian legends and the history of the "Magyar Conquest." Kamilla and I are holding his pen, since according to the legend, if you touch Anonymus' "style", you get inspired for writing for life.

Hungarian women

My mom at the age of 29. ( like me now?)

My niece ,who is smarter than beautiful, if that is possible.

My little Cinderella

A gourgeous young friend with an old soul.

These are the most important and most beautiful Hungarian women for me.

A quote from the local paper inspired me to create this post. It says, "9 out of 10 expatriates polled believe: Hungarian women are the best reason to live in Hungary." And most people really believe that Hungarian women are beautiful. I had known this before, but after coming home I realized that Hungary has actually started marketing this fact. I saw several commercials emphasizing the beauty of Hungarian women, and it is even part of the slogan and picture montage of our national image which circulates throughout the European Union. Well, we either do not have much more to be proud of or it must be so. Personally, I really hope for the latter.

Here is a link for an article written by an American expat about this in a rather entertaining style and from an Anglo-Saxon perspective.

www.syl.com/articles/notjustanywomenhungarianwomen.html

Budapest 2

Heroes Square is a millenial monument that was built in 1896 to commemorate the arrival of the Hungarians to the Carpathian Basin. The niches are decorated with the statues of kings, governors and other famous figures of Hungarian history. In the middle of the square is Archangel Gabriel, the symbol of the Roman Catholic religion.

Downtown Budapest. The building on the left is the Central European University. In the background is St Stephen's Basilica which is dedicated to Hungary's first king, St. Stephen. It is the largest church in Budapest. It accomodates about 8,500 people, and it has attractions like the Holy Right Hand (St. Stephen's mummified right hand).

View from the Buda Castle on the River Danube.

Hello Budapest!

The Buda Castle District is a UNESCO heritage site. This is where you can find the historical castle of the Hungarian kings , the Royal Palace, Matthias Coronation Church and other exiciting buildings. Some were built in the 13th century.

The Fisherman's Bastion got its name from the guild of fishermen which was responsible for defending this stretch of the city wall during the Middle Ages. It is a viewing terrace with lots of stairs and walking paths.

Kamilla standing in front of the bronze statue of St. Stephen I, the first Hungarian king. She loved the Buda castle, and said it was like being in a fairy tale. And you can actually go inside the palace not like in Disney World.

A stroll in town

Typically we go on a stroll a couple of times every day and always pass interesting things to see. This a high school in town with about 800 students. It belongs to the Fransiscan order and specializes in languages (German, English, Spanish, Latin and Italian).

You can come across a puppet show any time. Puppet shows here are never really just puppet shows but involve real characters and actors, clowns and musicians as well. They make children think in an abstract way and interpret stories in several dimensions. They are ususally very entertaining and suprisingly sophisticated. I am definitely a fan.

I used to tell Chris Shepherd that carrying a water bottle in cities in Europe is a definite sign of being a tourist and most of the time a foreigner. There are drinking fountains in different parts of the cities and they are at least as decorative as useful. This particular fountain was built around the turn of the century (not the 21st) and is made from world famous Zsolnay ceramics.

Barbed wire gone

Hungary celebrates the 20th anniversary of destroying the iron curtain. Twenty years of freedom. Check out the link.
www.newhorizonebooks.com/DLB11FallOfTheWall.pdf

Hungarian Dance House

Magyar táncház, Hungarian Dance house with the Transylavanian Üsztürü band. Hungarian friends, who knows what üsztürü means? Ask me, if you want to know.

Kamilla was the first one to go out. It took the Hungarian men some time to join all the ladies. Anyhow, Hungarian women obviously know how to entertain themselves. If you want to know more info about Hungarian dance houses, check my previous posting on 6/11.

Jazz lovers, attention

Three jazz concerts in three days. Awesome jazz in POTE. The best jazz musicians in Hungary playing with the Pécs symphonic orchestra. Here are the names: Szakcsi Lakatos Béla, (piano) Szakcsi Jr., (piano)Babos Gyula, (guitar) Barcza Horvath Jozsef, (double base) Balazs Elemer, (drums) Berki Tamas, (voice) and my favorite, Lantos Zoltán ( violin).

This formation is "Six For You". All of them are my friends. I used to sing with some of them. Miss that time. But I have to admit, that their singer is really good. Congrats!

Sunday brunch

Just a note to my friends in Rabun county: If you come visit me next summer in Hungary, this is the place, I will take you out for a Sunday brunch. I hope it will be at least as good as "Kountry Vittles". Fabulous food , great live music, and the interior.... (You can see Kamilla and my dad in the right corner of the picture.)

Night at the Museum 3

Kamilla is learning how to make money in the History of the Town museum. She managed to get several replicas of Celtic coins.

This is the Zsolnay Museum, where you can see the world famous porcelain made by a special technology invented by a Hungarian family (Zsolnay family). Finally I was able to purchase a ceramics medal made by this family. It is absolutely gorgeous.

Agnus Dei. This is the title of the fantastic transcendental event that took place beneath the cathedral in the crypt. It was inspired to celebrate the Year of Religious Culture (2009) and the milenium of the foundation of the Pecs Bishopric. It was a multimedia ( laser, video ,music) show . The audience gets in the middle of a changing light environment and becomes part of it. The picture world of the show is based on the symbols of Christianity. The forms of ancient Christian frescos and icons show through the thin cotton material that is hung around the walls. The musical montage of Gregorian melodies, Hungarian folk songs, and pieces of Liszt and Bach add to the special space that provides an unforgettable and undescribable worship experience. Ross, you would have loved it. By the way, your aura came up here during my worship.

Midsummer night in Hungary turns into a night at the museums. Between 6pm and 2am you can visit all the museums in town for 4 dollars and see special events, concerts or just walk around the museums and museum gardens. These were some of the highlights of our midsummer night.

The Mosque/ The Inner City Parish Church

above: Kamilla's baptism six years ago in the mosque (held by my brother, Kamilla's godfather). below: our wedding in the mosque exactly ten years ago.

The cupola in the Inner City Parish Church (Turkish Mosque)

Today the church serves three puposes. It is a working catholic church, a preserved muslim church and a tourist downtown attraction. As you can see it in the picture the alter is in the middle of the circular shaped church and the minister depending on which direction he turns, can address the congregation in a Christian setting or a muslim setting. Our wedding ceremony was in the muslim part and Kamilla's baptism was in the Christian half.

This is the main square in Pecs with the mosque in the background.

Perfect weather, zero humidity

I know I have not written for a while but we are out and about until late every night. I need this VERVE. I hope these pictures represent some of the pulsing atmosphere that characterizes Pécs. These photos were taken at 11pm. Food, drink and entertainment and of course people are everywhere.

Ashley, how is Pizza?

Hayden, how do you like our lawn mower?

A hike to Tettye

Tettye is peak in the Mecsek hills in Pecs. We can actually see it from our window. Bishop Szatmari built a renaissance palace there, today you can only see the ruins. It is actually a site for an open air theatre today. We are going to see a concert there ina couple of weeks, then I'll write more about it. I just realized that they had "Aida" ( the musical) play here a week before I arrived. That means that I missed it here and I will miss it in Franklin in July. Shoot!

It only takes a nice 20 minute walk up here from our home, I power walk or jog there most nights. Here are some of the views.