Last Night in Europe

Hi Again! Our hotel has WiFi so I'm sending one last short post. We left Florence this morning. Made it to the train station just before a light rain started...our 1st rain in Europe! The weather couldn't have cooperated any better while we've been here. Two hour train to Milan, switch to bus for the ride to Malpensa Airport (1 hour), our hotel shuttle picked us up at the airport (10 minutes to hotel). Last night in a beautiful hotel...our own balcony and there is a slight cool breeze. Perfect! We will get up at 4 AM (9 PM Sunday night LA time) and the hotel shuttle will take us back to the airport. Flight leaves at 7:55 AM. Arrive London time 9 AM. Kind of dreading the flight change at Heathrow. It is so huge and we have to take a bus to our departure terminal. Our flight doesn't leave until 12 noon, though, so we should be able to make it. Arrive Houston about 3 or 4 PM, go through customs, then re-board flight to New Orleans, arriving at 7 PM. 22 hours from the time we get up in the morning until we meet Mechelle and Scott at the airport!! Don't call me on Tuesday!! Ha!

Better get in bed!! See you all when we get home.

Firenze!! (Florence)

Pictures bottom to top: 4 of cemetary; 3 of gypsy camp; Raba River; Kitty's luncheon; Krizsta's Dad; Krizsta, Kitty and Sandor at Kitty's Confirmation

Before I tell you about our day in Florence, I'll finish up our stay in Rabapatona.

Deszo and his daughter took us to the Raba River and while there we spotted a gypsy camp nearby. I took a few pics of this for you to see. Gypsies have always fascinated and scared me because my mother used to talk about them. In fact, when I was being bad she would say "You act like a gypsy!" Deszo said that some of them are quite rich, but you'd never know it to look at them or the way they live!

Sunday, our last day with my family, was a wonderful day. We were up fairly early and, of course, had breakfast. It was very good...Erzsi cooked eggs for Wayne and he loved it! We did some packing, then dressed for the lunch, hosted by Sandor and Krizsta, in honor of Kitty's confirmation. It was held at a restaurant in Gyor. The food was delicious and plentiful!! For dessert, there were 2 cakes. One was decorated with marzipan and the other was in the shape of a cross. Everyone presented Kitty with gifts. Krizsta's Mom and Dad joined us for lunch, and we fell in love with them! Her Dad looked just like Mr. Jackson Brumfield! We now know where Krizsta gets her joking and craziness from! After lunch, we headed back to Erzsi's to change clothes and go to the church for Kitty's confirmation. The church was beautiful! Kitty was beautiful! She wore the cross necklace that Wayne and I had given her, and she told us later that the priest commented on how beautiful it was. Erzsi is Kitty's Godmother so she sat up front with Kitty, along with Sandor and Krizsta. We sat with Erzsebet, who patted and hugged us throughout the ceremony, and cried off and on. Timi was there to interpret for us. Big Easy, Tibor, and Andi sat behind us. Erzsebet kept getting on to Big Easy for talking!! She is so precious! The boys lovingly tease her a lot, but she is very serious and scolds them as if they were 6 year olds. Krizsta's parents sat with us also. The ceremony was pretty long and of course we couldn't understand a word (not sure if it was in Latin or Hungarian or a mix of both!!), but it was beautiful. I dropped off to sleep a couple of times...tired, big lunch, wine...I was hoping Erzsebet would think I was praying or meditating and not scold ME! Later, she told Erzsi that I was very reverent during the ceremony! Thank you God for protecting me from the wrath of Erzsebet! After the ceremony, we all said our goodbyes...not a pretty site! It was very sad for everyone to think that we probably won't see Erzsebet again, and probably not some of the others also. Erzsi says she won't fly. Maybe Sandor and Krizsta will come to the U.S., and maybe some of the younger ones. Big Easy says he is going to come on New Years so he can celebrate in Hungary, fly to America, and celebrate again!! They insisted on driving us to Sopron instead of us taking the train, so all except Erzsebet went to Sopron. Tibor and Andi left the church to take Erzsebet home, and when we passed her house, she was standing at her front gate waving to us. So sad for both Wayne and me!! We got to our hotel in Sopron about 9 PM. We didn't waste any time crashing. We were exhausted from our week in Rabapatona, both physically and emotionally. I'm sure Erzsi was exhausted too!

I forgot to post that we visited the cemetary in Rabapatona. After our visit, we felt pretty ashamed of our custom of taking flowers to the graves of our deceased family members on special occasions. The Hungarian people visit the cemetary at least every other day! It is almost a social gathering place. No silk flowers to be seen. All fresh flowers in vases, and some planted. Absolutely beautiful. Like visiting a flower shop. Erzsebet goes to the cemetary every other day. She pushes her bicycle with the basket full of flowers. They clean, water (there is a pump and watering cans every so often in the cemetary), arrange the fresh flowers, pray, and visit with the other people who are there doing the same thing. Their deceased are not embalmed the way ours are. They are buried in wooden caskets. After 25 years, another person can be buried in the same grave. Their name is added to the headstone. It was fascinating to hear about this custom, and I didn't want to keep asking too many questions, so I'm still not fully clear on some things about their funerals, etc. I believe the deceased is taken to a small building at the cemetary. The family visits the deceased maybe the next day. A ceremony is held in the chapel at the cemetary and at the gravesite. Dezso Szabo designed and was in charge of the building of the chapel, I believe. I'll try to post some pictures of the cemetary so you can see what I'm talking about. It was very confusing to try to write down names and dates of my family members buried in the cemetary. So many have the same name! I did my best, but didn't have time and was too confused to try to take pics for some of my genealogy friends in the U.S. You have to be there with someone who knows the family so they can show you which ones are your family members.

We have enjoyed Florence a lot. It was very relaxing, and we didn't rush around trying to see everything. We decided not to make the day trip to Pisa, Sienna and San G. We are just too tired. We visited the Duomo, which is, again, HUGE and beautiful. Probably one of the most beautiful we've seen in Europe. From there we walked to see the Medici Palace. Then we visited the Galleria Academia, where the statue of David is on display. AMAZING!! Sculted from one massive piece of marble when Michaelangelo was 29 years old. We sat and talked to 2 young girls who are in Europe studying art history. They were drawing the statue of David and were most impressive! We talked about how nudity in Michaelangelo's day was a sign of purity, not profanity. David is holding the sling and has a stone in his hand, but these are not meant to be the focus of the sculpture. The statue was sculpted to be placed on the top of a church, therefore the hands and head are large and a bit out of perspective with the rest of the body. but the people loved it so much they wanted it kept where it could be seen better, so it was never placed on the top of the church. They identified with the statue because the people of Florence were surrounded by enemies(Goliath in David's case) and through the help of God (which David had) and using their wisdom (as David did) they were not destroyed. The statue of David is the highlight of the gallery, but there are many other beautiful statues and paintings to see in the Academia. We really enjoyed this and stayed quite a while here.

There was a big market in one of the squares, so we browsed and bought a few more gifts. I even bought myself a cashmere scarf/shawl!! Hot or not, you see very few Italian women without some type of scarf either around their neck, shoulders, waist, or tied to their purse. Very fashionable!! We had a late lunch/early supper, and headed back to the hotel. I had to write down gifts bought for the last few days so I'll be ready for customs, and pack. We leave Florence around noon tomorrow, and will arrive in Milan about 2:30. From the train station in Milan we will take a bus to the airport. Our hotel is near the airport, and they will pick us up there. It will be early to bed because we will have to get up around 3:30-4 AM on Monday morning to head back to the airport for an early flight to London Heathrow (not looking forward to that flight change!) then on to Houston and customs before flying in to New Orleans around 7 PM (with the 7 hour time change). Mechelle and Scott will pick us up. I can hardly wait to see them (and everyone else when we get to Franklinton)!

This vacation has been absolutely wonderful! We are so blessed to be able to have done this. Seeing all these beautiful cities and countries, experiencing the people (even the rude ones!) and especially getting to meet and spend a short week with my family has truly been a dream come true, and something we will never forget!

This will probably be my last blog from Europe. Thanks to all that followed us. I will get the 2000 pictures printed ASAP and would love to share with everyone! Love you all, and see you soon.

Pictures from bottom to top: 1st 6 at Vatican City and Vatican Museums; Colloseum; Inside Colloseum; Beneath the old floor of Colloseum; Trevi Fountain; Tossing a coin for good luck; Wayne with the World Champion Barcelona Soccer Team members; Wayne's Birthday; Guards at American Embassy; Elevator at Martina House B&B; Part of our beautiful room; Entrance to Borghese Gardens down street from B&B; Via Veneto-Our B&B

Rome, glorious Rome!! The city built on 7 hills. And Wayne and I climbed everyone of them today!! But before I get into our day in Rome, a note to Mechelle about our train ride from Venice to Rome.
You would have freaked out!! Don Corleone was on the train with us!! I swear! At one of the stops between Venice and Rome, I got up to use the toilette. On my way back to my seat, an elderly gentleman (silk suit, gray hair, big nose, slow but not quite shuffling walk, slightly sagging eyes...you get the picture), his wife, I presume, who is beautifully coiffed and dressed (again, silk suit, pumps, silver hair, diamonds, white poodle with diamond/rhinestone? collar tucked under the woman's arms...you get the picture), and a body guard type (obviously Italian) get on the train. I am behind them as they enter a private compartment. “Don Corleone” begins talking to his bodyguard...I thought I would faint!! Gravelly, whisper-type voice, in Italian!! It's him!! You would have died right there!! I kept wanting to go back past their compartment to see if I could see him or hear him talking, but Daddy wouldn't let me...said I was going to get killed! :0)) I was so wishing you were with me!

Anyway, back to our day in Rome. We were up bright and early this morning. We had to meet our tour guide outside the Vatican Museums at 7:55 AM. Not knowing exactly where we were going, which Metro line to take or the stop to get off at, and wanting to get a little breakfast as our B&B doesn't serve breakfast 'til 8 AM, we left the hotel at 6:15. Yuck! Anyway, we made it in time to get coffee and croissant. Only 5 of us on the tour, and we had a great guide! The tour lasted for 4 hours (all inside the Vatican), and the only thing I was disappointed in was the fact that we couldn't take pictures in many of the rooms, and some we couldn't use flash. Daddy and I found this tour fascinating, though. Did you know that many of the painters of DaVinci's and Michaelangelo's time (pronounced Mick-o-angelo, in Italy, by the way) did not sign their work? Instead, they incorporated a hidden, self-portrait somewhere in their work. Interesting, especially if you've read the DaVinci Code!! St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel are absolutely amazing, and to have someone so knowledgeable about the history of the paintings was such a privilege! Altogether an amazing tour for both of us! Also, we didn't realize that the Pope is guarded by the Swiss Guard. Got some pictures of them in their “puffy” uniforms. Our guide told us that they know 400 ways to kill you!! She had a great sense of humor, but she didn't laugh when she told us that, so ??? maybe I better not mess with THEM! All kinds of interesting optical illusions in and around the Vatican that I'll have to remember to tell you when we get home. It was also interesting to think about being in the room (Sistine Chapel) where Conclave is held when a new Pope is elected. It took Michaelangelo 4 ½ years to paint the first scene on the ceiling (Noah and the ark). This was one of his first paintings, if not his first. Prior to that, he was a sculptor.

After we left the Vatican, we spent 2 hours lost trying to find Piazza Navona and the Pantheon. Never did find it! The problem is that the street names in Rome are not labeled, for the most part, and if you do find the street you're looking for, it only goes for 1 block, then dead ends. You either have to turn left or right (never sure which) and pick the street up again. Talk about 2 mice in a maze!! A hilly maze, at that! We gave up, caught a bus, and went to the colloseum. This was another one of my favorite sites of our vacation! Built in A.D. 80, it was the prototype for architectural arches. What brilliant people! The original floor is gone, so you can see down into the underground tunnels where the animals were kept. An animal would be lifted up by an elevator-type device and kept behind a “screen” before being let into the floor of the colloseum. The gladiators didn't know what they would be fighting until the last minute. A canvas awning could be drawn over the top of the arena...the first domed stadium!! All very interesting.
Thinking we were headed to the Roman Forum, we spent the next hour climbing a winding staircase/path that eventually lead to a small, simple church. Nothing else! But we weren't alone! We did get a glimpse of the old Palace from the staircase, though. It is pretty well hidden! We finally found the Forum, then caught the bus to Trevi Fountain. Enjoyed this a lot. The soccer team from Barcelona was there and we got some pictures with them. They won the International Championship here, last night. The city is filled with soccer teams! Almost forgot to mention that our hotel is just down Via Veneto from the U.S. Embassy. It is heavily guarded! Military and Italian police everywhere! We feel pretty safe! We were getting pretty tired after Trevi, so we walked back to the hotel, freshened up, and went out to dinner. Today is Wayne's birthday! I had the restaurant bring out a small cake (chocolate with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and hot fudge!) after dinner. They sang Happy Birthday to him, and he blew out his one candle. He was surprised! Rome...what a birthday present!!

We're off to Florence tomorrow. Will write more when get there. Missing everyone, and thanks for your comments. It means a lot for us to hear from all of you at home!
We've made it to Firenze (Florence) and just wanted to do a little update before sending this.
Joey, we met your uncle on the train from Rome!! Not really, but he could have been. Not sure what his last name was but it could have been Gagliano!! He was about 75 years old and his wife was with him. We shared a picnic lunch on the train! He insisted we have salami and home made bread! He had made the salami and his wife, the bread. Delicious! We shared almonds, crackers and cookies from Hungary, which he really liked. He only spoke a few words of English, but we managed to carry on a conversation the whole trip! They have 9 children. I think they might be Catholic! His wife gave me a medal of Pope Joannes XXIII(another name that I recognized from our Vatican tour, but I can't remember it) and we gave them a postcard from New Orleans and an American flag pin. He put the pin on his shirt and said, “Me Americano” He was a very jolly man, and we thoroughly enjoyed him!

Our hotel in Florence has A/C (YEA!!!) and free internet in the bar, so I am going down in a bit to send the updates from Venice and Rome. I forgot to finish the Sunday post in Rabapatona, but I will before leaving Florence, so I can post that, also.

We are going to do more relaxing in Florence as we are getting pretty tired. We will be able to give some good tips on traveling in Europe by train when we get home. We've heard that no one ever says they didn't pack enough when they come to Europe, and that is so true. We thought we were packing light, but if there is a next time, we'll bring half of what we brought. Rick Steves is absolutely correct on that!!
Later!

Venice, The Home of Some VERY Rude People!!

Pictures from bottom: Burano; Da Romano Restaurante; Inside Da Romano; My Risotto; These don't look like the sardines in a can!; Wayne's cat; Gondolier; St Mark's Basilica in St Mark's Square; Rialto Bridge in background; Gondola; Our ride; Venice across the lagoon from Lido;

We have arrived in Venice, the home of some very RUDE people!! It was so bad on Monday afternoon and evening, we almost decided to cancel our hotel reservation, call Rome to see if we could get a room, and leave without seeing one thing in Venice. If you ever come to Venice, have a good map, don't ask anyone anything, and bring some boxing gloves!! “Rude” doesn't fully describe the Venetians! This is the first time we've encountered this attitude in Europe, and it has really shocked, then infuriated me. One older man and I got into a “pushing contest” at a ticket window. I probably wouldn't have said anything to him, but I had already had 2 encounters and was really letting my “Lee” temper show by this time. The man literally pushed me out of the line and stepped up to the window!! Excuse me?? I don't think so! I pushed him out of line, and said , “Excuse me, but I was in this line.” He started telling me what a sweet person I was, in loud Italian words!! Ha! Of course his hands and arms were swinging and flinging about, too! Oh well, I got my dang ticket, and he got in the line behind me.
The vaporetto workers are also very rude. When we got off the train, we, along with about 200 other people, headed for Vaporetto Line 1 which would take us to the Lido where our hotel was located. This is where the Griswolds appear. We have our 2 suitcases full of Hungarian Wine, we each have a backpack full of stuff, we both have our C-Pap bags which now have more than C-Pap machines in them, we each have our mailbag pouches on, plus our passport holders around our necks, money belts around our waists (with various items other than money which makes us look about 6 months along), and I have a large tote bag on one shoulder. We squeeze onto the vaporetto, which probably is supposed to hold 100 people, with sweat pouring, and the vaporetto guy starts yelling at ME and pointing for me to move down some steps to the lower level!! I was able to make out something like “People up here! Not-uh luggage!” (Say it with an Italian accent and very loudly, and you'll get the picture!) He puts his hand on my shoulder and begins “directing” me to the lower level. Uh oh!! Not a good idea!! You have to understand, there was not 2 inches between all the people. We were like sardines in a can. I would have needed wings to move anywhere. All the local Italians are completely ignoring this scene, but the tourists have their mouths open and eyes rolling. I start acting like an Italian, and he turns and closes the vaporetto gate. End of story.

We finally arrive on the Lido, check into our hotel, and head for the island of Burano via vaporetto. Don't say “Buh- ron-o” or you will quickly and loudly be corrected! It is “Boo-ran-o” with a strong accent on the Boo. Got it! Won't make that mistake again!! This island is peaceful and quaint. The houses are all painted bright colors, 2 stories, old, with window boxes full of beautiful flowers and bright colored clothes hanging out the upstairs windows to dry!! I love it!! Matt and I had watched an Anthony Bourdain “No Reservations” episode on Venice, and he filmed in Burano. Matt, I found the restaurante, “Da Romano”!! I even had the fish broth rissotto they are so famous for, and it was great. Dad liked it a lot until I told him it was cooked in fish broth! He ordered baked, fresh sardines. Supposedly, artists in Venice found the hidden gem of Boo-ran-o and began going there to paint. Writers began retreating there, too. Da Romano was a hang-out for these artists and writers. Celebrities began hearing about it, and followed suit. Inside the restaurant are many paintings that starving artists gave the owner in exchange for a meal. There are also notes to the owner written by such people as Ernest Hemingway, Fedrico Fellini, etc. I took several pictures here. Oh, I almost forgot, the neighborhood cat really liked the sardines!!! By this time it is getting really late, and we are really tired. We re-board the vaporetta for the 1 hour ride back to Lido. When we pulled up to the dock on Lido, I asked the vaporetto worker if that was the only stop on Lido. He said, “Only stop. Lido.” and starts motioning for us to get off. It must have been the same vaporetto worker that I encountered earlier because we were the only people who got off, and after the vaporetto pulled away from the dock we realized that there were no lights except the street lights. No hotels, no cafes...no nothing except for Wayne and Jennifer!! We started walking. The Lido is shaped kind of like Florida, except on a smaller scale. If you can imagine standing on the beach in Pensacola and seeing lights on the beach in Tampa, you kind of have a picture of how we felt! Wayne was not a happy camper! I wasn't too bad at this point because I had been able to eat at Da Romano like Anthony Bourdain. I just kept saying, “It can't be much further.” and praying I was right! Several rest stops and about 2 miles later we see our hotel in the distance. Finally, we literally drag ourselves to our room. When we left the room earlier it was daylight, but now it is 11:00 PM. (Keep in mind that we woke up at 3:30 that morning to catch an early train because the Sopron to Venice ride is 9 hours.) We unlocked the room, put the key into a slot inside the door, which the bellman had told us would turn on the lights. OK, so how do we lock the dang door if the key is in the slot?? We take the key out of the slot and in about 3 seconds, the lights go out. Shit!! We can't find the key hole! We put the key back in the slot and the lights come on. OK, we just have to be a little faster this time. After 2 attempts we are cussing. After 4 attempts, we are laughing. After 6 attempts we have the door locked! This is about the time we both decide we need some rest. Shower, a glass of coke, Wayne gets in bed, I get organized for the next day, and I hop in bed. Dang, I'm really exhausted! So exhausted that I'm having a little trouble breathing. OK, it's not getting better, it's getting worse. OMG, I really overdid it! I lift my C-Pap mask so I can get some air. Wait, there's no air coming out of my mask. I turned the bedside lamp on...no lights! Where's that dang key?? Now, I'll agree with anybody that smoking is not good for you, but I sure was glad I had a cigarette lighter! Flick, flick, flick...got it!! Card in slot, wallah! Lights! Air coming out of C-Pap! Turn each lamp off and fall into bed. OMG! Did Wayne smother to death while the power was off?? Nope, one good shake and he rolls over. Thank you, God!

We slept in a little on Tuesday morning. Much needed! About noon we, reluctantly, decided to vaporetta back to Venice. Thank goodness we did! Unique, charming, fascinating! As with most of Europe, the architecture is amazing. Of course, the canals, boats (of all types and sizes), the bridges, the very narrow alleys, the shops and the people had the camera going constantly. We took a very interesting walking tour. I told Wayne I couldn't remember how long the tour was :0) He enjoyed it even though he started looking at his watch after about an hour and a half. At 2 ½ hours we boarded a gondola. (Now I'm safe!) The gondola ride was about 45 minutes, but it was so peaceful and relaxing that we missed about the last 10 minutes. Nothing like a little nap on a gondola!! After that, it was gellato time...yummy!! We walked a little, shopped a little, then headed back to the Lido. The vaporetta ride from Venice proper to Lido is about 40 – 50 minutes. We found a little cafe', sat outside, and had spaghetti for dinner. Delicious! A cup of coffee, a shower, and we slept like babies.

Again, my advice for visiting Venice...a good map and a good friend to tell you how to navigate! (That would be me!) Then you won't need the boxing gloves!
On to Rome on Wednesday.

Rabapatona Chapter 2

Starting from the bottom, the pictures are: Zoltan & girlfriend, Andi; Erzsebet; Wayne & Dezso Szabo; Terez Szabo; Dezso's family, Wayne, & Tibi in back corner; next 3 at Pannonhalma; J&W at Dezso's; Wayne & Tibor (Big Easy!); Kriszta, Sandor & Kitty; Erszi & Jennifer; Tibi, Wayne & Deszo(does he look like anyone in my family?)

Hi again! We're still on the train to Venice. When we got on in Wien Neuchstadt (just south of Vienna) this morning(Monday), we couldn't find a seat. We went from car to car (with 2 suitcases full of Hungarian wine!), and all the seats were reserved!! NO SEATS and a 7 ½ hour train ride!! We tried to get off the train (before we got escorted off!!) but we couldn't get the door to open! The train began to pull out of the station so we thought, 'Oh well, guess they will kick us off at the next stop!' So we stood in the bicycle area, between cars, with all of our luggage. Thank goodness, no one had brought a bike along for the trip to Venice! The hotel in Sopron had graciously packed us a picnic breakfast of ham, cheese, bread, fruit and orange juice, which we ate with our noses glued to the train door windows amazed at the beautiful scenery! Our own private car...it was wonderful! We got to meet all the other people who were going from car to car searching for seats!! Eventually, we sat down on empty 2-gallon zip-lock bags I had in my purse, and made ourselves comfortable. We met one very nice young man from Udine, Italy. He had been to Graz, Hungary to see his girlfriend who is a kindergarten teacher there. He joined us in our “private car”. Later, he found the 3 of us seats, as people began to get off the train, and we enjoyed talking to him until he got off at Udine. The Griswolds not only survived, it turned out to be a very enjoyable train ride!

Anyway, back to our stay with my family. On Tuesday, Erzsi and Sandor, along with Timi, took us to the Herend Porcelain factory, the oldest still operating, I believe. We toured the exhibit of old Herend pieces first. Some of the pieces are very old, and they're very beautiful. Then we were able to view the process used in making a piece of Herend Porcelain. Even Wayne was amazed! Herend items are very expensive, but I splurged, and bought myself a small pin! From Herend we were off to Tihany, a small village in a hilly/mountainous region north of Lake Balaton, a natural lake and called the “Hungarian Sea”. Tihany is full of small shops selling authentic Hungarian items and souvenirs. I was able to buy a few gifts in Tihany. It is also home to the Paprika House. I've never seen so many dried peppers!! I have pictures I will try to post if I ever get an internet connection!! Next we went to Lake Balaton, a beautiful resort-type area. The lake is a natural lake, and the water is as cold as our creeks at home. There are sandy beaches, but I believe these are man-made. Many Hungarians go to Lake Balaton in the summer, much like we go to Biloxi, Gulf Shores or Florida. After leaving Lake Balaton, Sandor took us to a small, privately owned wine cellar. The owner was very patient with us, and we tasted several different wines. We were able to see his cellar and casks and bottles of wine lining the walls. Believe me, this is not like visiting the Gallo Winery! We bought a few bottles to bring home for gifts. Before we left home, I read an article in Travel & Leisure magazine about Hungarian wines being a hidden treasure which people around the world are discovering. I don't know if they will ever be widely marketed because they do not mass produce them, believing quality is much more important than quantity. I have never particularly cared for wine, but I found a wine, in Hungary, that was delicious! It is a Tokaj #3. I'm bringing back 2 small bottles for myself, and I MIGHT give you a taste, if you're very lucky! After leaving the wine cellar, we stopped to eat at a wonderful restaurant on our way home.
On Wednesday, Josef and Isabella Szabo (Josef is another cousin) had us in their home. Their two daughters and 2 grandchildren, along with Josef's Mother and brother, were there. They cooked another wonderful meal for us! We enjoyed sitting out on the terrace (what we call a patio) and playing with the grandchildren. One is about Kate's age and the other, about Allie's age. It was good to be with children! We are missing our babies!! Brody, we know you are not a baby, but we miss you too!!

Thursday was a very busy day! Erzsi, Anett, Wayne and I arrived at the Rabapatona City Hall at 8:45 AM to meet Mayor Kalman Jutasi. His Admin. Assist. was there, and served us refreshments. Wayne presented Mayor Jutasi with a key to the Town of Franklinton, a framed certificate, a Town of Franklinton and a U.S.A. lapel pin, an American Flag and information about Franklinton and Washington Parish...the Fair, D.A. Varnado Store Museum, Mile Branch Settlement. Mayor Jutasi presented Wayne with gifts, also. From City Hall, we walked to the Elementary School, where the director of schools took us on a tour of the school. The oldest part is where my grandparents went to school! Erzsi works for the school system as a dietician. We visited her office, and met her collegues. They treated us to chocolate covered strawberries that were sweet and delicious! We also met some of the elementary children who were precious. We saw Christoph, one of Josef and Isabella Szabo's grandsons. He ran right up when he saw us, and wrapped his arms around Wayne's legs! The church is where my grandparents would have attended, and, possibly, where they were married. The museum was a lot like our Varnado Store Museum. We saw traditional Hungarian clothing, cooking implements, furniture, etc. The lady who opened the museum for us, presented us with a book, published in the 1970s, about Rabapatona. I will really enjoy reading this when I get home! While walking from the museum back to City Hall, someone pointed out a HUGE nest on the top of a pole about as tall as the peak of our roof, at home. In the nest was a STORK!! That was my first time to see a real stork. I didn't see a baby in the nest so I don't guess the stork had any to deliver that day!! We returned to City Hall, where 2 gentlemen from the newspaper in Gyor were waiting to interview us! They wanted to know the story of my Hungarian ancestors and how I found my family. They also wrote about Wayne and Mayor Jutasi exchanging gifts of goodwill. They were very nice, and also took pictures of us. They said they would email me the picture/s. By this time it was noon. We left City Hall, and stopped by the home of Andrea (Andi) and her parents. Andi is Zoltan's girlfriend, and is just precious! She is a hairdresser, manicurist and masseuse, and has her salon on the bottom floor of their home. We met her Mom, had refreshments, then headed for Erzsi's. After lunch, Wayne and I began to prepare dinner, which we cooked for the family. The BBQ sauce I had shipped survived the trip so we were in business! We prepared BBQ Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, and Cabbage Salad. I also managed to squeeze a jar of Tabasco Hot Pepper Jelly into my suitcase, so we had that over cream cheese with snack crackers (which were difficult to find...no Wheat Thins, Ritz, etc. in Hungary). After everyone ate dinner, which they seemed to thoroughly enjoy!, I made Begniets (Sp.?) with Andi's help. Oh, I almost forgot, Andi and Zoltan had asked if we would show them how to prepare fried shrimp. They have rather small shrimp in their market, but never knew how to prepare them. I had taken a Southern Living magazine with me, and Andi saw a shrimp po-boy in it, and asked if we could make the shrimp like that. They bought the shrimp (about $15 for about 2 kg/1 lb.). When they got home, the shrimp had already been boiled. They had a slightly sweet taste with no taste of seasoning like our boiled shrimp. Wayne peeled them, and Andi and I fried them, even though I explained that we normally use raw shrimp when frying. Everyone was holding their noses, and shaking their heads “No”, but when we finished, they all tasted, and most liked them. Andi and Zoltan liked them a lot, I think. The meal seemed to be a success, as there was very little left when everyone was finished.

We are beginning to feel a little like Willie Nelson...always “on the road again”!! Ha! Friday morning we were up bright and early. Erzsi, Sandor, Timi, and Wayne and I went to Pannonhalma. This is a beautiful, peaceful Monastery/Basilica/Boys School located on the top of a high mountain. You can see it from just outside Rabapatona, but it is several miles from there. This is one of my favorite places we've visited. Absolutely beautiful architecture, stained glass, landscaping, etc. I took many pictures here, and hope I can frame some of them. We had a guide who explained the history of the Monastery, which was very interesting. The Monks of Pannonhalma produce a wine that is sold to support the Monastery. The Boys School is very prestigous and expensive, which helps to support the Monastery, also. Education was the “mission” of this order of monks. Sandor took us to his home in Gyor where his wife, Kriszta, had prepared lunch. OMG, this lady can cook!! She said she cooks when she is mad at Sandor, and that she cooks a lot!! She is hilarious! When you get Kriszta and Tibor (“Big Easy”) together, you have got a regular comedy routine!! The meal was delicious! And, of course, about 5 courses! We thought we would burst, then she brings out dessert! I am not joking when I tell you she had at least 6 desserts. All were Hungarian pastries that she had prepared herself that morning! She must have been real mad!! They were all so delicious that you had to try each one. Even Wayne, who is not much of a sweet eater, about killed himself. We just kept thinking, 'please let us go home so we can get these clothes off and take a nap!' From Sandor and Kriszta's, we went to the post office. We were tired of lugging all the unnecessary things we brought from home from train to hotel to train, plus we had received and bought so many gifts, that we decided to mail some of it home. Two boxes later, we were no better off than when we started, because you can't mail alcohol, so we now each have the maximum amount of alcohol you can pack in your checked luggage...5 liters!! Oh well, we could be carrying all the things in those 2 packages we mailed, along with the wine! Now we are thinking it is time to head home to relax. Not happening! We have to stop at another cousin's house, who lives in Gyor. They want to meet us! We arrive at their home, out comes the wine, schnaaps, beer, etc. Everyone toasts, and my cousin, Irenke, begins bringing out the food! Dear Lord! Our mantra to ourselves is now, 'you cannot be rude, you cannot be rude,...' We smiled, and complimented Irenke on the delicious food, which it was! When we got into the car to head back to Rabapatona, we told Erszi we would kill her if she offered us another bite that day! Irenke and her husband (I'm so sorry, but I can't remember his name right now) have a lovely home. Woodworking is his hobby, and his craftmanship is evident throughout their home. Before leaving their home, their son, Attila, drove over to meet us. He was very nice.

It's Saturday morning, and, you guessed it, we are up bright and early again. My cousin, Deszo and Terez, want us to spend the day with them. What a treat that turned out to be! Deszo has a large, outdoor oven. He put Wayne to work helping him prepare the fire and cooking 3 large pork roasts. They had bought a hog and butchered it themselves the day before!! Hungarians are very self-sufficient people! Meanwhile, Terez has me in the kitchen learning to make Kolaches!! My favorite Hungarian pastry from when I was a child!! I have pictures of every step in the process, and I promise you it IS a process! I'll have to practice this several times before I can make them for anyone at home! I'm running back and forth from the kitchen to the outdoor oven because that is interesting to watch, too. Terez has a big pot of soup on the stove, is preparing a salad, and to be honest I can't remember what else...oh, yes, a krumpli (potato)casserole to go into the outdoor oven, all done while she is waiting for the kolaches to rise! When everything is under control, Deszo, Wayne and I sit down to go over the family tree information that each of us has to share. Believe it or not, I was able to fill in some pieces of the family puzzle for him (info Candace Cole had sent me from the Rabapatona Church Records she had ordered from the Latter Day Saints Library in Salt Lake City. Deszo was not aware of this source of info. Of course, he was able to give me much more info than I gave him. He has a very old framed map of Hungary in his office (he's a semi-retired architect), and he showed us the changes in the boundary of Hungary over many years and many wars/revolutions. Very interesting! We went to see the new home their daughter is building...beautiful! And the property that their son will build on one day. Then he took us on an excursion in his SUV to see the land outside Rabapatona that some members of my family own. They plant trees on this land so that they will always have wood for the winter. Hard-working AND self-sufficient people!! They are also very creative and artistic! The day was wonderful and the food was ready and delicious when we got back to Deszo's and Terez's house. Tibi was our interpretor at Deszo's, and he was so patient and kind. We are glad that we got to spend the day with him because he interpreted for Steve Varro when he visited Rabapatona in September, and Steve had told us how nice he is. You were right, again, Steve!

Sunday...on my next post. We left Venice this morning, and are now in Rome! Finding internet access seems to be getting more difficult. Couldn't conveniently find it in Venice or Rabapatona, and we've walked for 3 hours to find in Rome. Whenever I can, I will try to catch up on my posts. Thanks for being patient!!