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!!
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!!
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