Hello From Rabapatona!!

Pictures from bottom to top: Wayne,Jen,Mayor & Erzsi; Wayne presenting Key to City to Mayor; Lunch at Erzsebet's; Erzsebet's-back of house & barn; Erzsebet's-grape arbor; Erzsebet's house; Josef & Isabella Szabo; Wayne, Timi, Kitty, Sandor, & Andi; Herend; Lake Balaton; Wine cellar; Paprika House; Stork; School Children; Eating BBQ-Anett Takacs in front.

Hi Everyone! I'm sorry I haven't posted in several days. We have been super busy! We are having a wonderful time with my family!!! They are so sweet and hospitable! They also have a wonderful sense of humor. I don't know when we have laughed so much. On Monday, Erszi (pronounced Air Zhee), Sandor (pronounced Shandor), Sandor's wife, Kriszta, his daughter, Kitty, and the neighbor who is interpreting for us, Timi, (a wonderful, young lady!) met us at our hotel in Gyor. After Erszi and I had a good cry, we walked for a while in a beautiful pedestrian neighborhood, stopped for coffee, then left for Rabapatona. We got to Erszi's home, which is lovely, and unloaded our luggage from the car, then we all went to Erszebet's, Erszi's mother's, home. This is the home of my grandmother, but newer parts have been added. Everyone's homes and yards are VERY neat and clean!! Beautiful flowers in everyone”s yards. Everyone has a beautiful vegetable garden. Flowers are in the vegetable gardens also. Fruit trees are everywhere. Cherries are ripe and delicious! If you sit on their patio, they put clean beautiful tablecloth, fresh flowers, fresh cushions on the chairs, and ALWAYS bring out the wine (several kinds), peach, pear, etc,schnaaps (sp?), cola (coke), lemon-lime cola, bread, sausages, cheeses, cookies, etc. and this is right after a meal!!! We are constantly eating! (and drinking)! All seem to have chickens and other animals, except Erzsi. Most of the houses are 2 stories. None have A/C, but have such thick walls (brick with stucco on the outside and about 12”(sometimes up to 3 ft.) thick) that they are very cool on the inside. They look new, but most are very old. They are very well-maintained inside and out, and are very nicely decorated. Erszebet (Mrs. Nagy) had a wonderful meal prepared for us when we arrived: Fried chicken(delicious!!), Hungarian noodles, chicken soup, tomato/Hungarian peppers/onions and cucumber salad and a delicious cake, and of course, Hungarian Wine! They take a large drumstick, split the meat down one side, and open it so it is flat. Sometimes the bone is left in the middle and sometimes it is removed. The chicken is covered with flour, dipped in a mixture of water, egg and flour, then covered with plain bread crumbs before frying. Yummy!! She and I had a couple of good cries! She is so sweet and precious. I took tons of pictures!

From Erszebet's home, we went to Erzsi's. Anett Takacs (a young lady...one of the first from Rabapatona that communicated with me via email)and her parents met us there. They took us back to Gyor to see an art exhibit of a Hungarian, Mukascy(Sp.?) who went to America, began painting, then came back to Hungary. We walked to look at a cathedral (called a basilica in Hungary) and stopped to get delicious ice cream!

We arrived back at Erszi's, and people began arriving to meet us. About 20 people came, and all brought gifts! Chocolates, wine, paprika, wine, traditional Hungarian items, wine...!!!. Small village...everyone knows the Americans have arrived!! We sat on the upstairs patio, and the women started to bring out the food! All kinds of breads, salami, sausage, cheeses, cookies, cake from Erszebet's. Wayne and I couldn't believe it! After a while I asked Timi where Kriszta was, and she said, “She is preparing the pancakes.” OMG!! She came out with a platter stacked high with Hungarian Pancakes...they are like crepes and are stuffed with different fillings. I went for the chocolate filled, of course! There were others stuffed with different cheeses, cabbage, apricot jam, etc. Erszi gave us gifts, also. Beautiful Hungarian embroidered tablecloth, a wonderful book of Hungary that is in English & Hungarian, a cookbook in both languages, fresh ground paprika, etc.. She also had gifts for our family at home...Brody, Allie, Kate, Mechelle & Scott, Matt, Mitch, and Rebekah. After everyone stuffed themselves again, I brought out the gifts we had brought for them, my pictures, genealogy documents, etc. We brought New Orleans T-Shirts for Erzsi's sons, and Tibor, a pretty large guy, happened to get the one that had “The Big Easy” on it. After that first night, everyone called him “Big Easy”. He also would point to himself and say things like “G I Joe” and “Don Carleone”. He is always joking...a very funny guy who made everyone laugh when he was around. He got along great with Wayne!! Erzsi's younger son, Zoltan, is precious. He has a baby face, is kind of quiet, but smiles all of the time. He looks and acts so much like my nephew, Ellis, (Kenny's son) who lives in Canada! It was a very fun night with lots of laughing and just enjoying being together. Timi was EXHAUSTED by the end of the night from translating both directions for so many people. She is such a sweetheart! She lives next door to Erzsi, and says that Erszi is like a second Mother to her. We noticed trees with colorful ribbons tied all over them, in the front of many houses, and asked about them. It is a May Day tradition that boys do this in the yard of the girl they love, on May 1st. They stay up for 2 weeks and then are taken down. Some of these trees are 30 feet tall! Some also have an envelope, with a note for the girl inside, tied to the top of the tree. She can read it when the 2 weeks is over.

In Rabapatona, they still have things delivered to their houses like bread, milk, vegetables, gas and ice cream. All of these small delivery trucks have a special chime or music, so that people will hear it, know what is being delivered, and can go out to buy what they need. The bread truck has all kinds of fresh baked breads, cookies and cakes. The gas truck has small cylinders like we use for our crawfish pots. Their stoves/ovens run off this gas. Everyone has a cellar and a huge attic. Most have wine, fruits and vegetables stored in the cellar, and the attic is used for storage. The houses are heated with coal and/or wood furnaces in the cellar. A few use gas or electricity for heating. Many people walk or ride bicycles. But most, if not all, have small cars, also. We have seen very few SUVs and pick-up trucks.

It is hard to believe the meals here! Each is 4 courses! Breakfast consists of espresso, cold sausages (several kinds), large pieces of smoked bacon (about 3” square. They don't fry...it looks raw!), soft boiled eggs, and several kinds of bread in big “chunks”. Then comes several kinds of sweet rolls..cinnamon, fruit-filled, and kiflis. Next comes yogurt (which is thinner consistency than ours), and fresh fruit...cherries, apples, oranges, bananas, etc. For lunch and supper they first serve soup (which is a meal in itself). Then a salad is served, usually tomatoes, onions and cucumbers or pickles (kind of like our bread & butter pickles) with a vinegar-type dressing, but slightly sweet. Next comes sausages, various cheeses, various breads, goose liver pate', etc. Now we are getting to the entree...a meat (usually several kinds), rice, always potatoes (krumpli), fried mushrooms, etc. For dessert, you may be served one very rich or several not quite so rich items with coffee, espresso or capachino. Most drink carbonated water (they say, “with gas”) and/or wine with their meal. Mostly the men drink schnapps chased with a beer, unless they are driving. Some drink wine. The first several meals, we thought we were having soup for our dinner, and couldn't believe the food just kept coming. The soup would be like a meal for us...meat, potatoes, vegetables, dumplings!! I thought surely I would gain 10 pounds while in Hungary, but I have LOST weight!! (All the walking, I guess).

It would take pages to tell you about the people of Rabapatona. Families are very close and family members love each other very much. They also are very close to their neighbors. Everyone shares what they have, grow, make etc. Most Hungarians love to talk! They are somewhat like the Italian families we know in America. The women love to cook!! You don't hear of much divorce, at least in Rabapatona. We were told several times that the Hungarian wife is the “boss” of the family, but she lets the husband feel that he is!!(He knows who's boss, though!)Ha! They remind me of Wayne and me. Always joking around. Hungarians show their feelings a lot. Very emotional people. Brothers hug each other when they come home in the evening. Even the sons of Erzsi (in their early 20's)cried when we arrived and when we left. The men who are related to me, cried when we would meet. And hug, and hug, and hug. Everyone in the town visits in each others homes. In an afternoon, 2,3, or 4 families will stop by, sit on the patio and visit, have a glass of wine or a beer, stay for an hour or so, then leave. I thought it might be because we were there, which it was for some, but this is not an unusual custom.

Erzsi's 2 sons, are wonderful young men. They are very sweet to their Mother! She doesn't ask them to do anything, but they anticipate what needs to be done, from the smallest to the largest chore, and do it. We met several very sweet young people, who seem to be the same way.
I am going to close this for now. I will write more about day-to-day itinerary ASAP. I am sitting on the floor on the train from Sopron (pronounced Sho-pron) to Venice, as I write this. The Griswolds are back! Will explain later!!

Hello To Our Friends & Family in Hungary!!

Hello to all of the many friends we have made in Hungary! On the trains and in the cities and villages we have visited, the people of your country have been so friendly and warm and welcoming to us. We have been privileged to visit Hungary, and meet so many wonderful people. Your country is beautiful, and offers many interesting and historic sites for the traveler to enjoy, from the magnificent basilicas and palaces to the smallest parks, museums, and vineyards. With all of the many sites to see, we believe that your people are your greatest asset, and the reason travelers should visit your country. I am very proud to say that Hungary is the country of my ancestors!

We send a special hello to the citizens of Rabapatona and our Nagy family! What a wonderful week we have spent with you! Mrs. Sandor (Erzsebet) Nagy, Mrs. Tibor (Erzsi) Varga and sons, Tibor and Zoltan, and Mr. and Mrs. Sandor Nagy and daughter, Kitty, we can never thank you enough for everything you have done for us. Your hospitality was much more than the wonderful food you prepared, the beautiful accommodations we called home for a week, and the many places you took us to visit. The sharing of your hearts was overwhelming for us. We love you so very much and miss you terribly, already. Finding and being able to know you was more than I ever thought possible, but finding such a wonderful, caring and loving family is a dream come true. We love you, and we will never forget you.

To the other members of our Nagy family, Josef and Isabella Szabo and daughters; Deszo and Terez Szabo and children; Irenka and husband and son, who welcomed us into your homes, prepared meals for us, took us to such interesting places and made our week so special, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Deszo and Terez even taught us how to prepare traditional Hungarian food! Also, thanks to Deszo for sharing his genealogy information and a brief history of Hungary with us and to Josef and Isabella for sharing their grandchildren with us. We love all of you.

To the three young people who gave of their time to interpret for us while we were in Rabapatona, the words “Thank You” are not adequate to express our feelings. You made it possible for us to know our family, and that is a gift we will never be able to return. Not only did you give us your time, but also, your love, and we fell in love with each of you. Timi, Anett, and Tibi...THANK YOU!!!

Thank you to Anett's parents, Mr. And Mrs. Takacs, for taking us to Gyor to view the wonderful Mukocsy (spelling?) Art Exhibit, and the delicious ice cream!

To the Mayor of Rabapatona, Jutasi Kalman, and his staff, thank you for the honor you bestowed upon us. Your welcome and hospitality meant so much. Thank you for giving your time to accompany us to the school, the church and the museum...places I have waited so many years to see. Some of them, places that were part of my grandparent's lives when they were children and young adults in Rabapatona. I will be forever grateful. Thank you to the director of schools and the ladies who gave their time to open the church and museum for us. Thank you to the Kisalfold Newspaper personnel, who came to Rabapatona to interview us, and who wrote such a wonderful article about my search for my family and Wayne's presentation of the key to our city of Franklinton, LA to Mayor Kalman.

To everyone who honored us with gifts, “Thank You”! We are taking home so many wonderful treasures from Rabapatona and Hungary, but the best will be our memories of you!! We love you all, and welcome each of you to visit us in our home.

Please forgive me if I incorrectly spelled names or left anyone out. There were so many wonderful people who did so many wonderful things for us, that I am afraid I may have omitted someone. If I did, please forgive me. All of my journal notes were packaged and mailed to the U.S., so I don't have them to refer to.

Hungary At Last!

We made it to Budapest on Sat. Got lost walking to the hotel...it must have been eviction day cause there was EVERYTHING you can imagine on the sides of the streets. Sandi, you would have loved it!! Furniture, picture frames, leftover pizza, doors, beds, coins...come to think of it, we may have been in a gypsy neighborhood. We must have walked 20-25 blocks at least! And it was hot. The guy at the Best Western by the train station gave us the directions to our hotel. Maybe he was mad cause we weren't staying there!! When we made it, our hotel was the nicest we've stayed in since arriving in Europe! Best food so far was in Vienna.

Today we took a car tour with guide. She was wonderful! So many beautiful places and so much interesting information. (I only have 2 hours internet tonight so this will be short). One of most interesting stories was about Gellert Hill. Gellert was brought to Hungary to convert people to Christianity. The King didn't like this so he had Gellert placed in a barrel. Nails were driven into the barrel, and it was rolled down the hill, which is very high, into the Danube River. Poor Gellert!

We saw the Chain Bridge, the former buiding of the Nazi Secret Police, which had pictures inlaid in the outer walls, of the Jews they killed. It is now a holocaust museum. We also saw the 2nd largest Jewish Synagogue in the world...the largest is in New York City. St. Mathias Church and the Castle where kings lived is on Castle Hill in Buda, and overlooks whole city of Pest. The 2 cities are divided by the Danube River. Much more to tell, but no time. Beautiful city!!!

We ate lunch at wonderful restaurant on Castle Hill with our guide, then she took us to the train station. We watched out our window as some guy ran along side the train trying to get on. Wayne laughed!!

We are now in Gyor. Walked a bit this afternoon. Much smaller than Budapest, but very pretty. Lots of parks and green spaces. Went to Casino Gyor for about 30 minutes just to see what it was like. Tiny! Different! Lost!

My family will be here at 11 am tomorrow to pick us up!! Can hardly wait! Better get some sleep. Thanks to everyone who is commenting. It is so good to hear from home! Love to everyone!

Vienna

Today we have walked, and walked, and walked! We pretty well covered the 1st District (Inner City) of Vienna. I wish I had brought a pedometer! But all the walking was worth it. We started out walking up Mariahilfergasse, the longest street in Vienna. I left my camera battery charger plugged into the wall at our hotel in Salzburg, so our 1st stop was an electronics store to buy a new one. So if anyone ever needs one, I have one with a European plug! Mariahilfergasse is THE shopping street in Vienna. It was fun just looking at all the styles of clothes, beautiful jewelry, etc. There was a street market, too, and you know we had to take a few minutes to look! Stopped at a bank and got more Euros, then finally came to “the ring”.
When we crossed this street, it was like stepping into a different place and time. People dressed in period costumes (don't ask what period, cause I'm not sure, but reminded me of our Revolutionary War period.) Hofburg Palace was the first thing we saw. It is HUGE! I had to take 5 pictures in succession to get it all in. Heroes Square is in front of the Palace. From there, we went into the Lipizzaner Museum and then to the stables to see the horses. Quite impressive! Next was the Dorotheum that I told you about yesterday. I have to be honest and say this is not my idea of a flea market/pawn shop!! It was just down the street from Sotheby's if that tells you anything! I looked at a beautiful bowl and the price was 1900 Euros (about $2500). After that I quit looking at prices and just enjoyed browsing. Maybe this is one of the places that the high end American antique shops come to buy??? Fun to look, anyway.
Next stop was St. Stephen's Cathedral. They are in the process of cleaning the exterior, so scaffolding was around part of it, but it is an absolutely beautiful church, and, again, HUGE!! The pipes of the organ are probably 2 stories or more high. There is a cathedral across from our hotel. When we first arrived, we thought it was St. Stephen's because it is large and beautiful. You could probably put 10-20 of that one into St. Stephen's. As we walked away from St. Stephen's, we saw a crowd of people in the square looking down into something. We walked up and looked down into a cobblestone staircase and cobblestone street that kind of made a circle as it went down. We eavesdropped on the tour guide, and learned that this was part of the old city of Vienna. At some point, and not sure what the reason was, they built a new city above the old one. I,ll have to do some research on that because the new one is plenty old. Can't imagine how old the “old” one is!
We had to be back at the hotel for our tour at 3 pm, so we started walking back that way. We passed the State Opera House (not too impressive, in comparison to everything else we'd seen), then I spotted the Sacher (pronounced “socker” in Austria) Hotel. This is the ONLY place you can get the ORIGINAL Sacher Torte. The story is interesting...supposedly, the Emperor of Austria in the 1600's had his personal chef come up with the recipe. The chef later left the royal family, and opened his own cafe'. He began serving Sacher Torte, and the Emperor didn't like it one little bit. So the Emperor sued the chef. The law suit continued until about 1992!! (I'll have to ask one of our attorney friends if this is the longest law suit in history! :0) Anyway, a deal was cut, and the chef's descendants (and many others) were able to continue making and selling Sacher Torte, BUT, the Sacher Hotel is the only place that it can be called the “ORIGINAL” Sacher Torte. We didn't have time to stop to sample it, but our tour guide in Milan (who told us this story) told us that she had thought about becoming a pastry chef, and had sampled many Sacher Tortes, and she thought the “original” was a tad better because it is more moist than others.
We were so tired, we caught the metro back to our hotel, freshened up, and left for the Vienna Boy's Choir performance at 3 pm. It began at 4 and was over at 5:45. We “dressed up” a little for this, but believe me, it wasn't necessary. I think you would only need to “dress” if you were attending a night performance of the opera or something similar. The Musikverein, where the concert was held, was not overly impressive from the outside, but the inside was very beautiful. It is not an enormous hall, so our seats were very good. The only thing that kind of ruined it was that the place was hot as hades!! Everyone was pretty miserable that was sitting around us. I got up at intermission...just had to go outside to get some cool air. This is where the Griswold's enter. When I tried to go back in, they had locked the door. I thought, 'This must be a little bit like Wayne felt standing outside the train! I knocked on the door, and a lady let me back in, but I had to show her my ticket. Guess where the tickets were...in Wayne's pocket. Thank goodness I had a program, and she let me in, but she didn't seem too pleased with me. It did me no good to go out to cool off, because by this time I'm sweating again. I quickly went up the staircase before she changed her mind. The dang stairs just kept going and going and going! I thought it seemed a lot higher than when we first went in, but I figured I was just tired from the heat. When I FINALLY got to the top, I was in a box seat with people who had definitely NOT arrived with a tour group!! Sweat was literally dripping off my face, running down my back (and several other places), and I thought I was going to faint!! Going back DOWN was even bad! My legs were shaking and I thought I was going to collapse on the staircase! I had to go all the way back to the foyer, and ask “Miss Personality” how to get to my seat. She wanted to see my ticket!! OMG!! When I explained that I was with a tour group, she pointed to another staircase. At that point, I'm praying that Wayne had started to worry, and would come DOWN the stairs looking for me! Didn't happen. So I held onto the banister and pulled myself up, stopping on each step to catch my breath. The black velveteen scarf that felt so nice and warm when I left the hotel, has now been removed. When I made it to the first landing, I went in the restroom (toilette, over here) and, after splashing my face with cool water, removed the silk long-johns. Thank God they fit in my purse! The knee-hi's came off next. Now, I think I'm ready to climb the rest of Mt. Everest. I made it to the right level (mezzanine maybe??), but had to wait to enter between numbers. My legs were shaking so bad I didn't think I'd be able to stand much longer. I finally made it to my seat and collapsed. My legs shook for the rest of the performance. I'd have paid 20 Euros for just 1 cold coke with lots of ice (they don't serve ice unless you ask for it and bottled/canned drinks are lukewarm, yuck)!! I dozed off shortly after that, but Wayne told me later that I wasn't the only one. When it was over, I said 3 words, “Find a taxi!” Oh, I almost forgot to tell you that the Vienna Boy's Choir (and the Vienna Symphony-they did part of the program) was wonderful!
We went to the hotel restaurant for dinner, and, as last night, it was delicious! I did get a slice of “non-original” Sacher Torte for dessert, with whipped cream and strawberries! It was wonderfully rich, but I didn't care. I deserved it!!
We've seen strawberries everywhere in Europe, and they are really good and sweet. I've been forgetting to tell you that if you ever come to Europe and you or your children can't do without McDonald's, either bring it with you or plan to pay the price. One burger/fries/drink combo will set you back about 14 Euros...around $20!!! They also have plenty of Burger Kings and today we saw a KFC, but haven't been in to check the prices.
We are off to Budapest, Hungary tomorrow. We leave at 11:50 am, and it is a 3 hour ride. Only 2 more days before I meet my family!! See you in Hungary. Love you all.

Salzburg to Vienna

The Griswolds have made it to Vienna! The train ride from Salzburg was pretty uneventful, except... Wayne hopped off the train at a stop, to smoke. After just a minute, the doors closed and wouldn't open. He was punching every button he could find without success. About 50 yards down the track, the train personnel were hanging out of the train yelling to him, “ON THE TRAIN, ON THE TRAIN!!!” Now he is in a panic!! He said, “I was banging on that S.O.B. so hard the whole side of the car probably has dents in it. I beat the shit out of that door!” Finally some traveler inside opened the door. He was white when he got back to our seat. I laughed til I cried!! After a minute, he said, “No money, no glasses. I would've been in a mess. I would've had to get a little bucket and dance on a street corner.” I told him if he ever got left, to wait there and I would get off at the next stop, and come back for him. If I get left, he should go to our destination, get off and wait for me. I'd take the next train and meet him there. He looked at me and said, “Hell, I don't know where I'm going!”

Lots of big farms between Salzburg and Vienna. Not much scenery other than that. Cold and light rain in Vienna. Pulled out our hooded raincoats, and walked to our hotel, which is about 4 blocks from the station. Very nice hotel. Got checked in and called to reconfirm our Vienna Boys Choir tickets for tomorrow night. They will pick us up at the hotel at 3 pm and take us to the Muzikverein, where the performance will be. So we have the clocks set for 6:30, will have breakfast at hotel (free), then walk and sightsee on our own. Hopefully it won't be raining. There is a Fleming Hotel down the street, so we're going to check that out.

There are 23 districts in Vienna. District 1 is encircled by the Ringstrasse, which follows the old town walls. The Ringstrasse is called by different names as you move around the “ring”. Our hotel is just outside the ring, in district 7. Most of what we will see is in district 1. We will cross the Burgring to see the Burggartens, State Opera House, Spanish Riding School (founded in 1572, it is the oldest and last Riding School in the world where classic dressage is still practiced, and is the home of the famous Lipizzaner horses.) These horses are black when born, then turn white when mature, St. Stephen's Cathedral (built in 1147 AD and is the heart of Vienna), and the Hofburg Palace (Vienna's Imperial Palace).

At some point, we are going to the Dorotheum, the world's largest pawnshop!! Supposedly, it is a shopper's paradise, and is so large people have gotten lost and have been roaming around it's rooms since the reign of Napoleon :0) Why didn't I bring Kate's leash?? :0)

More later. Miss everyone, especially the grandchildren! Wish all of you could be here. We are having so much fun!!

Salzburg, Austria

Hello from Salzburg, home of Mozart! Our train ride on Tuesday, from Luzern to Salzburg, was very interesting! We met a lady, Inge Ginsberg-Kruger, who boarded the train in Zurich. She was on her way to Vienna, and started talking to us. She is originally from Vienna, but now lives in New York City. As we came through a small town, can't remember the name right now, she pointed to this snow-covered mountain, and said this is where her Mother, brother, her fiance' and her escaped to freedom. They were in Vienna for 4 years under Hitler's rule. They were able to get false papers, and ride the train to this small town. From there they crossed this mountain on foot. (See Picture Above). She was 20, her mother 40, her brother 22. They made it into Switzerland, and later went to America. She was very emotional at the sight of this place where they crossed to freedom. She said they were running for their lives & that makes you do what you think is impossible. She is a lecturer and writer. Has published books in German, but is now negotiating a contract with Hollywood for a movie. Her books/lectures are about her experiences. Her website is Inge-Ginsberg@juno.com. She said I could google Inge Ginsberg. She told us if we are ever in NY to call her, and she would show us her city! She lives across from Met. Opera at One Lincoln Plaza.

We arrived in Salzburg, took taxi to our hotel, Weisse Taube, a family owned & run, small hotel in the Old City of Salzburg. Doris and Helmut Wollner and their son, Bernhardt are the owners, and have been so nice and helpful. Salzburg is, again, beautiful!! Much of the architecture of the Old City dates to 600 and later. It was founded by an order of monks. We've seen Mozart's birthplace, Hellbrun Palace (on a hill just outside our hotel window!), the Mirabell Gardens (in the new city) and on and on! Today we took The Sound of Music Tour, which was wonderful! Even went into mountains to see St. Michael's Church, in Mondsee, where the wedding scenes from S of M were filmed. Went to Mrs. Brown's for Apple Strudel with ice cream and hot cream sauce! Yum!

Last night we went to Zur Goldenen Ente (The Golden Duck) for dinner. Wayne had Gebratene Thunfischwurfel auf Tagliatelle mit Barlauch und Spargelspitzen, in other words, Grilled Tuna with noodles, bear's garlic and asparagus (14.20 Euros). I had Wiener Schnitzel vom Schwein, oder Pute, in Butterschmalz gebacken mit Petersilienerdapfel und Preiselbeeren, in other word, Battered and Fried Pork with Parslied Potatoes and Fresh Cranberry Sauce (10.90 Euros). Dessert was Topfenstrudel mit Schlogobers or Sweet Cheese Strudel with Whipped Cream. Every thing was DELICIOUS except the tune, which was in small cubes, dry, and tough. Wayne's beer was Pilsner Urquell vom Fass .5 liters, and you only had to order one! :0)

We are eating good! But I think all the walking is about evening things out!! (Hopefully).

Tomorrow we are on the train to Vienna. Hopefully I am kinda caught up on my blog, and can try to get some pictures downloaded once we get to Vienna.

Catching Up on Blog!

Hey Everyone! If you got my email, you know that my computer has been down since Sunday. Went to McDonalds in Luzern to use internet (hotel didn't have) and got connected, then computer just shut down...went black! I didn't know what to do. Was disappointed b/c we were connecting to call Wayne's Mom for Mother's Day. Any way, it was too late to find computer help, and we had Mt. Pilatus Tour next morning, so yesterday afternoon I asked hotel/pub manager if he knew where I could get it checked. He took me outside and a friend of his was a computer guy so he fixed it for me. He said it shutdown b/c I had used the electrical converter and it didn't need it. Thank goodness I didn't totally ruin it! Anyway, 2 beers later my computer was fixed. I was so happy I wanted to cry.



So, on with the blog. Luzern was absolutely wonderful!!! Beautiful!!!! Our hotel, Mr. Pickwick Hotel and Pub, was right on Lake Luzern in the Old City. No cars, just pedestrians. Cobblestone streets, window boxes full of flowers, etc. We had a balcony off our 2nd floor room looking out to the lake. Violinists and accordion players, outdoor pub tables, swans swimming in the lake, the Castle Bridge, a cathedral on the side of Mt. Pilatus, and the snow-covered mountain was our pleasure as we sat on the balcony. Eat your hearts out! :0) Monday we took the Mt. Pilatus Tour. Started with a boat ride around Lake Luzern. Met young couple from Cleveland, Ohio, Susan & Matt Blackburn. Matt's cousin lives in SLIDELL! His brother is in Budapest helping train the Hungarian troops to prepare them for Afghanistan. They were also on the train from Luzern to Zurich, changed trains with us and on to Salzburg today. After the beautiful, serene boat trip, we boarded the cog-wheel train in Alpnachstadt for the ride up 7000 ft. to Pilatus. COLD up there! Wayne and I walked almost to the top, but when the steps disappeared, we figured it was time for us to turn around. Besides, the air was getting pretty thin up there! As we were walking back to the visitor's center, we spotted 3 mountain climbers coming straight up the side of the mountain towards us. It was exciting to stand there and watch them maneuver their way up. When they climbed over the guard rail, we applauded. They had climbed from Luzern, and you could tell they were very proud of their accomplishment!! We ate a light lunch at the top of Pilatus, then headed down via

What a Wonderful Life...I mean DAY!!!

Buon Giorno! This day has just been awesome! We had light breakfast at the hotel (free:0)), then we started walking along Via Vittor Pisani, a beautiful but busy boulevard. We took the Republica Metro to the Duomo, 3rd largest Duomo in Europe and absolutely beautiful inside and out. They were having a Mother's Day celebration in the piazza. Instead of a cake walk, they had a flower walk, but only children could participate, and won potted flowers for their Mothers! The children were so excited, and the music was wonderful. After that we walked along Via Dante to the Castello Sforzesco...unbelievable castle at the old city walls of Milan. I even got to cool my feet in the fountain! Don't worry, I told no one I was from Franklinton. We saw the end of a beautiful wedding at the castle, also! We ate lunch at Cafe' Mercanti. I had Panini Vienna (Ham, Brie & Mozzarello) and Wayne had Panini Praga (Smoked Ham, Mushrooms & Mozzarello) both on "to die for" bread! Wayne loved it! Beautiful outdoor restaurante. We met our tour at 2:30 (7:30 LA time). Two highlights were LaScala Opera House and the Santa Maria Delle Grazie Church where we saw Da Vinci's "The Last Supper". I was under the impression that the painting had been restored except for a very small portion, but I asked and our guide reassured us that the only restoration was cleaning of the painting. Da Vinci painted it on a stucco type wall, not canvas, which deteriorates much much faster than canvas, so they are very particular about humidity...4 doors to enter, light, # of people per day, and only 15 minute viewing per group. The church was almost totally destroyed during a bombing in 1943, so it's a miracle the painting survived! Our guide was very, very good throughout the entire tour! She reminded me of Mary Burns. Wayne keeps saying what a good time he had today. In fact, he said, "It will be hard to top today." Can hardly wait for our next adventure in Switzerland! I am so glad that he obviously enjoyed Milan. He's even loving the food, and he didn't even seem to get nervous when we got lost TWICE on the metro!!! But, at least, no one "pocket picked" us today! At 2 AM (LA time) we will be boarding our 1st train to Luzern. If we get on the wrong train, he might begin to get a little nervous!



HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRODY!! Sorry we couldn't be there for your 11th B'day, but hope you had a great day!



Sandi and Mechelle, it was so-o-o good to read your comments! Grazie!! Keep them coming whenever you have time. All these months I've felt like I was talking to myself!! :0)



I hope all you Moms have a wonderful day tomorrow! Arrivederci!

I don't know why, but I am not able to upload my pics. It's something to do with internet connection. I hope when we get to Luzern I can upload.

Hello From Milan, Italy!

We made it! Had a great trip...very uneventful flights, weather great. Arrived here 8 AM. All day we've looked at our watches and said, "Dang, they're still asleep at home". Strange! We were tired, especially Wayne. He didn't sleep much on the plane. I slept great, so I'm not as tired. We checked in at hotel, then walked around this area. Beautiful piazzas, tons of pigeons and couples that probably would be arrested for public display of affection at home! :0). The train station, Stazione Centrale, is actually beautiful. It is one of the oldest, if not THE oldest train station still used in Europe. We found a sidewalk cafe' and stopped to rest and have some "refreshments". The young waiters were a hoot! One is from Egypt, Hany (pronounced honey), and the other from Naples, Italy, Omar. They flirted with every girl that passed, and some of the girls didn't like it too much! (See picture of them with Wayne). We also met a couple from Australia that were very nice.



We learned our lesson first day in Europe, though. Wayne's mail pouch bag was stolen! These are some slick characters in Italy! He had taken it off while we were eating pizza at the sidewalk cafe' (you can see where we were sitting in one of the pics). It was on the ground next to his feet. A guy walked up on one side of our table and started asking us questions about the metro, and while he was jabbering and we were shrugging our shoulders and trying to make him understand that we didn't know what he was saying, his "partner", who the Aussies told us was bent down like he was working on the car at the curb by our table, must have grabbed the bag and was gone. We were very upset when we discovered it was gone because we thought Wayne's passport, driver's license, credit & ATM cards, and $500 US for emergencies was in it. Luckily, when we arrived at our hotel this morning, I took all of this and transferred it to his money belt!! So all they got was tylenol, chapstick, handwipes, a disposable rain poncho and some travel toilet paper!! :0) The only thing they got that was rather important were Wayne's prescription glasses for distance, so he may not be able to see some of the sights as well as he could with them. But we certainly consider ourselves lucky...it could have been much worse! Even though we had been warned numerous times about the "pocket pickers", as Brody calls them, we just aren't mentally ready for this type of theft. They were having a market in the piazza near the cafe', and we were able to buy another mail pouch bag for 5 euros so not too much harm done.



Our hotel is fine...clean and the A/C works, and they have free WiFi, so we're good for now. Highlights of Milan Tour tomorrow and get to see DaVinci's "The Last Supper", which we are very excited about! Got to get in bed! A little jet lag catching up with me. Wayne's already sacked out! More later.

Sorry, for some reason I'm not able to attach photos. I'll try again tomorrow.

FINALLY!!!

Last post from home! Everything is packed except the toothbrushes! I hate to admit it, but I had to move to plan B...Just could NOT get everything in the 21" roll-aboards, (even when I sat on them) so I unzipped the expandable sides, and we'll be checking these 2 bags. Hopefully, when we get to Europe and use some toothpaste the bags will get lighter! :0) We may have to mail some stuff home from Europe! Do they let you mail wine???

So we're up at 4 AM (OMG, that's only 4 1/2 hours away!), to New Orleans for sevenish, and flight leaves tenish. I can't believe the planning is over, and our vacation is FINALLY here!!

We want to thank Mechelle and Scott. Without their surprise, we wouldn't be taking this "dream come true" vacation. Our Christmas gift from them, in 2007, was 2 airline tickets to Europe! When they found out that we had to spend a large chunk of our "Dream Trip" savings to "buy back" my past teaching years with the state, they knew that our trip would have to be delayed, if not forgotten entirely. That's when we made our vacation savings a priority, and I started planning. Their gift gave us back our dream and the opportunity for me to meet my family after 30 years of searching for them. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

The planning has been awesome. I've loved every minute of it. But now I'm READY TO GO!
Thanks to all of our friends and family for supporting us and reading my ramblings on this blog. We'll see you in Europe!!!

Doin' Great!!

Just wanted to let everyone know that the hip pain is gone. Yea!!! What a miracle! Still going to take those gellato breaks, though! Thanks for all the prayers.



Well, we are definitely in countdown mode. I can hardly believe it! Everything is just about done. I will be checking train schedules tomorrow and printing out our detailed itinerary. Also have to call the credit card companies for a second time to be sure they have documented that we will be using cards in Europe. On Monday, I'll print out our boarding passes, and that should finish things up!

There are a lot of things going on in Franklinton while we're gone. We're sorry we will miss Allie's Kindergarten Graduation, Brody's Birthday, Mother's Day with Wayne's Mom, several bridal showers, at least one wedding, Little League and Girl's Softball games for Brody and Allie, and the Burger King Day for Adrianna Cavanaugh. It's just a very busy time for everyone! We were so glad to get wonderful news from Adrianna today. Her tumor has shrunk to half it's size and her scan was great!!! Surgery is scheduled at Sloan Kettering in New York for July 7th!!! It is wonderful to leave town knowing that she is doing so good. We are going to try to make it out to Mike & Betty Gill's place for the Fun Day Fundraiser this Sunday, and we'll be back in plenty of time for the Dinner & Silent Auction for Adrianna.

FIVE MORE DAYS !!!!

ESI is a Done Deal!

OK, I had the ESI this morning. Got home about 11:30, and everything is fine so far. It will probably be a day or two before I know if it makes a difference in the hip pain. I figure I've done all I can do, and now I just have to deal with whatever! I'm not worried about it, especially since I am only in pain when I walk for a distance. I'll just have to take lots of gellato, cappucino, and wine breaks, if necessary!!

I tried the Skype out last night, and it worked perfectly! The sound was clear as a bell. Of course, I was calling a local cell phone, but I hope it will be the same from Europe. I also purchased an Online # with area code 985, so the kids can call us for free from their landline or mobile phone.. The whole package, Unlimited World and Online # with free voice mail and instant messaging, cost $48.90 for a 3 month subscription. One month would have been cheaper, but I wanted a few days to use it before we leave. That's about as cheap as you'll find unless you have some type phone that I'm not familiar with. I do have to be online to get calls from home, but they can leave me a VM and I can call them back. I figure I'll be doing most of the calling since they won't know when I'm online, and because of the 7 hour time difference. We will be 7 hours later than LA.

7 MORE DAYS!!!!

ESI In The Morning!

I am able to walk a little farther since my 2nd hip injection, but I will be having the epidural steroid injection tomorrow morning at 10 am, so keep me in your prayers. (Both that the procedure goes well and that I get relief from the hip pain.)

We have more new followers! Our niece, Amy Branch; our nephew, Ellis & Tracy Lee; and our neighbor, Connie McDaniel. That makes 18!! So glad that all of you will be with us on our trip!

I ended up ordering Skype instead of Yahoo Voice. Pretty much everyone says the call quality is much better with Skype. Haven't tried it out, yet, but plan to do that before we leave. That will have to be soon with only 8 MORE DAYS left!

Update!!

Well, the MRI was, essentially, normal. Brett gave me 2 choices...inject the hip again or go ahead and have the epidural steroid injection. Of course, you know how women operate :0)...I asked him if I could have the hip injection soon, and if the pain is no better in a week or so, have the epidural. He agreed, so I was off to Hammond at 10 AM this morning, and he injected the hip. I, tentatively, have an appointment for the epidural on Wednesday of next week, if necessary. Brett wanted me to have that at least a week before leaving on our vacation. So whatever will be will be...we're off to Europe in 13 days!!!

Maybe the thermal baths that Hungary is noted for will help the old hip! Guess I better throw the bathing suits in if they'll fit in the suitcase. I've reconfirmed all of our hotel reservations. I've finished the itinerary, unless there are last minute changes to the train schedules. I think the last major thing I have to do is decide on (and order) either Skype or Yahoo Voice so that we can call home via the notebook computer. I'll probably go with the Yahoo Voice since I'm kinda familiar with that. Maybe I'll get that done later tonight. Everything else has to wait until closer to departure.

A Real Pain in the Butt!!! :o)

I haven't mentioned it in my posts, but about 2 weeks ago I went to see Brett Chiasson, an orthopaedic surgeon and Mitch's friend, in Hammond. I've been having some hip pain for the past 2-3 years, but only when I walk for a distance. Actually, I don't remember having the problem when we went to Disney 2 summers ago, but now that I'm thinking about it, I did have an episode while in Epcot. My left foot and leg became numb. It really scared me, at the time, because I thought I was having a CVA (stroke). I quickly sat down, and Scott began massaging my leg, and after a while everything was back to normal. Anyway, the pain in my left hip has been worse so x-rays were done, Brett injected the hip with cortisone and started me on a non-steroidal anti- inflammatory, Mobic. He thought, after hearing my description of the pain, that possibly we were dealing with bursitis. After 1 week, the hip was no better, so he started me on a medrol dose-pack. I completed that...still with no change, so he has scheduled me to have an MRI of the lumbar spine on Monday, thinking more along the lines of a "back problem". If the MRI reveals something, like a bulging disc or a spur causing pressure on a nerve, etc., hopefully, I will be able to have an epidural injection to relieve the pain and not be bothered with it on vacation. Of course, we would have to look at some type of long-term treatment after vacation is over. So, at this point, I don't know whether to hope that they find something or not!!

We'll know more around Wednesday. Until then, please add me to your prayer list. With prayers, my faith, and God's faithfulness, I know everything will be ok. I'll update when I know more.

Budapest Tour

Budapest Half-Day Tour:
View to Buda from Pest, River Danube, Chain Bridge,
Parliament, Kossuth Square, Andrassy Avenue, Heroes'
Square, View to Pest from the Citadel on Gellert Hill, Castle
District (Fishermen's Bastion and Matthias Church).

We have made arrangements with Judit Novoba'czky, a private tour guide in Budapest, to take her half-day tour. We will be in Budapest such a short time, we decided this would be the best way to see the highlights of this beautiful city. Judit will meet us at our hotel at 9 AM on Sunday, May 17th. We will tour, then have lunch at a local Hungarian restaurant. She will take us to Keleti Station in time for us to board our train to Gyor at 3 PM. We will spend one night in Gyor, and our family will pick us up at our hotel in Gyor at noon on May 18th!!

This weekend I will be doing some serious packing!! We've got to see if everything is going to fit. If not, it's on to "Plan B". After re-reading the Transportation Security Administration (www.tsa.gov) "What To Know Before You Go" update, I discovered that "...greater than 3 oz. of the following liquids, gels and aerosols are permitted...for the duration of your itinerary... separated from your allowed quart size bag...and presented to a Security Officer and at the x-ray inspection.: All prescription and over-the-counter medications (liquids, gels and aerosols) including petroleum jelly, eye drops and saline solution for medical purposes." So, I have a little breathing room with the quart size bag! AND I'm not so worried about the distilled water for our C-Paps. I'd really like to take enough for our first night so we don't have to immediately search for distilled water when we get to Milan. But, if we can't, oh well, good old bottled water will have to do for one night!!

Someone sent me an email the other night, "45 Lessons Life Taught Me", and they were all worth reading. But one really sums up my year of planning for this vacation! "Over prepare, then go with the flow." And that's exactly what I plan to do!! Just 19 more days, and the planning is over!!!

Easter E-Mail From Erszi

Wayne's Daddy, Milton Fleming

The "older" kids hiding eggs!

Nephew, Al Branch, wearing hat Allie made for her Easter Parade at school!!

(Use your imagination...Allie had eaten half the "peeps" off the hat!)

I wanted to let you know that I received an email from Erszi, and she did get my package! It is safe at her house, and there was NO customs fee!!! WooHoo!!

I've posted a few pics taken Easter Sunday at Wayne's Mom & Dad's...trying out something that our great-nephew, Taylor Branch, taught me. Thanks, Taylor!

We now have 14 "followers" on our blog!! Rebekah Bankston is our newest follower. Jeanne Kaye and Kenzie Burris are also following. Thanks, to all of you!

Happy Birthday to our April birthdays...Mitch, Al, Amy and Sean!!

Nagy Family Dinner

Just had to try to post this picture of Erszi and Kitty! I'm not sure who the lady on the right is. Could that be FRIED CHICKEN in the center of the table?? Looks Jo' !!! Wayne may survive after all!

My Hungarian Family

Erszi's younger son, Zoltan, & Girlfriend; Erszi's older son, Tibor

Erszi's Home, where we will stay

Erszi, Kitty, Mrs. Nagy

I can hardly believe how the time has passed since I started this blog! I started at 66 days and counting, and here I am at 25 days!!

I am still reading on the internet about the places we will be visiting, the customs of each country,etc. Grandaughter, Allie, and I are learning some Hungarian words. I am totally amazed that a 5 year old can absorb a new language like she does. I wish she could go with us! I wish Brody could go, also, because he has always been interested in history, and I know he would be amazed at the sights of Europe. Allie has asked, on 3 occasions, when I was going to give her the "map" of her family so she and her Mom and Dad could fill in the names (Family Tree Chart). So, I finally printed her a copy yesterday. I filled in some of it, with her help, to get her started. Of course, her Dad will have to help her with his side of the "tree". He's probably going to just LOVE his mother-in-law for that one!!

I've been going back and reading the emails I've received from my Hungarian family, over the past year, and I decided to add some of the pictures they've sent me, to our blog. Now you can put a face with the names I've been mentioning in my posts! Well, some faces, anyway... some of my emailed pics were not clear enough after I posted them, so I had to delete them from the blog. (Sorry Sanyi and Krisztina!). Also, each time I add a picture I never know where it's going to appear! :0) Sometimes I can move them around, and sometimes, not. Obviously, I still need to learn some things about posting pics to my blog. So if my blog pics are EVERYWHERE on my posts from Europe, don't be surprised!

I'm not sure, but I think my package has arrived at Erszi's home. Sometimes it is hard for me to understand the emails from Hungary because their sentence structure is different than ours, and we use words, in translation, that end up meaning different things than we intended. In Erszi's email, she says, "We have got your package on Monday, 6th of April 2009. We have not paid for it. We see you in our home gladly without gifts too." I hope she means they received the package, there was no customs fee, and we would have been welcome without sending gifts. I have emailed her back and asked specifically where the package is located, but haven't heard from her yet. Keep your fingers crossed!!

Here are a few more lines from Erszi's email, just to give you an idea of what I mean:

I hope that you will have a perpetual experience.

I hope that we can spend the time with you meaty and rich of programs.

I hope also that you will find our dishes fine because I think the Hungarian kitchen is very good.

From the looks of one of the pictures I wasn't able to post, we won't be losing any weight while we are in Rabapatona!! Evidently, the family was having a dinner, and the table was beautiful and full! Tablecloth, real plates (not paper like our house!), real wine and water glasses (not styrofoam like our house!), and platters full of all kinds of food!! Wayne and I are definitely going to have to watch our manners!! Allie and I have learned the word for "good"...Jo' (pronounced Yo), but I can't find a word for "yummy"!! Guess we can just rub our tummies and smile.

Happy Easter to everyone! We will be at Wayne's Mom & Dad's for Easter dinner and egg hunt. I'm sure we will have a very full and delicious table there, also, but it will be paper plates and styrofoam cups!! We are such "lazy Americans" in some ways!! But certainly not in all ways!

"The Package"

I finally got "the package" mailed today! Hooray!! That was a necessary "chore" that I am glad is done. In case you've never had to do it, it is very expensive to mail something to Europe! I researched every way I could find to send the package, but ended up mailing it through the postal service. UPS wanted $350.00, Fed-Ex about the same. I found another company called International Shipping, but I could never reach them by phone, and in a week they had not answered my email, so thought I better leave that one alone! Their internet quote was $175. I wanted to go with a company because they let you "reverse" the customs duty, and I didn't want my family to have to pay that. But the post office told me, today, that there should not be any customs charges because I was shipping gifts. We'll see!! USPS was $92. The package was 12 x 12 x 6 inches and weighed 12 lbs.!! I did send it Express Mail which is a little more expensive. USPS says 5-6 business days, but that's just to get it to the 1st point in Europe. I'm saying a little prayer and keeping my fingers crossed that it arrives at Erzsi's before we do, on May 17th!! I've read some cases where packages took several months to arrive from U.S. to Europe.
Again, we'll see.

The package contained copies of family genealogy records; photos of my ancestors, our children/grandchildren, our house, Divernon, Illinois, New Orleans sites, and Franklinton ...the Courthouse, City Hall, Mile Branch, the Fair Grounds, Churches, etc.; a few of my family's favorite recipes; U.S. Flags and Flag Pins; Mardi Gras beads; decks of cards-some with LSU logo and some with LA facts; Tabasco; Beignet mix; BBQ sauce (I read that Europeans love it and it's not readily available to them?); 1 lb. of Community New Orleans Blend Coffee (which they will have to share with us!); a map of Franklinton; and the individual gifts for each of my family members. Yes, I had to sit on the box to get it taped closed!! Hope the BBQ sauce & Tabasco survived!

I had a big smile on my face when I crossed "Mail package to Hungary" off my "To Do List"!! Only 9 things left on the list, if I can manage not to add anything else :-)!

Exciting E-Mail Received!

I received an e-mail from another family member last night! His (I think?) name is Dezso Szabo. He is 58 years old, lives in Rabapatona, and has invited us to spend a day with his family while we are in Rabapatona. His father (Jozsef Szabo)'s mother, Erzsebet Nagy, was my grandmother Julianna's sister. He goes on to say that I have a lot of relatives on this branch of the family tree. It seems that he is also a "genealogist" as he has many names and dates, some back to the 1700's! The earliest record he has is a birth certificate from 1715. Another expense item to add to our vacation budget...money to copy documents!! :0)

The Hungarian names get pretty confusing because they seem to use the same first names over and over from each generation to the next generation. Many times, mother and daughter will have the same first name!

Wayne and I went to Michigan in 1984. My mother's family moved to Detroit, from Divernon, Illinois, in 1925. My grandparents, and now, both of my aunts are buried there, in Woodmere Cemetary. In 1984, 2 years after my mother passed away, we went to visit my only living aunt, Olga, and my only cousin, Debbie. They took us to the "old neighborhood" of Delray, which was mostly a Hungarian community. We visited Szabo's Meat Market. It was a corner grocery where all the Hungarians shopped. I remember eating delicious Hungarian sausage that my aunt bought from Szabo's. There was an article in their local newspaper about Szabo's, and, of course, being the "pack-rat" that I am, I bought a copy. I will be taking a copy of that to Hungary for my new Szabo family members!

So...interesting things continue to develop for our vacation!! And the days are really ticking away!! Also, our list of "followers" on our blog has grown, and I'm so excited!!

Weekend in New Orleans

Wayne and I were in New Orleans for the weekend. We took lots of pictures to take on our trip. I'm hoping the pics will entice our Hungarian family to visit us!! I also got postcards to share with people we meet along the way, in Europe, and a few more gifts for my family. It's hard to choose what to give when you haven't met someone, but I hope they will like what we bring. I did find some small bags of beignet mix that I'll take. I knew I couldn't fit the box in my luggage! I printed out the pics tonight, so I guess I'm ready to pack everything in a box and see if I can afford to send it by mail or UPS. If I have to pack it all in our carry-on, we truly will be wearing the same thing everyday! By the way, we had a great weekend! The weather was beautiful! We probably walked 3 - 4 miles on Saturday. Getting in shape for the vacation!! We sure were tired when we finally made it back to our hotel, though. I'm definitely going to have to have my hip injected before we leave for Europe! Yuck! Oh well, there are advantages and disadvantages to getting old!

Copying, Copying...

Grandmother

Julianna Nagy Kaloczi - 1949

Grandfather
Frank Kaloczi - circa 1930

Mother
Christine Kaloczi Lee - 1946

I'm STILL busy copying things to take on our trip. I've been printing old pics of my grandmother, grandfather (unfortunately, I have only 1 of him), mother, etc. Maybe my Hungarian family will have old photos that I can copy while I'm there. I've also printed out recent pics of my family to give to my Hungarian family. I've copied old documents for my family, also. My grandfather's naturalization and citizenship papers; Hungarian church records that Candace Papai Cole, a wonderful online genealogy friend, sent me; my grandfather's WWI military registration; etc.

Wayne and I made a trip to Divernon, Illinois, in February of 2007. This is the small town that my mother and her 2 sisters were born in. Many Hungarian families, from Rabapatona, settled there after coming to the U.S. We took pictures of the headstones of many with Hungarian names such as Molnar, Takacs, Nagy, Varga, Papai, etc. I know there are families with these surnames still living in Rabapatona so I'm taking pics with us in hopes that someone will treasure them.

When I look at our "Countdown" clock, I am amazed! Only 49 more days!! That seems so close! My list of "things to do" is getting shorter, but I'm ready for it to be completed. Of course there are some things like confirming airline reservations and printing boarding passes, printing last minute train schedules and confirming with all hotels that can't be done too much in advance.

I am going to try to post pics of my grandparents and my mother. We'll see how that comes out!

I'm Connected!!

I am sitting at PJ's Coffee in Covington as I write this. I had no problem connecting to wireless internet, and it's free. You'll never stop me now!! Later...

My Blog Followers

I am so excited that my 3 children and several of our friends have signed in as followers!! Every time someone new signs on, it's like getting a Christmas present! Some of my Hungarian family members have also signed on! Thanks Sanyi, Krizsta and Kitti! Sarah, thanks for your help concerning the wireless notebook connections.

I'm actually going to Baton Rouge tomorrow, and I'm taking my notebook with me. Thought I'd find a wifi spot and try it out. We'll see how that works. Also considering a Skype account which, I think, would let me talk and see my family/friends who have microphone and camera on their computer. Still checking that out. There's another plan called "callineurope" that sounds promising. You rent a phone from them, keep your same cell phone #, and the international rates are really reasonable. Let me know if you know anything about either of these.

I spent almost all day copying documents, and I'm still not finished! I copied our passports, credit cards, ATM cards, flight information, tour tickets, travel insurance documents, medical insurance cards, eurail pass tickets, driver's license and birth certificates. Still have to copy our hotel reservations and final itinerary details. Can anyone think of anything I'm forgetting? I made copies for Mechelle to keep here so that she could fax to us if needed and a back-up copy to hide in our luggage. I have all the originals in a folder that I will keep in my possession until we get to Europe. Then I will keep the real important stuff, like passport, D.L., credit & ATM cards, etc. in my mail-bag style purse that I will take everywhere with me. Wayne will also carry a mail-bag "man purse". The first one who teases him about that is going to be in BIG trouble from me!! Let me know if you have better ideas or precautions about all this.

I also called Continental and British Airways AGAIN today, and FINALLY got to talk to a person! I am relieved because both said that our C-pap won't be counted as one of our 2 acceptable carry-ons! Yea!! That means we can take our 21" roll-aboard, our "purses" and our C-pap as carry-ons, and we won't have to worry about lost luggage or go through checking and claiming baggage. That is really a huge relief for me!

So-o-o, I'm getting some things organized, and feeling a little less nervous!

Everything Is Booked!

Flights, hotels, tours, tickets, Eurail Passes...everything is booked! Passports are in hand! Whew!! I got my new Samsung NC10 notebook computer in the mail yesterday, and so far I 'm liking it. Almost a full keyboard, so very easy to type. Thanks for letting me know about this, Ivy! The only thing I have to figure out, now, is how to connect to wireless network! Since we don't have many internet cafes' in Franklinton...hard to "practice"? Matt tells me I can buy a router that will pick up my home connection as a wireless. Mechelle mentioned a card you can buy that enables wireless connection from "anywhere", but I'm wondering if this has something to do with a mobile phone? OK, I need help here. Ivy, Steve, Brenda, Sarah and #person (Mechelle, and yes she is a blonde :o) thanks for becoming followers on our blog. Maybe some of you can enlighten me. Sure hope so. Thought you might like to see the tours that we are taking, so I've added those. (You can "click" on the tours to enlarge them). We will probably take the Mt. Pilatus tour in Luzerne, also. We're waiting until we get there to see what the weather is like. May employ the services of a guide, in Budapest, that Steve has recommended. Still thinking on that one.

Received an email from my cousin, Erzsi, in Rabapatona, this week. They are planning lots for us to do. Of course, we will see everything in Rabapatona. They have a museum, and we will visit the church and the cemetary where my ancestors are buried. They have arranged for Wayne and I to meet with their mayor. It will be fun to see Wayne talking with him! I'll see if I can get video of that for ya'll! We will also be going to the Herend Porcelain factory (a real treat for me!), Pannonhalma and Lake Balaton (called the Hungarian Sea). One day I will meet my Kaloczi relatives. These are my grandfather's descendants. We will go to Gyor to meet with another relative who wants to meet us. On May 23rd, we have been invited to the confirmation ceremony for my 19 year old cousin and the dinner afterwards. On the 24th, my family will drive us to Sopron, and show us the sights there before taking us to our hotel. And I thought we would relax and "catch our breath" while in Rabapatona!! I think the Hungarian people are very hospitable, and we certainly are excited that my family will be taking their time to show us their village and country!

66 DAYS and COUNTING!

The suitcases are on the bed in the spare bedroom, and the packing has begun. Why so soon you ask? We will each be taking only ONE, I repeat ONE, 21" roll-aboard as a carry-on. NO checked luggage! Besides our suitcase, we will each have our C-Pap in a shoulder bag. The suitcase can't be over-stuffed because it is exactly the max size allowed by Continental and British Airways. So...creativity and planning is required. If you haven't traveled by air in awhile, things have changed! Also, the packing of liquids is a real challenge. Nothing over 3 oz., and all must fit in a quart-size zip lock bag. Obviously the person who made these rules was NOT a woman!! And, obviously, Wayne will have night cream etc. in his zip-lock :o) !



We decided to pack light because we will be traveling by train, and responsible for our own luggage. I have learned so much in preparing for this trip! Any of you travelers, particulary those going to Europe, definitely need to check out the "Travelers Helpline" at http://www.ricksteves.com/. You can find almost any question imaginable answered here. And if you can't, you can ask a question, usually with a multitude of answers posted by the following day. Since we are not taking an all-inclusive tour, I have done ALL the planning myself. It's been fun because I've always thought that the planning was half the fun of a vacation! Weird, I know! But I have learned so-o-o much! Maybe I can start a business planning trips for people after I retire!!