7-12, Pécs

7-12

After a bumpy two-hour drive we reached Pécs and immedeatly headed for the market (Peter's favorite pastime). This one, however, is a big surprise, literaly. The thing is huge. In addition to all the usual stuff - antiques, clothing, kettles, cookware, etc., - they have cornered the market on underwear. Thong anyone?

We bought a small kettle to make vegetarian goulash in and a Kurtős cooker - a stick thing that is used to make Z's favorite dessert over here. And it even comes with a recipe! In essence, it is a large wooden cylinder on a big metal stick (that should be really easy to pack). You wrap a slightly sweet dough around the cylinder and then roll in sugar, cinamon, vanilla sugar, etc., and then toast over an open flame (or open heating element) until the dough is cooked through and the outside is toasty brown. They are pretty swell. Ask Z nice and maybe she'll make you one. She has the "thing" now!

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From the market we moved downtown. I'm really not quite sure what to make of it. On the one hand, there are these beautiful buildings everywhere. Just when you say "they'll never top THAT view" you turn the corner - and they do! The German name for Pécs is Funf Kirche or Five Churches. They are all here, along with mosques, an ornate City Hall, the Hungarina National Theater, street art, fountains... it's almost overwhelming. Very, very beautiful.
But on the other hand, occasionally you have to look and see where you are going. When you bring your eyes to street level, there is graffitti everywhere. While the city is free of garbage, it looks like it could use a good dusting. There are several public works projects going on, as Pécs won the right to be the European Union's "Cultural Centre" next year, hence all the construction. I'm sure it will look better next year. On the whole, right now looking up is better.

We had lunch at the István Pince Borozo, a Wine Keller down a side street. They have a small, simple menu for lunch. When you ask for it, the waitress takes it off the wall and brings it over to the table for your perusal. I had a nice veg plate, Z had a hearty bean soup. It was very good.

We walked up the pedestrian mall and enjoyed an espresso and slice of cake. Mine was a ginger cake with a chocolate - cherry topping that was more than a little fab. it is called goose foot... We enjoyed it on the deck, surrounded by swell views. I am getting hopelessly spoiled.

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We spent the afternoon as the guests of the Matisa Family, Angi, Laci-bacsi, Ocsi (Zoltan), Otti and her husband, and little tiny Vanda, who fed us - another lunch, hurray! Actually, this lunch is hitting me about the same time as the wonderful poppy seed bread from yesterday, so the bathroom and I were friends for about an hour or so. You know, these guys have a phone in their shower? Between visits to the plumbing, we had a nice, but short visit. I am looking forward to getting to spend more time with these wonderful and charming people on our next visit.

7-5 Kesthely

7-5

I haven't done many beer entries this trip, as we haven't had many new ones. You may, of course, assume that I am enjoying them, though. Several in fact. A new discovery this trip is Szalon White. It is a nice little amber to yellow colored beer with a bright white head that disappears quickly leaving a foamy ring of tiny bubbles around the glass that hang on for the whole thing. Faint hints of banannas in the nose, as expected in a wheat beer. It is pleasently citrusy, at least owing partially the the obligitory lemon. Some hops toward the end, but not out of balance with the malt. Not a big beer, but very refreshing on this hot day. It certainly is not a Fransiscaner or Erdinger, but not bad for Hunary.

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Vera, Z and I went shopping at the "Russian Market" this morning. The down economy has affected little road side markets like this. It is easily half as big as last year. The Indians are still here with their pan pipes, though.

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We are having a lot of fun with language this trip. I am becoming something of a trained monkey with my 16 or so words of Hungarian. This evening Z and Vera are reading an English language cookbook we brought - or rather Vera is, while they both disolve into histerics over her "phonetic" misreads. Slicing becomes "Schlitzing" (exposing vegetables to bad beer?), and whipping becomes wiping (not quite the same thing). But they certainly are enjoying themselves.