June 26 – July 2, 2014, Keszthely and

I see it is not just Vancouver where the auto drivers are homicidal maniacs around bicycle riders.  In the parking lot in front of Vonyarcvashegy (or “Vaya Con Dios” if your Hungarian is as lame as mine) I was almost run down four times in today’s outing.  That doesn’t count the pedestrians who ran in front of me and my fellow bike riders who tried to blow me off the path.  It’s a dog-eat-dog world out here folks, and you can’t afford to be timid.

You have to be careful riding or walking on the bike paths in Hungary.  It is legal here for “mopeds” to ride on the path.  Of course, some of these “mopeds” have 500 c.c. engines and the name “Harley Davidson” in large friendly letters on the side.

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It's America Month at Aldi!

It is “America” month at the local Aldi store – the sales flyer came today.  This document says that interested Hungarian shoppers may delight in American delicacies like Peanut Butter (smooth and crunchy), frozen “Wraps” and “Chicken Nuggets,” Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns as well as Hot Dogs in a glass jar (You can’t buy white bread “buns” in Hungary at the store, but they have them at McDonald’s), “Frozen Milk Shakes,” and Miller Genuine Draft.  Seems about right to me – except they forgot the “Wings” and the “Pizza” (the latter readily available already).

 

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My chores as “chauffeur” this year frequently involve driving the ladies to the local “China” store to shop for “Shoes” and “Clothes.”  In the US, out clothes are made in China and sold to us through corporate middlemen.  In Hungary, they cut the middlemen by having the Chinese sell directly to you, saving you some sheckles.  As a result, the locals all wear the same badly fitting clothing with strange English sayings on the front.  Some examples:

·        U.S. Mershall (sic), Dept. 1976, Miamt, Flarida (sic) – I’m not sure “Miamt, Flarida” is, but I would be careful of the “Mershalls” there.

·        This is my Little Black T-Shirt – on a pink t-shirt

·        If You Want Me I Tell You My Phone Number – ‘nuff said

·        Some Things Never Happen – not a lie, I guess

·        Flick A Man Open of Lonesome – what was that?

·        Atlantic Sanfrancisco – it’s just north of Miamt Flarida, you can’t miss it

Of course, you can make anything more hip at the “China” store by adding the phrase “Of Athletics” or “University” to the front, so:

·        YUES New York of Athletics – Umm, seems a little blatant

·        University of Special Girls – somehow I don’t think I would enjoy this college

·        Athieltcdpt (sic) University Athletic Dept – Huh?

·        Meow University – I don’t think that means what you think it means, fellows

And then, by sheer number, they occasionally get it right:

·        Your Wings Already Exist, All You Have To Do Is Fly – Isn’t that sweet?

·        More Respect Less Attack – words to live by

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7/2/14 Pécs

It's "baby" season.
 Z has lots of pictures of blurs like this. 
I think it is supposed to be a stork,
but no promises

We went to the pretty city of Pécs today, but not to sight see.  Peter needs to have some important medical tests performed that they can only do there.  So, once again at the wheel of the Mighty Opel, off we go on the 2 and ½ journey.

I have a challenge for the guys on the BBC TV show “Top Gear.”  I double dog dare you to start at a town in Hungary that is on an Autobahn – say Györ (just because it is going to be the name of my heavy metal band someday).  You get two cars.  One of you only gets to travel on the most direct route to Pécs.  The other only gets to travel the Autobahn.  Who wins?

You need to have this factoid first.  Years ago when they started building Hungary’s modern road system, they decided that “all roads lead to Budapest.”  So to get from Gyor to Pécs, you have to travel several hundred miles out of your way to Budapest first.  And yet, you probably still will win.

The back roads we took from Keszthely to Pécs were easily the best ride I have been on since doing the roller coasters at Knotts Berry Farm.  At 100 KPH I only hit my head on the roof of the car once – and that was wearing a seat belt!

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It is what you think it is - yikes!

The hospital in Pécs is in the middle of one of the largest Soviet era “Complexes,” or perhaps “Projects,” I have seen in Europe.  This, of course, makes it a natural as a teaching hospital, and so it is.  While Peter gets his test (“Your radioactivity rate will be very high for the next two days.  Don’t be around any young children.”  Yikes!), he sent us away to have lunch with Angi (whom you met earlier in the blog).

Restaurants in “the Projects” are geared to the large student population nearby.  Prices are low and the quality is acceptable for the simple bar-type fare they sell.  My lunch started with a pretty good vegetarian mushroom soup (it could have used a little more pepper), followed by the Mains of a cabbage salad and a traditional Hungarian dish of, in this case grilled (it is more often breaded and fried), camembert cheese with rice and cranberry preserves.  Z had a traditional bean and sausage soup, followed by the cabbage salad and what she thought would be mac & cheese, but ended up being noodles with scrambled eggs.  She said the soup was good, but the noodle thing needed catchup or something.  Price for the meal was 1150 Ft – about five bucks.  I bet this is a happening place on Friday and Saturday night.

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.