Last month after the Nordic volcano eased its virulent spewing, the coast was clear for my parents to arrive. They were originally planning to start their trip one week earlier than they did, and our itinerary included a few stops in Croatia, but Mother Nature pushed our plans back. We still made the best of the slightly shortened time line and toured all around Hungary. It was my dad's first time in Magyar-land and my mom's second go-round.
First we toured around Budapest, and I showed my parents all my favorite restaurants and sites around the city, including a beautiful stroll through the Buda Hills. Normally I don't have time to take guests there, so I was really happy to prove to my parents that foliage and fresh air does in fact exist in this bustling capital. To head to lower ground, we had a death-defying experience on an antique chairlift, which you can read about here. Here is a photo of my parents at the highest lookout in the city:
Naturally, I would be remiss if I didn't encourage my parents to taste the local tipple, so we went to Doblo Wine Bar (our neighborhood haunt which I described here) and took a weekend excursion to Eger, home to Valley of Beautiful Women, where one can hop from cellar to cellar to drink incredibly cheap vintages, about 5o cents a glass.
However, on this particular day the legendary lovely ladies of the region were replaced by Jobbik supporters (Hungary's far-right, anarchist political party). Luckily we were there early enough in the day to avoid any major skinhead drama, and the only irritation stemming from the visit was from a Gypsy violinist who stood uncomfortably close to me and serenaded our table for at least 10 minutes despite all of our body language and uncomfortable glances (and the fact we hadn't tipped him) that encouraged him to move along. I did end up giving him a tip on my way out and he just scowled at me, so I guess he was a mercurial artist.
We got to celebrate my mom's birthday during her trip, so her request was to go to an artistic village just outside Budapest called Szentendre. Set along the Danube I liken it to the Estes Park of Hungary - very picturesque with art galleries and churches galore, although littered with tourist shops. It was only the second time I'd been there, so it was worth the trip. Here is a shot of my parents on Szentendre's walking trail that looks out to the Duna:
Now all of Mike's and my immediate family has made it across the pond, and it's our turn to head back to the US to visit them - a trip we'll undertake in August. I can't wait!
