Aug. 10 : day 25 cont'd:

A DAY in HELL ......sinki

Helsinki Airport

We were not using the same plane from Japan, we had to wait because of passengers transferring to other flights; several other planes were also delayed.

Comfy Room

Rest for the weary

While I was waiting in my comfy room there was an announcement that passengers who were on the Toronto flight could pick up food vouchers at gate 27B. Off I went in search of 27B.

Gates 9-26

Gates 30-40

I found gate 27 but no B! I then asked around and was pointed to passport control... through there they said. OK, I went through passport control and off I went... no 27B so I went to 37B (our loading area) where a jet to London was boarding. Back I went.

The girl at money exchange said it was down the corridor to the left... no entrance so I went to the next passport control. He said it was passed him; number 2 stamp in my book.

Now I followed his suggestions and I was in Baggage Pick-up and exit to street. Now I was really getting nervous so I asked a police agent, he said go back and up the stairs. There were no stairs but a stopped escalator. When I stepped on it it began to move and I found myself in Security Control. I had to empty my pockets show my passport my bottles of booze etc. I explained to the girl and she was very kind and suggested I go to gate 25 !

At gate 25 there was a desk for transfers. I explained my situation and she said I had to go to gate 37B... told her 'been there done that'. She gave me an 8 euro food voucher which could be used at any food place. BTW gate 25 is the farthest point from gate 37B ! She also gave me a new boarding pass.

After looking at the pre-packaged sandwiches for almost 8 euros, I decided to go to the area nearest gate 37B. I was now getting hungry. Still over 2 hours till boarding.

Guess what...passport control again. now I am stamped for the 4th time; he looked for a free page in the passport ! I think the guy recognized me so no questions.

I have now been almost everywhere in this airport and some places twice. Why they have gates 30-40 on the other side of passport control I have no idea.

I saw another food place serving the same pre-packaged food. Skipped it.

I could smell food being cooked ! So I went to this food place. They had a special for 14.90 euros...bacon cheese burger with a beer. I am for this!

Two women, one taking orders and then trying to tell the other how to cook them; what a slow process. The guy in front of me wanted his hotdog sliced for his child. When she passed it to him finally, one piece fell on the floor !
I waited for my order as new very complicated orders were being asked for by a group of Italians. I think they were not going to like the results and I was right. Finally my burger... wow it was huge with cheese, pickles, mayo, ketchup, mustard and bacon and some tomato slices and maybe a slice of onion and of course a Carlsburg beer. I enjoyed the food even more knowing that it was cheaper by 8 euros.

I went to an area close-by and used the power and Wi-Fi. I checked my emails nothing new, so I used Skype to call Guy. He told me that he had sent a message to me and Nancy regarding picking me up at the airport. Don't know why I had not got it.
It was still just afternoon when I called. He was going to watch www.flightradar24.com for my flight time of arrival. This is a super website for plane watching.

It was now about an hour before boarding and the airport was getting very quiet so I went down to 37B. This is furthest from almost anywhere in the airport. Shows you how high up Canada is in flight status, eh ?

It was a zoo at the gate;everyone wanted to get on the airplane at once. We were being bussed to the aircraft to make matters even worse. From the bus, it looked like a riot everyone trying to get up the narrow boarding stairs all at once. Almost everyone had a pre-book seat so there was really no rush... it was just that people wanted the plane to take off a.s.a.p.

The pilot came on the PA and told us that we had a tail wind and would be in Toronto in 7h and 10 min. I thought it unusual since normally we are travelling against the jet stream. But he proved right.

My seat buddy was a Finnish professor at Helsinki university specializing in computers. He was going to the U of T to give lectures on Artificial Intelligence. He also was a Linux man !!! We also talked about the fact that the Finnish and Hungarian languages have the same roots. However, they don't have many words in common; 'alcohol' was one exception.

Supper as usual was served as soon as we got to altitude. Chicken again. But this time it was very good since it was prepared in Finland.

As luck would have it there was a hard-to-control child behind us... actually behind my buddy. She cried and kicked the seat several times during the flight.

Couldn't sleep much if any and the movie Capt. America was hard to watch on a small screen. I turned on Michael Buble but this wasn't great. I decided to watch 'All the King's Men' (about the watergate and Pres. Nixon) since it put me to sleep watching it on TV. No such luck.

About 2 hours out of Toronto, another meal was served. This time it was Indian; spicy but tasty; didn't eat the bean thing.

Finally we landed about 10:10 pm EST. We were supposed to be here at 6:45 EST.

We were told to have passports ready as we got off the plane. What a joke. It took us 20 minutes to get to passport control.

They do it differently now. Canadians submit their declaration and passport in a little machine. However, because of French or English this caused a problem. I must have put it in upside down. The officer had to complete the form and I had to go through a second passport control ! You knew it. Now to baggage.

Everyone was around the carousel grabbing at bags. Maybe 15 minutes to get my bag. Then through the custom officers again giving them the copied declaration. I told the officer (a girl), they should have Canadian flags at the Canadian declaration area the same as for non-Canadians... she agreed and said to pass it on.

The big area at the end of a short hall and many faces... but I saw Guy and Nancy and there was a warm greeting back. By my watch it was almost 11 pm. I had been almost 24 hours in transit.... Good to be home !

Aug. 10 : day 25:

Budapest plane in Helsinki

I am up at about 5 am doing a few last minute things. No breakfast today, Jancsi has made me a sandwich for the airport. I do have 2 cups of rose hip tea. Everyone has packed; me for Canada and Jancsi and Gyorgyi for a 2 day holiday in Sopron Hungary near the Austrian border. I have been there several time.

We leave the house at about 6:45 and arrive at about 7:15 at the Budapest airport: Liszt Ference. The flight line is good but when I go to check my bag it is slightly over the 23 kg and I have to remove 1 thing and put it in my carry-on it weighs in at 22.9 kg fortunately. Gyorgyi and Jancsi and I say fond goodbyes and I thank them for their warm hospitality over the 2 week stay. I also thank them for the going-away gift.

At the security check something sounds when I go through, so I am thoroughly checked...possible a paper clip fastened to my ticket was the problem. The Hungarian security is very thorough.

Now I am off to spend the last forints on tokaji and palinka. I find a good deal in the first store. The bottles are sealed in a special bag for Helsinki and Toronto.

After eating my sandwich and having a bottle of water, I am ready.

The boarding goes quickly and I find that the seat beside me is unoccupied...wonderful. I can use my net book to type this.

Breakfast is fruit juice and a combo-sandwich of tuna salad and egg salad on a very fresh bun and coffee. Everything is served quickly since the flight is only 2 hours and maybe a few minutes.

We take off on time... unusual but good. The weather is a little hazy because of the dampness in the ground and all the rain.

After breakfast I realize that there is only 1 WC and there are really only 4 seats for first class... nobody in them. It is a very short jet... not sure the type of plane maybe a small airbus. Sorry they also have one in the front.

We arrived in Helsinki on time and with no problems. However, as soon as I got off the plane, they told me that my flight to Toronto will be delayed by 3 h because of a typhoon in Japan ! Apparently my plane is coming from Tokyo then to Toronto ...I hope it has enough fuel to make it.

Fortunately, there is free WI-FI at the airport in Helsinki. I also am using a little-known area with power and seats and a lounging seat...where I can lie almost prone. So I can keep busy for some time as they update me on the flight. ... to be continued

Aug.9 Day 24:

I am typing this Sunday morning high in the air above Europe on the way from Budapest to Helsinki.

Saturday looks good; the weather is very good and warm. There is a little wind to make it feel very pleasant. After breakfast I went to lie down on the nice chairs in the garden and I fell asleep for a while. I am feeling better and I had a lighter than usual breakfast just to be sure.

We are preparing for the ebed party or 'buli'. We stopped at Auchian (pronounced as ocean) for a little shopping before the party.

Feri and Ibi's house

We arrived promptly at 1 pm and no one is there except for the hosts, Feri and Ibi. Lunch is a bogracs with chicken. The first time I have seen chicken used. It is very tasty and tender like chicken paprikas. We start with a little toast with Jagermeister; Feri's favourite.

Ibi, Jancsi and Gyorgyi

Feri and Babi

Baby and Gyuri will arrive today as well as Francis and Peter. However, Baby and Gyuri arrive first. I have been told that they are no longer a couple but they arrive for parties together and leave the same way.

Gyuri showing off

I drink water (fizzy) instead of wine or beer just to be safe since I will be taking the plane tomorrow and I want to be fresh since we have to get up at 5 am.

Francis arrives at about 4 pm but Peter and his wife and daughter arrive at 6:30 even though they were to be there much earlier. No problem, there is plenty of food. Gyorgyi's orange covered cake is always a big hit and it disappears. Ibi made apple turn-overs and she apologizes that they are over done. No problem they go too.

There are lots of peanuts and beer to keep everyone happy. I broke down and had a beer while Jancsi and Gyorgyi went to Tesco to buy printer ink.

The talk between friends in Hungary is usually about the cost of this and that and today is no exception. Feri is interested in the cost of houses in Canada since he is building a new house. His reply is “draga” -expensive. Feri says we should come back in 2 years when his new house is built. He wants us to say in his new house. I guess the problem with his situation (losing his house to the banks) made him feel that he could not offer a good-enough place to stay. I doubt we would be back in 2 years.

Francis Me and Peter

It was good to talk with Francis and Peter and also Peter's wife Andrian. Peter speaks excellent English and his wife understands and speaks very well, although she says she speaks English like I speak Hungarian...that is a compliment. Peter also say the same thing.

Out came the pictures from 1996 when Feri and Idi and the boys came to Canada and I and Michael returned to Hungary. The pond was always mentioned and the trips to Niagara Falls etc.

We end the evening with a group picture. It is now about 7:30 so we have been outside over 6 hours. Although it was not really hot, it is still a long time to be outside even in the shade.

Mindenki - Everyone

Me bags have been packed earlier but there is the last minute stuff. After a little problems with the new ink cartridges, the ticket/boarding pass is printed. I weigh the bags and everything seems OK. I have a little headache so after a couple of aspirins, it's off to bed. I had a good night's sleep with the usual WC trips.

Aug.8 Day 23:

Today is clear and warm for a change. The sun is shining, the birds singing etc. Gyorgyi is taking the children on the bus to the market area down the hill. She has left breakfast for me. I was up a little later than usual...7:20 am. Stores open very early here some at 6 am.

I went for a walk around the neighbourhood, and it was starting to get hot out. I was taking pictures of the hills of Buda and of the lovely new homes. Some they say belong to Ukrainian people who have a lot of money and some belong to rich Hungarians. While I was walking 3 people (man and wife and older son) asked me what I was doing. I answered them in Hungarian and I detected a few English words between them They spoke good English. They asked the usual questions, where was I from etc. But they also asked me if I had any property in Hungary. I guess they wanted to know if I was interested in the property they were parked in front of.

Older Style House

Newer House

I kept on my walk but realized that I was in new territory so I followed my path backward.

The afternoon was spent getting ready for a family party. We made 'shish-ka-bobs' using bacon, dry salami, onions and pieces of chicken.

Irma was first to arrive and she is always very buoyant and friendly. There was champagne to begin when we sat down to eat. The shish-ka-bobs were really good. I will have to try them this way back in Canada. Orsi and Gabor arrived a little late. Gabor as usual ate nothing (the same as yesterday).

We took a group picture or two and the party ended with the children going home with their parents.

I was not feeling very good in the afternoon... the langos from yesterday was having its effects.

I was able to get my ticket on-line and pick my seat. I feel better now. I was nervous because I didn't want to make a mistake...but it is easy to do.

We were off to see the night lights of Budapest and they are quite spectacular. The parliament buildings were very good. Each stone has now been replaced with new harder rock and new lights have been installed.

Hungarian Parliament

Me in front of Parliament

We arrived back at about 10:30 and off to bed. The weather is still warm but very good for sleeping.

Aug.7 : Day 22

Well, no rain during the night but it was overcast and cool. The humidity made it feel warmer.

We are off to Campona with the kids in tow. We missed the 9:13 am bus so we had to walk, but it is all downhill.

Simon on Pulleys

After we catch the bus, it is a short trip to the large mall Campona. We go upstairs to the end of the mall. There is a large area there featuring all kinds of games and challenges for young (and old). There are hundreds of parents, grandparents and kids here. It is like the Ontario Science Centre (I think). There are all kinds of scientific principals displayed in an interesting format...as play “toys”.

At about 10:45 there is an announcement and we all piled into a small auditorium. There is a “show” with scientific concepts. The one shown today is boiling and burning. Liquid nitrogen is used to show low temperature boiling and the effect it has on rubber (it breaks like glass). It would have been nice in high school to have access to liquid nitrogen. We used dry ice and acetone. One trick I had never seen before was burning alcohol in a wastebasket. The trick was done by putting it on a lazy-susan and turning it . The faster it went the high the flame got... like a small cyclone. Some kids were used to help the demonstrator. It was very enjoyable for all. Science is Fun !

At noon we headed to the bus and then we were able to catch the bus up the hill..

Lunch or ebed was spaghetti with meat sauce. The children couldn't get enough.

Tom with Shamu

Joe and Tom

After lunch Samuel and I went over to Irma's. We talked with Joe. I had told Irma yesterday that I would spend some time with Joe since he has little to do after his stroke. We looked at pictures on the net book and Irma served coffee a dessert and some red wine. It was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon. I was surprised when Samuel came and sat on my knee. This was the first time he had warmed to me and Irma took a picture.

At about 3:30 we went back to the house. Jansci was home already. I had a short nap and we were off to the double-decker bus restaurants. These were on the Danube not far from Budafok. The buses have been converted into a bar and a fast-food eatery. There are tables and chairs outside on the banks of the Danube and a place for kids to play.

Gabor and Orsi joined us. We talked about the recent bad news from Putin of Russia. If the oil and gas is cut to the Euro zone then Hungary will suffer. The gas has gone up today already.

Heck fish and Langos and Fries

Supper was langos (the full Monty – sour cream and lots of cheese on top), French fries (disk shaped), and a large fried Heck (fish). The food was great as usual.This was plenty of food because Gabor and Orsi ate very little. A beer helped the food down.

Jancsi and Langos

At the house it was one more, “Wind at my Back” - Honey is pregnant and there is a problem at the mine.

Wed. Aug. 6 Day 21:

Yet another rainy night. The unpredictable weather again struck. After 4 am, a smallish storm came up from literally no where and the rain started; however, by 9 it had stopped and Gyorgyi predicted it would be a good day for a trip to downtown. We took our umbrellas, just in case....that guarantees no rain !

Irma was ready to go and we left the Budafok hill about 9:45 am. Irma bought me a day pass good for 24 h. No one checked it all day.

We left on the No.47 tram. I told Irma that this was not the one Gyorgyi had recommended but it made no matter. We arrived in a square on the Pest side but Irma did not know how to connect with the proper transportation. After asking around, we managed to get to the M3 (metro or subway 3). I knew we went too far but anyway we did end up in Nepsiget bus station....been there before. We asked around and they told us “that-a-way” (arra in Hungarian). After a km walk we found the Hungarian Museum of Natural History (recommended by Gabor).

The following pictures will give you an idea of the Museum:

Life-like Dino outside

Australian Opal rock

Dinos feeding

Jaws !!

Irma attacked by caveman

Caveman...don't look under the pelt !

a Real Raptor Skeleton from Argentina

After the museum tour which lasted about 2 hours we headed to Vaci Utca to get some souvenirs. We took the M3 subway and then the M1(oldest) subway to get there. The M3 is deeper than the oldest M1 subway where they cross.

We ended up shopping at the same shop from last Thursday since their prices were better.

Nyugta Vaci Utca 68

Helpful lady at Nyugta Shop

After a cold beer (for me) and a cola for Irma, we were off. This time the way was clear and we took 47 Tram back to meet the bus up the hill.

I stopped for a lovely ice cream cone before we went up the hill.

No sooner had we got off the bus and back to our houses when a fast-moving thunder storm moved in. It rain very hard for over an hour. We were very fortunate.

I had a large dinner of chicken paprikas and dumplings since I had not eaten much for lunch.

One more episode of “Wind at my Back” and it was off to bed...I was tired from all of the walking but happy that we had such a successful day.

Aug 5: Day 20:

A lovely sunny day with a low 20 C temperature. Today was spent in the garden behind the house. I played 'badminton' with Samuel but he was soon worn out...I don't know why, since he can outlast 3 adults usually.

Irma dropped by and the plans for the trip down town were finalized. We will leave about 9:30 am and take the necessary transit to get to the museum. I check and the museum is open; mainly paintings. This may change since Gabor was telling me about the Museum of Natural Science which I have not been to yet. We will see.

Really not much happened today to report. I had a good nap in the afternoon though.

Samuel completely took Simon's trike apart and fortunately it was put back together; however, it did not matter because Gabor and Orszi came and brought a “new” (to him) bike, since his had been taken. They also brought Samuel's bike.

During supper, Gabor told me of several better options to see tomorrow. One was the Museum of Natural Science. So I decided to go there instead of the Art Museum. Gabor also sent me several links to other places he had mentioned.

It was very pleasant and breezy weather so I figured tomorrow will also be good. I took a group picture.

Monday Aug. 4 Day 19:

The big news today is what happened last night. We got hit with a thunder and lightning and rain storm that lasted hours. Everyone woke up in the middle of the night (3 am) with the huge noises. The children aged 3 and 6 were OK but the 6 year old took it the hardest. Jansci had to get up at 4 but was woken early.

The air was humid and the temperature barely 20 C so I had to wear my heaviest clothes...at least till about 2 pm.

Strangely enough the 6 year old wanted to build a ship, so we did; out of cardboard and very small. The children were very active and the first thing they did was to remove all the csigas (chigas or snails) from a flower... that was being invaded. For such slow moving things they all seemed to get to the same plant at the same time. These are NOT SMALL; the larger or average ones are the size of a golf ball. The kids were disagreeing on who should have the different coloured ones. Of course getting rid of them was the biggest problem... we didn't kill them.

Simon likes to help Gyorgyi in the kitchen. They made lemonade together.

In the afternoon it was dry enough to play badminton, so I played the 6 year old, Samu (Samuel but the S is pronounced as 'SH” so you get SHAMOO). The same goes for SHIMON. This is NOT the same kind of badminton you might be familiar with. It is played with larger birds and a small racket. It is good for your reactions though. After me the others took a turn since a six-year old has more energy than all of us older people.

As time went on, the sun came out and the temperature went up to about 26 C but humid.

We Skyped Canada again as the children wanted to see Nancy in real life. They have see all of the pictures of her. Simon is only 3 so he has never seen her before. He watched Skype the longest.

The plan is for me to go to downtown Pest on Wednesday...alone. So this will be a challenge.

Hope there is no storm tonight.

Sunday Aug. 3 Day 18:

Today is the last day for Jancsi's week vacation so we are taking it easy in the garden. It is also very hot today so using the pool (medence in Hungarian) is a very good idea. The water is 23 C so it is quite “refreshing” once you get under it. It reached 31 C in the afternoon.

Irma (the English-speaking neighbour) came over for a short time bringing damson plumbs. We were told to be careful since some had small worms in them...that was true.

There will be a bar-b-q Hungarian style. Jancsi prepares the charcoal brickets in the area with a chimney in it. It is all cement with space for the rack to slide in. It takes much longer to prepare the brickets. I asked Jancsi if there are propane bar-b-q's in Hungary and he says there are but not very popular and more expensive. I think there is no tradition for it and the old ways die hard.

Ebed or lunch is grilled pork which had been flattened by a meat hammer and spices and a little olive oil added. When cooked, which takes little time compared to getting the brickets ready. It is very tasty. We have a salad with it containing about 10 things from lettuce to sliced carrots to olives (from Spain). There is balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil on it. Very tasty. Jancsi puts mayonnaise on his...ugh ! A cold beer helps everything go down very well. A short swim and a reclining chair are great after lunch.

Jancsi's camera in his net book is not working and we cannot fix it since it is a hardware problem. Strangely, the audio works perfectly.

We played some more badminton but stepping on a rose thorn brings the game to a halt for Gyorgyi.

Samu and Simon collecting Snails-Csiga

Orsi and Gabor with the two kids, Samu and Simon in tow arrived just as I was going to church. They had to leave quickly since they had forgotten a bike on their trip and they were not sure if it would still be there.

Saint Lipot Church,Budafok

Since I was too late for the church service in the morning there is another at 7 pm. The church is very old and at the bottom of the hill in Budafok. The inside is very beautiful. It is not a large church but has very interesting features like a pulpit 3 meters off the ground but no longer used.

I always find the service a little different than in Canada but very similar to those in Italy. They sit during one part of the service where we would kneel. This is fortunate here as the kneelers are made from wood. The pews are very old. There are 3 helpers for the priest. Two readers and an altar boy. The collection is taken up by a reader and the altar boy.

As usual the sermon is long but the theme is “first, seek God and place your trust and hope in God”.

After mass the priest shook everyone's hand as they left church; a very nice gesture.

It was a little cooler but still very humid. I made the uphill walk in about 12 minutes. A nice beer was waiting. The kids were getting ready for bed and Jancsi had to go to bed early since Monday he was back to work.

Some Delicious Hungarian Dishes

Jancsi and Gyorgyi's Reggel (breakfast)

A Bogracs with guylas

Jancsi with his guylas

Pork Guylasleves

Friday Aug. 1 Day 17:

There was a little unexpected rain in the night. Got up later showered and had a nice breakfast.

I sent Nancy and Steve the method for getting on Skype. They will hopefully be on it at 8 pm our time.

The program today is dictated by how well Gyorgyi can walk. She says the ankle is better but does not want to put more stress on it. As a result we are off to Valencai To, a lake not far from Budafok.

I am asked whether I want to go to the strand (beach) or the furdo (spa bath), I said it was up to them.

We arrive at the lake but drive away from it... toward the spa bath.


Jansci and Gyorgyi in front of Spa Bath
It is very popular for all ages of people; but you do see older couples, one helping the other to get into the spa or pools.

Unfortunately, I am told not to bring wallet or camera into the spa so we rent a safe and are given a key. This is typical for Hungarian spas or pools. Some people do bring cell phones or cameras but only a few.

The men are on one side the women the other. We get lockers for our cloths...just drop in 100 HUF coin. It is returned strangely enough when we return.

Gyorgyi had trouble getting a change locker. It took her 3 times to get one and had to get someone to get her extra money back.

Big Spa Bath

The first spa is inside. It is a huge pool but only 120 cm deep. The temperature is 36 C... body temp is 37 C. So it feels very relaxing. We sit and lie relax in the water for over 30 min. Then we are off to another inside spa. This one has water jets and showers of different sorts.

We are there for 15-20 minutes. Then we go outside to other pools. The first is popular for all ages and there are different areas, some with currents and some with a slide etc. We relax there for 20 minutes. Then we are off to a second outside pool. Lastly we go back inside to the first pool and relax for another 15 minutes.

Enough of the pools. Our skin is quite wrinkled and we get dressed and get our stuff out of the safe.

By this time it is close to 2 pm and we have missed ebed (the large noon lunch). We head to a favourite and inexpensive restaurant. Jancsi and I will share a roasted Heck. What the heck is this ? A sea fish of some sort. It is quite large. We also order a large sausage. Gyorgyi goes for the bean soup that is a guylas with large beans. It is very hot so she has to let it cool.

The fish is more than enough for two people. We also split the sausage 3 ways. There is about half a loaf of white bread sliced by hand. I am the only one to get a beer since Jancsi is driving. The others order bottled water. There are also my favourite pickle but they are not as nice as some I have had but still good.

Lastly we have a retes (flaky outside with a stuffing inside). I have walnut, Gyorgyi has the cottage cheese and Jancsi the shredded cabbage. All of these stuffings are very very much Hungarian. Each serving is huge. I am completely stuffed.

Gyorgyi and Tom-Valencai To

After the 'lunch' we go for a short walk on a long pier into the lake. Valencai To is a small lake and you can see from one end to the other and from one side to the other. Maybe it is 5 km by 3 km. The water is about 25 C or so. Some people are swimming there are some sail boats. A very pleasant lake.

We travel back to Budafok via hwy. 7 not the super hwy. M7. Along the way we stop for a water melon “Magyar dinya”. The place we stop is the cheapest one that we saw on the way in, 69 HUF/kilo. The melon is huge about 10 kg. I saw a Magnum bar so I can't resist.

We stop near Budafok at a TESCO and shop. I have volunteered to cook omelets tomorrow morning so we need gumba (mushrooms) and there are other needs as well. This Tesco is very large, clean and about 2 years old. There are other types of stores in the mall as well.

We get back to the house and immediately have watermelon. It is nice and we are all very thirsty.

After the melon everyone goes for a nap.

The sound of thunder wakens us. There is lots of thunder, a rainbow and little wind....no rain. The storm moves away.

After a beer and some brandy, I am off to see if anyone is on Skype.

Success, Nancy and Steve were able to Skype us and after a few things to correct we had a good picture (at out end) and it was stable on the netbook. It was nice to see them and Gyorgyi, Jancsi and I were able to use it too. Skype is amazing. Still a few bugs but it works. Of course being 6 hours ahead of Canada is something you have to take into consideration.

Thursday July 31 Day 16:

There was a thunderstorm during the night. So everyone woke at about 1 am. There wasn't that much rain but it was noisy.

The air was fresh in the morning and the temperature quite nice. It was about 25-6 C at mid-day.

I have been cutting back on breakfast only peppers, tomatoes, toast and jam with green tea. This seems a more reasonable breakfast although I did have some cold meat too.

We went over to Irma's place and met Joe who had a stroke about 4 years ago. He and Irma were in Canada for over 25 years and then moved back to Hungary and built the house. It is more typical inside of a Canadian home. A large kitchen, small dining room, large family room and bathroom (Canadian style...toilet with sink and tub). The up stairs has 3 large bedrooms another big washroom and a balcony that can be accessed from 2 bedrooms. They have screens on the windows, Canadian style. Where I am staying does not have any screen on any doors or windows. Except for the odd mosquito it seems to work just as well.

We sat at the table with Joe at the end against the wall. Irma served French Rose wine to us and a special wine (only a bit) to Joe(he was able to pour his own). We had cheese and a cake dessert with “megg” (sour red cherries...they are not sour but do have some pits still in them). It was a very delicious dessert.

We tried to get Joe to speak English and eventually he mixed English with some Hungarian which even I could understand. He spoke haltingly, but that was expected. Gradually he seemed to gain some energy (he is fairly frail). You could see that he had improved considerably by the time we left. Irma was her bombastic self.

Gyorgyi and I went back to the house where she made a lovely zucchini and broccoli with the main course being spaghetti with a creamy cheese sauce. I asked Jancsi in Hungarian what was the type of cheese in the cream sauce and he said, “disznu” (wild pig)... we had a good laugh. My Hungarian is not that bad that he could not understand.

I had finally after 5 years got Skype to work on my netbook (ASUS). I Googled around and finally got an answer that worked... it was so simple yet unlikely. I Skyped Guy and Robbie(in Canada) and it worked perfectly (although we lost Guy's picture after a while). The sound which had not worked at all for 5 years was fixed and worked perfectly. Maybe I will be able to get Nancy to log on Skype when I get her password figured out.

BUDA side of Budapest

The highlight of the day was about to come when we went to the centre of Pest (Buda is the one side of the river where the hills are and Pest is the other side of the Danube River where it is flat). There is a new device on the Pest side called the Sziglet Eye belvaros. Yes it is a ferris wheel based on the idea of the one in Vienna with enclosed compartments. When Gyorgyi asked me if I wanted to go on it I said I had to because the opportunity may never arise again. So we all 3 went on it...3 revolutions only at a cost of 2400 HUF (about $11 Can). I have some video and put the other pictures below.

Szigeti Eye

Jansci and I on the Sziget Eye

I bought us a beer to celebrate afterward and we did some shopping.

We had till 6 pm on the meter and were 10 minutes early.

Supper was the rest of lunch with some nice Szekszardi wine.

Gyorgyi's ankle was sore so she was in some pain.

Another episode of “Wind at my back” or what I call it “Wind down my leg” and we head to bed. A tiring walk which was estimated at about 5 km.

Wednesday July 30 Day 15:

Just got back from an almost 600 km trip to eastern Hungary. It is just after 8 pm.

Storms are brewing in West Hungary where I was last week. No rain here yet. We travelled non-stop because they were afraid of running into the storm.

We visited Andrea and her husband Attila and 3 year old son Mark. Mark was more than a handful for 1 person most of the time.

Gnorgyi described Nyiregyhaza as a small town.... well it is 3 times bigger than Oshawa and has a downtown about 100 times nicer than Oshawa. There is a huge walking-only area that has beautiful flowers and very clean. I found it hard to believe that there was only 145 000 people there. The buildings down town were also very nice and new or refinished.

It was a hot day about 30 C but most of the day there was a nice breeze.

We ate outside at a small restaurant the adults got gyros and Mark got fried pork on rice. Our meal was very good and very inexpensive.... about $3 each.They were on special.

We took a bus (all 6 of us) to an area where there was a beautiful park and 2 lakes; originally it had been a mine site that was reclaimed. Much nicer than yesterday's area.

Time for ice cream ! I can't resist a double of two different kinds. One is always lemon and today the other was malna (raspberry). This icecream was the best so far and the biggest scoops. I treated everyone, the least I could do and it was very inexpensive.

They had a bike path and a runners path around the lake. The bike path was made by small bricks (that you find in driveways)and the running path was narrower but had a special surface like they have in the runner's lanes in good stadiums. Lots of money went into it.

We passed a large zoo too. We did not go in.

We went back to their small apartment and Attila tried to get my pictures downloaded to his computer. There must have been a problem with the cable since we could not do it.

We watched the weather on the Internet and found that storms may be hitting Budafok(Budapest suburb) at about 8 pm. So off we went and Jancsi spared nothing on the way back. We got back at 7:40 pm.

Time for supper ! We finished the pork guylas from yesterday. Even better the next day.

Just in time to see another “Wind at your Back” circa 1997 ! almost all in Hungarian. Funny to watch. Relatively easy to understand. It was filmed in Bowmanville... maybe I said this before.

Tuesday July 29 Day 14:

Where are my glasses ? I had to ask my friends if they had seen me wearing them last night. They seemed to disappear. Gyorgyi suggested they had fallen into my luggage bag. Well, she was right. Found them. I do have a back-up pair too, but the new ones are nicer.

Next I realized that I had forgotten to phone Gyongyi and tell the relatives I had safely arrived in Budapest. I did this about 7 am as I figured someone would be up. Gyongyi answered the phone and I offered my apologies. When I got off the bus there was a lot of commotion and then a large rain storm. Anyway I made the call.

Breakfast was large as usual and Gyorgyi cooked virsli (veal hot dogs). They do give me gas but I ate them anyway. I still had left over gas form the fish soup and fried pork.

Gyorgyi took the bus to go shopping for more food; but she forgot to get some bread crumbs. Jancsi and I went to get them. This was a mistake. Walking down the hill and up the hill is quite strenuous and I was still feeling the effects of the fish soup.

The door bell rang and an older lady from up the street was there. Irma has lived in Canada since the 1970's but came back to Hungary with her ailing husband. He had a stroke and is in very poor health. She speaks good Canadian English and uses many familiar words... She is very energetic for someone near 80. They have children and grandchildren in Ontario. She has 2 lake-front lots on Georgian Bay not far from Wasaga Beach. One lot has a small cabin and she hopes to knock it down and build a permanent house with 3 bedrooms etc. Quite a lot of work. Her husband will not be going with her to Canada. When he passes, she will go back to Canada.

She enjoyed quite an interesting life. Many trips in the Winter from Toronto to Miami or the Bahamas or Hawaii and cruise trips. We will visit her at her home in a few days.

Ebed or lunch will be very large today. There is a bogracs planned with gombots (these are plums surrounded in batter, cooked in boiling water and tossed with nuts and bread crumbs. Then to eat they are sprinkled with icing sugar and cinnamon. Irma and I help a little with the preparations.

Jancsi prepares the bogracs. The ingredients are different in that pork is used instead of beef. This is a quicker meal. Onions as usual start and then a tomatoe is cut up with a pepper and added. The meat is added and after a few minutes cooking water, salt, pepper and a lot of paprika is added. Then cut up carrots and parsnip is added. A branch of 'loveage' (a plant available all over the world, I have a lot of it) is added. More water and after that has cooked for some time, cut up potatoes are added (½ hour before the end). Finally, dumplings are made in the pot.

Meanwhile the gombots are completed and lunch served with cold beer and bread.

We are then off to Tata.

Tata is on the way North to Vienna along M6. It is a small town smaller than Whitby. There are some nice shops and we dropped into one that makes chocolate; apparently world renowned.

Then it is on to the Falglat (ice cream store). The price is ½ of the usual – 200 HUF for a double scoop. I didn't think it was up to the usual though.

Here it was overcast for most of the morning and cool 23 C. But in the afternoon it warmed up to 25 or 26. It is very humid because there is a lot of low pressure around.

The rain started very quickly and we ducked into a small restaurant. The menu was unbelievably low; and we notice people eating large servings. We regret cooking before out trip.

There was a lake and it was kind of a tourist area but my rear end was acting up so walking became very painful. (not hemorrhoids)

We came back to Budafok, I took a quick shower and put on some polysporin and felt better. We then went food shopping at INTERSPAR; not like COSTCO but like the average METRO.

We made a quick stop at Orsi and Gabor's because they had extra figs to give to Gnorgyi. I tried a fresh fig but I did not care to try a second one. Fresh figs are completely different.

Back at the house we had a cold cut and vegetable supper. I ate too much, or maybe it was the milk (which I don't normally drink) and suffered from gas through the night. At 1 am I woke up Gyorgyi because I was looking for the UNICOM. There wasn't any so she gave me a ½ shot of a brandy. This helped and I fell to sleep quite soundly.

Monday July28 Day 13:

The morning was cloudy and it had rained a little during the night. It was coolish but warmed up to the mid 20's by noon.

Breakfast was the usual large one but with a new bread spread called “padizsankrem zoldsegkrem”; it is a plant cream and tastes very good on toast or bread. Palinka came after. Tamas is feeling better, so he says and he is off to work without a breakfast, Gyongyi tells me he will be back before I leave.

I pack my bags and the big one seems like a ton.

Tamas is back and has a small gift and a heavy one from Laci... a large bottle of his honey. The other gift turns out to be my swimming trunks. I knew they would turn up. We took some farewell photos before leaving Garabonc.

Ebed or lunch is a nice tyuk soup with noodles and carrots and burgers which are made from pork instead of beef. There is also fried potatoes. I am served a large beer and it eventually gets drunk.

We go to the bus stop which turns out to be different from where I got let off. However, it is correct. Tamas wanted it confirmed and telephoned the company earlier. However, the bus stops at the same stop where I was let off. I guess people want to get a better seat by getting on earlier.

The bus is about 10 minutes late and by the time it leaves Zalakaros, it is 20 minutes late. I had a reserved seat and it was marked reserved so I took it. The young man beside me left at the first stop past Zalakaros he was replaced by a young lady with a laptop. I began to type notes and continued until the rest stop. The driver said “ot perc” - 5 minutes, so everyone scrambled for the rest rooms.

When I got back on the bus, I asked the young lady beside me if she spoke English... she did. So it worked out that I had someone to talk with for the rest of the trip...about an hour. She worded as an HR manager (Human Resource) for a Swedish hardware company in Budapest. I believe her name was Kira (unusual). She got off at a stop before the terminal.

I telephoned Gyorgyi and Jancsi just before I got to the terminal. They were already there waiting. The usual warm greetings followed by a quick trip to the car. On the way to their house all hell broke out.. rain. It was over before we got to their place.

Over a couple of drinks we had a small supper which got bigger with time. We started off with cold cuts, cheese, olives, some canned oysters and progressed to the lecso and rice. Part way through, I knocked my wine glass off the table. However, with my quick reflexes I was able to catch the wine glass. The wine was all over the floor and some on my leg... not harm done.

We go for a “short” walk which seems very long. Gyorgyi's ankle must be up to it.

We watched a little TV which turned out to be an hour of the Canadian series “wind at my Back” circa 1997. They have been following the series with interest. The end credits name Bowmanville as the place it was filmed. I told them that it was near Oshawa. This was never a series I watch and it is interesting to see that Hungarians find it very interesting. It is set in the 1920's or 30's in Canada. The characters words have been translated into Hungarian.

Off to bed. Interestingly, it is very dark by 9:20; darkness seems to fall quickly.

Sat.,July 26;

Agy makes breakfast for us, she does not eat anything apparently for breakfast...Nancy knows that I think breakfast is important.

After breakfast Laci drives me to Peter's a friend's place in the “out-back”. The road is small then smaller then 2 ruts and finally we are there. There is a fence, more like a wall; a double locked gate leads to over 100 beehives. A dachshund 'guards' the place and makes a lot of noise. Peter only does this for a living, and I guess it is enough. Peter, who was not there is in his late 40's or 50's.

We put on protective hats with screens, but as usual it is not necessary. The 'house' or cabin is triple locked. Laci has all the keys since he helps Peter occasionally. The sound of the bees is quite calming, surprisingly. After everything is locked up we head out...but less than a km down the road I realize that my camera bag is still there...back we go down the worst part of the road. This place is several km from the main road and it is surprising that they would need a large fence. Laci says that the noise of the bees usually is enough to discourage people.

I ask Laci if we could go to Nagybakonak to see the cemetery where our relatives are buried. Lacy says it is only 5 km but it is more like 10 from the beehives.

It is now quite warm (hot is over 30 C) and sunny. The cemetery is not as I had remembered it from 1996 or 8. It is larger and has a nice gate and entrance.

We look for the graves and first find Janos and Ibi's grave. It is quite new (2005). I am surprised that Ibi is buried there, since there was such an unhappy situation when Janos died. We also find the grave of Imre Jakabfy who was Gyongyi's great grandfather, Irma's grandfather. We also found Laci's and Gyongyi's father's grave very close to the others.

I was actually looking for an older stone left by my grandfather for Eva Deli, my grandmother's mother. When we can't find it, Lacy phones Irma to see if she knows where it is. But as is common, old markers are destroyed since there is no one to keep up the plot... 75 years is common. So I am fortunate to have pictures from 1996 or 8 and the words on the stone. I now have new info on Imre who was one of my grandfather's brothers.

We are off to Laci's house. He shows me the GE factory where he works, only a 5 minute walk from his house.

We sit down in his garden and enjoy a cool one. Christian, Agy's son drops by and I meet him. He is tall like Agy. I did not meet his girl friend.

. Near 12, Gyongyi and Tamas arrive. Ebed or lunch is upcoming. Soup is the first thing, there is halaszle (fish soup) and chicken soup. I have the halaszle. I like it but it does not like my digestive system. After the soup there are meat dishes (can't remember at this moment), then desert, the same great desert as yesterday – rolled cake in chestnut(gesztenye) jam (not like the chestnut we have in Canada) and chocolate covered cake with cherries in it. The latter is my favourite already. I forgot to mention that we start meals with the usual palinka and have wine or beer with the food. Does it sound like we drink a lot....maybe different drinks but usually not a lot of each. Palinka is usually in a shot glass. Palinka is stronger than whiskey more like vodka.

Tamas and Gyongyi both drink, which is unusual, but it is a long time before we leave anyway.

There is much talking in the afternoon inside since it has gotten quite hot.

Laci and I go for a swim in the pool; it is not large but very refreshing.

About 7:30 we head back to Garabonc. You guessed it... more to eat.

About 9:30 we call it a night and head back to bed. I tell them that I would like to take some pictures of the “hedgyon kerte” the hill garden in the morning.

Friday July 25:

I wake up with a very sore back because I stayed up late and typed on the computer the night before.

After the usual breakfast, Tamas drove me over to Laci and Agy's house on Magyar Ut in Nagykanizsa(50 000 people).

They have a lovely small house, very picturesque and clean. A lot of work has gone into the house since they first purchased it.

Laci showed me the garden. It has changed drastically in 4 years. Many grapes have moved and there are NO beehives. They are now out of town about 10-12 km away.

We have a few drinks before lunch(ebed). There is halaszle (fish soup) for lunch...just in case we do not catch any fish. There is toros testa – noodles with cottage cheese and fried bacon on top. This is traditionally served with the halaszle. Very rich. Then there is dessert, chocolate covered cherry cake and also a chestnut (gaston ?) filed roll cake. Coffee and that makes for big meal.

We relax for some of the afternoon or should I say recover from lunch. Laci will show me his beehives before we go fishing.

The hives are about 10 km out of town down a two tire road. The hives occupy about a plot 30 m by 30 m. The lot is surrounded by a 2 m fence. There are about 20 hives there. I am dressed in a beekeepers outfit (head-to-toe).

The bees are first smoked when the hive is opened. This makes them listless. They don't attack and I wonder why we are dressed so much. Laci says these are European bees and not agressive...definitely.

After looking at several hives Laci finds the Queen in each to make sure they are there. One queen for each...makes a family. There are lots of “baby” bees but not much honey at this time of year. The fall will bring honey. Laci has notes on each hive. Robi also has hives here. Much work went into clear-cutting the trees.

We are off to pick up Robi. He is about 5 km away in a small village. He is ready and has all of the fishing gear we will ever need. There are 3 collapsible chairs as well.

Laci has picked up some “bait” before we went. A plastic bag with grain and the fly larvae.

The lake is another 5-10 km down a very beat-up road. It is the same lake we went to 4 years ealier.

After setting up, it is close to 5 pm. The rods are very long but the 2 hook is tiny. There is a basket to hold corn nibbles and the grain which has been wetter. There is a small basket on the fishing line to hold a little of the grain/corn mixture. We use some larvae on the small hook.

We cast the lines out to where we can see carp.

The first few fish are mudcats about 4-5 inches...tiny but they are taken off with gloves.

After a while I am casting well. Robi uses a bobber and hook.

More small mudcats. We switch to corn nibbles with honey on them.

Finally, I catch a kaseg of some length. Unfortunately these fish are very boney and not worth keeping. Pictures are taken.

Nothing bigger is caught. It rains a little off and on for a bout 1 hour total. A few friends of Robi pass by. One stays to fish, he is after a BIG fish (a pike of sorts). He uses one of our smal kasegs for bait.

At 8:30 pm we are off to home. It takes us about an hour.

I will use Agy and Laci's large bed. I sleep very well and my back is much better by the morning.

Thursday July 24:

The time is going quickly; but still much to do and see. Breakfast was the usual large one.

There was some problem with the telephone but it got ironed out somehow.

We were then off to Egervar... I thought it was near Eger and said that would be too far... but it wasn't there.

We travelled North and West past Zalaegerszeg. We stopped at a little town in the middle of nowhere. There was a large white fort...in the Renaissance style. There was a museum in which you were encouraged to touch, feel and sit. Very unusual for any museum.

After espresso we entered the museum taking a Schindler lift to the second floor.

The first display was a touch-screen which took you back in history to about 1250 and came up to 2013. This was an excellent idea and very well done.

BTW signs were in 3 languages...Hungarian, German and English ! Nice !

There were other touch-screens and pictures of the many forts built in the Renaissance era in Hungary and vicinity (more than 20).

There was also an art display and you could purchase a painting for as little as 160 000 HUF...$800. However, they were too big for my suitcase and budget.

There was one room where all of the important people would sit around a large table. We sat at it as well and on the other chairs around the room.

It is interesting to see what can be done with a tactile museum.

I purchased some gifts in the gift-shop before we left. (surprises).

Ebed or lunch was at the “rozsakerte etterem” - rose garden restaurant. We ate outside amongst the flowers. The weather was sunny and the temperate about 22-25 C.

Gyongyi ordered a fried cutlet with fries while Tamas and I split a big dish with many types of food – steak and egg, a fried potato pancake, another fried item which was chicken and peppers. There were also lots of fried vegetables (zucchini, mushroom, onion) and some cold vegetables...cucumber and red onion. We managed to eat most of it but there was some left over pancake. Of course a cold beer helped the food down.

After lunch we walked across the road to visit a very old church... it was built around the time Columbus sailed the seas. The inside was very ornate but we were prevented by heavy iron gates from getting too close.

Into the car and off to Sarvar (Mudville in English). It was another hour North and East through some very forested roads.

A VAR is a fortress and we went in to visit. It was much larger than the previous fortress. There of course was yet another museum. You were NOT to touch anything and no photos (unless you paid a premium... we did not). To make sure this happened, each area had a person watching.

Much Hungarian history here from about 1400's to the 1940's. Signage was in Hungarian and German only ! This type of museum was of the “old school”.

Lots of pictures and interesting furniture and dishes and cutlery.

The best part was in the basement or dungeon area. This was in Hungarian and English so it was easy to follow. Much of this exhibition was of treasure and gold artifacts. Some Aztec, some Roman, Greek etc.

Off to the restaurant for a cold beer before we left. The driver, remember, never drinks alcohol. Tamas in this case.

We must be back by about 6 pm so Tamas spares nothing in getting there. We did stop for bread and some cold meat at Tesco.

I watched the speedometer hit 140 kph at times. Tamas car is a very nice VW with a diesel engine and great tires. The road is quite windy in spots and it felt at times like we were in an auto race. Good fun though.

We got back just in time to start a cold beer and welcome Violetta, Szabolcs and the kids. They are off to Majorca by plain tomorrow. Szabolcs' parents are going as well as the children.

Just when I thought the eating was over, we had a “small” supper. Bacon with garlic on top and sauteed in a bit of lard and wine. Very tasty on bread. I will make this when I get home. Finish it off with a large slice of watermelon and yet a little more beer and you can see that sleeping will not be a problem.

I am off to Laci and Agy's tomorrow for some fishing and halaszle (fish soup) no doubt; whether we catch anything or not.

I have stayed up late typing and uploading because it seems there is no other time.

Wed. July 23:

It is very nice this morning. A cool breeze, some clouds but no rain.

A few facts I have not mentioned before.

Gas is the equivalent of over $2.00 a litre. Even benzene or diesel is over $2.00 a litre (over 400 HUF)

I have been getting English TV news on D-W (Deutche-Welle) on the Journal. BBC doesn't seem to work at all. The CBC from Canada does not work...at least on Linux. I guess the German TV knows how to do it. This is the only TV I watch... an hour a day is probably the most I have watched. No movies ! Just making them.

I found a problem with my 64 Gig SD card. Linux did not see it; however, after a little research on the Internet, the problem was solved. I had never heard of exFat before. At first I used Windows 7 but now I don't need that either....as if I ever did. I have been trying to get the relatives here to switch to Linux. A lot of them still use Windows XP with many pop-ups warning of out of date software. Eventually, they will learn.

I spent most of the morning updating the family tree. So many gaps to fill-in but many answers here. I now have 132 people. I have also made some corrections. And I am learning more about the program in general.

Breakfast was the usual with one except hot virsli (veal hot dog).

Ebed was lecho(with kolbassa) and potatoes; very traditional.

A did my crossword on the swing outside; the first time I have had to do it.

At four pm we were off to Attila and Bea's. After a few drinks (palinkas) the children (Panna and Adam) wanted me to join in with Attila for some “foci” ...soccer with the kids. I was out of breathe and hot after a time and I asked for a time-out then we had supper.

Bea's supper was like a lasagna but instead of noodles there was thinly sliced potatoes. There were hard boil eggs in it as well as salami. There was also an excellent cucumber salad, which I couldn't get enough of.

After supper it was video time... Mike and Sheilah's wedding and videos from out visit in 2010.

Bea's parents who live next door invited us to view their “zoo” or farm animals. Rabbits, doves, pigs, a mule, geese, ducks, chickens (50+) and finally the two horses that provided the children with a thrill with their galloping (no one was on them).

We headed back to the house for some relaxation and bed.

Tues. July 22:

Today it definitely looks like rain. All three of us Tamas, Gyonyni and me head of to the Badacsonyi hill. It is about 50-60 km from the house. The first step is to go through Keszthely avoiding traffic. We get on the road to the East and after an hour we stop for a little walk in a very nice “look-out”. There is a golf course close-by. I will take a picture or two for my gold friends. Not many golfers on the course...maybe it is too expensive or there just are few golfers. The weather is not promising either.

When we get to Badacsonyi we part at the bottom of the main hill. I though it was a joke and we would only walk a little. I was wrong. We walked up the hill; not sure how far; maybe 2 km.

At the top of the hill, which is not the actual highest point. There is a very nice-looking restaurant. We get there about 11:30 am so there is hardly anyone seated. We get a nice table with a great view. Each of us orders something different. Tamas orders a mix of pork called the “robbers” plate I think. I don't know what Gyongyi ordered, it tasted like a potato meat mix. I had the chicken paprikas with galuska. There is too much gasluska and only a chicken leg and thigh. The gravy is more like beef gravy. There is a little sour cream over top of one side. If I did not know how to cook this dish, I might be tempted to think it very good. It is OK. The white wine from the area is excellent. Not really dry but not sweet either. They brought a loaf of bread but it was not very fresh. Too bad the food did not match the view.

We left the restaurant just as it was becoming crowded. Also we could see large shower-heads on the lake. There were a few drops of rain on the way down but really nothing to get worried about.

Once in the car and heading west toward the house, there were several down-pours. This was serious rain. Once near the house we could see that it had not rained as much here.

We were off to Violetta and Szabolcs' house. Originally they had though they would move in with Szabolcs' parent. But they would see that it would be a great change, so they stayed put. I told them it was a good idea.

We watched some of the videos of Mike and Sheilah's wedding and some other videos from 2010. I now realize that I could have taken a lot out and still got the idea across. Oh well, the next videos will be better. We had just a few drinks; never the designated driver.

We went back to the house and had a light supper of Canadian bacon and bread. I prefer bacon cooked longer and without the grease on it...but when in Rome.

I was off to bed about 9 pm and had a good sleep. It rained most of the night.

SMALL PICTURE ALBUM


Langos is a popular item here...Called Beaver tails in Ottawa


Children and Adults get ready for Sunday's Large Lunch(ebed)


Adults eat at the main table under the roof


Children eating first course chicken soup


Main course- Gulyas, fried pork, rice, dumplings