This morning we arrived in Hungary to discover our luggage missing. What a propitious start to our adventures! We left the airport with a Hungarian man who was alarmed by my handshake. He apparently found it very strong, and I discovered later in the day that everyone here has extremely floppy handshakes. I think they are intended to be more of a clasp than a shake...
As we drove from Budapest to Debrecen, a two-hour trip linking Hungary's two largest cities, I had plenty of opportunities to observe the landsape. Hungary is filled with an almost tangible love for growing things. Even the smallest backyards in the heart of the city are full of gardens--flowers, vegetables, bushes, grapevines, trees... Any place that can grow anything has been planted with something.
This nation is so marked by harvest and greenness and wealth of growing things that I almost feel as if I should start growing too, out of respect for the country! But fear not, my more petite friends, I will try to restrain my courtesy and stay the same modest height.
Perhaps the most beautiful of the growing things here are the fields of sunflowers in full bloom.
They are surrounded by corn and wheat fields and cultivated forests. While the greenery here is remarkable, all the buildings here have a rather fatigued look. They seem to be lingering remnants of bygone days of glory (which, in fact, they probably are). The houses in the country are old stucco buildings with tile roofs, while the city buildings are tall and a little unsightly. Even the grandest buildings... 
(this yellow one is the large reformed church in the center of town. Hungary is actually a mostly protestant country in the midst of a very Catholic continent)
...are beginning to decay. Paint is peeling away from the stucco, marble coatings on the columns have been mostly chipped away, and every building and sidewalk is marred by graffiti. The entire city looks old and smells tired and full of people. The gardens are the only reason I could bear living here.
Everywhere there are gardens and trees and an occasional fountain, all with nearby benches welcoming the passersby to some shady rest.
Tonight we walked to the center of Debrecen, and Zsuzsi, the wonderful woman we are staying with, told us of the history of this old city. It was quite remarkable. After our lesson in Hungarian history, she treated us all to Hungarian ice cream, which she insisted was second only to Italian ice cream. It was truly the most delicious ice cream I have ever tasted (I had a wonderful raspberry flavor, a deviation from my usual vanilla). Erin, if there was any way I could possibly bring some of it back with me, you know I would. You would be in seventh heaven here =) As it is, you will just have to settle with your requested wardrobe from Europe and New York. =P
After being awake for nearly forty hours with only fitful naps in cramped airplane seats, a night of sound sleep sounds wonderful!
4 comments:
Despite the vast expanse of fascinating information to comment on, I will merely state that dictionary.com believes roofs to be the proper plural of roof (rather than rooves.) :)
Thank you Adam, we can always count on you to correct our grammar!! :) Kim!!!! It sounds amazing there! Have fun and I hope you get your luggage soon!! Eat more ice cream for me!! Luv U! Hve fun and keep us posted!!! :)
I'm glad to see that you arrived safely, though without luggage. I hope that you are having a wonderful time. My trip in Africa has been very interesting, and not what I had expected exactly. But I'll explain that on my own blog when I return. ttyl
Oh Adam... What would I do without you to brighten my day with random corrections like that? Well, despite the fact that "roofs" looks simply absurd (rather like "hoofs" instead of "hooves," or maybe that's wrong too...) I trusted you and changed it on my post. =P
Thanks for the heads up! =)
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