BorFesztival

Here is one dish we definetly decided NOT to try. The sign said "Rooster Testicle Stew"

Parade of European Wine Union members...these are from Hungary.

Parade on the walking street.

I took this picture yesterday, before the festival so you can see just how many vendors are on one street. And before all the people took it over. There are two stands in the center where you can enjoy live music. And I am not standing at the end either. There is more behind me along with a few side streets of vendors, too.

Payton enjoying her "bee" shaped ice cream.




Today was the beginning of the Borfesztival (wine festival) and lasts for 10 days. There are 150 vendors each having at least 5 types of wine to sample. If you like it, they have bottles to buy as well. Sample glasses were about 1 decaliter (100 ml) and cost between 75 cents and $2.00. There were many food vendors as well and this time we were daring and tried some true hungarian food. The street was lined with picnic type tables filled with people enjoying food and bottles of wine! We arrived early for a treat of ice cream at the outdoor cafe, Acappella's, and then watched the parade for the start of the festival. My favorite wine so far was from Itlay and is called "kekbor" or blue wine. It was a white wine, very sweet but smooth. The same booth offered almond wine which was also a favorite. We were told to try the Szeged wine, strawberry wine, and "jegbor" or ice wine. We decided to wait until tomorrow to sample those. The ice wine we have learned is made with grapes that were picked after the first frost of the season which gives it a different taste. We are eager to go back tomorrow to enjoy some more food and wine.

Life Is Good

Last week were able to get a "normal" washing machine thanks to Tim's work. That great news was followed by the arrival of our condenser dryer which Tim picked up yesterday!! I am super excited about these "luxuries". It is funny at the things you really miss when you are away from home. The dryer is very new to me but seems to be a popular item here. It works by taking the water from the clothes and dispensing it into a reservoir in which I need to empty after each load. There is heat involved, too but no need to vent it! It does take about 2 and a half hours to fully dry one load but that sure beats 3 days hanging on the patio!!! Today I did 3 loads of laundry and am FINALLY all caught up!! And our clothes are soft again!!

Mother's Day

Today was Mother's Day in Hungary. We went to church this afternoon and Payton made me a flower with a piece of chocolate as the center. We were very fortunate to meet an american family here who go to this church. They invited us and we had such a fun time. Today was the children's service which they have the first Sunday every month. We met a few english speaking people and they were able to sit beside us and translate the service. Of course everything was in hungarian. The locals were very nice as well and so happy to see us. They all loved seeing Payton. One of the families there has their own garden and sells fruits and vegetables from their house. I met them earlier in the week and was given fresh lettuce from the garden as a gift! It was all very yummy!


After church, we went to Dugonic's Ter to watch the fountain. This weekend they finally put water in it. There are speakers around it which plays music and the water dances along with it. Payton of course loved it!

This is looking toward the walking street where there are many shops and one of the McDonalds. I love the large building with the red roof. It has repeating sculptures of a person with outstretched arms around the tower. If you look hard you can see them between the windows.

Tim and Payton enjoying the show!

Payton was very proud of her flower!

Payton with Sara, our american friends daughter, making her gift.

Hungarian Labor Day

Saturday was Labor Day in Hungary. They celebrated with a carnival in the large park in New Szeged. They had a few games, lots of food, carnival rides, and live music. Payton loved all the kiddie rides and she loved the inflatable slide, although it took some time to climb to the top! All of her rides cost the equivalent of $2.50. It was a very warm day and everyone had fun! Tim tried some Hungarian beer, not too bad, and I tried a popular spiral pastry covered with cinnamon and sugar. It was very good! I really should have taken a picture of it but I have a feeling it will be at all the upcoming festivals this month. None of us were brave enough to try any of the many sausages and meats they had to eat. Being that we are still trying to learn the language, we were unsure of what it actually was! Next scheduled festivities is the wine festival the middle of the month!

Payton loved this ride. I was allowed to stand beside it and help spin her around. She laughed and giggled the whole time. (It is shaped like a hot air balloon)

More Pics From Our Outing

Just a few more pictures from our walk today.

Queen Elizabeth (Of Hungary not England)

Opera House

Close up of the Queen

A Walk To The City

Today we enjoyed a nice stroll into the city. It was a beautiful day although a little chilly. First stop was an old catholic church in New Szeged on our side of the river. There are many colorful tulips and pansies through out the city as well as statues and fountains. The fountains still do not have any water in them but they are still pretty to look at. We crossed the old bridge into the city and Payton loved looking at the "ocean" as she called it. A nice walk along the water found us at the old opera house where many shows are still seen every weekend. Our final stop was a playground for Payton! Finally, she could play on slides, swings and in the sand! After a long afternoon of walking, we enjoyed a hungarian dinner at a local pub.






Payton on the bridge.

The Tisza River

Catholic Church

Penny's Birthday

April 7th was Penny's 11th birthday. We celebrated by making cupcakes from a dog friendly recipe I found on the internet.....Peanut Butter cupcakes with peanut butter icing! Since we missed Brandy's birthday in February, we thought each dog should have a cake. I just didn't realize the extra cupcake would be Payton's!! After seeing the dogs eating she insisted we give her one on a plate, too!






All happy for a treat!!


What? We have 3 dogs???

Playing in our front yard, we discovered dandelions!

Making a wish!!!

Easter in Szeged

Payton having fun coloring eggs

Enjoying the spring flowers

Hmm, they smell good!

Hunting for eggs!

The tower in the square.

Look, I found 2 eggs!

We had a relaxing Easter weekend even though it started off a little crazy. Payton woke up on Saturday morning with an earache and after many phone calls and emails, we finally got her in to see a pediatrician at the local hospital. She spoke very, very little english but was very good with Payton. Thank goodness we had one of Tim's coworkers on the cell phone translating everything. We didn't have to pay to see the doctor and her medicine was very cheap. Found out you can't get ibuprofen without a prescription. Payton is now doing much better and was able to enjoy all her treats from the easter bunny. We did a egg hunt in the yard and made a yummy dinner. Today was considered a holiday and all the businesses were closed except for all the coffee shops and bakeries. They don't ever seem to close!! We enjoyed a nice Cafe Macchiato along with a chocolate croissant and something that looked like a cinnamon roll but had chocolate in it instead. Both were very tasty. We headed out to explore another town square with a large tower in the center. But the rain kept us inside most of the day.