Mangalica Festival 2009

Frosty and De-frosty

Field Trip: Budapest (December 18)

Just before winter break I went on an outing with my school to Budapest. The students were a mixed group of 5th through 8th graders. We took a bus from Kalocsa, which took us about 2.5 hours, and spent the whole day in the city. It was a cold, rainy day, but we still managed to have a blast.

First Stop: The Budapest Zoo

After the long bus ride, the kids were anxious to be let loose. The zoo seemed like an appropriate habitat.

Nothing like a wet camel on a rainy day.

I thought it was amazing how much you could interact with the animals. Of course there was a petting zoo area as well, but in general the animals were very accessible, even the dangerous ones.

Yes, those are stingrays in a shallow, uncovered tank.

I acted as a pseudo-chaperone/psuedo-student. Technically I counted as an adult, but wasn't given any real responsibilities. I ended up keeping tabs on a few older girls who loved the polar bears. Even though they were hard to see through the rainy glass, they kept us pretty entertained.

the polar bear channel

Next Stop: The Palace of Wonders


inside the "Palace of Wonders" science museum

The Csodák Palotája ("The Palace of Wonders") is a hands-on science museum. After a few hours at the zoo in the chilly rain, it was a nice change to be inside.

Last Stop: The Parliament Christmas Market

Since it was just before Christmas, the Christmas markets were in full force all over town. We had intended to spend a bit of time at the larger market in Vörösmarty tér, but stopped by the Parliament Christmas market instead.

Christmas market with Hungarian Parliament in the background

The big attraction here was the Mikulásház (roughly "Santa's House"). This was unlike any "Santa's House" I'd ever seen.

Mikulásház

At the entrance was a man dressed in black with devil horns. The structure itself was quite elaborate with many different rooms. In the first room we were greeted by two women dressed in black with devil horns and long capes. These were the Krampusz. In order to see Santa, you had to recite a poem, or sing a song for the Krampusz.

a young boy stands on a box to recite a poem for the Krampusz

Now, when I lived in Salzburg, the Krampus looked a bit more terrifying. These guys would roam the streets with whips and then hand out candy to the children. I had a bruise on my thigh for weeks after getting whipped by one of these scary monsters!

an Austrian krampus

After enough poems and songs, the Krampusz let the next big group in to see Santa. Here he told stories, everyone sang songs, pictures were taken and candy was handed to every child.

Mikulás ("Santa")

We stayed quite a bit longer than planned, but the children seemed to really enjoy themselves. There was actually one more stop after the Christmas market - McDonalds! No class trip in Hungary is complete without a trip to Meki ("McDonalds"). There isn't one in Kalocsa, so the kids got really excited for Happy Meals.

November Rainbow

One afternoon in November this lovely rainbow was spotted by my students during a lesson. It only lasted a few minutes and for an even shorter time you could see a second rainbow above it.

This was the view of it from my classroom window.

Fall Break 2008: Salzburg, Austria (Oct 26 - Oct 31)

I lived and studied in Salzburg in the fall of 2004 during my undergraduate studies. This was my first visit back since then and the city is as beautiful as ever. As soon as our bus arrived back in Budapest from Romania, Jon and I hopped on a metro to the train station and began our journey to Austria. It was quite early when we arrived so we first explored the city as the sun was still rising.

a chilly morning view from the Mönchsberg

the Salzach River

Mozartsteg Bridge

We stayed with my former host family, Annette and her two children, Sophia and Christian. Monday night we visited Hellbrunn Palace. It is situated just outside the city and surrounded by beautiful gardens.

Christian leading the way to Hellbrunn Palace

gardens at Hellbrunn

We took a guided tour of the Wasserspiele ("Water Games"). Built in the 17th century under Archbishop Markus Sittikus von Hohenems, these trick fountains and water-powered toy theatre was a fun stop.

a fountain in the Wasserspiele

I think visiting Salzburg after Transylvania added an additional layer of appreciation to our time there. At times during our travels through Romania our rooms were heated with wood stoves were advised to never drink the water. I remember Salzburg feeling luxurious in 2004, but this was even better. In addition to physical comfort, it was such a joy to reconnect with Annette and the kids.

Annette, Christian, Sophia, Kyung Woo (a schoolmate of Christian's)

For Jon, cooking was the favorite luxury in Salzburg. To thank Annette for her hospitality, we insisted on making the family dinner one night. The meal (handmade orecchiette with vodka sauce) was such a success, Jon was welcomed into the kitchen to make food as often as he liked. I think it was after he made cannellini bean soup that Christian asked Annette if they could adopt Jon into their family.

Sophia learns how to make orecchiette

Other trip highlights include: spending all our Euros at the chocolate factory in Grödig, an afternoon at the art museum with Annette, Christian's adorable attempts at card tricks, picnic lunches in the city, and coffee in Austrian coffeehouses. I can't wait to go back.

view of the city at dusk

from Mozartsteg Bridge at night

Fall Break 2008: Kalotaszentkirály, Romania (Oct 25)

Csipkebogyó Lekvár (Rose Hip Jam) Festival in Kalotaszentkirály

A rose hip branch adorned the entrance to the village hall

Our last night in Romania was spent in Kalotaszentkirály. The evening

began with a large dinner together, then on to a wonderful evening of music and dancing. The guest of honor at the celebration was rose hip jam. The village hall was decorated with rose hip branches above the doorways and on the walls. The whole village turned out for the event, which began with the announcement of the winner of the rose hip jam competition. Prizes were awarded for the top five entries. Next came the folk dancing show. Different age level groups showcased their fancy steps and traditional clothing.

The first dancers were the older and more accomplished ones in the group. In the background you could see the faces of younger dancers peeking through the curtains and watching in amazement.

a short clip from the opening dance

Eventually the younger children danced too and before long the show was over and it was time for everyone to put on their dancing shoes.

curtain call for the performers


The musicians spread out across the stage and anyone interested moved towards the front of the hall for a crash course in some basic steps. The music and dancing went on well into the morning hours.

the musicians

Throughout the evening dancers would show off their steps for the crowd. This boy in particular loved the spotlight.

Fall Break 2008: Békás Szoros, Romania (Oct 24)

Our fourth day ended in the Békás mountains. We first stopped at the top to take a few snapshots before heading into the canyon.

We got off the bus and walked part of the canyon pass to take in the scenery on foot. It was a cold and rainy day, but it was beautiful.

Our next stop was Gyilkostó (Lacu Roşu) "Killer Lake" or "Red Lake." It has a particularly eerie look, settled in between the mountains with dead tree stumps sticking out of the water. Heavy rains in 1837 washed away part of the mountain. Due to the particular minerals in the lake, it preserved the trees that still stick out as stumps from the water. Occasionally the minerals and silt turn the lake a red color.

There is no shortage of legends to accompany this strange place. One legend attributes the red color to the blood of the shepherds who were buried alive in the landslide. Another is a love story: Two lovers' parents forbid them to see each other, so they met in secret in the mountains. One day they prayed for God to move the mountains and they were swept away with the side of the mountain into the lake.




Last stop: Delicious Kürtőskalács

Kürtőskalács is a traditional Transylvanian wedding pastry also known as "chimney cake." Strips of dough are wrapped around a wooden cylinder that twirls over open coals.

Once the dough is golden brown and the sugar caramelizes the dough is slid off the wooden spit and toppings like cinnamon, nuts, coconut, etc. are added. They are very popular and not just for weddings.