Valda of Warkworth

Regec

2008-01-06T06:59:00.000-08:00

A real castle - and a very cold day, about minus 2.

Some snacks for the walk would have been great, but the village store was the social hub and no one was in any hurry to shop. Too much to talk about, including these two strangers looking for Kerekes. The daylight hours were too short to waste so we went on our way.

The uphill climb was broken with spells of jumping on the frozen puddles to break the ice, and skating on those that would not yield.

We climbed the mountain from a small village, through oak forest and after exploring the castle went down the other side to Regec. Both of these two villages are more prosperous and cater for tourists.

The castle is slowly being restored, faithfully, to original plans of 1293. The view is amazing. Original settlers in Hungary lived in towns, but one of the kings realised how vulnerable they were and in the 13th century embarked on a scheme to settle outlying areas and building castles as lookouts, so that prospective invaders could be detected. All the castles were built on rocky outcrops, and it must have been a mission getting all that rock up there.

I'll settle for some central heating. It was cold!

Fony - the village

2008-01-06T06:49:00.000-08:00

Fony is a little village at the foot of a mountain. The populationof 1200 in 1800's reduced to 800 after the war, but only about 400 people live there now.

A house built in 1836 could have been the type of house my grandfather grew up in. Typical of the period it is built of stone, then plastered. It has no windoes or doors on the north side and the long side faces due south to capture maximum sun. The family lived at one end and the animals were housed in the other, being taken out daily to graze.

The village has three churches - Roman Catholic, Reform - grand old buildings, and a newish evangelical one.

There are many unemplyed people here, and quite a few gypsies. There is a hot meals available at low cost every day.

We had asked for evening meals to be provided. Made a mistake actually, as it was a different guest house that offered that option. But undaunted, our host arranges for a village girl to come in and cook traditional food. It was good too.

Fony - and family

2008-01-06T06:33:00.000-08:00

Delia noticed it first - on the bus from Miskolc to Novijdrany many of our fellow travellers had noses shaped the same as mine. This confirmed we were in home territory - but more excitement to come.

Our host, Csaba, had done some research and had the address of someone who wanted to meet us. She had been a Kerekes and her parents graves we amongst the ones we saw in the cemetry earlier in the day.

There is no doubt that Istvan, Anna and Maria (twins) are distant cousins. Anna's wedding photo showed a young lady so like me at the same age, it was unbelievable.

Csaba acted as interpreter, and I was able to explain how I had come to think Fony was where the family emigrated to USA from around 1900.

Two days later we discovered my grandfather's birth entry in the church records. The records showed a family of four children, one of whom, Josef, would be the Uncle Joe my father mentioned.We recorded entries back four generations, but did not have time to investigate all entries and establish the link to the cousins. However we have some papers and an address in USA to follow up.

Baradla Cave, Aggtelek

2008-01-06T06:16:00.001-08:00

Photo later

Ever since I read about the labyrinth of caves on the Hungarian/Slovakia border, I wanted to visit. The caves run for 22km on both sides of the border. They were used during the war, and during that time many new passages were discovered. Iron bars blocked the pathways for many years, but they were cut through after the changes in government in 1989/1990.

Of the many options we chose the hour walk, which was just right since our guide spoke no English. The glowworm grotto of our Waitomo Caves is still the prettiest, but these formations take the prize for size and grandeur. There is even seating in the concert chamber. We heard recorded music but how amazing it must be to be there for a live performance.

After lunch in the sun we took the track to the top of the limestone face and photographed the contryside. No visit is complete without a walk to Slovakia (half a km). This is an historic photo as after the end of 2007 there is free travel between Hungary and Slovakia.

Heroes Square

2007-12-23T02:46:00.001-08:00

Heroes Square was built to celebrate 1000 years of Hungarian nation. It has statues of the leaders of the seven tribes that joined together and statues of kings. We were already familiar with the stories of some of the kings, thanks to our host who pointed to them on the forint notes and told their stories the night before.

Buda

2007-12-11T10:24:00.000-08:00

After a short tour on the Pest side with Amy and Paul who flew in on Friday night, we headed for Buda to visit St Matthais Church.

With each bend in the path up to the castle, en route to the curch, the views of Pest became more amazing. From the castle grounds we stepped into the past of cobbled streets and old buildings. The markets and shops sold a wide range of handcrafts. I enjoyed the embroidery in traditional patterns.

When Gyorgyi and Bence met us we all explored the church and surrounding area.

Then it was down to Moscow Square for a hot meal, through an area that has been rebuilt since the seige during WWII. My delicious Guylas Soup was served in a kettle. Believe me, it held a lot.

Now it was dark we walked up Gellert Hill, pausing to see the statue of St Gellert, and capturing photos of the Danube by night, with the castle on the Buda side and St Istvan's Basilica in Pest.

The Freedom Statue at the top of Gellert Hill was originally a Russian monument. Now the plaque has been changed to honour all those who fought for the freedom of Hungary. How unusual, but how sensible.

Statue Park

2007-12-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

Unlike other countries that came out from Russian domination around 1989, the Hungarians have not erased all signs of Russian presence. Statues have been gathered and an open air monument to that period in history has been established a few miles from Budapest.

Whereas other statues I have seen record events or great men (sorry ladies) of history, the features on many of these statues were of young people and clearly were used to foster hope and expectancy in the young of the nation under the new regime.

Indoors was extensive coverage of 1956 revolution and a film show.

Now this was no ordinary film show - it was a genuine training film of the secret police. How to break into and examine a house leaving no trace, including a detailed sequence on how to get copies of the keys; how to conduct a search when accompanied by suspects or witnesses, and how to recruit a new member to secret police using blackmail.

It was like a 60's TV programme because it was filmed in that period - perhaps a bit like Maxwell Smart and 99 - but it was real. Unbelievable and scary!!!

Oh, and something really important. It snowed!

The Danube

2007-12-04T10:01:00.000-08:00

We moved to Györgyi's house as planned, managed the tube by ourselves and spent the afternoon down by the river.

We came across sets of shoes in bronze, all sizes and shapes. A moving and sobering memorial to the men women and children who were massacred as they tried to cross the Danube in 1944.

The Parliament buildings are well known for their size and architectral style, and were just as pretty as the pictures.

We walked to Margrit Island, place of palaces, harems, monastries, and convents with genuine Roman ruins. It was three oclock and no heat in the sun which was a watery orange in the haze behind the trees. Very pretty, eerie, and very, very cold. We managed to get to the right stop and went by tram into town.

St István Basilica - amazing statues, frescoes, candelabra's with candles as big as your arms. We heard the beginning of the mass and the music was beautiful.

By this time we had developed what I call the Meer Cat syndrome. Remember the Telecom advertisement in the early 199o's where the Meer cat popped up, looked around and disappeared again? This was us at the metro stations - this exit- no this one - no wrong side of street - try again.

Bence passed the exam he sat that day. A time to celebrate.

Budapest

2007-12-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

The train was comfortable and the coffee very good. As we passed through the high country on the border we saw the first real snow. Later in the hills between Györ and Budapest there was a blanket of snow, some fallen overnight - but in Budapest none.

Györgyi took us to our hostel. It was situated three floors up, in a courtyard, which we are finding is quite typical in this part of the world. It a little wierd but clean and had all the facilities we needed. Our host, Adam, was doing renovations and was anxious to make us at home, and to help us with discovering the city. His advice was to walk rather than take the tube, so by the time I got back from changing money and purchasing a few groceries I was reasonably familiar with city plan.

Shopping was almost successful. Delia made scrambled eggs with the sour cream I purchased thinking it was milk. They both begin with tej.....

I discovered the local cake shop, yummy Döbös Torte!!

Schöbrunn Palace.

2007-12-04T09:28:00.000-08:00

We had a slow start to help overcome our colds then headed off out of town to Schöbrunn Palace.

The grounds and gardens are massive, with trees laid out in wide avenues and fountains and statues eveywhere. The Roman ruins fascinated us - until we found that a collection of ruins and statues had been recreated on the spot. Still the pieces were authentic.

It turned cold as snow clouds gathered - time to go inside for an amazing history lesson. As we walked from room to room we learned about the various kings and emporers and about Marie-Therese who ruled fo a long time. She had 11 daughters whom she married off wisely (or not wisely, if you were Marie Antoinette and ended up under the guillotine). Austria does not make war - she makes marriages".

Each room had it own style and use. Of particular interest was the ballroom. One end was bombed during the war and had been restored to original, including redoing the frescoes. It was also the room where Kennedy met Kruschev.

Outside it was warmer, and snowing for a short while - just lightly, but enough to justify a hot drink, (not alcoholic this time) followed by soup served in bread, at the Christmas market set up in the palace grounds. Delia spoke a little German with the couple sharing our table, and was encouraged by them to keep on trying.

Vienna

2007-12-04T09:11:00.000-08:00

This time it is the words first, and I will add photos as soon as possible.

It was an early start from London on Monday 26th, but we were still anxious to go exploring as soon as we had deposited our bags at the hostel.

After just a few steps we were walking in light snow, so what better way to celebrate (cope) than to have a mug of hot wine at the Christmas market under the statue of Hayden.

By the time we got to The Ring - a circle road in the centre of Vienna - it was getting quite miserable. I had been warned about the wind which increased the chill factor. We found the state Opera Theatre, and we approached to purchase tickets to a concert that night (this was not a concert in the Opera House). The concert was the one I had selected to go to, so we bought tickets. What a lucky break. We had planned to go to on Tuesday night, but the performance was not on then.

We plodded back up the street to fill in two and a half hours, and finally found a restaurant. It was quite up-market and we looked like derelicts from outer-nowhere, but they were gracious, the food was good and we had a view of the street - and we made dinner last a long while.

The concert presented in a salon with pieces by Mozart with musicians in period dress, some opera, music by Strauss and sequences of ballet and folk dances.

Photos...

2007-11-25T14:19:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the lack of comments... notes on the photos will be posted as soon as possible (or when my feet touch the ground long enough).

Men from Bristol

2007-11-25T12:29:00.000-08:00

Cheddar

2007-11-25T12:26:00.000-08:00

Bath

2007-11-25T12:21:00.000-08:00

A step back in time...........to 1293

2007-11-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

Tower of London

2007-11-25T11:50:00.000-08:00

Special People

2007-11-25T11:37:00.000-08:00

A special part of this trip is catching up with old friends. We met with Istvan, Dan and Magdalena in Los Angeles; Sue and John, Jenny andher family; then Virginia who was 5 when she left New Zealand in 1976. Now turn the clock back to 1959. Christine and I were 14 yr olds when I left Kawerau suddenly after the death of my father. Thanks to the 'Old Friends' website we were able to plan this meeting 48 years later.

My travelling companion is my youngest daughter, Delia, who has a long break between her university courses this year. Amy, next daughter up in age, and her husband Paul, are our London hosts supplying lots of love, ideas,and good company during our stay. Thanks guys. We appreciate you so much!

Hampstead Heath

2007-11-25T11:35:00.000-08:00

London

2007-11-25T11:32:00.001-08:00

The Delaware

2007-11-25T11:28:00.000-08:00

Philidelphia

2007-11-19T14:14:00.000-08:00

Up the tree lined boulevard, unashamedly modelled on Paris, to the National Art Gallery to see the Renior Landscape exhibition. The audio tape explaining the pictures added to the viewing.... the chidren's version was most enlightening.... and I got 95% in the test at the end. Did you know that this was the era when paint became available in tubes, making painting on site much quicker - a real blessing to artists and models alike.

The twilight view of the city from the steps of the Gallery, looking back down the boulevard was as beautiful as the pictures inside.

Albany

2007-11-19T14:11:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles

2007-11-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

Tranquillity!!!

After the last minute drama over passports and all the final preparations, which always take longer than expected, an afternoon at the Getty Villa in Malibu, north of Los Angeles, was a welcome break.

Below: Istvan and Delia

The Getty Villa has undergone massive changes since I last visited in 1990. The vast display of paintings is now found in the Getty Centre in LA, and the Getty Villa exhibits marble scupltures, glasswork, pottery, jewelley, mosaics and frescos.

Last year I read The Agony and the Ecstacy, the story of Michaelangelo. I am in awe of the work of the artists who created the frescoes and the scupltors who selected marble and spent years creating what we now see.

Imagine piles of little tiles, many of them in similar shades........ and here is what a clever artist can create.

Just arrived in London

2007-11-16T12:46:00.000-08:00