Balaton

Last weekend I’ve been at the Lake Balaton with my family. We just decided in the last moment to make a reservation for 4 days in Zanka. It is huge youth centre with many buildings and facilites for holiday. We have been after the peak of the season so it was quite silent. It was a bit too silent sometimes when in the evening we desperately tried to find a  restaurant or a bufet for dinner. Definitely true that after the 20th August the summer season is over at the Balaton.

Luckily without the tourist dumping I could take nice photos!

This was taken from the house of Szegedi Roza in Badacsony. With her husband, the famous poet Kisfaludy Karoly, they have spent all the summers at the Balaton.

We had so impressive view to the Lake from the garden of a small Tscharda.

“Paprika hàz” I’ve never seen such a house even if the red pepper is very common in Hungary. You can find a small bunch of it in every kitchen.

One of my favourite picture after our first bath after 12 years in the Balaton. I love the colours so much and my models are so lovely:)

1st of May

First of May is the day of work in Hungary. I read some infos in Hungarian about the origin. In fact today we are celebrating the 8 hours workday. 117 years ago in Paris and the US the workers were demonstrating for the 8 workhours per a day. In Hungary during the communism it was one of the greatest feast of the year but not only under the red regime, I found a photo about the procession in Budapest from 1903. Since a long time it is a holiday here. (is it in France as well?) We are cooking pörkölt (pieces of beef or mutton are cooked in roasted onion and fatbacon with red paprika) and drinking fine beer. Cool!

Our little barbecue in the garden

Football Euro Cup 2012

Today the UEFA made the decision. Poland and Ukraine will organize the Euro Cup in 2012. According to the news Hungary and Croatia did not get even one vote in Cardiff. After our corrupted affairs in the EU I am not wondering at all. The international media was also really suprised that Italy could not win. Congratulation to Poland! They really deserved it. Hopefully, they can make profit from it!

For the 50th Anniversairy of 1956

50 years before Hungary said no for the communism. They were fed up with the starvation, the surrender and the fear from the State Protection Office. Silent demonstartors went along the streets of Budapest and asking to remove the leaders from the parliament and form a new government with Imre Nagy. Hungary was crying but nobody helped her!

What is today? The sons and relatives of the killers (who made fire among the people) are the leaders of Hungary. For this reason the demonstrators who were students in 1956 demand the expulsion of Gyurcsany.

‘Tokaji’: made in Hungary

The European Union’s court made the decision. The ‘Tokaji’ name use only for a special white wine, which come from the Tokaj Valley. Before, the Italians claimed that the Tokaji is a kind of vine what they produce on the Italian fields as well. They asked for using the name also but the Hungarian Republic denied it. From March the Tokaji is egal with an original Hungarian, high-quality white wine.

The newest heroe of Hungary

About 1 month ago the ministry of traffic asked the people on the net to vote for the name of the new bridge in Budapest. There was no added a list, so anyone could vote for anybody. Some weeks they delineated the result. Chuck Norris and Stephen Colbert are in the first 2 places! About 17 million people voted for Colbert across the USA. I found a video when the Hungarian ambassador gave to him the document of the result, and reviewed what are the conditions to become the name of the bridge.

Bad news – STORM

So much people was not so lucky as we in Debrecen. Because of the great storm in the capital already 4 people died and more than 100 are in hospital. In fact the leaders knew about the catastroph around 8, but they did not want to cancel it. The wind was 120km/hour strong on the riverside where thousands of people were waiting for the fire show. What does it mean? Should we change, shouldn’t?
For more details click here. . .
The BBC and Le Monde.

The feast of the first bread

In the Hajdúság (North-East Hungary) the feast of the first bread after the harvest is on 13rd August. Today the main street in Hajdúböszörmény was open only for pedestrians. It was full of little bakery stalls from every town of the region and also from Erdély. The traditional breads made of different kind of corns, special breads and cakes were offered. To close the day the Bocskai folk dance group presented Hungarian dances. My pictures are on Flickr.

Le Paprika

There is a nice restaurant in Paris where the Parisian can taste all of traditional meals from Hungary. Le Paprika brings us to the ’40’s Hungary into the ‘happy peaceful ages’ (called this period by Hungarians). Old gipsy band are playing romantic songs while you are tasting the sausages with cheese and drinking ‘Egri Bikavér’. Of course the original Gulash soup with beef and the Stuffed cabbage are also on the menu.

I found this picture from this age. Jávor Pál (one of the most famous actor between the Wars) with the gipsies who are playing his favourite song. (‘Jaj, de szép kék szeme van Magának. . ‘)