Tuesday 30 August 2016

MUNGUIN EN VANCANCES

All packed and ready to go.
Arrived and waiting for cocktails.
Picnic luncheon at the castle.
Inspecting the gardens.
Floral arrangements specially planted for Munguin's arrival.
With Dani and Zeta.
It's hard for a wee furry animal to keep cool,
but the fountains look good.
And there are some nice green places in the shade.
Quick meeting outside the USA Embassy with Ronnie. He was thrilled.
I wanted to them to get the parliament in but Abé had to get his head in the way.
Country residence at Lake Balaton.
A cruise on the Blue (Green??) Danube.
We visited a synagogue ... 
...and a church.
It was nice of them to put up barbers' poles to point me to the hairdresser.
So, we climbed to the top of a volcano (in the car)
We even took public transport... Me, Munguin, on the métro!! Imagine.
Our gracious host, Viki.
The view from Munguin's apartments.
The wasps were at least an inch long. No joke. Tris was scared stiff!
And finally to Lake Balaton again.
Sincere thanks to Viki, Dani, Abé, Zita, and all the other people who made the stay so marvellous. Seriously never turn down the opportunity to visit Hungary. It's one of the loveliest countries we've ever been to.

19 comments:

  1. Is that a statue, outside the synagogue? It's amazing to look at.
    Glad you enjoyed your holiday, and that his nibs luggage was not too heavy.
    I take it you couldn't find the butterfly...

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    1. Yes. It was. Each one of the leaves of the branches is the name of someone who was killed. Hungary has a sad history in the 20th century about which they are open. One of the highlights or horrors (depending on your view) of the visit was a trip to the House of Terror, which left us shaken. The Nazis and the Soviets left quite an horrific legacy and being in teh rooms where the torture and hangings took place was a bit much to stand.

      No butterflies, I'm afraid. Apart from mosquitoes (of some sort, which Dani assured me didn't bite, but which seemed to like Scottish skin) we only encountered these wasps which seemed to be nesting on the top of Viki's house, and decided to invade us one night.

      I hate killing anything living, and despite being allergic to wasp stings and terrified of them, I've rescued them from buckets of water and risked life and limb to shooo them outside, but these ones.... oh no.

      They invaded my bedroom and were bashing off the lights like demented moths. I was running around in my underwear like a loon with a copy of Private Eye and an Hungarian magazine to the amusement of all.

      In the end the death count was high, I regret to say, with me seeing off three and Viki four!

      Needless to say the boss appears to have wanted to bring home half of Budapest, so the luggage was a bit heavy on the way back (not to mention the little one himself, who ate far too much excellent food!)

      Actually we went to Vienna for a day (great ride on a train that wasn't overcrowded, Branson take note!) I managed to lose all my photographs from that, however Viki kindly sent me hers and I'll put some of them in to Soppy Sunday.

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  2. Lovely pictures. Glad you had a nice trip.....although I don't much care for wasps in the house. And a statue of Ronald Reagan is a waste of good bronze IMHO. ;-)

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    1. Actually, I didn't even know it was him. I asked Dani, thinking he was some Hungarian leader of note. How much do I know !!!

      Doubtless now that the little one has been there, Viktor Orban will have him melted down and replaced with a statue of Munguin outside the first Scottish Embassy in Hungary!

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    2. The Munguin statue is a great idea. ;-)
      Pretty good likeness of Reagan actually.

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    3. Munguin thinks so!!!:)

      I just couldn't remember what Ronnie looked like.

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    4. Hi! :) It was a statue of Ronald Reagan indeed.

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    5. Just as well YOU knew that, Dani. Actually, I thought it was the sainted Viktor Orban!!!!

      Get well soon buddy, and thanks for a great time in your lovely country!!!

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  3. They have a statue for that idiot, Reagan? I thought his acting was a wee bit shite.
    Looks like you had a great time, mate. Stunning place.
    Now that you're back, get some bloody work done!
    Missed you. ;-)

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    1. I can assure you Mr D, that since I've been back my nose has been firmly on the grindstone and my shoulder on the wheel... or is it the other way round.

      But yes, one of my favourite places in the world now. Great people and such a lovely, clean, well organised city.

      Anyway, can't stay here chatting all day. I have Munguin's scarf to wash and iron...

      Glad you missed me though. I was hoping someone would! :)

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  4. tris

    wot region of France is Hungary in near St Tropez ???

    Wasps not sure about but Bees are sacred in our garden/house
    well anywhere really

    bronze statue and real? ronnie Regan wots the difference in
    most of his B-movies the Bronze would of done a better job of acting
    although he dun a Sterling job playing an Idiot President of a fading
    Nation

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    1. Aye Niko. Actually Budapest has been called the Paris of the East and I can see why.

      Bees are a different story to wasps. I don;t think I could have killed them, but wasps are scary.

      Can't help feeling that Reagan (must loved by some Americans) was somewhat eclipse by DubYa. And can you imagine how much he'd be eclipsed by Trump!?

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    2. @ Niko: Fading nation indeed! Trump promises a much larger military.

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    3. Danno

      Yeah when I look around the world at all the death and destruction
      of innocent peoples the tears of children made homeless and alone..
      Obviously the answer is bigger military and more deaths.

      Although Trump is a bit like JFK they both slept with lots
      of women only JFK didnt tell. Trump he told everybody all the time.

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    4. I imagine Trump is really proud of all the conquests he's had. After all, looking like that it's a serious wonder he isn't a virgin!!

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  5. Those pesky Euro wasps. They know nothing of the decency or majesty of law-abiding British wasps.



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    1. Well Terry, as you well know, it's typical of foreigners. Buzzing around in your bedroom, keeping you awake and scaring the living whatsit out of you.

      They just have no perception of Great British Values like Great British wasps, huh?

      Now, if only I'd had one of your robots with me...

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  6. Brilliant photos.

    It's always nice to see other countries that you haven't been to yourself. It just proves the world CAN be a beautiful place to live if only those useless warmongering earseholes would give it and us a chance to live in peace!

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