Budapest and beyond...

Budapest is a gorgeous city, but rather unfortunately it has been tarred with quite a tragic past and we have managed to go to the most depressing but informative museums around town. It started with the Terror House Museum which highlighted the brutal regimes, the Arrow Cross, the Nazis and Communists, that ruled the city by fear and intimidation. Then it was onto Statue Park where the Hungarians put all the old propaganda statues from the communist era, the park is out in the middle of nowhere and is a bleak and stark reminder of the propaganda campaigns to win over the people to communism. And today we went to a bunker museum under the Citadel and read about the horrible siege of the city at the end of WW2. Makes you realise how lucky you are not to live through or under horrible wars and regimes.


Onto happier news we have spent the most wonderful 2 days visiting the town where my grandfather, Alexander Hodi grew up, Hódmezővásárhely, about a two and a half hour train trip from Budapest. We were lucky enough to be met by one of his old university friends, Dr Kiss who lives in Szeged and despite not speaking english took us on a tour of the town which sits on the Tizsa River. He greeted us with a simple note and brought us ice cream and we tried to communicate using an (inadequate) phrase book (meant for Hungarians going to London so, ’which way to Oxford?’ became extremely ridiculous in the situation).

We spent the next few days in the company of Dr Bela and Saci Petko. Saci’s father went to school and was friends with my grandfather. They had limited english but were the most wonderful, happy and generous hosts and were eager to speak with us (we were able to use a translator program on the computer to have long conversation) and were the first to celebrate our engagement with a bottle of champagne.

They took us out for the afternoon to my grandfathers old farm in Szekkutas and to the Agricultural College he studied at in Oroshaza. They showed us around the town of Hodmezovasarhely where Saci used to visit my great-grandfather on her way home

from school and he used to tell her stories. She has an extensive collection of things (books, photos, furniture and crockery) from both her own grandfather and my great-grandfather and I was extremely grateful to her for sharing

these and her memories with me.

We are especially grateful to them for organising their friend Iboyal and their granddaughter Nikki for helping translate along the way, and for introducing us to the Hungarian speciality of Fish Soup!

Next up we’re hiring a car to visit where my grandmother grew up in Heves.

Thanks to everyone for your congratulations, here’s a picture of the ring (Jeremy – the big softie – designed it himself (under the wise guidance of Terry, his jeweller in Ballarat)