'Hungarian Journal'-4

[christabel_daae]

Tuesday, the 17th of July
Just after 8 AM – Budapest time

I’ve settled myself cosily at a table in our hotel’s open terrace. I’m waiting for our departure to a conducted tour to some old towns of Pannonia (9 AM). That promises to be a nice trip to some gothic towns. Finally I managed to escape from my roommate, a lady in her late 60s and a terrible chatterbox. If only I didn’t have to utter ‘yes, yes’ and ‘u-huh’ to the stories about her life and loves, her relatives, her recent holiday trips – then I would get at least an hour more of healthy sleep. But now I return to Tokay –

 14.07.07 – evening

The host, the hostess and the interpreter waved us a hearty good-bye, and our bus left Tokay. By the way, for two weeks already a wine festival (kind of) had taken place in that town. Tents everywhere, merry young people… Some of them were very strange looking – though several my friends have even stranger clothing and hairstyles. Everybody waving us, rising full glasses as our bus drove through crowded streets… A nice country, indeed!

We spent the night at a newly built (the 1970s or so) town – Tiszaújváros, that means ‘The new town over Tisza river’. Hotel ‘Phönix’. Could you believe that – I spent once a whole week at this very hotel, five years ago. Then I went abroad for the first time, a tour for schoolchildren. We visited daily the thermal pools of Tiszaújváros, apart from special excursions. Truly, my coins were worth leaving in the lake in front of the hotel. Ah, sweet memories… Next morning after breakfast we left for Miskolc. Mais non, Lillafüred first.

15.07.07

Lillafüred is kind of a suburb of the industrial heart of Hungary, Miskolc. Many Hungarians have summer cottages there. I have visited this woody place during my previous stay in the country. Here I’m back again! Again the cave of St Istvan – stalactites, stalagmites… I do love caves, so mysterious, so reminding of romantic adventure novels… In the last cave hall we visited, ‘Amphitheatre’, our group was told to sing. At once I broke the silence with the Duke’s ‘La donna e mobile, qual piuma al vento’ (Verdi’s ‘Rigoletto’) – why shouldn’t I perform airs for tenors? I guess my trip mates were rather impressed. After leaving the cave I heard several people, who had been standing in back rows, asking each other whether the radio had been turned on;) And the guide told us that this year is going to be a very lucky one just for the reason that the ceiling in the cave did nor fall on us.

More than two hours of free time. I did not take an hour-trip on the old train without window panes, so one can wave as he wishes. Nor did I sail over the lake – being so lucky a person I decided not to risk. I mean, I swim well enough not to get drowned, but what if my passport drowns? So I simply made a walk around the beautiful Palota (‘Palace’) Hotel.
It was built in the 20th century in Renaissance style.
I descended in a hollow (rocks, stone walls, a nice waterfall - the highest in Hungary, as I was told).
I was also fortunate to visit one more cave! Anna’s cave, as the guide told me, belongs to a very rare type. It was formed by trees – their trunks and branches. Lime precipitated, so the trunks became columns and walls, the crowns formed the ceiling. It is said that there are only five such caves in the world. I liked this cave as well as the previous one. None of those intricate ornaments and stalactites, true. But it is worthier the name ‘labyrinth’: very narrow pathways, numerous columns… And fossils – or rather imprints, that’s more correct – of prehistoric origin. The only disadvantage was that the guided tour was in Hungarian. If it were at least German! Anyway, I got enough fun for the entrance fee of 750 forints. (1$ - 175-180 forints, 1 euro – 235-240 forints).

The afternoon was spent at Miskolc-Tapolca, another suburb of Miskolc.