Monday, March 9, 2009

Fun: szombat séta (Saturday Stroll)

I would have labeled this posting "Culture" a few weeks ago, but now that we're at home in Eger, I would call this fun. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, some sunshine we haven't seen in awhile, and warm enough to wear fewer layers. Jack was meeting with some students in American Studies, so I went for a walk with some goals in mind. I don't have the standard wicker basket that most carry for shopping, so I took along a spare conference tote bag that a colleague gave to me--I guess academics collect them here, just like we do in the States!

First to the recycling bin, to deliver some bottles and paper.
Then to our neighborhood bakery, to buy alpesi bread, or our most recent favorite dark bread (repcemagos kenyér), shaped like a heart and deliciously chewy. I wanted to make sure to get the bakery early, since they close around midday. I couldn't resist the sour cherry streudel (meggyes rétes) so I asked for two and got three--there is a custom to add on extras that I haven't quite figured out! Into the bag, hoping they didn't leak cherries everywhere.

My next stop was the Bitskey Aladár Uszoda (swimming pool/stadium) to buy tickets for the 3-day Volvo Cup Water Polo Tournament (Hungary, Serbia, Romania and the USA). As I waited in line, I actually had a conversation of sorts with an elderly gentleman who complimented me for TRYING to speak Hungarian. With Sunday tickets in hand, the final game between USA and Hungary, I went on in search of a couple of places I wanted to find in the old part of the city near the Castle (Vár).

It still seems amazing to me that I daily walk on cobblestones in the shadow of a 16th Century fortress. I was looking for the Palóc Folk Art Exhibition, which I thought was on Dobó Tér (Square)--turns out it is on Dobó Út (Street). Not open, unfortunately, but at least I now know where to find this collection of masterpieces of folk art in the 19th and 20th centuries. I'm especially interested in looking at the textile collection.

Where next? I wanted to find the building where the Joga (yes, yoga) classes are held daily. I still haven't made it to one, but I have ambitions to do so. I found the building, very near the historic Turkish Minaret. There are a number of activities held there, including several events during the upcoming Egri Tavaszi Fesztivál (Eger Spring Festival).

Speaking of the Minaret, it was open, and I was very briefly tempted to pay the entry fee and climb the 97 spiral steps to the top balcony. Then I remembered, from my 2004 experience, just how claustrophobic an experience that was, so I just waved at the people on the balcony and went on.

At this point I was near the back of the market hall, where I wanted to pick up some cheese, and knew that I'd end up with more to carry. I hadn't been in the back door before, and just inside saw the 'cabbage machine'. There is a huge pile of cabbages, and an industrial strength slicer (looked like a table saw to me!). I guess you pick your cabbage, pay for it, and then have it sliced/diced to a consistency that is right for whatever recipe you are cooking. Cabbage is eaten a lot here, in all kinds of ways. So far, every kind is great, including the savanyú káposzta, we got at the market last week (see earlier blog posting)!


So a stroll around the very crowded Saturday market led me to some ewe cheese, some Magyar spinach, and some Hungarian (right!) peppers. I have to control myself so I don't buy more than I can carry! I went outside and was treated to an explosion of the flower market that is always there--real signs of Spring! Flowers are very important, and people were buying pussy willows (we went back later and got some for me, and some for our landlady), tulips, hyacinths, snow drops, every color and size. I was almost hesitant to take pictures--like stealing beauty.

A real treat at the market was running into someone I knew! Laszlo, a colleague from the E-Teaching Seminar, was talking to a friend, while his little boy examined a flyer about toys for sale. I actually remembered, from Hungarian language class, how to ask how old he was. His birthday is this week, and he was 'shopping' for the perfect toy. We talked for a bit, and Laszlo's friend showed me a certain kind of hand-made "snail" pasta (csigatészta) he recommended, and told me where to find it in the market. Back into the market, and one more thing added to the shopping bag. By the way, Gabi at the office, explained how her grandmother made the csigatészta, and looked up photos on the Hungarian Wikipedia of the array of tools needed!

I walked away from the market through the pedestrian streets. There were many people out, enjoying the sunshine, and talking in small groups everywhere. I ran into another colleague and stopped for a short chat, and spoke with a couple of Dutch students from our language class. I even spotted, and talked briefly, with a couple of (labeled on their jackets) members of the USA water polo team, in for the tournament. I wished them good luck, which obviously didn't help since they finished last in the four team tournament. Eger is really starting to feel familiar.

My conference bag was getting heavy, and I decided to head for home. Suddenly I realized that it might be possible to catch Jack before he left the class he was teaching. I did, and we went to the Astronomical Museum and Camera Obscura--but that experience deserves its own blog posting entirely.

GREAT szombat séta!

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