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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.
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
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
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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