I'm not doing Music of the Month anymore. Partly because I'm lazy and mostly because finding new music seems infinitely harder suddenly.
I'm in the car a lot, driving Dave to and from school. In the past, this is when I'd scan the alternative stations for something interesting. I can't really do that here. At the time of day that I'm driving there seems to be a lot of "talk" on the stations and since I don't speak the language, it's not real entertaining.
Consequently, most of my new music is coming from scanning through Itunes. I keep hearing about a song, "Call Me, Maybe" but it seems a little pop-y. Maybe it grows on you?
So anyway, I'm on the hunt. Any suggestions? Here's some of my top selections to get a sense of what I've been digging lately.
I Am the D.J. and Still Young by Neon Trees
Bloody Mary by Silver Sun Pickups
Happy Pills by Norah Jones
October by Broken Bells
Down by the Water by The Decemberists
Simple Song by The Shins
Lonely Boy and Tighten Up by The Black Keys
Baby One More Time by Tony Lucca (awesome cover from The Voice)
Lots of marbles have been rolling around in my head lately. Hope I haven't lost any in the process.
1. Spring in Budapest is transformative and summer is looking pretty darn wonderful. It's awesome to open my windows in the evening and feel the cool crisp air filter through the house. My garden burst to life in late March and now with summer practically here, I'm digging the idea of a pool. I'm loving this 4 season thing. Everyone should be doing this! 2. Living in Europe has definitely boosted my score on Logo Quiz.
3. Lincoln turned 12 in April, then he got the Priesthood and now he passes the sacrament and every week I'm reminded that he's not a little boy and it's still freaks me out. On top of that, last week we went to the doctor for a checkup and Lincoln has gained 24 lbs and grown at least 3 inches since we moved here. It's great 'cuz I have a few other things that require my mad worrier skillz. (yes, skillz with a z.)
4. I adore salsa. Adam had a business trip to the states and he went armed with a list of US necessities, not the least of which came in a large Costco-sized plastic jar label El Paso. The sheer awesomeness is without bounds.
5. Having a maid is pretty darn perfect. There's a lot of things that have gotten hard since moving here. Laundry. Finding tortillas or good BBQ sauce. Laundry. Avoiding pot holes. Planning to get lost at least twice whereever you go. Laundry. But...having someone come clean my house 1 x week goes a long way to making up the difference. She even does the ironing. *Sigh*
6. My guys can really rock a go-cart helmet. And yes...they really sweat a lot in those things.
7. David's school did an International Day. I've been to these kind of things before, but for the first time since...well, ever...it was truly "international". Every parent brought a dish or dessert from their home country and we had such a great time.
8. Yesterday, while driving on a tiny side street, I had to stop for a huge cement truck to back into the driveway of a house. The really super thing about it was he stopped, put the truck in park and got out with his front end still sticking out halfway across the street. Plus, there was a car parked (1/2 on the street and 1/2 on the sidewalk) just opposite the truck. It left a ity-bity teeny-weeny space for a car to pass through. For a SmartCar it would have been snug but doable. I drive a Honda CRV. Not so doable. I motioned for the driver to come back and move the truck but he ignored me. By this time I had 4 cars behind me and they began to honk for me to get a move on. So backing up was now out of the question. I really didn't think I could make it, but the drivers behind me obviously thought I could. I started to inch forward, heart palpitating. I crawled at a snail's pace, adjusting as best as I could to manuever the tight space. My side mirrors grazed the truck and car gently enough to turn them in without damaging them, but it still freaked me out. I made it and came away feeling a weird sense of accomplishment.
9. David makes a cute lion. (Reminds me of "Little Lion Man") I've never seen the attraction to the musical Cats but if they end up looking this adorable, maybe I could get on board.
10. When Adam got home from the states, he brought us so many treats and surprises that it felt like Christmas. I had to smile at Kyle though.
Adam: "I brought you guys a surprise. You're gonna love it!"
Kyle: "Did you pack our friends in there?"
Things don't matter nearly as much as people. Especially, when they're your people.
Today is the post where I'm supposed to pick my favorite site from our trip to Rome, and all week long, I've been laboring as what to post because my favorite thing about Rome, was Rome itself.
The feeling of walking through history...
...and catching a glimpse of the modern with the ancient.
All the achitecture and color from a city that I hoped, but never believed, I would visit.
And yet, here I am, IN ROME, with the four people I love the most.
Adam: His favorite part of Rome was St. Peter's Square and Basilica. How could you not be impressed and awestruck by that?
It's an understatement to say that the place is huge and filled with history. And that's even before you get inside. Built upon the ruins of Nero's Circus, the Egyptian obelisk is all that remains of from that pre-Christian era. Peter, it is said, was crucified upside down at this very place and then his body was taken to a nearby chapel to be buried. Jump ahead three hundred year and Christianity has become all the rage, and the small chapel with Peter's bones was one of the holiest site in Christiandom. The small chapel was eventually replaced by the structure we know today.
Designed by Michaelangelo, the basilica is unbelievably big but everything is engineered to feel smaller, thereby allowing for large masses of visitors, but at the same time, giving each visitor a feeling of closeness with God. Despite, being 2 football fields in length and 1.5 football fields high at the dome, everything is done to scale, which means those 6-foot cherubs frolicking around the 15-ft statue appear to be baby-sized until you look more closely.
That tall bronze structure surrounding the alter is called a baldacchino, created by Bernini. Each column is 65 feet tall.
In the oval stained glass window in the background, there is smallish-looking dove, which has an actual wingspan of 6 feet. Crazy.
So, yes, the basilica is huge, but maybe even more impressive is how all that massive space is filled to the brim with art, sculpture, mosaic and symbolism. The highlight is the Pieta.
Adam and I took 11 separate photos of the Pieta and not a single one did it justice. The Pieta (meaning Pity) was sculpted by Michelangelo when he was only of 25 and the only piece he ever signed. The emotions are raw, felt even at a distance and through bullet-proof glass. Because none of the shots did it justice, I am using stock photos.
Here's a shot from up close that is a much better representation of the work.
Beyond the Pieta, there's a statue of St. Peter, whose toe has been rubbed by the faithful for centuries, erasing all distinction between his toes and feet.
I could add numerous other photos, but instead I will end with what I find to be an interesting, if humorous, part of the visiting St. Peter's Square: the Vatican guards.
Dressed in, what can only be called, a historically accurate uniform, the Swiss Guard has protected the Vatican for centuries and seemingly without a change in wardrobe.
Lincoln: His favorite site in Rome was the Colosseum, or as he called it, the Smalloseum.
A prerequisite site for a visit to Rome, be sure to buy tickets online ahead of time, as you can easily spend more time in line that you will inside. We went on a Sunday afternoon when the city closes the main thoroughfare, allowing pedestrians to have a beautiful stroll along the ruins toward the Colosseum.
Once inside, there are endless opportunities for boys to imagine all sorts of gruesome gladiator fights, which is the whole appeal, right?
Although, the Roman Forum is technically not part of the Colosseum, I'm including several shots that we took of the Forum from the Colosseum walls.
Here's Adam and the Arch of Constatine.
Lincoln and Kyle overlooking the ruins of the Temple of Saturn.
And here's the boys and I with the Forum and Colosseum in the background.
Kyle: His favorite part of Rome were the fountains.
Trevi Fountain is probably the most famous. A legend holds that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome. This was the theme of 1954's Three Coins in the Fountain, but even before the movie this was a special fountain. The water comes from one of the aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome for more than 400 years. In 19 BC, supposedly with the help of a virgin, Roman technicians located a source of pure water. This scene is presented on the present fountain's façade.
Just to give you a sense of the crowds, here's the fountain shot from a nearby church steps. Yeah...we didn't exactly have the place to ourselves.
Although Trevi Fountain is the most famous, we had many others to choose from. Here's the Four Rivers by Bernini at the Piazza Navona--a piazza with not one but three fountains. And here's the kids at the Mouth of Truth, which may not be a fountain, but we're including it anyway.
And another fountain in front of the Pantheon: But without a doubt, Kyle's (and Lincoln's and David's) favorite fountain is an incospicuous fountain sitting at the base of the Spanish Steps. (see below)
Fontana della Barcaccia (or "Fountain of the Old Boat" for those Italian-challenged, like me). It is so named because it is shaped like a half-sunken ship with water overflowing its bows. The shape was chosen because, prior to the river walls being built, the Tiber often flooded and in 1598 there was a particularly bad flooding. The Piazza di Spagna was flooded up to a meter. Once the water withdrew, a boat was left behind in the square, thus inspiring the fountain. My kids loved it because it offered the best opportunities to ham it up.
Don't ask me why they are all so aggrieved. I don't have a clue.
Rome. The Eternal City. Caput Mundi. City of the Seven Hills.
It is still remarkable that a girl from a small town in Idaho has somehow landed herself in Europe where visiting places like Barcelona and Rome is actually possible. So forgive me, if I'm a little awestruck.
There is magic in walking on the narrow cobblestone streets of Rome, with tiny gelato shops, zipping Vespas and crumbling ruins, all hiding under umbrella pines and surrounded by the smell of pizzerias. We stayed outside of Rome proper, in a little apartment in Monteverde, next to the #8 Tram. There was a farmer's market next door, a pizzeria and gelato shop across the street and a neighborhood park just a block away. Several times, after a long day, we would hit the park to let the kids run out their energies, then have dinner and dessert and it was all within a minutes walk of our temporary home. It was at the park that Lincoln got a chance to play soccer with a little Italian boy, who was 8 years old, looked like he was 6 and played like he was 16.
Don't get me wrong...the vacation had it's bumps (illness and rain, mostly) but I can't say that it was anything less than amazing. I just wished we'd had a chance to see more. Still, even with all the issues, we have about a 53,672 photos. Whittling them down for a single post was daunting. Rather, I asked everyone what their favorite things was and I'll do a post on each.
David: Ironically, David's favorite thing was the Vatican Museum. Below you can just make out David in the shadows of the is amazing stained glass of the Virgin and Child.
The Vatican is one of the greatest museums in the world, and traces its origin to one marble sculpture, purchased 500 years ago. The sculpture is called Laocoon and was discovered in 1506 in a vineyard near Rome. Pope Julius II sent Michelangelo, who was working at the Vatican (Sistine Chapel kind of work, I assume), to examine the discovery. On his recommendation, the pope immediately purchased the sculpture from the vineyard owner and it went on public display exactly one month after its discovery.
This is a replica. The real Laocoon is on display and I do have a shot of it, but the crowds were so monstrous, that I couldn't bear the fight to get closer.
Adam and the boys seemed to favor the statues whereas, I was struck my the paintings. I love this one, which I believe is of St. James, kin of Jesus at his beheading. It's morbid and emotional, but I like it.
And of course there were the pieces of art that I learned about in Art History, like School of Athens. This famous fresco by Raphael has nearly every great Greek philosopher found somewhere in the painting, but I find that determining which one is Aristotle and which is Plato a bit difficult. Raphael has even painted himself into the scene.
The size of the museum was probably what amazed (and tired) us the most. It seemed to never end. Hall after hall. And after a while, all the gilding and frescoes and masterpieces seem to blend. That's when we stopped in the museum cafe for a well deserved break, before making the final descent into the Sistine Chapel.
Of course, the Sistine Chapel was the thing we were all eager to see. We don't have any pictures because photos are not allowed. Our kids kept us honest, but we were the only ones not taking pictures, I assure you. Despite the request for no photos, the sound of iPhone cameras was deafening .
Once inside, Adam commented on how he thought the Sistine would be bigger. Lincoln was enthralled that Michelangelo painted himself into the Last Judgement, Kyle was hemmed in by the crowds and David seemed only to note that a lot of painting had people without clothes.
Three notes to anyone wanting to visit the Vatican, especially with kids:
1--buy tickets online. There is always a horrendous line, but with advance tickets, we walked right in.
2--the Vatican does a great "Family" audio tour, which is essentially a scavenger hunt for the kids with a map full of pictures of artwork/sculptures. The kid's job is to hunt down the pictured art piece then listen to the narration associated. This audio guide is why the Vatician Museum is David's favorite site within Rome.
3--Be sure to stop within the Vatican courtyard for a snack break (and bring your own snacks). It'a a beautiful place to stop and rest.
Last shot...the famous circluar stairs that every tourist must descend, with its ever shortening steps.
My first born is 12 years old and I'm kinda freaking out.
Religously, this is a big birthday for a boy and it's causing my parental genes to squirm and thrash about like a hooked trout. (No, I don't know where the trout thing came from, but it popped into my head, so just go with it.)
"Is he ready?"
"Does he possibly know enough to enter that world?"
And, it's not just the whole my-son-will-now-have-the-priesthood-of-God-thing. It's twelve. As in, the number before thirteen. As in, the Teenage-boy Cometh. (Gulp)
"Am I ready?"
"Do I possibly know enough to enter that world?"
So, yeah, I'm wiggin' out. (Hence the oddly misplaced, if somewhat applicable, trout analogy.) And just when I start to really go off my rocker with worry about him and I being ready for this brave new world of teenage-dom, I catch him being wonderful with his younger brothers or he cleans up around the house without being asked or he cracks a truly witty joke showcasing his amazing smile...and in that moment, I feel suddenly like some how things will be okay...maybe better than okay.
I have a love affair with Spring. There's just something transcendent about everything waking to life seemingly all at once. Just before heading out on a Spring Break vacation, I took some photos of our back yard because it is just made me so excited to see all that color and blossom spontaneously burst into existence.
Houston is a green place. It's warm and humid and plants like warm and humid. Plus, there's lots of pine, so even in the winter, when it's cool (and humid) things are still stubbornly green. Of course, Spring does make its arrival and brown things become green and the green gets greener, but it's not the same as when it feels like that whole wide world is gray and brown and then...pow!...in a matter of days the world explodes with new life. I love Spring. It's tranformative.
Things are even more bloomy-beautiful now, three weeks later and it just makes me so happy.
Not just happy. Joyful. I believe an inherent truth-seeking part of our Spirit recognizes the beauty and rebirth of Spring and easily draws the correlation to the Resurrection, which is the most joyful idea there is, so...yes, Spring is transcendent, beautiful, joyous and I love it.
One year ago today, I broke my leg, tore all the ligaments in my ankle and had just the bestest, most awesomest day ev-ah. (For the sacrastically impaired, yes, I am joking.)
I am so dang happy to have two working legs. It's a wonderful thing, that.
In celebration, enjoy this little bit of Wariner family goodness. (by the way...when I hear my voice in this recording, I wonder how I have friends)
Two weeks ago, Hungary had a long 4-day weekend, so we took off the other 3 days and spent the full week in Barcelona, Spain. We had beautiful weather. Barcelona has an efficient metro system and makes great use of its outdoor space. It seemed we couldn't walk 2-3 blocks without running into a playground, which for families with young kids, is a life-saver.
The beaches were enjoyable despite being too cool for swimming.
I'll say this about the Spanish people...they don't seem to have body issues.
Exhibit A: Old man wearing underwear, hat, tube socks and white shoes, fixing a bike before relaxing to catch a few rays.
Bwah ha!
Below is a video clip of 2-on-2 Volleyball/Football played by some football enthusiasts. You don't see it, but they serve too...by building little mounds in the sand and kicking. It was awesome to watch.
We tried paella and enjoyed fresh seafood, like prawns with the heads still on...but the kids were only so adventurous. Eventually, we had to go with something that felt familiar.
Now I promised (with the ole teaser headline) our version of Barcelona's best:
BEST CHURCHES
#3: Barcelona Cathedral--built in the 14th century and dedicated to Eulalia of Barcelona, co-patron saint of Barcelona, a young girl of 13 who, according to Catholic tradition, suffered martyrdom during Roman times. Behind the chapel there is a secluded Gothic cloister where 13 white geese are kept, in memory of Eulalia and her 13 years.
#2-- The Church of the Sacred Heart. Perched atop the highest point in Barcelona, with beautiful vistas inside and out, this church has a unique perspective on Barcelona. This church is really two separate chapels. The lower building has amazing and intricate tile work on the floors and ceiling, whereas the upper chapel is stark, white and filled with light. By the way--the tiny green and red-shirted boys are Lincoln and Kyle.
#1--Hands down winner: Sagrada Familia. This immense structure is like no other church I've every seen. The construction began in 1882 and Antonio Gaudi took over as architectural mastermind in 1883. Gaudí devoted his many years to the project and at the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete. The final completion date is set for 2026. Currently the church has only 8 of the 18 towers completed, with the remaining towers set to dwarf the completed ones. It is so big that you can't really get a sense of its size from pictures. You really need to see it to appreciate it. The exterior is covered with vignettes from the Saviors life, depicted with statues set into alcoves around the entrances. The interior is hugely vaulted, white and bright with the most amazing stained glass I've ever seen.
One funny side note. We unknowingly took the elevator to the top of one of the completed towers at exactly 12 noon. The bells in the tower began to toll just as we began our descent on the stairs. I can't express how loud that was! Quite an experience.
BEST CEILINGS
#3-- Chapel Ceiling in Barcelona Cathedral in all its gothic awesomeness.
#2--Guell Park, specifically the ceiling in the Hall of 100 Columns, (although there are actually only 86 doric columns) which was another design of Gaudi's. The tiny mosaic tiling is just amazing.
#1--the ceiling in the dining room of Casa Batllo. Built in 1877 and remodelled in 1904-1906 by (you guessed it) Antonio Gaudi, Casa Batllo is one of my favorite experiences in Barcelona. It seems that Gaudi's goal was to avoid straight lines completely. Everything is fluid and curvy, inside and out. This particular ceiling seems almost like curves of a seashell.
BEST FLOORS (Can't do one without the other, right?)
#3--Flagstone in the courtyard cloister of Barcelona Cathedral.
#2--Tiled floor in the side prayer chapel at Montserrat monastery, depicting a monastery atop a mountain, which is an apt description of Montserrat.
To get to the monastery you have to take an hour train north of Barcelona and then a 5 minute cable car into the peaks of Montserrat. This picture gives a sense of the place.
And on to...
#1--Tile floor in the lower chapel of the Church of the Sacred Heart depicting two deer drinking from the "Fons Vitae" or fountain of life.
BEST WINDOWS
#3 & #2--the windows at Casa Batllo, both from inside...
and out.
#1--Best windows were easy to pick: Sagrida Familia. So bright, so light, these windows literally filled the room with multicolored shafts of light.
BEST DOORS
#3--Transept door in the very gothic Montserrat chapel.
#2--Hall door at the Casa Batllo. The woodwork was amazing throughout. #1--Sagrida Familia chapel doors are works of art, covered with the complete books of Mark and John written in Latin.
BEST ARCHES
#3--Montserrat outer walls
#2--Guell Park's arched pathway
#1--The Arc Triomphe
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
#3--City Park
#2--Casa Amatller: sitting next to Casa Battlo along the Apple of Discord street. Interesting design and sits in great company.
#1--Sculpture in the cloister outside the Barcelona Cathedral. I chose this among the many other sculptures we saw because of the feeling it evokes.
We had a great time in Barcelona and I've only posted about some of the highlights. It is a beautiful city and we loved our time there.
1. The amazing sites in and around Budapest. Like churches and castles and monuments, just to name a few.
2. How close everything is. I can fly to Rome in 1.5 hours and in a month, I'll be doing just that. I can drive to Vienna in 2.5 hours. It's amazing, especially after being in Texas, where you can drive for 10 hours and STILL be in Texas. I know, cause I've done it--an experience I'd like never to repeat. This goes for commuting time. In Houston, Adam's commute was something like 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on time and traffic. Adam now commutes for about 20 minutes regardless of the time.
3. Traffic lights. I know it's a weird thing to love, but it's awesome. In America, the traffic lights will turn from green to yellow and then red to indicate "stop" and then after a time, the light will go green again. Here the lights go green, yellow, red but when it's time to go again, the lights go red, then yellow and then green. This indicating yellow light allows traffic to gear up. It may not sound like a big deal, but I love it!
4. Croissants. I love how accessible good quality pastries are here. It's a blessing and a curse really, but there it is.
5. Having four seasons. We have loved having snow! So fun for the kids and there's something special about watching big flat flakes fall peacefully to the earth. Today the sun is shining and in the garden, green shoots are emerging. I love Spring!!! It's so refreshing.
5 Things I miss about living in Houston:
1. Wide roads. 'Nuf said.
2. Target. Really and truly, it is quite devastating.
3. Tex-Mex. BBQ. Seafood. (We're going with just a single item on this one, but we all know it could easily be #3, #4 & #5)
4. I miss my friends. I've never lived closed to family, so I'm used to missing them, but this business of living in a time zone 7 hours ahead of my friends is messing with my chi.
5. I miss "Easy". I've heard other expats call it "auto-pilot", but it really comes down to being able to relax. It's that intangible feeling of knowing you don't have to engage all your faculties to accomplish things like buying groceries, driving to your kids' school or ordering food at a restaurant. Until you've lived without "Easy" for a while, you don't realize how much you take it for granted. I'm trying to find my version of "Easy" here but it is an elusive little guy.
Sightseeing with kids is always interesting. One never knows quite how the experience will be received. For the most part, I've been pretty pleased with the kids' attitudes. They usually try to find something to be interested in.
Here's the perfect example. Lincoln asked me to take this shot. If you've seen the Pirates of the Caribbean movie where all the characters yell "FIRE!" then you'll know Lincoln's inspiration. Of course, in the movie the pirates were firing cannons at the enemy ship, whereas Lincoln is an 11-year old not firing a catapult while his brother looks on with a mixture of disbelief and amusement...but let's not quibble about the details.
We took this picture in front of the weapons display at ruins of Visegrad Royal Castle. We went there for a quick day trip and found an interesting history just waiting to be discovered. After touring the windswept castle ruins and pretending to fire catapults we were all ready for another adventure. Just down the road was a alpine bobsled track. The kids and I had the place to ourselves and rode 6 times in a row until we were all frozen and smiling!
The next week, we attempted another jaunt into the wilds of Budapest. It was a bit of a bust, but we made the best of it. We decided late in the day to go to Elizabeth Tower, the highest point in Budapest. Upon arrival, we discovered that the chair lift to the tower closed at 3 pm. It was 3:04 pm. A tad deflated, we reversed course to a playground that we spotted on the way. Here's the three boys doing their best to remedy our failure, aka..their own rendition of the Lord of the Rings "At dawn we ride!"
The Lord of the Rings was the original inspiration, but this was a close second:
There was a church just across the street and I hoped to tour it, but alas, it too was closed. Beautiful church, though.
Do not count us out yet. After having our fill of the playground, we drove down to the Danube, or the Duna as the locals call it. We took a couple great shots of the Parliament and the Reformed Church of Budapest.
I love the tile work on the roof and the sharp pitch and angle of the towers. As per the theme of the day, we couldn't tour the church, as it was closed, but the facade provided a wonderful view regardless.
By the end of the day, we went home happy and content despite the seemingly disappointing failures. It's all in the attitude, as they say.
1. Because it was filmed at Utah Valley University, aka UVSC back in the day. I like to support organizations that helped Adam and I get to where we are. This is also helpful in deluding myself with the idea that I'm not so far away from all of that. (And yes, I mean that metaphorically and physically).
2. Because this a question Adam and I have been arguing about for about 15 years. I say "yes" and he says "no". I will site specific examples in our own lives where Men and Women were and are "just friends", but Adam says I'm just kidding myself. At which point, I refer emphatically to the Harry-and-Hermione example and he throws up his hands and mutters something about 'fictional people not being real', which I, of course, refuse to acknowledge as anything but nonsense.
Y'all been requesting pictures of the house so here's a photo tour of our home here in Budapest. We're mostly settle now, although there's still things I'm hunting for. We feel lucky to have found a home that is so new and with so many "American" touches. Here's the front elevation and gate.
Most homes here have gates with buzzers. The buzzer rings a phone inside the home and theoretically the homeowner can buzz the visitor in with a press of the button. That's assuming the homeowner is smart enough to figure out the system, which yours truly is not. When I have visitors, I make a mad dash to open the gate, much to the horror of our landlord. Every time he comes and I run out in the cold to open the gate in my bare feet, he about has a litter of kittens. He's a sweet old man and can't stand that I would expose my feet to such cold, but as you can see, it's not that far from the front door and the gate.
The home is build like a split level. At the entry way, you can go up a 1/2 flight of stairs to the right and enter the guest quarters (Kyle's bedroom) or you can turn left and go to the living room and kitchen. Plus, there is a set of stairs that take you down to the storage room and then eventually down into the laundry, sauna and garage.
Here is the living room and kitchen that you access through the double doors from the entry.
For those that will appreciate the rarity of this site: here's my American-sized fridge, complete with built-in ice maker!
The owner of this house designed and built it along with his wife and they did a great job designing ingenous space-saving built-ins. I wasn't expecting to have so much space and storage. We feel really blessed to have found a home with such good design, storage and openness, especially because it is so rare here.
The kitchen has french doors that lead out to the wrap-around patio and down into the back yard with a pool. Currently, the pool is covered and not in use, but everyone is pretty excited for the weather to be nice enough to roll back the screen and test it out. In the meantime, we are hoping for a good storm to give us enough snow to build our very own snowman. The yard goes back quite a ways and the kids like running round down there.
Moving on...if you return to the entry way and go up the 1/2 flight of stairs you enter into the 2nd kitchen and guest room, which has been designed to be used as a seperate living space.
We are currently using the 2nd kitchen as a TV/Game room for the kids. This room leads directly into the Kyle's bedroom, which will also serve as a guest room, if/when we have guests. There is a ensuite bath and walk-in closet here as well.
Going back out on to the stairs, if you go up another flight of stairs, you enter into the kids floor. Lincoln and David's rooms are here along with a bathroom. The hallway overlooks the 1st floor. One of my favorite things about this space is all the book shelves serving as a half wall.
Our room is up another 1/2 flight of stairs on the top floor. I didn't bother taking any pictures because we don't actually have much up there right now. We left our king-sized bed in storage for fear that it wouldn't fit. It would have, by the way. Oh well. So now we are awaiting the arrival of our bed that we ordered 4 weeks ago. They say it will be another 2 weeks. Yeah, 6 weeks for a bed. *shrug* I don't get it either.
So, that's the tour. We enjoy living here. The location is great. Five minutes from school and 10-15 mins from work. We shared a backyard fence with another Exxon expat family with kids the boys' age. If necessary, Adam can take public transport, which picks up at the top of the street (about 50 yards). We live up in the hills but not so high up that we worry about getting down when there's snow. There's a 2-car garage and space on the street for visitors, when necessary. It's so much better than I'd ever hoped. So good, in fact, that even our side neighbor's half-finished yard of projects didn't discourage us from renting this place the minute we saw it.
Our next big adventure took us to the Castle District. Buda Castle and Royal Palace complex, as well as all the immediate area sits upon a hill. This provides spectacular views of the Danube, Pest and specifically, the Chain bridge.
We rode the funicular... ...and made it just in time to see the changing of the guard. The castle and palace itself could provide a full day of touring, but the kids were worn out of the 'museum stuff' after the first floor (although they were enthralled by a display in the antiquities section that featured a desk which was riddled with hidden compartments).
Here's what they were interested in:
Pretending to hold up the statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy...
...pushing each other into the (thankfully empty) fountain of King Matthias...
...and mimicking the roaring lion.
As you can see, we had a good time.
During this same visit, we also visited the Labyrinth, Matthias' Church and the Fisherman's Bastion, but I've bored you all with enough vacation slides for one day.
Yesterday I opened my mail box to find my very first Hungarian piece of mail. A few brave souls have mailed me Christmas cards (thanks Julie, Lilian & Amoreena) but I haven't gotten anything that was actually sent within Hungary.
As you'd expect, the letter was in Hungarian. It was sent from UPS in a UPS letterhead envelop but inside, on UniCredit Bank stationary, was what looked like a bill of some sort.
I immediately went to Google Translate for a little help. Here is what I got when I inputed the text:
Proof of payment of customs duties and other kozteher
AFA in central VPOP imp Acct: 11,302 huf
Kozteher Total:11,302 huf
The bank is charged to this account today, strain, and transferred to an irrevocable kozteher kotelezettsget itself. This document kozteher in respect of the payment is conducted as a proof. The bill made a pendanyban.
Cash flow of services (SZJ: 65.12.10 adomentes material): 350 huf
Payable mindosszesen: 11,652 huf
*tizenenegyezerharomszazketto*
Not a clue.
Welcome to Hungary!
postscript...did anyone happen to notice that last word, that Google translate didn't bother to translate. Well, I did. It's 29 letters long. Try using that the next time you play Scrabble.
The Parliament was our first adventure as a family. We'd read about it and of course, we'd seen on the shores of the Danube during the day and it lit up by night. The Parliament is a sprawling structure, with soaring spires and a huge brick-red dome.
Here is picture of the Parliament taken from the Buda side, with the Reformed Church of Buda in the foreground.
Duly impressed, we bundled up on a early Saturday morning at 9:30 and took the bus over to the Parliament to take the 10 am English tour. After about 20 minutes of queuing we discover that the tour was full and that in order to assure tickets for the 10 am tour, we should have been there at 8 am to buy them. No advance purchases were allowed. Shivering, we trekked back to the bus stop and eventually back to the hotel.
Take two: The following Saturday, Adam got up early, took the 8:05 bus to the Parliament, walked right up to the counter, purchased the tickets, then returned to find his family sleeping blissfully and somewhat traitorously. An hour and a half later, we were all back at the Parliament for the 10 am tour.
The tour was about 45 minutes and took us through one wing of the building. The two flanking wings are identical in structure and design, with only minor decorative distinctions, so the tour only goes through the main stairs, the cupola and then through the hall and chambers of the North wing.
I wished we could have seen more, but maybe that would have been wasted on us. With so much to take in, there was a little bit of sensory-overload. It is very opulent with historical significance and symbolism built in.
For example. This is a picture of the main stairs leading from the front doors. There are 96 stairs. The dome is 96 meters high. Why is that? Well, it represents the year in which the Kingdom of Hungary began, being 896. Just prior to the millenium year of the founding of Hungary, three cities (Buda, Pest and Obuda) were united to form Budapest, the capital of Hungary. The government resolved to constuct a new Parliament building to express the sovereignty of the nation, as well as to celebrate the upcoming millenial anniversary of Hungary. An international competition was held, with construction from the winning plan starting in 1885 and the building was inaugurated on the 1000th anniversary of the country in 1896 (but not fully completed until 1904, with the architect of the building going blind before its completion). So...the 96 steps represent the year 896 and 1896.
About one thousand people were involved in construction, during which 40 million bricks, half a million precious stones and about 88 lbs of gold were used. The Holy Crown of Hungary is on display in the central cupola.
This is the crown of the Kings of Hungary, beginning with St. Stephen and continuing with more than 50 others. No king of Hungary was regarded as having been truly legitimate sans this baby. It is seen here with St. Stephen's sword and coronation scepter.
An interesting fact: The Crown’s shape is elliptic and is larger than a healthy human’s head. During coronation, the would-be king had to wear a so-called 'kapa' made of leather, which was sewn for the size of the king, to hold the crown.
You may also notice that the cross is crooked. The story is that it was knocked thus in the 17th century, during a impending seige, when the top of the iron chest that housed the crown was hastily closed without the crown being properly placed. I guess no one bothered to fix it because the cross has been left in this slanted position for all to see. I wonder if someone lost their job over that little mishap?
Bizarre as it may sound, the item below may have been the most impressive thing we saw, while at the Parliament. It is a perfect scale replica of the Parliament made by a Hungarian family who wanted to make a gift for his city. The guide said how long it took and how many matchsticks were used, and be assured it was a years and many matchsticks, but I have forgotten the exact numbers because I was too stunned by the fact that it was made by an average Hungarian man and his family.
Along those same lines, we found this in the local pastry shop:
Whether out of matchsticks, marzapan or brick and mortar, the Parliament is an amazing site and we were glad to have seen it together as a family.
There wasn't a lot of time for me to go site-seeing, what with looking for a house and getting the kids settled in school, but I did manage to take one afternoon to go see the Christmas market outside St. Stephen's basilica just before the kids got out of school for the Winter break.
This church is named after St. Stephen, the first king of Hungary, who lived about 1,050 years ago. His right hand is housed in the reliquary and you can pay extra to see it, but I passed. Seemed kinda morbid to me and I wasn't sure even how to ask about it, considering my Hungarian is so poor. The structure is the same height as the Parliament building, at 96 meters (315 feet) high. It took about 54 years to build, mostly due to a collapse of dome during construction which required demolition and major redesign and rebuild. Organ concerts are regularly given and I hope to take the kids to one in the spring, maybe around Easter.
My favorite part is the artwork on the cupola:
But the altar and side alters are equally magnificent:
One thing that was kinda strange: the internet and the guide books say that the tour through the chapel is free, but a small donation is appreciated. I would have to disagree with the assessment that it is 'appreciated' and go right to required. When I got to the entrance, there was a priest standing next to the "donation" box. The box had a sign that clearly read "200 ft". The priest's poster and demenor made it pretty obvious that his sole purpose was to check to make sure everyone "donated". I actually don't mind that they charge to view the building, especially such a nominal fee (200 ft = $1), afterall, the basilica requires maintenance just like anything else, but I wished they would just come straight out and charge the price, rather than asking for a donation that isn't really optional. It was weird but shouldn't discourage visits. It's really just strange they don't come clean with the whole deal.
Okay, so last picture. Here's the back of the basilica.
