My 2nd Trip with Husband Pieter to Budapest in FREE Hungary

As you now know from reading my blog posts, we both LOVE the Hungarian culture, its composers, music and all.

So we booked a trip by luxury bus, all the way from The Netherlands with main stays Prague, Budapest and Vienna.

So here we went again on September 25 of 1996...

Happy me in the bus on our beautiful route from Vienna via Bratislava to Budapest in Hungary.

Comfy knitted Escada skirt with silk blouse.
We stayed at hotel Hunor in room 203.
address was: Budapest, Pünkösdfürdő u. 40, Hungary
After breakfast we head to Buda and Pest with our Dutch speaking guide; Imre.
He had been in The Netherlands after WWI when there was famine in Hungary.

More than 60,000 Hungarian children left between 1920 and 1930.
In 2018 there was an exhibition in Budapest, highlighting the famous 'baby trains' mainly to the Netherlands and Belgium to stay with foster parents.
My screenshot is being translated by google and thus a bit 'off' but it tells the story.
published on: www.rd.nl

from: www.federatio.org/history.html
We both found it heartwarming to hear about so much gratitude towards our birth country!

View over the Danube as seen from Buda looking at Pest...
While the rest of the group went on a boat on the Danube, we both went into the city.

The weather was pleasant for walking.
Wearing my Chanel loafers and belt with purse.
At a luxury mall we found a lightweight linnen/cotton/polyamide sweater for Pieter and for me socks of the same content, for wearing in my boots.
Oh, at this mall I also spotted a dream of an Escada suit that I later found on eBay as the boutique price was way off limit for us...

We drank a cappuccino at Café Gerbeaud before walking back to the Danube where our bus was waiting.

Back at our hotel and changed wearing my Escada suit; ready for dinner...

Dinner at a Csárdás restaurant in Budapest with excellent gypsy music + dance!
Yes, I was wearing my Hungarian blouse bought in Szentendre in 1984...
On Friday, September 27, we depart after breakfast for the plains between the Donau and Tisza.
We arrive via Kecskemét at the Pongrácz puszta where we first receive a welcome drink, the Barack Pálinka (apricot brandy).

Next we enjoy a wonderful horse show!

Wearing my Burberry blazer and The Bridge saddlebag.

Horse show and a DONKEY... to the right!

When I wanted a photo with these artists, this horse man planted his dusty hat on my head...!

The female rider and her horse with our entire group.
Husband Pieter is at the top right, wearing a cap (we both were the ONLY Americans!) and I'm to his left...

After a delicious hot lunch with goulash soup we went with 11 in a wagon...

The photographer was standing on top of his Trabant and he had these photos developed within the hour that we were out in the puszta.
The weather was nice and sunny!
On Saturday, September 28, we left Budapest by bus, via the Danube Bend with a stop in Esztergom.

Here in Esztergom we visited Hungary's Largest Church-Esztergom Basilica and Treasury (With Facts/Figures) just click through for informative short video.
This Basilica is also seen in my post about Pieter's 1974 visit during Communism.

Here in Esztergom lies Cardinal József Mindszenty reburied since 1991.
A primate of Hungary and hero of the anti-communist resistance. Mindszenty, who had been a prisoner from 1948 to 1956, took refuge after the Hungarian revolt in the American embassy in Budapest.
Cardinal Mindszenty died in 1975 at age 83, he was buried in Austria, where he lived in exile.
The proces for his beautification began in 1996.
As a child, I remember we prayed a lot for Cardinal Mindszenty!

From Esztergom I brought back this crystal and gold rabbit... named Snuffy.
We used to have a little wild rabbit here but with our felines of course none seen at present!

The bus went to Györ where we had lunch before leaving Hungary for Vienna in Austria.
We got most of this trip video taped...
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Thanks for your vist and comment!

Related links:
Communist Hungary with Husband Pieter Part III - Szentendre | previous post by me where I bought my blouse...
My 1st Trip to Communist Hungary with Husband Pieter Part II - Budapest | previous post by me
Husband Pieter's 1974 Visit to Esztergom, Hungary during Communism | previous post by me with Basilica in photo

To University of Bologna, Vicenza, Venice and via Austria to The Netherlands

We did start early that Monday, October 29.
Via the mushroom farm and hotel Gallo for picking up the Americans at their hotel and off in two cars to the University of Bologna for meeting with Professor of Mycology, Floriano Ferri, an expert with Pleurotus.

Here I'm holding Pleurotus in my hand...

Wearing my cashmere sweater that Pieter brought home from the English Mushroom Days in Chester, 1984.

Pieter in Bologna with Professor Floriano Ferri

A lot of translations back and forth between English, Italian and Dutch...
Further Pleurotus discussion at the University of Bologna and there also lunch, as a lack of time.
We went to a private Pleurotus grower in Ferrera, a former student of Professor Floriano Ferri.
On Tuesday, October 30, first to the mushroom farm of the Sartor family.
Around 11:15 we left for Vicenza and after lunch with spawn representative Antonio, we visited a Pleurotus grower in Vicenza.

Pleurotus grower in Vicenza

The very first photo I did show you already some Pleurotus...

With the Pleurotus grower and his wife, spawn representative and our friend Tommaso, American colleagues and Martin, Pieter's former student around the table with a wine and sweet potatoes.
Next day we got up at 5:45 on October 31 and we picked up our colleagues. Together with Martin we drove to Venice and via another Pleurotus farm we were at the airport by 11:00.
We said our good byes to Long Chi Wu and Frank Gabell, as they departed for the USA.

A little bit time for us in Venice and I found an 18ct golden ring with red coral in a rose form.
Matching with the charm I had for decades! Very happy with it.
By 16:30 we all met in Jesolo, resort area near Venice where Tommaso with his wife and Martin's wife and daughter had come to meet us.
After some shoe shopping (gift) we went to a fish restaurant in the direction of home.
Delicious meal and by 23:00 we were back in Asolo and to bed.
On November 1, finally some time for Tommaso's mushroom farms.
Pieter had a meeting with the Sartor staff and I had a coffee at Annelies' and time to write my diary.
We had dinner at Gianni', where Frank stared at his pigeon soup before...
Always delicious home cooked meals, by him and his wife.

We walked in Asolo together.
Wearing my self made woolen skirt. The fabric was a gift from a friend here in Dublin, GA who owned a woolen mill...
On Friday, November 2, we got picked up by Tommaso after he'd checked out for us at the hotel.
Now off to Montebelluna and that yielded lovely black boots for me!
We always have been treated royally.
We said our goodbyes at the mushroom farms, also to Martin and his brother.
Now off into the direction of the Brenner Pass to Austria.

Our hotel from 1981, Staudacherhof' was closed so we sleep at hotel Obermühle.
We had a delicious meal and were on time in bed!
Saturday, November 2 we got up at 7:00 and after a delicious breakfast (oh, how we miss that bread here in the USA) we were riding by 9:00 via Munich.
With a stop in Altenahr, Germany and a quick visit with a dear friend, just as a coffee break, we were at my Parent's home by 19:15 with Babi Pangang from the Chinese restaurant...
We ourselves did drive some 3800 km and in Italy they drove another 1000 km with us.
*
On Wednesday November 7, we had a 25th wedding anniversary of Pieter's best friend.
A lovely day with lots of people we know.
On our wedding anniversary day,  the 10th of November, we flew back to Atlanta, USA...
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Driving from Budapest, via Austria to Asolo, Italy

On Saturday, October 10 of 1984 we did rise at 6:00 as we wanted to caravan with Pieter's Dutch student back to Italy where he lived and worked for the largest Italian mushroom farm.

Together with the two American colleagues in our rental car we did so at 7:45 as breakfast only was available at 7:00...

We had only done 1515 km but today we would be adding some more!

This is me in Asolo, Italy after arrival and a good night sleep!
Notice my love for roses? I'm wearing here my red coral + gold rose pendant...

Driving all the way from Budapest, Hungary, through Austria...
We ate here in St. Gertraud, Austria at Café-Restaurant Gutschi...

To the Venice area in Italy...

We arrived at Asolo by 20:00 and had now a total of 2390 km.

Husband Pieter took this photo of our Italian friend Tommaso  (l), Long Chi Wu and Frank Gabell, me and the Dutch student who worked and lived in Italy at the time.

After a glass of wine we go out to dinner. Boletus and delicious.

We were tame...!

Hotel Duse, Asolo - Historic Center where we loved to stay!

Sunday, October 28, we got up and had breakfast. 

We both walked around in Asolo, went to the little Church - being very happy!

We both love Asolo and staying at Hotel Duse was always a joy.

Lovely to walk around on a Sunday morning...
Wearing my Scottish Royal Stewart Tartan skirt, my own sewing creation from the fabric Pieter brought me home the year before from his MGA conference trip in England.
Pieter gifted me also the Royal Stewart Tartan woolen scarf + matching gloves.

Asolo's Historic Center is so special!

Medieval Asolo, with its cobble stone one-way roads!
By 11:45 Martin came to pick us up and we went to Tommaso all together.
Rosella had cooked a delicious meal for all of us.
Cozy in the lower part of the big house of his Father, with open hearth fire we enjoyed our lunch!

Martin took us to the Tempio Canoviano from a wealthy artist in Possagno.

Some climbing to do but breathtaking view!

What a lovely Sunday it was in the fall here in Italy!
We went to Monte Grappa and had a coffee with Grappa in their mountain hut.
Even on top of the mountain they grew Pleurotus in bags!

With our American colleagues we visited Bassano del Grappa with its covered bridge over the River Brenta at the foothills of the Venetian Prealps.

Sunday at the end of the day... Martin's wife and child and also his brother.
We rounded things off with a dinner together, specialty of the region at a local restaurant.
That meant pigeon soup!
I will never forget Frank Gabell's face when I did translate this to him...

What a day; stay tuned...
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