Go Bears

Thinking of Cal's new season today as we tour small villages in western Hungary and Austria. Got the light's on Sopron's fire tower to turn blue and gold! Let me know how the Bears do in their first game!

Firetower in Sopron, western Hungary

This very old walled Hungarian city very near Austria is very cute. It has an old fire tower on the main square started by the Romans. Hal and David climbed to the top. We went back at 10 pm to hear music and a light show. What a pleasant surprise tucked away from American tourists .
Sopron is a place where Austrians and Germans go for inexpensive dental work.

Fun things

Dear Atticus and Paxton,

We are thinking of you a lot. We wish you be here in western Hungary and Austria to have some fun. See. David is a mining suit. Smurf dominoes are a collectors item here and David and Leslie have collected most of them from Tesco grocery stores.

We thought you'd like ketchup flavored Cheetos and a Disneyland drink.

The paddle boats in Austria had a water slide too! I hope you can have some fun on your Labor Day holiday.


Love, Grandma

Statues

Dear Atticus and Paxton,

We walked around Budapest where they have lots of statues . The one with the girl reminded me of you and your puppies. How are Chewy and Sugar? Please write me a little note.
I did not buy you a doll like in the pictures, but did get you something else. We got a gelato... Mine was lemon lime and David's was blackberry.

Love, Grandma

David's German Chocolate birthday cake

David's Mom always made him German Chocolate birthday cakes, so we tried to do one in Budapest. It tasted rich and great, but looked pretty sloppy. Happy number 37!
Today we walked by the first place where they lived when they came to Hungary...last picture.
We leave soon to spend the weekend in a small town near Austria...Sopron

Inside Parliament building

We took an English speaking tour of the inside of the famous Parliament building for 45 minutes that cost $17 each. It is very fancy with lots of gold. They have the crown used by all Hungarian kings since about 1000 ad. USA kept it in Ft. know during the world wars and Pres. Jimmy Carter returned it to be kept under the big dome in the center. We could not take pictures but they have some at www.parliament.hu

They now have only prime ministers who use one side of the building and meet Monday and Tuesday. We visiting the matching other side. I like the stained glass windows that look like curtains.

One picture is where legislators kept their cigars to remember who is whose, they had them numbers. They could only smoke in the hallway..not inside the voting place.

It is being remodeled for a underground parking garage and city park outside. Right now it is all torn up.

Budapest

Just arrived for two weeks, I keep a travel picture blog at travelingYoungs@blogspot.com

Leslie and David's apartment is right across from Parliament. We walked for 10 hours on first day seeing museum where Nazi and Soviets did ugly torture .... In nice part of town basement.
We will go to the countryside on the weekends.

Leslie & David's neighborhood

I walked right out their front door and took this picture of Parliament on the Danube River.
The second fancy building is the SPAR grocery store where we bought chicken and noodles to make dinner after Leslie got home from work.
We walked all over PEST including 3 hours at the house of terror where Nazi and Soviet torture was done.
The gelato store dips the ice cream pretty fancy.
I will post pictures each day on my blog... TravelingYoungs.blogspot.com

Bridges

Good bye to San Francisco Bay Bridge and hello to Liberty Bridge in Budapest. We had easy sleep on flight to see Leslie and David. Out for my first Hungarian goulash and great wine! It will be fun getting to know this town.

In Swiss chocolate

We slept 6 hours on flight SFO to Zurich, Switzerland...arriving 30 minutes early to walk through expensive chocolate shops! Only 2 more hours to Budapest where Leslie should be waiting!

Me and my brothers

Twain Harte

ATTICUS,




Aunt Nani's birthday. Then to cabin with some church women friends. See the animals at Covers then dancing in the park.