My Hungarian Easter Experience!

This past weekend has been one of the most interesting weekends of my life, I think! I got the opportunity to visit an exchange student friend from Hungary, Martin, who lived in my district in California last year. I had been sick the entire week leading up to my flight to Budapest, and I did my absolute best to recover so that I could have the best trip possible. I didn’t run all week, I drank lots of tea, and I made sure to dress extra warmly, but on Friday morning when it was time to go to the airport, I still felt very feverish, unfortunately. But that wasn’t going to stop me! I had my tickets and I was sooo looking forward to seeing my friend! Hahaha. Getting through the weekend while not feeling so well was not suuuuper easy, but all the things I got to see and learn and all the fantastic people I got to meet made it beyond worth it. :D

When I landed in Budapest and got off the plane, I was warmly greeted by Martin who was holding a colorful sign saying "WELCOME SALLY TO HUNGARY!" I was so touched to see that he had gone to the trouble of making a sign just for me! Martin told me that he had my entire stay all planned out so that I could see pretty things and experience true Hungarian culture, and I was excited to see what he had come up with. We walked over to the bus stop (where he already had a ticket prepared for me, like an angel) and did a lot of catching up on the bus on our way into the city center. He told me about high school and getting readjusted to Hungary after his exchange, and I told him about my time in Paris. We also talked a lot about our mutual exchange friends and how they have been doing! After taking the bus, we had to take the metro to a train station where we would meet up with Martin's aunt so she could take my backpack to her house. When I heard this, I was already so impressed by their hospitality! Martin and his family live a little outside of Budapest so his aunt and uncle invited us to stay at their place that evening.  His aunt drove across the city to meet up with us and take my backpack home in the middle of the day just so I wouldn't have to carry it around while Martin showed me the city. When it was time to buy metro tickets, I walked up to the little machine and ran right into a problem. 

"What is a HUF?" I asked Martin. 

"That is Hungarian money! What? You don't have Hungarian money??" 

NO! I didn't. Hahaha I felt so silly. I need to stop assuming that everyone uses either euros, dollars, pounds, or Chilean pesos! Martin laughed too, and luckily there was an money exchange place very nearby. I was happy to hold a new currency in my hands, and how exciting that I had absolutely no idea what any of it was worth hahah.

The first place we went was to the basilica and OHMYGOODNESS it was breathtaking! The walls, the ceiling; everything was incredible! Martin is very interested in history, and as we walked along he told me about all the things we were looking at. Apparently inside the basilica there is the hand of an old King, and Martin was upset because the room where you can see the hand was closed that day hahaha. Oh well! 

After that, we continued our walk across the city over to the most famous bridge in Budapest! Martin taught me about how Buda and Pest actually used to be two different cities and also about how, apparently, Hungary is one of the cheapest countries to film in so they use it to shoot a lot of movies and then digitally throw in a fake Eiffel tour and say it's Paris! Also, I learned that in Hungarian it is pronounced “Budapesht.” The bridge was very beautiful, and after taking a couple pictures we walked along the river and stopped to admire the shoe memorial. The shoe memorial is a bunch of old shoes on the edge of the river decorated with flowers to remember the Jewish that were killed there during WWII. We then continued on to admire the gothic style parliament building! All of this looked very lovely by day, but Martin kept insisting that Budapest is better by night and that I would just have to wait and see that he was right hahaha. 

We then walked back down the length of the river and crossed the same famous bridge so we could go walk around the walls of an old castle. We had to walk up a huge hill to get to the top, but once we got there it was definitely worth the effort! Walking along the little paths of the BIG walls felt like taking a step back in time, and the beautiful view of Budapest beneath us made it even more wonderful! 

As it got darker outside, Martin and I stopped to have some traditional Hungarian soup at a magically lit outside restaurant. It was served in bread bowls and it was soooo nice to have some warm, flavorful, authentic Hungarian food after doing so much walking. It wasn't too cold outside, but I had been shivering all day for I still had a low fever and a sore throat. The soup was heaven and Martin made great company! When we finished our soup, Martin took me back over to the wall we had been walking along and showed me what he meant by "Budapest by night." The city was both glowing and sparkling! The buildings were golden and the bridges were speckled with lights and I kept trying to take pictures and none of them were doing the city any justice! It's one of those things you just have to see in real life. I felt so grateful and lucky to be there and Martin got to hear me say so about a million times hahaha. 

After admiring the view, we took a bus back to Martin's aunt and uncle's house. My cold little hands and achy body were SO happy to sit down on a warm couch and rest a bit! We were called into the kitchen to have some tea and dessert, I enjoyed getting to get to know Martin's aunt and uncle a little! They both spoke English very well, and even though the conversation often drifted off into Hungarian (which I don't understand, by the way) I still had a very pleasant time just being in a warm house around nice people and eating lemon cake. :) 

At the table Martin told me there was a Hungarian Easter tradition that he was going to surprise me with but that he couldn't tell me because if he did I would "lock my door at night." I trust Martin and he is a very dear friend, but I'm not going to lie, as I fell asleep that night, I couldn't help but wonder WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE GOING TO DO?!? 

Hahahahah. 

The next morning I woke up and no strange Hungarian tradition had disturbed my sleep in any way and I was confused but I didn't ask any questions because I didn't want to remind them hahah. We all ate breakfast together, and I learned that Hungarian breakfasts consist of bread, butter, juice, cheese, meats, and lots of uncooked vegetables! I would never have guessed hahaha. It was quite good though! For the bread part, Martin and I shared a pretzel and then put different things on top. I joked about how their breakfast is a lot like an American lunch, and Martin said agreed and said it was hard for him to get used to just eating a sandwich for lunch in the U.S.  After breakfast, we packed up our things and we all got in the car to drive two hours out of Budapest to a tiny village where we would have a typical Hungarian Easter lunch/celebration! I was so happy sitting in the back of the car and driving through the Hungarian countryside. I realized, recently, that I very much enjoy being driven places in different countries because it is a form of traveling during which I do not have to think too much about things like which station to get off at, and therefor my mind is free to wander. When we got to the little house in the small village called Gànt, even my sickly stuffed up nose could smell the amazing smells coming from the kitchen. I greeted the house full of family members (most of whom spoke English but were busy in excited conversations in Hungarian) and then went to the kitchen to help cut up fruits for the fruit salad. I liked my job of cutting up fruit because it gave me something to do so I looked less lost, and also because while we worked we were fed animal shaped shortbread cookies and warm breadsticks. The family explained to me that Hungarian Easter is like Thanksgiving in the U.S. because if you don't eat a loooooot of food, you're doing it wrong! I was happy to help them eat their yummy food! When I finished helping with the fruit, Martin and I were put in charge of creating an Easter Bunny out of Marzipan to go on top of the cake! We finished our bunny just as it was time to sit down for lunch, and I think it turned out okay! :D

Lunch was SO good! We started with a soup that is apparently eaten at all Hungarian holiday gatherings. The soup was yummy and, once again, felt amazing on my sore throat, but I was shocked when I saw the rest of the food. There was a bit bowl of dumplings to be topped with meet sauce, roasted fish over heaps of vegetables, and even a big container of lasagna! All of this was homemade and hot! Being sick kind of took away my appetite, but I did my best to at least taste most of the foods. You know food is yummy when it tastes amazing even when your nose is stuffed up! While gazing upon the enormous amount of food on the table, all I could think was "Wow. I have experienced and American Thanksgiving, Las Fiestas Patricas in Chile, a French Christmas dinner, an Italian New Years Eve Feast, and now a Hungarian Easter meal and I have come to the conclusion that humans everywhere enjoy getting together and eating lots and lots and lots of food!" 

I'm sad to say that I didn't take any pictures of the meal. I didn't want to have my phone at the table, but I should have grabbed it for just a second to snap a picture of the gorgeous meal! After the lunch part of the meal, they brought out the fruit salad and the coffee and then the dessert! Everyone was talking and laughing while enjoying the yummy treats, and I felt so happy to be there with them. Every now and then someone would as me a question in English to make me feel included, which was very nice of them! When nobody was talking in English, I played with the dogs under the table because they were there, nibbling on my toes and not understanding Hungarian either hahaha. 

While the adult adults were still sitting around and talking, Martin and his cousins and I decided to go outside and play with one of the horses. The little house is on a very big stretch of land, and they have a bunch of horses! Martin had asked me if I knew how to ride a horse, and I told him I didn't know how to ride horses very well so we should ride a nice horse. So it was hilarious when, after I was already on the horse, is cousin told me "this is actually our meanest horse but she can jump very high!" 

HAHAHHA. Perfect. Exactly what I look for in a horse! It turned out that I didn't actually have to ride the horse, but sit on it as Martin's cousin walked the horse in circles. It was a tall horse, and walking in circles was kinda relaxing actually! I was happy to not have to actually do any work because of my frailty in my flu-ish state. When I got off the horse, I was taken inside to warm up with warm tea! The house was still loud and cozy with friendly conversation and I was so content to sit back in my chair and listen to people be around the people they love. 

Not long after that, it was time to get into the car with Martin's immediate family and drive to Martin's house in a different city. Since we had so much food and stuff, we took two different cars. The car I was in had Martin's dad, Martin's sister (who's name I do not know how to spell but means strawberry in Hungarian), Martin, and me inside of it. Martin's sister will go on her exchange to Mexico next year, so while we were driving we played a game where Martin's dad would ask a question in Hungarian to Martin which Martin would translate into English for me which I would then answer in Spanish to Martin's sister and then she would translate my answer to Hungarian! It was a pretty fun game and we played it the whole way home! When we arrived in Martin’s city, Kecskemet, Martin and I got out of the car so he could show me the city center which is only about a five minute walk from his house. I was hesitant about going walking in the cold because at that point I began to feel extremely sick and my throat was making swallowing almost impossible, but Martin assured me the walk would be worth it. Once again, he was right! In the center of his city, there are five beautiful churches in a circle, each one more magnificent than the last! They glowed in the yellow lamplight and the town was very peaceful compared to Paris! The streets were so clean and the sidewalks were broad and cobblestoned. On the walk from the city center to his house, we also passed Martin's school which looked more like a castle than a high school! 

When we got home, I was surprised and flattered to see they had a sign on the door reading "Hello Sally! Welcome to our home!" The inside of their house was so colorful and artistically decorated but cozy at the same time, and I was glad to get to spend time there! Martin's mom had also made a bunch of little Easter decorations that made the house even cuter. It wasn't too late, so we sat down in the living room to relax after a day of festivities. I asked for some water for my sore throat, and when Martin's dad heard that my throat was hurting, he had a hilarious response! According to him, Pàlinka would be the perfect remedy. Pàlinka is, to most, an extremely strong type of Hungarian alcohol, but according to Martin's dad it is also medicine hahah. I was skeptic about the idea that it would actually make me feel better, but when they poured me a little glass and raised a toast, I had to participate because it was an important part of their culture! I was happy to try something new, and even happier to see how much it meant to Martin's parents that I wanted to try something from their country. The Pàlinka was apricot flavored, and after one little sip I was completely astonished to discover that my throat felt a little bit better! I don't know if that is an alcohol thing or just a Pàlinka thing, but it really did help hahaha. After the little drink, Martin's mom also made me some warm lemony tea, and that helped my throat even MORE! Before heading upstairs to go to bed, Martin's mom showed me the Hungarian way of dying Easter eggs which involves socks and onions and blowing an egg out of its eggshell. That night, I went to bed able to swallow and I felt so joyful after my fun day and grateful to be in a warm bed in a happy house in Hungary. 

 

The first thing I did the next morning was jump in the shower. I didn't want to keep anyone waiting for breakfast and I didn't know what everyone else was doing, so I decided getting ready would be a good idea. When I was dressed and packed up, I went downstairs to find a table full of fresh vegetables and bread! Martin's mom put together a special Easter breakfast for Martin and I, complete with little kid chocolate decorations on our plates. We are our typical Hungarian breakfast with smiles and then packed up our bags to move on to yet another village where there  were even more Easter festivities planned! Martin's family grows fruit and makes a lot of jam and cookies ad homemade things and they sell it at different markets, and that day Martin's sister and father had gotten up early to sell things at a festival that focused around Hungarian traditions and history. The plan for the day was to meet them out at the culture-rich festival because Martin thought it would be a great place for me to learn about Hungarian culture! On the way to the festival, we stopped to pick up some cakes from a friend of Martin's grandma who owns a bakery. While getting the cakes, she let us go into the back of the store and put together our own ice cream cones from her homemade ice cream! I had no idea that one of my dreams was to make my own ice cream cone in the back of a Hungarian bakery, but that dream came true that day hahaha. That's one of the wonderful things about traveling. :) 

The last stop we made on the way to the festival was at Martin's family's farm! We only stopped for about two minutes, but it was cool to see where the family spends its summers working! The apricot trees had just begun to blossom, and it was a beautiful area. 

At the festival in Opusztaszer, we did all sorts of things! Martin and I got to watch a video on the history of Hungary and see a gigantic painting that was the size of a big room! We also got to see what Hungarian houses looked like when Hungarians lived a nomadic lifestyle and how they changed when they settled down in one place. There were people dressed up in traditional Hungarian costumes also, and they were dancing and playing music and they let me take a picture with them! It was all so interesting! Martin's family had such a cute little booth set up, too. For lunch, we had another traditional Hungarian "farmer" meal and it was delicious! At the festival, we also got to dye Easter eggs and shoot arrows! I am happy to report that one of my arrows hit the very middle of the target, and a little less happy to report that none of the other four even hit the target hahaha. Martin, on the other hand, was very talented at archery and I told him that someday he will have to compete with Stella hahah. 

It’s called Kakaoscsiga!

Sooner than I would have hoped, it was time to say goodbye. I said goodbye to Martin's mom and sister at the festival and then got in the car with Martin and his dad to head off to the airport. When I left, Martin's mom gave me a bag of hazelnuts she was selling as a gift, and that was very sweet of her! 

On the way to the airport, I thought a lot about how amazing my weekend had been and how lucky I was to have such a lovely Hungarian family show me their culture with such enthusiasm! When we were almost to the airport, I finally decided to ask Martin what the tradition he had warned me about was, and he laughed and did his best at explaining. Apparently, in Hungary, there is an Easter tradition called “Locsolkodas” where boys to sneak into girls rooms early in the morning and throw water on them. They do this because girls are like flowers and need water to grow and become more beautiful, and in return for watering the girls, the boys receive chocolates! This seemed so silly to me hahha but I was happy to know one more little thing about Hungarian culture! Apparently, since I had gotten up that morning and went directly to the shower, I had ruined Martin's plans to surprise me with this tradition! 

Saying goodbye at the airport was sad, but it wasn't too sad because I know I will see that wonderful family again. They said I am always welcome in their home, and that I should come back as soon as I can! I told them they are always welcome at our place in California too. :D 

Now I am back in Paris, finishing up this blog post and when I am done I will go get coffee with Alessandra at my favorite little cafe. :) 

I feel so lucky to have spent such a cool weekend in Hungary, and after seeing it’s culture I can’t help but hold a big place for that country in my heart. Someday I will certainly go back! 

I hope you all had a great Easter! Until next week. :)