Introduction
Since my first Habitat for Humanity Global Village trip to Hungary in 2006, I wanted to return to this great country but it just didn't work until eight years later. Here's a bit about the latest experience.
(This blog will be divided into two sections: 1) hanging out in Budapest and the Danube Bend; and 2) the Habitat project.)
Budapest
In 2006, I spent a bit less than 24 hours in Budapest, which simply whetted my appetite for more. I have visited a number of great cities in Europe and must say that I think Budapest is at or near the top of the list of cities that appeal to me.
As with most of my Habitat trips, I try to arrive a few days before my team leader responsibilities start. It's helpful to do some exploring and also get over the travel impact. In this case, I had extra motivation to spend time with a friend who lives in Budapest and also hang out with a friend from Slovenia who I met on the Camino de Santiago in fall 2013. It was fun to have five days to visit and explore before the rest of the team arrived.
The Danube River divides the city into two parts: "hilly" Buda and "flat" Pest - hence its name. There are several attractions on both sides of the Danube with the city centre and many of the most famous sites being on the Pest side. Many Global Village teams understandably try to say at a hotel on the Pest side for close proximity to key sites, but I wasn't able to secure reservations in Pest so ended up staying on the Buda side. Since then, I have thought several times that this worked out really well. The one downside was that more time was required to get to some areas when either walking or via public transit, but it had the great benefit of being able to more frequently enjoy the Danube panorama (UNESCO World Heritage) and the incredible architecture readily visible when walking along the river. The weather was beautiful and I enjoy walking, so it was a good time.
When walking along the Danube, one quickly notices that it is a busy waterway and transportation route. There are large cruise ships that anchor in Budapest as a main stop when cruising up or down the Danube. There also are many smaller tour boats and an amphibious bus that provide tours on the river within city limits and others that travel further away to areas such as the Danube Bend (see below). In addition to all the tourist related activities, there are barges and other vessels that transport goods.
One of the great features of having the Danube flow through the city are several bridges connecting the two sides. There are a total of eight bridges and four of these are within what is generally considered as the tourist zone - Margaret, Chain, Elisabeth and Liberty. The Liberty Bridge (aka the Freedom Bridge) is often featured in photos of the Hungarian uprising in 1956 because it was one site where protesting Hungarians confronted Soviet armed forces. The bridge that seems to be most frequently featured in tourism promotion is the Chain Bridge possibly because it has structural similarities to London Bridge. It was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Hungary, opening in 1849. The Elisabeth Bridge is one of the more recent bridges and it crosses at the narrowest part of the Danube in Budapest. The Margaret Bridge is the second oldest bridge and is described as a three-way bridge because it has three distinct and separate spans. In addition to providing a connection between Buda and Pest, it provides access to Margaret Island, which is a popular playground and entertainment venue in a park setting for Budapest residents.
Of these major bridges, my favourite is the Margaret Bridge. It has a substantial turn at mid-point, which is a neat architectural feature, and also provides unobstructed views of the spectacular Budapest panorama. The mid-point is also one place to access Margaret Island. Several times I crossed the Margaret Bridge to access Pest and, after spending time in the city centre, I crossed the Chain Bridge and walked along the Buda side of the Danube back to the hotel.
One of the things I most like about Budapest is the easy accessibility of so many attractions if one likes to walk, and decent subway and tram systems that transport you to more distant sites. I went to a couple of museums with the most impactful being the Holocaust Memorial Center, which honours Hungarian victims of the Holocaust.
Probably the most impressive structure along the Danube is the Hungarian Parliament. There are several buildings that comprise this massive government complex with the main structure providing one of the country's most notable landmarks. The Parliament building stands out on the landscape at any time, but especially at night when the lights are on. Another impressive building is the Hungarian State Opera House. I didn't get to a performance, but at least got to see some of the interior. During a guided tour, our team also got to St. Istvan's Basilica, Budapest's largest church. As a group, we also walked past Hero's Square - a huge tribute to many of Hungary's historic figures - and made a quick stop at at the Vajdahunyad Castle complex.
While I find so much of Budapest appealing, the place I most enjoy is the Great Market Hall. Here you can find produce, farm products such as eggs and cheese, meat (including things like sausages and salami), spices, fish, pickled items, local wines, eateries, crafts and souvenirs. The three-level market is used extensively by local people as well as being a great attraction for tourists. I think markets like this provide insights into important aspects of cultural expression and lifestyle. I've been to there three times (twice on this trip) and would endeavour to go there again if I return to Hungary.
Danube Bend
Part way through the build, we took an afternoon off to go to Godollo Palace, which is described by travel writer Rick Steves as "Hungary's most interesting royal interior to tour." At one point, it had been the residence of Emperor Franz Josef and his wife, Empress Elisabeth. Most of us seemed to have a good time exploring the palace with the aid of an English audio-guide.
After six days of working at the build site, we had a day off to do some exploring north of Budapest in an area called the Danube Bend. Just south of the city of Bratislava (Slovakia), the Danube is situated between mountains on both sides such that the river has essentially looped back on itself, thus creating the Bend. There are three main towns in this area - Visegrad, Esztergom and Szentendre. For centuries, the country was ruled from Visegrad and Esztergom rather than Budapest.
Our first stop was Visegrad, where there is a citadel-castle located on the top of a hill. The location obviously had been selected for its advantageous military position overlooking the surrounding area. Today it is a great vantage point for photographers.
The next stop was Esztergom - largest of the three towns - home of a towering basilica that was built on the site where Hungary's first Christian king (Istvan 1st) was crowned in 1000 A.D. The basilica is the third largest in Europe - quite impressive. Its interior covers 5,600 sq metres, its dome stands about 100 metres high on the outside and the organ has more than 800 pipes. Unfortunately, we did not get to hear the organ, but I bet it would out do any of the organs in NHL arenas!
In addition to its imposing size, the basilica is situated on a hill overlooking the Danube, which provides great vistas. After exploring the basilica on our own, we were dropped off at the foot of the hill and walked across a bridge into Slovakia where we had lunch.
Lunch provided a refreshing break peppered with much laughter. With our appetites satisfied, our next task was to walk back across the bridge and board the van for our next destination - Szentendre. While there are not many attractions in this town, it was fun to wander through the town centre and stop in various shops. While we were experiencing a bit of a "food coma," this did not stop the urge to shop with several team members wanting to support the local economy. Quite of rain fell during this part of the day, but we managed to get back to the van without getting wet. For the journey back to our panzio, the biggest challenge was fighting sleep!!
Food & Drink
Much of the food in eastern and central Europe is heavy - starchy meat-and-potatoes offerings. While meat is widely used in Hungarian cooking, a lot of spices are used and there are influences from many other countries. Goulash is common, but it not like the stew we may think would be the case. Rather, it a clear spicy broth with pieces of meat and potatoes; often the broth has been made with tomatoes.Other soups are featured and there is ample use of chicken, pork, duck and beef. Paprika is the most frequently used is spice and it comes in several varieties on a wide ranging hot-sweet scale. Sauces and garnishes are widely used and Hungarians love cabbage and pickles.
Wine is an essential part of the Hungarian dining experience and I discovered that Hungary has many (22) wine growing regions and that there is very good quality red and white wine from several places. Given the quality of these offerings, I am surprised that Hungarian wines are not more readily available in Canada.
The dining experience and quality of food varied from place to place and a number of dining experiences stand out as being great. These positive experiences are a reflection of the quality of food and the people with whom we were sharing. Our final team dinner in Budapest before people left for home or other travel was at a traditional Hungarian restaurant, where we not only had an excellent dining experience but were treated to live music by Csardas - Virtuos Gipsy Band.
Habitat Project
The project was located about 45 minutes north of Budapest in the town of Vac. We stayed at a great panzio (family-run inn) about 15 minutes from the build site. There were a few other guest at the panzio at times, but most of the time we were the only people staying there. We ended up working on two projects, but the main one was the installation of Styrofoam insulation on the exterior a house. It was great to get to work after relaxing for a few days in Budapest. The others on the team were keen to get into the various tasks and our time at the build site seemed to go quickly every day.
Speaking of the team - there were nine of us. Most of the team (seven) either lived in New Brunswick or had grown up there and moved to another part of Canada. There was one person from Toronto and an American from Wisconsin. Some had previous Global Village experience, while it was the first trip for a number of people. We were a hard working group and also knew how to have fun both at and away from the build site.
It's always a privilege to meet and spend time with a Habitat partner family - in this case, the family consisted of the the parents and two girls aged 10 and 13. We got to see the father most days, but a bit less frequently for the others. We had two excellent site supervisors who worked along side us as well as showed us how to undertake tasks with which we were not familiar. Both men were skilled in English and had a good sense of humour. We also received great support from a local woman who accompanied us when we went out to dinner, on our day trip to the Danube Bend and even coming to the panzio to help us with our delivery orders for dinner. She is a history teacher with extensive knowledge about Hungary as well as being fluent in English.
Our tasks varied and included things such as drilling holes into the foundation and then hammering in long spikes or pins specifically designed to hold the rigid insulation to the walls; mixing mortar to attach insulation, patch holes and attach mesh around window openings and on corners; cutting, scraping or shaving the Styrofoam to ensure a proper fit. Much of the work involved being on scaffolding, which was completely safe but required more time and effort to move materials than if we had been working on the ground. By installing insulation, the family would have a much warmer and drier home, while also having significantly reduced heating costs.
We made great headway and, while we didn't quite complete the insulation project, the house has been finished and the family is already benefiting from the upgrading of their home.
While not anticipated at the outset, we ended up spending a couple of days at another work site due to rainy weather that prevented us from being able to work outside. We undertook a window painting project at a centre for homeless people. It involved scraping paint off many wooden window frames, repairing damaged areas with wood filler, sanding and getting windows ready for painting, painting and re-hanging the windows. We accomplished a lot in these two days. It was notably different from the house insulation project, so we were able to use or develop other skills. I found the second project to be good in many respects - meeting a serious housing need and also seeing another side of life in Hungary. When finished, the window repairs will result in a more comfortable living environment for the residents and reduce energy costs for the shelter. I also think it was an important reminder of the comfort I live in every day when so many people do not even have a permanent place to live.
One special surprise occurred during the build when neighbours of the partner family invited the entire team to their house for lunch! The couple noticed us working and checked into what was happening in their neighbourhood. After learning that a group of Canadians had come as volunteers to help a local family, the couple wanted to express their appreciation by providing lunch for us one day. The lunch was amazing - homemade goulash, homemade bread and two desserts.It was one of those unexpected surprises that I will always remember. Another good example of how we can connect with others despite language, social and cultural differences.
Our lodging was not fancy, but it was comfortable and the owner was extremely attentive accommodating to any needs we had. Each morning, we had a hearty breakfast there before heading to the build site each day. Our lunches were delivered to the build site most days and we were treated to tasty food in amounts that far exceeded our requirements. It didn't take long for us to reduce the amount of food we ordered.
Our options for dinner were very limited. There was a very nice place within easy walking distance that we went to a few times. After our half-day outing, we stopped at a good restaurant in downtown Vac. On the other days, we were completely content to order food and have it delivered to the panzio. The owner of the panzio or his son would ensure we had plates, cutlery and other items as required. We really enjoyed these evening as they provided excellent opportunities for conversation and mingling. As the team leader on these trips, one of the challenges is finding restaurants that meet the needs of as many people as possible. That certainly was not an issue on this trip!
After finishing the build, our farewell event in Vac was having a cookout dinner with the partner family, folks from Habitat Hungary and our team. It was a wonderful way to conclude our time there and to be able to share this with our new friends - animated conversations, laughter, sharing stories, good food and wine, and just hanging out.
Since my first Habitat for Humanity Global Village trip to Hungary in 2006, I wanted to return to this great country but it just didn't work until eight years later. Here's a bit about the latest experience.
(This blog will be divided into two sections: 1) hanging out in Budapest and the Danube Bend; and 2) the Habitat project.)
Budapest
In 2006, I spent a bit less than 24 hours in Budapest, which simply whetted my appetite for more. I have visited a number of great cities in Europe and must say that I think Budapest is at or near the top of the list of cities that appeal to me.
As with most of my Habitat trips, I try to arrive a few days before my team leader responsibilities start. It's helpful to do some exploring and also get over the travel impact. In this case, I had extra motivation to spend time with a friend who lives in Budapest and also hang out with a friend from Slovenia who I met on the Camino de Santiago in fall 2013. It was fun to have five days to visit and explore before the rest of the team arrived.
The Danube River divides the city into two parts: "hilly" Buda and "flat" Pest - hence its name. There are several attractions on both sides of the Danube with the city centre and many of the most famous sites being on the Pest side. Many Global Village teams understandably try to say at a hotel on the Pest side for close proximity to key sites, but I wasn't able to secure reservations in Pest so ended up staying on the Buda side. Since then, I have thought several times that this worked out really well. The one downside was that more time was required to get to some areas when either walking or via public transit, but it had the great benefit of being able to more frequently enjoy the Danube panorama (UNESCO World Heritage) and the incredible architecture readily visible when walking along the river. The weather was beautiful and I enjoy walking, so it was a good time.
When walking along the Danube, one quickly notices that it is a busy waterway and transportation route. There are large cruise ships that anchor in Budapest as a main stop when cruising up or down the Danube. There also are many smaller tour boats and an amphibious bus that provide tours on the river within city limits and others that travel further away to areas such as the Danube Bend (see below). In addition to all the tourist related activities, there are barges and other vessels that transport goods.
Typical style of boat used for cruising the Danube.
One of the great features of having the Danube flow through the city are several bridges connecting the two sides. There are a total of eight bridges and four of these are within what is generally considered as the tourist zone - Margaret, Chain, Elisabeth and Liberty. The Liberty Bridge (aka the Freedom Bridge) is often featured in photos of the Hungarian uprising in 1956 because it was one site where protesting Hungarians confronted Soviet armed forces. The bridge that seems to be most frequently featured in tourism promotion is the Chain Bridge possibly because it has structural similarities to London Bridge. It was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Hungary, opening in 1849. The Elisabeth Bridge is one of the more recent bridges and it crosses at the narrowest part of the Danube in Budapest. The Margaret Bridge is the second oldest bridge and is described as a three-way bridge because it has three distinct and separate spans. In addition to providing a connection between Buda and Pest, it provides access to Margaret Island, which is a popular playground and entertainment venue in a park setting for Budapest residents.
Of these major bridges, my favourite is the Margaret Bridge. It has a substantial turn at mid-point, which is a neat architectural feature, and also provides unobstructed views of the spectacular Budapest panorama. The mid-point is also one place to access Margaret Island. Several times I crossed the Margaret Bridge to access Pest and, after spending time in the city centre, I crossed the Chain Bridge and walked along the Buda side of the Danube back to the hotel.
Margaret Bridge
Chain Bridge
Chain Bridge
One of the things I most like about Budapest is the easy accessibility of so many attractions if one likes to walk, and decent subway and tram systems that transport you to more distant sites. I went to a couple of museums with the most impactful being the Holocaust Memorial Center, which honours Hungarian victims of the Holocaust.
Holocaust Memoral Center
Probably the most impressive structure along the Danube is the Hungarian Parliament. There are several buildings that comprise this massive government complex with the main structure providing one of the country's most notable landmarks. The Parliament building stands out on the landscape at any time, but especially at night when the lights are on. Another impressive building is the Hungarian State Opera House. I didn't get to a performance, but at least got to see some of the interior. During a guided tour, our team also got to St. Istvan's Basilica, Budapest's largest church. As a group, we also walked past Hero's Square - a huge tribute to many of Hungary's historic figures - and made a quick stop at at the Vajdahunyad Castle complex.
Parliament
Opera House
Opera House
St. Istvan's Basilica
St. Istvan's Basilica
While I find so much of Budapest appealing, the place I most enjoy is the Great Market Hall. Here you can find produce, farm products such as eggs and cheese, meat (including things like sausages and salami), spices, fish, pickled items, local wines, eateries, crafts and souvenirs. The three-level market is used extensively by local people as well as being a great attraction for tourists. I think markets like this provide insights into important aspects of cultural expression and lifestyle. I've been to there three times (twice on this trip) and would endeavour to go there again if I return to Hungary.
Great Market Hall
Danube Bend
Part way through the build, we took an afternoon off to go to Godollo Palace, which is described by travel writer Rick Steves as "Hungary's most interesting royal interior to tour." At one point, it had been the residence of Emperor Franz Josef and his wife, Empress Elisabeth. Most of us seemed to have a good time exploring the palace with the aid of an English audio-guide.
Godollo Palace
After six days of working at the build site, we had a day off to do some exploring north of Budapest in an area called the Danube Bend. Just south of the city of Bratislava (Slovakia), the Danube is situated between mountains on both sides such that the river has essentially looped back on itself, thus creating the Bend. There are three main towns in this area - Visegrad, Esztergom and Szentendre. For centuries, the country was ruled from Visegrad and Esztergom rather than Budapest.
Our first stop was Visegrad, where there is a citadel-castle located on the top of a hill. The location obviously had been selected for its advantageous military position overlooking the surrounding area. Today it is a great vantage point for photographers.
The next stop was Esztergom - largest of the three towns - home of a towering basilica that was built on the site where Hungary's first Christian king (Istvan 1st) was crowned in 1000 A.D. The basilica is the third largest in Europe - quite impressive. Its interior covers 5,600 sq metres, its dome stands about 100 metres high on the outside and the organ has more than 800 pipes. Unfortunately, we did not get to hear the organ, but I bet it would out do any of the organs in NHL arenas!
Esztergom Basilica
Bridge to Slovakia
Entering Slovakia
Returning to Hungary
In addition to its imposing size, the basilica is situated on a hill overlooking the Danube, which provides great vistas. After exploring the basilica on our own, we were dropped off at the foot of the hill and walked across a bridge into Slovakia where we had lunch.
Lunch provided a refreshing break peppered with much laughter. With our appetites satisfied, our next task was to walk back across the bridge and board the van for our next destination - Szentendre. While there are not many attractions in this town, it was fun to wander through the town centre and stop in various shops. While we were experiencing a bit of a "food coma," this did not stop the urge to shop with several team members wanting to support the local economy. Quite of rain fell during this part of the day, but we managed to get back to the van without getting wet. For the journey back to our panzio, the biggest challenge was fighting sleep!!
Food & Drink
Much of the food in eastern and central Europe is heavy - starchy meat-and-potatoes offerings. While meat is widely used in Hungarian cooking, a lot of spices are used and there are influences from many other countries. Goulash is common, but it not like the stew we may think would be the case. Rather, it a clear spicy broth with pieces of meat and potatoes; often the broth has been made with tomatoes.Other soups are featured and there is ample use of chicken, pork, duck and beef. Paprika is the most frequently used is spice and it comes in several varieties on a wide ranging hot-sweet scale. Sauces and garnishes are widely used and Hungarians love cabbage and pickles.
Wine is an essential part of the Hungarian dining experience and I discovered that Hungary has many (22) wine growing regions and that there is very good quality red and white wine from several places. Given the quality of these offerings, I am surprised that Hungarian wines are not more readily available in Canada.
The dining experience and quality of food varied from place to place and a number of dining experiences stand out as being great. These positive experiences are a reflection of the quality of food and the people with whom we were sharing. Our final team dinner in Budapest before people left for home or other travel was at a traditional Hungarian restaurant, where we not only had an excellent dining experience but were treated to live music by Csardas - Virtuos Gipsy Band.
Habitat Project
The project was located about 45 minutes north of Budapest in the town of Vac. We stayed at a great panzio (family-run inn) about 15 minutes from the build site. There were a few other guest at the panzio at times, but most of the time we were the only people staying there. We ended up working on two projects, but the main one was the installation of Styrofoam insulation on the exterior a house. It was great to get to work after relaxing for a few days in Budapest. The others on the team were keen to get into the various tasks and our time at the build site seemed to go quickly every day.
Speaking of the team - there were nine of us. Most of the team (seven) either lived in New Brunswick or had grown up there and moved to another part of Canada. There was one person from Toronto and an American from Wisconsin. Some had previous Global Village experience, while it was the first trip for a number of people. We were a hard working group and also knew how to have fun both at and away from the build site.
It's always a privilege to meet and spend time with a Habitat partner family - in this case, the family consisted of the the parents and two girls aged 10 and 13. We got to see the father most days, but a bit less frequently for the others. We had two excellent site supervisors who worked along side us as well as showed us how to undertake tasks with which we were not familiar. Both men were skilled in English and had a good sense of humour. We also received great support from a local woman who accompanied us when we went out to dinner, on our day trip to the Danube Bend and even coming to the panzio to help us with our delivery orders for dinner. She is a history teacher with extensive knowledge about Hungary as well as being fluent in English.
Our tasks varied and included things such as drilling holes into the foundation and then hammering in long spikes or pins specifically designed to hold the rigid insulation to the walls; mixing mortar to attach insulation, patch holes and attach mesh around window openings and on corners; cutting, scraping or shaving the Styrofoam to ensure a proper fit. Much of the work involved being on scaffolding, which was completely safe but required more time and effort to move materials than if we had been working on the ground. By installing insulation, the family would have a much warmer and drier home, while also having significantly reduced heating costs.
While not anticipated at the outset, we ended up spending a couple of days at another work site due to rainy weather that prevented us from being able to work outside. We undertook a window painting project at a centre for homeless people. It involved scraping paint off many wooden window frames, repairing damaged areas with wood filler, sanding and getting windows ready for painting, painting and re-hanging the windows. We accomplished a lot in these two days. It was notably different from the house insulation project, so we were able to use or develop other skills. I found the second project to be good in many respects - meeting a serious housing need and also seeing another side of life in Hungary. When finished, the window repairs will result in a more comfortable living environment for the residents and reduce energy costs for the shelter. I also think it was an important reminder of the comfort I live in every day when so many people do not even have a permanent place to live.
Finished house
Our lodging was not fancy, but it was comfortable and the owner was extremely attentive accommodating to any needs we had. Each morning, we had a hearty breakfast there before heading to the build site each day. Our lunches were delivered to the build site most days and we were treated to tasty food in amounts that far exceeded our requirements. It didn't take long for us to reduce the amount of food we ordered.
Deck where we enjoyed many dinners and just hanging out
Our options for dinner were very limited. There was a very nice place within easy walking distance that we went to a few times. After our half-day outing, we stopped at a good restaurant in downtown Vac. On the other days, we were completely content to order food and have it delivered to the panzio. The owner of the panzio or his son would ensure we had plates, cutlery and other items as required. We really enjoyed these evening as they provided excellent opportunities for conversation and mingling. As the team leader on these trips, one of the challenges is finding restaurants that meet the needs of as many people as possible. That certainly was not an issue on this trip!
After finishing the build, our farewell event in Vac was having a cookout dinner with the partner family, folks from Habitat Hungary and our team. It was a wonderful way to conclude our time there and to be able to share this with our new friends - animated conversations, laughter, sharing stories, good food and wine, and just hanging out.
The Team plus a few
