2013-7-12 - Kalocsa and Puszta - Hungary

 

Yipee!...we got to sleep in & spend a lazy morning.  We arrived in Kalocsa about 11am. We had free time to wander on shore close to the boat were there were a few interesting shops with local, handmade items including beautiful embroidered tops & purses.
"Kalocsa is one of the oldest towns in Hungary - nearly as old as the Hungarian state itself. Origanally an archdiocese founded by King Stephen in 1000, Kalocsa is one of four Roman Catholic archbishoprics in Hungary... Its known for many beautiful structures, colleges & seminaries but more than anything else, the town is perhaps best known for its embroidery & its paprika...The tradition of embroidery began in the mid-19th century as a way to make everyday garments more appealing. The art quickly became a thriving source of employment for women...Paprika is even older. Often referred as 'red gold' the spice was brought to the area by the ruling Turks in the 16th century & it has since become the dominant spice in Hungarian kitchens..."

I tried my hand at cracking the whip...what a joke - but we all had a good laugh then everyone was trying to do it.

 

 

 

Now this is how you do it & without a funny face







We visited another stunning church but I can't remember the name of it or if was a chapel, church or palace. (in Europe they seem to interchange these words for what we call a church) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Franz Ritter von Liszt

  

 

"The Puszta: Puszta is a word often associated with traditional Hungarian landscape; it means barren land, wilderness or a grassy kind of semi-desert... The great Hungarian Plain was once the floor of the Pannonian Sea, which existed for about 9 million years. Then about 600,000 years ago, its water broke through the Iron Gate on the Danube River & flowed throught the gorge, leaving behind the vast plain we see today." 

 

Back on the bus & onto a Hungarian horse show on a ranch in the Puszta, near Kalocsa.  The horses and Magyar cowboys at the Hungarian horse show on a ranch near Kalocsa, Hungary was a highlight of our day. The entertainment starts with a horse parade, followed by all sorts of exercises that were once practiced for wartime, but today are just for show. For example, the riders taught their horses sit or lie down to provide a smaller target during a battle or protection for the rider. A boy on a small burro provides a comical contrast to the magnificent steeds. The climax of the show was a complicated twist to the Hungarian five-horse racing, more commonly known as the "Puszta-fiver". This cowboy used nine horses! We all enjoyed tasting the paprika bread and apricot brandy, and a ride around the ranch in a gypsy wagon completed our day on the Puszta.

 

He's kinda yummy isn't he ??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

We were all exhausted when we returned to the cool interior of the Aegir - we had to get ready for dinner in a hurry to attend the farewell toast in the lounge at 6:30;  join George at 6:45 for a briefing about the next days'  excursions & events & the Captain's Farewell dinner at 7pm ! YIKES! I just wanted a short nap. somehow, we showered & dressed in time to attend all events. At 7:15pm the Aegir left Kalocsa for Budapest while we were partying...The entire crew, staff & officers were on hand to bid some of us farewell  (I believe 66 of us stayed on board & onto Amsterdam) .

  Maitre d' Valentin & Henry my favorite server

 

 

 

Renaldo another one of our favorite servers

Cheryl...sweet & comforting person

 

Most of us (the women that is) got spiffed up a bit for the festivities. We met so many amazing & diversified people; lawyers, nurses, teachers, a federal court judge mostly from the USA, Canada & Australia - (the Aussies were the best - boy they sure can party harty)

 



 

Bebe, Faye, Lynn & Heide (Bebe & Heide are sis-in-laws - Lynn & Heide travel friends)

You would swear Heide is a reinarnation of Bea Arthur of the Golden Girls

Judy & Dick Weiss - our constant table mates & now friends for a long time

 

 

 



 

Now if we didn't have a full enough day, Viking brought a Hungarian Folkloric band on board for a show in the lounge at 9pm. (I'm still trying to figure out how they got them off the boat because we left the dock at 7:30 & they played at 9)