Mom's Take on Eastern Europe

Morning latte's at the Gerbeaud Cafe next to Budapest's Christmas Market.

So, my mother asked if she could write a guest blog after her and my stepfather Jim traveled here for Christmas. I said absolutely (she's Mom, of course I had to say yes!), and in my first opportunity to play editor and take the big red marker to something written by one of my parents, didn't change a thing and even ran the baby picture she requested that run with the blog. Thank you for taking the time to write, Mom!

Boldog Karácsonyt! (Merry Christmas!)

As you know, for the past 6 months my son Joey has been teaching baseball to Hungarian children and traveling around Europe visiting friends and learning the European cultures. Like most moms, I was eager to get over there and check things out. So, with the holidays approaching I booked a couple of flights and Jim and I packed up our hats and gloves and headed on over to Budapest. When we arrived at the airport and I saw Joey waiting for us at the gate I was suddenly reminded of his first trip to the States when he was 6 months old and his Grandparents waited anxiously at the Syracuse airport to meet their grandson for the first time. Our lives had taken a complete circle.

Once settled into the taxi we headed to Joey’s flat to spend the evening sipping Hungarian wine and beer and nibbling on croghan bologna. Life was good but we were exhausted. Resisting jet lag and anxious to see the sights, we woke up the next morning with a mission: complete everything listed on Joey’s itinerary and sample the Hungarian goulash at multiple restaurants.

We began the day visiting the Christmas Market at Vörösmarty Ter in downtown Budapest and after fumbling around with thousands of Hungarian forints we managed to make the first of many purchases. To warm up we stopped in at the beautiful Gerbeaud Café and enjoyed the most delicious Caffé Latte with home-made cinnamon syrup I’ve ever tasted. None of that yucky “after taste” would be had at this fine establishment! (Sorry Starbucks.)

Walking with Ron: Posing with the Ronald Reagen statue in Budapest.

Then we caught the tram back to Joey’s flat to relax for a few hours. Europeans are known for their family traditions and since Christmas Eve marks the first real day of Christmas in Hungary, they were home spending time with their families. We on the other hand headed out for Christmas Eve dinner and a casual stroll to visit the picturesque St. Stephen’s Basilica, St. Stephen’s Square, Parliament Building and Ronald Reagan statue in Freedom Park, right next to the U.S. Embassy. We were pleasantly surprised by the serenity of the evening - a sharp contrast to the craziness typically found in an American city on Christmas Eve with last minute shoppers and partygoers filling up the busy streets.

From the delivery of the Christmas turkey to a family toast of Pálinka, Joey planned each day right down to the tram stops and local bakeries. Did I mention Hungarian lottery tickets in our stockings? Some traditions just carry on. The three of us enjoyed a relaxing Christmas Day together opening gifts, eating a lot of great food and packing our bags for the bus ride to Vienna Austria the next day.

While in Vienna we visited the Schonbrunn Palace. This home to the Habsburgs is beautiful and shows off Austria’s austerity. Once on the grounds of the palace we stopped at the outdoor Christmas market and admired the wide variety of Austrian crafts ranging from Christmas tree decorations made of wood, felt, glass and stone, to handmade pottery, tin toys, clay products and hand-carved mangers. I couldn’t help but notice a variety of miniature “pigs” for sale at a few of the crafters huts. They were cute but a little odd and seemed very out of place. It wasn’t until I returned to Virginia and was reading the Washington Post on the train to work when I learned that on the first day of the New Year the “race of the lucky pigs” takes place at an obstacle course in Klosters, Switzerland. Too funny.

Joey in Weitersweiler, Germany in 1979.

On the train back we stopped at Bratislava, the capital of the Slovak Republic, and caught a beautiful sunset while visiting the Bratislava Castle.

Back in Budapest we visited the Castle District, Royal Palace, the famous Andrassay Street, House of Terror, Heroes Square and City Park. On our final day in Hungary we walked around the beautiful town of Szentendre, dined at the Bárczy Fogadó housed in an 18th century baroque building and had our first taste of ostrich goulash. It was delicious. 

We had a great time on our trip and although we didn’t see much of the sun during our week in Hungary the beautiful holiday lights more than made up for the lack of sunshine. Yes, it was quite cold over there, but sipping on Glühwein warmed us up in no time!

I think it’s so interesting that Joey was born in Germany and now has this desire to live in Europe. Could it be that his love for baseball actually began in Europe? Now that’s a thought.

Thanks Joey for a wonderful Christmas. See you in Prague!

– Mom