How lucky to be whisked away to the Hungarian countryside to the summer cottage of a friend over a holiday weekend when city dwellers, Budapest residents and tourists were a few hours away celebrating St. Stephens Day on the Danube River, the one that separates Buda from Pest.
Their summer home is within a few minutes of the well renowned Lake Balatan. To the left are some wild berries growing in the fields just outside the Lake Balatan region.
Before or after I was beat in ping pong by my friend’s 15 year daughter, we feasted on various cheeses, liqueurs, wines, breads and meats, Hungarian style.
Every minute of it was splendid including the hour long nap I got on the lake’s edge, together with hundreds of other Hungarian families who were there to get away from city energy and 9-5 work days, other commitments and responsibilities.
It was a holiday weekend after all and the only thing I could think of was our Labor Day or Memorial Day or our 4th of July or any of ’em in the states where families took off for a little solitude when staying couldn’t provide it.
Below are a few shots of some of the food we shared together only hours before we zipped back to Budapest to partake in the fireworks along the Danube River in celebration of the annual St. Stephens Day they have every summer.
None of the women of my hosts spoke English which was sad for me as I was so looking forward to sharing stories, asking questions, getting inside scoops and generally learning about rural and city culture through female eyes.
So alas, I ended up getting slaughtered in ping pong, eating meats and cheeses with some fabulous folks in the countryside and partaking in weekend “energy” Hungarian style, one which attracted locals from within an hour or two radius, not tourists who were all crowded into the Budapest for the annual festivities.
Below is traditional Hungarian paprika.
A finished product of homemade Chicken Paprikesh. Here’s how it worked. They threw some green and yellow pepper with Hungarian paprika into a pot which hung over a hot fire. They sauteed this with onions in a BORGACS, a traditional pot which Hungarians use to make goulosh, then they slowly added the chicken, the ground pepper, water and some other spices which they stirred and left on the fire for about an hour.
We shared jokes and talked about many things including food, ping pong, American and Hungarian culture and even social media. We had a laugh when we talked about some of the Hungarian words and how long they are, definitely not easy for a tool like Twitter which restricts you to 140 characters. Try this Hungarian word (one word only): ELKELKAPOSTTASITOTTALANITOTTATOK. Crazy right? The Thai language doesn’t disappoint on long crazy words none of us can pronounce and certainly there are surnames in Thailand that are equally as long. And then there’s the nearby town of BALATONAKARATTYA. Crikey, it’s not quite the same as Memphis, Toronto, Orlando or Richmond.
Below is a video short of the fireworks along the Danube several hours later while thousands gathered on both sides of the Danube River.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
