So my whirlwind tour has had me bounce into Budapest. And I think I did just that, my day started off early... Again...
I discovered that in Sopron I was surrounded by not 1, not 2 but three churches and three times a day they decide to belt everything out... So at 6am, 12 noon and 6pm the first church chimes gently four gongs to notify one and all it is the top of the hour. The second church then let's six or twelve gongs go to notify every waking human that it is 6 or 12. The third church I think belongs to a trade union. It then proceeds to chime 50 times... I had a few opportunities to count... I think it does this as it knows the workers need every bit of help to get up after drinking the tasty local brew. At noon it notifies them of lunch and at 6 knock off time. My concern is however... Do they come back from lunch as there isn't 50 gongs to alert everyone lunch is over...
I then went to the posta to send of Neesa and Pam their post cards which has become a habit in every town I descend on. That was easy, managed to do that all with sign language, pointing and pretending to lick stamps...
Then went back to my apartment to order a taxi... And, poor dear Ferdinand didn't understand... I had just gone to make sure I had taken pix of the square and then proceeded to go to my little tea house where I had been going to have my daily rooibos. As I was walking across the road I saw a taxi outside my apartment... So I dashed up to the reception asking if the taxi was for me, there was Ferdinand smiling that he had done so well to get the taxi there so quickly! Yes it was.
So grabbed my stuff that had been ready for ages, thanks to the bells!!! And jumped into the patiently awaiting taxi. Of course I hadn't learnt how to say train station and couldn't think of it in German so there I was in the passenger seat doing my best Thomas the Tank engine impersonation with arms going and the sound of choo choo escaping my lips.... Which worked cause I was whisked away and spat out at the train station. I got my train ticket and within 15minutes of discovering the taxi I was on a train heading in the direction of Budapest.
The train ride took a lot longer than I thought! Only arrived in Budapest close on two having left Sopron at 09h45. But it was a pleasant trip on a very old train unlike the shooz posh one I took in Austria!
Sopron was amazing, a really small town. Ancient and full of history. The walls of my apartment must have been about a meter wide. And the glass entry door was solid as slab... Every time I went out I met a little old lady who lived on the ground floor and she chatted away and I just passed some pleasantries in German. I think she must have been deaf as she told me whole life stories and I just smiled and nodded, having no clue what she was talking about! But. I think she just appreciated a smiling face and someone to lock the hefty front door!
One thing I found interesting in Sopron was all the sneaky inter-linking passages between the Utca or lanes. No one really lived on the ground floor as there was all these rabbit warrens that took you everywhere.
Now... The basketball. What an atmosphere. I took a taxi to the courts and discovered it was well within walkin distance. Ferdinand didn't lie when he said it was 2minutes away by cab. Everyone was wearing green and yellow. Felt like the whole village was there packed into the arena. They had an eMcee and he rallied the troops, they sang songs and had marching band drums which they all beat in time. Huge flags swooshed over head of the fans. The players all were introduced individually and Holt who played for the locals was a crowd favourite. She is the only import they have and is an african american so certainly stood out.
The game started on time and was fast paced. For majority of the first quarter Holt dominated and helped MKB take the lead. Celine came on with only a few minutes to go and I have to say her effect was immediate. She was highly physical and reined Holt in and gave her no opportunities to score at all!
The game changed and UMMC took the lead and just took the game away from the local team.
So I am now excited to be able to watch another game. I think it will be either really physical with lots of wrestling for the balls and the feisty Turks giving a good battle or else will be one sided with UMMC cruising to victory as the ladies in Istanbul seems either like peasant farmers that you imagine in Eastern Europe, all short and hard stony faced or else all posh Sandton types who can't do anything else they might chip a nail. Either way I am completely honoured to be able to watch this quality of woman's sport and considering taking it up...
Anyway. I have arrived safely and am blessed to be in a totally amazing apartment. I was upgraded to a studio. So I have a kitchen, a lounge, a bathroom and a bedroom with a balcony. I also have a washing machine so will be making use of that tonight. The staff at Town Hall are utterly endearing and actually care about their guests, it seems. I am doing a hop on hop off tour tomorrow. I have seen the Opera House, some truly stunning cathedrals and churches. I stood in awe at the banks of the mighty Danube and have just ventured into an irish pub serving Hungarian Goulash. Am sitting here enjoying the English music, the familiar surroundings of English writing. And am raising a good ol Guinness in honour of Dad and Sammy. Is getting dark here so gonna drink up and head back into the beautiful part of Pest where I am for the next two days :)
Hugs from the travelling elf (who in all honesty is grumpy as all hell with me as I realised today he has spent most of our adventure hanging on the orange bag stationed in the hotel rooms - fortunately for me he gets to see all the cities we have visited as I retrace my steps, but missed the all NB game of basketball...he hasn't said a word to me for ages) Sophie and the kiwi beanie who has miraculously remained by my side for two days without escaping!!!
Good to be back online :) go UMMC :)
Celine Dumerc causing a turn over against MKB Sopron in the Euroleague
Town Square, two blocks away from the apartment.
Town Square, two blocks away from the apartment.
The main street in Sopron heading towards MKB Euroleasing Basketball and the big SPAR that I found.
The Opera House just around the corner from where I stayed. Amazing design in such, winter they had fires under the chairs that they lit to heat the audience and in summer they had ice that they used to cool the audience!
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