A Bit of Snow!

 

We have lucked out with a very mild winter...especially hearing all about the crazy weather in St. Louis.  But it was nice to get a taste of snow.  Made the walk to the bus stop fun!

Journalling

We've gotten in the habit of writing in journals before bedtime. Nicholas almost always begins his entries with "I woke up and ate breakfast".  And they end with "Köszönöm for reading this!" (Köszönöm means "thank you")

 

Ping Pong Mania

There's a huge store here called Decathlon which has sports and leisure equipment for every sport under the sun.  An entire aisle for equestrian.  Fishing.  Archery.  And the tiniest 2 foot section of baseball stuff.  :)  We originally went there to get Charlotte's ballet outfit and shoes.  Now we go for entertainment.  They have areas set up for testing out bikes, scooters, a mini-mountain climbing wall...and ping pong.  Lots and lots of ping pong tables.  The kids beg to drive out there and play.  Considering our lack of entertainment possibilities indoors at our apartment, we go a lot!

 

After a few weeks of Decathlon visits, we decided to invest in our very own apartment-friendly ping pong set.  The net attaches to any table.  Hours of fun...

 

Charlotte is very intense, though is constantly complaining that Nicholas is better than she is.  I have to say, playing on a tiny coffee table takes some skill!

Lashes

Every so often I forget how freakishly long Nicholas's lashes are.  I took this close-up and...WOW!

Breakfast Included

Tom's rock-star admin got breakfast included in our apartment rental.  It's one of the kids' favorite things about living here.  Who wouldn't love unlimited croissants and bacon every day??  We had been going every morning, but we've cut back to every other and try to eat something a little more healthy and balanced at home on the off days.  But we do miss the pastries on those days!

 

European Figure Skating Championships

What luck!  This year Budapest hosted the European Championships, and Tom bought me tickets for my birthday.  I've been to skating exhibitions before, but never a competition.  It was so cool!

 

 

The hat...oh, the hat.

 

 

We had great seats.  Tom did well. :)

 

 

The gold medalists.

 

 

The "kiss and cry" area is actually just off the ice.  I didn't know that.

  He's a fan.

 

A Russian sweep

Bye, Bye Tooth #2!

Before: (I'm not sure how this tooth was holding in there for so long!)

 

 

After:

 

Turns out there is a different Tooth Fairy here:

 

 

Instead of a golden US dollar, the Hungarian tooth fairy leaves a 200 Forint piece.  They're pretty!

 

 

Vajdahunyad Castle in City Park

Built for the 1895 Millenial Celebration in Budapest's City Park, the Vajdahunyad Castle is actually a group of buildings that represent different building styles from Hungary's history.  It was originally built using temporary materials, but was so loved, that it was rebuilt using stone and brick in the early 1900's.  It also houses the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture.

 

 

This statue is of "Anonymous",  who was the unknown person employed by a Hungarian king in the 12th century to chronicle the history of early Hungary.

 

The museum itself isn't all that fantastic, but the interiors are quite beautiful!

 

Here it is!  The native Hungarian furry pig - the mangalica:

 

It was dark when we came out, which led to some much better pictures!

 

My kids are all about souvenirs.  Here's Nico with the little soldier he picked out from the very understocked gift shop!

 

Lions are everywhere in Budapest.  Reminds me of the lions in U City back home!

Hungarian Dogs

 

I had never seen these dogs before, but we see them occasionally around town.  They are Hungarian livestock dogs with a coat of dreadlocks.  I read where they are called "Nature's Most Adorable Mop".  There is also a smaller breed with the same coat which is called a Puli.  They're a kick!

Happy Birthday to Me!

 

My last year in my 30s has begun.  What a place to spend it!  I got lots of scarves for birthday gifts, which are perfect for this Budapest weather.

 

 

Birthday dessert smorgasbord before:

(no idea what any of these are called except for the Dobos Torte on the left)

 

and after:

 

 

Yum!

Lost in Translation

Gellert Hill

Across the Danube from our apartment is Gellert Hill.  At the base is the famous Gellert Hotel and Bathhouse.  At the top are a citadel, statues and fantastic views of Budapest.  Charlotte had a birthday party this afternoon, so the three of us headed up to check it out.

Can't wait to take some pictures here in Spring!

 

The citadel was built in the 1850s and has always held military significance.  Most recently it was used by the Germans as a main defense center during WWII.  It was in very poor condition after the war, but was rebuilt, as were so many things in the city.  It really hits home how often this country has been involved in and been destroyed by war when you're looking at the damage up close.

The statue in the background is Liberty Statue which is visible at the top of the hill from all over Budapest.  It was originally built as a monument to the Communists who liberated Hungary from the Nazis. 

 

The inscription was adjusted in 1989 from :

 

To the memory of the liberating Soviet heroes [erected by] the grateful Hungarian people [in] 1945

 

to : To the memory of those all who sacrificed their lives for the independence, freedom, and prosperity of Hungary.

 

Our apartment across the river.  The modern white bridge is the Elizabeth Bridge.

photo courtesy of Nico!