August 20th and 21st, 2011

August 20th is the day of our king Stephen 1st. On this day we commemorate the founding of our state 1011 years ago… Civilian population’s opinions differ about the necessity of the costly fireworks that is sure to come every year whatever happens… We saw it from the top of the hill of which foot located my parents’house. One of my cousin, his girlfriend, her parents joined us that weekend. I rather do not mention who else would have join us as well because their hearts are bleeding anyway…
In the morning we were walking along the Danube, through the Chain Bridge. Several programmes and spectacles entertained us. The entry was free into the Parliament that day, therefore needless to describe the lenght of the queue, the number of the people waiting for entry. I tried to shoe every famous spot in the near including the celebrities we accidently met.

It was extremely hot, so it was not a question if we head down to Lake Velence the following day. What we admired: the wakeboarders. What we did: cycling by water, chasing swan. Dominik asked: in case we are riding a bike by water, can we drive a car by water as well??

I'm amazed by the fact that Emile is almost half a year old!!

I can't stop...

...boxing! Dominik got a box bag with mittens from his godparents for his name-day. After installation and more than half an hour continuous hard boxing I had to pray for stopping and going to the bathroom.
See wonder. What do you think was the first thing he wanted to do right after opening his eyes the following morning??

I like it when...

…I have the opportunity to pick up an extra portion of D vitamin through our vital element called sunshine and have a chance for some extra exercise. Not bad when this can happen during a workday and it’s the heaven itself if I can do both at the same time. This happened today (and every morning before work and every afternoon after work) when I had to go to the embassy to submit the visa applications for my colleagues. They are going to Saudi Arabia next week and probably they had to visit some of our systems in Korea as well. Lucky guys! So the weather was excellent and I sprang up my bike and I was pedalling fast, very fast… Halfway I changed my horse and drove on by car. (I cannot drop in in a sweaty cycling wear to an embassy after all!)

…I take my new white dual sim cellular phone in hand and don’t have to carry 2 pieces of phones with myself any more. I also like it when I can let Dominik into the secrets of photography.

…I am a participant of a surprise birthday party. My sister organized one at her mother-in-law’s place for her husband Lajos who turned into 30. The desired effect did not fail to come off. He is running close to me!

…I can show Dominik the beauties of the capital from a ship called Duna Corso.

...we are at home and just wash the car on a hot day.

…I can walk barefoot on such a beautiful green lawn in an orderly park like at Kopaszi Dam and if we get an extra portion of ice-cream thanks to a kind security member. The fact speaks for itself (and proves my truth) that I counted 7 i.e. seven couple on a flitting Saturday morning who decided to take the wedding photos at that place. I like gazing at brides and bridegrooms in their wedding gown with the greatest pleasure.

WE LOVE SUMMER

Morning haze and dew - that hardly want to dry up - are sure, informer signs which irreversibly indicate the end of summer…

During a couple of day off we have tested as many plages and baths in Budapest as we could with Dominik. One day, one bath. We had some unwritten rules like arriving just before opening and visiting only places where we’ve never been before. It’s the early bird that cathes the worm, the sunbed, the best place to settle, the empty pool, the shady parking area close to the entrance, etc… We always started the day with mapping the whole bath area and with exploring the facilities. I always asked Dominik at the end of the day what he liked most that day. What we have checked at each places:

• modernity, design, image
• approachability, parking possibility
• pools, slides, water temperature
• cleanliness
• toilets
• restaurants, dining possibilities
• prices















Day 1 – AQUAWORLD / Ramada Resort
I thought that the dome roof can be removed in summer but I was wrong. It’s rather gloomy than great experience. Although there are some outdoor pools but in real it is an excellent programme for snowy, frosty winter days. On top of the closed bath area I disliked the amateour staff, the high prices and the fact that you aren’t allowed to take any food and drink with yourself (although it was checked by nobody). I liked the architectural style of it, it is like Angkor (region in Cambodia, a Khmer term meaning "city").
Dominik’s favourite: the photoelectric little glass door which is to connect the outdoor and indoor pools without getting out of the water.










Day 2 – The ROMAN Bath
The Roman bath, the Roman beach and plage always had a good reputation as far as I know. We did not disappoint. Cleanliness everywhere, practical water engagements for children. I liked the roomy toilets with the extreme brightness from outside. I cannot say anything negative but if I should, the only disturbing factor could have been the pine-needles. That’s all.
Dominik’s favourite: the refreshing water drizzle gate which we had to run through many times and the little lake with turtles.










Day 3 – Pünkösfürdői Strand
It’s located quite close to the Roman bath. Easy to survey the place itself and the engaging manner of the staff is winning. The rambler rose is not the best choice around the pool but gives the impression of being in the tale of the Sleeping Beauty… We can travel not only to Fairyland but also back in time owing to the lot of advertise on posters reminding us of the bygone days, the golden age of the previous generation. We liked the fact that it was just like children’s day with so much fun like eg. horse riding, face painting, clowns, balloons and the huge portions of ice-cream. We did not like the temperature of either pool, they were quite chilly.
Dominik’s absolute favourite: the smurf-designed air castle with slide.










Day 4 – PALATINUS
It is an odd-one-out because it’s not a place that I have never been before. When we were young, the old lady next door took my sister and me there some times. It haven’t changed a lot. To approach by car is a nightmare. The bath located in the middle of the Margaret Island where you are not allowed to drive in by car. If you have luck, you can leave your vehicle at the foot of the Margaret Bridge or somewhere in the neighbouring streets which takes at least half an hour walking only there and another half an hour walking back AND you aren’t allowed to pay for more than 3 hours at once. Congratulations.

We have bumped into a Hungarian singer during our bath testing more times. P.V. and her pupils were about to popularize their roadshow called „For the safe bathing”. They appeared at different baths with united efforts with the ambulance party. The song which is inspired to popularize that campaign is quite melodious and definitely instructive (the injuries are simulated, not real):

Man proposes, God disposes

Half of me was missin' last week. Dominik was away with my ex-mother-in-law for a couple of days. I realized very soon that he became a part of me, perfectly built in my everydays and I started to miss him even on the first day. I tried to engaged myself doing things that I cannot do as a single parent. For example jogging before work early in the morning… Then I found out that why can’t we do it together, tho’ not in the mornings but in the evenings? We have already started the training at his greatest pleasure – inserted a playground halfway as a motivating factor.
Returning home from Balaton, I looked forward him with his favourite dishes: mushroom soup and poppy-seed crescent rolls (named ”mákos guba” in Hungarian). We had great joint programmes the following day like eating out then sitting into the movie (Cars 2) – BTW this can be entitled a milestone because this was the first time being in the cinema…
And now, I realize that his passport is invalid, otherwise we would be sitting on the beach of Tunisia or rather would spending our time with Family Lassu from Calgary, here in Hungary… Plans were modified and postponed accordingly. The best solution would be to visit Robi and his family in Calgary, wishing him the soonest recovery personally and taking a bit from Europe along because I know exactly how anxious they were to visit Europe. And the other hand, there is Viki and her nice family in Ontario, whom I eagerly want to meet as well. If only I can manage these personal visits as easily as I would like to. Plans can be modified, can be postponed but can be brought forward as well! ;-)

Why don’t we have birthday everyday, anyway??

Dominik’s 4th birthday party made not only Dominik happy but also made me happy. It was a pefect one for everyone’s greatest pleasure, a real Canaan for children.

Dominik's 4th Birthday Party

Festival Feeling

The last weekend was full of content with no time taking a breath. After a quite damnable Friday I decided to join a festival and to take part in a great concert. Nice people, great songs, familiar faces that made me to forget everything else and made me to feel richer than before.
Festival feeling was continued the next day completed with some guide involved my cousin and his girlfriend in the area where I used to studied. Famous spots, monuments, lakes, gastronomy... Memorable day without stopping for even a minute. That evening the festival feeling turned into party feeling. I decided to introduce my guests to Budapest night-life (they had no objection) and to take them to Hajógyári Island. I've never been a famous party face and it's ages since I visited such places and moved among such milieu. It was definitely a great experience for me and for my guests as well. We saw the limos arriving one after the other with the indipensible strobe light on the bumper, a group of cute guys dressed up as sailors (supposedly the participants of a bachelor night), enthusiastic salsa dancers... I was surprised how well-organized was everything: parking, foot passanger traffic, security arrangements. The location of these pleasure-grounds is so concentrated, mostly with passageways between one another, some of them afloat. But the best thing is the free entry for girls. :-) In spite of this fact, the majority was male.
The following day was flowery Sunday. The usual procession kept us entertained.

The First Trial

Over the first hearing in the court room. Mixed feelings but not unsure at all and no way to undo the whole. A little bit late but undoubtedly the best decision. To be continued in autumn...
To shake up the rest of the day and not to become possessed with gloom - in conformity of my girlish being, I've chased a couple of new wearables. Then I enjoyed the sunshine alone at home and as a travelling circus is stationed in our town these days, we couldn't omit the evening repertoir with Dominik.

Planning the Summer

Pretty over the speech-day, the official closing of the nursery year; in the midst of the better and better programmes for every single day that has left in the nursery till the summer holiday. Just a couple of them to mention: slush-day with firemen with real fire engine that was inspired to fill the kid’s air-pool, children’s day with bouncy castle, traffic-day with real policemen, excursions, indian-day in the nearby forest, cake and ice-cream day, vitamin-day… Children were kept busy and well entertained right before starting their real summer fun. I’m happy to have Dominik attend this institution because I see him to enlarge in mind day by day by hearing and seeing his newest experiences. The older and the 24-year-old kindergarten teacher complete each other entirely. Perfect duet.

I needed to put the calendar in front of me with special regard to June, July and August to plan the whole summer knowingly week by week because the summer is long (fortunately but insufficiently) and the number of my free days is limited. I have to think through what is sure, think about the fixed dates. I also needed to take into account my colleague’s holiday because we aren’t allowed to go on holiday at the same time.
I definately want to take my son abroad at least for a week. I need to think through where I dare and what is worth… Let’s see. Alone with a 4-year-old somewhere around the world - I cannot count upon anybody as a co-traveller. By air or by land? I ogle Slovenia, Bled Island, the island of peace and quiet. I would join a cycling tour because Slovenia’s exceptionally diverse landscape with its countless sites of natural beauty make it an ideal choice for an active holiday and moving around by bike is the best way of exploring a new place. Looks tempting but I’m not sure if this kind of holiday will be the perfect choice regarding Dominik. So, creating the right theory is in progress…

Till then, we are roaming our country, meet relatives and gain domestic experiences.