Magyar Hírek, 1985 (38. évfolyam, 2-26. szám)

1985-02-16 / 4. szám

Via Margutta 17 looked a usual block of flats from the outside, but it turned out that it leaned against the Monte Pincio. The tiny, intimate garden of my host also opened onto the hill. That was where we talked later.

The then fifty-five years old sculptor wore tight black pants and a snow-white shirt. His shoulder was in plaster.

He looks like a Spanish dancer I thought, but merely asked: — “What happened to you?”

“I broke my shoulder, but it hurts me much more that the one I love is dead.”

We silently entered his home, the like of which I had never seen. It was chock-a-block full of valuable statues, and works of art. I must own up that this was the first time I had seen one of his works, but I found them fascinating. The process of admiration bridged the initial awkward stage, later words flowed as amongst old acquaintances.

He told me that he had been commissioned to contribute to the interior design of the ocean-liner “Raffaello”. Over and above payment there was to be a buckshee trip for two on the maiden voyage to America. His joy turned sour soon. He slipped in the swimming-pool, and broke his shoulder. And his companion, the beautiful, twenty-eight years old English girl Doris, caught jaundice. By the time they returned to Rome she was beyond help. She died in agony.

The recent death of the woman he loved, the extraordinary surroundings, the sunset in Rome naturally turned the conversation to essentials. We talked about life and death.

I was there, when he gave an interview to János Komlós. It was an experience to listen to Tot’s answers. When it was all over, he invited us to eat at his favourite restaurant, the Casanova.

Szindbád, the film inspired by Gyula Krúdy’s stories was shown in Italy during the seventies. Zoltán Huszárik, the director was invited to the gala show at the Hungarian Academy and so was I. That was when I found out that Huszárik and Amerigo Tot he were great friends. The young Huszárik had spent much time in Rome as a scholarship holder and had then directed a film profil of the sculptor. After the successful screening, the three of us were off to eat at the Casanova, retiring to the Via Margutta afterwards.

We talked of many things. Subjects included Amerigo’s regular stints at Bari where he taught young sculptors, his works, his plans, his proposed trip to Hungary. He would only be a visitor to start with. “I should like to have a small house there, and perhaps I shall even work. That is at least what my friend, Dezső Keresztury said by way of encouragement.” Time passed quickly as we bibbed light wine.

Saying good-by, he gave each of us a medallion he made in 1972, that had been commissioned by Pope Paul VI. Only a few copies were made. I still treasure it!

ZSUZSA KRÜDY

Sports news

The best Hungarian sportsmen of the year

Hungarian sports journalists chose, as usual, the best Hungarian sportsmen of the year. Winners of two of the three categories represented sports, which have never before figured in this list. Mrs. György Vidácswhowas victorious at skittles in the Ljubljana world singles championship, and the national four-inhand team came first at the world coach driving championship held at Szilvásvárad. Amongst the men Tamás Gáspár, the wrestler, was voted best (with 496 points) in front of László Fábián, a pentathlonist (379 points), and László Juhász, a coach driver (365 points). The ladies title was won by the above mentioned Mrs. György Vidács (526 points), while Gertrud Stefanek, a foilfencer came second (371 points) and Éva Fórián, who shoots (276 points) was third. The coach driving team was voted best of the year (570 points), followed by the Vasas waterpolo team (315 points), and the Hungarian football eleven 3rd (270 points).

New Hungarian ski-jumping talent at Lake Placid

At the Lake Placid preliminary round of the Ski-Jumping World Championship László Fischer, a 22- year-old Hungarian competitor quite unexpectedly won a valuable placing: he finished 12th at the 90 meter ski-jump, and this may qualify him to take part at the 1985 Ski-Jumping World Championship.

International motor-car racing press conference in Budapest

Representatives of the Rothmans- Porsche Rallye Team and of the Renault Works held a press conference at the Budapest Stadion Hotel, where they outlined their 1985 plans. The reason for holding the conference in Budapest was the fine performances of the Hungarian team of Attila Ferjáncz and Dr. János Tandari in the touring car events. They finisheu 10th in the European Rallye Championships in 1983, and 7th in 1984. Having won ten rounds in European Championships with their Renault 5 Turbo car so far, they also won the Rothmans Trophy. Instead of the 200 HP car, they raced earlier, the Hungarian team would like to start with a 300 HP model in 1985.

Under sail—

from Sydney to Budapest

A small yacht of a mere threequarters of a tonne displacement, the “Attila” left Sydney Harbour with an ambitious aim. The captain, László Szilvási, a Hungarian living in Australia and his American— Australian crew of two want to sail to Budapest.

Recently, while his yacht was anchored in Sri Lanka, Szilvási paid a visit to Budapest to organize the participation of three other Hungarian sportsman: Gábor Antal. László Dömötör and Tamás Deimanik. The latter, a cameraman of the Hungarian Television will make a film of the adventurous journey.

RECIPES

Reaper’s soup with smoke pork

Ingredients: 250 grams smoked shank of port, 100 grams of smoked ham, 1 onion, 1-2 cloves of garlick, 100 grams sour cream, 20 grams flour, 2 spoonfuls of mustard, salt, pepper, vinegar, a little sugar, 2-3 bay leaves.

Cut the well cleaned and soaked smoked pork into biggish pieces, and cook them until they are completely tender. Put the bay leaves, onion and garlic on to cook with the meat, removing them when the pork is ready. Prepare a mixture of the flour, sour cream, mustard and a bit of water and stir this into the boiling soup, with red paprika to taste. Add a little vinegar and sugar to taste. Serve the soup on crisp, toasted cubes of white bread. (Be careful with salt, smoked pork is salty.)

Ribbon doughnut

The raised dough is difficult to make. Working the ingredients together, raising and cooking it requires considerable skill and attention.

Ingredients for 28-30 pieces: 500 grams of flour, 20 grams of yeast, 50 grams of butter, 50 grams icing sugar, the yolks of two eggs, 1 liqueur glass of rum, a pinch of salt, enough milk to make to dough easy to knead. About 1 litre of oil for the frying. (Make the flour luke-warm, and ensure that the room and the utensils used should also be lukewarm.)

Make a semi-thick leaven with 300 grams milk, the yeast, a spoonful of icing sugar and 3 spoonfuls of flour. Mix the rest of the icing sugar with the egg yolks and add the mixture to the fermented leaven. Add the luke-warm butter, then the flour, and enough milk—in which the salt was dissolved—to get a soft milk-bread dough. Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon for 20-25 minutes, or kneed it with a mixer. Sprinkle flour on top of the mass, cover it with a cloth, and let it rise to one and a half of its size in a warm place. Then topple it out onto a flour-sprinkled pastry-board, flatten by hand to about finger thickness, cut into strips, and leave to rise on a floured board for another half an hour. (Be careful, and do not let the dough to raise too much, for it may not turn out to be ribbony.) Fry in medium-hot oil, at an even heat. Cover the dish, when you start the frying, and take the lid off when you turn the doughnuts over. Take the ready doughnuts out with a ladle, place them on clean paper, and sprinkle them with vanilla icing-sugar when still hot. Serve hot, possibly with jam.

M.K.

Radio Hungary in English

The programmes are broadcast in English on Tuesdays and repeated on other days as presented below

March 5th to 11th The poet: János Arany. His background, career and poetry. His first major narrative poem: Toldi and the Toldi Trilogy. Arany's poetry during the 1848—49 War of Independence and after the fall. Ballads written by the aging poet.

March 12 th to 18th Sándor Pethő, journalist, founder of the daily Magyar Nemzet. The programme commemorates the centenary of his birth.

March 19th to 25th Dezső Kosztolányi, poet and novelist. The programme commemorates the centenary of Kosztolányid birth.

March 26th to April 1st

The millennium: Hungary observing the one thousandth anniversary of the Magyar Conquest of the Carpathian Basin in 896. The monument erected at Heroes’ Square in Budapest.

Each instalment is broadcast five times during the week. The programme is transmitted first every Tuesday at 19.00 (or 3 p.m. North American Eastern Standard Time). It is then repeated four times according to the following sequence:

—every Wednesday at 01.30 GMT (or 9.30 p.m. North American Eastern Standard Time).

—every Friday at 19.00 GMT (or 3 p.m. North American Eastern Standard Time).

—every Saturday at 01.30 GMT (or 9.30 p.m. North American Eastern Standard Time).

—every Monday at 04.00 GMT (or Sunday midnight North American Eastern Standard Time).

The programme on Tuesdays and the four repeats on the days listed above are transmitted on shortwave on the 25, 31, 41, and 49 metre bands, that is on 11 910, 9655, 9585 and 6110 kHz, respectively.

For further information or details please write to.

The Editors of Hungary's History Serial c/o Szülőföldünk Magyar Rádió Budapest 1800 Hungary

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