William Penn Life, 2009 (44. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2009-01-01 / 1. szám
Branching Out with Endre Csornán Journey to the Homeland A look back at the WPA-sponsored tour to Hungary Part 3: A Visit to The Calvinist City of Debrecen Continuing with our trip, we made our way to the famous "Pálinkafözde" in Panyola (Szatmár County). All of the tour participants were welcomed to a unforgettable luncheon of kolbász, suit szalonna and pecsenye and endless glasses of pálinka (brandy). Late afternoon, we arrived at Debrecen and established headquarters at the Arany Bika Hotel (Golden Bull). After having eaten a hearty meal of túrós csusza at the hotel, we proceeded to see the city called by many "Calvinist Rome." Debrecen is the second largest city in Hungary. In the city's square stands the famous Calvinist Church (Református Templom) with its two gigantic towers visible from a great distance. Since the Middle Ages, Debrecen has been known as the town of schools. It was also the capital of the War of Independence in 1848-49 against the Habsburgs. The next morning, the group took a walking tour of the Kossuth Lajos University of Sciences, the Nagy Erdő, the Déry Museum and other interesting places. Continuing with our tour in the afternoon, we made our way by bus to the famous Hortobágy where we witnessed the miracle of the plains by seeing a mirage (Délibáb). The csikós (cowboys) put on a performance showing us many feats of riding and daring skills. From our group, several younger ones mounted the horses and went horseback riding. Others photographed the stately cowboys of the plains. For dinner, we ate at the famous Hortobágyi Csárda. The gulyás and breaded pork was delicious. The music of the gypsy orchestra was excellent. Many of us sang and danced the csárdás. We also visited the Shepherd Museum where we were shown how the shepherds lived, their folk art and the tools they used. The Hortobágy is a large protected grassland where the Hungarian grey cattle, herds of twisted horn racka sheep and buffalo graze out in the open. In late afternoon, we returned to Debrecen and rested up for the next excursion to Nagyvárad (now Romania), the birthplace of Saint László, many famous A csikós (Hungarian cowboy) watches large grey oxen in National Park in the Hortobágy. poets, writers and politicians. The group spent part of the day visiting the old town of Nagyvárad, the bishop's place, the town hall, the theatre and other wonderful places. For lunch, we ate at the beautiful Góbé Csárda which specializes in Transylvanian (Székely) food. Actually, the csárda also rents sleeping rooms, each representing the different regions of Székely, such as Háromszék, Udvarhely and Gyergyó, among others, through the display of hand-painted furniture and other decorations. We then headed back to Gyula, Hungary, and stayed at the Hotel Corvin. After dinner, part of the group went sight-seeing, while others went shopping or bathing in the spa. The next morning, after a rich buffet breakfast in the hotel, we traveled to Battonya. We arrived later than planned; however, the group was given a warm reception. The pastor and the mayor of Battonya were most gracious and explained the history of this area to the group. 6 William Penn Life, January 2009
