William Penn Life, 2017 (52. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2017-11-01 / 11. szám

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(If I could only pronounce it.) We stayed at the Aqua Sol Wellness center. This was a large hotel with many pools and mineral baths that could soothe just about anything. Happening next to the hotel was the Hajdúszoboszló Organic Food and Wine Festival. Local vendors had prepared organic foods, handmade crafts, wines and more. I even had potato chips on a stick.

As we neared the end of our trip, our last stop was Budapest. We had about four days to explore the city. There is nothing like the sight of Budapest at night from a Danube River cruise, especially with a clear night. On this tour, I finally had the chance to see the beautiful Budapest Opera House, which was undergoing a major renovation. We completed our European adventure with visits to Heroes' Square, Parliament, Váci utca, Fisherman's Bastion, Mátyástemplom (Matthias Church), Szentendre (a restored artist colony with many Hungarian crafts) and the Gerbeaud, and a bus tour of Budapest.

Our WPA farewell dinner was held at the Vadaspark Restaurant. The dinner and folk dance show were a great way to close the book on the WPA Tour 2017. The Hungarian mixed plate, goulash soup in a cauldron, mixed meat plate and dessert of sponge cake Somló-style—all to the accompaniment of authentic Gypsy music—was a fine ending to our travels in Hungary.

The things we experienced and participated in on this trip made me feel closer to my heritage and to its customs.

I look forward to next year's trip and the adventure we will experience. D