I've already told you about taking the train to Budapest to see my college roommate, Cheryl Winget. Now I want to add some of the details about this leg of the trip.
Cheryl met me at the train station and immediately we got in her vehicle and made our way around town. Like anyone who has lived anywhere for 21 years, Cheryl knew the area well and was a great guide for my adventure. We made a stop at a piano store (if you know Cheryl that's no surprise) and then we made our way to a restaurant called Vak Varju (Blind Crow) where I had a Hungarian specialty, veal paprikash (paprika). It was delicious.
Afterwards, we made our way around all the beautiful tourist destinations in the city. Budapest sits on the banks of the Danube River and there are many beautiful sights. We walked through the markets and through the parks. You know you're in a whole other world when someone says, "This is my favorite castle in the city." Then Cheryl described what it would be like to be at the castle for summer concerts and hear the music and see the courtyard lit up. It sounded wonderful.
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| Cheryl and her castle |
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| View of the city along the Danube |
Cheryl took me on a tour her school. She is in charge of special education at the International Christian School. I got to meet some of her colleagues and several of them are from Grace Baptist Church in Chattanooga. Some of them had even been to Camp of the Woods.
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| What an accomplishment! |
We spent a lot of time just hanging out and talking about our lives. I could see how Cheryl's life in Budapest is now, but I wanted to know what it was like to come there 21 years ago. What was it like to not know the language or your way around? What was it like to put a first grader and a third grader in Hungarian school? This was some of what we talked about. We always have lots to talk about and we enjoy each other's company. But our visit wouldn't be complete without including our other roommate from our college days, Peggy Decker, so we skyped her and got to visit with her too.
We finished off my visit with a trip to the city at night. The weather was perfect and the city was beautiful all lit up. From our vantage we could see the palace of the Hapsburgs, the bridges over the Danube and many boats and buildings sparkling as they reflected in the water. We happened by a restaurant where many people were dining outside and they had live music. It was the perfect way to end our day.
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| The Buda Castle |
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| The trees at the market were decorated for Easter |
Cheryl and I go way back, all the way to 5th grade at Wanamaker Elementary School. We were both amazed at where our lives had taken us, and we were happy to still be connected and sharing this time together.
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