Budapest, Hungary

After a bizarre overnight bus ride from Istanbul to Bucharest (during which I helped my Romanian and Gypsy co-passengers smuggle gold and leather across the border), I caught a train from Bucharest to Brasov and then another train to Sepsiszentgyörgy in Székelyföld (Transylvania). I spent a very relaxing week in Sepsiszentgyörgy visiting with old friends.

On Saturday I took a train to Budapest, passing miles and miles of flooded farmland. On Sunday morning I went to St. Stephen's Basilica for Easter Mass and then met with some friends in the afternoon. Yesterday (Monday) I celebrated Easter with Doktor Kriszta, Cserveny Kinga, and the Cserveny family (very dear old friends I first met in 1992) , including the little fertility ritual of sprinkling water on all the girls' heads while reciting the poem:

Zöld erdõben jártam,
Kék ibolyat láttam,
El akart hervadni,
Szabad-e locsolni?

Eric's translation:

Wandering through a green forest,
I came across a blue violet,
that was beginning to wither and fade.
May I sprinkle her with water?

Cute, isn't it?

More next time from Sarajevo...

(Photo by Eric: Sepsiszentgyörgy, Transylvania)