Goulash, anyone?

Hey y'all. It's Allison again and I'm just coming out and saying that I PROMISE this blog post will not be as long as my last one. I'm a self-professed compulsive rambler so I'll try to just hit the highlights this time. So today was our 2nd Sunday in the great nation of Hungary and also our 2nd day as obnoxious American tourists. We made it to the Paulus house at around 9:30...and yes, I mean made it as in every time we get in the car, there is a very likely chance that we will either be A) hit by a fast driving car passing us, B) have a cyclist run into the side of our van, or C) have the brake decide not to work once we are getting into the car. The later actually did happen yesterday and the van maybe moved a foot, but I literally had a heart attack because of course I was sitting shotgun. The church service was fantastic and Frannie, Mary, Jena, and Osk spoke about their experiences at camp, along with David and Esther to bring up the Hungarian end. My personal favorites part of the service was at the beginning when everyone stood up and shared their personal prayer requests or stories of celebration. It made the service so much more personal and the atmosphere was one of pure joy.

After church, we went to lunch. To Campona. Again. And I believe I got my 6th Subway sandwich of the week; turkey and cheese on barna (or for all you non-Hungarian speakers, wheat). I feel so bad for that poor employee who happens to be there the past 3 times we've come. Yanosh then took us to the local "Doodles". Inexpensive, outdoor ice cream that we all enjoyed, particularly the Bailey's ice cream flavor, which was not alcoholic, promise! We returned to the Romantika and proceeded to all enjoy a much needed Sunday cat nap. Well, all of us except for Anne, Mary Leslie, Sara Beth, Osk, Troy, Tim, and myself. The girls were looking up our Ennegrams online for an hour and a half ( I'm a 6, or the Loyalist. AKA best personality ever, unless you're a 9 then 6's stress you out) and the boys continued their new favorite past time of throwing various objects at their fans. #nocomment. Our touristy experience of the day was going to a nearby minaret that was built by the Turks in the 17th century. We then proceeded to lock others in the dark and creepy minaret...I was obviously the only one who appreciated the historical integrity of the site. Then we went to ice cream stop #2 of the day. No complains here on that one. My personal favorite part of the day was going to Yanosh's house for dinner. Literally think of the cutest home ever and you have their house. There was peach, apricots, cherries, apples, plums, exc. growing on trees out back and serviced as our amuse bouche for our meal. For dinner, we had homemade goulash and bread. OH MY GOSH Y'ALL BEST MEAL KNOWN TO MANKIND. Desert was crepe like pancakes with nutella (pronounced nu-te-la) and homemade apricot jam. SO much better than the ones we had at a restaurant at Balaton. If Yanosh opens a restaurant, I would ship myself to Hungary just to eat at it. The meal was rounded out with discussing dogs for an hour, feeding the geese next door whom we named Waffles and Captain (my idea, nbd), and being approached by the neighboring 2 year old child. Said child was only sporting a pair of blue Crocs. Nothing, and I mean nothing, else.

We finished our evening on a nighttime river boat cruise down the Danube and we got to see the Parliament and St. Matthias cathedral and other important sites that I didn't know the name of. We also had to resist the champagne they were handing out in exchange for OJ (or for our abbreviation illiterate readers, orange juice. Or for our Hungarian friends, tej). What a toughie. And now we are sitting in our hotel rooms, eating cheez-it's and discussing Ennegrams. For all we know, Tim, Osk, and Troy could be playing their fan game. Long hair, don't care.

Peace. Love. Buda and Pest. They're two different cities, duh.