Tis the Season

What a year this has been!
Looking back on the turbulent year of 2008, I have to wonder how humans survive through uneventful times.....hah!
Daniel is now 5! How time flys. Daniel finished up his first season of skating in early 2008, followed by a summer of excelling through many levels of swimming. After a refresher, he'll be ready for swim club! Danny-boy started Kindergarden in the Fall, and is enjoying all his new friends. A great year at Sunnyside Elementary's ahead for Daniel. We can feel it!

My baby is 3 and grew 3 inches this year. Angelina learned to put her head under and feels comfortable in the water. She was a little too short for lessons, however looking foreward to lessons in the new year. Angelina-Ballerina started her dance last month, and looks so cute in her pink tutu. At Buena Vista Montessori, (Danny's old preschool), Angelina's been busy. Remarkably well behavied she's turned into a big girl!

Alfonz's business, Alpi's European is also growing. George and Alfonz have way too much fun working together. We are ever greatful for their hard work, while us girls are home taking care of the kids! Thank you!

Talking about work, I am going back to work Saturdays at Safeway, and starting my class back up at She's Fit! Group Power classes in the am and another class during the kids school. Should be fun and gives me a little more me time.

We have also expanded our circle of friends to include Sue and Greg, who we picked up at Milestones during the Spring, and as fate has it, Tracy ended up on our door step in the Summer. Happy to have met them.

We reconnected with an old friend via facebook! Dennis went to school with Alfonz and I at Queen Elizabeth Senior Secondary, and brought his family from Red Deer Alberta for a visit in the Summer time. Their 3 children, Kailee, Emily and Connor are examples of well rounded, well behaved children. I hope to spend more time with them in the future so they can rub off on my offsrping!!

Bori, my cousin from Hungary, and Curtis her boyfriend from Calgary made a quick stop here after we came back from Budapest. Bori is much loved and we enjoyed every minute of their visit. Curtis makes a mean roast beef -people! and if they end up at your house, put his cooking skills to the test!! My door is open to you both anytime...

I am so proud of this family! Even after illness, and death, our family has stuck together. We are still mending after my uncle's death and going through Steve's and Big Alfonz's medical issues. Are we stronger people? Hopefully more greatful of the lives we have and the people we call family. We love you.

So That's Hamori!!
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Random Photos

My mom and Angelina infront on the yellow church, some more photos around Budapest, Mor Wine festivals: Daniel on Peter's shoulders, And Bakonysarkony: Zsolti and Peter's Nagymama, on her farm

Last thoughts on Budapest

Last few thoughts on the trip are mostly positive, but is you asked me yesterday, they were negative and emotional…..no kidding after the travelling and stress….
My mom needs to be thanked again for watching the kids our last evening in Budapest. We went one last time to the Szecsenyi Baths. The therapeutic waters, the jet filled pools, the open air relaxation pools, the ½ naked people making out all around us, is exactly what we needed to disconnect from the stress. After, we went to our little restaurant across from the apartment, 'Bastya', where they got to know us and us their staff, especially Sanyi, our main waiter. A big guy, who loves food, and sports, knew the menu inside out. The food, more traditional, was very reasonable priced. In the summer they have an outdoor terrace on Racotcsi Ut., to watch the busy passer-by’s.
A view of a little yellow Catholic church can be seen from the restaurant window, and also happens to be where my parents were married. Electric trains, buses and cars drive by, along with beautifully well dressed people making their way to and from work during the day or clubbing in the night. At heart I must be a big city girl for I am alive when life rushes by and a feeling to jump up and join them takes over. There is always something to do. Theatres, festivals, wine tasting, tourist sites, history... whatever you fancy, can be found within walking distance from here.
I love Europa, and in the heart, a little country, once not so little....the Magyar's country: Hungaria.

Germany

Have you ever had a gramma drink you under the table? Down by the Neckar River?? Zsuzsa Neni and Josi Bacsi brought champagne from France and treated us to a tasting…before I knew it I was ready for bed. Not Zsuzsa……..hats off to her, she can hold her own!
Josi was very sick when we were there and didn’t partake in the festivities….Alfonz showed pictures of Hungary to them and our trip thus far.

Passau was picturesque. Three rivers flow into one another: The Danube, Inn, and Ilz. Bordering one another, Czech, Austria, and Germany, is the location of this younge old city full of history and culture. Passau has been shaped by a variety of historical events. My favortie event is The queen of Hungary in 856, came from this town, and converted the wild King Istvan to a Saint, after showing him Christianity. Before that pagan kings ruled Hungary.

We lucked out with a sunny day. Enjoy the pictures...

Oct 15th

October 15th 2008
On the M7, stuck in traffic, with no movement in sight. Not out of Hungary yet and still have 4 hours once through the boarder. I just don’t get why they don’t push everything off to the side and let people get through, but it could be a huge 6 car accident for all we know. Last time through Austria, the traffic baked up for miles, and it ended up being the highway repair trucks. It does add on time but on a happy thought we got through safely.

Before we left Hungary we stopped off quickly to drop a phone we borrowed from Akos, at their bakery. Gabor, Alfonz’s cousin, also a master baker, loaded us up for the road with his specialties from organically grown ingredients. Chocolate dipped coconut and walnut cookies, puff pastries with mild sausage inside and for the kids pizza buns. The store also carries a brand of no salt seasonings and soda syrups. Gabor stalked us for another year away. Thanks Gabi!! Can’t wait to see you here in Canada next November. We said our goodbyes to Mama and Gabor and off we went.

In Austria now and the warm weather is definitely changing. We brought the heat with us to Budapest and now its turned cooler as we leave. Angelina and I just woke form our naps to find ourselves in an Austrian gas station with the boys no where in sight. I noticed that most of the workers stopping to refuel and cut the grass on the outskirts of the highway still spoke Hungarian not German. Alfonz reappeared with coffee to go with Gabor’s cookies. On the road again…

HI from Lake Balaton

My lovelies......in Tihany, a beautiful village along the North coast, overlooking the largest lake in Europe... The Balaton.....
Alfonz found a moment, calm and peaceful, with the kids. A rareity this trip.

The Hamori Kiddies

Park, Bobsled, mountain climbing, these kids fear nothing.

More Apartment pictures

More inside pictures, furnishings from Ikea......

Apartment news!!

Views from the outside, inside out and ground up....I guess you can figure it out. I decided not to show you the before, more afters will come later...
cheers,

Here we are again!

October 7th 2008,
WOW does time fly when you work yourself senseless!!
Okay so I haven’t had a chance to update, too drunk and too many renovations.
We had a chance to head over to my family’s place in Bakonysarkony, then over to the Mor wine festivals.. We left early Sunday morning, got to my Aunt Ili’s place in time for lunch, (which was duck, hand raised, organic, free range, beautiful creatures, especially from god to our very eagerly awaiting bellies!! Ha ha!) It was funny, she called and asked when we can visit. How about the day after tomorrow? I said, um , is that enough time to kill a duck! For the record, exactly enough time. So if you come here and visit my Ili Neni, give an extra days notice for the best duck you have ever tasted! There was other food too but I couldn’t see past the bird.
Okay the Wine Festival! We got there in time for the parade, walked straight up to town square where a huge church has been for hundreds of years with a statue of some famous dead guy, I didn’t catch the name of. Little vendors sold Hungarian relics, home grown paprika and wood carved toys. Then on the main drag down to the city’s park, were stalls selling their home made wines and palinkas! Palinka is the Hungarian version of Finish Vodka. Comes in different flavours, like medgy (sour cherry, my fave), plum, apricot, gooseberry, strawberry. Its not sweet at all, and the burn is what relieves the flavour. Its good stuff. My cousin Peter poured the drink down our throats and treated us to one of my best adventures to date. Thank god mom and my aunt Ili were there to help us staggering folk with our kids. We must have lost mom and Ili in the 10 thousand other drunk people at least 5 times. It’s a miracle I didn’t loose Alfonz. The kids had fun too. Horse back riding, horse drawn carriage rides, snake charmers, fried bread called Langos, oven baked breads, bumper cars, trampoline jumping, huge slides, roller coasters…..the list does not end…From 3:30-10:00 we did not stop moving or drinking. We managed to get home somehow, just to eat and then go out again to a real low end bar. The walk was worth the fresh air then home to eat again…. Thank you Bakonysarakony, you never disappoint!!!

Miss you girl friends!!

Hello from the girls!! Angelina and I want to say a quick hello to Aliyah and Makaylah, Auntie Shannon, Nadine and Tracy, Auntie Sara and Brooklynn too! We miss you!
Many times I wish the net was hooked up just to write a note. Shannon, I have a new favorite food. You take the Paprikas Chicken and put the meat into a pancake then pour the sauce over top....OMG!! Its like a giant noodle with gravy.....yummy....
Anyways today's our last day here in Hungary, from here back to Germany.
It hasn't been a very restful vacation, in fact the fastest way to splitting up is by doing a reno together.....hah!! There were some pretty hairy times. But its all done. Up goes the before pics and I will post the after once I down load the last of from the camera!!!
See ya' soon,
the hamori's

Saturday 10th

Good morning from my kitchen window overlooking the court yard, and little windows facing Angelina and I as we drink espresso and chocolate milk waiting for the boys to wake up. It has been an exhausting vacation, but worth it.
Alfonz and I got an evening off, and went to the Baths. Natural healing spas, that smell a little like eggs, but 40 degrees of heaven. We were there from 7:00 until 10:00, shifting from hot to sauna to cool to cold. They have jets and bubble pools, a very well known tourist attraction, and its mostly outside, open air, and the stars stare down at you. The whole structure is Roman design, pillars and cathedral domes. Its beautiful to say the least. After we went for a quick bite to eat and took advantage of my mother babysitting. Sorry mom for being so late, but it was our second time alone since we started the apartment renos!! We love you mom!!
Today is gonna be very busy. The apartment is finally done, pictures for the website, then taking the kids to the Circus and then a soccer game!!

Almost there!!

The time here has gone so fast, that Alfonz said he's looking forward to going back to work just to sit down a little. Hah! Yesterday Alfonz went with Akos, his cousins husband, and our savior in the whole apartment purchase, to a very beautiful spa/gym. He, after sauna, hottub, and workout, went to an Irish Pub for a quick salad.....
My lovely husband , by the way, has lost 10kilos since the beginning of summer. Looks great, stylish and loving Europa! I am one lucky lady! It sure helps the 13 flights of stairs up and down getting the apartment furnished. And we picked out a warm yellow color for the walls. It very Europa with the dark furniture and white crown moldings and natural floors. I can't wait for Alfonz to down load the pictures. The before is a little rough, but its getting there........
The painter is working around the clock and my cousin Zsolti came at 9:00am after a 24 hour shift at the parliament and left at 7:00pm, helping put together the Ikea furniture. The quality of this furniture sure has changes since I was a kid. It's pretty solid stuff, and space efficient. And the colors, just perfect.

Today the last run to the bank, then to the Piac (Market) to buy some homemade paprika. And that's all I can efford for gifts friends because we are officially out of money! 2 weeks early....Oh well.....I guess its time to dip into credit if selling the kids off doesn't work!

Okay time to go let in the painter,
cia,
eva

Apartment news!!

Good morning,
After spending loads of time when the kids sleep, scrubbing the grime and muck off the floors, windows, kitchen and bathroom, a beautiful apartment reveals itself. 4 ½ metre ceilings with the original mouldings of this over 100 year old building, and light travelling though makes this space a dream. It needs work, lots of work but I think we can get it to rental quality in the next 2 weeks. A feat to say the least, but Alfonz and I are determined…….or crazy, whichever, I don’t care……muhahah!

When you look down the stair well, 13 flights from Nagymama’s to the ground, its quite something. The door way domes and looks very cathedral like, and the court yard smells of old…..I love everything about this place. I sometimes wish these walls could talk but on the other hand I have been coming here since I was born so shhhhhh……haha!

Today is shopping for the right property manager, and buying the hard stuff, the washing machine, fridge, TV……Then tomorrow the old owners need to get the last of their stuff out and then its to IKEA, Swedish for common sense, to buy everything else from cup to couch! I can’t wait. This week the painter comes and the window bar person…..so much in such a short time…..exciting. Before and after pictures are going to be posted once we are done……..
Okay that’s good for now.
I got to go and feed the kids before they start eating from the garbage.

OMG

I keep stealing internet and in return it keeps kicking me off before it saves my enteries!! ugh!!!!
We love our family so much here, and are spending time with my favorite Vasali's. My cousins! Bori isn't here but thats oksy I will see her in Canada when we return....
Panni leaves today for Wininipeg!!! Congrats on the engagement and the civil wedding Oct 11th. Wish I was there. I am sure you will be a beautiful bride. Paulko is too lucky!! But welcome to the famiyl all the same.
I can't wait until the big wedding here in May. Hope to make it back for that!!

Ikea?

Good morning. Rested and ready to go. Here we are after two days of cleaning our new apartment, its finally looking close to furnishing. It looks like Ikea is the way to go around here for price point and convinence. One stop shop from couch to cup! I love it. Today we have about 3 more hours of scrubbing. The potential is unbelievable. 4 1/2 meter cielings, light travels straight though and the oversized windows with old original shutters makes this 125 year old building a dream home. I don't want to go back to my BC box ever!!!!
Rentals look good in the area, being so close to the walking strip and the Danube. I think this is a place we will have for a long time. So if anyone comes to Budapest let us know.

Yesterday it was so nice to see my cousin Panni, who's freshly engaged, to Paulko from Winipeg. Congrats to you both and Paulko welcome to the family. Open invite to visit and can't wait to meet you. Civil service in Canada next week and the big wedding will be here in Hungary in May. I'll have my dancing shoes ready!

Also family news, Borika is in Calgary visiting her boyfriend Curtis but will be visiting us in White Rock shortly after we come home from Europe. I can't wait to see her. I miss and love you very much! I wish you were here.

Peti also visited yesterday and we will see him again at the big family dinner on Sunday!!

Okay that's it for now, off to Torokbalint to visit Alfonz's nagymama, and see the family bakery, aunts and uncles blahh blahblah.....
love and miss you ,
eva xo

Passau

Okay so here we are again, at a gas station somewhere off the main highway going through Austria, paying for the potty and having a very expensive bite before back to the grind of driving.
Last night we stayed at Passau. A small city on the Donau, or Danube River. German town, boasting a view that would make angels cry. We arrived late and tried to find a B&B before the sun went down. Alfonz went in to a few places and everyone was booked, (early beer festers?) So he finally found one. Older, along the water with a view, big, dated to say the least but we both had stayed in worse. Plus the kids were done by this point, so we really didn't have an alternative. 139 Euros, high priced, but in Hassmersheim was so off the beaten track I expect we got a good deal at $74 Euros for a brand spankin' new hotel with view and an extra bed even.....

We parked in this dives labyrinth parkade, got lost for 20 minutes carrying the kids and bags, came up via stairs, put our stuff away, and then we went to get food at a tiny pub on the main drag. We sat down and I mentioned, you know we don't have to stay here. We could get our bags, and take off to the next town. I just got a really bad vibe from the room, plus they wanted cash up front, and key deposit......So when the waitress came to our table to take the order we asked her what she thought about the hotel we are staying at. She said don't do it, its a really bad place, your stuff won't be safe, the owner's crazy.....no sooner did she finish her sentence did Alfonz leave me with the screaming tired kids, to run back, load up the car and return the key. The waitress happened to work in a Hotel called The Atrium on the other side of the Danube. She called over for us and asked if they had anything available because it was late and the kids were so tired by 8:30 with the change over, no naps, and no food as of yet! She felt sorry for us I think and put the last room on hold for us. When we finished the meal, we drove around, got lost, I really did think Alfonz would snap at that point (but not until today did he...teehee) but he held up and when we found it, it looked like an oasis. Beautifully done with floor to ceiling windows, light flowing through, our beakin'. Thank the lord above. Oh god, I though Mary-Louise said it was $95 Euros, this looks much more. But Alfonz had high hopes, as often he does, walked in and came back nearly shitting. We not only got a room for the night but the last one available was the 2 story suite!! two baths, 2 beds, stunning windows all brand new and plush!! lucky lucky lucky man, I thought. If he didn't pick that hole to eat in we never would have talked to the girl that passed us along......(A quick note don't ever order duck in a German pub. I think it was deep fried! And dumplings there are one giant boiled ball of dough soaked in gravy....not so good. The rest of us ate Schnitzel. Another note, its always good in Germany no matter where you eat it. If its a gas station, of a fancy restaurant Schnitzel's all the same.) Anyways the room was soemthing out of a dream and would have cost more than 3 times the price normally!!

Angelina decided to wake us up in the wee hours, so wake up time for us today was 3:45. Daniel miraculously slept on until 6:00. No rest for the wicked. Mary- Louise, our savior, ended up serving us breakfast. When we told her which room we were in even she nearly had a heart attack. With directions in hand I was now determined to see this beautiful city by foot. We tried, a few different ways, but my lovely husband, on no sleep......the kids crazy from no sleep or just not enough, we started driving out of the city. I guess this city is not for us after all?! Or maybe we need to arrange a B&B on the way back and see it then?! Wish me luck on that one!

So after numerous blow outs and failed attempts at compromise we are very close to the Hungarian boarder. Austria for me was a blur of green patchwork out my window, and gas station food that is stinkin' up the car. No not me it was Alfonz!! hah!! Maybe on the way home we can stop somewhere. I am dreaming of my Nagymama's spare room, and some sleep and some firm ground to plant our feet on. I guess next time we need to do no more than 3 hours driving a day, more is too hard on us. Especially the kids, but even us. I guess we are getting older after all.

Here we are!!

Good afternoon,
Our first entry, better late than never!!

Here we are, leaving Hassmerheim, after a couple days of recouping from the 10 hour flight, 2 hour luggage escapade and 2 hour drive. Kids are changing over quickly!! Yes my kids!!

Daniel met a little girl on the plane and played the whole time they were awake. And, well Angelina only had one complete melt down, with blood curdling screams that woke up most the passengers. A medical doctor next to us, asked if we brought Gravol. I said why yes? he said, now would be the time to give it to her. I did and she was a dream after that! hah!
From there we picked up our car, full loaded to the top with bags and started down south towards Heidelberg. Then from their Southwest towards Mosbach and then finally Hasserheim. Once there we met up with family and ate a traditional meal of cabbage, roast smoked pork and mashed potatoes. Very tasty after a long day.


We stayed at a local B&B, along the Neckar River, with a view of the swans swimming along the shores. Very pretty. And the food here is very typical European. Cheeses and cold cuts, fresh breads and egg, loads of fruit and the best espresso you can imagine. We have been spending time with Alfonz's Aunt and Uncle, who live in a typical German two story home, all panelled wood inside with carved pictures of folk stories, smells of wood and Zsuzsa Neni's cooking, that happens to give my mom's cooking a run for her money!

Heidelberg yesterday was fun! We shopped in designer stores, among old buildings that were never touched during the war. Its perfectly reserved its time travel, really! To see beautifully dressed students and tourist and businessman alike enjoying the fall day. Everyone seemed to be snacking on ice-cream or bakery buns. We had star bucks lattes and the kids ate cookies as we looked for a new pair of glasses for Alfonz. (He left his at home along with my black vest, no worries I'll have to buy another...teehee) I ended up with a new purse from AunteandUncles that’s over the shoulder. I feel like a Sherpa, caring the kids stuff, the supplies and the hiking gear.....hah! We skipped lunch and ended up back home early enough to enjoy some more homemade food at Zsuzsa Neni's. This time she made Nokedli, the kids favourite. Yummy. We ended up drinking a little bit with them and told jokes until the kids asked to leave. So tired. To bed we went, up the next day with a late start after another lovely breakfast at the hotel. We even took the ducks and swans some bread, the kids had fun feeding them.

I can't believe how green Germany is. So many different shades of green lush bush and trees along every roadside. River side. They seem to put people living first, not working. Each township has walking paths and parks. Very welcoming at every turn. Cobblestone walkways, German store fronts, as I remember with great shopping, full of local treats.
So far so good, we haven't killed each other yet. As tried as we were its a miracle.
From here we are going East on Hwy 6 to Nurnberg, then from there hwy 3 to Passau. We may stay there. It boarders Austria, a good start to get to Vienna tomorrow.
The kids are watching a DVD in the back of the Toyota Verso station wagon TDI and Angelina is out like a light again. The road is long but loads to see wiz by. Rolling hills, countryside, great cars everywhere. I like it here.

The Hamori Kids

These are the most recent pictures of our lovely kids. Daniel is 5 in November and Angelina will be 3 in October. They truly are the most important people in our life, and they add more joy than we could have imagined.

My Uncle

A quick note, one not to be forgotten. This year we lost a very important family member. The patriarch of our family, my uncle Pityu, my mother's older brother. He has shown me most of Hungary, came to my church wedding when others couldn't get there from Canada and played a huge role by being there for me on that special day. We drank palinka, ate beautiful meals,and laughed together many times. He loved me very much. And for this I am grateful and will miss him forever. He was a good man. Our family will not be the same again. Rest in peace.

That's Hamori!!

Our new family blog is finally here!! Our family and friends can keep track of us during our adventures!
Come by anytime to view our plans, our daily trips across Europe and above all see how cute our kids are!
Daniel and Angelina are totally excited about our latest upcoming journey, across the ocean in the 'big plane', to finally see Gramma in Budapest, Hungary!
Our first stop is Frankfurt, where we drive down towards Mosbach, Germany through the Black Forest, to visit with Alfonz's longtime family friends, Zsuzsa Neni and Jozsi Bacsi. They live on the Neckar River in a perfectly set up 'Pleasantville' village, with geraniums in every window and swans swimming along the riverbanks waiting for their crumbs from the passersby. Walking streets lined with local vendors full of traditional German breads and foods which make this stop always a family favorite. Cabbage rolls here we come! Alfonz's aunt always says, "You're full? That's okay eat it nice and slow and it will go down!"

Then its a drive to our next destination. Vienna, Austria! An old favorite of mine but new to my lovely husband. I can't wait to show him the castles.

After that we hope to make it to Hungary in time to enjoy my moms homemade paprikas chicken on the Sunday for our family dinner.
We have 3 weeks to completely renos on our new apartment, then its back towards Germany and back home.
That's the itinerary! With loads of family visits and mini adventures to all the great tourist attractions along with pictures and more...
See you soon,
love eva xo