Pre-Szentendre

This morning I woke up laughing. Really, it was great. I don't even remember what was so funny about the dream I was having, but it must have been hilarious.

Again, a while since the last post, but work has exploded into chaos. and well, after getting home around 8 30 every night and then collapsing due to 40 degree heat in my oven of an apartment, the thought of turning on my computer (and the heat that comes off it) is just too much. My room faces the west. so It is even hotter at night because it has had all afternoon to heat up. hooray for me.

It's been really bad this week, and after a few nights of sleeping only a couple of hours, (and even missing a couple of events because I was too tired and hot to move once I had sight of my bed couch), I went out and bought a fan. the best 5000 HUF I ever spent. (actually it cost more than my monthly metro pass!). But whatever. Last night was the second night of sleeping with a fan, and the second night where I actually slept. Perhaps this explains why I woke up happy this morning. My subconscious sleeping body was happy!

So basically yes, the weather has been pre-occupying my life.

Today though work is over early, and we are going to take a jaunt over to Szentendre. It is a 'day trip' city just outside Budapest, and promises to be a fun filled tourist afternoon (and a break from thesis and work).

To give you a quick glimpse. Szentendre is the most 'Balkan feeling' village in Hungary. Primarily due to the large population of Serbian, Croat (then called Dalmatians), and Greek migrants who settled there after 1) after the Ottomans began to lay claim to more lands in the Balkan Peninsula and 2) a large flood in said Peninsula causing migration up the Danube. The migrants built temporary settlements in the city (the reason for windy, not-really-planned, streets), and waited it out. While waiting, they supported the Hapsburg's in their face off with Ferenc Rakoczi in the Hungarian War of Independence, and as a result, the Hapsburg emperor gave the little town many many concessions. This included trade privileges and wine making privileges. I guess the privileges were enough to keep the people there, and built more permanent structures, Churches etc.

The special treatment of the villagers was sadly rescinded in the 1770s, and trade and commerce ventured towards Budapest. The town went into further decline when a bug-infestation killed the wine crop in the surrounding areas. A hundred years later, it was a ghost town. Survived only by the now, poor, descendants of the original settlers (who had not left). Naturally, poor towns also mean cheap towns, and it's proximity to Budapest made it a very lucrative place for young artists to come and live, and well, receive more bang for their very small buck. Because Szentendre was essentially built by non-Hungarians, it also does not conform to typical Hungarian architecture. The town's colourful, snazzilicious Hapsburg style architecture was a muse for these artists, and so the art culture thrived, with even and art university opening up there! Today the village is houses six art museums and tons of local artists trying to make a go of it.

There is also a marzipan museum. Which is the cheesy tourist part.

Will send a post report!