Hungary

 GLOBE SPINNER SERIES

HUNGARY

HUNGARY is a landlocked country with many rolling hills north of the Balkan Peninsula and the Carpathian Mountains.  The Magyar tribes found out they'd never go hungry in Hungary and decided to settle there in 896 A.D.  The Magyars are descendants of Finnish-Ugric and Turks.  They turned to Christianity in the 900's.  Stephen I, Duke of Hungary, ascended the throne in 997 A.D. and was crowned king in 1001.  He was known as the "Apostolic King."  The Tartars invaded Hungary in the 1200's but later was driven out by the might of the Holy Roman Empire.  King Matthias Corvinus took over in 1458.  The Ottoman Empire took control in 1526 and by late 1600's the Turks were driven out of Hungary.  There were so much discontent with Austrian rule between 1700's and 1800's.  Emperor Francis Joseph I of Austria was crowned king of Hungary in 1867.  Hungary joined Germany in the invasion of Russia in 1941.  In retaliation, aside from Hungary being famous for their goulash soup, chicken paprika, and palinka, the Russkis invaded the Land of the Huns in 1944.  According to legends, the town of Buda (Obuda) was named after Attila the Huns brother, Buda. The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 against the Communist Regime is still very fresh in the memory of many Hungarians.

TRIP PHOTOS

1.  The tour bus passing by the famous Le Meridien Hotel where the beloved U.S. President George W. Bush and party of "600" stayed for 3 days.

2.  The House of Terror.

3.  Heroes' Square.

4.  Tour group listening to local tour guide Amika.

5.  The Hungarian Parliament.

6.  The gray Danube (Duna in Hungarian) winding across Buda and Pest.

7.  The Castle Hill of Buda.

8.  Castle Hill musicians.

9.  Pest Marketplace.

10. Marketplace: First floor - mostly selling sausages and cheeses; Second floor - laces, clothes, and a few restaurants serving the best of Hungarian dishes.  Eating there is preferred.

11.  Favorite goulash soup being served for our Gypsy Night dinner.

12.  Gerry the soup server.  Yummy!

13.   Gypsy dancers doing the czardas, a fast and wild folk dance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAbm4kEaF3M

14.   Hungarian and gypsy dancers.

  

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Don't Know Much History 11192007


Published 11/7/07  ALT  MSN Group
Web Page: Hungary