Monday, November 12, 2012

Home again to Tapolca

After our many recent excursions, this  past week found us back and settled again in Tapolca.  This is a charming town of about 17,000 people that has gradually come to feel very much like home to us.  We thought you might like to view a map of  Tapolca and get a little peek at our situation here.

 If you look carefully you will notice a  green triangle towards the western side of town.  This marks the location of a large cemetery.  We live just across the road and slightly to the northeast of this historical site. On All Saints Day we watched as hundreds of people passed our windows en route to this memorial garden.  We have discovered that honouring the dead and tending the graves is of great importance to the Hungarian people and thus this cemetery seems to be alive with activity every day of the year.



Statues everywhere one turns.....

Meet my new friend Elizabeth, a widow from Gyula in eastern Hungary.  She  and I "just happened" to meet at the mill pond one grey November day. After chatting awhile with limited English and many gestures, this stranger quite eagerly accepted my invitation to come back with me to our home for tea.  What a delightful way to pass a dreary autum afternoon!
 
 
We  are thankful to live not far from the farmer's market which happens twice a week on Tuesday and Friday mornings, rain or shine.  We often shop there for everything from pots and pans to potatoes and pansies. This week we bought squash, potatoes, apples and almonds.

 And almost daily we make our way along the main street which runs right past our house.  It is a short walk to the post office, town hall, bus depot, train station, hospital and firehall.  In fact most everything here is within easy walking distance.  Yes, we've now survived for nearly three months without a car, a clothes dryer or ice cubes in our refrigerator!  It's a simple life with many hidden side benefits.

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