Touring Budapest

This was our first full day in Budapest and we started it out with business meetings. One thing they did in the meeting that included spouses was go over the schedule for the week. While there was lots of free time during the week, things started off with a three hour city bus tour Tuesday afternoon for all of us with Jones. We were loaded on very nice Mercedes-Benz buses (plush seats and great air conditioning!) Our guide gave a lot of cultural and historical information as we drove by and also visited many city landmarks.

Here are some of the highlights from the Pest side of the River Danube:

A couple of miles from our hotel was Hero's Square with the Millennial Monument. Angel Gabriel was the statue at the top of the central tower with the royal crown of Stephen 1 (the first Hungarian king) and the cross of Christianity in his hands. At the base were statues of the most important Hungarian kings throughout history which were seated on horses. On either side of the central tower were two semicircular structures with other important historical figures depicted. (The picture shows the structure on the right.)









On either side of the street across from Hero's Square were two museums. They were beautiful and ornate buildings but in very different ways. The scenes on the first museum, which was on the right hand side, were done with mosaic tiles that seemed to depict religious scenes and were very colorful. The second museum, which was on the left hand side, had sculpted reliefs on its front, possibly depicting scenes from mythology.






Stephen 1 brought Christianity to the country of Hungary. Because of his achievements he was officially made a "Saint" and Saint Stephen's Cathedral was built to honor him. There were a few things that honored Christ (I took pictures of them) but most of the mosaics, paintings, statues, etc. were of Saint Stephen and his achievements. It was dark and musty inside but had some ornate artwork












Here are some highlights from the Buda side of the River Danube:

This is a Bronze statue of Stephen 1 on the grounds of the Fisherman's Bastian. The Fisherman's Bastian was built between 1895 and 1902 on the shores overlooking the Danube and the Pest side.



Mathias Church was also on the grounds and had a colorfully tiled roof. It was currently undergoing renovation so we did not get to see the inside.



This is Allyn and I from the Fisherman's Bastian overlooking the Pest shore. There was a young couple from the Czech Republic, and we took a picture of them and they took a picture of us! The Marriott Hotel is the last building you can partially see on the right hand side along the river.



This is us in front of one of the many turrets. Because the Bastian was at such a high point on the Buda side we had a spectacular view of the city which you can see in the background. It was a beautiful day with blue skies and occasional fluffy white clouds, but very hot and humid!



Tuesday evening we walked along the Danube and ate on the front patio at Restaurant DuBarry. We each had salads and then shared some paprika chicken. I did not realize it but Hungary is known for their paprika and it is used in many dishes. We both thought it was delicious! We lingered over the meal as the sun set and watched the many people who walked along the rivers edge.



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Good Bye Romania, Hello Hungary!

We had a great time in Romania visiting with Aimee, meeting her friends, and spending time with the orphans. In some ways we will never be the same. People all over the world are not just "people" but individuals with names and their own unique personalities. They may be forgotten by much of the world but not by God, the father of their spirits. We may want to ask "Why?" Why the inequality? Some have so much and others so little; some are born into families who love them and others are abandoned at birth; some know only happiness and peace while others know only misery and strife. I am sure that in the life to come it will all make sense. God lives and he loves each and every one of us. Our job on this earth is to learn to love as he loves and to help those who are in need to the best of our ability. We can't do everything, but we can do something. In this effort lies true happiness and joy, the kind that is eternal.



We caught the 6 am flight from Iasi to Bucharest and then, after a brief layover, flew on to Budapest (they pronounce it bu-dah-pesh). We are staying at the Marriott Budapest, which is right on the banks of the Danube River. Budapest is actually two cities, Buda and Pest, one on each side of the river. Our hotel is on the Pest side.



We are on the fifth floor and the views of the Buda side from our window are striking. These were taken through glass so are not as clear as I had hoped.







We are looking forward to a great week!

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Visiting the Branch in Iasi

One thing we always enjoy when we visit other countries is attending church. Aimee and the other interns attend the Iasi Branch and the fourteen of them almost double the attendance! There are also six missionaries that serve in the branch, four elders and two sisters. Sacrament Meeting was in Romanian so one of the elders translated. There was a good spirit even though we did not understand everything. They made an announcement about an upcoming trip to the temple and encouraged the people to prepare both financially and spiritually. The spiritual preparation seemed pretty obvious but I have never thought about having to prepare financially in order to go to the temple. The members in Romania are really modern-day pioneers. This is Kelsey, Aimee, and Riley at church.



The interns meet together for Sunday School and Aimee's roommate taught the lesson. It ended a bit early so the girls could start to fill up their water bottles. Their is a triple filter water purification system at the church so the girls fill up their containers a couple of days a week. The tap water is not very good and sometimes contains parasites so the water filter is a blessing as well as a big money saver.



I went to Relief Society with Aimee. It was in Romanian but translated into English by one of the sister missionaries. Aimee's apartment was teaching and she had the introduction and first concept. She did great! We mingled with the members and missionaries after church, and many of them said how much they had enjoyed having Aimee there.



After church we went back to Little Texas to pack our things while Aimee's apartment started dinner. The interns eat together on Sunday, and the apartments take turns hosting and preparing the main dish. This week it was their turn. They made barbeque chicken with mashed potatoes and sliced fruit. Aimee was in charge of the chicken and used the Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce we brought over. It was yummy!



We bought an apple and lemon pie from the hotel for dessert and the girls ate it all! This is the entire group after dinner.



After dinner the girls all went to the interns apartment which has the Internet to communicate with friends at home. Aimee came to our hotel so we got a little bit more time with her. We talked and she was able to use our WiFi in air conditioned comfort! This is Aimee on our balcony with Iasi in the background.



We took Aimee back to her apartment and said our good-byes. It was easier for us than it might have been because we know we will see her in two weeks. Visiting Aimee has been a special experience and one that we will never forget. She is a compassionate and caring young woman, a good friend, and a positive influence to those around her. We love you Aimee!!!

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Back to Iasi

We flew back to Iasi Saturday morning with a list of things to accomplish. One of them was doing our laundry. Aimee had a washing machine in her apartment so we thought we could wash the clothes there then bring them back to our hotel room to dry. Unfortunately, the electricity was out so we had to wait until it came back on.

We once again stayed at the Little Texas Hotel which definitely had a western theme.





The grounds were lush and green with winding paths and splotches of color.





We had pie (lemon and raspberry) at the hotel restaurant and then hung out at the mall for a couple of hours while waiting for the electricity to come back on.

This is the Cultural Palace, definitely the most impressive building in Iasi, which is next to the mall. On weekends they have a variety of cultural community events there.



We also saw some interesting pets at the pet shop at the mall . . . Chipmunks!!! They were very active and running all over their cage.



The electricity finally came back on and I spent three hours sweating in the hot apartment getting the wash finished. This was by far the warmest and most humid day since we arrived. I left a few items of clothing on the clothesline in the kitchen and had the rest hanging from every drawer, hook, and other place I could find in our hotel room. By morning everything was dry!!!

With regards to Aimee's apartment, it was a concrete building from the communist era with very little charm. They have a two bedroom unit which is on the seventh floor. In this picture her unit is directly above where she is standing.



This is the front door to the apartment building and she has a card to swipe which unlocks the door.



Once inside you take a small (three person max), rickety elevator to the seventh floor.



The front door to her apartment was steel reinforced with ten bolts on each side. There was no way anyone was going to kick that door in!



We noticed there were lots and lots of stray dogs everywhere. This is one we saw around her apartment.



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Touring Bucharest

Friday was our day to do a whirlwind tour of Bucharest. We decided the best way to accomplish this would be on an "Hop On Hop Off" City Bus Tour. We bought tickets and were able to ride the double decker buses for one day, getting on and off as much as we wanted. There were fourteen stops and when we got on at stop # 7 we were given head phones. When we passed a point of interest we were told about it and given some background/history.




We sat on the top level and I tried to get pictures when I could. Here are Aimee and Allyn on the top of the bus.




The following pictures are of some of the interesting things we saw . . .
The Arch of Triumph which celebrates the victory of the Romanian troops during World War 1.




Herastrau Park, the largest park in Bucharest, which is located in the northern part of the city.












Cretulescu Church, one of the most valuable monuments of architecture in Bucharest.




Women on the street selling big bunches of sunflowers.




The Avon ladies in small booths along the sidewalks..




A fundamental university.




Lots of the buildings were in disrepair with electrical wires going in every direction. Bucharest, and all of Romania, is in many ways a work in progress.








We stopped along the way for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe Bucharest which was a nice, modern building with great air conditioning. We shared the appetizer platter and all had Greek salads. Since it was a very hot day it felt good to cool off and rehydrate ourselves!




After the tour we relaxed in our hotel room and finished watching Captain America. We paid 79 leu (or $18) so we wanted to make sure we finished it even though it was not that good of a movie. It is the one that put us all to sleep the night before! lol
We decided to try the Marriot Steak House for dinner. We ordered rib eye steak (Aimee), filet (me), lamb chops (Allyn), mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, and mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallow topping. We topped it off with sorbet and ice cream for dessert. Everything was delicious!




After eating we walked around the hotel and took pictures of Aimee on the winding marble staircase. The staircase was very elegant . . . And so was Aimee!!!












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