Chartres (May 29)

Imagine mashed raspberries folded into whipped cream - that is the deep pink of my lovely little runabout.  I did a perfect reverse park first time!

This was after finding my way around a town with teeny tiny streets and no map.  By sheer good luck I was in the old town, right on the tourist route, which I followed to the cathedral.  Houses are built right on the water.

 Imagine having lunch here.

 Half timbered houses are everywhere.

Artistic details.

 Lunch was grilled trotter and a local specialty - ice cream with crushed meringues and chocolate.

The view from my table.

The warm weather had a lot of people running through this large fountain area.

I returned later in the day and sat in on the end of mass, then was part of the evening vespers conducted by the Chemin Neuf Community.  Pretty much all of it was sung and it was quite beautiful.  The cathedral closed straight afterwards, and I could hear the organ being practiced as I walked around.  Not far from the cathedral you can see this labyrinth.

I was hanging around waiting for the evening light performance.  A lot of monuments and statues are lit up - you can walk all around the city, but I just wanted to see the cathedral.  It starts at 10pm, but it's not quite dark enough at that stage.  Each session is about 10 minutes long and is repeated until 1am.  I stayed and watched 3 sessions, each getting clearer as the light faded.  It was beautifully done with music to accompany the projected images. 

Vienna to Chartres (May 28)

I had great luck at the airport - my flight was a code share with Air France so I walked past the crowds lining up at the Austrian Airlines counters and had personal service at another counter - all done in about 5 minutes.  The young lass had a good chuckle at my German.  I said I was travelling to Paris - but used the word "fahren" - to walk or drive - rather than "fliegen" to fly.  She had visions of me hitching my way across the continent.  Language lessons in real life.  I don't know why (and I am so NOT complaining about this) but I was the only one in my row, when the rest of the plane was crowded.  A man moved to the aisle seat during the flight, but still so much better than 3 abreast.  The fields were so gorgeous I took dozens of photos.

One of my "bucket list" wishes from long long ago was to travel on the Concorde.  This is the closest I think I'll get to that.

Flying itself is quick, but the getting to the airport and getting away after a flight - well that's a whole other story.  I finally found my way to the car hire place (long walk, travelator ride, train ride and elevator ride) and got my car.  I asked for a French one - I figured a Fiat wouldn't be as familiar with the roads as a Renault.  I must have been right, as my gorgeous Twingo got me onto the right road with only one slight detour.  You'll think me a wuss, but I burst into tears when Chartres first appeared on one of the direction signs - I was so happy.  This is the road into the village where I'm staying. 

Flat wheat fields with a view to the cathedral (out of shot) in the distance.  And burst of bright poppies every so often.

Oszko (May 27)

In case you're wondering, breakfast in Austria is sliced meats, cheese, tomatoes, capsicum slices, cucumber, some bread and cottage cheese.  And coffee.

Very similar to traditional German breakfasts, and to what I had growing up.  Quite healthy, really, if you leave out the solid fat "bacon" and the shot of palinka (a kind of brandy) some of my relatives like to add.  I had some time before pickup to do a bit more exploring of Wiener Neustadt.  This wall was built around 1193/1194 with the ransom money paid to the city for Richard the Lionheart.

Yes, the 1100s.  It's beautifully thick and I ran my hand over these stones a few times.

Behind the wall is a peaceful garden that was full of early morning bird sounds.  It's dotted with old headstones, and old bricks with stamps like this.

So here we are - my main reason for detouring from France.  Two Oszkos in Oszko

 ready to enjoy some fun.

There was wine to try and food to sample, and lots of friends for Zoli to catch up with.  There was a demonstration of thatch making

and a petting zoo with mangalica (mangalitsa) piglets -a rare breed.

I think they were laying in for a siege, because this was one of many vats of food.

 I did my bit.

 Elderflowers were everywhere.

On the way home we stopped at a place with lots of old fashioned farm implements.

A chance for some water to dilute all the wine, and another gesztenye puree for me.

Lovo and Sopron (May 26)

Before Zoli picked me up for the day I had a wander around Wiener Neustadt.  The name is a misnomer, because it's been around for hundreds of years.  My hotel - Hotel Zentral - is right on the main square which is pedestrianised.  There were markets on, with the most beautiful strawberries and cherries for sale.

This house was originally built in the 1300s, but rebuilt in the 1500s with the sgrafitto decoration.

So many buildings, in the square alone, have a long history, and there are vaulted arcades in front of a lot of shops.

Not far from the town centre, some Turkish cannonballs from the 1500s - 1600s.

A gorgeous bird house with a feed tray tucked in underneath.

Zoli very kindly took on chauffeur duties again.  Heading into Hungary - haven't been here since 1989.

He had the inspired idea of seeing the church where my paternal grandparents got married.  This is the village.

It's a border village, and the name can be loosely translated as "shooting".  I guess they asked questions later.  Here is the church.

We were in luck.  The church was open, with at least half a dozen women cleaning, getting ready for a confirmation service the next day.  The inside was gorgeous.

One of the older ladies got talking to us, and it turned out she knew some of the descendants of my grandmother (my grandfather was from another area).  She was so wonderfully warm and friendly, one thing led to another, and she took us to visit and introduced us to a woman who turned out to be my second cousin.  More than that, this second cousin was born in and continues to live in the house which was the original Varga house.  That is, the house where my grandmother was born and grew up.  It's been modernised over the years, but this is basically the same place.

Overwhelming.  Time for some sustenance.  Chicken soup with liver dumplings

 and my all time favourite dessert, gesztenye puree - sweetened pureed chestnuts with whipped cream.

Sopron was next on the tour.  It's a large centre and used to be part of the Amber Road trading route.  Here is part of the Roman road.

Monday being a holiday - Pentecost Monday - there were fairs everywhere.  Here, we found some traditional and different things.  Wouldn't you love to be a kid and climb into one of these basket swings?

We caught the tail end of a wedding in the old town

and some great live folk music and folk dancing on stage.

Dinner was made by Zoli's wife, Agi; a delicious porkolt with nokedli and a cream cheese dessert. 
An amazing day.

Vienna to Wiener Neustadt (25 May) - Part 2

After seeing the blaudruck workshop it was time for lunch.  We found a Heurigen - the name of a wine tavern in eastern Austria.  Look what was being used as a decoration! (For Mel - note the name!)

 

We each ordered a dish with meats, spicy paprika, liptauer (a soft cheese with paprika and other flavourings) and bratfettn, which is the crunchy drippings left when you make crackling.  Plus other bits and pieces. 

We were both defeated by the spread, although we did our best.  We drank a gespritzt - wine mixed with soda which I find very refreshing.  Time for more sightseeing.  How about Liszt's birthplace? 

Inside we could wander at will.

As a performer Liszt was a superstar causing mania when he played.  Some say he was the best piano player ever.
We then stopped at Burg Forchtenstein - an enormous castle built in the late middle ages.  These images are secco - done on dry plaster.  They were found under a layer of paint, which may have saved them.  On the opposite wall, rain and wind and weather has totally destroyed all images.

Inside were amazing treasures.  My favourite was this huge tent, embroidered on the inside.

Dinner was a solid Austrian meal of meat potatoes and onions.