This fall I pondered about the options for traveling over our four-day Thanksgiving weekend. However, I decided to stay her in Budapest. I was invited over to one of my student's home for the day. My roommate Christine joined me. This family is Romanian-American with three boys (7, 4, and 2) and they work for Cru. It was a delightful day. I helped the mom in the kitchen cook and played with the boys. We watched a movie together, and shared life stories. God was good in providing this family to invite me into their lives to share this special day.
Now, that Thanksgiving day had past, what was I going to do with the rest of my long weekend. I had planned a day trip to
Esztergom, Hungary. I have wanted to visit other places in Hungary besides Budapest. Traveling in Europe and in Hungary is always an adventure. This day didn't disappoint.
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| View from the Esztergom Castle of Danube River & Slovakia on the other side. |
My friend Laura Lee and I set out on our adventure. We met on the bus at 9:00 and got to the train station around 10:00 with time to buy our ticket and for her to get her first Starbuck's coffee here in Hungary. Our train left at 10:20 and was to arrive about 12:00 in Esztergom. The train was comfortable and busy as we stopped in little towns along the way. People were getting on an off at all the stops. Laura Lee and I were chatting away when we noticed the train had stopped (not unusual) but all the people seemed to be getting off. It was only 11:00 so we knew it wasn't Esztergom yet. We looked around and decided if everyone was getting off then we better do the same. We followed the crowd of people past a small town train station to two buses behind the station. The buses stated our final destination-Esztergom. At this point, it time we were beginning to put the pieces together that the train wasn't able to go the whole way so we were now required to take a bus for part of the remainder of the trip. We enjoyed a different scenic route through small towns in Hungary. We saw Panasonic & Suzuki manufacturing plants.
Finally, we arrived at the Esztergom train station. We got off the bus and looked around to discover we weren't in the main part of town. Hmmm...what next. There was a map. We were wanting to see the Basilica and castle in town. It was a ways away. Then we began to think. Is there public transportation to that part of town? Or do we have to walk? What if we get lost? So, we went in the train station. I used some of my very limited Hungarian to ask, "Where is the Basilica?" The train worker lady was very kind and brought us outside, and explained in Hungarian where to go pointing and talking. I just nodded, not understanding anything but "auto-busz". We thanked her and walked back to the map across the street to find the Basilica. We started walking in the direction she pointed.
No need to worry, we made it to the center of town after trying to figure out if we could take a bus to the Basilica. It was a good 30 minute walk from the train station. It was an enjoyable walk and not stressful. After getting a quick lunch, we found the Basilica and discovered a castle next to it. They were both on top of a hill. It was Laura Lee's first time at a castle and it was quite exciting.
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| Laura Lee in the castle grounds. |
We took a tour of the Castle. It is believed that St. Istvan, the first King of Hungary was born at the castle. We also learned that Esztergom was the capital of Hungary from 1000-1300 before it moved to Buda.
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| Castle Museum Map |
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| View from the Castle to the Danube River & Slovakia |
Then we explored the Esztergom Basilica which is one of the largest churches in Hungary and possibly Eastern Europe. It was definitely one of the tallest churches I'd seen.
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| The doors to the Basilica |
Inside was massive too. There was no stain glass or rose windows but plenty of paintings and marble work. It claims the largest altarpiece painted on one piece of canvas. Sadly, the focus of the painting in not Jesus but Mary. It saddens me to know and be reminded of the thousands of Hungarians that do not have a relationship with Jesus.
We ended our time in Esztergom with a stop at a Cukraszda (bakery, coffee shop) for a hot drink and dessert. I got hot chocolate with a Linzer cookie. It was some of the best and fanciest hot chocolate ever! In the mug was plain, melted dark chocolate. It came with a little jug of milk, fresh whipped cream, sugar and a chaser of water. Yummy...I love chocolate here.
Next, came our quick walk back to the train station to catch the bus. We were a block away and saw the bus pulling away. We thought we missed it but Laura Lee was persistent in showing her ticket to the bus as it was going by. Surprisingly, the driver stopped and we were able to get on.
It was a lovely and adventurous day exploring another part of Hungary. So thankful for these opportunities to explore this country and learn more about the history, culture and people.
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ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful holiday! Traveling in Hungary is always an adventure, esp with the language barrier and poor signage, or so we found. We never made it to Esztergom, although it was highly recommended.
ReplyDeleteI found your comment about Mary interesting. Having been a die-hard Lutheran my first 37 years of life, I was always suspicious about all the fuss over Mary. A comment on a blog is not the place to delve into the topic fully, but I will mention a few of the many Scriptural highlights that helped me to understand that honoring Mary is in fact, Christocentric, or Christ-centered. Mary is a part of creation, like all humans, but she is God's great masterpiece of creation. She is somewhat like the moon. It lights up the night sky, not with it's own light, but by reflecting the brilliance of the sun(Son, in her case). What artist is envious of attention to His masterpiece?
When Mary gives her whole-hearted "yes" in Luke 1:38, she reverses Eve's disobedience and distrust in Genesis 3. The earliest Christians called Mary the Ark of the New Covenant. Think of how holy and revered the man-made box containing the stone tablets and manna and staff of Aaron was in the Old Testament. This merely represented the presence of God Almighty. But Mary actually carried within her own body for 9 months the God of all creation! The Living Word of God! The Bread of Life come down from heaven! It is no wonder that the evangelist Luke in his Gospel (1:39-56) uses many of the very same phrases and words to describe the events of Mary's visit to Elizabeth that were used in the Old Testament to describe events surrounding the Ark of the Old Covenant in 2 Samuel 6, 1 Chron 15:28, 16:4-5, and 2 Chron 5:13. See also Revelation 11:19-20:2.
Jesus' 1st miracle, at the wedding feast at Cana, in John 2:1-11, we find Mary's last recorded words in the Bible "Do whatever He tells you". Those words apply to us too, we who are brothers and sisters in Christ. At the foot of the cross, Jesus gave His mother to us (John 19:6-27). We should honor her. Jesus did. Is Mary trying to "steal the show" from Jesus? What mother is envious of attention to her child?
I would propose that the Nazi regime followed immediately by 40 years of the Communist regime are much more to blame for the current Hungarians' lack of faith and trust in Jesus than pictures of Mary. I hope that you have visited the House of Terror on Andrassy Blvd. For all those years, these regimes systemically eliminated all people, including their family and circle of friends, who embraced their faith or dared to oppose the government. So you are left with a people who have learned that to be indifferent is to be safe and left alive. We too were startled by paucity of faith in those around us. May God bless you in your endeavors to share the light of Christ with the Magyars!
Bekesseg,
Susan
Susan
Let me try another way of explaining this. The sole reason for honoring Mary is BECAUSE of Jesus. God chose to come live among us THROUGH Mary. He could have chosen any way to be with us, but He asked Mary to be part of the plan. It wasn't her idea nor her plan. Nor was she God's puppet. She had been given the great and terrifying gift that all of us humans have been given: free will. When the archangel Gabriel came to her, she didn't understand all that was being asked of her. She couldn't see into the future. She had no idea what sorrow and suffering she would endure by being part of God's plan. But she said "yes" anyway. She lived her unpredictable life trusting and obeying God, raising and caring for Jesus the best way she knew how. Imagine how incredibly close she was to Jesus while He lived with her for 30 years! Talk about a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ"! She was His 1st disciple and the model disciple. She always wants to lead others to Jesus. Her very first action once Jesus dwelt within her was to go, with haste, to visit Elizabeth and the unborn John the Baptist. Immediately, she wanted to share this wondrous gift with others. THAT is why so many Christians honor Mary: because our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity,Who has saved us from sin and offered us life eternal with Him, HE chose Mary to be a pivotal part of His plan for our salvation.
ReplyDelete"My soul proclaims the greatness of The Lord,
My spirit rejoices in God, my Savior,
For He has looked with favor on His lowly servant!
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
The Almighty has done great things for me and
Holy is His Name!"
Luke 1:49-50
Are these the words of someone who is trying to lead people away from God?