When planning this trip, where we would not have a car, one of the disappointments was that we wouldn't see much if any of the Hungarian countryside. Some friends of Chuck and Kathe had recommended a company called Tours by Locals, which has options all over the world. We scanned possibilities out of Budapest and landed on one that offered us several different experiences. This was our day for the selected tour.
We met our tour guide, Rita, at the western train station (Budapest-Nyugati) and took the train north to Nagymaros (about 45 minutes).
We walked to a little ferry that crosses the Danube. A van met us on the other side and whisked us to the top of the hill and Visegrad Castle.
We climbed up toward the castle, where we were greeted by this fine fellow, tethered but still looking quite regal.
Then we made our way out to the castle and the crest of the hill.
The views from this spot are nothing short of wonderful. You can see for miles both up and down the Danube. Looking upriver, you see what is known as the Danube Bend. We could also see the ferry we'd just ridden, which looked like a toy from this height.
We came back down the hill and were driven to the Visegrad Royal Palace. Oddly, this site was only unearthed about 30 years ago and is still being excavated and restored.
After exploring the palace, we walked down the road to a restaurant for lunch. Then our van delivered us to the heart of the little town of Visegrad to a shop and museum of Palinka (PAW-ling-ka), a traditional Hungarian fruit-based liqueur. We visited their cellar and then tasted their pear, cherry, and plum versions. Our tour guide shared stories about her grandfather making this spirit. Her stories really added to the experience.
We walked back to the ferry and crossed over to Nagymaros once more. We walked to the train station and rode to Vac (Voss). Here our focus would be on Hungarian wine. We walked across Vac to the main square, filled with houses of many colors and an old church.
Our wine museum was housed in a very old cellar--a couple of the walls date back to Turkish times, around 1300.
The owner was so proud of their collection of old Tokajs. She poured us a drink of their own special Tokaj. When Jerry mentioned that he would like to taste Hungary's most revered red wine, known as Bull's Blood, she quickly told us not to drink the Tokaj. We must drink the Bull's Blood first. She went and fetched a bottle and opened it and poured us a rather generous taste.
After sipping on our wine a bit, Madame took us through her cherished caverns and collection. No English spoken here, but her pride and knowledge were in full evidence.
After our tour, we returned to the main cellar to continue tasting our wine. Suddenly the owner disappeared. When she reentered the room, she had a little tray for each of us, essentially a flight of different styles of Tokaj. This was an unexpected treat and very tasty.
We walked back to the train station, where we bid our our tour guide, Rita, farewell. She headed home to Nagymaros, and we headed back to Budapest. Rita had not only made the day happen, but had added her historical knowledge, many family stories, personal opinions on the EU and the Communist era, you name it. It really was very different than a typical tour. It was both informative and personal.
It certainly was a full day. Lots of history, lots of walking and climbing, some fun wine tasting. Let's just say, we were all pretty subdued on the ride back to the city.
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