Our Trip to Hungary

Many of you might not know, but I got very sick on our trip to Hungary. I don't know if I got food poisoning or just a bug, but I ended up spending the last 3 days in the hotel room so I could be close to a bathroom. Once we got home, my samples showed I had a bacteria and I went on antibiotics. I am feeling much better, but I still am lacking in energy. My big project this week was preparing the house and food for Bryan's Homecoming. I had lots of help and appreciate all my family and friends and their support.

Needless to say, blogging our trip was not a priority when I wasn't feeling well. I took over 1600 pictures during our 15 day trip and wanted to share some of the highlights.

Picking up Bryan at the Mission Home

We were able to visit with President and Sister Gasser at their home.

Before we picked Bryan up, Harold and I tried the thermal baths
in Budapest. We opted not to take pictures in our swimsuits!
With Bryan we saw many of the sights in Budapest:
St. Stephen's Cathedral
The door to the Cathedral with reliefs of the 12 apostles.
Buda CastleFisherman's Bastion
Chain Bridge that connects Buda with Pest across the Danube River
Hungarian Parliament
The Hungarian Crown Jewels housed in ParliamentIn Parliament were many statues depicting different professions
so the representatives can remember who they work for.
This is the blacksmith who also would pull a bad tooth.
Jewish Synagogue in Budapest
Heroes Square
The Central Market where we purchased most of our souvenirs.
The Site where Elder Russell M. Nelson dedicated
the Land of Hungary to Missionary Work in 1987.

Church in Békéscsaba
Harold and I had the opportunity to speak
in Church and have Bryan translate for us.
It was hard to stop after each sentence to let Bryan do that.
McDonald's were everywhere,
but this one in Békéscsaba had a "Walk-Thru."
On our way to Freiberg we stopped in Prague
to drop off some things to the Robbins
(Kari and Michelle's parents) who are serving a mission there.
We got totally lost, but finally found the mission home!
We thought our drive to Frieberg was bad,
But the drive back was worse -- a two hour traffic jam
due to a semi-truck crashing and burning!
We arrived in Freiberg late at night and stayed at the Patron Housing.
What a wonderful experience to attend the temple
in this place that was once under Communist rule.
Bryan and his friend Gitta Néni who is 85 years old.
She traveled with us from Györ, Hungary to Freiberg, Germany.
We were able to spend a couple of days in Prague
in the Czech Republic. What a beautiful city to visit.
The Astronomical Clock in Prague
The St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague
Good King Wenceslas is from Prague
and here we are with his statue
He can be seen all over PragueHere King Wenceslas is depicted being stabbed by his brother.
This is the actual door where the event occurred.
We enjoyed lunch while looking out over the city.
This is the Observation Tower on Petrin Hill in Prague.
The funicular which takes you up the hill was not working,
but Bryan wanted to go there.
He made us hike almost an hour up the hill,
then we had to hike the 299 steps to the viewing platform!Here are the worn out parents at the top!
This was the amazing view from the top!

We also visited Vienna, Austria
St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna
This amazing altar is in the Cathedral.
We hiked to the top of one of its towers!

We toured the Imperial Palace of the Hapsburg Dynasty
and saw their amazing wealth and collections.
Center Piece and a Place Setting at the PalaceCheck out this napkin! Quite the folding job!
We visited Schönbrunn Palace ~ the Summer Palace
We attended the Opera in ViennaAnd we ate Wiener Schnitzel!
We laughed the whole trip because
Rick Steve's Book was our constant companion every where we went!
We visited some of the areas where Bryan has served in Hungary
This mural is in Szombathely and tells the city's history
While I was sick, Harold and Bryan visited Tatabanya, Esztergom, Visegrad and Tata
Turul Bird in Tatabanya
Harold in TataBryan in VisegradThe St. Stephen Cathedral and
Statue of his Coronation of in Esztergom
The Skull of St. Stephen is in the Cathedral.
We visited lots of people and families
that Bryan had met and taught while on his mission.
I think Feri and his family had the greatest impact on Bryan.
Feri was baptized in the Danube River on October 11th
right before we arrived.

Bryan on the morning we left Hungary!
And then back home in Murray, Utah!