More guests!

This weekend has been rather awesome. My dad and my sister Danni arrived in Máriapócs to visit us on Thursday afternoon, so we have had the pleasure of their company for the last few days. Things got off to a great start when they opened their suitcases and began loading us up with lots of presents from home. There were lots of goodies for next year's Australia Day party, new stickers for the kids, as well as several items of clothing for both of us. Score!

But I think the happiest Máriapócian of all was Iago. Not only did Danni bring over an entire bag of new toys for him, but he also scored a fantastic handmade blanket from Anthea, Daniel's sister. As you can see from the picture, Iago wasted absolutely no time at all in making use of his new possession. He loves it :)

Anyway, the rest of the weekend has flown by pretty quickly. We've spent a lot of time just hanging out together at home - playing cards, cooking up a storm, and carving up our very first Halloween jack-o-lanterns. I think they turned out really well! The initial plan was to bring them to school next Wednesday for the annual Halloween costume party, but unfortunately they are looking a little droopy already so I don't think they're going to last.

Yesterday we ventured out to Hungary's famous Tokaj wine district and stumbled across a neat little outdoor food festival. We also checked out a bunch of the local cellars and bought lots of white wine, much of it wonderfully packaged in recycled coke bottles. But while it may not have looked particularly classy, it certainly tasted great.

Today was a public holiday in Hungary so basically the entire country shut down. Absolutely nothing was open, so we all enjoyed another cruisey day in Máriapócs. It looks like Dad and Danni will be setting off on the next leg of their trip tomorrow which is a little sad as it seems like they just got here. Still, it's been fun having them around and I've really enjoyed seeing them both. It's been quite educational too, as I've been able to quiz Dad about his childhood in Hungary and learn a bit more about our family's Hungarian roots.

- Amanda