The end of this trip... I am already thinking about the next one!!!

IT IS OVER!

10 cities in 26 days!
Wow, it was great.
We saw amazing things, met wonderful people and learned a heck of a lot!
My parents loved it and we all got here safe and happy.



It was very nice to see Mike and our new home. Travelling is wonderful, but coming home is even better!

After resting Friday night, we went straight to Midland on Saturday morning to Mike's mom and step dad's house... to rest a bit more.

We were really destroyed because of the seven hours time difference, but we could relaxed up there.

Mike and Mark did a bit of work, piling up wood for the winter.

Oh Canada!

It was already a bit cold, but a walk on the beach before everything freezes is a must!

Here the beautiful ladies in Georgian Bay: Vera, Marggie (my mom in law) and I.

Sammy (the dog) could not have missed it!

For those who don't know, this is an Inukshuk.

FROM WIKIPEDIA:

An inuksuk (plural inuksuit) is a man-made stone landmark or cairn used by the Inuit, Inupiat, Kalaallit, Yupik, and other peoples of the Arctic region of North America, from Alaska to Greenland. This region, above the Arctic Circle, is dominated by the tundra biome, containing areas with few natural landmarks.
The inuksuk may have been used for navigation, as a point of reference, a marker for hunting grounds, or as a food cache. The Inupiat in northern Alaska used inuksuit to assist in the herding of caribou into contained areas for slaughter. Inuksuit vary in shape and size, with deep roots in the Inuit culture.

This is my favourite time of the year in Canada: the fall. The leaves are falling and the colors are amazing. Driving up north through this mosaic of colors is absolutely beautiful and comforting at the same time. I feel finally home!

Over dinner we talked about what the new trip should be. That evening we agreed that it would be a family vacation in a cruise along the Mediterranean.

The next morning we were making plans to go to Africa and work as volunteers in a village somewhere.

Oh well, I probably already have hundreds of possible destinations going through my mind right now.

I know for sure that we are heading to Boston in November for Mike's birthday, so I will blog again. :)

Meantime, you guys have a break, while I face reality and look for a job.

It has been a lot of fun doing this and thank you all for the support! I hope to get on the go soon to tell you more about it! Take care.

Gabi On The Go!

THANK YOU (English) - OBRIGADA (Portuguese) - MERCI (French) - SPACIBA (Russian) - TANAN (Estonian) - KIITOS (Finnish) - DANKE SHON (German) - DEKUJI (Czech) - DZIEKUJE (Polish) - KOSZONOM (Hungarian)

Day 25 - Oct. 15 - Thursday

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

The list of places to see in Budapest was long, but we had to narrow it down because today was the last day here, in Budapest and in Europa.

We started very close to our hotel, in what used to be the Jewish neighbourhood before the war, visiting the Grand Synagogue. According to our tour guide, this is the largest synagogue in Europe and the second in the world, just behind one in New York City.

While I was in there, it just occurred to me that this was the first time I entered a synagogue. But this one, said the tour guide, it is similar to a Christian church, since the Jews at the time wanted to "fit in and not be too different".

We had explanations about the synagogue and Jewish traditions in Spanish and Portuguese. Good for my parents, who were visiting such a place for the first time as well.

During the war, the Nazi Germans turned this place into a barn, said our guide. After the liberation, the synagogue remained closed because the soviets didn't allowed religion to be practised. Just in the 90s, the Synagogue was reopened to prayers and visitors.



Outside, in the garden is a small cemetery, where some Jewish killed during the WWII are buried. This area used to be a ghetto where Jewish people lived in terrible conditions, without food and help from the outside world.

This sculpture was paid by Hollywood Hungarian-American actor Tony Curtis . Part of his family was executed here during the WWII. Each leaf of the willow tree has a name of a person killed in the holocaust. It is a beautiful monument.

Our next stop was the Market Hall. I remembered I visited it 11 years ago when I was in Budapest for the first time, so I wanted to see it again. It was a very pleasant couple of hours wandering around fresh fruits and vegetables, and Hungarian products. On the top floor, there are souvenirs, art crafts and good restaurants. The building itself is worth seeing too.

We had lunch at this amazing family owned restaurant called Bruni Salatabar. The sausages are to die for and the service is really good. Everyone tries really hard to speak English or German. My parents got a little of Portuguese from them as well.

For dessert, we tried (again) the traditional Hungarian crepes with nuts inside and hot chocolate sauce on the top. OH MY GOD!!!! I am glad I don't live here, otherwise I would have it all the time!

How about a super sausage??????

Our third and last attraction was the famous bath house. We chose the Gellert Furdo Budapest, one that I have tried during my last trip. Inside there are four pools with different temperatures each, from 20 to 40 degrees.

Outside is more fun in one of the three different pools. I had to convince my parents to go out, since they thought it was CRAZY to get out in your swimming suit when it is only 6 degrees! But they did it!

To warm us up, we had a hot chocolate on the way home. Do you think I had enough chocolate in this trip?????

Well, tomorrow I will go back to reality, so let me have some fun today! :)

Good night!

Day 24 - Oct. 14 - Wednesday

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

Budapest has become in these days one of those cities that I wish I could stay longer to fully visit it. I am really enjoying it a lot, and beside Tallinn, in Estonia - where we spent only a day- , this has been the only city that I regret not staying longer.
I don't remember feeling this way 11 years ago, when I visited Budapest for the first time. Perhaps this is a city for more mature people (please do not read old people). I guess I am (hopefully) a more experienced person and I can understand better the history, and world and human politics. But this mix between art and politics that fascinates me.
I wish I could visit more museums, listen to Gypsy music, watch more political movies and hang out on their cafes and bars.
But we have only a day in Budapest, tomorrow. I hope we will enjoy it, but before, let me tell you a little bit about today.

We decided to take the hop in hop off bus for about 20 euros, because of the bad weather. It was miserable outside: rain, wind and cold. Urrrggghh. Not good at all.

This tour takes you around the city, stopping at the major attractions and letting people get off of get in, if they wish.
One of the first stops was at the Heroes Square. The millennial monument was built in 1896 to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the arrival of Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin.

The grey building is the House of Terror, which was home to the torture chambers and interrogation rooms of the Soviet manipulated Hungarian Communists.
And the other photo, is the Art Gallery, still at the Heroes Square.

My parents almost turned into penguins! It was really cold for them.

This is where Lenin's statue used to be before the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Today, there is just the base for the statue that was put down by the protesters at that time.

A nice view of the Danube river from the Citadel Restaurant.

For 6 euros, the funicular can take you up to the Castle District. Perfect for a day like today!

The view from the Castle District.

They call it the Castle District because it is a complex of many buildings what are used today as libraries, coffee shops, museums, etc.

It is nice to just walk around and see the different buildings.

HOSPITAL IN THE ROCKS

The Hospital in the Rocks was the highlight of the tour. Very hard to find, this place is part of the many caves of the Budapest Castle. It was used during the Second World War as a hospital and although had the capacity to attend about 150 people, it served up to 700 patients at once. Even the Germans would come to this hospital for surgeries and treatments.

After the war, it was just a lab, until the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, when it turned to a hospital again.

In the 60s, the soviets turned it into a nuclear bunker until the fall of the regime in the 80s. It is incredible inside. Really worth visiting! Mike had seen a documentary about it and told me about this place. I am glad he did.

The good thing is that most of the machines, including x-rays and water and air filters in case there is an attack, are still working. The guide of the museum said that the hospital underground can be reactivated in two days if necessary.
It is not allowed to take pictures inside, but if you are interested, I am posting the hospital's website bellow.

FROM http://www.hospitalintherock.com/
Much more than a mere museum or bunker, this exhibition illustrates in the original surroundings the ambiance of the tragic final days of World War II, and later, the chill and naïveté of the early days of the Cold War. Few other exhibition brings you so close to the true feeling of that era.Towards the end of World War II (December ’44 until February ’45), the Soviet troops encircled Budapest and its final defence area, the Castle District. There, within its walls and beneath, the last functioning Military Hospital, treating thousands of soldiers and civilians. Under dire - even eerie - conditions, stretched perhaps 4 times beyond its capacity doctors and nurses struggled heroically with the wounds and infections to save as many lifes as possible. It then again saw active service during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.Later, in the Cold War era, authorities extended the hospital to serve as an atomic bunker, installing facilities that could help those inside to survive a nuclear attack. Classified as “Top Secret”, one can still see the up-to-date machinery of the early ‘60s; all of which have been preserved and can still function today.To recreate the feeling, the exhibition displays much of the original and contemporary artifiacts in diaoramas with over 70 wax figures, further bringing to life the sights that one might have seen when the Hospital and shelter were operational.Welcome to the largest waxwork exhibition in Central Europe.

This is the Hungarian Parliament. It is the second biggest of Europe, only behind the House of Commons in London, England.

CHILDREN OF GLORY

If you have been following my blog, you might have noticed that the Cold War was my favourite part of history. Not because I like it, but for some reason, I find it extremely fascinating, maybe because I still remember as a child the end of this period.

Well, being here feels great because you see history right in front of you, and there are always chances to learn something more.

Since the topic today seemed to be Hungarian Revolution, I took the opportunity to watch the movie Szabadsag, Szerelem or Children of Glory, in English.

Although some Hungarians say i"t is too Hollywood", it shows a beautiful and romantic picture of that event. I am not sure if this movie was distributed outside of Hungary, but if you ever come across it, I suggest you to watch. I really enjoyed it.

After the session,I stayed for a Q&A with one of the actress of the movie. It was nice to hear (thankfully in English) about the feelings of the audience, both Hungarians and foreigners. Interesting...

More about the movie: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/mar/16/drama.periodandhistorical