We have had a very interesting assortment of foods since arriving. The main meal of the day here is normally the noon meal.

When we arrived Gary and Kinga met us at the airport. Driving in Budapest is an adventure. Gary was driving and Kinga was reading the map in Hungarian language — and she did a great job. We arrived at our 'bed and breakfast' — a bikers camp. We stayed inside in adjoining bedrooms. They went shopping and we had sandwiches for dinner out under a canopy in the courtyard. The sandwiches are normally spread with mustard, overlaid with ham and sausage — that looks like pepperoni — with a slice cheese and then a slice of tomato. The unique thing is that you eat it 'open faced' — you never top the sandwich with another piece of bread.

Sunday breakfast, which we requested of our host, was hard rolls, mustard or butter, tomato slices, ham slices and cheese slices. Also on the table were an assortment of honey, jams etc. Also provided, was a pot of hot water for tea for 'Omi and a pot of coffee for the other three of us. All this was served under a canopy adjacent to the courtyard a nice breeze for comfort.

That Sunday, while touring in Budapest, we were going to be have a light lunch at a street vendor and then have a nice dinner that evening. We wound up having a very heavy lunch and dinner.

Lunch was a dish that resembled lasagna. It was comprised of some kind of pasta, cabbage, shredded chicken and cheese along with several unrecognized vegetables. The servings were huge. We each ordered something different and shared with each other.

'Omi had her heart set on a goulash for dinner since that is what the Hungarians are famous for. We all ordered a variety of goulashes at a nice restaurant (View pictures).

Breakfast Monday was the balance of the "stuff" we had for dinner Saturday — the day we arrived — supplemented with some additional cheese and meat purchased after dinner the previous evening. Then we launched for Poland.

After an hour's drive, it took about half an hour to cross into Slovakia — in Europe's "lands without borders." They eventually stamped our passport and we went on. We had lunch in a Slovakian village (View pictures) and saw another huge rynek or market center.

Friday, July 30

Breakfast was sandwiches eaten “open faced.” Bread of whole grains, sheep cheese, ham, tomato

Lunch was a vegetable soup built around chicken broth — there was a chicken leg in the middle of each bowl and you can eat it most any way. Additionally, the soup of course had all sorts of vegetables — carrots, peas, etc. The entree— remember I said that lunches are the big meal of the day — was crepes with cheese in them with one of the three stuffed with jam and then sprinkled with white powdered sugar (View pictures). YUM.

Supper — was a congealed salad. It was square with fish and vegetables — corn, peas, carrots — in it. You sprinkle some vinegar or lemon juice on them before consuming. Very nice and light meal.

Saturday, July 31

Breakfast was sausage links, bread.

Lunch was at a restaurant with several tables outside beneath large umbrellas. The style here seems to be to serve a bowl of soup (View pictures), and with the main entree, a small bowl of about 6 vegetables. Our entrees were dumplings (View pictures). The dumplings here are thin pastries stuffed with different things. Such as mine was mushrooms and herbs and 'Omi's was potatoes and cheese. We all four — G,K,M,&O — had different dishes and we shared.

Dinner - was back with our host and

Sunday August 1

Breakfast — Fried egg with cheese fried atop it, whole grain breads, ham, tomato slices and red bell pepper. Again you spread either butter, mustard or cream cheese on the bread. Lay a piece of cheese atop it, then ham slices and finally tomato and bell pepper. You eat it open faced. Drink is a green tea — not in color but in variety — with lemon.

Break: At the lodge above the Eye of the Sea, lake, we had a bowl of fried cabbage with sausage. Also had my first experience with Polish coffee.

Lunch was at the Restaurant with a view

Mel had a grilled chicken breast with a slice of pineapple atop with the center hole filled with a red local fruit. The chicken was accompanied with 1/4 sliced baked potatoes. A side salad dish comprised of dill pickle sticks, tangy slaw and shredded carrots. VERY TASTY

Omi had a stuffed chicken breast with mushrooms and herbs and deep fried. She also had the baked potatoes and her side dish was soft cooked cabbage with sausage. ALSO VERY TASTY

Dinner was kielbasa barbequed over an open fire behind our hosts' home in what we would call a gazebo. The food was accompanied with regular green tea with lemon. Nice ending to a nice day.

Monday, August 2

Breakfast — Gary fixed breakfast today for us. Scrambled eggs with left over kielbasa from the night before.

Snack — smoked cheese that squeaked as you chewed it!

Lunch — broiled trout with boiled potatoes. We also tried a fried cheese patty that was kind of chewy and some bread with bacon drippings (at right) . Gary kept calling it pure lard! So I tasted it and didn't like it. Normally it's supposed to be very taste but this had almost no bacon bits in it and tasted like it was lard.

Dinner — we're worn out and 'Omi has said she doesn't even feel like eating. However, we go downstairs and have dinner anyway. It was a nice dish of rice with chicken goulash.