An Outing

For a change of pace, we decided to visit the big city, Budapest, yesterday. Our destination was a big mall, just outside of Buda--the city is divided by the Danube River into Buda and Pest. Through our agency, we hired a driver to drive the 2 3/4 hour there. Max did really well driving there, as he was mesmerized first by the scenery (tractors in fields, trucks on the highway, etc.) and later by the busyness of the city. We spent four hours at the mall, very similar to Castleton Square Mall, with a smallish aquarium attached. Carting a three-year-old around was daunting, a new experience for these fledgling parents. What a new vantage point we now have! Around every corner seemed to lurk another "mine field," aka. window displays, coin-operated motorized rides, elevators, escalators. Overall, Max did pretty well, and the stroller soon became our friend. Mom and Dad were excited to go to McDonald's in the food court(I think we both have reached a new low in that statement), but Max was too captivated by all that was going on to notice his Chicken nuggets or fries. Just a side note, not all McDonald's burgers are created equally--Hungarians often use a combo of pork and beef in their burgers. We also ventured into the aquarium. The highlights there were the stingrays, the shark tank, and the ice cream. We strategically planned the last hour to buy some necessities at H & M and TESCO. On the journey home, Max slept for 20 minutes, and by the last hour we were all ready to be home. All in all, he did amazingly well and his mom and dad learned some new tips as well. It was nice to be out of town and see new scenery, but we so appreciated the routine that we have established as we've been in Hajduszoboszlo. Having said that, however, our routine changed a little today because temps dropped by 20 degrees, making jackets and closed-toe shoes necessary. All of a sudden, it feels like a ghost town here without spa-goers/people out of doors. Did we already say we're counting the days? :)

Jeremiah 31:25--"I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint."