Jennifer--Dusty and I have decided to take advantage of a great opportunity. With my Dad working in Hungary, it is the ideal situation to tour Europe over the span of one year and have our home-base at my parents Hungarian house. Dusty and I have both recently graduated and are so excited to take a year off...together. This year should prove to be full of adventure, with many ups and hopefully very few downs (if any).

Our flight over with AirBerlin was excellent. We were so excited to look down, out of the plane, and see Iceland! We saw miles and miles of snowy tundra with steep, rocky mountains protruding through the blanket of white. Looking down at Germany, before landing in Dusseldorf, was amazing. Perfectly alligned fields of assorted colors, antique roof tops and steeples painted the rolling hills. As we approached the airport, the small towns became larger and closer together. The Dusseldorf airport was clean and modern... I (Jennifer) had to get assistance from another woman in the bathroom to dry my hands! LOL. The cloth (not paper) towel was dispensed and recycled by a mechanical dispenser. To add, it was the cleanest public restroom I have ever seen! We then flew to Vienna where Dad picked us up.

As we drove through Austria and into Hungary, we enjoyed sightseeing from the car. Old churches and crumbling houses scattered the hills. We attempted to decipher the road signs and all laughed at our inability! Fortunately, Dad was able to tell us what most of them meant. Small wild flowers, which resembled tulips, became more and more abundant as we drove into Hungary. As we approached Papa, it seemed like we stepped back in time about 30 years!

Every few miles, people waited for the bus along side of the country road and held bags of groceries. The structures, many crumbling, have stood for longer than the US has been a country! The rule of the Russian Communists can be remembered through the many old buildings, mostly brick, that they used to occupy. The residents of Papa are said to be from mostly German ancestors. Another population in Hungary is the gypsies. The gypsies dress just as any of us would, if we were dressing as a gypsy for Halloween. They wear long bright skirts, with equally as wild tops with scarves and jewelry. Papa is centered around a downtown, refered to as the "walking area". The walking area consists of a very large old church, many walkways, pubs, cafes, stores and so on.

When Dusty and I arrived at my parent's home we were thrilled. It is extremely nice and already feels like home! We have the downstairs bedroom and bathroom. The bathroom consists of two rooms, one with a toilet and sink, the other with a beautiful walk in shower and sink. The sink in the shower room has a gorgeous mirror above with built in shelves. It is unlike anything I have seen, and want to ship it to the states! lol. The energy-saving appliances in the house are incredible and it makes me want to scream that every house in the states does not have them!

Last night was our first night in town. We walked with Dad down to the walking area where he pointed out his favorite spots. Walking down the streets felt as if we were walking through a movie set. The streets are adourned on both sides with ornate, antique buildings and statues. We took an alley way which was sided by a toppling brick wall. Following Dad down some steps lead us into a dark restaraunt.

Dusty-When Jennifer and I walked inside we saw that the restaraunt was made from logs with pictures scattered of locals on the wood walls. We had gyros for dinner which were extremely tasty! After dinner we met with some of Dad's friends/co-workers to watch the US soccer team at a local pub. The outside of the pub was a sit down restaraunt. To enter the pub we walked down a few steps where some locals were getting ready for the soccer game. The pub had an interesting ambiance, we were surround by faded red brick walls and ceiling. The tables were wood with bench style seating. It was time to order and Jennifer wanted to get a water for us, unfortunately she had a difficult time communicating with one of the girls behind the bar. There was confusion on the woman's face and Jennifers as hands and broken language were used to try to get a water. Dad finally asked the girl in German for water and Bob's your uncle we had our water, and Dad and his friends had a few beers for the big game. It was interesting that every one of our cheers (for the US team) was met with cheers from locals in the back of the pub, whenever the US missed a play!

After the game had finished, in which the US team lost to Ghana, we all decided to go to a different pub to finish off the evening. The pub was different from the one we just left, the interior was again brick but it was filled with alot of young people singing The Doors. lol. We had a great night out in the town and decided it was time for bed, so we started our walk back home. During our journey home there were many locals still roaming the streets of Papa, and the air smelled of fresia and jasmine. Our first night in our new bed, new home, and new country (for the time being) was peaceful. Our adventure in Europe has begun, and so far we love it!