Hungary Update #5

Hi! We wanted to give an update again to let you know of our activities and learning while here in Hungary. This weekend we went to Lake Balaton which is the largest lake in Hungary. While there we visited Tihany which is an Abbey. It was beautiful. We also walked around the village and saw different sights. There was a place where we could stand and yell and then could hear an echo. The kids thought this was very cool. We all tried it and then heard our echo. We then traveled to Keszthely and saw the Festetics Castle or Palace. In there we saw a huge library that was very interesting. We also visited a museum with different carriages and buggies that horses pulled.. After that we went to the museum where there were animals on display that people had hunted and stuffed. There were several animals of all types. There was even a huge polar bear that was on display. It was amazing to think that these were all hunted and of course the girls didn't like this very much. Upstairs in the museum was a huge model train display. They really enjoyed this part of the museum. After a long day of sight seeing we went to our cabin for the evening. We had dinner and then played games. They had organized mixed teams to participate in different events together. It was very similar to nativity's Spirit day. The students (and teachers) really enjoyed these activities. After an even longer night at the cabin we went to a water park in Hévíz on Sunday. This was an indoor and outdoor facility with heated pools and spas. It had a water slide that the kids loved. It also had a whirlpool that was different for our children, but they thought it was pretty cool. The students had a blast swimming and were very tired after. We went to lunch at a restaurant in Hévíz where we sat outside with a beautiful view of the countryside with villages and vineyards. The meal was delicious.. They played at the playground for a few minutes before continuing to Lake Balaton to walk around the pier. The kids were exhausted after the long bus ride home. We felt they needed to rest so they did not have to come to school this morning. They are coming to school for some programs in the afternoon. Dave and I taught our lessons today and are beginning to get a lot of interesting questions regarding politics and about life in America. I have attached two photos of the whole group at the Festetics Castle and the fountain. Hopefully all is well in Cincinnati. We have a field trip tomorrow and will return to school on Wednesday for the students to continue with their lessons. We will continue to update you with our activities. Everyone is relaxed and still having a wonderful time. It won't be long before we are back in Cincinnati! Take care! Dave and Stefanie