Veszprem, Hungary

Veszprem, A Nice Surprise

June 23-27

Written July 3

Dear Friends and Families,

Veszprem, a small city of 60,000 people, was our base for exploring the Lake Balaton region. We had picked it simply because it seemed to be the right size to have hotels and restaurants, and that it was close to the lake, the vineyards, and roads connecting the region.

For us, the four-day stop was a very pleasant surprise. The convenience to surrounding areas was as good as we could hope for and the city itself was charming, with all the requirements for an old European town (church, castle, and square) and, most importantly, plenty of local people having fun.

We walked from our hotel up to the old closter each evening and went to some good art galleries, pleasant sidewalk cafes, as well as a Brick Museum. The art was good, but the story of Hungarian bricks was ... unique. It turns out that Hungarian bricks are different from other bricks, with each one marked with the sign of the maker or of the royal sponsor. We even found one marked "Hidas", Marianne's maiden name.

Below you can find some of our pictures and a few local website links. If these seem inviting, we recommend a visit.

John and Marianne

	The castle above our hotel.
		Churches and squares.
Town tower, great view. (See panorama.)

	We were treated to weddings, a street festival, and an evening in the museums.
Of course, we always look for projects. Somehow, these seemed too daunting!

Inside the art museums and galleries, photography was not allowed, but this view from a top-floor balcony was enough for our own memories.

		The brick museum was another fun surprise. Who would have thought bricks could be interesting?