from facebook:
Update from Debrecen to Pécs…
After packing the coaches this morning, we drove for about an hour to Hortobágy, where we visited a national park. Half the group went on the safari, while the others stayed to look at the craft stalls (be warned: the students bought everything from fake swords, pocket knives, hats, toys, to the traditional whips of Hungarian horsemen!).
We enjoyed a traditional Hungarian outdoor meal, with an appetiser of pickles and mild chillies, followed by bread and goulash, the latter cooked in a huge pot over a portable gas fire. Today was one of the hottest we’ve had so far, and therefore drinks and ice creams were popular purchases.
The safari itself was a short drive to a kind of small zoo, where we saw animals that were once common in Hungary but are now mostly only found in captivity, including wolves and European wildcats. We also saw foxes, vultures, eagles, storks, a hobby falcon and water buffalo. I was surprised to learn that lions once roamed Hungary.
After lunch it was off for the long drive to Pécs, which took almost 6 hours, meaning we didn’t get dinner until 9pm. However, on the way we did stop for 45m at a service station where the students managed to clear the shelves of most of the junk food! The landscape in Hungary is generally very flat, with acres of sunflowers (used to make cooking oil) and corn growing.
Tonight some of the boys watched the last half hour of the World Cup final. Tomorrow we are off to explore the city and prepare for our final concert, which should happen tomorrow night if the weather holds.