History
The Nobel Prize winning Italian physicist, Enrico Fermi, was once asked
by his followers in California whether extra-terrestrial beings
existed.
Of course, Fermi answered, they are already here among us – they are called Hungarians...
So
welcome to the home of extra-terrestrial beings. Why did Fermi think
this about us? Could it be because Hollywood's dream factories were
partly built by Hungarian producers, directors, writers and cameramen?
Or because – as the saying goes – Hungarians were created by God to sit on horseback?
Perhaps because Bela Bartok's music was considered by many in his own time to be extra-terrestrial?
Or because the Hungarian language does not resemble any other language in the world and sounds so strange?
So, who are these Hungarians?
No-one quite knows. It seems certain that they arrived from somewhere
in Asia. And while Hungary's location is generally defined as Eastern
Europe, it is, in fact, situated in the centre of the continent, in the
eastern part of Central Europe. This is the Carpathian Basin, where a
Hungarian state was founded a thousand years ago.
This
small country is one of history’s great survivors: states and empires
have emerged, expanded or disintegrated and disappeared around it.
Hungary and the Hungarian nation have survived the devastation of the
Tartars and Turks, Habsburgs and Russians in the Carpathian Basin. And
they have survived the fact that they have been on the losing side of
both world wars.
A stormy history? The national anthem describes the Hungarians as "people torn by fate".
So we are not extra-terrestrials. We grew up in a stormy world and
there is still a link between old and new, between history and the
present-day in a country which still keenly safeguards its traditions,
culture and arts, but which is always open to new, different and
forward-thinking ideas.
Did you know?
Not many people know that Hungary was one of the centres of the Renaissance in the 15th century.
Or that the Hungarian state is 1,000 years old?
Or that after 1945, the first armed revolution against Stalinism took place in Hungary?
Or that the iron curtain was dismantled on the border of Hungary and Austria?
In Hungary, you can visit regions with their own particular atmosphere,
with fabulous villages, churches and castles. And you are always
welcome to Budapest, a city that many consider to be one of the finest
in Europe. If you are fond of tasty food, and exclusive wines, this is
the place for you!
(Source: http://www.fsz.bme.hu/hungary/intro.html)
The ciusine:
Maybe
you have already heard of delights of Hungarian cuisine. The
traditional Hungarian dishes abound in piquant flavors and aromas.
Dishes are flavourful, spicy and often rather heavy.
People with
a sensitive stomach, should be careful. Flavours of Hungarian dishes
are based on centuries old traditions in spicing and preparation
methods. The exquisite ingredients are produced by local agriculture
and husbandry. Paprika and garlic is to be found everywhere.
In the
autumn, a fascinating view is the strings of red paprika (unground red
pepper) hung on the white walls of the houses in the neighbourhood of
Kalocsa, a town along the Danube.
How do we get there?
Return fares with EasyJet, www.easyjet.com (from Luton, Gatwick or Stanstead) and
Wizzair , www.wizzair.com (from Luton) start from Ł40.98 including tax.
Malev Hungarian Airlines , www.malev.com and British Airways, www.ba.com have a twice-daily flight from Heathrow to Budapest from Ł79.
Here are a few websites worth a visit:
http://www.hungary.com
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/hungary/ - travel, hotels, facts
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/hu.html - facts about Hungary
http://www.budapesthotelreservation.hu - hotels
http://dict.sztaki.hu/index.jhtml - dictionaries
You would've never guessed that these people were hungarians:
Ányos István Jedlik ... is the inventor of the dynamo
János Irinyi ... is the inventor of the silent match
Oszkár Asbóth ... is the inventor of a helicopter
Albert Szentgyörgyi ... is the discoverer of Vitamin C
László József Bíró ... is the inventor of the ball-point pen
János Neumann ...is said to be the inventor of the computer
Ede Teller ... is the inventor of the hydrogen bomb
Ferenc Liszt ... is perhaps the greatest artist of Romanticism
Béla Bartók ... is a cosmopolitan of music
Imre Kertész ... is the winner of the Nobel Prize for literature in 2002
George Cukor (György Cukor) ... is the Hungarian director of "Gaslight" and "My Fair Lady"
Drew Barrymore ... Actress, Model, Producer, Philanthropist, "America's Sweetheart"
Ferenc Puskás ... is ‘Öcsi’, the word famous footballer of the country
Calvin Klein ... is the king of fashion
Ernö Rubik ... is the creator of Rubik's cube
Count Ede László Almasy ... is anexplorer, Double Agent! Immortalized in "The English Patient"
Béla Barényi ... is an engineer, Auto Safety pioneer - Father of the Volkswagen Beetle and the Seat Belt.
Jamie Lee Curtis ... is anActress
Tony Curtis ... is aoscar-nominated Actor, Artist, and Hollywood legend.
Michael Curtiz ... is an Oscar winning Director of "Casablanca"
Joseph Dallos ... is a physician - the first modern, Molded Contact Lenses.
Estee Lauder ... is THE Cosmetic Queen!
Frank Darabont ... is a director / writer - 2 Oscar nominations for The Green Mile
William Fox ... is a producer and Hollywood mogul - Founder of FOX Studios.
Joe (Joszef) Eszterhasy ... is a prolific screenwriter (Basic Instinct, Sliver, Flashdance)
