Sunday stroll in Sopron, Hungary

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."-Mark Twain

Experiencing Hungarian culture on this adventure is truly thinking 'outside the box' for even us.  But what a great opportunity to go somewhere that pushes the boundries of our comfort zone.  Isn't that what makes us grow?  For me, yes.

With that said......HELLO Sopron.

Only 60 km from Vienna and 220km from Budapest, Sopron hugs the border of western Hungary.  With a population estimated at 60,000 it is a quiet medieval town.  Hungarian is the man language with most able to also speak german.  English....not so much.

To get the lay of the land, Deb and I did a Sunday stroll through the city.  The morning was warm and sunny.  Taking our time, we enjoyed casually taking pictures and stopping whenever we wanted to.

Here are a few random pictures of the day.

The city's Coat of Arms.

It expresses 'Welcome' to all who visit.

Hanging out with my new Bff.

A Bysantine church in the Old town, began as a monastery for the Franciscan monks around 1280.  Known as 'the goat church.'  In 1787 it was taken over by the Benedictine monks after Jozsef II dissolved the Franciscan order.

A local fellow relaxing with a sketch pad inspired with the sites of the Old town buildings surrounding him.

Colourful buildings and winding streets add to the charm of this area.

It appears to be the heart of this town.

The next Hungarian Olympian playing soccer with Dad.

A breakfast of champions.  Found our new favourite cafe for yummy treats and the best cappuccino I have ever tasted.

The Holy Trinity Statue found in the main square.  Built in 1695-1700 as a 'plague monument' in gratitude for escaping the plague.   

As we strolled through the cobblestone streets, each turn had a gem of a to behold.  An impressive church, formally a Ursuline monastery peeks through the buildings.

'The Birds!'

While walking home, I spied this church.  Picture in progress when something spooked the birds....

I love the picture, but was terrified of 'The Birds' as a kid.

The second line on this building caught my eye.  Take a guess at what it says?

The entire sign reads,

University of Western Hungary

Economic Sciences faculty

I knew that?

Below is our groceries for a couple of days.  The cost was $4,665. Hungarian forints.

But when you convert them into Canadian currency it is only

$21.93.

But....no peanut butter to be found!!!