Caledonia's been calling me, now I'm going home.

Hiking in the Southern USA!

After being in Albuquerque I stayed in the USA and dropped in on Ashley. She lives in Brevard, North Carolina. This is a small town in the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian Mountains are the oldest mountains in the world! These mountains go all the way from Georgia to Maine! There is a trail in the Appalachian Mountains that is over 2,000 miles long, and Ashley hiked about 500 miles of it in the Spring right before I got here. 



I really enjoyed looking at the pictures of her hike, the scenery is spectacular.

Since Ashley enjoys hiking so much she took me on a few trails near her home. Here I am walking along one of the trails we explored near Brevard!

While we hiked, Ashley showed me some interesting things in the woods! This is a plant called poison ivy, and some people are very allergic to it. I was very careful not to touch it!

We also hiked around to find different animal tracks. I saw some deer tracks!

Ashley is obviously a teacher. She taught me a lot about nature and how plants get their food while we hiked.

And, this is Looking Glass Falls. It's one of thousands of waterfalls in the area! Brevard is in Transylvania County, and Transylvania County is called "the land of the waterfalls".


It's beautiful, but water alway makes paper little me a bit nevous.

The USA has been great, such interesting people and places. I hope I can return some day it is such a big country and there is still so much to see. But for now I an going too Scotland to catch up with Lily's friends and family.

Saying Goodbye

After spending a few weeks with Agusta's family it was time to say goodbye! I had a wonderful time and so did Agusta. She was sad to see me go and I was sad to leave but after saying goodbye she put me in an envelope and sent me on to my next adventure.

Thank you Agusta, Sara and all the rest of the family for taking such good care of me and including me in your lives.

Now I'm going hiking!

Agusta's Favorite Place

 
Agusta's very most favorite place to go is the Library so she took me there to show it to me.I really liked the Librarians, they were friendly and allowed us to take a photo next to all the books.

 

Agusta reeds at least 5 books a week and they are all very big. She read a little to me, she is finishing up "The Little House on the Prairie" books.

Military Life

Agusta's Dad is in the United States Air Force so she is a Military Kid. It is not always easy for her especially not when her dad has to go far away for a very long time. She also doesn't like moving so much and making new friends all of the time. In Albuquerque she lives with her family on an Air Force Base so sometimes the friends she makes move first.

 The big fat Helicopter is the first Jolly Green

Agusta's dad flies a new one which is similar to the Army's Blackhawk just like the one in this picture. He is a Search and Rescue Pilot and sometimes has to fly for a long time so the big stick on the front of the Aircraft is used to refuel in the air from a big airplane called a C-130.

Homeschool doesn't just happen at home.

Easter Eggs

We got to Paint Easter Eggs it was super fun! I tried to stay out of getting all messy!

We also went on an Easter Egg Hunt at Agusta's Grandparent's park near their house.

We had lots of treats! I loved watching Agusta run around while she hunted for eggs!

Homeschool

In America parents have the choice of sending their children to school or schooling them at home. When they do their education at home it is called Homeschooling. It is legal in all 50 states but every state has different requirements. In New Mexico we have to school for 180 days; learn math, science, english and social studies. The state does not require testing although many of them do.

Agusta and her family have a school room in their home and Sara is their mom and their teacher. Agusta is helping me out with some math in the picture.

Agusta was in 4th grade last year and she did; Math, English, Science, Icelandic, Spanish, History, Government, Social Studies and Bible as the main subjects. She also did Art and crafts and many fun Field trips as well as sewing and cooking.

The benefit of being schooled at home is that every student can get an individualized education and can learn at their own speed and ability. Also we can travel when we want to.

Exploring Albuquerque

We went downtown Albuquerque.

First we went to the History Museum.

We looked at some statues and saw some police officers on horses.

 After the museum I had a Caramel Apple.

Friends and Family

Agusta has another sister, Kala, and a brother, Noi. I liked to play with them. Agusta's siblings are also her classmates, their Mom teaches them at home. I am going to tell you all about their school once I have introduced you to everyone.

 


This is Agusta's Mom's car (or maybe "truck" is a better word for it) it is ginormous. I like to ride right up front, it is so high up that I get a great view of everything.

Agusta, Kala, Noi, Sara (their mom) and I went to the park together. There were some really cool slides.

Agusta also introduced me to some of her friends, we had great fun together.

I wasn't the only visitor staying with Agusta and her family. Agusta's aunt, Þórhalla, was visiting from Iceland, she is really cool. Agusta was born in Iceland, it sound like a really interesting place. I hope I can visit there sometime.

Arrived in America

Inspirational!

Flat Lily has been enjoying herself with Goosie in New Mexico, posts about her visit there will be coming very soon. In the mean time, enjoy this video of one lucky Flat Stanley courtesy of the Flat Stanley Project

Remember to check back soon though for more of our own Flat Lily's adventures.

Bon Voyage

Flat Lily is literally made to travel  and had been with us long enough, so last Monday we helped her address her first envelope, took her to the post office and sent her on her way to Albuquerque where Goosie was waiting for her.

Good Bye Flat Lily, Enjoy your adventures.

Love,

                  Lily, Jen, Gábor and Ernö

Coming soon: Flat Lily in Albuquerque

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Szeged Sights

There are lots of interesting and pretty building around Szeged. This is Reök Palota (palace). It is Lily's favourite building here. It is in an Art Nouveau style with beautiful purple flowers on it and lots of details. It's at the end of Lily's street so she walks past it almost every day but never gets bored of looking at it. It is the regional art centre and a café so it is fun to visit too.There are exhibitions and childrens workshops.

There are more pictures of architecture around Szeged here.

This is Dom Tér Catherdral. Lily wanted to visit it since she had never really been to a church before. It was cold and dark inside but every space on the walls,ceiling and arches were covered in pictures and designs. It was quite spectacular. The pictures showed scened from the bible which sparked lots of questions about what Christians believe. Me, Lily ans Lily's mum talked a lot about heaven but Lily concluded "I don't think there really is a heaven but thats OK. I love love and nature (especially lizards) and art and there is lots of these in life. I don't need anything more." 

Since we went to the cathedral we thought it would be interesting to visit the synagogue too.


We were all surprised at how similar the cathedral and the synagogue were; both are decorative and beautiful, both have huge domes, big organ and wooden seats. Lily wondered why there were two building that were so similar in such a small town but her mum explained that Christians and Jews believe different things and each group wants their own place to come together and learn. 






The Jewish community in Szeged, like the rest of Europe, has a very sad history. You can read more about it on the synagogue website.

A song and a rhyme.

Poets have a very special place in Hungarian culture. Many are remembered in history not only for reflecting on events but for using their words to inspire revolutions. There are lots of institutions, streets and public spaces named after poets.

Today is poetry day in Hungary. It is the birthday of József Attila, one of the most respected Hungarian poets. He was born on 11th April 1905.  In honour of the occasion Lily wanted to share one of her favourite rhymes with you. It is very simple so maybe you could even learn to sing it in Hungarian.

Süss fel nap! Süss fel nap, fényes nap, kertek alatt kis ludaim megfagynak. (traditional)

Shine sun Shine sun, Bright sun! My little geese are freezing in the garden. (translation: Liliom Valter)

Pronunciation notes:
Hungarian "s" = English "sh"
ü = oo
é = ay
ny = n (like in news)
gy = d (like in duke)

Here is the music for "Süss fel nap!" if you would like to try to play it too.

Courtesy of mamalisa.com

József Attila studied at the University of Szeged, were Jen (Lily's mum) goes to university at the moment. There is a statue of him on one of the squares in the city centre.

Since it is his birthday today then there is not better poem of his to share with you than one titled "On My Birthday".

On My Birthday

To end my thirty-second year

I wrote myself a souvenir –

a prize

surprise:

a quick impromptu memoir

saluting in this coffee-bar

my birth

on earth.

Thirty two years...Without a doubt

what Hungary has doled me out

was not

a lot

I could have been a teacher, but

I wear my pencils to the butt

for just

a crust,

for I was sent down from Szeged

by the provost, that old egghead,

a so

and so

who picked on my “With a Pure Heart”.-

To save the Nation from my art

he barred

the bard

and drew his sword against my kind.

His words deserve to be enshrined

to shame

his name:

“Until I must give up the ghost

don’t dream of any teaching post”-

I quote,

unquote.

So what matter if I am banned

from Prof. A. Horger’s graduand

grammar

crammer?

I’ll  teach my people one and all,

much greater things than what you call

college

knowledge.

Attila József, 1937 (translated by Peter Zollman)

Sign reads "Szeged University, József Attila Study and Information Center"

A Day in the Life of Lily

This is Lily's school. She is in first grade.

Lily really likes school, she has lots of friend there and has lots of fun. Lily thinks her teacher, Eszter, is wonderful.

It is a Waldorf-Steiner school so it looks and does things a little bit differently from most schools around here. Most kids Lily meets here are surprised to hear they don't do reading in school yet.



The classroom is very pretty, the blackboard always has a beautiful picture on the front. Now there are the four Manós (forest efls) who help with numbers. New buds and flowers appear on the picture every day, just like the plants and trees outside. In the corner there is the season table. The children can bring in natural things they find to put on it.

Everyday Eszter makes all the children tea to drink with their snacks. All the children have their own cup with their name on it. We do watercolour painting every Tuesday. The paintings on the wall are of a Farsang ball where the Manós are playing together.


Eszter gave these rainbow strings on the very first day of school. We use them to play games, like cats's cradle, and make characters and scenes from the stories Eszter tells. In the picture Lily is making a butterfly. The children draw pictures of the things they learn in their drawing books.

Lily enjoys knitting at school. She is making a teddy bear and has made a case for her recorder.



After school we go to the market to do some shopping. It is very colourful and busy at the market.

We can buy almost everything we need from the maket and the vendors are very friendly.

We can get very nice and fresh meet at the butchers, as well as yummy szalámi and kolbász sausages. Gábor even likes to buy bones to make meat stocks from.

On the milk market we get fesh cheese, yogurt butter and milk. Turo (cottage cheese) is used a lot in Hungarian cooking. Jen like to buy raw milk to make yogurt Lily thinks the cheeses are not just tasty but they are beautiful too.


 







Lily's favourite part of the market is the flower market. The smells are wonderful and sometimes the vendors give her a little bunch of flowers for free. The market is full of lovely spring flowers like these daffodils and hyacinths.

Once we are finished at the market we have all the ingredients we need to make Goulyas Leves (Goulash Soup) for dinner.








But before that we go to Kárász Utca (the street that was on the postcard) to get some ice cream and to play on the square in front of the town hall. Lily loves to climb on the trees and the statues. While we were on the the square we saw folk dance troup on a parade.

Now it's time to make dinner.

Jó Étvágyat


Coming up: Szeged Sights