SPRING In Hungary

Heather May 29,2010
There is nothing I enjoy more than Spring when it finally arrives -- and Spring in Pécs is glorious.The climate here is very mild the last frost is in late March so everything simply bursts into bloom almost simultaneously. I carry my camera in my purse so I can take random pictures of the blossoms I find along my way like these locust flowers at the bus stop.

Hungarians love lilacs and they bloom everywhere almost as if they are wild. At the piac during lilac season every vendor has masses of all varieties and colors of my favorite fragrant bush. These came from a town a 45 minuet bus ride away, brought by a friend for me on Hungarian Mother's Day. They were beautiful for a week!

Everyone decorates for Easter with flowers and colored eggs. My neighbor, Agnes, and her grand daughter, Lila, had fun getting ready for the holiday. I had fun watching them in the courtyard below our balcony.

The roses here are amazing. Almost every yard has huge climbing roses that are 8 to 10 feet tall. There are roses in the public squares and around civic buildings. The winters are so mild that there is no die back so the roses thrive from year to year. I can buy Lily of the valley every day here. It is called pearl flower in Hungary -- lovely name.

This is my little garden on the balcony off our living room. The peonies are from a members garden. Bless here heart, she brings me flowers every Sunday so I don't have to buy any for the Chapel now.

At Elder Hay and Elder Golze farewell party we had a Hungarian Spring party. My friend Beatrix raided her mothers garden and brought the most beautiful fragrant roses I have ever seen. We made garlands and these flower wands that we used in a traditional Hungarian dance, somewhat like the Virginia Reel.

Norm and the Elders especially enjoyed hamming it up with their flower staffs. I think Elder Bouck had a little trouble getting used to waving around a flower wand but he eventually overcame his Texan macho persona.

Rollingson Elder on the other hand, did a great imitation of a faded rose from days gone bye

Kira has just turned 5 and is the darling of the Branch. She loves the Elders, even the old ones!
She was calling Norm her "bacsi" which means elder brother, but is used to describe any little old man. Elder Rollingson was soaking up hugs and attention. Kira has become our surrogate grand daughter.

All in all Spring is a delightful season in Hungary. We kind of smile when we hear of all the snow falling in Utah and Wyoming -- then we go out and look at all the blossoms of Pécs.