Heather: We are serving in the southern section of Hungary which is blessed with a Mediterranean climate. A Mediterranean means that the growing season is very long. The last frost is in March some time and the first frost does not ususally hit until mid October. This is a perfect climate for growing grapes, watermellon, and just about anything you stick in the ground! The hills are covered with vineyards large and small. Viticulture is a very important part of the economic life in this area. On our P-day yesterday we passed lovely vineyards where the grapes are just starting to ripen. There were several large wineries or borospincs along the way. The town of Villany is in the center of this area and is devoted to wine culture with many pincs, or wine shopes, lining the streets.
The grape vines are well tented and look like they are going to have a very abundant harvest this season. The grapes are small but very sweet -- yes I tested a few.
We passed through a very quaint village that was lined with small houses or cellars. Some of them were borospincs and others looked like they might be dwellings. We had to stop and get a picture of this unique grape vine growing on the face of the small house. Of course, I had to take pictures of the flower pots which are ever present in every village no matter how small. Hungarians are very fond of flowers and they decorate lavishly with them.
Norm: This wine area is just a few killometers south of Pecs. Obviously many German people are involved in the wine industry here. Many of the villages had German names as well as Hungarian names and many signs where bilingual. Hungary is a rather popular place with the Germans for retirement, with its mild climate and cheap real estate.
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