Heviz, Hungary... happy, heaving (yeah right!) and healthy

Girls trip to Hungary: Kulvant, Caroline, me and Sarah

Having never been on a spa break before, I wasn't too sure just what to expect... what I found what dreams were made of... well, for a girl anyway!!! Four of us teachers flew to Hungary for our mid-term break and boy, did we have a break!!! Our days consisted of aroma baths... what would it be today? A Cleopatra Milk Bath or a medicinal mud bath??!! With bodies smooth as a babies bum, we exposed ourselves (literally - yikes!) to every sort of massage imaginable... the hot lava stones massage topped all!!! We pampered ourselved with facials, manicures and pedicures, sauna and long evenings in the spa. We wined and dined, and just had great girlie chats... what more could a girl want!!! It was heaven!!! However, heaven did come with a few bumps and interesting eye candy... at first the hoetl tried to put all four girls in one room, with two on a pull out sofa bed... hhhmmm - I don't think so! When we pointed out this small mistake, we were informed that there were no other rooms available... but with a little patience, swift talking Caroline managed to get us upgraded to another, better hotel! Yippee! The next hazard to our health (well, not really but it could have been!) was when our day tour to Budapest was all in German, even though English had been promised. We managed not to get lost and to actually figure out where we were ... with a lot of sign language, our own made-up commentary and the help of a tourist book! And Kulvant also showed her prowess the following day by waiting the manager out to get us a fifty percent refund for being short changed - although I must be said that we had had a blast and came back in one peice, all riots avoided! The final interesting point to this spa break was the clientele... they were wrinkly, white and w, w, oh, I can't think of another word beginning with 'w'! Well, let's just say that the average age was well and truly 3 times ours!!! But at least it was quiet... a welcome change from the dining hall at Downe House! Once again, a fab holiday... Hungary came up with the goods and although I didn't come back with a tan, I did come back happy, healthy and having made some great new friends.

Budapest... what a view!

Budapest (In German?!)

Budapest was magical... even romantic... well, as romantic as you can get when you are on a group tour with a friend plus 6 other tourists, and when your guide leads the group in German ( just great!) and no one else speaks English!!! .... Nevertheless, the architecture was exquisite and the views, breathtaking. Buda lay on one side, with hills, castles and palaces, while Pest, just across the river, span out for miles. The old mansionettes and great monuements stood proudly throughout the city and with Autumn at its height, the outskirts were crowned in glory. Budapest, Hungary was a sight to behold... and we even managed to avoid the riots!!! (The media always seems to blow things out of proportion!) Another tick on the list and a big smile to go with it. Not bad for a day trip =)

No, I'm not obsessed with SHAKESPEARE but...

Steph & I visited Stratford-Upon-Avon on a quest to find his humble beginnings (and end= ( ... sigh... ). We visited his birthplace, his gravesite, saw Ann Hathaway's cottage and much, much more... once again, I wasn't wearing the best shoes for the occassion and by late afternoon my feet were killing me! Nevertheless, it was the most beautiful day and I was glad to have relieved Steph's boyfriend of his 'duties' and be her travel companion ... better to have two Shakespeare lovers than a bunch of bored boys bumbling along! Plus, I got to see where the genius himself came from!