Shopping Extravaganza

Musical quartet at the Christmas Market on Christmas Eve

Connor, Sonny and Sam at the Christmas market

Several of the mothers opted out of the banquet with the young Budapest team to go shopping at the open-air Christmas Market...we have felt a little deprived from the shopping opportunities, but this place made up for it. It was much like a craft show but this was of handmade traditional Hungarian items. Linen, wool hats, felt household creations, scarves, jewelry, potpourri, pottery, woodwork, costumes, toys, steins...maybe you will be seeing many of these items when your player return home. We also ate traditional Hungarian food items. Cinnamon funnel breads, sausages, rolled cabbage...Louise's favorite was the hot spiced wine...Stephanie loved the funnel bread. The custom here in Hungary is to purchase your Christmas tree just a few days before Christmas Eve. Budapest closes down today at 2:00 pm and stays closed until the day after Christmas. Several got up early this morning to take adventage of the hot spring baths and massages for 20 minutes for $12.00. We hope to have another opportunity to enjoy the spa on Christmas day. The boys are out hiking up a hill to a statue and a birds-eye view of Budapest.
Tonight is the Christmas Eve party...Santa is coming...but dinner is not being served until 8:00 pm. We are planning to set up Carri's computer with Skype around 9:30 pm which is about 1:30 Vail time, so don't be surprise if you get a call.