Tata, anyone?

Briefly, on the way to Komárom a few years back. Toured a nice old "castle" (more of a large manor house) on a lovely lake. Very pretty town. We've been meaning to go back as there are a few places where fishing is available. Tovaros appears to have existed on the north side of the lake. Between Google Street View and Google Earth you can look around the area. Tata is a popular location for weekend homes so a lot of what once was had been replaced. If you go that far go on to Komarom and see the old fort. I also believe Komarom was the location of a Holocaust Transfer camp. Been trying to find out more about it, but with limited luck.

So how much time did you spend in Budapest? And what did you get to do?
Careful. You might end up like us. 13 years ago it was Vienna and Budapest
Over the years we have teamed Budapest with many, many countries. Some several times. Generally a week in some new place or some familiar place and then a week to two weeks in Budapest.

I had a feeling you would know about it, James! Komarom sounds interesting, too. I was in Budapest last August for 3 1/2 days after spending a week in Vienna, so by then I was running out of energy and visited museums of particular interest to me like the Ethnographic and Applied Arts, Parliament, Terror House, toured the Opera, day trip to Szentendre and spent the rest of the time wandering the streets and loving every minute of it. I'll probably do 4 or 5 days this time, see more of the Buda side, maybe visit other places like Gyor which seems near Tata. Lots of research to do! I worry a bit about the possibility that there's a lot less English spoken the further away from a big city you are, had trouble finding the Ecseri flea market and though a couple of Hungarians tried very hard to help me, I gave up and returned to Budapest. Next time I'll find it for sure, not giving up without a fight.

Yes, but i still haven't spent near enough time in Tata or anyplace else in Hungary.

One of the things that keeps drawing me back are the people. Recently we were at the market and I had a sweet tooth so I am looking at the dried fruits and the collection of differing things that look like chocolate covered raisins. I love chocolate covered raisins! A woman approaches and points to one collection of these little brown gems and says in broken English these are the best. Then she tries to explain what they are. But she doesn’t know the word. I assure her that I trust her and purchase a quarter kilo as she walks away. A couple of minute later she returns. She stops me, smiles and says “dried cranberry” She had gone through the trouble to find someone to tell her the translation. And why? For a couple of tourists?? Amazing, and something similar happens on most trips.

Flea Market? Take a taxi
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The train to Gyor stops in Tata so that shouldn’t be an issue. Gyor (oddly enough pronounced something like Gerrrrrrrrrr) is worth a nights stay. The Archabby is about 12 miles out of town. We just took a taxi, but I am sure there must be shuttles or a bus route. Ask the hotel. My choice for hotel is the Klastrom a converted monastery. Sort of basic but it works and the location is good. Loved the old synagogue in town and the old baroque center with a few older remains here and there.

Good recommendations, adding to my file. Yes, the people are indeed very kind and seem to want their visitors to have the best experience possible, dried cranberries and all. Funny, I almost did take a taxi to Ecseri but thought I had it all figured out via the metro and then the tram but somehow, despite being waved off the tram by the conductor who didn't speak a lick of English but read my paper with "ecseri" on it and held up 4 fingers and sure enough at the 4th stop he urged me off and pointed, off I went but perhaps not far enough.

And you still have Eger and Pecs and Sopron to visit..........