After several weeks, I finally made it back to the Hunyadi ter Market this Saturday, which also happened to coincide with the Terezvarosi Bucsu, a party for the 6th District. Before Lyds showed up, I bought a bunch of flower bulbs to plant on the balcony, mostly different kinds of dwarf tulips and crocus. I also bought a very interesting plant as a gift, a Rose of Jericho. "These plants have the remarkable ability to survive in a curled up, dormant, brown, dessicated state for years, and then open up and turn green with a bit of water. After returning to a lovely green, they go dormant again when their water source is removed, and can be revived again after dormancy. This cycle can be repeated for years...the plant is often kept dormant in the home -- sometimes handed down through the generations -- and brought out at Christmas time, along with the Christmas decorations, to blossom for a while and adorn the Christmas table, and then close, all symbolizing the opening and closing of Mary's womb." Inside the market hall I had my usual Saturday langos, when who comes up and starts eating one of her own but the new actress playing Olivia on Baratokkozt.

Regardless of the big "nazi" Jobbik presence by the main entrance, things were casual with a live band and lots of wooden stalls that mostly avoided the usual kich items found at such events.  I bought some delicious imported beer cheese from the Alps, and Lyds bought some truffle oil from a guy that had all sorts of interesting and yummy truffle products to taste. The Hungarian celebrity spotting by the American was not done, as saw Janos Kobor, lead singer of Omega wandering around. Lyds' Swedish friend Daniel is a huge fan, even though he does not understand Hungarian. With a little encourangement from me and the place we were having mulled wine, Lydia went up and got his autograph and photo for her friend. Omega, formed in 1962, just celebrated their 50th birthday last weekend.

Saturday continued to be a very eventful day. After the market and the Terezvarosi Bucsu, I met a friend to see her friend's husband's photo exhibit at the Budapest Muveledesi Kozpont (Etele Ut 55). On the way we had a coffee at the park and lake at Kosztolanyi Dezso ter (Feneketlen to), which has been nicely renovated since I lived across the street in the 1990's. I had never been to this cultural house, hidden behind a shopping complex that looks more like a parking garage. I particularly liked Ivan Szedo's "Osszi Para Levelekkel," and "Szkiffes a Dunan," as well as Balazs Tomasz's "Zene Szeretet," and "Tuzlepcsok."

Later in the evening I was invited to the National Dance Theatre (Nemzeti Tancszinhaz) on Castle Hill.  The programme included two performances, "Sec" and "Bolero." I had never been to this theatre before or to a tancszinhaz. The inside of the theatre has a very odd retro design involving hundreds of inset mirrored light bulbs. The 45 minute Sec was very well choreographed, very well danced and the timing was flawless, but have no idea what it was about even reading that it was about life and death. Since I recognised the music for the 20 minute Bolero,  of course I could imagine more easily what it was about. Both pieces involved very interesting and professional choreography.