As part of a study exchange programme between hucul horse breeding centres, of which Aggtelek National Park is one, staff from the Park visited the Gladyszow breeding centre in Regietow, Poland. The bus trip through this landscape was absolutely stunning. Settling into the hotel after a long ride, I of course jumped into the loo but could not find the light switch anywhere. I spotted a kind of cord switch on the wall and pulled it, only to find that I had set off the assistance alarm. Luckily I was not the only one. But really, who puts the light switch behind a cabinet? That was the only mishap, and we had a great time with our hosts. Of course, 38 Hungarians on

a road trip meant 38 types of homemade palinka the American had to try. I did well, and lasted until 5pm before passing out on a bench outside the restaurant.

We went on a carriage ride to the main pasture with over 200 hucul horses, many of which instantly surrounded us. The carriage drivers, competitors in hucul horse and carriage races, decided unbeknownst to us to demonstrate some of their skills. We commenced to move rapidly downhill, in their minds in a controlled fashion, but in our minds in a very uncontrolled one, slipping and sliding and bumping along. Across from me Evi was screaming, while I was swearing and holding on for dear life as my legs slipped and I was half-hanging out the back of the carriage.

The next day we visited the Bartnik Honey Museum in Stroze. A bit of a long trip, but well worth it. This beautifully maintained outdoor-indoor museum is home to 1000 families of bees and a vast and magnificent collection of old carved beehives. I and a few others with bee allergies were nervous, but there was never any real conglomeration of bees around us. The collection of historic beehives is outside in a park, while other areas contain a petting zoo, playground, guest rooms, restaurant and shop. At the shop I purchased two kinds of honey beer and a jar of violet honey.

The staff from Aggtelek's hucul stud farm and Gladyszow's had useful discussions about breeding the seven genetic lines of hucul horses, did some horse trading, and planned for the 400 km, 3 country Visegrad Hucul Horse Trek from Aggtelek National Park to Gladyszow that began at the end of August.

I just translated, drank hazi palinka and learned the word for gelding in Hungarian.