The Savage Traveler: Gateway to the Black Sea-#9: Mohacs/Pecs/Kalocsa, Hungary

Sat. June 13--Mohacs/Pecs/Kalocsa, Hungary: We were very rudely awakened at 7:00am by an announcement that the Hungarian police were expecting a "face check" of all aboard and that the 200 level passengers were to report immediately to the lobby, followed by the other levels as they were called. Women showed up in curlers, everyone was bleary-eyed at best, and I'm not sure many people looked like their passport pictures, but all were checked. Then the ship was cleared to back up and moor at Mohacs. Since we were up so early Marv and I ate breakfast an hour earlier than usual and had time to walk around the quaint village. There is a wide brick main street, closed to traffic, lined with shops and with many people out and about on this already hot Saturday, many on bikes.

Approaching Mohacs from the Danube River

The arrow shows where Mohacs is

Charming street leading from the dock to the main square

We walked down to the town square and by the time we returned we boarded our buses and began a day trip to Pecs. Our bus was so noisy it was hard to hear our guide and the engine was giving off enough heat that it was uncomfortable in our seat but we gutted it out for the half an hour or so drive to Pecs. The UNESCO World Heritage site has signs of habitation from the first century by the Romans, and it became a bustling city at the crossroads for military advancement and trade. In the fourth century the Romans built fortifications surrounding several cities to keep out the Ottoman Empire and much of the old wall and some of the gates still remain. In 1009 Pecs' Roman Catholic Church was named as the home of a bishop and gained even more stature. Over the centuries it was ruled by Hapsburgs, Ottomans, Nazis, and Soviets before Hungary became an independent nation. Luckily, no one in power ever bombed or razed the city and it is now a vibrant center of culture and arts. The Cathedral was beautifully renovated in 2009 to mark the 1000 year anniversary. We toured it and then went to the vast and wonderfully excavated and displayed cemetery that is the earliest example of Christian burials in the world. From there we did a walking tour of the Old Town seeing the church that was torn down and the rocks used to build a Moslem Temple that is now a Roman Catholic Church again with a cross on top that has a crescent moon on the base, and the Jewish Synagogue that is more of a cultural center now because of its magnificent organ and the fact that there are only about 3 dozen Jews left in the city. A few of us continued with our guide for an extended tour despite the temperatures in the mid-nineties and brilliantly clear skies. The Old Town area is many, many blocks and includes shops, hotels, restaurants, churches, many squares, and fountains. They were preparing for a big music festival being held this weekend, one of nearly weekly festivals held in the summer.

Side street in Pecs

"Sails" hung for shade

Jewish Synagogue now used as a cultural center

Church rebuilt as Mosque then rebuilt again as a Roman Catholic Church.
Note the cross with a crescent moon at the base

Looking down into a middle class person's tomb (private entrance)

7 apse worship space which was within the cemetery

Our guide is at the bottom right, explaining the cemetery layout

The beautifully restored cathedral

Ornate "front door" of the cathedral

The Cathedral of Saint Peter and Paul

Franz Liszt leaning over the balcony at the Bishop's residence to greet his
adoring fans. He was a bon vivant with Rock Star stature in his time.

A tower gate at an entrance to Pecs

One could spend days or weeks seeing all it has to offer. But instead our group enjoyed a typical lunch of chicken paprika and beer at one of the restaurants before making the drive back to ship. We set sail almost immediately at 3:30 and they had activities as we sailed including Tea Time in the lounge, and a Disembarkation briefing followed by a Pre-extension briefing for some of us to learn more about our trip to Prague. Before dinner Marv and I played another game of Five Crowns with Sim and Phyl. After dinner we docked near the city of Kalocsa and a Hungarian Folk Dance group did a presentation of traditional dances that included much percussional boot and leg slapping by the men. At the end they called up 8 or 10 passengers including Phyl to do a dance with them. It was after 10:00 when they finished and we headed back to our cabins.