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We are accommodated in a nice room with bath, located in a house which belongs to the regional museum. There are three or maybe four apartments being disposal for students or guests. We truly appreciate the honor to stay here.
In the morning we drive together with Eva and Etelka to a new built mineral water museum some kilometres apart from the city. The region is famous for its spa-and mineral waters. Most of them had been opened up during the Austrian Hungarian Monarcy in the 19 century.
Here in Bath Seiche (Szejkefürdõ) the water of the Orbán Balázs source is flowing. Orbán Balázs had been the owner of the 22ha bath area since 1871 and was well-known as the author of the book: "Die Beschreibung des Seklerlandes aus geschichtlicher,archäologischer, geographischer und ethnologischer Sicht"
The sulfureous water, strongly smelling of paraffin, comes out the fountain 20l/min. and is for free tasting.
Naturally, we drink it too, never miss a water like that! You have to get used to its taste, but it is definitely healthy.
In the afternoon we drive to the village Varsag 30km from here to the home of Eva's grandfather. The way to get there, turns out to be very special, the last 10 kilometres to the village Varsag on a litarally perforated road can only be managed by going at crawling speed.
The village Varsag is a dispersed settlement, with single homesteads far of each other. To Grandfather's house we have to walk for 10 minutes across a forest up to a small hill with a view over extended mountain pastures, where horses, cows and sheep are grazing - an idyll - but as every idyll refracted by reality of everyday life.
The 86 years old grandfather lives alone here since his wife had died. He has an attentive look in his eyes, he keeps his house all alone, he chops wood for the kitchen stove, which is used as well for the heating of water, as for keeping the house warm. Having arrived, he serves us a homemade extra hard liquor with a whimsically expression on his face, a sign of his unbowed vitality. This area is not an idyll to him but basis of life with all ups and downs of an arduous but also fullfilled existence. His children have offered him to come to town, where life is more easy and convenient, but up to now he has refused and I sympatize with him, for it is not only convenience what is showing us the meaning of life. Here he lives in a familiar area with an abundance of impressions that gives him power, which cannot be substituted by the world of consumers. A good consumer is always a young consumer. The privilege of youth is its distance to death and therefor to transience, optimum conditions to arouse desire in the colourful monotony of consumer's world. So it seems to be no coincidence that primarily old people are among the losers of system-change. Eva's grandfather has to survive with 100€ a month, a special challenge to meet in addition to the challenge of aging.
After eating Eva's delicious nettle soup, prepared of freshly plucked nettles from behind the house, Grandfather and I sit alone in the kitchen for a while. We smoke cigarettes and he offers me one more glass of schnapps. He cannot speak German, I cannot speak Hungarian, nevertheless we have a silent conversation while smoking our cigarettes.
Before we have to leave, Grandfather demonstrates the art of making wood shingles. With a sense of pride and experienced manual skills he shows, how to make a shingle out of a small wooden board.
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