We awoke bright and early, ready for the next adventure! After dragging our bags a couple of blocks over those same rough cobblestones I mentioned last week, we were finally on the bus, settled in our seats and ready to see what came next.
Krakow old town was truly lovely, but as we drove through the outskirts of the city toward the Tatras Mountains, you could see the evidence of communist rule in the stark architect. Apparently, those in charge of the Communist Bloc during the cold war were big fans of ugly block buildings!
Toasting a new Country
We stopped on the Poland/Hungary border for a photo shoot and a toast with Soplica before continuing to Eger and bull’s blood wine country.
Bull’s Blood Region
Egri Bikaver, aka Bull’s Blood, is a Hungarian red wine blend that differs winery to winery. The base grape is always Blaufrankisch, but then each winery adds three to five additional grapes, which gives Bull’s Blood such a wide variety of flavor profiles. Now, you are probably wondering why they named their signature wine Bull’s Blood. I know I was curious!
According to legend, the name came about following a 16th century siege of Eger Castle by Ottoman invaders. The story goes that the Hungarian defenders drank so much of their local wine that their teeth and beards were permanently stained a deep red. When the Ottoman soldiers saw the Hungarians, they supposedly panicked because they believed the Hungarians had consumed the blood of bulls to gain supernatural powers.
The red-stained heroes of Eger.
The first night in Hungary we stayed at the Hotel Kodman, a boutique hotel located outside of Eger in the area known as the Valley of Beautiful Women. We had a traditional Hungarian dinner at a restaurant close to hotel, and I assure you, much Bull’s Blood was consumed!
Eger
The following morning we headed into Eger proper for sightseeing and a visit to a local school. Eger is a neat little town, with a castle, cute shops and restaurants, a university with a gorgeous library (which was closed!), and a lot of pride over having defended itself from the Ottomans.
After our morning and lunch in Eger, we were back on the bus, making our way to the Egerszalok Kohari Winery, where we sang, learned to dance a traditional polka, and enjoyed more of the region’s fine wine.
Thanks for reading! Next week I will tell you all about Budapest!