Angelar & Brian Campbell and Ann & Paul Croft from Bath to Ernő & Johanna Beér and Attila & Eva Puskás in Kaposvár

We had a rich and varied experience in Kaposvár which had been so thoughtfully prepared for our three days by our hosts Ernő & Johanna Beér and Attila & Eva Puskás. We were met at Budapest airport by the daughters of the two families and given a wonderful welcome upon arrival in Kaposvár.

On our first day we saw the Rippl Rónai villa and studio in Kaposvár and then headed off to Pécs, a most interesting historic city to the south-east of Kaposvár. Our hosts were very informative guides as we walked around seeing the Cathedral, the Mosque church and the Zsolnay ceramics museum and other sites. In the late afternoon we drove to Villány, a colourful village of vineyards, where we tasted some of the excellent wines of the area with a delicious evening meal.

The second day saw a change of weather and a lower temperature so far experienced, but it suited our visit to the Szarvas farm, managed by the University of Kaposvár. After a typical Hungarian breakfast, starting with the now familiar glass of pálinka and followed by a selection of cold meats, cheese and bread, we began our tour of the farm. We saw a number of different animals – wild boar, cattle, horses and a variety of deer, some at very close quarters. We were also shown the impressive antler collection and finally enjoyed an open horse drawn carriage ride around the farmland estate.  Excellent explanations in English from our guide accompanied the visit.

In the afternoon we were taken to Patca, set in beautiful countryside and the backdrop to a display of medieval sports in front of the “castle”. Atmosphere was certainly not lacking, most enjoyable. The day concluded with dinner hosted by the Kaposvár Twinning Association on shores of Lake Deseda.

On the morning of our departure there was just sufficient time to return to the Town Hall for a guided tour of the building by the International Officer. Once more we were given a very warm welcome and the hope was expressed that similar visits would take place in the future. We were given information on Kaposvár as a souvenir of our visit.

We were accompanied to Budapest airport by members of our host families and farewells included our wishes to remain in contact with an invitation to our new friends to visit Bath at some point in 2012.

We are retaining contact with our Hungarian families and fully recommend a similar exchange to others.

Bath Artists’ Studios in partnership with the BKTA welcomed our 6 friends from KaposArt, founded in Kaposvár for a week in September 2011 to exhibit their work at the Studio’s Gallery in Bath.

It was an exhilarating time for renewing old friendships and becoming aquainted with other artists who had never been to Bath before. As to be expected they introduced us again to a world of vibrant contemporary Hungarian art, which was spectacularly shown in the excellent gallery space of the Bath Artists ’Studios.

During their stay our visitors were able to become familiar with the founding co-operative principles of the Bath Artists’ Studios by meeting many of the 50 practicing artists in their studios and to explore with Brian Elwell of BAS the intricacy of our art market. This latter aspect was brought to life for our friends by the diverse crowd who came to the very successful private view of the KaposArt exhibition; Bath’s MP Don Foster giving a warm and informal welcome   followed by a most enjoyable ‘bring a dish’ supper in the schoolroom. It was a great evening laced by a mountain of food, wine and good company.

The week flashed past with the unstinting help of so many members of the twinning association; the hosting of at home informal suppers with the endless translation of English/Hungarian and vica versa. Upon departure, it gave so much pleasure to witness   affection that augers well for the people of Bath & Kaposvár