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.