Sunday, 13 May

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="044d4c00dduajq.gif"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="95" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 46 WIDTH="91"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="46" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="91" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <A HREF="id146.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Saturday, 12 May"><U><IMG SRC="0450b0b0.gif" border=0 width="11" height="11" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>   <A HREF="id148.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Monday, 14 May"><U><IMG SRC="0460b0b0.gif" border=0 width="11" height="11" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>       <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="11" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="11">   <A HREF="id133.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May"><U><IMG SRC="0480b0b0.gif" border=0 width="11" height="11" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="207af810.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="129" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Sunset over the Puszta at Hortobágy, Hungary</div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#003333" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Gastropod's Trail</B></FONT>     |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Gastropods Trail"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> Sunday, 13 May</div> <div> Hortobágy , Hungary</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="249b5c30.jpg" border=0 width="181" height="195" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="5">May is reputed to be the most beautiful month in the puszta bursting with its spectacular flower fields - the white flow of chamomile and Transilvanian plantain, lilac lakespur, yellow salsify and blue cornflower everywhere. Hortobágy is at the edge of Hungary's first national park and birds and waterfowl are abundant. Nicole could not get enough of listening to the birds amazing us with their variety of songs all day long. A real little paradise to relax, catch up with writing, doing another wash, and lounging in the hot pool.</div> <bR> <div> The first wooden bridge over the Hortobágy river was built as early as the 14th century and was replaced in 1833 with Hungary's most beautiful and longest Classicist stone bridge called 'the Nine Span Bridge'</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="24af49b0.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="155" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The Nine Span Bridge at Hortobágy</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="24bfab80.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="184" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0">The highlight of this Sunday was the 'genuine Hungarian Goulash' we ate at the Hortobágy Inn. This 'Charda' has been by the bridge since 1699 and weary travelers have found rest and good fare ever since just as we did, accompanied by Hungarian folk tunes played by a three-man Gypsy band.</div> <bR> <div> The musician on the left is playing the Cymbalon - a Hungarian instrument similar to a piano except that it is played with two 'soft hammers' like a Xylophone.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>