Last Tuesday I trudged to my 9am lecture class in the snow; today, Sunday, March 1
st, the sun shines in a bright blue sky and all of
Pecs is outdoors. The air feels like it must be in the 50’s after days in the low 30’s. I put my calf-length, heavy boots up and hope never to don them again. I wonder if I am being too optimistic. I think I scared Tom when I told him that the blankets were coming off the bed and the heat was being lowered. We may not have shared this information yet, but to help out our one lone, thin blanket, we have supplemented. For example, one person in particular is using my pashima shawl for additional bedding along with an accumulation of towels. No way to photograph this pastiche of bedding. So this explains why we were ecstatic to walk outside today without our heavy coats.
Tom wore only a turtleneck and loved sitting outside facing the sun at last.
On our Sunday spring outing we first stopped for an omelet and latte (sounds European doesn’t it?). We went to the Hungarian Museum of Modern Art that is housed in a beautiful old home that belonged to a doctor. It is not a large museum, just the right scale to take in.
It has modern sculpture on the lawn where we bench-sat for a while. I hope our photos do the place and day justice. By the way, all the photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.
Inside the museum, student artists left canvases up where they are copying an original work. They are surprisingly good.
We finally visited the four-spired cathedral that we pass, admire, and photograph so often, the Basilica of St. Peter. It is spectacular, both inside and out. Right now it is scaffolded, we think, for cleaning. With Pecs being chosen as the Cultural Center of Europe next year, cleaning up monuments may be part of the plans. The foundation of the church goes back to the 11th century, but the church has been restored in what I read is neo-Romanesque. Inside is very ornate, in a stunning display of artistry. Sunday Mass was getting ready to start. Hungarian matrons with their felt hats coiffed with a single feather entered along with a few men wearing suits. It was nice to see dress in keeping with the décor and tradition. One day we will go take pictures of the interior.
We also went to the church in the main square called Szechenyi Ter. This square is the center of town and the church dominates it. Although it is the parish church, it is called the Mosque Church because the building originally was a mosque and dates back to the Turkish occupation of Hungary.
We did go in and saw the interesting combination of Islamic and Catholic elements. The outside has a green copper dome. When you emerge from the church that is elevated above the square, the whole view of Pec’s skyline as well as the immediate architectural gems surrounding the square appears. This view captures the essence of Pecs.
Last Tuesday I trudged to my 9am lecture class in the snow; today, Sunday, March 1st, the sun shines in a bright blue sky and all of 
Tom wore only a turtleneck and loved sitting outside facing the sun at last. 
It has modern sculpture on the lawn where we bench-sat for a while. I hope our photos do the place and day justice. By the way, all the photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.
We did go in and saw the interesting combination of Islamic and Catholic elements. The outside has a green copper dome. When you emerge from the church that is elevated above the square, the whole view of Pec’s skyline as well as the immediate architectural gems surrounding the square appears. This view captures the essence of 
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