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Diterbitkan: 21.06.2022

June 06, 2022: Szeged, Pécs


J. The entry into the EU took longer than all previous border crossings combined. But after all, we are entering 27 countries at the same time, so it must take longer. After about two hours of waiting, we presented our van to the border officer. I had to hold back a bit because unlike everyone else who inspects our van, he was not interested in the lighting, power outlets, refrigerator, or bed layout, but only in the contents of the cabinets. However, he only looked in the small cabinets, theoretically we could have smuggled at least 5 refugees. In fact, just before the border, we saw two large groups of young men who didn't look like they would be crossing through the official border crossing. I wonder if they made it.

Florian inspecting the long queues at the EU border.
Florian inspecting the long queues at the EU border.
Passing the waiting time by cleaning the windows.
Passing the waiting time by cleaning the windows.

With a two-hour delay, we reached our first destination in the EU and in Hungary in the evening: the city of Szeged. Although we had never been to Hungary before, it still felt like coming home to me. The city reminded me a lot of German cities (perhaps more like cities in eastern Germany): the large, old houses were adorned with stucco on the outside; between them, the overhead lines of the trams stretched. On the bike paths, students and other young people rode old racing bikes and rented e-scooters. Children ran laughing through the fountain in one of the squares, and groups of friends sat together with beer on the steps by the river bank. The whole city was filled with pop hits from the last decades, because on the other side of the river, a DJ was giving a big concert. We enjoyed the atmosphere of this beautiful city.

Stuccoed houses like home.
Stuccoed houses like home.
Pedestrian zone like in Germany.
Pedestrian zone like in Germany.
View from our sleeping place onto the cathedral of Szeged.
View from our sleeping place onto the cathedral of Szeged.
It
It's been a long time since I took a photo of a dome in a cathedral, and then it's so beautiful.

Szeged is located in the middle of the Puszta, the outback of Europe, the land of wide skies. Although we drove around a bit, we couldn't find this famous, big, wide, treeless plain. The landscape reminded me more of northern Germany. Maybe we were too far south for the Puszta. Instead, we drove to the beautiful city of Pécs. Pécs was the European Capital of Culture in 2010 and as part of that, a former factory site has been converted into a huge, beautiful cultural center. The many chimneys and beautifully decorated old buildings of the porcelain factory now share the space with concert halls, a music school, several playgrounds, small shops, and all kinds of things related to crafts, art, or culture.

Zsolnay Cultural Quatier
Zsolnay Cultural Quatier
Zsolnay Cultural Quatier
Zsolnay Cultural Quatier
Shopping street in the cultural center
Shopping street in the cultural center

The city center of Pécs also has a lot to offer. Especially the Mosque-Church. In the main square of the city stands a building that looks like a mosque from the outside, but is actually a church. The former mosque from the time of the Ottoman Empire was converted into a church. Inside, both Christian and Muslim elements can be seen, making it a truly beautiful and very impressive place of worship.

Pécs-Belvárosi templom (Dzsámi) / Mosque of Pascha Qasim - Catholic church in a former mosque
Pécs-Belvárosi templom (Dzsámi) / Mosque of Pascha Qasim - Catholic church in a former mosque
Another beautiful dome that reminds me of a mandala.
Another beautiful dome that reminds me of a mandala.
Islamic and Christian aspects in the place of worship
Islamic and Christian aspects in the place of worship
The altar is used from both sides, here, in the former mosque, the wooden benches are arranged in rows, in the semicircular extension, from here behind the altar, they are arranged in a semicircle around the altar.
The altar is used from both sides, here, in the former mosque, the wooden benches are arranged in rows, in the semicircular extension, from here behind the altar, they are arranged in a semicircle around the altar.
View from the extension over the altar into the former mosque.
View from the extension over the altar into the former mosque.
Central square in Pécs
Central square in Pécs
St. Peter and Paul Cathedral
St. Peter and Paul Cathedral
This building also still shows Arabic signs from the Ottoman Empire.
This building also still shows Arabic signs from the Ottoman Empire.

Day 234 - Total tour 18,054 km


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