Friday 31 January 2014

A Regency Weekend in Hungary - Part 2: Pronay Castle

The following morning we drove out of Budapest into the countryside, to a village called Pronay. Pronay Castle, just outside the village was where the weekend was to be held. 




Sadly I booked too late to get a room in the Castle, but a few of us stayed in a lovely little cottage in the village.

The first night we just had a light supper. It was in a lovely setting but the food was disgusting. I ended up pretty much eating just bread. 



The next day we visited Godollo Palace

It was one of the holiday homes of the Austria-Hungarian royal family.
(Me infront of the Palace)

Inside the palace sadly we were only able to take photos of the staircase landing. It had a beautiful ceiling.





Claire and Jeanette

Corina - isn't her pelisse gorgeous!!! 

So pretty

After wondering around the gardens we stopped in the tearoom for a cup of tea and a piece of cake. :) The most important part of any visit to a historic building! :)

Claire and Corina in the tearoom, looking very regency!! :)


We drove back to the castle early in the afternoon.

After lunch we had a very interesting costume talk on regency costume and traditional Hungarian costume of the time.


And then later that evening... 

The Ball!!!

Twas a lovely evening. :)

The following day we went back to Budapest, went on a guided tour of the city and then caught a flight home. A whirlwind Regency weekend in Hungary. :)


Sunday 12 January 2014

A Regency Weekend in Hungary - Part 1: Budapest

At the beginning of October I went to Hungary for a Regency weekend. I traveled to Budapest with a friend (Claire) on the Thursday. We arrived in the morning, met up with more friends at our hotel and spend the afternoon sightseeing. I had never been to Budapest befor and we were due to leave the following morning, so we decided that the best way to see the city in a short space of time was to take a Hop On Hop Off tour bus. 

Driving across the Danube



The funicular railway - it was so steep!!

View of part of the city

The Fisherman's Bastion - an amazing building. It was gleaming white, which the photo doesn't really show. It is a great viewing platform to see over the city, and the buildings are used for a variety of things.



A view of the Danube

Whilst wondering around on one of the stops, we bumped into a group of soldiers. We only realised that they were there when they nearly marched into us! 

We then realised that the building that we had been staring at, that we thought was a presidential palace or something similar, was actually an army barracks!

A few more beautiful buildings. I think this one was a museum.



Looking down the funicular.

Buda Castle

Another view of the Danube 

Downtown Budapest








Jane Austen Festival 2013 - Part 4: Bea's Vintage Tearoom and the last few days of a week in the Regency.

New years resolution - write posts, at the latest, a week after an event, not 4 months later!!!!!

My final post on JAF 2013.

Towards the end of the week I decided to go back to Bea's Vintage Tearoom and have a proper afternoon tea. The food was delicious, as was the atmosphere - 40s music, books on the 40s for customers to read and a few lovely 40's dresses in cabinets on the walls. The only thing that could have been better was the cake, they had rather odd flavours, and no victoria sponge (a vintage tearoom which doesn't serve victoria sponge!!). Apart from the cake it was wonderful and I would definitely go there again. 


Another event I attended during the end of the week was a talk on using modern make up to get a regency look. 
It was very interesting. I am appalling at putting on make up so I learnt lots of useful tips. 




I also attended a talk on using modern scarfs to make Regency looking turbans. 



Different turban styles





It was great fun trying to make all the different styles of turbans.

Barbara looking very elegant. :) 

A rather blurry photo of me. :)

I also attended a dance workshop, another ball and a friend held a fabulous card party. Bizarrely I didn't take any photos! I must have been having too much fun to remember to take any! :) But Nora and Aurora have some lovely photos, of a few of the events, on their blogs.