Chris Solo Central Europe, Sat Jun 17, 2023
Budapest to Pécs (day 6)
Trip Log
Narative
Up early, wrote for a while. very flat pillows and no blackout, but I was tired enough to sleep anyway.
Riding out of Budapest early morning
Departing in the cool, early morning was WAYYYY better than arriving on a hot, crowded afternoon.
gas stop and gas station coffee, actually not bad
Nesting Storks
This is one of the earlier ones I saw, but I saw dozens of European White Stork nests on power poles in towns across Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, and Romania.
Sometimes there were as many as 4 or 5 storks in one nest, so I think both parents and 1 to 3 babies. Wikipedia says,
"Each year the female can lay one clutch of usually four eggs, which hatch asynchronously 33–34 days after being laid. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs and both feed the young. The young leave the nest 58–64 days after hatching, and continue to be fed by the parents for a further 7–20 days."
Stopped for food at Lidl
Picnic lunch at Madárvárta, a bird watcher's park
Just some random pretty spot in the forest
Cemetaries are a big thing here
Very well kept/mowed, massive headstones, lots of fresh flowers. And notably, generally not deserted.
More patchy roads through pretty forests
Centrum Apartmanház Pécs
My apartment in Pécs was really nice, breakfast included, and a short walk from downtown Pécs.
Includes a nice kitchenette. Would be a fine place to stay for a few days.
A walk around Pécs
The Zsolnay factory was established by Miklós Zsolnay (1800–1880) in Pécs, Hungary, to produce stoneware and other ceramics in 1853.
In 1863, his son, Vilmos Zsolnay (1828–1900) joined the company and became its manager and director after several years. He led the factory to worldwide recognition by demonstrating its innovative products at world fairs and international exhibitions, including the 1873 World Fair in Vienna, then at the 1878 World Fair in Paris, where Zsolnay received a Grand Prix. In 1893, Zsolnay introduced porcelain pieces made of eosin. Tádé Sikorski (1852–1940) married Vilmos’ daughter Júlia and became the chief designer. In 1900 Vilmos’ son Miklós took over. Frost-resisting Zsolnay building decorations were used in numerous buildings specifically during the Art Nouveau movement. Several beautiful church roofs boast Zsolnay tiles.
By 1914, Zsolnay was the largest company in Austro-Hungary. During World War I, production of pottery and building materials were curtailed, and the factory produced for military use, for instance insulators. After World War I, the fortunes of the factory declined due to the Serbian occupation, loss of markets, and difficulty to secure raw materials. However, after the depression, conditions improved.
During World War II, its site of production in Budapest was bombed. With the rule of communism the factory was nationalized in 1948. Eventually, the Zsolnay name was dropped. The Pécsi Porcelángyár (Pécs Porcelain Factory) was used primarily to produce common tableware goods. However, in 1982 with the resumption of a market economy, the company regained its operational independence, was reorganized, and the Zsolnay name returned. In 1991, the Zsolnay Porcelain Manufacture became a stock company, and five years later it was bought by a private equity enterprise.
In 2012, a Swiss-Syrian businessman called Bachar Najari bought the company from the city of Pécs.
So here I see the factory and (unfortunately closed on this Saturday evening) Zsolnay Ceramics Museum.
Dinner
More walking around
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