Budapest - English version

Monday Linda my travelling companion and I finally came home after the long trip up and down to Budapest in Hungary. It takes about two days in each direction. Monday we drove all the way from Prague and home and that is a long drive…. It has been a very hectic trip full of impression and off course a lot of miles in the car…. The dogs were quite content sleeping in the back of the car getting out regularly to be exercised. One more day on the trip would have been useful but as both Linda and I are teachers, getting time of from work is complicated so we had to adjust to the situation! I put some photos along the way as we were driving but the trip started Wednesday and we drove from home down to Denmark and we ended up in Schwerin in northern Germany just southeast of Lübeck. The morning after we started early and we drove towards Czech Republic and went by Prague and Brno and then through Slovakia by Bratislava before we finally entered Hungary and drove towards Budapest. My GPS did not work in Hungary but the hotel we were supposed to stay was very close to Hung Expo were the show was to be held but it was impossible at twelve at night to fix this… Finally I went in to a gas station but they only spoke German and being really stressed out it felt I spoke fluent German and managed to speak in full sentences and explain we wanted them to phone us a taxi that could drive in front of us to the hotel. The taxi soon arrived and we finally found the hotel!!

Friday we did not have to get out of bed that early as the show did not start until 10.30! WE arrived in good time and it was a very nice day with sunshine, not to crowded nice green lawns and a warm temperature!! The judging was very quick as no written critiques were done. Per Iveresen from Norway judged the bitches and Mr Dupas from France the dogs. Memma (Play A While Lady Orlando won a huge open class and my other bitch Juni (Play A While Late Red Autumnhop Ale) was picked out among the last six but did not get a placing among the last four that was placed. Later when all classes had been judged the winner of the intermediate, open and champion class came in to compete for the CACIB and the European Winner Title. I was not that focues so when Per Iversen handed me a piece of peperade textile of the Hungarian colours I first did not know what it meant byt Mauro Perna who was showing Ch Rivarco Arwen, the winner of the champion class, explained to me what it was!!! Off course I was so happy!! Then best dog Ch Rivarco Festival Jazz, Memma and the junior-BOB (a Rivarco dog) competed for BOB and Memma received the huge ribbon from Per Iversen and was awarded BOB among about 150 entered!!!!! In the group ring Memma behaved well and was picked out as one of six the judge looked closer at but she did not make it among the last four placed. BOB-baby (4-6 months) was Carmodey Golden Rain that is bred by Lena and Peter Hjalmarsson of Carmodey whippets Sweden. Golden Rain is by Play A While Whitstable Bay Ale out of Carmodey Primrose. It was so nice to see this little young girl trot around the ring happily wagging her tail. Seeing her so happy was nice as I think I saw so many whippets not being happy at all being at the show.

Saturday was everything Friday was not…. Chaos, fights, arguments, crowded and bad weather and a complete disaster in the organisation!! Linda’s basenjis were judged in the large A-hall and we ended up next to the bigger breeds as dogo argetino and the noise was so awful that my ears hurt.... Not many picked up after their dogs and it was raining and hard winds. Exhibitors ened up in fights with the personal as they did not have the “magical armband” necessary to enter the show grounds. In the afternoon I met Barbara Ruth-Smith that lives in Sweden and she had judged whippets at a specialty and it had not been fun judging them outdoors in s small ring... Linda’s beautiful American import Niambi (World Winner in Stockholm) won the open class but did not win the title as Memma did but Linda was pleased anyway!! Luckily we had parked outside the whole show grounds so we could leave the show quite easily both days. Linda’s friends from Check Republic had to spend two hours in a queue getting out from the car park after the show was over Saturday. I ran in to Swedish friends and acquaintances at the show Saturday as the Swedish Kennel Club invited personal from the World Show to come along to Budapest.

Saturday afternoon and evening was spent in the central of Budapest so we could see all the “musts”. Imagine coming home from this trip and only have seen hall A and D at the Hung Expo???? We dined at a new restaurant with fantastic food and a three course meal including beverages came to the “gigantic” sum of 160 SEK!!!!! Imagine being able to eat for prices like that in Sweden!!!

Sunday we left Budapest early and drove to Prague. Sunday was sunny and nice and hardly any traffic so the drive was really pleasant!! Linda had arranged for us to stay with friends in basenji and they had a wonderful apartment in the central of Prague. They took us to a traditional Czech restaurant where we had a wonderful meal!! It was Linda’s first time in Prague so we a quick sightseeing in the extremely beautiful city!!! In the evening we went to a vet to have the dogs wormed, a must for getting back in to Sweden. Wish we also had the same prices for going to the vet in Sweden!!!! The following morning we went out of bed very, very early as we had to drive all the way home and at about eleven in the evening we finally came home totally exhausted....

As a whole it was a very rewarding trip, maybe a bit too intense and one more day would have been nice being able to use, not having to drive such long distances! Going to the show in Budapest gave perspectives on our shows in the Nordic countries and how well organised they are!!