Balatonszcemes
July 12, 2026
Balatonszcemes
Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe, is ringed with vacation houses and
dotted with beaches where families swim and docks where people fish. Because the lake is so shallow — only about 3.2 meters (10 feet) on average, with the deepest point barely reaching 12 meters (40 feet) — it’s perfect for boating, especially the shallow‑draft sailboats that glide across its 77‑kilometer (48‑mile) length. It’s a beautiful part of Hungary.
When we arrived in Balatonszemes, we realized we needed a few extra supplies. A ride was arranged to a nearby Tesco, a small Walmart‑like store. Getting into the Peugeot minivan was easy; getting the seatbelts fastened was not. The middle seat in the back had a baffling belt system, and before we had sorted it out, the van took off — very Hungarian. Once, a driver even pulled away while I was half in and half out of the car. Quite a shock.
The two men in the front eventually noticed our flailing and pulled off the road to help. They couldn’t figure out the seatbelts either. The whole situation struck the Americans as so absurd that we dissolved into laughter, tears running down our cheeks. Eventually, everyone was buckled in and we continued on our way.
At Tesco, we put on a full display of American conspicuous consumption — not just buying what we needed, but anything that caught our eye. I even bought a pillow. Hungarians use very flat, large square pillows, and I simply couldn’t face another night on one. Of course, I couldn’t find a pillowcase to fit it. We stocked up on camp supplies (you can never have too many colored pencils or crayons), then moved on to groceries: cookies, chocolate, and other snacks. The Hungarians suggested a few items they thought we’d enjoy. I would have suspected a joke, except one of the men was far too kind to play tricks. We checked out with bulging bags.
We arrived in Balatonszemes on Saturday, July 4th. Normally, if camp is in session, they celebrate the holiday with us, but since it was Saturday, there was no recognition — not even among ourselves. As we walked to the car, we noticed a restaurant had expanded into the car park and was preparing to show a World Cup match. The USA wasn’t playing, but suddenly they began singing the Star‑Spangled Banner. We hurried over, put our hands over our hearts, and sang along — just the three of us. A few curious looks, but it felt like a tiny, unexpected Fourth of July celebration. A sweet bit of serendipity.
Our camp that week was held at Baptista Gyülekezet. When the church built a new
building, they converted the old one into a conference center about a five‑minute walk away. The center can sleep around sixty people and has a large kitchen. We stayed in four bedrooms with two beds and ensuite baths, plus lofts above that could sleep several youths on sleeping bags or cots. It was a wonderful arrangement — no sharing a shower with six or eight other people. In the kitchen building, the rooms had bunk beds for six to eight people, with bathrooms down the hall. Hungarian Baptist churches rent the facility for staff or youth retreats. It’s an imaginative reuse of old property.
Saturday evening, we walked to the lake. The walk was pleasant, if a bit long for me. The marina was large and lovely. I thought I might swim later in the week, but this turned out to be my best chance to see the lake.
Sunday morning, we attended church and then explored the classrooms. We kept
activities on the lower floors because the top floor was unbearably hot. I had been told we could print anything we needed as long as the digital files were ready by 8 a.m. But Sunday afternoon we learned their computer couldn’t accept our digital materials. We could only make copies of what we already had in hard copy. Since I was teaching younger children, I had prepared word search puzzles. The crossword puzzles I’d made for the older children in Baja were too difficult for this group — and now unusable anyway. Bummer, but this is the kind of hiccup you encounter when working in another culture.
Monday morning, we began class. I had eleven nine‑ and ten‑year‑olds. They were delightful, but their English was very limited. I was tired and not at my best. At the end of the week, one mother told me she had forced her son to attend because he struggled with English. He came home announcing that he now liked English. Miracles happen every day.
The campers always worked so hard and seemed so serious when they worked on the word searches or crossword puzzles. I told them that the word searches or crossword puzzles were not a test. They were supposed to be fun. They could work with their friend, copy their friend, or ask me or the interpreter for help. The interpreter told me that he had a difficult time translating what I said because there is no word in Hungarian for fun. There is a word for funny or comedic, but not fun. This tells you something about the Hungarians.
Since verbs are notoriously difficult in a foreign language, I planned what I thought would be a fun activity with irregular verbs. I wrote verbs on a beach ball — take, see, run — and when a child caught the ball, they looked where their right thumb landed and gave the past tense of that word. I had vastly overestimated their ability. They had no knowledge of irregular verbs. So, they caught the ball, told me the verb, and I supplied the past tense. A complete disaster and so boring.
For the end‑of‑camp program, I kept things simple. We did Jesus and the Lost Sheep. When the campers marched in behind Jesus, one wandered off, Jesus called the sheep by name, realized one was missing, found him, and brought him home. Then the children recited the verse of the week and marched out. Sweet, short, and exactly what I could handle by Friday.
It was a good week. I think the children enjoyed themselves and hopefully learned a bit about Jesus — and a bit of English.
If you like soup, Hungary is your place. They serve soup with every meal except maybe breakfast (and I suspect some have it then too). They make soup out of anything: cherry, fruit, peach, pineapple, meat, chicken, chicken noodle, tomato, plain broth, broth with mysterious floaters, and of course goulash. It was all good, but I’ve had enough soup for a while.
Saturday morning, we returned to Budapest for a luncheon and one last wander through that beautiful city. I considered staying in the air‑conditioned hotel room to rest, but decided I should go out because I may never be back in Hungary. As I passed through the lobby, part of my group called to me. I joined them for souvenir hunting and then dinner. I had no idea how long or far we would walk. Several times I wished I had stayed in my room. When I finally returned, I collapsed.
Sunday, we said our goodbyes and headed off in different directions. It was a long day, and I was delighted to reach my Airbnb. More about my home in Aberdeen next week.
Weather in Aberdeen:
High: 62 F (17 C) Low: 50 F (10 C)
Sunrise: 4:33 Sunset: 9:53 (21:53)
Hours of Daylight: 17 hours and 20 minutes
This is late this because I had much to do to get settled in Aberdeen. I thought I could promise an on-time blog next week. I usually write the blog on Sunday afternoon, but next weekend I will be in Edinburgh with my granddaughter, Sonia. No time to write until next Tuesday.
Comments