V4

Here are some pics from our day trip to Visegrad Castle in Hungary above the Danube between Ezstergom & Vac. The castle served many purposes, but the most notable was that it served as a location for medieval “international summits.” Basically, the Hungarian, Czech, and Polish kings would meet to negotiate pacts and disputes, forge alliances, and swap lands. Today we use the term V4 (Visergrad Four) to describe the loose alliance that Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Czech have established for agreeing upon regional issues (usually in trade and cultural exchanges). Anyways, a few weeks ago in the village of Visergrad there was a streetfair. Actually, the fair was better then the castle, but unfortunately I didn’t have my camera with me then. The highlight of the fair was a torch-lit parade down the main street with hundreds of people in period costume. Troops of jesters, warriors, princes and princesses, peasants, etc...