Since falconry was and is so respected within Hungary, a bird of prey symbol would have been respected as well.
Finally the duels between knights were jaw dropping. Since this is a stage performance that means these men went through days or even weeks of training to perfect the use of these medieval weapons to make sure no one was hurt. Much like a dance in a ballet, every move is choreographed and timed. It is very impressive.
After the show the audience was invited to attempt to hit the targets as well. I did so with some success and failure. I did put on the court jester hat to take pictures with the king and queen! Once everyone had gotten a chance to practice with the weaponry, we were guided through the castle to the adjacent restaurant. Inside they had costumes for us to wear during our medieval feast! I picked out a pink overdress and wore it the whole time! We started off the meal with warm bread and butter, along with a chicken soup that was thick and savory.
Bread in Hungary (also called kenyér) is one of the staples in a Hungarian diet. There are bakeries and cafes on almost every corner. In Hungary almost every meal involves bread, fat, and meat and the spice paprika. This meal was no exception. We were then served roasted duck with fried potatoe patties and red cabbage. Duck is similar to the dark meat in chicken, very tender and melt in the mouth. The potato patties were flaky and soft and remind me of hash brown patties. I could eat that meal every night, it was so good! I had an amazing time just talking and eating with my new friends from the Fulbright cohort and overall I can truly say it was one of the best days ever.
