On the 15 of October as part of Blog Action Day, which this year covered Climate Change, we talked on Naked Hungary about how to measure and reduce your carbon footprint.
Now the 24th of October is International Day of Climate Action, organized by 350.org, and this time if you’re in Hungary taking action is even easier and fun. At the Széchenyi Spa in Budapest from 10pm will take place Klímafürdő, a Climate Bath Party!
The Party will start with the shooting of a movie; yes, you read right, not projecting but shooting a movie. Gábor Herendi, the director of A Kind of America (Valami Amerika) will direct a film which will feature the people invading the spa, and doing actions like forming the number 350, the symbol of the solution to climate change. After that there will be lots of music with concerts, DJs, and even a raffle.
This is a unique chance to partecipate in something unique while having fun at the same time. Soaking in a thermal bath can be nice, but when you add the music and the dancing… well the fun is guaranteed! Moreover the movie will be played in Copenhagen at the UN climate experience, in domestic climate events like meetings of Climate-Friendly Municipalities, Climate Call movie projections, Car-free days etc., and of course people will have the chance to see it on Youtube.
The Budapest event is part of something huge; more than 4000 events will take place on October 24th in over 170 countries: from the slopes of Mt. Everest to the underwater reefs of the Maldive Islands, to the giant screens of Times Square; all in the name of 350. Why 350? 350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for parts per million carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. 350 is the number humanity needs to get below as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change. It is well explained in this video. So make sure to participate to what it looks like a great night out for a very right purpose.
One of the most interesting museums in Hungary happens to be also one of the less known, a great chance for residents and tourists for a different, original day at the museum. In fact the Hungarian Museum of Trade and Tourism in Budapest is the only museum of this kind in the world.
Originally founded in 1966, after many attempts and experimenting, only to collect memoirs from the catering industry, the museum started exhibiting trade history relics as well in 1970. In the catering history collection you can find furniture, equipment and tools from restaurants and confectioner’s shops, while in the trade history collection you have signboards, name-boards, store furniture and equipment, tools and scales, as well as of tools of trade administration, merchandise samples, merchandise boxes and bottles, souvenirs and promotion materials. Keep in mind that those are all part of the Permanent Exhibition, closed at the moment but due to reopen on October 19th.
If that was enough the Temporary Exhibitions are between the most original in the world. From now until the end of 2009 you can find:
Sacher: an exhibition telling you everything about the history of the famous cake and Austrian hotel.
Catering on the Hungarian railways in the 60s: memories of the blue logos on the railway stations of Lake Balaton, nice dining cars with Herendi porcelain plates, well-dressed conductors in the sleeping-cars.
The juice of lemon – Lemon squeezers: Who would have thought? Such an ordinary object can have incredible shapes and colors. You can see the most gripping pieces from the Swedish Anders Alvarsson’s collection of lemon squeezers.
We are opening… Posters in the socialism: Posters from 1945 to 1989 reflecting the various trends that characterized that era; also informing us on what products were advertised most, what kind of stores were typical, and what slogans were used in a given time.
Pálinka is one of the most famous Hungarian alcoholic drinks. It is a double distilled brandy that can be made from any kind of fruit, although the most popular ones are made from plums, pears or apricots. Since 2002 thanks to a EU regulation there are very specific requirements for an alcoholic beverage to be called Pálinka, one of them is that has to be produced and bottled in Hungary (see Wikipedia for more).
In the weekend from September 25th to 27th Hungary is celebrating its very own national drink in Budapest, in Vigadó tér with the Pálinka Promenade; a three days event that sees the participation of 20 pálinka makers. It is a great occasion to know more about this typical product, and of course to taste some. And in case you don’t consume any alcohol, there will be plenty of entertainment with many concerts, varying from jazz to latin to more traditional Hungarian. Don’t believe us? Have a look at the program:
2009 is an important year to commemorate the death of two of the biggest composer in the history of classical music. This year is in fact the 250th anniversary of the death of German composer George Frideric Händel, and the 200th anniversary of the death of Austrian composer Joseph Haydn.
2009 is also the Haydin year all over the world, with Hungary being particularly involved given the many links the “father of symphony” had with the country. Throughout the year we’ve seen Joseph Haydn’s The Creation performed as the New Year’s Concert in the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, during the Haydn Year 2009, a Haydn mass performed at the Parish Church (Március 15 Square in Budapest) one Sunday afternoon each month, and even the First International Trumpet Competition in Memory of Joseph Haydn.
Now the Budapest Baroque Festival is celebrating both Haydn and Händel dedicating its fourth edition to them. The location choosen for the festival is once again the newly renovated baroque church of Szent Mihály (Saint Michael, in Váci street, Budapest). This come as no surprise given the spectacular setting and the perfect acoustics of the church.
The festival runs from September 17th to October 11th. More info:
