Notes From Home...And Away.

Hello - welcome back to Notes From Home, the random assortment of scribblings from my fevered brain, which endeavours to show you what we’ve all been up to lately! As a result, Notes from Home this month might better be named Notes From Home…And Away!

As the old Irish saying goes, 'Bíonn siúlach scéalach'. The direct translation of this is 'a walk is a story', meaning the one who travels has tales to tell. We've tales for you this month, and some European travel, too. So find yourself a cool drink, get comfy, and come explore with us!

Summer's heating up!

As Gaelige, it's said that tagann an ghrian i ndiaidh na fearthainne, or 'the sun always follows the rain, and it's certainly holding true to form this year! After a very soggy springtime, Europe is shimmering under a heat haze. Between the World Cup - let's face it, mainly England vs. Argentina, which really was far from amicable - the online discussions about France’s attitude to air-conditioning, and the various <waves vaguely at everything> events happening internationally, it’s been a contentious summer so far. (I mean, did you hear about Neil the Seal in Tasmania? This was one of our favorite stories over the last month or so!)

Thankfully, though, we can all agree that taking a break is A Good Thing, so in between revising our view on window coverings and the need for shade (Jane and I), and washing All Of The Things to dry on the line (is there anything nicer than fresh dried bedclothes?), some of us have been travelling over the last month or so.

Ciarán and Jane visited Nantes

Although they often vacation in Ireland, this summer saw Ciarán and Jane head to France’s sixth largest city with their daughters. They managed to squeeze in their trip between two serious heatwaves, and Jane says they were inspired by the Le Grand Elephant et Les Machines de L’’île. Having looked at the website, I’m not at all surprised. Despite having never heard of these frankly glorious creations, I’m now desperate to visit! You can read about “the world’s first eco-friendly mechanical pachyderm” by following this link, or if you prefer to practice your French, ici. There are wonders therein for sure!

Nantes is the birthplace of Jules Verne, so of course, you would expect curiosities a-plenty, but aside from a museum dedicated to his work, which sits near to Les Machines, there is a swathe of other goodies that await the traveller. (Incidentally, I didn’t know this before I started researching the city, but thought this was fascinating: since 1979, Jules Verne has held second position as the most translated author in the world, below Agatha Christie, but ahead of William Shakespeare.)

Nantes: a (very) potted history

Nantes lies about 30 miles west of the Atlantic coast, the first major inland port on the Loire after it meets the sea at Saint-Nazaire. Archaeological finds date the first settlers in what is now Nantes to the Bronze Age, where they mined tin and iron, which was exported as far as our own shores here in Ireland. Settled industries can be traced back to around 900 BCE, and remains of 7th- and 8th-century BCE smithies have been found in the area now covered by the city. The Romans conquered the region during the 1st century BCE and maintained control until the empire fell in the 5th century CE. Thereafter, it was part of a stronghold against the Bretons until the 9th century, when a Breton named Nominoe became the first Duke of Brittany and seized Nantes in 850 CE. The Vikings visited in the 9th century, too, but didn’t stay long!

From the 10th to 14th centuries, Nantes found itself caught in the middle of a squabble between the Dukes of Brittany and the Counts of Anjou, but when that settled down, the citizens got back to concentrating on their expanding port traffic and exports. With this stability, the city experienced something of a flourishing: the neo-Gothic cathedral was redesigned, with construction beginning in the 15th century; the city castle was built; and the first university in Brittany was founded in 1460.

When Anne of Brittany, the daughter of the Duke of Brittany, married King Charles VIII in 1491, the region began a slow unification with the kingdom of France, which was completed in 1532. Embroiled in the French Wars of Religion between 1562 and 1598, the city was strongly Catholic before, during, and after the conflict, but the Edict of Nantes, which allowed legal Protestant worship in France, concluded the matter on the surface at least.

Nantes was the largest port in France by 1700, and the French colonies supplied a steady stream of rum, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, and sugar. The slave trade flourished through the merchants and ships associated with the port, who were responsible for almost half of the entire French slave trade between 1707 and 1793. Although the slave trade was outlawed by the French Revolution, Nantes was the last French port to cease these activities around 1827.

By the middle of the 19th century, Nantes had been supplanted by Le Havre and Marseille as France's main ports, and it languished somewhat, sulking and distrustful of a world that was quickly moving on without it. However, the food processing and shipbuilding industries revitalised the city for a time, and the early 20th century saw it undertake land reclamation projects to expand the city across the river channels that ran through it. Over two decades, the city was altered, and as the work was nearing completion, the Nazis captured the city in 1940, and subsequent Allied bombing raids caused widespread destruction in 1943. Around 90,000 people were left homeless or displaced. The Germans left Nantes a year later, and the rebuilding process began.

A city that's young at heart, despite its age

Although it struggled in the middle of the 20th century, Nantes has reinvigorated itself and is now known as an energetic, creative, and intriguing city. Still Breton at heart, with oodles of parks, museums, and artwork to explore, and an especially lovely botanical garden, I’m told that the local crêpes are a delight, and the seafood is also fabulous. It’s quite an environmentally conscious city, so public transport is good and free all weekend, and walking is encouraged.

What a joy not to have to hire a car! A beautiful spot to bask in the region's history while enjoying life beside the Loire, Jane says the city is a "great example of what can happen when local government is a little adventurous." Nurturing the creative energy of the place certainly appears to have paid off for the area.

Back home, new achievements were unlocked!

Before Gemma and Peter headed off on a break of their own towards the end of June, our Head Jeweler went head-to-head in another competition and earned her brown belt in Krav Maga - the first woman in her club to reach this level! We're very proud of her, although Peter did point out that he might prefer not to be wandering around a foreign city with a wife covered in bruises... You can see his point, but he knew what he was getting into. Probably...

Bound for Budapest

This summer, Gemma and Peter decided on a getaway for just the two of them in one of Eastern Europe's real jewels: Budapest. We heard about the trip, and then, just a few seconds later, we heard the real reason for the choice. I know I’m mean, but you’ll have to keep reading if you want to learn the major draw! Unfortunately, they did not manage to dodge the heatwave, but were still deeply impressed by their visit.

Yes, you get some Budapest history, too

The first inhabitants of the area now known as Budapest were the Celts, who arrived before 1 CE. Their settlement was taken over by the Romans and was known as Aquincum. It was a major city in the region by 106 CE, having initially been used as a Roman military base, with the inevitable growth of trade around it that is required to keep soldiers housed, armoured, trained, and fed. The Romans were the first to take advantage of the geothermal springs that run under the city, building baths and houses with underfloor heating, as well as their famous roads. In fact, Aquincum is the most intact Roman site in Hungary, and can be visited as it has been incorporated into a museum. You can watch their videos on YouTube and visit Aquincum for yourself!

The Roman Empire only touched the west of the Danube, with the eastern area still inhabited by ‘barbarians’. (Allegedly.) As the Empire only had a few hundred years left in it, the ‘barbarians’ just bided their time…

The Kingdom of Hungary was officially founded in the 10th century, after the Magyar tribes expelled the Bulgarian settlers from the towns of Buda and Pest. All went well until the 13th century, when the Mongols invaded in 1241. They sent not one, but five armies, and the Hungarian kings, who had refused to allow their nobles to build stone castles or fortifications in case they developed notions about just who should rule this country of theirs, learned the hard way that building walls and defences around cities was quite a good idea, actually. The horde grew bored a year later, and King Béla IV initiated a serious building program that involved building lots of heavily reinforced walls around the various cities of his country. He also had a palace built for himself on top of the Buda hills so he could keep an eye on things a little better. German settlers were invited to help with the rebuilding and were welcomed as permanent inhabitants of both Buda and Pest. In 1361, the two cities that had merged their fortunes became the capital of Hungary.

Probably the most famous king of Hungary is Matthias Corvinus - Matthias I - who ruled Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490. He came into power at the age of 14, and although he died at just 47, he left an impressive legacy. He fostered a meritocracy among his advisers, was a significant patron of the arts and sciences, and left a royal library that held the largest collection of books outside the Vatican at the time of his death. Under his leadership, Hungary followed Italy closely into the Renaissance, and he remains a well-respected example of a wise and strong king. Under his reign, the first books were printed in Hungary in 1473, and the universities flourished.

In 1526, the Ottomans conquered Buda for the first time, losing it again at the famous Battle of Mohács, but tried again in 1529. They did not occupy the city until 1541, ruling thereafter for 150 years. It’s thanks to them that Budapest is now known as the spa capital of Europe, renowned for its Turkish baths. The number of Christians living in the city fell dramatically between 1547 and 1647, until the Holy Roman Empire decided that having the Ottomans on their doorstep was no longer acceptable. In 1686, it launched an attack that involved German, Dutch, Hungarian, Czech, Italian, French, English, Burgundian, and Spanish soldiers, successfully taking Buda and, over a period of years, other areas of Hungary, so that in 1718, the whole of the Kingdom of Hungary was free of Ottoman rule.

Of course, nothing is ever that simple, and Hungary now came under the rule of the Holy Roman Empire of the Habsburg family, rather than the Hungarian people. By 1867, the initial struggle for Hungarian freedom was over, and Austria-Hungary became a new entity on the world stage. As this made Budapest the twin capital of a dual country, it led to a surge in development for the city that lasted until World War I. The Chain Bridge that links the two sides of the city across the Danube opened in 1849, and was the first permanent structure crossing the river. 1873 saw the original settlement area of Óbuda - remember those Celts we mentioned? - merged with Buda and Pest to form a modern metropolis.

From WWI’s end in 1918 to the Hungarian-Romanian War, the Treaty of Trianon, and WWII, with the subsequent invasion by the Red Army, Hungary had a difficult 20th century, to say the least. Libraries of books have been written on the subject that are infinitely more eloquent than anything I can say! Hungary’s resurgence following the Fall of Communism has made it one of the most visited countries in Europe, and today it welcomes approximately 7 million tourists annually.

More than 30 universities with over 150,000 students, on the list of the top 50 liveable cities worldwide, a Global Cultural Capital, and financially and practically, a city of global importance. And, while Gemma loved all of that, there was something that stole her heart all the more. Not something you'd necessarily expect either!

Budapest has a Minipig Café, and, well, need we say more?

The fact is that you can take us to the most historically, culturally, and politically vibrant place on the planet, but if there are critters, we're IN! Gemma snuggled with piggies to her heart's desire, and although she mentioned the good food, the stunning architecture, and the heat, which was almost overwhelming, we know that this was actually the highlight of her trip!

May the road rise to meet you!

If you've made it this far, you've done very well - thank you! I was going to tell you about my visit to the Streete Vintage Show in Co. Westmeath a couple of weeks ago, which was great fun, and then regale you with tales of the Friary at Multyfarnham, but honestly, I think they will have to wait for another day. The Oldcastle Fair is on this weekend, with Arva's following the weekend after, so there will likely be news about those in next month's NFH. Not to mention that our wonderful Jill - Shipping Assistant Extraordinaire - is learning tennis, and even tried line dancing this summer, and has promised me updates on her progress!

As you can see, our days are busy, and we really are fortunate to have your company along the way. Let us know what you've been up to - we'd love to hear your summer stories. Are you travelling this summer, or making plans for roaming later in the year? Road trips, World Cup games, grand tours of Europe, or days with the children and a paddling pool in the backyard? It's all a joy, and we'd love to hear about it!