Farkasreti Cemetery and Family news

I took two Metro lines and one tram line to get to the Farkasreti Cemetery today.  Only got lost once, but easily doubled back and got on the right tram.  The cemetery is on the far side of Buda and was right there once I got off at the stop.  

I knew which section to go to (30/2) and the plot number.  But when I got there, I couldn't find a grave that said "Martonhegyi Istvanne" anywhere!  Discouraged, I walked to the Information office, noticing a large amount of police and people arriving.  The woman at information helped me a bit and told me the grave has the name "Garai Agostonne" on it.  Hmmm...

So, I found that grave.  This was originally my grandmother's grave, and I think Garai Agostonne was my grandmother's sister, and when she died, her family changed the headstone to only show her name.  That's a little sad.  But, I shot some video and left my flowers.

As I was leaving, I saw a large camera crew and followed them.  I need a camera crew!  But oddly enough, I wandered into the funeral service of Gyorgy Kolonics, the Olympic canoe/kayak winner and national sports hero who died last week of acute heart failure while training.  I shot a lot of photos and video of what I could...the crowd grew exponentially while I was there, from a few hundred people to thousands of people.  Young kids brought canoes to the memorial, everyone had a flower and a Hungarian flag ribbon.  It was so surreal, to be looking for a specific grave and to stumble onto the funeral of some kind of Hungarian celebrity.  

Then I made it back to the hotel, but bought some shoes along the way (as if I needed another big package to carry!)

When I got in my room, Patricia said "sit down."  So, I sat down.  She passed on the message that Beata got in touch with Garai Agoston and I am to meet with my second-cousin tomorrow at 5 pm!  I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!  So I rushed to call Beata and she told me he is so excited to meet me, that he cried on the phone, had a million questions and I guess he has all the family records.  He mentioned that in 1980, he removed my granmother's gravestone, because no one had come to visit her in 30 years.  This solves the mystery of why it's there, but not there. 

This is like a dream come true.  I have never met any of my Hungarian relatives on my grandmother's side.  Agoston is probably nearly 60 years old.  He told Beata he's fat and has a moustache.  I cried when I was on the phone with Beata too.  I'm crying now, I can't help it.  

In a year, when mom and I come back, she'll be able to meet with him and look through his files and likely see a photo of her mother.  Because she doesn't have one, never has.  And her face, the way she looks, is a only a faded memory from a long-ago childhood.  

What a fucking amazing day.