Update from Budapest

George Webber, a.k.a Count Agoston Haraszthy, with the latest from Hungary: “Our Sonoma-Tokaj Sister City Committee Delegation arrived in Tokaj Thursday afternoon, and we have been on a diplomatic whirlwind ever since.

“We were squired to the local hospital, high school, and performing arts center by horse-drawn carriage; these civic institutions were remarkably well-appointed.

“The hospital is less than four years old—it came complete with modern equipment from the European Union. The high school has laboratories a college would be proud of—-gifts from the government of Norway, while the modern computers were donated by Cisco Systems. Hungary joined the European Union in 2004; the infusion of development euros has been tremendously beneficial for Tokaj. But there is still little industry here except wineries, tasting rooms, and tourist shops; this Sonoman felt right at home.

“Tokaj clearly possesses a sense of humor about wine; one statue was titled The Unknown Wine Drinker, while another featured a wine lover about to fall off a barrel. This is my kind of town!”

Read the previous dispatch.