St Istvan (or St Stephen) is the patron saint and founder of Hungary (as King Instvan) - his mummified hand is in the St Istvan's basilica in the city centre and he is generally seen as an all round good bloke.
The end of August sees his birthday and a 2 day national holiday with military parades at Heroes Square including the commissioning of the newest officers and soldiers into the Hungarian army, the Red Bull air race and a wonderful fireworks display over the river.
This year we were lucky enough to be invited to a friend's flat overlooking the river from the Buda side of the hill and a wonderful view of the festivities. At one stage the national anthem was played and it seemed as though the whole city was singing it - very impressive! The whole event was set to music and it was really very special to see, especially in the company of some Hungarian friends as it showed how proud they are of their city and country. Katy, who claims to be somewhat of a fireworks fan claims that they were the best that she has ever seen, some praise indeed!
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