I accepted a volunteer job at a monastery 3 hours from Budapest and had to travel by bus to get there. I had my first “hiccup “ getting to the bus station. Evidently when you get on the subway and “punch” your little metro ticket, and I do mean little – just a sliver of paper, then you have to keep it. I did not know this and discarded mine after punching. When I got off the subway to arrive at the bus station there were two uniformed “subway police” that asked me for my subway ticket. I could not understand a word and gave them my bus ticket. They became annoyed and a young British man came to my rescue and told me that I needed to show my metro ticket. When I told them I had thrown it away, I really did not know I had to keep it, they fined me $30.00 US Dollars – I was outraged and tried to play my “old age” card. Pointing to my gray hair, saying I was an older adult, traveling alone, did not speak the language etc. but the women just looked at me as if to say “ Yes, lady you need to do something about that grey hair– try coloring” and took my $30.00 dollars.
Bakonybel is a beautiful little village in the mountains of Hungary. It is a tourist destination with a number of sights and activities, the village is located in a basin surrounded by the nearby Bakony mountains. The population is about 140 thousand and they have accommodations for 700 guest. People come from all over to find a little peace, quiet and nature. The forest and mountains are beautiful and the monastery helps with the peaceful feeling. The monastery also has rooms for those wanting to make a retreat or pilgrimage.
The monastery I am living and working in was founded by Saint Stephen I in 1018. It is a Benedictine monastery and they follow the same rules and routine as the other Benedictine Monasteries I have visited. Lauds at 6:30 am, noon prayers, vespers at 5:30 and Compline at 8:00 pm. The village had been completely destroyed during the Ottoman occupation and was later rebuilt and repopulated with Slovakians and Germans. The abbey will celebrate it’s 1000 birthday in a few years – that is one thousand – I forgot that Europe has all the history.
The volunteer’s quarters are OLD. I think the bed and furniture are 1000 years old. The mold is incredible and fortunately that does not bother me. The ceiling is so cracked that I should consider wearing a helmet to bed in case a large piece falls on my head. But then I realize I am volunteering at a Benedictine monastery and either God will protect me or I will be hit with a large piece and go directly to heaven. It is a win-win for me.
There are 3 young boys here from Hungary volunteering as well and staying in the volunteer quarters with me. One speaks fairly good English that he learned in school and the rest of the time we all depend on google translate. We have a kitchen complete with small gas stove and supplies to cook and store food. And yes again “weird” toilets – no happy face but old English loos with the water tank on top and a chain to pull for flushing.
We report each day at 8:00 am to “The Boss” who is a large, gruff, very stern looking Hungarian Benedictine oblate. I have never seen him smile. When he talks to us he looks and sounds like he is chewing us out. I always look to the 3 young boys for clues and the look on their faces is also stern and serious. After the “boss” leaves I say “What did he say?” the answer “Oh nothing, just that we are doing a good job and he wants us to weed around the bushes today”
I say “For goodness sake I thought he was mad” and they ask “Why?” “Because he looks so serious and sounds so gruff, and you all look so serious when he talks, no one breaks a smile. “Oh, no” they say –“ it is just our way.” Every day I smile at him and say in Hungarian hello, good morning, how are you – and he just looks at me – with this stern, serious face.
We work in the fields from 8:00 to noon and then go to prayers with the monks and after 30 minutes of prayers we have 30 minutes of meditation. The work is a bit back breaking and I am slow, clearing one bush to every three the boys do. But it is one less that they have to clear and we are all happy to be out in the beautiful weather with gorgeous mountains surrounding us.
Lunch is the biggest meal and always starts with soup – every day soup. Then the main meal. No meat on Wednesdays and Fridays. The meals are filling for farm help, nothing special. Usually potato and some type of meat that looks a little anemic. One day we receive pickles, just a big plate of pickles and some sort of meatloaf on the side. I only receive lunch at this volunteer job but there is a well equipped kitchen and I can go to the store and buy eggs, bread, fruits etc. and cook a light meal.
In the afternoon we go to the barn and sit and cultivate the herbs. I work with the lavender. The monks are proud to let the visitors know that all the herbs are totally organic and hand cultivated, no machines. There are many visitors to the farm and sometimes they take photos of us cultivating the herbs.
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. Anne Frank
My Timshel by Tamara Gonzalez Oberbeck 
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