Dear János
Not only are you to blame for the existence of this Department which brought us all together: you are and will always remain a father figure for generations of Medieval Studies' alumni. Your grumpiness is legendary, but so are also your dry sense of humour, warmth, kindness, and joie de vivre that you so generously share with your students, friends, and colleagues. And me, too, among others. To you, my dear Father, I raise this big bottle of acqua vitae concocted from the entrails of an anonymous Polish-born rooster, the spit of the basilisk and the fruit from the Tree of Life: vive ergo bene annos bis centum et viginti!
Elena Lemeneva
