Normafa

Today we had an outing to the Buda hills to the above named place. Fa means tree and Norma is Bellini's opera which has a connection to an old tree at that place by having had opera singers sing the main arias from a variety of operas, including the one from Norma, just underneath it in the past. Unfortunately the old tree is long gone, opera singers do not trek to this hill for picnics any more, but the name remains.

The view down to the city is really spectacular, although it was a bit overcast, so conditions weren't perfect. On and around it the Budapest Orienteering Association organised a Festival of Navigating Sports, which included the Budapest Schools' Orienteering Championships plus a chance to try mountainbike orienteering, the variety of permanent courses on the hill, mobile-O, geocaching, Trail-O, competitive hiking with exercises and a few more activities besides. It was very successful and the rain didn't start until 3 minutes from the end of the results ceremony.

In the pictures you can see our brand new alloy wheels (we bought them earlier in the week), the view down the ski slope, one of the old villas in the woods below the top, a beautiful oak tree and a miniature punter much fascinated by a flag.