Earache and geocaching

Or possibly geocaching and earache in that order. This latter can be used in both senses: figuratively and practically. You may recall that I was in the post-viral fatigue stage with my flu last week, but it then developed into throat and earache. It kept coming and going, so I decided not to cancel my geocaching day yet again and then it developed into a serious bout of real earache. The only remedy I could think was to wear a light but soft and warm hat all the time and that helped. I looked very funny with a purple hat in bed, but the heat is always beneficial for earache, so I'm still wearing it.

My friend Gyuri en route to the troublesome cache

The figurative earache came in yesterday, or to be precise, this morning, when I discovered that a cacher who annoyed the hell out of me while looking for our last cache yesterday and whom I admonished very politely on the net, took exception to this with spurious arguments, untruths and accusing me of accusing him of various things that only exist in his furtive imagination. What is it with these touchy, oversensitive males in geocaching, that they can't take a small amount of very justified and politely put criticism without throwing their toys out of the pram? Ahhhhh!!

Winter wonderland in the Pilis Mountains

Rant over, let's examine what we've been up to since posting last! We spent another 3 days in Bér before returning to BP. My main achievements for those days consisted of:
1. Starting the process of sorting out Roy's operation.
2. Writing the cache page for the first of my 11 spring/well series of caches and having it pass.
3. Writing the POI page for the Tihany geocaching hike in May.

Virgin Mary shrine by my first spring

The first included trying to pin down the urologist whose mobile phone number was finally given to me. It looks as if we should be able to have it fixed for March, to take place soon after we have returned from Hassocks.

The Manor House at Virágospuszta

The writing of the cache page was quite exciting. I have never done one of these without visiting the actual place just before I wrote the page, but this was the case this time. The weather turned horrendous and I still didn't feel like stirring outdoors, so I used my own photos from some time ago and my local knowledge - augmented by some internet searches - to put it together.  It went through pretty easily, although some of the awkward squad from among the moderators was picking holes all the same. I think it is nothing personal, it's just their bad habit.

The hiking/geocaching route in May on the Tihany Penninsula

Writing the POI page was fun. I finally had the co-operation of all but one of the people whose multis were the wrong way round, although due to the one that stayed totally intransigent, we had to make the walk clockwise, instead of the original plan of anti-clockwise. I have already had two takers immediately it went live, so hopefully this should be a success again. I couldn't check this morning the state of affairs on the POI page, as the geocaching website is down again.  Oh, it is about time to move over to the new server, as this is ridiculously frustrating, especially that the early morning hours are the ones when I am at my best and most websites usually the fastest, as everybody is still in bed.

The derelict mill where I got the moving mill cache

Then we came into town on the Sunday. En route we picked up a moving cache that has been in an outer suburb of BP since Saturday morning and nobody took it. I was very lucky. I found it in its little hide and about 5 minutes later several other cachers turned up to take it as well.  As I was there first, I could take it on, but I waited for both sets of people to log in the book and we had a lovely impromptu cachers' meeting as well.

Zergi and ésKata whom I met there

I also had a concert in the Palace of the Arts, which turned out to be an absolute delight. It was the last one in a series of concerts, called "Discoveries". The orchestra was the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra and the two soloists were two very young, but superbly talented guys. Remember the names of Krisztián Kocsis and Ádám Balogh, because your will hear of them later. Both aged 20, they showed such verve, technical brilliance and insight, that you could not believe their age.  Except, of course, that they both looked about 15, very thin and shy. The program was totally Mozart, which made me even happier.

Adam Balogh

On Monday I kept ringing Dr. Bécsi but he didn't pick up. Finally he did and we agreed that he would ask around and if I rang him the following day, he would have the details for me about who to ring to get the ball rolling.

Krisztian Kocsis

At 10am I went and saw Zsófi, my homeopath and we had a delightful 45 minutes, going  through my diet etc. I am now taking double the usual dose of my probiotics for two weeks, have to eat more animal fat and protein and less fruit for a while, take some interesting teas and 400mg of magnesium/day for a month. She could see that I was pretty tired, but after the weeks of illness that was only to be expected.

Stages of the cross in Dorog

After this both Roy and I went to the Electricity Board offices to make a complaint. Long and boring story you don't want to know. I personally felt that the service in that office is still as efficient and courteous as it was about 8 or 10 years ago when we were there last. Hopefully, the problem will be sorted, if not, I'll pay up what I owe (or so they say I owe) and cancel the contract.

Gyuri with the hiking stamp book

After this we took the car out to Szentendre to place the mill moving cache we picked up the day before. I found a really good place outside an art gallery, that once upon a time used to be a sawmill.

Panoramic photo of the monastery ruins

Tuesday was the day Gyuri and I went geocaching in and around the Pilis mountains. That was the plan and as I didn't want to cancel for the second time we got going. Gyuri came up from Békéscsaba and we braved the elements. We spent most of the day in a whiteout, it was snowing heavily, but at least the woods and hills looked magical under the carpet of snow. Good job I can switch my car to 4-wheel drive. For the first time I had it, that feature was most appreciated.  The tally of caches for the day was 8 and we both came home rather exhausted.

Snow laden branches

I also managed to get hold of Dr. Bécsi again and he gave me the name and telephone number of the lady who is in charge of arranging for surgeons to do operations.  I haven't yet called, as I wanted to talk it over with Roy first, but hopefully that should be done by tomorrow.

My beautiful bouquet on Valentine's Day

Today we left BP by 8.30am and did some shopping en route. We are now in the village for a week and I hope to recce another couple of springs one day this week. Hopefully we will also succeed in lighting the fire. Today we were singularly unsuccessful, but if it is windy tomorrow, we'll be laughing. Update: the fire is lit, I got some lovely flowers for Valentine's Day and I am off to recce 2 or 3 springs in about an hour.