Caching with Bozsa and Árpi, plums, twisted knee and the BBQ

On Saturday we spent a really lovely day with Bozsa and Árpi, which also resulted in three caches. We left home rather early and grabbed the moving cache, only a few minutes before somebody else wanted it. We placed it about 1100 metres away and drove to Bozsa's. I had a phone call from someone, who wanted to know where I put it, so I quickly logged it and he found it no probs.

View from the Nagykevély

The plan was that the three of us would walk from their house, up to the Nagykevély saddle, on the other side of which was the first cache, then we would walk down the other side, along on the flat and up a tiny bit again to the second cache. From there we would walk down to the place which I showed Roy on the way there and he would drive and pick us up from there.

Bozsa, Árpi and Glenn descending from the rocks

The plan worked like a dream, he was sitting in the car waiting for us and we all went to a lovely restaurant where we had some interesting food. The area was a little familiar from a few years back when we geocached there, but I didn't remember the restaurant.

Camel rocks

Once back at their place, we sat round the big table on the terrace, chatted, eaten cakes and chocolate and drank lots of tea, beer etc. They are the most delightful people and the nicest friends you could wish for and I am looking forward, at least as much as Bozsa is, to her retirement next year. We can see each other more often then and they will not be as tired as they are at the moment. Roll on next summer!!!

Kőbabák (Stone dollies)

On Sunday it was the 34th Hungarian Grand Prix. They used to say that the Hungaroring was a "street circuit in the country", that it was so narrow and winding that it was impossible to overtake, and thus most races were boring processions. WELL NO MORE!!!

The victor!

Thumbs up with a grin

There could not have been a more interesting, varied and exciting race than this Hungarian Grand Prix. There was wheel to wheel racing from the word go. There were lots of battles all along the field, including quite a way down. And there was an epic battle of both tactics and superb brave and fearless close battles at the front too.

Eventually tactics were better at Mercedes than at Red Bull, so Lewis won, although you cannot take it away from him that his skills are still superb and at the very top. Thankfully, today luck was on his side too. Well done Lewis Hamilton! You equalled Schumacher's record of 7 wins in Hungary, you took your 81st win and thus need only 10 more to equal another record of Schumacher's.

Red 44

Monday morning I went to my dentist, or to be more accurate my hygienist. She is such a lovely lady, I love her dearly. She was very pleased with the state of my teeth. "A great improvement on last year!" she said.  Well, I have spent a fortune on inter dental brushes since then, but they are worth every penny, as they do get rid of plaque from in between your teeth where not even the fanciest electric tooth brush can get to.

Red beauty

White beauty

We caught the half one bus to Bér and arrived in no time at all. We left the car out in the XVth district as we were only going down for 4 days and it didn't seem sensible to move it. The main purpose of our visit was to pick up the plums which were falling from the trees like bombs. The crop this year is the best we have ever known it and it looks as if not only we will not have to buy any plums to fill up all our barrels, but that by the time we came back to town, all 4 barrels were full and there was still some plums in the trees.

Two tone beauty

Earlier, before we caught the bus, I had a phone call from a delivery bloke that he would be in Bér in half an hour with my books I ordered.  Needless to say they didn't let me know by e-mail as promised, so I was at a loss what to do.  Finally I fixed up with Irénke across the road that she would receive it and I would fetch them and pay her the cost once in  Bér later on in the afternoon.

Barnabás busy on the roof

Barnabés in a pensive mood

When I popped across the road for them I was regaled with a long story of how ill Laci was the previous month without us knowing. Apparently he had something really wrong with his innards, but the Salgótarján hospital was good to him and now he is at home and looking well.

The following days were then spent with garden work, which was much helped and facilitated by Barnabás, our new young friend. He helped Roy with renewing the roof of the gazebo, once that was finished the two of them built a new place for burning garden rubbish at the top of the garden, so that the patch in the middle he used until now, can be put back to grass.

Plums en route to the cefre

Digging up the raspberry patch

After that he pulled the raspberry plants out, as they have become uncontrollable and dug the plot over. That will be put back to grass too. Finally, he weeded and tidied up the herb patch and behind it, so the garden looks great. In the meantime Roy did some mowing and I had tidied up the roses. Barnabas weeded the roses as well, so that was a brilliant couple of days.

Roy in mowing mode

And then disaster struck: I managed to slip down the roof of the cellar and twist my knee. I was only 5 minutes from the end of picking up plums, but such is sod's law, it always strikes when it is the least convenient. I had to cancel my two days of geocaching, one with Mariann the other with Zsuzsi. I had to retire to bed to rest and ice it, which seemed to help.

Mozzarella salad at the party

Robert, Ildikó and Gabi

The one positive upshot of being stuck in bed was that I started reading Alan's Bolshevism book and read the whole first chapter in 3 days. I got through 170 pages, which is only because the book is sheer enjoyment. I have only read it 20 years ago when it came out, and rediscovering it was heaven.

Due to my incapacity, we had to stay until Saturday, so Roy had to get very inventive with food, but we didn't starve and while I wasn't looking forward to travelling by bus with a gammy knee, I survived OK. The main reason of our trip into town was attending Nata and Colin's party, which ended up an absolute hoot. I managed to get out there with bus too and seemed OK. I walked about 400 yards from the bus stop and survived that as well.

Ian, Ros and Roy

Judit, Colin, Graham and Gabi

There was about 15 of us, we had a lot of food, drink, jokes and much laughter. It is most certainly the best medicine, not only for an ailing soul, but even for knees. Mind you, this morning my knee was quite stiff and more painful than yesterday, so perhaps I have overdone it a bit, but I am planning to go to Salgótarján and have an ultrasound sometime this week once we are back in Bér. I hope they'll do it very urgently, if not I'll have to get my cardiologist to intervene.  I have to go for a checkup with him too fairly soon, so I might combine the two.

Robert, Marie, Gyula and Ildikó

Roy, Ian and Colin aka The Three Stooges

In the meantime Levi and Bence have not written, so the meeting tomorrow or the day after might not materialise. I know that they have seen my messages, so no idea why they haven't written. I was warned not to be too pushy, so if it won't happen, it won't happen. :(

In the meantime I am icing the knee again and hope that it improves. Must go now as the Bolsheviks await me, which is a date I must keep! :)