Fiftysecond week of the pandemic

We're a day away from the exact date a year ago, when we have come down to the village to try to keep safe. Various lockdowns and quarantine periods notwithstanding, it has not been that terrible. There are millions all round the world who have it a lot worse than the two of us. We have a large house and an enormous garden. That in and of itself is a great asset, and even when we felt imprisoned by the bad weather, we still have more space and flexibility than many others the world over.

View from the back garden

The day after the vaccination last week, I had some strong muscle and joint pains, but those disappeared in a day or two, so I can count myself lucky with no serious side effects from the vaccine. The next dose is due on 8th of April, let us hope that they do not move the goal posts again. Roy's is no further, but I have just heard today, that apparently they are planning to have vaccinated all 65+ who registered for a vaccine by Easter. If they keep their promise that after that they will make registration available to those who have no health card, we might be in with a chance for Roy. Touch wood!!

My little forest at the top

In the meantime another bureaucreatic nightmare has appeared on the horizon. His ID card needs renewing in the light of Brexit. Fortunately, I started discussing this with some other expats, and it appears that there has been an agreement between a high ranking local official and the British Ambassador, which apparently resulted in a simplified, easy to go through process for this. I have heard of several people who have done it and confirmed that it was no hassle.

Bit of moss in the garden

 

We were planning to do this this week, but with the infection figures through the roof, most likely cause by one or two of the current variants, we have decided to stay put. There is a provisional date for the 24th March, when a friend and one other guy are going to that office and should conditions have eased by then, we'll join them. We'll see how it goes.

This past week was a combination of doing things outside when the weather was good, as well as being indoors doing some binge watching on Netflix, chatting to friends on Messenger, gathering information on likely documents needed for bureaucratic reasons and reading books. 

Ryan Eggold from New Amsterdam

 

Talking of books, I have finished More Fool Me from Stephen Fry and now am onto the first volume of his autobiography Moab is my Washpot. Binge watching was 2 whole series of New Amsterdam, which fascinated me. Yet another fast and furious medical drama, but this time with some progressive social content as well. As my VPN doesn't work with America any more, unfortunately I can't watch this year's series 3, which started a couple of weeks ago, so I'll have to wait until it appears on Netflix, hopefully before the end of the year or early next year.

Bea-eater nests in the loess

Outdoor activities included a bit of geocaching on Sunday, when we went to pick up 2 caches on the other side of the A21, just north of Hatvan. The first one was a multi with 4 points mostly on a hill that was supposed to be an old vineyard, but it no longer had any old vines. They have cut the lot down and started replanting with new growth with aluminium posts. The once pretty, romantic hillside covered in wineyards, now looked like the Somme and that made me sad.

Old memorial to the vineyards

 

Of the four points we found 2, one  was definitely missing and the other I couldn't find, but apparently it was there, under the tree I did find, but hidden underground, covered by a flat stone. The password, however, was easily guessed, so all was well.

The lovely old tree where I didn't find the cache

The second cache was a single location one, which took us to a row of nice wine cellars. Even though it was Sunday, the cellars were all closed, as it was too early in the year and too cold, even with the sunshine, for people to have come out and opened them up. En route we filled up with petrol, so should we have to go anywhere suddenly, we have enough fuel for the trip.

The row of vine cellars by the second cache

 

Another mutual activity this week was a bit of communal cooking. It is always fun to cook together. We started with a shot of palinka for Roy and some port for me. My dish was liver with onions and paprika and Roy's Wiener Schnietzel. I put a few photos up on FB and it got an unusually large number of Like's. I suppose they were quite photogenic, that's why.

Roy's Schnietzel

 

The weather is cold again, but at least it is sunny during the day. We are staying put for a while and are doing the docuemtn gathering on the phone or online. Once the infection figures have subsided a bit, we'll be off to town for a while.

My liver with onions and paprika

Next post sometime next week!