The seventyseventh week of the pandemic

We are still in BP, although we were supposed to go home today. Yesterday was a bit tiring, so we decided to have a day of rest before getting going tomorrow. After the jab last week I did have quite a reaction. Felt very weak and achy, so I tried to do as little as possible, so that I should be in a better state for the weekend.

Lake Velence behind the hills

Silly me, I forgot to fetch the car on Thursday night, so we had to go, complete with our gear, by trolleybus to the car. Once there, we then had to try to get through the city from one end to the other, which took about an hour, so my early start went for a Burton. Still, the weather was really nice, so the much forecast rain did not materialise.

Large boulder called the 'Woolsack'

The three caches that I planned for this morning were all near Lake Velence, where until this year I have already found most caches. These three were new ones, so off we went. The first one was put out not so long ago to replace another one that has been cancelled. For once, I had no problem to find how to get to it, as I remembered exactly the way. Needless to say Roy was moaning about the state of the road, but we managed to get fairly near before he refused to go further.

Strange lookout tower above Velence

The views were really spectacular from there in all directions. I didn't know then, but this weekend definitely ended up littered with the most glorious views from high above off several different hills and mountains. The second one was a bit further along and here the main attraction was a set of impressive big rocks and boulders, although en route up to it and back from it, the views were spectacular here too. This was also the location where we had our sandwiches for lunch, as we were looking out to a panoramic view of the lake.

Stages of the cross in Sukoró

The third one was a bit further along the lake, having been put out in June to celebrate the 20th anniversary of geocaching.hu. We had a nice little walk, admired the views here too, took lots of photos. As the time was getting along and we promised that we would be at the B&B by 3:30, we got going from there, straight to the accommodation. On arrival we had some hassle with another family who wouldn't let us into the courtyard, but the owner sorted it by phone, I found our keys in the key press and all was well. 

Our B&B the 'Ginger Cat'

The 'Ginger Cat', our B&B, was quite cheap, less than £30 a night for the two of us, so we didn't have too many expectations. From the outside it didn't look like anything, but as soon as we were in our room, it was really nice. It has obviously just recently been redecorated, had comfortable beds, all up-to-date appliances, smart decor, big attractive tiles and a lovely walk-in shower. We were the only ones who didn't have to get involved with the other guests, as we had our entrance straight from the courtyard, with even a nice little outside bit with a table and two chairs.

The two of us with David in his garden

The village of Szentkirályszabadja, where this was, is about 15 minutes drive from the house of our friends we came to visit. There were two ways to travel to them: 1. round on the highway, or 2. through the forest and hill between Balatonalmádi and us. Needless to say I fancied the latter, but Roy was rather dubious. The solution was that on Friday afternoon we didn't have to drive, so that David could show us how to navigate on the unmade-up roads through the forest. It was fun, and from then on we drove that way quite often, so that by the end of the weekend, even Roy volunteered to drive it once. He is not driving at all nowadays due to his diminished sight, but I let him and he was really good at it.

Kerekes Pince

On Friday night we went to have dinner at a lovely restaurant, The Kerekes Pince. We had a table booked out on the terrace, we had lots of lovely food and drink and good company. We last saw David and Ági at our Golden Wedding Anniversary party in March 2020. We did keep in touch on and off right through the last year and half, but meeting them again it was a joy. 

David's house from the vineyard

David has engaged in a fairly heavy rebuilding schedule for his house, which is pretty dilapidated, but has a large amount of land and a view to die for. He is still working full time, so he can only renovate during weekends and at night. Some work has to be done by others, like heavy building work, the roof, digging an extra metre down in his dried up well, electricity stuff etc., etc., but anything that he can do he does. There is also the added problem of getting people to do the work, at a price that is affordable and then make sure they turn up. Coordinating the trades is also a nightmare, currently he is living under a non-existent roof, but hopefully the roofer should turn up this week.

The Polish Church

On Saturday we departed towards St. George's Mountain, which is one of the biggest and definitely the most impressive of the Balaton Uplands' 'witness mountains'. These dead volcanoes stood there, as witnesses to the millennia  that went past here in the Pannon Sea and an enormous ancient volcano, caldera of which is really the entire region. Every visit I have ever made to friends in this area I promised myself that I would climb at least one of these mountains. St. George's Mountain is one of the last, but it was such a fantastic experience that it was worth waiting for.

Greek Church with the hermit's dwelling

We left Roy to guard the car near the Polish Church. Across from the church there was a big posh winery, where I suggested he doesn't go as it would be a silly price. He countered with, Why would I? I am a beer drinker!  Very true. As it happens, he has quite a few things to look at: first a wedding and then a Volkswagen Beetle jamboree. All the little cars were gone by the time we got back, except one, which I managed to take a photo of.

 

The one remaining Beetle

Our walk was based round a five-parter geocache, which took us practically all the lovely places around the mountain. It was only around 5km, but with going nice and slowly, due to age and infirmity, coupled with admiring plenty of views, spectacular geological formations, old ruins, newly built hermitages, and the lovely old forest itself, not to mention taking hundreds of photographs, we took a full 3 hours to get round.

Ági and David at the foot of the basalt columns

The sensation of this mountain is the amazing collection of basalt columns, called the 'basalt organs'. Obviously the travel brochures use the word in the musical sense, although David managed to take a photo which definitely showed a few formations associated with physiology rather than geology.

Physiology or geology?

This day our lunch was taken in a restaurant around half way home to David's in a place Roy and I discovered some years ago quite by accident. Again we got a table on the terrace, ate, drank and were merry. The views from our table were magnificent. The Balaton looks very pretty, no matter where you look at it from. We also had a lovely interlude, where we discovered that a large white horse in the neighbouring field preferred grapes to grass and munched his way through quite a few bunches immediately behind David and Ági.

Our grape munching friend

Sunday was a bit disjointed, as the guys, who are drilling down an extra metre into the bedrock to reach the water table in an increasingly dry climate, arrived to start drilling. Once they were at it, David and I departed on foot for another geocache, this time only 20 minutes' walk away in the forest. It was called the 'Man Rock'. We did do a bit of rock climbing and scrambling and unfortunately couldn't find the cache. I am sure we were standing by the described hole in the rock face, but it was empty. Still, the outing was brilliant, the views beyond description, the rocks fun and we got home with a grin on our faces.

Up the rockface, no cache! :(

While the guys were happily drilling in the well, we all went out for a spot of lunch at an amazing place in the wild. It was called 'Green'. The food was somewhat ethnic and eclectic, but delicious. Especially the 'langallo', which ends up like a very thick pizza, made with pastry and ewe's curds. I mustn't eat cheese, but I put away 4 pieces. After this Ági, David and I went for another cache which led you to an abandoned geodesic tower on another mountain nearby. The way up to it was somewhat adventurous, as we started from the wrong place. After we found it, we returned down the marked path we should have used for the uphill as well.

The King of the Castle

En route home we did a bit more caching, one by a swamp, which proves that the drought is very real in the country, as the wetlands were barely wet. Another one was by a lovely old chateau, where the security guards are known to arrest anyone who sneaks into the park to take photos, so I had to get mine from the net. We also found a delightful, newly renovated 200 year old chapel, which we didn't even plan, but it seemed like a good place to finish off on.

The Eötvös Chapel in Ercsi

The entire weekend was an event for us. Obviously we tried to put as much as we could into it, considering that we don't get out that often, as well as that we haven't seen Ági and David for 18 months, but we did get very tired at the end, so in future we will have to discipline ourselves and plan less.

One of a thousand views we had

Yesterday was a medical day. We both had a dental appointment: I had to have one of my old fillings out and impressions taken for an inlay, which hopefully be fitted next week. Roy had his 10+ year old lower bridge removed and two more extractions. Now he is living with a very flimsy temporary bridge, which will be replaced by a more substantial one next week, and after that a wait of 3 or 4 months for everything to heal and the new bridge be made and inserted. Hundreds and hundreds of pounds, a fair amount of pain, but its necessary.

A happy Roy ...

I also had a cardiology consult with a delightful lady, who came highly recommended, and that was fully justified. She confirmed that I need a coronary CT, but where, that is still up in the air. My local hospital, which should be my first point of call, I dread, the private hospital, where I usually go, does not do them, so we'll see what happens later. She also gave me a piece of paper, that recommends my blood thinner at a subsidized price, as against the full price I have been paying for the last 6 years. If that works, I can pay only £20 a month, instead of £50. Will report if it worked.

... and a happy me.

Now we are having a lazy day in the city before returning home. Next post hopefully next week, in the middle of further doctor's and dentist's appointments. :)