One hundred and fourth week of the pandemic

Back to the usual schedule of a post on every Wednesday. There is another great anniversary. In three days' time we would have all suffered the privations, stresses and hardships of the pandemic for two whole years. I count the start here from the day we put ourselves into self imposed quarantine back in 2020, by moving out of BP and into our country house. I am not complaining, being here is lovely, we have a lot of space, an enormous garden, nice neighbours and a relaxed lifestyle, but the inevitable isolation and restricted movement has had its toll on us, as well as the rest of the world.

The mnoving cache went along here

You may recall that last week we had to cancel an outing to shop for food, as I wasn't too well. Thankfully, my flare-up has diminished somewhat and we had a go at not only food shopping, but some geocaching as well. Unfortunately, in spite of all the sunshine that has characterised the still quite cold, but otherwise bright days, Monday, when we went, was overcast and exceptionally cold.

Dign to the spring

Still, we were getting a bit stir crazy indoors, so we went with enthusiasm. Our first stop was somewhere in North Nógrád, where my own moving cache has been stuck again for a few weeks, so I decided to move it on. We found it quite easily, moved it about 1400 metres on its way.

Freshly renovated manor house in the village

After that, we moved onto the next village, which was the starting point for another geocaching related activity, namely the replacement of one of my static caches by a spring, that somebody pinched. That happened about a year ago, but the cachers who looked for it since were OK by finding the alternative little box, which was put out by some helpful cacher friends back in last spring.

Equivalent of SSSI sign in Hungary

I have always meant to replace the proper box, but considering that the box had been nicked more than once before, I thought we might have to produce one of Roy's cute little faux bird boxes as a hide. This way, it might have a slightly more secure future. However, Roy only makes bird boxes when he has the materials for them, plus when he feels like it. Fair enough, he is no cacher and he only contributes voluntarily, so I left it with him to get on with it. Unfortunately, by the time the bird box was made, the weather got cold, so the task got left to the next spring.

The chemical analysis of the spring water

 

The weather was still pretty cold, but Roy came in to good use again, by driving up beyond the village on the dirt lane another half a mile, thus saving me another mile's walking. I set out in the beautiful forested hills of Nógrád, all on my lonesome, but enjoyed it terribly. There was complete silence. Not even bird twitter. Met not a soul, animal or human, so had all the hills, forests, meadows, valleys and steep climbs to myself.

Picnic site above the spring

All in all it was about 5km, (3 and quarter miles) the return trip, with the last 300-400 yards a bit too steep, but I managed. Found a good tree to put the bird box onto, took lots of photos of the spring and the picnic site around it, and returned in half the time down the mountain. It took me an hour up, about half an hour putting out the box and the hide and another half hour to get back to the car.

The foresters must have been busy

The next job was the food shopping in Penny Market in Szécsény, which was great. Unfortunately the government abolished all pandemic restrictions on the very day we went, so other than Roy and me, there were only about 4 or 5 people wearing masks. The shop itself met with Roy's approval. Penny is not normally a nice shop and we don't normally use it. But the last time, when we tried this particular one, I thought it was exceptionally good. That time Roy didn't come in with me, but this time he did and liked it as much as I did. 

Szécsény Penny Market

En route home we were thinking of having lunch at one of the restaurants on the way, but I didn't fancy the first one and unfortunately the second one was closed. We then thought of having some lángos in another villge, but they stopped making them about 15 minutes before we got there. That was a shame, but better luck next time.

The Bean Soup Inn, where we didn't eat

The following day my new book arrived by courier, which was lucky. I was reading a book about the actor husband of an old university friend, as mentioned in my last post. The last volume, which I haven't yet read has finally arrived and I started reading it already. It has a different format, as the subject of the  biography is not speaking in this one, all the text is from his family, friends, neighbours, co-workers and teachers. He is very much loved by his audiences, if not by some jealous colleagues or the state. The latter currently does not like his political opinions, which doesn't bother him, as those opinions are the ones that make him even more popular, beyond his talent and excellent performances.

My friend's husband, the actor

On TV I am still binge watching NCIS on Netflix, currently I am about 2/3rd the way through the 3rd series. It is quite enjoyable rewatching the early series, as everybody is so much younger, plus the episodes seem fresher, better written and better acted. I also have forgotten most of the story lines, so they seem new to me now.

Strange shot from NCIS

Must go now, as Roy is awaiting his coffee. The exciting news of the week is that if all goes well, nothing untoward happens and we are all healthy, I will go geocaching for the whole of Saturday with Wilka, my gorgeous and very good friend, whom I have not cached with for several months now. He is about the age of my boys, so with him it is yet again a situation that I am treated as his honorary second mum. Report on the day in next week's post.