The hundred and twentysixth week of the pandemic

Apologies for the tardiness, but the news that I was busy, would be the understatement of the century. Stephen, Elian and Xander arrived 2 hours late, in the middle of the night. They were quite wound up, so we didn't get to bed until gone midnight.

Just hanging around

Day 1 was quite exciting. We decided to visit that large, modern and fascinating playground they have recently built in the City Park. Stephen had some preparation work for his gig that evening, so it was just Roy, the boys and me. They started on the climbing wall, which was quite easy for them, seasoned rock climbers.

I'm coming

Then we queued up for the Witch's Hat, this time remembering to video it vertically. They did some more climbing on other apparatus, we had ice creams and then got home for lunch. The afternoon activity  was to have a go at the Chair Lift, including Elian, who gave it a miss last time.

The climbing wizard

Grandad stayed  at the bottom, the four of us had return tickets, including a bit of fun at the playground at the top, followed by waffles. We started a game while travelling, first counting how many foreign registrations we can spot, then how many different vehicles we can travel in on Budapest's public transport. 

The happy chappie

I think the country count went quite high, I can only remember the following: H, RO, SRB, A, SK, CZ, I, D, F, UK, CH, PL, UA, B. As for the public transport vehicles, I think these were the ones we had on Tuesday and Wednesday: bus, trolley bus, tram, metro, millennium underground.

Waiting fore the waffles

After all the activities, the boys definitely wanted a funnel cake and we had a few disappointments before we found a really good one at the terminus of the HÉV. The kids had a burger prior to the funnel cake as well, which, of course, made them incapable of finishing their funnel cakes. 

The lángos is a bit hot

Day 2 started with the Zoo. 3 years ago was the last time that they were there, but I haven't been for 10 or 15 years. We used public transport again, then walked through the park, where we spotted lángos. We decided to have it for a snack lunch, which was really delicious.

Peek-a-boo

The Zoo was pretty full of people, but we still saw some interesting stuff. If I remember well, we saw the following animals: ring tailed lemur, hippo, elephant, flamingo, ducks, fish, meerkats, zebra, giraffe, gorilla, orangutan and a tortoise. Stephen and the kids went round the central indoor facility for exhibitions, Roy and I sat that one out. After the Zoo, Stephen took the boys to Superfly, while Roy and I went back to the flat to have a rest. 

The other climbing wizard

Day 3 The heatwave was back in full flow, so we couldn't wait to get out of town, for the cool of the countryside. On Thursday we packed up our gear, the boys' gear, lots of food from the fridge and departed to Bér. We stopped at Tesco and arrived in time for lunch. Unfortunately, the boys managed to kill their new football within a few minutes' arriving by getting it into a rose bush and the thorn has finished it.

Before the football died

We went and picked some plums, played on iPads, watched a bit of TV and got to bed about 10pm. The boys loved their room and especially the teddybears. In the evening Heino and Manet turned up with some plums for us, we had some coffee, wine, crisps and nuts with them and chatted nicely for a couple of hours. We can borrow their very long ladder, which is kind of them, and then I will be able to clear our rainwater gutters myself. Pali could not find anyone who could realiable turn up, so we are rethinking the matter.

The lover of teddybears

Day 4 As I was advised to exhaust the boys at least half a day, I took them on a hike to the andesite columns with a promise of some scrambling on rocks and possibly finding a geocache. Unfortunately the latter was nowhere to be found, but the scrambling was great. We gained the ridge on a completely new route for me. It was a pretty hairy boulder field at about 45 degree steepness, but we managed it.

Climbing up to the andesite columns

On top of the andesite columns

We walked back to Bér on the other side of the ridge, a route that did not receive the approval of the boys. It was overgrown, full of insects and they were getting tired. As I haven't been up there for a good few years, and I was trying to avoid the worsst of the jungle, we had to make a detiour at the end, which included a bit of climb. Finally, we got home through the back gate and by the time I arrived, having fiddled with the padlocks at the gate, the boys were fully engaged with their iPads, which, I was told were charged up to 90% and 83%.

 

On the boulder field

 

Lunch was chicken, peas and mashed potato. Roy is now having a nap, the boys are still on their iPads, but I think we will go geocaching in the village, as soon as the iPads are at 0%.

At the summit

At the summit no.2

PS: Further developments after the above. After lunch I raised the possibility to go geocaching in the village and in its environment. Elian was perfectly occupied with his iPad, but Xander showed some interest in my offer. We drove, so the walking was minimised, considering our state after our morning hike. He loved it and hopefully felt compensated for not finding the one by the andesite columns.

Logging the first cache

On our return I started mowing the grass with the tractor, which also scored a hit with Xander. We altered the seat, so he could mow it with me. I promised him that as soon as he is the legal age, he can do all my tractor mowing if he wishes.

We found the second cache

Finally, we watered the plum trees, and this time Elian helped to water those nearest to the house. All in all an extremely active and exhausting, but brilliant day.

Xander on the tractor

On Grandad's lap, ready for mowing