Trip 26 – Croatia Bound – Days 13 to 16 – Hungary

Saturday 12th September (Day 13)

A bright start to the day with the promise of a good warm sunny day. After the usual domestic things we left to pay. Well for some reason without a particular piece of paper that is redundant as they have the information anyway we cannot leave. A quick trip to the local bin and a rummage and we could pay and leave. Off we went with us being allowed to lead after our last debacle. A bit of ‘B’ type roads followed by some motorway and then off on the side roads to our destination at Koppanyszanto. To get to this we encountered some interesting ‘backwater’ roads, still ones that buses use, but which gave us a view of some of the rural aspects of Hungary.  A small garden site at the end of a long drive was our reward. A warm welcome by the owners and a beer to set us up. This is a site that is still in development but with excellent showers and toilets, nice a quiet but slightly sloping (not an issue). The owners just ‘on a whim’ up sticks and left the UK early last year to start this project. With no knowledge of the language or the bureaucracy of Hungary. A real leap of faith. The site has only been open a few months so it is early days but they seem to have a potential winner, although it would appeal to all. We discussed things to do for the next few days before setting up properly. We slobbed about sitting / lying in the sunshine as it was a good sunny warm day. We had an dinner by 6.30pm and then the six of us, plus owners Andrew and Sharon, walked into the village for some drinks. The bar is unusual as it has a nail bar and chemist items in addition to beer at 60p (0.5l) and wine at 40p (0.4l). A round of drinks for six was the price of a pint in London! Not only that but while nt serving the lady was decorating eggs for next Easter time. 11.00pm saw us slowly walk back under a clear star laden sky to retire for a sleep. First impressions of Hungary are that is so different from the Czech Republic and Slovakia with friendly  and the countryside seems more ‘welcoming’

£4.50 a round!

Egg Decorating

Finished Article

Sunday 13th September (Day 14)

A slow start today after last nights entertainment. After breakfast we sat around for a while enjoying the sunshine. We then decided upon a walk into the forest area. Off we went for a pleasant stroll. In the forest we found some buildings that were retreats for the locals (and not so local) that were quite basic with , for example, a telephone box for an outside loo. We then walked along the tracks to a lovely small lake. This walk, of about three hours, was pleasant and interesting in the heat (26 degrees). On it we saw a dead frog, a dead bird, a lizard, hundreds of small black caterpillars, small areas with twenty plus white butterflies that you walked through, a big caterpillar ‘with attitude’ that tried to stare us down, a snake and a large bird (breed unknown a pheasant or buzzard). We returned at sat and had a small drink to revive us while the site owner cooked a local meal for us over an open fire. Over the fire was a cauldron in which the meal was bubbling away. A dish of a type of goulash it comprised (roughly) of hot oil and onions added, followed by smoked bacon, smoked sausage, tomatoes, fresh paprika, mushrooms and some other bits and bobs. This was covered with water and allowed to cook for three hours and reduce down resulting in a great meal which we had with with us, the site owners a dutch couple along the lane and four others – two who had just flown in from England to their house here and a Rumanian man and his Hungarian wife all who spoke English, indeed the last two work in Peterbotrough, fourteen total. Part of the ‘experience’ was to drink some pelinka, a local 62 proof brew which, in this case was made from peaches and drunk like tequila, ie down in one. Warming but different, without being great. We then sat and chatted for several hours, part way moving the tables away and putting a log fire in the middle to keep us nice and warm. By just after 10.00pm we were all weary and content and retired to our ‘homes’ to sleep.

Lake side Snack

Caterpillar with Attitude

Flutterbies

Monday 14th September (Day 15)

An busy day. After breakfast we just chilled and sat and read / listened to music until a quick lunchtime snack. Then the six of us plus Andrew and Sharon and Carla and Fran ( a Dutch couple) went to a local spa (with Andrew and Carla supplying transport). Roughly £5 entry. Once in we went to the outside thermal spa pool which was about 26 degrees. After a while we migrated inside to the other pools and facilities; a warmer pool with air jets and water jets. A jacuzzi, a flume, a pool with 32 degrees water, a second one with 38 degrees water; Saunas (one ‘cool’ and another ‘hot’); a turkish steam room, an infra-red room;  ‘bio sauna’, cold / cool showers; and a salt room. The latter was bathed in orange light with a central ‘pool’ of salt to cleanse feet and remove hardened skin.  A three hour session was most enjoyable and different. The we drove up a steep hill to  a very out of the way restaurant for a three course meal with beer costing about £20 a couple. A slow drive home and a small libation in the motorhome before it was time to retire for the next days activities.

Thermal Spa

Lobotomy by Water

Tuesday 15th September (Day 16)

An extra day at this site was agreed. After a slowish start where I shared the shower with a frog, the females of our group went onto the main town for some food shopping while the men planned tomorrow’s  journey. A lunchtime snack and then at just before 3.00pm the ladies walked to the pub to get their nails done (£1.50 a person). At 4.00pm the males were collected by a fifteen year old on a horse and cart and a 50 minute trek was enjoyed. We then, at 5.00pm, were dropped of at the bar that we have christened the Golden Lion and the ladies took our place. By 6.00pm the ladies were dropped at the site and we were collected at the bar and taken ‘home’.  A communal mish-mash of paella type meal was then prepared by Sue for the eight of us. Hungary has been the best of the ‘ex eastern bloc’ countries that we have visited to date without doubt and we all agreed there was much more to see. The good weather and value for money is a clear winner; the down side is that with 43 letter in the alphabet and words that are preposterously long with few vowels not only can you not pronounce the words but there is no chance of even guessing the meaning. Another thing we noticed is the lack, total lack, of terraced of semi detatched properties they were all detached and each one different for the other. It may be the big towns are different. We did not see any of the communist era blocks of flats but neither did we go near a city and I am sure they are there. As said, the people are much friendlier all waving and saying ‘hello’. It also a very poor country with, apparently, a lot of alcoholism problems. Driving is erratic with lots of overtakes approaching bends and playing chicken with  overtakes with oncoming cars.