Author: Sue

I am an English Ex-Pat living in Hungary with my wonderful husband and 19 year old son. You can find me frequently writing, reading and taking photographs. We live in a beautiful small rural village surrounded by forests and lakes always appreciating the beauty around us. Life is good.

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Everyday Life in Hungary

“Winter Wonderland” Kisszékely Village, Hungary

I have been waiting for snow for weeks, the weather has been very cold but the snow was not forthcoming. Eventually, the snow clouds formed and deposited a light dusting, just for me! 😃 Eagerly I took my camera and took a few shots of our village.

Early January

Kisszékely Church

Late January

Towards the end of January, we experienced the back end of a cyclone that brought continual snow and another great opportunity to capture some snow shots.

Everywhere was eerily quiet with the clouds white and full. This was early morning, what a beautiful wintery sight greeted me before I went out walking. Our dog Hayley absolutely loved bounding around in the soft powdery snow.

Morning Snow
Hayley Husky

There is a great community spirit in the village when snow falls. People come out with their shovels and clear the footpaths ready for the many elderly walkers who often need to go out for groceries.

Main street, Kisszékely 

The snow was falling with a side wind making it difficult to take pictures. This is the road leading up to the Hunting Lodge

Passing the frozen stream…beside the swimming hut.

Onto the village swimming pool. Closed for all of last year due to the pandemic and looking very chilly!

Kisszékely Swimming Pool

On into the forest battling the wind and the snow.

Kisszékely Hunting Lodge, but unfortunately no visitors this winter. The village is renowned for its hunting and seasonal fishing.

I padded through the snow down the long entrance to the lodge hoping for a look at the lake behind the building. The lake was frozen and I was reluctant to get too close for fear of slipping.

Making my way back to the village green the beautiful wooden carved statues looked beautiful covered in fresh snow.

Picture postcard beauty everywhere.

My next place to visit was Kisszékely village lake.

This lake was not frozen this time but does freeze over when the temperatures drop very low.

The snow was still falling as I walked around the lake. The fishermen’s piers covered with a layer of snow, with pretty reflections in the water made for a beautiful sight.

My lake walk was complete so made my way towards home when suddenly I was surprised by this adventurous quad-biker! Revving his bike noisily he took off down a lane towards the forest managing to create his own snow storm from his back wheels.

Our faithful dog Hayley popped her head out of our railings when she spotted me coming. She was eager for me to play in the snow with her, which I did until I could no longer feel the tips of my fingers!!

I had a splendid walk totalling four miles and was glad to get back inside for a warming cup of tea. I shall be following the weather forecast hoping for more snow in the coming weeks. Winter has arrived here in Kisszékely.

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Everyday Life in Hungary

My “Best” of 2020…

My last post of 2020!

Never in all my life (all 59 years of it) have I had to live through a worldwide pandemic that we are experiencing right now. Definitely the “virus” will shape our future, how we live and what things are important to us.

This post is not about Covid 19, I want to have a positive post to end this year. With that in mind, share and celebrate with me all things good about 2020.

My Best Book of 2020

I am an avid reader and love to read different styles of books. I am a member of Goodreads where I can review books and keep a permanent record of my reading progress.

Best Book Choice: Tara Westover – EDUCATED

Below in the link is my 5 star review I left for this amazing author. There are details of where to buy this book too.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35133922-educated

I was staggered that I had read 35 books during 2020! Plenty of time to read 😃 The link below shows what I have read and the accompanying reviews. Please take a look.

https://www.goodreads.com/user/year_in_books/2020/77130737

My Best Movie of 2020

Fortunately we subscribe to Netflix and have had great pleasure watching movies throughout the year. There were many contenders for this title but in the end I choose the one that had a lasting impression, good acting and a riveting storyline.

Best Movie Choice 2020: The Queens Gambit

See the trailer below of this fascinating period drama with the beautiful Anya Taylor-Joy in the starring role.

Photo Credit: Phil Bray/Netflix

httops://youtu.be/CDrieqwSdgI

My Challenges of 2020

Starting my own blog

I am so proud that I started my own blog in 2020. I had many challenges initially but now feel comfortable and capable that my 2021 blog will be even better than before. I have always loved writing and own tons of notebooks and journals filled with past memories and events. The way forward is online so through the first lockdown in March my blog was born. It is a record of living in Hungary as expats and things that excite me about this marvelous country and our new way of life. Please take a look through the link below at what we get up to in our daily lives.

https://makinghungaryhome.wordpress.com/

Learning Hungarian

My second challenge this year has undoubtedly been trying to learn the Hungarian language. Eric, my husband has picked up the language easily and I am guilty of relying on him way too much for translations. Hungarian is one of the hardest languages to learn but I have been determined to learn and at last I can see some progress. I choose www.Duolingo.com and would recommend any language learners to use this excellent learning tool. The best thing of all is it is free. 😃

Best New Experience of 2020

As restrictions were gently relaxed over the summer months Eric and I visited our very first wine festival in Hungary. Hot sunshine, good music, friendly people and an abundance of red wine. For a small village they put on an excellent festival. We shall certainly be visiting again. More pictures in the link below.

https://makinghungaryhome.wordpress.com/2020/11/13/lajoskomaromi-pincefesztival/

My Best Achievement of 2020

Throughout 2020 I slogged hard at our garden. It is a little large for one person to manage. Eric is unable to do any sort of gardening as he has a bad back. It was down to me to dig, weed, sow, water and keep the garden in some kind of order. We had an abundant veggie patch and flower beds full of flowers. We invested in a lawn mower and strimmer that my son Raphael actually enjoyed using so that helped me a lot. Next year I shall be creating raised vegetable beds so Eric, my husband is able to take a hand in the gardening.

My Best Day of 2020

Looking back over the year my best day was my birthday at the end of July. We all decided a birthday lunch was in order so travelled to a (new to us) fish restaurant in idyllic surroundings and enjoyed a wonderful meal.

My Best Photography 2020

Finally, my best of 2020 would not be complete without a few “best of” photographs. Photography is my hobby and have been snapping for many years. I enter competitions and love to get a little creative with my shots.

Best Landscape 2020

Kisszékely Lake in Autumn, Hungary 2020

Best People Shot 2020

A traditional village wedding Kisszékely, Hungary.

For more wonderful photographs of this pretty village wedding see the link below.

https://makinghungaryhome.wordpress.com/2020/08/28/a-hungarian-village-wedding/

Best Animal Shot 2020

Our gorgeous Haley Husky

I have taken may shots of animals over the year but I felt this one was the best. Of course, I am slightly biased but looking at my stats on WordPress my post about Siberian Husky owners was the most popular and I am thrilled.💕 Thank you if you have looked and liked, much appreciated. If you haven’t, and would like too, then here is the link:

https://makinghungaryhome.wordpress.com/2020/04/25/you-know-you-are-a-true-siberian-husky-owner-when/

So there you have it, 7 of my “best” things about 2020. We are hoping for more excursions and adventures in 2021. My bucket list says I should be hot air ballooning over Lake Balaton on my 60th birthday…lets see. Always the optimist, I live in hope.

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for reading and commenting on my blog over the past year and hope to show you a little more of what Hungary has to offer.

Happy New Year or in Hungarian – Boldog új évet

Categories
Everyday Life in Hungary

Lakeside Autumn Delights, Kisszékely, Hungary

A colourful photo-walk with my camera along the beautiful banks of the lakes of Kisszékely, Hungary

We are so fortunate to live in such a picturesque village set in a very green lush valley with two large fishing lakes. The lakes are full of carp, and attract the fishermen from far and wide. There are often weekend competitions. The lake is also home to a huge variety of wildlife including herons and various wild ducks.

Passing through the village this young goat eyed me as I took a photo of him through the undergrowth. He has his own little lake although I suspect it is just waterlogged!

We also passed this staggering Sumac tree, a very common sight throughout the village. The berries are ground into a spice and used in cooking, it has a lemony taste and is beautiful in salads.

Approaching the lake the trees are changing colour rapidly giving a bright warm ambience. The sign indicates our path, it means “Quiet Place”.

Another view of the lake with the dense forest surrounding it. Wild deer live amongst the trees and often venture out onto the roads.

A seat is always welcoming especially one surrounded with bronzed leaves! A time to reflect and admire the views.

A path surrounds the lake but does not go all the way round. Raphael my walking companion …was slightly bored waiting for mother to finish taking photos! I walk slowly, I stop frequently and take lots of photos…he knows that!

This was my view across to the other side of the lake, with the small fishing jetties scattered along the bank. Today there were no fishermen trying their luck.

With blue skies and still waters the reflections are just glorious. Each time I visit the reflections, like the trees, change.

This tunnel of trees beckoned us to walk down its weathered path, inviting us to look further. This certainly is a peaceful place amongst beautiful surroundings, no wonder it’s called “The Quiet Place”.

The tall majestic trees lined the banks of the lakes, each one displaying its own individual beauty.

This is the second lake a few metres further along the main road. I like the combinations of trees better than lake one. It is more pleasing (for me) to the eye. I especially like the Weeping Willows.

Sycamore in the sunshine! They are unbelievably crunchy underfoot!

Finally, strolling home I looked up and was treated to a flock of geese noisily migrating for the winter. I heard them way before they became visible. What a noisy bunch!

This is the last picture which I had to add…walking home along the main street we were greeted by these elegant chickens, a reminder that we are living the rural life and this is perfectly normal here. Ha!

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Haley our Siberian Husky

Husky on Heat – What To Expect…

Do you own a female Husky?

We do….Haley, our Siberian Husky is 3 years old and has given us much pleasure and companionship since she joined our family.

She is our first dog, so before we collected her I diligently researched her breed and general requirements. However, I neglected to do any research in relation to the in “heat” season of a female dog. My lack of knowledge in this area can be excused, Eric and our son Raphael had travelled many miles to collect our male Husky pup, surprisingly they came back with a black and white female pup…Haley!

Haley our Siberian Husky

I was a little distressed when Haley entered her first “heat” a couple of years ago, not realising the droplets of blood coming from Haley was completely normal and nothing to be concerned about. Remember I was a first time dog owner at that time!! I did more research and now thankfully can deal with everything that goes with this regular event.

What to expect when your Husky goes in “heat”

It is certainly wise to be aware of your dog’s cycle as her behaviour will change and so will her body.

Huskies mature at age 2 with “heats” every 6 months lasting about 3 weeks.

There are several general signs that indicate your Husky is in “heat”

  • Frequent urinating
  • Bloody discharge
  • Constant licking of swollen vulva

There are behaviour changes too, and as an owner you will notice these changes right away. Observing your Husky will help identify the different stages of the “heat” she is experiencing.

  • More alert than usual, but sometimes not
  • Rowdy excitable behaviour, charging around full of energy
  • An increase in appetite
  • Sleepy and a little anxious
  • A Husky in “heat” will wag her tail flirtatiously and hold her tail up high to invite male dogs

What to DO to help your Husky

Your Husky is going through huge hormonal changes within her body whilst in “heat”. This results in mood swings, anxiety and bursts of energy alternating with bouts of tiredness. Similar to the human female cycle. Here are 3 ways you can comfort, help and reassure your Husky.

  • Patience and understanding with lots of talking to each other
  • Cuddles with lots of love and attention, tickling behind the ears has a calming effect
  • Play with your Husky to burn off some energy, this improves their sleep
Raphael and Haley having a love

What NOT to do…

Your dog is emitting breeding pheromones and male dogs can smell her from miles away. To prevent pregnancy:

Fenced In!
  • Do not leave your Husky unsupervised in the garden, they are unpredictable and amazing escape artists
  • Do not walk your Husky off-lead. Huskies are stubborn and have poor recall abilities
Haley’s Garden

We get male dogs sniffing around at the front gates so know when Haley is in “heat”. She also exhibits all the above behaviours (and the naughty ones) and have learnt a lot about our Haley Husky!

At this point in our lives we are not sure yet if we will let Haley have puppies. We are still debating the commitment it would take.

Treats for good girls!

Our lives have dramatically changed since adding Haley to our little family in Hungary. Having a dog in our retirement is very fulfilling, she keeps us fit and on our toes and gives us a tremendous amount of fun and laughter. But I don’t think I am ready for multiple Haley’s!

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Everyday Life in Hungary

Ambling around Kisszékely Church grounds – Hungary

October 2020

Kisszékely church grounds

Sometimes I just like to take a gentle walk around the village church grounds. It seems to clear my head and freshen my outlook.

I have lived in a village before when I was a child but all my adult life I have been a city girl!

Now it’s….

Returning to live the village life and taking a step back in time is very rewarding. The villagers mostly live off the land, sometimes a very frugal, simple life. They work very hard but are always jolly and friendly. The village community have welcomed us enthusiastically and it would seem, we fit in nicely. We are the only permanent English family living here.

Kisszékely main street, complete with a shop, pub and church. Winter.

I love to hear the church bell, but did not realise the significance of the daily bell toll. It rings at 5.00 am, I assume to call worshippers to this Roman Catholic church.

Kisszékely church, Hungary, built in 1823 in the neo-classical style.

I was curious, so did a Google search and found these explanations for the daily bell toll at 12 noon and 7 pm.

Why do the bells ring at noon?

“Fearing that Christianity might succumb to the Ottoman Empire, Pope Callixtus III ordered all the bells of every European church to ring at noon, as support for the Christian forces in the battle. It worked, Ottoman forces withdrew and the news of victory reached Europe. The bells at noon became bells of victory.”

Why do the bells ring at 7pm?

“In association with the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers, bells in cathedrals, churches and other locations will ring out at 7pm in a collective celebration of peace.“

During the summer months I hear the 5.00 am bell (the windows are open) and the whole village becomes alive with activity. Hungarians tend to live around the daylight hours, setting off early to the fields in their tractors as soon as it gets light.

Kisszékelyi Római katolikus templom: Meaning, The Roman Catholic church of Kisszékely.

My walk took me up the hill to get a good autumnal photo of the church. The changing colours of the trees at this time of year are sensational.

I was pleasantly surprised when I reached the top of the hill to see a brand new lavender field right behind the church. How lovely for the worshippers to get wafts of lavender when arriving or leaving the church.

Walking past the lavender field and around the corner a welcome seat beckoned to me. I wondered how many stories had been told on this seat? I sat a while and enjoyed my surroundings.

The church steps are steep and well worn. A marathon for anyone! I admire the people visiting on a regular basis. The walk down was lovely. Slightly concerning was the fallen tree!!

Many engraved stones made up the steps, cracked and weathered but still a beautiful reminder of those no longer with us.

Bursting with colour the berries and the leaves looked beautiful in the afternoon sunshine.

By now I had left the church and made my way up the side of the valley. Even the vines on top of the hills were a multi-coloured delight.

Walking higher this was what I could see. A typical Hungarian village scene, houses nestled in the valley with wisps of white smoke escaping from the chimneys below.

From my vantage point I could see the church popping out of the landscape. A beautiful sight.

Time to head back home passing this little gem of a tractor in someone’s garden. No doubt it will be working the fields sometime soon!

A very pleasant circular walk around this surprisingly pretty village of Kisszékely, Hungary.

Do you like walking, exploring your surroundings and discovering new things to photograph and enjoy? It gives me lots of pleasure, and an opportunity to photograph things that I would never have seen living in the city. I am thankful to be settled in the countryside.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Categories
Everyday Life in Hungary

Walking the “Wine Way” Kisszékely, Hungary

October Walking Trail – Kisszékely

October Sights to Surely Delight!

We woke this morning to a frosty Hungary! By midday the frost had disappeared and the skies were blue. Raphael and I decided to venture out for another interesting walk along one of Kisszékely village trails.

Kiss Street and the start of our walk.

Pretty orange berries lined our walk.

The sign indicates the coloured dots we must follow through the trail.

“Blackthorn Boulevard”

The trail took us off-road and into the forest. Access to various fields is gained from this path, each field high up on the tops of the hillside.

The path took us through the steep sided walls of the embankment. The dappled sunshine gave a gentle ambience whilst we walked…..

We were so engrossed in the scenery we did not initially hear a man’s voice shouting loudly, “Hello” “Hello”. We turned around and two men suddenly appeared out of a wine cellar in the hillside, carrying various vessels full of wine.

It is winemaking season here in Hungary and these 2 chappies were “doing” their wine. They stopped for a chat and insisted we try their wine! Of course, it would be rude not too, and considered an insult if I had refused. Hungarians are very proud of their wine making abilities and competition is strong amongst the villagers, with gentle rivalry very normal.

The conversation as you can imagine, consisted of odd words and much sign language. My Hungarian is not great, we laughed a lot. They seemed to want to give us more wine but we had to carry on along the trail.

We have walked this trail before and recognised the still fallen tree over the path. The massive trees roots still exposed on the hillside and protruding in unusual shapes gave it an eerie feeling.

Raphael, curious about his surroundings began surveying the boulders and vegetation.

Determined to climb “up” in any way possible, he made a few attempts to scale the rock face!

After he had made several time consuming attempts at the stone face he abandoned it so we could continue along the trail further into the forest. All we could hear was the constant chatter of the overhead woodpeckers and their incessant tapping.

We crunched along the path stepping on these many seed pods from the overhanging trees.

Soon the landscape started changing, we rounded a corner and the hillsides became incredibly steep and dark.

Suddenly we came to a huge clearing with this quaint cottage just sitting there surrounded by trees. It reminded me of the fairy tale “Little Red Riding Hood”!

Raphael was keen to take a closer look, whilst I took advantage of the picnic table for a breather. I am not sure if this a residential property or if it belongs to the Forestry Commission. Either way it is very pretty.

It certainly is a very peaceful location.

As is usual along these forest trails, boards are strategically placed for walkers to get an idea of the natural habitat and its inhabitants.

I was on the look out for fungi/mushrooms and came across these beauties. I do not pick wild mushrooms but they are super pretty to photograph.

Our walk was coming to an end, Raphael and I had picked up sticks along the way….. to aid walking he said! He was right! We made our way back with our acquired walking sticks trying to avoid the many falling acorns as we went.

Mother Nature continued to enchant us later that evening. The sky decided to explode into an array of colours just before sundown. What a beautiful way to end our day.

Categories
Everyday Life in Hungary

September Saunter, Kisszékely Forest, Hungary

“Saunter” – to walk in a slow, relaxed manner

Raphael and I thought we would go for a short walk and explore through the many forests surrounding the village of Kisszékely.

Our route took us past the village dairy farm where we were greeted by lots of friendly speckled cows. Some oblivious to our attentions so just continued to extract the hay by any means possible, even if it meant climbing into the feeder!

My mother used to say “if the cows are sitting down it is going to rain” – my mother has never lived in Hungary!

Raphael, my walking companion was ready and eager to lead the way. On the muddy path we could easily identify that deer had walked that way. The lazy butterfly was oblivious to the muddy surface and my photography!

Trailing the footsteps of young deer and butterflies

Our walk took us past many wild hedgerows laden with coloured berries. I have never been tempted to pick berries in the wild as my knowledge is basic but it is improving rapidly.

Wild rose, Vadrózsa in Hungarian. The Hungarians call this Gyalog Bodza and looks very similar to elderberries but must not be eaten.

This rather grubby sign told us what to expect in this area and this walk. We have spotted snakes here before but did not see any on our walk today. We did spot a hawk though.

These pretty little orange lanterns are called Physalis Alkekengi / Winter Cherry. The purple berries that look similar to Blueberries are Sloes, excellent for making Sloe Gin.

As we ambled along in the September sunshine we passed a huge sunflower field (Hungary are prolific sunflower growers) ready for cropping and then processing into sunflower oil.

The entrance to the forest drew closer, we walked a little faster eager to get inside.

Sunflowers waiting to be harvested and processed into oil.

At last we entered the canopied forest enjoying the cool air and rustling trees.

At last into the forest with Ranger Raphael and his stick!
Resting on a log!

The forest whispered to itself lightly dropping leaves on our path. We sauntered along chatting and taking photos. Whispers of sunshine cast their shadows through the trees. Raphael turned to me and said “this is the perfect place to have a romantic walk with my girlfriend”. I had to agree.

Peaceful but for the rustle of the trees.
Different areas had different trees, these with a carpet of bronzing leaves underneath.

Exploring is all part of the fun in the forest. Raphael spotted this huge mud pit under the trees. It deserved closer inspection. We agreed it was probably for the wild boar living in the forest.

The fruits of the forest kept giving. Acorns from the huge trees rained down on us whenever there was a sudden gust of wind. I spotted this gentle white wispy flower, later I discovered it was called Clematis Vitalba / Oldman’s Beard. The burst of yellow is Olidago / Goldenrods.

These stunning trees lined our path called Ailanthus Altissima/Tree of Heaven.

Ailanthus Altissima / Tree of Heaven

All went well until we met a junction with no obvious “right way” so we just kept walking. Raphael, however assured me he knew which way we should go!

Whichever way we chose we were certainly going deeper into the forest….and perhaps a little lost. I was suitably relieved to find somewhere to rest and decide which way next.

After much huffing and puffing and a good deal more walking (and a short stint in the undergrowth) we finally came upon a wondrous sight. A massive clearing came into view and the recognisable grey cattle of the village farmer meant we knew where we were.

Hungarian Grey Cattle

What a delight to see a field full of donkey’s all walking over to us, presumably to see if we had brought treats. Sadly, we had not.

Hungarian Donkeys

Our walk was improving by the minute. Next door to the donkeys live the lamas who were happy to say hello. All these animals belong to the same farmer, on a large expanse of land and appear to be very contented. The farmer also has sheep, goats, horses and water buffalo to my knowledge.

Leaving the fields full of animals behind we continued our journey towards the main road. What a welcoming sight.

Up the hill a little and round the corner to our familiar village sign.

Down the hill, past the lakes with the usual tractor traffic on our way home. 🙂

Raphael and I had spent a very pleasant 4 hours walking 5 miles. In spite of getting a little lost the forest was wonderful, as always. I was glad to sit down and have a very British cup of tea.

I am very proud of my walking achievement and thankful to have a good tracker to keep me motivated. In England I never walked 5 miles in a day, but then again I lived in the city and not the countryside. A big bonus for living in rural Hungary.

Do you have a fitbit/tracker to motivate you? Do you enjoy walks in the forest? I would love to hear from you.

Categories
Everyday Life in Hungary

Capital Calling – Budapest

In Search of Turkish Spices

I had fabulous day out with the Eric yesterday! We took the long drive into Budapest, the capital of Hungary and realised how I had become very accustomed to empty roads and very little traffic in the countryside!

Crossing the River Danube

Driving in the middle of the capital alongside tram lines and bright yellow trams was a hair-raising experience! Pedestrians frequently crossed the main roads with no regard to moving traffic and the general crazy driving of other motorists made me hold my breath more than once!

Imposing buildings lined the streets with little cafes and shops housed at street level. Lots of things to take photos of but I had to keep my eye on the road! I was navigator along with Sat Nav man!

Finally we reached our destination in one piece, car parked and we both let out a huge sigh of relief!

This was the Turkish food market I had found on the internet and hoped it would sell everything we needed.

👌https://www.facebook.com/TroyaTorokelelmiszeruzlet/

We usually get our herbs and spices from England but the Covid-19 Pandemic had put a stop to that. Our supplies were running low and it was a good excuse for a day out and to get into the city.

The Turkish supermarket was located in the heart of the 8th district of Budapest, one of the oldest districts in the city and occupied a prominent corner position, so easy to spot.

Thankfully our efforts were not in vane and the long journey was forgotten as soon as we entered the store. We were not disappointed and bought far more things than we had intended too!

Above the herbs and spices hung these amazing Turkish lanterns in lovely colours suspended from the ceiling, the shelves were filled with numerous Turkish nik-naks…. I felt like I was in Turkey!

The store had a well stocked Halal butcher and a fabulous bakery selling enticing sweets and mouth watering breads.

By now we had filled our trolley with lots of wonderful products and breads and hams for us to eat for our lunch. Shopping had made us hungry!

I had looked on the map to find somewhere close by to have something to eat before heading off home again. I was delighted to find a huge park that was also a cemetery just around the corner.

This was Fiumei Road Cemetery and park…56 hectares full of rich fauna and flora. Also perfect to have our picnic.

A beautifully peaceful park with an added bonus at the entrance, a useful information centre that gave me a map providing a little history about this huge majestic cemetery in the heart of the Budapest city….in English!

It would not usually be a place that I would have taken photographs but I was mesmerised by the fantastic stone sculptures on the tombstones. Each one told its own personal story.

Those buried here are prominent personalities of the Hungarian nation dating from 1849. Most of the tombs have historic value and were created by reputable architects and sculptors.

This is called “Arcades” built between 1904 and 1908 in the Art Nouveau style.

Inside the entrance this was painted on the ceiling. Spectacular!

After walking through the many avenues of trees and pristine shrubs I came across these two wonderful memorial creations.

With our car laden with fresh lamb, Turkish breads and all the herbs and spices we needed to last us another 6 months we headed off home.

We pulled off the road for a break and came across a hidden beauty…I just had to photograph it! Set back from the road was a massive fishing lake looking tranquil in the afternoon sun. This was Lake Adony. It was also a chance to eat fallen apples from the laden trees surrounding it. A perfect way to end our successful day trip to Budapest.

Categories
Everyday Life in Hungary

Lajoskomáromi Pincefesztivál

August 2020 Lajoskomáromi Village, Hungary.

Wine Festival

This lovely little village is a 30 minute drive from our home and I was fortunate to be able to get a copy of the wine festival map to see what was going on.

Lajoskomáromi Pincefesztivál is an annual event and we made it our destination of the day! 🍷

The first time either of us had been to a Wine Festival in Hungary.

With the weather at a hot 34 degrees we made our way to this charming village holding the festival.

Every Pince (Wine House) had ladies serving glasses of wine, red and white.

A Pince is a place where wine is produced from the owner’s vineyards. Each year a competition is held to determine the best wine. A small fee is charged at the entrance of the festival in exchange for a glass in a bag to hang around your neck. You can visit as many Pince’s as you like or are able!!

Notice the glass carrier around the wine drinkers neck.

To make sure it was a truly family day, a super, predominantly wooden play area had been set up for the children to play in. It was excellent! Even the roundabout was made of wood and hand driven.

Good to see outdoor Jenga!

No festival would be complete without sticky sweets laid out in boxes under a vivid pink canopy.

For the older kids an area had been set aside for the more traditional fairground rides accompanied by pulsating music and smiling teens….although not so smiling in this shot!

Perhaps the entertainer is lost..
Perhaps the entertainer is lost..
Onwards up the hill!
Onwards up the hill!

After walking around the fairground we ventured into the heart of the village to explore the Pince’s.

We were delighted to see and hear traditional music as we approached the Pince’s.

Outside the next Pince, the same, it was magical to just sit and listen in the sunshine.

It became clear that this was a truly family event with huge families picnicking, meats on open fires and the smell of pork wafting on the wind.

Family and friends enjoy the outdoor life in Hungary.

This was the last Pince we visited and were invited down into the cellars to see the wine being processed. Every Hungarian is proud of their homemade wine and considers their Bor (wine) as the best.

Eric got chatty with this particular Pince owner and his friends, what a friendly bunch! As is customary Hungarians like their wine and these guys were enjoying the festival with great gusto! So much so that red wine ended up down Eric’s tee shirt!!

Egészségére! - Cheers in Hungarian
Egészségére! – Cheers in Hungarian

Walking through the village back to the car we came across this magnificent peach tree…I have never seen such a laden tree. Also, the Horse Chestnut Tree developing plenty of Autumn conkers.

Our first wine festival in Hungary and it won’t be the last!

Categories
Seasonal Photographs

Seasonal Summer Photos in and around Kisszékely, Hungary

We are nearing the end of summer in our little rural village of Kisszékely. Our 3rd summer here and everyone has been wonderfully beautiful, full of flowers and wildlife, sights and sounds I would never hear in the city.

I have collected together my 12 best summer photos to give you an idea of summer life in Hungary.

The glorious sunflowers of Hungary, all different shades of yellow attracting bees and insects all summer long.

As the late sun goes down over Kisszékely lake it reminds me of why we moved to such a tranquil place. So very peaceful.

Haley Husky loves to get involved in every aspect of gardening! She manages to find her way under my feet regularly!

Hungary is blessed with radiant orangey sunsets, this one was particularly beautiful.

I can’t resist a field of sunflowers in full bloom. The heads are left on until the plant is completely brown and ready for harvesting later in the year.

Our garden has many Hibiscus of varying colours white through pinks and purples. It would appear to be a popular easy to grow plant with many flowers all summer long.

This is my colourful view whilst relaxing on our verandah.

This is the view from our bedroom window… lots of delicious sunflower seeds for hungry finches.

The white roses have flowered three times this year producing a wonderful display.

Walking around the village I was taken in by this lovely front garden. The splash of red often seen in front of Hungarian houses pops out at you. In Hungary the residents are responsible for the grass verges outside their houses.

We are fortunate to have a fairly lively animal farm in the village with a huge variety of animals including there gorgeous donkeys. They were looking hopefully for something to nibble.

Country life in Kisszékely Hungary suits us very well. Now it’s time to prepare for crisp autumn walks and hot warming casseroles.