Tag: Kisszékely

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Everyday Life in Hungary

October Delights Strolling Around The Pretty Village of Kisszékely, Hungary

Such a beautiful day, early morning sunshine convinced me it was time to have a walk around the village. I never know what to expect on my walks, there is always something interesting to look at at any time of year. We have had a lovely warm late summer this year, the flowers are still growing enthusiastically.

This ~Welcome Bicycle~ sits elegantly in front of one of two lakes in the village. It looks rather healthy and no doubt much loved by one or several of the villagers.

If you would like to see the photos in a larger size, simply click on them to enhance your viewing experience.

I started my walk from just outside of the village boundary. On the approach into the village there is another “Welcome to Kisszékely” sign, beautifully complemented by the popular red Geraniums.

My initial intention was to walk as far as the busy animal farm a little way out of the village, then make my way back. There are usually many different animals to look at and photograph. Horses, donkeys, goats, sheep, llamas, pigs and deer, but none to be seen. Each day the animals are let out into certain fields on certain days. It is a bit of pot-luck if the animals are on the roadside enclosure. Today was not my lucky day…either they were somewhere else (different field) or they had not been let out yet. Undeterred, I walked up a dusty farm track, up the hill to see if I could see “ANY” kind of animal!! Nope not today, instead I took photos of deer tracks and would you believe my shoe print on the way up the track and then on the way down!

After my “no show” of animals I headed back towards the village. I was amazed at how green everything was, the warm weather has delayed Autumn but not for long I am sure. This photo is actually all about the winding road snaking up the hill and around the corner. The canopy of green trees worked perfectly to give a little mystery to my photo.

Traffic jam! Not really….. just a very frequent sight backwards and forwards through the village.

As you can see from the photo below, not all my photos are picture perfect. No doubt, if I was carrying a mobile phone my shot would be way better. The story behind this photo is that this is Henry Heron and he lives on the lake but he is extremely flitty and flies off at the slightest sound. I have been trying for years to photograph him but with little success. So today I was so excited to see my “first animal” and it was Henry! I quickly launched my camera into position, jammed it to my eye and pointed it in the right direction. As you can see my camera kindly autofocused on the foliage in front of my fleeing subject. Very frustrating. I don’t think I have got the patience to be a bird watcher!

Henry had made a hasty retreat and was now circling the lake presumably looking to perch somewhere and observe humans like me!

Here is Henry again as he circled some more.

Black and white Henry, his wing span is huge similar to a stork.

When I uploaded this photo it immediately reminded me of a certain very popular soap opera. If I said Hilda Ogden and Flying Ducks would you know what I was talking about??? I am sure British of a certain age will know!

I found this interesting piece about the flying ducks.

And if you have not guessed already it was Coronation Street.

https://coronationstreet.fandom.com/wiki/Flying_Ducks

After the excitement of the heron and ducks, I took a moment to stop and appreciate the October countryside. How very peaceful it was, stood leant up against a tree just listening to Mother Nature.

Walking back towards the village, I always get a feeling of being welcomed when I approach the signs. That is obviously the intention. The Council workers work very hard keeping the village neat and tidy, regardless of the weather! Temperatures get very high in the summer months making outdoor work uncomfortably hot.

This is a recent addition to the welcome sign, you might be wondering what it says? The translation is: Thank you for 800 years of Kisszékely. The village settlement is 800 years old which automatically called for lots of celebrating amongst the villagers.

And the other side: Come back to Kisszékely!

Baratok Tava – Meaning Baratok Lake This fishing lake has verified medieval origins which is quite unusual. The lake access is down a steep path winding through the trees until you come to a clearing and there is Baratok Lake. 

This was the first thing I photographed when I reached the clearing, “Sunny Gerrie’s” an expression my husband and I use to describe geraniums!!

At first look at the lake I spotted this white, what I thought was a discarded rubbish bag…it was moving slowly, I assumed propelled by the wind…but it got faster and faster until I squinted through my camera some more, extended the zoom and realised that it was a remote controlled boat!

I had not seen boats on the lake before other than an odd rowing boat. This was new to me…then I spotted the men on the opposite bank, remote control in hand looking pleased with themselves.

Normally I encounter this sort of lake activity – fishing! It is not free to fish, apparently you need to buy a pass for a nominal fee to enjoy the fish of this lake. I have never tried fishing, it does appear to be a popular sport in all the rural villages of Hungary.

My first thought when I looked down the length of the lake was Tranquility. I can understand fishermen coming down here for day fishing, it is so peaceful and has such beautiful surroundings.

I love the magnificent Weeping Willows. They bow their lengthy branches almost to the the waters edge, but not quite! I took photos from both sides of the lake.

This is Baratok Lake’s seasonally decorated fishing pavilion. There is a covered veranda to the side if you wish to sit and appreciate the view of the lake. There is an information board with photos of various fish with their species name that live in this lake.

Around the other side of the pavilion is this garden scene where a little imagination is needed! It made me stop, look twice, then laugh!

This is such a welcoming Autumn photo. Those crunchy brown leaves were shouting to be walked upon. I enjoyed the pleasure!

Dotted around the lake are lots of wooden piers and a wide variety of seating arrangements. If I was going to be fishing and sitting for some time (which the majority of fishermen do) I would choose the green wooden bench. I could not contemplate sitting on that very flimsy uncomfortable looking chair in the second photo. However, it did make an interesting thought provoking shot.

This giant Weeping Willow stood silently as I took my first photograph. By the time I had finished walking and turned back the wind had suddenly picked up. It was now blowing, whooshing and whispering to itself. I do like the ‘sounds’ of nature.

Transformed into a Windy Willow!

Late summer colour continues to brighten up the village with gorgeous displays of roses and marigolds at many houses.

Magnificent marigolds brighten the path.

Abundant Berries and huge wood piles are a common sight. Preparations for winter, chopping and stacking wood is underway. Massive deliveries of uncut wood are unloaded by delivery trucks at this time of year, just like this one. Owners can then look forward to having a winter supply of fuel.

Berries
Logs for Winter
Name tag on a wooden pier

A very pretty stylish hanging basket display worthy of a photo.

This is the other lake in the village, complete with a firepit, benches for picnics and leaning trees. I shall do a lake tour of this lake another time.

Finally, Kisszékely is a walkers paradise with numerous forest walks throughout the area. Each walk is colour coded with information boards at regular intervals. For those who like running there is also an annual village trail race, running through the forests with people competing from all over the county.

I hope you have enjoyed accompanying me on my October walk with my camera. There will be more camera-walks throughout the year. Thanks for reading 🍁🍁🍁

Categories
Everyday Life in Hungary

Super September Saunter round the pretty village of Kisszékely with my camera

What a beautiful day to take a walk around the pretty little village of Kisszékely, Hungary.

The September sun was shining and the birds were constantly chattering to themselves as I strolled down the main road with my camera.

If you would like to see the photos in a larger size, simply click on them to enhance your viewing experience.

Village life starts around 7.00 am or earlier in the summer months when the mornings are lighter. Most of the villagers had done their morning chores before I had even ventured out.

Lots of houses display window boxes full of colourful geraniums, they are long lasting flowers and do not need much attention, prettily adding a flash of colour.

There were however the usual grass cutters and people strimming their gardens. This road leads to the cemetery and is always well maintained by either the villagers or the local council.

The village has various properties for sale, some in better condition than others! Eladó means “For Sale”. The one on the left has this amazing Virginia Creeper running up the side of the wall, it changes to a vibrant red in late October. The one on the right is probably better for demolition and rebuilding.

For at least the past 6 years this house has been derelict with no sign up for sale. When someone dies in the village the younger generation would normally stay on and maintain the house. Sadly there are no jobs in the village for the youngsters so they tend to move away in search of better lives and careers, usually to the capital, Budapest. This means that houses lie empty for years.

Some of the abandoned properties are personalised with their name/date on the front door, like this one, dated 1925.

Our home has white plastic drop-down blinds! Some of the village houses have wooden shutters which close from the outside and even the newer renovated houses retain the traditional authentic wooden shutters. I rather like them. Blinds are essential to keep the homes cool over the summer months.

Most houses have some sort of iron railings bordering their property. This one is a fairly common design, the shadows make it interesting to look at.

Most families have at least one dog in their household. I have lost count of the number of times they have made me jump with their sharp barking. I tend to walk down the middle of the road to avoid them!

These interesting structures appeared in several gardens I looked at. In days gone by they would have been for hanging and smoking meat, probably pork.

The September flowers are always a delight to look at and photograph. I think this is a Hibiscus, but am unsure.

Colourful and sweet smelling roses are still blooming in everybody’s gardens, they love the warm weather we are having. My roses are in their third bloom.

The photo on the left is a Sumac tree producing long red flowers that produce a spice, a dye and also is added to medicine. They grow easily here in Hungary. The second photo I think this is a cotton bush adorned with beautiful fluffy heads.

I am totally stumped with this one. At first look, they appear to be conkers (Horse Chestnuts)….but the leaves don’t match!

Kisszékely has many walks and trails around the valley and forests. This is a typical sign indicating on a map where you are and what you can expect to see while out and about. Each trail is colour coded so as not to get lost!

Hungary has many forests and woods, so there is plenty of timber about. This is an upper floor veranda made of wood. A lovely private place to sit and relax.

Walking further up the hill a burst of yellow bobbing flowers looked stunning in the morning sunshine….

…and a lazy butterfly lapping up the sun.

As I glanced through the farm gates I spotted several geese making their way slowly across the grass. I smiled as they formed an orderly queue (except for the last one) and continued on their way. Perhaps looking for water, they certainly knew where they were going.

This is a sad sight to see here in Hungary. Unfortunately, it is very common to have dogs chained up on a permanent basis. I have no words for this sad looking dog.

Further up the hill, I was slightly shocked to see a middle aged man gardening in his underwear!! I was slightly shocked, so turned around quickly and took a picture downhill!!

It is not unusual to have your veggie plot or flower garden on the other side of the road to your house, this is an example of one. The roads are very quiet but it seems a little inconvenient!

There were plenty of wild flowers on my route attracting the many bugs in the air.

A very common sight was lots of red tractors, parked in random places. The first one is “Belarus” produced in the 1950’s and still going strong today. Our neighbour also has a “Belarus”, it is super noisy and puffs out loads of black smoke every time it passes.

This is a water pump, fresh water and drinkable. Water many years ago would come from a well and then pumps were installed on the road side enabling those without water to have it. Most are still in use today, for example, the builders across the road regularly fill their buckets with water for mixing cement, school children replenish their water bottles on the way to school. Watering the front verges outside your property (this is the owner’s responsibility) is easier using the water pumps.

We have many feral cats in the village, all of them very shy and cautious. Here are just three of them, wandering around. They often come in our garden but flee the minute you approach them.

Every village has a church, this is ours, St George’s. This Saturday there will be a jubilee mass to celebrate the 200th anniversary of its consecration, quite an occasion for the village.

Most villages have a pub called a “Kocsma” in Hungarian. It opens early…so not unusual to see customers sitting outside at 7.00am in the morning! The second picture a little further down from the pub is a memorial statue sitting amongst a sweet smelling rose garden. It is also where Thursday market sellers come and sell their wares.

All around the village residents have different sorts of letter boxes, here are just four of them. A post van comes daily to the village and if you hang a sign outside your house he will visit you personally. You can pay bills, buy phone credit, collect parcels, anything a Post Office would do. It is very handy. It also caters to those villagers who are less mobile and can’t get to the main Post Office in the next village.

September Flowers
September Berries

If you love horses then Kisszékely is the place to be. There are several riding stables located here and you can take a horse for a stroll around the village and into the forests.

Bright and cheerful houses occupy the village, here are examples of just two of them. Hungarians appear to like colour, it does cheer the village up and makes directions easier!!

Homes that have cliffs backing them tend to have caves sunk into the rock, these are then used for storage or in some cases for wine making or storing fruit and vegetables over the winter season. There are many of these in the village.

My final photo is significant…this is our gardener’s wheelbarrow adapted over the years for easier transportation. It is left on the verge ready for its next job…we are lucky there is minimal crime in the village and it will still be there until he needs it again.

Thank you for reading my post. If you can identify any of the plants in my photos, please let me know what they are in the comments. Very much appreciated and many thanks.

Categories
Everyday Life in Hungary

Noisy bikers descend on the usually peaceful village of Kisszékely

Kisszékely was taken over a few weeks ago by the annual motorbike rally around the village. All ages took part and everyone had a lot of fun. A campsite was set up next to the swimming pool and a marquee was erected for refreshments.

If you like motorbikes then you will LOVE this post!

If you would like to see the photos at a larger size, simply click on them to enhance your viewing experience.

Every July many bikers gather in the village of Kisszékely to have a generally rowdy fun weekend. They ride through the village beeping their horns, shouting and waving at the spectators en route.

This particular year there were more bikes than usual, the good weather lifting everyone’s spirits.

There were a wide variety of bikes, quads, scooters and dirt bikes. This bike reminded me of a “Chopper bicycle” popular in the 70’s and 80’s!

Our village is a dead end, so the bikers turned at the end of the village and returned back up to the village green and campsite.

They passed our house twice so if I missed them going down I could catch them coming back.

This young man seemed to be having a problem with his bike, embarrassingly for him, he broke down in front of me and my camera!! Finally, he rejoined the rally.

You will notice that many of the participants, including children did not wear helmets.

These two are friends of ours….pay attention Atilla!!

The rally stretched out as the slower bikes took their time. The youngsters riding solo were closely followed by their parents.

On the way back to the campsite, past the church and village pub, a topless biker enjoyed the blazing heat!

This was my “Photo of The Day” Can’t beat a beer swilling, cig smoking trio of ageing bikers….with a rather ageing bike and sidecar.

This sensible parent made sure his son had his helmet on…although I do believe it is a cycle helmet.

This is the turn into the campsite. As the bikers noisily came down the hill there was lots of skidding and smoking tyres, showing off to the spectators and photographers no doubt.

The bikers had come the night before to set up their camping gear.

Many brought tents and set up camp under the shade of the big trees.

This was an opportunity to admire other people’s bikes and chat “biker talk”.

….even if you had just been for a dip in the pool.

This is our village pool, a beautiful pool open for the duration of the summer months. Very well used at events like this.

Time for sunbathing or just relaxing in the early evening sun.

There were certainly some AMAZING bikes to look at. As I walked around with my camera, the bikers were obviously very proud of them.

I particularly liked this BMW side car along with several other people.

These next 3 bikes were pretty impressive too, and worthy of photos.

Finally, this is a short clip of the bikers passing me and giving me camera shake as they revved past me!!

Do you like motorbikes, or own a bike? Does your local village/town hold rallies like this? I would be interested to hear in the comments.

Categories
Hungarian History

Harvest Festival Day 2023. Fantastic and Traditional in Kisszékely, Hungary

If you would like to see the photos at a larger size, simply click on them to enhance your viewing experience.

With promising July blue skies, the people of the surrounding villages gathered together in Kisszékely to make preparations for the annual Harvest Festival procession.

Our usually quiet village was full of cars for this very important event in the Hungarian calendar.

This traditional tractor and cart led the procession down to the local church for prayers and blessings for a successful fruitful harvest.

The horses had been prepared for the procession, beautifully groomed and decorated, the riders looked lovely in their traditional Hungarian dress.

A short service took place on the village green prior to the start of the days’ events. The Hungarian flag was raised and everyone sang the Hungarian National Anthem. The first time I had heard it.

Many of the walkers wore traditional dress, a beautiful showcase of Hungarian womenswear and menswear from all the surrounding villages in preparation for harvesting.

This photo made me smile. The ladies of the village, at 7.00 am in the morning had a shot of the very potent Palinka (Hungarian brandy)! I am told it was a traditional ritual, I would struggle if I drank so early in the morning!

This gentlemen led the way down to the church, his assistant obviously had some last minute mobile phone conversations. Where old meets new!

The Harvest Procession was nearly ready to start, a few more calls on the mobile….and an eager mare and foal were keen to get started!

Mother reassuring her young foal, this was her first outing at a procession and understandably was a little nervous.

The procession at last got moving. The little old lady is one of the senior members of the village and I think that is her grandson accompanying her in the hay cart down to the church and then to the fields.

How sweet of him to hold her hand, a very touching photo.

As the procession of villagers got underway there were several photographers recording the event, just like me!📷 Traditionally whole families including the children all went down to the fields. This was one of the very old fashioned prams used to transport baby in…there is a real baby in there!

These two elegant horses and their beautifully dressed riders brought up the rear of the procession, happily smiling for my photos.

Back from the fields and after a huge communal picnic, usually consisting of breads, cheese, pickles and salads, the procession made their way past the village church, the well frequented pub and back up to the village green.

Do you recognise the little old lady, she returned with a different companion? The hay cart now full to overflowing will continue its journey to the threshing machine on the village green.

Another old fashioned pram had joined the procession, and yes, there was a baby in their too! I guess this was from the 1950’s/60’s and still very functional.

Both the men and the women carried the enormous tools required for cropping, and the little girl carried a crust of bread in her hand just in case she needed a snack! This photo of the little girl caused a bit of a debate on Facebook, does she have a small scythe in her right hand?…the answer is no, the shadows played tricks with our eyes!

Below is a short clip of the villagers returning from the fields, carrying their tools and singing their hearts out!

Back at the village green the horses took a well earned rest under the shade of the trees. Local honey was being sold, produced by one of three apiaries in the village. It is exceptionally good and even tastier as it is produced locally.

The hay ready to be put through the threshing machine.

And the driver with his tractor ready to attach the threshing machine.

Visitors were fascinated with the demonstrations of how things were done many years ago in this quaint little village.

The open air stage was set up for some traditional dancing decorated with beautiful seasonal flowers.

Time for baby to go home, it was a sweltering day for so much walking. It did not deter the youngsters from having fun with traditional old fashioned toys.

This is the Serbian flag and Serbian dancers who had visited the village to display their unique way of dancing.

That was my day photographing Kisszékely Harvest Festival 2023. I hope you enjoyed looking at my photos and will subscribe to my blog. Thank you for taking the time to read my post.

Categories
Everyday Life in Hungary

Making Hungary Home Six Years On

A Brief Update

Six years ago, my husband, son, and I moved to a remote village in the Hungarian countryside for a better quality of life. We wanted to escape the hustle and bustle, noise, and air pollution of city life we had known for many years. After much researching of various countries, we found that the cost of living and property prices in Hungary were cheaper than in the UK and elsewhere in Europe.

Sadly we lost our gorgeous Siberian Husky, Haley. She was four years old and a beautiful bubbly dog. She left a big aching hole in our lives the day she ate some poisoned meat meant for the ever increasing fox population living in the derelict house next door. (Not put down by us) We shall not replace her, it is just too painful when pets pass away. She will never be forgotten. ♥

Our house is finally finished, it has taken a long time, we are super happy with it and delighted with the finished result of the new tiles laid on our veranda. We bought the tiles many months ago and they sat for a full year waiting for the workmen to lay them. Tradesmen are far and few between in the countryside and we had to wait our turn for any sort of professional workman to be available. As it turned out building materials increased in price by a dramatic 20% (after we bought the tiles) due to higher energy, transport and raw material prices. We were fortunate to have saved money on this project.

People Update

Lots of celebrations in our home… my youngest daughter got married to her sweetheart in Ibiza. They both live in the UK now but wanted to marry somewhere extra special to them. Both worked on Ibiza island for several years and developed their blossoming relationship on the renowned “Party Island” of Spain. What a glorious day it was. The sound of the ocean lapping in the background and the sight of lots of happy laughing guests made it an extra special beach wedding. My three older children were all there with my granddaughter Mia (4) being the flower girl. A recent addition to our family was my second grandchild, Jack (18 months). Now the happily married newly weds are honeymooning in Tanzania.

My youngest son Raphael is departing to the UK to start work. He loves the quiet Hungarian life and has made several good Hungarian friends, but at 18 years old he wants/needs to work and earn some money. Obviously we shall miss him and I fear I shall be suffering with “empty nest syndrome” as he is my last child to leave home. He knows there is always a place for him here if he needs it.

So, I am back to blogging again bringing you our adventures and experiences in this beautiful country we call home. There are just the two of us now living our best retirement years in peaceful, rural Hungary.😍

Categories
Everyday Life in Hungary

Magical July in Hungary

Lavender Fields

We are so lucky to have lavender fields in our little village. The farm opened their gates to the public last week and I could not resist taking a look with my camera and taking the obligatory pruners! I collected 3 bags of their heavenly lavender. The ladies running the field were very helpful and encouraged me to stuff my bags full! I had to watch out for the bees as there were many buzzing around also enjoying the lavender. The smell was divine and it was interesting to see the little tractor harvesting the lavender into large white sacks. It will later be processed into essential oil, soaps and honey. Lavender has many therapeutic qualities, I like to use it as a sleep aid. In its oil format I use it to treat burns with amazing results. It soothes the burnt skin.

Village Swimming Pool

Our little village swimming pool opened its gates at the beginning of July. For two years (because of the pandemic) it has been closed so we were thrilled to hear it was fully operational again. We have a good sized pool with a slide for the youngsters. Great value too…just over £2.00 for the full day. There is a large grassed area with trees, outdoor games, fire pits, oven and picnic benches. The local ice-cream man visits daily selling not just ice-creams but sweet yummy cakes too. A lovely place to spend the day…and just on our doorstep.

Haley our Siberian Husky

We are fortunate that a visiting vet comes annually to administer Rabies vaccinations to the local dogs. Haley does not travel well in the car so we very much appreciate this rural service. She has recently been shedding her winter fur which takes a few weeks. We are constantly brushing her to help her shed. Huskies, you would think, do not do well in hot weather as they are associated with a cold climate and snow. However, Haley would appear to love sunbathing in the high temperature we are having in Hungary at the moment. Her summer coat keeps her cool and she munches on ice cubes. She is a very active dog and loves to poke her head through the railings frequently to see what’s happening. When she is exhausted she takes a nap…but still has an ear open so as not to miss any action!

Sunflower Fields

Travelling around the countryside you cannot help but notice the many sunflower fields that line the roads. They are a staggering sight covering acres of fields with a vibrant yellow. Hungary is a big producer of sunflower oil and the flowers will be around for weeks with the farmers letting them dry ready to be harvested for their precious oil. We grow sunflowers in our garden but purely for the pleasure of looking at them. The finches love the seeds and are frequent visitors a bit later on in the year.

Residency Permits

The UK has recently left the European Union, meaning those of us who are British, living somewhere else needed to apply for residency status in our respective countries. Having already gone through this process before (when we first arrived 4 years ago) we expected this to be straightforward and easy. We had 12 months to complete this process (until the end of December 21) but there have been many difficulties with the Hungarian computer systems. Finally, 6 months later we managed to complete the process and so now hopefully, we will retain our status in our adopted country.

Without a fridge during a heatwave!

We are currently experiencing a heatwave in Hungary…high temperatures of 38/39 degrees Celsius which is a touch uncomfortable. Imagine our horror and dismay when our Samsung fridge-freezer decided to stop working! We asked a Hungarian neighbour to contact Samsung on our behalf to arrange to get it fixed! Would you believe, 2 weeks later we have had no visit from Samsung, or explanation even though we have a 10 year warranty. We have ended up buying a very small fridge to tide us over until we can get our main fridge freezer fixed. There was talk that the part required was no longer available but I don’t know how true that is. I am certainly struggling with the after sales service from this company.

I am going to be a granny again!

What joy it is when your eldest son tells you “Mum you are going to be a granny again” I am so happy for him and his partner but slightly saddened I cannot go over to England and celebrate their news. They are expecting a boy (they have a daughter already) which is super news. I am forever thankful for the internet and Facetime, years ago we would not have had that privilege. My granddaughter will be 4 this year and starting nursery school soon, I do miss her. Maybe next year when this disabling pandemic is over (or controlled) I will be able to reconnect in real life.

So that was just a little update of what has been happening in our lives at the moment. This weekend is the annual Harvest Festival in the village. A wonderful occasion that I shall be photographing, watch out for the next blog entry. 😃

Categories
Everyday Life in Hungary

Heatwave Hungary!

Phew, it is hot!!! The temperature is reading 37 degrees Celsius 98.6 Fahrenheit, 2.30 pm. Hungary are experiencing their first heatwave of the year. Perhaps it will reach an all time high of 41 degrees Celsius? The farmers and villagers are praying for rain as the ground is so parched and crops are in need of water.

I tend to take water for granted, but here water is valuable, not to be wasted and reused if possible. There are water pumps in the street for those villagers without mains supply. It is quite humbling to see villagers filling their bottles from the pumps. Yesterday our water pressure took a severe drop and some people in the village higher up the valley had no water at all. Through the village Facebook site, I gathered there may be some broken pipes in the village but it also coincided with the annual “fill the village swimming pool up” which may have affected the water pressure.

Water pumps line the village streets

The Hungarian government have issued a state of emergency during the heatwave advising people about health and safety precautions and general health tips to stay safe in the heat. Interestingly if you see a child or pet in a hot car…call the emergency services, I worry they might be some time getting to remote places!

So what have I been doing this week?

Out and About – Been out and about to Székesfehérvár (I can just about pronounce it!) and came across some staggering poppy fields on the way. I have tried to take photos that are slightly different.

We also passed a good looking riding stables and just had to stop. It was a good opportunity to take a couple of photos of these gorgeous horses..

We then collected milk from the local farm, the cows were ambling around just waiting to be photographed!!. This one caught my eye…on further examination later on my PC I noticed the close up…. of the tongue!!! HaHa!

There were also sheep asleep on the roadside sheltering from the blazing sun. These are racka sheep, an ancient type of sheep, said to be living here with us in Hungary since cc. 970…

Finally stopped off for a coffee at a friend’s and admired her beautiful water-lilies. We had a lovely day 🙂

We ventured out again and admired the local lavender fields in the village.

Kisszékely Lavender Fields

Then a visit to the lake…I am pursuing an elusive heron…I know he is there but thought I would have a better chance walking by the lake so as not to distract this flighty bird. Sadly not to be seen!

We then went onto the tops and admired the hay bails Lol!!

Impulsive intrepid Eric (my husband) decided to drive through the forest…I was worried the car would tip at the deep tractor ruts along the way. Thankfully we made it safely back to home base 🙂

Brexit – The UK has now left the European Union which means as residents we need to re-apply for our status in Hungary. There is lots of red tape, paper filling and lengthy visits to get through before we can be issued with this valuable status. We are lucky in Hungary and have until 31st December to submit our paperwork, some European countries require these documents by the 31st June. So with plenty of time to get organised I managed to print of the lengthy 18 page document, fill them in and get the required passport photos needed for the documents. I needed help finding a place to get the said photos, friends helped for which I was very thankful. They don’t appear to have photo booths here like in the UK, it was a case of doing it online and going to the local chemist for printouts.

Gardening Progress

We invested this year in a large polytunnel to grow tomatoes and watermelons. Six weeks later we have baby water melons and masses of very healthy tomatoes. We have found if we grow tomatoes outside they become infested with bugs and do not yield their maximum crop. We are hopeful this year we will have a good harvest to preserve to last us through the winter.

Something else new this year is our living fence. Next door neighbours have a very unsightly wall and I wanted to grow a fence of sunflowers to hide it. After collecting hundreds of seeds last year I planted a long line, in the Spring the length of the wall. In between the sunflowers I planted marigolds, again from seeds collected from last year. I think it will give a staggering long lasting display and cover the ugly wall!

The weeding is never ending with weeds shooting up on a daily basis. The only way to keep on top is little and often, preferably around 5.00 am in the morning before it gets unbearably hot.

Preparations for the big 60 Birthday at the end of July!

So the time is approaching for the big 60 birthday. Age to me is a number but it is nice to celebrate the special ones. Covid19 has put a stop to any romantic weekend away so the revised plan is to have a meal at the local castle restaurant, sitting outside with the hotel and spa facilities available and the added bonus of an outdoor pool. We went to have a look and it looks super. Of course, I took lots of photos.

Finally… I have been asked to write a daily piece on two different pages on Facebook about family life in rural Hungary. I was very flattered and am enjoying promoting this fantastic country and what it has to offer. It also gives me an opportunity to continue my photography capturing special moments during our time in Hungary.

Categories
Everyday Life in Hungary

Chatting to a Newspaper Journalist, Making Bacon, Building a Tandoori Oven!

A few weeks ago whilst browsing Facebook a journalist asked to interview expats living in rural Hungary. That’s me, I thought so  I contacted her and said I would be happy to talk with her.  She writes for the Budapest Times and travels around the country with another person who is a travel guide.  We met up at a local restaurant and chatted for almost 3 hours.  Her tape recorder came out on the table, I was a little apprehensive at first but it was all good and went very well.  After a while I forgot the tape recorder was there!

When we had finished chatting they both wanted a tour of our village so I took them to all the pretty places.  They were very impressed.  The article was published recently in the Budapest Times and here it is

I was overwhelmed by everyone’s good wishes after it was published, I almost felt like a celebrity!  Added to that the journalist was extremely complimentary about my photographs and suggested I join a Facebook group who would appreciate them too.  I joined, and was approached by a gentleman who asked if I could start a regular feature posting my photos with a little text about rural life in Hungary! Of course, I said yes!!  Sometimes I need a little push in the right direction.

Kisszékely church overlooking the valley
Life in the slow lane, Kisszékely village
Kisszékely lake

So, in other news…

Making Bacon

We all like bacon in our house and was a little disappointed with Hungarian bacon so decided we should make our own smoked bacon. We invested in a meat slicer and bought a huge piece of belly pork with the skin on. Next, we removed any bones and cleaned the meat thoroughly. We then pricked the meaty side very well with a fork, made a salt and brown sugar coating 50/50 and rubbed it in very well all over. Then we wrapped it up so it was sealed (carton or cling film) and put it in the fridge for 2 days. After 2 days, we removed the pork from the fridge, washed it well to remove the coating and dried with it with kitchen towel. Now for the smoking. We created a homemade smoker from wood we had in the garden and cold smoked the bacon for 3 days in the smoker. The aroma around the garden was tantalising. Finally, after 3 days we sliced and ate it. The bacon freezes well if necessary. We shall never buy bacon again, it was so delicious and had a gorgeous smoky taste.

Our dog sat very patiently throughout the whole procedure hoping for a quick bite!

Preparing bacon
Dog watch!

Building a Tandoori Oven

The boys in my life, my husband and my son have been busy in the garden making a Tandoori oven this week. Neither of us had built or cooked on a traditional tandoor before… originating from Turkey. I assumed it originated from India…!! How wrong I was. We did a virgin run yesterday and the results were fantastic. Apparently, according to our guests, you could smell the beautiful cooking smells all over the village! Our Hungarian neighbour was out gardening and was very curious to know what Eric and Raphael were building….he kept nodding and saying “egen” (yes in English) when Eric explained he was making an oven, I don’t think he really understood! We marked the occasion by inviting a couple of friends who live in our little village to be our virgin tandoor tasters. We had a very fun afternoon, with lots of laughter and good conversation. The food was great, expertly cooked by Chef Eric and enjoyed with great company, New Zealander Jackie and her Hungarian husband Gabor.

Raphael and Eric building the Tandoor oven
Finished!
Before the fire
Filling it with wood
Lighting the fire
Eric and his lighting tool!
Fire at both ends!!
Preparing the meat
More meat
Even more meat!!
Cooking
Pavlova cake for dessert

We have a “Kings Chair” for Eric made from repurposed tyres… Jackie and Gabor posed for pictures. We had a fabulous Tandoori Day!

Gabor and Jackie
Jackie

Categories
Everyday Life in Hungary

June has arrived!

A surprising few months in our little village of Kisszékely, Hungary.

Sunrise, Kisszékely, Hungary

Our winter seemed to be especially long this year and only provided two days of snow! I am English (a bit obsessed with the weather) and love the snow. I had been waiting patiently for the snowfalls we had had in previous years, very disappointed it was not forthcoming.

I longed for the spring to hurry up and arrive along with warm sunshine early mornings and light evenings. I was keen to get back to living mostly outside which I enjoy most. The link below will give you an idea of the snow that fell in January 2021.

Winter Wonderland https://youtu.be/la8U2BMhP0c

Finally by the end of May all the tell-tale signs began to appear signifying the start of beautiful spring.

First Signs of Spring

The first signs of spring in Hungary are the returning storks from their far off migration in central Africa. Storks are a regular sight in most rural villages, making their homes on top of telegraph posts or chimney pots…apparently a sign of good luck. Storks usually return to their birthing place year after year to begin the circle of life all over again.

Our little village does not have resident storks, which is a shame as they are fascinating birds. Imagine my surprise and delight when I saw out of our bedroom window a stork perched delicately on the top of the telegraph pole opposite. I could not contain my excitement and rushed out onto the street to stand and stare at this enormous bird. I took dozens of photos as he seemed to be hanging around and did not object. Our dog was less impressed and patrolled the front fence, up and down constantly. She was obviously eager for some “chasing fun”!!

I asked on the village Facebook page how we could encourage the storks to stay in the village and nest here. Sadly, I was told the food supply is better met in other villages. Apparently they are partial to frogs.

The stork that visited Kisszékely, looking for a mate!

Another sign spring is here are the bountiful fields full of colourful poppies and then the strong pungent smell of the rape seed fields covering the countryside with blankets of bright yellow flowers. Truly beautiful.

Poppies and wild flowers, Hungary
Rape seed fields, Hungary

We seem to have had an unusually high amount of rain recently, which obviously the farmers are ecstatic about. We are too but to a lesser degree….rain means the weeds grow very energetically! Our garden has been covered in dandelions for most of the month of May. We left our grass uncut to give a little help to the bees. As the weather was a little warmer, I took a walk around the village and stumbled on what I can only call “Raining Dandelions” the seeds were flying everywhere, it was quite surreal.

“Raining Dandelions”

I love the spring blossom adorning the trees in the little villages, I constantly say “Look, look how lovely the blossom!”. My patient husband regularly stops on roadsides for me to leap out of the car and take photos! This one is in the next village with a rather spectacular display of blossoms.

Tolnanémedi blossoms

Buy Local

Once a week we do our supermarket shop and often pass through little villages with roadside stalls selling various home grown, home preserved plants, fruits, vegetables and home smoked meats. With so much choice it was difficult to choose where to stop. We were very tempted by a colourful display of hanging baskets bursting with petunias. Last year my choice was Black Eyed Susan’s, this year it is Petunias. The stall holder spoke no English but suddenly said “Várjon” (Wait)…two minutes later a young girl rushed to greet us and spoke in perfect English…a total surprise in rural Hungary. We spent a good amount of time talking about England and subsequently bought two glorious hanging baskets. We also stocked our car with a sack of potatoes, a sack of onions and several tomato plants.

Local Churches of Photographic Interest

I tend to travel everywhere with my camera and usually take pictures every day, even when we go supermarket shopping! This church is in Tamási with the deer outside depicting the presence of numerous deer in the surrounding area.  The Catholic church in the town centre is built on the ruins of a Roman founded temple.

Iregszemcse village also has a visually interesting church. As you can see there are a multitude of electric cables obscuring the view…very normal in Hungary.

The last church photo in this set was taken in Sárbogárd. I was intrigued by the unusual shape. It helped the sky was such a vivid blue. You will notice there is a slight dusting of snow on the ground, taken in late February 2021.

Sometimes our travels take us to Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the region’s foremost tourist destinations. During the Covid pandemic all the attractions and public beaches have been closed but I managed to access this one which had several beautiful swans gliding across the water.

Local Walking

One of my good friends, also an Ex-pat is an avid walker and wanted to take a walk around our little village. We decided to set off early 8.00 am as walking in the heat later is not too pleasant. Our village nestles between rolling hills with an abundance of forests surrounding us. The walls of the valley are steep and some effort was required to reach our target…the highest viewing point in Kisszékely. We passed bee hives on our way up and then were greeted with an abundance of Acacia trees, specially planted for the bees to make Hungary’s speciality honey. By the time we had reached the viewing point we were glad of the picnic tables for a seat and the sturdy viewing platform, to take photos, it was certainly worth the effort. We were lucky enough to watch a pair of storks coasting on the wind and thoroughly enjoying the early morning weather. Next time I shall have a zoom lens to capture these precious moments.

Acacia Blossom

The beautiful Acacia tree.

https://hungarybees.com/ here you will find everything you need to know about the delicious Acacia Honey.

Kisszékely

A pair of storks in the distance. Vineyards jammed full of growing vines below. What a tranquil sight.

Elaine my walking companion

After spending some time admiring the staggering views, we headed back down into the village through tightly forested areas stopping occasionally to cross little streams and observing animal tracks.

We are lucky that our village has so many walking trails all colour coded with regular information boards describing the wildlife and flora to be found nearby. Extremely useful and interesting.

We are now enjoying much sunnier days and milder nights. Mother Nature never fails to surprise and impress me, particularly in the beautiful countryside of Hungary. I shall be out with my camera again very soon.

Categories
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.