Tag: Retirement

Categories
Everyday Life in Hungary

Looking Back at 2023 Surprising, Satisfying, Special, Plan for More in 24!

Please tell me why, my year passed so very quick?
Let me look at my photos, that will surely do the trick!
I’ll pick some great memories to refresh my ageing brain
and write down my thoughts that are running like a train!

The New Year has started, what surprises will she bring?
A new baby, what joy, Nanny Sue once again!
A new job, much needed, for Raphael our youngest son,
seasonal work in Austria, he’s having a ball and so much fun!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM HUNGARY

Snippets of 2023 through the eyes of my camera. A fun packed year exploring and enjoying events in our little rural village in Hungary and trips abroad to Ibiza and Croatia.

SUMMER
WINTER

January 2023

SNOW

My excitement for snow never wanes! Like a little kid, wanting to get wrapped up immediately and venture outside in the crisp snow, crunching underfoot taking photos with my camera. This is the start of the year and I am on the lookout for original and different shots. 

Kisszékely village with the viewpoint in the distance top right.

This is my favourite snow shot of the year. I was just randomly walking around the village and spotted this wheelbarrow. I liked the fact that a mundane piece of equipment is instantly transformed into a pleasing shot when covered in snow. 

February

INQUISITIVE MR FOX

We are fully aware that foxes live in the empty house next door. We hear them at night bumping around and there are droppings evidence during the day of their nightly patrols of our garden. I have never seen any of the fox family during the day until this snowy morning in February. Mr fox sat boldly glaring at me as I crept VERY slowly towards him. He allowed me several shots before nonchalantly turning his back on me and climbing up the barn roof out of sight.

March

Dawn sky with a field of lavender ready to explode into life. I got up very early and slowly walked up the side of the valley. The sky constantly changes creating a gorgeous array of pinks and blues. Just beautiful!

Aren’t these the cutest little piglets? They live on the local farm surrounded by masses of woodland for them to roam and explore. This very healthy pig gave birth to about 10 piglets and will give birth to another litter later on in the year.

April

Road Trip

Eric and I often just jump in the car and pick a random destination to travel to. On this particular day in April, we ended up next to this gently flowing river with a quaint tiny cottage looking pretty in the spring sun.

I was not the only one walking the river bank that day. This handsome water turtle scurried away as quick as he could when I approached…..but not before I took a picture of him!

I am not normally a big fan of snails…a garden pest! I made an exception, this snail looked quite magnificent munching through our greenery. No problem getting down low to take the shot but by gum what a struggle to get back up again!

May

MAY DAY

Our village Maypole is put up every year, decorated with colourful ribbons and balloons. The villagers, adults and children get involved in this traditional event. Traditional songs are sung as the villages link arms and sing enthusiastically whilst circling the Maypole.

I think this shot encompasses Hungarian village life. A villager lovingly tends his tidy garden, appreciating everything growing. The Maypole pops up tall above the trees. Village life is so idyllic. 

SIMONTORYNYA CASTLE DAY

Every year, Simontornya holds a Castle Day which I always enjoy…much colour, noise and excitement. Many interesting people visit from all over the county, it is a real family event. Community spirit is everywhere and is extremely heartwarming.

This is Simontornya Castle Tower built in the 13th Century in the next village very close to us in rural Hungary. The whole event revolves around activities taking place inside and outside the castle. The purpose of this traditional event is to revive the history of Simontornya Castle.

The girls wear traditional dress, but then whip out their modern mobiles to record the moment for their respective Instagram accounts!

My free entertainment was a mock battle with live LOUD canon fire and guns…..I jumped like mad, unwisely I had positioned myself with my camera on the front row!! I quickly retreated to the back row! Lesson learnt for next year!

Would you like to see more of my photos? Click this link

KING CHARLES CORONATION

The Coronation of Charles III and his wife Camilla as King and Queen of the United Kingdom took place on Saturday 6th May 2023 at Westminster Abbey, London England.

Even though I live in Hungary I have not forgotten my roots, nor my interest in the Royal Family (I am from the Princess Diane era). The good the bad the ugly!

My good Kiwi friend, Jackie, lives in the same village and also follows the British Royal Family with interest. I was excited to be invited to a British High Tea on Coronation Day outside on her patio. What a splendid spread from a great baker and also a very good friend.

The Union Jack cake made a great photo and tasted as delicious as it looked. We drank Earl Grey tea from a china teapot and later, cheese scones lathered in butter and sipped full bodied red wine from decorated glasses.

June

DUNAFOLDVAR

We picked a beautiful day in June to visit picturesque Dunaföldvár. After just a forty minute drive, with clear roads, we arrived at this historic riverside town on the banks of the River Danube. The cobbled streets and pretty houses lined the roads up to the hilltop castle.

This is the impressive bridge over the River Danube viewed from the castle restaurant on top of a hill.

Riverside and The Rakpart restaurant with a beautiful outdoor eating area, perfect for people watching and soaking up the atmosphere of the mighty Duna!

Would you like to see more of my photos? Click the link

IBIZA BEACH WEDDING

The absolute highlight of my year. Travelling over to Ibiza in Spain to watch my youngest daughter marry on the beach to the love of her life. This photo feels special, romantic, perfect, togetherness. A VERY proud mama, lots of happy tears and happy memories. 💓

The table settings were beautiful. The lilac scarf is not a napkin as I first thought. The Spanish custom at weddings is that as the married couple joins the guests at the reception party, loud music welcomes the dancing bride and groom with every guest waving their scarves energetically above their heads and shouting good wishes…truly memorable!

Our treat to ourselves was to book into a super adults only hotel on the beach. An absolutely beautiful location, enormous breakfasts, gym and spa and very tidy rooms. This photo captures a little bit of everything…direct access to the beach, sun loungers in the forest, crystal clear pools and not too overcrowded for June.

July

HARVEST FESTIVAL

With promising July blue skies, the people of the surrounding villages gathered together in Kisszékely to make preparations for the annual Harvest Festival procession. Certainly a good day to be out with my camera and so convenient on my doorstep.

There were some new additions to the procession this year including a very lively and spirited foal learning the ropes on “how to lead the procession”!

These two horses regularly participate in the village Harvest Procession and are decorated traditionally as are their riders. The horses have a little munch on the grass just before the start!

No Harvest is complete until it has an array of seasonal sunflowers. These arrangements adorned the stage, set up for the traditional dancing later on in the evening.

ANNUAL MOTORBIKE RALLY

Kisszékely is taken over for a weekend in July by the annual motorbike rally biking around the village. All ages take part and everyone has a lot of fun. A campsite is set up next to the swimming pool and a marquee is erected for a variety of foods and refreshments.

Our village is a dead end so the bikers travel around the village, up the hill out of the village and back again. Lots of loud toot tooting can be heard all over this normally peaceful village. As the bikers pass it is clear not everyone has safety in mind!

This image makes me chuckle every time and one of my favourites from the rally, entitled “Three Men on a Bike!”

We are so blessed to have a village swimming pool with camping grounds, open fires and stone ovens. The campers wander around admiring each other’s pristine bikes and I hear lots of Ooooo’s Ahhhhh’s and Wows!!

If you would like to see more of the Motor Bike Rally click here

SPOTTING STORKS

Twice this year I have been fortunate to get decent stork photographs. I am particularly proud of these two. The first was taken in the nearby village of Dég nesting on top of the street lights in the middle of the village green. Every passing motorist can see them as they gaze curiously around them, their beaks slightly open cooling themselves from the burning heat. These storks are nearly big enough to leave their nest, they will soon be ready to take the leap of faith!

In flight and carrying a snack. I could not believe my eyes, camera ready I took a series of shots with his wings in varying positions, he is a graceful bird with a huge wing span. This magnificent bird, it is said, signifies the arrival of Spring in Hungary, I watch out in anticipation for the first sighting every year.

August

SZENTENDRE

My dear husband once again agreed to be my taxi and drive me to Szentendre, a place I have been longing to photograph for some time.

Szentendre is best known for its Mediterranean atmosphere, beautiful Baroque architecture and colourful artwork housed in museums scattered across the town.

It was a hot day and there were people milling about everywhere. I walked up and down the streets looking at the arts and crafts on sale, also admiring and photographing the suspended lampshades… along with many other people!

Lunchtime and the street cafes begin to fill up with tourists, some eating lunch others just stopping for a cooling lavender ice cream.

I walked over the bridge and as I looked over, there was an outdoor art exhibition going on down below, next to a small river. I went to investigate. What an interesting stroll, accompanied by the sounds of 2 talented street musicians. 

BUDAPEST PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

“When in Budapest….Photograph the Parliament Buildings” Another one of my photographic goals was achieved this year. I took many photos of the magnificent Parliament Buildings and several bridges lining the River Danube.

If you would like to see my photos of the beautiful Szentendre, Bridges and Budapest click here

SPOTTING SUNFLOWERS

Living in the Hungarian countryside it is usual to see the fields packed with bobbing sunflowers at this time of year. They brighten the landscape and give the farmers a valuable crop to harvest for sunflower oil. 

I LOVE photographing sunflowers, every year I choose a different location…this field is on the way out of our village. 

Closer to home, this sunflower is in our garden. My photo has had some success in a global photographic competition. 

September

Kisszékely village celebrated a Jubilee Mass at St George’s Roman Catholic Church commemorating the 200th anniversary of its consecration.

Kisszékely village church waiting to celebrate its 200th birthday.

The church was full, overflowing at the back with parishioners and visitors. Music played and sung by the neighbouring village choir was absolutely beautiful to listen to. The congregation then went on to enjoy a full day of celebrations and merriment!

October

RIJEKA, CROATIA

Our English friends flew over to visit us this month for a late Autumn road-trip over the border to neighbouring Croatia.

A very smooth 5 hour journey to an idyllic part of the Croatian coast. We swam, we ate we had fun. The weather was beautifully kind and we managed to cram in plenty of photo opportunities!

We managed to visit the famous Rijeka Fish Market early in the morning, competing with local fishmongers for the best catch. A huge variety of fish stacked and displayed on tables greeted me everywhere I looked! What a choice! 

If you would like to see more photos of our road trip to Rijeka, Croatia click on this link

OZORA

Another village not far away from us, rich in history, famous for weekly car-boot sales and the home of The Ozora Music Festival held in the summer months. Every time we visit there is something different for me to photograph.

This is Ozora Castle, furnished inside in the Renaissance style, you can hire the whole castle for functions and events! How grand would that be?

A typical Hungarian village square, with a sheltered bus stop, pretty pastel houses, changing autumnal trees and a river running through the centre.

OZORA: Home to Castles, Car Booting and Music Festivals!!

If you would like to see more photos from our day out in Ozora click this link

November

The weather is changing as the year comes to a close. The various birds in the garden come searching for food on a daily basis. I have hung a bird feeder up so I can see it from my window. The hanging basket makes a good “waiting perch” before dashing over to the feeder when it becomes vacant.

“Fog on the Water” I love the moodiness of this photo…the mystery, stillness, silence….peaceful. I enjoyed my walk that morning. A different perspective in the fog. 

Winter snow and a struggling rose, not sure whether to wake up…the weather has been surprisingly warm for November then snap, cold with snow! Bizarre!

December

RAPHAEL OFF TO AUSTRIA

Much excitement in our house as our youngest son Raphael takes off to work in The Austria Alps. He travelled cross country on the European train starting his journey in Budapest, Hungary. Here he is, early morning ready to catch his train. A great way to travel Europe. Good luck son 🍺

CHRISTMAS

The outdoor kitchen and seating area on the village green are beautifully decorated in preparation for the local photographer to come and take Christmas photos. 

The village organised an Advent event in the local pub. Temperatures were below freezing at this outdoor event but that did not stop many people coming to enjoy the super entertainment, Hungarian finger food, mulled wine and a generous tombola. We danced to keep warm under the twinkling canopy of fairy lights decorating the open sky. The friendly community spirit was oozing that night, I am glad we braved the cold.

For more photographs and information about the Kisszékely village group responsible for the Advent event, please visit their Facebook page via the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/meseskisszekely

As usual, throughout the year I have taken many, many photographs! I have limited myself to three photos per event for this blog post, it was so hard to choose so, in the end, I selected my significant favourites. I have added a link to the blog posts for more of my photography.  Please do go and take a look and see why I LOVE photographing my adopted country Hungary so much.

I have had an excellent year blessed with good health, lots of fun, interesting outings, good friends and great photo opps! I am expecting more of the same next year. As this year finishes, the page turns, we start anew, what does 2024 have in store? I shall record the memories to look back on and enjoy. I wish you all the best for 2024 and thank you for your continued support on my blog, it means a lot. ❤

Categories
Road Tripping 2023

Road Tripping With Friends, Exploring Pretty Rijeka, Croatia

Four Good Friends, One Elderly Car, and a Six Hour Road Trip to Rijeka, Croatia

If you would like to see a photo in a larger size, simply click on it to enhance your viewing experience.

And Camera Came Too!📸

Our friends for over 10 years flew out from England to spend a week with us here in Hungary and Croatia. With lots of last minute planning and researching to get the perfect accommodation, we finally settled on a VERY nice Airbnb in the heart of Rijeka.

We first had two days in Hungary and then took a three day road trip to Croatia. Rijeka (the chosen destination) is on the coast of Kvarner Gulf, in the northern part of the Adriatic Sea. The very pleasant drive took around six hours, with no border controls to contend with and the change of currency to the Euro made it all quite simple. Even our Satnav behaved! The port of Rijeka is Croatia’s largest port and our 6th floor apartment overlooked it!

>>> This was our superb apartment

Early evening, Rijeka Port

We were lucky that first evening, we chilled on our balcony, listening to the noisy seagulls and sipping welcome drinks, as we watched a beautiful sunset sliding down behind the Croatian mountains.

The sky started changing colour giving a beautifully orange glow to the evening landscape. A perfect start to our mini-break in Croatia.

We originally lived in a city near the sea on the East coast of England. A frequent sound was the constant cawing of noisy seagulls. Hungary is landlocked and there is no sea, so no seagulls! I was thrilled to hear the seagulls in Croatia and it reminded me of my hometown in England. Even the sea air smelt good blowing across our balcony. This chappie and his mates sat on the roof below us.

Another noise generating bird was this one, I have no idea of their species but they were a very noisy bunch early evening, just in this tree below us. They are very well disguised! Click and enlarge to see more clearly.

Inside our apartment were several wall paintings…I mean painted actually on the wall! So original.

Croatia
Perfect!
One of the many church steeples popping up on the skyline

Time for our first touristy trip of the day to an area of the old city called Trsat. After a 6 km drive through the busy narrow streets following Satnav’s directions, up and down one way streets we finally arrived and parked up in a car park.

This was the first shop that caught my eye….what on earth are these?? I could not work out their purpose? That shop window made a good talking point though!!

Public transport was evident down the main street, extra long and I am told very comfortable inside. During the summer months I am sure this bus would be heaving.

The main square had this rather colourful Cafe bar with piped music coming from inside.

Photographer: Aimee Adamson

The wine carrying motorbike made me look twice. Certainly worth photographing.

I loved the quieter streets with not a sole about with their inviting corners!

Very pretty lanterns and shutters outside this wine bar.

We were here to visit Trsat Castle, this was the narrow street that led to its majestic entrance.

The imposing entrance to Trsat Castle on a beautifully warm October morning.

Google states that “this is a semi-ruined 13th century fortress offering magnificent views down the Rječina River to the Adriatic sea”.

This was a welcome sight, information in English about the castle.

I made my way up a stone staircase to the top of this turret to get panoramic views of the city and port.

Definitely worth the hike up to the top.

Amazing views of Rijeka port.

Rječina River.

Many small fishing boats lined up ready for action!

I particularly liked this photo, the contrasts of buildings with the sea and the town behind made an interesting composition.

Cannons, Statues and Sculptures.

Way across the valley and still taking photos from the top of the castle, a fallen down bridge surely has many tales to tell. I could find no information about this sad looking bridge.

Looking out to the hazy Adriatic Sea. There is more to this photo than first meets the eye… you can get an idea of how high up I am by looking at the bottom right of the photo!

This village is on the hill directly opposite Trsat Castle. Directly below there are several tunnels bored into the mountainside. Travelling through them was pleasant enough, well lit and a wide road.

Turret tops looking out over Rijeka town.

After taking photos in the hot sunshine, it was time for some refreshments at the super cafe bar inside the castle courtyard.

Plenty of drinks available at the well stocked bar.

Time for a selfie!

Aimee and Shane deep in conversation.

Past the village pub and onto the next destination.

After a morning of sightseeing at the castle, we wanted to try out the beaches of Rijeka. We drove up the coast towards Preluk Plaza, a small stony beach with free parking and direct access to the water. There were many hidden small coves dotted up the coastline, some had sandy/stony beaches some pebbles/rocks but all of them had inviting crystal clear water, just perfect for swimming….

….Or paddle boarding..

…Or just sitting and sunning!

By now we were all super hungry, sea air seemed to make our stomachs groan. Satnav told us that not far away was a delightful fish restaurant. Shane negotiated the narrow cobbled streets like a pro and found a place to park very close to the restaurant.

Ostaria Veranda Meaning Old Age Veranda in Croatian

A beautiful location to have our long awaited fish meal. As it was nearing the end of the summer season the restaurant was not too busy.

As we waited for drinks and menus to arrive, I took advantage of the fabulous view and put my camera to good use taking photos of boats!

This colourful boat was designed for sightseers but there did not appear to be much business around. Probably the end of the season in this pretty little cove.

The marina was small but packed! The roundabout sign was unintentionally caught in the shot!

Gorgeous hydrangeas and reflections. A selfie of “me” in the ice bucket!

And would you believe…a great big tree in the dinning area!!

The chef brought out a complimentary fishy appetiser for us to try, which was excellent… suggesting the main meal would be equally tasty.

Sadly the meal did not live up to our expectations, the portion sizes were minute and disappointingly some of the fish, we noticed, had been previously frozen. However, the waiter spoke English (bonus) and the location and views were outstanding. This photo is looking up from the quayside onto the Veranda.

The very picturesque fish restaurant we visited in Croatia

Looking across the bay in the hazy sunshine, I spotted this beautiful town with the majestic church of St Anne’s grandly looking out over the Adriatic sea. This town is called Opatija.

Over the other side of the bay stands the city of Rijeka and our holiday apartment.

As we left the restaurant this trio of Fiat 500’s appeared out of the car park…later I noticed there were two consecutive number plates! How lovely! I was so happy I got all three classics in one shot. A case of “right time, right place”. I am sure there is another interesting tale behind this photograph.

Then there were two…then one!

Croatia seemed to have many cats 😻

…and a cat lover😻

Time to make our way back to the apartment. Many of the huge properties had beautiful balconies and colourful shutters.

The next morning we were due to leave our wonderful apartment but not before we did one last touristy thing! Chef Eric had been waiting for an opportunity like this for ages… to buy kilos of the freshest Croatian fish and take them back to Hungary. We managed to hit the early morning traffic making it slow going down to the fish market. Waiting at the junction I realised I had been to all those places on this sign. We turned right to which the Satnav promptly informed us “You have reached your destination”!!

Inside Rijeka’s famous seafood market, a huge selection of fresh locally caught fish straight from the Adriatic Sea.

All the fish appeared really good value for money with lots of varieties on display. “A fish lovers paradise” Chef Eric was delighted 👨‍🍳

We bought a wide variety of fish and shellfish, had them cleaned and prepared at the market and packed them in ice cubes and cool boxes ready for the journey home.

I was a little concerned (but it is probably absolutely normal in Croatia) to see a fish server light up and smoke whilst she continued to handle the fish. As I looked around she was not alone!

Through the fish market and outside for some fresh air. A wondrous display of colourful fruits and vegetables greeted me. The garlic-filled tables were everywhere, groaning under the weight of the bulbs, just like this one.

Rejika Fruit Market
Rejika Fruit Market

I LOVED this particular miss mash of paprika and garlic display. Gave the stall a rather colourful rustic look.

Now it was time to return to Hungary, our three day Croatian dash was over until the next time. We decided to stop off somewhere around Lake Balaton, we were spoilt for choice with its many coves and beaches to choose from. We stopped at Balatonlelle Beach to check out the scenery.

It was mid afternoon, the hazy sunshine clouded the lake giving it a mysterious look. The faraway sailboat lined up perfectly with my eye. Such a peaceful serene photograph.

Looking towards the yachts moored up for the night.

The reflections caught my eye here.

Another serenity shot…this man looked sooooo relaxed chilling on the end of the pier waiting to catch his dinner perhaps?

Another reflection photograph…simple but effective, do you agree?

Finally, if you have got down this far, I thank you for reading and looking at my photos. We had such a lovely time in Croatia, we all did what we wanted to do and crammed everything in on our wish list! It made me very happy to create these memories with my camera. Thanks to my fabulous husband Eric, and to our Best Buds, Shane and Aimee for making it a very special Croatian break!

“Photography helps people to see.” – Berenice Abbott

Very true 🙂

Categories
Everyday Life in Hungary

Relishing Retirement but dealing with the “Empty Nest Syndrome”

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

One of the blogs that I follow is called “Retired – No one told me” I am inclined to agree with this sentiment!

Here is her super site, jam-packed full of interesting recipes and information, please take a look. https://carolcooks2.com/

When we took early retirement to Hungary, it signified a new and very different chapter in our lives. Not only were we spending 24 hours with each other but division of chores (in my eyes) had/needed to be altered.

Old fashioned Middle Eastern culture is very different from British culture. In the Middle East wives stay at home keeping house, they don’t do paid work and raise a family. Husbands bring the money home to support their family and deal with the finances. British culture actively encourages equal partnerships with wives or live in partners working and taking dual responsibility for rearing a family and running the house. Nowadays the culture in the Middle East is slightly more relaxed with the younger generations pretty much following the British culture.

Eric, my husband is from the Middle East and he very much respects his cultural roots and values. He is a proud man so when we married he wanted me to leave my job (which I did) and for him to support us financially (which he did). I loved not going to work and being a housewife in England but it WAS hard work. Added to the mix was the birth of our son, Raphael. At age 43 motherhood was somewhat challenging.

Fast forward 19 years (6 years of retirement in Hungary) and we have reached an amicable, workable relationship where we are both very happy. It was not all a “bed of roses” – what relationship is? There were hiccups along the way but through good communication and patience we got through the challenging times.

As we sat on our veranda, sipping our morning coffee, I thought I would ask Eric three questions about our retirement. A good exercise to see if we were still on the same page together.

What is the best thing about your retirement?

His reply, after some thought, which was rather touching “To be together all the time” He then added “Freedom” and “Not having to work” I love those reasons.

Retiring to Hungary, would you do it all over again?

I just needed a Yes or No answer…. again after some thought, he said “Yes”. He then went on to list a few little niggles he had, but I pointed out that they had now been resolved. His answer confirmed that we had both made the right decision to retire to Hungary. But, if you had asked me that question at the challenging 1 year anniversary I would have said an emphatic NO! When I compare our lives then (in England) and now (in Hungary) the good things far out way the bad and the inevitable little niggles.

What our your future plans?

“To travel with you around Europe with Hungary as our base, as we have no responsibilities of children or animals” That is the perfect answer for me…we can drive anywhere in Europe to explore hidden gems and take wonderful photographs everywhere we go.

I am often asked what do you “do” in Hungary by English friends, as if I am bored and hang around doing nothing! Trust me when I say my days are jam packed full of the usual domestic duties and the fun hobby related things I love to do. I am never bored. A favourite quote of mine:

“Happiness depends upon ourselves.” —Aristotle

From Hungarian friends I get “Why” did you move to rural Hungary? I reply….the good air of the countryside, the friendly Hungarian people and a better quality of life than England.

I asked Eric these questions and I got hilarious but honest answers. “I like to experiment with different foods, particularly Chillin’ and Grillin!”, “Neutralising my brain!”, “Watch movies”, “Taxi for Sue and her camera”!

In answer to “Why did you move to Hungary?” the reply was “Because of Ben Fogle!!!” I had to laugh, but it is true.

Ben Fogle is an English broadcaster, writer and adventurer, best known for his presenting roles with British television channels, Channel 5, BBC and ITV.

Way back in 2015, a show was broadcast about a young, newly married British couple buying a run down property in rural Hungary. Eric watched it and full of excitement said “We should do this, it would be great living in the countryside and living off the land!!!!” I needed A LOT of convincing and persuading but as you can see, we did make the move to rural Hungary.

I thought it would be lovely to revisit the show that brought us to the middle of central Europe. The first episode follows the couple settling into their new life….the second video is one year later and how they have managed and progressed in their new adopted country. It makes interesting watching.

Our family dynamics have recently changed again, our son Raphael has returned to the UK, I miss him very much. The “Empty Nest Syndrome” has reared its ugly head.

Having children is an absolute blessing, I have 4! The hardest thing for me was when my youngest son Raphael spread his wings and flew to England. This is commonly known as “Empty nest Syndrome” often described as feeling grief, sadness and loneliness, all of which I have experienced first hand. I also experienced excitement for his future and a slight guilty relief. His independence means ours as well. Of course, I worry about him but do not discuss these thoughts with Raphael. Instead, my husband Eric is my “sounding off ear” and is very understanding of my irrational feelings and turbulent emotions.

I asked him how he felt emotionally and he replied “I would be selfish to keep him here but super excited for him starting a new chapter in his life”. Wise words.

If you have experienced “Empty Nest Syndrome” you will understand how I feel. These have been some of my symptoms:

  • The quietness of the house, a reminder he is not here.
  • A visit to his room and spotting familiar items – today it was his basketball.
  • A feeling of emptiness, being mum for 18 years then suddenly that responsibility has gone.
  • I no longer ‘know’ what he is doing – a loss of motherly control.

All these emotions I know will pass. We are already thinking, talking and planning where future adventures will take us. Where shall we go next?

I am considering learning to paint with acrylics on canvas, YouTube has given me some amazing inspiration but I am sure it is not as easy as it looks! This will be my new winter hobby.

I still have my photography to motivate my imagination and give me self confidence. I have many books to read on my Kindle just ready to whisk me off to imaginary places and exciting adventures.

I have resumed blogging after a 2 year break, I have time on my hands so am putting it to good use.

We stay in touch with Raphael (and my other 3 children) using social media, Messenger and Facebook. Thank goodness for modern technology. I feel reassured when he tells me about his day and what he has been up to. The physical distance is there but not the emotional distance. I am thankful for that.

I read online “Share your wisdom but let your children make their own decisions”. How very true.

This is where I shall end this blog post…it seems rather lengthy but I seemed to have had lots to say. Have you ever experienced “Empty Nest Syndrome”? How did you cope with it? I would love to hear your thoughts or experiences in the comments.

Thanks so much for reading.

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
My Gardening

Join Me in My Ever Developing Hungarian Garden – July 2020

July has arrived in Hungary along with soaring temperatures and thirsty plants. Watering is a twice a day affair otherwise the poor plants suffer from dehydration. We had talked about a dripper system for the vegetable plot this year but it never materialised.

The wheelbarrow is a favourite spot for this bird…always on the look-out for our dog Haley!

At the front of our house, we have giant sunflowers creating a beautiful display and an eager feeding ground for these friendly finches. Lifting the blinds in the morning this is what I see, a great way to start my day. I do believe these are greenfinches?

We have regular butterflies and a multitude of other insects visiting the garden. The cricket sat for ages on the garden chair and the butterfly lazily sunned itself whilst I took photos.

Cricket
Butterfly

The first of our second generation peppers began to flower in late June progressing onto larger specimens in early July. These are of the spicy variety and when harvested will be preserved in jars. All our peppers were given a layer of cow manure at the beginning of the season, I’m hoping for great results.

Flowering Pepper
Spicy Pepper

When we moved to Hungary we inherited a well, fully functional if you have a pump, the water is way down. This is our third summer here and have encouraged the plants surrounding the well to grow randomly. This beautiful yellow plant is a blast of colour to brighten this corner. I have no idea of it’s name but it makes FABULOUS dried flower arrangements.

Inheriting a garden is always exciting, each year something else pops up that you had no idea was there. This year the “Well Garden” has acquired a young walnut tree that we did not plant but want to encourage it to grow, it’s doing very well at the moment. The tree at the front is a prolific flowering pink and white Hibiscus….it will be flowering very soon. Over the well is rampant forsythia, stunning flowers in the spring. It will need tidying up before the winter.

We had a very sturdy loft ladder made of very solid wood and wanted to incorporate it into the well garden somehow. Due to a “lost in translation moment” with our Hungarian gardener, he took it upon himself to chop out the steps. Not what we wanted….oh dear! We rescued a few steps and will keep adding plants to fill the gaps. It will come to life next year…the gardener has been forgiven. 😀

“The Well Garden”

We live in sunflower country and most gardens have at least a few adorning their gardens, we are no exception. This spectacularly tall sunflower display is ALL self seeded from last year, travelling from the front of the house, I suspect the wind and the birds helped this process. Haley our dog sitting regally like she owned the place!!

Miss Haley Husky, in HER garden.💜

There are 2 sorts of cherries on the trees here in Hungary, sour and sweet. We prefer the sweet ones to eat straight off the tree or you can collect them and make jams if you have any remaining….we didn’t!

Sweet Cherries
Sour Cherries

We have 2 sweetcorn patches, the first one the corn is already visible and should be ready for cropping probably next week. We planted another bed about 4 weeks later for continuous corn throughout the summer months. Our favourite way to eat them is straight from the plant and onto the BBQ! Delicious!

Sweetcorn
Young Corn

Not everything has been successful in our garden and we nearly lost our watermelons…or should I say they just did not grow, we were going to pull them out but suddenly the other day these yellow flowers appeared….could this be the start of a watermelon? I will keep you updated.

Watermelon

The tomatoes all over the garden are doing amazingly well, they guzzle water constantly and there are flowers everywhere. Won’t be long before we have a bumper crop. For the first time this year, we experimented with crushed egg shells, adding them to the hole before planting the seedlings, to see if it improved the tomato’s growth and production. So far so good. It is supposed to add extra calcium where needed, I have heard mixed reactions about this method. Best that we try it first before making a judgement.

Tomatoes

Our raised bed full of peppers is coming on very well and you can see in the buckets on the ground, potatoes. We tried to grow potatoes previously but they were all attacked by a beetle and we lost the lot. This year we are trying the recycling bucket method.

Spicy Peppers

Other experiments we are trying this year. From seed, tomatoes are raised in hollowed egg shells, then transferred to the ground….after crushing the shells gently around them before planting them out. The other tall plant is from seed, a pomegranate. I have already prepared the ground ready for planting and will go into the ground this evening.

Egg Shell Tomato Seedlings
Pomegranate

This is a third year rose, bought in Hungary and thriving well. It had a bout of greenflies early on but now clear. Underneath the rose is our marigold bed. I planted 6 varieties of marigolds in the hope of plenty of colour. We are getting there, the smaller ones have flowered now just waiting for the larger ones to explode, should be any day now.

Rose
Petunia

I love petunias and was fortunate to have been given a few last year from a neighbour. She warned me they would self seed everywhere and have a second wave of flowering later in the year. She was right, I hope they do the same this year, they are so cheerful.

Mixed Flower bed

This is the front of the house, looking onto the road. As you see the sunflowers are healthy and strong but unfortunately for poor Haley block her important view of the street. It was a good lookout for her passing doggie friends!

Haley

Much as I adore Haley, our Husky, she is a major nuisance in the garden. Digging is her game and she is good at it. We have areas in the garden she is “allowed to dig” which generally works OK. However, on this occasion my cordoned off new sunflower patch got the “Haley Digging” treatment and she managed to kill one of my 10 new plants. In the first picture you will also notice another suspicious hole…she was guarding it so I would not fill it in! Naughty girl!

My lovely Hibiscus is just about to burst into flower in the “Well Garden”

Hibiscus

This is the bottom third of our garden, the buildings you see on the left are the neighbour’s house. We have planted 8 walnut trees which will eventually give us our “Walnut Corner” and a great screen with the neighbours.

There are numerous bare patches on the “lawn”…that’s what I call it but Eric refers to this area as the side garden! The bare patches are when the garden was a building site with piles of concrete, rubble and stones everywhere. We removed the rubble and prepared the patches for grass seed, that was 10 days ago.

Now the new grass is popping through and will hopefully give a good green covering in the coming weeks. I am always hopeful 😁

Our neighbour’s wall… a fascinating place for “dog sniffing”! The house has been empty for the last 3 years and this half finished extension is housing some sort of animal that has been driving Haley crazy! It could be foxes as we have seen them in the garden or rabbits, cats, lizards or even mice. She spends hours sniffing and watching, crazy girl!!

Sat on our veranda I looked up and this is what I saw…a vibrant blue sky with puff balls of cotton wool clouds. Just gorgeous!🧡

Now as the evening approaches the sun goes to sleep and the moon gently comes out ready to do the whole cycle again tomorrow. Every day nature has something new to offer us it’s wonderful to be able to appreciate it here in our adopted country of Hungary.

Categories
Everyday Life in Hungary

20 Older Generation Habits that will make you Smile

Party is now “Dinner Party”

Let’s PARTY meant very late nights, thick beery hangovers the next day and a mass of clearing up to do! As we got older our taste in entertainment changed. No longer did we feel the urge or the need to go out every night and have a blow out at the weekends. We discovered very civilised “dinner parties”. There was no need to shout and yell at each other like in the nightclubs but a chance to have a decent conversation with the aid of good food, good company and delicious wines.

Wearing a jacket even when it’s hot!

I feel the cold, more so than I did in my younger days. My hands and my feet get really so very cold. My solution, is more layers, more movement. I also LOVE socks, I have many warm woolly ones, that makes my feet nice and toasty, winters are painfully cold in Hungary.

Taking photos of people and things, not themselves

Guilty of this habit! Never have I been comfortable with “selfies”, I am not good at it and I would prefer to be on the other side of the lens.

Reading my Kindle instead of hardback books

Despite convincing myself years ago that I would NEVER get a Kindle, I succumbed when we moved abroad. My hardback collection is still in England, I shall be reunited with it sometime in the future. I love being able to slip my Kindle into my handbag and take it out with me for an opportunistic read.

My handbag is a suitcase

Long gone are the days of only carrying a small clutch bag with only the essentials for a night out. Nowadays my large handbag, now renamed “Sue’s Suitcase” by my husband is full of emergency supplies like tissues, a manicure set, glasses, a phone, hard candy, cardigan etc etc …!! I am covered for every eventuality whilst we are out and about in Hungary. Husband and son always thank me for being organised when they require something from the said suitcase!

Discuss the weather

As youngsters, the weather did not influence our lives as much as it does now we are many years older. I remember vaguely my parents talking about the weather, it always seemed important to them. When I became an adult myself I have to admit to scrutinising the weather daily, through habit and necessity. When my children were small, we walked everywhere and living in England meant the weather was always unpredictable. We needed to be dressed appropriately for those frequent rainy days. Now living in a country with predictable weather it’s great, no more guessing.

Insist on a wall calendar

Image by Amber Avalona from Pixabay

I love a good wall calendar and have used them for many years. My youngest daughter suggested to me that I should be using an online planner, as it’s way more efficient. I didn’t really want to do that as I prefer to see everything in front of me, to me it’s more visualising and pleasing.

Drink a lot of tea

The older generation does seem to drink many cups of tea. I know people who seem to continually have the kettle on for their next cup of tea. I used to hear my parents inviting people around for “a cup of tea and a chat”. A very orderly affair sometimes with freshly baked buns for the chattering guests. Tea is readily available everywhere, quick to make and provides a satisfying refreshing drink. My personal favourite is Vanilla tea although I am also partial to an Earl Grey cup of Tea.

Play Bingo

Image by Tomppa Koponen from Pixabay

Bingo is ALWAYS associated with the older generation. I am surprised by this as in my hometown in England there were Bingo Halls filled with bingo players of all ages. Holidaying abroad in all-inclusive resorts often have bingo sessions to help entertain the guests. There is online Bingo that I have experimented with and believe me it can become quite addictive. I soon lost interest when the summer months arrived.

The comfortable look

I followed fashion trends when I was younger through the 70’s and 80’s changing with the latest fads enjoying having what I considered to be reasonable “fashion sense”. As I have got older my style and how I wear things is very different. I deserve to be comfortable and relaxed in the clothes I wear now. For so many years throughout my working life, I would don a smart business suit and wear make-up and jewellery every day. Now I still like to look smart but my look is either long floaty dresses or shorts and teeshirts through the summer months. Winter is for leggings and wellies!

Love receiving mail in the mailbox

I do so love to receive mail in my mailbox. Am I old fashioned to enjoy the thought and effort gone into a letter sent to me? Post nowadays is either bills or circulars. Most of my communications are done through email. Thoroughly impersonal but quick and reliable.

Wear slippers

Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay

Slippers are fabulous, they keep my feet warm and clean. The theory is that my floors should be cleaner too but when my husband and son don’t wear slippers… we have words!

Wear a dressing gown….

On a cold winter day when I know we are not expecting visitors during the day, I slip my long super warm dressing gown on…I have convinced myself that it’s a housecoat!

Have a Landline Telephone

Image by Anja🤗#helpinghands #solidarity#stays healthy🙏 from Pixabay

We have ALWAYS had a landline telephone and I could not understand why so many other people just managed on mobile phones. It took me a long time to finally part with the landline and rely solely on mobile technology. Looking back we were wasting money having both means of communication. Now our mobile phones are peaceful, not full of nuisance marketing calls like we had in England and I have learnt everything I need to know how to operate my Android phone efficiently.

Taking a Siesta

Image by anisenior from Pixabay

The advantage of being older is that you can nap when the mood takes you. It is now acceptable to fall asleep in front of the TV or with a magazine laid open on your chest. My husband takes full advantage of this privilege regularly.

Cruises

We are certainly not ‘cruise’ people, but we do know people who have had fantastic luxurious cruises in their later years and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Everything is laid on for guests with plenty of varied lively entertainment. Unfortunately, I suffer from sea-sickness quite badly so have never had the desire to go cruising.

Crosswords/Jigsaws

‘Crosswords are for oldies,’ I used to say about my mother-in-law. Every day without fail she would do the daily newspaper crossword. Nobody was allowed to fill any of the clues in and her aim was to complete it within the day. Not many people nowadays buy newspapers as computer technology has replaced them. News is available through numerous different outlets online making the humble large page newspaper a dying breed. I discovered crosswords by chance whilst waiting for a flight to visit my daughter. I picked up a book of crosswords and took the plunge, and started crosswording I am now hooked!! I discovered jigsaws only last year and completed my first 1000 piece puzzle over the long winter.

Youtube beats any Encyclopedia

Technology has enhanced our lives tremendously. When I was a youngster and had a question, I was directed to the family collection of Encyclopedia Britannica. Dust covered heavy books full of interesting facts filled our bookshelves at home usually providing the answer. It is so much easier now with huge capacity search engines to help you discover ANYTHING. My husband is particularly hooked on YouTube and has been entertained for many hours on topics he is interested in.

Get up early

We don’t have to get up early but we do. No longer is it a necessity to get up at a specific time. We are retired and do not have jobs to go to. We are free to lie in if we want to. Rural life in Hungary usually starts at 6.30 am with everyone up and about before it gets too hot in the summer months. I love first thing in the morning sitting on our veranda enjoying a cup of tea and the early morning chattering of the birds. We also go to bed reasonably early too, we have no time constraints.

We are not ‘old’

How old is old? When I was a child I thought my parents were old. When I was in my 20’s, 40 sounded ancient! I am now nearing my 60’s and don’t feel like that number. Age is a number that doesn’t have to be scary. As we age our life experiences change to suit that phase in our lives. With age comes experience and knowledge which we hopefully can pass on to future generations. Who knows what the world will have to offer our grandchildren. No doubt they are looking at their grandparents now and thinking how old fashioned we are!

Let me know if you know of any other differences between the older generation and the youngsters of today. I am sure I have missed loads.

Categories
Chatting on the Verandah

“Chatting on the Verandah” Part 4

Expat Life, Early Retirement, Good Conversations

One of the things that I appreciate most about being retired and living in a different country is that my husband and I are really able to talk to each other. Sounds a little silly to say but throughout our married life talking took a back seat…I mean really talking, chatting, having conversations, laughing, reminiscing, planning for our future, there was always something else that took priority. Now is our time to talk and I love it. I am sharing with you today conversations we have had on our verandah here in our adopted home – Hungary.

7 topics that sparked our conversations on the verandah

Lavender

We grew lavender in the UK but not as successfully as here. I have some lavender in our garden but nothing large scale. Roaming around the countryside at this time of year you can often see the vivid purple fields of lavender, usually open to the public to pick your own.

Our village has a new lavender field that is thriving well. The village was discussing what to do with it…how to market it, where to market it. I know there is a refining facility in the next village but what happens from there I don’t know. There was talk of a small cafe in the village selling products made from lavender. I use lavender, as a sleep aid and have made fizzing bath bombs using lavender essential oil in the past. I am very interested in following the village progress. I took a couple of pictures of the developing fields.

Nappies

Muslin Nappy
Disposable Nappy

It’s been a very long time since I changed a nappy! How we came to be talking about nappies is that we had been on the hunt for some muslin nappies for curing meat. Our farmer delivered a nice slab of beef to us and we are going through the stages of curing it. The meat has been salted several times, now it’s waiting for the fenugreek (Indian spice) to be added for its final stage. We needed a muslin square or nappy which fortunately we found at our local market. The stall holder kindly showed me several designs (written in Hungarian), I just smiled, we both laughed when she realised I did not understand the wording. Too hard to explain what we wanted it for!

Eric has previously lived in the USA and was not familiar with using terry nappies, he only knew Huggies disposable nappies and informed me they were more popular in America than Pampers. In the UK it was the other way round when I finally converted to disposables. My first 2 children had terry nappies, as this was what my mother had advised me to use. By baby 3 I had had enough of washing endless terry nappies, so changed to Pampers disposable… the best in my opinion.

I love to hear about how Eric grew up in Lebanon and had an interesting conversation about his childhood memories. I asked what his mother did for nappies and washing them. Once a week was wash day. The fire was lit with wood and the water was heated up. He told me the house used to fill with smoke on wash day. That water showered the whole family using a jug and bar of soap. The nappies went into a special barrel and soaked first, then bleached then boiled over a fire. Rinsed and hung on the washing line. I compared my own experiences which were very different and privileged. We had running hot water from a tap and bathed when we wanted. Washing was done automatically in a twin tub and my mother hung the nappies on the line. Wash day was always Monday. How different our mothers worked in their respective countries.

Image by Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto from Pixabay

Lydia’s Goats

Goats are a hot topic on the verandah at the moment. We have discovered that we can buy different varieties of goat’s cheese quite easily here in Hungary…one of my favourites. In the UK I paid high prices for not a lot of cheese. The last lot we bought was from Tamási Market, one was smoked, one with added oregano and the last one plain, they were all delicious. If you want to know more about Tamási market I have written a post all about it here Tamási Market

Image by Pam Carter from Pixabay

Our son, Raphael loves animals and was thrilled to be able to go and see our neighbour’s goats and their newborn kids. Lydia has several goats and is also our Hungarian interpreter, she has been super valuable to us whilst we have been here. Eric and I chatted about Raphael’s increased confidence now we have lived here for some time. He had never wanted to get involved in village life before so we both agreed that integrating with Lydia’s goats was a great start! He was too shy to try his Hungarian and worried he would get it wrong, he need not have worried. I was a bit like that when we first came to Hungary but you have to “take the bull by the horns” as the saying goes and just do it! He has been back again to see Lydia and his new friends and learnt a mountain about goats.

We chatted about having 2 of our own but I don’t think it’s practical with an active husky in the house. She would relentlessly attempt to pursue them until she managed to catch one….. then who knows what would happen!

Music

Desperado – Antonio Banderas

Paul Baghdadlian – Armenian singer

We like to listen to music sometimes whilst chatting. Music that suits our mood. We had hot sunshine so selected Antonio Banderas with his flamenco style aggressive guitar playing. One of Eric’s favourite movies, the song sung in Spanish. I actually felt like I was on holiday…on my own verandah!

We also had many vocal renditions by Paul Baghdadlian as he was one of Eric’s old friends, songs sung in Armenian (Eric’s mother tongue) that I had little understanding of. It was pleasant though. Click the links above for a taster.

Mint Everywhere

Spearmint
Just Mint
Chocolate Mint

This year we have found ourselves with three different sorts of mint. A gift this year was chocolate mint and it REALLY does smell like chocolate. We had discussions about mint and its uses and if we really wanted to put chocolate mint in salads?!

We came up with the following ideas:

We shall dry plenty, and we use it in greek yoghurt salad dishes.

Use fresh in everyday salads – like our Tabbouleh

Use the fresh chocolate mint in homemade ice cream.

Steep the leaves in boiling water for a mint tea.

Add to cocktails and desserts for pretty decoration.

I am sure there are many other uses of this versatile herb. Let me know if you have any other ideas 😁

Finally, we decided to make new cuttings in pots and leave them growing on the verandah as I have heard mosquitoes don’t like the smell. I will try anything to deter those pesky insects.

BBQ – “Chilling and Grilling”

Baby Pork Chops, Tabbouleh and Potatoes
Beef kebabs
Golden Baked Potatoes

It was so lovely and warm outside we decided to do our BBQ preparations on the verandah. A mammoth task as on the menu was Tabbouleh – a Middle Eastern super fresh herb and bulgur salad, with parsley being the number one ingredient. This dish took a lot of time.. preparing the salad items to exact measurements. Eric taught me exactly how to make this fabulous dish which in turn had been taught by his mother in Lebanon. Although he swore his version was better than his mothers’! I have taught my youngest daughter how to make Tabbouleh (she is in Spain) and also my friends in England. This dish is becoming truly multicultural. Most people adapt salads to their own individual tastes so it is bound to change slightly every time it’s passed on. Two other examples of how you can eat your Tabbouleh.

Tabbouleh in a Wrap
Tabbouleh and Beef Kebab Wrap

We talked a lot about food, Eric is an excellent chef and is always coming up with new ideas…..some great, some not so! I shall give him credit for his baked spuds! His experiment for the potatoes was an EXCELLENT idea although I am not sure how healthy it was! Between each large sliced potato was a slice of beef fat, the potato was then wrapped in foil and cooked. Once cooked it was removed from the foil and given a quick blitz on the BBQ until it was nice and golden. Mouthwateringly good – See the photo above.

Coronavirus in Hungary

We had serious discussions about the virus as we have done regularly. Thankfully the State of Emergency that existed in Hungary has been lifted as of this week. Our cases and deaths here are relatively low compared to other European countries and for that, we are eternally thankful. We have had confirmation that no member of our village community has been infected, so far, let’s hope it stays that way.

Restrictions have been lifted around timed shopping (elderly only before 12.00 pm) meaning we can shop anytime now. Face masks are still obligatory in supermarkets and on public transport. Only one person in and out of the smaller shops. Restaurants are open, outside only and social distancing is still in force. We are still keeping our eye on the borders as our English friends are waiting to come over here. It does not look too promising at the moment with some countries not allowing British Nationals to enter, Hungary being one of them. The UK is a high risk country and it may be some time before that restriction is lifted.

This virus has taught us a few lessons over the last months. The main one is for us to appreciate what we have and appreciate every day on this earth. My other thoughts and appreciation go to ALL the frontline workers all over the world, they have done a grand job in extremely difficult circumstances. Stay safe everyone.💖

Just a bit of fun and an insight into what these 2 retired expats talk about whilst living in Hungary. There will be more “Verandah Conversations” very soon.

Are you a retired expat? What do you talk about with your nearest and dearest? 💞