Windows To Another Era.

A morning spent along the town square of Köczek.

The buildings themselves are most of the charm but I thought that photos of old buildings aren't everyone's cup of tea. Much better to focus on small details of them.

Above the bakery, windows do need to be open because how else does one catch the mouthwatering aroma of freshly baked bread.

A bit more detail...three windows but I just liked the streetlamp in front of it.

A most beautiful archway beckons forth into another square. Stunning architecture from days gone by.

Often these big gates are closed off and one isn't aware of the beauty hidden behind it. Windows onto ordinary lives lived in extraordinary surroundings.

One of my favourites of the day was this one captured at the Fortress of Köczeg. Old fortress walls and windows that have had the fortune to be privy to a whole epoch of history. If only walls could talk...

Biggi

Bye Bye Blue Sky.

The winds of change are never expected.

A few hours ago the sky looked rather promising and clear with the sun peaking out from under certain bits. Well, just in the last hour a dark and dingy looking cloud cover has decided to park itself over us. Gosh, it's only lunchtime.

One would almost think that yesterday was a figment of our imagination. It was a picture perfect day which happened to coincide with a public holiday. End of October and temperatures in the mid twenties accompanied by sunshine is a treat indeed. Bob and I went over yonder where there wasn't a public holiday to purchase some groceries and on our drive there we saw what seemed like a lot of Eisenbergers out for a walk.

As you know the grass still has its roots firmly anchored and has kept its greenish tint which made the drive around the back roads of Hungary almost seem romantic. Trees clad in autumn's suit lining the many twists and turns of a delightfully patchy rural road. A pothole here and there had me behave in a most unromantic way:

" Schatzi, watch out for the potholes. "

and I never learn, do I? Men don't like to be told how to drive and come to think of it, we women don't like it either....

The two of us were thrilled beyond measure at discovering a new route to Szombathely, a much shorter route with far less traffic. Bob, with determination went to the deli counter at the supermarket and ordered himself two strings of real spicy Hungarian sausages safe in the knowledge that I am not so fond of them while I indulged in their local bread assortments. A couple of freshly baked bread rolls and a huge loaf of white bread.

Good food and someone to share it with might just be another secret to happiness and a great way to spend a public holiday.

Biggi

A Walk Along The Border Of Hungary.

Freezing cold,yet oh so enjoyable.

When the skies are blue and the sun is awake, it is at very deceptive. Cold as blazes only to be noticed once the gloves are taken off. Taking more than a few photos at a time is impossible as the finger tips become numb.
This isn't snow, but the icy water of our local pond.

Dipping a toe into those waters might be a tad bit uncomfortable. The stream about a hundred meters from the Hungarian border.

One of the many hunter's perches around our area. The Hungarian side of the Eisenberg mountain behind it.

A most wonderful spot to enjoy life, nature and to meditate.

Some four legged neighbours. Aren't they beautiful and of course inquisitive?

Another bit of the local pond. A place to ponder on the abundance of life.

Biggi

Bob Rediscovers His Love Of Kebabs In Hungary,

A rather fun excursion to Hungary.

By gosh, as time goes by I am exhibiting more and more traits usually reserved for the sole use of my parents. Naturally I won't mention which one, but they'll know! Not bad ones of course, but slightly on the irritating side for the better half.

We had an appointment in Hungary, Szombathely yesterday at half past one and with this hereditary gene having been awoken, the two of us were in Hungary two hours early. Just in case you think we had to go far, the distance door to door is a mere 30 km and as we live in a small village, there wasn't the added element of traffic. Yes, Szombathely's a big town, but it doesn't warrant such an early start.

As you can perhaps imagine, The Bobster was none too happy with such a timely arrival and when I cunningly mentioned that I thought we could stop at the local DM store to peruse the wares, he drove right passed it...maybe I should mention that I got the name of the store wrong as I actually wanted the Müller store ( another parental gene? ).

The atmosphere in the chariot was slightly iffy until we arrived at the car park of the shopping center which housed the DM shop. Bob's eyes happened to catch a glimpse of a little Deli-hut on the edge of the car park. Seeing the name of Kebab-Hut stenciled in bright red letters, had him seek a parking space not too far away.

Bob being Bob, he buttered me up for the culinary adventures in said car park by reminiscing about the various and divine times he devoured Kebabs when he called London his home. Making hay while the sun shines, I said:

" Isn't it fantastic that we are so early? There's enough time to have a Kebab. "

Bob needed no further persuading and had already queued up at the stand. There was a substantial queue patiently salivating at the aromas wafting about.

The Hungarian exchange rate is on the one hand easy to work out but on the other hand it requires far too much arithmetic. 315 Hungarian Forint = 1 Euro...luckily we had enough time while waiting our turn to work out that 790 Forint for a kebab was a steal.

Never having had one, I let Bob order one at first and planned to have some of his to taste ( some more genetics ? ) and before I even asked him, he offered me a bit to try, while at the same time enthusiastically waxing lyricals about it.

" Oh my god, this is the best food I've ever eaten! "

" Oh really? Didn't you say the same thing about the supper I cooked last night? "

Intreaged to say the least, and liking the bit he let me taste, I ordered one for myself. Gosh, it was delicious indeed.

Bob, being a tall lad, went for seconds and got a smile from the lady making them. As we were leaving, he mumbled almost to himself...

" If you hadn't been with me, I would have had a third one. "

Eh, sorry to be such a nuisance. Yet, I can safely say, that this won't be our last trip into Hungary.

Biggi

A Fight For The Bill, And Not What You'd Imagine!

A great family lunch in Hungary...

A lunch somewhere was on the cards yesterday and we got to eat at a fabulous restaurant in Hungary. My parents had chosen it as they have lunched there a few times already, but for the rest of us it was that exciting feeling of not knowing where we'd end up eating. One man's idea of good food isn't necessarily another's.

It was a gem of a place and has etched itself onto our We'll go again list. There were ten of us and the waiter was far from fazed and in fact took turns to joke with us.

I sat next to my mum and even before the first sips were taken, she whispered to me that they wanted to pay the whole bill, without anyone noticing it. Our waiter happened to be there and we told him in English so that none of the others might hear it. Wait and you'll find out about this need for secrecy.

When the meal arrived, there was a hush over our table as everyone tucked in with happy abandon and enjoyment. From my vantage point I could already get glimpses of whispered plans being made by the various couples. No no, not amorous plans but those of how to pay for everyone first.

" Herr Ober, please put everything onto my bill. "

" Sorry Sir, but the lady is already sorting this out."

Oh dear me, I wish you could have seen it. My mum hadn't yet done the physical deed of payment and was in the process of getting up when my uncle, quick as a flash ( but clearly no match for his sister ) was out of his chair and trying to get there first. Goodness, they actually ran towards the waiter and as they were out of sight, nobody knew what happened...

Well, they came back smiling after settling this sibling rivalry the modern may. They went dutch. Even though we had more than enough money with us to pay for our lunch, Bob and I never stood a chance against my family!

Next time everyone is here I can just about imagine the quirky tricks being applied in order to get the bill first ( isn't it wonderful to have such a generous family? ). The usual one of pretending to go to the toilet won't cut it and I wouldn't be surprised if the waiter gets the lure of a bigger tip, just so that the bill will get into the right hands...

Biggi

Winter, Really? Doesn't Look Like It In Eisenberg.

Some nice depictions of yesterday, another fabulous Winter's day.

As you know, my favourite colour combination is in full force. The chill that does seem to hang in the air was definitely there! The gentle curve of the road to Eisenberg is almost hypnotic.

The same place but about 90 degrees to the left. Deutsch Schützen would be to the right of this picture, and straight ahead is the Hungarian village of Grossdorf. A cat's whisker away and still on the Eisenberg itself.

A closeup of Kroatisch Schützen's village church.

A bit later, about mid morning our little Tigger did her thing. A pose, preceded by a guilty look. Yes, Bob and I were on our way to Oberwart.

A chicken yard somewhere in Hannersdorf ( a village about 10 km from us. ) When I see and hear happy chickens, it makes me consider having a chicken yard of our own. Yes, these chickens will be gracing the inside of a pot at some stage, but at least they had a life of running wild. When you buy a chicken from your supermarket or discounter, it might be better not to imagine the life it had...

The rooster prancing around and ordering his entourage to stop looking at me. For a minute they all ran to the fence in glee and excitement. As I didn't toss a morsel to them, they soon turned away...

Biggi

The Culinary Thrill Of Devouring A Freshly Baked Bread Roll While Sitting In Your Car.

Driving with bread crumbs or living on the edge?

Truthfully I cannot tell you that I don't initiate shopping trips purely for the fresh bread rolls that can be had at the various Supermarkets. Do you think there might be a need for a reference guide?

Biggi's guide to the best fresh baked goods to be devoured on route. Judged by the ripping test & amount of breadcrumbs had.

Sometimes Bob saves me the trouble to nudge him. Friday he had a bee in his bonnet to make pumpkin soup. Pumpkin soup means a trip through to Hungary for us.

Why Hungary you might ask? Well, they sell divine tasting pumpkins and a lot more reasonably priced too. Before you start to question our sanity, you must know that it's the same distance to drive to a big city in Hungary than to the nearest town in Burgenland. When in Europe, do the European thing...

On top of everything else, we were looking for a DVD. Well, first shopping outlet...nada. Next outlet was Tesco's. While Bob was doing his thing, I managed to hone in on their bakery isle. Good golly gosh, they don't disappoint. At least 8 baskets of freshly baked rolls, muffins and similar delectable items to tempt even the most diligent dieter.

Either they sprayed a scent in the air, or maybe it is just the baker opening the oven but the aroma wafting about was too much for me to resist. There is always one major drawback of course. Everything is labeled in Hungarian and I have to choose by looks alone. Whether it is sweet or savoury only gets discovered once we are in the car.

Bob has the discipline to wait until we are out of the car park ( he is driving the chariot after all ) which I don't have. Opening that paper bag with our spoils is the best feeling in the world. The golden freshly baked aroma coupled with that ripping sound of crust being torn apart is almost ethereal.

Of course, Bob being Bob, he knows exactly what and how much of the doughy stuff was purchased and he demands his equal share of the bounty. Once, years ago I tried to hoodwink him...Goodness, have you ever withheld freshly baked bread from your man? Never again!

I sincerely hope there are no Big Brother affairs trained on our car, because seeing us rip and devour a freshly baked bread roll or croissant or loaf of bread ( oh yes, I dare you to resist a fresh out the oven loaf of bread! ) might have been the video that launched a thousand likes.

When we had the first lot of bread crumbs all over us and the car seat, Bob let out a loud : " Oh no! " and started to laugh...it turns out we forgot to buy pumpkin and the shopping trip to Hungary turned into a mere culinary outing after all. Ah, isn't life grande?

Biggi

Out & About In Two European Countries.

Is it Thursday today? Oh, let's visit Hungary.

I still get a kick out of a visit to Hungary. Another country, another way of life and another set of impressions. Those who know where we live, also know that we are a mere 2 Kilometers from the Hungarian border and 18 Kilometers from the next mega city.

You know, driving around and seeing the contrast of the " Haves " and " The Have-Not's " which is part of the new Hungary, makes it jolly hard to remember that a mere 25 odd years ago it was still a communist country...part of the eastern bloc! How quickly they have embraced the symbols of Western culture...Affluence is everywhere yet there are still parts that don't appear to be so.

Hungary is a country that as soon as you drive in it, you not only see the beauty but also feel it. Both Bob and I can conjour up images of a magnificent life past ( 18th & 19th Century ). Well, how we imagine it might have been. A life of carriages being driven across the landscape. A life of colour. A life of authenticity. One thing that I think everyone who visits Hungary notices, is how absolutely friendly and nice the Hungarians are. Let me tell you, that is not a given in Europe!

Bob and I had finished what we had to do in Hungary by late morning and made our way back home. Bob is great at finding the roads less travelled. Roads that are scenic to drive on. He is good at that. Even I still go " Ooh & Aah " when he takes a lesser know road.

A couple of years ago, Bob took some " 1st time visitors " to our beautiful Burgenland for a scenic drive. As they were his family, he pulled out all the stops and showed them our magnificent area. When they got back, he told me that unfortunately they weren't awed at all... Not a peep, ooh nor an aah. I suppose they are concrete jungle creatures after all.

Driving back through Rechnitz we decided to put my Dad's theory to work ( finding a great place to eat near a village church ). It was nice but I think next time we need to get a tad nearer to the church.

A novel idea. Painting a picture on the wall and framing it! Bob, sporting his Sprinkbok jersey.

I tried the Schweinsbraten & Knödel, which was very nice indeed.

Bob had the meaty dish. No, that isn't calamari but a Vienna ( pardon me, a Frankfurter ) cut up. Delicious pan of food he told me.

Funnily enough, in Austria a Vienna sausage is called a Frankfurter and in Germany ( and the rest of the world ) it reverts back to being a Vienna Sausage!

Driving into the outskirts of Schandorf, we saw the various pumpkin fields. These pumpkins will be harvested for their pips and the oil they provide. Yesterday was a rainy day, yet it is still a sight to behold.

A close up.

Biggi

A Typical Friday Turns Into Another Great One.

When in Paradise, do like a Parisian...

What is more fun and enjoyable than driving to a town near you and sampling the food & wine. Of course having the opportunity to do this with family is even better. Cramming too much into a day of exploring can be tedious and clutter the senses. A spot of meandering around a village ( and in our case it was in Hungary...Köszeg ) and then choosing a delightful place to eat is more than enough.

That is what life is about and for years, the Parisians were the original ones to copy in regard to enjoyment of life in a simplistic way. Those elegant Parisians sitting in a side walk cafe, sipping red wine and eating proper food. Idealistic. Enviable. Clever.

As you know, we live withing spitting distance of Hungary and some of the most beautiful, historic and attractive towns are a mere 20 kilometers away. As an added bonus, prices in Hungary are so much less. Even in the tourist spots. Meandering through the various little shops, I discovered a material shop, that stocks wool at a quarter of the price one pays in Austria. In fact, in Austria the wool is so dear, that knitting a jersey is more pricey than buying one...Bob take care, because I am going to knit you a Jersey in outrageous colours!!!

We found a great place to eat and right next to the church and in this case also within the old castle grounds. They even offer a shot at archery, the weapons of yesteryear.

We got to our Restaurant early, and were at first almost the only patrons. Thankfully within the next half hour, the place filled up. We ordered from the menu but the locals all had the lunch time special, which we didn't know about. We caught on, when they all had the same food and rather quick as well.

What an inviting shop. The flowers were so lovely dangling that you couldn't help it but to go inside. Nice way to advertise.

Yes, the house is a little run down but the greengrocer made the best of it and put up the most magnetic display. The various reds of tomatoes, the yellows of paprika and the greens of lettuce just drew the eye to it and if we didn't still have a few hours in a hot car ahead of us, I would have shopped there. Brilliant marketing. By the way, this area was still part of the communist block in the late 1980's.

After lunch we slowly made our way home and even that was nice. What better way to enjoy the scenery than lazing in the back seat idly looking at the countryside flashing past, lost in thought. A nod of imminent sleep every now and then, was an excellent reminder of a good day.

We had the most brilliant end to the afternoon. We had been home for a while and I had even done a spot of cleaning ( part time occupation during the season ) and decided that the sun was low enough to have a glass of wine. Polly and I sat on our stoep, or rather the steps on our front door with a glass of chilled Burgenland wine in our hand. Shooting the breeze, watching the neighbourhood drive by in batches and waving a cheerful Hello to all. A good life.

Biggi

The Hungarian Formula One 2014: Thrilling Edge Of Your Seat Stuff.

A feast for us spectators indeed.

Listening to and interpreting the pre-race interviews one might have mostly expected a tepid and uneventful race. A race with no major heart racing moments or a change in position. Even the safety-car driver ( a rather dishy man indeed ) was interviewed. Gosh, even he didn't see himself looping the track often, if at all.

Well...what a cracker of a race it turned out. It had all the elements to keep us glued to our seats in front of the TV. Loo breaks were non-existent, lest a moment was missed. In the first third of the race, the dishy safety car driver had to go to work 3 times! ( The various crashes were severe but luckily no one was injured ). You might well wonder why I would focus on the safety driver when the likes of Ricciardo, Vettel & Rosberg are around. Look they are young but the dishy safety driver is closer to my age...

We have had fantastic hot sunny weather for the week and suddenly just before the race the heavens opened up and dropped rain en masse. The game changer indeed. Somehow this Hungarian F1 had all the action and excitement rolled into one. From near misses a la Vettel
( gosh what a magic driver ) to internal spats between Hamiliton and Rosberg. He does complain a lot about all and sundry. At one stage the German commentator had enough and mumbled something to the effect of;

' I can't listen to any more of his complaints and moans. '

Bob and I are fortunate because the Hungaran F1 and the Austrian F1 are within a 2-3 hour driving distance from us. But honestly, even once we have the funds to get a ticket, I would still prefer to watch it on TV. Those tickets offer a spot of grass to stand on and we would only see that one angle of the race...every 3 minutes.

This year Vettel is not winning races. A lot of folk complain about it but I think it makes it much more exciting to watch Formula One again. Vettel, I'm sure, is ready to pounce to pole again. Like a panther he could spring at any moment. Having to fight your way to the front again, means driving with a dash more elan. Elan is what makes a race for us viewers. As much as I agree with the commentator regarding Hamiliton, I still have to say that he is a fabulous driver. He started second last and finished third. Plenty of elan there!

Lately they have made the race extremely safe, almost too safe to watch. Rules and regulations galore. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to see anyone injured, but be honest, a race without clashes is a tad bit boring, isn't it?

Biggi

How Good Is Your Mental Arithmetic Since You Left School?

A day trip to Hungary put me under pressure to do sums!

Our chariot has morphed into a teenager, one who let's you know when we don't give enough attention. Oh believe me, once we heard a knocking sound from the front of the car, we paid attention. Yesterday was our appointment to have it seen to at the nice dealership in Hungary. By the way, that is one of the wonderful points about living in Europe. You can shop in any country.

Phoning up to make the appointment was a bit torturous for me as I had to describe the problem. I tried to emulate the knocking sound and dare I say, I think I heard a giggle on the other end of the telephone. Granted now that I think of it, I did sound more like a chicken...Anyway, off we went.

It is a thirty minute drive but we still take books to read, because we always wait until our car's service is done. We imagined it to take about two hours. No problem as they have nice tables and chairs and a Nescafe vending coffee machine. But because they couldn't tell the problem without having a look, it turned out that they still needed to order parts from Budapest. Oh yes, our two hours would turn into almost eight.

At first we were preparing to wait it out at the garage. But then they offered us a courtesy / loaner car with minimal costs. Roughly 23 Euros with the proviso that we would do under 100 kilometers.

" Schatzi, let's take this car and just make the most of it. We are in a beautiful city so let's explore it a bit & possibly have a bite to eat.

Rather an adventure we thought. Bob made me read the odometer and memorize it. Of course it had to be an extremely odd number! The city of Szombathely is big and the streets are not laid out like Manhattan. Along with us not being able to speak Hungarian, we had a bit of a conundrum. If we were to get lost, would we manage to keep under the 100 km?

At odd intervals, I had to perform mental arithmetic. Under pressure indeed. It must be the computer that has made most of us lazy regarding adding and subtracting sums in our head. I used to be fast & accurate...yes, sadly used to be.

You know, it is almost embarrassing to mention it, but little subtractions need to be checked and rechecked. When I think of how we have one little kid in our English class, who absolutely loves doing arithmetic I hang my head in shame! When I now and again create a page of additions for him, I need to be on my toes when I tick his answer.

Look, at least I still use pen and paper to add sums. I couldn't imagine doing sums on the cell phone because apart from anything else, my fingers are much larger than the number buttons.

Bob and I did explore some parts of the city and its outlying villages yesterday. I have to say that everyone we met in Hungary was very friendly and helpful. Not to mention the beautiful countryside of Hungary. So, we had a nice little adventure and a good day...

Biggi

Setting off in the morning. We were just crossing from Burgenland into Hungary.

The weather was a tad bit overcast.

In Szombathely center.

Bob suddenly shouted for me to quickly take a picture of this apartment building and as you can see, I had to be a contortionist to still capture it. But it has character.

These are my favourite kind of streets. Old and new mingling.

Living Around The Corner From Hungary.

Going for a drive takes on a whole new meaning.

Often I forget that we live so close to Hungary. Borders are a thing of the past, as Europe is now an open collection of countries. Fabulously easy to take your car and just drive where the whim takes you. As long as you have some formal identification, Europe is your oyster.

My mum phoned yesterday morning and asked if we wanted to have a pot of curry later on in the day. Do we ever...oh yes! She phoned back two minutes later and asked if we were keen to rather have lunch in a nice restaurant in Hungary. They had been to it once before and it left an impression. It didn't even take us two seconds to say ' yes '.

We did " Rock Paper Scissors " to decide the designated driver for the return trip and Bob lost! Going on a drive is nice especially when you can sample the local wines . A car gives me the feeling of being in an safe, warm, comfortable & cozy place while seeing the world go past. We had the lovely village of Kozseg on our radar. If you haven't been to it, it is so worth your while. Great ambiance, history, architecture, food and friendly people. Tourists are appreciated and handled in a friendly manner.

We were all hungry and made a beeline for the Restaurant. It is just off the wonderful town square so it was nice to imbibe all the ambiance on the way.

Bob and I on the way to lunch...

If you look at the wooden door, you can see the garden in the back. The hidden jewel!

The Restaurant has a medieval theme or it just used the surroundings. There are weapons on the wall that could cause a lot of pain. Amazing what they used back then. But the place was simply great.

My parents waiting for the food.

No one went hungry. The wine was good. The price was a tad bit misleading because it said a glass of wine was 150 Forint ( 50 cents ) but it is per deciliter. They give you a full glass of wine and that then costs 300 Forint ( 1 euro ) which is still an amazing deal.

Bob walking off the meal ( steak / fish baked in a bread crust / fried liver / venison ) amid the stunning houses and the church.

This cafe will be on our next visit: The Relax Cafe & Pub!!!

The village square: There are numerous cafe's to sit and absorb the beautiful surroundings and to have delectable ice creams. A scoop of it is 100 Forint ( about 30 cents ).

A war memorial plaque of fallen World War 1 soldiers. We forget how easy our lives are...

Biggi