Still waiting for winter!

Lot's of plan and resolutions have been made in the past few weeks which have included a new property blog to show readers the delights of Hungary and what is available at unbelievably low prices. I've added a link to the blog in the links section on the right. Hopefully it will grow to become a source of information on different villages and areas in Hungary, Hungarian culture and food as well as properties for sale by local owners.

Nearly forgot to mention, we spent a lovely evening with friends in the Zala hills and to my surprise, I discovered a fellow Historian with a mutual interest in investigating our villages "battle field" with a metal detector. So hopefully  (if we find a suitable detector) the children will have something to entertain them over Easter.

Not much else to mention at the moment as mostly my spare time has been spent baking cupcakes and trying out new curry recipes building a new chimney in Sprints room and fitting two new wood burners. The next job to be tackled is fitting a wood burner in the school room however, with it being an old adobe house, I would prefer to have something in fitting with the character of the building and after browsing too many sites on masonry heaters I discovered and fell in love with these and despite hubby's protests I have decided that we will attempt to build something similar - I'll keep you updated when the build begins :-)

Xmas day Pictures & a Happy New Year

Xmas day was spent with the family and due to the unexpectedly mild weather, we even managed a Xmas walk. Mid morning, we had some friends from the village call round with gifts of cakes, a self caught Pike-perch (lake fish) and some home made blood sausage. It was totally unexpected and in my panic to give them something in return, I grabbed Nicole's bottle of Rose wine - not understanding why she was standing behind me saying "give them the red, give them the red - sorry!!"

Gifts from our Hungarian friends

Not sure if i mentioned our Xmas tree in my last post? My requirements were; at least 6 foot tall, not dropping needles and nice and bushy. Now nowhere in that description does it say 8-10 feet wide and yet that is what I got! Not that I noticed when Rab brought it home as it was tied up and it wasn't until we dragged the decorations from the attic and gathered the children for the "tree decorating tradition" that we discovered the tree took up a quarter of the room. It seemed sacrilegious to start hacking branches off of it and so we ended up having to squeeze it into the corner with it's lower branches pushed upwards, the children said it is the most sorrowful, scraggly looking Xmas tree we have had yet but I like it :-)

Despite my best efforts, every year the children insist on prawn cocktail for their starter! Though this year I managed to make a duck liver pate as an extra starter so everybody seemed satisfied. For the main course we had the usual Turkey, pork and all the trimmings which was followed by trifle and the Xmas cake I had been soaking for weeks with brandy and amaretto :-)

Prawn Cocktail

Trifle

Kids table for 2 :-)

As mentioned, the mild weather enabled us to go for a walk along the small stream and into the forest and when I say a family walk, that's exactly what I mean - cats and all. Sunbeam & our new arrival Poppy followed us from the house and about 200 metres down the road we picked up Fig who was stalking mice or newts down at the little water board property. From there, all three of them stayed with us during our walk and returned home with us though little Poppy was somewhat slower than the others. Fig is not the friendliest of cats, completely independent and lets you know if she isn't pleased about something or if you try to overstep the mark with her (bit like myself ;-) but she really is amazing in so many other ways. Whilst on our walk, we noticed the animals becoming slightly stressed, Fig then sat herself down and stared at a hill a couple of hundred metres away whilst at the same time making a strange meow like noise to Sunbeam (her son) who turned and ran like the wind - for Sunbeam that is unheard of as he is such a lazy and spoilt boy -but run he did and didn't stop until he reached the building where we initially met up with Fig. Poppy was getting really stressed and so we picked her up just as Fig started growling and looking across to the hill we saw an enormous fox running through the back gardens of the houses opposite us. Fig continued sitting there until she was sure it had gone before calling Sunbeam who came plodding back (danger was over now so he certainly wasn't going to run) and we continued our walk. I for one was amazed having firstly, never known cats to go a walk with their owners and secondly, never seen them interact in the way that Fig and Sunbeam did :-)

2 cats, a dog and lots of children

Little Poppy bringing up the rear

Sprint

Besides Xmas day we have been quite busy - enjoyed getting about this Xmas and not being snowed in! We went ice skating again in Heviz, caught up with friends in Lispeszentadorjan which was really nice and even better, I might have found a metal detecting partner there. Had a nice meal out at the Giraffe Etterem in Letenye and had a lovely drive round some villages we hadn't visited before. Well, I must go as there is shortbread, mulled wine and a steak pie to be made, fireworks tonight and not too much to drink as we are having friends up for dinner tomorrow and there is nothing worse than cooking with a hangover! Happy New Year to you all

Christmas Eve in Hungary

A quick update before tomorrow :-)

Sorry but the photos were taken on an ipod as I forgot the camera - so a bit pixelated!

The plan was to go ice skating at Heviz before visiting Tescos for a couple of  last minute pressies and then home to prep the dinner and wrap presents.

On leaving the village, we discovered some escapees, it seems a yearly occurrence in the village though it wasn't the pony this year but rather the goats and sheep who had decided to make a bid for freedom and demolish the shrubbery around the church!

Eventually, we made it to the ice rink which was surprisingly quite. 

On the drive back to our village, we decided to investigate a strangely shaped tower which has puzzled us the whole time we have lived here. For now, we are still unsure what the tower is though it appears to be newly built and the views from the top of the hill are quite stunning. We also discovered what appears to be a small village tucked in the valley but is actually the end of Dioskal village - until then, we didn't realise it stretched so far over into the hills.

Back at home, Plum sported her new Xmas jumper as it was getting a bit chilly. Finished the food prep including the Xmas cake and some duck liver pate. 

So presents are wrapped and the food is in hand and we can't wait till tomorrow. Even though the children are now older, we still tracked Santa on Norad - well,  it wouldn't be the same without Santa would it ;-)

Before I o. I would just like to thank everybody who sent messages wishing me well and asking after my health - it was much appreciated.

A special thank you to my dear friends John and Trish who are themselves going through a tough time this Xmas, all our love to you both and of course Marie - our thoughts are with you all this Xmas.....

 I'll be back before the New Year with my list of resolutions as I feel 2012 is a time for change :-)

For now, Merry Xmas to you all and I hope it's a good one.

So much to say, so little time to say it in!

So much has happened since I last posted that I really don't know where to begin!

You'll have to bare with me as I'm still a bit woozy and events won't be in chronological order :-)
The wooziness is a hangover from yesterday when I had a general anaesthetic. I guess this story began 3-4 years ago when I started having monthly problems and permanently looking as though I was 8 months pregnant. Okay, I'm overweight but the enormous lump in my upper abdomen just doesn't fit in with the rest of me and so I knew something wasn't quite right. In Ireland, I consulted my doctor and consultant and neither seemed particularly interested, with the doctor informing me that as it wasn't a life or death situation, I would be a long time on the gynecologists waiting list. Consequently, I never mentioned it again and carried on as before. However, over the past few months, even the easiest and most enjoyable jobs have become a chore and walking round the market leaves me in excruciating pain. Soooooo, having put it off for longer than was sensible, I finally dragged myself along to the gynecologist at the private clinic in Keszthely and the speed at which things happened left me somewhat dizzy, never mind woozy!
The squeamish amongst you might want to skip the next couple of paragraphs... I HAVE WARNED YOU
Anyhow, off I totter to the gynecologist (thankfully he speaks perfect English) for a pap smear and ultrasound -  as I have done many times over the years in the UK. Walking into the room, I immediately look for the bed as usually I put my bag under it before pulling the curtain round and getting myself prepared - you know, bottom half off, jump on the bed, cover the belly bulge with the paper or cotton sheet that is usually at hand. And yes, there was indeed a bed in the room but there was not a snowballs chance in hell that I would be lying on it as it was strewn with the doctors coat, bag, remnants of a half eaten dinner poking out of a tinfoil wrapper (yes, on THE bed, don't even think abut it) and reams of paperwork. Next in my line of sight is THE CHAIR. Well, if this didn't come straight out of a medieval torture chamber, I don't know what did. Numerous thoughts ran through my mind, not least - what is the tin bowl under the seat for and how do I get my legs in those stirrups without losing my dignity. Needless to say, my dignity was going to be flying across the room and out the window long before I even got near the aforementioned chair! Having ran through the paperwork, the doctors aks me to go behind the curtain and undress before positioning myself in the chair. Of course, the "curtain" had to be in the opposite corner of the room to the chair (had I know this, I would have worn a top that at least covered my backside) admittedly, the room was no more than 16sqm but believe me, every step was the equivalent of a mile and every second an hour as I traversed the obligatory shiny white "modern clinical" tiles. Boots off, socks off, bottoms off - yes everything and there I stood, sucking my tummy in, clenching my buttocks, head held high, smile fixed on face (focus on a point and keep walking) and off I went, smile at the doctor on the right then the assistant on the left, keep walking, reach the chair, right foot on step, turn, sit, right leg in stirrup then left - I did it. In the chair, legs akimbo, I wondered why I even bothered trying to maintain an iota of dignity...... Now, I have to admit my ignorance here, I had never heard of an internal ultrasound, when I phoned and booked an appointment for an ultrasound, I envisaged lying on the aforementioned bed, abdomen smothered in freezing cold gel then a ball like instrument being ran back and forth across my tun. When the doctor produces what I can only describe as another instrument from his bag of medieval torture relics, only this one is in the guise of a metal dildo, complete with a flashing light on top (perhaps he was getting in the festive mood?) I seriousley considered making a run for it. "Relax" he says, RELAX, are you serious? Needless to say I didn't relax and it was somewhat more painful than I imagine it should have been but he seen what he had to see. Before I knew it, I had been instructed to phone in 6 days time for the smear results and to find out the cost of a biopsy and D&C. Phoning, as instructed, I learnt the cost - which was affordable -and was booked in for the operation  four days later.
Four days later, at 6.30 am, I set off for the hospital. Having only previously experienced Nagykanizsa hospital, I was pleasantly surprised at how modern and clean the hospital in Zalaegerszeg was. As a stand by, I had a translator ready at the other end of the phone but quite amazingly, I managed to communicate with the nurses, filled in the relevant paperwork, had bloods taken and an ECG, The only real problem was fitting the needle for the anaesthetic as having thin veins prone to collapsing, even taking blood can be difficult. Several failed attempts by both the nurse and an older doctor proved fruitless. The nurse then started to bring up the vein on my hand whilst at the same time, the older doctor, positioned his needle ready to enter the vein in my wrist. Until then, I had suffered in silence as I knew they had difficult job with my veins but having previously experienced blood taken from my wrist, I was fully aware of how painful it was and would only allow it as a last resort and not before trying the backs of my hands. Well, even with my limited Hungarian, I fully understood the old doctors mumbles and grumbles and thanked - whomever you beleive in - that he wasn't performing my operation. Thankfully, the nurse appeared to agree with me and rolled her eyes at him before telling me there would be no problem with my hand and she was true to her word - easily inserting the needle into my, now trembling, right hand. Before I knew it, the procedure was done and I was back in my room. With foresight, I had taken my own food - tuna salad and a roll - I was right to do so as the direness of the food was the only similarity I noticed with Nagy hospital, dinner consisted of a dry slice of bread, a dry roll, two slices of spam and a yogurt. Currently, I'm awaiting the result of the biopsy though I know it will be negative so not too concerned. Though I also know that due to discoveries during the procedure, I will need further treatment and depending on the severity of the problem, I might have to return to the UK, time will tell....

Our darling little kitten was killed by a waterboard worker who was driving too fast in the village, screaming abuse at him in Hungarian did not bring her back and to be honest, did not make me feel any better. What it appeared to have done though was to alert somebody in the village that we had lost a kitten and would need a replacement (something I had said we would not do). Having been out on Xmas day, the Hungarian Xmas, we returned home around 8pm to discover a little sickly kitten sitting on the steps. It really was in a bad state, thin, bad eyes and slightly wheezy. We know it's not from any of the neighbouring properties and having never seen it in the village before but guessing who the mother is, we assume the owners couldn't find a home for it, herad about our loss and decided we wouldn't shoo it away but instead would take care of it. Naturally, we will take it to the vet next week for a check up and all being well, it has found a new home.

Going back a day to Xmas eve, myself, Sprint and Doc were at home when we suddenly heard the tinkling of bells getting louder and louder. Before we could even ask where they were coming from, there was a loud banging at the door. Doc came running into the living room whispering "mum, there's a man ringing a bell and looking through the window" Sprint then comes running from the toilet shouting " Santa's at the door and the neighbours with him ringing a bell!"  Up I get and off the three of us go to open the door and before I knew what was happening, Santa and his helper were in my hallway chattering away in Hungarian -this particular neighbour has a very broad regional accent which makes him harder to understand, though Santa was easy enough as I believe hohoho is the same in every language? They kindly left three bags of sweets as well as a "switch" for beating the children if they have been bad, strangely, the switch vanished quicker than the chocolates hmm! Watching them return to the horse driven cart on which they arrived, I told the children to quickly take a bottle of wine down to them as a thank you present. Running over to the cart, which had now driven to a neighbours house, they handed the bottle to the driver who turned out to be none other than Freddie, the mayor (he not a bad old sort, just wish he would smile more often). Talking of the mayor, he has been a busy chap. A few weeks ago, pallets of paving bricks suddenly appeared at the monument and fountain in the centre of the village and there they sat for a while. Sprint said, "wow, Freddie must be going to do something with those, bet I know why he bought them" we of course asked why, to which she replied, "well it's end of season, they must of been in the sale otherwise he wouldn't have bothered" such scepticism in one so young....  Regardless, the area around the fountain has been paved as has the front of the church and it looks really amazing, so well done Freddie. That said, it didn't stop me from mumbling, every time we passed the pallets of bricks, "bricks, bricks! What the heck is he doing buying bricks when he still hasn't fixed the blasted potholes? By the end of this winter there will be no road left at all, it'll just be one big pothole".

I have to share this with you, I shouldn't because it'll probably come back to haunt me but it just really deserves to be shared as it's a classic. It was prefaced with, "I hope this doesn't offend you" and "I'm not racist but.." well, that's always a good start and you sort of know what to expect don't you? Oh no, not this time and to be honest, how could I be offended whilst being in complete shock at the total ignorance. I digress, this is what followed, "why don't all they (sic) Roma just go back to Romania....... Don't get me wrong, I feel sorry for them and that what with the woman and girls having to be muslim" I only just managed to point out that Roma did not originate from Romania, so why would they return there? Further, I pointed out that the majority of Roma are definitely not muslim. Where do you begin though, considering this comment came from a British person, living in Britain, they have never lived in Hungary (though they intend to do so in the future) and will in fact be immigrants when they move here. How do you begin explaining that the Roma they refer to have lived here for generations and are more entitled to live here than they are? How can a person make such a racist comment without personally knowing any Roma? Is this honestly what the UK is coming to? It is disheartening to say the least and saddest thing is that people like this see no wrong in what they are saying and will always find a way to justify their comments to themselves and thus negate (in their minds) the fact that it is blatant racism.

To end with, on a happier note, Xmas shopping tomorrow (don't know if I'll be up for it but the rest of the family will) and hopefully the buying of the Xmas tree so that it can be decorated by the children as I make the Xmas cake, Turkish delights and truffles, yum :-)

Getting cold now and busier than ever!

Feeling guilty at not having posted in a while, I have decided to squeeze in a quick post before my mother arrives as once here I doubt that I will have a minute to myself.

Following on from my last post - I did indeed manage to make fire gel, also known as Ethanol gel :-) It was simply a case of creating calcium acetate from hydrated lime and 30% vinegar and adding this to the ethanol. There are a multitude of different ways to make the compound and some suggest filtering the mixture (takes forever if working with large quantities) or evaporating the filter (or unfiltered) compound either in the oven or at room temperature. However, I found it works sufficiently well enough for my requirements just using the compound once the reaction is complete.
Once creating the gel had been mastered, I set about building a small tiled ethanol fireplace (pictures to follow). So whilst it isn't the most affordable form of fuel, it is very clean and solved our problem, at least for the short term..... Must admit that I did look into creating our own ethanol and was pleasantly surprised to discover that Jerusalem artichokes (anyone remember the invasion that was Jerusalem artichokes??) provides the highest yield of ethanol per acre so long as it is cut three times a year. After cutting, it must be crushed to release the sugars then fermented and then distilled and then distilled again and for all that effort, we would have enough fuel for perhaps a year :-( Where would I find the time? Never mind the energy, in fact I would probably expend far more energy and emit more CO2 doing the work to create the "green energy".... Do I feel guilty for not attempting this pathway on the self sufficiency trail? Honestly, no, I do begrudge paying the  high cost of 96% ethanol though and will now probably look at whether it is possible to convert 85% ethanol into 96+ as it's much cheaper. Pondering...... does petrol react with calcium acetate? Does it gel? Is this a possible separation method hmmm - if I don't blow myself up in the lab, I'll let you know.
Cat house is nearly finished as is the tiling of the balcony so they can soon move into their des res on the balcony which will hopefully keep them cosy and warm during the winter.

Recently, I again looked into the school situation here for the twins and yet again I am sure that home schooling is the better option for us. There is no doubt that Sprint would cope but my concerns were with Doc. After inquiring about help given to children with needs ranging from Aspergers to dyspraxia and everything in between, I was informed that there is no equivalent to SEN in Hungary and that many children with special needs attend an "institute" where there are children with varying degrees of needs (I assume similar to the UK years ago when many children with lesser degrees of SEN were discouraged from attending a mainstream school). If in mainstream school, any special assistance must be paid for by the parent and will be in Hungarian as are the "institutions" though there are apparently some English speaking ones near Budapest.
Well, I know he can be somewhat challenging and drive me to distraction with his quick witted replies but an "institution" is certainly not for him and if no support is given in a mainstream class, it's back to the schoolroom. Personally, I have no concerns about his education - he is ready to sit IGCSE physics, chemistry, Biology and Maths though I might put him off for another year as there is no rush, he is only 12. It is simply the social integration that I worry about and at times the looks I get from people when the children say they are home schooled...... Becoming more difficult as time goes on and I believe it will be the deciding factor on whether we return to the UK. Do I regret not putting them into a Hungarian school to begin with, not really. Having witnessed other children who admittedly can speak Hungarian more fluently, none that I know personally are doing particularly well  and that for me was always the main issue. Would bright, intelligent children manage to achieve the same level in a foreign speaking school in comparison to continuing an English education. Of course there was no definitive answer and without trying we will never know, guess it was a risk I didn't want to take.

Many of my friends comment on the goings on in our village, likening it to Coronation street or Eastenders and granted, for a village of around 300, it has it's fair share of drama. The past month has been no exception and the village grapevine has been working overtime....

You'll have to wait for the rest though as my mother arrives today and I really must do some housework! Promise not to make you wait too long.....

That time of Year Again

And before I knew it, Summer was over.

It's been a whirlwind of a summer what with work, meeting up with friends and finishing the renovations. I most definitely feel more settled now than I did this time last year and having met some truly horrid Brits in our first year, I can honestly say we now have a core group of people who will be friends for life :-)

At the beginning of Summer, we were somewhat unsure of our next move, mainly because of the lack of children in our village and concerns over the children's lack of social interaction - despite everybody assuring me they are the most well rounded and well mannered children they have met - well, I wouldn't be a mother if I didn't worry.

Such was my concern that at one point I actually put the house on the market, I had an enquiry and very quickly took it off again!! In my heart of hearts, I know it will be difficult to find somewhere I love as much as here. Granted the village is rural and the road has more potholes than tarmac but it has a charm that you don't find in many of the more developed villages. Add to this the fact that our friend Michelle moved over permanently and  next year will see the arrival (permanently) of our good friends Yvonne and Richard as well as a family of 7 so it makes sense to stay put and see what next year brings.

So now it is time for the winter preparations to begin...... Walnuts have been harvested along with the remnants of the tomatoes, including about 10 kilo of green tomatoes - green tomato soup anybody? The wood burner, which was on it's last legs, was taken apart and rebuilt at the weekend and is firing up brilliantly again.

My latest bright idea is to have bioethanol heaters for Sprint room as well as the school room. It makes sense as these do not require a flue and can be portable meaning one heater could serve both rooms. As with most things in Hungary though it isn't as straight forward as it should be. Obi stock bio heaters, they had one on special offer which I considered buying but then refused to do so on principal because the chap we spoke to was a complete and utter moron. Now I don't usually call people morons without good reason and the reason this chap gave me was quite beyond belief. Having stated our interest in purchasing a fire place we asked whether they stocked bioethanol, a resounding no. Okay, so where do we buy it? At a paint shop. I resisted the urge to say, "but you sell paint" and focused more on the fact that paint shops sell ethanol as a thinner but never have I seen them stock bioethanol or more specifically - bioethanol gel. His moronic statement followed, the garage up the road sells it just take a container up and fill it??? Trying to explain that along with bioethanol the stuff in the garage also contains 15% petrol and burning that in your bedroom without a flue  wasn't a terribly good idea, didn't get me anywhere.  Can you imagine how many people he has given the same advice to? Anyhow, after much searching, it appears the closest source of bioethanol is in Austria which is somewhat frustrating considering it is manufactured in Kaposvar - about an hour from us. If and when I eventually get my hands on this elusive liquid, I will then attempt to make a gel block by adding calcium acetate in the hope to slow down the burn rate and make a safer fuel.... 

Some photos of a visit to Tapolca with my friend Michelle. We visited the caves but both of us chickened out of taking the children on the boat which was more akin to a tin bath than any boat I have ever seen. 

Don't worry! I'm still alive :-)

Where has the summer gone!!

Haven't had much time for blogging due to finishing the renovation work and trying to stretch out every minute of my time with Nicole.... Realising that when she finishes uni, her stays might not be as frequent or as long, I'm making the most of the time that I have with her. Not sure how I would cope without the internet, regular gmail chats, skype video chats and updates on her Facebook, they make it just about bearable, though not quite ;-)

So it's been a summer full of BBQ's, lazy days by the lake, lunches, dinners and forest walks. The past few weeks have been extremely difficult though with daytime temperatures well into the 30's and stuffy airless nights, much of the time has been spent in or around the pool. The lack of rain and extreme heat has been a complete nightmare for the garden and the local farmers. The corn has suffered terribly, which means less animal feed over the winter and vegetables which usually thrive here have done terribly. The heat also seems to have been beneficial to the Colorado beetle which has descended on organic potato crops meaning they have had to be lifted early, not good. Tomatoes however, have benefited by the dry heat, which has kept the blight at bay and I couldn't believe it when our neighbour along the road came by with two bags of tomatoes. Those of you who read my blog last year might remember that I was due to be paid in tomatoes for helping out one of our neighbours? You might also remember how frustrated I was that no tomatoes were delivered? Well, apparently last year their plants died from blight but as soon as they had a tomato crop this year, they fulfilled their promise - I was stunned, anywhere else, it would have been long forgotten....

This summer also saw the commencement of summer camps in the village, all of which appear to have been well attended. It's great to see the village having some initiative and making use of the facilities available to them.

Of course, the summer has also seen me somewhat tied to the kitchen with chutney and jam making, pickling, preserving pears and this year..... making melon sorbet! Yes, I finally cracked it and managed to grow 4 melon plants which have so far provided us with at least one melon and sometimes two from each plant. I never realised what a sense of accomplishment could be gained from cutting open a fresh honeydew melon, grown by own fair hands LOL They were planted on the geo textile and I'm sure this was why they were successful, previously, they had struggled to compete with the weeds and it is near impossible to control them organically - unless you can spend 24/7 weeding ;-)


Having been so busy, there aren't many photos but I have added a couple.

Oh, I nearly forgot to mention - we ended up keeping two kittens and two went to a very good home with a British chap we met a couple of years ago - you might remember the Welsh slate/asbestos tile drama ;-) Well, he is now the proud owner of two of our babies - and worth mentioning, he had a tile sent to Wales for analysis, they informed him that it was indeed asbestos... Now I bet, had it been a man who originally said they were asbestos, it would have been a different story........;-)
Finally, we have a new addition to the family, little Almond, a lion head to keep Simba company - she really is the sweetest little thing - but now! No more animals.....

Forest minutes from our house - there was a deer - honest!

Is it a moth? Is it a mouse? Strange looking creature...

Two of my girls :-)