Hungary 2020

Thursday 05-03-20 and another day experiencing this lovely country. Hévíz is only 10

minutes away from our home base Keszthely.

The town is located near Lake Hévíz, the world’s second-largest thermal lake, but biologically the biggest active natural lake. Its temperature is affected by the combination of hot and cold spring waters, coming from 38 meters underground. The water breaks out from a spring cave, at approximately 410 liters per second, with a temperature of 40 °C. The biological stability of the lake is shown by the 

Zalakaros Forest

temperature of the water, which has not changed for years and even on the coldest winter days doesn’t drop below 24 °C. That makes bathing possible in the lake year-round. In the summer, the water temperature can reach 37 °C

Zalakaros Lookout Tower

We spent the day at the indoor Thermal baths - outside was a bit chilly for us. You can't really float in the sulphur water and also the current drags you down so everyone floats around on their noodles. You can wait in line for a series of ten power jets to massage your body from the feet to the shoulders. a buzzer sounds and you move onto the next jet. All very relaxing and orderly. Later we lazed on the deck chairs in the inner sun porch.

Monday 09-03-20 and we are off exploring again. Zalakaros is our destination with an amazing forest to have a short hike. There is a beautiful panorama from the  Zalakaros Lookout Tower and it is said that you can see the Kis-Balaton on a clear day. The Kis-Balaton - Little Balaton - is defininatly not small and in the 1800's it used to be a bay of Lake Balaton but the Balaton deteriorated and 

so to preserve the wetlands the Kis-Balaton was established.

Lángos

The weekend weather was beautiful and we had the chance to wander round the Balaton waterfront in Keszthely. We also had our first taste of Langos - pronounced Langosh - a Hungarian sreet food speciality. It is like a Vetkoek dough shaped like a pizza and deep-fried. You then paint your base with garlic butter and drench in cheese. It is really yum and really fattening.

We have now opened a banking account with the OTP Bank in Keszthely and are just waiting for the wheel to turn with the house in Varaszlo.
Monday also saw the crashing of the markets world wide and the Corona Virus is spreading.

Wednesday 11-03-20 and once again bad news about the house. For a second time the owners have pulled off the market. We think this has also to do with the Covid-19 virus and everyone is really in a panic. We are not interested in any of the other country homes we have seen so it is time to decide what to do.

We are really lucky to be able to change our flight for Thursday 12-03-20 and our

Kis-Balaton

landlady is very understanding. She actually had not even asked us for a deposit or to pay upfront when we arrived, so when she asked if one day notice period was good - what could we say. 

Lookout At Kis-Balaton

Thursday 12-03-20 was another day when the stock markets dropped a huge 10% the Covid-19 is spreading. Hungary has now closing their Universities and the border between Austria and Hungary is now closed.
We got home safely on Friday 13-03-20 - how ironic it was Friday the 13th - with markets in a shambles and the entire world in dreadful state with the virus.

Hungary 2020

After our last trip to Hungary in August 2019, Richard and I were convinced that this was where we would like to live permanently.

Our Apartment in Kesthely

Loving It Here

It seemed like one of those pipe dreams but the more chatted about it the more we realized that it could become a reality for us.

 We have spent so many hours searching houses and areas. Searching for information about residency permits. Trying to learn a little of the language to come by in daily meetings with Hungarian folk in the supermarkets or on the street.

Not a day went by that we did not plan or learn more about Hungary.

Balatonfüred Harbour

Then started the plans to spend a month here and get the ball rolling. Flights and accommodation were booked. Arrangements were made with the Estate Agents and then all that was left was to pack and board the plane.

Tagore Promenade at Balatonfüred

So here we are at the end of our first week in Hungary and we are ready to make an offer on the house in Varászló which is a village in Somogy county.

We loved the house the last time we were here but the owners took it off the market.

 This time it was the only house that we really wanted to buy after spending ages looking at other properties.


Now the paperwork starts.


In the mean time this past week we have made Kesthely our home base for this trip. We have been busy sight seeing and meeting up with some expats from Klerksdorp.

Richard with Gróf Festetics György

On our first day of arriving we drove straight down to Keszthely where we have a fabulous little apartment and will be our base for the most part of our trip.

On Saturday 29-02-20, we met up with Bruce Fonteine and

Keszthely

his wife Anna Maria in Balatonfüred which is a Hungarian spa town on Lake Balaton’s north shore. We had lunch there and they had loads of information to share with us about life here in Hungary.

Balatonfüred is a town in Veszprém county , the seat of the Balatonfüred district. The

Tapolca Lake Cave

settlement originally belonged to the county of Zala from the time of King St Stephen to 1946 . The capital of the northern shore of Lake Balaton the oldest resort on the shore of Lake Balaton. It is the sixth most popular settlement in Hungary in terms of overnight stays at commercial accommodations. Its proximity to Lake Balaton is mainly due to its carbonated springs and its Mediterranean climate.

Sunday 01-03-20 found us in Tapolca, which is also on the northern side of the Balaton. We had the opportunity to go into the caves that the town is famous for. A guide first took us on a tour of the info center - all in Hungarian - then we went down into the caves and onto a small paddle boat through the caves. A special experience.