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.