Sadly, since the trip had an expiration date, the date has arrived. I'm back to civilization, city, people, cars, stress, noise... And all I can do is tide my room, prepare my things, get a rest... because tomorrow I must go to University. Class started on Monday (and since today is Wednesday), I must prepare for that.
I just hate to think that it will not be until July that I'll be able to sail again on the seas of the unknown.
Thank you very much for reading my Blog!
Hopefully, next summer I'll keep editing it and adding stuff!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
'Pipacs Tanya'...
... or 'The place where Marihuana IS weed'.
Finally I get to a real organic farm, unlike Reynold's Apples.
When you see their ideals, then you really understand what 'organic farm' means, and you realize 'Reynold's Apples ain't no organic farm, Bob...!'
They have ship, ducks, chicken, turkey, pigs, a donkey (so sweet...) and geese.
They drink milk from the ship and eggs from ducks and chicken. They get the meat from the pig when they are big enough (all by themselves!).
Jörg makes bread (he buys the rye and the whey) cheese (he showed us the process, involving bacteria, which is amazing), bacon, sausages, etc. with the pig, and so on...
And they grow paprika, cuccini, cucumber, pumpkin, tomatoes, carrots, laurel (for the ship), lettice, potatoes, opium, sunflowers, etc.
I don't need to say that THIS IS organic (unlike at Reynold's, where they spread pesticides on the apples and bought all the food at Tesco's).
99% of what they eat is produced by themselves, so I really ate quite well.
I was supposed to stay there for two weeks, but a better plan came out: I was invited to travel with the circus until I head back to Spain. Obviously I agreed, ought to is a great and unique opportunity of doing that!
Bad news: that marihuana is not for smoking. It has no THC, so if you smoked it it would be just for the taste, and not for the effect.
So then, why is there sooo much growing everywhere? On the roads, on the fields...
The answer came the same moment (and from the same person) that I knew it was not Marihuana. It is a very close sister to Marihuana; the only difference is it doesen't have THC, but from the rest you wouldn't tell. It was planted massively in Hungary many years ago, to make roofs for houses, but since it's a weed, and it's harmless, it hasn't disappeared completely.
Last thing: Pusztaszer is in the so called "Great Plain" that covers most of the south east of Hungary. Milions of years ago it was the bottom of the ocean. Therefore, the ground is mostly sand, like on a beach. Seems incredible how fertile that dry sandy ground is!!
Now I'm in the bus to Budapest, to see my parents, who I have not seen for 2 months...
But let me tell you a joke:
-What's brown and sticky?
-A stick!!
Finally I get to a real organic farm, unlike Reynold's Apples.
When you see their ideals, then you really understand what 'organic farm' means, and you realize 'Reynold's Apples ain't no organic farm, Bob...!'
They have ship, ducks, chicken, turkey, pigs, a donkey (so sweet...) and geese.
They drink milk from the ship and eggs from ducks and chicken. They get the meat from the pig when they are big enough (all by themselves!).
Jörg makes bread (he buys the rye and the whey) cheese (he showed us the process, involving bacteria, which is amazing), bacon, sausages, etc. with the pig, and so on...
And they grow paprika, cuccini, cucumber, pumpkin, tomatoes, carrots, laurel (for the ship), lettice, potatoes, opium, sunflowers, etc.
 |
| If you are bored and count the spirals to each of the sides, you'll find out that there are two consecutive Fibonacci numbers! |
99% of what they eat is produced by themselves, so I really ate quite well.
I was supposed to stay there for two weeks, but a better plan came out: I was invited to travel with the circus until I head back to Spain. Obviously I agreed, ought to is a great and unique opportunity of doing that!
Bad news: that marihuana is not for smoking. It has no THC, so if you smoked it it would be just for the taste, and not for the effect.
So then, why is there sooo much growing everywhere? On the roads, on the fields...
The answer came the same moment (and from the same person) that I knew it was not Marihuana. It is a very close sister to Marihuana; the only difference is it doesen't have THC, but from the rest you wouldn't tell. It was planted massively in Hungary many years ago, to make roofs for houses, but since it's a weed, and it's harmless, it hasn't disappeared completely.
Last thing: Pusztaszer is in the so called "Great Plain" that covers most of the south east of Hungary. Milions of years ago it was the bottom of the ocean. Therefore, the ground is mostly sand, like on a beach. Seems incredible how fertile that dry sandy ground is!!
Now I'm in the bus to Budapest, to see my parents, who I have not seen for 2 months...
But let me tell you a joke:
-What's brown and sticky?
-A stick!!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
From Óhíd to Pusztaszer
End of Óhíd time!
Now I am travelling again, from Óhíd to Szeged (third biggest city in Hungary, 18km from the Border).
My steps are Óhíd - Kesthely, then a train to Siófok ("capital" of southern Balaton), and then train to Szeged.
Siófok is no more than a tourist city, known to be the place with the most "Saturday night parties" (discos, pubs, etc).
I spent one night in Siófok, sleeping 4 meters away from the shoulder of a road, just outside the town. I must add that Friday and Saturday (the next day) were the hottest ones in all my trip...
Saturday morning I walked along the beach for like an hour or so towards Szabadifürdö, town where Roxi was supposed to be working in. She wasn't there, so I went back to Siófok (this time by train, instead of walking for 1h 30'!!)
I bought my ticket to Szeged, but the train was at 17.13 (6 hours later), so I got something to eat and, since my iPod battery was almost dead, I decided to get a good deal at McDonald's: 500Forint (1.86€) for an icecream, shelter from the wind for 2 hours and full battery charge!
By the way, there are just 3 McDonald's in all lake Balaton, and more than 35 in Budapest!
It took 4h 30' to get there, and by that time it already was dark...
I had to find a place to spend the night, but Szeged is so big that I just couldn't run to the fields and find shelter there; but near the river Tisza, there was some kind of wild forest, the natural wood that usually grows around the rivers (and the kind of mosquitos that live there, too). Don't need to say that I slept there, now, do I?
Szeged:
Next morning I emailed the farmers, and since they were selling vegetables in an organic market, I joined them on my way to Pustaszer, where the farm "Pipacs Tanya" is (it means Poppy Farm).
On our way there we stopped at Ópusztaszer to visit a small circus that has just three small trailers which are pulled by animals (two horses and an ox).
I thought, as I saw them making fire in order too cook, that that was a peaceful way of life...
Now I am travelling again, from Óhíd to Szeged (third biggest city in Hungary, 18km from the Border).
My steps are Óhíd - Kesthely, then a train to Siófok ("capital" of southern Balaton), and then train to Szeged.
Siófok is no more than a tourist city, known to be the place with the most "Saturday night parties" (discos, pubs, etc).
Saturday morning I walked along the beach for like an hour or so towards Szabadifürdö, town where Roxi was supposed to be working in. She wasn't there, so I went back to Siófok (this time by train, instead of walking for 1h 30'!!)
I bought my ticket to Szeged, but the train was at 17.13 (6 hours later), so I got something to eat and, since my iPod battery was almost dead, I decided to get a good deal at McDonald's: 500Forint (1.86€) for an icecream, shelter from the wind for 2 hours and full battery charge!
By the way, there are just 3 McDonald's in all lake Balaton, and more than 35 in Budapest!
It took 4h 30' to get there, and by that time it already was dark...
I had to find a place to spend the night, but Szeged is so big that I just couldn't run to the fields and find shelter there; but near the river Tisza, there was some kind of wild forest, the natural wood that usually grows around the rivers (and the kind of mosquitos that live there, too). Don't need to say that I slept there, now, do I?
Szeged:
Next morning I emailed the farmers, and since they were selling vegetables in an organic market, I joined them on my way to Pustaszer, where the farm "Pipacs Tanya" is (it means Poppy Farm).
On our way there we stopped at Ópusztaszer to visit a small circus that has just three small trailers which are pulled by animals (two horses and an ox).
I thought, as I saw them making fire in order too cook, that that was a peaceful way of life...
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Weekend off
The last one in "Reynold's Apples", the farm in Óhíd, where I'm staying since August 1st.
This weekend I've been to Tapolca (pronounced "T-a-p-o-l-t-s-a), a well known city near the Balaton lake. I arrived there on Friday evening, and after the huge electric storm, the sky suddenly cleared and I had the chance of visiting on the same evening.
I went to a bakery that Richard had advised me, saying it was the est in town. Well, I can't tell you it was the best, but if it wasn't, then "Oh God!" I'd say! Cheap and nice it helped me to get nourished: 1.01€, 960 grams of pure hungarian bread!
This town has a small lake in the center, just by the church, delimited by stone walls. It has cristal-clear water coming directly from some underground natural caves, and from the lake the water flows into a creek, that eventually will flow into the Duna (Danube).
Since I had my backpack with me, I walked away from Tapolca, towards some castle in ruins at the top of a mountain (much higher than the castle in Sümeg) that was higher than all the mountains for 10km around.
I slept as I could in a field near the bottom of the mountain, and next day at 6 AM I was already walking towards its summit. At 8 AM i was already there, and I can tell you: the best views I've ever seen!
So from there I went back to Tapolca, to take a train to Balatonfüred, touristic city, known by hungarians as "the capital of Lake Balaton".
Not nany things can be said from this town, but i'll try to explain some bits and pieces:
90% of the people were tourists, from which half were hungarians, and most of the other half from Germany. The other 10% were workers there, selling icecreams and postcards and that.
There are some caves, near the mountain, called Lóczy caves. There were discovered by some miners in the XIX century, but were closed two years later because little children came in to play, and since it was dangerous (and there was a lot of CO2) they closed them. There were later opened in 1930, and were named after a geologist.
Inside the caves you can see the different layers from the sedimentation caused by the sea millions of years ago.
There is also a well in the city that provides hidrogenated water. It comes from an underground river (you might have an idea of what I'm talking about if you remember that 'soda' is carbonated water), which water is overmineralized! (and nicely drinkable)...
Bored, I came back home that evening. I must say trains are fun, because you can fully open the windows, lean out and enjoy the fresh air while avoiding the trees!
He was the best (according to hungarians) prime minister of the country. He was offered to be prime minister of the country (actually, candidate for it, but it was known he'd win) but he refused it, since he didn't want to leave the farm and his family working there.
Since Arthur knew the owner of that restaurant, and she invited him, I also was invited to a party at her place, a cottage where they go ocasionally (but just during the day, because they don't sleep there).
It was quite international: a woman from Thailand that lives in Canada (Toronto), another man from Thailand, two couples from Germany (one couple made organic wine, that is, whithout any chemical product used neither for harvesting nor fermentation. Little sparkly, but very fruity and wonderful, and sold it in a 5 star hotel in Germany!!), the owner of the restaurant and her parents (born in Hungary but raised in Germany), Arthur, his wife and me.
I have just come back and I'm going to sleep! Remember I wake up at 7 AM!
A funny thing in Hungary is that church bells don't go off every hour, but just to inform of the working hours. That means they bell 60 times at 5 AM, 60 at 12 PM, 60 at 3 PM and 60 at 8 PM. I think it is crazy!
I'm leaving the farm on Friday morning, because I have to go to the other one, at north of Szeged. I will miss the place very much, and especially the huge sweet soft blackberries I can pick here...
This weekend I've been to Tapolca (pronounced "T-a-p-o-l-t-s-a), a well known city near the Balaton lake. I arrived there on Friday evening, and after the huge electric storm, the sky suddenly cleared and I had the chance of visiting on the same evening.
I went to a bakery that Richard had advised me, saying it was the est in town. Well, I can't tell you it was the best, but if it wasn't, then "Oh God!" I'd say! Cheap and nice it helped me to get nourished: 1.01€, 960 grams of pure hungarian bread!
This town has a small lake in the center, just by the church, delimited by stone walls. It has cristal-clear water coming directly from some underground natural caves, and from the lake the water flows into a creek, that eventually will flow into the Duna (Danube).
Since I had my backpack with me, I walked away from Tapolca, towards some castle in ruins at the top of a mountain (much higher than the castle in Sümeg) that was higher than all the mountains for 10km around.
I slept as I could in a field near the bottom of the mountain, and next day at 6 AM I was already walking towards its summit. At 8 AM i was already there, and I can tell you: the best views I've ever seen!
So from there I went back to Tapolca, to take a train to Balatonfüred, touristic city, known by hungarians as "the capital of Lake Balaton".
Not nany things can be said from this town, but i'll try to explain some bits and pieces:
90% of the people were tourists, from which half were hungarians, and most of the other half from Germany. The other 10% were workers there, selling icecreams and postcards and that.
There are some caves, near the mountain, called Lóczy caves. There were discovered by some miners in the XIX century, but were closed two years later because little children came in to play, and since it was dangerous (and there was a lot of CO2) they closed them. There were later opened in 1930, and were named after a geologist.
Inside the caves you can see the different layers from the sedimentation caused by the sea millions of years ago.
There is also a well in the city that provides hidrogenated water. It comes from an underground river (you might have an idea of what I'm talking about if you remember that 'soda' is carbonated water), which water is overmineralized! (and nicely drinkable)...
Bored, I came back home that evening. I must say trains are fun, because you can fully open the windows, lean out and enjoy the fresh air while avoiding the trees!
He was the best (according to hungarians) prime minister of the country. He was offered to be prime minister of the country (actually, candidate for it, but it was known he'd win) but he refused it, since he didn't want to leave the farm and his family working there.
Since Arthur knew the owner of that restaurant, and she invited him, I also was invited to a party at her place, a cottage where they go ocasionally (but just during the day, because they don't sleep there).
It was quite international: a woman from Thailand that lives in Canada (Toronto), another man from Thailand, two couples from Germany (one couple made organic wine, that is, whithout any chemical product used neither for harvesting nor fermentation. Little sparkly, but very fruity and wonderful, and sold it in a 5 star hotel in Germany!!), the owner of the restaurant and her parents (born in Hungary but raised in Germany), Arthur, his wife and me.
I have just come back and I'm going to sleep! Remember I wake up at 7 AM!
A funny thing in Hungary is that church bells don't go off every hour, but just to inform of the working hours. That means they bell 60 times at 5 AM, 60 at 12 PM, 60 at 3 PM and 60 at 8 PM. I think it is crazy!
I'm leaving the farm on Friday morning, because I have to go to the other one, at north of Szeged. I will miss the place very much, and especially the huge sweet soft blackberries I can pick here...
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