Friday

Got woken up at 8 by a knock on the door. Bit of a palaver trying to dress and run at the same time!

After breakfast went to water my plot. We haven't had rain for over a week so I'm following the local custom of watering every two days. I just hope I'm putting enough in.

One of my neighbours turned up and asked me what the plant were. I said they were beans and she pointed out in her garden she was growing beans too. I thought I recognised the flowers, they are planted up against the fence which supports it. Me, on the other hand, has used the UK method of using a bamboo structure.

She did say it was pretty but not sure if she meant "good idea" or "pretty but crazy". Gave the strawberries another soaking as they looked a bit sorry for themselves.

Did a bit of light hoeing and tried to convert the rather lumpy surface into a finer tilth.

Lunchtime I went into Kömend to get some supplies for the weekend. Got a chicken and some cheese. I must say that the Hungarians, whatever other culinary expertise they have, dont do cheese. Imagine the most tasteless cheese slice you can get in Tescos and they're all like that. Coincidently, cheese in Hungarian is "sájt" pronounced "shyte"

Körmend is like the big city compared to where I'm living but is less than a tenth the size of Caerphilly. Went to Lidls as I'm trying to visit each supermarket to see if they offer different ranges. I found they had a better range of meat than Tescos so I'll probably be coming here. They also had bacon that looked like bacon. (Over here that sort is called Angolbacon or English bacon. The normal stuff we'd call streaky bacon) I got several packs and the rest I'll put in the freezer.

On the way back I realised I didn't have any washing up gloves and while pantomiming what I wanted I learned several new words.

I'll do some close ups of the plants tomorrow as a sort of picture diary thing.

Thursday, or is it Friday?

Woke up with a thumping headache due to misjudging the strength of the bottled beer. Still, had to soldier on. Unlike everone else here I have the option staying in bed all day. Not good.

Steve had given me some Strawberry plants so I needed to plant them ASAP before they dried up. Now, I've earmarked a plot of land for all my fruit plant, off to one side of the orchard. (Sounds grand doesn't it, orchard. Only 3 trees though!)

So dug up some of the turf to one side after clearing it with the scythe. (You know, its actually easier scything than using a strimmer?) Underneath was a cornucopia of sand, builders rubble and pebbles. Not really ideal for fruit. In fact the only thing, apart from grass, that would thrive on this type of "soil" would be Japanese Knotweed and I have quite enough of that, thank you very much.

I dug another experimental hole and much the same. So I went to the plot I started, marked off a path, and then dug up a plot for the strawberries, I then dibbed a 3*3 square of holes and shoved the plants in and watered thoroughly.

I checked on my main plot and the plants are about 3" tall already :)

This took about an hour and the usual symptoms, blowing like a whale, sweat pouring off my hat brim like a monsoon and jeans wet through. I did mention it gets hot here, did I? As an example; they had the gritter out the other day, not because of snow but because the tarmac was melting! :-O

I contacted my bank re: certificated bank balance and stuff. I need a certificated statement of my savings in order to apply for residency. As I don't have a job I have to have the equivalent amount of a years earnings in savings.

Citromsav

I went to the shop for the bread and also discovered some Citric acid or "Citromsav". This is useful for both baking and brewing (as both are processes based on yeast its not really surprising.)

Breakfast was porridge with diced pear for a bit of flavour and texture contrast.

Started digging before 8am but gave it up at 9am due to the heat. Usual symptoms, sweat coming off like rain from the brim of my cap so I must be doing something right. Tomorrow may skip breakfast until after I've finished so I can start earlier.

Beans and peas are coming along nicely as is the grass.


Once I've finished the starter plot I can devote more of my precious morning "cool" time to maintenance, such as grass cutting and dealing with nettles. Nettle is easy though. The scythe loves them and they grow back weaker and weaker til they die off. I should keep some to eat, thinking about it, rather than just composting them. (Nettles are brilliant for compost as their roots bring up minerals from deep underground)

Oh Yes, yesterday Steve turned up with some Strawberries. I'm going to have to find somewhere to put them this evening so looks like I'll be digging again today!

Tuesday

Cancelled!

Oh yes, the plane from last week. It was spraying against mosquitoes. I don't think they got the hint though, I got bitten to death last night.

Pears

Market Day in Kormend again and I've missed it. This time its more of what could I need there rather than missing the bus. Still, I have to go to Kormend today anyway to get some meat supplies.

Discovered that you should put the bamboo cane supports for the beans as you sow them so as not to disturb the roots too much. So, although too hot for digging, I used up my bamboos making a frame for the beans. The peas will have to wait. Did a bit of light hoeing at the various weeds, which turned into a bit of a scything session clearing away from my initial little plot.

A first today. I picked a pear from my tree to try and it was perfectly ripe. Delicious and gave me my daily dose of wild yeasts and lacto-bacillus on the skin, the lack of which, in our too clean society, is why allergies and asthma have risen at such an alarming rate. So nice fresh pear, warmed by the Sun.

Later on I visited the Keelings and was given some of the needed paperwork for the registration card.

Had tea then showered and went to the pub. Finished the Stout so Tuesday is cancelled.

Managed to do a bit in the garden. I went up the borders with the neighbours and cut the grass. Well, I say grass but it was mostly nettles on the one side. I used the scythe and once you get the swing right, its actually faster and less tiring than using a strimmer for the same area.

In effect I have three windrows of hay. Since I don't have any animals yet, I'm not entirely sure what I can do with it. I'll leave them for the worms for now, although they'd have to be the size of Pythons to eat this lot.

I did about an hour before the sweat started pouring off the brim of my cap. Thats my timer these days! I know I've done enough when that happens.

Some beans and peas have sprouted. I'll wait a bit longer before putting up the bean poles to keep them off the ground

Today is "Falunap" or village day. Unfortunately I have no idea what its about as I pulled a muscle while sleeping and can barely walk. Shame as I was looking forward to it.

Light housework duties today.

Hopefully I can do some digging tomorrow as its forecast to be overcast. I'll also try and do some scything on the neighbours boundaries, just to show willing.

Friday

Nothing much to report today. Stiflingly hot again. The one good thing is it keeps the mosquitoes down.

Plane

plane
Originally uploaded by A John Walters

Woke up 5 minutes before I went to bed, or at least, that's what it felt like. Sounded like a convoy of lorries was roaring through the village. When I went out to have a look I saw a yellow bi-plane buzzing about.

It was either crop-spraying or Snoopy was looking for the Red Baron.

I went to the shop for bread and milk before they ran out. I decided I'd better water the garden before the sun came up as it would be a hot one today. 20 gallons later and I retired indoors.

I spotted some green shoots and at least these ones are real, unlike the ones people keep seeing in the UK economy.

It was already 28C when I went inside at 7am. Parts of Hungary are set to hit 40C!

So I did the usual indoorsy stuff, ironing, counting cracks in the ceiling, solo I-Spy...

Got up early enough but well in the 20's even at 6. I reckon I'd have to get up when its dark for it to be cool enough for digging.

I watered my plot though and I was pleased to see leaves of something growing roughly where I planted stuff. Standard seedling baby leaves, so I cant tell yet if its beans or weeds. definitely not grass though. I can do a bit of light hoeing in the evenings (quiet at the back!) to keep the weeds down.

Well last nights good idea of having a Stout night cap was on the level of Baldric's "Cunning Plan". Today was thus mostly cancelled.

I did make Goulash in the evening so not a total loss. Not sure if the neighbours would call it goulash but as each village and, indeed, each house has its own variant I think mine is in the allowable range somewhere.

I think I really ought to allow an hour a day for studying Hungarian. For one thing it'll give me something to do when its too hot/cold/wet or hungover to do anything outside. For another, I think it could be pretty darn useful here.

Körmend

Went to the shop at the usual time to get some milk and bread.

By 9 I was out in the garden doing some digging. Managed another 3 rows before calling it quits. Did some calculations on the volumes I'm shifting and its about 1 metric tonne of earth moved in every three rows. No wonder I'm knackered!

I was also a bit stiff from all the scything but the digging sorted that out.

I've worked out that another 6 or 7 rows should finish the plot (and me) off. So if I can keep up the tonne a day lark I'll finish by Wednesday.

Afterwards I went to Körmend to do some shopping. This time I rehearsed the "Which stop" question which threw me last week. I asked for the stop near the mansion or "Kastély mellet van". He didn't asked anything else and the ticket had "Kastély" on it so it worked!


Kastély

I thought it would be a good idea to go to Tescos. Well, I now know how far away it is and its about 20 minutes walk away from the bus-stop. I get dropped off at 13:20 and the next bus is 14:30 so this meant I had about 20 mins to find everything and then 20 mins to get back. Didn't find everything.

When I go to back I went to the house up the road where they sell their produce. I got more eggs and potatoes.

Its amazing how much meat there isn't in the shops. The country is basically agrarian and yet you're lucky to find pork in the shops. Since not everyone in the village have pigs or chickens they must be doing what I'm doing. Bulking up the meal with cheap carbs with eggs and cheese as the only protein source. (Also might explain why they seem to be of the same range of heights as us shortarse Welsh)

Thursday will be 40C in the shade. I think I'll be forced to stay inside and drink cold water (or beer) all day.

Managed about 2 or 3 hours scything what must be my front lawn, except its on the side of the house. And lawn s stretching it as its dandelions, clover and weed grass in equal quantities. Ok, lets try this. "Managed about 2 or 3 hours scything some green stuff."

Sorted out the passport photos so just need to print them now.

Potted about in the shed for a bit and unpacked a bit. Not much today

Rain

Not much today. it peed down and just pottered about the house. Need a load of stuff from Kőrmend so I'll be making the trip Monday.

I tried setting up the camera to take some passport photos and did well until I printed them out and realised I had my glasses on, which isn't allowed!

Went to pub and more or less have a deal with Steve re: Beehives.


Also the Vllage Day, "Falunap", is next week.

Phew!

Came back from the pub last night and thought that as the Stout was a bit on the weak side I'd have a night cap or 2. Bad move. Had a bad hangover this morning so no digging.

Got to the low 30s by ten so cancelled my trip to Kőrmend. Set to hit 34C tonight. Phew what a scorcher!

Spoke to Steve about getting a Residency Permit. Seems a bit of a palaver. Got to have passport and EU health card, check. Special tax stamp from the Post Office, um ok next trip to Kőrmend, a copy of your title deeds ( with its own bureaucratic dance) and some sort of proof of earnings... hmmm. Thats gonna be a tough one as I only have my redundancy and savings. I occasionally get paid rent but not regularly enough to show up.

As today I'm trapped inside I started doing all the phoning people tasks I've been putting off. Finished BT off and phoned up Moneycorp to arrange a regular transfer of money to my hungarian account. With luck, that might do the trick

Current State of Plot.

Current state of plot.
Originally uploaded by A John Walters

This morning it was well in the 20s when I started so I just planted 2 rows of beans and 2 rows of peas. I gave them a good watering and hopefully they'll have enough time to grow and pod. This is a riparian flood plain so the soil should be fertile. There's no chance of frost so I'm in with a chance.

Update on the homebrew last night. Tried it out but seems a bit on the weak side.

Moved the other bookshelf inside and emptied another 2 boxes

This is the dreaded Japanese Knotweed. Today I cut down some stems and carefully put them all in a bucket. A new plant can grow from just a piece of leaf so needs careful disposing of. To be honest the whole area had been strimmed twice so I'm not best pleased with the result.

The bucket I'll leave in the sun for a couple of days to dessicate them then I'll burn them on the pile of garden rubbish I got for a bonfire. Then, cut some more. Apparently this'll take 20 years whereas if I used weed-killer... it'll take 20 years!

Beer and Bread pt 2

Beer
Originally uploaded by A John Walters

Today I was up so early I heard the Church chimes. Apparently it chimes at 5am every day. Nice.

Managed to do 1 more row before the heat and flies got too much, at 8am! Theres a lot of work to be done, not least keeping the grass reasonable. Its already knee height and its lucky I did the nettle patch when I did or I'd need an elephant gun to go in.

Since the digging is limited by the heat, I though I just as well sow the seeds in the half I have got dug. Otherwise, if I wait until I've dug it all it'll be August! Its gonna rain tomorrow morning so I'll do a little sowing in the afternoon . (Peas and beans I thought. Reasonably quick growing so I'll probably get a crop off them before winter.)

Racked off the beer. Fairly tasty so I know have 5 gallons of Stout. Wonder what I'll be doing this evening?

Started off the bread process, fresh bread for this evening, yum!

Here it is!

I see the government is going to fine... erm tax... no, insure everyone's pension with a compulsory £20K. This will hit everyone who has worked and saved for their pension and only the ne'er-do-wells will be better off. We already have National Insurance which is supposed to cover this. Its now shown to be the Ponzi scheme that the people who set it up always knew it was.

Breer and Bread

Slept through the alarm. This is annoying as I cant do any work in the garden after 8am without running the risk of severe dehydration. I'll see what its like at 8pm tonight and if its cool enough, I'll do some digging instead of going to the pub.

I took my sourdough culture out of the fridge last night and gave it a quick feed. I put it in my stockpot this morning with a double measure of flour and water so it should be ready for baking bread this evening. I'm sure there was a metal mixing bowl here somewhere but cant find it.

The beer has a gravity of 1006 where its supposed to be 1000 before bottling/racking off. There's nothing I can do about it so I'll have to rack it off as is tomorrow and hope for the best. If its like the last batch I had then it'll be too sweet to drink.

Latest weather estimate is 28C by 8 O'clock! The pub it is then.

The coolest tomorrow will be 19C between 5am and 8am so I hope to be out in the garden then.

Indoor day

Woke up too late to do anything worthwhile in the garden so did some indoor chores. Even took some socks out the drawer and ironed them!

Bought a couple of cold cans from the local shop and a chicken for cooking tomorrow.

I checked on my beer and the yeast has disappeared! Not a good sign. I'll check with the hydrometer tomorrow to see if any fermentation took place at all otherwise I'll be pouring sugar solution over the garden.

Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 30's.

My mobiles been on the blink recently so the alarm on it hasn't been going off. the resuolt that by the time I have breakfast, its too warm to do any serious digging. In fact, the neighbours are hgoing back indoors!

So it was indoor jobs again. I managed two lots of washing as the combination of sun and wind dried the clothes in no time..

In the afternoon I did a bit of scything on an area the size of my lawn back home. Over here it kinda got lost. Found a large area of Japanese Knotweed. I'll scythe that Wednesday and then pick up all the bits and burn them. Hopefully, if I do that ever two weeks the roots will become so weak they'll die.

My current work plan is to dig or scythe until my tee-shirt looks like I've been hosed down with water. I'm pretty sure thats a good indicator of when to stop!

Went to the shop before 7am as it seems to run out of bread by about 8.

Later on I went to the house up the road where they have a sign advertising produce they sell. The gate was locked and the yard full of Alsatians so I wasn't about to hop over the fence. I rang the bell and a girl asked me what I wanted. I replied in my halting Hungarian, "eggs and tomatoes" then she asked me if I spoke German (In german of course). I;ve noticed this a lot that Hungarians will try German 1st before English so to their ears we sound like Germans when we speak Hungarian!

Got a kilo of tomatoes, a kilo of new potatoes and a half dozen eggs for the princely sum of 613 Forints, or about 2 quid. All fresh produce out of the garden.

After something to eat I managed to dig another 3 rows. I've been slipping behind the amount I've wanted to do and thought I'd take advantage of the cooler weather and try and do another row. Another reason is that this now places me exactly halfway through the plot I marked out. Good job I dont need to do this every year.

I also exchanged emails with the lawyer I had out here acting as an address for service for me. We agreed a sum of about 2000 euros for the past 4-5 years. Nice bloke but I really didn't want that bill ticking over. Even if this experiment isn't a success at least the letters can come here.

Next week I really neeed to start looking into getting a residence permit. Although you get 90 days to apply I've used up 14 without making a start so best get it over and done with.

Bit of a dead day today what with the rain and all. I was pretty knackered too as the bites I got yesterday were itching like blazes and kept me up all night.

Found my mobile charge too. Because of the rain I was looking through the coat rack and there was a plastic bag hanging behind my coat with my charger in it.

I went to the pub, in the evening, where Steve gave me a Hungarian cookbook!

I did see a hedgehog on the way home, always a good sign. I'm not surprised given the number of slugs I see. The hedgehogs around here must be the fattest in Europe!

frog

frog
Originally uploaded by A John Walters

I took there photo the day before yesterday but I'm trying to avoid the "wall of text" effect. The picture is of a very well disguised frog. A gold plated non-prize to anyone who spots it!

It rained today so it was indoors chores day. Managed to finish all the ironing and very nearly before I was brain dead from boredom too.

It brightened up a bit later and so I moved one of the bookcases into a gap I'd measure behind the door in the guest room. I moved about 4 or 5 boxes of books out of the garage/toolshed and stacked them on the shelves. Its a bit more homely now.

Had another go at putting and edge on the Bill hook. Probably does D6 instead of D4 now. (An in joke for those who know). Also filled up my storm lamp with insect repellent fuel. Managed to spill some all over my hands but did think that striking a match with hands covered in petrol was a "Bad Idea" so rinsed them off.

Made a pole for the apple tree to support one of the branches. Come Spring its gonna get a severe pruning. Got branches crossing, pointing downwards and all sorts. I'll expect a tutting from the neighbours as they don't seem to do it the same as the British but then the Brits grow more apples so we do know a thing or two.

Did another 2 rows in the evening and my other neighbour came across to see what I was doing. Now, I've marked off a block the size of a fair sized allotment in the UK and she called it my little garden. Shows the scale of the plots here really! She also identified a cherry tree as a chery tree and not a sour cherry tree or morrello type

8 O'Clock is knocking off time so time for a frosty one.

Got up nice and early for the shop. I managed to avoid the question about bread by asking for white bread. I'm guessing the last few times I went in and she waved 2 different loaves than one was white and the other brown. Seemed to work. Also got some sugar (cukor) and tried to get some butter. I ended up with Flora which I thought may be spreadable butter over here but no, it was margarine. Still, you have to use it regularly for 20 years before you run the risk of heart attack so I should be safe for just one slice of toast!

Had a package in the post, my mobile charger!

Paid the Keelings' bill and later on went up the street to find the place that sells eggs and tomatoes. Shut, of course, so on the way back I grabbed some essentials and caught the bus to Kőrmend. Managed to get the question right but then had an option thrown back at me I didn't understand. He tried German and, bugger me, I understood! The main bus station.

A nice trip considering and took about 20 mins.

Got some mole grips, rubber gloves and insect repellent fuel for my storm lamp then went to one of the Spas for some meat. Checking the dictionary, all the meat was pork (and I now know 3 words for Pig in Hungarian. I though English was bad enough for synonyms)

Got some salami and some suspicious looking bacon. Oh, and some real butter. Spreads are "voy" but butter is "teavoy" or literally "Milk spread" as near as I can make it.

Caught the bus home and noted the 2nd stop is the Kastély stop so thats the one I need to ask for next time.

Did some ironing and then brewed some beer. (Hence the sugar this morning. I never buy the stuff if I can help.)

Stopped raining as I'm cooking tea so much too late to do some digging. I' try tomorrow morning when I get up and do a bit before breakfast.

Steve's English biker mates turned up today so I'll probably go to the pub again. (Til now been trying every other night!).

Yup, went to the pub. Nice people!

Today managed to do some digging from 8:00am til 9:30am. Another 2 trenches. Found some real horrors under ground. Things about 3" long looking like white face huggers. Yuch. Whatever they were quickly got a heavy sod of turf on them.

My next door neighbour turned up and asked what I was doing. Seemed churlish to say "Digging" so I signed sowing seeds. She asked why didn't I use a tractor, told me her age and, after I was inside and worked it out, asked if it was just me or was there family.

After I dug the 2 rows I'd promised myself I did a bit of blade sharpening on the bill-hook. Whatever edge there is on it was put there with an angle grinder so its about as sharp as a spoon. Looks like I'll be using it a lot to hack my way through huge Horseradish roots.

Judit called around 10-ish with the bill for the work already done on the house. Didn't have change so will pay that after a trip to the local co-op tomorrow. (Holnap)

In the evening I cut out a basic path to the plot I'm digging up with the scythe. Worked quite well I thought.

Went to the pub and back home by ten!

UPDATE: The horrible looking grubs are European Chafer grubs if you want to google for some pictures.

Got up with the Larks this morning as I forgot to put the bins out. Had a quick look up the street but couldn't see any bins. this put me in a quandary as I couldn't be sure if today was the right day. About 8 O'Clock the neighbours started putting out their bins so that was OK. Not like back home where the bins are always out the night before even thought the binmen don't come til nine or ten.

I was going to catch the bus into Kőrmend today but the thought of wandering around the place for three hours in this heat was a bit much.

Judit turned up with a charger for my nearly dead phone and offered to take me into town sometime in the afternoon. Hurrah!

Potched about in the tool shed with my scythes and I seem to have got the hang of sharpening them.

Went to Kőrmend and ended up getting an ironing board as well. (Long story, boring too so I'll leave it at that). Got some fresh fruit including lemons. Made a curry out of the chicken leftovers so that's 3 meals I've had out of it and as I'll make a stock out of the rest so a whole chicken is incredibley good value.

Day 2 of Digging

Day 2
Originally uploaded by A John Walters

Started digging at 8am but by 9:30 even my Jeans were soaked through with sweat. Done about 3 rows and reckon theres about 20 in total. Had a shower and changed then we had a big thunderstorm. I'm using a technique called "double digging". Basically you dig up the turf then dig another 6" below this. You turn this over into the trench you previously opened up. (the 1st trench has its stuff on a plastic sheet)

One of the trees I thought was an apple tree is, in fact, a pear tree.

Called home on Skype (what a great idea Skype is!) then went to the pub for a few beers before chucking out time... 9:35pm. Also got the bus times from Kőrmend from the other English guy here.

I was up bright and early today and went to the shop before breakfast. Had a coffee then went to get the bus times to Kőrmend.

The bus times are a little sparse on the weekend so I may be able to get to Kőrmend but not get back! I'll wait til Monday.

I took a quick inventory of the trees. What I thought was a russet style apple tree is in fact a walnut tree. Weirdly the nut grows inside a fruit that looks a bit like an apple. What a n00b I am!

• 3 apple trees
• 1 dead tree (apple?)
• 1 Xmas tree
• 1 Walnut tree

Walnut Tree

There's also several patches of Wild Horseradish here and there, so any beef dishes I do will have freshly made horseradish to accompany it.

Marked out a plot for digging and managed to get the 1st trench dug by 10:30. It was 30C in the shade so I knocked off to go do some indoor chores before I got heatstroke or something. Will try and have another stab in the evening when its cooler.

Didn't go back out in the evening but did manage some ironing. A real pain with no ironing board. I have mentioned I forgot some stuff?

Had Roast Chicken for tea. Will have sandwiches later o too.

A little wrinkle with the electric supply means I can't boil the kettle AND have the washing machine on at the same time!

Had a good idea last night of cracking open the bottle of Port. Turned out to be a very bad idea. This morning is cancelled.

Today was a bit of a non day. Just tidied up and looked for some of my missing stuff. I have come to the conclusion that its all in the big blue box. So quick list of stuff:

• Instant Coffee
• Mobile phone charger
• Spatulas
• Knives
• Mixing bowl and scales

Have to measure everything by hand and eye now :D

Went to pub to have a drink with Steve on his birthday

Today was unpacking day.

At about 9am we had a visit from the Keelings and a someone to help us with the heavy stuff. All the books are now in the tool shed.

I now have 2 fridge freezers and a small cabinet freezer. Should be useful when i fill it with pig bits next year.