Autumn Lights and Highlights

It is said that each season has its own beauties. That's very true. As for me, the transition from one season to another is not the best part. I always need time to be addicted to the actual season. But once I did, I enjoy all of them entirely and able to find the great advantage of any of them.

And of course, each season has its highlights - depending on its features (weather, holidays) and independently from its features. Now I enumerate some from both.

The season started with the so called Budaörsi Vígasságok (equal with 'local gladnesses') of which contest Erika called my attention to. She knows very well my baking spirit. And to tell you the truth, my mom won 3 years ago with a special birthday cake and the prize was a wellness weekend. Although, my cake wasn't the best but judged as the most decorative one and also well rewarded. Even included on the front page of the local paper.

Dominik had a postponed birthday party even at the beginning of the season. We decided to invite all the male classmates to take part in a laser battle. Although, best thing if someone was born in summer but from invitation point of view it is hard to find a date that meets everyone's summer schedule. So the school started, the boys were happy to meet and we created an extra occasion to amuse themselves right after a busy schoolday. Never we had such a successful party regarding the number of participants. Each and every boy was invited and each and every boy came. We solved the transportation for those who would have not been able to join otherwise. We wanted it, so we solved it. Since then, the 'big boy birthday party' series are not over, we were invited to a gokart and then a bowling birthday party.

Jen's visit was definitely something that is worth to mention. Jens is a real Danish man from Denmark and I'm familiar with him through Zoli. He is Zoli's boss and owns the mink farm where Zoli's been working for many years. Jens has never been to Hungary and this was his first time to travel alone, without kids. I was happy to be his tourist guide throughout Budaörs and Budapest, although I was not able to join him on each day of his visit but was able to give him thorough instructions where to go and what to see, to organize joint evening programs, to let him in our everydays' life. 

He told me that originally he thought that Hungary is poorer country and was surprised to see so many good cars, big houses, well-to-do people. And he also told me that so many cloudy faces were found. It must be unusual for somebody who came from the third happiest country on Earth. We spoke about everything, Jens is a really nice person and I'm happy to say that I'm richer with a friend with same values like mines.

Highlight of the season can be a spooky Halloween party. As far as I see Halloween is more and more popular among Hungarians year by year. This is such kind of tendency that I'm happy to experience. Good reason to be scary, to decorate, to create, also in the kitchen, to gather together and also a good business for the shops. This year I made my own Halloween party at home. Some friends were invited and also my counsins joined who visited us in the autumn holiday and stayed for a couple of days. A gorgeous halloween menu made of pumpkin, pumpkin carving, Halloween tunes and special Halloween games tailored by me to the event made the evening a memorable one. Special thanks to Laci - best friend of each child - who brighten up that evening with his pumpkins, carving templates, colorful illuminated LED lampions, cakes and great efforts he invested into the whole.

The season brought two new members into our little family. A tiny hampster for Dominik and a new car for me. Both were wishes or rather just plans from the past and now it was time to be realized. 

 
What I really like in autumn is the lights of the sun besides of the colours of nature. The lights are very special because of the angle. The sun goes low and is able to shine into those places that cannot be lightened in summer. Even it is a different experience being at home at the weekends because the house is dressed in autumn lights inside.

 

Roadshow in Dublin

Being part of a business trip in one third to contribute to the promotion of the DEXON products is a good thing. Better thing if the destination is a country where you've never been before. Best thing if this country is on your wish list to visit. Very best thing if you have time to look around having a real Irish man as a guide. 

What's first? About the Greystones to Bray Cliff Walk? About the Long Room of Trinity College? About the Book of Kells? About the Guiness experiences? About Johnnie Fox's? About Glendalough National Park? Business first!...

The business part went very well and the concept, the organization proved to be successful. We had the chance to reach some important potential Irish companies directly with the help of our Irish partner. What if you're overwhelmed with business dinners? Then get up early in the morning, put on your running shoes, discover the area, breath the 'green' air, meet a fox (!) at close range and hear the early birds' song. It's guaranteed that you will be recharged.

Driving a car with steering wheel on the right hand side and oriented on the left side of the road requires much concentration from those who usually do this just on the contrary. The guys arrived in advance to assemble the whole system and they were followed by me one day later. Just upon arrival I could start the sightseeing using the airport shuttle to reach the hotel which fortunately located at the very last stop. I never arrive a foreign country without thorough preparations and information about sightseeing, famous spots, interesting facts, gastronomy, etc... This is very important if someone has less time to spend on these besides business but definitely wants to 'get lost' in that country. So I'm always very definite where to go, what to do and see.

This time we were so privileged because we were just asked what we would like to see and our host reserved and paid everything for us in advance in order to avoid queueing. We're truly indebted. Started our full free day inside Dublin at Trinity College. It was established in 1592. Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift were famous attendees of Ireland's oldest university. According to different rankings, the university has not so good position on a global scale. But its library is amazing, especially the Long Room. I just saw a picture of that room prior to the trip and thought that I need to see it personally! The main chamber of the Old Library is nearly 65 metres in length and houses around 200,000 ancient books. 'Turning Darkness into Light' - The Book of Kells from the year of 800 AD (!) was probably produced by the monks of Iona (Scotland) and is on public display here. It contains lavishly decorated copy, in Latin, of the four gospels. Amazing ancientness!

After hanging around the downtown and River Liffey with the famous lovely Ha'Penny Bridge, the next stop was the Guinness Storehouse which is Ireland's number one tourist attraction. It is a seven storey visitor experience dedicated to the 250 years of history and making of the world famous beer. You can discover what goes into each and every pint.  

"Where better to savour a perfectly poured pint of the black stuff than sitting high above Dublin's historic rooftops?" 

- the 360° views from the Gravity Bar makes the experience unique. We met more times the 'harp'. The medieval musical instrument is on display in the Long Room and also part of the Guinness logo. It is a national symbol of Ireland.

What was next, was something that I never experienced before, neither same nor similar. A restaurant. A really unique restaurant well hidden in the Dublin mountains - Johnnie Fox's (established 1798), famed as the highest pub in Ireland. For me, famed as either a fantastic world or a time travel. They say "Yet neither the height of its fame nor the fame of its height has gone to Johnnie Fox's head." The stone-flagged floor is daily strewn with sawdust and nightly hammered by dancing feet. There are lots of ancient bric-a-brac and not an empty squarecentimetre. The pub has featured prominently in the historic and social evolution of Ireland and commited to preserve the relics of the proud history that maintains its charm and nostalgic originality. Eternal gratitude to Ian for introducing this place to us! Just like in a fairy tale.    

And the fairy tale was not over here! Wicklow region came next which is known as the Garden of Ireland. Beautiful scenery, mountains and lakes (location for P.S. I love you and Braveheart), green green an much more green, 6th century Monastic Settlement, complete with  Round Tower (without Rapunzel)... And this is what I always need. Outdoor programs filled with beautiful landscapes, breathtaking views.

And I already know very well what's next if I visit the country again. Halloween 2017 here in Ireland (that was already kindly confirmed by Ian), Giant's Causeway (Unesco World Heritage Site), Cliffs of Moher (once thought to be the edge of the world), Dark Hedges (The Game of Thrones), the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge (links the mainland to a tiny island). Hmm, our little world is soooo big!

Return to Paradise

We haven't been in Szigetköz for the last two years and we started to missed it so much. Therefore it was high time to go back to the nature and to go green! We hardly waited the beginning of September. The campfire to play with, the water to splash down, the canoes to sit in, the tents to sleep in, the long-seen friends to speak with.

Mission successfully completed: sunken camera was found and dredged up. Good feeling and much energy was generated by dipping into the coolish water early in the morning when the air was even more coolish. 

The children are getting older and I saw them amazedly. Some of them were able to sit in a separate canoe and got on very well. They excelled in getting talwood in a different way than habitually. This was such a great opportunity for any of them to have so much fun with each other.

Release the summer, AUGUST

Even the very end of July reminds us that summer is not everlasting. The time of sunrise and sunset is perceptively changing, the dewy grass hardly wants to become dry in the mornings and the temperature falls. However, we still have really hot days in August - these are just tiny signs of the upcoming season.

The last summer month began with the absence of my son who went on holiday with his father. I was not so happy with the destination. Turkey is not the safest country nowadays and even not recommended to visit because of internal affairs. So it was quite long week for me. Usually I schedule many programs by such a week when Dominik is out (once in a year) but this time I preferred to relax which probably was due to my light flu.

That vacation was much better than I expected. Basically there were sea, sand, sun and strangely there were peace and love (Krisz and Juli broke with each other several weeks before but finally decided to go together due to the early reservation and because of the kids). They all arrived nicely tanned, safe and sound with many new pieces of clothes and since then Dominik wants to have a parrot. And since then I quite often hear that how much he missed me and how much he loves me. Juli reported that she loved his humour very much.

Another class reunion entertained us with old stories, good memories and heartily laughs this month. We usually gear the date to the visits of one of our classmates (Zsófi) who lives in Norway. She tells us when she is coming and then we gather together on that date. "If you are quite persistant, you will have the chance to meet everybody sooner or later" - our Mark said and I agreed.  

We usually celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday (35) and nameday in August and this year we were pleased to attend his grandma's birthday (73) too, at her place in the picturesque Mátra Hill. At this time I revealed my wild baking skills with a spectacular fruit-filled yumminess, animal print cake rolls. At the very end of our visit I decided to discover the nearby Buddhist Stupa which made me to feel being in a foreign country and not in Hungary.

The fireworks of August 20th was seen in a new way like never before. I had an absolutely child friendly idea. The whole family was invited to Hűvösvölgy to get on the children's railway which is a nice experience itself. The route was tailored to the event. The railway was stopped in the panorama curve at Sváb Hill in order passangers could enjoy the fireworks fully. And the most exciting part was the dark tunnel where the engineer switched off the lights and everything turned black.

Finally we managed to arrange a nice family day in Taksony at Zoli's weekend house. A bit more than a year before, there were two babies in two tummies and now, one of them was walking on her own. Erika & Andi are so lucky to have two little ones almost at the same age. Therefore, they are doing many things together and meet many times although, they live not so close to each other. 

This month brought some new friends and deepend the friendship with old ones. Strangely, this was due to the brake of the relationship between my ex and his ex. Juli & me became friends, went together to a birthday party first, then she invited me to her birthday where I had the chance to meet long-seen friends and also had the chance to clear some things.