The end of something?

I am now into my second year on WordPress and this is my plan for the year.

I have changed theme and removed Postaweek2011 from my blog. Now we hit 2012 hard and fast. Swift kick in the nadgers and we are off and running. Seems odd though no longer having all those people posting under 2 banners. Being able to see how they got on each day and week, the struggles and the successes.

Breaking out into the New Year

I started the postaweek last year to help my poetry writing. It gave me targets to reach, a propulsion to write, even when it was inconvenient. This year I want to try to edit more and do more rewrites. To try to put together a collection of sorts. And also to submit work to magazines, lots more of that.

I was surprised at how much people enjoyed the walking posts, it is a pleasure for me to share the pictures and relive the walking. I want to take more pictures and walk locally this year. To see the places we miss because we see them all the time.

Take a bow Mr Shakespeare

Homeward Bound, Tihany

Tihany

Resting in the crook of the elbow,
green just turning on autumn,
where passing trade alights
photographs and leaves
and the water gently nudges
to remind the us of the shoreline.
Where in the shade we quietly read
warm in the sun, waiting for tomorrow
and the long drive home.

As we prepared to leave Hungary and head back towards France, we spent one last day at Tihany, resting and relaxing on the beach. I went for a walk, took in some sights and met Jane at the beach. We then trundled up to Rege’s for a last coffee and cake up there. All in all Hungary has been a great trip. Balaton a great place to visit. I would recommend it for anyone looking to relax, It certainly got us away from the hustle and bustle of life.

Tihany, Lake Balaton

Another day of walking for me, and a day at the beach for Jane. Although it has to be said that beach is a bit strong for the water access around Balaton. It consists of grass of benches and steps over the rocks into the waters of the lake. Which is about a meter deep around the coast. It does get deeper but the walk is so long you need a tent to get there.

Lake Balaton beach at Tihany

This is why we tried Tihany, a peninsular jutting into the lake about five minutes from Balatonfured and our hotel.

Tihany

While not seeming much the walk was better than expected because of the constant uping and downing and cliffs around the far side. Supported by panels giving the geological history of the lake and peninsular. At its highest point it is only two hundred and some meters, but the combination of rising and falling land with mixed woods and open ridges made this an afternoon well spent. With lots to see and plenty of shade, even some wildlife in the shape of a frog and green lizards. I did see a grass snake but it was gone so quickly there was no chance for a photo call. Walking around the peninsular like this you get to see all the sites off interest. The village from across the interior lake, the vineyards, the volcanic boreholes, once mined by the locals, where hot steam and water produced hollow mineral rich plugs of rock standing above the surrounding countryside. Like many places, I met only one other couple out for a walk, during the four hours I was out. Very peaceful.

A Frog, I think, because a toad would be slimy, wouldn't it?

A Green Lizard

The other place to visit on Tihany is Rege’s Cafe, Coffee and cakes on the side of the hill overlooking the lake. Its been going for sixty years this year so we popped in to see what made it so popular. We werEn’t disappointed. I had iced espresso, with cream, and coffee liqueur. Tasted as good as it sounds. Jane had a cake, I was too busy with mine to see the exact choice she made, fruity and spongy creamy cake.

Jane at Rege's

Just some more photos from the walk around Tihany,

Tihany Rock Formation

Looking out across Lake Balaton From Tihany

View to the mainland

One of the small hilltops

Rock erosion on Tihany

More from the same spot

Striations in the rock

Walking in Hungary

Friday I set of for a stroll in the hills above Balatonfured. On a warm day with the hint of a breeze I walked through woodland to the Summit of a hill called Tamas-Hegy, the first climb on the way to Recsec-Hegy. I didn’t know what to expect so just going for a walk to clear my mind and lungs was the worst I could get.

At the top there is tower, built for tourists like me to get a good view of the area. A great idea as without it all views wood be hidden in the woods. The strange thing was the silence at the start. No birds to hear, nothing rustling in the undergrowth. No other walkers. I’m not used to such isolation as well marked and easy to follow trails.

It was apparent by all the hunting towers that this was a popular area. For food or sport. Luckily today all was quiet. It wasn’t until I stopped for lunch, up the tower at Recsec-Hegy, that I heard the call of a stag in the woods. After that, there seemed to be things hiding everywhere, and as I turned into a valley for the homeward leg I startled a small deer. The only four-legged creature I saw, but the birds had found their voice and the woods had woodpeckers, chaffinch, a strange crow like bird, and other small winged creatures. Normality returned, perhaps they had a tough night?

At about 12 miles, and at best 400m it wasn’t the most strenuous of walks, but very pleasant and with plenty of greenery, and animal life to see in the end. Well signed by the National park, and open tracks mostly, which I’m glad of as in the narrower sections the spiders were doing their best to trap me. countless cobwebs and spiders, all of course becoming attached to me. I love an optimist. And they did work hard to try to slow me down. All in all a good day out. I’ll post photos in another post tomorrow.

Today, we have hit the beach again and done nothing except sit and read. I have finished John LeCarre’s Smiley series this holiday. An excellent read, I would recommend them to anyone. While watching, I found this little idea, watching the watchers so to speak.

Just called Touch.

Touch

A brush of a finger on a forearm,
a hand, reaching out, the turn of a head
to find the touch.

He sits, watching, smoking,
towel spread out, book,
waiting to be read.

All the while, someone leans across a table,
touches fingers to the curved neck beside them.
A gentle drawing under, skin to skin.

While he waits,
watching,
smoking.

Lake Balaton

Another slow day at the lake, we managed to finally get out of the hotel today at Eleven. Far enough to reach the Café. We have started a life of shambling from hotel to café to food and back. Interspersed with sitting around reading, and watching the foreign tourists, by foreign I of course do not include us, we are travellers, not holidaymakers. So why is the language so strange, why can we not understand even the smallest words? I have mastered Thank-you, an achievement I think, phonetically kuh-suh-nuhm. So, I have made a start. Though I wonder what they think about a random English couple sitting reading and chatting for hours in their café, while watching all the comings and goings and smiling enthusiastically when spoken to. Really they could say anything – we wouldn’t have a clue, unless they thank us of course but I think that is unlikely. We hardly bring much prosperity to where we place our largess, only make the place look untidy.

Tomorrow, I am off for a walk. Finding a map was interesting, including in our searches, the library, the tourist offices, bookshops, and supermarkets. Finally in a Bucket bookshop in Tesco’s Superstore mall. Hungary – Tesco gets everywhere. But anyway it does mean I will know where I am headed, and have a reasonable chance of returning. I’ll report back later.

Last post was I am told by WordPress, who keep score of this sort of thing, my 50th. A milestone, my half century, since I only signed up for postaweek I am ahead of the game and can rest on my laurels for a while. I hope everyone else on this postaweek trip is doing as well as they would like, or better. It has for me meant sitting and writing on a regular basis. Prose sometimes as well as poetry and I also have many new correspondents that without this I would never have found. Thanks to you all for the support.

A piece of work I have for hotels and strange towns. As we see others, in airports, on boats, in hotels. And all we see is a fleeting glimpse of them. Who are they and why are they here? We will never know.

Touching In Passing

This traveling transient beauty,
human, natural. Individual
in the traditional sense,
and the unusual that lets
human nature free
to roam for a short time.

To see a fraction of a story,
a glance through a door,
opening and closing
as someone passes through.
Touching us finely, touching
others and we are changed.