- get up early
- study BBC online weather forecast – observe white fluffy cloud symbol and yellow sun symbol and assume the day is set fair
- saw logs so as to make them more woodpile-friendly
- create new border in the garden
- go to nearby farm to purchase a sack of well rotted cow poo for said border for one of your fine English pounds
- apply poo to new border
- get changed from poo-ey clothes
- welcome brother-in-law to house
- drive to extremely nice nearby public house
- park car
- strap small child to chest in slightly bizarre harness device
- walk in opposite direction to public house wiuth a view to making a large circuit, returning to said public house with hearty appetite for fine ales
- observe rapidly deteriorating weather conditions
- wade through mud, fight brambles, attempt to pacify child – all in steady rain and a cool breeze – whilst cheerfully reassuring one another that the weather "will blow over in a minute and surely improve"
- reach a farm with a large barn
- take shelter in said barn
- change child’s nappy and then eat sandwiches whilst heavy rain continues, whilst regretting not bringing any sort of waterproof clothing for anyone other than small child – the same small child who, whilst being only 12 weeks old, has already developed the ability to laugh and point at his soaking wet father from within the warmth and dryness of his red waterproof
- decide that the rain is not going to stop
- run back through the mud and rain to the car, leaving brother-in-law, wife and child in barn
- drive back to collect rest of party and then home, to glorious sunshine
- head to the pub next door for a pint or two
- return home, eat pie
- search for hotel for stay in Budapest – realise that no hotel there has been renovated since 1967. Decide to seek advice from the only person I know with much experience of the Hungarian capital.
- read the best post in ages on Parallax View – end the day contented
separating the wanted from the unwanted
I thought ZsuZsi is the only person you know who knows about Hungary being that she is Hungarian and lived in Budapest why not email her some advice, I bet she has gazillions of books on the subject that may be of use. I also spent one month there years ago and i know that the best part of the city is the Vatsi Utsa! (probably spelt it wrong).
SIL
(watch out for the paprika)
Good point, SIL, but we’ve now abandoned the entire plan for lack of readies.
Maybe some other time then as its a very curious place, ZsuZsi has probably got friends/family that may be able to find you somewhere cheap, we borrowed one of thier apartments and houses when we went.