The first part of the walk took me passed an old Jewish cemetery at Josvafo, I have come across a few such cemeteries on the E4 since Vienna, all lacking any post war gravestones, a vestige of a Jewish community that no longer seems to exist.
Then it was up a valley passed a barred cave entrance and into a series of meadows. These had a beautiful array of flowers, predominantly white and purple today with yarrow, clover, knapweed and many exotic varieties I could not identify. The assemblage changed as I walked, with showy plantains and patches of startlingly pink flowers. Some management must have been involved to stop the bushes growing but it was a great contrast to the high intensity farming practised in other European nations. I later met some Forest Rangers, one of whom spoke English. He pointed out that as we were in a National Park they had a duty to preserve the variety of flowers as well as the birds and wildlife. The Rangers asked how I found the Hungarian people. A difficult question to answer as with my lack of Hungarian, social intercourse was difficult, especially as I am not by nature a conversationalist. In consequence I inevitably miss a lot of things.
After many trees and passing a few sinkholes in the limestone countryside (plus a surprising number of springs) I reached my destination of Bodvaszilas where I had reserved an apartment at Diofa Vendeghaz. My lack of Hungarian again came to the for as I struggled to understand what the owner's mother was telling me (it was that the shop closed at 5:00 p.m. so I had better get a move on if I wanted to buy anything for tea!). All settled I was left with a place far too good for the price I was charged, with fresh cut flowers and a welcome shot of Palinka was included!
Then it was up a valley passed a barred cave entrance and into a series of meadows. These had a beautiful array of flowers, predominantly white and purple today with yarrow, clover, knapweed and many exotic varieties I could not identify. The assemblage changed as I walked, with showy plantains and patches of startlingly pink flowers. Some management must have been involved to stop the bushes growing but it was a great contrast to the high intensity farming practised in other European nations. I later met some Forest Rangers, one of whom spoke English. He pointed out that as we were in a National Park they had a duty to preserve the variety of flowers as well as the birds and wildlife. The Rangers asked how I found the Hungarian people. A difficult question to answer as with my lack of Hungarian, social intercourse was difficult, especially as I am not by nature a conversationalist. In consequence I inevitably miss a lot of things.
After many trees and passing a few sinkholes in the limestone countryside (plus a surprising number of springs) I reached my destination of Bodvaszilas where I had reserved an apartment at Diofa Vendeghaz. My lack of Hungarian again came to the for as I struggled to understand what the owner's mother was telling me (it was that the shop closed at 5:00 p.m. so I had better get a move on if I wanted to buy anything for tea!). All settled I was left with a place far too good for the price I was charged, with fresh cut flowers and a welcome shot of Palinka was included!
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| I thought this might be a plantain |
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