Have been back home to-day, for 2 very busy weeks and am just about organised for the next 2 years!
Went to Debrecen on Thursday to renew my resident visa application and now await the outcome, which takes about 3 or so weeks.
2 years is the maximum term you can apply for with this type of permit, so all hopefully will be good for the next 2 years!
The guys came to work on Monday and we went into town to get the necessary bolts etc to erect the trusses for the cottage roof...only to find out it was a public holiday on Monday...and another one on Tuesday!
So Imre and I decided to go hunt down Dirk to find out why he hadn't turned up to work too.
Bad news there. A next door neighbour told us he had died in hospital, about 10 days previously.
That was not expected, although I did suspect it, as he was terribly depressed. A sad outcome for him and we'll all miss him very much. I will go see his/my solicitor next week, to find out where he is buried and visit his final resting place. A tragic end to his story.
The guys will erect the final cottage roof trusses this coming week and then proceed to brick in the 2 gables and install windows in the gable ends.
Imre suggested to also put in those dormer type windows at the front of the cottage roof...
OOOPs, what did I just say?
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| This is a dormer window. |
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| This is a fancy decoration around a single sized, double hung window dormer... |
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| Adds extra headroom...sighhh. How did I not think of this earlier? |
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| Check out where the original wall was at the end of the bed...Wow, what a stunning difference a dormer makes! |
So, now I have a dilemma on hand...Do it now and slow down everything... or go with the flow?
I really had not given it too much thought until I mentioned it to Peter, my son whilst in OZ recently, and he thought it was a great addition...one I'd probably regret if I didn't do it.
Therefore today...with half the trusses up...I hop online just to check things out.
Much to my amazement, I was shocked that I did not consider this more seriously, years ago!
The added space, especially in tight areas upstairs in small buildings, was an eyeopener to me, apart from the very distinct air of romance, with a touch of surprise these dormer windows add to tiny areas.
They obviously draw you to explore where they lead to, making the idea of adding them to the roof now, an exciting adventure...for me!
So, now, guess what???
I'm going to have one cranky Imre on my hands on Monday...
He hates it when he has his plans laid out... and I just nonchalantly change them for him!!!
What do you think?
I think overall it will add heaps in street appeal to the cottage and make it appear very special, given its smallish size.
Then, inside, up stairs, it will definitely add head room at the pitch area and a bit of extra floor space that would have not been available up there before.
Kicking myself!
Anyways...moving on...
Am prepping an area in the bottom paddock for next year's vegetable crops.
Was going to have a crack at Hydroponics and had just started getting the area ready...when I accidentally stumbled across this video and a heaps easier method of agriculture than the combined ideas I had envisioned...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfi-n0Oq38E
Hahaha, guess what?
Imre just popped in to see if all was OK as Suzy, Andrea's sister, from Debrecen, came and took the car last night...
...so I told him about the dormer window idea...
"ok", he says, not even making the ok, a real OK!
So, that is sorted...now to find out where to get the size arblok to fit (window) Not spelled correctly, but is how it is pronounced.
But first, I have some lovely pics for you...A few stray ones first.
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| Just caught it thru the end window... |
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| Imre setting off sparks in my bed room...fixing the lock on the door, again! |
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| Heading to OZ, on Sunday morning...to Budapest, for the day, then Prague overnight by bus, for a day, then London overnight by bus, for a day, then to China, then to Brissie by Thursday!! |
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| Nothing like European buildings...Love them. |
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| Even in the afternoon sun, they are still lovely... |
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| Just a nice afternoon in Budapest... |
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| Sun going down now... |
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| Amazing detail on some buildings. |
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| Needs a bit of a paint job when looking up close! |
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| Huge buildings... |
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| Buda train station... |
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| It always appeals... |
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| The setting sun made it glow... |
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| Quite a bit of art work here too... |
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| Heading off now to collect my luggage I put in a locker for the day while I toured around Buda again. Down to the Metro and catch a train out to the Prague bus station. |
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| Nice works... |
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| On board the bus...will settle in for the 7 hour, over night trip to Prague, arriving 6am., with my own screen and catch up with Big Bang Theory and a movie...Audrey Hepburn, in Roman Holiday, but of course! |
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| Arrived Prague at Dawn... |
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| Stored my luggage for the day and headed off to find Petr, my friend, in Prague. |
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| Just outside the Bus station at Florenc(Not Florence) in Prague, I have to head to those 2 spires in the distance...about a 10-15 min walk. |
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| Lonnnng shadows so early in the morning! |
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| Came upon a new building site, where they have found ancient relics from around 500 AD... |
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| I had forgotten how much I love Prague... |
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| The Municipal House Building... |
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| The old Gun Powder Tower depot... |
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| This limo is still going strong! |
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| All is well in the world...I'm back!!! |
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| Sooo much beautiful Crystal and china goodies... |
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| ...and ! |
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| Very early in Old Town Square... |
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| 7.20 am... |
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| But not too early for a bridal photo shoot! |
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| He was trying to get a shot of the sun through her frock, but she had no idea of what he was telling/showing/helping her to do! |
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| Still trying... |
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| Pics of the restoration of the clock tower... |
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| It is a museum too... |
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| This looked great in the early morning light... |
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| Lovely hand made glass ware... |
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| Typical Prague side street... |
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| After having breakfast etc, the workers had started...Lots of street renos going on all over the place in Europe...Especially Prague, Budapest and into Slovenia... |
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| Beautiful Prague...sighhhh... |
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| Old Town...people everywhere now... |
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| Late Summer crowds... |
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| A couple of gold covered mimes! |
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| In my element, in Prague once again. |
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| It took ages of fooling with the phone camera to do a selfie, so a guy took pity on me and did it for me! |
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| In all my excitement, I forgot to have one of these...things! |
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| More museum restoration pics... |
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| Rides anyone??? |
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| Drinks anyone? This is a sampler drinks tray apparently... I have been told! |
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| My last look before going to hunt down Petr... |
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| Suddenly, this is London! Arriving London 3.30 pm the next day, after leaving Prague yesterday evening at 6pm...Another all nighter in the bus, lots of movies etc, caught a lot of sleep on the 21hour trip. |
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| Out the bus window, coming into London... |
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| I stayed in a hostel in a building like this a few years ago. It was near Hyde Park and could have been here... |
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| But then again...it could have been this one??? |
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| Lovely to see with the trees in full leaf! |
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| Nice buildings here too... |
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| Nice... |
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| All taken out of the bus windows, with my old phone camera... as we were trundling along London's streets on a Tuesday afternoon...I had no idea what I was photographing as the screens are so hard to see in daylight. |
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| But the pics are nice of London anyways... |
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| I think this was White Chapel or White Hall Road??? |
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| Autumn is setting in now... |
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| Couldn't get a good shot of a double decker bus... |
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| After having tea in Victoria station on Buckingham Palace Road, I took a 10 pounds($20 AUSD) bus to the airport and then caught the free train another 10 or so miles to the departure terminal. |
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| Then a good 14 hour trip to China... Almost in OZ...Just a 3hr layover then a 9 hr trip to Brissie, arriving Thursday morning 9am. |
Well, that was the getting to OZ bit, but you've already seen the messy lot of pics on the side trips, like going under the Chunnel etc...So, the trip is almost covered. Strangely, even though it was a 5 day epic trip...I did enjoy it. I only wish I'd arranged to stay longer in Prague and London.
Never mind...Can do that anytime I guess.
Will be going to Prague to see Petr's baby just before Xmas, so it will be fun again to eat the Xmas goodies in Old Town Square,mingle in amongst the smells of ginger bread, pine fires that cook the food on open out door fires, smoked ham and to walk around, sipping hot Gluewein.
How utterly delightful!.
Next week we'll be all caught up with things, so now I have a new camera/phone that I can upload pics and actually find them, it is going to be a glorious time ahead.
Have missed doing my blog regularly and taking pics.
My life revolves around both activities...especially for my family to keep them up with what is happening...and to show you all how amazingly beautiful it is here, plus how easy it is to live here too.
I have info on a couple of houses for sale...one at under 3,000 Euros the other...not sure yet, but possibly double that as it is in a better position. but both under 10K OZ money...so consider it!
Cheers for now,
Do take care and stay well,
M
xxx
