Stage 1: Hungary

So finally, on August 11, 2018, it started. Many days or almost half a year of preparation - sorting out/ taking care of everything at home, reading a lot, defining a rough route, checking finances, deciding on the type of travel, shopping accordingly, getting vaccinated, obtaining documents, etc. - were behind me.

And so we started with the car towards Hungary, southern Balaton. We made an overnight stop in the deepest part of the Czech Republic..somewhere in the woods by a river in an extremely rustic old wooden hut.

On August 12, 2018, we arrived at our destination in Hungary and spent about a week together there until I continued towards Zagreb, Croatia on August 21.

Some thoughts & impressions about Hungary. The last time I was there was at the age of 19. Now I am 33. So it has been quite a while...

During the car journey to Hungary, I realized that my journey had now begun, no longer a dream, a wish, an attempt, but reality, even if I only really arrived on my journey much later. In that moment, I also wondered where I would be in a week, where I would sleep. This question came to my mind more often. A great and at the beginning of the journey, a somewhat uneasy feeling.

- around Lake Balaton, especially the north, the landscape is beautiful, the north is a green hill and mountain landscape (Leipzig-Daniel would now say 'It could also be Sachsenhausen' 🤣; so you don't really have to travel far 😉)

- Gypsy villages..I would have liked to take a closer look at one

- Garlic has become one of my favorite side dishes since Hungary 😋

- I didn't even know that Hungary has so many wine-growing regions, wine is almost considered the national drink here, so just right for me 😉

- we visited a shopping park; this abundance of so many things overwhelmed me and I thought how good it is that I won't have to deal with such things shortly.

- visiting a market: Here you can find everything your heart desires..from underwear to a puppy to giant paprika peppers

- the panorama of Lake Balaton is really remarkable..simply beautiful

- Hungary in a few words:

neat - clean - modern - traditional