We are back!

We had (well, Alma and me at least) our longest holiday ever - almost three months in total. We did and experienced so much - when I browsed through the pictures I had many "wow we did this" moments... 

We mostly stayed in my hometown, Szarvas - a small place in the south-east part of Hungary, next to the backwater of Koros-river, in the Great Hungarian Plain. No wadis or mountains there, but it has plenty of other things to offer. We also did few shorter trips in Europe - here are the best bits of the last 3 months, maybe you will find some inspiration for your future trips!

During our 3 months stay we met plenty of friends, spent time with loved ones, had lots of nice food and wine. It was nice that we could walk or bike to places and without paying attention I easily had 8000 -10 000 steps a day. It was fun just to jump into the water from our garden and walk around freely without mask. Life was like before, normal. Alma had sleepover and just biked over to her grandparents or to her tennis lesson - alone, no need to drive her. Certainly there are things we will miss here in Oman but we are excited to be back and continue exploring this stunning country - we have still a lot on our to be visited list :)!

1. Enjoying slow life in Szarvas, Hungary with plenty of water sport options

I just loved our weeks here - our summer house is right on the water, within walking distance from the town center. It was just so relaxing to see the water, go for a swim, do some SUPing, canoeing, pedal-boating. We biked a lot, walked a lot. And we spent ample time with family and friends - it was fantastic!

Yep, it is flat!

Poppy season was really pretty

The cypresses  standing in the water are majestic - and they have so much zen.

The view from the summer house - just to sit and look at the water was therapeutical. 

2. Wine tasting at the Lake Balaton, the Hungarian sea

Hungary is land locked but we have a big lake, Lake Balaton - in fact it is the largest lake in Central Europe. If you are with the kids, the best choice to stay is the south part since the water is shallow there. The north part is more hilly and it is also home of some really nice wine regions, one of the most famous being Badacsony. It is basically one hill - you can take a jeep ride to the top and walk your way down while visiting famous and less famous cellars and taste the local wine.

Badacsony from the distance - the coffin shaped hill in the background

Even though it is a lake, the weather can turn fast stormy and waves can be scarry (and fatal) in the middle. But those few moments before the storm hits, those are magic.

3. Enjoying the dolce vita in Italy, Abruzzo

Our favorite part of Italy is Abruzzo - it is a region on the same altitude as Rome but on the Adriatic side. A maybe lesser known part of Italy with high mountains, stunning beaches and rolling hills in between. It is also the home of few national parks. Late winter/early spring you can ski at 2000m in the morning and have a dip in the sea in the afternoon - or ski with the view of the sea in some places. Our favorite village is Serramonacesca, a lovely place with a friendly community and an outstanding campsite (think boutique), Kokopelli just outside of the Maiella National Park with endless hiking opportunities.

4. Feeding the deer in Denmark, Aarhus

Aarhus is the second largest city in Denmark and has plenty to offer - you just need to be lucky to have nice weather :). This time we walked the Infinity Bridge and fed the deer in the Deer Park.

Scandinavians do not care much about the weather, they say there is no bad weather just improper clothing... On this day I had many layers on as it was cold - still there were plenty of naked small kids playing in the water :).

5. Enjoying aromatherapy in the lavender fields

If you thought you have to travel to France to enjoy the mesmerizing lavender fields you were wrong. There are plenty of those in Hungary as well, the most famous ones being in Tihany and other places on the north side of the Balaton (Dörgicse as an example). But there are more and more fields popping up all over Hungary - this time we went to Csongrad where we picked up plenty of lavender, learnt how to make mace, had lavender infused meals and drinks and did a little shopping of handcrafted items. 

6. Horseback-riding in the Őrség

For most people Hungary is about Budapest and maybe some heard about the Lake Balaton. These are beautiful places but there are plenty of hidden gems here . One of my favourite regions is the Őrség, right next to the Austrian border. It is a tranquil hilly land with small villages and plenty of opportunities to hike, bike and ride !

The marshlands of Szőce are fun to explore even with smaller kids - they are the most beautiful during autumn.