Anything And Everything About Lake Balaton

Has anyone tried ice skating on Balaton in the winter time?
I'd love to give it a go but need a ton of space away from people in case they happen to get too close and I fall.
My knees are shot but at Balaton I was thinking we could either look to buy one of the ice skating trainer things, a glider type of thing or possibly get my husband to make one for me.
Not a good feeling  to fall down hard on the ice.
I've only gone ice skating once at age 19 in Boston, Mass. Didn't fall down but the thought of it freaks me out, too old to break any bones at this point in time.
My HU FIL used to skate a few times a week in the city park in his 80's but he was experienced.
My father believe it or not skated with Sonja Hennie when he was 19 at Madison Square Garden.
Just a one night  performance. She noticed him in a local skating place and her regular partner had an injury.
She asked my father to do a few practice routines with her and they performed together.
He was soon drafted in the war and when he got home he was too old to get back into it as anything serious.
He taught my 2 older sister how to skate but we moved to a warm climate when I was only 4 so that was it.
He never skated again after he moved to Cal. ONly once.
Think if he didn't have an audience it just wasn't worth it to him.
I've always wanted to skate fast and do turns on the ice, guess that is reserved for my dreams.
Oh side note, when he did their little figure skating thing at the garden Sonja injured my fathers foot but crashing down hard on top of his foort. So hard that when he took his skates off he had blood in his boot.
I watched a documentary on her and she was known for being jealous of all her male partners, she wanted all the attention for herself so if they were too good or too good looking she made them dress up in stupid customs.
I have a pair of wonderful leather skates with super sharp blades that my husband the dreamer bought me second hand for only $2... Would be nice to use them just once at least.
Just wondered if the ice was nice usually at Balaton for a newbie skater or not.

For those energetic little, medium and big (adult) kids.

In Balatonszárszó at the free beach (szabad strand) towards Balatonföldvár, there's a free* "in  water" floating bouncy castle, slide and obstacle course system.  It's quite large.

We were there with our kids and it was absolutely mobbed.

Not suitable for kids under about 7 or 8 and definitely not for kids old and young who cannot swim.

You will fall in!

* it was free when I was there anyway!

fluffy2560 wrote:

For those energetic little, medium and big (adult) kids.

In Balatonszárszó at the free beach (szabad strand) towards Balatonföldvár, there's a free* "in  water" floating bouncy castle, slide and obstacle course system.  It's quite large.

We were there with our kids and it was absolutely mobbed.

Not suitable for kids under about 7 or 8 and definitely not for kids old and young who cannot swim.

You will fall in!

* it was free when I was there anyway!

Sounds like fun but sadly I think they have a weight limit on some of these fun activites.
We were in a far off small village to see a sheep shearing event a bit ago and they had rides and such for the public.
There was a acrobatic jumpy thing where they strap you in and you can jump and do summersalts etc.
I forced my husband to ask if I was "too big" to buy a ticket for it, sadly I was... boo-hoo, they never had so many fun things like this when I was a kid.
Max we got was the hard ground under the swing sets.
Do you need to be wearing a life vest in a canoe to cross the lake?
I was thinking it would be fun to buy a canoe or kayak like we used to have and cross the lake with it. I know it is wise to wear a life vest even for a good swimmer but wondered if it is the law here or not.

Originally the lake was 5 smaller lakes.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

.....
Sounds like fun but sadly I think they have a weight limit on some of these fun activites.
....
Do you need to be wearing a life vest in a canoe to cross the lake?
I was thinking it would be fun to buy a canoe or kayak like we used to have and cross the lake with it. I know it is wise to wear a life vest even for a good swimmer but wondered if it is the law here or not.

Didn't seem to be a weight or age limit.  I was on it and I'm almost 60!  But I'm a big kid anyway.  I fell off multiple times.  Thinner and lighter people might fair better as some of the obstacles lean over due to the way the grab handles are placed. You have to be pretty strong to rescue yourself.   

One of my kids suggested rowing across in our canoe. I was somewhat perturbed by it.  The thinner "lower" part of the lake is 5km across.  The fatter, more northern part is 13km. I think the Zantod-Tihany part must be about 2km across.   That's quite a way to paddle there and back.  I think it would take about 2h across the 5km bit one way.

It would be quite foolish to attempt it without a mobile phone, water, life jackets and sun protection.

SimCityAT wrote:

Originally the lake was 5 smaller lakes.

Even worse, my BIL told me there was some commie plan to drain it and turn it into farmland.   

Everyone should learn from the Aral Sea catastrophe.
 
What complete idiotic Trumpist-like thinking!

SimCityAT wrote:

Originally the lake was 5 smaller lakes.

I have "heard" that the lake was even larger in the past than it is now, and some peninsula, like Szigliget, use to be islands. Given the soils around the Tapolca basin lowlands here, I can see that the lake was indeed probably much larger and went inland much more than it does today.

klsallee wrote:

SimCityAT wrote:

Originally the lake was 5 smaller lakes.

I have "heard" that the lake was even larger in the past than it is now, and some peninsula, like Szigliget, use to be islands. Given the soils around the Tapolca basin lowlands here, I can see that the lake was indeed probably much larger and went inland much more than it does today.

Wouldn't surprise me.  I think Kis-Balaton was much larger and linked to Balaton proper.   I do know in the late 1970s Kis-Balaton was rescued from communist environmental destruction and much of it was restored but on a smaller scale to what was there previously. 

I believe it's much of the source of the clean water for Balaton.  There's a nice nature reserve there and also a buffalo farm nearby that one can visit.

I do not like the lake myself too much, but cities and culture aroun thrive during summer months on the tourists, I myself live close to Keszthely and it is really amazing how busy the city is compared to winter month. Very nice concert (also classical).
It is good that the lake apparently has a big attraction (I know a few neighbours who go to Balaton every single day during summer (pensioners)

cdw057 wrote:

I do not like the lake myself too much

I can see the lake from my house. I bike by the lake shore frequently. But I have not actually been in the water for maybe 5 years myself.

klsallee wrote:

cdw057 wrote:

I do not like the lake myself too much

I can see the lake from my house. I bike by the lake shore frequently. But I have not actually been in the water for maybe 5 years myself.

Wow!  That's rather a long time not to have a go in there. 

It's very nice and refreshing in there when it's very warm weather.

However, one will smell of "lake" afterwards but it does make one's hair feel quite soft afterwards.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Wow!  That's rather a long time not to have a go in there..

Nothing against the Balaton, per se.

Rather, when rafting down the Nile, some years ago, almost drowned. Bad experience. Have not been too interested to get into water since.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Wow!  That's rather a long time not to have a go in there..

Nothing against the Balaton, per se.

Rather, when rafting down the Nile, some years ago, almost drowned. Bad experience. Have not been too interested to get into water since.

Oh dear. 

But not quite the same - flat water, no current and very shallow and 1000 people within 100 ft (not that just the presence of people would stop anyone drowning).

Let's hope Balaton doesn't end up like this:

Tisza rubbish

fluffy2560 wrote:

klsallee wrote:

Rather, when rafting down the Nile, some years ago, almost drowned. Bad experience. Have not been too interested to get into water since.

Oh dear. 
But not quite the same - flat water, no current and very shallow and 1000 people within 100 ft (not that just the presence of people would stop anyone drowning).

I simply said I was not interested in getting into water after almost drowning.  I did not say I was afraid of drowning in the Balaton (or in any other body of water) as the reason why I am not interested.

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

klsallee wrote:

Rather, when rafting down the Nile, some years ago, almost drowned. Bad experience. Have not been too interested to get into water since.

Oh dear. 
But not quite the same - flat water, no current and very shallow and 1000 people within 100 ft (not that just the presence of people would stop anyone drowning).

I simply said I was not interested in getting into water after almost drowning.  I did not say I was afraid of drowning in the Balaton (or in any other body of water) as the reason why I am not interested.

Ok, whatever floats your boat or not as the case may be.

I was bashed against a rock rafting in Austria and pinned against it by the current.  Pretty scary stuff. It was a struggle to stand up.  Amazing the power of water and gravity.  I also used to go sailing as a kid but got into difficulties once and now  prefer not to do it.

Mrs Fluffy told me we could visit a place where her relatives own land next to the Tisza but then she said it was really deep. I don't like the idea of swimming where there's a current. 

Strangely, I don't have a problem with diving.  Mrs Fluffy told me in the past, she can hardly stand the idea of it although I did encourage her to do some snorkelling while I was diving.  She didn't like the idea of her face in the water.  She got better about  it.

Too silty for diving in Balaton but I bet there's some interesting stuff in there - crashed WW2 planes, small boats and maybe even old cars.

klsallee wrote:

cdw057 wrote:

I do not like the lake myself too much

I can see the lake from my house. I bike by the lake shore frequently. But I have not actually been in the water for maybe 5 years myself.

Total crime!!! I would live at the water if I was so close by.
Went yesterday, got lucky at caught the early morning time.
The water was smooth as glass and I had most of the lake front for myself, only a few other swimmers in the water.
Later in the afternoon the wind started up and I  went for my last swim of the day , had to wear googles and ear plugs for that swim, was like trying to ride the ocean it was so choppy by early afternoon.

fluffy2560 wrote:

klsallee wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Oh dear. 
But not quite the same - flat water, no current and very shallow and 1000 people within 100 ft (not that just the presence of people would stop anyone drowning).

I simply said I was not interested in getting into water after almost drowning.  I did not say I was afraid of drowning in the Balaton (or in any other body of water) as the reason why I am not interested.

Ok, whatever floats your boat or not as the case may be.

I was bashed against a rock rafting in Austria and pinned against it by the current.  Pretty scary stuff. It was a struggle to stand up.  Amazing the power of water and gravity.  I also used to go sailing as a kid but got into difficulties once and now  prefer not to do it.

Mrs Fluffy told me we could visit a place where her relatives own land next to the Tisza but then she said it was really deep. I don't like the idea of swimming where there's a current. 

Strangely, I don't have a problem with diving.  Mrs Fluffy told me in the past, she can hardly stand the idea of it although I did encourage her to do some snorkelling while I was diving.  She didn't like the idea of her face in the water.  She got better about  it.

Too silty for diving in Balaton but I bet there's some interesting stuff in there - crashed WW2 planes, small boats and maybe even old cars.

Diving is something I have never tried, not really thinking about it either.
My sister learned to deep sea dive and used to do that in Jamaica a lot years ago.
We went to Belize years back and if I didn't dive then, I never will.
My husband used to surf on Maui in his late 20's with a "gang" of local Hawaiian dudes.
he was taken into their group because he was serious about learning to surf.
They had seen hm out for over 6 months trying with his board to catch a wave, learning to paddle out etc.
They gave him a wet suit because he was so skinny and he used to get chilled after hours in the water.
He went out one day with about 4 guys and they all ate it. They were pushed down like being inside a washing machine until their lungs were about to burst.
Dangerous stuff to be out in the ocean when the waves are wild and very high.
He used to surf at the beach where that young girl Bethany got her arm eaten off by a shark.
Surfing beaches are not for swimming, too much coral and too many sharks around.
I feel very safe at Balaton and the water is just so nice.

After a week of windy cooler weather, we finally went back to Balaton yesterday.
Fantastic, swam myself to death again, love doing that.
Passed out soon after coming home.
The water was perfect yesterday just a bit choppy, not too bad but the temp. was great and the water was clear.
Got there early morning, my fave time,first swim of the day when there are only a few people on the lake.
Hardest thing about Balaton days is getting up at dawn to hit the road.
Traffic across town to get to the highway can be very heavy if you don't leave before 7 am.
I heard sadly though that a few days back someone died at Siofolk when using that mobile water skiiing rig.
They must of hit their heads on the board or something because they have boats ready to pick up skier's if they fall into the water, sad when someone gets hurt trying to have fun.
I also heard that the gov. is considering making it law to wear a life vest if you rent one of the paddle boats, some guy drown at Balaton after going down the slide on the paddle boat, got into deep water and couldn't swim.
Average of 41 water related deaths per year in Hungary.
Not counting dumb sea captions who crash into smaller vessels.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

.....
I also heard that the gov. is considering making it law to wear a life vest if you rent one of the paddle boats, some guy drown at Balaton after going down the slide on the paddle boat, got into deep water and couldn't swim.
Average of 41 water related deaths per year in Hungary.
Not counting dumb sea captains who crash into smaller vessels.

How does anyone who cannot swim go out in the water at all?  I'll get Mrs Fluffy on the news to see about this pedalo death.

There's no excuse for non-disabled people not being able to swim, ride a bike or even drive. 

I caveat that in some countries, it's cultural. Many African people cannot swim, folks from the Middle East cannot ride bikes and in some places, not allowed to drive (until recently).  I am always surprised when I go to the Middle East that I do not see kids playing football. 

Some of my in-laws cannot drive. I am absolutely stunned by that.  They'd rather struggle on the bus.  They probably cannot swim either!

fluffy2560 wrote:

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

.....
I also heard that the gov. is considering making it law to wear a life vest if you rent one of the paddle boats, some guy drown at Balaton after going down the slide on the paddle boat, got into deep water and couldn't swim.
Average of 41 water related deaths per year in Hungary.
Not counting dumb sea captains who crash into smaller vessels.

How does anyone who cannot swim go out in the water at all?  I'll get Mrs Fluffy on the news to see about this pedalo death.

There's no excuse for non-disabled people not being able to swim, ride a bike or even drive. 

I caveat that in some countries, it's cultural. Many African people cannot swim, folks from the Middle East cannot ride bikes and in some places, not allowed to drive (until recently).  I am always surprised when I go to the Middle East that I do not see kids playing football. 

Some of my in-laws cannot drive. I am absolutely stunned by that.  They'd rather struggle on the bus.  They probably cannot swim either!

We had drivers education at age 15-16 in school when I was a student. I do not think they have the funds for these sort of things any longer in the US. sad cause at 15 it isn't big deal to drive at 80 mph and have the teacher screaming for you to stop.Back then the gym teachers usually doubled as driver  ed teachers. We had the US football coach teach us. Everytime I sat in the drivers seat he would say he needed a moment, go into the truck/boot of the car and pull out his helmet! He was funny, sort of or a big jerk, I was a Hippie girl and he was so conservative, not sure if he was making fun because of that or just being a jerk. He would wear the helmet when it was my turn to drive because he said I drove too fast. Not really, I did brake hard though!
I used to drive at 18 without my license  all over Burbank .Ca. needed to practice before I drove myself to the DMV to get legal. The insane risks I used to take! In fact that day right after I was legal I ran a red light, well to this day I swear it was still yellow. The cop pulled me over and I showed him my brand new driving license! He rolled his eyes!
Riding a bike, well that is a super sore point for me.... I saved all my pennies . literally and nickels and dimes and the quarter here and there in my little pink clay piggie bank as a very small child.
At age 4 we all thought i finally saved enough up to buy myself my own 2 wheeled bike so I could ride with my sisters and cousins, felt like a baby on my 3 wheeler.
My father on the other hand was a bit too cheap to allow ,me to pick my own bike at the bike shop.
We went together without my mother.
Big mistake!
He picked out a nice shinny new bike for me that was far too large for me to use until I turned 9 years old!
Over those 5 years by 2 sisters sure enjoyed it, by the time I could reach the peddles it was rusty, paint half off and a ruin.
Lesson learned that day, spend now and do not safe for a rainy day... I think somewhere the wires got crossed because I do not think that was suppose to be the message learned.
My mom waited until she was 40 plus in 1964 before she learned to drive. My step-dad taught her because my dad told her women were too dumb to learn to drive and it was dangerous.
In fact here in HU I know a 65 year old HU women who thinks she is so smart, was a school teacher in Hu in her youth before going to the US, married a much older man who was a uni professor in Budapest her first time around and has siblings who she always brags about being so rich and smart has lawyers. Well she lived for over 25 years in the US in Ca. and never learned to drive, very smart indeed!
Guess reading books and actually doing something are two different things after all.
Won't get into that subject, my SIL has been a school teacher in Ca. for around 35 years, She is Ok but bi-polar and a bit crazy, poor kids being forced to be taught by people with their own issues.
Swimming, well I always wanted to learn, my father was a good swimmer but our mom never learned to swim. She kept us away from deep water because she was afraid of water. I was 17 or so when I got comfy in water and 19 when my husband taught me some swim moves. I am now a fish out of water, love to swim.
I made sure my son was never taught to fear water, at 2 months old I was doing breathing exercises with him and going underwater with him in Hawaii, by age 3 he was 100% swimming across the length of a pool and back again on his own. I never wanted him to fear water, in fact at age 1 while fully dressed and standing near a pool he just went into the water, have to keep an eye on them at any age it seems.
I think that poor guy who drowned off the paddle boat might of been enjoying a few drinks and they didn't realize the boat was in deep water. His friend thought he was joking when he didn't come up and then went into the lake to pull him out, couldn't find him. He was found floating the next morning by the police . Very sad.

Just a side thought, I spent a total of $150. for my first car and my first bicycle at age 4 cost $40. shortly after buying my 1959 Rambler car I bought a nice new 10 speed bicycle for $120.... Guess cars aren't that important to me, as long as they run, I am good to go. Gosh bought them both within a short time of each other, flashy bike and junker car.At age 18 I think I was either wise for my age or very mixed up.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Some of my in-laws cannot drive. I am absolutely stunned by that.

Given how much it costs to take driver ed in the Hungary, how difficult it can be to pass the test, how expensive a car is to buy and maintain, given average HU salaries, given that many people that live in a city don't need to own a car there as public transport is decent, I am not stunned.

I know a lot of people in Europe that can not drive. Especially city folks. There is no need. Living in Switzerland, we did not have a car for years. The public transportation was excellent. And we lived in a tiny village in the Alps, not in a city. In many ways, we mostly only bought a car to drive to Hungary. Then sold that when we moved here (too expensive to import), bought a car here. But sold it some years ago. Bus and train are fine for us. I do not consider it a struggle. In fact, I mostly bike everywhere, even for shopping. And those solutions are much cheaper -- and far healthier for me and the environment. 

Side note: Fewer and fewer people are actually learning how to drive:

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/ … se/425169/

My husband is thinking of getting rid of our car if I ever get  my 65 year old travel deal here, Not holding my breath on getting a darn thing here but it would be nice to travel inside HU for FREE!!
My husband can do this now, you only pay a bit if you want first class or a few special lines or ferries.
I'm a S. Ca. gal and so used to just getting into the car, it is like your own personal space, guess I'll have to learn to mingle with the general public, smelly armpits and all!
Years back in Vegas my husbands car was in the shop for a few days. He took the bus to the machine shop where he worked. The insane stories he told me just about every one of those 3 days were hard to believe. Some chick was even applying her deodorant on the bus and srapying herself. Some random guy was trying to pick her up by saying, wow, you smell so good. Hard not to laugh out loud, best to keep your eyes down and avoid all contact with the animals if possible.
Right now my husband hardly ever uses his travel perk, maybe he will jump on the bus or subway to go to the market but it is rare, I usually force him to walk for his health.
I think getting your HU drivers ed and papers is just under 100,000F but I am not sure if that is including tips for the teachers, and who knows what else.
First off I would need some glasses.
In the US, at least with me in NV the young women who did my eye exam to renew my papers in NV was super cool. She just told me to go get some glasses before I drive again and she passed me , just put a needs glasses thing on the back of my card. Here no way would that ever fly....
Since I do not want to go off topic much,right... I think it would be sweet to ride the rails for free, then I would do Balaton even more often. Now with the windy or rainy days it makes me think twice about the weather before heading over there. No fun to spend more then 5,000 on petrol plus the highway sticker just to sit on shore and have the wind blow you over or the waves force water up your nose while swimming.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....
First off I would need some glasses.
In the US, at least with me in NV the young women who did my eye exam to renew my papers in NV was super cool. She just told me to go get some glasses before I drive again and she passed me , just put a needs glasses thing on the back of my card. Here no way would that ever fly....
Since I do not want to go off topic much,right... I think it would be sweet to ride the rails for free, then I would do Balaton even more often. Now with the windy or rainy days it makes me think twice about the weather before heading over there. No fun to spend more then 5,000 on petrol plus the highway sticker just to sit on shore and have the wind blow you over or the waves force water up your nose while swimming.

Oh, that's a can of worms. 

We don't have eye tests in the UK for driving -- at least not regular ones.  You only have to show you can read a number plate from X feet away.  They ask you in the car park to read a number plate from a car. That's what I had to do in the 1970s and I think it hasn't changed as the way of determining your eyesight.  If you wear glasses, it's marked on your license.

I am reading that British people with UK licenses won't be able to drive in Europe post-Brexit even with an IDP (International Driving Permit).  They'll have to either swap their licenses before Brexit day or take a local test.   That's pretty strange!  People who haven't had to take a test for years will be on a learning curve.   I suppose they'll have to get their eyes tested as well if they've swapped licenses.

On the autopalya sticker, we get stickers for each county - so to get to the Mrs Fluffy family holiday house in Balaton, we have stickers for Pest, Fejer and Somogy.  Each local sticker is 5K HUF, so that's 15K HUF.   Compare that to the 30K HUF for the whole country.   

We don't really go anywhere although we're thinking of going to Austria for one reason and another. But we'd just go for the day so we'll just get a short duration sticker for everywhere just for that.

I do find the sticker system absurdly expensive here. Perhaps the most expensive in Europe except for Switzerland maybe.  They used to do a transit sticker.  That was OK but really the entire thing is a bit daft.  Put 1 HUF on a litre of fuel and then forget all those admin costs.

klsallee wrote:

....., how difficult it can be to pass the test, how expensive a car is to buy and maintain, given average HU salaries, given that many people that live in a city don't need to own a car there as public transport is decent, I am not stunned.

I know a lot of people in Europe that can not drive. Especially city folks. There is no need. Living in Switzerland, we did not have a car for years. The public transportation was excellent. And we lived in a tiny village in the Alps, not in a city. In many ways, we mostly only bought a car to drive to Hungary. Then sold that when we moved here (too expensive to import), bought a car here. ...

There is a difference between my home country and here. Everyone I know back there in the UK can drive but here in HU, quite a few, older people cannot.  I find it's quite chauvinistic too - most of the older women cannot drive but some of the men can. 

Anyway, I don't see how it's possible to  go about your business anywhere here these days without owning or at least having access to a car and I live in the burbs well served by Budapest buses.   A lot of the shopping areas are now out of town and need a vehicle.   I couldn't bring wood, cement or paint back on the bus or my bike although I did see a guy some years ago with a toilet waiting at the bus stop - he'd just picked it up at Praktiker.  Impractically expensive to have some things delivered - like 10K HUF to have that toilet delivered.

Getting to the airport is outrageously expensive too as we're just a few 100m outside of the Budapest taxi zone.  I used to go by taxi to save on parking until the pricing became absurd - it became cheaper for Mrs Fluffy to just drive me there and drop me off or if we all go, we just leave the car there - it's cheaper to do that.

I suppose there could be some mileage* in shared vehicles - perhaps electric ones.  Bit like the city bikes, electronic entry with easy drop off pickup etc.

* pun intended.

I think perhaps, don't quote me but  just like a person with a US driving license, I think one year is allowed before having to swap it out for a HU one.For the Brit-ex thing. Dang I've known people who had strokes and were still driving in the US.
Old people, well reaction time is still good for us but after so many years of seeing the same old sorts of other bad drivers and situations that could happen, we both have become more relaxed drivers, No need to be first to come to a light or speed off.
My days of going super fast are over with, just getting there in one piece in alright with me.
I must close my eyes and mouth when my son is driving, dang, he is a danger at times. Just scary to be in the car with him, knock on wood no accidents yet but he loves to speed and gets too close to other cars for my taste.
International driving papers are good for only one year too from what i know.
I would actually drive here if I had to even  with just my current US papers in a fix. No reason to stop me, I suppose that would be taking a chance but life is a risk after all.
At least this time I am legal if not in Hu at least in the US,drove for almost a year at age 18 without even a legit permit to drive, big risk taker that I am.
Emergency only,not really willing to drive here until I get some glasses, not that much of a danger to anyone.
Guess I have been driving for about 46 years, I know my limits.
No snow, no heavy blinding rain storms and I do not like narrow winding roads.
I would never drive if it was obviously dangerous weather wise.
In Vegas although legal one semi-rainy night my husband was driving one car and I another, I should of followed him because it was night driving and heavy traffic.
I swear I almost just parked the car and was about to walk home. couldn't even see the lines on the road and I even ran a red light without even noticing it had changed. Yes, no glasses, no driving for me.
Went to get a exam last month but  we didn't bring enough cash with us for the both of us, hadn't planned on it, just walked by a shop and noticed it wasn't busy.
It sucks, used to have perfect 20-20 vision.
So many speeders here, I am guessing they have never been in a big crash or seen one. That will fix them.
Seeing blood and hearing that horrible sounds of metal crushing is not exactly pleasent.
In Vegas at night as a taxi driver my husband saw several really bad crashes, one involved the police who slammed into a man, the guy was dead in the front seat, it was so obvious that the police caused the crash but late night who is going to tell on them?
When I was 18 I worked as a car hop near the movie studios, one co-worker also 18 was only working for the summer months before going off to college. Her parents bought her a nice new car and she had everything to look forward to.
I was the "head-hop" so I started after a few others opened the place up, I had the better work hours, only worked when it was getting busy, no messing around with parking cones and cleaning the lot.
Got to work and one women a Hungarian I helped get hired came running and crying to me.
She said she witnessed that 18 year old get crushed into the brick wall by some old women who got her brake and gas pedal mixed up. Just killed her on the spot, At least her back was turned and se didn't see it coming. Freak accident for sure, only child, we all went to her furneral. Old lady not sure think she lost her right to drive, hope so at least.

fluffy2560 wrote:

[
Anyway, I don't see how it's possible to  go about your business anywhere here these days without owning or at least having access to a car

Answer given at  https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 15#4655738

Summer season must be coming to a close. Finally have decent 4G Internet again as the phone loving crowds seem to start heading home. 

klsallee wrote:

Summer season must be coming to a close. Finally have decent 4G Internet again as the phone loving crowds seem to start heading home. 

Looking at the rain clouds forming in the distance I was also thinking swim season at Balaton is over with for the most part.
Was there about 2 weeks ago last time.Wind started up and after 6 or so hours there we decided to leave early.
It was a super windy sort of summer at the lake.
Several times we swam then sat on our chairs with sweatshirts and pants on, I even took off my wet suit and dared to go commando until my suit was dry.
The water is always fantastic there to me but the wind made it a bit painful at times.
Oh well ,fingers crossed ,next summer will be perfect.
I by accident hit a tourist site for Croatia , now that place looks very promising, really pretty. My husband loves to sometimes throw a damper on things though. He suggested that they cleared the beaches for the video and they never mentioned how much they may charge to actually use the beaches.
I know in the mid 70's when we lived on Maui we used to drive often to the 7 scared pools in Hana, It was 100% free. Now they charge to swim in the pools, everything has turned into money and I wonder when enough will be enough?

klsallee wrote:

Summer season must be coming to a close. Finally have decent 4G Internet again as the phone loving crowds seem to start heading home. 

Interesting. I suppose it could be the HU folks with holiday homes leaving.  On "our" side of Balaton, everything is dead as a dodo come 1st September.   There's a brief boost with a couple of festivals but it's basically empty. 

It's quite a good time to be there on the edge of the season close but even better is March/April time when it's all just starting to wake up again and before the crowds arrive.

fluffy2560 wrote:

klsallee wrote:

Summer season must be coming to a close. Finally have decent 4G Internet again as the phone loving crowds seem to start heading home. 

Interesting. I suppose it could be the HU folks with holiday homes leaving.  On "our" side of Balaton, everything is dead as a dodo come 1st September.   There's a brief boost with a couple of festivals but it's basically empty.

In the last two years there has been a very large ingress of Nouveau riche (but not the real rich, as my region is not quite *the place*) into my area from Budapest. Buying up properties. Not personally impressed by it myself. For many reasons. Basically gentrification. The real charms and history of the region that I loved are being wiped out by their building and alterations. The locals simply call them "that Budapest crowd".

But to get to your comment, yes, directly around the lake, it shuts down completely in September. Simple economics. Those are seasonal businesses. Make a killing during the season, then go dormant till next year.

But even going a few hundred meters inland, and people actually still live around the lake year round. And there is plenty open for business year round there.

Summer and festivals simply bring crowds and those that cater to crowds. But the off season one experiences the "real" Balaton life much better. More laid back. More organic. One simply needs to search for it a bit.