What a mixed up day!!

Alison headed off to England by plane early. Then I had breakfast with Ursi and a sad farewell with the promise I will visit her in Switzerland sometime.

Then I found a post office with good reviews for posting international parcels. There were some terrible ones. And true to the review, it was so easy!! Lovely young lady who spoke English quite well. She took care of it all and by the time I write this it is already " on the way"!

I then catch a taxi to one of the main bus stations to go to Veszprem. All goes well, but then there's a mad rush to the bus, a driver who doesn't or won't speak English. With a little, but not much, help from others, I gather that people with a seat reservation has preference over the mob who doesn't. Thankfully I do, I decided to be a bit pushy, but still respectful, and somehow get my luggage in the correct compartment and get my allotted seat. Along the way lots of people were refused. Weird!!

In Veszprem, the driver, who still can't speak English but understands a teeny but, gives me a smile and clap on the shoulder!! I think he was a bit bemused that a non- Hungarian was going to Veszprem and actually "knew" what she was doing. More by luck, than anything.

So... Check in was 4pm, so I chose an afternoon bus, then a 10 minute walk.
It had just stopped raining so all good. Getting a few frowns along the way, as in "what's she doing in my town, with suitcase?"
I get to my accommodation and check in smoothly but.... There's a weird lock on the door that needs a key card. It doesn't work. The young lady at reception spends 1 and a 1/2 hours talking to colleagues, cleaners, and eventually her boss trying to get it to work. No go. All the while I'm thinking....what have I done, why am I here, should I move somewhere else?"

But eventually, the boss talks to me on the phone and offers me other rooms that have many beds in it, or stay in the room with the offer of a lock up cupboard for valuables. This place is a hostel set up, in a gated quadrangle kind of set up. It's very safe, I can lock the door from the inside, and there's plenty of CCTV. The only people that would come in when I'm out would be other guests...but why would they?
So....I say I'll stay here in this room. He offers me a free meal as an apology. The locksmith can't come for a week
So.... I have my free meal, then go for a little walk before the outer gate gets locked at 7.30 pm.

This town is gorgeous and reminds me why I go to out of the way places. As I walk back in, I see the information board about the history of this house and gobsmacked I'm in the restored room mentioned in it. And... That there's a prison museum on site going into the castle wall. Right in our quadrangle.

I make myself a cup of tea in the communal kitchen, take a good look around and decide I actually like this place. I lock myself into my room and write this story 😊Read more