Hungary Shack

[Paul Arden]

Well finally I own my shack in Hungary

When I bought the land and built the cabin, many years ago, foreigners couldn’t own this sort of land, so it was in a girlfriend’s name. Which was fine until our paths separated

Eventually EU citizens could own land but the land type designation had to change and it turned out that the planning permission that had cost me 2 bottles of wine and 100 Euros wasn’t officially registered! If I tried to change land designation without planning permission there would be a fine. However after 10 years it’s not a problem and you can register! So we waited until the ten year period was up - about 8 more months by this time.. And then bloody Boris got elected!

I’m quite sure that next month I wouldn’t be able to make the transfer, not without EU citizenship. However, just in the nick of time, the land type designation went through last month and finally finally my new ownership papers came through today. It’s a mixture of phew and yay rolled into one.

Thank fuck!! Even though I’m living in the jungle I do have a life there; there is excellent fishing to be had in the Drava river below and it’s within striking distance of the Balkans. Also I have some very close friends and I know I’ll be back. Apart from which I built the place!

So next year after the Worlds we will have a big Sexyloops Party in Hungary, fish the River Drava, drink Latohegy wine and have a bloody big campfire!

Cheers, Paul

[grunde]

Congratulation Paul!

[Lasse Karlsson]

Congrats Paul!

[Fla]

That's awesome, mate! It's a beautiful place!

[Paul Arden]

It is and we can have philosophical conversations around the campfire like this - https://www.bu.edu/arion/archive/volume ... t-started/

I’ve long been wondering how we went from many Gods to one exclusive God. What I found quite fascinating and an argument that finally struck a chord with me, was how the creation of reason and the consequent separation of the natural world from the supernatural world could have resulted in the belief in only one God. There is a certain irony in this!

The more I think about it, the more I think that God-believing comes down to how our individual minds function. When I stopped being a child I also stopped believing in the supernatural. To put faith in the supernatural is a curious thing, but obviously a wide-spread human trait. The existence of God is certainly not a logical argument and there is no proof of its existence but instead requires faith, in other words belief in belief of the supernatural. But faith was only required after the separation of the natural from the supernatural.

Also it’s not such a big shift after all, when you remember that there are other supernatural beings, Angels and Demons, the Devil - are these also not Gods? At one point they were, but now they’ve been demoted. After all when man believed in many Gods there was a hierarchy, with one at the very top.

Now will the Gourami God let me catch a fish today?



Cheers, Paul

[Viking Lars]

Congratualtions on ownership, mate! One day, when I grow up (or the opppsite - whatever that is?) I want to be like you - with bases in at least three different parts of the world :-).

[Paul Arden]

Yeah it might be the opposite

Actually it was about 15 years ago that I had the cunning plan to have 6 bases around the world. What a stupid idea that was. Just having one meant I had to cut grass, grow stuff, do maintenance - it was never-ending work. Just imagine 6 of those!!

Anyway who knows. After sailing around the world I might do something stupid like that. I can’t really imagine living in only once place.

On the other hand, one of the thoughts behind Latohegy was to give something back. For three decades I’ve been travelling the world and have had the immense hospitality of friends – sleeping on couches, in spare rooms, parking in their driveways. I’ve always been very fortunate. I actually have a couple of cabins in Hungary now. Once it’s organised there is always a key available for you and your family to holiday. Obviously it’s better for us if I’m there, but equally that’s not necessary.

It will be nice to say “there’s a house, car, boat, friends’ numbers, a map of where to fish, knock yourself out.” That was always my intention.

Ultimately I need to make it a bit less homely and a bit more homestay-ish. But I’d prefer that for myself now too.

If Covid allows I’ll have this project advanced enough to offer this by the end of next summer. It is actually a very special place and I know lots of my friends will appreciate this.

We need to catch up again soon Lars. It’s been too long mate!

Cheers, Paul

[tomo]

Congrats Paul - great news!!

[Viking Lars]

A spring holiday in Hungary before it gets corching summer hot would be awesome... We'll do it some day! And when that day comes we'll catch all the asp in the Drava and visit castles and catch all the trout in canal in Bosnia :-).

L

[Paul Arden]

Or Autumn! Most beautiful time of year and the fishing is at its best