Day 52 – June 6 Monday

Another 5.50am awakening.  Another great meat, cheese, bacon, gherkin & bread breakfast washed down with strong black Turkish coffee – does it get any better?  Out to the farmlet again for more cherry picking & Antal had more grape pruning.  We managed to pick three boxes of sour cherry before it got too hot, Tereza & Katalin at the base of the tree & me up the tall ladder.  At the end of the cherry picking, after washing up I noticed both of my wrists had a red rash all over them – I must be allergic to something there in the cherry tree. I washed my wrists with water, then, after much prompting by Antal & Katalin, I washed them again with palinka (very strong home made brandy).  That seemed to do the trick, I had a lay down so that I wouldn’t be scratching my wrists & promptly fell asleep.  It may have something to do with the palinka I used to wash my throat.  Back to town, lunch, some more photos & another little snooze.

Late afternoon we went for a short walk with Katalin & we met Evike, Radovan & their 2 sons at the local Big Pond, near the middle of town, a large concrete pool with an old swimming pool at one end, complete with old concrete starting blocks.  There is a park surrounding the pond, with a child’s playground, with concrete path around & a gazebo out over the pond.  Encircling the park is a reed fringed creek, with a few fisherman sitting & catching very small fish.  Some of the small rubbish bins have the Kikinda Coat of Arms on them – A mantled arm, holding a sabre, with the head of an Ottoman Turk impaled on it.  Very sobering.  We are always amazed when walking to see flash looking new buildings squeezed amongst ramshackle old houses.

We watched the children play at the playground while Radovan took Evike to her choir practice.  We all had an ice cream (which spoilt the kids’ appetite for dinner but we are not always here so it’s OK).  We had dinner & then showed a few photos from us with kangaroos, cockatoos, parrots etc. The boys were very impressed.