My Blue Trail: From Kőhányáspuszta to Szárliget

My last section of the Blue Trail was so rich in experiences and sights that I've split the post into two parts because of the many photos. I have still selected the photos and only included the best ones. This time I took on a 21 km stage, which didn't seem like much, but towards the end I was really looking forward to resting.
All this happened on 21 April 2022, one day before Earth Day.
It was a cool morning, but bright sunshine when I got off the bus at Kőhányáspuszta and headed towards Várgesztes - Szárliget.

In this section I show you the path to Várgesztes, and even a little beyond.
Crossing the busy road, I continued on a safe path, enjoying the greenery and flowers.
Várgesztes is just 4.5 kilometres away. If I'd gone quickly, I would have got there sooner and noticed fewer things.

I stopped for a while and photographed lungwort. This beautiful flower has medicinal properties, especially for the respiratory tract. Interestingly, the flowers are blue and pink. The ones that are just opening are pink, but the ones that have been pollinated by bees have already turned blue. This lets the bees know which ones still need pollination.

In some parts, the forest is a fairyland where new life springs from dead trees. It provides food, habitat and shelter for many small creatures.

This flesh-coloured plant feeds on the roots of trees and does not photosynthesise. It looks like the teeth of a snarling beast.

This section is easy to walk along, like a promenade. It can be particularly appreciated in the summer heat.

Unfortunately, there are also parts of the forest where almost all the trees have been felled. But these three have been left. I passed through them like a gate.

Passing through a rest area (which I didn't photograph because it was featureless), I soon arrived at the ruins of the Gesztes castle. The guard there said you can go up, but it is fenced off because there are excavations going on. This was the case a few years ago, the last time I was here, but instead of a guard, there was a cat that took care.

Before I got to the village, I noticed a boulder rising on the left side of the path. I thought it would be nice to climb it, but it's too steep. But then I kept going and found a set of steps in good condition leading up.

The steps led to a shrine of Mary. It is not known whether it is a natural or artificial cavity, but it is probably both.

The naively charming little statue of Mary is inside, unfortunately behind grid. Probably because of vandals or thieves, but the sight of the grid made me a little sad. Luckily there was enough space between the iron bars to fit my lens, so I was able to take photos.

Várgesztes used to be a small mining village, now it is a resort village, where this mining monument is located.
"Jó szerencsét!" means "Good luck!" This was the miners' greeting, who went into the depths of the earth every day and were not sure if they could come up alive.

On the outskirts of the village there is a fishing pond, overlooked by Zsigmond-kő. This rock formation was the next destination, a slight detour from the Blue Trail.