Month: May 2023 Page 3 of 4

Today’s wow moment wasn’t a pretty view or a huge cathedral on top of a hill – today’s wow moment was an expected couple of trestle tables, some flags and some cyclists. I stopped to find out what is going on and by some complete fluke my route, on the outskirts of Budapest, went past the biannual “bicycle breakfast” – out to encourage folks to take up or get back into cycling. Had a wee blether and got a carton of juice, a huge chocolate Danish (or should that be Hungarian) swirl and 3 cereal bars. If I’d been 15 minutes later I would have missed it – I know this because while I was still chomping on the huge chocolate swirl – the cyclists were packing everything up.

Rained heavily for most of the so decided to abort bike ride and stay another day in Budapest.

Although tyres still seem fine I wondered if now, with being in a big city and plenty of bike shops, should I replace the rear tyre – because of the weight of the panniers the rear tyre always wears out quicker than the front one.

First though – took Bertie to a car wash so that I could give him a wash. There was one just round the corner from the hostel – turned out to be underground in the basement of a building – high pressure hoses in an enclosed space is very noisy and reckon all the guys working there will need their hearing tested – one of them gave Bertie a quick hose down for free.

Decathlon was near by and the place that opened earliest so took Bertie round there to get their opinion. I explained how far we had come and that we were carrying on to Romania – the bike maintenance guy didn’t speak English so one of the other staff translated for me – it was decided that Berties tyres should last and don’t need changed yet – both guys were lovely and gave me big “respect” for my trip so far and wished me a safe onward journey.

Today wasn’t a day for cycling or sightseeing but there was finally a break in the weather and I went for a wander.

Jolene – my room mate at the hostel – set off this morning. She has flown from Namibia in African to Germamy and is walking from Gemany to Jerusalem – she is hoping to complete the section in Serbia before flying home and then will return in 2024 to complete her pilgrimage. We chatted a lot but of course it’s not until after someone leaves that you think I should have asked this or that and I wonder which way her route will take her next year as I’m assuming she won’t be going through Syria??

I was told Budapest is very nice – but arrived yesterday in the wet and concentrated on navigating my way to the hostel so didn’t see much of it. Made good use of the nearby laundrey and got my clothes washed and dried, including my trainers – in hindsight I should have washed the clean clothes as well – everything I have smells of the ripening (some may say festering) camembert I have been eating for the last 5+ days – despite it being trippled bagged the smell still carries – camambert all finished now though.

So I’ve crossed the Danube 3 times – from Slovakia into Hungary, then back to Slovakia and once more back into Hungary – one bridge and 2 ferries.

Slovakia was lovely but didn’t have the same wow feeling that I’ve had in other countries I’ve visited so far – maybe because of the route I took and doing it too quickly – I’ve only really seen a very small area of the country. There does not seem to be as many marked cycle routes as in Germany and Czechia and when they are there the signage isn’t as good – having said that though, the area where I met Vlado the route was fantastic. The morning after Bertie was all fixed I started on a good paved cycle path, this changed to very loose gravel and then grass – the grass was much easier going than the gravel until the grass got thicker and the trail started disappearing. I don’t expect all the cycle routes to be paved – it costs money to do this and why would you pave an area that is used less frequently – also a good trail through woodland, for example, you wouldn’t want paved – but this particular route got frustrating and I started using the nearby roads instead. I did though see lots of wildlife – lots of hares, a few deer, one lizard, one stork, 2 green woodpeckers and what I’m pretty sure was 3 kingfishers – seemed to be right shape, colours and size but definitely not as elusive as our kingfishers back at home. Think i need to come back to Slovakia and spend longer – maybe go hiking in the mountains some time.

The River Vah merged in with the Danube at a town called Komarno – this was kind of a key bit about my journey, being on Eurovelo 6 / Danube trail but other than fleeting glimpses, because of trees, I never really saw the river for a good while – trees are nice but I wanted to see the Danube. What didn’t disappoint was finally meeting other cycle tourists. I met an American couple from Hawaii and later on a couple from Australia – both couples were going as far as Budapest and then returning their hired bikes. I met a young lad from Cologne – he was treating himself to a holiday between finishing his degree and doing his masters when he gets home and is hoping to cycke to Uzbekistan and I hope he does and then I met Valerio at the the campsite on my first night in Hungary – he is also hoping to continue to Turkey and possibly further on.

I crossed the Danube over a bridge from Sturovo in Slovakia to Esztergom in Hungary – I’d planned to go further but this was an unexpected wow moment which coincided with a handy campsite – tent pitched and had a good wander seeing the sites – great wee town.

Esztergom is only about 60km from Budapest – yesterday morning still undecided whether to go via Budapest or wait until I was on route back home but forecast not good and plenty of hostels to stay in if need be and also now wondering what if I don’t return via Budapest?? Decision made – hostel in Budapest booked and off I set – route zipped and zapped across the Danube a couple of times – first ferry I was meant to catch turned out not to be running – unfortunately nothing to tell you that until I’d cycled to the road end – lovely lady in car who was also to catch ferry advised me there was another ferry crossing further along the road – she was lovely and interested in what I was doing – but then when I said I was going to Romania she advised me to get pepper spray – I assumed she meant for the dogs (which I’ve heard can be troublesome) but she said “for some of the people as they are sometimes strange” – I hate it when people say things like this – I know she was thinking of me but it makes me feel nervous and most people are good people. When I did get to next ferry I just missed it and I had to wait 3/4’s of an hour for next one – debated whether to wait or continue on the shared road on the south bank of the river – decided to wait and had lunch in the rain while I waited. Forecasted rain got heavier and heavier as I approached Budapest and very glad I’d booked into a hostel for next few nights – not sure hostel was pleased to have a dripping me, bags and Bertie Bike in their reception but Bertie wasn’t going to be left on the street overnight.

Today any forecasted rain didn’t come to more than a few spots and had a good day, and walked lots, taking in the sights of Budapest.

Lots of interesting statues and fountains.

The most thought proving sculpture though and the one I didn’t take a photo of was “The Shoes on The Danube Bank” – I was glad I saw this but found it very upsetting and watching the speed of logs being carried away in the river just added to the affect – I wonder if wars will ever end but I suspect, unfortunately, not. If you are not aware of the sculpture this link will tell you about it – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoes_on_the_Danube_Bank

Other sights in Budapest

Think I’m going retrieve Bertie from hostel basement tomorrow and continue on our way.

My 2nd day in Slovakia. Yesterday started on a cycle route in lovely woodland and then I was on shared road for most of the day. Road was busy, at times with big trucks, but once I adjusted to cycling with traffic again I enjoyed it, and again good weather and lovely scenery. Without a doubt cycle routes are great and definitely needed – the obvious plus is they protect you from cars and trucks, etc. But they can create a false world – something I’ve never really thought of before and provably sounds a bit strange – I’ll try and explain what I mean. Depending on the route, it might not take you through many towns or villages – in addition to this if you have plotted a route to take in key tourist spots, which is the normal thing to do, you are not necessarily seeing the real word, again. Yesterday, because I was on a “normal” road I saw local industries, kids going to school, trucks that I tried to figure out what they might be transporting and spotting what country a vehicle had come from. I sat for lunch on a park bench in a wee town and watched folks doing their shopping, folks getting on and off busses, folks filling up their water bottles at the water fountain and wondered what was being said on the loud speakers in towns (but more of that later). I won’t be purposely avoiding cycle paths but I did enjoy being on a “normal” road yesterday.

I’ve been looking at the map for my planned route for next few days and on the ‘profile” there is a big hill coming up. I’d specifically kept the route north of the Danube as I will be following this on the way home and wanted the there and back routes to be different. But this is a big big hill / mountain and not going to be easy.

I woke up at 5am this morning still thinking about this hill and added Budapest, in Hungary, to my route instead of dropping into Hungary in the top North East of the country as planned – it makes my route longer but not as many big hills – I’ve decided to go longer and less hilly and if I get to see Budapest twice so be it.

So I did a there and back to see the old town and castle in Trencin this morning – Trencin had been recommended by someone on the Eurovelo group – glad I hadn’t changed my route yesterday as Trencin definitely worth seeing and I wouldn’t have seen it if I’d changed my route sooner.

Now backtracking to get onto my new route, I stop for a bite to eat at a picnic bench. I’m joined by Vlado, who’s stopped for a wee rest too – he speaks very little English and guess what…. I speak NO Slovak. But I’ve told him I’m from Scotland and when he asks where from I say Edinburgh as folks are more likely to have heard of it than if I say Stirling or Alloa – turns out that his daughter lives in Edinbugh. We cycle next bit together towards his home town of Piestany – in sign language he asks if my back wheel is ok – he indicates that it is wobbling – I haven’t been aware of it – transpires I have FIVE broken spokes (yes you can almost sing it to the tune of 5 gold rings) – I’ve heard of folks wheels collapsing with less broken spokes than that – in hindsight I’ve heard a couple of pings but thought it was stone bouncing off the bike when I’ve gone over them.

So Bertie Bike is in Vlado’s kitchen come dining / sitting room and he has spent a large part of this afternoon stripping my bike, cycling to the bike shop to get replacement spokes and a new chain, and is almost finished putting Bertie back together. As Vlado found one broken spoke after another he described it as a “nuclear disaster” Vlado has also made me lunch as well! Huge huge thank you to Vlado for helping me out and preventing an even bigger nuclear disaster.

Name the film – “You’d think kids would want to come with their parents and take foxtrot lessons. Trips to Europe that’s what kids want. 22 countries in 3 days”. This popped into my mind as I crossed from the Netherlands into Germany, and now I keep thinking it. Not 22 countries or 3 days but I’ve arrived in my 6th county in 6 weeks – Scotland, England, The Netherlands, Germany, Czechia, a few miles into Austria this morning before heading into Slovakia!!

Nothing to indicate that I’d crossed from Czechia into Austria – other than an “achtung” sign at the first bend I came to – but a sign to let me know I’ve crossed from Austria into Slovakia. On my back I’ll spend more time in Austria.

To date on this trip, Czechia has been my favourite country so far and will definitely be back. Prague is an amazing city to see but would strongly reccomend going further afield – lots of beautiful places to visit.

The last 2 days have been beautiful and sunny – warm when you were sheltered from the wind, which wasn’t often. Again, a mix of very quiet roads and cycle routes.

Yesterday took me south to one of the big wine areas in Czechia. I crossed the Vestonice Reservoir – lots of other cyclists doing the same – VE Day yesterday and I didn’t realise that this is a holiday for many areas of Europe.

Had intended camping at the hostel at Valtice but everything locked up at reception and couldn’t get an answer when I phoned the number that was there. In hindsight I could have pitched up and paid in the morning but found a cheap single bed with an on-suite bathroom at a wee hotel, a few miles away and have to admit it is provably the best sleep I’ve had since heading off on my travels – the chicken burger – lovely marinated chicken – and glass of wine I had was lovely too – both for about £12.

Nice wee wander around Valtice this morning.

Had intended travelling further East into Slovakia today but opted for an easy day. 2nd breakfast at this wee lake – lots of bird life and pretty sure I could hear lots of frogs and / or toads but struggled to see them. Also seen a lot of deer and hares last few days and heard cuckoos too. The further east I go the barkier the dogs seem to get – all the ones doing the barking though are behind fences except for one this morning that chased me and that does make me nervous. Also saw a stork high up in it’s nest – there is a camera on it but I’ve struggled to find the link for it.

For most of today I’ve been following Eurovello route 13 / The Iron Curtain Route – lots of investing information on the way and also sounds like a good route to do sometime in the future.

Made it my first overnight stop in Slovakia – big campsite at Autikemp Rudava – lovely setting besides lots of lakes – bet its really busy at weekends and holiday season but guess what – yip – I’m the only one there and tonight I’m in charge of the padlock on the gate for the whole campsite – I’ve just locked myself in for the night – starting to get a complex that nobody wants to stay at the same campsite as me.

Interesting dinner tonight. Traditional Slovakian flat bread “pizza” – the bread is more like a Scottish buttery I think – regret not having the more traditional one with just garlic – but went for cheese and ketchup – don’t know why but thought Google translate might have got it wrong and it was going to be a proper tomato sauce but no – just ketchup. The very cheap large glass of red wine was very good.

Back from the loo and tucked up in my sleeping bag. From the toilet block can see lots of red lights going on and off – think they must be indicate big masts or towers but never seen so many lights like this before – looks like the aliens have landed – I will try and find out what they are for in the morning – if I haven’t been taken away in a UFO!!