Category: Blog Posts Page 6 of 32

Easy day yesterday. Only short ride to the Kerekestelep Campsite where I soaked in their thermal mineral spa – apparently it’s good for health and joints – whether it is or not it was nice and relaxing – it’s also meant to be good for if you drink it but I’m not putting this to the test.

Short bike ride in the afternoon to seek out an ATM and get some food – cycling with one almost empty pannier feels good!!

In process of looking for ATM spotted this interesting looking spire and went for a nosy and found this interesting shaped church.

And in process of finding church got lucky and saw 3 storks on their nests.

Sun is out and I’m going to find The Great Forrest, which should be just a few miles on the bike and just a very light pannier again.

I found my way out of Budapest much easier than I got in – dry when left, I’d got some bearings in the city and Google maps had put me on a good route – the one that took me past the cycle breakfast – thank you Google.

I enjoyed both Budapest and Prague and found myself comparing the 2 cities. The main sights of Prague are in a much more compact area where as in Budapest they are much more spread out, with your regular shops and businesses in between, this combined with the buzz of the traffic it has a much more lived in feel rather than just a tourist magnet – I’m all for environmentally friendly and safer for bikes – but there is something about the noise of the cars and busses and trams that, in my head, makes things more real – or I’m just losing the plot??

In Czechia and Slovakia, Google maps didn’t give a cycle option so I was using the Komoot App for navigation. In Hungary Google maps seems to work and I’d used this and Komoot to plot a route from the city to the campsite I’d planned to stay at – both routes overlapped at times but were both different – Komoot is geared up for walkers and cyclists and in theory it should be better than Google maps – sometimes it is – sometimes it’s not – I’ve been surprised when Komoot has taken me on a road when there has been a perfectly good cycle path nearby – for both Google maps and Komoot it depends on how much information you give it in the first place and some inside information from local cyclists is always handy. So on this day I’d used the Google route for a good distance, until it took me on a dirt track – one, this would have slowed me down (and I still had a long way to go for that night’s campsite) and 2, I’m now a bit anxious about getting more broken spokes so I backtracked to the road and reset my journey with Komoot. Not sure if my route planning is the best way of doing it but it has mostly worked so far.

I didn’t quite make it to my intended campsite – luckily, as the day was pushing on and I was getting tired I came across one that I hadn’t found when I did my research the night before – Madarpart was about 10k before my planned stop – it is on the shore of Lake Tisza-To, Hungaries biggest man made lake – it was perfect apart from the mosquitos – lake, calm, damp from the mornings rain and humid – I should have known the wee buggers would be out but I always forget how bad they are until it’s too late! Covering up any exposed skin as quick as I could combined with a breeze picking up solved the mosquito problem. I was the only person staying again – midweek, not yet holiday season and bad weather was keeping folks away. Tilly who ran the campsite with her husband was amazing – she made me a huge plate of scrambled eggs with bread and 2 different types of cake and refused to let me pay for either the food or the campsite. Really loud thunder that night but the expected rain didn’t come till the morning – it did get really windy though and I had a crap night’s sleep – big gusts of wind, wake up, wonder if I should move tent under sheltered area, fall asleep; big gusts of wind, wake up, etc, etc. When I got up in the morning it was pretty Scottish outside – windy and wet and I packed a damp tent away.

Quite back road from the campsite until I joined the main road that had a fab cycle path running parallel to it and this crossed over the lake I’d camped beside – definitely popular for paddle sports and cyclists and bird enthusiasts but it wasn’t a morning to be stopping. Signs indicated that bike path continued to Hortibagy which was on my route – fab I thought but not for long – nice paved route turned to farm track which probably would have been fine after a spell of dry weather but Bertie’s tyres were not cut out (and neither was I) for the slick coating of mud and I retreated to the road – I also wondered why I had bothered washing the bike 2 days ago.

When I left I did wonder if I would cross the border into Romania but after a big day the day before I wasn’t sure I’d make it and not sure about accommodation once I crossed over – tired legs decided for me and headed to the city of Debrecen (about 42k from the border). I was cycling on what was a trade route – especially cattle and salt – through Hortibagy National Park which is part of The Great Hungarian Plains. Lots of bird life including Lapwings and Egrets – Egrets were nearly extinct due to changes in landscape and being hunted for their feathers – if I’ve got my facts right about only 30 pairs in the 1960’s and now about 3000 pairs and I certainly saw lots of these gorgeous birds.

At Hortibagy, I’d hoped to go into the Pásztormúzeum (the shepherd’s museum) but it was in the process of being pulled down so that they can make a new and better one – both here and in Budapest (and elsewhere in Hungary I think) there is a lot of improvement work taking place which is great but bad timing for me though. I did go into the wee museum in the “Csarda” though – like all trade routes there was places for travellers to stop and rest and this Csarda / tavern was one of them – as well as making sure that the beer and wine was flowing and that the accommodation was up to scratch (not entirely sure what that meant in those times) – the pub landlord had to make sure that the bridges in his area were in good working order too – wooden bridges and frequent flooding due to the nature of the land did not make it an easy job – and not sure many pub landlords would be up to the task now!

Lots of stops – legs couldn’t be bothered – I found a wee hotel in Debrecen to stay – some fab bits of cycle path – did it stop or did I lose it – had a bit of a hairy section on a shared road with roadworks – cars and trucks generally giving me plenty of space but when there is no space to give a lot of them will go for it anyway! Hotel is fab – £26 for room with biggest onsuite shower – I’m in heaven – I’ve spread my stuff about, sink washed my clothes and had a quick wander round the town and liked it and managed to keep my room for another night and had a nice wander today.

I’ve given up on my 90 days Brexit clock ticking – there is a forest park nearby that I’d like to see and the sun is meant to be out tomorrow so think I might stay another night or 2 in Hungary before crossing into Romania.

Debrecen was once, for a short period of time, the capital of Hungary. And on that note I will stop waffling and head to bed.

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.