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11 -
12 July - London – Budapest
 We
arrived in Budapest and right from the start I was smitten with this
beautiful city with its abundance of old buildings, cobbled streets and
views of the mighty Danu River. I instantly understood why it is called
“the Capital of Architecture”. To this day, it remains one of my most
favourite cities.
Hungary
is the land of paprika, cabbage and sausage, and the food was delicious
and the beer good. In fact, most of the food in Hungary includes paprika
in some form or other, from the homey goulash to the Porkolt (meat stew)
and Halaszle (fisherman’s soup).
If it
were today, I would have lingered longer, but as was my nature I had
bees in my bonnet and wanted to get going. As is the case with most
“new” cycle tourers, I was destination orientated, and it took me years
before I got rid of that habit and enjoyed the touring part of cycle
touring, which, in my mind, is what cycle touring is all about.
13
July – Budapest – Esztergom – 80 km
After a
day of exploring we cycled out of Budapest. At first, we followed the
famed Danu River past fields of sunflowers and small villages. Our stop
was the ancient town of Esztergom where a massive basilica sits on a
hill above the town overlooking the Danube River and the 3rd largest
church in Europe.
Esztergom’s history goes back many years as it was established around
972 AD and was the birth and coronation place of the first Hungarian
King. It was also the capital of Hungary till the 13th century, with the
result that there are many of the old buildings are of Royal religious
nature.
14
July - Esztergom – Győr – 95 km
It was
a scenic cycle along the Danube through countless small villages where
one could fill up with water from a well with a hand pump. We cycled
past vast fields of sunflowers, making a pretty picture against the
cloudless sky.
15 July - Győr and surrounds –
8Okm
 I
decided to camp in the same place again
and just cycle around the country. Past many small villages, farm lands
and more fields of sun flowers.
16
July - Győr – Papa – 58 km
It was
time to leave the river and head in the direction of Lake Balaton. It
was mid-summer and stinking hot. Again, it was the friendliness of the
people that most impressed us. A local Hungarian man who spoke no
English must have noticed us suffering in the intense heat and offered
us ice cream and two slices of smoked meat, clearly a priced item in
this part of the world. Papa is a historical town with a multitude of
old buildings, and the entire town centre is today a protected area.
Papa is also famed for its thermal baths, but it was far too hot to try
them and instead we went for beer in the historic part of town.
17
-18 July - Papa – Balatonfüred – 64 km
Left
lovely Papa for the last stretch of cycling to the lake. It was another
blistering
hot day and relatively hilly. I had no idea it got that hot
in Hungary. Balatonfured is the oldest of the towns situated on the
shores of Lake Belton and is another city famous for its spas, but this
was no time to visit spas.
19
July - Balatonfüred – Badacsony – 48 km
It was
blistering hot, and we only managed to cycle half day. We were relieved
to reach the shores of Lake Balaton, where we set up camp and wasted no
time at all diving into the lukewarm water of the lake.
20
July - Badacsony – Fonyód – 56 km
The
heat remained debilitating, it took the entire day to cycle 35 miles. By
then we were cycling in our bathing suits and stopped every now and
again for a swim and beer.
21
July - Fonyód – Balatonszeme – 32 km
 At
last, we had a bit of a breeze as we packed up. The wind picked up
during the day and became quite strong. By the time we set up camp, it
suddenly dropped, and we were back in paradise.
The
campsites, 20 in all around the lake, are all very well equipped all
with access to the lake, shops, bars, and restaurants, as well as loads
of entertainment, especially for children, waterslides, games, cable
skiing, and paddle boats.
22
July - Balatonszemes – Siófok – 32 km
I
thought Lake Belatan the closest place to paradise. Blue skies, lukewarm
water and no wind, no wonder there were so many tourists around the
lake. The lakeshore was very shallow and excellent for just floating
around. Shops, restaurants and bars were scattered all around the lake,
all adding to a great holiday atmosphere.
23
-24 July - Siófok
On
reaching Siofok, we had cycled around the entire lake and spent the day
laying around and enjoying the sun.
25 -
26 July - Siofok – Budapest – 110 km
Once
around the lake, it was time to head back to Budapest to pick up my
Romanian Visa. It was easy riding, and we got to Budapest in good time.
27
July - Budapest – Kesckemet – 90 km
With
passport in hand, we headed in the direction of Romania. It was a
pleasant and relaxed ride, with perfect weather for cycling. In
Kesckemet we found a campsite in the centre of town, very convenient.
 28 -
29 July - Kesckemet – Szeged – 65 km
Another
easy day of riding on a flat road. We arrived in Szeged, home of the
paprika, and what a beautiful town it was. Szeged is located
on the
Tisza river with an excellent campsite as well as a thermal bath.
Hungary is well known for its thermal baths and at the town of Szeged we
set up camp and stayed for two days, floating in the warm water of their
famous thermal springs before crossing into Romania. |
