6 Jun 2014
11. England to Budapest
Having cycled to Budapest last year, albeit taking a totally different route to what I’ve rode this year, I felt unsure what to start writing about this time around. Much of the scenery has been similar; green open fields, a couple of river routes, some mountain passes, so will only show a few of those photos. One thing that has been different this year, and that I’ve not focused on too much before, is some of the people I’ve met along the way. Travelling solo has its up’s, along with its downs, so befriending people along the way almost aids one along with increased rhythm.
My first night of the tour I stayed in Uxbridge with warmshower hosts Deborah & Peter. Having both bicycle toured extensively in Greenland before, so with the countries I’ve toured we had a great amount to talk about. I was fed a fine dinner and a fair amount of beverages.
Being effectively en-route to Portsmouth (for the ferry) I planned to spend the first weekend at my twin sister’s house in Gomshall, with not seeing her for the next year it was nice to spend a couple of days there, being the usual silly Uncle Mark to my nephews Joe and Sam, seen here along with their dad, Glenn.
Being the first country to cross, France proves a pleasant way to start the journey; superb condition roads, friendly people and relatively easy to find campsites. On the third day my intention was to arrive at the city of Reims (in the region of Champagne) but a rather chilled northerly side wind had eroded my happiness so upon reaching the town of Soissons - 60km from Reims - I decided I’d stop there. Signs on the outskirt indicated a campsite, so I couldn’t ask for more, and upon finding it I was soon set for the night. Wandering around I noticed another touring bike, along with its owner fumbling around erecting his tent. Introducing myself, we’re soon talking about where we‘re going, along with all the typical questions from each other. Frenchman Chiraux was on the first day of his 2-3 month European tour. The following day he’d also be heading to/through the city of Reims, so naturally we decided it would be great to ride together. With both in need of food, and wanting to see the town of Soissons, we headed into the centre, armed with our cameras, and some cash.
The following day’s route was along one of the busier roads, nothing too hectic but definitely a case of riding single file. Stopping for a break on a side road after an hour and half made me laugh, I recharge myself with a banana and chocolate bar, whilst Chiraux cracks open a tin of beer, brilliant! Reims would be the end of my day as I had pre-arranged a warmshower host, whereas Chiraux continued another 50km to the next town to a pre-booked hostel. Upon arrival we spent ½ an hour looking around the hugely impressive UNESCO protected cathedral, in total awe at the detail to which the stonemasons had sculptured their masterpieces. (Reims really is worth a visit, along with said cathedral, being in the region of Champagne there are - needless to say - Champagne distilleries, most offering a tour of their cellars and the obvious sample or two).
After a couple of photo’s and email address exchange we part company, heading off on our separate ways.
My host in Reims was a young cyclist, Elie (seen on the Accommodation Host’s page). In 2013 he rode from Reims to Hamburg on a single-speed (fixed gear) bicycle. Better known as a ‘Fixie’. Over the past few years they have become rather trendy, with London bicycle couriers using them - one benefit being there is little to go wrong with the ‘running gear’, unlike a conventional derailleur gear system bike. With myself in need of replacing a damaged-zipper cycling-top Elie gladly drives me to the local Decathlon sports store at a nearby shopping complex. Later, with his exams approaching I’m left to my own, whilst he studies. In the morning he has to go to work at 5 a.m. and he says his father will see me on my way. We have good conversation at breakfast, both putting the world to right.
The three day ride between Reims and Strasbourg proved excellent, through quiet farming hamlets and villages, each day had that sort of ‘Sunday feeling’ whereby everything is closed with no one was around. The town of Saint-Mihiel livened things up a bit with a good selection of shops to re-stock and, from what I could make out some guy up ahead riding a unicycle. It turns out that Frenchman Julien was actually touring on the unicycle (monocycle in France)! He was a member of the French monocycle association and had plotted some of his route based upon where other member’s lived, and then would stay at their houses. He was riding 50-60 km per day, certainly impressive considering you can’t stop pedalling, or, unlike on a ‘Fixie’ even take your feet off the pedals or you simply loose balance and fall off, let alone hardly take your eyes off the road. Securing luggage makes matters even harder as it changes the centre-of-gravity / balance point, so yer, I was well impressed. Uphill he was quicker than me - due to less weight, but downhill?....I’d meet him at the bottom - due to more weight!
Later in the day I stumbled across this, placed on the top of a small embankment on a tranquil country road, I reckon the guys from the TV program ‘Top Gear’ should actually make some and give them a proper 4x4 test run, an improvement over their previous caravan challenge.
In Strasbourg I had pre-arranged another warmshower host. Matthieu was a relatively new member and I was his first guest. He gave lots of information about the excellent little city along with a street guide and cooked an excellent dinner along with wine. As of yet to undertake any tours he was intrigued by stories of Route 66, hopefully I’ve inspired him toward planning his version of the U.S. ‘mother road’.
In the morning I decided to take an hour or so cycling around the city, Matthieu let me leave my panniers at his flat - until you’ve rode a fully laden touring bike I just can’t express how much nicer it is to ride without said luggage, it’s similar to the difference between an empty and a loaded wheel-barrow…so much nicer! Seeing a small bicycle shop I notice in the window a rather cool looking bike. This laminated wooden framed bike had recently a special design award, the unfortunate side to something that is limited, is the price, just over 3000 euro’s, but still rather cool.
I was surprised how similar Strasbourg was to Belgium’s city of Brugge, surrounded by a canal system that was initially for shipping goods in and out. Wooden beamed buildings and houses and a very relaxed vibe to the area.
Matthieu suggested using the Park Bridge to cross the mighty River Rhein, whereby I’d be entering Germany. This is a pedestrian only bridge that, on the French side, is situated within a large green riverside park area. It was a really nice way to depart France, almost a ‘thank you for visiting’.
The five day section through Germany was good, plenty of cycle lanes with minimal amount of road use. I Free-camped all except for the night in the town of Tuttlingen, this was a town that, unbeknown to me until I arrived there, was on the river Danube - the river that I followed for several hundred kilometres in 2013.
The last night in Germany I camped at Lake Walchansee. Set within the mountains it’s a beautiful area, and a hot spot for mountain bikers and hikers alike, with copious trails to follow going of in all directions.
My pre-plotted Germany / Austrian border section had to be amended. The cycle route I’d been on the day before was for off-road suspension mountain bikes and with a couple of majorly steep, loose gravel/rock sections I had no choice to push the bike. Having to also walk downhill as it was way to rough to cycle on a fully loaded bike. I probably walked 3-4 km’s, so continuing it into Austria would have been foolish, so I jumped onto the smooth, fast tarmac road.
Austria’s Mayrhofen is a town I had visited several times before when snowboarding. Wanting to see its winter white-coat removed, revealing its summer’s greenery and being almost en-route I just had to visit. Here I planned to take my first day off since mainland Europe.
It felt really really good to arrive there, with previous visits via the normal plane / transfer protocol I was well chuffed to have arrived by bicycle.
At the campsite I met a German, Markus. He (and three friends) owned a caravan and was there for some maintenance…. and mountain biking a few trails. He was the same age as me and had similar interests so we had a great time, crackin’ a few beers together and going out in the evening for food and drink, and was shown how to test if Schnapps is genuine or not, all-the-same it sounded like a genuine enough excuse to drink it!
After a few of the usual day-off chores and online needs, I walked into town and bought a ticket to take the Penkenbahn 1800 metre cable-car Gondola. If you’re not one for heights then this ain’t for you! It takes about 10-15 minutes to crawl up the mountain but certainly gives an excellent view, I noticed how in the summer so much more detail can be seen, at the top I took a few photos for a panoramic-stitch.
The weather had turned on the day I departed with grey clouds smothering the sky, all peaks surrounded by dark heavy clouds…wet gear on! With a 1000m ascent of the Gerlos Pass awaiting me I new it wouldn’t be so much fun. The climb was pretty much a relentless 7-9% gradient (steep!) hair-pin climb, a small town half way up gave a slight break, along with a Spar to buy some goodies to munch on.
With both my cycle tops wet with sweat, the tent wet from packing away in the morning’s drizzle, and generally being cold all day, upon reaching the intended destination of Zell am See I decide to take a cheap room for the night (Zimmer).
Here is a photo slideshow of a two day river route I stumbled across in Austria, the R7 Ennsradweg ( River Enns Cycle Route)
A few day’s later, in the town of Mank a driver had seen my rear ‘Singapore’ sign. Stopping he asks if that’s where I was heading. Ten minutes later Thomas + Vicky and myself are slurping on a beer in their newly built volley-ball club house. The area’s Sports minister and a few press photographers were visiting for it’s official opening ceremony, never-the-less it doesn’t stop
Thomas from offering me use of the shower facility, and sleeping the night on the couch / bed inside!
Later that evening we attend a neighbouring village’s annual fire-mans party “Feuerweshrfest”
,serious! The front of the fire station gets turned into a miniature festival, complete with a long bar, a stage with a national pop star + band playing, a dance floor at the opposite end, another area has DJ’s playing bangin’ house tunes, in true Scooter / Venga Boys style! I was lovin’ it!
My excellent little home for the night. Toilets, kitchen, and wifi. Life’s good!
A few of the town’s volley-ball team.
The following day I arrive in the capital city of Vienna, an unfortunate change of plan from friends I met last year meant I had to use the campsite. This was next to the huge Danube river, and, also slap-bang next to the huge, roaring motorway and most definitely gets my “Noisiest Bloody Campsite I’ve Encountered” award. The only good I could find to negate the bad was the fact that the clothes tumble-drier was free, so took full advantage and washed all my clothes, well, apart from those I was wearing!
After following some of the Euro Velo 6 (Atlantic – Black Sea cycle route) out of Vienna with the mountains wey behind and now the month of June the summer sun is shinning, three days later I arrive in Budapest! Here I meet a friend I met last year, Eszter who is the manager at the Budapest City Centre guest house. If you intend to visit the city I strongly recommend the guest house; the staff are helpful and friendly, the building is clean and tidy, just a ten minute walk from the city centre and great value.
Taking a good few days off here; firstly to buy a few bits n pieces I need and to write this blog-post, and secondly to delay my arrival to Istanbul. There I’ll be joining another cyclist for much of the journey whom is presently in Southern Germany, so to avoid an extensive wait in one location I can pad it out slightly over a few, giving us chance to rendezvous at about the same time.
Eszter suggested a day out from the city to Lake Velence. An extremely popular summer resort, there’s sandy shores, rope-line water-skiing, café’s, hotels, cycle lanes, a child mini fair ground – all within a forty minute train journey from Budapest. In peak season it gets really busy but fortunately for us it had yet to commence so was relatively calm, with just the right amount of people to add to the atmosphere without being too busy. The lake, being relatively shallow was quite warm, we walked out about 100 metres and was only a metre deep or so, I wondered if there would be a sudden abyss and either, or both of us would suddenly plummet!
For your next pub quiz here’s a fact about Budapest
- - -
Soon, according to Jeremy Clarkson, I'll be cycling the the best road in the world, followed by visiting a man who can Count.
That'll all be in the next post, coming from Istanbul.
That'll all be in the next post, coming from Istanbul.
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