Home Sweet Home

Be it ever so humble.....  Felt incredibly good to lay our heads down in our own bed last night.   The journey home wasn't as torturous as it could have been.  Our plane from Budapest was delayed an hour.  And, as I mentioned before, if you had to be stuck, it was just fine.  At around 2:30 we went to get our last dish of Hungarian goulash soup.  Boy you just can't get a rotten meal in this town, no matter where you are.  It was fabulous.  Boarded the plane and we were told that the flights leaving Zurich were also delayed due to fog, so we wouldn't have a problem with the connection. We originally had an hour to kill at Zurich airport - so this would be cutting it close.

However, when we landed the schedule board said that our flight was boarding. Had to make a mad dash - but no - first there was immigration to get through, then finding the gate, which was a bus, tram, and several escalators, walkways, etc.  Why do they do this??!!!  Then another security check, and of course, I had water in my bottle (which I didn't want to ditch) so we had to sit there slugging it down.  The guy at the security said to calm down that they were holding the plane for us.  So since we had all this time, the gal at security decided to frisk me!!!  We were the only ones going through, and I guess she was bored.  I had absolutely nothing on me, but Geoff waltzed through with his shoes and all sorts of change jangling around in his pockets.  Felt sorry for all the folks sitting on the plane waiting for us to get on board.  Finally made it to the plane, and thanked everyone so much for waiting.  We aren't used to such treatment in the U.S.

Didn't have the exit row, but we were very comfortable in a 2 across seat.  Fortunately for me, the woman in front of me never but her seat back and I had plenty of room.  So far Swiss Air is right up there in our book.  Made it back to Boston in good time, just 10 minutes later than schedule.  Danny came to pick us up in our car.  Took him back to Cambridge and went in to chat with him and Deidre for a bit.  It was about 9pm and the kids were asleep.  Got back to Fairhaven in the fog (literally).  Opened all the windows and rushed out on the deck to see the ocean - AAAHHHHHH!!!!  Erika did a great job with the plants and even the garden tomatoes and basil made a come back from the hurricane.  All is good.

We are weary and our internal clocks have to be reset, but in retrospect,  it was one hell of an adventure.  I'm not quite sure of the total biking mileage.  It must be up around 400 miles.  I can't even begin to know how many miles we clocked walking, and no major injuries We biked, hiked, ate, and ate some more, and at times we even bitched,  but most of all we laughed, and felt grateful to be able to seize the moment to see and experience another part of this world.

A bit thanks to friends and family who tuned into the blog.  It is always nice to hear from the folks you love when you are so far off.   And  a great big thank you to all our traveling companions.  We had a fine mix of people on both biking excursions and we appreciated all the conversation, camaraderie, and, of course, the laughter.

Till next time .... Tanzania, Africa, February, 2012

The Long Road Home

Another beautiful sunny, blue sky day.  Our flight is not leaving till 2:45 (actually now that we are in the airport - it is already delayed till 3:30).  Since we had all morning, we took another walk down to the river and across the bridge to the Central Market. This wasn't open yesterday.  This is pretty much like all the other huge markets around the world only with a Hungarian flair.  The building is absolutely beautiful.  We meandered around looking at all the food and the crafts.

When we had our fill we hopped on the right tram that went directly to the hotel.  Guess it must be time to go, we have the metro system down pat now. A quick shower and we checked out of our last hotel..

Took a taxi to the airport, where we are now sitting and waiting because, guess what?  Yes, our flight is delayed.  However this place is quite comfortable - a big stretch from South America.  We have cushy seats with wifi and power.  Not to mention plenty of food options should hunger arise in Hungary.

We are looking forward to sleeping in our own bed tonight.  I will post this now, but may add more from Zurich if we get held up there.  Ciao for now.

Next time.... Home Sweet Home

The Buda and The Pest

Tried to sleep in a bit longer.  Not having much of a plan, we started out on foot to explore our final city.  The Danube divides the city in two - Buda on one side, Pest on the other.  We hiked to the bridge but before crossing over we walked up the Citadel and took a peek into the church carved into the rock.  Great photo ops from high on top.

Crossed the bridge to the Pest side and continued down to the old city. All of the bridges in this city were destroyed during WWII and they rebuilt all of them.  Quite a feat, since there are numerous bridges. The one we walked over in the morning had the locks on it like the Amsterdam bridge. We found one with our initials on it.  When G & I get home we are going to put a lock on the Fairhaven/New Bedford bridge and see what happens.

Did some exploring, heard some music and finally bought a metro ticket so we could use the public transportation instead of walking so much.  Went to the Synagogue which unfortunately was closed.  This is the second largest synagogue in the world and Europe's largest.

We really weren't into doing the tourist stuff - this place is full of tourists - so we just walked along the streets taking pictures of buildings.  We found a great coffee/shakes place that has free wifi and took full advantage.

Walking over the Chain bridge, we eventually found our way to Castle Hill taking the tram up to see the Palace and the ruins of the Buda Castle.  Lots of shopping ops up here as well.  More views, more pictures.  At the bottom is a big sculpture of a zero km - all distances from any city in Hungary are measured from this point. I have to say that either we were too tired to figure stuff out or the pubic transit system here is much more confusing than other cities.  We spent a lot of time just trying to figure stuff out and winding up in strange places.  Not always a bad thing, but when we wanted to get back to the hotel, it took one bus and 2 trams because we just weren't sure where everything was going.


Made it back and In front of the hotel, we saw them loading up the our trusty bikes to take them back to the tour company.  Probably could have used them today.

Richard was sitting in the lobby when we walked in. We exchanged stories and said we will try to hook up for dinner later but weren't sure.  Up in the room, it was time to get organize and repack.  Got back down to the lobby around 7.  Looked for the group and found most of them in the restaurant.  Mark & Gail are still MIA.  Had another wonderful meal.  I would have never guessed that Hungarian cooking would be so good.  Maybe its the paprika!  For lunch I just ordered a hamburger (which I never order).  It has to be the best hamburger I have ever tasted. I can't even explain tonights meal.  I just ordered a soup which was to die for and G had some kind of chicken thing with farmer's cheese and all kinds of stuff.  Tres yummy.

We all split up tomorrow.  Lee and Joanne are on their way to the Munich Octoberfest, Bonnie & Jim still have one more day in Budapest and get home Tuesday.  Richard leaves early tomorrow morning.  And I am not sure about Gail & Mark but I think they leave tomorrow some time as well.  We are not checking out till noon.  Don't know if we will get in any sightseeing or not.

Next time...The Long Road Home

The End of the Line

Well we did it - 385 km or 240 miles in 6 days.  I'm not quite sure how, and I'm not quite sure why.  But we are now safely in Budapest and happy to be off the saddle for a while.  Today was by far the best day of this whole Vienna trip.  We left early after a quick run to the ATM for some more forints - we had to go on several ferries and needed Hungarian currency.  The biking was great - mainly on paved bike paths.  We  crossed the Danube three times by ferry.  Fortunately, the ferry was there every time.  We had read that some of them only run once an hour.  Since the last leg of this journey was by boat into Budapest, we had to be at the ship at 4:30 for a 5:00 sailing.  We (or more likely, I) was worried that we would miss the ferries and then wind up missing the ship into the city.  But the ferry gods were with us and we cruised right along.  The scenery was exquisite and the weather pristine.  Certainly made up for all the rain, wind, and cold we had suffered through, not to mention the endless cornfields.

We really didn't have to worry about making the boat, because we got there about 2 hours early.  On route, we ran into a wine festival that was just getting underway.  That was a hoot.  Got down to the dock and bought our tickets right off and wondered around town for a bit.  The boat ride to Budapest was nice, especially since we didn't have to ride the bikes.  As you approach the city, you are greeted with the Parliment building which is absolutely stunning.  We all disembarked.  And by all, I mean us and a few dozen others all going to the same hotel.  It was now after 6pm and it felt like a fire drill biking through the city trying to find the hotel.  I had tears in my eyes by the time we pulled up to the front door.  A very strong emotional release that took 3 weeks in the making.

Checked in and parked the bikes for the last time.  Tried to go to the sauna, no luck, wrong key.  Got dressed for dinner and met the gang downstairs.  It was now around 8pm and dinner wasn't finished till around 10pm.  Of course it was another epicurean delight.

Another Hungarian feast. I have to inject this little tidbit before this blog is over.  One source of our amusement came from Jim, who cannot eat gluten products.  Ingeniously, he made up these lamentated cards in different languages that explain his situation.  We tease him endlessly because he gets very special treatment whenever anyone reads these cards.  I am thinking of coming up with some kind of disease just so that I can flash my card.  He was treated like royalty and has been able to enjoy his trip without the worry of what is really in his food.

Speaking of Jim, I have to say that he was the most concientious in terms of always waiting for people and making sure that no one was left behind.  Joanne, God bless her, managed to bike all the way from Munich to Budapest and still put up with Lee.  Although Gail and Mark do their own thing most of the time, when you do get to spend time with them, they are great fun. Bonnie is, as always, dependable and steady. Richard was unexpectedly, most supportive. And Lee, although gruff on the outside is pure pussy cat on the inside.  This was his ride and we all jumped on the train where we wanted. All in all, I have to say that all of my fears and worries were all for naught.  Except for a few cranky times, and one time when my knee decided to fall out of its socket (I did manage to pop it back in), and a very sore tush, I rode well, held my own, and am very proud of going the distance through the good and the bad.

We did it - all of it - from Amsterdam to Bruges to Paris to Vienna to Budapest - visiting Slovakia from time to time. Six countries, five cities and various towns.  I simply can't believe it is coming to an end.  Tomorrow we tour Budapest and then Monday we set for home.  No free wifi in this upscale hotel so I am not sure when or if I can post this before I get home.

Sunday morning - walking around the city and stumbled on free wifi at freshfactory.hu

Next time... The Buda and The Pest

Crossing Borders

NOTE:  Check out new photos in Vienna-Budapest Pt 2 Album

A very adventurous day, starting with a trip to the train station.  We all decided to take the train from Tata to Komaron to cut out a lot of heavy traffic and steep hills and then bike through Slovakia over the bridge to Esztergom, Hungary where our hotel is tonight.

There was a conversation with a passing bicyclist and Richard and Gail and apparently they were able to decipher the directions because off we went.  Made it to the train station through city streets at morning rush hour.  What fun!!  That was only the beginning.  There was the usual confusion about what currency (because now we all had about 3 different kinds of money)  and how much the tickets were but eventually we all got our tickets now we only had to get to the right track which was across the tracks.  We had two options - one was to climb the stairs with our bikes and walk across and carry them down.  Some folks did this.  Then this guy said that the attendant would come out and open the gate so that we could cross the tracks with out bikes - hoping a train doesn't come along.  The little man eventually came out and we scurried across as fast as we could.  Too bad we have no pics of this because Geoff was too busy helping get the bikes across.

Nice train ride. A traveling salesman sitting next to Bonnie and Lee tried to sell Lee some razors for his 4:00 shadow.  When that didn't work, he went to work on Bonnie and tried to sell her some socks.  Who knows what else he had in that bag.  Arrived in Komaron, Hungary and went over the bridge to Slovakia.  Entered this nice little town, had coffee and walked around taking pictures of the square.

It was time to head out.  We chose the river road with the scenery (or so we were told).  When we got down there, it was pretty much riding the dyke - so everyone but us and Lee and Joanne chose to ride on the road and meet us at the other end.  The four of us started down the dyke and then the road turned down towards the Danube.  G & I had a Jerry B. moment since this was yet another country for him,  The road was muddy and lots of sand traps which made the biking hard to be consistent.  We went back up to the dyke and biked the rest on that, passing some Roman ruins with a great map of pretty much our bike route from Vienna.

Met up with the rest of the gang and it was back on the dyke. This is not much fun - very bumpy and hot.  Decided to turn back on to the road and look for a spot for lunch,.  The group stopped outside this grocery store and had their lunch there.  Geoff and I walked down to the river and ate down there.  It was quite beautiful.

Back on the path, the map led us to road, bike path, and dykes.  At one point, we had to cross a canal by physically climbing up and over the concrete crossing.  Very hard to explain and again Geoff was too busy moving bikes to take photos.  We managed to get over to the other side of the canal and hook up with the main road.  Through all of this we did see the river from time to time.

Finally got to Strovo where we navigated ourselves through the city to the bridge.  We were treated to a great view and photo op of the Esztergom Bascillicia.  Crossed over the bridge back into Hungary and our hotel was just on the left.  Great!!!  Another 60+ km day.  G & I checked in and then took a walk down a small fair they were having just across the canal.  Took some local flavor shots then went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.

Walked around the old town for a bit and then settled on a very nice restaurant.  Ludwig our waiter was a real sweetie.  Had some great Hungarian food and wine.  Tomorrow is our last biking day.  We bike for 50-60km and then take the boat into Budapest.  Looks like the sun will continue to shine.

Next time .... Budapest

The Road to Tata

All I can say is if I never see a corn field again, that would be just fine with me.  We rode 89 km which equals 55 miles - I have never done that in my life.  The good news was that the sun was out.  But there was absolutely nothing to see.  As par for the course, getting out of town is a challenge.  I went to the front desk to get a city map and that helped a bit.  Geoff got us out onto the route but it still didn't stop us from taking a wrong turn here and there.

We all took what we were led to believe was the more scenic route - going through small towns.  Should have known that the towns would not be charming.  More of the same of what we have been seeing the past couple of days.  Lots of farms.  No more cafes either.  Ate lunch in front of a grocery store on a busy street in the middle of a small town.  We went up and down hills all day.

One highlight was the Bascillica in Pannonbhalma, which is up a very steep incline. We were told you couldn't go in without a tour guide and the tour was 80 minutes.  No time for that.  Mark, Gail, Geoff and I trucked up there anyway hoping for some better views.  Not really worth the effort.  There was a glass gallery up there but they wanted you to buy tickets just to look around.  Strange.

After lots of looking at maps and directions that made no sense, we finally made it to the hotel.  A very nice guy on a bike led us down to the sign pointing the direction.  We went up yet another hill and coming down there was a sign saying we were leaving the Tata - which is where the hotel is supposed to be.  More confusion - but yes, we were on the right road and the hotel is not really in Tata.  How would we know that????

Totally exhausted right now.  I also have to swap out my bike.  It was making odd noises all day and I am afraid that it will seize up on me at some point.  Geoff and I even stopped into an auto repair shop and had them lube it - to no avail.  This company keeps spare bikes at the hotels, so there is one in the garage.  Geoff just went down to see if it would fit me.  I cannot put my tush down on another bike seat right now.

Dinner at the hotel - which is lovely by the way - since there is nowhere else to go - unless we go back up the hill.  No thank you.  I am sure we will all be laughing about this at dinner tonight.


OMG I am absolutely stuffed!!  The food is outrageous in this country and so very, very cheap.  Of course, one thing about biking 55 miles is that you feel entitled to eat anything you want.  And believe I did.  Geoff had this incredible dish of grilled catfish over noodles and cottage cheese (like Grandma's) with paprika sauce.  I had the salmon with some fabulous spinach.  Then we split the Grundel Pancake which is a crepe filled with walnuts in chocolate sauce.  Dinner was very civilized and quiet.  We did all laugh and enjoy rehashing the ups and downs (literally) of the ride.

This place is lovely and I do wish we had more time to take advantage of all the perks.  Apparently, Hungary is a very "wellness" oriented country.  Every hotel so far has thermal swimming pools with saunas and massage but so far we get in too late to use anything.  I  hope we have a nice place in Budapest because we are there for a few days and I would like to partake in some of these wellness services.

Next time.... Esztergom

2 Day Update

Had problems getting wifi -- read on and you will find out why.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Rain, rain, and more rain.  And let's not forget about the cold and the wind!  Richard and Joanne chose to take the van to the next hotel.  From how I feel right about now, I really think that was the wiser decision.  The remaining 7 of us headed out in the pouring rain towards Brastilava, the capital of Slovakia and then on to our next hotel destination in a town in Hungary that I cannot even pronounce.

The ride to Slovakia was wet and foggy, not much to take pictures of.  Although I am sure on a clear day, it might have been quite beautiful.  We made one stop at a Petrol station to pick up safety vests, as we were instructed it is mandatory in Slovakia during the night or reduced visibility situations.  Well they couldn't miss now that's for sure!  Crossed the old border into Slovakia and made it to Bratislava by about 10:30. Found a pastry shop to warm up in for a while.  After a cafe, it was time for a stroll around the city.  Geoff and I bailed out on the strolling as it was still coming down pretty hard.  Had it been a sunny day, the tour around the old city might have been worth seeing. Not to mention, the Bratislava castle. We headed for the postcard shop and fulfilled our card obligations.

It was back on the bikes to the next town where we were hoping to get somewhere warm for lunch.  No such luck.  However, we did find a restaurant that was closed for the seaon that had tables and benches under a tent like structure.  Terrific, it was dry - that was all we cared about.  Thankfully, most of us made our lunch from the breakfast spread.  It felt good to sit and eat and stay dry for awhile.  The rain had slowed down so it was time to shove off again.

Geoff was doing a fine job navigating us through the streets and bike paths.  We were doing just fine until somehow we missed a turn somewhere.  At this juncture, there were two options.  One was longer but on the bike path through rural scenery - the other was maybe on the highway 150 but much shorter.  Geoff and I took the shorter route and the rest headed off down the path.  There was really only about 1/2 mile of highway until we met up with the bike path again.  It got interesting when we got to the town because we couldn't find the hotel.  Stopped a group of high school students and showed them our map.  They tried to explain how to get there and then finally they said "Follow us, we will take you".  They were sweet and we were very grateful.  Total distance today 62.5 km - time for a hot shower.  It was about 3pm when we arrived at the hotel.  We did not get into our room until about 4:30.  Needless to say, I was getting a bit cranky.  Read on...

The Hotel Aqua is a bit bizarre - it is some kind of thermal baths thing. There are all these fat Hungarians walking around in bathrobes smoking and taking in the thermal baths.  There are two hotels - big and little.  G & I first went into the larger hotel and the woman sent us to the other hotel.  As we approached, we saw a van open with our luggage and we were concerned that he was driving away!!  The gal at the desk explained that we had to check in there but we were going to the other hotel for our room.  OK.  We checked in - got our bathrobes and thermal card - and walked back to the other hotel, where the woman said "That is not us".  So we went back again to the smaller hotel and the gal at the desk found someone to take us over there only now we had Mark and Gail with us.  So the four of us trapsed back over and our guide went straight to the rooms.  Great.  Nice big room.  Wonderful hair dryer to dry our shoes and clothes.

We got settled.  I took a shower while Geoff tried to get the wifi going using the password the gal from the small hotel gave us.  No go.  He went down to reception - "Sorry sir you cannot use our wifi because although you have a room here, you are not a guest of this hotel."  He came back upstairs.  I sent him back down again saying "That is unacceptable.  We are paying customers." He also took the password that the other woman gave him.  So back down to the lobby he went.  Now Joanne and Lee show up and hear this whole conversation about how we are not really guests here. I guess we must be invisible. And then the woman told him that the password that he was given was stolen.  WTF!!!  G comes back up to relay his tale of woe.  Too bad I am sitting here in a bathrobe with my invisible Heineken from the minibar, otherwise I would go down there.  But after today, I have to say I just don't have the energy to rile up the New York attitude.  Although these folks deserve it.  Oh, I didn't even mentioh the little man at the turnstile who collects the "thermal tickets".  This is also the shortcut to the other hotel.  He didn't want to let us pass because we didn't have tickets.  Here we are in our biking gear (me with my shiny new safety vest) walking around holding bathrobes and a hotel room key that goes nowhere apparently.  Does he think we are going to try to sneak in for a swim??!!##!!

Well it is almost time to meet the group for dinner.  Too bad we didn't get to take advantage of any the thermal activities.  I certainly could use a good massage right about now.  Hey Lucy, I'll be cashing in big time on my birthday present!!

Dinner was at a restaurant across from the "big" hotel - an authentic Hungarian place.  The food was delicious - real comfort food which is what we all needed after a day in the wind and rain.   After dinner the waiter poured a complimentary home made Hungarian liquor.  Quite tasty.  The cockles got warmed and the giggles got louder.  Back in the room now and the wind is still howling outside, although it has stopped raining.  We can only hope that it blows it all away and the sun will be out tomorrow.

Next time ... Gyor

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Going to Gyor

Finally, clear skies and sunshine.  Everyone was geared up for today's ride to Gyor, which was not as long as yesterday.  Checked out of the bizarro hotel and tried heading out of town.  After a stop to the grocery store, we made our way to the bike path and we were off.  The path took us through various small villages - not terribly scenic, especially after seeing the hamlets of Holland.  I will explain here that most of what we have been biking through these past few days are either small villages or towns that were part of the Soviet bloc.  Everything is pretty plain with maybe a church, cafe, and a small store.  The paths have been lined with mainly with corn fields.  All that being said, it felt great to ride in the sunshine.  We arrived in Darnozseli and realized that we took an alternative route bypassing some of the villages.  Mark and Gail decided to go back and do the other route.  The rest of us sat down for a cafe.  Geoff and I decided to go right to Lipot and hook up with the other route while the rest of the gang continued.  We knew that in the end we would all end up in the same place.

The ride out to Lipot was beautiful.  A Canopy of trees lined with lots of old folks on their bikes collecting chestnuts.  The town was the same as they all had been.  Eventually, we met up with the bulk of the group sitting around a statute in Hedervar eating lunch.  We joined them for a bit but decided to have our lunch later on the river.  Our hope was to take the alternate river route into Gyor.  Off we went.  Our first attempt at the river route and we ended up on top of a dyke.  So we back tracked and followed the written directions instead of the map.  This time we followed the river a bit until we came very close to where we were before.  There was a picnic table, so we called lunch.  As we were eating, we spotted the rest of the gang up on top of the dyke - obviously they took the same route we did a while ago.  They all turned around and went back to the path.  After a very nice leisure lunch by the river, we tried taking the path along the bank.  Far too overgrown to make it worth it.  It was back up to the bike path where we spotted our friends again at a cafe along the road.  Coffee break.

Eventually, we made it into Gyor and after a stopping for directions a few times found the hotel.  We are located at the end of a very nice plaza.  So far this has been as picturesque as it we have seen.  The Hotel Raba is in line with our euro simple style.  We have a room facting the main drag and hoping for some nice lights at night.  Todays distance was 50.5 km.

Tonight's dinner was again excellent.  Followed Lee to this fabulous plaza.  Gyor is turning out to be quite the place.  The thing is - no tourists.  Or at least not the hordes that we have been used to seeing all over Europe.  After dinner we took a walk around and up on the old bridge admiring the colors of the new bridge.  Geoff ran into a knife store - oh by the way, they confiscated his Swiss army knife.  Tried to buy a  new one from this guy, but they didn't have the one he was looking for.  Walked back with a stop for a Gelato and a view of the plaza at night with the fountains.  This has been a very good day.

Next time ... Tata