rid of all
The alarm soon enough. Like every morning from here in the next few days preparing our bags and load everything on the bike. Francis is incredibly slow, has its own rhythms and between one thing and another about an hour goes by when he gets up. But I do not mind waiting for a way to spend your time is forever.
at 10.00, following the classic initial uncertainty to find the right way, we leave Bratislava and we take the path that will lead us to number 6 in the Magyar land. The sun is already high and cook, heat is hot, the sky is clear, even on the horizon a cloud. Dozens of cyclists who crossed, then rollerblading and other people who are jogging. Reflecting is Saturday morning and the inhabitants of the Slovak capital are enjoying a fantastic day on this amazing road ...
We are surprised, happily surprised. We did not expect and could not even imagine. The path that leaves the capital is transformed into a genuine two-lane highway with lots of guard rails, signage and asphalt perfect. A hand side is a narrow lane which is reserved for the classic track bikes. An instant reasoning leads us likely to believe that it is a road now closed to traffic and become the realm of slow mobility.
I can not keep up with him, let him go, a shot of adrenaline and pride. Francis is on the run, went to the wheel of a cyclist pedaling but overtaking us with ease despite the more than 30 hours. We meet a little later, we slow down the pace, and enjoy the scenery. Meadows and woods around us.
Suddenly a lake, our eyes would shine and the heat oppresses us. Dozens of people on its banks and also here, as in Vienna, we find that most are completely naked. Brakes, go back and decide to stop. We are looking for something a little 'isolation, a strange sense of decency prevents us to put us close to others. After an initial embarrassment and cries of "but who cares" put off getting rid of everything and we dive into the water enjoying some well deserved refreshment.
Take a ride after a pleasant stay is always difficult, especially when your skin begins to toast under a relentless sun. Suddenly the path stops at a crossroads and take the wrong course. We continue along the river blue but going for this route will never reach the border Magyar. It goes back, more lost valuable time which added to the long break, we will once again arrive late at your destination. On the other hand, the beauty of traveling by bike is that too often it is precisely the unexpected encounters that give wonderful.
This year we decided to take shorter steps, which will prove to be completely wrong, leading to various destinations in decent time that would allow us to appreciate the different places. Even today we will arrive at nightfall.
Again, a border state of neglect, the Customs is now stuff of yesteryear. We enter the Hungarian land and luckily, after a few hundred meters, leave the state immediately 150 following the signs to the circuit EuroVelo 6. Entering the village turn Rajka.
The small square gives us the first encounter with the most valuable asset a human being. We meet the first fountain blue, a color that we learn to distinguish good and that will give us now on a great joy. It will be the first in a series of fountains, with a pump to let out the precious liquid, which we find to be disseminated throughout Hungary, even and especially in small villages and towns that we will have to cross.
claims for the cycle track, represented by an unmistakable signal green and yellow, lead us to divert to secondary roads. No lane reserved for two wheels but with little traffic and roadways in poor condition. There are holes everywhere, crossed the asphalt cracks prevents us from walking on the edge and forces us to become masters of the street.
cross one after another, tiny villages, many have a common prefix of the name originates from the Danube River flowing nearby. We continue to the east, the arrival is still distant.
Lipot, a huge parking lot full of cars, we do not understand why. A small village of about 500 souls, but here today there will be hundreds if not thousands of people. We stop taking advantage of yet another fountain, curiosity and a good opportunity to rest. We read the signs and find that here there is a very important and famous spa. A series of swimming pools is located behind the walls and the gate that stands before us.
again, but now our attention is captured. Loud music, a busy hum of background, the smell of grilled delicacies. In the small park that overlooks the center of the village is doing a party. We park our race cars and we snuck a look.
We are less than 30 km from the finish daily. After the village of Hedervar find the path. The track for the bike runs parallel to state that even begins to be popular.
As always happens, the closer you are to your destination and more there seems to go away. To cover this short distance we use it a long time. Stops increased dramatically and my butt begs for mercy, would stop and move on. The pain is almost unbearable and the relief granted by the break only lasts a brief moment.
With hardly notice it but we are in Gyor, "finally." We venture looking for a student residence and summer should also work from the hostel. We turn around to the buildings but there is no trace of entry. We ask, someone does not know, others tell us that we continue to surround the building. We take a small road that takes us inside the complex. A huge courtyard, a small bar and some shops, second hand access.
goalkeeper speaks only Hungarian but with simple gestures and few words we can make ourselves understood and to have a room for two. But the obstacles are not finished. We have not florins with us and so off in search of a change. Incredibly, I can not find an office, I walk all the way and when I come across one of these the sad discovery. Saturday afternoon is fully closed. We are thus forced to withdraw money from ATMs.
In the lovely room we draw the balance of the day. 98 km route in 5 hours and a quarter to an average of almost 19 km / h. We are pleased, proud of the performance even better than the previous day. We have to continue like that, because now we should try to reduce downtime due to the numerous, albeit brief, that we allow ourselves pauses. On the wings of enthusiasm and narrow the pangs of hunger we are reaching the old town.
By now the darkness has fallen on us, we decided to postpone the cultural aspect in the morning, for now the priority is food. Some restaurant, several bars, but not what we, unfortunately, no "restaurant" that serves traditional economic.
We go behind a crowd of young people, the smoke rises in the distance and on the banks of Raba, a turnout of the Danube, we find there a party. A sort of summer festival of sport, there are banquet food and a giant screen that is screening the match for third place. It 's true, do you had forgotten, but there are the World Cup.
Grilled meat, a kind of strange but good pizza, I would not know how to describe ice and Dreher. Lying on the grass look at the Germany beat Uruguay 3-2 unfortunately. After having wandered a little 'looking for a fun place where we stop in the former market place to chat a refreshing granita.
