Day 42

28/09/2011 – Day 42

Karavukovo to Bačka Palanka – 78km

After last night’s orgy of food we went down to breakfast fearing the worst, and we were right. Breakfast was as big as last night’s dinner. Eggs, bacon, cheese, ham, it went on and on, once again there was too much for us.

This was a great place to stay, once we had turned the lights out there was no noise, no stray lights, nothing, just the sounds of the forest and the wildlife on the river.

Setting off again this morning we were back on top of the dyke for another 4km then down onto country roads. All along the dykes they are cutting down trees for fire wood. Tractors pulling two or three trailers piled high with logs pass us all the time. But they are also planting new trees behind them to ensure the wood for the future.

After a few kilometres on the roads we come to a village that is almost deserted, we see three men there but that is all. Most of the houses are derelict and falling down. As we stop to check the map one of the men comes over to offer his help. This is becoming the norm here; whenever we stop people come to offer help.

The next village is not much different except there is a grain depot. The few buildings that are not part of the plant are derelict. Just as we leave this village we see a sign for a bar, having only had some herbal tea with breakfast we decide to go for a coffee. Cycling down what has to be the worst road so far we come to this oasis on the edge of another village. The bar is freshly painted, the gardens well-kept and they have Wi-Fi. It is run by an old couple and they are very friendly. The house is such a contrast to the dilapidated village next to it.

From here for the 24km there is nothing but fields or dyke. Today’s convoys are full of maize, the fields full of tractors and workers. From the top of the dykes we can see for miles as the land is totally flat. If these dykes fail when the river is in flood the amount of land affected must be mind blowing!

At the end of this long stretch is the town of Bačko Novo Selo where we decide to have lunch. But after touring the town and asking for directions we can only find a dirty little bar. As we were starving we stopped anyway. The only food available is bratwurst according to the barman and it is better than nothing. While we are drinking our beer the other men in the bar ask where we are from and where we are going, they seem genuinely interested and curious. What actually appears from the kitchen is a large toasted bun, a large burger and two sausages (with raw onion on the side which comes with every meal) a sort of do it yourself hamburger. While not Cordon Bleu it is good and filling and for only 7.50€, including the 3 beers and a coffee you can’t complain.

After lunch is more of the same road and dyke, the dykes being dirt tracks at first. This is where we have today’s disaster; M buckles his back wheel in a pothole. After a quick assessment we think it is OK for now but will need seeing to as soon as possible. With only about 10km to go until we reach Bačka Palanka it should last us to there.

We enter the town we stop for another beer at the first bar as usual and check out the accommodation options. There are two hotels and a few B&B’s. While we are sitting there I watch the traffic going past and there are lots of new bikes. Compared to the places we have visited in the last few days this town seems to have money.

Most of the people we see are in their mid-20’s, all the cars are new (the old Ladas and Yugos are not present today) and the streets are relatively clean. Everything has an air of prosperity.

While we are checking the prices for a hotel a woman stops and speaks to me in English, offering to help us find somewhere to stay or anything else we need. She is the local English teacher and seems to know everyone, the hotel owner, the local bike shop owner, everyone.

Once we have checked in we head off to the bike shop, I already know his name is Marco and he speaks English so that is the biggest problem solved. When we explain the problem and he sees the damage he is happy to help us out but apologises that he can only do it tomorrow morning. Fortunately we had planned a short day tomorrow cycling to Novi Sad and spending the afternoon looking around there before heading to Belgrade, now we will spend the morning here instead and pick up M’s bike at midday, after that is will head on to the next stop. Not really what we had planned but we will not lose any time which is good.

The hotel tonight is not bad at all, the room is clean and tidy, the restaurant downstairs is good and as usual the staff are friendly and helpful.

Day 41

27/09/2011 – Day 41

Apatin to Karavukovo – 60km

First the bad news, yes, M misunderstood the receptionist last night and the room did cost 50€. Also, he had to go back to Sombor as they had not given him the right code for the internet. He took a taxi to do this so it saved us a few hours.

Once he was back we left with no clear objective for the day. There is a problem with the route now in that there is no accommodation listed for the next 120km. This is a lot for anyone to do and we decided to break it in half and sleep in Karavukovo if we can.

On the way out of Apatin we missed a sign (it was probably stolen by Hungarians) and did not turn left at the right place. This led us to an area of housing that we found a little strange. Firstly there were lots of people about, men, women and children. Not the sort of thing you expect on a week day. Secondly the condition of the houses was not what we had come to expect, they were dirty and very tatty.

Then we saw that most houses had piles of scrap metal in the gardens, this is not a good place to be. As we cycled along the road a truck came in the opposite direction and I saw the driver shaking his head. That was enough for me, we did a quick u=turn and headed to the main road which was where we were supposed to be.

Once we left the town we ran into the apple convoys again. I was thinking that Serbia cannot be part of the EU as there are far too many old tractors about, they have not been allowed into the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) scam where they are encouraged to by a new tractor every three years.

The road conditions are a lot better today and we rolled along quite fast. The further we get away from the town the less traffic we see. As we enter a nature reserve we spot a couple of cyclists up ahead. When we catch them up and it is the two girls we met on Sunday.

The route now takes us back on top of the dyke where the road is tarmac covered at the moment. Unfortunately this does not last; soon we find a section which is hard packed earth. If it had rained in the last few days this would have been a nightmare but at the moment it is dry as a bone but it still slows us right down. After 6km of this we then get back to a good surface and pick up speed again.

At Kudeljara we re-join the road and find another two stray dogs, this time they are just puppies. Every time a car passes they are expecting it to stop and pick them up! We have seen strays every day since we left Budapest, all of them recently abandoned as they look at you as if you are going to take them home.

We have been on the road for over 2 hours now and decide to stop at the next bar for lunch, a good choice today as it is clean and friendly. Looking at the menu in Serbian I have no idea what anything is so I go for pot luck. This turns out to be stuffed chicken breasts, and they are huge. While we were eating the two girls we passed earlier now pass us.

During lunch we definitely decide to stop in Karavukovo and have an early finish. Entering the town there is no sign of accommodation, but the guide says there are 2 places. We think the town centre would be the best place to start and ask directions from a guy, and he sends us the wrong way.

After a bit of random cycling we find the centre and the café that is advertised as having a place to stay. They have now closed for the season but give us directions for a hunting lodge which is supposed to be about 10km further along the route.

With a little trepidation we set off along the route, if the information is wrong we have two options, either pushing on Bačka Palanka which is 90km further or a bit of wild camping (which we are prepared for).

Just as predicted, at about 10km we see the signs for the lodge. It is set back behind the dyke and is a collection of buildings. In the middle of a grassed area there is the large round lodge. As we enter looking for a reception area there are a lot of voices coming from a room to our left, looking inside it is full of men wearing camouflage clothing eating dinner.

As we step outside again the owner’s son comes up to speak to us. Yes it is open; yes they have a room, internet? Not even our mobile phones work here!

The building is set round a central spiral staircase and the rooms radiate off it. For a hunting lodge it is exactly what you would expect, even down to the gun cabinet in the room. For us it was better than sleeping in a tent.

It operates as a hotel and a full range of food is available. As it turned out we were the only guests, all the hunters had left. The whole place is run by the family and the owner’s husband ran the bar in the evening. When we asked for the menu it is only in Serbian (surprise!) and we had no idea of what anything was.

We had the bright idea of asking him to suggest something traditional for dinner. What a mistake that was, we had this huge plate of mixed grill with salad. There was enough on just one plate to feed both of us. The food was very good just far too much, I suppose if it was mid-winter and we had been out in the snow all day it would have been appropriate but for us it was too much.

After dinner we retired to the room and lay there, too bloated to move.

Day 40

26/09/2011 – Day 40

Bački Monoštor to Apatin – 48km

Breakfast was supposed to be typically Serbian this morning and we had fried eggs, sliced sausage, bread and jam.

While we were packing to leave the landlady came and chatted, asking about the trip, how many days we had been on the road etc. She was very nice and wished us luck in both German and Serbian.

The road to Sombor was slightly better than yesterday’s effort, fewer potholes but the surface is very uneven. It is easier to ride standing up than using the saddle for obvious reasons. The closer we get to Sombor the more rubbish there is on the road sides, it seems the done thing to just dump anything you don’t want down a side road. As we entered the town I saw a man with a blue bin bag picking up rubbish and all I could think was ‘you need a bigger bag’.

The outskirts of the town are just as dirty and unkempt as the villages we have driven through so far, but once you get into the town centre the place suddenly smartens up and becomes quite pleasant with a pedestrian area with café and restaurant tables on the pavement. It could be any continental country.

As I waited for M to buy his internet connection for Serbia I sat and watched the people go by, it is quite a busy town centre and I noticed a lot of people passed me several times as I sat there. This must be the place to be seen during the day for busy Somborites.

Leaving the town we passed the regulation slab sided tower blocks and followed a cycle path for quite a distance before turning off the main road down another side road. This time the surface was fairly good, still uneven but a lot less potholes. Last night Miloš was telling us that a lot of the villages still have non Serb minorities in them and I wonder if this makes a difference on the maintenance the roads receive.

Once we were off the main road there was a constant stream of tractors pulling double trailers piled high with boxes of apples. We are in the middle of the picking season right now, I had seen lots of people in Sombor walking round with plastic bags full of apples and now I know why.

We stopped at the village of Kupusina as it was the next bar from Sombor and had a beer as the convoy of apples trundled past pulled by decrepit old tractors that would not look out of place in a museum.

Once we had recovered we set off through the village following the new signs, this time they are blue with the ‘Eurovelo 6’ logo and the destinations with distance on them. At the end of the village the vital sign telling you to turn right has gone! There is just the post left standing there with nothing on the top (probably stolen by Hungarian bike thieves).

Having spotted the empty pole we made the turn which took as back towards the river.  After about 5km we enter Croatia, allegedly. According to the guide book the new border runs this side of the river bank so the Danube is in Croatia, but at this point there is a piece of land about 2km long and 1km wide that belongs to the other side. There is no access to it from across the river and it is surrounded by Serbia on the other three sides, so why is it here?

Anyway, technically we have been to Croatia today.

Again, according to the map there is a restaurant on the Croatian side of the border just as the road comes back into Serbia so we stop to check if it is true, just to say we have had a beer there. When we ask the waitress she proudly tells us it is Serbia, but when we show her the map she actually has no idea where she is and points to a place about 6km from where we are physically standing at the time!

Since entering Serbia we have been drinking Jelen beer, which is made in Apatin. The next town we are stopping in is, yes you guessed it, Apatin!

The brewery is visible from a long way off and as you come into the town the smell alone tells you where the brewery is. Taking the turn between the brew plant and the distribution site (which does not have a gate strangely enough) we find a small hotel which seems quite cheap and has a restaurant.

Once again looks can be deceiving, what appears to be a clean room is full of bugs and spiders, the shower is full of mould and things are starting to fall apart, but we are in now so will stay. Plus there now seems to be some confusion over the price, M though she said 15€ now he thinks she said 50€. But dinner for two cost 20€ which included three G&Ts, so we will see in the morning.

Day 39

25/09/2011 – Day 39

Baja to Bački Monoštor – 77km

Leaving the centre of Baja is simplicity itself as the route run straight through the middle of the main square where all the hotels are situated. The supermarket was open as we left so we stocked up on water. Just as we were setting off a man approached us, he was from Freiburg in Germany and was doing the Danube to the Black Sea as well and was taking the day off in Baja. We must have been travelling very close to each other in time as he started out about the same day as we did.

One of the things we had commented on was how many people we see going west and how few we see going east, but when you think about it we will meet everyone coming the opposite way to us but only the people we pass or who pass us  going in the same direction.

Today is 90% road work, the tracks were good in most places but someone has driven a tracked vehicle down one section and it has left a series of very close ridges on the track and it is like riding over corrugated sheets. Going faster or slower has no effect on the vibration, you just have to try and pick the best line.

The day starts with us heading west, which feels strange as we have been heading east or south most of the time. It is strange to have the sun on your left for such a long time.

At Újmohács it is time to make a decision, either to turn right and go through Croatia, or turn left and go through Serbia. Neither is very attractive but you have to weigh up the pros and cons. Croatia is another country to add to the list and you still have to go through Serbia, but it is another currency to add to your pocket and there are lots of hills.

Serbia on the other hand is flat, it is just one currency to change into and it is shorter. So we turned left.

Once again we struggle to find somewhere to eat, but this time because there is nowhere, nothing, not even a bar. The only place we are told we can eat is Hercegszántó near the border. This is a 50km drag all the way from Baja. Here we stop at the same time as a group of Hungarian cyclists who have just been on a day trip through Croatia and Serbia. As we sit and drink a beer they tell us the quickest way to the border.

From here we head due south to the Serbian border, I have been thinking about this crossing and wonder what sort reception I would get after the NATO bombing led by the Americans and the Brits. As it turned out it was a non-event, the Hungarian side was very slow (I wonder what the problem is with people leaving the country, maybe it is just a throw back from the past) and the Serbian side was relatively quick. Looking at us on the bikes loaded with kit, ‘where are you going, the Black Sea?’ He must see hundreds of cyclists during the year, all going the same way.

The change from Hungary to Serbia is quite remarkable; you can see you are in a different country. The houses are slightly different, but the roads are much worse. Hungary is like the UK on a bad day, a few potholes but some of them are big. Serbia is non-stop potholes. The other thing that hits you is how dirty the place is, there is rubbish dumped at the side of the road everywhere, and it all stinks.

Even in the towns, the road and the pavement seem to merge; there are no kerbs or anything to define the edge of the road. This is good for bikes where we can just drive off the road anytime we like but it makes the place look untidy.

We have decided to try and get to Bački Monoštor and spend the night there. As we cycle into the village there are signs pointing everywhere for rooms to let but the houses themselves are not indicated, which makes it difficult to find them. When we stop someone to ask the way to a house she tells us not to bother, she knows a better place to stay. So we follow her to another house. Only 8€ a night each for bed and breakfast but no internet; we say we will look around and may be back. The place seems nice and I like the woman on sight.

We cycle round the village finding nothing and stop at a bar for a beer. We ask about internet and places to stay and the waitress says the only place is the library that will have the internet.

So back to the house to stay, but she has gone! As we stand outside the woman across the street says she will be back soon and we should wait. A few minutes later she comes back with a man who speaks English. What follows is very weird; she is telling us this is not her house but a friend’s who has gone to see her sister. But she can let us in to see the room but we have to wait for the friend to come back and she may be a while. The man explains all this to us, and then offers to let us stay at his house until the woman comes back. We suggest going to the restaurant as an option and he offers to show us the best one to go to. M asks about the internet and he offers to take us to his home again where he has Wi-Fi.

Now another woman appears and calls the owner, it will be difficult for her to come back, can we stay somewhere else? Once again the man, Miloš, comes to the rescue; there is another B&B a few houses from his.

On the ride to the house, Miloš tells us a bit about himself, he makes cheese, he is a part time guide for the village and he learnt English in Budapest. At his house we meet his wife and M sends the email he needed to. Then we go to the B&B. once again it is a room in a house that is used solely for guests. We are the only people here and the house is all ours for the night, the price? 10€, 12 including breakfast.

Now Miloš takes us to the centre of the village to find something to eat, staying with us to make sure there is nothing lost in the translation.

Here we are, in a village in the north of Serbia when a total stranger comes up to help. He speaks fluent English, he offers us the use his home, he finds us somewhere to stay and he makes sure we get something to eat. What else can you ask for?

This is my first time in Serbia and I am impressed. It seems to be a very nice place and the people we have met today could not have been more helpful. I do hope it continues like this. But one thing I have noticed, everywhere you look there is nothing in English, no American songs on the radio, no English words in adverts etc. They seem to be getting along just fine without having to adopt English to please the foreigners, which is a pleasant change.

Day 38

24/09/2011 – Day 38

Dunavesce to Baja – 101km

There was no breakfast included in the price of the room last night so we started the day with the leftovers from yesterday’s lunch, cheese and salad sandwiches, mmmm, yummy!

Fortunately there was a supermarket next door and we were able to fill up with the usual junk food that we have been living on (cycling may be good for you but who says you have to be good while cycling).

What is a constant surprise to me is how cheap everything in Hungary is on a day to day basis; there is the potential for a huge advertising campaign here selling the country purely on how cheap it is to stay here for a week or so.

Today we are faced with a dilemma, do we stop at Kalocsa which is only 60km away or do we push on to Baja which is 100km away. The problem is that there is no accommodation between these two towns without having to travel a long way off the track. We set off with this in mind and will make the decision when we get to Kalocsa depending on time and weather.

Leaving the town by the official route soon brings us onto more crappy, grass covered and rutted tracks. Enough! We turn off at the first opportunity and get back on the road.

This enables us to travel much faster and soon arrive at Solt after about an hour where we stop for the usual second breakfast. The traffic has been very light again and we have made up for the lost time on that track section.

When we set off again it is on a good quality cycle path at first but then becomes the old road on top of the dyke. This has now been replaced by a new road and so we have a two lane tarmacked road to ourselves. Flying along here M hits a pile of poo dead centre and it sprays all over him and the bike. There is nothing we can do here except make sure he stays downwind of me at all times.

We turn into Dunapataj at about lunch time and decide to find a bar for a beer then find a bench to eat our picnic. The first place we stop at is open, we think, but there is no one about, so we pack up and move to the next bar 20m down the road. Here they are happy to let us eat our lunch while we sit at their tables. Sitting outside with M’s bike well downwind of us, a convoy of cars pass honking their horns. This is a wedding party celebrating after the ceremony, a very common sight on the continent. A few minutes later the staff of the bar came out to watch a second wedding group paraded on foot past the bar complete with accordion band. And a few minutes later they came out again to see a third group parade past but these turn in the opposite direction to the previous group, a busy day for the churches by the look of it.

After another hour on the road we arrive at the deciding point of the day, turn left for Kalocsa or turn right for Baja. Time to stop at another bar I think. This time we only drank Fanta as another beer at this point would be too much. As it was still early afternoon we decide to push on. The only option here is to go onto the infamous tracks and to our surprise they have changed. Now they are covered in loose gravel but over a solid base, not ideal but miles better than the previous ones.

Now it is just a war of attrition, plodding on for another 40km as fast as we can to reach Baja before it gets dark. We are now on the far edge of Central European Time, it gets dark here at about 6pm. When we cross into Serbia we also change time zone, leave the EU, need passports for the first time and change religion from Christian to Muslim.

The weather is hot and sunny as usual, we have not had many dull days so far and virtually no rain (I know, that is the kiss of death it will rain all the way starting tomorrow). This does not help as there is no shade to protect us, even the wind is hot. At Fajsz we head into the town in search of liquids and find the dirtiest café we have been in so far. But the service was good, the coffee was genuine and the people friendly, even asking where we were going and giving advice.

Then back on the road for the last 30km. Usually my limit is 80km a day, I start to feel it around 70km then slow down at about 75km and really start to drag at 80. Today is no exception. The good news is that the tracks finish at Fajsz and it is all tarmac from here. It is just a case of head down and keep going. As we cycle along we keep passing road signs saying cars are prohibited but this does not stop them and there is a constant stream of traffic in both directions. As this is a single track road on top of the dyke it makes passing quite difficult.

Eventually Baja appears through the trees and the end is in sight. Following the official route into the town we turn off and head for the town centre eventually turning into a large square. The hotel we are looking for is here, through an arch into a small court yard. There has been a lot of money spent here by the looks of it and the hotel looks brand new as does the one next door. Asking about the price the receptionist tells us it is 30€ for the two of us!

Compared to last night this place is a palace, good size room, clean and well laid out bathroom, and it looks new. What a bargain! The only drawback is the room is on the top floor and the lift doesn’t go that high. OK, it is only one flight of stairs. The bikes are locked into a room at the back of the reception so they should be OK tonight.

We go straight out to look for food and end up in the standard pizza place that we just can’t keep away from. I order a medium size one and M orders a large one. When mine arrives it is big, when his arrives it is on two plates as it is so big. Once again the price is unbelievably cheap. Due to the size of M’s he ends up bringing half of it back to the hotel in a box. Tomorrow looks like it will be another long day so it is an early night again.

Day 37

23/09/2011 – Day 37

Budapest to Dunavesce – 87km

Today we were in the position of having no objective other than putting in as many kilometres as we can. The next major city is Belgrade which is 570km away so will take roughly a week to get there.

The official route wants us to go into the centre of Budapest and then come out to the river again. Or, we can just head in the right direction from the hotel and pick up the route at the last bridge as we leave the city, which is exactly what we did.

Amazingly the city planners do not seem to have thought out the cycle path system in Budapest. Often you are following a well-marked path only to have it stop in the middle of nowhere, leaving you surrounded by heavy traffic.

Once you pass under the last bridge leaving the city the official signs reappear showing both the Donauradweg and Eurovelo 6, but now they are in yellow. They lead you easily through a slightly complicated section until you have to turn back on yourself to cross a canal when they turn to green and point in a different direction to the map. (I think the green ones are for alternative routes).

Now we are in the poorer end of the city, there is a feeling of poverty and everything looks sad and dirty. There was no feeling that this was not a good place to be, just that it was poor.

We stopped for second breakfast in a tiny bar where the woman only spoke Hungarian but with some pointing, mime and a few laughs coffees were ordered. I have no idea what she said but we left with a smile on our faces.

The whole day has been spent on bad to very bad tracks or road. Having left the city limits we ended up on a grass track on top of the dykes again which is heavily rutted and bumpy. The vibration really wears you down.

Once we reach Tӧkӧl the route puts us on the road, once again a sign here would be very useful but we stopped a passing woman and asked her the way, she was very nice and did her best to put us right.

Now we are on the road my new bike shows its weakness, only having 21 gears and 26” wheels means it is much slower on the road sections, I am having to pedal flat out just to keep up with M. But we can still put in average speeds of 20km/h +, which is good.

Just outside Tӧkӧl we decide to stop for lunch down a side road and find a derelict factory gate and sit on the steps. Seconds later a head pops out the window, I is not derelict (although sometimes it is hard to tell here) but the security guard is ok with us being here. Then a grey cat appears shortly followed by one of here kittens, probably from earlier this year. The mother is very friendly and has the feel of being a pet that has been abandoned; she wants to be stroked and to climb on us. The black kitten is not so sure and keeps her distance and was obviously born in the wild. As we eat our salads and cheese sandwiches we are constantly harassed until we give in and feed them a few scraps.

We stay on the road until Ráckeve where we have to re-cross the river back to the east bank. While M is filming the clock tower a man walking past tries to tell him that we can go to the top and look out over the area, a woman walking the other way who can speak English stops to translate, everyone we meet is so friendly and helpful (not including the thieving bastard from the hotel in Budapest of course).

We find a café in the middle of the town’s one way system and stop for a coffee. It is a little oasis in the middle of traffic chaos! The only problem is they serve a form of instant coffee that they all seem to like here, except it is disgusting.

The afternoon is an even split between road and bad track, although it is better than the tracks this morning, but that does not mean they were good either. The roads are not much better, full of potholes and the edges are crumbling away making it very difficult to cycle anywhere except the middle of the road.

We decide at about 5pm to start looking for a place to spend the night and turn into Dunavecse following a Motel sign painted in the road and looking for a room advertised in the guide. As it turns out they are both the same place. When we arrived it was closed but there was a phone number to ring and the owner arrived a few minutes later. The price was 5000 Forins or 20€ for both of us for a room with bathroom, can you believe it? It is almost the same price for a camp site. But when we see the room it all makes sense, it is not the cleanest place in the world but the room was ok and the beds not too bad if you don’t put your nose too close to the mattress.

The owner asks if we have a lock for the bikes and they should be OK outside but as soon as he is gone they come upstairs with us and spend the night in the corridor. We are the only people staying here and the owner lives a short distance away so we have the whole building to ourselves.

Diner was across the road in the local hot spot, there is a restaurant upstairs and outside while the bar downstairs had a disco on and was full of kids. Amazingly the waiter spoke English well and they had a menu in English. We both ordered local dishes but they were not much to get excited over. But the time we had finished eating it was late and we were pooped so we called it a night.

Day 36

22/09/2011 – Day 36

Budapest – Still

We went to the House of Terror today, a museum set in the old headquarters of the right wing Arrowcross party that ran the country for the Nazis and then soviet secret police until the 1980s.

A very sobering day showing how the country was run in a constant state of terror by the ‘elected’ government, also how the people were deported to work in the soviet slave camps without any trials or chance of appeal.

Day 35

21/09/2011 – Day 35

Budapest – Still

Another late start due to yesterday and not much sight-seeing done.

M had some work to do and I was just not in the mood.

Picked up my new bike tonight, it rides ok but it is another new bike so will take some getting used to, again!

Day 34

20/09/2011 – Day 34

Budapest

After three long days on the road it wasn’t until quite late the next morning that we ventured out onto the streets, only to find my bike had gone!

They had cut the chain, moved M’s bike out of the way and taken mine. Bike gone, chain gone, just the 3 month old Scott sportster left standing on its own.

OK, funny things here, the bikes were behind two secure doors, chained together to the lift cage, out of sight of the street. Only my bike was taken and M’s bike was left on its side stand and not damaged. Sounds like an inside job to me.

When we reported it the hostel staff were indifferent to the point of hostile, the guy on duty was very aggressive towards us. While we were talking they said there was no need for the police and there was a bike shop just across the street where I could buy a new bike.

When we entered the shop and told the guy my bike had been stolen it was almost like he knew, then we realised that the shop sells the same brand of bike! He tried to sell me a local brand of cheap eastern European crap and not the big brand he also stocks, all very suspicious to say the least.

We decided to look further and the next shop we stopped in they were genuinely shocked and apologetic for this to have happened to me. They showed me their bikes and we talked about what I needed fitting. They made phone calls and arranged for parts to be delivered the next day. They did their best to get me on the road again, what a contrast!

Next stop the police for a report number; again they were apologetic and helpful. But as we all know the chances of getting your bike back are next to zero.

All in all a trying day, I know it is an inside job, I know the guy across the road is involved, I think my bike is probably inside the building still but what can you do?

Day 33

19/09/2011 – Day 33

Stúrovo to Budapest – 78km

After the battle of the mosquitos the night before, last night was heaven. There were screens on the windows so we could sleep with them open and not worry about the little buggers getting in.

Breakfast was served in the garden at our request and in the summer it must be a great place, this morning though it was just a tad too cold but still nice if you sat directly in the sunshine. The couple who run this place get full marks for everything, food accommodation, friendly atmosphere, the works. There is nothing they could have done to make our stay any better.

Today’s objective was Budapest, technically a short 70km by the river route. First we had to find the bridge to cross into Hungary. You would have thought there would be a road sign to a major river crossing, but if there was we missed it. The bridge was destroyed by the retreating Germans in 1944 but not rebuilt until 2001, maybe they have not got round to putting the signs up yet.

Anyway, we found it and crossed another open border, the only indication that we had entered another country were the words ‘Hungary Welcome’ spray painted halfway across the bridge.

The town of Esztergom must have looked impressive in the past; it has been the centre of the Roman Catholic Church and the home of the Hungarian crown in the past. Today it needs a bit of cleaning and renovation.

Leaving the town we followed the river bank on a leafy path well away from everything, there was only one other cyclist on it. Seeing the river through the trees as we glide along a well paved track was a relief from some of the route yesterday. Eventually as we turned towards the road we turned to each other and said this was just like in Portugal when the track would run out and dump you in the road. And that is exactly what happened, the track stopped and we were in the road!

The next 40km were in the road. Fortunately for us it was a quiet day and there was not much traffic. The road was wide and reasonably well paved so we could fly along. We stopped once in Dӧmӧs for a beer and then 20m later for our picnic lunch. Then it was onto Visegrad, which became the seat of government after Esztergom, for a coffee. Then back on the road for another 10km or so.

Eventually at Leányfalu the cycle path started again and we could get off the deteriorating roads and onto an equally bad cycle path but without the cars and trucks. This time the path comes and goes with the road, sometimes in quiet wooded parks, other times running alongside a busy main road until it eventually dumps you at a set of traffic lights where you have to guess the way across. Once again the radweg signs let you down big time.

The run into Budapest is a mismatch of road and path, all badly signed and leaving you to guess a lot of the time. Usually you know you are wrong when you can see the cycle path but can’t work how to get there.

Finally we cross the bridge and pass the parliament building which is very impressive by the fact that there is no security to be seen. The car park is not even fenced! Anyone can walk in and do anything they want, or so it seems.

The hotel week had booked was called Boomerang and was situated just on the edge of the centre. When we arrived it was just getting dark so we timed it perfectly. The office was on the second floor and our two roomed apartment with kitchen and bathroom was on the third. So having carried our bags to the top we did some shopping and settled down for the night. The receptionist told us our bikes would be safe chained to the lift cage hidden at the bottom of the stairs.

Day 32

18/09/2011 – Day 32

Vel’ké Kasihy to Stúrovo– 82km

Last night did not go well; the room was invaded by mosquitos. We did everything we could to kill them all but there are always survivors and as soon as the light goes out they attack. Yes, I know, but we did buy one of those things you plug in to keep them away but it blew up in the hostel Tuesday evening and fused all the lights. At one point M had one trying to get up his nose, and he was not happy! By morning I had found something to cover me and slept for a few hours but that was all.

Breakfast was a traditional Slovakian affaire, sort of like the German one but not quite. The landlady was fussing about all the time making sure we had enough to eat. She kept talking about us being in Romania by tomorrow night (that is at least another 500km from here).

Once packed and ready to go we went back in to say our goodbyes and she started to fuss again, apparently many people made a mistake getting back to the path and she pulled her bike out to take us to the right place so we would not get lost, how is that for service?

So waving our goodbyes we set off on the next leg, our aim was to be in Stúrovo which is on the Hungarian border, by tonight. This is only about 80km and should take us 4 hours give or take. That is until we saw the route, a track on top of the dyke made up of soft sand and loose gravel. Even with the wide Marathon tyre we were sliding about all over the place. What a contrast to the last few days of well paved track. This is definitely the worst conditions so far. Trying to travel at any realistic speed is an invitation for disaster unless you have proper cross country tyres with a wide tread.

The next problem is the signs, or lack of them. I said earlier that it was possible to do this with only the official guide books, well think again. Today we saw about 3 signs and one of them was broken. Someone has been out with a can of white spray paint and left arrows on the road, but they are not 100% reliable. In places they take a turn that is questionable and as we came into Stúrovo tonight they indicated a right turn which is clearly wrong. I have seen a black minibus several times some kind of ‘eurotour’ logo on the side and I wonder if they are responsible for these white arrows, showing the customers where to turn to meet the bus or to go to the hotel they are staying at that night. Either way these arrows will not last for long and will soon fade from view but at the moment they are a great help.

Fortunately the route was not that complicated but the conditions really did slow us down a lot, our average speed was only 15km/h, the slowest so far I think. We did not stop until we had reached the city of Komárno. The approach is along a very narrow path along the edge of the river, if you meet someone coming the other way it is a very slow and careful dance to pass without falling off the concrete.  Once you are on the road and turn away from the Hungarian border the old town centre is just across a bridge.

Someone has done a good job here and it is well laid out and inviting, and it has the first coffee shop I have seen with free internet for its customers outside of a major city. Once we had drunk the coffee we went to a square in the town that has been made to look like a film set, one of the buildings even has the steelwork sticking out the back of its façade, just how you would expect it to be.

Leaving Komárno we saw our first official sign of the day and like fools we followed it (the white arrow said straight on at this point). It took us along a stretch of concrete slabs about 2m wide and laid badly so there was a nonstop rhythm of jumps as you passed from one slab to another. This then led us onto more loose gravel and sand! At this point we stopped and tried to find our way back to the road without having to back track.

After following the wrong road for about 1km we gave up and turned round cycling back to where the sign was and finally following the white arrows. In total we lost about 5km.

We decided to stay on the road for as much as we can after this, although not the official route it is shown as an alternative for those people who prefer roads, the only drawback being the wind which had now strengthened and was full in our face.

We spent about 20km on this road stopping once for a beer and a picnic lunch of cheese and stuff we had bought yesterday for our dinner not knowing last night’s host was going to feed us.

After stopping in Moča for a coffee (well, we had to, didn’t we?) we tried the official route again and found it was the old road between the dyke and the river. This was much better as it was still in good condition and we were able to get a descent speed up. This was good for the next 20km or so then we ended up back on the soft gravel, if this is a sign of things to come I can see a lot of road work in the next few days.

Finally we turned off the river and headed inland to pick up the road to bring us into Stúrovo and it was a relief. We had achieved our target in conditions that were the worst to date. We now started to look for somewhere to stay. Usually we don’t book in advance as that means we have to be there at the end of the day, we prefer to leave that open and find somewhere when we decide to stop. Today we found a group of B&B’s clustered together and randomly chose the first to ask at, if it was too expensive we would go to one of the others.

They opened the gate for us to bring the bikes in before telling us the price, they showed us to the rooms before telling us the price (I felt we were being drawn into a position here where we could not say no) then they told us the price, 30€ for room and breakfast for both of us, so we said yes! This is the cheapest night so far and the rooms are in a building behind their house and it is self-contained with kitchen and bathroom. The owners were the perfect hosts telling us where everything is in the town, her English was better than average, but he would speak to her in Hungarian if he wanted to add anything and she would translate. Last night was good value for money, this is even better.

Day 31

17/09/2011 – Day 31

Bratislava to Vel’ké Kosihy – 95km

We left the hostel at 9am and rode back through the city centre to the bridge we had entered on two days ago picking up the route as it ran under the bridge. This section is on the road but apart from a bus and a few trucks there was little traffic. The main problem we are going to have now is the lack of sign posts; you need to be on your toes from now on and keep the map handy at all times.

The first section is along a well-used cycle path where there is a lot of other cyclist, roller bladders and walkers. There is a dedicated path for cycles which is generally clear and you can get a good speed along here. It looks like it was once the main road but has now been replaced by a newer, bigger road.

At the end of this section you have to cross a barrier where the river and the ship canal separate. The road over the barrier is closed to bikes but the only other option is to use a very narrow foot path which is fenced in on both sides. Watching other cyclists, most of them just use the road and ignore the signs.

By taking the route across the barrier you are opting to stay on the Slovakian side of the border, if you take the other route on the south bank you enter Hungary very quickly. We chose to stay in Slovakia purely because the Euro is in use there, and it is a bit shorter.

Now we are on the top of the dyke in the full force of the head wind that will blow all day, but having said that we were still flying along keeping up an average speed of 22km/h without even trying. Along this dyke the river stretches out in front of you for ever, it is hard to imagine that this is just a river. The other thing you notice is that the water level is well above the level of the road next to you. When we stopped for lunch the river level is even above roof level of the houses around you.

Crossing the river on another barrage at Gabčikovo we decided to have a look in the town for somewhere to buy our dinner for tonight. As you enter the town on an arrow straight road you are greeted with a sign for Tesco. As a result all the little shops are closed and we left again after a quick coffee.

Back on route we are high up on the dyke again alongside the canal and it is not until Sap that the river comes back to join us. By now the border is in the centre of the river and we can see Hungary on the other bank although most of the people on this side speak Hungarian not Slovakian!

At Medved’ov we finally find a small shop and buy the things we need. At this point the route comes off the dyke and follows the road through small villages but still parallel to the river. Again there are no signs and it is down to knowing where you are going next and following the road signs. The roads are very quiet and there is minimal traffic which makes it a pleasant ride in the afternoon sun.

At Vel’ké Kosihy, which happens to be the middle point of the 3^rd guide book between Vienna and Budapest, we decide it is time to look for somewhere to spend the night and stop for a beer to look at our options. The guide book mentions no accommodation here and it is another 20km before they list anything, but as we enter the village we spot a ‘zimmer frie’ room free sign and it is about 50m after the bar.

After the beer we cycle the short hop to the house and meet the owners as they are coming out. Now we enter into a surreal conversation with the landlady as she speaks to us in Slovakian and we reply with fix phrases we have written down from the internet. But we manage to understand each other and take the room. However it does not stop there, while we unpack the bikes she offers us a beer, expecting her to already have it in the house we accept, only to see her nip down to the bar to buy some for us. As we sit outside to drink it she asks at what time we would like dinner! This is a first, we asked for bed and breakfast and she offers an evening meal as well, all for 20€ each.

The food is exactly what she was cooking for the family dinner, we just got pot luck but it was good and there was enough for three. She had cooked some little bread rolls with cheese in them, and they were good! While we ate she and M chatted with the aide of Google translate again which was fun and it worked, she though it was great to be able to type in a question and get it back in another language.

She tell us about all the people who have stayed here this year, a small village in Slovakia and the world passes her front door, people from every continent have passed through!

Day 30

16/09/2011 – Day 30

Bratislava

It would be a waste to pass through a city like Bratislava without stopping to see some of it.

As we cycled through last night looking for somewhere to stay we had a quick glimpse of the cobbled streets and the architecture, today we had a chance to walk round the centre and take time to see it properly.

First impressions are good, it is clean, well looked after in most places and the people seem friendly. Everyone speaks English (which is probably why it is full of Americans) and even the signs are in English. This does not detract for it though, they are happy to let you use your bad Slovakian and understand you, then reply slowly and clearly for you to get the gist of it.

The castle is closed for renovation at the moment and there are a few tatty buildings in some places but it is obvious that there is a lot of renovation work in progress. The feeling that kept coming back to me is that a lot of things are wearing out and will need a little bit attention very soon.

It has the feeling of a much smaller town where you quickly feel at home and relaxed.

And unlike Vienna it is not covered in graffiti.

Day 29

15/09/2011 – Day 29

Vienna to Bratislava – 78km

This morning we set off to try and get M’s phone back. The email for the hostel was still valid as my message had not bounced back but we had no way of knowing if it was monitored. When we arrived it was all open and there were cleaners everywhere, we tried the room but it was locked so we tried to ask the cleaners. They directed us to the manager’s office on the top floor where they explained the building was now student accommodation for the next term. If anything had been found it would have been handed to the hostel staff that were all gone. They did give us a number to call but he was no help at all, so it is lost.

Leaving Vienna was easier than coming in, we knew where the cycle path was now and it was a lot easier to follow sweeping us through the traffic quickly and efficiently. Suddenly we were in the broad central avenue of a park called Prater, I think. This is an example where the map comes into its own; the signs for the Radweg are none existent in the city. It was only because we had looked at the map and knew where we were going that we didn’t get lost at this point, although we did miss the next turn because of the lack of signs.

We had to cross back to the north bank as we left the city and this was done on a narrow bridge suspended under the motorway. It took you to an island in the middle of the river where you came down a spiralling ramp only to ride under the motorway and climb another one back up to the bridge, or you can cycle along the island, which we did.

At last the green signs reappeared with the Radweg and the Eurovelo 6 on them, but there is a new sign now, a yellow ‘diversion’ sign which takes you to the places of interest just off the route (but you only realise that when you take one by accident) they are not real diversions at all.

The route is not very interesting for the first part of the day, apart from the stretch of river bank popular with nudists as you leave the city and even though it was not very sunny there were quite a few older men out there baring it all.

For most of the day you are on top of a protective dyke but the river is hidden from you by trees. The surface here is very old concrete that has lost its top coat so you are riding over rough stones. The vibration is a killer, one of M’s water bottle holders fell off due to this. The only highlight was a small café that was full of cyclists, there was none of the usual waiter service you had to go to the counter to order and collect your own food, (a bit like the old transport cafes of my youth) but the plus side is the food is cheap! Less than 10€ to feed both of us and the food was basic but good and filling.

Afterwards there is another 14km of the rough track shaking everything including your mind.

Eventually you come to the town of Hainburg where you have to cross a 2km bridge along a narrow path just wide enough for the bike with bags, and as the trucks fly past your ear the bridge bounces with the weight, oh joy! There follows a series of intricate turns and twists as you navigate your way round the edge of the town but plenty of places to turn into it if you want to explore. But once you come out of the town the route drops in a long gentle slope and with the wind behind us we whizzed along at an amazing 40km/h in places, although at times the track is very narrow and meeting bike coming the other way can make you breathe in as you pass.

At a dirty little village called Wolfsthal you are forced onto the main road between Vienna and Bratislava, which is very busy. There is no cycle path here, not even a cycle lane; you are on your own with the cars and trucks. This would be a great place for a café set back off the road in a small courtyard, just like the one that we passed which is closed.

For the last 5km in Austria the cycle path runs alongside the busy road all the way to the border, well, not really a border anymore due to that nice Schengen Treaty that everyone signed except the Brits. The old check point is still there but everything is closed and abandoned as the free flow of people between states carries on without them.

Way before the border you get your first look at Bratislava, and it is not the good side. A mass of slab sided tower blocks just like you have seen on the TV is every soviet built city. But don’t be put off, once you are passed them and turn into the centre of the city it is a pleasant surprise, there has been a lot of pedestrianization and the centre has a clean and open feel about it. There is a nice mixture of modern with old buildings. After a long day and the nights starting to draw in we had a quick look round but will see more in the morning on the way south for a change.

Day 28

14/09/2011 – Day 28

Vienna

You can’t stop in a place like Vienna and leave the next day, so we took another day off for sightseeing. As this is my first time here I wanted to see the usual things, city centre, museums etc. But quite frankly I was disappointed.

It is very touristic and full, we were amazed last night how difficult it was to find a room, and those we did find were far too expensive for what they were offering.

The room we had tried for last night was free this morning so we transferred over to it and walked into the centre to look around. They obviously want the place to be very upmarket as all the top shops were there but the prices for coffee and food are upmarket too.

All in all I was not impressed, the place is dirty, there is graffiti everywhere and the traffic is terrible for a tourist city centre, once you are inside the ring road you are effectively trapped.

Once we returned to the room M realised he had not seen his phone since this morning. I called it to see if we could hear it ringing but no luck. It is possible that he left it in the hostel last night. Unusually I left the room first so did not do the normal last sweep to make sure we had everything.

Day 27

13/09/2011 – Day 27

Tulln to Vienna – 41km

It was another hot and sunny day and only a short ride into Vienna so we were in no rush to leave. The plan was to be in the city for lunch, then find somewhere to stay. Once again the wind was behind us and we cruised along the riverside path stopping just once for a coffee. There must be a lot of people on holiday at the moment as the path was quite busy for a weekday.

The approach to Vienna is quite industrial and dirty. First there is the town of Klosterneuburg which is clean and well laid out, but all the houses are built on either stilts or the ground floor is nothing but garage, just another sign of the flooding they get frequently.

Coming into the city itself you cycle under a motorway bridge for a while, the area underneath is full of bars and cafés. We stopped at the ’Captains Bar’ for yet another beer (this probably explains why after over 1000km I am still not losing any weight).

We had emailed a woman letting a room that we found on the internet, the reviews were good so we thought it would be great, explaining that we were on bikes. When we got back on line she had replied saying the room was free. By the time we arrived at the house she had let the room as we had not replied quick enough.

So, a few phone calls to hostels and we found one that had a free room but only for tonight as it was closing for the winter the next day! It is called the Red Carpet and by the looks of it would be a good place to stay if you are a party animal (the pass word for the internet gives the game away). It solved the problem for tonight and we retried the original plan for the second night.

Vienna is a city full of traffic; it seems that everywhere you look there are streams of cars waiting at traffic lights and parked in every possible space. There is a cycle path system around the centre but you need to keep your eyes open as it flip flops from one side of the road to the other with monotonous regularity, which is OK if you are a local and know the place but for us tourists trying to read street names and look out for car and pedestrians and navigate all at the same time…..