10 to Keszthely

Route: 101 kilometers, total: 864 kilometers | Elevation gain: 430 meters, total elevation gain: 2,839 meters, distance from home: 700 kilometers (as the crow flies)

As the saying goes: Those who have no eyes have feet. In my case, it's more about the wheels.

Actually, today's route was supposed to be only about 93 kilometers long. But when I was unexpectedly hungry for a mid-morning snack, I stopped at a café along the way to have a sandwich. I had a hot chocolate with it, so to speak, a late breakfast. The reason I had nothing to eat was the following: Yesterday I wanted to go to a nearby Lidl to do some shopping, but it was impossible to get there legally, as the road was marked with a ban on bicycles. So I had dinner at a restaurant, but had nothing for breakfast.

After I was full and satisfied, I set off cheerfully. But oh dear, after 4 kilometers I realized I didn't have my backpack on my back. So I quickly turned around and went back 4 kilometers.

Fortunately, the backpack was still there, just as I had left it. Basically, I've gotten into the habit of checking whether I’ve taken everything and left the place clean whenever I leave a rest stop. Apparently, I was so pleased after breakfast that I simply forgot.

But let me go back to the start of the day, as I woke up before 6 am without having made a decision about my route for today. Should I go back to Györ and from there to Vienna or take a completely different route?

The direct route to Györ was the shortest at 85 kilometers. However, there were unpaved paths. If they were just dusty roads, what then? A look out the window made the decision easy – it was raining!

Thus, I decided on the tour along Lake Balaton. Here, the majority of paths were paved bike lanes, and the distance fit my expectations.

When I set off, it was no longer raining; in fact, the sun was even shining. Only the wind blowing directly from the west hit me in the face the entire way. But I preferred that to rain.

Overall, it was a very lovely tour with many beautiful memories from previous years. Often the path ran directly along the water, and I could observe the preparations for the upcoming season. The beaches were also still freely accessible, which I enjoyed taking advantage of, especially to take photos for this blog.

***

English

**Route: 101 km, total: 864 km | Elevation gain: 430 m, total elevation gain: 2,839 m, distance from home: 700 km (as the crow flies)**

As the saying goes: 'What you don't have in your head, you have in your feet.' In my case, it’s more about the wheels.

Today's route was actually supposed to be only about 93 kilometres long. But when I got hungry for a mid-morning snack, I stopped at a café along the way to eat a sandwich. I accompanied it with a hot chocolate – a late breakfast, so to speak. The reason I had nothing to eat was this: yesterday I wanted to go to a nearby Lidl to buy some groceries, but it was impossible to get there legally because the road was closed to bicycles. So I had dinner at a restaurant, but I had nothing for breakfast.

Once I was full and happy, I set off cheerfully. But alas, after 4 kilometres, I realised I didn't have my backpack on my back. So, a quick U-turn and 4 kilometres back.

Fortunately, the backpack was still lying exactly where I had put it. Normally, I've made it a habit to check if I’ve taken everything and left the place tidy whenever I leave a rest stop. Apparently, I was so content after breakfast that I simply forgot.

But let me go back to the start of the day: when I woke up before 6 a.m., I hadn't yet made a decision regarding today's route. Should I go back to Györ and from there to Vienna, or take a completely different path?

The direct route to Györ was the shortest at 85 kilometres. However, there were unpaved paths. What if they were just dusty tracks? A look out the window made the decision easy – it was raining!

That’s how I decided on the tour along Lake Balaton. Most of the paths here were paved cycle lanes, and the distance matched my expectations.

When I set off, it was no longer raining; in fact, the sun was even shining. Only the wind, blowing directly from the west, hit me in the face the whole way. But I preferred that to rain.

Overall, it was a very beautiful tour with many fond memories from previous years. The path often ran directly along the water, and I could watch the preparations for the upcoming season. The beaches were also still freely accessible, which I took advantage of, especially to take photos for this blog.

***

Español

Ruta: 101 km, acumulados: 864 km | Desnivel: 430 m, desnivel acumulado: 2.839 m, distancia de casa: 700 km (en línea recta)**

Como dice el refrán: 'Quien no tiene cabeza, tiene pies'. En mi caso, más bien son las ruedas.

En realidad, la ruta de hoy solo debía tener unos 93 kilómetros. Pero cuando me dio hambre para el tentempié de la mañana, paré en una cafetería del camino para comerme un sándwich. Lo acompañé con un chocolate caliente, por así decirlo, un desayuno tardío. El motivo por el que no tenía nada para comer fue el siguiente: ayer quise ir a un Lidl cercano para comprar algo, pero no fue posible llegar allí legalmente porque la carretera tenía prohibido el paso a bicicletas. Así que cené en un restaurante, pero no tenía nada para el desayuno.

Una vez que estuve satisfecho y contento, me puse en marcha alegremente. Pero, ¡ay de mí!, a los 4 kilómetros me di cuenta de que no llevaba la mochila a la espalda. Así que media vuelta rápida y 4 kilómetros de regreso.

Afortunadamente, la mochila seguía allí, tal como la había dejado. Por lo general, tengo la costumbre de comprobar si he cogido todo y he dejado el lugar limpio al abandonar un área de descanso. Se ve que después del desayuno estaba tan a gusto que simplemente se me olvidó.

Pero volvamos al principio del día: cuando me desperté antes de las 6 de la mañana, aún no había tomado una decisión sobre la ruta de hoy. ¿Debería volver a Györ y de allí a Viena o tomar un camino completamente distinto?

La ruta directa a Györ era la más corta con 85 kilómetros. Pero allí había caminos sin asfaltar. Si resultaban ser pistas de tierra polvorientas, ¿qué haría? Una mirada por la ventana me facilitó la decisión: ¡estaba lloviendo!

Así fue como me decidí por el recorrido a lo largo del lago Balatón. Aquí la mayoría eran carriles bici asfaltados y la longitud también se ajustaba a lo que tenía pensado.

Cuando salí, ya no llovía; es más, incluso soplaba el sol. Solo el viento, que venía directamente del oeste, me dio en la cara durante todo el camino. Pero prefería eso a la lluvia.

En general, fue una ruta muy bonita con muchos buenos recuerdos de años anteriores. A menudo el camino iba directo junto al agua y pude observar los trabajos para la próxima temporada. Además, las playas aún eran de libre acceso, algo que aproveché con gusto, especialmente para hacer fotos para este blog.