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Day 33 to 36 - The first days alone and in Hungary ๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡บ

Imechapishwa: 05.09.2022

Tue 23.8.

After bringing Annika to the bus, I crossed the country towards Lake Neusiedl. After a while through the Viennese suburbs, I struggled through wet sandy paths across the fields. I made slow progress. I called these paths 'Honey Paths' because they were so tough. Eventually, I was able to ride on roads again.

Tough wet gravel paths
Creepy statue in front of a dilapidated villa
Less crowded country road, finally making good progress again

Then the Leitha Mountains came into view. I cycled the approximately 200 meters in altitude and took a short break at the top.

Leitha Mountains in sight
During a short break at the incline, I happened to stop on my birthday ๐ŸŽ‚

The descent was fast, reaching speeds of over 60 km/h at times. Lake Neusiedl came into view - even though it looks more like a steppe. They are actually all reed belts. According to cyclists I met the next day, the lake currently has a water level of 69cm. The lake is overall very shallow and is fed by a few small streams and rain, there is no outflow, most water is lost through evaporation.

First view of Lake Neusiedl or the reed belt
Nice little village with a church on Lake Neusiedl.

On the well-developed cycle path around the lake, I enjoyed the good infrastructure and had a delicious break in Lydia's garden.

Yes please!
Great rest stop
GriaรŸ di
Nice benches in the garden
Tasty bread with toppings and cheese. The whole thing was one gigantic, long slice of bread ๐Ÿ˜ณ

I continued to cycle around the lake until I reached the first Hungarian village and the very nice, quaint campsite, which would probably deter the typical camper (old, cobwebs, no wifi at the site), but offered more than enough comfort for a cyclist. I cooked a delicious couscous with lots of garlic and then went to bed tired after doing the dishes and taking a shower.

View over Lake Neusiedl
Hungarian border
Small Hungarian village with campsite
Barn at the campsite
Sanitary facilities
My spot with table, bench, and clothesline
There were several cats on the site
Chilling in the morning sun before packing up.

Wed 24.8.

After packing up, I continued around the lake. On the side of the road, I found a stand with grapes from the fields. The woman spoke good German and we chatted for a moment.

Vineyards by the roadside
Grape stand. I bought two varieties from their own production. ๐Ÿ‡ ๐Ÿ‡


I continued on cycle path 13 to the south. Along the way, I bought groceries for dinner. The lady at the bakery only spoke Hungarian, but we managed anyway. I need to learn Hungarian. I had a picnic in a park with a grand palace, enjoying the cool shade of an old tree. The weather was warm. Then I continued.

View of the southern end of Lake Neusiedl.
The cycle path is overgrown. The sign can barely be seen in the bushes.
Lunch break in the palace garden. Horse-drawn carriages passed by and a young couple with a rose ๐ŸŒน walked by. I relaxed on the grass and enjoyed pastries from the bakery, fruit, and Hungarian cheese.
Super straight, lightly trafficked road
Water dispenser
Beautiful colors
Hungarian village view
Me on the bike
Old house

In the evening, I reached Celldรถmรถlk, my destination for the day. In the background, a mountain rises from the otherwise very flat landscape - an old volcano. I had actually prepared for wild camping, but in Celldรถmรถlk, there was an unexpected sign pointing to a campsite at the edge of town. I decided to go there, even though it was a small detour.

Just before the campsite with the setting sun over the volcanic mountain

I arrived at the campsite late. I could see the site, but it was well closed off with a barrier and there was no reception to be seen anywhere. Right next to it was a hotel and a swimming pool. I found the hidden hotel entrance and it turned out that the campsite belonged to the hotel. They told me to just pitch my tent - but how do I get onto the site if I don't get a card for the barrier anymore? Well, I had to push my sweaty and exhausted dusty bike through the hotel lobby ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

On the site, some Germans offer me the spot next to their camper. In their younger years, they also went on long bike tours. After setting up and cooking, we sit together with a glass of wine (or maybe more?) and have very nice conversations. Then I take a shower, check my things - it's supposed to rain - and go to sleep ๐Ÿ˜ด

My tent in the morning
Dishes from yesterday... ๐Ÿ˜’
My stove
My spot with the nice neighbors
Tent impressions
Bags with electronics, sanitation, and miscellaneous items
Clothesline

Thu 25.8.

Woke up at 7 am, generally more sluggish than usual - must be because of the wine. ๐Ÿค”๐Ÿท On the campsite, many people talked to me in the morning. Some were worried if everything was still dry for me. From the perspective of the luxury retiree campers (there are no other people on the site), I must look like a homeless person. โ˜บ๏ธ One man even came by and brought me a coffee - unfortunately, I had already finished breakfast. But it seemed like he really wanted to do something nice for me and later came back with an original Bavarian wheat beer. I'll find a way to cool it and toast to him in the evening ๐Ÿป

Then the journey continued, I said goodbye and set off around 11 am. In one of the next villages, I had to stop again. I had never seen a bus stop so lovingly furnished before ๐Ÿ˜„ ๐Ÿš

Just an ordinary bus stop?
Somehow not, how long do you think you have to wait for the bus here?
With bookshelf
Better than some hotels. Maybe I should stay here overnight ๐Ÿ˜„

I continue on cycle route 13 for a good distance, passing through beautiful Hungarian villages.

Asphalt in bad condition
I pass through small Hungarian villages
Sunflower field
Pretty door with rose
Nice red house
Amazing old dilapidated villa

Eventually, I turn towards Tapolca. And immediately, I find myself on a rougher and rougher route. It also becomes so steep that I have to push. It was very exhausting in the direct sun. I was relieved when I reached asphalt again. In the next larger town, I bought groceries. The small store was full of men happily conversing, apparently a popular meeting place. Then I rode a bit further into the countryside with dinner in my bag until I found a nice spot for wild camping. While exploring, I startled a female deer, found a stream to cool my wheat beer, cooked, ate, and slept.

The path is still somewhat okay here, later the stones become very big and it is steep uphill, so I have to push.
My wild camping spot for the night.

Fri 26.8.

After packing up, I continued towards Tapolca. First, I had to overcome a decent slope, but in return, there was a beautiful view all the way to Lake Balaton. In Tapolca, I looked for a bakery. Eva from Bonn, originally from Hungary, approached me and showed me a good bakery. I peacefully enjoyed a piece of cake with a cappuccino and planned the rest of the day.

Delicious second breakfast

I bought some groceries, and a family approached me about my bike, the woman translated while the man enthusiastically asked about my journey. One of many nice encounters. Then, I visited the Tapolca Caves. Supposedly, you can explore the cave underground on a boat. When I arrived, the touristy place put me off. I decided to continue riding.

Street in Tapolca
Wooden gate
Tapolca church tower
Beautiful house on the outskirts of Tapolca

So I headed towards Lake Balaton. But after I had already cycled a few kilometers, I regretted not going into the caves. After a short back-and-forth, I decided to turn around again and visit the caves after all. When I arrived at the site, I found out that the waiting time was two and a half hours. I decided to endure the wait and spent the time in a nearby park, writing a bit for my blog. It was a good decision, and the museum and then the caves were worth the wait. I found the geological information about the formation and transformation of the region over 260 million years fascinating, as well as the historical information about the use of the region for flint mining in the Stone Age and the discoveries made in the cave.

I even bravely sat through the half-hour museum tour in Hungarian, which was followed by the boat ride (clever pedagogy). It was good that I had had the chance to walk through the museum once and read the translation in German before. In the end, I realized that he had been giving a safety briefing for 10 minutes. When he finished, I went up to him and asked him in English if there was anything important I needed to know. He replied shortly: 'no'. ๐Ÿ˜ณ๐Ÿ˜„

In the queue to board the self-piloted boats, I met a German family. The man worked for the municipal utilities of Kassel. It's a small world. Since I was traveling alone, I could steer a boat by myself. I was given a small wooden paddle and navigated the very low, narrow shaft that leads into small caves. The water was very clear. A great experience.

Why do I still have the feeling that the translated safety instructions don't cover everything... ๐Ÿค”
In the cave
Cross-section of the cave landscape under the city and in the surrounding area in the museum.
I had to duck here to pass through - at some point in the Hungarian safety briefing, the word claustrophobia was mentioned.

After the cave visit, it was already late, so I headed for the next campsite on Lake Balaton. I rode through the interesting volcanic landscape that I now knew so much more about.

Volcanic landscape

Volcanic landscape
Allegedly, it's an exceptionally good vineyard area. There was also an explanation on a sign, but I couldn't make sense of it. Apparently, there are similar conditions in other places, but it's still better here... ๐Ÿค”

Once I reached the lake, I quickly found a good campsite with a large tent area where there was still plenty of space. I positioned myself near the tent and the two bikes of obvious bicycle travelers. Over the course of the evening, I met the young couple from Frankfurt who were on a bike tour through Austria and Hungary. We exchanged experiences about the tour, equipment, Hungary, food, cooking, and so on. After cooking, I washed a few of my things, showered, and went to bed satisfied. Let's see if I stay here for another night. I definitely want to go swimming in Lake Balaton tomorrow. ๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐ŸŒŠโ›ฑ๏ธโ˜€๏ธ


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