I'm now in Győr, Hungary.
The 90km ride from Bratislava was an easy one, as there is a bike path almost the entire way down the Danube. For about 30kms out of Bratislava, there were plenty of cyclists and in line skaters all wearing their fitness clothing, ipods and fashion water bottles. What I was impressed with was the two cycling paths and and the little snack outlets every 5km or so. The crowds thinned as I got to the island. The ride itself was quick thanks to the dedicated path but was at times a little dull. DJ Vadim came to the rescue via my MP3 player and the kilometres disappeared under my wheels quickly. However, the village on the island is cute, the dam looks cool and the weather was fine. In the bit between the dam and the border crossing, there were these super annoying gates which I almost killed me and my trailer a few times. When I got to the border, I didn't have the same problems as I did with the last border crossing, but the guards still thought an Australian riding through these parts was a bit of a novelty. Frankenbike has been going well, but has developed some funny noises that seem to come and go as they please. The worst noise is coming from one of my brand spanking new pedals, which sounds like a bunch of nuts and bolts being chewed by a dog. It feels like it will fall off and I probably need to get it replaced soon. I wonder if my warranty is good here in Hungary or if I have to shell out for another set?
Győr is one of those pretty little Danube towns with a couple of bridges, a few churches and some tasty 'neo-brutal' ex-soviet flats. There's also a university here, so the place is full of students. And if you're not a student, you probably work in the Audi TT factory just out of town. I'm staying in a student flat which is currently empty thanks to the local elections making everyone return to their home towns. It is usually occupied by seven guys, and all it seems to be missing is a bong in the lounge room. But the guy who is here, Peter, and his neighbour Gabriel (ha! Peter Gabriel), didn't go home for the elections and have been entertaining me for the last couple of days. I've learnt some Hungarian words, but most of them are rude. We've gone out for a few drinks with their mates, with their friend Bela being the best table football player (male or female), I've met in a while. People back in Australia should be happy to know that Heartbreak High is one of the most popular shows on TV here and still plays on a regular basis.
Today I ride to Pannonhalma, which is a town with an old monastery about 20km out of Győr. The monastery is positioned on one of the few hills in these parts, has a fairly impressive looking library and a pretty good views of all the flat bits of land around it.
The 90km ride from Bratislava was an easy one, as there is a bike path almost the entire way down the Danube. For about 30kms out of Bratislava, there were plenty of cyclists and in line skaters all wearing their fitness clothing, ipods and fashion water bottles. What I was impressed with was the two cycling paths and and the little snack outlets every 5km or so. The crowds thinned as I got to the island. The ride itself was quick thanks to the dedicated path but was at times a little dull. DJ Vadim came to the rescue via my MP3 player and the kilometres disappeared under my wheels quickly. However, the village on the island is cute, the dam looks cool and the weather was fine. In the bit between the dam and the border crossing, there were these super annoying gates which I almost killed me and my trailer a few times. When I got to the border, I didn't have the same problems as I did with the last border crossing, but the guards still thought an Australian riding through these parts was a bit of a novelty. Frankenbike has been going well, but has developed some funny noises that seem to come and go as they please. The worst noise is coming from one of my brand spanking new pedals, which sounds like a bunch of nuts and bolts being chewed by a dog. It feels like it will fall off and I probably need to get it replaced soon. I wonder if my warranty is good here in Hungary or if I have to shell out for another set?
Győr is one of those pretty little Danube towns with a couple of bridges, a few churches and some tasty 'neo-brutal' ex-soviet flats. There's also a university here, so the place is full of students. And if you're not a student, you probably work in the Audi TT factory just out of town. I'm staying in a student flat which is currently empty thanks to the local elections making everyone return to their home towns. It is usually occupied by seven guys, and all it seems to be missing is a bong in the lounge room. But the guy who is here, Peter, and his neighbour Gabriel (ha! Peter Gabriel), didn't go home for the elections and have been entertaining me for the last couple of days. I've learnt some Hungarian words, but most of them are rude. We've gone out for a few drinks with their mates, with their friend Bela being the best table football player (male or female), I've met in a while. People back in Australia should be happy to know that Heartbreak High is one of the most popular shows on TV here and still plays on a regular basis.
Today I ride to Pannonhalma, which is a town with an old monastery about 20km out of Győr. The monastery is positioned on one of the few hills in these parts, has a fairly impressive looking library and a pretty good views of all the flat bits of land around it.
2 comments:
All I can say is VERY JEALOUS!
Keep the good times rolling for all of us living vicariously!
Funny -
tonight on Spicks and Specks they played the song Sledge Hammer and it was on my mind when I opened up this blog....
[cue the Twilight Zone music].....
I admire your pedal power.
Take it easy.
Love
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