Friday 31 March 2023

Baja to the (Serbian) Border

Last nights sleep didn’t feel like long enough! Before we knew it, we were back downstairs having breakfast in the big hotel hall. It’s a huge hotel, which must have been very grand in its day. After eating in the formal hall, (nice, but a bit weird being the only people in there!), we took coffee and a few extra pastries into the conservatory terrace that had big comfy chairs and a view down to the river. 



After checking out, and squeezing our bikes past a van that had blocked us into the hotel courtyard (and found some suits of amour), we finally emerged out into the big town square of Baja. 



As the route for the day seemed to pass through no towns and tonight we were due at a remote guest house, we spent the last of our Hungarian cash (Hungarian Forits - HUF) and loaded up our panniers.



The first section was unpaved, but dry enough to be okay to ride on (and better than the road, as there was not much in the way of traffic passing us).



The verges of the dyke were covered in flowers today. Perhaps the warm temperatures have suddenly encouraged them out? We stayed close to the Danube and smaller little rivers that seemed to have been ‘tapped’ off the main flow. 



By 2pm we reached a crossing point of the Danube, where a ferry could take you over to Croatia, on the opposite bank. We’ve opted to stay on this eastern shore for a number of reasons - partly due to it being hilly in Croatia and needed another currency, but mostly due to the fact that there still remains the risk of land mines along the route!



In the search of somewhere to stop (ie a bench to sit on!), we pushed on, changing direction to an easterly course and heading away from the river slightly. In a small village we took shelter and enjoyed some food outside the church, and admired some old Ladas. 



We were both tired on the final section, but the change in direction of travel meant that the wind was at our backs again and significantly eased the physicality of the ride. It almost felt like being in an e-bike and much less effort that the tiring headwind of the last few days. 



We had thought that we’d end the day crossing into Serbia, but had mistaken the country border with that of a different Hungarian county! As such, we are still in Hungary, but only for a few more kilometres. Tomorrow, we will be in a new country for us both.



This tour has certainly provided a range of accommodation and tonight’s is a quirky as they come. Without anything else to really choose from, we are spending the night in a room in what seems to be a former hunting lodge?.. 



There’s a really elaborate fire place, and all manner of curiosity’s. The owner is very friendly though and speaks German but no English. We are muddling  though thanks to some distant GCSE recall, helped along with Google translations! There is (was) a quality sound system here though. Ha ha! 




Thursday 30 March 2023

Kalocsa to Baja by Bike

Freshly cooked cheese omelettes at the hotel made a nice change from porridge this morning, before we wheeled our bike through the spotless reception area and back onto the “EuroVelo 6” cycle route. 



The trail followed the river all day, but this time along a tarmac route on top of the dyke. 


  
After a pastry an hour into the ride, we stopped for a drink at a ferry crossing cafe. We didn’t need to stop, but it was looking like the only bit of civilisation we’d see all day, so thought we ought to make the most of it!



There were people waiting for a ferry but one never turned up. A big barge full of coal did float past though.



After the coffee break, the GPS said ‘stay straight for 33km’!! It was right! Easy navigation today!!



By lunch, the temperature had really risen. Having started the day at about 4°C, it was at least 18°C by midday. We got the tarp out and enjoyed a cheese, peanut and pumpkin seed roll. 



The tour has gone from snow storms to sunbathing in just a few days. Crazy.



We made a few stops by the river in the afternoon for extra snacks and to enjoy the vibe. 


We also stopped to admire this house that had been built around a tree! Would have loved to have seen inside it, or know the story behind it. I can’t imagine building regs giving their approval back home eh Dad?



As our legs began to tire, the town of Baja finally came into view and we rolled in along a subsidiary of the Danube, called the Duna, on a smooth new cycle track.



As we pulled into the main square, a thermometer on the street gave a temperature of 24°C! 



There’s an impressive town hall/palace on the main square and our hotel looks across at it. 



Before checking in and going for a sauna, swim and jacuzzi, we rolled though a few streets and had an ice cream to celebrate our arrival. 



As it’s 10 years to the day since our wedding celebration party, we treated ourselves to a fine dinner (as well as the ice cream), in a rather fine wine bar on the main square.



The food was a step up from our pasta cook-ups of recent nights too!



Total Ride: 52km

Wednesday 29 March 2023

Solt to Kalosca by Bike

Finally, we’re back to proper cycling touring conditions! A mostly traffic free day, much better (dry!) weather and a stop for coffee and cake after only five minutes of leaving the guest house!



We’d stayed the night in a room just outside of Solt, so after making some more porridge for breakfast, rolled into town at 10am. It was blue skies, but only a couple of degrees above freezing. While the day warmed up, we got inside a nice warm cafe and watched the world go by for a bit (until I’d woken up properly!).



Still getting to grips with the cash here. A coffee only cost about £1.20, so it seems a bit excessive to be pulling out big notes to pay for it.



The mornings ride was a delight. Cold on the nose and fingertips but otherwise glorious. We rode side by side along the dyke nattering away.



Above us the sun had a rainbow halo.



Today we passed through loads of small villages, all with an abundance of places to shelter should an unexpected blizzard strike! So different to being out in the open of the plains yesterday.



We saw loads of cool birds nests on telegraph poles. Seemingly home to big storks.



By lunch, I’d got my shorts back on and we stopped to make sandwiches outside a very well kept church. The sun felt like medicine after yesterday’s storms.



More exciting shop purchases today including cheese triangles.



A few kilometres from our destination of Kalocsa, the road ran out. Literally!



A new one was being built though and took up on an impressive entrance route to the town via the cathedral square.



It made for a grand entrance.







Tonight we are in a (the only) hotel in town, which is just down this street.



On arrival, we celebrated a fine day on the tour with a ‘welcome drink’ in the hotel garden before wheeling our bikes inside to stash them in a conference room that wasn’t being used. 



After a short snooze and a shower, we went out for dinner in pretty much the only open restaurant in town. It was a good one though! We are well fed and ready to rest some more… before doing it all again tomorrow! 

Total Ride: 48km

Tuesday 28 March 2023

All Weather Riding

Wow. So much has happened today and we’ve lived through so much ‘weather’ it feels like it might all have been a dream! It was a positively idyllic start to the day, with bright skies about the yurt. (PS. After an amazing sunset last night, the central skylight in the roof was brilliant for star gazing!).



The breakfast porridge was delicious and the farmer gave us a box of boiled eggs as we left. Perhaps he knew what we were in for!?



Although I started the day off riding in shorts, it was too cold for hanging around long in Rackeve, thanks to the northerly wind. We crossed the river and headed out of town along the eastern bank.



It was a pretty ride, with loads of nice riverside houses.



The trail stayed by the river and soon passed through Domsod.



Here, things took a turn for the worse weather wise. I exchanged shorts for thermals, trousers and waterproofs as it actually started snowing!



Last nights winds caused some damage on the farm where we were staying - there was plenty of evidence of the storm as we rode along.







The initial snow blew through quickly on the wind and we carried on in bright weather.





Around mid morning, the trail turned to grass as it followed the top of a dyke. Good views, but hard going. 



As we rode, it became clear that the wall of weather was catching us up!



Huge clouds were passing by and clearing dropping their loads all around us. 





Finally one caught us up! We took a short cut off the dyke to get to a road, as there was no where to hide up on the dyke. However the recommended short cut from our cycle book was terrible advice. The road had lorries thundering along it at high speeds in both directions. It would have been fool hardy to try and peddle on it and there was only a steep verge on the potholes edge. We tucked into a well placed bus stop to consider our options as hurricane blew through with accompanying blizzard!



In the end we decided to do a longer (but much safer) route, rather than risk the road, or the difficult riding in the grassy dyke. It turned out to be much longer than anticipated, but did afford us a nice place to rest for some food.



Soon after, we experienced another snowstorm.





The a brutal solitary 5km straight line across exposed fields. 



As we rode, this was the view to the east…



While at the same time, this was the opposite direction! Incredible scenes! 



Sadly for us, the snow hit hard from the side and then, full on in the face! Around 15:30 the skies went dark as dust and soil blew off the fields creating a dust bowl, following close behind, the clouds unleashed a raging snow storm, with the wind plastering us with snow as we pressed on, leaning heavily over into the wind, to avoid being blown off our bikes!



Eventually we reached a few trees that offered a little glimpse of shelter. 



After a scary but unavoidable 500m on the main road, we rejoined a farm track, that completed the ‘two sides of a triangle’ extra 15km detour! Tough going and with tired legs but it finally began to look like we might make it despite the snow continuing to fall.



In the next village there was a small shop but no cafe (we were hoping for a hot drink!). With only 4km to go and a return to blue sky, we peddled the last bit feeling deliriously tired.





Arriving at our B&B was a delight. The husband spoke no English, but his wife was a former language teachers and she soon had our bikes in the garage and us up to our very warm room. We clearly looked a bit ragged as she soon returned with some homemade macaroons and coffee!



Just what we needed to perk us back up and revel in our achievements. The kindness of strangers and a mug of warm liquid. Bliss. As we sipped our drinks, snow, once again started battering the windows! We didn’t care, as there was a sauna in the bathroom, so we spent the next little while warming up nicely in there!



What a day! 
Total ride: 64km (should have been just under 50km!!)