Danube - Hungary Sept 12

Bratislava to Gyor

Today was a 90 kilometer day.  It started out beautifully with temps in the low 70s (22C).  But it did get hot!

We set a new record.  We did not get lost until 19 kilometers.  Usually we have been directionally impaired within the first 5k.  And we weren't really lost, we just didn't know the right way.  😊

We rode most of the way a good distance from the river.  It is getting to be a very wide river.

This is what we saw today...

This is the spring at the head waters of the Danube.  Just a little smaller than what we saw today.  😊

We crossed the border some time after we left Bratislava and entered Hungary.  Once again, there was no sign or mark or any indication that we had crossed into Hungary.  Our first hint was when we came into the town of Rajka.  We did a coffee/coke stop and the price of a coke was 300!  That is when we figured we were no longer in Slovakia and dealing with Euros.  We were now in the land of Forints.   The people seem different and the customs seem different.  For instance, all the people in the cafe and the little place next door were having a beer with their coffee.  And the beers are not like the 5 to 6% alcohol content we know of.  The beers here are 10 to 16% alcohol!  😳

Yesterday Mike and I had three beers each for lunch and it cost us a total of around eight US dollars.  And they were 10% and 16% alcohol and each beer was a half liter!  This is the land for beer drinkers...  😋

We found a little place for lunch along the route (it was on the "we didn't know where the real route was" route 😄).  The waiter did not speak a word of English.  But luckily the menu had some English on it.

I ordered the Gypsy Roast as it was supposed to be a local dish.  All I can say is...  I now know where the old shoe leather goes from worn out shoes.  That and the gravy that came with it could use an oil change.  It was awful!

We got the bill for the group and it was 17,460...  It makes your heart stop when you see numbers like that.  But that worked out to be 56 Euros.  So not so bad.

To give you a bit of perspective or shock value... there was a used car that had a sign on it.  It was listed for sale at the price of 4,140,000... florints.  😳

We rode into our destination city of Gyor around 4 with the heat index fairly high.  

Even the water tower had a militaristic appearance to it.  It had the same feel as a somewhat tired and dirty town.

The buildings had some of the architectural detail we have seen across Europe.  But they were in disrepair and dirty.

The plaster and brick work had seen many years if not decades of upkeep skipped.  It has continued my impression of iron curtain versus Western Europe.

Once we got to the main square for dinner, I saw some of the beauty that was evident in other European cities.

I think I had a bad culinary day with my Gypsy Roast choice for lunch and my pork tenderloin selection for dinner.  They both had an element in common.  I could have taken the meat slices and used them for soles of my shoes.  They were so tough and chewy... 

That and the waiter for lunch and the waiter for dinner must have been brothers, no personality and no service.

Sadly, we only have three riding days left.  Then this adventure is over.  😟