Blogs from Eger, Northern Hungary, Hungary, Europe

Am heutigen Tag also Besichtigung von Eger. Eine eher kleine Stadt. Zuerst an der ehemaligen orthodoxen Synagoge vorbei. Dann zur Basilika. Dort wimmelte es von Schulklassen. Vielleicht war heute Wandertag. Genau wie gestern an der Burg. Dann zum Lyzeum gegenüber und Besichtigung der berühmten Bibliothek. Danach zum Erzbischofspalast. Dort wird aber gerade umgebaut. Dann eben Rast in einem Kaffee und über den Dobo Platz mit der Minoritenkirche zur Abfahrtsstelle einer Mini-Eisenbahn, welche der Hotelwirt empfohlen hat, um zum Schönfrauental zu gelangen. Dieses ist berühmt für seine schönen Weinkeller. In einem solchen habe ich auch gleich Eger Stierblut (ein besonderer Rotwein) getrunken. Mit einer kleinen Käseplatte. Dann mit der Minibahn zurück und ins Hotel. Dort war ich in der Sauna und habe schon mal die Bahnverbindung für die morgige Fahrt nach Pecs recherchiert. Es haette noch ein ... read more

This week has been an eventful one with a birthday, a three wheeled van and some Hungarian pictionary… Sunday started with Michaels 25th Birthday and we left Munich and headed for the small town of Cesky Krumlov in southern Czech Republic. Cesky Krumlov is a beautiful little place with the old town situated within the bend of the river. We stayed upstream on the water at a campsite that can only be described as ‘tent city’- as it was definitely the most tents we have seen so far. The river was teaming with activity with rafts and kayaks, and people would kayak in to the campsite from somewhere up stream and pitch a tent for the night. We spent the afternoon exploring the town and walking around the castle, which had great views and even bears ... read more

Days 35 24th June Budapest – Eger There is a motorway that runs from Budapest to a few miles short of Eger. It runs along the edge of the great Hungarian Plain, the Plain that covers nearly half of Hungary and is remarkable only in its flatness. The sun literally shimmers over it and it is here that they grow the cereals and where foreign investment (didn’t Brian Aldridge from The Archers buy a farm here?!) is causing concern amongst the Hungarian farmers. We reach Eger easily and in good time. We had read up about Eger which had been described as a ‘gorgeous Baroque town’; as we reached the sprawling grey, graffitied (there is A LOT of it in Hungary) suburbs we wondered how anyone could be so generous with their description. However, we have ... read more

Well we caught the little train up into the Nemzeti Park in Hungary from the outskirts of Eger. It was a little odd as I managed to get off the train before the final stop and had to pedal after it to catch up with Mrs Bilbo who had wisely stayed on the train. After catching up and a quick beer to calm down soon we set off into the Beech tree forest towards an area called the Hungarian Gate before heading down to Miskolc. Our Hybrids were a bit over loaded with two panniers each and we had bought a local map from a guide who spoke excellent English back in Felsőtárkány. We had a small bar of fig cake and a bottle of water. It was a very pretty push up or ride ... read more

I was passed out as soon as I had lain in bed, and was confident that I would finally get a full night’s rest. Hell no. It is hours before sunrise and Kristen has awoken me, panicked out of sleep by the large bug she sees crawling on the ceiling. I stumble to the light switch across the room wait for my eyes to adjust to the incandescent barrage. I soon can see that it is just a very large grasshopper and I stand on the bed, trying to grab it. Being what it is, it leaps across the room each time I get near, and it is about five minutes before we finally catch it and open the door, letting it free into the night. Energized and awake, it is even longer before I can ... read more