Trans Europa – Page 7 – Travelling reflections

D25 Trans Europa Ptuj – Celje

Celje is Slovenia’s 4th largest city. Pre Roman origin and population of 38000. The Roman’s had a quite substantial settlement here, now 3m below current ground level – apparently due to continual flooding. Maybe their drainage wasn’t as good as we are led to believe?

An almost Swiss day as we climbed out of one plain and descended into another. Slovenia’s economy is varied – they’ve done well since emerging from the former Yugoslavia. The infrastructure for cycling is excellent. Everywhere is so clean. Coffee and cake is good too.

Petrol stations thus far on the trip have not noticeably been large chains – if you see any of those it’s BP with a few Shell. Electric cars are not very common. Electric bikes are. A few “SPARS”, not to be confused with Spas of which there are many. Lidl more common, some Aldi. I have to hunt for MnMs…..Smoking in public places / cafes has increased noticeably as we’ve moved through Hungary to here.

Slovenia, Trans Europa

D24 Trans Europa Moravske Toplice – Ptuj

Entering serious wine drinking territory today. Via prosperous looking villages and towns. Each village seemed to proudly present its Fire Station.

A shorter day, to spend some time in Ptuj which traces is origins back to the Romans. A military fort at a strategic crossing point of the River Drava. Today’s 18000 population rely on tourism and culture. Former European City of Culture 2012. What with that and and ploughing championships it’s all happened here.

It’s on a plain. To get there we went via Jerusalem, which was a bit surreal but offered lovely views. But no coffee as it’s a Monday. Just like home?

You get to realise how much you rely on good signal. Its poor in this otherwise lovely place. So I may return to today tomorrow as it were.

Hungary, Slovenia, Trans Europa

D23 Trans Europa: Heviz – Moravske Toplice

From an old Spa town in Hungary to a new Spa Town in Slovenia. In between lovely quiet villages (and why not on a hot Sunday?) and plains: either with thirsty sunsflowers or harvested crops. Shade came in the trees, generally happily overlapping a few ups.

Moravske Toplice – a fought over village going back to the Crusades. Along comes oil exploration in early 60s: they find little oil, but hot gaseous water. Profitably mined for its restorative properties. (NB weight loss isn’t one them by the look of the tourist clientele hoovering down the buffet).

A nodding donkey some 40km back into Hungary is also for oil – from American exploration in 1920s and peaking in the 40s. Now it looks a bit lonely.

Before then we’d had a coffee outside a cafe opposite a fine church. Inside the locals were on the beer, this being a Sunday and 9am. Owned by Wetherspoons? Head to church afterwards?

We had a lovely lunch in Barabasszeg, hosted by Ildi and Balazs and their friends from the village. Food always taste good when you know the trouble people have taken to make it. A great excuse to linger longer – too soon back into the heat.

Lots of interesting things to look at gives ample cooling stops. There’s a more Germanic (Austrian?) feel to places with towns signs in German Inn places.

A lovely wooden bell tower from 18C – then [as with our buildings] you read it’s been reconstructed several times. So are we celebrating the age, the design or the thought of it. Not that it matters, it was a fine sight with a welcome cold tap nearby.

A quiet border crossing then cool. A nice day.

Hungary, Trans Europa

D22 Trans Europa: Balatonalmdi – Heviz

Today was an exercise in how many people can share a narrow bike path. In both directions, on all sorts of bikes. Some heads down worrying about Strava segments. Some following a “Boom Boom” speaker system, some herding their flock of children.

Progress was happily slow.

The lake shore is a strip development of [second] homes, stalls, marinas. With the odd airfield thrown in. In between, lavender fields which an old and tradional crop here.

Today we had an adventure to find a bike shop to fix my bike. What did we do before Google, Google maps and all the gps things we now have to navigate in a foreign country. Most of the tourists here are Hungarian or German – yet the young mechanic helped us in English, and made an effort to sort things out – which he did, though I suspect the bolts he put in will need drilled out if need replaced in future. For now, all good.

A new therapy enters the vocabularly, balneotherapy. Somebody, now in a statue, started it here in the hot baths. A Spa town and taking the waters. We also have to take a lot of water to keep hydrated as the temperature nudges up.

A good nights sleep and we enter Slovenia tomorrow. All we need is the live music in the square outside to finish: as I type the furniture is moving across the floor to an Abba tribute band. So as Meat Loaf might say : one out of two ain’t bad – we’ll enter Slovenia tomorrow.

Hungary, Trans Europa

D21 Trans Europa Budapest – Balatonalmadi

Heading into wine country. Maybe this explains why. the roads were windy. It was also windy today – just enough to cook slowly in a fan oven.

Leaving Budapest was a breeze in comparison. Cycle tracks all the way – it did help we were leaving vs going into town. It makes you reflect how we judge a city. By the 5 or so sq miles we explore in the centre vs the 10 mile + radius it extents? The road paths took us through areas that all looked fairly prosperous.

We also passed quite a few War Memorials, mainly for WW1 with 1956 added on. A reminder young men died on all sides, The other distinct soldier today was a fine wooden Hussar. A Soviet era supersonic fighter was at the roadside near an airport. I suppose it looked better there than at a train station.

Eurovelo 14, the Bu Ba route, took us most of the way. Great to see it being used by recreational cyclists as well as touring groups.

One random shopkeeper told us he didn’t speak much English (I can empathise) – can he buy us a coffee. You sometimes hesitate in case there are strings. No, he waddled into his shop, came back out with two coffees and waved cheerio. Lovely.

Arriving at one end of Lake Balaton. Tomorrow we cycle 100km to the other end.