September 18, 2010
Lenti
We awoke this morning to hear from David that there had been a tornado through our farm. It is very fortunate it has completely missed all buildings and there was no damage to vines or stock. Apparently there are a lot of trees down and damage to fences and of course the power is out. David and Brent are dealing with the insurance company but I will give the insurers a ring on Monday -nothing for us to do but cycle on.
Of course our failure to find an umbrella meant that the Rain Gods are not appeased and we set out this morning once more in rain. Our plan was to make for Lenti which is within about 10km of the border and stay there we could be reasonably sure of accommodation. It was not a particularly exciting ride over what proved to be fairly busy roads on the usual bad surface. Arrived before lunch time, have a room in a hotel and bought an umbrella. It has no internet so we took ourselves down to the library. This closed in ten minutes so I rushed to get yesterday's post on before eviction. Coming out I had a good idea and thought that perhaps there WiFi extended outside the library so set myself up on a windowsill and good luck. I must say I got some very strange looks - I don't think I look like a terrorist but others may have been doubtful and I wondered about arrest and languishing in a Hungarian Jail.
Cycle touring in Austria is really very easy. There seem to be a myriad of cycle routes and on the whole these are very well signposted. The trick however is to know where each one takes you as although they are well labeled with B12 etc it is not clear where they lead - maps are obtainable at tourists offices but we didn't find them nearly as clear as those in the Czech Republic. Along the Danube of course it is super easy. Always the surfaces are excellent and you don't suddenly find yourself ankle deep in mud. The roads they use are invariably quiet.
We have found Hungary by far the hardest country to cycle in so far. I am sure this would have been different if we had just been going along the Danube to Budapest instead of the cross country route we have taken. As far as roads are concerned you seem to have very little choice They tend be fairly busy with huge numbers of potholes which when filled with water resemble small lakes - even big trucks take these roads so they can be scary. Occasionally you strike a cycle way leading into a town but on the whole the surfaces of these are appalling. The road signs however are excellent. The alternatives that the GPS seems to favour have often been unpaved 'roads' with a sea of virtually impassable mud making them completely impracticable in these conditions. The accommodation along the way has been excellent - plentiful and cheap and we have eaten very well. In Hungary however all the shops and facilities like Tourist Information Offices always seem to be either closed or on the verge of closing.
Today's ride: 50 km (31 miles)
Total: 2,277 km (1,414 miles)
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