Cyclists, cyclists everywhere: Budapest - Esztergom - Say hi to the elephants, and hope the weather improves

September 29, 2012

Cyclists, cyclists everywhere: Budapest - Esztergom

The leafy delight of leaving Budapest for Esztergom

I'VE RARELY SEEN so many cyclists. They weren't there when I made an early start out of the city, past the parliament buildings, its guards and its warnings not to linger, but I could barely move for them later.

Leaving the city was a good deal easier than riding into it five years ago. Then, we had become lost in high-rise suburbs and stumbled on what we're sure was an amateur drug deal in a service road behind lock-up garages. It was only because the lads were as surprised as we were and that we vanished as quickly as we had arrived that we passed through without trouble.

The busiest stretch was around Esztergom, one of many tourist haunts I'm going to ignore on this ride because we explored them so thoroughly on that other trip. Instead, I was entertained by an oompah procession of banners behind a

I still have no idea what they were up to but they added to the gaiety of the afternoon

"It's only being so cheerful as keeps me going..."

marching band. Some of the men were in traditional jackets and hats, a wine glass attached to the loops of their button-fixings.

Shortly afterwards I was attacked, flock of seagulls style, by tipsy women in colourful peasant outfits or with painted moustaches and beards.

Shpeakingg Hungaywyan ish even more diffico when you're tipshy

They talked alcoholically but it made no sense in Hungarian. I pointed at my wedding ring to ask if they were celebrating a marriage and two said yes. But I realised later this must be a significant date because not only had I seen the procession and then the Happy Ladies but, in my tent in a meadow tonight, I can hear fireworks in the nearest village.

I wonder what it's all about.

A meadow beside a woodland path was all I need for a good night's sleep

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