Hungary – Vicki & Scot in Europe

AHHH VIENNA, AUSTRIA (ULTRAVOX right?)

9 October

It is quite late when we leave – about midday but we know we aren’t going too far today. We head out of Budapest the way we came in and head to Sopron which is on the border with Austria. It in an area sort like a boundary bubble where in the past the Hungarians there did not want to be part of Austria so staunchly held on as they are proud of their heritage. We stop at a small town as we see a Euronics store as we are having trouble with our tv cord which is coming apart and also being an old tv may not be getting the channels we want. We have seen online tv’s here for as little as 140aud so score one very similar to ours and also a universal plug accessory. It has the facility to receive heaps more countries. At the least when we sell the van we will have tv wherever we are and a lot cheaper here. However it was now too late to see Sopron that day so we stayed at Hegyka about 10 minutes out from Sopron and we figured we can see it in the morning. We are in the countryside here and a bit isolated and the camp is in the town. We stop at the local Coop for groceries but it is small and not much, in fact beer seems to be their biggest commodity so I buy 3 cans with the little local money we have left. We drive into the camp and my god it is packed to the hilt. How can this be when for the last month we are virtually the only campers at the places we have stayed. We try and find a place to camp and slowly realise it is full of mainly Germans and Austrians who are walking around in bathrobes. We find out it is a thermal spa and a therapeutic destination for older types. We found a place and had a wander around. All very clean and laid out. The main hot pool would have had about 60 people all lined up around the outside in the water. Boy talk about all shapes and sizes. It made me laugh as I thought of it as Ibeza for the oldies but without the drunkenness & sex!! Most don’t look very healthy big guts and sagging arms but they don’t care they are feeding their arthritic bones with the minerals and the pool has hum like insects as they are all chatting. We give at amiss for the night and decide to do our last washing then go to one of the restaurants for tea. We were a bit late and they were closing but we got a chicken & chips meal which was average at best but the chicken was ok but overpriced. We ended having the leftover chicken which we couldn’t eat in our sammies for the next 2 days, wasting nothing. We had a chat with a german man who was very nice who was there for a month. He suggested we use the pool in the morning when it is not so busy. As we were passing the pool after tea we saw that it was empty and was being scrubbed and cleaned before being refilled. Not sur if they do this every day or we just happened to see the weekly/monthly? Clean. I would like to think it was often as it is used to the max. There was also and outside bigger pool and numerous spas for personal and exercise use. Overall a good facility and can see why it is popular with the older set.

10 October

We are in the hotpool by 8.30am and already it has around 30 people in it. We are by far the youngest and, like the thermal pools in Budapest I feel embarrassed with my vitality and relative youthfulness, funny considering my just had birthday. After a ½ hour soak we decide it is enough so leave the pool (can’t help pulling my tiny pot stomach in to annoy the oldies) and go to have a shower. However the men’s is getting cleaned- why you would clean at 9.30 in the morning is beyond me- but I am not allowed in. I point to where the sign says cleaning is at 10 not 9.22 but she just shrugs a bugger off message so I have to go back past the pool to find a shower( again shaming the germans with my trim physique haha) to a non soap shower, Never mind I have had worse.

We leave thermal oldie Ibeza paradise and call into a huge Tesco to refill our larder as we feel it will be cheaper than Austria which proves correct. It is an opportunity to stock up on beer and wine as well. As we leave we spot a OBI which we figure is a hardware store. So we decide to finally try and find some plywood or similar to make our bed more comfortable. We need the added solidness as it sags on my side and is becoming uncomfortable and I feel it is adding to my neck pain. We explain in sign language what we want and I draw a diagram. Off we go to look for a couple of items a sit will take 20 minutes to cut. When we get back instead of 700x2000mm pieces he has cut two little pieces 700×200. Oh oh I have forgotten the extra 0 so my fault. So after more sign language and showing him the dimensions on my tape measure finally understands and we get our pieces which just slide in the van alongsides the bikes.(When we place them and remake the bed oh what a difference and I have the best sleep). Only 5 months too late. We drive through Sopron but decide not to stop as it seems a lot of hassle for little gain and push on to a camp just out of Vienna. We pass the outskirts of the city and see the highrises and modern parts of the city. The camp is right near the town centre of a place called Klosterneuburg which has the third richest catholic church in Europe behind the Vatican and someplace else according to the barman at a pub we find after we have settled in and walked into town that hopefully might play the Aussie v Wales game but bad luck only the England v Uruguay game later so who cares. We have a couple of drinks and have a great chat with the barman. As the bar didn’t open till 6 and it was 5.15 we went into a huge Lions yearly fundraising jumble sale to pass the time and bought a thermos for coffee while we are travelling which I have wanted and some cheap cds, Dark Side Of The Moon and a 4CD 60’s set and a love songs one for Vicki for 6euro which was great as we only have one cd-Simon & Garfunkel- and while a great cd it has been a getting a tad boring when there is no stations. Back to the pub we are learning quite a bit. The barman is from Albania but has been here for 15 years and this is the first time he has spoken English since then. He tells us that Albania is very natural and hasn’t changed much and is a beautiful country. We won’t be seeing these Balkan countries this trip as our insurance won’t allow it but maybe when we are in Greece we may do a bus trip there.

Seems here in Austria there is a reluctance to change so they still smoke indoors in pubs, cafes & restaurants. Not great as he was smoking as well but we were the only ones there. I had poked my head into a pub across the road earlier and nearly got instant lung cancer! Apparently only smokers frequent pubs here as it is not nice for non smokers. If the establishment is under 50m3 then they don’t have to have separate areas. If over they have a smoking & non smoking areas but unfortunatly they are both in the same room so WTF! We find this a bit backward but smoking and drinking is part of their culture. Wouldn’t think that is great for tourism. We finally get back to the van in the rain, we forgot our raincoats, and I start a late tea so it is a late feed and a late nite but we have decided that we will stay here and relax tomorrow maybe go for a quick pm visit to Vienna.

SUNDAY 11 Oct

It is a luxury to sleep in with no pressure to move on. The rain is falling which is the perfect motivation to linger dozing. We have a cuppa and brekky and rug up as it is cold outside and go into town to look around the church area. Halfway down the road I regret not wearing my beanie but am grateful for my longjohns. The wind is biting but we climb the stairs to the huge outdoor court and look in the church. It is very ornate and painted beautifully and easy to see why it is highly regarded. We feel we will see a lot of these in Austria along with the castles. We take an elevator down to the shop and café as it is coffee time. However as we walk in we are hit by the cigarette smoke as everyone is smoking and eating. As the area is small there is no non smoking area but it would be as useless as Christ without a cross and this is no divey place but a modern café, but even the chef practically has a fag in his mouth while he is working. We shake our head as we sit down but the prices are extreme and the atmosphere horrible so we walk out. We find a café that looks ok so stick our head in and there is no stale stink of cigs so go in for a coffee and cake. On the windows you can see the non smoking sticker which is red or green for smoking, or both. I suppose if the rest of Austria, and we feel Germany, is the same, then we will be looking for the green stickers. So sad that the majority of people, the non smokers, have to put up with it. I would think all the pubs will be for smokers so we won’t be going to them.

We go back past the jumble sale, but it is all over and there is a big argument transpiring and not looking good so we move away. There is a large truck parked outside and it appears they are packing up all the unsold items in this truck that is marked Hungary and we believe it is all going to help the refugees. In fact there are a few of them helping to load all the items onto the truck.

We wonder around a bit, decide not to go to Vienna, then head back to the van to get warm and relax. We already have tea made from last nite so relaxing it will be. We did have a weird encounter as we walked back to the campsite, a fellow seemed to be following us from the town and kept following us as we entered the camp. We stopped at the little shop and he kind of walked past, stopped, looked around and then walked out of the campsite again. I don’t know what he was doing but I didn’t get a good feeling about him when I saw him in the town. It just pays to keep your eyes and ears open when walking around to see what is what. We have done some window shopping as there are no shops allowed to open on Sunday due to the Catholic church, and we feel that Austria is way more expensive than we experienced in Norway. At least in Norway when we bought a coffee it was about the same price as Australia. Today my cappuccino cost $7.20 and it was very little and far too expensive for my liking. So if there are any refugees staying in this country I have no idea how they can afford to live let alone even exist.

Monday 12 October

VIENNA

We don’t wake up early enough as usual but it is snug in bed and bloody cold outside. However we have a hot drink and after a shower do the short distance to catch the bus and then the train. The bus part is easy as there is only a couple and though we were told to take the 239 we take the 238 which is going to the station. The bus is full as commuters are off to work. We buy our tickets for the train and try to find the right line. The display is confusing but figure it is line 2 but when we go up the stairs it is outside and we are meant to take the underground. So, thanking god I listen to Vicki in this situation, she says that it doesn’t feel right even though a train is approaching. The part that convinces here is that there is one kid on the platform which doesn’t click when it is supposed to be going to the city centre. So we ask the ticket guy and he steers us to U4 which is what we were told to look for. We are soon in the main part of Vienna so we step into about 6deg and a cold breeze making it feel like zero. We are rugged up and sort of warm but after walking for a few minutes we spy a McCafe so decide on a coffee and get our bearings with the tablet. Again I am amazed at the fact I have been in more maccas in the last 6 months than in a hundred past lifetimes but really the coffee is very good and half the price and twice the quantity as other cafes, especially in Austria where it is quite expensive. For example a big mac which would cost about $3.45aus costs around $3.95euro ($8aus). In Belgium it would have cost the equivalent of $1.50aus, and remember they are exactly the same. We won’t be dining out much here as in comparison a lunch here would cost us 4 nites camping costs. It is sort of a ratio thing of where our priorities have to be.

Anyway we walk around and the buildings are the biggest and best we have seen on average obviously a lot of money around in the past and everything on a grand scale. It doesn’t have the quaintness of some of the other cities we have seen in the so called old town parts. Instead of lots of smaller bunched up buildings there are less but more grandiose architecture. The churches are huge and the museums, libraries and government buildings are massive and surrounded by wide open parks and courtyards with very ornate and elaborate monuments and statues. The craftwork of these are very impressive as they are intricate and detailed. Lots of lions, naked ladies & cherubs, with soldiers on horses or in fighting pose with serpents and dragons. We have our van made lunch (filled rolls) just as the sun finally comes out and the day warms by a couple of degrees but still bitter in the wind. We are on the steps of a museum with neat views and love the fact that we eat at a different vista every day. Not a bad lunchroom at all! We find ourselves in the popular market square area and it is streets of Prada, Tiffiny’s, Boss, channel etc and, like many others, an exquisite chocolate shop where we only want to take photos. Very expensive and up market but great window shopping. There are no beggars here that we can see they are probably pushed along. At the end of the square is the most magnificent church we have seen. Intricately twin spired with a beautiful coloured tiled roof. Part of it is under renovation but they have a habit here of making the scaffold safety mesh covering look the same as that part of the church so photos don’t look as bad. Very clever. We look inside and that is as impressive as the outside. Lots of painted areas and huge columns. I know you can get sick of ABC’s (another bloody church) but they still blow us away with the workmanship and dedication that they have for god. Not sure if the slave labour or the many that perished building them shared the same view but who are we to judge. We leave the church and straightaway we are hassled by people trying to sell tickets to the Mozart opera at 6.15 but even though we are offered 2 for 1 tickets which is great value we are just too cold and tired, my shoulder is killing me and we just want to go home to a warm van and hot soup. We will consider it tomorrow.

We arrive back at the van cook tea and relax but then start having problems with the power cutting out and having to reset the switch on the camp power supply. At the same time it dims the lights when we put the power back on. Our small overhead lights are also dim and this is where we had the fuse popping off in the van which is doing it again. So we take that fuse out as we still have our main lights. Vicki has for the first time put back on the water heating so maybe that is the problem. So we turned that off. Nothing more happens but now have to look at finding an auto electrician to check it out. The last thing we need with the weather starting to get seriously cold is to have problems with the electricity supply.

We are supposed to wake up early and get into town but it is overcast and very cold. We have had the heater on all night which we haven’t done since England. We get to the showers anyway and get a move on into the city. It is 11am by the time we get there and haven’t worked out what area we have left to see today so again sit for a coffee and work it out. We head to the new streets and check out the other buildings, statues etc that we haven’t yet seen. They are as grandiose as all the others we have seen but still beautiful and worthwhile seeing. Nothing here is done on a small scale. We find we are walking some of the same streets as yesterday which is fine as they are great to see. We initially thought the temp was better than yesterday but the wind chill is horribly bitter and although we have more clothes on than yesterday still find it very cold. It’s strange because when we were in Dunedin in June it was -3 but it didn’t feel as cold as it does here. Maybe we didn’t have the biting wind when we were in Dunedin. If we are going to be in colder temps than this I think we need to buy much warmer clothes. As we walk we see there are indeed beggars in this city and more than we have seen for a long time. Maybe yesterday was their day off, but they are seriously everywhere and they make us laugh as they all try to invent something different to get the attention and sympathy of anyone who will give them half a thought. We do indeed feel sorry for a lot of them as they are not like the gypsy beggars who always look like they need to go on a diet rather than be in need of a good meal, but if you give to one where do you stop.

It is hard today to know where to stop and eat your lunch as it is so cold outside but we end up sitting on a seat in the middle of a mall. We get approached by a beggar whilst eating, but we think why would you approach someone who appears poorby enough that they are eating their own home made lunch rather than someone who has just come out of a restaurant and obviously has money. Anyway, the pigeons prosper from a few crumbs from our sandwiches and they had mangled feet too. We are still feeling cold so we head to have another coffee to warm up again. As we go to leave there we go down to the toilets and there is an older American woman carrying on about some nasty man pushing in front of her and she lost her coin – how hilarious. She was still going on about it after she had left the toilet and was going up the stairs outside.

We wander for a bit more and after another hour we head into a shop for a bit of inside window shopping and warmth. It is interesting to have a look at the clothes on this side of the world and see the prices in each country. This dept store has beautiful cashmere jumpers for males and females and they are tempting, but in any country cashmere is not cheap so we pass by. We check out the warm jackets and one brand Paul and Shark had a jacket that looked nice, but not quite the 1200euro price tag that it had. I think we had better steer away from that side of the store and stick with the cheaper brands. We had thought it would be nice to go to the Vienna orchestra show that we passed on last night so we head down towards the church where the fellas were hassling people but after getting there we are again too cold and tired to be bothered which is a shame but we also believe the show isn’t on until 8pm tonight and that is just way too late. We have sussed out an auto electrician in Vienna that we need to visit early tomorrow morning so it is better that we head home for an early night and fill the water etc for leaving tomorrow. The train and bus are easy and we get back in no time at all.

We check out the lights after putting the fuse back in and as we thought would happen – it all works fine, Murphy’s law. Who knows what is going on, but as Scot checks out a t-shirt he has on the floor he realises that it is warm and the floor light that for some reason was on, has burnt a hole in his shirt and lucky it hadn’t gone on fire. Crap. When Scot looks at the light it has overheated (it hasn’t been on long since the fuse was out) and is melting the plastic around it. What else. We decide we still need to get up early and head to the auto electrician and get him to check the electrics as even though we had them checked in England it deserves another check and peace of mind plus the leisure batteries are not holding a charge well so they need looking at and perhaps replacement. Not really the kind of thing you want to do in a country that is expensive but you can’t play with electricity.

Our plan after we get things checked out if we can, is to head from Klosterneuberg around to the west following the Danube river which is supposed to be a very beautiful part of Austria filled with castles etc, so hopefully we will still be on track to drive some of that tomorrow.

Scot managed to find some Kiwi lamb chops in the supermarket at Tesco so his dinner tonight was a reminder of homeland being his first lamb for many months.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

Tuesday 6 October

The day is fine although very misty when we get up and we think it will take some time for the mist to lift. We head down to the bus stop after getting bus tickets from Marta as we have no forints at this stage. Our stop is actually the last stop of this bus’s journey and also the start of the next trip so the bus is empty when we get on. As we travel the next 20 minutes of our journey the bus fills and we pass numerous road works locations. It seems they are doing major works all over this part of the city known as Buda – the part on the hill. The whole market square has been dug up at Csaba utca (we pronounce it chubba utza) our get off stop and is a huge mess. It is always a little difficult when arriving in a new city to start getting the feel of where things are and today is no different. We wander off to where we think is towards the large castle area on the map but feel like we are getting lost so we end up heading towards the river(after we have had a coffee & treat as we now know that it is better that way) which is always a great central point to get your bearings on. We finally arrive at the focal point of the Buda side ( the other side of the river is the Pest side) and wander around the old castle and environs. Luckily there are not too many tourists and so it is easy to look around and wonder at the beautiful architecture and views. However we find that some of the best views you have to pay to get onto, mainly the walled walkways, but in some places kiwi ingenuity comes to the fore and we just climb over the rope and have the vista to ourselves. This is near restaurants and they are not open yet. As we move on we see that other tourists are following suit but they will get told to move on not us.

It is up here that you realise that Budapest is very large and spread out and unlike the other cities we have visited there is no way that we can walk round and see enough. Unlike Paris, in our experience, where it is enough to explore around the main centre to see most of the important sites here they are widespread. The panorama is fantastic and unfortunatly even at midday the fog is low and though erringly beautiful does restrict the view a bit. We continue our meanderings as really up here the whole area is the attraction and though there are mainly spectacular churches and cathedrals there are still interesting buildings and consulates. We are now on the opposite side of the Pest vista (towards the modern city) and not as interesting so we walk back down the side roads and looked at the shops. We arrive at the end of the castle hill area and there are remnant foundations of the old church maybe 11^th century so we really feel we are stepping around ancient history. This end, as we approach it seems to have been rebuilt with staircases, battlements and walkways in the old style but with modern touches such as rusted iron walls that enclose stairs and even elevators. Very well done and, along with new stone stairs & features, trees and hanging vines matches the old original work.

There are amazing statues, both old and modern but somehow they all seem to blend in and complement each other. We continued walking around the bottom of the hill area and spied the Hop On Hop Off buses that are in all major cities. These are great for being able to see the sights and attractions with the added bonus of getting off and looking around then getting back on half an hour later and continuing the sequence. There is a red & yellow route which goes different places but do meet so you can swap. We haven’t needed to do this in other cities as they have been small enough to wander for a day or two but as it is vast here in comparison we decided to get a 48 hour pass, and given we get it late afternoon it is good value at $30aud. Plus we know the weather is going to be wet so seems a good option. We got on the red line to have a look over the river to the Pest side, and got off where the yellow line intersects so it was quicker to get our bus back to the camp. The Last yellow bus was 5.35 so off we got and the lady says you have 2 minutes to get it over there, wherever ‘over there’ was as there were roads & tramlines everywhere we couldn’t find a way under the road till we were further along. We found the stop but 15 minutes later we realised that was it for the day so had to walk the 4kms back to our not yet known bus stop. But lady luck was on our side and we literally got to the stop as the bus turned up. As we didn’t know we had to punch our tickets we got to use them again. I have to mention here I am constantly amazed at Vicki’s sense of direction as I get hopelessly lost (yes even in the camping ground!) and time and time again she finds our way. I have never had any sense of direction ever, so find this a godsend. Needless to say I have learned not to argue about where we are as the 1-100 time I am correct it is not worth it. We get home tired and find that we are not alone as a young Dutch couple have arrived and we say hello but too late now to chat so we have tea (tofu and veges with left-over chicken casserole.

Happy birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me 56 today Born 7/10/1959

I wake up to the beautiful sound of light rain on the roof of the van (Morrison) and the call of the local robin in the tree outside. Apparently the other robins have gone but this one has remained, probably to protect the territory and wait for spring when his mates return. Vicki makes me breakfast in bed which although I have breakfast in bed every morning and it is toast with honey and banana I feel privileged to be here at this time of my life with such a wonderful wife. Unfortunately time is of the essence and there is no time to wallow in Libra pig heaven so up and showered and on to the bus to get the first hop on bus(yellow line) which will take us part way around the city for the ultimate destination of the Gellert Thermal Spa for a soak and hopefully a Thai massage for my birthday present. We arrive at what we think is the stop but too hard to find with all the road works so walk to the next stop. Unfortunatly this is by the famous chain bridge so packed with bloody tourists but we have no choice so get on right at the back of the bus. Some of the buses are double deckers which is great when the weather is fine (it is raining) but this one is one level. We have headphones in your language so you can listen to a commentary as you go along explaining the buildings and history. Or if no commentary, classical music which, given the heat in the full bus with no ventilation will put you to sleep anyway. The stifling atmosphere is too much so we get off close to the bridge we need to cross to get to the baths. This is along from the castle hill from yesterday but is too far to walk from our get off bus from camp hence the HOHO bus. We stop for a welcome coffee and cake then off to relax. It is crazy how we pass so many neat bars, cafes and restaurants in the morning when they are un-needed then later on bugger if we can find anything. That bloody Murphy has a lot to answer to. We walk up towards the thermal baths but decide to have a look around the food market which is just across the bridge before we have our afternoon of relaxation. We wander around the market looking at all the stalls which are a little like Tallinn food market but very much smaller. They have fresh foods, mostly fruit and veges with a little fish and meat and dried fruits and nuts, plus lots of dried chillies. Upstairs we were told they have cooked food, so we head up to have a bite to eat. It is completely packed and we try to suss out the food. It is expensive as you would expect as the only people eating here we think are tourists. We choose this strange looking pizza style bread but it looks more like a donut bread and top it with sour cream, cheese, tomato and mozzarella. It’s very different but ok. We finish up here and head over the bridge towards the baths.

The Gellert Thermal Baths have been around for over a hundred years and are a bit like the Rotorua pools in New Zealand without the sulphur smell. They were partly bombed and destroyed during WW2 but been rebuilt. They are very ornate and feature a swimming pool and 4 hot pools from 36-40c along with a steam room, plunge pool and large outdoor wave pool and sauna. It is part of a hotel so quite large and beautifully laid out. I can imagine the rich and famous here (which we were for a short time). I am sure by the looks I got in my speedos they thought I was George Clooney. It wasn’t hard to look trim for an oldie(remember 56 now) but compared to a lot there I was pretty buff! We had a great soak, they have a stem room where it is 45c and so hot that you walk in and it takes your breath away and you sweat profusely. Then it is in the 18c plunge pool that feels like 4c then back into the 40c hot pool so your whole body tingles. Fantastic. Then up to the top outside deck for a beer as the sun is out then back for another hour soak and a dozen lengths in the swim pool though I am not feeling the least energetic by now. But I need this to loosen up the muscles in my shoulders that have been pummelled by the massage from a not so good Thai but have helped a little. What I would give for my physio Scott in Brissie right now. The other people frequenting the spa are interesting and varied. There are old and young (but not under 14 as this isn’t recommended) and there are very large girls in very small bikinis with g-string pants and the old and wrinklies including elderly males with shorts that let it all hang out. Sometimes it is better to not look too closely at the other visitors as you never know what might hit you in the face. Apparently if you choose to change and use a locker although there are male and female ones the areas are not cordoned off and it is easy to lose your direction and wander into the other area of naked or semi naked males/females.

We reluctantly leave paradise and walked back across the bridge to find a nice place to eat. As mentioned earlier we always struggle to find a nice place to dine and get disappointed. We went to the restaurant district we saw the day before but with limited knowledge of the area we are attacked by restaurant staff trying to drag you into their establishment when all we are trying to do is read the menu. At one stage Vicki told the chap to leave us alone so we could read the menu but he wouldn’t stop so when she explained that we do not like being hassled he huffed off quite rudely.

Stuff him.

So we got out of that area (you will recognise it, it is where they have photos of all their dishes yuk) big money for crap. We finally went into a place on the river after being sort of railroaded again but by now it was getting late, we are mindful of not missing our last bus, we are weary from 5 hours in hot pools and have what feel like 30kg backpacks with wet towels on our shoulders so give in and go in. The menu is pretty boring and she is pressuring us what we want to drink as I think they think once you get a drink you are committed to stay. In the past my kiwi nature would make me stay but I said to Vicki I am not doing this for my BIRTHDAY!!! So we politely say there is nothing on the menu that we fancy and leave. Easy really.

Just down the road we spot a spanking smart restaurant with amazing views of the castle all lit up. We see it is a Marriot but look at the menu anyway. The menu is what I would call exquisite and I would have any of it unlike the one we had just been in where there might have been one dish. Vicki says bugger it it’s your birthday and we are going in and really if price is an issue it is only a bit more than the other restaurant we have just left. We feel a bit daggy in our walking clothes not suits( well it is our business suit) and are taken to a table. Straight away the difference is palpable. We are made to feel special and order drinks, beer for me and a Hungarian sparkly for Vicki. I have ribeye & Vicki Salmon. This is literally the first steak I have had for months and it is the best I have ever had. We shared sides of mashed potato, creamed spinach and mushrooms. Absolutely delicious. The manager came and said hello and was happy to be part of my birthday and was intrigued to hear about our trip. We had a good chat then we had another drink so very full that only a top meal can give. Then the manager came over with a special complimentary desert with candle in it for my birthday and along with the waiter wished me a happy birthday. What a surprise! Vicki had gone over earlier on the pretence of finding where the toilette was but when she enquired of the chance of something small for me cake wise he said it was already under control.

Out it came, the chefs signature dish, a crepe with warm custard and a tasty plum conserve. To die for and on the house. What a wonderful gesture and greatly appreciated as we can’t do this option on our budget often. We were so full when we left as we waddled down the street and appreciative that we felt fulfilled and not underwhelmed if we had not stood firm and moved on to the correct destination.

Again we passed some cute little bars on the way to the bus but definitely tomorrow nite as we are knackered and want to get home. Again the bus arrives just as we get to the stop-thank you lady luck- and we finally walk the last 250m up hill to the camp to a well earned sleep. This is not a birthday I will ever forget and so happy to spend it with the love of my life.

DAY AFTER MY BIRTHDAY 8 October

Back to normality but hey I still get to have breakfast in bed though I have to make it myself for another year (He mostly has his tea made by me though…V). Again we get the early bus to get on the yellow bus to see more of the Pest side and hoping for lunch at the restaurant/café where we had coffee yesterday morning as their menu looked good. The bus was pretty empty though I can’t see why the rain should keep the tourists away when there are buses to transport you around. Maybe Thursday is not Tourist Bus Day. Happily along with the emptyish bus there is less fug in the atmosphere and a little more enjoyable as the windows don’t fog up as much and you can still take some photos. Even though not ideal it is better than walking miles in the rain though it is light and not really troublesome. Anyway there are less Asians on the bus today(now on the red bus) and because the headphones are on the required language you can see where the other tourists are from. Mind you they might be confused if they are doing the same and I have decided to listen to the French commentary cos I am bored. Boy you can really f**k with people’s heads. We get off at the Hero’s Square which I assume worships their hero’s. No Richie McCaw or Sir Richard Hadlee here just past real He Men. The monuments are very grand and one won an award at the 1900 Paris Exhibition. Beautiful bronze work which makes you wonder where the artisans are these days as the modern ones are a lot less impressive. After standing in the rain for 20 minutes it is back on the red bus and off at 3 stops later to have lunch. You would not want to be colour blind here otherwise you would get on the wrong bus! It is actually good to get off the bus as you hear people sneezing and coughing and with people wearing the same headphones and they don’t get cleaned, you get the feeling you could easily pick up tourist germs that will result in flu or a virus.

We haven’t had coffee yet today so we walk along and check out the cafes. We find one that doesn’t seem too bad and have a coffee and cake to share. Only small cups of coffee though and not very hot. That seems to be a bit of a trend here and we prefer our larger cups of coffee that we are lucky to get from time to time. We have a wander around and decide to head in a different direction where we haven’t been on this Pest side. We pass by a hair dresser that is touting 1490huf (about Aud$8) for a haircut so we go in and Scot decides to have his haircut. Even though it is cheap you think they should still be trained hairdressers. 20 minutes later Scot’s hair is done and looks great, why can’t all hairdressers be this cheap! We do give the lady a tip as we have often done in Hungary as they are quite poor people and even a small tip from us may be quite a bit to them. Scot is now feeling the cool air on his head and although glad to have had a cut feels he should have his beanie on to keep his head warmer.

It is getting on to lunch time so we walk around trying to find a café for lunch – we didn’t bring our sandwiches today as I reckon Scot should have some goulash before we leave here. We end up walking down that dreaded tourist café street and ignore the multitude of hasslers vying for our custom. We find the café we had coffee at yesterday and decide to try the one next door for lunch. Scot does have his goulash and I have pasta. They give him a big pot of chilli salsa to add to the goulash as Hungarian food is generally very spicy. After lunch (which is actually quite late – like about 3.30pm) we decide to get back on the yellow bus to do the last of the stops we have missed and get off where we saw some raspberries for sale as I need some more for my breakfast. I have managed to find fresh raspberries now for over 6 months and am not looking forward to the day that I can’t find any. The bus picks us up and as it’s raining it is damp inside. The windows overhead are not in good shape and tend to leak and those in the passenger seats get dripped on, so Scot sits on the other side of the aisle from me so we both stay relatively dry. I get my raspberries and we head off towards our bus home. We get very tired after doing cities and it is getting dark so home sounds good. Scot wants to have a beer at one of the little bars we passed yesterday but we aren’t walking that street tonight so we try to find another one on the way. As per usual we can’t find a single place to have a drink so head to the bus stop. I tell Scot to check around the corner from the bus and voila there is a lovely Galleria wine bar which we head into. We have a drink and the guy makes us a little cheese nibble platter to have with it. Really nice and a fitting end to our Hungary stay. We get the bus back and later that night another camper turns up. In the morning we find out they are Brazilian and they are touring the world for 2 years. Yes you heard right. We thought we were doing a lot, but they shipped their 4wd from Brazil over to America, toured there and then shipped it to Germany where they commenced doing Europe. They have one of those unusual tents that they put on top of their car. It sounds funny but it obviously has a hard floor and a ladder to get down. They are a lovely young couple and we have a chat before they head off into the city and we pack up to leave. They give us a sticker they have had made which has website on it so we can hopefully catch up down the track, possibly Croatia. It has been a lovely stay and we are very grateful to Marta who has done our washing for us and hung it up inside her house to dry as she doesn’t have a dryer. I am grateful as I was virtually out of undies and I wasn’t prepared to re-use or turn inside out to get another wear out of them as Scot does.