DAY TWENTY ONE… 55 miles (88 km)
The skies are clear but everything is damp or wet (tent, groundsheet etc) after a wild thunderstorm just as we were cooking our supper last night. The paths around the campsite are flooded and there are enormous puddles everywhere. The skies literally opened for a massive deluge. We ended up cooking in a little concrete corridor as this was the only dry spot on the campsite. I rescued some washing belonging to a French couple we had chatted with and they were highly grateful. Strange how such a small act can really warm the heart. Again, a very unrestful night. The bar sounds went on past midnight, and then, at 4am a load of people came by, laughing very loudly and as if on some drugs. We are not sad to be leaving this campsite !
Another wet start. Everything was still very wet. We had planned a route involving a number of ferry crossings but the first ferry crossing was not like the one in Austria, rushing across the river to get us as soon as it saw us. This one could see us all right, but it only crossed every hour , so we waited patiently for a while and then gave up and went on to the next crossing.
This meant a lot of our journey was on busy roads. As we approached Budapest, there was a long off-road section, some quite rough, on mud tracks which had been heavily used and were rutted.
Our first view of Budapest was of the parliament building, and the bridges. All the buildings look magnificent. Much of the architecture is designed by “Gaudi of Hungary,” Architect Ödön Lechner, in a glorious Art Nouveau style, with many other buildings seeming to be built around the 1850’s.
We arrived at our little apartment about 7pm, just as it was getting dark, to find a large group of Scottish lads. We feared a night worse than the campsite, if that was humanly possible, but thankfully they were post stag party and on their way back home.
It was fantastic to be in our apartment. It had everything we had been missing. Three beds! A cooker, fridge, kettle, and table and chairs. We were in heaven! We had a quick drink in a local pub. All very cheap, to celebrate our goal of getting to Budapest, but rather earlier than expected!!