11 Sunday, 29.5., Tokaj, 88 km

  For the continuation we have two alternatives: to use side roads over hills and along the woods or to use the main road E71 leading just south to the Hungarian border. This would offer the visit of the world famous vine town Tokaj. Because we have a Sunday morning there is not so much traffic and after one hour nice ride along the dead straight autobahn we reach the border. The formalities are no problem like all border crossings in the "New Europe". Beyond the border there is a nice sideroad and a nice rest place at first. At the road we see signs of the Eurovelo organisation, so we are definitely on the right route. Eurovelo develops long distance cycle routes all over Europe, you may ride from the North Cape to Gibraltar if you want. The North Sea Cycle Route is another stretch of those attempts.

Heuhucken

Eurovelo

Boldogkö Varalja

The villages are scenic. Many locals stroll around, the small shops and bars are open. At the left we see a long stretched hill named Zempleny or so and at any time we will have to cross this barrier. Finally a tiny bumpy road leads uphill. After the summit we reach the Hungarian Plane with the river Bodrog.

Zempley

Bus Station

Hay Harvest

There are wide areas under water, a paradise for the storks and other rare kinds of birds. As we later learn there are excursions for ornithologic visitors from all over Europe. May be they use canoes?

Just in front we see a single mountain with a transmitter station on its top, and this is the favourite hill of Tokaj, the Kopasz (Kahlberg) 515 m. At Tokaj we stumble into a vine festival and this town is really the right location fo such an event.

Swimming Meadows at the River Bodrog

Flowers

Weinpresse

Phantasiegebäude

But I saw a pension sign nearby and so I get housed by Mrs. Josefne Kovacs. For 20 EUR there is a roomy residence, room enough for one or more families. Mrs. Josefne is somewhat disappointed that I am one single person. But better one than none... At once I get some cake and a lemonade, so we immediately feel at home.

Tokaj

Mrs. Josefne

Vine Festival

Now let us go to the festival with many vine booths where one can taste various kinds of the famous Tokaj vines. The tourist information is open and I ask for an accommodation on the further route for tomorrow. And the ladies are so kind to phone up at a pension in the village or town named Gergelyiugornya. Better you take a gulp of water in your mouth if you want to pronounce this name. Nearby I find a nice restaurant with a terrace and get a fried trout, upright with some slices of lemon in the kissmouth. Only some single fishbones are remaining.

A walk and we find a lot of restaurants resp. taverns with underneath galleries. The purpose of those galleries is to store the vine supplies and give them this certain aroma by a special fungus (Botrytis Cinera) in this damp climate. The most famous cellar is the Rakoczkikeller and it is said that 24 galleries come together at this place. At the bridge - aboveground again - there is the connection of the rivers Bodrog and Theiss. Nearby a large square, ruled by motor bikers today who demonstrate their power or whatever it will be by much noise and agressive riding.

On the way back I buy two bottles of Tokajer vine as it should be recommended: "2003 Tokaj Muscot Lunel"! I want to delight Mrs. Josefne but stay at the church square for a while to enjoy the animation activities. Those end with the song "Dirty Old Town" which does not seem to be adequate to this town. Back in the pension Mrs. Josefne is waiting already, there seems nothing else to be done for her. She cannot believe that I brought one bottle of vine for her but seems to be pleased about it. But she is not allowed to drink it, her doctor has forbidden such enjoyment. Our conversation is difficult and only works by sign language, drawn sketches or even foreign international phrases. So after the mosquitos get more and more inconvenient I am glad to retire to my room(s), write about the day and consume the other bottle of vine - be sure that I enjoy it so much.

12 Monday, 30.5., Gergelyiugornya, 100 km

After the good breakfast (fried eggs and ham) I start. But at first I fill my empty lemonade bottle at a fountain well in Tokaj like many others do. So I finally can tell you the consumption of a cyclist: 1.5 L Tokaj Water for 60 km. Aside the road we eventually find special cycle paths which was not to expect at this remote region of Hungary.

We finally approach the Rumanian border, the state of my dreams without any content until now. No problems at the border control and along the main road 19A we ride to Satumare. One of its twin towns is Wolfenbüttel, and this is 10 km from my home, what a surprise! Accompanied by some rain showers I look for a hotel in this busy town. Later I recognize that I blindly passed three of them.

I consult the first bankomat (cash machine) and draw 2.500 Lei for now. You must eventually get used wit this strange currency! Because for now I just have 10 EUR. Later I will purchase 4.000.000 Lei - let us spell: 4 Million which are 115 EUR, the highest amount available. But if you are not are too wasteful you can live a week with this cash. Since July of this year they will shorten this currency by 4 Zeros as is to be read by omnipresent posters. Remember those times some years ago in Poland as they were not able to handle those Millions and Milliards of Zloties.

Railway Station

Hello Margot

Meanwhile I find myself near the region of the railway station and just there is the Hotel Casablanca. And I really find a room for 20 EUR payable in EUR which is convenient. And the room is sensational, a large flat, a table and four chairs, a room to feel well. So a shower bath and some laundry activities (the socks always need it...) and then we start to inspect this town. There is some shopping to be done. At first let us look for a bookshop to get an appropriate road map and this is the "Huber-Map" of  the whole country 1:600.000 and very detailed. The other map - the last one in the shelf (Regal) is a map of Transylvania (Szekelyföld, M 1:250.000) with the former German names. This is a stroke of luck to find such a jewel. The maps cost about 3 EUR each and it would be impossible to get those for this prize at home, moreover we would have to carry the weight all the time until now.

Some other business: a telephonecard for the public phone boxes is available for another 3 EUR. I used it four times for a call to Germany and it still was not exhausted. At last I get a city map at a hotel and then let us look for a restaurant. Walking along a guy comes by and asks for some money. But I am not willing to present my thick purse and it needs some time to get rid of this tease (Plagegeist). I find a little fast food restaurant named "Hello Margot" with a nice terrace outside and get my pizza - as usual. As I just consume the last mouthfuls a head appears above the wall and this is the guy from before - now he wants to dine with me. But I can tell you: this is no common problem hereabout, later there will be some few similar situations.
 
Finally we end in our hotel and have much time to study the new maps. Another source is the brochure "Rumaenien per Rad"  (Cycling in Romania) which was available at home. There are various advised cycle routes and now you have to choose this or that of them.

A last view to the railway station just opposite and I recognize the clock showing one hour later. So see, we have entered another time zone meanwhile, have to put the clock 1 hour forward but will not have to suffer from any "jet lag".

Chapter 4: Borsa