Bratislava to Gyor

We started the day with apprehension, not knowing what to expect after experiencing some rugged bike paths and having to share the roads with cars yesterday. That and while our hotel in Bratislava was nice, it was in a sketch part of town. The apprehension dissipated quickly once we linked up with the cycle paths today. We followed Euro Velo 6 a good portion of the day today. (The Euro Velo’s are major cycle routes across Europe. ) While we had some tree root bumps today it was not as severe as yesterday’s Iron Curtain trail and we quickly set into to a 24-26 km/h pace through the Slovakia and Hungary countryside. Our route today had an option to take a train into Gyor after ~35km, but we opted to cycle the remaining 45 km making today’s total so close to 82 km. The temperatures were much hotter today with temps topping out at 91 degrees or so. For us whimps from Sequim, 90+ is hot!

The path today was hot and dry. It reminded me a bit of the Meseta in Spain. Hot, dry, flat and farmland. We cycled relentlessly through corn and sunflower fields all dried and ready for harvest. The views while pleasant did not change much so the monotony set in. And so we cycled on, still thrilled to be here and enjoying the journey.

We arrived in Gyor and were delighted to see this city of character. It’s not a huge city, nor is it a village. After passing through the core district, we located our hotel, which is a former Carmelites monastery and stored our bikes in the inner courtyard and found our room. Imagine our surprise to find our room has AC! After washing the road grime off of us, we discovered we were nearby a laundry-mat and set out get that chore done.

With laundry done, we set out for dinner, and took the recommendation from the hotel to visit a nearby restaurant. The reviews for the place were excellent and it just being around the corner made the decision that much easier. We were not disappointed! Lori had grilled Salmon and I had the premium steak. The food was exceptional, perhaps one of the best meals we have had on this trip. We closed out the check for a meager $62.58 including tip. The USD still goes a long way in Hungary.

This town seems so quaint and we wish we had more time to see and explore it. Such a contrast to how we started the day with apprehension. We look forward to what tomorrow brings us.