Cycling by Lake Balaton, Hungary

After eating breakfast outside in the sunshine, we hopped on our bicycles and off we went for a ride around a small part of Lake Balaton, about 10 km I think.  We packed our Dutch ponchos just in case of rain, as we have learnt to be prepared during the past few weeks.

The first stop was the beach area in front of the town Keszthely.    The water was almost like glass, in the still warm air. 

 Please take note, no red soft shell jacket, and no scarf.   I am finally dressed for summer.

 Walter taking a rest, on the very good cycling track, which apparently goes all the way around the lake, some 200 km or more.

 Time for lunch, and a well deserved beer each.   Mine is the smaller glass of course.   I noticed today that radler means bicycle here and the word for a shandy in German is radler.   No wonder the waiter in Budapest looked at us very strangely when we tried to buy a beer and lemonade and used the word radler.

I must say that the beer hardly hit the sides on the way down.   Lunch was pretty ordinary, stuffed peppers and boiled potatoes for me, and pan fried pork with mushrooms and cheese for Walter.

 And luckily we brought our ponchos otherwise we would have got very wet, as it absolutely poured at about 2 pm, just as we left the restaurant.   I must have looked a sight in my huge bright orange poncho, but at least I was dry.   Walter has a much more sedate colour, dark green.

After a short rest, and a cup of coffee, the sun came out again, so we decided to cycle to the local town, Keszthely, and have a look.   It was on top of a hill, but we made it.  Just slightly puffed.  This town is rated highly in the Lonely Planet 'as a place of grand town houses and a gentle ambiance far removed the lake's tourist hot spots'.

Apparently most of the southern part of the lake contains tacky resorts, whereas the northern side has national parks, quiet beaches and a few pleasant towns.   But Keszthely, on the Western end of the lake, stands out as being very special.   And I can see why.  

The town centre, with the usual Plague Post which every town in Hungary seems to have in place.  

The main street, tree lined, and vehicle free, but with space in the centre for cyclists.  The shops were closed as it was Saturday afternoon.   No all day shopping here, as was the case in every country we have been in so far.

The baroque castle, with a fountain in the front.   There was a wedding feast taking place when we were there.   A lovely setting for a wedding.

 And from the castle grounds a view over part of the town.   Note the communist era housing block on the right, which jars a bit with the picturesque church in the centre.

And then off down the hill, much easier this time, and back along the path, to our motorhome, before the next rain shower.

We have enjoyed our day and a half here, a very pleasant interlude, in a lovely caravan park, beside a peaceful and calm lake.    But I don't think we will rush to move our caravan here.   Lake Balaton does not have quite the same ring about it as the Cote d'Azur.