pics #823 - #866

Saturday April 9th - White Lunar Worldbridger
Leaving Sekier, a place where I have being back to a simpler and meaningful lifestyle, a place of inspiration: everything is possible, just try and learn through practice. In the path down to Podsekier, the bicycle wants to go down on his own, in such a case I always remind the hard time I have going up, wondering what's best, up? down? flat? Anyway, as I leave now, the best is to go down. Beri, the dog who guided me at my arrival follows me from Podsekier and runs after me. At great speed on the asphalt road, I lose him from sight pretty soon. The wind blows from North West, which is my general direction today, I take a last detour before Budapest, in the direction of Banská Štiavnica. The road goes up to this city, built high by the side of a mountain. Banská means mine, this city played a major role in the development of the area. In a field, I plant the tent behind a small hedgerow which protects me from the wind.

           Beri the dog

          

Sunday April 10th - Blue Electric Hand
The wind keeps blowing while I visit the city of Banská Štiavnica, looking quite nice, but how tiring! I am still cycling in mountains, slowly up but enjoying nice downhills. And a last long downhill toward the plain, very pleasant moment: the wind in my hair, the warm sun on my skin. In the distance on my left, a ridge of hills: it's Hungary. Spring is fully expressing, trees in flowers, leaves of this fresh green color that celebrates the nourishing sun. There are house in the rocks near Brhlovce, but I will not see much more than a door in the cliff. And I have the idea to fix the Rolhoff-hub to be able to use all 14 speed, even if it is not necessary. Consequence, I lose a small screw and some time. It reminds me of a saying of my past career as a sitting-behind-a-computer: "if it is not broken, do not fix it". Back on the road, the plain is now full of wide fields with little hedgerows. Intensive farming. I find a great place to camp, in a filed really flat, with dry earth, that is perfect to practice yoga. The sun goes down over the hill, the singing of birds is followed by frogs after dusk.

           Monastery near Banská Štiavnica

           Blossoming spring

           Brhlovce

Monday April 11th - Yellow Self-Existing Seed
The morning is rather fresh in the field. My road gets me closer to the hills of the Hungarian side. I ride between two rivers, the Hron and the Ispel. Passed a few hills, I meet again the wide river Danube. Call it Dunaj in Magyar-hungarian-. I finish my euros in the Slovak city of Šturovo and crosses the bridge to Esztergom, entering Hungary were I have lunch for thousands of florints. On a rock is a huge basilica, looking massive from close. By the side of the river, I find back the Eurovelo-6, a bicycle track that joins Nantes in Bretagne, to Constanta in Romania. I could get to Budapest in the evening, but I choose to relax instead. I find a nice camping spot, up a hill, totally off road. I have to go up and down three times to get all my stuff up. By night, the orange glow in the darkness shows the proximity of the big city.

           View from the tent

           Esztergom: Basilica

           Again by the river Dunaj

Tuesday April 12th - Red Overtone Moon
I get back from the off-road to the road through forest paths. I ride in roads exploited for the woods, where it is clearly indicated to cyclist not to go faster than 30 kmph. I wish there were no speed controls, because I do not like using my brakes. It is hot, and the covered sky starts pouring rain for a little bit - just at the time I stopped to practice Asanas! So back on the Panzer-farrhad and down to the Dunaj. Then it simply goes flat, southward to Budapest, passing next to different islands. In Hungarian, islands is sziget, on one of those the renowned Sziget festival is held... here I am for one other moralizing episode. How many young European travel from far -thus pollute- just for that, just for fun, unaware of consequences. Besides, for what I have seen from summer festivals, the quantity of waste is astonishing, check the areas after the 'enjoyers' are gone. When I see older people not taking care of the environment, well in the end, they'll be gone by the time it gets really tough, but our generation? And what about the next generations? Are we so egoist? Is it: pleasure right now and cheap please, and forget about tomorrow's decay?


          

I meet with my host Adam in the center of Budapest and we go to meet friends in a pub, there I cannot avoid the classic questions about my trip, I find that answering is so meaningless compared to the experience. By receiving hints about yoga studios where I could teach, I am ready for exploring tomorrow. We then up to Adam place, riding up on the Buda-side of the city, it is hilly and as you can guess not wisely bike-friendly. But there is the biggest Critical Mass in Europe on the 30th of April I will certainly stay until that time.