Tag: budapest

El Camino Trip Eve

by Adam Imre Hegedus, posted in El Camino Trip 2019

I am happy to share that the as my spontaneous trips, now all of my paperwork is done just one day before start, and I am definitely ready to start my new journey.

Please follow me during my trip to Croatia first, then Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. I just get on a ferry and I am already in Africa, where I am really keen on meeting new people and culture.
Atlas Mountains, I am ready to see You!
Please comment and share you opinion with us.
#alwaysonroad #adam

Day 1 – Budapest, Hungary – Otocac, Croatia

by Adam Imre Hegedus, posted in Dubrovnik Round Trip 2018

As you may have expected, I was late in the morning, but who cares, I am on holiday. I packed slowly everything into my drybag and into the rear box, and just left home as on any other day – say hello to the neighbors, looking at running people to the bus, but I am heading to somewhere else. 😀

I got on my MT09 and got on the motorway to reduce the time to get to Croatia.
As usual, this is not exciting at all, just we need to get through Hungary as soon as possible.
Now I am more experienced, my papers and credit card are prepared to be checked or used, so the border check was quick, and I could easily start my drive in Croatia. I get down from the motorway to see the Croatian countryside, and obviously have lunch immediately. 

I arrived to Zagreb, Croatia around 5PM, and it was enough from motorway, already 350 km, therefore I just used my brand new TomTop Rider 500 to drive me to Otocac, Croatia where my Airbnb room is. It asked my how much elevation change and sinuous road I would like. Give me all you can provide.
Oh, oh.
I always used my Waze on phone for GPS, which is brilliant for most cases, but if it’s raining, using it is a pain. Waze is smart enough to suggest mostly used roads to ride, while TomTom GPS give you a single plan using all existing road. And here is the problem. TomTom engineers has different opinion about unpaved roads, than me and Waze. I disabled unpaved road, but if the road is already not asphalted, then is it unpaved or not? Never mind. The environment, the fields were beautiful, although I could not drive as fast as TomTom expected. After 1.5 hour riding on unknown roads i felt that it is getting colder by sunset, and I didn’t get closer to my host as I expected, therefore I put on my raincoat (not to become frozen) and got back to motorway.
It was dropped from 18 degree to 5 degree in 3 hours, come on! Noone and nothing can help you on a naked bike without any windshield around 5 degree, and you still have 30 km. That was my worst 30 km ever I rode, when I bought my first own Aprilia RS125 on New Years Eve 2015, it was much warmer. 

I arrived to the host at 9PM, but first I couldn’t find anyone there, so I was shocked. I called them, and finally they came ove4vto the house which is a separate house with 4 apartments. How lovely host, they have already prepared me a plate of delicious welcome meal (bacon, local sausage, local cheese, etc.).
The whole house was mine, awesome, I know where to come with my friends later, top host, top house.

Preparation – 1 day before leave :)

by Adam Imre Hegedus, posted in Dubrovnik Round Trip 2018

Another spontaneous trip of mine, on Friday morning I just felt how goot it would be to eat some Calamari again, therefore I just managed one day off for Monday, and started my trip back to Senj area on the other day. 😀

Calamari (Croatia)

In the evening I was thinking I had already been to Croatia this year, therefore I need something new, visit a new place and get more experiences. I was just watching my map, and decided to go further than before to south. Found! The destination need to be Dubrovnik, Croatia..

At this point I didn’t know anything about this beautiful town on seacoat, and the only thing I knew is that I need to follow the coastline, and once I will get there.

Never mind. The only thing what I had to organize for the other day is the accomodation. As it is aourd 5-10°C in the morning, I am not able to sleep in a tent. 😀

I could successfully manage my rooms via Airbnb, quickly buy insurance online, and went to sleep (allow myself pack all stuff in the morning :-D).

Day 17 – Kraków, Poland – Poprad, Slovakia – JósvafÅ‘, Hungary – Budapest, Hungary

by Adam Imre Hegedus, posted in Europe Trip 2018

I didn’t get up early, because I wanted to enjoy every second of my trip far from home. 🙂
I walked a short around the hotel, and packed my bag and box so lazily. 🙂

I put my bag back to my motorcycle, said goodbye to my room and started my rode to home.
At the beginning to get closer to Zakopane, Poland which is one of the most visited place by Hungarian riders, I went up to the motorway.

The road was very nice and serpent-like. I arrived to Zakopane area and I had to rode within smaller villages where they were repairing the roads, so it was a mass. In additional, even the sky was so clear during my ride here, I saw a so dark could especially above the mountain next to Zakopane, Poland.

I stopped in a Shell petrol station in Zakopane, Poland, where I decided to put on my raincoat, and started my road on the serpentines. Soon I had to be disappointed, the Road Oswalda Balzera was closed due to the raining in the mountain. No way, the best part of the area is not available. I had to do a bypass to get to Road 66, but that’s why I could get off the raincoat immediately. It was so hot, within the raincoat it was around 37°C without any rain on my way, so I was so happy to take off.

I arrived to the border of Slovakia at a small steam near Lysa Polana, Poland, it was so nice and continued my trip to area of Poprad, Slovakia on Road 66. 🙂

I was really interested in the roads of Slovakia, because I heard a lot about these roads.

 Long and serpent-like roads through the hills around Low Tatras. 🙂

Later I was satisfied with the roads in the mountains, especially loved Road 66 after Poprad, Slovakia. It was so exciting. 😀

In the afternoon I arrived to the border of Hungary in Aggtelek, Hungary, where I felt to be a weight off my mind as arrived back to Hungary, but as well, I was a bit sad, because I arrived home (country), and to be honest, I would have turned back if I could. 😀

Just to continue gathering more and more experiences, I decided to visit JósvafÅ‘, Hungary, I was there about 15 years ago. 🙂 The serpentine was so exciting, I loved it, didn’t remember for this road, but was phenomenal. 😀

Later, I started my road to my hometown, to Miskolc, Hungary. I visited my grandparents, and I got confused soon. In my long journey the only confusion was in Swiebodzice, Poland, where a cat walked back and forth on my motorcycle. I was a bit upset. But the first place where I saw that someone touched my motorbike. I got so upset: “nowhere else, but in my hometown”.

I met my grandparents, they were so happy that I visited them. Anyway, I promised I visit them in July, I did it. :’D

Around 6PM I decided to leave Miskolc, Hungary, and went up to the motorway and rode until Deák Ferenc Square, Budapest, Hungary, which is one of the meeting point for riders in Budapest, Hungary. 🙂 I met some guys there, drunk an energy drink with them, and chat sometime with each other.

Around 9PM I arrived home, and was so proud that I arrived home from a my first long journey around Europe. I decided to do again in next years, because it was a very good challenge.

Arrived home in Budapest after 17 days

Day 1 – Budapest, Hungary – Stiegl, Austria

by Adam Imre Hegedus, posted in Europe Trip 2018

Leaved my home around 10AM, very late, but I felt as I am on holiday I do not really care when I will arrive to the hotel. Everywhere I asked for late check-in (8PM) which was a good idea as I do not need to hurry to anywhere. 🙂

Before I left behind Budapest, I got into Karasna to buy a rainwear for my boots. Just to be safe 😉
Was definitely good idea, needed later 😀

I knew that the area around Budapest is so boring, therefore I just go up to motorway until GyÅ‘r. It was a really good decision as there was no traffic and I could get there by noon, and continued on M86 until Szombathely. It was not interesting, moreover, so boring, simply I just wanted to get over this part as soon as possible. But it is important to mention, that previously I was so comfortable during riding, so when I felt a bit unfocused or tired, I just simply stopped. Just because of this it was around 2-3 PM when I arrived to the border, which was unacceptable to follow.  As my preferred runs around 500 kms daily, it is not a good approach to stop every 50th kilometers, you have to proceed.

Around Szombathely, Hungary I stopped again, last time in Hungary to get my tank full of fuel, but when I slow down a b*tch bug or spider has bitten me on my shoulder through my leather clothe, my skin burned very much. As well, my Fenistel gel was at home, so I will have to buy somewhere. But this couldn’t keep be back, just reminded me to stuffs left home. 🙂

Just arrived to Austria, saw the first signs of Apls when I realized the reality. When I entered to Austria I liked that the speed limit is different from Hungary. 🙂

Based on my experiences in Croatia, I knew that 100 km/h is more than enough for Bend Hunting on serpentines. So I was so confident. 🙂

However I knew that in Austria the cops are so strict within a residential areas (villages, towns). Unfortunately without any signs a policeman in a private car caught me by overtaking him in 70 km/h area on a road at nowhere, outside of any villages. To be honest I rode faster than the limit, I deserved. 😀

“I just arrived to the first country, did not have the chance yet to exchange money, nothing, probably rode 15 km abroad. Come on! I will be a so short journey though.” – thought I.

But I was so prejudiced. 🙂 The policeman was very calm and so friendly. He asked my papers, but when I would have had to open my box (2 secs) to provide my ID card, too, he said easily just “No need”. Not the best English I had ever met, but just started a short discussion and when I mentioned I am on the way to London, he was just surprised and finally smiled. I got a fine with €33 (paid with HUF as did not have Euro yet), and I continued my journey. I had enough time to think it over. I kept the speed limits, or where there was traffic just assimilated into it. If you are not outstanding, you will not be caught again. I was right. In many cases if you are not the top rider you will ride much further than always get onto the beginning of the traffic. 😀

Road to Villach area:
Soboth:
Lavamünd:
And finally Villach:
I had a hotel at Haus Ingeborg in Stiegl. It was a very nice house, and my impression is that it is like a hotel. 🙂 Definitely will come back later when I will visit the area, it is in beautiful area.
When I arrived I started the general process of preparing my motorcycle for the next day, so Chain Lube was packed out and chain was prolonged. 😉 Meanwhile the host came out and welcomed me, and immediately provided me a safe garage to store my motorcycle for the night. I was so happy to keep it safe, so I was not frustrated during night just because of my bike. 🙂
When I went to my private room, Ingeborg just provided me a motorcycle map for best routes around Villach, so I had some stuff to dig into at night. 🙂
I had a shower, and Ingeborg suggested me a really authentic restaurant 5 mins from the place with beautiful view of the village, and the food was also delicious: