Mon 6 Jun 2016. Bratislava (Slovakia), through Szekzard to Szalka (Hungary)

Mon 6 Jun 2016. Bratislava (Slovakia), through Szekzard to Szalka (Hungary)
Washing dried in spite of humidity; emptied toilet cassette, filled drinking water, push button lukewarm shower, keys returned. Down road to shop at Tesco, BoyRob happy to find baked beans, but still no spray oil... Fuelled Ozzie and off by 11am. Turned south towards Gyor. Drove into Hungary, bought Vignette €11.80 (number plate entered on system, video controlled). With the KnowRoaming sim sticker attached, the mobile phone tinkles to let you know there are different charges in new country. Pretty fields of mauve poppies, wheat browning off. Active industry, wind turbines - already looks more prosperous than Slovakia. 

Turned towards Veszprem. Plenty of truck traffic on secondary roads - patched and bumpy. Roadwork delays occasionally. Very few roadside stops, full of rubbish. Pulled off road on small track for lunch wraps of egg and tuna. Heavily agricultural, hawks circling crops. Verdant. Wild flowers. Lots of rain lying in paddocks. Heaps of white downy blossom blown on wind. Deer in crop rows. Met M6 for run to Szekzard, rainstorm looming. Pocket Earth app not working in southern Hungary for some reason. Town uninspiring, couldn't locate tourist info, decided to try campgrounds out of town on lake - what a great choice, cottages with bottom layer decorated in stone (ah, fond memories of Eger!) vines on hills, crops on flats, lake just past Szalka much prettier than town. 

Went for walk along rough/slashed edge, full of tethered dinghies, dragonflies, water lilies, jumping fish, pair of large birds doing well catching them, hidden but loud frogs, ducks - and magic, on dusk, a pair of swans bought out their three half grown cygnets to forage amongst reeds. 

Three men turned up in ute to fish right in front of us (guess we were in their spot) but we each went about our business without interfering with other. These guys used really long thin rods which concertina-ed from a tube, and caught 10 smallish fish before leaving on dark. We had a drink outdoors (BoyRob disgusted to find his beer was non-alcoholic!) and cooked beef patties for dinner with salad. Locals came down from dusk to walk or sit, couples strolling /giggling on uneven ground. Went to bed still marvelling at our find of a perfect campsite and half wondering whether we would be moved on at the 11th hour...

Sun 5 Jun 2016. In Bratislava (Slovakia)

Sun 5 Jun 2016. In Bratislava (Slovakia)
Music pounded all night from late camper who set up their tent near us, until abruptly stopped at 4am - just when birds began to wake up! (sometimes it's a good thing we don't carry a gun). GirlRob was waiting when staff arrived to open reception, insisting she be given key to washing machine. Fortunately the new girl didn't demur. Washed two loads. Given the prospect of further rain today, BoyRob strung crossed lines under awning which was just enough to hang out the washing. Got instructions re #4 tram and bought tickets in reception, said hi to curious horses, and walked up uneven surface of highway overpass. Stood warily waiting at tram stop with it's remnants of night-before drinking session and wobbly participants (even the locals didn't sit on the seats). 

Tram dropped us near Old City, much improved in cleanliness and community respect, no graffiti. Went into Maccas for coffee and wifi, paying some renovation bills at home and topping up debit cards. Tried to FaceTime the little granddaughters in Vancouver and Brisbane, but no luck. Went exploring and saw Town Hall, Roland Fountain (oh - the head didn't revolve for us lovers!) and cute Man at Work statue. 

Caught little red train through narrow cobbled streets seeing St Martin’s Cathedral, hearing about rise of Austro-Hungarian empire, and the crowning of all the Monarchs that led to Bratislava being known as "Coronation City", with its gold crown tiles in streets. 

Coronation city

For lunch shared an entree of goats cheese and radish scallions and herb bruschetta, then a dessert of goats curd balls rolled in dark green something in strawberry liqueur sauce. Yum. So many bald, thickset men pawing younger beautiful women, its appallingly noticeable, and everywhere full of cigarette smoke, so unpleasant. Had just left cafe when down poured torrential rain and hail - cafes and streets cleared unbelievably fast. We sheltered in an alleyway for half hour, it dried up but sun didn't really reappear for rest of afternoon. 

Took energetic walk up hill to see the restored Bratislava Castle, uneven steep granite steps slippery underfoot. Views from battlements were spectacular over flooded brown Danube, fast flowing under SNP bridge (Slovak National Uprising) and the amazing UFO building perched atop it. Even though now painted in pastels, the unbroken panorama of soviet concrete box apartments was confronting. 

We marched up to the front door of the castle to be met by groups of people going back down to the front archway shaking their heads - we found out about Slovak logic when asked to go back down the hill to get our free ticket to enter!!!! Sadly there's not much inside the restored "Hrad" beyond gilt cornices and an art collection, many artists "unknown", "in style of..." etc. GirlRob wasn't allowed to photograph Visitation painting by unknown artist in their collection, but was thrilled to see Mary and Elizabeth in similar colours and attire as the Masters painting we found in Paris, that was the model for our modern interpretation by Jan Hynd hanging at home. 

A GirlRob selfie special!

Had an early dinner of traditional pork ribs and curly peppers, watching families in a walking parade blowing bubbles. Don't know what they were demonstrating for - there was a police presence but the groups were totally peaceful. Headed "home" walking through St Michael’s Gate to find a tram before everything stopped running for the weekend.