Unlike other Camino routes we have done, this trip has no English guide. We have a gpx line on our phones, an accommodation list and, of course, a smart phone. Without a guide telling you what you will encounter along the way it has been a daily encounter with pleasant and beautiful surprises. As a result of the rains Gord has also been walking the ... Read More
Trying to make a generalization about a country or its people is just dangerous - full stop. Trying to do it after only three nights in the country is ridiculous. I don’t care, Slovenians are so freaking friendly! You know there is something good in the water when teenagers say hi to you as you pass. Teenagers!! Here I am in a new country with ... Read More
The locals we have met in Slovenia are invariably unhappy with their Spring. It is reputedly the wettest and coolest they have had in recent memory. Despite it’s proximity, it wasn’t as bad in Hungary, though we did stay two nights at our last (spa) hotel before entering Slovenia to avoid travel during an exceptionally wet, windy day. As I was walking the last few ... Read More
We are now approaching the border of Slovenia, having walked or cycled about 400 kms from Budapest over a two week period. We would like to provide a summary of our experiences in this country to assist future pilgrims. Note that the Via Pannonia is not one of the Camino routes supported by the official organization in Hungary; those routes go up the Danube to ... Read More
I would like to thank our friends who expressed concern over my bout of Lyme disease. The antibiotic is working its wonders and after two rest days we were back on the Camino today. We will be doing several shorter days. We are now in the far west of Hungary, close to the borders of both Slovenia and Croatia. It appears to be a more traditional ... Read More
Yesterday we entered the town of Hegyhátszentjakab. Now to a non-Hungarian the name might look like the announcement, “Hey guys hats and jackets,” but if you look closer with a bit of a sideways squint you can see Szent Jakab, otherwise known as Saint James. This town takes the Via Pannonia in a bit of a northern arc because of the small parish church named ... Read More
The Camino welcome in Hungary is a mixed bag, from hot to cold with everything in between. Our visits to the Pilgrim office in Budapest, and with Ferenc, the man responsible for establishing the Via Pannonia, were tremendous. I have called Ferenc on the phone since and he has helped me to arrange accommodation when the language made it difficult. We have moved beyond the ... Read More
Yesterday I coasted down to Lake Balaton, the closest thing to a sea in Hungary. The passage along the lake is on a lovely paved bike path with glimpses of the lake. These glimpses are usually through a fence or a wall that seals off the beaches from the rest of us. There are lots of people on my side of the divide, but virtually ... Read More
Our first days on the Via Pannonia have been wonderful. Denys, Gord and I were joined on our second day by Ewa, a Polish friend we met years ago on the Via Francigena. Our tribe of four has spent the last three days climbing up and down through beautiful spring green forests, and the evenings laughing and sharing stories over goulash and Hungarian beer. We ... Read More
Budapest to Zsámbék: 32.5 kms Yesterday we met up with Ferenc in Budapest. I love that we were able to chat with the person responsible for marking and mapping our route, the Via Pannonia. He patiently answered all my questions and even gave us credentials. For anyone interested you can find more information about the route on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/viapannonia?mibextid=LQQJ4d It is not the “official” Camino in ... Read More