Gordon: We met Maja, a Slovenian pilgrim, on the Camino Francés in 2011. In the intervening years I have accumulated wrinkles and Arctic blonde hair (to use Mary’s euphemism) but Maja has been considerably more busy. She has acquired a charming...
Gordon: We are spending a couple of nights in our second capital city of this pilgrimage: Ljubljana. It’s hard not to like, particularly as we are staying in a palace. No, really, it is an upper suite in a palace built for a count in 1755. Of...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...