A European Odyssey

Wednesday October 5th
In Which our Epic Odyssey is Completed

For the past few days the long unbroken run of dry weather had threatened to break. For much of yesterday we seemed to be just ahead of an advancing wet front, but somehow managed to arrive without so much as a drop of water on our helmets.

On our final day of cycling we awoke to the coldest day so far. Those hot days in Belgium and Holland now seemed a long distant memory. It was obvious that the seasons were shifting and the European winter was approaching rapidly. The final day of riding was also going to be the longest of the entire Odyssey with a distance of around 90 km to be cycled for those who wanted to ride the whole way to the finish line in Budapest.

We donned all the cold weather clothes we could muster. I knew that the thermal top I had been carrying since the start of the ride would eventually come in useful - now was its chance. Even with all the cold weather gear I had, it was still chilly. I really wish I had brought my long fingered gloves with me. But I hadn't.

It was also obvious that some were feeling the cold even more than I was. I noted that the "other Dennis" had wrapped himself up like an Egyptian mummy, with only two narrow eye slits the only parts of his body that were visible. It showed that the Queenslanders really don't cope well with chilly weather.

We had been advised by Wolfgang that this section of cycling was the prettiest of the entire section between Vienna and Budapest. "Please, please take your time and do not rush", he implored. Although I passed this advice on to the whole group, I knew that it would be wasted on the bolters. For some unknown reason they only wanted to complete each day as quickly as possible, without stopping to look at anything along the way.

I was a little apprehensive about the ride out of Esztergom as many of us had experienced numerous "near death episodes" on the way in to the place. Fortunately the outward ride was less harrowing and soon we were cycling along the beautiful riverbank that Wolfgang had promised.

The first challenge was to complete two ferry crossings during the course of the day. At this time of the year the ferries only run intermittently, and we knew if we missed one, we would have a long wait till the next one. As we cycled along past a succession of magnificent stately old homes I was trying to keep one eye on my watch. We were soon met, and passed, by the bolters who were obviously intent on arriving for the ferry at least 20 minutes early.

The final section of the route to the first ferry at Szob took us back onto the public road. We divided into several smaller groups and tried to keep up a steady pace. The only problem was that, when we arrived at the ferry, three of our riders were missing. We could not make the crossing without them and I started to worry about what had delayed them.

"Why are they taking so many pictures ? Didn't they realise we had a tight schedule for this ferry ?" The rest of the group were just as confused as I was as to what might have delayed them.

It was only when they finally appeared (with about 2 minutes to spare) that the true story emerged. Apparently Caterina had ridden straight into one of the steel bollards along the way. This was every cyclist's worst fear and the outcome could have been very serious indeed. There was no doubt that she was still dazed, but apparently she had somehow escaped major injury. That was more than I could say for her poor bike. The front brake caliper had been ripped clean off the frame and the cable was just hanging free. This left her with just one brake to complete the rest of the ride.

In spite of the delay we all managed to roll aboard the ferry on time. This was quite a surprise to those in the bolters group who were convinced that we would have no chance of catching the first ferry. This first ferry transferred us to the large Szentendre Island located in the middle of the Danube. We rode across the island and felt the brunt of the strong wind that had previously been at our backs.A short bridge brought us back onto the mainland at the far side of the island.

We then had a short section of road riding before joining another quiet bike path that meandered among the forest canopy. This really was a serenely beautiful path that we did not want to hurry along. You can imagine our surprise when, at the end of the island, we again met up with the bolters who had chosen to race straight down the centre of the island, rather than take the scenic bike path along the bank. I suspect that they were just as surprised to see us.

One thing that had not changed was the temperature - it was still freezing. We looked eagerly for somewhere to buy a hot cup of coffee and seek temporary refuge from the cold, and our endeavours were rewarded when we stumbled upon a likely looking roadside stop. We all huddled inside and ordered our coffees from the sole overworked assistant. Most of us then crowded into a tiny lounge area with a few small tables and chairs. But at least it was warm.

Carol had ordered a cup of tea and some nibbles and looked around for somewhere to offload her used tea bag and other rubbish. She found a plate with a partly eaten baguette on it and then proceeded to load her old tea bag and discarded food scraps on top of it. It was only when the owner of the plate returned from the toilet that Carol's embarrassing mistake became evident. The poor lady looked at what had happened to her lunch and quietly tried to recover what was left of it from under the pile of Carol' s castoffs. The rest of the ladies looked on, trying to do their best not to burst into laughter.

The next leg took us to the large town of Vac and another ferry crossing. Once again we somehow made the ferry just in time to roll right on board without waiting at all. Safely across the river we continued to the historic town of Szentendre. At this point a number of our riders had elected to catch the train directly into Budapest and thus save a few kilometres from the final day's ride.

The train station again proved a little difficult to locate and even more difficult to reach. When we did find it, Wolfgang was already waiting with the bike trailer. Five of our riders climbed off their bikes for the final time, collected their tickets and waited for the train.

David, Paul and I rode back into the lovely old city centre and looked for somewhere to eat. It wasn't easy, but eventually we managed to get a quick bite before assembling for the last leg of the ride into Budapest. Since the bolters had already left there was only an elite group (David, Paul, Douglas, Janna and myself) of riders who would be riding the path into Budapest.

Although the day was well advanced, the tailwind continued and the rain held off. We made good progress and were almost reluctant for the final kilometres to tick away. On the outskirts of Budapest we stopped for some hot chips and a drink before battling the suburban streets to our hotel.

We finally reached Budapest around 5 pm and made our way around the tedious detour that was necessary to reach the centre of the city. You can only imagine our amazement to find the bolters group still visible ahead of us. Although they had a huge start, they had apparently lost their way on the way into town, and this gave us yet another chance to catch up. I guess the old story about the tortoise and the hare is true after all.

By the time we reached the Danubius Flamenco Hotel the light was rapidly failing, but there was still NO RAIN. The "Miracle on the Danube" had actually taken place. We had ridden a cumulative total of over 50,000 km with only a single wet day and only two punctures.

It had been an adventure none of us will ever forget. It if not often that a group of ageing cyclists get to share such an experience together. Thanks to everyone that shared the journey with us. What had started as a dream over two and half years ago had now actually been completed safely. What a trip it had been.

Although I felt exhausted I had an overwhelming sense of relief that all the arrangements had worked, there had been no serious accidents and everyone had completed what they set out to do. For many it was certainly the hardest thing they had ever attempted, but they would now have the satisfaction of knowing that they had achieved it.

Now where can we go to next ?Leer más