Thursday July 12. 2007

 

DATE: Thursday July 12, 2007
ROUTE: Csongrad, Hungary to Mako, Hungary
DISTANCE: 53 miles
TIME: 3h 40m
CEG: 149’
WEATHER: perfect, again!

Gosh! Two perfect days in a row! I think of these as recovery days reminding all of us why we love to cycle. No worries about the weather, the road, or the distance. We were just giddy kids.

The first 10 miles were on a bike path, half of which was on top of the levee next to the Tisla River. The temperature was perfect, the breeze dancing in the trees, and the sun sparkling on the water. The rest of the day alternated between bike paths and quiet roads. The villages were full of people of all ages on bicycles. There are very few cars in rural Hungary.

I arrived in Mako at 1:00pm. We are staying in a fancy youth hostel that seems very much like a dormitory. I quickly found my room then headed downtown. Mako is the birthplace of Joseph Pulitzer and I wanted to find a statue or some kind of memorial to him. Bill (bikingwithbill.org) and I have been dueling bloggers on two trips --- the Mississippi River Ride in 2005 and this one. Our friendly rivalry has resulted in a daily Pulitzer award for journalism and photography. Each of us has our fans and we take pleasure in reading and commenting on each other’s daily log. Visiting the birthplace of Pulitzer himself had us preparing acceptance speeches and picking out our clothes for the awards ceremony. In our hostel we found a portrait of Joseph Pulitzer painted by none other than John Singer Sargent. What a perfect place to accept my award!

After most of the group had retired to their rooms, Nancy, Jane, and I met to decorate Chantal’s bicycle. Tomorrow (Friday the 13th!) is her birthday and we wanted to make it a memorable occasion.

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