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We have been home for two weeks now; I realized that many of you still think that we are spending our days in the baths of Budapest - alas, we are back to our daily lives in Vancouver. I will post more photos here in the coming weeks and also include a link to the complete slideshow when we edit it to a more presentable length.

Budapest

Szia from Budapest! We have arrived at the Hungarian capital after four days of hard cycling which included: two days of rain, three border crossings, one broken saddle, and some busy roads. Also, some incredible roman archaeological sites, beautiful riverside scenery, and good camping. We have cycled over 1000 km and passed through five countries. We are going to enjoy the famous baths today!

On the road again

We say goodbye to lovely Vienna tomorrow to follow the Danube River to Bratislava and, finally, Budapest. Will check in from Slovakia.

Along the Elbe River

Life is good

Coming into Vienna, Hundertwasser house

Prague, Old Town Square

Camping in the Czech Republic

Typical lunch fare

Gruss Gott from Vienna

After a smooth train ride from Prague to Bresclav (with an unintended extra night in Prague, but that is another story) we pick up our bicycles and forge on. This time, through lovely wooded parks in southern Czech Republic, with a half day of cycling taking us to the Austrian border. Slightly crustier border guards stamp our passports and voila! - Austria. The bicycle route immediately becomes immaculately paved and well-signed again. The Austrians, as much or more than the Germans, seem to have bike routes criss-crossing the country more abundantly than highways! Every intersection has 5 or 6 bike route arrows! Much more hilly on the Austrian side - very nice to be able to get some vistas of the farmland crawling with rabbits. Towns are very neat - almost disturbingly so after the Czech Republic. Unfortunately, campgrounds are not as abundant (read: nonexistent) in Austria, and we cycled a long day (90 km) before finally arriving at an oasis of a Gasthaus in a small town. We revelled in our sheets and spent the night watching crazy Austrian tv and drinking weissbeer.

The next day finds us having cycled the remaining 30 km or so into Vienna, led into the main part of town by the spectacular Hundertwasser buildings. We are currently at a cool little hostel (the Rauthensteiner) but another busy weekend in Vienna means that we may have to move for the other two nights of our intended visit to the city of the Third Man.

More photos to come, we hope (so far we have filled 1 gb!).