Tuesday 23rd August Sarvar to Hosszupereszteg

Have now sampled all six of the western E4 countries footpath marking systems and can now declare the preliminary results. These might change if I get lost between here and Budapest but the positions, after today's town centre test, are now well defined.

Hungary is running a strong second.

Austria is third - let down by poor marking in the less popular eastern part of the country.

France is running fourth - the world famous white and red signs on the ground change too much to beat the Hungarian white and blue markings although the judges recommend that the Hungarians consider the same cross symbol to indicate a "don't go that way" instruction.

Spain is running fifth with some excellent practice let down by regional variation.

Germany is the surprise back marker with Maxmillianweg marking described as "at best poor and at worse misleading" .

The benchmark for waymarking has been set by the Swiss who have implemented an awesome system which combines the on the ground marking of the Hungarian system with information on timing and destination. It tells you where you are going and how long it might take.

Only the Swiss and the Hungarian systems past the ultimate test of taking you from a town centre, where there are lots of choices, out into the country where there are less.

Applied the test on the journey out of Sarvar today. The signs took me round the castle, through some back streets and across a park full of lovely lakes. Almost got thrown where the route had been changed for a watersports park but soon found the signs again and then it out of town, past Tescos, across a bridge over the River Rada, and onto a patch of sustained road marking. Entirely led by the signs, no maps no GPS.





Lakes in Sarvar


Another amazingly hot day and too be honest the 35 kilometres seemed to go on forever. Today fortunately was less open with more of the trail again in the trees. Definitely struggling a bit in the sun - getting some quite unpleasant heat rashes in some very delicate places.





Welcome shelter from the heat


Some more unusual road filling systems in the forest. After yesterday's dodgy building refuse, today there was a lorry load of barley spread neatly along the trail and, of course sprouting. Not sure what was going on here, but if it was an experiment in alternative uses for barley it failed.





Sprouting barley on the footpath


Actually the most exposed part of the day came shortly after the barley incident and just after Sitke on the way to Gerce. Here the path was so overgrown that it was impassable, instead you had to walk across a ploughed field and through a field of maize. All I needed was a crop duster and it would have been "North by Northwest".





Overgrown path


Meet a couple of Hungarian walkers just after Gerce and looked enviously at there guide for the Blue Route, contained wonderful large scale maps.

And then a long walk through trees all the way to Kald, including a very walk through trees. Got to Kald about 3.30 and later discovered from a comment on the blog that I could have met up with someone in a bar there. Very sensible Hungarian who was in the shade and out of the sun.

Pressed on to Hosszupereszteg. Really nice walk through arable land with huge fields and crops higher than maize but not maize - beyond me and I was bought up on a farm.




Unknown crop


The gasthof I was looking for in Hosszupereszteg didn't exist. After being told that there was somewhere to stay near the church, a Hungarian woman seemed to suggest that the nearest place was five kilometres further along the road. Given my heat rash I didn't fancy another five kilometres.

Found a bus stop which seemed to suggest a bus at 6.18, but had no real idea where it was going and whether it would result in a hotel. Managed to attract the attention of the man who lived near the bus stop.

Now I have to say that non-verbal communications are a bit different here. Hungarians famously don't look you in the eye and don't smile - sounds very English but the English are extroverts compared to Hungarians. I'm starting to get used to this and as long as you don't take the initial "get lost" signals personally things start to happen.

Anyway after the initial "get lost" signal the man became very helpful, which was fortunate because the bus was turning up. Using hand signals I explained I want a bed in a hotel. He has a long conversation with the bus driver and I think persuaded the bus driver to take me to next village, which was off the bus route, and drop me of not far from a hotel. Really helpful. Shook the man's hand, got on the bus with no idea where I was going. Obviously I'm now in a hotel which is actually at the other side of Hosszupereszteg safe and sound. The bus driver refused to take a fare (no one else on the bus) so this goes on my growing list of "international rescues".

A Good Day!

11 comments:

  1. Great blog. But you're loosing the plot on the spelling.
    Maze = maize = corn to most of the world

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's good to hear that impossible to be lost in Hungary. It is a small country. :)
    You can buy 1:40000 detailed tourists maps at nearly every gas station (mostly MOL). Check here what to find: http://www.cartographiaonline.com/webshop?limit=all&hungary=15&type=19
    Now you need Koszeg mountains tourist map ("Kőszegi-hegység turistatérkép"). You may get the Blue Tour guide, but that was printed in 2003, thus some paths changed since then.
    There are GPS tourist maps for Garmin gps, Russia and Navitel software on www.openmaps.eu
    Now your hike is followed by the homepage of the Hungarian NatureFrieds Association (http://termeszetbarat.hu), that manages the Blue Tour. If you need any information on the path in Hungary of existance of accomodations, etc, just mention in your blog and we will look for it.
    Good luck for the rest of your journey!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi efemm1973

      Hope you don't mind me contacting you again after all this time but an American couple have been in touch with me and are going to walk the Blue Route next month. I was wandering if they could contact you for some advice. I have talked about them on a recent blog http://www.johnhayeswalks.com/2013/01/another-trip-along-blue-route.html. Nick's email address is npandolfo@gmail.com.

      By the way thanks for all the help you gave me

      Best wishes

      John Hayes (E4walker)

      Delete
  3. you are in Hotel Patyi, Bögöte?
    Follow the blue square!
    http://turistautak.hu/maps.php?id=magyarorszag&image=raster&lat=47.093854&lon=17.051524&zoom=64&arrow=1

    ReplyDelete
  4. OMG, the maps are amazing, http://turistautak.hu/maps.php?id=magyarorszag&image=raster&lat=47.093854&lon=17.051524&zoom=64&arrow=1. I just I knew about it before I came.

    Not sure if I can down the map base use my iPhone, will have a go tonight. Wish we had something like this in the UK.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi John!

    Sorry I didn't mention turistautak.hu. I assumed that's the map you have already on your iPhone. I feel like an idiot. The book on the Blue Tour sold out years ago. I couldn't find it anywhere. I use the regional maps instead.
    The demolition waste is common practice in Hungary. So far I thought it is a good practice, because they are laid down where nothing else prevents the road to get impassable during the wetter seasons. I agree, it is a bit "exotic" like squat toilets for us but it works. :)
    As you get closer to Budapest, the sign quality even improves. But the next part to Lake Balaton will be probably the worst, so be prepared.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Herbert74

      Hope you don't mind me contacting you again after all this time but an American couple have been in touch with me and are going to walk the Blue Route next month. I was wandering if they could contact you for some advice. I have talked about them on a recent blog http://www.johnhayeswalks.com/2013/01/another-trip-along-blue-route.html. Nick's email address is npandolfo@gmail.com.

      By the way thanks for all the help you gave me

      Best wishes

      John Hayes (E4walker)

      Delete
  6. Christie – why do you need to be so arrogant? Have you ever walked such a long distance at one go? Have you ever walked in 44 Celsius on a busy paved road without any shade? Because that is what John did in the last couple of days! The weather was unusually hot in Hungary 46 Celsius even at some places. Honestly I am surprised that he still could write his blog after such exhausting days! So no fuss over spelling!

    John – the previous commenter was right – the signage is not so good in Lake Balaton region and I would say it is not good in Easter Bakony Mountain Range either!

    But do not give up! When there is need the help comes!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Anonymous, thanks for backing me up on my spelling. Your comment is very kind.

    You wern't to know but Christine is my wife. It's true that she is very arrogant and is actually useless at walking in the sun but she is also my longest suffering and biggest supporter.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Herrbert74

    Hope I didn't give offence with the filling reference. I'm sure your right to fill the holes is a good idea. In some countries however, UK included, any asbestos is considered dangerous and when it's broken up is removed by people dressed in protective clothing and breathing apparatus. Other countries are not as worried.

    ReplyDelete