Heading towards the border we passed through small towns with small plaster houses fronting right onto the street. These look very … functional. But it looks as if the residents in many towns try and brighten things up by painting there houses different bright colours. Amongst these towns are large sprawling factories that look like they have been long since abandoned. It makes you wonder what they manufactured and were these towns and houses created to house the workers, or did the houses come first. As we got closer to the border we saw the first ‘real’ thatched rooves. They look very Hansel and Gretel-ish out of the children’s books.
Going through Nyergesujfalu and Mosonmagyerovar, we reached the border with Austria. With passports and papers in hand, we found that not only did they not want to look at them, there was no one there to do so. There were a couple customs guys a couple of hundred meters away having a casual look at a truck, but other than that there was no one there. However there was a queue heading into Hungary, where they seemed to be very vigilant. Just before the border and for the miles afterwards we were surrounded by wind farms cranking up a storm. Being so flat around here and no Hydro power to speak of I guess that this is a viable option.
We filled up with diesel just before we crossed the border as we had read that the gas prices in Eastern Europe were comparatively cheap. So for 15000 HUF we filled up, only to cross the border and find that it was cheaper there after all.
We noticed an unusual feature on the farms around this area, they seem to farm their crops in strips. As you drive past there are fairly narrow strips of crops alternating between sunflowers, corn, and what appears to be wheat. These strips carve great swaths through the land, but the way that they are alternated makes it seem as if they are separating their crops for a reason.
As we drove through the streets of Vienna towards our new home, we passed by some of the most amazing buildings that you can imagine. What appear to be fairytale palaces. We have no idea what they are yet, but that will be part of our adventure over the next few days here.
We checked into our new home and found what a contrast 24 hours can make. This is a large camping ground on the edge of the Vienna woods where we had previously booked a bungalow. Bungalows obviously mean different things in different countries. What we got here was a small cabin with two sets of bunks, a small table and a wardrobe. The amenities are 100m walk away and the kitchen about 150m. It was very clean so we can’t complain about that. The most noticeable thing though has been the totally impersonal manner of the staff and other campers. So different to where we have been staying for the last couple of nights in Budapest.
As Justine and I have discussed, it is the variety of accommodation that makes our stays interesting. If we stayed in all Hostels, all Hotels, all B&Bs, or all camping grounds, it would become mundane. You need the variety to add the spice and comparison. Any bed is a good bed at the end of a long day after all.
We went to the supermarket for supplies so that we could cook up a dinner, after all there is a kitchen here, and found the streets remarkably empty. On enquiry we were told that everything here closes at 7:00pm! What the …! It’s daylight here from 4:30am to 9:30pm but everything closes at 7:00pm? We’re not used to that. But I guess it gives them some promenade time.
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