Sunday, July 4, 1993
Happy Independence Day!
This morning we walked over to the embassy to “steal” the Ls’ car again, leaving about 9:30. We made it to the Margit Bridge without error, then followed signs to Rte-M1, a motorway. Through the hills to Rte-M7 towards Lake Balaton. The lake is 77 km/48 miles long and up to 14 km/9 miles wide with 198 km/123 miles of shoreline full of summer resorts, known as the Hungarian Riviera. The southern shore has flat sandy beaches (underwater) and the north shore is rockier along a chain of eroded extinct volcanoes. Motorboats are forbidden, as it is shallow averaging 3 m/10’ in depth. It is shallower along the southern shore and deeper on the north shore. It is the largest lake in central and western Europe. We left Rte-M7 to follow Rte-71 along the north shore. People were out with signs for rooms to rent and houses to rent. People in bathing suits everywhere. We followed railroad tracks most of the way. Went through the town of Balatonfűzfő with Dow chemical factories and a paper factory. At Balatonalmádi we looked for a beach on the lake side of the train station. We ended up in a parking lot with a ticket you paid when you left. We found an entrance to the beach, or strand, known to be one of the best on the northern shore. Paid the fee of 55 Forints/adult and 30/child. A lady at the gate took our tickets and we entered a grassy area with stairs into the water, the shallowest in the north. We found a spot to sit near the playground, and Kent took Brynne in the water, which came up to her shoulders. Swans floated nearby. Many children were in the nude and many women were topless. I took a turn going in with Brynne, and the bottom was sandy.
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| Brynne at Balatonalmádi Strand |
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| Brynne's feet could always reach the bottom |
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| Sand castle at Balatonalmádi Strand |
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| View of Balatonalmádi Strand from the water |
After about an hour, Brynne spent some time in the playground. We left about 12:30, paying 60 Forints to park. We continued on Rte-71, with vineyards and hills to the right, and the reedy lake of a pale blue-green color to the left. We came to Tihany, a hilly wooded peninsula that juts into the lake. There were supposed to be “acacias,” but we only recognized poplars, plane trees, and willows, and maybe olive trees. The whole peninsula is a National Park and was the first Natural Conservation Zone. Because Kent and Brynne were not interested in touring, we left Rte-71 to drive along the east shore of Tihany to a ferry landing. Here, about a third of the way along the lake, is the narrowest crossing to the southern shore.
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| Lake Balaton ferry |
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| Lake Balaton at Tihany |
We parked and went to the Don Pietro Pizzeria, recommended by the Ls, for lunch. We sat on the patio where we could watch the ferries. The usual beer, mineral water, and orange juice. We started with bruschetta (garlic on toast!), spaghetti carbonara and pasta aglio, olio e pepperoncini (spicy like
fra diavolo). Brynne had a pizza picante that had pepperoni, hot peppers and capers. We removed the latter two items, and she was happy.
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| Kent and Brynne at Don Pietro Pizzeria |
We left 1,600 Forints, which included a big tip, I think! Back in the car we drove into the town of Tihany, definitely the most beautiful area we saw around Balaton. Fields of lavender and a little lake. We parked below a twin-spired abbey.
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| Tihanyi Bencés Apátság/Tihany Benedictine Abbey |
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| Tourist tram at Tihany Abbey (PBB) |
King Andrew I, from the 11C, is buried here in an original 1055 crypt. The present church was built 1719-1754. Inside was lots of scaffolding, but we saw the gilded high altar and a ceiling bare of frescoes. The church is known for organ music. Walked behind the church for a view of Lake Balaton, and continued toward Echo Hill to see the House of Folk Art in a farmhouse with stalls of cottage industry products.
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| View NE from Tihany Abbey |
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| View E from Tihany Abbey |
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| Tihanyi Tájházak/Tihany Open Air Museum |
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| Vineyard |
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| Vineyard |
Near the church was an entrance to a cave, apparently where Russian monks carved cells in the rocks below. Back to the car, and somehow missed the parking attendant, so we drove down past vineyards and stone houses built into the hillside to the ferry landing. Paid 200 Forints for the car and 50 Forints/passenger. There were long lines and we did not get on the first ferry. Bought a couple Sprites for 35 Forints each, cheaper than most places in the US! We were crowded into the next ferry, crossed the mile of water, and eight minutes later we were in Szántód on the south shore. We turned left to follow the shore, wanting to go to Zamárdi, which supposedly has pretty peasant homes and the best family beach because the water deepens very gradually, but we missed it completely. We continued to Siófok, the largest resort with the largest strand that is able to accommodate 10,000 people! We crossed the Sió river where there are sluices/locks to control water levels in the lake and river. These date back to Roman times. We found our way to Nagystrand and paid 60 Forints/adult with no charge for Brynne. Here the ticket takers tear a corner off your ticket. We stayed about an hour on a shaded grassy area. Kent took Brynne in first, and then I did. Brynne could kneel in most of the shallow areas. We waded out a half mile (?) to a buoy and the water never got above Brynne’s shoulders, but the depth was very variable.
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| Lake Balaton from Siófok Strand |
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| Brynne at the buoy; looking back at Siófok Strand |
More topless women and even a nude man on a “sailboat.” Finally pulled Brynne out of the water at 16:30 and returned to the car. No parking fee here. Stopped for 1,000 Forints worth of gas, and found Rte-M7 to head back to Budapest past peach orchards and vast sunflower fields. We got mixed up getting from M7 to M1 and ended up in some small town. Back on Rte-M1 to Rte-10/11, crossed the Margit Bridge and to the Ls’ apartment. Dot had gone to meet Tom, and when Kent went to return the car to the embassy, he saw them having a beer. The three of them returned together after Brynne and I had showered. Spaghetti and meatball dinner.
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| Setting sun over Buda |
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| Going, going ... |
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| Gone! |
Next: The Rest of Budapest.
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