We left our Wellness hotel not feeling that well as the bed seemed extremely hard but at least the room was spacious enough for our morning yoga session. Yes, even hubby is occasionally trying to stretch himself out before he totally seizes up.Too early in the year for the lavender farms around Tahiny to be blooming but an overcast sky made for a very picturesque moody lake.

Good sign posting continues,so easy when its like this. Stunning views of the lake today, it is so beautiful I can understand why so many Hungarian writers and artists have spent their summers here. We had a good coffee spot and learned from the bike service manager attached to the coffee shop that the big bike race around Lake Balaton was just 2 weeks ago, tne winner did the whole circuit in 7 hours! Its going to take us 3 days just to do the northern shore.We also learnt that this is the coldest May in years so Hungarians don’t come to the lake unless its sunny and the cyclists are the same only cycling in sunny weather. Last May they had to close the beaches on Lake Balaton they were too full, this year the beaches are deserted apart from the stalwart Czech family campers. Most of the beaches you have to pay to get down to the water but at least it is all nicely maintained and clean.

Only a dead baby snake today by the roadside too cold and wet for even snakes to be out. Struggling to find a restaurant for lunch today so many still closed with the season not started yet but just as we felt lunch wasnt going to happen we found a great restaurant. The waiter persuaded us not to have the menu of the day but when we realised it was the huge dumplings with nothing in we agreed with him.Hubby had smoked liver with mushroom sauce etc tasted amazing, I had the turkey breast glazed with redcurrant sauce,walnuts and orange not that I’m fed up with goulash or anything but it was so nice to have such good food.This is a gourmet food area with wineries everywhere however bread and dripping still appeared on the coffee stop menu.

Tonights pension is in Badacsonytordemic, a spacious room with reverse cycle airconditioning for heating thank goodness, (Only 1 hour of heating last night) and a lovely view of the basalt hillocks that surround us. Time to sew up my merino tights they are falling apart, why did I give my other thermals to my sister to take back to the Uk from Budapest?

Day 40 and we are leaving the lake to head to the famous town of Heviz with its thermal lake, can’t wait. Beautiful cycling past the castle of Sziget which is being restored to its mediaevel grandeur.A final coffee spot on the Lake where yes we met a young couple and he was from Perth, she was a glamorous french girl from Lyons.Interesting how he said so great to be living in Europe so exciting and so much to see.We never did get our swim in the lake but the cloudy,muddy water is rather off putting, otherwise I would have gone in, but we saw nobody at all swimming.Keszthely the last town on the lake was very interesting with some very run down buildings and hotels but pretty parks. The cycle route to Heviz was well signposted and very attractive through forests.We are staying in a pension the hotels with spas were ridiculously expensive up to 200 euros a night and all the cheaper ones had issues such as smoking rooms not separated, or tiny rooms etc. The pension is great very spacious and a shared lounge, although we have our own sitting area in our room aswell.

Slovenia is looming, not sure how we’ll manage with hills coming up …

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