E3 in Hungary: Some Comments.

The E3 European Long Distance Path follows the Alfoldi Kektura in Hungary (as does the E4). This National Trail, also known as the Great Plains Blue Route, is well waymarked with blue and white stripes, and frequent finger posts. The farm and forest tracks it follows are generally good but can be overgrown and muddy. At the edge of the Hungary's Great Plain it consists of flat arable farmland, plus a large amount of woodland. The woodland, predominantly of black poplar, white poplar and locust trees, is on sandy soils where the ground rises and falls over what may once have been low sand dunes. Appart from the circuitous route south of Debrecen the Kektura visits a couple of villages each day, where there are usually small shops. Although there are few natural sources of water, villages have blue painted "taps" where you can obtain drinking water. However, many of these have now been disabled, maybe so the local municipalities can avoid paying water companies for the water. Kisvarda,  Nyírbátor and a few other villages have accommodation. I wild camped a number of nights however this could be avoided using buses and trains to commute each day to some larger centre, in particular Debrecen. Hungary's public transport systems is extensive and reliable. Bus and train times and options can be found on Google maps, Rome to Rio and similar platforms. Debrecen's city centre in particular is worth a visit. 

My blog of my walk on the E3 from the Black sea starts here.

My blog of this trip starts here.

My blog of this trip through Hungary starts here.

One of the very few signs on the Kektura referencing the E3 and E4 paths.

E3: Cigand to Sátoraljaújhely and on to Košice: Day 102 and 103

An early start in order to reach Sátoraljaújhely and catch a train to Košice.

Although I was originally planning to return to London via Budapest Airport, I discovered that it would be quicker and less complex to fly from Košice, a city I had not previously heard of in the Republic of Slovakia. No wanting to arrive at this unknown city in the dark, I woke early and was on my way at 6 am. This had the added advantage of seeing dawn as a red streak beneath grey clouds across the plain to the east of me. 

Dawn

The route today broadly follows the road to Sátoraljaújhely but avoids the tarmac by taking long deviations from it. The first took me north of the road through a park in the village of Pácin which contained Mágoscy Castle. A stately home surrounded by walls with squat towers. From there it was through the well kept cemetery and out to the border with Slovakia, which was marked by a drainage ditch. To return to the road I had to battle with an overgrown track, trying to avoid being tripped by branches and stung by nettles. I was not however the only one to come this way, in places I spotted fresh footprints. That deviation returned me to the road at the village of Karcsa, where I spotted a shop open and so indulged in a second breakfast.

Not sure if this display was for a harvest festival or Halloween. 

My next excursion from the road took me to the south of it. Seeing me turn onto it a man, having established I was walking the Kektura, tried to tell me something in Hungarian pointing to my feet. Maybe it was that the track I was about to walk upon was muddy, and in parts overgrown, as both were true. The mud stuck to my boots giving me "platform" shoes. The mud and undergrowth was slowing me down, and were generally unrewarding so after the village of Karos I ignored the next two deviations and stuck to the road. Being Sunday it was fairly quiet with no big lorries, there was also a verge big enough for me to hop onto in the face of oncoming traffic. The only downside was that it was a bit tedious. Having worked out that the white plastic posts at the side of the road were 50 metres appart I started counting them. I reckoned there were about 220 of them before I reached Sátoraljaújhely. I gave up after counting to 40 when I reached a green 9 kilometre marker.

The hills behind Sátoraljaújhely were ever so slowly getting bigger, although there was a hill to my right in Slovakia which caused me a little confusion. After a final section on the Kektura on an embankment beside a drainage channel I diverted to the Slovak border.

Sátoraljaújhely in sight.

The border consisted of a plethora of blue signs, the railway line was immediately after. I walked up to the station. There was a waiting room but no staff. I was just in time to catch the 13:45 train but was unsure on which of the five lines the train would arrive on. Walking over the tracks and examining them carefully, I found two sets of rails were shinier than the others, so I positioned myself so I could catch the train whichever of the two lines it arrived on. However, I was relieved when a few minutes before the train was due a few others arrived, so I stood beside them. The train was on time but I now faced another problem. After a few stops a lady issuing tickets reached my carraige. I proffered some money but she kept asking me something in Slovak. As a result of her showing me the screen of her ticket issuing device it transpired that she wanted to know which station I had boarded at. Ticket bought I looked at the scenery of hills as we stopped at several stations. These looked run down and even lacked platforms. However Košice was clearly a more important station with a modern layout with an underpass complete with shops to avoid having to walk over the rails.

Leaving the station I crossed over a park and walked towards the centre of the city. Seeing a place advertising coffee and cake I immediately went in to check the local produce. Afterwards I realised there were several such establishments, a reason to return one day! In the centre there were many attractive buildings. In the main cathedral a service was in progress. Outside there was a giant, inflatable cat's face. An array of fountains performed to music. Windows within a paved area gave a view of presumably ancient ruined walls beneath. One such view showed an ancient corridor drapped with ties (ie the type of tie men wear with a shirt) for reasons I could not fathom. 

Košice

Košice with inflatable cat's head

To reach my hotel, which I picked as it was close to the airport, I had to catch a tram. My Internet research indicated I could pay by card on the tram, however I could find no card reading device or alternate way to pay. Consequently I travelled to my destination illegally without paying for a ticket. While I feel guilty I also feel it is made very difficult for visitors to understand how to pay on different transport systems. For diner at the hotel I had potato dumplings filled with pulled pork. Was not sure if it was a Slovak dish or inspired by chinese bao buns.

Next day I flew to London Luton and there followed a tedious train ride home. Fortunately all went well on my flight from this small, but internatioal airport, this was not the case for a fellow passenger. She had been bumped off yesterday's flight due to overbooking and had been left stranded, alone in an unknown city. After much complaining and waiting the airline did eventually provide her with a good hotel and transport. 

E3: Kisvárda to woods after Cigand: Day 101

A walk by drainage channels and the River Tisza.

I now had two long days left to walk before this trip was over. In my hurry to get started I accidentally missed Kisvarda Castle, a brick edifice now in ruins which I passed by last time. Rain also encouraged a direct route from my hotel to where the Alfoldi Kektura left town, by a Tesco supermarket. From Kisvárda the Kektura followed a drainage channel, which, in series of straight lines took me to the edge of the village of Rétközberencs. From there an equally straight road took me over the plain, passed a chicken raising operation, onto tracks over fields and through woods of young trees. I noticed that the flat plains had a dark rich earth and was mainly farmed with maize and sunflowers being the main crops. Sandy areas had small hillocks, rarely more than a few metres high, and were generally given over to trees, some planted in regimented lines, others a tangle of unordered growth. Reaching Tiszakanyár, I spotted a man leaning against a shed, talking to a lady inside a hatch. Either a tiny shop or a bar I thought. After asking in vain for a coffee I bought a can of Hell for my elevenses (original flavour). 

The Kektura follows a drainage channel.

Another long straight road.

A sturdy metal girder bridge took me over the wide River Tisza, which is a major tributary of the Danube. A mixture of logs, branches and plastic bottles had accumulated on the upstream side of one of its piers. From the far side of the bridge I could see for the first time the hills of Northern Hungary and Southern Slovakia. Foothills of the Carpathian Mountains which I shall be climbing next year.

Bridge over the River Tisza

Fishing boat.

After the bridge the E3 followed the northern embankment of the River Tisza. Between the two embankments there were strips of protected wetlands each side of the river. They consisted of many large trees of numerous types but including some big willows. The hundred metre marker stones had become buried in soil, and had recently been dug out and repainted in a brilliant white. To amuse myself I counted my steps between each marker. Counting each time my right foot hit the ground I made it between 61 and 69 steps for each one hundred metres. Was the variation because my step length was inconsistent or were the markers not exactly placed in the correct spots?

Turning off the embankment I wandered through Cigand and was pleased to find a bar open where I acquired a coffee. A little beyond was a shop where I bought a small pizza for my lunch and a couple of bananas. Sadly the two "cukrászdas" (ie cake shops) I spotted today were closed, and did not look as if they would ever open again, so no cakes for me today. Cigand also had a memorial to the 1956 uprising which the Soviets brutally suppressed. Continuing across the fertile plain, beside a drainage ditch, I noticed that deer had been eating the grain off the cobs of corn. Fortunately for the farmer it only affected the rows beside the track. After several more kilometres I identified the stand of trees where I intended to camp for the night. However, I first had to pass a farm where a bridge crossed a drainage channel. I had hoped to pass quietly as it was obvious I would be wild camping nearby, there being no other options. Unfortunately three dogs raised the alarm, barking long and loud. Two shot out to greet me, they were not vicious, they just wanted to find out who this rucksack laden person was. Although there were a few cars around, no one appeared to see what the dogs were barking about and I did not stop, I just kept walking. Perhaps a kilometre and half later I turned into the woods and soon stopped at a reasonably flat area, just about large enough for my tent, and not easily seen. Just as the sun was turning the sky on the horizon pink and red, I again heard the sound of cranes overhead, high in the sky, little more than dots, they were flying in a "v" formation heading south for warmer climes.

The end of my journey is in sight, marked by the hills on the horizon

E3: Rohod to Kisvárda: Day 100

Another day among trees.

On settling down to sleep I usually lie quietly listening for a while, checking there are no threatening sounds. Last night, from far away, in addition to the inevitable sound of a barking dog, I could hear a harvesting machine working late into the night, despite the darkness. A little later I heard sounds similar to those made by geese. Curious as to what was making the noise I switched my phone back on and opened the BirdNet App. This identified the bird responsible as the Common Crane. These large birds migrate over Hungary at this time of year. I thought they were flying over me but as their calling went on for several minutes, maybe they were roosting nearby.

I waited until I had reached Nyírkarász for breakfast. Sitting on the war memorial with a drinking yoghurt and pastries I watched the agricultural traffic going by. Big, mean, harvesting machines which looked like they had giant teeth, tractors with trailers, lorries of logs, others carrying chickens, trailers of tabacco leaves from fields I had walked by. At the next village of Gyulaháza there was a Russian jet, a MiG 21, stuck in a rose garden. As one might expect of such an unusual sight I remembered it from the last time I visited. On this trip Autumn was creeping closer, more trees were turning yellow, milkweed was releasing its cotton like seeds.

MiG jet, an unusual memorial to the first Hungarian astronaut in space, who was from the village.

Yellowing trees beside the track.

Well kept shrines like this one were common.

These blue hydrants provide drinking water to the passing hikers, but many have been disabled.

As it was a relatively short day of walking, I soon reached my destination of Kisvárda. Leaving the trees and fields behind I passed what looked like a data centre, an aerospace plant and other light industries, but as I approached the centre I was looking for a coffee and cake. A recommended place was marked on Google Maps but on arriving at the location I was puzzled. There was no evidence of a coffee shop or any signage other than a reference to some appartments. However, beyond the wall there was an area with tables, so I went through the gate. Peering through a door in the adjacent building, I could see what looked like a shop inside so I went in. It was indeed a place serving coffee and very nice cake, and it also sold a mix of other items, however the advertising outside could have been better. Of course, local people know where these places are, it is us visitors, unfamiliar with place or language who struggle.

Dinner was in a posh restaurant and being a Friday night it was busy. Full of large men with round faces and thick necks. There were a few women, all with long hair. They all seemed to know each other, shaking hands and drinking shots of a clear spirit. The tables I could see were eating pizza, I was trying something more adventurous including the Hungarian catfish soup.

E3: Nyírbátor to Rohod: Day 99

Having a shorter distance to walk today I idled through a few villages enjoying snacks.

Breakfast was a croissant, coffee and a few small cheesy bread things that are sold by weight. As I sipped my small expresso type coffee I watched lorries of timber pass by the window of the cafe that was also a bakery, cake shop and restaurant. Earlier a school bus had disgorged its students for another day at school. The Kektura began by taking me on a winding route through the centre of Nyírbátor to show me a couple of handsome churches, and a paved path with a pond on which a statue of St George (presumably) was killing a dragon, which was rising out of the water. The second of the churches had a separate wooden bell tower. Being open I went in. It was a Reformed Church consequently the decoration was restrained. On the walls, columns stretched to the ceiling high above which had a pleasing lattice pattern, otherwise all was a plain white. It was very different from the Orthodox Churches of Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria whose every inch of wall and ceiling was covered with saints and scenes from the Bible.

Reformed Church in Nyírbátor

I left Nyírbátor through a modern industrial area. One factory proudly announced it was a "no smoking" company, which meant there were a group of workers having a smoke on the pavement. Beyond the town the track ran through trees. I walked through stripes of sunlight and shade as the morning sun pierced the trunks and branches. Younger trees formed a green tunnel enclosing me. Slightly older trees formed an arched roof above as in the nave of a church. Yesterday, mature trees, rising as columns each side of the track, side lit by sunlight, reminded me of a cathedral. Did similar trees inspire the builders of those holy buildings as they tried to inspire worshippers with the splendour of the heavens above? The track rose and fell slightly, two parallel lines, gently curving, cut into the grass by tractors, trucks and slow moving cars. As the trees moved back a little from the trail, it reminded me of a "ride" in the English countryside where ladies exercised themselves and their horses. Indeed, in places there were the marks of horses' hoofs in the sand of the track, mingling with the patterned, slightly wavy lines left by bicycle wheels.

At my first village of Nyírderzs I bought a coffee and a pizza slice, eating it on a chair outside the shop. I agreed to my coffee having squirty cream on top, a new trend since my last visit to Hungary. After the village there were a few kilometres of road walking. Where the road crossed open ground I bemoaned leaving my sun hat in a café two days ago. Its wide brim helped protect my face, eyes and neck from the sun. At Kantorjanosi I bought a Twix and can of Hell, lemon and pink grapefruit flavour today, quite refreshing. Beyond the Kantorjanosi a little more road walking. In a field to one side a large machine was working its way through a field of sunflowers harvesting the seeds. Waiting at the side of the field was a tractor with a high sided trailer, ready to take the harvest away for processing. I had seen several of these tractors trundling back and fore during the day. The road brought me to a line of small houses, beyond which there should have been a lake. I climbed a kilato, a wooden tower I did not recall from when I last came this way eight years ago. From the top I could see no lake, instead an area covered by reeds and rushes, another change from my last visit. A final difference was that a simple bar or bufé I had patronised before was now a wedding venue. An elongated, white limousine stood in the driveway. There are in general fewer small bars than I remembered, maybe the changing times.

I followed a young couple for a while, school children or students, as we both walked along the same tree lined track at a similar pace. Periodically they would hold hands. I felt a bit awkward observing them and was pleased when they turned off onto another, more overgrown track. As I walked into Rohod, another couple were walking towards me. Their large rucksacks showed these were backpackers, planing to camp in the woods tonight like myself. I gained the impression they were new to the activity. One was carrying a plastic bag of shopping, the other had a sleeping bag dangling from her backpack. Rohod was a strung out village where a few people and a couple of children unsuccessfully tried to engage me in conversation. Apart from not speaking Hungarian I was now focused on reaching a spot in the forest beyond to quietly camp. Once I was a mile outside the village I thought I was alone, away from people. Then a horse and cart with a couple on came riding by, they were smiling and said something unintelligible as they passed. I smiled back.

Rohod

Finally I turned off the Kektura onto an abandoned track, which was flat and so an attractive place to camp. Just as the sun was sending its last rays through the trees I pitched my tent between two fallen trees, which made me confident that no one would drive over me. 

Selecting my camping spot.

E3: Nyíracsád to Nyírbátor: Day 98

Another day walking through woods, with a stop at Nyírlugos for a late breakfast. 

Morning sun on a field of maize protected by a tall electric fence

Crossing the road by my camping spot a notice indicated I had nine hours of walking today, some 36 kilometres, a long day. After some woods, it was a straight trail across open land before more trees. I had been passing six foot high, wire fences around fields of tree saplings. This morning a high electrified fence protected a field of maize. I assumed these were to keep deer out. There were many around, they ran off on seeing me, giving periodic jumps as they bounded away. Trails of their hoof prints crossed the woodlands. A stag with a good set of antlers walked across the track, saw me and promptly disappeared into the undergrowth. I assumed it was the rutting season, there was plenty of barking by deer last night.

Nyírlugos, my next village, was announced by a silver "lollipop" style water tower. Or at least I thought it was a water tower, it had an array of cell phone transmiiters on top. I wondered how they serviced them. Maybe there was now no water in the edifice and you could climb up to the top from inside? I made a few purchases in a shop, but only when a long conversation between the shop keeper and three residents came to an end, then sat on a bench beside the church to enjoy a can of Hell with my bar of chocolate. Today it was "strong apple" flavour which had a chemical taste. Passing a "pékség" (bakery) I bought a slice of cheese and onion pizza (very tasty). Leaving the village, an image of St Peter(?), was welcoming people into the cemetery. 

For the remainder of the day it was a long walk mainly through trees with the village of Istvántanya in the middle. The village lacked any shops. While walking through I contemplated the differences between Romanian and Hungarian villages. In Hungary the houses were detached bungalows, rather than being built attached to each other in a terrace as in Romania. The Hungarian houses were not obviously related to farming, although I suppose many of those who lived in them had agriculture related jobs. Most were well cared for but a few showed signs of decay. In such houses I could sometimes see mud and straw type bricks where the render had fallen off.

Typical village.

As I neared my destination the trail turned and headed in the opposite direction. The route of the Alfoldi Kektura can be circuitous, going in the wrong direction for a kilometre or more in order to avoid walking on roads and to connect with forest tracks. On occasions a diversion may be made to see a point of interest, but not today! The waymarking was good and evidently being renewed. On one stretch drafting tape was stuck on trees so that the white paint subsequently applied would form a nice square. Those responsible now have to return and apply new drafting tape to create the horizontal blue line in the centre of the white square. A lot of care is being taken to create waymarks of a high standard. I eventually saw two signs with the E3 and E4 symbols on for the first time this trip.

Walking through a tunnel of young trees.

With an aching left knee and tired body I was relieved to arrive in Nyírbátor where I am staying in appartment style accommodation for the night. A pleasant town with a plenty of shops. I enjoyed a snack in the main square but found the cake shop a little too late for an afternoon coffee (but I did manage a cheesecake for dessert after dinner).

E3: Haláp to Nyíracsád: Day 97

After successly catching the right bus back to the Kektura, it was a day walking mainly through woodland. 

Another woodland walk.

I was nervous that I would catch the wrong bus back to the E3 this morning but fortunately the bus clearly displayed its number (4407) and destination. To avoid messing around with money I bought the ticket online, which also gave me a discount, although the cost of the ticket was pretty small (just over a pound) so the discount was negligible. The online procedure was lengthy, I reduced my age to avoid having to prove I was a pensioner saving a bit of effort, although it would have attracted an additional discount. When I showed the bus driver the .pdf of the ticket on my phone he made a careful examination, as if he had not seen one before. Maybe there is an App?

Safely back at the Haláp Csárda bus stop I plunged into the forest. Today was sunny after a few days of walking under dull, overcast skies. A few, small, puffy white clouds floated in the blue skies. Everything looked more attractive, the morning sun illuminating one side of the trees. A few butterflies danced about, a pair of large birds, eagles?, circled high above me. My first point of particular interest was a kilato or observation tower, one of two I climbed today. By climbing the stairs to the top I gained a view over the nearby trees, of yet more trees stretching out to the horizon, with a few areas of grass nearby. I could just see the white apartment blocks of Debrecen on the skyline.

A kilato

View from the top of the kilato

I also visited the terminus of a narrow gauge railway built around 1902. An ancient diesel engine pulls equally old carraiges from Debrecen carrying people out of the city and into the forest for the day, or at least it does at weekends and Wednesdays in the summer. As today was a Tuesday in Autumn there was no one around unlike when I last came this way when families were enjoying a Sunday outing in July. There were boards here and elsewhere along the trail that gave information on the local birds, plants and animals. As it was all in Hungarian they unfortunately meant little to me.

I continued through more woodland, disturbing a few pheasants who clucked in irritation as they flew off. It was not all trees, there were fields from which crops had been harvested, others were being prepared for seeding. A few areas of maize and sunflowers were still awaiting their fate, but it was mainly trees, a few starting to show their Autumn colours. I was frequently seeing plants with clusters of black berries that I did not recognise. PlantNet identified it as Pokeweed which is not native to Europe and is poisonous. The tracks were of sand or dry dust; walking took extra effort as my feet sank in a bit on each step, especially where the track had been churned up by tractor tyres. A backpacker passed heading in the opposite direction then two ladies with day packs, maybe mother and daughter. I saw them at the bus stop and I assume they stayed on the bus until Nyíracsád and were walking back along the Kektura to  Haláp where I got off. It is probably possible to complete the Alfoldi Kektura from Nagykereki to Nyíracsád by staying in Debrecen and completing a section of the trail each day, using trains or buses to travel to and from the end points of each day's walk.

Nyíracsád was a key destination which I reached in time to visit the cukrászda in the village for a coffee and cake. Suitably energised I weaved between children and parents heading home after school, then set about adding a few more kilometres. I did not add as many as I hoped as after crossing a busy road I found a pickup a short way up the track. Hunters I thought. I had seen plenty of deer around as dusk approached and I did not want to risk being shot accidentally. So I retreated back across the road and pitched my tent under a stand of mature trees I had seen earlier. 

Rest Day in Debrecen: Day 96

I spent my rest day looking around Debrecen and checking out cake shops.

Like Oradea, Debrecen had some fine buildings in its centre from the 19th and early 20th century, in the Art Nouveau and Classical styles. Trams run from the railway station up the main, wide roadway of Piac Utra. On one side is County Hall built in the Art Nouveau style. At the top is the Great Reformed Church. 

Great Reformed Church.

County Hall in Art Nouveau style from 1913

Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria, the countries I have walked through so far on the E3, are predominantly Orthodox Christian. People in Hungary who admit to a religion are mainly Roman Catholic or, especially in the east, belong to the Reformed Church, either Calvinist or Lutheran. It worries me that the beliefs people hold are determined not by truth, but by which country they live in and the faith of their parents. While individuals in each religion or denomination firmly believe that theirs is the true faith, ordained by God, Allah or other deities, they cannot all represent the one and only true religion. The reality is that your religious beliefs are mainly determined by where, and into which community, you were born. I do not feel I am incapable of religious belief. I do not for example believe that science means that there is no room for religion. I just cannot believe in something that is arbitrarily based on my birth place, but I have no other criteria for selecting a belief system, other than I believe in tolerance, respect, fair play and consideration for others. In reality the people of Hungary, like those in Britain, are increasingly non-religious.

I had arranged a guide to show me around. In addition to pointing out different buildings and talking about about life in Hungary, she took me a large wooded park, Nagyerdei Park, north of the centre with a lake, a water park, zoo and a place where concerts are held. An attraction of Hungary are its "cukrászdas" or cake shops. I managed to sample two more today while I wandered the streets and visited the many squares. Then I made plans for tomorrow, such as buying my bus ticket online to avoid irritating the bus driver and working out the best bus stop.

E3: Road 4814 to Haláp: Day 95

After a walk through forests to Haláp, I caught a bus into Debrecen for an unplanned rest day.

As forecast, rain had fallen overnight and light rain continued through the tall pines as I packed up. It had been a good camping spot once I had cleared the ground of pine cones and twigs, flat and even, and away from any habitation and the sound of barking dogs. Even the insects kept away now the air is cooler. The walk today was through forestry on sandy tracks similar to yesterday. Parts followed drainage ditches, void of water at this time of year. At one place fallen trees blocked my path, although I managed to work my way around them, otherwise the going was flat and easy. The leaves of some trees (Black Walnut trees according to my App) were turning yellow in preparation for autumn. I had admired a lake on my previous trip, however, it was now either invisible behind vegetation or completely covered by reeds. The picnic tables beside the lost lake, looked old, damp and rotten. Later lakes marked on the map had similarly disappeared, one now an expanse of rough grass. The ground must however be damp as it supported huge willows, whose grey green upper reaches billowed out into the sky.

Large willows beside lost lakes.

Diverting a kilometre off the track to the village of Bánk, I stopped at a shop open for snacks. I had a decision to make. I could wild camp again tonight (in which case I would buy water from the shop lacking other opportunities) or catch a bus into Debrecen and spend the night there. The last few days had been long, a bit of a slog. I was getting tired and it was spoiling my enjoyment, draining me of both physical and mental energy. So, on impulse, I decided to spend a rest day in Debrecen, celebrating my decision with a can of Hell, with a flavour I did not translate, maybe blackberry from the taste. From the road near Haláp I caught a bus to Debrecen, irritating the driver as I fumbled for the change for my ticket. Once in town and checked into my hotel I made my way to a Cukrászda where they sell creamy cakes to eat with your coffee. Mine was a cream ball with a berry compote in the centre, breadcrumbs on the sides and chantilly cream whirl on top.

E3: Letavertes to Road 4814: Day 94

A walk through grassland and woodland which seemed rather longer than it had been on a previous trip.

Today's walk was over a landscape dictated by the sandy soils. Not entirely flat, the low hills might have been ancient sand dunes. Areas of rough, uneven grassland and extensive woodland contrasted with the flat farmland of my previous days walking. Among the trees there were large fields of what might have been tobacco or sugar beet, some of it being irrigated. Although late in the season for flowers there were a few among the grass such as yarrow and two I had to check with my App; the white petals of catchfly (or maybe it was white campion) and yellow spikes of mullein. Trees included Black Locust, Black Poplar, White Poplar, Red Oak and a few pines, all in various stages of growth. Two deer ran off at my approach, their white bottoms bobbing up and down as they ran. A few people rode by on bicycles, out for a Sunday jaunt. One lady was distinctly uncomfortable with cycling and I had to jump off the trail so she did not hit me, I forgave her as she did say thank you.

Sandy trail across rough geassland.

Trail through trees.

The skies were dull and grey which matched my mood. Since my last walk on the Alfoldi Kektura the route appeared to have been changed. Previously the trail had formed a "Z" shape south of Debrecen, it had not been direct but had included attractive areas. The "Z" had now appeared to have been extended, bulging out in the middle, adding an extra day's walking without the benefit of anything different to see. It was a change which I thought added nothing and demotivated me as it was in effect a day's walk in the wrong direction. It was fortunate that I had bought a large bottle of extra water (unfortunately sparkling) at Letavertes yesterday as there were no sources of water on the trail today, and no villages and few buildings to ask at. Several signs said I was at the boundary of a "Landscape Protection Area", maybe this was why the path had been moved? On reaching 5 pm, and having achieved my planned mileage, I settled down to camp among some of the more mature trees, where there is less undergrowth and a wider spacing between tree trunks for my tent.

Update: I have now checked the route I walked in 2017 and was upset to find there had been no change between then and now! The only change was in me. I was now older and slower, covering the ground more slowly with more effort. Not a good discovery.

E3: Nagykereki to Letavertes: Day 93

A long day crossing the Great Plain visiting a number of villages. 

It was an early morning start to catch the train back to Nagykereki, or rather the bus which was replacing the train. Logistically challenging as there was a ticket to buy, the bus stop to find, and breakfast to buy in the limited time available. However, all was achieved in the grey dawn. The bus began with plenty of people aboard, but as people got off at each stop the numbers dwindled until I was the only one left to alight at the station of Nagykereki, the final stop. Not far beyond is the border of Romania. 

Eight years ago I walked the E4 through Hungary, which for part of its length, shared the same route as the E3. Both the E3 and E4 follow the Alfoldi Kektura, the Great Plains Blue Route, so called because of the blue and white waymarks painted on trees, lampposts, rocks and any other stationary items. You can get a certificate for completing the Alfoldi Kektura by stamping a "passport" with stamps available at specific locations. Last time, when walking south towards Nagykereki on the Alfoldi Kektura  I was grabbed by a man in civilian clothing. He and his colleague possibly suspected me of being a people smuggler. Illegal migrants, crossing the border from countries to the south was a great issue at the time. I convinced them and subsequently the Border Police that I was not, just an individual walking the Afoldi Kektura, the Blue route. I decided to walk the same path again, this time heading north, but hoped that now that refugees were taking different routes, and with Romania now being, like Hungary, in the Schengen zone, I would not again be assaulted.

My wish was granted, no one impeded my progress. Indeed no one was around, apart from two tractors that went by. Perhaps they were at a funeral. As I approached Kismarja there was a succession of people on bikes, and a few in cars, cycling or driving towards the cemetery where a crowd was gathering.

I was delighted to find a shop open in Kismarja, indeed there was more than one. I purchased a chocolate bar, yoghurt drink and a can of Hell. I am working my way through the several flavours of Hell, which is a canned soft drink found in this part of the world. Today it was watermelon flavour, nice but I prefered yesterday's black cherry, although all the flavours are rather sweet, but they do contain lots of "B" vitamins according to the can. The Great Plain was as impressive as ever. Huge fields of ploughed earth, or grass with scattered cattle. Maize stood ready to harvest, its dry brown leaves rustling in the breeze. Grey sunflowers hung their heads as they waited for collection. I also saw sorghum growing, a crop I do not remember seeing before.

Walking across the Great Plain.

The wind met little resistance as it raced across the plain, cold with an intimation of winter, easily piercing my clothing. A weak sunlight was obscured by diffuse cloud and when the wind ceased, I soon overheated in my warm clothes. I remembered places from my previous trip, such as the tall, concrete tower of unknown purpose. Maybe a place from which the border guards once surveyed the nearby border with Romania. Other sights were new to me, a hillock with a modern wooden arch at the edge of Kismarja was once a castle if I understood the sign correctly. Part of the route was on the embankments of small rivers and streams which drained the land. Work dating from.the 19th and early 20th century. The embankments are designed to contain the water when the height of the rivers rise, preventing widespread flooding. I liked walking on these embankments as they had numbered concrete posts every hundred metres, so you could count down the kilometres. 

For the last seven kilometres before Letavertes the Kektura ran beside a road. Although there were few cars, as the road was very straight the cars achieved considerable speeds. Fortunately there was a grass verge to walk on and the poplars lining the road were attractive. Temptation gained the better of me in Letavertes. There was a pizzeria and a pizza appealed to me more than the can of tinned tuna in my rucksack. Eating the pizza delayed me so that I had limited options of where to pitch my tent before darkness fell. I was planning on camping soon after the village however an area of little houses with attached small holdings and vineyards spread along the trail for some kilometres. People on horseback and bikes passed me as I searched for a secluded spot to camp out of sight. Under an impressive sunset I finally pitched in a plantation of trees. I am hoping no one disturbs me.

Small houses and vineyards after the village of Letavertes.

E3: Comments on the E3 in Romania

Romania has great potential for visitors who enjoy the outdoors, there are marked trails for walking, as well as opportunities for trail running, mountain biking, via ferrata, quad and scrambler bikes, and that is just in the summer! The area of western Romania which the E3 crosses is sparsely populated and largely consists of wooded mountains and hills with patches of grassland. In areas the bedrock is limestone which is why there are many caves on the route. Due to the tree covering, features such as limestone pavements are not developed but there are sinkholes, gorges and rivers which appear out of blue pools.

The villages the E3 passes through are of interest for their single storied, red roofed houses, joined one to another. Some were originally founded by Czech and Saxon settlers. Those houses which are well maintained or have been renovated are attractive with patterns cast into their rendering brought out by the paintwork, and in some cases decorated with coloured tiles. Large gates leading to a yard behind the house are embellished with intricate ironwork. Timișoara is not on the E3 but is a regional transport hub with an International Airport from where you can access the E3 by train, taxi and/or bus. The city is well worth spending a day visiting as is Oradea at the end of the E3 in Romania with its Art Noveau architecture. Before visiting Romania I had the impression that Cauceseau had demolished all the old buildings to make way for monstrous concrete blocks. In this I was wrong, in Timișoara and Oradea (and the villages I have walked through) the traditional buildings are still there, many having been repaired, restored and repainted in recent years bringing out their beauty. 

Practicalities

English is spoken in Romania, especially by the younger generation, but it is by no means universal, so Google Translate is a very useful tool for essential communications. Note that it does rain in Romania, you should be prepared and not allow it to dampen you mood too much. Focusing on walking  and specifically the E3 (the Via Transilvanica is a better known long distance trail in Romania), much of it is easy walking on roads, forest and farm tracks and paths. However there are also difficult, overgrown sections with fallen trees, brambles and paths which dissappear. Read the blog to see where they are. For this reason it is important to be flexible, both with timing (difficult "paths" take more time and energy) and a willingness to take alternative routes which should be preplanned before you begin. 

Navigation 

A GPS is essential. I used a Garnin with the track loaded from the Romanian section of the European Ramblers Association website, however the E3 also appears on various hiking Apps (Mapy.com, OutdoorActive, OsmAnd etc.). However if using an App on a smartphone, make sure your phone is waterproof and that you have downloaded the maps so an internet signal is not required. Remember that neither is the GPS location precise nor is the downloaded track absolutely accurate, the actual path maybe 10 metres or more from where the GPS indicates it is. Tracks also move as vehicles try and avoid deeply rutted sections, people avoid fallen trees etc.. Waymarks are not present throughout the E3, but where they do exist they are very helpful in keeping you on the right path. The relevant section of the ERA website tells you which waymarks you should be following. As the E3 joins together existing trails the type of waymark frequently changes from red stripes to blue crosses or some other combination of colour and shape.

Food and Water

Water is unavailable for long sections especially late in the year when springs and streams may be dry. Make sure you carry plenty. Small shops ("magazin mixt") can be found in many villages with a limited variety of goods and a bench and table outside with men drinking beer, however it is best to carry some food supplies as they may be closed. Larger towns have fast food outlets, cafés and restaurants. Pizza seems universal but for something more local try the papanași for dessert. 

Accommodation 

I used booking.com and Airbnb to find accommodation but coverage is not good. There are many places where you can stay that are not bookable online, most are shown on GoogleMaps. My only attempt to ring a place up was a failure due to my lack of Romanian. While you can just turn up on the doorstep, you are quite likely to find no-one there, just a telephone number stuck on the door. On the plus side, places are inexpensive compared with Western Europe, as are the food options. In general the places where I stayed were called a "Pensiunea" and provided a room with ensuite facilities. Some offered a large breakfast and maybe also diner. I wild camped for several nights, which is likely to be necessary due to the lack of lodging. No one protested at my doing so but I tried to hide from view. Note that it is not allowed in National Parks where basic camping areas with few facilities are provided.

Risks

Although bears and vipers have greater celebrity status, dogs and ticks are the main concern. Dogs will run at you barking, however none of them bit me (unlike the ticks) but I was worried on occasions. Rabies is still present in the country. Unlike dogs, I never felt threatened or at risk from people, however I am cautious about accepting invitations from strangers. It is worth reading other people's blogs of their experiences on the E3 through Romania such as this blogger or Christine Thurmer's blog.

General

The people I met were friendly or at least polite, we exchanged "Buna's" as we passed. Unfortunately further conversation was limited as I do not speak Romanian. Appart from the Vartop - Padiș area I met few other hikers. Was it because I was walking in the shoulder months, May and September? In July and August I suspect I would have found it too hot. I met no British people, perhaps as guidebooks and other media direct visitors towards Bucharest and the Transylvania of the dreaded Count Dracula.

The start of my blog in Romania is here.

The start of my walk on the E3 is here.

E3: Oradea to Nagykereki: Day 92

The arrival of October was marked by low temperatures and my entry into Hungary.

Leaving my hotel early I braced myself for the forecast temperature of 4 degrees C. People on their way to work were well wrapped up in padded coats. My breath misted as I breathed out. Flocks of pigeons wheeled overhead. For my breakfast I bought a plăcintă with a cheese and potato filling from an old lady sitting behind a window in a tiny kitchen. I ate it walking across a bridge into an area of apartment blocks. It was the morning rush hour, with more cars than the roads were designed to handle. Oradea has been building extra roads, too new to be on Google Maps, but not enough to prevent the traffic from moving about as fast as I was walking. Drivers are very polite, people just walk out onto zebra crossings, of which there are many, expecting cars to stop, and they do!

Leaving residential areas behind, I had a long walk beside a busy, dual carriageway with industrial units on each side. Thankfully there was a cycle path that took me all the way to the border and beyond. Romania and Hungary are both in the Schengen zone so they took no notice of me as I left Romania and just waved me through as I entered Hungary, lorries gained more attention. Once in Hungary I turned off onto the quieter roads of a village. Hungarian villages struck me as rather more tidy than those in Romania that I had walked through. There were no chickens wandering around, nor any loose dogs although plenty of canines enclosed in their yards announced my passing. At a shop, hidden behind barred windows I bought an energy drink and a snack, later I acquired a coffee.

Hungarian village of Ártánd.

I needed to join up with the Hungarian E3 at Nagykereki, and chose to reach this village by following a road across the wide fields of the Great Hungarian Plain, a quiet road with long straight sections. Most of the crops of maize and sunflowers had been harvested. Many fields had been ploughed. A couple of huge tractors passed me, four large wheels in a line at the rear, two at the front, so wide that they had to pull onto the verge to allow the passage of cars coming in the opposite direction on the two lane road. I kept well clear of the shiny, sharp plough blades behind them. The hills and mountains I had recently climbed were now faint blue blur, barely visible on the horizon. A cold wind blew intermittently over the plain. Trees were either grouped in plantations (which were of poplar trees), or scattered along the roadside or field boundaries. 

My selected route followed a long straight road, often tree lined.

Beside the road were large, ploughed, flat fields.

I was making good time on the flat tarmac although my left knee was complaining, and my right ankle was giving me pain. My objective for today's hike was Nagykereki, however there was nowhere to stay in the village and I did not wish to wild camp as I had a spot of bother when I last came this way. Consequently I planned to catch the train from Nagykereki to the city of Debrecen, where there was plenty of accommodation. As I entered the village a police car stopped and asked my nationality and what I was doing. I said I was intending to catch the train and they did not bother asking for my passport. Partly owing to the one hour time difference between Romania and Hungary I was able to catch an earlier train than I had anticipated. Or rather I caught a bus replacing the train for a few miles, and was then transferred to a real, if aged train. The train proceeded slowly, the carraige experienced a double bump every couple of seconds as it rumbled over the old track.

Debrecen has a beautiful town centre. I walked by where I enjoyed a gin & tonic at a pavement bar on a previous visit, although today it was too cold to sit out. This evening I finished the day with a typical Hungarian dish of catfish paprikash.

Rest day in Oradea: Day 91

My rest day was not as restful as I had planned with an excellent guided tour and various chores to complete.

Street Art.

For my "rest" day I went on a walking tour of Oradea, which included a visit to a Greek Catholic Church, an Orthodox Church and a Synagogue. The Greek Catholics are a strange mix, the pope is the head of their Church but they follow Orthodox (or rather Byzantine) religious practices. I later visited the Roman Catholic Cathedral as well. During the 40 years of communism only the Romanian Orthodox denomination was allowed. Despite this the other churches reappeared after the fall of Cauceseau. The Jewish population was massively reduced by the Holocaust in the Second World War, and their numbers are now small although they were once an important part of the city's population. The town has a large Hungarian population and was until 1918 part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. The Hungarian name was Nagyvarad, which appears on manhole covers with the German name as well.

View looking up at ceiling of Synagogue 

Much of the city's centre was built at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th, in a number of different architectural styles; Secession, Art Nouveau,  Eclectic, Neo-classical and Baroque. I particularly admired the Art Nouveau with its curves, colour and use of flower and other motifs from nature. So it was great to visit the Darvas-La Roche House with Alex my guide. Built in the Art Nouveau-Secession style and restored to its original glory the house included beautiful stained glass and furniture related to the period. It was also an opportunity to have a coffee, a shot of pălincă and taste placinta, a Romanian fried flatbread filled with various things. The samples offered by my guide were filled with cabbage, cheese and potatoes.

Stained glass screen in Darvas-La Roche House

After my tour I had to buy supplies for the next few days of walking, charge all my electrical items, wash clothes and other chores. In the evening I visited a "ruined" bar pointed out by guide. It had a huge and confusing selection of beers, I chose a very pleasant pilsner brewed in Oradea. I drank it in the courtyard which has a run down appearance with somewhat contrived tumbledown walls, trees and lightning that adds to the ambience. 

Oradea at night.