“Desperation is the raw material of drastic change. Only those who can leave behind everything they have ever believed in can hope to escape. ”
William S. Burroughs
You need to be prepared to change your plans.
Our initial plan was to explore Romania, but more heat is heading our way. With highs of 37 degrees, we decide to head north to the mountains to find some cool weather.
And keep heading north. Estonia is not off the table.
We wake up and it is our last day in Budapest. I love this city, but I am ready to leave.
For now.
We walk along the Danube back to Margit-Sziget. This tine to explore the Margit-sziget zenés szökõkút which we missed yesterday.
A musical fountain surrounded by a meadow of flowers. A contrast to yesterdays formal summer gardens, these beds are chaotic in colour and stunning. As much as I loved the formal gardens that feature throughout Margit-Sziget, these fields of colour impressed me the most.
“A garden should make you feel you’ve entered privileged space — a place not just set apart but reverberant — and it seems to me that, to achieve this, the gardener must put some kind of twist on the existing landscape, turn its prose into something nearer poetry.”
Michael Pollan
Our destination is Zërgë Coffeeshop.
Just as good as the previous two days.
A taxi to the airport to collect the car.
The lineup is impressive. An hour long.
Our pickup time was 9.00 am. It is 10.40 am by the time we are in the car heading for Slovakia.
“everything comes in time to him who knows how to wait . . . there is nothing stronger than these two: patience and time, they will do it all.”
Leo Tolstoy
Our ride is a Mini Cooper Countryman. Good fun.
It is great driving through the mountains of Slovenia. Veľká Fatra Nemzeti Park is breathtaking.
We set the GPS to avoid freeways and tolls, and the mountainous back road driving is cathartic.
I start to get hungry around 2.30 pm. Shell has the unique ability to conjure great eating places on the roads we take. We make a slight detour to Banská Bystrica and within minutes we turn into a tucked away street and arrive at The Fleck Coffee Roaster.
Cake for afternoon tea and some outstanding coffee.
Back on the road and a few hours later we are in the mountain village of Zázrivá.
Homemade Frndžalica as a welcome drink when we arrive at our place. It makes the eyes water at a solid 52% alcohol.
A quick shower and we head out for dinner.
We head to Salaš – koliba Syrex just outside of Zázrivá. Unlike TATI, this restaurant is a farm to table that is on the farm.
The meals are generous, hearty fare. Not fancy, but the food is made in house, from farm produce, and it is delicious.
We start with soup, tradičiná bryndzová polievka. A smoky broth with chunks of ham and smoked sausage topped with sauerkraut and a Vršky tervezet to wash it down.
For mains, salašnícky jahńací guláš, an excellent goulash, and brynzové halušky, dumpling in ships milk curd.
We are too full for desert.
We head home and catch up with this very large, extremely gentle good boy named Duke.
“I’m suspicious of people who don’t like dogs, but I trust a dog when it doesn’t like a person.”
Bill Murray
I was thinking about having an early night, maybe writing some notes here.
Shell has other ideas. There is table tennis where we are staying and she demands a game. After half an hour of fun, I start to get bored. I tell Shell it is time to quit and I am delivered the beginnings of a tantrum. First comparisons to her sister, who would never play with her long enough. These are followed by accusations that my age is letting me down.
Calm down, Forrest.
After a solid hour of ping pong, she grudgingly calls it a night.
Tomorrow, Poland.
Glad you were able to hire your favourite car. Food looks so good!!