Reviewing the weather Tuesday morning, I would be cycling into rain around 4:00 p.m. I left my lovely B&B to walk over to the supermarket across the street, which was more of a convenience store. Having wandered back and forth through Vasvar the day before, I knew where everything was. I loaded up my bicycle to ride down to the supermarket before leaving the city.
I had a wonderful day of cycling. The first 25 km flew by, although I encountered multiple 10% grades in both directions. When I’m climbing into mountains, I resent every single 10% grade down, because I’m just giving up the work I put into getting up there. But I either rode on dedicated cycle path or quiet lane.
At the 25 km point I stopped to have lunch at a church with a beautiful garden.
From there I had two choices, continue on EV 14, or take an alternate route past three potential castles. I spent time while eating lunch examining my alternate, and the impact for elevation. My alternate route looked like it was a long slow steady climb for the next 30 km. EV14 on the other hand was up and down, sometimes a LOT of up and down, as well as 20 additional km to reach Szentgotthard, Hungary – my destination for the day. When I was expecting rain.
I had amazing cycling on the alternate route. No castles, although I found a couple of manor houses. But I had left the 10% grades behind, instead having gradient I could usually tell only by looking at my speedometer and my slightly reduced speed.
Due to my early arrival in Szentgotthard at 1:30 p.m., I looked ahead. A campground lay 20 km ahead of me in Jennersdorf, Austria and then nothing for the next 30 to 40 km. I could feel the weather starting to turn.
I had a confusing call with the campground, but in the end I’d hopefully learned the campground was open and had a place to camp. I pushed onward, racing past one storm cell. But 5 km east of Jennersdorf light rain caught me. I stopped at a bus stop to consider my options, and eat. The forecast called for increasing rain. I headed out.
I arrived at the campground at 2:30 p.m. not dry. With Reception closed. Reading the sign, Reception opened again at 3:00 p.m. I settled in to wait. Another couple showed up, went through the same process I had gone through, and also decided to wait. 3:00 p.m. came and went. Someone else arrived and called the office; you could hear the phone ring inside.
I had entered Austria, and the Euro zone, with no valid cash, having given all of my euros to Linda. I had 25,000 Hungarian forint — not much good here. Fortunately a sign in the campground window indicated they took Visa.
The host arrived around 3:45 p.m. The website for this campground describes him as a friendly fellow always happy to welcome people. He doesn’t speak English, and came across as a cranky old man. Fortunately the couple waiting with me spoke some English, and we got everything squared away.
A break in the rain let me get my tent up. Afterwards I went back to pay only to be told they only accepted cash. So I rode the short distance back into town to an ATM. Again, not dry. When I returned the host was nowhere to be found. Eventually he returned and we squared everything away. Again, without any registration paperwork. The rain, anticipated to stop at 6:00 p.m., did not.
The rain stopped at 8:00 p.m., and I dashed out to pick up a pizza before heading off to bed. I also made a reservation at a hostel in Graz for tomorrow, 80 km distant from here.
Temperature is the last couple of days have been in the high ’70s. Cooler and dry the next few days. The last couple of days I’ve ended the day covered in white patches of salt from perspiration.