A shorter day today – but still the weather stays cool, so it was pleasant enough for cycling. And we have made it across the Great Plain, to the very edge of Hungary. We are celebrating with a 4 star hotel and a day off tomorrow.

Today’s cycling began with a 10 mile long straight section of road across the plain – no villages, hardly any houses, no junctions, just 10 miles of tarmac with a view flat to the horizon in each direction. It seemed to take a long time to cover. We nearly had to resort to playing I-spy to pass the time.

One strange feature were several light aircraft travelling east at only about 150 feet, towards Romania. It reminded us of cold war ‘under the radar’ spy stories. Helen said they were smuggling goulash out of the country.

Gyula is another spa town – this time with flowers and fountains that are reminiscent of Harrogate (though the buildings are very different – mostly single story, even in town). On the way in we came across another familiar sight – not just from home but from just about every Hungarian town.

We are getting ready for the rigors of Romania to come – so we felt that we needed some last comforts in the shape of the 4* Elizabeth Hotel. Helen has been drinking afternoon tea in the lounge and I have had a spa session in the steam room and sauna. This is the life! Somehow we don’t seem to have been out to explore yet. There’s always tomorrow – a day off from cycling.

Helen’s track of the day: Brahms, Hungarian Dance No.5, in celebration of the crossing of the Great Plain, and that I am still going strong-ish.