Last day in Keszthely

The last nine days have flown past in a flurry of bikes, pizzas, bridge, walks, beers, reading and generally not doing very much - just like it was meant to. One day was lost to rain (more reading and bridge) but otherwise we've been out and about exploring the town and the neighbouring villages.

The lasting impression of Keszthely is that it is rather like Center Parcs but without the fences to keep you in. Cycling around is easy because of the many roads, paths and tracks and because of the light traffic. And the cycling takes you to interesting places where you can enjoy the view in peace while savouring an ice cream or a beer.

We came here to relax and are leaving relaxed and ready to hit the cultural highlights of Budapest.

Keszthely is colourful

Our last holiday was to Tunis where everything was painted white with blue highlights so it is something of a change to walk/cycle around Keszthely where the houses are in bright vibrant colours.

The town is more than living up to our expectations by providing the peace and quiet we were looking for, giving us the opportunity to catch-up on books and podcasts, play cards and gently explore the area.

Keszthely also provides quite a few places worth exploring, more than we expected, and in addition to the lake it has a grand town square, a castle on top of the hill, buildings old and new in various states of repair, statues and fountains, and the amazingly quaint hamlet of Szendrytelep a short cycle ride from the town.

This is proving to be just the sort of holiday that we wanted, and needed, it to be. Even the rain does not spoil it.

Keszthely, Lake Balaton, Hungary

Following a fairly painless journey via Stansted with Ryanair I am now at Keszthely on the north eastern corner of Lake Balaton in Hungary. The lake is a major holiday destination offering traditional seaside activities as well as relaxation and recuperation at the nearby spa.

I am here for a week of chilling out with nothing much to do all day before heading to the hustle and bustle of sightseeing in Budapest next week.