Saturday, 19 May

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="044d4c00dduajq.gif"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="95" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 46 WIDTH="91"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="46" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="91" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <A HREF="id152.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Friday, 18 May"><U><IMG SRC="0450b0b0.gif" border=0 width="11" height="11" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>   <A HREF="id154.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sunday, 20 May"><U><IMG SRC="0460b0b0.gif" border=0 width="11" height="11" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>       <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="11" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="11">   <A HREF="id133.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="May"><U><IMG SRC="0480b0b0.gif" border=0 width="11" height="11" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="22bafce0.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="462" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The Minaret of Eger, Hungary</div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#003333" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Gastropod's Trail</B></FONT>     |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Gastropods Trail"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> Saturday, 19 May</div> <div> Gyongyos, Hungary to Presov, Slovakia</div> <bR> <div> The longest day of the trip so far! We started out along a small road through the fabulous oak forests of northern Hungary to Eger.</div> <bR> <div> Eger is situated in northeastern Hungary between the Bükk and Mátra mountains in the south facing valley of the Eger stream. The town is not only the center of Heves County but of the County Archdiocese as well. Eger with its historic monuments and therapeutic baths is the third most popular tourist attraction in Hungary. It's surroundings also have some of the most famous vineyards in Europe producing such world renowned brands of wines as the “leányka” and the bull's blood. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2512c640.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="356" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="6" VSPACE="6">We started our visit in Dobo Square with one of the most beautiful Baroque style churches in Europe. From there we walked to the Basilica of Eger on Esterhazy Square. It is the second biggest basilica in the country. On Bishop János Pyrker's initiative it was designed by József Hild in neoclassic style, and completed in the surprisingly short period of 5 years. It has Hungary's biggest organ that is still in use and we were looking forward to the announced daily organ recital at 11:30 a.m. What a disappointment to find out that the organ is being completely restored at this time and we had to content ourselves listening to the small secondary organ of the church.</div> <bR> <div> The town achieved lasting fame when 2,000 soldiers led by Captain István Dobó withstood a month long siege successfully defending the strategically vital fortress of Eger from the onslaught of 150,000 Turkish troops, thereby thwarting the Ottoman Empire's advancement towards Western Europe. The town was nevertheless under the dominance of the Turkish Empire and today boasts a lonely reminder of this time in the form of a minaret - which is the northernmost Turkish monument in Europe. </div> <bR> <div> After a late breakfast we took the little traveled road from Eger to Miscolc through the Bükki National Park. After a short stop at Lillaf<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="arial" >ü</FONT>red with its impressive Palace Hotel we arrived in Miscolc in the biggest downpour we have experienced so far. It was enough to keep us in the Gastropod and driving on to the Hungarian/Slovak border. Credit goes here to a very attentive Hungarian customs officer who saved poor gastropod from a shave (the car passage under the customs building is only 2.2 m and the Gastropod is 2.3 m) by advising me to take the much higher truck gate. Apart from this close call, the entry into Slovakia was even faster and less of a hassle than into Hungary.</div> <bR> <div> Still fleeing the rain we drove right on through Kosice and to Presov where we expected to find a campground. No such luck. After a long day's driving and in a drizzle we finally gave up searching and parked on a rest area along the highway - dead tired.</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>