Back in Pécs

“SZia Pecs, Európa Kulturális Fövárosa!” The caravan, Dachs and I have returned to Pécs for the start of stage II of The Caravan Hitchhiking Project, after a three-months intermission. And this time I am able to properly pronounce my Hungarian introduction sentence. After my first press conference in Hungary a few months ago, the local press happily cited my struggle with their language.
But over time miracles happen. Not just with learning new languages, also in weather. During my visit in February I had a lot of snow and subzero temperatures. This time it is sunny and warm, with temperatures well over 30 degrees Centigrade. Under these different circumstances the city looks totally different. Not just because of the summer dress, but also because most of the renovations seem to be finished. Where in winter there were just fences and scaffolding, are now nice squares, fountains and flags. Shiny like in an amusement park.

Yes, it feels a little like coming home here in Hungary, which is nice for a country that I had never even been to until three months ago. Tomorrow we will depart Pécs towards Istanbul, straight across the Balkans. We are planning to travel with the caravan through Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria into Turkey. My fellow caravan hitchhiker Peter Bijl has arrived too. He will accompany me during the entire journey.

We are following in the footsteps of Simon Wintermans, whom we met in Pécs during stage 1. He is connecting the three European Capitals of Culture by bicycle, starting last April. We hope to arrive simultaneously in Istanbul at the end of June. Remco Timmermans (another lift-provider back in January) has promised to come and pick us up from Istanbul.

We are now there yet however. The Dutch Cultural Embassy Representative in Hungary, Jan Kennis, will give us the first lift towards Croatia from the Flying Grass Carpet. So here we go! New countries, new people, new rides and new stories! Ich bin gespannt!