On leaving Lake Balaton we wanted to visit a lake called Lake Hévíz, it looked lovely on the brochure, it was a thermal lake with spa facilities. When we arrived at Keszthely we had second thoughts, to us it was one big tourist trap designed to make money for those that owned the place and the business around the area. We did have a walk around before getting back on the bike and out of there.

Next stop was another tourist place, Tihany, but this was a nicer little village which had a very English feel to it, due mainly I think to the stone buildings with thatched roofs and cobble stone streets. Here we had lunch and walked around the streets looking at all the wares on sale for the tourists. This village is known for lavender, so there was a lot of stuff centers around lavender.

From here it was on to Tata and our friends home, a small apartment on the second floor close into the city.
They bought it a few years ago and fully refurbished the inside, so it was nice and modern and well done, despite the building being 40 years old.

The following day they took us around town to show us the lakes, gardens and old castle with museum. The museum was interesting, but there was only a little English for us to read. The gardens and lakes were beautiful with many flowers and clear waters.

Before lunch they took us to an amazing ice cream come cake shop which had amazing cakes and delicious ice creams. The interior of this shop was beautifully fitted out with wood paneling, while the exterior looked very plane.

After lunch they took us to nearby Tatabanya where we saw a giant bronze statue of a mythological bird overlooking the city. We also went for a walk through the forest and into a huge cave before heading back to the car and a pizzeria where we had, or tried to have, the largest pizza Julie and I have ever seen. Did I say our Hungarian friends over feed us.

We took the leftovers with us for Julie and I to have for lunch and dinner the next day while on the road to Austria.

Again it was a sad farewell the following morning when we left. Our friends had tried to get us to stay longer and to join them again at Balaton, but we declined, we don't think our stomachs could handle it!