Road Tripping
Journey to beach in a 2012 Nissan Qashqai with grandparents a smooth joy
From the Sea of Stones to the ‘Hungarian Sea’ in a Nissan Qashqai
Less than 200 kilometres from Hungary’s capital, Budapest, is Lake Balaton. Europe’s largest freshwater lake can easily be accessed by local residents via car or train, making it an extremely popular weekday or weekend destination.
Spending time at one of the various water cities like Keszthely, Siófok, Balatonfüred, or Tihany is a popular way to unwind and enjoy the summer.
That said, international travellers also share the desire to enjoy a nice swim or soak in some vitamin D at one of the lake’s various ‘beaches.’ I use quotations for beaches as they are not the sandy kind. Generally, the areas surrounding the water are grass fields.
While visiting my grandparents, they only had two requests from me. One was to spend time together and the other was to visit the Balaton.
Combining the two seemed like a way to kill two birds with one stone, although that expression sounds rather morbid in this context.
Nevertheless, this time around, we wouldn’t need to take train as we traditionally did when I spent my summers with them as a youth. Why? Because a 2012 Nissan Qashqai would be our transportation.
The compact crossover vehicle offered by the Japanese automaker (unfortunately not in Canada) featured a 6-speed manual transmission, room for five and a diesel engine. Getting to and from our destination could not only be done on a tank of fuel, but could be done with the comfort of air conditioning, cosy seats and room for our luggage.
With our overnight bags packed, the destination entered in the GPS and our seatbelts on, we were ready to hit the road.
Managing to escape the stronghold of rush hour traffic, we fluidly coasted along the M7 highway that would ultimately lead us to our water-based destination.
But before arriving on the shores of the Balaton there was one stop that needed to be made.
Accessing the Sea of Stones in Szentbékkálla, a town just over 30 kilometres from Balatonfüred, took us from a more populated route over to some rolling country roads. Along the way, vineyards share the area’s topography with fruit tree fields and tall grass fields. But it’s the town’s narrow pathways and a dirt/gravel trail that took us to the base of our pre-bathing destination.
Making this location unique in Hungary are the geological remnants of the Miocene period of earth’s history. The “Sea” is a product of millions of years of wind and water erosion and the end results are formations scattered across the arid land. ‘Swimming’ between the rocks isn’t required, but should you feel inspired to skip or run from one to another – just like the assorted kids in the park did – go right ahead!
Catching the eye of rock lovers, or those who love to climb/play on them was the “Swaying Rock,” which balances atop another rock and can be jiggled with the body weight of one person.
It’s a little unnerving to stand on the stony mass that so easily moves, but everyone else was doing it, so when in Rome, right?
A stone’s throw away is Lake Balaton, aka the “Hungarian Sea.” Obviously it’s not a sea, but since Hungary’s geographical territory was reduced after the First World War to a landlocked country, the parts of the Adriatic that used to belong to the nation don’t anymore.
In the heart of the summer months (July and August) the Balaton thrives with a flurry of activity, regardless of which location you’re bathing at.
Whether it is the summer concert series, or the crowds of people that gather at the beaches to soak in the rays, it’s often hard to find a quiet refuge, so don’t go in with that expectation.
Mind you, an overcast day generally scares the crowds away, so you might just luck out, if that’s what you’re looking for.
And while there, it would be a sin not to indulge is one of Hungary’s signature food staples: langos (pronounced lan-gosh).
Hardly a ‘light’ snack, the deepfried bread can be topped with garlic, sour cream, cheese and more. This specialty food can be found at almost all Balaton beach locations, and is worth trying.
When not driving, taking a dip in the water, lying on the grass under the hot summer sun, or eating Hungarian delicacies, enjoying the company of the people you’re with is all part of the joy in the journey.