I’ve done kit. Woolly hats, socks all sorts of stuff which if you’re any way sensible you aren’t going to need as you’re going somewhere warm.

Internal flights you know that bit about turning up for an internal flight in the UK with no ID. Try it from Belfast. If you happen to be nice and polite and well dressed. You might get away with a licence or photo ID.

They like a passport. Anywhere from the UK to continental Europe and elsewhere you need a passport.

Theresa Mays massive Brexit victory in stopping Freedom of Movement it works both ways. We’ve  just lost the right to live work and retire in any Eu country we like the look of.

So you need a passport. Not one coming to the end of its term. The word is that theres going to have to be a reasonable period left before it expires or you aren’t getting in. (I’ll bet no one bats an eyelid when you leave the country with a fortnight or so left on your passport)

Other good news. paying for Visas, the word is £7 or so. Its nothing if you’re Billy no mates. But if you take the family with you. That’ll add up.  I wouldn’t be one bit surprised if we are going to be looking at extra payments as befits our new status as a buccaneering third country.

Then theres the EHIC card which is the one which gets you health treatment in foreign lands. Possibly not any more after Brexit. But that will have to have an eye kept on it.

Theres the other killer. Travel insurance. I get mine, it’s just something I’ve always done as a matter of course. Ive never needed it, never used it, it’s enough to know its there.But an annual policy although not cheap is cheaper than two trips a year. And it covers everything, I told them about my condition and they didn’t blink an eyelid. So I’m covered.

Im looking forward to that getting massively increased after March. And the wheeled stuff, scooters and wheelchairs are covered for holiday travel on the house insurance. It took me a while to work that one out and wouldn’t have liked to have to replaced any of those in a hurry.

Most of us have a smartphone so the advice has always been. Copy your travel docs, passport, tickets on to your phone.

But for years all the travel docs, passports tickets and access tags went into an admin pack, (Big zip up wallet) everything could be found in one place which has been useful in dealing with jobsworths in uniform.

Photograph your hotel (I do that) and also upload your travel docs and passport to the cloud, along with credit and debit  cards. In case you lose your wallet or have it lost for you.

Be careful where you photograph where you park the car. Back in pre digital days, the name of the street was written on an arm and waved at bemused Berlin police officer. After the car was lost. ‘One way street’. in Berlin.

Take your pick.

Photographing where you’ve parked the car is usually pretty hot poop at some local car parks, one in particular having two levels people have found themselves wandering around in despair, on the wrong level.

 

Photocopies of this lot stashed in your admin pack back at the hotel room. It’s only overkill when you don’t need it. See the bit about Budapest airport and the art of getting a scooter on a plane. Having the details to hand was a lifesaver at dark o clock.

The place is well named,  Orbanistan.  By those who dislike the way things are going

Drugs. Check beforehand. One of my everyday ones is illegal in a country in the Middle East and people have been jailed for bringing them in. (Stupid people. ‘Its for my boyfriend, who’s got a bad back. The ‘boyfriend’ was also married with kids and claimed no knowledge of back trouble)

I’m not looking forward to the conversation in arrivals, with  Ahmed Jobsworth. ‘No mate they’re mine. Keep the original packaging and take spares, or a spare prescription. Thats going to be another beaut after Brexit on the way forward on this. My docs pretty good about stuff like this. I’m sure she will keep me informed as to how things progress.

I have to be honest I really am not expecting anything good to come out of Brexit, certainly not for us as we renegotiate our way across the wet stuff. The good news being we wont be waving a dark blue passport.

 

We had already done all the visiting we were doing and now we were going home.

Up at sparrow fart for the run to the airport. A bright morning, little traffic and the smog hadn’t quite descended yet. Another VW Passat taxi. Everything swept into the back and off we go.  We were definitely going against the morning rush hour our dual carriageway was moving quickly heading out of the city. The dual carriageway going  into the city was like a car park.

Dumped at the airports front door and in we go.

It’s like Casablanca large groups of people standing abandoned looking lost and bewildered.

Theres no one at the Aer Lingus desk. So we wait, Im sitting anyway. No big deal finally someone shows up we go forward. Details taken, paperwork looked at and handed back. we are waved over to sit and wait.

Theres something not quite right and as we’re summarily dismissed. I ask him ‘What about this’. indicating the scooter I’m sitting on.

Maybe he thought I was a dwarf.

More paperwork, which he read from with really bad grace. I hadn’t got a lot of sleep, maybe he hadn’t either, with a hangover to top it off.

I filled in all the details, height, weight, length, type, folded, unfolded. The lot.

Away he went and returned with his mate. he read the paperwork, looked at it. poked prodded and said ‘It can’t go on the plane’.

‘Why not’.

‘What’? (You’re questioning my judgement)

‘Why can’t it go on the  plane’.

‘Its not permitted’. And turned to go.

‘Hold on. Why not’?

‘Because I say so’.

 

‘This thing here. Isn’t allowed on the plane’.  I pointed to the scooter.

‘Yes’.

‘How do you think it got here. There are still aircraft ID stickers on it. It got to Prague from Dublin by plane. The same airline, which is taking it back to Dublin’.

‘It needs to be disconnected’.

‘It is disconnected’, and showed him the key ‘Its going nowhere without this’.

‘Not good enough’.

‘Ok I strongly suggest you go and find out what is good enough. Then come back and let me know’.

And away he went. By this stage I was thinking about tea or coffee. The desk person went back to having his day further disturbed by someone else. Somebody else arrived to look at the scooter. I explained about the key and powering it on and off. Showed him it folded up and how to tow it along.

His mate returned. ‘I want the battery disconnected’

I explained about the key.

‘Not good enough’.

The dame took one look.

‘Whats that’?

‘Rear Frame’?

‘Whats that’?

‘Sealed battery’.

And there hanging off it was a thick blue cable.

‘Whats that’?

‘No idea’.

And she pulled out the cable. Looked at the airport employee and said ‘Its disconnected. Happy’?

“What have you done’? I asked

‘No idea, I’ll push you through Dublin Airport if I have to’.

So it disappeared. Off to the plane, enplaned in good time. seated, fed, watered and landed in Dublin. Out the far side.

 

Wheelchaired through the airport and baggage reclaim. No sign of scooter, off to various bits of airport where stuff is stashed.

Phone calls made as are excuses. But the scooter is nowhere to be found. Off home and Aer Lingus and Dublin Airport promise to sort it out. two days later its delivered. By a taxi, from a man in Enniskillen. Thats his job and no he still has no idea where it was found or why.

It’s suspected it wasn’t put on the plane at Budapest.

So whatever you’re travelling with. Keep a copy of photos, measurements weight and sizes. Whatever you gave to the airline or travel agent initially to get it put on the plane in the first place.

Hang on to it. It was just pure luck I had all this stuff stashed in my phone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prague 2018. We said we’d be back. To do the other bit. The hilly bit, Round the castle.

One more time, Aer Lingus out of Dublin, hour and a bit we bounced down in Prague. Prague out, was a mirror image of Dublin in, whisked straight through.

Not that everything wasn’t thoroughly searched or there were any short cuts made on my behalf. Having done it so often, I made it as easy for them as the did for me.

One of the reasons I always try to fly Aer Lingus, it just works.

Bag properly packed, pockets emptied. straight through.

Out the far side the travel scooter was loaded into the waiting Skoda Superb and away we went to the hotel.

Travel scoot. Folds up. Traps fingers, (both hands) Fits into car boots, great in hotels, railway stations, airports. Not great in urban streets or eastern european pavements. Tram lines or cobblestones. Saving grace, is the thing called a stadium cushion, the extra bit of cushioning literally saved my hide.

The scooter. Careco Travelscoot. Folds up. Small seat, small wheels, minimal ground clearance.

Brilliant in airports, railways, hotels, museums galleries.

Outdoors not so good. We used an android App for distance walked. The battery level started blinking at 5 miles which meant we had a mile to go.

That mile got us to the hotel where it died. Dead. Really quite good considering the terrain and the size of the battery.

Couple of hours charging up, out later that evening and an overnight charge when you get in. don’t forget the charger and don’t forget to let the hotel know you need a plug which doesn’t switch off when you leave the room.

We went for couple of beers and a book.

Forget the driving, if you’re in the front you’re on the wrong side with no steering wheel.

Just be thankful you aren’t doing the driving.

If you’ve been before, its funny how bits come back. Dropped at the hotel bags in, scooter deposited and in you go.

Hotel Elite is in the new town. Straight, low level in. Ramps to the lift and the lift goes to all floors. in my usual style I only got used to what floor I was on when we were leaving.

Pavements where they exist are narrow and have a bit of a slope, especially the cobbled bits out of double gated parking areas. they really are on a steep slope. In the wet (which there was, really not nice).

Sloping, low level kerbs at each end were something of a rarity, you’d get one and not the other or there would be none at the first bit and one at the end of the pavement run. (if that makes any sense)

Being a small scooter and not wanting to wreck it, it has to be gently lifted down on to the road.

The streets are cobbled, and very rough. The streets are narrow and ill lit. So using the roads, even if you’ve got lights on isn’t doable.

Certainly not on a non suspension folding travel scooter.

Again, a quick recce saved a lot of trouble, other bits of Prague aren’t quite as bad.

But in continental Europe, they love their cobblestones.

Thats why you see so few wheelchairs.

So we did the initial area recce. Got something to eat and they brought beer. Had a quick skelp around the area to get the lie of the land. Stopped off for a couple of beers accessibility is hit and miss.

Its nothing personal, so we found one on the way back, step in. But doable accessible bar and loo. And it serves a perfectly good alternative to Pilsner its called Kozell and its really quite good. They serve them in half litres. Thats enough.

Plan B, knowing the limited ability of the scooter. Brilliant in an indoor, airport, railway, office building, hotel set up. Outdoors and knowing Prague. We got a taxi. minivan to the castle. This was a VW and even it was getting it rough.

Round the castle, cobblestones, squares. Across the square had a look at the castle and the church, while we were there we saw Golden Lane.

Steep, really roughed cobblestones and oriental tourists. Its brutal. Only talent and not overestimating the stupidity of other people prevented a series of international incidents.

Loretto house. more steps and because your high over the city theres a breeze. Not much of a problem in the summer but by late September thats why they put the blankets and wraps over the chairs at the outdoor cafes,

Once again while getting around, try and stay on the pavements as much as possible. Where they’re smooth they’re great, unfortunately they aren’t exactly in an abundance.

We took to the covered in walkways between the cues and the chairs, beautifully smooth and a welcome bit of a break for me and the scooter.

Where next. The Charles Bridge and across town.

Thats steep, but its all downhill. Eek, again the roads, cobblestones are a no no. The pavement quality ranges from the good to the ‘who the fuck thought of that’ (Really narrow, left right slope with a two foot drop into the road.

Great for single line pedestrians, scary on a narrow scooter impossible on a wheelchair. It just wouldn’t fit. You’d have to take to the street.

We did the bus tour to get a sweep of the city. very good you get a sense of scale. and where to go next..

We’ve usually been lucky with the weather, but as we hit later in September than we usually do the temperature drop was noticeable.

We had thunder and lightening one night. So bad, the locals decided not to leave the bar. A good move, as they knew what was going on we waited it out in a gesture of solidarity. it was the least we could do..

Intro and hello

The writer in more mobile times at The South Pole (I told you I liked travelling)

I used to love travelling. Even the journey, getting there was part of the fun. Delayed, haul out a book, look around and attempt to conserve your stock of jellybeans.

Nowadays its easier than ever. Thanks to modern technology I travel with one less rucksack, books and music go into a mini iPad in my pocket. (all you have to remember is pack the cables and chargers)

As my condition deteriorated I grew to hate it, too much trouble, not enough time and even a place as pretty as Barcelona could lift my sprits.

It wasn’t great, not the cities fault. I was just wearing out. Now I go travelling. A walking stick for dire emergency. Either a Self propelled wheelchair, a scooter or a power chair.

Plan A is take the scooter with you on the plane and rent an SPW (Manual wheelchair) when you get there. Its a lot less expensive. (Don’t forget the charger). It means you tootle about on the wheelchair while the scooter’s charging.

Plan B. SPW on the plane and scooter or power chair when you get there, sourcing it might be difficult, And it will be expensive, but, its personal preference.

Why the SPW, well it’ll fit in a taxi or a bus. A power chair won’t. My scooters were pretty good, comfortable for eurostreets (cobbles) and folded to fit.

I’ve a wheelchair for home and one for travel. The one for home is a nice one, but wheels, sides, and footplates come off, the very things you don’t want to get lost in the hold of a plane.

The travel one, folds, thats it. Nothing comes off. Just as we were congratulating ourselves on having a travel proof piece of kit. There was something badly wrong. One of the brake locks was jammed against the tyre. Alloy is great, but it’s bendable by an idiot. It was unbent by judicious use of a hammer.

An SPW (Manual wheelchair. Yes I know, pretty sporty but still)

Thats mine there, the deliberate mistake on that. No anti tip bars. They’re either being retrofitted or a hand cycle attachment going on the front. (Kuschall KSL G2)

Otherwise I may as well  have it done in WW2 Kamikaze colours.

The other one, a folding TiLite  to be fitted with an E35/36  setup.  (More on that later). Used for travel. The idea was for rail travel. Get it on to the train, fold it up it means you can get the wheelchair down the carriage.

The current scooter is a liteway 3 which comes apart, tubular framed. tight turning circle and it all comes apart. So it will fit in a taxi boot. Especially if its a Skoda Superb which seems to be hugely popular these days.

My previous was a Shoprider Napoli which was great for kerbs and cobbles. I looked like a big kids trike and considering where it went. It was.

Tiller folds, seat comes off, battery comes out. So it comes down to three major components. Do not tell the airplane people, they will leave a bit on the plane. And take the key, better still take two (keys).

Scooter also pretty hot poop for getting around. The one at present went to Belgium and had a great time. See the Ypres post

Thats a Liteway 3. It does all that and goes back together again I personally tend to dump the armrests. They get battered on doors and catch on everything. And its just something else to lose. A nice sized floorpan so you can shift about a bit.
It all goes into the boot of a decent sized car. So it should fit into the rear of a taxi at a push.

Standard walking stick, I usually gaffer tape a folder to my scooter after getting a wooden one caught between a train and platform in Berlin. I thought I’d broken the train. The under seat basket is handy. The front one something off an embarrassment.

On the WTF is that. May I recommend the Flexyfoot , check it out at @flexyfoot.com. The clever bit is the ferrule (thats the bit which contacts the ground, unless you have it upside down)the flexyfoot.

The design means that the maximum amount of tread is on the ground at any one time.
Great for wet and rough terrain.
And it works. Available for various stick circumferences. Ive an original flexyfoot and the ferrule on an Ossenberg for weddings and formal occasions.

Crutches, I don’t use them, death traps and those three wheeled walker things, not at all.

Wheelchair gloves, use the full finger gloves, you really don’t want to look like a failed Egyptian weightlifter.

Something which has proved really useful on my travels has been lights on my scooter or wheelchair. I used mini maglites and sticky tape Bicycle lights and reflectors. white on the front, red on the back.
Ebay, horribly cheap or wickedly expensive. take your pick. `not so much to let you see where you’re going but to light yourself up for others.
You think this is overkill, you need to get out more.

Using a chair or a scooter Ive gone from 6 foot tall to around 4 foot and people really don’t look where they’re going.

Its nothing to do with race, age or nationality. Stupidity is global

Ironsidetravelbureau

I know, I was doing it every time i thought of it. (Don’t know why. It meant nothing to me)

But we took the train from Prague to Vienna, a very nice run through Czech and Austrian countryside. Lovely day too, and the quality of the grub and coffee was incredible.

Into Vienna, Out of the really nicely appointed railway station and out to the taxi rank at the front, loaded up and away.

Driver wasn’t local but he chatted away about the new right wing government. ‘I like living in a democracy. I know they don’t like us. I know they don’t want us here. But we’re legitimate, we have all our papers and they can’t touch us’

Big Smile.

We arrived in the City centre at the hotel in Stephensdom. Billed as disabled access friendly, theres a step at the front door.

Hmmmm. Man comes out, grabs our bags, looks at the scooter, disappears and open the side door.Right beside the main door. Completely flat. Straight in, through the utility area and into reception. They had a chap assigned to let me in and out. We gave it about half an hour and they showed Paddy how to let me in and out which worked a treat.  As we were back and forward on the first evening quite regularly.

Coz it was cold.

Usually we go in early  September where we get lucky with the weather. Its still warm and for the first time in years while packing for this run. I didn’t pack out my thermals, thick socks and fleece. I didn’t even pack a hoodie.

I froze, which made getting battered by a non suspension scooter on cobbles was really painful. And uncomfortable.

The Stephensdom is a whole shopping, pedestrian area and it was bunged. People were suited and booted. there were no city centre gangs of hoodies and trackie wearing types hanging around. Indeed in the entire week we were bouncing around Europe. we were only bugged once, That’s bugged, not mugged.

When I say we, I mean me and I had to borrow 50 cents of the woman who was with me. The grateful recipient sodded off at speed in that strange ship in a gale, rocking side to side,  weeble sort of way. It was very strange. Obviously she didn’t want to get lifted or something.

in Vienna where it says pedestrian, it means it. Cyclists push bikes  along, and the cycle rickshaws  get walked along also. And there are police around the place quietly enforcing what’s going on.

It seems to be where everyone goes to eat and shop, (shops open late and stay open late) all the upmarket stuff.

At the top of the area where the pedestrian area ends and the road begins. There were steel bollards, probably dropable to allow delivery vehicles in. But I couldnt get a time or a date when they were installed. They didn’t look like they had been there for a long time.

Pavements were smooth as were a lot of the streets, dropped kerbs everywhere, and lights at junctions. Mostly wide and flat too. We went to the jewish museum, full access, very German and really quite weird. definitely a bygone age, long gone.

Although Austria seems somewhat conflicted about its role in ww2. Theres a thoroughly disturbing piece in the Jewish museum where a returning Jew, resettling in Vienna after the holocaust. Greets his neighbours where their past is glossed over and conveniently ignored. The ex prison camp guard who’s the barber. It really is weird and was apparently shown on Austrian tv after the war. As a comedy.

Very polite, awfully well mannered and truly freaky.

Museum time, we’ve attempted the big museum in Prague which was going to open in 2018 (not as yet though) there is the Museum of Military History in the Arsenal. Vienna.

It does the Hapsburgs from the 1600s to post 1945.

Fully accessible, lifts etc it shows what troublesome lot the Austro Hungarians were.

Starts of with statues as you go in of Generals and other people upstairs, there are dioramas huge pictures, uniforms, weapons, information in English and has loads of paintings

Including that one. Whereas the rest of the paintings are all devilishly handsome, bloodied, wounded and well, er, dead.

Someone has the hand on the flag and manages to look noble.

The above painting . ‘The Uhlan’. thats what it looks like when someone, somewhere in a wet cold field wants you dead.

Cracking museum covers, as I said everything from the mid 17th to the mid 20th Century. The first world war is well represented and manages to mention the bits the Allies don’t. No ones actually admitting responsibility, but you don’t get the idea it was their fault.

As you go through the gift shop. Lots of books and a €99 tin stahlhelm. Had i been thinking straight I’d have bought a couple for Christmas pressies.

It covers the difficult Anchsluss

A really good museum and its alleged theres more stuff, tracked vehicles and cannon outside.

As I say the Austrians are attempting to portray themselves as occupied. (i think they mean invited)

Whereas nothing like this is seen in Berlin or Germany, this little  bit of embroidery just sits there in one of the display cases.

 

I know. This is Vienna. Nothing like this would have been seen (or allowed) in Germany. And it just sits there, shouting volumes. Especially when you think someone, sat down and made that.

Yes I know, different times. But I don’t see myself sitting down and the dame telling me that what the sofa needs is a bit of needlework eulogising the local despot.

As I say take some time, We did three museums in the short time we were there. This one which was excellent and the two jewish ones.

The jewish museums had both overt and covert security. Everyone got the wall eye on the way in and  armed guards at both and no bags inside. . The  second one had interior blast and ‘just in case’ doors.

Underneath is the archaeological dig of the first synagogue  in Vienna. The  main one in Dorotheergasse has a shop. A Jewish museum in Vienna lead for the dog.

Back out as i say  the mixture of cold and cobbles was getting to me so we headed for the american bar. Lous American bar for a couple of hot ports.

The outdoor cafes are all over the place, they have heaters on, don’t sit on the periphery,. Get in and get some heat. There’s two sitting side by side. Ones packed, the  others empty.

The packed ones got better heaters

People are perfectly nice, helpful and the foods much better than Prague or Budapest. We had schnitzel and house beer. I had the  veal.

Ordering away to our server,  he made some crack about  the German language  being difficult, I told him ‘Dutch was difficult, i had just arrived and was still getting my head out of Czech.

But everyone else was perfectly nice, except the weird old bats at check out which almost had us missing our train.

Lifting the chill, there’s hot port which is done differently and Rum and hot chocolate. I said it was cold. and i cant bounce up and down and get the circulation going again. she had Baileys and hot chocolate very nice.

Theres a hierarchy of taxi drivers theres the bog standard. Perfectly decent yellow cabs  and the undertaker (black suits white shirt, black tie) Mercedes  drivers which run about in unmarked cars and seem like they own the roads.

Maybe they do.

Again hand delivered to the railway carriage (we were late. a coven of old bitches arguing about their separate mini bar bills)

Straight in, up on the door lift, into a carriage and off to Budapest.

I like the trains.

I liked Vienna, next time. I ‘ll pack like I usually do. Take the warm stuff.

I’m really quite the train buff. Not at home of course, I wouldn’t dream of using a train. But elsewhere, no problem. It got us all over Belguim, with really scary ramps, steep high and long drop. Luckily the guys operating the system know what they’re at and watch you like a hawk.

so it works.

Ring them the day before, let them know you’re coming . This is particularly good if you get held up. And are running late.

Prague to Vienna, we hit the main station in Prague what slowed us up was the need for lifts to get around.

Got to the information office and were rushed to the train. (They’d held it) No ramps. Eek. We stopped at a carriage door. waved back. A side of the carriage wall opened up and a floor plate dropped. I rolled on, a lip came up behind me. The floor plate raised to train height and I rolled in.

Ramp/Lift drops is folded and back into the side of the carriage..Cheese and apple with coffee, particularly good and off to Vienna.

Comfortable straight run, with wifi and goodies. (I think its counted as an automatic upgrade to first class if you re on wheels)

It was a nice run through the Slovakian and Austrian countryside. Stopped in Vienna, and out the same way as we came in.

Really civilised and very good.

We  arrived in Budapest from Vienna, by Austrian railways train. which Ive said before are excellent. (If yours was late, that was my fault. they held it up for me)

Egress was the opposite of access, simple and painless. Right away, although somewhat ornate, the rail station was definitely shabby, exit to the city, steps. But we were waved up to the far left (facing out) round the side of the reception hall to a perfectly flat exit.

Outside there’s the usual pile of taxis, theres usually someone in control who waves a taxi of a particular shape or size over to you, pile in tell him where you’re going and take off.

Of course you wonder why he laughs. It’s a good thing he says there is only the one hotel with that name. ‘My friend’,  and he waves at one taxi. ‘They’re away to find, one of a well known chain of which there are four of them in the city and they don’t know which one’.

Well we launch into the traffic which is the same everywhere which is strange on the wrong side of the road, keep an eye on whats going on as we speed to the hotel and get dumped at the front door. it looks very ornate and imposing. as soon as we get into it’s square and thoroughly modern.

And that seems like a reasonably accurate description of Budapest and Hungary in general. The oscillation between the old and the new and their wary coexistence.

Given where they’ve been as partners in an empire, not only does Hungary have to adjust where they’ve been and what they’ve come through but where they are going and what they hope to achieve. Future trouble in Budapest doesn’t look too unlikely at all.

Right time for a pint. The hotel is listed as disabled access, the front door has a huge step and a revolving door. . Someone flings open. a side door and a large wooden ramp is carried out, dropped on the pavement and i’m waved on to that. its unusable if anythings parked in the street as theres nowhere to turn if you stick to the ramp, you’re straight into the side of the parked vehicle. Or the road.

We dispensed with the ramp, and lifted the scooter in and out. It was less trouble.

Out of the hotel and I turned right. on down towards the main shopping area. we were on the verge of the jewish quarter and passed the facade of a an old synagogue, (Pic)

Further on, down towards the city centre , on the same side and there’s the main working synagogue, always a young crowd milling about. Conspicuously Armed police standing around, pretending not to watch. and if you sit for a bit you can see the unconspicuous security. Which now seems to be the norm all over continental Europe.

 

Budapest reminded me of a soup plate, it’s in the flat bit and surrounded by hills and you can usually work out where you are by what you can see around you. Most of the big statuey stuff have ben left there by the Russians.

We did find a junk shop with interesting bits, I knew what I was looking for, but the response when I asked about a certain item convinced me staying around any longer was a waste of time.

Strange, maybe I’d inadvertently stumbled into someone’s front room. Or possibly the past wasn’t that far back.

We did find a blues Bar, they were in the process of setting it up. I’m now convinced they played whatever the patron who came in wanted to hear.

Keb Mo. Chickenshack. Peter Green. No problem sir. The ones who came in behind me got Kylie and ‘I should be so lucky’, if it was so desired.

There was a thing called a ‘ruined bar’ where a selection of bars and wine bars all set up under one roof in a previously abandoned building. I’m sure it’s described as chic in some circles, but it’s ragged. The gentleman’s facilities (forget about disabled access) the ‘gents’, one of them,  was honking. Door open, up the step and in. Do your thing and leave. 

Obviously a young persons bar I half expected to see rats nibbling my laces as I was having a wee. (Cf a place known as ‘The Pound’ Belfast in the 70s) The Docs are now replaced with Timberlands. One of the more noticeable things about this place, allied with the obvious fondness for graffiti and painting or carving your name everywhere, there was a corner with extreme right wing, patches, slogans and stickers. 

Maybe the socialists stick to the other end.  

 

Y

Budapest seems like a more ragged and tatty Prague. Im not sure which part of Buda or Pest we were in. But it was warmer than Vienna.

“Whats the river’?

‘Danube, idiot”

‘Its a funny colour’.

What looked to be the main drag, smooth pavements, nice dropped kerbs. zebra crossings again, make sure the cars stop before you go. and on the other side watch out for the cycle lane. Because where you get a cycle lane which shares the pavement theres no kerb or bump as you get to the other side  the road. Just keep an eye out for cyclists, as they should for you. 

Budapest doesn’t seem to be a massively bicycle friendly city. Then you realise why, its surrounded by hills.

Now theres not much to say about Budapest its smooth doable, its got everything. Bars, shops, theres a chain of what I can only describe as angel and demon bars which provide cheap beer. and plays out 70s rock. Sabbath, Free, Deep purple, Rainbow,  and the young people at the next table think your’e some sort of idiot savant. Spotting the tune in the first three bars..

Bus tour, get a sense of the size and scope of the place. Its all very sort of nice. Buildings churches and architecture. The Russian involvement is rarely mentioned apart from the statue of whatever it is on the hill.  The liberty statue

 

Once you’ve had that pointed out, you can see it from wherever you are in Budapest. It shares that bit of the hill with a bishop who was tossed off it. (I should rephrase that)

Famous bishop, big story. The runs go back and across the riverand up the hill. Believe me even the Americans accept its a hill, theres the castle.

Hooray we’re back at cobblestones again, electric vehicles, tourists, tours and it looks very pretty.

OK theres  the castle, if its your thing. its not going anywhere any time soon.

Theres a WW1 centenary exhibition at the Varkert Bazar down the hill from the castle. Its across the road from where the tour buses stop. Two huge soldiers and a massive, FN Browning handgun at the entrance

Hungary lost 660,000 in that conflict. Inside fully accessible and a very interesting non allied take on WW1. They’re kind of rude about our royal family, almost like we were the aggressors in that particular conflict. But its extremely well put together. i’ve no idea what it costs, but i’m sure it costs money.

I’m not saying its biased or anything, what I’m saying is that it gives a different perspective. Which is fascinating.

OK you’re  not into museums. I get that, we’ll thats not true. I don’t.

Back on the bus, theres a bit of a traffic jam and there’s  the source. A stuffed van, parked, empty, with a worryingly massive scuff on the side of the transit at head height on a bicycle.

The cops arrive and block the bridge and the roads, some poor soul has had it. They don’t usually block the road for a shunt, nothing would be moving. Back into town  and we stop for food and beer. Budapest is I think cheaper than Prague, a lot cheaper (and warmer) than  Vienna.

Lot of  young people milling around the place, everyone seems perfectly civilised. I think we were on Kozell (like Prague) perfectly acceptable.  Food I suppose is alright Three countries and the best meal I had was in Prague Turkey schnitzel and Russian potato salad.

The Hungarian stuff was perfectly unmemorable. including the breakfasts, Coffee, toast, marmalade and a collection of cooked meats.

We did stop in an Italian place. on the route back to the hotel. Ordered Calazones  (Which weren’t half as good as those in Londonderry) ediblesh , Hungarian wine. That was ok too.

Disabled loo. Yes yes, (Now everywhere else was fine) Down two flights of stairs and locked. she managed to pull the door handle off. We left it there in lieu of a tip.

A seriously weird place. one of the staff spotted my wristband its a charity thing, ancient, usually grey, but as I had just crept out of the shower it was Red, grey and green. Orban colours, the right wing guy running Hungary.

He was hustled off, ‘Any problem’ I asked.

‘No, no, no no, very good’ and we got more Hungarian wine and finished off our calzone.

back to the hotel, for a couple of drinks we had an early start for the airport the next morning.

If you’re not sure. Check the venue. Tell them how you’re fixed, most of them are really helpful. Some places physically they can do nothing about. It’s nothing personal it’s just the way it is. These buildings were built before rock bands and you. It’s better finding out before hand

.I’ve done hundreds of these things. Seen just about everyone, most of them for nothing. Worst was Led Zeppelin at Knebworth. Weather conditions, amenities. People. Especially the people.Almost put me off rock music.I grew to hate The Chieftains there was a period when every big band who played Ireland had this band as support. You’d turn up and there would be a line of kitchen chairs and someone would happily announce ‘Special guests. The Chieftains’ the sound system more than adequately masking the sound of disappointment from the crowd

.So, retired, for the first time in forty years somebody bought me a ticket……..for Springsteen at an outdoor gig in Belfast.We went. I blagged a TGA super light rwd scooter. Big seat, ready to go across a bomb site. And I had my own seat. Of course Springsteen put on a show. Never been a big fan of crowds. Never been a big fan of Irish crowds and even less a fan of Ulster crowds. So there I was securely seated on a heavy duty scooter wondering how people managed to get through life as they tripped over holes in the ground,   fences, other people and me. And it was still daylight.

Cocktails were acquired. Beer too. as we watched people trip over things and spill liquid. Band tore the place up and I had a great time. Of course they were good

“Ha” said the dame “Now you know what its like”I had no idea what she was taking about when she pointed out that I had by using a scooter gone from being 6 foot to under 5 foot tall. and almost invisible. A lesson learned. (Not an Irish problem they seem equally stupid in Europe) But when some drunk came barreling through the crowd, shoving everyone out of the way and stopped at me . It took a minute. ‘Hey he’s on wheels’ so it seemed sensible to push me out of the way. Only these things don’t move when switched off so my country friend got himself a hernia and spilled his beer. He wasn’t happy.

So indoor and outdoor gigs with my own transport and seat is pretty damn good.Plant, Thompson, Parker. Yes I’ve been tripped over at all of them. Famous support act tripped over me and proceeded to give me such a look for a moment i thought it was my fault she wasn’t looking where she was going.There is a question usually asked of chair and scooter travellers. “Why the shitkickers” (sensible shoes) arseholes, drunks and doorposts. Arseholes and drunks tripping over my feet and well meaning people shoving the chair and my feet into a doorpost. and going ‘Ooops’.Its not funny.  

I’m beginning to think people should treat one of these forms of transport like a Texans hat. ‘Don’t touch my hat’.

So. Festivals. Are you mad. Nope, we go to one every year. fine tuning as we go along. we think we’ve got it sort of rightIts probably worth a separate post.Next one Springsteen doing The River in Dublin. First time in Croke Park.Second time seeing him do The River.First time was at Slane.

I had a look at what I usually carried on a regular basis. One would be a walking stick solid wooden, crook handled chestnut or ash. The other is an Kit NHS issue tin one. Both of these are really stable and comfortable to use. But then you know this already. (The tin one, slid in on itself is probably one of the   best CQB weapons ever devised).

I’ve a collection of sticks and canes, a couple of blackthorns, silver topped canes and a couple of new ones on trial.

Flexyfoot an original one and another Sunday going to meeting one on an Ossenberg stick. Thats the really grown up one.

Google flexyfoot, it’ll tell you what you want to know as in how it looks. If you cant wait its the blue one below.

The ferrule is the bit thats the entertaining  piece of kit.

I’m hard on my sticks. I do use them to to hold up my six foot and fifteen stone. The great thing about the design is it grounds itself. You get the edge of the ferrule down and it flattens itself out. (You know what I mean) you don’t have to worry about the edge of the ferrule skidding in the wet and pitching you on your bum.

Meant to be particularly good on uneven surfaces which these days counts for most 21st century european pavements. If I find somewhere good I’ll let you know.

Ossenberg stick. Thats the really grown up one. The black one on the right recent additions in the UK, but widely available in Europe. Thats a folder and it too is fitted with a flexyfoot ferrule.  Did i mention it has a built in shock absorber. Bit weird, but it works.

Well it did, for a while, then the handle came loose and broke. I sent it back to Ossenberg in Germany, that was six months ago. Nothing. 

As for travel clothing I didn’t think I bothered about that sort of kit. But I had a look anyway.

Everyday and whatever else is Levis , and timberlands. With Barbours and fleeces.

This has been augmented with an insulated jacket (military grade softee or if its really cold a Snugpak ebony)

And Rohan stuff. Their trousers are mostly bulletproof, impervious to greek kebabs, comfortable and they aren’t jeans. That and the fact they take up little or no room in the bag. No I don’t wash them in the sink or beat them with stones in a fast flowing river..

Have a look at rohan.com  Not cheap, but……….

One of the problems with eating street food in a sitting position is that you’re going to spill stuff on you Jeans and Rohans will scrub off. You can wear them just about anywhere even though these days the better the hotel, the less they care what you look like.

And Rohans come with winter lining, you remember that bit about sitting in a wheelchair or scooter and travelling around on a cold day. Sling on a pair of thermals and you can consider yourelf reasonably impervious.  (I’m talking continental Europe here, not Siberia)

They also do hats, gloves and fleeces . The great stuff about this kit is its well put together and wont fall apart.

For the fashionistas among you. I really have no idea what to tell you here. I’m going for comfort and practicality here. Although Ive been told I become achingly fashionable every so often . That’ll be the Barbour Motorcycle jacket, dockers  and timberlands then. Ive moved on to whatever corporate Shemagh is around these days. 511 or TAD do good ones. They cost a bit more but then you’re more likely not to lose it. These things really are worth their weight in Guinness.

A scarf is good for an extra layer (yes I do go to warm places, its much easier dealing with the heat than it is shaking of a chill)

The old Barbour needs a fleece or soft lining to work in the cold, but the length for sitting in a chair or a scooter is spot on for the motorcycle jacket or the bedale.

Rohan do a lined field jacket, which is light, warm with pockets and looks smart. I’ve an ancient black Alpha M65. which I’m not allowed to wear anywhere foreign.

The  Barbours a long term personal favourite, either loved or hated. Don’t buy a copy, a good rainstorm will wash out the waterproofing in thirty minutes.

They aren’t warm, so a lightweight fleece or sweater will be a must.

Gloves Rohan or Sealskins, and they do hats too.

You may have noticed that theres very little on  heatwaves and sunny climes kit. Wear a hat and sunscreen. Ditch the manual wheelchair you’re going to be hot and miserable enough without sweating like a pig in the process.

flexyfoot, odd, but it works Thats the Ossenberg a German folder with the Flexyfoot ferrule.  if you’re heavy on your stick, the anti shock ferrule works.