the bros
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This post is about a 13km walk from Tahitotfalu to Visegrad. We sing anti-Putin songs and waltz into the birthplace of the Visegrad Group.
When I woke up in the tent I felt relieved. Relieved that my back was still okayish, relieved that the night hadn’t been too cold, neither for Brad nor for me, and relieved that none of the trees around us had collapsed. The evening before, when we were looking for a camping spot, a guy had appeared and told us to be careful. And with that he had pointed up at the trees.
the road
We packed our stuff and got back on the way. The way sucked. Our friend, the EuroVelo 6, had merged with a regular-ass country road, and a lot of the drivers didn’t seem to be very good at driving. After a while a bike lane appeared next to the road, and once again we were able to relax a bit.
We put some music on. For this leg of the trip I had packed a portable speaker, and we were working on a playlist with the hits. The Kelly Family was there. Vitas was there. The Alugalug Cat was there.
Brad introduced me to a Ukrainian song called “ПНХ“, which meant: Fuck You Putin. And so we were walking along the Danube, singing Fuck You Putin. Good times.
Visegrad
When we arrived in Visegrad, we looked around a bit and found a guesthouse that was both affordable and comfy. We were going to lay low for a day there. Get some rest. Do some laundry. Stock up on supplies.
Visegrad was a picturesque little town with a citadel and a ruined palace. It had been the residency of the Hungarian king many centuries ago, and if you’re thinking “Visegrad, that name sounds familiar!” it’s because of the Visegrad Group.
group of bros
In the early 1990s, during the collapse of the Soviet Union and its satellite states, the leaders of Hungary, Poland, and what was then Czechoslovakia came together here in this little town and decided to be bros.
I hate the word bro, but here’s how it went down:
Hungary: “Hey dudes!”
Poland: “Yo, dude!
Czechoslovakia: “Duuuude!”
Hungary: “Wanna be bros?”
Poland and Czechoslovakia: “Hell yea, bro!”
Hungary: “Bros!”
All: “Brooooos forever!”
Then, a year later, after Czechoslovakia had gone through an amicable divorce, they came back to the meeting saying they wanted to be two different bros: Czechia and Slovakia.
And so they were all bros.
pictures
the walk from Tahitotfalu to Visegrad:
I sit on the shore of the Danube.
flowers for sale next to the road
airfield
the bike lane
the other side of the Danube
when the road turns shitty again
abandoned villa
crates
Visegrad palace ruins
Visegrad citadel
Jared Kelsey
You write with excellent humor!
Your “bros” dialogue was hilarious, I laughed a lot.