Bus Stop of the Month – July

Well, we’ve been inundated with entries for the coveted Bus Stop of the Month award, but after much deliberation, we’ve managed to whittle the four entries down to just three. Because of the unprecedented interest in this accolade, we’ve decided to open up the competition to the public vote and where better to do this than on the worldwide web. Enter your vote for the Bus Stop of the Month at the bottom of this post and results will be announced at the beginning of July.

Anyway, on with the Bus Stops…

1. Bus Stop number one was spotted in Hungary on Lake Balaton and is, I’m sure you’ll agree a sturdy example of modern engineering. The building is large enough to accomodate two cyclists plus bicycles with ease and you could rest there safe in the knowledge that it would never blow down. The airy interior was spotless – no empty fag packets, used condoms or syringes. A very middle class bus stop, in our opinion.

2. Bus Stop number two comes from Martin and Monika, currently also cycle touring on a tandem. We met this couple in Maastricht and they  impressed us with their titanium front rack and super clean MSR cooker. Here you can see them using a bus stop in England just as the architect intended it – as a shelter from the storm for cycle tourists. Though the bus stop isn’t particularly beautiful, it shines in the practicality department. See how well it fits two people, plus picnic and large bicycle with no disassembly required – a credit to its designer.

3. Last one up this month was also spotted in Hungary on the Balaton. We gasped in admiration at this minor miracle of modern design. With its classic chalet design, superb guttering and leaded windows, plus windowboxes, it would be an honour for any cycle tourist to seek refuge within its walls and wait for the rain to pass, or to simply sit back in its splendour with an Erdnuss Flip sandwich and admire the craftsmanship.

Campsite Neighbour of the Month (June)

This is a very special award that we’ve dreamed up during our long hours in the saddle thinking of nothing inparticular. It’s an award that was inspired by an act of generosity this morning at the campsite in Budapest. Norma, our neighbour from Cheshire, who’s touring Europe with her hubby Tony, brought us a pot of Yorkshire Tea directly to the door of the tent. We were impressed and moved enough to photograph it just before we drank it. It also undoubtedly wins the ‘Cup Of Tea Of The Month’ Award’. Thanks a lot Norma and it was a pleasure to meet you both and all the best for the rest of your tour. Chris and Janyis

Bus Stop of the month (June)

Every cycle tourist has their favourite stop off points and for us it’s quite often the humble bus-stop. So, we thought it was time to give this international symbol of hanging around the recognition it probably doesn’t deserve by handing out a Bus Stop of the month award. When I say award, what I mean is we’ll stick a picture of it up here on the blog. It’s the thought, as they say, that counts.

Anyway, June’s recipient of this prestigious award is, unsurprisingly, Austrian.  This particularly fine example struck us because, 1. it didn’t stink of piss and 2. It’s the first one we’ve seen with window boxes.

We’d like to open this competition to the wider world and, on the off-chance that the wider world gives a toss, you can submit your entry for ‘Bus Stop of the Month’ to us via the comments  section of this post. Upload the image onto Flickr, Facebook, Picassa, or wherever, send us the link, and we’ll choose the best one, assuming there are any, for next month’s competition.