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Bicycle! Bicycle! Bicycle!
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Believe it or not, Budapest is an excellent city to traverse
by bicycle, a) if you have nerves of steel or b) if you follow
the numerous bike paths. My favorite path is along Andrássy
út, which leads straight to City Park — solely because
of the tiny bike-sized, bike-shaped traffic signals. Sadly,
in this city where not even sidewalks are sacred, it is grievous
but hardly anomalous to find this lovely bike path cluttered
with parked cars. (Sigh!) Let's hurry and get to the parks.
For a lazy Sunday ride, City Park
is perfect. It is closed to cars
on weekends, and there is plenty of space for both pedestrians
and bikers on the numerous internal paths. A visit to the Transport
Museum on this day makes an appropriate interlude,
where ancient wooden bicycles, early model automobiles and old
steam trains are exhibited. By comparison, Margit Island is
much too small and crowded. Head towards the next island in
the Danube instead: Hajógyári
sziget. Famed for the summer Pepsi Sziget Festival,
it also has a golf driving range, a horse riding farm and a
charming csárda (called Ladik) overlooking the
Danube.
A highly recommended destination is Római
Part further north along the Danube. The entire
12 km trip is accessible via path including some old factory
roads, slightly neglected for a teeth rattling “off-road”
effect. Upon arrival at the “mini-beach” you'll find
docks leading over the water and more importantly a full carnival's
worth of snack stands: ice cream, lángos, sausages,
french fries, etc. (The journey is long enough to warrant a
snack.) This trip is perfect for a family
outing, but also easily managed solo by a gang of biker kids.
The full 20-kilometer trek to Szentendre,
estimated at two hours, is excellent and also recommended. However,
please note these three things: the bike path mingles with lazy
country roads when heading north, which can be confusing; I've
twice lost the path on the way back leaving me with no choice
but to join the traffic. The HÉV accepts bicycles for
the cost of a ticket.
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First Aid for Simple Bleeding
- Wash your hands before and after giving first aid.
- Calm and reassure the injured person. Get them to sit or lie down (to prevent fainting).
- Remove any obvious debris or dirt from a superficial wound; wash it with soap
and warm water.
- Apply direct pressure with a bandage, clean cloth,
or even a piece of clothing (or use your hand).
- Elevate the wounded limb “over the heart”
- Maintain pressure until the bleeding stops. If bleeding continues and seeps through the material being held on the wound, do not remove it. Add another cloth over the first one.
- Use Pressure Point Bleeding to control heavier bleeding. In the case of an injury on the hand or lower arm, squeeze the main artery in the upper arm against the bone. Keep your fingers flat. With the other hand, continue to exert pressure on the wound itself.
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Top ten responses to the #1 question:
WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
I don't know ...nothing
—after the above
question
He made me!
—after anything that
involves an older brother
We were having so much
fun
—after anything
else
I was rock climbing
—after an attempt
to scale the bathroom wall over the towel bar
But it was really windy
—after a Mary Poppins
video and a leap off the balcony with an umbrella
I didn't think that would
happen
—just before learning
the definition of 'accident'
I thought I would just
try it
—after an attempt
to ride a bicycle down a flight of stairs
I wanted to see if it
was still hot
—after touching a
just-extinguished stove burner
I wanted to know how
it worked
—after sticking two
screwdrivers into an electrical outlet
I didn't think it would
hurt
—after all of the
above
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