Biking Brilliant Bodies of Water

We get called to adventures in different ways.

My DNA is forever paired with water. Schuit, my surname, literally is a small Dutch boat. I suspect that when Napoleon invaded Holland and required all families to “modernize” by having both first and family names, my ancestors took the name Schuit because their livelihood was inextricably woven with the sea–the sea that both empowered and regularly flooded that small country.

I’ve always lived within a stone’s throw of water. I was born and raised in New York City’s waterfront neighborhoods of Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst in Brooklyn. Later, we moved to Merrick on Long Island where several of my friends lived on the water and as teenagers had their own boats. Today, we call Peaks Island in Maine our home. We’re one of several hundred families that take a ferry to and from the mainland on a regular basis, our fortunes tied directly to the tides and prevailing winds.

So, it wasn’t especially unusual when, as we walked the Camino de Santiago across northern Spain in 2017, a fellow pilgrim mentioned Lake Balaton. Csabi (Chubby) asked about a knee sleeve I had wrapped around one of my legs and my tendency to stop every hour or two to ice my knee. I told him I was about to undergo knee surgery once I completed the Camino and hoped to make a successful transition from jogging to biking as my go-to exercise regimen.

“Ever hear of Lake Balaton in Hungary?” he asked. Though I prided myself on my knowledge of geography, I had to admit that I hadn’t. This Hungarian native insisted that a big, beautiful lake in central Hungary awaited me when my knee was healed. And to add to the serendipity that often finds its way to travelers, shortly after I received an offer to teach English in, of all places, Budapest, Hungary.

The author with his folding bike in the popular tourist town of Balatonfured on Lake Balaton in Hungary.

I have since biked around Lake Balaton three times on one of my Bromptons–a British folding bike. A folding bike sacrifices little in terms of efficiency and comfort and, at the same time, allows for easy traveling given that it folds up to roughly one-third its size and can be transported in a hard case almost anywhere in the world. One can enjoyably bike around the 150-mile circumference of the lake at one’s own pace traveling through wine country, past small Hungarian villages and wildlife refuges along the shores of a beautiful pastel-blue lake–all while being caressed by a well-maintained bike lane. It makes for some of the most enjoyable biking I have had the pleasure to experience.

A “golden” bike lane along Lake Balaton. This photo taken along the southwestern corner of the lake.

So it hit me. Where else in the world can I find such natural generosity? Two other lakes came to mind–both the largest lakes in their respective countries: Lake Biwa in Japan, and Lake Chapala in Mexico. So, let’s consider these biking opportunities and how they compare to biking Lake Balaton, Central Europe’s largest lake.

Feature/Lake	BIWA (Japan)	CHAPALA (Mexico)	BALATON (Hungary)
Area	260 sq. miles	420 sq. miles	229 sq. miles
Age	4-million years old	38,000 years old	16,000 years old
Shore Length	146 miles	166 miles	150 miles
Maximum Depth	341 feet	34 feet	40 feet
Easily Circumnavigated by Bike?	Yes	No*	Yes
Water Condition	Clean. Drinking water for the city of Kyoto.	Polluted.	Fairly Clean

*The north shore of Lake Chapala has a bike path which runs parallel to the lake. It runs from the town of Jocotepec on the northwestern end of the lake, through Ajijic, and continues to the city of Chapala on the north central shore of Lake Chapala.

Most of the streets around Lake Chapala are made of cobblestones making casual biking a bit challenging.

A fairly new bike path runs across about half the length of the north shore of Lake Chapala in Mexico. The nearly constant sun glistens off the surface of the beautiful lake. White Pelicans along with other varieties of ducks and birds can be seen everywhere here. Sadly however, the lake is polluted by chemicals from agricultural runoff and a dirty river flowing down from Guadalajara. Once you find a way to navigate the countless cobblestone streets and get yourself to the bike path running from Jocotepec in the northwest to the city of Chapala, the biking is smoother and safer. Chapala has a wonderful waterfront malecon filled with vendors, visitors and locals. But biking around the rest of the lake is currently problematic as Mexico generally is not bike-friendly.

The bike lane along Lake Chapala, here running through the town of Ajijic.

Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake, is an older and much deeper body of water than either Lake Balaton or Chapala. It provides drinking water to the Kyoto area, that city having been Japan’s capital until 1861. While all three lakes have a surprisingly similar circumference of about 150-miles, Lake Biwa seems to be especially bike friendly. Vlogger, Jitensha Adventures, describes her 4-day circumnavigation of Biwa, presenting maps of their 4-day trip featuring stays in guest houses and stops in restaurants along the way. While I can’t speak personally about biking Lake Biwa, I have visited Japan many times over the years both as a tourist and as a trekker. I am attracted to Japan’s respect for nature and well-orchestrated rituals of efficiency, organization and cleanliness. I once walked the streets of Kyoto looking for one stray cigarette butt and was unable to find any.

Johnny Z. Lee, another biking vlogger, offers his perspective on biking Biwa, describing the quality of the bike lanes he encountered on his swing through Biwa. His biking is faster and more aggressive than that of Jitensha and her biking partner.

My personal approach to biking is more akin to the turtle in the old fable of the hare vs. the tortoise. I average about 30-40 miles a day, making frequent stops whenever a view, old square, or coffee shop calls out my name.I usually book my stay in advance and scout out nearby eating places that would likely reward my day’s biking efforts. I smile as bikers in lycra whiz past me striving to bike around Lake Balaton in one-day. I take 3 1/2 days as I savor the details of nooks and crannies and the insights I can glean from conversations with locals.

Balaton, Chapala and Biwa are the largest lakes in their respective countries. Interestingly, they are similar in size. But they are more different than they are similar. Balaton and Biwa offer significantly more bike-friendly experiences. They are also cleaner bodies of water. Balaton’s north shore features wine vineyards, while Biwa offers shrines and temples for contemplative interludes.

Perhaps these lakes call out to you too. My Dutch DNA and folding bikes are always at the ready. I can go only so long without having a plan to bike a brilliant body of water. Lakes Balaton, Biwa and Chapala all await. Biwa seems to be calling me next. I’m an easy sell.

Walking to Victory

U.S. President Donald Trump models himself after Hungary’s long time Prime Minister, Viktor Orban. He likes his tough, take-no-prisoners approach. He admires his control of the Hungarian judicial system and the press, and his authoritarian stands on immigration and homosexuality. Orban is the mafia boss Trump has always aspired to be.

But my recent trip to Hungary revealed there’s a little fly in the ointment, a Tinkle Bell of sorts pulling pranks in the Hungarian firmament. He’s Peter Magyar, and his name literally translates to Peter Hungary. Mr. Magyar, intending to upset Orban in the national election next April, laced up his shoes and walked over 200-miles from Budapest to northwestern Romania, Hungary’s neighbor, on what he called the “One million steps for peace and national unity initiative.”

Peter Magyar, 44, of Hungary’s opposition party, TISZA (photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

According to Hungarians I spoke with, throughout his walk Magyar reached out to everyone he could, including traditional Orban supporters. He listened, answered questions, and was strikingly non-defensive. His approach was a significant departure from Orban’s defiant stands against the EU, non-traditional families, and immigrants. The average Hungarian increasingly wonders why their country is consistently near the bottom of European economic measures. They have witnessed for years now how successful Hungarian businesses have been squeezed out by Orban’s family and friends, the value of their enterprises finding its way into Orban’s coffers.

Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary. His leadership of Hungary’s economy is increasingly being questioned by many Hungarians (photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Here in the States another political upstart, N.Y.C. mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic-Socialist, also decided to employ walking as a political strategy. Mamdani similarly walked the length of Manhattan meeting and greeting a diverse group of New Yorkers along the way. They apparently liked what they heard. He has walked and listened his way to victory, winning yesterday’s NYC mayoral election by a nearly 10-points.

Zohan Mamdani, 34, walked to victory as Mayor of the largest U.S. city (photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

So too, Magyar in Hungary. Polls show Magyar and his opposition party running ahead of the entrenched Orban. His task is not a simple one. But it perhaps shows that many Hungarians have had enough of Orban and his raping and pillaging of Hungary under the guise of nationalism.

Both performances, that of Magyar in Hungary and Mamdani in New York City, offer hope for us here in the U.S. as we painfully watch Trump fray our Democracy and ignore the Constitution. Ridding America of Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) acolytes will require more than one or two newsworthy walks. Nevertheless, here’s hoping lovers of democracy everywhere can unite and force Trump, and like-minded thugs like Orban, masking as patriots, to take their own long walks along some very short piers.

Biking Balaton

A 150-mile, surprisingly easy biking adventure welcomes newcomers in Central Hungary. If you like wine, nearly empty bike lanes, and friendly locals, I invite you to bike around Lake Balaton outside the busy summer season.

I started out in the tony little town of Balatonfured. Heading west (counterclockwise), I passed through wine and lavender country. Keszthely, on the lake’s far western shore, welcomed me after the 1st day of biking.

To be honest, I am not a serious biker. I don’t clip-in, or wear nifty tights. I don’t do 100-mile days. I bike with only 6 or 12-speeds. And of particular note, I look rather quirky riding on the 16” wheels of my Brompton folding bike. All that said, you will rarely see me on my bike without a mile-wide smile.

But I do enjoy biking and I ride everywhere I can. We don’t own a car. Living on a Maine island as we do, borrowing and lending things is a way of life. A neighbor lends us his old hybrid Toyota during the summer months (thanks Jeff!). That’s for transportation needs while on the island. Other friends lend us their cars in Portland. Surprisingly often, my bike and a 30-liter bike bag become my in-town vehicle for shopping, hardware runs, and for just finding fun rides in the area. Lighthouses, coffee houses and nature preserves are amongst my favorite destinations.

But you don’t need biking tights, 21-speeds or clip-ons to bike Lake Balaton in Hungary. A few things might help: an appreciation for paprika and goulash, a love of good local wines, a willingness to “put -up” with Budapest (that said tongue-in-cheek), having about 9-10 days available to let go, decompress and enjoy keeping a beautiful lake on your immediate left.

Biking Balaton, I bike roughly 25-40 miles a day starting out about 9AM. I usually roll into my destination sometime in the late afternoon. High points of a typical day? Miles of golden autumnal bike lanes. A lunch perhaps featuring Langos, Hungary’s local pizza-like dough covered in sour cream, cheese and garlic. So good, they can easily become a habit. Delicious local red and white wines that are shockingly inexpensive. And countless lakeside village scenes featuring swans, lapping water and magical vistas.

*Langos (above) and local Hungarian sausage.*

I first biked Balaton in the fall of 2018. Taking advantage of a national holiday, I was able to turn-off my high school English teacher role in Hungary for a few days. There is an easy train connection from Budapest right to the lake. It’s only a several hour train ride to Balatonfured, or other fascinating lakeside towns that can easily remind you of a New England village in the fall. This most recent circumnavigation was my third around Balaton.

*Balaton offers quiet coves, and countless other magical places to stop and ponder life.*

I typically bike Lake Balaton over 4-days, riding counter-clockwise around the azure-hued lake. The north shore is filled with vineyards and small hills that melt down to the water. Its southern shore is more densely populated with summer communities playing the role of escape-valve for Hungarians who live in busy Budapest. Everyone seems to have a family place on Lake Balaton, or has a family member or friend who does.

*A vineyard along Balaton’s north shore.*

But during the Spring or Fall (my favorite time), Balaton is yours for the taking. Its bike lanes are quiet. It’s easy to find a place to stay (I often stay at AirBnB or similar apartments), and the lakeside nooks and crannies reveal their secrets. I can leave the annoying state of American politics behind and somehow ignore the wild politics of Hungary. In many ways, Balaton is a kind of oasis.

And I’ve yet to address the exciting bonus. Before and after biking Balaton you get to spend some time in the country’s capital, Budapest. For me, Budapest is a magical city–the beautiful Danube meandering its way between hilly, voluptuous Buda, and its exciting and gritty partner, Pest. There’s entirely too much to do. But if you are smart enough to decide to bike Balaton, you’re no doubt up to the task of deciding how to joyfully spend your time in Budapest.

*The author in Balatonfured before starting out on his most recent circumnavigation of Lake Balaton.*

Never Again

Who will bend this ancient hatred, will the killing to an end?
Who will swallow long injustice, take the devil for a country man?
Who will say “this far no further, oh lord, if I die today?”
Send no weapons no more money. Send no vengeance across the seas
Just the blessing of forgiveness for my new countryman and me
Missing brothers, martyred fellows, silent children in the ground
Could we but hear them could they not tell us “Time to lay God’s rifle down.”
Who will say, “this far, no further,” oh Lord, if I die today?

Belfast to Boston, James Taylor, from the album, October Road

“Never Again” was an expression we heard over and over again as children-even in my non-religious household. They were words on the wind in Hebrew Schools, during religious holidays, even along the non-sectarian stretches between holidays. We should never forget, could never forget, the Holocaust, but even more, we committed ourselves to never allow such a horrific tragedy to take place again.

An unparalleled tragedy it was. Having lived in both Hungary, and Latvia, I have come to appreciate the relatively recent dark-era of Jewry in Europe that occurred during the 1st half of the 20th century. During the last 4-months of WWII, 600,000 Hungarian Jews were rounded up and hurried off to Nazi death camps. Daugavpils, the 2nd largest city in Latvia, was almost 60% Jewish, as recently as the 1920’s. At one time, the city had more than 50-synagogues. Many Jews were taken prisoners by the Nazis and shot in the surrounding forests and dumped into mass graves. Today, there is one remaining synagogue and a Jewish population in the hundreds. This was the angst of the holocaust. We said, “Never again.”

Yet, we watch a genocide underway in Gaza. The State of Israel, following the lead of Netanyahu and his Right-wing government, is destroying the Palestinian State, its society and its people. Israel, long heralded as the only democracy in the Middle East, is rolling out the unthinkable, a never ending death carpet of bombing, destruction, killing and assassination.

“Never Again.”

Defenders of Israel say any criticism is antisemitic. If you criticize Israel, they claim, you are standing against Israel and the Israeli people. But this is problematic to the core. What if one believes that the destruction of Gaza and its people is against the best interests of Israel? What if a reasonable person believes that the destruction of Gaza ensures generations of hatred against Israel? This perspective sees Israel through the eyes of young Palestinian youths who are witnessing the incessant destruction of the world as they know it. How could this possibly be good for Israel’s future?

Never again is happening again. But this time, Jews are not the object of the hate and death, this time, the Israeli establishment is the subject. They are the exterminators.

This truth in no way justifies the actions of Hamas on that horrible day, October 7, 2023. That day, resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the taking of about 250 hostages. That day will live in infamy.

In Gaza, 61,722 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed since that day in October, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health ( MoH). A joint World Bank and UN assessment estimates that around 70% of all the structures in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed as of August, 2025. Furthermore, they report that 81% of the roads have been destroyed or damaged, 68% of agricultural land has been damaged, 84% of health facilities have been damaged or destroyed. Finally, almost all the children of Gaza are out of school.

This was the scene recently where the Israeli army attacked 5-Palestinian journalists, claiming one worked for Hamas. They provided no evidence to back this claim. (Photo courtesy of the New York Times)

This is not a game of semantics. But let’s be clear. Genocide is “an act committed with intent to destroy, in whole or part, a national, ethical, racial or religious group.”

Never again. What they must have meant by “Never Again” all this time was never again to Jews. As the world is convulsing politically no one seemingly has the time or inclination to demand: This far, no further. Treating this racism, this genocide, as a typical or minor matter indicts us. We need a domino effect of clarity and courage to end this insanity. It’s way past time to lay God’s rifle down.

Sinagoga

Does every question have an answer? “What is the boiling point of water?” Of course, the accepted answer is 212F/100C.

Why am I drawn almost magnetically to old synagogues in nearly every city I visit?

Since our recent journey to the Green Synagogue in remote Rezekne, Latvia, I have been pondering this question.

Well, as a Jew, feeling a need to visit synagogues would be a reasonable explanation. I am familiar with almost all the artifacts and rituals associated with a synagogue. Very little about them is “foreign” to me. Seeing a matzo oven on the ground floor of the Green Synagogue, while a pleasant surprise, is a familiar tradition. And yet, as I walked the Camino de Santiago the well-known pilgrimage across northern Spain, even being Jewish, I was often drawn to churches we passed along the way.

The Synagogue of Pecs, Hungary, consecrated in 1869.

Perhaps being a history buff makes as much sense as any explanation. I majored in history in college and remain fascinated with the connections old buildings, like synagogues, have with the country, cities, and cultures I find them in. The old synagogue in Pecs, Hungary, is part of that country’s dark history of suffocating the Hungarian Jews out of existence in a relatively short time during World War II. But it’s much more complex than solely the historical connections.

No, being a curious traveler is a much more reasonable explanation. Some of these old buildings have become world famous tourist destinations. The Ahrida Synagogue in the Fatih neighborhood in Istanbul, for example, was a stop on our tour in that Turkish city. It was built in 1430 as part of a then thriving Jewish community. My curiosity as a traveler was stopped in its tracks as I stood humbly in front of its ancient gate.

The Ahrida Synagogue (circa 1430) in the Fatih neighborhood of Istanbul.

The Dohany Synagogue (1854) in Budapest is, understandably, on nearly every tourist’s itinerary

A traveler to Budapest can’t escape the overwhelming presence of the Dohany Synagogue in that amazing city so richly endowed with countless tourist destinations. It’s the world’s second-largest synagogue with an impressive seating capacity exceeding 3,000 people. Few travelers to Budapest miss stopping there.

I am drawn to synagogues for all these reasons and likely many more. But what I do know, is that I rarely connect to a place more intimately than I do through its synagogue. I feel part of their history–an intimate connection that often leaves me saddened when I depart.

Sad for what these old synagogues represent: once-vibrant communities that bloomed across most of Europe, now evaporated. Jewish people energized Budapest to the tune of 24% of its pre-World War II population. Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, then nicknamed the “Jerusalem of the East,” once had 106 synagogues. Today, it has one. Cities and towns here in eastern Latvia had populations that were 50-60% Jewish. In the Rezekne of 1935, home of the Green Synagogue pictured above, 75% of all commercial businesses were owned by Jews.

So, why am I drawn to synagogues? Questions rarely have one simple answer. What is the boiling point of water? As we know, the boiling point of water is 100˚C and 212˚F, but alas, that’s only at sea level. Even for that one, there’s more than one answer…at different altitudes or pressures, the number is different. Answers to questions are always much more complicated than that.

The Yellow Blinking Light: Viktor Orban at the American Crossroads

Wondering where we are headed in the U.S.? It’s here: Viktor Orban 2.0…He’s the Prime Minister of Hungary often quoted and idolized by Trump and his acolytes. He has installed himself, his family, and the thugs that surround him, as the forever illiberal leader of Hungary. He hates immigrants, homosexuals, the EU, and NATO. He has rewritten the Hungarian constitution to, among other things, severely limit the amount of time the opposition has to use TV and radio during campaigns. He closed a major university that he felt challenged his opinions and policies. He has taken over successful Hungarian businesses and awarded them to family members and friends. Trust me, I’ve lived and worked in Hungary. With Trump’s November “Viktory,” welcome to what’s coming our way.

Hungary, Trump, Viktor Orban

A Powerful Memorial Stands in a Quiet Forest in Eastern Latvia

One of the most precious gifts we receive as State Department English Language Fellows is the opportunity to visit off-the-beaten-path places that lie at the heart of a place’s history and culture…Such was my experience yesterday in a sparse forest just west of our little city of Daugavpils, Latvia. We were introduced to this Memorial to all the Jews killed in Europe, by Anatoly Fishil, 87, a respected local civic leader and member of the small Jewish community here. Each country is represented by an 18th-century headstone of a Jewish person, whose own grave had been bulldozed-over by the former authorities here. Our guide personally created this memorial in 1991, 33-years to the day of our visit. We stood here yesterday, cold, awe-struck and emotionally humbled. Anatoly has his own amazing story of origin, survival, and, as this Memorial implies, incomparable generosity.

Short Talks Through a Wide World

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