Pete's Travel Pages

Gulet Memories

2008-03-13T22:22:00.003+11:00

If you have never travelled down the coast of Turkey in a Gulet - you are missing the experience of a life time. For most of us who can't afford to go boating with the rich - this is a taste of the high life at a price we can afford

Volcanic plugs in the distance - Australia

2008-03-13T16:37:00.003+11:00

Toronto Canada March 2008

2008-03-13T16:08:00.003+11:00

This is the picture of a suburban street in Toronto Canada in March 2008

My correspondent from there was trying to suggest to me in the nicest possible tone that Global Warming had not yet reached his street and that Spring had not yet sprung from the grip of winter.

Meanwhile, in Australia on the SAME day we were experiencing 31+ degree Celsius heat in the National Capital and we are heading into Autumn!

Only the Americans have an expression that really suits this scenario: Go figure!

Vorosmarty Ter

2007-12-05T05:36:00.001+11:00

These few shots of the Vorosmarty Ter in the heart of Budapest just up the road from what used to be the "Shopping Street" during the former Communist era.

2007-11-30T15:05:00.000+11:00

This is the entrance to one of the more famous restaurants in Budapest - it is called the Százéves which literally means that it is called the Hundred Years Restaurant. At one point it was in fact one hundred years old and now has actually surpassed the date of its foundation and so has a name that is no longer as reflective of its history as it once was.

None the less the last time I visited in 2005 it was still a great place to have a meal - although the prices had shot through the roof and it had of course become far more touristy than it used to be back in the 1970s.

Moszkva Tér

2007-11-30T15:00:00.000+11:00

This is Moszkva Tér one of the central hubs of communication in Budapest Hungary. It is located on the Buda side of the Danube and contains the main terminal for trains heading to the east of Hungary and internationally. It also has both bus and subway lines connecting to it and a great little shopping area both in the underground area and of course around the entire square.

It has changed considerably over the years but during former times it is the location of most of the troop trains that came in from Russia and parts east - it was also the place from whence people were taken to the concentration camps in Poland and the Ukraine during the Second World War

A test for the all knowing traveller

2007-07-06T16:09:00.000+10:00

Where and when was this photo taken?

It's all very well to know the where, but the WHEN is of more crucial importance!

The Parthenon

2007-07-06T16:01:00.001+10:00

This is what it looked like in 1996. It's now 2007 and I guess it's not all that different from what it looked like when it was commenced in 447 BC.

What I learned on my visit there was that if you want something you have built last then turn to a Greek builder - those guys knew how to build things to last!

Kostas

2007-07-06T15:51:00.001+10:00

In the heart of the Plaka in Athens there used to be a fast food joint called "Kostas". A picture of this appears at the left. It used to serve the best gyros and souvlakia in town.

I suspect that since this picture was taken the Plaka has changed and Kosta - who was no spring chicken then is probably no longer with us and it is highly unlikely that this hole in the wall will be there either.

Still, someone has to give praise to what I think of as a real historical monument.

Thanks to Kostas gyros and souvlakia I managed to eat well and cheaply. I wonder what has become of him and his hole in the wall store?

Alice Springs Telegraph Station - Take 2

2007-05-22T07:35:00.000+10:00

Alice Springs Telegraph Station

2007-05-22T07:34:00.000+10:00

Telegraph operators typing up a received message and sending a reply!

Alcie Springs Telegraph Station 2007

2007-05-22T07:32:00.000+10:00

Alice Springs Telegraph Cable

2007-05-22T07:01:00.000+10:00

The original Alice Springs!

2007-05-22T06:54:00.000+10:00

Travel within Australia

2007-05-15T07:00:00.000+10:00

I have often thought about the size of this country, but have never truly appreciated it before I travelled to the "Centre" and then on to Darwin returning to Canberra via Brisbane.

What struck me first was the fact that we actually experienced two films en route and also that the size of the aircraft used was similar to those used internationally for short to medium hops!

A Boeing 737 is common enough on a domestic route but a Boeing 767? That's a major increase in size and distance.

On previous occasions when I have travelled outside of Austalia I was often dimly aware that for a say an eight hour flight to Singapore the actual journey involved a lot of hours in the air over Australia and indeed the concept that we were actually in the last leg of the flight when we crossed the Australian mainland and entered the Timor Sea was something that only dimly registered.

This time flying from Darwin to Canberra with a required stop over in Brisbane simply set the scene in a way that could no longer be denied - this place is BIG!

Anyway - enough of musing about travel in planes!

Central and northern Australia is something that simply has to be seen to be believed. I have one correspondent who has remarked that the pictures I have posted elsewhere are for him reminiscent of Arizona and Utah in the USA.

I am afraid that having been to both those areas in my past travels I could not disagree more!

I am absolutely in agreement about some things, Arizona surely has some majestic canyons and plenty of red ochre colours. Utah has it's salt flats. However it is here that the comparisons end - at least in my view. Utah's salt flats are surrounded by mountains that are often covered in snow and their mountain streams rage with torrents of water in the spring. The "mountains" of Northern Australia are millions of years older and are way too small to be covered in snow and ice during the winter. In addition they are so incredibly different in look and feel. The vegetation alone, such as it is, would be staggering for someone who had only experienced vegetation in the Northern Hemisphere.

These days of course we are not only blasé about such things - having seen them in photos or in paintings. However I just have this fantasy sometimes about the early white explorers of the continent as they set out and found nothing that was really similar to anything they had heard of before or seen for themselves in their wanderings around the other half of the world.

I suspect that even today - one of the reasons that people come to the Northern Territory is to see a landscape that completely unlike anything else that they have seen - and all from the comfort of their five star hotel.

Bargain!

"Bugger - what's the right setting on this &*^% camera!"

2007-05-14T18:25:00.000+10:00

John at sunset

The hazards of travel

2007-02-06T14:01:00.000+11:00

Went to see my doctor today. I had been able to book an appointment only some weeks ahead thanks I thought to his busy schedule. Well when we arrived we were told that alas he would be late for the appointment thanks to a snafoo with the airlines in Canada.

An hour or more after the appointed time there he was looking refreshed changed and ready to go. He admitted at the end of the appointment as we were about to leave that he had been ready to board the aircraft in Canada when it simply disappeared off the screens - delay until the following day hence his lateness.

We thought he was OK until well after the appointment I noted the referral he had signed it was dated a month earlier than the date that he had seen me. OOPS! Disorientation as to time and place is usually an issue for us normal humans - imagine what it can do to people who are practising medicine!

The moral of this story is to expect the unexpected and to make provisions to sleep wherever you can and whenever you can when you travel on a long distance plane journey - the life you save may well be someone else's.

Normandy

2006-12-28T06:03:00.000+11:00

These days when you visit the beaches of Normandy, there are a few memorabilia from history in combination with what is happening today.

These two pictures tend to speak for themselves, especially for those familiar with their history.

On the left are two of the gun emplacements that lined most of the coast line of France following the invasion of that country by the Germans in World War II. These guns were strategically placed to enable the defences that the Germans established following their conquest. Before the allied armies could land safely on the beaches at Normandy these weapons had to be put out of action. As can be seen the actual emplacements were heavily fortified and strengthened concrete bunkers. If you go and visit these sites you will find most of them more or less still in place. You will also see why they are in place and why they could neither be shelled or bombed out by the Allies with the technology that was available at the time. It was thanks largely to some commandos and some of the 'Resistance' fighters that these large and difficult defences were eliminated before the landings in Normandy. The history is fascinating and when you see what people were up against you will be able to appreciate at least a little what took place there.

The remaining picture on the right looks out at the mobile harbour that the allies floated right up to the beaches they were concrete piers that were floated across the English Channel and then sunk into place so that ships could dock and unload their cargoes.

When you go to the beaches at high tide it seems almost impossible to believe that anyone would be able to land and fight their way ashore. When you go at low tide and see how far the beaches extend you begin to get an idea of why these sites were chosen.

As you swim and play on the beaches these days the memories of the war so long ago usually would not come to mind - but these lasting concrete reminders are there to tease the minds of the younger generation about what actually happened and how the freedom that they currently enjoy was 'earned' through the valiant efforts of their ancestors.

Well worth a visit for just the historical reasons. The current attractions also include some of the best cheeses in France along with cider, fantastic fruit and of course some fine seafood.

Bordeaux again

2006-12-24T09:43:00.000+11:00

Recently I featured a nice square in Bordeaux as one of the nicest in the town. This square could be one of the more interesting. Set next to a church virtually as you enter town and in the middle of what has become an area heavily populated by people of the Muslim faith, it is a trash and treasure market that is held every day.

The square is surrounded by restaurants and take away food eateries that feature middle eastern foods and the conversation in the square is as often as not filled with the sound of Arabic with various dialects in evidence. You are likely to hear the occasional French spoken, but I suspect that you would be more comfortable if you can speak Arabic.

Wonderful atmosphere and occasionally a real bargain!

When you enter Bordeaux from the highway from St Emillion and some of the other wineries you will find yourself in a street named after Victor Hugo. This square is just past the first block on your left and if you continue down Victor Hugo you will note a large under cover parking area on the right hand side which is situated just over the fresh meat and vegetable market with a long pedestrians only street immediately outside the car park.

All in all an ideal place to start your exploration of Bordeaux where everything is either within walking distance or within easy reach by the tram system

In the summer heat there is shade

2006-11-22T11:00:00.000+11:00

If you come from Australia and the temperature is 30 degrees Celsius as it is in Sydney today then you will appreciate the value of shade.

When you travel in France there are long and lazy summer days where the temperatures can climb almost as high as they do elsewhere in the world and on those days you appreciate walking slowly in the shade as distinct from those poor tourists who are having their lunch in the sun. Still, they may be from a country a little further to the north and need the heat to thaw out from their long winters

It's all downhill from here

2006-11-22T10:54:00.000+11:00

When you visit certain towns in France and then visit the factory that makes Macaroons make sure - as these people have done that the path back to your hotel or mobile home or caravan is ALL downhill from there - you will otherwise be too full to enjoy the experience!

Lazy summer evening in France

2006-11-22T10:46:00.000+11:00

When you have a mobile home inviting friends around for a quick drink on a pleasant summer's evening is a snap.

Just bring out the table and chairs set them up in the most picturesqe place possible, pour the drinks and then sit back and enjoy what you are paying for - your holiday!

Some dips, crusty French bread, good Bordeaux wine (or a Cote du Rhone if you are cheap), some olives, some cheese - what more can you want from life?

Bored in Bordeaux? - Impossible!

2006-11-22T10:41:00.000+11:00

Peter and Louise in Bordeaux - the colour scheme is completely unintentional.

This is one of the nicest squares in Bordeax. In the surrounding environment there are cafés and eateries. It is also a lovely place from which to head in virtually any direction throughout the city.

Bordeaux is a town that is well worth a visit in cas you have not been there before

Rothenburg an der Taube

2006-11-22T05:55:00.000+11:00

If you have ever visited Germany then you could do worse than visit this small community. Under no circumstances try and take a mobile home to this town as you will be simply unable to get into it.

What you will find is a town that is reduced to a very human scale and that is filled with memories of the time when transport was largely by means of shanks pony (your legs)

Travel Tips

2006-10-09T18:00:00.000+10:00

Canberra - Sydney Airport

A new tip for travelling from Canberra is to hire a car for one way travel to Sydney and another for the return journey instead of taking the train or bus or aeroplane.

With the new expressway from Canberra leading right into the airport and bypassing most of the suburbs of Sydney it is a swift and pleasant ride from Canberra to Sydney and vice versa.

If you explore the time taken - from the time you get the vehicle to when you arrive at the airport you will have spent a MAXIMUM of four hours and a half hour in driving time including the picking up and returning of the vehicle. Analyse how long you have to be at the airport to book in for a flight and how long it takes you to get from Canberra to Sydney and then in between domestic and international terminals and how much even that additional journey will cost you. Add up the time and the costs and you will be pleasantly surprised by the comparative costs

The chances are that there is a hire car company that is really very happy to find someone who will take a car that is normally based in Sydney back to that city from Canberra.

Naturally most car hire firms will try the following gambits:

They will suggest to you that it is necessary to pay an additional fee for taking the car one way. Under NO circumstances agree to this suggestion. Unless the firm is willing to accept that you will be taking one car to Sydney and bringing another one back to Canberra at the end of your travel overseas and so there should be no additional charge for a 'one way' trip. If a given hire car firm does not wish to come to the party my advice would be to shop around! There are lots of firms all seeking to do business.

You may have to take a vehicle that is NOT the one you have requested. In most instances you will no doubt request the cheapest alternative that is available and very often that cheap alternative is 'not available'. Ensure that there is a "free" upgrade so that you do not incur any additional charges. If the model of the vehicle to which you are upgraded is larger in cylinder size and capacity than the one you booked then it will already cost you more in fuel costs than you planned for. This is usually a good argument to use when you are forcibly upgraded to ensure that no additional charges etc are then levied on you.

Some sights in Malta

2006-09-01T18:32:00.000+10:00

What ever you do in Malta do NOT forget to take a bus! Anywhere - IT IS THE experience of a life time.

Sometimes you can be lucky and come across a procession on a festive day like we did - but do not count on it.

Words of caution!

Malta is perhaps one of the more expensive cities in Europe (apart from anywhere in Switzerland of course). Be prepared to PAY and pay a lot especially if you come from Australia.

The joys of Prague!

2006-09-01T18:09:00.000+10:00

Just a brief look at the joys of Prague.

However there is a word of caution! There is a tourist tram No 22 which will take you all around the old city and to most of the sites. It is a fabulous service and extremely useful for the tourist. Alas all of the pickpockets KNOW that most tourists take the tram and on busy days they are out in force. Like flies they are annoying and like flies you would like to swat them. Alas unless you are very alert they can become MORE than just annoying they can become dowright trip spoilers.

So beware pickpockets in this town and keep your valuables in your hotel room or stash them in different places close to your body and under your clothing. Whatever you do it should not include having a wallet bulging with notes and with credit card hanging out of your rear trouser pocket.

BTW you CAN get your AMEX replaced easily at the American Express Office, however getting your Visa, Mastercard or Diners Club cards replaced is not as easy. The police station had only one interpreter who spoke English when we were there and I have to tell you that he is a VERY busy man!

Take care and you will have fun in this town.

2006-07-01T08:10:00.000+10:00

Not one of the better known places I suspect for most people - but Peschiera in Italy is a place well worth a visit.

The facilities for accommodation are abundant and include some really terrific caravan parks for those on the move.

Peter and Leanne in an English Establishment

2006-01-15T13:41:00.000+11:00

While in England we visited some of Leanne's distant relations. Through the magic of computing and long distance emails we were able to find some lovely folk who live in Kent, not all that far from the place where Leanne's ancestors settled and lived for many generations.

Kathy was kind enough to take us around and in at least one location to take our picture.

People will of course notice that we are dressed for the English summer and have with us the necessary - something to wet the whistle!

PEST - a view from the Castle

2005-11-05T06:34:00.000+11:00

If you are ever in Europe, go to Budapest in Hungary and ask yourself how the town got its name.

This photograph is taken from the Buda side of the Danube river that flows through the middle of the capital city. As you have (no doubt) guessed by now, this should mean that the side which is in view is Pest (pronounced "Pesht" just so there are no wisecracks about the people who live there and/or come from there.)

During the Second World War all of the bridges were either bombed or blown up and there was considerable hardship trying to get from one side of the river to the other.

While all of the main bridges were rebuilt following the war, as time passed and Hungary became more and more prosperous, the volume of private ownership of cars increased. In the era of the socialist governments in Hungary many of the vehicles on the road were built in what were known as the "Soviet Bloc" countries, most notably Poland and what was then East Germany. To be kind, pollution control was not something that really seemed to interest the authorities greatly and even though there were relatively few vehicles on the road, the city was continually enveloped in smog and the buildings took on a kind of grey hue that lasted for decades.

These days of course there is a similar, but different problem. With many more people being able to afford cars and motor bikes etc. Not only is the pollution just as heavy as it used to be, but the traffic is a lot more stressful than it used to be, especially during peak hours.

My advice to the budding traveller to Budapest is to take the car in by all means, but PARK IT somewhere and take public transport wherever you can or if you are fit enough use 'shanks pony' (i.e. walk). Unless you want to visit the industrial or outer residential areas.

Public transport in Budapest is simply fabulous and in spite of the incredible price hikes in the last few years, still very affordable and a hell of a lot less stressful.

When you want to escape the urban sprawl and head to the countryside then your car becomes more useful as you can easily visit places you want to see. BTW hiring cars in Hungary was, at the time of writing, prohibitive (at least to my budget) lease a car in France or a Camper van in Germany at around a third of the price.

BTW the picture you see on the screen was taken after a number of days of rain which seems to have literally cleared the air hence the clear views. So check your long range weather forecast and arrive in Budapest towards the end of a wet period - it will make your stay that much more pleasant.

Inside the harem in Istanbul

2005-10-30T17:50:00.000+11:00

Outside the Harem in Istanbul

2005-10-30T17:48:00.000+11:00

Turkish Bus Driver in the mood

2005-10-30T17:46:00.000+11:00

A motley crowd having a sit down meal in Turkey

2005-10-30T17:44:00.000+11:00

Istanbul

2005-10-30T17:31:00.000+11:00

Istanbul

2005-10-30T17:28:00.000+11:00

Goereme

2005-10-30T17:23:00.000+11:00

Goereme

2005-10-30T17:19:00.000+11:00

Pammukale in Turkey

2005-10-30T17:15:00.000+11:00

More views of Ephesus

2005-10-30T17:12:00.000+11:00

Ephesus and Pammucuk

2005-10-30T17:01:00.000+11:00

What a delightful place from which to explore.

Some views of Ephesus in Turkey

2005-10-30T16:12:00.000+11:00

It is hard to imagine that so many years ago the Romans could build cities in which there were wide marble streets and so many impressive buildings - yet they did.

What is even more impressive is that they managed to create sanitation that is enviable in many places around the world even today.

I have a feeling that one of the reasons for the longevity of the Roman Empire has something to do with cleanliness being next to godliness!

Travelling to Capri?

2005-10-27T03:58:00.000+10:00

It is from this location that most people set out to catch the ferry that takes them across to the island of Capri. Note that people on coach tours will HAVE to transfer to a smaller bus as the ferry is only a small one!

Ever had one of THOSE days?

2005-10-27T03:50:00.000+10:00

When I first saw this figure in Pompeii I automatically thought it would present me with an opportunity at some point to run a caption competition.

Anyone with suggestions?

Some examples to get you thinking!

"I was just sitting here minding my own business . . ."

"Geez, I said I wanted peace and quiet but this is ridiculous!"

"My mother always told me I would end up making a public display of myself."

Campervans

2005-10-25T14:25:00.000+10:00

Love 'em or hate 'em they DO get you there. This was ours in Europe hired from Mcrent in Germany - cheapest country in Europe for hire.

Get a bike on the rack or a scooter and your mobility problems are minimised. Find and use Stellplatzes in Europe and you can stay overnight for NOTHING with services paid for on a user pays basis.

See how you like it and make comments here.

St Emillion France

2005-10-25T09:02:00.000+10:00

When you travel to France and have the opportunity to visit St Emillion don't just visit the wineries, take the time to visit the town and head down into the main square to see the sights as well as enjoy the food and the wine of the local restaurants.

Airport Tips

2005-10-16T11:03:00.000+10:00

Working your way around airports can be a messy business. In the first place, there are so many people running around the place at any time of the day or night that it is crowded. The signs are not necessarily in your language and of course trying to articulate exactly what it is that you want is likely to be difficult if you do not speak the language. The chances are that you have arrived at this airport after a lengthy flight and so you are tired, possibly hungry, possibly dehydrated, possibly feeling dirty and unwashed indeed anything but well rested and well prepared to deal with stress.

So what do you do? Panic?

NO UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES PANIC!

The first rule of staying calm in desperate circumstances is to realise that you are definitely NOT the first person to arrive at this airport and think that you cannot find something or cannot make yourself understood. There have been countless others before you and staff members have been trained to provide assistance to passengers and will be able to find someone to speak your language even if they cannot speak it themselves. They have also been trained to try and make sense of your questions.

All you have to do is to find the information counter and ask for assistance in the language that you are most comfortable in.

Generally all that you have to do is to assemble your thoughts and ask the questions in a logical sequence. This is something you might be able to prepare before departing on your journey.

For example:

I am travelling on to <insert destination> on <insert flight detail information and time> can you tell me where I have to go to catch my flight please?

I am staying at <insert the name of your hotel, hostel etc> is it possible to catch a shuttle to this location or are there public transport facilities to there and if so can I get a map with a schedule, or where can I get a taxi?

Generally if you prioritise your questions and are able to articulate them to the person at the information counter you will be able to get a swift response which will assist you with your needs. Do try and formulate all of the questions which you are likely to need answering in the calm confines of your home and ensure that you have these questions listed and immediately to hand when you arrive. My technique was to place a sheet of questions together with my passport and my tickets so that whenever I arrived at an airport and had to find both my tickets and passport I would also immediately have my questions available in case I needed to ask them.

After travelling frequently, you will find that most airports while they are laid out differently will all have the ubiquitous information counter, have a set of international signs for things and will all be trying desperately to ensure that you have a good experience of their airport so that you can tell your friends and so promote tourism to their country.

Happy tripping!

Comparative Airline Experience

2005-10-15T18:11:00.000+10:00

Comparative Airline Experiences

There are obviously multiple choices in airlines, fare combinations and of course ways of getting to and from Australia. In our case we wanted to go to Britain first for a few weeks and then head off to the continent – specifically Frankfurt in Germany, to pick up a campervan and then head off and see things.

The only option which was possible for us was a combination with the Star Alliance requiring that we use Singapore Airlines to Singapore and then from there travel with Lufthansa.

Having travelled with both airlines before, I have to say that my response to this option was less than enthusiastic. Let me be clear, Singapore airlines are among the finest in the world. Their service even in economy class is absolutely first rate; their food is terrific; their ability to provide personalised video and other services directly to your own seat is exceptional. Lufthansa on the other hand offers a lesser service and unfortunately was the carrier of ‘choice’ for the longer part of the journey.

Unlike passengers of Singapore airlines, Lufthansa treats its economy class passengers as if they were in ‘cattle class’. I am not referring here to the penchant that Germans seem to have had for transporting people in cattle trucks during WW II, however they do NOT offer the choice of videos and other services at your seat like Singapore airlines and they do not appear to have service personnel whose entire existence seems to be based making your journey comfortable. They do not provide some of the little luxuries that are available on Singapore airlines – like a tooth cleaning kit, a set of on board slippers and most importantly their luggage allowances are smaller than those of their service partner Singapore Airlines.

That said, both airlines appear to have a good safety record and so there is a better chance that you will actually arrive at your destination following the journey than with some airlines I have had the dubious pleasure of travelling with in the past.

The seating in the economy section of both airlines is of course less capacious than either business or first class. However, since both airlines use the Boeing 747 for transporting their passengers (at least at present) it is noteworthy that the seats on Singapore Airlines are not only more comfortable, but are wider than those available on Lufthansa. RECARO seats are simply better able to provide lumbar support to passenger on the long journeys where comfort and physical well being are both essential ingredients for travelling pleasure.

Let us now come to airport hub facilities. At Changi airport there is a hotel actually inside the terminal so that people who have to stay over for a more than 8 hour connection with their next flight can arrange a room and sleep there to get rid of jet lag or simply to get comfortable for the next leg of their journey. No such comfort awaits the passenger who arrives at Frankfurt airport.

All in all on a comparative analysis – if it is at all possible to make a journey to Europe using Singapore airlines – take it! If it involves it’s partner Lufthansa – look actively for another alternative.

Travels In Hungary

2005-10-11T08:48:00.000+10:00

One of the central hubs for communication around town in Budapest is the Moszkva Tér (or Moscow Square) where people gather each day to transfer from buses, to trams, to trains, to the underground and to trolley buses. On the northern bank of the Danube it is currently a friendly place to visit. In former years, it also used to be patrolled by the Soviet military as it was a central hub for their soldiers. In addition there used to be a bakery (which is just out of shot) that used to make some of the finest bread in Budapest. In the 1970's and 1980's it usually had a queue out of its front door that was at least 50 yards long.

Castillion La Battaille

2005-10-08T17:54:00.000+10:00

This is the place folks where the English finally met their match - the French!

Yes, this is the place where the English finally lost the 100 years war.

Alas it was photographed just when the Australians were losing the ashes back to the English after 17 years of ownership. I won't be discussing 'just desserts'

Traffic sign in France

2005-10-07T05:27:00.000+10:00

This is one of the more unusual traffic signs to be found in France. Captured on the banks of the Dordogne river near Castillon le Battaille (where the English finally were defeated in the 100 years war) it represents a remarkable warning to all of those who drive on to the riverside pier that driving over the edge of the pier can represent a problem - as if that was not obvious enough to anyone with any sense.

Bless the French - they do want to make sure that there are no language issues!

The slightly bent corner on the right hand side MAY well represent a slight problem did take place once - no doubt someone not familiar with roman letters.

A message for information

2005-08-24T23:15:00.000+10:00

When in France and camping it is useful to know that most small towns have their own camp sites called Camping Municipal. These are generally small out of the way places that are NOT written up in the guide books but are still clean, close to the town in question and have basic facilities that re relatively CHEAP, ie 10-12 Euros rather than the 20-30+ euros for other sites. If you are travelling with a campervan or a caravan and want a chep stay for the night - these are highly recommended.

La Belle France

2005-07-31T16:21:00.000+10:00

Finally we have arrived in France. Having crossed the border we have relearned the joy of arriving on French soil, hearing the French language and enjoying the taste of French food and French wine. It is a pleasure not to have to speak in gutteral German again and to try and recapture the famous Gallic shrug as well as the expression that accompaines it an expression that I am afraid I cannot express in a written form.

We are currently in Alsace and have already found that we like the food and the Pastis, today we will explore the wine and the beer.

The last night in Germany was filled with anxiety and horror as a really heavy downpour commenced after a very hot day and then suddenly turned very violent with hail stones the size of golf balls and up to the size of oranges pelting down in great numbers on to our campervan. The damage was mitigated to some extent by the fact that there was a van standing behind us in the next row and so they copped most of the damage from the rear. There was however no protection from the hail on the roof and we were hit hundred of times, wincing at each strike which sounded like someone playing with heavy handed hits on the golf range. For those who can avoid this experience let me be the first to suggest that it should be avoided at all costs.

Today will be our anniversary and we are looking forward to having a very good time both with the zeather and also with the food and drink.

I think we have finally learnt about the width and the length of the campervan and so driving it is proving to be easier even in the small towns and through the narrow streets. Even parking is an easy matter these days. We have also managed to learn how to use the so called Stellplatz or standing places that exist all through Germany.

That is all for this episode. More as we head further into France

Still at Lake Garda

2005-07-11T04:04:00.000+10:00

Well for all of those people who do not travel a great deal let me tell you that you could do worse that get to Lake Garda in northern Italy. You could also do worse that find the Camping Bergamini which has facilities for people with just a car or indeed no car in cabins as well as people with tents, caravans, campervans and the like. Right on the lake front and within an easy bike ride to the town of Pescheria it ideally suited for a day, a week or a month. Indeed we have been fortunate to meet people who have been coming here for fifty years and staying for some time on each occasion and they have been able to tell us all of the stories of the development of the place from a vineyard to its present leafy and comfortable situation.

We can also recommend some of the town's restaurants as they serve great food and at reasonable prices. What is of course peculiar is that at least one of the places, Il Gabbiano, is staffed by people from Naples and so we can enjoy Neapolitan food without having to travel all the way there.

The markets are held on a Monday and there are two supermarkets which can be used for stocking up on food supplies at good rates, one is caled the LD supermarket and is the heart of the town and the other is a little way out of town and is part of the French LIDL chain. Limited variety but cheap and nice.

For those with the travel and sight seing bug well and truly established we can suggest that the ferries are worth trying as they seem to contain only satisfied trippers on their return to the wharf.

We can also suggest that when travelling in Italy these days there is not only a need to sample their coffee but also their Gelato. I am afraid that unless you are in Italy or a place which houses an Italian immigrant who knows how to make Gelato the ice cream is simply frightful in comparison - expensive and less than tasty. Alas the Gelato is SO nice that it is almost a draw card to stay that extra day or so just to eat your way through the list of all of the flavours. What we can recommend is the chocolate, the hazelnut and also the lemon.

We will keep up the notes as and when we can from here to keep people appraised of opportunities.

Have to say that the weather here has been mixed with evening showers lasting through the night and on occasion so fierce with lightning and thunder that it can shake the van. Still the days are genrally sunny and a good temperature and the days fly past leaving fewer days vefore we have to wend our way home.

2005-06-17T00:11:00.000+10:00

Well here we are in Florence. We have been here for some days and have been going back and forth from the International Camping site out at Bottai to the city where with the glorious assistance of the DK Italy book we have been able to find our way about and get all of the information we need to visit all of the historic monuments and all of the museums as well as of course all of the markets so that Leanne can manage to get her shopping done. The only present I have suggested to her that we can do without is a set of boxer shorts for her eighty year old father with a picture of the front of Michaelangelos David protruding at the front. Perhaps this is a little too much for him.

She has been managing to find more bargains in this city that she has ever found before. So she is going around and shopping and shopping. Since she was already overweight when we arrived it will be interesting to see how she manages to get all of her purchases into the plane.

The weather has been mixed during our trip. While we were in England we had some days which were filled with rain and then sunshine. When we were in Germany we had some days which were filled with rain and then sunshine and when we were in Austria we had some days which were filled with rain and then sunshine and this situation has continued since we arrived in Italy.

The good news is that if you plan well for your travel you can anticipate all of the weather conditions and all of the temperatures and then be ready to met them.

At present the only news we have for people reading these pages is that we are enjoying the experience and looking forward to moving on towards Hungary on Saturday

A hello from Zell am Ziller in the Tirol, Austria

2005-06-06T19:57:00.000+10:00

We are at present in Mayerhofen in Ziller Tal writing these notes. Arriving in Germany we managed to get from the airport at Frankfurt to the place where our mobile home was waiting for us. A lecture followed from the owner of the rental place explaining how to drive the beast and how to manage the various bits including of course the awning, the chemical toilet, the showers, the cooking and heating gas appliances, how to manage the output from the batteries etc.

Just imagine something over 3.4 metres tall and over 2 metres wide and then think of all of the small towns in Europe that are from mediaeval times during which the roads were just wide enough to allow a horse and cart to get through. Then think of us as we try and negotiate these roads which are now two way traffic and with walls of houses that overhang the street. A harrowing experience at best. Then think of navigating into a car park of a busy supermarket where your vehicle will take up at least two parking places and where the turning circle of the vehicle is such that actually getting into the parking place and out of it becomes an interesting exercise.

Still we are managing and having a good time. The weather has been kind and it is only in the last few days that we have experienced serious rain and clouds. In the mountains of the Austrian Alps this is only to be expected. We will be heading off towards Salzburg tomorrow and then into Slovenia and thence to Hungary arriving we hope in Budapest by 22 June.

More when we find the time and the inclination. It is impossible to upload pictures at present as the machines we occasionally find do not have the facilities for it and so this will simply have to wait until we get home.

Travel in England

2005-05-30T00:27:00.000+10:00

We arrived as expected in England on the 19th May and have been here ever since. Our accommodation in Kent in the old Oast House called Latter's Oast was simply fabulous. The owners have converted an old oast house (a place where they dired hops in the days when this was profitable) and our accommodation was a luxurious one bedroom flat with all the mod cons including an en-suite bathroom and a kitchen as well as having access to satellite television. For only £35 per day I can assure people that if they are ever in Tudeley in Kent this is THE place to stay.

The weather was variable to say the least with one day being the hottest that the UK has experienced in something like 50 years and the rest of the time being rainy, cloudy and cold. Go figure!

We visited quite a few of the old houses in the area and thanks to our membership of the National Trust in Australia the entrance fees were nothing while others had to pay between six and eight pounds per person to enter. When you consider that the exchange rate is something like two and a half times then you will realise that having taken up membership in this institution in Australia began to pay off after very few of the old homes were visited. Alas one of the old homes that of the Duke of Malborough was not on the protected list and so we had to pay $13 each to pay this a visit. Considering that I already have a hard time thinking well of the people with titles in the UK this did nothing to endear them to me. $26 is the price of a meal for three in a pub or the cost of fuel to fill up the car. BTW petrol here is around 82 - 89 pence per litre. Once again if you multiply by two and a half you will get the idea that it is bloody expensive to say the least and of course they only have to ship the oil from the North Sea - amazing! Australians would not stand for these prices.

Today we are outside London's Heathrow airport and will be travelling on to Frankfurt in the morning. The hotel was easy to find after we virtually circled the airport at least twice. The instructions were in English - obviously something was lost in the translation to the colonies

Before arriving here today we manage to see the white horse on the hillside and marvelled at the ingenuity of whoever put it there in prehistorical times. We also have been amazed at the quality of pub food in this country and considering my last attempt at eating in England some 15 years ago things have improved considerably. Alas so have the prices.

During our stay we have met up with relatives of my partner both alive and living in the same area that the family have lived in for hundreds of years.

I am afraid that the pictures of this trip will have to wait for an opportunity to locate a place where they will permit uploads or until we get home.

If anyone wants to send emails make a comment to this posting and we will then send off an address where you can locate us.

Sight seen have included most of Kent, Brighton, and the Cotswald. Even then there was not sufficient time to see as much as could be possible.

More news when we have the time and the opportunity to get to a machine that is not time limited.

A suggestion for those of us who travel

2005-05-17T05:04:00.000+10:00

In recent times we in Australia have seen some of our citizens arrested, detained and put on trial for their lives because drugs have been found in their baggage.

It's all well and good to argue that these people deserve everything they get is they smuggled the drugs, however what if they did not?

What if the allegations in the press about baggage handlers being involved in planting drugs as a means of sending them overseas without risk is true?

What can the honest traveller do to protect him/herself from being set up?

I understand that there is someone in the Melbourne Airport who is making money hand over fist in providing a wrapping service to airline passengers. For a mere $8 per bag (size does not affect cost) each bag is wrapped in airtight plastic. This is supposed to eliminate tampering.

Well this is a solution I guess but one that is a little bit expensive and over the top. What about opening bags and taking a digital picture of the contents in front of witnesses and then keeping the image until you arrive at your destination and safely pass through customs.

Blois and environs

2005-04-19T16:05:00.000+10:00

Don't let the pictures fool you - while I am showing a rural background and a castle the town is actually quite modern and has some really great shopping.

Dominating the Loire River, the royal castle of Blois is not only one of the most prestigious Renaissance monuments in France but also a brilliant illustration of the evolution of the French architecture from the Middle ages to the 17th century.

There are three areas to go for food, depending on what you want to eat. The end of rue Vauvert on the east side of town has several crêperies and pizzerias, or the rue de la Foulérie is good for bars and ethnic eateries. For traditional French cuisine try the rue Saint Lubin and area between the château and the river.

Sur le Pont d'Avignon - well nearby anyway

2005-04-19T15:51:00.000+10:00

Shopping at the Avignon Brocante Market is an experience. Here you are in the city of the Popes when they ruled the Catholic world from inside France and apart from a number of the people who live there and some of the artefacts this is a rich collection of brick a brack. Set along the banks of the river that passes just outside the walls of the city this Brocante market has something for everyone and is just one of the many such markets that are set up all over France.

The wise tourist will of course venture to the tourist office in any of the main towns and ask whether they have schedule of the Markets that are run at least in their city or the province or even throughout France.

If you have lived in Canberra all your life and never had the opportunity to travel do not make the mistake of avoiding French markets based on your experience in Australia. French markets are places where you can find little treasures, big treasures and so many things you never thought you would see that it is a great pleasure to wander through them.

Generally I am not a market aficionado but my partner has started to convert me into one.

There is of course one teensy weensy problem - how are you going to get all those goodies home?

Athens

2005-04-19T15:34:00.000+10:00

I was asked the other day what there was to do in Athens for two days. Well how do you respond to a question like that?

It is blatantly obvious that there are the two main hills in Athens each of which you can climb to see the sights below laid out in front of you. One of them at least contains many historical artifacts and of course surrounding them is both the ancient and the modern metropolis. One can of course also play the tourist and eat and shop in the Plaka, watch the changing of the guard in front of the palace at Syntagma Square, wander the broad boulevardes and enjoy the atmosphere and of course there is always a trip to Cape Sunion to see the temple at sunset.

What I enjoy about Athens is sitting in a café and watching the world go by, but of course I don't have to go to Athens to enjoy this - it can be enjoyed anywhere you are. There are museums to visit and archaeological sites to view. However if you want my advice eat drink and be merry - this is Greece!

Travel Insurance

2005-03-03T08:40:00.000+11:00

I am finding myself getting increasingly frustrated with Travel Insurance Companies.

I have no problem with the fact that they will not insure you against and event happening to you when that can be attributed to a pre-existing terminal condition. Not only is this mandated in legislation but it makes sense.

The conditions pertaining to the insurance of personal luggage items is however a more complex issue. Most insurance policies will not insure your personal belongings from sunset to sunrise in an unattended vehicle unless it is in a locked compartment - like a boot.

Obviously this presents a problem for overseas travellers who are travelling in a camper van. Generally there are no locked compartments in a camper van and while it could reasonably be expected that you would be in attendance overnight because the van is also your home it is unreasonable to expect that you will always have dinner in the van.

So imagine the following scenario. You are in Spain (for example) where they have dinner late in the evening - usually around 9 pm. You park your van as close to the restaurant of your choice as you can and then head off for a meal. Alas your camper van is broken into during your meal break and your clothes and/or purchases are stolen. What can you do about this? NOTHING!

Unfair I call it!

Campervan Holidays

2005-02-19T06:28:00.000+11:00

I have always resisted the idea of taking a camper van holiday. Somehow there was too much freedom associated with having just a car and being able to choose whether to tent it or stay in a hostel or a hotel and so on.

On the one hand there is the convenience of having a really fantastic and luxurious home on wheels that can keep you in absolute comfort during the wet, cold and windy periods. The time when you look at your window and see the poor sods who have a tent which is flapping in the breeze, being beaten in by rain that is simply pouring down and imagine them huddled inside with little room to move and nothing to DO except to curl up in their sleeping bags and hope that it will ease or cease all together. (It almost makes you want to invite them over for a hot meal and a drink) Then of course there is the convenience of NOT having to walk to the ablution block in the middle of the night when nature calls. With in built cupboards and refrigeration there is no problem with your clothes, there is no problem with your touristic purchases, there is no problem with storage of food and of course you have a lovely soft bed which you do NOT have to pack up every morning!

The downs sides of camper van travel are also there though.

Basically they are BIG!

I have this nightmare of what it will be like to try and squeeze that bulk into the car park between two cars BOTH of which have parked JUST ON the white line. The concept of reverse parking into a space is simply not something my mind can grapple with especially at this hour of the morning.

I can recall the number of times I have been in a nice speedy little vehicle coming up behind one of these lumbering monsters on a one lane road going up a steep hill and being slowed to a ridiculously slow speed.

Still I am going to have to experience everything so this time it will be a camper van!

Still in the discovery stage we are finding that there are heaps of alternatives ranging from a simple VW type of combi-van arrangement which has no toilet or shower and where the space is so crammed that for a short term trip it is probably OK but for anything over a few weeks of duration you need to have your head read to take one on.

Then there is the Euromobil class - this is usually a sort of Ford Transit long wheel base or a Mercedes or Dethleff chassis with the accommodation built in. Generally they look quite sporty because they do not have the main bedroom overhanging the cabin but have the bed in the back of the vehicle with the front being devoted to the lounge kitchen arrangement. Generally well equipped and nippy with a fuel economy of around 11-14 litres of diesel fuel to 100 kilometres of travel this is really as economical as my old four wheel drive and a lot more roomy.

The next level of comfort is the truck chassis with the caravan built on top of it. Once again these are extremely well equipped and have good fuel economy for the long haul and for the longer duration travel.

Then of course you can get into what I call a mobile mansion - this is really the size of a coach that can normally take some 45 people on board and as you can imagine it is built for the person who wants to really have a home that they can transport anywhere.

What we have found is that prices are variable for rental and not at all that cheap. However the good news is that if you are going to Europe then GERMANY is the place to rent.

There are several firms that are easy to spot one being DRM and the other being McRent. The latter company apparently having been started by an executive departing from the first company and wanting to get all of the profits and not just a salary.

My advice to people is to shop around!

The Internet is a good place to see what is on offer. Since most dealers will have to deal with the same companies they are in competition with each other to give you a good deal. Pick at least ONE site which offers to match any written offer or better it. Then go as far afield as possible and find someone who is so hungry for business that they will discount their profit margin and give you the deal of a life time. Be especially on the look out for someone of this ilk in another country while the deal matching company is in your own country.

Then get a quote on the best deal you can find and challenge the home company to match it. When they do you have not only obtained the best deal you could BUT you have saved a few hundred dollars again on the deal by ensuring that with a direct payment into the company's bank account via the Internet you miss out on credit card charges and currency conversion costs which can get quite high being around 1-3% of your overall costs.

Of course if your local firm does not or cannot match the offer then take it from the dealership you have found that is willing to do a little more for you and advertise them to your heart's content on the web and in your blogs so that they can get the benefit of having been nice to you.

Keep your eyes on this site.

As we discover more about the joys of using a camper van for an extended holiday we will be posting what we learn and at the same time entertaining you with our holiday snaps and stories of our adventures!

Man crosses country on kite-powered skateboard

2004-11-09T16:49:00.000+11:00

ABC News reports that: "A German man has become the first person to traverse Australia from south to north using a kite-powered skateboard.

Dirk Gion left South Australia 17 days ago and arrived in Darwin this afternoon.

Mr Gion says the 3,000-kilometre trip was aimed at proving the kite-powered skateboard could be used to travel long distances."

Pete's Points

Gives a whole new meaning to being told to: "Go fly a kite!"

Seriously though, I can see backpackers taking up this challenge in countries all around the world. What you can save on transport costs can be spent on buying a PDA equipped with GPS, Camera and satellite phone so that you can always tell where you are, not be lonely and also be in a position to uplink your story of the day to your favourite BLOG.

Ephesus - Turkey

2004-11-04T01:55:00.000+11:00

Library

Ephesus is excellent - rich wonderful ruins with wide paved streets in marble. There was an excellent theatre which has been sufficiently restored so that it can be used for performances today.

The other site which was fascinating was the public conveniences - most of which seem in better condition than some of the local conveniences. The silted up former harbour area is a flat unproductive area and salt apparently still leaches from the soil after 2000 years.

Famous biblical figures passed through this town as did Anthony and Cleopatra. Take the virtual tour.

Viznar - Spain

2004-11-04T01:12:00.000+11:00

The Viznar Youth Hostel is just 17 kilometres from Granada.

As such, for people with a car this is a simply fabulous place to stay.If you do NOT have a car however commuting is very difficult.

Arriving in Viznar we found out immediately why there was no train connection. Viznar is a small village perched on a hill overlooking Granada. With tiny narrow streets which are quite steep a train is of course quite impossible. There is a bus route, but it is not frequent. The hostel, once a boarding school, has quite spectacular views of the whole of Granada and is located in a wonderful spot. The inside is great and our room for two was fabulous.

Letting the days go by and St. Tropez

2004-11-01T11:41:00.000+11:00

One of the great pleasures in France is to find a café with outdoor seating on a lovely sunny day, order your drink of choice - perhaps a pastis, or a pernod, or a coffee, then, depending on your language skills, pretend to read a local paper or something with more English in it, like the International Herald Tribune or (God forbid) USA Today.

What you should really be doing, is to observe the passing parade as it goes about its daily business.

There is something delightfully furtive about observing normal people and speculating about what is happening in their lives. I have often found myself writing down these speculations and creating a story about real people that is a complete work of fiction. My imagination is usually assisted by the fact that I am waiting for my partner who has gone window shopping or more realistically - bargain hunting.

Then again, if the people are boring or there is not much action taking place - you can actually spend the time reading the paper and enjoyig the sunshine and your drink.

Speaking of leting the days go by, it is simply impossible to visit the Riviera without at least sampling St. Tropez.

The villas that you see on the way into the town of St Tropez are sumptuous and nice. The town conjures up pictures of the elegant jet set and the advertising suggests a town filled with the "joie de vivre" of the well dressed socialites flitting their way from one beautiful location to the next.

Reality alas is not nearly as wonderful as the scene that has been painted. It’s actually a small town on the south side of a bay. We think the action goes on in and around the villas. The actual town is merely for the people who provide the services to those who own the villas and their guests.

St Tropez has an enormous marina and some quaint houses, but most of what we saw was geared to servicing the huge yachts which were moored there, capable of being owned only by the super-rich. Million plus dollar boats and all competing with one another for attention. The owners were not readily visible, but their live on crews were doing the necessary work to keep these behemoths shiny and the centre of everyone’s attention. If you wanted to advertise that you had money to burn—this was the place.

Aix en Provence

2004-11-01T11:38:00.000+11:00

Aix en Provence is a city packed with people and with many spring fed fountains.

Aix is the place where Cézanne lived and worked.

In many of his paintings the surrounding landscape features as the backdrop. Watching the play of light on the houses and on the landscape it is easy to see what captured his attention and is recorded through his talent.

If you can recall the pictures that he painted try and see whether there is anything in the town of today that you recognise from them.

A sneak preview can be found at: Aix en Provence

Nimes

2004-11-01T11:30:00.000+11:00

Nimes is a lovely old town. We found parking not far from a very well preserved Roman arena which is still in use today - especially for the French version of bullfighting in which the bull is not killed.

A few minutes walk away, is another oddity, the magnificent and compact ‘Maison Carreé’. This is actually an original Roman temple in excellent condition, dedicated to the grandchildren of Augustus. It has remained in use during its entire history, hence the reason for its good condition. If all you have ever seen are the ruins of a Roman Temple this one is worth a visit if for no other reason than to enable you to really visualise what the ruins looked like before the ravages of the centuries took hold.

Just imagine the house or apartment building you live in today and speculate on how well it could stand up to being over a thousand years old!

To have a look at what you are in for before going there, take a look at Nimes and Maison Carreé

Er . . . . you DO speak French of course?

Arles

2004-11-01T11:23:00.001+11:00

Arles is a lovely town with lots of Roman ruins. The amphitheatre is particularly well preserved and still in use today for all sorts of festivals. The theatre, alas is less impressive. There was a lovely Romanesque church with magnificent carvings and a really well laid out cloister.

We visited this town by chance as it had a Citroen dealer who would service our vehicle.

We styed because of the charm of the place and its excellent food.

To see more of this town before your visit try: Arles

Perouges

2004-11-01T11:23:00.000+11:00

Perouges is an interesting town—named after the people from Perugia in Italy who settled there this lovely little village of some 900 people has not changed much since the 15th Century. So much so, that many of the period movies like the Three Musketeers with Georges Depardieu are set here.

Wandering through the streets is a pleasure especially if you have seen the movie and can identify the places where the action took place.

Have a sneak preview at Perouges

Byere la Vielle

2004-11-01T11:22:00.000+11:00

The tiny chapel in this little village has the only frescoes in the Constantinople style from the 12th Century like those that existed in the Cluny monastery (unfortunately now destroyed).

Autun

2004-11-01T11:16:00.000+11:00

Once a Roman garrison town named after the emperor Augustus, this town boasts an amphitheatre with seating for 20,000 and some monumental Roman gates.

At the top of the hill on which the town stands, there is a cathedral built in the 11th to 12th centuries with wonderful carvings reputed to have been done by Gislebertus.

In the nearby Musée Rolin (3, rue des Bancs 71400 AUTUN Phone +33 3 85 52 09 76 - Fax +33 3 85 52 47 41) there is also a collection of mediaeval paintings including one of Moses parting the Red Sea and some lovely Roman artefacts.

To see more of this town before you actually go there try: Autun

Tonnerre and the Fosse Dionne

2004-10-31T17:00:00.000+11:00

Tonnerre is a small town nestled in between limestone hills along the Burgundy canal. Parking where we could find space we climbed over steep hills and down dales to find the Fosse Dionne a natural spring pumping out 200 litres per minute from a location which is really the middle of town. There is a deep pool into which the water flows and this is surrounded by a sort of awning and colonnade. Overhanging the pool are also many narrow tall houses which seem to look down into the pool.

Worth a visit just to see this water supply and to learn its history.

No picture with this story just a link to a page about this water source. There is catch though, it's in French, so practice your language skills before clicking this link! :-)
Fosse de Dionne

Auxerre

2004-10-31T16:40:00.003+11:00

Auxerre is a lovely town with 1/2 timbered mediaeval houses and is worth a quick visit. It has a patisserie that simply begs to be sampled, not just ANY patisserie mind you, but one that has some of the most delectable edible goodies that one can find in France. I will leave the reader with this information but without an address. Part of the thrill of visiting this town is to find the right patisserie and enjoy the prize of the hunt, wonderful quiches and other pastry.

(A hint - see the earlier picture of the lease car in Auxerre its location is close to the patisserie!)

Vaux le Vicomte

2004-10-31T16:25:00.000+11:00

Set in some 70 acres of lovely garden, the château was built by Nicholas Fouquet and confiscated by Louis XIV who was jealous of the fact that this house outdid his home at Fontainebleau. The interior is comprised of many ornate rooms decorated in the style so evident in Versailles. The main domed room was filled with the busts of Roman emperors. The kitchens were amazing cavernous rooms with Gothic vaulting and fitted out with the cooking utensils of the period.

For the intrepid traveller it is better to get a history of the Château and to see for yourself what you will experience by going to the web site of the Château at:

Vaux le Vicomte

Transport

2004-10-31T11:31:00.000+11:00

I would like to recommend leasing a car as the option of choice for travelling through Europe. Note that I use the word "LEASING" and not renting. Renting virtually anywhere is one of the more expensive options.

Imagine if you can obtaining a brand new vehicle at the airport with fully comprehensive insurance across most if not all of Europe, and no mileage costs. All for around A$20-30 per day. Prices do of course vary per vehicle, and will certainly change, upward from year to year.

My partner and I have tried Peugeot and Citroen mainly because we like the look of the vehicles and their specifications. Renault also provides a wonderful leasing service.

With all of the French firms you have a wonderful range of models from really small, nippy and economical vehicles that are obviously the cheapest to lease through to larger station waggons and people movers if there are more than two of you.

I have not as yet found a better deal than I have been able to locate through these French firms. We have driven the old Peugeot 106 and the Citroen Xsara vehicles, both in their diesel modes. Unlike Australia, Diesel is cheaper in Europe than petrol. With prices well above the $1.00 per litre the more economical the vehicle the less it will cost you in the longer term.

See http://www.drivetravel.com/carlease/index.shtml as just ONE site where you can find information

Leasing generally starts off for the first 17 days as (relatively) quite expensive followed by additional days at a much lower rate. So if you are going to Europe for less than a month some other form of transport may be better for you. However if you travel like I do for in excess of three months at a time then having your own car at a rate you can afford is the way to go.

I am not knocking train travel. In Europe in particular it is still relatively economical to obtain one of the Eurail deals. However I can guarantee that there are no trains visiting the hilltop towns of Tuscany and if you want to visit the smaller towns and villages that are not on a train line this is not a really viable option.

With a car, you also have the advantage of not having to lug your gear around on your back. The car does all the work. In addition even if you are camping, the car can carry a fold up table and some fold up chairs, cooking and eating utensils, sleeping gear and tent, food that you can prepare and above all else that most weighty of items BOOKS!

Accommodation

2004-10-31T10:07:00.000+11:00

Since we started this site with an arrival in Amsterdam let's explore some basics on arrival.

Yes you can stay at a hotel. There are thousands in this city. The 5 star hotels also have a five star price tag. Celebrities may be able to afford to stay in them, millionaires may be able to stay in them, but travellers like me cannot afford to be in Europe for months at a time and also stay in hotels like this. Descending down the star listings you will come upon three and two star hotels that are certainly within a more appropriate price range but you will find them a little different from what you may expect.

Firstly, in the older parts of Amsterdam (near the Leidesplein for example) the buildings are on the canals and are always several stories high. The buildings are narrow and you will usually note a sort of block and tackle like arrangement on the top floor on the outside of the building.

It is only when you get inside that you begin to understand why these are there. The stair cases are very steep and narrow. So to get furniture into the house they have to hoist them up from the outside.

If you happen to be one of those people who have been featured a little uncharitably in the news lately, ie if you are somewhat on the largish side, you may not find these hotels suitable for your personal situation.

The rooms are small and furnished only in the most basic way.

If you are used to having an en suite bathroom and toilet and a bar fridge in the hotels and motels you stay in, get unused to it in a big hurry. This is Europe, not Australia!

Try http://www.easytobook.com/ and enter "Amsterdam" in the search engine

You can of course look for and find Bed and Breakfast homes - however these generally are not within the main locations within Amsterdam and require some commuting. At times this is a really good idea. Staying outside the old cities in Europe and commuting for 15-20 minutes to a small village on the outskirts of the town can be one of the cheaper alternatives for accommodation. Just remember to factor in the cost of the daily commute when comparing prices.

Have a look at Maes B&B for information

Then of course there are Youth Hostels. As a life member of the Youth Hostels Association I have stayed in YHA accommodation around the world and can assure you that they are usually well located, with prices that are no longer as cheap as they used to be but are generally lower than prices of two and three star hotels. You can have accommodation ranging from dormitory accommodation to private rooms if you belong to an older couple or just really prefer your privacy.

In Amsterdam I can recommend the hostel in Vondelspark which is right next door to the Rijks Museum where many of Rembrant's paintings are housed.

See Vondels Park YHA

Half the fun in hosteling is in meeting others who stay there. Sometimes you can form life long friendships with the people that you meet there - I know I have.

One step down from YHAs are the backpacker hostels. I am afraid you will have to sample them on your own as I have not had the pleasure (or otherwise) of staying in them. There are so many web sites devoted to these places that shopping around is also possible.

Try Amsterdam Hostel for example

Another alternative in some places - and Amsterdam is one of them is the caravan park.

Many have on site vans or cabins and all of them have sites where you can pitch a tent.

What I have found is that if you carry a little two person tent with you as well as a self inflating ground mat, and pillow as well as a sleeping bag then for an additional 5 kilos of weight you can have the cheapest accommodation possible. This is NOT recommended if you are travelling in winter or very early spring or very late autumn. However the rest of the year - which is when most people travel it is a really useful alternative to have available for those lovely sunny days when staying indoors is a waste of money.

In Amsterdam there is a campground called Gaasper Camping, just outside the city and capable of being reached by means of both train and car. By train it is on a spur line at its end station, so you simply cannot get lost. The train also provides a fabulous way of commuting into the city without having to drive and then find parking and so on.

Try this link: Gaasper Camping

Last and by no means recommended or considered advisable, to be considered if and only if you are totally and utterly flat broke, there are also what I would call 'doss houses'. These are generally for indigent locals and are also frequented by people who have some form of addiction to either alcohol or drugs or who are unemployed and hence homeless. It is a bed for the night and that is about all it is.

Selection of Travel Guides

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The selection of a travel guide depends largely on what you want to know.

If you are a back-packer or someone who wants to know about accommodation, where to get food, where to find means of transport from one place to the next then there are books which can provide this for you. There are literally thousands of web sites which provide similar information as well as travel books and blogs and magazines.

If on the other hand you have already travelled before and know how to find accommodation, food and means of transport then you may be looking for something that can provide you with information about what to see.

In this case I would like to recommend the DK or Dorling Kindersley Travel Guides.Each and every one is superbly researched and contains pictures and drawings of the most useful sights in the country or town which it refers to. Its contents include information about, architecture, churches, hotels, countryside, frescoes, wine, galleries, maps, museums etc.

Here is a link where you can find out more: DK Guides

Where to arrive in Europe? - Let's try Holland first!

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Central Railway Station - Amsterdam

Arriving for the first time in Schiphol airport I was immediately struck by a panic reaction in the form of the following thought: "I don't speak Dutch! What am I going to do NOW?"
The moment that I went to the tourist information desk, my fears were alleviated. Not only did I not have to speak Dutch, but the people there spoke not only English but French and German equally well. I did not ask about any other languages since these represented my major linguistic skills. Subsequent trips have revealed that it would be a very rare tourist indeed who could not make him or herself understood in this very large and well frequented airport.

Leaving Schiphol to go into Amsterdam is one of the easiest journeys in the world. There are trains which take you to the very heart of Amsterdam - the central railway station.

There is a lesson here for any intrepid traveller in Europe.

When the train systems were being built in Europe they were connecting existing cities and it was considered good form to build the main railway stations in the very heart of the bog cities. So if you want a lovely starting point for your journey in any European city it is a good idea to go to the Central railway station, with a map of the city in your hand and then sitting on the front steps of the station orientate yourself.

Then, having got your bearings take off to see the sights that you have planned to see.

Introduction to my travels

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I really started to travel to Europe in 1979. Since then, I have been travelling there every two years for periods of around 3-6 months. In this blog I hope that through my stories and reflections I can provide people with information which they can use in their travels.

It is also my hope that any readers will be able to add to the documents in the form of comments which will add their experiences to my own and so provide a resource for those who are yet to enjoy the journeys that they will make.

Come with me to Europe and enjoy the experience.

Amsterdam 30 August 1979

Twenty seven and a half hour of flying later - arrival in Amsterdam - Schiphol airport. With landing in Singapore (1 hour), Colombo 1/2 hour, Dubai (2 searches in 1/2 hour), Zurich (1/2 hour.

The airport is as described in the literature - fast efficient and very modern. Also very cold.

Well, this is my very first trip back to Europe since migrating to Australia. I am excited and yet frightened. On exiting from the airport there was the feeling of being very alone and a little desperate in a strange land with a strange language where everything is alien. At the bus from the airport I bumped into a couple from Sydney who had travelled with me on the plane. More surprise to follow as I found that they were staying at the same hotel that I was - or at least I think they said they were. We decided that since all of us were in the same hotel it would be economical to travel together by taxi from the terminal to our hotel and split the fee.

Maude and Michael are Polish and Czech respectively and on tour. They enabled me to speak English and so feel a little better and less out of my depth. (Little did I known that most Dutch people speak at least four languages one of which happens to be English.).

Our cabbie was an absolute wonder. He gave us the grand tour around Amsterdam for a good price - or so it seemed at the time until we discovered later that our hotel was really just around the block from where the bus had dropped us. We had to lug our bags up a street or two as the street in which our hotel was placed had been closed for road and/or canal works. On arrival I was to learn that there was no reservation for me and no rooms left. Tired and very angry with my travel agent and ready to kill someone. I rang KLM only to find that my booking was in a hotel with a very similar name some distance away, but in the same street. So I said goodbye to my new found friends and wended my way along the Leidsgraacht to the Hotel de la Haye at the other end of the street. Here, I was finally expected and was shown to my room - in other words the owner pointed to a rickety set of spiral stairs which were so narrow that I was of the view that they could not be negotiated by anyone who had consumed a liberal amount of alcohol. I dragged my weary legs and my heavy bag up the stairs, turned the key and my delight was unbounded as I saw my room - all of 2 metres by one metre, four coat hangers, a wash basin, a bed and no cupboard space. Ah well, at least it had a fine view over a canal and for only 30 guilders or $15 per night.

I unpacked my things and then taking my trusty ammo pouch as a handbag I began my first exploratory trip of Amsterdam. Almost by accident I came upon the Leidesplein a wide boulevard with many restaurants and night clubs. (I later discovered that I was living in the Dutch equivalent of Kings Cross.)

I came to a paper shop and purchased a map of Amsterdam and then stood for a while getting my bearings. Standing was too tiring so I followed advice and sat in a coffee shop which had an open air (ie sidewalk) section and watched the world go by. I then rang Bernie's brother and he invited me for lunch the following day. Victor was not in the phone book so I resolved to walk to his address after an initial foray into the heartland of Amsterdam. A quick trip to the hostel at Vondelspark revealed that it was full until several days later so I knew that I would be stuck in the Hotel de La Haye for some time to come. During my walk around Amsterdam's centre I found it to be a bustling metropolis with people from all over the world. Everyone speaks at least 3 or 4 languages with varying degrees of fluency. Prices are outrageous, equal to the highest in Sydney. The coffee is fabulous, the beer very weak at 5% alcohol and is served in 10 oz glasses with some half being foam - this costs 1-2 gulden (.50 to $1.)

I followed my map to Victor's address and found that he was not at home. I know that Victor is a prodigious drinker so I visited the nearby local pubs and asked if anyone there knew him. Some six people responded that they did and when I asked where he was I was told he was in France with his current girl friend Maud. - Great! Some people were kind enough to tell me where he was staying in France so I phoned him there to tell him I was in Amsterdam and looking forward to seeing him when he came home. In the interim I left a message at his home with a card giving my address and phone number at the hotel and then continued with my walking tour. There are heaps of people in Amsterdam and all of them are willing to give you directions but almost none are willing to have chin wag. Hmm!

Back to the hotel, washed socks and shirt slipped into bed and hoped things would dry by the morning. Sunset at 9:30 pm.

31/8/79

A beautiful day - breakfast at 8:00 am on the road by 8:30. Autumn in Europe is like summer in Australia - I really should have bought some shorts and some more T shirts. I managed a trip to the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh museum as a first stop

. All in all a magnificent adventure and not only because of Rembrandt's paintings. I was fascinated to note that when he was well paid Rembrandt painted well while at other times more carelessly. The hands are what give him away, delicate fine strokes when he was interested in his subjects and sloppy strokes when he was not.

The Rijksmuseum is sometimes called Holland’s treasure trove. The largest museum for art and history in the Netherlands, it is world famous for its collection.

THE COLLECTION
The Rijksmuseum has five departments: Paintings, Sculpture and Applied Arts, Print Cabinet, Asian Art and Dutch History. The centrepiece of the collection is the renowned paintings from Holland’s Golden Age. Here you will find works from Vermeer, Frans Hals, Jan Steen and Rembrandt. The jewel in the crown is of course Rembrandt’s masterpiece, the Night Watch. In the Rijksmuseum you will also find magnificent collections of silver, Delft Blue, dolls houses, prints, drawings, mysterious Asian art and a completely renewed presentation on the history of the Netherlands.

BUILDING AND GARDEN

The Rijksmuseum is located in a monumental building designed by the architect Cuijpers. The building dates from 1885 and has beautiful details such as tile tableaux, sculptures, proverbs and ornaments. The Rijksmuseum’s garden was also designed by Cuijpers and is certainly worth a visit.

VAN GOGH MUSEUM

A visit to the Van Gogh Museum is a unique experience. There is no other place in the world where you can see so many of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings under one roof. The Museum is situated on the Museumplein in Amsterdam, between the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum. The Museum's collection is in three parts. The Van Gogh collection, work from other artists and the collection concerning the Van Gogh Museum’s history.

VINCENT VAN GOGH

The Museum contains the largest collection of Van Gogh’s work. More than 200 exceptional canvases from the Master’s hand, as well as 500 drawings and 700 written documents. Together these provide a fantastic insight into his life and work. In the Museum, Van Gogh’s work is arranged in five chronological periods. These periods correspond with a certain phase in Van Gogh’s life and work. The phases in order are: the Netherlands, Paris, Arles, Saint-Rémy en Auvers-sur-Oise.

OTHER ARTISTS

An extensive permanent collection of other 19th century artists can also be viewed in the Museum. These were contemporaries and friends of Van Gogh, and include Paul Gauguin and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Van Gogh met these artists in Paris. Here he saw with his own eyes how the French artists created their Impressionist pictures.

Met Bernie's brother for lunch at the Beethoven straat and was given an interesting lecture tour about Amsterdam. He then took me around for a look at some of the houses and showed me where on the stoops were the letters "J" carved into the steps on houses where Jews had lived and a big cross + on houses frequented by Catholics who were hostile to the Germans during the second world war.

After thanking Bernie's brother I left for a quick spin around Vondelpark where to my amazement drug sellers were openly touting their wares. One guy was wandering around selling Hashish like ice cream yelling out at the top of his voice "Hashish, Hashish" - I was surprised he didn't have a bell. Back to the Museums.

I went to have dinner at what was called an "Israelishe Grill" run by a genuine Israeli. Had a free beer after some discussion with the owner and then went off to the Leidsplein and sat in an open air pub chatting with the locals two journalists who proved to be most interesting company. Finally got to bed - tired but happy.

1/9/1979

Decided that I simply had to see the Portuguese synagogue. In 1492 Jews had to flee inquisition from Spain. They thought they would be secure in Portugal, but, bad luck, they were compelled to convert. Hundred years later, some of their descendants, wanting to live as Jews, looked for shelter in Amsterdam, known for its tolerance. Bad luck again!! The Netherlands were at war with Spain! So the Jews preferred to say they were from Portuguese origin. Must read more about the history of this stuff when I get home again

On Mr. Vissersplein, in the centre of the square, is the splendid Portuguese Israelitische Synagoge (Portuguese synagogue). Built in 1675, it survived WWII and was then restored in the 1950’s. Its interior, with a lofty barrel-vaulted roof, was intended by its architect, Elias Bouman, to echo that emulated the Temple of Solomon. The huge space is lit by scores of arched windows and original 17th century brass chandeliers. Nothing has changed since centuries. I was surprised that the place was completely lit by candles - there did not appear to be any electricity at all.

The people in the synagogue were rather unfriendly. I stayed for the service, but no one came and said hello to welcome a fellow Jew in their midst.

I then decided to visit the "Flohmarkt" or flea market. The daily market held here, though colourful enough, I was told is a mere shadow of the original flea market. Its clutter of stalls, selling neo-hippie gear, cheap jewellery, junk, old clothes and perhaps the occasional original antique is duplicated in similar markets all over Europe. While there I purchased a small hand bag to carry all of my walking gear, much better than my ammo pouch. I then meandered back to the concourse where I met an American hippie painter who lives on a houseboat. He showed me his paintings and I found that he was a charming if eccentric host.

Later I took one of the canal tours and had pointed out to me all of the tourist sites as we cruised along the canals including the smallest house in Amsterdam 1 metre wide. Later I was to discover that it is only a frontage and purely for the show for the tourists.

Mailed some postcards and then spent the rest of the day wandering around looking at things. Upon my return to the hotel I found a note from Hans she had been told that I was in town and had made arrangements to contact me. I rang her and we arranged to meet that night for a chat. I went to her place and we chatted for about three hours until around 1 am I then went home and arranged to see her for dinner the next day.

2/9/79

Another day spent wandering around the town seeing the sights. This time even the zoo did not escape my zealous attention. I managed the trams and the buses everywhere with a 'tag kaarte' or day card. Had dinner with Hans but only after we ran into a festival on one of the canals. Students were performing many of the musical pieces from medieval days on period instruments in period costume. Dinner with Hans was an experience in an old brownstone pub where the food was delicious and where we ran into Victor and Maude. Following dinner we managed to find some night life and then for me - home to bed.

3/9/79

Travelled through Holland by train stopping here and there to see the sights and then off to Brussels. The Delft area is specially nice. I managed to get off at the wrong station in Brussels and had a damned long walk to the hostel, but at least I got orientated on the way. During the evening meal I met Marco and Italian guy from Milan and Carlos fro

m Queens in New York. After a rap session we agreed to paint the town red the following night. I retired, hit the sack and slept like a log.

4/9/97

Explored Brussels with Carlos. The Grand Place is fabulous. Built in the 16 hundreds I think. A marvellous museum and art centre with lots of paintings by Bruegel on display. Generally a modern metropolis now celebrating its thousandth anniversary (how fortunate) with many tourist celebrations being held. Shopping again, fabulous for food. You have the fabulous Belgian waffles for only 20 Belgian francs, not to mention 'pistolets' and their untold number of fillings. They bake three times a day and bread is FRESH

H. Fabulous fruit buys as well. Saw my first bit of rain here in Brussels and as a result hadto figure out a cheap way to avoid it. (Not very well prepared for this trip.) Found a jean shop that was selling cheap plastic rain jackets with a hood and bought it - white with a wildcat emblem. People stare at you, but it is light, protective and a good windcheater. Returned to the hostel after the explorations for dinner and then went with Carlos and Marco out on the town.

I had found a gypsy tavern during my wanderings with genuine Hungarian gypsies. Naturally I had engaged with them in conversation and had suggested that I would return with company that evening. I also made sure that I looked up a place called La Lunette described in one of my guide books. The place has a glass like a champagne glass only much bigger which contains 2 litres of beer. Holding such glass is quite a chore consuming the contents even more so. I took the lads there and on the basis of nothing ventured nothing gained we attempted to drink a glass of this. Since the beer is 8% alcohol by volume it is quite a chore. Refreshed and somewhat worse for wear we then left La Lunette and wandered across to meet the gypsies. We had managed to lose Carlos by this stage as he only came for a farewell drink because he was flying back to New York. The evening went well even to the extent of us picking up a couple of the local girls through the time honoured technique of buying them a drink. Alas our language skills with French were so bad that we could not really get into a meaningful conversation. Still the evening was pleasant enough. We staggered back to the hostel and to bed and slept ready for another day.

5/9/79 - 6/9/79

Decided to head down to Zurich so went down to the station and boarded a train for that locale. As we were nearing Luxembourg I thought it might be a good idea to stop and over and have a look. Did so. A fabulous decision. A really lovely picturesque town. 16 miles of tunnels and battlements built so long ago making it into the Gibraltar of the north. Beautiful houses, castles and scenery.

Having done my tours I noted that I was actually quite close to the Rhine and Moselle valleys and thought that it might be nice to go to Trier and then catch the boat to Koblenz from there to Mainz and then Frankfurt, since this trip was covered on the Euro Rail and hence did not cost anything extra.

Trier is the oldest town in Germany. It has some incredible buildings and scenery as you come into it by train. There are old roman ruins, the oldest church in Germany. The youth hostel here is very strict - run by a German militarist. He wanted everyone in bed by 9:30 pm. There were over 200 school children at the hostel accompanied by their teachers. The teachers and I convinced the manager to come and drink some fine Moselle wine with us. Eventually, mellowed by the wine and our company and conversation we remained talking until 4 am. After waking the next morning I met two Americans and an Australian called Dominic and the four of us walked around Trier. During the walk we came across Jenny and Australian school teacher who proved to be very pleasant company. I broke my watch in the shower that morning so I was forced to take it to a watch maker who then proceeded to fix it in one hour flat for the princely sum of 14 Deutsch Marks. Meanwhile we climbed up to the statue of Mary on the hill top picking apples from the trees by the side of the road. Once we arrived at our destination the city lay spread out at our feet. I bought a post card as my camera is now officially 'kaput'. For now I will simply have to lug it around. I will find out in Zurich what happened to it and whether it is fixable or not. I am taking the opportunity to sample the fine Moselle wines which though expensive are nice. Since I am in the area it behoves me to take the boat along the river along to Frankfurt via Mainz and Koblenz. Incidentally there seems to be a NATO exercise in full swing with tanks, APCs and large troop movements taking place and jets flying overhead exemplified the point.

7/9/79

My resolution to travel by boat has come to nil. I awoke to a very foggy day. So I gave up and instead caught the train from Trier to Koblenz, Mainz Heidelberg. I stopped at Heidelberg to look at the city. Some incredible places and people. Met an Israeli couple on the mountain railway which goes up into the hills overlooking the city. I had a very pleasant morning with them enjoying the stroll the views and looking through the Schloss. Later that morning I met an Australian Swiss and with him we encountered two Irish women who appeared to be looking for fun and adventure. Spent lunch with them all and then some more sight seeing. Decided to push on to Heilbronn however on arrival found that the hostel was full. I was told that the hostel in Bad Wimpfen - a stop or two back on the line had some vacancies. Dennis and I then caught the appropriate train back a few stops and arrived at Bad Wimpfen. This is proving to be one of the surprise stops of this trip.

Totally unknown, totally unexpected this town was built around 1200 and people still appear to be living in buildings that are six or seven hundred years old. Staying there at the youth hostel was a fantastic stroke of luck. It is only 3 years old and set in total history. Bad Wimpfen also hosts some thermal baths which provide a cure for a number of ailments. There is a spectacular old castle and some wonderful ancient churches and above all else some really lovely unspoilt people. Dennis also turns out to be a surprise - he owns a pub in Queensland. He has leased it out for the last five years and has been on the road travelling on the proceeds. Along the way he has learnt about rubies and precious stones and has been making a business buying and selling them to supplement his income. He is very knowledgeable about France. Through him I learnt how to get to the fairytale castle of Ludwig 1^stof Bavaria - Neuschwanstein at Füssen. We had a very pleasant stay at Bad Wimpfen and then off to Munich the next day.

8/9/79 - 9/9/79

Arrived in Munich after stopping off at Stuttgart where I tried to ring Sándor Konya but he was not at home. That's life. München is the city of bier kellers and the early seat of Nazism. Perhaps the most unfriendly city so far encountered. The people are rough, rude and generally unbelievably impatient.. I made sure to book into the hostel and then took a turn around the palace. Ludwig certainly knew how to spend money. A fabulous rococo palace with sumptuous sculptured gardens and ponds filled with fish. Absolutely busloads of tourists from France and Italy were there at the same time so I had a free tour in French. Upon returning to hostel I met three gorgeous English women struggling with their luggage. Ever the gentleman I offered to assist them and to provide directions. Sceptical at first they warmed up and following dinner we all went to a disco where we spent a very swinging and pleasant evening until 12:45 rushed (or more accurately lurched) back to our beds.

The second day in Munich. was again beautiful and hot. I seem to be having fabulous luck with the weather. Today I met some Australians and we toured the English gardens and the Deutsche Museum. All in all a fabulous experience. They have there a complete Messerschmidt 109, 163, 262 the last two being the first and second of Germany's jet aircraft. Originally developed in 1934, but not flown until 1944 by which time it was too late. A very bad miscalculation on the part of Mr Hitler. It may have just cost him the war. The Deutsches Museum is the largest technical museum in the world. Seven floor of it are and a whole island in the middle of Munich. There are also a fabulous selection of paintings here including many of the old masters. I really dislike the Germans in this town. While touring the two Aussies and I met a girl from New York that is working in Garmisch with the American troops and also another American English couple as well as two girls from Canada. We all went to dinner together and then off to the disco again. Really a fabulous evening. The Canadians really know how to dance. I was totally exhausted by the time we wended our way home at 1:00 am. In case I forgot to mention it - the hostel is open 24 hours a day.

This hostel also appears to be a meeting place for those who ferry cars to the near east. 1000 marks for a Mercedes to Turkey or Iran. Apparently you need a foreign passport to take the car in, have your passport stamped that you have taken in the car and then of course you should have your passport stamped when you take the car out. These clever fellows have their passports 'cleaned' in Turkey or Iran and the slip back out of the country, return to Munich and do the trip again. Meanwhile in the country of delivery the lucky new owner has a brand new car - almost without having had to pay the expensive import duty. All in all a very illegal and dicey operation. Quite a few young willing Americans in Munich seem willing to take the risks. I guess it has not as yet occurred to the local constabulary that the youth hostels are a terrific transit point for these smugglers.

10/9/79

From Munich to Zurich in one bold leap - a great train journey. The people on the train only spoke German. So I tried to speak German. My vocabulary is deplorable, but I tried. On arrival in Zurich I met Neil - another Aussie and together we found our way to the hostel. Fabulous hostel, clean and with (would you believe it) decent meals. After registering I left again with a booking for a tour of the city. Bought lunch from a fabulous deli and then headed for the Limmat Quai. Here I took a boat ride around the lake and met two Swiss girls on board with a resident Australian who had just come from a conference on ophthalmology in Berne. They proved to be very pleasant company around the lake as did some Koreans who were on a business trip. One of them was the leader of the YMCA in Seoul. He invited me to stay there anytime I visited the city and to remember me he took a picture. My camera has been busted for days. I took it to a photo dealer in Zurich and I should have it back in the morning. Returned to the hostel and chatted up some Canadians from the same conference as the people on the boat. Neil and I decided to visit the CASA a pub that has jazz. On the way I bumped into two girls from Colorado - Heidi and Suzie who either liked the idea of jazz or our company because they came with us and made it a fabulous evening. Tired but happy I returned to the hostel to sleep.

11/7/79

Got and planned today. Got out the tour book and looked up the most scenic rides in the Swiss Alps. This suggested that I go to Brig via Fiesch-Kühboden where there is a hostel. Picked up the camera, caught the train just in time and I was off to a place called Disentis. Here is where I descended from the train and dissented with the conductor. Apparently there is a private railway that is NOT covered by the EuroRail ticket and costs 38 francs for a few miles of line. Bloody cheek! I was committed so off I went paying through the nose. It was worth it. Over the two highest alpine passes the Oberalpshöhe and Furka passes with the Rhone glacier passing by. At Fiesch there is an aerial skyway for another 15 francs (Luftseilbahn) which goes 2280 metres up the mountain in 2.5 minutes for one of the most spectacular views that I have ever seen. I went to the booking office for the hostel as I had booked a room only to be met by a curious smile. I was given a key and told to take the Luftseilbahn to the top as that is where the hostel is. When I asked about the key I was told it was to let me into the hostel.

Guess what, I am the ONLY person in the Youth Hostel. It is brand spanking new and I have peace and quiet for a change - with only my own snores to wake me up. This is a 220 bed hostel and once the last cable car gondola leaves the motors are shut off and you are completely alone on the mountain.

12/9/79

What an absolutely glorious way to wake up. The sound of the motors of the cable car starting up again. The hostel is located at around 2500 metres up in the reception area for the cable car. The sunrise over the mountains is absolutely incredible. I took the cable car up top the top of the Eggishorn and there spread out in front of my eyes for all to see was the Matterhorn, Mt Blanc and some marvellous glaciers. In winter the skiing must be absolutely incredible. There are so many chairs pommers and T bars as to be unbelievable.

I went down to the station to catch my train to Berne and then Basel. Both towns are quite nice especially Basle. Stopped over at Interlaken but having been already up in the mountains I felt that 106 francs to go up to the Jungfraujoch just to see the same mountain peaks was a bit much. Firstly arrived in Basel. Rushed around looking at the sights and since there was an overnight train to Vienna I decided to catch it at 20:30 hours.

Once on board I could simply not believe my luck. No other passengers in my compartment. The seats folded down in to a bed - fantastic. Then an Italian gent comes into the compartment - not to worry it is only one man - he sits in the seats near the door and we can both have a bed. We nod to each other and then he starts his reading and I do some of mine. In the middle of my reverie in comes a really drunk, smelly German speaking Swiss. He is a poet. I have no idea how he managed to get the fare for first class. He tries to engage everyone in conversation and I simply tell him in English that I do not speak German. This was a mistake. So frustrated was he by this fact that he then decided to explain his philosophy of life to me in his halting broken English. This went on for some time. He decided to sleep