It's all about the Medina...

... and really the Medina is all about the Djemna el Fna (or "la place" as the locals call it). It's the main square of Marrakesh and is the pumping heart of the city. Although initially daunting we seemed drawn back here again and again. Partly because all streets seems to lead there and that makes it a great place to navigate from to the other sights of the Medina and partly because it just simply buzzes with life, noise and activity all day. This makes it just a great place to watch and wander through. It's a mix of locals and tourists milling around the juice and dried fruit stalls, the snake charmers, dance troupes, henna tattoo women, men with their trained monkeys, water carriers in their traditional costume, storytellers and various other performers and at night the food stalls selling everything from sheep head and boiled snails to lamb kebabs cooking over charcoal grills.

There are a few dirty tricks used by the monkey men and snake charmers so a good place to start is to look down on the activities from one of the many cafe / restaurant terraces that surround the square. The drinks are expensive, but it's the view that you are paying for and the ability to watch the action and see the way the money making tactics work. The monkey men appeared the worst (and the saddest) as they would work in pairs. If you wanted one monkey for a photo you would get two and of course be asked to pay for both. The snake charmer's "helpers" a close second. Stray two close with your wits a little too far behind and a snake may 'find' itself around your neck. This is a chargeable service of course. Like animals sensing fear they are on you. The best course of action is to remain calm. If you can! The more frightened you look the higher the price. You get the idea.

Like this or not the square demands you take part and immerse yourself in the atmosphere. It is unapologetically fantastic. The noise of the dance troupe's drums and the call of the snake charmer instruments playing constantly with seemingly boundless energy. The thrill of avoiding capture! We take part hoping to get a few close up pictures. A water carrier obliges, for a price naturally. The snake charmer is more challenging. We want a photo of him and the cobra, but the pressure is on to have the picture of us with the snakes. Louise gets in close and I end up with a snake around my neck. I remain calm and to be honest this is not hard as I can't work out if the small snake is fake or just dead! We escape with a shot and without being extorted.

One evening we partake of the food stalls. Opting for soup and the lamb kebabs leaving the sheep brains for the locals. The salesmen are out in force enticing you in to their stall. Cockney accents apparently the weapon of choice and the banter listing Air Conditioning as a feature!! It's good fun and a great buzz - the people, the smells the smoke from the grills. The food is cheap and pretty good too. Apart from the free mint tea which looked like it had been sourced from a muddy puddle. A cold one too. We left that and for that reason were still singing the praises of the food hall the next morning if you know what I mean!!

Stretching north from the Djemaa el Fna are the souks. A labyrinth of covered market areas selling all manner of Moroccan handycrafts. I would draw comparisons with the Fes souks, but there is more happening here, with some shops doubling as the workshop, and without the annoying hassle from the false guides. You can get lost here very easily, but somehow this is less daunting and we always managed to get our bearings again. The shop keepers will definitely try to entice potential buyers in to "just look", but we are definitely more adept at not being draw by the gambits. The simplest tactic is to ignore everyone! Rude? Not really because if everyone was engaged in conversation you would get nowhere. The Fes medina scores over Marrakesh with the banning of scooters which must be constantly dodged here. You get used to that too and had some practice in Italy anyway.

Marrakesh boasts some decent sights and we explored some of these at a leisurely pace in between breakfast, lunch and the square. The Ben Youssef Medersa is a fine example of Islamic architecture and we time it better than in Fes getting more than 10 minutes inside, which is good as there is more to explore. The Marrakesh Museum is also good, but for the restored building rather than the stuff inside. The ruined el Badi Palace is good for a walk about and not least for the multitude of Storks nests on the walls. The storks provide great sunset viewing from the nearby Kozybar and use a bit of digital film, although I'm always looking the other way when one is doing something interesting (like flying!). Respect to the patience of wildlife photographers.

Sitting visible over the rooftops on the horizon are the tantalisingly close snow covered peaks of the High Atlas. We are not traveling to the Mountains or the desert that lies to the south. Those would be great, but are for another time. To take in a little of the mountains we book a Land Cruiser day trip to see just a little. Unfortunately Louise is not very well the following morning (not the one following the food stalls!) and decides not to risk going. I take the trip on my own joining a couple from Devon. The trip basically involves a drive in the mountains. They are beautiful mountains mind you. We see the Snow peaks up close and remote Berber villages at 2000m. They definitely deserve further investigation some other time.

We splurged a little on accommodation in Marrakesh opting to stay in a Riad. The same traditional Moroccan house layout (no outward windows. central open courtyard) as the place in Essaouira only a bit grander. The word Riad refers to the courtyard garden rather then the house itself and many have central fountains, although ours has a very small pool instead. The courtyard looks and feels as though inside and this Riad is actually very modest compared with some. Our Riad is close to a couple of Mosques. Ok, everywhere in the Medina is close to Mosques, but these two seem to have the minaret speaker volume cranked up to the max and pointing in our direction. I swear, at 5:30 in the morning that sound is amplified by the Riad courtyard!!

You could probably pay as much as you like to stay in a Riad in Morocco. That's the thing about Morocco and especially Marrakesh. Extremes of price exist here. In almost everything actually. Food, accommodation, goods, you name it. Alcohol is expensive, but there are a number of cool bars that sell, therefore don't go to Morocco expecting serious cheapness in everything. As a western tourist you will pay more and get ripped off at some point. Taxi drivers are the worst! Doing Morocco on the cheap would involve a few sacrifices (hot showers for example. Which would be fine in Summer), a bit of work, time and flexibility.

No matter as Marrakesh has been a great place to spend some time and get a little winter sun away from the Christmas madness. Or to do some seasonal shopping without those damn Christmas songs!!

Beach Hut Chic: Moroccan Style

If you locate Casablanca (Google displays the Arabic name Dar el Baida) on the map and follow the coast west you will come to the town of Essaouira. We didn't travel the coast taking the train inland to Marrakesh and switching to bus for the home stretch. The trains here are pretty reasonable and inexpensive too (just don't need the toilet ladies!). The number of routes are quite limited however and really only link major cities. Supratours coaches fill the gaps and operate like an extension of the rail route. You can book the ticket right through and the bus will wait for the train passengers to arrive before leaving. This is good because our train was late. It's busy too and we have to traverse many carriages before finding seats. Progress is slow as we follow an American sounding couple negotiating the aisles with huge cases. I swear I can here the clanking of kitchen sink on washing machine coming from inside. Arrival in Marrakesh equals half the train descending on the Supratours bus station. There are several coaches, lots of people and little information. We find the Essaouira coach. You need a luggage ticket said the driver motioning to a single small window surrounded by lots of people. And their bags! We join the scrum. Lou does an impressive drive forward to reach the end zone and scores a couple of baggage tickets. We're then on the coach (driven by Morpheus from the Matrix!) for an undulating ride to the coast. On arrival luggage collection is a free for all, no one checks the tags! We grab ours, make our way past the accommodation touts and into the Medina. We have a reservation, they're not pushy. The problem is we are not entirely sure where the place is. Without knowing we are nearly there, we tell one guy the name, he could point, he walks us there. We have a reservation, so unfortunately for him there is no commission this time. We step through the doors...


And relax!


And stay that way for your time here. For this is Essaouira, a chilled out place by any standard. It's essentially a resort town, but somehow that tag gives the wrong impression. The is a fantastic long beach. Great for a walk to the ruined fort while trying to avoid the camel men! Lou tried camels in Kenya and the phrase "never again" was applied!! The town is also a popular destination for wind and kite surfers getting the necessary winds. Unlike Tarifa it's calm for our stay and the kites are not to be seen. Actually this is the best weather we've had in Morocco, the showers replaced by perfect blue sky.


There is a Medina, but it's small and has an easy layout. No hustling guides here. It's crammed with craft shops, but the keepers aren't on your case to "just look". Our accommodation is in the Medina and it's superb. A converted traditional Moroccan house. Designed for the privacy of women and possibly coolness in summer, there are no outward facing windows. Instead all rooms look on to a central open courtyard. There are Moroccan elements given a contemporary touch with hints of beach hut. Especially on the roof terrace where the wood is painted in that shade of blue that only seems to exist at the seaside. It's so nice to sit outside for breakfast. The town itself goes for the white walled-blue shutter look reminding us slightly of Santorini. Well, Santorini's older more travelled uncle.


Extending into the sea from the Medina is Essaouira's working harbour. It's chock full of boats from small wooden fishing boats to larger wooden trawlers, in and out the water. It's a hive of activity as boats are re-painted, cleaned or built from scratch, nets too are made and repaired. Walking along one guy practically bundles up on to an impromptu tour of a small shipyard building the trawlers. We know he's going to ask for cash at the end, but we in along anyway as it is interesting. It's risky. We are obviously gaining some Moroccan confidence! He suggests a ridiculous amount, but doesn't get it. He gets plenty though. A good place to watch the action is from part of the old city fortifications called Skala du Port. We witness a net maker being bundled out of sight by two blokes amid much voice raising. No idea what the fuss was about, but not long after the assailed is back at the nets.


As is the norm, the Essaouira Medina is an old walled town. In some cases not all the wall survives. Here an excellent surviving rampart is the Skala de la Ville built along the rocky shore a stones throw from the Atlantic. The battlements are lined with canon and its here locals and tourists alike come to watch the sunset over the sea. The first night we are here there is a sizable swell slamming into the rocks just off the coast. And if you wanted Moroccan pastries with your sunset and water show, no problem. People come round the town selling them from big trays.


Catching the bus in Essaouira is a far less frantic experience. One bus, no train and a quiet ticket office. The journey is back to Marrakesh. This time as our final destination.

-Insert Desired Quote Here-

Mention the name Casablanca and what springs to mind? Almost inevitably it will be the black and white flick right? Even for us, not born until over thirty years after it's release! Does this speak more about the film or the Moroccan city. Well we were in town to find out what "Casa" had to offer. We've both never seen the film by the way, so this is not the reason we came. There are some curiosities and it's on the way.


Casablanca translates as white house in Spanish and comes from the time hundreds of years ago when it was a Portuguese settlement. A small Medina grew up here when they left, but contrary to what I said in the last post it's not the old city that is the attraction here. It was the French that took interest in developing the place as a port town and built the Ville Nouvelle based on Marseilles, apparently. Although we have no grounds for comparison having not been there.


So, inner city Casa is a collection of French colonial buildings incorporating Moroccan styles with a healthy chunk of Art Deco thrown in for good measure. An example of that is the Cathedral du Sacré Coeur. Think cathedral shape, but with straight minimalist lines, arabic windows and all in white! Not so required these days I guess, it could use some TLC. The driveway now a good spot for kids to play football. The TLC could be extended to much of the rest of downtown Casa to be honest. The old French grandeur still evident in the facades and coffee shops, the Art Deco touches reminiscent of British seaside towns, the glory days long since gone.


In some way Casa is just another European city. In that though is where it's difference is supposed to lie. The suggestion from the guide book is that we should be surprised by the lack of the veil, but we didn't see many in Fes either. In Casa the head scarf also conspicuous by it's absence here. Another item replaced seems to be the national drink - mint tea. The patrons of the many cafes houses all seem to be drinking coffee. Still mostly blokes and always very serious looking too it has to be said!


Casa's big site/monument is the Hassan II mosque. Built at the waters edge on reclaimed land it's big! The third largest in the world, but claiming the title of tallest minaret at 200m. Unusually for a Moroccan mosque non-Muslims are allowed in the prayer hall. There is an official line on why this is so, but the cynical could argue that with it's hefty price tag and library section still to be completed anyone's money is good money! It's not a cheap tour either. It is however an impressive piece of work. Intricate detail covering it's enormous interior.


Now, Casablanca has got nothing to do with Casablanca! It does have a Rick's Cafe though. A bar/eatery trading on the movie. I don't know why we went there as non-fans, as it's essentially a tourist trap. Although it was a cool place and while a bit pricey for Morocco no more than a pub lunch at home. It was on the way back from the Hassan II and was a better proposition than getting stared at by serious blokes!

Finding Fes

The country of Morocco as it is today only came into being when the european powers started carving up Africa at the turn of the twentieth century. It gained independence in 1956. It was France and Spain who shared the spoils, but it was France which had the greater impact on the country leaving behind, amongst others, their language as an additional national tongue. Previous to this the region can be viewed as a number of tribal dynasties competing for power. This very general history is useful in understanding the make up of many Moroccan cities. At least north of the Atlas. What results is two city areas: a new town, the Ville Nouvelle, built close to the existing old town, or Medina. This gives you the choice of staying in either or. Generally speaking the Medina is the interesting Moroccan bit you go to see, but accommodation is likely to be either cheap and possibly nasty or great and expensive. Where as in the Ville Nouvelle the choice is more european with reasonable prices, but away from the action in the Medina. Like for like accommodation in Morocco is cheaper than in Europe either way.


In Fes, we went for the moderation of the Ville Nouvelle for a number of reasons. It was close to the station, a good price, got favourable online reviews and taxis are very cheap anyway, even if you do get slightly ripped off! The Fes Medina is huge and some reviews suggested that even if you stay there you may still be far from the sites.


The size and complexity of the medieval Medina in Fes is an attribute all too readily used by the number of potential guides eager for your custom. To take a guide or not to take a guide, that is the question. There are a few options for guides: go to the tourist office and get an official guide or accept an offer from an unofficial guide, which is technically illegal. Although there doesn't seem to be a standard for one being better than the other and both apparently have an interest in taking you shopping!!


We went for a student (or was he?) And I have to say that we felt a little disappointed. His english was good, but not really good enough to be an english speaking tour guide and it was difficult to follow the route and get an idea where we were heading. Also there was a bit too many shop visits disguised under the terms of local craft traditions. The people at the workshops give you a small tour which in itself is quite interesting. Of course you then get to peruse the finished product. It's a bit awkward having had no intention of making a purchase in the first place. However the 'sell' was quite mild and we were never detained for long. In hindsight we could argue that we got to see a part of the Medina we otherwise wouldn't have seen in addition to some of the sights we really did want to. We had time to go back and look for ourselves too.


The tanneries are actually best viewed from the shop that sells the produced goods as they have a roof terrace overlooking the site. It can be a bit smelly so we got handed a sprig of mint on the way in! The view down looks over an open air area containing round pits filled with coloured dyes or pigeon poo softener! It's was still the "sheep killing" holiday so there wasn't much activity, just a few people working away in the pits. Bar a few minor details the techniques are essentially medieval. The traditional pottery was interesting too and again quiet due to the holiday.


Lying in a valley the Fes Medina can be viewed from a spot by the Merenid tombs. Historic themselves it is the view people come to see however. The guide book suggests this is a good place to come to get an orientation on the Medina. Looking down on the sprawl of rooftops punctured by minarets this seems impossible. Yes you can pick out some landmarks, but in the Medina you can't see them. Even up close. It's a nice spot for a view all the same.


We did venture into the Medina on our own. Starting at the blue gate, Bab Boujeloud. The expected hustling guides must have been on holiday as we walked straight through. It was busy in the Medina though. Not far in is the Medersa Bou Inania. A 14th century Islamic College with some elaborate decoration. A small fee (about 1€) allows a visit the courtyard. It's instantly an oasis of calm and is well worth the entry fee for that alone! For all the Medina's touted complexity it's easy enough to walk from Bab Boujeloud to the middle (and out through Bab R'clf) as one main street goes almost all the way. It's lined with souks, market areas, sometimes covered by wooden roofs. Not all the shops were open or in use, but there was enough colour and life to make it an interesting experience. Sometimes a bit pungent as the skins from the sheep festival lay in the street in piles. I didn't ask if they were for sale as this would surely indicate my interest in making a purchase. We did get hustled eventually of course. The most persistent potential guide's gambit was to protect us from hustlers!! Everyone has an opening ice breaker. An amiable question to gauge response and the language you speak, which can then descend into guilt tactics if the person is thus inclined. Almost all the sales pitched involve rubbishing the competition. It's just a case of deciding what to believe or simply ignoring everyone. Either way it take a bit of getting used to.

Arrival in North Africa

The ferry from Tarifa takes about 35 minutes and in that time we've switched continents! It could take longer to get to work. The ferry was almost empty. Us, another two travellers from Swansea and a handful of other people. One reason for choosing Tarifa was the idea it would be less hectic than the main ferry port at Algeciras, but this almost seems too calm.


Arrival in Tangier is no less tranquil! Given the legendary hassle one guy only "makes enquiries" as we leave the port building. There is nobody here, a small part of us feels cheated of the experience! Tangier is almost a ghost town. Walking though the new town we see only the odd person or car. Then we see them. A group of five or six guys heading our way, some with white approns, all stained with blood and carrying big knives. It's at this point where a little research pays off. Today is the religious holiday of Aid el Kebir where families that can afford it slaughter a sheep and people travel home for the event. This explains the guys with knives and the lack of people. We wondered if it would be quiet, but not this quiet. We get chatting to a Moroccan, now living in Glasgow, who explains that in Tangier many people come to work and have gone to the family home for the festival, hence the city being a quiet neighbourhood. As we wander about the evidence of the festival becomes strikingly apparent, more so in the old narrow streets of the Medina. Drops of blood on the pavement, trickles in the gutter, the water of a small channel stained dark red. At some places the full scene is happening in the street. Boys and men gather around an old drum burning with available fire wood. The only part of the sheep now visible is the head, sometimes sitting waiting, sometimes a boy hacking off the horns with a hand axe, a hornless head sometimes already on the fire the seemingly discarded horns laying in the street. The familiar smell of barbequed meat. It's possibly a scene that has changed little in centuries. It's an intense introduction to Morocco. Just not the one we were expecting. Later we stroll the quiet windy beach, Spain visible across the water.


Leaving Tangier we experience our first Moroccan train on the way to the city of Fes. The holiday is still happening so again Tangier and the train station is quiet. The other extreme will happen when the holiday ends and people return to where they live. Maybe we wont be travelling that day!

The Calm Before the Storm

Sevilla is a relaxing place. Even when getting lost amongst the narrow maze of streets in the city's Santa Cruz neighbourhood. Sevilla generates this calmness through a few factors I suspect. The style and bright colours of the buildings. The relatively traffic free streets lined with orange trees. The pleasant temperature, not hot, but warm enough to stroll without freezing and to be able to sit outside. There are plenty of sights to see, but there is no rush! Our hostel complimented this greatly with an excellent location within easy walking distance of everything we wanted. The location, great kitchen and roof terrace allowed us to return for relaxed and cheap lunches between forays.


Sevilla knows how to do entertainment too of course and a popular form of that here is Flamenco. Being budget travellers we wanted to see some Flamenco for a good price. The La Carboneria bar in town obliges nicely by providing some for free. It's a pretty basic place, kind of like a big spanish shed with a bar and a small stage. By performance time at 11pm the place was rammed. In some ways it felt quite touristy, but when the band spoke it was only in spanish. The band was four members and commanded a presence. Three men, one on guitar, one on flute and one singer on percussion using hands and feet only. No microphones, just an intimate performance. The band started slowly and built steadily until the moment the woman rose and began the dance. A series of short bursts. We're no experts, but this seemed like raw Flamenco to us and made for a compeling show. We didn't even have a great view.


Another of Sevilla's passions is bull fighting. It's out of season now so the question of whether we would go to a fight or not is irrelevant. We did decide to visit the ring, or Plaza de Toro, though. You can take a short tour which is delivered without any sense of controversy.


Another interesting site is the Real Alcazar, a royal palace for centuries and featuring the muslim/christian style known as Mudejar. Plenty of intricate ceramics and plaster work. The Plaza de Espana is a great place for a poke about. The central fountain is surrounded on one side by a tiered semi-circular building, the ground level decorated with tiled seating sections depicting the regions of Spain. We really liked Sevilla, even though we did get drizzled on one afternoon!


Spain has a reputation for mañana, but not so when it comes to public transport it seems. The trains in the country have all been top notch and on time. We've been using Interrail train passes for the last month with Sevilla being the last stop as they have now expired. They did get us here all the way from Bled in Slovenia though. Our last journey was by bus anyway. Very good also by the way, getting us down to a town called Tarifa in the very south of Spain and indeed Europe at the point where the Med and Atlantic meet. For Tarifa you need to think Spanish Newquay. It's popular for surfing, especially the wind and kite variety. We strolled the lovely beach and saw the kite surfers in action. However, watersport is not our reason for being here. Tomorrow we cross the water to our next port of call. Morocco.

Holy Toledo Batman!

Did Robin ever exclaim so, during the 60s incarnation of the caped crusader? If if did then if would be right. The once capital of Spain the city is awash with churches, monastries and the obligatory huge cathedral.


Arriving here yesterday by train on a day trip from Madrid we were greeted by a grand station house built in a Moorish style back in the early 20th century (photos of the construction adorn the walls). Indeed Toledo is a mix of styles from it's various historical rulers. When we arrived in the old center we both thought Tuscan Hill town. The colours, roof tiles and mash of narrow streets. The difference being the Moorish styles. Now, if you owned a medievil castle and wanted to do some interior design then you may wish to come to Toledo! As, for some strange reason, almost every second shop sells blades of some description. From pocket knives to massive swords, not to mention suits of armour! Not sure of the significance relating to Toledo.


The town had that low season lull about it and had a small oddness too that is impossible to describe here, but it made for a decent day out.

Madrid

We just spent our last night in Madrid and are on the fast train to Seville. Madrid station works a bit more like an airport, where your bags are scanned and your ticket checked before you reach the platform (due to the bombing a few years back I assume). It's less hassle than an airport though. It even has it's own jungle, a sight we were greeted with on our arrival 4 days ago.


So how to describe Madrid? It's one of the few big european cities we've seen since Rome not to have a tram system, but it does have a metro and doesn't have the craziness of Rome due to the lack of scooters I suspect. That's not to say that Madrid isn't lively or vibrant, because it's both. Clean and modern too combined with some old character. The use of ceramic tiles for street signs is a nice touch and the use of tiles continues on many buildings especially the many Tapas bars in the city. Tiles take the form of scenes or intricate paterns in a nod to the country's Moorish past. There isn't the big hitting well known monument to tell you about, but there is a free walking tour by those nice folks at neweurope, which we did to find out a little more about the city. A fun and informative tour later we were a bit more clued on Madrid and Spain, if a little cold. One interesting point is that Madrid is in the very center of Spain. It does look like it on a map and they have a plaque on the street to mark kilometer zero!


The day after we visited the Palacio Real, the official residence of the King although if actually lives elsewhere. The bonus is that entry is free for EU residence on a wednesday. When we got there however it was closed for official ceremonies, which we appeared to have mostly missed also. Then it started to rain. So we went for lunch. After lunch we went back and it was open again. It's a huge 18th century building with over 2800 rooms with a few available to view. Expectantly ornate each room is seriously busy. No wonder the King doesn't live here as you'd most likely go cross-eyed!! The Cathedral de la Almudena next to the palace was started in one style and after a serious dose of mañana, finished in another!


I mentioned the Tapas bars before and in Madrid there are simply hundreds. We were staying in the city centre in a nice guest house with dozens of places practically on the doorstep. Over our 4 nights here we tried a few recommended places. The Tapas in Barcelona is more like what we've seen at home, small portions served in ceramic dishes. Here, like the bars, it's more rustic. Not necessarily cheaper, but better value. All the places we tried were good and lively, apart from one, which was also the most expensive(and not as busy!). There isn't a smoking ban here (yet?) which is the one downside of these otherwise great bars. Overall Madrid gets the nod of approval.

Barcelona

As I commented on the last post the Spanish train got us to Barcelona on time. This was 9:45pm and the Barcelona night life just seemed to be getting started, with people filling the streets of the La Ribera neighbourhood. So we checked in and went out to investigate. We found a bar. Everyone seemed to be drinking cocktails so we joined in for a couple of Mojitos. Technically Cuban I know, but very good here. In fact this must be the place to have them in Barcelona as they were flying over the bar with one guy's job behind it simply to make Mojitos. All night!! It got pretty busy soon after we arrived. Lucky to get seats at the bar then. Well, except the couple who stood right next to us having the most noisy pash (one for the Aussies!) ever!! They needed a room.


We've been to Barcelona before for a three day break, but unfortunately it rained solid for the first two. This will be the only city that wont be new to us on this trip. We came to Barcelona because it was a convenient stop in Spain from Geneva and to hopefully have one more nice day to wonder round. Luckily yesterday did have fine weather. Not what you would call hot, but a big change from the last couple of weeks. The locals were all wrapped up in big jackets and scarves though. We've both been fighting off colds for the last week and yesterday the cold finally won. So not feeling so good we wandered a bit anyway. Through the narrow old streets of the Barri Gotic and with the crowds on wide Las Ramblas.


Barcelona is home to a series of works of the Modernista movement and it's most famous patron Antoni Gaudi. His most famous creation is La Sagrada Familia the massive church started in 1882 and still under construction! The style I can best describe as organic, all flowing lines with no hard edges, but plenty of detail. It's certainly interesting and we would say our favorite example is Parc Guell which we explored on our previous visit.


Last night we went to a Tapas bar. It's was our second choice as a bar we knew from before was closed. Probably a Sunday thing that we keep getting caught out on in Europe. These places are great. The Tapa are laid out on the bar and you simply help yourself and keep the cocktail stick for payment when you are done. Means you can eat as little or as much as you want. Dangerous too as they soon add up! The Tapa here are all served on slices of baguette and the toppings range from egg mayo to deep fried prawn. Sometimes the fresh hot ones are offered around the bar by the staff. We like Barcelona. It's got a good buzz, there is plenty to see and the restaurants and bars are cool.


We are now on a train to Madrid and what a nice train it is too. Spanking new and super fast reaching speeds of up to 301km/h! The carriage info panel told us. It's a smooth ride also and there is even a movie. That's in spanish however, but strangely is a psycho-thriller/horror!

Happy St. Andrew´s Day Scotland

French Trains

Our journey through France involves two trains with a change in Montpellier. The first leg by TVG the supposedly superfast train that crawled the last part at a speed irritatingly close to snails pace! We only just made the connection and that's only because I saw Barcelona on the side of the adjacent train as we pulled in, the information board reading Bordeaux!! On this train the stink coming from the carriage toilet is eye-wateringly rancid.


Unlucky or a good reason to avoid French trains? Share your experiences!


One more thing, and this is does not just apply to France or trains. Why, when it's cold outside do the inside places feel the need to crank up the temperature to max? Is there a James Bond movie style gauge that goes all the way up to 'inferno'? Drill a screw in at 'comfortable' people. If someone is mildly cold they can put one of their jumpers back on! Rant over, thanks for listening :-)

Sortie Switzerland

Our last couple of nights in Switzerland have been spent in Geneva. Although it may as well be France, (which you could probably hit with a decent spit!) as French is the written and spoken language here for sure.


Located at the end of it's namesake lake and enclosed on three sides by France it's about as far west as you can go in Switzerland and is our staging point for our next destination: Barcelona. Yes, that's in Spain. So what about that big European country called France that's in the way? Well, we are sort of there now all be it on a train! We have both been to France before (no, not all of it!) and we couldn't think of anywhere we wanted to see on the way. Time is marching on anyway.


Before Spain though there was Geneva, famous for it's convention and home to many an international organisation such as the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross/Red Crescent. The later having a good museum about the history and work of the organisation. The museum avoids the dull 'bunch of stuff in a glass cabinet' museum standard with some well thought out displays including some videos. It's more akin to an exhibition really and worth a visit if you happen to be in Geneva for a bit. Geneva also has this huge water jet in the lake that is apparently well known. We'd never heard of it, but discovery is part of the point of travelling!


Now, as I said before Switzerland is quite expensive, but there is some respite in Geneva in the from of a free transit card for visitors handed out by your hotel etc. Valid for the city's public transport (bus, tram, boat) even on the departure day. Nice one Geneva. No-one asked to see it by the way!!

Weather Permitting

The grey weather followed us to Interlaken or we caught up with it again. A bit disappointing as one of the major attractions of being here was to see the mountain peaks. South of Interlaken is the mountainous region of the Bernese Oberland including the Eiger, famous for it's north face. Two ways for us to get in about this region were: to take the train to Jungfraujoch (the highest train station in Europe) or the Schilthorn via cablecar. Only it was one option as the Schilthorn was closed for "refreshment". Now, good weather is essential so all we could do was get up early and see what was what. Helpfully there are cameras up in the mountains beaming live footage to, what appears to be all, the TVs in Interlaken.


Rising early we ventured outside to see a clearing sky. Buoyed we headed for the station checking out Interlaken TV on the way. It was clear clear clear! Tickets purchased we were on our way. The train powered away from Interlaken and up toward the peaks. At some point during the way up the driver drove the train through the wardrobe! Deep fresh pure snow covering the landscape like liquid marshmallow, fir trees drooping under the weight with white mountain peaks in the background. The ride to the Top of Europe train station takes about two hours with everyone hanging out the windows taking pics the whole way, me included, apart from the bit where the track tunnels through the Eiger before arrival at Jungfraujoch. The station is at 3454m with a lift ride to a viewing area at 3571m. The view is, almost literally, a million dollars and gets better when you step outside. One direction between jagged peaks a pure white valley stretches off, only a few crevaces giving away the blue ice of the glacier below. The other way, a view over lower peaks back down towards Interlaken, now visible itself. Staying out for long wasn't possible though as it was freezing. Properly! With heat sapping gusts of wind. We came prepared, layered up, but still! Down again at station level you can get out on to the snow for more amazing views. Even more amazing though, Louise pointed out, was one young lady's decision to wear suede high heeled boots. Now, I know we weren't glacier hiking, but the sight of a young lady gripping the rope barrier just to walk was quite amusing!! We stayed up there until the last train down left at 16:30 the sunlight only just remaining on the highest peaks. What a place to spend a day.


Wish I could say the same about the hostel in Interlaken. Good pub, crap hostel. The Happy Inn. Happy to be leavin' more like! Which is what we did the next day. Would be nice to spend a bit longer in such a beautiful part of the world, but it appears to be a between season shutdown, we're not properly equipped for winter walking on this trip and it's pretty expensive in Switzerland (not helped by a rubbish exchange rate). One more thing Switzerland, where's the smoking ban??

All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey.

We went for a walk on a rainy day :-( Lucerne should be amazing, but the weather was against us on this one. It happens. The hostel was nice though and we had the luxury of a dorm room to ourselves. So, well rested we are off to Interlaken. Beautiful train journey, just need the cloud to lift.

Walking in a winter wonderland

Just done three nights, two days in Munich. Man it was cold! It snowed on the first day right in the middle of our walking tour. Yes, a walking tour! But, with those nice folks from New Europe. Good stuff. Saw the town, learned some stuff. Any history of a German city inevitably features one or both world wars and Munich is no exception. It's where the Nazis started and was heavily bombed during the subsequent war. The rebuilt city is quite nice though. Going way back to the beginning Munich was founded by Monks. München means city of Monks. And what do monks like to do? That's right, make beer! Something Munich is famous for. Mostly for Oktoberfest which dates back to 1810, but is now mostly dominated by Australians! Apparently!! Munich has many beer halls and being very cold make for great site seeing options!


Hofbräuhaus, founded in 1589 as the royal beer drinking establishment, is probably the most well known although our favourite was Augustiner Keller with it's long spiral staircase leading down to the vaulted ceilinged hall. Beer halls sound a bit rough, but they're not really. You can get nice food and you'll see families during the day. Good atmosphere too.


One suprising stat about Munich is that it contains the richest street in Europe! Maximillian Street, where, apparently, you can get a Venice busting 13 euro capuccino!!


It snowed overnight making the view from the train window today particularly nice. This train is taking us to Switzerland and Zurich where we'll get on another train to Lucerne.

Getting Down in Dresden

We're on the train again heading for Munich. It's snowing outside. In between now and leaving Berlin though we were in Dresden.


The one thing I knew about Dresden was it's destruction during WW2 by Allied bombing raids and it's post war reconstruction. After a day and a half in Dresden that's still all I know about Dresden!! We may have learned more on a walking tour, but the guide was a no show. On returning to the tourist office to enquire we found out that we had been told to wait in the wrong place and, between the tourist office and tour company, refused to refund our money in one of the most pig-headed displays of ignorant customer service I think we've seen. It wasn't a huge amount, but the principle of actually getting what you pay for would be nice. So if you're ever in Dresden don't book a tour with Stadtrundfahrt Dresden. In fact just spend more time in Berlin. I wish we had.


This clouds silver lining was that at what would have been about halfway through the tour it hammered it down with rain. Oh, and we could go to the VW factory instead. It was an interesting and pleasant hour or so with pleasant staff too!!


We stayed in the Neustadt neighbourhood. Cool, arty and grungey including our hostel. For the room think tiered platforms rather than bunks. A little too hip for us 'old' backpackers maybe, it would have been ace if you were 8 on a sleepover!! Poorly lit too. Does that make me sound like your dad?!

Ich bin ein Berliner

We spent 4 nights and three full days in Berlin leaving yesterday. I've been trying to decide what to write about the city, but got a case of Bloggers Block! So, I'm going to list in no particular order some of the things we liked about Berlin and see where that takes us.


Free walking tours:
Well tips based. Run by a company called NewBerlin. We did 2 tours. The first was a general guide to the important sites around Berlin (Brandenburg Gate, checkpoint Charlie etc) with the history. The second was an Alternative Berlin tour taking in a different side of the city and the counter culture that has arisen since 'The Wall' came down. We like walking tours and much of our other likes here were covered. Check out www.neweuropetours.eu for more info on tours across Europe including Edinburgh and London.


The Reichstag:
Built as the seat of government it was burned down in 1933. An event that Hitler used to further his cause. He never used it and it was not rebuilt until the 60s. The crowning glory is the excellent 1990 added glass and steel dome that sits centrally above the debating chamber. It's free to enter the dome and walk the spiral walkway to the top for great views across the city. It's the interaction with the building that makes the experience. Something the Scottish parlament building could have done with.


Holocaust Memorial and Book Burning Memorial:
Ok, so liked maybe isn't quite correct when it comes to such emotive subjects, but it's the delivery that's the winner here. Not some typical monument, but more akin to thought provoking installation artworks. Different and clever and more importantly memorable.


East side gallery:
At 1.3km it's the longest surviving section of the Berlin wall. Decorated by artists from all over the world in 1990 to become the longest open air art gallery in the world. It is now a bit dilapidated and many of the works are now sadly partly obscured by idiots writing "I was ere" type scrawls over them. Apparently the real artists are soon to return and redo them.


Public Transport:
Possibly the only german stereo type to exist in Berlin is an excellent, efficient and frequent transport system. S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams and loads of multilingual info available.


Potsdamer Platz:
I wouldn't say Berlin is a pretty city or grand like, say, Vienna. Neither is it ugly and it is clean and spacious. A product of it's past from war time destruction to GDR neglect and post-reunion reconstruction there are some modern gems that don't seem out of place here. Like the roof of the Sony Centre at Potsdamer Platz and the already mentioned Reichstag dome.


Ampleman:
Berlin definitely has a fun and artistic side and Ampleman shows this off. He's the fun red or green pedestrian crossing signal guy by the way!


Hitler's War Bunker:
Well more like Not Hitler War Bunker as it's not actually anything. Just a car park with a small patch of grass that the local residents take their dogs to wee and poo on!!


So in essence Berlin is cool. It's a city that remembers and is shaped by it's history. It's a city that is still rebuilding and moving forward. An addictive city that left us wanting more and with the sense that if we return it's going to be a little different with something new to discover. So simply put, get your butt to Berlin.

Poland

It's amazing we can go to a country called Poland at all. Since from 1795 until the end of WW1 the country was no more, divided up between Russia, Prussia and Austria. WW2 saw the country used as a battleground by the Soviets and Nazis after which the Soviets installed a communist government until independence came in 1990.

We arrived in the Polish city of Krakow not knowing what to expect. After Poland joined the European Union in 2004 many Poles left to find work across Europe. Now the tide is turning, Poles are going home and if Krakow is anything to go by I'd go home too!

The city is instantly likable with a youthful and vibrant feel (in part due to a large student population supporting a large pub and club scene), but at the same time an historic place, the two appearing to sit happily together. Once the royal capital of Poland and the seat of Medievil kings Krakow enjoys it's myths and legends, playfully embodied by the statue of it's Dragon mascot which still breaths fire today!!

We did a great walking tour pitched on the basis that it's free, but if you like it then tips would be nice. It was good and although long not dull. We were just wandering anyway. The tour took in the old town featuring the largest medievil square in Europe. Spectacular Wawel (pro. Vavel) castle, the home and burial place of Polish kings. The one time Jewish neighbourhood of Kazimerz until Nazis occupation in WW2. During the communist era the area was made a home for societies less desirable characters, but has recently improved dramaticaly and is now the place to sample Zapiekanki. Polish fast food apparently! The easiest way to describe it is a Pizza Baguette. It's a halved french bread with a base 'topping' of mushrooms and cheese and then what else you would like. Good and filling. I had to leave the tour then as I was off to visit a salt mine, but Lou continued on the see the Jewish ghetto (where the Kazimerz Jews where relocated by the Nazis before concentration camps) and Schindler's factory as portrayed in Spielburg's film Schindler's List.

The Wieliczka salt mine I visited was no ordinary salt mine. With origins hundreds of years ago it is where miners carved statues and even even whole chapels into the rock salt deep underground. It's a fascinating place with impressive skill shown by these amateur sculptors.

If you think about it human history is littered with examples of pure brutality directed at other peoples. However it was not too far from Krakow at a place called Oswiecim (pro. Osh-fyen-cheem) that this brutality became infamous, industrial. A place where people became nothing more than a commodity to be used and destroyed after it's usefulness had past. This was expected, required in fact. For it was here in 1940 that the Nazis turned an old Polish barracks into a concentration camp they called Auschwitz. A tour of the site (yesterday) including original buildings reveals the disturbing facts and highlights that whatever we knew before it was actually much worse. A second site was built at Birkenau, also called Auschwitz II, 3km away and it was here that the majority of murders took place. The size of this site reveals the scale of the camps operation, though much was destroyed by the retreating Nazis before the Soviet liberation of the camp. The sites here now stand as a museum and memorial.

We are leaving Krakow and Poland today. Krakow was another pleasant surprise. An enjoyable place to stay and rich in history, if not always uplifting, with a seemingly optimistic character. Oh yeah, and the Polish dumplings we had last night were very nice. Not sure about the wine though. I'll probably stick to beer in our next country too. Next stop... Berlin.

Ahh Vienna... Ahhnd Bratislava... Ahh Mr Bond

Picking up from where we left off we arrived in Bratislava 2 days ago to an overcast, slightly misty, but dry day. Two things were on the hit list. The old town, but first the old castle. Well the 1950's reconstruction since it totally burned down in 1811. Reconstruction was the theme here today also as most of the large site appeared to be fenced off and in scaffolding. The view from within the castle walls still stretched as far as the mist allowed however. Over the small old town to the encircling rows of communist block housing the two separated on one side by the river Danube featuring the New Bridge, itself featuring an observation deck looking like something from a 60s sci-fi film done in the communist style! If you can't picture that then google it or wait for the pics. Apparently it's a disco at night!!


From the castle we descended into the old town. A small, but nice collection of pastel facades, narrow streets and open squares. I think we missed the pavement cafe scene and therefore the potential buzz. We did find a place to have a local brew though. Looking for something cheap to eat and not go over the amount of Slovakian Crowns we took out the bank, we came across an interesting take away joint. "Kono Pizza". Pizza in a cone! Basically the pre-made pizza base cone is stuffed with the ingredients and in it's little holder 'travels' through the glass oven to be cooked. Never seen one of these before. wondering if we will again! Didn't taste to bad actually! Oh yeah, there are some funky bronze statues around the town of people in various poses including the happy 18th century ships officer leaning over a bench, at this time juxtaposed by the grumpy faced woman sitting in front! We left Bratislava mid afternoon feeling that our day trip was the right thing for us to do on this trip. Probably more of a summer destination.


Later that evening in Vienna we went to the local English speaking cinema to see the new James Bond. Not dubbed or subtitled apart from the few spanish bits although those subtitles were in german! Right at the start we got to say "We've been there". And on this trip too. The bit in Siena, Italy featured the main square Il Campo. The crazy horse race actually happens, but in the summer as part of the Palio.


Yesterday we spent the day wandering the streets of Vienna and frequenting grand cafes. Cafe Sperl for breakfast served good coffee and omlette in a grungy grand setting. Cafe Demel has the "Eduard Sacher Torte" a result, believe it or not, of a law suit from Cafe Sacher to the title "Original Sacher Torte" which Cafe Sacher won. Reputedly the same recipe although I have to say the Cafe Sacher has it in my opinion. Cafe Demel wins on setting and price though. Cafe Central was the grandest with a beautiful fin-de-siecle-design interior. Apparently Lenin, Trotsky and Freud frequented the place! A pre-dinner drink was had at Esterhäzykeller, a Heurige similar to the other day, but more tunnels than room. Busy too with a good atmosphere. Dinner was at Schnitzelwirt. A recommendation from Kety in Atrani that serves huge Wiener Schnitzels and lovely potato salad. We didn't finish ours either!! The remains are about to be eaten in a roll for lunch :-)


We liked Vienna. It has the culture and grandiose sights and buildings befitting a European capital and also life. A few places we have seen on the trip seem low key out of season. Not so Vienna and the buzz is soon to increase as people fill the large Christmas markets currently being assembled.


Our Schnitzel lunch is aboard a train making its way though the Czech Republic to Krakow in southern Poland.

Piece of Cake

So what do you do when you arrive in Vienna? Go for coffee and cake of course! But not just any old cake the old cake that is the Sacher Torte and served at the birthplace and home of the original Sacher Torte no less, the Cafe Sacher. The cafe is part of a fancy hotel so is itself quite an elegant establishment. Popular too given we had to queue, briefly, to get in. I had 'the' cake with a coffee and Lou had apfelstrudle with a glass of wine! Nice cake, timid coffee, nice strudle, nice wine and surprisingly good service even for us backpacker types. Oh yeah, posh place posh price. Got to be done though, probably!


Then it was from übergrand to underground for another Vienna-style hangout. The Heurige or wine tavern. Our chosen place was Zwölf Apostelkeller looking like a basement wine cellar with a vaulted brick ceiling and low light completed with wooden furniture where the wine is served by the quarter litre in glass mugs!


Today we are off on a day trip to Bratislava. It's the capital of Slovakia for non-euro capital experts and in case you're interested it and Vienna are the two closest capital cities in Europe. Which is why it makes sense for us to go there on a day trip. It's about an hour on the train.

Salzburg

The train journey to Salzburg was yet another scenic affair. Jagged mountains, low clouds and the odd Walt Disney castle.


It was dark on arrival in Salzburg, but getting to the hostel (think uni' halls, but oddly full of Scouts!) was a breeze. It's definitely getting colder, but that's ok as our first sight, the Augustiner Brau beer hall, was warm! Entry was through large doors into a silent hallway where we picked up the signs and the noise descending to the food stall lined passage with a few large busy halls. Figuring beer halls and empty stomachs don't mix we scoffed a quick currywurst and chips before taking our seats for a couple of whatever the monks had been brewing these last few weeks, or centuries. Actually the place had a medievil look to it, the hall we were in like a banqueting room. Whether always intended for beer drinking (a traditional source of income for monks) or converted later like so many churches at home I don't know. It was a lively place either way. The thing about having 2 though is that means 2 litres of nice brew, served in ceramic jugs, which is plenty before a day of sightseeing!


The old town of Salzburg is mostly wedged between the ridge of the Monchsberg, dominated by the fortress (Festung Hohensalzburg), and the Salzach river. The 17th century buildings look almost too new in contrast to say an old Italian citys which have more 'lived in' looks. One thing that seemed out of place was the streets that were all tarmac where cobbles or stone paving slabs may be expected. It's famously picturesque however and the hills around provide plenty of viewpoints, if you're up for the steps! We trained in Italy!! Famous also for being the birthplace of Mozart, a fact you're never too far from in Salzburg. Although he moved to Vienna at 25, apparently! Oh yeah, there is something here to do with The Sound of Music, but we don't know much about that! 

Anyway that was yesterday and today we follow in Mozart's footsteps as we travel to Vienna. Although I don't think he took the train like we are.

Bled

We arrived yesterday in the picture postcard village of Bled situated at 501m above sea level in the Julian Alps. We should have bought the postcard as it has been overcast and raining. It's still a beautiful place even having to settle for brooding low cloud rather than glorious sunshine. We were lucky really as the rain held off long enough for us to walk up to the castle, back down and around the lake with it's fairytale island church. We are here between seasons really. After summer and before winter where more options would be available and not just in bled, but all over Slovenia. Raining and cold in the evening it was just as well for the good (in value too) pub a short walk away and the (open!) Mexican place which was nice for a change. Fajitas for 2, yum.


It's been a likable if brief visit to Slovenia. Easy to get around with friendly multilingual people. Almost everyone spoke good english and I know it shouldn't be expected, but that does make some things much easier. Slovenia seems like it would be a great destination for outdoors types on water, ground or snow.


We decided that with the poor weather and poorer forecast we would only stay for one night in Bled. In a way it's a shame, but it's also November! So, we are currently sitting on a train somewhere in Austria. Destination Saltsburg.

Detained at our Pleasure.

Arriving in Ljubljana after a pretty journey from Zagreb yesterday we stepped off the train to our first "oh that's chilly" moment in Europe! It's not been too bad actually, just spoilt really, but it's definitely at the time to bury the shorts, sandals and sunnies.


We're staying in an excellent hostel, called Hostel Celica, that's been converted from a former prison! Our room is an old cell, but like 19 other rooms has been re-designed by various artists. Ours' has wooden cabin beds and a border of photographs from around Europe. It's a really cool place with a good vibe. Like a funky hotel rather than a backpackers.


Ljubljana (pronunced loo-blee-ana) as a capital city is small, but well formed. At least the center is with its cafe lined streets and riverside promenade overlooked by Ljubljanski Grad (castle). We did a good walking tour today to learn a little more about another city we knew next to nothing about. The town, as written, does have a youthful vibe in part due to the very large student population studying here at one of three universities. And before some of you start tutting and moaning about work shy lay abouts, not so. The city is clean and seems well ordered to boot. The only slight smell was at the huge fruit and veg market which wiffed a little like your halloween neep does now! As Slovenia is now part of the euro zone and uses the Euro it's not mega cheap, but neither is it mega expensive. Well worth a visit and not just to the capital, apparently Slovenia has plenty to offer on the outdoors front too. Something we may experience a little of tomorrow as we travel further north to Bled.


P.S. Neep: Scottish for turnip, often used as a lantern instead of a pumpkin at Halloween. Possibly due to availability or price!

Zeds to Zagreb

We made it to Zagreb on the night train. Lou had been reading about all the scams that happen on over night trains in east Europe so paranoia had set in about fake inspectors, being gassed in our compartment or Jaws smashing though the window!! Thankfully they didn't happen. The security seemed ok actually. The guard even padlocks the coach doors in the night! We also had the room (lockable) to ourselves all night which was great, not just from a security point of view, but also the space. It was tight and six people and the luggage would have been sardines!

We are only here in Zagreb for one day and are leaving for Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, tomorrow. We don't have much of an itinerary for Zagreb and have had just a quick poke around town which seems very pleasant.

Meat and Potatoes

We've had an enjoyable three and a half days in Sarajevo which we seem to have spent eating and drinking. With a bit of strolling and the tour thrown in for good measure. It's not a foody mecca, but we've enjoyed the food here. It is basic as I said before although it's tasty, cheap and it's local food. We lunched on cevapi (cevapcici more appeallingly translated to Sarajevo barbeque), dined on potato Burek (with sauce) and drank Bosnian coffee at what became our 'locals'. It's a pretty town in a beautiful spot. It's been fascinating also, to be here and learn a little about a region we knew little about.


We are now on the night train to Zagreb in a six bed couchette (2 3 tier bunks) which we have to ourselves so far.

Sarajevo Surprise

We like Sarajevo! Already. It's a town we knew only one thing about. If our history was better we would know that the incident that sparked WW1 happened here. The 1984 winter olympics too. Again it's a melting pot of styles from modern to Austro-Hungarian and Turkish, Mosques, churches and cathedrals. It's a place that seems at ease and is bright, relaxed and welcoming. We are staying at a nice hostel, our own room, in the old town where fine smells of barbequed food greets the stroller. We joined the locals in eating cevapcici for lunch. So much better here and also for the lack of chips! Those added to please the tourists possibly? I drank Bosnian coffee. Like a long turkish coffee served in a small copper jug with a cube of turkish delight. Louise even liked it and had one later!! That's right, Louise had a coffee!


We did an excellent tour today about the war and a tunnel that the besieged Bosnian army used to sneak food and arms into the city. The guide himself joined the Bosnian army in Sarajevo at16. The city has evidence of the fighting, but much reconstruction has been done and bits are ongoing, but show me an old european city without scaffolding.


Sarajevo is an inexpensive place to be. For tea we ate take away Burek (the local equivalent of a pie and the regions fast food, there ain't no MacDonalds here.) washed down with Sarajevsko Pivo and followed by turkish delight :-) We already extended our intended stay by a day and now plan to take the overnight train to Zagreb on sunday.

We're not the only ones

Forgot to mention we met another couple doing the Bari to Dubrovnik ferry trip who had done the same thing as us. That is quit work to emigrate and take time out to travel in between. They were moving from Australia to Canada with Europe being a destination along the way. They are lugging all the stuff they didn't ship with them though!

Mostar

We travelled inland by bus to Mostar. A city that lies in a river valley surrounded by steep hills. It's very different from Dubrovnik, a mix of cultures and styles. Mosques dot the landscape. The old town complete with old Turkish houses an influence from the Ottoman empire. Souvenir shop sell Arabian style gifts. Some gifts are made from bullet casings which seems a little off given recent history. Unlike Dubrovnik the evidence of war is clear. Many buildings still stand ruined or derelict contrasting sharply against the new. The main tourist area is the old town where much has been restored including the main attraction the Stari Most. The slender bridge originally built in 1556, destroyed in the war and rebuilt in the same manner. In summer young men of the town take money from tourists to jump from the bridge into the emerald water of the river Neretva. Not sure what it is like in summer, but it had some flow about it now. Food here is similar to Dubrovnik, but even more basic if that's possible! It's cheaper still though. One of the local dishes is called Cevapcici, like burger mince in the shape of a croquette, which rather unappeallingly translates as meat fingers! You get a few of them served in a spongy bread with chips and a sort of cream cheese.


The was a strange atmosphere to Mostar that is difficult to place or describe. Maybe because it's been quiet, dark and overcast, not sure.


We felt one night was enough to see the bridge so we are now on the train heading to Sarajevo. It's a scenic journey through a river valley with autumn colours on display. It's a little like the west coast of Scotland, but that could be the clouds and rain!!

The nights are fair drawin' in!

Overnight on the ferry we changed countries and our watches. The clocks going back to signify the end of summertime. It's been cooler here and obviously darker earlier although still very warm in the sun.

We arrived in Dubrovnik early on sunday morning and walked the short way to our accomodation. We booked a guest house as it cheaper than two hostel dorm beds! So we had three great nights sleep in our own room. 11 hours on the first night actually. Not that hostels are too bad it's just that we had a chainsaw snorer in Naples.

One of the first things we noticed about Dubrovnik is how peaceful it is. Ok so it was a sunday morning when we arrived, but this continued throughout our time here. This doesn't mean boring by the way. The old town of Dubrovnik is enclosed by walls and walking them above the town was a picturesque and calm experience. Maybe it's just the opposite of Naples and the nuttiness of Bari or the low season here, but the serenity was nice. One of the few things that springs to mind about Croatia is the recent war. Dubrovnik was laid siege to and shelled during 1991 and 1992, but looking at the old town you wouldn't really know. The one give away is the abundance of new roofs. The repair work has been really good. We did a walking tour where the guide talks about the war and history behind it. He pointed out some of the few places you can see pock marks from shrapnel.

Yesterday we went for a dive. The dive center and equipment were very good. The dive was ok. Pretty much what people say about the med. Clear water but not much life. It was long too 66 mins! By the end we were both pretty cold. It was then the dive guide suggested we get in the jacuzzi to warm up. The dive center was connected to, but not part of a hotel. So we found ourselves doing something we didn't expect to happen on our travels: lounging in the jacuzzi of a 5 star hotel!! Man it was nice.

We liked Dubrovnik. The people were nice and it was pretty cheap. The couple who owned the guest house gave us coffee and some of their walnut moonshine. Better than you'd think! They also didn't speak any english and us no Croatian (obviously) so conversations were mostly hand signals. When they wanted to explain something they fired out words in combination of, I assume, Croatian, Italian, german and the odd word of english! We always managed to get the gist of each other though. The food here is pretty simple, but good value. It's all meat and chips! We even saw a pizza place listing ham as a topping on a vegetarian! The proper meat is good for us though after pizza and pasta in Italy.

This morning we boarded the bus to Mostar in Bosnia where we have just arrived.

Egress Italy

We are on the ferry in true chaotic Italian style. We would expect nothing less!! So, we say goodbye to an enjoyable time in Italy. Here's to Croatia :-)

Naples?

We arrived back in Naples on thursday for a two night stay. Really it was just a case of being in a city to take card of a few chores. Our "admin day" was yesterday and used to do washing and back up photos to CD. There was not really anything specific we wanted to see in Naples so it was good for that. It was also convenient for trains to Bari.


I haven't written anything about Naples itself. This is because I wasn't sure how to get it across. So, what to say about Naples? The Rough Guide lists it as: 'filthy' - check. The streets are littered and strewn with cigarette butts, rubbish piles up in and around bins tucked into corners until cleared nightly. Louise saw 2 of the biggest rats at such a spot close to the hostel. The center has a grimy appearance generally; "large and overbearing" - for our experience of the city center certainly. It's busy and noisy; "crime infested" - thankfully we had no direct experience of this, but you feel wary on the street. I didn't carry anything in my pockets. Everyone talks of pick-pockets and seems to stay in at night; "something akin to an Arab bazaar" - indeed. The streets are lined with street stalls selling all manner of phony goods from knock off perfume to the ubiquitous imitation handbag. Covert and blatant offers of i-phones and watches common place. The guide book also claims that after a couple of days your likely to become a staunch defender of the place! Originally I was going to disagree with that claim, but the following accounts of our last day and a half effectively amounts to just that! Would I say you should come here on holiday? Probably not (unless you are into gritty street photography). There are other places you want to go to in Italy.


Famed home of the pizza Naples is also cheap. Pizza is cheap everywhere in Italy, but in Naples it is cheaper and better. So, just when you thought we couldn't eat anymore pizza 2 nights ago we went out to a joint recommended as one of the best in the city. Unassumingly placed on a narrow hectic street in the centro storico we entered Di Matteo and what seemed like the back room. A simple menu of awesome pizza cooked in a wood fired oven. Served over spilling a large pizza dish and our choice of maybe the cheapest positively drinkable bottle of restaurant wine you're likely to get... Anywhere! If fantastic cheap pizza is a result of the way Naples is them I'll defend it for that.
Some of the biggest characters we met have been in Naples. The hostel staff were welcoming and helpful especially the energetic Lucca. The laundry owner who gave Louise good banter about the Scotts and the price of a Kilt! My new barber, Angelo! The haircut an admin day task. Angelo, a middle aged dude with no hair! Somehow this seemed very Naples! The open exchange at his colourful shop down the street from the hostel went something like this.
Me: "buon giorno, err inglese?"
Angelo: "No, Italiano?"
Me: "No!"
Switch to the international game signs for wash and cut! He writes the price I nod and he motions me to sit at. He then makes a call finishes his cigarette in time to receive his espresso of which he pours of a drop! We when sign our way through the cut. It.s actually a bit of fun, both of us enjoying the challenge of getting the message across with hands, expression and limited words. Luckily I don't require a complex 'do'! He holds up the clippers and luckily after three weeks in Italy I can count to 4!! Later on when passing the shop he waves at us. I have a hair dresser for the first time just that he's in Naples!


Naples isn't a tourist town to nearly the same league as Rome etc which is quite refreshing in a way. The street sellers although rife are not pushy at all unlike the flower sellers at the Trevi fountain for example. One other noticeable thing about Naples is that for all the dirt it doesn't smell?! Looks like it should and we've smell drain issues before on the trip in nicer looking towns.


We left Naples this afternoon for Bari and that ferry to Dubrovnik.

A month of Steps

One month gone of the travels proper and man we've climbed a lot of steps! If step climbing started in Santorini and oh did we do steps yesterday!


To bring things up to date we traveled south from Naples to the dramatic Amalfi Coast and the town of Atrani, just 5 mins walk from Amalfi town. To get there we train'd it to Salerno to get the bus to Amalfi. It was at the bus station in Salerno we met Kety (pronounced Katie), a Canadian / Italian, also trying to figure out if we were waiting in the right place. And she speaks Italian!! The info available at Salerno wasn't too hot. Turns out we were and we all pile on the bus when it shows for one of the more interesting journeys you could do by bus. Or car for that matter! It's a beautiful journey along the road. The precipitis road I should add that certainly didn't seem built wide enough for buses especially on the hairpins. Lou noticed the lady behind me signing the cross frequently throughout! We made it of course in the hands of the experienced driver, the crazy ones being the scooter drivers! We arrived at the accomodation, with assistance from Kety's Italian, to gorgeous weather which meant an opportunitity to swim in the sea just a minute away. We're loving the warm October days. Nice time to come to Amalfi although services are winding up so wouldn't leave it much later. It's a stunning coastline with towns hugging the cliffs and built back into the ravines or up on the ridges. The square in Atrani was a good and suprisingly cheap place for a drink.


Yesterday we walked, mostly steps, from Atrani high up to Ravello along to Scala and back down to Amalfi taking in some fine fine views on the way. Wish I knew how many steps we did. It felt like thousands. We met up with Kety in the square again and this time three other Canadian travellers. You know who you are! They were staying in a B&B a heap of steps above Atrani. Getting the picture yet?! Hope you made it down them again for that early bus! Last night the lights in the square blacked out briefly to a chorus of noise from the local, seemingly bored, youth! No idea what that was about?


This morning we caught the rammed bus back to Salerno for the train back to Naples. We're on it, but it seemed touch and go given the common Salerno lack of information! We're back in Naples for our last couple of nights in Italy before heading to Bari on the east coast to catch a ferry to Croatia and our third country.

Thumbs Up Pompeii

Two days ago we did a day trip to the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. Everyone's heard of Pompeii right? If not google it! For the day we teamed up with an American dude we met at the station in Naples looking equally confused about the platform we were supposed to be at with the limited info available. He was doing a short trip in Europe during a break from studying a semester in the Netherlands.

One of the surprising things about Pompeii is how large the site is and how in tact. The cool thing is that the excavation is a whole Roman town which gives a much better context to the ruins. Other ruins around the country are good, but tend to be stuck in the middle of a modern city surrounded by traffic filled roads. Here you are walking down the streets of the old town. Pavement line streets at that with houses and snack bars at each side. These people had a nice standard of living! Even running water to a degree! One of the best finds was the amphitheatre which was entered though a long tunnel into the arena. A better experience than the entrance to the Colosseum I felt. Maybe due to the lack of ticket barrier?


We didn't validate our train ticket on the way back, cos we didn't see a machine, so we got some grief for the station guards in Naples. Luckily we didn't get fined. We must do a good line in looking stupid!!


We're on the coast south of Naples right now, but more about that next time.

Ford Capri

Well, not really. More Hydrofoil to the Island of Capri!! Took a day trip from Naples. Simply had a nice day. Did a bunch of walking around in the sunny October weather. Beautiful island, sheer cliffs and blue bays harbouring sleek white yachts. Very nice, very money. In Capri town it's one designer shop after another! Although the walking is free. We walked to Villa Jovis which was once the home of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. This was a villa with a nice view. It's now a ruin with a medieval church plonked in the middle, but the view is still nice. As it was from almost everywhere.

We are staying in Naples again tonight and tomorrow night so we can do a day trip to Pompeii.

The Roads of Rome

Yesterday we walked from the hostel to the Vatican (about 2km) where the heavens opened! Luckily Piazza San Pietro has impressive colonnades where to take shelter. Also had my first squat toilet experience there. No, not in the colonnade! Yes this is too much information, but we didn't really do alot else. The queues were long and we weren't really dressed for rain. And yes, there is a gag available but I'll leave that to you!! Typical. Ok, so we didn't "do" the Vatican, but that's ok. We weren't on a pilgrimage and didn't feel the need to tick another box. So, purchasing one of the more useful items from a street seller, an umbrella, we waked back. We could have taken the metro however there was a strike on!!

Now walking in Rome is an experience in itself especially when it comes to crossing the road. Similar in other european cities I suspect as it was in Athens, but seemed more acute in Rome. Those who have been will know what i'm talking about. It's zebra crossings and over busy roads too. At home the traffic would (eventually) stop and then you cross. Not here. You have to step out first and look committed to the action!! It's not for the faint hearted and hesitation is for the weak. Head down and marching scooters continuing to buzz past, timing their fly by to your pace. Mental, but it works and we're still here :-)

Last night it had cleared up and we went to see the Colosseum and Trevi fountain lit up. We ate pasta back near the hostel sitting next to Viper from Top Gun!!

We are now on the train to Naples...

Roaming Rome

The end of our second full day in Rome. So, on arrival day checked in did some washing etc. Oh get this. Guide book says hostel has laundry... It don't. However has a deal with laundry / internet joint (good idea) down the road and it works out pretty cheap. Oh and guide book says hostel has kitchen... It don't! So we have to eat out. Oh dear I hear you cry, but seriously, we were looking forward to making our own food. Cheap eating out = take away pizza and there is only so much you can eat before the arteries give up right! By the way we ate Italy's second cheapest 'out' option that night... yup, pasta!


Yesterday we hit the streets of Rome on a sight seeing mission to the Colosseum, a monument requiring no introduction, followed by the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. All good stuff, made me want to watch Gladiator, but enough ruins for one day.


Today we strolled Rome's historic centre including the Pantheon, Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. To avoid just ticking boxes we decided to go for a proper meal for lunch that didn't involve pizza or pasta! We took a recommendation from the guide book on a smallish place on the cross roads of two narrow streets not a million miles from the Pantheon. Superb. Enjoying great lunch (and service) soaking up a bit of the cities atmosphere, scooters nipping by, the occasional "you're gonna hit, oh you've made it" van squeezing past along with various characters walking on by. A couple of hours in Rome very well spent.

Ta Ta Tuscany

This update comes to you from the train heading south to Rome. Yesterday we headed west from Siena to the coast just south of a place called Livorno itself just south of Pisa. On the way we visited another Tuscan hill town of Voltera. Not as fine an example as the previous towns, but ok for a stop. We were camping last night on the coast as we needed to return the car to Pisa airport which is south of the city. We pulled up at the reception to be greeted by a man who looked about as interested to be there as we did 10 minutes later! The place seemed a bit grim. They advertise as open all year, but we wondered why they bother. Half the facilities were in lock down. This site and area was like a tired british seaside town, but with less to do! Nevermind our site had a sea view deck and sitting there with a beer things seemed ok. Until we ordered the pizza! How hard is it to do a decent pizza? Disappointed. This morning we checked out from staff who couldn't really be bothered to open the reception. Soon be in Rome though :-)

Towering Tuscany

It's been another pleasantly hot day in Tuscany and once again we are enjoying the atmosphere and wine of Piazza del Campo. Today we drove to the highest of Tuscan hill towns - Montepulciano. Very pleasant it was too, although a small german child didn't seem to be liking it as we caught him having the biggest tantrum ever. Wished we could speak german to see what the fuss was about. Naughty step required! We got back to Siena a little earlier and strolled the streets including climbing a high arch for fab views of the town and surrounds before returning to the Piazza for food and wine.

Shimmy to St. Jimmy

So, we've camped in Pisa for the last two days, but moved on today to the Tuscan hill town of Siena. We are currently sitting with a litre of rather fine house wine in the rather fine Piazza del Campo. Pisa has the Tower and, John you were right, not a lot else. In fact the area of the tower includes the fine, although over shadowed, Duomo and Baptistry in the same stone and style. If there is other worthy sites in Pisa then not much is made of them by the town. The tower area is a victim of it's own success of course being lined with tat hawkers. Not just tat though, all manner of crap. If I go to see an ancient monument what makes people think that I want to buy a flying toy helicopter, a fake Louis Vuitton handbag or a 'humourous apron'! It was passing the Tower after probably the worst pizza ever that Louise nearly got her purse pinched. Luckily she felt something and was able to move away suspecting foul play. Close call and not a pleasant end to our stay. We used Pisa as a base to rent a car for Tuscany and sort accom for Rome though. We drove here to Siena today with a slight detour the excellent unspoilt medievil hill town of San Gimignano. Rather barbaricly scottish-ized to St. Jimmys!! The campsite here is better than Pisa and we are returning after the wine and great atmosphere in Siena's main Piazza. Tomorrow we drive more of Tuscany.

Arrivederci Venice

We leave Venice to the mist as we travel to Pisa on the train.

Venice

So, this is the end of our second full day in Venice. We arrived on Monday afternoon and strode almost immediately to Piazza di San Marco. This was so we could find our way there and know how long it took as we planned to rise early the following day to see the square at sunrise. It took 30 minutes. It was a fine evening so we looked around before returning to the hotel.
The following day we made it up and out the door for 6:30am. San Marco was dead apart from a few locals setting up for the day or going to work and a few photographers (with bored looking partners in tow!!). It was a pleasant morning although not the amazing sunrise we has hoped for due to cloud. Took a bunch of photos anyway and walked back to the hotel within plenty of time to eat (a great) breakfast. The hotel is a surprise modern enclave amongst all the old buildings of Venice tucked away down a narrow ally. The breakfast here, like the previous Italian breakfasts, includes sachets of Nutella, which Louise has been going mad for!

The guidebook says everyone has expectations about Venice and they are right of course. How could anyone not have ideas of the Venice of TV, Movies and literature. To be honest we both expected to be disappointed! Probably expecting too much and feeling that the hype could never be lived up to. We haven’t been disappointed!

So what makes Venice special? Is it the canals? That may seem like an obvious suggestion, but standing on the Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal yesterday made the answer real to us. Yes, the Basillica di San Marco is a marvel, but the canal in action is where the energy is. From the lumbering waterbuses, goods barges, ‘tourist experience’ Gondolas to the sleek and super stylish water taxis that seemed to effortlessly manoeuvre the canal, controlled with apparent ease by the driver, one finger on the steering wheel. Those boats are so James Bond!!
Today’s Venice exists almost entirely to service the tourists, but it’s been nice to see the canals having purpose too. Deliveries are water based as is the ‘garbage truck’, the police and ambulance also cruise the waterways. Walking is the most used form of transport for us tourists by the way and boy did we do a lot of that. Gondolas are expensive unless in a group of six, but we did ride a Gondola. The 0.50 euro Traghetti (Gondola Ferry) that simply goes across the canal. So yes, we can say we rode a Gondola in Venice! The only other non walking we did was to catch the water bus to San Marcos this morning. The ride was to experience Venice from the water.

Venice is busy, but not as busy as I was expecting. Enough to create a buzz, but not so badly heaving as to be unable to move or find a quiet street or square. Maybe it’s the time of year? There has also not been the reported smell either. It’s supposed to be bad in summer. Oh, apart from the smell of the fish markets!!

The downside is the price tag! Venice is expensive. It’s a simple matter of “because they can”. Eating out is extortion near the prime spots. Down at Piazza di San Marco the cafes charge €8.50 for a cappuccino!! That’s about £7, or 20AUD for a coffee. It’s €10 for a beer too. That’s the kind of prices that would make a Norwegian squirm!! We were there just before 12pm and only a handful of people took up some of the many many tables! Wonder why. Obscene prices like that would suggest they are trying to price people out of Venice. It’s not the case. All people are coming. They are just not drinking coffee!!

We liked Venice. Other towns are prettier, but it’s different. No cars, the canals. How long has it got though? So many buildings look on the verge of collapse and the tide is rising!!

Train to Venice

We're sitting on a train heading to Venice. Will be there soon. So famous, so we'll fine out for ourselves what the fuss is all about! Will be there for three nights.

Leaving the Lakes

Today we left Varenna by ferry and then from there to Bergamo. We staying in Bergamo Alta, the old walled city that sits above the new town. To get here we walked to the funicular and were squeezed on with the other sardines! The Atla was hoachin' with what mostly appeared to be Italians. Maybe the locals come here for a wander of a Sunday afternoon? We joined them in strolling the area that's straight out of the middle ages.

Lago di Como

We left Como on thursday for Menaggio taking the ferry. It was a cloudy day. Low cloud hanging in the valley gave the mountains a moody atmosphere. The hotel in Menaggio had a small balcony that over looked a square (piazza) and served an awesome continental breakfast. After this on friday we walked up the valley to a small chapel and view point called La Crocetta. Although the weather was still stormy the views both ways down the valley were fantastic. Just before the chapel were some old trenches from the first world war. Part of a defense line called Linea Cadorna that ran along the Swiss Italian border. The atmosphere here was quite eerie with the ting ting of a flag pole, distant thunder, the chat chat chat of a far off building site like faint gun fire, the sound of a small propeller plane, the icy fingers reaching around the back of my neck... Oh no, that was just Louise trying to warm her hands. The day had started with early hail and in the evening we saw snow on the mountains as the weather lifted. ---- In the morning we took the ferry to Varenna and a lake view room. A bit of a treat. Varenna is another very pretty lake side town with narrow streets and steep lanes. We walked up above the town to an old castle as recommended by the hotel receptionist as it was a lovely sunny day and the views of Lake Como were the best. She wasn't wrong. The small castle featured a tower where the top provided a 360 degree view of the surrounds. We had the tower top to ourselves for a good 15 minutes. The season here is definitely at an end as it has been very quiet. The castle area also featured some birds of prey including the biggest owl I thought possible!

Como Town

Arrived by train this afternoon after flying from Athens to Malpensa (nr. Milan). John left for home today too. Hope you got that early bus. Thanks for the metro ticket :-) That will be our last flight for a while which is good for me as I can pack my rucsack differently. Better organised without having to think about it's treatment at airports. I've got a vivid green sack to keep all the straps in as well. The affectionately named 'Bogey Bag' is easy to spot on the baggage belt! Not a great welcome from the man behind the reception in the hotel. He is a right grumpy old git. The place is nice enough though with a great shower especially compared to the Greek places we were at. They had showers, but the head is not attached to the wall. Makes things a bit more hassle. Anyone comment on why that is? The Como hotel also seems to have sheets for towels? They do work a lot better than you'd think mind you. Is this normal? Guess we'll find out. Como pleasantries were also restored by a very nice lady in the information office :-) Took our second funicular in two days up the side of the lake valley for hazy views of Como town and lake. It's quiet here compared to Athens. Not that this is a bad thing. Heading up the lake tomorrow by ferry to chill out for a few nights :-)

To the Italian Lakes

We're on the train heading north from Milan to Como. Looking forward to a couple of days at lake Como.

Acropolis, Adonis and Agoras

Leaving Athens now after a successful two days tour of the city's very old sights. The Acropolis, of course, home to the Parthenon amongst other ruins. There is constantly scaffolding here, but is still impressive. Moving on we walked down through the Theatre of Dionysos. Hard to believe it once held 17000 people. If you've heard of Hadrians wall, well he also has an arch here. We passed this on the way to the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Once a massive structure only a few giant columns remain. It was here whilst trying to take a picture of Zeus's impressive columns I stepped back and fell over a rock. Got a few scrapes, but managed to not land on the camera. Looked up to see Louise pointing and chuckling! It would have looked funny I suppose. No picture of that you'll be disappointed to know. The market places of the Roman Agora and the Ancient Agora followed. I realised at lunch (over a less than well cooked chicken souvlaki. John's pork one being even less cooked!) that I must have fallen one my glasses case and had bent the arm. So it was off to an optician who worryingly man handled the arm straight and stuck through a new screw with bolt!! I now have Frankenstein's glasses! I expected damage, but not less than two weeks :-( We stayed in the Hotel Adonis in the area called Plaka which sits in the shadow of the Acropolis. The hotel was neither particularly cheap nor special, but the location was great and had a rooftop breakfast room / bar with an Acropolis view. Plaka is an old part of town with loads of restaurants and tourist tat shops. It's quite pretty and we ate here nicely for the three nights. We put our laundry in to get done. They do it for you and charge by the kilo, but our clothes came back smelling mildly of cigarette smoke! The staff smoke inside the laundry. Interesting! Lycabettus Hill rises up sharply from inner Athens and provided sweeping views over Athens. There is a funicular that runs to the top, but it seemed like you had to climb half way up to get to that! The National Archeological Museum didn't impress Lou and I too much although we're not really big museum people. There are some cool statues, but there is just too much similar stuff. Last night we ate at Zorbas!

Athens on a Sunday

In an Internet joint in Athens. We tried to find a laundry, but they were all closed. And why not? It's a Sunday! Guess we do need to know what day it is! We are meeting John, a friend a Lou's from Uni, later. He is coincidentally in Greece for a friends wedding and is coming over to Athens to join us for a couple of days sightseeing.

Athens

Currently sitting at Athens airport metro station waiting to go into the city. Just got off what is possibly the shortest flight i've been on. 25 minutes! It's a cool sunday morning in Athens.

Santorini - Days 4 and 5

On these days we mostly just took it easy and wondered round the streets and lanes of Fira with one excursion to the town of Perissa (by local bus!) to see a black beach. It's volcanic rock "sand". Very corse, but otherwise just like any other beach. We liked Santorini. It is very touristy, but in a more subtle way. Yes, there are plenty of car/scooter rental places, gift shops, hotels and restaurants, but somehow seems less in your face and, thankfully without the hard sell. It's also very very pretty.

Santorini - Day 3

On this day we set off to walk from Fira to Oia (pronounced ee-ya) along the cliff top path. The path starts off winding through the narrow lanes and steps almost always with a view down the cliff to the sea. These lanes can be like a maze and frequently have the feeling a dead end was coming. As we cleared the buildings into open ground the true heat of the day hits us. Here the track became rough and all shade was gone. It was mad dogs and various nationalities. The views always delivered however. Relief came at the side of a small church with shade, lunch and a cool breeze. Also a great view of our destination which was only a short way now.

Oia is a very pretty town like Fira, but slightly more so. Again all white washed buildings perched on the cliff top with plenty of blue domed churches that are the icons of Santorini. People come here to watch the sun set and boy did they come! We jostled for position with the other sunset paparazzi and enjoyed a fine display which, as the last of the sun dipped below the horizon, received a round of applause! That happens here!

Walking back wasn't an option so we went to the bus stop and waited randomly with everyone else. A bus arrived, tension mounted, it started to turn, people swung to the other side of the street, tension gained, the bus reversed, it stopped, people shuffled, the door opened, "Fira"? people cried... "no" the reply, "next bus"!! Deflation, confusion... Tension. Another bus, repeat, it's the Fira bus, we're in the 'queue'... We're on and are seated. Relief! There is no way everyone will get on, but they do! We have no ticket. No one does. You pay on the bus. We're on our way. A man works his way through the crowded ailse collecting money. That's the way it works and we make it to Fira and not a donkey in sight!!

Santorini - Day 2

The following morning (24th Sept) we headed back up Donkey Poo Lane to get to the volcano boat trip we had just booked. Wondering why Donkey Poo Lane seemed quite clean the question was answered by the sight of a seated man taking a cigarette break next to a brush and a wheelbarrow full of poo. Smelly! We decided to walk down the switch back instead of taking the cable car. The same switch back that the donkeys use to ferry the tourists. Yes, Donkey Poo Switchback! It took about 30 minutes to descend the switchback dodging the donkey poo and the donkeys themselves sometimes being rather poorly controlled by the passenger. We feared for our toes a couple of times.

Once at the bottom we soon boarded the boat in typical chaotic style and took a seat upstairs ready for our trip to the center. We disembarked with the rest of the "Teva-Tastic Tour" (we were in Tevas too!) The center is volcanic rock with three craters although the craters are not obvious from a distance. Only up close. There was some steam rising and the guide pointed out a small hole that was very hot to stick the hand in. It's pretty cool to think that the lava isn't really that far below!!

Boarding the boat again we went to the island of Thirassia (as seen from the sunset view point) for a lunch stop. We didn't eat as we had read and been told that the food wasn't up to much. Grabbing some water and a beer we sat and chilled out by the water until it was time to head back to Fira, via a drop off at Oia (another town on Thira). Not used to walking up and down so many hills our legs ached a bit (poor I know) so we decided it was a better idea to take the cable car back up to Fira. This was probably as much to avoid wayward donkeys as much as anything.

The sunset didn't look up to much this day so we headed back to the room to shower before Pizza in town. All in all a very nice day.

Santorini - Day 1 - Part 2

After we settled in the room John the owner gave us a few pointers about things on the island and how to get there. We decided to check out the sunset at the edge of the caldera so followed John's map up a small lane that would take us to a good place and also the start of the way down again into the caldera. Fira is effectively built on a ridge so we had to climb up the steep lane to get to the top. This turned out to also be the lane that the locals take their Donkeys and was therefore trailed with Donkey poo! The lane has affectionately become known as Donkey Poo Lane! The Donkeys are method of transport for tourists to take up and down the edge of the Caldera from the town to the port at the bottom where the tour boats and cruise ships arrive.

We had timed our arrival slightly too late as the sun was just disappearing behind the island of Thirassia (part of the Caldera on the other side), but the colours were still great and the view of Fira turning the lights on was very nice.

After this we went for food and ate nice Chicken Souvlaki. We noticed that Fira seems to have many cats and the restaurant had a number of kittens playing amongst the tables looking for scraps from the diners. If they are not someones pet then I suspect it will be survival of the cutest!

It was an early start so we strolled back to the room from there.

Santorini

We are currently on the Greek island of Thira which forms the main island of the island group of Santorini. The islands of Santorini are basically part of the rim of a volcano caldera. Dormant now, the last eruption was in 1950!

We arrived at the tiny Thira airport on Tuesday morning and took the bus to the town of Fira where we are staying (more on bus transport later!). Fira sits precariously on the inside edge of the caldera and is a very pretty town. Arriving in at the bus station we made like the backpackers we now are and slung our packs over our shoulders and walked the 10 mins or so to our hotel, the Galatia Villas. It's a little bit away from the town and the other hotels which have caldera views, but is cheap for that reason although is a very nice place surprisingly and thankfully so. The welcome from John, the owner, was warm and welcoming.

One small fault here is the keyboard on the internet PC, which is free to use so can't complain to much, but is annoying me as it's difficult to type on as the keys are sticky, so I'm going to give up now and finish the Santorini update later from a different PC and get some photos uploaded too. Honest!

Cheers.