EUROPE 2009

OUR EUROPEAN ODDESSY 2009

Sunday APRIL 5^TH 2009

IT ALL BEGINS TODAY!  Our  neighbour Karl took us to Harcourt to catch the Bendigo Airport bus at 4pm. The bus stopped in Castlemaine and then down the freeway to Tulla. It was great to have Trazel, Bianca and Rory there to see us off. We had some great family time, and they were specially supportive for Heather who is rather anxious about flying.

We changed money at ANZ Tulla—got 495 euro for 1000A$ and about 425 UK PD  for $1000.  We had something to eat and drink, and then we were all a bit teary when we parted and passed through the big doors into ‘no-mans land’ for customs and quarantine.

We had centre isle seats  (D&E) about mid-ship for the first leg to Hong Kong on a Qaintarse B747. A long and crowed flight, but pretty smooth.  Reasonable/good food, but we didn’t sleep. The two hour stop-over in Honkers was not really worth getting off for  as we had to go thru customs again.

Then we boarded again for the long flight to London—12 ½ hrs.  After take-off, I rushed to get the exit seats as requested, and ended up with 48 B and C—almost as good as first class, with heaps of leg room. Still very difficult to sleep, we both only got a few granny nods.  Excellent food and service on this leg, and lots of snacks in- between. ‘Breakfast’ was served again after we levelled out (about 10am Minto time), and much much later, ‘lunch’  a couple of hours out of London. It was daylight all the way from HK to London. Midway, we had a amazing view out the port window of the snow capped high peaks  of the Himalayas as we passed to the north of India/Pakistan. In a brilliant clear sky (38000ft) we saw another airline and its contrail  pass to our west—it would be approximately the same altitude, and probably 20-30nm off our port side.

With plenty of leg room we both had a few nods. The arrival into Heathrow was delayed due traffic, and the landing was more of an ‘arrival’—put down pretty heavily—only about 3/10!

It is now about 2pm and it is:---

MONDAY 6^th April 2009

Customs was no problem at all, and the poms were  very helpful with directions for the train to Paddington.  Poms everywhere, all colours!  Got the Heathrow Connect (Pd 7.50 each) to Paddington-a fast, clean and quiet train. Similar scenery to Sunshine/St Albans – I guess suburban rail vistas are similar worldwide—but we saw many trees getting spring blossom.

Prom Paddington, we only had a very short walk, directly to our pub—the Alexandra in Surrey Gardens. Booked in, then strolled back towards the station for a drink—many many pubs in this area—some very old traditional pommy ones. A large glass of wine about 3.50pd-about $8—equivalent to (say) Saffs in Castlemaine. A pint of Stella beer—3.40—about $7.25—a bit dearer. c/f home.

We were determined to stay up and beat jet lag but both really stuffed now after total flying time of nearly 24 hours. (23:40) Heather flaked however and I nearly did, but went down the street and had traditional fish and chips with mushy peas and a couple of pints of Stella. Daylight savings, so it is not dark till about 9pm, but I was back at our room and in bed by 8pm. A small room, but a good bed and we both slept like logs _ anyone ever seen a log sleeping??

Tuesday 7^th April 2009.

After a great sleep we were up at 5am, now on ‘local time’, and ready for our first day of adventure in London. I wrote these notes in reception and got a lend of a power adaptor to keep computer and camera batteries charged. No ‘wiffie’ here, but will find him somewhere and send messages.

Down to breakfast at 7am. Lots and lots of young German touries here, possibly on a guided tour. A great ‘continental breakfast’-cornflakes, toast with sliced ham and chicken ‘loaf’ meats, very yellow cheese slices, and real brewed coffee, and fruit yoghurt. A real feast, and included in our pub tariff. Then back in our room, and surprised to find the email working, and got messages from Bianca, Lillie, and Casa al Prato. Lots of pubs adjoining, so have picked up one of their ‘wiffies’. Sent one back to Bianca, but couldn’t reply to Lillie. Also contacted Thelma on Skype, Heather left a message, and Woulfie called me—clear, but breaking up. Also connected to WWW for CommSec.  Will have wiffie in our pub in Calais tomorrow nite to send/receive.

Next, down to the bus stop and caught the “Big Bus Company” tour of London. 25 pound each for a full day. Can get off and on as much as we like. Also a cruise on the Thames included if we like.  Travelled on open top deck of a double decker London bus. A great tour of all the London icons—Marble Arch, Baker St, Marylebone Road, Regent Park, Oxford circus, Oxford St, Regent Street, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, #10 Downing St, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Archbishops Park (Lambeth palace), crossed the Thames on Lambeth Bridge, Westminster bridge, Waterloo bridge, London bridge and Tower bridge, the London ‘eyesore’, Royal Courts of Justice, St Pauls cathedral, (Dome on St Pauls Cathedral is the second biggest in the world. Biggest is (you guessed it!!)-the Cupola of St Peters Basilica in the Vatican),  the Bank of England, Swiss ‘anal dilator’, Tower of London, and much, much more. An excellent live commentary.  This circuit took three hours plus., back to Marble Arch, then Heather and I walked beside Hyde park to Sussex gardens.

Lunch time so we went to a traditional old pub in Paddington (Sussex Arms) and had pork sausages with mash, gravy and mushy peas. 7.50 pds each.

After lunch, Heather rested in our room and I went on the bus tour again. Part of the red bus section, then also the blue section (with headphones)—Harrods, Victoria and Albert museum, Kensington palace, Earls court, Kensington gardens and where the Princess Di memorial and children’s’ playground is, and back to Sussex gardens. A great day in London, bathed in history and tradition. A cold overcast, but often sunny spring day, lots of flowers in bloom and trees in leaf and spring blossom. ( see brochure).

To be consistent and not eat at the same place again, we decided on the Dickens Inn for tea—another old traditional London pub nearby. The décor seemed similar to our lunch pub, even  the style of sign writing on the walls. When we ordered fish and chips with mushy peas and roast beef, the menus seemed to be identical.  Finally the penny dropped; they WERE  ‘cloned pubs’, all-but opposite each other and not-so-obviously co-owned.

The sound of dropping pennies however were drowned out over the roar of the patrons watching another strange activity on TV that the poms get very excited about—grown men kicking a round bag of wind about on a field with sticks each end!

We went to the station before tea and got a train timetable, and I looked up the WWW in our room to confirm how to get from Paddington to Dover by train, and also the ferry details to Calais. Could get ‘Wiffie’ for the WWW but not email! In bed by 11pm.

WEDNESDAY 8^th APRIL 2009 

Up early again, and down for another great breakfast at 7am. It has rained during night as the streets are wet and its still drizzling a bit. Toast, cereal, yoghurt, sliced loaf meats and cheese. Ate too much again! Packed our things and checked out. Walked to Paddington station and got the ‘tube’ to Charring Cross—fucking hidiously packed—just before the London peak hour. At Charring X got a train for Dover-up lots of steps /down steps for the underground/and to the aboveground train. Tickets from Paddington to Charring X 8pd for 2. British rail Charring X to Dover pd28.40 each. Passed thru but not only—London Bridge, Orpgington, Severoaks, Hildenborough, Tunbridge, Paddock Wood, Headcorn, Ashford International---to Dover Priory.

Very green countryside, a pleasant fast train, and not far between towns. Many fence hedges, sheep grazing, some with lambs, some Suffolk.  Saw a C172 fly past us, heading approx nw. Lots of small ? silos with ‘witches hats’ leaning the same way. Must ask Google about them. At Dover, got the bus to the ferry port, only a few hundred metres. Then bought tickets for P&O only 14.50pds each. Thru customs and security on the bus, and late boarding. Watched ‘white cliffs’ as we sailed.  On board about 1:30pm local, and the crossing was very smooth—about 90 minutes. A very modern ferry, with shops, bars, and lounges on board.

At Calais, got a taxi to our hotel ‘du Befroi’, and are now using euros-10 for taxi. Trouble getting wiffie at pub, no English staff – I sorted it out eventually. Strolled round the area, had a great diner @ a nearby restaurant. Beef burgoine each—beautiful with ‘fries’ and salad. 34 euro for both of us inc a couple glasses of house white wine. Back to our room and to bed about 10pm. Nice clean but basic room, prepaid from Australia, added 7 euro each for b’fast in the morning.

THURSDAY 9^th APRIL 2009

Up at 5am local (clocks  now on 1 hr c/f London. Heather tried to skype Thelma, no luck.  Called Bianca ad asked her to phone Thelma-no luck. Heather then skyped hospital and spoke to her!! She is now very pleased, also called Peter. Still dark as I write this at 7am—down to b’fast at 7:15am. Will pick the car up after b’fast!!

Great breakfast downstairs. Croussants, pastries, fresh French bread sticks, ham, fromage, good coffee. Very friendly ?owner lady-managed to get  few French words understood-she has no English. Gave us some postcards, explained something about ?lace in Calais?  Went for a short walk, Heather got postcard a for Lil and stamps. Looked at Michelin road maps-which one to get? Will pick up the car first. The owner lady came up to our room and kissed us both goodbye!!—she is going home for the day!

Got a taxi to the ferry port to collect our car, English speaking driver 10 euro for the trip. Met Peugeot lady here in ferry terminal, signed papers, and then she got our car, and explained things to me. Then drove out very tentatively in a brand new car with only 6Km on the clock, on the wrong side of the road, and left hand drive!! Exited the terminal onto the motorway towards Belgium quite easily; then promptly got lost! Stopped for a pee and to try and figure out which way to go. Then drove  on motorway towards Brussels—I am getting used to the feel of the car and LHD( handled it OK in Italy last trip so should manage!)

Just over the border into Belgium, we had driven 89Km and needed fuel, so called in to a  very busy servo. Took a while to work out how to use the pumps with a credit card. Got approx 43 litres for abut 2 euro/l. Bottle of white wine here 4.5 euro, Hardys!!! Decided we didn’t need lunch, just got a packet of crisps. Then on into Belgium on the very busy freeway, and towards and thru Brussels. An enormous city, thru lots of tunnels, the road getting narrower and more confusing! Got thru heading towards Antwerp, and before long got hopelessly lost again! 

I’m sure I doubled back a few times, oh to read the local signs!!  Stopped at a truck stop to try and work out where we were, and to have a pee—no toilet so between the doors of our car!—then discovered there WAS an old bus nearby where men were going in and out to the dunny. Traffic building up all day, but it IS Easter eve, Good Friday tomorrow—hope we can find beds.

On the road again, totally lost. About 4:30 got into a very busy boring looking town/city, HASSELT. (in Limburg, Belgium) I parked the car and walked to try and find somewhere to stay, and booked into a spastic Ibis chain motel, 71euro. Then we went opposite to a great little pub for refreshments and later, food. We ordered  drinks and sat outside in the late afternoon sunshine. The drinks arrived with a tiny bowl of plump green olives stuffed with sliced fresh garlic and something else interesting—the most beautiful ‘nibbles’ I’ve had. Must try and get olives like these, just brilliant.

We had travelled 325Km for the day, probably only bout 200 would have got us this far!!. Funny how purely by chance and totally by default, we have arrived at a most interesting ‘city’. Hasselt is a grand old city with a wealth of interesting and historic buildings, places and customs.  Publican speaks good English, told us there are about 250 Belgium breweries, and Hasselt has its own  distillery, so had a few shots of ‘Smeet’—potent and like a slivovitz or schnapps. His ? wife? cooked us local fare for tea—Heather had steak (deer?) and spuds, and I had spareribs and spuds, both with a side salad smothered in far too much mayonaise. But as always, …when in Rome…!!!

Wondered about the brass plaques in the footpath, later read up that they were hazelnuts (pic) with the ‘pointy end’ in the direction to walk!! Hazelnuts are the local emblem of the city. (read Hasselt brochure).  Parked behind the motel, and took some pics.

Our room is very basic—no shampoo, no coffee facilities, kleenex etc, and breakfast is  an extra 25 euro each—so they can get stuffed!

FRIDAY 10^th APRIL 2009

It is good friday today but we are told it is business as usual in Hasselt, and all the shops open. Most will be closed on Monday. We wandered thru many side streets—this is a  really  beautiful and quaint city. ALL the shops ARE open. We had breakfast  at a corner café-8.50 euro each for ‘deluxe’—fresh fruit bowl, fresh crusty rolls, croussants, a hot platter each with a fried egg and diced bacon underneath, also  ham and cheese slices. Followed by a pot of hot chocolate, fresh orange juice, and a tiny easter egg each!.  After all, Belgium is world famous for chocolate!

All the shops have an easter egg theme in them—even places like legal offices, shoe shops are decorated with them—often painted chook eggs, porcelain eggs, woven ?cane eggs, and painted eggs of all sizes. Found a huge book shop-quite massive and with a full range of Michelin maps. Bought the Michelin book of Europe road maps, and a lonely planet Europe.-total 40.90E—about $82!  Only to find our later that our Michelin book was in all languages BUT ENGLISH!!

Headed off on anther wild goose chase. ( Have never heard of anyone catching a wild goose yet). Hoping to get thru Aachen (Germany) and on towards Stuttgart. Eventually found our way to Masstitch??—lost again! So pulled in off the main drag to a tiny village and had a coke at a little outdoor café. Asked some girls who were  local teachers for directions to Aachen; they are Dutch, but speak reasonable English. However the directions turned out to be useless.

We had decided to not drive thru the Netherlands, so tried to work out where we were and how to get thru Aachen. Discovered that even tho we wouldn’t drive thru Netherlands, we were indeed sitting at a café in Holland, and had been driving thru Holland for the last hour or so!!!!

Finally after driving in the wrong direction for miles, we got onto a huge freeway –autobahn? with good signs. Once in Germany the road signs made more sense and we soon were thru Aachen, then  bypassed Cologne, and on towards Bonn.

Here we pulled into a very pretty little village off the autobahn, close to the Rhine, which we haven’t see yet, and found a great little hotel in Godorf. 90 euro including breakfast. Booked in, and we seem to be the only ones here, and no one in the bar. Had a couple of beers, and about 6pm the locals came in and the place was full—very small, but some 20 people in the bar. Asked for a local speciality for dinner—we got nice steak with a pepper/herb sauce/gravy, carrots, cauli, broccoli, potato crochets. Very nice. Total price for the pub was 115 euro, plus our drinks. About 250km for the day to advance abut 150Km!!!!

SATURDAY 11^th April 2009

Up early, nice shower (me last evening). Down stairs to b’fast—only us—fresh crusty rolls, sliced salami and loaf meats and cheese, good brewed coffee.  Heather went for a walk while I wrote these notes. A nearby cemetery with lots of fresh flowers, and easter eggs on tomb stones!!  The easter egg thing seems very big in Europe. Also altered email settings, and able to send email to all!!!! We plan to leave here by 9am and hope to get somewhere near Stuttgart by evening.

Before 9:30, headed off with a goal of getting to Stuttgart by today. Soon were on the legendary Autobahn with a speed limit of 130Km for mere mortals, with Mercedes, Porsches, Audis, BMW’s flashing past us at at least160Km/hr! Never seen so many M/Benz and BMWs before.

Making good time, getting over 100Km to the hour. Excellent roads and frequent stopping places, and very well sign posted. A superb road network. Stopped for fuel-diesel 1.05 euro/litre. Also got a coke here, sullen bitch reluctant to take Visa on credit—asked me for PIN-tried again and took card with signature.

Another piss stop about 50Km further on; and here you really do use a genuine pissour! (See pic) The traffic was extremely heavy. We atopped at a roadside restruarant opposite the Hokenhein GP circuit—I remembered Jim Clark, the Scottish F1 driver and one of my heroes, who died here when his Lotus left the track at high speed, in 1968..

A bright sunny and quite warm day and we had the a/con on for a while. Had ‘lunch’ at restaurant here—bratwurst/German sausage with spuds Heather) and salad (me) plus a coffee—19.50 euros ($40A) for a couple of bucks worth—a fuckin rip-off.

Continued along autobahn until adjacent Stuttgart, and stopped for piss and directions. Talked to a young man who spoke good English—he’d lived in  GB for six months on a research assignment studying the use of dia-morphine for heroin addiction withdrawal. He gave us good directions and advice re: accommodation off the autobahn. Suggested we exit (ausfhart) into Leonberg, which we did. At first an industrial area, then a hilly residential area, finally we stumbled on a quaint area with a  couple of hotels.  Parked, and booked into the Hotel Kirchner, Leonberger.

Our little car is very economical—indicating 4-6l/100Km at 130Km/hour of Autobahn. Fuel is dear, but not many litres to top up.

Pub run by a young family—wife friendy, also man, but very ‘straight’ and not a ball of laughs. However spoke reasonable English and we speak no German—so again—when in Rome---! We had a bottle of Chard/Sav Blanc in the courtyard. Local wine, very nice but could be chilled a bit more. Guess we are just wine wankers yeaning for a Coolabah handbag and  few pints of  beer! Wine 28.50 euro—shit  could buy 25 litres for $59 at home! The pub price is 75E including breakast, which is reasonable.

Clean, spacious room with ensuite, lounge suite and the ‘bings’ as usual have no sheets, just clean doonas and doona-type pillows. Still quite a warm sunny day and evening (Think about 25 degrees C during the day).

Boss suggested a restaurant nearby in a  quaint restored street, which we found. Meal was excellent –I had pork on metal shaslik sticks with very well dained and fresh chips, and a generous side salad—tomato, cucumber, onion rings, a small mild chilli. Heather, pork pieces with scallop-type potato chips—again very fresh, crisp and well drained. After eating, we were given a shotglass each of Ooso.

There were baskets of painted hard boiled eggs on the tables, several people had opened and eaten them! The quaint Easter egg  tradition continues.

During our meal we were bored shitless by a local pisshead who had a golf handicap of zero (it is now 5), he’s 65 years old, has played in the Stuttgart seniors comp several times and says he organised it, name dropped Greg Norman and Bernhardt Llanger, crapped on about the black forest etc etc.  I really needed to know all that and couldn’t give a fuck about his golf handicap.

SUNDAY 12^th APRIL 2009*****

Today is Easter Sunday, and we believe most things will be closed in Germany. Looks like I won’t get to see the M/Benz Museum after all, which was my main attraction to Stuttgart.

Breafkast downstairs was a substantial spread. We were served a boiled egg first (Easter again???) then had the usual sliced meats, crusty rolls, yoghurt, brewed coffee. Also ‘take-away’ liverwurst and cheese and bread roll (for lunch). Lots of Easter eggs on display in the pub—many chook eggs painted, other birds eggs, plastic and porcelain eggs. A big thing here!

Spent sme time writing and trying to plan next route. Heather went for a long walk. Lots of spring flowers, tullips, trees coming into spring leaf. Today possibly driving thru (round) Munich, but will definitely stop and stay in a small village off the beaten track.  Hotel owner gave us a copy of a good map to get via Nurmberg into, and find accom somewhere inside Czech Republic, before Prague.

Easy to get onto the Autobahn, which was very busy again. At 130Km/hr we were passed at great speed by M/Benz, BMW, Audi and the occasional Porsche. Had a great run with excellent signs. Past Heilbronn, Aasbach, bypassing Nuremberg. Stopped for lunch at a new parking bay past Nuremberg and had crusty rolls and cheese and liverwhurst from breakfast.  A RAA-type a/craft was doing circuits  nearby at our lunch stop. Back on autobahn and thru several tunnels. Got pulled over by a German m/bike cop near Waidhaus, just before the Czech border.  Not for speeding (only doing 130KM!!); but thought we were driving illegally in Germany, (F) on back of car, and French numberpates!  Checked Passports, Aust and International Licences, and made a number of mobile phone calls. Further checks, calls and radio. More car papers to check, which we had. Finally said things seemed OK, but had gone thru us like a bag of shit! Don’t think he was convinced the car wasn’t stolen.

Took pic of his great BMW bike!  Back on autobahn, and into the Czech Republic. Still excellent roads, but the traffic has thinned down considerably. Also the car quality—seeing more bread and butter Skodas and less M/Benz etc. About 50Km into Czeck, pulled off  autobahn to find a small village. Found tiny Skvirin and stopped for a drink at a ‘café’ and guy called the nearby hotel and we checked in there.  Very basic, but quaint, very clean, and only E28.50 for the nite, including breakfast! Paid with euros, got change in Kronen—approx 26 Kr =1 Euro. ( 2 hamburgers cost 50Kr—aprox 2 E, approx $4Aust.) Went for a bit of a drive and found Bor—about 5Km, a very interesting village with many shops open, many run by Chinese ( born here). Great smallgoods, we decded to call back in morning for some sausages, sawerkraut and bread for tomorrow lunch and for the road.

Back to our place at Skvirin. Took some pics, explained that we would like to stay for dinner. (at 6:30).  Down to dinner at 6:30, waited and waited, then told a couple of Finns coming also and dinner would be 9pm. Eventually, a great meal—some sort of ? pork stew with crunchy chips—very spicy but nice and tender. And only 19E for the two of us.

Struggled with email back in our room, very frustrating. To bed about 10:30pm.

MONDAY 13^th April 2009.

Up early, I worked with email, eventually got email from Bianca, Aston and Trazel. Heather skyped her mum before breakfast. Nice breakfast of assorted sliced meats, sliced tomato, capsicum, cheese,  crusty bread rolls and caraway bread, and (instant?) coffee AND Hard boild eggs served first again!!—more Easter custom? Decded to stay here today and just explore locally and rest. Another E27.50 including breakfast for the nght. Drove to Bor and bought bread rolls and bread, jars of saurkraut, salami sausages, mustand. Also a knife and fork and couple of teaspoons and plates for travelling.

Got diesel at a servo in Bor- about 40l for the equivament of a bit over 40 eros. Paid in Euros, and got change in Kronen—a bit confusing; one Euro equals about 26 Kronen.

Visited the local church graveyard where many graves had Easter eggs, candles burning and fresh flowers for Easter!  Noted big snails in the area. Drove through a couple of other little villages, thru a forest area with a lake and  lakeside shacks with people fishing on the banks. Found a village ‘square’ and had a great lunch in the sunshine.

Back at Skvirin, Heather sat outside in the sunshine, the owner continued to manicure his croquet lawn area, and I went for a little drive. Found a big ‘dairy farm’ but the cows were a bit lean. Also saw a hare, and 4 small deer that scattered into the trees rapidly. Visited the churh graveyard in Skvirin which is very unkempt and negected with no signs of Easter visits. The area and surrounding villages show many signs of frugal rural living, perhaps here and there bordering n poverty. But the people are happy, and somehow still afford to consume huge quantities of beer and local vodka which is about equivalent of $15Aust a Litre bottle.

For tea wth a differene, we had hamburgers and sausages at the bar/café near the hotel. 25Kr per hamburger (bit under 1E or $2A. Microwaved rolls, but very nice. Caught up with these notes in our room, and downloaded pics for the day. Read up on Aushwitz ‘on line’; sickening, but I think we MUST visit, inc. Burkienau.

My feet are very swollen, no drinks for me this evening! So, early to bed, and had a great nights sleep.

TUESDAY 14^th APRIL 2009

Up at 5:30 after a good nites sleep.  Almost light by 6am. Lots of birds round, many makng nests for spring. Also along the roads, many big new nests being built in high trees which are getting their early spring foliage. Nests will be well hidden when trees are in full leaf. Breakfast down stairs, 4x eggs and ham, done like omelet. Crusty bread and coffee. Owner looked up Google earth, and was delighted to find our place at home!. Said our farewells, and headed off at 9am for Prague.

Traffic reasonable, still 130km speed limit on excellent roads. Stopped for a pee at a servo about 60Km south of Pague. Adjacent to a grass runway, and an Aeroklub. Grass runway, with quite a few undulations.  Very hazy with pollution in the area, air very still. Would be IMC above about 2000 feet today!

A vehicle lookimg like an ambulance pulled in beside us in car park, and after much confusion, fined us 500 Kronen for not havig a ‘toll pass’. Had to buy a seven day one from the sevo for 100 Kronen. Checked passports, gave me a receipt.

The on to Prague—signs pretty good till near Prague, then on freeway signed Brno. Pulled off several times to check for a hotel. Eventually pulled off and found Hotel Tulipan at Pruhonice, suburb oef Prague about 15Km from city centre. Nice clean modern hotal, wifi included for 75 E per night , take Visa, Car in secure yard behind steel gates, inc breakfast, guard on duty all night??.

Decided to stay here for 2 nights. Went for a long walk to Castel and gardens nearby-Pruhonicky park—walked aroud large lake full of ? carp, took pics. Beautiful enormous gardens, lots of spring flowers ad blossom coming out,

Had a Czech sausage each from a little stall outside castle, saw very flash Skoda—leather seats etc—like a Merc. Also saw first Ferrari—but wrong color—white!! Sacriilige; ALL Ferraris should be Monza Red!!

Lovely area with many small hotels and restaurants. Had tea at a nearby hotel/restuarant. Heather had mixed grill-nothing like pubs in Oz, I had chilli goulash—superb Not much meat, lots of capsicum, onion, tomato, nice mild chilly sauce, served in a crusty hollowed-out bread loaf with a ‘lid’. Fire lit in hotel dining room, very homely, it will be a cold nite.

Booked a bus tour of central Pague for tomorrow, to be confirmed by email in AM.

WEDNESDAY 15^th APRIL 2009

Having conquered Prague by car, today we will endevour to conquer it by public transport.

Heather Skyped Cleo in AM, and I called Bianca, and also talked to Trazel. Good shower in our room. Got confirmation of my tour booking for today.

Down to breakfast at 7:30. Yoghurt, juice, sliced meats, bread rolls, and a ‘sausage’ with mustard. Couple of cups of good brewed coffee. Then booked a taxi at reception, got 2 ‘tickets’ to/from metro station. Taxi to Metro (underground), and caught train to centre of Prague.(52Kr each return). Very steep elevators!!  One change of Metro trains, very modern, fast and clean. And trains every few minutes in Metro. Go out, only about 100 metres walk to the old Town Square in the very centre of Prague.

A superb, very very old city with great ancient buildings in excellent condition; many dating back to the 11^th and 12^th centuries, and some much earlier. Bustling with tourists in Central Prague, only ,met one couple yet who  speak  English (USA).  With numerous visitors, most seem to be from central Europe—except for tours, possible only a few from the west visit Prague independently. 

The old town square is the heart of this great city. Our bus tour started at 12:45 and passed all the iconic buildings of the old city—Royal Palace, St Wenseslas Square and Castle, Charles Square, Charles bridge, crossed Vltala  river a couple of times. Town quite hilly in area of Castle, lower and flatter in old town area. Had a coke/juice in old square in outdoor café area in brilliant sunshine. Quite warm, probably 20-25 degrees.

Los of stalls in square, some still with Easter theme; vintage cars and many horse drawn carriages for tours, many walking tours, and crowded with tourists. Stalls selling souvenirs, food stalls etc. Chunks of pork roasting on  wood fired rotisserie, foot-powered bellows wheel firing charcoal ‘blacksmiths’ fire, stamping out ‘medalions’—very clever- strikes blanks by hand, then coin flips into bucket of water to cool, as operator throws hammer up in one hand and catches it!! (pics needed to explain).

Stalls seem rather temporary-canvas covered stalls, crowded with touries, but still the low season, so stalls may be special for Easter.

Took pics of horses for Bianca—seem to have wooden ‘clogs’ on over horseshoes. Have to pay 15Kn for a pee in central Prague. Many double trams, hundreds of tourists walking over Charles Bridge, plus many other walking tours.  The vintage cars are A model fords, and ?Praga cars-never heard of them-must look up.

Took over 100 pics during bus tour. Note: ‘toy weasel’ with a ball in stall in square—almost perpetual motion??—very interesting. Imagine a ‘ferret-like’ fluffy toy, very flexible, attached by the teeth to a plastic ball about the size of a tennis ball. Attached probably by very short piece of elastic. Ball probably weighted more on one side, like bowls ball. Continues to move and weave about like weasel is trying to eat ball-except for the Made in ?? China?? Tag, would swear it was alive. Very active—like a kitten with a ball of string!!  Have seen many attempts at perpetual motion, but this is one for the physicists—would keep kids intrigued for hours and hours; especially big kids like this one!!

Visited tourist centre and got a good map of  Czech Republic—will be good  for getting to Brno and beyond tomorrow.

To top of a magnificent day in a truly great city and the centre of classical music, I got  ticket for a concert in ancient St Nicholas church—E15, but worth many times that. Flute and Organ recital, works by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi  and others. A stunning performance, quite an emotional experience. Fancy experiencing a live concert of old masters performed in the very centre of Prague where Bach ad Handel and Mozart worked for part of their lives!! Brilliant acoustics in church—organ and flute played from balcony about 2 stories high ‘behind’ audience.  Daily concerts of this type at a number of venues in Prague. Mozart museum is in Prague, but his grave is in Salzburg, Austria, his country of birth.

Train back at 6pm, had trouble trying to phone for taxi; a nice local girl helped us and taxi came as she advised. Home to our hotel after an amazing day. W have conquered Prague!!!!

Sat up writing these notes for a while. My Weatherzone on web ‘says’ it s 1.0 degrees C at Faraday at the moment (approx 4am, 16^th)—looks like late autumn frost. And we’re having an unusually  warm spring in Europe-about 25 degrees during the day; TV says about 5 degrees above average.

THURSDAY 16^th APRIL 2009

Up early, Skyped Karl. Got email. Down to breakfast at 7:30. Cold meats, Czech sausages (hot), yoghurt, bread rolls, cheese, good coffee. Packed up and left towards Brno. Great autobahn again, 130Km seems average speed. Stopped for fuel at Velka-Bites, before Brno, bought a Michelin map book with English descriptions.  Bypassed Brno, stopped for a rest, then on again. On thru Vyskov, Protejov, bypassed Olomouc, past Ostrava, Frydek-Mistek and Cesky Tesin. Just inside the Polish border, stopped at Solitaire Hotel on highway for  ‘late lunch’. Heather had goulash with dumplings, I had cabbage soup with sausage, then cold sliced pressed pork pieces in a pool of vinegar!!

Had great trouble getting through Bielsko-Biala before Krakow. Narrow rough roads, woad works seemed to be blocking main road to Krakow, signs didn’t seem to be accurate. Passed sign to Aushwitz several times; quite disturbing, specially crossing a railway line up a tiny one way back road. Looking for a hotel, but in a very poor area. Got mixed directions from several people, eventually on a minor road towards Krakow, found Park Hotel Lyson, between Bielsko-Biala and Krakow. ( and pretty close to Oswiesim)!!! A beautiful hotel in a very strange place, only 20Km from HELL,  and next to an amusement park, of all things!! We are both pretty tense about our visit to Aushwitz tomorrow. Then will probably want to get away from the area and into Slokavia towards Bratislava, as soon as possible. The roads look very minor on maps and quite confusing.  Perhaps I can get some local knowledge in the morning. B’fast included in this pub, all up about 55 Euro which is pretty good!  A very long day, driven 486 Km.

FRIDAY 17^th APRIL 2009

Up at 5am, checked email. Down to breakfast at 7:am—again sliced meats, also scrambled eggs, polish sausage, cheese, yoghurt, brilliant nutty fresh bread and good brewed coffee.

Packed up in our room, and with some reticence asked the chap in reception how do we get to Auschwitz!—surprised that he wasn’t phased by the question, (I certainly was); he probably hears it numerous times. He sketched me a map, and photocopied a couple of pages from Google Maps for me.

We drove the 32Km towards Auschwitz (Oswiecim), and parked in a ‘commercial’ car park. Disturbed by the tacky souvenir shops, coffee shops and general tourist glitz outside the camp. We walked the few hundred meters to Auschwitz 1 and joined the growing throng. I bought an English guide book and entered through the main gate.

How can I begin to describe the next several hours—everyone has heard, seen and felt it all before. Now we were treading this sacred ground, breathing, hearing, seeing, touching, smelling and being consumed by every moment, every footstep.

Thousands upon thousands of fellow visitors proceeding in silent respect. Over five million visitors walk these paths each year. Young backpackers, all ages and types. No talking, no taking photos indoors. Row upon row of photos of young men and women line the museum corridors. Their names and dates of birth and ‘death’ on each photo. All heads shaved. Facial expressions forced for the camera, in acceptance. Many ‘died’ within a few weeks either side of my actual date of birth; at least one ON by birth date!

Piles of the pitiful belongings of the murdered. Wooden clogs, spectacles, hair and shaving brushes, all-purpose enamelled bowls used for meals, washing, urinating in and as protective ‘hats’; and many prosthetic limbs. The last worldly possessions on the innocent condemmed.  Coldly taken, sorted and stored. Through the courtyard, the wall where thousands were lined up and shot. Fresh flowers and candles everywhere. A mere moment in time is an eternity as the enormity of what happened here is grasped. 

And then the realisation that Birkenau (Auschwitz 11), 3 kilometers down the road was the site of a far greater crime!

We returned to the car park, and slowly drove through a pretty farm and residential area to the nearby site of ‘the ultimate solution’, before many of the numerous buses and the hoards of visitors on organised tours. 

Parking was in a free parking lot and crossing the road, there it was in all its stark reality. The entrance to Birkenau, with the railway line passing beneath the guard tower, just as it is in every film, documentary, photo or book ever produced.

No entry fee. No tacky stalls. This place is for real, untouched since the Nazis left  in their haste to destroy the indestructible evidence, as the Red Army advanced.

 My camera started to work overtime. The deserted barracks, open latrines, the one-way railway, the Nazi guards’ air-raid bunkers, the mostly destroyed crematoria, and the gas chambers with the roofs blown up.

And the beautiful birch trees in spring leaf, from which the name “Birch Wood”  or Berkenau derives.

A silent and long walk along the rail to the very end of the line. It was a one way ticket to this point. Perhaps an intermediate stop for some medical ‘procedure’,  or a trip to the ‘dentist’!!  Finally, to the showers, then the gas chamber, and then the crematoria.

Why have I always regarded the concept of cremation as so abhorrent???? 

A huge monument stands at the end of the line, covered in fresh flowers and candles. Beyond are open green fields and numerous beautiful birch trees. A stunningly beautiful place for the worlds’ worst crime.

Miles upon miles of electrified barbed wire fencing with insulators carrying their lethal charge from high concrete pole to concrete pole.

Gone are the sounds of jackboots, of screaming children, of wailing mothers. Yet the walk back to the entrance in silence was almost ear shattering.

Buses everywhere now overflowing the car park, a sea of people walking the long silent paths through this sacred place.

I hope the pictures tell something of the story that words are so inadequate for, and that the tears only blur.

Back to our car and we drove away from Oswiecim with heavy hearts towards probably anywhere.

 As reality returned, we headed towards the Slovak Republic. This involved 75 miles through Polish built-up areas on horrific roads. Eventually we arrived at the Polish/Slovak border, and pulled in and bought the compulsory ‘toll-road sticker’ for a seven day visit—E4.50.

Then it was on and on thru many small villages with narrow roads until we joined a ‘freeway’ at Bielsko-Biala. We then travelled through a beautiful valley besides a river, with snow capped mountains rising on either side. It started to rain as we finally found and pulled into Skalka  motel between Cadca and Zilina, (Radola?)on the road to Bratislava., and booked in for the nite.

A lovely motel with bar, restaurant and nice rooms at 39.50E. It started to pour as we unpacked the car. We had a couple of drinks( beer—Zlaty Bazant), and white wine for Heather to settle our mind; and then a nice meal—Heather had steak I had farmers bean soup followed by roasted pork knuckles. Very reasonable and a great meal.  As a nite cap I had a shot of the local Slivovick-superb!!

A wedding was happening in the adjoining reception area, and the traditional Slovak music and dancing lifted our spirits. ‘Wog-box’ and some wind instrument mainly. Also CD’s including a bit of ABBA!  What a happy contrast to this morning. It has been a long and emotionally draining day.

SATURDAY 18^th APRIL 2009

Had a good sleep in, up about 7:30 and had a nice shower then down to breakfast—Heather had ham and eggs, I had a ham/cheese cold platter with the usual sliced cucumber, tomato and capsicum. Staff girls are very pleasant, and have nice ‘uniforms’, specially last nite—red satin, with money belts and ‘pouches’??

Very foggy early, then a beautiful sunny morning. Durig the nite could hear trucks continully, and also the sound of the river rapids. Took some morning pictures, and settled up for motel, breakfast and drinks. Very reasobable. E33.90 for the room!! Good value.

Then sat in the dining room and caught up on these notes and had a hot chocolate.

Today we will head toards/round Bratislava and probably into Hungary for the night.

On the road towards Bratislava which is about 220Km. Following a valley and river between two mounain ranges. Snow on the tops of some of the peaks, possibly the Tatra mountains. The Slovak countryside is really beautiful—some of the best we’ve seen. Thru little villages were each house has a small vegetable block prepared for spring planting, and many people out planting vegetables. Open fields are either ready for, or have been planted with crops, probably mostly cereal, also some in flower which looks like mustard or canola.

The road system is excellent most of the way, esp when we got onto the ‘motorway’ around Zilina. Numerous trucks, enen tho its Saturday. We stopped for a break at a little roadside stop close to Brataslava and took some pics beside a river.

Further on we got diesel (just over E2/litre), a bottle of Slivovich (4.50E/500ml!!!) and some Slovak paprika flavoured chips and “Pringles”.

The road signage was excellent and we had no trouble navigating round Bratislava, onto the Wein/Budapest road and eventually across the Danube and into Hungary. At the border, called at a stop to get the compulsory 10 day sticker to use the toll roads—not that there’s many of them in Hungay (4.50E) This must be displayed at all times.

Drove on toards Budapest planning to stop at a small village rather that in a big city. Got off the feeway and into a rather large town called Mosonmagyarovar, tried a couple of small pubs, either no rooms or no wifi, so continued on thru the back streets and found a gem of a hotel in the most unlikely spot, beside a tributary of the Danube.  Hotel Panorama Hungary. A beautiful quanit pub in a great garden setting amongst fir trees, nice lawns, and beside a rapdly flowing stream.

This place is a real china shop (see pics)—porcelain everywhere, quait decorations including chandeliers in our room, lovely restuarant. Had dinner there with local beer and wine—I had ‘little pigman secial’ (yes I know) with cockscomb roast potatos, capsicum, superb crumbed onion rngs. Before that, had Hungaran goulash soup—a bit greasy, paprika flavoured with nice chunks of meat (?beef) and potatoes.  Heather had hungurian goulash-beef, potatoes. Very nice. Pub cost 50E including b’fast. Also got a ‘ticket’ hear or a complementary champagne at their nearby ‘café’ icecream palour. People here own another Panorama pub elsewhere in Hngary.

Mosonmagyarovar, population 31,000 is famous for its thermal baths area, its statues, the Danube  and the work of the sculptor Ferenc Lebo. Magyar Street has many restored old buildings beside the Danube, the drinking well of St Laszoo, and the medieval gate of the Lindhardt. (see brochure).

SUNDAY 19^th APRIL 2009

After a really good sleep, up about 6am. (During the nite a car alarm?? went off and woke the place up for about 10 minutes)!!. Down to b’fast—some 25 people staying here, we got the last room. Yes, we are clawing our way round Europe with our teeth and a fist full of cholesterol-lowering pills. B’fast of Hungarian scrambled eggs, yoghurt, strong brewed coffee, nice brot, also fruit on the side table.

I caught up with these notes in the ‘porcelain lounge’ (and pics), Skyped Woulfie and Terry Collins—all is OK at Faraday and the FREEWAY OPENS TOMORROW.  We Skyped Helen—Peter is away with Duncan racing his car! Up somewhere north of Bendigo.

We plan to drive from here towards Budapest and then into Austria where we will stay the nite, possible between Vienna and Salsburg.

Drove on towards Gyor on the Budapest road, and pulled into a small village. Flat as a shit-carters hat with many ‘fields’ cultivated for planting. About 50Km from Budapest we headed towards Austria.

Lots of wind farms in Austria, Hungary and Slovakia.

A very long days driving through a valley area on a superb road, with mountain peaks to our left with snow caps. Beautiful country, groomed, almost clinically. Stopped as a typical ‘roadhouse’ where we had a pee for $1A each, and the prices of things were outrageous. Selling Mozart chocolates, schnapps, liquors etc. Making more money out of Amadeus than he made during his lifetime!!.

Further on, stopped for fuel—served by attendants!!! In Shell uniforms with gloves on. Diesel 1.06E per litre, as good as anywhere. Stopped again at a roadside stop and took a couple of pics of the majestic backdrop of towering mountains with snow on the peaks. Called into a tourist/ski village about 15Km out of Salsburg to look for a hotel, but pretty crappy and mostly booked out! Skiing probably still happening.

Continued on to Salzburg, a bit bigger than Bendigo. Eventually found our way into the city centre. Tried Sheraton Hotel  but ‘special price’ of E295 a bit over our budget!!. Found a much more interesting place at 85E inc breakfast close by, 100 metres from the Mozart Hotel. Got a good map for a walking tour of the old city in the morning. Couple of drinks next door at a  small bar, then a ‘traditional’ meal at a smoke filled café round the corner—goulash soup, weiner schnitzel, salad. And a schnapps.

Woulfie Skyped me, used the ‘puter camera!! To bed about 10:30PM. Car parked outside the hotel, allegedly quite safe!. 500Km for the day—too long!!

MONDAY 20^th APRIL 2009

The Freeway opens at Faraday today, and our former busy road will become a quite local road-no more trucks and heavy traffic, just us locals! I guess our address will also change to Old Calder Highway!!

Up early as usual at our hotel after a good nites sleep. Room overheated as many are in eastern Europe, and I haven’t worked out how to turn off the steam radiators yet. Down for breakfast at 7am—the usual spread. Scrambled eggs and bacon and little sausages. I had cold platter of cheese, meats, proscuito, yoghurt, blue vein cheese, good coffee and crusty bread rolls.

Then packed up our car and left it outside the Hotel, and started our walk to and thru the ‘old town’. Beautiful gardens, Salzur river flowing thru city with high peaks surrounding with snow on top. Walked across bridge. A very user-friendly town, but would have a huge parking problem, many trolley busses, and people of all ages on pushbikes. City pushbikes were available free on an honesty basis from a central area beside river.

Lots of gardens, narrow cobblestone streets, busy shops. Found the Mozart Museum, 7.50E, extremely interesting. His instruments, the actual place he was born in and his family apartment, a small modest all purpose room. Museum had original manuscripts (no photos allowed, but I’d taken a few before beig berated), also locks of hair as a child, personal artifacts. A sound shell room with seating and all-around sound (modern but small) with music playing giving a good reproduction. Very old building with wide pine floor boards and ancient stone steps and walkways. Souvenier shop with everything Mozart from chocolates to after shave and playing cards. Bought some postcards only.

Walked thru the back streets, found a pharmacy and bought some aspirin 100mg, also some h’cortisone cream for Heathers rash. Pharmacy dates from 1901 with superb decorations, old pharmacy jars, water fawcet etc. Pharmacist did training in Venice-six year course, and spoke good English.

Had a coffee/hot chocolate on our walk back to our car. Drove out onto main highway but the signs were lying again. Took pics of  back blocks; eventually found our way our towards Slovenia.  Decided only about 200-250Km today. On a great road thru some magnificent scenery, often with alps on either side covered in snow on the peaks. Stopped a couple of times for pics, pee, and coffee.

Got ripped off with car stickers for the freeway—25E for Slovakia!!, plus two of about 7.50E for tunnels. Dove thru about 10 tunnels, longest nearly 7Km.

Superb country side, mountains and show cover continuously. Beautiful forested trees beside road. Got off freeway not far into Slovenia, and stumbled on BLED—a majestic tourist town. Established 1004AD!!—from our room on the third floor we look towards an ancient castle hanging from the side of a high cliff, and  a tall   church spire with clock, plus Solvenias only island in a lake with a castle in the middle where many tourists visit the church and ring the bell for good luck. Think I’ll have a slivovich instead, but may visit the castle.

Country seems very clean and tidy, and in Bled there are many tourists and hotels, and the prices are a bit expensive. WiFi in our pub, but only downstairs in lounge area. Here, 74E/ nite inc breakfast. But a brilliant location.

TUESDAY 21^st APRIL 2009

The clock in the belltower starting chiming the hour at 5am. From our  third floor hotel room in Bled, Slovenia, we have a brilliant vista of the village. The very high and ancient castle clinging to a huge wall of rock and the church with its tall slender spire; the lake with its tiny island and castle, the quaint boats for tourists moored on the banks, the deciduous trees bursting into leaf amongst a backdrop of native pines. And beyond the lake the towering mountain peaks topped with snow. Overcast with low fluffy cloud handing in the valleys and the sun shimmering on the snow capped peaks above. At seven AM the tower bell tolled long and loud, first a continuous peel, and later a softer slower ring and finally a couple of slow gentle tones. Perhaps the bell ringers’ arms were getting tired, but is was clearly time to get up in Bled.

There has been some rain overnight but the air is crisp and cool, but not at all cold, and there is not a breath of wind. This is a truly beautiful village.

Spring is really happening all over Europe and in a bit over two weeks we have seen leaf and blossom develop from bud to full leaf and flower.  Birds are very active preparing their nests from huge twig structures high in roadside poplars, to small mud and straw nests under the eves of buildings and tiny works of art in shrubs and hedges. “David Bellamy, eat your heart out”!!

We have decided to stay another day and explore this beautiful village. The first stop will be the Castle. Up at six, and had a good soaking shower after a good nites sleep.

Breakfast downstairs in their enormous dining room consisted of cold meats, cheeses, yoghurt crusty rolls orange juice and very strong brewed coffee. Boiled sausages, scrambled eggs, cereals, hot chocolate and local pastries also available.

Heather then went for a very long walk around the lake taking in the vista including Slovenia’s only tiny island with a castle on it. It was cool, overcast and occasionally drizzling. I caught up on these notes in the foyer where WiFi  works well, and wrote several emails, and Skyped John Gleeson.

Then we drove up the windy and very steep road to the castle car park. Passing buses on the way up was a challenge. 7.50E each to go in, but worth every cent. Many, many flights of stairs with outdoor sitting and viewing areas in places, hanging right on the edge of the rock face. In the castle ‘tower’ was a ancient printing works where the alleged first printing press outside China stands, and is still in use for tourist souvenirs. We had our names and the date printed on hand made parchment, with a wax seal, 6E.

Up further flights of stairs to the castle museum with very modern fittings. An excellent history of the area and many archaeological objects dating back thousands of years.

Bled was first mentioned in writing in the year 1004, and the Castle was built in 1011!!  We should return to Bled in two years for their milenium!

The castle was build and used by the ‘Bishop’ of the time. A powerful position responsible not ony for the souls of the flock but also their governance. He would have had it made here—imagine after mass; sitting outside with a glass of port and a pipe, overlooking the snow covered mountains and the lake way below!!!  Heaven at his very feet.

After we drove back to our hotel, Heather decided to explore the town further, and I was ready for an aviation ‘fix’ at nearby Leske (4Km away). I found my way to the local airstrip—just a wet grass field that really needed mowing.

I called into the almost deserted public ‘restaurant/bar’ on the field and tried to chat to the only bloke at the bar. He was imbibing a huge glass of red wine, so if he was a pilot, wasn’t flying today. After a slivovich, I found out he was indeed a pilot, in fact the local instructor (CFI). Quite grumpy at first, but when I explained I was from Australia and flew a 172 there, he lightened up, and became quite friendly. He took me over to the local hanger and shower me a jet fuelled Cessna 172 which they use for ab-initio training. Avgas here is about 1.73E/litre (about $A3.50!!), so the club trained was re-engined with a Lycoming 340 diesel engine ( as many now are being converted). JetA1 fuel is only about 80 eurocents/litre, and in cruise the 172  uses about 18 litres/ hour; so it works out about a quarter the fuel cost compared to avgas (30+ litres an hour in mine; unless high and well leaned).

The JetA1 engine needs no carby heat or mixture control so only has one throttle lever. And the variable pitch prop is self adjusting in flight also! The elevation of the Leske-Bled field is 509Meters ( about 1650 feet, same of Kyneton) but the surrounding mountains are about 7000 feet, with the highest nearby 9000! After takeoff here and climb here, its onlt abot 15 mintes to he Capital, Ljubliana!

I watched a 172 doing circuits in marginal visibiity, but guess the locals know the area!

My ‘new friend’ Marko then took me to their local Clubhouse and shouted me a tiny glass of a berry flavoured potent ‘liquor’ which he says is very popular in Slovenia!!  Not sure if it was flavoured JetA1 or AVGAS!!! It was very syruy, and had seeds and fruit sediment in the glass. This Clubhouse is a tiny timber structure set on a grassy area amogst local trees with the snow covered mountains as a backdrop. Stunningly beautiful. And on the edge of the field a quaint thatched ‘hut’ surrounded by a couple of old Blanik gliders; gliding being very popular in Europe.

On the way back to Bled, found a post office and bought some stamps.

In the evening we had dinner in the hotel dining room-fixed menu for 14E each—‘turkey stew with buckwheat dumplings’, nice thick vegetable soup, gelata-like ‘icecream’ and rich, sweet cake.

Early to bed after a great day.

WEDESDAY 22^nd APRIL 2009

Breakfast downstairs in the dining room. Cheese, meats, nice bread rolls, juice and very strong coffee. A beautiful sunny day in Bled today, so took a couple more pics of the snow capped mountains which are much more visible this morning.

Packed up in our room and I paid by Visa for the extra nite, plus the dinners for both nights.

Drove off towards Trieste and the Italian border. Excellent roads in Slovenia, and the speed limit seems 130Km at least on all freeways in Europe. Thru several more tunnels and high mountains with snow on both sides. Took a couple of pics of the mountains in our rear vision mirror whilst driving. Just over the Italian border, thru Autostrada ticket place, then on thru Trieste  towards Venice. Traffic huge with a bumper to bumper convoy of trucks in RH lane—Romanian, Polish, Hungarian, Austrian, Slovenian and Italian!!.

Very tense driving conditions, requiring cnstant concentration and hence quite tyring. Bypassed Venezia (been there, done that!!), and on past Padova.

A long drive today, so pulled off the Autostrada  at Montegrotto Terme and found an Albergo in a rural spot nearing Duo Carrara. Looked deserted, but a young girl greeted us, and somehow without any English/Italian, we organised a room, with breakfast, for 60E. Some confusion re taking Visa, the girl phoned ‘le petroni’ and it should be alright. Looking for a restaurant, there was one adjoining, and we had a couple of vinos there, 1E each—very good value.  A number of light aircraft flying over the region-- its so flat I guess there are nearby small airstrips.

Later, we were told that the Restaurant was closed for the nite, we could have dinner at the Albergo at 8pm!!. Lucia, Dominico, Michaela and the young girl and us all had dinner in thier private table area. Lovely spaghetti with modest meat sauce and parmesan cheese (applied by Dominico with an electric grater!!). Followed by duck/goose, roasted by Lucia in a small shed in the back yard; I think it was running round he ard when we arrived! Served with sliced tomato, lettuce and crusty bread. Followed by brewed coffee. Our first night in Italy, and a truly ‘home’ Italian meal, and somehow we managed to communicate with them. My Italian was better that their English—if that’s possible!! An extra 30E for dinner, total 90E for the nite.

THURSDAY 23^rd APRIL 2009

After a good nites sleep, up and showered in our cammara. During the nite, a lot of thunder and heavy rain and the ground very wet. Strolled round for breakfast at ‘otto horo’ as requested, but no one there! It turns out that Luicia and the girl live about 10km away, and they arrived by car shortly afterwards. Breakfast was sweet filled pastries, coffee, and fruit. Simple, but plenty. Again—when in Rome--

We left right on 9am, it was raining . Onto the Autostrada and got a new ticket. (and paid by credit card as we left a/strada last evening). Traffic building up, with many trucks again.

Won’t drive too far today. On towards Ferrara and Bologna, and stopped just before Bologna at a road house. Had a coffee/chocolate here and I wrote these notes in the roadhouse. Will go on past Bologne and pull off for a good rest in a small village somewhere. Yesterday was thru very flat country in the afternoon after Trieste, today we approaching the mountains of northern Tuscany. Gone 85Km so far, only about 90Km from this stop to Firenze.

Drove on past Bologne, thru five tunnels, and left the Autostrada, paid Visa at 12 noon, and wound our way thru windy seconday roads, little traffic, to a small village where we had lunch at a tiny village, at a ‘bar’, and had the best spag bol with parmesan and olive oil and stale? crusty bread. Heather had ‘macaronni  bolognese’. Bottle of wine placed on the table, cost 22E for lunch, cash! (?S.Benedetto).

On to Piano del Voglio, heavy rain and lightning/thunder, but cleared after a few Km. Beautiful little piassa, but the albergo had no rooms left. Had a walk round here, then about 2Km to a small mini-village, almost back onto the Autostrada, and booked into Drago Verde  in the area of Piano Del Voglio. Paid Visa, 65E including breakfast.  Settled ito our room by 3PM.

High up in the hills here, with a great view towards Firenze, but got quite misty and foggy in late afternoon.

This place has a wood-fired pizza oven-modern, but traditional, with lomg handled paddles like a bakers oven. Doing a great take-away trade, also a number eating in like us.

For dinner Heather had scllapino al funchi porcini, and I had pizza margarita with prosciuto, both were excellent. Before dinner, couple of grappas and lady put some pistachio nuts and mini easter eggs on our table.

Heather tried to explain the quotation on the side of the menu—a Becks Beer ad—‘Live or exist—You have the key”. Her explanaion went through to the keeper, and until my intervetion, she almost ordered a large bottle of Becks!!!!

Took pics of pizza coming out of the oven and lady petroni took a pic of Heather and me.

Up to our room about 8:30, breakfast is at ‘otto hora’ in the morning.

FRIDAY 24^th APRIL 2009

Down to breakfast, at 8am, only one other couple there yet but I think quite a few were staying overnite. Lots of noise till about midnight, I think lots of ‘take away’ pizzas sold on a Friday night.

Light wog breakast, capachino, juice, pastries, ‘easter eggs’ in basket on the table, and a red-hot bead crusty roll cooked in the wood fired pizza oven—too hot to handle at first: delicious with butter and ‘nutella’, a bit of a callenge for the choppers!.

Left at 9am, onto the autostrada, and towards Senna??—after exactly 100Km and about 10:30am, pulled off autostrada anf found ourselves in Terranuova Bracciolini, Valdarno, Aresso area. Booked into a nice, modern hotel— Hotel Michaelangelo (yes, there has to be one in every town in Italy!!). 56E for the nite inc breakfast, plus E5 for WiFi, ie 61E altogether inc breaffast. Good value for close to Tuscany.  Had quite a rest day here, I drove roud a bit to check for Diesel, directions to Greve etc, then back to pub. Had a couple of ‘TGIF drinks at a bar next to the hotel—served with peanuts and little hot ‘entrees’, quite a few of the locals there!.

Then had dinner at Ristorante Valdarno via Poggilupi nearby. Heather had scalapine Porcini , and I had ‘roastpork’—thin sliced with a suerb flavour; also shared a lettuce salad—lettuce only!!. Great meal for E29 inc a couple of drinks.

Back at the hotel, spent some time on www, then to bed pretty early. And a good nites sleep.

SATURDAY 25^th APRIL 2009

Up early, down to breakfast at 7am. Lots of quackers staying the nite here also. Modest meat slices, cheese, coffee, juice (?cordial), and a coussant each.

Back in our room, we Skyped Thelma—no answer. Then Heather Skyped Jane, and we heard the news that Thelma is very ill and has been admitted to Bendigo. Skyped Bendigo hospital and Heather spoke to the Dr, then get Chares Kerr from Castlemaine working in Cas/emergency Bgo, and he told Heather the REAL story, and discussed options.  Calls to Peter, Ian Campbell, both are going to Bendigo. Very upsetting, and our plans now need to focus on the possibility/probability that we may be flying home in a day or so!!

Heather understandably is very very upset, and I’m ready and prepared to travel back with her if necessary.  And we’re so close to our ‘villa’ in Lamole,Greve in Chianti.

We checked out at 11am after calling the hospital again and being told Thelma is stable, has eaten a bit,  but has pneumonia and in being treated with antibiotics. 

Onlyabout an hour from Lamole, so drove on thru very windy but good sealed secondary toads twards Greve, . Stunning scenery, ‘drop dead beautiful’ as they say about stunning girls.  Numerous ‘switch-backs’ on the road, thru mountains, very narrow roads. Good Ferrari country.

Eventualy to Greve, a brilliant town’ in the heart o Chianti, Tuscany. Late Sat am, very busy so hard to find a park. Parked up a side street, then a long walk, found the village square (actually a triangle), filled with saturday market stalls. Bought a pannini porchini each, stunning local food. Ony 2.50E each this is made from the local tuscan black and white porkers; with plenty of herb flavours and olive oil.  Walked round the square, bought an Eng/Italian dictionary and a novel for Heather, then back to car. Then on towards Lamole and ourvilla, Got lost up tiny narrow roads, lots of rough gravel; evetualy found casa al Prato with help of a young motorbike rider. Waited quite a while for Marina to arrive ad show us in.

Looked boring initially and not like on WWW, but later we were delighted and very pleased with the place. Maria had a message for Heather regarding Thelma, which we knew we would get,.

Followed Marina to Panzano to a friends enoteca and got a bottle chardonnay and half-bottle of grappa for $82A!!!!! Asked if the flavour of the grappa which was suerb, came from the oak!—“Non le quercha, l’ barriqua!!----“ A very interesting discussion in Italian followed.

Called the hospital on phone at back at our Casa, Thelma is stable, has eaten a bit, has had a bood tranfusion, and is sleeping soundly. 

Heather and I drove to the Lamole village square before dusk, to the local  restuarant and had cappachino, bought bread, salami and cheese for breakfast. Briliant views round the countryside. A Yank at the restruarant  took pic for us, also nice young Italian had a yarn, and the girl in the Restruant speaks excellent english. We will probably come to this place for diner tomorow nite.

Back at our ‘villa’, sat outside for a while, then made coffee in  our casa, had a bit of cheese and salami before bed, (and I wrote these notes).

It has been a very long and trying day, especially for Heather. We will go to Greve early am where we will have wifi and can call Bendigo and Ian, Peter and others. We hope Thelma is recovering—as Heather says-she is as tough as old boots—she will make it!!.

SUNDAY 26^TH APRIL 2009

Up about 6:30.  At last I have mastered the gas stove and the coffee boiler. Made nice coffee at last,  freshened bread up in damp cloth in oven (electric), toasted slices, nice cheese and a very soft, meaty and mild salami. Our first ‘home manufactured meal’.  Will drive to Greve this morning for Skype calls to hospital, and must get gasolio!!

Tackled the windy narrow road to Greve at about 9am. It had rained overnight, and is still drizelling so the roads are wet also. Ten Kilometers of constat switch back curves. Very little room for two small cars to pass, but the ocal drivers are generally very considerate and careful. Occasionaly thru tiny hamlets where the first car in goes thru while anyone coming the other way just pulls over and waits. Also many narrow bridges.

Parking in Grve is a premium, but found a park and walked in the rain to the café which has free wifi if you buy a coffee! Had to show passport for this service, first time, and then one hour free.  Heather skyped Bendigo hospital and talked to the nurse. We got a much improved report on Thelma this morning (early evening home time). She  is on a/biotics for pneumonia, blood count has improved. She is bright, eating ad has even been up walking. She may be discharged in a day or so back to her hostel at Castlemane. She is havng some oxygen for her breathing and is to have a coloscopy /gastroscopy to check the source of the bleed.

Heather even sopke to her and now we are much more confident that she will make it and be OK in a few days. Also skyped Jane, and I skyped Bianca. It is cold and wet in Victoria, so we will have had some more rain at home.

Drove about 2km thru Greve and found a servo for gasolio—it only took cash and a loca guy sowed me how to use it, self service, and even swapped one of my crumpled notes which machine wouldn’t accept, for one of his.

Then drove back to Lamole past Casa al Prato, and on down/up/round the very poor gravel road  to Panzano. Still a bit raining, walked to  tiny mixed business shop and bought spagetti, ‘frozem’ meat, can of tomatos and iolive oil for our ‘meal’ tonite.

On way back to Casa, saw the tuscan pigs with young ones in a pen-beautiful, if possible for pigs to be beautiful. Certainely taste great!!

Drove into the square at Lamole and had a late lunch in the restrarant. It was packed with at east 60 customers. Quite expensive (E45 for us), but Heather had beautiful braised beef on mash with a great sauce, and I a had Italian pork sausages with white beans, and we shared a platter of roasted vegetables. Capsicum, leak, egg plant, zucchini slices. Beautifully prepaed.  Also bought a couple of apples to take away—I think they were a ‘bonus’. A Dane couple spoke to me, ask if Oz, they had noticed. They speak Dansih, German Italian and English!. Think they are finding life tough as they have to spend time each year in England, in their villa in Greve and aso their place in the Bahamas. Makes you feel sorry, does’t it. They told us ‘our Mary’ from Tasmania is very popilar in Denmark, as their next queen!!.

Rested in our Casa, it became quite cold. I phoned Marina, got? Nicola?? With question—Poso  Loochay Fwoko? (phonetic)—yes, of couse we could—so we lit a nice little fire in the lounge room and were surprised how warm it became, just using the offcuts of ?oak/pine timber supplied.

Made spagetti with the meat, tomatoes, olive, and lots of the sage growing outside, also some garlig we bought in a jar in Skvirin. With some of our bread, we had quite a feast.

MONDAY 27^th APRIL 2009

Up about 7am in our ‘villa’ .  Had breaffast of brewed coffee and a couple of slices of toasted bread.  Then drove into Greve, wet roads again, quite cool and still a bit of light rain.

Went to the Café with free wifi—had cappachino, and wifi free for an hour. Heather skypedBendigo hospital, Thelma much better, will probably be discharged in a day or two at most. Heather spoke to her, and is more relaxed now about her health.  Also  skyped Jill Lorham, and Jane. Email to Liz. I checked shares  and Visa-forget to bring token to check Regional One a/c.

Met and talked to three French/Canadian people on leaving café. A long work to the toilets-0.50E for a  pee. Then over the bridge and into the square, which is actually a triange. Found the butchers shop—supposed to be the most famous in Italy. Large, very interesting shop, and also a ‘museum’ of butchers tools and their art. Numerous legs of cured pork hanging, also some wild boar. Brought some fresh sausages—E7.50/Kg, also some packed salami slices. Took many pics, numerous tourists there just for pics.

Drove back to Casa thru Lamole.  Cooked up rest of spagetti and meatsauce from last night for lunch—vey nice. Also had an apple.

In arvo Marinas daughter called re: guests arriving later today..  I drove towards Pazano to ‘home enota’ place, and bought 2 bottles chardy??, also a 5 litre jar from a local farmhouse. Wine 10E/bottle, jar E4.

A German trio arrived, hard to communicate. Then an Aussie couple with two teanage sons. Good to talk to some aussies again! Marina arrived with more light fire wood and the ‘tuscan meat’ (proscuito) promised when we booked!. Told her we woud stay till Thursday morning and paid her—cash; E270.

Aussies downstairs, Germans upstairs and sharing the kitchen with us.  In evening I cooked some of the sausages—brilliant snags—like bullboars, but better, also a couple of spuds the aussie couple gave us.

Lit a fire, raining quite a bit outsde, fire smoking a bit. Heather cleaned up my kitchen mess, and to bed early.

I wrote up notes, and communicated to German man and his French ‘women’. Showed them some pics of our stopovers in Germany; also about missing M/Benz museum. He lives/works?? somewhere near Leonburg. They drove here from Germany in two days—and we have to fly for 24 hrs before driving anywhere in Europe!!

TUESDAY 28^TH APRIL 2009

Up about  7:30,  breakfast of cold Greve snags, toast, cheese, coffee. Fine morning, a bit of sun but still cool and a bit overcast.

We drove into Greve and found a park easily, and again went to the café with free wifi. (Café St Anna). Heather skyped Bendigo hospital and Thelma has had a good nite, a little bit of tachycardia, but is going well. Skyped Peter, also Ian. I send email to Trazel who is now back in Myanmar.

I checked balances of ANZ visa ad Regional one accounts, also Comsec chares—best they have been for six months, but still well below the ‘limbo stick’.

Bought some groceries from a small alimentaria in a side street in Greve. Tinned tomatos, spuds, bread, apples, soft drink,.

Spoke to Ausies, decided we would have lunch at the restarant at Choichoi, about ten Km thru  Greve. Drove there, beautiful country side studded with hillside vineyards and olive groves. Found restrurat, excellent menu at reasonable prices. But closed!!   Boght a couple of 1.l bottles on vino bianco de casa at a tiny store nearly next door.

On way back, stopped an another restaurant, also closed. So back into Greve, to a nice Pizzarea near main square. I had a superb thin crusted pizza, Heather had seafood risotto. An excellent lunch and not too over the top.

A slow scenic drive back to casa al Prato, it is now starting to rain, and quite cool again. Heather started a fire with the wood supplied, and I cooked dinner—Greve sausages, spuds and tomatoes. Also some brilliant local pesto that I had bought from the small wine shop. Sure it was basil, garlic, olive oil, and a lot of strong flavoursome cheese mixed in .  Definitely home made!!

Nice and warm in our casa. The German group came back from visiting Sienna and had tea here. We played music I had downloaded on my computer. Downloaded the pics I have taken for the day; mostly vineyard scenes plus a couple of near out villa.

WEDNESDAY 29^th APRIL 2009 

Up 7am, bath/shower; had breakfast of cold sausage, cheese, bread and pesto. Four seasons in one day today! Overcast in am, sunny later, also rain, hail, and sun again, and warm in car!

Drove into Greve about 9am to internet café—free with E10 worth of Cappas!!. On way there, thru tiny village with houses clutching road; old lady standing in middle of road with walking stick talking to a neighbour  up several floors. Didn’t hear the car, so we just stopped and waited. After a few moments she noticed us, an ambled off the centre of the road. Such is life in rural Tscany!! 

Heather skyped Bendigo hospital, Thelma doing well, still bit of tachycardia, Heather spoke to her, very bright and confident.

Decided to drive to Siena today, only 39Km away. A very windy road, but excellent surface. Found our way to Sienna and to the centre of town to a public car park, difficut to follow directions to pay to get out later with the car. Took the fenuncuar ( henceforth called the vernacular) up FIVE long steep esculators to the level of the ancient part of town. Walked around St Fransesco church and square, university area, and up the ancient streets. This part of the city is very very old, alledely pre-dates Firenze as the commercial and banking main centre of Tuscany. Took lots of pics inc Wolf feeding twins-romulas and remus, legendary founders of Rome here!

Had a nice lunch in a sidewalk restuarat, with a couple of boring yanks on our table. Heather got a nice pasta dish with ?tortelenni stuffed with spinach ad cheese and a nice meat sauce, I got beef stew a la Italiano.

Worked out how to pay for our parking and use ticked to get out of the car park. Somehow got out of the centre of Sienna, and onto a rural road. Eventually found the road to Radda and hence to Greve and Lamole. Total Km for the trip, 100Km.

Cooked up spagetti with pesto, canned tomatos for tea; we still have a few provisions left to take as we leave here in the morning. Cold, rain and thunder in the evening. Heather lit a fire, and the water heaters came on again for about an hour!

Downloaded pics I took today onto the computer, and wrote up notes, and to bed by 10:30pm.

THURSDAY 30^th April 2009

Up about 7am, yoghurt, cheese, tomato and pani for breakfast, then packed up and left our Casa in Lamole. Drove to Greve, to café with free internet by 9am. Heather skyped Peter, then the Bendigo hospital and spoke to Thelma. She is very bright and much better, and will proably be discharged in a day or so.

And then it was off towards Firenze on secondary roads—excellent roads, but we were trying to find the Autostrada. Almos got into centro of Frenze, then out with some diffculty, and after getting hoplessly lost again, eventually got on the Autostrada towards Bologne then towards Parma. Got fuel on side road, Thru Parma, stopped at an Auto---restaurant for lunch.

Then on again heading towards Milano, hoping to get off Autostrada about Piacenza. The flattest and most boring part of Italy so far; esp after driving from Greve thru mountans with many tunnels, snow capped alps, and then on to the flat and boring Lomdarby plains. Lots of flooded paddocks beside the road, there has been a lot of rain here.

With some difficulty got off A/strada again and into Piacenza-the most boring place yet. Found a boring but clean hotel—80E including breakfast. This is a Romani area and lots of dark skinned people about. Heather a bit intimidated by them. To break the boredom, the bridge over the river Po in Piacenza collapsed and a number of cars went over, possibly a few fatalities but not sure.

Had tea in a local restaurant and all the locals were watching TV re the bridge which is nearby. I had ‘spaghetti in cliff’ for tea (mussels, a couple of small scampi) and Heather had creamy penne with mussels. Very tasty but not much value at 8.50E each average.

Paid for the hotel before bed, as we plan to have breakfast at 6:30am and then drive on thru Milano and hopefully get to Aosta about 250Km from here by lunchtime and find a good spot and have time for a good look around.

Today has been a bit of a disaster, spent mainly on the Autostrada, or off it and trying to find it again!!!

Not much of interest to report abut Piacenza, even the wolf feeding the twins rom and rem, sitting high on a statue in the centre of the town, looks bloody miserable!!!

A better day tomorrow!!!!

FRIDAY 1^st MAY 2009

It is a public holiday in Italy today (and most of the rest of Europe), so we are not sure what will be open accommodation-wise, diesel and food. Up at 6am for breakfast at 6:30, we ‘plan’ to do all the driving before lunch today and arrive at probably Aosta and book into a pub, and spend some time looking round and or resting.

The drive was initially thru flat flood prone plains of the Lombardi region, quite uninteresting, but part of northern/western Italy. We headed firstly towards Torino and then turned northwards towards Milano. From well south of Milano we could see distant alps covered in snow—probably 150Km ahead, so they are very high and we were only seeing the peaks at that stage.

After bypassing Milano, we headed on past Novara, and after a couple of smoke/piss stops, were at Aosta  by 11am. After trying 3 or 4 hotels, some full up, some not much chop, we booked into the ‘Auto Hotel’ in St Christopha in Aosta. A clean, friendly place and only 50E per night. And they even arranged free wifi wth a password. This is in a besutiful valley, almost at sea level an totally surrounded by mountains towering on all sides and covered in snow high up. An historic old village with many castles and ancient churches.

We are so impressed with Aosta that after lunch at the hotel, we told the lady we would like to stay tomorrow nite also!

We drove up to an ancent church purched on the side on the mountains thru narrow winding roads; I found the ‘airport’—I think helicopters only, but a runway seems to be in existence and being lengthened/improved. One way runway only!!!—approx north/south, but in a fantastic valley surrounded by mountains. Found the aeroclub, but closed; had a coffee at the aeroport café and got some brochures and an excellent map of the area.

A car rally is happening in the area today and tomorrow, and a lot of the officials are staying in this hotel, which is booked out now!!

Got a very good local map, and we are only a few Km from the ‘corner’ of Italy, France and Switzerland. The great St Bernard Tunnel will take us into Switzerland, 5.8Km approx, enter in Italy, exit in Switzerand. And the alternative nearby  Mont Blanc Tunnel, 11.8Km, enters in Italy and comes out in France. Mt Blanc is 15,500ft approx, and it seems the ‘peak’ would be the border of Italy and France.  Haaven’t had a drink all week, so it is like Friday nite at the Elphinstone pub back home, so a couple of beers, wine with dinner and a huge grappa in the hotel before bed, and a good nites sleep.

SATURDAY 2^nd MAY 2009

Up at 7am and showered with difficulty in our small bathroom. Modest breakfast—yoghurt, bread, nutella!!!, coffee. Nutella is very popular all over Europe.

Heather skyped Peter then the Bendigo hospital and spoke to Thelma—she sounds well and very bright. Will stay in hospial for a couple more days probably. Trazel skyped ME!!—she now has skype on her computer, and we were able to chat with my camera on!! Shit I Do need  haircut.

Checked bank a/cs, and Comsec—the shares are holding their own, much better than when we left!

Then out for some exploring. Up the narrow road to the old chrch. Parked there, and had a walk thru the cemetery—many family crypts, wth elaborate masonary work, and it seems many above groupd burials. Also many names on headstones were obviously French, obviously Aosta has many French people in addition to Italian, as it is so cose to borders.

A priest was standing near the entrance to the chrch, and I happened to look at the notice board—Sabato Maggio 2^nd, Matrimione, 11 hors!!  It was about 10;30 and a wedding was about to happen!! What luck. Guests started to arrive and fill the car park, and at about 10 to 11, a great line of cars came racing down from the mounain above, horns blasting, and continued on down to ‘town’ level. Then  three harleys, one modern, one about 1945 and one about 1915 with wedding ribbon arrived in a great roar of engines, followed by a polished black Jeep with the groom!!

The guess were gathering and at about 11:10, a polished black ute arrived with the bride—looking like a Xmas cake—and from a good paddock too!!!! Took a couple of short videos and many pics.

The church dates from the 12^th Century, quite amazing.

We then had lunch at a hotel near the ‘airport’, both had ‘beef and mushroom stew’, which Heather loved. I thought it was OK, but not very Italian. Again..when in Rome….

Heather had a rest in the afternoon, and I went for another explore. Found the plastic ‘Westfield shopping centre!!!—looking for a hairdresser, no luck. But went tru an amazing suermarket/ grog shop and marelled a the bottles of 60%  Absinthe including a local Asta one, and the incredible prices!!!. Then drove p well abovethe old church and got almost stuck in a tiny narrow cul de sac! About 2” each side of the car!! Quite scary, and the peaks of the mountains all around make it quite unnerving—it was very easy to become dissoriented, amost vertigo, infact REAL vertigo!!  Very high above the town below!!!

Found my way back eventually, and wrote these notes in our room. Will have our dinner here again tonight, and then off to and thru the St Bernard pass into Switzerland in the morning. May need a Saint Bernard dog to give me a strong brandy first!!!!

SUNDAY 3^rd MAY 2009

Up at 7am and down to our modest breakfast.  Using ‘text translation’of the www I wrote a short note in Italian thanking our hosts who have been very pleasant, and paid our bill. 183E, which was pretty good for 2 nights accommodation, free wifi, 2 lunches, two dinners, a few cans of beer and a couple of litres of wine.

We headed off about 8am out of the Valle D’Aosta towards the Great St Berbard Tunnel. The road to the tunnel was windey but in excellent condition, and climbed quite a bit until we were well above the snowline. We stopped and Heather threw a couple of snowballs! The approach to the tunnel was through a lengthy concrete ‘overbridge’ above, I guess to keep snow dritfs off the approach road. At the entrance we paid the one way tunnel fee of 36SF (approx 23E), and were given a tunnel instruction brochure and safety guide. The tunnel was well lit and completely straight for about 4Km, then a gentle curve on the Swiss side.

Strict speed limits thru the tunnel—5)Km MINIMUM, 80Km/h Maximum, and must keep 100 metres between vehicles. The rules are strictly applied and severe on the spot fines apply for offenders!!  We were very careful!! 

Half-way thru the tunnel and way below the mountain above, we crossed the Italian Swiss border,  and at 5.85Km emerged into Switzerland. Quite a buzz!!

We drove on, on good non-autostrada roads towards Luserne and stopped in a little village for  coffee/chocolate, and then filled up wth diesel, at Martingy. We then decided to buy a Swiss vignette—40SF, valid for one year, but we will probably only need it for 2 days!! Quite a collection of these now on the car windshield.

Entered the aurostrada towards Luserne and were surprised an the low level of traffic and the excellent roads which allowed great views on the countryside. Surprised to see so many vineyards, especially as we neared the shores of Lake Geneva (Lac Leman).

Late morning we pulled off the autobahn into the ake side town of Vevrey, a superb lake side town—somehing like I imagine Monaco or the south of France to be like. A beautiful park.garden area with hundreds of people, many seemingly local, with kids having picnics on the lawns. A beautiful sunny day, with mountains covered in snow visible across the lake, which is the largest lake in Europe.

Many shore-side restruarants, prices sky high We both had a type of seafood bisque with toast, 8.50SF each—and only about half a cupful! Heather reakons her best ‘meal’ so far.  Hotel prices here were enormous, shoreside 1000SF per nite plus!!.  But this is a postcard-gem of a place!!

So decided to drive on a bit (Switzerlad is pretty small) an find somethinf in a smaller town. Back on the autobahn, and on past Lauserne. It sarted to rain as we left the A/strada up a hill ito a small village, but no accommodation to be found. Then to the shoreside town of Bolle where we found a reasonable pub for 200SF ($240A!!) inc breakfast. They also have WiFi (10SF, but it seems to connect without a passwotd, so no need to pay the extra I assume!).

Our room is ‘different’—clean, Swiss chalet-like, with a bay window. No view of the lake, but it is only a stones throw away when we walk downstairs.

Walked down the street and into a little bar. I had a couple of local beers, and Heather won herself a real local blowfly—painful bastard who wanted to tell us his life’s story which was fucking boring; when all we wanted to do was sit down and relax with a drink. Hs only  claim to fame was that he could speak many languages fluently—including Englsh unfortunately!!  His drivvle included the news that he was 68, had been happily married for 42 years and that his wife was 48. Silly prick  didn’t do the calculations—seems he got marred when she was SIX!! There is one in ever village!!

Bought ‘takeaway’ for tea!!!!—but local, not Maccas!!—I got a type of lamb/kebab  roll with sald and yoghurt in a wrap, and Heather some sort of local hamburger—sort of big meat balls in a bun with salad. We strolled down besore the edge of Lake Gneva to eat our tea. Then Heather proceeded to break her top plate—quite a drama. We will have to try and get some repair kit in the am, and get it properly fixed in the UK.

Could save a fortune here, but really need teeth to gnaw your way around Europe!!

Sat by the lake and ate our ‘tea’—a huge lake, quite hazy and could just make out the snow covered alps on the far side as evening approached.

MONDAY 4^th MAY 2009

Up at 7 and down for a modest breakfast—crousant, coffee, juice, cheese. Heather skyped Thelma, send a couple of emails. Then down street to try and find araldite or something to fix teeth. Got  a tube of 3M stuff, and the local pharmacist gave me an isopropyl alcohol swab so I could clean surfaces to be ‘glued. Left car keys in the pharmacy and a bit of a panic, eventally called back there and they had kept them!! Great! Did my dental mechanc bit, and possibly have effected a temporary fix.

Drove off towards Geneva on excellent secondary roads, then onto the autostrada and through the border control into France. French autostrada tolls are fuckin expensive—8.50E ($17) for about 35Km. Then off and into excellent secondary roads through beautiful French countryside.Through a valley, and stopped for lunch at a very ‘ordinary’ café in Nantua. Only thing on the menu was a sort of meatball thing wrapped in cabbage, with penne in a thin milky ‘sauce’. Quie nice tho, and very filling with some nice crusty bread.

The French autostrada toll places don’t seem to like my credit cards, so we got some euros out from a ‘hole in the wall’ as then accept cash without any trouble!!

After lunch, headed towards Lyon on secondary roads, then near Lyon got onto Autostrada to pass it. Signing was shithouse, as is my French, and got hopelessly lost in very heavy peak-hour traffic. Had to virtually find my way thru the very centre of Lyon, and trying to head towards a rural area but the sign posts kept dissapering. Eventually got back to an Autostrada past Lyon, ultimately off it at Beaujelais, and booked into the ‘Hotel Charme’ Beajulais!!  Belleville—pretty ordinary, and cheap.

When we find out where we are, we will head off to a small rural area village in the morning and avoid the big fucking cities. Had dinner in this pub—shared chicken in creamy sauce, a cheesy side dish, a side salad, then sweets??—white cheese—a bit like yoghurt, and I had a ‘jam tart’??!! Interesting!

TUESDAY 5^th MAY 2009

Up at 7am, not having breakfast here. Emails from Bianca and jokes from Aston!!  Heather skyped her mum, Thelma is now back at Thompson House Castlemaine and is much better. Gleeso skyped me, Lyle also had a yarn to Heather. I skyped Bianca. Checked maps and WWW and decided to head for Vichy, Nevers or Moulins,  all within a couple of hours from Belleville.

The girl on the desk gave some directions towards Moulins, so we headed off in that direction, on secondary roads and hoping to avoid the Autoroutes. Intially the road signs made sense, and then before long we were blindly stumbling our way somewhere roughly northwards.

Along good sealed roads which often narrowed thru towns with very long narrow streets, then into rural areas again. We stopped at a small café to get crousants and coffee; it turned out to be a bakery, so just crousants.

After about 50Km we turned into a side road to what looked like a very pretty small villge; drove into it, lots of nice buildings in a residential area but no one home—so turned the lights out and headed for anther nearby village. Same result. Where is everyone; on the road like us??

Driving around like we are, with zero local knowledge and a couple of dozen words of French and no desire to enter the big towns and cities, is somewhat of a lottery. Today we won the jackpot! We stopped at a café in some non descript main street for coffee. The coffee was warm and wet and vaguely drinkable. On glancing round we noticed quite a few hotels nearby, usually a sign that the place has something to entice visitors.

A stroll along the busy street  dodging trucks and cars revealed some interesting side lanes and ancient buildings, including an enormous abbey, from which many of the buildings and street names were derived.

This place deserved a closer look, and so we booked into the Saint Philibert Hotel, modest but clean and reasonably priced.

We had found a real gem in Tournus, on the river Soane in the Beaujoulais wine region of France.

The abbey, established on 615ACE is an astonishing  huge stone structure with cavernous cloisters, tall stone pillars and ornate religious furniture, statues, figurines  and wall and floor depictions. Entry is free and it is obviously a popular attraction for visitors. During our time here the annual exhibition of antiquities associated with Saint Philibert is taking place, sponsored by the local Rotary Club. We will visit this tomorrow.

Radiating out from near the abbey and down towards the wide Saone river are numerous narrow streets with cafes and bars and all sorts of shops sellng antiques, pottery hens ( Bresse influences). The tiny café were we had lunch served suerb chicken in a cheese sauce with rattatoulie and a fresh side salad and custy bread. The sauces are superb.

After lunch Heather had a local walk and I went for a drive to explore the area around the river. A superb spot, a pity the day is so cold and overcast; perhaps sunny tomorrow.

AT LAST!!, I arranged to have a haircut which included a thorough shampoo and wash in a ladies salon, then a very short cut and beard trim for E17.  I am bald again!!

We had a couple of drinks at a quiet hotel/restarant on the ‘rural’ side of the rver overlooking the ancient town with many pleasure boats plying the water including one flying the Swiss flag.

I had a great thin-crust pizza for dinner, as good as any in Italy!

WEDNESDAY 6^th MAY 2009

A good nites sleep, up for a very modest breakfast of yoghurt cornflakes!!!, a croissant and coffee .

A nice sunny/overcast day , time to explore more of Tournus. We have decded to stay here another nite, perhaps in the hotel on the opposite side of the rver.

Heather went for a long walk, and I went for a drive along the Soane riverbank, trying to find—yes you guessed—the local airfield, which was advertised in a brochure. Supposedly at Cuisery. As with most French directions, after an hour and getting lost, NO airfield!

Watched a huge passsanger riverboat (over 100 metres, 100+ passengers) from Germany berthed at the Tournas port. Suerb cruise boat. Also whilst driving about, watched and filmed a very long  ‘cargo barge’ being ‘pushed’ along the river from the north towards Tournus. The river as a trade route is obviously still busy.

We booked into the Hotel de Soane for the nite, put out things in and continud to explore. I re-visted the Abbey, and this time visited the crypt-an enormous vault below the main floor. Later, we parked and walked a long way to the Greuze hospital museum, dating from the 16^th centuary.  A fascinating place, including the dispensary with over 3000 pottery drug jars-took many pics—why the fuck would a retired pharmacist, bored shitless for 40 years in the profession, have any desire to visit an ancient appothary!!--because in those days pharmacists WERE something I guess—the most interesting thing about pharmacy these days is its history!!

Back to our new hotel, which is under new management and freshly painted, the rooms stink of paint fumes—so we left the windows open all nite; and from our room we had a superb view across the Soane to the old part of the town of tournas.

Not many quackers here, but we had a couple of drinks and then ventured into the restarant for dinner. And here I had the very best mesl of all since we had roast lamb back at Minto!!—

A dozen escarots ( yes snails)—bathed in a suerb olive oil and garlic sauce—with special tongs to hold the shells and fork to pick the meat out!. Served with brilliant fresh crusty bread.  Followed by Carnard de----duck breast, sliced obliquely and cooked to perfection, served with fresh green beans, grilled mushrooms, spicy grilled tomato, and on a plate that remained hot for the duration!! Followed by chocolate mouse—very rich but great. This was the E22 meanu-worth every cent!! The waiter spoke very good English and his service was excellent.

A good nites sleep despite the paint odour, but with the window opened all nite. No breakfast in the AM, as we are heading off towards Nevers or beyond. Very foggy but pretty on the river in the early morning, and I took more pics.

THURSDAY 7^th MAY 2009

Up early, and headed off, planning to stop for coffee and a croissant  on the road. Found our way to the virtually quarternary  roads towards Charolles but the French signs are extremely frustrating on minor roads. Eventully got onto an excellent secondary road, avoiding the autoroutes, and drove thru superb French countryside. Thru Buxy, Givry, Couches, Autun, Chateau-Chinon.

Stopped at a car park and had a nice roadside lunch of salami,cheese, olives and pickled cucumber .  Thru great fields of canola, and numerous vineyards—the vines are cut back to about 1 foot high each year by the looks, and the new shoots must bear the fruit a bit above that. No need for expensive trellising or irrigation—and this is the heart of the Burgundy district.

Then on thru Chatillon e-Bazois,  St Benin-d’Azy, Nevers, la Guerche, Nerondes, Avord, and to Bourges where we got totally confused looking for a hotel. Evntually found the Bourbon Hotel in an old Castle—E145/ nite, plus 15E for wifi for 24 hours. Almost took it, but got a map from that hotel and found we were almost next to a street full fo pubs, and right on our route out of town tomorrow. 

So booked into Hotel de Berry, 48E—more our budget. Right opposite the very busy railway station, but clean, basic, and affordable. Had a couple of drinks at a pub opposite, and may get takeway pizza/pasta for dinner!

Have free wifi in our room, but still can’t sent email, but got 11 emails—mostly junk.  Will fix it later.

Yes, pizza for dinner—nice and real ‘Italian’, but olives still had pips! Heather had spag bol, nice.

It rained during nite, also lightening and thunder. Heavy traffic with frequent trains till late.

FRIDAY 8^th MAY 2009

Up early, no breakfast so we were on the road before 8am. Easy to get out of Bourges and onto the ‘green roads towards Tours. Little traffic in early am (found out in the evening that it has been a public holiday!!) Stopped at a  little café in Vierzon for cappachino (very strange strong coffee with whipped cream!!); and croussants.

Continued on thru Tours, navigating well and sticking to the great secondary roads thru rural French countryside and quaint villages. Paddocks of canola out everywhere, also the vineyards of course with their short, foot high vines in early leaf.

Thru Neulle-Pont Perre, ad near Chateau du-Loir pulled off road to look at a horse stud/pony club, and took pics for Bianca.

Then on thru Ecommoy and shortly before Le Mas, thru Mulsanne!!.  Then what a bonus, drove thru some of the le Mans circuit, down the Musanne straght!!—what a buzz. Took pics here and short videos. No trouble through Le Mans which is very big with a large old city part, and stopped for a ‘picnic lunch’ at a small Total sevos’ park at Beaumont-s-??  Had some Czeski sausages, and a fresh crusty bread stick.

Then on to Alencon where we found the 2 star Marmotte hotel, for 40E for the nite. An excellent spot, on the north sde of the town with easy access to the road towards Caen in the morning.

Free wifi here, did a bit of research re Paris trips, address of Hspano bloke in Thieville near Caen, then called him on Skye (Eric Lampeuer) who is working on MY ex-Hispano!!, and I hope to visit tomorrow!!

Light arcraft towing gliders from neaby airfield, so of  course I had to investigate. About 4km, found the Alencon aero club and talked to a couple of pilots there—C150, also several German RAA aircraft, and a Robin used for glider towing. Took a few pics and watched giders for a while. Avgas is very dear here also, something like E1.80/litre. They had  a one-way sealed strip-770 metres with parralel grass strip for gliders.

At last found what ‘Carrafour”?? store is—went to get a corkscrew, they are en enoromos supermarket selling everything.  Beer wine and food are much cheaper than we have been paying-I think the frogs are ripping us off. Beer less that 1E / can, wine from E2.50 bottle.  Also bread, cheap fresh fish, meat, hardware, plants, the lot!

Down the street for a drink and take away pizza, and we met a pommy couple there who are staying in same pub as us. Had a good yarn, and got some good advice re trvelling in UK. Good to talk same language again for a while!!.

SATURDAY 9^th MAY 2009

Up for an early start, hope to visit Eric Limpulear the Hispano restorer today, and then get within striking distance of Paris.

On excellent secondary roads thru beautiful rural countryside with rolling fields of canola, and other grain crops. Every small village has its church spire, a centre with narrow streets and ancient buildings, and most also a ‘castle’ of some kind.

We drove through Sees, Motree, Argentan, and at Falaise, and after ‘tossing a coin’, towards Lisieux rather than Caen—only knew that Eric lived in a tiny village Thieville which wasn’t on even the most detailed map; but from his email it was somewhere between Caen and Lisieux. About half way to Lisieux we came to a small village of St Pierre-s-Dives, with no signs to find Thieville.

By chance we were held up by a big tourst Bus backing out of a private drive, and I decided to ask the local chap directing it out. Showed him the word Thieville, and he knew what I was looking for, only a couple of Km back down the road we were on!  After driving the 4km we turned into the only road on the right, no signposts, and after 500 metres we came to a dead end. As luck would have it, an ‘old’ bloke and a young boy were pushing a 2 wheeled cart full of grass clippings along the road, and I asked them where Thieville is, and they gave me directions, only a few hundred meters away!

We are now getting closer to finding the needle in the haystack!!!

We turned into the next ‘lane’, over a pretty little creek bridge, and there was a tiny sign THIEVILLE!!.  But only about one street!! I drove slowely along this street, and the driver of a little Renault Van kept blowing his horn for me to get out of the way! He then pulled into his drive, so we stopped and  asked him if he knew of Eric Limpaulear!!—

We struck gold—Erics plae was the one wth a ‘green door’—(I thought he said green Porsche); so we turned back about 100 metres and thee was the sign Mercato-Resto on a big wooden GREEN door.

In a tiny lane with a very high wall on one side, and an ancient building amlost falling into the lane! I entered the ‘green door’, and there in front was a  yard full of ‘dead’ Citroens, something vintage under some canvas, and other assorted wrecks.Then into the open shed to the left, and there is was!!!—my Hispano under restoration,  and about 4 other Hispano chassis, egines, gearboxes etc.!! I called out for ages, finally up an ancient spiral saircase Eric heard me and came down.

A very nice unassuming chap who is also a private pilot, and flies locally. He says he can see the beach where the Normandy landing took place very soon after take off from a neighbours farm!!.

I had a great guided tour of his worshop, also covinced Heather to have a look!!

Next to my car, the ex-Peter Ustinov car and the ex-Hewison 8 litre engine and chassis!! Forty years ago mine and Hewisons’ cars were sitting side by side in  his shed in Romsey, Victoria!!

The work Eric is doing is brilliant, amost surgical. He restors Hispanos for owners from USA, and all over the world. Of course I took many photos. He offered to have me follow him to a nearby hotel, but we decided to get further on towards Paris.

I got good directions, and will email him some photos, and he will send me progress pics of my former Hispano. I left the pics of my car there for the present owner, Hanns Veenobos.

What a day!!!!

We then drove on thru Lisieux, had a bite of lunch from the car boot at a roadside stop, and then drove thru Evreux, and finally found a great pub, after two were full up, at Chauffor. E65, plus E4 for 3hrs wiffy!. Surrounded by fields of canola and rolling plains, in a quiet place with off the road with parking right at our door!.

I drove back into the centre of Chauffor  village to get some cigs for Heather—went thru a huge supermarket, but food shops don’t sell cigarettes!!  GOOD!!!—only Tabac shops!!

We are now only about 69 Km from Paris!!! And plan to drive to Versailles in the morning early and stay there, and have a full day in Paris!—before returning the car to Calais on Tuesday morning.

SUNDAY 10^th MAY 2009

Up early and we were on the road towards Paris at 7:45AM. Only 70Km to Paris and about 55 to Versailles. We met the Autoroute soon after Chauffor and were on excellent roads all the way. We were in Versailles without any problem by 8:45am and found the first hotel and booked in—the Novotell at Versailles, E129. Parked the car in a tight spot on the street, and checked into our room, then bought a Cappacnino each for ‘breakfast’!.

Got some directions from reception, and with help from a young male student, got the bus nearby to the train station-Gare des Chantiers. Where we bought day passes (Paris Visite) for all day use of the metro, buses and trains. Train from des Chantiers took us from Versailles to the edge of Paris in about 15 minutes; to Montparnasse Bienvenue.  From here we changed to the metro and in about 5 minues were in central Paris at Gare Bir-Hakeim, directly opposite the Eiffel Tower!

What a city!! After looking round for a while we eventually found the bus stop for all day tour of Paris, amidst the throng of vendors of crappy little models of the Eiffel tower. We took the Yellow Bus tour, about 30E each.

The bus trip was stunning—an astonishingly beautiful city, extremely orderly and uniform in places with an icon round every corner. –Notre-Dame de Paris, Conciergerie, Arc de triomphe, Pont de Neuf, along the Seine, Champs Elise, Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and many many more. Any many many streets of uniformly beautiful yet ancient buildings—many on six levels.

The bus had a headphone system with many languages so we got an excellent English account of the history of Paris and the places we passed during the tour.

We were both quite overwhelmed during the tour, and particularly when we got off the bus. We had to have a glass of wine in Paris, even if it was chateau ordinaire, and 19.80E (about 40A$) for a glass for each of us!!!!.  Of course, as the Spanish F1 GP was being run, I had to watch the last 15 laps in the café!!!—Brawn again—Jensen Button 1^st, Barrachello second and Mark Weber third!!!!

A very friedly French couple helped us with the Metro, the above round train, and onto the bus back to Versailles. They live in Versailles and speak excellent English. The guy is joel.quemener@free.fr  and he is a sales manager for Eurocopter France.

Back to our hotel which is in Place de la Loi in Versailles, very near the palace of Versailles which I must drive past in the morning-but it will be closed!!! We were back at our hotal by about 4pm and hadn’t eate all day, so went to a nearby restrurant for dinner. I had some kind of ?Egyptian dish served in a very very hot  pottery dish with a ‘chimney-type’ handle. Some sort of boiled chicken in a thin liquid with potatoes and a half tomato on top and half a boiled egg on that!!. Very spicy.  DIFFERENT!

MONDAY 11^th MAY 2009

Up at 5:30am!!, for an early start to try and avoid the Paris Monday morning peak hour after a long weekend.

Settled up at the hotel, and drove off at 6:45am. Trying to follow the roads out of Versailles. The inbound to Paris traffc started outside our hotel at 5:40am, and was really building up as we drove off. The first few kilometers were OK, and then of course we got lost; over the Seine about five times, somehow on the road IN to Paris and close to the city with an enormous traffc build-up.

Finally got on the outbound road through Pontoise  and onto the Autoroute (by default), but we were getting such a good run that we stayed on it. A couple of short stops and we were soon on past Beauvais and Amiens, and it seemed we would get to Calais by noon.

We had decided to stay the nite in Calais and return the car by 10am tomorrow as per the contract but as we were so early, we continued on into the Calais Car Ferry Port and without any hitches, right to the terminal. The Peugeot lease lady was there and so on the spot we arranged to leave the car and get a ferry to Dover today!!

We have covered 6726 Km in the little car, and are so pleased that it has now been returned without the slightest scratch after driving all over Europe in the past five weeks!! The lease lady did a thorough inspection of the vehicle and it got full marks, and we signed the release form, and then went to the ticket office and bought our tickets to Dover with a ferry (P&)) due to leave in five minutes!!

Thru customs and into the waiting area, but the ferry was over an hour late departing. We left at 2pm for a pretty rough crossing in quite choppy seas. And a very slow crossing, it was about 4pm when we reaced Dover.

Outside we got a taxi and asked to go to the nearest decent pub in Dover, and were taken to the Premier Inn.  56 pounds GB.  Went to the little pub next door and had a great English dinner of bangers and mash—the ‘9 pounds for 2 meals’ deal!!

It is bloody cold and very windy here, and we’ll have the heater on in our room overnight. Got emails from Gleeso and Jill Loorham, checked banking on the www, and looked up some car rental places in Dover.

We will possibly get a car for at least seven days and drive around England, Wales and Scotland, and leave it near a ferry port to go to Ireland (Republic).

TUESDAY 12^th MAY 2009

Up about 7am and had a good shower—someone said the poms only had a bath once a year, but the taps weren’t  rusted over!!!  Then over to the restruant (almost next door) for a Premier Breakfast- eggs,bacon. Small pork sausages, grilled tomato, mshrooms. Also cereal, yoghurt, coffee/tea. Toast/croussants and juice.

Booked a rental car from Europcar, Dover, and we got  taxi to the rental office. A VW Pollo—pretty ordinary, and I got them to top up the oil!! Drove off and no trouble getting out of Dover and onto some great secondary roads through beautiful English countryside.

Past many fields with sheep and cows grazing, also open paddocks with canola and other cereal crops. Lots of ‘typical’ litte English pubs, and thatched houses/cottages.  Heading towards Beaulie and thru Folkstone, Hythe, Dymchurch, New Romney, Rye, Hastings and Bexhill. Then bypassed Brighton, and Worthing. Traffic getting very heavy about 3:30pm, very slow. Eventually drove off secondary road thru some small villages and stopped at Littlehampton on the coast, and booked into an old pub, The Nelson.

An interesting little spot, a fishing village, and very high/low tides. Probably a very busy beach destination in the summer, but many places to let and for sale-maybe isn’t travelling too well during the financial recession.

Had a great tea of bangers and mash, and garden peas and gravy. Great! Also have free wifi  in the pub. No one here when we booked in, but later all the locals arrived and the bar was pretty busy!!

We are about 90 miles from Bealieu here, so will leave early in the morning to avoid the rush hour traffic.

WEDESDAY 13^th MAY 2009

Up very early at Litlehampton.  And on the road at 6:50am towards Beaulieu. Misty drizzle and very heavy traffic made going very slow. Before 9am the going was so slow we pulled off into a  servo/restrurany and had some breafast, and bought a VERY detailed map on UK. By 9:30 the traffic was still very busy and still miserable misty rain. On fairly main roads, then off towards Beaulieu on  secondary roads. Near Beauliau, into a quite farmng area (the New Forrest) and I stopped to take some pics of horses and a foal for Bianca; grazing quietly on the side of the road without any fences.

Found the Motor Museum just after 10am when the gates opened, and already there were a lot of visitors in the car park. 14.75pds each entrance, and even Heather enjoyed the cars on display. The usual vintage ones and several speed record cars inc Campbells Bluebird driven at Lake Eyre, a few F1 cars and the usual motoring ephemera and of course some not so old ‘moderns’. Heather also looked thru the Castle and Abbey and the gardens.

Left Buealieu at 12:30pm and drove on towards and past Oxford, onto the very busy motorway and still in lousy dirty driving conditions. At 2pm we pulled off the Motorway to find a little village pub for the nite. Near Bambury, quite by chance as usual, we stumbled upon the little village of Cropredy and to the tiny pub called Brasenose Arms.

I drove back into Bambury, got money from the hole  in the wall and arranged to change $A tomorrow; bought a shaver and checked out dentists for dental repairs in the am. 

Cropredy is a brilliant little village, beside a channel with many canal boats mooring; thatched cottages, and a very tidy place with a real sense of community. A great little shop also and we bought stamps to send postcards it the morning. Booked in here and for tea.

A great meal—parsnip and goats cheese soup, then chicken with sauteed potatoes, tomato, beans for me, and Heather had chilli concarne. Very nice and filling!!

Tried my frst pint of flat, room temperature beer drawn from the cellars—very bitter, different but great. Took some pics of the village and the canal boats. Our room upstairs is quaint but comftorable, and WIFI works in the bar!!

The bar only had a couple of locals during tea time, then later some 25 or so guys turned up for tea!!—the place was full—two farmers groups of clay shooters, having a meal and presentation after their day of shooting!  Some very interesting local guys, including several involved in canal boating.

Copied most of the computer desktop in a ‘message stik, --all our travel pics, stories and important details. Downloaded today’s pics also.  Nice and comfortable ‘twin’ beds in our ‘unit’ and we both had a good sleep.

THURSDAY 14^th May 2009

Our breakfast at the Brasenose Arms was a real feast—Sausages, egg on spinach on toasted muffin, bacon, little pickled tomatoes, baked beans, grilled fresh mushrooms diced. A REAL English breakfast.

Talked with the owner, an Alan. He’d spent qute a bit of time in Australia—Camberwell High and then politics at Monash. His 90 year old mother has just moved to Australia!!—Alan has a brother there. Told me about the ‘real ale’ and ‘free house’ idea—he can stock any beer he likes from several thosand brands. There is also a local brew from Cropredy.  The beer has no preservatives, no gas-just pumped up and the hops saponins create the head. Served at ‘cellar temperature’.

Very overcast again but not windy.  We drove into Banbury for some shopping and ‘dental repairs’. Bought a UK electrical adaptor which I left at the last place, some AA batteries, a coule of 2Gb ‘Message Sticks’ to copy pics and story onto.  At the bank changed $A2000 and got approx 928GB pound. Looked thru the very large shopping mall behind an ancient façade, heard some of the history of Banbury from the elecytrical guy—Banbury Cross story, Oliver Cromwell staying here, the battle at Cropredy bridge. Took pics of this ancient village, which dates to well before 1600!!

Then found the Motorway and drove on M40 thru Warwick, Coventry, round Birmingham, Tamworth, Notingham and onto the M1, round Shefield, Rotherham  and Barnsley.  Off the M1 just south of Wakefield and looking for a nice little village near Huddersfield.

We are now in South West Yorkshire. Quite a bit of looking round eventually got good directions to the little village of Skelmanthorpe, and the Grove Inn. It has been drissling rain all day, and getting more like rain as we parked here ad booked in.

A basic but interesting old village pub, and we got a ‘unit’ in the B&B attached (But no B for Breakast.

We went to the local Indian restaurant for dinner and the meal was excellent nd VERY Indian. My chicken Tandoori was served in a heavy small heated ‘sizzle-pan’ on a wooden platter, still bubbling! Served with a side dish of plain rice, also a couple of very big papadoms. Heather had lamb Kormu with mushroom rice—a very nice dinner.

Still raining when we waked back to our pub. A nice coal open fie buring in the bar, a few locals.  Had a couple of pints of Tetleys—nice and bitter and very flat of course.  A ‘local’ there had a yarn to us; he had been in Austraia on and off for 30 years-working in the mines in WA.  Told us a bit of the local history, also about the walled town of York.

FRIDAY 15^th May 2009

Pissing rain all night, and as we left our pub , the Grove Inn, Skelmanthorpe.

Drove off early (10 to 8am) heading north on the M1. Dreadful driving conditions with trucks and heavy traffic sending road spay up and visibility almost zero. Round Leeds, and in very heavy traffic, headed towards and round York and eventually Newcastle. Stopped for fuel and breakfast  a roadside stop and back on in the rain, still coming down. And most of the traffic including us and the heavy trucks doing about 90MPH!

After Newcastle, towards Jedborough and the Scottish border, the roads narrowed into country roads, the trucks seemed to vanish, and the rain eased, making driving much more enjoyable.

The landscape changed dramatically with rolling hills and grazing land with sheep, and we came to the Scottish border.  Stopped here and took pics of the English and Scottish flags and a tourist sign reminding us that the border area is the home of the Armstrongs, Scots and Elliots. And that these Border Riever clans will be holding a celebration in September this year.

Drove on to Jedborough, seems a busy tourist area with lots of B&B’s and tourist buses. Found the road to Hawick (pronounced Hoik)( the Hawthorn bushes surrounding a small village (Wick)) , and then to the tiny village of Minto!!, near Denholm.

Still raining, but called into the Fox and Hounds Inn, Denholm, and had a local pint. A chap here told us some of the local hstory, and that the seat of the Elliots is a bit down the road at Newlastleton in the Liddlesdale valley. Had a drink at the other local pub, then booked into the Fox and Hounds B&B for the night—an upstairs room next door, with a lounge room downstairs with a coal fire, a piano, and the bathroom—really quaint!! Only 48GBP for the night including breakfast, and they do meals in the pub!! Told how locals have boveril and a scotch pie at half time at the football!!! Road signs about saying Twenty’s Plenty!!”—(ie miles per hour)

Still pouring rain, but I went for a drive into Minto—pics in the cemetery of Elliot tombstones; the church, village, and golf club. People were playing golf earlier, but have given up in the pouring rain. The gold course and club house look very sunstantial, but I am told I would be welcome in the club bar!

Back at the Fox and Hounds we had dinner in the ‘restaurant’ upstairs- potato and leek soup, then beef cottage pie with mash and cheese melted on top, with new potatoes, carrots, broccoli and peas on a  side dish. A superb dinner and very reasonable. 20GBP the lot.

Sat in front of the little coal fire downstairs, and even had a bash on the piano, which in the middle octaves was even reasonably in tune!  (A Kemble, London—not the greatest make!!).

We went for a walk across the village green, with an elaborate monument to a local poet and scholar John Leydon who was quite a celebrity around these parts. Lots of interesting pictures of historical interest in the Fox and Hounds.

We will visit Newcastleton tomorrow where we should get a lot more information on Elliot ancestery and historical records.

SATURDAY 16^th MAY 2009

Up early, and the rain has stopped and even a little bit of sunshine over the village square.  Down for breakfast at 8am (actually upstairs restaurant). A full breakfast, included in the tariff—cereal, egg, tomato, sausages, grilled little mushroom buds, bacon. With coffee, toast and marmalade. Also had Marmite on toast!!

We then parked outside the post office and were able to get wifi sitting in the car. Heather Skyped her mother, I Skyped Gleeso,  and we collected email. Then I packed up heaps of brochures, dockets, tickets and memorabilia from our trip so far, and posted them back to ourselves at home.  By surface mail, about 1.6Kg plus another smaller parcel, costing about 15GBP. The shop/P.O. had the local newspaper with a front page story of local hero Jim Clark, F1 favourite of mine who lived in the borders.

Then drove up to Minto again, and to the golf club which was having a fundraising ‘morning coffee’.  Lots there playing golf on a very pretty course. We both had ‘tea and scones with jam and cream’!!

Then drove on to Hawick  and found the road to Newcastleton  in the Liddersdale valley where we are told there will be a lot of Elliot heritage information. Through real country roads, and a very bleak  countryside, and starting to rain again. Very windy and hilly road lined with miles and miles of dry stone walls and hawthorn hedges. And unique colored sheep grazing on the hillsides. Some wool-shedding sheep and lambs with back noses, tips of ears, and feet, and snow white elsewhere.

Took the short road  into Hermitage Castle, mentioned as having a very strong Elliot connection. A very imposing Castle, in a green but dreary place, and we entered in pouring rain. The gatekeeper says many people believe it is haunted, and he says he has heard wind chimes near the cess pit!! Had a good look round this ancient place, took photos and bought a booklet and a book mark.

As we left the castle, it stopped raining, but the countryside was still very stark and bleak, though it is obviously very productive. We then drove on thru farming countryside on good narrow winding roads, to the village of Newcastleton.

Two pubs in the village, right next door to each other. A wedding on in town today so one booked out, and we booked into The Grapes 55GBP for the nite including full cooked breakfast. We’re on second floor with shared bog! Hope the others can handle it! Windows are double glazed here, which seems pretty standard throughout the UK.

After checking in, first stop was the Liddesdale Heritage Centre in town, which has a large ‘Elliot’ section. Very interesting, but it gets more confusing the more I delve into the story. The present clan Chief, an Elliott (double ’t’) lives here, at Redhaugh (pronounced Redhew) and I will try and catch up with her. The Elliot Clan reunion is to be here in July.  Some interesting books and booklets here, not for sale, but guess I can trace them on the WWW!

Then drove on to the Eddleston (check!) cemetery. In this rural farming area, the church was destroyed ages ago, but still used for recent burials. This place is full of Elliots, Armstrongs and Scotts. Sadly, the very old gravestones are so worn they are very hard to read—place needs a bit of TLC! I took many pics, but am now convinced that Elliots, however spelt, ALL originated from this region ie say 50 miles radius from here-whether Elliots of Minto, Lauriston,Farnash, Horsleyhill Wolflee Stobbs Hawick Selkirk Jedburgh or elsewhere of the border!!  In other words, make up your own story and stick to it!!. It will be as accurate as any other.

All border reivers, serious thieves, cattle rustlers and pilferers. Even murderers; in self defence of course!!. With no particular allegiance to any place. Only to family and clan; fighting with steel and sword, spilling and letting much blood. Yes, blood IS thicker than water. 

The lady in the Heritage Centre mentioned Wolfelee (another Elliot origin)—“yes, its very dark and grey there, I can imagine the wolves howling on a dark night!!!” A farm with dead crows wired to the fence to try and keep others away from the young lambs.

Driving back into Newcastleton,(know locally as Copswahholm) lots and lots of coal-burning fires with chimneys sending our their distinct smoke, and over quaint ancient stone bridges, with passing spots along the road here and there.

The pub is very busy with people from the wedding. For dinner Heather had a traditional beef pie and veg, and I had Elliots Haggis stuffed Chicken fillet with veg!!! They also have Elliots Grilled Black pudding with bacon on the menu!!

After dinner while we were outside (very hot inside with radiators and heating), a young chap dressed in full Scottish kilt ad socks with white shirt and black bow tie was looking for cigarettes. He botted one from Heather. I noticed the tartan he was wearing was Elliot (modern) ad he was so excited that we were Elliots also. Got his ‘outfit’ for his 31^st Birthday, showed us his sporran and ‘dagger’ and Heather checked that in fact they DON’T wear anything under the kilt!!  Heather took a couple of pics of him and myself, and he is keen to email! (craig.elliot@rpadams.co.uk   or craigelliot150@hotmail.com.)  He told us that Elliots are the only people allowed to get married in Hermatige Castle.

The war memorial in the town green opposite our hotel has the names of at least three Elliots killed in the second world war. This certainly IS a major part of ‘Elliot Country’.

SUNDAY 17^th MAY 2009

Up early, and the sun is actually shining in the square at Newcastleton. Quite a few sore heads around after the big wedding in the village yesterday; even a couple of blokes having a hair of the dog at 7am!!

Again a great breakfast, bacon, egg, sausages, black pudding, tomato and little grilled mushrooms. The sausages are from T Elliots’ butcher shop in the village and other items are sourced locally. Isabelle Elliot owns the local ‘antique shop’. I bought an Elliot novel, signed by David Elliot the author, from the pub. Publican also suggested getting a copy of Steel Bonnets by George McDonald Frazer, which he says is historically correct.

After breakfast we drove the short distance to the vast property at Redhaugh, seat of the present Chief of the Elliot Clan, Lady Margaret Elliott.  We arrived unannounced, and drove up the mile long driveway with the river Hermitage Waters on our right and a dry stone wall on the left fencing the lush green paddocks with long-wooled ewes and young lambs grazing.

At the impressive stone house we asked to see Margaret Elliott who was gracious to accept us even though visitors are not generally accepted in Sundays.

We were shown the Elliot clan room, the repository of many items and historical records pertaining to the clan. Margaret confirmed the haphazard evolution of the four different modern spellings of Elliot.

“ In the early days, many couldn’t read or write. The early spelling may have been Elwald, and later even Elot or Ellot. My Grandfather had a brother who was Elliot, and as they were both professional men of the region, my Grandfather decided to change the spelling of his name to Elliott to save confusion!! And so my name is Elliott, although the clan spelling is always Elliot.”

The chief was quite excited about the coming Clan reunion at her estate in July—“it has previously been held at Hermitage Castle, but that is getting too difficult to organise; and we have more fun here anyway!!”

Our property name of Minto fascinated her, and we agreed to send a couple of bottles of wine—one to put on display at the Clan Room!! We bought a couple of modest Elliot souvenirs and books, and of course I had to have an Elliot tartan bowtie and an elaborately engraved Elliot whisky flask with the crest on—the same as our wine label!!

I had photos taken with the ‘chief’ and promised to join the Clan society when we get home.  We then drove down the long pretty drive and on to the nearby old cemetery of Castleton.

Many many Elliots are buried here. Along with many Scotts and Armstrongs and of course numerous other names, less frequently. I took many pictures, and again it is sad that many of the very old headstones are weather-worn and difficult to read.

We then drove on towards the border and into England and the Lakes District. Through very hilly country, beautiful, but crowded wth people and cars and very difficult to pass. Fascinated by the colored sheep grazing on the roadsides, without any fences. Past many small hotels, which had an air of in-hospitability—I think they have too many customers and the quality of service suffers!

It started to pour rain again, and we backtracked towards Workington, got fuel and were directed to a great little hotel at Great Clifton, Workington.  70GPB including breakfast, and 3GBP for wifi.

MONDAY 18^th MAY 2009

The usual great breakfast at our hotel-this time Cumbrian sausage, mushrooms, eggs, bacon, tomato. Also cereal, juice and toast.

To had rained most of the night and there were still showers in the morning. Trazel skyped me with her new ‘camera’ on computer and we were able to talk and see each other. Heather phoned her mum and I called Bianca.

Then onto the road in lousy conditions, there were nearly flooded roads in places. Through winding mountain roads in the lakes district, through Kendall, then on to the M6 motorway and past Lancaster, between Liverpool and Manchester and onto the M56 at Lymm.

Then over the border at Chester and into Wales. Through Ruthin and other small villaes with unpronounceable names, and with local directions Heather got from a servo, to the small Village of Mold and booked into the Beaufort Park Hotel.  Modern, busy ad boring. 70GBP including breakfast, free wfi.

We had a good dinner at a reasonable price.  Heather Spag Bol and I had local burger with chips and salad.  Bus loads of people here, must be a popular area. I looked up info about canal boats—it may be possible to do a short hire, but a bit complicated.

TUESDAY 19^th MAY 2009

Breakfast at 7:30 at our hotel. Bus loads of elderly folk here on tour—some are almost as old as I am!!  I had ‘Kipper’ for breakfast, very pommie I quess, so now have been there, done that!!—pretty boring, with loads of bones.  But---when in Rome--- Looked up some Wales www sites—may go to LLangollen  to see the horse-drawn canal boats, or book a day trip for tomorrow.

Checked email—reply from Bianca re: New Forest ponies pics I sent. Heather skyped  Liz and her Mum. I send some pics and notes to Trazel, Aston and Bianca.

Paid up and got directions to Llangollen which Heather will follow on our maps. Drove off, again in pouring rain, firstly on busy main roads, then on narrow pretty roads through hilly wooded and farming area, and found Llangollen about 11:30, which is a real gem of a village/town. Parked in the long-term car park, 3.50GPB for the rest of the day.

A very pretty place on  the Dee river. We walked along the rivers edge up lots of steps and to the canal boat warf. A very busy touristy place, with heaps of acomodation options. A very steep village, rising on both sides of the river.

We bought tickets for the 2 hr canal boat trip 11GPB each. The 58 foot narrow boat had 50 assengers on board. Also a bar and snack counter, a duny and a rear deck for about 4 people to stand outside (in the rain) in front of the ‘driver’. I had tea and a scone with jam and cream on board.

Went about four miles on the canal, and over the Pontcysyllte aquaduct built by Thomas Telford in 1830--126 feet high above the River Dee and built nearly 200 years ago—all cast iron on a high stone viaduct. An amazing piece of engineering. Through beautiful countryside with sheep and cows grazing and past some substantial properties. Ducks swiming freely along the canal.

At the canal boat wharf over the viaduct, we all got off and a bus took us back to the start.  Then walked back to book a day-boat for tomorrow 110GPB for 9:30 to 5pm. There are three Pub stops along the way, if we want to tie up for lunch!! The horse drawn canal boat was leaving, and we took some pics of this—a Clydesdale pulling a narrow boat-Bianca will like these.

Then walked down the street and booked into The  Bridge End Hotel 60GBP per night including cooked breakfast. Our room is upstairs with a superb view over the Dee river and the town.

We had tea here-Heather had a great braised beef with gravy dish, with crochet spuds and side plate of veg. I had their Bridge Burger—1lb steakburger with cheese, tomato, bacon, salad and chips—far too much, and could’nt finish. This pub, and also the ones we syated in in Scotland and England have pub quizzes/trivia nites as a regular thing—I guess it’s a change from footy guessing or chook raffles!!

Our room is on the second floor, with a stunning view over this remarkable little town. It looks all the world like many places in Europe. A very modern room in an old pub full of character. Cost is 70GBP inc breakfast, also wifi.

WEDNESDAY 20^th MAY 2009

Up early and had a good, long shower. Breakfast in the dining room at 8am,  The lady pub owner was on for a chat. She’s from Liverpool, and lived only a few streets from John Lennon!!!  Then up the steep walk to the boat wharf. I got some instruction on the use of the self-drive boats, left the 70GPB deposit, and off we went. A bit awkward at first, so we stopped before the first narrow section and tied up and waited for other boats to come thru—only one boat wide in these sections. Then on through brilliant counry with vews of the town and the farming land beyond. Dozens of ducks, many with ducklings, sheep grazing to the ende of the canal, also friesan cattle grazing.

Through the second narrow section, and I was getting the hang of things. About 2 hours to get to the Teford pub where we tied up and walked in for lunch. I had great potato and leak soup, and Heaher had a creamy musroom dish.

After lunch, we decided we would go across the aquaduct section. We let three Yanks come on bard for the ride across-there car was on the other side. A bit scary so high up in the air, with only a 200 year old cast iron ‘canal’ between us and a 126 foot drop to the river Dee!! Heather took lots of pis while I drove!!

Across the aqueduct we trned the boat round for the return journey. We moored at one place on the way back, and made a cup of ‘tea’. Gas stove, water, crockery, fridge and dunny on board!. The boat can take up to ten peole.

A great trip back, through two narrow sections where passing is not possible, you just wait for any other boat that has started to enter the section. Many walk ahead and look, and phone back to the boat.  We got the boat back on one piece about 4pm, and after an inspection we got our 70GBP cash deposit back!!.

Bought a couple of postcards at the warf, then walked back to our hotel for another nite. The kitchen is not open here tonight, so we will find another place for dinner. Which we did—The Ponsonbury pub were having their regular curry nite—curry with rice and papadoms/chips and a ‘pint’ (I had soft drink) for 5GBP per head!—the curry was super, mild and warm curried chicken.

THURSDAY 21^st MAY 2009

Breakfast at our Llangollen pub at 8am. I had cereal, b/beans on toast, tea and toast and marmalade, and yoghurt.  Many school buses early, there must be a number of large schools in the area. We are fascinated by the young people speaking Welsh to each other, then breaking into English without any effort. Cant’t think of any other people who develop speaking two langages fluently; not just learning a second language at school. Heard a mum ‘goo gooing’ to her baby in Welsh, and then turning to a friend and speaking fluet English. Very strange, to us at least.!  Heather posted my cards to Rory and Mia and Olivia.

We left Llangollen about 9:30—it had rained during the night and was still drizzling with wet roads. Off towards Holyhead, or to Conwly Bay  to find ut where to leave the car tomorrow. Along the A5 then through beautiful countryside on secondary roads, and the rain stopped and the sun came out!!—first time since we came back to GB from France!!

We found Conwly Bay, a prett little seaside place, and after some directions from a  servo, found the Europcar Rental place-and it is no longer a depot for Europcar!! The very nice owner there called Europcar for me and we find out we can leave the car at Holyhead and the keys in the Hertz office at the port!!—we weren’t told this at Dover—I have a very low opinion of the Europcar system!!!

So we drove on to Holyhead, and to the ferry port. Easy parking here, and we bought our tickets to Dublin for tomorrow. 52GBP one way for the two of us. Then when we leave Ireland we can get a ferry/train on the one ticket from Dublin to London!!—a great idea and much cheaper than ferry, then train separately!.

We checked out the long term carpark to leave the car tomorrow, then had lunch at a little café—potato and leek soup and a crusty roll—very reasonable. Then tried to find somewhere to stay—the Travelodge near the port was shithouse. Drove out of Holyead and got lost, then stumbled upon the little village of Valley, and booked into the Valley Pub which is only 4 miles from Holyhead. 65GPB for the nite including breakfast and free wifi.

A great little pub—a free house and full of character. I went for a drive to Penhrose beach/park, and then filled the car with petrol. Then I sent a lot more brochures and  Elliot booklets back to ourselves at home by post—9.50GBP for close to 1Kg by surface mail. We will beat that parcel home!!  Changed $850A to 410E at the little post office. Then back at the Valley Hotel we had dinner—beef curry and rice with a dry-fried thick pita-type bread. Very nice tucker. It is very hot in our room—we can’t adjust the steam radiators—like many places in UK. But a nice clean room with ensuite.

FRIDAY 22^nd MAY 2009

Nice breakfast at our hotel in Valley. Then packed up our things and cleaned rubbish out of the car. Drove off about 8:30 with heaps of time to put the rental car in the carpark and check in for the Irish Swift ferry to Dublin. A short drive into Holyhead; I dropped Heather off at the ferry terminal, then took the car to the longterm carpark and paid E7 for 24 hours. Got a courtesy bus back to the port (only passenger) and dropped the keys into the Europcar box, and called the number to tell them where the car is.  Have driven 1200miles in UK (2000Km)

We had qite a wait for the ferry, then a bus to the ship and we boarded .  The swift ferry took about 2 hours to cross the Irish sea, fast but it rolled quite a bit at speed. It drizzled most of the way, but as we approached Dublin the rain stopped and it cleared a bit, the sun even shone through.

From the warf, we got on a bus to the city centre E2.50 each, which dropped us near the centre of the city. On foot with our lggage, we booked into O’Sheas’ Hotel, only about 2 blocks from the centre (O’Connell Street). E80 for the night here with breakfast. I went for a walk through the ciy centre. Most accomodtion is very expensive and booked out—it is a Bank Holiday weekend (UK) so I guess many of the poms have come to Dublin for the weekend.

We had a couple of drinks at Madigans Pub—of course I had Guinness! Then we had dinner at O’Sheas, I had Irish Stew, Heather had Seafood Chouder. Very expensive food here.

Later on they had Irish music in the pub and it became crowded—must be very popular for musc. Guitar and Wog Box, and the guy on the guitar sang songs, something like the Furys. Then I got stuck in the lift!!!—we are on the 5^th floor and it is stuck there. I rang the bell for ages, belted on the doors, but no response. Very scary!! Eventually, I was able to pull open the doors!! Not a very happy chap!!!  Our room is tiny, but clean and adequate.

SATURDAY 23^rd May 2009

The lift was labeled ‘Out f Order’, not wrapped in walking done five floors of stairs, but not too bad. We had a great Irish breakfast in the pub-same as English, Scottish of Welsh!!!! Bacon,egg,tomato,sausages,baked beans, black and white pudding!! After breakfast I was able to hook into a free wifi connection. Heather skyped her mum and John Gleeson called me. We booked in for an extra night tonight, as with the long weekend it is difficult to organise a car rental.

Walked down to O’Connel Sreet and boarded the on-off bus tour of Dublin—E14 each. A great tour of the city with a great Irish commentary Visted the north and south side of the Liffey River, Temple Bar, Churches including St Patricks, City Hall, Kilmarnen Gaol, through Phoenis Park (1,200 cres, where the President lives, also where Pope John Paul 11 gave mass to 1.25 million people, a quarter of the population of the whole of Ireland!!, Wellington Testimonial and then the Guinness brewery. It occupies 62 acres, the biggest Brewery in Europe. The store is 7 stories high, and a great tour, ending on the seventh floor Gravity Bar with a ‘free’ pint of Guinness and a spectacular 360 degree view of the city.

In the afternoon we strolled round the city streets, interesting shops, and also buskers playing music and street painters and god botherers trying to sell the bloke upstairs!! We had ‘afernoon tea’ in a local café—slice of pizza and coke and chips!! Real Irish!! Back at our pub, I only needed vegetable soup for dinner.

A few pints of Guinness and at 10pm the music started—great banjo playing if thats possible!!, also the same good singer as last night. A good ploy to get people pissed—the music doesn’t start till late to keep people drinking!1 Many locals come to pubs for music also, we had a  couple of old farts on our table.

SUNDAY 24^th MAY 2009

A big Irish breakfast at O’Sheas pub. The lift has been fixed, but not for me!!   We walked to the bus stop and got the Airport bus to Dublin airport 6E each. I arranged car hire for 13 days from Budget—a VW Polo again, 585 Euro!, with an 85E fuel refud when it is returned with full fuel. Checked out Dublin-Heathrow flights and prices at Air Lingus counter—about E79 each, but will get a better price on line.

After checking the car for scratches and dents, we drove out of the airport park and into the nearby servo to get a couple of motorway ‘passes’—3E each. Drove on away from Dublin on a motorway, and got off onto secondary roads as soon as possible.

The Irish countryside is truly beautiful, with narrow sealed roads, open green paddocks and lots of cows grazing, also sheep and many horse places. We happened upon the village of Trim with a huge ancient abbey ruins and cemetery. The buildings dating from 1202!!

Then on heading in the general direction of Galway. Looked for B&B places without much luck. Stopped and saw a huge bike race running thru town-the biggest cycle event in Ireland we are told! Then a nice chap at Tullemore gave at  us very good directions to Banagher, via Birr. This was about half an hour away, and the countryside again was full of farming land, and what looked like ‘peat’ piled up in long heaps.

Banagher---turned out to be a very pretty village, on the Shannon river with an ancient seven span bridge, and a boat harbour with numerous very expensive looking cruisers. We booked into the Olde Forge B&B, then went for a walk to the river harbour. Had tea at a little pub here---13.95E for ‘fish and chips’—holy shit!, and 13E for a couple of shots of Jamesons. Ireland is the most expensive country we’ve visited, and that’s out of 15!!!!

Our B&B is very pleasant, 70E for the night including breakfast, and a lounge room next to our bedroom with TV.

MONDAY 25^th MAY 2009

Breakfast at The Olde Forge B&B, cooked by the husband. I guess his wife was still lying in bed dreaming of the ogre machine and the ironing and darning to be done!!! Some people get it easy!  We had the usual—bacon, egg, tomato, baked beans, sausage, mushroom. And cereal, toast and marmalade, orange juice and tea.

Then paid up and drove off, down to the warf for some pics of the boats, the seven arch bridge and the Shannon river. We then drove off on secondary country roads, through rural farming area. Beautiful country at this pace, about 6oKm/hour. Certainely ‘rush hour’ in Ireland!! The ivy creepers are held up by poles which are also used for the power and telephone!! Cows, Sheep, horses, and rarely, crops.

Heading towards Galway through small villages. About midday we came across the village of  Kinvara, County Galway. This is a beautiful little village, many B&B’s, almost on the Gaway Bay, and with tiny shops painted like those in ’Ballikissange’. We checked out a few, then booked into the Cois Cuain B & B for the night 64E for both of us including breakfast. The owners have livedhere for over 40 years. Right on the bay opposite the Dunguaire Castle, which is open every nite for a banquet, and for visitors during the day.

We bought whiskey, wine, and bread and fillings at the local ‘supermaket’ to make our own tea. Then I went for a drive into the country areas and down little lanes. Many farms, also many new homes which all look the same. Must be a bit of wealth in ths part of Ireland.

We had coffee in a small café nearby to our B&B and hooked into their wifi and collected email and checked bank balances. Took some pics round the wharf area where there are a couple of very old wooden yachts with owners living on them. There is a big tidal difference here—well out at midday, and high tide by 6pm.

In the evening we had our salad and sandwiches outside our b&B, with scotch and soda and wine!! Very peasant with a great view across the bay.  Our hosts are Mary Walsh and  ‘PJ’---(Patrick Joseph) and Mary wears the pants here, does all the talking and is the treasurer. But a nice soul and interesting. And a dreadful sickybeak. Poor ‘ole PJ is quiet, and probably does what he’s told to!! And has been doing so for over 50 years!!

After tea we watched videos in the loungeroom of the Cliffs of Mohr, the Burren, and Gaway! Also about the canvas covered boats, and there are a couple of those moored opposite our place.

TUESDAY 26^th May 2009

Breakfast at 8am in accordance with Mary’s rules! A nice Belgian couple on our table, and a German couple on the next table. And Mary hovering all the time, telling us her version of the universe. Breakfast arrived as per last evenings orders—for us egg, bacon, sausage tomto, baked beans. Also cereal and tea and toast. Also soda bread toasted, an Irish tradition—no yeast, and a bit moist like ‘plain’ cake.

Then we headed off, driving mostly costal around Galway Bay—through Kilcolgan, Clarinbridge, and Oronmore, and into the near-centre of Galway. There are dozens of B&B’s around Galway; it must be very busy in the summer!!  Galway is the most wesern city in Europe. The Volvo round the world yacht race arrived in Galway on Saturday last, apparently thousands came to watch, and there was a big party in town. We stopped at a spot on Galway bay and walked on the beach. The tide was well out, and it was bloody cold! But beautiful.

Then throughSalt Hill, Barna and Spiddal to Inverin where I called into the Aran Air services, who fly to the three Aran islands several times a day. Return flight is 45E, I may be a sucker tomorrow!!

Then further coastal to the village of Ros-a-mbil, Co. Galway and booked into Hernon’s B&B for the night—80E with breakfast and wifi and Visa, but the card machine is stuffed, so it was cash!! Run by  Bertie and Mary Hernon—or more accurately, by MARY!!!!. Poor old Bertie—they seem to have very overbrearing ogres in the West of Ireland!

The Galway area of Ireland and the Aran Islands are unique in that the language spoken is still Gaellic, all the signs are in Gaelic, our hosts speak it as their native tongue, and even the local Galway TV programs are in Gaelic! Our hosts Bertie and Mary speak their native tongue of Gaelic, and Bertie says without thinking he often falls back to speaking it without thinking when speaking to someone in English!

Time to have a look at this strange area of Ireland and the Galway Bay area. We drove to the Aran Islands Ferry terminal, a full 200 metres from our B&B! Then back along the coastal road, and up to a very high point near where we are staying. Ths landscape is astonishly rocky—granite dry stone walls everywhere, fencing off tiny paddocks. Horses grazing, donkeys, and cows having rightof-way on the narrow roads!!

A bleak, windy isolated place, basicaly a group of fishing villages. Bertie tells me he has been a fisgerman all his life, with a 60 foot boat the Barbara Ann ( after their two daughters). Fished for prawns, and numerous varieties of sea fish. The boat cost E45000, and he says today it would be worth only about E10000—sounds like a real bargain!!—it is still local and is used to take divers on trips in the bay, and further out in the  North Atlantic. Bertie used to go out with a crew of 4 or 5 and often stay at sea for 5 days or more.

This area round Galway, also called Connomarra, is also known as Joyce Country, and families named Joyce settled here in the 1400’s. Today there are many people living in County Galway with the name Joyce. We took a pic of a Joyce Hotel, very near Galway city. And of course the most famous Irish Joyce was James Joyce, the famous author considered one of the greatest writers of the 19^th century.

There are many 15^th century houses in Galway, many built in 2009!!—and many still being built!  There must be a few bob in the fishing trade; I guess one would need a good home to weather the westerly weather here and compensate for living in this bleak, hardy, yet strangely beautiful landscape!

In the evening I booked our flight from Dublin to London online with Aer Lingus. ‘Extras’ included the taxes and charges, seats 5E each!!, one piece of luggage for the hold 12E!!  Sounded cheap online—only 17.50E each for the oneway flight, but  the total for us both came to  E125.40—ie there is no such thing as a free lunch, specially in Ireland!  Someone did tell me that Ryan Air, another budget airline who own a large share of Air Lingus, have numerous add-ons, and will probably soon charge extra for false teeth!

WEDNESDAY 27^th MAY 2009

Breakfast at Ros-a-mbil was at 9am, the time apoined by Mary, so we were up well before that, and Heather called her Mum on Skype and I collected email. Scrambled eggs for Heather, I had a fried egg, bacon, tomato and sausages, also cereal, tea toast and their home made fruit scones with jam.

I skyped the Acorn B&B which is close to Heathrow, and booked for the night prior to our flight home. They have a pick-up and return service to/from LHR, and the fare is E45 B&B which is very reasonable.

It had rained a lot during the night, and this morning it is still cold, drizzling and wet. I had hoped to have a fly to the Aran Islands and back, just to see the area from the air (45E return in a Britan Norman Islander) but the visibility was so poor I decided aganst that, and we headed off.

We continued on through the Gaelic villages of Screeb, Costello and Maan Cross and Maan in the heart of Joyce Country. This was through remarkably rocky and steep country with little grazing except for occasional sheep and lambs, and through peat areas where peat was and is being harvested and stacked to dry. Further on we passed a briquette factory, no doubt taking real advantage of the vast natural rescource of peat.

We drove through Conomara, Clonbur, Cong and Cross between the two huge lakes of Lough Corrib and Louch Mask, and stopped at a viewing area beside the lakes and took photos. It was still wet ad misty, colourful boats moored on the banks and there were also fishermen out with rods in a boat. I hope they caught their ‘kippers’.!!

Then further inland into better grazing country with less rocky outcrops. But still miles and miles of dry stone fences. Thrugh Headford, Bleclare, Tuan, Banaderg, Mountbellew, Catra, Kiglass, Anascragh and Ballinasloe into County Tipparary .

Then through Shannonbridge on the Shannon with another busy boat wharf, Cloghan, and Birr, and decided to stop and find a B&B at Borriskokane. Checked out a couple in the town—pretty ordiary. So drove out to find Dancer Cottage, but no sign of it!!!. Then called into Courtryard Cottages ad found a real gem. But they only take guests for 5 days or a week or longer!!

We had a conference in the car, and in less that 5 seconds decided to stay here for a week!! E250 for a week, plus a bit for power and steam heating. This is a brilliant place, stone 1850’s cottages behind a very substatial 1850’s two storied home, in a magnificent garden setting. We are totally independent with our own lounge and open fireplace, fully equipped kitchen and bedroom upstairs with en- suite bathroom.

I drove back into Borrisokane and got some groceries, and Chinese takeaway for tea! We then had an open fire, and had our Chinese in comfort—just like home away from home!! And we also have wifi, which works well upstairs! Very nice hosts, and their young daughter made us welcome and arranged linen, firewood and everything we need.

THURSDAY 28^th MAY 2009

After a good nights sleep, made our own breakfast in our cottage. Good to have tea and toast with marmalade again after so many huge cooked breakfasts. And the sun is shining and it looks like beng a nice day in Tipperary! We watched the Irish ‘morning show’ in TV.

I collected email; but we are still unable to send. Then skyped Terry Collins; not very clear but he gave me the names and number of two guys to call who live near Maynooth and Cellbridge where he was when over here.

We just relaxed all morning and then I went for a drive through Nenagh, through the busy city of Limerick  to (surprise,surprise)—the Limerick Aero Club.

A couple of guys there, one changing the fuel filter on a low-wing Technam, the ther a PPL student. The older bloke put the cowl back on and took the Technam for a spin; taking off on the 400 metre sealed runway DOWN wind!

This guy owns a Jabiru in the Club hanger. Other aircraft there included an Aeronca Champ, and Aerostar, an ‘N’ egistered C172 and Piper Cherrokee. This airfield is very close to Shannon airport, and a clearance is required to climb over 2000 feet in this control zone.

The drive back was through Limerick getting on to peak hour, over the bridge over the Shannon River, and then through some pretty grazing country back to Borrisokane. Heather cooked steak and veg for dinner, and I drove into the village for wine and beer and cigs.

In the evening we watched TV and the semis of the show ‘Britains’ Got Talent! How very domesticated!

FRIDAY 29^th MAY 2009

After a good sleep in our cottage, up early and made our own breakfast. This is a great little place for R & R. I guess we are having a holiday within a holday. Time to rest, take stock, ‘smell the roses’ and get to know a little bit of central Ireland in more depth.

I spent quite a bit of time sorting our potos  (1358 so far!!), and copying them nto a message stick. Heather called her Mum and I called Bianca of Sykype. Gleeso also called me on Skype; it is bloody cold and wet at home too. (16 mls at Faraday a day or so ago).

I went for a ‘mini-drive’ in the afternoon. A lovely sunny day to drive through the tiny back roads of rural Ireland,  Where tractors, cows, horses and sheep have right of way. Where oncoming cars pull in against the hedges and let us brush past. The hedges cushion the dry stone walls against contact with cars. No rushing, no road rage, just gently squeeze through the lanes with grass and creepers as high at the car bonnet. Lush green fields everywhere, contented stock grazing, a farming paradise.

In the evening I made Spagetti Bolognaise for dinner ad we relaxed in our cottage. The landlady called and Heather had a long yarn to her outside. They have been here for a few years, this is her first marriage, his second after his first wife died. They have three children together, he one adult girl from the first marriage.

After dinner we watched the last semi-final of Britain has Talent’—quite good to sit in front of the idiot box and relax with a beer. This beer is Karpackie Larger from Poland—pretty crappy, flat, and not bitter enough.!

On the news, lots about the Volvo Ocean RTW race. The yachts are still in Galway bay and crowds are expected over this weekend to watch them run some races in the bay itself. It has apparently been an enormous financial boost to Galway County. 

It is a long weekend coming up,  bank holiday on Monday. The weather forecast predicts temperatures of 21 to 22 degrees in this area, with warnings to use sunscreen readily to prevent damage from sunburn!!

SATURDAY 30^th MAY 2009

We plan to go for a modest drive today, on secondary roads, to Tipperary township. It’s only 45km away, about a 90km round trip!!  But----

“It’s a long way to Tipperary, such a long way to drive

It’s a long way to Tipperary,  “but could we please get back by five?”….

The signposts have been adjusted, to intensify the task

So instead of getting  flustered, “Why don’t you just get out and ask”?

“‘Cos I don’t speak the native lingo ,or understand the local drawl.

It’s like a game of Irish bingo,  just bash me ‘ead agaist the wall”!!

“The scenic road to Tipperary,  is much longer than you’d think!!

I’ll turn right at the next dairy,  this is driving me to drink”!......

It was just a five hour journey, just a pleasant country drive through beautiful rural country until someone had turned the first sign around. So we drove to Dolla, only three times, over some beautiful hills on a VERY narrow track on which it would be impossible to pass. Somewhere we found some nice young Celtic horseriders who seemed quite amused—did we really want to go to Tipperary from here? 

It was time for lunch, so the local corner shop girl made us a couple of sandwiches—she was pretty slick, it only took half an hour; I guess dropping the meat loaf on the floor didn’t help. Imagine sandiches with sliced meat, creamy coleslaw, egg mayonnaise, lettuce torn apart with bare hands, and tomato! No salt, no pepper; probably optional extras.

So on to a ‘picnic area’ beside a lttle creek to eat our feast in the sunshine!  Yes it is a long way to Tipperary--- infact a mere 230Km return by the ‘scenic route’!!

In the evening we watched the final of Britains Got Talent on the idiot box.

SUNDAY 31^st MAY 2009

Probably not a good idea to go for another short drive today. Heather has plans for that tomorrow. Having a short walk in the local lanes seemed like a much better idea. A beautiful sunny day for the last day of Autumn in Ireland.

We walked down the long drive here and  along the nearby road. Past a paddock sown to crop (wheat?), which had a sign ‘Reserved for Borrisokane Gun Club’. A really still, sunny day, and about 22 degrees. Tomorrw could be a heatwave with 26 or even 27 forecast. The grass and roadside vines and hedges are visably growning while we watch them.

I spent quite a bit of time in the afternoon sorting out our photos, and creating and adding to our large collection for this trip. I have been unable to get our email ‘sending’, so after spending several hours altering settings without success, will probably leave it till we get back toHeathrow. We are still receving email without any problems.

Later in the day, I went in to the  Centra superarket and got some wine, tomatos and curry sauce for our ‘stew’ tonight. It ended up being really good curry! I also drove on twards the Lock Derg, as signposted, but surprise surprise, couldn’t find it!!  I took a few pics of an ancient fortress/castle which is slowly crumbling in the corner of a farm paddock. In Australia this would be fenced off wth keep out sings etc, but here things like this are left to their own devices, unspoilt by mordern ‘wanings’!!

Had the nice curry for dinner, and watched a WW2 movie on the idiot box.

MONDAY 1^st JUNE 2009

It is the first day of summer in Erope today, and a beautiful still sunny day in Ireland. It is also the June Bank Holiday so there are many people out and about on even these country roads.  After breakfast we headed off on our treck to find Loch Derg, which looks like about 18Km from Borrisokane.

We found the tiny village of  Carrigahorick with its quaint little pub—lots of people about for a pre-lunch drink. Then on to the harbour at Terryglass. This is a major visitors area—a superb harbour on the very wide Shannon here on Lock Derg. A lot of very serious boats—several 40 foot plus craft, and lots of people out fishing, the odd jet ski and many smaller boats. A beautiful setting. Across the lock, green grazing farming land right down t the waters edge. You are certainly not far from open fields anywhere in Ireland!

A lot of green grass being cut for sillage, must be stored under soil, and some pressed into plastic bale bags. Our host says they do this early as the grass keeps growing. He also remarked when we got back that it was ‘a bit hot’, 27 degrees today!!  But the water at Terryglass looked pretty cool!

We then drove on to the small township of Portumna which also has a harour on another nearby ‘inlet’ of the Shannon.

We took seberal pics at Terryglass, and visited Aldis at Portumna. And we got back to our cottage without getting lost once!!

Fo dinner Heather cooked our steaks, with mashed spud—real home tucker!! Later I watched a movie called The Match Maker—1997—set right here in Ireland, and embodying all the great things about Ireland we have seen. Filmed on location in Galway Co. with brighty colored shops/houses, Suffolf sheep blocking the roads, bawdy pub scenes, the Aran islands and the rocky Joyce country. A great film, I will get the DVD when we get home.

In the afternoon, I became aware of having a slight but consant ‘sound’ in my ears—like high-pitched ‘crickets chirping’. It doesn’t cause any trouble, or affect hearing at all, but is constant. In fact I became aware of it sometime yesterday afternoon.

TUESDAY 2^nd JUNE 2009

I thought they may have vanished, but the crickets are still chirping in my ears!! Looks like they’ve taken up residency!

After breakfast we went for a local walk. I was very interested in the farmers next door making sillage. Called in to talk to them, and will come back in  the arvo when they are collecting windrowed grass and compressing into a huge pile.

We drove round some of the nearby lanes. A superb sunny day, 27 degrees; which is appanently the hottest day for 2 years! On the TV many people down the beach, and wanings to take care with the high temeratures!  Bought spuds and ‘mushy peas’ to go with our snags for dinner. And I had soft serve icecream for lunch!—E1.85 which is  about as cheap as it gets, from the Centra supermarket.

Later in the afternoon I called back at the fram to watch the sillage ‘harvest’. At least 3 huge tractors with tipping trailors (John Deere and New Holland) carting in, and a huge harvester picking grass up from windrowed rows and blowing it into the following tractor trailers. An immense pile of green grass, being compressed by  heavy tractor with front fork. Farmer says the pile will contain about 100 tons.

Cooked snags, spuds, tomatoes, mushy peas for dinner—a good home cooked meal. Watched TV with doco about the Shell gas project for Co.Mayo—mixed local feelings—local greenies protesting, yet it will supply a considerable percentage of Irelands’ gas, and employ many local people in this fairly poor region of western Ireland.

The election races are hottng up for next weekend, lots of TV coverage for Dubln by-elections, council district elections and EU elections.

Got some cash out, and fixed up our hoists for electrcity used—E20 for the week.  Tried to phone Steve McCarthy again, but no answer. (Terrys mate who I think I met at his place back home).

WEDNESDAY 3^rd JUNE 2009

Packed up at Courtyard Cottages, and Heather cleaned the place  thoroughly. I checked banking and Comsec, and phoned Steve McCarthy on Skype. He lives in Kindarre town and will be home on Thursday (tomorrow) We may catch up. John Gleeson called me on Skype. I still have the cicadas in my ears!

We headed off eastwards, towards Avoca, the setting for the series Ballykissangel. Through Roscrea, Abbeyleix and Carlow plus many smaller villages, and stopped at Hacketstown for fuel. Then had lunch at Hacketstown; ‘hotdog’ with salad, which with chips was very substantial. At a pretty little pub in this nice small village.

Then on through Tinahely, Aughrim and to Avoca. Stunningly beautifuf country, much different from the stony area of Gaway or the area round Borrisokane with its stone walls. This area has forests, hills and very scenic roads and lanes. Avoca is on a medium sized iver, with a beatiful bridge over it. And here was Fitzgeralds Pub where the film was centred, the church, Henleys store and the post office.

We booked into the 1608 est, pub of Woddenbridge. Alledgedly Irelands’ oldest pub. A great historic pub, well mainained and tastefully restored. 80E for the night including breakfasts. Then back to ‘Ballykissangel’ for a couple of pints at Fitzgeralds. The town is brighty painted just as in the series. The pub however, needs another coat of paint, especially as thousands of visitors come here!!

A lady appeared from Henleys store, and offered to take pics of us together, which was very nice. We looked round the busy village, then back to he Woddenbridge Pub for dinner. We both had seafood chowder which was great and very filling. The view from here over great grazing land with hills in the background and a pretty golfcourse, is brilliant.

THURSDAY 4^th JUNE 2009

Breakfast at the Woodenbridge pub, including the best black pudding I’ve had so far. Packed up and drove back to Avova and took photos again and visited the great old church. Then on to the Meeting of the Waters, where the two rivers meet. A beautiful spot with an ancient bridge and trees, a memorial to Thomas Moore who whote his famous poem here.

Then drove on twards Kildare town, Co.Kildare. Through very hilly country round Avoca, then narrow roads over steep hills, very rocky and quite like Galway, or Scotland, with sheep grazing on the side of the road. Then on through little villages of Rathdrum, Laragh, Hollywood, Ballymore Eustace, and Killcullen, and eventually to near Kildare where the area became very lush again, and we passed a number of very very substantial stud properties.

Drove through The Curragh, a unique area of some 5000 acres, Government owned, but used as a grazing ‘common’ with sheep either side of a busy road, without any fear! The grass here is said to be high in lime and highly sought after by the racing industry . Many racing studs in this area, which is the heart of Irish horse racing.

We had Irish steak pie and mash for lunch in a little pub in Kildare, then booked into the Derby House Hotel—a strange combinaion of Chinese management, Irish and Chinese meals. Basis but clean and tidy. E95 inclding breakfast, a bit steep!

I called Steve McCarthy on Skype, and he collected me from the hotel and drove me round the area— where he works at a big stud place, including the Irish sprint champion, the Curragh, the Cuurrgh Racecourse and training tracks, past Dermot Welds place. Met Belinda from St Africa, and “Champ”, both who Terry Collins will remember. A very expensive area!!. Then to the horse shop—a horse lovers paradse-everything related to horse riding. Bianca would love it!!

Back at the pub, Heather and I had Chinese for tea—very nice. Then Steve picked us both up and drove us to his bosses place—an electric gate, gatehouse, enormous long treed drive. We met the girl who does the book work, and looked at some thoroughbreds and foals. A very expensce setup indeed!

Back at Kildare, Steve took us for a couple of drinks at a true Irish pub—tiny and packed, but real atmosphere. Only a couple of hundred yards from our hotel.

FRIDAY 5^th JUNE 2009

Down for a good Irish breakfast in our ‘Chinese Hotel’.  Bacon, egg, black pudding white pudding, tomato, sausage and baked beans. All over GB and Ireland the breakfasts are mosty the same and very substantial—just substitute English, Welsh, Scottish or Irish where appropriate.

Steve had suggested staying somewhere in Malahide, a pretty village on the coast and only about 10 minutes from Dublin Airport. But first, we drove out to the famous Currugh Racecourse, and to the massive horse goods shop there. I was delighted to get a good Irish bridle for Bianca!!!~. The girls also threw in a pen, three beenies and a nice carrybag. I really hope Schnook likes it. And that it’s about the right size!!!

The drive to Dublin was on the M50 motorway, only 45 Km, and we were there in under an hour. Here we joined the right road, and off just north of the city onto the M1 and found Malahide

Here we found a superb old Pub (Island View) and booked in—E70 including breakfast. Good vaue, and a beautiful old place, and just opposite the beach.

SATURDAY 6^th JUNE 2009

Breakfast in the restuarant of our pub. Good Irish breakfast again. Then packed up and left towards airport. It was rainig heavily during the nite and still is. Only a short 10 minute or so drive to the airport. Topped the car up with perol, and returned it to the Avis park. Still raining. We have driven 1585Km in Ireland, making a total for the trip with the three cars of 10,311Km.

Our flght Dublin to LHR on Aerlingus A321. Very crowded. But smooth flight, and the landng at LHR would be almost a 10!! I called the Acorn Guest House bloke, and he was wating outside depatures. Took a while, but we found him, and only a short drive to Acorn.

We walked quite a way to the Harvester pub for dinner. An excellent and very reasonable menu.—I had seared chicken and jacket potato with peas, also help-yourself-salads. Heather had salmon ‘cakes’ with a dipping sauce. Then we started walking back!!—didn’t know the address, or the name of the bloke at Acorn, and there are no advertising signs on his place! Walked about 5 Km back and forth, and eventually a Taxi pulled up, and he took us to the Tesco for cash, then to the Acorn Guest place, for GBP 10. Absolutely buggered and to bed at midnight.

SUNDAY 7^th JUNE 2009

Didn’t get much sleep, and up before 6am. There had been a lot of rain overnight and there was early thunder and lightning, but it ceared by 9am. Made toast, cereal, juice and tea for breafast in or ‘kitchen’.  The owner finally emerged, and took us to LHR terminal 4 at 9:30am. No drama getting checked in and through security (boots off!!) and to Gate 6, Terminal 4 to wait for our flight. We will be on a new Qanas A380 from LHR to Singapore.

Boarded 12 noon local, departure delayed a  bit. Massive aircraft, but pretty crowded, and almost impossbe to sleep in cattle class. The SkyCam mounted in the aircraft tail is amazing—we could watch the aircraft from push back to take off, climb and cruise during daylight. Then in the morning SIN time, we watched the approach and landing into Singapore.

MONDAY 8^th JUNE 2009

Totally stuffed when we arrived at SIN about 8am. No hassles thru secrity and customs, and got the sky train and then the city train to Orchard Street. Hotels very expensive, but we’re stuffed so booked into the Meridian for $S425 for the night  (About the same, $420A). Had a good asian meal at the nearby asian food mall, stayed up for a while, then tried to sleep. Very broken sleep, but both got a few hours.

TUESDAY 9^TH JUNE 2009

Up late at our hotel, and breakfast at the food court. Then train to Changi, through security and checked in very early, then relaxed, waiting for our flight at 19:45 this evening!!  Eventually boarded, and a reasonable flight to Melbourne. We were buggered and had to wait a few hours for the Bendigo Airport Bus. Eventually, on the bus which dropped us at Castlemaine, and finally a Taxi to HOME SWEET HOME!! “It’s nice to go travelling, but…….”

Were we stayed overnight:

England London  Paddington  6^th April

England London Paddington 7^th April

France: Calais 8^th April

Belgium: Hasselt 9^th April

Germany; Godorf 10^th Aril

Germany: Leonburg 11^th April

Czech Republic: Skvirin 12^th April

Czech Republic Skvirin  13^th April

Czech Republic Prague 14^th April

Czech Republic Prague 15^th April

Poland   Inwald/Wadowicka 16^th April

Slovakia  Cadca/Zilina    17^th April.

Hungary Mosonmagyaravor.  18^th April

Austria   Salzburg    19^th April

Slovenia  Bled  20^th April

Slovenia  Bled 21^st April

Italy   Monte grotto Terme / Duo Carrara 22^nd April

Italy  Pian Del  Voglio-S.Benedetto Val Di Sambro (BO 23^rd April

Italy Terranuova Bracciolini, (nr) Arezzo  Michelangelo hotel  24^th April

Italy Casa al Prato, Lamole 25^th April

Italy Casa a Prato 26^th April

Italy, Casa al Prato 27^th April

Italy Casa al Prato 28^th April

Italy Casa al Prato 29^th April

Italy Euro Hotel, Piacenza 30^th April.

Italy Auto Hotel, Aosta,  1^st May

Italy Aosta 2^nd May

Switzerland Rolle 3^rd May

France Beleville en Beaujolais 4^th May

France Tournus Burgundy 5^th May

France Tournus Burgundy 6^th May

France Bourges 7^th May

France Alencon 8^th May

France Chauffour  9^th May

France Versailles 10^th May

England Dover 11^th May

England  Littlehampton 12^th May

England Cropredy 13^th May

England Skelamthorpe 14^th May

Scotland Denholm nr Minto 15^th May

Scotland Newcastleton 16^th May

Engand  Great Clifton, Workington 17^th May

Wales Mold 18^th May

Wales Llangollen 19^th May

Wales Llangollen 20^th May

Wales Valley nr Holyhead 21^st May

Ireland Dublin 22^nd May

Ireland Dublin 23^rd May

Ireland Banagher 24^th May 

Ireland Kinvara.Co.Galway 25^th May

Ireland Ros-a-mbil, Co. Galway 26^th May

Ireland Borrisokane, Co. Tipperary 27^th May

Ireland Borrisokane, Co. Tipperary 28^th May

Ireland Borrisokane, Co.Tipperary 29^th May

Ireland Borrisokane, Co. Tipperary 30^th May

Ireland Borrisokabe, Co. Tipperary 31^st May

Ireland Borrisokabe, Co. Tipperary 1^st June

Ireland Borrisokane, Co. Tipperary 2^nd June

Ireland, Avoca ‘Ballkissangel’ Co. Wicklow 3^rd June

Ireland, Kildare, Co.Kildare 4^th June

Ireland, Malahide, Dublin  5^th June

England, Ashford, London LHR 6^th June

Qantas, ‘in flight’ LHR-SIN 7^th June

Singapore, Singapore City 8^th June