Travelled from Ljubljana to Rijeka. Rijeka is a very old port town close to the border with Slovenia. Experienced a market and saw a few older buildings. Scenery became very interesting after Rijeka. Villages on the sea and the hillsides. Our destination is Punat today which is partway down the coast of Croatia on KrK island. The hotel dates back to the 1850's and was once a Bishop's residence and has been converted to a very nice hotel with restaurant. It is walking distance to the village which is a destination point for people with yachts. There were at least 500 berths in the Marina by the hotel. We visited the town of Vrbnik which was very old and picturesque. Built on a hillside with narrow walkways leading to an old church. Stopped for a glass ... read more

This posting is a day late due to technical difficulties which were solved by a friendly computer store which restored my Windows. Today we drove from Budapest to Heviz which is a resort town on Lake Balaton. There is a 4 hectare hot spring/lake and Europeans travel here for therapeutic reasons. Very picturesque town but still lots of tourists even though the temperature continues to be cool. Hotel is very nice with a view of the valley and easy walking distance to local sights. Had dinner at a restaurant complete with Hungarian musicians and dancers. Tomorrow we travel to Ljubljana in Slovenia. Drivers here are VERY aggressive. Not that unusual to be passed by vehicles travelling at 200kph estimated.... read more

Budapest is a city of contrasts. There are many grand old buildings. Some of them are in very nice condition. Others are in a state of disrepair. The size and grandeur of the buildings is awesome. We spent the entire day walking through Pest seeing old buildings, a large market, and the Holocaust Museum. We have enjoyed some of the typical Hungarian cuisine. The day has been overcast with a little rain at times but the temperature is definitely cooler. Tomorrow we will visit Buda which is on the other side of the river where the castle is located.... read more

Long Day. Hiked up the hill through the Little Quarter to the castle and cathedral. The castle is in fact a town in itself dating back to prior to 1300. It is reputed to be the largest castle in Europe. Crowds of tourists and tour groups are oppressive. People everywhere. Walked across the Charles Bridge the oldest bridge in Prague with towers at either end. Most streets and sidewalks are cobblestone. Weather has been good but cooler today. Feels like fall. Tomorrow we start to head south to Telc another UNESCO heritage sight.... read more

Only took us 5 hours to find the hotel. Driving in Prague is an experience ............. Will be sight seeing for the net two days or more. Ate at a very nice Italian restaurant. Smoking is definitely not frowned upon here, Cough - cough. Traffic in Prague beats Montreal or wherever. Try driving withoout signs and even those you find you can't read and the GPS sucks. Took us way out of town had to buy paper maps to ffind hotel. Few people speak English so it is definitely as foreign country. Lots to laugh about if we survive, tomorrow the subway or trams if pickpockets don't get us first. Attached photo is the hotel - 4 floors walkup no elevator and metro goes past window. ? stars. Tomorrow should be saner. The car is in ... read more