http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Mandaz/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Mandaz en-us Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:47:32 +0000 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:47:32 +0000 FINAL WEEKEND IN LONDONAfter a chilled Thursday night I spent the next five days basically flat out like a lizard drinkinrsquo. HaHad some errands to run and things to pick up like toiletries and ear plugs and spending a House of Fraser gift voucher before I left the country not to mention picking up the last of my things and packing up a box and organising shipping But apart from that t http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/blog-458124.html FRIDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2009 CORDOBAMissed by 9am bus this morning so figured I had plenty of time before I got the next one to Cordoba. Grabbed breakfast just after 10pm and then realised that the next bus was 11am and the one after that wasnrsquot until 430pm. Despite rushing I got to the bus station five minutes too late. So I headed across to the train station and while it ended up costing http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/blog-456465.html SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2009 MADRID TO GRANADAUp early for breakfast this morning before checking out of the hostel and getting the Metro to the main bus station. Managed to get the 1030am bus to Granada which arrived in at 330pm. Then it was a short bus ride away and I was checked into the hostel by about 4pm. Then I headed out on what was only supposed to be a brief wander around town to get a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Andalusia/blog-454877.html SUNDAY 8 NOVEMBER VAUGHANTOWN GREDOSAfter an early checkout and breakfast the four of us lsquoAnglosrsquo who were staying at the same hostel grabbed a taxi to the bus meeting point. The bus left at 9am and it was about a three hour drive out to Gredos where we would be staying for the next five nights. We stopped for a brief coffee break at a place where we could see the old city walls o http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/blog-452943.html TUESDAY 3 NOVEMBER 2009 MILAN TO MADRIDAnother early start this morning left the hostel at 730am to get the Metro to central station then get the Malpensa Express Airport bus out to one of Milanrsquos Airports. Got to the airport right as checkin opened and checked in for my flight to Madrid before killing two hours in the airport.Flight was about two hours but I didnrsquot let myself s http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/blog-452942.html WEDNESDAY 28th OCTOBER INTO ROMEArrived into Bari on the east coast of Italy just after 8am. Took a while to get off the boat and through Customs people donrsquot believe in queues over here and it is hard to push little old ladies out of the way just because they shoved in front of you first. By the time I then got a local bus into the city centre found an ATM and bought a train ticket http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/blog-450983.html OVERALL IMPRESSIONS OF ALBANIAOk usually I donrsquot write these sorts of entries but as I was heading back to mainland Italy there were many things that lsquostuckrsquo in my head about Albania that I thought I would share. Some of them were perhaps scattered through as mentions in the main blog entry but this is a bit of a summary of sorts. Enjoyhellip1. The sheer number of cafes. Part http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Albania/blog-450981.html WEDNESDAY 21 OCTOBER ROAD TO ROMEUp bright and early this morning to get the 8am bus to Palermo. I left myself plenty of time but still only made it by about 510 minutes as I kept having to ask people where the SAIS bus station was. All the bus stations have their ownhellip and their own ticket office. Somewhat confusing when they arenrsquot signposted very well. But I managed to get a tick http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Albania/blog-449270.html SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER SYRACUSE SICILYThe guy from New Zealand had told me that his train from Catania had taken five hours the day before. To get to Syracuse I figured I would have to go to Catania and then change. So I got up early and was at the central train station by about 8am hoping that there would be an early train to Catania. There wasnrsquot the first train was at 1245 that aftern http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/blog-447335.html TUESDAY 13 OCTOBER PALERMO SICILYHaving checked into a hostel a 10 minute walk from Victoria Station yesterday my alarm was still set at the ridiculously early time of 315am. It was amusing waking most of my room when I got out of bed to shower and pack. About three or four of them had gotten in quite drunk and therefore noisily at about 230am I did feel sorry though for the girl with th http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Sicily/blog-445848.html TUESDAY 6 OCTOBER 2009 AUSTRIA Up before 7am this morning to shower and pack a small overnight bag to take with me out to Linz. As I was coming back to the hostel in a few days I was able to leave my big bag in storage which was a lot better than having to lug it back and forthGot the 830am train into Linz which arrived at about 10am. Managed to locate Albert as I had seen this man walking ar http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Austria/blog-444981.html FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER 2009 MUNICHMy overnight bus arrived into Munich just after 5am. I knew that I probably wouldnrsquot be able to check into my camping ground until about 7 or 8am so I took my time at the station before jumping on the ubahn and getting to my station. Very glad I hung around as when I got off at the right station I discovered that the first bus to run out to Thalkirchen Camping http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/blog-444732.html MONDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2009 PRAGUEAfter a late arrival I took my time getting up this morning. After a quick shower and realising I have no voice at all I headed out to change some money before coming back and paying for the hostel and having breakfast. They were good enough to let me stay in the room they put me in the previous night which is great because it is only an eight bed dorm with a s http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Czech-Republic/Prague/blog-444730.html MONDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2009 RUSSIA TO LATVIAEarly start this morning with a 730am departure. Was quite a long bus day which was compounded by another lengthy border crossing which took about two hours. I think it was almost as difficult to get out of Russia as it was to get in They also made us all take our luggage off of the coach and get it xrayed which just added to the process. After exiting http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/blog-440489.html THURSDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2009 RUSSIALong bus day today as we had to drive from Novgorod into Moscow. That meant it was an early start with breakfast at 645am and on the bus at 710am. Most people slept for the first few hours on the bus which is pretty normal with our first stop being at around 930am for coffee and toilets. Back onto the bus for another few hours until midday when we stopped http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Russia/blog-438813.html SATURDAY 12 SEPTEMBER ESTONIABright and early start this morning with breakfast at 630am so that we could meet the 830am ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn. Was a two and a half hour ferry trip. Again no real border crossing or passport check. From there it was a short stroll across the road to our hotel yes hotel finally sheets and a bed and showers in the room. Was too early to check in http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Russia/blog-437409.html WEDNESDAY 9 SEPTEMBERVery early start this morning with breakfast at 6am and departure at 630am. Meant that I was up at 5am to shower before the crowds. The wind at breakfast nearly blew the cook tent away. First stop was at 830am which was still in Norway to get rid of any coins that we wouldnrsquot be able to exchange. After that it was about half an hour until the lsquoborderrsquo cross http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Finland/blog-436243.html 6 SEPTEMBER 2009 SUNDAYFatherrsquos Day today so after showering and packing I logged into the internet and my Skype account and called home briefly. Then it was an 8am breakfast before checking out and being on our way by 845am. It was about a ten minute drive before we had a brief ferry journey across a fjord. Then it was a bit of a drive on to Narvik which is known for being involved in WWI http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/blog-435726.html FRIDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 2009Late start this morning as we werenrsquot leaving until 10am so breakfast was 915am. Latest start all tour so far. After packing up the bus and the cook tent we left Steinkjer. While our itinerary said it was a lsquomiles under the beltrsquo day it turned out to be slightly incorrect with us actually being told we wsere only driving for about five hours today Las http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/blog-434343.html TUESDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 2009 NORWAYAnother drive day today this time no border crossing as we headed north through Norway towards Andalnses. Breakfast was at 715am and by 8am we were waving goodbye to those passengers who were leaving us and who actually got up to have breakfast and say goodbye. Had a few stops throughout the day the first being in Lillehammer the city that hosted the 1994 Win http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Norway/blog-433832.html