Today was a perfect morning in an Italian town. I came to Pavia around eight in the morning when things were still closed and only the occasional dog walker was on the street. I had a clear view of the river, buildings and alleys. I settled into a vibrant cafe behind the church and sat with locals, enjoying breakfast and watching the town wake up. All the cliches were around me, only they were not cliches, they were normal day routines. And I am sitting in the middle..maybe a touristy kind of cliché? Mothers on bikes with young child on back cutting through the courtyard, fathers on bikes laughing as they chatted to their child on back of bicycle, old men in nice shirts sipping espressos, young men with that dark curly hair ordering cappuccinos before ... read more

I thought we were taking a stroll through the woods. That was my suggestion. I dutifully put on my hiking shoes and we set off. We descended 250 metres to a small lake, the highlight for me was walking through an Austrian farm. At the lake we stopped for cake and coffee in a quaint hamlet. Yes, it was good to see the country side. Then we began the long climb back up 250 metres on endless switch-back roads that rose above the large lake below. What a workout! I will not feel guilty sitting four hours on a train tomorrow. It was lovely walking through the mountain forests. We found a large mushroom that is one of the best kinds. I think we are having it with supper tonight. Later, we did have the mushroom ... read more

I spent this morning (Monday) in Prague in museums. Then I took the train back to Vienna, a nearly five hour trip, which is bearable in first class. There’s more room in the seats and fewer people in each compartment. Today is a holiday here, and the cafe compartment was always busy. I was happy to have the book about Empress Maria-Theresa to read. It was good to visit the national museum in Prague, in the modern part of the city. A good reminder how regular people live the same lives in cities all over the world while tourists fill the historic streets and buildings. There was a sobering, informative display about the Nazi invasion during War II. So much evil towards innocent people, and even more violence to those brave ones who resisted. The second ... read more

I have uploaded photos that should have been included in earlier blogs about Budapest. There is one picture of a bathroom sign, that explains how different cultures can be. I can remember being in a bathroom, in between flights, tired from the 4 o'clock alarm, not quite sure what country/city I was in until I saw the sign that instructed people to put used toilet paper in the bin and not the toilet bowl, and I knew I was in Athen's airport. Travelling has a way of knocking you out of your comfort zone, which is a good thing. Perspectives change. Now my bathroom at home does not seem too small at all. I had one half its size in a hotel in Santorini, and could function well enough. Throughout Austria the signs for public bathrooms ... read more

Our morning started with a drive up to Nomafa, a 100 hectares of nature reserve on top of a hill overlooking Budapest. We walked two kilometres to the Elizabeth Lookout tower and went up to see the 360 degree view of the cities and country side. (Remember that I have limited photos from iPad but when I return to Vienna I will post dozens of photos from this trip) A two kilometre waok back to the car was rewarded with a traditional Hungarian food: a langos (see photo). Later in the afternoon we toured the Jewish quarter which is very popular with tourists and celebrities. Then we found the Opera House, Basilica, and parliament buildings. I took tons of photos of grand buildings and street cafes (with other camera). There are many stately universities in this ... read more