Wednesday 18th June Late breakfast (9am!), clearly doesn’t look like a paragliding day, but then a handful check it out and it is a possibility! Several others of us head up the hill towards Herz-Jesu, a chapel we can see from the valley. A steep climb and muddy (and I’ve forgotten my sticks again)… takes a while, but come out to several great panoramas of the valley. We sit for a while trying to spot the paragliders, but give up and head back down - again, trying not to slip! Back to the campsite for lunch where we find the non-paragliders [View Full Entry]

---

---

Tuesday 17th June Excursion day to the Krimml Waterfalls - I’m determined to get to the top this time! I manage it… in 1 hour 10 minutes.. the superfit made it in about 50 minutes. Bought walking poles for this particular day, but left them on the campsite - doh! 16 people made it to the top, others chilled at the half-way restaurant or elsewhere. No time to see side-paths or the base! We took longer than expected to get here, and then wait a bit for a couple who got lost on their way back to the coach. Time for [View Full Entry]

---

---

Monday 16th June Catherine’s 21st birthday today, so we surprise her with a little cake before we head off - didn’t want to wait til the evening. Find the coach drop in Salzburg after negotiating the one-way system a bit, then Freddie and John drive off to the coach park, and the rest of us head in across the river, looking out for pretzels en route. Lose half the group at the first ATM, more at the pretzel stand, and several went on ahead to find the Sound of Music locations (I would like to have gone with that group!). Had [View Full Entry]

---

---

Campsite is Petronell Carnuntum Saturday 14th June Asked the campsite to explain the train ticketing into Vienna. Went to the station to buy the tickets - still confusing, but the best value for our needs, we need a single into Schwartz, then a 24 hour day pass, then a single back from Schwartz. Buy the first 2 easily enough, then think I have the third but as the last one drops out see it says ‘Von’ (from) Petronell Carnutum. When the guard comes along the train he tells us that these tickets are no good to get back, but to ask [View Full Entry]

---

---

Friday 13th June Back on the coach, to find our way out of the Czech Republic. A long road, and we don’t quite make it across the border before Freddie’s drivers hours run out, so we stop at a service station for 45 minutes. Next obstacle is getting a refund on the Czech Road Tax. The border “sends us to the Devil” (service station) - but their machine is not working, so we welcome everyone back into the Czech Republic having already welcomed them to Austria! The other Devil service station also works and thankfully we get a rebate along with [View Full Entry]

---

---

Wednesday 11th June Tents down quickly again and onto the bus for a bit of a drive into Prague. Soon drove back into drizzle again, and the countryside outside noticeably changed to communist style buildings! Were told to expect delays at the border, but Czech Republic has now joined the EU so border controls are very relaxed - road tax system a little confusing as he kept my £100, although he’d only asked for about £57. He said we could get it back when we left Czech Republic. Didn’t like leaving it, but Freddie had heard was a strange system, so [View Full Entry]

---

---

Monday 9th June A fair journey on the bus, arrived Koblenz in a beautiful 30/32 degrees which was much appreciated. Tents quickly up on a pitch with a beautiful view onto the river, the castle and the famous statue. Realised hadn’t quite put the tents up right, so a quick change of poles to the OUTSIDE of the tents! Took some time to get hold of the ‘rules’ for the site. Headed into Koblenz after dinner & meeting for a look around & some photo opps, finishing up at the statue. Long walk back round! Tuesday 10th June Boat cruise down [View Full Entry]

---

---

Saturday 7th June Final packing and chat with Tim before meet the guests for breakfast, and all head down to the coach. Interesting loading the coach - not entirely sure where we’re putting everything, but it all has to fit on. The coach seats about 70+, and there’s only 23 of us now, 28 of us later so it’s all got to fit on. There’s a lot of tinned food to fit in every corner too as this is the basis of most of our meals. John has a reputation of being a bit of a genius with this food, so [View Full Entry]

---

---

Sunday 1st Super-early train to Winchester, but Mary gives me a lift - she’s an early bird anyway! Something up with the trains so end up getting an earlier one, and arrive in time to catch the last half-hour of church and sit next to Kate & Jon (thankfully she’s still pregnant and not had the baby yet as otherwise might not have got a chance to see them!). We head down to the Buttercross after chatting to a few people at church, and meet up with Amanda and Karen in the Slug and Lettuce for a nice lunch, and a [View Full Entry]

---

---

Saturday 24th After a morning of getting ready, Ruth drove me to the airport, where some guests had already managed to check in using their e-tickets. Couple of late arrivals, but we all got through in plenty of time, and slowly started to meet the guests - going for the tried and tested method of learning 2-3 names at a time - any more and they all go out of my head! Sat on the plane next to Craig and Hannah, good conversations - fun already! All the luggage arrived safely. No sign of anyone to meet us at the exit, [View Full Entry]

---

---