Geo: 42.9743, 17.0393Today it's official - I am starting the second half of my trip. Strange coincidence - it happens on the day that I turn 29. Yikes!!! 30 is just around the corner ... noooooooooo!!!!!!!! But for the first time in many years, I actually feel my age and not 20 years older. Well, maybe I am exaggerating ... I feel only 10 years older than my age!Said goodbye to the girls (sniff ... sniff ... ). We made plans to meet in Dubrovnik in a few days. I went off to the ferry and grabbed a great ham/cheese/pepperoni panini on the way. Also had a sausage roll. Met a nice German couple on the boat - they drove all night to get to Split but you could not tell as they were both full ... read more

Geo: 43.4468, 16.6582Off to Split. Had a fresh ham and cheese pizza at the bus station. Goooood. It was kind of a later 2nd breakfast (after the banana and yogurt at the house). Also had a horrid cheese pastry. I should've gotten the meat one. Opened up a yogurt drink on the bus - it was bubbly and oozy and tasted strange so I tossed it out. I didn't want this entry to be entitled "Diarreah on the Dalmatian Coast". Heard the "One" remake by Mary J. Blige again on the bus. It wasn't as good as I originally thought it was. She tries to outdo the original and embellishes way too much. I think she's trying to make up for her weak and passionless vocals. Her little vocal touches seem contrived and out of place. ... read more

Geo: 45.815, 15.9785Trying to burn some Slovenian tolars today - bought some Haribo gummy bears. Haven't had these in ages. A rainy and dreary train ride to Zagreb - uneventful. I ate some orange chocolate that I had bought. Little bits of peel inside - normally I hate that but it tasted pretty good. I have lots of tolars left - I'll have to change it in Croatia. Got to Zagreb, checked into the hostel, and walked around the old town. Things are fairly expensive here, almost on par with areas in Western Europe. Walked to a mall ... very cramped. Also saw another cathedral ... the usual. Got to the market just as it was closing. Good produce but pricey. Had a jelly donut - not very good but it was nice to have something ... read more

Geo: 46.0514, 14.506Tired - insufficient sleep last night! Off to the train station - had a bologna sandwich on the tram ride over. Nothing special, but cheap by Vienna standards. Had an amazing pastry - like a cinnamon roll with walnuts, lightly iced. Outer ring was extremely flaky but the inner ring was a moist, chewy bread .... celestial ... heavenly ... like the spiral galaxy that is the Milky Way .... dotted with stars that were walnuts ... gute!Slept on the train to Ljubljana ... a beautiful train compartment with a TV and a big sofa bed that I stretched out on. Then I woke up - all a dream! You know you're tired when you dream about sleeping. Ate the nasty licorice that I bought in Bratislava - horrible. Slovenia is beautiful - meandering ... read more

Geo: 48.2092, 16.3728Up early for the train. The reception guy was sleeping as I dropped off my key. Another guest was using the internet and quietly buggered off as I arrived. Guess he was trying to scam it for free! At the train station - people were drinking beer at 9 AM!!! Had some crowns to blow so I had a chicken sandwich for breakfast (way too salty). Grabbed a ham sandwich for the train. Left with only 1/2 a crown! Woo hoo! But only after buying a stick of Haribo licorice. At Vienna - the hostel is near the train station. Good area - grocery shops and lots of kebab stands and other cheap restaurants. Hostel is fairly nice - clean and good bar area with a guitar and piano to play. Off to the ... read more