Blogs from Europe - page 10047

Met de trein rijden we van Sint-Petersburg naar Velikiy Novgorod. Het is onze eerste treinreis in Rusland. Het valt op hoe veel ruimte er in de trein is, de wagon is een stuk breder dan we gewend zijn. We zitten op rood geverfde houten bankjes. Voor de luttele drie uren die de rit duurt is dit comfortabel genoeg. Met een slakkengangetje rijden we door een vlak landschap. We zien bossen vol met berkenbomen, idyllische meertjes met vissers die hopen hun avondmaal te vangen en landelijke dorpjes met houten huisjes. Af en toe worden we ook geconfronteerd met lelijkheid. Betonnen dozen met vensters waarin veel mensen hier wonen, industrie. Novgorod is één van de oudste steden in Rusland en was eeuwenlang de belangrijkste. Er wordt gezegd dat de geschiedenis van de Russische staat er begon. Nu is ... read more

They say getting there is half the fun... but today it was wet and the only way of getting to the castle (25km South of Odense) if you're not one of the grey-hair brigade on an air-conditioned tour bus is to take the train. The problem is that the nearest station is about 3km away. It was worth the walk though. The castle is Denmarks best-preserved castle and dates back around 500 years. Inside we saw many many interesting and unusual weapons and some very interesting furnishings, including a very ornate dolls house. Outside there was an extensive car and motor-cycle museum, a large hedge-maze, and a tree-top swing-bridge walk. The best part was that once we got outside we had the place to ourselves because the oldies didn't want to get wet and the younger ... read more

Well only 34 days to go before we set off on our trip. Obviously things are hectic at the moment as we finalise things but at least we can now see light at the end of the tunnel - at long last. Although this trip has been our dream for the last 5 years the reality of what we are about to embark on has only really hit us over the last few months. People have asked us if we are looking forward to our holiday! This trip however is not really a holiday. Not knowing where you are going to sleep each night cannot exactly be classed as a normal holiday. Likewise, being on the road for over a year will be both a physical and mental challenge. Nevertheless we are both up for the ... read more

Guten Tag, Just a quick message to say that I have met my tour group and they are great. Mostly from Western Canada and the US and a couple from Australia. My roommate is from Alberta, her name is Jacklyn. Last night we had a great night over dinner at a brewery and I had a little bit of local beer. Tasted good. This morning we got a guided tour which was great. I have definitelz seen a lot but not all the places where we were taken too. This afternoon I went to walk the grounds at the Schonbrunn summer palace. Beautiful. Tonight myself, Jacklyn and Tracy are going to the ballet... should be fun. Off to the Czech Republic in the morning. Love to you all. Thanks Katie... I am thinking about the book ... read more

**First: i want to mention for those of you who may have missed the transition.....and you probably missed it because i made no transition in my writing........between dance and baseball. I arrived here in Kaunas two weeks ago to play three weeks with the team. For the moment we have finished with rehearsals, and do not pick up the work until september when we rehearse and then premier in the US. So for several months you will be hearing mostly about baseball, about me and my ponderings on life, and about South Africa (where Viktorija and I will be in one week!!)........... Saturday: first game of the weekend series. We left for the game on this rainy and coldy day. Arriving at the stadium in Vilnius, we see that the stadium is completely wet. Underwater, in ... read more