Calpe, to Alicante via Madrid to Bilbao is the next part of the journey. What a trip! We set off early in the morning, which was a journey that only good friends would make. Nader and Brigitte took me to a café on the way for breakfast only to find out the cook was having a day off. We were bemoaning the fact of trying to give your guest the best possible experience, only to be thwarted in your attempts. I reminded me of the time I took JD and Kimberley to Kangaroo Island. It was a rough crossing and kids were throwing up on the ferry in front of us, then when we did arrive, in all our criss/crossing the island, nary a kangaroo, koala or penguin to be seen apart from the road kill ... read more

Having a great time with Nader and Brigitte, celebrating her birthday with 6 of her friends, although my multilingual skills are being put to the test. I am learning German and Spanish at the same time, very difficult. We drove Brigitte´s friends to Alicante to fly home to Germany and we went on to the museum where they had a special exhibition of greek and roman sculpture. Then we climbed, climbed, climbed the castle walls in Alicante - the views were spectacular. Yesterday we traversed the markets of Calpe, fresh fruit, food and all sorts of clothes and shoes etc. Reminded me of the Wednesday market in Mornington... read more

On our arrival at Amsterdam, we were shuttled off for a canal tour - what a busy waterway system! This is only rivaled by the bicycle riding, parking, and avoiding of said bikes. Even in Vietnam, although there were so many bicycles, they stuck to the road and parking happened somewhere else. Here, they ride on everything, roads, bikepaths, footpaths, bridges, and if they could ride on water they would ride the canals. The bikes are mostly fairly basic, big handlebars and seats, with various attachments such as two children’s seats, something like a wheelbarrow, or a little cabin on the back. Mostly, a couple of extra seats and a basket. Motor bikes and small cars also drive anywhere, it is one of the most chaotic traffic situations I have come across (and that includes Ho ... read more

This Morning we arrived at Durnstein, which is called the ‘pearl of Wachau’. Last night, I fell asleep watching the river go past and the amount of traffic on the river is amazing - barges, boats, pleasure craft, huge cruise ships (long and low) and the occasional rowers (although the river flows so fast, if you tried to cross, you would end up in the next county). On arrival we went on a walking tour of the town. A beautiful and quaint little town centered around the fortress over1000 feet above the town and has its own abbey which is blue. Richard I (the lion heart) was held prisoner here and held for ransom and was found by Blondel (the minstrel) who on singing one of Richard’s favorites songs, heard it coming out of the fortress. ... read more

A long day trip from Vienna to Ljubljana in Slovenia was the next step, with a side trip to Bratislava which is situated below the Carpathian Mountains and is the capital of Slovakia. Highlights of the old town tour were the Mirbach Palace where I happened upon an interesting art show as I was looking for a bathroom. From the castle which is being renovated 9as is most of this part of the country) there are three bridges that span the river from new to old) and then another cathedral St Martins. We went back to the Hotel in Vienna and picked up the rest of the bus then it was off to Ljubljana. We arrived quite late, no time for settling in the hotel - off on a sightseeing tour of the town. The first ... read more