Reached July 2nd my first destination Jerez de la Frontera in Spain. Changed trains in Antwerpen to Paris Nord and after a Metro direction Place Italy took at Austerlitz the nighttrain to Madrid of 19.47 . Reached Madrid Chambertin at 9.25 instead of 9.05 what gave some tension to reach my next connection at Puerto Atocha station that was planned to leave at 10.05. Arrived Puerto Atocha at 9.55 found my way to luggage control, found my way to checking in and reached the train with a bit running, just imagine, at 10.04. We left due to technical problems 40 minutes later. The weather on the trip to Jerez was sunny in the Netherlands, Belgium and rance untill Paris and after that very cloudy and some times raining untill a few km from Jerez wher the ... read more

As promised last week I attached some pictures. The smaller ones down on the left side become bigger when you click on "full entry"... read more

My trip to Singapore took over 500 hours train. Back a bit shorter. 2 hours SP/ BK and 11,5 hours BK/Amsterdam. Last night I boarded the flight CI065 and because I still had still some points to spent I flew decadently , compared to all the simple trains, in the businessclass. A bit confusing, too fast , too luxurious. Plane was not full as is usual these days. Businessclass not even half full incl 2 english guys, about 50 years old, rather drunk from the free cognacs in the China airlines lounge and one of them almost 100% tatooed. He showed it in the plane by sitting not only in shorts but also by sitting without his T shirt. An asian crew don t know how to handle this kind of bad behavior. So he fell ... read more

I write this entry in Bangkok for I have been too short in Singapore to find a computer. Due to the fact that I became this day, June 12th , grandfather again I ll go home a bit earlier than planned. It s a grandson and like the father, my youngest son not so serious in planning for he entered this world about 5 weeks too early. Probably wondering how it is around here. So I had to change my schedule. Went to Butterworth station at 5.30 in the morning to change my train tickets what took about 45 minutes. It s all possible in Malaysia but not done probably very often for the guy at the shelter had to call his boss who was still sleeping how he had to do this in their computer ... read more

In Georgetown I found a street with all butchers. One had as speciallity Goatsheads but not on display. The other butchers had pigs hanging in the frontdoors. Just without any cooling. Wonder who is eating them for it s not a delicacy for Moslims or Budhists and I can hardly believe it s for the Roman Catholics for than they have to eat a lot. This system with all shops of one kind of business all together in one street is common here. There is also a street with jewelers. Georgetown is another Unesco world heritage site and the last I visit on this trip. Georgetown on Penang is rather big, 600.000 inhabitants and even the Unesco site in the old city is approx 4 or5 km2 with complete streets in old style european tradinghouses. The ... read more