At Last An Update !!

---

Hokey cokey here we go again. Firstly if you start getting z's where y's should be - my apologies as they are in different places on this keyboard, and for a touch typist that's not so good!!!

So we left Gloucester and headed down to Dover and caught the 6.00pmish crossing. Nothing eventful to report on that front at all! We headed up the coast toward Oostende and then basically turned right and headed towards Dortmund. David took on the driving to start with whilst I navigated which wasn't overlz difficult!!! On making our right turn towards Dortmund we started to get snow. And it continued snowing, but despite the snow depth getting more the roads remained absolutley clear and we had no problems whatsoever! We pulled in at one the exceptionally frequent laybys and put our heads down to sleep until the early hours!! We woke up because we got to warm under the duvet (despite the snow) and headed onwards to Efurt.

We had a wander round the old town of Erfurt and had breakfast here too. Thankfully it was nice and quiet and we had time to take in the wonderful architecture and colours, and managed to avoid the trams!! We continued deliberatley towards Weimar and headed only slightly north to visit Buchenwald Concentration Camp. A very sombre visit and particularly more so in the snow. There is nothing left but the basic footings of the actual huts, but nearly all of the main buildings are there. It takes little to imagine and through our own knowledge to imagine what atrocities went on here. The camp is on a wooded hillside that overlooks the town of Weimar and Erfurt, and it was here that 19 innocent polish prisoners of war were taken, marched and hung in the woods of Poppenhausen in reprisal of the killing of 2 german soldiers. Anyway sober thoughts and a somber mood took us on our way to Prague.

We lost the snow once we dropped out of the hills and headed down onto the plain that leads to Prague. We unfortunatley more or less hit Prague in rush hour, and trying to navigate and look for accommodation was quite entertaining. We finally found a hotel in Vyserhad directly outside a tram stop and were able to park the car immediately outside too!!! We headed straight to the Charles Bridge so we could see the Castle by night and then had a meal before returning!

We were up early in the morning and headed again for the Charles Bridge. There are already many tourist groups here but fortunatley we managed to get across the bridge and wander around to start with without coming across to many! The Charles Bridge remains as spectacular as ever despite major restoration going on. We walked upwards and into the castle and saw the noon changing of the guard with all its pomp and circumstance. We had a high vantage point and drank hot chocolate whilst watching the proceedings. We would have gone into the church but there was a huge queue and neither of us fancied standing there and waiting! So we wandered on! Oh please note the toilets to the right of the church are now brand new and sparkling - very impressed!!! Lots of photos have been taken although I personally have a curse when it comes to photos and Prague. On my last venture to this city none of my photos turned out! This time the camera has decided to pack in!!! Ah well still I have a little camera to keep going with! We marched on and headed to the Astronomical Clock, Tyn Church, Powder Tower and Wenceslas Square. Everywhere is celebrating easter and there are lots of decorations about! Whilst trying to find a post office we were approached by an elderly gentleman who gave us directions but then told us to go into the Library opposite us as there was a surprise. Sure enough at the top of the stairs is a circular book tower that is never ending!!! You have to go and find out why it is neverending, but then again if you ask me nicely enough I may let you in on the secret!! In the evening we ate in a medieval restaraunt and had potato soup IN bread and goulash - very nice!!! Accompanied by medieval goblets, music and merriment!!!

Up early the next morning we made our way to Bratislava. I managed to park - more by luck than judgement - in a residential area at the back of the very imposing castle. The views over the Danube and the city were amazing. Below us was the medieval town and in the distance across the silver (not blue in this light) Danube were eastern block towerblocks! We walked in the medieval town which was really good. There is a lot of restoration going on here and the place is sparkling so it is certainlz worth a visit! After this we drove onto Budapest which was a doddle to drive round! We stopped in the hotel part of a hostel come student accommodation. The room was large and had its own kitchen and bathroom. The corridor to the room was long and just had endless doors off it leading to exactly the same types of room! We caught a tram into Pest for the evening and got a little lost as the tram stops exactly where we didnt want it too and left us stuck!!! In the end we got a taxi to the end of the Chain Bridge and headed up the vernicular railway and observed Prague by night - a must do on anyones itinerary!

The next day found us getting back on the tram and heading round to the castle and royal palace. We wandered around amazed by the architecture, restoration, bullet holes(!), colours and views!!! Photos to follow! Budapest is leaving me without an adequate description! Amazing, amazing, amazing and we are so glad we came, even only for this short amount of time! And we would highly recommend coming now just before all the tourist groups get here because it was wonderfully quiet and free from them!

We left and drove down to Lake Balaton, where we had lunch on the lakeside, in lovely warm weather. The water is a milky blue colour which has to be mineral based and is flat calm, hardly any ripples on it whatsoever! We drove to Tihany and looked out on the lake and marvelled at the views. This lake is huge! We stopped at Balatonfured overnight in quite a posh little hotel. The area is so quiet there is no one here ...... yet ...... the season hasn't started!!!!

We got up this morning and went back to Tihany to overlook the lake again! Still flat calm and hardly a ripple. In the morning light there was no horizon to be seen - and in my opinion actually knocked on the head the Bolivian Salt Flats for that experience. We just stood there in very warm spring sunshine agog and speechless! We headed onto Hevicz where we sampled the waters. This is a spa town that has a 5 hectare 40meter deep crater containing 27degrees lovely warm mineral water!!! We took the plunge and enjoyed an hour or so swimming in the waters!!! An exceedingly well organised set up they have here!!! Changing rooms, pavillions and piers jutting out into the lake greet you!! Hungary has been full of surprises and this was just another one waiting for us!!!

Anyway we are now in Zagreb. It's been so hot today we cant quite belive it!! We have travelled down motorways and at times not seen any other cars!! We are going to investigate Zagreb tonight and tomorrow and head on towards the coast tomorrow afternoon. We are visiting some lakes tomorrow whose name I can't quite remember let alone spell, so bear with me!!!

---