Been a while...

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OK - I know. You've been missing the dulcet tones of text from afar. Well instead of going into detail, I'll give you a summary. I heard a sigh of relief - come on, own up!



So I think I last blogged from Istanbul. It seems an eon ago. I took a two-day trip to Cappadocia in Central Anatolia (saw a few Anatolian shepherd puppies). Took a couple of day-tours, not usually my bag but I'd dashed off to Cappadocia - Land of beautiful horses - on a whim so I didn't organise any independent travel. Covered a few places of interest incuding the underground city where persecuted Christians used to live; the caves cut into the eroded sandstone under the basalt lava. Escaping Christians used to live here when the Romans came through. Underground churches and cave churches. PBelieve it or not, persecuted Christians prayed here and gave some apprentice painters a go at depicting the various Christian events. I gave some of the paintings a C minus but I guess you have to start somewhere and they probably didn't have sketch books. Most of them had their eyes scratched out because during a period of paganism people thought they looked evil...

No - I didn't do a balloon flight over the region. I'll probably regret it. There was thunder and lightning for a couple of days in the surrounding hills but only a little rain.

We walked some of the Ihlara valley, ate some traditional tourist food by the river and even had time to walk up to the local village to watch the warm-up act preparing for a wedding. The father of the groom was very polite despite our unexpected descent on his outdoor wedding and he allowed us to wash our hands from a bottle he poured and then take a sweet from his basket. I stayed in a cave where I had to duck my head to avoid giving it a beating and got a reasonable breakfast into the bargain.



After a couple of warm but occasionally spitty rain days in a small tour group (some of us got on well with others - others did not) it was a long overnight bus back to Istanbul in time to catch a minibus out to the airport for a flight to sunny Belfast.

What could be more extreme? OK, I know what could be more extreme but you know what I mean. From dry and city Istanbul to green and rural Belfast to meet my brother Tim and Lilly, his wife. Smiles and hugs all round. Spent a lovely few days in west Donegal inspecting (courtesy of a GPS that didn't recognise new roads) many nooks and crannies of the coast and clifftops (twice) as well as many pubs and Guinness dispensaries in the evenings. From Donegal via Killybegs and Limerick (made one up on the way but sensibly forgot it immediately!) to Killarney and Kenmare in the far south. Spent a few more days sampling the fare in the public houses . I must have drunk a gallon and a half of Guinness and, most spectacularly, driving the Ring of Kerry one day and the Ring of Beara another day. In between was the Baltimore fiddle festival full of, yes, Guinness, but some briliant musicians playing traditional and bluegrass and other music from all over the world. Now in it's 20th year.



OK- I'll kick on.



From Dublin, after a teary departure, next stop was Budapest. Again a contrast. Spent a week here staying in a nice hostel (old Hapsburg Palace near the Danube) and then Couchsurfing with a guy, Adrian, and his foster dog, Trond. Hooked up with a picnic organised by an English language school (Callan Method) and then a day of ultimate frisbee - both on Margaret Island in the middle of the river. Lovely weather (about 25 degrees) and good company from all over Europe. Must have walked most of Buda and half of Pest on several occasions. Spent about three hours in saunas (80-100 C), spinning pools, warm fountains and icy water at the Szechenyi Baths. Got right into the traditional Hungarian music at the Szimpler bar (more stout beers) and flew out to Bergamo in northern Italy. Plans changed away from Krakow. Spent a pleasant couple of days walking up through the panoramic streets and old city walls and down through the rocky walled lanes past the funicular and up to Saint Vigilio's place for a view of the old town at sunset. Special.



Now arrived in Milan for a couple of days pending travel to Marseill (one way or another) in preparation for meeting up with Cal and Steph from Geelong ready for the ferry ride to Corsica and the walk across the south of the island.

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