Croatia

Zagreb, Croatia

Train from Budapest to Zagreb was very crowded and hot. Luckily we reserved a seat. For the 9 hours, Dave drank 5 liters of free water he got from the Budapest train station and bent the ear of Dave the Canadian. Zagreb the hotel fala was very good with air conditioning. One day seeing the sights of Zagreb, lots of grand buildings from Austro-Hungarian times. Professor of history in the cathedral said EU is run by freemasons.

Split, Croatia

The bus from Zagreb to Split was perfect. Airconditioned, wifi, smooth and fast. Time to explore Split and go for swim.

Sibenik, Croatia

Zadar, Croatia

Pula, Croatia

Hungary Budapest

Decision made train to Budapest. Lots of people on the platform as the Vienna Belgrade express comes in but after a bit of stress we all get a seat. Comfy ride into Hungary. Flat and hot outside. Big station in Budaoest and lots of backpackers. Change some money outside station at a much better rate than inside. Burger King provides lunch, air con and wifi. Book the last room in some uni residences at a fraction of the hotel prices.Manage to get a bus through Pest across river to Buda and to get off at the right stop. Residences very pleasant and cool with lots of shade.

Budapest, Hungary

Budapest ghost walk

Amazing

Bus back to river and cruise up Danube using our transport pass. Boat doesn,t stop where we want to get off or next stop so miss last boat back. Whats going on. Follow crowd at last stop and we find a tube back to city. Meet a scary guy promoting free ghost tours that night. Drink at market bar listening to music then back for ghost tour. No one else is going so Dave tries to drum up business. People stop and chat to the ghost in Hungarian. When the walk is abandoned due to lack of interest it turns out the ghost is an Irish bloke called Declan who cant speak Hungarian but just says yes yes to anyone who talks Hungarian.

Saturday is 35 degs. Free walking tours of city in morning and Jewish district in afternoon both excellent. Luckily lots of drinking fountains around Budapest. Finish walk in a Ruin Bar. Lots of bars in derelict buildings with old furniture.Chat to other travellers then go with Laura from Aus and Mat from Pittsburgh for dinner. A great place on edge of jewish district. Dave has the three course kosher dinner with two pints of fruit beer.Find a bus easily back to hostel.
Next day 39degs.
Walk up to statue and citadel near hostel. Great view.
Second oldest underground in world with old music at each station to park. Look at baths but too hot. Heroes square, park with castle and ghost hanging in air .Back to same restaurant meet American couple about to work in Budapest.Nightime walk to river. Tram ride and home

Slovakia-Tatra mountains and Bratislava

Another day, another country and another language. After learning jin dobri for hello in Poland its now ahoy in Slovakia. Capt Ahab would be OK with ahoy.

Bus from zakopane to Stary Somovec was a comfortable 2hrs around the end of the Tatra mountains. The currency changed from zlotys back to euros. Hotel prices are higher but we find a nice place to stay in Pension Kolbin for 44 euros including breakfast. In the afternoon we walked up the mountainside next to a railway. 300m above the valley great mountain view and a hotel terrace bar. Sit in the sun drinking slovak beer about $1.50 per pint.

Stary Smokovec, Slovakia

Next morning bright blue skies and sunshine. A big breakfast and no insulin should get dave 1500m up to Slavosky Stit. 2452m. Set off at 9.30am and after going uphill through trees, then low bushes, then ridges and rocky mountainside fantastic we reached the summit at 2.30pm. Stunning view in perfect weather.
After one hour on top a long descent brings us to a bar in the village and more cold beer and a burger.
Dinner in hotel of Tatra chai very strong hot punch type drink which was on fire when it arrived.After blowing it out the first taste was still like fire. Cabbage and sausage soup,gnocchi with cheese and bacon and more beer.

Bratislava

Bratislava, Slovakia

At the station the next morning we asked how to get to Budapest. Through Bratislava is easiest so book train to the capital. On little train to valley meet a canadian girl we had met on mountain. She taught in Korea then travelled through South East Asia, China, Mongloia, Russia Poland now here. Next stops Romania and Ukraine. Amazing.

Express train to Bratislva has wifi so we book a room in hostel Petit. Easy to find and good. City walk in late afternoon, then Danube river, Castle and a little bar for dinner. Tomorrow maybe Budapest.We are told Sunday it will be 38 degrees.

Poland

The Angel House Bed and Breakfast is really smart but in an old unmarked building. Lucky we booked before leaving Berlin.The internet is good and the hotel lovely so finally we can bring the blog up to date.

From a quick look Kracow looks great.

The Angel House in Krakow was so good that after two nights it was full and we had to move on. A  day updatin e blog was relieved by a trip to the supermarket for polish bread,smoked salmon, beer and salad for dinner in a bar cafe in the evening with kebabs also good.

Krakow, Poland

Red hot as walk across Krakow to new room which is not perfect but has a great bath. Dave walks all over city looking for another place for next day and most are full. City square in evening is beautiful.

Friday old city walking tour. Many highlights but popes house, trumpet in tower, music in old church castle and cathedral are best.

Move to Lemon apts very modern but in old town. Peaceful in day but lots of partying in the streets after dark. Vampires disappeared at first light and quiet again.

Walked through old jewish district of Kazmiers to Schindlers factory. Very moving.Back through old town with lots of music.

Aushwitz, Poland

Aushwitz and birkenau extermination camp next day. A good guide for a terrible story.

Zakopane, Poland

Bus to zakopane next day through beautiful countryside and traffic jams.So busy different to when Dave was last here 37 years ago. Hotel in rolling countryside about 5kms away.View up to high mountains. Dave walks over little hills back to Zakopane main street is packed. Beer and sausage and to a nice entrance to national park. Gorgeous. Dinner up road is good but costs more than we expect.

Europe

Photo link     Friedrichshafen

Drive the hire car back to Manchester airport with Keith and Mick and many bags filling the little motor.Happily no problems returning it. Fly to Zurich after Keith and Mick have enjoyed the business lounge.Train and then ferry across Lake Constance to Friedrichshafen. Again red hot. Put up tents and meet Keiths mates at the campground bar. Loads of mosquitos.

Outdoor show for the day. So many suppliers exhibiting. Hagloffs have free beer and smoked salmon from five then Adidas take over with beer sausages and music. Dave is in heaven but Youngmi and Keith are worried he is drinking too much.

Next day look around town which is really nice on lake shore. Dave cannot find the nudist beach but has a swim in the lake. Beer garden in the evening great fun.

Berlin

Meinfernbus from Friedrichshafen through  Munich to Berlin. Free wifi and cheap beer. Very comfy. Berlin about 8.30pm where we are met by Detlev and Urte.We last saw them in Cusco Peru.With their fauthful hound Reg they take us to the Brandenburg Gate where there is a concert. Walk through the holocaust memorial and then to Kreuzberg for a curry wurst at Curry36. We have never seen such a long queue for a suasage in curry sauce. Their home in Brandenburg is about 30 minutes away in a leafy part of town.

A magnificent german breakfast sets us up for Berlin sightseeing. We park near a huge British embassy then stroll down Unten dem Linden to the Musuem Island. Grand buildings in what was east Berlin look impressive. We have a pizza and drink near a tango dancing place on the river, then go the cathedral and finally walk up a red carpet to the koncert house in a big square. Alles ausgeseichnet. Back at the house we have a BBQ until after midnight when it is Daves birthday.

Potsdam

A leisurely birthday breakfast with happy birthday napkins and presents including some zlotys from Urte is followed by a day out in Potsdam. Hot as walk around San Souci gardens. So nice with palaces and roman baths and chinese house.Another BBQ with our friends friend is lovely. One friend is from Argentina and the conversation moves in German, Spanish and English (only one Korean speaker). We need a few drinks to understand.

After looking after us so well Detlev, Urte and Reg drive us over the border to Poland and there we get trains to Warsaw and then Cracov. Detlev has said it is much cheaper to buy tickets in Poland and this works. It is flat all the way to Warsaw and most of the way to Cracow but hills then start and it is very pretty.