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.