Photos of Final Week of Travel

More of Vienna

L: Meat!!! Delicious..; R: Chris and Emilio, my two favourite people in Vienna!


L: Stage of Vienna Opera House; R: Museum of Modern Art in Vienna.

Ok, having problems with internet again so stay tuned for more pics (of Bratislava, Berlin, Prague) and my afterthoughts of the trip.

Will fly out on Friday for Toronto. Have a couple of contacts there fingers crossed all goes well. i feel as if all my good luck has been used up over the last 5 weeks!

Day 32 - Playing Catch Up

Acutally not really. Australia just drew with Croatia to make it into the next round at the World Cup. By the way peoples, this Prague keyboard is weird and I can't work out how to make an exclamation mark or brackets. So I may seem a little sedate in this edition but it's really not my fault.

When I last expunged my thoughts properly on this blog was Day 27 when I was about to leave Budapest. On route to Vienna I did a stopover at Bratislava, Slovakia for a few hours. It's by no means the best city I've ever been to, but like every where I've been it's got its charms. Had a really yummy thai prawn salad there. I was well pleased and surprised. It's gastronomically more advanced than London in my humble opinion. Right after I speed back to the train station to miss my train by mere minutes. Bad Tina Bad. I had people in Vienna waiting to pick me up.

I spent two glorious sun-filled days in Vienna, staying at my Dusseldorf friend Caroline's husband's friend's girlfriend's flat. Emilio and Chris are the most lovely couple you could meet, so warm and helpful and absolute keepers. Thank you both for your hospitality to a girl you've never met but only knew was coming to stay a few days prior. On the first night they took me to a true Viennese eatery. Just outside of Vienna are small villages where by agreement, a collective of farmhouses would open their homes and kitchens to sell products made only on their premise. So for dinner we went to one of these farmhouses, denoted only by a particular branch and light hanging at the front of their house. I ate the most massive meal for various cold meats, as they cannot serve hot meals, with homemade dips and even shavings from the same plant as wasabi is made of. There was also a large selection of wine made by the farm. Delicious. The evening ended with a drive to a lookout tower, specifically a meterological tower with a platform up top where you can go up to. The view of Vienna was lovely. A quick drive through the city itself later was a good orientation for the next two days.

After coming from the Balkans it was a refreshing experience to be in a city not devastated by war, who at one point was part of a huge empire - in fact in 1907 the Austro-Hasburg Empire was the third largest in the world with 51 million inhabitants. Eveything was big and grand. Full of life and culture. I loved being there. Sitting in Cafe Central once patronised by the likes of Sigmund Freud was a delight, a far cry from my experience at the Holiday Inn in Sarajevo.

Literally leaving Vienna wasn't suppose to be difficult as I was getting a flight - what luxuary after weeks of busses, trains and ferries - but goddam Bush invaded Vienna and delayed my flight. I arrived at my Berlin hostel around 12.30am but the fact that I was meeting Tri made me happy. Having seen Berlin in winter all Christmased up a year and a half ago and seeing it now in summer in football fever has been a real pleasure. The city is now decked out in flags, of course the German one most prominent, streets filled with people, and stages set up for special football shows and events. After only one full day in Berlin it was time to come to Prague.

What I've seen of Prague so far matches what the guide books and past travellers have said. It is a beautiful town. But having the heat and weeks of travelling looking at similar things I am tired and my enthusiasm has waned. Perhaps my trip to the castle tomorrow will brighten up my spirit and outlook. The dreaded flight to London has been booked and paid for, and I think about next week despondently. The next four days in the Czech Republic will include a two day trip out to Cesky Krumlov, where I hear it's quiet and peaceful, a pretty town by the river. Egon Shiele, one of Vienna's most revered artist who lived and died in the first half of the 20th century spent many months in Cesky Krumlov and even purchased a home there. However the community caught wind of his questionable relationship with his models and ran him outta town. That last fact aside I am looking forward to seeing a place loved by an artist and hope to re-live all the good times I've had these past few weeks before returning to the real world.

What day is it?

No time to check or write really. Just had a couple GREAT days in Vienna and got out yesterday just as Bush arrived. Am in Berlin now and met up with Tri me lovely friend from home. Have to check how to get to Prague now. Boo, only have this week of travelling left. Boo!

Day 27 - New Adventure

Saturday 17th June 2006

I can't believe three days in Budapest have flown by and I'm already leaving this town. The next few days are a change from my original plans, as one of my best friends I call Pablo Escobar sprung a bit of a surprise on me to say that he was in Europe for the World Cup. I quickly rearranged my itinery to meet up with him in Berlin on the 20th. As such I will only visit Bratislava for a few hours then back on the train to Vienna. I will stay in Vienna for a couple of days then I fly (what luxury!) to Berlin. I guess you want to see some pics and perhaps some thoughts on Budapest?


L: View from Fisherman's Bastion; L: Statue outside the Palace/National Gallery.


L: House of Terror Museum; R: Parliment House on the Danube.


L: Interior of St Stephen's Basilica; M: Lamp post outside National Gallery; R: Hungarian Flag on Chain Bridge.

It's been a very cool three days. My Budapest adventure started even before I got to the city itself. Sara, an Italian girl living in Budapest was staying at my hostel in Belgrade. She suggested that I go back with her on the overnight train and she would take me out and show me a couple of places. During the day I'd do my tourist thing and at night she's taken me to some pretty funky places to drinks. How bout a ram-shackle building that's about to be demolished? Think cool squatters and second hand furniture and oil barrel fires and projections on walls.

Nice.

Day 25 - A New Woman

That's me. After an overnight ride from Belgrade to Budapest, caught some zzz's at my new friend's flat in Budapest, showered got changed and settled in my hostel, I am ready to greet the sun and moon and flying saucers feeling like brand new.

So many thoughts running through my head that I want to write now, but since it's free internet I can come back anytime. Just too eager to share with you all!

Ok ok I'm going now otherwise I'll miss a beautiful day.

You better wait up for me...

Day 23 - Slow Burn

Hey, it's around 1am in Belgrade right now. This will be my third night here when I only intended to stay one night. The hostel I'm staying at is great. It's new and clean, and the people here I've met have been some lovely people. I'm so comfortable here that it's been easy to stay on. This journey has been an incredible one. The places I've seen, the people I've met, the things I've done. For anyone who hasn't travelled, perhaps you already know the secret to life so you didn't need to leave home. But for me, it's proved to be an invaluable experience. Am I changed as a person? I'm not sure about that. But it's definitely rounded me off. It's almost the end and it's difficult to imagine a return to "normality". I have lived a completely different life for the past few weeks. I am still excited about Toronto but it will create a different set of rules and expectations once I get there. To have the freedom that I have is an incredible gift and to think that POLITICS can limit people's lives like some of the people I've met on my travels is unthinkable in our Western world. I only hope that things change, that we continue to fight those small-minded people and see that we are all as one. World conflicts will not end overnight, it may not even end in some parts of the globe. What can we do? I don't know. Let's just continue the build our relationships with those around us and never forget those who can't enjoy the freedom that we enjoy. Think about the Geneva Convention, think about the right of every human being to enjoy the simple things in life. Break down the barriers. Cast aside your doubts. Open your hearts and minds. See the world. See the person behind the stereotypes and give up your prejudices. What is the point of fighting? Be happy. Be thankful. Be everything and anything you want to be. Smile. Just smile.

Day 22 - Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi OI!

What a win!!! Did you see the game? Australia vs Japan, 3-1. What a fantastic last 8 minutes. My recently aquired travel buddy Dan and I had a victory feast and it looked like this :


L: Bread, tuna mayo, cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, smoked ham, crisps, beer; R: UK Dan who lives in Oslo.



Top: Sign saying it's not safe, but Grandma on right is proving otherwise.
Bottom L: Main pedestraian shopping street in Belgrade; R: Dan being a statue at the fortress.

There were just two more photos I wanted to add from Sarajevo and here they are. THe restaurant Roland and I ate at was such an unexpected find. So cozy and the beautifully presented food was delicious. All the vegetables were a very nice change to all the burek (pastry commonly filled with meat or cheese) and cevapi (sausages served with naan-like bread) we have been eating.

The one on the right is a picture of Merima, my Bosnian internet friend whom I only met for the first time 4 days ago. She was so generous and friendly that I was so grateful to know her. I hope to keep in contact with her forever.


L: Welsh Roland at dinner; R: Merima, my beautiful Bosnian friend.

Day 21 - Viva la Belgrade

Rolling into the city in a beaten up bus from the 60s where the windows were permanently condensed meant I had no idea what the city looked like until I got off. Was very nice to be met by the guy that runs the hostel, and after the less than glamourous one I stayed at in Sarajevo I was a bit sceptical about the one here. What a difference. Star Hostel only opened a month ago and it's so nice and new and clean I want to stay here forever. The guy that runs the place is pretty cool and easy going, and offered us burek (Eastern Europe's version of fast food) that his mum made :)

My travel buddy I met in Sarajevo and I were starving. Going out for food we thought we were going to have some local chow, but what drew us was the delicious smell that eminated from a Japanese restaurant down the road. Oh my god the food was fantastic! I haven't had Japanese food for the longest time and to sit there and eat authentic Japanese food (the owner was Japanese) it was like we were in heaven. So random, eating Japanese food in Belgrade of all places. It costed like 550DIN for my udon, but we hadn't worked out what the exchange rate was. The hostel guy told us it was around 5 euros. 5 euros?? We ate like kings for 5 euros! God bless the pound sterling...

Day 20 - Mixed Bag

I don't know what to say about Sarajevo. The Winter Olympic City of 1984. The besieged city of 1992 - 1995. 11,000 people died, women and children included. 11 years now the track the city has returned to normal life. But I feel a saddness I can't seem to shake. Sitting in the lobby bar at the Holiday Inn where international jounalists could safely relax during the war was a surreal moment. Just metres down the road from it was dubbed Sniper Alley. If you were anywhere near that strip of road you were targetted by snipers on the hill. The journalists would have drank beer in the lobby and chatted merrily about another world.


L: Holiday Inn. There are some bullet marks at the base of the sign; M: The only completely rebuilt building in Sarajevo. It's a shopping and office complex. R: UN vehicles parked outside. Typical their HQ would occupy such a fancy premise.


The streets of Sarajevo.


L: View of city from one of many cemetaries above the city; R: Grave of Bosnia's first president Alija Izetbegovic. It's manned 24hrs by a military guide as sign of respect.


L: After everything my fellow hostellers and I did find the energy to go out to a local pub. I danced on the table like I usually do, R: Some new Bosnian friends.

Day 18 - Misery

Another rainy day. I'm out of warm clothes to wear. Must do laundry.

I've gone out and bought some new clothes cause it's freakin' cold. Have taken the rest to be laundered. The only option in this town (Sarajevo) seems to be Esprit or some surf/skate shop. I bought a couple of hoodies and wearing my 3/4 jeans. I look like a bloody 15 year old skater-girl wanna be.

That's all I've done today in Sarajevo, it was a bit of a cultural shock when I arrived at the train station. Everything looks like the way it was in the 70s. The city is repaired in bits but not fully re-constructed. Still many damaged and dormant buildings. Traffic is a mess. Half the roads are dug up. People don't speak as much English as in Croatia and Slovenia. The hostel I'm staying at is the worst I've stayed so far. Tomorrow though I'll be going on a city tour so hopefully this place will come alive as I was planning on being here a few days to really get to know it. Afterwards I will be meeting an internet friend who is a local, so maybe she will again give me the insight I need to understand this place.

Till then...

Day 17 - Signs of Destruction

Am in Mostar, Bosnia at the moment and it's the most devastated city from the war in all of Bosnia. As you walk around every second building has been bombed or shot out, bullet holes still very much visible. The most famous structure here is the Old Bridge (Mos = old, star = bridge). It was built around 500 years ago, but it was destroyed during the war in 1993. It was rebuilt a year after as a symbol of peace, bridging the Turkish influenced east and Croat/Serb west. Before the war mixed marriages was very common. My guide has a Muslim mother and a Croat (Catholic) father. But the war has separated the community and even the official end of the war couldn't stop sniper fire. Today there are much tourists coming back to Mostar, a much needed source of income for the former Yugoslav state.

Out of this depressing town I need have a little encounter that bought a smile to my face. As I wrote my postcard by the bridge, about six precocious 8 year old boys hung around, and started to read the postcard out loud, to show me they understood English. So I spoke to them and introduced myself and we all shook hands. They were all giggling and laughing and all trying to speak to me at the same time. They were on a school excursion from a small town near by. They were having a great day that day, eating icecream and mucking around. They were very sweet and I'm glad they chatted to me.


L: Shelled out buildings; R: Holes in walls still sandbagged.


New "Old Bridge"

Day 16 - Live from Dubrovnik

Tuesday 6th June 2006

Last day in Croatia. Woke up late but my host had breakfast for me anyway, sweet Croatian grandmother. Was able to upload a backlog of photos. Felt much weight lifted off my shoulders. Sun became perfect for sunbathing so went to my beach. The water was warm. Late afternoon decided to visit Europe's third oldest operating pharmacy but it was closed. But nevermind cause the guy let me into the museum for free. I then tackled the city wall that protected the city from centuries of attack from the Venetians and theTurks. Beautiful views.


My beach

L: My beach; R: Taken on City Wall

Forgot to add that as I was walking on the top of the city wall, I heard singing coming from one of the churches in the town centre. It was coming from a procession that walked along the main thoroughfare to another church. The view and the singing was just perfect timing, as if it was performed for my benefit. It was near dusk and flocks of swallows were doing fly bys by me. How do I describe that moment when you feel everything in the world is good and in its rightful place?


L: View of Dubrovnik from City Wall. Note the specks on top left, they're swallows, R: The singing procession as they exit from church.

Just A Few More

Soča River in Slovenia. The colour of the water is caused by limestone and other minerals. It's an important river in Slovenia, and part of it became part of the frontline in WWI. There are still bunkers and trenches in the hills (Julian Alps) beside it.


Lake Bled in Slovenia. A popular destination in Lonely Planet, and also for German pensioners.


L: Another waterfall in Plitvice; R: Lovers' Lane! Spot the couples.


L: At least I found mine hehe; R: Woke up on the bus somewhere between Rijeka and Zadar and this was the view. Brilliant.

Well this is it for the moment. Hope I haven't bored the pants off anyone. Please let me know what you think.

Can't Stop Me Now

What do you think about these?


All above from Hvar, an island off Split. It was a good day.


L: View of Hvar port from castle at top of hill; R: Dinner in laneway in Dubrovnik