26 November

Sicilian driving temperament

Before we start, let's be clear. We love Italians. They are creative, gregarious, mostly friendly and welcoming. Sure, everybody has a bad hair day and you get the odd grumpy official in an office or cassa. But in general they are probably, as individuals, the most sociable people in Europe. Not only that, they are mostly understandable, even though we don't speak Italian – must have been those Latin classes in High School!

However, put them behind the wheel of anything that is self-propelled and they go crazy! The further south you go, the worse they get. In fact, in the north they have become extremely courteous and patient. Coming into Messina in Sicily today was a madhouse, only equalled in our experience by Istanbul and Saigon!

Lane markings mean nothing. Traffic lights are more a suggested course of action rather than mandatory. The horn is a device for the expression of frustration and pedestrians are simply potential collateral damage.

Despite the traffic and difficult signage, we finally found the Aire de Service recommended to us by a French Canadian couple we met last night. The park is specially designed for campervans and is packed with German 'grey nomads' who apparently stay here all winter. It has everything a campground has, but a bit more basic. The town is Giardini Naxos, about 50 kms from Messina, a beach resort, with now moth-balled hotels and a beach front (Lido) packed with bars and restaurants, again, mostly closed for the winter.

Their loss! It's warm, (22C) sunny and extremely scenic, with hill towns in the mountains behind us and the Mediterranean coast before us. Again, what more could you want?


24 November – 25 November

Amalfi shock


Waves break in the background as we cook dinner, perched 100m + above the beach in the small Calabrian town of Palmi.

How good does it get?

A horror day yesterday, when – against all advice – we attempted to drive the Amalfi coast south of Naples... in a Campervan. For those who haven't driven in Europe, it is difficult to describe the Amalfi coast road experience...? Imagine driving down your driveway, your driveway, not your street, in a cement truck, with cars parked on both sides - and confronting a council bus. Then add hairpin bends every 50m and other drivers, who all think they're Mario Andretti (including the council bus driver) and can cut the corners. On top of that, have crazy people stop in front of you and carry on conversations with others on the street. This goes on for 90kms.That's just about it!
NOTE: for the driver this was a blood-sweating experience, but for the navigator, it was all omigod! She just had to gulp quietly as even a “WOW” brought down the wrath of the driver! Especially when it was she who had suggested this might be a good idea.

Despite all this, it is a spectacular coast line. Sadly, we won't have too many photos to show how beautiful it was. Who can stop in their driveway with a council bus coming at them?

Last night we stopped behind a hotel in the small town of Sala Consilina. It was a free night but, as our wedding anniversary was looming, we decided to have dinner in the hotel restaurant to celebrate, rather than take a chance of being in a grotty motorway stop on the actual night. It was an interesting night, strangely reminiscent of one over 20 years ago in the mountains of “Old Yugoslavia”, when we had dinner in a hotel with the TV showing Disney cartoons in Serbo-Croat. Last night, it was 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' in Italian. The food was just as average, the crowd equally 'interesting' and the overall experience unforgettable.

Braving the rough surfaced, non-toll motorways today was infinitely easier than the Amalfi experience. We crossed the Apennines in blazing sunshine. This is the good time of year in the south of Italy. Everything is green, it's warm and the olive crop is in full harvest. Traffic thinned to a trickle after Naples and the towns and small cities of Calabria and Basilicata were much more 'campervan accessible' than those further north.
So here we are, an hour or two off the ferry trip to Sicily tomorrow. It's warm again. Over 20C and bound to get warmer over the next week or so. We still wonder why southern Europeans close down holiday resorts in winter? Haven't they ever been to Scandinavia this time of the year?

Our first experience of Italy was over 30 years ago. Then it was almost Third World. North of Rome, there has been a spectacular change. Towns and cities are cleaner and the infrastructure is modern and functional.
We have never been this far south before and generally things are still a bit 'third world' here. Towns are dirty and dusty. Rubbish collection day always seems to be tomorrow and the whole country has a major problem with graffiti! The Autostrada are great. But get off them here in the south and you could just as well be in Bulgaria!
The woes of the south are often blamed on the Mafia. But the Mafia cannot be held responsible for the scenery, which is “Spectacular!” Mountains; towns; villages – all are amazing – big, rocky, clear (today), mostly green.


23 November

One month in

One month ago today, we picked up our van in Amsterdam. Adjusting to this lifestyle is not a problem for us after two previous trips and our caravanning life at home. There are always challenges though! Our fridge won't work on 240V and the gas heater has fallen to bits. Neither of these are a major problem though. We survive on relatively cool beer and we shop almost daily for fresh food. We haven't yet had cold enough weather for the heater to be a problem, although tonight the cold is creeping up through the floor!

Too much talk about how easy this trip has been thus far is only courting disaster. But we have had no major problems. Perhaps an old van like this has had all its problems worked out?!!!

Chugging diesel motors surround us tonight as we are parked for the night in a motorway services area 100 + klm north of Naples, along with the trucks. Every time we park in a location like this, cars seem to attach themselves to us. It must be a European thing? We can park at the far end of a carpark, almost out of sight of civilization, and little pesky cars will park within a gnat's wing of us on both sides!

Escaping Rome this morning was relatively easy. Just a few detours and we were on our way to Hadrian's villa, 30 km east of the city. Hadrian didn't skimp when it came to country houses. The ruins cover several hectares and some of it is still being 'dug' in the archaeological sense. We braved the mid-morning cold, 6-7C to be rewarded with a sprawling villa with some of the most magnificent 'ruins' we have seen – and we have seen RUINS!

Tomorrow we head further south to the Amalfi coast. We have heard that it is difficult to drive in this area in a camper: we'll see.


22 November

Walk 'like Romans do'

The ancient road along which Roman Legions marched in triumphant return to Rome still exists. Some of the road even has the original pavement along which chariots rumbled and sandalled feet marched, two thousand and more years ago. These great occasions were celebrated by monuments and arches along this grand route, the remnants of which can be seen today. All of this was about returning TO Rome in triumph. In our inimitable style, we unintentionally marched OUT of town on the Via Appia Antica!

Somehow we got confused at Quo Vadis, the church that marks what we now know to be the start of the 'home stretch' of the Via – towards Rome! Enthralled by the countryside, the road and its monuments, we marched on until we came upon the Catacombs of San Callista where they buried the popes until the 3rd century, at which time Constantine, bless his heart, decided Christianity was an okay thing to do. Then they dug 'em out and re-buried them under churches, “which you can see if you take our special guided tour.” They also buried 500,000 other people, mostly the rich and the famous – just so they had a chance at Heaven as well. The catacombs were open, so we did the tour and set off again.

As most people know, Roman roads are straight. So we expected to go straight back to the city. The road sure was straight - and long. As darkness threatened and the traffic noise was replaced by the mooing of cows, we asked a couple of wandering locals how much further it was to town. Pointing the direction we had just come from, they said “a very LONG way” - or words to that effect.

Never mind, with the help of a local, friendly Filipino lady (just what you'd expect on the Via Appia Antica!) we caught a bus, a Metro, and then a suburban train home.

On close examination of the map of Rome, we discovered we had walked almost to the International Airport – close to 20 klms from the city centre. Lucky we're fit!

In the morning we had managed to find St Peter's and wandered amongst the dead Popes. The queue to get into the Basilica would have been close to a klm long. It moved relatively fast, although not fast enough for some Italians who are so 'special' that they can simply walk through the klm long queue to the front. Nobody else in the crowd seemed to object to these queue-jumpers, so we just plodded on, secure in the knowledge that nasty un-imaginable things always befall queue jumpers at least at some time in their lives!

Talking of waiting in queues, what never ceases to astound us is the number of different languages one hears, waiting in line and walking the streets, reminding us that we are, indeed, in a foreign country. We are just two, talking our own language, occasionally to others who understand us, which is mostly comfortable. Yet we are in a world that has existed for centuries, - yes surrounded by people of many different nationalities like at home, but not like at home where we hold the higher ground. Here, we are the strangers – the dummies who don't understand the language – or the currency, and it's frustrating ... but still exciting.


20 November – 21 November

Roman Legends

'Rome wasn't built in a day'; 'All roads lead to Rome'; When in Rome, do as the Romans do'; and there are probably many more commonplace sayings in regard to Rome.

What can you say about the first of these?

True. Rome wasn't built in a day. Nor has it decayed in a day. But it sure is in a state of decay. The ruins of a three thousand year old civilization, in the midst of a modern day city that cherishes its history and culture is why people flock here. Nothing much has changed in respect to these ancient parts of the city since we first visited Rome over 30 years ago – nor would you expect it to. The Colosseum is still where it always has been and the various forums that surround it are still a wonder to stroll around and imagine what went on here so many years ago.

What is in a state of decay is the rest of the city. Big cities have obvious problems with infrastructure and services. But Rome isn't that big. With a population of 2.5 million, it would only be considered just 'medium sized' these days. Suburban trains are disgustingly dirty. Stations look like a war zone and rubbish is ankle deep in the streets on the fringes of the city. One interesting side light to rail travel is the segregation that seems to occur in carriages. Rome, in common with many European cities, has a growing population of north African and middle eastern people. When we jumped on a train at our local station, the number of dark skinned people was overwhelming. Then we noticed that the other end of the carriage was all white!

It probably still holds true that almost all roads lead to Rome, but which part? Heading for the Eternal City yesterday, we took the 'cheap option' – probably no surprise – and elected to take the free rather than toll motorway to the city from our overnight stop in a free park in the very nice little hill town of Chiusi, about 200 km north of Rome. The parking area was next to a school and was also the town bus terminal. Early morning call that morning!
Free motorways are probably the ones Mussolini built in the 1930s and they haven't been maintained since!

Campervans rattle and vibrate at the best of times, but we were shaken in more ways than one when we reached the outer ring road of Rome and what we thought was the exit to our camping grounds. Many parts of Rome have a new bit and an old bit. This was the case with the Via Flaminia where our camping grounds was located. We, of course – aided by our TWO nav-girls, headed for the original Via. One can quickly guess where the camp was! So, perhaps all roads do lead to Rome. But watch which part!

There is no question that the 'Latin Temperament' has given the world some, if not most, of its great artistic and design triumphs. The down side of this, particularly in Rome, is the 'Roman Way'. Arrogance is usually attributed to the French. What the Romans have is not really arrogance, but 'attitude'. 'Face' in the Asian sense, is a big thing to the 'Populae Romanae'. Capes and expensive coats, dark sunglasses and, of course, the best shoes, are mandatory to stroll the streets. One must be totally self-obsessed, control the footpath and talk constantly to one's companion, or, if lacking a companion, on a mobile phone, complete with hand gestures.

To walk in silence is just not 'simpatico!' From our observations, any three Italians walking together will comprise, one talking, one waiting for the first to draw breath so as to commence talking themselves and a third who is so frustrated that they have commenced a conversation on their mobile phone! For two walking together, forget the mobile phone. For one walking solo, reinsert the mobile phone!

Observations of the many levels of police on the streets illustrates this dramatically. You have Polizia Metropolitane, Carabinieri, Polizia Finanzia and the lowly, but beautifully turned out, Polizia Trafficano. Sadly, we have no pictures of any of the splendid uniforms worn by these officers, but they are all very grand. Boots, white sashes, multi-striped epaulettes and, of course, guns! No police vehicle of any kind moves anywhere without flashing blue lights and sirens. Citizens – and others - who transgress, are required to engage in dramatic and heated debates, complete with hand gestures and ever-increasing numbers of officers – on bikes and in cars!.

We observed a nasty jay-walker who was confronted by three Carabinieri near the Spanish Steps. By the time the situation had been resolved, another four, splendidly kitted-out, Carabinieri had arrived on BMW motorbikes, lights flashing, to assist in the process. This overwhelming weight of numbers, brass, boots, white sashes and, of course, guns, seemed to immediately resolve the problem and the guilty party went on his way with a stern finger waving.
Women police of all varieties require special comment. Never let it be said that a uniform couldn't be worn with style. All the girls have their hair out, way beyond shoulder length in most cases. They are beautifully made up and sometimes sporting large loop earrings. Just the thing for a down and dirty street fight. But they do have guns!
So - never attempt to 'Do as the Romans do'. You'll certainly be a poor imitation.

Just a note: we mentioned that we had only been separated by trips to amenities blocks prior to Florence. Well! The separation became much longer once we hit the Flaminio Camping Village, where the amenities are a wonder to behold. While both blocks have piped classical music, toilet seats that give instructions, EXTREMELY roomy shower cubicles, some with en-suite, the ladies' block also has a water feature and a “powder room” with stools, mirrors – both magnifying and full-length - and hair-dryers! What more could a girl want??


19 November

Don't mess with us!

The following towns are 'off the Christmas list': Siena, San Gimignano and Montepulciano. They make it so hard for Campervanners that we tried, but in the end, didn't bother. In Siena, for example, they wanted 20 euros ($A40) to park – for ½ hour or 24 hours – 20 euros! We won't be back . Pity, because we remember from last time it was a great place.


18 November

Alone in Firenze

Another great day weather wise, although a little cooler.

It's a very rare occasion that we go our separate ways when we travel in Europe. In fact, today is the first time we have been out of each other's sight (except for going to the amenities block!) in almost two months. None of this has to do with a 'joined at the hip' thing, or safety fear. We just mostly like to do the same things. Today though, Paul had had enough of palaces and high entrance fees! We'd done the obligatory Academia with the David, and the Uffizi, still one of the greatest art galleries in the world! The Pitti Palace was just one palace too many. So labour was divided between the supermarket and one of the great Renaissance Palaces of Europe.

Who got the better deal?

16 November

Best camping location in Europe!

Nothing ever pans out as we expect. Following yesterday's successful detour onto country roads, we headed off into the mountains of Umbria and Tuscany today. Not a total disaster – the scenery was spectacular and again the weather warm and ... well ...Tuscan? What was difficult was the road. Eighty kilometers took us more than two hours. In fact, it took us all day to travel less than 200 kms.

All ended well, as we knew it would, because we were headed for the most spectacular location for a camping ground that you can imagine. Terraced into the hills below the Piazza Michelangelo is – yes – Camping Michelangelo. From the front gate, you get a panorama of all Florence. Last time we were here, we could see the Duomo from our camper window. The olive trees have grown a bit in the last 8 years and we had to stroll a hundred metres or so up to the Piazza just on sunset for the panorama. Makes the hard drive and getting lost in the 'burbs” of Florence all worthwhile! PLUS, as we returned from our showers tonight, we could see the Campanile lit up. How's the serenity?

A short comment on the advance (or not) of European bathroom culture since the Renaissance may be appropriate in this, the birthplace of the Renaissance. Some issues include: pay toilets, having to leave clothes outside the shower, picking up your toilet paper before entering your cubicle and, in some countries, putting used toilet paper in a bin in the cubicle! At least people don't spit in the streets or let their dogs poop on the footpath any more! AND are we the only people who shower or wash their clothes on this continent? Mind you, some changes have occurred in the world of bathroom culture – there are very few squat toilets left!

15 November

Italian weekends

Another sunny day and more laid back than many of our more recent days on the road. Because it is Saturday, there were next to no trucks on the road. As a result, our chosen toll-free lesser roads, passing through village after village, were slow, but far more manageable than week days when we are constantly sucking in our breaths as trucks (huge semis) fly towards us on roads only just wide enough for two small cars!

Rewards of travelling off the motorways can be significant. Today we 'discovered' the incredible walled town of Montagnana. Not a tourist in sight. No souvenir shop to tempt us - although we did fall for the gelateria - just a well-preserved, walled town that is apparently world famous for prosciutto!

We finished the day with 40+ other camper-vanners in a free campgrounds provided by the good citizens of Mantua (Mantova in Italian). Mantova was not a discovery for us this time; it was in the guide book.

Those who remember their Shakespeare would know that this is where Romeo hid out from the Capulets. It was also the birth place of the Roman poet Virgil and its spectacular Romanesque Basilica has the blood-soaked dirt, collected from beneath the cross and bought here by the centurion who pierced Christ's side at the crucifixion. (But we still haven't found St Stephen's left hand? - see previous blogs)

So much history, a nice sunny day - and a beautiful town as well! How's the serenity??

Sunday tomorrow, so we hope to have a peaceful day on the road to Firenze.


13-14 November

A Sunny Day in Venice

As the wind howled around us and the few other crazies camped on the sea front at Fusina, just across from Venice, we were sure Venice would again disappoint. Just metres off shore, Queen Mary sized ships churned past, blocking the sky, and the wind, plus rain, has made it almost impossible to hear inside the van. We have visited Venice twice before, the last visit over 20 years ago! Memories have been disappointing for the male member of the party, who likes his sunshine, but the female member recalls exciting delves into unknown alleys with 3 children in 1987. The last couple of days and nights have again promised, with dark foreboding, another visit to Venice in foul weather.

But it was not to be. This morning, the sun had already burnt off the early morning haze as we boarded the ferry for the 20 min trip to Venice.

Neither rising damp nor global warming is having real impact on Venice. Last time we were here, St Mark's Square was dry. However, with this morning's high tide, water lapped at the doors of shops and houses across the city. No problem! All the good citizens do is drag out knee-high walkways and troll on above the water. 'Real' locals walk about in 'wellies'.

The audio guide we downloaded from the web described the city as in a state of 'gracious decay'. More apt would be 'classic decay'. Venetians have made an art form out of presenting their city and in the bright late autumn light today, around every corner was a photographer's dream.

Just wandering the city streets would have been enough on a beautiful day like today, but devoted tourists that we are, we 'did' a couple more churches, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (housed in her home on the Grand Canal) and the Doges' Palace. So interesting to peek into the lives of people who have influenced the world as we know it today. And the many shops with their masks and costumes remind us of the exuberance and magnificence of life in previous eras – at least for the upper classes! After all, Casanova did his philandering here, AND spent time in a prison cell such as the ones we saw today, as a result!

We have shown great restraint in this blog in not commenting too much about the price of things. Mostly, with the exception of Scandinavia, costs have been comparative with home. Venice has been an exception. The 20 min ferry trip from our camp site to the city cost $20 return each. A trip on the local ferry would have cost us A$10 each to go a few kms. Sadly, there was no ticket machine at the stop where we boarded and the attendant on the ferry was more interested in chatting up some chick than in taking our money. We tried! Never mind, our consciences are clear. A couple of cold squares of pizza and a small beer in a very average location cost $20. Guess that evened out the free ferry trip? Entry fees were over $20 each for the Doges' Palace. Ah well, we didn't come all this way to sit in our camper!

12 November

Soy flavoured knickers

It may sound kinky, but, whenever we do a hand wash in the van and then cook dinner, the clothes smell like 'dinner' – spag-bog sox, honey soy knickers... you get the idea? Goulash bras have to be smelt to be believed!

Slovenia continues to surprise. Even the very average weather today couldn't spoil the beauty of the Julian Alps in the north of the country. The small town of Bled, situated on an emerald green (on a good day) lake, was quiet today. In summer, it apparently 'jumps'. We were happy with the autumn version. The spectacular castle, 100 metres above the lake, was a bit of a slippery climb on this damp day. But as usual, we had done it the hard way. There was a car park at the top of the craggy hill that we had scrambled up. Never mind. We had the experience and the exercise of the walk, while the slackers who drove just had the warmth and comfort of their cars! The castle has been the seat of the Bishops of Brixen (South Tyrol) for 800 years and was well worth the climb.

We continued to the Bohinj area, less touristy than Bled. The emerald colour of Lake Bled became more obvious as we neared Bohinj Lake. Every time we crossed the Sava River, we marvelled at the colour, but there was never a place to stop and take a pic!!

We had planned to stop at a “Services” not far over the Slovenian border into Italy. But things don't always go as planned. The “Services” was on the other side of the motorway and the next two that we encountered were chockers and/or impossible to notch ourselves into. Anyhow, here we are, much closer to Venice than we anticipated, but warm, clean and washed. What more could we ask?

11 November

What is a Slovenian?

Entering Slovenia in the dark, we missed our opportunity to buy a motorway vignette to allow us to use Slovenian motorways. All is good now. We bought the vignette as well as euros at the Services we camped at, so we could safely negotiate Slovenian motorways. Just in time too! Not too far up the highway from our stop, the toll booths began for trucks, while we, with our vignette, could sail blithely through.

The strangest thing happened today. A supermarket would not take our money! We dropped into a METRO on the way out of Budapest, aiming to spend our forints on stocking up the van, but, oh no, you cannot shop in this supermarket, sir, unless you have a METRO card. Never mind, a few kilometres down the road, we found another supermarket which had no problem with accepting $400 of our dollars so we could stock up on cheap necessities to last us for, we hope, most of our trip.

Remembrance Day seems to have passed almost unnoticed in Slovenia today. This booming little country of about 2 million people is far too future-focused to get drawn too much into the past. One of the most successful of the old Soviet block countries and definitely a star amongst the states of the former Republic of Yugoslavia, Slovenia seems to be just a 'notch' above its larger neighbour, Hungary in its development. Simple things like good signage, and clean streets and higher prices! - are indicative of the slightly higher standard of living here. Unlike Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and others of the 'new Europe' group, Slovenia has met all the conditions necessary to operate as a Euro currency economy. Thank God! Dividing everything by 135 was a pain in Hungary. With the Euro, it is basically two A$s to one Euro. And from here on, we won't need to exchange currency until we get to Morocco, so Janita misses out on the excitement of spending that last ore or krone or forint and Paul is spared the pain of watching her do just that.

Slovenia claims to be one of the most homogeneous populations in Europe with Slovenians making up almost 90% of the population. Given the to and fro of peoples across this part of Europe for thousands of years, it is not clear to us just what it means to be Slovenian? Without lifting the lid on the cesspool that is Balkan nationalism, one still has to wonder how would anybody know what an ethnic Slovenian, Serb or Croat really is! In like manner, what makes a Frenchman (or woman!)? Probably only language these days. It's all an absurdity that Australia has never really had to deal with. If you live there and generally subscribe to the values of the country, go through a naturalization ceremony and you're “in”! Wonder how one becomes Slovenian?

With uncharacteristic ease, we found our camping grounds in Ljubljana and were settled in time for an afternoon in the city. What a surprising place! A relatively small city, Ljubljana has a sophisticated, yet relaxed “class” that we had not expected. The old city is well preserved and full of outdoor cafes (complete with blankets for the cold-blooded). This is a university town and obviously so. Young people flood the streets in the mid-afternoon, filling the riverside cafes and coffee-shops. The city has a good happy feel to it. Perhaps the tourists haven't taken it over yet?


9 -10 November

Van Life

After our disastrous attempts at finding a campsite the night before last, we found our new Budapest campsite relatively easily in daylight and spent two nights there. Water was only “hot” in the mornings, after the fire had been lit but, to compensate, breakfast was “free”. We ate dinner in the “restaurant” last night (chicken breast fillets and chips) while our washing was done (in their personal machine?) at the back of the kitchen - 1000 forints [nearly $8] please. Never mind, the owner was very nice and accommodating. As opposed to her (husband?), 'laughing-boy', who spent his day smoking and scowling at everybody who came his way. How 'Eastern European macho!”

Walking, walking ... most of our second day in Budapest we walked. Who knows how many klms? We guess at least 20. But what sights we saw! And what hills we climbed!

The Buda side of the Danube is dominated by a high ridge that, for obvious reasons, was settled some centuries BC. Who knows what actually remains of old Buda? Some of the medieval town has been restored but, given the Russian assault on the city in 1945, it's a little unclear what is original. But it is all interesting and quite spectacular. Our poor planning left us with only enough bus/tram/metro tickets for two trips, one in, one back. So we walked most of the day and climbed the cliffs above the Danube twice. (Just for kicks!)

Woe betide you if you jump on a Budapest bus/tram/metro without a ticket! Inspectors are everywhere. Yesterday we counted 12 at a Metro station, waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting. It would probably be cheaper to install some sort of electronic system? - What they have now is exactly what was in use when we visited Budapest eight years ago in the shadows of the communist era – a primitive validation system that punches your ticket as you board the bus/tram/metro. The system can be easily subverted, but why would you bother at less than $2 a trip?

Sadly, our last day in Budapest was one of those steel-gray European days. No rain, and not too cold, but very hazy. We broke our long walk with soup at a cafe beside the Danube. Interesting stuff! Liver soup and noodle soup. Don't knock it! Try some. Very nice.

Today, on the other hand, was clear and sunny. We left our suburban Budapest camp and escaped the city traffic relatively easily – apart from getting lost again! With Hungarian cash to spend before heading for Slovenia, we did a mega shop at a large supermarket before hitting the brand new motorway south - a beautiful road with very little traffic. We planned a free night on the motorway again, but new motorways just don't have services areas. So we drove and drove, ducking into Lake Balaton on the way. As it was off season, there wasn't much open along the lake, but we found a couple of nice spots to look over the waters on a pleasant, sunny day. Finally, we found a Services before we got sucked into the vortex of Ljubljana, although things were looking rough for a while! AND we didn't have the vignette (sticker on the windscreen that indicates you have paid the highway tolls.) These are required in Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia. Saves the messing around that we had in Norway, but we are a little concerned tonight as we are suddenly in Slovenia and there is nothing but bare motorway and bare countryside ahead.

Oh yes – van life: This is our third campervan trip to Europe and we have a caravan at home, so much of the mysteries of van life have been exposed to us by now. One never knows though? We've previously described 'the van' as a biosphere. And that's probably not a bad analogy. Water, Gas, Diesel and food goes in. Grey water, rubbish and human waste goes out. And you move forward! So far we are doing much better than we have done in the past in balancing these inputs and outputs. Water is relatively easily acquired at campgrounds, waste water is just dumped beside the road as we drive (shock-horror) LPG gas has been fairly easy to get – so far; diesel is no problem and, as for human waste, you do what you got to do!

8 November

St Stephen's body parts


After our unscheduled night tour of Budapest last night, we spent the night in the carpark of a hotel attached to a motorway stop. Having had a nice dinner at the hotel, we felt justified freecamping in their carpark.

Hungarians are a proud people with a long and glorious history. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the City Park of Pest. From Attila the Hun to the unknown soldier from WW1, the glories of Hungary's military triumphs are celebrated here. We happen to know ('cause we looked it up) that per capita, Hungarian losses in WW1 were the highest of any nation.

Things have improved significantly in Budapest since we were here 8 years ago. However, the big city ills of dirty streets and beggars on the way in to tourist stops such as cathedrals – how crass? - seem a little more prevalent than in other cities.

We were delighted today to find more body parts of St Stephen! His Basilica in Pest has the Saint's right hand. (See photo) Yesterday we saw his skull and a few other body parts in Esztergom. There is a whole chapel devoted to his hand in Pest. It's a bit dark – but never mind, if you deposit 200 Flt (about $1.50) a light will come on so that you can see the hand of the saint who died in the 9th century. Our search will continue for what is left of Stephen.

There were a lot of Australians around the city today, including a couple cunningly disguised as Chinese. To no avail. As soon as they opened their mouths, their accents gave them away!


7 November (Friday – we think?)

Some things change?

Hungary is every bit the modern European state. Flash motorways (a few), shopping centres and malls (many!) crazy drivers – fewer - and almost the same 'feel' as the rest of Europe. Far different to our last visit in 2000 when we were never game to leave our van unattended and clutched our bags tightly to our chests on the streets.

What hasn't changed in some areas is the number of young ladies who dot some of the the highways at regular intervals. Now, they might just be waiting for a bus. But the bus must be going to a fancy dress party! We suspect that the oldest profession has not yet been adjusted to the “EU Brussels “standard.

Gone, though, are the horses and carts, old women on village streets with bundles of sticks on their backs and the mysterious people with wheelbarrows? (You'll have to read our 2000/01 diary). In some ways, country villages still hold their charm. Houses are much neater and in better repair; streets are less dusty but, other than that, most rural towns and villages are still much as they have been for hundreds of years.

Yesterday, we left Vienna and headed for Sopron, a little pocket of Hungary that, in 1921, voted to stay in that country, while the rest of the area went to Austria. How bizarre! Whatever, it was an interesting town to wander through and, thanks to Janita's great mathematical skills, we now have a squillion Hungarian Forints to spend before we leave, after withdrawing a king's ransom from an ATM, simply by adding an extra zero! We also tried to check out the Esterhazy Palace, but, unfortunately,we arrived on the wrong day. It opens Friday, Saturday and Sunday only from November 1, and yes, we arrived on a Thursday... afternoon. Paul was not as disappointed as Janita as he is a little “palaced-out.”

Our progress towards Budapest was leisurely and peaceful today. A couple of nice towns, Gyor and Esztergom, filled most of our day. Gyor has some lovely old streets and an interesting cathedral, but we were surprised to see a skull and a few other bones on an altar in Esztergom, the ecclesiastical capital of Hungary. We love the gorey stuff! The Cathedral in Esztergom is the largest in Hungary and poised dramatically on a hilltop. Spectacular! Despite an unscheduled dip into Slovakia, yet another wrong turn, our day remained positive – blue skies and temps about 17 C.

HOWEVER ... all turned dramatically sour as we hit Budapest on dusk, on what we still suspect was a Friday? After several wrong turns in heavy traffic, no thanks to the highway signs, we finally found our camping grounds – closed! Great! So, with no other option, we headed off to find a motorway to freecamp. Sounds easy? Not so. After an hour of unscheduled night sightseeing in central Buda – and Pest, (both beautiful by night by the way!) we finally edged our way through heavy traffic on to the M1, backtracking towards Gyor and a free motorway stop.

We have often commented positively on the value of motorway and even general street signing in Europe. Today, Budapest proved us wrong. Hopeless! Even the locals were lost!

Tomorrow is another day and we will attack Budapest again – this time in daylight!

5 November

Turning Points in History


On the day we visited the Grand Audience Hall in Schonbruun Palace in Vienna, Barack Obama was elected as the first African American President of the USA.

What is the connection, you might ask? In the early 60s (?) a Summit Meeting between Kennedy and Khrushchev was held in that very room. Kennedy's presidency marked a turning point in US and world politics and it seems Obama's may well do the same.

The intricacies of international politics are nothing new to Vienna. The Congress of Europe was held here after The 30 Years War, to carve up Europe, thus setting new borders and imperial influences. Count Metternich dominated this process, re-defining political intrigue throughout this conference and the years that followed.

The political power and influence of Austria and the Hapsburgs, has long since faded, although, it should be noted that the last of the Hapsburg dynasty, Empress Zeta, only died in 1989. What remains though, are the magnificent buildings, culture and parks of Vienna that will continue to provide some sense of the grandeur of the Old Empire and 'Old Europe”.

Leaving Vienna today in bright sunshine and an unbelievable 24C, we travelled south into Hungary and what is now seen as 'New Europe'. Last time we were in Hungary (2000), horses and carts were common on country roads. Horse-drawn ploughs worked the fields and the 'Travant' was king. What a difference in eight short years! Good roads, no horse carts. Instead, supermarkets, shopping malls and all the trappings of a modern European state. The good news is, prices have still not adjusted up to Western European levels – or indeed to the sky-high Scandinavian price-pinnacle!

Our first stop today (5/11) was Sopron, a great town with a centre that has remained much as it was in the 17th century. Parking places, however, were obviously not important in that time, as we had a great deal of difficulty finding somewhere to slot our 5M van amongst Smart Cars and compact Skodas. The hunt for a spot was worthwhile though. Parking was cheap and safe and we were able to wander around a town centre that was peaceful and attractive on this extremely warm and sunny autumn day. To top it off, a sandwich on the town square was about a $!

Tonight we are free-camping in a motorway stop, parked outside McDonalds, with free wireless internet. You've gotta love the New Europe! We might even have a coffee at McD's tomorrow – Cheapest in Europe? We had planned to “do” Slovakia, but a check via the Web showed us that there were no campgrounds open, nor “Aire- de - Service” places available, so, reluctantly, Slovakia is no longer on our itinerary. Gotta love www!

4 November

Demise of an Empire

Austria became a republic after the First World War. The assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand is popularly seen as starting that war. The republic saw out one of the most powerful dynasties in European history, the Hapsburgs. At its zenith, the power of this family spanned most of Europe and even extended, for a short while, to Mexico.
Vienna was the capital of the Hapsburg Austro-Hungarian Empire and, even today, the evidence of their great power is evidenced by the grand palaces and state buildings that grace central Vienna.

A few characters featured in our visits to the monuments to this grand dynasty. Foremost was Elisabeth (Sisi), Kaiserin (Empress) of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until her assassination in1898. By all accounts, Sisi was a beautiful woman, but a little high-maintenance. Each day, it took two hours to “dress” her hair. Washing it was a full day exercise – it did reach her ankles!. At the age of 40, she decided that nobody should see her as she aged, so she refused all photographs and portraits. She was rarely seen in public and even then, always heavily veiled or hidden by an umbrella.

Never really happy in her role as Empress, she sank into depression, more so after the suicide of her only son, Rudolf. Through all this though, Sisi was a great traveller. Sadly, on a tip to Geneva she was assassinated by an Italian anarchist.

Rudolf himself was the second interesting character to emerge from our wanders through the palaces of the Hapsburgs. “Rudy' was a bit of a philanderer and as so an obvious subject for Hollywood. Omar Sharif immortalized Rudolf in the highly romanticized 1970s movie “Mayerling”. Seems that the true story of Rudolf is a little less romantic. His many 'dalliances' resulted in his contracting a nasty disease which he passed on to his wife. As things got worse for Rudy (and here the plot becomes foggy) he turned his pistol on his mistress and then on himself.
The last 'hapless Hapsburg” - yes it had to be said, was Maximilian, the younger brother of Franz Joseph. As a younger brother, Max was looking for an empire of his very own. Mexico came up and he took it, partly as a result of the urgings of his ambitious wife. (Say no more!). It was bad timing for Max. Mexican rebels overthrew his government and poor Max was executed.

Today the centuries' old rule of the Hapsburgs could be just a glorious memory for the Viennese and other Austrians, but for the well preserved buildings and artifacts that remain to remind us of the glories of past empires.
And let's not forget that symbol of Vienna - St Stephen's Cathedral - always recognisable and always stunning. Today we went up the tower in the circular lift to the open walkway. AMAZING! .

2 November – 3 November

A different world

Travelling from a motorway stop (free-camp) to Brno in the Czech Republic on to Vienna, we were looking for a place to park and see the wonders of this city. Sadly, Brno was a little too crowded for us to find a parking area, so we just did our shopping before pressing on to the far more expensive Austria.

One of the great things about Campervan travel is the opportunity to meet fellow travellers from all over the world. On previous trips, we had many a night comparing travel experiences with people we met at the washing-up sinks, 'campers' kitchen' or waiting for a bus or tram. Tonight, in Vienna, we know that 1500 people in Brisbane lost power a few hours ago in a thunder storm. We know the best bets for tomorrow's Melbourne Cup and we can listen to the same radio stations that we hear at home every morning and, with the internet, we can see what the weather will be and, consequently, what we should wear. Not only that – we can look up the bus timetable and see what time the buses run from our camping area to town.

This camping ground is packed, but there is nowhere for people to meet and chat. There is no opportunity for interaction, unless we happen to meet by chance in the shower or toilet. A bit sad!
We have often wondered why much of Europe closes down for tourists in September. Today we wondered again, as temperatures pushed 20C and the sun belted down.

The 'global village' is truly with us. Yesterday morning, we used Google Earth to check out the motorway stop we slept in last night. After a couple of days' 'down time' (we had no Eastern European maps) our sat-nav “Navgirl” woke up within metres of crossing the Austrian border and directed us to our camping area in Vienna. In a way, we have become so dependent on technology that we simply don't seek or need the human interaction that was such a big part of travels in the past!

31 October – 1 November

What the Russkies left behind

During our previous visit to Eastern Europe (2000-2001) we were regularly taken aback by the attitudes of the custodians of the 'kassa” - the ticket booths. In countries that are a little more tourist savvy, the first face you see at any attraction is young, multi-lingual, helpful and sometimes even friendly. The 'New Europe” will soon adjust to this, but for now we must accept brusqueness and that officious attitude that the old Communist world seemed to create! Uniformly, one is met by the Fraus that the Russians left behind! Just past middle-age, mostly 'imposing' in body mass, these less than jolly souls “hrumph”, mumble and stamp you into most museums, art galleries and churches – and demand entrance money for toilets! Oh yes, the joys of paying to visit a loo are not to be missed, especially in Czech loos where the loo paper is OUTSIDE the cubicle and you must select before you enter. Just how many squares do you think you will need?

To get away from these basics, Prague, over the past couple of days, was not in any way spoilt by these relics of the old Eastern Europe. The sun was out again! Prague is a beautiful city, even more so in good weather. It might sound silly from us who live in the sub-tropics, but, between 8 to 14C creates an ideal temperature for walking about in the late autumn sun – that is when you are prepared with a couple of layers that you wouldn't even dream of wearing at home.

We mostly wandered about the older parts of the city for the past two days. One highlight was the Museum of Communism - situated above a McDonalds. How fitting? This small museum and the larger city museum, taught us a lot about Czech history. Walking up and down Wenceslas “Square”, really a boulevard, we felt the history of the many events that occurred here. It was here that the 'Velvet Revolution' of 1989 played out as, in the November chill, day after day of massed, 'people power' overwhelmed the old Communist state. Here, too, in the 1960s, young Czech patriots burnt themselves to death in protest against the Russian domination of their country. Before that, the hectic events of the Nazi invasion of 1939 and the breakup of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire were all played out here.
And how could we forget the beauty of Charles Bridge and Prague Castle? Just magical when they first come into view! And then, there are so many angles to capture them from – especially with the perfect weather over the past two days. The Old Town Square today was great – sitting in a cafe with our coffees, watching the square fill with people, listening to the jangling bells of Tyn Church as a groom and his groomsmen had a lot of fun with the bells, calling the bride and the congregation to church.

Our camping ground is only a few klms from the city and close to a tram line, an ideal location to explore a city like Prague. We have free broadband internet and all the 'mod-cons' of modern European camping grounds (especially free showers. Oh, how the female of this party hates being stuck with the time limitations of the jeton-token for her shower!)

29 October

Where are the Trevants?

Dresden is probably more famous for what it is now than what it was. The beautiful old city centre was obliterated in 1945 by one of the most intensive fire bombings of the war. Last time we were here, 2000, the city was still rebuilding, more than 50 years after its destruction. Even then, it was spectacular! We are looking forward to a possible turn visit tomorrow, because the rebuilding of the centre of the city, as it was pre-war, is now complete. This includes the rebuilding, from scratch, of the 12th Century Cathedral!

Since our first visit to the old East Germany, in 1987, before the Wall came down, many things have changed. The roads are now up to Autobahn standard, the cities and towns have all been re-built. The cheap, mass-produced Trevants and Lada cars of the Communist era, have all disappeared - except for one lone relic we saw puttering over a motorway bridge as we, and thousands of cars and trucks, thundered on below. As campervanners, we know the shame of having everything on wheels – even Smart cars, pass us, so we felt a certain degree of sympathy for that lone Lada.

Today, a casual observer would probably notice nothing to identify the old East and West divide. The differences are still there, though. English is rarely spoken in the East, particularly by anybody over 30. We suspect that Russian would still be the predominant second language of older citizens of the former East Germany – and that may not be a bad thing. The new 'Russian invasion' seems to be tourism. The 'Russkies' are everywhere. Much like the Japanese, they seem to prefer organised tours. You run into masses of them in many of the popular tourist venues. Dresden, today, was full of them. Their attitude smacks of superiority, at least in their eyes. Are they the new 'Ugly Americans' of Europe?

In some ways, the incorporation of the old “Iron Curtain” countries into the European Union is a little sad. The 'Big Mac' sameness of the world has quickly pervaded cultures that, to some extent, had been frozen in the 1930's. Horse-drawn ploughs and carts were common in eastern Europe when we last visited. Villages in Romania and Bulgaria had just got electricity.

We would never begrudge the good citizens of the 'east' their improved lifestyles, but..... does everything have to look like 'Small-town USA'?

There are exceptions though! Meissen for example. About 30 kms from Dresden, it escaped the attention of Allied bombers. The town, its cathedral and castle stand today, much as they did in the 16th century. Yes, there is a Maccas and all the other 'sameness stuff', but they all seem to exist in a far better balance than many other places. We hope there are still many 'Meissens” left!