DAY NINETEEN
We stayed up late last night and watched the movie – The Rock – after debating at length our intended route from Krakow down south. We woke late – for me that is – at 7.20am and after breakfast in Betsy we proceeded to drive onto Poland and our camp for the night in Krakow. Thankfully it stopped snowing yesterday evening and so the driving conditions were a marked improvement from yesterday’s hazardous drive through Slovakia. We left at around 9.00am and drove through a beautiful setting again in the hills of the Tartra mountain range. Once we had crossed the now defunct border crossing into Poland, we were surprised yet again by the scenery that awaited us. Poland is a prosperous country with excellent roads and houses that leave little reminder of the communist regime that once ruled this beautiful country.
The houses are completely different in style and construction from anything we have encountered in Europe thus far. The vast majority of the homes are three or four stories high with sharply pitched A Frame roof lines. The homes are brightly painted and there is a great deal of construction going on around Poland in every little town that we drove through on the way to Krakow. The country is a pleasure to travel in and we thoroughly enjoyed our drive today. The one thing about the poles is that they love their Speed cameras and the speeds change so rapidly that you have to keep your eye firmly fixed on the speed limits as you drive through towns. We arrived at the campsite in Krakow at around 1.30pm and after a quick check in and look around, we decided to drive into Krakow for a scout trip to find out where we can park Betsy in the morning since we intend on going to visit the extensive Castle complex in the city centre in the morning.
The traffic in the city centre is hectic with Buses, Cars and Trams sharing the narrow streets of Krakow. Glenn came up with a brilliant idea in that since it is Sunday, it would be a good idea to visit the Castle this afternoon since the roads are most likely to be far more hectic on a Monday morning. We found a parking for Betsy right on the outskirts of the Castle walls and proceeded to explore the ancient fortifications’ of this once medieval city dating back to around 900AD. The City Square/Market is the largest in Europe and must be a hive of activity during the summer months and was surprisingly busy even for a weekend in winter. The castle and other 17th and 18th century buildings are spectacular in size and design and although it was extremely cold outside, we enjoyed wandering around the Castle grounds and the numerous churches that adorn the squares. We stopped at a restaurant for a Large Cappuccino and once again were impressed by the friendliness of the polish people that we encountered. Poland is a cheap country to visit with food and restaurants costing around the same as back in South Africa. This is a pleasant change from the costs we have endured through Western Europe.
We stopped in at KFC for a quick bite to eat before heading back to the campsite for the night.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Day Eighteen
DAY EIGHTEEN
People in Hungary get up rather late in winter it seems, something that Kurt finds disagreeable but I must say suits me just fine. You might wonder why Hungarian sleeping habits would be an issue to us, but we were meant to get breakfast from the lodge which is difficult when the staff don’t seem to appear before 9am. And given we had to drive across the breadth of Slovakia today that just didn’t seem to be cricket. So after quick showers (I used the ablution across the perilous ‘skating rink of death’ and again given the lack of hot water Kurt used the onboard option) we departed the camp by 9am.
Unfortunately the weather was atrocious from the start – a snow storm had moved in overnight and stuck around right through the drive into northern Slovakia. It blanketed the roads with several inches of powder, causing icing and obscuring our view through the drivers window. We were forced to make the trip averaging 50km per hour, stopping every thirty minutes to free our windscreen wipers from ice build-up. The weather caused havoc on the roads with several trucks stuck halfway up every steep section we came to. We had one particularly dicey moment when we almost lost forward momentum and traction on a steep hill due to other traffic slowing things down. We both sighed a breath of relief when our three tone Betsy cleared the top of the ridge.
Neither Kurt nor I had any idea what to expect of Slovakia having been so wrong in our previous preconceptions of Hungary and Slovenia. Again we passed an empty border post and drove on through open agricultural land and small villages. We were both struck by the run down look of the out lying areas, most of the buildings being unrenovated soviet era constructions. As we neared our first city the investment into infrastructure and buildings became more obvious. Newer more expensive vehicles abound and interesting new malls and houses mingle with brightly painted communist era housing. Like Hungary and Slovenia change is evident everywhere. I can only assume that the EU offers massive loans to its new member countries as an incentive for joining. We travelled briefly on a newly constructed highway before turning off towards the Tatra mountains. Our route took us over the scenic small Tatra’s where to our surprise an extensive, plush looking ski resort has been built at the top of the pass. It seems to cater to Austrians given the proximity to Vienna and the use of the German language throughout. Making our way down into the valley between the small and large Tatra’s we eventually crawled into our camp site situated next to a frozen lake and in sight of the Tatra’s towering white peaks.
Our journey today only covered a relatively short distance of 270km, but given the conditions we covered it in 5.5hrs. We’re glad to report however that the Slovakians like (most) of the other Eastern Europeans we’ve met so far are very friendly and the resort is top class. We had an excellent late lunch in the restaurant here and are aiming to enjoy a relaxing evening after the days tough drive. PS they had a squirrel in a cage at the office as well as two baby rabbits which could be petted. Interesting.
People in Hungary get up rather late in winter it seems, something that Kurt finds disagreeable but I must say suits me just fine. You might wonder why Hungarian sleeping habits would be an issue to us, but we were meant to get breakfast from the lodge which is difficult when the staff don’t seem to appear before 9am. And given we had to drive across the breadth of Slovakia today that just didn’t seem to be cricket. So after quick showers (I used the ablution across the perilous ‘skating rink of death’ and again given the lack of hot water Kurt used the onboard option) we departed the camp by 9am.
Unfortunately the weather was atrocious from the start – a snow storm had moved in overnight and stuck around right through the drive into northern Slovakia. It blanketed the roads with several inches of powder, causing icing and obscuring our view through the drivers window. We were forced to make the trip averaging 50km per hour, stopping every thirty minutes to free our windscreen wipers from ice build-up. The weather caused havoc on the roads with several trucks stuck halfway up every steep section we came to. We had one particularly dicey moment when we almost lost forward momentum and traction on a steep hill due to other traffic slowing things down. We both sighed a breath of relief when our three tone Betsy cleared the top of the ridge.
Neither Kurt nor I had any idea what to expect of Slovakia having been so wrong in our previous preconceptions of Hungary and Slovenia. Again we passed an empty border post and drove on through open agricultural land and small villages. We were both struck by the run down look of the out lying areas, most of the buildings being unrenovated soviet era constructions. As we neared our first city the investment into infrastructure and buildings became more obvious. Newer more expensive vehicles abound and interesting new malls and houses mingle with brightly painted communist era housing. Like Hungary and Slovenia change is evident everywhere. I can only assume that the EU offers massive loans to its new member countries as an incentive for joining. We travelled briefly on a newly constructed highway before turning off towards the Tatra mountains. Our route took us over the scenic small Tatra’s where to our surprise an extensive, plush looking ski resort has been built at the top of the pass. It seems to cater to Austrians given the proximity to Vienna and the use of the German language throughout. Making our way down into the valley between the small and large Tatra’s we eventually crawled into our camp site situated next to a frozen lake and in sight of the Tatra’s towering white peaks.
Our journey today only covered a relatively short distance of 270km, but given the conditions we covered it in 5.5hrs. We’re glad to report however that the Slovakians like (most) of the other Eastern Europeans we’ve met so far are very friendly and the resort is top class. We had an excellent late lunch in the restaurant here and are aiming to enjoy a relaxing evening after the days tough drive. PS they had a squirrel in a cage at the office as well as two baby rabbits which could be petted. Interesting.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Day Seventeen
DAY SEVENTEEN
Captains Log – Supplemental to Day Sixteen – We came back to the camper to enjoy part two of the Bourne Trilogy. During the wee hours of the morning, the captain – with the weaker bladder needed to use the WC, and being the good camper – sometimes, he decided to make the trek back to the building where the toilet is located to use the facilities, only to discover that it was locked. He returned unsuccessfully back to “Betsy” and went back to bed after having warmed up. Later this morning, we woke at around 7.30am and Glenn immediately got up and after grabbing his shower gear, decided to make the precarious ice skate across the skating rink in his slippers to go for a shower. He too like the skipper returned begrudgingly to Betsy since the door to the ice rink was still locked. Glenn and I pondered this for some time as to how it was possible that people so quick to serve and take care of our every need could have left us without facilities. We have come to the conclusion that this new “Cultural” experience has to be without doubt the strangest one we have encountered yet. The Hungarians it would seem don’t consider WC and Douche (shower) important facilities at all. Well its now 8.15am and I watched with anticipation as Glenn skated to the showers in his slippers and am waiting for his triumphant return from the showers….
Well alas Glenn returned informing me that he had around 2 minutes of warm water. Now those of you who know Glenn know he likes to spend at least 15 minutes standing under the warmth of the water and so I decided to have a splash in the Shower of Betsy. We went into the “lodge” to enjoy a hearty breakfast consisting of Bread, Cheese, Ham, Pancakes and a large mug of sweet lemon tea. We left the campsite after some further directions from our host and proceeded to catch our first Bus of the trip in Europe. The language in Hungary is totally different from that which we are used to and as a result navigating at first became quite a challenge. By the end of the day, Glenn and I unanimously agreed that we had become true professionals of the Budapest Bus and Tram network and actually enjoyed changing buses and trams all day.
Our first stop in Budapest was the Grand Market. The market is one of the largest I have ever seen and contains shops selling goods to locals and tourists alike. The shops offer meat, vegetables, breads and pastries as well as novelty gifts, souvenirs’ etc. The layout of the centre is in a beautifully renovated warehouse that has lots of natural lighting and is spotlessly clean. It was great to wander around the stores taking in the smells and sounds of the location. The food here in Hungary appeared to cost about the same as back home in South Africa and it is a treat to be able to order food and know that you are not paying an arm and a leg for goods. We bought some Gluwein and some locally made Strudel for the road and after having bought some gifts for you wonderful followers back home, we proceeded onto the Buda Castle.
The Castle complex is simply huge and contains numerous Museums and buildings for viewing and it was a pleasure to be able to wander around the Castle grounds without having to pay and also being able to take in the most wonderful viewing sites of Budapest. The Sun came out for a portion of the morning and made for the best possible photo opportunities. We then decided to take a tour of the Labyrinth underneath the Buda Castle. The labyrinth stretches for a total of 1.4 kms and is a maze of passages and tunnels under the Castle. It was great to experience such an awesome spectacle and we subsequently found out that its one of the 7 Underground natural wonders of UNESCO. The tunnels were created by the warm thermal vents that prevail all around Budapest.
We then decided it was time for our daily cappuccino and dropped in at a quaint little restaurant located in the Castle Grounds. We had traditional Goulash soup and bread for lunch/dinner and thereafter made our way back by bus to the campsite. The temperature outside has started to fall and is currently -1 degrees and we are planning to go into the “lodge” to do the Blog update and some face-booking.
Captains Log – Supplemental to Day Sixteen – We came back to the camper to enjoy part two of the Bourne Trilogy. During the wee hours of the morning, the captain – with the weaker bladder needed to use the WC, and being the good camper – sometimes, he decided to make the trek back to the building where the toilet is located to use the facilities, only to discover that it was locked. He returned unsuccessfully back to “Betsy” and went back to bed after having warmed up. Later this morning, we woke at around 7.30am and Glenn immediately got up and after grabbing his shower gear, decided to make the precarious ice skate across the skating rink in his slippers to go for a shower. He too like the skipper returned begrudgingly to Betsy since the door to the ice rink was still locked. Glenn and I pondered this for some time as to how it was possible that people so quick to serve and take care of our every need could have left us without facilities. We have come to the conclusion that this new “Cultural” experience has to be without doubt the strangest one we have encountered yet. The Hungarians it would seem don’t consider WC and Douche (shower) important facilities at all. Well its now 8.15am and I watched with anticipation as Glenn skated to the showers in his slippers and am waiting for his triumphant return from the showers….
Well alas Glenn returned informing me that he had around 2 minutes of warm water. Now those of you who know Glenn know he likes to spend at least 15 minutes standing under the warmth of the water and so I decided to have a splash in the Shower of Betsy. We went into the “lodge” to enjoy a hearty breakfast consisting of Bread, Cheese, Ham, Pancakes and a large mug of sweet lemon tea. We left the campsite after some further directions from our host and proceeded to catch our first Bus of the trip in Europe. The language in Hungary is totally different from that which we are used to and as a result navigating at first became quite a challenge. By the end of the day, Glenn and I unanimously agreed that we had become true professionals of the Budapest Bus and Tram network and actually enjoyed changing buses and trams all day.
Our first stop in Budapest was the Grand Market. The market is one of the largest I have ever seen and contains shops selling goods to locals and tourists alike. The shops offer meat, vegetables, breads and pastries as well as novelty gifts, souvenirs’ etc. The layout of the centre is in a beautifully renovated warehouse that has lots of natural lighting and is spotlessly clean. It was great to wander around the stores taking in the smells and sounds of the location. The food here in Hungary appeared to cost about the same as back home in South Africa and it is a treat to be able to order food and know that you are not paying an arm and a leg for goods. We bought some Gluwein and some locally made Strudel for the road and after having bought some gifts for you wonderful followers back home, we proceeded onto the Buda Castle.
The Castle complex is simply huge and contains numerous Museums and buildings for viewing and it was a pleasure to be able to wander around the Castle grounds without having to pay and also being able to take in the most wonderful viewing sites of Budapest. The Sun came out for a portion of the morning and made for the best possible photo opportunities. We then decided to take a tour of the Labyrinth underneath the Buda Castle. The labyrinth stretches for a total of 1.4 kms and is a maze of passages and tunnels under the Castle. It was great to experience such an awesome spectacle and we subsequently found out that its one of the 7 Underground natural wonders of UNESCO. The tunnels were created by the warm thermal vents that prevail all around Budapest.
We then decided it was time for our daily cappuccino and dropped in at a quaint little restaurant located in the Castle Grounds. We had traditional Goulash soup and bread for lunch/dinner and thereafter made our way back by bus to the campsite. The temperature outside has started to fall and is currently -1 degrees and we are planning to go into the “lodge” to do the Blog update and some face-booking.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Day Sixteen
DAY SIXTEEN
The day started out on a fairly relaxed note with us up and about after 7am. Kurt cooked up a tasty breakfast and after all our morning routines were taken care of we were out on the road by 9am. Our campsite was 15 minutes from the Hungarian border so we only had a short time to contemplate whether we’d have to go through our first border post or not. Kurt had to go through border controls in 2002 during his last trip to the country so it was with some surprise that we found the border open. Not only that but the new highway system in Slovenia stretched welcomingly on towards Budapest 290 km to the north. Most of the road stretches had been built in 2005/2006 – a great improvement on the roads Kurt previously travelled on. Like most of the other countries we had to buy a vignette, a tax for using their road system. To do this we stopped of at a hotel and enjoyed a cappuccino at the same time.
The weather was pretty foul the whole day with snow falling intermittently throughout. The new highway although in excellent condition had only two out of three lanes working due to serious icing of the far lane. This was unusual given that all the other northern countries permanently keep their highways clear of ice. Most of our trip passed snow covered agricultural land with the odd town and city. The signs of a recent communist past are obvious in the endlessly similar houses one sees on the way. Unlike Slovenia all are the same colour and mostly the same design. Eighties cars also aren’t that uncommon on the roads, although there are plenty of newer models around too.
We had some trouble finding an open campsite around Budapest, having to travel to three closed camps before finally finding this one. While this took about two hours it did give us an opportunity to get a good look at the city. Ultra modern construction competes everywhere with bland dilapidated communist era buildings. While the government is clearly trying hard to modernize the country for entry to the EU, the nation’s size is clearly a huge drawback to progress.
The camp site we eventually found is nestled into a small valley in the hills above Budapest, once having been a small tram station in the years passed. It turns out to be the most expensive camp site yet, the only real benefit being the ‘free’ internet they provide here. One curiosity is that the shower building is located on the other side of a small ice skating rink – apart from wading through three feet of snow we’ll have to risk the crossing if we’re going to get a wash. Now I understand that Europeans generally only bath once a week in winter, but to make your guests walk across an ice rink? Crazy..
We’ve just enjoyed a Hungarian soup and a Beef goulash for dinner which were VERY filling. A movie is to follow and tomorrow we’re planning to take in the castle and probably a museum. Interestingly the ‘heroes park’ has now been renamed ‘Memento park – a reminder of the previous communist dictatorship’. No fond memories here. Apparently in 1953 there was an attempted rebellion against the Soviets but it was ruthlessly put down.
The day started out on a fairly relaxed note with us up and about after 7am. Kurt cooked up a tasty breakfast and after all our morning routines were taken care of we were out on the road by 9am. Our campsite was 15 minutes from the Hungarian border so we only had a short time to contemplate whether we’d have to go through our first border post or not. Kurt had to go through border controls in 2002 during his last trip to the country so it was with some surprise that we found the border open. Not only that but the new highway system in Slovenia stretched welcomingly on towards Budapest 290 km to the north. Most of the road stretches had been built in 2005/2006 – a great improvement on the roads Kurt previously travelled on. Like most of the other countries we had to buy a vignette, a tax for using their road system. To do this we stopped of at a hotel and enjoyed a cappuccino at the same time.
The weather was pretty foul the whole day with snow falling intermittently throughout. The new highway although in excellent condition had only two out of three lanes working due to serious icing of the far lane. This was unusual given that all the other northern countries permanently keep their highways clear of ice. Most of our trip passed snow covered agricultural land with the odd town and city. The signs of a recent communist past are obvious in the endlessly similar houses one sees on the way. Unlike Slovenia all are the same colour and mostly the same design. Eighties cars also aren’t that uncommon on the roads, although there are plenty of newer models around too.
We had some trouble finding an open campsite around Budapest, having to travel to three closed camps before finally finding this one. While this took about two hours it did give us an opportunity to get a good look at the city. Ultra modern construction competes everywhere with bland dilapidated communist era buildings. While the government is clearly trying hard to modernize the country for entry to the EU, the nation’s size is clearly a huge drawback to progress.
The camp site we eventually found is nestled into a small valley in the hills above Budapest, once having been a small tram station in the years passed. It turns out to be the most expensive camp site yet, the only real benefit being the ‘free’ internet they provide here. One curiosity is that the shower building is located on the other side of a small ice skating rink – apart from wading through three feet of snow we’ll have to risk the crossing if we’re going to get a wash. Now I understand that Europeans generally only bath once a week in winter, but to make your guests walk across an ice rink? Crazy..
We’ve just enjoyed a Hungarian soup and a Beef goulash for dinner which were VERY filling. A movie is to follow and tomorrow we’re planning to take in the castle and probably a museum. Interestingly the ‘heroes park’ has now been renamed ‘Memento park – a reminder of the previous communist dictatorship’. No fond memories here. Apparently in 1953 there was an attempted rebellion against the Soviets but it was ruthlessly put down.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Day Fifteen
DAY FIFTEEN
We woke to the coldest morning yet. It was -12.4 degrees when we woke at 6.30am. The weather had started to clear and we were then able to see the mountains that surrounded us quite clearly. I had bought some bacon – costing R 70 for a small packet of streaky bacon and decided to make it for breakfast with some Fried banana and mushrooms. The bacon shriveled up almost immediately upon being put in the frying pan and the nett result was that we each had about 4 thin strips of bacon about 5cm in length. Needless to say, we won’t be having bacon again and I have decided its sausages for breakfast from now on. We left the campsite outside Bled at around 8.30am for our trip straight across the length of Slovenia to our proposed campsite near the border with Hungary.
The roads were very busy along the way and just like Germany and Austria, the roads are full of long haul trucks travelling from countries such as Italy, Croatia, Czech republic and Poland as well as Austria and others. The one thing that struck us along the road today was the huge investment that has gone into infrastructure and buildings in Slovenia. The country is clearly prospering greatly from its joining the European Union. We could hardly see a street the entire way that didn’t have at least one building recently completed or in the final stages of construction. The road users of Slovenia are by far the friendliest and most courteous I have come across thus far. We have now clocked a total of 2 300 kms since we started our adventure in Frankfurt and we have an expected 2 250 still to go. The country is so developed that I would say that you could very easily be mistaken in thinking that you were driving in Austria instead. The mountains of Slovenia are spectacular even though they are the last portion of the Alps as it makes its way to the ocean.
We decided to plot our route passing through the town of Ptuj. The town is the oldest in Slovenia and dates back to around 1 000 AD. The town boasts a quaint city centre as well as a castle and lots of charm. We drove through the town several times and thoroughly explored the alleys and byways to get a complete feeling for the place. Okay, the real reason for the detours around Ptuj was that Lorraine has started to suffer from Amnesia that has resulted in her getting somewhat confused as to where she is from time to time. This started to get a little out of hand around the town of Ptuj that I feared that she may have developed a permanent case of Alzheimer’s and may need to be replaced. I feel the threats to replace Lorraine may have paid off since she has seemed to have recovered nicely and has us back on route.
We then proceeded from Ptuj after a morning’s cappuccino – a definite must – to the springs in Moravci. This was recommended to us by the lady at the previous campsite and Glenn was desperate to experience a hot mineral spring. We arrived at the mineral springs only to find it partially closed for renovations and decided to give it a miss. We then proceeded en route to the planned camp site for the evening at Terme Banovci. The drive to the camp took us through the most stunning wine route I have seen outside of Stellenbosch. I wouldn’t have believed that a vineyard could survive in a country with such severe winters but the photos prove otherwise.
We have never failed to be surprised on a daily basis by the scenery that has surrounded us on our trip through Europe. The homes in Slovenia are mostly painted in beautiful bright colors. It would seem this is a Slovenia tradition and gives the impression that life in Slovenia is both a happy as well as prosperous one. I would say that our experience of the people who live in Slovenia lead us to believe that they are positive and have a good outlook on the future of their country.
We are still trying to learn the local language and therefore didn’t realize that the evening campsite was planned at a hot spring resort – IE: Terme (Hot Springs). We soon realized this once we noticed that we passed at least three springs in the area of about 10km surrounding our campsite. We arrived at the campsite at around 1.35pm and it didn’t take long for Glenn and I to make our way to the Hot Springs.
It was completely surreal having a swim in an outside pool where the temperature is barely above zero in the afternoon and the water in the pool a warm 39 degrees. We lazed around in the beautiful warm water and pondered the meaning of life, the universe and everything until I had decided that if I stayed much longer my skin would wrinkle permanently and since I plan on finding a wife some day soon, the younger I look, the better chance I may have of getting married. I returned to the Van and cooked us our first home cooked dinner of Gnocchi with tomato and bacon sauce. Glenn had never eaten Gnocchi before and it was a great hit. It is now 5.10pm and the temperature outside has fallen to -6.7 degrees and we expect it to be a really cold night at the spa.
We woke to the coldest morning yet. It was -12.4 degrees when we woke at 6.30am. The weather had started to clear and we were then able to see the mountains that surrounded us quite clearly. I had bought some bacon – costing R 70 for a small packet of streaky bacon and decided to make it for breakfast with some Fried banana and mushrooms. The bacon shriveled up almost immediately upon being put in the frying pan and the nett result was that we each had about 4 thin strips of bacon about 5cm in length. Needless to say, we won’t be having bacon again and I have decided its sausages for breakfast from now on. We left the campsite outside Bled at around 8.30am for our trip straight across the length of Slovenia to our proposed campsite near the border with Hungary.
The roads were very busy along the way and just like Germany and Austria, the roads are full of long haul trucks travelling from countries such as Italy, Croatia, Czech republic and Poland as well as Austria and others. The one thing that struck us along the road today was the huge investment that has gone into infrastructure and buildings in Slovenia. The country is clearly prospering greatly from its joining the European Union. We could hardly see a street the entire way that didn’t have at least one building recently completed or in the final stages of construction. The road users of Slovenia are by far the friendliest and most courteous I have come across thus far. We have now clocked a total of 2 300 kms since we started our adventure in Frankfurt and we have an expected 2 250 still to go. The country is so developed that I would say that you could very easily be mistaken in thinking that you were driving in Austria instead. The mountains of Slovenia are spectacular even though they are the last portion of the Alps as it makes its way to the ocean.
We decided to plot our route passing through the town of Ptuj. The town is the oldest in Slovenia and dates back to around 1 000 AD. The town boasts a quaint city centre as well as a castle and lots of charm. We drove through the town several times and thoroughly explored the alleys and byways to get a complete feeling for the place. Okay, the real reason for the detours around Ptuj was that Lorraine has started to suffer from Amnesia that has resulted in her getting somewhat confused as to where she is from time to time. This started to get a little out of hand around the town of Ptuj that I feared that she may have developed a permanent case of Alzheimer’s and may need to be replaced. I feel the threats to replace Lorraine may have paid off since she has seemed to have recovered nicely and has us back on route.
We then proceeded from Ptuj after a morning’s cappuccino – a definite must – to the springs in Moravci. This was recommended to us by the lady at the previous campsite and Glenn was desperate to experience a hot mineral spring. We arrived at the mineral springs only to find it partially closed for renovations and decided to give it a miss. We then proceeded en route to the planned camp site for the evening at Terme Banovci. The drive to the camp took us through the most stunning wine route I have seen outside of Stellenbosch. I wouldn’t have believed that a vineyard could survive in a country with such severe winters but the photos prove otherwise.
We have never failed to be surprised on a daily basis by the scenery that has surrounded us on our trip through Europe. The homes in Slovenia are mostly painted in beautiful bright colors. It would seem this is a Slovenia tradition and gives the impression that life in Slovenia is both a happy as well as prosperous one. I would say that our experience of the people who live in Slovenia lead us to believe that they are positive and have a good outlook on the future of their country.
We are still trying to learn the local language and therefore didn’t realize that the evening campsite was planned at a hot spring resort – IE: Terme (Hot Springs). We soon realized this once we noticed that we passed at least three springs in the area of about 10km surrounding our campsite. We arrived at the campsite at around 1.35pm and it didn’t take long for Glenn and I to make our way to the Hot Springs.
It was completely surreal having a swim in an outside pool where the temperature is barely above zero in the afternoon and the water in the pool a warm 39 degrees. We lazed around in the beautiful warm water and pondered the meaning of life, the universe and everything until I had decided that if I stayed much longer my skin would wrinkle permanently and since I plan on finding a wife some day soon, the younger I look, the better chance I may have of getting married. I returned to the Van and cooked us our first home cooked dinner of Gnocchi with tomato and bacon sauce. Glenn had never eaten Gnocchi before and it was a great hit. It is now 5.10pm and the temperature outside has fallen to -6.7 degrees and we expect it to be a really cold night at the spa.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Day Fourteen
DAY FOURTEEN
The intrepid campers and their guest were up before dawn (6am – sunrise is approx 7:30am) to get ready for the busy day ahead. John-Mark had the 8am ferry to catch for Venice where his train was waiting to take him back to Switzerland, and we had a four hour drive to Bled in Slovenia ahead of us. We had really enjoyed our stay near Venice, the old island city is a captivating place with its endless alley ways, canals and piazzas.
Having John-Mark’s company was also a welcome and refreshing change for us.
By 8am Kurt and I had refilled the water tank, locked the vehicle down for the road and were about to set out when much to our dismay we discovered that the car charger for the GPS had given up the ghost, assumably due to damage received when Loraine (the GPS) went flying out the door the other day. Given that the laptop doesn’t draw power from the battery we couldn’t charge the GPS in transit meaning its usability would be limited to half an hour at most. Not a great prospect when about to venture into Eastern Europe for the next two weeks. Fortunately the charger broke when it did as the chap on duty at the caravan park gave us directions to an electric store 5 minutes away, where in due course we managed to find a replacement charger. Kurt decided to buy two just in case which has turned out to be a wise call given that the second charger decided to start falling apart this afternoon which we find quite mystifying.
At any rate by 9:30am we were on the road for Slovenia. Both Kurt and I were looking forward to seeing the ex communist state, neither of us sure of what to expect. Kurt’s previous experience in the Eastern block involves trips to Budapest in Hungary for work and mine a trip to Russia with my family some years ago. My trip in particular left memories of soviet era buildings, wooden peasant houses, eighties cars and AK47 wielding guards in my head.
Our first surprise was finding ourselves face to face with the Julian Alps which separate Italy and Slovenia in the North East. Both Kurt and I had expected to have a flat passage into Slovenia, but it was nothing of the kind. Once through Italy’s bland agricultural areas, tunnel after tunnel took us through towering, snow capped peaks towards the borders of Austria and Slovenia. The second surprise was arriving at the now abandoned border post. Desolate buildings stand as a silent reminder to the fall of communism and the iron curtain. Where the AK47 wielding guards once stopped Westerners to scrutinize their papers and vehicles, I snapped a few pictures and took a moment to reflect before we headed on into the rapidly modernizing EU state.
A modern Austrian style ski resort welcomed us as we drove on from the border, clearly the result of recent investment into the country since the borders opened. Twenty minutes on we found our modern campsite bordering a nature reserve with the Alps as a backdrop. We pushed on to Bled, recommended to us – by Kurt’s friend Warwick - for its beautiful lake and imposing castle perched on a rocky outcrop dominating the town below. It’s really is an impressive scene, and I can imagine in summer it must be a real tourist mecca. We drove around the town and along the lake shore before heading back to the camp with a stop at a Chinese restaurant for a welcome and tasty lunch (and cheap compared to Italy).
A few things struck us during our short time in the country so far; joining the EU has been an immense boost to the countries economy. Apart from the occasional soviet era tower, the houses are modern, the cars are new and there is construction going on all over the place. The people are incredibly friendly and go out of their way to be helpful. You really get the feeling that the country is a modern first world place – there’s no doubt that the government is striving to catch up with its western neighbors.
Editors Note – we are back in the snow and our balmy sub tropical break in 5 degrees weather is now a thing of the past and it is a cool – 7 degrees.
The intrepid campers and their guest were up before dawn (6am – sunrise is approx 7:30am) to get ready for the busy day ahead. John-Mark had the 8am ferry to catch for Venice where his train was waiting to take him back to Switzerland, and we had a four hour drive to Bled in Slovenia ahead of us. We had really enjoyed our stay near Venice, the old island city is a captivating place with its endless alley ways, canals and piazzas.
Having John-Mark’s company was also a welcome and refreshing change for us.
By 8am Kurt and I had refilled the water tank, locked the vehicle down for the road and were about to set out when much to our dismay we discovered that the car charger for the GPS had given up the ghost, assumably due to damage received when Loraine (the GPS) went flying out the door the other day. Given that the laptop doesn’t draw power from the battery we couldn’t charge the GPS in transit meaning its usability would be limited to half an hour at most. Not a great prospect when about to venture into Eastern Europe for the next two weeks. Fortunately the charger broke when it did as the chap on duty at the caravan park gave us directions to an electric store 5 minutes away, where in due course we managed to find a replacement charger. Kurt decided to buy two just in case which has turned out to be a wise call given that the second charger decided to start falling apart this afternoon which we find quite mystifying.
At any rate by 9:30am we were on the road for Slovenia. Both Kurt and I were looking forward to seeing the ex communist state, neither of us sure of what to expect. Kurt’s previous experience in the Eastern block involves trips to Budapest in Hungary for work and mine a trip to Russia with my family some years ago. My trip in particular left memories of soviet era buildings, wooden peasant houses, eighties cars and AK47 wielding guards in my head.
Our first surprise was finding ourselves face to face with the Julian Alps which separate Italy and Slovenia in the North East. Both Kurt and I had expected to have a flat passage into Slovenia, but it was nothing of the kind. Once through Italy’s bland agricultural areas, tunnel after tunnel took us through towering, snow capped peaks towards the borders of Austria and Slovenia. The second surprise was arriving at the now abandoned border post. Desolate buildings stand as a silent reminder to the fall of communism and the iron curtain. Where the AK47 wielding guards once stopped Westerners to scrutinize their papers and vehicles, I snapped a few pictures and took a moment to reflect before we headed on into the rapidly modernizing EU state.
A modern Austrian style ski resort welcomed us as we drove on from the border, clearly the result of recent investment into the country since the borders opened. Twenty minutes on we found our modern campsite bordering a nature reserve with the Alps as a backdrop. We pushed on to Bled, recommended to us – by Kurt’s friend Warwick - for its beautiful lake and imposing castle perched on a rocky outcrop dominating the town below. It’s really is an impressive scene, and I can imagine in summer it must be a real tourist mecca. We drove around the town and along the lake shore before heading back to the camp with a stop at a Chinese restaurant for a welcome and tasty lunch (and cheap compared to Italy).
A few things struck us during our short time in the country so far; joining the EU has been an immense boost to the countries economy. Apart from the occasional soviet era tower, the houses are modern, the cars are new and there is construction going on all over the place. The people are incredibly friendly and go out of their way to be helpful. You really get the feeling that the country is a modern first world place – there’s no doubt that the government is striving to catch up with its western neighbors.
Editors Note – we are back in the snow and our balmy sub tropical break in 5 degrees weather is now a thing of the past and it is a cool – 7 degrees.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Day Thirteen
DAY THIRTEEN
We woke at around 7.20am for our final day in Venice. I have to say the time spent here has been refreshing and an amazing period for “soul time”. After a breakfast of Sausage, Mushrooms, Tomato and Brinjal – Michelin Style as per usual, we got ready to leave for the ferry to Venice at 10.00am. John-Mark discovered first hand Betsy’s amazing way to leave one’s back feeling particularly tight and stiff throughout. The day started with some promise as the sun started to shine through on route to the island. We had our first real strange event of the trip to Europe as once we had left the dock on the ferry, we were forced to back up and out of the way for a huge Barge carrying immense concrete foundations bound for Venice. The strange part was that we sat waiting for around 10 minutes while the Barge plodded along at a snails pace and then proceeded to move aside so that we could speed past at high speed to recover some lost time on route to Venice The really fun part was that we flew across the top of the waves this morning and the ride was a lot of fun.
Our first stop in Venice was at the Grande Church in the main Piazzo – San Marco. The Church was first built in the year around 800AD and subsequently restored after a fire in 1457. The church is without doubt the most ostentatious Church I have ever seen. The gold leaf and marble used in its expansive construction was a sight to behold. The effects of the sinking city can be seen throughout the church though as the floor as subsided throughout. The building is quite a somber reminder of how much the Church in Europe has played a significant role in the rule of nations throughout time. The cost of the construction of this church as ordered by the “Doje” of the time must have been huge. The “Doje” was the appointed ruler at the time. The Doje is appointed by the Cardinal under the guidance of the Catholic Church and is required to rule until death. The Doje is also not permitted to leave his Palace – which we subsequently visited – and only on specific occasions and with permission is the Doje allowed to travel outside of Venice during his rule. The Doje’s ruled right until the late 18th Century and after our visit to the palace next door to the Church, we learnt the extreme powers afforded to the regime of the time and the strict manner in which they ruled the people of the time.
The palace was strangely enough no where near as fancy as we expected. The quarters of the Doje were large but not as spectacular as one would have thought. The meeting rooms where senate was held and numerous other smaller chambers where groups of senior members met were on the other hand quite unbelievable. The Splendor of the halls and meeting rooms showed the extent again of the power and rule during the time of Venice’s position as a world leader in Trade and banking etc. We also got a chance to explore the Prisons of the Doje since they link directly to the Palace of the Doje. We also got to walk across the Bridge of Sighs that links the Courts where a prisoner’s fate is decided and he then takes his final walk across the Bridge of Sighs to the prison on the other side of the Canal. The name came from the Sighs of the prisoners on their final look at freedom before going to prison.
We finished at the palace and prison at around 2 pm and decided to find the Chinese restaurant that Glenn and I visited two days ago and have a bite to eat. The Lunch at the restaurant was great and after the meal we went for out last shopping trip around Venice. The shopping trip was very busy and all three of us managed to get quite a few pressies and had great fun in shopping around for good deals. We decided that having come all the way to Venice we couldn’t go back home without taking a romantic ride on a Gondola. Glenn and I have already agreed that if there were three of us on the Gondola and not just him and me, they may agree not to give us the whole romantic deal. We took the Gondola ride to the Rialto Bridge and enjoyed the experience and the different perspective it gave to our view of the City.
The prices always seemed to get better the further away we got from the main tourist trap areas and after walking around 10 kms for the day, we made our way to the ferry for our return trip back to the campsite. We arrived back to the campsite for a Hot Chocolate and biscotti’s. Glenn and I are decidedly bushed from the day’s walk whilst the ever fit John-Mark is fighting fit. I hope that I will be able to keep the young men up later tonight since they are already eying their bed. I am afraid to say that this more distinguished man appears to have the staying power. I really am working on building up Glenn’s ability to stay up but who knows what the outcome will be over the next 2 weeks of our trip to Eastern Europe. John-Mark leaves us in the morning back to Interlaken and we leave at 8.00am for Bled in Slovenia.
We woke at around 7.20am for our final day in Venice. I have to say the time spent here has been refreshing and an amazing period for “soul time”. After a breakfast of Sausage, Mushrooms, Tomato and Brinjal – Michelin Style as per usual, we got ready to leave for the ferry to Venice at 10.00am. John-Mark discovered first hand Betsy’s amazing way to leave one’s back feeling particularly tight and stiff throughout. The day started with some promise as the sun started to shine through on route to the island. We had our first real strange event of the trip to Europe as once we had left the dock on the ferry, we were forced to back up and out of the way for a huge Barge carrying immense concrete foundations bound for Venice. The strange part was that we sat waiting for around 10 minutes while the Barge plodded along at a snails pace and then proceeded to move aside so that we could speed past at high speed to recover some lost time on route to Venice The really fun part was that we flew across the top of the waves this morning and the ride was a lot of fun.
Our first stop in Venice was at the Grande Church in the main Piazzo – San Marco. The Church was first built in the year around 800AD and subsequently restored after a fire in 1457. The church is without doubt the most ostentatious Church I have ever seen. The gold leaf and marble used in its expansive construction was a sight to behold. The effects of the sinking city can be seen throughout the church though as the floor as subsided throughout. The building is quite a somber reminder of how much the Church in Europe has played a significant role in the rule of nations throughout time. The cost of the construction of this church as ordered by the “Doje” of the time must have been huge. The “Doje” was the appointed ruler at the time. The Doje is appointed by the Cardinal under the guidance of the Catholic Church and is required to rule until death. The Doje is also not permitted to leave his Palace – which we subsequently visited – and only on specific occasions and with permission is the Doje allowed to travel outside of Venice during his rule. The Doje’s ruled right until the late 18th Century and after our visit to the palace next door to the Church, we learnt the extreme powers afforded to the regime of the time and the strict manner in which they ruled the people of the time.
The palace was strangely enough no where near as fancy as we expected. The quarters of the Doje were large but not as spectacular as one would have thought. The meeting rooms where senate was held and numerous other smaller chambers where groups of senior members met were on the other hand quite unbelievable. The Splendor of the halls and meeting rooms showed the extent again of the power and rule during the time of Venice’s position as a world leader in Trade and banking etc. We also got a chance to explore the Prisons of the Doje since they link directly to the Palace of the Doje. We also got to walk across the Bridge of Sighs that links the Courts where a prisoner’s fate is decided and he then takes his final walk across the Bridge of Sighs to the prison on the other side of the Canal. The name came from the Sighs of the prisoners on their final look at freedom before going to prison.
We finished at the palace and prison at around 2 pm and decided to find the Chinese restaurant that Glenn and I visited two days ago and have a bite to eat. The Lunch at the restaurant was great and after the meal we went for out last shopping trip around Venice. The shopping trip was very busy and all three of us managed to get quite a few pressies and had great fun in shopping around for good deals. We decided that having come all the way to Venice we couldn’t go back home without taking a romantic ride on a Gondola. Glenn and I have already agreed that if there were three of us on the Gondola and not just him and me, they may agree not to give us the whole romantic deal. We took the Gondola ride to the Rialto Bridge and enjoyed the experience and the different perspective it gave to our view of the City.
The prices always seemed to get better the further away we got from the main tourist trap areas and after walking around 10 kms for the day, we made our way to the ferry for our return trip back to the campsite. We arrived back to the campsite for a Hot Chocolate and biscotti’s. Glenn and I are decidedly bushed from the day’s walk whilst the ever fit John-Mark is fighting fit. I hope that I will be able to keep the young men up later tonight since they are already eying their bed. I am afraid to say that this more distinguished man appears to have the staying power. I really am working on building up Glenn’s ability to stay up but who knows what the outcome will be over the next 2 weeks of our trip to Eastern Europe. John-Mark leaves us in the morning back to Interlaken and we leave at 8.00am for Bled in Slovenia.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)