Happy Travels

October 25 2007

Landed in Heathrow about on time, waited 30 minutes in the immigration queue to then be questioned for 10 minutes by the authority re what I was doing in that country. Travel and tourist wasn\’t sufficient I ought to have had a flight out planned, and documentation to show that with me. I had eventually shown a copy of the YHA accommodation which sorted him out a bit – but one never knows what they are going to do. I had been questioned in Germany, or leaving Munich Germany as to why, when, what etc I had been doing there! Maybe I had that terrorist or dealer look about me this day. Just to say one is a tourist is not sufficient particularly if one doesn\’t have a booked flight out of the country.

The instructions to the YHA at St Pancras were quite clear, and anyhow, quite easy to reach. Take the train directly from Heathrow and get off at Kings Cross/St Pancras stations.  It has had a 4year renovation in progress, for travel and for accommodation.

See http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-tr-foreign28oct28   OR http://www.alwaystouchout.com/project/47  will give some info on the station upgrade. I saw a piece on CNNNNN about this upgrade and it will be a magnificent station, using the old place, but the rest of the magnificent building has been sold off into million pound and more apartments. And it will have the longest \’champagne and oyster bar in the world\’! what does that mean I wonder.

But back to the YHA. The room is good, the place is well run, and at King\’s Cross which mustn\’t be the better part of town. A great breakfast is provided too and they also have a kitchen for the guests to cook and keep food, some hostels no longer provide this facility. The food has been great, the staff and servers of the kitchen and cafe, not so. It is very central and I walked to Oxford Street, Tottenham Road, saw Harley Street, Wigmore Road, and \’Barrets\’ of Wimpole Street (for you older ones), and visited the \’Wallace Collection\’ a house full of artworks, armory, wax art, furniture, old swords and fighting implements, and china. A great exhibition and then I walked home via the BBC, and onto Euston Road which is the YHA situation.

October 27 – Today I went to Knightsbridge on the Underground Piccadilly Line, same as YHA, all so easy, and popped into Harrods where there was an animal rights protest. Harrods is selling furs now and all other major stores no longer do. So got a bit to eat there, ate on the street, walked from there up Knightsbridge to Hyde Park Corner and the way to Buckingham Palace (I\’ll go there another day), up Piccadilly to Piccadilly Circus, along to Charing Cross Road where I bought a couple of books, and to this inet cafe which I found is very cheap so I am here. It is £1 for 2 hours. At the moment the rate of exchange for the aussie dollar into british pounds is 2.27, the american dollar is not far behind at about 1.96 or 1.98. the euro is 1.6. Now I am off walking back home or maybe I will see about taking a bus, a double decker which I\’ve not taken yet. But I walked past Marks and Spencers, Waterfords Crystal, The Ritz Hotel, and lots lots more. And still haven\’t seen the Thames yet. Think tomorrow will have to be the day for that as on Monday want to go see the Changing of the Guard and the Royal Horses. I leave this YHA on tuesday morning but as yet no farm or farmlist to work with!

I do love London. The people are very much like Australians, and so different to the Germans, Austrians and Romanians I have met. I enjoy moving around the Germans and Austrians. The poms are a little slouchy and sloppy and move differently and with less surety I think, but a fellow from lancashire told me that the poms can get rattled and will think before doing whereas the others cant! Till next page. More comment to come.

September 12 – Where did I go after Brasov ?– to Bucharest. That\’s a big and dirty city and the feature I noticed most of all was that they chose to cover lots of older but still in use buildings with advertising hoardings. Great. When one takes a photo all one sees is Levis Jeans, Samsung, Vodaphone and the building style and architectural beauty ( or not) is almost hidden. I have never seen this before. We might put adverts on a building being demolished or the building will be named on the top but not this.

There are many cars and the city powers are doing all in their power apparently to make room for more of them. I talked with a local woman on a bus who was telling me about the traffic chaos in the city. I was looking for an internet place with map in hand and stopped a young woman to ask directions who kindly informed me I had gone the wrong way and was miles away [but I had been told before I left the main train station as well as on the way that it was at least 2kms] so she very generously took me on a bus to the internet cafe. I was miles away but then I found out that Bucharest doesn\’t have too inet cafes anyhow. That\’s also something we were told as tourists – to ask for anything choose a young person as they are learning english at schoool, or did learn, whereas before the revolution 17 years ago, russian was the language taught at school. And just about every time I asked a young person, they understood english. Most unfortunately, the staff on the stations or Metro as is called (and very efficient system it is too – the trains only and the routes – not the stairs) can understand almost no english so getting information is difficult. And by the way there is no tourist information office in the whole of Bucharest – that\’s a clue to their understanding of tourism.

In an airline magazine I read that Bucharest people were voted the most rude in all Europe. I found that a lot didn\’t speak english so when buying bus tickets they would just give the standard fare but ask where the bus goes, and when\’s the next bus etc. no understand. At each bus stop there is a very tiny booth on the street in which sits a person just selling tickets. Older people in Romania, well Bucharest anyhow, get free tram and bus travel but a concession only on the trains. But that would be of little concern no doubt as to get to just about any station there would have to be sometimes 80 steps and more, no doubt, very few stations have escalators and when they do can quite often be broken, so I saw no parents with baby carriages or even small children on the trains. That was a boon for me but how do they deal with it? Probably drive. I found a great hostel after the first one which had its only attribute as being very close to the main train station, Gara de Nord, where I spent one night then scarpered to find a decent place. And I did. It\’s Hostel Tina run by a woman and her son Constantine. It is immaculately clean, everything works, the bathroom is spotless, the wc works, there is also loo paper – what a boon – and 9 floors up so the view is great and a kitchen, clean, with lots of utensils and dishes to borrow, and a frig also for food. And the added wonder to this was that there was one room as a 6-bed dorm complete with free 24 hour internet and a tv and the other and private room had its own computer too, faster, with lots of other lovely specials like skype facility, streaming music and no tv. While I was there in the dorm room sharing with either 2 or 1, a party of 4 italians came so Constantine put me in the private room and let the italians have a room to themselves. So I got 3 nights at the same rate of, I have quite forgotten, no, it was 40 lei or equivalent to $A22pn for all the privacy. Did I enjoy that and did I use it you ask?. You bet I really indulged self. There had been a general a lack of good music available. And here in the heart of Europe where tenors, sopranos and orchestras abound, I could rarely find a radio programme or station that broadcast my music. Then I was shown the streaming! Wow! Did I make the most of this. I spent all one day on the computer with the music – bliss. Then decided that I would definitely have to go out, get some exercise and so most of the next day I got more music with a bit of walking.

September 20 2007

BUCHAREST TO DORTMUND, GERMANY

LeftBucharest and flew to Dortmund in Germany again a lovely clean typically german city 90% bombed during the war so most new. The youth hostel large and pretty clean, no kitchen, and a breakfast one had to pay for. The first night I spent in a pretty decent hotel and then transferred over to the hostel. I was thinking what i could do with the time on my hands now that I wasn\’t meeting Julie in Hamburg, and only a couple of appointments in Munich about early October to direct my plans. and the flight to UK too.

DORTMUND, GERMANY to AMSTETTEN, AUSTRIA

So I found an organic farm at a place near Amstetten in central Austria, a vegan family and spent 4 days there helping with their cows, 3, very old breed, a very solid highland-looking beast. There is a story told that 50 years or so ago the government decided that this cow didn\’t produce sufficient milk to go commercial, and instructed farmers to destroy their herds and replace them with the now brown/red and white cow, the commercial variety. One farmer hid his herd of 200 from the govt inspectors and because of that there are still a few around and this farmer says the reason he likes them, better temperament, hardier, and live and produce many years longer than the expected life span of a producing commercial cow which is about 5 years. They also had a rare and early breed of chicken but unfortunately the foxes had got into the pen. But I helped move and stack wood so he could saw it for the kitchen stove. I was given, as with a lot of the farms, my own room, this the whole top floor, or loft, and a v comfortable bed, good pastoral views too. This farm was at 1000m and most of the neighbouring farms were farming organically even if not registered so.

AMSTETTEN to MITTERSILL, AUSTRIA

However after 4 days eating lovely vegan meals left there, took the bus to Linz and wondered what to do. My Wien contact was unavailable so into the farmlist again where I chose a young family in Mittersill, sw of Salzburg and again at 1000m. They were willing to have a wwoofer on their goat farm, so off I went on the train with many changes getting there at about 4.50pm the same day. Left Linz and changed at Salzburg, Schwartz, and Zell Am See before arriving at Mittersill. This is real snow-capped alp territory. Ramona and her son collected me and introduced me to my loft accommodation again, the regime of goat feeding, and chicken feeding which were to be my daily chores plus other work as required. That could be inside the house or outside on the farm. So I even learned how to stack wood for the kitchen or stube. A stube is a lovely room. It is the \’living\’ room in winter and contains a table with bench seating, or tables, maybe tv, place to drink beer and eat and just interact. And of course heated by one of their special heaters which burns wood and heats up a special tile which the heater is made of. Most of the old houses and perhaps new ones, some cafes, have stubes, pronounced \’stoob-i\’ – short \’i\’ as in \’it\’.

I have to admit that I didn\’t take sufficient time or study of the language so forget a lot of what I learned in Germany and the many Austrian farms I went to. But it was starting to sound familiar to me.

Went to Zell Am See one day with Ramona who worked there 1 day per week and saw on the terrace of the Grande Hotel overlooking the \’Zell Am See\’ (see is lake) sipping my lovely iced coffee. Saw sufficient of the town to not need to return but the drive there and back was delightful, the difference in driving regulations and manners, the scenery, how people act, and Romana picked up a young family who were waiting at a bus stop and took them into ZAS too. They were from Romania, from a place close to where I was living, looking for work in Austria. I didn\’t see them again but I hope they managed to find something. This happens a lot in Europe, people are allowed over borders to work and I have heard people talk of the problems this is causing in the countries they work. Romania entered the EU, for good or no will be seen, in about March or later this year. (I hear that Slovakia will do so next year – again who knows).

Festivals

Ramona, Georg her partner, and young son, young Georg have a very old typically styled house for both the area and the country which they are renovating. It was quite amazing. On every level there were doors leading to rooms, doors I never really noticed until I did! Lots of rooms not used presently, but used by a bigger family previous to their owning it.

I was at Mittersill at the right time – \’the cows came home\’ from the top pastures for the winter and were in procession through various towns. I saw one such at the next village called Hollersbach and both Ramona and Georg are part of a team that dress in a traditional costume and ride decorated horses in the parade. Also Georg cracked the whip, forget the word for that, with about 3 other men on the parade. The horses would walk a few metres and then stop and the fellows would stand in the stirrups and crack their whips. Quite an unusual event. There were of course local stalls selling local goods, warm clothing, traditional clothing, food ie meats, cheeses, and beer, and beer and beer, of course. I had believed that only Australians and maybe poms drank so much beer. A point here – all the supermarkets in Europe have aisles of alcohol. Whereas our liquor stores may be attached to the supermarkets, theirs take up a lot of space in the stores, in place of the many sweets and chocolates that Australians have on display and to purchase. So far havent seen anywhere near as much sweeties as we have in the supermarkets. Wonder which is better?

So the next weekend, the cows came home onto a private farm, where there was this \’castle\’ a house very much an old castle. This farmer provided a huge tent, as usual here, with food, beer, and entertainment and these cows were also dressed up with an headdress of flowers and holy pictures. The cows here seem to be very placid and very healthy as the hills are incredibly steep which they graze on all the time.

\’FLOHMARKET\’ = Fleamarket

The local Lions Club arranged one of these at Hollersbach. With a large large marquee, they set out stalls with everything, books, appliances, clothes, shoes, furnishings, computers, etc and food/eating stalls. It was a wonder. The regulations require that all goods are in good, clean, (clothing) pressed condition, and work. Not like our markets. And the place was full of clothing and goods and people also. It was on for only 2 days. I bought good warm clothing for €2 per piece except for a traditional austrian cardigan which was rather a lot more, but still a good price. Also bought about 10 books – in english – which I read as I go along and leave with the family. I tasted traditional food and there is a lot of beer consumed.

Another thing I was able to do was to go for a walk, mainly on the way to the village which was about a 20 minute walk down and up for home. Tracks and walks are marked and signposted and there was a place on the track, all info in german so i can write very little, where people go. Water runs through it, pure clear authentic spring water out of the mountain, and goes in certain channels at different depths and one can walk in it, and just enjoy the place. Because I can\’t explain much I\’ll direct you to this site http://www.austria.info/xxl/_site/uk/_area/417073/_subArea/417117/_subArea2/408173/home.html which explains clearer what Kneipp water treatment is about. The walk to town was good. The water that runs in the streams, falls down the mountains, and runs in the gutters is clear, not muddy and I am sure it would be almost pure to drink. Their house had a larg e horse-type trough into which water ran from out of the mountain constantly, all wonderfully pure and full of minerals. I drank a lot while at this farm. It was also very cold. It would be a great refresher in summer.

LEAVING MITTERSILL

I had to go to Munich the AK person, and then Kempten for a couple of visits to the dentist to repair previous work done in June. So after the second trip from Mittersill I decided to change plans. There was the opportunity to meet up with a friend, and also to visit others. What eventuated was that I had to find something to do and so I went to another farm, this time right on the Swiss, Leichtenstein borders. The reason I remained in Austria at these farms was that I require the farmlist for the different countries and that list has to be purchased separately. So I went to a demeter vegie farm in Nofels, near Feldkirch south of Lindau which is right on the German border and Bodensee. I had been to this region way back in June with my Kempten friends.

Again I had my own room, the house also had a couple of borders, and Josef and Ruth ran the farm. They also had a shop opened on their property a couple of times a week, and took vegies to the Feldkirch market every second Saturday. Busy is what they are. They also bake bread for sale at these times, and for the house, and sell apple juice/wine, the best apple juice I\’ve ever tasted. Good apples and good process. Like the many farms, they mostly use foods produced on their farms so I ate a lot of vegies, yum, and drank just a little juice, and the food was well prepared.

The work was to help weeding the \’tunnel\’ like a greenhouse, spinach was growing, collect tomatoes in same tunnel, and prepare celeriac and carrots for storing and sale for the next 6 months and a few other things. Some daysI worked in the vegie patch right outside of town, and the chill wind was right off the snow onto my face, and some days at the house. And I learned to feed the 30 or so brown hens and collect their eggs. He grew lots of vegies, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, raddicio (red bitter cabbage), fennel (now I know how to prepare, cook and eat this delicious vegie), herbs, broccoli, leek, cauliflower, various lettuce (or salad/t here), carrots, beans, turnips, peterslie (or whatever parsley with a root on it like parsnip), and brussel sprouts. I have never seen the latter growing before and how interesting is that plant. I am sure there were more vegies but this is a start.

NOFELS to LONDON, UK

October 25 2007

My flight to Heathrow had been postponed once to 25 October out Munich so I left at 6.18a on the Thursday to Lindau – and was stopped once again. This had happened to me on my way to a Kempten appointment and caused me some trouble. Train strike! and here I had only a few hours to get to the airport. The train 1 hr later got me there with about 3/4 hour to spare, and then the plane, BA, left late anyhow. They cut trains but let others run. The train runs all the way from Munich to the airport and their train system is very good, as I have found in a lot of the big and smaller cities.

VENICE

As you can see, chronologically these pages don´t follow. I´ve not told you about Venice – that city was very hot, very crowded (which I believe is about normal for their summer and holiday season – and anyhow it is a tourist place-I read 20million visitors pa), it was a relief most times being on the water. In Venice, all public transport is by ´vaporetto´ a small passenger ferry along the canals. To cross the Grand Canal, the main ´street´, between the 3 bridges, one can use a ´traghetto´, a cheap way to get a gondola ride as it is a gondola and just takes one, standing, for 50c across.

When I flew in I took a ferry to Lido, an outer island, sort of like a breakwater to the shallow waters of the Laguna Veneta, from the Adriatic, where I managed to get a single room. The accommodation problem at that time of the year (June – September) means when a room is let, if there are 2 beds and a single traveller, then the charge is double for the room. A huge amount of hostels and hotels and other accommodation charge this way as so many groups travel together.

I enjoyed Lido, easy and flat to get around in, lovely buildings with frescoes, balustrading and the famous hotel used in Thomas Mann´s novel ´Death in Venice´, yep, can´t think of the name. Back to Venice – not at all what I imagined. Behind the buildings facing the canals is a maze of small lanes and the map markings and the street signs on buildings mostly don´t match. I moved from Lido to the back streets of Veneto (Venice) for 14€ pn and got so tired of losing my way, I left town and went to a camping ground. Before the move, in a large untidy second hand book shopI met some nomadic americans whom I befriended. Cliff & Sandy – really not pleased with the US of A and have been on the move in their VW Kombi van for 17 years basing themselves in Europe and one time returning to Washington State for a short stay and for other winters heading to Greece for 6 months. I moved to the Serennissima Camping ground and paid 2€ in return into Venice on the bus and lived in a like little shoebox. The mosquitoes were a bit of a problem, and the heat, however after 10 days left Venice by train for Graz, Austria.

In Venice I saw inside very few of their landmark buildings, admiring the outside however, some of the queues were 2 hours long – waiting in the sun – Europeans are quite nuts about standing in the sun. I did notice that there was not the same sting in it that we suffer from and I was one of the few crazies wearing a hat – my American friends said the same – they wear hats where no one else seems to bother. Think people forget that eyes need protection etc.

AUSTRIA

Train from Venice – staff at the station and tourist offices less than helpful, little english for such a tourist turnover. But the train left Venice no air conditioning and no dining car with the trip taking 8 hours or so. I want to return the trip during winter. The train sped through the Alps, there was no lighting in the carriages and it was pitch, except for a very weak emergency light in the corridor – trains are compartmentalised. So to come out between the Alps, glance a tiny village, and back into another tunnel, what a view when snow atop the mountains. And the tunnels went for about 30 minutes, so some distance. We were informed by a fellow who pushed a trolley with chips, chocs and cafe´, that the air con and the lighting would work when we hit Austria and would you believe, with no change of engine, or other rolling stock, in Austria everything worked. And the attendants were tidier and more official looking. There are no superlatives different to use other than magnificent, glorious, beautiful etc for the scenery. And train trips just so comfortable. I was also told that trains out of Germany always have dining, air cond, lighting etc – they run through 3 and more countries – so can´t work out why the Italians didn´t provide the basics.

So I get to Graz, sort of mid east Austria, go find accommodation at the local YHA, then a woman who can give me the directory for WWOOFing, We´re Welcome On Organic Farms. One can work for food and bed up to 5 hrs pd x 6 dpw. I picked a farm at Liszeldorf about half way to Vienna and she dropped me there. The farm kept funny looking sheep that I kept thinking were goats, they had spiral horns, and a young crazy dog, 3 young children, chooks, couple of ducks, etc and a lot of herbs, vegies, fruit trees, and plants. I got to share the living room with whomever wanted to come in, they worked like navvies hours per day, I learned how to stake and tie tomatoes, dig gardens, plant seeds, rake grass, water vegies, collect berries they cooked into ´marmalade´, and helped with some housework some times. Klaus works from about 6am and Irmi also with a day at work in Vienna (Wien) once per week. And they have a kiwi fruit vine growing – in Austria – I have never seen that – it is a beautiful vine and the fruit hanging waiting to ripen by October.

They had made their own pond which we slipped into to cool down – a lot. The temp was pretty high.

ROMANIA

They went on hols to Korsika and I left, spent a couple of nights at Irmi´s place in Wien and caught the train to another wwoofing family in the middle of Romania, Mosna, near Medias. I knew nothing about Romania at all so thought this a good way to introduce myself to the country. I lived with a family of 5 children, had my own little room, and then worked mostly with Lavinia the mum. She works in the house, cooks all the food, stews, saves, purees, uses everything that comes off the farm, makes cheese, quark and ricotta from the milk of about 4 cows. She maintains the herb garden, organises the delightful flower garden, and grows the vegies ………she doesn´t stop.

The only organic store in all of Romania is in Sibiu, about 60kms away, and they helped open the store. They provide it with their dairy products but sometimes the market is slow. I met other organic farmers, honey, vegies, and goat products. I bought the goat fetta which was just yummy. Also we bought goat milk and made cheese and yoghurt, and home made organic goat yoghurt is 100% better than in the stores. I also tried very fresh, just home-made sheep cheese, would be classed as organic too, and that was extra delicious. Someday I want to go back with an interpreter and talk with a shepherd – they combine their sheep herds and of a night pen them and remain there in a small hut guarding the flock with the help of sheep dogs, big heavy animals, who keep the wolves and bears at bay – hence the need for a big heavy dog. I missed seeing wolves and bears but others at the family´s house met a bear on their hike. (And later in Brasov there were bear watching tours offered from the hostel but I didn´t go-they saw bears every night).

Willy, farmer and father of the family, had to take his buffalo heifer to a nearby town so she could meet a handsome buffalo, he had to walk her – 13 kms – what a sight on the road we were. I walked 11 kms at which time Lavinia arrived in the car with sustenance – a wonderful feed. This was at 7.30pm. Daylight extended up to 10pm. I rode the extra distance into the small village, mostly gypsies, called Polesti. This is where i met the shepherd and tasted such yummy cheese.

And this is where this is about to finish. I stayed at the family´s place for 6 weeks and then left for Bucharest where I now am. However, on 20 Sept fly into Dortmund, Germany and then, lots of choices. But will be in Munich for 9 October. Why did I fly here etc. well plans made and circumstances changed, so am left with about 3 weeks to fill in. Plan to fly to the UK by end of October and go wwoofing somewhere there.

Photos on camera and disc and yet to work out how to get to this page.

Today is Sunday 9 September 2007.

Arrived by train leaving Medias after 6 1/2 weeks with my farming family on organic farm, and eating organic food as well of course. Medias is the main centre, 8kms out is Mosna where I lived. It is a peasant town filled 70% with gypsies who live in houses, four mud brick walls, dirt floor, a ceiling and a hip roof and of course, cable tv.

Brasov has its name on the hill, like \’Hollywood\’ and it is surrounded by hills. Hills in Romania just rise out of the ground and go up – not sure of the grading but will be very high. It\’s like walking up the side of a mountain! Brasov – what I have seen is lovely and after the peasant villages and towns, I know I am back in the real world. Here in Brasov, about 2 hrs closer to Bucharest, there\’s a Kentucky Flied Chicken store!,  people are better dressed, and the town is tidier and wealthier.  It has 312,600 citizens and I shall venture out on a guided tour tomorrow I think to get a feel of the place. There are a few very high view points, and the 3 days I am here I want to walk around, see all the very old buildings etc.

The temp at Mosna went in a few days from about 35o average to 12o – and now it is wet and cloudy and much easier to move around in. My baggage is v heavy and I will have to discard something, not sure just what, as I have to keep old clothes for farm work. I managed to pick up some second hand clothing a couple of doors away in the village, and I found a couple of pair of trousers, winter weight that fitted perfectly. I have lost a bit of weight, my aim. The trousers cost 4 lei each about $A2.20 and the l/s warm orange top 2 lei and I picked up a fancy cap for .20. All are in perfect condition and good quality and brands and are from Germany which is how it is in Romania – Germans are involved all over the place.

There is an orphanage in Mosna, village of 3000, run by a couple of germans and funded by Germans. Saxons (Germans) lived here for years and then just left and moved back to Germany. Now there are many G agencies, NGO organisations, who fund these villages, particularly in Transylvania, and send truckloads of goods, baby stuff, clothing, household items etc x2 per year to give away. Back to the orphanage – the children mostly are gypsy orphans, given up when the gypsies dont want them at birth, happens a lot, because they don\’t believe in termination. This place looks after them well, they are well dressed and seem happy.

Previous travel info will come sooner or later. Bucharest I arrive on 12 Sept and meet my friend Julie on 13, won\’t that be a joy to talk orstrayan again. Wonder if she heard about Chasers fun with the Bush visit?

I have a cd with pics on it, right up to date, not too sure what to do with them now, but hoping to get a few onto a site for your access.

Arrival great. Spent hours waiting for my hosts at Frankfurt airport as their Qantas, read here JetStar, flight out Singapore was delayed 3 1/2 hours. Finally we caught the \’Ice\’ train to Regensburg, a city and town that has the whole town world heritage listed. Well, enough said about the trains here. So I pay, but wasn\’t it worth it. Quiet, very clean, facilities that worked and were practical. I intend doing more train travel. Easy way to see the sights. And fast. Wolfgang and Irmi stayed with his brother Günther overnight while I stayed at a local hotel-great breakfast too. Very healthy and lots of it.

So what next you ask? A tour around this marvellous old town. What was the most amazing sight for me was the old roman wall, 2000 yrs old, still standing, part of the wall that constituted the barrier to the marauding romans and protection for the home of the soldiers. The Danube flows through Regensburg. The Romans came to one side of the river and couldn\’t cross it to invade the Germans and so they eventually retreated albeit years later. And it\’s only about 100m wide there, if that. Quite fascinating – maybe no one swam, the river does sometimes flow fast after rain and melting snow, however.

The town became a very rich and wealthy town, lots of traders who built magnificent homes and traded while the people on the other side of the river had to pay, of course, to cross the bridge and enter the town to sell their wares. The traders and tax officials got wealthier and the settlement on the other side of the river was always the \’poorer\’. There is even a sculpture of a person looking across the river – the picture of despair and desire and maybe hope?

We had lunch at a quiet, calm, very classy restaurant – I had some sort of schnitzel and salad, good, and my hosts had typical german meal for the area.

So that\’s my first day in the country. And let me say here, that their computer keyboards are all … too many keys in the wrong place