Day 1 - Mon 30/8/04 - Warsaw
Flew from London Stansted into Warsaw in Poland and eventually arrived at our hostel after a bus ride from the airport and walking around in an circle in the dark. Nice place though which had some atmosphere and helpful staff. As we were tired from our journey, we opted for pizza/pasta and beer. My first Polish brew and quite a good one at that. Early night for us. Warm weather during the day but cooler at night.
Day 2 - Tue 31/8/04 - Warsaw
Up and keen to attack a provided breakfast. Disappointed to see there was no cereal. We then walked from our hostel through the Saxon Gardens via the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and to Plac Zamkowy (Castle Square). We stopped for a quick look at the Royal Castle and it's courtyard then onto Stare Miastro (Old Town Square). We visited the Warsaw Historic Museum for a film on the history of Warsaw in WWII and the near-complete destruction of the city. Hard to believe it all happened considering how it looks today. We walked under the Barbican and around the New Town, past the library, Monument to the Warsaw Uprising and back around the city walls. On to Radziwill Palace (President's Residence) and back past our hostel to the impressive looking towering Palace of Culture and Science. A tasty Polish dinner with some more Polish beers. Weather disappointing throughout the day and rained heavily for a short while.
Day 3 - Wed 1/9/04 - Krakow
Beautiful warm day. Train to Krakow in relative comfort and full compartment. Another walk with packs on our back trying to find our hostel. Checked in and away to explore the city fairly quickly. Discovered we were only 10 minutes walk to the Rynek Glowny (main square and largest in Europe) and marvelled at its size and the 15th century Cloth Hall smack in the centre. Obligatory photos of St Mary's Chapel, the Florian Gate in the town walls complete with another Barbican standing guard out the front. A self-guided tour through the Jewish Quarter (Kazmierz) which included several synagogues and the Old Synagogue. Tasty steak dinner on the touristy square followed by some more Polish beer.
Day 4 - Thu 2/9/04 - Auschwitz/Birkenau
Another warm day. Much-anticipated trip to Auschwitz/Birkenau extermination camp used by the Nazis in WWII where an estimated 1.5 million people were exterminated. Followed another couple around Krakow train/bus station in search for the right bus. Eventually found it with help from the other couple (Ashling and Simon from Dublin) and talked with them the whole 1.5hrs to Auschwitz. Rather somber 3.5hr guided tour through Auschwitz I including barracks, massive piles of prisoners shoes, empty gas canisters, the "Wall of Death" and "Death Block 11", the gas chambers and crematorium. A short bus ride over to Birkenau (Auschwitz II) to be amazed at the sheer size of the camp mostly in ruins included more gas chambers and crematorium. Met another Aussie couple from Brisbane (Leah and Cameron) towards the end of the tour and we all returned to Krakow. Traditional Polish dumplings for dinner and then a drink with Ashling, Simon, Leah and Cameron on the square.
Day 5 - Fri 3/9/04 - Krakow Castle and Salt Mines
Still no sign of rain and a warm day. Back to the main square and onto Wawel Hill and its castle towering above. Wandered about the castle grounds and entered the chapel and climbed the bell tower for sweeping views over Krakow. Another search for the right bus to the Wierscze Salt Mines where we were guided for 3hrs through the man-made caverns and chapels over 150m below ground. Met a Canadian now living in Bermuda (Cameron) and chatted throughout the tour. Bus back to Krakow and a cheap and nasty but quite tasty kebab on the main square.
Day 6 - Sat 4/9/04 - Kasprowy-Wierch Mountain
Can't say I miss the rain but still no sign off it. All this sunshine is great! A 2.5hr packed bus ride to Zakopane in the Polish Tatra Mountains not far from the Slovakian border. Another mission to find our pension hotel which we eventually find after dodging hordes of people in this ski resort town. Piled onto a bus to cable car up to Kasprowy-Wierch in Tatra Mountains. Stood with one foot in Poland and the other in Slovakia - was way cool! Sat at top of mountain with breathtaking views all around and back to Zakopane. Weather closed in so bailed out earlier than we would have liked. Great Polish dinner out of pork steak, sauerkraut, potatoes and salad, accompanied by some Polish beer of course.
Day 7 - Sun 5/9/04 - Hike to Lake Morskie Oko
More beautiful warm weather. Embarked on seemingly sane hike through Tatras. Walked from Zakopane through woodlands, climbed hills, crossed rivers and arrived 5 hours and 15-20km later at Lake Morskie Oko (The Eye of the Sea) to fight for our own rock amongst the hordes of tourists for a rest, a bite to eat and to enjoy the view. Lovely spot but spoilt by all the people and kids going berserk. Clouds rolled in again so walked back to bus stop (another hour down the road!) and back to Zakopane for an average kebab and supermarket beer and chips. Early night as quite knackered.
Day 8 - Mon 6/9/04 - Stary Smokovec
Another gloriously warm summers day. On a bus again to the Polish-Slovakian border but missed the stop and ended up back at the car park for the walk to Lake Morskie Oko! DOH! Played charades with bus driver due to language barrier who gestured for us to stay on and took us back to the border. With our packs on our back and no questions asked, a passport stamp and not knowing what language to say "thank you" in, we walked over the border into Slovakia. Very warm wait for the bus then 1hr later we pulled into Stary Smokovec - tiny ski resort town in the Slovakian Tatra Mountains. Found hotel in reasonable time, marvelled at the views to Poprad etc from our balcony then a short walk to the cable car to take us up the mountain to Hrebienok ski chalet. Warmed ourselves and threw down a picnic lunch then a couple of hours hiking up the valley near Mt Nos. Back to Stary for an easy lasagne/pasta dinner.
Day 9 - Tue 7/9/04 - Strbske Pleso to Popradske Pleso Hike
With still no rain in sight and another warm morning, electric train to ugly, purpose-built, winter-olympics style Strbske Pleso town. Short hop to Strbske Pleso (lake) and then 1.5hr hike through more woods, up hills and down to Popradske Pleso (another lake) in the mountains. Still quite a few tourists around to spoil the serenity so a short bite for lunch then back down the mountain to wait for the train back to Stary Smokovec with and an icecream in the sun.
Day 10 - Wed 8/9/04 - Levoca & Spisske Hrad
Beautiful sunny morning and on another bus from Stary Smokovec east across the country to a small walled town called Levoca. Walked around the entire town in a circle (didn't see the hotel we were going to stay in right when we started out). Stayed in brand new pension for very cheap. Very pleasant town in the centre with green park and trees and some interesting buildings. Caught a packed local bus further east to Spisske Podradhie - not much of a town. Hiked up the hill to Spisske Hrad (Spis Castle) which is the largest castle in Slovakia and a very impressive sight from a distance and up close. Some cool instruments of torture inside and a stunning view of the entire surroundings from the top of the castle keep. Saw gophers in the grounds enjoying the sun and the grass. Back to the town to wander through another walled town nearby called Spisske Kapitula - not much chop either. Back to Levoca late afternoon then a traditional dinner out. Met an older Aussie couple from Brisbane and chatted for a bit.
Day 11 - Thu 9/9/04 - Levoca & Zilina
Icy wind but sunny morning wandering around Levoca looking at town hall, ministerial chamber etc. Walked the long way 3km up the road to Marianska Hora (Church of Maria) on hill above Levoca. Good views of the valley and town. Walked the proper way straight back down to town, packed up and headed for the bus to Zilina. Missed it by minutes and had to back-track in wrong direction to Spisske Nova Ves to catch train back passed Levoca and onto Zilina. Arrived late afternoon, found a hotel and settled for a quick pizza and beer dinner then retired to hotel room to watch Lleyton Hewitt beat Tommy Haas in the US Open tennis.
Day 12 - Fri 10/9/04 - Vratna & Mala Fatras
Bus into Mala Fatra mountains west of Zilina. Checked into quiet mountain chalet at foot of mountains. Had no food supplies or supermarket available so had to go whole day on a Mars and Snickers! Set out on hike up Horna Stanica mountain (punishing 2 hour climb straight up). Rest at the top but were so impressed, we set out on a ridge walk along the top of the mountain range. Absolutely amazing and best hike I have ever done! Barely a breath of wind up there and in t-shirt for most of hike. Steep decent back down to another small chalet and bar in the mountains for a refreshing beer in the sun. Returned to chalet in early evening to collapse from exhaustion, a feed and a well-deserved sleep.
Day 13 - Sat 11/9/04 - Trencin
Train to Trencin. Another lengthy search for a place to stay. Checked in to pension but felt ripped off by price. Too tired to find anything else. Set out to wander around town and to find much needed laundromat. Tourist info sent us way out of town to find it not open on a weekend! Very pissed off. Back to town and up to Trencin Castle. Waited out guided tour in Slovakian just to get to the top for views of surroundings which were OK. Surprised by an event in main square with Slovak dancing and singing. Another traditional dinner then bed.
Day 14 - Sun 12/9/04 - Bratislava
What? No breakfast at this over-priced hotel?!?! Nothing open on Sunday mornings either?!?! Boarded 2.5hr train trip to Bratislava to share 1 muesli bar and 3 choccy biscuits between the 2 of us. Arrived in Bratislava absolutely ravenous, had trouble finding accommodation so settled for a very colourful one near train station out of the city. On tram into city in search of food - nothing else mattered. Found a supermarket and went nuts buying everything in site. Picnic in park nearby then off to explore the streets and squares. Very pretty city but a little quiet. Climbed Michael's Tower for view of city and looked at weapons display. Walked along Danube River and had very tasty (and expensive for Slovak standards but not for us) Mexican dinner.
Day 15 - Mon 13/9/04 - Bratislava to Sopron
Packed my bag in hotel room, went to get washing to discover they "forgot"? to do mine so had to drag soaking wet washing halfway across Hungary in a bag! I was internally fuming! Uneventful day on the train to Sopron in the north-west nearly in Austria. Found accommodation eventually (actually I was just shitty and didn't care what I had to pay). Great little pension close to the centre of town. Wandered around lazily and was quite impressed. Very good pork meal and great Hungarian house wine so we were both a little blotto!
Day 16 - Tue 14/9/04 - Sopron
Filling breakie and off to explore the town. Visited Varkerulet St Square, climbed the Fire Tower for good views, Fo ter (old town square) and the Holy Trinity Column. Train to Budapest a day early in late afternoon to walk into doubtful Green House hostel near the river after dark. Makeshift mattress on floor in dorm room. Met couple from Auckland NZ. Out for great pizza dinner.
Day 17 - Wed 15/9/04 - Budapest (Buda side)
A day of walking around planned. Crossed the river to Buda side to see the St Gellert Statue, climb the hill up to the citadel for hazy views back over the city. Short walk to Buda Castle to wander through the massive grounds and stopping at Matthias Church, Fisherman's Bastion. Was looking forward to pancake lunch in little place we'd planned but was actually crap. Walked back along river for snaps of impressive Parliament and the Royal Palace. Back across river to the huge Basilica. Back to hostel to change for dinner and a night at the opera (yes that's right!) for a performance of Blood Wedding with English subtitles overhead. Amazing box/balcony seats to ourselves and they weren't even the expensive tickets!
Day 18 - Thu 16/9/04 - Budapest (Pest side)
Much anticipated trip to thermal baths over the river in Gellert Hotel. Not keen to take on Turkish male-only baths at risk of being exposed to sights I didn't want to see (swimsuit optional here folks). Opted for Hungarian baths and alternated between warm baths and cooler swimming pool. We relaxed here for a while and felt very refreshed afterwards. Pretty good coffee and cake for lunch then onto the House of Terror for a look into the Stalin/Soviet occupation that was HQ for torture and punishment of Hungarians in Budapest. Insightful but hard to understand as no English captions on pictures/displays. Information sheet at start of each room helpful but frustrating. Walked up to the city park.
Day 19 - Fri 17/9/04 - Eger
Train to Eger in the north-west. Woman at train station offering a room. Doubtful but turned out quite good with own lounge room and cheap too! Walked through park for picnic lunch at the fountain. Onto the main street for an up-and-down and then onto Dobo Square in the centre of town for a squiz at the Minorita Church. Climbed the hill to Eger Castle for a wander around the grounds and view over Dobo Square and town. Great Hungarian stew and goulash for dinner at popular local restaurant.
Day 20 - Sat 18/9/04 - Wine Tasting
Arrived early after short walk to Nice Woman Valley ready to get pissed...I mean to taste wine all day. First place closed and no people around. Had some doubts. Found a cellar where the old owner took us underground, past lots of bugs, smoking the whole time and stood between us and the door talking to his mate. Asked to sample some wine (English was useless) and enjoyed it. Thanked owner, paid next to nothing and returned to daylight wondering what we were so worried about. Stopped in little park for cheese and crackers then found the centre of it all. Visited up to half-dozen cellars, drinking the whole time, met NZ turned Australian couple Paul and Shirley and drank on into the night. Finished up back near where it all started for more wine and dancing and merriment with an elderly German couple from Hanover who I don't think knew what to make of it all. Stumbled home starving on no lunch or dinner to crash.
Day 21 - Sun 19/9/04 - Szentendre
Checked out of "Grandma's" back room and caught train back into Budapest. Had trouble finding right train and connections to head north to Szentendre. Arrived eventually and wandered blindly towards town to find accommodation. Dumped bags and wandered into main centre visiting Fo ter (main square) and fought our way through the tourist-lined back streets and up Castle Hill above the town. Wandered along river for a bit. Very nice little town on the Danube river.
Day 22 - Mon 20/9/04 - Visegrad & Esztergom
Fantastic provided breakfast with good coffee. No sign of previous days tourists in town. Caught 1.5hr ferry up Danube River which was tops and very relaxing to small Visegerad. Climbed hill to the citadel for amazing views up and down the river. Back down the hill to catch bus to Esztergom. Wandered around the town and up the hill to the largest Basilica in Hungary next to Esztergom Castle for views across Danube into Slovakia. Caught the all-stops local bus all the way back to Szentendre. Tasty Hungarian style steak for dinner.
Day 23 - Tue 21/9/04 - Keszthely
Up again for another great breakie. Train back into Budapest for another train west to Keszthely on Lake Balaton - largest inland freshwater lake in Europe outside of Scandinavia. Off at resort-town Keszthely to wander in a complete circle around our chosen hotel. Pleasant sea-side town but quite deserted. Walked into town to see the sights of the main shopping street and the impressive Festetics Palace and gardens. Another Hungarian style steak for dinner.
Day 24 - Wed 22/9/04 - Lake Balaton
Ordinary provided breakfast in hotel. Packed picnic lunch with high hopes to walk around the lake for a swim and to just chill out in the sun. Weather did not cooperate - windy with sunny patches so no swimming for us sadly. Quickly got bored going back into town and to the palace gardens again.
Day 25 - Thu 23/9/04 - Keszthely to Zagreb
Not much happened today. We seemed to spend a lot of time waiting for trains to get ourselves across the border to Zagreb into Croatia. Eventually made it late afternoon and walked to opposite corner of city to booking agency to discover major water problems with our apartment so were driven back to opposite corner of city to another booking agency. Keys in hand, walked back to opposite corner of city (where we just came from) to our massive apartment only 10mins from the centre of the city. Massive and cheap pizza for dinner.
Day 26 - Fri 24/9/04 - Zagreb
Woke to appalling rainy weather. Decided to set out and explore the city regardless in full wet weather gear. 15 minutes later our shoes were soaked through but we trudged on up the hill to the old town for a view over the city. Rain still coming down, we wandered over to look at impressive St Mark's Church and the presidential palace. By this stage our spirit was broken by the rain so we stopped at an awesome bakery on route to our apartment to chill out for the afternoon. Great city with many impressive buildings and parks. Fantastic pasta dinner in hotel restaurant.
Day 27 - Sat 25/9/04 Zagreb to Ljubljana
Train across border to Ljubljana in Slovenia. Tourist info had little accommodation available so hiked some way out of city to small hotel. Back into city for snaps of Trg Kralja Tomislava (main square), Franciscan Church, Triple Bridge and views up and down the river. Up to the castle above the city for amazing views right to the Julian Alps. Back down to Stari Trg and the Robba Fountain, St Nicholas Cathedral and Town Hall. Another massive pizza for dinner.
Day 28 - Sun 26/9/04 - Ljubljana to Bled
Back into city for more exploring then bus to Bled. Arrived too early to check into apartment so sat in the sun by the lake for a while. What an impressive site with the Lake and Bled Castle towering above it! Picked up by hosts and taken back to fantastic self-catering apartment just outside of town. Back into town for a walk around the lake and through the village. Dinner at an expensive restaurant (for Slovenia anyway but cheaper than in Ireland) with some great beer and wine.
Day 29 - Mon 27/9/04 - Bled
Up to the castle in the bright sunshine for great unspoilt views over the lake and to the mountains and a look through the Bled Museum in the castle. Hired bikes for a ride to picturesque and tranquil Vintgar Gorge a few miles out of Bled. Spent a couple of hours hiking through the gorge along the river to a waterfall at the other end. Rode back around other side of Lake Bled stopping along the way for numerous photos of the lake, castle and Isle of Bled with the little church on it. Returned bikes and returned to apartment for much anticipated and civilised home-cooked meal with average cheap bottle of wine.
Day 30 - Tue 28/9/04 - Bohinj
Bus to Ukanc near Bohinj Bistrica and up Mt Vogel Cablecar for more amazing views over the lake and surrounding towns with Mt Triglav and the mountains as a backdrop. Much less touristy here than Bled and a lot more peaceful. Started to hike back down to nearby town at the foot of the mountains but trail was hard to find and follow so turned back. Returned to bottom and walked along the lake back to Ribcev Laz. Bus back to apartment in Bled in time for dinner.
Day 31 - Wed 29/9/04 - Triglav National Park
Hired car and thoroughly explored the National Park and it's mountainous and winding roads. Drove up to heart-stopping (according to the tourist books) Vrsic Pass for great views down the valley. Descended the pass to stop in numerous places along the Soca River in the Soca Valley. The colour of the water was amazing! Drove through sleepy towns giving way to old farmers and tractors and onto Most na Soci - an expanse of water with an amazing green colour. Stopped at small town Kobarid for an icecream. Back to apartment in Bled for another home-cooked meal.
Day 32 - Thu 30/9/04 - Skocjan Caves
Checked out of apartment (regrettably) and drove through more winding mountainous roads and sleepy towns to Skocjan Caves for a 2 hour guided walk through passing impressive stalactites and stalagmites. Marvelled at massive caves and even spotted some bats. Didn't want to leave but had to drive to the coast to find accommodation. Drove through wine region and got stuck in traffic jam outside Koper and eventually pulled into Piran - a beautiful coastal town with a very Italian feel to it. Tourist Office directed us to a room in "Grandma's apartment" right in centre of town. Drove to Isola around the coast for another massive pizza and beer then back to Piran for the night.
Day 33 - Fri 1/10/04 - Piran
Returned hire car to Portoroz around the coast from Piran then stopped at cafe to treat ourselves to breakfast. Walked back to Piran around the coast wishing the weather to hot up and brighten up. Passed through Tartinijev Trg (main square) to look at the Town Hall and Court House then climbed the hill to the church and old defensive walls overlooking the town. Back down for a swim in the refreshing Adriatic which felt great once we were in. Back for a hot shower then out for expensive fish dinner (by Slovenian standards again) at seaside restaurant. Really impressed with Piran.
Day 34 - Sat 2/10/04 - Piran to Rovinj
Contemplated morning swim but chickened out as weather was average and windy. Supermarket brekkie by the sea and hung about waiting for bus down the coast to Rovinj in Croatia. Bus down to Rovinj was both frustrating and amusing. Driver never got out of third gear for over 2 hours of the trip. Met another Aussie couple Lee and Millie from Melbourne and chatted the whole way. Driver stopped seemingly in the middle of the road to go and pick a bunch of grapes for himself! Arrived in Rovinj in late evening and dumped our bags in Gran's back room and set out to find some dinner and explore. Crapped on by a pigeon on way back to bed. How is this meant to be lucky?!?!
Day 35 - Sun 3/10/04 - Rovinj
Up and keen to look around this charming and pretty town. Ate breakfast on the rocks by the Adriatic in peaceful setting. Learnt that ferries no longer went by summer timetable to Losinj Island (missed it by one day dammit). Walked around the harbour and set out around the bay for a walk up to the Forest Park behind one of the hotels. Not that impressed with the woods and limited views back to the town but enjoyable nonetheless. Found ourselves a patch of pebbles on the beach and swam and grazed on picnic food for a couple of hours. Back to town for a wander through charming narrow cobbled streets and up to Church of St Euphemia. Browsed through street markets on other side of town before meeting up with Lee and Millie for a drink by the sea and then a very tasty fish dinner followed by a few beers and some travel stories and laughs.
Day 36 - Mon 4/10/04 - Rovinj to Mali Losinj
Bus from Rovinj to Rijeka around the coast. Pleasant enough drive and no surprises from the driver this time. Made good time but arrived in Rijeka with a couple of hours to kill before ferry to Losinj Island left. Wandered around city - not much to tell. 3.5hr ferry via the islands to arrive at Mali Losinj on dusk. Found a self-catering apartment with a view of Mali Losinj harbour and settled in with a much anticipated home-cooked dinner.
Day 37 - Tue 5/10/04 - Around the island
Thoroughly enjoyed Corn Flakes and toast for breakfast! Have missed a normal brekkie like this. Walked around harbour and up to the point near Prolaz Most to admire the view. Continued around the bay to Cikat cove past camp grounds and hotels (disappointingly) searching for the perfect swimming spot. Checked out Suncana and finally parked on the rocks to swim and lie in the sun for the rest of the afternoon.
Day 38 - Wed 6/10/04 - Veli Losinj
Set out on a hike up to St Ivan's church and the high-point of the island for somewhat hazy views back to Mali Losinj and another two towns Veli Losinj and Rovenska. Walked through Veli Losinj port and streets and headed around the point to the tiny fishing town of Rovenska and beyond in search for the perfect swimming spot. Settled for our own patch of concrete and enjoyed a couple of hours of swimming and a picnic in the afternoon sun.
Day 39 - Thu 7/10/04 - Cikat
Another lazy day wandered around the island and Mali Losinj. Walked back over to the other side of the island to Cikat Cove to spend another couple of hours lying in the sun, swimming and grazing on our picnic food.
Day 40 - Fri 8/10/04 - Rijecka to Rab
Up at a ludicrous 5am to get down to the harbour for the early ferry all the way back to Rijeka on the mainland. We could just about see Rab Island and our next destination before getting on the ferry. Damn winter timetables! Killed another few hours in Rijeka before the 2hr ferry to Rab Island. Arrived in the late afternoon and dumped our bags in our awesome self-catering apartment. We could have lived there! Walked through Rab old town and it's numerous squares with little churches and bell towers.
Day 41 - Sat 9/10/04 - Rab
Awake early to sounds of bells ringing (bell tower was right next door) and construction of the house next door too. This aside, set out for the day to walk around the harbour and out to Padova for views back to the old town.
Day 42 - Sun 10/10/04 - Bike ride
Hired bikes and rode to the end of the peninsula closest to Rab through Komrcar, Kampor and to Frkanj. Continued on through the leafy bike trails heading for Kalifront Point when the rain pelted down. We were determined not to turn back so continued on and the rain miraculously stopped as we reach the point. A short stop for another picnic lunch before heading back along another rocky bike trail when the skies opened up again and soaked us through. Rode back to town in the pouring rain when Sara's brakes failed. Had to walk the bikes down hills and ride on the flat and uphill all the way back to town. Had to laugh at the situation and picked up some supplies from the supermarket to warm us up. People were laughing at how wet we were. Our host even took pity on us and brought us some pancakes with Nutella. Poured rain for the rest of the day.
Day 43 - Mon 11/10/04 - Lopar and San Marino
Caught bus to Lopar to discover nothing there. Walked around to San Marino and around the coastline to near Kastelina for views of the mainland and Goli Otok island. Not much happening here and weather was windy and cold. Bus back to Rab and the sun came out so we went for a dip in the sea. Browsed through the shops and stalls with an icecream before calling it a day.
Day 44 - Tue 12/10/04 - Rijeka to Trieste
Another early morning ferry before dawn back to Rijeka (for the third time) in very windy and choppy weather. Killed a couple of hours being bored and cold in the city before catching the bus north to Trieste in Italy. Checked into our hotel room in the centre of town before braving the hurricane-like winds by walking to the main square Piazza Unita d'Italia, up to the castle Castello San Giusto and along the Canale Grande which flows out into the harbour. Searched the city high and low for a pizzeria (can you believe it took some time to find one being in Italy and all!) for that last calzone and beer.
Day 45 - Wed 13/10/04 - Trieste to London
No rush to get up today for breakfast. Very relaxed morning doing some last souvenir shopping and visit to an awesome bakery. Bus to airport to fly back to London.
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