Down the mines in Wieliczka

On our last full day of our first trip, we took a train to the small town of Wieliczka, some 20k from Krakow, to visit the famous salt mine. It really was an incredible place - at depths of up to 300 meteres, there were over 300km of tunnels, and more than 2,000 chambers (we didn't visit them all though!). Salt has been mined in Wieliczka for over 700 years, and it is apparently the oldest still working mine in Europe. However, the most amazing thing about the place, is the figures that were carved entirely out of salt over the last 150 years or so by the miners in their spare time. These were incredible, especially the salt chapel, 100m underground, and decorated with salt figures and frescos, including a salt copy of Da Vinci's Last Supper. The guide enthusiastically informed us that this chamber was occasionally used for concerts - most famously by Nigel Kennedy and ... Ritchie Blackmore!


After the tour we had lunch in a salty underground cafe, used the salty underground toilets, and visited the salty underground gift shop. We were too tired to visit the neighbouring pepper mine though!


The end of the line (literally and metaphorically) ...

Soggy times in Krakow

First impressions of Krakow were not good. We arrived at the station to find it raining heavily, filthy, construction everywhere, and no tourist office or directions of any kind as to how to get to the town centre. Eventually we worked it out though and, despite the appalling weather, managed to have a good couple of days in the cultural capital of Poland.

Krakow is split into three main parts - the old town centre, the Wawel castle hill, and the old Jewish area of Kazimierz, which has lots of good cheap bars. After a trip to the castle, we visited Smok the dragon in his Den - and he welcomed us with puff of his fiery breath (although the rain nearly put it out!).

East to Budapest

The train journey to Budapest was certainly enlivened by the news from Edinburgh via text of the sacking of Graham Rix as Hearts boss. Suddenly access to an internet cafe became the be all and end all of Budapest priorities!

Only once up to speed on events at home, were we able to properly take a look around. Budapest is a weird mish mash of new and old, scruffy and grand. We went there expecting it to be quite cheap, but actually found it quite expensive - definitely the type of place where some local knowledge of where to go would be helpful. The nicest part of the city was the castle hill (Buda), but this was also the most touristy, whereas the other side of the Danube (Pest) contained the more down to earth part of town.

Highlight of the 2 days was our dinner arrangements on the second night, with alfresco dining from a snack stall, drinking beer and glühwein, whilst listening to live jazz (part of the Budapest Spring Festival), followed by cake and coffee in the most extravagant grand cafe in the central square. Probably the only time our pudding cost more than double our main meal and alcohol!

This flag was particularly interesting - the hole in the middle is where a soviet symbol was ripped out following the 1956 uprising, and it still flies today, with the hole in it, to represent the struggle for freedom.

Munching in München

It may be cold, it may be snowy but it seems that nothing will stop the good citizens of Munich from enjoying al fresco beer and sausages - and who are we to disagree with that! Munich has been a two day sausage and beer fest, with an honourable mention for the fantastic fried doughnut that I had in the Englischer Garten beer-garden. It was helped over the weekend by the presence of a few thousand Schalke 04 fans who were in town for the table-topping Bundesliga clash with Bayern, and who were singing and drinking everywhere all over town - making for a really good atmosphere.

Apart from all the food and drink here, we´ve also had time to be overwhelmed by the amount of world cup tat on display - in particular the most ludicrous ever world cup mascot, Goleo 06, "a talking and thinking mascot with his own opinions" !?! For anyone not yet aware of his existence, see here:

http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/e/mascot.html

Night Train to Munich

Well, we're seasoned interrailers now - having just taken a night train from Florence to Munich. Leaving the deserted Florence station at 12 minutes past midnight last night, we arrived in Munich at quarter to 9 this morning. We fell asleep (well kind of) to the warm Tuscan countryside and awoke to the snow covered Bavarian landscape.

Onwards to three days in Munich - the beer and bratwurst beckon!

Braving the crowds in Firenze

Florence marks the halfway point of this trip, and also the last destination in Latin Europe. From here, it is to the north and east. Italy has been great, but it will be good to get away from the hordes of tourists (mainly American and Japanese) that have plagued us a bit in Rome and Florence. Although we visited the main churches and the Palazzo Vecchio, we just couldn't face the 2 hour long queues for the Uffizi and the Acaddemia to see the various famous Renaissance works of art. It will also be good to get away from the touristy rip-off restaurants and bars and get a beer that won't require a new mortgage to pay for!


We have noticed a lot of differences between France, Spain and Italy, so it will be very interesting to see the even bigger contrasts when we reach Northern Europe, and our first stop - Munich, by night train tonight.

Free Teas with the Genovese

Laura befriending the local wildlife.

Genoa was once a powerful maritime nation (or so they claim). Now it has the biggest aquarium in the Europe (or so they claim!). It also has the least number of bars and restaurants open on a Sunday night in Europe! We landed lucky in the end though, with a free tea in the Ducal Palace.

The Aquarium was really impressive, with all kinds of big fish, some of which we recognised from the bouillabaisse in Marseille the night before. A lot of wandering around in the medieval streets afterwards eventually led us to the only open place in town, but what a place! After a couple of Rum Coolers, the bar staff informed us of the free buffet starting, so naturally, being Scots, we took full advantage and stuffed our faces with Pizza, Pasta, Chips, Bread, Omelette, and the star of the show - spicy sausage Genovese style!

Finalement - Les Photographes!

We've finally managed to add some photos now, and it is all down to a triumph of Laura's French speaking skills as she managed to explain in French to a guy in a computer peripherals shop, that we needed a USB card reader that would work with a Fujifilm xD picture card. And as you can see - that's exactly what we got.

Sunny Barca

A slightly less fancy train took us from Zaragoza to Barcelona on Tuesday. Barca has a lot going for it - a much friendlier and livlier place all round than Madrid. It was also several degrees warmer, so we took the opportunity to sit back and relax in the sun in the pavement cafes of La Ramblas and the Barri Gotica.

It was good to catch Robert and Will and their pals Hughie and Austin for lunch in Barca as they travelled on route from the Rangers game in Villareal - they didn't seem too down about the result, but I suppose they've got used to losing this season! After that it was a quick tour of the amazing Gaudi architecture and some more lounging in the sun, then a swordfish dinner followed by me having the world's best chocolate cake, whilst Laura inexplicably went for a Pineapple!

This morning we left Spain and are now in Carcassone in Southern France. Now we're off to see if we can find a computer peripherals shop to buy a usb card reader that will work with an xd picture card, so that we can finally liven this site up with some of our photos!

The rooftop of Gaudi's Casa Batllo:

Techno Tapas y Futbol

Well we got off OK, barring the hour long circling of the sky above Madrid - which was our first introduction to the Spanish predeliction for keeping you waiting. Destinacion Uno - Madrid, with our own personal tour guide, who speaks "ra lingo". Well done Gav we were most impressed! Boating on the Buon Retiro lake, culture surfing at the Prado and the Reina Sofia and, most importantly of all, football heaven at the Bernabeu. Even Laura was impressed with the cushions for hire and the patio heaters on the roof!

First night syndrome kicked in big style, with a few early beers ending up leaving us desperately searching for food at midnight. The relief we experienced when we found a bar still serving tapas, was only tempered by the high volume hardcore techno that we had to suffer!

Day 2 started weirdly when an early morning trip to the Bernabeu led to us parting with 250 euros to a tout outside the ground in the desperate hope that the 4 pieces of paper we´d just bought would get us in to the sell out ´el derby´ that night. Although the day was spent gazing at art in the Prado, our real thoughts were with our collective stupidity in allowing ourselves to be so easily ripped off. Imagine our suprise when the black market tickets actually allowed us through the turnstiles that evening - although a further few tense moments were spent hoping that the "real" ticket holders wouldn´t come and demand our seats!

A pre-match beer, outside the ground: