Travel Blog

It's been suggested I do a quick blog for my upcoming trip, so that people can add their experiences and questions along the way, to get some chat started about travel.

I leave tomorrow evening for 3 weeks or so.

The important detail is that I miss two home games.

It's ok R&B. We've arranged for personal security guards to be alongside Collo in your absence.

Fantastic innovative thread
A live Travel Blog , will watch this thread with great interest

Wheres the first stopover ?

Phew, thanks Booney

I was worried about that. Good fun, though, chatting to Collo as we walked across the ground after half-time.

I didn't think Norwood fans' vocabulary was as wide-ranging as that

First stop is 2 days in Dubai, then gradually towards the wilds of Romania.

Romania? Great, that should provide a few vampire stories.

He's going to Romania, not Twighlight world.

Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical regions of Crişana, Maramureş, and Romanian part of Banat.

Transylvania is often associated with vampires (chiefly due to Bram Stoker's novel Dracula and its film adaptations) and the horror genre in general, while the region is also known for the scenic beauty of its Carpathian landscape and its rich history.

If he can't find any vampires, then we'll just have to settle for descriptions of the Carpathian landscape.

I thought you were more dedicated than to take overseas trips during the footy season r&b

I will be in Transylvania, Chambo, as you correctly point out.

I will be looking for vampires. I believe they wear a navy blue uniform, with red trim and red socks.

Testy, I've already said that I have to answer to a higher authority.

I always go about this time of the year. That was originally so it didn't disrupt my cricket season. Now, bugger it, I'm stuck with it.

Travel is, of course, about people and about opening your mind.

On top of that, to enjoy yourself.

Which is what I'm doing in Dubai, part of the United Arab Emirates, the 49th country in the world I've visited, I think.

Interesting country. What you expect is all here; 800 metre towers, pencil thin at the top, reaching impossibly for the sky so much that it's hard to believe what you're looking at. Impossibly varying architecture everywhere, culminating in the famous 'sail' building near the equally famous Palm Island, home of the impossibly rich and famous.

There's so much here that's impossible.

So what do you do in 2 days here?

You talk to people. Only a small percentage of the population are locals and they are very, very well looked after. The rest of the population are from just about every country in the world. Taxi drivers, waiters, hotel employees and professionals. No crime (almost) and friendly people, so it's easy to start a conversation with just about anyone, which is what we do.

You learn about a country that way and you enjoy yourself. This morning, a visit to the Grand Jumiera Mosque, to again learn a bit about Islam. There are two choices for readers here. Those who equate Islam to all things bad can stop reading now. For the rest, I listen, learn, take out the spin and leave better informed.

Here's another thing about travel. I don't get to bothered about getting scammed, as long as it's minor. So many travellers come home with tales of avoiding being scammed by a taxi driver for something that, when worked out later, is about the price of a coffee. I'm experienced enough to avoid most scams, fingers crossed, but I'm not here to worry anout someone vastly poorer than most getting a couple of dollars more than they should.

That said, I find the vast majority of people very honest and just nice, ordinary people.

What do you do after a Mosque visit? Find a nice air-conditioned, comfortable cafe and spoil yourself with a coffee and an exquisite cake. I have a weakness for exquisite cakes and this one wasn't a frog cake. Then again, I could go a frog cake.

We've had our fill of culture, so in an hour or two, we're going up, over and down the sand dunes at what I'm told will be a hectic pace, hold on tight.

A desert dinner after that.

Tomorrow, Italy.

R+B Dont forget to visit Pompei

If you get to Venice let me know if the water below the Gondola rides are cleanish , they were a bit murky when I was last there last century

Pompei, that reminds me of a film called ''UP POMPEI'' starring Frankie Howerd, anyone seen that film ? very funny & the scenery is very Roman

OK, so I've had a wine or three. I blame the waiter and I blame Flag No 9 for texting me the scores of Westies' win over the Bays.

I definitely blame the waitress for the cream limoncello or three, compliments of the house.

So nothing deep for the travel blog today, except to say Sirmione is a magic place.

Don't tell anyone.

Back on line at Melk, Austria on the Danube.

More later, but still getting over Silverlock's mark.

I really enjoy getting around Europe, just the two of us, our backpacks and a Eurail Pass.

So we've made our way to Vienna by train and boat, meeting some really nice locals and other travellers and trying to converse in French, Italian and German, with varying success, but lots of fun.

Just for 'blacky', I even had a beer, but made sure I kept sampling the local wines.

Still can't get 'Vienna', by Ultravox, out of my head.

Scrappy, didn't get to Pompeii this time, or Venice, but the water is still dirty and the city is still magic.

RB
Why does Venice remind me of West v Norwood games ? ...

i hope your West shirt is on every now then to promote your club & the SANFL

just bring me back a can of beer

bayman wrote:i hope your West shirt is on every now then to promote your club & the SANFL

I used to wear a West jacket, but they got a bit wary of someone with a jacket that said 'BLOODS'

I recall being in Skopje , Macedonia
It was a warm day and had lunch withe wife on a warm day
I had 4 beers with the meal
I got up jelly legged and the head spiralling , which at the time attributed to the heat
I was collecting Beer labels throughout Europe
Later that night I noticed the alcohol content was almost 12 % !!!
It was like drinking 15-16 Australia Beers in an hour
I did well to stay on my feet

RB if you are beer swiggling, check the Alcohol content

30 years ago I left Skopje as soon as I possibly could, Scrappy.

One of my least favourite places, perhaps it's improved since then.

Now just leaving Vienns, for Budapest.

Vienna:

Coffee,

Great Mozart and Strauss (lbw, b. Scrappy, 0) concert.

Apple Strudel

Rain

Oh, Vienna, love it.

Vienna is an amazing place.

The people are very friendly too. I loved it when I travelled there a few years back.

Yes, it's risen well up my list of favourite cities, GN.

Just got in to Bucharest after a 14 hour train trip from Budapest, but met by Ilina, who will be showing us around tomorrow.

Travel changes attitudes and Bucharest is one example.

My expectation was of an old Eastern European city, struggling economically out of the Communist era, maybe a bit run down and perhaps a bit dingy.

Well, it's a bit of all of those, but they're in the background of an evolving city, greener and much livelier than I expected and certainly more interesting. Friendly people, anxious for you to like their city and country.

Had a crack at a 'water pipe', one of those things you see old opium smokers use and had a really great 3 hour walk around with Alina, a local, having plenty of laughs.

For some reason they seem to speak French here a fair bit, so got a bit of practice. I'm very, very, average at French, but it's fun trying.

Tomorrow, off to Vlad the Impaler country.

RB
Your missing out on some great weather back home
A week of almost 30 degree weather
Bushfires in the Adelaide Hills
Things have hotted up in Adelaide since Tunnellgate at the Parade

PS
Going by your posts your having a ball
Any chance of an addition by next February ?