We'd got as far as West Norwood (all of two miles), and I realised something was not quite right. The trusty Golf Estate was labouring a bit up the hill. And it was hardly Mont Blanc. There was a lot of luggage on board, but surely it didn't weigh that much? As we motored down…
Once again... we're knocking out a review of our year with lots of ups and one massive down (left until the end). We've added in-page links to posts made earlier in the year, in case you're really, really interested. If nothing else you might come away with ideas for a holiday or two. *** And…
Here we are again... bashing out a review of our year with its ups and downs. It would have been a challenge to put all this on a card. There are some in-page links to posts made earlier in the year. Or you can skip to the end if we're boring you. If nothing else…
After two nights in Zadar, an insanely early taxi for the 07:00 Flixbus to Ljubljana. Seven and a half hours' travel, including a wait at Zagreb for our connection, but such is life. Tuesday 18 June How lovely to see Zagreb bus station again - just enough time for a snack and a breakfast beer…
Unlike Hungary, Croatia is a country we had already visited: in 2013 to the Istrian peninsula (Pula, Rovinj, Montovun, Beram, Poreč etc.), and in 1989, before the start of the Yugoslav Wars, to Dalmatia (Dubrovnik, Korčula and Split). Of course a sizeable chunk of Croatia's population has no memory of life in "Yugoslavia". Another thing…
We awoke to a dry and cool morning in Vienna following a very wet evening. Lingering over breakfast at a nearby Herr Mann bakery, we nearly missed our train (the wonderful Railjet). Two and a half quiet and comfortable hours later we pulled into Budapest Keleti. Tuesday 4 June Arriving at Budapest Keleti Our first…
We marched to Zürich Hbf, in comparatively balmy weather, to catch the 08:57 to Sargans, from where we would pick up the Railjet to Vienna. Saturday 1 June Neither of us had ever been to Vienna, although it had been on our minds for at least 10 years. My knowledge of Germanic culture is patchy…
As I have already recounted (at least once) in 1979, on my return to Oxford from London, I accidentally co-founded a band you've never heard of called One for the Wall. We never got a recording contract but it was fun while it lasted. We went our own ways a few years later, but -…
One evening after school Steve called round with his latest purchase, Led Zeppelin II. I could not believe my ears. That opening riff! It was almost pornographic. Why hadn’t I heard this stuff before? Where had I been? The only pop album my parents possessed was Rubber Soul — admittedly not the worst place to begin…
After two lovely weeks in France we headed back to London on Friday 11 April. We drove north to spend a evening in Saint-Malo, the sun emerging just as we arrived. On our previous visit we'd seen that it would be possible to walk out on the causeway to the islet where Chateaubriand is buried…
The Wight Stuff 