Greetings from Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Last update saw us leaving Brno (as far as I remember)...
Since then, we crossed into the Slovakian Republic, possibly the cheapest country yet and certainly the least developed. We travelled just one day through Slovakia, reaching Bratislava in the evening. Some would say that Slovakia isn't justified on this trip, as we merely dipped in and out, spending three days in Bratislava which happens to be less than 10kms from the Austrian border, but nonetheless, we manage to notch up another country! Bratislava does not merit a three day stay, but we were slowing down for the eclipse in Austria. I got sufficiently board in this tiny capital of only 250,000 people. We ate at the poshest restaurant we could find, watch Analyse This with DeNiro and Bily Crystal in a cinema that was like a lecture theatre, and were then more than happy to cycle the 10kms to western civilisation.
However, civilisation has a cost, and it is, well, cost. From cans of coke (a fine measure of value) at 25pence to cans costing 1 quid, and every food transaction drawing a gasp of breath at its expense, I bearly noticed the cleanliness of Austria. We rode along the danube, not so blue, into Vienna, a large city by many standards (1.2mill), past the distressing nudist areas on the banks of the river populated by seriously old people with, suprisingly, no clothes on. Quite happily sitting at a bar naked, drinking a beer and conversing with fully clothed (sane) people. Strange....
In Vienna we stayed with friends, which is always nice, and had guided tours which included the city at night and the best ice cream bars, an open air cinema showing proper classical operatic and ballet films (very apt for Vienna, n'est pas?) and a visit to the oldest original Viennese Cafe which still has the 90 year old owner pottering around and making sure you're satisfied. Still, none of this comes cheap, and we were heading for our longest stay in any country one of the most expensive. We left the hospitality of Vienna to gain our place in the sun...
Of more like out of the sun. The calculations of our chief mathmatician here on the trip led us to camp on the LINE OF TOTALITY for the eclipse. We were lucky to get a camping place thanks to the wonderful dutch camp ground owner, and our lack of a motor vehicle. Matthew Taylor, founder of Fat Beehive World Domination Enterprises, turned up in a bar some 7 kms away for the event of the eclipse and despite our plans of hiking up mountians after the eclipse, Matts plans of drinking beer in a pub prevaled with very little arguement.
After our two week holiday in Austria ( and I'd like to point out that we regard this as hard work, and not a holiday, in case any persons were not sure) we headed over a painfully large mountian (1100m, 14%) towards Graz, and then over an even worse 650m mountains featuring 18% gradients into Slovenia. Slovenia bears no resemblance to other former eastern block countries. It is soooooo modern that toilets flush automatically, taps turn on by themselves and cinemas feature booking devices far in advance of any I've seen in england. This country is soon to over take portugal in its economic richness. Yet it is still about 50% cheaper for most things than the UK.
We've hung out in Ljubljana for a couple of days now, and find it friendly and intimate. Only 200,000 people, its like a town, but its a capital.
Ok time is running out, so thats all from Ljubljana.
rgds to all
Tom Moreton (tom@fatbeehive.com)