Achtung!

Well hello there little blog followers! And by this I mean our families...no posted love from friends for a good while...de de de!!! ;)

Meg and I last left you on our odyssey in the lovely town of Verona...well I can say that much has transpired in the following weeks...we have visited 4 countries in the space of a week and taken many trains, buses, trams and metros to whiz us all over central Europe.

To begin I will draw your attention to the first couple of photos from our visit to Domodossola, an absolutely beautiful town in the north of Italy. We stayed overnight and bunked down in a cute little B & B where I was able to soak up a little sport by watching the European champions league final (Messi is the best) and spoiled Meg in the morning by waking her with fried eggs and spinach...mmm...we also had the chance to see some genuine alpine scenery as we were encompassed by the towering snowy giants that seem to nurse the town into a sleepy beauty. Then it was time to enjoy the entire reason for our visit to Domodossola (scenic rail to Switzerland). This was not originally part of the itinerary though we are very happy to have made it so. The panoramic windowed train exposed us to views of the Swiss and Italian alpine regions that give you a great insight into why people will endure the freezing conditions during winter. Our day came to a jolting halt of reality when we hit Zurich and decided to stay for the night before leaving for Munich. Meg and I went out for dinner and paid $20 AUD for 2 Kebabs and 1 fanta!!! OMFG!!! Glad we didnt plan to visit here initially as it would have been considered fiscal suicide.

Then onto the beer capital of the world...MUNICH!!! Oh yeah...we set up Kermie (the tent) and made our way back into the town center to find a place to eat...and drink giant beer!! As you can see from the photos we were successful! Munich is very relaxed and feels more like a village than an actual city. After some duely imbibed hops and yeast we retired for the night...zzz.
In the morning it was time to explore. As we sat down for breakfast we met a lovely good ol boy from the south...TIMAH (southpark joke) from Baton Rouge Louisiana and shared a meal while discussing what to do. We hit it off well and decided on a free tour of Munich...after some sights and informative history we bailed on the tour at the stop of the Hofbräuhaus (huge beer hall) and downed some local fare. We made tentative pland with Tim to catch up again and went our separate ways.

The next day Meg and I quickly decided to make for Austria. It was a rushed decision and so the trip was hasty. After some cross country running with packs we made our train and snaked our way to Innsbrück. This part of the world is truely astounding. We both rate Austria as the most beautiful country so far and Innsbrück went a long way to sealing the deal. Mountains soar into the heavens and are capped by white powder and the atmosphere in incredibly. We made plans to stay at the hostel and remembered that Tim was in the area so we figured we may bump into him along the way. Lo and behold, as Meg and I sit down to dinner, I hear the distinctive southern tones of one Tim Durel, who is suprised, though happy to see us and join for a meal. We make plans to hike the next day and retire after some tasty dark beers!! MMM!!! The hike was one of our favourite days by far. The weather permitted a comfortable hike to 1400 meters and gave us spectacular views of the town and alps. Meg got to eat Austrian snow, pat a donkey and we had a beer at the food shack high on the mountain. It was a wonderful experience. We had a great time with Tim and wish him all the best for the rest of his trip and decision for future studies...always welcome in Oz (hint hint)! Thats him with the big Kick ass pizza btw!

The next day the 3 of us parted again and Meg and I left for Salzburg. Another jewel in Austrias crown. We set up camp and relaxed on the grounds talking with the lovely Romanian campsite organiser. She gave us some insight into Austria and helped us book our Sound of Music tour. The next day the hills were alive with the sound of Meg singing. We had an extremely funny guide who could be a stand up comedian and the day was perfect. We also tried Apfel Strudel with hot vanilla sauce and got to walk around the city a bit. We took the afternoon to go to Berchestgaden in the south of Germany (how casual it is to visit 2 countries). Stunning scenery again and a peaceful afternoon. The back to Salzburg for dinner and sleep. One of the photos is on dusk of the old city of Salzburg as viewed from a bridge down river. That night we got a micro burst of rain and little Kermie got his first work out...passing with flying colours. Next stop Vienna!!

We stayed in a hotel for the two nights and loved having a bed again!! Meg also loves having room to throw her clothes around. After some exploring Meg and I wound up getting a free bottle of Champagne at a pub and we indulged in some relaxing nightlife, getting home late and sleeping in...ahhhh!! The next day we decided to walk around the city with no plans. We skyped the lovely parents and sister weish and got our family fix first! Love u guys! :)
In the evening Meg and I experience true romance as we got dressed up, went out for a nice dinner to see the Vienna Philharmonic play Mozart, Hayden, and Schubert and watched the Opera of Don Giovanni...fantastic! Then a ferris wheel ride before home to bed...an actual bed...oh yeah now this is luxury! And yes that is a photo of me eating a Grilwurstel (sausage) ewwww....actually tasted real good!

The next day we departed for Prague and spent most of the day on the train. The weather was not so good so we dediced to sleep in a room at the camping ground. After avoiding some hotel poachers at the train station and overcoming the language barriers, Meg and I enjoyed the helpful difference in exchange rates in the Czech Rep (Note megs flashing the 1000 note) She is such a high roller. We enjoyed some cheap food and beers at the restaurant close to our bed. The following day we explored Prague and completed another free walking tour, thanks New Europe, and also met some lovely English friends...Stu and Becky. We met with them again later and tried some Absinth at a dark underground pub. Thats Stu and Me sharing a Vodka red bull...cheap backpackers we are! We exhanged details and possibly may catch up in the UK for some good times.... good luck with your exam results Becky and start eating vegetables Stu!! Prague has such an amazing history, buildings and culture...a really well preserved treat unlike any other place!

Onto BERLIN!!! What a great city...this place has felt the most like home since our departure from Oz and is absolutely brimming with fun things to do...the people, architecture, history is so brilliant and enjoyable that I rate this my favourite City so far! Meg and I had planned for 2 nights and stayed for 3 as we had such a great time! We went and did some normal things too like the cinemas twice! Ahhh...to be normal again! So in Berling we took our time and did some war tours, a pub crawl and generally soaked up this really cool place! The pub crawl was really fun as Meg and I had not been out with people for a big 1 for a long time. We met some really nice people and I think we even went to some cool clubs...bit hazy on the details though ;) I could talk forever on this place... highlights are the Reichstag building...some photos of the very cool glass dome can be seen from the inside...the history on the GDR and Berlin wall...and the massive Tiergarten! So tired tho so Ill keep it short! Thanks to Richard and Gill for their help with Job companies in the UK...nice to meet you and share a beer! P.s Germans dont have to worry about NAZIS anymore...there is a new and much more sinister threat to the people....thats right....STORMTROOPERS AT BRANDENBURGER TOR!!!! Also there are pics of Meg and I freezing in unusual cold weather and the holocaust memorial...google that...it is a very unique and interesting work!

Next stop Paderborn...some may wonder where this place is...and why we are visiting?? Well there is one answer to satisfy your curiosity!! And the answer is ABSOLUTE VODKA!!! Hahaha...while on Tioman you may remember that we met some lovely German people and drank a little too much with them...anyway we made good on our promise to visit them as we traverse Germany and we were very excited to arrived and meet with Christoph, Viktor, Michael and Natalie once again! The generosity and welcoming nature of this group of now very good friends was quite overwhelming...I could be forgiven for mistaking them for the close group of friends I cherish in Australia...we were greeted at Paderborn station and taken to Natalie and Christophs for cake and coffee before visiting to Michaels swinging bachelor pad! ( Michael is the one kicking his leg up behind Meg in one of the pics)...we had a bbq at his place and met some more of their friends...the night was perfect...we got to see some of the scintelating Paderborn nightlife and check out the infamous Dück dance moves (Viktor is pictured with white t shirt in the club next to me) while enjoying some beer and partied late into the night...err...morning...we got into the last club CUBE at 0330 and found it to be empty...not to worry...fusbal was ready for a work out and we laughed and played terribly until the place shut and ugly lights came on! The group shot of us kicking our legs is at approx 5am....sleep zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!! Best recovery feed in the morning (Leish note the awesome bread..I ate that for u!) and coffee...now we can function.

Unfortunately all of our best laid plans came undone as rain and slow brain processes ground our activities to a halt...but then.... a ray of sunlight....lets go....and play...TEN PIN!!! YAY!!! Christoph, Viktor, Meg, Michael and I had a blast knocking down pins and high fiving our gutter balls...Megs enthusiasm was a highlight....we then had a short stroll around the sprawling city center and returned to get ready for dinner! The food was an absolute treat...traditional Schnitzel an dark wheat beer that I have fallen in love with! We had some great conversations before the night got away from us and we had to say good bye and farewell!

Special mention goes to Christoph and Michael...first Christoph, thank you kindly for all of your organisation and correspondence...you made us anticipate the time happily and made us feel very welcomed since Tioman. And Michael...we can not thank you enough for allowing us to feel so welcomed into your home...Meg and I really appreciated your hospitality and will not forget the great time we had at your place.

To all: I feel strongly that our genuine connection will endure time and distance and you will always be welcome down under and extended the same courtesy that you were so willing to give to us. It was lovely to spend time with such intelligent, motivated people. Hopefull we can meet again before we leave, or you can come over the chanel to England for a little holiday. Stay safe and well until we meet again!

Peace xoxo

For the fam....Next stop Rotterdam...the biggest harbour in Europe and then Amsterdam...nuff said... lots of love from our last night in Germany...Im gonna miss it! M&J xoxo