We're off on the Road to . .

Well, hello there.  Long time since we last met here, isn't it.

Well, we are off again.
we have decided to take a quick trip back to Europe - leaving Saturday 29 July and arriving home on 9 September 2017.
We all know that I love to travel in a very organic, unplanned sort of way, responding to local stimuli as we meet them BUT with only six weeks, this time we are needing to plan, plan, plan to make the most of our time.

Itinerary to date is as follows: 

• 29 July - Hervey Bay to Sydney Meet Donna for dinner 
• 30 July - Sydney to Bangkok 8hrs layover - transit tour with a private guide arranged
• 31 July - Bangkok to Munich Pick up hire car and drive to Steffi and Felix in Schwaebisch Gmeund!!!! A week with the family and our little 'grandies' - WHAT A JOY (Yiayia and Papou are bringing pressies!!)
• 6 August - drive back to Munich, return the hire car and then fly to Cluj-Napoca in Romania where we pick up another hire car.  And this is where it gets very interesting - we have a mere 14 days to cram as much of this fascinating country, its people, its food and wines, its scenery - as we can.
  
  Check out www.romaniatourism.com/sample-itineraries.html to get some idea of how big a challenge cramming this gorgeous country in to two weeks will be!
  High on the list of priorities are:
  Bram Castle (Dracula's Castle - though there was no such person and the story has nothing to do with this castle) and the more stunning Corvan Castle
  
  Postavarl Peak cable car
  Sibiu and Sighisoara
  Catching up with Lorena (Romania's top wine maker) and Diana - who we met in France in 2009
  The Painted Monasteries - Bucovina, Voronet, Moldovita and Humor
  Brasov
  Transylvania
  The Art ZNouveau architecture of Oradea
  The traditional villages of the Maramures
  The Carpathian Mountains
  The amazing road into and along the valley -> world's best road trip according to Top Gear. The Transfagarasan mountain road is one of the most spectacular roads in the world. 90 km long, it runs through the Fagaras mountains - part of the Transylvanian Alps.
  

  

  Transfagarasan Road

• 19 August - fly Cluj back to Munich, pick up another hire car and return to Schwaebisch Gmeund
• 25 August - drive to Nettatal for Anne and Steve's wedding weekend
• 27 August - over to Hamburg to visit Inga and Markus, Finn and the very new Lena
• 29 August - drive back to Schwaebisch Gmeund and the family Lippold
• 6 September - return flight to Australia via Bangkok (2hr stopover this time)

We'll see you here during the trip!

Heading for home ........

OK Australia - Get ready! HERE we come!
Our flight was booked with British Airways, but we are actually on a Qantas flight. That is quite prophetic don't you think! We depart Heathrow Airport near London at 11:05 am on Sunday 15 November and arrive in Sydney at 8:20 pm Monday 16 November (local times) with a refuelling stop in Singapore. And we are travelling on one of the new(ish) A380-800 Airbus planes.

Michael and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have made this trip so memorable for us. Whether you are employed by one of the accommodation houses we used, a staff member in a restaurant or just a local who spoke with us, you have all had a huge impact on us. It is definitely the people who have made this holiday such a wonderfully enriching life experience.

Of course there are plenty of amazing things we have seen and done that are memorable too - and you know what is exciting? We have had the telly on over the last few days and there are so many places we can say we have been to that we are seeing across a whole range of programs. Cool huh!

See you next in Sydney!

The weather matches our mood

Leaves swirl up and around us as we drive down the road from Ypres and as we pass under the trees, they continue to drop on to the windscreen. A full European autumn is an amazing experience. Again, it is raining, reflecting our emotions. My how our senses are heightened today. We have become used to the idea of going home, but gosh, how I wish we had more time here. Our last little time as we leave Belgium is spent letting Michael have a quick look around the New Poperinge Military Cemetery where there are a few Australian tombs scattered amongst the French ones.

Then, without the need for a real rush, we set Kate to direct us to the Eurotunnel departure point off the motorways and are so rewarded for doing so. There are cows grazing in the meadows and windmills on the hills - quite a few of them! We pass through the autumn rain and look out over valleys shining in rare spots of sunshine. The air is so crisp and clean and the colours are so vibrant.

We come in to France for the last time this trip and it is as beautiful as we remember it from the numerous trips we have made across the country over the last eleven months. The villages seem to be hugging the roads as though to say goodbye - yep, we are again passing those houses built right to the edge of the roads. Autumn here is a very busy place here and we pass lots of mounds of swedes (yellow turnips) and sweet potatoes recently dug and now set for drying. And the farmers are busy ploughing and fertilizing their fields. You know everywhere we have been there are a few constants - the smell of 'fresh' fertilizer, the heavy density of livestock and the farm implements pulled along the back roads by tractors!

All too soon (but not too soon) we arrive at Calais at the Eurotunnel terminal. As we pull up to the ticket tag machine it 'recognises' the registration number of the car and automatically prints our windscreen tag. We just have enough time (6 minutes) before they make the first boarding call to allow Michael to go and change our last Euros for UK pounds. Then, through border control and we join the first couple of cars waiting to be loaded on to the train. And then, just after 13:00 pm we are loaded on to the train and at 13:20 pm we leave the continent of Europe for the last time in 2009 for the fast half hour journey under the weight of the English Channel back to the UK.

And then without any fanfare (just a voiceless reminder on the intercom to remember to turn our clocks back an hour and to drive on the left) we are back in England - back on the 'right' or rather make that the correct side of the road! We are back in the land of small roads again - passing cars so closely on the local main roads that I wonder if we are not going to lose our side mirror.

We have decided to spend a couple of days in the south east of England having a bit of a look around the only part of England that we did not see when we were here earlier in the year. We have booked in to The Dog Inn in Wingham, near Canterbury. The building dates back to the early 13th century and our room on the first floor is supported by the most amazing big beam. The public areas downstairs are warm and the fireplaces are roaring away, keeping the cold outdoors where it belongs. The ceilings are lined with hops, now dried after hanging there for a year. This is no so much a pub, as a restaurant with rooms. We meet Dan behind the bar and Austin in the kitchen. Something that Austin is cooking smells fabulous and wse go to the kitchen door to find out what it is - ah, rabbit for a dish for tomorrow.

So we go up to take our luggage and unpack the barest of things as we have become accustomed to doing before heading back downstairs for dinner. The menu is surprisingly well developed with traditional foods presented in very modern combinations - something we are not expecting. After agonising on the offerings we choose -
Entrees:
Sherry's duck egg crostini with a poached egg, wilted spinach, curry oil (Michael)
Rillette of wild rabbit and smoked bacon, sweet plum tomato chutney, walnut bread toast (Maria)
Mains:
'The Carpet Bag' Roast fillet of beef stuffed with oysters, streaky bacon waist coat, grill garnish, bearnaise sauce and chis (Michael)
Breast of free range chicken, crispy parma ham, white pudding, cream tarragon dressing (Maria)
Desserts:
Sticky toffee pudding and vanilla seed cream (Michael)
Dark chocolate loaf, black cherries in kirsch (Maria)

Wow, what a meal. Congratulations to Austin who has managed to achieve the same level of finesse that we have experienced in meakls in France. We retire satisfyingly full to retire to our warm bed for the night.

Families

Slept in until 9 am and then rose to have breakfast with Stephi - she had been down to the bakers and got those yummy yummy pretzels and fresh rolls. None of this stuff out of the freezer or those over-preserved breads from the supermarket here! We opened the blackberry jam that Sarah had made (at Il Sarale in Umbria!) and was truly delicious.

And so this morning it was in to the Post Office - I had something to post to Isabelle in Pontorson in France (no, I am not telling you what it is - you will just have to wait and see!) and some souvenirs for Donna - the big one is for you sis - as well as finding out the best way to get some 'stuff' home.

Max box size 60 x 60 x 120 and no more than 20 kgs. Try to find a box anything like that size here. The largest that the post office sells is much smaller and all the shops in the mall where we were rip them down as soon as they unpack them. Hmmm, might need to rethink what we don't bring home! Now its off to do some grocery shopping - gosh how I love the delis here - even the ones in the supermarkets are so different to those back home. Ideas, ideas and more ideas!!!

We have been invited to afternoon tea with Mutti (Steph's grandmother) who greets us with hugs hard enough to break you in two. She served the lightest most delicious chocolate torte and a sweet yeast bread with jam. Both she had cooked this morning - not bad for a lady of 89 years is it?! And it was not just Mutti who was there - Olga and Rudi (Steph's aunt and uncle), Anja and Thomas, Ulli and Andy and their girls Maya and Anneka rounded it out. We all squeezed into Mutti's dining/lounge room and the chatter flowed back and forth for about 2 hours. Then it was time to say goodbyes and head back to 'home'.

Tonight Ulli and Andy and coming with the girls and we are having raclette. We shopped today for all the ingredients - reclette cheese, pork fillet, turkey breast, salami, ham, potatoes, capsicum, mushrooms and zucchini. Ulli brought the dips/sauces and I am determined to get the recipe for her yummy cheese one. We shared champers, a bottle of Chateauneuf de Papes and lots of stories. They are just about to begin building a new house, so the toast was to old friends and new beginnings. Great night.

Felix gets home from an absence of 3 days about 10 pm much to Steph's delight - ah, true love!

Making plans for Australia

Today was a quiet and kind of frustrating day.

When we woke about 8 am Steph and Felix had gone to work.

I spent the first two hours on the phone to the trave agents, trying to change our flights back to Australia. When I booked the return tickets last December (and then only because we had to have proof of our return to our place of residence so we could go to the US to visit my brother) I knew that we would probably need to change them and that this would incur some cost. We can be a little flexible around the 13 - 16 November, so armed with this information I phone Zuji who have informed me that for security reasons they will not make changes through email.

I get an agent who sounds asian and when asked about the weather back home, he informs me that 'home' is in India where the Zuji Call Centre is located! Back and forth we go, exploring all possibilities including cancelling these tickets outright and booking a return fare home (a return ticket is always cheaper than a one way ticket - helps to have worked in the industry!) But the penalty costs are too high. And when I originally booked the tickets I was smart (NOT) and booked them through to Brisbane. Now however, we want to go via Sydney and catch up with our Mums before we return to Queensland and Maryborough. My Mum flies out to South Africa for 3 months to visit Michael and Aunty Mary on December 8.

Turns out that a change in the route - that is, Sydney instead of Brisbane, can only be okayed by the airline and they only work to 5 pm Monday to Friday - bugger the greatly increased time difference, it is now 10 hours instead of 8 and I have missed this time. So now, I have to wait for Monday because we sure as hell can't afford two changes.

After that, I went back to bed and slept for much of the day - I am fighting a cold and a persistent sore throat so a few extra hours sleep was great.

Michael emptied the car and brought all our bits and pieces up and then did some washing. Tonight we sorted through all the literature we have yet to send home and sorted winter and summer clothes into the appropriate suitcases. Steph had a minor heart attack when she came home and saw the table covered in 'stuff' for them. Some camping gear and food staples that we are not going to be able to use any more. But it didn't take long to go through it and put it all away.

Felix is out tonight, so Michael and I are treated to some of Steph's Hungarian Goulash and Rice. She ate a big lunch (as they do here) and so just had bread with cheese and cold meats. We chatted over dinner and later Michael ironed and we half watched X-Men while he did it.

Tomorrow we are off to the Post Office to sort out the most economical way to get our extra stuff home - ah, the fun of it all!

The hills are calling

Not sure what it is about the mountains, but they do call us. Maybe it is because we choose to live on one of the flattest continents - in a city without a single hill let alone a mountain. Today we are heading north into the Italian Alps. I want to try to find the little, well actually it was huge, church that we first saw as we made a very brief foray into Italy (so Mum could say she had been to Italy) in 2006. At that time, we had just come down the Brenner Pass from Innsbruck in Austria and found ourselves looking for the church whose bell tower we could see from high up the mountains.

There is no reason for us to hurry so Kate is taking through those back roads that Helen loved to hate! Ah yes, off the motorways. Up and over the hills and far far away. Round and round the mountain. And up it. And down them too. In this part of the world it is so easy to see how that borders are nothing more than administrative lines on a map. The landscape crosses them, the architecture crosses them and the cuisine just ignores them. We could just as easily be in Switzerland, Austria, or France that all abut this mountain range.

So we head away from Silea driving towards the north. The day is as hazy as any we have encountered to date. In fact, this is one of the things we will most remember about Italy. Our journey takes us through the outskirts of Treviso, passing through residential and commercial areas. It seems that there are quite a few historic sites here as well if the brown tourist signs are any indication. But we won't stop as it will take us 4 and a half hours to get to Brennero. Just outside town though we pass one of those 'what the?' sights! There is one of those large restaurants with an even larger carpark. It is called Gargantua and features this unusual statue encompassing the entry. Michael is delighted - he knows the story of this giant well. In fact until recently had a copy of the book of five stories written about the legendary giants Gargantua and Pantagruel! Strange what you see. And where you see it!!

And Treviso and its surrounding towns seem to be the home of the outlet malls. There are advertising hoardings littering the road that tout for business for all sorts of goods - many are for sporting goods. Turns out, this part of the world is crazy for winter and summer mountain sports. We push on behind heavy traffic until we turn off onto those smaller country roads and head up into the mountains.

This is a stunning part of the world. Just as breath-taking as the alps of France or even Switzerland. This is the land of the Dolomites and their adjacent mountains. The roads twist and turn often almost back on themselves as you weave your way higher and higher. We are again using the low gears, something we have not needed to do for the last couple of weeks. In fact, we are travelling for about an hour without getting past 3rd gear! At Feltre, there is a stunning memorial. We are not sure what to, the inscription is not very clear. It appears that it could be a memorial to a war battle and the local lives lost. And blow me down, less than a kilometre further on, there is another one - huge! This one flies the French flag.

And still we climb. We are back in the rural belt of Italy, where life is lived at a much slower pace. Its not long before the stunning vistas of the high mountains and the Dolomite ranges begin to tease us from behind the lower mountains. We are back in the Alps, although this is very definitely the sunny side - with some snow (permanent ice) only visible on the very highest of the peaks high above us. And yes, this is the stuff of postcards and National Geographic specials!

And eventually as we turn away from Brennero to return to our accommodation, we pass through the edge of Vipiteno. I am drawn to get off the road and edge into town - "Just let me check this out", I say to Michael. "Oh my God, it's it!" I exclaim. Yes, I had found the church!! Parrocchiale 'Nostra Signora della Palude' - the Parish church of Our Lady of the Swamp (Shrek anyone?) And even though it is literally just before 5 pm, the church still stands open and people are arriving to tend to the gardens in the adjacent cemetery - just like when we were here last time.

We enter the cool and now quite shaded church to have a look. I knew that it would not be the same as the sun filled sanctum that we found last time, but it was lovely just the same. In fact, it was more than lovely. Where last time we found a tired but loved place of worship, this time it is nothing short of majestic. The cracks in the masonary and the peeling plaster have been repaired. The huge pillars that support the roof that soars high in the heavens above have been given a coat of paint. And those beautiful ceiling frescoes that took our breathes away last time have been restored to their full colourful glory. Michael is particularly taken with the carved pew doors that seem to have been given a new lease of life as well. And the timber flooring at the front of the church has been replaced, as have the cracked marble flagstones that form most of the traffic areas. As we take a walk through the lovingly attended cemetery with gardens contained within every grave, we notice that the Chapel of Repose (complete today with a recently deceased) and the cloister chapel have all been restored as well. Their frescoes rival those in the church for their beauty.

And so, my aim for the day is finally met just as we are about to turn south for the trip home! I'm ecstatic! And Michael is impressed, so the long day through the beautiful country was well worth it. So now, I turn for the Autostrada del Brennero to get back to Silea in the shortest possible time. Yep, the dreaded motorway. Like the road we travelled on in the mountains across Umbria the other day, much of this motorway is raised on long bridges as it traverses across valleys through the mountains. This road however is in much better condition - as well it should be, it is the main connection Italy has with Austria and Germany.

As we travel south following the Brenner highway, we see castle after castle on almost every available ridge. Gee, this part of Italy rivals the Upper Middle Rhine in Germany with its 40+ castles. And just like in the Rhine, this is a big grape growing area. In the dtill afternnon air, we can hear this farmer ploughing long before we see him. In the dying light of the day, we pass Castel Beseno near Besenello. Sitting high on the hills above the town it is an impressive site as the last bit of sunshine hits it. Time and time again we see the clouds developing on the horizon and at this time, we can't be sure where the mountains end, and the clouds begin. And there are more castles to see as well, but the fast disappearing light and a moving car are no match even for the Nikon D70 and we can't get clear photos. (There is no way I am stopping at this point of the trip!)

As we are nearing Ca' Serena we can hardly see the beautiful big waning moon for the dirty brown haze that veils it from us. So, the haze that we left here in the Italian lowlands this morning does not have appeared to have lifted all day. Thank goodness we were 'up where the air is clean' for most of the day!

A day out in Umbria

Today was one of those lovely days of nothing.
Well, not nothing exactly, I have nine days of the blog to catch up as I know many of you realise! Thanks for all the reminder emails, I think! Trouble was that for the last little while with Helen travelling with us we were getting back from dinner too late for me to be bothered too much with doing the days blog. They were pretty full days and I was getting very tired. But look out world - I'm ba-ack, as the saying goes and by Monday I hope to have it all back on track. Once there are more than just a few days passed though, it takes longer to do as I have to use our photos and brochures to recall all the litle details!

So today I sit here in the converted old farmhouse that is Azienda Agrituristica Il Sarale with all the resources spread around me. We slept in this morning and did not surface for breakfast until about 9:30 am. Breakfast was OJ, great big mugs of steaming coffee with the delicious unsalted dry italian bread, local honey, Sarah's peach jam and a tangy provolone style hard cheese and more of the smallgoods made by one of Sarah and Alessandro's neighbours from pigs raised here on their farm. Great wholesome country food!

Michael is outside in the sun reading. Earlier he went for a bit of a walk back up the road and took these photos of the surrounding area. It is so peaceful and quiet - really really lovely and relaxing.

Sarah cooked for a group of 8 local businessmen for lunch while I continued to plough away through Pompei. Later, I headed for the bedroom with Dan Adams latest book 'The Lost Symbol' while Michael added his bit. Of course, I dozed some too.

Then it was up to get ready for dinner. Served at 8:30 pm. Tonight we are joined by another two couples meaning that Il Sarale is full. As with last night, the food was magical - the sort that makes you want to hold each morsel in your mouth and savour it for as long as possible. We sit at three long tables with plenty of space between each couple. Tonight's offerings are: Antipasta:
Four sets of toasted Italian bread spread with different toppings: Straight olive oil, olive oil topped with a shaving of cheese that is spread with a smear of honey and rosemary spines, a tomato paste that is salty and with garlic and finally one with a tapenade that is smooth and tastes of the saltiness of anchovies with the olives. Centred on the plate are a few pieces of a small salami.
Prima platti:
Ravioli filled with potato and herbs in a fresh chunky tomato sauce
Secondi platti:
Roast chicken that has been rubbed with lemon juice and olive oil which is served with chopped small pieces of potato roasted in the same pan
Dessert:
A shortbread style biscotti slice filled with almonds and chocolate.
The meal is accompanied by a local San Gervoise wine and sparkling water and we finish with espresso and grappa. Wow, what a meal!

And tonight I learn that the correct thanks after a meal is molto buono, not molto benne as I have been using for the last month. Why do people not correct it when we get it wrong - maybe they are thinking that they are polite!

Gen is online for a chat and a game of scrabble. One of her friends from school, Victor Nyeste has gone missing in Brisbane and has not been seen for over a week. The police are now involved, so spread the word - someone must have seen him somewhere. All his family and friends need is to know that he is safe and well.

So, in the words of Peter Cundall, well folks, thats your lot! Ciao

Polish friends and great food in Poznan

Breakfast at The Castle Inn was good. Very good. And served with a smile to boot. Certainly a lovely start to the day. We are delighted with the hotel and recommend it very highly - I will make sure that Stay Poland are told how fantastic it is too. Great location, great staff - young, vibrant, friendly and helpful.

We are leaving Warsaw sadly. Given that many people had told us that there was not much to see or do in Warsaw, we have had a wonderful time - and they could not have been further from the truth. Sure, the old town here is smaller, but there is still lots to explore if you want to, and it is easier to see the 'real' side of the city if you want to venture beyond the tourist hype.

Before we leave the old city, we call in to have a look at St Anne's Church that faces out in to the square (and one of four within spitting distance of each other). We have not been able to get near it over the weekend - what with the Feast of the Assumption and weddings on Saturday and our tour yesterday. This is another baroque styled church - yet I can understand why it is popular for weddings - although ornate, it has a quiet beauty to it. First founded in 1454, it was reconstructed a number of times and the present facade and interior date to 1788. We have been surprised all weekend at the number of clergy in Warsaw, and in particular at the number of young nuns and priests. This morning was no exception as this group of nuns from Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity walking in the street clearly demonstrates.

Anyway, we do finally get away after I get a photo while stopped at the traffic lights of a monument to the Warsaw Uprising. We head north west, making a brief stop at a Tesco supermarket for more water and food for the journey. Oh, and i buy a small suitcase for Paris - see Hels, it can be small and yet functional! Today we are headed to the city of Poznan. "Why are you going there?" asked Rafał yesterday. And our reply? "Well, because it is there, and because we can!" I can't believe how many people pooh-poo another area and say there is nothing to see or do. In reality, all they are really doing is showing their own ignorance.

We continue to pass block after block after block of the apartments erected during the socialist rule - huge, drab, grey and depressing. There are some in the outer areas that have been given a coat of paint in an effort to brighten them, but they remain what they are. There is no escaping that! As we get further into the rural areas we see less of them, but as soon as there is some form of sizeable population, there they appear again. Where there are single houses, many of the newer ones are similar to what would be found in many suburbs back home. Oh sure, they are not the four bedroom, two bathroom, outdoor entertaining area style, but they are smart and modern. Oh yes, and it goes without saying that the roadworks continue!

There are lots of people working in the fields. Sun Smart really doesn't appear to be much of a concern here. There are potatoes being harvested, hay being raked and heaped (yes, fields of it by hand), orchards being tended and fields being ploughed, irrigated and fertilized. For the first time in ages we see fruit and veges for sale on the side of the road. Apples, plums, tomatoes, garlic amoungst others. And everywhere you look there are shrines - on roadsides, at the edge of fields, in front yards and in public squares. At the moment they are all decorated with ribbons and flowers - presumably because of the feast day last Saturday. Yes, rural life is alive and pumping today.

Over the last few days we had been a bit perturbed by the proliferation of bars along the roadside, and the number of trucks parked there. Gosh, to think that those drivers then get back out in to the traffic! But after our tour yesterday, we now know that theses are the local milk bars - serving fantastic tasty local home-cooked food. Just goes to show that local knowledge can counter any first wrong impression - ah, we must stop judging the books by their covers!
The weather is hot and the clouds are building. We soon see evidence ahead of us of a big electrical storm and know that we are headed for it. Doesn't really amount to much once we are in its path - I think it has vented most of its energy already. About a quarter of the way in to our journey we get caught up behind a crash. Don't know how far ahead it is, but we see the ambulance go rushing by. After almost an hour where we move less than 10 metres, I decide to take the plunge and follow local traffic down a side road. Took us a few kilometres out of our way, but when we re-join the main road, we are ahead of the blockage.

By now, we are way behind time - we had advised the accommodation that we should arrive sometime between 5 and 6 pm. So I re-programme Kate on to the dreaded motorway. And this one comes with tolls too. Three toll booths for a total of 28.50 PLN (approx €7). But the condition of the road is excellent and if it were not for the trucks wanting to overtake each other, we can sit on 120 kph easily. Mind you, it is little wonder there was a crash - the Polish drive like maniacs. There were a number of times when an oncoming vehicle had to pull on to the shoulder when it was confronted by an overtaking car. And they just love to sit right on your bumper bar - no matter how fast you are travelling.

When we arrived in Poznan, Kate directed us to a street that ended in a car park, around the back of a derelict industrial area, although there was an entry into some unit blocks. Yes, the street name was what we had written down for 'Fancy House' where we are booked in, but the building numbers didn't correspond. So I re-program her to the same address and she points us around the front of the block. Ahh - there it is! A smallish sign above the entry door.
But if the sign was small, the welcome was HUGE. Chris met Michael at the door of the block and then helped him to find us a car parking space just a few places up the road. He even offered to carry our luggage, but when we are only stopping a few days, we have learned to travel very lightly and not take in all the kit and caboodle!

Once upstairs we are introduced to his partner Gosha and their neice Paulana. Gosha is responsible for this small business and has every reason to be very proud. The rooms are decorated very tastefully and in quirky, pleasing themes. The bathrooms are enormous and just as gorgeous as the bedrooms. There is a kitchen with a Krups coffee maker (joy o joy says Michael) and bottles of mineral water. The kitchen is fully equipped - and with enough to be able to cook a proper meal if we wish. Off the kitchen is a balcony with a table and chairs that overlook a small garden. Oh, it is so comfy!

But the real joy is yet to be had! Chris and Gosha are so warm and welcoming! They have lots of local tourism brochures and are generous with their suggestions on what to see and do. And there are heaps and heaps of things to see in the city and the area surrounding it - so much so, that we on-the-spot decide to stay a day longer! (The fact that we are having trouble finding accommodation in Berlin has helped to influence that too!)

And to cap the night off perfectly, they ask us if we would like to go with them for dinner in the old market square. We have not had a meal since breakfast so are hungry and very happily take them up on their offer. It was a joy to have the local cuisine explained to us by locals! So we go to the Gospoda Pod Koziołkami. After much explaining and decisions we finally choose:
Zestawy obiadowe (Set Meals)
Gołabki loki po poznańsku w sosie pomidorowym (Stuffed cabbage in tomato sauce), March wiowa – marchew, jabłka, rodzynki, pomarańcza, olej (Carrot salad – carrot, apple, raisins, orange, oil), Kluseczki półfrancuskie (Dumplings) – Michael
Zapiekanki ziemniaczane z pieczarkami – ziemniaki, masło, śmietana, jajka por, żółty ser, pieczarki, cebulka (Potato casserole with mushrooms – potato, butter, cream, egg, leek, cheese, mushrooms, onion) – Maria, washed down with Źubrówka with apple juice – best polish vodka from the region with apple juice! Man, was it all so good!

So our meal over, we part company from our newest friends and take a promenade around the square. It is beautiful by night, but we want to come back in daylight to take in all the detail. Chris and Gosha leave for home and their two dogs who will be wanting their company by now for sure. And as I finish the blog tonight there is the mother of all storms brewing around us! The thunder has been roaring for about the last half hour and there is a very acrid smell of burning ozone in the air, so I'll sign off before I risk the computer to a lightening strike!