We awoke in our Austrian hotel room to the sad and unexpected news that musical legend David Bowie has died at the age of 69. 

   
 RIP and thank you for so many amazing songs and memories. Teresa saw him twice (once while pregnant with Scott) and Michele is so thankful that her Dad and Terri took her to see him in concert. The television stations in Europe were now filled with tributes and file tapes in memory of this immortal. 
Once we recovered from the shocking news we showered and got ready for our next adventure. After staying at the Mercure in Vienna, we have learnt to not book into the big chain hotels who supposedly offer superior services. What we had was a room with the strangest bathroom door that we have ever seen in a hotel. It was a sliding door made of glass and did not have a seal or a handle, just a big hole as the door handle. WTF? Who designed that nonsense? Also the wifi was crap and the restaurant pretentious. Give us small boutique hotels any day or AirBnB. 

We made our way to Stephanplatz station and stumbled upon the most beautiful cathedral. 

   
    
    
    
 The train ride to the place where the international bus station is was quick and painless, as was buying our tickets (even with a last minute dash across to the train station to get cash out of the ATM, as they don’t take card). We jumped on the Flixbus bound for Croatia after buying supplies for lunch and having some breakfast at a bakery near to the station. The €58 Euro price for two of us was very reasonable. 

   
    
    
    
    
 The bus ride took about 5 hours, with a 20 minute stop in between at a little roadhouse where we each treated ourselves to a vino. 

  
The trip through the Austrian countryside and on to Croatia via Slovenia was beautiful and scenic, with spectacular views of huge green alps and pretty little villages speckling the landscape.

   
    
    
 When we crossed the Croatian border we had to get off the bus and file past a window where a female officer inspected our passports. Then a short distance down the road we had to stop again while a policeman jumped aboard and once again inspected everyone’s passports. This was the first country that we had experienced this diligence with checking identification!

   
   
Our Flixbus dropped us at the main bus depot in Zagreb and we found it quite easy to jump on a tram (thanks again to Google maps) that took us directly to the Main Street of the city where we had a short walk with our suitcases to our hotel. 

   
 The place we have chosen is smack bang in the middle of the city but tucked away enough to not hear the traffic or street noise. Once again we have chosen a cosy little place with lots of character. The person who checked us in was a friendly lady Natasha, who gave us some helpful hints about getting around as well as recommending some places to go for a good Croatian meal. She told us that there is a restaurant that has lovely modern Croatian food or another one that has “the food that a grandmother would make”. Needless to say we went for the latter…and we were not disappointed! 

   
    
 Our friendly waiter at Stari Fijaker recommended the traditional Croatian goulash soup to share for entree and then a “Peasant’s Plate” of sausage, cabbage rolls and meat with potato and sauerkraut to share as a main.

  
This was washed down with two steins of local draught dark beer. The meals were delicious and abundant, the service was friendly and quick and the atmosphere was lovely. Even the bread that they brought out as a starter was freshly made and unique. The entire bill came to 188HRK, and we left a 200 bill…. totaling to the equivalent of about $40. A short stroll around the city afterwards revealed brightly lit streets and endless shops, bars and eateries to explore. We have only been here a matter of hours and are already in love with this city!

   
  

  

QCan’t wait to see more tomorrow … we only wish that Scott was still here enjoying it with us. We’ll make sure we send him lots of food pictures to make him jealous. Until tomorrow laku noć!

We returned to the same little place ‘The Early Bird’ for one last breakfast together before heading back to the apartment to pick up our luggage and make the long trek around the corner to the train station. 

     
 
   
    
   
The train to Vienna cost just 12€ each and was roomy, comfortable and with very few passengers so we were able to spread out. The train ride itself took only an hour and was very scenic so it went quite quickly.

   
    
    
  A quick change onto a suburban train and then we were at our destination in the heart of Vienna city. The Ubahn is very easy to navigate and reminded us of the London Tube. 

  
We checked into our Mercure hotel and then left to spend our last couple of hours together before Scott had to fly back to London ready for work on Monday (haha!). Lunch was at a traditional Austrian restaurant where Scott had the obligatory wiener schnitzel and Michele and Teresa had soup, followed by shared desserts of strudel and creme brûlée. 

   
   
We then took a stroll around the city together, through a beautiful park filled with ducks and through some of the main city streets.

   
  

   
    
   
The architecture is typical European magnificence.

   

  

  

    

  

    
  One last beer stop in a pub that had been established in 1447 where the cheeky and flirtatious barman showed us to a room filled with signatures (apparently all authentic, although some had to be re-painted due to fading) from famous people including Mark Twain, Mozart, Beethoven, Phil Collins and the Hoff. 

   
 After this it was time to say goodbye to Scott, which is always hard. His holiday had sadly come to an end and he caught a train to the airport. Michele and Teresa then went back to the hotel and had a soup each in the hotel restaurant before going to the room for a quiet night in (and with a tv for the first time in a week!). 

  The wifi in this hotel was not fantastic so Teresa was not able to upload all of her photos so please check yesterday’s blog for some more pics. For now Gute Nacht!

We started off the day by going to a place recommended to us for breakfast. Teresa had a lovely breakfast burrito (not as nice as Barb’s though!), Michele had pancakes and Scott had an English breakfast.
   
   

  
After this we walked downhill in search of the Danube. It was another misty day with frozen rain spitting down ever so slightly. On the way we spotted a flight of concrete stairs disappearing up a hillside. We decided that we needed to investigate. The stairs seemed to go on forever and after about 8 minutes we were at the top and in an area that Scott referred to as the “Vaucluse” of Bratislava. Nice big houses with luxury cars out front. A quick google maps search revealed that we were very close to the Slavin monument, a tribute to the fallen soldiers of World War II. We continued uphill and the monument slowly revealed itself. Again it was made so much more eerily beautiful in the fog as we took a walk around the grounds.
   

  

  

          
After leaving Slavin we navigated our way back down the hill, through the icy streets, once again in search of the Danube. Our plans were to find a place to purchase ferry tickets to Vienna for Sunday. 

   

  

  We had decided to follow Scott to Vienna instead of spending another night in Bratislava. Scott will fly out and Teresa has found some reasonably-priced accommodation near the river for her and Michele. We found the Danube and the ticket office but sadly found out that it was closed and due to the time of year it seemed that no ferries travelled on the weekend. We would have to take a train instead. Lunch was eaten in another Slovak restaurant. Scott had a traditional creamy garlic soup served in a cob, followed by smoked meat dumplings, Michele finally found the goulash she had been hanging out for and Teresa had a delicious potato pancake filled with roast pork and cabbage. 

    
  

  

  
      More shopping and exploring followed. We had to get home at a reasonable hour as we had to drop the car back out to the airport, but not before stopping for one more beer on the way home and some plum dumplings with cottage cheese and cocoa

  
 (amazing!!). We dropped the car back to Hertz (bye Viktor!) and then caught the bus back into town where we had our last family dinner together at the Savage Garden restaurant. 

  
The highlight being a delicious dessert of poppyseed cake with nougat whipped cream and sour cherries. 

  
Our cocktail waiter from last night recognised us and welcomed us with hand shakes all round! One last night in Slovakia and tomorrow…Austria! Dobrú noc!

One last breakfast in Budapest and we were off in Viktor to our next destination….Bratislava! The drive there wasn’t nearly as hairy as the one into Budapest as the sun was out and the roads weren’t as snowy/icy. 

  
   

 As we drove further a thick fog descended around us making our surroundings look mysterious and beautiful. It only took a couple of hours and we were in a new country….this was made abundantly clear as the architecture dramatically changed into very soviet-like buildings. We still had about 20mins to meet our next AirBnB host so we spotted a pub around the corner from our apartment and thought we would stop in for a quick beer. 

  Entering the shoebox-sized, smoke-filled bar we were reminded of an old western style movie when the cowboy walks through the swinging door, the music stops and all eyes turn to the new visitor. This is pretty much what happened, except we were the cowboys and there was no swinging door (pretty sure no music either but let’s just keep that part in there). The entire patronage consisted of 5 men, including the owner/barman sitting around drinking and smoking. Despite our urge to turn around and get the flock out of there, we had committed ourselves and therefore ordered a round of beers and sat in the corner drinking as fast as we could. Once finished we left the fine establishment and headed up to check in to our next accommodation. Our little apartment was a quirky little 2 bedroom about 15mins walk from the heart of Bratislava. We dumped our bags and went in search of lunch. We found a typical Slovak restaurant and ordered from the menu. Scott had an amazing cabbage and sausage soup, Michele quite literally had ham with whipped cream and horseradish (apparently whipped cream with savoury dishes is a thing here) and Teresa had a chicken soup.

   
  These entrees were followed by delicious sheeps milk dumplings (just like pierogi!). 

  

        
A walk into the old town afterwards was beautiful as the sun disappeared and the fog lingered. Bratislava is definitely a contrast to the beautiful buildings of Ljubljana and Budapest, there is a noticeable amount of vandalism through the parks and buildings and it just seems a little dirtier. That being said, it still has a certain beauty which is amplified by walking around the snow-covered streets in the misty twilight.

   
    
  

   

  

  

  

  

  

  

 You get quite used to walking around Europe in the dark as the days are so short. Nothing really starts until 9:30-10am and the sun sets by 4:15pm. We continued to wander around the streets exploring, past an outdoor ice-skating rink and various brightly lit trees, stopping every now and then to warm up with a hot wine or two. 

   
   
By dinner time we were all a little tired and agreed that we would pick up some supplies for a home cooked meal. We stopped for one last drink in a bar called “Savage Garden” where a lovely waiter was so proud to create cocktails for us. Scott was put on dinner duty and his ham, cheese and mustard toasted sandwiches were the best we’d ever tasted! Off to bed ready to explore more tomorrow. 

We awoke to a very warm apartment and a sunny day. Breakfast was enjoyed in a cafe downstairs which boasted the best in town. The cafe had a strange display of Baileys that looked like a shrine to the sweet bevvy.

  
   
   
Then it was off to shop and get our hair done. It took Michele and Teresa nearly an hour of walking just to find a hair salon (which incidentally happened to be just around the corner from our apartment…..typical). Finally the hair was done and Michele and Teresa were relieved that they were salon-ready once again!

  
At $20 each it was also a bargain! 

Scott went shopping and bought some clothes. Michele also bought a pair of long black boots and Teresa bought a beanie.

We then went back to the Stonesoup cafe for lunch for more traditional Hungarian food. There inside the restaurant we met Rozie, the hungry Hungarian puppy (10 years old) who befriended us in the hope for food. Teresa of course couldn’t help sneaking some food to her. 

  

    
Then it was time for sight seeing. As we walked we noticed police tape cordoning off sections of the road and police on every corner. We just thought that was normal here.

So we walked across the Chain bridge and worked our way up to the Palace. 

   
    
    
 

   
    That’s when we noticed that the Chain Bridge side of the palace was out-of-bounds. Helicopters were buzzing overhead and police sirens were heard. A local then informed us that Chain bridge was closing for traffic because David Cameron, the British Prime Minister was arriving for a meeting at the Palace. 

The views up there were spectacular and we admired the scenery as we made our way back down the other side of the Palace. 

   
   

   
    

 It was a unique experience to walk back into the centre of Budapest without any traffic but with police everywhere. People were taking advantage of photographing the bridge without traffic. A rare occasion!

   
    
    
    
 
   
    
 
  
   
    
    
    
    
  
  
We then found a fairyland of Christmas lights in the heart of the city. It was time to have a drink so we stopped in an arcade of bars and drank a round of sour cherry beers. Cold brew “nitro” coffee is a new way of serving coffee and we wanted to find the shop that served this. We found them just before closing and stopped in to taste the wares. The coffee is poured as a draft through nitrogen. This causes it to have a foam top and a less bitter taste. We definitely think Australia needs this product!

   
 Dinner was in a small delightful restaurant called Blue Rose. It was near the synagogue so the food was quite traditional. Michele found her chilli fix in the form of a paprika spread served with bread. The soup and meat dishes, plus salad, were washed down with plum brandy, red wine and vodka. 

   
    
   
There is so much more to see in Budapest than what we have, we definitely could have spent a couple of more days exploring this beautiful city. But that will have to wait until next time. Tomorrow we drive to Slovakia! Jó éjszakát 😘

  

Viktor the Volkswagon was covered in snow when we got ready for the long trip to Budapest. The roads were very snowy and the views were amazing.

   
    
 We stopped at a lovely roadhouse not far from Maribor in Slovenia and the food on offer was extremely fresh and healthy. These road houses are set up in a way that you just grab a plate and a tray and you serve yourself from a buffet-style arrangement. There is everything from soups, hot meats and stews, salad, sandwiches and desserts. A far cry from the fast food style service centres we have to eat at during road trips in Australia. We chose to dine on traditional Slovenian fare of sour soups and sausages and berry pie. 

   
 
  
   
 The snow continued falling in places on the road and Teresa kept as calm as she could while Scott competently drove Viktor VW through some of the worst road conditions. Snow, snow, sludge, ice and more snow on an auto-bahn at 120kph and more.

   

  
  

 
Viktor and Scott negotiated the hairy traffic in Budapest and we finally found our host, Eszter who was extremely welcoming and helpful. The apartment is a quirky and creative space which is very comfortable in the heart of the big city. She has painted various ‘little monsters’ around the apartment which give it a unique touch.

   
    
 
   
    
    
   
Viktor was given a home until we need him again in a garage down the road and we then explored the streets on foot in falling snow. 

Dinner consisted of local tapas in a cool restaurant. Beer and Zybrowka were also consumed. Interesting to see how different countries address dietary requirements in their menus, Slovenia used pictures and numbers whereas here they use pictures on the menu. 

   
    
 We finished up with a trip to Tesco for supplies and then home for an early night. Until then, jó éjszakát!

We walked into the Old Town of Ljubljana and explored the beautiful snow-covered streets. The triple bridges over the river are particularly beautiful as is the view of the Ljubljana Castle in the background.
   
   
   
 

   

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 We picked up our hire car from Hertz at midday and then took a drive out to Lake Bled.
   
It snowed heavily the whole 45min trip but Scott handled the roads like a pro. Once we were there we were left breath taken. What a stunning place! With the snow falling and a misty fog cast over the lake and its surrounding buildings it was like being stuck inside a snow globe. 

   

  

  

  

  

    
 
  
 Photos really couldn’t capture the awe-inspiring views. We stopped for coffee, a beer and some traditional Slovenien cream cake…

  
..and when we came back out of the cafe the snow had stopped falling and the fog had cleared up, treating us to yet another spectacular view. Such a beautiful place.

   
   
Once back in Ljubljana we walked back into town to have dinner at the Ljubljana Castle. The fernacula tram leading up to the castle at the top of a mountain was broken so we got a free bus ride up instead. 

   
    

For dinner we shared 3 dishes, duck, Seabass and Klebasa with horseradish, all washed down with Schnapps. The grounds outside were lit with bright multicoloured lights that made the snow look even more magical. 

   
   
Once dinner was over Michele and Scott took the liberty of sculpting a beautiful snowman masterpiece on the bonnet of someone’s car while we waited for the bus back down.

    
 A taxi ride back to the apartment cost about 5euro and now to spend our last night in this beautiful town, ready for our next adventure tomorrow….lahko noč 🙂

The day began unnecessarily early where we caught the water taxi in dark, icy and wet conditions to get to San Lucia station to find our way to Ljubljana. We were advised to catch a train to the next station, Mestre, and then in the cafeteria we would find a bus driver who we could buy direct tickets from for a bus all the way to Ljubljana. Of course, Scott and Teresa thought it would be a large bus like we travelled by in Poland but as it turned out it was a 12 seater.The bus didn’t leave until midday so there was a lot of waiting time at the Venice Mestre station, time that could’ve been spent in bed. Of course Scott & Michele are battling the lurgie so they were madly popping pills. Teresa had come through the worst and is feeling much better.

  
We were a bit concerned about the small bus and whether it was the right choice but we have now agreed that it was the best way to travel from Venice to Ljubljana. Scott and Michele had some zzzzzzs while Teresa got stuck into her novel. 

  
As we approached Slovenia there was snow everywhere. The views were stunning with mountains and trees covered in white powder.

The apartment in Ljubljana is perfect and centrally located. Our host and her mother are more than accommodating, even providing chocolates and Slivovich on arrival.

   
   
   
    
 We have entered a magical winter wonderland.

Time for dinner. We found a lovely traditional restaurant where we ordered more peasant food than we could eat… But it was sooooo good.

   
    
    
 

   
    
 Doggy bags for brekky! 

It’s cold walking around but not so unbearable because there is no wind.

We are catching up on laundry here at our Airbnb apartment and enjoying Slovenian TV. In Italy, they dub everything, even Marilyn Monroe speaks Italian! But here in Slovenia they add subtitles so we can watch shows listening to the English. 

We are looking forward to celebrating Irene’s birthday with some shopping tomorrow! 🎉

A beautiful day spent wandering the canals of Venezia. We awoke to minus 2 degree temperatures and began with coffee, sandwiches and beer at a little street cafe, then we proceeded to walk through the multiple alleyways and canals through Venice. The colour of the buildings and the water added to the beauty of the city and we fell more and more in love with every turn of the corner.
   
 
   
   
We found some lovely little places to stop for the occasional bite, and Michele discovered Aperol Spritzes…. a new favourite beverage. Teresa and Scott enjoyed a lunch of sardines and squid at a sun-drenched cafe, all washed down with a large beer (one litre!).
We then jumped on a water bus and had a tour along the opposite side of the city to what we saw yesterday.
   
   
   
   
   
   

  

   

   

  
After this it was time to go home for a rest. Even though Teresa and Scott are feeling a bit better than yesterday, they are still not 100%, and they have finally managed to share the germ with Michele (so kind). Needless to say that we are all a sniveling mess to be around at the moment. 

Dinner was spent at a beautiful Italian Restaurant where mother had soup, Michele had spaghetti with chilli and Scott had an amazing whole Seabass. In bed early tonight as we have to get off early tomorrow. Arriverdercci 🙂

  

David was open today so we took ourselves down to see him early and admired his …..err.. form, as well as viewing some very old paintings and other sculptures. We then left our wonderful accommodation and made our way to the train station. That’s where the fun began! All trains and buses to Venice were fully booked today. Eek!

  
So we now had to find a way to get to Venice.

Teresa feeling unwell wasn’t helping matters. Scott went off in search of alternative transportation while Michele kept mother occupied with a steady stream of caffeine. 

Scott managed to find a rental car that could take us to Venice. It was a manual Lancia and he handled it really well despite the wet, miserable conditions. The cost of €240 was quite reasonable and very similar to what we would pay business class on the train between us all. The roads were OK but the weather was shite!

  

  
If we couldn’t get to Venice today we would still have to pay for the booked accommodation. So, Road trip!!!

Once we dropped off the car we had to catch a ferry to meet the man who would take us to our accomodation. 

  

     
The boat ride is a treat in itself as you move along the canals, admiring the beautiful buildings and residences along the way. Once we arrived at San Stae we met Marco and he led us through a labrynth of bridges and cobblestone alleyways to our final destination which was a beautiful old apartment right on a canal. 

  
After a hectic morning and an unexpected long drive Scott was in dire need of a rest, and although Teresa could have fallen asleep too someone had to occupy the only non-sicky. So off in search of dinner we went. Trying to navigate Venice in the dark was a little challenging but we managed to find takeaway pizza and some wine to bring back to the apartment ready for a much needed night in. It is worth noting that few places in the heart of Venice take credit cards so cash is very handy to have on you! So far every person that we have come into contact with in Italy have been more than helpful and quite friendly. Looking forward to exploring more of Venezia tomorrow, hopefully the weather (and flu) clears up a little! Goodbye and arrivederci for now.