The Millennium stadium in Cardiff towers over the centre of the city, and would have to be the most incredibly placed major stadium in the world. When the train pulls into Cardiff central you are right in the heart of the Welsh capital, and all a traveller needs to do is walk out of the station exit and there she is! This monster of a stadium seats 72,000 people, and was the home of the FA cup final while the long delayed building process for Wembley stadium was being finalised. It was built for the 1999 rugby world cup in record time, and certainly is an imposing sight in the middle of the otherwise sedate and peaceful capital of Wales.…

Flying into Heathrow airport early on a sunday morning is the catalyst for more travel adventures in this wonderful part of the world. London is a buzzing metropolis ... a money making machine, a giant in fact that can swallow up another Aussie backpacker without even a second thought. This is where it's at baby, here in the heart and soul of Europe. London is a financial juggernaut, although currently suffering a rather serious bout of indigestion along with the rest of the world as the credit crunch continues to bite. But enough of global financial concerns for the moment, let's get down to the nitty gritty and some new travel adventures from your intrepid travel correspondent, as I get…

An erotic male fantasy could well involve romantic Paris, and having a passionate affair of the heart with a Frenchwoman. Well, it certainly isn't my fantasy ... anymore! The city of romance has cast a magical spell over my lover and I, as this latest European travel adventure rapidly draws to a close here in France. Paris is a beautiful city particularly when lit up spectacularly after dark, and the romantic strolls taken with my kind and gracious host have served to deepen my admiration for Paris and her charming inhabitants. The French seem to possess an effortless charisma, constant reader, and even the dazzling charm of a St Germain waiter serving us a drink left me shaking my head…

I barely managed to extricate myself from a serious clinch with a travel friend in time to catch the overnight bus from Seville to Lisbon, and send a cyber kiss to you cherie *mwah - mwah*. Eurolines decided, in their infinite wisdom, to schedule a traveller friendly departure time of midnight for the bus from southern Spain to the Portuguese capital, and to top it off the bus was scheduled to arrive in Lisbon at 5:30am Portugal time. I´d like to meet the genius who thought up that timetable ... Not! Anyways, it´s all good, and I was surprised to see my Chinese comrades from the dorm room we shared at a Granada hostel were also on the bus. It…

Southern Spain is a magical part of the world, dear reader, but situated precariously close to North Africa. Historically this has proven to be a problem for the Spanish, as Muslims conquered almost the entire Spanish peninsula by the year 714, and continued to rule Andalucia for the next 800 years. The enduring Muslim legacy of the Moors lives on in the architecture and culture of the major cities in Southern Spain, which have gone on in recent times to become major tourist attractions for Muslims and Christians alike. I left Madrid as the great European adventure rolls on, and planned to take the train south to Andalucia, heading towards Cordoba. To my surprise there weren't any tickets available on…

Spain is a country famous throughout the world, dear reader, whose language and culture have branched out to dominate Latin America. But that doesn't lessen the excitement of visiting the country for the first time. Barcelona and Madrid are the two most famous cities in Spain, and are the focus of my first week travelling in this wonderful country. The train journey from southern France into Spain hugged the mediterranean coast, and was an interesting experience. Right on the border we entered a long tunnel, and magically re-entered the light to be in a Spanish speaking country. Voila, that was pretty easy! There were no border signs, no customs and no officials. The train travellers all waited in a terminal…

The French Riviera epitomises all that is glamorous and fabulous about the south of France, and I send fond greetings from this spectacular part of the world. What a difference a four hour journey on the TGV can make, as I have been basking under glorious blue skies every day, after arriving from damp and chilly Paris on the train. Just as Paris displays in it's glory all that is old, traditional and romantic about France; the French Riviera and Provence show the brash, young and dynamic side of the country. The last journal left off, dear reader, after a day trip to super rich Monaco from my hostel in Nice, and my final night back in Nice included going…

Monaco is the second smallest independent country in the world, and is only around two square kilometres in length. Famous as a tax haven for the super rich, this little jewel on the mediterranean coast is only sixteen kilometres from Nice on the French Riviera. The trip takes a little over twenty minutes as the train hugs the coast, offering spectacular views along the way. Monaco is a great country to explore, and the home of the annual Monaco Grand Prix still feels like it's a part of France. The last journal left off in Bern, dear reader, from where I caught the TGV out of the Swiss capital heading north to the capital of France. I can't imagine that…

Switzerland is a mountainous country in the heart of Western Europe, and famous for it's spectacular scenery. The Swiss vigorously maintained their neutrality during both world wars, and enjoy a high standard of living. Nowadays the country excels in banking and finance and has become a financial hub in Europe. The three official languages are German, French and Italian, but of course you can easily get by in English! I took the train from Verona to Zurich via Innsbruck, and gazed on spectacular scenery as the train wound through the legendary Brenner pass in the Austrian alps, before the journey continued into beautiful Switzerland. I purchased a ticket at Zurich's main station, dear reader, heading to the resort town of…

I'm falling in love, dear reader ... with Italy! Verona is the city of romance, and the setting for Shakespeare's immortal Romeo and Juliette. A typically gorgeous Italian city proved the perfect backdrop for Shakespeare, and the inspiration the great man derived from the city continues to inspire modern day travellers. Verona is another impressive feather in the cap for Italy, a country that's up there with the world's great travel destinations! Verona is the last stop on my visit to Italy, and to recap from the previous journal we left off in San Marino. From the fortified city atop a mountain I road a bus back to Rimini, and then caught a train to Bologna for an overnight stay.…