I thought I should ask the pretty girl for permission before taking her picture, as she was working at a medieval cart in the heart of Tallinn's old town. "Yes" she replied without hesitation, "if you have your paper and brushes you may begin." I looked at her blankly then repeated, "No, I would like to take a photograph." "Not at all" she responded "just take out your brushes." Huh, now I was really getting confused "Er, I mean with my camera." while pointing at said apparatus for added emphasis "What?" she exclaimed with a frown "I don't know what you are talking about. Weird people!" Finally the penny dropped, it became clear she had pulled off this little caper…

This ancient pearl of wisdom from Seneca echoes down through the ages, as I continue my travels through the beautiful Baltics, and get the chance to delve into the recent history of Latvia. After arriving in the capital Riga one feels like this is the centre of the world, with the beautiful UNESCO world heritage listed old town attracts tourists from western Europe and the United Kingdom. Riga is a short hop from it's Eastern European neighbours to the south, fascinates it's scandanavian neighbours to the north, and of course one cannot afford to ignore the 800 pound bear in the neighbourhood to the east ... er, that would be Russia! My journal continues from Siauliai, dear reader, from where…

Lithuania has burst forth from under the yoke of several decades of Soviet oppression, to become a hot travel destination on the Eastern European backpacker trail. Formerly one of the three Baltic states in the Soviet Union, Lithuania joined the European Union in 2004 leading to a new dawn for this small country. The people are friendly, the food is good though somewhat artery clogging, and the capital Vilnius is a very attractive and clean city, having undergone a major transformation since independence was gained in 1991. The last journal left off in Krakow, dear reader, from where I took a four hour train ride north to the Polish capital Warsaw. I'd arranged an overnight bus trip from Warsaw to…

Poland is an extremely rewarding and fascinating tourist destination. The geographic location of the country in the heart of Europe has led to a turbulent past, including several occupations by foreign invaders, yet the country has embraced it's future in the European Union with alacrity and is destined to again be an economic power in the region. My focus on this visit is the beautiful city of Krakow, the medieval capital of Poland that is crammed with historic buildings, as the city was spared the destruction wrought on Warsaw by Luftwaffe bombing in World War ll. Krakow can also serve as the gateway to several fascinating day trips, and I've spent nearly a week in this enjoyable city. To recap…

The Czech Republic is a landlocked country, and shares common borders with four other countries in the heart of Europe. Although it is nominally considered part of Eastern Europe, technically the Czech Republic is in Central Europe. Everyone visits Prague and the old town is justifiably famous for the superb architecture on display, as you walk amidst a maze of cobblestone streets along the banks of the Vltava river. Prague is a special and extremely popular travel destination, but the crowds of tourists are not quite so special! But let's recap from the previous journal, dear reader, where I caught the Eurolines from neighbouring Slovakia in a relaxed four hour commute. My hostel was only three stops on the local…

A brief stopover in Bratislava has been just the ticket as an introduction to Slovakia. The capital is noticeable for the slower pace of life and laid back attitude of the locals compared to neighbouring countries. Although it seems the Slovakians are reserved I recommend experiencing this relaxed lifestyle in a small city of 440,000 inhabitants. There are just over 5,000,000 people that inhabit the country of Slovakia. The Velvet Revolution in Prague bought down the communist regime in 1989 and the Slovak parliament voted to declare sovereignty from the former Czechoslovakia, thereby becoming an independent country in 1993. When arriving in Bratislava the Soviet era apartment blocks on the outskirts of the city provide a stark reminder of the…

The demise of the Soviet Union has led to extraordinary changes within the former Eastern Bloc in the last twenty years or so. Following on from an effortless bus commute out of Vienna, a cursory glance at my passport was all it took before being stamped into Hungary en route to the capital Budapest. The journey from Vienna to Budapest is a little over 200 kilometres by road, yet the contrast in heading from west to east is not that noticeable, due to the massive economic advances made since the Republic of Hungary was declared in 1990. Hungary has since gone on to become one of the ten newest member states of the European Union after the results of a…

The first port of call for my European holiday is wonderful Germany, and the flight from Sydney arrived smack bang in the middle of the world famous Oktoberfest. I touched down in the commercial hub of Frankfurt, and then boarded a Deutsche Bahn down to Munich to join in the celebrations. The city was absolutely heaving and many Germans opted for traditional Bavarian costumes, with the frauleins an absolute stand out in traditional low cut tops as part of their colourful dresses. The guys featured a range of colourful hats to match their suede shorts, including frothing litre glasses and beer kegs on their nogguns. The festival is great fun although some of the revellers were feeling the worse for…

The change of seasons is dramatic in North America, constant reader. Spring is upon us and there is a tangible bounce in the step of the locals, who must feel like bears emerging from hibernation in spite of the substantial snow covering still on the ground. The travel journal continues from Quebec City, with the weather warming up for my lover and I as we enjoyed a weekend going out and meeting her friends. The restaurant food was superb, the city was a picture and the Quebecers I met were generous and friendly. However it was soon time to move on and south is the new plan. I had a great time and wish to extend many thanks to my…

I feel privileged to be posting this journal from Canada, dear reader, while enjoying my first visit to this wonderful country. While on the road Canadians have always held a special place in my heart, and they share with Australians a spirit of fun and adventure that ensures they are always excellent travel companions. Now I'm pleased to report I can finally dispense with the worn out travellers line that I would love to visit your country. Here I am and very glad to be in the country that was narrowly beaten into third position in the recently completed 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, just behind Germany and the United States in the overall medal tally. Although the men's ice…