Wednesday 25 July 2007

Blog: Hello from Hungary

As I expected, things have got much tougher now that I'm in Eastern Europe. Planning ahead and booking ahead is virtually impossible because there aren't any youth hostels, I can't speak the language and the few tourist information centres that exist are normally closed by the time I arrive. I've been staying in a mixture of guesthouses and cheap hotels - and everything is much cheaper in Hungary, especially the food. You can get a really good feed for 4 or 5 pounds. Actually, the food is one of my favourite things about the country. They excel in stews here which is one of my favourite dishes. Everything is with sauce (not vinegar like in Austria) and is pleasantly spicey. One of my favourites is the "Vitaminsalad". For Hungarians, this is a super healthy choice: cold diced carrots, peas and sweetcorns garnished with a heap of mayonaise and a sprikling of paprika.
Hungarians are friendly and helpful. I've been offered food a couple of times: a bag full of pale peppers, pork snitchel in KFC flavoured batter and pancakes galore. The main problem has been the heat. It has been topping the high 30s, and reached a new July record for Hungary, at 42 celcius in the south and east of the country. I'm now in Pecs, a beautiful historic city. The main square is adorned with a massive mosque, which has been converted into a church. It signals to me that I am enterring Ottoman Europe: the territory fought over between Christians and Muslims for centuries.
Hopefully, I'll find a proper internet cafe later and can post some photos. I'm getting better at asking people if I can photograph them, so expect some Hungarian smiles.

Thursday 12 July 2007

A beautiful view over the valley as I climb to Gaberl (1551), the highest place where I've slept

Snow-capped Mountains

Freezing cold and exhausted at the highest point of my walk

Mountains south of Donnersbachwald

Wonderful view from a lunchtime picnic spot in the Salzkammergut

These cute water troughs are common across Austrian highlands

Painted skulls in Hallstatt

Motor show in Bad Ischl- the place from where Emperor Franz I declared war on Serbia, thus starting WW1

Wolfgangsee, Salzkammergut, Austria.

A stone cut tunnel in Austria, together with the newest addition to my equipment: my hiking sticks

Approaching the Alps. This is where my tent nearly got blown away in the storm

The standards of various villages in Upper Bavaria

Traditional parade in Halfing. The standard bearers twirled their heavy flags for applause

Me in the farmhouse in Stöbersberg, Bavaria, where a lovely family let me camp in their backgarden and cooked me a delicious BBQ

The extraordinary view of the Olympic complex in Munich from the top of the Olympic tower

This is the direction in which I need to head! View from the top of the Olymipic tower in Munich

John and Dave in the Nymphemberg Gardens in Munich.

Blog: Nearly Halfway!

Dear all,

I am now in Graz, the capital of Styria- almost at the half way point in my voyage.
I have walked well over a thousand miles so far, and it has taken
me just over two months to get to this stage. I am averaging around 16 miles a day.
It has been tough going over the Alps. I didn't rest properly after the epic crossing at
nearly 2000km at Glattjoch and I had a couple of feverish nights, tormented by nightmares of travelling up and down and
around hills and valleys.
There are some lovely people in Austria, without whom I would have got lost many times in the mountains. What seems a short distance
on the map is a long way when you have to climb up a steep slope!

I enormously enjoyed the fantastic walking and stunning views that I've had over the last few days. It's been unseasonally cold in
Austria lately, which meant that when I was crossing my second range of Alps, reaching a height of 1700m, the rain was actually turning to sleet. As you will see in the pictures, some mountains are snow capped.

Physically, I'm OK, if generally tired and weary. My feet are hardened and my legs are strong, but my stomach is having some trouble with the vinegar soaked food in Austria.
In a few days time I'll be passing into Slovenia and then Hungary, with different cuisine and culture. With these new languages, my
fanastic German won't be such a great help there but hopefully I'll be able to communicate enough to carry on.

Hope you are all well, and don't forget to visit the website to see the photos.

http://london2istanbul.blogspot.com/

You can still sponsor me, if you haven't done so already- I still have over 1000 miles to go, with a range
of different (linguistic and canine) challenges.

You can chose which charity you would like to support.

To make a donation to the The British Heart Foundation please visit:

http://www.bhf.org.uk/sponsor/paulgardner

To make a donation to Europa Nostra please visit:

http://www.justgiving.com/london2istanbul



All the best,

Paul

Thursday 5 July 2007

Blog: Grüss Gott from the top of the world

Although I'm dead on my feet, I had to taken advantage of the internet access in the very modern youth hostel in Oberwölz. Today, I reached the highest point of my walk: 1,988 metres. It was a long hard climb to the top of Glattjoch, not helped by the fact that I took the wrong turning at the beginning. At the top of the Alps, it was freezing cold, and snow covered some of the neighbouring peaks.
I'm enjoying the Austrian scenery immensely. It is amazing walking country, that anyone would enjoy. The walks along the river valleys are virtually flat but very picturesque. Austrians are friendly and many speak really good English. The ones that don't wear silly hats with feathers in them.
No USB technology in JHAs, but in Graz I'll download all the latest pictures of me and mountains.

all the best,

Paul in Oberwolz, Stiermark, Austria.