AUSTRIA: (1988) Badgastein: Went skiing there. Good slopes back then. Fun casino, nice fondue, wonderful gluhwine and hot outdoor pool heated from hot springs ESTONIA:  (2006)  Photo album is here Tallinn: Places to stay: we found Alexi Villa through internet and it turned out to be a very cozy and clean place. It is only 15min w bus no 18 at euro 1,- from Old Town and situated in a forested residential area with nice old houses. At euro 48 for a double room it seems a good deal compared to other places we found on the net.  What to do: strolling around the beautiful medieval Old Town of Tallinn seems the best way to spend a day. The old buildings and cobbled stone streets are truly wonderful. The main square has good but expensive restaurants where you can eat outside and watch the tourists come and go. A better and quieter place to have lunch is the cozy Pika Jala just below the Russian Orthodox church. For dinner you should try the traditional Estonian restaurant Kuldse Notsu Korts, in Dunkri street just up from the Town Hall in the main square. It has a good atmosphere and the food is delicious. The old town is not big so you can explore it at leisure. Kids will enjoy the Zoo, and apart from lots of animals there are also fun train rides and air slides where the kids can have a great time. Most of the animals seems not to have a great time though, particularly the small bare confinements of the bears were sad to see. The big collection of eagles and owls don't seem to have much chance to spread their wings either. Looking forward to our next safari in Kenya after this! Haapsalu: Places to stay: if you want to stay by the beach there are two options, the Paralepa hostel that has very small basic rooms w bunk beds and common bathroom for euro 22 a double, or the luxurios Fra Mare at euro 75 a double and every possible spa treatment on offer. What to do: However, the old part of town is definitely the charm of Haapsalu. The streets around the castle are beautiful and the old houses are very charming. There are plenty of restaurants and pubs here. The promenade along the shore is nice and here you find the great old Spa Hall from 1905. It is a small town but worth spending some time strolling in Haapsalu. Getting there and away: buses from Tallinn go every hour all through the day and takes 1,5hrs and cost euro 4. The beautiful train station at Haapsalu is now museum and also functions as bus station. Hiiumaa: this island is very relaxed and not touristy like other parts of Estonia. We had planned to go to Pärnu for the beach there but after a search on the web we came across this photo and changed our minds. We are glad we did. Hiiumaa was a wonderful place.  The main town Kärdla is very quiet and nice. It has a small beach with big grass fields where you can sun tan and kids can play. There are swings and other fun stuff for kids, volley ball fields for youth and grown ups, and a caravan selling soda and ice cream. It is very shallow water there and to enjoy the sea and great sand you first have to wade up to your ankles in seaweed for some ten meters. After that it is great sand and clear water and there is a water slide for the kids. At the new Noordtooder guesthouse/restaurant (www.noordtooder.ee) in the red house by the main square you can rent a car for 40 euro a day to explore the rest of the island. The Noordtooder is also by far the best place for a good dinner in Kärdla. Their thick Russian soup is delicious, and they serve good wild boar and tasty chicken stuffed with fruit. The restaurant has a good traditional atmosphere. They also have rooms for rent. Places to stay: the Eesti Post Guesthouse is a pretty and inexpensive option very close to the beach. The rooms are nice and cost euro 35 a double. It has a fully equipped kitchen where you can prepare your own meals. There is no reception though, but the phone number of the manager is on the door and she gets there in 10min.  The rest of Hiiumaa: when you enter the area of Körgessaare just before the exit to the town itself (coming from Kärdla), there is a parking lot and a curio shop on your left. Right by there is a small orchid trail with a few different types of Estonian wild orchids. These are quite small compared to the ones you buy in your local flower shop, but still very nice. Driving further west you come to Hiiumaa's greatest landmark, the Köpu lighthouse which is said to be the third oldest, continuously operational lighthouse in the world. Driving south towards Emmaste, there is a big field with a beautiful old windmill on your right. There is a small dirt road to it just by the trees. It is open so you can enter and look at the machinery inside. Going further south you come to the small island Kassari. There is a nice trail to walk out to the tip of this island called Sääre Tirp. Getting there and away: there is a ferry from Rohuküla, some 10km outside Haapsalu, to Heltermaa on the eastern tip of Hiiumaa every two hours. It costs euro 5pr person without car. From Heltermaa there are infrequent buses to Kärdla. From Kärdla there are three buses daily to Tallinn, at 0515, at 0735 and at 1600 and takes 4 hrs including the ferry crossing.   FRANCE: (Southern France - Provence) (2007) Photos are here Nice: Nice is a big city. It has a nice old town and the beach promenade is quite nice, but I prefer smaller towns and liked nearby Antibes more than Nice itself. Where to stay: there are plenty of hotels to choose from in Nice. We found ours through www.hotels.com where you find info and photos of many of the hotels available and usually you can find quite good offers, cheaper than just showing up at the hotel. We stayed at Vendome which was nice. What to do: Walk around the old town. The market here is good. Nice restaurants also. Walk along the beach promenade and make it up to the park Colline de Chateau for great views of both Nice and its beach as well as the harbor and mountains. Getting there and away: The trains go every half hour to Antibes and to Monaco and is both faster and more comfortable than the bus. It's also quite cheap a euro 2 to Antibes and slightly less to Monaco. Antibes: Slightly more than half hour on the train from Nice you find the nice town of Antibes. Its old town is wonderful with narrow streets and beautiful architecture and the view across the harbour to an old fort is also very nice. The Picasso museum is supposed to be great but we didn't have time for it. Monaco: The principality of Monaco is a strange place. It is tightly crammed with buildings, many high rise. Yet, when walking some of the back streets behind the big port you are struck by the beautiful architecture of the buildings and streets with orange trees and small cafes. The old town is nice but very small. The castle is not very impressive at all, but lies on a hilltop with fabulous views. Close by is the Oceanographic museum with a very impressive and expensive aquarium (euro 12,50).  The harbour/port is worth a stroll - there are few boats as it is crowded by huge million-dollar yachts. Monaco is also famous for the Formula 1 race that takes place in its streets every year and you can see the special curbs and famous tunnel there as well as several monuments of famous race car drivers of old times. Finally Monaco is famous for its casino in Monte Carlo. Entry here is euro 10 and you need to be dressed properly and bring your passport or some valid ID card. No cameras allowed inside and be warned - you money run fast in there. There are good restaurants in Monaco. We found one that was very popular, Pulcinella, and the atmosphere and service was great. It seems it is a favourite among celebrities visiting Monaco also as the walls were covered of every celeb who had been there (photo of them there). People like Rod Stewart, Michael Schumacher, Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Roger Moore and hundreds of others seemed to have enjoyed dining at Pulcinella. It is situated just after you get out of the tunnel when coming from the port, then up to the left and the first road to the right. Check out their web site here: www.pulcinella.mc GREECE:                                     Rhodes: (2000) Rhodes is a nice and quite big island with lots to see. However, you pretty much queue to see almost everything there is to see. The amount of tourists this island hosts is unbelievable. The only way  you can get away from the masses is to go inland and up in the mountainous areas. Here there are beautiful villages scattered around in some wonderful scenery. The route across the island from Kamiros is very scenic. The best way to get there and everywhere on Rhodes is to rent a scooter. They go for ca US$ 10 a day plus fuel (US$ 4 will get you through the day). The best beaches are on the east coast. There are buses that will get you close to these but again your best bet is a scooter. The must sees in Rhodes are The Old Town in Rhodes city and Lindos with it's acropolis and white painted beautiful village.  Almost all restaurants have good service and serve great food. For a snack, nothing beats the gyros pita. The Greek beer Mythos is great and the local wines are quite OK too. Do make the day trip to Symi island (US$ 13, book on the boat a day or two in advance for the best deal – avoid the tour operators). First stop is the wonderful Panormitis bay with a monastery and just a few houses. It's a quiet place but gets three fully loaded tourist boats visiting for one hour (at the same time) a day. Next stop is Symi town which lies in another beautiful bay. It's a very scenic but so full of tourists  (even more boats full of package tours) you have to search awhile for an unreserved table for your lunch. Still, if you have lots of time, you'd probably prefer taking your backpack with you and stay in Symi instead of Rhodes. ITALY:                                       Milan: (1984) What to do: The Duomo Cathedral is incredible. An excursion to Lake Como is also highly recommended.   Rome: (2003, 2005)  SEE PHOTO ALBUM FROM ROME HERE Where to stay: Rome is quite expensive so it's a good idea to check out www.hotels.com before you go for special deals on hotels or bed & breakfast. The best options if you're on a budget are bed and breakfast, although you'll be dependent on the landlord's hours to get into the building. We went a bit up-market this time (2005) and stayed at Hotel Polo on Piazza Gastaldi north of Villa Borghese. It is a great hotel in a quiet residential area, very close to the city centre. It's only three min walk to the metro station Euclide, one stop from Piazza del Popolo (metro station Flaminio). It cost Euro 130,- and looked the part. What to do: This beautiful city is full of classical famous monuments and buildings, but also full of charming streets and squares where you can enjoy a cup of coffee and relax in a great atmosphere. For a big city it has an incredible charm and village feel. With all it has to offer, Rome is truly one of the greatest cities in the world! City centre is not big so you can walk around and take in most of the sights by foot. The famous Colosseum is impressive, but still almost a bit disappointing after having seen El Jem in Tunisia. El Jem is made of red sandstone and is situated in a tiny little village making it so much more impressive and beautiful. El Jem is also better preserved. The Colosseum is really attractive at night, though, when it is lit up. Close by the Colosseum are the ruins of the ancient city, Forum Romanum. There are some fabulous views of it from the Campidoglio. Moving on to the famous Fountain of Trevi, we're talking incredible artwork. This is truly beautiful, and the location in a small square contributes to making it a very special place, despite the huge crowds. Close by is the famous Spanish steps with the boat shaped fountain in front. Just a few blocks further north is the Piazza del Popolo. Here the big attraction is the main church, Santa Maria del Popolo. Inside you find great paintings by Carvaggio and sculptures by Bernini. Walking west towards the Vatican City, you can pass by the Pantheon before crossing the river. One block north east of the Pantheon is the famous ice cream place Giolitti, which is definitely worth a stop. The Vatican City hosts the impressive St Peter's Basilica. Inside you find the beautiful sculpture "Pietá" by Michelangelo. Don't miss out, it's worth the queues!  Next to the Basilica is the Vatican museum where you get to the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's famous "Creation" in the ceiling. The queues to get in are miles long but move relatively fast. However, once inside there are lots of new queues and endless walking on hard marble floors before reaching the Sistine Chapel. There are thousands of interesting artwork along the way, but with such a highlight at the end it is hard to enjoy them while struggling to get to where you really want to be. Inside the Sistine Chapel it is a ridiculous scene, really, with the guards endlessly chasing the public taking their illegal photos of the ceiling. When you see all the gift shops with pricey posters of Michelangelo's work that you're forced to pass through to see the real thing, and then realise your flash doesn't even reach the ceiling (and so can in no way do any harm to the invaluable paintings), your sympathy for the prohibition of photos vanishes instantly. It seems to be all about money! There is a partition two thirds into the chapel where you can support your camera well and get decent shots without flash, and that way capture the incredible artwork. Do like everyone else and take your photo with a smile! Well, you should also take a stroll in Trastevere and it's small cozy streets. This is the perfect area of town to end the day and sit down at one of the many nice restaurants. In Trastevere are also the two special churches Santa Maria in Trastevere with its great mosaics and Francesco a Ripa with the incredible sculpture by Bernini of Beata Albertoni. Franz of Assisi used to stay in this church and you can be taken to his room if you ask. Apart from this, take your time, enjoy the wine, pasta, ice cream and coffee in the many cafés and restaurants of Rome. You will love it!   Pisa: (2001) Pisa is known for its leaning tower. In addition to lean in what seems to be an impossible angle, it's also a very beautiful tower. Also the cathedral next to it is impressive. Moreover, Pisa is a nice and quiet little town worth a visit.  Florence/Firenze (2001) is a busy city with some interesting sites. However it is invaded by tourists and not very relaxing. The cathedral is impressive and Ponte Vecchio is nice, especially viewed from a distance...    MALTA: (2007) Photo album is HERE Valetta is a fortified old town but actually has a modern feel to it. Well worth seeing is the inside of the St. John's cathedral (Euro 5) with its beautiful alter. Under the floor are 400 knights buried and the marble slabs on the church floor are grave stones, often with skeletons painted onto them. The museum has some fabulous Caravaggio paintings, among them the restored decapitation of John the babtist and the original of Hieronimus (a copy is hanging in one of the chapels). There is a really good restaurant opposite the palace called Malata that serves delicious seafood while playing soft jazz music. And not to forget, the bus station is quite interesting with a myriad of very old and fun looking buses. Kids will love'em for sure! Marsaxlokk: this pictoresque fishing village is a gem and we stayed there throughout our visit to Malta. Tourists come on Sundays for the big market and show up between noon and 3 o'clock the rest of the week. The colorful luzzu boats add to the beauty of the place. Duncan guesthouse  right on the waterfront, next to the church, is spotless and the service is really good and friendly. The rooms have kitchenettes so you can make your own food if you want. But their restaurant is also good and very popular with the locals. Also good is Pisces further down on the waterfront. There are buses regularly to Valetta and to neighbouring Birzebuggia which has a great beach for kids. Birzebuggia is also a pretty place and the water is still good, but the view from the beach is now of huge tanker ships and their shipyard. Mdina and Rabat: Mdina is also a fortified city and more in the medieval spirit than Valetta. The cathedral is well worth a visit. There are also great views from Mdina towards Mosta and its huge domed cathedral. You will enjoy walking the narrow streets of Mdina. In Rabat the grotto of St Paul under the cathedral is also something you don't want to miss. Blue Grotto: On the southern coast is a spectacular grotto. The best views are from the cliffs right next to the bus stop, but you can also make your way down the road to boat trips where you can take in the Blue Grotto and several other grottos from up close. Hagar Qim: This is an old ruin that has some similarities with Stonehenge. There are some huge slabs of rock there makinmg up parts of the walls of an old temple (from ca 2400 B.C). It is a good 15 min walk further from the bus stop at Blue Grotto. -----  POLAND:                                       Krakow: (2001) Krakow is a wonderful city with a nice atmosphere and beautiful city center. The many restaurants, cafes and pubs are very inviting. Do visit the inside of the magnificent Maria Church at the big Market Place. Krakow is inexpensive and people are very hospitable. A place you will want to come back to again.  Ouside Krakow center there is the famous salt mine with its fantastic cathedral carved out in salt. A must see. About one hour's drive west of krakow are the former concentration camps Auschwitz and Birkenau . Auschwitz is very much a museum, but the crematorium and prison cells still make a horrific impression, as do the displays of dead prisoner's hair and shoes. Birkenau on the other hand is gruesome in it's size and coldness. It's conserved as left by the nazis in 1945. Even though many of the barracks are burnt down and the crematoriums levelled with the ground, it still gives you a chill down the spine to even be in the vicinity of this camp. The place is very disturbing, and is a warning to us all of the horror that contempt of others can lead to.  -----  PORTUGAL:                              Lisbon: (1983) What to do: I enjoyed walking around in beautiful Lisbon, but do take a detour to Cascais & Estoril for the wonderful atmosphere there also. -----  SLOVAKIA: Bratislava: (2005) What to do: The historical center of town is beautiful and a good place to stroll around. Slovaks eat food that looks plain and taste plain with quite a bit of garlic (at least what I was served as typical slovak food). Food and beer is cheap. Getting there and away: There are buses to and from Vienna every couple of hours. Takes one hour and costs Euro 16,- return. ----- SPAIN: Madrid: (1999) What to do: Most of all, stay out late! Madrid is famous for its nightlife - not for being wild, but fun and busy. The people of Madrid stay up all night eating ham and different small dishes (tapas) and drink beer. Take the metro to Sol and just head out to any bar from there. In day time the Prado museum is a must, but stop by the Sofia museum across from the Atocha train station also (has modern art: Picasso, Salvador Dali , etc.). Apart from some impressive monuments and architecture, Madrid is otherwise like many other big cities in day time. The metro is very efficient, by the way. Toledo: (1999) Toledo is a medieval town built quite like a fortress on a rocky mound isolated on three sides by a looping gorge of the river Tajo (Tagus). It preceded Madrid as the capital and has cultural influences like Moorish, Jewish, Christian and Visigothic. It's a fascinating place with it's narrow cobblestone streets like a labyrinth full of small wonderful plazas just ideal for a rest and refreshment. Do spend a night or two as this will let you explore the place without the tourist crowds that come from Madrid in the day time. It's fame in knife and sword making is very visible in the shop windows that also show off full armor suits that makes you think you're on the set of Ivanhoe. Where to stay: Try the Hostal Centro just off the Plaza de Zocodover at US$ 4,- a double, or the Hostal Zocodover a few blocks further on at US$ 3,50 a double. Both are very good value. What to do: Don't miss out on the grand cathedral with it's incredible altar, and do visit Santo Tome with El Greco 's famous painting of "The burial of the Count of Orgaz". Do also take the cable boat across the river for great photo opportunities of Toledo. Check out the two beautiful bridges, but most of all just get lost in this wonderful town and take in the beauty and the atmosphere. Getting there and away: There are trains most of the day to and from Madrid's Atocha station. The trains take about one hour. The buses are more frequent and continue later into the evening, but take 15-30 minutes longer. The bus is cheap at US$ 3,50 one way and leaves Madrid at Estatcion Sur south of Atocha. Barcelona: (2006) Photo album is here Places to stay: we found the Hotel Parallel through www.hotels.com and got a good deal at euro 50 for a double. It is a standard good business hotel in a good central location. Places to eat: restaurant O'Barazal on Av. Parallel is a great place for ham and seafood. It's a Galician place with a great atmosphere and friendly service. For a real treat you should try the restaurant Isidre on next to Av Parallel. It is quite pricey but the food is fantastic. They specialize on Catalan food. Whatever you order will be some of the best food you've ever had. What to do: there are nice streets to walk in the "Gotic area". The Cathedral is impressive, although there was a lot of renovation work going on when we were there. The Gaudi houses Batlló and La Pedrera are both spectacular buildings. The Batlló is a bit expensive to enter at euro 11 for roof only or euro 16 for roof and first floor. Frankly the roof was a bit disappointing to us and not worth the money. We regret not choosing the first floor... The facade is the masterpiece and is free to look at from the street. La Pedrera is very different and it is worth the entrance fee of euro 8 to access the roof and the fourth floor where they have recreated an apartment to show how people lived there in ca 1910. Barbelona's most famous landmark is the church La Sagrada Familia. This church has not yet been finished but Gaudi's special style is very prominent. You can take an elevator up the tall towers for great views (an extra euro 2). Make sure you take your time and check out both front and back thoroughly, both facades are full of fantastic sculptures and details. Entrance is euro 8. Finally the Park Guell is another Gaudi treat not to be missed. It's like a strange fairytale park and the views of the city are good. Entrance is free. Take the metro green line to Lesseps and follow the signs to the park (ca 1km). For good entertainment in the evening the Tablao de Carmen in Poble Espanyol has two great Flamenco shows a night (1930 and 2200). It's a small intimate place which makes the show very intense. Entrance is euro 31 including a drink. And the big attraction in Barcelona is the football (soccer) team FC Barcelona and its stadium Camp Nou. It has a capacity of 98.000 spectators and the atmosphere there is intense! Nowadays (2006) the club is one of the top two-three clubs in Europe and has the World's greatest player in their ranks - Ronaldinho. To see him play along with stars such as Deco, Messi and Larsson is a display of magic. --- SWITZERLAND:   (2002) Famous for their precision watches, banks, pocket knives and great skiing in beautiful mountains, the Swiss have lots to be proud of. The scenery truly is spectacular in the alps, and even more so in summer with the contrast of lush green valleys between snow-capped mountain peaks. Also, the Swiss love to keep their wooden houses and neat gardens decorated with beautiful flowers. Don't miss the romantic Swiss villages in the Jungfrau region! Transport is frequent and reliable everywhere, but very expensive. Even the discount rail passes will dig deep in your wallet. Interlaken: (2002) Interlaken is the gateway to the Jungfrau region. It's actually a pleasant town, but compared to the small villages further into the alps, it's not worth staying in Interlaken itself very long Where to stay: If you need to spend a night in Interlaken, the Balmer's Herberge on Hauptstrasse 23 is  of your cheaper options at US$ 15 for a dorm bed. However, it is quite noisy with partying American kids having a great time on daddy's credit card (according to the guy in the reception having to bail a few kids out from trouble with the local police).  Getting there and away: The trains depart pretty much every hour in every direction so you'll never have a problem getting around. Going to Gridelwald is US$ Grindelwald: (2002) This place is beautiful like a post card. The majestic snow-capped mountains are dramatically steep and close to the town. The houses are beautifully built and create a special atmosphere. Grindelwald is surrounded by dramatic snow-capped mountains and great hiking trails and excursions. You can paraglide among the alps, go for nice walks to beautiful lakes among the mountains, take the spectacular (but expensive) train ride to Jungfraujoch which is the highest train station in Europe (see more below), and in winter it's all about skiing. What to do: (in summer) If you wake up early and find clear skies, do take the 0719 train to Jungfraujoch. It's a discount rate of Euro 70 for the first ride up if you take the 1200 train back down, at least to Kleine Scheidegg. Ordinary price is Euro 90. At Jungfraujoch there is a research center combined with a tourist center. The train station is Europe's highest at 3454m and the research center (Sphinx) viewpoint at 3571m. The research center is spectacularly situated on top of a mountain peak. Jungfraujoch has skiing opportunities, a huge glacier below it, hiking treks, spectacular views, restaurants and an ice sculpture palace. With good weather it's definitely worth the steep ticket to get there. On the way back down, Kleine Scheidegg station is a great place to spend a few hours for lunch.  The cable car to First is Euro 28 return. First at 2060m is starting point for many good trails. In summer the cable car starts running from May 18th all the way to First, but most trails are likely covered in deep snow another couple of weeks. The 50 min walk to Bachalpsee (a lake) is supposedly great and the views seen from available post cards seem fabulous (mountains reflecting in the lake). Walking down between the stations Schreckfeld and Bort is a steep tarmac trail taking close to 1 hr. The fauna along the road is plentiful and pretty, with huge fields of white crocus in mid May and a number of primula and other alpine flowers to enhance the colors of the steep mountainside. I town there are plenty of good restaurants. Don't miss the Swiss specialty Cheese Fondue. Where to stay: Naturfreundehaus on Terasseweg (a 15 min sign posted steep but pleasant walk from the train station) has good rooms at US$ 21 pr person in a double. The views are spectacular, it has nice facilities with  beautiful garden, and is very friendly and quiet. They serve a big breakfast (Euro 3) and you can also have a good dinner there (Euro 11). Getting there and away: Hourly trains to and from Interlaken   Montreux: (2002) Montreux on Lake Geneva is famous for its Jazz festival and film festivals (the gold and silver rose awards), as well as for the Chillon castle. Ch. de Chillon is a nice 30 min stroll along the boardwalk and entry costs Euro 5. It dates from the 11th century and is  beautifully situated on the lake with snow-capped mts as a backdrop. Montreux is a place for the well-to-do and the boardwalk is swarming with middle aged ladies and gents on rollerblades... It has lots of beautiful buildings though and the inevitable Casino of a city on the Swiss Riviera. There's also a vineyard route you can walk and sit several old vineyards in the hills between Montreux, Vevey and Lausanne. Closest is the old and beautiful Chateau du Chatelard situated on a hill overlooking Montreux and Lake Geneva. Ask around and you may be shown the hall, the wine cellar and the wine press. The castle can be booked for wine tasting parties, banquets (old style with trumpets and candle light) or weddings. The views are fabulous and the wine good! Where to stay: The Hostellerie du Lac is right on the waterfront in Montreux and is a beautiful building from 1898. It has rooms ranging from Euro 30 to Euro 90 where the latter are great doubles with bathroom, TV and balcony overlooking the lake. There is also a  cheaper youth hostel half-way to Ch. de Chillon with dorm rooms (you'll see it on your left under the railway going along the boardwalk twds the castle. Getting there and away: The train ride from Interlaken to Montreux (or the other way) is very scenic. You get panoramic views of Lake Geneva and Montreux, pass through "rich & famous" ski resort Gstaad, and nice view of Lake Thun. It's Euro 30 one way and takes 3 hrs. Going to Bern via Lausanne is 1 hrs 40min costing you Euro 22. The trip to Lausanne is fascinating with the hillside along the lake being vineyards all over and in-between the houses - a grape bush growing wherever a small free spot is available. ----- TURKEY:                                      Izmir:  (1985) What to do: The bazaar is quite fun despite all the hassle.