So, after 2 huge eggs yellow bright, taste yummy (real "free cage" chickens!) and a big cafe latte with really fresh milk (directly from the cow to the cup), I ponder about life, people, our differences but most interesting our similarities.

A nightly chat in our home, the 12,000 chicken, cows, cats, dogs, pigs of all age and shape, we discovered how much in common we had. With all our different backgrounds and much more different realities we all complained at how our kids spent their monies; the importance of savings without deprivation; the living simple no matter how much you may have along the way. They come from country poor, worked hard since kids, were blessed with a confidence from "a boss" that gave them a piece of land and today....well, a big business, 5 kids through university and life couldn't be better

November, Uruguay

Reunited at last!!

One month waiting in Argentina, two days in Montevideo doing the paper work, five government agencies, nine hours of running from here to there, eleven burocratic steps... we are finally back! Our home SalSolcito and us. I had tears on me, I feel relieveed I feel happy, I feel safe.

We left Montevideo almost in a hurry, escaping the city and a huge thunder.... we slept our first night looking at the ocean but the rain was so strong that we questioned our choice...

It took us 2 full days to put "the house in order" and now our place is home again. Back to basics, water, gas, diesel, a few things from the supermarket.... back to health and life. As we hit the "interbalnearia road", along the cost and the sunshine blessed us I can't believe I am back in nature. Oh! I miss it so much... sun, sand and sea... my great combo that gives me life, happiness, calmness. I am not sure I can live in a city anymore, even in a small one like Sydney!

14 to 16th of November

From one side to the other. From the opulent to the simplest. From skyscrapers to country life. We couldn't have gone more contrast! After 2 days in Punta del Este (gosh! the crème of the crème) we landed in a farm!

The shop like a fairytale with so many secrets, hidden away in a precinct next to the church. I was curious to see the many pieces, all antiques, that were funnily enough orderly disorganised here and there. "Sometimes I don't sell a piece because I don't know where it is"..."this is my pleasure place, I don't care if I make money". And then a touching story: "once, in a market specialised in old children's books, I just come across one that caught my attention. I opened and saw a school report card of a child. I immediately recognised the signature of the teacher: my grandmother! She signed all the months but the one my father was born and a few others after that were she took maternity leave. I wanted to buy the book but couldn't as it was not catalogued yet. I went back months later with the hope of buying the book just to found that it has been sold. It was then that the owner open the first draw of his desk and showed me the report card and handed it to me. He was waiting for me to come back!" I told her the story of my mum's ceramic piece and she made me promise that I will write its story and sick it on its base. I will do it as soon as I get back to Sydney! Thank you so much for such a beautiful story...

November


We are not fully rested yet. The month in Buenos Aires was so intense. The usual! But this time we have so much to celebrate! Wedding, birthdays and birth!

Absolutely loved the theatre and the amount of choices, from the total "under" to the full production stages. So much to choose, we spent a whole day just trying to find a good night out! The city has so much life; but on the other side there is more and more cars and people everywhere. It is totally exhausted to go from A to B, public transport or car...it takes us hours to visit family and friends...which is great but after a month, our livers are bursting with so much food; short of exercise, very late nights and a total lack of routine. And talking so much with all our people made me miss the kids so much :(

Fiesta, Fiesta... Que fantastica esta fiesta!

Before we go....leaving Europe is so sad for us. We felt so grateful that we had an opportunity to have such an incredible adventure. We felt embraced by all, safe in every corner, free for a very long time, welcomed for who we are and what we have to say, to offer. We are leaving full of joy and with high spirits. We are, truth, hesitant and a bit anxious for what it lays ahead of us but we have learnt to deal with the most unexpected and we trust that we can resolve many situations. We have grown in confidence and that feels awesome. This journey has had so many twist and turns....it is not so much what we have seen (which is a lot!) but what we have uncover on our way, how our path have evolved and specially the people that we have met.

For all the cultural richest of this continent and for all its glamour- past and present...there are their people and nature. We have eaten their food, slept in their streets and parks, swam in their lakes, rivers and oceans, run in their forest, hiked in their mountains. Most importantly we heard their stories, shared secrets, dreamt their dreams. They gave shape to our voyage, they have added colours and music; love and laughter. They have given sense and meaning to all. They have made all of this possible and much more.

Their generosity, friendship and openness have impacted us enormously. I am sure that we are much better people now because all of them. To all of you: Ali and Issy (UK/France);Trudy and Gerard (France); Jane and Edu (UK), Rolf and Karina (Germany); Ruth and Jorge (Sweden); Richard and the magnificent gang at Maribo Kayak club (Denmark); Fanitsa , Albi and Georgia(Italy); the beautiful families of AC Passion (Spain); Baptiste and Anastasiia (Poland); Ton, An and Kiki (Netherlands); Alex (Lithuania); Ain (Estonia); Kari and Teija (Finland); Ulvi and her lovely family (Estonia); Isabel, Sigfried and Patricia (Germany), Elke and Nicholas (Sweden)... and all the others who have made our dream come true; we are taking you with us in our hearts! Thank you so so much...we will be back!!!

and...we can't leave without saying thank you to our friends Tito and Clau (in France); Uli and Ani (in Morocco); our family and Claudi (in Fiji); Graci (in Argentina); our kids (in Sydney); Marita y Nute (in Argentina following our blog!).... they have been a huge part of our trip...they being with us in and out; before, during and after....in our lives....always!!

September 20 to 28

Lodz. If I have ever been looking at places with such anticipation and wonder, certainly this took all the prices. This is where my bobe comes from. So I got her on my soul and together we walked this city. Of course she did not recognised it!. That exquisite boulevard with all the cafes and its tables outside, the shops, the elegant reconstructed buildings. I stopped to buy a few little bath ducks for her next granddaughter who is due to arrive in November, in the time when go to Argentina. On both sides of the boulevard plenty of houses "as is", untouched, and further down and crossing the whole city the new railway is in motion. It is a big city. I always image this place as a quiet village!. I know that this city like so many in Poland have been totally destroyed during the war and what has not being destroyed has not being repaired in full. Instead lots of shopping centres are popping everywhere...

We headed down to Lower Silesia, the region of castles and fortresses.

Now, Wroclaw... what a beautiful place! The "Venice" of Poland; it has so many bridges and churches and monuments in baroque and Gothic (with bricks...as it was in this part of Europe..as opposed to stones), we run in its beautiful forest and kayaked in the canals. We heard the many stories of this place and look for the "gnomes", the little statues that adorned the whole village. And the biggest town square in the whole Europe!! It is a square inside a square with squares on the side ...hahaha There is such a great atmosphere. It is a university city, with more than 140.000 students! So of course, bars and cheap restaurants and pubs and "romantic places" a galore

The next few town, all so charming....Swidnica with the biggest wooden church in Europe, Walbrzych with its impressive castle and Klodzko where we discovered the town underneath the town...a series of labyrinth and tunnels that was built for defence.

Driving from town to town, crossing entire pieces of worked land; I am amazed at how many beautiful houses we found everywhere. I would say that they are from the last 10, 15 years max... As we are about to leave this country I stopped to reflect. I am so pleased that we come here and even happier that we took a good time travelling through this country. The journey in Poland has been an emotional one. The stories have moved us in so many different ways. So much despair and sadness, but also so much pride for their people for the way they have rebuilt their lives, their homes. 

Border between Poland and Germany

Young and brave. Open and friendly. Adorable! He stopped for a chat excited to see our "French plate", she joined us very soon after. French-Polish combo. Varenikes at night in a cosy Russian restaurant; lake and sunbathing the day after (including the appearance of an moose in the road!) ; davis cup and crepes, with dog Charly always around. Such a fresh moment; plenty of  ideas and ideals. "I changed country for love"! he said; "I have a Guinness Record for the longest hug- 25 hours", she said.... Funny and sweet. Thank you for the great moments, we will wait for you in Australia.... until next time!!!!

8 to 21 September
Poland

We finally decided to give Poland a fair go. We had been in the north but 3 days of continuous raining drove us off to Lithuania. Now, we entered from the east. Land of the biggest forest in Poland, Bialowieza National Park; home of the bison. Several walks and bike rides after, we still could not find any!! But another big adventure was waiting for us. Attracted by a big banner we entered a Nordic Walking National Championship! OMG, if we thought we were fit; after that walk we realised that we are not!! 10 km gruelling walking with ski poles through the forest was the trick. Of course, we could have opted for a 5 km but hey! we wanted to challenge ourselves.

The toss of the town, full on celebrity status. Armed with our Aussie tattoos we were welcomed by everybody! It was a great day starting with learning to walk with poles, the 10 km, the raffle we won, a steam train to the bushes and swamps, and to finish it off...party!! Dancing, signing, eating and a bonefire.
The next day, barely walking, with the bling around the neck we promptly checked in in a hotel and spent the afternoon in the sauna/spa!




A week in Warsaw,,,
Absolutely unexpected; and that is how we like it :)
In our minds, product of so many documentaries/movies about the war. was black and white; semi or fully destroyed; cold and grey. Well, Warsaw is nothing like that! The "old town" is fake, as this city was absolutely demolished during the war; so they built it up again "as if" and it is so well done that it looks like the real deal! What surprised us the most was the huge amount of cranes, new metro and tram lines, new bikes roads, lots of skyscrapers and the openness and freshness of all! We found the place very artistic, political, nostalgic and young. Big open spaces - a la Russia style- and a sense that we will not be able to recognise this place in 20 years time. It was a meaningful visit, feeling every bit the memory of my grandparents; a mix of wonder and sadness. The Jewish life that was totally erased, the scars of the ghettos and the
deportation "station"; all there, still raw.

August 25 to September 6
Latvia & Lithuania

We really didn't spend that much time in Latvia this time. It was sad but we found the east side to be very depressing.  I keep thinking if this is the case now, in summer (22 degrees and cloudy) what winter will look like (minus 35 degree!)...all we could see were mono blocks, very old shops (circa 60' but without flair) and a general feeling of abandonment... so we hurried up and crossed borders again to Lithuania.

Our first stop was Paluse National Park; but then it was not the only park....that pretty much sums up all our time in the Baltic countries.  We truly enjoyed so much the nature. We spend all the time looking and staying in the forest. It is a time to slow down, rest, run again, do BBQ, bushwalks, mountain bike, always a river or a lagoon somewhere...

A glorious bike ride on the forest, around the river with autumn colours around us

           Vilnius is such a cool city. Arty. It keeps reminding me of Budapest in smaller scale

The old city with a magnificent square, the cathedral, the gates, the churches, town hall, all the university buildings, the Jewish quarter. It was great to spend some days here after so many days in the bush, as I love the change of pace and the diversity of our trip.We rode along the river and visited the old KGB museum which is so scary and upsetting.

Arrived in Druskininkai in search of adventure and relaxation. We have heard about their fantastic water park with massive slides and their even more impressive spa resort area. And we were not disappointed! It took Hecti a few goes to erase the latest toboggan slide more than 20 year ago when under the wise advice of B (a teenager then) he dived head first, resulting in a shocking injury (and an emotional trauma!) But after a swim in the paradise pool with waves and  floating around the lazy river we were ready to tackle the slides! And it was a challenge! Starting from a 7 floor up, the longest (and crazy) slide. On the dark, with music and disco lights...sheer fear! After a few hours of laughing and trying here and there we rewarded ourselves with an all adults 20 saunas with treatments, swimming pools, spas , hamman and all the luxuries around! We love getting pampered and in every culture we found different rituals,,,,here the interesting one is to be in an extreme sauna and people hitting each other with a branch of oak with lots of  leaves to "open the pores and purify the skin"...it look very strange!

Ready for the next challenge! and a huge one it was! Such an incredible adventure!!!!! Three rope courses, 2.5 hours, at more than 15m high, 40 intense obstacles, more than 10 flying fox, no help and finishing with a massive 2 way flying fox crossing the river!!! Crazyyyyy.... we did it!!! So demanding, we felt exhausted after finishing and totally proud of ourselves...... and we had a massage at night just to loosen up the very tense body!....

Next, heading to Poland!! Bye, bye Baltic countries; it was a blast!

August 13 to 25
Estonia

And we are back! Reunited with our home, spent the next day chilling out. We said to each other "how the hell people do this for holidays"? meaning different hotels every night, schlepping from one place to another, always on the go. We really love our lifestyle, we made this life really possible for us! So, a great day biking to the city for a few hours browse and another few hours in the beach.

We visited Tallinn this time, and we were pleasantly surprised. The old town has so much charm! It is a very cool city and we liked it so much that we spent a few days there. We did a free guided walk with a funny guide that told us so much more about the people and the city, all cobblestone, while she showed us the major buildings. The square is so pretty and they have the best preserved medieval wall- dated 13 century.

Reached the eastern furthest point in Estonia, just on the border with Russia. Wherever we go there isn't much people here! it is summer, the peak of the season and yet the beaches are all empty. What we love the most here are all the national parks! But the absolutely best are all the facilities. Getting into the bush and we find picnic areas, tables with chairs; huge BBQ areas with wood ready to use; toilets; rubbish bins...amazing! People do come with their cars and tents and spend weekends on the park, on the edge of the river or a lake. We were near Mustvee on a lake of more than 100 km!

Tartu was a nice and easy going town. It is a university city, the second oldest in Estonia- buildings mid 13 century!. We got to do a very Estonian thing- Saturday night open air concert!!! This country is mad about signing and music and even though the signing or the music were not up there it was a very "local" thing to do!. Sunday then on the river, with its own sandy beach and at night drive to the bush for a great BBQ! (mostly pork over here...I am missing my t-bone steaks so much!!!)

We needed some help. Someone to explain. But then he also did it to us! In an extreme heat, on the sauna, he took in his hands the ritual of hitting (it is soft!) with oak leaves our bodies. And after sharing such an intimate moment we hurried up to dinner; starving by spending all day in saunas and spas! "...my grandfather had a spa in his house, as mostly everybody else does; I remember going there every weekend even with friends to enjoy; it is such a cultural thing....now that I am living in London- for the past 10 years- I come here as often as I can just to relieve those feelings again and again..."

Almost night, end of the road...as always looking for the coast to spend the night...and as often, we are getting tired and can't find a way out. A beautiful house on the corner, 3 white Siberian dogs and the owner who invite us to stay in her property. What a generous family! We were invited to "just home made smoke fish" for lunch. And yummy salads, and desert, and wine! "....my grandfather had this land before the war, he used to produce liquor just here and sell it, my father used to take me here on summer time... in soviet times my granddad was in prison and after so many years I had been able to reclaim this place....now all the family enjoy summers here". We were honoured to be their guests and thankful for the meal and the stories

they were gathering around a campsite while we were on our way to a walking trail. they offered their place to leave our home for a few days while we crossed to Russia. A meeting after our trip, the nicest coffee shop, surrounded by flowers. We were so hungry to learn more about their culture. The transition. The difficult times. The ancestors. The future. A fantastic afternoon, perfect sunny day in the middle of Tallinn. Oh! How much we treasure these moments!

a delightful encounter.....a simple smile and a short chat just before a walk in Estonia and a promised to get together for a drink in Finland. It becomes a wonderful evening in Helsinki, salmon and wine, a fabulous house on the countryside. He is so warm and she is so tender; both really welcoming and nurturing. The perfect hosts! We chatted for hours about life, history, events, personal dreams. I asked: what would you like me to say about you? Instant shyness, read faces, timid response: " we are Finnish, we go under the radar, we don't brag about us... at all". Such a sweet way to start our visit in Finland.... it was a perfect entry to this country and its people.!

August 9 to 13
Finland

Main Church Helsinki

Off to the ferry to cross to Finland. Another 14 hours, another one of "those ferries". We were really happy with this opportunity. Last year we missed Finland because of the weather. The contrast between Russia and Finland was as big as the channel that goes across them. Even though Helsinki is not spectacular by any means (in truth I was expecting a much more vibrant and modern city) the easiness, the cleanness, the friendly people and the great weather make such a great experience for us. They do have a very pretty harbour with a promenade and a huge park were the embassies are. We took a small ferry to Suomenlinna and we did what helsinkiners do, laying on the rocks! The modern art museum and the design museum taught us about being minimalist with twist lines of their style, something that can be seen in shops, houses, clothes.

We rented a car and venture afar Helsinki and discover a quiet, relax and pretty country side. One of the most interesting things was to see "public saunas" in the middle of national parks!! They are everywhere and it is a "must" in every home. We were upset that we didn't bring SalSolcito with us so we couldn't just go and getting into the millions of lakes that they have. And an unexpected encounter made our trip even much more interesting (more in "people we meet")

Turku

Porvoo

August 6 to 8

Russia:

We planned Hecti's birthday as a "gypsy affair", full 5 days of celebrations!!! We drove and left SalSolcito in a carpark in Tallin and took a ferry to St Petersburg. It was 14 hours crossing and there wasn't anything fancy in our room! Just 2 beds, one on top of the other and a tiny bathroom, of course no windows! The bar with Russian karaoke, a full buffet with so much herring (yum!) and a sad "cabaret" show. But we were going to experience Russia!

It was a full whirlwind event, boat and bus ride, walks and bikes. Cathedrals, galleries and museums, St Petersburg is a very romantic "western" city, laying on the river and with magnificent and very big old buildings. We really walked this city! Arrived in the hotel at 1:30 am! Exhausted but really happy. Our second day was as furious as the first one. Not wanting to waste anytime. I have to say that we were very disappointed with the people; we didn't feel "the love", but all the contrary. A real pity as relationships with locals is what make our trips so much better or so much worse.






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