Corsica, the scented isle

Ok, now we,re up to date.

Spent the night snoozing on the ferry from Marseille, now I,m hiding from the heat in Corte,s cybercafe.

Corsica was home to an ancestor, so here I am checking the place out, one cool mountain river at a time.

Stinking hot outside. 70 km beckons.

Recent pleasures: fresh peaches, tomatoes, sunset over the Med, sleeping under the stars.

Only 2 weeks left. Every day counts.

Thanks Malcolm for the great guidebook _ wish you were here.

Take me away to Marseille

Remember the old song?

32 degrees, so a good part of my day was here, dodging papparazzi.

World Cup Football comes to Belgium

Team Klein is tough opposition; here,s Keiran and Tomas warming up for the final. Thanks for the lesson, guys. And thanks Keith and Bea for hospitality.

Delft

Jenny is making sure I get on the right train _ what a great sister. We had a week to explore the flatlands of Alkmaar and Delft. Am trying to blend in by wearing orange. Unsuccessfully.

Biking Switzi

Here,s Craig racing the Swiss hausfrauen down to the market to top up on sausage, patisseries and beer.

The Swiss go to the top of my list for their superbly organised long distance bike paths.

We rode 4 days and our frequent saying was, Ït,s all good.

Zurich

Here,s Craig NOT eyeing up the Eurobabes at sunny Zurich. Did you know it had a beach?

Dreamland

Hi from the land of windmills, clogs, and where cheese is made backwards. No pic today but here is the weather: misty morning burning off by 10 for sunny day's riding.

Am in Alkmaar with Jenny, exploring the well-marked bike paths in search of the perfect stroopwafel. Fortunately this is an easy task.

Saw a man wearing clogs on bicycle riding over a dike - the 'perfect storm'.

Gonna jump on a train today and find fresh fields for adventures. The Dutch are lovely: polite and friendly.

cheers!
p.

German head protection

Fearless Müncheners stop for no-one.

Rain forecast, so am off to rediscover the Dürers and Van Goghs at the museums. This is a great city.

Thanks for all the feedback. Tschüss!

Postie bike, Munich

It´s great to be back after a 15 year absence. Love seeing trams, lots of adults on bikes, hearing German, Turkish, French, Croatian and who knows what. Cheaper and grittier than Switzerland.

It´s also a good feeling to get around in a foreign tongue. If the train strike eventuates I may be stuck here a while - no complaints there.

But am keen to be reunited with my bike - left it in Lausanne while Alp-walking - and hit the road again.

Yum

A snack on the Grosse Scheidegg trail.

This was a long walk in the hot sun, along a path used by the Romany.

I finished the day near Meiringen - can any detectives out there deduce it´s relevance to English literature? Elementary!

Attack cow

A few days ago the local papers led with stories of a tramper set upon by a fierce cow. He was helicoptered off to hospital. Word: don´t look at them in the eye.

untitled

Bachalpsee, Grindelwald

If this blog had sound you would hear those incessant cowbells, like a Gamelan orchestra on speed. Here´s a picnicking wanderweger tucking into biersticks, tomatoes and Swiss enrtgy drink ´Rivella´. Those pointy things are Shreckhorn and Finsterhorn, about 4000 m up. We are at 2100. Or maybe I faked them in PhotoShop. You decide.

Swiss National Day

1 August is the day all Swiss fly the flag. Here´s Nick and Felicia - on her first alpine adventure, saddling up and heading for the glacier walk. F loved the walk, especially the llamas and wildflowers.

A long walk

Looks like we walked further than expected.

Here´s Ed and Prisca high in the Swiss alps, near Griessalp, checking out the overflow accommodation once the chalets are full.

We had a couple of perfect days walking, followed by a wet one. Sensibly we limited the damage and turned back before the crap set in. Call me a softie but tramping in the rain, camping in the rain is not my cup of gluhwein.

untitled

Here´s a polygraph of my brain after too much sugar.

Or possibly it´s the laser show during Björk´s gig at Paleo, an outdoor festival near Lausanne. Thanks Marion for sorting out the ticket!

Also tried the fondue and excellent local beer.

Lac Leman

A sweet day in Switzerland.

Switzerland resembles Legoland - everything just a little too perfect. I feel like Jim Carrey at the end of The Truman Show, waiting to find the backdrop at the end of the soundstage.

On the other hand, you gotta respect the Swiss for keeping it together for hundreds of years without getting invaded or colonised. They have built a beautiful country that works - at a price.

Bike path

They told me to bike on the right ... well, ok.

This fine bike lane is found near Grenoble.

London

Happiness is meeting your friends in London and having the best picnic ever in Hyde Park. Thanks Joany! Thanks Alan!

Here´s us in the Bayswater dungeon - address not to be shared lest countless colonials descend.

J is off to organise Commonwealth forum in Uganda while Alan tours Scotland with the opera.