As much schnitzel as you can eat

Today was pretty chill. Up at 11 for breakfast. We unfortunately missed Cathrin before she left for Munich to pick up her man. This time Hans Peter didn't forget the fleishsalat and Andy and Amiele killed it. Gross. I love me some meat, pickles and mayo, but that stuff has a lot of mayo. Not sure how to days go by so fast and we don't do much, but it's OK and very relaxing. 

By the time we finished breakfast and packing it was 3. We headed to Gundlefingen's wine fest to see if they we selling schnapps. No schnapps but we did get some fresh squeezed apple juice and found not one menus but also a restaurant by Engler's! Next time I'll have to check the public records for my family history. We headed to Helen and Rudy's house for some coffee and sweets so say goodbye. To continue our eating spree we had lemon cake, cookies and mini Berliner's (small jelly filled doughnuts). 

After a short visit, we said goodbye (also to Amelie) and Heike, Hans Peter, Andy and me headed to the Oschen for the famous schnitzel (that's all they serve excepting night they have one other dish). I was excited. I've heard a lot about the food and atmosphere here. The restaurant is on the edge of Freiburg and we had to make reservations. We had beers and the eating started. They ask you how many schnitzel's you want to start with and bring you delish salad and German potato salad (with vinegar not mayo). It was soooo good. I could have just eaten that all night. Then they brought out the schnitzel. Holy crap it was amazing. It took everything to eat the two pieces I ordered because I had to try the fried potato salad with bacon and eat more of the vinegar potato salad. This was the grand finale. A great night of conversation and we went home for some schnapps. Heike poured the Williams (I don't care for the absinthe kind) and we sipped and talked about our travels. We are so grateful for Heike and Hans Peter for not only letting us stay in their house, but making breakfast every morning and taking us to dinner. They are truly wonderful people and lucky to have such a close family. It makes me wan to work on my relationship with my family. 

The next morning we were up at 8 for the final breakfast. We said our goodbyes and headed to Frankfurt, but not before we stopped at Hieldsburg to get some schnapps. We have several flights ahead of us and we land at 10 at SFO. So sad to be leaving but it's been a nice long vacation. We knew we had a nice break when the first week in Iceland felt like ages ago. 

The big fat Germany wedding

What can I say? Another delish breakfast at the Seigmann residence with the whole family. Cathrin gave Hans Peter a hard time about forgetting the fleishsalat which Andy was very much looking forward to. We are so relaxed we hung out in bed until we got ready for the wedding. At the Sonne by 130 to walk to the church with everyone including the bride and groom. We greeting their friend who we hung out with the prior day. "The flip flop guy" they called out to Andy now that he was in a proper tie and suit. LOL. They are all very nice people. We ate a pretzel to prepare for the long day. Is a German wedding, of course there are pretzels. Rahel looked like a princess in her dress. Her mom lined everyone up, family first then friends, and we walked to the only church in Vorstetten. 

It was a small church and very old. This was the first mass I've sat through since Paul and Lynnette's wedding. I didn't understand a word during the ceremony but there was a small band who played 'kiss me' in English which was a nice surprise. After the ceremony Cathrin gave us the card she bought for us to give to the newly weds and we quickly ran to the card to sign it. We missed the procession back to the Sonne where we had champagne. After some pictures and drinks, we went to a building where Andy's grandpa Rudy had his 90th bday. We had coffee and lots of cake and sat with Amelie, Gabi and Gutz. At first we had the wedding cake which was lemon and the other piece was a nugot. Well that wasn't enough so Andy got us a huge piece of Black Forest cake and it was delish! The schnapps in it was pretty strong, especially the cherries that were soaked in it. 

It was only 4 and I was getting excited for dinner Rahel said there would be a lot of food, bring it. The champagne and cake was making me tired, the coffee had no effect. Finally around 630 we headed back to the Sonne for the evening. It's a very old restaurant in Vorstetten that could barely hold the 68 guests and barely her dress. We sat across from Amiele and one of Rahel's step brothers and his girlfriend. The girlfriend looked pissed off to be there. She had bright red dyed hair and didn't engage with anyone. Andy assured me everyone spoke English so I tried to have a conversation with the couple. It didn't go so well. Whatever I can talk to Andy, wait, he's talking to the dude next to him. There was no way I would get in a word with the cackling girls next to me. By this point I've gotten pretty good at not partaking in conversation so I'll sit and drink my beer. 

Time for the food! Oh the food was amazing and a lot of it. First we started with a tomato soup, then came a huge slice of liver pâté with fruit and lettuce. Next were the main dishes (yes plural). First was the fish plate of salmon and monkfish in a truffle butter sauce, then came the beef. I truely could have stopped eating feet the fish but why when the food is so amazing? The dessert consisted of chocolate mousse, coconut and a strawberry ice cream. Of course we are drinking wine the whole time. 

The DJ gets started and they play some games throughout the night along with some toasts. They played the shoe game andRahel's dad gave a speech which made everyone cry. Later Andy translated that he was thanking her mom for rising Rahel and doing a wonderful job running the restaurant. I cried. Rahel's mom Ulrike is a very friendly and strong woman so I was very happy to hear her dad give her props. 

The night was long, we ate dessert around 1. We danced and drank and talked. It was smoking hot in there which promoted drinking water and I changed into my flip flops. At one point during our dancing, Andy decided to add some jumps to his moves which almost knocked himself out. No shit. He had maybe 3 inches under the hallway frame and hit his head hard in the solid wood. Me being the deeply concerned person I am, laughed my ass off while trying to make sure he was OK for the next 15 min. He was, more dancing. I went through several spurts of energy, finally around 415 I couldn't take it and we headed home. We said our goodbyes to Rahel who still looked stunning, and Timo, who was drunk and doing a poor impersonation of my laugh. Haha. They are wonderful people and I'm so happy for them. We got home around 445 with Amelie and passed out. So glad we were able to come out for the wedding, and truely unique experience. 

Flip flops and shorts at a wedding

I forgot how nice it was to sleep in a bed and its fantastic. Maybe it's waking up to a huge breakfast and coffee and getting to go to the bathroom in the warmth. Breakfasts in Germany are pretty special, lots of soft pretzels, meats, jams, fruit, juice and lots if coffee. Yum! We slept in until 9 and by the time we finished breakfast it was 11. 

We first went to visit Andy's grandparents who live across the street from his aunt and uncle where we are staying. They are so sweet. His grandfather had a stroke this year but is in amazing spirits all the time. So nice to be around although I don't understand a word they say. We then picked up Cathrin at the bus stations who just had an interview at GSK in Munich. We went to the Schlappen and got beers and flamcuchen, oh how I've missed it since our last time in Germany! Andy had to buy a shirt for the wedding so we went to the store and they measured his neck and waist. She asked him if he wanted to slim fit. At that point he had to say yes. Could he have said no, give me the fat fit? Shirt, check. 

Back to Vorstetten for dinner with his family at his grandparents house. His other aunt and uncle showed up so we had quite a large crew at dinner. More delish breads, meats and cheeses (and of course beers and wine). I tried to follow along in conversations, I'd hear a word I understood then try to piece  a story together. It's exhausting not knowing what anyone is saying for 4+ hours. His grandfather was amusing because he would make up words making them rhyme. His uncle said its ok I don't understand because neither do they. I was pretty tired drinking beer all day so I called it a night at 1130 and Andy stayed up until 230 talking to his cousin. 

The following day we had another amazing breakfast and took our time talking in the morning. It's so nice to relax and take it easy here. His family if very laid back so although I don't understand what's always being said I'm still very comfortable. We left for Marcelsheim France to visit his moms house and see the work she did. She had a patio added to the kitchen deck which will make a great place to eat breakfast in the mornings. 

We headed back to Germany to get ready to see Rahel and Timo. She invited us to her parents restaurant before her and Timo were married by the state, tomorrow is the church wedding. We didn't know what we were being invited to. Rahel said we could wear shorts and flip flops, no dress code. We thought her family would go to the wedding and we would just have some beers beforehand. We were so wrong. Everyone was dressed in suits and I had in jeans and tennis shoes, but Andy had on shorts and flip flops! We were so embarrassed. I said go change! I even brought a second dress just in case! Andy was sticking to his ground and didn't want to. It was pretty funny watching Andy around all the guys in suits. Then of course he was the person who sat next to the guy who married them, right in the front. Way to make an impression. 

Finally the pain was over and we had beers and dinner in the restaurant her family owns. Timo's sisters and friends were very nice. We talked to his friend Ben who is a forester in Germany and Timo's sister who is studying English to teach. Most people understand English which is a relief, but some are shy to try to speak it which I understand. We were supposed to meet up with the Seigmanns, Amiele was back in town, so I was stressing about the time. Finally they called the restaurant (everyone knows everyone here) and said they would just eat there so we could visit them. I felt so bad but they are very understanding. We had a great visit and ate more delish food. 

Family and delish food in Germany

Up at 630 to get out of the camp spot and on the road. Once again there was no one at the gate so we didn't have anyone to pay- we tried! We drove around for HOURS looking for wifi in Switzerland and let me tell you, there are NO Starbucks to be found. The only time we really needed one and nada. The plan was to visit Andy's cousin but of course we didn't have directions or any idea where she was. We did however start the day with a huge soft pretzel, that made things better. Sooo good. It helped offset knowing there would be multiple speeding tickets coming in the mail. 

Finally we found some wifi in a shady casino cafe, we got directions and headed off to the middle of nowhere in Germany. It was great to see Amelie. We went to a cafe in town (not a lot going on there) and drank our third cup of caffeine. Several nights of so so sleep and we needed all the caffeine we could get. Amelie took us to a very cool forest where the ground actually wiggled. There used to be a bog but it filled with first to make mud under the tree roots. Andy and Amelie were walking in front of me on solid ground. All of a sudden the ground they were walking on started to jiggle. I thought I was having an acid flashback. I stopped to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Amelie told us the ground was spongy but I didn't realize it actually moved! We jumped on it like a trampoline. So trippy!

Back in the car headed for Freiburg. It look us a long time because of several detours and deciding to take the scenic route. It wasn't too bad, we saw cool mountains made out of steep rocks and many castles in the cliffs. We finally reached Vorstetten (just north of Freiburg) and went to Andy's aunt and uncles house. They are very sweet and waited for us to have dinner although they didn't know when we were arriving. We got there around 8 and had a wonderful dinner of cheeses, breads, meats and fruit (and of course beer, wine and schnapps). It turned into a longer night than expected, those are always the best. I was exhausted trying to follow the conversations in German. I get some words and then try to piece the story together. After 1 we were definitely ready for bed. We get to sleep in a bed tonight! No putting the tent up in the rain for us! I predict a good night of sleep. 

Hiking in Switzerland with a thermal bath ending

Slept in until 730 this morning, much needed after a couple days of going and going. It's very nice to take it easy in the morning. A quick pack of the tent and we tried to pay for our spot but no one was there so we moved on to our secret (not really) spot in Vals. 

We got to Vals at 9am and got some coffee and pretzel rolls at the local bakery- yum! I paid in Euros since I forgot Switzerland isn't in the EU and now we have lots of Francs. We got a map and planned our hike for the day. I wasn't really up for the hike to the top of the mountain and neither was my foot which is still healing from our Iceland hike. We decided to take the gondola up the mountain and hike around but they went on break for an hour. How do these people always go on breaks? The US should take note, the Swiss are always on breaks and their economy is better than ours. Since Andy and I aren't patient, we decided to take a local bus up the mountain. 

The bus was 8 Francs pp (damn that's expensive) and hauled us probably 5km. We went through a cool tunnel built in 1970 that was nothing more than a hole drilled into the mountain with sealant on the walls. We had to wait for the light to turn green since it was a one way tunnel that was 2.5km long, the bus barely fit. The bus stopped at a restaurant and the driver told us the next bus back down the mountain leaves in two hours. OK, I guess this is where we walk. 

We walked across the dam. The lake was an amazing blue that really was bright when the sun came out. Up the hill for a bit, working the soreness out of our feet and calves. The sun came out now and the lighting up the steep Alps and small villages below, looking like something out of a movie. We started our ascent up the mountain, too steep for a car to make it. At the top it was a rolling path along grassy fields. The goats had large bells on their necks which sounded like wind chimes in the distance. 

The first town we got to was the top of the gondola. We continued walking to make sure we earned our meals. Up and up we went until my foot couldn't take it any more, plus I was ready for food. We started down the mountain headed for a small restaurant we ate last time we were here more than 3 years ago. Apparently Tuesday is the towns day of rest so there closed and we were sad. On a Tuesday?! Not to fret, we will find delicious food. On down the mountain to our parked car and we drove into Vals. We hopped in a small restaurant and ordered two beers immediately, Andy ordered the cordon bleu and I ordered the rosti with cheese ham and egg in top. It was soooo good. We walked 4.5 hours, not bad, we definitely deserved this. 

The last but not least stop was to the thermal baths! These thermal baths are pretty special and fancy. The walls are made out of dark stone and there are various rooms with different pools of water temperature. The main bath was 36C and went outside through a layer of stainless steel chains. Wen we were outside it just started raining, the cold water from the rain felt good vs the warm water we soaked our bodies in. Another bath was a hot 42C which felt like it was melting my skin off. The one next to it was a freezing 14C. Completely ridiculous, we jumped in the freezing water and then ran to the hot water. Not a good idea, the hot felt like magma after the numbing from the cold. The next couple times we did the hot water first, then the freezing. I could only be in the freezing water for 5 sec, just enough to dip my body in there. Andy went for the full body and head dunk. I couldn't do it. Once out of the freezing water, standing outside in the cool air feels refreshing and your legs tingle. It definitely wakes you up. There was another room that had fresh mountain water pouring into a well you could drink from with the brass cups. A truely unique and relaxing experience. 

Back in the car for a shorter drive tonight, only an hour or two to Lake Konstanz. On the way we stopped at Gieger Bar in Chur, Switzerland. The bar was designed by the guy who did Aliens. It was pretty cool, the floor was very detail as were several huge chair at the bar that looked like alien spines. We had beers and took pics. We drove around a bit looking for a camping spot at the lake. The first spot had nothing but old people in RVs that are almost permanent. With no one to help us, we drove to another spot which had the gate down. I was 10 and I guess that's closing time. We drove back to the first spot and the gate was down so we drove around it, set up the tent, went to bed- another long and fun day. 

More pizza, pasta, and San Marcos in Venice

Up at 630 after a night of thunder and lightning with just a touch of rain. The lightning was so cool, just what we wanted to see. Good thing Andy decided to put up the rain cover, it was so hot we weren't going to do it. We actually took a shower this morning and it was totally worth it. We were so dry and dirty from being in the ocean and hiking yesterday we decided to make ourselves nice and clean for Venice. I quick espresso at the local cafe and we were on our way. 

There's a direct road to Venice, you don't have to take a boat (we didn't know that) which makes it ever so convenient. We arrived by 9 and got lost in the maze that is Venice. No breakfast, I'm saving myself for lunch, but yes to some cappuccinos. We sat, enjoyed our caffeine, and took in the warm weather and the locals passing by (most tourists weren't there yet). More wandering around, more pictures, more dead ends, I couldn't believe I was actually here. Up and over canals, Andy took pictures of doors, I tried to see in people's homes. 

Finally we needed to find our way to San Marcos Cathedral so we asked for directions in an art gallery. We were so turned around, and we weren't buying a map. We followed the tourists to Piazza San Marcos through the winding streets. The piazza is huge, perhaps with old parliament buildings on the sides, thousands of tourists everywhere, and a huge line for the Cathedral. I had to pay €1 for material to cover my shoulders, other girls had to cover their legs. The Cathedral was like none I have seen before. So many types of stone and marble used for the walls and columns. The cathedral inside and out had mosaics everywhere, the ceiling walls and floor. We could only walk on certain areas of the floor because it was rolling from all the years of wear and the ground settling. The mosaics on the floor were like kaleidoscopes of designs. 

It was time for lunch so we got far away from the tourists and find a cute restaurant with a secret garden in the back. We were starving and so excited to eat! We ordered two (then two more) glasses of Pinot Grigio, it was perfect, not sweet a little buttery. Our app was melon and prosciutto, they piled the prosciutto on heavy and it was perfectly cured, so this is what real prosciutto tastes like. We then split the mushroom, artichoke and prosciutto pizza and the home made pasta with duck. I love how the waiters tell you the food is sized for one person. Andy and I can eat and we had a hard time finishing everything (but we did). It's hard to explain my happiness! 

We were getting tired and still sore from our hike in Iceland but we needed to do a little shopping. Andy got me a necklace and we found two masks from the guy who made the masks for Eyes Wide Shut. One is a leather mask with a long nose, the other is a plain one that we are going to paint when we get home. It was 3 and time to find the parking garage. Luckily we were close and actually knew where we were after a long day of being lost. Venice was amazing, so glad we made it here. 

Back in the car, a quick detour around Lake Como to see what all the fuss is about, and we stopped just before Lugano for one last pizza. It's a small town (in Switzerland but Italian influence just across the Italy border) with nothing more than a bright casino but there's a beautiful lake which we had the pleasure of viewing during our last Italian meal. I've had my fill of pizza in the last three meals. Now time for some hearty German meals. We made it o Switzerland and managed to find a littl campsite to crash for the tonight. 

Hvar today, Venice tomorrow (Andy's pun)

Slept like shit last night. Apparently there's a club on the other side of the camp's wall and they get the party started around 1am. Girls like to talk hella loud and shriek for no reason. Yeah I'm old. Shut up so I can wake up at 630 and enjoy my day. Anyways, up and at em. Headed to Stari Grand for a cappuccino and croissants. The croissants had Nutella and jam, and like a pro I got jam all over my clean shirt. I just put it on! Grrr.

No map but we head out for the town of Hvar around 730. Hvar is a beautiful old town with white stone walkways. We didn't want to pay for parking so Andy found a grass parking lot. Not long after we parked, any angry Croatian walked by our car giving us dirty looks and saying who knows what. Andy doesn't think he like Germans (German license plate) so he was showing hostility. I didn't have a good feeling about parking there, especially after we saw a car getting towed in Split from a truckliftin bit off the ground. The farmers market was open so we got half a k of green figs. They were the sweetest moat delish figs we've ever had. Most places are closed so we do an early morning hike up be hill to the castle. It wasn't a long walk and it had spectacular views of Hvar, the ocean and surrounding islands.

A quick stop at a cafe for $7 sweet tea and were back in the car. We checked out the scuba diving option but its a 5 hr trip and they were already booked for the day. We drove around Hvar looking for a secret swimming area but all we found was a fish dock and a hunting area that said enter at your own risk. Since you rarely get warnings, I took this one seriously and wanted to turn back, especially after Andy went down a one lane rocky road and scratched the side of the car on bushes. Umm, we don't have insurance...

Before we left I quickly read about a semi-secret beach and we passed by it on the way to Hvar so we hit it up ont he way back. We parked in one of the few parking spaces along the side of the road and walked down the rocky path to the ocean. It was a small cove with only a dozen people, a rocky beach with blue water. We were pretty hot by now so we jumped right in. It's cool and refreshing, just  what we needed! We hung out for over an hour, spending our time wisely until we had to catch the 2 ferry back to Split. I could have spent the whole day at the beach. We need to press on to Italy so off we go. At the port we had two large Bavarians (beer) and took in the last of Croatia. Way too short amount of time to spend on Hvar but I'm glad we checked it out. 

A two hour ferry ride back to Split and back on the road ($7 pp, $48 per car). We are trying to Venice either today or tomorrow am. I leave Croatia with a little more color to my skin and pretty relaxed. I will def come back and spend a little bit longer. There's so much to do, scuba, mountain bike riding, ride a scooter around the island or boat island to island. The people are pretty friendly (well maybe not) and it's cheaper than the rest of Europe, but probably not for long. 

We finally made it to Italy and stopped for dinner after 9 in Palmanova. We were starving and tired from the long day. Our first stop was a questionable place with old men sitting outside. After poor communication with the old lady, they were only serving panninis. No thanks. I needsome pizza. We pressed on getting hungrier and hungrier. It was a small town and not much seemed to be open this Sunday night. Finally a sign said Pizzeria and we said hell yeah! I've been so excited to eat some Italian food! We ordered a pizza for two, Andy had a beer and I had wine. The food was so amazing and so was the vino. The pizza had mushrooms and was huge! American size! We would have taken some to go but we were going to camp and eat more good food tomorrow so we stretched our stomachs and made it work. The toilet was India style. WTF?! I thought I was being punked so I looked in the men's bathroom and it was the same. That's news to me. 

After finding a campsite not far from the restaurant we paid up (only 25EUR) and left because the teenagers next to us were getting a bit rowdy. Andy was ready to camp in another cornfield but I wasn't up to it in a new country. He had been driving for 5+ hrs and needed to rest, we past the 2k km mark. It's going to be another long day tomorrow. 

Paradise in Croatia

We wanted to sleep in but we were up at 730 and ready so see some sights. We headed south to Dubrovnik and enjoyed the amazing drive looking over the Adriatic Sea along the mountainside. We passed through an unusual 10 mile stretch of Bosnia long the way and spent our last Marks on yogurt, bread and espressos. Once we hit the shit show of Dubrovnik, we finally found a place to park and buy parking tickets and we walked through be Old Town. Way too many tourists here. We saw some churches and quaint small alleys with gardens on rooftops. On our way out, we followed some people through a small door and found the most beautiful rocks on the side of the old castle. Locals were laying on the 'private' area and we felt it was worthy of an expensive beer purchase to get away from everyone and enjoy the scenery. We wanted to pay with Euros and they weren't having it, especially coins. Wtf they are part of the EU, isn't that part of the agreement? Some people in Croatia are very friendly, some have shitty attitudes, Icelanders however are all friendly. 

Back in the car to head to a small stone beach for a much needed dip in the ocean. Only a dozen locals and us swam in the cool but refreshing ocean. This is just what we needed! My tender feet hate the rocks on the beach, I also with I had water shoes walking Landmannalaugar, I probably wouldn't have froze my ass off. The drive up the coast is so beautiful and I highly recommend. We stopped for gas in the small area along the coast that's Bosnia since it was so cheap inland. We had to pay in EUR  so the guy pulled out a calculator and told me I owed 50EUR. Whatever, I have no idea what the conversion rate is. 

Word of advice, you can't pass cars in Croatia like you can in Bosnia, the police will get your ass. They got Andy or Andrew as the cop called him. You were going 82 in a 65 and you passed on a solid white line. OK Andy responded, what else was he going to do (because it was true). The cop said the normal ticket is 500 but I charge you half and you pay 250 or 35EUR. It was a deal, we paid and moved on. Once we crossed the road to Bosnia we headed 30 min off the road to the highway to Split. The coast road didn't seem as pretty as the south and we have time constrains. Is this the right way? I have no idea my map doesn't have that much detail, back and forth the conversation went as you can imagine. 

Heading into Split, it looks like a ghetto city full of people with no redeeming factors. This confused us since it came recommended and its a UNESCO World Heritage site. We ended up at the ferries so I inquired about going to Hvar which was recommended by several people. By the time I ran to the ticket counter the 5pm ferry was already leaving so we got tickets for the 830pm. Is there camping? Yes, OK we are down. A tense drive around the city looking for parking (Andy went the wrong way down a road), we decided to leave the car at the dock and walk around which was the right choice. Running on my foot wasn't a good idea. This was the first day I wasn't limping and it wasn't swollen since the long hike. 

The small old town in Split is nice but only worth walking around for 30 plus dinner IMO. Just enough time for a great dinner in the courtyard of a quaint restaurant called Allegria. We had a delish bottle of white wine from an Croatia with white fish carpaccio with olives appetizer, mussels and squid. The olive oil with bread was amazing, we need to get some before we leave. Off just in time to walk to our car and ready to board the ferry. We are going to land in Hvar at 1030 and find a campsite ASAP. Tomorrow is going to be another full day. 

Wilkommen lieber Deutschland (Germany) und Ostersteriech (Austria)

Up at 530 to quickly pack and head to the airport. Iceland was amazing and we'll be back to do the rest of Iceland, however I'm ready for some warm weather. Last night was a bitch it was so cold, about freezing. I'm over it. We made it to the airport around 615 for our 720 flight and of course the only airport in Iceland was packed. It went fast, all is well, on the plane to Munich!

I passed out halfway into The Hangover 2 and slept the rest of the total 3.5 hour flight. I needed it. We landed in Munchin after 1, jumped in our standard Opal and took off for some food. I've never been to Munich so Andy amazingly found the Hofbrauhaus downtown. He busted out his German asking a txi driver for directions. I love it when he speaks German. The weather was so warm! The sun was out so we sat outside in the biergarten. It wasn't the shitshow that I was expecting, maybe because it's a Thursday afternoon. We order two beers, the suckling pig and the wienerschnitel. It was soooo good. Maybe it was us coming off the beans and franks, but I'm pretty sure it was because it was delicious. One more beer each and we were now prepared for our journey. 

We drove towards Salzburg through the Austrian Alps and made a quick stop to see a beautiful castle in Werfen. We were low on time, we needed to find a place to sleep tonight and it was getting dark, so we headed south. As we headed down the mountain we pulled off the autobahn at the foothills of the Alps to look for a camping spot. There's no legal wild camping in these countries so I was uneasy looking for a place. Andy found a great place off the side road in a farmers corn field in between two manure piles (not so smelly). I'm in flip flops with a cocktail in the foothills of the Austrian Alps. Life is good. 

Slovakia and fun in Bosnia

Up at 630 to get an early start to the day, and to our surprise we have visitors. During the night another tent was staked next to ours in the cornfield. Neither of us heard them. Apparently it was a good spot. The weather was perfect to sleeping, cooler weather with just a bit of rain. We packed the car and headed to the other side of Feistritz for breakfast. What an amazing bakery! We had cappuccinos, Andy had a salmon half sammie and I had salami, then we ordered two coffees and croissants for the road. We moved on and took the scenic route to Villach and then crossed into the Slovenia border. 

After we crossed the border, we stopped in a quaint little town called Skofja Loka to view the castle and check out the little town. We wobbled up the hill to the castle that overlooked the town. The sun was starting to come out. We checked out all the little gardens that are on any available piece of land. Their gardens were very healthy. Another scenic route to Ljubljana, we stopped at Lidl, a cheap grocery story that had fresh croissants and baguettes. We also picked up some Meat Salad (for Andy), OJ and bologna for lunch. The lady at the cash register asked us what kind of croissants they were (in whatever language she was speaking) to which I shrugged and Andy tried his German. She replied (in English), you don't understand me do you? That's for sure. We paid and moved on. 

Paying the tolls with the Vignette is new to us. We stopped at the toll in Slovenia and the toll guy asked for our Vignette so which Andy said we don't have one. Not understanding what he was saying, he got out of his toll to get us one, obviously pissed at the stupid tourists. This is news to us. Oh well, traveling is full of new experiences and pissing people off. 

We were just traveling along, driving through Croatia, which was very warm and seemed like middle America with all the farms and corn. The villages still looked a bit like Slovakia with the red roofs. Then we turned off for Banja Luka, Bosnia and paid to get off the highway. We only have a map of Europe so I can't see the details in this part of the world. We continued down a back road thinking we were going the right way. It's all we got so we continued. We then came to the Bosnia border crossing. The line of trucks were off to the right and the cars were to the left in the oncoming traffic lane (small cars could get by). We pulled up to the border guard and he told us we needed a green card. A Visa? No a green card. Where do we get one? Blah blah, red building, right left, blah. OK, can we have our passports back? No, you get green card and we hold here. Well then. 

We pulled off the side of the road into the walkway. Andy got out to ask someone and an old man pointed in the the direction. I jumped into the drivers seat to park the car and I couldn't get it in reverse (I'm not used to the reverse button). After frustration I figured it out and parked the car. We both headed over to the green card place passing a dude with no arm and other dudes who looked pissed off. I asked a lady and she walked us over to a small booth where she got in and started to fill out the form. We tried to understand what information she asked for during the next 10min. Andy had to go back to the car to get out car paperwork. Andy told me to go back to the car to keep an eye on it. 27EUR later we had a green card and our passports and we got the hell out of there. The feel in this border town is a stark difference of that in Croatia. 

Outside of town we stopped to fill up the gas tank so we wouldn't have to stop again if necessary. I went in to get some water and handed the guy 1EUR. No he said. Me with a questioning look on my face. I knew they took Euros. No coins I figured out 5 min later. They could give me some EUR and Bosnian money back. Um not really sure when I'm going to need 5EUR worth of Bosnian cash. Andy came in and we figured out how to pay for the gas. All of this is seriously a lot of effort. Time to move on. 

Once we got out of Banja Luka the drive was beautiful down a canyon where they have rafting (slalom), fly fishing, Lots of camping spots, we could stay here. Not as scary as the border town. We drove across the top of the Balkans through the small towns. It got a little hairy passing large tour buses on the curves two lane road, especially since our little car doesn't have much torque and they try to run you off the road every new and then. There were police set up around the bends down the hills with cameras catching people speeding. We were only going 175km to people's 190 so we were good. There were lots of minnarets (Islamic tours holding loud speakers for call to prayer) and some churches here and there. Andy said it would be cool to hear the call to prayer and then we did. 

Children were standing on the side of the road waving the Bosnian flag for winner a game to qualify for the World Cup. We were hoping Germany didn't beat them since we had German plates and we weren't supposed to be in the country according to our rental agreement. After driving the whole country on a two lane road, we got on the highway to Sarajevo for only 40 min but it was a much needed break for Andy. 

We drove into the city center. It's not a big city and the downtown area isn't something we wanted to walk around in. There were houses on the hills surrounding the city and large tall apartment buildings which housed snipers during the Balkins conflict. We started to drive up a hill near some apartments which we could see some bullet marks in the walls. The road narrowed and quickly got sketchy so we turned around Austin Powers style. On the way out of the city we drove down the main road which was Sniper Alley during the war. It was a little creepy thinking about people running across the road getting picked off by a sniper. We headed towards Mostar for the Croatia border.

Another beautiful drive down the mountain in a canyon filled with short tunnels and walls of rock shaved at an inverted angle. There were pigs on spits and lots of restaurants for tourists but it was dark and Andy's eyes were playing tricks on him as he dodged kids and hedgehogs running in the the dark street. The border crossing was uneventful this time and we waiting for 30 to get through to Croatia. As soon as we hit the main road heading S in Croatia we pulled into the first camping area we saw. At this point Andy had been driving for 14 hours straight and he was beat. Luckily people were drinking at the bar so we got some Croatian beers and watched the Croatia/Serbia World Cup qualifiers match. A dude came over to us a said, Croatians and Serbians re not so good, we are Croatians, and gave us a huge watermelon. There you have it. Another filled day exploring and we are so ready for bed. The weather is dry and warm, we will sleep well in the flat ground tonight. 

Last day in the land of fire and ice

Up at 8 after a well needed night of sleep. Taking it easy today and not walking if at all possible. On our way to Rekyavik we passed by Nesjavellir to see the geothermal energy plant that pumps water all the way to the city. We drove to the plant, cruising around checking out the pipes. On our way out the gates we down. Were we trapped? They weren't down when we came in. We pulled up and they opened. Apparently the Icelandic "security guard" forgot to protect the islands main source of power. 

On the way out we drove past the ION hotel with an amazing view of the power plant. (Not for us Todd). We cruised to Rekyavik to do some laundry. The sun was shining, another amazing day. Apparently it wasn't an amazing day for this other dude who thought he was going to stay at the hostel for 26 days and not spend a ton of money. The gals thought he was going to go postal (and so did I). When he finally did settle everything he left with a big lugie by the door. Nasty. 

We headed out to the Blue Lagoon. We knew it was expensive but we needed to relax and we deserved it. We arrived, paid our $100, and got our wrist bracelets. After 10 min trying to figure out how to use the locker I took a quick shower (there's no chlorine in any of the water out here) andheaded out to the beautiful lagoon. The lagoon isn't man made so there are rocks on the bottom. The water is warm and hot near the water hot pots. The silica makes your skin amazing soft and there are mud baths around the lagoon where you can scoop out the silica "mud" and put it on your skin. After 10 min of drying you have fabulous skin! There are saunas and a waterfall that gives you a nice massage. It felt like being at the spa, totally luxurious. We enjoyed ourselves for a couple hours, soaking in the sun. 

We then headed off to find our final camping spot but not before we got some more famous Icelandic hotdogs for the road! There's something about the special mustard mixed with the white stuff that's not mayo and the onions and fried onions. Bomb! We were planning on staying at the airport, not near the airport, but camp beside the parking lot. We didn't have to return our car until the morning so we headed out to find a place by the ocean. We headed south to the peninsula and found a great spot in the middle of a field with a view of the ocean and the lighthouse. We had clear skys and amazing views. We put up the tent for the last time in Iceland. Andy made th tomato soup with real tomatoes and we prepared to see the Northern Lights again. We did see them a bit but they weren't as clear as the other night. I was exhausted and freezing so headed for bed. It was a rough night of sleep, clear skys mean cold nights. Goodbye Iceland. Can't wait to come back!

Testing our limits

Let me preface this by saying why I like to expect the worst. When I expect the worst, things can only go up. When I am not prepared for the worst, it can put a big damper when shit goes down. I thought this trip was easy, anyone can do it, old people can do it, it's 3000 ft downhill... That's not really accurate.

Up at 5:30 after a wonderful dry night sleep. Made some coffee, dried what we could, ate our sammies, bundled up and headed out for the days hike. The boys weren't up so we headed out on our own.

No rain, the views of the valley we are about to walk down were spectacular with the sun coming through the clouds. The view behind us was the snowy top mountains hitting the green grass and moss. There were spots of bright green moss where the sulfur springs hit the waters edge. We were in a great mood after last night and ready for the journey, albeit with a little hesitation knowing we hard to cross some rivers. 

Just as the guy at the hut said, there was a river crossing as soon as we left the hut. Dammit. I was wishing this wouldn't happen for some reason. It was a smallish river, nothing to be too worried about. It started raining like a warning, Andy went first. It was very cold of course, it's freakin glacier water. Unfortunately there were very sharp rocks in the river bed made of obsidian. He made it across so I took off my shoes and socks and pulled up my pants. The first few steps were cold then quickly turned to unbearable. As I neared the edge, the rocks hitting my feet felt like daggers going into my almost dumb feet. As soon as I got out I put on my socks and shoes and started walking. Our feet quickly warmed which was amazing. So happy!!

Not more than 5 min later we hit our second river. It started raining again. This one was bigger. We felt this was worthy of taking our pants off as we heard it was necessary to do from another traveller. Andy again went first to test the water (no pun intended). I was up for the challenge since my feet quickly warmed after crossing the last one. Same sharp numbing hitting our feet. Jumped out and put our clothes on as fast as possible. Is not easy putting on pants and a garbage bag when you are freezing. Socks and shoes on, we start walking and warm up quickly. 

No rain, the sun is out, we hit the third hut Hvanngil but kept on crusing, we had 18.6 miles to walk today by 4 to catch the last bus. We hit the third river crossing on the other side of Hvanngil. I thought there were only two! The problem with this one is that we weren't sure this was the right way and it was much larger than the previous two. We took our time trying to determine if this was the way. The shitty map we had wasn't really helpful. Its started raining again (see a pattern here?). Andy being the hero decided to cross the river and look at the sign that was blown over, hopefully telling us we were on the right path. Andy took off his pants again and crossed the river carefully. As soon as he got out he put on his shoes (still without pants) and ran down the to fallen sign. He determined we were on the right path so it was my turn to cross the river. I opted to not take my pants off is time. This time the river was so wide and moving much faster on the far side, I freaked out. When I got closer to the edge I froze and started to break down, not sure if it was panic from the rushing water or from freezing. Andy jumped in the water to save me, he pulled me across the rest if the way. I'm not sure what would have happened if he didn't do that. This time putting the socks and shoes on my feet didn't help. We walked to warm up, this time it took 10 min to get all feeling back into toes. 

The terrain was pretty flat walking through lava fields. The views of the mountains all around us was amazing. I could finally appreciate the hike. This is what it's about. We crossed a bridge over a deep ravine. Oh so they can build bridges if they want!? Apparently only the ones you could die on. As we continued enjoying the hike, I started feeling a sharp pain on the outside of my left foot. Not a good sign. I can take muscle fatigue but sharp pain is a different story. Just make into the next hut (Emstrur) I told myself. We finally made it. Andy got there before I did and the warden said it would take us 7-8 hrs to make it to Porsmork. No fucking way. Either way we needed to move quickly so we changed our socks (what we left of Andy's), ate our sammies and pushed on. It took us 4.5 hrs to get to Emstrur when it says its a usual 6-7 hrs. 

I started the next leg of the hike thinking we only had a couple of hours left. I was in excruciating pain and didn't think I could take much more. The warden said the hike was up up up then down down down. Not sure what that meant but it wasn't the flat I was expecting. When I realized this would be up to another 5 hrs I had another breakdown. How the fuck am I going to walk 5 hrs when I can barely walk now!? Andy was on a mission and walked far ahead of me. Fair enough, I didn't have anything good to say anyways. 

We hiked up and down, several "rolling" hills. My feet actually liked going up hill because it took the pressure off the sore spot. I cried, I sang cheerful songs to myself, I tried to look at the positive, I enjoyed the scenery, I got pissed off, I cried again. Quite an emotional roller coaster. It's just pain. What's pain anyways? How can it get worse? It got worse. Both my feet started hurting, swollen. I thought I had a rock and it turned out to be a blister under my toe. The blisters on my heals were feeling worse. How the fuck am I going to do this?

Several hours later we were back on flat ground, OK I can do this. Back up hill, maybe I can't. The next couple hours were a blur. When we got closer to the end I asked some hikers how much longer. Two hours they said. F this. We kept going until we hit another river. Another fucking river!! I thought we didn't have to do this anymore? It was extremely wide. Mostly rocks, several rivers. We tried to make it by hopping over rocks but then came one stream where we had to take our shoes off. It started raining again...

No pants off this time. We didn't care if we got wet at this point. We crossed at the same time since the water was rushing in the far side. If Andy fell alone, I'm not sure how I could save him. We made it, it was very hard, I started crying again from exhaustion. This HAD to be the last river. Were close. We pressed on. We passed through twisted birch trees and ferns. It was very beautiful, I wish I could had enjoyed it over my misery. Think happy thoughts I told myself. 

Andy made it to the top of a hill and to guys told him we had 2km left. When Andy told me that I said what the hell is 2k? My mind lost all thinking mechanisms. We made it in 4.5 hrs, the book said 6-7. We had 30 min to spare. Holy shit we made it! I was so happy but my body had run out of tears. Wen the bus arrived there were lots of people. We ARE getting in this bus. Andy took our bags and I jumped on the bus. We were two of maybe 10 spaces on the bus. We made it. I was sitting, so happy to be here. I might not be able to walk for the next week but  we made it. 

On the ride home we got some hotdogs with delish Icelandic mustard and other sorts of condiments. The first thing we did when we hit Hella was get back in the hot pots. It was the most wonderful feeling being in 39 degree Celcius water. A quick soak then we headed back to the restaurant for some lamb and the most delish Icelandic burger ever. We passed out as soon as we got the tent up. What a long day it's been. 

The Laugarvegurinn hike is on- let's do this!

We didn't have to catch the bus until 10 so we got up, drank some coffee, got goods at the store and made some sammies for the hike. Of course the bus shows up early so we quickly pack our bags, me feeling like I'm def going to forget something. We jumped in the 4x4 monster truck bus filled with tourists and headed off to Landmannalaugar.

We met Barbara from Austria in the bus. We told her we planned on doing the hike in 2 days, she said we are crazy. That made me nervous. She wanted to hike with us since she was alone but she had reservations at the first hut. That wasn't going to work for us. First of all, we had no reservations and we were told they booked up fast. Second, we would have to make it at least to the second hut to make it in two days. We drove through fields filled with lava rock that shot out of Hekla during our 2.5 bus ride. After driving through some rivers I understood why the bus was a beast. Hekla is a huge mountain with a glacier on top that we re going to walk by. 

We got out of the bus and immediately got behind shelter because it was windy and raining. We went into the unisex bathroom to prep and get our gear in. I out on my makeshift rain pants made out of a garbage bag and duck tape. Bring it. At the base of the trail was a hot pot that looked so lovely but we didn't have time for that. We registered for the hike (in case we got lost). Barbara had a topographical maps and we had our free map from the diner. No need for us to pay for a map since the trail is "well marked. We took some pics at the trailhead and I stepped in a puddle and soaked my shoes. Goddammit. That was the thing I was trying so hard not to do. 

The start of the trail had us going straight uphill. The wind was picking up so much it was almost blowing us over. We walked through a field of obsidian and reylite which is a slow cooling lava rock that has lots of detail. We walked through an area of geothermal springs with the lovely smell of sulfur.  Up the mountain, we hit one ridge where the wind was blowing so hard Andy grabbed my hand so I wouldn't blow over the edge. All of a sudden the wind ripped my backpack rain cover off and over the land, impossible for me to retrieve it. Aahhhhh! Son of a bitch, why is the hike starting off like this!? We quickly moved on and took a little detour (well marked eh?). 

Up and up the mountain we hit rain then hail. This is going to be a rough hike. Andy had to hold my hand several times so I didn't blow away. Walking through the hail, it was almost impossible to see. The hail would pelt our eyeballs, making it hard to see the "well marked" stakes we were supposed to be following. I was hiding behind Andy as much as possible to block the wind and hail. The hike to the first hut was pretty much all uphill. We found ourselves in snow up to our knees. Wtf? We weren't prepared for this! 

Finally we found the hut Hrafntinnusker. We opened door but I immediately shut it because there was no room for us. There has to be another area right? Nope that was it. We made it in, drenched and freezing. It was a shit show inside. The mood was tense, I don't think we were the only people ill prepared. The warden was very nice but said we couldn't stay there because the hut was booked. Are you fucking serious? I might die if I have to go back outside. Andy quickly got me some hot water as I was close to a breakdown. It helped but I just got colder the longer I sat there. We tried to eat our sammies but it was difficult. Andy heard some guys talking about pressing on and said we would go with them. Traveling in this weather is better in groups. I was almost catatonic so I got up and put on my wet raincoat just to move again. You could see the look of horror in other people's eyes. Some people were setting up tents in this snow surrounded by 2 ft high walls. There was no way that was going to happen. The warden told us we were brave for going out in this. We were both drenched, multiple layers through. I held the hot water bottle and we went back outside since we didn't have the option of staying there. It took us 3 hrs to get there and it usually takes 4-5. 

The next part of the hike was very scary. Andy, myself, the two dudes from Boston (Miller and Rick?) took the trail one stake by one since you couldn't see farther ahead. A each stake we would all look around for the next and it wasn't easy. Sometimes it took us a couple minutes to walk around looking for the next stake. Many were blown over from the strong winds. There were small breaks where we could see the valley so we quickly took pics. A some point we started following red stakes instead of the blue stakes. There wasn't much we could do to change course at this point. 

The terrain was gnarly. The warden told us it was rolling hills. She didn't lie because we hiked up and down steep hills over and over again. We would slide down the slushy mountain and either hop rocks across a small river or walk across a fucking ice bridge. Mind you it's the end of the summer and parts of these ice bridges were melted, some with holes in the middle. They had rivers running blow. If we broke through we'd end up 7 ft under with no way to get up, none of us had rope. I let Miller go first. After the first several we started to feel confidant about them. No one fell through, we made sure only one person was on them at a time. There were thermal spots all over the mountain. There wasn't much point to try to warm up near them since they would only put more wetness in our clothes. 

The four of us were exhausted and freezing. Andy was trying to look through his fingers but the hail kept getting through to his eyeballs. The gloves Andy bought froze to his fingers and he almost had frostbite. Miller kept hallucinating the next hut. We wanted to see it so badly. We started to walk down the mountain and the hail turned to rain. I never thought I'd be so happy to be in cold rain. A least we are not going to die. All of us were so happy, the terrain got easier, and we finally saw the next hut! We were almost giddy with delight! The valley was gorgeous, lush with rivers and green next to the snow capped mountains. It was a lot of downhill which I don't mind since I was so done with uphill.  

It was 7:45 when we got to Alftavatn, just over 3 hours when the book calls for 4-5 hrs. The boys had reservations but I was hoping they would have openings and they did! Andy wanted to press on to the next hut but the look in my eyes said we were staying here. The hut was well worth the $90. The mood was very different, no fear of death, no shit show like the first hut. There as a group from possibly Denmark in the kitchen and welcomed us, telling us to sit by the gas fire. We four of us were ecstatic! We made it!! We aren't going to die! We quickly took off our wet clothes and made dinner. Andy made the best Mac and cheese with hotdogs ever, he added real cheese. We were starving which made it more delish. Nothing could get our spirits down at this point. We went to bed just after 9 to prep for the long next day. As the Danish were going to bed, we were informed the old person to have died was a 25 yr old who froze on the mountain. 

Taking it easy before the big hike

Up at 530 from a magnificent sunrise lighting up our tent. Good thing Andy could get up and take pics, it was too early for me, I'll look at the pics later. We fell back asleep until 730 when we awoke to a sheep baa'ing just outside out tent. It was overcast but it didn't matter. I took down the tent while Andy set up the stove for our morning coffee. We sat by the glacier river enjoying the warmth of the coffee with our klieners (Icelandic doughnuts). Another perfect morning.

Since we are planning on doing the 30 mile hike tomorrow, we decided to make it our mission to find a hot pot and relax a bit today. We stopped at Vik for a short hike to the black sandy beaches looking for Puffins (we didn't find any).

We went looking for hot pots in several towns until we came to Hella which had a pool and 4 hot pots. It was wonderful to relax and take a shower before the hike. To get energy, we ate beans and franks in the parking lot and found a camp sit down by the river. It was early so we stopped at the restaurant that looked like nothing from the outside. Inside it was a cute little bar/restaurant that loves to play Tracy Chapman. We had two blondes and a pizza to make sure we had enough nutrition. We booked the bus ride out ($90 for both) but not back since we were planning on hiking for two days but the possible third just in case. We were beat so we quickly put up the tent in the rain like champs and went to bed.

Big events!

Today was pretty special. We woke up at 930 after sleeping the whole night in a dry tent in Hverageroi. We drank some coffee, ate some bologna and cheese sammies, and talked to the couple from New Mexico about the hike nearby to Landmannalaugar. We decided to head East on the Southern coast.

The sun shinning as we headed S on Rt 1. We got some groceries in Selfoss and i got warm socks. We decided to pass the Puffin island for now since the sun was out and we wanted to take advantage and we can hit it up on the way back. We stopped at Seljalandsfoss to see a magnificent waterfall. There was a path behind the waterfall with beautiful views. Andy had flip flops on since his shoes were still wet and muddy. We thought it was warm until we got to the waterfall and felt the wind and the spray. Andy wanted some meat soup or the famous Icelandic hotdog but we pushed on. 

The next stop was Skogarfoss. Another amazing waterfall but this one had stair to the top of the mountain next to it. The crowd was minimal and the sun was out. There's a day hike from the top of the mountain we considered doing the next day. When we climbed back down the sun was in full swing and created rainbows at the 

We kept on crusing and saw a smaller but more beautiful waterfall with only one couple there. It was outside Vik at a place called Uxaflurlikaer. It was a a perfect place for lunch. I made some salmon and caviar sammies and Andy tools pics. Finally the couple left and we had the place to ourselves. It's hard to describe how beautiful it was. The water fell down several green crevasses and the wind blew the grass.  It was like something out of a movie. Then...

We pressed on and drove through the wastelands, stopping to take pics along the way. There were areas with fields of moss covering rocks which turned into mounds of volcanic rocks with small flowers. We were hoping for a thermal bath (hot pot as they call it) but the one on the farm was closed. There are small farms scattered over the wasteland, with dramatic mountains and deltas from waterfalls running into the ocean. 

Once we saw the glaciers we had to stop in Skaftafell and then in Svinafell, part of the Vatnajokull glacier, which covers most of the SE part of Iceland. Their size is astounding- they pick up boulders as they tear down the sides of mountains. You can see the crystal blue underneath the black sand. We continued on to the glacier lagoon of Jokulsarlon. At the bottom of the Breidamerkurjokull glacier is a clear water lagoon full of smaller glaciers. The sun shimmered off them as some of them floated out to sea. A sea lion played as tourists took pics. There were glaciers along the side of the river in the black sand. The contrast in colors was amazing. We had come this far so we decided to make the push for Hofn, the only town on this side of Iceland. Along the way we scoped out a perfect camping spot next to the river on the other side of a mound so cars passing by wouldn't see us. 

The drive to Hofn was deceiving since we had to go up and over the delta plain into the harbor. We ate dinner at quaint restaurant. The town is a fishing town known for its lobster so we ordered cured mutton over arugula and pine nuts and the lobster tail with salad with black magic sauce which was simply spices in the lobster. It was delish as we washed the meal down with wine. 

It was getting dark so we quickly headed back to our camp which was 56.5 km from the town. It was a clear night so we were hoping for some magic in the sky. We found it with no problems and pitched the tent. We fought off the sheep as they baa'ed constantly. Andy said they need more predators so they would know when to shut up. True dat. 

As soon as we sat down with our vodka and cran cocktails, Andy pointed to the edge of the clouds that were slightly lighter than the rest. I think that's the Aurora Borrealis he said. No it's not I replied, it's just the sun setting and hitting the clouds. All of a sudden, a light in the sky started dancing. He was right! Thats why the stars weren't very bright. I jumped for the camera in excitement although I didn't want to look away as the light moved from left to right above the mountains. It was initially a faint white, but then it got stronger where we could see the green. Andy got some amazing pictures. The first wave lasted 15 min and we thought it was over. We sat on the grass since it was a beautiful night and then the sky started dancing again, this time to the West. This time the show lasted for 45 min and eventually charged the whole sky. It looked like someone was shinning a spotlight over the sky, flicking it on and off. A truely remarkable ending to a memorable day. I'm feeling quite lucky to experience everything we have over the last three days, and it's just the start of our travels.