Czech Republic

Hi everyone,
I am in Czech Republic. A lovely mideival city called Ceski Krumlov. I just got back from a little morning stroll through the ancient cobblestone streets and over to the castel where I climbed the steps to the top of the tower and looked out over the whold city. They have an ancient moat around the castel and they keep a couple ;of very large brown bears there. They were just sleeping so...I stayed here last night and probably will again for 2 more nights. I am in a cool little hippy hostel called hostel 99 and it only costs 12 dollars per night. The local beer is called Eggenberg and it is quite okay. it is a llittle dark and bitter but very good. We are only 20 minutes or so by bus from Cesky budjovice which is where the real Czeck Budvar or Budweiser is made. Now that kids, is a fine brew. I think it is my favorite that I have tried here so far. The Pilsner Urquell is also good and very famous but I like the budvar. The beer here is much higher in Alcohol than in USA or even in most of Europe it is about 6 to 10 percent. Most of the breweries make two strengths with the higher alcohol being more expensive...Go figure.
So for two days before here I was in Praha which we call Prague the capital of Czech. It is an absolutely beautiful city. Totally exquisite in its architecture and cultural stuff is very fine indeed.I went out with a group of people I met in a hostel there. 2 Brazilians, An Ozzie woman, a french Canadian myself and one other American.
We go out to a Jazz night club called Unguent Jazz Bar. There is supposedly no cover charge, the music starts at 8 oclock and the band is supposed to be an electric guitar electric bass and drummer and a vibes player. Okay so off we go with visions of Lionel Hampton and Milt Jackson in my head and The music doesnt start until 930 the band has an electic keyboards player instead of vibes and there is no cover IF YOU ARE NOT IN THE ROOM WITH THE MUSIC!!
What bull oney. So we stay for one set of this un inspired plugged in Blues band and I drink 4 Vincent Van Gogh cocktails (absinthe and soda) and we split the scene and go to another bar called ...Marquis De Sade.
Okay Okay I know but how could i resist?They have a guy playing blues on a hollow body electric guitar and I am having a good time. It is 2 in the morning and I am on the sidewalk with 2 english girls dressed in Leather(them not me) smoking a hash and tobacco cigarett after 2 more absinth and sodas and finally me and one of the Brazillian guys call it quits and get home at about 330 in the morning.Busted my budget but what the wah hay Prague is a good time, I am here to testify.
Night before that I am in a GREAT town called Olomouc. it is very small used to be the capital of Moravia in ancient times and there are 4 cathedral and like 8 beautiful fountains in the main square. I am mainly just hanging out and people watching sipping espresso and eating dumplings, Hit the museum you know the ordinary stuff but in a most extradordinary place. I stay in a small hostel called Poets corner very nice except it is a 4 story walk up!! Aye Chingaso. 106 steps, yes I counted them.Only three staff memebers but one of them is (or I should say used to be )Doogie Houser. Yes now I know where old child TV actors go when their sit-com is cancelled. He is a cool guy and he still looks the same and sounds the same but he is much taqller. The Highlight of my stay here was seeing a pro hockey game. It only cost 40ck to get in and 17ck for a liter of beer, so for about 2 dollars a fine evenings entertainment was had.
I am getting outta here now too nice a day to type any longer.
You will hear from me soon.
Love to all of you
Robert

Krakow, Poland

Greetings from Poland,
Hi everyone, I am now in the beautiful city of Krakow Poland. The weather is perfect today about 25C and a clear blue sky. Excellent day to stroll around in the beautiful old town. The old town has a big flea market today and all these folks are selling really nice old antiques and nice jewelry made of amber.
Polish people are very friendly and always have a great smile for you. This is by far a lot cheaper to stay in than the contries I visited in Northwest Europe. I am staying in a nice hostel called Nathans Villa. They also have a hostel in Romania in the town that dracula was born in and I will stay there when I go to Roumania I am paying about 50 slotys per night which @3.5 slotys to the dollar is about 14 dollars per night and it includes breakfast and get this...FREE LAUNDRY!!! OOOh yeah the kid is smiling now!! These people are really friendly and give excellent advice and all the staff speaks English in a country where English is NOT real popular.
I have been drinking a bit of Polish beer and a type of vodka called Buffalo vodka, or something like that. I need to cut back a little as I felt a little frazzeled this morning.
Polish food is very interesting and quite delicious. Chantrelle mushroom season is happening and the Poles LOVE mushrooms. I ate in a little Peasant style restaurant last night with a high school teacher from New Zealand. A very cool woman of 34 years. She is here to find and meet long lost relatives whom she has not seen in 30 years. Imagine how excited this woman is.I think that is so cool... So we go to this restaurant and it has been given an award from the President of Poland for being "THE BEST RESTAURANT IN POLAND" wow.
It was really very good. We had a sour milk sausage and dumpling soup and a wild mushroom and pasta soup and then tried 3 types of piroshki, which are like little polish raviolis. Some filled with minced meat, some with green onions and a rustic farmers cheese like a firm ricotta and some with cabbage and mushrooms. Excellent Polish Peasant bread with a big coffee mug of Lard and chunks of bacon to spread on the bread. Yuuucchhh. No thank you!!
Dinner was about 8 bucks each.
I went yesterday to the horrific Auschwitz concentration camp. I cant even think about it. I left after 2 hours having only seen half of it. I didnt go to Birkenau next door at all. I just cant get my head around this shit. Sorry its just too terrible for me to deal with. I walked on the path that literally millions of condemned men women and children walked upon and I just got too emotional to continue, you know like something in my head just couldnt deal with it. Too heavy. I wont go to anymore of these camps. I dont have the constitution for it. I hear too many ghosts crying in my heart.
Today I am checking out castels and old churches and tonight I will go to a little jazz club called Harri's. The church of Peter and Paul is beautiful. Great artwork. This is the church where the current pope used to be the priest.
Poland is a blast I love it here.
I had a great time in Netherlands, particularly Utrecht. What a wondreful city to stroll around in. I stayd with a totally cool Servas hostess named Ans. She was a delight, and a most excellent cook who fed the boy real real well!!! It is great to have a home cooked meal now and then. Amsterdam is Amsterdam it is a little more expensive now that they have switched from Gilders to Euros, but otherwise the city is just the same as it was in 1999.
Gonna sign off now I will send you all a picture taken a month ago in Stockholm Sweden and will send another update in a week or so.Thank you everone who has written me e-mails lately its great to hear from you . I hope to hear from the rest of you soon!! Nothing but love to all of you.
Your friend,
Rambling Robert

Belgium and Amsterdam

Hi Everyone,
I have just left Belgium and I an now in Amsterdam. Belguim was superb .Not as expensive as some of the other European Countries I went to Brussels and Brugge.
I just cant say how unbelievably beautiful Brugge is.I had never heard of the place until my buddy Chan told me about it. It is a totally mid-evil city in its architecture and the cobblestone streets and the meandering canals.The Belgium peoople are famous for beer and I can now testify that they have a lot to be proud of. I sample a good bit of the cuisine, and They seem to be excellent cooks.
Brugge is also famous for its lace industry and little lace shops and it is the home of the famous statue by Rodin called "the thinker". A very impressive piece of work. They have all these tiny little boutique chocolate shops there the Belgians just love good chocolate.
These folks are very freindly and it is easy to communicate. I would definately recommend Brugge as a place to travel too to anyone who has never been there
So now I am in Amsterdam. What can I say... some kids never grow up huh? I was here in 1999 and had such a good time I decided to come back and have a stop at my favorite coffee shop and maybe do some window shopping. I am staying at the Bulldog Hotel.
I will say more in the next update,
Until then Adios,
Robert

France

Bon Jour Mon Amis,
Well if you have not guessed, I am in France, Precisely I am in Paris.
I have been in France for a week now. I first arrived by a ferry boat out of Dover Englqnd and qrrived in the port city of Calais. I stqyed thqt night in the neqrby town of Bologne-sur-Mer in Normqndie. I hqd q pretty rough time there...Got drenched in a rain down pour, tried to get a train out of town and was wrongly told the trains were on strike (well they were but only the local lines which did not effect me) Finally got q ticket to the wrong city ie Mont St Michel when I wanted to go to St Michel -sur-Greve q rude creep of a ticket salesman wouldnt take my travelers check and pretended not to speak english until I cussed him out.
Finally got to St Michel and was greeteed by my friend Yvonik with A kiss on each cheek at the train station. It sure was great to be greeted by a friend after the grumpy old man with shit in his pants that sold me the wrong tix. So I stayed with Yvonik and his partner Jean Max for 3 nights. They were perfect hosts and I had a great time. Yvonik dropped me at the train station in Morlaix and I went to Quimper another city in Brittany. It was as beautiful as the other two maybe even more so. I had a terrific time there and ate a lot of crepes which the region is famous for as well as some fine Brittany cheeses and visited a number of Charcuteries and Boulangeries and generally made picnics every afternoon in the many beautiful town squares and parks.
I havent been drinking too much wine since I left New Zealandm but now I am in France and of course that has changed! They have loads and loads of really excellent cheap wine in all the surpermarkets a large selection of maybe 40 types of red french wines for under 6 euros.
I am in Paris as I write this letter. I have been here for 3 days. it is as beautiful and wonderful as peoople have always told me it was. I cant say enought about it its truly the city of light. I went to Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, Museum Orsay,Eifel tower,arc de triomphem, the opera house and the Alexander the 3rd Bridge and walked all over the Champs d elyse and the surrounding area saw the Presidential palace and waved to Jacques Chirac but he did not wave back. I can see the eifel tower from my room window. At night it has a huge light Beacon that goes in circles. The city is just too beautiful and wonderful for words. I really mean it.
Tomorrow I go to Brussels Belguim and from there to Brugges and then to Ghent and then to Netherlands probably to the Hague first and then to Utricht and Amsterdam before heading to Krakow Poland.
I hope everyone is okee dokee back home and I hope that any of you who have never been to Paris reconsider, because it is one of my all time favorite cities now.
Au Revoir,
Le Vouyager du Monde
Robert