Well here goes the blog - what a drama to get this up and running using an Ipad when I started on a laptop!!!

China was well worth a second visit - lovely to stretch the legs, have a shower etc after the flight and then to stay a couple of nights.

The food in the Beijing markets could give the Parnell Farmers Market something to think about.
Morning tea choice of sea horse, cricket, still wriggling scorpion,flying fox, wee snakes, giant black hairy spiders, headless sparrows, centipedes all served on sticks! (All designed for a Barb Beattie dinner)

Not much smoking, no spitting, clear
blue skies and no smog. Quiet streets with electric motor scooters and trolley buses and everyone seems to have a smart phone! You are never given a plastic shopping bag unless you ask and pay for it and recycling is evident everywhere. Small kids still wearing the split trouser so no need for napped of any sort.

Up 800 steps to get to The Great Wall - quite amazing all that work and who knows how many lives lost or ruined to build such an edifice that did not keep out the Mongols. They came in on the frozen river instead of over the wall.
Three kilometers repaired and the rest in the area we were in left broken down.

On to Vienna where our friends from London were waiting for us we had a day with Mark and Claire exploring the architecture of the art nouveau architects, Klimt murals and cafes for chats.

Our Viennese hosts Geunter and Verena are truly amazing so kind and hospitable. They met us at the airport and we have use of an apartment which they filled with food for us, along with all the tourist brochures and even a mobile phone. It has been fun returning to public transport rhythm with standing on the correct side of the escalators so you don't block the traffic etc. Seven year old kids on their own with their scooters on the subway and every human race, colour, age flowing through the turnstiles with suitcases and dogs and large packages - all while using their mobiles.

We live in an area with many Turkish immigrants - all the shops including the supermarkets are Turkish. Eight blocks of market stalls just down the street for all the fresh ingredients but with the colour, size and sheen of the apples, oranges and pumpkin you wonder what is on or in them.

The apartment is on 7 th floor so we can see over the roof tops. Windows from living room only (which has the bed in it) and we face south to collect as much sun as possible. Kitchen has huge velux skylight but it is odd not being able to see out thru the walls.

I have seen the art and Alan the armory and together we did the Hundertwasser trail and saw some marvellous marionettes. Being the only adults there the director showed us the puppets up close and took us back stage to see how it all worked. With no German we didn't follow the script well but go the gist of it.

Could I live in an European city? I like to think so but would I be good and not jay walk; and cope with all the people on public transport that I have no connection with? But it is onle 2 million here aftaer 20 m in Beijing. And the cold!!! Last month it was 18 degrees below minus. They are two wood burners in the flat without smog problems.

Did the obligatory palace tour to learn about Emperoress Elizaeth and Marie Theresa (mother of 16 - 11 duaghters - all farmed out to marriages across Europe) Her daughter Marie Antionette seems to have gone to France reluctantly and with no training! Fantastic ceramic fire places in each rooms a (gold and white of course) fed with wood from the passages so the family were not disturbed by the servants. Went back to the palace to see the carriage museum and the gardens - had tea in the garden folly overlooking Vienna.

Spent the weekend at Verenna's granny's in the country and woke on Sunday morning to snow but that didn't stop the hosts from catching two trout for our lunch.
Granny hale and hearty with great appetite, thickly wavy hair, reading in bed till midnight and very perky. Only a few pills and going great for 92 next birthday.

Took the boat to next country Slovakia to see the old town of Brataslavia for a half day. Staggered to see the ' no guns allowed ' signs everywhere - guns are as unwelcome in banks as are icecreams. Some lovely old buildings with pretty tiled rooves and some hideous modern communist buildings.

We have been to two music venues - last night was blues in a tiny brick vaulted roofed venue in the city. Venue so small it sat only about 50 able to see the band and every night a different group. Last week there were security new in de rigeur black tee shirts, long ponytails and tons of tats and silver bling - probably as Charlie Watts from The Stones was the drummer. This time two pianos, drums and base playing boogie woogie. Great performance and although the well known pianist was Axel Zwingenberger, Ben Waters on piano with vocals stole the show. so great to sit close enough to see them actually play the instruments.

Our time in Vienna is closing and tomorrow we will be on the train for 7 hours to Slovenia in time for the party at Easter in Ljublana. Our hire car is ready and there are now four of us setting off for about 25 days around Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia in April. We may use the car for Zagreb and Budapest as well but nothing much planned so we can enjoy whatever the weather is offering wherever we are. We do have ten days booked in Novigrad on the Croatian coast in a house swap but it is likely to be too cold for swimming etc. We could scoot over for a day in Venice if we fancied but we will play it by ear.

Happy Easter and sorry to hear weather will be average this holiday in NZ.
Love to all
Gill and Alan