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This is Jan's diary. If you want to receive this diary by mail, write your mail on the contact form.

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Italy

Ravenna (see on map)

07/04/2006:

This morning I have gone towards Ravena, where I had remained to have lunch with my friend Christian. I had known him some six months ago during the preparation of the journey, when I had been a week in Rimini in a fair of caravaning. It happened that casually that Christian was a very good friend of the Anna from Milano.

Christian is a guy worthwhile to know He regent a shop of board games and is an enthusiast of the quantic physics and the relativity. Last time that I had remained with him we had had some very interesting and deep conversations about physics and philosophy. And this time it has not been less.

We have gone for lunch to have a delicious fried fish in the port of Ravena in a restaurant of anglers. We have been talking of languages, board games (chess and go), but especially of my journey and of how the dream that it was six months ago when we had known ourselves it had become really. I explained him that aside of not surrendering and searching new paths for arriving to the fate when some paths block up, also was necessary to readjust the fate or goals to find new paths to arrive at it.

In the afternoon I have made him the interview and knowing its depth thought, I have attempted to go more far away with his answers and it has ended up being a very interesting interview.

Christian was not considered with sufficient knowledge not to isolate any problem, anyway, he also believed that the problems only existed under the human point of view, therefore, maybe really there did not exist problems. At regional level, he believed that one of the problems in Italy was that many people have closed mind. The knowledge is a path to broaden the field of vision of everybody. Personally, each one has to find its path to help the world, for example, he uses the physics to broaden the knowledge of his environment however other will go to Brazil to achieve food for the people who pass hunger. At personal level he considered himself happy. He believed that the money helps to achieving things that we want but they do not help to happy being, the secret of the happiness is in sustaining a good relation with the other ones and you .

In the afternoon I have accompanied him to his shop and as he had work I have gone to stroll through Ravena, a city very calm and little touristic but with some commercial streets and pleasant squares of strolling.

Have I have started to sleep early in the caravan to retrieve the sleep of the last days.

Bologna (see on map)

08/04/2006:
This morning Christian have met me on the Hymer to go to breakfast and afterwards to go to his shop from where he has let me work and to connect to Internet with my computer.

I have interested in the card game Magic The Gathering that Christian sold in the shop and he has explained a world that was unaware to me. Is seen that it’s game of more than 12 years, with great international tournaments in those that play many money. The cards print a limited number of times, which it makes that some cards are revalued and end up being paid more of 100€. Each player plays with a quarrel of cards that he makes himself according to the strategy that he uses. The develops of the game is taking out points to the other one until you eliminate him. Later he has broadened my knowledge about the role games.

We have gone for lunch to have a pizza to a restaurant beside its shop. There I have eaten the best pizza of my life, or comparable to a pizza of Steak Tàrtar that I had tasted some months ago in France. Is seen that the owner of the restaurant "The Mia Patria" (Way G. Rasponi - Ravena) has won several gastronomic prizes and he dedicates to create pizzerias and to make them grow during a pair of years for afterwards to sell them when they work perfectly.

In the restaurant we have found a group of Role players that they had bought formerly in the shop and we have been very amusing with their humour and "freaky" occurrences.

In the afternoon I have seen off Christian with the certainty that we will coincide again in some other moment of our lives and I have closed up in the caravan to work a little. Afterwards I have gone to a supermarket and finally I have gone towards Bologna while a big reddish sun went down in front of me.

Tomorrow I have to meet Ester and other compatriots in Bologna. Ester is a good friend and, at the same time, the woman of a good friend. She is working in Pahi company that manufactures furniture for hairdresser's and coincides that this weekend there is a fair of aesthetics in Bologna and they set forth there. In my itinerary Bologna was not included, but it is worthwhile to deviate a few kilometres to meet a good friend and to look at a few models (this last she suggested).

Reggio Emilia (see on map)

09/04/2006:

Yes, it is truth, I already was in Reggio Emilia... Well, I will explain to you what I make this night writing from here. Before however, I will say you that today I have had a fantastic day with the people of Pahi in the fair of aesthetics of Bologna.

At mid-morning I have gone towards the fair. I have sent a message to the mobile of Ester and she has gone out to receive me very happy. She has explained to me that all my friends of the town feel perfectly well and that there are already 3 new babies in the world. It seems to be that three couples of the group became of agreement nine months ago.

We have entered to in the immense fair, in one of the pavilions, and she has presented me its colleagues of work, all them charming. The truth is that I have felt very well accommodated. She has let me seat in a chair that makes massages while in front I had a beautiful panoramic view of parading girls in a footbridge of hairdresses.

Some moment that there was little work Ester has accompanied me to stroll trhough the fair, I have took a massage of legs and hips with a machine that vibrated and in the afternoon have cut the hair with some South Americans who cut with the estisores at the speed of the light go. All this without paying any coin.

During all day, Ester and the other colleagues of Pahi have been insisting to me of going to dinner with them in Reggio Emilia. At first I did not decide because next day I would have to go back the same 70 kilometres and because I had been there. But in the end I have let myself convince. And it has been worthwhile, because the dinner has been very cordial and fun. Anyway, it has not been as simple as this to present myself to the dinner, because once arrived in Reggio Emilia I have loosed for moments.

Venezia (see on map)

10/04/2006:

This mid day I have arrived to Venice. I knew that it would be impossible to park in the centre without buying an equipment of scuba diver. Therefore I have parked in one of the immense car parks that the city has. But when I have entered I have been near to return back. The daily price of the car park was of 37€, incredible... Anyway I have entered with the hope to invent something for not having to pay this nonsense.

In Venice I had remained mid-afternoon with Dea, that according to its profile in the website Couchsurfing is a girl without ties and traveller. I had desires to know her but while I prepared the lunch she has sent me a message that today could not remain and that would be better tomorrow in the morning before working.

I have been working a pair of hours in the Hymer and when finally I have decided to make a stroll through Venice it has stated to rain. Anyway I have suggested myself that aside of wetting, the rain is also beautiful. So, I have taken one umbrella and I have gotten the bus that has token me to the Square of Rome, the last redoubt where the cars can arrive. From there I have started my walk through the labyrinth of alleys and canals until I have achieved to arrive to the spacious square of San Mark. The city seemed more humid than habitual, depainting, sad, with towers and inclined buildings, like in Pisa... Anyway, also there was some gondolero that attempted to animate the canals with his singing and laughs.

When I have came back towards the square of Rome, I have noticed really of how big is the city. I wanted to arrive there before 9:15 to take the last bus the car park of the Hymer, but I have been near to lose it. I have been walking with haste more of half an hour. The thing that I can not insure is that I did not do it with circles, because in Venice it is very easy to lose the orientation and the references.

11/04/2006:

Today I have taken the bicycle to go to the square of Rome. I have not gone beyond because all bridges that cross the canals have scales and that makes them quite impassable for the bicycle. From the square of Rome I have guided with the GPS to the bridge of Rialto where I had remained with Dea, and the truth is that it has suited me a lot, because I have arrived at it in a moment.

Dea has arrived after a while. I was not sure that she was, because like usually happens, she had an expression different to the photo of Internet. I have asked her and she was. We have greeted ourselves and we have gone to take a coffee.

She has explained me that she grew in Canada, in spite of that her origins are Servo-croats. Now she is working in Italy with the Unesco, but her dream is to travel and, after finishing the project that she is carrying out she will probably ask for another destination to the organisation. Possibly in Asia.

We have not been able to talk too much because she has had to enter to work, then I have made again a stroll, to connect to Internet, to take photos and to search a laundry, that I have not found until the afternoon.

While I was taking a photo of the water park of the firefighters, a man has been passed to me with a girl risen to the neck, and after talking a while he has commented me that Venice is not any more the one that it was, that it has declined a lot and that this was owed to the tourism of low quality that at present visited it. I have not dared to commenting him I formed part of these tourists, of those of lower quality.

In the afternoon I have made again a stroll, well, more that a stroll it has been an excursion because I have been walking more than four hours, visiting only a small part of Venice. The sun has illuminated without shame and the tourists have gone out from the hotels animating the majority of streets again, the gondolas have filled in the canals and the damp and the sorrow of last afternoon has blurred.

During the walk I have meet casually Dea, she has commented me that she would send me a message for meet me later, but it has not been until the night that she has sent it to me, excusing herself because she had had to stay in the office even late.

Slovenia

Ljubljana (see on map)

12/04/2006:
(Venice) Today, when I have awakened and have opened the blind with view to the sea, it has surprised me to see the mountains of background, I suppose that the Alps, snowed. Maybe because of that I have not been able to switch on the heater that works with campingaz. Anyway, when mid-morning the sun has heated the Hymer, I have been able to take a shower with no problems.

Afterwards I have gone to wash cloth to a laundry that I located yesterday. I have gone there with the bicycle, with the well loaded saddlebags. I always use this system to lead the cloth to be washed, but this time has been a little more painstaking because I have had to cross 4 bridges with a few scales.

Before having lunch I have taken out the caravan from the expensive car park and I have started to go towards Ljubljana. It is at little less than 300 kilometres but I have arrived there the evening. First I have stopped to have lunch and afterwards have kept on stopping for kept on passing video to the computer and render it. For days I have been using the journeys to connect all the electronic devices that I can to electricity, like so the battery is not unloaded, and at the same time, if I have to stop time to time also get distracted and the driving become still lighter.

I have crossed with illusion the border of Slovenia, after half an hour of queue. I have the sensation that crossing this border I pioneer a new stage on the journey. I will start to circulate for countries and to know cultures that are more different for me. Even though quite a lot of people have insisted to me that Slovenia is more similar the Europe of the west than that of the east.

And effectively, one thing that has surprised me is the perfect stat of the motorway, the tangential that surrounds Ljubljana and the few streets for where I have circulated. The infrastructures are a lot better than in Italy. Anyway, the green and wavy landscape announces me that, maybe yes, I have entered into a new territory. And there are also the words of the posters, that seems that there is lacking to them letters or they exceed them... For example, every time that I have to write Ljubljana I have to copy and to paste with the word, because typing I do not get it yet.

I have parked near an immense shopping centre, where I have to be in a day and half to meet Lea, a Slovene friend that I knew a year and half ago in my journey in Africa. During this time we have been sustaining the contact across Internet and it is not necessary to say that meeting ourselves makes us a lot of illusion. During the weekend I will stay on her town and we will pass Easter with her family. I do not know which received expects me, because in one of her electronic mail she wrote: "I have explained to my colleagues and to students everything about your journey and they are very interested in knowing your, you are like a celebrity here".

13/04/2006:

This morning I have gone out to buy to the supermarket that I have beside the Hymer. Only entering it has surprised me that the shelves of products were in diagonal and with big space among them. Then, as I feared only I knew what bought for the drawings or the photos of the packages, except the milk, which I have supposed it was some white tetabrik with some drawn flowers. Luckily, the prices were in euros, even though before I already had searched the change Euro/Tolar.

Next I have gone to stroll through the shopping centre of the side that it did not differ too much from the Spaniards, and I have located the cinemas Colosej where I have to find the Lea tomorrow. I have also taken out money with the credit card, as I receive a message in the mobile every time that I pay or take out money, I have noticed that they have not loaded me many commission.

In the afternoon, after having lunch and cleaning the caravan, I have directed with the bicycle towards the centre of Ljubljana. It was a good day and the bars of the side of the river were very cheerful. I have permitted the luxury of seating in a table in the sun and taking a drink because before had already made the effort of rising to the castle from where there has a interesting sight of the city. Afterwards I have strolled through the other shore till the triple bridge, really I do not know why they constructed them, but there are very sideways.

When I have arrived to the caravan I have feeling tired. Not for the effort carried out because it has been very minor from other days. I rather believe that it is because the allergy that I drag from years ago, this morning I have taken again anti istaminics that I didn’t took for time and these leave a little sleepy.

This allergy that I do not have detected yet at what it is exactly, perhaps is to me, it provokes me occasionally rhinitis and this makes that almost never I feel the smells. I have always thought that is better to lose this sense that other, even though it does not stop being annoying. In any case, I explain this to you so that you are not amazed if I never speak you about the smells or perfumes of the countries or cities that I visit or I keep on visiting.

14/04/2006:

This morning I have gone to meet Lea and we have greeted ourselves with a strong embrace. She has asked me what I wanted to do but I have commented that I was in her country and that she could suggest me more better what we could do. Then she has proposed to me all the things that we could do in one day: first we would go by her car to the lake of Bled, we had agreed in the afternoon with some friends that will show us Ljubljana and in the evening we will go towards Novo Mesto, where her boyfriend lives.

The lake of Bled is small but beautiful. In the centre there is a very picturesque baroque church, in the other shore, on a cliff it rested a castle and in the background, the snowed Alps ends decorating the landscape. We have walked to the top of a clue of ski in the middle of a beautiful forest that awakened of the winter. The pity has been that above we did not have a complete sight of the lake.

Afterwards we have gone by the car towards the other side of the lake where a narrow valley called Vintgar starts to be formed. We have walked for the side of a noisy river until we have found a poster that in Slovene said: "Not passing, danger of death". But we have commented that we would become foreigners and that we would pass, because we wanted to visit some waterfalls that there were a kilometre away. But a few metres afterwards we have found a barrier exactly before a bridge of wood with some more explicit signals, but also in Slovene. We have crossed the bridge with precaution and have been ahead, but finally some men who were cutting a tree have drawn us the attention and we have go back.

Coming back towards Ljubljana we have found retentions, in good part caused by foreign cars: Germans, Austrians, Czech... that they went to the coast of Croacia to spend Easter.

In Ljubljana we have found the two friends of Lea, of whom I do not remember the names. They have been very nice. They have been our guides of the city and we have visited other parts that I had not visited on last day: the town council, the church, the market... Finally we have rested to eat a cake in a bar, which I have eaten with great delight because we were on afternoon and we had not had for lunch.

Later we have gone towards Novo Mesto, the town where the boyfriend of the Lea lives. I went with the Hymer following the car of Lea, but we have remained halfway retained, because in this point the new motorway was not constructed yet. Then, I have gone down of the caravan and I have given to Lea one of the walkytalkies that Alan sponsor had given me. So, we have been able to continue talking more than one hour while we circulated slowly.

In Novo Mesto, Lea has presented me Igor, her boyfriend, a boy excited by the music. He has prepared some dinner and we have been talking a bit of political. In Slovenia they lived a communal life and separation a little complicated from Yuguslavia and many people ask me here if in Catalonia the inhabitants also want the independence.

15/04/2006:

Towards 10am Lea and Igor have suited to me to search in the Hymer to go to make a stroll through Novo Mesto. Novo Mesto is the fifth city of Slovenia in number of inhabitants but not much bigger than Vic, the small city of Catalonia where I lived. It is a city that is growing since many European industries are bringing the production there. They are happy with the new jobs but they are afraid that next year they entered into the euro zone and this provokes an increase of the prices, especially of the flats.

Later Igor has asked me if I wanted to see vipers and I comment him that it could be interesting. We have gone to a castle that were on reconstruction where in one of the walls we have been able to observe an viper quite bigger than the Iberian ones that sunbathed.

Afterwards we have visited a beautiful castle, or a big mansion, in a small island of a river and there I have interviewed Igor to take the pulse a little more to the world. He thought that the main problem of the world was the overpopulation and the fast growth. It was not much optimistic with the solution of the problem. He don’t know that the solution China applies to avoid the overpopulation is the correct solution because it’s agains of the human rights. Igor was considered happy. The secret of the happiness is to be optimistic and to have fun with the small things.

In the afternoon we have directed towards a big monastery where we had to find some cousins of Lea: Petra, Tina and Julien, French and boyfriend of Tina. Togethere we have visited only a part of monastery because in the rest monks lives, we have visited some ancient town where you could have the idea of how people lived one or two centuries ago (a home with home of fire but without chimney has surprised me because they used the smoke to smok the meat that they put in the superior flat), web have visited another monastery where there were some big wood sculptures product of a competition that they made not all the years and finally we have relaxed taking a coffee and a beer in one town that they called Slovene Venice because it was in an island in the middle of a river. There I have made an interview to Tina.

Tina have the opinion that the bigger problem of the world is that the people do not understand among them and hardly can be solved because the people get bored if they do not create problems. She can help to changing his going round but not more. The greatest problem of Slovenia is that they are a very small country with very little influence, she believe that it was not a complex but a reality. Tina was considered quite happy because she did not consider that there was a state of absolute happiness. There would not be anything that made her happier. The secret of the happiness is simply to enjoy every moment.

During all day long I have been able to keep on observing all over where we passed or that we visited one of the typical Slovene traditions of Easter. It is a tradition to make a special meal on Saturday of Easter but before eating it has to be led to blessing in church. So, in all journeys that we made we could observe women and girls with baskets of wicker covered with a napkin that went towards the church to bless the food. This meal could be to have lunch or to have dinner, but at Lea’s home they have eaten mid-afternoon.

I and Lea have arrived a little late, but her parents and sister have eaten a little again to accompany us. The dinner was by loin of smoked pig, sausage, a home bread very good and of a root that I have identified with a turnip. This root in accounts of boiling it, they make jump small sparks with a knife and eat it crude escort the cold meat, its flavour is bitter but pleasant. It has been a very calm and close dinner, with a conversation half in English and half in Slovene that Lea was in charge of translating.

Bukosek (Brezice) (see on map)

17/04/2006:

I have passed a pair of magnificent days in Bukosek. In principle I planned on going this morning, but I’m still here. If the motive on the journey was to find a wonderful place in the world where to live this would be one of them. The people that I have found and the friends that I have made have been charming. And I do not deceive you if I tell you that I will leave a piece of my heard in Bukosek.

These two days I have slept in the caravan but every morning I have showered at Lea’s house with abundant water. I have also been having breakfast with them, capuccino, bread with jam and potica (potitsa), a delicious pastel that is created rolling up the dough. When I was in Ljubjana, the friends of Lea tell me that the potica was a duty that I liked, but the duty is it not necessary because it is impossible that you do not like it.

Yesterday I devoted the morning to working, because Lea let me connect to Internet with her adsl. We had lunch in family quite early, at twelve. I took a bottle of wine that I bought in Italy and they liked a lot, although it has 12 degrees of alcohol, quite more than the 8 of the Slovene wines.

And after having lunch we had football match. The men of the family and some neighbours have been playing a football match in a clearing in the middle of the forest every Sunday for more than 45 years. Doesn’t mind that it rains, it snows or it is sunny, because they have never stopped playing it. Yesterday, because there were me and the French Julien more men came to play. We were 12 and we made three equipment. It was very fun to play among the trees and trying not to run up against the roots. And between match and match, a little of wine or of beer helped you to retrieving the energies. I had the honour of making the first goal, after three matches of 10 minutes with a result of 0-0, but many more next arrived.

Finished the match and after the shower, me, Lea, her parents, her sister Janja and her boyfriend went to visit a cave excavated in the sand in one small town a few kilometres from Bukosek. This deep cave that had been reopened recently, had been used long ago to preserve the foods and the wine in a cool space.

In the evening, after having dinner another time in family, we went to drink a beer to Brezice. We were a tot, Lea, her sister, her boyfriend, cousins... It was very fun, the four sisters and cousins were speaking about all games that they play on the forest when they were child, the plays that had represented, the anecdotes of the school. Afterwards we were speaking about my journey and finally they gave me their addresses of electronic mail so that I sent them the diary. I commented them that I was a little late with the sending and that therefore, when they received the diary of the stay in Slovenia I would already be quite far from there. But after a little joke, I have calmed them down telling them that I did absolutely not have anything of bad thing to explain.

Tina asked me if after the project of taking the pulse in the world I would know the truth about all these subjects. Anyway I replied that I hoped to obtain my own conclusions, but that in any case they would be so much valid than the rest of opinions that I has collected during the journey.

This morning I have worked a little again, but I have gone mid-morning to the home of front, where the cousins of Lea live, and I have made an interview with Petra a girl with a lovely smile.

The main problem of the world according to the Petra is that the world is divided different groups who search problems among them. The solution would be in travelling, knowing people of different cultures and being friendly. At regional level Petra thought like its sister, that Slovenia is a too small country and that the people in the world are not interested in their country. At personal level Petra felt a little lost because she did not know which goal to give to her life, if she found this motive for living would be happier. Following the same line, the secret of the happiness is found the meaning of the life.

After the interview, Petra has proposed to go to do a stroll with bicycle and I have accepted with the condition of being at home before twelve, the lunchtime in Lea’s home. Tina and the Julien have also come. We have been pedalling for the near a stream. The day was splendid, was sun but not heat. Tina and Julien have been late and I have been having a conversation very interesting with Petra following the thread of the interview.

After having lunch there has been one another football match. This time it has been more exhausting because we were only eight and have only made two equipment, therefore there has not been the rest of the other match. Anyway, I have had fun like never.

After the match, the father of Petra and Tina has asked me for a DVD with the piece of football match that yesterday Lea filmed with my camera. Finally I have decided to remain until the following day so in the evening I could edit the video tape that I had recorded.

In the evening I have seen off everybody, because the following day everybody entered to work early. I have given them many thanks for these fantastic days between them and they have wished me very good journey. Intending a moment that I have kept with Petra alone I have asked her if she would want to accompany me the following day to visiting Zagreb that was few kilometres from Brezice and surprising me she has accepted.

Croatia

Zagreb (see on map)

18/04/2006:

I have stayed all the morning with the caravan parked in Brezice waiting Petra finished working and early in the afternoon we have gone together towards Zagreb, a pleasant city, with many parks, calm streets of strolling, other of commercial, and very nice people.

Petra is girl a very sweet, calm, cheerful, fun, intelligent... terribly charming. If I had stayed more days in Bukosek possibly I had fallen in love madly and I had not been able to continue my journey or I had implored her that she accompanied me forever.

I have spent an afternoon unforgettable with her, simply strolling and talking. But this is one of the wonderful lessons that I am learning in this journey, to live the present and to enjoy it. It does not matter if it is sunny or it rains, if you arrive above from the mountain or you stop halfway to contemplate the landscape. It’s important to learn to appraise every instant: a look, a smile, the tact... Enjoying every moment without worrying if these will finish or continue. Because if they finish, late or early there will arrive again new moments that will fill in your heard again. And as long as these do not arrive you will be able to enjoy the longing, of the what it could happen but it has not happen, of the remembrance of felling loved for some instants.

Austria

Graz (see on map)

19/04/2006:

Yesterday evening I said goodbye to Petra and I slept in the motor home in front of her home . This morning, just after I have had breakfast, she came again to say goodbye for the last time, at the back, her mother was also saying goodbye to me. It was raining.

After breakfast and having had a shower, I have started the road towards Graz, Austria. The shortest way has made me pass three borders: Slovenia-Croatia; Croatia-Slovenia; Slovenia-Austria. In each one I have had to show the passport and in some of them, they have stamped it.

In Venice, Dea had explained me that she was working on a project for the Unesco, which had to be developed in the Balkans and she was having quite a lot of problems to have Slovenia accept the project because they did not consider themselves to be in the Balkans because they said they belonged to Central Europe. In Slovenia, I asked some people who confirmed this opinion. Anyway, I have to say that passing the three borders I did not encounter any significant geographical accident nor any remarkable change in culture or landscape. The three countries are full of green colour because of their forests and wavy fields. The rural homes are distributed all over and the white or yellowish churches are projected nearly behind each hill.

At Lea’s home, I had found through Internet where to find spares of camping gas bottles in Graz , because mine were nearly empty. Upon my arrival at Graz, I addressed directly to that place. It was a big warehouse full of construction and decoration products. I put 6 bottles on a trolley and I asked the employees, who only spoke German, and who made me go from one side to the other. Finally, I found the chief and I got the spare bottles. And since it had been so difficult, I am thinking about having cold showers from now onwards and using the gas only for cooking and for the fridge.

Graz has fascinated me. I have spent a very pleasant afternoon there. It seems a very calm city, its commercial streets have a relaxed dynamism and the bars in the squares are full of people peacefully talking. The city has a few parks, a tower with a clock on a hill and a pair of futuristic structures that contrast with the old buildings of steep roofs: the exhibition centre colloquially called "the friendly alien" and an artificial island in the middle of the river.

Wien (see on map)

20/04/2006:

I have left at mid-morning direction Wien. The road map I use had a cross marked with pencil on a village half-way called Pölau. I had probably marked it during the preparation of a previous trip that in the end followed another itinerary. The Europe guide I use now did not mention it, but I have decided to pass through anyway.

Pölau does not seem too different from the rest of small villages I have passed through, except for a beautiful baroque church constructed just in the middle. I have taken my camera and at once, I have gone back to the Hymer to fetch the tripod and the film camera, because it was worth keeping some images of the fantastic paintings that filled each square centimetre of the church.

When I have gone out, I have noticed that quite a lot of people were eating ice cream in a bar in front of where I had parked the Hymer and supposing that they would be good I had one too. Anyway, they could not be compared with the Italian ice creams.

Wien has surprised me for its splendour, elegant buildings, big parks, wide avenues, .... I have parked next to the Rathaus, which after consulting the dictionary I have known it was the city hall. I have addressed myself to the information centre, crossing three parks. It was mid afternoon and people were relaxing under the last moments of sun, or they were playing football, studying their notes or smoking in group... In Wien, unlike many other cities that I have recently visited, there is a very alternative behaviour: punks, hippies, indefinite...

I was taking pictures in a park, when some boys who were smoking an Arab pipe draw my attention and they asked me why I was taking pictures to people. But I answered them that I was making art and I showed them some of the photos that I had taken. Finally they were convinced that I was harmless and I could continue taking photos.

21/04/2006:

I have been working in the morning, selecting photos and translating the diary that I sent afterwards from a cybercafé. At the beginning of the diary I have asked for some help with the translations from Catalan into Spanish and English, and before disconnecting I have already received some emails offering me such a help.

I am very pleased with the readers I have. Some are friends and relatives, but most of them are unknown people. In the internet service company that I directed before my trip (Javajan www.javajan.com), we have an electronic magazine that we send to nearly six thousand electronic mails of people and companies. Before leaving the company I announced in the magazine that I would start this trip and also that I would send them the diary but many of they may have not read it, because continuously I receive messages of this type: "Who are you? I do not know who you are and why you are sending me your diary, but I like it a lot, please do not stop sending it to me". Other readers encourage me to continue the trip, others give me some advice to improve the diary, others congratulate me for the photos, others give me contacts in the countries where I will go next and there is one who even writes me poems. From time to time I also receive messages of this type: “I am working and I am not interested in your holidays at all, remove my email address from your list or I will take you to Court". I can understand them... Receiving emails like mine makes people distract from their day to day work... In any case, writing the diary and receiving all this feedback encourages me to continue writing, travelling and learning worldwide.

In the afternoon I have taken the bicycle from the Hymer and I have gone for a city tour, filming most of the time. I have visited the centre with its splendid buildings, the parks, the cathedral and the tourists all over. Afterwards I have ridden towards the immense Danubi where there are several long islands in the middle of parks. On the way back the city has slowly lost its elegance and has become a more residential and working area, but the big avenues have not disappeared. When I have arrived at Danubi, I have had a problem in the handlebar of the bicycle and I have returned to the motor home so as not to have to remain there. Before arriving I have stopped at a bar where they offered Internet to the customers and I have had a beer.

The beer has made me feel good, and after having taken another one for dinner, I have decided to go out for fun. I have looked in the guide where to go and I directed to the first place but it was closed. Then I have asked some boys who have kindly told me the best places to find some fun. I have taken the underground and I have seen that most of the people do not pay. Near Morzin-platz there are many pubs with quite good atmosphere. I have entered into one of them where a trumpeters was playing house music. There, by chance I have encountered some boys from Slovenia that had stolen my beer. First of all they have tried to convince me that I was confused, but then they have admitted saying that this was a usual practice in Slovenia. I liked them and I have been for quite long time joking with them and joining them in their attempt to seduce the girls in the pub. Late at night I have arrived at another pub and I have been there dancing with a very sensual girl for long. She was just trying to make her boyfriend jealous. Though I knew she had a boyfriend, I have enjoyed seducing and letting a girl which could leave at any time seduce me.

22/04/2006:

I have woken up at midday, and if it had not been for the alarm clock I would have slept longer. I have had a shower and a breakfast-lunch while in the distance I was listening to some loudspeakers explaining a bike-cross show. The exhibition was in front of the Rathaus, next to the motor home I have spent some time amazing myself at the acrobatics they made and I taking some pictures.

At 3 I have gone towards Schottentor square, also next to the motor home where I had dated a girl. Since the beginning of the trip I use the web site couchsurfing.com to get to know people in each of the big cities I visit. In this web site people offer hospitality to the travellers who visit their city, therefore, the people you meet are usually very bridemind and interesting. As I do not require any accommodation and I am involved in a very interesting trip to most of many people, it is quite easy for me to date somebody in each important city to go for a walk, to take a cup of coffee and to talk to them to get to know how the world behaves.

Is it evident from the diaries I have written till now, that I always try to contact girls, why to say the contrary?. For me, travelling alone as I do, the feminine contact is important, even if it is only to talk and see that my charm, analysed by Denise in Perugia is still latent. On the other hand, I have always believed that in a certain time I will find a girl who will take my heart and who will accompany me during a part or the rest of my great trip. Who knows, maybe is one of my readers;-).

I have arrived at the date without knowing for us whether Katherina would appear, since she had not confirmed it and neither did I know what her face looked like, because in her profile from the couch surfing she did not have her picture. But after waiting a while a very nice girl has arrived.

Katherina is studying a branch of architecture and she has always been lived in Wien. She is willing to go to South America next year to find some work and this is why she has started to learn Spanish. We have been walking in the centre, talking about my trip and her studies and finally she has suggested taking a glass of wine outside the city.

We have taken tram "D" and we have stopped at the last stop. In that area there are several places where you can taste Austrian wines, among the house with their gardens and orchards. But we have taken a street up the residential suburb and arriving at many vineyards, from which a beautiful panoramic view of Wien could be contemplated, until we have reached the top of the hill where she and her mother had been there in the past. There was a place to taste wine but we were so thirsty that we only took a typical white wine with some mineral water.

Upon returning, I have visited her home and there I have made an interview to get to know how the world behaves and I have got internet connection. Then, since both of us were quite tired I have returned to the motor home.

Katerina has very clear ideas. She thinks that the problem worldwide is that people do not respect the life of plants, animals and people. She believes that if people learned how to respect the life of plants and small animals, they would also respect the life of people. She will cooperate in the solution if it becomes an example all over. She believes that one of the problems in Austria is the racism, a problem difficult to solve because classifying people is inherent to the human behaviour. Katerina is filling better now than she was two years ago but she believes she could be happier if she knew what to do with her life and not only do what the others want you to do. One of the premises to be happy is to please oneself.

Slovakia

Bratislava (see on map)

25/04/2006:

I have spent two fantastic days in Radovan and Veronic’s home. I have used time to resting, washing cloth with their washer, connecting to Internet with their laptop and visiting the city.

Monday in the afternoon I went towards the centre of Bratislava with the bicycle. From above the castle, a palace constructed by Napoleon, a sight is enjoyed on all the city. The city is divided by the Danube, in a side there is the centre historical and in the other one side there is hundreds of clones blocks of flats constructed to the communist period. This image of the very long rows of blocks of flats constructed in the simplest way in order to achieve the efficiency has struck for me. Later, Veronic explained to me that she has gotten lost more of one time in the new city, because if you are not in your zone, you immediately lose the references because all buildings seem equal to you.

The centre of the city is cosy. It has a big avenue parallel to the Danubi and inside the city, the calm streets encourage you to relaxing. From time to time, you find an interesting sculpture that I did not have time to photograph: an outgoing worker of a sewer, a Napoleon relaxed in a bank...

Yesterday I had remained more time strolling , but I left a note in the flat that I would come back for cooking the dinner and was been late to me. In the morning it had gone to a shopping centre to buy and I had bought some frozen fish and noodles to make my typical fideua. But I do not know if the pasta of the noodles was different or perhaps I threw too much water, but the food came off a little pasty. But as Radovan and Veronic did not know the texture that had to have the fideua they commented that it was very good, yes, the taste was acceptable. Anyway, I think that the next meal that I will prepare I will have to attempt the potato omelette, in spite of that if I log sincere, the few times that I have endeavoured it, it has not gone out to me.

After having dinner I took the pulse to the world first with Veronic and afterwards with Radovan.

Veronic thought that the main problem of the world was ecological but because she didn’t have knowledge of biology she commented another problem, the little empathy among the people, for example with the poor person people. She did not believe that the problem could be solved, even though sometimes some book or film helps you to understanding other situations. The problem of Slovakia is the complex that people has, they believe they are a lot poor and they don’t do anything to changing the situation. The problem simply needs time to solve. She sometimes attempts to change the opinion of the other ones in this sense. Veronic was considered happy, she had all what she wished in that moment therefore there was not way to be happier. The secret of the happiness is not in the things that happen to you but in the way you see them, in a positive way.

Radovan commented that one of the main problems of the world was the Islamic terrorism and the fear that it provokes. The same fear that there is among the cultures also provokes the terrorism. He believed the time would solve the problem, in the same way than the atrocities of the Christianity also finished. The main problem of Slovakia is the cultural crash that has provoked the change of the communism to the capitalism. At present people want to have the same than people of other countries and they notice that they are poor people. The solution would be in the pass of the time but also on helping the economy of the country. Radovan did not consider himself happy in that moment because he didn’t like the work that he had and he would feel happier if he could change of work. The secret of the happiness is to want what you have, but he was not willing to accept his work, then he commented maybe only you can be happy if you achieve to have what you want.

This morning I have passed it working while Veronic, that today she did not work nor had class, studied. At noon Veronic has prepared a typical dish centre-European by potatoes and pasta with some onion and fried meat. Also she has accompanied the dish of a green salad which when I have tasted it I have thought she had mistaken when she used the salt, because the salad was sweet. But it is seen that in Slovakia, instead of salt they put sugar and instead of oil and vinegar they leave the salad floating on about two fingers of water. During the lunch we have been speaking about many things, and among them the attraction that the money provokes to the persons and of how it can influence on the love. It has been an interesting conversation.

In the afternoon I have accompanied Veronic to under the castle of Bratislava where Radovan expected her to climb on the rocky walls that are there. I have climbed up a while with them, barefoot because the shoes that I wore did not clutch at all. But naturally, I have been tiring immediately. Then I have left them and I have gone towards the centre to finish visiting the city and to take photos.

I have arrived to the main church where along its history many real weddings have been celebrated. Veronic had commented me that almost always it’s closed, but today I was open and when I entered there have noticed that after a while a concert was celebrated. The Requiem of Mozart, which I like a lot. Following my impulses I have paid the entry and I have stayed, and it is not necessary to say that I have had fun like a camel (?). The choir, of the north of England, approached to perfection and the soloists, who sang on the church from the part of behind, were already optimal.

When I have gone out from the church it already was dark, and after buying an ice cream of three balls that it did not cost nor an euro, I have come back on foot until home of my hosts.

Hungary

Budapest (see on map)

26/04/2006:

This morning I have awaked early, the same as Radovan and Veronic. I have picked up the cloths and the things that I had scattered over their flat and I have seen them off.

A few korunas (Slovaka coin) exceeded me and have gone to spend them buying in a supermarket. It is surprising, but in Slovakia the supermarkets open at 6 of morning. Afterwards I have started to go towards Budapest with the fix idea about solving the subject of the water. First I have stopped in a gas station. After a few symbols the man of the area has understood that I wanted water for the motorcaravan, but he has turned up with a bucket. But when I have told him that I would need some a lot more, he has told me than he could not help me. Then I have parked in a car park beside the motorway where there was a fountain from where water did not pour out, and finally, exactly after crossing the border with Hungria I have seen some public toilets where I have been able to connect the hose in a tap. A little beyond I have emptied the dirty waters in a sewer. And for ending, some quilometres beyond I have emptied the chemical toilet in a toilet of a car park of the motorway. As long as I can I will try allways not to pollute the environment, I do however, not know if it will be so simple when I will arrive to Africa or to Asia.

Halfway from Bratislava to Budapest I have stopped to Pannonhalma. Pannonhalma was in my atlas marked like a monument protected by the Unesco but it did not turn up in my guide of Europe. Pannonhalma has been being a big monastery of Benedictine monks climbed in a hill. I wanted to visit the monastery but I have been advised that I only could do it with a guided visit that went out after an hour. Then I have gone to stroll around the building and have seen a group of tourists that was entering into the monastery through a lateral door and have added. The visit has been interesting, even though I have not understood anything of what they said. We have visited a pair of chapels and a cloister. Afterwards I have moved back from the group because I did not feel completely comfortable. When I went to take out the car of the car park of the monastery, a woman has claimed me that I had to pay the car park, almost nothing, but I have said I only had Euros and credit card. Finally she has let me go without paying.

Budapest is a big city, there live towards two million persons. Even so, helped by the map of the guide and the map of roads I have been able to arrive easily in the centre and to park after some turns. It has surprised me at the entry of the city, seeing the tiresome and introspective faces of many men who went in the cars, trams and buses that circulated near mine, as if they had had a very exhausting day. Later, Dora has confirmed me that this vision is typical in Budapest.

I have been a pair of very pleasant hours taking a tea with Dora, a student of economics. We have been speaking about our journeys, studies, projects... Anyway, she was tired and we have agreed on tomorrow we’ll send some message for going to dance to some discotheque on Friday.

27/04/2006:

Yesterday in the evening I discovered that from Hymer I could connect to an Internet wireless of some neighbour. This morning have been profitable to translating six days of the diary into English and to send it.

In the afternoon, when I wanted to go out to stroll I has started to rain, but I have gone out equally. some times it did not rain and others it rained a lot. I have gone to the centre of touristic information to search the map of the city and I have strolled afterwards till the Danube. But I have come back soon to the motorcaravan because at 6 o’clock I had remained with Aniko.

Normally, if in a city I do not have any contact, I send some 5 or 6 mails through the portal coucsufing.com to people (or girls) of the city that seem me interesting. Until now it happened that I only had answer from one contact per city. But in Budapest, Dora had answered me the message two days ago and Aniko, we had already been speaking for more days.

Aniko had written me that she was not an interesting girl, I have found her quite interesting. Besides nice, she is the kind of girl which is very simple to sustain a conversation. Aniko is an economist that works in the financial department of Nokia, a company that has a big factory in Hungria.

We have been strolling quite a lot for the city, visiting the most interesting places of Pest (Buddha is the oriental part of the city that is in the other one side of Danube): the Basilica, the street Andrassy that resembles those of the Eixample of Barcelona, the zone of Oktogon with premises open 24 hours, the bridge Margit from where can contemplate a beautiful sight of the city, the parliament with its beautiful buildings of that going round. It is seen that to construct the parliament at the end of nineteenth century they summoned a competition and won the current construction that they were late fourteen years more from that they planned on to construct it. Anyway, they decided to construct the second and third option surrounding the parliament. One of these buildings is now the ethnographic museum.

After the walk we went to dinner to a typical Hungarian restaurant. Aniko chose the two dishes that we shared: a kind of gutter rolled up kneads crêpe and a meat of veal with a very good sauce of mushrooms. All this accompanied of a good Hungarian wine.

On finishing having dinner, we strolled a good while more continuing talking about our lives. It’s good to talk with unknown persons (or not) in an open and sincere way because it helps you to revealing yourself new aspects of you. For example, replying a question of Aniko I could reply to myself whi I am willing to travel with a girl but with a boy. I said her: "I enjoy a lot of my freedom and I only would be willing to share it completely with a girl or couple".

28/04/2006:

This morning it has been raining. Anyway, after working a little with Internet, at noon I have gone out with the intention of using the rain day for going in one of the typical thermal baths of Budapest to be relaxed. But just gone out it has stopped raining.

I have taken the underground for going to the thermal baths of Szechenyi. The yellow line of the underground is the most ancient of the European continent and only pass a few metres under the street, therefore, just to bring down the scales you find in the roadside. And if you mistake of roadside you have to go out again to the street to go down again trough the other side. I have not paid the ticket even though one of the few things that I remember from Budapest when I was there more than 10 years ago is that a not too nice inspector discovered us travelling like this.

The thermal baths of Szechenyi are very nice, maybe there are not so elegant than those of Gellert but they are more economic. There are different interior and outer swimming pools framed in a neoclassical style. They have several temperatures and water at pressure in some corners. I have swum more than 1000 metres in a swimming pool where people could swim and afterwards I have entered some seconds in an irresistible sauna, the temperature was from 75 grades. I have gone before finishing two hours, so they have reimbursed part of the entry to me. Anyway already I had the leather too creased .

In the afternoon I have done a great walk for Budapest. I have risen for a shore of the Danube and I have gone down for the other one. I wanted to rise to the castle and the churches that there are in the hills of Buddha but the shoes hurt me and I was late to the appointment with Aniko and I have come back to the Hymer.

These days I observe that in Budapest there are many destitutes living in the street, sleeping in corners covered with blankets and spending the day in the parks drinking and talking. But one thing that it has surprised me, compared to other cities, is that almost nobody asks alms on the street. Maybe the government already helps enough to the destitutes or maybe the people are not accustomed to the charity.

I had invited Aniko to dinner in the Hymer. She surprise of the motorcaravan, because in Hungary there aren’t she didn’t know how they were. I have opened the last bottle of Rioja wine that I had, because I knew that Aniko appreciated the good wine. This time I have not cooked fideuà. I have made some chickpeas with spinaches, with some cuts of smoked pork, that have come off quite acceptable.

We have been talking very openly of our past experiences, boyfriends, girlfriends... After having dinner we have gone to dance a little in an underground pub. But Aniko was very tired and she has gone to sleep after a while.

29/04/2006:

This afternoon I have feel a little alone, been missing of company, feminine to be exact. Even though I’m travelling alone, I’m a man of couple. When I lived in Catalonia I did not use to spend too much time among a relation that finished and a new one that started. I started the journey alone because the two or three former relations in those that the girls had accompanied for me, they did not go ahead. But in my inland I had the hope that during this journey I also would find even, maybe not forever, but at least somebody who accompanied me some season. However now, I notice that the few days that I am in each city are not sufficient to intimate with the girls that I know. I would need more time to become intimate sufficient and to be able to propose: "Why you do not take a long weekend and we meet in one another city of my itinerary"? In any case, in the past, this feeling of loneliness was an indispensable step to open me more and to find couple. Already we will see it... Anyway, it is also a truth that I pioneered the journey being very conscious of its being complicated to achieve company and perhaps that I would be three years without couple. It was a sacrifice that I was and I am willing to make.

Feelings aside (I expect that keeping on explaining my mental state to you along the journey does not bother you), today I have awakened late. I have had breakfast, have written a little and near one o’clock I have come out with bicycle to make a long excursion through the city, because I have not come back to the Hymer until five hours, with the groin a bit sore of the seat.

I have crossed the Danube through the bridge of Szabadsag and I have stopped in the beautiful church of Saint Gellert who is in the inland of a cave with several aisles. Afterwards I have risen to the Ciutadella, a citadel that it finds after up of a hill. I have had to take out the tongue to rise it with bicycle, but I have continued once rested towards the royal castle of Buddha. From the first and second placement a very interesting sight of the city is enjoyed. Afterwards I have continued pedalling through Buddha, a city much more bourgeois than Pest. Many of the homes of Buddha are climbed on the mountains and are surrounded of trees, gardens. An a lot calmed environment is breathed. Next I have crossed the river again through the bridges of Margit and Arpad and among them I have strolled for the calm parks of the island Margit. And I have finished the excursion to the Varsoliget park.

Among half of the itinerary I had stopped to take energy eating a hamburger, but I have arrived at the Hymer with a hunger of the devil. After having lunch or having dinner, I have started to work a little or to amuse with the connection of Internet that I had free. Then I have had a shower and I have gone out for party.

Contrarily to the feeling of the afternoon I felt very cheerful. I regretted that it was my last night in Budapest and that in the future many new and interesting adventures waited for me for. I had desires to enjoy a lot simply dancing music and listening good music and have found the perfect premises for this, with a room of funk music and another one of rock and heavy. I have been dancing like one possessed, plenum of energy, I could sense that lately I am making a lot of sport with the walks or with the bicycle.

30/04/2006:

I have awakened late but before going out towards Serbia, I used during two or tree hours the connection of Internet that I had free. Exactly before going I have noticed that the connection of Internet was from the Bar that was beside the Hymer, because it had the same name than the name of the Wifi.

It was around six I have gone out. I have kept on advancing crossing the Hungarian green plain through an excellent motorway which I believed was of no payment. Before arriving to the border I have took two hitch-hikers. They were two boys from Poland: Szymon (Simon) and Krzysiek (Cristofer). They both went towards Belgrade. I have commented them that I had intention of stopping in Novi Sad to Sleep, but they has not mind.

Szymon and Krzysiek have explained to me that they were two young students of Krakow, the most beautiful city of Poland! They spoke some Spaniard, but we have communicated the major part of the journey in English. They were travelling during nine days hitch-hiking, a system of travelling very good for them, because they had travelled like this through all Europe. They brought a tent but they used to sleep in home of people that they knew through a portal very similar to Couchsurfing: Hospitality Club.

At the Hungarian border, a policeman has briefed me of to circulate through the motorways of the country I had to have bought a sticker. Anyway, after say him I didn’t know, he led pass us without problems. However, at the border they have been more stricter. First, our passports have kept on being passed among a few policemen, afterwards they have asked me for the insurance of the vehicle that I have had to research among the papers and finally I have had to reply a few questions before they have let us to pass.

In the other side of the border, there was the same plain, although without towns and with some few homes scattered among the fields. It has became dark and finally we have stopped in a service area near Novi Sad. The Polish have planted the tent beside the Hymer while I prepared a soup with ingredients their and mine. It is seen that in Poland they eat soup every day. I have opened a bottle of Hungarian wine that has been quite good and we have had a nice dinner. It has surprised me that both commented with naturalness that their rooms in home of their parents were not more bigger than 3 or 4 square metres, perhaps they have not found my home so small...

After having dinner I have taken the pulse of the world with them. Krzysiek thought that the main problem of the world is the meanness of the people and he did not believe that there was solution and that sometimes it was better not to act because "make war for the peace is like fucking for virginity". The main problem of Poland is the poverty and the few opportunities to go out from these poverty. He did not believe that the charity was the solution. Krzysiek is happy when travels and knows people, reading... The secret of the happiness is to find the middle way.

Szymon believed that the main problem of the world was people were not authentic, they only copy themselves and they are not themselves. He only can share his experience with friends. The bigger problem of Poland would be the same but related with the religion and the traditions. Szymon normally is happy because he does not wish more of what he has, but travelling and knowing more people would be happier. The secret of the happiness is to find your own way.

On wishing good night, it has started to rain. I have been concerned they not having planted the tent badly, but in all night they have not complained.

Yuguslavia

Beograd (see on map)

01/05/2006:

This morning I have had breakfast with Szymon and Krzysiek. Later we have gone towards Belgrade. We circulated through a good road of only two lanes, one in each direction, so, we where surprised that after few kilometres we found one signal of toll. And indeed, we found the toll. The boy on the toll has told us that we had to pay I do not know how many Dinars in cash, but we have told him that we had not changed money yet. Then he has briefed us we should pay 18€. When the Polish have asked the price in Polish coins and the price were some 10€. We have told him we were not idiots and that we were not willing to pay for a simple road but he said nothing. Then we propose to go back. He has commented us that then we should go back 45 kilometres. We return back, but the next exit at less than one kilometre did not have barrier and we have spared to pay.

Then we have noticed the difference between a motorway and a road in Serbia. The roads are with a lot of holes and squeezes, like the polonaises, as they have commented me. With the help of a compass and asking to the people we have kept on following several small roads, advancing quite a lot of spoiled tractors and being advanced for other cars not very more modern. The towns that we crossed looked much poorer than in the former countries for those that I had passed, dispainted homes, irons made rusty, dirt... Anyway, the people we asked, contrarily to the policemen of the border and to the collector of the motorway, were very kind.

Finally we have arrived to Belgrade after crossing a big bridge. Using the map we have parked quite a lot near the centre, in frond of the embassy of Macedonia, one of the few places without symbols of payment car park. Belgrade seemed much richer and prospers that the rest of the country.

I have seen off the Polishes and have wished to see them again, maybe today on evening to go to drink something. They would send me a message or they would come to the Hymer. But few moments after they went, a policeman who watched the embassy has knocked on the door. I have opened and he has said me in English:
- You can not park here.
- Why?
- Because you can not camp in the city.
- But it is simply a car, I sleep in home of some friends.
- You can not park here.
- where then?
- Out of the city.
- Are you policeman or watcher of the embassy?
And finally he has exclaimed:
- Go away!

I have not wanted to look for more problems with the Serbian authorities and I have gone to park in a zone of payment. Today is holidays but tomorrow I would have to buy some ticket.

I have had lunch, I have had a shower and I have gone an appointment which I was sure nobody would come. And it has been like this. Then I have gone to the centre of information to ask for a map and have seated in a terrace to drink a beer. Studying the map a good while I have achieved to understand where I was and where I had the caravan parked, complicated because the map was with Latin letters and the streets with Cyrillic letters. For example, I have deduced that N that is written turned is I, however H is N.

Sky has been covered and I have decided to go to the caravan to rest a little. I have had luck, because when I’ve arrived it has started to rain. After sleeping a while and writing the diary I have gone out to stroll under the fine rain. In the Republic square there was a concert. A Serbian group where playing with Latin rhythm that encouraged the people to dance under the umbrellas.

I have also kept on cheering up, but after a while I have received a message from Szymon saying me that they were celebrating a party at home of Hogar, the boy who host them. They have given me some indications to arrive there and I have gone with the Hymer.

In the flat of Hogar there was a dozen of persons, boys and girls from Belgrade and also foreigners. There has been very good fealing with all them. Hogar has opened for me a bottle of a 2003 French wine very good. I think I have drunk all the bottle alone. At half a bottle I have known Jasmine, a very sweet and sensual girl. She has started to speak me about personal and deep subjects, about happiness, her man, dreams... I have spoken her about my dreams and finally I have proposed her to dream together for a moment and I have asked her if in dreams she would go with me in my journey. She has suggested that yes, that she would like a lot, and me too... But after a while enjoying the dream she has become serious and has confessed me that she could not accompany me, because she had to keep to help her family. I understood her and I have thanked her she thought seriously the proposition, it has liked me. Afterwards we have started to dream another maybe attainable dream: being together in Istambul, a city which she would like to visit.

02/05/2006:
At midmorning, Szymon and Krzysiek have pricked the door, I was preparing to go towards the centre and I have offered to take them. Anyway, before we have stopped to buy in a supermarket.

I had remained with some girls and they with other. Belgrade has been the city where I have had more answers from the portal Couchsurfing of Internet. At one o’clock I had to meet Senka, which has arrived with her friend Marjana, and at six and half with Sanja, but after noon she has sent me a message for meeting us tomorrow instead of today.

Senka and Marjana have been my guides through the city. We have been walking through the street Prince Mihailo, restricted to the traffic and plenum of shops. Afterwards we have strolled for the park Kalemegdan and the fortress of Belgrade, conquered and reconquered many times along its history. And finally we have strolled for the street Strahinjica Bana that they called Silicon Valley, because it is a street with many bars where the women go there to meet rich men, and certainly, we have seen a Ferrari parked on it. And curiously also I had my caravan parked there.

I have proposed Senka and Marjana of interviewing them, but not they didn’t like the idea too much. Anyway, we have gone to drink a coffee and during the conversation there where many interesting points which should be good to record them.

When I have met them I have commented about the feelings that I had before arriving to Belgrade (and likewise I have comented it with another people that I have found). I had commented them that in Spain had been received a quite negative idea about Serbian people during the war of the Balkans. First they have kidded quite a lot about the idea that the Serbian where killers, but finally they have commented that during the war the advertising gave them this image but this is not real. Senka, has opened up a lot and has explained that they had also suffered a lot during the bombardments, that she had emptiness on memory but she felt very bad sensations when she listened war mermaids.

After seeing them off I have met casually Szymon and Krzysiek. We have been strolling a while and finally I have gone to the Hymer. I was ready to snooze when someone have pricked the door. Through the window I saw that there were two boys and a girl who were yesterday in the party. Casually they had seen my caravan. They have proposed me to go to stroll with them and I have accepted. Halfway a girl has added to us girl and we have gone to drink a tea in the "Silicon Valley". There I have interviewed Cris, an American, and Irene.

Cris believed that the main problem of the world was the distribution of the health and of the wealth, he believed that the problem is inherent to the humanity and he did not know how it could be solved. He can only help to persons individually but not in the global solution of the problem. The main problem of United States is the lack of work because other countries produces more economically. Cris was considered happy, in some way because he was traveling. The secret of the happiness is on doing things that you like and that stimulate you.

Irene believed that the main problem of the world was the American government. In Serbia the main problem was the bad relations that they have with the neighbours and the lack of work. Irene considered herself happy, would be happier if she had a boyfriend. The secret of the happiness is inside you: discovering what makes you happy and go there.

Edita, a girl who seemed very introverted has not accepted to be interviewed.

After the tea we have found Hogar, Szymon, Krzysiek and other people. We have gone to drink a beer. Somebody has proposed of doing democracy to decide what to do afterwards, but before we had talked of the disadvantages of the democracy and I have proposed that the most intelligent person should decide for all. Then, like a joke they proposed that I should chose.

First we have gotten a place to dance. It is seen that in Belgrade there is a lot of party and nice people, but it being Tuesday the locals were quite empty. Finally we have gone at Hogar home where we have prepared a sangria and we have opened again the ours hearts.

I have talked quite a lot with Edita. She has commented me that her mother is from Serbia and her father is from Albania. When she was child she lived in Croatia and she was treated as foreigner due to her mother and now in Belgrade she also feels the same because his father.

During all day long I have asked to quite a lot of people about the referendum that there will be in Montenegro in two weeks about the independence from Serbia. The Serbian comments that the independence of Montenegro would benefit them economically, because Montenegro is much poorer, but at the same time it saddens the Serbians.

04/05/2006:

If there is not any surprise, tomorrow I will leave Belgrade. I will have been there more time that I had planned. In some way, I have found good friends and I have spent very nice time. In other way, next Monday I have to meet a friend in Sofia, therefore I am delaying a little my arrival in Sofia.

Belgrade is a big city, of more than two a million inhabitants, maybe too big to be the capital of a country that has become small. In the centre of Belgrade is breathed modernity. The girls clothe the last models and stroll ignoring the boys that from time to time they twist for admiring a silhouette. The bars and terraces are always full starting at noon. And at the evening, the many discotheques or clubs of the city fill with party, even if it isn’t weekend.

Yesterday I went to the embassy of Russia, it was closed, but through the speaker they commented me that I could go on Friday. They couldn’t tell me what I needed for a Visa for Russia, but at least the passport, a photo, documents and maybe a letter of recommendation. Tomorrow I will go there to see if there is luck again and I can keep on preparing the documents in order to have soon the Visa. It should be probably much better to obtain the visa before having pioneered the journey, but the former weeks I was very busy finishing agreements with the sponsors, emptying the flat, organising the caravan, attending the media...

I sent a message to Sanja for meeting today instead of yesterday, because yesterday I was working a lot. Anyway, Sanja has sent me a message today that did not suit it. Misfortune.

In the evening I meet Edita and two friends more, but they were quite tired and they went soon to sleep. I also, after drink a beer in some quite cheerful local with salsa music. Pity that I do not like salsa, I’m a "free styler" and I do not like when a concrete coordination has to be followed.

Today I have continued working, I have continued connecting to Internet, going to take photos... I have started to overwhelm of being in the same city without doing any new thing and I have decided to go next day. Hogar had given to me a guide book of Serbia and I will use it to organize the weekend visiting small towns between Belgrade and Sofia.

Anyway, it also regretted me to go, because I knew on Friday in the evening there would be big party. But I have decided to go out tonight to party to see off. I have gone out only with the equivalent of 6 euros in the pocket, it is a rare sensation to know that it would be enough for all the night, because Belgrade is quite economic.

First I have entered to a bar where several local groups were playing heavy music. They played quite well. There I have known two boys and a girl who were friends of one of the batteries. They have been very nice and very interested to advertise all the world that Belgrade is very good. I have not gone to sleep too late, even though, before I have gone to other local where some musicians played africo-latin music.

05/05/2006:

I have awakened early for going to the embassy. There I has attended for a very nice boy who has commented me to have the Russian Visa I needed basically a booking of hotel or an official invitation. He has recommended me an agency in Belgrade and I have directed there. In the agency, a girl has commented me that the hotels that they could reserve were expensive than 50€ per night. We have been commenting on several possibilities and in the end I have decided to try it in Sofia.

I have gone to the cibercafe of the former days and have consulted everything about Russian visas. I have discovered an agency that has office in Sofia that transacts official invitations at a quite economic price. I have put all my hopes in this possibility, next week I will see it.

At midday I have started to go towards Sofia. Going out from Belgrade I have taken the motorway, of two lanes at any direction, with the fear it would be very expensive. For this motive I have gone out in one of the first exits in order to take a secondary road that had to lead me to one of the towns which I wanted to visit. But on the exit, the girl who charged has communicated me a price of some 6 euros (only for some 30 kilometres!). But I did not have enough local coins and have paid half with euros and half with dinars.

Some kilometres beyond I have stopped at the entry of a town, in an esplanade, to study the map. While I was studying the monuments to visit, a man clothed with a blue jacked and the blackened hands has knocked the door. I have lowered the window and he has greeted me smiling. He has commented me with a quite acceptable English that he lived in the home of the front. I have commented him that it was very beautiful and then he has invited me to visit it. And why not?

I have gone there finishing eating a red pear that I was tasting. He has taught some pictures to me that he had painted or friends of his, all them were landscapes and portraits of Mickel Jacson. Afterwards he has commented me that he had been a lot of time working in several countries in west Europe and that soon he wanted to go again. He has started to explain that the situation in Serbia is not good since the end of the war and then I have asked him to interview him. He has asked me if he would appear on television and when I said yes he has accepted flavourfully.

Stevanavik (this was his name) has commented that the main problem of the world was in Iran and with its president. But immediately he has wanted to explain the problems of Serbia. He has explained that in Serbia there is a lot of unemployment, that the infrastructures are very bad, that he can not travel even to Croacia, that they will not be able to enter into the European union even very further on... and all this, according to him, due to a unique person, and also to United States.

During all the time that I have been with him, I have noticed that he would like I stay to sleep there, but I have indicated him that I preferred to keep on going. He also asked me what "Araguela Paraguela" meant, an inscription that there were in the grave of his mother who had died years behind in Palma of Mallorca. I have not known how to reply and finally I have agreed to accompany him to the cemetery.

Stevanavik has risen to the Hymer and also a woman, that I didn’t knew and nobody presented to me. We have stopped halfway to buy some candles and finally we have arrived to a cemetery in the middle of the field with many graves of black granite. He has distributed the three candles, one for me, and we have switched on them and have deposited them in a small box behind the grave. Afterwards we have gone without insisting about the inscription "Araguela Paraguela", which I have deduced was the town or the beach where she died.

Before seeing off I have asked to Stevanavik who wrote his name. He also has written me his direction and it has surprised me that after Serbija he wrote Yugoslavija.

I have gone ahead, with the intention of sleeping near a monastery that I will visit tomorrow. I have stopped in a gas station to ask for the way and also to load gas oil. I have paid them with visa but I have not understood the amount that I had paid. I have asked but none of both boys speak English. And when finally I was near to understand the amount they had charged me, one of the boys has given me 10€. I have not understood it, but then I have deduced that maybe yes, that they had charged me more.

The landscape in the south of Serbia has reminded a lot in Slovenia (with pardon for the Slovens friends that are reading this). Wavy mountains, of green colour, with homes scattered all over and few urban towns. The difference was in the roads, which many not fixed from the war. There is a great economic difference between Belgrade and the rest of the country.

Serbia

Nis (see on map)

06/05/2006:

I have spent the night in a service area in Markovac, beside a Motel. In awakening, and after writing a little, I have gone towards Despotovac and from there to Manasija, a beautiful monastery in the middle of the mountains and surrounded by walls. The inland of the monastery there are a very interesting frescoes. When I was going to take some photos with the tripod, a women monk has told me that I could not take photos, but seeing that other visitors were taking, afterwards I have token them discreetly.

From Manasija I have directed towards Ravanica, another monastery. On the way I have seen a gas station that they had a tap of water in sight. I have return back to ask them if I could load the Hymer of water. They haven’t show any inconvenient. In the gas station of yesterday, when I asked to load the caravan with water, the boy appeared with a bottle of 2 litres. He did not understand me when I told him that I needed 100 litres.

Ravanica is also in the service of some women monks. The walls of the monastery are half demolished but the monastery is very well preserved and in the inland there are also some very well worked paintings.

Since I have entered into Serbia I’m interested in the orthodox rite. The churches usually have an unique dome. In the centre there are the images of a saint and also in the laterals. The people approach, do she crucifix sign, make reverences and finally a kiss the images. Sometimes they leave some coins or a note on these images.

Going out from Ravanica I have asked to a man how to arrive to Zajecar, one town in the east were I had to pass if I wanted to avoid the motorway. The man, who seemed to have lived the war, has told me that I should pay to him for his help but I have refused it. Then he has offered to helping anyway. But before he has asked me from where I came from, when I have told him that I was from Spain he has said me: "Solana, very bad, he bombed us a lot". I have no other way that say yes.

To arrive to Zajecar, I have had to take the motorway 10 quilometres and I have had to pay 3 euros. I have the sensation that these are the most expensive motorways in the world, or perhaps they charge my caravan like different type of vehicle.

In Zajecar I have stopped to buy in a supermarket. I have gone out without checking out if I had closed all cupboards . It had happen others times, but this time, instead of falling dawn a can, a jar of glass with bolonyesa sauce has fold down . Obviously it has broken and the 500 grammes of sauce has scattered over my flip-flops and the floor.

Finally I have arrived to Nis, where I will sleep. Since yesterday at noon to today at the evening I have droved 464 kilometres circulating for different Serbian road. Going though motorway I would only have droved 240 kilometres, but I would not have been able to visit both monasteries nor either would have enjoyed the landscape and the roads. I enjoy a lot driving for small roads, even if they are full of jerks. From time to time I stop in a gas station, shop or stop of bus and I ask for the good direction. The people are very nice and even if they do not usually speak English with little gestures they know how to orientate me very well. After these two days I think that I can already face any road, as tortuous that it is, because I will not stop enjoying it.

Bulgaria

Sofia (see on map)

07/05/2006:

(Serbia) In the morning I have visited Latinska Crkva, a small lost church in the mountain. It is the most ancient monument in Nis and has remembered me the ancient Romanesque churches scattered over the mountains of Catalonia, simply that this was of orthodox style. It is not necessary to say that to arrive to there I have had to ask a few times, but as always, people have always been very nice and have guided me perfectly.
At noon I have started to go towards Sofia. In this stretch there was not any more motorway, but the roads seemed the same ones which I had circulated on the former days, or worse, because they were under work and all the traffic have been diverted during varying kilometres through a dusty track.
At the border, a long queue of cars has been formed during more than one hour, time I have used to wash the caravan. Because this hour in the border, bad roads and the change of hour I had to do in Bulgaria, I was being very late to the appointment that I had with a girl in Sofia, Ivana. I have sent her a message to delay two hours and a half the meeting.
It has not been too difficult me to find the centre, but there it was bent of signals of prohibited to park during the day. I have parked behind one signal that I did not understand, I have taken a show and I have gone out to find Ivana.
While I waited her I have entertained to reading posters written in Cyrillic characters. Hogar from Belgrade, and also Szymon and Krzysiek, had written me on a paper the correspondence between Latin characters and Cyrillic characters. Now I was making the process of the small children: I searched a word, I deciphered the letters, I joined them, I read the word and sometimes I understood the meaning, and then I became very happy.
Ivana is an easy, nice and very sociable girl. We have gone to look at the car park of the Hymer and she has commented me that it would probably be taken away the following day. Then she has proposed me to sleep at its grandmother home, that is empty. We have gone to see it and it was very cosy, but it was quite far from the centre and I have commented her that I preferred to sleep nearest the centre. Finally we have parked in a blue zone near her parents home.
She has proposed me to go to drink a tea and I have offered her to prepare it in the same caravan, and so we do it. We have been talking very distendedly about journeys, personal subjects, projects... While, we talked I kept on showing her photos of my journey on the computer. Some minutes ago she had spoken me about a friend of her that had visited her a pair of weeks ago, Hugo,. When all of a sudden, while I showed her the photos of Budapest she has exclaimed:
- He is Bruno!
She has looked at me unbeliever and me also to her. She has repeated again:
- He is Bruno! do you know him?
- Not, it is a photo that I made in the street, simply I wanted to photograph this couple who was waiting for the tram.
Which chances, not? I only must have photographed some 10 or 20 persons in all Budapest, a city of 2 million citizens, and her friend results being one of these 10 persons that I photograph! It has been difficult to her to accept that I was not making her any joke and that really I did not know her friend.
Already in the late afternoon. I have proposed to interview her to take the pulse of the world with her. She has accepted but a little constrained at the beginning. Ivana believed that the main problem of the world was that people and nations do not understand not respect themselves. One of the problems of Hungary is that they are too nationalistic and they can not free themself from the past (before the world-wide wars Hungary was much bigger). Ivana considered herself happy, even though it was not bad to feel sad sometimes to appraise the happiness. She would be happier with things than can’t be possible. The secret of the happiness is to do small good things every day.

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