Crimea, Ukraine May 2013

As a result of our experiences in Russia & the Ukraine last year we both would like to encourage others to learn some basic Russian and the Cyrillic alphabet as a really important way of improving a visit to either of the countries. I had evening classes for six months before we left and was not able to say much more than a few basic phrases   but it was very much appreciated by local people and as a result we felt our experiences were almost 100% positive, unlike many travellers we met who did not make the effort and wondered why they had more negative responses. People in the region can sometimes appear rather stern and severe on the outside but my experience was that a few words in Russian soon changed all that and those we met quickly relaxed and were kind and helpful.

As part of our preparation for travelling to Russian speaking countries again in the next couple of years I have been continuing my evening classes and my holiday this year was to a wonderful place near Yalta in the Crimea, Ukraine where I was able to live in a small guest house with a local family, have some tuition in Russian and then practice what I had learned with them, as well explore the local area which is both beautiful and historically interesting.  I found the food to be delicious despite all the constraints of my diet (I am a Coeliac with Liver problems so not easy to feed) and I felt very well looked after by Valentina and her team.  See their website at http://www.muschinskaya.com/index.en.php 

I had a wonderful ten days there which was not nearly long enough and would highly recommend it.

View of Black Sea from the Sunshine Path

Local beach at Miskor

Yalta

Ai Petri mountain from the garden

Studying on the terrace

Yalta from the sea

Ai Petri mountain

Austria to Home: 4-11 October

After Slovenia we had a couple of days in Austria, two in Germany and three in Belgium, all mostly sunny.

When we arrived home in the afternoon on 11 October we had completed 17,248 miles (27,596 km).  During the whole trip we did not dare mention the ‘P word’ in case we tempted bad luck but it can now be revealed that during all this distance we did not have a single puncture, either to the Land Rover or the Tab.  That’s despite about 3000 miles of off-road driving and more than 6000 miles of very poor roads.  We had a few other mechanical and electrical issues with the Land Rover, as recorded in the blog, but on what was to be our last day on the channel coast of Belgium the vacuum pump burst losing all the engine oil.  This serious problem required an expensive garage visit, and a day’s delay, almost in sight of the Dunkerque ferry to Dover.

Of the 180 days spent away 31 were  in western and eastern Europe, 15 in Ukraine, 37 in Kazakhstan, 42 in Russia and 54 in Mongolia.  Accommodation was by 93 wild camps (includes four in a tent), 24 camps at truck stops and various unofficial sites, 31 camps at commercial camp sites and 32 nights in hotels (included 3 nights in a Ger in Mongolia).

There may be further postings to this blog, for example there are a few accidental omissions and a few embarrassing out-takes if we can bring ourselves to share them.

A huge thanks to every one for the terrific support we got from friends, neighbours and relatives as well as many complete strangers who stumbled across our blog. We would also like to mention the excellent service and help provided by Real Russia when it came to getting visas and many questions we had about our time in Russia; much help and support kindly given by Bill Munns at CAMDA, a charity established to help Mongolian herders - see www.camda.org.uk  and special thanks to Goyo of Goyo Travel who provided much assistance before and during our stay in Mongolia. For anyone interested in visiting Mongolia we recommend that you check out their website www.goyotravel.com (also facebook.com/goyotravel).

Inspirational, expertly crafted Mongolia group tours,

private & tailormade journeys by Goyo Travel

Our pics of the last leg:

Austria - a very neat country, even on allotments

Gorge at St Johanne

Views from our camp site at St Johanne

Highland cattle have been imported to Austria to enhance the overall neatness with cute cows. 

A couple of pictures of Saarburg in Germany (near Luxembourg)

The last butterfly of the trip - a Speckled Wood on the camp site notice board in Belgium

Disaster in Belgium - the Land Rover is towed off to a garage with a burst vacuum pump.

The homecoming - in light rain just like when we left!  

20 September to 4 October: Hungary and Slovenia

An incredibly tame Red Deer (female) in a national park near Bled.  We were only 15 m from it on foot.

Hi everybody, we are nearly home!  It is 6 October and we have just had a couple of days in Austria before starting the final push to the Fens today through Germany.  We plan to be home about 10 October and will speak more and be in touch then.  As usual we did not quite get the pictures in order - in fact they are all totally back to front. So if you want to see the pix in chronological order please start with the bottom one and work forward. 

Our next post will be after we get home for the final part of the journey and for any review, statistical, end piece news etc

The cable car up from Lake Bohinge, it seemed to almost go up vertically.

The Bohinje cable car provided access to the ski slopes, devoid of snow but good walking at this time of the year

All the rivers in the Bled - Bohinge area were crystal clear and often deep and full of fish (we saw a guy pull out an 18 kg carp, he let it go again); here a 6m diving board provides entertainment for the brave.

This is a contender for 'bird of the trip' a Ural Owl fond sitting  on a barn and in a tree at the Pojluka reserve above Bled.  Seeing owls in dayliight is always rewarding and seeing one as rare as this one in the very west of its European range was a real thrill.  This biird probably sits on the barn where we found it every day at dusk so if anyone wants the coordinates of the site get in touch.

Sadly we did not see one.....

The Podjluka reserve has large areas of fine pine and beech trees.

A cheeky house sparrow wanted to share mike's cake

Bled is a very popular beauty spot in Slovenia mainly because of the pretty little church on an island in the late and an imposing castle overlooking the lake 

Great Crested Grebe

This and the next several pictures are from Ptuj in eastern Slovakia.  This ia an attractive way to deal with ugly broken asphalt paving - well it was the arty district of town 

The town hall, Ptuj

These horses were about to take a bride and groom round town

The castle Ptuj, this one was free

Slovenian pix start here and go up.

Hungarian Greys - very rare breed, there was an electric fence between Mike and the bull

Lots of thatch near Lake Balaton

Paprikas drying Lake Balaton

Get a bed, have a meal, take the waters, have a drink and play tennis but watch out the hotels can be a litte nasty caption

Fifty years ago Lake Balaton was an ornitholgical paradise but now it is all promenades, hotels and camping sites.

Peace statue Buda

Parliament building

We found a park still being lit by gas

Guards at the castle Buda

Fine hunting scene statue and fountain Buda

Big church Pest - St Stephan's Basillica - from memory

Heroes square Pest

Opera house Pest

The camps site in Budapest - our first camp with other caravans and motorhomes since Apri.

Carol discovers an unexpected gluten free section in a Tesco's in eastern Hungary