JOURNAL
The following entries are brief (and sanitised!) extracts from a travel journal I kept while on tour. Hopefully they pick up on key events and incidents (also see memory box) that others on tour, if they were to read this, will have recollection of. I have used people's names as much as possible to help spark memories of those with which I shared this time. It has been an interesting experience re-reading my journal for these extracts (first time in 20 years) as to the events and incidents recorded that I had completely forgotten. On re-reading, for some I still have no recollection. I would welcome comment from others on the trip who may read this and I am happy to annotate entries. I seem to remember being ribbed a fair bit about keeping what was a pretty detailed journal. For all those travel companions convinced I was writing a book for publication, 20 years on these extracts hopefully suffice!
What I haven't forgotten and what was evident in my journal was the great sadness when the tour finished. Despite some tensions, disagreements, and all other typical group dynamic factors on tour this was a special adventure for a group of young people intent on seeing the world and having a great deal of fun doing it.
Cheers
Andrew
|
Date |
Place |
Events/Activities/Comments |
| 12 June, Thursday
|
London, UK to Paris, France | Departed London for Dover at 7:00am in a Top
Deck transit coach. Boarded the Decker bus, named Pig Pen, at Dover
port. Arrived in Calais with stop for supplies and then onto Paris
and first campsite.
|
| 13 June, Friday
|
Paris, France. | City exploration. Arc De Triomphe,
Notre Dame, Louvre. Post Office hunt and stamp purchase with Alison
and Matt. Dinner in the Latin Quarter this evening followed by a visit to the
Pigalle. I should have visited the Follies nightclub with the others but didn't.
Late night.
|
| 14 June, Saturday
|
Paris to Avignon, France | PigPen heads south on the road to Avignon.
Short stop at Pont du Gard to examine this fantastic aqueduct. Evening walk around
the enchanting
Avignon. Late night party meant another late night.
|
| 15 June, Sunday
|
Avignon, France to Barcelona, Spain | Early walk through Avignon and some nice
photo opps. Back to PigPen and a three hour drive to Barcelona.
Visited a 'traditional' Spanish village. I skipped the
bullfight attendance and instead Bridgette and myself did some exploring
of Barcelona and found Gaudi's partially completed cathedral. The Decker
bus attracted much attention from the locals-we got used to this. Rice,
ham steak, and
pineapple for dinner before an evening walk through the Ramblas. At
10:30pm we went to the Palacio National Fountain display. After the show we
bussed to our nights camp spot, La Ballena Allegra, where a campground disco
occupied most of us until the early hours. Met up with a few other
top deckers with two other buses at the campground. I still think
the 16 female passengers to 1 male passenger ratio on one of the buses
would have made for an interesting trip!
|
| 16 June, Monday
|
Barcelona, Spain | Shopping today-visit to a leather
manufacturer but no purchase-I'm on a budget! Small group of us (I'm
guessing but I think it was Matt, Alison, Bridgette, Dianne, and myself) went for
some more exploration of sights and sounds in the Ramblas. Evening meal
was traditionally Spanish with a flaminco dancing show. Back at the
campground, disco was the main attraction (again) to early hours. Thanks
Matt
for arranging the Midnight Oil music. Okay, so it's a pretty
weird combination of Oils, Disco, and Spain but it all seemed to
come together pretty well on the night.
|
| 17 June, Tuesday
|
Barcelona, Spain to Antibbes, France | Back on the road and heading north again into
France. Money change from pesetas to francs at the border (the Euro
does simplify things nowadays) and towards our next stop at Antibbes. Arrived at Antibbes campsite mid evening to find
two other Decker buses
there as well as a Conticki bus. Pub visit dodging the victorious
French soccer fans (World Cup win today). Walking return to the
campground, we heard the sound of bongo drums. Followed them to the
beach where under the night sky some musicians were jamming away. I
make the comment in my journal "...this was great-joining the spontaneous music session
under a velvet black sky on a Mediterranean beach in the south of
France". One of those memorable travel moments.
|
| 18 June, Wednesday
|
Cannes, France
Monte Carlo, Monaco
|
From Antibbes to Cannes for the day.
Sun and swimming but cold water. From Cannes and Antibbes onwards to
Monaco. Just before getting to Monaco we stopped at a perfume
manufacturing plant called Parfumerie Fragonard. Fantastic position
in rugged mountains just below the little village of Eze. After the
factory tour, a few of us climbed up to the village. Well worth it
and I quote my journal "...'this is a beautiful little place in a stunning position with
magnificent views of sea and mountains". Dinner of sausage,
potato
mash, and vegetables in the bus with Evron and myself rostered on to wash
the dishes. The evening saw a convoy of PigPen and two other Decker buses
headed towards Monte Carlo. Visit to the casino. Those of us
who weren't wearing runners (dress-standard) got in and undertook some low level
gaming. Pub visit (Rosies bar?) and then a night walk through Monte
Carlo. Back to the pub where aussie and kiwi comrades were out in
force, back to 'PigPen' and a night drive to Pisa in Italy.
|
| 19 June, Thursday
|
Pisa, Italy
Florence, Italy |
Awoke in Pisa. Gerry had parked the bus
near the railway station. Nearby was an old battered green bus-a
private tour that had started from NSW as a 50 week trek overland.
Way to go. Visited and climbed the leaning tower of Pisa. I
wonder if the tower balconies are equipped with protective railings nowadays?
Ate pizza in Pisa- of course. On the road to Florence in
the afternoon. Campsite restaurant meal for the evening was pasta.
|
| 20 June, Friday
|
Florence, Italy | Bridgette and myself on breakfast duty. A day
in Florence with the inevitable visits to a leather work shop (I'm on a
budget I said!). Matt and myself visited the Duomo and the Academy of
Fine Arts. Back at camp at 5:00pm and joined Bridgette on cooking
duty. Chicken curry tonight. Disco night in Florence at the
Red Garter. Apparently three of us got tired of the Red Garter as I
note "we didn't come to Florence to sit around in a pub with Aussies
listening to Waltzing Matilda". Sorry. Therefore Matt,
Mitchell, and myself headed into town on a pizzeria crawl. A great
success.
|
| 21 June, Saturday
|
Rome, Italy | Early departure for Rome. Visit to
Vatican city on the way and a stop in at the Sistine chapel. Then to Rome
and the Coliseum. The Coliseum visit was followed by our Roman
campsite, Seven Hills, about 30 minutes from the city centre. And of
course this campground had a landscaped swimming pool, bars, disco, and
supermarket with a collection of tame bunny rabbits, red deer and swans.
At 11:00pm off to the disco.
|
| 22 June, Sunday
|
Rome, Italy | After breakfast the Decker headed to Piazza
del Poppolo from where we started a walking tour of Rome. Spanish steps, Church of
Cappuchin monks (lots of bones), Trevi fountain (the coin trick
worked because I re-visited the fountain with Hilda in 2002),
Pantheon, and Victor Emanuel monument. A visit to St Peter's Square
and the Pope's weekly blessing, St. Peter's Basilica,. After lunch
we drove out to the Catacombs. Back at Seven Hills and a relaxing
BBQ in the evening.
|
| 23 June, Monday
|
Rome, Italy | Free day today with most of our group
spending the day around the pool at Seven Hills-wise. Very hot
weather. Matt, Dick and myself decided to be different and caught a
shuttle
into the city. Shorts a no go for entering St Peters. The
three of us stocked up with fresh fruit and cans of Coke and ate lunch
just outside Vatican city. Sightseeing and a quiet evening writing for a
change. (So there was a fancy dress party on but...)
|
| 24 June, Tuesday
|
Sorrento, Italy | Seven Hills to Pompeii, a 5 hour bus ride.
Cameo factory visit before a tour of Pompeii. At 4:30pm further
south to Sorrento and (apparently though I have totally forgotten) a visit
to an inlaid wood factory! Pizza for dinner (courtesy of the food
kitty). Settled into our Sorrento camp.
|
| 25 June, Wednesday
|
Sorrento, Italy
Isle of Capris, Italy |
Lots of sore heads this morning but a boat
trip to the Isle of Capris was just the medicine. Blue Grotto
exploration...just remember to keep a low profile in the boat...not really
designed for tall people.
Pasta,
seafood, and salad dinner at the Mayflower restaurant. The Decker was
cooking tonight it was so hot. I relocated mattress and sleeping bag
outside the bus and slept beneath the stars...though I can only vaguely
remember.
|
| 26 June, Thursday
|
Pescara, Italy | Onwards to Pescara. Our Decker was pulled over
by police for some reason but we were on our way pretty quickly.
Lost in Pescara for a while before locating our campsite, (Paola) right on
the edge of the Ionic sea. Evening game of volleyball and eating ice-cream
all with the backdrop of a magnificent sunset. Who suggested
skinny-dipping...?
|
| 27 June, Friday
|
Ville, San Marino
Venice, Italy |
Onward bound for San Merino. Some
exploring of San Merino and some shopping (Dire Strait cassette tapes and
film). Left the Republic at 3:00pm and headed to Venice. Top
campground with the largest mosquito population I have ever encountered and
I mean
ever. In my journal I describe them as 'vicious'! Another
Decker
there, Sixpence, and following pub attendance there ensued a Sixpence/PigPen
all night party. I have made note of someone consuming a whole
bottle of Galiano...;-)...and it wasn't me!
|
| 28 June, Saturday
|
Venice. Italy | Decker clean to start the day-remnants of
party of few hours earlier-and then into Venice via ferry that is. Mid morning at St Mark's square. Venetian glass factory in arvo.
Lunch of pizza (seemed to eat a lot of pizza in Italy!) with Vicky and
Miecho. Chicken and spare rib barbie at camp site in evening along
with several million mosquitoes.
|
| 29 June, Sunday
|
Kirchberg, Austria | Woke up in a moving bus at 6:00am. We
had left Venice at 4:00am and headed to Austria. Money changing at
the border. White water rafting. Night stop in Kirchberg
at the TopDeck Austrian chalet (called Club Habitat). Roast
dinner was served and we actually slept in a room for a change-nice change
from the bus.
|
| 30 June, Monday
|
Kirkberg (& Tirol Region), Austria | Town walk after breakfast and then a
conducted Tirolean tour on PigPen. First stop was village of
Kirchdorf. At Kaiserblick a quick visit to the erotic service
station. Lunch at the Stausbewirt restaurant- fried trout and potato
salad followed by apple strudel and cream for desert. Schnapps
included! Schnapps sculling ensued and I seem to remember a
couple of top deckers imbibing a bit too much schnapps. Not
sure if they enjoyed the Rolba Run later that afternoon...
|
| 1 July, Tuesday
|
Kirchberg, Austria | Morning cycling with Matt and Dick. Good tour of
the Tirol though as we headed to nearby Brixen.. I think I only came
off the bike once. Lunch on PigPen and then an afternoon hike with
Brian, a Club Habitat employee, in the lead. Up the mountains
above Club Habitat. Fresh milk at a nearby farmhouse. Dinner
at 8:00pm on PigPen and an evening at "The Londoner" pub.
|
| 2 July, Wednesday
|
Berchtesgaden, West Germany
Salzburg, Austria |
Last breakfast at Club Habitat at 8:30am before farewelling
Kirchberg. The bus headed into West Germany and the town of
Berchkesdaden and a visit to a salt mine. I seem to remember
spiralling down to the mine underground on some sort of slide? Back
into Austria mid-afternoon and onwards to Salzburg with a quick stop at an
18th Century water palace. Dinner on the bus with the Von Trapp
family home and lake as a backdrop. Made it to the campground and gave up
on the viewing of a 'Sound of Music' video.
|
| 3 July, Thursday
|
Salzburg, Austria |
Salzburg tour after breakfast. Alison, Mitchell, and myself went on our own tour and included a castle visit. Heading to Vienna in the afternoon- arriving there at 5:30pm. I sub-contracted my cleaning duties and took the opportunity to relax. Evening visit to "The Wolf'. Short stop there before some of us headed to an alternative night spot ie cafe garden.
|
| 4 July, Friday
|
Vienna, Austria | Washing up duty with Bridgette after breakfast. Vienna
exploration. Evening washing up duties. Evening visit to
Vienna fun fair.
|
| 5 July, Saturday
|
Munich, West Germany | Long drive to Munich. Took almost a day. Currency
exchange at border bank. Evening arrival in Munich at 6:30pm.
Gerry parked bus near railway station where we were the centre of
attention...as usual. Nicky went off to arrange dinner. This
was at 7:30pm at a nearby beer hall courtesy of food kitty. Deckers
associated themselves with the famous beer stein. Our departure from
the hall at 11:30pm saw us with some 'Sixpence' and 'Con-Ticki"
passengers who needed a lift back to the campground, a beer hall chair
(thanks Brian), and a few souvenir steins. Party, party, party and
then sleep by 3:00am.
|
| 6 July, Sunday
|
Munich, West Germany | Munich and surrounds sightseeing- Dachau concentration camp,
Munich Olympic museum, and BMW museum. Campsite activity in the evening
(code for I didn't write down what happened this evening for some reason).
|
| 7 July, Monday
|
Munich, West Germany | Raining today. More Munich sightseeing-Group stop at a
local Furriers. Group broke up after this and Mitchell and I headed
into the main shopping mall. Stopped off at the 'World of Music' and
the Deutches museum. Back to PigPen at 12:00pm for lunch...no bus
though. Tacho had died and Gerry was getting it repaired.
Lunch at a world-famous takeaway. Back to wait for bus. No bus. Onto
a coffee shop. Finally met up with bus at 3:00pm and departed Munich
bound for Fussen. Stocked up with supplies from a supermarket along
the way.
|
| 8 July, Tuesday
|
Fussen, West Germany
Liechtenstein |
Evron and I are on cooking duties today. Beans and
ham on toast-okay so its not cordon bleau but it was still a good
brekkie. Today spent in the mountains-visit to Neuschwanstein
castle. After the visit we were mobile again to Lichtenstein and I
was cooking on the move. Potato patties for lunch for all of
us. Hot oil, tiny galley, a moving bus, and a cook who
couldn't cook resulted in an inedible mess. Nicky's valiant attempt
to convert it to bubble and squeak failed...though I assume it is what we
all ate. To the relief of all aboard I subcontracted my cooking
duties for following day to Matt (Thanks Matt- a cordon bleau chef if ever
there was one!). Liechtenstein lightning visit at 6:00pm before
arrival at Lucerne in Switzerland later in the evening. An
unsuccessful pub search by Matt and myself at 12:00am and an attempted bus
invasion by an under-the-weather chap looking for dope ended another day
on tour.
|
| 9 July, Wednesday
|
Lucerne, Switzerland
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland |
Lucerne tour. Included Panorama exhibition. On
my own for some exploring and then back to meet the bus. A lesson in
paying attention as no bus arrived. Apparently I got the pick-up
point wrong. That old lesson that if lost stay in one place applied
here. I saw PigPen driving at a distance and caught up with it.
Onwards and upwards into the Swiss Alps- Lauterbrunnen. Arrived at
our camp ground at 3:00pm in a magnificent Alpine location. We were
sharing the site with a couple of platoons of British Marines. Bit
unfortunate when it came to the evening pub visit. Pub overflowing with
lots of things. Bridgette, Dianne, and I headed back to PigPen at
midnight.
|
| 10 July, Thursday
|
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland | Highlight today was Jungfraubahn ascent. Fantastic
experience and well worth the $A60 that to me then seemed like a fortune.
I seem to remember an ice palace at the summit and lots of snow and
ice. Matt, Alison, Dick and I admired the views and the atmosphere
. Jeans, cotton shirt, and a light jacket don't really cut it at
that altitude though. Hot chocolate drinks in the restaurant enabled us to
thaw out before Alison and Matt went skiing. I joined Dick,
Bridgette, and Dianne to take a trip to a lookout via the Sphinx
lift. Back at 'base' camp at 6:30pm. A memorable day.
Dinner at a Swiss restaurant.
|
| 11 July, Friday
|
Heidelberg, West Germany | Bound for West Germany today but where's Lisa?
She was soon located ;-) and we were on our way. Delays at
Swiss-German border with close checks of us and passports by guards.
Currency exchange yet again. Supermarket stop at 2:00pm.
Raining heavy for our trip to Heidelberg. Matt, Dick, and myself
took a look at Heidelberg castle before we headed to Campground Hades
about 15 minutes from the city. Dinner of Beef Stroganoff at 8:00pm
and several of us caught a lift into town with an AutoTours coach.
We discovered a tented beerhall in one of the Squares. Same location
a band arrived and played some pretty good music( if memory serves me
correctly this band was the Scorpions.) Matt and I located some
Swiss students and tracked down a traditional student keller or students
pub. Much drinking, singing and merriment before we both attempted to get
back to Hades at around midnight. Apart from a short bus trip it was
walking until we got a lift back to the camp by a car load of visitors
also staying at the camp.
|
| 12 July, Saturday
|
Birgen & Bacharach, West Germany
Cologne, West Germany |
7:00am departure to Amsterdam with some stops along the
way. Birgen first and a Rhine River cruise to Bacharach, 10 Km away.
Short exploration of the picturesque Bachgarach. On to Cologne by
bus. A quiet trip with some tired passengers with sore heads.
Short visit to the Cathedral and then back on the bus to continue to
Amsterdam. Sixpence had been travelling part of the way with us and
departed at this point-they were bound for Berlin. Arrived at
Amsterdam campground at 9:00pm.
|
| 13 July, Sunday
|
Amsterdam, Holland | Amsterdam tour-Rijksmuseum, canal cruise. Some of us
went to MacDonalds for lunch-very Dutch. Ann Frank's house.
Visit to Royal Palace with Bridgette, Dianne, Dick, and Yvonne.
Futile search for Rembrandts house before heading back to the bus.
Evening visit to red light district. Visit to Bulldog Bar.
Onto Sailors Bar. Enough said though I do seem to remember being in
strife for souveniring paper beer place mats for some reason!
|
| 14 July, Monday
|
Amsterdam, Holland
Volendam, Holland |
Amsterdam tour-Heineken Brewery (1st attempt but rescheduled
to tomorrow), street markets, Van Mopes diamond factory. Lunch of
Ham and Cheese rolls on PigPen. Afternoon trip to Volendam- cheese
and clog making factory visit. Dinner at the Showboat restaurant was
most welcome. We all are starting to feel a bit down as the
adventure draws to a close. In a couple of days we all go our
separate ways. The mourning stage of group dynamics has begun.
|
| 15 July, Tuesday
|
Amsterdam, Holland
Zeebrugge, Belgium |
Okay, Heineken brewery tour today for sure. Some
negotiating to ensure all members of our group got to go on tour through
the plant and we were away. Departed for Belgium at midday and
arrived at camp in the evening. Spent several hours cleaning the
bus, swapping addresses, and preparing for the completion of our
trip. At 8:00pm our last meal together as a group and presentations
made to Nicky and Gerry our fearless leaders on tour. An evening
spent at the docks in Zeebrugge. A quiet sad evening on this our
last night on tour.
|
| 16 July, Wednesday
|
Zeebrugge, Belgium to London, UK | PigPen onto a Townsend-Thorensen ferry at 7:00am and a 5
hour trip to Dover. Customs 'apprehended' a few people. Lots of questions and searching and nothing found of
course. Arrived back at the Enterprise hotel in Earl's Court.
Fond farewells and the end of one adventure but the start of many more...
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