Lilian's Tree

Like the rest of the world, I really feel for the people caught-up in the Paris tragedy. When we were there in July the security was very high. I have joked that I saw more armed troops on the streets of Paris than in Greece and Turkey, combined. I didn't feel unsafe, just a bit more cautious of what was going on around us. How this happened is something that the French authorities will have to look at but it has brought home to me that we should be very thankful that we don't have any land borders. I found security, boarding a plane about the same as here but at the other end, we just walked out of the 'secure' area and no-one stopped us. People were also walking into the area and meeting people, no-one stopped them. We need to be vigilant but not let these thugs stop us from enjoying life, because if we do, they win. Bye for now, Lilian

42 days, 6 countries, 9 stops, to many plane flights, bus rides and train trips to count, no lost items or luggage equals one amazing trip! We travelled to Budapest, Berlin, Paris, Venice, Florence, Rome, Athens, Santorini and Istanbul. Saw amazing sights, revelled in all that history, stared goggle eyed at painted ceilings, ancient ruins and beautiful gardens. Eaten and drank local food and wine. Walked for miles and miles exploring these places and it wasn't an organised tour. When we decided to travel to Europe we had some specific places we wanted to see, looked at tours and went, not for us. Our travel agent was amazing, working out the most direct way and easiest way to accomplish this, with out blowing our budget. Everything that we could organise, book and pay for, before we left Australia was done, so the we only had to pay for extra side trips and food. So much easier that trying to do it there. Doing it this way gave us down time, in each stop instead of the rus...