Spanish is just like Italian (in the same way that chicken is just like beef)

I've left the green fields of Germany and arrived in a balmy, coastal metropolis. First impressions of Barcelona are that its easy to get around. Thats about all I've done, only just arrived at the hostel since leaving Frankfurt at 5am (!!!).

Germany was fantastic. Beer, sausages, good mates... what more could a girl want? And just in case anyone is interested in seeing the Heidelburg Castle (with the worlds biggest wine vat but more on that later), I'm sure Torsten would love to walk you up there. Again. Then he can take you to the chocolate museum :o)

Dusseseldorf was pretty nice. They have some amazing buildings, the area around the harbour is gorgeous. They are also known (according to my guide book) for having the worlds longest pub strip. There are a LOT of pubs in Dusseldorf, and thats saying something for a nation that has built a reputation around breweries. I even went up the TV tower, which overlooks the city - pretty scary because the windows lean out and apparently you can lie on them (hence lying on glass about 160m in the air)... which I didnt do because I have a healthy fear of falling 160m.

We visited the Cologne Cathedral which was stunning, and finally made it up the 560 odd steps to the top of the tower - on the way down there were kids about 3 years old literally climbing and crawling their way up the tower, dragging their parents behind them. No-wonder Germans are so bloody tough if thats what their kids can do...

Then we visited the Neanderthal museum and discovered that fathers are the same all around the world - they all know everything already and like to show off just all the things they know. Elly's, Torsten's and my own dear father all knew about the Neander river (we didnt) and that the original Neanderthal discovery was in West Germany (I didnt) and so on and so on. But it was a pretty nice little museum and although the actually caves and area where the fossils were found has been destroyed by limestone-mining, they have a park which commemorates the area. They've also bred cattle and horses to look 'authentically' stone aged but we couldnt find them despite numerous attempts. I think the photos were staged, they just put extra fur around the horses.


Then onto the Rhine Valley, one of the more beautiful parts of the world and a large reason that the Germanic tribes managed to avoid too many Romans living in their part of the world (the other reasons being the Black Forest and the tribes themselves who were famously vicious and skilled fighters..... and now they have kids that can climb bell towers faster than tourists.)

Koblenz was gorgeous and I got to see a medieval festival (Historenspiel) in the old fortress which was entertaining (better than the museum anyway) - and I had a glass of ye olde cherry beer (Kirsh? I think thats what it was called) which was pretty nice.

Then onto the Loreley cliffs, which has a legend similar to that of the greek Sirens. It was stunning as well, and full of grey nomads. On Friday, we caught a ferry unaware that it was half price seniors day so we had to battle old ladies with bricks in their handbags and old men with their sticks and knee socks.... but it was worth it.

Heidelburg was really nice - great for shopping and the castle is pretty cool. And they have a HUGE wine vat, that was used to collect taxes... so everyone put their wine in the same vat... white, red, sparkling... mmmm, nice. Then, to make sure they could collect taxes the next year, they would have to drink it all and the townspeople would come and help. At least you'd get some benefit out of paying taxes.

Long blog - sorry i havent been writing but its been hard without a computer. Bill Gates hasn't worked THAT one out yet. Good for nothing.