GORGEOUS YUGOSLAVIA - LOVELY LADS AND STICKY CAKES, and meet my friends the Overlanders, 1976

EXTRACTS FROM LETTER HOME:

"One thing that is very striking to the girls of the group is the positive hordes of gorgeous looking fellas in every town we've been to in Jugoslavia!  Why was I never told?!  (The group by the way is very much over weighted with girls - 17 to 11!  There are three couples and I'm the youngest of the group.  Everyone seems to get on well) ...

There's often a group of us who sightsee together (the card sharps at the back of the bus!)  There's a super Aussie couple, Paul and Julie, another Aussie girl Jan who is friendly with the driver's helper Fred, who suddenly appeared at Paris.  Then there's a couple of nice fellas, Rob and Mark - Rob feels a protective responsibility towards a newly released school girl! and is a real laugh, and Mark is rather exuberant and is always the first to fall over clutching a vino bottle or to dance on the tables! ...

A great feature of Jugoslavia are the fabulous little sticky cake shops!  At one town we were eating these and I smacked my lips and said how much I was enjoying it - next minute the little man had rushed away and got a glass of water!  (It's the custom to have it with the coffee).  The chocolate eclairs, Dad, are out of this world!"

More on the Overlanders novel at: http://bit.ly/bEVp5V

DALMATIAN DELIGHTS - COFFEE, CAKE AND DELICIOUS DUBROVNIK, 1976

WEDNESDAY 6TH OCTOBER, 1976 - Part One

"Up early again - porridge oats for breakfast!  Lovely view out to sea - not raining!

Stopped at small town, posted pcs and had turkish coffee and lovely cakes in small cafe (Me, Rob, Jan and Sally).  I said cakes good and made slurping noises - he went away and brought us some water as a result!

Everyone singing as sun came out.  Lovely views of mountains and coastline.  Stopped by small village quayside and ate sandwiches outside of bus for first time - snotty dog took a fancy to me!

Dubrovnic was fantastic.  No traffic allowed within old city wall.  Walked around wall- very high, lots of photos.  Great view out to sea, then rain came. 

Caught unprepared - sheltered under tree (and in it!).  Then got really drenched coming down from wall.

Wandered around old city - (incredible hordes of dishy males).  Lovely red-tiled roofs, lots of cats, some keen people playing basketball in rain.  Washing strewn everywhere, some very high up on roofs.

Had coffee in front cafe outside walls - very expensive."

DEATHLY WET IN VENICE - BUT SWAGGIES LOVE OF PARTYING NOT DAMPENED, 1976

LETTER HOME REMARKS: "The day had been full of sight seeing in Venice  ... we got caught in the alleyways of Venice in a real torrential downpour because we couldn't decide where to go!  It was a bit miserable wandering around, soaking wet jeans flapping around our ankles.  Still it's a really fascinating city - (was rather surprised to see Dirk Bogarde lurking around the Rialto Bridge, but no doubt it added to the atmosphere!)" [As a family, we had gone to see Death in Venice just before I went away; my Dad and brother Rory had hammed up the parts of Dirk Bogarde and the youth with which he's infatuated]

SUNDAY 3RD OCTOBER, 1976

"Into Venice for sight-seeing.  Boat to Rialto Bridge, wandered around very narrow winding streets and over small canals.  Rain began again!  St Mark's Square - quick look in church, but mass was being said - tourists very noisy all around. 

Went to Doge's Palace with Heidi [from Germany] and Frances [from London] - great rooms heavily gilded and decorated, impressive parliament room.  Over Bridge of Sighs and round prison - graffiti on ledges, very dark.

Decided to look for pizza - easier said than done!  Couldn't find cheap pizzas, only lots of restaurants.  Rain was pissing down by this time - got drenched and more hungry!  Eventually dashed out of rain - lousy pizzas!(pleasant wine).  Made way back to Rialto Bridge, and up river again.  Frances bought a leather pouch and then bartered for belt to go with it just before bus left.

Barbecue in bar - lovely chicken and salad (which had to be eaten indoors because of the rain!) Lots of wine - some came back from getting left behind at 84th birthday party in a bar.  Very rowdy night, people on tables, under tables!  I got wine spilt all down my back.  (Paul and Mark singing and dancing on tables).  Ended up in bus.  Ann collapsed, Mark collapsed - scars all over.  Fred turfed us off bus - wine not finished.  Escorted home again.  When Ann was carried into cabin, a sleepy befuddled Neva asked who it was.  On being told it was Ann, she made the classic remark, "but there's no Ann on this trip"!!

(T-shirts for Swagman handed out - mine was out of shape because Fred had worn it first thinking it was his - then it got spattered in wine later on!)"