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."

SAD FAREWELLS EASED BY COFFEE & CAKE AT KC's, Kathmandu 1976

[More Swaggie friends departing and feeling jaded after the previous heady day - there's only one remedy - back to KC's for coffee and cake!]

Swaggies eating at KC's, Thamel, Kathmandu, 1976

WEDNESDAY 22ND DECEMBER, 1976

"Went to airport to see Pam and Sue off.  Great scenes of tears as said goodbye - especially when Pam said bye to Rob, Mike, Anders ...!  Waved them away from terrace.

Washed jeans!  Moved up to Di and Heidi's room.  Tried to write letter but gave up.  Tried to find diary but gave up!  So went and had cake and coffee at KC's!

Went to Utze's quite late that evening with Di and Sally - had 4 dishes between us - lovely food - sweet and sour chop suey, rice, chicken etc.  Then had banana split - enjoyed every calorie!"