Day 22 ... Sound of Music tour. Amazing lakes. Amazing mountains. Beer Garden in a church after with an American girl Katherine and an Australian guy Andrew from the tour. Good times. Met some young Austrian soldiers that had been called up for national service in the beer garden. Hottest day of the year, 37C.

Day 21 ... Vienna to Salzburg on the hi-speed RailJet (200km/h in places!). Beautiful mountain ranges. Picturesque. Arrive in Salzburg... now THIS is Austria! Amazing hostel, like a hotel. €15 a night = ensuite rooms with AC, tv, amazing views... and opposite a supermarket, bowling alley, and go-kart track! Walked round town, watched the united game in a local bar. Local bars seem to betting shops too, strange. Missed the bus so walked home... just like home!

Day 20 ... Bratislava to Vienna. Vienna is pretty, but, a building site. The buildings are amazing. But too often the view is ruined by a crane or scaffolding! Very expensive and everything's shut on Sunday! Serous contender for the 'ice cream that looks most like sideshow bob' crown. My breathe, if i had any left after Budapest, Prague, and Bratislava, has not been taken away... unfortunately. Very generic. This could be anywhere.

Day 19 ... Checked out a little independent second-hand english bookstore/coffee shop a few doors down from my hostel. As i walked in i could hear Eddie Vedder on the radio! Upside down pyramid for lunch... an office block/apartment building that resembles an upside down pyramid. Looks like a baddies lair from a Bond film! Watched the Arsenal v Liverpool in a hockey-themed sports bar. Hockey is the national sport. 2 hour walking tour in the afternoon. Learnt abou...

Day 18 ... Explored Bratislava town centre a bit more. Caught some rays in the park. Met Hannah who had come to Bratislava from Vienna. Went for a drink. Met an American called Eve. Interesting. An Archaeologist who had just been on a dig in Romania. had dinner. Drank the local 12% beer. Bratislava is beautiful. Laid-back and slow-paced, similar to southern France.