After a very hot day in Vicenza we decided to avoid the busy-ness of Lake Garda and found Lake Caldonazzo to cool off in and then retreated again to the mountains and have been following the Alps to get us to Germany. After following the wide flat valley through Bolsano we navigated hair pin bends, climbing up a seemingly vertical wooded slope before it opened up into a 'new world' of pastures, hay meadows and chalets - we'd arrived in Sud Tyrol! Our campsite was...

Heading back north across a corner of Italy and back into Slovenia, we noted that this corner of borders was the least unchanging landscape that we've seen between countries. Just the signage alerts you to a different language and nation. We'll let the photographs speak for themselves this time, as it's impossible to describe the scale, colours and views of our trip up to and around Triglav National Park. However - some highlights were: - For Clare, vi...

The Slovakia we travelled through surprised us with its beautiful countryside - great sweeps of lush green fields (wheat, hay and maize) with deeply wooded, blueish hills in the distance. It's been lovely to have the expansive views after fjords and flat lands. We happened upon Vlkolinec - a small village of traditional wooden houses, some of which are still lived in, others galleries, or accommodation for hikers. It was really pretty - each one slightly differ...

We made the decision to drive through Poland quickly to cross the bridge into Central Europe, and allow us some time in the south of the country around Krakow, so after a gentle night camped at an Agroturismo site near Elk, where I could have a long morning swim in the warmer lake and there was a German family camping with two boys who reminded us of Ben & Tom, we spent our longest day driving - past glimpses of the gleaming towers of Warsaw's central busines...

Just a week and we have galloped through the Baltics - conscious that we have many miles to travel if we're going to get south. With 3 very different countries to go through we don't really feel that we've done them justice - but it's been mind-widening and welcoming. We loved Tallinn - a regenerated railway area where galleries, microbreweries, studios, and cafes mingled with Saturday sunshine chatter and music and where Nala could join us to in a photographic g...