WILD AND TAMED

EASTBOURNE

We took a few days in our previous home town.

We had a great place on the beach front...always saw them when I lived there now I was in one.

We ate out a lot & went to see the old haunts incl Beachy head

DISASTER FROM HELSINKI

Charmaine's friend Kaisa from Finland whom I had met  a few yrs back came to visit.

This was not the sweet girl from then...she was bitter & aggresive, even accusing us of theft.

We did take a trip to Inverness but her miserable face was a depressive.

Eventually she accused us of stealing her passport.

I sent her packing back to Helsinki although I do believe she had encouraged an evil spirit to enter her life.

MONTENEGRO

Flew into Belgrade...somewhere I had last been  since before it became just Serbia, but was part of the greater Yugoslavia.

While that entity was Tito's baby, it did serve the people better, although Tito stole the praise for the work done in WW2...In fact it was Mihaelovic...leader of the resistant forces , the Cetniks (whom received such bad publicity at the behest of Tito...who wanted the glory for himself & to wipe out the opposition...which he succeeded in doing)

The city did not show signs of the bombing in the 90's...in fact looked in fairly good shape. Never the less Serbia is still a struggling country looking for acceptance.

After a night I went to the train station & waited many hours,drinking good beer & chatting with the restaurant manager Dragan.

The journey on the sleeper to Bar in Montenegro was interrupted many times by immigration...but it was a good journey with great scenery.

In Bar I had a great little apartment overlooking the Adriatic Sea. The town was nice but very hot & humid. Although everything was cheap.

I flew from the capital Podgorica back to Belgrade where I stayed in an hotel nr the airport for my flight back home via Amsterdam.

I TOOK THE OVERNIGHT WITH SLEEPERS

PARYS

Our latest trip to SA...

Drove the rental from the airport with MIL in tow...AGAIN🤪

Our digs, in this Free State town...not so good...but the town was peaceful enough.

Then off to Bethal with the usual suspects & on to Roodepoort for our time with Percis. 

BLACK MTN

Dropped off MIL & flew to Bloemfontein. Picked up the rental & drove to Black Mtn Resort in central S/E Freestate. The Bothas were there...It was my treat.

Had a lovely couple of nights incl a game tour & delicious food...had a reaction to white wine but all was well when we said out goodbyes & the journey home.

Air France were striking again but were able to get seats & connect in Paris for Dublin & home.