Congratulations Nicola and Frank

Frank and Nicola had a baby girl yesterday, no name yet all doing well.

We are at a place called Omis on the Croation coast. Red hot it is. Sorry
After climbing yesterday we went to an outdoor restaurant for food done in trad way over open fire, big plate of mixed meat roasted and chips. Ian thought he had died and gone to heaven not a sniff of a salad. Cost 5 quid each and was divine, pint of lager a pound so had a few then when temperature cooled from 39 degrees to 30 we tried to do some climbing again, I gave up after two minutes my fingers are shot after 5 days climbing. Carol and Tony are with us from the charity trip
for a few days climbing.
On Wed to cool down in the afternoon we hired a little boat with a lawn mower for an engine and went up a gorge with cliffs towering either side. Holly tried drinking the entire river and Belle unexpectedly jumped off the boat into the river as we sped down it. She was suddenly a long way back before I new it half my kit was off and was about to dive in. Our captain Tony managed to get the boat round and I grabbed little un who looked terrified by now. Think she will have learnt her lesson from that one.
Am sat in a well funky apple mac internet cafe tucked away in a little medieval town. We are about to move further down the coast to Brela a quaint town with lots more climbing. I might sneak off and find a sun lounger instead! Bruised battered knees and hands from sharp rock will look really attractive on the beach.

Zdravo from Croatia

Carol and Tony
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

We never got to the casino so Ians still stuck with me for now. Instead we spent an evening with an English couple Carol and Tony en-route to Croatia and Serbia with a charity group taking computers and supplies to local orphanages. It was quite a novelty to sit with company all evening and chat again, we don’t get much chat back from Holly and Belle though they do try.
The following morning Sun 15 May we say our goodbyes and hope to meet up again in Croatia. The campsite has been a treat for us but we are now desperate to getting back to finding remote spots with stunning views and go exploring again. We call in at Ljubljana the capital of Slovenia, just as the rain starts which resulted in all the tourists disappearing for cover so we walked deserted streets for 3 hours. A little old woman sat by the Triple bridge making small flower poseys, she looked like Micheal Palins mum. I wondered what her story was and what she had seen in the years of communist rule.
The next day we call into some caves at Divaca and walk deep underground to a cavern 100m deep & 300m long with a raging river flowing 50 metres below the little dimly lit walkway. Incredible, like something out of Lord of the Rings where Gandolf falls into the underground gorge. Luckily the bridge stayed intact.
Later we head to the coast to Piran, walk for a few hours in the sun and park up for the night.

Yesterday we crossed into Croatia and now we are in Porec. This was my first foreign destination twenty odd years ago back then it was Yugoslavia. Now it’s a very busy tourist resort so after a quick internet stop and walk round we are heading off down the coast to find a remote beach.
Dovidenja for now.

Divaca Caves
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Slovenia Julian Alps and Lake Bled

After spending a few days in the Dolomites hiking and getting snowed in we headed to Slovenia.The drive here up and down the mountains was fantastic. Yesterday we snowshoed(very slowly, very hard work)up to a summit of 1911m not the highest round here as they are all still covered in thick snow from the top we could see Italy, Austria and Slovenia. An 800m drop either side meant dogs were on their leads much to their disgust.
Today we are at Lake Bled at a campground by the lake. The site is luxury after wild camping for a month, there is even a dog shower! Had a gentle stroll around the lake and taking it easy for the day before we head back into the mountains. We have heard the first English voices in a month too, seems very strange suddenly being able to listen and understand off to find some English papers and books now. May try the Casino later with twenty quid to double our money!!If we loose Ian,s going to flog me for a million and run off with the cash.

Bolzano Italy

We called in here to get access onto the internet with my mac so I can update my website. We are about to put our best clobber on and go for a few drinks at the Sheraton and hopefully use their wireless access point.

Next we head over to the Dolomites.
Chow.

At the Swiss Border

At the Swiss Border
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

On Saturday we followed a track parallel to the road on mountain bikes with rucksacks and snowshoes strapped to us ( hardwork at altitude). Every so often we would hear a loud shrill and had thought it was birds until we nearly ran over a marmot. They were everywhere peeking out of their burrows, and standing up on their hind legs to sunbath and watch us. Holly and Belle were oblivious to all this. Belle preferring to roll around in any stinky, muddy, tick invested bog she finds and Holly just busy taking it easy as usual. When we reached the snow line we left the bikes and followed a stream up through the snow until eventually that disappeared beneath the snow too. With snow shoes on we headed up to the Swiss border watching and listening for avalanches, we saw four from a safe distance! The refuge and border patrol were all buried, ahead lay the Swiss Alps and Pisso Berninia at 4050 m high. We were the first people up here, we followed the road back down, the odd sign post emerging through the snow. Chunks of the road had collapsed and we thought that maybe the road is closed permanently now but next day the diggers went up to start to clear the road.


On another hike we saw marmots, deer and a golden eagle!

Ian Holly Belle
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Worn out Belle
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.

Marmot
Originally uploaded by jacqui.jsb.