8th August 2001

bonjour, buongiorno, gutan tag,

I'm in the land of 3 official national languages and it is definitely my favorite place so far.  I've even extended my stay here and bought a blue swiss army knife which has katie potatie engraved on it!

Let me tell you what I have been doing since my last email in Germany. Made it to Prague, Czech Republic by the skin of my teeth, had problems with busabout booking (the hop on hop off bus service I'm using), nearly was stranded in Dresden, Germany, great way to start trip!

Happy to get to Prague the land of big beer bottles for 30 aussie cents and decent meals with meat for not much more!  amazing gothic architecture here unaffected by the war.  Very picturesque and hilly.  Next was Wiens, Vienna.  another pretty city which we did a bike tour of which was great until I fell off so now I have a lovely huge scab down my leg as a souvenir of Vienna!!  Has made walking interesting too.

Next was Venice, we camped which was so much fun. Fell in love with this fascinating place too, of course went on a gondola and was in my element with all the theatrical mask shops.  Only dampener was the mozzies.

And now I'm in Switzerland, have been trekking through the Swiss Alps, past pastures with cows with bells around their necks.  Went up the Juanfraujoch, mountain with highest train station in Europe so it is called the top of Europe.  3454 m above sea level.  on a clear day you can see Geneva apparently.

Now this place was stunning.  I winter wonderland of snow, we three snowballs at each other, saw huskies, people were skiing.  I'd forgotten how much fun the snow was. Hard to believe it was sunny and 22 degrees in Lauterbrunnen, the valley I'm staying in and then it is minus 10 at the top of the alps.  Just blows your mind.

These words are not really doing Switzerland justice, you'll just have to come here for yourself.

Next is Paris for a night and then down to Spain with my friend Jacqui.
love you all and please don't get offended if I don't return your emails straight away!  Email is just very expensive here!!

Keep smiling and thinking of me singing the hills are alive in the Swiss alps!!

Katie