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My week in Israel was absolutely fascinating. As a child, I was a Lutheran and attended catechism, so seeing all the sites mentioned in the bible was an other-worldly experience for me, just not in a religious sense. The Sea of Galilee, Mount Zion, The Dead Sea, Jericho, Nazareth, Bethlehem... everything is here and all close to each other. Just unreal the history that is here.

I was not prepared for the run-down state of nearly everything, and the Jewish vs. Palestine climate that exists. It was everywhere. Its amazing to me that people can live their lives with such tension and hatred as a part of everyday living. These people are tough.

The muslim quarter of Jerusalem:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1430206294.jpg

I drove for 10 days in Eastern Europe, covering about 3,500 miles in my Opel Astra diesel rental car. Went through quite a few countries:

Germany
Austria
Slovenia
Croatia
Bosnia
Serbia
Albania
Macedonia
Kosovo
Bulgaria
Romania
Hungary
Slovakia
Poland

Things were wonderful until I got down to Serbia, Albania, etc. As you transition away from the Alps and into the dry lands with Muslim influence, or more Slavic presence, things get worse. There are cops everywhere pulling people over, the infrastructure looks bombed out, etc. Sometimes the roads are so bad they're nearly undrivable. I program my GPS to avoid highways and tolls, so I was primarily on country roads passing through towns frequently. I never felt unsafe and people were generally very pleasant. I was eyed suspiciously during my time in Albania. Driving north, things improved in Romania. Hungary, Slovakia and Poland are very nice.

Its hard to name a favorite, but I thought the Dalmation coast of Croatia was amazing. I would call this a must-do for everyone.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1430207423.jpg

Next, I am onward to the UK for a week of exploring.

I didn't make it to the lakes. Wasn't aware of them. Your photos are excellent!

Thanks for sharing your adventures Richard and Jhc. Sure looks fun.