We got breakfast from the local shop to start the day – fresh bread, jam and orange juice – and headed straight to the station. We thought hopefully their lunch break would be over by now. It turned out that we had been looking in the wrong place all along and that the ticket office was just down the road from the main station. Doh!

We now have our journey to Zagreb and our accommodation there sorted. After our Italian difficulties we now feel a great sense of achievement that we are back on track.

We next bought ferry tickets to Supertar on the island of Brač (rhymes with hatch). These were very cheap luckily, as everything seems to be here.

The ferry was very nice and took 45 minutes. Once at Brač we walked along the coastal path. It is disappointing to say that this beautiful island has been a little spoilt in some areas – namely those close to the port where lazy scallies of all nationalities can enjoy Europop pumping out from tacky cocktail and burger bars, jetskis and roasting themselves raw in the sun.

Beyond these parts though the island is very beautiful with evergreen woodlands next to rockpools and crystal clear sea. This is where we decided to sit and paddle and generally enjoy the scenery. It was lovely.

We returned to the ferry port and had an ice cream – almost half the price we paid in Italy although it has to be said that is one thing Italians do better. After catching the ferry back we went shopping for some dinner and returned for a nice meal, a glass of wine (at 1.60 pounds a bottle it would be rude not to) and an early night.

We arrived in Split a little after 9 in the morning after not a bad night’s sleep on the ferry. We were met at the terminal by a large, jolly chap who is the owner of our ‘hostel’. He walked us along the promenade (very slowly). The street is called ’Obala hrvatskog naradnog preporoda’ which is understandably shortened to ‘Riva’ whether just for convenience or to avoid the tourists a headache when they come to pronounce it I don’t know. Many of the street names here are ridiculously long but are nearly always shortened.

The promenade itself is very beautiful. We were informed in broken English that the street had been refitted at a cost of 1 million euros. It was worth every cent. The street is pedestrianised and the pavement is laid with marble which glistens in the sunshine. All along the waterfront are benches interleaved with modern designed flower beds all sculpted in an ultra-modern style whilst keeping the character of the place. On the other side of the street are numerous cafes all with carefully designed awnings. Along both sides are very contemporary street lights. All of these contrast beautifully with the buildings which are old but well kept. Most notably Deocletian’s Palace.

The palace was built by the Roman Emporer as a ‘retirement home’ and it is truely lovely. Now a UNESCO world heritage site the area is a warren of Roman streets filled with restaurants and boutiques. We will explore more of that later.

I guess what I am trying to illustrate is how modern and civilised it is here. This is not the Croatia I imagined. In almost every way this place is more civilised than any part of Italy we experienced!

Our room is actually what I would call a studio appartment with a large bedroom, kitchen/dining room and bathroom complete with fridge and cooker! It even has a hot shower and flushing toilet as the landlord so proudly demonstrated on our grand tour!

Once we dropped off our bags and showered after our stuffy ferry journey we went to the laundrette to do some washing – it’s amazing how much you miss machine-washed and dried clothes – and then headed into town.

The whole place is so laid-back and clearly has a slow pace of life. We really felt like we were on holiday and it is so nice. We headed to the market which was full of every type of produce you can image – and so cheap too. We bought lunch here – a local cheese pastry thing – it was interesting to say the least!

Next stop was the beach. There wasn’t a lot of sand but a lot of concrete all around the bay. Not particularly nice but then I’m not a fan of beaches anyway. We stayed fo a while – it was nice to relax.

Afterwards we tried to book our train to Zagreb only to find that the station staff were still on their ‘lunch break’ at 4 in the afternoon – so laid back. After a little more wandering we headed back to get ready to go out for dinner. The meal itself was in a lovely little restaurant in the old town with live music. The stroganoff was delicious and so was the beer ( especially at about 1.40 pounds for half a litre)!

We meandered back to our room after dinner enjoying the street entertainers on the beautifully lit-up promenade. This place is so nice!!

Today was very stressful and difficult but had a happy ending. We left our hotel after breakfast (we were glad to be leaving the area it was in) and dropped our bags at the station.

We had until about 3.00pm to explore some more of Rome. We decided to visit the last few highlights in the guidebook and walked to the Trevi fountain. The fountain is an elaborate front to one of the city’s many palazzos and was well worth the visit. We had to resist the urge to jump in though as it was very hot again.

We then proceeded up Rome’s main shopping streets past the Spanish Steps, another couple of palazzos and up to the large park to the north of the centre with great views of the city.

For lunch we went to a trendy pizzeria which was worthy of our last meal in Rome. I ordered a Hawaiian pizza expecting ham and pineapple but it seems the Italian idea of Hawaiian is a little different to Pizza Hut’s consisting of rocket, sweetcorn and prawns – it was still very nice though.

A leisurely walk balk to the train station followed where a nightmare was about to unfold. We got on our Eurostar train which looked like the first Eurostar train ever and appeared to have no air conditioning or opening windows so was hotter than outside. All was fine until shortly after we left the station when an announcement was made. Apparentlz very few people on the train spoke or understood English and it took a while for us to work out that there was a fire on the track between Rome and Ancona so we would have to catch a bus part of the way.

After this there was much confusion about exactly which station the bus was to go from but our fears were reduced when the train stopped unexpectedly at an unscheduled station. Another announcement followed.

This time in our desperation Emma managed to find someone who spoke English who told us that there was another fire on the track for which we were waiting to clear. An hour later and the train still hadn’t moved.

Suddenly everybody left the train and it was only due to our acquaintance who came back to explain the situation that we left at all. He said that the train was returning to Rome and that there was a bus waiting to take us to another station where a further train would take us to Ancona.

By this point all our hopes of catching an earlier ferry had been dashed – there was no way we could make it.

The bus took us past the fire – we could see why the track was closed – and then to another station. We waited here for a good while before they decided which train we should board. In this time we managed to find some more English speakers – a South African and an English couple, one of whom was an Anglo-Italian translator.

Eventually we boarded the train and after another hour we were back on our way. At about 9.30 (after 6 hours traveling) we arrived in Ancona. Thankfully, Gabrielle, our original helper led us to the hotel in which he was staying where he knew the owners. He was obviously a clever guy, about 22, studying economics at Rome and speaker of 4 languages!

Unbelievably luckily for us he managed to get us a discounted rate (70 Euros from 95) for a room with breakfast in the 3-star hotel. Bearing in mind that we were expecting to have to spend the night in the ferry port and we wouldn’t have even found that in the dark on our own, we were extremely lucky. At least we have somewhere comfortable to sleep and have a nice hot shower!

We have done a lot today mostly around the Vatican area. After breakfast we headed for the Vatican museums and joined the very long queue. Thankfully it moved relatively quickly and we were in within one and a half hours. The museums house huge amounts of art ranging from Ancient Egyptian tombs and statues right up to modern religious art. Also they contain many treasures that the Catholic church has acquired over its long history.

The highlights of the museums were the Egyptian collections, Raphael’s rooms, some of the the modern art section (particularly a couple of Dali paintings) and, of course, the Sistine Chapel which has to be seen to be believed.

After 3 hours in the museums we went to St Peter’s square and Bascilica. They are both huge and very highly decorated. It was surprising that neither were particularly crowded but maybe it’s because the Pope is on his holidays.

After this we returned to our hotel to to change for dinner. We are in a very nice restaurant near the Pantheon and headed back for a much needed rest.

A leisurely breakfast and a short walk to the train station started our day today. It is still very hot but wasn’t so bad in the morning sun. Pisa is about an hour’s train journey and free with our rail passes.

What the guidebooks, and a man we spoke to in Florence, said about Pisa was true – there really is nothing of note there except the tower. Although tourist information gave us a map detailing about 30 ‘places of interest’ in the old city it soon became apparent that they were pretty desperate for things to show off.

Nonetheless we headed for the cathedral and its famous bell tower. The cathedral consists of 3 buildings, the cathedral itself, the baptistry and the bell tower. All three of these lean to a certain extent though none is more pronounced than the tower. Apparently the tower started to lean just 2 years after construction began with only 3 of its 7 floors complete. It could be called a major cock-up but it was an ingenious way of attracting tourists to a frankly otherwise unremarkable cathedral easily surpassed by that of Florence (or even Gloucester) for example.

Despite my skepticism I still enjoyed it and we had a nice bowl of pasta, next to it, for lunch. After that we viewed some more of Pisa’s ’sights’ and headed back to the train station.

Another ice cream awaited us at Florence and a bit more of a wander around. Dinner consisted of salami sandwiches and then a, most importantly, cool and relaxing evening.

Today we explored Florence some more although the extreme heat (36 degrees according to a pharmacy sign) did its best to slow us down.

We had breakfast at the hotel and then headed for the Galleria degli Uffizi (full of famous Rennaisance art) only to find that a 4 hour queue awaited us. We thought better of it ad will try again on Tuesday.

Instead we headed across the river up to the Piazzale Michelangelo which appeared to be not much more than a coach park but nonetheless had very good views of the city.

Upon descending the hill we went for lunch (a calzone, or folded pizza, with ham and cheese – yummy). After this we decided it was time to sort out the ferry to Croatia, our next major hurdle. We managed to sort this out without problems on an overnight ferry (twelve and a half hours) to save on accommodation. We also booked accommodation in Split.

After such hard work we decided we deserved an(other) ice cream so headed for what the guide book recommends as the best gelateria in Florence. Eventually we found it and you could tell it was in the guide book – it was packed! It was worth it however with about 50 different flavours. The chocolate was so chocolatey it was more like frozen mousse! Good though (but not as good as Venice)!

After a swift shower back at the hotel to cool down we headed out for tea. We found a place that did pizza and a drink for €10 (about £8) in the main square. It was pretty good for the money.

On the way back we were briefly entertained by a man dressed as Laurel (or Hardy?) being ‘entertaining’ with balloons – a strange sense of humour these Mediterraneans have!

Today was a little disjointed and we didn’t seem to get much done. The heat here is almost unbearable which means we slow down a lot. Florence is a lovely place though.

An early start this morning to get the bus to the station for our Florence train – 3 hours but in a nice Eurostar train so not too bad.

Upon arriving in Florence we headed for our hotle which is about five minutes from the Duomo (cathedral). It was immediately obvious that there a stark contrast between Venice and Florence – Florence has a soul and real people live here. Even though it is still a major tourist destination, tourism is not its only industry.

When you first see the Duomo you can see why people come here. It is truly breathtaking! With the possible exception of la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona I don’t think I’ve ever been quite so awe-struck by a building as I was here.

Having found our hotel and dropping off our bags we decided to walk around to get our bearings. Past the Duomo we reached the Galleria degli Uffizi – a collection of famous renaissance art (hopefully a visit tomorrow) and the Ponte Vecchio (the only bridge in Florence to survive WWII). the bridge is lined with gold and silversmiths on both sides. It was originally butcher’s shops but due to the noise made to the nearby Palazzo Pitti it was ordered for the nature of the shops to change to a more appropriate trade.

Across the bridge we reached the Palazzo and entered half price (there are apparently some benefits of being EU citizens)! The gardens of the palace were lovely, even in the heat, and were well worth the entrace fee even if just for the views of the city.

Eventually the heat got the better of us – I think it must be at least 35 degrees here – and we headed back to the hotel to do some washing (fun)! More Florence tomorrow – there’s lots to do!

Today we walked. A lot. Since we discovered that we didn’t get any discounts on the railways up into the mountains we decided to walk it ourselves. The weather managed to hold out and not rain too much so after another delicious breakfast we headed out.

The walk took us across Interlaken through the village to Wilderswil and then up through the mountain lined valleys. Along the way we saw waterfalls pouring off the side of the mountains from the rain we had had.

The river through the valley was a huge torrent of water with many rapids. Our walk followed this river up the valley until we reached the village of Lauterbrunen.

From this point we decided to take the ‘mountain walk’ ( for experienced hikers only but I didn’t mention that)! After approximately an hour of climbing extreme slopes we decided that we would have to turn round in order to make it back before dark.

After lunch on the side of the mountain with amazing views of the other mountains (although unfortunately with their peaks shrouded by clouds) we descended back the way we came.

At about 6.30 we reached Interlaken and went for a well deserved meal, narrowly avoiding getting caught up in a restaurant with several coachloads of Japanese tourists.

We returned to the hotel with a total of 9 hours of walking behind us and surprisingly only one extra blister (to add to my collection). We were absolutely exhausted and I don’t think my feet have ever hurt so much. A well worthwhile day though -  I wish we could stay a little longer.

Today was not the nicest day so far but nonetheless was quite productive – we managed to book all our train journeys up to Rome.

Most of the day was spent on the train, from Cannes to Nice and then Nice to Milan – about 6 hours in total. Once at Milan we were very lost in the station which is about the size of Paddington, if not bigger. Eventually some Americans helped us out to find the ticket office and the tube.

Once in the tube station a man sent us the wrong way on the tube line so we had to some back! I think the people here could learn a thing or two with regards to user-friendliness from the London underground. Once in ‘Zara’, the area our hotel was in, our instructions stopped and we were stuck in, it has to be said, not a very nice part of town with no Italian skills to speak of.

Eventually we met a couple who spoke English and had lived in London. They brought us right to the door of the hostel. Who knows what we would have done without them!

The hostel is nice with a very large room. Aside from the crazy Chinese woman who appears to be in charge the inside of the room is probably the nicest part we have seen of Milan.

With a little wandering without a map, no money (the crazy Chinese woman insisted we pay in cash) and no cash machine we failed to find the centre and anywhere to eat. Eventually we settled for an America-style steak restaurant – not very Italian but when all you’ve eaten is a piece of dry baguette for breakfast you don’t mind quite so much. Interlaken tomorrow – we can’t wait!

Our last day in France seemed like a long one. Mainly because we moved accommodation. We started off the day by visiting the old town (Nice Vieux) and the flower market. It was only today that I feel we really began to appreciate Nice. The streets and alleyways were gorgeous and were packed full of small and interesting shops. It seems that the prices of food decrease hugely compared to the central tourist area just one street away – a perfect place for a budget lunch and, oops, another ice cream.

The flower market was less about flowers and more about food with a huge variety of breads, meats, fruits and spices available from the stalls.

We spent a little time on the beach and I went for a paddle much to Emma’s amusement (I was trying to heal my blister in the salt water). After returning to the hostel to collect our bags we arrived at the station to travel to Cannes. We corrected another error with our journey to Milan (the third time we have been to the station to sort out where we go from Nice).

In Cannes we checked in to our hotel and really appreciated the luxury of our own room (such snobs we are)!

Our evening was spent meandering through the old part of Cannes feeling jealous of all the people eating in the huge number of pretty restaurants in the alleys of the old town. In the end we had to settle for chips as that’s all we could afford! Still, we ate them on the side of the harbour next to yet more expensive yachts and it was very nice.

We also managed to book up Interlaken and the place we are staying looks stunning – let’s hope it lives up to expectations! Milan tomorrow.