In October 2006 I was lucky enough to be able to join my family who were holidaying on the island of Brac in Croatia. We developed relationships with mountain goats, and got used to squinting at the sun reflecting off the white stone of the landscape. After lazing in the Adriatic sun for a week, exploring the many little coves and beaches, discussing the meaning of life, and playing a few fiery games of boules, I went with Jonathan, Jane, Laura, India & Emily to the nearby island of Hvar. Here we saw a local Dalmatian choir sing in the courtyard of a church on the harbour. The little coastal village of Milna, on Hvar, was where I first pitched my tent. I then hit the road on my own, travelling up the coast and visiting Trogir [A UNESCO World Heritage Site] and Zadar; and then moving inland to Zagreb, where I discovered the wonders of naive art, maraska cherry liquers and streetside corn-on-the cob vendors.
A beach on blissful Brac
3rd century Roman emperor Diocletian chose Split as the site for his retirement palace
The intricate tiled roof of St. Marks, Zagreb
slovenia
Travelling through Slovenia, the beautiful alpine landscape provided a contrast to the barrenness of the Adriatic islands I had grown accustomed to. Ljubljana is a jewel of a city, and its chilled-out culture reminded me of Amsterdam. Here I stayed in Celica Hostel, which used to be a prison and is now part of Metelkova, an area overrun by squatters and hippies. We had some amazing parties here, dancing to weird electronica in a variety of small warehouse-type clubs. One of these was designated the movie thatre, and here we sat in haphazardly-arranged antique theatre seats and watched a Sex Pistols documentary which was being projected onto a wall. The innovative Slovene Ethnographic Museum was a highlight of my trip. Atop the 15th century Ljubljana Castle I saw a wonderful public performance where a solo masked dancer moved across the castle wall accompanied by robed figures singing chants from below. The performance made us ponder the history of the place more deeply than any museum plaque could have.
Travelling through Slovenia, the beautiful alpine landscape provided a contrast to the barrenness of the Adriatic islands I had grown accustomed to. Ljubljana is a jewel of a city, and its chilled-out culture reminded me of Amsterdam. Here I stayed in Celica Hostel, which used to be a prison and is now part of Metelkova, an area overrun by squatters and hippies. We had some amazing parties here, dancing to weird electronica in a variety of small warehouse-type clubs. One of these was designated the movie thatre, and here we sat in haphazardly-arranged antique theatre seats and watched a Sex Pistols documentary which was being projected onto a wall. The innovative Slovene Ethnographic Museum was a highlight of my trip. Atop the 15th century Ljubljana Castle I saw a wonderful public performance where a solo masked dancer moved across the castle wall accompanied by robed figures singing chants from below. The performance made us ponder the history of the place more deeply than any museum plaque could have.
Julia Primic, who gazes out at at the statue of her unrequited love France Prešeren
Prešeren Square, Ljubljana
The Dragon Bridge is a symbol of Ljubljana
hungary
Having sung Hungarian folk songs since I was four, there was almost a sense of home-coming as I crossed the border into Hungary. This was the land of Kodaly, to whom I owe a great deal. My life would certainly not have been the same without him. I travelled to Kecskemet, Kodaly's birthplace and the home of the Kodaly Institute, where I discovered only one employee who spoke English, but plenty who spoke solfege. Here, the small collection of Kodaly photographs, manuscripts and programmes had my heart racing like a fan at a Star Wars convention, but it was nothing compared to my wonder at the Kodaly Museum in Budapest. The museum is a conversion of his apartment, and still contains many of his possessions in place, as if he had just stepped out for coffee. The opulence and magnificence of Budapest was slightly overawing. I saw the Buda hill and its many churches, ate wonderful ice cream in Pest, soaked in the hot springs at the Széchenyi Fürdő and went to the Terror House - a museum which depicts, in a disturbingly artistic way, the horrors of fascism and communism suffered by the Hungarian people.
Having sung Hungarian folk songs since I was four, there was almost a sense of home-coming as I crossed the border into Hungary. This was the land of Kodaly, to whom I owe a great deal. My life would certainly not have been the same without him. I travelled to Kecskemet, Kodaly's birthplace and the home of the Kodaly Institute, where I discovered only one employee who spoke English, but plenty who spoke solfege. Here, the small collection of Kodaly photographs, manuscripts and programmes had my heart racing like a fan at a Star Wars convention, but it was nothing compared to my wonder at the Kodaly Museum in Budapest. The museum is a conversion of his apartment, and still contains many of his possessions in place, as if he had just stepped out for coffee. The opulence and magnificence of Budapest was slightly overawing. I saw the Buda hill and its many churches, ate wonderful ice cream in Pest, soaked in the hot springs at the Széchenyi Fürdő and went to the Terror House - a museum which depicts, in a disturbingly artistic way, the horrors of fascism and communism suffered by the Hungarian people.
I first saw the Danube as I emerged from the streets of Pest at night
It was difficult to leave the luxurious Széchenyi Fürdő
slovakia
Having been told that I was crazy for choosing Bratislava over Prague, I enjoyed my time in this city. I met some amusing fellow travellers, and together we sampled Slovakian beer [which to me tasted like vodka], and some 'Slovakian' cuisine that probably wasn't in a pub called, imaginatively, 'The Slovak'. We went to a drum & bass club built into the hill beneath the castle, to which you had to enter through a tunnel. Here I saw a very different view across the Danube, dominated by 'soviet-style' housing blocks, and the ufo-shaped restaurant which stands over the bridge. This structure made the place seem ethereal, and mixed visions of The War of the Worlds, The Twilight Zone, and 1960s Russian cosmonauts were brought to my mind.
One of Bratislava's quaint narrow streets
"It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition."
[Rod Sterling]
poland
My dear friends Monika and Aggy were my guides as I explored some of the vast and beautiful land that is Poland. Monika trekked from Poznan to Krakow to meet me, and here I discovered my weakness for pierogi - dumplings that are a sort of equivalent of vegetarian steamed dim sims. We explored the Cloth Hall, the cafes, and the buildings of the 16th-century royal palace and castle on Wawel hill. We wandered the streets of Kazimierz, where the Isaac Synagogue is now a museum showing Nazi footage of the Krakow and Warsaw ghettos. Although the district isn't deserted, here we felt a sense of loss, and of 'what might have been.' In Warsaw Aggy showed me the Old Town, which was ravaged in the Second World War, and painstakingly rebuilt. We saw an Israeli film Frozen Days at the Warsaw film festival which was modelled on a Roman Polanski film so it was interesting to hear the questions put to the Director by the audience. The screening was in the imposing Palace of Culture & Science - Stalin's gift to Warsaw. Aggy took me to see Maria Peszek sing at a club, and her amazing vocal skills and charisma combined to be one of the most truly 'alternative' musical performances I have seen. The Polish fringe of art, design and fashion is very exciting. I saw Poznan through a cultural eye too, Monika taking me to a contemporary art gallery in the old town's lovely main square, and to Poland Now, a photographic exhibition exposing the quirks of Polish culture. We watched the mechanical goats on the town clock, and also found some good pierogi.
In the sobering streets of Kazimierz, Krakow
The recovery of Warsaw's war-torn Old Town is a source of national pride
The goats come out to fight every hour in Poznan
The colours of Poznan's main square
