Those of you who have been following the journey will have been waiting for the continuing story of my feet. well, they have nearly stopped play at the moment due to the extra toes that is trying to grow out of the bottom of my foot.

Due to the growth (blister), progress has slowed after a fair gallop into Lombardia. I’ve based myself in Verona for the last few days in what has easily been the best hostel I’ve stayed in so far. I’ve met lots of interesting people here, most coming from south of Odcombe, well Australia to be precise.

Anyway, it’s time to move on again and into the mountains.

Michele came over last week for the first time. We based ourselves in Bergamo and walked up the Brembana Valley towards the Passo St Marco, high in the Orbi Alpie mountains. When I get the chance I’ll download some of the pictures she took.

On Sunday John (kitman) is coming over to join me in walking into Switzerland via the Passo st Marco and the Splugan pass, leaving off from where Michele and I got too (it does all add up). I hope my foot is better or we might not get out of the airport let alone up to 2000m, although walking in the snow will do it some good.

The following weekend John and I meet Michele in Zurich for a weekend of beer and recovery. Then Rob (FT banner artist) comes over to continue the walk via the highest mountain we can get up, I’m sure Tom wont mind if we go off course a little, he didn’t have to cope with a few million Italians armed with steel boxes.

After Rob goes I’m getting a bike to ride along the rest of the route, where Tom went by boat. Yes, that does mean I’ll be in Germany for the football world cup. Should be entertaining trying to find accomadation.

I’ve got so much to tell, but always too little time to write posts. Subjects you can look forward too include;

• Why is there a fish on the pavement?
• The cities of northern Italy
• Italian traffic and why I hate it.
• What am I going to do when I get home ???????
• Really, any good ideas would be most appriciated.
• Irrigation channels on the flat bit
• Exsistance
• Random restaurant stories
• Why do birds keep pooing on me ?
• Squeeky boots

Fueled with a rather healthy hangover, I got to the hostel in Venice after ‘Easyjet’ did their stuff. I’m not sure if my physical state helped my mental state, but my bottom lip kept wobbling as I strolled around St Marks Square for the first time, without Michele. I know we have made the right decision for me to do the return journey, but it is hard.

As i’ve mentioned before, the return is being planned with millitary precision, so I decided to start the plan with staying in Venice for an extra day. 25th April is a public holiday in Italy, it’s Liberation Day and St Marks day. Both significant occations for Venicians. So I was expecting a Venitian style party.

The first couple of days in Venice were spent generally wondering around, visiting museums, searching out hidden corners and spending a day visiting 12 churches !! Tom had a bit of an obsession with churches and cathedrals so I thought it only fit that I did the same. Venitian churches are museums, galleries, and anatomy lessons all in one. There is a fine selection of bits of saints, bishops and other important religious figures on show. Fingers seem to be a favourite, the more shriveled the better.

I allowed myself an indulgence, a coffee in the Caffe Florian (1720), an amazing cafe in St Marks, but to be honest, it really is a tourist trap. So I only had a 5 euro espresso, that has to be the most expensive in Italy !? It is the most incredable place though, I think I have found myself in a lot of tourist snaps as they walk past the window and without really looking, just snapped away. In the Florian I got taking to three Americans who also though it funny that we were in so many photos. We were talking about all the crowds when one of them exclaimed; “I was surprised to hear so many Italians in the crowds”, I couldn’t resist a response, “Well, we are in Italy”. A little cruel but I couldn’t resist. Sorry, if you ever read this.

So we get to the 25th with a hint of excitement on my part. I was in St Marks by 8:00am (you try sleeping in a dorm with 16 other people). i had been told by the tourist (mis)information that there is a big regatta around St Marks. So I was all ready, and I waited, and waited. Then went for a little wonder, then sat on a bridge and finally it all started. Eight four man gondallas paddling along in the distance, just eight, no huge crowds, no flotilla (sp) of support vessels, no partisan support, no drunken revelry. Really, it was a bit sad, I had the overwelming feeling that it was Venice saying “this is what we used to do”.

Venice really is an amazing place, I’m sure we will always try to return, now and again. But it is really now a museum for the world to look at, not a living breathing city. It may be a place that Tom would easily recognise physically, but he might wonder where the famed courtisans and the debauchery have gone………….

Aparently all the brothels were shut, as they were across the whole of Italy, in the 1950’s.

I’m back in Verona and I àm trying to get some photo’s on the site, but I’m having problem’s with computers again.

Anyway, we have another new toy. If you go to the Route page you will see a satalite image of my progress so far. Well, you will if you use firefox but not properly if you use Internet Explorer. Have a play, it’s great, you can zoom right in to Venice for instance.

Ok, I think the photo’s have worked now, so take a look at progress so far at the photo’s page. I’ll get on with writing something.

Finally, I’ve made some major changes to the website. However, you wont notice most of them, but it will make things a lot easier for me to update while I’m in the cuds.

Changes you might be interested in

• There is a new Photo album. The old album was a pain in the arse. So, hello to the new and improved. You can do a full screen slide show, navigation is a lot easier (once you have got used to the change), the photos themselves will be better quality resolution and I can now easily upload and edit new photos.
• There is a ‘latest posts’ section on the main page that should update automatically as I write new posts.
• There is also some scrolling photos on the main page.
• I’ve added the RSS feed link to the site navigation bar. To fine out more about RSS feeds please check out the excellent BBC website

You might have problems with any favourites links you might have in your web browser, just re-save the link if need be. Any questions then please let me know.

PS I still can’t get a dammed spell checker working, so you will have to put up with the comedy spelling

On the 22nd April I fly to Venice to start the return Journey. I’m going to spend three nights in the Venice HI Youth hostel (Youth?), then I’m off on the route home.

One of the problems with a blog is the immense guilt you feel every time you go near a computer and don’t do an update. However, it is evident that I have coped with this guilt for the last 6 weeks.

I think it only fair that I get back into the rhythm of writing over the next 3 weeks so when I’m away we are all ready for it.

So, I’m going to find the time to write posts on such fascinating subjects as – Chang Mai to Phi Phi, Scuba diving, The new photo album (when I finish it), Training around Odcombe, The return route, Tee shirts and a much anticipated post on kit.

And on that note, here is my home for the next two months.

Although it wont be in my parents garden.

We have started our 5 weeks in Thailand, and we’re sitting in an Internet cafe in Chiang Mai, Michele has just had a 2 hour massage and I’ve just finished a Thai cooking lesson. Yum.

Nothing can prepare you for Bangkok, you can listen to all the advice, read all the guide books and have an idea of your plans. But all that greets your flight weary body as you leave the airport, is a scrum of people screaming at you. In true Thai style everybody is screaming with a big smile on their face, but screaming none the less. We are so relieved to see one of the screaming guys holding a piece of paper with Worledge written on it, I feel sorry for Smiths’.

The intencity continues on the roads, the first thing our driver calls to us when we get in, ‘you ready to Rock and Roll?’, all he needed to say was ‘Doctor Jones’ and we would have been Indiana Jones. The traffic is as hectic as Lower Odcombe when the bus comes through, well nearly. You can’t really warn others ‘watch out for the tuk-tuk drivers cos they are crazy’, you’ve got to look out for everyone! Although one late night tuk-tuk did show us his driving skills by pulling wheelies at every set of traffic lights. I loved it !!

The only real escape in Bangkok is in the Buddist Wat temples. The calm and serenity that you get at the less popular Wats is a magical thing. The monks are everywhere around the city. It makes you realise just how important Buddism is to the Thais. How would we feel if Christian Monks were everywhere in normal life ? The other thing that the Monks remind you, is that every Tuk-tuk driver believes in reincarnation !

After a few more crazy days in Bangkok we headed for Chiang Mai on the overnight sleeper train. We hopped to see a little more of Thailand here. As England isn’t just London, Thailand isn’t just Bangkok.

Chiang Mai is a city of around 500,000 people, the second biggest city in Thailand, but it has that ‘village/ small town’ feel. That smile can be seen everywhere but life is a lot less hectic.

We get quickly back on the Wat trail enjoying the peace and quite that they bring, I’m also getting very excited about the food here. As many of you know, I like to eat. The smells, the colours and the Thais shared passion for food is working like a snake charmers pipe. We’ve also enjoyed the excellent markets, the best being the Sunday market, streets and streets of Thai arts and craft and not a single fake Rolex in sight.

So now we have been pummeled and fed to overload we are flying south to Puket for a couple of days then over to Koh Tao to learn how to dive and just chill on a beach. We hope then to contine on to some other islands both on the Gulf and Andaman side of Southern Thailand.

Photo’s will be coming soon !!

I’ve done some changes to the layout of the website. Any comments on it would be most appriciated.
Thanks
Chris