**Special Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad (Peggy and Wayne) Edition!

We have now been on the road for 2 months! The trip has started to feel more and more real and less like a summer vacation. School has recently started and that really made a difference in how the trip feels for Della. It is hard to believe we are going to be gone for so long. At the same time, we are already 2 months in! We plan to do a recap every month to summarize and then reflect.

Countries visited: 5 (South Africa, Germany (though only for an 8 hour layover), Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia)

Beds Slept In: 11

UNESCO Heritage Sights Visited: 10 (Fossil Hominid Sights of South Africa, Robben Island, Cape Floral Region, Kutna Hora, Historic Center of Prague, Historic Center of Cesky Krumlov, Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc, Krakow’s Historic Center, Wieliczka Salt Mine, Auschwitz Birkenau) Total on RTW: 15

We traveled by 3 planes (though they were 3 legs of the same trip from Cape Town to Prague)

We traveled by 5 trains (one of them was an overnight train!)

We traveled by 5 long distance buses.

Top Moments:

~ Our first top moment came at the very beginning of the month! During our time in Cape Town, we took a tour to the Cape Peninsula. It was a wonderful day with beautiful weather and amazing scenery. First we drove to Cape Point which was gorgeous. From then came our top moment: we took an approx 45 min hike from Cape Point to the Cape of Good Hope. Check out some pictures and I’m sure you will see why!

~We were so fortunate to have Eric’s parents join us for our time in Prague. They met us at the airport as they flew in from the US and we came from Munich. A top moment was definitely when we successfully connected!

~ Prague is an amazingly beautiful city. On our second day there we made our way to the Prague Castle. On the way, Eric led us to an gorgeous overlook near the Strahov monastery. Our top moment was looking out on the beauty of our first European city.

~ We spent 2 nights in the town of Cesky Krumlov. What a wonderful place! We arrived in the late afternoon and were happy to find that our Airbnb was just as close to the old town center as described. We immediately went out exploring. Our top moment was enjoying this beautiful city at dusk. There were not nearly the amount of tourists that we had encountered in Prague, people were a bit friendlier, and the old town was magical. We climbed into the castle and descended the stairs as the city fell into darkness. It was beautiful.

Runners up for Top Moments:

~ Our hike to the top of Table Mountain was fantastic. It almost made the cut for top moments especially because of our relief about the weather. Our last full day in Cape Town dawned cloudy and dreary. We decided to go ahead with our planned climb anyway. As we drove up to the base of the hiking trail we rose above the clouds!! We were then fortunate to have a beautiful day! Plus, the heavy clouds below us made for some amazing views!

~ We arrived in Krakov without knowing quite what to expect. This Polish city does not have the reputation of Prague or Budapest, but it definitely delivered. We arrived the first evening and explored the incredibly beautiful, clean, and quaint old town. Ate in a delicious, friendly milk bar, and revelled in the less touristy atmosphere.

~ We left bustling Prague for the great city of Olomouc. Here we found a bit of peace and quiet in another lovely Czech town. We explored the city, enjoying the pleasant and uncrowded town square. Such a relief from the craziness of Prague.

~ After not having a really great, community oriented hostel experience since the Amber Tree in Cape Town, we were so excited to find a good time at the Ginger Monkey Hostel in Zdiar, Slovakia. There was a fantastic onsie party and a pizza eating contest to give you an idea 😉

Items Missing, Broken, Discarded, or Added:

Nothing missing, broken, or discarded!

Added: 1. Eric’s new watch and 2. Eric’s new camera (Thanks to Donna!)

Packing Update:

We have not made any changes to our bag contents except for one small thing. We sent home our pair of binoculars with Eric’s parents. We are starting to wonder if we are ever going to use the summer weather clothing that we brought. Europe has been quite cold and we haven’t even worn our shorts, tank tops, or swim suits.

Books Read: (Have you read any of these??)

Della has read The Stand by Stephan King and Starfish by Peter Watts
Eric had read The Covenant by James Michener, Poland by James Michener, Everything is Going to be Great by Rachel Shukert, The Bridge at Andau by James Michener, Final Epidemic by Earl Merkel
Eric and Della have BOTH read The Eagle has Landed by Jack Higgens

Our reading has slowed down considerably from last month (at least Della’s has…). I guess that is what happens when you suddenly have access to the internet again…

Make sure to catch up on all our monthly recaps: Monthly Recap 1