Liam here - I just thought I'd quickly update you on my trip as I approach the half-way point!  I have sent a few postcards to the club, I hope they arrive soon if they haven't already!

We have been backpacking around mainland Europe so far and have enjoyed brilliant weather and amazing views.  The Netherlands is a haven for bikes - I'm sure Xander, James, Randal, and all the other bike-nuts at BRC would love it as it is full of cycleways and canals (just big enough for sculls, in my opinion)!  Germany, meanwhile, is a surprisingly diverse place.  I had not realised the differences between the North and the South of the country until we visited both Berlin and Munich, and had locals quiz us as to which was better, while being so very keen to point out how different they were!  Switzerland meanwhile is picturesque, full of beautiful flat lakes to row on in between soaring mountains, but everything there is incredibly expensive.  Plus, the amount of chocolate and cheese available really encourages you to get back into training!  Italy has been an interesting ride - we have visited a number of towns including Venice, Verona, Padua, Genova, Milan and Rome - they are all bustling towns and very very lively.  The classical and roman architecture is simply overwhelming, and you can constantly find new details to marvel at.  Finally, that leaves us with France.  We had been planning to head to spain, however strikes on the French rail system have prevented that.  So we spent a few days on the south coast of France before heading back into Italy.  I was surprised at how similar it was to Australia in many ways:  from the temperature to the beachside lifestyle, yet the extravagance of towns such as Nice and Cannes, and places such as Monte-Carlo is far from Australia's relatively 'down-to-earth' atmosphere.  

So that is a quick summary of the trip so far - really one or two sentences for a town or country can hardly do them justice, but we have been moving around non-stop and to be honest I really don't want to bore anyone more than I already have.  I miss the club like crazy (even the early mornings and the constant (and increasingly futile) attempt to catch James again), and can't wait to get back.  I'm sorry I'm not going to be around to help out with what sounds like an urgently needed and very large-scale working bee, but hopefully there will be something for me to do when I arrive in Syd in December!

Till then, see you soon!

-Liam