This is a tale of how Trade Aid's Tanzanian Manager perceived the UK on his recent and first trip over to England.  Trade Aid is a UK charity whose aim is to create sustainable employment in a particularly lovely part of southern Tanzania, Mikindani, near Mtwara.

On the 14^th June, after a long wait, our beloved Mikindani leader, Mr Dennis Willy Massoi, arrived in England.  After Mtwara International Airport, he looked totally shell-shocked at Heathrow, particularly when it was pointed out that he was only in Terminal 4, the smallest!  A quick excursion onto the M25 was enough for him to decide that he didn't want to drive in England (know the feeling?).  Two hours later, after an M3 experience, he was dropped off in the New Forest at my home.  He did notice that there seemed to be more animals (horses, cows, pigs and deer) running around than in Mtwara area.

That night he was taken to the Salisbury Bandari Club, (also known as The Chicago Rock Café) which was full of drunken ladies dancing on tables and celebrating Hen Nights.  Dennis said it would never happen in Mikindani.  On Saturday, suitably attired in an England football shirt, Dennis watched the England-Denmark game in a pub in Salisbury and seemed to enjoy the 3-0 win as much as the locals.  After a few days with Jacob Amuli in Taunton, Dennis returned to work at Trade Aid.  Several exciting things had been lined up for him, but probably the most interesting was the visit to Tony Herbert's apiary in the Chalk Valley.  Clad in spacesuits, we were still very nervous of the thousands of bees who seemed oddly irritated at us opening the hive and removing their honey.  It is hoped in the future to have a beekeeping trial project in Mikindani under the supervision of Tony.

Very, very early on Friday morning, we collected Dennis from Salisbury, along with some former Trade Aid volunteers, and headed for Stonehenge, to watch the sunrise over the stones on the Summer Solstice. Dennis had probably never seen 22,000 people all in one place before, and especially not the eclectic group that gathers there each year, with music, dancing, drums and fire eaters, children, dogs, colourful costumes and some rather dubious practices, all benignly watched over by the Wiltshire Constabulary.  English weather was true to form and the sun didn't so much rise as ooze into the lowering clouds.  When we felt that Dennis had seen enough of the spectacle, we walked the mile or so back to the car through the teeming rain, and headed for Salisbury, and the England – Brazil match.

After another Friday night out boogying, it was all building up to the big Saturday night event at Burgate.  We had around 100 guests who enjoyed a marvellous African Buffet by Pompi Parry, after listening to talks by Tony Herbert and Len Coleman.  Ian and Nicola, recently returned from Tanzania, were there, together with many ex-volunteers and visitors to Mikindani.  The highlight was Dennis explaining what he thought of England!  Apparently he had been worried at Mrs Brian's absence.  “Who will do the cooking?” 

The answer was Mr Tesco, convenience food department.  These totally unhealthy items, pizza, steak pies, fish and chips, Indian takeaways, combined with those marvellous machines ' the Microwave and the Dishwasher had him wondering “why on earth does anyone in England get married?”  Good point Dennis, I'm sure there is an answer to this tricky question, but we'll have to think about it.  An excellent evening raised about £850, which will be spent entirely in environmental projects in Mikindani.

On the Sunday Dennis went up to London and saw all the main sights from the London Eye.  On Monday he did a bus tour to have a closer look, Buck House, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben etc etc, all caught his eye.  By around 4pm though he'd had enough of the culture and was to be found in a pub near Trafalgar square.  Before he returned to Tanzania on the Tuesday, we asked what had made the biggest impression on him, was it the Stonehenge Solstice, Heathrow, Houses of Parliament etc?  None of these impressed him as much as the Salisbury B & Q!  So many tools and building materials under one roof, he couldn't believe it. 

For more information about Trade Aid, volunteers and their work, please visit their website www.mikindani.com

Sarah, an Aussie from Canberra has sent an update on her European adventures.  She says: I have spent a few weeks travelling by myself in Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Hungary. In Italy I went to Venice, Florence, Siena, Lucca and Sam Gimignano (which I still cannot spell) and Trieste. Loved Venice, as you know, and other highlight was the Tuscan hills outside of San Gim. I could have sat there watching the seasons change, the hills are so enchanting. Went ambling through grape vines and olive trees for that authentic experience. Will be looking for a job squashing grapes in a small Tuscan village after I have finished working on a ferry in Venice.

If you are ever in the region it is extremely worthwhile to do a little circuit around the Balkans, where the hordes of tourists that populate Italy have not yet penetrated.  Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia is a quaint old town with a wonderful range of cafes and beautiful old buildings among the willow trees on the river bank. A day trip away is Bled, home of my favourite castle for this trip.  Perched on a cliff overlooking a deep green lake with an ancient monastery on an island, sheltered by the surrounding Alps.

Then I caught the ferry from Rijeka in Croatia down the coast to Dubrovnik.  Slept on the deck with the smell of salt air and the warm breeze to lull me to sleep.  The coastline is stark, with weather bleached rocks and sparse vegetation, the darker green of coastal conifers. And the water is so clear azure at the shore and a deep blue as though someone spilt ink where it's deep.  Wandered the old town of Dubrovnik, enclosed by fully in tact city walls and escaped the heat to an island 10 minutes away, with rocky beaches and a deserted fort to clamber in and imagine where the old cannons would have been fired from the crumbling walls. 

The hot sun on the ground creating that smell of dried leaves and warm earth that is so intoxicating and evocative of summer. A chance encounter with some English lasses – the Beetle! – (and a few bottles of wine) and I was off to Sarajevo. A contender for my favourite city in Europe.  Certainly the most interesting if not the most beautiful.  Minarets and church spires share the skyline and the architecture tells the stories of all those different periods of history from Turks to Austrians right up until the recent war.  Shrapnel marks still scar the pavement and buildings are pockmarked with bullet wounds, and yet the cafe lifestyle is thriving and thelocals delights in strolling up and down the pedestrian walks each balmy summers night. 

The tunnel museum tells the story of the tunnel, the only link between Sarajevo and free territory during the siege, and locals will tell you their stories of how they lived during the war.  A place with a long and interesting history currently transforming and adapting itself once more. Next stop was Zagreb for my birthday.  A stately city with many fine buildings and yet more cafe lifestyle.  Friends joined me and we celebrated my 103rd birthday by watching some crazy French street performers doing a comical version of the magic flute, complete with soprano and brass ensemble and full audience participation. 

The other highlight of Zagreb was the annual animated film festival, for something a bit different.Another long un-air-conditioned train trip later and I was in Budapest to meet another friend, wondering how many times I would have to revise which is my favourite city in Europe.  Rightly compared with Prague, the most beautiful feature is the palace, castle and parliament buildings along the river, that along with the bridges are beautifully lit at night. We went to a small town on the Danube bend and climbed to a castle before catching the boat back down the river to Budapest.  Spent a lovely day at the hot baths, and then enjoying a long meal on the river front as the sun set on another beautiful summers day. And now I am in London. 

The last four weeks of this trip will see me dashing around the UK, catching up with friends and family. I will also go to Scotland, having been unsuccessful in obtaining a visa for Russia as well as to Ireland for a few days for a South American truck reunion and to see some more family. 

If you'd like to contact Sarah, her details are: sarahguise@hotmail.com

In last month's e-newsletter, we talked about Spain demanding Gibraltar back from the British, and how odd this was when they themselves had two territories in Morocco, (Ceuta and Melilla) that the Moroccans would like back. 

You may have noticed in the news that a couple of weeks ago, on July 11^th, a small band of Moroccan soldiers landed on the unoccupied Spanish owned, but jointly claimed Island of Perejil (Spanish) or Leila (Arabic) or Parsley (English) – unoccupied but for goats, that is, and just 25 metres from the Moroccan shoreline. 

They set up tents and put a Moroccan flag.  The arrival was said to be to celebrate the King of Morocco's wedding.  About a week after that, Spanish troops arrived on the island, escorted by full naval battleships and gained control from the Moroccan army.  Now the Spanish troops have withdrawn from the island and all is well again: foreign ministers of Morocco and Spain have finalised a US-brokered (the EU was snubbed in helping here) resolution to their dispute over the Mediterranean island of Perejil.  Although both countries claim the island, Spain says it had an understanding that neither side would erect a permanent camp there.  The return to the status quo does not mean that Morocco has given up its claim to sovereignty of Pereji.

Morocco was also hoping to take the opportunity to talk about all the issues of contention between the two countries.  These include the Western Sahara, clandestine immigration and fishing, as well as the future of the Spanish sovereign enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.  Spain said it was willing to talk about anything except the enclaves.