100 days to go....

We finish our second planning weekend on the start of the 100 day countdown. We are now sorted on transport, thanks particularly to the lovely people at Orangeways Coaches (www.orangeways.com) who have been very kind to us. We will be using; train, bus, plane, bicycle, metro, boat, and segway to name but a few. We have also sorted all our hostel accommodation (although one night will be spent on a sleeper train, how exciting!). The afternoon was spent decorating the bed linen to use in the hostels - you certainly won't miss us!! Now we are looking at finalising itineraries and the specific sights to see and things to do in each city.

The challenges we need to complete in each country are:

• France - Take a boat ride on the River Seine
• Denmark - Say ‘Hello’ to the Little Mermaid
• Austria - Visit Salzburg and re-create a scene from the “Sound of Music”
• Czech Republic - Sing “Good King Wenceslas” in the square of that name.
• Slovakia - Visit a castle
• Hungary - Take a spa bath

Other challenges we have to do somewhere along the trip are:

• Arrange to meet up with local Guides or Scouts in one of the countries we are visiting.
• Take a group photograph with the National flag of each country we visit.
• Visit an environmentally-friendly or recycling project.
• Give ourselves an adrenalin rush - participate in an exciting activity that is “NEW” to the group.
• Spend a few hours giving some service in one of the places we visit (e.g. helping local people, participating in a local project, spending time doing something worthwhile, completing some conservation work etc.).
• Eat a traditional meal in one of our chosen countries and find out the recipe.
• Become a ‘local’ celebrity and get ourselves in the newspaper / on the radio to publicise what we are doing
• Try our hands at a traditional craft or game or perhaps learn a song - something that we can share with rainbows/ brownies/ guides / our own unit back home.
• Find a special place to “Renew your Promise” and say it in the language of one of the countries we visit.
• Have a “hands-on” experience at a Science and Technology establishment.
• Try fruit picking, fishing, visit a farm or a rural establishment and eat our rewards for tea!
• Visit a place of worship that is different to our own religion.

We have some very good ideas for these challenges but will keep them hush hush for the time being - don't want the other teams getting ideas! ;-) Watch this space...