Bush's Europe tour diary:

Day One
US President George W Bush is on a tour of Europe in the Czech Republic, amid growing tensions
with Russia. BBC state department correspondent Jonathan Beale is travelling with the president
and recording his experiences in a daily diary.
DAY ONE: TUESDAY 5 JUNE, 1545 GMT

On the day that President Bush's major speech in Prague on

democracy and freedom - a Monty Python moment. Following a
meeting with the president and prime minister of the Czech
Republic, the announcer told the assembled reporters that they were
about to take part in a press conference... but with no questions! It's
unclear as to whose decision that was, but Mr Bush gave a wry smile
to the assembled White House press corps.

The "press conference" was dominated by the US president's appeal

to Russia to tone down the rhetoric over its missile defence shield.
Bush is having trouble
The Cold War was over - Russia was not America's enemy. pronouncing names of Soviet
dissidents
Yet, hours later in his keynote democracy speech, President Bush
was taking a swipe at Moscow for "derailing" democratic reforms once promised.

The stage is set for a strained G8 summit.

President Bush's speech was essentially a rehash of his long-trailed "freedom agenda".

But the famously tongue-tied Texan had new problems in pronouncing the names of dissidents from all four
corners of the Earth.

He checked and occasionally winked at the audience after having a good stab at the names of Soviet
dissidents. Hopefully he'll have better luck when he meets the leaders of the G8!

The Prague leg of this visit is now over - President Bush was appropriately seen off at the airport by a
Czech guard of honour with a march straight out of the Soviet era.

DAY ONE: TUESDAY 5 JUNE, 0200 GMT

All this talk of a new Cold War has clearly brought a touch of
nostalgia to President Bush's foreign policy advisers.

Perhaps little wonder, since most are experts of the Soviet era. It also
reminds them of a time when US influence was supreme and they
were on the winning side. Today, though, there is no Iron Curtain or
Berlin Wall to "tear down".

The Cold War rhetoric from Moscow may be a welcome diversion On-board briefings for this trip
from Iraq - but there is little appetite to return to the past. set the tone for a "testy" G8
summit
Hence President Bush is likely to choose his words with care when he admonishes the Kremlin for
backsliding on democratic reforms.

Washington and Moscow may have sharp differences over democracy, America's missile defence shield and
Kosovo's independence - but the United States still needs Russia's support on a host of issues. Not least, to
confront Iran's nuclear ambitions.
But there's no doubt the relationship has changed for the worse. President Bush once famously stated that
he'd looked into the soul of President Putin and saw a man he could trust.

Now there's more to remind Mr Bush that Russia's leader was in fact a product of the KGB.

On-board briefings

I only caught a glimpse of the president getting on and off Air Force One. Travelling on his plane does not
get you unfettered access.

The "pool" media - about eight of us - are stowed away near the tail end - the president himself hidden from
view.

However, a number of White House officials, including the president's National Security Adviser, Stephen
Hadley, did come back to brief us on the eight-hour flight from Andrews Air Force base to Prague.

It is all very different from travelling with Condoleezza Rice. She normally comes to the back of her plane
at least once on a long flight to take questions or to have an off the record chat - sometimes even dressed in
a tracksuit rather than the usual designer clothes she appears wearing on screen.

It is a mixed blessing, because whenever a senior official comes to talk to reporters, it means no time to
watch the in-flight movies.

One of my fellow state department correspondents curses the days he used to travel with the former
secretary of state, Henry Kissinger.

Apparently he would not leave the reporters alone. There was a sigh of relief when he returned to his cabin
with reporters urging security staff to remember to close the door.

Anyway, the on-board briefings for this trip have set the tone for a "testy" G8 summit with the US, and in
particular Russia, reheating the rhetoric of the Cold War.

Bush's Europe tour diary: Day Two

US President George W Bush arrives in Germany for the G8 summit, on the second day of his tour of
Europe. BBC state department correspondent Jonathan Beale is travelling with the president and
recording his experiences in a daily diary.
DAY TWO: WEDNESDAY 6 JUNE, 2030 GMT

The G8 leaders and their husbands, wives, partners or whatever have

just attended the opening dinner of the summit.

A lesson in sartorial elegance it was not.

The host Angela Merkel welcomed them one by one on a red carpet.
She was dressed in what one of my unkind American colleagues
called a trouser suit hand-me-down from Hillary Clinton. None too
flattering but not as wicked as the British tabloid that showed a
photo of her in a bathing suit.

On a balcony the brass section of a German band were wearing what

looked like Lederhosen.
Cecilia Sarkozy won plaudits
But the biscuit went to Mrs Putin. An elaborate ball gown with shiny for her dinner outfit
material and tufts that could have once been a curtain hanging from a
French boudoir.
She clearly had not read the memo that had said keep it simple.

The new French president's wife, Cecilia Sarkozy, won the fashion awards. A flattering simple dress and a
flat pair of shoes so as not to make the diminutive Nicholas Sarkozy feel too inadequate.

Altogether though, it felt very East Germany circa 1980.

DAY TWO: WEDNESDAY 6 JUNE, 1630 GMT

What country do U2 front man Bono and Sir Bob Geldof represent at the G8 summit?

Perhaps it's a sop to Ireland. The Celtic tiger is not a member of the
so-called leading group of industrialised countries.

More likely that these two white men are now seen as ambassadors
for the people of Africa.

The two ageing rock stars are now a permanent fixture at the yearly
heads of state gathering. And they are not too embarrassed to be seen
with President Bush.

He and America's first lady will be meeting with them tonight. Geldof and Bono are regular
Although it is almost inevitable that President Bush will be portrayed fixtures on the summit scene
here as the party pooper for blocking efforts to set hard targets to tackle climate change, he has in fact a
rather better record than most in giving aid to Africa.

Mr Bush recently doubled his aid programme to tackle HIV-Aids on the continent - though not everyone
approves of America's emphasis on abstinence before condoms. But at least he put his money where his
mouth is.

Anyway the sight of Bono and Sir Bob shaking hands with the host Angela Merkel is a pleasant distraction
from watching more men in suits arrive.

I suppose they're the nearest thing that the G8 has to do with those "normal people" who've been kept away.

The irony is that once Bono and Sir Bob would have probably felt more comfortable with the protesters on
the other side of the razor wire fence - but now they're part of the world's political establishment.

Who said rock 'n roll is dead?

DAY TWO: WEDNESDAY 6 JUNE, 1130 GMT

Rostock, Germany, and the White House press corps I'm travelling
with are holed up in a hotel about an hour's drive from where the G8
summit is taking place.

Like the thousands of protesters - who appear to be wandering the

German countryside looking for some action - the media too is being
kept at bay. Miles of fence topped with razor wire separate the
world's leaders from the rest of us.

We catch an occasional glimpse of them fed onto our TV monitors in

the filing centre. A helicopter at Rostock airport
is customised for Japan's PM
From my desk I see a steady stream of jets land at Rostock airport.

I have just witnessed the prime minister of Japan's jumbo touch down. Apparently it has a sushi bar.
The world's leaders are then helicoptered into the Baltic seaside resort of Heiligendamm without having to
worry either about any anti-globalisation demonstrations or about the press.

Many have travelled halfway round the world to talk about the urgent need to tackle global warming,
burning up who knows how many gallons of fossil fuels in the process.

But it seems that might all be in vain. America has just put the kybosh on Angela Merkel's efforts to set
new targets on cutting greenhouse gasses.

Bush's Europe tour diary: Day Four

Leaders of the G8 nations have pledged to spend $60bn (£30bn)

fighting Aids in Africa.

It is thought the US will account for half the $60bn. Mr Bush - who is a teetotaller -
was seen sipping a non-
BBC state department correspondent Jonathan Beale is alcoholic beer
travelling with the president and recording his experiences in a
daily diary.

DAY FOUR: FRIDAY 8 JUNE, 1915

President Bush has been to Hel and back.

Not a reference to his discomfort over his dicky tummy. But the Hel
Peninsula in Poland where he landed for a whistlestop visit and
meeting at the Polish president's retreat overlooking the Baltic.

It's not just tired old hacks like myself who are having fun with the
place name. Mr Bush was taken with the
Kaczynskis dog Titus
Even "Dubya" made fun of the reference saying, "Bush goes to hell - that's where a lot of people want me."

Clearly he's seen enough of world leaders after the G8 summit. He was at his most animated greeting the
Polish president's dog - a scottie similar to his own - Barney.

"Great dogs - aren't they," he said looking at the Polish president's wife.

Thankfully she took it in the spirit with which it was meant.

DAY FOUR: FRIDAY 8 JUNE, 0914

President Bush is "unwell".

White House staff say they're not sure whether it's something he ate or a stomach virus.

As to suspicions that the was doing a "Boris Yeltsin" - US officials insist that was a non alcoholic beer he
was seen drinking last night.

Anyway a planned meeting with France's Nicolas Sarkozy had to take place in the American president's
private rooms.

One can only guess that he wanted to be close to the bathroom.

Alarm bells rang when President Bush failed to turn up to a photo opportunity with Sarkozy and then failed
to materialise at the G8 roundtable to discuss aid to Africa.
Dan Bartlett - counsellor to the president - quipped that "he did not want to follow in the footsteps of his
father" - a reference to that famous occasion in 1992 when George Bush senior threw up on the Japanese
prime minister at an official dinner in front of the cameras.

Bush's Europe tour diary: Day Five

US President George W Bush has continued his European tour with a visit to Italy, where he has had
his first audience with Pope Benedict XVI.

BBC state department correspondent Jonathan Beale is travelling with the president and recording
his experiences in a daily diary.

DAY FIVE: SATURDAY 9 JUNE 1226

The president's private audience with the Pope looked a bit like a
visit to the headmaster's office.

He walked through the Vatican flanked by Swiss guards going at the

pace of a death march.

Eventually he arrived at the Pope's study and was sat behind the desk
as the pontiff took to his throne.
The US-made limousine that
Looked like it could be a right good rollicking but we were not let the president down
allowed to stay to find out.

The president's stretch - armour-plated - limo stalled while he returned from the Vatican to the US embassy.
A statement on American engineering? Perhaps he'd have been better off in a Fiat Multipla.

After he briefly got out to change cars, it started up again.

But I can't quite understand why Potus [President of the United States] has to travel everywhere in a
massive jumbo jet preceded by a huge transport plane carrying his own limos and helicopter.

The security is already suffocating wherever he goes.

Every other G8 leader was happy to travel in a German police helicopter from Rostok airport - except him.

No doubt it's all the trappings of a superpower.

But if he's serious about tackling global warming, perhaps it would be best to lose the limo and Marine 1.

DAY FOUR: FRIDAY 8 JUNE, 1915

To Rome - where even the policemen look cool in their designer shades.

They're clustered in groups around the US embassy and White

House press hotel - seemingly not doing very much.

But somewhere out there, we are told, thousands of anti-war, anti-

Bush protesters are gathering.

Helicopters hover overhead, the streets and subways have been

closed off.

This being Italy, the Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, has had to urge Security is so tight that even
ministers of his fragile centre-left coalition not to join the protesters manholes are sealed
on the street. President Bush says he'll be in "listening mode" when he meets Pope Benedict for the first
time.

Not sure which of them has a hotline to God.

While their "moral compass" may be pointing in the same direction on abortion and gay marriage, it is not
on the issue of the Iraq war.

Listening mode may have to turn into being lectured mode. Duh!