Saturday, December 20, 2014
Sunday, November 16, 2014
17 November, Mari heads home, Mike returns to Zagreb
Well readers, it's time for Mari to say good-bye to a most excellent adventure.
Today Mike and I are packing, making lists for each other. Mike is teaching me how to log on to Google Hangout for our weekly meeting with the kids. I'm making sure he knows how to operate the appliances and which cleaners to use. Directions are in Croatian and several other foreign languages not including English. My mother brushed her teeth with Bryl Cream once because she didn't bother to put her glasses on. There is no Bryl Cream here fortunately.,,,But I digress.
Mike and I have the same flight tomorrow at 6:40 AM to Zagreb. Then we are each on our own. We make a fairly good team when we travel together. This should be an interesting trip home.
This afternoon we took a slow walk around town, climbed up to Fort Lawrence and snapped a few more pictures. The sea was a little rough today making beautiful variations in the blue of the Adriatic. We stopped for cappucino at one of the Irish bars and sat outside. It is still in the 60s here and there are a few outdoor tables at the restaurants which haven't closed. Streets are quiet, most of the vendors have left for the season. Only a few tourists come now. Dubrovnik takes this time to repair streets and perform regular maintenance. The city is continuing work it started last season filling in the moat near the Pile Gate, making more gardens and walkways. The orchestra season is also about over with only a few holiday concerts scheduled around St. Nicholas Day and Christmas time for the town people.
We have reservations for dinner at the Hilton Imperial to mark our last evening together here. Then home to rest up for our early trip.
It's been a great experience. We have made many new friends. The Croatian people are gracious and getting to know them has been the highlight of our trip. Mike is already talking about returning to Croatia. Start saving up. You are all invited.
Today Mike and I are packing, making lists for each other. Mike is teaching me how to log on to Google Hangout for our weekly meeting with the kids. I'm making sure he knows how to operate the appliances and which cleaners to use. Directions are in Croatian and several other foreign languages not including English. My mother brushed her teeth with Bryl Cream once because she didn't bother to put her glasses on. There is no Bryl Cream here fortunately.,,,But I digress.
Mike and I have the same flight tomorrow at 6:40 AM to Zagreb. Then we are each on our own. We make a fairly good team when we travel together. This should be an interesting trip home.
This afternoon we took a slow walk around town, climbed up to Fort Lawrence and snapped a few more pictures. The sea was a little rough today making beautiful variations in the blue of the Adriatic. We stopped for cappucino at one of the Irish bars and sat outside. It is still in the 60s here and there are a few outdoor tables at the restaurants which haven't closed. Streets are quiet, most of the vendors have left for the season. Only a few tourists come now. Dubrovnik takes this time to repair streets and perform regular maintenance. The city is continuing work it started last season filling in the moat near the Pile Gate, making more gardens and walkways. The orchestra season is also about over with only a few holiday concerts scheduled around St. Nicholas Day and Christmas time for the town people.
We have reservations for dinner at the Hilton Imperial to mark our last evening together here. Then home to rest up for our early trip.
It's been a great experience. We have made many new friends. The Croatian people are gracious and getting to know them has been the highlight of our trip. Mike is already talking about returning to Croatia. Start saving up. You are all invited.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Paris 7-10 November 2014
I suppose everyone has a story about Paris. Ours started Friday A.M. flying to Zagreb and then on to Charles de Gaulle Airport. Mike and I have been switching from euros to Croatian kunas with each trip. Mike stopped at the first ATM at the airport and picked up 150 euros.
The nice lady at the airport gave us train and metro directions. She seemed very pleased with our quickly understanding how to take the train into the city. She insisted we review it with her several times to make sure we knew which train to take, in which direction the train should be going and at which stop to get off on our 3 hop trip. Mike was sure he had it down and so off we went confident that saving the 60 euro taxi trip would be a breeze.
It was a fairly long walk to the train and there were lots of steps to the different levels in the subway. Mike was hauling the suitcase. He pointed out that not all the up escalators were running that day. The subways are well labeled and are packed with friendly French people who know what they are doing. Several asked us if we needed help.
I asked Mike where his wallet was even though we seemed safe. Mike wisely reassured me that I didn't need to know where he kept his wallet and he wasn't going to advertise its location by checking for it. Somewhere along the middle of our trip, Mike reported his wallet was gone along with his Croatian ID, credit union debit card and all the newly acquired euros. Not to panic, his passport was safe around his neck.
We made it to the Holiday Inn Grand Boulevard Hotel and told the receptionist our predicament. After checking in and canceling the debit card we set off to the local police station to report the crime. We were told it would be a one hour wait for our turn. The Champs Elysees was calling our names so we left. Maybe we would report the theft tomorrow. Yes, we got back on the Metro and found our way to Avenue des Champs Elysees. Ooh la la!
We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening strolling up and down the Avenue as well as the area around the Alexander III bridge, the Grand Palais and Petit Palais. Everything about Paris is grand including wide streets, tree lined promenades, buildings that stretch for blocks. There are massive squares that meet at the juncture of a dozen streets. Everywhere were splendid statues, columns and arches some decorated with real gold. We snapped pictures of the famous stores, statues, buildings from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde. Awestruck, we walked all the way back to our hotel and looked for a place to eat. O'Sullivan's Irish Pub was the site of our first Paris meal simply because it was right outside of the hotel and our feet were mush.
Next morning, we had a great breakfast at the hotel including croissants and brie and set off for the day. About 100 steps past the hotel a middle eastern women and I noticed a gold ring on the pavement at the same time. She picked it up ahead of me. I told her it was her lucky day. She handed me the ring and asked if it was real gold. I was pretty sure "10K" was stamped on the inside. She offered it to me because she said it was against her religion to wear gold. I was beginning to feel like lucky Pete Isgrigg. I put it on and it was a perfect fit . Off we went thinking the subway ordeal had somehow been repaid. She called after us and requested "perhaps some coffee money" so Mike gave her a couple of euros. When she asked if maybe we had more to give her, we told her that's all we had because of the pickpocket incident and off we went to buy 2-day unlimited hop-on hop-off Big Bus passes which included a boat ride on the Seine. We made the entire 2 hour audio-guided loop of Paris from the open top deck of the bus to get oriented. Then it was time to decide what to see up close and personal.
But first we needed a rest stop. We notice a modern sidewalk glorified port-o-potty. There were about a dozen people in line for this one seated structure. This toilet had an automated door and requested one person at a time. There was a mandatory, closed-door cleaning cycle between each visit. Mike waited and I went to get Eiffel Tower tickets.
Initial plans for the day were to go up the Eiffel Tower. The 1/2 mile lines did not appear to be moving and our time in Paris was limited. I went back to the port-o-potty to collect Mike who had been waiting 30 minutes. He was next in line and we planned to use the facility together to save time. How did it know there were 2 of us scofflaws in there? I don't know but it would not allow us to lock the door. Instead the door reopened, leaving me slightly exposed, with unfinished business, staring back at the dozen or so waitees. We left quickly hoping there were no security cameras around and still needing a rest stop.
We took the guided boat trip up and down the Seine and saw Paris from a different angle.
(There were facilities on board.) Now it was off to Notre Dame. It was about this time that I noticed the inside of my ring was turning black.
The long line at Notre Dame moved quickly. Once inside we joined an excellent tour in English by a US expat and were able to go behind the altar to the choir area which was only accessible on guided tours. We were pleased to hear that 10:00 Mass the next day would fit nicely into our schedule. Here I will skip ahead to Sunday.
Back at Notre Dame, the thousands of pipes on the organ were all working and the cathedral was full of music. Five priests concelebrated the Mass. Incense was burned and dispersed liberally and filled the air throughout the Mass. Several parts of the Mass were in Latin sung by a young persons choir in Gregorian chant. We had additional time to take in the interior of the cathedral especially admiring the rose windows.
Later we visited the Louvre and again were impressed with the volume of art and the size of the Louvre which had started out as a fort before becoming the king's palace. It is very easy to find your way around inside. There is no way to see all of the Louvre in less than a month so we checked off the must sees. Then we did a quick tour through the paintings and sculptures just to be able to say we saw original works by Raphael, Giotto, Cimabue, David, etc.
Dinner at a street side boulangerie was delicious. I had grilled swordfish on a delicious tomato based sauce with rice, green beans and carrots and Mike had, of course, steak and fries. We enjoyed the French wine but sorry Kevin and Mary Jo, we can't tell you what they were. After dinner we stopped for a lemon and an almond crepe at an outdoor stand.
Monday was our last day in Paris and we still had not gone up the Eiffel Tower. We got an early start, arrived 30 minutes before opening and still cued up in a very long line. Finally inside, we took the 2 elevators to the top and stood in a cloud. Gustave Eiffel had a personal apartment at the top of the tower. Peering through the window of his apartment we saw excellent wax sculptures of Eiffel and his daughter hosting Thomas Edison. After an hour, we realized that the clouds were going to hang around for a long time. We descended to the level of the second platform and took in the great view from there.
Our must see list was looking good. Now it was back on the Metro to the hotel to pick up our luggage and catch a taxi to the airport. Our cab driver had emigrated from Cambodia. He assured us that he often had visitors who were pickpocketed on the train into the city and chose a taxi ride back to the airport. Our advice to Paris visitors: 1. Do not take the Metro to or from the airport if you have luggage to carry or a wallet in your pocket. 2. All that glitters is not gold.
Au revoir, mes amis.
Check back in a day or two for pictures.
The nice lady at the airport gave us train and metro directions. She seemed very pleased with our quickly understanding how to take the train into the city. She insisted we review it with her several times to make sure we knew which train to take, in which direction the train should be going and at which stop to get off on our 3 hop trip. Mike was sure he had it down and so off we went confident that saving the 60 euro taxi trip would be a breeze.
It was a fairly long walk to the train and there were lots of steps to the different levels in the subway. Mike was hauling the suitcase. He pointed out that not all the up escalators were running that day. The subways are well labeled and are packed with friendly French people who know what they are doing. Several asked us if we needed help.
I asked Mike where his wallet was even though we seemed safe. Mike wisely reassured me that I didn't need to know where he kept his wallet and he wasn't going to advertise its location by checking for it. Somewhere along the middle of our trip, Mike reported his wallet was gone along with his Croatian ID, credit union debit card and all the newly acquired euros. Not to panic, his passport was safe around his neck.
We made it to the Holiday Inn Grand Boulevard Hotel and told the receptionist our predicament. After checking in and canceling the debit card we set off to the local police station to report the crime. We were told it would be a one hour wait for our turn. The Champs Elysees was calling our names so we left. Maybe we would report the theft tomorrow. Yes, we got back on the Metro and found our way to Avenue des Champs Elysees. Ooh la la!
We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening strolling up and down the Avenue as well as the area around the Alexander III bridge, the Grand Palais and Petit Palais. Everything about Paris is grand including wide streets, tree lined promenades, buildings that stretch for blocks. There are massive squares that meet at the juncture of a dozen streets. Everywhere were splendid statues, columns and arches some decorated with real gold. We snapped pictures of the famous stores, statues, buildings from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde. Awestruck, we walked all the way back to our hotel and looked for a place to eat. O'Sullivan's Irish Pub was the site of our first Paris meal simply because it was right outside of the hotel and our feet were mush.
Next morning, we had a great breakfast at the hotel including croissants and brie and set off for the day. About 100 steps past the hotel a middle eastern women and I noticed a gold ring on the pavement at the same time. She picked it up ahead of me. I told her it was her lucky day. She handed me the ring and asked if it was real gold. I was pretty sure "10K" was stamped on the inside. She offered it to me because she said it was against her religion to wear gold. I was beginning to feel like lucky Pete Isgrigg. I put it on and it was a perfect fit . Off we went thinking the subway ordeal had somehow been repaid. She called after us and requested "perhaps some coffee money" so Mike gave her a couple of euros. When she asked if maybe we had more to give her, we told her that's all we had because of the pickpocket incident and off we went to buy 2-day unlimited hop-on hop-off Big Bus passes which included a boat ride on the Seine. We made the entire 2 hour audio-guided loop of Paris from the open top deck of the bus to get oriented. Then it was time to decide what to see up close and personal.
But first we needed a rest stop. We notice a modern sidewalk glorified port-o-potty. There were about a dozen people in line for this one seated structure. This toilet had an automated door and requested one person at a time. There was a mandatory, closed-door cleaning cycle between each visit. Mike waited and I went to get Eiffel Tower tickets.
Initial plans for the day were to go up the Eiffel Tower. The 1/2 mile lines did not appear to be moving and our time in Paris was limited. I went back to the port-o-potty to collect Mike who had been waiting 30 minutes. He was next in line and we planned to use the facility together to save time. How did it know there were 2 of us scofflaws in there? I don't know but it would not allow us to lock the door. Instead the door reopened, leaving me slightly exposed, with unfinished business, staring back at the dozen or so waitees. We left quickly hoping there were no security cameras around and still needing a rest stop.
We took the guided boat trip up and down the Seine and saw Paris from a different angle.
(There were facilities on board.) Now it was off to Notre Dame. It was about this time that I noticed the inside of my ring was turning black.
The long line at Notre Dame moved quickly. Once inside we joined an excellent tour in English by a US expat and were able to go behind the altar to the choir area which was only accessible on guided tours. We were pleased to hear that 10:00 Mass the next day would fit nicely into our schedule. Here I will skip ahead to Sunday.
Back at Notre Dame, the thousands of pipes on the organ were all working and the cathedral was full of music. Five priests concelebrated the Mass. Incense was burned and dispersed liberally and filled the air throughout the Mass. Several parts of the Mass were in Latin sung by a young persons choir in Gregorian chant. We had additional time to take in the interior of the cathedral especially admiring the rose windows.
Later we visited the Louvre and again were impressed with the volume of art and the size of the Louvre which had started out as a fort before becoming the king's palace. It is very easy to find your way around inside. There is no way to see all of the Louvre in less than a month so we checked off the must sees. Then we did a quick tour through the paintings and sculptures just to be able to say we saw original works by Raphael, Giotto, Cimabue, David, etc.
Dinner at a street side boulangerie was delicious. I had grilled swordfish on a delicious tomato based sauce with rice, green beans and carrots and Mike had, of course, steak and fries. We enjoyed the French wine but sorry Kevin and Mary Jo, we can't tell you what they were. After dinner we stopped for a lemon and an almond crepe at an outdoor stand.
Monday was our last day in Paris and we still had not gone up the Eiffel Tower. We got an early start, arrived 30 minutes before opening and still cued up in a very long line. Finally inside, we took the 2 elevators to the top and stood in a cloud. Gustave Eiffel had a personal apartment at the top of the tower. Peering through the window of his apartment we saw excellent wax sculptures of Eiffel and his daughter hosting Thomas Edison. After an hour, we realized that the clouds were going to hang around for a long time. We descended to the level of the second platform and took in the great view from there.
Our must see list was looking good. Now it was back on the Metro to the hotel to pick up our luggage and catch a taxi to the airport. Our cab driver had emigrated from Cambodia. He assured us that he often had visitors who were pickpocketed on the train into the city and chose a taxi ride back to the airport. Our advice to Paris visitors: 1. Do not take the Metro to or from the airport if you have luggage to carry or a wallet in your pocket. 2. All that glitters is not gold.
Au revoir, mes amis.
Check back in a day or two for pictures.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Toilets (part deux)
Mari already posted a note about our trips to Zagreb, Montenegro and Venice; I'll turn now to that source of endless fascination: European toilets.
On our trip from Zageb to Venice, our driver Mario asked if we wanted to stop about 1/2 way there. He strongly suggested that we stop in Slovenia, as he didn't like the Italian rest stop facilities. We took his advice and didn't think much more about it until we took a "pause that refreshes" in Venice:
My assumption is that the Italian toilet market is dominated by firms run by weightlifters and gymnasts. It was certainly a challenge to position oneself with accuracy and balance while attempting to concentrate on the task at hand. Strong calf and thigh muscles are a must.
I began to wonder whether at least some Italian immigrants to the U.S. brought this design over with them. If so, it might explain why Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola were catchers.
On our trip from Zageb to Venice, our driver Mario asked if we wanted to stop about 1/2 way there. He strongly suggested that we stop in Slovenia, as he didn't like the Italian rest stop facilities. We took his advice and didn't think much more about it until we took a "pause that refreshes" in Venice:
 |
| What's missing in this picture? |
My assumption is that the Italian toilet market is dominated by firms run by weightlifters and gymnasts. It was certainly a challenge to position oneself with accuracy and balance while attempting to concentrate on the task at hand. Strong calf and thigh muscles are a must.
I began to wonder whether at least some Italian immigrants to the U.S. brought this design over with them. If so, it might explain why Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola were catchers.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Venice 24-27 October 2014
We ventured to Venice. Thanks to a suggestion from Ivana at Elite Travel, we flew to Zagreb and from there we were solo passengers for four hours in a comfortable minivan to Venice. (The original plan if we had booked it would have been a longer, more expensive and less scenic 3-hop airplane trip to Zagreb, Frankfort and Venice.)
Mario, our driver, picked us up at the Zagreb airport and drove us directly to our hotel. He showed us our first sight of the Julian Alps in the distance as we passed through Ljubliana the capitol of Slovenia. We had a teaser of a short view of the Adriatic coast as we entered Italy. The farmers were plowing fields and planting winter wheat just as they do in the US in the fall. The country village towns were different from the US in that old stone houses were all clustered together and built on a hill for protection. The village cluster of homes was surrounded with vast farmland on all sides. Besides corn, wheat fields and many grape vineyards as expected we were also surprised to see vast fields of deciduous tree farms.
Once at the hotel in Mestre, we learned we could check our bags but the room would not be ready for 2 hours. As we were preparing to buy a 3-day transit pass (40 euros per person included unlimited land bus and ferry bus rides). We were "unhappy" to learn there was a transit strike. You could take your chances. There were a few buses running sporadically. We were told the 24 hour strike would be over at 4:30 pm so we checked our bags and went to find something to eat.
We took off for Venice, a 15 minute bus trip over the 1-2 mile bridge, enjoyed the trip, maneuvered (elbowed) our way onto the ferry and traveled the Grand Canal. Our first walk on the Fundament was in the area around the Rialto Bridge. We watched the sunset as we dined al fresco along the canal. I found myself humming "O Sole Mio" continuously and was completely in the moment.
Back at the bus station, we waited... and waited for our bus. Apparently the 24-hour strike was not over. After waiting an hour and all hope was lost, we gave up and got in the taxi line (200 people) to wait for an overpriced ride back to our hotel. I think the bus drivers all become taxi drivers when there is a public transit strike.
Things picked up the next day. Breakfast at the hotel was delicious and included in the plan. Our weather was beautiful the entire Venice stay. Buses and ferries remained active.
Let's talk about canal travel. The canal ferry stations are partially enclosed floating piers. You wait with 1-2 hundred other standing passengers and you all know when the ferry hits, arrives because the pier rocks up and down. But because you are tightly packed supporting each other, you need not worry about losing your balance or falling. I think the ferries were army tanks in the last war. What they lacked in charm, they made up for in ramming ability. Bus and ferry etiquette is a quickly learned and humbling survival skill.
Mike dishonored his Fisher College Gentleman training; at one point he told me to elbow the people on either side of me. (Of course he was behind me). I looked at the 2 grey haired ladies sweetly standing next to me. When I pointed this out to Mike he said it would make my job easier.
Day 2, Saturday, was sightseeing around Saint Mark's and wandering around the streets. We visited the 4 story Arsenale with riveting paintings, mastheads and ship parts, models of sea faring vessels throughout the millenia, salvaged items and antiques of Venice's sailing history. There were wall murals of maps created solely from the knowledge of ship voyages around the known seas. Land and especially island countries were disproportunately large.
Venetian food and drinks were similar to Dubrovnik with good wine and delicious fish. Less risotto and more pasta was the main difference. Ice cream is very popular and displayed beautifully here also. Restaurants, stores and sites were very busy accommodating tourists. The gondolas were doing well also.
On Sunday, Mike was able to get us entrance to St. Mark's and the Doges Palace by reserving on line. October 26 was also the 29th running of the Venice marathon. Mike and I are experienced cheerleaders and as this was our 4th marathon (viewing), we enjoyed rooting on the runners as they did their victory lap inside St. Mark's Plaza. Team in Training was not represented. Megan and Graham might want to look into this.
The walk through St. Mark's Basilica and the visit to the Doge's Palace were of overwhelming structural and artistic grandeur. No inch was left undecorated. No cost was spared. Words and pictures can not begin to capture it. I hope you all have a chance to visit there. We spent the remainder of the day walking the narrow streets and canals, visiting more churches, shopping, and eating.
Monday AM we took the ferry over to the island of Murano which of course is famous for glass manufacturing. We were able to observe some glass masters turn out molten sculpture and blown pieces. I must say Mike was incredible using GPS and finding our way around the narrow streets.
We arrived back at our hotel with ample time to rest and to meet up with Mario, our driver. The trip back to Zagreb and our flight home to Dubrovnik gave us time to think about all we had done.
Mike was back in the teaching routine today, Tuesday. It's good to have an unplanned weekend coming up.
Mario, our driver, picked us up at the Zagreb airport and drove us directly to our hotel. He showed us our first sight of the Julian Alps in the distance as we passed through Ljubliana the capitol of Slovenia. We had a teaser of a short view of the Adriatic coast as we entered Italy. The farmers were plowing fields and planting winter wheat just as they do in the US in the fall. The country village towns were different from the US in that old stone houses were all clustered together and built on a hill for protection. The village cluster of homes was surrounded with vast farmland on all sides. Besides corn, wheat fields and many grape vineyards as expected we were also surprised to see vast fields of deciduous tree farms.
Once at the hotel in Mestre, we learned we could check our bags but the room would not be ready for 2 hours. As we were preparing to buy a 3-day transit pass (40 euros per person included unlimited land bus and ferry bus rides). We were "unhappy" to learn there was a transit strike. You could take your chances. There were a few buses running sporadically. We were told the 24 hour strike would be over at 4:30 pm so we checked our bags and went to find something to eat.
We took off for Venice, a 15 minute bus trip over the 1-2 mile bridge, enjoyed the trip, maneuvered (elbowed) our way onto the ferry and traveled the Grand Canal. Our first walk on the Fundament was in the area around the Rialto Bridge. We watched the sunset as we dined al fresco along the canal. I found myself humming "O Sole Mio" continuously and was completely in the moment.
Back at the bus station, we waited... and waited for our bus. Apparently the 24-hour strike was not over. After waiting an hour and all hope was lost, we gave up and got in the taxi line (200 people) to wait for an overpriced ride back to our hotel. I think the bus drivers all become taxi drivers when there is a public transit strike.
Things picked up the next day. Breakfast at the hotel was delicious and included in the plan. Our weather was beautiful the entire Venice stay. Buses and ferries remained active.
Let's talk about canal travel. The canal ferry stations are partially enclosed floating piers. You wait with 1-2 hundred other standing passengers and you all know when the ferry hits, arrives because the pier rocks up and down. But because you are tightly packed supporting each other, you need not worry about losing your balance or falling. I think the ferries were army tanks in the last war. What they lacked in charm, they made up for in ramming ability. Bus and ferry etiquette is a quickly learned and humbling survival skill.
Mike dishonored his Fisher College Gentleman training; at one point he told me to elbow the people on either side of me. (Of course he was behind me). I looked at the 2 grey haired ladies sweetly standing next to me. When I pointed this out to Mike he said it would make my job easier.
Day 2, Saturday, was sightseeing around Saint Mark's and wandering around the streets. We visited the 4 story Arsenale with riveting paintings, mastheads and ship parts, models of sea faring vessels throughout the millenia, salvaged items and antiques of Venice's sailing history. There were wall murals of maps created solely from the knowledge of ship voyages around the known seas. Land and especially island countries were disproportunately large.
Venetian food and drinks were similar to Dubrovnik with good wine and delicious fish. Less risotto and more pasta was the main difference. Ice cream is very popular and displayed beautifully here also. Restaurants, stores and sites were very busy accommodating tourists. The gondolas were doing well also.
On Sunday, Mike was able to get us entrance to St. Mark's and the Doges Palace by reserving on line. October 26 was also the 29th running of the Venice marathon. Mike and I are experienced cheerleaders and as this was our 4th marathon (viewing), we enjoyed rooting on the runners as they did their victory lap inside St. Mark's Plaza. Team in Training was not represented. Megan and Graham might want to look into this.
The walk through St. Mark's Basilica and the visit to the Doge's Palace were of overwhelming structural and artistic grandeur. No inch was left undecorated. No cost was spared. Words and pictures can not begin to capture it. I hope you all have a chance to visit there. We spent the remainder of the day walking the narrow streets and canals, visiting more churches, shopping, and eating.
Monday AM we took the ferry over to the island of Murano which of course is famous for glass manufacturing. We were able to observe some glass masters turn out molten sculpture and blown pieces. I must say Mike was incredible using GPS and finding our way around the narrow streets.
We arrived back at our hotel with ample time to rest and to meet up with Mario, our driver. The trip back to Zagreb and our flight home to Dubrovnik gave us time to think about all we had done.
Mike was back in the teaching routine today, Tuesday. It's good to have an unplanned weekend coming up.
Plitvice Lakes National Park
Plitvice Lakes National Park is a 2 hour bus ride from Zagreb. The guide books all indicated that this was a Croatian jewel and worth the special effort to get there. Mike and I are getting proficient (well adequate) at finding our way around. There are a number of bus companies that will take you there and they all have different designated departure and return times. The guide books warned that it is easy to get there but if the bus is full on the way back or the driver chooses not to stop, you may be stranded overnight. Could this be? We opted for an early return bus and false security.
We met a delightful Australian couple, Denise and Barry, on the bus to Plitvice and the time passed quickly. Once there, a park bus drove us up past about 4 levels of lakes all connected by wide waterfalls some as tall as 70 meters. From there we walked back down about 2 hours on a well maintained path of packed earth or more impressive rough hewn boards past torrential waterfalls, deceptively peaceful lakes, rushing streams. We crossed over cascading lakes and gushing streams on board bridges or stone stairs. It was a beautiful Sunday and there were thousands of visitors all there to enjoy the scenery and fall weather. The guide book also recommended October for the "deciduous woods enriched with fabulous autumn color". The leaves were brown or still green. However the color of the water was an exquisite blue green from the limestone continuously dissolving and precipitating. The floor of the water beds was a pale putty color and reflected the light off the bottom back up through the water. There were schools of fish all swimming happily with no fear of being caught. Azaleas grow wild here and I can only imagine the beautiful color of the park in spingtime.
We were dutifully early for our homebound bus. When it arrived we found out it was a different bus company so we settled in for another 45 minute wait. We all made it safely on the correct bus and back to Zagreb to pack for our return trip to Dubrovnik the next day.
We were pleased to find out that Denise and Barry were on the same flight. They are experienced travelers had been on vacation for several weeks including Paris. They shared great advice and some Paris Metro tickets they still had. They assured us that the Parisiennes will appreciate our attempts at greeting them and will be very helpful. So we will smile and greet everyone with "Bon Jour". At least that is the current plan.
Denise and Barry bravely travel and often book hotels and flights or even change their itinerary on route. That's experience-bred confidence!
We all shared a cab from the airport to Dubrovnik, stored their suitcases at Tiha 9 and gave them a brief orientation to the old town. We met up with them them after several days and had wine at our now favorite D'Vino's bar and dinner at the Tah Mahal featuring Bosnian food. We said good-bye regretfully. Maybe we will meet up with them in the future.
Hope you are all well.
We met a delightful Australian couple, Denise and Barry, on the bus to Plitvice and the time passed quickly. Once there, a park bus drove us up past about 4 levels of lakes all connected by wide waterfalls some as tall as 70 meters. From there we walked back down about 2 hours on a well maintained path of packed earth or more impressive rough hewn boards past torrential waterfalls, deceptively peaceful lakes, rushing streams. We crossed over cascading lakes and gushing streams on board bridges or stone stairs. It was a beautiful Sunday and there were thousands of visitors all there to enjoy the scenery and fall weather. The guide book also recommended October for the "deciduous woods enriched with fabulous autumn color". The leaves were brown or still green. However the color of the water was an exquisite blue green from the limestone continuously dissolving and precipitating. The floor of the water beds was a pale putty color and reflected the light off the bottom back up through the water. There were schools of fish all swimming happily with no fear of being caught. Azaleas grow wild here and I can only imagine the beautiful color of the park in spingtime.
We were dutifully early for our homebound bus. When it arrived we found out it was a different bus company so we settled in for another 45 minute wait. We all made it safely on the correct bus and back to Zagreb to pack for our return trip to Dubrovnik the next day.
We were pleased to find out that Denise and Barry were on the same flight. They are experienced travelers had been on vacation for several weeks including Paris. They shared great advice and some Paris Metro tickets they still had. They assured us that the Parisiennes will appreciate our attempts at greeting them and will be very helpful. So we will smile and greet everyone with "Bon Jour". At least that is the current plan.
Denise and Barry bravely travel and often book hotels and flights or even change their itinerary on route. That's experience-bred confidence!
We all shared a cab from the airport to Dubrovnik, stored their suitcases at Tiha 9 and gave them a brief orientation to the old town. We met up with them them after several days and had wine at our now favorite D'Vino's bar and dinner at the Tah Mahal featuring Bosnian food. We said good-bye regretfully. Maybe we will meet up with them in the future.
Hope you are all well.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Michele and Marlene's visit 17-23 October
A guest post by Michele Munski - Mari Lutz copy-editor.
When we debussed, we found Mari right away, and found out
that Mari and Mike’s apartment was just about 20 steps from the bus stop, and
about a football field from The Old Town and the Stradun, or main walkway
in Dubrovnik. So after a sumptuous snack of local and Mari foods (great cheeses,
olives, grapes, pumpkin spice bread) we sashayed off to see the sights.
Walking along the Stradun, we saw bouncing spring toys
everywhere, and Croatian soccer team shirts and hats. Restaurants, large and small are tucked into
every corner, and some even spilled out onto the Stradun. There are churches everywhere, mostly
Catholic as Croatia is a Catholic country. There were nuns in full habits and
priests in collars walking the streets. We also saw Orthodox (Greek, Bosnian,
Eastern Rite) Churches and there was a very old synagogue in Dubrovnik. We
later learned it is the second longest operating synagogue in Europe.
The ice cream vendors tried to lure us in as it was about 75
degrees and sunny. The ice cream was sculpted into mountains resembling Mt. Srd
(pronounced <surge>)which overlooks Dubrovnik.
Old Town is really the strip of land between Mt. Srd and the
Adriatic Sea. It’s surrounded by an ancient stone wall, built 2-3 stories high,
and about 4-6 feet thick. Some of the towers on the outside corners of the wall
are even higher. Once inside the walls, it’s pretty much wall-to-wall stone
walkways and buildings with red tile roofs.
Most amazing was the ever-present Adriatic Sea, a dark
turquoise blue, with black undertones. Mari led us to the Buza which is an outlet
through the wall to the sea. We walked on stone steps and rocks to reach the
charming outdoor bar, high above the Adriatic. It was full, as it was now near
sunset. We quickly departed to a second Buza for an even more stunning view of
the sunset.
We were lucky to find an empty table on the rocky ledge, so
we enjoyed liquid refreshments and settled in to watch other guests jumping off
the rocks into the Adriatic Sea. Marlene was busy getting shots of our first
sunset in Dubrovnik. When Michele went to pay the tab, the bartender said we
owed 122 kunas, and she made her second Croatian faux pas, by remarking “122 kunas!” The barkeeper replied, “Madame,
you pay for the view.” Later I discovered that it was about 21 American
dollars, really not that bad for 2 wines and a Sprite.
On the way home, we stopped at the Konzum, the local grocery
store, about 10 steps from Mari and Mike’s apartment. Marlene took some photos.
Michele picked up a cute guy while waiting outside the Konzum. His name was
Mike, and it was difficult to tell if he was a student or a professor. We had
our first Croatian pizza that night. Yum-so fresh!
By now, you may be seeing a pattern here – everything is
just a few steps from Mari and Mike’s apartment – location, location, location!
Day 2 we walked 5 minutes from the apartment to meet our guide
and driver, Goga, and left Dubrovnik for Mostar, a city in
Bosnia-Herzegovina. On the way we saw peninsulas, a river and a river delta
where mussels and tangerines are cultivated. We were surprised to see
pomegranates growing wild.
Goga drove us through a border crossing where we crossed
from Croatia to Bosnia, and back to Croatia – the result of negotiations which
stipulated that Bosnia have access to the coastline. Later, we crossed out of
Croatia and into Bosnia-Herzegovina again to continue our journey to Mostar, a
larger city with Islamic influences. It boasts a high arched bridge built over
the Neretva River in the 16th century, which was destroyed during
the Bosnian War. Fortunately, the bridge was rebuilt.
The streets of the Old Town in Mostar are polished worn
rock, lined with shops selling needlework, scarves, copper and metal bracelets
and cups. Sometimes, the artists sat out in front of the shops, creating their
art. We entered a museum which showed a video of the approximately 60 shells hitting
the Mostar bridge until it finally fell in 1993.
We also were able to enter a mosque that was open to the
public, going up to the second floor where women were able to worship. At 1 PM
we heard the call to prayer from the minarets high above the city.
One of the things we learned was that there are few public
restrooms. It costs 1-2 Euros to use the facilities. Our guide was willing to
foot the bill, saying. “It’s included,” a phrase we heard throughout our days
with Goga.
After a quick trip to the Konzum, Mari rustled up some
chicken and potatoes for supper.
Day 3 was a Sunday, so we slept in really late. Mari walked
the 10 steps to the Konzum and brought us delicious strudel for breakfast.
Baked goods in Croatia are scrumptious.
Since it was a beautiful warm day, Mike and Michele walked
up the switchback path up to Mt Srd, about 1500 hard-earned feet above sea
level. Marlene and Mari rode the cable car and met us there. We lunched with a
view of the Dinaric Mountain Range on one side and Dubrovnik and the Adriatic
Sea on the other. Afterwards, we visited the mountaintop museum commemorating
the Serbia-Montenegro war against Croatia in 1991. 92 people were killed in the attacks
on Dubrovnik. There is a monument on view
near Pile Gate outside Old Town, commemorating the bravery and victims of the
1991 war. It is visible from Mari and Mike’s apartment.
All four of us rode the cable car down the mountain, which
takes only 3 minutes to descend. Mike had work to do so the rest of the group
took a bus ride to Copacabana Beach, our first dip into the Adriatic! We swam
with the fishies. No one wanted supper so we had Croatian ice cream for supper
with Mah Jongg for dessert!
Day 4 found all of us up early to meet Goga once again, this
time traveling in the opposite direction to Kotor and Budva,
Montenegro. Goga explained to us that former Yugoslavia was divided into 5 new
countries, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia and Montenegro. The
ride to Montenegro was mostly rural with many small towns.
We noticed the wild boar signs and watched hopefully. On
arrival at the Bay of Kotor Goga arranged for Sasha to boat us out to an island
church, Our Lady of the Rocks. It’s said to be constructed on some miraculous
rocks which protected sailors during a storm. The construction of the homes
lining the bay was Venetian in style as the Venetians were here for about 300
years. Kotor has a smaller, and not as pretty version of Dubrovnik’s Old Town.
We saw another walled city in Budva. These people were serious about protecting
themselves. Based on recent wars in this area, they had good reason.
We were surprised to see a cruise ship anchored in the Bay of Kotor. It
didn’t look deep enough to accommodate such a large ship. Tourism is crucial to
this area’s economy.
We stopped to look at an exclusive island resort, Sveti
Stefan (St Stephen’s) just to look. Goga told us that tennis champ
Novak Djokovik was married there July 9th. Cost per night can be as high as 7,000 Euros!
To shorten our drive back to Dubrovnik, we planned to take a
ferry across the Bay of Kotor. In a stroke of bad luck, our car was the one
they stopped, as the ferry was full! Luckily, the wait for the next ferry
wasn’t too long. Goga channeled her inner New Yorker, and made sure there was
room for us.
The tired travelers returned to 9 Tiha, where we had a
delicious meal of čevapčići, a Croatian sausage, and spaghetti with that
wonderful bread served everywhere in Croatia.
Day 5 we slept in again. Goga is young enough to be one of
our daughters, and she tires us out!
Mari, Marlene and Michele decided that there were possibly a
few stairs in Dubrovnik we hadn’t yet climbed, so we decided to walk on top of
the Old Town Walls in Dubrovnik. There are stairs everywhere in Croatia!
We spent a leisurely 3 hours walking the entire perimeter of
Old Town, (Marlene says we did 1400 steps that day!) climbing to the tops of
each fort in each corner of the wall. At the end of the walk, we agreed that we
had seen Dubrovnik from every angle. Marlene had about 4,000 photos of
Dubrovnik, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. But we pressed on and climbed the
final fort, Fortress Lovrijenac (Fort
Lawrence) after a light lunch. Then we
hiked over to the beautifully renovated building that is RIT Croatia. It is
impressive.
That night, we attended a concert performed by the Dubrovnik
Symphony Orchestra in the atrium of The Rector’s Palace. We heard a movement by
a Croatian composer, L. Sorkočević , and pieces by Mozart and Schubert. The
ceiling is open, and Marlene spied a pigeon perched above a door, listening
intently. What goes better after a concert than Croatian ice cream? We had to
have some!
Day 6 was cooler and rainy. When the going gets tough, the
tough go shopping. We shopped like it was our job.
We also were treated to a tour of the Dubrovnik Synagogue
which has been an active synagogue since the 16th century. The
temple is upstairs, and it was beautifully kept. Changes have been made over
time. The first level housed a museum that held memorabilia from the years the
synagogue has prospered. We saw primary documents directing Jews to cease
business, and wear arm bands, as well as an actual arm band. The saddest display was a list of Dubrovnik
Jews who were Holocaust victims.
The weather deteriorated, so we sought out a nearby
restaurant, The Dubravka, which has its business office next door to Mari
and Mike’s apartment. We were seated outdoors, but – no worries, as there was a red blanket on the back of each
seat. In addition, there were portable heaters available. We wasted no time in
having one moved over to our table, and enjoyed a delicious meal of seafood and
risotto. There was a delicious walnut chocolate cake available for dessert. It
was the perfect way to end our stay.
Petar was our dutiful driver who picked us up @ 5:30AM for
our adventure return trip. (Goga told us that she is not a taxi driver!) We
weren’t sure our plane would arrive at the Dubrovnik Airport or fly us to
Frankfurt, Germany because it was quite windy. We did fly out, and it was a
little scary. We were served delicious bread sandwiches spread with a local
treat, cream cheese and chives for our breakfast. Once in the air in Frankfurt, we were served 2 more meals, Thai chicken and later, warmed gouda sandwiches on pretzel rolls. Marlene and Michele lost track of how many meals they ate during the 20 ½ hour trip home. We arrived in Rochester about 8PM EDT, tired but happy to be home safely. Our leg muscles have never been this toned from walking up so many steps!
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| Mostar |
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| Mostar street |
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| Old bridge in Mostar |
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| a street view in Mostar. |
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| mosque with minaret in Mostar |
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| View of the protective wall at Kotor |
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| mosque we were allowed to visit |
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| Mari and Goga in serious conversation |
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| Mari and Goga in Mostar |
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| Group in Native Croation costumes walking down the street |
croa
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| beautiful display of produce at roadside stand in Bosnia Tangerine season |
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| Goga treated us to fresh tangerines and pomegranites |
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| Crossing the Croatian/Bosnia border |
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| Marlene captures the color from Buza 2 |
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| sunset from Buza 2 |
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| Modern bridge to Split and points west |
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| The Jadrolinija ships took people out of Dubrovnik during the shelling of the city People in Dubrovnik were not protected during the war. The UNESCO designation of their city was not honored. |
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| In the kitchen/dining room. Mike's Croatian soccer shirt showing his allegiance The male of the species dresses to attract the female. |
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| Shell damage on the left of the doorway to our home |
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| This musician was always inside the Pile gate and was usually accompanied by his drummer companion |
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| view from cable car as it starts ascent up Mt. Srd. |
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| Mike and Michele climbed the switchbacks They are out there somewhere |
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| View from top of the cable car platform with umbrellas of the Panorama Restaurant on the lower level |
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| Marlene and a view of Lokrum on her left elbow |
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| The ladies at the restaurant |
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| Marlene enjoying the view and toasting with Croatian beer |
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| War museum atop Mt. Srd |
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| these alpine flowers do well on the stone walls of the fort |
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| Descending View of Lokrum and the old harbor |
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| Bougainvillea are common all over this area. This was at the bottom of the cable car ride. |
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| The four Ms at the wall in Budva |
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| Inside the Orthodox church in Kotor |
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| Inside the Orthodox church with the priest |
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| Flag of Montenegro |
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| Crossing Bay of Kotor by ferry |
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| Michele and Marlene out of the car stretching legs on the ferry |
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| If only we had we seen one! |
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| The best ice cream shop in the old city |
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| St. Stephen's island in Bosnia. $$$$ |
Mari's Postscript
Let me add that Mike and I were thrilled to have visitors
from home willing to share this grand adventure. Thanks Michele and Marlene for
deciding to come to this little corner of the Adriatic. Also, thanks to Michele
for writing this blog entry and to Marlene for her great pictures. This small sampling is just a taste of her album. They are not in chronological order since my skills are very limited. Also, some are not captioned to allow you to use your imagination. Maybe Marlene, Michele and I can download more pictures when we get together again.
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