Days 30 and 31

Croatia/Slovenia 2010

Days 30 and 31

Last Days

Each of our last two days started out early in the morning. On Friday we drove Jan and Dan from Rovinj to the airport in Zagreb to catch a mid-morning flight to Budapest, Hungary. It was sad to go our separate ways, since we travel very well together and enjoy each other’s company.

We then drove to Samabor north of Zagreb to check into our hotel. Rick Steves recommended this hotel and town as opposed to Zagreb if you need accommodations near the airport.

The town is quaint, and the hotel (second building from the left) is old but excellent.They even served us a deluxe breakfast that is included in the room price of 60 euros (about $75.00)! The breakfast was worth at least 20 euros. The room was equally deluxe for Europe - spacious and decorated with a chandelier and other furnishings as well as a large TV (for World Cup soccer).

We used the remainder of the day to travel to Slovenia and look for the house in which Grandma Klarich was born in 1896. We had directions from Map Quest, but it turned out to be a very challenging effort. First, the roads were not well marked from Croatia.Second, we had a poor map. Lastly, when we got in the immediate area of where she supposedly was born, the map quest information proved incorrect, and the locals said the address was in another village.

We did get to see part of the rugged and beautiful countryside, and we were in Slovenia on the day they played world cup soccer and tied the U.S. 2-2. Not bad for a little country of only 2 million people! It was also our 40^th wedding anniversary, and we did celebrate that special moment.

Our last day on our month-long journey started in Croatia and then flying to Amsterdam. We then flew to Detroit and finally on to Las Vegas. The return home took 21 hours, and unlike previous trips to this part of the world, we managed to sleep on airplanes. The days leading up to this departure were all special. The phrase “Eat, Drink, and Be Merry (and climb stairs)” seems to capture most of our time.

One last thing, on several occasions we would see people walking their dogs. The last dogs we owned were pugs, and we saw several in Italy and in Croatia. In Italy, they are called Carlina, and in Croatia they are called Mops. We think Carlina means ‘little dear one’ and Mops means chubby mop (according to Roberto).

We hope you’ve enjoyed our blog. We didn't intend to do this, but we think it worked out. We were lucky to meet great people along the way including Ian who made it possible to have a blogsite. To those who sent comments by email or on the blogsite, thanks for letting us know your thoughts. B&S

Days 28 and 29

Croatia/Italy 2010

Days 28 and 29

Rovinj - the name is unknown to +99% of Americans, but this is great place for a vacation.

Our apartment is along the water and looks out on boats of all sizes, except cruise boats.

From our room with three large windows that open to the sea, we look upon . . . this view.

We completed a guided walk of the town as we do most everywhere we go, with Jan as our leader. We are on the Istrian peninsula that sits on the east side of the Adriatic Sea.Venice, Italy, is due west of Rovinj. The major landmark is the bell tower, which has a statue of the patron saint Euphemia. The statue moves on top of the bell tower and is actually a weather vane that the fishermen monitor.

The tower is a great place to get a view of the surrounding area, and there is no tower we won’t climb. This one did have rickety wooden steps . . .

but great views.

This country was part of communist Yugoslavia until the 1990’s, so there are still some symbols of the era when Marshal Tito ruled this and four other countries. Our teachers were happy to pose in front of the com-u-NEES-sta statue. Is the teachers’ union one step from communism? Just kidding for those who would really ponder this.

There is a community market not far from this statue, and if we would have been inclined to cook in our apartment, we would have bought much of our food here. If we really wanted to bring home truffles, this would have been the place to get them. Like Italy, this is a great place to buy truffles or olive oil at bargain prices!

The town has the narrowest streets we’ve seen so far in Europe, and the town is oriented to food, fish, gelato, and art. Down one of these streets, the ladies found Murrano glass necklaces from the Venice area and were very proud of their discoveries.

The men were pleased with the pizza found in the same area of the old town. The place is called Pizzeria Da Sergio, and we found out later that the locals think it is the best place in the whole area for pizza thanks to the Italian influence. BTW, the one shown here has four anchovies, the perfect number for a pizza you eat by folding a quarter piece in your hand.

We checked out the kitchen to see if there was anything to learn from the chefs. Sorry, we cannot discuss the results until we try out some of the information in our own kitchen.

After a fine pizza meal, we rented bikes to ride the trails along the coast near the town.The bikes rent for 75 cents per hour. We rode on a path that went through a big park for miles along the water. There were no cars, so people rode bikes or walked to get to the rocky clothing-optional swimming places. Along the path were stops to rest and get drinks. We stopped and sat at a table under the trees to drink wine and listen to music and then moved on. SO RELAXING.

The next day, Day 29, we took a ferry to a nearby island. There are many islands, but the one we visited is called Red Island.

We thought it was named after the administration prior to the 1990’s, but the place was probably named after all the sunburned naked swimmers who forgot to use sunscreen.The facilities on this island were deluxe . . . not quite Four Seasons deluxe, but close.

Our lunch and dinner meals were always excellent in Rovinj. For those truly adventurous, grilled fish such as calamari was an option.

This is not the place to be if hamburgers are your favorite food.

Our time as a foursome has sadly come to an end. Roberto and Shari take a quick trip to Slovenia tomorrow, and Dan and Jan fly to Budapest, Hungary. It was great having a joint adventure of languages, foods, wines, cultural discoveries, and fun moving from place to place and country to country. It’s time for another sunset picture!

Days 26 and 27 New Comrades

Italy/Croatia 2010

Days 26 and 27

"New Comrades"

Ready, Aim, Fire! This picture, taken from the south wall of old Dubrovnik, shows one of several cruise ships that arrive and release thousands and thousands of visitors for the day onto this small port city. This and other cruise ship destinations can be overrun, something we’ve tried in our journeys to avoid. It’s hard on the locals and locations they visit, something we’ve been told (unsolicited information) from the locals.

On our last day in Dubrovnik, we took a ferry to Kolocep Island, one of the nearby Elafiti Islands.

We decided to kick back and enjoy the beach for the day. The weather was great, and the water was perfect – clean and the right temperature.

The next day was moving day. Driving from the far south to the far north of Croatia isn’t common, but there are no trains as in Italy. Taking a plane to the northern city of Zagreb, which isn’t real close to where we were going, would still take time and money.

Getting a car at the last minute proved difficult. We’ve been learning over the days we’ve spent here that the Croatians are very friendly, helpful, and funny.

The car was reserved over the phone without any of the usual data collection. They showed up on time with the car and gave us five times the usual help we get at rental car dealers.

We weren’t sure if we could live with the little Opel he delivered, mostly due to our suitcases and backpacks. Rather than wonder, he loaded the car and showed us it would work. Here’s our man Tony after successfully loading the tiny back area.

We started the day without the benefit of caffeine and food, but an hour later we stopped at a local place along the road for breakfast.

Only a couple of hours later, when we’d almost reached the freeway (and Shari and Jan couldn’t take being in the tiny back seat any longer along the winding roads), we stopped for espresso, cappuccino, and cookies. The food looked so delicious that we started thinking we would really like to order our lunch. The “voice of reason” (not Jan, Dan, or Roberto) said we really needed to get going because we had a very long drive ahead of us, but this voice did not prevail. We ordered lunch. Christian, our waiter, was very funny, especially with his impersonations. He kept us laughing far longer than we had planned, and the food was great. We then had to make up lots of time in a small and heavily loaded Opel.

When we finally got to Rovinj (the ‘j’ is silent), it was after the 7 pm check-in time.

The instructions to find the rooms in the old town of the small city were pathetic, and of course we had no cell phones. There were many confusing moments to find the place, and it took almost two hours to finally move in! That said, we love this place. More on this in the next blog.

We did finish the day with a great meal. We are on the Adriatic, and the fishermen bring in a fresh catch daily, and you eat the morning’s catch. Three of us ate the fresh catch with the help of our waiter. None of the three fish-eaters wanted to remove the bones, etc., even the smiling lady shown here:

Days 24 and 25

Croatia/Italy 2010

Days 24 and 25

Traveling from Florence to Croatia was an all day affair. We left Florence by train to Rome in the morning to catch a flight to Dubrovnik, Croatia. One highlight of the trip was the lunch we had Rome. If you get a chance to have a sauce called matriciana on pasta, try it. It was a new one for us, and all four of us gave it a big thumbs-up. It includes a little pancetta (bacon) that rarely has a downside. We were so attached to Italy we were homesick for it as we flew across the Adriatic Sea.

The flight in a twin prop airplane was pleasant, especially the view of the rugged Croatian coastline. Their planes have some interesting markings including the lions of the country flag. Our photographer missed this minor subject.

The next morning we had a wonderful breakfast overlooking the sea. The small city of Dubrovnik includes a walled town that is right next to our new home. The wall is about 3 miles long and used to protect the city from invaders. The narrow walkway on top is so wonderful with so many views that it’s easy to just keep shooting pictures.

There are lots of islands along the coast, including this one not far from the walled city.

There was a war here in 1991-1992 between the Croatians and Serbians but you can barely notice it other than some minor shrapnel damage in some of the walls.

The Croatians are big on basketball, with several players in the NBA, so finding 3 courts wasn’t a total surprise except for the real estate they used. The local landscape committee made sure the surface was the proper color.

There were several lookout posts on the wall, and we found one for Dan.

As we entered the city, there was an interesting statute with a sword. The sword was nice, but the interesting thing was that there was an official measuring line for all carpenters to use for measuring at the base of the statute that defined the ‘elbow’ (from the tip of the fingers to the elbow) instead of the foot. There is some fine carpentry and stone work in this city and outside, so the elbow works.

Also, the top step is the location one stands for public announcements. We see who wants to be the public speaker. It was Dan and Jan’s anniversary, so we yielded the top step to them.

We had an excellent lunch after our hike of what are called small fried fish. You eat the whole fish, which are only about 3 inches long. Three of us devoured the mess of fish, but one of us was a little squeamish (not Shari, Roberto, or Jan, of course).

Dan and Jan topped off their anniversary day by going on a sea kayak adventure for several hours. We found ways to relax at our little villa by the sea.

We have a great place here, inside and out, and a great hostess Jadranka!

Days 22 and 23 "Non Toccare"

Italy 2010

Days 22 and 23

“Non Toccare”

We had several occasions to relive the phrase “Don’t Touch!” or “Non Toccare”. We seemed to be doing okay in the morning, visiting the Duomo and climbing the 463 steps to the top, which is called the cupola. Along the way, we got a close-up look at the “Last Judgment”, an incredible mural.

The bottom layer shows the fate for those going to H-E-double hockey stick; the second and third layers depict angels and the saints. The first layer is as scary as many a horror movie.

The climb was worth it for the views.

Soon after this, our group started getting some negative attention. First, one of us touched a restaurant flower (in a vase) to smell it, and the owner came running out to instruct us that our touch would kill the flower. Non Toccare!

Shortly later, we were on a tour of the Uffizi Gallery, one of the premiere art museums of Europe. We were on a guided tour and getting information to understand the significance of the art (some of us know art primarily through play-dough and plasters of our hands). There was a special portion of our tour that took us through a secret passage called the Vasari corridor that the ruling family used to secretly move about part of the city. Our guide was accompanied by a “guard” who watched our every move so that we didn’t wreck anything. One of the four of us touched a marble table, which prompted the lady guard to run over wagging her finger. Non Toccare! Another of us did the same thing two minutes later, evidently not noticing the former chastising. She gave quite a loud verbal lashing that time. Non Toccare! Our packs and purses had to be moved to the fronts of our bodies so that we might not back into a painting with them. Shortly thereafter, one of us backed into a painting, and it seemed an international incident was about to happen. We weren’t allowed to take any photographs of this secret passage. Later, we did get this picture at our gelateria that summed up the afternoon.

In the container are little ice cream sampling spoons. It was a fitting and funny end to our afternoon.

The next day, which was our last day in Italy, was filled with lots of eating, shopping, and walking. There is a central market in Florence with hundreds of vendors. The core of the market is dominated by meat markets, cheese stores, pasta stores (yes, there is such a thing in Italy), and a few eateries including the poor peoples trattoria called Nerbone.

Since some are squeamish about some foods, I’ll only point out the well-known shop that sold boiled beef on Italian hard rolls with pesto where we had lunch. It was soooooo good!

We did our best to see a little more of the city. It was a hot day so we took a long walk through the shady lanes of the Boboli gardens, a huge garden left to the city from the renaissance rulers.

We had a full week in Florence, and it seemed like that wasn’t enough time. Walking home from dinner on our last night, the sun was setting on Ponte Vecchio (the old bridge), perhaps an omen that it was time to leave. It’s definitely a special place.

Day 21

Italy 2010

Day 21

Florence was a major power during the Renaissance, and the cathedrals and museums are well worth visiting. Unfortunately, many prohibit picture taking, but one was snuck out of the Academy of the David. This sculpture is incredible, especially to Roberto who is reading the “Agony and the Ecstasy” which is about the Michelangelo, because it was chiseled by hand from a slab of marble taller than two men.

It may be coincidence, but after a walk through a museum, our appetites were ready for more food. We found a stand selling tripe and bought a little. It doesn’t sound good; it’s probably worse when you realize it is the meat of the cow’s stomach.However, if you didn’t know either of those two facts, most would find it very tasty.

We can’t keep showing pictures of pizza or pasta, and rather than show a frontal on the tripe, we’ll call it enough information that you know there are special ‘hot dog’ stands that sell it ready to eat.

Our lunch was at a place well-known in Florence for having the best pizza, and it was pretty darn good. But like we said, we won’t bore you with another picture of super great Italian pizza.

We then went to the leather school, as it looked interesting. Dan and Roberto were both shopping for good leather belts. You not only can buy a belt, but if it needs to be resized, the leather makers do it on site and brand your belt with your initials.

Florence in known for leather goods, and the school is renowned within the leather world and also was founded to teach orphans the trade of leather making. After buying and customizing their belts, Roberto and Dan joined the ranks of Robert Downey Jr., Noah Wylie, Barbara Bush, James Stewart, Robert Kennedy, Ozzy Osborne, and Princess Diana in having had their picture taken here.

Jan and Dan went onto one more Cathedral, while Shari and Robert retired for the day and headed to the gelateria.

For dinner, we walked ten feet from our apartment door to a super great, very small, very local osteria where we ate a fantastic dinner two nights ago. After all the eating we did today, we were ready for a meal of salads.

Day 20

Italy 2010

Day 20

The four of us took a train to Prato, a small town northwest of Florence renowned for its biscotti. Knowing something about trains, and knowing a little bit of the local language, is a giant step in getting around. In trips past, we often rented a car because train and bus travel seemed impossible.

Anyway, the Prato biscotti are very good, but we took a vote, and our friend Ruth makes as good a biscotti as the world’s number 1. We didn’t take to the suggested method of eating it – dipping the biscotti in sweet wine. On the other hand, a certain member of our group did like her octopus.

If blindfolded and not told what you were eating, lots of people would like it. But when people see it close up, it conjures up some sort of horror scene.

The restaurant featuring this fine food and other more traditional foods was recommended by the nice lady where we bought the biscotti. It was a great recommendation – the food and prices were outstanding. This town is noted for friendly people. All the people we met here were very nice and patient with our attempts at speaking Italian, and they were helpful with information we forget to ask as we try to find the right Italian word or phrase.

The duomo in Prato was recommended in Frommers partly due to the artwork on the inside. We hope we are not repeating ourselves, but the art was a significant way to illustrate bible stories to the illiterate public. There are many stories illustrated, and the artists have different ideas for displaying the stories.

We finished off the day playing euchre, a great card game, and the men won all three games!