Friday, September 21, 2018, The Adventure Begins
Spartanburg, SC to Dubrovnik, Croatia
Today at 8am Gayle and I started our latest adventure. We left Spartanburg and arrived in CLT and said goodbye to Hugh. We had no bags to check so we breezed through security and soon found ourselves with time to kill. We read and caught up on email before boarding our flight to JFK. In JFK we had to go to the hinterlands of terminal 7 and fight the construction which is everywhere. We again had some time to kill so we ate a burger at the only restaurant and then we looked in the 3 shops and then we sat and waited and waited. When we were boarding we were number 3 and 4 to get on the plane but when we got to our seats the stewardess could not help us lift our bags. They only weighed 27 lbs. but she acted like they weighed a ton. We were blessed when a gentleman across the aisle lifted them easily into place. The flight was easy because we had in-seat entertainment and I watched the Book Club and truly laughed out loud. I then played games and read because sleep would not come even after a glass of great Sauvignon Blanc. We made it to Madrid with just a short time to change terminals. We rushed through the airport and had to carry our bag down multiple flights of stairs to reach the gate. Our Iberia flight was posted, and we just sat down when a gentleman showed up at the gate and asked to see everyone’s passports. We sat back down, and nothing happened. The gentleman was just standing there. All of a sudden, he walked over to the waiting area and said is any one going to Dubrovnik, the plane is boarding. No announcement or anything. We rushed down the ramp, down 3 flights of stairs and then boarded the bus that took us on an extended tour of the Madrid airport before dropping us at a tower in the middle of the tarmac where we had to climb stairs to the boarding ramp. Craziest thing I have had to do in an International airport. We were so blessed that on both of our flights we had an extra seat between us. The flight was uneventful, and we dozed a little bit, but sleep did not come.
We landed in Dubrovnik to sunshine and warm temps. We breezed through security, changed some money, and found a taxi to the hotel. Our taxi driver assured us we were at the best hotel in the city. Once inside we could see why, the views were killer and the service excellent. We checked in and went to our room and rested for 2 hours before showering and heading out to see some sights. We walked toward the old town and stopped for a snack along the way. We made our way to the main street and walked and looked in shops along the way. We then took the cable car to the mountain top and the views did not disappoint. After enjoying our time at the top, we made our way back to the hotel. Gayle fell on the way but only had a scraped hand and knee but major damage. We dropped our bags and had dinner on the terrace with a fabulous view of old town and a brilliant sunset. After a great meal of risotto and good wine we headed to the room. We prepared our packs for our trip to Bosnia in the a.m. and showered before falling into bed.
Today's pictures
Sunday, September 23, 2018, Medjugorje &
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Up at 6 this morning and off to breakfast by 6:30. After breakfast at the Terrace with a great view, we headed to the lobby to wait for our tour. While we were waiting we met a couple that will also be on our Gate 1 tour. When we were picked up we were placed in a Mercedes van with 8 hardy travelers. Zach was our driver guide. We drove along the coast as we headed out of Dubrovnik. We could see a lot of islands and we were told that there are over 1000 islands but over 70% are uninhabited. About 50 KM into our trip we crossed the border into Bosnia. This stretch is the only sea access for the country. In 20 km we crossed the border back into Croatia. As we continued inland we crossed back into Bosnia. At each crossing we had to have our guide present our passports. Our first stop in Bosnia was Medjugorje where the 5 girls had the vision of Mary. Mary told them about peace and love. There is an Aspiration Hill climb but we did not have time to do it. This is a pilgrimage site for Catholics. We spent time in the church of St. Jacob and then walked about the town. I purchased an olive wood rosary for Patty.
We then drove the 30 or so kilometers to Mostar. Mostar is a divided city; one side of the river is catholic and the other side is Muslim. We had a delightful local guide who had his masters in anthropology and architecture. He lived through the breakup of Yugoslavia and let us know immediately that Tito was his hero. He got very emotional as he told us about the war and how it affected his family and the city itself. We then made our way to the Old Town to the UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was rebuilt in the exact way it was but there are a few of the bombed remains still there. There are a lot of souvenir shops and restaurants also. When we arrived at the historic bridge which has been rebuilt we watched the young men jumping off; we even paid to see one jump. This is how these guys make their living as the unemployment rate is 69%. This bridge was over 400 years old and the city symbol when it was bombed in the 1990’s war. We had some free time to make pictures and get a bite to eat before meeting back at the bus. On our way out of town we talked about the fact that a lot of the buildings we see are aluminum plants that were large employers before the war but were shut down afterwards. As we made our way back we stopped at a 14th century fortress and were disappointed that the hamam, the public baths, were closed on Sunday. The fortress was a stacked stone structure with no mortar and it has withstood the tests of time and war. After 5 more border crossings we made our way back to Dubrovnik. We said our goodbyes and headed to our room. We had time to shower and change before our Gate 1 welcome meeting and dinner at 7:15pm. We met in the lobby and then adjourned to a meeting room on the lower floor. There are 20 of us and our guide is Darko, a 37-year-old married father of one daughter. He is originally from Mostar but lives in Dubrovnik now. Our group is very diverse, with a lot of the folks from the west coast, CA, WA, CO, UT, SC, MI, and DC. Darko is funny and very organized. This should be a great trip. After the meeting we went to dinner at Victoria, the fanciest restaurant in the place. The food and service were great and there was a lot of travel talk and getting to know one another. We retired to our room late but had time to sort money and prepare for the next day before falling into bed.
Today's Medjugorje pictures
· Today's Mostar pictures
Monday, September 24, 2018, Dubrovnik, Croatia
Up a bit later this morning and we had time to read emails before heading to breakfast. We ate on the terrace and it was lovely, cool breeze, great view, and some sun. Back in the room we loaded our packs with raincoats, just in case, and headed out to meet Darko and our local guide. Today was our walking tour of Dubrovnik with our local guide Lydia. We left the hotel and headed toward the old town. It is just a short walk and our first stop was Banje Beach which is just steps from the fortress. This beach has been in use since the 14th century. We then saw the quarantine quarters for people getting off sailing ships. From there we entered the city gate and made our way through the defensive part of the walls and into the city square. We could see above us both round and square towers built in different centuries. The sea walls were the first walls built and when the threat was no longer from the Venetians but from the Ottoman Turks the city side walls were completed and a deep moat was dug. In the square we saw St. Blasius Church, the rectors palace, and other beautiful old buildings now being used for shops or restaurants. Lydia grew up on this street but has moved out of the family home because of the noise. She said she and her husband and child could not tolerate the constant noise but her brother has no problem living there. He is single and sleeps anytime.We then walked down the main shopping street which is the same as it was in ancient times except the shops sell modern merchandise. We visited a famous artist shop and I fell in love with some pillow covers and plan to get them after the tour. From here we made our way on to the city wall. We made a tour of ½ the wall before bidding Lydia goodbye. Most of us decided to continue and finish the hike around the city wall before meeting for lunch. It was hot and the traffic was slow… too many selfies. We got some great photos but had to rush to make the lunch time meeting. We hustled through the city to the well and met our group at 12:15. We walked out of the old town to a lovely restaurant and had a delicious meal. Gayle and I decided to do some shopping for filigree beads and after visiting several shops to compare we made our purchases. We then went back to the artist shop to get the pillow covers and found out the shop would not take a credit card even though our purchase would have been substantial. We did not purchase… their loss. When we left the shop we found that the temperature had dropped a bit and the wind was really blowing. It was bending the trees in half. The sky was black, and it smelled like rain. We donned our raincoats and headed back to the hotel. We had time for a soak in the tub and some journaling before we dressed for dinner. Our dinner tonight is our home visit. We left at 6:30 and the wind was still howling. Darko informed us the bridge we needed to take was closed because of the high winds so our drive was a little longer. When we arrived at the home we were greeted and seated in an ancient building that housed an ancient olive press complete with horse. We were given a complete demonstration of how the press worked and how the oil was harvested. The gentleman was very enthusiastic, and we learned a lot. We then move into a dining area and were served a wonderful meal all prepared by our hostess. The olives and olive oil were superb, and the kabobs and sausage were tasty but the star of the main part of the meals was the potatoes... they were so good no one could stop eating. Our dessert was flan and it was light and delicious. When we finally bid our hosts goodbye we were well fed and tired. At the hotel we prepared for our trip to Montenegro before heading to bed.
Today's pictures
Tuesday, September 25, 2018, Kotor &
Our Lady of the Rocks, Montenegro
Today we were up at 6 and off to breakfast at 6:30. We ate inside today as the wind is still howling. Our bus left for Montenegro at 7:30 and no one even looked at the seating chart. We are a small group, and each had a window seat if we wanted it. We only made one photo stop before we reached the border control for leaving Croatia. They collected our passports but the turnaround was quick. We travelled a few miles in no man’s land before we reached the border into Montenegro. Darko had a list with all our passport info and they accepted it and let us move on through. The scenery was magnificent as we traveled around the Bay of Kotor. Our first stop was planned to be Our Lady of The Rock Church but when we arrived there were so many buses that Darko decided to do the city tour first and then the boat out to the island. In Kotor we met our local guide and it was off to the races. Our guide was a fast talker and a fast walker, so we had to make our photos in our free time after the tour. The Old Town here is much like Dubrovnik with its narrow streets and a lot of twists and turns and shops. The churches here are not as large and the city wall goes straight up the mountain. There is a church ½ way up called the Church of Remedy. They say if you can walk to it you must be well. Gayle and I did some looking, some shopping, and some dining. After lunch we walked on the city walls to get some photos that we did not have. Soon it was time to head back to the bus and we struggled a bit remembering exactly where we were to meet them. We made it back just on time and then we were off to Our Lady of the Rocks. This is a man-made islet that was made by seaman who kept an ancient oath after finding an icon of Madonna and Child on the rock in the sea. Upon returning from each successful voyage they laid a rock in the bay. Over time the islet formed, and the church was built in 1722. The custom of collecting a rock and making a wish and then throwing it in the sea continues today and we each took our turn. There is a museum there with items donated from ships that made successful voyages. We enjoyed our visit although the wind was quite strong. Back on land we returned to Dubrovnik and had easy border control crossings on the return. Gayle and I dropped off our backpacks and took our raincoats as a buffer from the wind. We walked to the old town area and decided on a Japanese restaurant that looks down on the city. We ate spicy Tom Young Gum and vegetable tempura. It was just right on this blustery and cool night. It was windy and sprinkling rain when we finished, and we battled the wind up the hill to the hotel. We got a glass of wine and sat in the lobby journaling and reading emails until time to pack and head to bed.
Today's pictures
Wednesday, September 26, 2018, Korcula, Croatia
Up at 7:30 and off to breakfast. At 8:30 we said goodbye to Dubrovnik and started the journey to Korcula, an island off the Croatian coast. Our trip took us along the shore to the bridge which had been closed due to high wind. Today it is open and we crossed over to the grandmother’s hump which is a peninsula in the Adriatic. As we drove we saw smoke rising from the mountains. Darko explained that a forest fire had started yesterday from high winds causing downed wires. We drove past fire trucks, pumper trucks, and a lot of firemen working along the road. When we stopped for a break, we could smell the smoke in the air. Our café had a fabulous view out toward the islands and down to a small town on the coast. From there we made our way down the mountain past the fire area and boarded a small ferry boat to take us to the island of Korcula. We were told to take small bags for the ferry and we took our rollaboards and others took backpacks because their suitcases were way too large for the ferry boat which only held about 25 people. We arrived on the island and the hotel van took our luggage for us. As a group we made our way around the city walls to our restaurant. We had scorpion fish for lunch and it was delicious. After lunch we met our local guide for a walking tour of the old town. One of our stops was Marco Polo’s house. The Venetians do not like to recognize the fact that he was born her on Korcula and the Croatians celebrate this. You have to remember he was still Venetian because this area was part of the Venetian empire at the time of his birth. The wind has shifted, and the temperature is very nice as we make our way through the city. One of our stops was the Gothic Romanesque Church and then on to several small palaces. Our guide let us watch the firefighting planes collect water on their fly bys and then fly over the mountain to dump it. The walls here are only ½ their original height because they were in such poor condition when the government decided to preserve them. After our tour we walked to the hotel with Darko and checked in. We got a nice surprise in our room, a 2-room suite with 2 balconies and killer views. We unpacked a bit and sat on the balcony enjoying the boats before we decided to walk back to the old town to explore and have dinner. We tramped up and down the hills and in and out of shops before deciding we were more than ready for dinner, wine, and a sunset. We found a lovely restaurant by the water and ordered. We tried the regional white wine called Gurk and enjoyed it a lot. These vineyards grow high on the mountainsides and the workers have to be held up by ropes. These vineyards are not automated. The view was breathtaking as the sun went down. After wine it was a pasta kind of night and we had a great meal. Another couple from our group joined us. We decided to walk back to the hotel along the street and found ourselves walking much further than we had before. In our room we prepped for the following day, showered, and settled into our rooms to read and journal.
Today's pictures
Thursday, September 27, 2018, Hvar, Croatia
This morning we got up and out quickly. We had a fabulous breakfast buffet and then grabbed our bags and headed to the lobby. We left the hotel and walked to the boat stop closest to our hotel. We only waited a bit before we were on the small boat to the mainland. The crossing was easy and soon we were on the bus and heading to the Bosnian border. We made a stop in Ston, Croatia to stretch our legs and also get to see the medieval wall climbing straight up the mountain. Our next stop was for lunch in Mali-Ston. We had a huge lunch and then continued on. We are not sure what Darko did, but border crossing was so much easier than it was on Sunday when we made the trip to Bosnia. We made a rest stop in Neum, Bosnia, the same stop we had on Sunday but today everything is open. We bought some small bottles of wine to have in the hotel and Darko bought us pastries. We continued our journey for another 10 km and then we crossed back into Croatia. Again, easy peasy. Once we headed toward the coat and our ferry to Hvar the road became windy and steep. Our driver was amazing, and we arrived in Drvenik at the ferry safe and sound. We had a while before the ferry, so we walked through the little town and out onto the cliff walk. We had great views and got in some much-needed exercise. On the way to the bus we had time to dip our toes in the Adriatic. The 3:45 ferry came, and we drove aboard. Once on the ferry we tried to sit on top, but it was too cool. We sat below for the 30 min crossing. Once on the island of Hvar we had a 4-hour drive to Hvar city. The drive covered narrow winding roads with sharp switchbacks. The driver earned his pay today. It was so twisty that my neck hurt, and several people were nauseated. We arrived in the city and it was much more crowded than Korcula. This is a destination for celebrities and there are a lot of huge boats in the harbor. The hotel picked up our luggage and we walked. In our room we found a bathroom from hell as there is no door, no shower curtain, and no way to stand the hand-held to make a stand-up shower. The room is large, but you have to get past the bath to enjoy it. Oh well, only two nights here. We explored the city and made some photos before finding a great restaurant and ordering soup and salad. We ate outside, and they provided us blankets which we used. We had the best tomato soup I have ever eaten and a large Greek salad, and of course, wine. We walked back and prepped for tomorrow before climbing into our beds.
Today's pictures
Friday, September 28, 2018, Hvar, Croatia
Up at 7 and off to breakfast before meeting our group for a walking tour. Our local guide, Nonni, was excellent and Gayle and I decided to take several of her suggestions to fill our day. On our tour, we saw the cathedral, the Franciscan Monastery, and the Benedictine Monastery. We traveled the narrow paths through the town and Nonni pointed out architecture and of course her favorite bakeries. After the tour we drooped off jackets and packs in the room and headed to the Benedictine Monastery to see the lace that the nuns make from agave fibers. It is quite famous and expensive. We were one of the few visitors and we got to spend a lot of time looking at the delicate and beautiful lace. It is amazingly time consuming to get the fibers, process them, and then tat the lace. From here we climbed the many steps up to the fortress taking our time and stopping at all the cute shops that line the way. The fortress gave us killer views of the city and the outlying islands. We visited the chapel and the prison before stopping on the top for a cold soda and some down time. We finished photographing and started the walk down. We stopped in our favorite shop and made some purchases just for us. We spent the rest of the afternoon just exploring. At 3:30 we headed to the room to shower and get ready for dinner. Due to the unfortunate design of our bath we had to take turns sitting on the rooftop patio while the other showered. We enjoyed a glass of Prosecco that the hotel provided before we joined our group to walk to dinner. Tonight’s restaurant was on the water and we had great sunset views. The meal was served family style and every dish was great. We had meat, fish, calamari, veggies, salad, and dessert. There was wonderful traditional live music as well. Dinner ended after 2.5 hours and we all took our time walking back to the hotel. The temperature was cool, and the nighttime views were wonderful. Back in the room I talked to Hugh and we settled in to journal and read.
Today's pictures
Saturday, September 29, 2018, Hvar to Split, Croatia
Up a little later this morning and out go the bags as we head to breakfast. After our breakfast we walked in the city for an hour before heading to the room for our packs and heading to the bus. We had a 30 minute drive to the port and an hour wait for the ferry once we arrived. We had to arrive early to make sure the bus would be able to get on. We had time to explore the grocery store/mall that was close by. At our appointed time we walked on the ferry and found a salon area where we claimed some sofas as our own. During our 2 hours ride we shared pictures of our children and grands, drank wine, read, and walked about. The 2 hours passed quickly and soon we were in the line to walk off the ferry and into the Split ferry port. As we walked we saw 2 cruise ships and more ferries than you could count. The bus stopped for our hand luggage and we then walked into the city of Split to meet our local guide. Helena was our guide and she helped us make sence of the complex that is called Diocletian’s Palace. The areas inside and outside the walls is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Diocletian's Palace is an ancient palace built for the Roman Emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD that today forms about half the old town of Split, Croatia. We entered at what was once the seaside gate. We explored the basement level first and this area was a defensive area with the ability to flood this whole area to stop invaders. We can still see the water marks on the walls. From here we saw the ruins of all the sewage that leaked through the ceiling stone and into this area and then into the sea. We then made our way up to the street level. The whole complex occupied around 30,000 square meters. The ancient fortress has become the old town of Split, with numerous shops, cafes, restaurants and also apartments, located in the old buildings on narrow streets of the palace/fortress. Around 3000 people live on the territory of Diocletian’s palace today. We saw the cathedral, the ancient Sphinx that the people of Egypt would like to have back, and all the little shops and restaurants. After the tour we had gelato and then explored the open-air market. We even had our picture taken at the Split sign. At the appointed time we met Darko and we walked to the hotel. The hotel is lovely, and we had time to shower before meeting for dinner. We had a delicious dinner in the hotel restaurant and the laughter and lively conversation lasted until after 9. We headed to our room to prepare for the next day to journal. Great day!
Today's pictures
Sunday, September 30, 2018, Opatija, Croatia
Up a little later today and put our bags out at 7:45 a.m. We had a relaxed breakfast before grabbing our packs and heading to the bus. No border crossings today so Darko took the opportunity to give us a history lesson on the war of the 1990’s which caused the breakup of Yugoslavia. He covered this period thoroughly and in the end it was brother fighting brother. Darko was 11 years old and was wounded by shrapnel and spent 2 years in a home for children where they were protected. It gave a better insight into how Yugoslavia was broken up and how the boundaries were set. We stopped for lunch at a mom and pop restaurant and the food was fabulous. The owner is very wealthy and keeps a zoo out back. We saw brown bear, gazelles, deer, and a boar. From the restaurant it was 45 minutes to the entrance of the largest national park in Croatia. This park has 16 lakes and 96 waterfalls. We met Katerina, our local guide, and started on our 2.5-hour hiking tour. Our group divided into 2 groups and the group that went with Darko took the bus to a viewing sight. We stopped for photos at the great falls before heading down to walk along the lakes. There are waterfalls everywhere, even running under the steps we have to climb. The hike was a nice pace, and no one was having trouble keeping up. We took 2 boats across the large lake, one large boat and the a smaller one. We had the option of 284 steps or the winding path. The stairs were crowded so Gayle and I took the path and walked briskly and joined the stairs about halfway. Our group was just getting there also. Soon we were back at the meeting point. From the park we had a 3.5-hour drive to Opatija. When we arrived, we checked into the Astoria Hotel and our room has 3 beds... not sure why. We hurried down to dinner which was a buffet in the hotel. The food was remarkably good. We were tired but decided to walk along the Adriatic and admire the statuary and the architecture. It was near 10 when we made our way back to our room. We bathed and prepped for our optional tour to Pula. I fell asleep while Gayle was reading.
Today's pictures
Monday, October 1, 2018, Pula, Croatia
Today we are up early and at breakfast by 7:15. After breakfast we boarded the bus with a smaller group than usual, some stayed to explore Opatija, and then we headed across the mountains to Pula on the Istrian Peninsula. The drive was along the coast, up twisting roads to a very long tunnel. Out of the tunnel, we made our way down into Pula. We met our local guide, Nada. We liked her immediately and for the next several hours she kept us entertained. Our first stop was the Roman Arena. We had discussed whether an arena is the same as a coliseum and after we argued with her she admitted that of course they are the same. The arena here looks like a smaller version of the coliseum in Rome. It is well preserved, built 2 AD because the plague affected this area about the time it might have been torn down for building materials. This is one of the 6 best preserved Roman ruins in the world. We were able to visit underneath the playing field where the sewage went, and they doctored hurt gladiators and kept the wild animals. Nada told us the Emperor made money on the games not by selling tickets, it was free, but by selling prostitutes and concessions. The top gladiators moved on to compete in Rome, but they rarely died in battle, only a 7% death rate. The men who died were prisoners who were sacrificed for the enjoyment of the crowd. We walked through the main area of the town to 2 Roman Gates that were also built in 2 AD. These gates are beautiful and very well preserved. This town has been existence since 1 BC. We then had some free time to explore. We walked with some new friends to see the cathedral and the courthouse. If it is not ancient, the architecture here is either Soviet, Mussolini, or Austrian/Hapsburg. We made our way into some shops and arrived back at the bus on time. We then drove 45 minutes to Rovinj for us to have lunch. We decided on a cute restaurant with an outside dining area. Henry and Francine joined us and we enjoyed the pepper and olive oil with our bread and our meal was very good. We searched the area for the pepper and salt combo, but the store was closed. We shopped the open-air market before heading to the bus. The ride back passed quickly. We ran to the room and dropped off our packs. We then walked through the town shopping and photographing. We looked in the groceries for the pepper but no luck. Around 7 it started to sprinkle, and we stopped at a restaurant that Darko had recommended. We had pumpkin bruschetta and pizza... delicious. We sat and talked over wine and then walked slowly back to the hotel. We organized for our trip tomorrow, putting away our kuna, and getting out our euros. We had passports and listening devices handy before we went to bed.
Today's pictures
Tuesday, October 2, 2018, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Up early this morning and out went the suitcases. We are saying goodbye to Croatia and hello to Slovenia. Darko assures us we will love this country but no one on the trip knows very much about it. We only made one rest stop on our way and arrived in Ljublijana around 11. We left our luggage at the Grand Union Hotel and met our guide, Robert, in the lobby. We had a wonderful walking tour of the old city and Robert was so easy to understand and he had a lot of tips for things we should do. We spent the next 2 hours visiting churches, hearing some history, and just enjoying the scenery. The city is beautiful and the area we are in is pedestrian only… except for the bikes. The streets are brick and cobblestone and the buildings are a mixture of old and new. Above all this sits a fortress (castle) on the hill. Robert told us the funicular up is fun and the tower has great views. You can see almost 1/3 of Slovenia on a clear day. He also said there is a skyscraper that has a terrace restaurant with a fantastic view and they serve wine. Gayle and I decided to do both. After saying goodbye to Robert, we ditched our listening devices in the room and headed out to explore. Our first stop was the likker store; yep, they call it likker. We purchased some of the blueberry brandy that is the Slovenian welcome drink. Next we bought chocolate with sea salt, then some sea salt, and then pumpkin seed oil. We stopped for lunch and Gayle had brats and sauerkraut and I had mushroom soup, both specialties of the area. After lunch we walked through the market and then took the funicular to the castle. Here we climbed to the tower for an amazing view. We then explored the prison, the chapel, and the puppet museum. Our favorite puppets were Hitler and Eva Braun. We took the funicular down and then explored a bit more before heading back to regroup before we head to dinner with our group. When we all gathered in the lobby we had a short walk to a lovely modern restaurant. We had the local wine and a killer meal of caprese salad, filet cooked perfectly, and an amazing dessert. We had a fun evening talking to Henry and Francine. After dinner we walked a bit before turning in.
Today's pictures
Wednesday, October 3, 2018, Bled, Slovenia
This morning after breakfast we boarded the bus for the 45-minute drive to Bled. Our first stop was the Bled Castle which dates back to the 11th century and King Henry II of Germany. Our bus driver, Snowy, had to fight narrow lanes and other buses to deliver us to the steps. The steps were many, but the view was magnificent. We could see Lake bled and the Julian Alps from our viewpoint. We visited the 16th century chapel and the museum before making our way to the printshop. There was a young man there that was printing bookmarks in the way they were printed in the time of the castle. Gayle and I both got one to frame. We then made our way down the steps to our bus. From the castle we drove into the village and stopped for a mid-morning treat. We walked around the lake to a terrace restaurant that Darko assures us has the best cream cake in all of the area. Cream cake is a Slovenian specialty. I didn’t have anything to compare my slice to, but it was delicious. The serving was huge and the view over the lake made it even more enjoyable. After our treat we had a few minutes to explore in the village and a lot of the folks were making purchases. From there we drove a short distance to the lakeside and boarded small flat bottom boats that are rowed. The gondolas are very unstable, and we had to sit back and not move a lot to keep it stable. We disembarked one at a time from the back to the front. When we arrived at the island we saw a man carrying a woman up the 89 stairs like a sack of flour. This is a tradition with newlyweds. We climbed the stairs and visited the Church of the Assumption dating back to the 17th century. Inside the church you make a wish and pull the rope to ring the bell three times and of course we all did that. We also climbed the bell tower to the top for the views. There were Bible verses on the stairwell as we made each turn. On our way back to the bus we stopped in the large gift shop and I made a purchase. They had adorable nativities and I had to have one. Back on the boat we made our way back across the lake and on this trip, we had a view of Tito’s dachau, very nice! From the lake we made our way into the countryside for our lunch. We ate outside on a terrace and the food was hearty and plentiful. When we got back on the bus we were all sleepy. We were just settling in when Darko announced we had arrived at our next stop. The Shepherds Museum. Here we had a guide tell us the history of cheese making in the alpine region and it was a very hard life. Then much to our surprise we had a cheese tasting… just what we needed, more food! The cheese was excellent, and the presentation was so interesting as they explained the different types of cheese. From here we drove to Lake Bohinj. It is the largest glacial lake in Slovenia. Lake Bohinj is part of the Triglav National Park which can be found in the Northwest of the country. We had time to walk around and we even saw the statue of the first man to climb the highest peak in Slovenia, Three Sisters. Then it was back to Ljubljana. We dropped off our packs and walked around shopping before we made our way to the 12-floor terrace bar and had a glass of wine and enjoyed the view of the city and the castle all lit up. Our next stop was Sokols for mushroom soup before we headed back to the room and our packing for the trip to Italy tomorrow.
Today's pictures
Thursday, October 4, 2018, Venice, Italy
It is hard to believe, but today is the last day of organized tour. We have a great group and it will be hard to say goodbye tonight. Our bus loaded at 7:45 and we said goodbye to Slovenia. Everyone agreed they would love to come back to this beautiful area. It is a real hidden gem. The bus ride was uneventful, and we crossed into Italy without slowing down. There was only one rest stop before we reached Venice airport at 11:30. Our luggage went separately and all of us hardy souls went in 3 water taxi’s that dropped us at the side entrance to our hotel. We were not able to check in, so we stored our packs and headed toward the Rialto Bridge. When we arrived, it was such a sea of humanity that we could not see the bridge or the canal. We decided to come back at night for the views and we explored the little alley ways and shops and even stopped and had gelato for lunch. We got back to the hotel and checked in to our closet before joining Darko and our local guide in the lobby. Darko told Gayle and I that our room would be upgraded tomorrow but tonight will be hard as there is no place to put the suitcases and we have to put our feet on the sink cabinet to sit on the toilet. Our walking tour started from the hotel and covered Saint Marks Square, the Basilica, and the Doge’s Palace. From the square we covered many small streets and our guide was so funny, moving us like first graders in single file. We learned a lot of Venetian history and also had some great laughs with our very expressive guide. She constantly reminded us to walk to the right and mind our street manner and she did not hesitate to tell others on the street to do the same thing, especially those who were making photographs in St. Marks while standing under the sign that said No Photography... can’t you read she would ask. After the tour Gayle and I walked around getting some great photos and Gayle found a purse she wanted. We stopped in the lobby for a glass of wine and when we told the bartender our room number, he poured us more wine and gave us a huge bowl of nuts. He said he was so sorry that we were stuck there! Back at our closet we cleaned up and made our envelopes for Darko. We met everyone in the lobby and then we all were seated in the Terrace Restaurant. We were seated with J.P., Cora, Bob, and Sandy. When the wine was offered the white one was chardonnay which I declined. The bartender remembered me and brought us a bottle of the Sauvignon Blanc that I had earlier... so sweet. The food was fabulous as was the conversation. After dessert we had a group photo made and then it was time to say goodbye to all the ones leaving in the morning. We went out with a group for a gondola ride, but they had already closed for the evening. We walked Rex to the water taxi stand so he knew where to go for his early transfer. We then went to our cubby and dreamed of a much larger room.
Today's pictures
Friday, October 5, 2018, Venice, Murano, & Burano, Italy
We slept in a bit this morning and arrived at breakfast just as the travelers leaving today were departing for the airport. The last goodbyes were said and after we ate we headed to the taxi stand for our tickets to go to the islands. After purchasing the tickets at Rialto, we found out we had to walk to St. Marks to catch the boat. At the pier it was difficult finding which boat until we realized they boarded 10 minutes prior to sailing. After a rough ride of over 30 minutes we arrived at Murano. We started shopping immediately as the shops were in your face as you exited the taxi. We shopped, made photos, and crossed many bridges as we explored this island. Around 1 Gayle finished her shopping and we were ready for lunch but every place had long lines. We decided to head to Burano and even the line for the taxi was long. Again, we were surprised that the taxi ride between the islands was over 30 minutes… on the map they look so close. When we landed the first thing we noticed was the bright colors of the buildings. This island is very different from Murano. We found a cute restaurant for lunch and we shared a pizza. The food was great but not so much the 4 euro tax they added. We spent several hours exploring, looking in churches, making photos, and of course looking in the shops. With tired feet we headed to the taxi stand and our boat back to Venice. It was late when we arrive back at St. Marks and we headed to the hotel to see if indeed we had been upgraded. At the desk they handed us a new key and we went up to find we did have a regular room with a much larger bath. We rearranged our belongings and had everything ready for our trip home before dinner. Feeling pleased with our accommodations we headed to the Rialto Bridge for pictures and then we found a great restaurant on the water and had a delicious dinner of fresh pasta and huge salads. Our waiter was great and brought us a delicious chocolate dessert to share, compliments of the house, when he brought the bill. We slowly walked back to the room, showered, journaled, and then fell into a deep sleep after a very tiring day!
Today's pictures
Saturday, October 6, 2018, The Journey Home
Up early this morning and at breakfast by 7. We headed to the water taxi at 7:30 and we were very thankful it wasn’t raining. Our driver arrived and packed his boat to the hilt with luggage and people. It was a 45-minute trip to the airport and then a 20-minute walk to the check-in area. We then had an hour wait to check in as Iberia does not open until 2 hours ahead not 3. Once we checked in we cleared the security without a problem, but we then had to wait in the central area because they had not assigned a gate to our flight. It was less than 50 minutes before take-off when they assigned the gate and there was a mass exodus in that direction. Fortunately, we had priority boarding and were some of the first on the bus taking us to the plane… this is not priority! The flight was late leaving but we were assured we would make our connection in Madrid. We landed in Madrid and found our next gate. We had a short wait and soon we were boarding. We had a seat mate that was very helpful with the Spanish and as we were eating our dinner and drinking our wine preparing to go to sleep for at least a little while, the captain came on and announced we had an issue and we were returning to Madrid. Back in the airport they served horrid little sandwiches and water while we waited for 5 hours for our next plane. While we were waiting there was so much missinformation that no one knew what to do. Finally, we figured out that the plane was boarding, and we should go to our original seat even though this was a different configuration. Our seats were fine but the people who had been in middle seats were stuck in the very back of the plane. We made it to JFK around 1 am. I cleared customs through Global Entry while Gayle went through the regular line. When she got to the front of the line she was able to do her interview for Global Entry. In the meantime, I had our luggage waiting. We took the train to the bus stop and got our bus to the hotel. We were checked in already, so we headed straight for the room and our beds.
Sunday, October 7, 2018, HOME
We slept in a bit and then went to breakfast. We caught the shuttle to JFK and checked our bags. Our flight was on time and soon we were in CLT waiting for Brittany to pick us up. The ride home was easy, and it was great to be back but we will start planning our next big adventure soon! /susan
