A family health emergency has me holed up in Alabama and not tending to these blogs. But please check back soon--we've got some great pics from Croatia, and a few good stories to tell. I'll update as soon as I can.
Hope all are well.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Home Today
We got home about 4:30 today after a long day of uneventful travel. Started in a tram station in Amsterdam 20 hours ago, and just like that, I'm in my recliner, falling asleep with this laptop on me.
Hey, it's after 3am there.
I've got a lot of catching up to do, with photos, so if you're interested in reading about it check back in.
Hey, it's after 3am there.
I've got a lot of catching up to do, with photos, so if you're interested in reading about it check back in.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Hvar, Croatia
We have been on the island Hvar for 3 days now, thoroughly enjoying our time on the Adriatic. It is really amazingly beautiful here, the sea that deep blue that you see in photos, the buildings all stone with orange clay roof tiles, the hills steep and dotted with trees bearing olives, lemons, oranges, and limes, and the food simply amazing. How will I live without grilled squid and fresh mussels after this?
We took a slow ferry from Dubrovnik to Hvar back on Sunday, an 8 hour trip that could have been 5 by bus but was so much better by sea. We laid around on deck, we ate, we napped, we stared at the deep blue water.
Since arriving we have done our share of walking and exploring, as ever, and it has been wonderful. (No, I cannot find the apostrophe on this kezboard, and the z is where the y should be, so I deal.) Yesterdaz we rented scooters and took the old road up over the mountain and to the other side of the island to Stari Grad, one of the oldest cities in all of Europe, if you can imagine that. We had perhaps the best meal of the trip there, starting with a cheese from the Livgno region, then sharing a seafood platter with sea devil, sea bass, dorada (maybe the tastiest fish fillet ever), grilled squid, 2 huge prawns, and boiled potatoes and spinach. We washed it down with local white wine and a bunch of bread soaked in local olive oil. Absolutelz amaying.
The scooter ride was great fun and made me wish I had come prepared to ride a bike. The road over and back would have been about 45 km, and one of the most gorgeous roads ever, hardly used by car since the costruction of the new road and tunnel, so we had it largely to ourselves. The descent to our seaside destination would have been unreal. Next time. (I have figured out my retirement: I will buy a small emptied village on the road there and open a hotel slash training center slash ecolodge with amazing road and mountain biking plus freeclimbing just up the road and access to scuba diving and sailing facilities. That would be the life.)
So, today is laundry and internet day, we will relax and enjoy our last day on the coast, and tomorrow we head to Trogir, a UNESCO world heritage city, where we spend one night before getting on a plane to Amsterdam. This has been a wonderful and relaxing stay, and we look forward to ending our trip with 4 days in my favorite city.
Hope all reading this are doing well and enjoying the change to spring. See zou soon.
We took a slow ferry from Dubrovnik to Hvar back on Sunday, an 8 hour trip that could have been 5 by bus but was so much better by sea. We laid around on deck, we ate, we napped, we stared at the deep blue water.
Since arriving we have done our share of walking and exploring, as ever, and it has been wonderful. (No, I cannot find the apostrophe on this kezboard, and the z is where the y should be, so I deal.) Yesterdaz we rented scooters and took the old road up over the mountain and to the other side of the island to Stari Grad, one of the oldest cities in all of Europe, if you can imagine that. We had perhaps the best meal of the trip there, starting with a cheese from the Livgno region, then sharing a seafood platter with sea devil, sea bass, dorada (maybe the tastiest fish fillet ever), grilled squid, 2 huge prawns, and boiled potatoes and spinach. We washed it down with local white wine and a bunch of bread soaked in local olive oil. Absolutelz amaying.
The scooter ride was great fun and made me wish I had come prepared to ride a bike. The road over and back would have been about 45 km, and one of the most gorgeous roads ever, hardly used by car since the costruction of the new road and tunnel, so we had it largely to ourselves. The descent to our seaside destination would have been unreal. Next time. (I have figured out my retirement: I will buy a small emptied village on the road there and open a hotel slash training center slash ecolodge with amazing road and mountain biking plus freeclimbing just up the road and access to scuba diving and sailing facilities. That would be the life.)
So, today is laundry and internet day, we will relax and enjoy our last day on the coast, and tomorrow we head to Trogir, a UNESCO world heritage city, where we spend one night before getting on a plane to Amsterdam. This has been a wonderful and relaxing stay, and we look forward to ending our trip with 4 days in my favorite city.
Hope all reading this are doing well and enjoying the change to spring. See zou soon.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Dubrovnik, Croatia
The posts are not coming, I know. We don't have our own machine, and internet access is expensive and not so convenient here, so we've been foregoing it so far.
A quick update, though.
We're in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and we've been here since Monday. It's an amazingly beautiful city, situated on the coast of the Adriatic, a rocky coastline studded with small wooded islands.
We're spending most of our time exploring the Old City, a gorgeous network of stone buildings and alleyways surrounded by a high wall and filled with restaurants, cafes, shops, and homes. It's crazy that this is a functional living city, with no car traffic and all lanes connected by narrow stairs (always stairs!) and alleys.
The city is on a steep hillside, and our apartment is high on the hill, looking out over the sea and the old city, a gorgeous view that requires the ascending or descending of hundreds (or thousands!) of stairs to get to and from the old city. It's a beautiful walk but none too easy.
We've been eating tons of seafood, the specialties being grilled squid, mussels in wine and garlic sauce, and seafood risotto, including a famous black risotto flavored and colored with squid ink. The mixed seafood risotto is Cathy's favorite, filled with prawns and mussels and clams and squid and a lovely mild spice. Really nice. Grilled squid wins for me so far--though if truth be told, my true favorite is the meat-heavy Bosnian food we've found in an out of the way Bosnian restaurant called Taj Mahal, of all things. Great ethnic food with easily the best bread in the city. (More truth: The bread here sucks. It's dry and boring and pretty bad. The French conquered this place at one point, but apparently didn't teach them baking skills. Weird.)
We're having a wonderful time, and can't believe we've only been gone a week. Time has slowed down, surely the sign of a successful vacation.
A quick update, though.
We're in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and we've been here since Monday. It's an amazingly beautiful city, situated on the coast of the Adriatic, a rocky coastline studded with small wooded islands.
We're spending most of our time exploring the Old City, a gorgeous network of stone buildings and alleyways surrounded by a high wall and filled with restaurants, cafes, shops, and homes. It's crazy that this is a functional living city, with no car traffic and all lanes connected by narrow stairs (always stairs!) and alleys.
The city is on a steep hillside, and our apartment is high on the hill, looking out over the sea and the old city, a gorgeous view that requires the ascending or descending of hundreds (or thousands!) of stairs to get to and from the old city. It's a beautiful walk but none too easy.
We've been eating tons of seafood, the specialties being grilled squid, mussels in wine and garlic sauce, and seafood risotto, including a famous black risotto flavored and colored with squid ink. The mixed seafood risotto is Cathy's favorite, filled with prawns and mussels and clams and squid and a lovely mild spice. Really nice. Grilled squid wins for me so far--though if truth be told, my true favorite is the meat-heavy Bosnian food we've found in an out of the way Bosnian restaurant called Taj Mahal, of all things. Great ethnic food with easily the best bread in the city. (More truth: The bread here sucks. It's dry and boring and pretty bad. The French conquered this place at one point, but apparently didn't teach them baking skills. Weird.)
We're having a wonderful time, and can't believe we've only been gone a week. Time has slowed down, surely the sign of a successful vacation.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Amsterdam!
Sitting in Gerry and Christina's apartment, looking out over the canal below, marveling at the fact that suddenly here we are. I love this city more than I can explain. So nice to be back.
They had a wonderful breakfast spread out for us when we arrived. Then we napped. Then we went out for Ethiopian food. Then we slept, and onward to Croatia.
A good start to the trip.
They had a wonderful breakfast spread out for us when we arrived. Then we napped. Then we went out for Ethiopian food. Then we slept, and onward to Croatia.
A good start to the trip.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Saturday Departure
The time's coming. We've got our tickets, we've got lodging set in Dubrovnik, Hvar, and Trogir, and we've got a basic plan.
Man am I looking forward to this.
Man am I looking forward to this.
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