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Still reminiscing…
June 22nd, 2013 by



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Venice still holds a special place in my heart. Little canals like this one offer a quiet escape from the busy streets. And yet they are far from lifeless.

Reminiscing…
June 21st, 2013 by



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Remembering wonderful days wandering in raindrops in the Julian Alps. Slovenia is such a beautiful, inviting country!!

2013 Spring Photography Exhibit (Jeff)
June 19th, 2013 by


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or those that were not able to join us for our recent photography exhibit at Fort Mason Center, I thought I would put up a quick post of the images that I exhibited. The show was a great success! The variety of work exhibited by my fellow Fort Mason Photographers was really phenomenal. We are on our summer hiatus right now, but we will return this fall to prepare for our next showing during the holiday season. Enjoy!



 

Tuesday (Zagreb to San Francisco)…
June 8th, 2013 by



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he morning skies were fittingly grey…par for the course for this trip. We had a nice breakfast in the hotel, with made-to-order eggs and a wide variety of fruits and pastries. A final coffee and cappuccino perked us up nicely.

Took a brisk walk to the cathedral to see some of the nooks and corners we couldn’t see last night while the service was in progress. Quite a beautiful cathedral, with beautiful altars and side chapels. Behind the main altar, a dramatic raised sarcophagus to Alojzije Stepinac. Gold stars in the blue ceiling above. Towering stained glass windows…far more impressive last night when there was sunlight! Still, the low light of a cloudy morning created a still, meditative atmosphere.

We checked out and took a taxi to the airport. Intermittent rain accompanied us on the quick, traffic-free ride. Jarring American and British pop music blared from the radio. Our check-in with Lufthansa was surprisingly confusing. Once again, having our Star Alliance Gold cards was critical to making it through the process. Lufthansa and United just don’t share information that well! And a confusing bag screening process where some bags checked immediately and some bags needed additional screening ten feet away. But we made it without incident to our waiting area, onto a shuttle to our mid-field plane, and on board. The rain even stopped for boarding.

Goodbye to Croatia. We would very much like to visit again…preferably with some warmer temps.

In our approach to Frankfurt, we could see the flood-swollen Rhine twisting through the countryside. It’s muddy-brown waters encircled groves of trees and low-lying buildings. Once we touched down, we began the maze-like walk that you ALWAYS take through Frankfurt. We have been through here more than a dozen times now, and each time we seem to take a different route, through different screenings. And of course, leave it to the US to make a process even more confusing. With very little direction, we were shuffled off to another gate to answer security questions, then to stand in a line to have our passports scanned (again), then back to our gate where our boarding passes and passports were checked yet again. And oddly we were asked if we bought anything at the airport…”no” was the answer…”who would have time”. Very, very time consuming and just downright odd.

Ah, but now from 34,000 feet over the North Atlantic we can sip wine and laugh. We are in the upper cabin of the 747 for the first time…and enjoying it. It is quiet and isolated and somehow relaxing. The upper level doesn’t have a middle row of seats, which makes the cabin seem more cozy. Bring on more wine please.

We passed Iceland and Greenland, arched over Hudson Bay and the Canadian heartland, and finally re-entered the US across Montana. We reminisced about all the things we would return and do again in a heartbeat. A fantastic trip, full of amazing sights, yummy meals, and (the best part) warm people.

We went to bed early and sunk into our bed. The one thing we certainly missed was our soft mattress…but I’m pretty sure we would forgo that comfort for one more drink on the rocks outside the walls of Dubrovnik, or one more moonlit stroll through the quiet streets of Venice, or even a few more raindrops on our faces as we strolled romantic Ljubljana. Ah, fond memories for sure.

Monday (Dubrovnik to Zagreb)…
June 3rd, 2013 by



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rose with the 7:30 bells from the Franciscan Monastery. Time to repack for our quick flight today…a trial run for our trip home tomorrow. We had another energizing breakfast at Cele. We found a shaded corner table and sipped café Americanos. Jeff’s omelette was even better than yesterday. My ham and cheese crepe was warm with a pleasantly surprising dollop of sour cream inside.
 
With a bit of time to kill before our departure, we took in one last ‘tapas’ museum. Today the Sponza palace. The Venetian-style building was the true highlight, but the collection of old photos of the Dalmatian coast and a B&W reel of old Dubrovnik was also interesting. The building houses the State Archives for the Dubrovnik Republic, and the current exhibit highlight the best of the restored replicas for viewing. The originals were wisely kept in micro-climates storage in the rooms above…too fragile to allow out. The other exhibit showcased the many fortified castles littered over Bosnia Herzegovina…Mostar was the only we actually visited.
 
Passing thru our little neighbor shop at the foot of the stairs of our apartment, we could resist ‘buying’ (leaving money and a note since the artists hadn’t arrived for the day) a watercolor landscape of the Dubrovnik wall and harbor skyline. After packing up remaining items, we wheeled our luggage the short distance to a well-placed taxi stand just outside the Pile Gate. The taxi ride afforded spectacular views of the old city and coast from the high-winding, modern route to the airport as we said our goodbyes to the Dalmatian Coast.
 
The Dubrovnik airport was small and efficient…although our flight was delayed awaiting the inbound aircraft. Thank goodness Croatia Airlines is a Star Alliance partner…we were able to check our expanding collection of books and other souvenirs without charge. This is why we bring an extra duffle bag 🙂 Nearby, the check-in for BA to London was jam packed. Austrian Air to Vienna had quite a line too.
 
Approximately two hours late we lifted off the windy runway in our tiny Bombardier prop plane. We followed the coast for a bit over Dubrovnik and then tiny dotted islands, before turning inland over Bosnia. (No fake speeding tickets up here!!) We approached Zagreb over green patch-worked fields and forests. A wide river wound through the countryside.
 
Our bags arrived promptly and we were soon in a cab zipping into the center of Zagreb. Like most European cities, the airports are at least 30-45 min from their main city center. Our final hotel of the trip was the jewel of Zagreb…the luxurious Esplanade. Oddly, even though this is our most highly rated hotel of the trip, it is one of the best prices. Good to remember!
 
Since we arrived later than we had hoped, we set out quickly to explore the historic center of the city. We traced a route along parks filled with slowly walking couples and sun-dappled fountains. Past the city’s core museum district. On to the Cathedral, gleaming in the afternoon sun. Two soaring towers, one covered in healing scaffolding, one restored and proclaiming to the world. We entered the cathedral during a service, so we could explore, but the cathedral was impressive. It stands up with the other big gothic cathedrals in Europe.
 
We wandered the charming pedestrian streets of the old town. Stopped into comfy Caffe History Club for beers and some paprika chips. Yum! We returned to this same street for dinner. Žuja Je Zakon served up a fantastic platter of grilled meats. Wonderful sourdough-like bread. The rain started at the tail end of dinner (along with a noticeable 15 degree temperature drop), so we darted across the street to History again. Heat lamps and beer fends off rain and chill nicely.
 
The rain slowed to a light drizzle. The cathedral bells tolled midnight. Time to sleep.

 

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