P.S. Home Safe

Our flight arrived at Seatac about 8:45 last night. We were all tired and happy to be home. It was a successful, interesting trip. I look forward to my next adventure..................

P.S. Home

Last Day in Windsor

After a hardy english breakfast of egg, bacon, bean and sausage, we set out for Windsor Castle. The hotel receptionist had warned us it was boring and Luke wouldn't like it. She was wrong. Skip and I thought it very interesting, and Luke seemed to enjoy it. Afterwards we went for a 40 minute cruise of the Thames. That was boring. It would have been fun to kayak or row.

We went to the Duke of Connaught pub for a nice lunch. The food was very good and the staff and other punters were very friendly. We are waiting for our taxing at the hotel for our final leg of this journey. We will be happy to get in our own beds and see our little doggie!

Addicted to Elegance

I saw two large frumpy, women wearing big yellow t-shirts proclaiming "addicted to elegance". Luke said he thought cheeseburgers were a better guess. They were scarfing down big ice cream cones. Do you suppose they had any idea what their shirts said?

From Dubrovnik to Windsor, I love England!

This morning we got up and went to the Cathedral in Dubrovnik. It's very ornate and has a replica of the grotto at Lourdes. Next we went to the synagogue, the second oldest in Europe. The oldest is in Prague, and we had already been there.

Our taxi driver to the airport was a Croatian/American. He spoke perfect english with no accent, though he has been living in Croatia 30 years. It was interesting to hear him talk about the

Balkans war in the 1990's. There is plenty of evidence of the war. Most of the tile roof tops in Croatia are new as they were destroyed during the bombings. You can also see shrapnel and missile scars in some of the buildings.

Our flight was delayed by 2 1/2 half hours, most of that time spent sitting on the plane. I slept through most of the delay. When we finally took off, we flew north along the Dalmatian coast, over Venice, the Alps, Germany and the coast of France. It was very beautiful and made me long to be on the ground.

We are staying the night in Windsor and since our flight is not until 6:35 p.m., we will do some sight seeing before we head to the airport. Luke said he was so happy to be back in the cool rainy weather. He says he'll never live anywhere that gets hot and buggy.

We have had a wonderful trip and have thoroughly enjoyed the sights, culture, food and just getting away, but we all look forward to getting home to the beautiful Pacific NW. The best part of traveling is coming home with new gratitude for all we have!

one more observation....

One more thing I have noticed on this trip, is Europeans wearing shirts with silly, stupid and sometimes obscene things written in english. I'm not sure they really understand the meanings of the words on their clothing, or at least don't understand the subtleties. If Asians have funny, strange things in "engrish", does this qualify as "englopean"? Who doesn't want a t-shirt proudly proclaiming "don't hate me because I'm beautiful"? Or, how about "suck my ****"? Or the non-sensical "twin love", huh?! Something to think about before you buy that cute shirt with the pretty asian characters, who knows what it means?

Moonlight and Tony Bennett

Today is our last full day in Dubrovnik. It was lazy again. Skip and I went out for our coffee and tea. We sat in a cool corner of one the squares and watched the people go by.

When we finished we went back to our apartment and got Luke. We all went to the Rector's Palace. The most interesting things in there, were the sedan chairs. They were ornate and lovely and completely miserable looking.

After a lazy lunch, we walked over to the old fortress outside the city walls. It offered some spectacular views of the Adriatic. Then we walked through a park with some ruins and the best swimming spot in the city. Unfortunately, we weren't wearing our swimsuits. By the time walked back to out apartment it was siesta time.

After dinner in our apartment, Skip and I went out to a bar that you access via a hole in the city wall. It is set on a rocky outcrop below the city walls. We drank beer and watched the sun go down over the Adriatic. Then we listened to Tony Bennett by the light of the full moon. It was the perfect end to our last full day in Dubrovnik.

Random Observations in Eastern Europe

Here are some things I have observed or noticed while traveling in Eastern Europe, in no particular order:

There is a Croatian brand of milk called "Mu".

Dyed red hair is very popular, the most popular shade: Ronald McDonald red.

Harem pants are all the rage, think I Dream of Jeannie or M.C. Hammer (remember him?). The fabrics range from denim to nylon and everything in between. I even saw a pair that looked like they were made from a baby's quilt.

Gladiator sandals

Capri pants for men. The only really bad ones I saw were plaid seersucker. The unfashionable man wearing them had his shirt tucked in and a belt on.

Male dogs are not neutered.

Croatian people remind me of Italians, minus the drama and bling.

Dogs poop off to the side of walkways, next to the walls. Nobody picks up.

Cats breed unchecked.

Czechs are introverted, industrious, speak softly and love their dogs. Ian says the joke is, Czechs love their dogs because they are incapable of loving other people. Anyone who loves dogs is okay by me.

Austrians are cheerful, friendly people.

Europeans are catching up to us weight wise.

Lots of Eastern Europeans drink beer for breakfast.

Slovenes are friendly and pleasant without being overtly cheerful.

Teens are obnoxious in general, Czech teens are obnoxious in particular.

Food is heavy, tasty and cheap in the Czech Republic.

Austrian trains are very nice.

People drive like maniacs.

Croatian girls are pretty.

Too much smoking, coughing and spitting.

Everybody says "Hello", what's up with that? I like being greeted in the local language, it makes me feel like they haven't noticed I have "American" written all over me.

Croatian desserts are lousy. The best dessert in Eastern Europe is at the Brown Bear in Bled. It's a cream cake to die for (or from).

Croatians are fashion forward and the young men have cool, stylish haircuts.

Czech fashion doesn't exist.

Czech hair, don't get me started........

In general Eastern Europeans are hard working, salt of the earth type people.

Lazy Day in Dubrovnik

We started our day with a walk around the old city walls. It's about a mile and quarter and takes a couple of hours. There are many spectacular viewpoints, in which to take in spectacular sights and snap photos. We set out about 9:00, but it was already hot. We ducked into every shady spot we could find, but in the end we were all drench with sweat.

We found ourselves a cool, comfortable spot at an outdoor cafe and with cold drinks in hand, watched Saturday morning unfold with locals and tourists, alike.

After cooling off, we stopped in several other sights, mostly churches. There seem to be a lot of churches here. I especially enjoyed the Orthodox church with it's lovely old icons.

After a light lunch, we went to the monastery. There is a beautiful courtyard and an interesting museum. There has been a pharmacy operating there continuously since the 1300's. The original counter is in the museum, along with other artifacts from earlier times. We wandered a bit more, but by then the heat was getting to us, so we returned to our apartment for a siesta. We have mostly been lazy since.

At sunset, thousands of swallows fill the air over Dubrovnik. I guess they are feeding on some of those bugs that have been biting us. They are diving and chattering outside of our apartment, overlooking the old port.

Bus Ride to Dubrovnik

As we lumbered out of Split, I settled in with my International Herald News Tribune, which I have enjoyed very much on this trip. Soon the road became very winding and I had to give up reading. I didn't mind though, I was rewarded with one spectacular view after another.

It is difficult to explain the beauty of Croatia. Just when you think it can't possibly get anymore beautiful, it does. There are thousands of islands off the Dalmatian coast, and the coast itself is rugged mountain terrain. The road from Split to Dubrovnik is a bit like 101, only narrower and minus the guard rails, or in spots, flimsy rails. For nearly five hours, we passed incredible coast towns, with lovely beaches. On the mountain sides, there were numerous ruins of old houses and the occasional fortress. We passed through valleys, by rivers and lakes. And the ever present islands off the coast!

On our way here, we had to pass through Bosnia. The border patrol got on the bus and checked our passports. We stopped in the Bosnia town Neum for our "comfort stop", i.e. pee break, smoke break, dinner and WINE for the driver and bus conductor. Soon after we got on the way, we stopped at the Croatian border, same routine. After that, the bus conductor flopped over 2 seats and began to snore loudly.

While we were in Bosnia, I took pictures of Luke. He says he has officially been in more countries than states. I'm not sure, it might tied up, 12 to 12. I think he missed some states.

When Dubrovnik finally came in to sight, it was something to behold. We are staying in Old Town, in the walled city. There are no cars here. Our first impression is that it is like Venice without the canals. Our apartment looks over a marina, across to the other side of the Old Town and up the hill.

I'm glad we took the bus here, we saw things we otherwise wouldn't have. That said, NEVER AGAIN! These people drive like maniacs, and drinking wine, while driving a bus on narrow, steep, winding roads, INSANE! I prayed a lot on that bus, and I was so happy to see Dubrovnik. We are all looking forward to seeing the town tomorrow.

Luke is happy to be out of Hvar, he was nearly eaten alive, and his bites are big, swollen and itchy! The mosquitoes finally dined on Skip's legs last night, too!

Split to Dubrovnik

We arrived in Split this morning at 7:30. Our first stop was the bus station for our tickets to Dubrovnik and to check our luggage. Skip and I then enjoyed a leisurely coffee and tea, while Luke had a case of tired grumpies.

Next we went to Diocletian's palace and did the Rick Steves self-guided tour. It was very interesting. We started in the "basement" and worked our way up. The Emperor Diocletian had this palace built in only 11 years. 2000 slaves died in the process. It was his retirement home, he lived here from 305-313 A.D. After his death, the palace fell into disrepair. Then in the 7th century, Slavs escaping their own destroyed cities fled to the abandoned palace and set home. Over the next 13 centuries, the palace was remodeled and added on to (sounds like my house!) numerous times. It became a walled city, where people live and work to this day.

Some of the many changes are notable. Diocletian hated christians, and tortured and killed many. His grand mausoleum is now the tiniest cathedral in all of christendom. It is called St. Dominus, after the bishop he tortured and killed. It is very ornate and has a very small, macabre museum that contains many relics. There are numerous heads of saints, covered with silver with portholes in the top so you can see the saints' scalps. There are other unidentifiable bits of saints and two glass ostuaries containing the bones of 2 other saints.

Diocletian considered himself a god, the son of Jupiter. His temple of Jupiter now houses a baptismal font with a sculpture by Croatia's most famous sculptor Ivan Mestrovic. The crypt is a Marian shrine. Ironic, the very people he persecuted now use his sacred sites as their own. As for Diocletian, nobody knows where he is.

After a delicious lunch, we boarded our bus and headed south.

Fun Day on the Dalmation Coast

Last night, Luke insisted we take a sunset stroll. We walked all the way to where the promenade ends, a couple of miles. After it got dark and the mosquitos got thick, we walked back to our apartment by the light of the waxing moon. There were lots of people partying in the streets, the most crowded I have seen the streets since arriving.

After a good night of sleep, we went to the Franciscan monastery this morning. It has a funky little museum with lots of amphorae (ceramic vessels) culled from the many ancient Roman ship wrecks in the area. They also had icons, oil paintings and odds and ends. There is a fancy little church that is very old. One grave in the floor had the date 1009! I think that was a newer grave.

Next we went to the Benedictine Monastery. The nuns that live there never leave the convent walls once they join. They use their time to pray and make threads from the Agave plants for tatting lace. It is a labor intensive process. The smallest piece they sell is $55, from there it goes up.

After that we went to the grocery store and bought supplies for a picnic. Then we went down to the harbor and rented a speed boat. Let me tell you, that boat was anything but speedy. We went out and boated around the islands here off the Dalmation coast. It is beautiful. The islands have scrubby vegetation with white rock, and set against the azure blue sea it is a pretty picture. We dropped anchor in a small cove and ate our picnic lunch. Then we climbed off our boat and swam. The water is so clear and the temperature is pleasant for swimming. We all enjoyed it for the novelty and the beauty of the setting, but we all agree we are not boating or hot weather people. We are true Pacific Northwesters, we prefer the cooler temps!

Luke is ready to move on, as the mosquitos are eating him alive. They are putting a pretty good dent in me too, Skip, not so much. The one really nice thing about this hot weather is the lovely mornings and evenings.

This is a place where house plants grow outside to the size of trees and large bushes. There is a Begonia bush outside our apartment door. I didn't know they could get so big! The other thing outside our apartment, cats! Lots of starving, pregnant cats. I don't think they spay or neuter pets here. I fed two of the strays, much to Luke's chagrin. He says the stray cats are harshing his vacation mellow. They come around when we eat and stare at us and meow. They are so skinny and pathetic, I can't resist feeding them. I sure our landlady will thank me!

Tomorrow we are taking the 6:30 a.m. ferry to Split. We will tour Diocletian's palace and then take an afternoon bus to Dubrovnik.

Hvar day 2

I slept like I was comatose last night. I finally feel fully adjusted to the time change. Now I can look forward to this again in a week!

We had a lazy day. We slept in, had breakfast at our apartment and then set out to explore. We hiked up to the fortress. There are beautiful views of the harbor and islands from up there. It is also one of the oldest fortresses in Europe. the earliest parts of the foundation are B.C. The most "recent" building was done in the 1600's. After lunch, we took a swim in the sea. It is very hot here, 90's I would guess.

We are here tomorrow too. Not sure what we're doing, mostly having a vacation from traveling!

As usual, Luke is enjoying being an "only" child. He loves to have out undivided attention. We sat outside on our patio last night, enjoying the pleasant weather and talking. It was Luke's favorite subject, history! We are missing Ian and Radey (and Allen)!

Lake Bled to Hvar, Croatia: Mountains to Sea

Yesterday was really busy and a day of contrasts. We started our day in the Julian Alps and ended on an overnight ferry to the island paradise that is Hvar Croatia.

In the morning we went up to the castle in Bled and took in the spectacular views. We also went in the museums and walked around the castle. Next we hiked the river gorge, which was beautiful and so dramatic. The temperature must have ranged at least 20 degrees. We have some great pictures. Next we went to the Brown Bear for a desert that Slovenia is famous for. I can see why! We drove out to Lake Bohinj and enjoyed the scenery of mountains and waterfalls. After collecting some supplies for the road we headed south.

We drove through the beautiful Alpine scenery of Slovenia. Gradually the temperature warmed and the terrain became more mediteranean. We arrived in Rijeka, Croatia just before 7:00. We borded our ferry and found our berth. It was tiny but comfortable. We had a tiny bathroom with a ship's head (shower, toilet and sink all in one tiny space). But hey, it worked. It was a beautiful evening, gorgeous scenery to watch. This morning as we were preparing to disembark, I went to use the loo one more time. As I stepped out, I caught the shower knob and drenched myself. Skip and Luke really enjoyed that!

We arrived in Hvar about 8:15, After a scary bus ride, we found our apartment, changed into our swimsuits, and hit the beach. We are having a vacation from our travels. Today was all about laying in the shade, swimming and napping!

I'm getting over a cold and a couple of days rest should be good.

Greetings from Lake Bled, Slovenia

We picked the right day to leave Salzburg. There was a steady, heavy rain this morning. Apparently, yesterday was the first dry day in a week, so we lucked out.

I forgot to mention in my blog yesterday, about the ring tail monkeys at the zoo. We were walking along when we saw ring tail monkeys down a road that said "do not enter" (in German, of course). So we stopped to watch them. There were 15 to 20 of them, including a mom with her baby on here back. Pretty soon, they all came walking up to us. They just looked at us, I think they wanted food, and then hopped on a fence and kept going. We weren't sure if they were free roaming monkeys or escapees.

This morning we took the train from Salzburg to Lake Bled in Slovenia. It was a , very nice train, as opposed to Czech trains. We traveled through the Austria Alps. It was so picturesque. We saw castles, waterfalls, ruins, small Bavarian Villages and of course, beautiful mountains!

We arrived at Lake Bled just before 2:00. We immediately went out to explore. The lake here is the most unreal shade of blue. I think it has something to do with the minerals in the water. We rented a rowboat, and Skip (bless him), rowed us out to the island in the lake. There is a very ornate Baroque church there with a "wishing bell". Ring the bell 3 times and you get your wish. I rang it about 15 times, Luke twice. But Skip was just right, so I guess he gets his wish! We also walked all the way around the lake, about 3.5 miles. The weather is warm and overcast, perfect for sightseeing.

We will explore the area some more tomorrow, before driving to Rijeka, Croatia to take the night ferry to the Croatian Island of Hvar.

Long Day in Salzburg

We hit the streets about 9:00, and got back in about 9:00. Whew! We bought the Salzburg pass and really got our money's worth,

We started out at the fortress. After taking the funicular up the rock wall, we walked all over, taking in the various museums and spectacular views. Next we went to the cathedral, which is very ornate and full of artwork. From there we went to the cemetery and catacombs. Salzburg is built out of a huge rock wall on one side. The fortress is atop and the catacombs are carved into it. There are various other buildings that appear to sprout from the rock wall. This all looks out on the Danube.

After lunch we took the bus out to Hellbrunn. There is a castle, gardens and a zoo. In the garden we took a tour of the tricky fountains. Apparently, this place was built by Arch Bishop Marcus Spitticus about 400 years ago. He had a real sense of humour and liked to entertain. There are all kinds of trick fountains to squirt his guests when it amused him to do so. He also had built all kinds of moving puppet exhibits. All of this operated by water pressure from natural springs and mechanical pumps. I have to believe that Walt Disney visited here at some time. We toured the state rooms and the zoo.

The next place we went was Grodig, where we took a tram about a mile up a mountain. Unfortunately, the fog had settled at the top by the time we got there. The views were spectacular going up and down.

I slept on the bus back to Saltzburg. After a nice dinner and more wandering, we finally returned to our hotel.

Austrians are cheerful, friendly people and Saltzburg is beautiful and culturally rich. If you had endless money, you could go on a real shopping spree here. Since we don't have endless money it is time to move on. We have enjoyed our time here, but tomorrow we go to Slovenia.

Update: Salzburg IS beautiful!

We went out this evening to get dinner and walked to the old part of Salzburg. There was a huge street party going on. As we are not much for partying, we kept walking, over the bridge, into older Salzburg. Wow! Happy surprise, this is a beautiful city. We walked along the old cobbled streets and eventually stumbled into a lovely courtyard. We sat down at an Italian restaurant, not expecting much. Another happy surprise, the food was fabulous! Skip and I shared an anti-pasta plate with delicious veggies and seafood. Luke had lasagna, I had minestrone and Skip and I shared a small pizza. It was all fresh and so good!

Afterward, we walked along the Danube and through a nice park. There were so many people out enjoying the nice weather. People here are friendly and happy. We kept stumbling upon one beautiful sight after another. We are looking forward to getting out and about tomorrow!

When I got up this a.m., Luke called me to the tv set to tell me they were talking about Michael Jackson, but didn't know what they were saying. I figured the usual financial or comeback stuff. Turns out he's dead. Another piece of my childhood gone.

It was another gorgeous day in Czesky Krumlov. We did some more exploring in the morning. After a nice lunch, we took a shuttle to Salzburg. We started out on a narrow two lane road, driving along the river and through the woods. Soon the scenery gave way to gentle rolling hills of the southern Czech Republic. About an hour into the drive, we crossed into Austria and the road immediately got better. The hills became bigger hills, the foothills of the Alps. It is very beautiful, With lakes and quaint villages. Then we arrived in Salzburg. I think tomorrow we are going in search of it's beauty. So far, it's just a big city. 

The people here are very different! Very friendly and pleasant, and good hair!

Tonight we will go find some dinner and relax. Tomorrow we plan a long day seeing the sights, and finding the beauty this city is so famous for.

Prague to Czesky Krumlov

We started yesterday 24/6 in Prague and ended in Czesky Krumlov.

In the morning we walked over the Charles Bridge and went to St. Vitus. Interesting, gaudy and a nice stained glass window by Mucha. Hungry for more Mucha, we went to the Mucha museum. It's very small and sweet. I think I understand Mucha better for having been here. His works are so enchanting and so is the Czech Republic.

Then we met Ian for lunch. After lunch we checked out of our hotel (very nice!), and went to the train station for another tearful (on my part) parting from Ian. He is now flying home.

We arrived in Czesky Krumlov after a 4 hour train ride with a bunch of obnoxious Czech teens. It seems obnoxious teens are common around the world. Prague is beautiful, but Czesky Krumlov is a living fairy tale. It is so beautiful and much calmer than the city. We ate at a great traditional restaurant, our best meal so far. Our accommodations are amazing. We are staying in a huge, old apartment. Luke has his own room, which he is thankful for. No snoring!

This morning we walked up to the castle and walked all over the gardens. It is lovely, and there are so many birds singing. There seem to be more birds here, than in other places I've been. Even Prague enjoys a constant bird concert. After a lousy lunch, we rented a raft and went down the Vltava River. Gorgeous, and more bird song! At the end of our float, we went over a pretty big rapid. People were yelling at us in Czech, and we thought we were about to meet certain death. Over we went, I flopped backward on the floor of the raft, and that was it! It was silly. We got out of the raft at Zlata Koruna. We walked around the town, and then sat and had a beer while we waited for our ride. We met a nice family from Bellingham and chatted with them until our ride arrived. As we drove back to town, a huge thunder storm came up. Skip and I got soaked running to the internet cafe. There were literally rivers running in the streets! Then the power went out. It came back on shortly, and here I am blogging.

Walking on cobbled streets is hard. My feet and legs are tired. It will be a miracle if Ian doesn't have permanent damage to his feet. You need good shoes here, which we all have, but it is still hard.

The Czechs smoke like chimneys. I think it is the national past time. We have all noticed that there are young people, old people and older people here. There is no such thing as fab and fifty. Teens have really nice skin, not much acne, but adults all look very dehydrated. Smoking and beer, I think.

My other observation about Czechs, bad hair! I mean really, really bad hair! More split ends per capita than any place on earth. I don't think anyone gets a professional cut or color. Pink and orange hair are the thing. And big splotches of color! I have never in my life seen worse hair. Even men's haircuts look like they were done by a blind person in the dark. Skip and Luke agree. It is very strange, as it appears to be the norm. I could set up shop here, and either be very successful or a complete failure. Maybe they like bad hair?! I would like to get some pictures, but I don't want to be obvious about it. If I can, I will post when I get home. All this bad hair is in direct contrast to the utter beauty of this place, both nature and man-made.

The cafe is closing soon. Until another day, ttfn!

Long day in Prague

It has been a very long, busy day in Prague. Skip, Ian and I went to the Jewish quarter while Luke slept in. It is a very interesting place, rich in history. We went to the old/new synagogue, spanish synagogue, Pinkas synagogue and Jewish cemetery. Afterwards, we walked back to the hotel and got Luke and went to lunch.

After lunch we walked over the Charles Bridge and up to Prague castle. Along the way we saw the old house signs that predate house numbers, and are peculiar to Prague (I think).We wanted to go to St. Vitus Cathedral but there was a line wrapped around the building, and by then it was pouring rain. We went to a small cafe to rest and get dry, and when we came out the sun was coming out. We walked back to St Vitus, but there was still a line and 45 minutes to closing, so we will go back in the morning. We continued to walk around the castle grounds and saw spectacular views of the city. We made our way down the hill a back to the Jewish quarter and took Luke in some of the places. We then walked over to the Astronomical clock tower and Wenceslas Square. 

I think Prague must be one of the most beautiful cities in all of Europe. There seems to be beautiful things around every corner, Every time I look up, there is something surprising and lovely to see. We will not be able to see a fraction of what there is here, in our too brief stay. After 3 months of living here, Ian hasn't seen everything, although he has seen and done a lot and knows his way around.

Tomorrow afternoon we will take the train to Czesky Krumlov, and probably have to say goodbye to Ian, as he heads back home. 

For tonight, Ian is taking us to a good Czech restaurant, but first, a much needed a rest!

Happy Reunion

We arrived safely in Prague, and Ian was waiting for us at our hotel. I was surprised and cried tears of joy!

It was a bumpy flight out of Seattle, but I must of fallen asleep at some point, because Luke and Skip both claim they climbed over me!  The flight to Prague started bumpy, and the airbus we were on groaned and creaked a lot. It was nerve wracking!

The Czech Republic is very beautiful from the air. It looks like a quilt in varying shades of soft green, with the occasional red tile roof interruption.  Prague seems to be the only city of any size. We are looking forward to exploring tomorrow.

For now, I'm stupid tired, but enjoying a visit with Ian.

leaving tonight

My children will be so proud, their momma is blogging! Or maybe they'll just be embarassed.

We leave tonight on British Airways flight 48. We arrive in London at 11:50 a.m. local time, and then take a 2:55 p.m. flight to Prague. We arrive in Prague at 5:55 local time, where (hopefully) we will be met by someone from our hotel to drive us there.

"We" refers to me, Jean, and Skip and Luke. At this point it looks like Ian will be meeting us in Prague, before he flies to Paris for his trip back home. I will be so happy to see him! It has been a long separation.

And now, I must get ready for this big adventure!