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)!