Saturday, March 23, 2013

Zagreb and business class home!

Friday, March 15, 2013 – Zagreb and business class home!


Bright sunshine follows the snow and it was a beautiful morning. We passed the large US Embassy near the airport and waited, again, on our delayed flight’s departure! So we enjoyed the business lounge and reviewed the week’s sites.

En route, I could clearly see a Star Alliance plane beneath us and it was a beautiful sight. We paralleled each other for a long time and then we finally overtook it.

Due to the delay of the departure from Zagreb we landed in London with just an hour for our international connection so we had a private escort from Special Services led us to a private bus for our transfer from Terminal Five to Terminal One. As of April 8, these flights will depart and arrive at the same terminal and thus alleviate this headache! So we wound our way around the back of Heathrow again and even found time for 15 minutes in the business lounge before boarding the BA flight to JFK. This time we were able to stretch out in the business sleepers and took full advantage of them -- and the ice cream! It is certainly a more relaxing way to travel. It was a much needed rest after a busy week of exploring the small and large cities in Croatia!

Friday, March 22, 2013

Dubrovnik & Zagreb, the Capital of Croatia

Thursday, March 14 - Dubrovnik in the rain, rain and more rain. We’ve had issues all week with the rain starting and stopping but this morning it was raining buckets. Thankfully, it slowed considerably before we began our walk around the old town. Dubrovnik is the crown jewel of Croatia – many cruise ships stop here and there are numerous fine hotels within the walled city. You can walk atop the 15th century walls, visit the war photo gallery from the 1990s Homeland war (very touching and moving – www.worldphotoltd.com), explore the Franciscan Monastery, the Sponza Palace, Orlando’s Column, hear the bell tower chime, visit the oldest working pharmacy from 1271, the Rector’s Palace and marvel at the Onofrio fountain. Even if the citizens were locked within the gates of Dubrovnik, they would have water and food as there are resident flocks of doves and fresh mountain water flowing through the fountain. Walking within its walls is like being transported in a time capsule. The buildings and walls are medieval yet the people wandering the streets are in modern clothing with cameras around their necks – a fine example of a UNESCO site worth preserving.





The dots mark the bombings during the 1990s war WITHIN the walls of Dubrovnik
Artist's home destroyed during 1990s war of aggression


Along the coastline, we were driven to the Cilipi Dubrovnik airport for a supposed quick one hour flight to Zagreb. And guess what -- another delay!...but a short one this time. There was beautiful snow falling in Zagreb as we landed and it looked just like Christmas when we landed. The Christmas markets here must be beautiful!

“Zagreb is perhaps the perfect European capital. With a charming Old Town, a lively café culture and the requisite cathedral, but without the loads of tourists a la Prague or Vienna, the city is easy to explore in a day before heading on to the coast.” There is an Upper Town (Gornji Grad) and a Lower Town (Donji Grad). Donji Grad is where you’ll find the shops and socializing and accommodations and museums. The Regent Esplanade Hotel is next to the train station where the passenger on the Orient Express overnighted. We visited the Katedrala Marijina Uznesenga (Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary) and passed the Hrvatski muzej naivne umjetnosti (Croatian Museum of Naïve Art – from 1920s of the village life). And their newest museum, The Museum on Broken Relationships…well, that’s all I need to write about this one. We had a beautiful walk in the snow through the old city. Would have been even nicer to have time to explore the welcoming cafes and shops or ride the blue trams through the narrow streets.
Entering Zagreb during the March snow

Gene at Cathedral


Luisa in main square

We hurried back to the hotel to dress for a lovely dinner at the “ Restoran Okrugljak” in a northern neighborhood. We were joined by Mr. Zlatan Muftic, Convention Bureau Director of the Zagreb Tourist Board, and enjoyed an over-the-top final meal with a multitude of dishes and wines. Croatian food and wine has not disappointed! The Hotel International was in a good location and within walking distance of the old town. All of the hotels offered free WIFI.


Group dinner at Restoran Okrugljak

Facts on Croatia: Possible tourist attractions in Croatia – war tourism (from WWII and the 1990s war), para-gliding, ziplining, bird watching, scuba diving. Brioni Islands were the summer home of Tito. Island of Cres is one of the most green – dolphins, cycling.

On July 1, 2013, Croatia will become a member of the European Union. They will not convert to the Euro currency immediately and they still have several issues to overcome with being accepted into the EU. One issue is involves the simple matter of travel on the lone road along the coast! It will be extremely difficult for some nationalities as this highway crosses through Bosnia Hertzegovina and some visitors who require visas will not be able to cross this small section of road (approx. 5 miles) without a visa!! The Croatians have considered a bridge, a ferry and other options but they are too expensive and Bosnia will not relinquish the land. This issue of driving along the only road/only route from Split to Dubrovnik will not be easy for some nationalities (Americans will not have this problem) and will have a potentially devastating impact on Croatia’s travel economy.



Thursday, March 21, 2013

Split and Medjugorje

Wednesday, March 13, 2013 - Split is the 2nd largest city in Croatia and houses the most preserved Roman palace in the world. Julius Caesar claimed it and it was also a Roman province. The capital was Salona, a short six miles from the current coastline. Diocletian was a Roman Emperor and before his retirement, he built his own “retirement palace” along the coast complete with housing for his guards (he was paranoid of being murdered) and three bedrooms just for himself (so he could sleep in a different room each night!). 296 AD timeframe. Today, there are over 2000 people that still live in the same palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site, including two hotels.

We toured the cavernous lower chamber, which is only intact today since it was filled with garbage that had solidified into ROCK. Scholars have a good record of the daily lives of the people as the unearch the garbage! And even today, they are still drilling out the garbage.  In one chamber, we were privileged to hear the men’s a capella group singing. Wonderful!

Lower chamber in Diocletian's Palace - Split

Working within the walls of the old palace


Not on our itinerary but requested….from Diocletian’s Palace, we drove to Medjugorje, in Bosnia Herzogovigna, where the Virgin Mary appeared to six teenagers in the 1980s. “’Our Lady of Medjugorje’ and ‘Our Lady Queen of Peace’ are the titles given to the Blessed Virgin Mary by those who believe that she has been appearing since 24 June 1981 to six children in Medjugorje.” This was a gamble for all of us as it involved boarding crossings and red tape and visas.  But we made it.  The church is in a small village with many tourist shops all around; over 1,000,000 people pay homage each year.  We chose a small border crossing manned by Croatian border guards so we did not have too much difficulty – just a $20 bribe and two bottles of booze.




On very small and narrow roads, we wound our way to the seaside village of Mali Ston for an oyster and fish lunch at Bota Sare (at 4:15PM – our lunches were getting later and later every day! I am ever thankful to have snacks along as there is no place to buy anything, even if we did make a stop.)  Late in the evening, we arrived in Dubrovnik and opted for a walking tour in the old city. The walls of the old city are beautifully lit at night and many small cafes are still open in the cobblestoned streets. After this dusk stroll, we were happy to settle in to the Hotel Lacroma and had a nice buffet dinner at our leisure – at 10PM!

Dubrovnik at night


Facts on Croatia; Limestone is used for building; not many forests; they are a large producer of mandarins; large salt plains. They may build a ferry pier from the Split airport direct to the port as this is a major hub for over 70 ferry lines to the various islands. Croatian citizens pay 17% of their net salary for medical care.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Etnoland and Trogir at dusk

Tuesday, March 12 – Zadar is a safe city in the summer as they recruit policeman from all over Europe to supplement their local force. Very smart move! They speak the languages of the tourists, they know their culture and they deport them immediately if there are issues! The government deports the eastern European gypsies also. As their economy is based on tourism, the safety of their visitors is very important.


Old City Wall and marina



Croatian flag
We toured another hotel by the sea (stone beach), the Falkensteiner Punta Skala, with three HUGE pools and incredible views. This is the only hotel in the country which is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World. Most beaches in Croatia are not sandy -- STONE. There are miles and miles of coastline but extremely few sand beaches. The water is supposed to be clearer with stone beaches, the fish are easier to see and there is no sand in your pants!

We drove to the village of Nin, to see one of the smallest Catholic churches in the world, built in the 8th century. It looked like a tree house placed on a mound, it was so small.

Nin church

Zadar: Our walking tour with Paula was very informative. The maraschino liquor is the symbol of the city. Their Sea Organ (built in 2005) won national and international art prizes. The sea waves break against the “organ”, which was built under the promenade. Soft eerie sounds are emitted through pipe holes in the promenade/concrete , making a lovely sound. The oldest university is here – from 1396. Zadar was long under Venetian rule and the city was even given to Italy in 1`921 before being returned to Croatia as a part of Tito’s Yugoslavia in the late 1940s. There is a large fishing industry here and ferry hub to the local islands. Their main square, the Forum, had a “pillar of shame” for those who did not pay their taxes! Is this something to be considered locally?? The Cathedral of St. Anastasia is from the 12th century and near St. Donat’s church they hold musical evenings during the summer. The city was bombed over 70 times by the Allies during WWII and held under siege during the Homeland War.

We drove toward Drdnis, to the Etnoland village. Mr. Josko Lokas greeted us in traditional costume and walked and talked us through the ages and culture within a Croatian home.

"The ETNOLAND experience begins with your journey to the Dalmatian hinterland, to Pakovo Selo. There, after a formal and for us Dalmatians sacred welcome ceremony; you'll be welcomed into the village.

Listen to Dalmatians tell stories of their ancestors and history, see and learn about Dalmatian customs and tradition. See Dalmatian stone houses, traditional tools and utensils, learn how households were run, experience traditional Dalmatia and so much more.

ETNOLAND Dalmati offers visitors indigenous Dalmatian food and drinks, and delicacies such as those prepared under “peka” in the traditional way, “Drniški pršut” smoked ham, traditional red and white wine."

A house is set up with two beds (no matter how large the family), the loom/weaving area and the kitchen. The cellar below held the valuables of the family – the smokoed ham, the wine, the tools and money. We tasted the sweet local wines and had a nice dinner of pork and potatoes, salad and dessert. They showed a movie on processing the ham -- it takes up to 14 months to make their particular ham. It is just an hour from Split or Zadar and would be nice combination with Sibenik (a quaint UNESCO village).




We ended up in Trogir, also a UNESCO quaint village on the water, just a water taxi away from Split. The guide book claims: “A picture perfect prosperous fishing village with a lively Riva (bank) for strolling after dark, Trogir also has some charming architecture.” I agree 100%. We really enjoyed walking around at dusk through the narrow cobblestone streets, through the main square, watching the old shoemaker use a sewing machine from the 1900s (like my Grandmother’s) and to the market. The fort at the north end of the island has the local football/soccer field just behind it – a true sign of a modern medieval city.

Our Hotel Palace was a short walk away from the old town of Trogir. Remember these old towns do not have large hotels in their centers: cobblestones and wheeled suitcases make for interesting moments.


Trogir

Gene at gate in Trogir

Gene at Fortress in Trogir

Homemade sausages and cheese in daily market

We saw an interesting electronic "orange cone" concept on a busy one way street.  This "cone" is electronic and you have a code to call (and pay!) to have the cone lowered so you can exit the area.

Electronic "orange cone"



Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Pula Amphitheater - Zadar basketball

Monday, March 11 – The breakfast was a huge affair with made to order omelettes and all kinds of dried fruits so we enjoyed that before a walking city tour of Pula. We walked to the large Amphitheater, the sixth largest Roman arena, and one of the best preserved. It dates from the 1st century BC and used to seat up to 20,000 visitors. Today, it holds 5,000 as the arena’s limestone was plundered by locals in the 18th century to help build the cathedral. I’m sure the summer concerts would be memorable with the sea surrounding you and the open skies above!


We were hosted for coffee and snacks at the office of our host, Uniline Tours. Mr. Boris Zgomba, Chairman/Director of Uniline, has been tapped as a candidate for the Minister of Tourism in the Croatian government. As their economy is largely based on tourism, he would seem to be an ideal candidate.

Luisa in the Roman Amphitheater


Gene being attached by bear at rest stop!
Landscape near Velebit mountains
As we drove south along the coast and inland over the mountains, there are several wind break screens along the road. They look like sound barriers we have in the States but with slats in between. At certain times, the wind (bura) can be extremely powerful for up to 14 days! We continued south on the coast road until Senj and headed into the Velebit mountains. After a turkey cutlet and fries lunch at the Macola rest stop (complete with local stuffed animals), we drove to Zadar. The scenery is rocky, craggy and with few trees. There are tolls along the highway and not much traffic – but it is not tourist season either. Our hotel tonight was the Park Plaza. We ate a nice meal in their restaurant with fresh fish and I also worked on some travel issues – thank goodness for Skype and the computer!

Zadar has a huge basketball stadium and one of the best teams in Croatia! We enjoyed an evening walking tour of the monastery and along the sea front. Many fishermen were out – one even had a long spear for squid!

Gene at the basketball Stadium in Zadar

Heading to Zagreb - late flight, missed connection and delicious dinner!

Saturday, March 9, 2013 – We met the group of nine agents, British Air sales rep and a reporter at the First Class check at JFK and went through the first class security area. We toured the 1st class lounge area with their private restaurant dining. The Concorde (plane) used to park right outside its windows! Oh how I wish that plane would come back to life…I truly regret that I never flew on her.  I had saved my US Airways miles for that journey and never took advantage of them...Lesson Learned:  Don't Put It Off.

We toured the business class lounge, where they offer free 15 minute Elemis spa treatments, have several lounge areas and business centers and a buffet. We enjoyed the buffet, with Venezuelan arepas (thick round and flat corn bread dough) with either a meat or fish sauce and other salad and meat choices. At the gate, there was mild pandemonium and the flight went well. We had a calf-support rest and more space between the seats in front of you plus a million TV and radio choices and the meal choices are from business class. A very nice way to travel!


Sunday, March 10 – With a late arrival in London, it was total chaos. We took the 25+ minute transfer bus from Terminal One to Terminal Five and it took forever. You feel like you are on a tour of London! Then you have to go through security again and we were cutting it very, very close to our departure time. I was the first through security so I ran ahead to the gate, and it was YONKERS down past the shopping area, around a corner, down the steps, through the hallway, up the escalator, down the hall, down the steps and into the gate area and I saw NO GATE SIGN FOR ZAGREB! And I arrived at 8AM with scheduled departure at 8:25!! So strange. I ran to all the agents asking for our flight and no one knew a thing!! So I went BACK to meet the others and then we ALL RE-TRACED my steps to find the same info I did. The flight was gone - was missing in action. And we were in London without another flight to Zagreb until morning. Oh well. So we stood in a long line and waited. Even with the help of the British Air rep WITH US, we had an adventure. Eight of us were put on the Croatian Airlines flight nonstop to Zagreb. One flew Easy Jet from GATWICK (with a 140 pound taxi ride) and two were put on British Air to Brussels and then Croatian Airlines to Zagreb. The eight of us had a nice snack onboard and were met by Robert, Uniline Operations Manager. Marco was our driver for the week in the 18-passenger minivan.

Landing much later than expected and without our full group, we headed west. We arrived at Opatija about two hours later, the Hapsburg Empire’s royal beach resort and considered the Opatija Riviera. They had magnificent mansions built along the coast with a concrete pathway (12 km long – the Lungomare) and inlets and small public marinas. And I mean small. There were seven little wooden fishing boats in the one marina and it was as picturesque as it could be. We stopped for chocolates at a typically European pastry shop and oohed and aaahed at all the goodies – of course, choosing just a few was no simple task. There was a particularly beautiful camellia flower made entirely of marcipan!! Wow. ALMOST too beautiful to eat.

We continued driving to Pula and stayed at the Plaza Histria hotel. It was very large with several pools and a fantastic indoor health center. A few days here would be fantastic! We had two balconies and enough beds for five! We drove off site for private dining in a “stancia” restaurant, in Fazana, "alla Beccaccia", where we were the only ones in the “home”. It was a separate private building with so much character and warmth. These locations are unknown to the public – if you live locally, you show up and ask if they are serving that night! There was a large fireplace on the far wall and a high beamed ceiling creating a very unique dining facility. Serving homemade food, we were offered course after course - olives, cheese, salad, meats, sausages, sauerkraut, vegetables, roasted potatoes and sweet fruit wines as appetizer, red and white wines locally made and apple strudel to finish. It was a superb meal in a great setting! But we all felt like we were already on day five of our trip! What long two days we had experienced! So we collapsed after the long day of travel by car, plane and bus from Delaware to Pula, Croatia.


Castle on the way from Zagreb to Pula

Lungomare promenade in Opatija

Too pretty to eat!  Marcipan flower dessert!

Our homemade sweet wines with dinner
Alla Beccaccia - our private dinner venue

Friday, March 8, 2013

Croatia Here We Come! Itinerary

Tomorrow we’re off to Croatia! Here is our jam packed itinerary filled with wonderful sights along the coast and inland. The temperature should be about 45-55 degrees – rainy, sunny and even a little snow! We’ll enjoy every day no matter what  the weather – we take the sunshine with us!




9th of March 2013 – Saturday

Depart New York JFK on British Airways flight # 112 at 6:35PM. We’re flying Premium Economy on British Airways so that will be a new experience!

10th of March 2013 – Sunday

Arrive Zagreb on BA flight # 848 at 11:40AM; meet and greet at the airport.

Lunch in Zagreb at local restaurant. Depart to Opatija. Short sightseeing of Opatija. Continue to Pula. Accommodation at Hotel Plaza Histria 4*. Sightseeing tour of Pula. Welcome dinner at local restaurant. Overnight.

11th of March 2013 – Monday

After breakfast check out to Zadar. On the way to Zadar few scenic stops. Upon arrival in Zadar accommodation in hotel Kolovare 4*. Short sightseeing of Zadar with local guide. Dinner at hotel. Overnight in Zadar.

12th of March 2013 – Tuesday

After breakfast check out to Trogir. First stop in Sibenik. Lunch in authentic rural household (ethno village) Dalmati. Continue to Trogir. Upon arrival in Trogir accommodation in hotel Palace 4*. Dinner at the hotel and overnight.

13th of March 2013 – Wednesday

After breakfast sightseeing tour of Split. Lunch in Split. Ferryboat from Ploce – Trpanj. Upon arrival to Dubrovnik accommodations at hotel Lacroma 4*. Walking tour of old city. Dinner at the hotel.

14th of March 2013 – Thursday

After breakfast free time in the old city. Transfer to airport Cilipi - flight Dubrovnik – Zagreb on Croatia Air at 1:25pm. Upon arrival to Zagreb at 2:30pm transfer to hotel International 4*. Sightseeing tour of Zagreb. Dinner at an authentic Croatian restaurant in Zagreb. Return to hotel and overnight.

15th of March 2013 – Friday

After breakfast transfer to Zagreb airport; Depart for New York via London



Wednesday, March 6, 2013

From 2012 to CROATIA!

It was a busy year in 2012 with several wonderful trips not on the blog…an old time steamboat trip on the Great American Queen Steamboat from Louisville to Pittsburgh, an incredibly beautiful driving tour in Slovenia (which I highly recommend ) visiting medieval castles, the Julian Alps and underground caves that require a TRAIN to take you to the center of the cave, an elegant cruise on Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth from Venice to Athens and time in Abilene, Austin and Houston, Texas and Knoxville, TN and Washington, DC!


But now we’re off to Croatia! Gene and I depart on Saturday from JFK on British Air to Zagreb, Croatia for a quick six day trip to explore the Mediterranean country of Croatia!

Croatia is a Central European and Mediterranean country, bordering Slovenia in the west, Hungary in the north, Serbia in the east and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the south, as well as a long maritime border with Italy in the Adriatic Sea. These borders total 2,028 km altogether. Croatia has an unusual shape (similar to a croissant) that is unlike any other country in the world, which comes as a result of five centuries of expansion by the Ottoman (Turkish) empire towards Central Europe (although Croatia was never conquered by the Turks).

CURRENCY:

$1 US Dollar is about 5,8 Croatian kunas.

You can exchange your money at the airport, banks or at the hotels. ATMs are also available. Dollar bills are not accepted (does this tell you something about the US economy??); Euros are accepted at restaurants and hotels.

CLIMATE:

Northern Croatia has a temperate continental climate whereas the central and upland regions have a mountainous climate. The entire Adriatic coast has a pleasant Mediterranean climate. Spring and autumn are mild along the coast, while winter is cold and snowy in central and northern regions.
TRADITIONS:

Despite - or because of - repeated invasions over the centuries and amalgamation with other countries, Croatians have maintained a strong, distinctive culture. Croatians depict their daily life through folklore. Songs, dances and costumes exist for every occasion in all parts of the country. Croatian dances are physically demanding, as dancers sing while they perform brisk and lively movements.

CROATIAN CUISINE:

Croatian cuisine is heterogeneous, and is therefore known as "the cuisine of regions". Its modern roots date back to Proto-Slavic and ancient periods and the differences in the selection of foodstuffs and forms of cooking are most notable between those on the mainland and those in coastal regions. Mainland cuisine is more characterized by the earlier Proto-Slavic and the more recent contacts with the more famous gastronomic orders of today - Hungarian, Viennese and Turkish - while the coastal region bears the influences of the Greek, Roman and Illyrian, as well as of the later Mediterranean cuisine - Italian and French.

CROATIAN WINES:

Croatia is justifiably proud of its broad palette of high quality wines (up to 700 wines with protected geographic origin) and brandies, fruit juices, beers and mineral water. In the south, people drink “bevanda” with their food (heavy, richly flavored red wine mixed with plain water), and in north-western regions, "gemisht" (dry, flavored wines mixed with mineral water).

SHOPPING:

Shopping in Croatia is usually not on a traveler’s radar as the country is not known as a major shopping destination. Even the briefest shopping excursion provides insight into the local habits, diet and cost of living.

Croatia has been on my list for quite some time. We look forward to this one! Well, actually, we look forward to them all!  Really...we do!