After 15 years...we are back!!! Croatia and Italy 2024

 First and foremost, ... a couple of things!!

1) My last post was in 2009! 15 years ago...we were 49! What happened???? Yes, we have traveled but somewhere along the way, I lost the/my simple pleasure of blogging about our adventures. Before you roll your eyes and assume this is the electronic version of home movies, I assure you my entries will be kept to brief descriptions and anecdotes of the pictures that are shared. Each day I will post, for those of you interested in following along .... (While you sit at your desk, answering phones, typingaway and daydreaming of the places we have the privilege and blessing to experience.) 

2) All of the places we will visit, Linda is the planner of this trip. Without her, I would be sitting at my desk, answering phones, typing... etc. etc.

3) The world is changing, we are changing (getting older ... both turning 65 in the next few months), and our mind set is changing. How many days do we have left? Only the Lord knows, but one thing is for sure ... every day we are here is one less day to when we are not. We have our health, we still have some energy, now is the time to ... "Do IT now, before IT's over!!

Travel Dates: 09/12/2024 thru 10/05/2024 ... here we go:

This trip did not start off smoothly. After a mechanical issue, our flight from Houston to Newark was 10 minutes late for our connecting flight to Dubrovnik, Croatia and we missed it (thank you United as the delay was supposed to be 30 minutes, turned into 3 hours). A delay of 1 1/2 days and we finally made it. After changing flights/airlines (changing to Lufthansa) ...2 more times and a taxi ride from Newark to JFK ... the best sight ever was when we finally landed in Dubrovnik ... seeing our luggage arrive!!!

Robert (Bobby) and Oxana ... (Robert is Linda's brother) are traveling buddies for the past 20 years or more. They are always up for an adventure, and this trip will be one. Here is a quick picture of where we will eat breakfast...notice the real grape vine!

So ... the morning of day one is in the books ... a good night sleep was had, and because of the timing jet lag should not be a big issue. Thanks for following ... we will head to the cruise ship to unload and then on to the "old town" of Dubrovnik. Check back often for updated post!

I am a lazy traveler!! 

I admit it...I don't write down all the places we are going to or where we have been ... when the tour guide starts to tell us all the history and details of a particular place that I have never seen or will never see again...it ends up sounding like the teacher in Charlie Brown ... wonk, wonk, wonk.

I will catch a few of the main points, but here is how I love to travel. Strolling with Linda down the cobble stone streets of a old village or town, stopping to sit and watch the tourist, sitting in an outdoor cafe having a cup of coffee in the morning and maybe an ice-cold beer in the afternoon, and hoping I see a few good photo opportunities. Keep in mind that this is a personal travel blog and n....kind of like a photo album we can access with a click of the button...so many of the pics of ourselves, if for us as we create memories!



 
                                           

Local Dark Beer from Croatia....ice cold too!!

Linda having a white coffee with Bailey's and Kahlua while Oxana having a hot chocolate.

Meanwhile a commotion was heading our way...a wedding parade like I haven't see before...this is the parade on the way to the reception....should have been a wedding crasher. These folks can party!

We are on a smaller cruise boat (Always Croatia Tours) named the Desire...or Desiree' as Linda would say. Our next 7 days is to island hop and see villages, and towns along the way. 

We ready....

Croatian Flag....a little tattered but blowing majestically.

Island hopping, small towns and villages...kind of our thing!

Fresh fruit and vegetables are everywhere .... no package products or preservatives here ... I am going to eat healthy!!

Fresh water from the mountains piped in by gravity through miles of aqueducts ... here are some of my obligatory location shots of unusual camera angles or interesting trees growing in unusual places! 

Can't remember what the story is here, but they built a wall to keep somebody out a long time ago.

These fellows are holding up a balcony of the former Governor's (of the region) Mansion which has been vacant for some time...

Right outside this village there is a bay/lake ... brackish water where 95% of all the oysters consumed in Croatia are farmed and cultivated...

While not quite a "dozen oysters" with cocktail sauce and a Saltine cracker...

These were super!!! Salty and delicious...and because no one else ate theirs...almost got that dozen!

Here are a few shots of the many villages we came across...there was plenty of coastline that was just natural. There are so many islands in Croatia...many mountainous. 

The bigger towns where we docked for the night, all had nightlife, restaurants, and streets of shops for me to wander around in trying to find Linda.

Found her!!

One of the seafood plates...their version of a Seafood Platter...haven't seen anything fried...

I think they like Croatia!! .... they want to come back.

All the dining in Europe is outside. There is no room for inside dining...I was taking a pick of the rising full moon ... notice the guy giving me the side-eye!! Probably thought I was paparazzi!

The bar scene that just looked cool!! 

And the end of the day...Croation Sunset!

Plitviče Lakes National Park is a forest reserve located in the heart of Croatia and is home to 16 interconnecting lakes, waterfalls, and a limestone canyon.

Absolutely stunning scenery!!

We walked 18,250 steps today...almost all of it on a uneven boardwalk...up and down many stairways too!! You could hear Linda muttering under her breath...."buns of steel...buns of steel". Her motivation to keep going even with a painful back issue! Proud of her!!

Rovinj is a Croatian fishing port in the north Adriatic Sea on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula with a population of 14,294. This old town is situated on a hill, with houses tightly packed down to the seafront. Cobbled streets lead to the hilltop church of St. Euphemia and its towering steeple.

Love the Croatian coastline....so many little fishing villages built like this.... turned into tourist destinations. So much charm to these ports.

Presentation is everything!! Makes you want to go down a stairway or sample the many liqueurs...

Then you whip out the credit card ... and use your imagination of creating space in your luggage to bring bottle home.

There is a long story to this sculpture in the church. Maybe when I see you, I will remember to tell you. The interesting thing about this is there are so many of these all over Europe. This wasn't Michaelangelo... but someone. There were so many talented artist and sculptors ... simply amazing!!

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The Pula Arena is a Roman amphitheater located in Pula, Croatia. It is the only remaining Roman amphitheater to have four side towers entirely preserved. It was constructed between 27 BC and AD 68, and is among the world's six largest surviving Roman arenas. The arena is also the country's best-preserved ancient monument.

Goodbye Croatia!! Finished this leg with a wine tasting in a little village, and a hotel stay that was pretty nice!!

Good pic of Robert and Oxana!!

I can't remember how old this pedestal was or the story behind it...I just want to know how they got this on the second story of the house....

Not the best picture for focusing .... but one of the best sandwiches. Had to eat this in stages!

Next Stop ITALY !! Meeting up with our friends Rick and Wendy Dematto!!

1st stop...Venezia (Venice)... in between Croatia and Italy we decided to spend a few days by ourselves to enjoy Venice at our own pace.

Linda had a great idea...let's blow out our AMEX points and stay at a Luxury Venetian Hotel strategically located after the Grand Canal.  Palazzo Venart Venice LDC Hotels Italy

This place was nice... the amount of folks that served us in our every need, whim and desire...we could get used to this~~

1st stroll through the area...Fish Market!! We followed our nose and pretty cool...fresh catch!!

Love how you can buy fresh vegetables, fruits, and meats literally all over Europe...not like the USA where everything has been loaded with preservatives for shelf life...and to poison us!!!

This water Taxi is gorgeous...not sure what kind of wood was used ... Mahogany?

We learned after having a bad meal or two in Rome...is to ask a local where would he/she eat dinner. We asked a shop owner, and we were not disappointed! First dish...grilled Octopus!

Next day's omelet with fried prosciutto!! 

The rest of the breakfast display. Everywhere in Europe...they are into presentation of food. Compare this with the free breakfast at Hampton Inn or Laquinta...

Venice has shopping!! Linda's favorite pastime!

Me....not so much. Where would I where this in Niceville???

Had a cold beer before we went and connected with Rick and Wendy Dematto, longtime friends from Colorado for the past 15- 20 years or so.

1st Stop... St. Marks Basilica ... amazing church! My impression, assessment is that this was "Man's" attempt to honor God....Man's attempt to create (and closest representation) what heaven may look like. When you see this with your own eyes and then think that the "actual Heaven" will be 1000 times for glorious than this. Psalm 84:10 .... "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere"

What you think are paintings as actually mosaics. Hundreds of thousands of little, tiny squares of marble, gold, glass that were painstakingly placed on the walls, and the ceiling.