...Formerly Known As Yugoslavia

When we decided to visit this Balkan area, I really had no idea what to expect. I'd heard from others that areas like Dubrovnik in Croatia were beautiful and should not be missed and each successive person we talked to who had been to this region added another name to our ever growing list of places to see. And of course outstanding in our memory was the conflict suffered here twenty five years ago between the different ethnic groups. So much to wonder about. Our last three weeks in this amazing area have only fostered in us the need to come back again (just a little earlier in the season) and spend some more time discovering the delights of the former Yugoslavia. By now you must be tired of my glowing reports of the different cities and regions we have visited and I must admit ... I think I'm running out of adjectives so I'm going to write only a sentence or two about the places we visited.

Ljubljana, Slovenia: a delightful gem of a small city. A waterway winding a path through the centre of the Old Town and bridges and coffee shops connecting people to the centre of the city. People walking everywhere.

Zagreb, Croatia: a city with a fantastic outdoor market. Fruit and vegetable stalls, fish markets, T-shirts and the latest in women's fashion. Anything you want, it can be bought at the local stall for a good price.

Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina: Stepping into the Old Town of Sarajevo was like revisiting Istanbul, complete with the five time daily call to prayer, but Sarajevo is so much more complex than that. If you've read Bernie's blog, you will know that it gave us so much more to think and talk about. Baklava and Turkish coffee round out our wonderful stay. Note to self: drink strong Turkish coffee before lunch!

Dubrovnik, Croatia: Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful! We got to explore this city and it's surrounding region longer than we first intended as I had an emergency root canal to fix some issues that had cropped up at the beginning of our trip. But by staying extra days, we enjoyed the added bonus of getting to know our AirBnB hosts Boris and Mirandela and their sweet daughters. Our connection with them cemented our reasons to return.

Kotor, Montenegro: a quick day trip from Dubrovnik led us to an amazing fjord-like area that just begs for a more summery visit when one can really enjoy the deep, clear blue water.

Split, Croatia: Staying just outside the palace walls where markets and shops abound. Walking the promenade amid palm trees and an endless vista of the Adriatic.

Krka National Park and Plitvice Lakes (two separate places): Water spilling through travertine rock. Wooden bridges and walkways inviting trekkers to wind their way in and out of their gorgeous landscapes. The joy of fog and rediscovering cold temps.

Zadar, Croatia: another walled city on the sea and more gorgeous Adriatic vistas. (Plus our first real Christmas lights and decorations of the season!)

Rovinj, Croatia: Our last stop in this beautiful country called Croatia. A small city with a lovely waterfront and more beautiful views of the Adriatic.

Like I said at the onset of this piece of writing, I had no idea what was in store for us in these countries. Again, I had heard about the beauty of Croatia but seeing is believing and I believe that Bernie and I will be back to discover new places (and rediscover old ones) in this country formerly known as Yugoslavia.

From the Mediterranean to the Adriatic

You've probably guessed by now that I enjoy Italy a lot. There are so many reasons why but I think number one among them is I share memories of my first time in Italy not only with Bernie and Matthew but with my brother Brian and my friend Linne. As we traveled to the places we had visited five years earlier, our family conversations always started with 'Do you remember when ...' or 'This is the place where ...'. That stroll down memory lane is worth a lot to me, to share and revisit those memories with loved ones.

But it's not to say everything was a stroll down memory lane. We did visit new places and see new things. While the visit to the Cinque Terre was a repeat, we took the opportunity to stay near those wonderful cities perched on the hillsides and used two leisurely days to accomplish the task of visiting them. (Side note: When you've been traveling as long as we have, the impetus to 'get up and go' everyday is not there as it would be when vacation times were shortened.)

Other familiar stops were Pisa (the tower still leans), Lake Como ... Bellagio to be specific (still no sign of George Clooney), and Venice (the city is still sinking and the gondoliers are still rowing). But we did expand our horizons with new places and activities and these only added to my love of Italy. While on Lake Como we spent a day riding the ferry to other villages along the lake. Wow ... narrow streets, beautiful vistas, fall leaves, and pleasant temperatures, what's not to love? 

Another new adventure for us was visiting the region known as Tyrol. Amazingly even though we were in Italy it was like stepping into Bavaria. All signs were in German and Italian and the language of commerce was German (and the local dialect). Our two days of driving and exploring took us through the Dolomites and this too was another Wow. Totally unbelievable mountains with ski runs perched on every cliff side.

And finally back to Venice. While both Venice and the island of Murano were repeats, the visit to the island of Burano was new. More fabulous house colours and lots of lace handiwork. I watched an eighty nine year old woman ply her skills, something she has been doing since she was fourteen! Italy is a charmer all right and I do hope to go back again one day!