August 27 Last Day On Land

Our Sunny Streak is Broken

This morning we awoke to loud thunder and bolts of lightning, a bit of a deluge and flickering lights. Not what you normally want on vacation but for a slow traveler with eleven straight weeks of sunshine, it is simply an excuse to laze in bed, stretch and postpone breakfast to the unheard of late hour of 9am. Also, a reason to hope all the rain will drop and provide clear sunny skies for sailing.

Luckily by the third cup of coffee, the rain was letting up and by the time we caught up on our daily email time and news, it had stopped. Since the skies looked gray, and we needed the Post Office, we hopped the #6 bus back to Old Town. Not wanting to shop or aimlessly wander crowded streets, we took a guided walk

and got more or less a two hour history

lesson from the 10th Century through the 'Serbian Aggression' of 1991, with a bit of socialist communism thrown in after WWII.

Sticking to our touristy crap avoidance in this bustling cruise ship stop, we had only a few olives, marinated anchovies and a drink before heading back to Lapad,

where the sun was now shining and the sky blue and the swimming pool beckoning. By 5:30 the cruise ships had blown their horns and swiftly headed out of the harbor and I headed to our favorite konoba to reserve a table on the terrace by the railing and a kilogram of grilled octopus, a specialty of the house that requires two hours of cooking under the 'iron bell' over the wood fire.

Arriving at 8 sharp, starting with a small salad and a liter of red wine, the octopus arrived unctuous and savory on a large silver platter covered in tentacles, potatoes and onions and we almost finished. We forgot the camera but left room for a takeaway gelato- vanilla and pistachio- which we ate sitting on a bench at the harbor, looking at the boat lights reflecting on the waters, colors of yellow and green and blue, and anxious to start our sail tomorrow!

We expect a spotty Internet connection while sailing, so we will try to keep blogging, but perhaps we will be incommunicado until we are landlubbers again. I can feel the boat rocking already and I can't wait!

Comments

#120 - SURPRISE....ONE LAST READ WITH YOUR MORNING COFFEE

Did you think we wouldn't do a wrap up - the woulda, shoulda, coulda list along with our very salient observations of the current state of fashion, food, and fun in France and Spain? Well, we got a bit sidetracked. So here is the last of Paris and the rest of the Euro 2019 blog. Our last night in Paris, Laurent returned and we had a dinner at Eels as planned. About a thirty minute walk (perfect, since once we are home I can't get Steve walking at all) but it was raining, so we hopped in an Uber and headed over to the 10th arrondissement in heavy traffic. Rather than describe the great five course chef tasting menu we did- here it is in photos. Everything was excellent, especially the bottle of Pinot Noir- too bad it was their last one and we had to switch wines for the next bottle - but that is the only criticism. The next morning we were packed, said our goodbyes, and were off to the airport for our non-stop to Dulles...

#25 - From Melbourne's Upper West Side to its Soho to its Edgy

Really?? ….come on now, could it really be any good??? Saturday morning, nine am, and our hostess had offered to drop us in South Melbourne, just a ten minute car ride from South Yarra. When we are in cities, we love the museums and the great food but, we are also all about seeing the neighborhoods - the established ones where people live and the up and coming ones being gentrified. J suggested South Melbourne for a bite and boutiques and its Market, so, of course, we did it all. Let's have a bit if a primer on brekky here. They have very different combinations of what comes on toast for breakfast. Steve had a pot of baked beans and chorizo and creamy feta with his toast, while I had smashed avocado, tomato, basil and yes, delicious crispy Aussie bacon, which is somewhere between what we have back home and Canadian bacon. The brekky menus do have eggs but lean heavily in the direction of either interesting muesli/ fruit/ yoghurt combos ...

#8 - Two whirlwind days ( and the WTF Answer )

We've literally got about 30 hours to see as much of Sydney as we can before we meet up with our friends on Wednesday at 6PM. And we vow to make the most of it. I've got a list of about six musts that I let Steve vet and although he doesn't tick anything off, I know he's thinking that I am making a killer schedule. We start off the day with a coffee and the first Opera House tour at 9AM. The structure is surely impressive, the tour not as much, but since there is no Opera or symphony while we are right at the Rocks, the tour is the best we can do to peek inside. The architect was Danish, and the design shows it - from the two-woods paneled concert hall that the Kimmel Center is surely a total knock-off of, to the incredibly comfortable sleek seating that has stood the test of time, like all Danish design. ...

Marci and Steve Go Back to Europe

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