Marci and Steve Go Back to Europe

We are On Hiatus As we pack our bags, we can see our three masted sailboat sitting in the harbor, ready to whisk us away to small coves and sandy beaches in Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and Greece.  We hope the sailing is smooth, the food and wine good, and the passengers interesting and convivial. We are pretty sure there is no WiFi and only limited time on one computer for emails and Internet, so unless we write on board and post on land, we are likely going 'dark' for the next week.  But when we get to Brac Island on the 8th, we'll post a long travelogue full of photos and adventures. But keep checking, in case we are pleasantly surprised and we can keep writing and posting as we go over the waves. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX At sea and afloat Thursday we are greeted by sunshine and a lovely fresh buffet breakfast where, following a rule I set on Day 1 to have at least one meal with each couple on board, we invite George and Patricia, whose charming French accents re...

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 cru...

The Morph of A Journey Though it was threatening rain (but ultimately we had only lightening and thunder), we were missing walking after our ten days of car riding in Tuscany. So, we headed out for the 3K walk to Old Town Dubrovnik for dinner. The air was heavy, the breeze disappeared, and we arrived at Pile (say Pie-Lee) Gate a bit sweaty and thirsty but eager to see the town and walk the walls after the hordes of tourists had gone for the day. The surprise was on us though, as it felt like all of the 16,000 passengers from the three HUGE ships docked in Gruz Harbor had overtaken the one mile square town.   As we entered the gate, the first sign pointed the way to the steps up to the top of the wall, a one mile walk around......and a 90 Kuna entrance fee.  Now,that is only about $16.00, not a lot in the scheme of a four month Euro extravaganza, but it sure felt like a bit of a tourist rip off. I pay YOU to walk and sweat? Pass. Next up a search for a lovely terrace overlookin...

First Impressions, it was worth the wait Ten years ago I wanted to go to Croatia, after the war but before the resorts. Five years ago, I wanted to vacation in Croatia, when tourism had arrived for the Europeans, especially the just across the Adriatic Italians. And three years ago, and two and finally we are here.  The EasyJet flight was roomier than any 'full size' carrier, the airport in Dubrovnik neat as a pin and painted sunny yellow with no lines for immigration, ten ATMs to get Kuna, and a quick and easy ticket window to buy your shuttle bus ticket to Gruz Harbor.  Hopping on the bus for the forty minute ride was a tour in and of itself. Already the coastline is spectacular and it makes me realize, shockingly, that I have been traveling for eleven weeks and been close to the ocean but not really at the beach. I immediately realize what I have been missing as we wind around very rugged cliff side coastlines and catch our first sight of sails and coves and beaches and the...