Our travels & more!: November 2013

You can double click any picture to enlarge-just won't see captions

Each new day will push down the previous day

Sunday, Nov 17, 2013

Today is our final day on this trip and this is the final posting-

2 nights Venice, Italy

2 nights Opatija, Croatia

1 night Split, Croatia

3 nights Dubrovnik, Croatia

1 night Zagreb, Croatia

2 nights Bled, Slovenia

1 night Mestre (Venice), Italy

Wow, no wonder I'm tired packing/unpacking.

Today our tour group departed the hotel in groupings based on when their flights were or if they were doing some post-tour hotel stays. We were staying on our own for one final night in Mestre, Italy which is on the mainland from the islands of Venice so we can get to airport quickly/easily in the morning. After taking the bus to Venice, saying our goodbyes to a wonderful group of new friends, we checked in to the friendliest hotel, took the train (across the street) into Venice for the afternoon before heading back to the hotel.

Driving through northern Italy from Slovenia

Great little cities

Our hotel room in Mestre- gave us a room with 2 rooms & full bath

I told desk clerk we were leaving early & she offered to have a breakfast bag ready- 10 minutes later we were handed a bag in our room containing ALL this!

Many from our tour group were staying here at the Hotel Bellini which we saw when we were walking around Venice this afternoon

I sure wanted to buy a few dozen masks

It was a very busy day on the streets today

Inside the Church of San Rocco

The woodwork on this clock was very intricate

Last nights' dinner

Last chance for the Italian Sweets!
Buon Giorno to all!!

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Saturday, Nov 16

Waking up with a view of the castle while lying in bed. Had breakfast at hotel and then the bus took us for a tour around the lake, up to the Bled Castle, down through the city, and then on to the capital, Ljubljana for a few hours. After that, took the bus back to the hotel where we had our goodbye dinner (probably the least exciting thing of the trip)

Breakfast at Hotel Grand Toplice

Early morning view from our room

Pool in the hotel basement

Crisp morning view

Side of the hotel

Heading up here

View of the island from the other side of the lake

Atop the castle over

Bruce & Pam- what a great couple

Bled Castle

Our hotel, taken from atop the castle

Driving into the capital later in the morning

ANOTHER castle in the city center (didn't go to that one though)

Downtown Ljubljana

Cathedral

Cathedral ceiling

weekend market

Sava River running through town

dueling pianos

LAST pizza of the trip

Dog bakery (for the dog, not as an ingredient)

Street entertainment

I just can't get him to stop this

Ok, tell me this isn't the greatest idea. Why else would they have put that cute little stool in our hotel bathroom?

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Friday, Nov 15

We check out of the Westin Hotel Zagreb, take a city tour of Zagreb, then take our bus to Bled, Slovenia for a 2 night stay at the Grand Hotel Toplice on the lake.

Westin lobby

Breakfast at Westin

View of the Mimara Museum from our hotel room window

taking bus tour of Zagreb

Walking Upper Town Zagreb

Time for the gloves and jazz hands!

no wind in here

Church entry

Yes, that is what it says!

Ok, now I'm cold

old streets

flower and fruit market

Inside the Cathedral

I never realized how short he was until...

Coffee and cake

Leaving Zagreb

Dessert or purse? You choose (maybe both)

Our tour leader, Blaz, celebrated his birthday by giving us booze-
grappa, cherry brandy, and an orange or tangerine thing also-
didn't mix well but it sure woke us up

Entered Slovenia- Moooooo!

Arrived at our hotel- lobby area

View from our room (took about 100 of these photos)

out front on way to dinner

our wonderful room (I hear some people got closet type rooms with no balconies-
we were LUCKY)

sitting area in room

great bathroom

Oh, that? Another view of the same castle :)

Dinner at this wonderful restaurant

Obligatory wine with dinner

We had an Indian dinner in this little Slovenian town

Bass with an Indian flavor

Leaving dinner

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Thursday, Nov 14

Today was a long bus ride from Dubrovnik to Zagreb with the temperature dropping about 25 degrees. Staying one night in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. Clemente & I walked around the Upper Town area tonight- lots of people out at the coffee shops/bars

Dubrovnik harbor

Goodbye to Dubrovnik

Views going to Zagreb

I'm always amazed at how resourceful people are when it comes to alcohol. Thank you Michael for creating a wine glass for me with your pocket knife and the top 1/2 of a soda bottle

Checking in to the Westin

Lobby of Westin

Museum next door to hotel

Not sure what this was but it actually is huge and saw as we were walking the city

Upper town area of Zagreb

Lots of coffee houses/bars

Yeah, right!

Um,.........

Got a little lost and a nice lady walked us a few blocks in a beautiful back area of Zagreb explaining the city as we went

Lost?

We had dinner up this street

Main square

Mall

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Wednesday, Nov 13

Weather today was wonderful! About 2/3 of the group took an all day trip to Montenegro which is the country due south of Croatia- about 11 hours total. Driving along the coast was beautiful, then stopped in Kotor for a tour of the walled city, then on to Budva for lunch and a stop to see Sveti Stefan (an island retreat that is about $1,000/night) and took shortcut return via a ferry

Clemente and Terri outside the hotel

Breakfast buffet

Our hotel in Dubrovnik

Driving through Montenegro

Montenegro

Stopped for WC (Water Closet aka bathroom) and morning Pear Cider

Montenegro

along Adriatic coast

Arrival at the walled city of Kotor

Walking the streets of Kotor

Kotor

Kotor- mostly quiet

Kotor

Greek Orthodox Church in Kotor

LOTS of cats this entire trip

View from inside the Maritime Museum

Kotor

Pam saying hello to a new friend

just another pose

Outside the walls of Kotor

Sveti Stefan (St Stephen's island)

Walked around Budva, Montenegro

Budva construction

Group lunch in Budva

We had the Chicken Souvlaki- very good

Souvlaki

Sunset on drive back to Dubrovnik

Bus drove onto the ferry for 7 minute ride across bay

Yes, this is the bathroom- for women men- aboard the ferry- better not need TP!

View crossing the bay

Back at our room we were left a hotel survey to complete- that had bar codes, our full names printed, room number, etc- I guess there is no such thing as an anonymous response here

Dinner (I swear I didn't have any idea she was behind me until others pointed it out)

Wow! Meat platter for two (more like four)

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Tuesday, Nov 12

Today the bus took us to a hillside to look at a panoramic view of Dubrovnik and then into the walled city for a guided tour. Then we were given a couple hours to be on our own. Fascinating city- was spared through the World Wars only to be hit by bombs in 1991-1992 in their own civil war. Many roofs replaced but majority of buildings survived with some shrapnel damage.

Overlooking Dubrovnik

Making money for the next trip

Waiting for the tour to start

Entering the city

This city has drawbridges, moats, etc

Main street inside the walls

Water fountain

Side streets all went UP- can't imagine what this is like during a heavy rain

Even though we may have some cool weather and occasional rain,
the streets are QUIET, not like the tens of thousands of cruise ship passengers
who descend on this city during the summer

Heading up onto the wall

This is where they shot that awesome battle scene in last season's "Game of Thrones"
and more filming is underway for next season

We brought our AAA magazine to submit a photo for their contest to get published in a future issue- Michael joined in!

Minutes before she tripped and hurt her ankle. Hope all is okay!

Different color tiles are newer tiles after bombing in early 1990's

Look up!!

You just can't stop taking pictures in this city!

Nothing disturbs the cats in this city

Ok, we DESERVE these pizzas after walking up/down those city walls

Anchovies, garlic, oregano

Almost empty! Love it.

I never know how to caption these without getting into trouble. This was in the courtyard of a mini-mall near our hotel

Short video overlooking the city

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Monday Nov 11- Such a nice hotel, didn't want to leave after one night. Left early after breakfast and went into town for a tour of Diocletian's Palace (former Roman Emperor). It is a massive structure still in existence. The former palace now has homes and shops within the walls and attached to the exterior walls. After a few hours here, we drove south to Dubrovnik, stopping in Bosnia-Herzegovina for a short stop, then on to the Valamar Lacroma Hotel in Dubrovnik for 3 nights.

Waking up- view from our room of the Adriatic Sea

Breakfast

Nice breakfast buffet in Split

Hotel lobby

Lower lobby area

Arrival at Diocletian's Palace (formerly this wall was in the water for a water escape if needed)

The picture above is the same wall flush with the water on this original drawing. All pictures after this that are part of the palace are actually inside these original walls- very cool!

Substructure of the palace- craftsmanship was amazing with the stones

Since palace abutted the Sea, this underground used to be full of water during high tides

Guide was VERY informative and humorous

The different stones all had a purpose

This was part of Diocletians' bath

Our tour guide said the cast and crew of "Game of Thrones" descended on Split
and filmed extensively inside the palace

Now, believe or not, but we were told these corners had these rounded areas put in
so men could not just pee in the corner as they couldn't be hidden by building these,
forcing them to use proper facilities

Sound effects in one round room was amazing as exhibited by a short concert of the klappa singers

Still inside the palace walls- 2 small chapels above used for burial of ashes of the dead

Ok, just outside the walls now- this statue of an archbishop (I think) was huge-
see the size of the guy walking next to it

Site of a true local version of Romeo and Juliet

Driving from Split to Dubrovnik

Just entered Bosnia-Herzegovina

Bosnia's one city overlooking the Adriatic

Arrival into Dubrovnik after sundown- small night view of the walled city

3 nights at the Valamar Lacroma Hotel

Small tv for a room with all the new electrical items- A/C-heater won't work if window is open, hallway door opens if you flash your keycard near a plate, must put keycard in slot in room to turn on electricity, etc

Buffet dinner at hotel with our new friends

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Sunday Nov 10- Leave Opatija and drive south along the Dalmatian coast to overnight in Split, Croatia. The Gate 1 Tour leaders surprised us with a free dinner out at a great restaurant with entertainment and free-flowing wine

Cities along the coast

They still have pay phones

Stopped at the spot that is equidistant from North Pole to Equator

Quick view of a castle

Drove through beautiful mountainous areas

Lunch stop

Too much wine with lunch

Stopped in Zadar, Croatia for a visit

Checking out the sounds of the organ pipes underwater that make loud eerie sounds during the waves, somewhat like whale mating calls

Streets of Zadar

St Donat Church

These shops in the city were mostly closed- Sunday & off-tourist season

Gelato shops WERE open!

Great pastries for about a dollar

During the WWII bombing, they found Roman Ruins in the city center that they didn't know were there

One of the many restroom breaks driving along the coast

Checked in to the Radisson Blu in Split for one night- most modern hotel of the trip

Beautiful hotel lobby

Group dinner

Octopus salad- very good!

Fish was good- but LOTS of bones

Our group had about 80 people split between 2 buses so we only got to see other 1/2 of group during dinners or in hotel but not during day mainly

Great group of people on our tour!

From Manhattan Beach, CA

She's got a wicked sense of humor- love it!

Saturday Nov 9- Staying in Opatija overnight and taking daytrip throughout the Istrian Peninsula to Pula, Rovinj, and Porec

What more could you ask for? Champagne? Yup! Caviar? Yup!

Fruits, cheeses, breads, yogurts, meats, vegetable egg dishes, etc, etc

Toasting with our morning mimosas before leaving on our day trip- FUN day as we were a small group today

Restroom stop along the way

First stop- Pula with the 6th largest colosseum in world- very well preserved and a wonderful local guide, Nada, kept it VERY interesting

inside

Amphorae in the underground

Jugs and pots anyone?

walking Pula- variety of designs - Mussolini era on the left, Austro Hungarian in the middle, Tito era on the right

Roman square in Pula

Hungry?

Any kind of honey you can imagine

The Temple of Augustus, a well-preserved Roman temple in Pula, Dedicated to the first Roman Emperor Augustus, it was built between 2BC and AD14

Next stop, Rovinj (rained about 1/2 hour)

Lunch with Barbara- good Croatian Muscat and Malvasia wine

beautiful port

Yes, this is true

appetizer at lunch

Last stop of the day- Porec

Better like fish if you come here!

Walked in for just a minute as wedding was starting- at the Euphrasian Basilica built in the Byzantine style

Walking the streets, enjoying a gelato before heading back to Opatija for a quiet night

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Friday Nov 8- Left Venice, Italy to Opatija, Croatia

Took a shared water taxi (super shuttle type) from hotel to airport

cruising the canal

This boat looks like a limo!

Saying goodbye to our pilot

We met up with our tour- Gate 1- and took a bus for 3.5 hours from Venice to Opatija, Croatia. Here is a view of homes along the way

countryside

old cars

no roof, but has curtains

Two nights in Opatija, down there

Our hotel

View of the Adriatic Sea from our room

Nice room

Walking the streets before group dinner

Don't ask

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Thursday Nov 7- Venice, Italy

Waking up, looking out our room window to watch the Rialto market deliveries coming in for the day

Hotel Breakfast- yum!!

Strawberry tart for breakfast, where do I sign up for this??

What more could you want?

Out front of our hotel

Rooftop of the hotel has some seating and a small bar for the summertime

One of many Churches we walked in throughout the day

Ambulance parked at hospital

St John & Paul Church- huge- best one we came across all day

frescoed ceilings

Blessed Giacomo lying in state

Moving day! They were carrying this extremely heavy piece on a little board to a moving boat

Took a traghetto across the canal

Fresh fish at Rialto Market

Octopus anyone?

Rialto Bridge

Atop Rialto Bridge

UPS delivery boat

St Marks Square

This is high tide- looks like leftover rain water but it is water actually bubbling up from holes in the ground

Murano chandeliers everywhere

Bridge of Sighs

Aboard another traghetto

in the Dorsoduro area- Church was closed!!

Canals, canals, canals

St Stephano's

Hey, is that Bob's Big Boy?

Really? Gas smell coming from the pipes under the sidewalk and they are working on a massive bundle of electrical lines at the same time

If the glove fits, you...... (you know the line)

Dinner- wonderful tagliatelle with seafood, next a plate of fried fish (anchovies, baby shrimp, squid, octopus, calamari and probably more we didn't recognize) plus grilled veggies along with a carafe of wine- NOW that is dinner!