We arrived Saturday night around 5pm. It was already dark, and a bit chilly (35 degrees F) but not too bad. We were exhausted, so found a place for dinner (Gasthaus Damir) near our apartment then headed for bed. I had Wiener Schnitzel, while Teresa and Zach both had spinach tortellini. (Allison was too exhausted to join—straight to bed for her!) A bar at the Vienna...
Since Zach turned 25 this year (as did his girlfriend Allison), we said we’d take them to Europe as a combined birthday/Christmas gift. After some discussion, we decided on Christmas Markets in Austria and Northern Italy. After the first week of the trip, the kids flew home and Teresa and I continued on to Rome for six nights. Here was our itinerary: Vienna...
The abundance of cats in Croatia, particularly in cities like Dubrovnik, stems from a combination of historical, environmental, and cultural factors. One prominent theory attributes the initial presence of cats to the Middle Ages, when sailors brought them on ships to control rodent populations, especially during the time of the Black Plague. It is believed that...
Rather that clutter up the daily posts with too much Game of Thrones stuff, I’ve moved most of it here. Split – Diocletian’s Palace There were quite a few locations in Split used in Game of Thrones, including areas in (and under) Diocletian’s Palace. These scenes show up in seasons 4, 5, and 6. Here Be Dragons If you enter the cellars of...
Morning Walk Our final day before flying out in the morning. Since we weren’t meeting Ella and Dražen until 11:15am, we made an early morning trek into Old Town. We were able to get good photos of the Jesuit Steps (which were very packed when we were on our walking tour). We also found a street market, got some pastries and coffee, and bought some Nutella and...
We spent the entire day in Dubrovnik. We met a guide, Karmen, at 9:30am to take us on a tour of Old Town, including several Game of Thrones sites. The tour was very good and informative. The only place we didn’t go inside of was Fort Lovrijenak. The exterior, which we could see from below, was used as the Red Keep. The interior was used for several things...
Left Korčula this morning. We were picked up in the van, then drove the van onto a ferry to the mainland. We stopped at Ston for lunch. Above the town are the Walls of Ston, a series of defensive stone walls that protect the city. Construction began in 1358. It’s known as the Great Wall of Europe, and is said to be the second longest preserved fortification...
we had a short 1-hour walking tour of Korčula Town that was very informative. We met a local bengal cat that is the “official” town greeter. It’s a very charming little town. Locals, including our guide, like to say that Marco Polo lived on the island. They even have a museum set up in what they say was his house. Historians say there’s no...
We had a leisurely morning before taking a catamaran to Hvar Island. Dražen and Ella took our luggage in the van so we wouldn’t have to carry it with us. They met us in Korčula. Here’s a photo of our luggage that Dražen managed to Tetris in to the back perfectly. Dražen is a master luggage packer! Here are a few photos of Split, as seen from the harbor...
Morning in Split We had a leisurely morning that included some shopping and exploring before being picked up at 11am for a day trip to Omiš and a drive into the mountains for some traditional soparnik tasting (a protected Croatian national dish). On our way to getting our morning coffee, we came across a flock of pigeons. So, of course, Teresa and Hugh tried to join...