05/06/19- Another adventure begins as we leave for Europe for Poland, Greece, Montenegro and Croatia. Leaving our place around 3:20pm, we schedule an Uber to pick us up. Since we were still early for the airport we decided to save the $10 and get an Uber pool which worked out perfect as the other person picked up also went to LAX.
Everything was a breeze as there was no line for baggage drop off and with my Delta miles we had pre-TSA screening which allowed us to zip through security. I don’t think I ever remember going through TSA that fast before. I have to be careful as I could get used to that.
Once in the air, I immediately started the movie go-around, however, there wasn’t much of a selection in new movies. Most of the top ones I’ve already seen and it’s a ten hour flight. I ended up watching a documentary about Joan Jett to start. I actually thought it was a "movie" about her, but it was interesting in its own way. Found a few others to pass the time as well while getting some sleep. Half way through the flight it’s announced over the intercom about an issue with a passenger on the plane and if there was anyone with medical experience on board. Needless to say I was a bit alarmed wondering if the passenger was okay and if we may need to divert to another airport for an emergency.
As several people flocked around the area trying to assist or gawk, I soon find that the passenger in question was lying on the floor, unconscious. I am not sure how everything got resolved but the whole fiasco took over an hour to fully calm down. Knowing there wasn’t much I could do, I used that time to sleep. The rest of the flight was uneventful from there. During the flight I was able to snag some small bottles of Bacardi and Jack as well as a few full cans of coke for later. One reason I love flying Delta.
05/07/19- We land in Amsterdam (our layover spot) around 2:45pm. Since we have over five hours to kill before our next flight we thought about leaving the airport and exploring the town again, however, we felt we would be rushing something that we already had done before. The only thing that interest us was the Ann Frank House but by the time our flight was originally booked we found the tickets for this day already sold out. I know, how ridiculous is that (two months in advance)? Oh well, it did save us the headache of venturing out when we were still tired and the airport didn’t really seem all that bad anyhow. It did take a bit of time to go through passport control, and the walk to the next terminal was all the way at the end. I guess Warsaw is not a popular place to visit, so why not put it as far away as humanly possible.
Our second flight was delayed a half an hour but at least it was less than a two hour flight. Was able to get some sleep, they fed us and I was able to grab another small can of coke. That is now 5 mini bottles of alcohol and 2 ½ cans of coke to start our trip off right.
Landed before 11pm, got our bags, picked up some local cash from the ATM and called our Uber. The first ride had an issue trying to find us and soon found out because we were outside but on the wrong level. We had to maneuver back inside the airport to go upstairs to the 2nd floor. From there it was a breeze. The Uber was also only $6 USD. Loving this exchange rate so far.
Got into our hotel (Castle Inn in Old Town) and were very happy with the night views. Our hotel was several flights of stairs up but what do you expect from a hotel called “CASTLE”. The guy who checked us in was kind enough to bring our bags up to our room for us and it didn’t take long to settle in for the night. So glad we got here in the evening time as we can now get some good sleep and feel ready to go by morning.
05/08/19- Since we didn’t get to bed until about 2am local time, we thought it best to sleep in until 10:30am. The first full day of a long trip is crucial as you don’t want to rest all day and not be able to flip over to the time change, but you also can’t overdo it by cramming too much in. My plan is always to have a course of action to do, stay close to the hotel on day one and feel it out as the day unfolds.
Doing just that, we walk around Old Town to get a sense of the area and are very happy. Of course this entire area has pretty much been rebuilt since World War II, but the charm is still present. Looking around for something quick to eat, we stumble upon many waffle and ice cream shops. The weather is a brisk sixty degrees with the wind making it feel that much cooler, so not understanding the ice cream part but we were able to grab some pastries and a coffee to start us off.
The old town wall was interesting for the views and found a souvenir shop nearby. The place was quite small, but the lady at the counter was very friendly and informative on some history questions we had about the Polish uprising in 1944. At that point we knew we had to get something from her shop.
Not far down, we run into a vintage shop that had all kinds of early 1900s gadgets, clothing attire, jewelry, photos as well as military outfits. The entire shop looked like a museum and can’t believe most of this stuff is actually for sale. Old typewriters, cameras, helmets and even old time passport photos. It felt almost wrong that people could buy these in a way, but it was neat to browse around none-the-less.
After getting a stuffed hotdog to eat (I say stuffed because it was wrapped in bread like a blanket and doused with ketchup inside), we make our way to the Castle. As we go to purchase our tickets we find it is free today for whatever reason. Not asking questions, we have our free tickets scanned and proceed to go in. Instantly, we are directed to go downstairs to the coat room, which seemed unusual. I’m not entirely sure why they are asking people to check in their jackets, but they did allow us to simply tie them around our waist or tuck it into our bag. I guess there are items around that they don’t want people knocking over or stuffing in their pockets.
Venturing around the castle, we enjoyed being able to take all the photos we wanted as well as learning a bit of history along the way. For instance, the castle was completely demolished during the second World War but not initially. It wasn’t until the uprising in 1944 that the Germans decided to blow up the building into utter rubble. Many items in the museum portion were remade through cast, which changed the experience a little bit but was still interesting enough to enjoy. We’ve seen many castles in our life, but few have been rebuilt to give you the look of how it must have been seen from the past. There were even some paintings done of previous Kings that said “Painter Unknown” next to it.
Once done, we asked about the gardens but find they are not open to the public until a few more days. Not a huge loss but would have been nice. Anyhow, at this point our legs are starting to hurt and since our hotel was right next door we decide to rest up for a bit to re-energize.
With about an hour of sleep, we go back out to walk the Royal Mile. This is actually a seven mile stretch of road connecting the castle with several royal residences, but we only wanted to go part way to get a look of what Warsaw was outside of Old Town. Once back, we found an authentic Polish restaurant and filled our stomachs with great food and wine. By the time we paid our check, the sun had already set and we got some nice night shots to finish the day.
Overall I’ve been impressed with this city. Even though the wind chill picked up in the evening making it hard to roam around comfortably there was still a ton to explore. Tomorrow we will hit some surrounding neighborhoods.
05/09/19- Couldn’t sleep as we were both up early. Our friend Miza is flying in today to meet us later tonight so we are checking out of our room for a larger one today. Not wanting to try and time our journey around check-out, we decide to pack our bags and have them stored until our next room was ready. This involved taking our bags down a few flights of stairs; however, reception was nice enough to help us out again with one of them.
Our first destination was to the old Jewish Quarter. We are not entirely sure where to start so we picked the closest location to our hotel (about a kilometer away) which turned out to be the border where the wall circling the ghetto once stood. Other places were still a few hours from opening. On our way we hit up a coffee place for what turned out to be a very decent cup of coffee and a ham and cheese sandwich.
Ready to start the day we venture off to find the first marker. Close by we found a bank with the structure of the old brick still standing. The outer walls were torn apart showing the devastation from the bombings as the second story was completely rebuilt on top of the old structure, transporting me back in time for a spell. Hard to believe how much of this area was completely wiped out, but you can only really take it in when you see what still remained; scars and all.
Deciding to walk further in, we set our GPS for the Jewish synagogue about a fifteen minute walk away. We were hoping to find random buildings and such along the way that would be interesting to view but nothing really popped out at us. And when we finally reached the synagogue we were disappointed with how simple it looked. Not taking anything away from it only that the structure was not what I had expected. We were able to see parts of the city center which was pretty cool.
With our legs wore out we call an Uber to drive us to the POLIN Museum (which costs only $2.50 USD). From the outside the museum didn’t seem like much, but once you step in we soon realize how interestingly cool they made it. As we waited in the ticket line we soon find out that today was free to view (again how lucky for us). We could have spent a small amount of money for an audio guide but since it was an interactive museum we thought we’d just wing it. I’m glad we did because there were already plenty of school kids in the first section causing us to skip that part all together. Also, every exhibit was written in English and easy to follow along. It didn’t take us long before we were able to get ahead of the crowd and feel free to relax and roam at our own pace.
Covering about a thousand years of Polish history we decided to walk briskly through some of the earlier stuff to get to the War era, which is what most fascinated us. Instead of a history lesson we found that it was comprised of eye witness accounts of what happened to the Jews during World War II. There were definitely some moving stories being told and I learned quite a bit more on how devastating the time really was and how the series of events unfolded.
After about ninety minutes we were ready to head back to our hotel. Calling an Uber once more, we were surprised to see a guy pull up matching the description of the driver and car but with a different license plate number. Feeling a bit unsure I approach the passenger side of the car when he rolls down his window and calls my name. I nod my head but show him on my app the license plate that it states and he promptly replies, “I lost it”. Part of me wanted to cancel this out and wait for another driver, but because everything else matched I decided to just go with it. It’s only a five minute drive back anyhow. My wife was giving me a hesitant stare, however.
As soon as we get into the vehicle I notice his right hand wrapped up in a white bandage. Then we hear the car doors lock which causes an uneasy feeling to creep down my neck, especially when he turned around and asked where we were from. My first thought was, “Why, do you get more ransom money?” I wanted to say Canada but didn’t want to answer questions if he somehow was from there too so I just said California. He nodded his head and started the drive.
Following along with the app, he stayed on course which eased my tension a bit, but I won’t lie I had thoughts on how I would jump into the front seat and start pounding away if I felt he was kidnapping us. Luckily the five minute journey ended right in front of our hotel area without incident. I turned towards Sharece and simply stated, “See… no problem!” She was not amused.
Back at our hotel, we were able to check into our new room but had to carry our own luggage up the stairs this time as the main person that helped us before was not there. Luckily it was only one floor up this time, but after walking around for several hours it did take a bit out of me. Upon entering the room we see how large it is much to our delight. I mean our first room was a decent size, but being on the corner of the building our new room has a nice surrounding view of the castle.
Feeling tired, we slept for a bit. There are some neighborhoods still that we wouldn’t mind exploring, but we are spent on walking. It was several hours before we stepped outside again and by that time the clouds were hovering over, taking away the direct sunlight that has opened up the city for the past two days. Strangely, the wind has died down leaving a mild coldness in its wake. So even though the area wasn’t as picturesque it was more comfortable to take a stroll.
Hitting up New Town we realize that it looks much like Old Town but outside of the walls. The coldness hit my legs just enough to numb them from the sting they had felt earlier, leaving me refreshed to walk another mile without any issues. There were churches, castle walls and a huge monument dedicated to the uprising of 1944 in our path. It was at this point where we started feeling tiny rain drops hitting our face every now and then. Feeling hungry, we find a gem of a place to eat serving an awesome plate of sausage and beef with sauerkraut and a bread bowl of soup. We ended up with a full course meal large enough for two with a half bottle of red wine for only $18 USD. I told you Warsaw is very affordable.
Circled back to our hotel and stayed in the rest of the night. Our friend arrived just after 9pm and will be spending the rest of our journey with us.
05/10/19- We’ve been pleasantly surprised with Warsaw. Originally, we were going to use this place as a stopover before taking the train out, but I am very glad we were able to extend our trip to include this for a few more days; especially since it’s been overcast since last night. We would have never been able to see Warsaw with the blue skies and sun shining if we hadn’t.
Observations: People here walk with a purpose. Nobody looks down at their phone as they tread their way through the streets, and almost everyone is thinly built. The food has been excellent with no complaints at all with the presentation or consumption. I am very surprised that I’ve never heard of anyone talk about Warsaw (much less Poland for that matter) as a go-to destination. The environment is clean, not much cigarette smoke to concern yourself with and practically safe. Oh and I must reiterate, very affordable.
With that said, we start our day off around 7:30am by getting breakfast at the café (same place as yesterday). This time we each get our own sandwich (toasted) and an extra large cup of coffee served in a bowl with two handles. Taking our time, we enjoy the relaxation at the café. Miza was still tired from her long flight yesterday so she stayed back at the hotel to sleep. Our train doesn’t leave until 11:50am for Krakow so we have a few hours still. The weather is a nice 65 degrees but still covered in clouds, so not feeling going out to explore anymore at this point. It’s funny how it’s warmer with no wind chill than when the sun was out with blue skies.
We call an Uber to take us to the train station, and when it arrived the driver rolled down his window and said “No bags”. Dumbfounded as I specifically said train station, I look at the app waiting for him to cancel so I can rebook. The rain is starting to come down a bit so this is a bit frustrating, but it’s not long before my app updates telling me another car is on its way and we’ve been upgraded at no charge. Very nice.
All three of us pack into the hatchback and make it to the station with about forty-five minutes to spare, enough time to get settled and grab some food. I looked at our tickets and could make out what our seat assignments were. I tried to ask the information desk but it was a long line and it was impossible to find anyone else around to help. As our train pulled up I was able to ask the conductor and he showed me on my ticket (written in complete Polish) where we were to go.
Upon boarding we find that it’s a cabin car, which is cool, but we had to share it with three other people who were facing us the entire way. A bit cramped as there wasn’t much room for luggage and people but somehow we made it work. There wasn’t much to see on the journey as the countryside was pretty plain looking so the three hour ride felt a bit long, but we arrive on time in Krakow around 2:45pm.
Immediately upon exiting the train, we head outside to the taxi rank to call another Uber. Not seeing where the pickup area was, we were told we had to go to the parking lot on the top level. I thought about just taking a taxi at that point, but I prefer the cheaper ride and the flexibility of not having to go over directions with the driver since it’s all on the app. It didn’t take us long to take the elevator to the top floor and the Uber arrived promptly in a Honda Civic.
We get to our hotel (Fresh Apartments) and check in. The lady goes over some sights with me, circling on the map several locations to check out. This will be our only day to spend in Krakow as tomorrow we have a day trip planned, so we had a tight window if we wanted to see the town. She walks us across the street to our room and thankfully it’s on the bottom floor, no steps to worry about this time.
We settle in for a few minutes before immediately heading out as the Wawel Castle was due to close in less than an hour and the walk there was going to take fifteen minutes. I looked up getting a driver but due to the traffic it appeared it would have taken ten minutes longer for that to happen. The walk there wasn’t so bad, however, but unfortunately it was already too late to take a tour of inside the castle. We were free to roam around the grounds though which was pretty enjoyable.
The forecast stated rain today but we got lucky enough with partial blue skies as we continued our walk towards the city center. The road there was lined with old buildings, churches of every kind, shops and restaurants. I had no idea how much of a cool vibe this city had before coming here and it was interesting to witness. Horse drawn carriage rides were prevalent giving it a perfect touch of awesome; and the architecture around was exactly how a European city should feel like. Tried going into the Basilica only to find the inside under complete restoration, so we set off to get some souvenirs and a place to eat.
Noticing an actual Mexican restaurant, which is unusual around here, we end the night with tacos and a margarita. The food was actually quite good as the tacos were almost fried together like an empanada, but the guacamole had a unique taste that we weren’t too thrilled with. Either case, the food stuffed our bellies just as the tiredness was kicking in. This was the first full day not taking a short nap in between so I’m definitely feeling the lag. Somehow, we made it to the grocery store to pick some items up for tomorrow.
If we had more time, even one full day, I would love to check out more of Krakow, but on this trip we were limited. With sore muscles and tired eyes, I hit the bed around 9pm.
05/11/19- Our tour pickup to Auschwitz is for 9:25am today. We could have done it earlier but I figured we would be pretty tired from the last few days and wanted some sleep to get us going. That’s why we pushed yesterday to get done what we did. I wasn’t sure after today if we’d even have the energy to see other areas of town.
Our shuttle was a very nice, luxury Mercedes with nice seating; however, it was pretty compact with a full load of twenty people on board. Also, our seats were in the back so the ride was a bit queasy for us. It didn’t help that during the hour and fifteen minute drive they showed an hour long film about what went on in Auschwitz during World War II. It was a good film to freshen up on the history as well as put us all in the proper mood to visit the grounds, but still unnerving. Finally, we arrive at the first camp of Auschwitz I as the fresh air hits my lungs making me feel better.
We had about fifteen minutes to spare before entering and were informed to use this time for the bathroom (which costs some change) and eat. We brought some sandwiches with us as we knew lunch was not included, however, we didn’t realize that we couldn’t have it in our bag while walking around. No bother as we ate half of it beforehand and left the rest in the shuttle for later. Sharece was also informed that her bag might be too big and could delay the group getting in, so she left it behind as well just in case.
Walking through the gates felt eerie as all I could think about was the first time Jews walked through this not knowing or understanding the magnitude that was about to happen. “Arbeit Macht Frei” or “Work Sets You Free” hovers overhead transforming the experience to grim; then came the barracks. From the outside they seem like descent size brick buildings, but once inside you start to feel the devastation as we shuffle from room to room looking at large old photos and seeing items left behind by the ones ultimately killed off. In the last buildings we finally see the living quarters and gas chambers used for the Final Solution.
The sun has been shining bright all day and the trees couldn’t be any greener; however, the solemn mood remains as visitors try to make sense of what they are seeing first hand. Locks of hair fill a wall display making a person sick to their stomach. Finding out that these were used to make blankets and such for the SS Soldiers was very eye opening to say the least. It’s hard to believe that a mass amount of people were treated as cattle.
Once done, we take a few minutes to finish our sandwich before the shuttle takes us a few miles down the road to Birkenau- Auschwitz II. We were told going in that this was a complete reconstruction as the original was burned down by the Nazi’s at the end of the war to hide any evidence. They also used this place in the making of the film Schindler’s List.
This complex was very large and took quite a bit of time walking from one side of the site to the other. The recreated bunk beds and other facilities really brought it home how cramped and chaotic this place must have been, and the train tracks throughout made this an all too real experience. The tour ended with our legs begging for relief, but the heat made me question going back to the shuttle so soon because we didn’t have a very good air conditioning vent where we sat.
We made it back to Krakow and dropped off near the Castle, which is a sixteen minute walk to our hotel. Not feeling the extra push on our legs we order an Uber to drive us. Overall, it was a nice experience to behold. I have to admit that I didn’t get teary-eyed walking through the camps, as I think the ache in my legs took over my mind, but seeing my pictures afterwards really brought it to life. I’m glad I was able to add this experience to my list of places. Tomorrow we fly out early so not much left to do but rest up.
05/12/19- Sunday morning. Poland was a nice surprise as I already mentioned. I can see the advertisement now “Come visit a first world country with third world prices!” But everything must come to an end sometime as we move on to our next destination… SANTORINI.
We called an Uber at 8am and got to the airport two hours before our flight. Security was a cinch (although they did double check my backpack). While waiting for our flight, they had free samples of polish sausage that was absolutely awesome. It had a smoked taste that just melted in your mouth, so much so that we had to buy the pack. I mean we are in Poland… polish sausage is a must.
Our first flight to Athens lasted just over two hours with the weirdest thing happening (the couple that say in front of us on the bus tour to Auschwitz was actually sitting behind us on the plane to Athens). Very smooth take off and landing and we were able to score some mini bottles of wine in the process. Worried that we had to go back through security in our layover we decided to drink them on the plane, but as we disembark we find that our next gate is actually close by. Lucky for us we were able to bypass customs and security all-together and go straight to our next gate; which is good because it leaves in an hour.
To board the plane we had to first take a shuttle bus over. Being one of the first ones on we were there in no time, however, as we waited for the doors to open we noticed maintenance men jumping onto the back tires and calling over another worker. One minute later, the shuttle bus turns back towards the gate and drops us back off at the terminal. Not sure how long this delay will cost us, we ask the flight attendant for any updates but of course there are none to give.
It took another thirty minutes before we saw people lining up at the gate one more. The second go-around was it as we boarded the plane with no issues and took off about an hour later than normal. The flight only took about thirty minutes and before we knew it we landed in Santorini around 4:45pm. Once we grab our bags we head straight to the taxi rank only to find that the price was 45 Euros. Quite a change from Poland when the same journey would have been three times less.
Traveling around the east side of the island we initially didn’t see much picture worthy-wise, but as soon as we get to our destination in OIA the excitement starting boiling inside of us. Our taxi drops us off and we meet up with our AirBnB host soon after. Even though our flight was late, they were there ready with a dolly to bring our luggage up and down flights of steps to our place (which turned out to be a five minute walk). The maze of streets would have been extremely tough to navigate without their help so we are very grateful.
Walking up to our hotel we fall instantly in love with the surroundings. The white-washed buildings surround the area like a blanket with the peaks of blue-domed churches making its presence known. The panoramic view of the island, from our balcony I might add, was a gorgeous site to behold. If one was to do Santorini, this is how it should be done.
The house was like a cave as it overlooked the water perched on a hill. The cute décor is made complete with a small kitchenette and separate bedroom, but feeling excited to get started we didn’t stay long before walking the narrow pathways of OIA.
As soon as we leave the front entrance we find ourselves smack in the middle of galleries and souvenir shops that line our path through this paradise. The further up we go the more people we find lining the walls trying to secure a good spot to catch the sunset. I was able to squeeze myself in to snap a few shots, but we decided to keep walking down the path to get away from the crowds.
The red and yellow hues of the sun as it falls behind the horizon completely took over my camera as I couldn’t stop snapping photo after photo. Every angle was attempted in hopes of getting the perfect shot that I can be in complete bliss over, and as the sun disappeared out of sight so too did the mass amounts of people dotting the streets. We took this time to score some souvenirs as we head back to our room.
I am thoroughly impressed with Santorini to this point and can’t wait to spend the next few days exploring this island in more detail. Not sure what’s in store for tomorrow as of yet, but I’m positive it will be an awesome day.
05/13/19- Woke up early to Sharece grabbing my camera and going outside. After a few moments I followed her out to see the sun glistening off the blue dome churches nearby. That’s what Santorini is all about.
Around 11:30am we walked to the restaurant to talk with our host about securing a rental car for the day. They quoted me 55 Euros (which seems a bit high but it is for an automatic) and stated they will be at the post office meet up point in twenty minutes. This gave us time to get back to our room and pack our things for the day and within the time frame we were out front waiting for the rental car guy.
Being a busy corner, we saw countless cars and trucks make their way through the intersection as we rummaged the area to find anyone that had a rental waiting for us. Twenty minutes went by before I contacted our host again by messenger to inquire but they didn’t answer right away. Another ten minutes passed as I walked around the area hoping to find an office or somebody seemingly looking for us, and as I made my way back down to our original spot I see the guy there with a clipboard. Apparently he had been waiting at the parking lot the whole time which was up the hill.
He brought us to his vehicle and took us straight to the rental building where we signed the agreement. After inspecting the car for previous damages and an instruction on how to drive an automatic (which was funny since that is what I primarily drive anyhow), we were soon on our way to the other side of the island. First stop: Kamari Beach.
It took us about 25 minutes and luckily there was free parking with one spot left. Immediately, we are greeted with black sand and rocks that line the beach. The view down the way was magnificent as the slight wind perfectly eased the tension of the warm sun. Down the way we hit up a souvenir shop and next door a restaurant. The food there was not very expensive (about 10 Euros for fish and chips), but it wasn’t very filling. We ended up getting desserts to top it off. The owner there was a delight to talk to though as he made us feel very welcomed.
Next stop was to the Red Beach. Located on the south side of Santorini it was a bit of a chore to get there. Once we parked our car we had to hike up and around a small mountain to get to the secluded side, but once there we see an excellent panoramic view of red rock around a crescent beach setting. Wow, what a gorgeous scene. Being in sandals, it was tough maneuvering our way down to the actual beach but it was well worth the journey.
Around 5pm we decide to hit up a winery and to our luck found one still open doing tastings. Our GPS was starting to malfunction for a bit so I had to drive almost blind for about five minutes before we got that up and going. To my surprise we were right on track.
At the winery they offered us a tasting that included seven wines for 19 Euros. We tried to do the five wines for 14 Euros but they said we couldn’t share that one. Hey, what’s a few more Euros when you have wine to enjoy? The presentation was done very well and even though most of the wines were on the dry side they were still pretty good. The last dessert wine, a Vin Santo, was exactly to my liking. I’ve heard of this before and had no idea that it was originally made here in Santorini, but now the name makes sense. Vin Santo or Wine of Santorini.
With the day done we drive back towards OIA to drop off the rental, but not before checking out the town of Fira on the way. The sun was coming down and there were some pretty cool picture opportunities, but the town itself seemed just okay for us. We decided to not stroll around and just drive back. Upon our return to the post office, we found a parking spot and followed the instructions they gave me for drop off (which included leaving the doors unlocked and the key under the driver’s side mat). I’m assuming the car will be fine as it’s a small island. If someone stole it where are they going to go after all?
Finally, we end the night walking the other side of OIA to find the perfect spot to take photos of the blue domed churches (which we will go back to during the day), and talked with our host about a boat excursion for tomorrow afternoon. I’m not sure if there will be room but that would be an awesome thing to do if it works out.
05/14/19- Our host contacted us this morning to give us bad news as they weren’t able to get us in for the boat tour. With Sharece feeling bummed, I asked if they could call around to other places and find a comparable tour with another company. It took over an hour but luckily they had spots available for only two people, however, the cost would be about 35 Euros higher per person than the other tour. Hey, at this point we were just happy to be able to get in.
Since our pickup wasn’t until 1:30pm, we were able to walk around our town of OIA to get that iconic shot of the blue domed churches. There were already quite a few people scattered around trying to get the perfect shot (even though it was overcast), but we were able to push our way through to the front without any problem. After taking perhaps fifty or more shots from as many angles as I could muster, we walk around to the other side for a less stellar view but away from the main crowd that was forming. As the sun started shining through the clouds I hurried over to get one more shot with that different look when an elder lady started yelling at me for cutting in line. I told her that I was just here a moment ago and came back for one more shot, but she didn’t seem too happy and stormed off. I looked at the guy next to me who was chuckling and said, “I guess I needed a permit”.
With our shot in hand (or I guess on my camera) we make our way back to our room for another hour to gather our things and relax before our excursion. Since there was only room for two (and pretty much a couples kind of cruise) our friend decided to walk the town some more while we would be gone.
Ten minutes before our pickup, we head down to the post office and find our shuttle within a few minutes. It took about forty-five minutes to get to the other side of the island to our dock and from there we checked in, paid the bill and boarded our luxury yacht. I didn’t count but I think there were a total of twelve people with us (not including the crew) so not over populated by any means. After the safety briefing we were soon on our way. The weather was fair and cloudy with a chill from the wind that swooshed by, but sitting at the front of the boat actually felt very nice. They served us free drinks of our choice as we relaxed our way to our first destination of the Red Beach. Now if you remember from yesterday we already went here with the rental car, but this time we got the boat view. Not as spectacular this time around from the distance but a good start.
Our second destination was to the light house. Here we were told that we could swim around if we wanted to while the food was being grilled up. I absolutely had no desire to jump into 60 degree water temps so we stayed back on the boat and watched a few other people take the plunge. The first two guys tried to convince everyone that it was warm hoping to draw more people in, but everyone else knew better. We just sipped on our drinks and laughed at how they fumbled through the open water.
The food was pretty good with portions of chicken, Greek salad and seafood pasta. It definitely hit the spot as we only had bread and butter for breakfast. During this time we also met several of the other passengers and shared trip stories.
Our next spot was to the hot springs of the caldera. The boat couldn’t get too close so we had to jump into the cold water to swim over to the warm section. With my water camera in hand I didn’t hesitate as I did a back-flip off the platform and swam like there was no tomorrow. I won’t lie it was very cold, but the faster I moved the more my body got used to the shock. Once at the hot spring you could feel the temperature rise but not drastically. There were waves of hot and cold slamming against my body as they fought each other for dominance. Sharece also jumped into the water and made the swim but was utterly exhausted, so I helped her back to the boat when we were done.
Once back on, we were properly hosed off and handed a towel. We promptly escaped into one of the rooms in the lower deck to change into dry, warm clothes as we feared the cold wind freezing us to no end. Surprisingly, we didn’t feel chilled afterwards as the evening sun was making its way down to the horizon. Before we knew it we were back in the open water and on our way to OIA where we were staying at anyhow. Apparently, it’s one of the best places on the island for the sunset and yet we already captured it the other day. When the sun finally fell out of the sky, the boat docked in OIA and shuttled us the short distance to the post office again where we walked to our room.
Resting up for about thirty minutes, we went out once more to our host’s restaurant around the corner and split a beer-battered sausage meal. We were also able to secure a transfer to the port for tomorrow morning for our ferry to Athens.
Overall I loved our stay in Santorini. There really isn’t much more to do that would have made this any better, but just the relaxation and beautiful scenery was enough to make me want to come back someday.
05/15/19- Typical morning in Santorini with bread brought over by our host for breakfast with jam and butter. Once we got all of our bags packed we pretty much lounged outside on our balcony taking in the final moments of this island life.
Our porter came by at 10:30am to collect our bags and somehow managed to pick up all three of our heavy suitcases in one trip. He first throws one bag onto his shoulders, tucked the second under his arm and lifted the 3rd with his other arm before marching up the steep steps to get to street level. We all looked at each other like he was some kind of machine, and would have thought so if it wasn’t for the brief rest he ended up taking along the way. I had to tip him a good amount for that maneuver.
Once loaded up, we had a scheduled driver take us the thirty minute journey to the port to catch our ferry. Our host sent us a photo of the building where we needed to print out our pre-paid tickets and it helped, although they did charge 1.50 Euro for the printing (which is strange since they don’t email you the ticket to allow you to print it out yourself).
A little after noon our ferry arrives and opens the main gate to allow the passengers on. It was like a weird scene of Noah’s Arch as motorcycles, cars and people scrambled to find their way onto the boat. As we were walking around the garage area we heard a man yelling something out loud to everyone in Greek and bewildered people looking around not knowing what to do. Apparently they were hurrying people to just leave their large luggage in the garage and make their way up the stairs. Feeling uneasy, I wasn’t quite comfortable storing our bags in this manner as anyone could just pick it up and walk out with it at their stop, but after looking at how narrow the steps were to the seating area I thought best to just follow suit.
At the top we find wide open seating available. Even though our ticket had a seat number we were told to just find any seat that is in our letter section, which is exactly what we did. Luckily our section was close to the stairwell so when it came time for us to leave we could be first to grab our bags, because this still bothered me a bit.
The five hour journey wasn’t bad at all on the ferry. I was told of stories where people got sick as the waves crashed hard in heavy winds, but that never happened with us. Mainly, we passed the time by watching a movie on my laptop and then closing our eyes for a spell.
Around 5pm we finally dock in Athens. Just as I had hoped we were able to be one of the first downstairs and sure enough our bags were still in the same spot. That made me very happy to see. And just as we exited the ferry we were able to find our arranged driver with my name on his sign. He promptly packs our bags in the car and we are on our way. Once inside the car he hands me an envelope with the house keys and instructions. This actually was quite funny as I felt like 007 and I was given information on a new job, or even possibly given cash and a new ID.
The traffic was quite heavy but we managed to make it to our AirBnb in thirty minutes. Upon entering the room we are immediately satisfied with how spacious it looks. We have two separate bedrooms, a full kitchen with a large fridge and oven as well as three balconies. The view of the Acropolis is the finishing touch that sent us reeling with excitement.
Taking a bit of time to settle in we decide to hit the surrounding area to find food. As we step outside of our place we find a souvenir shop right across the street. As we enter we hear a large crack in the door as if it was stuck making me feel like the shop was closed and somehow managed to still get in, but this was alleviated when the store owner greeted us.
Grabbing a souvenir we then continue down the road to a nearby grocery store called “OK”. The place was a small market and didn’t have much in the way of making your own dinner, but was able to get a frozen pizza. On our way back we hit up another shop and were drawn to a handmade pottery piece with the picture of Zeus on the front. We haggled the guy a bit until he dropped the price from 46 Euros down to 20 Euros. Unfortunately I had to use cash and now am left with very little left. I will have to make another trip to the ATM soon I’m sure.
The rest of the night was spent warming up the pizza in the oven (which turned out pretty good) and unwinding. We have an early start tomorrow so will need to get our sleep.
05/16/19- Woke up at 7am to get ourselves moving by 8am. As Santorini was more of a relaxing place, Athens will prove to be an early riser city, mainly because the loads of tour groups. We were advised to get to the Acropolis around opening time and that is exactly what we did.
The walk was a very short five minutes from our place, but it was strange to see almost nobody around at the time of morning. We get to the entrance, pay for our multi-pass (which goes for other attractions and museums in Athens), and fly past the tour groups assembling outside the gate. I am so glad we heeded that advice as we were able to get some great shots of the Acropolis area and Parthenon without many people to worry about.
On the front side of the ruins, where most of the tourists were, the sun was making it difficult to get a clean shot, but as we ventured further into the grounds the backside of the Parthenon illuminated with an awesome golden glow. I couldn’t get enough photos as the lighting was perfect. As the sun was beginning to warm up the morning, the soft breeze still cooled us off to provide relief. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect day for this.
Shortly after 10am, we leave the area and begin our walk to the Acropolis Museum. This is a newer addition to the area (opened only a few years ago) and housed many artifacts dug up through excavating. We tried to scan our multi-pass ticket to get in but it didn’t open the gate for us. I noticed the gate open on the side as Sharece and I both went through, however Miza wasn’t able to. As she talked with a worker there she found out that our ticket wasn’t for this museum and that it was an extra charge of 10 Euros each. Since we were already inside we text our friend to just purchase a ticket and we will go in three ways for that amount. After a five minute delay, she was able to do just that and join us.
The walk around the museum wasn’t that impressive as every room seemed similar to the last. My guess is they have this museum set up to house all of the ruins that they had stored elsewhere and finally thought, “Hey, we can make some money off of this stuff!” Either case, it was interesting to walk around for a moment.
Upon exiting, we continued down the road to Hadrian’s Arch and The Temple of Olympian Zeus. Once through the gate I found a vending machine where I purchased a can of soda for 1 Euro, but as I was walking down the path I was quickly stopped and told that I couldn’t bring the drink with me. I nodded my head and sat down at a nearby bench, and when they weren’t looking I poured out my water bottle and filled it with the soda before putting it in my bag and continuing on. It is quite strange that they would have a vending machine at the entrance and not have a sign that states, “By the way…” At least I was able to make it work.
We toured the grounds for a bit getting some really nice shots with the blue sky looming behind, but it was a small enough area that didn’t take long to explore. Sitting down in the shade we rest up while pondering our next spot. As we’ve been out for several hours now we decide to find some lunch in the nearby neighborhood of Plaka. It didn’t take long before stumbling upon a restaurant to our liking, however, they didn’t accept credit card. Feeling fortunate for asking BEFORE we ate, we went to the place next door which actually turned out better. It was laid out in a cool vibe with vintage magazine covers on the wall and interesting detail throughout. The food was also pretty good as we enjoyed a glass of sangria.
Refreshed after being out all day, we had just enough energy to hit the supermarket and make it back to our room. Since we had a full kitchen we decided get a few things to make our meals, and after returning to our AirBnB Sharece cooked homemade spaghetti. At around 9pm we went out once again to get night shots of the Olympian Zeus and Parthenon before settling down for the night. Tomorrow it’s supposed to be cloudy to start and rain with thunderstorms in the evening, so I’ll have to come up with a plan on what to do.
*Right as we were going to bed at 11pm, a construction crew outside began drilling into the street below us creating booming noise that almost shook our place. This has gone on for over twenty minutes now and we have no idea how they are allowed to do something like this at night, especially during the week.
05/17/19- The construction went on throughout the night until the early morning. Luckily, I had no problems sleeping through it, but Sharece had to use earplugs to make it through. Regardless, we did sleep in until 10:30am to make sure we weren’t overly tired from the ordeal.
After Sharece cooked us bacon and egg sandwiches (I love her) we start our walk towards Ancient Agora. The weather was due to be thunderstorms and rain today but so far the sky is only partly cloudy and nice. Actually, the heat barreled down on us in spurts as we ducked into shadows for relief whenever we could. After getting turned around a bit and a twenty-five minute walk, we finally arrive at the front gate.
I scan my ticket to get in but Sharece is having a hard time with hers, only to find that she has the wrong one. A moment of uncertainty appears as she digs in her purse, and just as I was about to ask the ticket lady if we could have a one-time pass, Sharece pulls the correct ticket out to have it scanned. Whew!
Ancient Agora reminds me much of the Roman Forum in Rome with partial pillars and statues scattered around. They reconstructed one of the large buildings which housed several pieces of artifacts like a mini-museum. The top level of the structure not only had some nice views of the agora but also provided an awesome cold breeze.
We took another hour or so exploring the area before heading to the neighborhood of Monastiraki. This area of town looked like a lower end blend of shopping and flea markets with several restaurants mingled within. It was a nice change of pace but our legs were still feeling the burn from the up and down walking. We try to see the Roman Agora, since it was right around the corner and a small area, but as we entered the rain started coming down.
Quickly, we duck under the canopy that housed the ticket booth hoping it wouldn’t last long, but before we knew it the thunder cracked and it began to pour down. Without umbrellas or jackets, we wait for the rain to let up just enough for us to make it to the nearest Metro station which was just down the street.
We purchase our Metro ticket, board the train and two stops and a change of trains later we are back around our area. Fortunately the rain had slowed as we walked the remaining five minutes to our room.
A few hours later, the rain had stopped as I prepared to go back out. Sharece and Miza were feeling exhausted so I journeyed by myself to the top of Philopappos Hill. The trek ended up only being about a fifteen minute walk, including going up a mountain, but the view of the Acropolis and Parthenon was phenomenal as the sun slowly descended down. There was also an awesome 360 degree view of the entire city of Athens as well as the coastline.
Retreating back for the night, I take some time to look up various things to do for tomorrow.
05/18/19- Beginning today with a blurb on last night as the hot water was not working and had to take a cold shower. Apparently, they have a solar panel but on cloudy days you have to flip the electrical switch for the hot water. I did that, waited half an hour and yet the water was only lukewarm. Half way through it went ice cold. That was not a pleasant experience.
With today being our last day, as our flight leaves in the evening, we had a very nice restful morning. The girls decided to stay in all day to rest, which I don’t blame them after the long few days we’ve had lately. I, however, went out to see Panathaniac Stadium. The walk was close to twenty minutes and the heat was starting to bake, but I made it in one piece.
The line for tickets was very short and cost only 5 Euros, and luckily they took credit card. Once inside the arena I was greeted by the only complete marble stadium left in the world. A full Olympic size track wrapped around the inner grounds as the stands hovered overhead. I immediately went up the steps to get a view of the entire thing and was equally fascinated by the view of the city as well.
What makes this place interesting is that it was built into the side of a hill. It’s not standing tall like the Colosseum as the ground is just on the other side of the tallest point of the stadium. That took me by surprise. They even had a small museum with old Olympic posters dating from the late 1800s along with some torches from earlier times. The experience was one which I’m glad I was able to do before we left out of here. I was tempted to hit the ancient cemetery but it was across town and my legs were killing me. I had just enough energy to survive the fifteen minute walk back to the room and hit the ice cold air conditioning.
At 5pm we gather up our bags and wait outside for our taxi, which arrived promptly. The drive was about thirty minutes to the airport and we find ourselves first in line at the counter for Croatian Airlines, however, there isn’t any attendant there. I ask the check-in desk lady from another airline and she stated they normally start check-in ninety minutes before takeoff. We wait the twenty minutes as the line behind us starts forming and when we finally start the process it appears that we needed to pay for our luggage first.
I questioned the guy as I remember before that Croatian Airline didn’t charge for bags but apparently they changed that rule a year ago. As Sharece watched our bags by the counter, I walked down the hall to another counter to pay, only to find that they wanted 40 Euros per person. Holy Crap! I just paid the amount, I mean what can you do at this point, and stepped back in front of the line to complete check-in.
Once through passport control and security (with no lines in each) we have a few moments to eat before boarding. We ended up splitting a blue cheese hamburger, which was actually quite good even though it cost us 12 Euros. By the time we finished up and got to our gate they were already boarding the bus to take us to the plane.
The plane itself was one of the smallest I’ve been on thus far, but at least it was still a jet and not a propeller. Strange enough it was very smooth during the hour plus flight and with the time change we land around 8:25pm. There was a bit of confusion as the captain stated something about Zagreb as the destination, but turns out he was informing passengers that the plane stops in Dubrovnik but continues onto Zagreb. Whew!
We get to baggage claim, after going through passport control again, and our bag is first to arrive. I think that may be the first time that has ever happened. I hit the ATM, buy our bus tickets and soon we are off to the walled city.
Once we arrive, we grab our luggage and push through the hoards of people waiting outside the city walls. I think they were from a cruise ship that must be pushing off late. Following my GPS we navigate through the medieval looking corridors until we hit a hill of steps. One by one I grab our luggage and drag it to the top. Around the corner we hit another flight of steps which I do the same before finally hitting our next AirBnB. At this point I am utterly exhausted and overheated, even though the air temperature was nice and cool with a cold breeze out.
When we meet our host she mentions that we didn’t have to take all of those steps as there’s a smoother way up on the other side. Oy! Oh well, it was a nice workout, even though all of my muscles are tight and sore now. After spending a few moments getting settled we set out to explore this old town of Dubrovnik at night.
Man I miss this place. It’s been almost three years and yet I remember much about the layout. The strange thing this time was the loud band music and all the people still out. Last time it felt like a ghost town this late at night, but today is Saturday so that may have something to do with it. We get some pastries, which we will eat tomorrow morning before our tour starts, and hit the bed for some much needed rest.
05/19/19- Feels different to have cold weather again for a change as I woke up with a stiff neck. Took a few moments to loosen it up before I got out of bed. It’s supposed to rain later today so we packed our umbrella and coats and waited for our tour guy to pick us up outside of the gate by 9am. We stood there a few minutes before asking another tour person where Ploce Gate was and found it was on the other side of the old city. Hurrying through the castle walls once more we finally meet up with him ten minutes later.
We are the only ones in the shuttle van as this is a booked private tour, so we had plenty of room to stretch out. It took about forty minutes to get to the Montenegro border and there was already a decent line formed. We ended up waiting almost an hour to finally get through as we had to go through customs in Croatia and Montenegro as well as two construction areas. At least we got our passport stamped.
Our first stop was to Perast in Montenegro. There wasn’t much there as we stopped at a restaurant, but it did have a view across the Adriatic Sea. The weather was still very cloudy so it wasn’t ideal. We were asked if we wanted to take the boat across to the town, which looked interesting, but we declined, so off we went to the next location.
Another twenty-five minutes passed before we get to the town of Kotor. Our guide takes us down the walkway until we get to the city walls. Like Dubrovnik, this place was a smaller version of a medieval walled city which was pretty cool to see. Shortly after wandering around, the clouds parted allowing the full brunt of the sun to shine down. At one point my neck was actually feeling like it was on fire as it warmed up very quickly. The blue sky was a perfect backdrop for the many pictures I took with the large mountain in the landscape. I was very impressed with it overall but now we are starting to get hungary.
Around 2pm we left the city walls to find a restaurant around the corner. This was a very upscale looking place, complete with pretentious waiters; however, the food was actually decently priced. Sharece and I shared the prawn risotto and even had a raw oyster. This was Sharece’s first time with that and she had no problem shucking it down. The port wine we had with the meal was so good I even bought a bottle before we left. We have over a week left in Croatia so why not.
The last place on our list is Budva. This is an even smaller walled city where it took maybe ten minutes to walk through. The views of the waterfront were pretty awesome though, even after the dark clouds came rolling in. We felt several rain drops forming and decided to call it a day. Good thing too because as soon as we hit the shuttle the rain started to come down.
On the way back to the border we hit a shortcut by taking a ferry across the water. This was a cool experience as we actually stayed in our vehicle as it floated across. Once on the other side, it took another hour to get back to the boarder, but this time there was hardly any wait time to get back to Croatia.
Finally, around 7:30pm, we make it back to Dubrovnik as the sun was coming down. We walked the town a bit before asking a tour operator about taking a boat across the water to the island of Lokrum. Here we would be able to see the throne from Game of Thrones and get pictures sitting in it. The guy told me we didn’t have to go to the island for that as they have one here in Old Town as well. Realizing he may have just saved us about $50 USD by not purchasing the boat trip, we thanked him and ventured off to find the other throne.
Our travels took us to a long flight of steps in which none of us were too thrilled about, but with the quest at hand we power through until we get close to the top. Just when we feel like we needed a break, we see the oasis of the throne within our sight. Yes!
The throne is part of a Game of Thrones gift shop where we were asked to purchase something to get a picture (which we’d take from our own camera) otherwise we would need to pay 30 Croatian (about $4.50 USD). We looked around the shop for anything that we may want but since the series had only one episode left we really didn’t see the point of buying a mug, magnet or t-shirt, so we just paid for the photo.
With the night still upon us, we walk the city of Dubrovnik looking for food for the night as well as get pastries for the next morning. We are unsure of what we may do tomorrow as it is supposed to rain again, so we may just sleep until our checkout time of noon.
05/20/19- After three years Dubrovnik was a treat to see again. Didn’t take me long to navigate my way around the castle walls. The one main difference I noticed this time around was more official Game of Thrones shops scattered throughout the city. I guess they know what draws people to this town and look to take every advantage of it, especially with the tens of thousands of tourist that come from cruise ships daily.
We had our things ready by noon check-out and were able to leave our bags with the host, so we could spend a few hours exploring. We encouraged Miza to walk the entire length of the wall to get some awesome views as Sharece and I visited a few more shops and settled down with some wine tasting. During this short amount of time the weather changed from cloudy to some rain and finally to hot as the clouds passed. How does anyone dress for this I have no clue.
At 3pm we meet up with our host once more to collect our bags before wheeling them across town to get a taxi. The bus to the ferry port would have been half of the cost but with our luggage we thought best to just get a direct ride there without any worries. It only came out to 80 Kuna anyhow (about $13 USD).
As the ferry pulled up and we queued in line, the sun was blistering against our skin. It was a long ten minutes before they opened the door, and once they did people were bum rushing to be first as there were no assigned seats. One of the crew members had to actually calm everyone down stating there was enough room for everyone. Luckily, we were one of the first to board and found some good seats.
Sharece and I utilized this time to watch the final episode of Game of Thrones from my laptop. By the time it was over we still had about an hour left on the ride. This ferry had to of been going at top speed because it was rocking back and forth as the water slammed up against the windows. It didn’t make me sick but it was quite unnerving at times. Also, the group of four in front of us was extremely annoying as they pushed their (already comfortable) seats back as far as they could go and yapped up a storm. Oh and they face-timed a child for about ten minutes and made the most annoying noises. Ugh!
At about 6:30pm we dock in Korcula and disembark the ship. It took a bit to find our host as she was supposed to meet us at the dock, but we finally met up with her. She apologized for not having my name written down for me to find her easily. Either way it wasn’t a big deal as we were just happy that she could help us find the Airbnb okay. It turned out to be just around the corner, outside of the city walls, but there were some steps we had to maneuver through.
The apartment is a nice two-bedroom layout with a kitchen. As we looked outside of our window we notice a beautiful view of the city as the sun was coming down. Very, very happy with this place. We spent a few moments getting settled before hitting up the city.
Old Town was much like Dubrovnik (similar to the areas that we saw yesterday in Montenegro). The town was easy to walk through but most of the shops were already closed. The only things open were jewelry shops (which seemed to be quite a bit) and restaurants (which charged crazy prices). Feeling hungry, we left the city walls and found a place to eat near our apartment.
The food was excellent and very well priced for the portions we got. I actually over ordered on the skewers of chicken and pork, but luckily they boxed the leftovers for us so we could reheat tomorrow. We finish the day off with a cup of ice cream from a local shop.
Only one week left on this trip. It’s crazy to think that two weeks have already passed and we are nearing the end, but we still have plenty more to explore.
05/21/19- All of these hotels we’ve been staying at have their charms and downfalls. Our current place is spacious with a nice shower, but the bedroom door handle fell off in our hands and the internet barely works. Sigh!
In our previous place there were stairs that led from the front door (and bathroom) to our rooms with the second bedroom part of the kitchen area. There was also a huge roach roaming around as we were preparing to check out of the place. I tried to shoo it away at one point and it turned back around towards me like it was trying to attack. That caught me off guard! In Athens they gave us one towel each for the three days, no dish soap or hot water, but two complete bedrooms with two bathrooms and a full kitchen. I never focus on these things as its all part of the trip experience.
Slept in as we had nothing pre-planned for today. We have the next three full days to relax and hit the sights, so plenty of time. The girls went to the market to get some food items and Sharece made up breakfast once again.
Checking out Old Town, this time during the day, we were a bit disappointed with the amount of shops inside the walls. Everything seemed to be high end stores with several places closed and with the clouds hovering overhead the views weren’t much either. But as soon as we got outside of the walls we started seeing the prices drop and found a souvenir shop right away. We even got a few donuts and coffee for a total of $2 USD. Not bad at all, especially since they didn’t take credit card. My cash is starting to go pretty fast here.
Continuing our walk, we brave the light amount of rain to see what lied further down the waterfront. There were some views but as the rain came down harder we quickly decided to duck back into our apartment to wait it out.
During our rest, we looked up places and things to do for the next few days and found some excursions to other towns that looked interesting. After an hour or so passes we realize the rain has stopped, leaving a beautiful sky in its place. We try again to walk down the waterfront and were very happy with the views, and at the end of the path we stumble upon an old church.
Turning around towards the city again, we journey to the other side where we find multiple shops, cheap restaurants and wine bars open. Now this is what we’ve been waiting for. We hit up a few shops to scope out the area before finding a free wine tasting spot. They poured us four of their reds which all tasting quite good despite being on the dry side. The last one was sweet liquor that smelled and tasted just like Christmas. I definitely would have bought a bottle if we didn’t already have our port wine still in our room. Perhaps in the next few days we will go back.
Accomplishing our goal of exploring the immediate area, we head back to our apartment to cook some spaghetti, which the girls had fun making. They didn’t have any packaged hamburger meat so they got the pre-made hamburger patties and mashed them up. Hey, if it works… And now the entire place smells like garlic.
05/22/19- Eggs and bacon to start another morning. Checking the bus time we found one that leaves Korcula at 11:10am going to the town of Lumbarda. It’s a beautiful blue sky day with the wind hitting just right to keep us nice and cool. We are so tempted to stay in Korcula a little while longer, but it should be even warmer tomorrow.
We buy our tickets from the information shop nearby and board our bus. It takes about fifteen minutes before arriving in town and we are let out in the middle of nowhere. I look to the side and see a sign with the name Bire Winery- 800 meters. Knowing we wanted to start the day doing a wine tasting we set off down the road. My GPS was moving our position around making it impossible to pin point exactly where we were, but going by instinct we kept going up the road.
Took about twenty minutes before we finally get to the place only to find that it closes at noon (which is in ten minutes). Luckily, they allowed us to come in to do a full tasting complete with a snack plate of cheese, olives and such. I went to pay the bill and found they only accept cash, which I can’t understand how a winery doesn’t accept credit card. They also called a taxi to take us down to the beach and marina area. The cost for that was 50 Kuna ($7.50 USD) which seemed high for a five minute drive, but with our legs spent we were not going to attempt to walk. He did stop on top of a hill to allow me to get a nice photo of the entire town below.
Getting dropped off near the marina, we take our time soaking in the crystal blue water as we walk along the beachfront. We didn’t bring our bathing suits because the water was very cold, but we did dip our feet in the water for a bit. Continuing on, we walk back towards the marina in hopes of finding activities, shops or even more people around as so far we’ve felt very secluded. Unfortunately, the place seemed deserted as only a handful of people did we see walking around and zero souvenir shops. Check that- there was one guy that had to unlock his doors to allow us in.
We talked with the information booth about a bus ride back to Korcula and found that the town shuts down between 1pm and 6pm due to the down time of tourists. It appears that this is also not the high season for this island, either. That would explain why the winery closed at noon.
With nothing else to explore, we board the 2:15pm bus back to Korcula. After changing into shorts, because the temperature is getting warmer, we grab our bottle of wine and pay for a margherita pizza to share at the beach side. Spending well over an hour, we take in the rays and enjoy the perfect day laid out in front of us. The pizza was actually so good that we ended up going back and ordering another one. The stupid part about all of this though is they only accepted cash again. I went to several restaurants with the same thing. I mean, this is supposed to be the birthplace of Marco Polo who discovered many parts of Asia and beyond… how could they not at least accept DISCOVER?!
The internet around here is really bad by the way. It has been down at the apartment for over two hours making it difficult to plan for tomorrow’s activities. I can see how this island may seem like paradise to some as it provides seclusion from the outside world, and if I was looking to get away from my normal life then perhaps that is exactly what I would be going for. However, I am an explorer and too much downtime makes me feel like I’m wasting hours and days. I really want to do something interesting tomorrow but I still don’t know what I’d be interested in. Water sports could’ve been on the menu if the water temperature was more ideal. I guess it’s nice to relax for a while- just not used to it.
As I still wait for the internet to come up, we decide to re-heat the spaghetti from yesterday and rest for the night.
05/23/19- Interesting change to our itinerary. Since we have done all that we’ve wanted in Korcula we decided to leave the night before to go to Split. Initially, our ferry was to leave at 6am on Friday (tomorrow) but now we leave at 6:35pm tonight. Talked with our host at our current apartment and they gave us a partial refund for leaving a night early (which was very nice of them). We also secured a good place by the ferry port in Split for tonight.
The toilet acted up again this morning and it took a few hours for them to come by and fix it. This delayed us as we packed our bags but we finally set out for the day at 12:30pm.
Hitting up a few souvenir shops we missed before, we then go back into Old Town as the clear sky gives it a completely different feel. Taking the stairs to the top, I almost forgot about the cathedral tower that you can go up into as today should be a very good day to see the surrounding area. The passageway up was very narrow and impossible to climb if someone else was coming down, but thankfully it wasn’t that busy and it cost only 25 kuna ($4 USD). At the top I had to remove my fedora as the wind was quite strong. Since it was a very tight fit, I had to scale around the barriers to get the view from all angles. After a few minutes, I made my way back to the bottom.
Next stop was the Marco Polo museum next door. This is advertised as the birth place of Marco Polo and an interesting place in itself. It stated originally no photos but they said as long as I don’t use flash. Sharece and I roamed through the four separate rooms that contain artifacts from different countries like coins and statues. We weren’t sure why most of this stuff was here as many of the things were obtained years after his death, but it was cool to see regardless. Our ticket for the museum also gave us entry to the church next door which was bigger than I thought. Not an elaborate setting like other places we’ve been to but still a ton of detail.
With several more hours still to kill before our ferry we retreat back to our apartment. Even though checkout was already done, they allowed us to store our bags in the place as they didn’t have another guest there. We ended up being able to stay until it was time to go to the ferry.
After gathering our bags, we head over to the ferry ticket office to ask if I needed to print out the ticket and he said my email was enough. We then grab some pastries and wait an hour before boarding. With the wind blasting us, knocking off my hat at one point, I was a little concerned that it would be a rocky trip, but the two and a half hour journey wasn’t bad at all. Sharece and I were able to watch a movie on my laptop again and see the sunset through the side window.
In Split, our next Airbnb hosts were already waiting for us at the dock with my name. They packed our luggage in their car and drove the few minutes to the apartment. Wow, what a difference this makes as it’s a nice two-bedroom layout and extremely charming. It has a vintage feel with the cute décor and feels newly remodeled. Sharece scored on this one when she found it last night.
We didn’t waste much time as it was already passed ten and we wanted to check out the local area at night. Setting out on foot, we walk back down to the pier and to Old Town, which was very lively even for a Thursday night. Music was bumpin’ as the crowds enjoyed their evening stroll. And at the cathedral we were treated with an outdoor concert. I was super impressed and can’t wait to see this city during the daylight hours.
We stop to get some pastries for tomorrow morning and head back to our apartment. Since we still had hamburger patties from before, I cooked them up on the stove and they were very good. Took another cold shower, however, after Sharece got her hot one. Not sure why we can’t seem to have two showers in a row with hot water but it wasn’t a fun time. Either way, we are all so glad that we left Korcula early as Split seems like a very nice to place to wander around in.
05/24/19- Today will be an interesting day for sure. Left our apartment around 11am with bags packed. The host allowed us to store our bags in the place while we ventured out for the day in Split.
Immediately, we walk towards Old Town where they have an old palace along with the cathedral. The weather was a bit hot but there was plenty of shade along the way. We also passed by a large marketplace with all kinds of souvenirs, clothing, accessories and such. When we get to the cathedral we buy tickets and take a look inside. There wasn’t much there except for an altar and some fixtures, but it was nice to see. Our ticket was also good for the Baptistery and crypt, which were each a small room, but the crypt was very chill so we saved that for last.
Exiting the area we stumble upon an indoor shop that led to the palace entrance, which was basically all in ruins. Again, it was nice and cold as it smelled just like the crypt did. As we continued to the other side we see it made up better with strange exhibits scattered throughout. There was a weird artist that had several pictures of him in strange and nude positions. One was of a woman literally screaming as she exposed her breasts and showed welts upon her skin. We quickly left that area fast as it was a bit too crazy for us.
After that scare of a mess, we walked the waterfront until we found a place serving fish and chips. They only accepted cash so I had to withdraw some more from the ATM. We did look around at the other restaurants in the area but they were filled with smokers and expensive food.
With still a few more hours left, we walk around the area some more before we found the Game of Thrones museum. Now this interested us quite a bit as it was made up of several rooms, each with replicas of clothing and other items used in the show as well as models of how the cities looked. There were also pictures depicting the filming locations around Croatia.
With our tour of the city done, we decide to head to the apartment early to get our bags. I left the girls there while I walked the ten minutes to the port to pick up our rental car; however, once I arrived I notice they were not open for another twenty minutes. This was very odd as their hours stated a break from noon to 5:30pm. How does anyone take that long of a break?
5:30pm comes around and still nobody showed. A security guard walked by and helped me locate the person I needed to talk to only to find that Thrifty car rental is no longer at the port (not for three years). He said they constantly get people going there and have to redirect to their new location on the other side of the port (about an eighteen minute walk). Ugh!
Knowing there isn’t any use in prolonging this situation I quickly walk to the other side and make it there around 6:15pm. As we are going through the cars I ask if I can upgrade from a manual to an automatic and luckily they have one for me to do so. Normally the charge for the upgrade would have been quite a bit as they are limited in their supply but he did so, as well as gave me a bigger car, for only 20 Euros more. Not a bad deal as we have a long drive ahead of us.
I get the car squared away and drive the fifteen minutes back to the girls to load up the luggage. As I try to put the car in drive I notice it doesn’t go at all. I turn off the car and back on but it won’t start. This is supposed to be a 2019 model and can’t understand what it going on before I realize I still have the gearshift in Drive and not Park. Duh! Fired right up after that snafu.
Looked up our GPS and realized the drive to our next destination in Plitvice was going to be three hours. Luckily, the drive went very smooth and we got to see the sun setting during this time. The countryside was very nice to see as well. The annoying part of the car was the beeping sound it kept making. Initially we thought it was a mileage thing but over half way through the drive I found that it beeped every time I crossed over the white line in the road. This was a bit annoying as it was curvy the entire way.
We were able to drive straight through and make it to our hotel a little after 10pm. Once at the cottage we find nobody here to check us in. Apparently, we just missed the check-in time frame and tried to contact the hotel to tell them we arrived. It wasn’t but five minutes that the guy arrived and gave us the key to our room. Whew! It’s now going on midnight and we have an early wakeup for tomorrow so we are not going to get a full nights rest. Hopefully our adrenaline will power us through.
05/25/19- Early morning as we got up at 6:30am. We had to have our bags packed and in the car to check out before driving the three miles down the road to the Plitvice Lakes entrance. We park our car up front and walk passed the line of people that have already started to queue for tickets. Just before we left our hotel, the owner told me a secret ticket booth lies closer to the falls and hardly anyone knows about it. Trusting in this information, we don’t even second guess as we walk across the footbridge to the other side of the road and through the property. Okay, I will admit there was a small amount of doubt but that was all washed away then we finally see the ticket office. Nice!
They take credit card which is a plus and wait in line for the first bus of the day to take us to the trail. It takes about ten minutes or so as it hovers around curves, and once we are let out we immediately go down the trail to start the adventure. At first we see some small versions of waterfalls, but the further we ventured, in the larger and more elaborate they became. Luckily, we had only a small amount of people around us as we were able to take all the photos we wanted without worrying about waiting or others getting into our shot. It was quite difficult to navigate, however, as the signs were not clear on which way to go at times. We ended up just listening out for the water and going in that direction. At one point, we heard a light scream followed by a splash, and when we turned around we saw an old guy coming out of the lake, fully submerged in the water. Apparently, he ate it pretty good and drenched his entire backpack and camera in the process.
Eventually, the trail wrapped around to a large fall that scattered cold, wet mist in our direction. An actual perfect way to cool off as the sun was shining pretty brightly. The first trail took about ninety minutes to complete before we found the boat that was to take us to the second trail.
We just missed the first boat, but it actually worked out because once the next one arrived we were able to get seats with a view. The ride also lasted about twenty minutes, which was an awesome time to rest our feet and cool off. Leaving the boat we are immediately greeted with a souvenir shop, restrooms and food. All three were a welcome sight as we easily wasted an hour. The tour groups were starting to come out in droves as lines were forming quite drastically.
The second trail was more of a trek with plenty of log stairs to climb, but the payoff was well worth it as there were several smaller falls on the way to the grand finale of them all. We could hear it roar from a distance, yet as we approached we saw a huge line wrapped around the corner of the cliff. Seeing this as a detriment, we decide to go the opposite route that led up hill. As we climbed we saw the big waterfall perfectly from a distance and couldn’t stop taking pictures.
Once we finally got to the top we were able to see the entire side of the mountain with the big falls. It was also at this time when we noticed the line was for a close up view of the falls and it was much shorter now. Not wanting to miss out on this opportunity, we hurry back down the hill and get right up to the water without any waiting. They even had a large rock where I was able to climb on top of and get a perfect shot with the falls in the background. Next to Iguazu Falls, this place was definitely one of the biggest ones we’ve seen.
Feeling satisfied with the day, we walk back up the hill and continue down the trail to the bus. This trail though stretched for another fifteen minutes, and with our legs about spent it was very trying to make it to the end. Once we finally did, we found that we just missed the bus, making us wait another twenty minutes for the next one. Looking around the parking lot I saw some really tired people lighting up a cigarette and thought, “Who in the hell walks to utter exhaustion and then thinks it’s a good idea to kill your lungs even more?”
The bus arrives and takes us back to our original starting point, but it doesn’t end there. We still had to walk fifteen more minutes back to our car. Tired, out of breath and ready for a nap somehow we do just that. I paid for parking at the booth, set our GPS for our next Airbnb in Zagreb, and off we go, just as the rain starts to come down. Over two hour drive this time but it didn’t feel like it as the views of the countryside were stunning. About half way through we stopped at a supermarket called SPAR and picked up some things to make homemade tacos. It wasn’t until 6pm that we reached the apartment and got all checked in.
Driving in Croatia seemed pretty simple, but the main issue was the traffic lights. Most went from green to red instantly and for some weird reason the light went yellow just before hitting green again. I never seen it where they warn you before you are supposed to go.
After dropping off our bags, I left the girls in the apartment to get settled while I drove the car to the car rental place. Their offices were closed by the time I got there so I had to leave the keys in the night drop box. I am just hoping that I parked the car in a good spot as to not get a ticket, or worse… towed. The walk back was about fourteen minutes and I was able to snap a few pics of the city on my way. Once I got back I am greeted with a new dilemma… apparently the hamburger meat we got was turkey. Sharece looked at me with her puppy dog eyes hoping I could go out once more to the store and get some actual ground beef. Of course I did, even though it was a ten minute walk.
After getting the right meat, which I confirmed with the lady at the register by the way, I decide to jot back down towards the car rental place to check up on the car I parked. In my haste to leave I completely forgot to take photos of the car and street signs to verify that I did drop it off, just in case anything happens.
Finally, I make it to the apartment to rest. The tacos turned out very well (thank you again Sharece) which made the entire journey worthwhile. Only one full day left on our trip before we fly back home. I already got a taste of Zagreb today and ready to tackle this city for one more.
05/26/19- Our last full day on this trip and I woke up with my legs very sore from all of the walking around yesterday. It does feel nice to finally be able to sleep in without worrying about packing our bags like we had to do the past three mornings. Apparently, Sharece didn’t sleep well last night and found several things to do today that she was excited about. So, we eat our pastries and off we go.
First up was the cathedral. This twin tower is so large that it’s visible from blocks away. The only problem being one of the towers was covered up for restoration. At least the sky was perfect. It mentioned rain later so we plan on hitting everything we can while it’s still nice outside.
As we approach, we hit up a few shops and find an awesome souvenir wine bottle with a picture of the cathedral and Zagreb written on the label. It was so unique that we had to add it to our home collection; however, they only accepted cash at the moment. Knowing I didn’t have enough, we decided to look elsewhere. When we get to the cathedral we see the changing of the guard, which was pretty cool. I looked inside the building for a picture opportunity, but they were having service inside so I didn’t want to disturb.
Further out, we walk around the market place of shops and food before stumbling upon the Stone Gate. The original gate caught on fire and burned down hundreds of years ago but one painting survived intact, so they rebuilt the gate and turned it into a chapel. We also found the underground passage that was used during World War II. Feeling a bit tired and hungry, we make our way back towards the cathedral to find some food.
The first restaurant we went to was fully tabled up and they didn’t allow take-a-ways, which seemed odd to us. We continued around, by passing many cafés, before finally finding one that looked promising. We were able to sit inside, out of the sun, and to our surprise found the prices very cheap and the portions large. Sharece and I split a full dish of Lasagna and a small bottle of wine for only 70 kuna ($12 USD). The meal was so good and filled us up very well.
Afterwards, I took out some more cash from the ATM and we bought that souvenir bottle of wine. On the way back to our apartment we found the “skyscraper” building where you can go to the 16th floor and get a 360 degree view of the city. The view from the top was perfect as the sun was shining upon the city, giving it a very nice uniform glow. What more can you ask for?
Back at the apartment, we did go out again to the supermarket to get a few items for tomorrow. Miza also ventured into the city by herself for a bit as Sharece and I rested. I already saw much of the city yesterday during my constant walks so I’m pretty much done at this point. Reheating our tacos is on the agenda tonight as we have no plans to go back out. By the way, I was able to email the car rental place to confirm they checked in the car okay and got a reply that they did, so we are all square on that.
When it got to around 8:15pm, I convinced myself to go out one more time for night shots. The clouds were hovering over creating a nice dark blue hue in the background as the city began to turn on its lights. Since my 360 view ticket was good all day, I decided to go up one more time to capture the city and very glad I did. The views of the cathedral were awesome as the dark blue turned to deep black. And just as I was clicking my last photos, the rain started to come down.
Tucking my camera under my jacket, I casually walk back to the apartment as the rain slowly drips down from the sky. I hugged the side of the buildings to avoid getting too drenched and make it back by 9:20pm. Overall, I’ve been very impressed with this city of Zagreb and definitely wouldn’t mind coming back one day. There seems to be much more to explore in way of museums and parks that will have to wait for another time.
05/27/19- Our checkout time was 11am but we were all ready to leave by 10:30am. Called an Uber (which we haven’t been able to do since Poland) and got to the airport within thirty minutes. Checking the board we found that our flight will be delayed about twenty minutes, so we are here over two hours early. Security was easy to go through as hardly anyone was here.
The airport looks very modern and clean with a unique wavy design. It resembles a train station in a way. I had to walk around a bit to take some photos. About 12:20pm, we board our plane and take off for our layover in London. The flight started out smooth enough but about thirty minutes in it got bumpy. The captain warned us already that there would be some turbulence, but it still makes me a little antsy. Sharece and I passed the two hour flight by watching an episode of the Sopranos as there wasn’t much else to do. Food is for purchase and there isn’t any flight entertainment available.
Upon landing at Heathrow the winds were picking up as it fish-tailed our plane a bit. After deplaning, we had to take a shuttle bus from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3 and go back through security. By the time we got to our next gate it was already about time to board.
On our second flight to LAX, we took a 777 for 10 ½ hours. There were several movies on board that interested me and were able to watch a few before falling asleep. Also, the winds caused this plane to vibrate a bit upon takeoff as well, but for the most part it was a decent flight.
At LAX, we used Mobile Passport from our phone to do customs and it worked like a charm as we bypassed the normal line and walked straight through. We get our bags, exit baggage claim and make it outside to call for our Uber. While at baggage claim we saw the Uber for $47 which seemed high to me, but it was too early to call one. Once we got to the departures floor the cost went up to $64. We waited about eight minutes just trying to find a driver as it kept telling us it was too busy before finally one accepted. It wasn’t until later that I remembered today is Memorial Day.
The ride took only thirty-five minutes and we make it home around 10:30pm. Exhausted and ready for bed, we somehow manage to unpack (Sharece doing the bulk of that), check our souvenirs for anything broken, and set up our things before calling it a night.
What a fantastic trip. We were able to see places that we had no idea had all that they did. It’s very hard to believe that we are home again but it was much appreciated as I don’t think I would have had the energy to explore another country.
END OF BLOG
