And Now…..

 We have been waiting to use this link ever since we booked this trip (please, sing along):

Click here.  Istanbul! Istanbul! Istanbul! 

We are settled into the JW Marriott on the Marmara Sea complements of Turkish Airlines’ stopover program; but also thanks to Michael’s Marriott status, we have an upgraded room with a sea view.

Tomorrow we tour. For now we rest and enjoy. 

North to Slovenia

This will be a quick blog. Actually it’s Wednesday and we have to get to the airport.  Yesterday we left Split in a rental car and drove nearly five hours to visit Slovenia on our way to a Zagreb airport hotel. In Croatia the drive was all highway. But once we crossed the border (just a booth saying “go on through” or something to that effect), we were on little switchback roads through countryside villages.

Our guy down in Dubrovnik told us that we would see fall colors when we headed north. Unfortunately, the fall colors went by so quickly in such a small little area that Michael didn’t even have time to pick up the phone get to the camera and take a photograph before we were beyond them. However, we did pass Mount Zir.

And drive through some pretty forest.

And a lovely castle.

And the restaurant that Google recommended, Grostilna Vovko, was wonderful. The owner was very talkative - proud of his country, his village and his family legacy. And Michael ate probably the best foie gras he has ever had.

Then another hour to Zagreb (at the border “go on through, go on through”. Check in at the hotel.  Return the rental car.  Uber back to the hotel and fall into bed.

Same Day - Part Two

Took a break and had a nice casual lunch on a square and did some more roaming.

Up to the northern Golden Gate in the Palace wall.

Where these two figures look down on you.  Google says they are images of bull’s heads with human faces.  I thought they looked a lot more like a ram and a ewe. 

Saw other pretty arches

And pretty windows

And a pretty Dalmatian “Dalmatian” pigeon.

Finally, we had a fabulous dinner at a highly regarded small local restaurant, Villa Spiza. And some gelato on the way home.

All in all a good day.

In the morning we pick up a rental car for a little drive. 

But for now, it’s bedtime. 

Diocletian Palace

This morning I got up early, found some coffee and pastries, located the rental car office for tomorrow morning, and took this lovely view of the Riva promenade along the harbor. Our hotel is the one just to the left of the cathedral spire with the curved iron balconies. 

 Off to the cathedral complex before the crowds. There before 8am. Ticket office opens at 8:15. A few of us politely cued up sitting on the steps. But there is always gonna be those people who make a show of going up the steps to the door to intently study the sign listing the ticket options and pricing.  Hmmmmm.  What do you think? Hmmmm. Hmmmmm. And then just stand there noses pressed against the glass to be first in line.  As if being sixth in line would have been too awful to allow for politeness in society. Sheesh.

Anyway, into the cathedral only after those two and they flew through so fast I only saw their backsides heading back out a door.

And here is a link to a spinning video

Spinning in the cathedral

And the lion and lamb guarding the cathedral.

It turns out the cathedral is one room.  Lucy’s crypt is one smaller room.  Jupiter’s temple (now John the Baptist’s) is one even smaller room. Some pretty,  detailed carving. But not a day’s work to be sure.

So I found myself finished and looking for the Treasury which is a museum now but thinking it might at least be old, interesting walls inside. The gentleman told me that it doesn’t open until 9am. It was 8:34am  I turned and walked back out, pausing to consider my options. I don’t know if a looked thst sympathetic or or pathetic in my plight, but he called to me and motioned me to go ahead inside.  I thanked him profusely and took a quick tour of the tiny three story museum all alone.  There were some little, ancient walls below, but mostly religious artifacts and a decent selection of reliquaries. And while I do appreciate me some nice reliquaries, I didn’t need a lot of time in there either.

So, more thank yous  and I headed back to the hotel. Here is a lovely clock from along the path. Not the correct time as I believe it was only 9:45a.  Mission accomplished.  Crowds avoided. Sites seen.

Hello, Split.

Another ferry ride today.  It’s a little strange to think that for 20 years our life was full of ferry rides. Anguilla to St. Martin.  St. Martin to Anguilla.  Back and forth, forth and back. But since then, until now, nary a boat. 

Anyway, Hvar to Split today. Then a short, luggage-laden walk to our luxury apartment rental. I recognized the building from the pictures and the Google map directions took us there but there wasn’t anything on the building or the door that indicated we were in the correct place.  Except this on the door bell list

I knew we were in apartment “Nancy” on the third floor so it turned out we were in the right place.  And I have to say I am somewhat comforted knowing that the British and Italian Consulates are in the same building.  “Nancy” is huge…paced off I would estimate 800+sq feet with two little balconies overlooking the harbor. And three different air conditioners. 

We set out to explore Split.  We are right next to a Diocletian Palace gate. But what a maze of street and alley ways! It reminds me a bit of Naples (Italy not Naples, Fl) in that way.  But you can usually see the cathedral spire to find your way.  Which we did. We will do the touring tomorrow. But wandered about to see a few sites.

The rotunda

The intricately carved door way in the rotunda

Some random wall I found in my wanderings

And sunset from one of our balconies.  A good day all around.

Split

More later. Ferry to Split. 

Drinks on our balcony overlooking the harbor. 

Today

I posted the chillaxing picture in the moment but so much more happened throughout the day.

Bwahahahaha! I crack me up!

No just kidding. Nearly nothing else.

I did, however, take a stroll to the nearest beach, Bonj Beach, to collect a sand sample for the collection we have from every island we have ever visited.  I gave up on spice jars years ago because the storage space required was just too onerous. So we downsized to test tubes. 

This is Bonj beach. A beach by the true definition of a beach. That being a sloping landform covered with well whatever next to a body of water. But it took me forever to dig down to find teeny enough little pebbles amongst all of the big rocks so that they would fit into my little test tube…

Walking back I stopped to take a picture of the harbor with the Fortico above from a different angle. 25 minutes later I knew the life story of the 60-year-old, yes she told me three times that she was 60 years old, woman who immediately started talking to me on the pier. Seriously, literally before I could even hold my phone up to take a picture Did you know that back in the day she trained for 10 years to qualify to try to climb Mount Everest? That she’s retired? But she used to be a personal trainer, but she’s got a little thick in the middle? And that she wants to needs to get back to swimming or exercising or something to get back in shape? Anyway, I did finally get the shot…a bit of sunburn and the shot.

Tonight when we went back down to St. Stephen’s Square for dinner, the boats were back at it. I may have to start listening to classical music although I’m not sure that my living room will create the same appropriate ambience as a medieval village does. The bright lights on the performance stage however were not on and creating glare tonight so I could get a picture of the hillside with the Fortico above lit up at night. Lovely.

Goodnight, Hvar.