School’s Out for the Summer!!!

Our first week of summer vacation and we’re spending it preparing for the rest of the summer.  There are still many places we’d like to visit while over here.  But first, we’re working on getting Steve feeling better, and me.  We’ve got terrible colds and feel quite miserable. 

We both hope we won’t have to change any of our reservations for the next two weeks.  We’re planning on being in Hungary then.  This is unheard of for us – to stay in one place for a whole week when traveling and actually relax…wow!  Our first stop is Lake Balaton, Hungary and then on to Budapest and Debrecen and the Puszta, the plains of Hungary and the land where their cowboys roam.

               Dusk, Skradin Marina near Krka Waterfalls                                

Then it’ll be back to Pula for two weeks to wrap things up here.  We have a few day trips planned and some beaches to hit, then pack up for our return home.   We leave Pula for a week in France before boarding the plane in Nice.  Do we know how to plan a trip or what??? 

All these trips will keep us busy.  That’s a good thing as we’re kind of ready to come home.  By the time we get back to Oklahoma, we will have been gone for 4 and ½ months.  Sure am glad we found someone to keep the lawn mowed while we’re gone!  But there will be so much to catch up on when we return.  We’re thinking we’ll be busy for the rest of the summer so we’d better get some real vacation time in while we can over here.

 

And now to go through all the pamphlets, etc. we’ve collected from all the places we’ve visited and decide what to keep and what to get rid of…always hard for me to decide.  But, paper does add weight to the suitcases so some of it must go.  Wish me luck!  

It's hard to find public phones to use in the US but over here...

                             Pink for girls in Germany!

                              Blue for boys in Croatia!

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A few of my favorite photos can be found at

https://picasaweb.google.com/100390625521976559356/SomeOfMyFavoritePhotos?authkey=Gv1sRgCO7CjPXNuLqtEQ#

Enjoy the beginning of summer!

Memorial Day Weekend Cruise

May 28 – 30, 2011

What a beautiful weekend.  The boat, Azimut, left Split Saturday while we were being served lunch.  A few hours later, the boat dropped anchor for those who wanted to swim in the Adriatic Sea.  We opted to stay on the boat!  The water was very cold and we’re going to venture into the Adriatic here in Pula and Medullin where we hope the water is warmer.  Then on to Hvar City on Hvar Island.  An interesting city and harbor, with a fortification at the top of a mountain.  I’m not sure my photographs really show just how picturesque this place is...but I tried.  It was a hike to the top but we made it and were rewarded with spectacular views. 

 

Our boat was docked beside the pier which made getting on and off easy.  But, there were 4 boats docked beside ours.  The only way to get to their boats was to board our boat, walk through it to get to the next boat and do the same till they reached their boat.  Our cabin was next to the place everyone had to board so it was a noisy night.  One of the boats was full of young Australians, some of whom had just discovered grappa and loved loud music.  They were feeling no pain, but I think in the morning it was a different story for them!   

Throughout the night waves rocked the boat and when we left for our next stop, the sea was quite rough.  Steve and I were lucky and didn’t get seasick.  But it was a bad morning for many parents and their children; they weren’t so lucky.  By Sunday afternoon the sea was calm and we reached Skradin where we got on another boat and headed for the Krka Waterfalls National Park.  Again, I’m not sure my photos really capture the beauty of this place, but hopefully you’ll get an idea of what it was like.  Krka does not have as many waterfalls as Plitvice but the falls here are majestic in their own way; another beautiful spot in Croatia.

The boat docked at Skradin Sunday which is north of Split.  So, first we went south of Split to Hvar island and then north of Split to Skradin.  This harbor was much more pleasant.  Only one boat was docked with us and we were the ones who had to board that boat to get to our boat.   After returning from Krka Waterfalls, we enjoyed a leisurely evening walking around Skradin and talking with a few shop owners where we got a few souvenirs and some delicious almonds that were toasted after removing the skins and some figs too.  Yum, Yum!!! 

Back on board for the evening, or so we thought.  But when we heard a band with a singer playing at a nearby café/bar we just had to check it out.  The singer was very good and we enjoyed her performance.  Okay, now we’re ready to say good-night to Skradin.

Monday morning the Azimut headed back to Split.  On the way, the boat dropped anchor again in a small cove so people could go swimming.  The swimmers all had a great time and those of us who remained on the boat enjoyed watching them.  There were some very brave children on board who jumped off the boat from about 30 feet or higher above the water! 

The best part of the cruise…hard to say.  The coast of Croatia is beautiful everywhere you look.  But the people on board were also beautiful to us.  This cruise was organized by someone at the US Embassy in Zagreb.  So, we were all Americans and it was wonderful to speak and hear English with all its nuances and all the laughter from our shared experiences.

Enjoy the photos at 

https://picasaweb.google.com/100390625521976559356/MemorialDayCruise#