Summer in Croatia would not be complete without people jumping off the stony cliffs into the waters below. Join me for a look at this interesting pastime.
Category: travel tips
The Truth about Santorini and the Perfect Sunset Picture
My daughter Sarah and her husband Jonathan came to visit us in Croatia last summer and as part of this trip we decided to fly to Greece as she had always wanted to visit there and flights were cheap and easy to come by (pre-Covid-19) from Croatia. Her main goal had been to visit the …
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Burano, a Rainbow Island with A Lacy History
(Many people visit Venice and don't realize there are some truly beautiful and historic islands just a short vaporetto ride (boat taxi) away in the Venetian lagoon. Burano is truly a must-see destination if you are in the area.) Bright Colors. When you see them in a photo your eyes instantly perk up and tend to …
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Should I Stay or Should I Go?
"Darling, you got to let me know. Should I stay or should I go? If I go, there will be trouble; if I stay, there will be double" --- The Clash Why does my life feel like an 80s- English punk song right now thanks to the invasion of the Covid-19 aka Coronavirus aka "Every …
A Tale of Two Cities: Hallstatt’s Doppelgänger (and Instagram) Creates Problems for Residents
About five hours away from our apartment in Pula is a small Austrian town called Hallstatt that you may or may not have heard of. But even if you haven't ( Okay, I admit, I hadn't heard of it) there are many, many people around the world who have. The village has a tiny population …
Advent Markets in Europe: Are they worth it?
It's never too late (or early) to plan for ChristmasBefore the holiday season gets away from us completely, I'd like to share some perspective on the Christmas and Advent markets in the countries near where we live in Europe as well as the ones in Croatia themselves. As I'm sure many of you have seen, …
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Finding Jemina in Helsinki and Meeting the Finnish Ambassador in the Sauna
A Needle in A Haystack Our visit to Helsinki started slowly last week as we had a hard time getting acclimated. Mike wasn’t feeling well and I was tired because of pre-trip insomnia, as I tend not to sleep the day before we go on a trip out of nervousness and anticipation. We got to …
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Getting out of Split: A Cautionary Tale of the Infamous Croatian Bura
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. Yes, Dickens said it best. It started with a journey to Split in September for a charter adventure to the islands of Brač, Hvar and Vis with my husband Captain Mike, and our friends James, Carolyn and Karl. It ended with with a …
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It’s Raining Figs, Halleluja!
The other day I noticed there were ants crawling all over the sandals in my room. I went to go smack these annoying little creatures with that very same set of sandals when I saw a sticky, gooey, dark brown blob with tiny seeds smashed all over on the bottom of them. Think Fig Newtons …
Perfectly Imperfect Bologna
Reflecting back on our recent visit to Bologna in May, it's amazing to me what a feast of the senses this city was and that we almost didn't visit it. You see when we planned our trip to Italy, we decided to visit Bologna only as a halfway point on our way to reach the …
The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round
Many times when we are traveling we have expectations of what we want to see and do and how to pack the most into the little time we do have. We sometimes deviate, but it's hard to do if you've set an itinerary in stone. Planning is good, but a little spontaneity can give us …
The Hours Invite Us to Dream
I have a favorite quote from Maya Angelou that says: "When people show you who they are, believe them the first time." I'd like to offer a slight twist to that quote for travelers: "When locals give you advice about their hometown, believe them. And take it, of course." So many times in the last …