The Maiden Voyage
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Mediterranean searendipity…
It was during our stay in Croatia (“Hrvatska” in Croat) that I came to understand why this part of the world attracted so many people. Why every major cruise line in the world had at least one itinerary that included ports of call along the Mediterranean (think Mykonos, Nice, the Italian Riviera). Why Impressionist-era artists, Continue reading
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Slooowvenia…
Slovenia was anything but slow. Peter zipped his Kia SUV from Wiener Neustadt to our home base in Croatia, Porec (pronounced “poor wretch”), in a matter of hours. All we managed to do was to scarf down the largest hot dog we had ever seen, a krofi (stuffed Slovenia donut), and some super strong coffee, Continue reading
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Nothing to wine about here…
There are two terms that take me right back to Austria (“Osterreich” in German). Heurigen. A heurigen [contraction of heuriger (“this year”) and wein (“wine”)] is the easier of the two to explain. For several brief weeks during wine season in the fall, winemakers (on alternating days) open up (in yesteryears it was announced by Continue reading
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So a burg, a storch, and a dorf walk into a bar…
We were wholly unprepared for our first full day of sightseeing. Apparently, if you were at the very top echelon of the royal ladder, you got to live in a schloss (“castle”). Think the Schonbrunn or Hofburg Palaces of earlier. However, if you were a step down or on a middle rung, you were relegated Continue reading
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The IHOT (International Haus of Travel)…
There is something to be said of a big fancy four-star hotel: “meh”. I can see it’s merits. Sometimes the foreignness of a place can be a bit overwhelming. The Hilton or Marriott would be considered an oasis. The rooms are air-conditioned and appointed with modern amenities. The food in the hotel restaurant probably has Continue reading
