Rome, Italy

It all seems like a blur now that we are back in North America amongst old friends. Craig's photos have been ready for days, but Lynda has been procrastinating and the write up hasn't gotten done. So here goes....
Rome = 2 thumbs up. Its historical and cultural significance is immense. Everything is so impressive. The Colosseum, the Vatican, the Pantheon, the piazzas, the fountains, the statues, the restaurants, the transportation, the shopping. We could go on and on, but in truth we only saw a fraction of it and we were there for six nights. Rome is definitely worth a visit and then a return visit. We spent our first three nights at a bed and breakfast (Maison Genevois 3) in Prati and the last three nights at an apartment (VRBO # 220827) in Trastevere. We were very happy with both of them, but it is always nice when you can have more privacy and space.
Rome is a popular European destination, but it wasn't obnoxiously busy. It seems they have some experience dealing with tourists and the system runs smoothly and efficiently. In many cases, you can book tickets in advance online or pick up a tour on site. It was oppressively hot the day we went to the Spanish Steps and there were a lot of people milling around, but down the road, it wasn't impossible to find a spot to throw our coins into the Trevi Fountain and make a wish. We always got on the bus or the Metro, and we had no trouble finding a place to eat. Even the toilet line-ups at the Vatican moved quickly.
It is impossible to talk about Rome and not mention churches. They are everywhere, and they range in size and grandeur. One of our favourites was the Chiesa di Santa Maria Sopra Minerva located near the Pantheon. Not only does it have paintings by Filippino Lippi and Fra Angelico and a lesser known sculpture of Michelangelo's, but it also has the tombs of St. Catherine of Siena (minus her head) and two Medici popes. As we wandered around the dimly lit church in awe, we were treated to the magical sounds of a choir in practise for an evening concert. This only enhanced our experience. None of these churches compares to St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. It seems that many great artists left their mark here - Michelangelo, Bernini, and Raphael to name a few. It is over 15,000 sq meters in size and can hold up to 60,000 people. You could walk around inside for hours and not see everything. Then there is the Vatican Museum. We bought our tickets online so we were able to walk right in, but the line-up for general admission was at least a mile long. We were stunned by the wealth of the Vatican. We are sure that if they sold all their holdings (tapestries, paintings, statues, religious icons etc.), they could eradicate world poverty.
The time has come for us to return to North America. We have two flights to take to reach our destination of Dallas, Texas. For those of you who can't fathom why we would stop there, it is the home of the Bebb family. For years we have promised to visit them. Now it is time to make good on the promise. We have eight nights to recuperate from jet lag, acclimatize to North America and catch-up with good friends. So, bye for now, y'all!

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Canada Day Barbeque

It's almost time! We need to have a head count so we can put our bbq elves to work. If you are planning on joining us on July 1st, please email and let us know (we are currently phoneless.) We will provide the burgers and all the trimmings. BYOB and lawnchairs. It would be helpful if you could also bring one of the following: an appetizer or salad or dessert. We have heard about BC's inclement weather, but we will proceed rain or shine. Give us until 2pm to unpack our bags and then feel free to drop by. Come for a short time or a long time. We look forward to seeing everyone who wants to see us!

Santa Teresa di Gallura, Sardinia

We packed up the car and made a quick stop at the campground to say goodbye to Lydia and Bernhard. They had been much more active than us over the last two days. Berhard made a marathon bike ride through the mountains on one of the days and on the other, they hiked to Tiscali and encountered a number of snakes on the river bed. (So sorry we missed that one....not.) Luckily, Sardinia is not a large island. Once we started driving we were able to reach our destination of Santa Teresa di Gallura within a couple of hours. It turns out our bed and breakfast, Domus de Janus, is right in the centre of town. It is run by a friendly and likeable trio, Daria and Simone and their dog, Indiana. They are lucky enough to spend half of the year residing and working in Rome and the other half of the year in Santa Teresa, also working, but at a more casual pace. We thoroughly enjoyed their company and are sorry that our vist came to an end so quickly. (Thanks to Daria, Lynda has the name of a great shopping area in Rome. We'll see if we have time to fit that in.)
We spent most of our time exploring the area around Capo Testa. In addition to the gigantic rock formations that were once Roman quarries, there are some pretty amazing beaches too. After a glorious day in the sunshine, we thought we had broken the weather jinx for sure. It was not to be. The rain returned with a vengeance, along with a furious thunder and lightning storm. We dare not complain. The residents of Vancouver, Canada have no sympathy for us. They are still awaiting the end of the spring rains.
So ends our short sojourn to Sardinia. After a leisurely lunch in Castelsardo, we drove the coast road back to Alghero as far as we could, and then turned inland. By the time we reached Alghero, it was sunny and hot again. We dropped off our rental car, headed to the airport and caught our flight back to Rome. We are excited about spending time in Italy's capital, but we are also intrigued. We have heard so many differing opinions about "Roma." Some people love it, others can't get out of there fast enough. We aren't sure how it will go, but we are well-rested and ready to pound the pavement. Stay tuned for our opinions.

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Cala Gonone, Sardinia

As we left Bosa, we programmed the address of the Hotel l"Oasi into the GPS. The closer we got to Cala Gonone, the worse the weather became. It was raining and there were occasional bursts of thunder and lightning and to add to the worries the GPS was directing us to smaller, narrower, more twisted and remote roads. We couldn't imagine where we were going to end up. Surely, this wasn't the right way? We thought we were heading to a beachside resort. Instead we were navigating our way up and down the side of a mountain. Finally, we arrived and were treated to a beautiful spot with a spectacular view. (We later found out that we came into town on the old road. It is more frequently used by the local goats than by cars. There is a lovely, new road with a wide tunnel, but it wasn't the route our GPS took us on.)
It's so rewarding when you take a stab in the dark and achieve success. Lynda randomly selected this destination and our hotel based on a couple of comments she read on Trip Advisor. We couldn't have been happier with the results. Cala Gonone is approximately three hours from Alghero, located on the east coast of the island. The actual population is 1200 people, but in August when all the Italians take their holidays, it balloons to 30,000. We can only imagine what it must be like. We are very happy to be here now with only a few tourists. The Hotel l'Oasi is a family run business that has been in operation for over thirty years. It is run by Massimo and his wife Caterina, who are absolutely delightful. We can honestly say that, over nine months of travelling, l'Oasi makes our top places to stay list. The fact that they serve an authentic Sardinian dinner every night for 17 Euros each has only enhanced our experience. If we lost any weight prior to arriving here, we have certainly put it back on over the last six days.
What have we done here? Not much, actually. The area is surrounded by beautiful beaches so we have tried to go to as many of them as possible. Unfortunately, a lot of them are only accessible by boat and at this time of year, the boats are not operating on their full summer schedule. One of the most famous beaches, Cala Luna, is accessible by boat or by foot. We did have one energetic day. We drove down to Cala Fuili, parked our car and hiked for two hours to the beach at Cala Luna. Along the way, we met a German couple from Bavaria, Lydia and Bernhard. We started talking with them and hiking together. The conversation was interesting and lively. We ended up spending the rest of the afternoon and the entire next day with them. (A funny thing about Italian beaches: it may be remote and you may have to hike in, but it won't be completely rustic. More likely than not, you will be able to get a cold drink or a coffee because there will be a restaurant/bar in operation.
Again, the weather has been temperamental. We have had a few warm, sunny days, but a scirocco rolled in and since then the town has been blanketed by a sticky mist. We can barely see the bay from the balcony of our hotel room. We have three more nights in Sardinia. Tomorrow we are driving north to the town of Santa Teresa di Gallura. This is the closest point to the island of Corsica. If we have time and the weather cooperates, we may have an opportunity to touch down on French soil before heading back to Rome where we will spend the final days of our European vacation.

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Alghero, Sardinia

Another marathon day of travelling: a 45 minute drive to Chiusi, a two hour train journey to Rome, a 50 minute bus ride to the Ciampino airport, a three hour wait, a 50 minute plane trip to Alghero, a 10 minute ride to the car rental office and finally a 10 minute drive to our bed and breakfast. We arrived at "Rosso di Sera" in a daze, but we instantly appreciated our accommodation. It was a beautiful, modern house, on an olive farm, with a pool, only a short distance from town. Definitely a step up from the hostel we had just left. We enjoyed many chats with Claudia, our hostess, who manages the B and B for her family. Although she is in the final stages of her wedding preparations, she was a wonderful resource for us. We also appreciated the company of her dog, Fiocco, who was always out and about, running around the property.
Alghero is the main resort town in southwest Sardinia. It was a bit too busy for our liking, so we spent our days exploring the outskirts. There are beaches in town and on the road out of town. After a morning at the Grotta di Nettuno (that's 652 stairs on a return trip), we drove back towards Alghero. It wasn't long before Craig got his wish. We ended up at the Spiaggia del Lazzaretto with hundreds of other sun-seekers. Aaaahh, a sandy beach with turquoise waters. Craig dived straight in, but Lynda remained on the shore. Either the water was too cold or the weather wasn't hot enough. Either way, we have no photos to share because we were too afraid to pull out the camera. We didn't want to risk its demise so close to the end of our trip. The next day we headed north to the town of Stintino. We didn't actually make it into the town until later in the day because we were distracted by the sight of a beach and had to stop. This beach was much better - it was made of tiny pebbles. After several hours in the sun, we drove into town to see the Spiaggia della Pelosa. It was mayhem there and with good reason. The beach and the sea are spectacular. Lynda jumped out of the car to take several photos, but then we were on our way.
We have seen enough of Alghero for the time being (we do have to return to catch our flight back to Rome.) Driving and parking here is a bit of a nightmare. We were panic stricken when we discovered a small dent in the front fender of the car. We knew we hadn't hit anything, but who knows what happens when you leave the car in a parking lot? After a quick trip back to the rental agency, we were informed that the dent was previously there. What a relief! On our way to our next destination, Cala Gonone, on the east coast of Sardinia we stopped for lunch in Bosa, a small port with another hilltop fortress, looming over pastel painted houses. Luckily for us, Sardinia is a small island and we will be able to complete our trip in about two hours. We are looking forward to more sun, more relaxation and more beaches.

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Umbria, Italy

Right next door, to the east of Tuscany, is the region of Umbria. Although it is less popular with tourists, Umbria has a charm all its own. It has the classic rolling hills, winding country roads and hill towns, but it seems more agricultural. The Lonely Planet describes it as "the green heart of Italy." Apparently, it is a great place to do some hiking. We spent our first night at an agriturismo in a village called San Biagio delle Valle which is about twenty minutes from Perugia. "Torre Colombaia" is actually an organic farm that grows lentils, spelt and other types of grains. We only stayed one night, but we were served a fabulous dinner that ended with some delicious strawberry trifle.
Since we had arrived so early in the day, we had time to do some exploring. We headed to the town of Spello, for no other reason than its description in the guide book. We were not disappointed. It was only a short hike to the town from the parking lot at the bottom of the hill. The streets were narrow and windy. It has a beautiful church in the centre of town called Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore. Their pride and joy are some frescoes painted by Pinturicchio. The church has done an excellent job with the lighting to illuminate them in a dramatic fashion. Almost all of the houses had baskets of flowers and pots full of plants around their doorways. It smelled so fragrant. The town was in the process of getting ready for "Corpus Domini." We learned that this celebration takes place 60 days after Easter. The residents make elaborate designs out of fresh flowers and lay them in the streets. While we were there we saw many women sitting outside preparing flowers and leaves. It all looked so interesting. We weren't exactly sure when the event was taking place, but we were sorry that we weren't going to be able to see the final extravaganza. We thought Spello was absolutely charming and definitely worth a visit.
The next day we decided to visit the town of Gubbio. We drove up into the mountains and were treated to some fabulous Umbrian landscapes. Gubbio turned out to be just as delightful as Spello. We arrived to find a lot of people milling around. The Piazza Grande was decorated and roped off, with bleachers on either side of it. It turns out that later in the day, the annual "Palio della Balestra" was taking place. This is an archery competition between Gubbio and its neighbouring towns. Unfortunately, we weren't able to stay for the festivities (again), but we did get to see some of the participants practising. A must-do is to take the funicular to the top of the hill behind the town. You could drive up, but why miss a ride in this crazy contraption? It was the most fun we'd had in a long time. At the top you can go into the Basilica di Sant'Ubaldo where the remains of the saint are encased in glass. We weren't sure how we felt about that, but the church has some amazing stained glass windows that were worth seeing. After a few hours, we reluctantly left Gubbio and made haste to the village of Torricella on the shores of Lago Trasimeno. We had a reservation at a hostel called "Casa sul Lago" and we had to be there before three o'clock or we wouldn't be able to check in until four hours later. Luckily, we made it with a few minutes to spare.
We have stayed in a huge range of accommodation on this trip: hotel, caravan park, side of the road, house, motel, chalet, bed and breakfast, pension, guesthouse, apartment, villa and hostel. While none of them have been horrendous, it is true that "you get what you pay for." We have enjoyed staying in the hostel (which is for people of all ages), because it has allowed us to stay under budget for this portion of the trip. The room is basic, but it is large and it has a private bathroom (two toilets and a shower.) Breakfast is included and we have used the kitchen to cook a light dinner at the end of the day. They also have free WiFii and bicycles, and the other guests are lovely. Half of the people staying here are volunteer students from England or New Zealand. They get room and board and work for five hours per day. It seems like a great way to immerse yourself in the culture and learn Italian.
We have made excursions to Castiglione del Lago (where we explored the medieval fortress), Isola Polvese (an island that is an environmental laboratory) and into the hills at the northern end of the lake. While we have had a small taste of Umbria, there are many towns that we have not yet seen. Assisi, Perugia, Orvieto, and Spoleto to name a few. We have not been able to make this into a beach holiday either. The weather has been inconsistent and the lake is not the best for swimming. Craig is anxious to get back to barefeet and soak in some sun before we head home. We are hoping that our twelve day trip to Sardinia will yield these results.

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Montepulciano, Italy

We're on the road again. Our destination is Montepulciano, Italy. All of you Twilight fans will know it as the filming location of the recent "New Moon" movie. We aren't sure why since Stephenie Meyer's novel takes place in Volterra, but this time last year, Montepulciano was bursting at the seams with film crews and groupies hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite vampire. We squeezed into Mark and Elaine's Fiat Panda with and all our bags, and gratefully accepted a ride into Cerbaia where we caught the bus into Florence. Once there, we went to the train station and joined a huge line up of people all trying to buy tickets or get information. We saw self-service ticket machines, but it wasn't until we spotted an English speaking attendant that we felt confident enough to give it a go. She did all the work, we handed over our Visa card and voila, we had our tickets! More importantly we were able to leave the train station and get "due cappuccini." At 11:30 am, our train pulled out of the station and we we were on our way. It was definitely the milk run, but we enjoyed seeing the countryside. We went through Arezzo, past Cortona and along Lake Trasimeno. At 1:30 pm we arrived in Chiusi, exited the building and found a bus that was leaving immediately for Montepulciano. It is great when the connections work out so smoothly. There was only one glitch along the way. We were supposed to get off at the bus station in Montepulciano and call the owners of "Al Poggiolo" to come and pick us up. We made the mistake of getting off on the road below the old town. This meant we had to walk to the top of the town with our packs on our backs. Anyone who has been to Montepulciano will understand what this means...a steep incline. Plus we had no idea where we were going. We had to stop along the way and ask for directions. One of the restaurant owners (Guiliano from Acquacheta) called "Al Poggiolo" for us, gave us a map and sent us on our way. A short time later we were in our apartment, enjoying the fabulous vistas of the Tuscan countryside.
Montepulciano is a great base for exploring the Tuscan countryside because it is so centrally located. We did not do much travelling from here. Partly because we elected to wait until the end of the week to rent a car, and partly because we were quite happy to putter around our apartment, shop for daily meals and explore the streets of Montepulciano. The town felt authentically Italian. There really weren't a lot of tourists around. There are a few sights to see: the 16th century cathedral, the Piazza Grande and the Palazzo Communale. The Palazzo Communale is the town hall and the building with the clock tower. It is also the site in "New Moon" where Edward plans to reveal himself as a vampire because he thinks Bella is dead. At the last possible second, Bella bursts onto the scene and throws herself at him to prevent his reveal. The vampire lives another day and the star-crossed lovers are re-united.
Back in the real world.....there are some fine restaurants in Montepulciano. We had an enjoyable evening at Acquacheta later in the week. It is very popular and reservations are a necessity. They are famous for their slabs of beef, served rare. We went for the late sitting of dinner (9:15 pm - who enjoys eating this late?) and outside we met Scott and Teresa from North Carolina. Funny enough, we had seen them earlier in the day at the restaurant where we ate lunch. We started talking and then ended up sitting together at dinner. It turns out that, between lunch and dinner, Scott and Teresa had gotten engaged. They were in a festive mood so we helped them celebrate. (FYI - we had rabbit for our second course. It was very tasty.)
Montefollonico - Across the valley, on a neighbouring hillside, is the town of Montefollonico. It is small and quaint and not touristic. After talking to Elena and Margherita about it, we embarked on a cross-country walk. Down a long, country road beside the grapevines. Up a dirt track through the bush. The final push on the main road leading into town. When we arrived, we were hot and sweaty and hungry. We didn't make it further than the local bar where we used hand signals to order two ice lattes (they don't really have a name for it here so we are always listing the ingredients.) Then we plonked ourselves down in the shade and consumed our picnic lunch. Our intention was to meander through the town, then find an alternate walking route back. On our way out, we stopped to talk to two German residents of Montefollonico (Helmut and Uta and their dog Corinna) who were also sitting outside. That was as far as we got. The bar had closed for the afternoon, but when the security alarm was triggered, the owner arrived to check things out. Thanks to Helmut and Uta's connections, another round of beverages was ordered and we continued our chat. Helmut and Uta have lived in Tuscany for seven years. Uta is an author and Helmut is a photographer and photo scout. If you want to come and photograph classic Tuscan scenes, Helmut is your man. For a fee he will take you around to all the best spots and you can shoot to your heart's content. Several hours passed by and then Helmut made us an offer we couldn't refuse. Uta needed to go home to work, but he offered to take us on a tour of Val d'Orcia in his car, and then return us to Montepulciano. What a privilege! Craig did his best with our little, digital camera and we spent a wonderful afternoon with Helmut. It goes without saying that we would have had a difficult time finding these locations on our own. Many thanks to Helmut and Uta for their kindness. For us, these random encounters are the highlight of our trip.
Helmut's Photos

Pienza - Now, with a Fiat Panda of our own and our trusty GPS, Craig is ready to drive in Italy. We decided to make a short trip up the road to Pienza. It is only a small town of about 2200 residents, but it is World Heritage-listed because of all its historical monuments. There is the Piazza Pio II, the cathedral, the Palazzo Piccolomini and the Palazzo Borgia, all built between 1459 and 1462. Pienza was the birthplace of Pope Pius II and he took it upon himself to have the entire town rebuilt. We had already been there earlier in the week with Helmut, but we had to go back for a second look. The view of Val d'Orcia from Pienza is breathtaking.
In the blink of an eye, another week has gone by. We are going to spend the next week exploring Umbria. We have our Fiat Panda which means we are now independent. We won't have to rely upon public transportation or the kindness of strangers. This should allow us to get off the beaten path and cover a fair bit of territory.

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A week in Tuscany

We have finally arrived in Tuscany! After months of staying in campgrounds, bed and breakfasts and pensions, we have moved up in the world. For one week we stayed in an apartment in a medieval villa called "Le Torri," located about 20 km south of Florence. We read about "Le Torri" in a Globe and Mail article in March 2009 and were awestruck by the pictures and videos on their website. We booked it in May 2009 and began a long wait. "Le Torri" is everything we hoped it would be and more. Gabriele and his family are perfect hosts who go out of their way to enhance your vacation experience. On the evening of our arrival, they treated everyone to a welcome buffet and on Wednesday evening, they held a traditional Tuscan meal. Delicious! The villa consists of nine apartments in total and the week we were there, all but one of them was filled with Canadians. It was refreshing for us to be amongst our countrymen (and women) again. We are very grateful to fellow guests, Mark and Elaine from Victoria. Not only did we enjoy their company, but they took us along on a couple of day trips to surrounding towns.
Siena - Without a doubt, Siena has the most beautiful and elaborate cathedral that we have seen in the course of our travels. It dates back to the 12th and 13th centuries and has a unique white, green and red marble facade. You could spend hours wandering around and still not see everything. We also spent some time in "Il Campo." This is the large city square that also happens to be the location of the famous horse race called "Il Palio." There are many other sights to see in Siena, but since we were only there for the day, we spent the rest of our time wandering the streets with Mark and Elaine, having coffee and window shopping.
Montespertoli - A huge draw in Tuscany is the landscape. The olive groves, the vineyards, the rolling hills. We set out one morning to walk to the neighbouring town of Montespertoli. We could see it from our villa, on the top of a neighbouring hillside. (Yes Mark, it is only ten minutes in the car.) Down, down, down then up, up, up. An hour and a half later, our calves and hamstrings burning, we reached our destination. The trip back was equally brutal. Upon our return to "Le Torri" we suited up and headed straight for the pool. Although the water was a cool 20 degrees Celcius, the sun was shining and we were hot and sweaty. It took Lynda a half an hour, but once she was in the water, she stayed in longer than Craig. Let's just say that it was very "refreshing." San Gimignano and Volterra - The weather in Italy this May has been abnormally temperamental, according to the locals. We left "Le Torri" with Mark and Elaine at noon in sunny and clear conditions. By the time, we arrived in San Gimignano, it was cold, raining and windy. By the time we walked to the top of town, there was also thunder and lightning. The only consolation was that the weather kept most of the tourists away. We decided to stop for some lunch and when we were done, the storm had passed and we were able to wander around and experience the town. On to Volterra. It seemed fitting that we would arrive there on a dark and gloomy day. For those of you who aren't familiar with teen fiction, Volterra has become famous thanks to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. It is perched precariously on a hilltop. After travelling up a long, windy road, you park at the bottom of the hill and hike up the steps to one of the town's four gates. We didn't have a lot of time since we arrived at the end of the day, but it looked like an interesting place. There is an archealogical park, an Etruscan museum, a Roman theatre and many nooks and crannies to explore.

Florence - What can you see in Florence in one day? This was Lynda's second trip there. She was in Florence with her mom thirteen years ago and on this trip, she wanted to visit the previously skipped, Uffizi Gallery. Gabriele reserved tickets for us ahead of time so that when we arrived, we were able to walk right in. Equipped with audio guides, we set off to see the vast art collection of the Medici family. We saw works by Botticelli, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Caravaggio, to name a few. It was a bit overwhelming. After four hours we decided to call it a day and headed outside to get some fresh air. There was a lot to see in the Piazza della Signoria, between the tourists and the dramatic sculptures. We continued our walk along the Arno river and across the Ponte Vecchio. We wanted to wander through the Boboli Gardens at the Pitti Palace, but unfortunately, you can't see one without the other. So we settled for some gelato and continued our walk to the Piazza di Santa Maria Novella. Finally, a place to sit down. Time flew by and before long, we were on the bus and heading back to "Le Torri."
What a great week! Some sightseeing, some relaxation, some fabulous food and some great company. What more could we ask for? We regret that we were unable to share this experience with Lynda's mom as originally planned. We are now on our way to Montepulciano where we will spend a week at "Appartamenti al Poggiolo." We are looking forward to experiencing more of Tuscany.

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Venice, Italy

We have arrived back in Italy. How is it that we managed to save the most expensive country for last? With a mere 46 days remaining on our sabbatical, reality is harsh. Even with a favourable exchange rate between the dollar and the Euro, Lynda is going to be in need of a summer job.
Venice...full of energy and life. We exited Italian Customs and Immigration and, armed with our twenty kuna map from Venezia Lines, headed over to the nearest vaporetto (water bus) stop. There was a lot of confusion about tickets, but we finally found a small convenience store where we were able to purchase a thirty-six hour transit pass. Onto vaporetto number 2 for a trip to the train station, then a switch to vaporetto number 1 and down the Grand Canal. It is a spectacular sight - boats and gondolas everywhere. We disembarked at the San Silvestro stop and attempted to use the payphone to call Mario, the host of our bed and breakfast. Easier said than done. Italian payphones are not straightforward. There were too many options (email, SMS, info etc.) and the instructions were all in Italian. Even with help from one of the locals, we were stymied. Eventually we figured it out. Mario arrived and he led us to "Residenza degli Angeli," a lovely home on a quiet street about ten minutes from the Rialto Bridge.
Make no mistake about it, tourists are everywhere. Venice is a maze of narrow, European streets with canals and bridges thrown in to impede your progress. The most commonly overheard conversation has to do with "where are we?" and "Where are we trying to go?" The locals are easily distinguished from the tourists - they are the ones without the maps. Lucky for us, we are still on good terms. It wouldn't have taken much for Craig to lose Lynda here. After four days, she still couldn't find her way back to the bed and breakfast from two streets away.
In a city where your only source of transportation is by boat, Craig was delighted. Taxi boats, delivery boats, moving company boats, garbage boats and the boats of young people (complete with boom boxes and fuzzy dice.) We watched the efficiency with which goods were distributed by boat, then cart to the final destination. Unlike the masses, we did not pay to go on a gondola ride. Our main goal was to avoid the crowds, so we walked and walked and walked some more. Yet in looking at our map, we barely covered 1/3 of the city's area. When we got too tired, we'd jump on the vaporetto, sit on a park bench or stop for a cappuccino. People watching in Venice can be a full-time job. We were highly amused by the street vendors, especially the guys selling knock-off purses. Their business is brisk, but they are watchful because they are constantly trying to stay one step ahead of the police.
The weather in Venice was quite changeable. Within a twenty-four hour period, we had sun, rain, thunder and lightning. Not that it dampened our spirits. The worst of the weather was in the evenings. We walked to the Piazza San Marco and had a look around, but we did not go into the Basilica or the Palazzo Ducale or any of the museums. The line-ups were long and we decided we would prefer not to pass our time that way. We did make a trip by vaporetto to Murano to see a demonstration of glass blowing. We wandered around the Pescaria (fish market) and the Rialto Market and ogled the wares. We lamented our inability to fill our shopping basket and go home and cook. On our last night in Venice, we attended the I Musici Veneziana performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. It was very fitting to be listening to such beautiful masterpieces in Vivaldi's hometown.
Venice is definitely one of the most unique cities in the world and, a must-do, at least once in your life. We were thrilled to have seen it, but now we are on the move again. We have tickets on the 9:30 am Eurostar train to Florence. Once we get there, we have to make our way by bus to San Quirico in Collina where we are spending a week in luxury at "Le Torri." Lynda is looking forward to having WiFii access again. It's hard to do research and make travel arrangements when you are paying by the minute in an Internet cafe.

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Rovinj, Croatia

Our journey to Rovinj from Plitvice Lakes consisted of three buses and nine hours of travelling. Our longest stop was two hours in Rijeka, but we put the time to good use. It turns out the town offers free WiFii from a tower in the centre of town, so we planted ourselves in a cafe and caught up on the latest emails. We really miss our connection to the outside world when we don't have it. On the walk to and from the bus station, Craig was actively taking in the architecture and capturing more images. By the time we finally arrived in Rovinj, we were exhausted. Natalina from Villa Dobravac was kind enough to pick us up at the bus terminal, so we were saved the challenge of locating our accommodation on our own.
Why Rovinj? We have heard from numerous sources that the Istrian peninsula is one of the most beautiful places in Croatia, but we didn't go there for that reason. We went because of its proximity to Venice. We were looking for the most direct route to Venice and Venezia Lines runs a hydrofoil across the pond three times a week. Once in Rovinj, we questioned our decision. Perhaps the scheduled trip was on, perhaps not. It depended on the weather and if enough passengers had booked. We did find out the day before our departure that there were enough passengers to run the ferry and if the weather was not good, Venezia Lines was going to arrange alternate transportation .... yes, another bus.
Rovinj is a typical coastal fishing town. It has a large harbour and thousands of boats. There are lots of cafes and gelato shops. Unfortunately, we did not see Rovinj at its best. For the first two nights of our stay, we were the only guests at our accommodation. When the other guests did arrive, they did not speak English. Also, for most of the time we were there, it was either cloudy, windy or raining. Not that we should complain, but it is hard not to be affected by the weather when you are away from your home and your friends, and you have no television or Internet to distract you. So, we were happy to get on the hydrofoil on Wednesday and make our way to Venice. On the pier in the morning while we were waiting for the catamaran to arrive, we met John and Ginny from Seattle. It was great talking with them and sharing a few laughs. They were on their way to Padua, but we have exchanged info and we hope to see them again when we are back on the west coast.

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Looking ahead to Canada Day

For all of you who are not otherwise engaged, we would like to invite you to a very informal beer and burger Canada Day gathering at our house. Since we will only be arriving home quite late the night before, we will need your help to pull this off. We can supply the burgers and all the trimmings. Any contribution you can make would be greatly appreciated. BYOB and tales of what's been going on since we've been gone. RSVP to our email address. We look forward to seeing you then!

Plitvice Lakes, Croatia

Thanks to Emil and Elise we were staying at a Sobe in the village of Rastavaca, about a fifteen minute walk from Gate One at Plitvice Lakes National Park. Rastavaca is a little Bavarian village. The houses are fashioned after alpine chalets and they are all Sobes. No suprise there, considering the village's proximity to the park. Our Sobe was owned by Ana and Ljubo Spehar. Although they did not have WiFii, the house was immaculate. Clean air. Bright and cheerful. We were in heaven! And the price? Cheaper than the "pit in Split". We immediately decided that we were going to have to stay two nights. After storing our belongings in our room, we headed back to the park, purchased a two day pass and began our exploration.
Plitvice National Park is a popular tourist attraction. Although there is a constant stream of tour buses pulling in and out, it is possible to avoid the masses. We managed to achieve this by NOT following the directional arrows on the sign posts. The tight, twisted alleys we have become used to gave way to vast, open, green spaces with trees, fresh air and cascading waterfalls. It reminded us of home. The park is very well organized in terms of transportation. There are trams between the parking lots and boats in two different locations to ferry people across the water. It is such a shame that Plitvice is a mere day stop for most people. We could have spent several days here and continued to enjoy the magnificence of it all.
While we were eating dinner at a restaurant on our first night there, we were surprised and thrilled by the arrival of our South African friends, Emil and Elise. Their arrival from Zadar had been delayed by the cancellation of another bus. We were horrified to hear that there had been a mix-up at the Sobe with their arrival date and while we had a room, they did not. They had been re-located to Ana's sister's house, two doors down. We spent a couple of hours laughing over the trials and tribulations of travelling and discussing our future plans. Unfortunately, we did not see them again, but we are hopeful that they will turn up in Vancouver one day in the near future.

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Split, Croatia

It turns out that the weather was not bad enough to cancel the Krilo Jet so we, along with Emil and Elise, were successful in reaching Split by 8:30 the next morning. We said goodbye to them at the bus station and made a mandatory stop for our daily caffeine fix at a nearby cafe. We could finally relax, and it also gave Craig time to study the map to find our accommodation.

Split is a big city, but it is also a regular stop on the cruise ship and backpacker circuit, so it is tourist friendly. We liked the atmosphere. It reminded us of Kusadasi, Turkey. Within two hours of arriving we were down at the Cathedral of St. Domnius which dates back 1700 years. The cathedral has the most amazing set of wooden doors which were carved in the 13th century and depict the life of Christ. We paid the extra kunas to climb the bell tower. In the past we have found that this is where you get some of the best views of the surrounding area. Our ascent was a bit intriguing. We passed a fellow on his way down who was wearing climbing gear and, at the top, there was some unattended rappelling gear. Later when we were down in the square, a crowd had gathered and there were several television cameras in the area. Everyone seemed to be waiting for something to happen. Just before noon, the climber reappeared and began to scale the outside of the bell tower. When he was about half way up, the bells started pealing. They continued to ring until he had climbed the spire on the top of the tower and hung the Croatian flag. A television reporter told us it was all part of the festivities for the upcoming celebration in the city on May 7th.
On our second day in Split, we took the bus to a nearby town called Trogir. It is about thirty minutes away and it is also located on the Adriatic Sea. Several people told us it was worth a visit. It has the seaside promenade, the castle walls and an old town with twisting, winding streets. Unfortunately, the weather was changing. Normally the wind comes from the southwest bringing warmth from the Sahara desert. The "Bor" wind comes from the north and brings cold, miserable weather.

Luckily the rain held off and we were able to view Trogir's pride and joy, the cathedral of St. Lovro. It is considered to be one of Croatia's finest architectural works. We were impressed with the many sculptures which decorate it and the view from the bell tower. Don't ask how many stairs we have climbed over the last two weeks. We have lost count.
We have been very successful finding accommodation over the last 8 months. After Lynda does some research on the Internet, we contact a few places and usually one of them has a vacancy. In Split, we did not follow our usual pattern. We were given a recommendation in Dubrovnik and decided to take a chance. Let's put it this way...it was a dud. We are now referring to it as "the pit in Split." We cannot complain about the location. It was in the Old Town and although it was noisy at night because of all the cafes and bars in the area, it was centrally located to all the sights. First problem: they were heavy smokers. We never realized how much we detest the smell of smoke until we stayed there. It is insidious. It clings to all of your belongings, long after you have left the establishment. Second problem: the lady ripped us off. When we arrived she told us the price was 200 kunas per night. This seemed reasonable because we were using a bathroom down the hall, and there was no breakfast or Internet access. When we went to pay her the night before we left, she jacked the price to 250 kunas and told us that "we misunderstood" her. What could we do? We paid her the money and at first light the next day, we were gone.
We trooped off to the bus station for our trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park. We were very excited about the prospect of having an outdoor experience...trees, lakes, waterfalls etc. The drive from Split takes approximately four hours. In Croatia, the intercity buses have two drivers. They alternate between being the driver and the attendant. One of our drivers was completely reckless.

We were convinced that he thought he was Mario Andretti and he was out to set a personal best time. He was talking on his cell phone, passing on curves, and speeding and tailgating on wet, mountainous roads. At one point, while driving, he was standing up and looking behind him as he searched his belongings for his cell phone. It is a miracle that we made it to Plitvice in one piece. We got off the bus on the side of the road at Gate One and started walking to our Sobe in the village of Rastavaca. Although it had been raining all morning, the weather had cleared and we were optimistic that we were going to be able to see the park without getting soaking wet.

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Hvar, Croatia

Hvar is a quaint, little port with fishing boats, castles and red roofs that has been discovered by people with big, fancy boats who have lots of money to spend. We were excited to see a 38 foot sailboat proudly flying a Canadian flag anchored in the harbour. The price of our morning cappucino rose dramatically, however we were able to find several locations where they would brew it hot enough to our liking so it was worth the extra kunas. We also found an affordable Sobe with a wonderful harbour view and friendly holiday makers from Australia, Canada and South Africa. It was good to sit on the terrace, soak up the views and exchange stories over cold beverages. We were also thrilled to have kitchen facilities again. After several months of eating out, we were keen to cook our own food and even do dishes. This also gave our pocket book a much needed break. We spent several days walking around visiting the usual tourist attractions and browsing in some shops. Lavendar grows wild throughout the island and there are people selling it from little stands all over town. Rosemary and sage also grow well on Hvar. One afternoon we went for a hike along the coast and found it growing everywhere. Later that afternoon we stumbled upon an unusual tourist attraction. It seems there are a number of naturalist beaches here.
We extended our stay in Hvar because Craig wanted to rent one of the traditional fishing boats equipped with a 5 horse outboard and visit the Pakleni islands, immediately offshore, with their multitude of coves and beaches. Unfortunately, the wind came up and it didn't let up. We were also disappointed in our efforts to see the prized painting of the Last Supper by 17th century artist, Matej Ponzoni Poncun. It was located just down the road from our Sobe at the Franciscan Monastery. Although their advertised hours included an opening between 5 and 7 pm, when we went to the Monastery, the Museum was closed. We rang the bell and the monk that answered the door told us to come back in the morning. Obviously, it is still too early in the season for regular hours.

All in all, we had a nice, quiet stay in Hvar. It has given Lynda some time to recover from a head cold that appeared out of nowhere. If the wind cooperates, it's another early morning departure for ourselves and our new friends, Emil and Elise, from South Africa. We are all heading for Split on the Krilo Jet. Hopefully, our plans will go smoothly and we won't be scrambling to make other arrangements.

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Korcula, Croatia

At 3:00 pm on the dot, our bus pulled out of Dubrovnik and we began a three and a half hour journey to the island of Korcula. (Interestingly enough, there was a couple from Gibsons, BC on the bus.) The winding road along the coast and the adjacent islands reminded us of the Gulf Islands at home. We now know why everyone says Croatia is so beautiful. When we arrived at Orebic, we had to wait for the ferry. Craig wandered off to take some photos. He noticed that the guy who ties up the ferry also sells the tickets and then loads it. All very manageable considering the size of the boat. Within twenty minutes, we had made the short journey across the water and were at the bus station in the town of Korcula. We are becoming very spoiled. Many of the Sobe owners come and meet you upon your arrival. It is always a delight to arrive in a location and see someone standing there holding a sign with your name on it. Rezi de Polo is a woman after Lynda's own heart. On our way to her Sobe, she had to stop and pick up some cat food. She has somehow taken on the responsibility of feeding half a dozen of the neighbourhood cats. Rezi's house is located on the waterfront about five minutes from the town centre. Craig enjoyed our walks to and from town as it gave him an opportunity to ogle the boats, many of which were being readied for the upcoming season. After settling into our room, we headed into town to get some dinner. We went to "Mareto" and ran into a Swedish family who had been travelling with us on the bus. We all sat together and exchanged travel stories. Anneka and her parents were in Croatia as a celebration for her mother's 60th birthday. It was a very pleasant evening.
Korcula resembles Dubrovnic with its walls, round towers and red roofed houses. It is significantly smaller, but we loved its size and its quaintness. We especially liked the drama of the modern day staircase which takes you into the old town. According to the locals, Korcula is the birthplace of the famous explorer and Venetian merchant, Marco Polo. The town marks the location of his birth house and plans are being made for a museum in his name. Although many historical documents claim that Marco Polo was born in Venice, Korcula was under Venetian rule at the time so there may be truth in both stories.
We rented a scooter one day so that we could see some of the island. We loved the little village of Racisce. It consists of houses, a church, two cafes, a post office and many boats in the harbour. It is so picturesque. We inched our way up a steep hill to the village of Pupnat where the views were outstanding and we could see for miles. Then we headed back towards Korcula and onto the village of Lumbarda, which is known for its sandy beaches and vineyards. Everywhere you look there are boats and bays and turquoise waters. We can't believe that we couldn't convince Jim and Karen to meet us in Croatia. Another time perhaps?
We have stretched our stay out as long as we dare. We are now off to the island of Hvar. One hour and fifteen minutes on the Krilo Jet catamaran. The unfortunate reality of this journey is its 6:00 am departure. Not to worry, we will get our travelling out of the way early in the day and have more time to explore another island.

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Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik is brilliant! As soon as we got off the ferry, a weight was lifted off our shoulders and we felt relaxed again. Who wouldn't be relaxed? Thanks to our Croatian seatmates at the BC Lion's football games, we were staying in the private home of Mrs. Luca Krkic, high up on the hill behind the old city. 295 steps and a 12% grade for 6 blocks, but the view was amazing. Everywhere we looked we saw red clay roofs, enclosed in the impressive stone castle walls with the dazzling Adriatic sea as a backdrop. As we sat on the deck every morning, eating our breakfast in the sunshine we felt like we were a part of something magical. Then came the reality. Two round trips per day into the city to remind us that exercise is a necessary evil when you are traveling.
While many of our Canadian friends are desperate for signs of spring, it has already arrived in Dubrovnik. In fact, Dubrovnik reminds us of a tropical city. What stands out more than anything is the sweet smell of blossoms in the air. We were also amazed by the lush vegetable gardens. Apparently, the locals start planting in February. Everyone has rows and rows of potatoes and onions. Luca is already harvesting her lettuce. We were so envious. Garden fresh vegetables at the end of April. It didn't seem real. A popular activity with all tourists is a walk around the walls of the old city. The walls were built between the 13th and 16th centuries and they completely surround the city. They are 2 km long and 25 m high. As you walk along, you are treated to views from all angles and you are able to climb up into a few towers. Entrance to the city itself is through four gates. Inside the walls we found churches, museums, souvenir shops, book stores, and art shops. Oh, and lots of places selling gelato. It seems that everyone likes Italian icecream. Lucky for us it is a bit early for cruise ships. There was no more than one ship per day in port while we were there, but it is not hard to imagine what it is like in the height of the season. The sheer number of restaurants is a clue. We found it amusing to watch the waiters in their attempts to lure in more customers. It seems that the friendliest (i.e. noisiest) ones are also the busiest.
While we are visiting a place, we are forced to perform some of life's more mundane tasks. We were thrilled to be able to do laundry at the Krkic house. It was just like being in Australia again. Hang the clothes up on the line and they are dry within hours. Craig's first order of business upon his return home? A clothes line in the backyard. Hopefully, the neighbours won't mind too much. On another note, we had a successful shopping expedition. Craig was able to find another new hat. It seems his wool chapeau is too hot in this weather. He is now sporting a red, Nike, dry fit cap with a silver swoosh. Unfortunately, as soon as we arrive in a place, we are also planning our departure. One day we walked from the old town to the port with the hope of finding a ferry to the island of Korcula, our next destination. Yet again, we are here too early in the season. It seems that we are going to have to take the bus. Not that we mind, but ultimately Craig is a water baby. If we had to choose between land and sea, sea would win out every time. For both of us, this was our first visit to a former Socialist state. It goes without saying that the history of this area is complicated and while we are thirsty for knowledge, we are sensitive to the feelings of others. We do know, from the Krkic family, that Dubrovnik was under attack from the Yugoslavian army, the Serbs and the Montenegrins in 1991-1992. These forces were located on the hill behind and to the left of their home. A lot of damage was done to the city. We read somewhere that 68% of the roofs on buildings within the city walls have been replaced. A must see in Dubrovnik is War Photo Limited. It is an exhibit of war images taken by some of the best photojournalists in the world. Some of the conflicts that have been photographed include the Yugoslav war, Iraq, Afganistan, Sierra Leone and the Congo. It was a sobering experience, but it heightened our awareness of how lucky we are to live in a country that has never had a war on its own soil.
We would like to say a special thank you to Mr. Begovic of the Begovic Boarding house. Although we did not stay with him, we met him in town a couple of times and he was friendly and helpful on both occasions. When we first arrived in Dubrovnic, he used his phone to call the Krkic's to advise them of our arrival. He also drove another traveller to the campground - all out of the goodness of his heart. If you are thinking about travelling in Croatia, there is no need to stay in hotels. There are hundreds of Sobe (private homes), in great locations, at affordable prices. It is also the best way to meet the locals and your fellow travellers.

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Bari, Italy

It turns out the Superfast I ferry was about a year old, spacious and elegant. Our cabin actually had four bunks in it. We contemplated renting out the other two to make some money, but in the end, we kept it for ourselves. Craig was disappointed that there was no balcony, just a small outside window. The ferry was full. There were Italian student groups, American tour groups who had been diverted because of flight cancellations and regular travelers like us. The trip passed quickly. Mostly because we made some new friends, a couple from Australia and their friends from the U.S.A. We spent an enjoyable evening in the restaurant together. A good time was had by all. It was so nice to be able to go to sleep in a comfortable bunk at the end of the day. We slept soundly and when we awoke in the morning, we were a mere hour away from Bari.Bari is a medium sized city that is a transportation centre. It is not really a tourist destination. We would not be staying here, however we are unable to get a ferry to Dubrovnik until the evening of April 24th (Lynda's birthday.) As a result, it has been trial by fire in terms of communication. We have been fumbling our way through the Italian language. Our funniest experience was at the post office. We decided that we should lighten our packs and send some of our winter clothes home. It took all morning for us to get a box and find out about postage rates. Back at the hotel, we crammed as much into the box as we could and headed back to mail it. It took the clerk forty-five minutes to process our package, mainly because of the language barrier. They had to clarify the contents in Italian, determine a value for insurance purposes and accept the fact that we had no address so we were using the pension as a return address. Finally, they accepted the package and we stumbled out of there in a daze. It will be a miracle if we ever see those clothes again.
In the seven months we have been away, we have only had about ten incidents of rain. Throughout Turkey and the Greek islands, the weather has been sunny and warm. The day we sent home our jackets and boots, it started to rain. On our way out for dinner, Lynda lasted about ten minutes. As soon as we saw a sporting goods store, she was in there buying a wind breaker/rain jacket. Craig is made of heartier stock and is much more optimistic. We will see how wise a decision we made, as we travel through Croatia and back into Italy.
There are a few things to do and see in Bari. The old town is a maze of streets and alleyways. According to the Lonely Planet, there are 120 shrines and 40 churches in this small area alone. Craig was amused by the "Infamous Column." It dates back to the 13th century and was where debtors and people who had declared bankruptcy were put to shame. Bari is also the site of the Basilica di San Nicola, one of the south's first Norman churches. It is an important pilgrimage site, as evidenced by the number of tour buses parked around it. Apparently, it was built to house the relics of St. Nicholas (yes, Father Christmas.) We aren't sure of the whole story, but the relics were stolen from Turkey in 1087 by a local fisherman. We also went inside the 11th century Romanesque cathedral. Both the Basilica and the cathedral have very interesting crypts. We aren't religious people, yet you can't help but feel peace and serenity in both places.
For months we have been looking forward to an Italian dining experience. We were disappointed in Bari. There are coffee houses on every corner, but restaurants are more difficult to find. Primarily because Italians don't go out for dinner until at least 8:00 pm. For us, it is way too late to eat. In Turkey and Greece the locals eat late, but at least the restaurants were open and we could get served. In Bari, nothing was open and we spent hours walking around looking for somewhere to eat. Clearly, we are going to have to change our eating patterns before we return to Italy.We were anxious to continue our travels and happily went to the port on Saturday evening. There were a number of ferries leaving that night: Dubrovnik, Montenegro and Albania. The line-up to clear immigration was huge and it moved slowly. We were amongst one of the first groups to board our ship. It was like a 1970s BC ferry that missed out on ever being upgraded. Since we had not purchased a cabin, we were lucky enough to secure a booth. We divided the journey into two four hour shifts and took turns sleeping. We arrived in Dubrovnik at 8:00 am on Sunday morning feeling quite refreshed and are now safely tucked away in a "Sobe" on the hill above the old town.

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