Author Archives: Jodi

Exploring Plitvice National Park: A Croatian Adventure

Our European journey continues: Still in Croatia as there’s so much to see. The previous post can be found here: https://whereisgrandma.com/2022/05/25/croatia-part-2-zadar-ugljan-island-and-preko-the-european-adventure-continues/

Are you ready to be bombarded with waterfall pictures? I LOVE waterfalls! Plitvice was my main motivation for coming to Croatia in the first place and I finally made it! You really should go during the shoulder season. Tickets are cheaper and there are much fewer people there.

Wednesday, May 18, 2022. Another bus. This was another short one to Plitvice National Park, the place that had inspired my fascination with Croatia. The bus ride from Zadar was very scenic and become forested as we approached the park. We were confused as the driver breezed by what we thought would be our stop. When he stopped at park entrance 2 I asked what was the last stop? Mukinje. Oh cool. That’s us! He turned the bus around and dropped us off. The walk to the Guest House Slavica was about 10 minutes.

It was way too early to check in so we went for a walk to check out where we’ll be living for the next few days. There weren’t a lot of dinner options available, likely as it’s not high season so we opted to make dinner for ourselves since we had use of a kitchen. It’s always fun shopping at foreign grocery stores and figuring out how to make a meal. Pasta’s the easiest choice. It was pretty darn good and quite a bit cheaper than eating out. We also bought stuff to make sandwiches to take to the park. Admission is expensive enough. (Currently 300 kn for 2 days – about $55 CAD) I imagine food will be too.
We attempted to strategize how we’re going to see ALL of Plitvice National park and these two blogs came in really handy. Check them out if you’re planning a trip. https://www.earthtrekkers.com/how-to-visit-plitvice-lakes-travel-guide/
and https://misstourist.com/8-things-you-should-know-about-plitvice-lakes-croatia/#Here_is_how_to_get_to_the_secret_spot

Thursday. Our host works at the park so she graciously offered to drive us there, saving the 25 minute walk. We had a plan for the day that included taking the ferry to P3 and starting off walking to the big falls. That’s when the plan fell apart. The path to the “secret spot” was closed. Well poop. So we threw the plan out the window and just wandered, taking the ferry and the “train” when it happened to be in our path. Late afternoon we ended up back at P3 and found a road that took us to the “secret spot”. It lived up to the hype as that’s where the post card picture was taken.

Friday.
Again we started bright and early with a ride from our host to the park. Since we had a ticket we didn’t have to walk so far. Good thing as we had big plans for the day. We decided to follow route ‘K’ all day as that trail covers the whole park. No variations. Well, just one. We took an extra trail to see the secret spot again, just to make sure we saw it at the best time of day. It was decided that late afternoon has the best lighting. So, should you decide to go to Plitvice National Park, get to P3 (ferry port 3). Rather than take the trail to the big falls, take the road that goes up. You’ll kind of exit the park as you’ll go past entrance 3. Keep going until you cross a small bridge. There’s a mill on your right. Right after the bridge is a road to a restaurant on your left. On your right is a dirt path. It’s not signed and it appears to lead nowhere. However, it actually takes you to a spot with the best view in the world. The trek from P3 to the viewpoint should take about 20 minutes.
The rest of the day we spent hiking ‘K’ trail with a few stops for lunch and a snack. Yesterday we packed a lunch. We realized food prices in the park aren’t outrageous. Today we just ate at the Bistro at P3. It was good too! The beauty of doing the longest trail in the park is that we ran into very few people. The only time there were others was when the trail intersected with some of the other popular trails.
By the time we were done for the day, we’d walked 26 km and about 40,000 steps. We were hot, sweaty, and tired. We didn’t feel like dinner. So, we stopped at the grocery store. We got a box of ice cream and some fresh strawberries. Voila. Dinner!

Saturday. Our only option if we wanted to visit Rastoke was to take the 6:50 am bus to Sunj. Why not? We’re awake early anyway so we did it. It was a little confusing, but we found the river. We followed it down the right side. We saw all kinds of beautiful waterfalls. Since it was still early the park in the village wasn’t open yet so we walked to Start Grad, supposedly an old city. The path along the river was nice. However, there was nothing to see except the ruins of some kind of round building. By the time we walked back the park was open. It was 40 kn to enter but it was worth it as you could visit a cave, a cute little fairy garden, and enjoy several waterfalls. Some have compared it to Plitvice. I wouldn’t go that far but it’s definitely worth a visit.

After some confusion as to where the bus stop was we headed back to Mukinje and spent the rest of the afternoon doing….not much. We were tired.

Next destination…. Lake Bled, Slovenia. More bus adventures! This time it will take 3 of them to get there.

I’m not sure 4 nights is necessary for Plitvice but if you have a day or two of bad weather, it’s nice to have the time.
Next stop, Lake Bled, Slovenia!

Croatia part 2. Zadar, Ugljan island and Preko. The European Adventure continues

Sue and I have finished our G Adventures tour and Wendy has joined us for a couple of weeks while we explore Croatia and Slovenia.
The previous post can be found here:https://whereisgrandma.com/2022/05/23/more-of-croatia-split-trogir-and-supetar-island/

Monday, May 16, 2022

Our host at the Marco Polo was kind enough to allow us to check in early so we had the afternoon to explore Zadar. The old part city was a short walk just over the bridge and is different from Dubrovnik and Split. The fortress is now a beautiful park full of huge trees which is unusual in Croatia. The old city is a mix of old and new and it’s obvious UNESCO has no input here. We found the sea organ and sat listening to it while enjoying the view and people watching until the sun salutation started. Both are fascinating! Read more about them here: https://www.zadar.hr/en/experience/history-culture/sea-organ-sun-salutation

Tuesday. We’d spent the previous day wandering and figuring out what to do with our one day in Zadar. We’re all tired of tours but wanted to see an island so we boarded the ferry to Ugljan island. Once in Preko we walked to Kali where we found a tourist office. The nice lady there told us about some hikes we could do and pointed out the way. Off we went. Up, up and up hill and it was HOT. It was a nice walk through olive groves with lots of gorgeous views. The walk down was trickier as the rocky path made it kind of slippery. We made it back to Preko where we had lunch. The sun picked that time to hide and it threatened to rain. We walked to the beach anyway since Preko boasts a real sand beach and we hadn’t seen one yet in Croatia. It really IS a nice area and there was practically no one there. The joys of travel during shoulder season! The sun came out and it was hot again so I jumped in. The water was COLD but of course I told Wendy it was nice. She jumped in and SCREAMED. Of course I laughed. A lot. It was refreshing.

The ferry was 38 kn each and well worth it. Back in Zadar we wandered some more, got an ice cream and sat at the Sea organ, enjoying the “music” and people watching. The organ was much louder today as the sea was choppier. When. a boat producing a large wake goes by it’s really loud.

Wednesday. Another bus took us to Plitvice National Park (Nacionalni park Plitvička jezera) Do you like waterfall pictures? If so, that post is for you! It was hard to choose which pictures to post as they’re all gorgeous.

More of Croatia! Split, Trogir, and Supetar Island

Saturday, May 14, 2022
We said goodbye to our G Adventures group, most of whom were headed to their various home countries over the next few days.

The following is a continuation of the previous post which ended in Split: Croatia! Dubrovnik, Hvar and Split
Our bags packed and on our backs we headed to the apartment we’d rented for the next couple days. The for all seasons apartment was a nice surprise as it’s very roomy, clean and even had a washing machine. Perfect timing as sink washing works for a while but sometimes your clothes really need a good wash.
Most of the day was spent wandering the city and checking out the beaches, even enjoying a drink at Bacvice beach. Wendy’s bus came in just before 5 so we met her so after she settled in we headed back to the palace, finding dinner on the way.
For the next 2 weeks, the 3 of us will be exploring Croatia and Slovenia together.

Dome room inside the Diocletian’s palace
Dome from the top.
View from the top of Marijan
Roman amphitheatre?
Inside the little chapel on Marijan
Very interesting fountain
The “basement” of palace

Sunday.
Turns out there’s a public bus station a 2 minute walk from our place and there’s one that goes to Trogir. Since that’s a world heritage site we figured it had to be worth visiting so off we went, stopping at a bakery for a breakfast sandwich. The bus was 21 Kn each way (about $4) and an hour ride. We spent the next few hours wandering the old city, the fortress and climbing the fortress tower before heading back. By then we were hot, tired and sweaty and looking for something cooler to do so we picked a ferry to Brac island and explored the town of Supetar. Ivan (a famous Croatian sceptre) is buried in a cemetery there in a very odd grave. Find out more about him here: https://www.theguide.hr/ivan-mestrovic-sculptor/. His sculptures are all over the place. He often used his own grumpy face in statues and his wife or mother in female versions. We had dinner there then headed back.

Trogir

Monday our Croatian adventure took us to Zadar by bus. That’s in the next post.

Croatia! Dubrovnik, Hvar and Split

Monday, May 9, 2022

We said goodbye to Montenegro (previous post here: Montenegro, a tiny country in the Balkans. It’s beautiful! Kotor
and previous to that this post: From Hungary to Serbia to Bosnia; Sarajevo and Mostar saving some time by taking the ferry across Kotor Bay and crossed the border into Croatia and the European Union.

Dubrovnik is the capital but still a small town. It was a kingdom for over 500 years and managed to avoid war until the 1990’s. Even then it was a refuge for many fleeing more targeted cities.

We visited the Planeterra project “Desa” that helped women find their way after the 90’s conflict and now also helps those fleeing abuse. Then we enjoyed a walking tour and quick lesson on the history of Dubrovnik. The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering the small old city, getting lost in the side streets, holes in the wall and having a hot chocolate on the square. A late dinner at a fish restaurant just outside the city walls was delicious.

This one is bizarre

Tuesday Sue and I were still dealing with sore legs. Who knew walking DOWN a mountain would cause such lasting effects? We’re both in decent shape and hike fairly often so it surprised us. After breakfast we took the bus into town, walked through the old city and took the ferry to Lokrum Island. It’s a Nature reserve very close to the city. There we spent the next several hours wandering, pestering peacocks and enjoying the view. We still managed to climb the hill to the fortress although “paradise lane” was HOT and just about killed us. Back in town we treated ourselves to an ice cream before catching the bus to the hotel. Dinner was on the walking street nearby. We found a “deal” on a tuna steak with fries. Food is NOT cheap in Dubrovnik.

Dead Sea
Paradise Road? I think not!
A garden on a wall
View from the fortress. A large cruise ship

Wednesday. There’s a 10 km stretch of Bosnia you have to drive through to get to Hvar, Croatia. They’re building a bridge so it can be avoided but it’s not finished yet so we got to go through border control. Thankfully it didn’t take too long. The ferry across takes about 1/2 hour and got us to the East end. Hvar town is on the other end so our van took us up, down and around the windy roads for the next two hours. The scenery was gorgeous.
Upon arrival we were surprised to find ourselves at the Amfora hotel, a 4 star resort with a beautiful pool and private beach. WOW. Too bad we’re only here 2 nights and likely won’t have time to enjoy it. Filip showed us around town and helped Sue and I set up a taxi to take us on the hike he recommended. He called it a “walk” and said it would take us around 3 hours. Right.
The taxi ride was about 20 minutes up an interior road that winded even more than the main road and the scenery was well worth the drive to the tiny town of Velo Grabje. The path followed a canyon down for about a km then met the paved road. At the town of Malo Grabje we went off the trail and had a look around as it’s an abandoned village that has barely been touched since the people left. No graffiti, just left to rot. One house has been rebuilt and someone has been trimming some of the weeds and grass.

“The village was evacuated in the 1960s, with the entire population moving to the coastal village Milna.[1] The evacuation was so complete that some graves were exhumed and bodies moved to Milna as well.[1] No property was ever made available for sale, despite potential interest. All families within the village had shared a single surname “Tudor” – it is both claimed and disputed that there is a link to Henry VIII.[1]“. (Wikipedia)

Good thing we made time by walking as quickly as possible as the rest of the trails were not so much a “walk” as a good hike. There were parts that were large rocks that rolled under our feet, lots where we had to scramble over rocks and tree roots, parts where it was grown over so we had to avoid thorn bushes, a section over the rocky shoreline where we had to pick our way over large rocks, another where the rocks were sharp and uneven so again we couldn’t walk quickly and a couple good uphill sections. It was fun and a good hike, but certainly not a walk. I’d say it’s more of a moderate hike through the town of Milna, past Robinson’s beach to another beach closer to Hvar. After that was a cement path that took us all the way to Hvar. Total about 15 km. That was almost 4 hours, not 3 so we were hot and sweaty and supposed to meet everyone for dinner at 8 pm. In 15 minutes. No time to go to the hotel and change so that’s how we went to dinner. Oh well. I had a giant plate of mussels and all was good.

Olive trees along the road

Thursday
Today we treated ourselves to a leisurely start and didn’t go for breakfast till after 8. Breakfast at the Amfora hotel was amazing!! I could have stayed and eaten all day as there was so much choice. While that would have been fun, we had a boat tour booked and headed over to the dock where the “Joan” and her crew welcomed us aboard. We spent the day cruising the Pakleni islands, stopped for a swim and snorkel several times and enjoying a delicious lunch. The water was ….. refreshing. I managed to get myself slightly sunburnt. Ugh

JoanT
Here comes the ferry

Back on land we cleaned up, walked back to town and up the stairs to check out the fortress and the amazing view. Dinner was a few things we picked up a the grocery store and I broke down and bought chips. It was time.

Friday. Unfortunately we had to rush through the amazing breakfast in order to reach the ferry terminal on time for the 7:30 am departure to Split from Hvar. That took just over an hour. Luggage stored, we had a coffee and met Marija at the Diocletian’s Palace for the walking tour. This one was different having been originally constructed by the Romans. The history was interesting, the palace different and confusing and the architecture eclectic.
We found the bus station and purchased our tickets for Zadar then found some lunch before climbing the hill to Marjan park. It was HOT and it wore us out but the park is really nice and there’s lots to see. We took a gravel path back down to the city that ended up in a different part of town. I’m glad I had maps.me to guide me as the windy streets are hard to navigate, even though Marija says you can’t get lost. You just find the sea!
After enjoying coffee and cheesecake in the square we headed back to the hotel to check in, shower and meet the others for a final good bye dinner.

Next post: More of Split, Trogir and Zadar

Montenegro, a tiny country in the Balkans. It’s beautiful! Kotor

May 7, 2022. Our European journey continues from Sarajevo, Bosnia. That post can be found here: From Hungary to Serbia to Bosnia; Sarajevo and Mostar

Our G Adventures Balkan adventure continues!

The first border we approached from Bosnia to Montenegro was closed as there was a demonstration further up the road or something so our driver took a different route. The scenery along the road from Mostar is amazing!! Green mountains, snow capped mountains and some barren, rocky slopes all make the landscape amazing. The road snakes around mountains and through them. The approach to Kotor is spectacular and just when you think you’ve arrived, there’s another hour of driving around the bay.

The afternoon was spent just wandering the old town and getting to know it. Although small, it’s got little streets everywhere so we continued to get lost repeatedly. We checked out the hike to the fortress and walked along the city walls. That night we met with Slobodan, a friend of our guide Filip, who gave us great advice on tacking the whole fortress hike as we’d opted to do that rather than kayaking in the bay. He offered us trekking poles too which we gladly accepted.

The next morning after a hearty breakfast at the Hotel Marija, we met the taxi in front of the old town gate and drove the 30 minutes to the top of the hill. Many people think that going down is easier. When you’re really hiking it is not. I much prefer going up. However, Slobodan’s reasoning made sense. Going down we’d always have the view in front of us. He was right.

At first we had to pick our way down the hill as the path was mixed rocks and kind of treacherous. It gradually changed to more even rocks through a pine forest and became more of a switchback trail rather than straight down. Later the trees disappeared and the trail was in full sun. The switchbacks continued with a stone wall on the side and spectacular views of Kotor bay and all the way to the Adriatic Sea. That continued for 3 or 4 km and the fortress came into view. We came upon the house he told us about where they sell juices, beer, pop, prosciutto and cheese. A nice cold pomegranate juice was just the ticket as we sat and enjoyed the view. The girl pointed us in the direction of the fortress and we carried on. Slobodan said we could climb a ladder and go through a window but there was a sign there saying that was forbidden. Besides, it looked treacherous. So we contemplated it for a while till we saw a few others go through. It wasn’t pretty but we managed to scramble up and navigate the ladder and the window without hurting ourselves too badly. Many photos later (the fortress is very photogenic!) we continued down the 1,450 steps to town. That took us 4.5 hours. We didn’t rush it but our knees and toes were not happy. Ice cream helps.

Up this ladder
through this window
Out this side

Next we left the old city looking for a boat tour, ice cream in hand. The first fellow who asked us if we wanted a boat tour got our business. LOL. We opted for the 3 hour tour and saw the blue cave, the submarine tunnel, the Lady of the rock church and just enjoyed being a speed boat on the water. Oh! And we saw dolphins!

WW2 prison being converted to a casino
Submarine tunnel
Apparently some Russian is renting this island so we can’t go on it
Our Lady of the rock
Our Lady of the rock
The church is still used
If you look closely you can see the path we hiked down from the road at the top

For dinner we treated ourselves to Cesarica where we both had squid done traditionally which means it was stuffed with squid. It came with a potato and chard mixture and all was delicious. Their house red wine is good too.

Twas a good day. Next stop, Dubrovnik!

From Hungary to Serbia to Bosnia; Sarajevo and Mostar

The European adventure continues from Serbia to Bosnia. The previous posts can be found here: Hungary. Budapest; isn’t it everyone’s favourite? and next The European adventure continues through Serbia. Novi Sad & Belgrade, two very different cities.

Once we got out out of Belgrade, the highway took us past mile and acres of flat, fertile farmland panted in strips of crops. No more canola. Now there were fields of winter wheat next to corn, cabbage and other veggies just peeking their heads out of the earth. Occasionally there was a strip of fruit trees or grapes. Many fields had a system of irrigation in place

Houses in small towns seems very practical and utilitarian. Most were small square or plain rectangle single story buildings with the odd 2 story. Rather than facing the road, most faced a side yard. Some were single dwellings with outbuildings behind but many were 3 or 4 homes in a row with a shared driveway and parking area

Crossing the border into Bosnia was an interesting experience. The officer from Serbia came onto the bus and collected passports, brought them in to be stamped and then handed them back to Filip. We drove a bit further to Bosnia and Filip brought the passports into the office, then came back for vaccine certificates. This is the first place that actually asked for them!

Finally on our way I noticed a definite change in scenery. The road become very windy and mountainous. No more flat farmland but gardens and crops planted where ever room could be found. We drove up and down, around and through tunnels and watched some amazing scenery speed by

At one point a police officer waved a “stop police” sign (not that I could read it) The driver pulled over and got out. The officer walked all around the bus. There was much discussion. The driver got into the police car and whatever infraction he supposedly committed was paid for

View from the coffee shop
They say it’s not that bad in winter?
Sarajevo rose. They mark a place where more than 3 people died

That in addition to the long border stop made us about 2 hours later than we’d expected.

After settling in to the Hotel Hecco, we walked into town where Filip purchased some burek for us to try before meeting our walking tour guide, Mohammed. So we took a group picture whilst stuffing our faces with tasty burek.

Mohammed took us all over the old city and taught us a lot of the history. From the occupation by the Ottoman Empire, the Austro Hungarians, Assassination of Ferdinand and Sophie that sparked WW1, to Sarajevo’s hosting the 1984 Olympics to the siege of 1992-96. Sarajevo has endured a turbulent past!

Thursday
At 9 am we met our guide and got in a bus to the airport area where we visited a portion of the tunnel dug by hand by members of the armed forces during the siege by Serbia. Sarajevo citizens were basically trapped for 4 years and the tunnel kept them alive by allowing for transport of goods and forces. NATO sent some support but it wasn’t nearly enough for the 300,000+ people trapped by Serbian snipers in the hills all around the city and a few inside it.

the chair Tito used when visiting the tunnel
Rudimentary firearms city dwellers used
Barely tall enough for me (5’6″) so most had to duck while carrying heavy loads
Entry was through this house. City have the family a new house 17 years post war

Next he took us up the mountain the bobsled track was on. It was pretty much destroyed during the siege and is now covered in graffiti. While we were there we AGAIN me the mayor! She invited us to the town hall after our tour for coffee.

Burek
The bobsled track was damaged during the war

Our next stop was the fortress where the view of the city is spectacular. Then a Jewish graveyard. Even that was seriously damaged by sniper fire and bombs.

The bus dropped us off at the town hall for our coffee date. The mayor’s assistant met us and invited us in. Then he introduced us to a tour guide. Uh oh. Yep. We ended up with a tour of the town hall and NO COFFEE. It’s a beautiful building with a very sad history. Thousands of books and irreplaceable documents were destroyed. They’re obviously very proud of how they’ve managed to replace it just as it was. BUT. We were hoping for coffee with the mayor.

For dinner Sue and I enjoyed an assortment of burek, a local pastry filled with meat, cheese, spinach, pumpkin or potato. All were pretty good but we decided we liked the spinach best.

Friday; Mostar

On the way to Mostar we participated in a tour of the bunkers called D.O ARK built for president Tito to protect him and 350 of his staff and family during the Cold War in case of nuclear attack. It was pretty fascinating to see this state of the art facility that now mostly an art gallery and never used (thankfully!) for its intended purpose.

We spent the rest of the day exploring Mostar, a beautiful town also devastated by the war in the 90’s. Dinner was a regional dish of sogan dolma which turned out to be onions stuffed with a hamburger mixture and mashed potatoes. Tasty!

The next morning we were up bright and early for our journey to Montenegro

That post can be found here: Montenegro, a tiny country in the Balkans. It’s beautiful! Kotor

The European adventure continues through Serbia. Novi Sad & Belgrade, two very different cities.

Sunday May 1, 2022
Sue and I continue our European adventure from Budapest. That post can be found here: Hungary. Budapest; isn’t it everyone’s favourite?

We met new comers to our G Adventures group and our new leader, Filip. This one’s a full trip so 16 people plus the CEO. In a private van we drove through Hungary, enjoying the views along the way. It’s mostly very flat land all planted in various crops. The canola was in full bloom and absolutely gorgeous.
The border crossing from Hungary to Serbia was different as we officially left the European Union. To exit Hungary we lined up to get our passports stamped, then back in the van to cross “no man’s land” and enter Serbia where we got out to get an entry stamp

In Novi Sad, we checked into the hotel and Filip showed us around town. First the whole group went to a restaurant serving typical Serbian food. It’s hearty, good food.
After “lunch” (it was 5 pm by now) we ended on the Danube river where they too had a statue to commemorate the residents of Novi Sad (In what was then Yugoslavia) who died between 1941-45. Here the Hungarians (at that time allied with the Nazis) pulled families from their homes and brought them down to the river where they shot them and pushed their bodies under the ice. It’s unknown exactly how many died but it’s around 4,000. https://balkaninsight.com/2019/01/23/last-survivors-recall-wwii-massacre-in-occupied-yugoslavia-01-22-2019/

Too much sitting today so Sue and I continued to walk about, crossing the river and checking out the fortress and taking a few sunset photos. On the way back we treated ourselves to ice cream. We deserved it, right? Novi Sad at night is particularly beautiful!

Monday. Today’s breakfast was okay but I missed the usual fruits and veggies. Lots of protein options to keep us full though. We met Lilliana who took us on a walking tour, explaining the history of the area and noting how proud she is to be from Novi Sad (New Plant) It’s a melting pot of nationalities and 14 languages are typically used. We toured the Petrovaradin Fortress and got explanations on what we’d seen on our walk the previous evening. I’m glad we went last night though as the lighting was much nicer for pictures

Odd art installation on top of the fortress
That’s one persistent poppy
behind the fortress at the “golden hour”
Looking towards Novi Sad

After a lunch of ice cream we got back in the van and drove to Belgrade. (White town) it’s a big city and first impressions are that it’s kind of grubby. Filip took us on a walk through the fortress which was very busy with lots of people. It’s a beautiful area to walk about so no wonder.
It was interesting to see the combination of old and new buildings everywhere. Belgrade has been bombed often so new building has been done to replace those bombed to destruction.

Dinner was with the group at a restaurant called ? Yes, that’s the name. It’s called ? There’s a story behind that of course. ;). It serves typical Serbian food which is heavily meat and potato based. We’re starting to crave veggies again so we have to try a different cuisine tomorrow.

Tuesday. We only have one full day in Belgrade so we ate lots of breakfast and hit the pavement shortly after 8 am, heading directly to Zemun. Since we’re pretty tired of cities and buildings I really wanted to go to Great War Island as it’s a nature sanctuary with a nice trail. We were told there’s no bridge and you can’t get there. Huh. We’ll see.
Sure enough. There was no bridge and no ferry terminal so I saw a sign that looked like it might be a marina and asked a man working on the dock if he knew how we could get to the island. He apologized for his English (that always amazes me. I’m in SERBIA. I don’t assume you speak English!). Milan had a boat and offered to take us there. Awesome! We settled on a price, jumped in his boat and off we went. He told us to keep to the right and watch out for wild boars. No problem.
The trail was wide, flat and easy and abut 6 km long. It was so peaceful. All we could hear were the birds, frogs and the wind in the trees. We saw 2 other groups of people and lots of pretty birds. It was such a nice break!

Next we wandered around Zemun, starting with a coffee at a nice cafe on the street. We found a market with a ton of fresh veggies and fruit for sale then headed up to the fortress. The views were nice but there’s not much left of the fortress itself.
After all that we deserved a double ice cream cone before walking back to Belgrade. Also a stop for popcorn was in order.
By the time we got back we were bone tired so quickly tidied up a bit before heading out for dinner in the Bohemian quarter. We both had the chicken risotto and a salad and it hit the spot. For desert we got a tiny ice cream on the way back ;). Twas a 40,000 step day. We took the elevator up the 6 floors this time.

Fortresses are always UP!
View from the fortress
What’s left of the fortress
Sat and ate a snack in the peace of this graveyard
A narrow, walking street
They love statues here
View of Belgrade from the bridge

Next we go to Sarajevo, Bosnia

Ultimate Budapest Travel Itinerary: Must-See Attractions and some unique treats

Our G Adventures tour continues on the public train from Vienna, a city the 13 of us all enjoyed. That post can be found here: A taste of Austria. Vienna, a jewel of a city. 2 days is not enough

Thursday, April 28; We got.a ride from the train station to the hotel where we dropped our bags and took a tram to the NGO restaurant Nem Adom Fee which is Hungarian for Never Give Up. It’s operated by disabled folks and it’s a joy to spend time there. They have a Facebook page as well: https://www.facebook.com/nemadomfelkavezo

We split into two groups with some going on an organized tour and the rest of us joining Achilles for a walk about and orientation. Apparently Budapest is actually 3 cities that merged. Buda, where the castle sits, Old Buda and Pest. The river divides Pest from the others.

These ladies are cleaning the shoes
Monument of shoes
Parliament Buildings from the side
Nazis had Jews remove their shoes before pushing them into the Danube. These shoes are to remember them.
Parliament buildings from the front

Friday; Twas a busy day today. What else is new? After another amazing breakfast we wandered down to the meeting point for our walking tour. Walking tours are our favourite way to get our bearings in a new city and Sandeman’s never disappoints. They’re “free”. Not really. The idea is that you tip at the end according to what you think the tour was worth. It’s a great concept as the tour leader does their best to impress you and earn their tip. Orsi was really good. Not only did she show us the highlights but she provided an interesting, personal historical view into what Hungary (the country) is and who Hungarians are.

We walked to the market and got ourselves a cherry strudel as recommended by Orsi. It was pretty good but the goulash smelled amazing. I’d eaten too much breakfast though so wasn’t ready for a big meal.

Next we headed across the Liberty bridge, eyes peeled for the tiny statue Orsi said was there. A man named Kolodko created tiny statues and planted them all over the city. It’s kind of fun to try to find them all. We didn’t succeed but maybe you will if you check out this website: https://budapestflow.com/hidden-mini-statues-budapest/

Ferdinand on his bridge
Mr Bean’s teddy on the former British Embassy
Kermit the frog
Was a Russian hat but that got destroyed so he replaced it with an axe.

Gellert Thermal baths was our next destination. There we spent a couple hours enjoying the therapeutic hot pools. It was nice and relaxing but it didn’t cure our body aches from all the walking. Bummer. So we walked some more.

Gellert Thermal Baths

This time we walked to the Jewish Quarter to find the great synagogue closed. Oh well. The outside is pretty. Then we looked for the infamous Szimpla Kert. It’s a ruin bar. Literally a bar created in a ruined building. Well. It’s an interesting building with lots of little rooms that appear to be in various states of disrepair, lots of which contained drunk people. Since they didn’t appear to serve food we took some pictures and left to go down the road a bit and try some street food. Today’s adventure was langos. It was good but once is enough.

Szimpla Kert Ruin bar
Langos

That night the whole group booked the Danube river cruise which was really nice. The weather was perfect and it was nice to see the city lit up and view the buildings from a different perspective. After that we all walked back to the hotel where we said good bye to our fearless leader and some of the other travellers. A few of us will carry on with a new tour guide.

Parliament from the front reflected in the pool
Parliament buildings
Buda castle

Saturday. Keith joined Sue and I today as we walked to Buda castle. The escalator helps avoid the worst of the hill climb. I’m pretty sure we saw most of the castle grounds though they are immense. On the way to Margaret island we did find another tiny statue. On Margaret island we sat and enjoyed the musical fountain for a while before exploring a bit and enjoying an ice cream. We headed off to find some lunch which ended up being supper. I think we wore Keith out but it was still early so Sue and I decided to check out Heroes Square. There was a big festival or market set up there which we quickly walked through. The statues in the castle area were great fun to take photos with and then we checked out the inside of the Szecheny bath. Since we didn’t have suits we didn’t go in but it looked nice too.

Just chatting with anonymous
Heroes square
Buda tower

Back at the hotel we joined Shelley for a drink and said good bye. Twas a 37,000 step day. Our feet were pooped.

Goodbye Budapest for now. I might have to come back as the Chain bridge will be done in a couple of years as well as parts of the castle. On to Serbia!

A taste of Austria. Vienna, a jewel of a city. 2 days is not enough

The previous post is here: Prague and Český Krumlov, Czechia. Bohemian treasures

For this part of our European adventure we’re taking a tour with G Adventures. There are 13 of us on this leg. We’ve got people of all ages from many different places and they’re a fun, relaxed, interesting and just plain nice group of people.
Tuesday, April 26, 2022 We left Český Krumlov in a private van and drove the windy roads to the highway to Vienna. The scenery was gorgeous. Spring has been taking it’s time arriving. The leaves on the trees were just coming out. We drove past beautiful rolling hills of farmland with pastures, wheat fields and canola just starting to bloom in all it’s yellow glory

We arrived at the Magdas hotel, checked in and dropped off our bags. Magdas has an interesting story. Read about it here and stay here yourself next time you’re in Vienna: https://www.magdas-hotel.at/en/hotel/5-reasons/. The breakfast buffet is AMAZING.

The subway took us to the Naschmarkt where we split up and found some lunch before doing a walking tour with Walter. He was very entertaining. Sue, Shelly and I went to the National library as per Walter’s recommendation right away before it closed. He was right. it was worth it. For dinner we decided to skip the main course and go right to desert and found ourselves a fancy ice cream.

15 year old Marie Antoinette was married here by proxy
stable of the Lipizzaner stallions
You must hold hands when you cross the street.
St Stephan’s cathedral

Wednesday after filling up on an amazing breakfast buffet at Magda’s, 4 of us walked to the subway station. 2 trains later we arrived at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien (Museum of fine art) which we had decided on since the forecast for the day was rain. We all spent several hours on our own enjoying the beautiful building and wealth of amazing exhibits before meeting back up again.

vase carved out o solid block of rock crystal
Peter Paul Rubens
Peter Paul Rubens

We split into pairs after that with Keith and I heading to St Stephan’s as I wanted to climb the tower while he opted to hang out and “people watch”. Always entertaining but especially so in Vienna. I climbed the 343 steps up the circular staircase and enjoyed the view up top. I had to take it slow going down as I found myself getting dizzy!

Looking up the tower
the circular stair case
view from the top
People look like ants


Next we all met back up again in a cafe where we all tried Viennese desserts like apple strudel, plum strudel, quark (like cheesecake) and Sachertorte with coffee.
We said goodbye to the other 2 and Sue and I wandered the city some more. It had turned into a beautiful day. For dinner we went to the Naschtmarkt where we chose some cheeses, olives and other treats from a deli, brought them back to eat.

See the waving penguin?
Sue likes pickles
Naschtmarkt
The palace courtyard
St Stephan’s cathedral
It’s made of pennies

Time to move on to Budapest

Prague and Český Krumlov, Czechia. Bohemian treasures!

This part of the trip is with G Adventures. We’re a group of 13 this time with Achilles as our guide. So far it’s a fantastic group of travellers who all get along great! This post is about Prague and we’ve just spent 3 days in Krakow. Read about that here: Krakow. A European gem!

We left the hotel shortly after 8 am and were dropped off at the bus station. The bus took us to Ostrava where we switched to a train that took us to Prague. Once there, we checked into the Miss Sophie’s downtown, dropped off our bags and followed Achilles around the town to get ourselves oriented. First impressions? WOW!!

Achiles showed us around the city a bit so we could get our bearings and we ended the day with a nice dinner at The Little Blue Duck where I had, of course, duck. It was delicious!

Saturday April 23, 2022

It was a gorgeous day. Crisp and cool but the sun shone all day long so at some points I even took off a layer or 2 of clothing. We started with a Sandeman’s walking tour of the old city and the Jewish quarter and ended near the river so we continued on our own to visit the castle. That’s all uphill. Because castles are always built on hills, right? We just wandered around up there and enjoyed the view for a while and treated ourselves to a chimney pastry filled with ice cream and strawberries. YUM!

Back down the hill we took a river tour. Sometimes it pays to go last minute as they give discounts. Bonus!

By then we were pretty tired and headed back to the hotel to enjoy a beer in the breakfast room. Keith and Achiles joined us and we caught up.

After a stop in our room we headed out for dinner and tried Fernanda’s. It was good, simple Czech food and we even got vegetables. It was cabbage but what else do you expect in Czechia??

Jewish cememetary
View from Prague Castle
Charles Bridge
There were SOOO many people! Yet tourism is way down. I can’t imagine what it’s like when it’s “normal” busy!

Sunday

Shelly, Sue and I decided to try to visit the Charles bridge when it wasn’t so busy by going early (ish)in the morning. Hahaha! Today was Othodox Easter and the streets near the bridge were PACKED with church goers carrying Easter baskets. Many of them were on the bridge too, taking pictures and just visiting. Oh well. Watching the crowds was fun too.

We got to the Old New Synagogue and purchased combined tickets for all the major attractions in the Jewish quarter then spent the next few hours exploring them. Meanwhile it started to rain. We tried to wait it out in a cafe over a hot chocolate but it wasn’t stopping so we put our hats on and took off. We found the Lucerne passage and the Statue of King Wenceslas Riding an Upside-Down Dead Horse then tried to find the art gallery David told us about. After ending up at the National museum we decided we were museums out, wet, cold and ready to chill out at the hotel. After changing to dry things we enjoyed an aperitif and snacks there.

Ceiling have 5 posts so it can’t be mistaken for a cross
Old new synagogue
Names of 78,000 Jews from Prague who died in WW2
Jewish cemetery. Bodies buring 10+ deep

The weather cleared so I went for a walk looking for nice puddles for reflection photos then met Keith, David, Sue and Shelly for dinner. Then 4 of us set off to find the weird statues of ugly babies by David Cerny. We found a few others while we were searching. Prague’s an interesting city!

King Wenceslas on a dead horse?
Poems for Ukraine on John Lennon wall
Prague at night

Twas another 30,000 step day and I’m hoping my shoes dry by the morning.

Monday

Shortly after 9 am we were on a bus headed for Cesky Krumlov and checked into the Familia Pension and then set off exploring. For lunch I thoroughly enjoyed a bowl of cabbage soup with a strong taste of sauerkraut. Yum!

Our walking tour took us all over the small, compact town that follows the Moldavian river. The town is one of few in Europe that came out of WW2 unscathed so it’s charm remains and there are so many beautiful views.  Český Krumlov also boasts the second largest castle in Europe (after Prague) and maybe the world?

After much wandering we enjoyed cheesecake (YUM!) and coffee at the Drunken coffee. Shelly had a drink called “dark and stormy” that was really good. I want to try making that one. It’s not the regular one as it has espresso in it.

Then we went for dinner. Life is short. Eat dessert first. Dinner was a specialty of the area which is a mushroom soup with potatoes and dill and some dumplings with plumbs and cheese. Delicious!!!

Krakow. A European gem! Poland

Our European adventure continues from Berlin. That post can be found here: Bremen the beautiful. Berlin; a city of history, culture and fascination. It’s all Germany!

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Twas a long drive from Berlin but the scenery was nice and when it wasn’t, the road was smooth enough I could read my book. We stopped for lunch at a diner on the highway and I got to try zurek. It’s a Polish soup made with fermented rye, potatoes, carrots and kielbasa. It’s really good.

Upon arrival in Krakow our group of G Adventures travellers checked in to the B&B, dropped our bags, put some more clothes on and joined Caterina for a walking tour of the beautiful city. That ended at a local restaurant where I enjoyed Bigas stew. Also really good!

Phpe Jean Paul stayed here
Dragone guarding Wall castle
Dragons around a tomb in the basement of a church

Wednesday. I opted to spend the morning on my own, just wandering. I covered a lot of ground visiting many churches, the castle, the Jewish quarter, enjoyed a very thick cup of hot chocolate and visited the underground museum. That was fascinating. The main square was excavated in 2005 when they were doing some work and found ruins underground. A 6 month project took 5 years but hundreds of years of civilization were unearthed and a lot of information along with it. Lunch was at Chimera, a unique cafeteria type restaurant frequented by locals. I enjoyed some sweet potato cream soup and a herring salad. Tasty!!

Wawell castle
Figures above a bridge with lots of locks

I met the group at the hotel and we loaded into 2 vans and drove to Auschwitz There we met our guide, Caterina who educated us on the history of Auschwitz and Birkenau. I’ve read plenty about these death camps but seeing it in person like this is completely different. It’s ….. indescribable and everyone should go once in their lives.

What’s left of some of the cell blocks
Women’s cell block. 3 high. Each block housed about 700 women. Most died within a month
One of many suitcases of victims
Ruins of the gas chamber
Entering Birkenau
Men’s cells
40,000 shoes. About 3 days worth

Thursday

We were picked up early for our tour of the Wieliczka Salt mine. Millions of people visit and it’s quite the tourist trap but definitely worth visiting. The history spans 7 centuries of mining and some of the caverns are really beautiful. Post pandemic numbers were a bit lower than usual but I think they’re pretty good at spacing the groups so you never feel really crowded.

House near the salt mine. I like the roof
Underground lake
Dining and event hall in the mine
Chandelier made of salt
Chapel
Cathedral 104 metres down
Look down!
Statues made of salt
Talented miners carved them out of salt

Sue and I enjoyed another hot chocolate at the Chocolatiers. Mind had ice cream, cranberries and pistachios on top. I called it lunch.

Then we split up to wander on our own. I went back to the castle as I was told the museum was worth paying for. So I paid the entry fee for the Cathedral as well. Climbing up the bell tower was fun as I had to squeeze through some areas and the stairs were pretty steep. The view from the top was nice too.

The castle museums were ok if you like museums. I much prefer to just wander about and decide for myself what’s interesting. It does give a good history of the castle though and was interesting. Just time consuming and a lot of reading. You can rent audio guides if you want as well.

View from the bell tower of the Cathedral
The big bell on top
Steep stairs
A small chapel in the Cathedral. The tomb is empty!
Tombs in the basement of the cathedral
Replica of the ground

The rest of the day I spent wandering around Krakow, enjoying the sights and watching people. They’re not terribly friendly here but there is the occasional drunk folks that can be amusing. There were some who asked me to take their picture. I obliged. One girl ended up on the ground so I got down low and snapped a few.. They’ll have some interesting shots 😉

Krakow was great and we’d love to stay longer but it’s time to move on to Prague

Bremen the beautiful. Berlin; a city of history, culture and fascination. It’s all Germany!

Previous post: https://whereisgrandma.com/2022/04/13/the-european-adventure-continues-into-the-netherlands-amsterdam/

April 13, 2022

We could have spent more time in the Netherlands but it was time to move on. 4 trains later we arrived in Bremen and walked to the B&B Hotel. There we dumped our bags and set off exploring AND to find dinner. What a gorgeous town! Dinner at a restaurant on the river was schnitzel and a local beer. Filling AND delicious.

The hotel breakfast was really good and plentiful and we enjoyed it at our leisure before heading out to explore Bremen. We purchased tickets for a tourist “train ride” but it was pretty much a waste of time as the commentary was in German only. You’d think the guy who sold us tickets would have mentioned that. So we wandered around on our own and even attended a prayer service at the Liebfrauenkirche (church of our Lady) which was built in the 11th century. The service was in German (of course) but it was short (15 minutes) and interesting. A light lunch was in order at the Ratskeller as it’s in the basement of the town hall which was built in the early 1400’s. The pumpkin soup was good but it’s the ambience you go for.

Having seen enough of old buildings we opted for a walk on “Am Wall” (on the wall. HAHA). I love the way Germans name things. We did about 4 or 5 km of the trail that apparently surrounds the city.

Then we decided to check out the fair set up behind the train station. It was the biggest fair I’ve ever seen with a ton of rides, games and so many different food booths.

Light fixtures in the Ratskeller
eels at the fair

Bright and early Friday we packed our back packs and headed for the train station. This journey was much easier as only 2 trains were required to reach Berlin. Stephanie (a friend I’d met on a trip to Turkey) met us at the station and took us into the city where we also met Sharlan (a friend of Sue’s). We got acquainted over lunch and then joined a walking tour that started and Brundenberg Tor. Sue and I look for the Sandeman’s free tours in every city. It’s a great way to get your bearings and they’re generally VERY well done. This one was no exception. Ernestina was engaging, knowledgeable and told great stories. We learned a LOT!

It was cold, damp and pretty miserable out but Stephanie was a trouper and showed us around some more. We ended up in a local bar where we enjoyed a beverage before saying good bye to Sharlan and heading to Stephanie’s house. There her wonderful husband was preparing a delicious meal of fish for Good Friday. Chris and Stephanie were amazing hosts and we were incredibly grateful for their hospitality

Above is the Brandenberg gate and the Holocaust memorial.

After breakfast with Stephanie, Sue and I braved the train and spent the day wandering Berlin. First off we visited the Tränenpalast. (Museum of Tears). It gives a really good explanation of the Cold War, the Berlin Wall and the destruction of it. We took the canal tour which was good, giving us a different perspective of the city but not as entertaining as the one in Amsterdam. At least the weather was nice enough to sit on the top deck! More walking around gave us a better look at some of the things we’d seen on the walking tour, including the Holocaust memorial, Brundenburg Tor and the silly Checkpoint Charlie. A must when in Berlin is trying Curry wurst. It’s a nice snack. We managed to take the train successfully back to Stephanie’s and we all went out for pizza.

Sunday we said goodbye to our wonderful hosts and took the train back into the city to the Ibis hotel where we dropped our bags and did some more wandering in the Ostbahnhof area of the city. There’s a long section of the wall remaining that is now an art gallery. Artists from around the world have come to “decorate” it

Later we met the group we’ll be traveling with for the next month and went out for dinner.

Monday: Sue and I had finished breakfast and were on the train shortly after 8 so we could get to the Bundestag for our 9 am reservation. It’s free but you must register in advance. Once there we encountered more security than the airport and even had to wear an FFP2 mask. Thankfully we had one.

The security makes sense as it’s the German version of parliament buildings. Major decisions are made there by the highest level of government. You’re given an audio guide to listen to as you walk up and then back down the dome and it’s very informative.

After that we headed to the Holocaust memorial and visited the underground museum. The security wasn’t quite as intense there. The museum is full of stories and is sobering.

Next we decided to go for a good walk through the Tiergarten. It was once the private hunting grounds for rich people and was pretty much destroyed during the war. It’s now a beautiful park. We visited the memorial to the gypsies who were also persecuted by the third Reich. We got to the zoo and boarded bus 100, a city bus that visits all the tourist spots. We got off on museum island and walked around some more, stopped for ice cream and wandered some more. Berliners were out in full force enjoying the beautiful weather on a holiday Monday. There were people everywhere! Families enjoying picnics where ever they could find green space. Young people cycling, skate boarding, etc. Folks walking everywhere.

Dinner was a nice cafe overlooking the weather served by a very grumpy waiter. Oh well. The food was really good. lol

Somehow I entered the wrong hotel in my directions and we ended up 2.5 km further away. So we decided to take the train. Back at the hotel we crashed. Another 30,000 step day.

Berlin is a really interesting city. Any museum related to the Berlin Wall or the war is free as Germans want the information to be available to everyone There is SO much history here and it’s not the same history that’s in our text books or that we heard on the news. There are nuances that were missed that help it make a lot more sense. You really need to come here and see it for yourself.

Next stop. Krakow and a visit to Auschwitz. I’m kind of dreading it.