My last day in Croatia... so bittersweet. Not only to leave Europe and head home, but also to say goodbye to AJ for a while. He will be traveling for a few days in Rome, then heading to Africa for the better part of a month! That morning, we stopped at a bakery and tried an apricot muffin--WOWZA!!! I'm gonna have to figure out how to make those things.
Because AJ was about to leave for Italy a few hours after I was leaving for the airport, of course his camera broke! hahaha.... so he bought a new one. This process of shopping for a camera took over an hour, so I did some shopping of my own at boutiques nearby! :) Next stop? Post office. Time to send some more stuff home so I am not carrying all of it on my back. Which would have been impossible, anyway. This was much easier than in Greece, and a lot cheaper, too! Not only did they have a box for me to use, but also twine to tie it up with--so cute.
It was an easy and relaxing last day... strolled through the green market, had some snacks, got some more figs and cherries (how I will miss them!!)... made one final stop for calamari and some dalmatian ham to share for lunch. We even had a chance to get some of AJ's pics on a disc for me so I could post them while we was still gone having adventures in Africa. Perfectly successful!!
So we had some time to kill before I caught the bus to the airport. AJ looks at his ferry info... hmm, why does the date show his ferry trip was for the week before? Shit. How did this happen? Thank goodness AJ is decent looking, and a younger lady was working at the ticket center... she changed it for him for a small fee. Ridiculous. Only AJ. Waiting for my bus, we got one last ice cream and finished off the cherries and figs. Mmm!
It was a bittersweet goodbye, for sure. Just as I was about to board the bus, AJ says wait because he has something for me. I think, "Oh how sweet, a parting gift! How thoughtful... wait, why is he grinning like that?? Uh oh, what's happening?" And next thing I knew, he Iced me. COME ON!!! You've got to be kidding! hahahahaha... unbelievably hilarious, and yes, I took a knew to chug the nasty thing. So awful. Love him, though. Ridiculous.
So my six weeks in Europe ended with an Icing. What could be better??
Some highlights from the trip home:
-Bag/germaphobe lady at airport in Germany... had seats and armrests wrapped in plastic. Weird.
-I love London Gatwick airport.
-Sometimes, annoying people with families of 15 and more will insist on pushing past you so everyone can stay together through the security line.
-The beer named Staropramen is amazing. And strong. Gotta find out if I can get it in the US.
-Chicks from Iceland are ridiculously gorgeous.
-Being welcomed back with overwhelming news talk and broadcasts of "The Decision" from Lebron James... seriously? Gag me.
10 July, 2010
07 July, 2010
Time to Split! (5/6-July)
So we've left Hvar and are heading to Split, a port city on Croatia's Dalmation coast. Before we left, AJ bought some cherries and figs from the green market... I've never eaten either of these foods (never cared for cherries much), but I devoured them on the ferry ride across! I am salivating right now just thinking about them. Sheesh! So fresh and delish.
Finding the next hostel was very easy, and the hostel guy at this place was just as hospitable and helpful. And his name? FRANK! hahaha, love it. That first day, we checked out the cathedral and walked around the old town square. Another charming city that we fell in love with immediately. The newer area, the Promenade, is a street of shops and restaurants... it is very modern and updated, and most of the locals don't care for it. I can't say I blame them, considering how perfect the rest of the area seemed to be! A low-key evening with some popcorn and a nice glass of wine. Lovely.
On Monday morning, we set off to find an internet cafe. What we didn't realize when we entered this building was that the computer lab was on the 14th floor... and it was stairs the whole way. Good thing I've been walking everywhere I go for the past 6weeks! With AJ's Kilimanjaro trip coming up, he wanted to break in his boots a bit more, so we decided to walk to Maljan Hill (as Frank suggested!) and check out the beaches and parks. It was a long walk out of the city, but well worth it. After chugging a bottle of water at the first beach, we found a spot to sit on the pebbly shore. This beach was very crowded and the water was murky and stirred up because of all the kids playing. Talk about quality entertainment! :)
Eventually, we kept walking through the park, taking it all in. When we found another little spot to hang out, I laid in the sun and AJ kept walking to break in his boots and do some exploring. This part of the beach was near a place where lots of boats were cruising by at a pretty good pace. Their wake made the waves on the shore pretty rough, and a couple times the water crashed way up and all over me/my stuff/my book... haha, awesome. Good thing everything was dry in 5minutes flat! :)
Once we walked back later and got cleaned up, we enjoyed some dinner on the rooftop of the building across the alley from the hostel. Another great dish of calamari! We cannot get enough, and I think we ate it every day while in Croatia. Sitting there in the setting sun with the trees and a light breeze, enjoying a meal and conversation with my best guy friend... epiphanies happen in those simple moments. I had one that evening, and it was a great one.
I love when I figure things out that really change you. One idea at a time.
Eventually, we kept walking through the park, taking it all in. When we found another little spot to hang out, I laid in the sun and AJ kept walking to break in his boots and do some exploring. This part of the beach was near a place where lots of boats were cruising by at a pretty good pace. Their wake made the waves on the shore pretty rough, and a couple times the water crashed way up and all over me/my stuff/my book... haha, awesome. Good thing everything was dry in 5minutes flat! :)
Once we walked back later and got cleaned up, we enjoyed some dinner on the rooftop of the building across the alley from the hostel. Another great dish of calamari! We cannot get enough, and I think we ate it every day while in Croatia. Sitting there in the setting sun with the trees and a light breeze, enjoying a meal and conversation with my best guy friend... epiphanies happen in those simple moments. I had one that evening, and it was a great one.
I love when I figure things out that really change you. One idea at a time.
05 July, 2010
How are YOU spending your 4th of July?? (4-July)
Cuz I am renting a boat for the entire day and cruising around the Croatian coast... Hells yea!!! We loaded up on snacks and sunblock for the day, met the boat guy so he could teach us how to run/drive the thing, and then we took off! AJ thought he was "the man" driving that little boat around, haha... he did a pretty good job of it, really.
Talk about a full day of fun in the sun! NOTHING beats this... nothing. There was even enough room for me to lay out on the front of the boat while we cruised around. A few times, we "dropped anchor" (hahaha... so weird) to hang out or swim around or explore a bitty little island. Of course, the water was all crystal clear and gleaming brightly in the sun. I got some of the best pictures from the entire trip on this day. It was paradise.
We found a little island with some random sheep/rams on it... ?? How did they get there? How long have they been there? Is a farmer coming for them at the end of the day? So many unanswered questions!! Naturally, AJ wanted to explore, and explore he did. He managed to somehow climb onto this island without injuring himself and walk around... he got sort of close to the sheep/rams, but not too close, explaining when he returned from the expedition that they seemed pretty territorial and he didn't want to piss them off. Really? Good excuse, haha.
"Parking" the boat (yes, we called it parking) was a bit of a challenge, but we figured it out. Best 4th of July ever. Since it was our big day out, we decided to make it our big night out, too. Another suggestion from Mr. Hostel Man was what they call "slow food" and it was basically just a nice, formal restaurant with very customized menus, meant to be savored, enjoyed, and eaten very slowly... NO PROBLEM! It was expensive about 250kuna (or $50) for the entire 5-course meal. And it was worth every kuna! :) The restaurant was called Golden Shell--we were just glad to find it after walking around aimlessly for a while!
We each ordered a different "theme" so we could try as many things as possible. The waitress even asked if there were any foods we positively did not like or were allergic to ("Nope!" for both of us) and she said the chef would love us! Time out... so he has this theme, but then he just makes some decadent thing with whatever he has on hand? On the fly? Freaking awesome. And holy cow, it was one of the most exquisite meals I've ever had in my entire life, and likely ever will. AJ even managed to take his time and eat slowly instead of inhaling it in 5mins like usual.
The night ended with some ice cream and good conversation... Perfect day.
Happy 4th of July!!!!
Talk about a full day of fun in the sun! NOTHING beats this... nothing. There was even enough room for me to lay out on the front of the boat while we cruised around. A few times, we "dropped anchor" (hahaha... so weird) to hang out or swim around or explore a bitty little island. Of course, the water was all crystal clear and gleaming brightly in the sun. I got some of the best pictures from the entire trip on this day. It was paradise.
We found a little island with some random sheep/rams on it... ?? How did they get there? How long have they been there? Is a farmer coming for them at the end of the day? So many unanswered questions!! Naturally, AJ wanted to explore, and explore he did. He managed to somehow climb onto this island without injuring himself and walk around... he got sort of close to the sheep/rams, but not too close, explaining when he returned from the expedition that they seemed pretty territorial and he didn't want to piss them off. Really? Good excuse, haha.
"Parking" the boat (yes, we called it parking) was a bit of a challenge, but we figured it out. Best 4th of July ever. Since it was our big day out, we decided to make it our big night out, too. Another suggestion from Mr. Hostel Man was what they call "slow food" and it was basically just a nice, formal restaurant with very customized menus, meant to be savored, enjoyed, and eaten very slowly... NO PROBLEM! It was expensive about 250kuna (or $50) for the entire 5-course meal. And it was worth every kuna! :) The restaurant was called Golden Shell--we were just glad to find it after walking around aimlessly for a while!
We each ordered a different "theme" so we could try as many things as possible. The waitress even asked if there were any foods we positively did not like or were allergic to ("Nope!" for both of us) and she said the chef would love us! Time out... so he has this theme, but then he just makes some decadent thing with whatever he has on hand? On the fly? Freaking awesome. And holy cow, it was one of the most exquisite meals I've ever had in my entire life, and likely ever will. AJ even managed to take his time and eat slowly instead of inhaling it in 5mins like usual.
The night ended with some ice cream and good conversation... Perfect day.
Happy 4th of July!!!!
03 July, 2010
Hello, Adriatic Sea! I love you! (3-July)
Today we decided to take an adventure and explore some more of the island of Hvar. This lead us to catching a bus to the town of Jelsa ("yell-suh). The bus ride was unbelievably, miserably hot, but cheap! :) We did lots of walking along the coast and checking things out. We stopped at a swim spot and stayed for a bit. There was a group of kids here playing in the water, and they were "sling-shot-ing" each other into the water using their towels. I got some fun pictures of them in action. We even joined in some of the fun jumping into the water and trying to do flips, haha. AND I discovered burst mode on my camera! AMAZING! We found a busy little area of shops and AJ bought the wonderful Hello Kitty mini/handheld fan. Yes, he used the strap to wear it like a necklace. Priceless.
After that stop, we walked a loooooonnngggg way around the island until we came to another town, and it was Vrboska ("ver-bOs-kuh")... It was a sleepy little place, but great scenery. And we found a deli to stop for a snack. From there, we caught the bus back to Hvar town. Dinner that night was at a restaurant tucked up on the hill on the way down to the harbor from the hostel. I don't remember what I got, but AJ got some sort of "octopus pasta" or something... all I know is the pasta sauce was black and inky looking! Very cool. Of course, we stopped at another place to get crepes for dessert. How I will miss crepes when I go home... they just aren't the same.
Ideas for how to celebrate the 4th of July from Croatia? :)
After that stop, we walked a loooooonnngggg way around the island until we came to another town, and it was Vrboska ("ver-bOs-kuh")... It was a sleepy little place, but great scenery. And we found a deli to stop for a snack. From there, we caught the bus back to Hvar town. Dinner that night was at a restaurant tucked up on the hill on the way down to the harbor from the hostel. I don't remember what I got, but AJ got some sort of "octopus pasta" or something... all I know is the pasta sauce was black and inky looking! Very cool. Of course, we stopped at another place to get crepes for dessert. How I will miss crepes when I go home... they just aren't the same.
Ideas for how to celebrate the 4th of July from Croatia? :)
Back to the Motherland! (1/2-July)
So in case you didn't know, yes, part of my family was from Croatia. Not sure which part, but I was very excited to be there. Strangely, a lot of the Croatian men looked like they could belong in that part of my family... or perhaps my family looked like they belonged there. Either way, it was very interesting.
Upon our arrival at the airport, we caught a bus to Split so we could take the ferry to Hvar. The bus ride was about 30mins, and we stood the entire time, haha. Then we waited around in a line for ferry tickets. CROATIA IS HOTTTT!!! And cheap!! A huge bottle of water for only about $1!!! What a hugely exciting shock after spending a week and a half in expensive-as-all-get-out Denmark! After a nice nap on the hour-long ferry ride to Hvar, we found ourselves in paradise. The island has no cars, so it's all pedestrians all the time. What a charming place... very old world looking. I fell in loved immediately. And it was exactly what AJ was hoping for in a vacation spot after his year in Copenhagen, and before his trek through Africa. The couple running our hostel were AMAZING! Lemme tell ya--Croatians might have just invented what we call "customer service"... they have it down pat! Before the rooms were ready, we did a bit of exploring and laid around at a pebble beach, had a late lunch, and then got upgraded to a nicer room at the hostel! Hooray! We went to a place called Ferria Garden for dinner, as our hostel guy suggested, where I had the absolute 100% perfect and best calamari I have ever had in my entire life. (And I eat a lot of calamari, so I would know!) I think I took a picture of my meal, because it was just that good.
The next day, we strolled down to the harbor for breakfast and a quick internet fix. We noticed lots of people along the water advertising day-long boat tours, so we checked some of them out and settled on one we both liked. BEST DECISION EVER. For about $55, we would cruise around the islands of Croatia from 10am-5pm with 3 stops and lunch was included. Sign me up!!! We toured the Pakleni Islands!! The water everywhere was unbelievably crystal clear, which I am still not over! AJ had goggles for us to use, too! Buuuuut, like a champ, I lost them at our first stop. HAHA! We befriended two British girls that were also on the boat on our way to the 2nd stop, Ella and Frances, and they were just great. So much fun! We walked a long way around the island at the second stop... the rocks were weird and volcanic looking and we got some good pictures out there. After that, it was back to the boat for lunch. Chicken and fresh fish on the grill, salad, bread, drinks! Mmm... At the 3rd stop, we could swim around more and walk around this little island. We had to be careful of the sea urchins on the ocean floor--eek!! Like a dork, AJ climbed a tree and made me take a picture of him in it, haha. But it gave him an idea... let's go jump off the very top of the boat! ANOTHER best decision ever!!! :) Mildly frightening, but what a blast. Ella and Frances got in on the fun and we took some absolutely hilarious pictures of all of us jumping in and making dumb poses. What an amazing day!!!!!
That evening, we decided to take the hostel guy up on another suggestion: walking up the Spanish Fortress on top of the island for the best sunset imaginable. The Fortress itself was interesting and full of history, and the views just made it incredible. We sat up there for a while, enjoyed a cappuccino, and tried to get some cool pictures of the sunset over the harbor. We managed to do alright, too.
For dinner, we found Pizzeria Lavender, tucked up on the top of the hill at one end of the harbor. It was a truly fantastic meal! On the walk back, we decided to stop for some crepes for dessert and then called it a night. Exhausting yet totally fabulous day!!!
Upon our arrival at the airport, we caught a bus to Split so we could take the ferry to Hvar. The bus ride was about 30mins, and we stood the entire time, haha. Then we waited around in a line for ferry tickets. CROATIA IS HOTTTT!!! And cheap!! A huge bottle of water for only about $1!!! What a hugely exciting shock after spending a week and a half in expensive-as-all-get-out Denmark! After a nice nap on the hour-long ferry ride to Hvar, we found ourselves in paradise. The island has no cars, so it's all pedestrians all the time. What a charming place... very old world looking. I fell in loved immediately. And it was exactly what AJ was hoping for in a vacation spot after his year in Copenhagen, and before his trek through Africa. The couple running our hostel were AMAZING! Lemme tell ya--Croatians might have just invented what we call "customer service"... they have it down pat! Before the rooms were ready, we did a bit of exploring and laid around at a pebble beach, had a late lunch, and then got upgraded to a nicer room at the hostel! Hooray! We went to a place called Ferria Garden for dinner, as our hostel guy suggested, where I had the absolute 100% perfect and best calamari I have ever had in my entire life. (And I eat a lot of calamari, so I would know!) I think I took a picture of my meal, because it was just that good.
The next day, we strolled down to the harbor for breakfast and a quick internet fix. We noticed lots of people along the water advertising day-long boat tours, so we checked some of them out and settled on one we both liked. BEST DECISION EVER. For about $55, we would cruise around the islands of Croatia from 10am-5pm with 3 stops and lunch was included. Sign me up!!! We toured the Pakleni Islands!! The water everywhere was unbelievably crystal clear, which I am still not over! AJ had goggles for us to use, too! Buuuuut, like a champ, I lost them at our first stop. HAHA! We befriended two British girls that were also on the boat on our way to the 2nd stop, Ella and Frances, and they were just great. So much fun! We walked a long way around the island at the second stop... the rocks were weird and volcanic looking and we got some good pictures out there. After that, it was back to the boat for lunch. Chicken and fresh fish on the grill, salad, bread, drinks! Mmm... At the 3rd stop, we could swim around more and walk around this little island. We had to be careful of the sea urchins on the ocean floor--eek!! Like a dork, AJ climbed a tree and made me take a picture of him in it, haha. But it gave him an idea... let's go jump off the very top of the boat! ANOTHER best decision ever!!! :) Mildly frightening, but what a blast. Ella and Frances got in on the fun and we took some absolutely hilarious pictures of all of us jumping in and making dumb poses. What an amazing day!!!!!
That evening, we decided to take the hostel guy up on another suggestion: walking up the Spanish Fortress on top of the island for the best sunset imaginable. The Fortress itself was interesting and full of history, and the views just made it incredible. We sat up there for a while, enjoyed a cappuccino, and tried to get some cool pictures of the sunset over the harbor. We managed to do alright, too.
For dinner, we found Pizzeria Lavender, tucked up on the top of the hill at one end of the harbor. It was a truly fantastic meal! On the walk back, we decided to stop for some crepes for dessert and then called it a night. Exhausting yet totally fabulous day!!!
01 July, 2010
Until next time... (30-June)
Last day in Copenhagen. At least for a while... Since it was AJ's last day there, also, we got to work doing some cleaning in the apartment. Yes, I'm so unbelievably nice for helping with this, I know. But I got another iced coffee out of it, so I can't complain!! :) Now since it was our last night, we knew we had to do it up big, so we (and by we, I mean I) got dolled up for a night out! Even though it was a Wednesday!
Where else could we go but to Mikkeller?! And who better to go with than Anders?! It only made sense, so that's what we did. It might only take 3 Mikkeller beers to get Mikkeller drunk, but remember that Denmark is quite expensive, so it still cost a good amount. And it was worth every kroner. We got some great photos that night, and Dora even jumped in for a couple!
AJ and I had to be up and out of the apartment, headed for the airport, at 5:30am to make our flight to Croatia. Since both of us had, in the past, flown while still drunk or severely hungover, we knew that doing it again would be a bad idea.
Naturally, we decided to suck it up and stay out all night long, not even go to sleep, and go straight to the airport after our night out. Awesome. Best decision ever, not gonna lie! :)
It also led to the sighting of a baby hedgehog on the sidewalk on the walk home... I even touched it and got my picture with it. Highlight of my life! ;)
Off to Croatia, the land of (some of) my ancestors!!!!! Can't wait!
Where else could we go but to Mikkeller?! And who better to go with than Anders?! It only made sense, so that's what we did. It might only take 3 Mikkeller beers to get Mikkeller drunk, but remember that Denmark is quite expensive, so it still cost a good amount. And it was worth every kroner. We got some great photos that night, and Dora even jumped in for a couple!
AJ and I had to be up and out of the apartment, headed for the airport, at 5:30am to make our flight to Croatia. Since both of us had, in the past, flown while still drunk or severely hungover, we knew that doing it again would be a bad idea.
Naturally, we decided to suck it up and stay out all night long, not even go to sleep, and go straight to the airport after our night out. Awesome. Best decision ever, not gonna lie! :)
It also led to the sighting of a baby hedgehog on the sidewalk on the walk home... I even touched it and got my picture with it. Highlight of my life! ;)
Off to Croatia, the land of (some of) my ancestors!!!!! Can't wait!
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