Au Revoir Chriselle, Lunch with Stuart and a Pub Quiz and Curry Supper at Ealing Cricket Club

Oct8

Friday, October 7, 2016

London

It is still a novelty to wake up in this gorgeous flat. It is also a novelty to wake up with company—albeit Chriselle’s. It is grand to have another human presence in my home and to make small talk with someone in the mornings. Sadly, all good things must come to an end and Chriselle returned to Los Angeles today via Gatwick airport. But we had the most amazing times together and savored every second of each other’s company because, as we grow older, such leisurely times became rare and more precious.

Best of all, it was a thrill to discover my new neighborhood of Ealing in Chriselle’s company and to revel in the little luxuries of my new home. It is early days yet, but I will tell you this: it is a 180 degree difference—like day and night. I LOVE this place—both the location (Ealing Broadway was buzzing at 11.00 pm when Chriselle and I got home on the Tube after seeing a play at the West End last night) and the accommodation (it is a converted flat in a Victorian house dating from the mid-1800s).  My landlord Stuart, is an architect who works with Norman Foster’s firm in London and travels around the world supervising global projects—need I say more? He has done an interior conversion that would be the envy of design magazine editors. My one-bedroom flat is huge, has period details (marble fireplaces in living room and bedroom, crown molding and plaster decoration on the ceiling) combined with a completely Modernist aesthetic (a brand-new stainless steel kitchen, a gigantic drop down 70 mm TV screen that connects to my laptop, a combo washer-dryer—few British homes have dryers, by the way—a deluxe hotel-quality round bath tub with jacuzzi and generous rain shower and dimmers on all lights!). It is bright, airy (and well-aired), has sunlight streaming in from huge glass-fronted windows, and overlooks a park (Haven Green). I really do feel as if I have died and gone to Heaven! Thank you God!

Meanwhile, together Chriselle and I have scoured stores literally on my doorstep—Marks and Spencer department store, plus high street chains such as Accessorize, Monsoon, H&M and Zara are all around the corner! I have a selection of three huge supermarkets from which to shop—Morrison’s, Sainsbury and the lush Food Hall of M and S—all seconds away. My home is located on Haven Green, a huge park that is filled all day with dog walkers, strollers and joggers. My Tube station is literally steps away from me (I can see it from my front door) and a huge bus depot skirts it. Adjoining my block of Victorian houses is a stone church from which I can hear bells peal! The area is vibrant, diverse, cosmopolitan, ‘happening’—my idea of London! And for all this, I am paying the same rent I paid in the East End of London. Truly, moving was a no-brainer for me and I really do feel I lucked out big-time.

Chriselle and I had intended to take a walk around the neighborhood before her departure, but she was too tied up with packing and getting set to leave London. My landlord Stuart arrived with a plumber to take care of some urgent work. I met him for the first time and as we chatted and got to know each other, I was completely charmed by his talent as an architect, his focus and his demeanor. What a lovely young man! I do, of course, know his Dad Cecil, a physician, who has been a friend of mine for years—but I had never met Cecil’s children. Chriselle too enjoyed meeting Stuart as they found a lot in common to chat about—mainly Stuart’s interest in acting and in audio-visual entertainment (hence, the gigantic drop-down TV screen in his home!). I offered him a coffee while I cleared up our breakfast things: we’d had croissants with cream cheese and toast with peanut butter over raspberry and cranberry tea.

Then, quite suddenly, Chriselle managed to pull a muscle in her shoulders and spent some time lying horizontal on the hardwood floor while I applied an Ibuprofen ointment on her shoulder blades. After a hot shower, she felt much better. I too showered (we are still unable to get over the thick and generous rain-like shower head in our massive round jacuzzi bathtub) and then it was time to leave with her. She had carried sandwiches for her lunch—so off we went on the Tube at 12 noon to get her 1.05 pm Easybus from West Brompton to Gatwick airport.

Saying Goodbye to Chriselle:

It was hard to say goodbye—for both of us—as neither one of us has any idea when we will see each other again. That’s the most painful part of partings—the unknowing! But being the mature adults we are, we focused on the great times we’d just had together, said our goodbyes and at Lillie Road outside West Brompton Tube station, we found the Easybus waiting and inside she hopped. And then she was away and I returned on the Tube back to Ealing.

Lunch with Stuart:

Stuart was still home when I arrived and was just finishing up bits of work that he had scheduled for the morning. He invited me to join him for lunch as both of us were starving. We ended up going to one of my favorite eatery chains in London, The Hare and Tortoise—a Japanese chain that is inexpensive and simply the yummiest. I always have the Curry Laksa when I am there—it is a massive bowl of noodles, bean sprouts, prawns and chicken in a coconut milk-based curried chicken soup that is mammothly filling and super delicious. Stuart had udon noodles with sushi and prawn tempura. Our lunch offered more of an opportunity to discuss international architects that we love from Norman Foster (for whom he works) to Zaha Hadid, from Jean Nouvel to Gaudi. Stuart thinks that the Cathedral of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is simply the world’s most awesome building. It was a great pleasure chatting with him and I truly enjoyed our time together. Best of all, I am thrilled beyond words that The Hare and the Tortoise is just steps away from my new home, across Haven Green. Anytime I feel like a Curry Laksa, I can nip right in!

Quiet Afternoon and Evening Until…

I looked forward to a quiet evening spent catching up with my blog, sorting through my papers, responding to urgent email, etc. and I was in the process of doing just that accompanied by the pleasure of a hot pot of tea and cake (for I had nipped out earlier in the evening to get some goodies from MandS) when I got an unexpected phone call. My friend Cecil, Stuart’s Dad, who lives ten minutes away, called to find out if I was free to join him and a few friends for supper at his nearby Club. Boy, being alone quite so suddenly after Chriselle’s departure, was I just! And what a fascinating evening it turned out to be! A true exposure to British Cultural Studies!

A Pub Quiz and ‘Curry Supper’ in a Cricket Club:

Cecil’s invitation was to the Ealing Cricket Club, a few blocks away from my new home. He rang my door bell promptly at 7. 20 pm and together we hopped into a car around the corner in which his friends Mona and Girish Shah were seated—they were part of the quiz team that would participate in the annual Club fund-raiser. Within minutes, we were chatting companionably with each other. We arrived at the Club, parked our car and entered the gymkhana-like atmosphere of an old English Club where Cecil is a member—a first-time for me.

For the rest of the evening, I gave myself up to the pleasure of the pub quiz—something about which I had heard so much and was very pleased to participate in. There were about twelves tables with teams of varied sizes. We were joined by Kate, an Englishwoman, a little later—so our team comprised 5 people. There were about 10 rounds of quizzing questions in different categories: Pot Luck, Entertainment, Sports, and the like—with 10 questions in each category. Questions were called out by the MC. Each table received a ‘pack’ of sheets with space for the answers on them. And then we were off. I have to say that we did not do too badly overall. I was culturally ignorant about a lot of the questions but I managed to answer a few!

Halfway through the quiz, we stopped for supper that was laid out at one end of the room. Much to my amusement, it was a ‘Curry Supper’—featuring Chicken Curry and a Vegetarian version, served over rice (which I refused) and naans. There was also yogurt, a green salad and a number of pickles and chutneys—all of which I found to be a very English version of an Indian curry meal and a fascinating exposure to British Cultural Studies. For example, in India, we would never present a bowl of plain yogurt at a meal—it would always be a raita! Nor would we ever present a bowl of plain salad greens—it would always be dressed! Other than at Parsee weddings, you would not see a sweet-hot mango chutney (such as Sharwood’s) at an Indian buffet—although you would find hot pickles! So everything was quite amusing and entertaining to me, as I observed each aspect of British Cricket Club culture.

After supper, the quiz continued (five more rounds of it). Every team was serious and focused and competitive. My team had informed me that they have always come last. Well, this year, we ranked about 8 of out 13—not quite rock bottom! Indeed, we failed quite respectably!

By 11.00 pm, the Shahs dropped me off at the corner on Haven Green (still hopping at that hour—which was a huge comfort to me) and I was home a few minutes later. It had been an eventful day and I was glad I had my mind taken away from Chriselle’s departure and my feeling of sudden bereavement by this exciting quiz night. I was also delighted to make friends with the Shahs whom I hope to see again as they live not far away in Wembley.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

‘Funnest’ Last Day of Vacation for Chriselle: Abbey Road Crossing, London Eye, Afternoon Tea and Seeing Kenneth Branagh at the West End.

Oct7

Thursday, October 6, 2016

London

It was Chriselle’s last day of vacation and she was delighted to have the opportunity to spend it in London. She decided to do all the things she had never done before—or mostly. After a rather leisurely start to the day, we had brekkie (croissants and peanut butter with salmon and dill cream cheese and decaff coffee). It was her idea that we should discover my new neighborhood of Ealing Broadway together and I thought it would be great to have her company as I scoured it.

By 11.30 am after showers, we left the house and made our way past Morrison’s (my new local supermarket) to Broadway—which is basically the High Street. How thrilling to see a huge Marks and Spencer on the next block! We walked to the local branch of HSBC to get some money out of the ATM machine and then found a thrift shop from which Chriselle wished to purchase a paperback for her return flight home tomorrow. By 12.00 noon, we were at the Tube station and I was buying my monthly Travelcard. Much to my delight, I was served by an Anglo-Indian railway employee named Clayton who was delighted when I asked if he was an Anglo-Indian. He said that from my name he was about to ask if I was a Goan from Bombay! How cool was that! We had a lovely chat and then I was off with my new monthly Tube and bus pass.

Off to the Beatles’ Crossing at Abbey Road:

We took the Central Line to Bond Street from where we switched to the Jubilee Line as our destination was St. John’s Wood as Chriselle was keen to get her Abbey Road Beatles Crossing picture. Once at the subway, we walked down Grove End Road (I knew the area well as I had lived there on two occasions during previous stays in London at the home of my friend Raquel on Abbey Road). Chriselle had such a blast as she strode across the street in imitation of the Fab Four. There were a lot of other tourists around with the same idea but because the day was windy and it was uncomfortable to stride in the cold, most people got their snaps snappily. I took her picture while she strode across and then we had a passer-by get the two of us. It was a really fun way to start our day.

After I took a picture outside Neville Court, the building where I had stayed and that overlooked the crossing, we left. We took the Tube next to Westminster for the next item on our agenda.

Off to Ride the London Eye:

At Westminster, Chriselle was enchanted to catch her first glimpse of Big Ben as we emerged from the Tube. As we were both peckish, we picked up samosas (veg and lamb ones) from a local Indian shop and munching those, we made our way across the bridge to arrive at the booking office for the London Eye. It was great fun to be part of the tourist energy in the city and to get into queues for tickets when the place was not quite as mobbed as it had been during the summer. In about ten minutes, we got our tickets (25 pounds each) and were directed towards a theater to watch a short 4 minute 4D film on London which was a fantastic experience for both of us.

Less than a half hour later, we were in a pod in the London Eye and we thoroughly enjoyed our experience. The light was perfect—it was a very bright day with blue skies and fluffy clouds and a sun that popped in and out of them offering picture opportunities in varying light modes. Of course, we took a ton of pictures together of the city from varied angles. After waiting for years to ride the London Eye, I can say that it was certainly worth the cost and the wait. An hour later, we were back on terra firma again and striding off to our next location.

Afternoon Tea at the Welcomm Collection:

Both Chriselle and I love tea and we both love the very British concept of Afternoon Tea. Having been to the Welcomm Collection which is a museum in Euston, about a month ago, I had discovered their Tea Room called The Welcomm Kitchen on the second floor. Afternoon Tea there is quite definitely the most reasonably priced in the entire city and I had resolved to take Chriselle there when she visited London.

Accordingly, we arrived there just before 3.00pm and ordered the Afternoon Tea for Two people which included the works: scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, a selection of finger sandwiches (ham and cheese, smoked salmon, cucumber and cream cheese and egg salad) and a lovely array of tiny pastries). Chriselle chose the ginger and lemon tea while I had the elderflower and lemon tea and they were both superb. Sipping tea in a lovely quiet atmosphere was the perfect way to chat about our recent travels and our plans going forward. It was grand to have this down time—quality time that we do not often get to spend together. About two hours later, we were leaving the museum and getting into a bus opposite University College, London.

Examining the Auto-Icon of Jeremy Bentham at UCL:

Since our bus stop was just outside UCL, I took Chriselle inside the main campus of University College, London, to show her one of the most curious sights in the city—the auto-icon of economist Jeremy Bentham. As most folks know, he was the 1ate 18th-early 19th century economist who propounded the theory of Utilitarianism that advocated ‘The greatest happiness of the greatest number’. Well-connected with UCL, he was one of the Trustees and greatest patrons of the college. In his will, he stipulated that his body should be embalmed and preserved in the premises of the college. Hence, his body is seated on a chair clothed in a casual outfit and gazing at generations of students that have gone through the portals. At one time, students had vandalized the case, taken off his head and played football with it. The head is now stored in a safe and a wax head had been placed on his body in the side corridor.

Chriselle was absolutely dumbstruck by what she saw and upon hearing the story, she wanted to leave right away. She found the entire story “way too creepy”—just as I had done the first time I had seen it.  Hence, we did not spend too much time there, but hopped into the first 29 bus that trundled along to take us to Trafalgar Square.

Off to see Museum Highlights:     

We still had time to kill before the final item on our agenda—the Big Surprise I had in store! Since we were at Trafalgar Square, it was a no-brainer to jump into the National Portrait Gallery so that Chriselle could see some of the newer portraits—she was keen to see Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. Sadly, there was a special Picasso exhibition on and so the portraits had been squirreled away. However, she did see the new one of the Duchess of Cambridge by Paul Emsley—which, like so many folks, she thought was terrible for it made her look so aged and so grey. We also looked at a few other portraits before moving on next door.

In the National Gallery, I showed Chriselle some of my special canvasses—the entire room devoted to Carlo Crivelli, for example, in the Sainsbury section; my very favorite painting in the museum (Courtyard of a House in Delft by Pieter de Hooch); Van Dyck’s equestrian portrait of Charles I; the Wilton Diptych; The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein.  By this stage, we were both tired and decided to go somewhere to rest.

Hot Chocolate at Amorina:

Chriselle had never tasted hot chocolate from Amorina—one of my favorite things to do in Manhattan is to get hot chocolate from there. She got a Caramel one and I got an Aztec-studded with cinnamon and chilli. Since it was a cold night, we were both grateful for the pick-me-up and about an hour later, we made our way towards the big surprise

Seeing Kenneth Branagh in The Entertainer at the West End:

By this time, since we were hovering around the West End, Chriselle guessed that the surprise had something to do with a play—however, she did not know which one. When we walked just a few steps ahead and entered the Garrick Theater at a little past 7.00 pm, to see Kenneth Branagh take the lead role in John Osborne’s The Entertainer, her joy knew no bounds as Osborne is one of her favorite playwrights and Branagh is one of her favorite actors. Suffice it so say that we spent an absolutely fabulous evening in the theater especially after I discovered that two other well-known actors were also in the play: Greta Sachhi who has been a permanent fixture in several films by Merchant-Ivory and Sophie McSheara who played Daisy in Downton Abbey. They took the two female leads in the play and they did a fine job—although McSheara’s voice is much too thin for such a powerful role. Overall, we had such a great time together.

On the Tube Back Home to Ealing:

I was keen to see how long it would take me to get home to Ealing from the West End and how crowded the train would be by the time we came to the last stop as I would likely be going to the theater on my own and was afraid of being the only one on the train at that late hour. As it turned out, I need not have worried. The trains were packed and at least 1/3 full by the time we reached Ealing Broadway. In fact, the area outside the Tube station was buzzing although it was almost 11.00 pm and my spirits soared. Since my flat is just across the Tube station, I need not worry at all about getting home after dark as I had done when I lived at Bethnal Green. It is great that I had Chriselle to accompany me during this experiment and that I had her company while I broke into my new digs.

By the time we fell asleep for our second night in my new home, I was convinced that I had made the right decision in moving. I was certain I would adore my new home and neighborhood and to get to know it really well as the weeks passed by.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

 

Back in T’Smoke Again: Its Moving Day for Me! Hiya Ealing!

Oct5

Tuesday-Wednesday, October 4-5, 2016

London

Chriselle and I arrived from Dubrovnik at Luton airport (a first time for both of us) just after midnight. Although we hoped to clear Immigration speedily, I had the chattiest officer ever—he was simply thrilled that I was originally from Bombay and loving the city as much as he does, he would not let me leave the counter! When he finally let me through, we took a National Express coach to Victoria that flew through the dark streets and then hopped into a bus that dropped us off at Battersea High Street where my friend Rosemary (Roz) left us a key that allowed us to enter her home at about 3.00 am. She had kept two beautiful guest rooms ready for us and within seconds, we were both out like a light!

The next morning, over Roz’s excellent tea loaf studded with tea-soaked raisins and hot coffee, we had a natter. She was thrilled to meet Chriselle for the first time and wanted to know all about our travels in Eastern Europe. At 9.00 am, we left as she proceeded to work and Chriselle and I took a bus to my office at NYU where my belongings were stashed. It was not long before he hailed a smart London black cab that took us to my new ‘digs’ at Ealing Broadway. By noon, we were meeting Nancy, a gorgeous Sicilian, wife of my friend Greg, who was renting his brother Stuart’s flat to me. She led us in, handed over keys and fled as she had an appointment in Knightsbridge.

Chriselle and I spent the next few hours unpacking our cases and doing two loads of laundry (after we figured out how the washer-dryer worked). As Chriselle napped, I took the opportunity to unpack my suitcases and was simply delighted at the oodles of closet space available to me. We had a very light lunch of croissants and cream cheese with soup that I nipped out to Morrison’s to pick up. I am delighted by the proximity of all the shops to my new flat. I have Morrisons and Sainsburys and M and S all on the same block. It is like having a pantry in my front yard. Plus, right in front of my house is a park—Haven Green. So I do have my little pocket of greenery amidst the urban sprawl. It was a huge pleasure to discover the workings of my glorious new home with Chriselle—to find out together how the appliances worked (although we still have no idea about the drop down TV screen!)

After she felt a bit more rested, we decided to go out for the evening. It was our initial plan to get tickets for the London Eye—as neither one of us had been on it. But when we found that darkness was falling really swiftly over the city, we changed our minds and decided to ride it tomorrow when we have more light. Instead, we decided to follow up on another plan—to go for dinner to Tayyabs, a very well-reputed Punjabi restaurant in the East End—which I had just left! Situated in Whitechapel in the heart of Bangla Town, Tayyabs is known for its North Indian cuisine. Since Chriselle is a pescatarian now, we ordered mainly vegetarian and seafood—paneer tikkas, Fish Amritsari, Karahi King Prawns with vegetable biryani. But since Lamb Korma was the ‘special’ of the day, well, I simply had to try it. Suffice it to say that the food was perhaps the best Indian we have ever eaten. Everything was delectable. While we did order mango lassis, we did not have room for dessert—and we took home hefty doggie bags—enough for dinner the following night.

Back on the Tube to Ealing, we were grateful for an early night as the day had been long and neither one of us had adequate sleep. Tomorrow, we will plan out Chriselle’s last day of vacation in London. It feels grand to be in London again and moving into this spacious one-bedroom with its period details but its Modernist aesthetic has done absolute wonders for my psyche. I know I will be absolutely thrilled to live here for the next few months.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

Wrapping Up an Exciting Eastern European Tour–From Budva to Dubrovnik to London

Oct5

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Kotor-Dubrovnik-London

We arrived finally at the last day of our travels and although both of us had a terrific time, we were both suffering from sightseeing fatigue and were ready to call it a day. Furthermore, Montenegro appeared like something of an anti-climax to us after the glories of Split and Dubrovnik—so we were not too unhappy to be returning to London.

When I had checked, the previous day, at the bus station to confirm that our tickets from Budva to Dubrovnik would leave at 2. 30 pm, I had a slight shock. There was no bus at 2. 30 and, in fact, our tickets were issued for the 9.30 am bus. Well, what a good thing I had checked! Overall, we found the folks manning public services in Montenegro unhelpful and very surly. The language was an issue and since they did not speak it too well, we all struggled to make ourselves understood. So, in a way, we were glad that our bus was leaving at 9. 30, as this mean that we had a good several hours to spend in Dubrovnik, our favorite place, and would be ending our trip on a high note.

Accordingly, we washed, showered, dressed, repacked and came down to the Reception of the Hotel Kangaroo with our bags and went straight to the Restaurant for our buffet breakfast. We basically stocked up well on proteins to keep us going for several hours and, once again, packed a ham and cheese sandwich with us to eat for lunch. Saying bye to the Receptionist and returning our keys, we trudged along to the Bus Station where we arrived at 9.00 am for our 9.30 am bus which left right on schedule. The bus was empty but picked up passengers in Kotor. The three hour bus ride was uneventful and comfortable and after Kotor, the Bay was, of course, stunningly beautiful to peruse from our window and the highlight really of our stay in Montenegro.

Arrival and Final Strolls in Dubrovnik:

On arrival in Dubrovnik at about 12. 30, we decided to spend the last few hours of our time in Croatia in the city we had really grown to love. So we stashed our bags in the Left Luggage locker and took a local bus to the Old Town—once again scrapping together the few kuna we were still carrying with us.

Once in the Old Town, we felt like veterans as we recalled how confused we had been on first arriving there in the dark, a few days previously. This time round, we knew exactly where to go and what to do. We would stroll around, pop into a couple of churches, shoot the breeze in the big open-air squares and then sit by the waterside and contemplate the sheer beauty of this lovely antiquated settlement. And that was exactly what we did. We purchased the last of our souvenirs, used up our kunas by ordering a meal and gelato at a waterfront restaurant before we departed from the city and then retraced our steps back to the bus station to take the 5.30 pm shuttle to the airport which was about 45 minutes away. We reached the airport at about 7.00 pm which was well in time to check in for our Easyjet flight back to London’s Luton airport which was to depart at 10.05 pm. All the time we kept saying how lucky we were that we had the bonus day in Dubrovnik—an unexpected delight.

Departure for London:

It was late and we were tired but with a lot of resting at the airport, we were able to survive the wait for our flight. It was a short flight of just over two hours and we arrived at Luton at about midnight. We had made shuttle bookings on the National Express bus service to get us back to Victoria, where we reached at 1.00 am and about 1. 22 am, along came the 44 bus that took us to Battersea High Street where my friend Roz had concealed her key for us in a hiding place so that we could let ourselves inside. It was then almost 2. 45 and we were ready to crash. Luckily, she had two guest rooms ready so that we had a room each and we really did appreciate that little luxury as we lay down to sleep.

Conclusion:

On the morrow, we would meet Roz who would join us for breakfast and meet Chriselle for the first time…but for the moment, I fell asleep looking back upon an incredible trip with my daughter with whom I do not often get the chance to spend such prolonged periods of quality time. It was a trip we would both savor for a very long time to come and always appreciate. It had introduced us to some amazingly stunning parts of the world and offered a lot of opportunities to sample unique and interesting food and to undertake a plethora of experiences that were different and delightful such as trekking along a river surrounded by mountains, riding a train through subterranean caves filled with strange rock formations, singing under the stars to the accompaniment of a guitarist, boating to an island in the middle of a lake, ringing a Wishing Bell in a spectacular church, going up in a funicular train to a castle at the top of a mountain, scaling the walls of an ancient Town, buying interesting souvenirs in shops and flea markets, interacting with local people in public transport that was usually efficient, crossing international borders several times to have our documents scrutinized, and just gabbing for hours over steaming tea while rain drummed down upon the roof of a cafe. Yes, truly, these are the images that would remain fixed in my mind and which I would call upon often as I tried to process, over the next few weeks, the distinctive experiences we had accumulated on our travels.

Thanks so much for following this travelogue with me. I hope you have enjoyed being an armchair traveler. I have certainly enjoyed having you by my side, if only in spirit.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

Dipping into the Adriatic Coast in Montenegro–Coursing Through Kotor, Perast and Budva

Oct5

Monday, October 3, 2016:

Kotor-Perast-Budva (Along the Adriatic Coast)

Easily the best thing about our Hotel Kangaroo in Budva was its magnificent buffet breakfast that offered several choices including many vegetarian options for Chriselle. We washed, showered, dressed and went down to eat at about 8.00 am and had a feast. We even carried a sandwich for lunch made with thick slices of bread and the huge variety of cold cuts and cheese they offered.

Our day was devoted to discovering the more interesting parts of the gorgeous Bay of Kotor that appears like the petals of a flower whose tips jut out into the Adriatic Sea. This meant walking to the Bus station from where we boarded a bus to Kotor—the town that is usually a tourist’s base. It is not a very interesting drive as it goes through the interior—not along the water’s edge. Still, it is a short drive and an in about 20 minutes, we were there.

Discovering Kotor:

From the bus station, you walk about ten minutes to get to the entrance to the huge fortress at Kotor whose walls snake up a mountain like the Great Wall of China. It almost disappears into the mountain side as the walls and the mountain are the same grey. Once you enter the fortress, you are lost, once again, in the feeling of an Old Town. These pockets, common it seems, to all settlements along the Adrtiatic coast, were built centuries ago to offer communal living to the inhabitants. Houses and buildings sit cheek by jowl, there is always a church, a large square in front of it (today, filled with cafes and restaurants, banks or post offices) and a maze of narrow lanes across which houses seem to reach out and kiss one another. We walked through Kotor’s Old Town, pausing often to buy our souvenirs—T-shirts, post-cards, magnets, little gifts for friends, to change money at a bank and to get some euros. We took time to just sit down and enjoy people-watching. The architecture is always fascinating and offers many photo opportunities.

Kotor is also a modern town with the abundant shops that cater exclusively to cruise ship passengers for all the places we visited on this trip (Split, Dubrovnik, Kotor) are part of a very popular route in the Adriatic region. These luxury stores with over-priced designer goods are everywhere and a great way to pass time—although, to be honest, I have rarely seen anyone actually buy anything. We decided to bypass this part of Kotor altogether and head instead to Perast which was described in my Lonely Planet guidebook as a small chunk of Venice that seems to have floated into the Adriatic Sea and attached itself to the Bay of Kotor. Well…who would not want to stroll through a mini-Venice, right? Chriselle was not too enthusiastic. She definitely showed signs, by this stage, of sightseeing fatigue. But I managed to persuade her—we were so close, why not just cover it too?

Perusing Perast:

We were, by this stage, also counting our euros—we had too few and did not want to exchange too much more. Somehow we scraped together the bus fare and boarded one to Perast—which took us about 15 minutes to get there past lovely scenery.

Indeed, Perast did remind us a little bit of Venice with its palazzos, its spire of a church that is visible from afar, its cobbled streets. But sadly, just as we made ourselves comfortable by the water’s edge, with our sandwich lunch, along came a few fat raindrops to ruin our picnic. Spying the awning of a little souvenir shop nearby, we fled under it and Chriselle ended up buying a bottle of lemonade from there—with a delicious bitter lemon flavor that we both enjoyed. We sat there for a long while but our visit to Perast was thoroughly ruined by the rain as there was really nothing much to do in the town.

Its biggest attraction is a boat ride to the two islands that sit in the Adriatic Sea not too far from the town. One of them is a natural island (but that one is closed to the public and boats merely skirt around it); the other is a man-made island that is still a work in progress. On it stands the lovely domed Church of Our Lady of the Rocks which is quite spectacular inside. We chose, however, not to go there as we had already done one boat ride to the island on Lake Bled where a similar church exists. Also, we were short of money and there were no banks or money exchange places in Perast! The church in the main town square was closed—so we could not enter it—although there was an old crone waiting in the campanile tower to take money from anyone wishing to climb up for great views of the Bay. Needless to say, we were quite wiped out from our ten days of sightseeing to want to attempt that—plus, we had no money!

Between the two of us, we just managed to scrape the few euros we needed to get back on the bus to Kotor—this time the scenery was ruined by rain and windows that kept fogging up and obscuring the view. And once at Kotor, we wasted no time, but hopped into a bus that took us back to Budva. We still had to explore Budva’s Old Town as rain had ruined that excursion for us, the previous evening. So about an hour later, we were back in Budva.

Exploring Budva’s Old Town:    

Thankfully, and by some miracle, the rain had not reached as far south of the Bay as Budva. So, as soon as we got to the bus station, we walked directly towards Old Town, past all the flashy new skyscrapers and rather gaudy structures as we knew the lie of the land pretty well by this point.

Budva’s Old Town had a lot to offer: the usual suspects, of course, churches, plazas, shops, bars, cafes, but these were actually quite charming because each place and its Old Town has a slightly different character. Here, there was a lovely Russian Orthodox Church that was very pretty and reminiscent (though on a much smaller scale) of the ones we had seen in St. Petersburg in Russia.  We contemplated sitting at a café with a coffee and dessert but prices were very high. Instead, we sat at the water’s edge on a rampart of the fort and watched people and their dogs and felt happy and contented that our lovely holiday was ending in this place.

Budva’s tourist literature depicts a lovely sculpture of a ballerina and since we had not yet caught sight of her, we went out in search of it. It meant a bit of a walk around the fort and Old Town walls, but then there she was—on the rocks—sort of like The Little Mermaid that sits in the harbor at Copenhagen. People scrambled across the rocks to take pictures with her (which made it hard for the rest of us to get our shots!) but in the end, after some ill-natured bantering with them, we got our pictures and left.

It was time to walk back to our hotel before darkness fell over the city. Through the garden we went, past the fountain that changes lights and colors and on to our hotel where we sat at the restaurant and ordered dinner. It was delicious and satisfying—Chriselle had been craving the grilled prawns (large ones, well marinated and charred) and I had some meat (although I cannot now remember what I ate). When we’d had our fill, we left and took the elevator up to our room where we organized ourselves for our departure, the next day, to Dubrovnik. It was not long before we switched the light off and fell asleep.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

Departing from Dubrovnik in Croatia and Arriving in Budva, Montenegro

Oct5

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Dubrovnik, Croatia-Budva, Montenegro:

Chriselle and I woke up excited because soon we would be on the road again. However, for the start of the day, we’d be in Dubrovnik and since it was a Sunday and we had not yet managed to get inside the Church of St. Blaise, it made sense to go for Mass there.

We washed, showered, dressed and packed our bags and kept them ready for our departure and then we set out to pay a visit at the church—not sure if we would get a Mass as the church did not have a website and I was not able to confirm timings. To our good luck, the church was open when we got there at about 7. 45 am and we soon discovered, by the numbers of people who kept trooping in, that Mass was at 8.00 am. Needless to say, we attended Mass and received Communion and then left quickly. The church is gorgeous—it is again decorated in the Baroque vein with lavish gilding at the altar and beautiful marble cherubs and saints scattered all around. We also found deep Catholic devotion in Croatia and a congregation of a wide age range.

Outside, vendors were getting their goodies ready for new buyers—we later discovered that the open-air market was part of a two-day festival that occurs once a year. We were lucky to have caught it. Chriselle bought a jar of preserved cherries which she absolutely adored. We also returned to the same bakery to buy ourselves something for breakfast—croissants and ham and cheese twists with coffee—and we sat at a square that was just coming to life, we chatted with other tourists who had just arrived in Dubrovnik and were clearly enchanted by it.

With our breakfast eaten, we took a couple of last strolls around the place and then return to our hotel to pick up our bags. We then made our way to the bus stop from where we caught the 1A bus that took us to the Main Bus Station.

Off to Montenegro:

Our bus to Montenegro left promptly at 11.00 am. We were scheduled to arrive in Budva at 2.00 pm. We did go through another border check-point when our passports were checked and stamped and as we entered Montenegro, we found ourselves growing more and more charmed by the scenery. Leaving Dubrovnik was also wonderful as it offered us exciting views of Old Town from a height as it receded from us.

Our arrival in Budva brought us to the main Bus station past the many twists and turns that make up the gorgeous Bay of Kotor. The drive snakes around the water’s edge for a good couple of hours offering stunning scenery that combines water, mountains, small red roofed hamlets and many luxury hotels and spas that have been completely taken over by Russian tourists. We passed by the main town of Kotor and other much smaller settlements that hug the water’s edge and finally arrived at Budva.

Arrival and Check-in at Budva:

In Budva, I had made reservations at Hotel Kangaroo which Lonely Planet had recommended warmly. Its name derives from the fact that it is run by an Australian couple. Asking for directions at the bus-station, we managed to find our way to the hotel after about a 20 minute walk—which was not very pleasant given that we had baggage with us. Still, once we were in our hotel, it reminded us much of Goa—with its shack-like appearance and its lush greenery. No sooner did we stash our bags in our very spacious ensuite room than we realized how hungry we were—luckily, our hotel had a very large restaurant attached to it and it was there that we ate our first meal in Montenegro. I ordered the Beef Goulash which turned out to be a very large and hearty helping of an Indian–style beef curry served with a bit of mashed potato. Chriselle chose to have the grilled fish with chips—potato fries. This turned out to be much too large a helping for her—but the food was tasty and very reasonably priced.

Our first impressions of Budva were that it reminded us a lot of suburban Bombay. It is a very modern city with the kind of urban sprawl that is not very attractive despite the fact that new high rise buildings are apparently being constructed for clients with money—more Russians, perhaps? After the charming, old-world, medieval ambience of Dubrovnik, we were a tad disappointed, but we hoped we’d find antiquity in Old Town.

Going out to Discover Budva:

Having sustained ourselves well for the evening ahead, we decided to go out in search of Old Town which was a good 20 minute walk from our hotel. We took a map and directions from our hotel receptionist and as we began to cross a large garden towards the waterfront, we felt the first fat drops on our faces. Soon the drizzle became a steady downpour and we had to take shelter in a restaurant as neither one of us had an umbrella. After a while it seemed to clear up and we raced towards the main walls of Old Town which were just a few meters in front of us.

Caught in a Massive Downpour:

Well, all we managed to do was get into the town walls. Within a few steps, the rain re-started and we had no alternative but to seek shelter again. This time we sat in a restaurant and ordered cups of tea which felt really good as we were cold and quite miserable at being caught in the rain. However, we also reminded ourselves that this was the very first time we had to deal with rain on our entire trip—indeed we had been hugely fortunate with the weather—so we could hardly grumble.

The rain drummed on and on. The two of us looked at it as a great time to just sit and catch up with every aspect of our lives. But for the two of us, the restaurant was empty and we had the wait staff pouring attention upon us. It was not just the rain but deafening claps of thunder that alarmed us and streaks of lightning that shot across the sky. We talked about our past, about our future, about friends and family members that we now see so rarely, etc. It really was a great way to bond and get in touch with all the happenings in our lives. About two hours later, after Chriselle felt the need to order a bit of dinner (I was still too full after our late lunch), we nibbled at a dessert that she ordered and after darkness had fallen over the city and the rain had thoroughly drenched everything, we found our way back to our hotel. In the end, we did not see anything of Old Town—but tomorrow was another day!

There was little else to do but a spot of reading before we got to bed as the TV in our room did not play anything in English. By 9.30 pm, we were switching off the light, wishing each other a good night and hoping for better weather tomorrow.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

 

 

Discovering Dazzling Dubrovnik in Croatia

Oct5

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Dubrovnik, Croatia:

We spent the entire day discovering Dubrovnik.  And what a city it was! And what a fine discovery it turned out to be! Having fallen in love with Split, we thought it would be impossible to find anything quite as enchanting. But Dubrovnik far exceeded Split in terms of charm-value.

Going in Search of Breakfast:

We found breakfast pastries (apricot croissants, hazelnut twists) in a small bakery where we also found coffee and a very surly assistant serving us. We beat a hasty retreat, sat by the wonderful round fountain of Ornofrio right at the main entrance to Old Town called Pile Gate and ate our breakfast. When we were done, we were ready to launch upon our sightseeing for the day which began with our climb up the City Walls.

Exploring Dubrovnik’s City Walls:

The biggest (and most expensive) attraction in Dubrovnik is a walk around the City Walls—these are located right at the very entrance. For the equivalent of about $25 (paid only in kuna), you get a ticket and with it, you are allowed to enter the main door that leads to about four floors worth of steps. These are steep and narrow but they take you up to the very top from where you get unbelievable views—of the New City lying beyond Pile Gate, of the uniformly red roofs of the Old City, of the shimmering Adriatic with its multitude of watercraft.

Encircling the City Walls takes about two hours—although much depends on how often you stop to take sweeping views of the landscape, how many pictures for which you pose, whether or not you stop for a cup of tea or a cooling juice drink (for there are small cafes dotted along the walls). It is a really unique experience and one I have not had anywhere else in the world. You are on the ramparts, basically, of a really huge castle—a castle that was built in Medieval times but in which life still carries on—for the place is a living entity of contemporary Croatian life. There are architectural elements, for instance, that you can only appreciate from a height. Occasionally you find yourself peering into people’s home, taking in their terrace gardens and viewing their laundry that hangs out to dry. You see the domes and spires of grand Baroque churches (that you will visit once you get down again). You see the bays and coves that are part of this visually stunning part of the world. Everywhere you turn, there is a picture postcard waiting to be photographed. It is simply visual overload and you will love every second of it.

As expected, we took a little over two hours during which we had the time of our lives. I mean what was not to love? There was the weather that was just perfect. With zero humidity, we climbed up and down a series of staircases but we were never tired. There was the tourist energy of other people who passed by us, went before us or lagged behind us. We laughed and chatted with them as if they were close friends. When eventually we did have our fill of the sights and took enough pictures to exhaust the battery on our camera, we descended the stairs and came back to the center of Old Town again.

Taking Three Self-Guided Walks:

After we had refreshed ourselves with a long drink of water and a snack of gelato, we set out again for the next item on our agenda. The Tourist Information Center which is located right at the entrance to the Old City at Pile Gate distributes a rather nice map with three walking tours very clearly traced out in colored dotted lines. We decided to do all three of them with a stop in-between for lunch.

Free Samples and Nibbles in St. Blaise’s Church Square:

It was when we were on our walk that we came across the Square of St. Blaise Church that was simply filled with tables laid out with goodies and manned by Croatian folk many of whom were in their traditional folk costumes. As we moved from stall to stall, we were inundated with requests to sample the goodies and indeed we did not disappoint the good salespeople. We tasted candied almonds, candied orange rind and loads and loads of jams and preserves. At one of the stalls, we were plied with samples of homemade brandies and liqueurs that were simply amazing. At another stall, we had savory nibbles—crackers and biscuits.

When we’d had more than we could manage, we continued with our walk. All the while, we took in the breathtaking interiors of churches, the architectural wonders of palaces, wharfs and quay sides where we were plied with requests to buy tickets for boat rides and excursions to the neighboring islands. We visited the Jesuit Church of St. Ignatius, we entered an ancient apothecary or pharmacy that has been in regular business since the 1300s, we saw cloisters attached to various abbey and missions–for Croatia is staunchly Catholic. It does not seem to have gone through a Reformation and faith is firm. At about 4.00 pm, feeling very tired, we decided to return to our lovely comfy room to take a rest and a nap. This idea was great as it did both of us a world of good.

Dinner at Taj Mahal Bosnian Restaurant:

About an hour or two later, when twilight was descending upon the city, we decided to go out for dinner and it was in a Bosnian Hotel called (of all things!) Taj Mahal Bosnian Cuisine that we experimented with a bit of local cuisine. Since I had not eaten the famous kebabs of the region called cevapi, I ordered those. They were served with pita bread (much softer and fluffier than American pita) with a dollop of sour cream and with diced fresh onions. Chriselle ordered the Brocolli soup that was simple divine and a large mixed salad which came with cured beef slices (similar to Proscuitto) which she (being a vegetarian) did not eat but passed on to me. The food was very tasty indeed and we could see why it is one of the most popular restaurants in Bosnia.

Right after dinner, we decided to go for another short walk as the lighting brings a magical glow to the city by night—and we could not get enough of it. But by 10.00 pm, we were home and getting ourselves organized for our departure for Montenegro.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

Sadly Leaving Split and Journeying to Dubrovnik in Croatia

Oct5

Friday, September 30, 2016:

Split-Dubrovnk, Croatia

Split was so spectacular that it simply stole our hearts away.

After a very comfortable night and a very good sleep, Chriselle and I awoke in our Air B&B feeling very pleased with the choice we had made. We showered and then packed away our bags and took them down to the real estate agency where Laura took charge of them as check-out time was 11. 00 am. We then left to find ourselves a spot of breakfast.

Breakfast by the Harbor:

Split was already hopping at 9.00 am when we set out to get some baked goods for breakfast as the cruise ships that come in each morning and disgorge vast crowds of passengers arrive early. As we walked towards the center of Old Town to find a bakery, we kept running into these hordes with their tour guides rattling off all sorts of information in varying languages. As we searched for a bakery, we wandered out of the Town walls and into the more modern part of Split. As we neared the waterside, we could see many watercraft bobbing lazily—from small yachts to big cruising ships, there were an impressive variety of them. When we did finally find a bakery, I got a hazelnut and chocolate twist with a cup of decaff coffee—and Chriselle got something along the same lines. We found ourselves a bench facing the water and people-watched as we munched on our goodies that tasted so good as we were ravenous.

Aimlessly Exploring the City:

A little later, we did some more strolling aimlessly. Everywhere we turned, there was something wonderful to see. We walked the length of the waterside promenade, we nipped into souvenir shops to buy magnets and postcards, we browsed in a few shops and bought T-shirts as gifts and then when Chriselle became deeply charmed by a cloth bag in the shape of an owl, we scoured some of the street-side stalls to make sure we got the best bargain. She did eventually find the one that she most adored and feeling very pleased with her purchase, we walked on.

A little later, we came across a flea market that was full of knick-knacks as well as a section that sold fresh fruit and veg. I bought a small quantity of dried figs as I really do love them. Munching on them, we browsed through the vintage and antique items until Chriselle found a heart-shaped topaz-colored crystal pendant that she adored. I bought it for her as a small souvenir of our times together. She immediately put it on and was once again very pleased with her buy.

More aimless wandering took us to parts of the Town we had never seen. We continued our Walking Tour as laid out in Lonely Planet and found Diocletian’s private apartments in remarkable form. We entered an ethnographic museum and enjoyed looking at the various exhibits that delineated varied aspects of Croatian life—dress, food, jewelry, crafts, hobbies, etc. All of it was a very good introduction to the region and its people. We entered a church and found the interior decoration dazzling. We did not climb to the top of the five-tiered Tower as we’d had enough of climbing the previous day. However, we made sure we combed through every alley, nook and cranny that the book suggested we comb—and at each turn, we were enchanted. We were also glad that we’d had a chance to see the buildings and the square the previous night in electric lighting as the look by daylight was completely different.

Departure from Split and Arrival in Dubrovnik:

By 1.00 pm, we returned to Laura at the agency to pick up our bags and begin the short trek to the bus station. We boarded our bus to Dubrovnik for a 2.00 pm departure with expected time of arrival being close to 6. 30 pm. Once again, it was a beautiful drive as we hugged the Adriatic coast and passed numerous hazy islands throughout.

What was also interesting about this drive was that for a part of it we traveled through Bosnia-Herzogovina. In fact, our coach made a short stop after we had our passports checked by border control. While we were in Bosnia, we used rest rooms, bought souvenirs and snacks and took some pictures of the lovely area through which we were passing. What a thrill it was to stop in Bosnia and spend a little while there! Little did we dream, when we had been reading about the dreadful war there, that we would one day travel to these parts of the world! It was a huge thrill for both Chriselle and myself. Not too much later, we were entering Croatia and going through another border check-point. Luckily, these stops were quite speedy and did not cause us too much impatience or anxiety.

Arrival in Dubrovnik:

By the time we arrived in Dubrovnik, twilight had already descended upon the city. At the bus station, we found out about our on-going journey to Montenegro, two days later, and booked our tickets. We then bought tickets for the local bus that took us from the bus station to the Old Town where it terminated. Here again our accommodation was in the heart of the Old Town (an Air B&B arranged by Chriselle) and with very good directions, we managed to find it quite easily. The only hassle was that it was at the very top of a steep flight of stairs which was not a picnic to climb when we had our baggage with us. Still, we could not complain too much as the accommodation was very classy and very nice with a spacious room and a very modern bathroom. Once again, we stashed our things and decided to go out in search of dinner—which would also give us a chance to take in the Old Town by Night.

Our first impressions of Old Town? Well, it is every bit as glorious as our friends had told us. This entire vast sprawling Town is made of marble—it has marble paving, gorgeous palazzos, superb Baroque churches that are as beautiful on the outside as they are within, and loads of lovely restaurants, cafes, bars and shops studded all over the place.

Dinner in Dubrovnik:

With the best intentions of discovering the city the next day, we sauntered around until we found Cele, a restaurant in a busy square that was lively and fun-filled and offered live music. We ordered Croatian beer and decided to try some of the seafood for which Croatia is famed: we had a vast tureen of mussels with a thick and flavorful broth for which we were provided bread so that we could sop it all up (it was delectable!) and a platter of grilled vegetables that included eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes and cucumbers. They were very well seasoned and slightly charred and dressed with balsamic vinaigrette. We really did enjoy our dinner and our beer and felt pleased that we had not yet had a bad meal on our trip.

Once dinner was done, however, we did not waste too much time hanging out as we really did need to catch up on our sleep. It was easy to find our accommodation once we knew were to go and about a half hour later, we were preparing to call it a day knowing that we had an absolute treat in store as we began a proper exploration of the city.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

 

Goodbye Slovenia and Hello Croatia–Arrival in Scintillating Split.

Oct5

Thursday, September 29, 2016

Slovenia-Croatia—Off to Split

Early Morning Rising:

Our coach to Split was scheduled to leave at 7. 10 am from the Bus Station at Ljubljana. Since we would be leaving our hostel before breakfast service began at 7. 30 am, we asked for a packed breakfast and were delighted to have it waiting for us at Reception when we checked out at 6. 30 am. A few minutes later, we were trawling our strolleys along on the ten minute walk to the bus station and feeling quite sorry to be leaving Ljubljana and Slovenia in general as our travels had proven to be such fun.

Long Coach Ride to Croatia:

I was excited to be traveling towards Croatia. I had wanted to visit the country for many years and had heard a great deal about its unspoiled beauty. We had a long ride ahead of us (about 10 hours) so Chriselle had wisely equipped herself for the journey by picking up a paperback from the hostel’s book exchange service. It kept her wrapped up for most of the journey which was actually much more pleasant than we had imagined as we made many stops.

We had a border crossing into Croatia and passport checking and stamping about an hour or two into the journey. It went off painlessly and smoothly and in no time at all, we were on our way again. Once in Croatia, we discovered to our great annoyance, that we were required to pay 3 kunas (about 50 cents) each time we wished to use a public toilet in any one of the bus stations. This literally involved begging for a few coins or exchanging our euros coins with fellow travelers as we had not yet exchanged any money. Croatia in the only country that uses Kuna—so you need to use them up before you leave.

We also had a connection to make in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, which was once so much in the news. That connection was a dismal failure as we were kept waiting for a coach for over an hour. When the coach finally did arrive, there was neither an apology nor an explanation for the delay—I guess public services do not function with the same efficiency and courtesy in other parts of Europe as they do in the UK.

Driving around Zagreb on our departure from the bus station and on to the highway, we got to see much of the city—at least its suburban parts. Needless to say, everything is brand spanking new as the city was almost wiped out in the 1990’s war that devastated the region and re-drew the borders of countries in Eastern Europe. It was fun to be able to see another capital as we did not have the time to spend seeing Zagreb in any more detail.

Bye and by, we arrived at our destination. Our journey was made pleasant by the food we were carrying (apple, ham and cheese sandwiches, apple juice that was in our breakfast bags) and the snacks we had bought (potato chips, chocolate) and which we munched as the miles flew. Outside, the scenery changed with many green hills and mountains receding in the distance to blue-grey outlines of many more. It was quite lovely indeed and it offered us a break from the strenuous walking and climbing we had done during the past few days. Once we hit the Adriatic coast, it was the incredible blue of its waters that offered stirring sights as did the lovely small and large coastal towns that we passed where we dropped or picked up passengers.

Arrival in Split:

We cruised into the City of Split at about 6.00 pm while there was still plenty of light. Chriselle had made a booking at an AirB&B that was in the heart of the Old Town. As soon as we alighted from the bus, we went to the bus station to book our onward tickets to Dubrovnik for the next day and asked for directions to our hotel. We discovered that it was just a fifteen minute walk away and it was with great pleasure that we set off in search of it.

Finding our Hotel and Settling In;

We knew that our accommodation was located in the very heart of the Old Town of Split. It did not take us long to leave the new city behind and enter through the walls of the Palace of Diocletian, through the Silver Gate. A few minutes later, we were completely enchanted by what we saw—for the Old Town of Split is composed entirely of the palace that the Emperor Diocletian built as his retirement resort. He never did occupy it; but through the centuries the entire place has remained a living entity of human activity. There are ruins and well-preserved buildings and temples but there are also contemporary homes with washing hanging on lines, children playing in the streets, stray cats darting all over the place and a general sense of vibrant life all around.

We found the agent Laura who handed us our keys and showed us our room with its en suite bathroom. It was small but comfortable and certainly served our needs. We surveyed the place quickly, used the facilities and left immediately as we did want to catch some parts of the Old Town before the light faded completely.

Exploring Old Town and Diocletian’s Palace:

And so it was that we used the Lonely Planet Walking Tour to start off our exploration of the ruins of Diocletian’s Palace which rose up all around us. We were located literally in the midst of it all in an old building with an old door and with lights on sensors that came on as we passed each floor. It was a bit creepy and not something I would have enjoyed doing alone, but with Chriselle for company, my bravado swelled.

We started at the towering sculpture of Gregorius Nin—which dwarfs everything in its surroundings. Then we began our walk through the maze of streets, admiring the intricate sculpture, the architectural details, the surface decoration at each step, of this grand and mighty edifice that has withstood so wonderfully the test of time. We arrived at the Peristyle which is the main building of the Palace and which looks like a grand Roman Temple. It has retained most of its original details. Standing not far away is the five-tiered tower of the neighboring church—sort of like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Everywhere we were stunned by the late-evening crowds most of whom were part of organized walking tours with guides speaking in varied languages.

After we had scoured parts of the Palace and become quite enchanted indeed by what we saw, we decided to look for a place for dinner as we were both ready for a nice meal. Our long coach drive had taken its toll on us and we were ready to kick back and relax. Hence, when we found a lovely restaurant in People’s Square that offered outdoor tables and lots of opportunities to people-watch, we settled down there with cold beer and one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten—it was a seafood pizza with fresh prawns, capers and green olives on a generous bed of mozarella cheese. As we dug in, we were simply delighted by our meal and our surroundings and the lovely soft lighting which gave the entire Palace a magical ambience. Indeed, I was very glad that Chriselle and I did some exploration by night as our impressions of the city in broad daylight would be quite different altogether.

After our meal, we presumed we would get directly home—but along the way, we heard music and stopping to listen, we discovered that it was a guitarist and a female singer who were seated outside the Luxor Hotel and Restaurant to entertain patrons who sipped wine as they lounged, Roman-style, on red cushions on the Temple steps. Of course, we joined in right away, because we both love music and knew all the songs she was singing. Some brave British women and a couple of kids were not content with singing alone—they jumped into the space in the center and began dancing. It was all fun, very lively, very friendly, very much the kind of spontaneous experience you encounter in your travels that remains forever embedded in your brain. Well, for me, this too was one of the highlights of our travels and we enjoyed it immensely. A little later, we decided to go back home and get some shut eye as the morrow would bring us more sightseeing delights.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…

The Alpine Loveliness of Slovenia’s Mountain Town of Bled

Oct5

Wed, September 28. 2016:

Ljubljana-Lake Bled-Ljubljana.

            Both Chriselle and I were very happy about our excursion to Bled, one of the most iconic parts of Slovenia and the one most projected by its tourist authorities. Without meaning to waste any time, we awoke, showered quickly, had a repeat of the breakfast we had yesterday in the youth hostel—a very substantial, very delicious one—and then we were off, heading towards the Bus station as we had been informed that the bus takes visitors closer to the lake than does the train. We booked our bus tickets and set off for the 90 minute ride to the town of Bled.

Arrival at Bled:

It was hard to know when we had arrived at Bled as we did not see the Lake from the bus stop. The driver had to tell us that we were at the last stop. Once we alighted, we went to Mamut, the Tourist agency for Slovenia and were most courteously helped by the attendant there. At his suggestion, we booked tickets immediately for a van ride that would take us to a place he recommended very warmly—the Vintgar Gorge—which was a 15 minute ride away.

 

Off to the Vintgar Gorge:

The Vintgar Gorge was not on the cards for us at all, but by the end of the morning, both of us were absolutely delighted that we had taken the tip and booked the van ticket to get there. It turned out to be a natural gorge that followed the bends of the Radovna River with its white water rapids and waterfalls and towering mountain peaks beautifully clad in thick forests. Once we got off the van in which there were five other people with us, we gave ourselves up fully to the delights that only Nature can offer. We followed a well-constructed path that often hung over the rapids of the river as we smelled the fresh Alpine air and enjoyed the conifers that covered the slopes. Crowds were rather thick for this time of year, but everyone was in superb spirits. It was not a challenging walk at all, but it was long—a total of 45 minutes to get to the end where the highest waterfall was located and then an easy 45 minute walk back. There were lot of places where we stopped to take photos, but we still did it in good time. As trekking is one of my great joys, this was easily another highlight of our trip and I was so glad we had the chance to undertake the challenge.

Lunch in Bled:

As soon as we returned by van to Bled, we walked towards the Lake as we had not yet seen it. It turned out to be a really lovely sight—surrounded by hills, encircled by a walking path –and bang in the middle of it, there was an island with a church easily visible on it. Since Chriselle and I were hungry, we pulled out the sandwiches we had carried from our breakfast buffet and ate them in the shade of a beautiful gazebo in a flower-filled park that reminded us very much of the Mirabel Gardens in Salzburg. After a while, we decided to stretch our legs again and go for a walk around the lake.

A Boat Ride to the Island:

It was while we were heading to the lake, that a young woman asked us if we would be willing to join her party for a boat ride to the island—they needed 8 people and had only four. We’d bring the party up to six. We agreed as we had intended to get to the island anyway. A few minutes later, we found 3 more people willing to row with us and with our oarsman Martin taking controls, off we went with Kitty, her companion, two British women and a family from northern Slovenia.

We reached the island in about half an hour after a lovely boat ride that was thrilling in every respect. The scenery was spectacular as we took in the castle, the church spires and the hotels that stud the lake’s banks. Once on the island, we climbed steep steps that took us to the entrance of the Church (which is deconsecrated). However, it has become a tourist attraction as it is said to contain a Wishing Bell. You pay 6 euros to enter the church and once inside, you head towards the altar. The Baroque interior decoration of the altar is just stupendous—it is entirely gilded. Two beautiful paintings flank the main altar. Hanging in the center is a thick rope from which you need to literally hang in order to get the bell to ring. You make a wish and ring the bell three times in hopes of getting your wish. Needless to say, both Chriselle and I had a go—but I forgot to make my wish as I was too busy getting pictures taken!

After we left the church, we decided to climb hundreds of steps (or so it seemed) to get to the Bell Tower—and at the end of it, we were disappointed as we were not rewarded with the stunning views we expected. The windows were all grilled over and there was little we could actually see from the top—so it was a wasted effort. However, to soothe ourselves, we found the time to eat the delicious local cake called Potica that is made on the island—it is a Swiss roll sort of cake made with figs and hazelnuts. Together with a cup of coffee, it was a delicious treat and it just hit the spot.

Toy Train Ride Around the Lake:

Back in the boat, Martin rowed us to the jetty where we decided to hop into a toy train that took us on a 45 minute ride around the entire periphery of the lake. This was probably one of the best decisions we made as we saw the entire town of Bled from different corners of it. Had we stayed in the Lake area, we’d only have seen that little bit. The toy train filled with people at various stops and as it chugged slowly along, it exposed us to chalets, lakeside retreats, hotels, tea shops, etc. that dot the entire area. We also had the chance to get closer to the island and to see the church perched upon it from varied perspectives. As it was a beautiful day, we thoroughly enjoyed the Alpine loveliness of the area and could easily see why this lovely town is so popular among visitors. It reminded me very often of Salzburg in Austria which is one of my favorite places in the world.

Visiting the Church of St. Martin:

The Church of St. Martin is rather prominent in the town as its spire is easily visible from varied points. We decided to pay a visit inside and were required to climb a vast number of stairs again to get to the entrance. Inside, we were quite pleased to find that Mass in English was in progress. We found a group of people congregated in the front and it immediately occurred to me that it was a private Mass being said only for them. However, we decided to stay on and receive Communion and after Mass, had a chance to talk to some of the members of the group. They informed us that they were from Florida and were traveling to varied centers of pilgrimage in Europe. They were very pleased indeed to meet and chat with us and thanked us for joining them for Mass! This church too was visually gorgeous—filled with exquisite carvings and paintings on the ceiling and along the walls.

Coffee and Cake for Afternoon Tea:

By this time, we had covered the town quite thoroughly but were still loathe to leave it as it was so beautiful. We decided to take Lonely Planet’s tip and head to a coffee shop they had recommended for really delicious Lake Bled traditional cream cake called Kremnista. We found the place at the end of another long walk and climb that took us into a part of the town behind the church that we would not otherwise have explored.

Seated in a little booth in a very quiet part of the coffee shop gave Chriselle and me another pause in our wanderings and a chance to talk and discuss the amazing sights we were seeing and the lovely experiences to which we were being subjected. About an hour later, after we felt refreshed and sustained by our cake and coffee, we left the restaurant and began the walk towards the bus stop.

 

Return to Ljubljana:

We had about a 20 minute wait before our bus arrived to take us back to Ljubljana. We’d had a very eventful day and were tired but in a very nice way. Since we were so full with our substantial and rather late “tea’, we picked up sausage rolls from the bus station in the capital city and munching those, we made our way back to our hostel—deciding that they would suffice well for dinner. It was not long before we arrived at our hostel and began to organize ourselves for our fairly early departure, the next morning, by coach to Croatia.

Slovenia had been a lovely introduction to Eastern Europe and we felt satisfied and happy by our sojourn. We looked forward very much to even more adventures in Croatia.

Until tomorrow, cheerio…