travel Archives

Lake Bled, Slovenia and More

May 21, 2026May 5, 2026Posted in blogging, environment, history, Travel, writingTagged environment, history, Nature, travel, wildlifeLeave a comment

The water in Lake Bled at this time of year is simply beautiful. Here it is…

We drove from Ljubljana to Lake Bled through green countryside to arrive at this scenic spot. High above the lake, clinging to the rocky cliff, is an 800 year old castle which we visited.

In the middle of the lake is a 17th century church which we rode a pletna to get to it. A pletna is a boat similar to a gondola.

We had fantastic weather for this day trip as we climbed the steps to these locations and learned about this area’s history. We returned to Ljubljana by way of Radovljica for lunch and a walk through the town.

Back at Ljubljana we also had a snack … one that went to space! You may know the info about NASA astronaut, Sunita Williams, celebrating her heritage by bringing a traditional Carniolan sausage, kranjska klobasa, to the International Space Station in 2006. (Info is specifically on the sign.)

Yes, I got a chance to taste this sausage! It was delicious with a touch of mustard. Others added horse radish.

Or eat it with no condiment; the sausage is delicious!

The next day we cruised on Ljubljanica River, I visited with my Slovenian friend who I met in Naples, Italy a couple of years ago, and my fellow travelers and I had our farewell dinner. A few of us will now continue with a new guide for 5 nights as we explore the Istria area of Croatia and sleep in Poreč. I’ll be back in a few days. Look at this food in the photos below… so tasty!

My friend and I shared this cibanica… it has 4 layers: poppy seeds, curd cheese, walnuts and apples separated by filo (phyllo) dough. Light and delicious and was served warm.

We shared this also -jabolčna pita which is apple pie… yum!

Green Slovenia!

May 20, 2026May 5, 2026Posted in adventure travel, blogging, environment, Travel, wildlife, writingTagged Ecuador, environment, international travel, Nature, travelLeave a comment

While we drove toward Postojna Cave in Slovenia, I thought I was in upstate New York! The rolling hillsides with varied shades of green remind me of upstate NY’s countryside. But in the distance the treeless, sharp-edged 8K to 9,000 foot rock of the Julian Alps is seen and I realize I am in Slovenia!

Postojna Cave is a must see! I have been in many caves and this one is huge and beautiful in its own way. It is the only one I have ever entered by railway. The small railcar takes you on a 15 minute, 3.7km ride through the cave; duck your head if you are tall person! Then you walk 1.2km through the cave looking at a variety of cave formations. There is an audio guide that explains the karst formations you are looking at which is very helpful. This cave is huge and all I could wonder about is who discovered this and what a find!!

At the start of rail car ride… soon to enter cave. Staff are very well organized at this popular site. It is not a UNESCO site, but a nearby one of 4 other caves is. This cave may be a future UNESCO site.

Plus in the cave, there is a sightless, whitish with red tufts amphibian only found here called an olm. They can go without food for 10 years, live for 100 years and is the largest animal in the cave. Legends abound about this “baby dragon”. They had a few in an aquarium while we were in the cave so we could see them. However, no photos could be taken to protect them. This photo is of a video display the info board provided.

An olm is a cave salamander about 8-12 inches long.

No photos really capture the cave, but here are some. I’ll continue with Slovenia tomorrow.

Best to visit!

Opatija, Croatia…Relax and Enjoy!

May 18, 2026April 30, 2026Posted in Artwork, Birds, blogging, Travel, writingTagged birds, environment, food, Nature, travel, wildlifeLeave a comment

On our way to our hotel in Opatija, we stopped at a pasta-making class. With our aprons on, a swig of wine and clean hands, we made pasta! So simple, why don’t I make it at home!? Anyway, we created two differently shaped pastas and ate them! Delicious!!

Pasta-maker taught us how to make pasta! She went to Italy to learn pasta-making.

Arrived at our destination…. Opatija. Wealthy people and tourists stop in this town where hotels are huge and overlook Kvarner Gulf, part of the Adriatic Sea. Way across the water is Venice, Italy. This place is so relaxed compared to any of my Venice visits!

Lady of the Seagull with live one on her head!

Some resorts have a swim area available. People were dipping their toes in the water.

My fellow travelers visited the hilltop towns of Motovun and Hum. It was an optional day tour with a truffle shop stop. I remained in sunny, windy Opatija to walk part of the 7.5 mile waterfront promenade.

In my free time I sketched some of the 14 new birds I have seen on the trip thus far. No colored pencils or paint with me here.

My farewell dinner at Opatija: pizza and wine:

Chocolate and pistachio cake enjoyed when I joined my fellow travelers to hear about their truffle – tasting and lunch in the town of Hum, population 11 people. Good thing I walked many miles today as my dinner was huge!

Off to Slovenia tomorrow and I’m looking forward to our cave visit. Back in a few days…

Hike at Plitvice Lakes

May 16, 2026April 30, 2026Posted in bicycling, blogging, environment, history, Plants, Travel, writingTagged bicycling, blogging, environment, hiking, national parks, Nature, travel, wildlife4 Comments

It’s a couple of hours drive from Zagreb to this UNESCO World Heritage Site, Plitvice Lakes. We stopped at a small town where waterfalls were running under people’s homes! I spent some time talking with a bicyclist. He had a fully loaded bike. It is his first adventure. He is German and started in Germany with hopes to cycle through the Balkan countries and finish in Turkey in two months.

Waterfall under a home in this small town.

Bicyclist stopping for lunch at this small town. There are no bike lanes on the road to the national park, Plitvice Lakes.

I had seen a Rick Steves program about the 16 turquoise lakes linked by waterfalls which Plitvice Lakes is known for. On our day hike we only saw 4 of the lakes and the “Big Waterfall”. Plenty of wildflowers; I saw a trout in the water and others did see a frog. Only a few birds were heard. Despite it not being peak season, there were plenty of tourists on the paths and boardwalk. I think the photos show its beauty.

Off to another town in Croatia to make pasta! I’ll be back in a couple of days!

Zagreb, Croatia … The Capital

May 15, 2026April 29, 2026Posted in adventure travel, blogging, environment, history, Travel, writingTagged blogging, environment, history, travel2 Comments

We walked the Lower and Upper Towns in this city which now has 800,000 people and close to a million people, if you consider the outskirts. The Upper Town has the cathedral and Lower Town was merchant area. The funicular, shortest in Europe, was not operating … maybe because it was Monday? Many museums were not open on Mondays too; however, I found time to enjoy a cup of cappuccino after one museum visit. There is definitely an Austrian-Hungarian influence here. I almost feel like I am in Vienna. If I had a piece of strudel with my cappuccino I would believe I was!

I stopped in at the Museum of Naïve Art. Sort of a strange name. “Peasant artists” were called “naïve artists” at one time when collection of their work, paintings and sculptures, began in 1952. These individuals had no formal art education/instruction but their work had a recognizable style and were collected. Eventually the museum’s name changed to what it is now.

Fellow travelers said the Museum of Cartoons was very good. Also the Museum of Broken Relationships was interesting. One story I heard is a broken relationship with gluten! See, relationships of all sorts are presented. Apparently the NYTimes wrote an article about that museum and there are people sending something and their broken relationship story to this museum.

Much reconstruction is happening in the city since the March 2020 earthquake. They are still working on the cathedral’s spires. The bells survived and are safely inside the cathedral at the moment.

We took a bus out to the city’s public cemetery and walked around. It is very expensive to be buried here, plus with an annual fee. It is huge but I loved being among the trees.

Back to the city where the red umbrellas are you will find an outdoor market. Underground is the market for all foods needing refrigeration. There I saw plenty of meats and cheeses!

Walk in crosswalk, bicyclists on red path.

Tomorrow we are at Plitvice Lakes. I am looking forward to our hiking time and hopefully to see some birds!

Life in Karanac, Croatia

May 13, 2026April 30, 2026Posted in blogging, environment, history, Travel, writingTagged blogging, environment, food, history, international travel, Nature, travel, wildlifeLeave a comment

We stayed at a “living history” farmstead in Karanac, a small farming village. Each property has a narrow front yard with a long depth of land. This is to their advantage since their property tax bill is determined by the frontage measurement. I liked the fact they have the road, then a strip of grass, sidewalk and then the front of the home. It makes for a spaciousness in the area even though this is a rural area already.

Upon our arrival we made cheese for the following morning’s breakfast. A plain cheese and the other was with dill and garlic. Learning the cheese-making process and eating our final products was wonderful.

The son is 8th generation on this land. He showed us the vegetable garden for home use and pointed out the chickens, quail, fruit trees, etc that they produce many products to barter and/or sell. The family works hard throughout the year. All is organic and they rotate their crops to keep their land healthy too.

Our cooking opportunities came in making fry bread for breakfast and learning how to make goulash in clay pots for lunch. All the food, consisting of meats, vegetables, cheeses, jams and bread, was delicious!

The mother of the household is a master at stenciling. With the advent of wallpaper, fewer people need to stencil an entire wall; however, with her work you would never realize this is not wallpaper. She has collected many rollers with patterns and is very well known for her stencil work!

Our lunch was enjoyed at another family’s home. A few of us had lunch with a couple. They have 4 children and work in a nearby town. We talked about taxes, healthcare, elder care and various other things. Interestingly, with each birth there is 3 years of leave allowed so this woman has maintained her work position even with the birth of 4 children. Yes, a large percentage from salary goes to these benefits. While they wish they could be lower, they do appreciate the ability to have the paid time, even if it be 70%, to provide care as needed.

The next day we have a long ride to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. I’ll be back in a few days!

Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina…Part 3 of 3

May 9, 2026April 30, 2026Posted in blogging, history, Travel, writingTagged blogging, food, history, travelLeave a comment

Today, residents in Sarajevo, Bosnia respect the varied religions in their city. I have heard the “Call to prayer” often, not all 5 times per day, but often. We stopped in at a Greek Orthodox Church and a Catholic Church.

Greek Orthodox Church. They do not sit in this church; they stand.

We visited the Tunnel of Hope, also called the Sarajevo Tunnel. The half mile tunnel was built in 1993 in 4 months, 4 days! It went under the airport and was used to bring in food and water to people in Sarajevo. The tunnel had systems to provide good air and lighting within the tunnel as supplies moved through by people and/or on a small cart on rails. More than 10,000 people were killed in this 3.5 year Bosnian War. This valley town was fired upon from the hills after the breakup of Yugoslavia.

Tunnel reconstructed to show what it was like.

We had a speaker share his perspective of the conflict between Serbians and Bosnians in the 1990’s. Then there were almost 30% Serbians, but now only 4% in this mostly Muslim city.

We had a home-hosted dinner with our host. Her cousin spoke English and translated for us. We ate a delicious soup with okra, a meal of meatballs and mashed potatoes and baklava for dessert. I learned that Muslims do not drink alcohol in their home.

Finally, a brief explanation of the 3 presidents, but truly if you are interested, read the 1995 Dayton Accord agreed upon in Dayton Ohio, USA. There is the information as to the collective presidencies that resulted in 3 leaders: 1 Bosnian, 1 Croat and 1 Serb based on ethnic representation in the whole state of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Each of the entities have a president, parliament, ministries… many people are involved in government. I cannot explain much more; please research it on your own, if interested.

We are returning to Croatia tomorrow. A long drive. I’ll be back in a few days.

Sarajevo, Part 2 of 3

May 8, 2026April 30, 2026Posted in blogging, environment, history, Travel, writingTagged history, travelLeave a comment

Sarajevo was founded by the Ottomans in the 15th Century, at a time when Jews, Croats, Serbs, Bosnians and Turks got along. We walked the town with a local guide. Proudly Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics, but since the Yugoslav War of the 1990’s most people have forgotten Sarajevo’s proud moment.

Our local guide talked of the Bosnian Serb artillery pounding this city for 3.5 years in the early 1990’s. We can see buildings that were attacked and so many others either restored or newly rebuilt. We stopped in at a mosque, a church and other historical points.

After a demonstration by a coppersmith and lunch, some of us took a cable car ride up to where the bobsled and luge starts were at the 1984 Winter Olympics. I also got a chance to listen to the birds and may have a couple of new ones for my life list!

Two of us were on our way down and jumped into a cable car with 6 guys. Their teacher was apoplectic at first, speaking a Slavic language we did not understand. After a few minutes, I noticed one young man wearing a New York sweatshirt. We started talking. He knew enough English to then translate to his teacher and peers! The guy next to me asked if he could take a photo with me and that prompted me taking a photo of them and my fellow traveler. Once out of the cable car, we shook hands.

One thing we did agree on was the delicious food, especially the ćevapi.

I visited the Museum of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide, 1992-1995. Conflict/war is horrible, especially when fought with artillery and leaving behind utter destruction of lives and cities. Depressing to see what all the people endured. We’ll learn more tomorrow, but I hope you can read the sign with the statistics on it.

I’ll be back with part 3 to finish my visit in Sarajevo area.

Three Presidents in B-H!? Part 1 of 3

May 7, 2026April 30, 2026Posted in blogging, history, Travel, writingTagged blogging, food, history, international travel, travelLeave a comment

Bosnia-Herzegovina (B-H) has a complicated history as told to us by our guide as we drove from Dubrovnik, Croatia to B-H. Our drive was slightly longer, due to the fact the first border crossing was not possible. Their new system to process our passports, finger prints and photo was not working. As a result we had to drive further through Croatia to another border checkpoint.

We made a few stops. One was at an oyster farm. Mussels are grown abundantly. You’ll see them in the waters, but I had not known that some were oysters. We saw the process and of course ate a deliciously fresh oyster!

Next stop was at an old bridge in Mostar. This 16th century bridge of Ottoman-Turkish architecture spans the Neretva River which divided the town into Muslim and Croat sections. The bridge was destroyed in 1993 as the former Yugoslavia broke up. In 2004 the town and bridge were restored and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The bridge is a symbol of reconciliation and continued peace for the region.

Minerals in water made it a shade of green!

Of course we had a delicious lunch and Bosnian coffee; it is like Turkish coffee.

Our long transfer day of driving finally ended in Sarajevo! The only thing I knew about this place was the 1984 Winter Olympics. I’ll get that visit in tomorrow. More about the 3 presidents when I understand the history.

Loving Dubrovnik, Croatia

May 3, 2026Posted in blogging, history, Travel, writingTagged history, international travel, Local food, travel2 Comments

Our hotel is on the Dubrovnik Riviera, a stunning spot as we look out from our cove to the Adriatic Sea. We are a 20 minute bus ride from “Old Town”. A local guide spoke about the 13th and 14th century history of the Old Town area and more currently about what was destroyed in the 1991-92 war. In the olden days 4,000 people lived within the city walls, now only about 900 people. Their economy relies on tourism so visitors will see many shops and churches, museums, restaurants. I took advantage of the opportunity to walk the entire rampart/fortified wall. We are not here at peak season, but it is busy here with tourists. Since it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, only 2 cruise ships per day are allowed. Game of Thrones was filmed here prompting an increase in tourists.

We visited the War Museum toward Srd Mountain. A local speaker, who was 24 years old at the start of the Homeland War in 1991, shared her experience with us. She recalled the sporadic military attacks and then the 3 months: October -December when there was no water or electricity. The September sporadic bombing probably was purposeful. The world did not know what was happening to the people especially in Dubrovnik, but then the destruction was more frequent and destructive in the “old town”. Plenty of history here and if you want to know more and are visiting, I would recommend a visit to the War Museum.

Signage, videos to learn the history at War Museum

Cable car ride back to Old Town. I walked the Jesuit Stairs, a Baroque staircase consisting of 136 stone steps, connecting Gundulić Square to the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Stopped in to say a prayer then joined a couple of my fellow travelers for a beer at Buza Bar. Beautiful view from the bar as it is on a rocky hillside!

At Buza Bar you can walk further down the rocky side.

Dinner was at a rural Konavle region outside of Dubrovnik. A fun way to end the day! We tried his cherry brandy… delicious! Learned about olive oil … and reminded to only use cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Also do not cook/heat olive oil! Sauté whatever with another oil, then put olive oil on the cooked food. Cooking olive oil destroys the healthy benefits of it! Night ended with us singing and dancing after a delicious meal: cheeses, prosciutto, bread, olive oil, fish, potatoes, salad, and dessert of a fig and apple pie. We had plenty of his wine! I drank his red wine: 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon… wonderful!

Owner at farmstead and his cherry brandy … so delicious!

We are off to Bosnia-Herzegovina tomorrow, so I’ll be back in a few days with a post!