Five Things - Croatia

More detailed posts about my trip to Croatia are forthcoming.  But in the meantime, this is what we talked about on the radio today Wednesday 10th July -- I'm on with Nicole Dyer at around 10am.

Please take the time to view this wonderful celebration of Croatia. 

Five things I liked about Croatia

View from b'fast terrace La Meridien, Split.

1.  Adriatic Sea - there is nothing in this world the same colour as the Adriatic Sea.  The Great Barrier Reef, Tahiti and Islands, Hawaii and Islands, South African beaches, Pacific islands -- none of them have that same turquoise colour.  And I love that the water is calm - seemingly no sharks and no dangerous undertows.  So you can swim forever.

2.  Medieval/Ancient Cities.  The building and fortresses of bygone days are just a delight to wander through.  A must is to walk the ramparts  a la Game of Thrones - no wonder some shoots are done in Dubrovnik. Below are pictures that demonstrate the clarity of the water and the wonderful ruins of Dubrovnik.

3.  Cafes/wine bars.  The perfect places to sit and watch the passing parades.  Nearly all of them have free wi-fi so you can log onto FB, make your friends jealous and drink the GREAT wine.  My favourite bar in Split is run by two Aussie women (yay) and the wait staff are very knowledgeable about local wines.  It's called Zinfandel.

Clearest Water--evah!

4.  The People.  Everyone in Croatia was friendly and most of them understood and spoke rudimentary English.  Everywhere people were kind and courteous.  Wait staff were patient and helpful and the women at our hotel in Split really helped make our stay enjoyable. 

5.  Cleanliness - every morning the streets were hosed down so the "soft" worn cobblestoned streets were clean and fresh.  One of my ritual past times is to get up at 4 am and to wonder the streets - this ritual is inspired by jetlag. 

 

 

5 Things I did not like about Croatia

1. The flight.  It took us 35 hours to get there.  We had to go through Singapore (8 hours)  and then  Vienna (14 hours) and then Split (1.5 hours).  

2.  The tourists.  Definitely try to avoid June/July/August - too many tourists.  We spent more time in the immigration line at Split airport than we did on the plane from Vienna.  They had only two "lanes" open and two large planes of holidaymakers.  There was scuffling and some swearing and lots of loud German talking.  All I did was sweat.

Seafood Platter for Two

3.  The food.  I know people won't believe me, but I was not impressed with the food.  We had hoped for some GREAT seafood but we found it was okay and rather expensive.  A fish platter for two was about AUD80 - while I like the .  I love sardines and tuna but each time I had them I was underwhelmed.  I guess we are very spoiled in Australia...I like my seafood slightly undercooked and my tuna RARE.  So that could be a cultural difference.  Also I attended a special "meat" night in our hotel;  they didn't have any steak, only some skewered meat that was way overcooked.  Did I mention I like my meat rare too?  Another thing that astounded me was the plethora of pizza "places".  I am not a pizza fan so my disappointment says more about my food tastes than the actual food.  However, there were two great meals we had: in Omis we had our best ever seafood platter for two - complete with two full crabs and enough prawns, scampi and mussels to satisfy the hungriest person and I fell in love with truffles - Istrian truffles and pasta only AUD20 a la carte at Le Meridien.  So ditch the buffet and order fr the menu.

4.  The heat. I come from the tropics so you'd think I would be acclimated, but I found the heat of the first couple of days oppressive and most places were NOT air conditioned. I slunk into restaurants asking if they had air-conditioning...and some spruikers knew how to sell their place but just whispering cold into my shell like.    The air conditioning in our hotel was adequate, just.  I am such a comfort junkie that I don't sleep well in the steamy heat -- so that makes for a grumpy Toni and a grumpy Toni is not a holiday happy Toni.

5.  Pebble beaches.  Be sure to take your reef creepers - the beaches are rough on your feet.  If you forgot yours then don't worry there are plenty to buy in the markets for under AUD10. 

5 Things I learned while in Croatia 

1. Croatia loves nautical themed clothing
2. Nobel Laureates dance to "Do You Think I'm Sexy" (I was at a Forensic Science conference)
3. Croatian radio loves 1980s rock music especially Tears for Fears
4. Croatia has the sexiest cellist (see award winning tourist adverts with Ana Rucner).
5. It has a sorrowful and troubled political history

Unique Things to Do in Croatia

1. Do a Game of Thrones tour in Dubrovnik
2. Eat affordable Istrian truffles
3. Hire a yacht  - it's not that expensive especially if there are 4 or more
4. Visit the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb
5. Listen to the Sea Organ of Zadar

Another Nautical Shop

Cafe Relaxing

Hipster Capital of Europe - Barcelona

What do I know about Barcelona?  Before I visited, precious little--I remember the guy shooting the arrow to ignote the flame of the 1992 Olympics, ummm Antoni Gaudi (dude who did all of that wonky cement stuff) and tbh that's about it.  Oh, it is in Spain - somewhere.  And actually it's the capital of Catalan.  Just to set the record straight.

Little did I know when I trained from Malaga to Barcelona in December 2012 I was about to fall in love with one of Europe's most unsung cities.

Malaga Railway Station

First thing - when in Spain travel by train--get your pass BEFORE you leave your country and enjoy the fabulous bullet trains and the great food.  We paid the first class upgrade and thoroughly enjoyed our rides.  The stations were uber cool and and the waiting rooms impressive.  There is always food (snacky stuff-like airport lounges) and alcohol available - help yourself.  Reservations COST money - we made them because we are wimps -- but honestly out of season I can't see they are worth the added expense.  I imagine in the summer reservations would be essential. 

Hotel's cool dryer

Picking a hotel - as always I use Trip Advisor to find the best deal for our bucks.  When you don't know a city it is difficult to decide WHERE is conveniently located -- while it might be cheaper to stay outside the central business district, I have found that what I waste on public transport and the time involved, it's better to stay in the heart so you can get to all of the main attractions in record time.  I must admit, finding a map that covers the whole city and has all the districts marked is well nigh impossible.We decided on the Gothic Quarter aka Garri Botic (Old Quarter--I find Old Quarters/Old Towns that are gentrified offer the best in Hotel Raco Del Pi). Nearby is the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria - a bustling market place with loads of goodies to take back to the hotel room.  Of course before you visit the markets you should stroll down La Rambla - it's the busy thoroughfare in which people parade at night,  it's colourful and lively.  Though I believe one should keep an eye on their pockets (we read plenty of warnings about pickpockets at train stations and in busy areas).

Great Architecture - opposite hotel

 We were steps away from the tube/underground/metro and  in the heart of the bustling shopping area -- surprisingly virtually no noise filtered up to our rooms and I loved to stand on the balcony and watch the passing parade and appreciate the hotel facade opposite (see photo).

You might have noticed that we visited in the winter- we usually travel during our Christmas holidays as it is an ideal time to visit Europe.  Gone are the summer crowds and the hotel prices are very reasonable.  The weather was cool but not too cold (caveat - I love cold weather).  The Christmas markets are open we bought a pooping Christmas log - a rather strange Catalan tradition.

Okay the first thing we did when we were there was to visit one the top-rated tapas bars on Trip Advisor - Anem de Tapes. It was expensive and pretty remarkable but what was more fascinating was that it took us

Hubby and a great mural/

to a great part of Barcelona. I love winding streets that throw up all sorts of unexpected surprises when you turn a corner.  (See photo of my hubby in front of a great mural).  Nearby is the must-visit Picasso Museum.  I love a good museum but, like most people I suspect, a couple of hours is plenty for me.  So we were happy to rest the feet after our visit at the tapas bar.  I always try something I usually wouldn't so it was sweetbreads and something on the special board...of course I can't remember that.

Guell Shop

The next day we took an open-air bus tour of the city -- it was a quick way to orient ourselves and we love being able to hop on and off to please ourselves...we always do TWO trips of the city and then on the second get off at the places that attracted us.  Of course we wanted through the various parks and Guell was our favourite.  See from the photo the crowds that were already gathered at 9am, in the winter.  No one who goes to Barcelona can miss the startling architecture and designs of modernist Antoni Gaudi.  Guell Park was our first stop--wonderful gardens, quiet, but it gets crowded quickly so get there early. There are plenty of places to walk and the Gaudi style is transfixing - to me it seems overdone.  I like simple lines and so it goes against my aesthetic soul, but the texture and the colours work overall and I came to see past the Gaudi-ness :) . 

Casa Batllo

Fantastically comfortable

While there you will no doubt try to get a picture on his famous salamander.  Then we visited the still unfinished  cathedral the Sagrada Familia--its incredible to see a building started in 1882 that won't be finished until 2026.  You could spend hours there alone but we had to move along as the growing crowds made enjoying the architecture more and more difficult.  From there we went chose to visit the Casa Batllo (known as the house of bones) with its flowing Art Nouveau style -- to be honest we were getting Gaudi-ed out and skipped La Predrera across the road (it was also getting a bit expensive). Batllo had the most amazing furniture too - I want to replicate these fabulous fibreglass "stools" I think they would be great outside around the pool.  Anyone know a fibreglasser?
 

At night there is the decorative and fun Magic Fountain which has a laser light show.  Another great park to visit is Parc de la Ciutadella - with its Cascada -- great to stroll through or to simply sit and watch the world go by.  We are boring old folks and so after a day's sightseeing, at night we simply wanted to collapse in bed so we would be up early and out and about.  Also remember on Sunday most of the shops will be shut, it is a Catholic country. 

One thing you must try is the super large meringues with hazelnuts.  I had one everyday  they fill a hand - are wonderful because meringue and nuts would have to be one of my favourite ever combinations.  Here is a photo taken from another website.

I was dumb enough not to take a photo - this one doesn't give an idea of how big they are...Oh and they're cheap.  Holiday is a time you can eat meringues for breakfast, right?

Before you go - make sure to read Carlos Ruiz Zafon's trilogy set in Barcelona and track your way around the city--at least read The Shadow of the Wind.  It's a great detective thriller.

I am officially in love with Barcelona and would definitely live there if I could. 

Washington in Cherry Blossom Time

Perhaps everyone’s heard of Japan and cherry blossoms but Washington DC also has a Cherry Blossom season.  It’s the perfect time of year (March-April) to visit the USA’s capital - it's cool and fairly quiet - but be warned, pick the wrong week and you could end up battling with hoards of American school children.  So double check your times before you book. 

Capitol Hill fr the Trolley

When to visit - If you would prefer to visit Washington DC when it's not crowded.  I would suvggest you go during the winter - December, January.  First, snow - I love the snow. Second, the lines are shorter and you won't be competing with schoolkids or have to wait for hours to get into attractions.  And last, but most importantly its CHEAPER.  Most of the hotels are virtually empty so you'll get a cheap room.  Hint 1 : phone the hotel of your choice and ask for a discount rate.  Hint 2: Use Skype - it's free.  

I also suggest avoiding the summer as Washington DC is hot, humid and unpleasant in the hottest months.  

What to do - Museums of course.  The Smithsonian Institute is surely the most famous museum in the world.  As most people know there is more than one (about 16 in fact) and so to maximize your time, I suggest you look at their offerings and select the one that appeals to you most: my favourite is the American History one because it has popular culture items.  Explore the website which in itself has great blogs and items.    Hint 3: Smithsonian is FREE.  Be warned if it's a busy time,  lines form early.  

(The Smithsonian also has a zoo, which was walking distance from my hotel, but I'm spoiled about zoos, I think Taronga Park Sydney is the best in the world.  So I tend to avoid them and thus avoid being disappointed). 

For me, the  "Mint" is a must  visit.  Learn how money is printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (the mint produces coins and isn't avail for tours in Washington DC). Tickets are required March - August - but rest of time you can just rock up.  I love this kind of edutainment.  

If politics is your thing, perhaps you'd like to tour the Capitol?

My other favourite WAS the Spy Museum - there was a James Bond 007 exhibition when I was there.  Lots of interactive stuff for the kids and it's a novelty museum, I found it a bit corny and not always accurate.  But my biggest problem are the crowds - it is getting too popular and they aren't good at crowd control.  It is open every day from 9 until 7 but it has a complicated ticket system ie line up for tickets and then line up to get in.  Only a few people at a time are admitted.  So be warned.  It is NOT free - about $21 per ticket - so I suggest you read the tripadvisor reviews before you put it on your mustdo list. 

Kennedy Center - if performing arts is your bag each night at the Kennedy Center there is a FREE, yes FREE, activity.  So be sure to see what's on.  Of course the center hosts plays, music and all manner of performing arts.  Look at the website and be amazed at how much culture is crammed into one place.  Another mustdo, especially if you have children.  

White House - of course you might wish to visit the White House - a rather unpretentious building but still it's another Washington landmark.  Again be aware that you will have to book well in advance and prepare to be disappointed as tours can be cancelled at any time due to security reasons etc. 

Seeing the City - I like to get an overview of each city so I am oriented from the start.  We originally planned to do an open bus tour but they wouldn't take our booking (we are lazy and like a pick up from the hotel option) so we went with a trolley car and had a great time.   It took about 1.5 hours to do one loop - there are three - pictures of Capitol Hill were taken from inside hence the rather blurry picture - it's NOT my bad photography skills. Really it isn't.  Getting around Washington is very easy with the Metro--an underground/subway system that whizzes you from place to place.  

There are tons of monuments of course and we visited them all - it can get crowded so be up and about early so you can get a shot with just you at the Lincoln Memorial.  Or maybe do a night tour.  

Walking tours are always heaps of fun....

Merlots Art

Best thing to do.  Hint 4: Of all the things we did in Washington, the thing we enjoyed the best was Merlots Art.  Basically you go to an art studio, they supply a free glass of wine (BYO for more) and all painting supplies;  an instructor takes you through the steps of painting a 'masterpiece'.  There were six people in our session and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves...it was an eclectic crowd:, teacher, web designer, grants writer, record producer, hubby and me.  Book in advance so you can be sure to get a spot - it fill quickly and they are not avail every night of the week.   We spent a delightful couple of hours sipping wine, painting, looking at each other's interpretations and generally laughing and mingling.  I cannot more highly recommend this as an evening activity.  Naturally we brought our canvases back to Oz (oh I forgot to say, they supply everything). 

Other ideas:  Can I suggest that people book a tour of the White House, read Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, and shop Georgetown for great bargains.  How about taking in high tea in one of the fabulous hotels?  Or There are also flea markets and lots of other activities...visit the tourist website for a zillion ideas.  This week is Cocktail Week, there is a yearly Jazz Festival.  Try to keep up with the latest on the local paper The Washington Post.

In DC you would need as month to see everything once so be sure you book things well in advance.  And finally Hint 5 : leave the backpack at home.  Come one folks -- make life easier for yourself and your family and leave backpacks and similar things in the hotel.  I just have a wallet and a phone. You don't need much more.

Next month: New York City.