Leaving Dubrovnik, Croatia

Leaving Dubrovnik was like leaving a friend's house too early.  But at least we were able to leave.  Croatia's national airline was on strike, stranding many in town.  We left by car, hugging the cliffs, piloted by Olga heading south for Montenegro - Black Mountains.

We left behind Croatia and its 4m Croatians, 1200 islands, and perfect water for a country we knew little about.  Here are some final pictures of Croatia.

Visiting Lokrum Island in Croatia

Lokrum Island is just a 20 minute ferry from the old harbor of Dubrovnik.  The island has great rocky beaches and supposedly the cleanest, clearest water in the Mediterranean.  Also, a lot of the Qarth scenes were filmed on Lokrum, so there was a lot of, "Hey I recognize that."

Scene from Qarth...I mean Lokrum

The small coves just outside old Dubrovnik

Just outside old Dubrovnik are small coves, beaches, and relative peace.  We found a small empty bar perched on the rocks, a Croatian boy and girl playing some kind of one on one water polo, and even accidentally stumbled into someones private courtyard house entrance.  In Dubrovnik, it is impossible to get lost,but you never really know where you are going.  That is what makes it so charming.

The charms of Dubrovnik do not end with the gorgeous old town.  This is a city built around water, so to the water we must go.  The cool Adriatic sea glimmers like a jewel up and down the coast.  Sometimes it is blue.  Sometimes it is green.  It is always beautiful.

Duborvnik's harbor on a summer day

Here are some shots from the grand Dubrovnik harbor, which is lined with boats, great restaurants, and plenty of spots to stop and chill.  It is a tough place to translate to photos, especially on a nice day.

A walk atop the old Dubrovnik walls

No trip to Dubrovnik is complete without circling Old Dubrovnik atop the majestic city walls that surround her.  These walls are considered the greatest medieval fortifications in history and kept the city safe for hundreds of years.  

The current walls date from between the 12th and 17th centuries, though the first walls were built around the 8th century.  The walls run for about 2km, encircling the old town atop these gorgeous cliffs above the Adriatic. There are only 4 entrances into Old Dubrovnik through the walls, so the city is still very fortified even today.  Still, over 500 of the 800 or so buildings in Old Dubrovnik were damaged in the siege of Dubrovnik in 1991-1992.  During the war, the walls proved effective at protecting against even modern weaponry. It is said that the Serb forces wanted to detach Dubrovnik from Croatia and make it part of Montenegro.  

Over the years, the city has been attacked in over 7 wars.  The city has been tacked by Russians, Arabs, and Venetians, though never fell.

D'Vino Wine Bar in Dubrovnik is absolutely perfect

On Palmoticeva Street in Old Dubrovnik, D'Vino wine bar exists, simply being great.  We dropped in after some friends in Mostar recommended it. 

They specialize in Croatian wine and education.  Their manager or owner or whatever (pictured above standing) lectures the occupants of this small enoteca on the finer points of Croatian wine and his views on wine in general.  He is funny, charismatic, smart, and tough to figure out.  I attempted to understand how an Aussie ends up running Dubrovnik's best wine bar, and so I asked him how he got there.  He said "Lots of flights - Melbourne, Singapore, Frankfurt, Zagreb, and finally Dubrovnik."

Peacock on Lokrum

We ran into a lot of peacocks peacocking during our visit to Lokrum island just offshore of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik's Buza Bar

Just outside the Dubrovnik city wall is a bar perched on some rocks - Buza Bar.  There is just one way in and one way out, and its existence seems to hang precariously between sea and wall.  The steps come down from the wall all the way to the crashing waves, exposing a perfect view of the Adriatic and Lokrum Island just offshore.  It goes perfectly with cold beverages and relaxing after a long day cruising duBro.

Furmonster of the day - Dubrovnik aka The Bro

 

What you talkin bout Willis

This guy

This guy was hanging around Dubrovnik harbor, throwing stuff around and letting out loud primal noises, all while a cigarette dangled gently at the tip of his lips

Dining in Dubrovnik

 Dalmatian coast squid light battered = the best calamari ever

Arriving in Dubrovnik, Croatia and beating the crowds

We finally arrived in Dubrovnik, Croatia.  It is absolutely beautiful, maybe even the prettiest in Europe.  It is whimsical and strong, fortified against both time and the sea with its huge old city walls.

Con los touristas

George Bernard Shaw once said "Those who seek paradise on earth should come to Dubrovnik."  Over 2 million people seek this paradise each year - over half of which are from cruise ships.  This means it is crowded, but we found plenty of ways to beat them.  Early and late, the town is peaceful and quiet.  Also, just outside the city walls is a different world, such as the one pictured above.  You can make out the city wall in the background.  This cove is quiet and peaceful, and it is also where many scenes are filmed in Game of Thrones.

Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina has a ton of character

Mostar does not hide its character.  It is an Ottoman jewel with its history written in bullet holes, old cobbled streets, and the creases on the faces of old Mostarians.  It is the rare place that is easier to picture 400 years ago than 20 years ago, when the Croat-Bosniak war tore the town to shreds, taking with it every bridge and several buildings as well as lives, but all the while, making the character of Mostar that much stronger.  

Even the perfect Stari Most bridge that connects the city above the emerald Neretva river was destroyed, but it took an estimated 60 shells of tank fire to take down the 400 year old masterpiece. 

In the early nineties, CNN called Mostar a permanent shooting gallery with 50 casualties per day.  Every graveyard was full, so bodies were buried in parks.  It was a war so complicated that after researching it for a couple days, I am even more confused than when I began.  There is an old video at the end of this post if you want to see what Mostar was like 20 years ago.

The Dervish Monastary of Blagaj, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Surrounded by a waterfall and built into a cliff, this Tekija, or Dervish Monastery is incredibly gorgeous tucked in a little corner of Bosnia and Herzegovina called Blagaj.

Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque of Mostar

One of Bosnia and Herzgovina's most picturesque mosques sits quietly perched on a bank of the Neretva river.  It is not extraordinary, but just looks perfect next to the flowing green river. Open since 1617, the mosque has been around since Ottoman times and flanks one of the oldest markets in Mostar, where travelers can buy local fruits, pomegranates, and honey.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina countryside

 Bombed out building outside of Mostar 

 A winding road 

Stari Most - the old bridge of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Stari Most is considered to be one of the most gorgeous bridges in the world.  First built in the 16th century in the Ottoman style, the bridge stood for over 400 years until being needlessly destroyed in the Croat-Bosniak War in 1993.  The bridge was rebuilt using the old methods eleven years later in 2003. 

The bridge connects both banks of Mostar and is flanked by two towers known as Mostari.  Also, young men hurl themselves off of the river for thrills and have since as early as 1616.  It is an over 75 foot drop.

Furmonster of the day - Mostar part !!

 Dog on roof?

Dog on roof!

Mostar's incredible divers

Diving off of Mostar's famous bridge is not for the faint at heart.  At almost 80 feet tall, it is about as extreme as pouring red bulls in your eyes while riding shotgun in Sebastien Loeb's WRC Citroen.  It is a long fall into the rushing emerald river below, and yet Mostar's divers make the jump daily.

One of the best things about traveling is when you run into amazing people doing amazing things.  Theses divers fulfill that daringly romantic side of travel.  When they jump, the people of Mostar watch, and have been watching for hundreds of years. 

The divers make a huge drama prior to jumping.  They will come out, take donations, act as though they are about to make the plunge, and then disappear into their strange dive castle.  They will return in different gear, tip toe the edges of the bridge over 75 feet up, stretch out over the bridge, cock their head from side to side while ignoring the masses huddled waiting for a plunge, and maybe head back again, to check email or eat gelato.

I saw one guy make the trip back and forth numerous times before finally emerging in a wet suit and hurling himself over the edge (above).

The food of Bosnia & Hercegovina

 

We did not know what to expect from Bosnian food.  To properly acquaint ourselves, we ordered a massive platter of local specialties (pictured above) at an outdoor cafe just steps from the famous Stari Most bridge.  From right, we had local onions, some kind of red sauce, sausages of lamb and veal which were incredible, Bosnian bread which tasted like the best parts of a grill, locally sourced sour cream and potatoes, some kind of extremely delicate beef brisket, spinach leaves stuffed with beef and rice, and cabbages stuffed with red pepper, meat, and other vegetables.  Lastly, some incredible little patties of goodness which we have no idea as to the origination.

Furmonster of the day - Helsinki edition

Chinese crested in a hooded rugby sweater, cold chillin'

Furmonster of the Day - Mostar day one

This little guy with the underbite was a sort of greeter outside of an Apothecary.  He just sat and watched people go in and out.  Good old fashioned friendly street dog of Mostar, Bosnia & Hercegovina. 

Road Trip: Dubrovnik to Mostar

We landed in Dubrovnik after missing our initial approach to the airport and being told that we could not land because of technical issues.  Not the words you want to hear above the Adriatic heading for the coast of Italy from Croatia.  It was very quiet and tense on Norwegian Air flight crappants.  We landed safely, and here is our trip from Dubrovnik to Mostar by car, which was very beautiful and simple, except for the part where the GPS took us up into the mountains to some "locals only" border crossing.  the guard held us for a little while and told us in broken English to go back to the shore.

The road trip was in my top 10 for sure, right up there with Toulouse to Andorra and Pokhara to Chitwan.  If you are considering renting a car and doing this journey -- Just do it.   It is an easy drive and dangerously breathtaking at points.

Exploring old town Tallinn, Estonia

HDR of Old Town Tallinn, 5 shots, -2 to +2

View from the hill

An old arched opening leaving the old town

Toompea Hill in Estonia

Toompea Hill - stunning old Tallinn, and the seat of Estonian government

Darth Vader street stencil in Estonia

No words

Medieval Dining in Tallinn

I know I will regret not ordering the bear.  I already do.  How often is bear on the menu?  Especially with the explanation, "Marinated in rare spices and cooked over a fire, in honour of Waldemar II, the brave King of Denmark."

Kristin and I stumbled upon this weird Medieval restaurant in Tallinn.  The Chefs are historians and have created a menu consistent with Medieval cuisine.  It was a strange menu, some of my favorite quotes were "A generous share of the finest Elk filet, in honour and glory of the noble Master of the Order" and "Himalayan Lamb dish with warming spices - Mountain people style."

Skee ball on a boat in the Gulf of Finland

7-6, come from behind victory

Finding peace in Finland - More from the country that birthed Teemu Selanne

The day proved long and eventful.  We began with a long stroll to the island of Seurasaari - a peaceful enclave just outside central Helsinki.  When we arrived it was peaceful - we had the island to ourselves, save for some pointy eared squirrels.  Peace was broken.  It seemed that all of the Helsinki schoolchildren had some sort of field day spanning the island's extremes.

We saw odd Scandinavian games, some resembling Stinky Grundlefingers, others looked like psychic red rover with teachers carrying around pool toys filled with beads and shouting strange words.  It was odd, and loud, but also wildly entertaining.  We were also able to sneak in to the park for free, using the kids as a diversion.  This was a huge boon for us as we are on day two of our first ever trip with budgeting, and it has become a sort of game for us.  A great and annoying game.

This Guy

Saw this guy today

He was going very fast

It was so awesome

A Helsinki fashion show

Kristin and I stumbled upon a Helsinki fashion show along the Esplande.  There were locals participating and a few people even almost fell.  One of the non-models looked kind of drunk and always came out to a roaring crowd - so much lost in translation, but a delightful afternoon.  The gear is the same Western type stuff we are used to, but Helsinki seems to have a lot going on.  In the past two weekdays, we have stumbled upon a couple concerts and a fashion show.  Anyways - super random, enjoy the pictures.

The Helsinki battle of jet lag, 2013

We arrived in Helsinki at about 1:00pm after a long night of flying from DFW to Toronto to Frankfurt to Helsinki.  It was never as brutal as it sounds, but pretzels in DFW and Frankfurt helped to keep us going.  When we arrived, Kristin fell asleep almost immediately.  She will likely wake up at midnight, hungry and confused.

I have a system where I do not sleep until it gets dark.  This works great in Asia because arrivals are generally late afternoon to late evening.  Europe is tougher with AM arrivals.  I try to walk around a lot and stay outside.  It tricks my body into complying.  But about waiting for sunset...

Dawn to Dawn - A new adventure begins

Rare is the odyssey that begins with a credit card declination.  Rarer still is the shabby beginning we experienced at the closest thing to a starting line that is readily conceivable in the mind for our journey, this day,  2013 year of our lord.

It was not early, we were not in any way overconfident or with excessive zeal of any kind, but we were caught flat footed in one of the most deplorable and embarrassing schemes ever to begin an odyssey.  I will just get right to it.  My primary debit card was declined.  At Auntie Anne's.  For the an $8 purchase of pretzels.  To make matters even more proletariat, we had not only declined the upsell additions of nacho cheese and honey mustard condiments, but demanded the free Heinz Mustard packet before our journey came to an unflattering end just as it began.  We looked like a pair of bozo pretzel amateurs.  Our North African pretzel attendant sneered at us from behind her flour specked smock.

The Louvre

Day 

Night

Eiffel Storm

The most photographed structure in the world as photographed by me.  Most travelers pass through the Eiffel Tower at some point in their life.  I took this photo to give the impression that a road could literally pass through the tower, through to a storm on the other side.

Lover's Bridge - Love Locks Paris

In Paris, there is a bridge over the Seine where lovers attach a lock with their marks - initials, a date, or a quote.  After locking onto the bridge, the keys are heaved into the Seine. After a few months, when the locks have completely filled a panel, the panel holding the locks is removed and wood is affixed in place of the panel, until the new panel arrives days later.  Here we have a missing panel with some graffiti scrawled across the wood placeholder.  Soon this will be replaced with a new iron panel, and people will fill it up with locks again.

But a question, where do the locks go after they are removed?

Cloud Kingdom

Higher than Italy and surrounded by it, San Marino is a kingdom above the clouds.  31,000 strong represent the world's oldest republic.  How did it earn this designation? This happens when you build your country on top of a mountain and have an army with world class crossbow proficiency.

We earned San Marino after a butt clenching commute from Bologna. We ate six course meals and trekked its three towers.  I spent hours trying trying to get the perfect shot in the rain at the top of San Marino in the darkness amongst the clouds, and returned when I had misgivings about the shots that I got.  It is that kind of place, small enough to strain for perfection.

Boos in Paris with a long bearded bonus furmonster

Here we are in front of the gigantic metallic Asparagus.  We had a beautiful day in Paris.  I want to share all 700 pictures that I took, but with this internet connection, it would take 2100 minutes.

Here we have a long bearded Furmonster of the day - Jensen's wiser smaller and more affable cousin

Reflecting on a dark night at the Louvre