Well I met up with the bike group and we all headed down to check out the Palace in our brief time here. It's totally cool. Basically they have built shops in what's left of the Palace. So there are shops among the rubble and apparently some people even live in the Palace above the shops. After wandering through, we headed off to dinner. The Traveling Hillbilly is feeling much less irritable after getting some food! Hunger really can make one grouchy.
I'm sure there's more to see and we'll have one more day here at the end of the trip to more sights. Plus the Traveling Hillbilly is staying a few extra days in Split after the bike tour is over.
I must say though, I'm really looking forward to getting to Brac tomorrow. Here's hoping for sunshine and warmer weather!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Not in Dubrovnik Anymore
It’s time to leave this beautiful but cold and wet city and head to Split for the official start of the bike tour. Despite the rain, the ride along the coast is still stunning. Once again, the Traveling Hillbilly is reminded of the ride along Highway One in California. We pass quite a few small villages, houses built along the sea as well as up in the hillsides. I was very surprised to see snow covered mountain tops just outside of Split.
The first thought that goes through my mind as we approach Split, is we are definitely not in Dubrovnik anymore. The quaint, small town charm of Dubrovnik does not apply here. We aren’t even in the city for a minute, when we see a sign for McDonald’s. We did not see one McDonalds, Subway, Taco Bell, KFC or Starbucks in Dubrovnik (nice to know some places have still not been invaded by the Fast Food Nation). Split is a much bigger, bustling city. Luckily we’re only here for the night and then we’re taking a ferry over to Brac for our first day of riding.
My second thought is, maybe they’ll actually have internet access in the hotel room here. And maybe they’ll even have an adapter so I can charge up my computer. Well I was good on the second thought. My computer is charging as I type. While they supposedly do have wireless internet in each room, the single is too low and I can’t get on! I decide to grab a quick bite to eat, while I charge up my computer. Unfortunately, the café bar in the hotel, does not serve lunch or dinner. The reception desk sends me to a restaurant just down the street where I discover they can’t do take away. I walk a few blocks trying to find something to eat, but no luck.
The one thing I have realized here is every restaurant has the same menu. They all have fish soup, tomato soup, spaghetti Bolognese, spaghetti cabonara, a fish platter, pizza and a few meat dishes. It’s really odd there is not more variety. It’s also odd that lunch and dinner is the same menu. I’m not used to eating a huge meal at lunch everyday. I really like trying the local food when I travel, but right now, I’d settle for a sandwich or even a dinner roll but it doesn’t look like I’ll even be able to find that nearby. Where was that McDonald’s again? Fortunately I brought some Luna bars with me and it looks like that will be my lunch today.
The first thought that goes through my mind as we approach Split, is we are definitely not in Dubrovnik anymore. The quaint, small town charm of Dubrovnik does not apply here. We aren’t even in the city for a minute, when we see a sign for McDonald’s. We did not see one McDonalds, Subway, Taco Bell, KFC or Starbucks in Dubrovnik (nice to know some places have still not been invaded by the Fast Food Nation). Split is a much bigger, bustling city. Luckily we’re only here for the night and then we’re taking a ferry over to Brac for our first day of riding.
My second thought is, maybe they’ll actually have internet access in the hotel room here. And maybe they’ll even have an adapter so I can charge up my computer. Well I was good on the second thought. My computer is charging as I type. While they supposedly do have wireless internet in each room, the single is too low and I can’t get on! I decide to grab a quick bite to eat, while I charge up my computer. Unfortunately, the café bar in the hotel, does not serve lunch or dinner. The reception desk sends me to a restaurant just down the street where I discover they can’t do take away. I walk a few blocks trying to find something to eat, but no luck.
The one thing I have realized here is every restaurant has the same menu. They all have fish soup, tomato soup, spaghetti Bolognese, spaghetti cabonara, a fish platter, pizza and a few meat dishes. It’s really odd there is not more variety. It’s also odd that lunch and dinner is the same menu. I’m not used to eating a huge meal at lunch everyday. I really like trying the local food when I travel, but right now, I’d settle for a sandwich or even a dinner roll but it doesn’t look like I’ll even be able to find that nearby. Where was that McDonald’s again? Fortunately I brought some Luna bars with me and it looks like that will be my lunch today.
An Amazing Place Filled with Amazing People
All in all you can see all the sites in the old city in one day, but if you only do one thing in Dubrovnik, you must walk along the wall. It’s kind of like the Great Wall in China, but a much smaller version. It loops around the whole city and is only 1 ¼ miles all the way around. The wall offers incredible views of city and the Adriatic Sea. It actually reminds me somewhat of Capri, Italy. You have the sea on one side and these beautiful homes built into the mountain side. It truly is stunning.
Other sights to see include, The Franciscan Monastery, which houses the one of the oldest pharmacies still in operation in all of Europe, The Dominican Monastery and the Dubrovnik Cathedral, which includes a piece of the real Cross.
If you have some extra time you should consider taking the “History of the War” walking tour. Our guide was just 16 when the war broke out in 1991 and he provided us a first hand account of what it was like during the siege. After hearing his story, we decided to go to the Sponza Palace and check out the Memorial Room. It is a room dedicated to those who stepped up to defend Dubrovnik. There are pictures of those who died, as well as, photos taken while the town was under attack. As you walk around you wonder why anyone would want to destroy such a beautiful city. It saddens you to see the holes in the walls, some of the houses with no roofs. However, the people of Dubrovnik have done a remarkable job of restoring their city. The truly should be commended for what they’ve been able to do. While there is a sense of optimism among the people here, they are still wary and you can sense there are emotional scars that may never heal.
Other sights to see include, The Franciscan Monastery, which houses the one of the oldest pharmacies still in operation in all of Europe, The Dominican Monastery and the Dubrovnik Cathedral, which includes a piece of the real Cross.
If you have some extra time you should consider taking the “History of the War” walking tour. Our guide was just 16 when the war broke out in 1991 and he provided us a first hand account of what it was like during the siege. After hearing his story, we decided to go to the Sponza Palace and check out the Memorial Room. It is a room dedicated to those who stepped up to defend Dubrovnik. There are pictures of those who died, as well as, photos taken while the town was under attack. As you walk around you wonder why anyone would want to destroy such a beautiful city. It saddens you to see the holes in the walls, some of the houses with no roofs. However, the people of Dubrovnik have done a remarkable job of restoring their city. The truly should be commended for what they’ve been able to do. While there is a sense of optimism among the people here, they are still wary and you can sense there are emotional scars that may never heal.
The Old City
Shortly after arriving at the hotel, I met some wonderful people from Virginia and Michigan. They have known each other for years and have done several trips together. They were kind enough to invite me along to tour the old city with them on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, we woke up to some cloudy and slightly chilly weather.
However, we didn’t let that dampen our spirits. We are off to tour Dubrovnik, the walled city and all it has to offer. Of course within minutes, the rain came down! Now Dubrovnik is a very small town. The main attraction is the old city. Most of the sights worth seeing are located within the walls of the old city; a couple of monasterys, a few cathedrals and several very small museums. There are two main entrances, Pile Gate (western) and Ploce Gate (eastern). The main street, the Stradun, runs from one gate to the other. Now it’s a very short distance and you can walk from one end to the other in less than 10 minutes. However, there are several narrow streets and alleyways filled with shops and restaurants. It’s truly amazing to see and feels like you are walking around in a medieval city. Of course, there are also lots of shops and restaurants. Everything is made of stone and it truly is an amazing sight to see.
It makes me realize, how great is it is to be back in Europe. Given all the trips to Asia, it’s been a few years since the Traveling Hillbilly has been to Europe. Boy it’s good to be back.
However, we didn’t let that dampen our spirits. We are off to tour Dubrovnik, the walled city and all it has to offer. Of course within minutes, the rain came down! Now Dubrovnik is a very small town. The main attraction is the old city. Most of the sights worth seeing are located within the walls of the old city; a couple of monasterys, a few cathedrals and several very small museums. There are two main entrances, Pile Gate (western) and Ploce Gate (eastern). The main street, the Stradun, runs from one gate to the other. Now it’s a very short distance and you can walk from one end to the other in less than 10 minutes. However, there are several narrow streets and alleyways filled with shops and restaurants. It’s truly amazing to see and feels like you are walking around in a medieval city. Of course, there are also lots of shops and restaurants. Everything is made of stone and it truly is an amazing sight to see.
It makes me realize, how great is it is to be back in Europe. Given all the trips to Asia, it’s been a few years since the Traveling Hillbilly has been to Europe. Boy it’s good to be back.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
5 Buses, 4 Airports, 3 Planes and 2 Taxis…
Yes after a very long day of travel, The Traveling Hillbilly has finally arrived in Dubrovnik Croatia! Given there are no direct flights, it is not an easy place to get to, but the weary traveler is greeted with such kindness and beauty, the hassles of travel are quickly forgotten.
The Traveling Hillbilly’s first thought flying into Croatia, wow, it’s surprisingly green! There are lovely green fields below, surrounded by amazing limestone mountains, all under an amazingly blue sky.
The ride from the airport to the hotel is all along the coast. With its stunning views, it reminded the Traveling Hillbilly of driving along Highway 1 (PCH) in California. There’s the Adriatic on one side and mountains on the other. The one major difference though, it truly is a village. When you here the word village, it conjures up quaint stone houses, castles and other visions from the fairy tales you heard as a kid. Dubrovnik delivers on that vision! It is known as the walled city. It’s surrounded by a huge stone wall, making it look like a castle. As we drive in to the “old city,” the Traveling Hillbilly is half expecting to see men standing along the wall, guarding the place.
What makes this place truly special is they’ve managed to maintain the small town, village feel even as they’ve grown, renovated and built out into the “suburbs.” All the new houses and shops are made of stone and look like they’ve been around for hundreds of years. Finally a place that truly looks like what one imagines it will. It’s not just a big city, with a lot of tall office buildings and hotels everywhere. It looks like the kind of place that might not even have an ATM or internet access. It does have ATMs. As for the internet access, none in the hotel room, but they do have 2 computers in the lobby where you can go online for 30 minutes for about a buck and a half.
The Traveling Hillbilly can’t wait to explore!
The Traveling Hillbilly’s first thought flying into Croatia, wow, it’s surprisingly green! There are lovely green fields below, surrounded by amazing limestone mountains, all under an amazingly blue sky.
The ride from the airport to the hotel is all along the coast. With its stunning views, it reminded the Traveling Hillbilly of driving along Highway 1 (PCH) in California. There’s the Adriatic on one side and mountains on the other. The one major difference though, it truly is a village. When you here the word village, it conjures up quaint stone houses, castles and other visions from the fairy tales you heard as a kid. Dubrovnik delivers on that vision! It is known as the walled city. It’s surrounded by a huge stone wall, making it look like a castle. As we drive in to the “old city,” the Traveling Hillbilly is half expecting to see men standing along the wall, guarding the place.
What makes this place truly special is they’ve managed to maintain the small town, village feel even as they’ve grown, renovated and built out into the “suburbs.” All the new houses and shops are made of stone and look like they’ve been around for hundreds of years. Finally a place that truly looks like what one imagines it will. It’s not just a big city, with a lot of tall office buildings and hotels everywhere. It looks like the kind of place that might not even have an ATM or internet access. It does have ATMs. As for the internet access, none in the hotel room, but they do have 2 computers in the lobby where you can go online for 30 minutes for about a buck and a half.
The Traveling Hillbilly can’t wait to explore!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Hearst Castle
How does the Traveling Hillbilly even begin to describe Hearst Castle? Magnificent? Stunning? Grand? Glorious? All of the above!
What a truly amazing site. We saw Zebras roaming the grounds as we pulled into the road leading to the Visitors Center! The Traveling Hillbilly has seen some truly wonderful sites over the years and the Hearst Castle has now been added to the list. Both the indoor and outdoor pools are so inviting you just want to jump right in. The house itself is quite over the top, just as you would expect a “castle” to be. The Traveling Hillbilly’s whole house would fit in the living room. The grounds and the view however are what I enjoyed the most. I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves.
What a truly amazing site. We saw Zebras roaming the grounds as we pulled into the road leading to the Visitors Center! The Traveling Hillbilly has seen some truly wonderful sites over the years and the Hearst Castle has now been added to the list. Both the indoor and outdoor pools are so inviting you just want to jump right in. The house itself is quite over the top, just as you would expect a “castle” to be. The Traveling Hillbilly’s whole house would fit in the living room. The grounds and the view however are what I enjoyed the most. I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves.
Paso Robles in 48 Hours!
A last minute trip to Paso Robles turns out to be just what the Traveling Hillbilly needed. After spending the morning trying to reschedule a few things, it was time to hit the road for a quick getaway. As a lot of you know, the Traveling Hillbilly has been wanting to spend more time wine tasting in this region since the great Highway 1 drive last year.
A friend of mine was on his way back from doing the infamous Highway 1 drive and we decided to meet up in Paso Rablos for a couple of nights.
Luckily the Traveling Hillbilly got out of town early enough to avoid the dreaded “rush hour” traffic and arrived in Paso Robles, just in time for dinner. Coincidentally, my friend arrived just ten minutes later. Where to go when there are so many choices?
We headed downtown and after walking around for a bit, decided on Berry Hill Bistro. What a great decision. If you’re ever in the area, the Traveling Hillbilly highly recommends (www.berryHillBistro.com 114 Pine Street Paso Robles, CA 93446, 805-238-3929). The Raspberry-Chipotle Chicken sandwich is delicious. And according to the Traveling Hillbilly’s friend, so is the Chicken Florentine sandwich. If you’re with a friend, share an order of the frites (fries), served with three dipping sauces (garlic aioli, wasabi source cream, chipotle ketchup). The wasabi sour cream is yummy! Plus, if you’re into wine, the pours are very generous.
A friend of mine was on his way back from doing the infamous Highway 1 drive and we decided to meet up in Paso Rablos for a couple of nights.
Luckily the Traveling Hillbilly got out of town early enough to avoid the dreaded “rush hour” traffic and arrived in Paso Robles, just in time for dinner. Coincidentally, my friend arrived just ten minutes later. Where to go when there are so many choices?
We headed downtown and after walking around for a bit, decided on Berry Hill Bistro. What a great decision. If you’re ever in the area, the Traveling Hillbilly highly recommends (www.berryHillBistro.com 114 Pine Street Paso Robles, CA 93446, 805-238-3929). The Raspberry-Chipotle Chicken sandwich is delicious. And according to the Traveling Hillbilly’s friend, so is the Chicken Florentine sandwich. If you’re with a friend, share an order of the frites (fries), served with three dipping sauces (garlic aioli, wasabi source cream, chipotle ketchup). The wasabi sour cream is yummy! Plus, if you’re into wine, the pours are very generous.
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