Barb's Fab Adventures in Cotswolds, London and Croatia
Nov 17th, 2009, 02:46 PM
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woops - impeccable, should have previewed the last post.
Love sitting at Poklisar, there's so much going on at the Harbor. For lunch I had grilled calamari and grilled vegetables, bread and a glass of white wine. I love that I can sit here, nursing my vino and write in my journal, or just read my book. The sun is glorious. I can feel my whole being start to slow down, relax. I really have no plans! When I travel, I am usually rushing about, trying to fit in all the things I want to see and do and here, I just need to allow myself to be in the moment, which is something that I need to work at.
Dinner is grilled fish, lovely fresh salad, crusty bread and good white wine. DG is tired, so we have an early evening.
I woke up in the middle of the night to huge booms -- thunder and lightning that lit up my room. I've been through some bad thunder storms, but this one is a doozy!! and for just a moment I could just imagine how it must have been, living here during the war, with bombs dropping all around and being so frightened. It was impossible to fall back to sleep, so I just huddled under the covers trying to think about pleasant things.
The weather had taken a turn for the worse, so for the next week, it was off and on, rainy, windy, and cold. I went to Bistro Dubrava to read and drink tea, or revisit some of the churches. I paid my usual visit to the Defenders of Dubrovnik Memorial room and to the War Photo Museum. I am not a shopper, but I did a little shopping. Skybar became a haven, emailing, Fodors, or just googling. I started a couple of small paintings, but I guess my heart was just not into it because they were just not coming together.
We met my Bristol friends at Rosarij for their last dinner before going home. We had a real treat - a huge grilled momkfish that we all shared. OMG, it was amazing. I know it is endangered and I should not be eating it, but I've just eaten it once before and probably won't again as we can't get it here at home. It was a real treat.
After the rain and wind finally stopped, I was able to go to Cavtat for an afternoon, which is always fun. DG took me back to Trebinje one afternoon. We went last year - the first time he had been there since the war - 18yrs. ago! and it was a very emotional trip for him. Trebinje is 90% Serbian and until fairly recently not somewhere most Croats wanted to go. I can't say it's a very attractive town, although the streets are fairly wide and tree lined, but beyond that are sort of gray, drab buildings and poverty. There are lots of cafes with large terraces, chairs and umbrellas. The day we were there was cold, and so not much of a cafe scene. I did enjoy a farmer's market, where I noticed lots of rather unusual sorts of vegs and fruits and tobacco sold in big burlap bags. I drooled over a large table full of every kind of mushroom imaginable. It is only an hour's drive from DBV, but what a contrast in beauty and culture. I think if you have a car it is worth the trip, but without a car, I think the bus service is not so great, so it would be a challenge to get there.
On the way home, DG drove up to Mt. Srd. The view is just stunning, no matter how many times I see it, it never fails to take my breath away. After he dropped me off, I walked to the jetty, or breakwater, and sat on a bench and just watched two fisherman emptying their nets with the days catch. The sun was finally shining again and it felt heavenly. I probably sat there for an hour just soaking it all up and savoring every moment. I decide to make hay while the sun shines, so I went to Buza Bar to watch the sunset. The sun and a ship on the horizon were racing - the ship just passed the sun as it sank into the Adriatic.
By now, as much as I love calamari, I had reached my limit. I had them fried, grilled, stuffed, sauteed and in risotto, but I had to stop. As I passed the Gaffe Bar (Iris bar) one day and got a whiff of grilled onions I had to fight the urge to go in and order a big hamburger with all the trimmings.
I was just on seafood overload by the end of my second week. So, it was back to Taj Mahal for cevapi and veal and to Kanoba Adria for a very a tasty schnizel type dish.
I have been lucky enough to be able to celebrate DG's last three birthdays with him. This year, I bought him a big gorgeous chocolate cake at Niko bakery, which we shared with some of his friends for a really nice little birthday party. I gave him a CD which he really liked that I had played for him a few times - Katie Melua. Now every time I talk to him on the phone, he is playing that in the background - ahhhh.
As the end of my trip was nearing I could feel myself starting to feel emotional and dreading the inevitable. The weather was improving, so I was able to get out more and did not feel like I was wasting my precious time indoors. I walked the walls, strolled the streets, went to Lokrum for a few hours and I kept reminding myself that main reason I am there is because of DG, so I just need to be there for him and make every moment we are together special, so that's what I did. I won't share those details with you, lol, but it helped me not to feel so sad about leaving.
The day before I left, DG took me to lunch at a really special family-owned and run resto in Konavle called Konoba Vinica Monkovic. What a lovely, cozy place. We shared a huge plate of grilled meats ..beef, lamb and pork, with grilled vegetables and lots of bread for cleaning up the juices. The resto is situated beside a picturesque churning river. The last few days had turned cold and rainy again, so this place was a pleasant, warm respite from the nasty weather. The Konovale vallely is very green and fertile and probably where most of the local produce is grown and the nearby town of Gruda is charming and worth a visit I think.
Love sitting at Poklisar, there's so much going on at the Harbor. For lunch I had grilled calamari and grilled vegetables, bread and a glass of white wine. I love that I can sit here, nursing my vino and write in my journal, or just read my book. The sun is glorious. I can feel my whole being start to slow down, relax. I really have no plans! When I travel, I am usually rushing about, trying to fit in all the things I want to see and do and here, I just need to allow myself to be in the moment, which is something that I need to work at.
Dinner is grilled fish, lovely fresh salad, crusty bread and good white wine. DG is tired, so we have an early evening.
I woke up in the middle of the night to huge booms -- thunder and lightning that lit up my room. I've been through some bad thunder storms, but this one is a doozy!! and for just a moment I could just imagine how it must have been, living here during the war, with bombs dropping all around and being so frightened. It was impossible to fall back to sleep, so I just huddled under the covers trying to think about pleasant things.
The weather had taken a turn for the worse, so for the next week, it was off and on, rainy, windy, and cold. I went to Bistro Dubrava to read and drink tea, or revisit some of the churches. I paid my usual visit to the Defenders of Dubrovnik Memorial room and to the War Photo Museum. I am not a shopper, but I did a little shopping. Skybar became a haven, emailing, Fodors, or just googling. I started a couple of small paintings, but I guess my heart was just not into it because they were just not coming together.
We met my Bristol friends at Rosarij for their last dinner before going home. We had a real treat - a huge grilled momkfish that we all shared. OMG, it was amazing. I know it is endangered and I should not be eating it, but I've just eaten it once before and probably won't again as we can't get it here at home. It was a real treat.
After the rain and wind finally stopped, I was able to go to Cavtat for an afternoon, which is always fun. DG took me back to Trebinje one afternoon. We went last year - the first time he had been there since the war - 18yrs. ago! and it was a very emotional trip for him. Trebinje is 90% Serbian and until fairly recently not somewhere most Croats wanted to go. I can't say it's a very attractive town, although the streets are fairly wide and tree lined, but beyond that are sort of gray, drab buildings and poverty. There are lots of cafes with large terraces, chairs and umbrellas. The day we were there was cold, and so not much of a cafe scene. I did enjoy a farmer's market, where I noticed lots of rather unusual sorts of vegs and fruits and tobacco sold in big burlap bags. I drooled over a large table full of every kind of mushroom imaginable. It is only an hour's drive from DBV, but what a contrast in beauty and culture. I think if you have a car it is worth the trip, but without a car, I think the bus service is not so great, so it would be a challenge to get there.
On the way home, DG drove up to Mt. Srd. The view is just stunning, no matter how many times I see it, it never fails to take my breath away. After he dropped me off, I walked to the jetty, or breakwater, and sat on a bench and just watched two fisherman emptying their nets with the days catch. The sun was finally shining again and it felt heavenly. I probably sat there for an hour just soaking it all up and savoring every moment. I decide to make hay while the sun shines, so I went to Buza Bar to watch the sunset. The sun and a ship on the horizon were racing - the ship just passed the sun as it sank into the Adriatic.
By now, as much as I love calamari, I had reached my limit. I had them fried, grilled, stuffed, sauteed and in risotto, but I had to stop. As I passed the Gaffe Bar (Iris bar) one day and got a whiff of grilled onions I had to fight the urge to go in and order a big hamburger with all the trimmings.
I was just on seafood overload by the end of my second week. So, it was back to Taj Mahal for cevapi and veal and to Kanoba Adria for a very a tasty schnizel type dish.
I have been lucky enough to be able to celebrate DG's last three birthdays with him. This year, I bought him a big gorgeous chocolate cake at Niko bakery, which we shared with some of his friends for a really nice little birthday party. I gave him a CD which he really liked that I had played for him a few times - Katie Melua. Now every time I talk to him on the phone, he is playing that in the background - ahhhh.
As the end of my trip was nearing I could feel myself starting to feel emotional and dreading the inevitable. The weather was improving, so I was able to get out more and did not feel like I was wasting my precious time indoors. I walked the walls, strolled the streets, went to Lokrum for a few hours and I kept reminding myself that main reason I am there is because of DG, so I just need to be there for him and make every moment we are together special, so that's what I did. I won't share those details with you, lol, but it helped me not to feel so sad about leaving.
The day before I left, DG took me to lunch at a really special family-owned and run resto in Konavle called Konoba Vinica Monkovic. What a lovely, cozy place. We shared a huge plate of grilled meats ..beef, lamb and pork, with grilled vegetables and lots of bread for cleaning up the juices. The resto is situated beside a picturesque churning river. The last few days had turned cold and rainy again, so this place was a pleasant, warm respite from the nasty weather. The Konovale vallely is very green and fertile and probably where most of the local produce is grown and the nearby town of Gruda is charming and worth a visit I think.
Nov 17th, 2009, 03:20 PM
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As much as I had tried to prepare myself for the last day, it was still so hard. We had decided to say our goodbyes in Dubrovnik and not at the airport. And so, chocking back tears, Nino drove me to the airport and even walked me right up to the checkin desk!!
I was flying Easyjet back to Gatwick. I stayed in Horley, which is just about a 5-8 min drive from the airport. I stayed at the Vulcan Lodge, which I highly recommend. http://vulcan-lodge.com/ Karen Moon is a wonderful hostess and it's just like staying in a good friend's lovely, big house. I was the only guest at the time. Unfortunately, even with all my good planning, I had forgotten to write down the address, but the taxi driver finally found it. I arrived late, around 11:30, so she had sent me the front door code and I let myself in. In the morning, as I sat in the little dining room with a warm fireplace crackling, reading my paper, with her dog and fat cat sitting by my feet, she made me a breakfast, of eggs and toast with homemade jam. When the taxi driver arrived, she helped carry my bags to the car and instructed the driver on how to drop me close to the National Express stop at the airport and show me where to go, which he did.
This was an easy trip back to Heathrow to catch my BA flight to Seattle. From where the bus lets you off, you go up an elevator, if you have luggage, or an escalator, to the 3rd floor to the "drop bag" places. You can only drop your bags three hours before your flight! then you go through a HUGE security area, luckily it did not take long. Then you look at big departure boards for your gate, which don't open until 1 hr. before the flight!! and some gates can take up to 20 min. to get there. I am praying mine will be closer. I had lunch at Huxley's Bar & Kitchen, which was just ok.
Because you can't get seat assignments on BA until 24 hours before flight, and because I was not able to get online in DBV to do that, I had emailed that morning from the Vulcan and unfortunately got a middle seat. I'm worried that it would be my luck to be stuck between two fat smelly men. But I also had hopes of being able to change my seats when I got the gate. But... because it was a full fight, I was stuck, but with a small Asian man in the window seat, who did not utter a word and a sweet older lady on the aisle who was from Tacoma. After a few hours, we were like old friends, which made me feel so much better about maybe falling asleep on her shoulder, drooling, lol. All in all a good flight.
It was a wonderful trip. I am busy planning a possible trip back in the spring and another trip in the fall with my granddaughter, first to Paris for 5-6 days and then Dubrovnik for maybe 7-8 days and then a few days in Amsterdam before heading home.
I am trying to get a Skype schedule set up so at least I can see DG's beautiful face every week.
Thanks for hanging in there with me on this not so typical trip report!
I was flying Easyjet back to Gatwick. I stayed in Horley, which is just about a 5-8 min drive from the airport. I stayed at the Vulcan Lodge, which I highly recommend. http://vulcan-lodge.com/ Karen Moon is a wonderful hostess and it's just like staying in a good friend's lovely, big house. I was the only guest at the time. Unfortunately, even with all my good planning, I had forgotten to write down the address, but the taxi driver finally found it. I arrived late, around 11:30, so she had sent me the front door code and I let myself in. In the morning, as I sat in the little dining room with a warm fireplace crackling, reading my paper, with her dog and fat cat sitting by my feet, she made me a breakfast, of eggs and toast with homemade jam. When the taxi driver arrived, she helped carry my bags to the car and instructed the driver on how to drop me close to the National Express stop at the airport and show me where to go, which he did.
This was an easy trip back to Heathrow to catch my BA flight to Seattle. From where the bus lets you off, you go up an elevator, if you have luggage, or an escalator, to the 3rd floor to the "drop bag" places. You can only drop your bags three hours before your flight! then you go through a HUGE security area, luckily it did not take long. Then you look at big departure boards for your gate, which don't open until 1 hr. before the flight!! and some gates can take up to 20 min. to get there. I am praying mine will be closer. I had lunch at Huxley's Bar & Kitchen, which was just ok.
Because you can't get seat assignments on BA until 24 hours before flight, and because I was not able to get online in DBV to do that, I had emailed that morning from the Vulcan and unfortunately got a middle seat. I'm worried that it would be my luck to be stuck between two fat smelly men. But I also had hopes of being able to change my seats when I got the gate. But... because it was a full fight, I was stuck, but with a small Asian man in the window seat, who did not utter a word and a sweet older lady on the aisle who was from Tacoma. After a few hours, we were like old friends, which made me feel so much better about maybe falling asleep on her shoulder, drooling, lol. All in all a good flight.
It was a wonderful trip. I am busy planning a possible trip back in the spring and another trip in the fall with my granddaughter, first to Paris for 5-6 days and then Dubrovnik for maybe 7-8 days and then a few days in Amsterdam before heading home.
I am trying to get a Skype schedule set up so at least I can see DG's beautiful face every week.
Thanks for hanging in there with me on this not so typical trip report!
Nov 18th, 2009, 09:35 AM
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What a great week you had after I'd left, despite the weather.
I'd caught up on some of it with you, but it's nice to see more detail. Maybe we can go out to Konavle when we meet next October, hopefully with your grandaughter and my DD... I wonder if they'll get on with each other as well as you and I do!
I'd caught up on some of it with you, but it's nice to see more detail. Maybe we can go out to Konavle when we meet next October, hopefully with your grandaughter and my DD... I wonder if they'll get on with each other as well as you and I do!
Nov 18th, 2009, 02:09 PM
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Julia, it was a great week and it was nice to be able to relive it through this report.
Absolutely let's go to Konavle. I am looking forward to next October and it will be great if our girls hit it off.
Absolutely let's go to Konavle. I am looking forward to next October and it will be great if our girls hit it off.
Nov 20th, 2009, 08:50 AM
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Parking Ticket Update...
After I submitted my initial 'representation' when I returned from Dubrovnik I was told I'd still have to pay as I had not shown evidence I was doing what I said, ie taking luggage into the hotel and finding out where the unmarked private car park was.
So I appealed once more, this time with copies of the invoices for the hotel booking, receipt for the hotel car park, and a covering letter telling them all about my friend from America and her HUGE suitcase that was so big and heavy it two of us to heave into the hotel in the pouring rain... also mentioned in passing it was so heavy she had to pay excess baggage charges on it before the easyjet flight!
I was still expecting to have to pay up, but I just wanted to have a say in my defence, and it's paid off!
They have formally accepted my representations, exercised discretion and have CANCELLED THE PENALTY CHARGE / FINE. Whooppeee!!!
However I have received a bit of a ticking off about parking where I did, and leaving the car unattended.
So point taken, I will take more care in future, and am very thankful.
After I submitted my initial 'representation' when I returned from Dubrovnik I was told I'd still have to pay as I had not shown evidence I was doing what I said, ie taking luggage into the hotel and finding out where the unmarked private car park was.
So I appealed once more, this time with copies of the invoices for the hotel booking, receipt for the hotel car park, and a covering letter telling them all about my friend from America and her HUGE suitcase that was so big and heavy it two of us to heave into the hotel in the pouring rain... also mentioned in passing it was so heavy she had to pay excess baggage charges on it before the easyjet flight!
I was still expecting to have to pay up, but I just wanted to have a say in my defence, and it's paid off!
They have formally accepted my representations, exercised discretion and have CANCELLED THE PENALTY CHARGE / FINE. Whooppeee!!!
However I have received a bit of a ticking off about parking where I did, and leaving the car unattended.
So point taken, I will take more care in future, and am very thankful.
Jan 1st, 2010, 05:44 PM
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Just finished reading the end of your fabulous report Barb. REally enjoyed everything you had to say. No wasted time at all, we were all here listening to everyword.
I hope your next trip is as good as this one.
Schnauzer
I hope your next trip is as good as this one.
Schnauzer
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