Budapest was ranked #3 in a survey of world’s best cities by Conde Nast – the magazine gives credit to the legendary cafes, bars and spa culture.  That’s great and all, but for me I was excited to be having three friends visit us.  Slumber party, girl talk, and wine drinking in Hungary.  Poor Peter.

My friend Alex, who was a bridesmaid of mine, Lauren another long time close friend, and Alex’s friend Raychel were coming to stay with us for a few days.  A friend of Lauren’s had told her of a dirt cheap ticket from New York-Milan-Prague-Paris-Bangkok for a couple hundred bucks through Priceline. A lot of people jumped on the opportunity and it was dubbed “glitch trip” by the online community. Lauren told Alex. Alex told Rachel. Alex asked if Peter and I could meet them in Budapest and the rest is history. The five of us would meet in Budapest.

I had researched online and had found the perfect AirBnB for our crew based on the neighborhood Peter thought was the best from his previous time in Budapest.  In fact this was one of my favorite AirBnB’s we stayed at in 2014.  Great decor, spacious, good feel, and a perfect walkable location.

One of my favorite things to do in California is to host friends.  I love to make a comfortable environment with music, food, cheese and drinks.  I feel like I’m in my element when I have friends and family over.  Since I hadn’t had a chance to do this in months, I decided to put together a little treat for the girls.  Peter and I arrived the day before the girls so when the they got to our place I had wine, turkish delights, and scarfs from the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul set out.

Peter had been to Budapest before so was able to make suggestions in terms of places to go and avoid. The first night we selected a fun dinner spot that was an easy walk from our flat which goes by the name of Menza.  It’s known for it’s lively atmosphere and authentic Hungarian cuisine: goulash, beetroot risotto, roast beef, etc.  Peter made a good call choosing this place.  We all really enjoyed the food and the vibe.

After dinner we wanted to go check out one of the famous “ruin pubs” of Budapest.  About 15 years ago the ruin pub concept was created. In the beginning, pop-up bars would open in abandoned buildings (hence the name ruin bars) in the Jewish Quarter where youth could drink on the cheap.   Now its become somewhat of a phenomena and fad in which these pubs host live bands, eclectic decor, and stay open late, not necessarily in abandoned buildings.  We went to the oldest and first ruin pub that night, Szimpla Kert.  The bar did not disappoint.  Graffiti walls, a bath tub you can sit in and sip your beer, endless nooks and crannies to explore in the numerous different rooms, all with different themes. They even had hookah, but after Turkey our lungs needed the break.  We all could certainly see why Budapest is known for having the best bars in the world.

The next morning the girls and I did a self taught aerobics/yoga class in the living room.  Peter hid in our room and worked.

After a leisurely morning the four of us sent out to grab some food and then take the metro to a Turkish bath house.

Just around the corner from our flat was a cafe, Bistro Suppe where we all tried delicious soups and breads.  The weather was a bit chilly in Budapest so this was a perfect afternoon snack.

We grabbed the metro and headed to the well known Szechenyi Bath House.  Built in 1913, it is the biggest bath house in Europe and resembles a palace from the outside.  Thermal pools ranging in temperatures take over the outside grounds.  Inside the palace walls are a variety of steam rooms of varying degrees of temperature (hot to really, really hot) as well as dunk pools (cold to really, really cold) with various salinity.   The four of us girls all went into one of the hottest rooms to start with.  We could barely breath.  Much of the clientele were older Hungarian men that appeared relaxed as could be.  Nonetheless, it really was great fun to go into the hot rooms, see how long we could last then dip in freezing cold water.  Its a medicinal bathhouse and this was what we were told to do to get the most benefits – shock the body with extremes, hot to cold.  We ended the day soaking in the thermal baths outside before changing and headed back to our flat.  We all left feeling great, buttery and really relaxed.

We hopped on the metro back to our flat while discovering monuments along the way to take pictures with.

We decided that this would be our night to go for it.  Put on some make up, do our hair, and check out one or more of the famous ruin clubs.

First we grabbed another solid meal in a trendy neighborhood that Peter had found at a bistro-pub called Spiler.  The guy sitting next to us told Alex that she looked like the mural on the wall so after rolling our eyes at his ignorance we of course humored the situation by taking a lot of pictures of Alex and her doppelganger.

After dinner we were ready to hit the club.  Well kinda.  The problem is that none of us are club-goers, but we all wanted to experience Budapest’s late night party life at a ruin club.  We went to a ruin club called Instant which is a pretty unexplainable place to be. It boasts 26 rooms, 7 bars, 2 gardens and 7 stages – all in one location.  It’s a huge complex mirroring an adult Alice in Wonderland.  A maze of eclectic decor that will keep your eyes busy with wonderment. Name a genre of music and you could find it in one of the rooms. There were also rooms where people would be chilling playing Connect 4 and then you’d turn a corner and find people dancing spastically to EDM.  We found a room that was just right, the Hip-Hop room, and mainly danced in our own circle while simultaneously making up dance moves on the fly. Pretty sure we were an odd spectacle. We’re not club-goers.

After a couple hours we were spent and started our walk home, just when things were really starting to pick up.  We left around 1am and the place was wall to wall people with a line out the door.  Hungarians like to party and they start late.

The next day the girls went off to do some sightseeing while Peter and I went to visit my Aunt Morrie and Uncle Allen.  Just by coincidence they happened to be in Budapest the same time as us.  My Aunt and I had been emailing one day and she mentioned she was going to Budapest for the first time.  A couple of emails back and forth and we realized we would be there on the exact same dates.  Turns out we were only about a 5 minute walk to the hotel they were staying at, The Four Seasons.  Really a wonderful coincidence.

We joined them for coffee, dessert, and a really wonderful catch up session.  They had both been at our wedding so it was especially fun to recap with them.  We didn’t get to do a lot of wedding recapping with anyone, other than the four hour long conversation I had with my mom on the phone, because we left the country shortly after our wedding.  It was really great and always good to see family, especially when you are so far from family.

Afterwords, we headed back to our place to meet up with the girls for our last evening together.  All of us headed out for one final dinner event.  Another home-run of a meal, with great and great friends.

After dinner we headed home where an impromptu yoga session started.  Peter immediately took this as his cue to go to bed.

The next morning we said our good byes to the girls.

Although it wasn’t good bye for long.  Raychel and Alex were going to be traveling for a few months and were going to be in Thailand in January.  One night while we were chatting about New Years plans Peter and I told them that we would be in Bangkok and they should join us.  They were both enthusiastically on board and Alex invited her boyfriend Clint to fly out from California as well.  Add on to that our friend, Andrew, would also be in Bangkok. We had a full group of friends to ring in the New Year in Bangkok all being planned in Budapest.

Budapest was a bit of a different trip for me.  I focused more on hanging out with friends and family rather than taking in and seeing all the sites of the city.  I was happy to do this this since over the months I had been disconnected from family and friends, except of course Peter.  Budapest will be there and I can take a boat cruise on the Danube River next time, but the uniqueness of having friends and family in Budapest was a once-in-a-lifetime.

Thanks for partying with us in Budapest.  See you in Dubai.

Istanbul was a surprise favorite city for me.  In fact, Turkey was an all around fantastic country that we both loved. Istanbul is a bustling city with the perfect blend of East meets West and ancient meets modern with the food, culture, and melting pot of vibes.  It feels both European and Asian making the city an entirely unique experience.  The Bosphorus river not only cuts through Istanbul, but it also is the dividing mark between Asia and Europe. You can stand on one side of the Bosphorus and be in Europe while gazing at Asia and vice versa.  It’s the only place in the world that you can do this.

Here is Peter and I standing in Europe with Asia behind us.

It seems like Istanbul is loved by many dating all the way back to Napoleon who once said, “If the whole world were one country, Istanbul would be its capital.” Fast forward to the Internet age and Istanbul is voted one of the top destinations on TripAdvisor.

The city is full of interesting contradictions.  For example many resources consider Istanbul to be “cool,” “hipster” and a “party scene” yet it’s a Muslim country.  In the wee hours of the morning you can hear the mosque’s early morning call-to-prayer and know devotees are starting their morning worship; simultaneously party goers are stumbling home from the world renown clubs the city boasts.  That’s all part of the uniqueness and the feel of being there.

The following Top 10, in no particular order, are the highlights for our time in Istanbul.

1.  Our stay at The Four Seasons at Sultanahmet

The Four Seasons always does it right.  This one in particular was no exception.  Once a Turkish prison, the location of this hotel is a two minute walk from the major tourist attractions of Istanbul. The service was impeccable. We came back early one evening and the concierge asked us if we had any plans. We explained that we just wanted to watch a movie and get a good night’s sleep. He sent us popcorn and cokes to our room for our movie night.  The Turkish designs, rugs, and antiques of the hotel were incredible and the view from the rooftop gazed right over the world-famous Blue Mosque.   Because we had being burning the candle at both ends it was nice to be able to relax in such a comfortable setting.  Room service anyone?

2.  The progressive Muslim Culture

Turkey must be the most progressive Muslim culture in the world.  The Ottoman Empire, or Turkish Empire was once the the biggest powerhouse, with the height of domination being in the 16th and 17th centuries, controlling parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa.  This came to an end in the early 1900′s but not before millions of Muslims were tragically killed in an ethic cleansing campaign.  They say that after great tragedy transformation and reinvention can occur.  This is what happened starting in the 1920′s.  A new Turkish identity began that brought about drinking, music, and the arts.  A progressive, liberal and modern Muslim World.  It’s a city where affection is ok. Free expression can be celebrated. Drinking is common with world class clubs (Reina) and bars. A place where non muslims are permitted to enter and explore mosques.  Peter and I aren’t big public display of affection people in the first place, but especially not in a Muslim country.  While we were on a tour of the mosques our Muslim guide kept insisting we kiss for pictures.  I think he made a point of having us do this to prove the acceptance of affection in Istanbul despite being predominately a Muslim culture.

3.  Landmarks (5-parter)

The Blue Mosque

It was built from 1609-1616 under the rule of Sultan Ahmed.  It is known as the Blue Mosque due to the handmade blue tiles on the inside walls.  It represents the last mosque of classical period.  Like all mosques there is the mihrab which is a semicircular niche in the wall where Muslims face to pray.  The mihrab is always facing Mecca, the holiest city of Islam.  This was the first mosque I have ever been inside and it was a truly beautiful site from the majestic outside architecture to the beautiful tiles and stain glass on the inside.  Females must cover their heads to be able to enter a mosque.

Hagia Sophia

This landmark was originally a church from 537-1453 and then converted into a mosque from 1453-1931.  Now the doors are open the public as a museum.  Inside you can see evidence of both religions.

Basilica Cistern

This is an underground water system filled with impressive marble columns that James Bond had to row through in the movie From Russia with Love.  Built in 532 for the water needs of the Grand Palace this cistern is another example of the peak of the Byzantine Empire shown in the architecture and engineering. This cistern was mostly used for water storage and we learned that they kept fish in the water to ensure that the water wasn’t poisoned by an enemy (or else the fish would die). They have fish swimming in the water now for effect.

Suleymaniye Mosque

The largest mosque in Istanbul  was completed in 1558.  This is off the main tourist grid and it was really pleasant to visit a mosque with less crowds where we could really explore and take in all the intricacies and traditions.    I particularly liked the pink dome.  The lights in the chandelier are electric bulbs but in the past they used to be lanterns with candles that lit up the mosque. What a beautiful site that must have been.

Topkapi Palace

This was the residence for Sultans from 1465-1856.  The Palace includes a harem wing that contained hundreds of rooms for the Sultan’s mother, children, and concubines. There were beautiful rooms of art, jewels and ancient tile work. Although some of the exhibitions were a bit of a bust (unless things like ancient silverware and bowels that a Sultan may have used is your thing).

4.  Turkish bath or Hammam 

The Turkish hammam was truly like no other spa experience.  If you visit an authentic hammam you’ll enter the hamman based on your gender and be scrubbed/cleaned by the attendant completely naked. Peter and I wanted to go together and didn’t necessarily want to get naked in front of a group of strangers so we went the more touristic route and got a couple’s hamman at a place called Suleymaniye which caters to these types of things. This is what I was given to wear.

The experience starts by laying down on a marble slab in the middle of a steamed room for about 30 minutes. You sweat more than you ever knew you could sweat.    Just when it started to get unbearable, with impeccable timing, the attendant called us to one of the four corners of the room to lay on another (cooler) slab for our treatment.  As you are laying down the attendant starts dumping buckets of cool water down your body, jolting all your senses awake. This is followed by a loofah scrub where you can literally see the dirt coming off your pores like a cheese grader. Bubbly soap is than used to clean into your exposed pores before they proceed to a hair wash and a final rinse off.  Peter and I were then brought to a quiet and cool room to dry off and enjoy a drink.  The end result was a feeling of deep relaxation and utterly smooth, clean skin.  I highly recommend it.

The history behind hammam’s is due to the customary act of cleansing and purifying oneself before prayer.  Typically you won’t find a mosque to far from a Turkish bath.

5.  Food

I still dream about the food in Istanbul.  On our first day  our tour guide took us to a restaurant by our hotel, Iskender Kebab and it was so delicious we went back a few times.  The name of the restaurant is the house speciality and consists of lamb meat doused with butter, yogurt, and tangy tomato sauce.  Delicious, right?

The kebab preparations were all so good.  Full of flavor with spices, onion and very lean meat.  I also really feel in love with Tahini which is a paste like a hummus made from ground sesame seeds.   I look for it everywhere now.

One of the best things to eat while we were in Istanbul was the Turkish delights  Some ingredients include sugar, figs, pistachios, and hazelnuts.

It was  a common daily practice for me to walk up to one of these shops, grab a bag, fill it, walk around, and eat everything in the bag. Seriously delicious.

Another favorite discovery for me was apple tea.  It’s serviced everywhere tastes like a hot apple cider, only better.

You know in that Christmas song where it goes, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire?”  Well it was chestnut season while we were in Istanbul so I got to really experience the merriment.  This was another snack I constantly indulged in.

Ok, now I’m hungry as I think and write about this.

6.  Whirling Dervishes 

I love a live performance of just about any kind, but this is another level.  A group of men literally twirling in a circle in what looks like a trance state of mind.  It’s a religious ceremony where the men turn in circles in order to reach a spiritual state.  There is something about watching the performance that is altogether peaceful, mesmerizing, and impressive.  The men whirl for nearly half an hour with one arm in the air which speaks to the stamina required and the spiritual state these men reach.  Peter later tried it at the hotel.  He lasted about 30 seconds until he fell over in utter dizziness.  No cameras or clapping is aloud as it a religious ceremony rather than a performance so we don’t have any pictures, but here’s a video of the performers in a different location.  Check it out!

7.  Turkish Rugs

No trip to Turkey is complete without visiting a shop specializing in Turkish rugs.  You can sit with a cup of apple tea while the manager explains the history of the rugs while his staff rolls out beautifully hand woven rugs after another.

We learned  that the Turkish act of carpet weaving is quickly becoming a lost art. Women use to make rugs as a hobby and form of expression because they weren’t allowed to work. It was an artist’s outlet and told a story with no rug the same. Now women can work in other lines of occupation so girls these days aren’t learning the art-form from their mothers, or if they do, its under more controlled and strict business-like parameters. The dominance of machine made rugs too has made the traditional Turkish rug a dying art-form.  Maybe we just walked into the guy’s sales pitch at the world-renowned Hereke store we were at but the rugs were beautiful and it was certainly tempting to buy. Good thing all our stuff is in storage and we’d have nowhere to put a rug or we just might have been one of the countless tourists that walk in “just to look” and leave with a rolled up rug on their shoulder.

8.  Corlulu Ali Pasa Medresesi

Formerly a madrasa, or school for Islam, this complex has been converted into a nargile (hookah) cafe where old men and young sip tea, puff on flavored tobacco and discuss news, politics, religion and everything in between.  Adding to the environment was the decor of colorful lanterns and turkish rugs on the walls. It was really fun to have found this place as it felt like we were crashing in on a locals-only hidden gem of Istanbul.

Peter and I enjoyed going here so much that we went back two nights in a row to night cap the day, sip tea, enjoy nargile and debrief on the sites and experiences of the day while also meeting some friendly locals.

9.  The People

From the wonderful and accommodating staff at our hotel to walking the streets where we mingled with locals, people in Istanbul were friendly, welcoming, and interested in knowing where we were from and what we were doing in Istanbul.  Peter with our tour guide.

10.  Grand Bizarre

Peter sat this one out due to his strong aversion to shopping and this is shopping on steroids.  The bizarre consists of some 4,000 shops with over 20,000 people working. Throw in the shoppers and its mayhem.  Last year it was voted #1 for worlds most visited attraction.  It’s an experience to say the least.  The people watching is outstanding.  Haggling with the men in the shops is an art form.  A good rule of thumb is to offer half of what they start at.  A hilarious technique that they would use while bargaining was flattery. “Are you a model” or “you must be here with a bodyguard” were some of the lines they attempted. They were quite the charmers, but I was on to them.  I ended up buying scarves mainly for friends although you can see a couple I bought for myself in the pictures. I also purchased Turkish delights (of course) and some apple tea.  I also really enjoyed just walking around the area and getting a bit lost in the shops.

For all these reasons Istanbul made for one of our favorite cities of our trip thus far. Its a perfect mix of fun, culture, food, and people. All with a bit of edge; all with sincerity.  We certainly experienced why Istanbul is a top destination.

Up next we head to the Eastern part of Turkey to Cappadocia.

Thanks as always for joining us for the fun.  Love to you all.

We met the host of our Airbnb at a coffee shop and she jumped in our car to show us the way to the flat as it required a one-way drive through the main pedestrian square.  Again another pleasant Croatian woman.  The people in Croatia, as a generality, were overly welcoming and kind our entire trip.  We had a great spot right in the middle of town that was walking distance to shops, restaurants, and the local indie theater.  Peter had discovered that the Zagreb Film Festival was playing while we there so we had bought tickets to an Icelandic movie called, “Of Horses and Men.”

We got settled in our place then Jess and I set out to do a little shopping.  She was looking for gifts for friends and family back home and I was shopping for my developing nephew.  It was a successful trip.  Of course at the time my nephew Luke wasn’t born but I did just get this picture from Lisa of Luke wearing his Zagreb outfit.  He is  too cute, right?

A fun coincidence we had while staying overnight in Zagreb was that a friend of Jessica’s was living nearby in Slovenia playing professional hockey.  Hunter and his wife Tara met us at a coffee shop, Mala Kavana, after Jess and I had finished up our shopping.  Hunter is from Alaska as well and because Fairbanks is a small town and my brother was also a hockey player we quickly realized we knew a ton of the same people and he and my brother had played hockey together.  Jessica and Hunter’s parents are close friends so they decided to do a Facetime call while we were all together.

After Peter finished up some work he joined us and we all headed over to a pizza spot for dinner, Nokturno.  We had a great time with Hunter and Tara.  We talked a lot about travel as they have also travelled a good amount and they had an upcoming trip that they were trying to plan.  They asked our advice on different places to go.  We discussed a handful of different countries: Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Thailand.  They ended up in Italy which is never a bad idea.

At dinner we enjoyed pizza, calzones as big as your head, wine, and beer with what felt like new friends.  At this point in our travels we had hardly hung out with friends so it felt good to have a group dinner in a foreign land where American idioms and humor were understood and laughter engulfed the table as we devoured delicious comfort food.

After dinner we headed over to the Zagreb International Film Festival which was just a 3 minute walk from our flat and where we had enjoyed dinner. We had tickets to see an Icelandic film called “Of Horse and Men.”  The landscape in the film was absolutely beautiful and we both mentioned to each other how great a trip to Iceland would be one of these summers. The movie itself interlocked a series of 6 story-lines that all bizarrely linked together at the end and all were somehow related to horses. In one scene, an inexperienced horse rider gets lost in the mountains and instead of freezing to death he proceeds to kill the horse and sleep inside its carcass for warmth.  It was that kind of movie.  Odd and somewhat disturbing.  Still a fun thing to do.

After the film  we took a short stroll back to our flat.  Jess and I stayed up for a bit having girl talk as well as sharing some nervous excitement because in the morning we were off to…Egypt!

Peter later mentioned that this day in Zagreb was one of his favorites. We didn’t have a list of things to see nor check-off. There was sense of normalcy to the day where we met friends for coffee, ate some pizza before catching a movie. I think we needed that sense of regularity and normalcy even if it was only for half-day. It also probably helped to have that the night before a big adventure – Egypt!

Thanks as always for following along.  I am trying hard to get caught up.

Peter was especially excited when the car-rental agent told him about the upgraded car they secured for us. They pulled up a beautiful black Mercedes sports car in which Peter later commented as the nicest car he’s ever driven.

Peter and I at this point had been on a lot of road trips and had somewhat of a routine.  Road trips snacks and drinks.  Dowloaded episodes of This American Life.  We introduced Jess to this and the episode I had downloaded was the introduction to Serial, a spinoff of This American Life, in which they aired the first episode on the show. As you probably know, Serial became the #1 downloaded podcast and a phenomena.  Jess and Peter both ended up listening to the season in entirety.  I wasn’t able to commit.  Point being these podcasts make a road trip go by quickly to the point where sometimes Peter starts driving a lot slower if our arrival time of our destination interferes with the ending of a show.  That Ira Glass and This American Life is entertaining.

Plitivice Lakes National Park is a Unesco World Heritage Site.  The park consists of lakes, waterfalls, and thick lush forest.  Other than the National Park, the surrounding area is small and quiet.  It’s definitely an area to unwind.

There weren’t many options on AirBnB and most of the accommodations were characterless lodges, but we did find a gem! It was basically a log cabin and made Jess and I feel right at home, given our Alaskan roots.  AirBnB is different all over the world.  This one came with nice touches.  There were bikes provided.  The manager cleaned the cabin everyday and provided us with fresh towels.  But the best part was every evening when we returned home the manager had a warm fire going in the fireplace.  We spent our evenings chatting by the fire, watching some bad tv, and learning magic tricks from Jess.

Jess and I enjoyed taking the bikes for a spin and acting like we were in grade school again with the teeter-totter in the yard.

Of course Peter didn’t want to be left out.

Our first full day in the area we headed out to visit the park.  Touring around the park takes about 4-5 hours depending on your hiking speed and how many pictures you want to take.  Undoubtedly you can immediately see why 1.2 M people visit this treasure a year. We were there in October so the numbers of tourists was low and the walking paths manageable and relaxing.

The hikes provided a number of different waterfalls along the way.  Including a 100 foot waterfall towards the end of the hike.

Since we were in nature and surrounded by trees there was plenty of inspiration for yoga pose pictures.  Even Peter got inspired.

This picture from the day is one of my favorites.  We took this in a cave and were trying to be artsy with Jess’s bump and silhouette.

That night we ate a restuaurant, Plum, which wasn’t much to write home about, but none of the restaurants in the area really seemed to be.  After dinner we came home to a nice fire and took it easy.

The next morning we took another road trip to the bordering country of Bosnia to a small city called Bihac.  We decided since it was so close and we didn’t need another day in the park this would be an interesting way to spend the day.  Plus we got an extra passport stamp.

Whenever I travel to new countries I get a feel for the vibe.  Like when you go to Vegas or New York city.  You feel something in the air and the energy.  Unfortunately with Bosnia we got a feeling that something really bad happened here, and it did.

From 1992-1995, not that long ago, the Bosnian War took place which has been called an “ethnic cleansing campaign” and deemed a genocide.  During these years Bosnian Serbs targeted Bosniaks or Bosnian Muslims and Croatian civilians.  As a result of the break up of Yugoslavia the Serbs wanted control.  During these years atrocities were used to murder and torture victims.  A war crime used frequently on Muslim women was systematic rape of women as young as 12.  Upwards of 50,000 women were faced with this atrocity.  In articles, I have read it states that women that were faced with this are still dealing with the aftermath in the form of physical, emotional, and psychological damage.  This has caused issues with the development and growth of the country due to such a large group of women being unable to be in relationships with men after what had happened to them.  Jess and I were 18 in 1995.  I can imagine that 20 years later there would undoubtedly still be a ton of damage.  Something like that never leaves. you.  Sadly being in Bosnia you could feel the effect of the war.  It felt depressed.  It felt like we were walking through a funeral.  There was no glimmer in anyone’s eye or a genuine smile.  As time goes on hopefully this will change and while, admittedly, it might be different in other parts of Bosnia, the sorrow was palpable. Sorry for the depressing recap, but it was an impactful day for all of us.

The day in Bosnia consisted of us grabbing lunch on the Una River in Bihac where the waiter gave us bread to feed the many mallard ducks swimming nearby.  The rest of our time we did a walking tour which is when we got a feel for the energy of the city.

During the war the Serbs wanted to rid the country of all signs of the Muslim religion.  Therefore all mosques were destroyed.  Only churches were left.  After the war churches were turned into mosques by adding a minaret to it.  We came across one during our walk.

With our hearts a little heavy but also feeling more informed we drove across the border back into Croatia.

That evening we had dinner at Restoran Degenija where we gorged on Pizza and maybe some french fries.

One of my handful of alarming personality traits is that on occasion I wake up screaming.  This trait came out in full color this particular night.  I am thinking it had to do with visiting Bosnia and reading about the genocide.  It’s not surprising that I went to bed a little distressed and woke myself up from a nightmare.  Well I hadn’t warned Jess about my little habit so she woke up upon hearing my screams.  Her thoughts, in her own sleepy fog, went dark as well. She thought someone was going to come and take her baby. Out of her belly. So I managed to not only freak myself out, but also Peter and poor Jess.  We all somehow got back to sleep.

In the morning we woke up to this.

What’s actually kind of funny about waking up to snow is that my friend Melissa had reached out to me when she saw that we were in Plitvice Lakes.  She had been here before a few years back, also in October, and told me how the lakes were such a difficult hike and how it snowed really aggressively.  I figured we were on a different hike as there was no signs of snow or real challenge on the previous couple days.

So just as we were about to roll out of town we had a snow storm to deal with.  We had a two hour drive ahead of us to Zagreb.  On travel days Peter gets really focused as he is our fearless leader.  I could tell the snow had him stressed out.  We had our Mercedes without snow tires to get us to our next destination, mountains to climb, and we didn’t know the extent of the snowstorm.  He was responsible for not just he and I but also my pregnant friend. We also later realized that we had the last touring of day of Plitvice Lakes of the season without snow. Talk about timing.

Once again though Jess and I felt at home in the snowstorm.

Surprisingly the storm was actually pretty bad.  Snow was everywhere covering all the surrounding hills.  This is the only stop Peter would make for me to get a picture despite my many pleads for more pictures for the blog.  He was on a mission to get us out of the snow and to safety.

Just about two hours later we made it to the Croatian capital of Zagreb.  The drive was smooth and the snow cleared up about half-way to Zagreb.

Up next.  A night in Zagreb before we were off to Egypt.

Thanks as always for following along.

We arrived late afternoon where the host of our AirBnB met us at the harbor to walk us over to our home for the next few nights.  Hvar is a small island so just about everything in the main center is accessible by foot.  We noticed right away that quite a few places were closed. Our host explained that we had just missed the high season so things were quieter now.  We knew it would be more quiet traveling in October but were surprised with just how many places were shut-down for the seasons. Hvar is known for partying and a place where models, princes, and stars come to enjoy the beauty of the island by day and party by night.  Right when you get off the boat there is bar called Carpe Diem that the likes of Beyonce and Jay Z frequent.  In the high season Hvar goes off and parties all night.  We were fine with missing it though.  I am sure especially Jess since she was pregnant after all.

We loved out AirBnB.  The location was great, the views of the harbor and sea were fantastic.  It was clean and also spacious.  After Barcelona we had our concerns.

View from our room on the second floor.

We settled in.  I did some yoga.  Jess checked in with her family on Facetime.  Peter worked.  When we reconvened we headed out to dinner at the #1 rated restaurant on Trip Advisor, Dalmatino. That’s one advantage of being in Hvar in low-season, you can walk right up to any restaurant, without reservation and be seated.

It was excellent on all fronts.  From the unique menu, to the food, the service, the atmosphere.  We loved it.  We also quickly learned that Croatia has exceptional olive oil and they love to drink.  I am sure the latter sounds more fun than the former but if you’ve ever had really good olive oil, like really good, then you realize it is pretty decadent and fun to enjoy.  Side note: It’s actually Spain the produces the world’s best olive oil, followed by Italy then the US.

Our waiter was one of the best parts of the evening.  He gave us great recommendations.  Three words: black-truffle-risotto.  He was exceptionally friendly and seemed genuinely interested in getting to know us.  Plus he gave us plenty of liqueurs to try on the house, enforcing we all drink – he gave Jess an exception only after seeing her baby bump. That was about the only exception this waiter was going to make.

After traveling for about 8 months now I have realized that service means different things in different countries.  What is considered good service in the US doesn’t necessarily apply elsewhere.  You can’t compare for a number of obvious reasons.  Mostly, you speak different languages and communication is often times an exercise of charades.  But also in some areas of the world service just isn’t important or taught.  But when you come across a pleasant surprise while traveling where the service standards are one that are close and recognizably awesome to you, its an incredibly warm feeling.  Croatia is one of those countries.  The first picture below is octopus with capers and olive oil.  YUM!

Our second day we did a walking tour of the island.  From the island piazza you can see Hvar Fortress and hike all the way to the top.

As we worked our way to the top we stopped along the way for many photo shoot opportunities.

Behind Peter and I in this picture are the Pakleni Islands.  During peak season taxi boats bring tourists over to this area in droves.  From May to September it is estimated that 20,000 tourists come to Hvar a day.  Being there in October we just missed the madness. Which again, we were secretly thankful for.

It was fun to now have a friend to do yoga poses in pictures with me.  As you can see Jess is the flexible/dancer graceful one.

For our evening adventure we decided to hire a boat to enjoy the sunset on the sea.  Whenever you are thinking to hire a boat for a tour, I recommend always for sunset.  It’s a guaranteed good time.

We got to see the other islands in the area, see a beautiful sunset, and make a new friend.

We took the boat over by the Pakleni Islands which were basically deserted as well as Palmizana, an island my friend Kara had been to about a month before us which was quiet as well.  It was nice to have the sea to ourselves. You could almost hear the echo of partying from the shore; the scene of the crime.

After the boat ride Peter and I enjoyed some wine while Jess ordered a hot chocolate at Hotel Croatia.  From there the balcony boasts a view of Adriatic Sea so we were able to enjoy the last little bit of sunlight.

Jess and I started in on some girl talk so Peter took this as a cue to head home.  Jess and I continued our chats until we realized we should probably head out for dinner.  We walked around the ancient stone streets of Hvar until we stumbled upon Giaxa where we enjoyed our dinner in a relaxing historical environment.  The food wasn’t our favorite but our quality time together was.

The next morning Jess and I were headed out to a cooking class recommended by my friend Kara who had just been their with her husband on her honeymoon.  She relayed to me that this was one of her favorite things they did on their trip.  I figured it had to be good and perfect for an afternoon activity for the two of us.  It ended up being like nothing I could have anticipated.  It was way better than anything I could have imagined a cooking class turning into.

The class is run by a highly energetic and a bit eccentric man by the name of Berti.  In my correspondence with him he told me that we would be getting picked up for the class.  As we walked up to the meeting point a middle aged man leapt out of his clunky car covered in dirt but with a really great attitude and energy.  He exchanged a few words with Peter insisting that he join, but he was looking forward to a quiet day of work and declined. Pleasantries exchanged, an estimated time when we’d be back relayed to Peter and we were off.  But first we needed to make a stop because he was pressing olive oil that morning and he needed to grab some on the way.  We had no objection to grabbing freshly pressed olive oil.

The class itself is held in an abandoned medieval village, Malo Grablje.  Hence why we needed to get a ride to the class.  It’s only accessible by car and taxis won’t be able to find a house in an abandoned ghost village that you need to go off-roading through thick forrest to get to.

When we arrived in the village we were both taken by the surrounding beauty and peacefulness of the area.  The stone house that Berti runs his cooking class and restaurant is engulfed in woods and cliffs.  We quickly learned that everything he cooks with is literally from the land.  I was especially taken by a huge pomegranate tree located right next the porch.  You don’t get pomegranates fresher than that.

This photo shows the picturesque surroundings and the pomegranate tree.

Berti is the host with the most.  He invited us in and immediately offered us house made wine and whipped up an appetizer of anchovies with capers and fresh olive oil.

The cooking class itself was more us watching him in his element.  The Berti Show certainly came with all kinds of entertainment with just enough involvement from Jess and I.  For me too, the wine continued to pour.  One of my favorite aspects of Berti’s personality besides his bundle of positive energy is that you get a feel from him that he is one of those people that it doesn’t matter who you are, what you do, or where you come from.  The type of man that despite what side of the war you were on over Yugoslavia, it doesn’t matter.  Let’s all just drink and eat and have a good time.  At one point towards the end of the cooking class he mentioned he should go pick up Peter so he could enjoy dinner with us.  I told him that was a nice offer but not necessary.  Also the class never really ended.  We got picked up around 1:30 PM and by the time we left it was after dark.  He was the type of host that made you feel welcome the entire time and even when the sun had gone down he was still offering us food and drink.

Throughout the class Berti told stories, poured wine, or made fresh lemonade for Jess, and danced around his kitchen.

For dessert we made sugared almonds.  Berti taught us the proper way to crack open the shell.  Does wine drinking and a hammer go together?

After our dinner was prepared we took a seat outside and enjoyed the food in a glorious, quiet, and peaceful setting.

We sat talking and eating till the sun went down.  Like I stated previously we were welcome to stay and never felt like Berti was ready to drive us home.  When we finally said maybe we should get going Berti insisted that Jess take home some fresh olive oil and homemade honey to her family.  And of course the left over food for Peter to have for dinner.

With our hearts and bellies full Berti drove us back home.

The next morning we had an early ferry to catch then a 2.5 hour car ride to our next adventure in Plitvice Lakes.  That evening, due to it being a Saturday night, we were kept up due to the noises coming from the night life till the wee hours.  Despite it not being high season Croatians and tourists were still getting after it.

Fun fact, Croatia is known for it’s lavender that is grown on the island.  I didn’t know this at the time but there is an ice cream shop that sells lavender gelato.  If you follow my blog you know I am obsessed with gelato.  Something to try next time.

One last thing.  If you read my previous blog post you know that I thought Jess might be having her baby that day.  It was a false alarm and it was some serious contractions.  She did have her baby about a week later on March 14th, 2015.  A pi baby! It’s a boy named Edison.  He is sure to be a smart one.

Thanks for following along!

Jaime

Wife to Jimmy.

She is a devoted mother and wife and does a ton for her family.  In 2014 she decided to say “yes” to things that came her way in order to have a little more balance.  When I discovered this plan I started asking her to do a lot of things out of her comfort zone.

“Jess you want to go to a Pink concert in LA on a school night?”
“Jess, stay for one more drink.”

I pretty much exploited the decision she made to say “yes” to life.  It was exciting.  Jess became pregnant with her 3rd child right after our wedding in May.  There was no way that I thought she would come visit us on our adventure.  I didn’t even ask this time thinking it would be unfair to put her in a situation where she would have to say no in the year of yes.  But back in September I received an email from her.  In it she asked,  ”Where are you going to be in October? ” We didn’t entirely have our plans ironed out for October but Peter and I were open.  After going back and forth we decided on Croatia and… (I will explain how our plans transpired and changed in my next post as its a pretty special story) Egypt!  Within a couple weeks Jess, 5 months pregnant, booked her flight.  I was ecstatic!

Below is a picture of us at our 8th grade graduation 24 years go (I just aged myself).  Jess is the stunning red head.  I am the brace face on the far left.  Second picture is from my wedding in May.  Have we aged?  Do we still got it? Am I sporting a mullet perm in the first picture?

Split was just a jump off point for the other cities we would be visiting in Croatia.  We rented an AirBnb for a couple nights.  Peter and I arrived really late the first night, probably a little before midnight, but the host, Anna, arranged for a driver to pick us up at the airport and cheerfully greeted us upon our arrival.   That was one thing that I instantly noticed, how absolutely nice and pleasant the Croatians were.  Anna greeted us with all smiles and energetic positive energy, despite the late hour.  She even had a bottle of red wine for us.  And the place was perfect. After our Barcelona AirBnb experience, we were happy for a rental win.

The next day Jess was arriving on a marathon flight from Hawaii to Los Angeles to Frankfurt to Split.  She opted for the hour bus-ride instead of a taxi and a 15 minute walk to our flat. Let me mention again that she is pregnant.  What a trooper. We didn’t know exactly know what time to expect her because Jess didn’t have a way of contacting us once she landed, but I did a rough estimate around the time I guessed she would be around and took a walk outside.  Within 5 minutes I saw my friend walking up the street toward me with her luggage in tow.  I’m such a sap. The image of seeing my friend as I write this brings tears to me eyes.  This moment started a truly wonderful trip for all of us.  An adventure that I am truly grateful for.

After doing some catching up we grabbed an early dinner at a top rated sea view restaurant which was also highly recommended by our host, Dvor.  The food was great and our waiter even better.  The people and service everywhere we went in Croatia was top notch.  I couldn’t help to think that my Grandmother would have loved to have known about my positive experience in her homeland.  I told everyone that would listen that my Grandmother was Croatian.  On cue everyone would say that’s where I got my good looks from.  See what I mean? Charming people.

After dinner we took a walk around the city which is centered around Diocletian’s Palace.  The Palace dates back to the 3rd century and it now host bars, restaurants, shops, and narrow maze like passageways to explore and get lost in.

During our walking tour we were on the lookout for the statue of Gregory of Nin to rub his big toe.  Gregory of Nin was an influential bishop from the 10th century.  He challenged the Catholic church by insisting that masses be done in the local language instead of Latin.  He was viewed as patriotic and a protector of Croatia.  It is believed if you rub his big tow on his statue in Split your wish will come true.  There is a full on belief in in the superstition.  People have claimed that they got pregnant, or married, or received fortune from rubbing the toe.  As we were looking Peter and I learned that Jess has an eagle eye.  The statue was under some sort of construction, but she spotted the toe despite this.  At night, in the pitch black. This eagle eye continued and was clutch for the rest of the trip.  Do pregnant women have some sort of super human eye sight? Will our wishes come true?  Will french fries have fewer calories?

After our walk we settled on a restaurant, Pikulece, to grab a glass of wine for us and water for Jess and the baby.

After our wine we went home, Facetimed Jimmy to verify Jess’s safety, and called it a somewhat early evening.  We had a ferry to catch in the morning to Hvar.  Amazingly Jess was showing no sign of jet lag or a single complaint about her marathon trip.  Aren’t pregnant women in a perpetual state of jet lag? I think Jess is super human and she never told anyone, but Peter and I figured it out and were constantly impressed by her strength.

The next morning we rose bright and early to catch our ferry to Hvar.

It was a bit of a trek to the harbor with our luggage.  Probably about 15 minutes.  We got to the ferry well ahead of time to avoid any stress and because Peter runs a tight ship.  Pun intended.  He leaves room for error, traffic, long lines, coup d’etats.  I think this has been exasperated after our Drama in Genoa, for those that remember the train fiasco.  This time I proved him right because I realized I had forgot my yoga mat back about 95% of the way to the ferry terminal. He is the best and jogged all the way back to retrieve it which proved to be unsuccessful as the host had already locked up the flat and left.  It was around this time that he was gone that Jess and I realized there was no ferry heading to Hvar anytime soon.  When Peter returned he put two and two together and figured out it was the return ferry to Split that was early and the ferry to Hvar wouldn’t leave for another 4 hours. He juggles a ton. Working, putting all our travel logistics together and trying to figure out what I’m doing half the time. Through all that, this was one of the first times he mixed up the schedule. He took full responsibility, was apologetic and we quickly settled into the idea of seeing more of Split.

We stored our luggage.  Had some coffee.  Jess shopped for family and friends.  Peter coordinated with the host to pick-up the yoga mat and walked all the way back to the flat for the second time.  He is the absolute best. The time went by rather quickly.  We got to our ferry and had an easy trip to the Island of Hvar.

On the boat there was some important instructions on the back of the seats.  We had a laugh about the #1 safety rule.  What do you think they are talking about? Warm clothes and drugs? Its made even more funny by the fact that its the only instruction written in full capital letters: DON’T FORGET.

Sidenote: Present time is four months later.  I know, I know.  I am way behind.  But just yesterday I posted a picture from our trip to Jess’s FaceBook letting her know I was thinking about her and wondering when this baby is coming.  A few hours later I received a cryptic email from her mom, Donna.  ”I think your positive vibes are working…more later”  Since then radio silence so I think a baby is on the way! Talk about being in touch with my friend.  Pretty awesome.

Up next the beautiful island of Hvar.

Thanks so much for being a part of our travels! You know what I especially love? Your comments.

J Fotheringham

Strangely enough, the initial plan was to stay in Barcelona for a few weeks, but due to some developments of a friend that would meet us in our next destination, our stay in Barcelona would be for just 9 days. This turned out to be a really good thing. Barcelona was a bit of a bust for us.

No offense to Barcelona and I am sure under the the right circumstance this city would be great.  We both felt that we had heard a lot of really good things about Barcelona, but something was a bit off.  Namely our AirBnb.

Since we were staying for 9 days we of course wanted a nice place to live where Peter could work, I could blog and we could have some semblance of a normal life.  We stayed in the trendy neighborhood of El Born which is a fantastic part of the city to be in due to all the activity and ease of walking to restaurants, shops and bars. Its oozing with culture. At this point in our travels Peter and I had rented a number of different AirBnb’s and have had great experiences but this was a miss.  To start we were on the 4th floor without an elevator up a windy narrow staircase. And by narrow I mean shoulder width.  Peter could barely get my (huge) suitcase up the stairs because of how tiny the space was.  That alone was tolerable, but unfortunately, once inside, the pictures on the website grossly misrepresented the apartment.    On the website the apartment looked clean, spacious, with nice decor.

As advertised….

And in reality….

From the website….

And in reality…

Ok, it may not look that bad in the pictures, but that bed wasn’t really a bed – it was more like 4 inches of a pillow that indented in the middle in which we would roll into every single night.  That wasn’t even the most challenging part. That was crowned by the deeply engrained dirt and filth that blanketed the apartment and laced the smell with a cross between must and sweat. What made it even grosser is that we were hanging out in other people’s dirt, not our own. For 9 days.  Showers were an act of speed and efficiency as the warm water would run out just about the same time the shower would be filled with a few inches of water, flooded (drain didn’t work). The Wifi was at a snail’s pace which was a struggle for Peter looking for some long, productive work days. Again, not the worst thing to ever happen – we lacked a comfortable sleep, warm showers and modern technology for a week and half.  We were also in Spain so we’re not looking for pity. We have perspective; however, what we anticipated misaligned with reality.

Since we did have a kitchen and a grocery store right downstairs I did make breakfast every morning.  Also I had fun ironing for Peter with a makeshift ironing board.  I really got domestic in Barcelona.

Side note.  To give you an idea of how hipster the hood we were staying in was – we found a place for good coffee, Cafe de Magnifico, which takes their coffee very seriously.  Yes, that’s coffee in a wine glass.

Another struggle we had was finding food we really, truly enjoyed.  For example I did some research on restaurants in the area that serve good paella.  I was really looking forward to paella because we were in Spain after all.  We landed on 7 Portes, walking distance from our flat, and ordered the paella speciality. It ended up being over the top salty to the point where all the other flavors were drowned out.  We also kept trying to find good tapas but found ourselves mostly in front of overly fried or fatty foods.

But enough of the bad. On to the hits for us!

We found a fun pizza place in the neighborhood, Le Pizza del Born and ate there a couple nights.  Its right in the midst of a dozen or so bars which made for fantastic people watching. The pizza was delicious with fresh ingredients and a light, airy, slightly oiled crust.  The atmosphere was unpretentious with a mellow vibe, good music, and the price was right.  Extra bonus – the sangria was freshly made and delicious.

One tapas place that we loved, Cuidad Condal,  was recommended by our friend Andre.  I didn’t realize it when he first recommended the restaurant, but when we got there I realized right away that I had been to the restaurant before on a previous trip to Barcelona.  I remembered exactly where I had sat by myself so it was fun to return with Peter.  Everything was great but I especially loved the grilled calamari and shrimp skewers.

One night we treated ourselves by going to a Pakta, a Michelin starred restaurant recommended by our friend Christina.  The restaurant is an infusion of Japanese and Peruvian culture.  It was a gastronomic experience of six courses with drink pairing for each.  Each time the waiter returned he would explain each food in detail and give special instructions on how to eat it in terms of both utensil and consumption cadence.  Just about everything was melt in your mouth good while being unique due to the fusion of the two cultures.  Thanks for the recommendation Christina.  It was a great date night!

Throughout our 9 days in Barcelona a lot of our time consisted of Peter working while I blogged.  There was a Starbucks really close to our apartment so I found that to be a good place to write because the internet was much faster and I could enjoy an Americano.  One day I think the universe was telling me to have a better attitude with Barcelona because I got hit in the head with a door.  If I’m going to be honest, I was leaving Subway after grabbing a couple of chocolate chips cookies for Peter.  As I tried  to open the glass door I first pushed. Realizing it was a pull-door, I overcompensated with too much force and pulled the glass door right into my forehead.  I hit it so hard tears started to stream down by face. I wasn’t crying – it was some sort of reflex of pain.  Also my forehead immediately swelled.  I’m super special.  Upon relaying this story to Peter as he enjoyed his cookies he insisted on a picture stating that I would thank him later. It’s later.  I still haven’t thanked him.

Barcelona is an easy walking city.  From El Born we never took a cab.  We could get to the beach, all of Gaudi’s creations, and the rest of the city sights by foot.

The highlight of our walking tours for me was Gaudis’ Cathedral, La Sagrada Familia.  Construction of the cathedral started in 1882 and it still hasn’t finished.  I loved everything about it, from the outside architecture to the jaw dropping beauty of the inside.  I’ve been very fortunate to see many beautiful churches throughout my travels but never has there been such a wow factor for me after experiencing the inside of La Sagrada Familia.  The outside of the church is impressive by it’s massive size, gothic style, and intricate detail.  I think for me the surprise came with the contrast of the outside versus the inside.  Because of the gothic style I didn’t expect for the inside to be so colorful, delicate, and light.  When I walked inside the cathedral I anticipated a dark church but instead Gaudi used every color of the rainbow on stain glass windows as tall as the walls.  I could stare at the stain glass all day.  La Sagrada Familia is an inspiring place to be, even if you don’t love visiting churches.

Here are photos of the outside.

Photos of the inside.

It’s safe to say that all of Gaudi’s work are inspiring and worth a visit.  The cathedral was my favorite, but we also enjoyed Casa Batllo.  It’s this house where one can witness Gaud’s love of everything nature.  The roof is the shape of an animals back with scales.  Inside the building you get a feeling of an under water world with the use of a sky light and the ombre of blue tiles covering the walls.  Peter and I went for the audio guide which was useful and we always get a kick out of it for some odd reason.  I think it’s the fact that we look like complete tourists with our headsets and have fun embracing it.

Another Gaudi attraction is Park Guell.  A park is a park is a park, right? Wrong.  This might be the most beautiful park in the world.  I can’t say for sure because I haven’t been to every park out there, but Gaudi did design it. And its fabulous.  You can walk the park grounds, take in some lovely, live local musicians performance and stroll to the top of the hill with great views over the city.  All while enjoying Gaudi’s visions. And speaking of the local street performers, I have been so impressed with the street talent in many of the European countries we have visited.  Specifically Italy, Ireland, and Barcelona.

The public part of the park is probably enough to see and enjoy.  For a fee there is another part of the park to enjoy more of Gaud’s works and a view of the house he lived in for 20 years.  Then there is an extra fee to tour the inside of the house which we opted not to do.  The paid part of the park wasn’t as relaxing and not really recommended. Lots of tourists fighting for every inch to get their perfect picture of God knows what.

Another couple highlight for us in Barcelona:

Something the host of our airbnb recommended.  One evening at the college nearby there was a festival of local music, arts, crafts, and a beer garden.  We mixed with the locals while listening to music, sipping beer, and taking in some art.

We had a wonderful spa experience at the Mandarin Oriental.  This was a get all your knots and kinks out of your body and relax your soul type of massage.  There are a ton of spas in Barcelona so after careful research I booked us here which ended up being a great decision.

As I mentioned previously Barcelona is an easy walking city.  The following pictures are places that were accessible by foot.

La Rambla for sangria and people watching

Arc de Triomf

The Beach

Random street performers

After 9 days of sight seeing combined with some relaxing, working, and blogging we were off to Croatia.  I was very excited for this next adventure for a couple reasons.  My Grandmother Helen was Croatian or Yugoslavia and this was something she was always very proud of and my dear dear dear friend from middle school, Jessica was joining us for the next two weeks of our travels.

See you in Croatia.

Lot’s of love,

Jaime

Our attempt at taking it easy in Ireland really didn’t occur.  We slept in three different beds in seven days and drove just shy of 700 or 100 miles per day all over the countryside while exploring each city we were staying in.  We were coming up on nearly four months of non-stop travel so this time, we promised one another, it was time to slow the pace.

We stayed in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland at Chester Residence, a serviced apartment.  It was perfect for what we were looking to do which was to try to have a semi-normal life and get into a routine with standard rituals.  Our serviced apartment had a full kitchen, living room with a huge TV and tons of American channels, separate bedroom and a desk Peter could work at with great natural light on a leafy quiet street.  It really was like having our own apartment with in-house cleaning which was a nice change of pace from small, cramped hotel rooms and AirBnBs.

The first couple of days we barely left our apartment.  Peter worked a ton.  I read, did yoga, and had marathon days of watching really bad TV.  We ordered pizza, relaxed, slept for long hours and wore out the apartment’s Nespresso machine.  It was fabulous.

When we did set out on the town we had some self-guided walking tours.  Edinburgh is a fantastic walking city.  Its also probably a good time to add that we were blessed in both Ireland and Scotland with such incredible weather. We could count the measurement of rain hours on one hand for our two weeks there. This is a time of year where most people count the number of sunshine hours on one hand.

On our first walk in Edinburgh we took in the Royal Mile which includes tons of touristy shopping.  Think kilts and cashmere.  Many pubs, restaurants and street performers.  I saw a man swallow a sword, lay on a bed of nails, and juggle knives. I also learned something new about my husband that day; he has a strong aversion to watching sword swallowers.  I could barely watch as well.

The Edinburgh Castle at the end of the Royal Mile was a highlight of the city.  Not only does the Castle provide views of just about the entire city, but it’s the rich history dating back to the 12th century that makes you feel like you are going back in time.  You can stand right in front of the encased crown jewels which were first worn in 1504.   The Castle represents the story of the nation – past to present.  The Scots and English fiercely fought over control of the Castle.  Whoever had control of the Castle ruled Edinburgh and therefore Scotland.  The control was exchanged throughout history with constant bloody sieges.  The castle also includes a Prison of War where prisoners from America, Italy, Ireland, France, Spain, amongst others were kept.  Before the Castle became a museum 200 years ago it was a military base.  We purchased the audio guide to accompany our tour of the Castle and immediately fell in love with the story-telling of the grounds we were exploring.

Pictures weren’t allowed inside but we were able to get some good shots outside of the Castle grounds where you could take in panoramic views while imagining a British army charging the gates.

Here are some shots of the outside of the castle (note the weather!).

On a seperate day we decided to get some exercise and walk around Holyrood Park and make our way up to Arthur’s Seat which is the main peak of a group of hills in the park. It was a reletively easy hike to the peak (Arthur’s Seat) which provided even better views of the city than the Castle did. Although both views are spectacular, Scotland’s landscape of lush green, rolling hills, water, and historical buildings is really beautiful.

We used Edinburgh as a base to explore some other parts of Scotland.

One day we took a train from the East side of the island to the West where we met up with some family friends of Peter in Glasgow. Peter’s Uncle went to University with an American now living in Glasgow named Joe. His Scottish wife Helen and Joe picked us up at the train station in Glasgow and instantly made us feel welcome.  Helen and I bonded over her love of Alaska. She felt that Alaska was much more similar to Scotland than California.  Helen was living in California when she met Joe.

One topic that we discussed quite a bit was the vote for Scotland independence from the UK.

Just a couple weeks before we arrived the country voted for independence.  Ultimately the “no” vote won with 55% of the votes and an impressive 80% of the population showing up at the polls.  Helen and Joe passionately campaigned in favor of independence. They had spent an incredible amount of time, energy and passion the weeks leading up to the vote. “Gutted” was the verb that Helen used to describer her feeling upon the results.

The week or two leading up to the vote, the polls were showing that the “yes” vote, for the first time, was polling higher than the “no.”  There is a lot of controversy surrounding the media spin and the one-sided debates of the issue. One of the biggest news outlet is obviously the BBC which many think had pressure to report in a certain way. There was also misinformation fed to the Scottish seniors that their pensions would be lost if independence were gained. They retracted the story, but the damage had been done. Others worried about the inability for an independent Scotland to enter the EU. Other concerns were over financial issues, defense and so forth. All in all, it seems that with a mix of fear, misinformation and media manipulation, the British were able to avoid independence…for now. Peter and I both are confident that its more a matter of ‘when’ than ‘if’ we see an independent Scotland in our lifetime.  I was moved by Helen’s passion on the topic.  Peter and I both felt like we gained a good deal of insight on the topic and were glad to be more educated on the topic from someone on the front lines.

Something else we learned from Joe and Helen is that Scotland is known for and has incredible Indian Food.  The British colonized India during the 19th and 20th century and Scotland experience a large scale of immigrants that brought their cuisine with them.  If you do a search for Indian food in Scotland all sorts of restaurants pop up.  Peter and I were both really excited about this because we both love Indian food and we had been struggling to find good food since arriving in Scotland and Ireland.  They took us to Mother India Cafe in Glasgow and it really was excellent.

After a late lunch Joe and Helen dropped us off at the train station and we head back to Edinburgh.  We truly had a lovely afternoon with both Joe and Helen and appreciated their company while touring us around Glasgow.

The day before we left the UK we rented a car in Edinburgh. Peter was excited to drive with miles on his speedometer and destinations quoted in miles opposed to kilometers.  We put Stirling Castle into our GPS and headed out to visit the castle grounds and catch a glimpse of the William Wallace monument. Remember the Movie Braveheart? “FREEDOM!”

It takes about an hour to drive from Edinburgh to Stirling which gave us an opportunity to enjoy the countryside of Scotland.  We were lucky enough to enjoy a rainbow on our road trip.  A double rainbow over a hilltop castle, extra bonus.

Stirling Castle sits atop a hill protected on three sides with steep cliffs.  The location is also near the crossing of River Forth which is important because its the access to northern Scotland.  Like Edinburgh Castle there were many bloody sieges seeking control at Stirling Castle.  During the War of Independence which took place from 1296 to 1342 the Castle changed hands between the Scots and the English eight times.   It was at Stirling Bridge in 1297 that William Wallace led his army to victory over a much larger and better armed English Army.

As Peter and I were walking through the parking lot we noticed a limo with what appeared to be a bunch of groomsmen in kilts.  So I of course wanted to take the opportunity to get a photo.

We later saw the bride.  I was intrigued by her wedding dress.

The castle provides stunning views from every direction including William Wallace’s monument.

Peter got inspired by the monument and because we of course watched Braveheart while we were in Scotland he decided to do his best Mel Gibson imitation. “FREEDOM!”

Here are some other photos taken outside the castle.  Noticed how Peter nailed the shot with the flag in the last picture?

Our friends had told us about the enjoyable pub life of Scotland but I unfortunately it wasn’t that type of trip. We needed to balance things out after exhausting ourselves the first four months of traveling. Most nights we ordered in with the exception of a trendy neighborhood restaurant called The West Room that had a good vibe and friendly tasty food.  Most nights we were asleep early.  Scotland was good to us.  It was a change of pace from go-go-go to relaxing in a country that speaks our native tongue and offers some of the creature comforts we’re used to at home.

Next stop Barcelona.

Thanks for keeping up with the Fotheringham’s.

It turns out the West coast of Ireland was exactly that minus sheep on the road (we did spot this guy though).

After a few nights in Dublin we rented a car, Peter re-calibrated his brain to drive on the right side of the road and we settled in to cross the country of Ireland from the East coast to the West. Our first destination was a city called Killarney which is an ideal touring base while you take day trips to the surrounding sites of Ring of Kerry, Dingle Peninsula, and Kilkenny Castle.

We stayed at a Bed and Breakfast by the name of Killeen House due to its cult-like love status on Trip Advisor. And while I wouldn’t say the accommodations were the best – the rooms were pretty small, the wifi dicey, the shower drain broken – it was the host that really made staying here such a treat. The Killeen House is owned and operated by a lovely couple named Michael and Geraldine.  All smiles and genuinely happy to help you plan out your days, Michael and Geraldine have an amazing ability to not only remember you by name, but also make you feel at home.

One morning I wanted to get some exercise after all the beer and food consumption in Munich and Dublin. Michael recommended some gyms in the area as well as a beautiful running trail. After trying to describe how to arrive at the trailhead (about five minutes away) he stopped mid-sentence and said, “let me just drive you there.”  He almost insisted. I decided that I would be fine running myself, but this is just one example of Michael and his wife going over and above any levels of customer service. The running trail turned out to be amazing. Running in the crisp Irish air felt so refreshing and the trail provided some some inspring best views.

When I returned from my run Peter and I decided to make it a spa day. We were still in chill-mode and as relaxing as Dublin was we still wanted to have agenda-less days and the idea of a massage sounded amazing. On queue, Michael gave us a great recommendation for a massage at Aghadoe Heights Hotel. The spa facilities were indulgent. We had the entire facility to ourselves which consisted of four different types of sauna and steam rooms as well as four different times of rain showers. We tried them all. Afterwords you can relax in a lounge chair overlooking spectacular Irish settings or kick back with cucumbers over your eyes as you wait for your masseuse. Bliss.

Another fun part of staying at the Killeen House is the welcome drink after returning from your outings. You were always greeted and offered a beverage. With such warm Irish hospitality you almost felt impolite saying no and at the end of the day a Guinness did usually sound like a good idea.

Our second full day we had a very nice breakfast at our B&B and then headed out on our first Irish countryside road trip along the Ring of Kerry. The Ring of Kerry is a circular tourist route that boasts some of the best of Irelands untouched beauty. It takes nearly a full day in a car. A trip that proved to us that Ireland has something to brag about.

That evening we took some recommendations from Michael on where to eat and also where to enjoy some live music.  We ate at a place called Laurels that might have been the worst meal we had all of last year (Michael!).  My dinner tasted like a frozen dinner that had suffered freezer burn.

After dinner we did a search for pubs with live music in Killarney which brought us first to a pub called O’Conners. No live music. Over to another pub called Danny Mann. No live music.  Our last attempt was a pub by the name Grand which has live acts that progress from traditional Irish before moving to a live (rock) band and ending with a DJ which transforms the pub to a club.  Maybe we got too spoiled in Dublin or maybe it was the puke in the hall on the way to the bathroom, but we weren’t loving the scene in Killarney so we went home and dutifully watched the amazing Irish film, Once.

The next morning  we were packing up and pushing onwards with our Irish road trip.  This time to see the Cliffs of Moher.

We said our good-byes to Michael and Geradine and took a photo in front of their B&B.

We enjoyed all the scenery from Killarney to Cliffs of Moher. We came across a beach with surfers that to me looked cold, but inspired Peter. We docked our car on a ferry and crossed a small river. Then stopped in a small town, Kilrush for lunch and sipped coffee while the local men drank their pints. We were given tips on how to eat our crab claws – “You gotta just pick it up and get dirty.” It was a perfect day in Ireland.

Late in the day we finally arrived at our destination, Cliffs of Moher.  This had been a bucket-list destination for both Peter and I for some time and as cliche as it sounds, the pictures just do not give justice to this amazing sight.  Naturally, however, we took a ton of pictures. Here are some of my favorites.

When we arrived at the Cliffs of Moher there was a dense cloud cover, rain and zero visibility. We had just a couple hours before the park closed and we heard people exiting whisper things like, “glad we came when we did” as we waited in line to buy tickets. Despite all this we walked out into the cloud bank, right to the cliffs and started doing mind exercises from the book The Secret.  Almost on queue the clouds lifted like a curtain exposing an elaborate set and our jaws hit the floors at the sheer dominance of the surrounding beauty. It was an overwhelming moment of both excitement, adrenaline and gratitude.

One thing that struck me was how close you could get to the edge of the cliffs.  If you are someone that is scared of heights this could be a stressful place to visit.  Along with sheer drops, there were at times strong gusts of wind to make for an even scarier experience.  I wanted to get a picture of me on my stomach overlooking the cliff, but Peter was very clear in squashing that idea.  This was the closest I was allowed, but this made him uncomfortable and it looks like I was too actually. As you can see, no railings, no signs just sheer drops.

On our way out we stopped to watch a gentleman play with his drone over the cliffs. I’d love to have one of those to capture aerial video, but it’s just too big and cumbersome for traveling the way we are.  You can see from the picture just as we were leaving the clouds started to roll in again.  We were really blessed with the view we had during our visit.

That night we stayed at a hotel just outside of Dublin, close to the airport.  The next morning we were off to Scotland.

I look forward to another visit to Ireland.  We just scratched the surface of this incredibly beautiful and welcoming country.  I had quite a few people tell me that Galway is a must visit.  Peter would like to visit Northern Ireland too. Until next time.

Thanks for staying in touch with us.  We miss all our friends and family.

See you in Scotland!

We were ready to mellow ourselves out for a bit.  Luckily Ireland can be a great place to do just that. With a Guinness of course.  Below is officially my first Guinness; how cool that it was in Ireland? Honestly, I’m not much of a beer drinker so I was surprised how much I really enjoyed the drink. This first Guinness went down at a pub recommended by our cab driver called The Palace which has been around since 1823. We were by far the youngest there. It was fun to watch the older grey haired Irish men, well dressed, sitting around newspapers, chatting and enjoying their pints. Male bonding at it’s finest.

And despite the beginning of this post and accompanying photo, we shifted down and relaxed quite a bit in Dublin.

Our first night we grabbed an early Guinness then an early dinner about 5pm at Oliver St John Gogarty’s Pub where I ordered this.

The picture is a true depiction of traditional Irish fair. Not a place for vegetarian or the heart healthy eater.

At 5pm the pub was already packed and the live music was already pumping. Ireland, or specifically Dublin, truly offers some incredibly talented musicians and singers. Those that know me understand that any type of live performance of singing, dancing and/or musical instrument mastery is my type of craic (Irish for fun/enjoyment).  So needless to say I was very happy in all the cozy bar corners of Ireland listening and watching live entertainment. Even the street performers were full of talent.  It’s no wonder that Dublin produced one of the greatest rock singers of all time – Bono.

Our first few nights we stayed in Dublin in the Temple Bar neighborhood.  We stayed at the Clarence Hotel with whimsical fantasies of bumping into the Edge and Bono, co-owners of the hotel, who often are seen in the property’s coveted penthouse.  But the fantasies stayed just that. However, we did come across an article that U2 was doing a Rolling Stone Cover shoot in the neighborhood we were staying while we were there. Bono randomly asked a woman walking by with her dog if he could borrow the dog for the photo shoot. She of course obliged. We were so close! And what a lucky lady.

Our first morning Peter did some research local Dublin sites and found a highly reviewed coffee spot, the Bald Barista. Europe is not especially known for great coffee so we set our expectations low as we strolled over to the locally praised cafe.

We ordered a couple Long Blacks (Americans) and sat down to people watch and enjoy our coffee over conversation.  About 5 minutes later Peter said to me, “Wow, I think we are both feeling this.” It was then that I realized that my leg was wildly shaking out of control and I was talking a mile a minute. Peter was anxiously grabbing and ripping any paper product within arm reach, eyes darting like pinballs. It had been months since we had strong coffee and these beans were strong, single origin and soaking into our pores. We were ready to run a marathon. Needless to say we went there every morning for our fix. If you are in the neighborhood check it out. The guy that owns the place is literally a buff bald barista with a tattoo of “The Bald Barista” on the back of his skull. Service is great and the coffee is fantastic. Voted best coffee in Dublin. Peter and I will vouch for it.

One of our afternoons in Dublin Peter created a walking tour which took us all around the city. We visited the Dublin Castle, Dublin Garden, paid our respects at St Patrick’s Cathedral and strolled down a number of shopping districts and young bohemian neighborhoods, as well as Trinity College. Here are some pictures we took along our walking tour.

Trinity College was particularly fun to walk through and see a bit of campus life. Also because my sister in law, Lisa studied there. It made me excited to see her and ask her about college life in Dublin. The feel of Dublin has a lively, down to earth, and friendly vibe. I imagine that she had a blast during her time at Trinity College and in Dublin at that time of her life.

We visited the library on campus where we viewed the Book of Kells exhibit. The Book of Kells was finished by St Jerome in 384 AD and contains four gospels of the New Testament in Latin. It is considered a treasure to the country. Peter wasn’t impressed.

The Trinity school library, however, contains books authored by the likes of Shakespeare, Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, amongst others. They are all housed in the area of the library called the Long Room – pretty unreal and breathing scholastics.

Peter had done the research for our day walk; I put together a list for our pub crawl that night. After taking in all the sights we settled into a pub with live music and ordered of course a couple of Guinness.

Our pub crawl kicked started at Teac Na Ceibe, then to Temple Bar, followed by Bad Bob’s for dinner, and ended at the Old Store House.

The Old Store House was like something you would see out of the movie, “PS: I love You.” The main character in the film, Hillary Swank, goes to Ireland with her girlfriends and all these dreamy Irish men could sing like angles and play instruments like no other. It was a treat and made for such an entertaining and what felt like an authentic Irish night.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

The musicians and the laid back vibe of the pub was truly a highlight of Dublin for me.

Another noteworthy spot for Peter and I was a restaurant recommended by my High School buddy Aprille, The Winding Stair. It has a beautiful view over the Liffey River and overlooked the Ha Penny Bridge. The food was probably the best we had while we were in Dublin and the menu boasted more healthy options than we had yet to see.

After a few nights of relaxing while also taking in a good amount of Dublin we rented a car and headed across country to the Western coast of Ireland. First stop: Killarney and the Ring of Kerry.

Thank you to all my loyal fans. I don’t know how I have continued to get so as many hits on my blog everyday after the huge hiatus I have taken, but I am grateful to all of you. I have taken a huge break from blogging due to so much traveling lately. But no excuses!

I am committed to getting caught up the beginning of this year. I’m now equipped with a computer opposed to an iPad which has made writing so much easier.  I also have a new camera, Nikon 5200.  I am so ready.  We are heading to Indonesia in a couple days with Andrew Ralston. Peter and Andrew plan to work and surf. I plan to blog, read, and relax. How wonderful does that sound? So thanks for going back in time with me as I chronicle our journeys.

Much love and Irish kisses