Scuba Diving in Croatia: Diver Beware!
Yesterday we agreed that today’s the day – we are going scuba diving. There are dive centers up and down the coast, and one is within walking distance of Stara Vila. We have been promising ourselves a diving day here...
The Roman Mosaics of Poreč, Croatia
It is a 10-kilometre drive into the heart of Poreč– and like beach towns everywhere, this one is spread up and down the coast of Croatia, narrow and long. Everyone else is trying to get there early too, to beat the...
Vienna: A Return Visit is in Order
Unfortunately, Vienna gets the short end of the stick on this trip, welcoming us at the end of our whirlwind tour of northern Europe. Fairytale castles and cobblestone walkways have all had their toll on us and both John and I...
10 Places You Should Really Visit This Summer
There are a ton of choices available to you when considering where to spend your summer vacation dollars. And as Canadians continue to struggle with a weakened dollar and creeping fuel prices, should we consider packing up the...
The 9 Best Travel Experiences Around the World
The world we live in is so small, yet so vast at the same time. We don’t need more than a day or two to reach almost any destination on the planet, yet we rarely venture far beyond the boundaries of our own comfort zone....
Craving Sun and Warmth in Croatia
Vienna to Primošten: 713 kilometres Like seemingly everyone else in Northern Europe, we are craving some sun and warmth, and like seemingly everyone else in Northern Europe, we are heading to Croatia to find it. We are...
London is Calling Us!
Porec to Trieste Airport, Italy: 110 kilometres The last three days have been mostly about working on our tans and for those “naturists” who care, working on losing our tan lines. We have settled into a fairly...
Last Day In Primošten
Like the pension in Forster’s “A Room with a View” our little villa keeps changing personalities. We all meet over breakfast and exchange our pleasantries. I find that it is either John or I that make the...
Superstitions: Church Bells and Distant Thunder
Irina and Davor leave very early tomorrow morning so tonight they have invited us all for cake and coffee to celebrate Davor’s birthday. Two different types of cheesecake are served and we all linger over coffee before John...
Doing Nothing in Croatia.
Nothing, nothing, nothing. I try to accept and apply this mantra to our time here in Croatia. The crossword puzzle, books, the hammock in the garden or the sun chaises on the rooftop will be our familiars over the next week or...
An Entire Year of Following Summer.
A day of travel and time for contemplation. The beginning of a year of living in the moment, following an intense period of planning, when it often seemed that we spent all our time living in the future as we laid the groundwork...
International Guests at Stara Vila
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2004: Primošten, Croatia We meet our fellow guests at the villa over a long and leisurely breakfast in the garden and we truly are an international crowd: Francois and John from Paris (John via...
In This Special Garden
Our breakfasts continue long and leisurely in this special garden and courtyard here at Stara Vila. Duscha serves up lovely food starting at 10 and unless anyone has anything pressing to do, we all linger until 11:30...
Lounging on the Dalmatian Coast: Around Primošten, Croatia
Thursday, August 5th, 2004: Primošten, Croatia We awake to rain this morning which forces our courtyard breakfast into Duscha’s kitchen. The cloudy rain blows away around noon and leaves a sunny, warm day. We...
A Day In Split: On the Steps of Diocletian’s Palace
We decide to drive to Split today to see the city, and if we can, to try and update followsummer.com. It has been 8 or 9 days since we updated and I am feeling a little guilty. We have been able to pick up and send email, but...
No Hotel Reservations on a Friday Night in Istria
Friday, August 13th, 2004: Opatija, Croatia N 45 E 014 Primošten to Opatija: 338 kilometres We are travelling along the Croatian coast line in the area known as Istria. This is a beautiful peninsula that reaches south...
Traveling on a Whim and Without Direction
We have no certain travel strategy for the next few days other than a very rough plan that brings us to Trieste, Italy and our flight to London on August 18th. I realize that this puts some additional and undue stress on our...
A Last Minute, Surprise Hotel Booking
Sunday, August 15th, 2004: Poreč, Croatia N 45 E 013 Pula to Poreč: 68 kilometres Yesterday in Pula, Greg updated the website while I did research on various things, such as where the airport in Trieste is...
Lunching and People Watching on The Costa Brava
Wednesday, September 22nd, 2004: Calonge, Spain After 3 days of doing nothing, today is the day to venture farther afield, to Tossa de Mar, with a beautiful wide sandy beach and a castle on the headland that was built between...