View from our Airbnb

Appetizer

Lamb with a carrot

Restaurant on top of the Intercontinental Hotel

Top of the Intercontinental

St Nicholas Cathedral organ

Casual saint

Door to Cathedral

Ljubljana bridge

Going up the funicular to the castle

View from top of castle

Our Airbnb

Oldest flute in the world?

Adriatic shrimp

We dove up to the castle which had some beautiful views.

Lunch overlooking the lake

After leaving Lake Bled we went a different way back and drove about 90 mins to a train station where we put our car on the train. \240This shortened the drive through the windy mountain roads. There was some beautiful scenery.

We had a snack before getting on the train.

After getting off the train we drove 90 minutes to a restaurant Tom had found which served traditional Slovenian food. It was a very mountainous drive!

There was a large birthday party with a band and we may have been the only customers eating in the restaurant.

The food was all served family style and there was a lot! \240The meat was cooked in a brick oven.

Meat cooking in brick oven

Beef and mashed potatoes

Veal loin

We had lots of appetizers and salads as well as streudel for dessert. The meal also included a carafe of local wine and cost 40 euros each!

We boarded a train first and road several km through the cave. The train was started on 1872 and then became gas powered in 1923.

We got out and walked some through the caves.

About 9 km up the road was Predjama castle built into a mountain about 800 years ago. There is a large cave under it which is home to a colony of bats. We couldn’t visit it because this is the time of year the bats are active.

Predjama Castle

Room inside castle

View from castle

After leaving, we had about a 3 hour drive to our next stop in Croatia.

BeaR’s Log. Our accommodations for 2 nights near Plitvice National Park

My dinner in the small town

Lots of wood trails. Not the best for my bad knee

We also took a boat across the lake to shorten the walking distance

We walked over 18,000 steps so the hot tub felt really good when we returned!

We ate dinner at a restaurant just outside the park

Elaine’s lamb bundle

Elaine’s lamb

Tom’s veal tomahawk steak

Fancy beetle

Oldest piece 1861 from Kentucky

Elaine’s dinner of grilled octopus and vegetables

View from fortress

Some our group

Making sweets at the Olive Museum

Explaining how they make essential oils

Tasting olive oil

Traditional Ragu

Views from rooftop bar

Our group going on cruise tomorrow.

Our ship. Markan

Joe and Beth on their balcony

Our room was downstairs. \240I forgot a picture of cabin, but it was a nice size. The shower was the same size as at home!

Relaxing on deck

Sailing towards Trogir

Front of the ship

Sailing toward Trogir

Our captain parking in Trogir

O

Our ship parked in Trogir. We walked through 3 ships.

Elaine and Susan. \240Tom is on top of castle.

Tom on top of castle

Sun deck

Castle lit up at night

First dinner

Morning view

We stopped here before the cruise

Wine tasting with food

Hiking to Skradinski waterfalls

We took a walking tour of Sibenik

Water clock. 5:47

Greek church

St James cathedral

Caprese salad

Seafood platter

Matching suits!

Swimming in the Adriatic Sea

We got off the boat and walked to a nature preserve. There were beautiful cliffs and a salt water lake.

Salt Lake

Sitting on a rock. It was a very rocky bottom. This was as far as I could go with my bad knee.

Another swim stop

Enjoying the hot tub

Evening view

Tying up the boat so we can swim.

Approaching Lošinj, Croatia

One of our bartenders and servers, Predrag

Losinj

Tom and Joe

Apoxyomenos is a 2,000 year old bronze statue from Greece that was found at the bottom of the sea off the coast of Lošinj in 1996. \240The museum told how the statue was restored over about 3 years. We saw the statue, but could only take pictures through glass in the ceiling below and a window in the wall.

After the museum we had a short walking tour of the very small town of about 5,000. \240They were having a festival to celebrate the sea,sailing, and the end of the season. . There was a small “community” band that marched down the street. We heard Tiger Rag, When the Saints go Marching In and the Stars and Stripes trio. They weren’t bad for such a small group.

Walking tour

Band marching

Small community band

Dalmatians on the Dalmatian coast

Dinner in the oldest restaurant in Lošinj. 1899

Our dinner cooking.

Alexandra made a some of us reservations at a place that made Peca, a dish that cooked under a dome for 2-3 hours. We had veal.

The chef showing the meat cooking.

Lamb liver pate. It was delicious!

Our veal and vegetables. So tender!

Night view of Lošinj.

Water spout

Looks ominous, but we weren’t that close. \240No swim stop today so we got to Zadar early. \240

The Markan

Street in the old town

The newer part of town across the water

Holes for Sea organ

The sea organ, which was built in 2005,has a series of underwater pipes and resonating chambers built into the steps that descend into the sea. As the waves push air through the tubes, haunting, harmonious tones emerge - a soundtrack created by the Adriatic Sea. \240It's the only instrument in the world played by the sea. It is frequently listed among the most extraordinary public art installations and unique musical instruments in the world.

Church of St Donatus

The Roman Forum

The Roman Forum

Cathedral of St. Anastasia

Beautiful sunset

Dinner with a view

A solar sun and planets that changes its light based on music from sea organ

Beautiful views.

Approaching our first stop,Vodice.

WW2 monument

Small church

Another swim stop

Next stop, Primosten.

Sunset over Primosten

Tonight we had the captain’s dinner.

Entertainment

We sat with the captain. (In white)

Lamb chops

Sea bass

Last swim stop

Our crew

Captain Peter

Approaching Split

Going out for a walk in Split

Mark stayed on the ship

Walking tour of Diocletian’s Palace

Brought over from Egypt

Croatian bishop.

Our crew and passengers for the week

Tom and I \240left the ship at 4:30 am because we had a 6:15 flight.

We flew from Split to Zagreb, Zagreb to Frankfurt,Frankfurt to Chicago and Chicago to Charlotte.

Frankfurt Airport was very difficult because it is extremely large and there are no trains to help. Many airports in Europe have lots of stairs and few elevators. When you have difficulty walking, it’s very tough!

We were delayed for a couple of hours in Frankfurt so we didn’t have much time in Chicago. We made it through customs,got our bags, went from terminal 1 to 3,rechecked in with American and went back through security in under an hour and made it to our gate with about 15 mins before boarding. We arrived in Charlotte on time and got to Winston-Salem about 12:30.

It was a great trip! \240I was nice being on such small ship that could go into very small towns. \240We also really enjoyed swimming off the back of the boat in small coves.

We’re so glad the Lineberry’s thought to invite us and that we invited the Robertson’s.