Thursday 19 December 2013

Athens- September 2013



Athens airport has improved a lot from 20 years ago when it was a dump; it is modern with many facilities as well as buses and trains that go to the centre of the city. Well, I suppose with the Olympic Games in 2004 helped to smarten things up.

We arrived at 9.30 pm as our plane was delayed and by the time we retrieved our luggage and made it to the transport options it was getting late. By the time we hit the city centre it was dark. We had the address of our hotel which I knew wasn’t far from the bus stop, the only problem was orientating the direction I needed to go as I didn’t have a great map. I finally went into a large hotel to get directions and was at least pointed in the right direction, though they didn’t have a free map to give me, which was unusual.

We walked in the given direction, received some reassurance from a person in a money exchange booth, but were still baffled as we couldn’t seem to find the street we needed. Two para-military were standing by their bus. I asked them directions, showed them the address I needed, which was very dark and therefore hard to read. ‘Have you got a torch?’ I asked. One produced it with a smile waved it around then proceeded to scrutinize the address after a short discussion amongst themselves, they gave us very precise directions and we found our hotel without hitch after that.

We were thankful to get to our room, drop our luggage and find something to eat, across the road from out hotel there was a small restaurant, we shared a pizza, boring, yes, but it was light and just enough. We then went back to our room and planned the next day.

We were up early, ready to make our way to the Acropolis, it’s easy to find as it can be seen from anywhere and you just walk in its general direction and eventually you will find signs pointing the way. We arrived at a reasonable time in the morning and it wasn’t so crowded. It is wonderful walking around
The Acropolis
such famous site. The rock of the Acropolis has been a sacred site for centuries and after 11th century B.C. it became home of the cult of Athena, patron goddess of the city. It was in the 5th century B.C. when Athens was at the height of her power that the most famous buildings we recognize today were built, the Parthenon, Propylea and a little later the temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion. We walked around a number of times finding different points of interest each time. Then just as we were leaving we saw the cruise ship tour groups arrive, ready to ‘take over’ the site, like a plague of mice.

We walked around the outside and popped into the tiny Church of Metamorphosis then wandered down through the Agora which is quite expansive. It was the centre of political and public life. It has a large open area which is surrounded by buildings which were used for commerce, political, cultural and the military life. Walking around this area it’s not hard to imagine the life in ancient Greece, people going about their everyday business, shopping, chatting and sitting around watching the passing parade. Maybe they even dropped into Hadrian’s library on their way home.
The Agora

By the time we had finished walking around we were hot, tired and hungry. We then made our way to a line of restaurants next to the Agora. It was not hard to find a place to eat and we had an enjoyable lunch and relaxed a little.

Then back on our feet through the Flea Market, with its very trashy products. After all our walking we went back to our hotel for a little siesta. Then we decide to go to the Plaka for dinner. Not surprising this has also changed heaps in 20 years. It used to be a lot more low key. Still with plenty of restaurants and jewellery shops, but I think they had better jewellery then. It’s much more commercial now. We met an English couple with whom we had a good conversation and ended up eating at the restaurant they were sitting at. We had a lovely meal. I think most places in this area all serve much the same fare, but some are more pricey and pushy then others.

The following day we went to the Museum of the University of Athens, which is situated in the building that functioned as the first university of the Independent Greek State from 1837-41. The collections at the museum include books (works by the University’s Professors), manuscripts, documents, photographs etc. The collections are divided into the University’s first schools (Medicine, Law, Philosophy and Theology). The collections are very interesting and worth a visit, a bonus is that you get a magnificent view of Athens from the balcony.

We then decided to go to the Gallery of Modern Greek Art. It is always interesting to visit galleries and see different artistic interpretations from other countries. First we had to hunt the Gallery as the original building was being renovated; the whole exercise was a bit of an expedition. We finally located it and spent some time there but our overall feeling was that it was a bit disappointing, there was no painting or artist we felt really stood out. As we had spent most of the time finding the gallery along the less touristy area, passed closed shops, run- down buildings and a whole lot of second hand shops selling a lot of junk really, it threw into view how the economic problems of Greece has affected so many. We had dinner at the Plaka again that night, though touristy, it’s a nice area and close to where we are staying and have many restaurants to choose from.

We planned to go to Lykavittόs Hill which rises 277metres above the city. We were lazy and took the funicular; it can about 45 minutes to climb it on foot. We had a great view. The downside was that
Athens from Lykavitoos Hill
funicular timetable was regular but sparse. The café was overpriced and the service excruciatingly slow.

However as we were coming back down from the funicular we came across a Friday market which we enjoyed looking at the various produce. Then as we made our way down we found this little café and had a very nice lunch at a reasonable price.

As we were making our way back we were near the Byzantium Museum is located in a beautiful Florentine style villa. It has an extensive collection which is divided into two sections, Section 1: From the Ancient World to Byzantium, which traces the rise of Christianity and Section 2: The Byzantium World runs from the 6th century to the fall of Constantinople in 1453. It is all very informative and gives a good historical overview with an interesting array of exhibits. It was well worth a visit.


Monastery of Dafni
We then decided to escape Athens proper for the next day and took a bus to the Monastery of Dafnί which is about 10km from Athens, we read about it in our little guide book and it looked interesting. The monastery was built in the 11th century on the site of an ancient sanctuary dedicated to Apollo. The description of it sounded very interesting. We noted that it was being restored and needed to possibly phone for opening details, this advice would’ve been wise to follow as it was totally surrounded by a high wire fenced and of course, closed. I was determined to take at least a couple of photos through the wire after making the effort. We went back to the bus stop which seemed in the middle of nowhere to continue on to Ancient Eleusis.

We were helped to get the correct bus and one of the passengers was determined to make sure we found the ancient ruins and instructed us to follow him. The ancient site was fascinating to walk around. For 1,400 years Eleusis was the centre of a religious cult that culminated in an annual Eleusinian Mysteries festival. Eleusis was closed by the Romans in AD 369.

Ruins of Ancient Eleusis


Just opposite the site was a delightful restaurant where we had lunch and then made our way back to the bus stop to return to Athens proper.

The following day we were leaving for Napoli on the Peloponnese.


Wednesday 18 December 2013

Dubrovnik- September 2013

It didn’t take us long to get to the bus station, we then bought our tickets and we were off by 9.15 am. It was a 5 hour bus trip to Dubrovnik, on the way the road passes through Bosnia for about 7kms. Obviously the road was built when the area was united as Yugoslavia and wasn’t an issue, but now as we go through a separate country we have a customs/immigration stop.

View of Dubrovnik
The bus station we arrived at is 3kms from Dubrovnik old town. We soon discovered we could get a bus but needed to buy our tickets at a kiosk just near the required bus stop. As there were a number of us who had come from the bus station gong in the same direction it made it easier to find out the required procedure.

All good and we arrived just outside the city walls. It was quite frantic getting into the town with the pathway divided for entrance and exit. Once inside the wall finding the street our guest house was in was quite easy, we walked up to the entrance and almost from out of nowhere our landlady appeared. She showed us to our room and some information and then disappeared.

We walked around the town orientating ourselves to various places of interest as well as just generally exploring. It is much more touristy than Split, it has tour buses lined up outside the town and hordes of cruise ship groups swarming over the place like a plague of mice. It says a lot when the tacky souvenir shops display notices saying that their establishment is recommended by this or that cruise ship company. Avoid, avoid, I say.

The first night there we went to a delightful recital in Domino Church performed by the Dubrovnik Chamber Trio, which consists of well- established musicians.

The next day we took the funicular to the hill behind the town as it provides stunning views. To get to the start of the funicular requires a pretty hefty climb in the first place. We eventually made it; then had to wait awhile for it to turn up. It was definitely worth taking the trip up there and as we were early there weren’t many people at the top. The views are stunning, and looking on the town surrounded by its walls made it look like a model. Of course there was a café here so we had a coffee, then wandered around some more.There was a memorial cross on the mountain and as we walked around the top a number of goats were wandering around grazing on the rather sparse pickings.

In the centre of Dubrovnik we found rather nice café up one of the side streets, which appeared to be run by a mother and her daughters. It offered small lunches and coffee at reasonable prices and had good service.

We then visited the Franciscan Monastery, which has had an interesting history; and has been a dispensary for hundreds of years and is still dispensing medicine. It had been shelled during the Balkans War in the 90s. Actually you can still see the shell holes in the building as well as places around the town also information about damage done in various areas. Dubrovnik didn’t need to be shelled from a strategic point of view, but was shelled just to destroy it. The whole Balkans War at that time was extremely vicious with neighbor against neighbor, committing atrocities. No group was completely squeaky clean, but I think the Serbs were the dominant perpetrators. Many books have been written about this era all of which sound very depressing. Man’s inhumanity to man. Do we ever learn?

Franciscan Monastery

The weather here was perfect and the water a beautiful blue, so we decided to have a little boat tour, an hour ‘spin’ around the coast and islands. It was very relaxing sailing around the islands, some were inhabited and others not. Many European tourists come to this area for their summer ‘beach’ holiday, except the beaches are non-existent. Sunbathing is done on the rocks and there are ladders like in swimming pools for people to access the sea for a swim.

After we returned we ventured to the Dominican Monastery and decided to find the Synagogue, which was down a side street near our accommodation. It was upstairs in one of the narrow building; during the recent war in 1991 the synagogue was directly hit twice and was restored in1997. In 2003 the Jewish Museum, the first in Croatia was opened in the same building. There are three parts to the museum: (1) the history of the Dubrovnik Jewish Community, (2) displays of religious objects dating from 13th -17th century, (3) is dedicated to the memory of victims Shoah. Though quite small it was still an interesting and sobering.

Our last full day here we visited a couple more churches, St Ignatius, a Jesuit Church and full on Baroque and the Serbian Orthodox Church. We then went to organize transport to the airport. It was all very odd, in that we were asked when we wanted to leave, fair enough, but as we were booking a minibus with others we thought there would be set times and days they would be operating. Anyway she made a phone call, arranged our transport, we paid, told where to go and when to be picked up. This was a legitimate tour company.

The steep side streets

Anyway the next day we duly arrived at our pick up point, a young woman turned up waiting and checked with us re: booking the bus. Then an unmarked minivan turned up, she got in the front. We were on our way to the airport. Our extra passenger was dropped off on the way near her home. We were dropped off at the airport where non- commercial vehicles park. All good!

We would now be on our way to Athens.

Thursday 12 December 2013

Split-Croatia Sept 2013


We arrived in Split at around 2.00 p.m. and went in search of our accommodation .It wasn’t that far from the bus station, the trick however was to find it. I managed to work out the direction and knew it had to be off the main road, but the name of the street where it should be didn’t match up. I managed to find someone to give me directions. We weren’t far away just needed to go under the arch just a little way down the road and we would be there.

Main Square in the centre of the Palace
That was negotiated easily and as we walked up the narrow road, again a man came hurrying down to help us, and again it was the woman who did all the work of running the establishment. Dalmatian House is in a great location not far from the old town. Our hostess was very helpful and even did our laundry for us when I enquired where I could get it done. We gave here our laundry, she gave us a map, pointed out some good places to eat and we were off to explore.

Split is an interesting town which has been built within the ruins of Diocletian’s Palace. Shops, houses are crammed into a spider-web of narrow lanes. It is wonderful to wander through the lanes turning this way and that to see where you end up.

One of the laneways

In the centre of the palace the Emperor’s Mausoleum was transformed into the Catholic Cathedral in the 7th century. Diocletian was Emperor (284-316); he was one of the greatest Roman emperors. It took him 10 years to build the palace in Split. Opposite the Cathedral is the Temple of Jupiter which has been turned into a Baptistery.

We also went into what is now called the basement halls which were originally the ground floor. The original palace was right at the water’s edge so I imagine the ancient ships sailing up to its outer walls and doors.

From there we decided to check out the Maritime Museum. There were some interesting exhibits, though I skipped through a lot of the military stuff, however, one exhibit which caught my attention was who developed the concept of the torpedo and its history. Another exhibit was a fish holding jar, which after fish have been caught, but still alive are place in a large jar with holes in the side which is subsequently placed in the sea, fresh fish, that can’t escape.

It did bucket down with rain for a short period of time which we were lucky to miss as we were in a shop at the time. After lunch we walked along the shore and up the hill to Marjan Park. We popped into a little Franciscan Church which we passed on our way.


View from Marjan Park

We climbed a number of steps there was a little Jewish cemetery located at the top. From the top there was also a wonderful view of the town and coastline.

We ate dinner at a restaurant recommended by our hostess, Fife which was by the waterfront. It was certainly worth going to, the food was good and very reasonable, as obviously very popular with locals and tourists alike.

On our last day we wanted to have a ‘boating’ experience but not have a whole day tour, we took a ferry to Brač an island more noted for resort style holidays than history. It was very pleasant journey across. The main town Supetar is very small; exploring any of the interesting places didn’t take that long. We had a rather nice lunch overlooking the sea, wandered around the coast then made our way back in time to catch the next ferry back to Split.

The next day we left for Dubrovnik and as we handed back our keys to our hostess she gave me a little present as a souvenir. It was a very nice touch.

Plitvice Lakes- Croatia Sept. 2013

The bus journey to the Plitvice Lakes was longer than I imagined, we arrived after lunch. When the bus arrived at its last stop we alighted looking around checking our paper for the address of our accommodation. The bus driver gestured to us to look at the address and pointed to us to get back on the bus and then stopped outside the place we were staying, which was at the previous stop.

We were greeted by a man running down the path eager to take our bags to our accommodation. The House Samardzic was very picturesque and the woman who ran very friendly and helpful. She showed us to our room which was basic and clean with all the usual amenities including free Wi-Fi.

We left our bags in our room ready to go to the lakes; our hostess said her son would drive us up there as he was going out anyway. Offered to cook us dinner there that night (obviously to be paid for) to which we heartily agreed as it would save us looking for a place,

One of many waterfalls
So we were off to the Plitvice Lakes National Park, the park has numerous lakes and waterfalls. The many lakes are formed from the sediment formed from the calcium carbonate from the water. It builds barriers along with algae which causes various separate lakes to form. We managed to complete one walk that day marveling and the beautiful scenery and waterfalls. The water so clear that even in the deeper sections fish could be seen swimming on the bottom.


Pristine and clear water of the lakes
We walked back to our accommodation along the main road, not the safest way to go as there was no actual ‘footpath’ space on either side, which made it rather scary when cars and buses whizzed by.

We had a delicious dinner our meal was three course with cold meats and olives to start and delicious fish main and cake to finish with. We were plied with rakia which was quite potent.

The next day we were up early to have breakfast, ready to face a whole day at the lakes. We did a different walk which took us longer, everywhere one looked was spectacular, and even though there were a lot of people there it didn’t spoil the experience. Many of the paths are on boardwalks as the ground in places is quite marshy. We went on a boat ride across one of the lakes and walked along the banks. By the time we finished walking all day we decided to make our way back to our room. Before leaving we pre-bought our ticket for the bus the next morning.

View of the Lakes

We were lazy again and had our dinner at the guest house, a meat meal this time, though I thought the fish meal was better, but it still was a homely nourishing meal.

The next day we were up early for breakfast as we were catching our bus at 9.30, but were lucky as the bus stop on the main road was just opposite the pathway from the guest house.

We were thankful to see the bus as it arrived a bit late. We were now on our way to Split. One bizarre thing that on the way there is part of the road about 7 km which goes through Bosnia, so we had to have a customs check. This road was probably constructed when there was a Yugoslavia and not separate countries so the route of the road wouldn’t have been an issue.


Zagreb- September 2013


We caught the train from Ljubljana to Zagreb, early the journey was quite slow and included a border station where immigration officials from both countries checked our passports.


When we arrived mid- morning and it was heartening to see our hotel virtually opposite the railway station as we had no map it certainly made it so much easier. We were soon booked in then grabbed ourselves a free map and went to explore the city.

Zagreb the capital of Croatia has a population of nearly one million contains almost a quarter of its people.

There are many interesting places and the vibrant street life makes it an enjoyable city to visit. We started our orientation by walking away from the station past many beautiful buildings arriving at the square in front of the cathedral which still dominates the skyline with its neo-Gothic style and is surrounded by well- preserved Renaissance walls. The Cathedral was first constructed in 1093 but was destroyed by the Tartars in the 13th century. The Ottomans invaded in the 15th century and constructed the walls around it. In 1880 it was badly damaged by an earthquake and the facade was reconstructed in 1906.

Not far from the Cathedral is a lively food market. Markets are always interesting to walk around. We admired the large juicy tomatoes which are full of flavour. Finding a place to eat was not difficult as there are restaurants and cafes everywhere, it’s more of a matter as to what one wants to eat. We found a small café which sold absolutely delicious simple hamburgers.

Zagreb is divided into an Upper and Lower Town. The Lower Town is newer and the streets were planned on gridlines and must be the same width and all buildings the same height and type, included in this plan were many parks and squares with an abundance of neo-classical buildings which makes walking around the town a delight.

Our second day here we went to the Modern Art Gallery. It was extremely interesting and broad selection of art from various eras across Europe as well as a good selection from Croatian artists. We also visited the Technical Museum another interesting place. They had a ‘Tesla Laboratory’ set up and had demonstrations relating to his experiments with electricity. Nikolai Tesla was instrumental in the development and introduction of alternating current, x-rays, remote control devices and radio waves Although the commentary was only in Croatian we were able to understand the gist of what was being demonstrated, it is handy if you have some science background though. The demonstrator spoke some English as we spoke to him afterwards.

The Upper Town is entered via the Stone Gate, the only town gate that has remained intact and was originally built in the Middle Ages. Under the arch of the gateway is a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It holds the painting of the Virgin that was miraculously saved from a devastating fire in 1731. The chapel is still a place of pilgrimage. Prayer services take place regularly and many people make private devotions. The chapel is not enclosed and you wander through the gate and can find yourself in the midst of devout pilgrims. Sensitivity is a must.

St. Mark's Church
In the heart of the Upper Town is St. Mark’s Church which is a 13th century Romanesque Church; however it was substantially rebuilt in the 19th century. The roof tiles, which are reminiscent of Stephansdom in Vienna, are decorated with the coat of arms of the Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slovenia.

We walked in and out the narrow streets and lanes of the Upper Town passed a Museum of Broken Relationships (bizarre); there were a number of other small museums in this part of the city.

While we were here in one of the large squares a Vegan Festival was being set up. On our last day in the city, which was a Saturday the festival was in full swing. So we wandered around the various stalls. We tried the ice-cream on one stall. They had some very interesting flavours which in included lemon and mint, very refreshing and apricot and rosemary the combination really worked. There were children’s performances and overall it was very enjoyable.

The Vegan Festival

We walked around some of the little lanes near the market as we were having a coffee a group of women in national costume appeared and sang some traditional songs. Then there was a parade of people dressed in animal costumes which I think was related to the Vegan Festival. The weather was great and it was just lovely to wander around taking in the atmosphere.

Part of the street parade
While having something to eat another street parade took place of men in historical military uniforms both on foot and on horses. One guy with his rather bushy moustache on his horse looked as though he had just returned from the Battle of Balaclava. It seems that these types of displays are held most weekends which are great for both tourists and locals alike.  

One of last locations to visit was the Botanical Gardens which run parallel to the railway tracks, according to the blurb there is a collection of 10,000 plant species, ranging from the exotic to indigenous Croatian plants. However the gardens overall were very disappointing, the poor layout and the lack of labeling didn’t help either.

Oneof the 'Guardians' of the City
There are many interesting places to visit in Zagreb and our stay was extremely enjoyable. Outdoor stalls in parks and entertainment, cafes, markets and just the buzz of the city make it a great place to visit. As you walk around the city look up, if you look carefully you will notice unusual characters on façades, balconies and posts, towers, next to windows and above doors. Beasts, demons, dragons, owls, angels and spirits are not just mere decoration but are ‘guardians’ of the city. The tourist office has two great books called ‘Zagreb’ and ‘Step by Step Zagreb,’ just pop in and ask for them. The information contained in them will keep you exploring every nook and cranny of the city.


The next day we were off to the Plitvice Lakes. We had bought our bus ticket and as the tram that went to the bus station passed our hotel it made it very easy to get ourselves and our luggage there.

We caught the train from Ljubljana to Zagreb, early the journey was quite slow and included a border station where immigration officials from both countries checked our passports. When we arrived mid- morning and it was heartening to see our hotel virtually opposite the railway station as we had no map it certainly made it so much easier. We were soon booked in then grabbed ourselves a free map and went to explore the city. Zagreb the capital of Croatia has a population of nearly one million contains almost a quarter of its people. There are many interesting places and the vibrant street life makes it an enjoyable city to visit. We started our orientation by walking away from the station past many beautiful buildings arriving at the square in front of the cathedral which still dominates the skyline with its neo-Gothic style and is surrounded by well- preserved Renaissance walls. The Cathedral was first constructed in 1093 but was destroyed by the Tartars in the 13th century. The Ottomans invaded in the 15th century and constructed the walls around it. In 1880 it was badly damaged by an earthquake and the facade was reconstructed in 1906. Not far from the Cathedral is a lively food market. Markets are always interesting to walk around. We admired the large juicy tomatoes which are full of flavour. Finding a place to eat was not difficult as there are restaurants and cafes everywhere, it’s more of a matter as to what one wants to eat. We found a small café which sold absolutely delicious simple hamburgers. Zagreb is divided into an Upper and Lower Town. The Lower Town is newer and the streets were planned on gridlines and must be the same width and all buildings the same height and type, included in this plan were many parks and squares with an abundance of neo-classical buildings which makes walking around the town a delight. Our second day here we went to the Modern Art Gallery. It was extremely interesting and broad selection of art from various eras across Europe as well as a good selection from Croatian artists. We also visited the Technical Museum another interesting place. They had a ‘Tesla Laboratory’ set up and had demonstrations relating to his experiments with electricity. Nikolai Tesla was instrumental in the development and introduction of alternating current, x-rays, remote control devices and radio waves Although the commentary was only in Croatian we were able to understand the gist of what was being demonstrated, it is handy if you have some science background though. The demonstrator spoke some English as we spoke to him afterwards. The Upper Town is entered via the Stone Gate, the only town gate that has remained intact and was originally built in the Middle Ages. Under the arch of the gateway is a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It holds the painting of the Virgin that was miraculously saved from a devastating fire in 1731. The chapel is still a place of pilgrimage. Prayer services take place regularly and many people make private devotions. The chapel is not enclosed and you wander through the gate and can find yourself in the midst of devout pilgrims. Sensitivity is a must. In the heart of the Upper Town is St. Mark’s Church which is a 13th century Romanesque Church; however it was substantially rebuilt in the 19th century. The roof tiles, which are reminiscent of Stephansdom in Vienna, are decorated with the coat of arms of the Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slovenia. We walked in and out the narrow streets and lanes of the Upper Town passed a Museum of Broken Relationships (bizarre); there were a number of other small museums in this part of the city. While we were here in one of the large squares a Vegan Festival was being set up. On our last day in the city, which was a Saturday the festival was in full swing. So we wandered around the various stalls. We tried the ice-cream on one stall. They had some very interesting flavours which in included lemon and mint, very refreshing and apricot and rosemary the combination really worked. There were children’s performances and overall it was very enjoyable. We walked around some of the little lanes near the market as we were having a coffee a group of women in national costume appeared and sang some traditional songs. Then there was a parade of people dressed in animal costumes which I think was related to the Vegan Festival. The weather was great and it was just lovely to wander around taking in the atmosphere. While having something to eat another street parade took place of men in historical military uniforms both on foot and on horses. One guy with his rather bushy moustache on his horse looked as though he had just returned from the Battle of Balaclava. It seems that these types of displays are held most weekends which are great for both tourists and locals alike. One of last locations to visit was the Botanical Gardens which run parallel to the railway tracks, according to the blurb there is a collection of 10,000 plant species, ranging from the exotic to indigenous Croatian plants. However the gardens overall were very disappointing, the poor layout and the lack of labeling didn’t help either. There are many interesting places to visit in Zagreb and our stay was extremely enjoyable. Outdoor stalls in parks and entertainment, cafes, markets and just the buzz of the city make it a great place to visit. As you walk around the city look up, if you look carefully you will notice unusual characters on façades, balconies and posts, towers, next to windows and above doors. Beasts, demons, dragons, owls, angels and spirits are not just mere decoration but are ‘guardians’ of the city. The tourist office has two great books called ‘Zagreb’ and ‘Step by Step Zagreb,’ just pop in and ask for them. The information contained in them will keep you exploring every nook and cranny of the city. The next day we were off to the Plitvice Lakes. We had bought our bus ticket and as the tram that went to the bus station passed our hotel it made it very easy to get ourselves and our luggage there.

Sunday 22 September 2013

Ljubljana - Slovenia Sept. 2013


We arrived at Ljubljana station and we took what seemed the best way to our hotel, but it actually turned out more complicated after we discovered where it was. The Hotel Park is in a good location with easy access to the centre of the city and the railway station.

Ljubljana is a small compact city which is not surprising considering the whole country has only 2 million inhabitants. Emona was the Roman predecessor of Ljubljana and numerous remains of this past can still be seen.

One of the interesting features is the castle situated on the hill overlooking the city. There has been a castle there since medieval times and has gone through many renovations and extensions over the centuries. It’s only been relative recently that it has been given a new life as museum, dining and entertainment options, as well as these it also has a permanent exhibition on Slovenian history as a ‘Virtual Castle’ which presents the history of the castle itself. Both are well worth viewing.
View of Ljubljana from Castle

 
It was delightful walking along the river past the numerous ice-cream cafes and restaurants. A guided boat ride down the river proved interesting pointing out the importance of the various bridges, for example the Dragon Bridge and the Triple Bridge we also passed and some of the new architecture which is away from the centre of the town. The town centre has some interesting churches; the Franciscan Church of The Annunciation is a good example of early Baroque architecture, while on the opposite side of the river the Baroque Cathedral of St. Nicholas housing some charming frescoes. There are many other beautiful buildings in the city; however, it seemed that just about everywhere there was an enormous amount of graffiti which took a lot away from the city. We mentioned this to the guide on the boat and he said that they clean it up every two months, but most of what we saw had been there way longer than that.
Dragon Bridge

I decided to be crazy brave and hire a car for two days to see some interesting features away from the city. Why brave? As we drive on the left side of the road I have to think every aspect of driving in the opposite way.

We picked up the car early in the morning. I was given directions to get out of the city and onto the motorway. I was like a learner driver, stalling the car, not getting into the correct gear etc. but managed to get out of the city without causing an accident.

Our first stop was the Postojna Caves which are 53kms from Lubljana. The cave system runs for 27kms. Tourism to these caves has occurred from1819 which small carts on tracks pulled by people transported tourist into the cave system, now a more mechanical system with many carriages does the job. Amazing and stunning is the only way to describe the stalagmite and stalactite formations. I have seen many caves over the years but these were the biggest and most beautiful I have seen so far.

From there we went to Predjama Castle. First we decided to have lunch here and as there was a café we decided to have a quick bite to eat. The person who served us must have learnt his serving skills from ‘Fawlty Towers’ he seemed annoyed that we actually wanted to order food and when it arrived it was less than average.

Predjama Castle

The castle itself was very interesting as it was built 800 years into a 123 metre cliff. It was used purely for defensive purposes as to live in would have been extremely draughty

We then went the Skojan Caves; this is a unique cultural heritage site and has been included on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List. The cave system includes numerous caves and passages, collapsed dolines, natural bridges and sinkholes. Many parts of this cave system are only accessible to experienced cavers. The subterranean stream of the Reka River has created this cave system and has been known to flood the whole cave system. It is impossible to compare the two sets of caves we saw as they were very different, but were both spectacular in their own way and both were well worth visiting.

After a day of driving I was improving though I did tend to bang the wheels into gutter a number of times. We managed to get back to the city before dark and with beginners luck reached our hotel without too many dramas.

The next day it was to the lakes. I woke up to face another days driving, the day before I was confident in my ignorance, now reality had set in. We started out sure of our directions out of town only to end up on a different road out but found we were on the motorway in the direction we needed to go.

Lake Bled was our first destination, when we arrived it was exceedingly busy. I drove part of the way around the lake, around the town and it was impossible to find a park. We then decided after we had wasted enough time to continue to Lake Bohnj which is 75kms from the city.

Lake Bohnj is a very peaceful setting and many people camp there as it is a base for hikes into the Julian Alps. It is also famous for its cheese. We took a cruise around the lake which was very informative. The whole setting is a picture postcard.

Lake Bohnj

The Church of St John the Baptist is in a dominant location on the eastern part of the lake. It is thought to have been constructed in the middle of the 11th century. Both inside and out it abundantly decorated with frescoes that date from the 14th to 16th century. The church’s most famous fresco is found on the outside is that of St. Christopher. Though it is only a small church it has many features that make a visit worthwhile. We had a lunch at nice little hotel restaurant then headed for Radovljica.

Radovljica is a delightful little town which was easy to negotiate and more importantly found a place to park the car. Our reason for going there was the Apicultural Museum. This useum is housed in a beautiful baroque manor house in the old part of the town.

Bee keeping may seem a boring topic for a museum but the history and development as well as everything there is to know about bees is fascinating. Slovenia has been important in the development of bee keeping. The indigenous honeybee, the Grey Bee of Carniola has been exported to just about every country in the world. There is much to keep you occupied for a couple of hours. A delightful little part of Slovenian folk culture is the paintings on the front of the beehives which have mainly religious or humorous subjects.

We then decided to face Bled again thinking that we may be able find a park later in the day. So back we went and luckily we found a park. Down to the lake and this too was very picturesque with a little island in the middle on which there was a small church of The Assumption A traditional ‘pletna’ boat takes people across to the island. The boats are very similar to gondolas, except that the oarsman uses two oars at the back instead of one. We took this very pleasant ride and enjoyed visiting the church, which features a free standing bell tower and had to be rebuilt after an earthquake in the 16th century.

Lake Bled

By the time we had returned to the mainland it was getting late, Bled Castle which looks down over the lake from a rocky hill top would’ve been closed by the time we would’ve made it to the top so we decided that the outside view would have to do. Friends who had visited Bled late autumn and in winter have said the town is virtually deserted. After our experience of trying to negotiate the crowds in early autumn I would advise to either go on an organized tour (no parking worries) or go during a colder month.

Finding where we parked our car was a bit of a trial but we eventually found it and headed back to Ljubljana. It was later than the previous day so as we were heading into the city it was all but dark. We also had to fill up the petrol tank for returning purposes. We knew there was a petrol station just after we left the motorway, with the tank full we had to negotiate the city streets, some being only one way back to the hotel where we hired the car. After a few wrong turns and not having a clue where we were a ‘guardian angel’ must have showed me the way which had a sign with ‘Grand Union Hotel’ with an arrow showing the direction. Guiding the car into the designated car park I was relieved to hand back the keys.

On our last day in Ljubljana we went to the Art Gallery, which was rather disappointing considering it is a gallery of a capital city. We also went to the Slovenian Museum which was also unremarkable. We wandered around the town and just enjoyed a quiet last day. Early the next day we were off to Zagreb.



Friday 20 September 2013

Vienna August 2013


After what seemed like an interminable journey we arrived in Vienna and easily got from the airport to Stephanplatz. There is a fast train connection which made getting there easily accessible. Melbourne please note. As we were staying at the same place as last time, Marc Aurel Hotel we had no trouble finding our way. It is in a great location and really nice little hotel not far from St. Stephan’s Cathedral.

The first afternoon we just wandered around our area as we were feeling very tired. Even if you haven’t been to a city before it is always good to just wander around the first day to orientate yourself.

The next day we went to the Jewish Museum, it was closed last time we were there. It was very interesting as it wanted to feature what Jewish Culture was like in Vienna but also included crucial information about the treatment of the Jews during under the Nazis. The Jewish Museum in Vienna initially was first set up in the late 1800s by the Jewish community. It is located near the Hofburg complex.
State Library


After we spent quite a while there we then went to the State Library, which is definitely worth seeing. We had been there on a previous visit but have a soft spot for old, opulent libraries. As on our previous visit there was an exhibition, this time on documents that charted aspects of Austrian history.

Then not content with this we managed to find time to go to the Mozart House which presented an insight into the life and times of Mozart as well as some very interesting information about his life.

By the time we had walked our feet off for the day we had dinner at our hotel restaurant. We had eaten there on the previous visit and the food has been very good and it didn’t disappoint this time.

The next day we visited Melk which is about an hour and 20 minutes by train from Vienna. A huge abbey dominates the town. The abbey is considered a masterpiece of baroque art. It is now a museum but for over 900 years was a Benedictine monastery. It served over the course of its history as an educational institution and carried out religious duties to the parish.
Melk Abbey


It is easy to spend most of the day in the abbey and gardens.

Spurred on by our trip to Melk we decided to venture to Rust which is situated by Neusiedler Lake. We had to take a bus there and the bus station was in disarray as there was a huge amount road works in progress around it. We found where the buses left and knew the number, 566, on seeing a bus with that number, even though it had ‘Eisenstadt’ as its destination, and was earlier than the time we were given, decided to check with the driver. ‘It’s Ok; you can change at Eisenstadt and catch bus 765 to Rust.’ I thought this would be a good option as we could probably arrive at Rust a bit earlier than expected. However being school holidays some of the scheduled buses were not running, so instead of a five minute wait we had a 30 minute wait and arrived at Rust 15 minutes later than the direct bus. The town has some interesting buildings; the Town Hall (Rathaus) was built in 1673. The town was fortified twice and there are still remnants of the old town gate and wall left. A trip on the lake was an enjoyable way to spend an
Rust
hour. It was disappointing that the Fischerkirche was closed as it seemed to be the most interesting. Overall the town was definitely worth a visit but I think the direct bus is the better way to go if just doing it as a day trip.

On our last day in Vienna we visited the Secession Building an unusual building designed by Joseph Maia Olbrich for the Secessionist movement artists. We had seen some advertisements for the Gemälde Galerie which wasn’t far from the Secession Building; it is the paintings gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts. It has a small collection but excellent cross-section of the history of European painting. The collection was donated to the Academy in 1822 by Graf Lamberg-Sprinzenstein. Another delightful aspect of the gallery was the very interesting discussion we had with the ticket seller.

From there we went to the Hundertwasser Haus is an apartment block designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. The colours and irregularity of the walls is very much a reminder of Gaudi architectural style. 
Hundertwasser House

Our last activity for our last day was a ‘Third Man’ walking tour, which was not a sewer tour (as it turns out none of the sewer scenes in the movie were actually shot in Vienna’s sewers). It was very interesting from both a cinematic and historical point of view. Well worth doing but it’s better if you have actually seen the film and I will certainly watch it again with a completely different eye.

Early the next morning we left Vienna for Slovenia





After what seemed like an interminable journey we arrived in Vienna and easily got from the airport to Stephanplatz. There is a fast train connection which made getting there easily accessible. Melbourne please note. As we were staying at the same place as last time, Marc Aurel Hotel we had no trouble finding our way. It is in a great location and really nice little hotel not far from St. Stephan’s Cathedral. The first afternoon we just wandered around our area as we were feeling very tired. Even if you haven’t been to a city before it is always good to just wander around the first day to orientate yourself. The next day we went to the Jewish Museum, it was closed last time we were there. It was very interesting as it wanted to feature what Jewish Culture was like in Vienna but also included crucial information about the treatment of the Jews during under the Nazis. The Jewish Museum in Vienna initially was first set up in the late 1800s by the Jewish community. It is located near the Hofburg complex. After we spent quite a while there we then went to the State Library, which is definitely worth seeing. We had been there on a previous visit but have a soft spot for old, opulent libraries. As on our previous visit there was an exhibition, this time on documents that charted aspects of Austrian history. Then not content with this we managed to find time to go to the Mozart House which presented an insight into the life and times of Mozart as well as some very interesting information about his life. By the time we had walked our feet off for the day we had dinner at our hotel restaurant. We had eaten there on the previous visit and the food has been very good and it didn’t disappoint this time. The next day we visited Melk which is about an hour and 20 minutes by train from Vienna. A huge abbey dominates the town. The abbey is considered a masterpiece of baroque art. It is now a museum but for over 900 years was a Benedictine monastery. It served over the course of its history as an educational institution and carried out religious duties to the parish. It is easy to spend most of the day in the abbey and gardens. Spurred on by our trip to Melk we decided to venture to Rust which is situated by Neusiedler Lake. We had to take a bus there and the bus station was in disarray as there was a huge amount road works in progress around it. We found where the buses left and knew the number, 566, on seeing a bus with that number, even though it had ‘Eisenstadt’ as its destination, and was earlier than the time we were given, decided to check with the driver. ‘It’s Ok; you can change at Eisenstadt and catch bus 765 to Rust.’ I thought this would be a good option as we could probably arrive at Rust a bit earlier than expected. However being school holidays some of the scheduled buses were not running, so instead of a five minute wait we had a 30 minute wait and arrived at Rust 15 minutes later than the direct bus. The town has some interesting buildings; the Town Hall (Rathaus) was built in 1673. The town was fortified twice and there are still remnants of the old town gate and wall left. A trip on the lake was an enjoyable way to spend an hour. It was disappointing that the Fischerkirche was closed as it seemed to be the most interesting. Overall the town was definitely worth a visit but I think the direct bus is the better way to go if just doing it as a day trip. On our last day in Vienna we visited the Secession Building an unusual building designed by Joseph Maia Olbrich for the Secessionist movement artists. We had seen some advertisements for the Gemälde Galerie which wasn’t far from the Secession Building; it is the paintings gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts. It has a small collection but excellent cross-section of the history of European painting. The collection was donated to the Academy in 1822 by Graf Lamberg-Sprinzenstein. Another delightful aspect of the gallery was the very interesting discussion we had with the ticket seller. From there we went to the Hundertwasser Haus is an apartment block designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. The colours and irregularity of the walls is very much a reminder of Gaudi. Our last activity for our last day was a ‘Third Man’ walking tour, which was not a sewer tour (as it turns out none of the sewer scenes in the movie were actually shot in Vienna’s sewers). It was very interesting from both a cinematic and historical point of view. Well worth doing but it’s better if you have actually seen the film and I will certainly watch it again with a completely different eye. Early the next morning we left Vienna for Slovenia

Saturday 24 August 2013

Xian April 2013

Getting from Xian airport into the city is easy, the shuttle bus is very accessible and it arrives outside the Melody Hotel which is central and it was fortunate as we were staying therel.
Across the road from the hotel is the Drum Tower as well as a small side street which takes you passed stalls that have a range of Chinese artifacts of varying quality. In and out these lanes you discover a food street with some very delicious offerings. This is the Muslim quarter which has its own special cuisine and was a change from the usual Chinese fare. This area was very crowded as it is a magnet for both Chinese and European tourists.
The Drum Tower
I really noticed the change in Xian from the time I was there in 2007. There has been a great deal of development. It now has a subway and shopping malls and even a number of coffee shops as well as a large Walmart.
As we didn’t have breakfast included at the hotel we decided to buy some teabags and fruit at the supermarket as well as some buns at a bakery. We had done this in Beijing and it works well and saves time trying to find a suitable place for breakfast.
The following day we booked our trip to the Terracotta Warriors and then explored the city. We went to the Drum Tower and were lucky to arrive just before a performance incorporating a variety of drums then we headed to the Bell Tower.
We walked to the wall and down the street that according to my memory was full of shops that sold chopsticks, but discovered that it was now artists’ street selling brushes, paper etc. I bought a few painting books, choosing judiciously as I didn’t want to end up with a too heavy bag. I planned to go to the museum called The Forest of Steles but it was closed for renovations, which was disappointing.  We found the place to climb up to the ramparts of the city wall. It’s possible ride a bike around the whole structure  we both refrained from this exercise as we both had injured knees. The best place to eat was the Muslim quarter so we went there for our dinner that night.
Up bright and early for our trip to the Terracotta Warriors. We opted for the whole day tour which included Huangqing Pool and Ban Po Village. We picked up the other members of the group and by the time we arrived it was lunchtime so as lunch was included we were ushered into a restaurant for the usual fare, nothing fancy but was satisfying and would keep us going for the rest of the day. After that we entered the gates through the souvenir shop to the hangar like building which displayed some of the finds. It is obvious that work is still in progress as the tools and tables of the archeologists could be seen and there were notices saying not to photograph them when they are working.
I have seen this display before but it is still breathtaking, especially when you realize that no two warriors look the same. It still is amazing that they still haven’t uncovered the whole army of warriors. It was interesting to learn that they were originally painted and that many have been left buried until they have worked out how to preserve the old paint on them. This is one of China’s top historical sights. The terracotta warriors were part of Qin Shi Huang (China’s first emperor) mausoleum. It was Qin Shi Huang who united the country standardizing the currency and writing. From historical accounts the tomb contained palaces, precious stones and special defenses to protect it against possible intruders. It was rumoured that the artisans who worked on the tomb were buried alive so as not to divulge any information about the construction. All that is visible of what must have been an enormous construction is a mound.
I was not surprised to see how much tourist development has occurred around this complex. It was a lot more low key on my previous visit and lunch was a ‘bun fight’ as our tour operator left us to it and eateries were very sparse indeed.
The Terracotta Warriors
After we left here we went to the Huaqing Pool. This complex was built by a Tang Emperor for his favourite concubine. Water from hot springs is channeled into public bath houses, which have 60 pools for about 400 people. During the Tang dynasty this was a private retreat for the emperor and his concubines. As we were here in autumn the water lilies and blossom weren’t in bloom as they were on my previous visit, but it is still a very attractive retreat, though it’s not hard to imagine it would be anything but tranquil during peak visiting times.

Huaqing Pool

We eventually were picked up from here and taken to the Banpo Neolithic Village. It was excavated in the 1950s and the village occupied this area from 4500 BC until around 3500 BC. Just under a quarter of the site has been excavated and there is only conjecture about the culture of the times. The ruins are divided into three parts, pottery manufacturing, residential and a cemetery. It was very interesting and well set out.

There was also an exhibition in another building of some Chinese painting which is always worth a look. After this we had to wait patiently for our ride back to town. We were the only two from the initial group who did the whole day tour, so they had to make some special provisions for us. The tour did deliver on all promised but it did seem a bit disorganized  but compared to the tour I did in 2007 which I dubbed ‘Dodgy Brothers’ this was a notch up more like ‘Arthur Daley.’
We explored the Muslim Quarter again to find the Great Mosque. We found a mosque but I’m not sure it was the major one. We went down a little lane and through a small gate into a tiny courtyard. We were the only ones there; the decorations were an interesting combination of the Arabic and Chinese.

Mosque decorations in Xian

I decided that we would visit  the Big Goose Pagoda and the museum next to it. I had visited both previously and the museum is excellent. We decided to walk and eventually found it. It didn’t seem as straightforward as I remembered. We arrived and the correct location and could see the pagoda tantalizingly close but not the entrance. Eventually we walked around the whole block only to discover that the whole complex was completely closed, we couldn’t even walk in the gardens, and everything was fenced off the museum included. So it turned out to be a ‘big wild goose’ chase. We took the metro back to base.
The next day we were off to Yangshao.

Tuesday 13 August 2013

Beijing April 2013 continued


We had an absolutely beautiful day the weather was perfect and the sky was surprisingly blue so we went to Beihai Park. It was first built in the 10th century as an Imperial garden and is one of the largest gardens in China.
We walked to the park from our hotel and were further away than I thought. We even stopped at a little hole in the wall café for coffee and steamed buns both of which turned out to be quite good. We eventually arrived and started to meander along the main path. 

The White Pagoda

The park covers 69 hectares of which the lake covers half that area. The park was very busy as it was a holiday but as it was so large it didn’t seem over crowded. The White Pagoda dominates the park as it is on the highest point on Qionghua Island. It was first constructed with white stone in Kublai Khan’s reign in 1271 and has been restored twice over the years due to earthquake damage. The climb up to the pagoda offers a spectacular view of the surrounds.
There are several Buddhist temples and small traditional gardens throughout the park which are worth a look. Another interesting construction is the Nine Dragon Wall which was built in 1402. It shows nine complete dragons playing in the clouds and is quite exquisite. This wall is situated north of the Five Dragon Pavilion.

Part of the Nine dragon Wall

It felt as though we walked around the whole park as we spent most of the day there, but I’m sure we only saw a small section.  We exited at a different spot than we entered but managed to find our way back to the main road which passes behind the Forbidden City.
We had booked a tour to the Great Wall for the next day. When I booked I grilled the travel agent about the tour. I had read about scams that supposedly take you to the wall and other places but all you end up seeing  jade and silk factories. After a long discussion I was told ALL tours take you to those places but it is important to book through a reputable agent rather than a tout on the street or small hole in the wall place to get what you pay for.
We decided on the tour to Mutianyu it is further away than Badaling but has fewer tourists, though it was still very busy when we were there. The tour also took in the Sacred Way which is part of the 7 km approach to the Ming tombs. It is very impressive as giant statues line the way; there are 18 pairs which included imperial court officials, warriors, and animals (e.g. horses, camels etc.) also mythical Chinese beasts. We passed under a carved portal with flanked by carved columns. The walk along the Sacred Way was fascinating.


The Sacred Way


Of course we stopped at the obligatory jade factory which is all very interesting and expensive. Not being a jade aficionado I am reluctant to pay hundreds let alone thousands of dollars for the gem. Actually the buying of any gem stone being it diamonds or emeralds etc. is all based on trust if we aren’t experts in the field. So let me say I’m not an expert on jade and I don’t have a lot of trust relating to this field in China.
After the group did the rounds of the shop (none of us bought anything) we had lunch, which was included in the tour price at the restaurant at the back of the shop. There was plenty to eat and a good variety of dishes.
After lunch we made our way to the wall. The weather had turned decidedly bad and by the time we arrived it was cold and wet. We made our way over muddy paths and slippery stones through the entrance passed souvenir shops to the wall itself. This section of the wall provides a dramatic hilly setting with the series of watchtowers along its length, most of which have been restored. The wall here dates from 1368. The picturesque village buildings close to the wall has been converted into restaurants and holiday homes.

The Great Wall

We trudged along a reasonable section of the wall, I think the most impressive part is the view of the wall snaking its way over the mountains and disappearing into the distance. By the time we decided we had had enough of the wall, we were chilled to the bone. As we returning to the pick- up point we discovered a café that sold coffee. A hot drink, would just the thing to warm us up.
We were all rather weary on the return journey but we still had the silk factory to contend with. It was late afternoon when we arrived to a classic Chinese building. It certainly was better than the one we experienced in Hangzhou. It was quiet and it had a superior quality of merchandise at the fraction of the cost. My friend bought a queen sized silk doona for approximately $A150. I would’ve done so too if I hadn’t recently bought a new doona a home.
On the way back to the drop off point near our hotel the traffic was absolutely terrible, which really isn’t that surprising in Beijing.
After such a wet day and with prospects of another similar day to follow, we decided not to go to the Summer Palace. Also being a holiday it would be extremely crowded.
We went to the Lama and Confucius Temples instead. The weather turned out to be more pleasant than we thought it would be. Getting to the Lama Temple was easy on the Metro, the stop Xidan is very close by and it was easy to see which direction one needed to go. It was once one of the most notable centres of Buddhism outside of Tibet. It was shut down during the Cultural Revolution and Zhou Enlai was reputedly responsible for saving it from destruction. Buddhism has had resurgence in China but there are only 70 monks here now when once there were 1500. It is the same sect as the Dalai Lama but the monks here have to reject the notion of Tibetan independence. The Lama Temple (Yonghegong) is a magnificent complex which consists of five main halls and stunning statuary.
Lama Temple
Over the road not far from the Lama Temple is the Confucius Temple. During the Cultural Revolution Confucianism was a dirty word and many of the temples were closed or used for other purposes. At least they weren’t destroyed. This temple was originally built in 1302 and then expanded in 1906. Around 200 ancient steles stand in the courtyard inscribed with the names of those who had successfully passed the imperial civil service exams. It was wonderfully peaceful walking around the gardens as there were only a few people here. We enjoyed looking in the various pavilions and marveling at the ancient trees some over 700 years old. Trees that have a numbered plaque on them are registered world heritage trees, and there were definitely a few here.
Confucius Temple
 After the temples we walked down some narrow streets close by, one in particular had small little modern craft shops and cafes all very quiet, quite unusual for Beijing. We found a place to refresh ourselves with a coffee and sandwich.

We went back to Tiananmen Square to look around but it was closed, blocked off by barriers. There were soldiers everywhere, and a lot of marching across the square, flag raising etc. I don’t know what the occasion was but it was still in progress when we decided to leave to have a bite to eat.
The next day we were off to Xian.