Travel Makes You Wiser

This trip to Slovenia and Croatia packed in a LOT!  We were on the go every day.  It was an experience that we will never forget.  Many thanks to our friend from Oak Park, IL, Joan Suchomel and her sister Anne Miller, who initiated the idea.  Our friends Valerie Werner and Cecil Curtwright and their friend Mary from California also joined us on this trip.  It was  great to have a group of good friends to travel with. 

You can go to our photo album (click HERE) to see the beautiful photos and get a better feel for the wonderful sites we saw.  But here, I’ll talk about some things we’ve learned and experienced.

At age 75+, it’s wise to spend a little more and be comfortable.  For example, when you fly on RyanAir, don’t go cheap.  While we had successfully packed for two weeks in only a small carry-on and a tote thinking it would be easier to not have to check bags, we soon learned that that wasn’t such a good idea.  Rolling them along in the airport was easy, but having to carry them up three flights of stairs (no ramp for RyanAir), was more than our old bodies liked.  There was a rush of people all going to the same place, even though we all had assigned seats, and I fell on the stairs.  So, on our return flight, we checked our bags, and that turned out to be a good idea.  We were able to get our bags off the carousel and catch our bus in Rome even though the plane arrived late.

And, when the only way to get from one town to another is to drive, sometimes it’s best to cough up the cash and pay for a driver.  Following the example of our cousins Dave and Marlene, we hired a driver to take us from Zagreb, Croatia, to Metlika, Slovenia.  It’s about an hour and a half drive, and it’s beautiful.  The cost for the day was not significantly more than a rental car.  We were able to enjoy the scenery, relax, and not be stressed about finding our way and driving unfamiliar roads.

Back story here:  I first met Olivera Sisirak and Monika Bracika in 2001.  I had befriended Olivera’s daughter Jasmina in 1992, while she was a high school exchange student in Illinois, having been sent there by her parents to escape the war.  There’s a long history here, but that’s not that important.  What is important is that the three of us reconnected after years of distance. There were many hugs, and thanks to Monika being able to translate, the communications have reopened. 

Our driver reluctantly followed Monika along a rural road to her country retreat in the Zamburak forest.  She finds solitude in her little cabin with no heat or water or electricity, surrounded by her animals.  Monika has worked for international companies and traveled the world, but recently had to quit her job to care for her aging and ill mother in Metlika.  It was very sad to hear her story. 

More about travel:

We were on a a guided tour, and signed up for all the optional tours.  The extra cost was well worth it.  We were introduced to and saw many things that we would not have even known about.   But take note:  If it looks too strenuous, it might be worth reconsidering. Some of our “walks” were a bit challenging, and I don’t like heights.  Thank goodness that Mike was there to support me as we wound our way through narrow, uneven paths and walkways in Plitvice Lake National Park and up and down steep stairways in hilly towns.

In America, most people seem to forget or don’t realize the horrors of war.  In these two countries, however, everyone remembers.   They are peaceful and democratic now and want things to stay this way.  For example, we saw:

o   In Zagreb, the “Bloody Bridge” from 500 years ago.

o   In both countries, bullet holes from wars remain in the sides of homes. 

o   Each side – Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian – built monuments and statues of their war and political heroes.

We were impressed with the way in which so many people honor their ancestors by maintaining centuries-old traditions. We watched traditional dances, ate traditional food, and learned about ancient silk and honey production.  We observed centuries-old methods salt production and gingerbread baking.

The people are passionate about nature.  Every town has beautiful parks and gardens.  The Zumberak Nature Park and Plitvice Lakes National Park are beautiful and well-cared for.

We met three nuns who live in a remote town in Slovenia and care for a little Greek Catholic church and raise their own vegetables. 

Each of the cities we visited (Zagreb, Ljubijana, Bled, Split, Ston, Dubrovnik) have their own stories.  We saw Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque churches and monasteries that are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

We will never forget:

1.      Participating in the hat exchange game after dinner at the gingerbread museum.

2.      Visiting Diocletian’s palace.

3.      Stories from our tour guide Elvis about his family history, in the turmoil of the former Yugoslavia.

4.      About how women wore silk embroidery to designate a stage in their life.

5.      About the middle-aged poet who fell in love with a young girl.

6.      About the Bloody Bridge in Zagreb that separated the nobles from the merchants.

7.      About the “cravat” or necktie, which is purported to have been started in Croatia.

8.      About the ink pen, invented by a Croatian man.

Things we liked about this trip:

1.       Overall, the Gate1 tour was well-organized.

2.      The time of year was excellent – not too hot, not too cold, less tourists.

3.      The tour guide, Elvis, was an excellent historian and paid attention to every detail to make sure everyone was comfortable and safe.

4.      The bus was comfortable, stops were well planned,

5.      The locations of the hotels were convenient to sites and each had a full breakfast and good coffee.

6.      The opportunity to shop at local markets. 

7.      The local tour guides spoke excellent English and explained the sites very well.

There wasn’t much that we didn’t like about this trip:

1.      Most of the food was meat and root vegetables, which we are not used to.  We did have some very good meals: Fresh trout in Metlika, dinner at the Vinodol restaurant in Zagreb, a lunch on our last day at Prijeko Palace in Dubrovnik.    And the mushroom soup that we had at least three times in various restaurants was delicious.

2.      Most of the wine was not to our taste (we prefer Italian wines).

3.      Some of the hotel rooms were less comfortable than others, although acceptable.

Will we return?  Most likely, yes.  I would love to return to Metlika and visit with Olivera and Monika again.  Dubrovnik has much to offer that we did not have time for.  Perhaps a trip in the Spring?

Overall, this was an amazing trip.  We will relish the photos.  Be sure to look at them in our album – click HERE!