We duck down to the right of the Galata Bridge, into the fish market. It’s loud, smelly and wet. I’m not sure what you were expecting – it is a fish market. We double back and at the entrance is a street vendor selling fish sandwiches. Our Aussie neighbors raved. We get one to go, walk onto the bridge with …
The Seven Hills of Istanbul
The seven hills of Istanbul are topped by seven mosques, a mystical Eastern parallel to the seven hills of Rome. From the Galata Bridge, spanning the Golden Horn as it empties into the Bosphorus strait from the west, one can see six of the hills, a stunning, ancient skyline. Across the strait lies Asia, the eastern bookend to the only …
Arrival in Istanbul
Once we reached Beograd, the anticipation for Istanbul mounted, despite our self-admonitions to always be present and enjoy our current “home address”. We board our half-full plane on Serbian carrier Jat Airlines, stretching out with an empty middle seat between us. We use up our final Serbo-Croatian please’s and thank you’s – molim’s and hvala’s – on the stewardess. The …
Beyond Backpacker: Digital Nomad in Zagreb
(from the journal, September 4th) Backpackers are strewn across the smooth cement of Zagreb’s train station. In between hostels, they consult thick Eastern Europe guide books, munch on chips, jot down memories in tiny journals, smoke cigarettes. They haul their giant packs from hostel to hostel, paying twelve bucks a night for a bunk, two dollars for a giant slice …
The Bucket List: Plitvice Lakes
(from the journal, August 31st) Poorer European countries get the cast-offs. Old, somewhat refurbished German and Austrian buses get a second chance in countries like Croatia, where I assume they are then driven another couple hundred thousand miles into the ground. Our bus is one such bus, with its German warning stickers adorning windows and doors. It rumbles down the …
Arrival In Split
(from the journal, August 18th) The bus from Zagreb to Split is five and a half hours with one bathroom break mid-way. You do the math. We pull up to the mid-point – a gas station and a 24-hour restaurant. The front and mid-cabin doors open and women hit the ground at a full sprint towards the facilities. Many, many …
Belgrade, Serbia. Reflections…
Cyrillic letters cast a vibrantly rich old worldly glow, inviting travelers from distant lands searching for a hint of resemblance to ones spoken word, to unravel the mysteries of a language so uniquelly woven with the keys and codes of a modern world. Language, an art form similar to the rhythms of music, art and dance is unique in nature. …
How I broke free of the Catholic Church…Zagreb, Croatia
Within the stoney and ancient walls of the Katedrala Cathedral, among the city of Zagreb,Croatia, rays of light and colorful reflections cascade, illuminating the etchings and designs of the stained glass windows, from high above. The ceiling anointed and blessed by paintbrushes centuries past, offer impressions of a deep blue sky with stars beaming light spiralling towards the heavens. Inspired …
Once in a Blue Moon…Split, Croatia
Once in a blue moon, our travels inspire us to set sail across the seas at this auspicious time on our planet, offering an experience so authentic and real, our hearts enlivened with everlasting impressions. These days of transformation and transmutation, the unravelling of the patterns of a history deeply embedded in stones centuries past, are times to be honored …
Split, Croatia…enjoying a taste of the local life here on the Mediterranean Sea.
We arrive by bus inside the old lively city walls of Split, Croatia by way of Zagreb. Split lies on the Mediterranean Sea, a sea port along the Dalmatian Coast, where the Roman emperor Diocletian once built his palace in the 4th Century AD. The bus station rests here in the heart of town, where trains, ships and buses intersect …