Greece, Croatia, Bosnia-HZ, Montenegro May 15-June 3 2022 UPDATE: FINISHED!

Transit and Milos: May 13-May 18

We ended up having our flight rescheduled to a 6am Seattle flight on 14 May. Since there is no early flight to SeaTac from Spokane, we had to fly on the 13 and spend the night. One of the most expensive hotels of the trip, grr! Flew American Air to Chicago, had 1:40 to make our flight, went fine, and on to Athens. First time on AA in a long time, not impressed. Couldn't get Verifly to work, but checked in at the kiosk. Go figure. Had a longer layover in ATH airport than I wanted, but we had lounge access and that was fine. The airport was crowded and it was a relief to get out of the fray and into the quiet lounge.

Arrived Milos at 1:30pm local time, and had arranged a taxi to our lodging, Tania Milos in Pollonia. This was our most expensive lodging of the trip, but this was also our splurge. It was lovely. The staff, including Tania were extremely accommodating, arranged a rental car for us that was $35/day, seemed nice and cheap and delivered it to us down on the main strip while we were at dinner at 8pm. The room had a wonderful balcony that had an incredible view of the sunset, and the breakfast. Oh My. Let's just say it was some of the best in the entire trip. There is a small protected cove with a little sandy beach to swim and it was so warm already. I guess to us Northerners who are used to swimming in snowmelt lakes and creeks, anything over 60 feels like bathwater, but we loved it. Highly recommend. Had a yummy fresh caught dinner down on the main strip, after enjoying a bottle of welcome wine and homemade treats on the stunning balcony.

Next day we drove to Adamas, explored, then on to Plaka, and walked up to the church, explored the town, and had a pleasant dinner. No sunset view, because we had that at our balcony and because we decided that food overrode the view and although I can't remember the restaurant now ugh, it was DELICIOUS. Walked about and came upon a celebration party outside a local taverna and ended up joining for a drink at their invitation. It was beautifully decorated and the true Greek hospitality was on display. A lovely evening.

Up early on the 17th to be at Sarakiniko beach by 7am to beat the crowds and heat. There were a few people there, all young people and pardon the expression, but all looked to be young women posing for Instagram photos for their partners/SOs, which doesn’t bother me except when they take 15 minutes to ‘hoard’ a spot. I was tempted to just go over anyway, and later on in the trip my time tolerance was very much lowered. Hiked around for an hour or so and got some beautiful pictures of our own. Then we hit the ancient theater of Milos, which was really interesting. No one else was there. Down to Klima, which was also very interesting and I felt slightly uncomfortable as this is an intimate place where people live and it seemed wrong to gawk. A group of young people there, about 5, again all posing and there was an older local man siting and watching. I’m glad I got to see it though, it’s very different. Then we drove to Palechori Beach, and did some climbing at the far end to a small cove. No one was on our end. We stopped up above that on the way back to Pollonia, up on the ‘plateau’ and followed a dirt road that dead-ended with an amazing view of that side of the island, and ate our picnic lunch in a field ablaze with wildflowers. Stopped at a beach near Papafragas Caves (which we had already stopped at day before on way to Adamas) then made our way home to relax on our balcony before a wonderful dinner at a waterfront restaurant where we chatted with the owner. His grandfather started it in the 60’s, and he showed us some great pictures. It was our favorite meal on Milos.

Next day, on to the mainland. Note- Milos was our introduction to the cats of Greece. And they became a highlight of our trip, and my partner, who’s never minded cats but never been what I would call an enthusiast, was converted. Ha!

Enjoyed your account especially as Milos is somewhere I have wanted to go. Looking forward to more.

We were in Crete this year and the cats were there too! My husband, who usually finds cats not his thing, was rather fond of them like your partner.

Sounds lovely so far.

18- 26 May Peloponnese

We left Athens rather late on the afternoon of the 18th, and Athens Car Rental met us at the airport. I'd asked for the smallest car they had, and this was more like an upgraded model. My vehicle at home is a manual, but my partner preferred an automatic, so it's possible that this was the smallest they had in an automatic. We departed Athens around 6:30pm. It was a smooth drive to Nafplio, but we had our first experience with Google maps routing us on an older route, not recognizing that a newer better way was now in place. Word to the wise.

18th-20th Nafplio We stayed at the Omorfi Poli, which had an excellent location, and a wonderful breakfast. The hosts were very kind and always available. One thing I really appreciated about all of our hotels/airbnbs etc was they all seemed to have excellent water pressure and most importantly, the shower drained WELL. I had an experience in the Faroe Islands with a non draining shower that I hope never to endure again, lol. We really like Nafplio! We arrived a bit worn out and just went to an Italian cafe/diner place that had fabulous hamburgers. The owner waited on us, and we ended up going back twice more, because he was so friendly and fun and the food was great. Visited Palamidi Fortress early on the next morning, and had it to ourselves for 2/3 of our visit. Loved that. Walked the pier/promenade, and went all the way around it, past a gate. Not sure if we were supposed to, we were the only ones on it, but ended up over by the fortress again. The town is gorgeous at night, and met a wonderful woman who owned an art gallery where we bought some beautiful pottery. It's hard in a 40L carry on to bring gifts home! We drove to Mycenae and Epidavros and wow. That gorge is spectacular. There were many many schoolkids in Nafplio, and many at Mycenae too. If it weren't for them, we'd really have had minimal tourists. They were fun to watch though, respectful, seemed easygoing, wore their masks without complaint. We watched a group gather around two young men doing some traditional looking dance, all of the young mates clapping along for them, then a round of applause and cheers after. It was endearing. Mycenae was HOT, but really interesting. All of it was worth it to us, including the Tomb of Agamemnon (not really his but still awesome). We didn't linger inside though, more people than we were comfortable with.

21-24 Limeni and Kardamyli Onwards to Monemvasia, driving up through the mountains and into the cooler air. Went through Kosmas which was a delightful surprise. Arrived at the Walled city and did a pretty thorough job of visiting, including the Byzantine church Agia Sofia way up at the top. Had a picnic lunch on the way down, in the shade of one of the few trees. A few visitors going by looked hot, thirsty and eyed our cold Mamos we were splitting with envy. Arrived at Vasilios Apartments Hotel in Limeni in late afternoon/early evening. Oh boy, did we love it here. The view we had of Limeni from our private terrace was to die for. The proprietor, Spiros is an absolute GEM of a host. He really reminded us of Mr. Roarke (if you know, you know.) We sat on the balcony and watched the golden afternoon light bathe the little town of Limeni below and enjoyed some delicious wine. The apartment was wonderful. It's a gorgeous, new yet looks old place, and VERY easy to access and walk down into town. We had two of our most romantic dinners here. I could not get enough of the gorgeous setting. Sunsets are absolutely magical, and time just seems to stop. We spent two nights here, completing our Deep Mani drive of the southern (western) peninsula the next day after arrival. That was an interesting day. Our first stop to see one of the ruined towers, was through a very small 'settlement'. I use quotes because I think only about 15 families/people lived there.

(oops, to be continued next post)

(continued)

The parking was across from a residence where a very fit looking white-haired older gentleman was working in his 'garage.' He watched us as we parked, petted some kitties, and waved at us as we started walking to the tower just past his place. My partner was adjusting his camera and I was a little ahead when suddenly we hear a car, and I turn around to see an older truck with an older grey haired couple in it, and the man is gesticulating and waving at my partner, yelling something in Greek. My partner is pointing at our car and trying to ask, "Oh should we move?" The OTHER older man, in the garage, starts talking to the man in the truck and the woman just smiles at me and waves her hand at her husband like 'Oh him. Forget him' but my partner moves the car down the road. The truck pulls into the parking space and they get out and walk off, and as I'm waiting for my partner, the first older gentleman is smiling at us and waving like "he's just that way. Don't mind him" but my poor partner was practically traumatized because he though it was just a parking space, ha ha.

We drove the whole thing, counter-clockwise, loved Gerolimenas, thought Vathia was rather haunting (there's an apartment in the main ruined section for rent if anyone's interested!) and the views from the eastern side were spectacular. Saw herds of goats with a herder, too. Stopped in Areopoli and ate, maybe a late lunch? I can't remember but it was a cute town too.

Kardamyli Loved loved Kardamyli. Stayed at an efficient Airbnb down by the pier, with a wonderful view. You have to go through the restaurant above it (outside patio) and down some steps to get to the front door, but the private little garden terrace is wonderful, and right on the water, you can swim right off the steps. We watched a duck and a goose every day swim together. Put our belongs in, then hit the town and right away met an older shop owner who had gorgeous blue opal jewelry and bought some small gifts for my kids and maybe for me, too. We got to chatting and he'd been a young man working on Milos when Last Tango in Paris was being filmed, and boy did he have some stories! Visited the old town and the tower ruins there, and just relaxed. Had dinner both nights at a family-owned place towards the north end of town, and got friendly with the young server. Very interesting conversation. A gorgeous long-haired black and white tomcat with a tough-looking scarred face became our friend there, even going so far as to jump up in my partner's lap and pose for a picture. It's so hilarious- his transformation was complete!

25 May Galaxidi We spent a relaxing morning before driving to Galaxidi and staying at the Ganimede Hotel. It was a nice break, and walking Galaxidi was nice but we might have been better off driving on to Delphi.

Tomorrow, the Oracle, Arachova, and on to Athens.

ETA: I don't know how I could forget Mystras. It was a worthwhile stop. Very interesting old ruins and a not so old church as well as the (nunnery?) there. At the convent, there were many stray cats lounging in the shade and I bent to pet one, and suddenly I'm surrounded by 7. A nun came by as I was trying to pet them all and gave me a radiant smile, and said something in Greek I didn't understand. I must've looked it as she then said in English, "they like you." It was sweet.

Delphi and Arachova

We were up early and the Ganimede accommodated us with an early breakfast. On to Delphi to see the Sacred Way and the Oracle, and all the sights. Right as we were walking up, a tour bus was unloading. There were two older gentlemen that hit the couple steps to buy tickets at the same time as us, and my partner let them go first. This almost proved a fatal mistake. They were buying 70 tickets- yes, SEVENTY. One of the men appeared to be acting as some sort of guide, but holy cow. They wanted little maps for every ticket too. The agent inside the booth managed to get the tickets done in batches of 15, and then our turn came. I was getting anxious looking at the line of 70+ people going through the turnstyle booth, and my partner was going to patiently wait. I guess I'm not so patient, because after about 10 slow people, there was a slight pause (the two men were at the head of the line standing to the side and handing each person a ticket as they approached the turnstyle) and I grabbed my partner and cut in. Maybe I'm wrong but dang. I didn't want to be behind such a large group and the day's predicted high was over 90 and it was already getting hot. Other than that large tour, there were very tolerable levels of people, so meaning low. I'm so glad we went when we did.

Anyhow, we really enjoyed it. What a spectacular location. It is so thrilling to me to walk on ancient stones, to contemplate how long ago this was in its glory, and just imagine. Mycenae did this too, as it's even older, and I recalled thinking about it while at Delphi's sites, as they say the Mycenaeans were as alien to the Greeks of this time period as the Delphi time Greeks are to us. So mind-blowing. We drove down the road and walked the lower sites, then headed to Arachova, which was a worthwhile stop to us, as we are skiers (more backcountry but still, it's always interesting to see mountains ski towns to us.) Walked up the steep steps to the church, which was a little underwhelming, but enjoyed a delicious crepe and cold drink with a stunning view.

Next, Athens

26 - 29th May, Athens

Had discussed returning car in Athens, but there was an extra $30 fee, so we just drove to the airport and used a taxi arranged by our AirBnb host. About the AirBnb: cannot recommend enough. It was awesome. Located in the Koukaki neighborhood, 8 minute walk to the Acropolis, a wonderful cafe across the street and a pharmacy on the other side too. It was a one bedroom but extremely roomy and large, a VERY comfortable place in every way. Excellent airconditioning, soft warm lighting, washing machine, drying rack, two balconies, full kitchen stocked, €65 a night, and this included a weekend. The host is awesome, speaks great english, helped me with the taxis. It was such a relaxing place. Unfortunately, my partner came down with a bit of stomach issue, and so that first night, we ordered burgers (and two beers) from a local place online with high google reviews and it was delivered in 15 minutes. Man, we can't get that at home. We lounged on the comfy couch and watched a movie on Netflix. Hate to "waste" a night in a city like Athens, but it also felt good to decompress. I won't spend a ton of time discussing our sightseeing in Athens, suffice it to say we were up early the next day for the Parthenon and it's always a bit disappointing to see scaffolding, but we understand. We walked everywhere, all over, and saw pretty much all the top things over the few days. We particularly liked seeing the uncovered settlement ruins where they were going to put new metro vents, and the museums. I am sure every square inch of Athens could be dug into and there would be ruins.

Some Medical info: On another note, I want to relate some medical experiences I had in Greece. In Nafplion, I realized I forgot my anti-nausea drug I take for my weekly chemo. Ugh. I thought I could make it through for the three doses but after the first one, nope. The pharmacy on Milos didn't carry it, so when I got to Nafplio I went to the nearest and there was an older man and a younger man. The younger seemed to be the pharmacist, but they were so kind. I explained what I needed, that I was on X brand of low dose chemo, and he ordered it for me from Athens. I could have cried and hugged him.

During this time, I developed an ear issue. I kept waking up with a completely blocked left ear. This has never happened to me before, ever, even as a kid and all the swimming I've done, etc. I thought maybe it was allergies (I don't seem to have issues here at home but I felt stuffy there) and it kept clearing up mostly during the day, only to return that night. I thought maybe it was water from swimming in the Aegean, so I bought the water drying ear drops from the pharmacist in Nafplio. Nope. No effect. So in Athens, I visited an Athens General Medical clinic close to the AirBnb. We walked in, a young woman came out, asked me what I needed, said she'd call the dr. Returned asking if we could wait a half hour for him to come in? I replied we can come back in a couple, it wasn't urgent and so we did. General MD, excellent english, very familiar with my meds and even my disease, which was a relief because many physicians are not, or only in a general sense. He helped me out, set me up with a med, and insisted I call him the next morning before we flew to Croatia- the next morning was a Sunday morning, and I kept telling him no, I wasn't going to bother him, he was adamant that he wanted to know how I was before I left the country. (I did not call him, it got better) Cost? $50 American dollars. Why oh why can we not get this crap figured out in the States, I do not know. I have used medical care now in Iceland, Ireland, France, Italy and Greece. All excellent, all in a much more timely manner and all much more reasonable than here. Sigh.

(final Athens thoughts coming next)

(cont)

Anyway, we spent our last night eating at a touristy restaurant with a good view of the acropolis and meh food, walking into Psyrri neighborhood and an outdoor dance festival, and letting Athens charm us. We decided that a good analogy was Athens is like a wise older person: maybe past their physical prime, but absolutely proud of who they are and wears their age like a badge of honor, something I aim to emulate as I continue to be lucky enough to age. A couple of quick thoughts: the Ancient Agora was magical in the evening light. I didn't get as much enjoyment out of the Anafiotiki neighborhood as my partner did, nothing was very crowded except the Monastiraki neighborhood, I rather liked the Roman forum in Rome better, I was a bit unpleasantly surprised to find the Acropolis Museum wouldn't allow iPhone pictures (not using flash either) and I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of Athens. It took a bit to grow on me, but it did, and I hope to return someday.

Left pleasantly late on Sunday morning for our flight to Dubrovnik, and while at the very busy ATH airport, standing in line for some food with a group of younger women from South Carolina (while my partner, who is from North Carolina waited and was sitting behind a large group at a table, ALSO from North Carolina, geez) we noticed there was a carry-on just to the side that didn't seem to belong to anyone. We asked a few people in the lines (there were two places in the alcove) and no one claimed it. One of the younger women mentioned maybe we should tell airport security. A woman security guard was walking by a few minutes later, and she flagged her, pointed it out and told her it was unclaimed for the last 20 minutes, and the guard just shrugged her shoulders and walked off. Ok then. Luckily nothing happened, at least not while I was there!

Next up, Croatia, and B-HGZ

(cont)

29-31 May Dubrovnik

Our original flight got bumped three times, each time about 35 minutes. So we arrived in Dubrovnik around 1:30pm, caught a taxi and had a wonderful conversation with the young driver, Dario. It was interesting to hear his take on the pandemic in Croatia: "It's low numbers here, because if you don't get a vaccine, you don't get to work." Done. Simple as that. Our lodgings were up on the top of the old town, inside the walls, Villa Four Winds under the Buze Gate. It was a short walk. We hit during a heat wave, and oof. Where I live we have practically no humidity, and the heat and it just about did me in. We collapsed in our hotel room after talking to the proprietor about the best time to walk the walls, and caught a quick nap in the AC. The view from the room was gorgeous-all the red tile roofs, and the gorgeous water out beyond. Then we went down to just outside the walls for drinks at KOP bar at one of the outside tables, right on the water overlooking the Lovrijenac fort. My partner was a big GOT fans and said the harbor was used in many scenes. It was super windy and just as the server is approaching with his gigantic mug of beer and my aperol spritz, a big gust blew up and she lost them. I swear, if I didn't know his family and know better, I'd swear my partner was a former 00 agent ha! He is like a cat and in a split second, he had both drinks, one in each hand and had stopped the tray from blowing away with his foot. Not a drop spilled. The server stood there with her mouth open too, and said something we didn't understand. Then she said "I'm so sorry, thank you for saving those" As he sat down and handed me the drinks, the nearby tables started clapping. He grinned and took a bow. It was hilarious. Just as we were finishing them, another round appeared. A couple were getting up to leave, German I think, and said "That deserved a second round. Enjoy" We hadn't counted on having a second, so let's just say we were quite happy and relaxed by the time we got up to walk the city walls, lol.

Our hostess had advised to wait until 5pm, to avoid the worst of the heat and crowd and she was right. It was a fun walk, and beautiful views and perspectives of the city. You could still see some damage from the shelling in the 90's. By the time we were done, we were hungry so we found a beautiful restaurant just off the Stradun, Portun, and had an early dinner, again enjoying fascinating conversation with our server. We love to talk to the locals and find out about them, where they're from, etc. We always learn a lot. It was delicious. Recommend. Then we went up and had a drink at a jazz bar, enjoying the romantic lighting outside.

The next day the surf was high, as we'd had some storms in the night and we went down to the water to Porporela. The waves were crashing very high but we dodged a few successfully to get out onto the rocks, and another man was watching us and I could tell he wanted to come too. I waved him on, and he started, but misjudged his wave and got soaked. He scrambled over and we had a good laugh. I don't know what language he spoke, it sounded maybe like Croatian or a version, so I couldn't understand what he was saying but we all smiled.

We wandered the town more, took a ton of pictures, and snacked and drank and relaxed. Dubrovnik is expensive, so we looked for a pizza place and ended up at one recommended in the RS book, and it was ok. There was a large table of Americans down a couple from us, and they were LOUD. SO LOUD. We could barely talk over them. It was a bit strange, as they were all older than us, but they were having quite the discussion on guns, and it put a damper on the mood. We ate quickly and went off to find some ice cream and take night pictures.

Final thoughts on Dubrovnik next up.

(Cont)

(cont)

Dubrovnik in general: it is FULL of Instagramers. There was a cruise ship the first day and the Stradun was SWARMED. The steps from Cercei's walk of Shame on GOT were also swarmed. Partner wanted a picture without a million people (seriously, you could barely see the steps the day of the cruise ship) so we'd gotten up before breakfast, at 6:30 am to get there. No one was there except three young people, early 20's armed with selfie sticks and tripods. The one young woman was on the steps and the other two were taking pictures, so we waited, thinking they'd move off in a bit. After ten minutes, my partner finally gave up and said he'd rather me be in the picture too since we were apparently going to have them in it too. They were smack in the middle of them. No sign of moving away, even for one minute for us, the only other people there, to get a picture. Shrug. Their prerogative, I guess, but since there was no one there but us, I'd have thought they'd let us snap at least one or two. We saw this repeated everywhere.

I'm glad I went, but I have a friend who was there in the late 80's. How different it must have been then. This was the most crowded place for us of the trip (I mean, I guess Athens is 'crowded' but it seriously felt less oppressive than here) and I was ready to move off after the day and a half. It is also very expensive, so I didn't mind leaving for that either. We had visited the fort outside the Pile gate, and I was a disappointed to see the enormous amount of litter around it. I had never seen the Adriatic before, and it is stunning. The blue....simply breathtaking, and to me, it felt warmer than the Aegean.

May 31-June 1 Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina

I scheduled a pick up with our young driver Dario to get our rental car at the airport. Off to Mostar! We chose the mountain route mentioned in RS book. Our first border crossing was uneventful. Immediately after, we went through a second one, which I was not aware of. It was fine, but I hadn't expected it. They are right together. I think it was the Serbian Republic of Bosnia. Anyhow, we thought it was very interesting country to drive through. We had a manual again, so I was driving. I didn't realize how rocky it was on that route (the countryside, not the road). Big country, big mountains. Saw a handful of cars only. We debated about seeing Blagaj today or tomorrow. Decided on the way out, next day. As we arrived in Mostar & to our accommodations, the Shangri-La Mansion, we had to turn right up a STEEP short hill. Now, I'm a manual driver at home. I drive a 2004 Jeep Wrangler with only a 4cylndr engine as it's made for mountains. I know how to handle a steep section w/out a lot of power. But I guess that's where the gearing is different on a rig like that vs a low power modern car. For the first time in my life I killed it up this hill. Three times! There was a local lady standing there watching me, and oof. I had slowed down because it said I was 'there' but I didn't see it, & that was my undoing. I had to rev the engine and practically peel the cement off the road to get it up to the hotel. The host was standing outside. I'm sure he heard my approach! He relieved my embarrassment by telling me it was because the car had no power.

This place was outstanding. I highly recommend! Their rooftop terrace is breathtaking. I will expound on this more later, but it was amazing, and we were completely alone. We never saw another guest the whole time, Our room was very comfortable and spotlessly clean. The breakfast was excellent, and the courtyard you can take it in was again, stunning. They have decorated and landscaped beautifully. As a former landscaper, I can say this with confidence. Someone knows how to design. He was very helpful, and there is a little cooler you can buy half bottles of wine from. Perfect! All for the outrageous price of....$49/night. Unbelievable.

next: Mostar, the town

Very entertaining report, I'm following along. Dubrovnik sounds unappealing unless I could somehow catch it without crowds. I wonder if it's one of those places where if it's not crowded it's because everything is shut down for the season.

Mostar

Where do I begin. It was very sobering to see all the damage. Immediately I was conscious that I was a tourist in people's tragedies. I became very aware of how long my gaze was lingering on obvious shelling, bombed-out buildings alongside rebuilt ones, and of where & what I was photographing. My partner and I had a sober discussion about our photography. We walked the VERY short walk from our hotel to "copper street", and were immediately charmed. We bought some gifts from a coppersmith, who engraved them for us right there. When we went to pay, he took our cash (in marks) and went upstairs to get us change. He was so kind and friendly. Then we went into a little art gallery/shop. My partner and I like to bring art home from every place. He struck up a conversation with the owner, who was selling his brother's works. Another man came out and introduced himself as a cousin, and he was so excited to talk to Americans! I was waiting for the joke, as I don't feel like we are that big of a deal. But I ended up mentioning I wanted some Turkish Delight and he walked me down to this bakery/candy shop that he said had the best, all the while excitedly talking to me about whether we liked Bosnia-HZG.

I found this to be a theme in all our encounters in the short time we were in Bosnia- they were VERY concerned about how they appeared to us. We had a wonderful stroll across Stari-Most, watched a jumper and donated some coins, bought some hand-made lace from a woman (we had a long conversation with her through her younger daughter, as she didn't speak English) for my partner's mother, and ended up walking across the little bridge that's older than the Stari-Most (but also a reproduction.) Along that way, there was one of the mothers with her children begging. It was all I could do to not donate to her. I'm aware that she is probably forced by her husband at home to beg, using her child. I did some research beforehand, as I have some background as a victim's advocate here. It was one of the worst moments of the trip. Across the bridge is a little pub that was advertising draft beers for one Euro. We stopped and ordered them, enjoying the cool shade. We could see her & her child, who hopped up after a bit & ran off to play with some boys coming his way. Later, we saw her in a different spot. Sigh.

We walked into the Croat side but did not go into the cathedrals or anything. We actually preferred the Bosnian side. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel and up to the rooftop terrace to kill some time before dinner and enjoy some wine we bought at a grocery. The clerk helped me pick it out, and she was extremely helpful and friendly. We'd heard a call to prayer earlier, but as we were sitting on that gorgeous terrace, with the sunset beginning to paint the sky, it started in staggered chorus from towers running north to south. It was incredibly moving and I'd not heard anything like it before. An area of discovery for me. I am a steadfast atheist but appreciate other's personal rights to faith and devotion.

We again went for an early dinner, the only ones initially at Urban Grill, a RS rec. It was a bit embarrassing to eat so early, but our server was SO friendly and made us feel fine about it. There were big wine glasses on the table, so I asked about a wine list. Oops. Water glasses, not wine! No alcohol. He was very kind in explaining and kept asking me if it was ok and apologizing. I told him I was totally fine with water. The white cross up on the hill is interesting, and I don't know how I feel about its location and its significance. We walked along the water more & I bought some silk & wool pashminas for my daughters. I was struck by the friendliness of the people again. A woman in a full hijab was trying to take a selfie of her and her family and was struggling a bit. I offered to take it for them, and she started, stared at me and quickly said no. I am afraid I offended her somehow.

(cont)

June 1, Bosnia

After a most excellent breakfast and discussion with our host about route, we reluctantly left Mostar and headed to Blagaj and the Dervish House. We were stopped well prior by a man with his hand out in front of us, at least a quarter mile away, who said we must pay to go park there. We were not aware of this, but it was in a big parking lot and he gestured around and said "this is for buses, you can park down the road but must pay". So we did, and went on and found parking a bit closer. We then didn't have quite enough cash to go into the house, and it seemed busy, and with Covid, we decided not to enter. We crossed the river and walked the path (after some direction help from an old man sitting and selling cherries, who saw our hesitation and waved us up) all the way to the cave. Remarkable. We had read about the house, very significant. On the way back, we bought some cherries from the man. My partner was about to pop one in his mouth when I mentioned the worms. He said "What worms?" I opened a few and showed him. I told him they were just extra protein, but he declined to eat any ha! I had cherries trees in the past so I knew, and ate a few minus the worms, and then we discreetly disposed of the rest in the trash out of sight of the old gentleman.

When we left Google maps tried to kill us. It took us on a waaay back route instead of Blagaj proper through neighborhoods. Ok, I'm cool with rural, but then turned into a dirt two-tire track along a stream and ended at a bridge that had been dismantled. Nope. Then on the way back, we got a rather unfriendly look from a farmer trying to find our way and ended up on a road that dead-ended at a very expensive-looking huge iron gate. Uh. My partner is some weird savant when it comes to roads and memory, so he got us back to Blagaj where we got onto the main road. Whew. We took a route through Nevesinje, and down around Bileća Lake. There is some stunning scenery along the way. Yuuuge valleys, and farmland with old stone houses that make you think you're in western Europe somewhere. There were very friendly farmers on tractors who gave us big waves. Most of the vehicles we saw were older models from the 90's (even 80's), and they drove much slower than the speed limit. I was very self-conscious of passing them in a flashy bright blue new car (not my choice) and so chose to wait until they turned off. We went through Trebinje, very European looking and reminded me of the area around Cahors France in fact. We didn't stop, but I would have liked to.

Crossed into Montenegro and entered the Bay of Kotor around Herceg-Novi. Wow, suddenly you're in the tropics again. Palm trees everywhere. A bit congested but easy driving, although it's hard not to crane your neck while driving. Our stop, Perast.

June 1-2 Perast, Montenegro

A poster here had recommended Perast as an overnight stay. THANK YOU THANK THANK YOU. What a lovely place. We arrived around 5pm, and stayed at Villa & Apartments Perasto. They said there was parking above on the street- well, yes. A cleared dirt space on the side that maybe fit two small cars tightly. But it worked. Gate right there, and down a step. The hostess met us there, decent english, and the booking showed a lovely terrace and a wall of windows overlooking the bay in the very small studio. It was as described, but they'd had rain a couple days before and everything was covered in dirt and foliage debris. She said she'd swept it that morning, but--ahem. It was obvious that it hadn't been swept or cleaned in weeks. Inside we go, and it's small, but nice and the window view is everything it purported. I was a bit dismayed at the cleanliness though. Lots of dirt on the floor. Clearly hadn't been rented in a few weeks. Not anything to turn me away though, fairly minor. We dropped our bags and were off.

The villas are beautifully constructed and pleasantly landscaped though, and we made our way down to the waterfront to walk the town. There is a tiny store and a hidden atm next door, that we hit. She would only take cash for payment, so that was done. Walked all the waterfront and back, then stopped for our usual early bird dinner at an Italian restaurant on the southeast end that advertised fresh pasta. All the servers were young people, and as a rarity on the trip (exceptions: one restaurant in Milos and one in Athens) we had a young female server. She was very eager to talk to us about the U.S. and her homeland, Turkey (I know there's a new spelling, can't remember it.) She was very concerned with Turkey's new direction, as well as the U.S.'s. We split a bottle of Rosé that was Montenegrin, DIVINE. So good we ordered a second to take with us, (after requesting they open it.)

We were right on the water and can I just say, sitting 5 feet from the bay waters of the Adriatic, with the golden afternoon light, hearing the lap, was something I still think about? We watched kayakers and sailboats, and a massive cruise ship exiting the Bay. Whoever was captaining that boat did it like a boss. We were amazed at the dexterity and speed with how it left that tight bay. Then we took our bottle (we might have sipped on it a bit while walking heh) and leisurely strolled back to our hotel to regroup. As we walked up the stone steps, our host was there with a leafblower, clearing the patios. Yay! We had a small glass of the wine on our terrace and went back to enjoy the cool night and the lighting. We took some beautiful pictures of the boats in the dusky light, and as night fell and the town glowed golden, we were utterly charmed. Maybe it was the wine, but we enjoyed ourselves so much. In addition to the cats, there was a stray hound dog of sorts that made fast friends with my partner. We had some "Perast Cream Cake" at a different waterfront restaurant, where an older gentleman working his rear off had accidentally photobombed an earlier picture but realized it and hammed it up. There was a small but mighty kitten there, who jumped onto the table (quite a large table, well away from the empty plate of scarfed-down cake) and leaped over to partner's shoulder. I said he was now a cat whisperer. The older server laughed and picked up the kitten and snuggled it a bit before putting it softly down. Methinks kitten has a new home.

Back home and our magic bubble popped just a bit when we discovered a GIANT (giant I tell you!) cricket smashed in the door jam of the bathroom. Partner may be 007 material in 99% of things, but bug removal isn't one. It's not mine, either, but I couldn't let it stare at me on the throne either, so I got some TP and had to wipe him up. :gagging noises: Guess we're not in fairyland after all. After that, I shut all the windows!

Next up: Kotor and Cavtat

2 June Kotor

Up the next morning to finish driving the bay, at least to Kotor. RS had mentioned in the guide that if you've seen Dubrovnik, you don't really need to see Kotor. I agree, and prefer between the two Dub. But partner wanted to see the fortress above, and we wanted to drive more of the bay, so off we went.

Some of the waterfront lodgings and homes are stunning. I could see myself spending time there easily, for a "real" vacation, the kind where you just swim, boat, sleep, and relax. We hit Kotor just as a cruise ship did (at least one, maybe more I don't know.) There is an information booth just outside the main gate of the old town and I stopped to inquire about a covid test- at that time, it was still required to fly home and although I had the proctored tests, I prefer the quick and cheap administered pharmacy tests. A woman about my age explained there was a clinic back on the way to Cavtat, just outside of Kotor about 8 minutes. She gave me excellent directions. We went into the old city.

Ugh, too many people! It was also going to be around 94 degrees that day, it was already super hot and the humidity. Ooof. I have learned that my disease does NOT respond well to humidity, and I always feel worse at low elevation. I live at 2400', not high, but I backpack above 8,000' on the regular and what a difference. So, I wasn't feeling that great anyway. I should have found a nice cafe and had some coffee or tea while partner climbed the fortress. But no, I guess I had to prove something to myself. What I proved was that my tolerance for that heat and humidity is zero. I'd seen many cool castles and fortresses already in Greece and France, I personally was not as taken with this and didn't feel it was worth it.

However, at the top, while I was waiting for partner to catch up since he was taking pictures of the view below, a young man in pool slides who'd been behind me came up and said "We did it!" I high fived him and commented on his slides and so began a conversation with a young Croatian man, 27, from Split. He asked me, "Are you American?" and when I said yes, he literally said "Oh man! This is great! I feel like I'm in the movies, I get to talk to an American" I kid you not. Anyhow, it was my most interesting exchange. He asked me if I'd been to Dubrovnik and if I liked it. I hesitated a bit, and he said to them Dubrovnik is the place everyone goes but 'real Croatia' is Hvar and Split and other places, etc. He asked about Trump and Biden, and thought Trump was such a wonderful man etc etc. I asked him where he got his information from, and he told me the media - turns out his parents listen to Russian media. Anyhow, I explained a few things to him and he was like "Wow! I had no idea, good to hear this from the horse's mouth!" We talked about how he really wanted to travel but had no money to do it, how hard it was for them to make enough to travel, about our lack of healthcare in the U.S. (he had no idea that we do not have universal healthcare, and it's tied to employment, etc) He was shocked. Then he said he wanted to go to Texas (more on this later) and Las Vegas. Partner was there by then, and said "Ugh no!" and the young man said "Why?" I replied, "Las Vegas is our Dubrovnik!" and we had a good laugh. I spent about 50 minutes up there, talking to him. So, that made up for the rest.

We did a bit of wandering about after we came down, gulped down some iced tea in a cafe, ducked into some shops, bought a couple of watercolors in an art gallery, but that took only about 25 minutes total for it all, and then we went on to Cavtat. Found the medical clinic easily, went in, staffed by three young women, took 5 minutes for both of us to get our tests, $18 apiece, out the door, negative results in 15 minutes via email. Again, wtheck is wrong with us here in the states!

2 June Cavtat

Our apartments here were Apartments Bugenvila. I had exchanged messages with the owner, within 15 minutes of arrival in fact. Very easily found, just up the hill from the waterfront of the town. But when we got there, no one was there as they stated to meet us, there were two gates and it wasn't clear which one to go in nor which building to knock on. (Turn out there is a sign on the inside of the gate, but from the approach it isn't visible.) No response to the number on the booking via phone, either. A local across the street saw us, standing there, came over, said something we couldn't understand, then went through the other gate and down to a house. A woman came out and and greeted us then. We waved at the local as he left. She led us to our apartment and it was large, roomy, and very comfortable. During conversation, in response to my inquiry, she confirmed she was born and raised in Germany but had lived here for the last 25 years. There is just a certain aesthetic Germans have, and one of my dearest friends is German and I could tell by the apartment she was. Despite the bit of hiccup with the check in, and the non-responsiveness to later messages regarding kitchen stock, I would recommend, partly due to the cleanliness, the roominess, and the view. Oh my, the view.

There was a standard but large balcony that overlooked the Adriatic. There was also an adoring and loud calico cat pawing at the balcony door. The balcony was very high up, and we couldn't figure out how kitty got there, so we let her in and immediately she purred and rubbed on our legs, followed me around, and jumped into my lap when I sat down on the couch. She was very lovey. Settled right in. After showering, we went down to the village to eat our by now standard early dinner. Our server was a bright young man, who quizzed us on where we were from. Turns out he'd worked in Colorado at Mesa Verde Nat Park in the summer just prior to the pandemic, and desperately wanted to return. He was very chatty, and we enjoyed our meal.

Then we walked along the beautiful "point". The sun was beginning to set, and as we started off, all the little small fishing boats were coming in with the day's catch. There was a group of about 15 cats waiting for this one boat to land- it was so charming to see the "hardened" fisherman throwing bits of fish to these cats. Tough guys, indeed! :) The walk along that point (or finger, or spit, or whatever it is) is gorgeous. They have a beautiful park there, and what a setting. Holy cow, I can see why locals choose Cavtat for vacation.

Back to our balcony, and watching the sun sink slowly into the Adriatic, with the soft cooling breeze and our last bottle of Montenegrin wine, was the best end to a trip I've ever had. The weather was perfect, it was a glorious sunset and the glow of the moon was perfect. Catty showed up and brought a timid black calico sister with her. We let her in, she promptly jumped on the bed and curled up next to partner, while her friend was more timid. There were food bowls out in the breezeway by the front door, and they were clean and well-kept, but we didn't want anyone to worry about them so I reluctantly made them exit via the front door.

On a happy note, the bed was the most comfortable one of the trip yet, and I had a blissful night's sleep.

Next up, departure and final thoughts.

3 June, Home

We dropped car off at Dubrovnik airport. Our flight departed at 10:25, so we arrived at 8:20 for car drop off. Take my advice, at least at that time of year, you do NOT need to be at DBV that early. The car rental (Avis? Budget? I can't remember) was supposed to open at 8am, no one was there, so after sitting around for 10 minutes, finally read the window that said you can drop keys and paperwork in the mail slot. D'oh! Done. Into the airport, we're literally the only ones in there besides employees. Kind of embarrassing. Through security in like two minutes, because, just us, found our gate & a coffee shop just next to it. Money out in a bowl on the counter, but no person. We desperately needed coffee, as the apartment had had none (hence the messages regarding kitchen stock from prior post. Take note, no coffee, even though it was listed on the booking.) We sat down in the comfy lounge adjoining the shop, and about 8:55-9am, here comes the gentleman back to the counter.
I admit we probably descended like flies on honey on him, but I tried to be calm and polite. I apologized and offered that we thought it was open (there were hours listed that did indeed say it opened much earlier) & he replied rather stiffly they started early & took breaks when there were no people there. Because I didn't want to bother him again, I ordered each of us 2 double Cappuccinos to save another trip, lol.

We originally were to fly to Helsinki on 1 June for a stopover, but FinnAir canceled the flights on that day. I had been disappointed for many reasons, one of which was our homebound flight didn't leave HEL until 5:45pm, and was non stop to Seattle, so it would have made an excellent non-stress travel day, at leisure instead of making connections, early to airport, etc. But the flight from DBV to HEL was easy, and I have a new favorite airport! What a pleasure the Helsinki airport is. Nature sounds piped in alongside giant screens showing live nature feeds from various areas in Finland. Moontime coffee (I swear, I have never seen a customer service person so genuinely happy to help a customer) with their rocking chairs, and the calm. Wow. Our coffee barista young man made a double heart in one Cappucino and a stag in another. I've never seen a perfect stag laying down before in coffee art. We landed at the gate next to our departing gate, and I couldn't believe we didn't have to go through security or anything, as our flight from DBV was not on the same ticket, but we did not. Some of the smoothest boarding ever. No one asked about our covid test results either. Go figure. The flight back home was maybe half full, or just under. A few days prior to leaving home, I'd snagged premium econ seat upgrades for each of us for $100. Score! So comfy. Of course, SeaTac was another story. Thank goodness for Global Entry though. I was SO grateful to bypass the hideously long (my god, you'd age a decade in that line!) line for those unlucky enough to not have GE.

We'd beat our arrival time a bit, and there was an earlier Alaska flight to Spokane, so we hustled to the gate to ask the agent if we could jump on that one to Spokane instead of waiting two more hours for ours. She said we had to go to Alaska customer service, she couldn't do it. Ugh. We run back to the guest service counter for Alaska, wait in line, and the agent next to the one we finally get is dealing with a customer yelling at her about something. Eeek. We politely explain our request, and the agent says "You'll have to ask the gate agent, I can't do that" WHAT. As calmly and politely as I could, I told her we had gone there first, and she said SHE couldn't, that the service desk had to. Well, she gets on the phone, calls the gate agent, turns her chair around and rolls back a bit so we can't hear her, and then gets off and says "She says she hasn't talked to anyone today about jumping on an earlier flight and doesn't know what you're talking about."

(cont)

Grrr. The way she was staring at us, the yelling match going on beside us-- partner and I looked at each other and his eyes advised me it wasn't happening. They were simply not interested in helping us. (the App showed the flight DID have available seats, but oh well.) We went and grabbed a beer in the lounge and just waited for our scheduled flight.

Thoughts:

Mask wearing was probably 25-30% on the planes and in airports HERE at this time. Mask wearing more like 85-90% in Athens, less than 30% in DBV and HEL. In Greece, EVERYONE wore masks in grocery stores, and inside most attractions. All servers were wearing them. Of course, this may be outdated now.

We used the most cash we ever had this trip. Of course, we were on the Deep Mani and bought local honey etc from roadside stands, but at least 4 of our lodging choices stated cash only, including in Mostar and Montenegro and Cavtat.

Everyone wants to go to Texas! OMG, there is so much to see in the U.S. (um, Washington State, anyone? the variety of beauty here is staggering) The myth of the American West is alive and well. We did our best to talk up other areas of the country.

Despite everyone being excited to talk to Americans, it seems to me we don't figure much in their lives. They really didn't know anything about us, that we don't have national healthcare, the mass shootings (Uvalde took place while we were overseas) and what media is chosen makes a big difference. Mostly our contributions seems to be in pop culture. Also, death metal seems to be very big in Croatia and Bosnia-HGZ and Montenegro, lol, as well as 80's music.

Everything was scrupulously clean, including all the bathrooms we used publicly (with the exception noted of the one apartment.) Masking is no big deal, neither are vaccines (as in, most people seem to have gotten them without fuss.) However, I'm very glad to have escaped this new wave of BA.5 variant. I'm still dealing with long covid from my Delta infection, including altered taste and smell. That made the eating part of the trip difficult. When I'd talk to servers about it and ingredients, etc, they all seemed to instantly know what I meant and were very accommodating, often telling me they knew someone with same. That at least was gratifying. Long covid isn't a joke, and there's no correlation to severity of infection. Anyhow, one of the weird things affected was the taste of water, so it was rather annoying, let me tell you.

It was a wonderful trip. I do not have anything scheduled as of right now, I have an academic commitment starting in Oct until June so I'm not sure if I will be taking another international trip until next summer or fall of 2023. This hurts to type out! But who knows? Most of my trips are purchased on a whim, when a good deal crops up! These tickets were purchased pre-pandemic, and I'm so glad I kept stubbornly adjusting the dates. Also, I thought FinnAir was one of the better airlines I'd flown, but admittedly my experience was limited to those two flights.

I will probably think of a few more details to add later, but that's it for now.

Thanks for reading, and happy travels!

ETA (already!) Surprising dark horse winner: Montenegro and Cavtat. I thought the Bay of Kotor was going to be a bit ho-hum. I'd tacked it on after our Helsinki time got squashed because I didn't know what else to do with two extra days, and didn't want to re-arrange. It was a great ending to a longer trip, and beautiful!

Enjoyed your trip report! My son was in Montenegro a few years ago and absolutely loved it. He wasn’t as crazy about Dubrovnik because of the crowds. I was in Dubrovnik in the late 1980s and it was such a different place than what you describe. I told my son I would not go back as I prefer to remember it as it was!

Glad your medical problems were able to adequately resolved. My husband had pink eye in Athens and he and his brother went to a pharmacy and he was able to buy some drops which resolved the problem. He was impressed.

Beth, that's when my friend was there too. I have and use an Instagram account, and Dubrovnik is extremely popular with the millennial crowd. It's a top TikTok subject too. Unfortunately, just like with any other technology, there are good and bad. And, I suppose, it's not alone in being overcrowded. Most things that are super popular are for a reason.

True. We both were there when Dubrovnik was part of communist Yugoslavia and wasn’t exactly on the tourists’ radar. A student in my husbands PhD program went back to Belgrade and we went to visit her. We went from there to Sarajevo and then to Dubrovnik. Certainly a different time.

What an amazing trip and wonderful trip report. I can’t imagine how much time you spent planning all this! I share your feelings about your two “wow” places — Perast and Cavtat. A great way to end your adventure. And Tania Milos hotel on Milos — wasn’t that a lovely place to start. Thanks for sharing.

I bet you will take another trip before summer/fall next year.

Charlene- I think you are one of the ones (there were two maybe?) who recommended Perast! I owe you a debt for sure.

roubrat- one can only hope! ;)

I’ve received so many helpful tips from people on this forum. Glad I could return the favor!

Just catching up on your trip and WOW! You tell a great story!

What a wonderful time you all had....such variety in scenery and culture.

Thanks so very much for taking the time to post...I realize I had a couple of comments that occurred to me as I read but now,of course, they are all gone, hahaha!! Oh well...maybe I'll think of them.

Ha ha, Pam, thank you! You can always ask me too at a meet-up! :)

And yes, I thought it was quite a variety too. I did not anticipate how warm and friendly the Croatians are, or the Bosnian/Serbs. I would (will) definitely return.

I was traveling when you posted this, so just now read it and very much enjoyed it. Hope to make it to some of those areas someday soon!

Thank you Tammy! I hope you make it there soon too!

I loved hearing about your trip and hope to visit some of those places in a year or two. And….Texas? Hahaha