Packing for home

Most of our day was spent at our hotel, indoors and out.  Weather in Sardinia continues to be very summery.  We went looking for a place for dinner, but we were looking at an “off” time of the day – too late for lunch and too early for dinner.   The restaurant we found that was open was a seafood restaurant – apparently family owned and operated.  Three of the four men working there looked like they were related – probably brothers – dark curly hair, short and stocky build.   Very friendly – no English, and they treated us like an Italian grandmother would treat her grandchildren at meal time.  They served a seven course meal (Including octopus, anchovies, kippers, shrimp, spaghetti, deep fried fish, oysters, snails, and on and on!) with huge portions (we turned down three of the courses and sent back some of the appetizer plates, despite their urging us to eat more).  As we waddled toward the door they met us with a glass of mirtus, a Sardinian liqueur, which we drank of course.  When we got back to our hotel and were sitting around feeling stuffed we remembered wistfully that had we been home we would have been enjoying seafood as well because tonight is the night of the Highview lutefisk dinner.  We just can’t make it to everything, I guess!

We’ve reorganized our luggage and are ready to head to the airport tomorrow.  We stay in Dublin tomorrow night and fly home from there on Monday.  We discovered that the cheapest way to fly to Europe was to fly round-trip, so our flights were in and out of Dublin.  

Our last day before heading home was a quiet day reading, stitching, taking a walk, and just relaxing!

Cagliari

Today we drove to Su Nuraxi, the site of a Bronze Age civilization in south central Sardinia.  I first read about this site from an article that I read in my Norwegian class.  The site is amazing in its complexity.  I will let Tom tell you the details in his pictures.

From Su Nuraxi we drove to Cagliari.  We are staying at a Holiday Inn – a nod to American influence in the region – our last stop before we start for home.  We will have a day of R&R before starting the 2-day return trip.

On the drive down the island we passed some lovely vistas.  (Notice the windmills - today we visited a little bit of a lot of history)

Our main stop was here.  This site was originally built in about 1500 BC.  The town consisted of 200 houses and four guard towers - the largest of which rose about 60 feet.  It was inhabited continuously until about the 5th century.

Looking to the west the site is close by these remains of an 11th century castle.

There are hundreds of these villages scattered around the island - although this one is the largest.  This "house" is typical of many of the dwellings.  It had a large rock water bowl in the center, a carved rock arch for a door, and round rock walls.

Within the towers are a number of round rooms with arched ceilings about 15 feet high.  These were most likely used for sleeping, weapons, and ceremonies (I'm not sure which Sandy is engaged in here).

Here is a look from the top of the tower.  The 200 houses were laid out in a ring around the towers.  The streets are so narrow I had to walk sideways to fit in most of them.

There were special items found in a number of the houses to indicate their uses.  This one was most likely a bakery.

The "roads" meander all around the place making it hard to walk through the village.

In the next town we stopped to visit this church.  It was built in 1540 by the local Lord who had been appointed by the Spanish monarch - Spain ruled the island then.  (Interesting - 20th century wind mills, 14th century BC ruins, 11th century castle, 16th century church!)

Looking back we have driven in four countries - on both sides of the road - and on medieval roads barely wider than the car, on windy roads, mountainside roads, narrow country lanes, in busy cities, etc. -- thank you GARMIN for always being there!!  (We also have been on trains, planes, boats, buses, taxis, vans, hiking, ... )

Sardinia

We were up and dressed early enough to consider taking the early ferry from Bonifacio to Santa Teresa.  However, before we could accomplish that there was the little matter of returning the car to the Hertz drop-off at the airport.  According to Garmin, we could make the drive to the airport in about 20 minutes, so we figured it was worth making the effort.  The worst that could happen would be that we didn’t make it back in time for the ferry and would have a day to spend in Bonifacio, complete with old castle, lots of shops and good restaurants.  So we headed for the airport.  Oh-oh, no gas stations along the way, so we would have to drop the car off with an empty tank – uffda! 

The airport was awfully quiet.  I guess there weren’t any flights scheduled for this morning.  No one was at the Hertz drop-off point, so we dropped the keys in the box and went to try to find a taxi.  Of course, there were none to be found.  On entering the airport we saw two people – one was a man polishing the floor, the other a bewildered looking woman at the check-in desk, who wasn’t too sure a taxi could be located.  However, after making one phone call she told us one would be out front in 15 minutes.

We got back to the hotel, checked out, got the luggage and hustled to the port.  The ticket line wasn’t moving.  We never found out what the hold-up was, but we got our tickets and boarded at 9:30.  The ferry was about 10 minutes late in leaving – I think it was because of the problems in the ticket office.

The ferry ride was beautiful.  We could still see Corsica when Sardinia came into view.  The weather was perfect – bright sunshine and comfortable temperature. When we landed in Santa Teresa the question was, do we get a hotel room and spend our first day in the city, or rent a car and head down the road.  We decided on the latter and went to look for a car rental office. ---Not so easy as in Bastia.

We got directions to a Hertz office.  Thought we’d walk, but a taxi was right there asking if we wanted to ride.  We decided to take him up on his offer.  He was old and feeble and could hardly get out of the car.  We thought we needed to get our own luggage in the trunk.  Unfortunately the trunk of the taxi wouldn’t open.  After some attempts at opening it we said grazzi, but no grazzi, and started walking UPHILL to the place that had been suggested. 

Oops, I guess there isn’t a Hertz in town after all.  The only agency renting cars that can be dropped off is Europcar – the office is back down the hill and over a few streets.  So, off we go with our luggage.  The sign on door says open 9:00-1:00, but there is no one in the office.  We ask around at the businesses nearby.  A helpful clerk in a souvenir shop tried calling the phone number unsuccessfully.  After about a half hour of screwing around we’re standing in the parking lot outside the rental office and a young woman drives into the lot and goes into the office.  We’re wondering who called her and gave her the heads up on customers needing a car.  Well, we got our car and started down the road about 1 ½ hours after arriving in town. 

After the magnificent scenery in Corsica the scenery in Sardinia is pretty drab.  Dry, hilly, and looking pretty unproductive.  Some grapes and olive trees, and a few sheep.  We stopped in a seaside town for lunch, which was excellent – I had Sardinian gnocchi – very good.  

Looking back at Bonifacio you could clearly see how the town was built on the cliff edge inside of the fortress.

After our taxi ride back from the rental place we had to hustle to get on the ferry.  As a result we had "breakfast" on the ferry -- two bad cups of coffee and stale biscotti -- the meal was nothing to brag about but the atmosphere was great!!

We were told that Hertz was about a mile up this hill (believe it or not it is quite steep) - but when we got to the top we found out there is no Hertz and the only rental place is at the bottom of the hill about 100 feet down the street from where we started!!

The scenery here is not as spectacular as on Corsica - but it still has some pretty vistas!

This little town is pretty much all medieval fortress!  A good place to visit for lunch.

We had lunch here at the foot of the fort.

Unlike Corsica the beaches here have actual SAND - and can be approached without climbing gear.  (The Corsican beaches are all small rocks - no sand)

Corsica

Today our drive was less scary - no drop-offs to the ocean - but we still had beautiful scenery. We drove into the interior, through a regional park.  It was heavily forested.  In places we were reminded of the Black Hills.  We were looking for a prehistoric site and not finding it, but we persevered.  On the drive we stopped for a coffee break.  I ordered a chestnut torte to go with my coffee.  I thought it was excellent - Tom didn't care for it.  He didn't care for the chestnut puree I had in Sarajevo, or the "chestnuts roasted on an open fire" that I had in Zagreb either, for that matter.

We finally found the prehistoric site we were looking for.  It was started in the 3rd millennium BC - that is, the Bronze Age.  It was pretty amazing to step through a doorway that had been put in place 3000 years ago.

We reached the southern tip of Corsica late this afternoon.  We got a hotel on the harbor so we can walk to the port to catch our ferry to Sardinia tomorrow.  The streets here are narrow and people drive wherever their cars seem to fit.  Tom was very happy to be directed to a parking lot across the street from our hotel to we could depend on foot power for the remainder of our time in the city. We will, however, need to get the car back to Hertz before we catch the ferry.

The rock formations in the park are inspiring.

We drove for about 3 hours through the park.

While looking for the archaeological site we walked through a small village reading signs.  I came across this lady washing her feet in one of the fountains - sure glad I didn't drink from it!

Here is the original (about 3,000 BC) rock doorway into a main dwelling unit.  We climbed around the site abit.  It was inhabited from about 3,000 BC to the 1,000's AD.  It was home to a small village of 30-40 people.

During the middle ages a local Lord built his castle just above the old dwelling.  The footings of his tower and his "manor house" are still here - as is the ruins of a 12th century church.
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It was about a 1.5 hour hike through the woods and up and down the hills to visit the site.  When we got back we had an elegant picnic in the shade.

Tonight we are staying in a hotel just below this 11th century fortress and castle.

Corsica

We spent a few lazy hours on Monday morning relaxing in our hotel, then touring the old part of Livorno.  We took a taxi to the port for a 1:45 departure to Bastia, Corsica.  We were there early and watched the disembarkation of the arriving passengers, their cars, RVs, etc., plus so many semi’s that it was hard to believe they could all fit in one ferry.  By the time everyone was unloaded and the departing passengers were loaded we got a late start.  

We arrived in Bastia about an hour late.  We didn’t have any reservations made, or any plans whatsoever, for that matter, but fortunately there are many hotels, car rental agencies and a tourist office very near the port.  We asked about a hotel and were directed to one where we got the last room (complete with balcony).  We walked to a grocery store and picked up something to eat and brought it to the hotel.  Within an hour of our arrival we were enjoying the evening from our hotel balcony.  One thing we didn’t have at our hotel was an internet connection, so therefore, no blog yesterday. 

This morning we visited the tourist office and got some suggestions about the highlights of the island.  Following the suggestions, we rented a car and spent the day driving along the coastal route of the northern tip of the island called Cap Corse.  The first part of the drive along the eastern shore reminded us of drives we’ve taken along Lake Superior.  After we reached the northern tip and started our drive down the western coast of the island it wasn’t nearly so much like Lake Superior.  There are so many switchbacks, with steep plunges to the sea just off the edge of the road.  This ride was more like the roller coasters at Disney World, but lots more scary.  Happily, we survived the afternoon.  One of our later stops was at a fort where a man had once, single handedly, held off a force of 1200 French soldiers. 

We are now partway down the island on the east coast.  We plan on driving to the southern tip tomorrow where we will catch the ferry to Sardinia the following day.  

This part of Livorno was called "Little Venice."  The area was built up starting in 1590 when the moat for the fort was dug and connected to the sea.

Sandy liked this store - all wine, cheese, and bread!

We had some beautiful views of the city as we left.

Coming into harbor in Corisca was pretty nice as well.

We got into our room late so we went to a grocery store and had a picnic on our porch!

The roads round the "Cap Corse" or northern end of Corsica are pretty stunning - even if you have to drive a tight corkscrew and the sides are straight down!

This fortress was started in 1523.  This is where an Italian soldier once held off 1200 French soldiers!

This is the view from the fort overlooking the town.  Most of these towns are very small and hard to get to.  We found that most stores, restaurants, etc. were closed down for the season.

Livorno

Well Tom has decided that he doesn’t want  to take any more night trains. All the noise and motion keeps him awake and he doesn’t care for the close quarters of the sleeping cars. 

We had a very short night – leaving Villach, Austria at midnight and arriving Florence, Italy shortly after 6:30 AM.  We were able to board our connecting train to Livorno as soon as we arrived in Florence, and we left a half hour later.  So far, so good.

Upon our arrival in Livorno we discovered no taxi stands, information booths, or tourist help desks at the station and so started walking, with luggage in tow, hoping to find something that would help us out.  We ended up at a shopping mall where a helpful clerk called a taxi for us.  He arrived in only a few minutes and brought us to the port where we went to check on departures to Corsica.  Unfortunately, yesterday was the final day of multiple trips across to Corsica and today’s ferry left at 8:15. Had we arrived a day earlier, or a day later we could have taken the 1:45 ferry, but not today.  Of course, things could be worse than being in Tuscany with a free week at our disposal, so we decided to get a hotel room here in Livorno.  A woman at the ferry terminal suggested a hotel that was “a five minute walk” and she gave us directions.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible to exit the terminal at the convenient pedestrian entry point, so by the time we exited the terminal we had walked to far afield that the directions she gave us were pointless.  After some more walking we found someone else to call a taxi.  The taxi driver spoke no English – so we were even, since we couldn’t speak any Italian.  He asked which hotel and we couldn’t communicate the answer – but just then we drove by a billboard of a hotel, so I told him “that one”.  Fortunately, they had a room available (with a balcony overlooking the harbor and the sea – unfortunately, there is a building trying to obstruct our sea view).  By the time we got to our room it was noon and we were so tired that we took naps. 

We got to Livorno only to find that there is nothing at the train station!  So we set off walking hoping to find something soon.

The room we wound up with overlooks the harbor and the old fort.

It is built into the old town walls!

The harbor fortress is right across the road from us.

This statue is right outside of our hotel.  The statue was made in 1595 in honor of the Medici triumph over the Moorish pirates.

Leaving Bled

We had a wonderful, relaxing day in Bled.  We went on a four mile walk around Lake Bled, then spent a few hours on our balcony overlooking the lake.  Weather continues to be perfect and fall colors are just starting.  Today has almost been a vacation from our travels.  We needed a relaxing day however, because tonight we catch a train to Villach, Austria, where we board an overnight train to Livorno, Italy.  We plan to take a ferry from Livorno to Corsica, but if our train arrives too late to catch the morning ferry, we may be spending some time in Livorno.  Stay tuned.

The view of the castle and cathedral from our window was great last night!

There is a 4.5 mile path around the lake.

One last view of the church on the island and the castle on the hill - then off for the train!

Bled, Slovenia

We went on a walking tour of Ljubljana this morning.  We finished the tour with coffee along the river.  It's a gorgeous fall day.  Not too much color in the trees here yet, but the weather is beautiful.

We arrived in Bled shortly after noon.  We toured a dilapidated castle, then went on a boat ride across Lake Bled to a very small island to see an old church church from the 12th century.  After the boat ride we drove up the mountain to another castle; this one was restored and included a restaurant, a museum, a wine cellar, gift shop, etc.

The last castle tour signaled the end of our tour of the Balkans, so we are now traveling independently again.  Will we be able to have a nice and relaxing final week before going home, or are we so used to touring new places every day that we won't be able to break the habit?

We stopped in the middle of town for coffee by the river.  What a great fall day.

The University is located in the city.  It has a little over 30,000 students.

This castle was built in the 12th century.  It is not too long from Bled and was a contemporary to the castle there.  In the 1700 the castle was abandoned and scavenged for a monastery.

This is the view of the castle from our room in Bled.  The castle was started in 1011.  It was eventually given to the Bishop here and remained in the church until the 1600s.

Here is a slightly different view from our window.  The castle is above and next to the town cathedral.  There is also a very pretty church located on an island in the lake (not visible here).

Here is the church on an island with the castle in the background.  The oldest structures on the island date to about 800 BC.  The church was started in the 1100s and reached its present size in the 18th century.  It is said that if you make a wish in the church and ring the bell three times your wish will come true!  Sandy and I rang the bell, but since we are good Lutherans we did not make a wish.

The city of Bled as seen from the castle walls!

The lake as seen from the castle walls.  The church is on the small island you can see at the far side of the lake.

Ljubljana,Slovenia

We have a new guide/driver today.  He picked us up at our hotel in Zagreb, along with the other couple from our Balkan tour group who is continuing to Slovenia, and we headed for the border.

Our first stop in Slovenia was to Predjama Castle - a castle started in the 12th century and built into a vertical cliff.  Behind the castle are limestone caves that run for many kilometers, which made this a perfect place to defend oneself against one's enemies.

After the castle visit we visited Postojna Cave, the 3rd largest cave in the world, with passages up to 17 miles long.  We rode a little railroad car for about 15 minutes, into the interior of the cave, then walked through some of the passages for about an hour.  We've been in several caves around the world, and I have to say that this one is most impressive!

We are spending the night in Ljubljana, which is the capital of Slovenia.  It is a delightful city.  Weather is perfect and people are out in droves this evening, having coffee in the outdoor cafes, biking along the cobblestone streets, and listening to musicians in the city squares.  Up until last night I said Zagreb was my favorite city on this tour, but I think it has been displaced by Ljubljana.

The castle was quite unique having been built into a cave in the cliff.  It was only under siege once by the Austrians.  The siege ended when a lucky cannon shot went into a window and killed the Lord of the castle.

Sandy enjoyed the view from the castle.

You entered the cave by taking a 30 minute electric train ride (at a very good clip) winding through the formations.  It almost seemed like a Disney ride!

The "rain" on the roof was interesting.

After a 45 minute walk around the cave you took another 20 minute train ride back out - a lot of fun!

The town of Ljubljana is dominated by the fortress on the hill.

The restaurant we ate at was excellent.  They even made their own beer!

It was dark by the time we got back to the "Palace Hotel" where we are staying.