Cheese shop
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Kevin and Emily on London Bridge
Kevin and Emily on London Bridge
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Something I hadn't realized until I started travelling was that Americans are a big joke to the Brits. Case in point is the London Bridge purchase in the late sixties by an American for $2.5 million, thinking that it was Tower Bridge. Anyways, the last London Bridge went to Lake Havasu City, AZ.
Here are Kevin and Emily strolling on the latest London Bridge.
High Borough Street
High Borough Street
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
We had two fulls days of exploring London. After the first evening, we realized this: we should have spent less time in Croatia.
Gregorius of Nin
Gregorius of Nin
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
A crazy-looking statue of a 10th century Slavic religious leader conjuring a spell.
Split
Split
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
An hour's ferry ride brought us to the mainland at Split, from where we would be flying back to the UK. It was a large town, but disappointing after several days on the islands, but at least the prices were more reasonable. Split's claim to fame is a Diocletian Palace and cathedral in the old city. It is also a ferry terminal for ferries from Italy, so it is loaded with Italians. The waters unfortunately are murky and dark as you would expect from a busy port. This was unfortunate as the weather was stinking hot. We should have left that morning for the UK instead of spending the night. On the bright side, our dorm room had air-con.
Strange rock piles
Strange rock piles
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
On the hillsides were strange piles of loose rock that may have been used as walls for something. The piles didn't seem ancient and there wasn't any mortar holding them in place.
Great cove
Great cove
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Five minutes from our doorstep was this great cove. The water was clear and cool. Because of our great room and this cove, we ended up spending four nights in Hvar.
View from the fortress
View from the fortress
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
As you can see, the Dalmatian coast has numerous islands which makes is perfect for cruising about.
View from our balcony in Hvar
View from our balcony in Hvar
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
On arrival to Hvar, we were greetet by several locals with signs displaying "Sobe" which means "apartment". We got an ensuite room with balcony and refrigerator for 250 Kuna ($45) a night.
Not Coca-cola
Not Coca-cola
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
They grow vineyards and olive trees in Korcula. At a wine shop, we bought some wine out of a cask. The shop even had empty plastic bottles that they could fill up.
Kevin catches sea urchin
Kevin catches sea urchin
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Wearing footwear in the water is recommended as there are a few scattered sea urchins lying in crevices and on the sides of rocks.
Clear water around Korcula
Clear water around Korcula
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
The waters around Korcula are beautiful and clear despite the boat traffic and large ferry boats.
Kevin on the rocky shore
Kevin on the rocky shore
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
The beaches around Korcula are basically rocks, which have been levelled with cement in some areas to make suitable places to lounge around. This is probably why a lot of tourists seemed to be carrying foam sleeping pads with them -- basic beach gear in Croatia.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Picnicking on the pier
Picnicking on the pier
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
To avoid the costs of eating out in Croatia, Kev and I picnicked out almost every night. In Korcula, we sat on this wall watching the sunset.
Korcula
Korcula
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
This is another walled city, but much smaller than Dubrovnik. It doesn't have the throngs of tourists Dubrovnik sees, so it's much more quiet and nicer. Things were expensive here, of course, but we found a hostel in town.
Korcula's claim to fame is that Marco Polo was allegedly born here, back when this was part of the Venetian Empire.
Lots of meat
Lot's of meat
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
The prices in Bosnia are almost a quarter of what you can expect in Croatia, which makes it much more inviting; also, there were much fewer tourists.
We had a huge plate of mixed meats which only cost 7 €, which is about $10. This would have cost $40 in Croatia.
Whipped ice cream
Whipped ice cream
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
This tantilizing display of ice cream is everywhere in Mostar and Croatia, but it's made out of some sort of powder and whipped into this state, as I discovered undissolved lumps in one sample. Still, it's quite refreshing in the summer heat.
On the bridge
On the bridge
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
You can see the raised stone steps on the steep slope of the bridge.
Daily, brave men in red speedos dive from the high point on the bridge into the icy waters below. They even have a "dive club" in Mostar, next to the bridge.
The Turkish Quarter at night
The Turkish Quarter at night
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
This 16th century town, named after the bridge ("most") that crosses the Neretva river, has a wonderful old town from the days of the Ottoman Empire. The ivory-colored stones are smooth and slippery even when not wet, so they placed irregular stones in the sloped paths tokeep people from falling.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Stari Most
Stari Most
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
This bridge is the most famous thing in Mostar. We are headed back to Croatia tomorrow.
Leaving Croatia
Leaving Croatia
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
We left Croatia after a couple nights and have now headed to Mostar, in Bosnia-Hercegovina.
Crowded Dubrovnik
Crowded Dubrovnik
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Dubrovnik's walled city is beautifully rebuilt after the bombing it suffered in the 90's, however, it is crowded and relatively expensive.
Welcome to Croatia
Welcome to Croatia
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Kevin and I caught a flight to Dubrovnik from Manchester, finally ending my week of travelling every other night.
Still ill leaving Spain
Still ill leaving Spain
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
We had a evening in Torremolinos before hopping on a plane to London for Emily to recuperate and for me to catch an overnight bus to Manchester to meet up with Kevin.
Ill on the ferry
Ill on the ferry
Originally uploaded by bastchild.
Bad lamb couscous nearly killed Emily in Marrakesh, and she had to endure the rest of the weeks' overnight travels with frequent trips to the toilet on a buckling train and on a fast boat to Spain.
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