A Perfect Day

I named yesterday's blog "A Perfect Day" and then could not come up with a better name for today's post since it was also a Perfect Day.  Therefore, I'll write about two exceptional days and post them as one.

The kayaking has been terrific - challenging but not frightening, with just the right amount of wind, sun, and swells, punctuated with stunningly beautiful scenery. I have run out of words to describe the shades of blue and green water and have given up trying. Yesterday we left the harbor in Lopud and paddled across the channel to Saipan Island, stopping at a secret cave reminiscent of the lava caves we found on the road to Hana in Maui. From the water, you could not see the opening of the cave since it was only about a foot tall, shaped like a triangle. But if you looked down from your kayak, you could see the sandy floor of the bay about 4 meters below, and you noticed it extended far inland, beyond the edge of the limestone cliff. We swam through the opening into a cavern about the size of our living room at home - very, very cool.

Inside the secret cave

   

After the cave adventure and a little cliff jumping, we paddled to a little town on the island, quenched our thirst with a local beer, and then hopped on our bikes to ride across the island past family farms, vineyards, ancient buidings and churches, and a few shrines to the Virgin Mary. 

Harbor on Saipan

Before our bike ride

Bruce by the Bay

We arrived by bike at the harbor on the opposite coast and had an incredibly delicious, leisurely lunch of pasta and shrimp in a light cream sauce (me) and seafood salad (Bob) at a local Konoba (restaurant) along with some very nice wine and beer.  Next up: more bike riding for the manly men - and a nap on the beach for us girls.  Bob, Bruce, Jason, and Vedran rode to the high point of the island, a challenging trail on mountain bikes, while Jen and I slept and read on a very private beach with - you guessed it - a beautiful view of the celadon and azure bay (how do you like those new words for blue-green??).

Jason, Bob, and Bruce at the top of the hill

We were all having such a nice time - it was hard to peddle back to our kayaks and make the short paddle across the channel back to Lopud - except we knew, waiting for us, was a fabulous special request dinner to celebrate Bruce's departure (not that we were happy to see him leave!).  Lobster, sea bass, and crepes with chocolate sauce for dessert - it was incredible.  Below are the before and after pictures of the tray of roasted lobster, garnished with deviled eggs, cherry tomatoes and tiny pickles.  There wasn't a bit of edible food left on the platter after we devoured it like piranhas. 

The gentleman who owns the guest house we are all staying in also owns most of the island, and before the war, he owned a successful group of high end restaurants.  Now he cooks for pleasure for his guests and has what is proclaimed as the best menus on the island.  We have thoroughly enjoyed his food and hospitality each night as we dine on the patio of his private residence, his outdoor kitchen behind us radiating a pleasant smell from the wood burning grill (which has three different types of wood, depending on what is being prepared for the evening), and always an ethereal sunset over the Adriatic just as dinner is being served.

Tuesday was an early day as we got up at 6 AM to bid Bruce adieu as he departed for Dubrovnik and then on to Prague.  We had breakfast as usual at 9 AM and while Vedran packed a picnic lunch for us, we casually prepared for the day's expedition - a trip across the main channel to the town of Trsteno on the mainland.  Although we left late relative to the other days, the water was like glass all the way across, and we paddled slowly and chatted about television, politics, world travels, and numerous other random subjects as we enjoyed the slow pace and incredible views.  We were surprised by a pod of three dolphins swimming ahead of us in the distance - a special highlight because they are rarely sighted in this area due to all the commercial boat traffic. 

Note the little waterfall to the left, in the ancient Trsteno harbor

Cute ancient buildings at the harbor's edge

We reached our destination in about an hour, and had a refreshing swim and then a walk up the hill (with Positano-like steepness) to the arboretum.  More beautiful views and lovely plants, yada yada yada - how can you describe how nice everything is? It all starts to sound like a run-on superlative.  Picnic lunch followed and then a wonderful, quiet paddle home. 

Fountain in the Botanical Gardens

Jeanne and Jen working the olive press

Tonight I opted to cook in, and I purchased a variety of fresh vegetables from the local produce stand along with  some fresh bread, and we prepared dinner in our cottage for ourselves and our guide.  More beer for Bob and Vedran, but I decided to splurge and have the split of Veuve Cliquot I'd brought from my abundant birthday stash.  Since we dined in, we finished about an hour earlier than usual, and I think I will call it night and curl up with my new book -- Malcom Gladwell's What the Dog Saw.  More tomorrow -- good night to all!

A Swell Time

We are settling into a daily pattern now after spending three days on Lopud Island - get up at 8, breakfast at 9, start kayaking at 10.  Beers in the late afternoon, followed by dinner and conversation from 7:30 to 10:30. 

Bruce, Bob, and Vedran (our guide)

On Sunday we took our longest paddle so far, about 12 miles.  It was a fun day, leaving the backside of Lopud Island and paddling across the channel to Kolocep Island, then circumnavigating that island, having lunch, and paddling back to the front side of Lopud Island.  The water is crystal clear, shaded alternately turquoise and sapphire blue.  It was fun paddling along the limestone cliffs and jagged rocks and into little grottos along the route.  The weather report for the day called for rain from noon to six, and it was raining in the morning before we left for our trip.  Luckily, the rain stopped before we finished breakfast.  Over the mainland, we could see and hear thunderstorms and occasional lightning, but they never quite reached us and we ended up with really nice weather all day long. 

We stopped about halfway around Kolocep to jump off the rocks into a sheltered little pool and we ran into another group of kayakers with the same company as ours. 

Max and Bruce at the Pizzeria

We picked up one of their passengers, Max, a strapping young Canadian who was too seasick to continue with his group, and had decided to return to Kolocep harbor with us.  He started out in fairly good shape but after about an hour, he looked horrible. I don't think a person could turn any whiter.  At one point Bob looked over and was wondering how Max could possibly be passing me given that he didn't appear to be paddling, and he realized that Vedran had tied Max's kayak to his and was towing him.  At that point Max was just slumped over and wishing he was anywhere but there.  However, once we reached land and had some lunch, he perked back up, especially knowing he would be taking the ferry home rather than having to paddle back across the channel to Dubrovnik.

Jason and Jan at lunch

After lunch, we had our work cut out for us as the winds picked up a little bit and were blowing slightly against us all the way home.  Paddling along the Lopud coastline was challenging in the wind and swells, but as we rounded the last point, Vedran looked at me as said, "The water is interesting here..."  That is apparently kayak-guide code for "If you thought you were working hard before, you haven't seen anything yet!"  Up to that point, the island had blocked some of the wind and kept the swells down, but now we were paddling straight into it. It reminded me a bit of body-surfing the beaches of Southern California -- with three to five foot swells which would occasionally swish over the bow and side of the kayaks and give us just enough fear of capsizing to keep things interesting.

The day ended with drinks overlooking the harbor, where Jen learned that when you order a gin and tonic, you pay for both the gin and the tonic, making the drink quite expensive.  Another interesting fact:  sodas cost more than beer, providing a good excuse for Bob and Bruce to keep the cold ones coming.



Public Safety

It is nice to see a country so concerned with public safety.  In reading the “Facts about Driving in Croatia” I learn that you may not talk on a cell phone while driving and it is mandated by law that each car carry an orange safety vest when stopped on the roadside to change a tire, inspect the car or fill the car with petrol.  Really???  You must wear a safety vest at the gas station?  Perhaps $9.00 per gallon gas prices inspire postal-like attacks, but with a prophylactic orange safety vest you will remain safe and happy.  Driving in this town has been a bit dangerous, but we haven’t killed or maimed anyone yet so we’re doing pretty good.  

Speaking of prophylactics, I was happy to see that my Lonely Planet Croatian Phrasebook was also interested in keeping me safe with a whole chapter of useful phrases devoted to sex.  I can now fluently say “Do you have a condom?”  “I won’t  do it without protection”, “Don’t worry, I’ll do it myself”, and “It helps to have a sense of humor!”  And just in case things get a little too rambunctious, or he doesn’t appreciate my comment about needing a sense of humor, I also know how to take it down a step with this clever  line -- “Easy, Tiger!”

 

On Friday morning, we met up with our friend from Dubai, Bruce Oliver, and toured the old fortress town of Dubrovnik.  We walked the perimeter of the town on the fortress walls and had an excellent fish lunch at Proto – superfresh oysters on the halfshell, octopus salad, and greek salad doused with some beer and wine.  Yummy! 

Friday afternoon we caught the ferry and took a refreshing hour long ride out to Lopud Island, a very scenic, tiny town with no cars or motorcycles – only bikes and golf carts.  As we pulled into the harbor bay, we spotted what appeared to be a huge cruise ship rammed into the side of the hill.  Undoubtedly some 1970’s-era architect’s vision of a “boatel” designed to give you the luxurious experience of staying on a cruise ship without ever actually setting sail.  We were told the Boatel has been closed for two years for renovation but will reopen during our stay, and we can hardly wait for what is sure to be a Love-Boat style extravaganza on opening night. 

Our kayaking group includes Bob, Bruce and me, a couple from Canada (Jason and Jen), and our guide Vedran, a 26 year old hospitality major and former member of the Croatian national white water canoeing team from Zagreb.  On Saturday, we had a lazy breakfast and then Vedran outfitted our kayaks and equipment.  We took a nice paddle halfway around the island to a long white sand beach.  Towards the end of the paddle, the swells picked up and Bob and the Canadian woman started to feel seasick. I didn’t realize that could happen while you’re paddling.  But after a safe beach landing, a great seafood lunch, and three or four beers, everyone was feeling just fine.  We lazed around on the beach all afternoon because the swells were too intimidating to do our scheduled afternoon paddle out to St. Andrew’s island, which was about 1-2 miles away.   Leaving our kayaks on the beach, we took a short walk along a lush path cut through the middle of the island and returned to our guesthouse where we are currently sipping wine and eating cheese with crisp apples on the patio.  We are awaiting what is sure to be another terrific dinner on the owner’s Napa Valley style terrace – surrounded by a lovely grape-covered arbor, overlooking several islands in the Elaphite archipelago as the sun gently sets in front of us.

Wine Country and Montenegro

Following our Wednesday morning carillion wakeup call, we ate a quick breakfast of pastry and espresso at the local bakery, then headed off to explore the local wine country at the suggestion of our waiter the night before.  The countryside is beautiful, steep and rocky, with vineyards that must be hand tended because the slope is too severe to bring in equipment of any kind. The wine was interesting with a rich flavor full of minerals.  Maybe in another generation it will be making headlines but it was fun to experiment with it.




We enjoyed visitng the Grgic cellars in the Dingac region, and we also stopped at a tiny winery operated by a couple out of their home.  The winemaker and mother of three young children was really sweet to talk with and it was interesting learning about how they make their living with the wine, olive oil and assorted grappas they produce and sell from their farm.

On the drive home, we stopped at Mali Ston to try the local oysters and walk through the town.  After spending a couple of hours on the road, we returned home and did a little more hiking around the Cavtat hills, coming upon the unusual Hotel Croatia. From the front, it has a sleek look with decks, pools, and a polished, crisp lobby.  However, from the back, there is crumbling concrete and unkempt paths everywhere.  Signs leading to the beach and the nudist beach lead guests down uneven, broken stairs to ugly concrete platforms poured at a slant on the rocks. A far cry from the beautiful beaches of Montenegro and even the pretty pebbly beaches at the Cavtat harbor.  

The next day, the air was refreshingly less humid as we set off to explore Montenegro and the Bay of Kotor. It was an exceptionally pretty day, with clear skies and turquoise water in abundance.  We arrived in Budhva and did not really like the town - very commercial, lots of cheesy tourist shops and cheap looking concrete or cinderblock hotels ala 1960.  It is known for its beaches, which were nice but there were much nicer places to stop further south so we kept on driving. Our final destination was St. Stefan where the main attraction was a monastery-come-luxury hotel built on a small island connected to the land with a short causeway.  The beach and grounds were exceptional - a great spot for a honeymoon or romantic tryst for only 700 - 2000 EUR per night (but definitely worth it!).

We spent a while strolling on the beach and enjoying the wanna-be lifestyle of the rich and famous, and then headed inland to  the old fortress of Kotor.  Bay of Kotor is incredibly beautiful.  The old walled city is built into a steep hillside and the rock walls surrounding the fortress hug the cliffs upward for a thousand feet or more.  Bob and I hiked/ struggled through the heat to the top to enjoy the views and burn a few extra calories to justify all the delicious meals we've been eating.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Cavtat is a quaint little town with all the quaint little things that make it picture perfect.  Like this bell tower, for example.  A small village with a village church, complete with bell tower.  How idyllic.  How charming.  How picturesque.  HOW HORRIFYING!

I am not quite sure for whom the bell tolls, but toll it does!  I lost count at 50 times, but you will forgive me because I was a tad drowsy, given that it was only 6 AM in the morning.  Just in case anyone in town or the surrounding 50 villages missed the first call to revelé,   the bell sounded 40 times again inexplicably at 6:53 AM.  And like the annoying snooze button on the alarm clock that you can’t seem to disengage, it rang again at 7 AM, this time with 7 gongs to sound the hour.  And again at 7:30 AM -1 gong for the half hour.  Ahh the joys of provincial life!  8 AM is approaching and I wait in eager anticipation.   

Peaceful, Easy Feeling

We arrived in the quiet seaside village of Cavtat on Tuesday afternoon, after travelling about 16 hours from Chicago via Brussels and Vienna.  Our arrangement with our Innkeeper, Andrusko, was to call him when we left the airport and he would meet us in town and direct us to a free parking space, since his inn was located on a restricted road and there was no parking available there.  It was a good plan, except for the fact that we had no cell phone and there was no public phone available at the airport.  So we took our chances and drove down a winding, scenic road into the center of town, parking right next to a conveniently placed town map.  As we were studying the map and pointing to the location of the inn on the map, a gentleman approached us. “Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt?”  What a nice surprise!  It was Andrusko, who had been awaiting our arrival and spotted us when we began pointing at the location of his inn on the map. 

Andrusko led us the short block to his home, which featured an inviting garden patio in the front, complete with a loquat tree covered in small orange fruit resembling apricots, a fig tree, and several flowering plants including a pink-blooming hydrangea.  The house was made of stone and small rock walls lined the perimeter of the patio, each hand decorated by Andro’s wife with mosaics made from smooth white, beige and gray pebbles gathered from the beach and shaped into dolphins, flowers, and suns. Up another short set of stairs past a second shaded patio, we reached the entrance to guesthouse.  We had a room on the top floor with a great view of the bay and a nice breeze blowing through it.  Although Andro was clearly in his mid-70’s, he refused to allow me to carry my luggage,  and proudly showed us around our bathroom, bedroom, and shared kitchen.  He had been born in this home as had his two children, boys who are now in their 40’s with families of their own.  He had endured the upheaval of the war and was now thoroughly enjoying his role as host and tour guide. 

Once he got us situated, our host left to go scout for a couple of lost Australian women who should have arrived on the same flight as us, but two hours later, were nowhere to be found. It turns out they caught the wrong bus from the airport and travelled to Dubrovnik by mistake.  Weary from their journey, they hit a local bar before hiring a taxi to return them to Cavtat.  Upon arrival at Villa Andro, they partook again with a little homemade brandy on the terrace.   Liking their thought process, we set out to find a bar of our own, and selected a little place on the edge of the bay that served tapas, beer, and wine and offered internet service.   When we asked about connecting to the web, the waiter told us we could pay the small fee, or if we preferred, we could connect for free to another service which happened to be in range.  Hmm.  What to do?  After sending the obligatory emails to friends and family (“we have arrived safely, hope to be drinking soon, sorry you’re not here with us!”), we ordered a couple of glasses of beer on draft and really started to relax for the first time in several days.   The weather was the perfect temperature, maybe in the low 70’s – not too hot or cold, and we slowly nursed our beers before strolling off to see the rest of the tiny village.

Not too far away, we came across a little salon where we both decided to get haircuts.  Why not?  It felt great to be pampered and to get freshened up before dinner.   And what a nice dinner it was!  Just as the sun was setting we ate outside and had an incredibly delicious meal of freshly caught swordfish, mussels steamed in white wine, garden  vegetables, freshly baked bread, and an arugula and tomato salad. With this, we enjoyed a very nice but early bottle of 2006 Grgic red wine full of earthy flavors of the rocky limestone soil about an hour north of us, where it’s produced.  We selected the wine because it was crafted at the winery owned by Mike Grgic of Napa Valley’s Grgich Hills winery, and was reputed to be some of the best in Croatia.  It was not a disappointment!  We chatted with our waiter about our plans to go wine tasting the next day in the reputed Peljesac region and he pulled out a paper and wrote down the names of some of his favorite winemakers with whom he insisted we meet.  Sounds like a good plan!  Full of dinner and wine, we sauntered back to the inn and called an end to a very long day.

Be the First to Strive

Back in South Bend, Indiana, life was unfolding before our eyes.  Carena was graduating and moving on to a new and exciting phase of her life.   Our festivities started with the commencement mass which due to the huge crowd, was held in the basketball arena rather than the beautiful  Basilica on campus.  Following that, we hosted a party at Carena’s home for the past year, a small yellow house a few blocks from the campus.   Her roommates, friends, and their families attended and it was odd that although we had only come out to visit Carena 3 times during her years at ND, we knew a lot of the parents – having met them on move in day that first year in the dorms, tail gate parties at the football games, and ski trips in Tahoe.  How unlike the high school graduation, though, when those parents would continue to be our friends while these parents we were unlikely to see ever again.

The next morning we got to town at 7 AM to stake out our seats for the 9 AM ceremony.  It was hot and muggy sitting in the stadium as we faced the rising sun in the early morning hours, our assorted collection of baseball caps providing the only relief from the burning sun shining in our eyes.  Some in the stands didn’t want to spend the $20 on a Notre Dame Fighting Irish cap and instead had crafted hats out of cardboard food carriers leftover from their breakfasts of chili dogs and fries sold in true Midwestern fashion from the concession stand at 8 AM in the morning.  The graduates paraded in with their respective colleges – Letters & Science, Engineering, Architecture, and finally Business (“last in, first to have jobs” was the chant that arose from the stands as they entered).  We prayed and listened to the valedictorian, who as first in his class, having earned numerous awards and achieved notable accomplishments, would be going on to the London School of Economics to pursue a degree in Philosophy, followed by enrollment in some prestigious medical school.  The theme of his speech?  “Strive not to be first, but to be the first to strive.”  Hmmm.  Seems like he sort of forgot about that over the past four years.  Now that he was first in everything, I guess it was easy to be reflective on the need to put that aside and instead be the first to strive towards some world-saving humanistic goal.   One notable line from his speech – we share a common ending and a thousand new beginnings.  So very true.

Next up was Robert Gates,  Secretary of Defense,  who offered congratulations and implored the graduates to look for ways to serve their country and to keep in mind that our freedom comes at a cost,  which should not be forgotten during the current budget allocation decisions.  More faculty speeches and awards followed, and finally the closing remarks from a sister whose work involves housing the homeless despite the lack of attention and budget offered by greedy wallstreet types who undoubtedly were the truthful cause of homelessness in this country.   Degrees were conferred;  the graduates, who by now, after an hour of staging and two hours of ceremony in the hot sun, were nearly crippled from heatstroke, cheerfully rose from their chairs with the usual fanfare, beach balls, and flying hats, and paraded through the hallowed gates of the football stadium and out to the rest of their lives. 

We attended a second, smaller ceremony with the business school where we were reminded that Mendoza College of Business was ranked the #1 undergraduate college in the country for two years in a row, and then watched as the kids processed up to have their pictures taken, and receive their diploma and a special gift from the school (a glass tombstone celebrating the #1 ranking).  Then it was off to take pictures on the steps of the golden dome building – the last tradition of the weekend.  It is said that ND students may not enter the building using those steps until they graduate, otherwise they will jinx themselves and never matriculate.  So now, they were finally entitled, and to commemorate that fact, Carena waited in line for an hour and a half for our turn to take solo pictures on the steps with friends and family.

All this pomp and circumstance made me reflect back on my personal list of things to do:  Graduate from high school. Check.  Go to College.  Check.  Get married.  Check.  Have children.  Check.  Get a job.  Check. Turn 50 and watch your own kids do it all over again.  Check.  A common ending but a thousand new beginnings.   I wonder where Carena’s new beginnings will take her?

SFO LAX ORD BRU VIE DBK MXP JFK SFO

We have officially started our vacation and are happy to report that our first flight, from SFO to LAX, was uneventful, despite the fact that the skin on the top of the wing had a tear in it which was apparently successfully repaired sometime before we got on the flight.   It's hard to see in the picture but if you follow the rectangular shape in the middle of the picture up to its top, you'll see the rivets which outline the tear.  Who needs to fly on a new plane when there is duct tape and superglue? So reassuring! Maybe that is why this flight was so cheap?