tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243861795558678472024-03-19T01:40:37.683-07:002007 Slovenia & Croatia Serendipity TourAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-36428692285712378182007-06-03T06:07:00.000-07:002007-06-03T06:39:08.428-07:00Destiny, Magic and Family<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_3BHZDod_LwhTADPZ10bfIV_PPqtRpW47vsWmMe5rXh7FXrONlaI2caeHuiaTimA8yYoMF2oaBdl3514DBXo9gZ4ayoi1bmrkyIZbk4pIwsSUwvNbTDwXpf55Ug79sxzZg9JJrt_bZU/s1600-h/DSC_0057sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_3BHZDod_LwhTADPZ10bfIV_PPqtRpW47vsWmMe5rXh7FXrONlaI2caeHuiaTimA8yYoMF2oaBdl3514DBXo9gZ4ayoi1bmrkyIZbk4pIwsSUwvNbTDwXpf55Ug79sxzZg9JJrt_bZU/s320/DSC_0057sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5071831625410326306" /></a><br />KIM: Friday night, just before heading back to the apartment to pack for our journey home, we observed the changing of Dubrovnik's town guard. Like other cities, it is a ritual intended to symbolize the centuries of security and strength in this community. It only lasted a few minutes, but I found that it was a nice way to wrap up my memories of this wonderful journey. We learned so much about the history and culture of this region during our visit. All of the people we encountered were generous in sharing their knowledge and experience, and we are committed to finding a way to return some day to learn more. Both Anastasia and I felt connections here. Sometimes it was as simple as seeing someone on the street that had physical characteristics similar to our own. In my case, there are not a lot of people in the US with dark hair and skin and light blue eyes, but in Slovenia and Croatia they are everywhere. We will all miss hearing the Slovenian and Croatian languages spoken. At first it was so strange to hear, but we got more used to the rhythm and melody of the language each day we were there! Our experiences were guided and punctuated by the local people we met who participated in this exploration by helping us find the people, places and things we needed. Many people even made suggestions, guiding us toward unanticipated results! Almost everyone we met was friendly. Many times we found ourselves committing a cultural faux pas, but each time, we laughed it off and apologized to the person we may have offended and were instantly accepted and assisted. We only missed a few of our intended destinations, but each time we did, the experience was replaced with an equally or more impressive experience. I think all three of us had the sense of being guided on this trip by a benevolent force in tune with our objectives! The final result, of course, was not just a sightseeing tour of the countries of our ancestral roots, but real and lasting connections to family and the land. And, we developed as family between ourselves as well. Anastasia and I knew that we had to be related somehow, since we shared the same last name. While we didn't find much evidence of the exact nature of the specific relationship, we did come up with information that speculates on the possibilities, and we deepened our personal relationships just by experiencing such a fantastic voyage together! I really feel lucky to have had this opportunity and to have shared it with Anastasia and Shelley.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-75426377725433400992007-05-31T10:45:00.000-07:002007-05-31T11:02:47.628-07:00Dubrovnik: The End of the Line<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-ahyUL17AFNw1FLEcGn__1bJ3JECNPkHTwqQL_j1doVGoMJu4YYqcIHvFO9L2C6B_RajW9yeyVVK1Mn6rvG7foPMAisZz2-If0JkZ-gZ6VkKFtwchp6QlFrlliJO0qWB-CL2D7R298U/s1600-h/DSC_0145sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-ahyUL17AFNw1FLEcGn__1bJ3JECNPkHTwqQL_j1doVGoMJu4YYqcIHvFO9L2C6B_RajW9yeyVVK1Mn6rvG7foPMAisZz2-If0JkZ-gZ6VkKFtwchp6QlFrlliJO0qWB-CL2D7R298U/s320/DSC_0145sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070786737176620818" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fwofQu-ihF74IxEtG9XpwySj6RgMrJ8Mpn-Y7rktfkj5VODOGFuFVSTcmpN8Lr3C8qfgqFgRozTodH_wb7wPvbQqpCOoSgYBkt6L4tm9VCQirF9dK0cQBTgsR8M2aKqqJrkVpW2PTFo/s1600-h/DSC_0063sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fwofQu-ihF74IxEtG9XpwySj6RgMrJ8Mpn-Y7rktfkj5VODOGFuFVSTcmpN8Lr3C8qfgqFgRozTodH_wb7wPvbQqpCOoSgYBkt6L4tm9VCQirF9dK0cQBTgsR8M2aKqqJrkVpW2PTFo/s320/DSC_0063sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070786475183615746" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoRspWqUjc89gHVbfz83uNvt8H8balN14LoLk7c5LzmA0S5OdsycIbskl9DwKEob3_094PLEXNg2QyUbE5rT5KLdzl4TEXFpd4DZxXsTcimEno04zJl2XKAbleXStG6jNsdfBYZcBuos/s1600-h/DSC_0059sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYoRspWqUjc89gHVbfz83uNvt8H8balN14LoLk7c5LzmA0S5OdsycIbskl9DwKEob3_094PLEXNg2QyUbE5rT5KLdzl4TEXFpd4DZxXsTcimEno04zJl2XKAbleXStG6jNsdfBYZcBuos/s320/DSC_0059sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070786346334596850" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuN3rhUO9Vs7Ksnp4wLWNwXqD50MfUeX5JyIqsJHJaWgIOtvbAYiC0VNmTJuL-8O7_nWx1K5mJHpcRhcczozaCt4VVk_bmUl3-whlElSijQZ_6z_012lyaO13QGClTDf-BOFT1WIQn10/s1600-h/DSC_0214sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuN3rhUO9Vs7Ksnp4wLWNwXqD50MfUeX5JyIqsJHJaWgIOtvbAYiC0VNmTJuL-8O7_nWx1K5mJHpcRhcczozaCt4VVk_bmUl3-whlElSijQZ_6z_012lyaO13QGClTDf-BOFT1WIQn10/s320/DSC_0214sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070786067161722594" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRuzENb5O_mTLWBm4R1PiX-62YPoWMLsArAHx_PxCnHDdFFOkdjsTdBf0bfAE_GhvJwRCUxqB_pa66JkR0Pc7qt5xHYl0Doj84Ibf-EOXRGcehyYg7jsHTkRtFEha5FhfCoX8yd81T68/s1600-h/DSC_0154sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivRuzENb5O_mTLWBm4R1PiX-62YPoWMLsArAHx_PxCnHDdFFOkdjsTdBf0bfAE_GhvJwRCUxqB_pa66JkR0Pc7qt5xHYl0Doj84Ibf-EOXRGcehyYg7jsHTkRtFEha5FhfCoX8yd81T68/s320/DSC_0154sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070785951197605586" /></a><br />KIM: We have spent two lovely days in Dubrovnik and have one day remaining. I think all of us feel that this city is a spectacular end to a fantastic journey. We have not only thoroughly enjoyed each adventure we have had, but also gotten a real kick out of being able to share our adventures in real-time with our friends and families. So many people have corresponded with us through this blog, and we plan to follow up by answering all of the questions you all have posed during our travels. Plus, Shelley has been drawing and painting like crazy and has quite a bit of work to do once we get home. We can't wait to see the results! I have lots of photos to process and hope to put together some type of show. I have purposefully not posted a whole series of photos that I want to share in another manner. Anastasia has a dream of using this blog as a basis for a multimedia presentation of a more complete description of our tour. Whatever ends up happening, this has certainly been the trip of a lifetime and I think I can safely speak for all of us when I say that we all agree that we must come back now that we are familiar with the land, the people, the languages and the work and research we have left to do! The photos here represent Dubrovnik in several of its moods.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-72296656804123579852007-05-30T03:59:00.000-07:002007-05-30T04:03:15.850-07:00Takin' the ferry and visiting Hvar, plus Dubrovnik!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATyHV_fuvB2-sS_Z_WGep7wJ_BcwI9h0RWgS4LbzGoiZdychxgic9g3TMPx6JwlCqd8brY2UhyEc-Ugi9sHJVmueBtmABS5AGrEtCo7AD8BVUL6aKr2o5RT53olWRNCmWpbcGPDqFkh99/s1600-h/L1040797sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjATyHV_fuvB2-sS_Z_WGep7wJ_BcwI9h0RWgS4LbzGoiZdychxgic9g3TMPx6JwlCqd8brY2UhyEc-Ugi9sHJVmueBtmABS5AGrEtCo7AD8BVUL6aKr2o5RT53olWRNCmWpbcGPDqFkh99/s320/L1040797sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070307595526798162" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuddR2lj-pNIUPCaFLhiZexZyfTP6vbefKI828u_36BugmhMyZAblys-SUaKV4nbKTLH6gTvru6fTJaFoS6AsodpwsEJWZnlhXsoJIWoi7H1ztUuQXDU2Yf-_CRUgcYDiUKDq5dqyLoiGj/s1600-h/L1040805sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuddR2lj-pNIUPCaFLhiZexZyfTP6vbefKI828u_36BugmhMyZAblys-SUaKV4nbKTLH6gTvru6fTJaFoS6AsodpwsEJWZnlhXsoJIWoi7H1ztUuQXDU2Yf-_CRUgcYDiUKDq5dqyLoiGj/s320/L1040805sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070307599821765474" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsiS5W4Wc8HIMoJsShQIlsvB4zUQv2YRGqq7aY50U7eecPXU2ujel-k0CpXLuUMTq0Z7i_H9KtyNnVP33mpQ3Kty0Lv0Npx1AumZbo65I2rMHOG9phY_6AMrUYb9k_EqLy71v1PMQ8ZmB/s1600-h/L1040831sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsiS5W4Wc8HIMoJsShQIlsvB4zUQv2YRGqq7aY50U7eecPXU2ujel-k0CpXLuUMTq0Z7i_H9KtyNnVP33mpQ3Kty0Lv0Npx1AumZbo65I2rMHOG9phY_6AMrUYb9k_EqLy71v1PMQ8ZmB/s320/L1040831sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070307599821765490" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5GZDRx2z53yG-7rc1mXHzPKGyNJ60lgglwXitQT3MVl1ZoFtTnpkHrqbTXt6AQOIh7m6RnstcdxwGmguX7lbLOXj0FNIyXxR0QqVQ6Izroyi5SMa2rmOTmCgq4PMy3flyFlrKHvevpof/s1600-h/L1040840sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5GZDRx2z53yG-7rc1mXHzPKGyNJ60lgglwXitQT3MVl1ZoFtTnpkHrqbTXt6AQOIh7m6RnstcdxwGmguX7lbLOXj0FNIyXxR0QqVQ6Izroyi5SMa2rmOTmCgq4PMy3flyFlrKHvevpof/s320/L1040840sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070307604116732802" /></a><br />ANASTASIA: We have connected with my family and I am still jotting down notes of stories Branko has told us, as well as Brankica. Brankica also told us of older women that are healers in Croatia. I have emailed her to ask what the name is, as I have forgotten it. The way things sound in Croatia is hard for me to remember how it would be spelled! When Brankica is sick, she eats ½ kilo of honey each day. I am going to try this. She says you have to buy the good honey, directly from the beekeepers. A lot of the healing traditions and herbs that are used are exactly what we use in the Northwest. St. John’s Wort is put in oil (and it turns red when it is in the sun), and is used for the skin. Lavender, sage and rosemary are also used. The healer also helps produce ritual to help with ridding one of spells. I will write in more detail about this after I get the words spelled right from Brankica! <br /><br />We have begun our travel to the islands, spending a day on Hvar. We then took an all day ferry to get to Dubrovnik and here we are! These pictures were taken on Hvar, the island of lavender, which, by the way, the lavender fields were burned in a fire about ten years ago and not many have been tended to come back. The weather is overcast so we are taking in some museums here in Dubrovnik. We are staying in the old town, which is the part that is within the old walls and it is so beautiful. The woman we are staying with (we have been staying in sobes, which are private homes of a local person), used to be an economist and is now in school in restoration. I asked her what she thought about the change in politics and if she agreed with the new Croatia. She said things are much better now. In northern Croatia, people could go to Italy and buy things but in Dubrovnik, they didn’t have many choices. Now they do and it is so much better. There are many choices of shoes, and beer from all over the world. She said she came from a rich family before communism and her family were intellectuals. The communist party wanted to jail her father, a professor of music, because he didn’t want to join the communist party. Now things are much better. I enjoyed hearing her perspective.Anastasia Brencickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162275105425866548noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-59236341811111886872007-05-30T03:49:00.000-07:002007-05-30T03:55:47.557-07:00Ferry to Dubrovnik<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCPmyoKN0Yr6GYprJ4v0lQ4hVrnbl2CGviWxpwOIsej-_g7JGezJ597YQW-Kgf-v7HEpC-letCFXnY3f8OCjR-LxbDVhiFR_MTwp2jQW7BkPxOcRvEMckUCfQoOjZ1FnmNv6fhJZUeuE/s1600-h/DSC_0060sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCPmyoKN0Yr6GYprJ4v0lQ4hVrnbl2CGviWxpwOIsej-_g7JGezJ597YQW-Kgf-v7HEpC-letCFXnY3f8OCjR-LxbDVhiFR_MTwp2jQW7BkPxOcRvEMckUCfQoOjZ1FnmNv6fhJZUeuE/s320/DSC_0060sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070305601480149090" /></a><br />KIM: We departed the islands for Dubrovnik Tuesday morning on a huge Jadrolinija ferry. We had wanted to stay in the islands for a few days, but found that the ferry schedule would only allow us a single day. One is better than none, I guess! So we will have four nights and three days in Dubrovnik instead. I think that’s a good trade-off. There was a huge rain and thunderstorm last night before we left Hvar. In the late afternoon the wind rose and the boats in the little boat harbor began to roll violently. In fact, two large sailboats moored at the dock were tossed around so that their masts actually tangled. It caused quite a commotion until various people were able to disconnect them and move the boats out into the harbor a ways. After this, and as the sky got darker, we decided to go back to the apartment for the evening, but Anastasia and Shelley decided to go out again for a pizza once we got back. As soon as they left the lightning began. I could tell it was going to rain, but no telling when it would begin. It probably took at least 30 minutes, but once it started, it steadily increased until it was a huge downpour. I thought about Anastasia and Shelley and wondered if they were trying to hike up the narrow lanes in the rain. I understand that these lanes turn into waterfalls during heavy rains. Also interesting is that when the lightning began, the church bells began to ring, apparently alerting the townsfolk to prepare for the impending storm. After the storm, when Anastasia and Shelley returned, they reported that rather than attempt to return in the rain with their pizza, they decided to remain in the pizzeria (picerija in Croatian) until the storm had passed. They also said that folks were running around frantically preparing for the storm and that the restaurant owner kept apologizing for the weather. The storm lasted for about 90 minutes and then it was over. During the night, all of the standing water ran off or dried and by morning it all seemed back to normal. We headed for the ferry dock by way of the northern round-about route, having heard that the old lavender farms were in this area. Unfortunately, most of them had burned during a fire about three years ago. But, we saw some beautiful scenery, including some amazing ancient terraced fields and made it to Stari Grad well in time for the ferry to Dubrovnik. The ferry is enormous. I would say at least three times the size of the largest WA State ferry. There are two or three car decks and four passenger decks, although we could only access three of them. The route wound among the islands, but there was a substantial bit that was through what felt like open water. In the on-board restaurant, the waiters were pitched around like everyone else, but they seemed to have developed such great sea-legs that they didn’t have any trouble hanging on to plates of food and beverages they were trying to serve. There were several times we thought they would surely drop food into the laps or faces of the diners, but each time, they expertly placed the dishes and glasses precisely on the tables! Amazing. It was almost like watching a circus act!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-19611297041607883292007-05-28T08:16:00.000-07:002007-05-28T08:32:35.490-07:00Hvar Island<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjsLanbVszj7aVWRtGwZeQFWYOrqFPnZLlIhSt8-xAACl7NGZCtf_2sHHwmLpo9B8AV3mKbsu7GzRvfmNCySdtmtoP6jHiOvqoqGmXczY0iilyb-JOzAljbz0KP7VJWHoWaPS0xKfUww/s1600-h/DSC_0005sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjsLanbVszj7aVWRtGwZeQFWYOrqFPnZLlIhSt8-xAACl7NGZCtf_2sHHwmLpo9B8AV3mKbsu7GzRvfmNCySdtmtoP6jHiOvqoqGmXczY0iilyb-JOzAljbz0KP7VJWHoWaPS0xKfUww/s320/DSC_0005sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069634826372761682" /></a><br />KIM: We departed Split early this morning for Hvar Island. The large state-run car ferry, Jadrolinija, seems to work very much like the Washington State Ferries, except we discovered this morning that they only do two runs each week between Hvar and our final destination, Dubrovnik. We were lucky to arrive in Split yesterday so that we could catch the Monday am ferry to Hvar, but the only two that go on to Dubrovnik are Tuesday morning and Saturday morning. Saturday we must catch our flight to London and then home from the airport in Dubrovnik. Today's ferry ride was about two hours and we rode in the salon or main cabin of the ship as we understood that it is not allowed to remain on the car deck during passage. As in all public places in Croatia, the salon was filled with cigarette smoke, so we tried to breathe normally. Ha. We were already exhausted and less than ideally nourished from the long day of travel the day before, and Anastasia (and Shelley to a lesser degree) has been suffering from severe allergies to the various tree and grass pollens in this area, so it wasn't our best day! At least there was coffee and "food" on the ferry! Last night, storm clouds rolled in as we got closer to Split, and by the time we went to bed, the lightning and rain had begun. It rained much of the night and was still windy and rainy when the ferry departed. But as we got closer to Hvar, the clouds parted and the sun came out. Once we reached Hvar-town and found a small apartment in which we could stay, it was actually hot. The apartment is actually two bedrooms in a small house with a private terrace and a separate kitchen off of the terrace in the old town on the hill above the harbor. Looking at the photo above, it's near the top of the hill on the left side. There is a fortress on the opposite hill, across town on the left, and our terrace has a nice view, which I have not photographed yet. The streets are pedestrian-only, so we are getting lots of exercise dragging and hauling our bags up and down the lanes and steps. It's gorgeous, so we don't mind too much! More photos later, and we're headed for the ferry and Dubrovnik tomorrow morning!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-60080036845611584102007-05-27T12:25:00.000-07:002007-05-27T13:04:44.897-07:00Plitvice Jezera National Park<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzq-gs5Vl-EDMapA-a8OodXQ2vRqC_XcUrh2gmG5V2IwNMhfqqMbc6qwZGKNrZUGDi0owL9KfTu_oh8scap2L530ghpTO4vF46WKwTdPchLrcWwraI3SwKYjxUpi-uSHdKL1HZoDwRcrM/s1600-h/DSC_0031sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzq-gs5Vl-EDMapA-a8OodXQ2vRqC_XcUrh2gmG5V2IwNMhfqqMbc6qwZGKNrZUGDi0owL9KfTu_oh8scap2L530ghpTO4vF46WKwTdPchLrcWwraI3SwKYjxUpi-uSHdKL1HZoDwRcrM/s320/DSC_0031sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069333113510152258" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTcJCL3clp3TYNOin-6fDDKWihC9ei-Ns_MPIf7iarEb5vpADIeBBaIGjxQeAr5u-EQCmIWGa1-su2RfvXfWDDCZlAG7h_8Vo8X0dIeWR7rsFp9bt8PHGeFjV4Z9uIHiL-F1c-iITI_o/s1600-h/DSC_0016sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTcJCL3clp3TYNOin-6fDDKWihC9ei-Ns_MPIf7iarEb5vpADIeBBaIGjxQeAr5u-EQCmIWGa1-su2RfvXfWDDCZlAG7h_8Vo8X0dIeWR7rsFp9bt8PHGeFjV4Z9uIHiL-F1c-iITI_o/s320/DSC_0016sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069332993251067954" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIybemeQoeJlSiHgN32RSnrOEfTcEC-LreuzG-uBJme-ioIhyUlU1hRhknwG4md0B6pnIwxnp0jtsLn-Q3-K9wSkQH93-1oqbsjIvmhlaJlQcKeySwmJBWuIdVO-HqyVfCAOCQ8FvhvWo/s1600-h/DSC_0041sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIybemeQoeJlSiHgN32RSnrOEfTcEC-LreuzG-uBJme-ioIhyUlU1hRhknwG4md0B6pnIwxnp0jtsLn-Q3-K9wSkQH93-1oqbsjIvmhlaJlQcKeySwmJBWuIdVO-HqyVfCAOCQ8FvhvWo/s320/DSC_0041sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069332795682572322" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAg67JyB5ekUhMyDI9SM10KELhyO-m1MN2Zs-4eTQ72QAsvEXUH8m23bnnfjjj0Pbv8nm3ez_6GKKf6U8Dw49Rmr48u5JaPcfxwqsrymoUTlpqUID3cHsnm_BaTgPdM_N2csmrOHWzzc/s1600-h/DSC_0060sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAg67JyB5ekUhMyDI9SM10KELhyO-m1MN2Zs-4eTQ72QAsvEXUH8m23bnnfjjj0Pbv8nm3ez_6GKKf6U8Dw49Rmr48u5JaPcfxwqsrymoUTlpqUID3cHsnm_BaTgPdM_N2csmrOHWzzc/s320/DSC_0060sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069332645358716946" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhItcew6LdAjR6o20r9e6wBQCM9J_iyZ_QdpBlucqgtq1AeCMCCRpyGsJ2lbjHLqXDxWcrhfj4pvQZ0OYt57hkbiuPM-JgJVBtl0uM8ni7w3l-phctj7-8gBz9RBtvt3jkT2_xPPMMzkYo/s1600-h/DSC_0078sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhItcew6LdAjR6o20r9e6wBQCM9J_iyZ_QdpBlucqgtq1AeCMCCRpyGsJ2lbjHLqXDxWcrhfj4pvQZ0OYt57hkbiuPM-JgJVBtl0uM8ni7w3l-phctj7-8gBz9RBtvt3jkT2_xPPMMzkYo/s320/DSC_0078sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069332404840548354" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3LoklmlDlH7g9K9vt09weMZn634H6TWKTkBHrzVCwZAPZrq6JEzBaLji0C6bJIqU-Fhn0Th65YXLaeKfVRdKs-UvBCWkarjBJzcDzpFcTOimK1bHWV5tYkU6FasUzOcyt8d3aHxsMgE/s1600-h/DSC_0046sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX3LoklmlDlH7g9K9vt09weMZn634H6TWKTkBHrzVCwZAPZrq6JEzBaLji0C6bJIqU-Fhn0Th65YXLaeKfVRdKs-UvBCWkarjBJzcDzpFcTOimK1bHWV5tYkU6FasUzOcyt8d3aHxsMgE/s320/DSC_0046sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069332245926758386" /></a><br />KIM: Wow, we had a wonderful day today in Plitvice! From the Brncic's home in Tribalj/Pecca near Crikvenica we traveled about two hours southeast over the mountains into lake country. On a whim, we invited Anastasia's cousin Brankica. She turned out to be a really great travel partner! We all felt we had known each other for a lifetime. She even shared our rather twisted sense of humor! Her English is superb, so we learned a lot from her and we all had a great time! We arrived at a large, touristy and over-priced hotel in the park late last night. After an over-priced meal in the hotel dining room, we all fell into bed anticipating an early breakfast and an early start on the park trails in order to beat all of the commercial tour groups. Our plan was sound and we had a three hour, nearly solitary hike through some of the most beautiful scenery any of us had ever scene. No words can do this justice. The photos help, but you just can't imagine how overwhelmingly beautiful the view is at each turn of the trail! Just amazing. It got to the point after just a few minutes that we couldn't remember the last most beautiful thing we saw! Brankica even told us about some of the folk legends specific to each of the lakes. Stories about gypsies, trolls and gnomes. Very cool! The trout in the lake were lazy and fat, some were about two feet long! There were bullfrogs, blue butterflies that we called jewel-bugs, snakes, and even these amazing lizards on neon colors! We left the park about 1pm and drove Brankica back to Senj, just south of her parents' home, where they graciously picked her up, saving us about an hour of backtracking. Then, after a tearful goodbye with Paula, Brankica's mother, we were on our way to Split... nearly 300km to the south. It was a long trip and we didn't have a place to stay set up ahead of time, but we found a local woman at the ferry terminal fishing for houseguests like us. She has a tiny little apartment in the old part of town which is just perfect (and fairly cheap) for folks waiting to head out on the am ferry for the islands. The trick was finding it! We had to navigate narrow and winding little cobblestone roads and park at the top of a narrow lane, so tight that we're not sure that the cars parked beyond our rental can get out! Well, we're leaving at 6:30am, so maybe we won't inconvenience anyone. After parking the car, we still had to drag our bags down several blocks of pedestrian-only stairs and lanes. It's quite a place! Hopefully we will have a bit of time in the morning to explore Diocletian's palace (an ancient Roman ruin right in the main part of the old town) before we board the ferry in the morning for the Island of Hvar!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-71402077152972799242007-05-27T03:33:00.000-07:002007-05-27T12:04:47.999-07:00Brankica's Plitvice Photos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggadLvX4t2DZUI56xQhGUvXYr8opk3_-YSF6uLRr64DYi1MVfUHdbZ1sLZSns1ITBMpasFf7KUcB1fv8Hg3XLBNxguLJIrs5hAZXlZekcr9TPZtfK_uv4GQMtK4Fx7GgRirAj3cRenqyQ/s1600-h/P1000155sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggadLvX4t2DZUI56xQhGUvXYr8opk3_-YSF6uLRr64DYi1MVfUHdbZ1sLZSns1ITBMpasFf7KUcB1fv8Hg3XLBNxguLJIrs5hAZXlZekcr9TPZtfK_uv4GQMtK4Fx7GgRirAj3cRenqyQ/s320/P1000155sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069187681622542306" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4qtqrkDi_0iVdGyHQas9kjjh4k3AvsBuPeNxxJ61hxylxALntgXrulzXYwWNsF_6SCBpEg-XbvxsyJswDkAWohbh2GZXGm9s8lcXmkEH1LxHeSVbflwQH4rr6TYcbRoCKKbM_7HfJGg/s1600-h/P1000174sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4qtqrkDi_0iVdGyHQas9kjjh4k3AvsBuPeNxxJ61hxylxALntgXrulzXYwWNsF_6SCBpEg-XbvxsyJswDkAWohbh2GZXGm9s8lcXmkEH1LxHeSVbflwQH4rr6TYcbRoCKKbM_7HfJGg/s320/P1000174sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069187539888621522" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVRkPSujp05WOToYbsXSSbnh-r9aum3ewHfHDNqxGDF7oEl92eItS_4CZIpRGvwCf5d49QgAU9LIMx5gn13QHgjb6jEGGVg3kee_MnS4bB9t6gOt-jJrtABUaHn7MwQf55OVN-jM-brus/s1600-h/P1000180sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVRkPSujp05WOToYbsXSSbnh-r9aum3ewHfHDNqxGDF7oEl92eItS_4CZIpRGvwCf5d49QgAU9LIMx5gn13QHgjb6jEGGVg3kee_MnS4bB9t6gOt-jJrtABUaHn7MwQf55OVN-jM-brus/s320/P1000180sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069187428219471810" /></a><br />KIM: Brankica Brncic, Anastasia's cousin joined us for our side trip to Plitvice. We took a nice 2.5 hour hike through the upper lakes and waterfalls and all took many photos. Brankica is very artistic and got these. We will post more later!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-74609632917346821842007-05-27T03:00:00.000-07:002007-05-28T09:27:45.310-07:00The Brencick Family in Croatia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1UYPMzpH_4HrYSlcyQOxBTIShHQoCXQLgn7l0XRfYcSNQn7SkgWU2aG7zMw6ET0hko3MvGprgnqf63HsbK-Yp-3Epp2grOIbYnLsv79vUhonKd_kZ0VM9qw_x8hNCZd_3gBUPI36Ik-z/s1600-h/L1040682sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1UYPMzpH_4HrYSlcyQOxBTIShHQoCXQLgn7l0XRfYcSNQn7SkgWU2aG7zMw6ET0hko3MvGprgnqf63HsbK-Yp-3Epp2grOIbYnLsv79vUhonKd_kZ0VM9qw_x8hNCZd_3gBUPI36Ik-z/s320/L1040682sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069647952974641970" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQFOI4oh9bgfAnA5Tdyug60UIe0TY5jguNYP0tu_Rj2Y7SPS9Rqrb0c6j2wTrbUuaPaDlcBlEZAOQwtDxyZgxn8yHpfHzSYEiCs5SQpfmBxNNVTh0TPTOWqh0MJHVC8vQ-0t9GT7-dDpUd/s1600-h/L1040697sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQFOI4oh9bgfAnA5Tdyug60UIe0TY5jguNYP0tu_Rj2Y7SPS9Rqrb0c6j2wTrbUuaPaDlcBlEZAOQwtDxyZgxn8yHpfHzSYEiCs5SQpfmBxNNVTh0TPTOWqh0MJHVC8vQ-0t9GT7-dDpUd/s320/L1040697sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069647957269609282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0mYPDGAycbZn_NXAAkY05re8-kv5BjWpNnAlC5zIsYHSnMeeFrEXmZQkkU4elpJSTKl2ow6Fnb0GlQeNJhnDJHOePHMt2ae2jQn2FRvDxPvNLFO6y73bF5-3_f-zVpV-aikKUZbpQjcm/s1600-h/L1040677sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0mYPDGAycbZn_NXAAkY05re8-kv5BjWpNnAlC5zIsYHSnMeeFrEXmZQkkU4elpJSTKl2ow6Fnb0GlQeNJhnDJHOePHMt2ae2jQn2FRvDxPvNLFO6y73bF5-3_f-zVpV-aikKUZbpQjcm/s320/L1040677sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069179097164741362" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmA0Z2fu8oHF7i4jS-YRvidKqARPvSzQZugcccS_ao9IoYN410B1ZMHIQAU11onrt_d7N0k3YncPqZjuBkdgE2wOIhlHw0qhBUcxgoo9P51yc29inPaK6X2fXK7i4DWh5jJj8hUYYffgL/s1600-h/L1040683sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYmA0Z2fu8oHF7i4jS-YRvidKqARPvSzQZugcccS_ao9IoYN410B1ZMHIQAU11onrt_d7N0k3YncPqZjuBkdgE2wOIhlHw0qhBUcxgoo9P51yc29inPaK6X2fXK7i4DWh5jJj8hUYYffgL/s320/L1040683sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069179101459708674" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN48nALBKxb9kGRN2nhOYpwlcIEY6TX8JkdKKN9BLa2FchbtxP2UgP6npAzcQ-Ynu0dYPjKfvWsQPtLfnD1lAPwFrNoe5QU-8dYGgBQytpmAYlySKMCxmyft9U17rmWTS3haLMHdQHIE77/s1600-h/L1040708sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN48nALBKxb9kGRN2nhOYpwlcIEY6TX8JkdKKN9BLa2FchbtxP2UgP6npAzcQ-Ynu0dYPjKfvWsQPtLfnD1lAPwFrNoe5QU-8dYGgBQytpmAYlySKMCxmyft9U17rmWTS3haLMHdQHIE77/s320/L1040708sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069179101459708690" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQu6biRQ-WAHVRkN5OpVc_OgX7TroA8zyI5zQgUkDwYV7yuZBbkq_X0OzOCznzgs_fq1Pcy3N7fauW_c4vGGAp1jRFZkCaAFk4zId4gRBnUnBG00NuJg0cQFJCe4p8L1ab3kqHCghESVHG/s1600-h/L1040712sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQu6biRQ-WAHVRkN5OpVc_OgX7TroA8zyI5zQgUkDwYV7yuZBbkq_X0OzOCznzgs_fq1Pcy3N7fauW_c4vGGAp1jRFZkCaAFk4zId4gRBnUnBG00NuJg0cQFJCe4p8L1ab3kqHCghESVHG/s320/L1040712sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069179105754676002" /></a><br /><br />ANASTASIA: The purpose of our trip was to find our Brencick family. We found that although this last name seems sparse in Washington State, Brencick is a common name in Croatia. We found lots of Brencicks in the phone directory! Yesterday we met Brankica, (pronounced BRAHN-kee-tza). She was just finishing up a 36 hour work shift at the children’s hospital where she is a laboratory technician. She met us at a café in Crkvenica, which is just south of Rijeka, where she lives. What a fun and wonderful person. She is 35, lives on her own, and we have already been bribing her to come for a visit in the U.S. We then drove to the village,Tribalj, where our Brencick family lives in the area, Pecca (pronounced PAY-tzah). Her parents, Branko and Paula are retired here now and live right next door to where Ivan Brencic was born. His name is above the door and we took lots of photos. It has the year, 1730 on the house. This is exactly the place Susan Doll and her friend came to visit in the 70’s. Susan, I didn’t see many grapevines,[as I am editing this, I remember taking pictures of their grapevines in the BACK yard. Sheesh!] but I saw the primary school that Branko went, and we visited the cemetery. Branko showed us the gravesites of our family: Danica Brncic, Branko’s mom, and his dad who died in WWII, Mate Brncic. The priest who baptized Ivan is buried here, too, and Branko showed us his gravesite. Above the cemetery were the beautiful mountains and he told us stories about how he would go over the mountains with his mother to cut hay, and to trade figs and salt for things that grow on the other side of the mountain, such as potatoes. He said he was young and one time his mom walked out of site and he was scared because of all the animals that are found in the mountains, so he climbed up a tree and waited for her to come! There are bears here, so I think that was pretty smart. I had a copy of the family tree he made in 1998 and I asked him why Martin died at 21 years old. He said Martin was a pacifist and did not want to go to war, so he was trying to make himself sick enough to not go, but accidentally killed himself by drinking petrol. We so enjoyed meeting Paula, Branko’s wife, who fed us a wonderful lunch and told us how she was a survivor of an Italian concentration camp. She was recently honored and given a certificate by Croatia from this. She said she was five years old and there were 64 children taken from Independent State of Croatia (now Croatia), during WWII to a concentration camp in Italy. She was in the camp for two years and was able to reunite with her parents after that. She said out of the 64, only 23 children survived and her sister was also one of these survivors. There are so many wonderful stories and will continue sharing them with you.Anastasia Brencickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162275105425866548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-69584285186657820372007-05-26T13:19:00.000-07:002007-05-26T13:25:01.009-07:00Opatija Istria<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgjE6tfeZw11eXEecsnM2gS5wSB92Qj95au9S0A3oJP1sIpcpyN_iJyafL_d0UCSS58h43FXytWagahYOgYUpFI6fk6-i4TXI_DblAV6pdlinR4UG2eT1k2l1G1LYhAEKJRF07p4LT5s/s1600-h/DSC_0002sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgjE6tfeZw11eXEecsnM2gS5wSB92Qj95au9S0A3oJP1sIpcpyN_iJyafL_d0UCSS58h43FXytWagahYOgYUpFI6fk6-i4TXI_DblAV6pdlinR4UG2eT1k2l1G1LYhAEKJRF07p4LT5s/s320/DSC_0002sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068966984728037282" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAjVNYk1zPQfpf3SfOBuZcvCLy5tEDaYdAnWHADpyfZ4xw9AyL1wPlHIRhByJk27Fh97m1m4QFfO57oaNn57BAFLG2R901K0gUysW1Mgy4mB0H51kjwO6u_nSzmRTnMd7GHmeEbpAbsE/s1600-h/DSC_0014sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwAjVNYk1zPQfpf3SfOBuZcvCLy5tEDaYdAnWHADpyfZ4xw9AyL1wPlHIRhByJk27Fh97m1m4QFfO57oaNn57BAFLG2R901K0gUysW1Mgy4mB0H51kjwO6u_nSzmRTnMd7GHmeEbpAbsE/s320/DSC_0014sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068967083512285106" /></a><br />KIM: Today we landed in an unexpected place: Opatija. This is a small but famous resort town just west of Rijeka and feels like the French Riviera, but is smaller and less crowded. We drove a lovely coastal route to get here and stopped because we knew that Rijeka would be our last opportunity to meet with Anastasia’s family, but hadn’t been able to get in touch with them yet. A few days ago we had what we thought were some good leads, thanks to the help of the receptionist in the geriatric-militant-socialist toplice, but none of them panned out. On the drive today, we stopped in a town called Labin where we thought we might find an enclave of Brencics. While it’s likely that there are some family there, we had a very difficult time finding anything in that town so we gave up and continued on. Beyond Labin, the coastal views were wonderful, and though the weather is very warm for traveling, it is perfect for swimming… yes we swam in the Adriatic today! <br /><br />Upon reaching Opatija we checked into a hotel that was far too expensive, but since we have managed to stay in very nice but inexpensive lodging all along, it seemed like a reasonable splurge. This hotel is old opulence and right on the beach. It’s probably at least a hundred years old, and has seen better days, but still manages to feel elegant. After a late lunch, we walked up the main street to get a feel for the town and almost passed by the local tourist office because we have consistently had more luck asking for help and advice from people on the street than from the professionals (like the guy working at the petrol station today who sold us a phone card and then helped us figure out how to use it). But, we decided to go in to the tourist office anyway. It’s a good thing because the young Croatian woman at the front desk, Sandra, was just about as helpful as anyone could have been! She listened to the reason for our visit and immediately picked up the phone to call the Rijeka relatives and translate our request for a visit. It’s all set for Saturday. We will visit Brankitca (who speaks English) and her parents, Branko and Zdenka (who don’t) in their home in a small town on the coast south of Rijeka. Without Sandra’s help, we may not have been able to schedule this on our own! Tomorrow we will likely visit a nearby island called Krk, and then after the family visit on Saturday, head for Plitvice Lakes and then further south on the coast.<br /><br />We have had many reasons to smile on this trip. Of course we crack ourselves up often, attempting to communicate. A few days ago, I toasted my hosts by saying “goodbye” instead of “cheers” (“nasvidenje” /“nasdravje”). Today, our new friend Sandra made us giggle. When we thanked her for her help she said in excellent English “it is my will” meaning that she wanted to help us. When we said goodbye, instead of replying with “enjoy your stay”, she said “please enjoy your permanence”.<br /><br />This post is being uploaded two nights after we were in Opatija. We have been staying in places without Internet access, so will have to catch up!<br /><br />Photos: The southeastern coast of Istria, just after leaving Labin, and the view from our hotel room in Opatija.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-68034982963988885152007-05-23T22:42:00.001-07:002007-05-23T23:31:10.836-07:00Istria: red earth, olive trees, disintegrating Roman walls<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidLmV0DTmRY0DmC0GcyJuFEb7L1kOGNbrT0QXIbNibLzude0wYQF33L_mE0YNp5zaNRVVdb4O1b9r4AVYno5TeCpb8BlEWbOV12u58OfhxJhV_1pct0bohW67tctjfDR1hw-j-4GaPR5l6/s1600-h/L1040569sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidLmV0DTmRY0DmC0GcyJuFEb7L1kOGNbrT0QXIbNibLzude0wYQF33L_mE0YNp5zaNRVVdb4O1b9r4AVYno5TeCpb8BlEWbOV12u58OfhxJhV_1pct0bohW67tctjfDR1hw-j-4GaPR5l6/s320/L1040569sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068010943369640674" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWwieLPIiJWos8R-TMPYuBdaLIvPwR315AgXs_FhCzID6un89wDq4VaU9RXzLcr3ugwUmFunBIBps6gzxnyGBwiowQOjdHlBKfgSY80OcV9DhY-66LupqsQh2SKf1G7R47k4KMiTCZiU_/s1600-h/L1040584sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNWwieLPIiJWos8R-TMPYuBdaLIvPwR315AgXs_FhCzID6un89wDq4VaU9RXzLcr3ugwUmFunBIBps6gzxnyGBwiowQOjdHlBKfgSY80OcV9DhY-66LupqsQh2SKf1G7R47k4KMiTCZiU_/s320/L1040584sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068010574002453138" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigs6I1kGCiAFUL6phlRxkLiac5cSfGdnmaOEXx6Il_BOiFrdoTQAlI4smUhAOD5A1USjDF8JK3288XVgRhU2OWHy-rl0-0BK1MHrA6rKBsKZQhWckxK_vFcYgyW78nNNF9rd7KL7iaPVC_/s1600-h/L1040575sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigs6I1kGCiAFUL6phlRxkLiac5cSfGdnmaOEXx6Il_BOiFrdoTQAlI4smUhAOD5A1USjDF8JK3288XVgRhU2OWHy-rl0-0BK1MHrA6rKBsKZQhWckxK_vFcYgyW78nNNF9rd7KL7iaPVC_/s320/L1040575sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068010582592387746" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFygbjIpCAvYuoil3s8XpcgeHnEMm1q59CGO73RYtdID_nMSKEW8WN5SnxwHbPL0sPjCplsRH4mDimuhuV8ufXgTT-e5ww1WBfkACcg-A_mxwcMvNCPNxXjzYkOUbsF3hl5XPRp72-gxs/s1600-h/L1040562sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFygbjIpCAvYuoil3s8XpcgeHnEMm1q59CGO73RYtdID_nMSKEW8WN5SnxwHbPL0sPjCplsRH4mDimuhuV8ufXgTT-e5ww1WBfkACcg-A_mxwcMvNCPNxXjzYkOUbsF3hl5XPRp72-gxs/s320/L1040562sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068010586887355058" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_spxDkF3QhFzFQONpSzMaeoNv9vvh5F-4Ysf-iNLS54IESkgAULE6ZxrTZS8aSx9JxtRKEu2SNTQSW5_iu7A48eqewvb-tz4D1gKnyfaBgleKbGjYwL1WTz9MK0J6_t6GCusl_-O9fNCy/s1600-h/L1040557sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_spxDkF3QhFzFQONpSzMaeoNv9vvh5F-4Ysf-iNLS54IESkgAULE6ZxrTZS8aSx9JxtRKEu2SNTQSW5_iu7A48eqewvb-tz4D1gKnyfaBgleKbGjYwL1WTz9MK0J6_t6GCusl_-O9fNCy/s320/L1040557sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068010591182322370" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HNc1jLzO-XlBhKpXCJGYA0Drr4pnIbV44sTHl9u2_79j6V5GraNo0JyhpWRx7p2OMIm_98CkdAmwlXkhjA43h834EOrst-5ceE8heb5bR73FH5uk7UNgKGLQ8pZUtZL0ZNlMdSUg_0qD/s1600-h/L1040564sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1HNc1jLzO-XlBhKpXCJGYA0Drr4pnIbV44sTHl9u2_79j6V5GraNo0JyhpWRx7p2OMIm_98CkdAmwlXkhjA43h834EOrst-5ceE8heb5bR73FH5uk7UNgKGLQ8pZUtZL0ZNlMdSUg_0qD/s320/L1040564sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068010595477289682" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs64j4zsD3q4-bTX9Rs62Pzl7qBMCzSzckKpUwja_KVviA9-e-QJ84IpYyNTL1tQEEj9Iv5ZB0XFgHsg7L2dgdiBo0ZQySn_o3DICwys1BkBDJA87perkS-9WXyrnzrV-fSRwrgw5AP7e_/s1600-h/L1040602sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs64j4zsD3q4-bTX9Rs62Pzl7qBMCzSzckKpUwja_KVviA9-e-QJ84IpYyNTL1tQEEj9Iv5ZB0XFgHsg7L2dgdiBo0ZQySn_o3DICwys1BkBDJA87perkS-9WXyrnzrV-fSRwrgw5AP7e_/s320/L1040602sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068009839563045506" /></a><br />Anastasia:<br />This is what we see out of the car window as we drive ourselves from the toplice, to Rovinj and then to Pula. The roads are open and never crowded. And I am sneezing every three minutes or so. I would think that if I were in my homeland, my body would be more welcoming to the pollen, dust and whatnot, but this is not the case. I have been taking some sort of antihistimine, but I am sick of it, so today will be interesting. <br /><br />I was so interested to visit the archeological museum in Pula yesterday as it has artifacts from the First Peoples here. I am curious how they lived and even more curious about the spiritual traditions they might have had. Often times I can get an idea of health and healing traditions from this. But, this museum was like opening up a textbook from the 1950's. Just the facts. Which is refreshing, really. There was no mention of the spiritual, health or healing traditions whatsoever. There was quite a bit written about how the dead were buried, though. <br /><br />Shelley:<br />The Istrian Peninsula has been populated for about 40 thousand years. The museum showed a map of settlements and said it was difficult to find a hilltop that had not been occupied. Most of the information and artifacts had been collected from gravesites, and although the curators did not comment on the spiritual beliefs of the people they did mention about slavic burials "this grave had a stone slab over the head and neck to protect the corpse from vampires"! Hmmm....<br /><br />The museum was divided into pre-history and history, history meaning Roman and on. They have a fantastic array of artifacts, and the Roman ruins in Pula are far more complete than those in Rome. <br /><br />There are so many possible subjects to draw and paint it's hard to know what to do. The blue Adriatic, the limestone islands, the old tile roof buildings, the narrow alleys, the Roman ruins, the fieldstone walls and small round houses.... It's enough material for a lifetime!<br /><br />ANASTASIA:<br />Yeah, the small round houses are still used to this day as dwellings. They are limestone and look very tiny. In prehistory, they were used either as dwellings or as a burial site. One area was explained as having old oak groves that is now replaced by shrubs and pine. Shelley remembers that used to be a way the Romans would occupy an area; they would cut down the groves that were worshipped. I wonder if this also happened here?<br /><br />The amphitheatre ruin was fantastic, with a museum in its basement that showed how the sewage came from the spectators upstairs, and how olive oil was made. There were excavated vessels that held the olive oil and I took a picture of it....Anastasia Brencickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162275105425866548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-5877232788957848382007-05-23T11:25:00.000-07:002007-05-23T11:31:13.700-07:00Pula, Istria<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3YlUvu_WHCvwisiW4trH09dJ07Z-FscEiAU1ulGcHe-ZJClsb8XSwucpqe8mOapjFnS6ePIGiyvTR6g6PZQu7SPbIPr342zQvUC9VQrWmo7S5nPAirZ9497DCUg-yxcXpIxSnJ2Qveo/s1600-h/DSC_0041sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3YlUvu_WHCvwisiW4trH09dJ07Z-FscEiAU1ulGcHe-ZJClsb8XSwucpqe8mOapjFnS6ePIGiyvTR6g6PZQu7SPbIPr342zQvUC9VQrWmo7S5nPAirZ9497DCUg-yxcXpIxSnJ2Qveo/s320/DSC_0041sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067824471887693682" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUctykPOCB011RtbYwOAVh2ByU4Im_z4eU9o2geoKWBKtz5jJeti70MFUgR8nKOVg3rf4wc26Esw47xdwPR1XW_OmMpOnaLEurkJB1MrXIo0UJNMM3c0FA95fMEO2WMI5ReMTEA2FqlY/s1600-h/DSC_0060_comp_sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUctykPOCB011RtbYwOAVh2ByU4Im_z4eU9o2geoKWBKtz5jJeti70MFUgR8nKOVg3rf4wc26Esw47xdwPR1XW_OmMpOnaLEurkJB1MrXIo0UJNMM3c0FA95fMEO2WMI5ReMTEA2FqlY/s320/DSC_0060_comp_sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067824978693834642" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFU-X55OswyUFHZ2Tbfr1uI5qSsh9VT7ZU8gUHUSxTcUrE1Nn3kGoXiSwy1TsSXjaMeBfXNjSpGMnv2ylOYI7_rVEP6nV5XIJ1Y_Gut6gVOiDGhKop8jEwBySTkdAKQb3m6FDzj_wn1M/s1600-h/DSC_0077sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidFU-X55OswyUFHZ2Tbfr1uI5qSsh9VT7ZU8gUHUSxTcUrE1Nn3kGoXiSwy1TsSXjaMeBfXNjSpGMnv2ylOYI7_rVEP6nV5XIJ1Y_Gut6gVOiDGhKop8jEwBySTkdAKQb3m6FDzj_wn1M/s320/DSC_0077sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067824785420306306" /></a><br />KIM: Today we visited Pula, at the southern tip of the Istrian peninsula. Our goal was to see the Roman coliseum and the history museum. We arrived before 10am and parked at the waterfront, adjacent to the coliseum, where we were immediately pounced on by the local tourist boat operators who wanted to take us on a two-hour tour of the Brijuni Islands. It sounded like fun, so we said we would think about it and return later. The location of the museum was a mystery, so we set out on foot looking for signs and asking directions. A couple of blocks away, there was a sign and a city worker of some sort, both of whom confirmed that the museum was a ways uphill. Setting out again, we wandered up a small city street lined with very old buildings and soon saw a sign for the Kastel. Not exactly what we wanted, but our map confirmed that the museum was located adjacent to the kastel. At the top of the hill and crossed a bridge over a dry moat and entered the kastel via a drawbridge where an electronic sensor alerted a severe middle-aged female ticket-taker of our arrival. She seemed rather put-out when we asked the location of the museum, but she indicated it was “around” and “down”. So we took a rather precarious walk around the castle ramparts until we found a goat-path down the side of the hill into an ancient Roman amphitheater. It was really incredible, and it was in the backyard of the museum, just up the street from the coliseum. We spent about an hour learning about the regional inhabitants from Neanderthal to Roman times. It even touched upon the local development of the Glagolitic alphabet, which was the first written Slavic language and a precursor to the modern Cyrillic alphabet. After this we headed back to the docks and took a lovely two-hour cruise around the Brijunis, where the former president of Yugoslavia, Tito, had a private compound that he used to entertain celebrities and world leaders. Many guests brought exotic animals from their native lands as gifts, and so the main island is home to a safari park, which is now open to the public. We did not stop in the islands, but instead took a boat tour around the islands. The weather has been very warm for the past few days, so the cool salt air on the water was a welcome respite. A very nice gentleman provided commentary to all of the boat tour guests in at least four languages, and did a great job in English as well as what we could understand in German and Italian. After the boat tour we visited the Roman coliseum, which was built 2,000 years ago and seated 20,000 people at one time. It is the sixth largest in the world and probably the best surviving ruin. We spent a very interesting hour listening to an audio tour and learning about the Roman influence on the city of Pula. Anastasia has just found the first actual phone numbers of her family in this area, thanks to her cousin Tom, and is attempting to contact them, although our phones don’t work too well in Croatia. Tomorrow we plan to head northeast toward Labin and Rijeka. We hope to make the family connections there. Greetings to all of the Brencicks in the US, who we understand are having a rather large reunion this week in St Louis. Wish we could be there!<br /><br />Photos from top: one of the Brijuni Islands, the Roman coliseum at Pula, a tiny oak and bracken growing between the stones of the coliseumAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-34000928299150299212007-05-22T22:50:00.000-07:002007-05-22T22:59:47.976-07:00Rovinj Croatia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLYzBKAVgzH6XdW-Ce9OpeM0vjOoLV0skkpcrnsOLWPdb9GDDFweRvXGXUImSn5_X2dfNTlHV2jgM85fMcNlyXvy148lN4hqnuSpDJchssAXBbGjI0yPM3pk7RuC21junsrehWx4D3Rk/s1600-h/DSC_0003_comp_sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmLYzBKAVgzH6XdW-Ce9OpeM0vjOoLV0skkpcrnsOLWPdb9GDDFweRvXGXUImSn5_X2dfNTlHV2jgM85fMcNlyXvy148lN4hqnuSpDJchssAXBbGjI0yPM3pk7RuC21junsrehWx4D3Rk/s320/DSC_0003_comp_sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067631653625907042" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vOkwR6aZzHd1oOXzC7Uq5W5wW9nFYUXHDBHSvOQx85QQxfAkH1wn3sFQha3krRU-SPxdqX2hTbWNL4KUN-SNHcB29qrhCJJkkjJIUP4ax5Leoj5TQJQc2c5Mn1fpuACDwvcsGL5hpPQ/s1600-h/L1040552sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9vOkwR6aZzHd1oOXzC7Uq5W5wW9nFYUXHDBHSvOQx85QQxfAkH1wn3sFQha3krRU-SPxdqX2hTbWNL4KUN-SNHcB29qrhCJJkkjJIUP4ax5Leoj5TQJQc2c5Mn1fpuACDwvcsGL5hpPQ/s320/L1040552sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067631473237280594" /></a><br />KIM: We spent a lovely day yesterday exploring the cobbled lanes of old Rovinj. The cobblestones here are made of old limestone and are worn slick and smooth from literally centuries of foot traffic. It is really beautiful. The apartment/villa we are staying in is just a short walk above the old part of town, near a Franciscan church, whose belles seem to toll hourly. This is a real local neighborhood, so there is lots of noise from daily life. Our host Korinne, is a very nice woman, who speaks Croatian and Italian. Today we are headed into Pula to see the Roman coliseum and other ruins. The photo at the top is of one of the two views from our villa. The other one our waiter took at our harborside lunch yesterday. Hello to everyone!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-64231428136792326962007-05-22T07:54:00.000-07:002007-05-22T08:00:50.636-07:00Zagreb and Istria<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8GKNUkacdtrzFaVQJAedcO1rldZqXZoSxyTiVE-UNjAXoKZfSMTJoYKbCWUe4KdDAJCXzUdTR7IdJoaJ8OUhmxsnJqRMmSRIVbWrWnc0zto4y8j1TN_IXuGSG8vjEx-txxq5CPIowsQ/s1600-h/DSC_0001sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8GKNUkacdtrzFaVQJAedcO1rldZqXZoSxyTiVE-UNjAXoKZfSMTJoYKbCWUe4KdDAJCXzUdTR7IdJoaJ8OUhmxsnJqRMmSRIVbWrWnc0zto4y8j1TN_IXuGSG8vjEx-txxq5CPIowsQ/s320/DSC_0001sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067400000269829954" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6veVMQFRBbfFWk9J7ByWf325utookLM1ucpq0HHm9IWB2_iBNklSSPiBDcG9bXHsF-sqhXw07-uDN8r65O-oaNuoM62epVUg7zel4ZDF8KecAH5hql5c5NQLJsM5kdS7ueJD_gNMCoIU/s1600-h/DSC_0003sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6veVMQFRBbfFWk9J7ByWf325utookLM1ucpq0HHm9IWB2_iBNklSSPiBDcG9bXHsF-sqhXw07-uDN8r65O-oaNuoM62epVUg7zel4ZDF8KecAH5hql5c5NQLJsM5kdS7ueJD_gNMCoIU/s320/DSC_0003sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067399871420811058" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YLuZvd2c15rPpF_irV7o2Vf8v4UfmkvXxazKDraVLVkPk5ojxbRAl0eW8YgygV9QZcD1fdD8c_IVdsaJVY1RwPk_gId6qMKiREQNOHjCLdTYO6Skp-QisqyDSndRx9hHjk1MWhlLA5I/s1600-h/DSC_0004sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YLuZvd2c15rPpF_irV7o2Vf8v4UfmkvXxazKDraVLVkPk5ojxbRAl0eW8YgygV9QZcD1fdD8c_IVdsaJVY1RwPk_gId6qMKiREQNOHjCLdTYO6Skp-QisqyDSndRx9hHjk1MWhlLA5I/s320/DSC_0004sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067399716801988386" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEime5nvcXJ8qcsYIviNQA1H38kZBFJd2_SxLL9VS8pcEZUSNgi1TjOD6UKzL5ypuAPL7SwLNDodzBHiHdca69UbGvPQAA7z4VNpRPft47zJQatKC6HEcMXCsJwGhXNmCGBetYbgGS2zJ_c/s1600-h/DSC_0010sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEime5nvcXJ8qcsYIviNQA1H38kZBFJd2_SxLL9VS8pcEZUSNgi1TjOD6UKzL5ypuAPL7SwLNDodzBHiHdca69UbGvPQAA7z4VNpRPft47zJQatKC6HEcMXCsJwGhXNmCGBetYbgGS2zJ_c/s320/DSC_0010sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067399579363034898" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5V-KHvqIO5TKlIboo-cyqEci75mGwOwoek2c9pK9RhJx30xDgu3sZ-F0SHHGUm2thaP6hQxhqd8i90-6yq7pUwBaIHcN7MzwatozLw5q2Z7R72apAaPs5jWL8BAQdyPHFe1UwB9KCs8/s1600-h/DSC_0013sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5V-KHvqIO5TKlIboo-cyqEci75mGwOwoek2c9pK9RhJx30xDgu3sZ-F0SHHGUm2thaP6hQxhqd8i90-6yq7pUwBaIHcN7MzwatozLw5q2Z7R72apAaPs5jWL8BAQdyPHFe1UwB9KCs8/s320/DSC_0013sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067399347434800898" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFPoURO1meWcWDWjy1NEcwOF7kyWlGle8uHgz6D1s9VNYNHK6ginPOGGAr5jC2wwLB4VZB7QnSD_nvNcYJhrQC0mOqCY0LQEKgSoCObXHVOAy2AM0JOwcrzhhy7CMvV1GjgZBXKt9f448/s1600-h/DSC_0014sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFPoURO1meWcWDWjy1NEcwOF7kyWlGle8uHgz6D1s9VNYNHK6ginPOGGAr5jC2wwLB4VZB7QnSD_nvNcYJhrQC0mOqCY0LQEKgSoCObXHVOAy2AM0JOwcrzhhy7CMvV1GjgZBXKt9f448/s320/DSC_0014sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067399141276370674" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsu84yePyCxltV5IuJd_7ox6USbDRvXayOs4XQT7FYVOAYAmywMTjCivOssDmAAMNbdCTpXYbf3DFgT_uzRqRojxSdPaFN2APve7Z4OVq-0ukw1-mG0xJljbs3x5l5599W54DssNVzyr0/s1600-h/DSC_0018sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsu84yePyCxltV5IuJd_7ox6USbDRvXayOs4XQT7FYVOAYAmywMTjCivOssDmAAMNbdCTpXYbf3DFgT_uzRqRojxSdPaFN2APve7Z4OVq-0ukw1-mG0xJljbs3x5l5599W54DssNVzyr0/s320/DSC_0018sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067398973772646114" /></a><br />May 22<br />Zagreb and Istria<br />KIM: We left Zagreb on Monday at noon in a rented car. It was just wild trying to navigate our way out of a mysterious city with no knowledge of the traffic rules or language of the directional signs. Fortunately, we made it without incident and headed for the coast. Rijeka is a city in the north coastal region of Croatia and we had information concerning one of Anastasia’s relatives in that city. Since she is particularly interested in the indigenous healing traditions of this country, we decided to go a bit further, into Istria, to an old health spa to sample the cures. The closer we got to the sea, the more excited we all became. The sea air and the potential of meeting Brencick relations caused great anticipation! Mid-afternoon, we reached the spa, called Istarske Toplice. It is in a gorgeous setting in a small valley surrounded by the fortified hill-towns of the region. The location is at the base of a limestone massif, maybe a thousand feet tall, and it was just gorgeous. We had high hopes for the hospitality and the services we would find at this spa! Calling ahead, we found there was an apartment available for all three of us at a very reasonable rate, and that thermal pool soaks were included in the price. Massage services and board could be purchased separately. The building facility was a bit dark and a little bit like a university dorm building from the 50s, but we weren’t discouraged because the setting was so beautiful. There were cats everywhere, the cottonwood trees were blowing fluff all over and birds could be heard singing in the trees. Plus there was a pervading smell of sulfur coming from the thermal pools around the facility. We were really getting excited! After check in, we boarded a teeny elevator for the second floor and found it wouldn’t move until one of us exited. OK, we took two separate elevators! Meeting on the top floor, we found an unnumbered room that corresponded to the location of our room number, if it had been numbered, and tried the lock. Success! Long dark hallway, bathroom, plain bedroom to the right, another basic room to the left that functioned as bedroom #2 as well as kitchen dining living room. And bingo… another door leading to a terrace with a great view of the massif… and a violently barking guard dog. At least we can dry our wet towels and bathing suits on the terrace. We changed into suits and towels and headed for the pool. We attempted to ask the routine, but no one understood our questions. Lots of folks spoke Croatian, many spoke Italian, and quite a few guests spoke German, but no one spoke English. We were also beginning to notice that there were no guests of our ages. No problem. We headed for the pool, passing an empty reception kiosk. No sooner had we passed when the receptionist came tearing after us, frantically asking us for something in Croatian. We smiled and nodded our heads emphatically. No good. She wanted something we didn’t have and/or didn’t understand. Finally, we figured out that she wanted the equivalent of 50 cents each for bathing caps. Fine. We headed for the showers and then to the pool. Stares. Everyone was 70 or older. Fine. The water was green and warm, and HEAVY. The sign said, in Croatian, Italian and German: Please limit bathing to 30 minutes per day - radioactive. What??? Anastasia and Shelley said they felt a bit strange after the swim. I didn’t in particular, but I must say, the sense of heaviness upon exiting the pool was unusual. Massages we scheduled later that evening proved to be uninspired, and dinner was a truly memorable experience. After an incredible lunch the previous day in Zagreb, we had high hopes for a lovely spa dinner. At the prescribed time, we gathered with the other guests at the dining room, and again were chased by the maitre d’. Once he determined that he could communicate with us in German, he ushered us to a table in the back of the room (where we wouldn’t embarrass the other guests?). I think we behaved quite well under the circumstances, because it got very surreal after that. The buffet meal, being greedily consumed by the other guests consisted of hot dogs (no buns), mustard, sauerkraut, salad, pasta with meat gravy, overcooked broccoli and bread. No beverages, although some folks had bottled water on their tables. But only some. We didn’t ask. We clearly were expected to keep quiet about it. Later we went to the front desk with gifts for the receptionist and asked her to help us do some Brencick detective work. She agreed and was very helpful and agreeable (unlike the hotel receptionist in Zagreb, who we initially annoyed and finally befriended). As we got some leads for Brencick relations in the area, live synthesized music began in the community room. A live cover duo playing American music began to play and the old folks began to dance. Colored lights began to flash. Everyone seemed to be having a really great time, so after exhausting our research, we sat down in the atrium to listen and watch. The cigarette smoke was thick, but we tolerated it for a while before retiring. Upon reaching our room, we opened windows to the din of the birds, or so we thought. It was long since dark, but they appeared to have no intention of sleeping, and indeed continued to make noise throughout the night. We got up at 5am, with the intention of checking out and finding a place where we could feel more at home. Anastasia turned on the water for the first shower and waited. No hot water. Ugh. That sealed the deal. We headed for a coastal town called Rovinj, where we have now spent a lovely afternoon exploring narrow streets and tiny medieval shops. More on this later.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-26098350979544109082007-05-21T02:06:00.000-07:002007-05-21T02:15:03.493-07:00Kim's Week in Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6X_-63kvGWq4YJpZahuVS6I3k0FOjSR6tN50Ecdy4bLgJ5WlHsE6QStreK0PBjVDZ1nHD9IFi0VY0SGXmTi842h-H8Q_Z1vadiPm1zU1O5oETUyX97fW3SXxRswNnK1BYiv_9TcfjXs/s1600-h/DSC_0139sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj6X_-63kvGWq4YJpZahuVS6I3k0FOjSR6tN50Ecdy4bLgJ5WlHsE6QStreK0PBjVDZ1nHD9IFi0VY0SGXmTi842h-H8Q_Z1vadiPm1zU1O5oETUyX97fW3SXxRswNnK1BYiv_9TcfjXs/s320/DSC_0139sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066938621997991618" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqS3g0ci7aCzVElg0K87pW5KbwJsM_OMVBBARpdehc65oUwL2eB9meYPOQS7Hd5cUgf5ZKcl0lUVEMtuuB1Am86ofH5ZNfpd55Eioa2SLQ8G6vDPeDVcWVNSL1k2AnRYT-XJjMJvRgTqU/s1600-h/DSC_0049sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqS3g0ci7aCzVElg0K87pW5KbwJsM_OMVBBARpdehc65oUwL2eB9meYPOQS7Hd5cUgf5ZKcl0lUVEMtuuB1Am86ofH5ZNfpd55Eioa2SLQ8G6vDPeDVcWVNSL1k2AnRYT-XJjMJvRgTqU/s320/DSC_0049sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066938514623809202" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdY7cRkWvNLrGWjw830YPWjiLOzZz4VBoaWgMGX5QafNocvYd91LhobmC0ljqlNSsOcDTeJeMcQjSYJE1Wdj9i_PYXFzbCTWBj0me_avFy0-rc_NqZ1V4C3Nc8vPWxgNBOiM69PULH35k/s1600-h/DSC_0034sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdY7cRkWvNLrGWjw830YPWjiLOzZz4VBoaWgMGX5QafNocvYd91LhobmC0ljqlNSsOcDTeJeMcQjSYJE1Wdj9i_PYXFzbCTWBj0me_avFy0-rc_NqZ1V4C3Nc8vPWxgNBOiM69PULH35k/s320/DSC_0034sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066938411544594082" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2DQXcp0NSHxX75WvdG0L6I-stVLNs0tNA5Byv7GOgxSNoK9IbEisPfPLR1MPqjTCXPNBb-3QKfR6smpWbYS9-ITpNZQl5qBN4RKbEd-HRWGAZ12Z17cvrcCAepa7tAWl78JDKKVeZ40/s1600-h/DSC_0001sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2DQXcp0NSHxX75WvdG0L6I-stVLNs0tNA5Byv7GOgxSNoK9IbEisPfPLR1MPqjTCXPNBb-3QKfR6smpWbYS9-ITpNZQl5qBN4RKbEd-HRWGAZ12Z17cvrcCAepa7tAWl78JDKKVeZ40/s320/DSC_0001sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066938299875444370" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrFyijO4_OWvQhmWMgaLHZclpGMRStht3IkWlhGd1Kd9B8XLCCzKsz_mDDTIWYxWfBIe2vNnHXQpYS7eOwzWcm3_wRPMRaF04d-Z4KJkn0-j-oDf-UddJyi7SyU32MTrQq_JrYnwNiLY/s1600-h/DSC_0183sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrFyijO4_OWvQhmWMgaLHZclpGMRStht3IkWlhGd1Kd9B8XLCCzKsz_mDDTIWYxWfBIe2vNnHXQpYS7eOwzWcm3_wRPMRaF04d-Z4KJkn0-j-oDf-UddJyi7SyU32MTrQq_JrYnwNiLY/s320/DSC_0183sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066938720782239442" /></a><br />KIM: Here are a few photos I took over the past week that I haven't yet had an opportunity to post. In no particular order... The shrine to the Russian POWs that built the Vrsic Pass road during WWI, a Brencic family tomb in the cemetery in Podlipa, a popular tourist(?) eatery in Ljubljana, one of many beautifully decorated buildings in Ljubljana, Kozjak Slap (waterfall) near Kobarid and the Soca River.<br /><br />Enjoy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-13711788805364598262007-05-20T12:20:00.000-07:002007-05-20T12:32:34.936-07:00Goin' to the Doctor<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUZVjDLArMzEi6Xw7Hg9GkrYQCyyhiUan858y-lBNn63tAmekGOZloftJmnpMb_BVelwVcT3MxpZAuu5J36PFtQ3rz_kxSwI3kUakXQY_jLBI79idJDki9TQfUEDeNTYWxs1as4zy-0rV/s1600-h/L1040471sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUZVjDLArMzEi6Xw7Hg9GkrYQCyyhiUan858y-lBNn63tAmekGOZloftJmnpMb_BVelwVcT3MxpZAuu5J36PFtQ3rz_kxSwI3kUakXQY_jLBI79idJDki9TQfUEDeNTYWxs1as4zy-0rV/s320/L1040471sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066728002278586994" /></a><br /><br />Just a fun aside....<br />Some of you may have known that I have been traveling with some broken eyeglass frames. I have had them glued together with aquarium sealer (because Crazy Glue didn't cut it), and used some wire to keep them steady. Anyway, we were walking by an optical shop and we thought we would stop in to look at the price of frames. Next thing you know, I am getting an eye exam from a cute Croatian eye doctor! When we told him we were from America, he said, "Oh,George Bush Land!" This has been the only comment about our politics so far. I apologized to him, why I don't know. I just wanted him to know that I didn't vote for him. Besides, I was putting my sight in his care and I didn't want him to hurt me. The next day, I picked up my brand new glasses, and I couldn't be happier. (I am holding onto my slapped together glasses, just in case, because you never know.)Anastasia Brencickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162275105425866548noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-59134547115607322602007-05-20T08:08:00.000-07:002007-05-20T08:39:53.630-07:00A Day At The Market<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETBcRQ_JEZzEF94wn33r7bBL_QgvCyCUv5LCR7EwztscStFezqGuF-AnD7dk6Sl23XBAya7JoH0dZCSy5k0O7XMwTbSJBDGIapu16Z6_iag09dh7Vzl0XIWWpA1eXQFbndSiQ8E0NPLD9/s1600-h/L1040504sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETBcRQ_JEZzEF94wn33r7bBL_QgvCyCUv5LCR7EwztscStFezqGuF-AnD7dk6Sl23XBAya7JoH0dZCSy5k0O7XMwTbSJBDGIapu16Z6_iag09dh7Vzl0XIWWpA1eXQFbndSiQ8E0NPLD9/s320/L1040504sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066668040240167506" /></a><br />Anastasia: It is Sunday and the whole of Zagreb is shut down. We walk down the streets to find less people than the day before. We walk down to the open market where all the church goers seem to congregate in the late morning. There was fresh fruit and vegetables here yesterday, with the big attraction being the strawberries. They were everywhere, and so sweet and wonderful! Today it is a more like a flea market. There were aisles and aisles of people selling handmade lace, which is a big draw. Also, there were a lot of old coins in boxes. These were Roman coins, old dinar, etc. We saw old telephones, records such as Ray Coniff being played on an old fashioned Victrola, old pocket watches, and Turkish coffee sets. We made a connection with a woman who was a lawyer but sold wonderful gemstone necklaces on the side and we purchased some turquoise, Mother-of-Pearl and coral. We also found boxes and boxes of old church keys and pull knobs. The most amazing and eclectic items were found and discovered. <br /><br />We also found original artwork and were drawn to one particular gentleman's work. His name is Zlatan Pintek and he is finishing up his art degree this year. He was busy editing a paper while selling his work. We asked him about one of his pieces, the one with barbed wire. He told us that his English was not good but then explained it was a picture of his grandfather's homeland. The wire was him locking it up for safekeeping. I found it most intriguing. I gave him our blog address and invite him to further explain if he wishes, but the feeling of his work is deep and moving. He gave us a pamphlet from one of his previous art openings. It was entitled 'baraba + babica' and with my Croatian dictionary I found babica to mean midwife. The first word had no direct English translation, but in Czech it means a machine for excavating, or a digger. That seems to fit how we felt about his work, too. Above is a picture of him.<br /><br />I recall writing how similar things are around here from the Northwest. Not only is there stinging nettles and horse chestnut trees, but Scotch freakin' broom. Even in Italy. They just call it broom, but it does the same thing to me; makes me miserable. I have been sneezing, blowing, hacking and tearing up non-stop it seems. SO! Tomorrow we head for Istria and we will visit a toplice. This is a place where thermal hot springs are and the one we will be going to is claimed as the oldest one established by the Romans. We will stay for three days and ask them for a package that might help me with my allergy symptoms. The homeopathics I found here in Zagreb have exactly the same ingredients as the homeopathics at home, and it's not really helping me. Let's see if I can sweat it out! By the way, we all have gotten so excited to see you all posting or reading in. We feel encouraged, supported and loved and we are so happy to have you with us!Anastasia Brencickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162275105425866548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-52824021833770854522007-05-20T07:41:00.000-07:002007-05-20T07:55:35.433-07:00Shelley's Artistic Input<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFUmw0X0Qyf2lcYgySXi3qrYwcBh1YCcnhxbWy5P0iqCIoKNfBj1TcR3RL4hhIj8eTiUK9dHBaPlAxqKC7HdGmyzwPAOQahDL7HWq2A-QLxBHRP5DvU6mogxSzTnvUnu09Vpn_y4tPJvr/s1600-h/L1040441sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIFUmw0X0Qyf2lcYgySXi3qrYwcBh1YCcnhxbWy5P0iqCIoKNfBj1TcR3RL4hhIj8eTiUK9dHBaPlAxqKC7HdGmyzwPAOQahDL7HWq2A-QLxBHRP5DvU6mogxSzTnvUnu09Vpn_y4tPJvr/s320/L1040441sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066656632807029314" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4ircBLFcQbQBWQYgX33f46sZKBd5GmmCynolqQvwKta6p6b_Vq9JHcbb3ccbcbJeze2usaVvSQW89ClQmumCu2JGS6LNpYNv5k23b3cyq8VNXzA1WHbXijxngmr-NzrPvY1ECEn-lbFS/s1600-h/L1040439sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4ircBLFcQbQBWQYgX33f46sZKBd5GmmCynolqQvwKta6p6b_Vq9JHcbb3ccbcbJeze2usaVvSQW89ClQmumCu2JGS6LNpYNv5k23b3cyq8VNXzA1WHbXijxngmr-NzrPvY1ECEn-lbFS/s320/L1040439sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066656499663043122" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPcJh5HT8k5JDffgt1CIltDY_KHhixMJhnnb_SXUUoXt8eqVQnd8fEpPi72USFP5Os_Cag-yte2XbFsa-6NyqalH5dwUYX6yCQDSbQ22s7kDM96EBOIoBcg5VDTAHUQWlg_UIvzx_IzmA/s1600-h/L1040436sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyPcJh5HT8k5JDffgt1CIltDY_KHhixMJhnnb_SXUUoXt8eqVQnd8fEpPi72USFP5Os_Cag-yte2XbFsa-6NyqalH5dwUYX6yCQDSbQ22s7kDM96EBOIoBcg5VDTAHUQWlg_UIvzx_IzmA/s320/L1040436sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066656345044220450" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ztqhAoAl6c-wPaC9APdiB4o2ILAGZ8o5hODMysPi-ljItX15z5VEXkz9cSSXj3Gi2vfy3z4GRCjvV8St-7OSnJ3HAKtrVUWsWQeftO6sqcDrlXZM6rwysgXmbCLKQ0URo6rbbT_AY7jo/s1600-h/L1040433sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ztqhAoAl6c-wPaC9APdiB4o2ILAGZ8o5hODMysPi-ljItX15z5VEXkz9cSSXj3Gi2vfy3z4GRCjvV8St-7OSnJ3HAKtrVUWsWQeftO6sqcDrlXZM6rwysgXmbCLKQ0URo6rbbT_AY7jo/s320/L1040433sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066656168950561298" /></a><br />Anastasia: As Kim and I pour over the details of family stories to connect our Brencick/Brencic line, Shelley has been painting, sketching and even trying her hand at watercolors. She is used to her oil painting but found herself breaking free from that to try something new. Here are some examples of her work.Anastasia Brencickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162275105425866548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-64857831902135961712007-05-19T09:53:00.000-07:002007-05-19T10:36:12.170-07:00Pictures of Villa Spadara<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHYmWRAneqsHfz1GAj5Yv8VTLcfox53CrlHe4IF6wEaL_0svFDWY2bo5oYWfNOh3jvePGBOQHIH4SbPRZOgoW54sZU6k1_99pXLCM2jwvRJ82x0z_4y57EqLMpBiZ3nxcTQVJr2STxc_u/s1600-h/L1040381sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHYmWRAneqsHfz1GAj5Yv8VTLcfox53CrlHe4IF6wEaL_0svFDWY2bo5oYWfNOh3jvePGBOQHIH4SbPRZOgoW54sZU6k1_99pXLCM2jwvRJ82x0z_4y57EqLMpBiZ3nxcTQVJr2STxc_u/s320/L1040381sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066326238152817154" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8i3POWxNvHuvejs5kZBJhofYvbm25ZKkPCB9T4_Fpwu5T_8pduvkAf9gSAwYj7X-HTcCiWBomtrDQOjy4efRTWeMOHGwzYr1Rn82wjq_HoCXipvx0qND4VxGnlxFeFwDPRADEIQbzKc4Y/s1600-h/L1040352sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8i3POWxNvHuvejs5kZBJhofYvbm25ZKkPCB9T4_Fpwu5T_8pduvkAf9gSAwYj7X-HTcCiWBomtrDQOjy4efRTWeMOHGwzYr1Rn82wjq_HoCXipvx0qND4VxGnlxFeFwDPRADEIQbzKc4Y/s320/L1040352sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066324919597857266" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnC_8ZWdqX58KXoiBOJtVW4QW1xvmIv3s4Ia21iYOkrth5GPetKPfIHxkM5M5MZiCmlRYLbvcR0fiYJngtk2LWyLXmQzHYT90ZMg2qp_HxTWsp68M4fV_fxuQC_pm43TGwh4Edbjw2yW0z/s1600-h/L1040345sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnC_8ZWdqX58KXoiBOJtVW4QW1xvmIv3s4Ia21iYOkrth5GPetKPfIHxkM5M5MZiCmlRYLbvcR0fiYJngtk2LWyLXmQzHYT90ZMg2qp_HxTWsp68M4fV_fxuQC_pm43TGwh4Edbjw2yW0z/s320/L1040345sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066318915233577442" /></a><br />ANASTASIA: The best way to describe the entry into this adventure we are having is to show you pictures of Italy. The conference was wonderful, but to describe the place is just to limiting with words. Here are a few snapshots....Anastasia Brencickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162275105425866548noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-59461664882477748602007-05-19T08:44:00.000-07:002007-05-19T08:53:21.364-07:00Ljubljana<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnoMdcL8C4j-A0svxMY3co2fLtfCOdwHI_bvsP0XeZBqTPyOUgbHf679C73ua2_lEimXqqU5V9yODJBIrxLNWC8shwI-FHERFKmXAZjs9Qy-5un82U1Iv7wBS_U_zfwd3bPDKqud-Qfo/s1600-h/DSC_0090sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnoMdcL8C4j-A0svxMY3co2fLtfCOdwHI_bvsP0XeZBqTPyOUgbHf679C73ua2_lEimXqqU5V9yODJBIrxLNWC8shwI-FHERFKmXAZjs9Qy-5un82U1Iv7wBS_U_zfwd3bPDKqud-Qfo/s320/DSC_0090sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066300449987348098" /></a><br />KIM: Yesterday in Ljubljana was the secondary school graduation day. All of the kids paraded from the Kongressi Trg throughout the city, dressed in orange and black t-shirts and blowing whistles incessantly. What a racket! They all proceeded with abandon at their own pace. It was an all-day-and-night-long free-for-all. At one point, I retreated to a shady square to try to escape the noise, or at least I hoped it would pass, but several of the girls appeared at the next bench with a bottle of wine and a set of keys. I thought maybe they had a corkscrew on the keychain, but they only had keys and proceeded, without regard for my observation, to try to dig the cork out of the bottle. They were still at it when I left about ten minutes later! The weather today was beautiful, after a thunderstorm the previous night, so I headed over the dragon bridge for the funicular to see the castle on the hill. From the castle courtyard I heard people speaking Slovenian, Croatian, German, Hebrew, British and Australian English, French, Russian, Japanese, and other languages I didn’t recognize also! A group of children formed a circle in the courtyard with one boy in the center and began to sing happy birthday in Slovenian, turning their circle around the boy as American kids would while playing ring-around-the-rosy. The hundred or so adults milling about the castle grounds all became quiet to listen and the little birthday boy put his hands over his eyes until it was all over. Then they frolicked off and everyone went back to their conversation! Earlier in the day I photographed the river and some building frescoes. Thursday night I attended an art opening at a downtown bank lobby. Turns out the artist was an American graphic designer named Luba Lukova, whose work I have seen many times. She was at the show and I was able to speak with her and a few of her associates. It was a very nice evening. Friday evening I attended a concert of the Slovene Philharmonic, featuring soloists from the National Academy of Music, including a young double bass player who did a great job of the Koussevitsky Concerto. I met two of the four bass players in the orchestra. One from Croatia and the other from (of all places) Planina! This morning I’m catching the 8:35 am train to Zagreb, Croatia to meet up with Anastasia and Shelley…Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-76232797583403000302007-05-18T08:58:00.000-07:002007-05-19T08:42:59.570-07:00Here in ZagrebANASTASIA: I have ten minutes at this internet cafe and will write much more later. Hello from Zagreb! The y on the keyboard is where the z is on an American keyboard. FYI, folks. This is the first day in Croatia. It is a windy 72 degrees, clear sky, and it feels good here. Really good. How can I explain that? It feels just like my hometown in Washington state, really. There are stinging nettle plants, alder trees, lots of oak trees (word to the treegirls!), and the people are absolutely kind and patient. Most speak at least basic communicative English. I feel horrible that my brain cannot retain a simple zdravo, or hello. I have two weeks to have it solidify. My first meal has been a lovely pizza and a pivo, or beer. This is a common, cheap meal for Croatians as we are in the north and have alot of Italian influence. I would like to write about my experience in Italy soon. I am still digesting the wonderful place of Villa Spadara; a family villa that grows lemons, grapes and I think also blood oranges, as we had them at every meal for a treat. I was there for a conference. It is a conference on the focusing technique, and how it applies to bodywork. THis will be where my graduate thesis will find fertile soil! Somehow, writing from Europe makes me write differently than I talk. Well, I look forward to writing more later AND downloading some pictures so that you can be here with me! Until then, dovidenja!<br />ABAnastasia Brencickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16162275105425866548noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-11284948486935450502007-05-18T01:19:00.000-07:002007-05-18T01:25:24.147-07:00The Brencic Family in Podlipa SloveniaKIM: I have arrived in Ljubljana and it's a very clean and atmospheric city. I am staying in an old apartment in the center of town and can hear the church bells from the town square ringing every hour. The Ljubljanica River passes through the center of town, much like the Seine through Paris. There are sidewalk cafes everywhere and the streets are cobblestones. Everything is within a 10 minute walk, so it is a perfect city for being on foot. On the other side of the river, easily accessible by several car and foot bridges, is a high hill, topped by an old castle. The oldest part of town is at the foot of this hill and seems to date from about the 13th century, when the Hapsburgs took over the Roman settlement here. There are art and music events going on all the time, and I am having no trouble staying entertained!<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0iC16h5mgXjLV41z4LP5km7tijCBIkQIHJoB3JyzJ9NCJJ_KFnO6CBfcf8n9QpNQebGmPWZjwUNIwXibjD6VBVG3TD7Fc1N-USRuO3_i88JLwpq5maj8X5ock60zMEmGPbDVUfyhCpY/s1600-h/DSC_0060sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0iC16h5mgXjLV41z4LP5km7tijCBIkQIHJoB3JyzJ9NCJJ_KFnO6CBfcf8n9QpNQebGmPWZjwUNIwXibjD6VBVG3TD7Fc1N-USRuO3_i88JLwpq5maj8X5ock60zMEmGPbDVUfyhCpY/s320/DSC_0060sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065806777856411202" /></a> My mission, though, is to find Brencics, and with the help of two local tourist guides, Dragan Bekcic and Max Gale, today I was able to visit Joze and Valentina Brencic of Podlipa, a small town between Planina and Ljubljana. Max accompanied me and translated for the group. Joze has done extensive genealogical research back to the turn of the 18th century and has uncovered several branches of the Brencic family. He believes his line and ours are connected, even though the dates we have do not match exactly. We have agreed to share new findings as they are uncovered. Joze and Valentina have also invited me to stay with them the next time I visit so they can show me all of the historic sites of the Brencics and the country! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQL5E5R9B_DS-F1eXaH2pJDt5epjRZPayHZts-1lKAG0C3pM_ntIWh_OtbhyphenhyphennFF4Ejrrbe_EM5kMhSHrATep5dOf2J5C7ugKvhbAFWhfMLbmOsXO8mtZ1XenwZ2lqkKZ9uMZsz_tdjGb8/s1600-h/DSC_0043sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQL5E5R9B_DS-F1eXaH2pJDt5epjRZPayHZts-1lKAG0C3pM_ntIWh_OtbhyphenhyphennFF4Ejrrbe_EM5kMhSHrATep5dOf2J5C7ugKvhbAFWhfMLbmOsXO8mtZ1XenwZ2lqkKZ9uMZsz_tdjGb8/s320/DSC_0043sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065811755723507314" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7srLlXrcF0RcK160rUtbHfpAl8ulCuUER_A4F1IqZbxSSvD-Nskuw0VMtSD3mPlywbZCll-FzBJZDrgfXBCV7AOrl4VVWvBqTeKZYhx6G05lkn6njiOa1rDa1liDZAi0OuLrhCaOt_q8/s1600-h/DSC_0036sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7srLlXrcF0RcK160rUtbHfpAl8ulCuUER_A4F1IqZbxSSvD-Nskuw0VMtSD3mPlywbZCll-FzBJZDrgfXBCV7AOrl4VVWvBqTeKZYhx6G05lkn6njiOa1rDa1liDZAi0OuLrhCaOt_q8/s320/DSC_0036sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065810780765931106" /></a> After our visit, Joze took me in his car for a short drive up the Podlipa valley to show me how beautiful it is, and I must agree that it is spectacular. We visited the site of his ancestral home once stood, and we visited with Anton Brencic, a neighbor farmer and relative. We also ascended the ridge above Podlipa to get a birds-eye view of the little valley town and then visited a more modern, but still old, house in the alpine style of the original buildings of the valley. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvUlyXfuqD4HPtOq4AKZ7yLV3Id4HxuyjMTX41GZFT9PWNl_X559gahGJl-RXWbeZ2Bg1Xv0T9jSCEm4c2MTQsj2Eb24vAV7mbZztbq17J4LWZibTJYWzp2lJfv8V5ljBQNPjdyTprQc/s1600-h/DSC_0053sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvUlyXfuqD4HPtOq4AKZ7yLV3Id4HxuyjMTX41GZFT9PWNl_X559gahGJl-RXWbeZ2Bg1Xv0T9jSCEm4c2MTQsj2Eb24vAV7mbZztbq17J4LWZibTJYWzp2lJfv8V5ljBQNPjdyTprQc/s320/DSC_0053sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065809896002668114" /></a> FYI - “pod” means “under” and “lipa” is the name for the linden tree, which is a national symbol of community in Slovenia. The lipa has a serrated heart-shaped leaf and can be found as a graphic symbol and in town and place names all over the country. So Podlipa means “town under the linden tree”. Nice! Friday is a sightseeing, shopping and photography day in Ljubljana and then Saturday morning I am off by train to meet Anastasia and Shelley in Zagreb.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-73130706458665417972007-05-16T12:20:00.000-07:002007-05-16T12:43:51.046-07:00Family in Planina Slovenia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrzxSU7G5oyDQy0TkFE_eU7zBKyE8-xCbLFeBM1ItWLRRc-I1bI79AWgmL_rMDq7EI3UL30tkG2lZsLh5q3q0cujViHwptMmpbUrO1awGIYvgVZUlFfuuCAdTlcYFckWV-7DjSl-Umdc/s1600-h/DSC_0093sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIrzxSU7G5oyDQy0TkFE_eU7zBKyE8-xCbLFeBM1ItWLRRc-I1bI79AWgmL_rMDq7EI3UL30tkG2lZsLh5q3q0cujViHwptMmpbUrO1awGIYvgVZUlFfuuCAdTlcYFckWV-7DjSl-Umdc/s320/DSC_0093sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065242281714763218" /></a><br />KIM: I have spent an amazing two days in Planina meeting what seems like hundreds of people, all talking simultaneously in Slovenian! It began when I arrived in the old town of Planina on the bus from Ljubljana on Monday afternoon 5/14. It was like the old westerns where the stagecoach leaves the passenger and his bags in a cloud of dust in a ghost town! No one was around. I tried calling the hosts of the place I planned to stay, no answer. I tried calling a taxi, no answer. I knocked on doors, no answers. Finally a teenage girl crossed the street down a ways and sat down against a building. I walked over to her and asked if she spoke English. Most young people in Slovenia do. She said no, not much, and we weren't even able to understand much of each others' pantomime. Finally I found a small grocery store in an alley and was able to make myself understood that I needed a ride about 4km to the guest house. Two or three others appeared and after much discussion (Slovenes talk a lot and very loudly!)I think the store manager loaned her car to a teenage boy, who drove me. Everyone was really gracious! I checked into Apartma Sefic, owned by Anton and Meta Sefic. Their place is a 150 year old farmhouse that they have renovated over the past ten years. The attic has been converted to two separate rental units each accommodating up to six people and with gorgeous views of the countryside. My apartment had a bedroom with two twin beds, a loft with two twins, and an "L" shaped sofa, sleeping two in the living room. It also had a full kitchen and exposed structural beams, antiques, etc. Anton and Meta are also artists and gardeners, so the place is full of their handiwork. They speak excellent English and after hearing my story wanted to participate 100% in my search for Planina relatives! Within 30 minutes, we met some folks on the side of the road wrestling with firewood. We inquired if they knew of the Urbas and Milavec families still in Planina and the youngest woman of them said that she was a Milavec. At that time, I didn't know that the Brencics might also be from Planina, so I didn't ask about them, but we later found out that the rest of the group were Brencics. If I had had more time, I would have gone back to talk to them more! Then we went to the cemetery and found many gravestones from all three families. This is what tipped me off that the Brencics might also come from Planina. Then we drove back into Planina to ask about the location of Andy Urbas' old house. I knew it was next to the old primary school (Judska Sola) and Anton knew that location, so we went there and while Anton and Meta spoke with an old woman who lives nearby, I walked around to see if I recognized any buildings. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLDxnbNyg91JIuln-BpG3KrCMUc04g0DiHOYWg-D_T_eqo1eZNRbxsE2gCXYTMqhBAQTjMbBl5gA5idVuUpzfr4o6e1a4LFIk15SbWGmMPb-WC4UgMKX2ahHdB8DUyxhceGozADU_pRY/s1600-h/DSC_0118sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLDxnbNyg91JIuln-BpG3KrCMUc04g0DiHOYWg-D_T_eqo1eZNRbxsE2gCXYTMqhBAQTjMbBl5gA5idVuUpzfr4o6e1a4LFIk15SbWGmMPb-WC4UgMKX2ahHdB8DUyxhceGozADU_pRY/s320/DSC_0118sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065242891600119266" /></a><br />Of course, it was all eerily familiar, and I easily found the house. Two people and a neighbor were working in the courtyard, so I asked by sign language if I could take photos. They said yes but tried to ask me more. I pantomimed that I had been to this house when I was very young and they seemed to understand, which made them want to ask more. Frustrated, I ran around the corner to get Anton and Meta for assistance. The ensuing conversation was a gold mine of information. The man was Albreht Rajko, the caretaker of the Urbas house and forest. They all commented on how I resemble the Urbas relatives they knew, particularly Anica (Ana), Olga's cousin, who was the last remaining Urbas in Planina until she died in 2003. Since then, Albreht has continued to live in the house and take care of the forest, hoping to hear from the Urbas family in the US some day. The condition of the house and the forest is wonderful and just as I remember! Albreht also gave us some clues about the possible location of one other relative that I remember from my last visit - Mojca. Mojca was a teenage girl when I was eight years old. Albrecht thought she was in Logatec and might be a teacher. A few phone calls later, we had who we thought might be the right person, so Anton and Meta loaded me in the car and we headed about 10 km north to Logatec. The woman who came out to meet us looked familiar, but older, so I had a good feeling. This was quickly confirmed as she vividly recalled Olga. Everyone here comments on their memories of Olga as a tall(?) elegant woman with beautiful hairdos and clothing! Mojca has been studying her genealogy, so her notes all came out and we compared and added information. Mojca was nearly overcome with emotion during our entire visit of about 90 minutes. She was so happy to have cousins across the sea! She told us many things, but also put me in touch with Elka, another woman I remember from my visit in 1970. This morning, before leaving for Ljubljana, Elka and her sister Helena came to Anton and Meta's house to visit. This was another loud, boisterous and happy meeting. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKI5WEL8-Szpp-QapVmzGMtKO9zPGOzwAT5KQtzw1ASrKbkjtRtdCkkG3ZRoT88UqGlERGiiOOmiIYL-_U2VrM3AhxnuVgKsa321qx50aeJXVADM_g8LtNcuoJKwGZj7OSHNd3FUl7rI4/s1600-h/DSC_0131sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKI5WEL8-Szpp-QapVmzGMtKO9zPGOzwAT5KQtzw1ASrKbkjtRtdCkkG3ZRoT88UqGlERGiiOOmiIYL-_U2VrM3AhxnuVgKsa321qx50aeJXVADM_g8LtNcuoJKwGZj7OSHNd3FUl7rI4/s320/DSC_0131sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065243235197502962" /></a><br />I was also very fortunate to have several long conversations with Albreht, who told me all about the care and condition of the forest. He also took me on a tour of the land, which is 5 hectares which he translated as about 12 acres or 50 meters by 1 km. The forest is located just off a beautifully maintained dirt road right across the main highway from the Sefic house in a tiny village next to Planina called Liplje. The land has been taken by the government for National Park land, but private ownership is grandfathered. Albreht owns the 5 hectares adjacent to the Urbas forest. In 1920, the Italians took this land for Italy and moved the border to the edge of the Urbas forest. In the photo you can see a marker that indicates the location of this boundary. To the left of the marker is Urbas land, to the right, Albreht Rajko land (both of which were considered Italy between the two world wars), and behind Slovenia. Now, of course, the border is about 30 miles to the west. This post is getting very long, but since I had no internet access for two days, I want to finish the story and get it posted. The short part of the story is that the forest is in very good condition and Albreht is very dedicated to its care and committed by a promise to Anica Urbas to care for it for his entire life. His son is also helping and will continue after Albreht dies. The house is also in very good condition and has been updated inside since I visited in 1970. I have a lot more information about all of this, but will speak to the Urbas family individually about it. Hope you are all well. I am only a little bit homesick! -KimAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-71370385067010621012007-05-16T08:53:00.000-07:002007-05-16T08:54:51.973-07:00Monday 5/14KIM: I left Bled on May 14 and took the bus to a town called Radovlica. Later, I will continue on through Ljubljana, on my way to Planina and Postojna, where I have a room in a private home reserved for two nights. The food has been wonderful so far. Yesterday in the Soca Valley I had lunch in a café on the outdoor terraced patio which was covered in grapevines. I had goulash made with beef. They also served it with lamb or venison, and I thought about trying the venison, but was told that the spicier stew was made with beef, so that’s what I ordered. The menus are really varied. This country is squashed in between Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, so it has dishes from all of those cultures, plus seafood from the Adriatic and trout and pike from the alpine lakes. Bread, potatoes and rice are ubiquitous, and polenta is also very common.<br /><br />Many people here speak at least some English, but today I am on my own and it is much more difficult to get around. The bus drivers are no-nonsense, don’t speak much if any English and, without actually being rude, seem to wish the tourists who try to drag their suitcases and backpacks on board would just go away! On the positive side, the buses are very clean and air-conditioned so after a strenuous adventure dragging my gear all over town looking for the bus station which turns out to be only a bus stop, I can sit and cool off for a bit! As you can imagine, the street signs, advertising and everything else we take for granted when looking for a clue which way to go next is all in Slovenian, and it is 90% unintelligible. For the most part, everyone is patient and helpful and if I ignore the language barrier, it seems not too different from visiting Canada! In other words, things are only a little bit different from what we are used to in the US. The biggest difference is that nearly everyone smokes!<br /><br />The weather has been wonderful - mostly sunny and warm, about 65-75 degrees. Apparently spring arrived about three weeks early and there hasn’t been the usual amount of rain, so people are concerned about drought. Everything is green and blooming and lots of the plants and trees are similar to the varieties we have in the Seattle area. Notably, horse chestnut is blooming here, wild strawberries and blueberries, columbine and other common wildflowers. Since I am going south from here on, I am concerned that I didn’t bring enough warm weather clothes!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-23445027677110719622007-05-13T14:34:00.000-07:002007-05-13T14:46:21.462-07:00Soca River Valley<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Uuo1Pt7Z7YK520oIeJRyspyxL6KzrSGoVGYr-Pn5LEFKNhdxxvYdDhScMFRLCTcuH8dkFkiNoSW1aIxmGBwgngiQvI-5dlXcuWXFckCeXDB_PkQyOJNj7mN6nTYOGRmBVDWn-_YKAeM/s1600-h/DSC_0152sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Uuo1Pt7Z7YK520oIeJRyspyxL6KzrSGoVGYr-Pn5LEFKNhdxxvYdDhScMFRLCTcuH8dkFkiNoSW1aIxmGBwgngiQvI-5dlXcuWXFckCeXDB_PkQyOJNj7mN6nTYOGRmBVDWn-_YKAeM/s400/DSC_0152sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064161934411823794" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqhEGpEOcb8L4VxmaJoLsTVYxA-CX5qqa6rh1Pt1ZSJB4IJ84DUvCAlnKVHXSwvr9oxIJwXq9-oTF-nrKanveSVU2jNTz4YxXkcsrrvbMJV71-rRbH-20GXRjk1EhmPYcATnakBYGHdU/s1600-h/DSC_0187sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqhEGpEOcb8L4VxmaJoLsTVYxA-CX5qqa6rh1Pt1ZSJB4IJ84DUvCAlnKVHXSwvr9oxIJwXq9-oTF-nrKanveSVU2jNTz4YxXkcsrrvbMJV71-rRbH-20GXRjk1EhmPYcATnakBYGHdU/s400/DSC_0187sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064162832059988674" /></a> KIM: On the way down the Soca Valley side of the Vrsic Pass, the river is a beautiful shade of milky turquoise. We stopped to check out this narrow passage that kayakers love. A few miles further on, the river is dammed and forms a large reservoir, but retains the amazing color. The second photo is the diving platform at Most na Soca (bridge over the Soca). I believe that Saso told me the platform is 10 or 12 meters above the water, and that the youngest jumper was 7 years old and the oldest was 70. The Soca River, in case you hadn't guessed, is the high-adventure watersports capital of Slovenia. Tomorrow I will walk around Lake Bled and visit the castle and the island church before leaving Bled for Planina and Postojna, where I hope to find Urbas and Brencic relatives.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3224386179555867847.post-42088605724907849782007-05-13T14:17:00.000-07:002007-05-13T14:33:03.448-07:00Saso Golub, Tour Guide Extraordinaire<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSZX2-rcsCsnY9mh8aDlO1gcs6cD9kQBxVmqZQSXNO-KoQOHKbTyHN-1VMzuih5E0wN75ImbWfsICcbkur7boUnyX2x1s2Ys4TC8pcZ1wQMLaXoGe7pX_AXIc0ZbgvD12utxcLOpmN8Y/s1600-h/DSC_0148sm.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSZX2-rcsCsnY9mh8aDlO1gcs6cD9kQBxVmqZQSXNO-KoQOHKbTyHN-1VMzuih5E0wN75ImbWfsICcbkur7boUnyX2x1s2Ys4TC8pcZ1wQMLaXoGe7pX_AXIc0ZbgvD12utxcLOpmN8Y/s400/DSC_0148sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064161401835879074" /></a><br /><a href="http://localhost:1174/e0754efbf762c936437b372271042b81/image372.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: both; float: left;" alt="" src="http://localhost:1174/e0754efbf762c936437b372271042b81/image372.jpg?size=160" border="0" /></a> KIM: I spent today with Saso Golub, a freelance tour guide in the Bled area. This is a photo of Saso standing in front of the house he would want if he ever moved away from his family home near Bled Lake. Saso took me on an all-day tour of the region, from the laskeside drive around Bled to the ski-flying hills in Kranskja Gora, the Vrsic Pass, the Russian Orthodox Chapel memorial to the Russian POWs who built the road of 51 switchbacks during WWI, the WWI museum in Kobarid and the nearby Kozjak Slap (an awesome waterfall). The 45 minute car-train from Most na Soca to Bohinjska Bistrica was a beautiful finale to a really great day. Saso speaks excellent English, which is a good thing beacuse I don't know any Slovenian. Well, I must admit that because of Saso's influence, I now know about thirty more words than I did yesterday!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077684144322640150noreply@blogger.com0