Istanbul

Ahhh Istanbul, where the call to prayer wakes you at 5am and sounds like someone is calling down the pipe of a vacuum cleaner! Grace hates it, I love it. We've had some wonderful chats with the locals here. They are such friendly people and I guess I wasn't expecting that, especially on the street. Night times are colourful with lights, stallholders and many people trying to get you into their restaurant for dinner. On our first night, we had to run the gauntlet of restaurant touters before we ate at a local restaurant and had a mixed grill with assorted salad veggies. Not the best but we were trying our best not to eat at a tourist restaurant. There were the usual cats hanging around and it's not surprising when the customers feed them under the table!

After that, we went back to a bar to sit on their bean bags and smoke a water pipe with apple flavouring and strawberry. An interesting experience and we all gave it a go. The girls were quite taken with the guys from the bar and their banter and charm.

The following day we headed for the Grand Bazaar in the blistering heat and we were pleasantly surprised at how the bazaar was so spacious and cool. I managed to slip a tea set into our backpack and have no idea if it will make it home in one piece but I'll give it a go. We wandered around, had something to eat perched on stools and then terry had a hair cut. This was entertaining, especially when the barber commented on the state of Terry's hair and then gave me a hard time because I was the barber in Mike Crouch's back yard. To be fair I had cut a chunk out of his hair as I was getting used to how they work. they really are quite effective.

Montenegro

We have made it to Montenegro after a rather long day on the bus with some interesting characters onboard. Our accommodation faces the amazing fort perched on the side of the mountain. It really is an incredible feat to build it when they did, where they did, with what they had available. they started building the fort in the ninth century...too much! Early in the morning while the temperature was kind, we walked up to the flag at the top of the fort; some 1350 steps. Good effort; exercise done.

It was so hot today and for the first time we experienced 34 degrees and I would have to say, it is too hot to function comfortably, especially when not near water. Fortunately, we are, with the fjord near to where we are staying, but we did not swim today. Terry and I wandered into the old city which is another walled city, just to get our bearings. We had yet another local beer (hence the flabby bellies we both have) under mist sprays from the roof of the outdoor bar; such a relief from the heat. We bought groceries at the local supermarket and it is incredible how reasonable or even cheap things are. For 43euro we had bread, cheese, olives, wine, beer, fruit, juice, salami, eggs and so enough for a feast. Despite that, we went out for dinner, for lamb, and three different kinds of pasta. Around our feet we had a collection of cats; one with a bung eye and all very skinny. There are many cats around Croatia and they all look in the same poor condition.

Our walk home in a very balmy temperature was illuminated by the lights on the fort and the lights from the boats on the wharf All very wonderful.

Lopud

 

Today we caught up with Anna and Mark after a stressful moment of thinking that they would not be coming after all since they were late. Mum was pacing up and down with their tickets. The three of them sprinted down the wharf and joined us just in time. We arrived in Lopud all hot and bothered so we decided to get ice cream before tackling the 1450m (uphill) to the beach. It was well worth it though.

The beach was so nice and there weren’t many other people on it. The sand burnt your feet and the water refreshed them.

After chilling at the beach and getting some colour we went to have lunch at one of the restaurants overlooking the sea. Lunch was really good! Dad and Mark had the mixed grill which has become the standard lunch for dad. After the beach, we walked back to the town (Anna and I tried to get the golf cart back!) and we went for another swim and then had drinks by the water before we had to go back to Dubrovnik. It was a really good day despite getting burnt.

In the evening we ventured down from our crib in the hills to go and watch Croatia play Italy. We were mobbed by a sea of red and white as we tried to make our way through the growing crowd. We finally got to a pub where it seemed that half of Dubrovnik was also. There were masses of people all with red and white checks on. I didn’t feel too out of place in my red dress but mum was wearing green! The atmosphere down there was awesome. Whenever Croatia was even close to scoring a goal the crowd would erupt with noise. You can imagine how excited they were when they did actually score. They set off red flares and paraded around with flags yelling like crazy. When the game was over the streets returned to their usual sleepiness and we went out for tea at an Italian restaurant; for the second time.

Cavtat Croatia

Today we caught the boat to a little town just out of Dubrovnik. We arrived in Cavtat in just under an hour and were welcomed by the heat. It’s a place quite a bit smaller than Dubrovnik but looks much the same. We walked around the peninsula which was very pretty with many little spots for swimming with sun loungers and some with small bars where you would not expect them. We went to a place called Poseidon for lunch. This place had outdoor eating like many of the restaurants in Europe. People just do not eat inside. In fact, many places do not have indoor eating. Mum and Dad were deliberating over whether or not get a Croatia towel because of the limited space we have in our bags while Ella and I made up our minds on food.

After lunch, we went and hired out deck chairs and went swimming until the boat came. The water was surprising warmer that in Dubrovnik and it was so clear. Mum and dad disgraced themselves as they were trying to play a game that is sort of like ping pong and failing badly. We got an ice-cream, which is now a daily ritual, and Mum made a last-minute decision to get the towel before we were whisked away back to Dubrovnik. 

Scenes from the wall surrounding the old city.

Day trip to Mostar in Bosnia

We headed off in a minivan for a day trip which first took us to Pocitelj, an ancient town with a fortress built in the 15th century. We were told a story about the mosque which had to be rebuilt after the Croatian Bosnians destroyed it in the war. There was a lot of ethnic cleansing around this region and I have to say I had a wee cry just thinking about how appalling it must have been to be here. We had a brief stay here before heading off again to Mostar.

During the Turkish rule, this city was an important trade centre and there are several mosques which show this influence. Mostar is the city where east meets west. One side of the bridge is Muslim and the other side is Catholic, so the city is split in two. The churches try to outdo each other. The Catholics built their spire to make sure it was higher than the mosque and they placed a cross high on the hill that can only be seen from the Muslim side! So there is a simmering tension. Also evident are the bullet holes and destroyed buildings, the old cars and a place that seems to be stuck in time. We watched a movie that showed the bombing of the bridge during the war and it was incredibly disturbing.


For lunch, we went to a little cafe which was clearly where the locals go. Sitting across from us were a group of locals who were not interested in our smiles, they just stared. It was a little uncomfortable at first but we just ploughed on. The man who took our order and who had only a few words in English was great. We got by with gesturing and then he would just call us 'New Zealand.' Terry ordered the mixed grill which included a local dish cevapcici which is meat like a sausage. It was delicious. Grace's salad (pictured) was a little tragic though but she just got on with it then nabbed the chicken from terry's mixed grill. At the end of our meal, our man said "New Zealand? then gestured at the food to which we responded with thumbs up, smiles and nods of the head. Obviously, none of those gestures was obscene in this culture. We all parted happily after he tried to explain to us what the name of his business meant. Hmmm, not quite getting it but it had something to do with a door and the street.

Our final destination was a trip to Medugorje which is a place of much significance to Catholics for it is where the Virgin Mary appeared to a group of children. Now the place is a significant pilgrimage site. However, we had an hour to explore and could not go up the mountain to the exact location where she made her appearance. Instead, we wandered aimlessly through the town past many, many shops filled to the brim with tacky religious souvenirs. One couldn't help questioning whether someone had a very clever marketing strategy... still, each to their own. We got ice cream and waited to be picked up again. No photos. There was nothing to take a photo of. hang on, I found one. enough said.

The journey home was through some pretty lovely scenery. At times it could have been New Zealand we were driving through with its lake surrounded by mountains and trees. The main difference would have to be in the sparseness of the mountains and in how dry they were. I loved how dramatic they looked behind the little villages with their orange roofs. We passed grapevines, fishermen propped up on the riverbank, mandarin orchards and all the while Grace was giving Harry Potter a thrashing; book two down, now where to get book three?

Cilipi (pronounced chilipi)

Day four was a trip to Cilipi. It was a short minivan ride with a tour to get to this little village. It really did not have much to skite about except for the traditional folk show it puts on every Sunday which is exactly why we came. Time to get a taste of the culture with the costumes and song. Clever marketing brings many tourists to this place and they sell their wares which are often little bags of home-grown lavender, or hand-embroidered cloth. Terry and I sampled the grappa and it was nasty! There were two kinds and both were equally difficult to consume. Anna likened it to 'rocket fuel' and that description is so apt. Then I found the sweet wine and so had a few of those and then a few more for good measure. We sat sampling while listening to a folk group. I so enjoyed their music that I bought their CD! And everyone back home will be treated to it. I did try to upload a video to give you a taster but it didn't work. The dancing was also a treat to watch although the music was a little repetitive as were the dance steps, the odd movements were amusing and in particular one dance where the males stole another male's dance partner.