RobinsonAdventures2023

Zagreb Monday, June 26, 2023 Another bright and sunny morning greeted us.  Breakfast in our hotel was followed by an Uber ride to the intersection where the tourist bus begins its circuit around town. We were a bit concerned that there was no sign but some local shopkeepers reassured us that we were at the correct spot. And there was a delightful couple from Australia waiting as well. Before long a large blue open-topped bus arrived and invited us to jump on board.  We did exactly that and climbed the stairs to claim the best seats as we four were the first customers of the day. Soon after, the bus left and went around a large block and ended up at the other end of the promenade where we had met. And guess what? The red Hop On Hop Off bus was there as well. We thought that is what we were going to ride on. But, having paid our fare on the blue bus, we decided to stick with it. (Jim had actually read some poor reviews of the red bus so were hoping the blue bus was better.) The ...

Thursday, June 22, 2023 Split, Croatia Split is an amazing city. It has some of the oldest relics in Europe and one of the coolest high-tech presentations we have ever seen. It sits below some beautiful mountains and adjacent to the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the cleanest cities we have ever visited but is one of the most difficult to get around. This is one place I am not willing to drive. We parked our car in the hotel parking lot and used Uber while we were here. Today was so hot that even the locals were complaining about it. It started to cool down about 5 pm and we went to the port to have a beverage. Also to watch all the people from the five visiting cruise ships scurry around checking out beaches, merchant markets, bus tours and, of course, a source of good beverages. I guess we will be two of those people in a few weeks because the cruise we are taking ports in Split. Jim went on a guided walking tour early this afternoon. He saw most historic buildings in the centre of Split...

Monday, June 19, 2023 What a day it was! Off to a bit of a slow start, we headed down the freeway (yes, an actual freeway) to our next destination, Zaton, Croatia. We have had a great time in Sarajevo, visiting modern architectural site, historic Olympic sites and remnants of the war that tore Serbia apart. Now it is time to move on and enjoy a drive through more mountainous countryside. So, the freeway was our first step … about 100 kilometres of beautiful new road, speed limit was 130 KPH. Wow!! It was hard to enjoy the landscape at that speed and, of course, there were wizards flying past us. Truthfully, I was happy when our exit came.   We plunged into another range of steep tall mountains. The road wove through deep passes, climbed high to cross a range and, of course, hairpin turns were on the menu throughout the day. I take those turns much more slowly than the local drivers which occasionally caused a bit of tension. But, in the end, we held our ground and drove as safely a...

    Sunday, June 18, 2023   Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there   We are in Sarajevo now in the Herzegovina part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. What a large and modern city it is. With lots of significant world history.   We saw the Olympic Rings in a round-about as we approached our hotel. It was great to know that the history of these Olympics is still held in high value in the city. We are staying in an Ibis Styles Hotel which deeply reflects the blended cultures of this area. Rich woven patterned carpets cover many of the walls. On some hotel floors, the room numbers have been hand woven. The food available for breakfast and throughout the day is representative of the traditional diet and recipes of this area. The bar on the top floor has windows in all four directions and provides a magnificent view of the city. And also, for fun, several snow boards, handsomely painted, have been hung In the lobby as swings. Throughout our brief time here, we have see...