Exploring the old city of Amsterdam

What a lovely day I have had today. It started with breakfast where we were sitting at street level,windows open,sun shining and watching the world go by as we ate our eggs and croissants.
Later it was followed by a Hop on Hop off bus tour and a boat trip  around the city sights. I started early so it was not very crowded at the beginning but by lunch time the boat was very crowded and it was difficult to take photos because heads kept popping up when you least wanted them to.
I really enjoyed the boat cruise around the canals with a moving spectacle of fascinating styles of housing alongside the canals.The house boats were fascinating too.I thought it would be a cheap form of housing but not so.The boats are all connected to sewerage and pay rates and water taxes which put this form of living into the well off fraternity.Some have been architecturally designed and a lot come with a motor boat as well as outdoor living,BBQ and a few pets on board as well.
The tour went out to sea briefly and we mixed with the cruise ships briefly before heading back to safer waters. The bridges are a feature too and a variety of locks and systems operate the water levels to keep the system safe for boats.
The old houses along the canals are beautiful too,all feature decorative embellishments and heritage colours.Apparently there are very strict planning laws here and if you own one of them you cannot alter anything with out permission.
I did a tour of the diamond cutting factory where we saw operaters polishing the stones with diamond dust and producing gems for the international market.We also were taken into the show room to see the settings used for selling diamonds and how they were classified for sale. Not in my league though.I had to avoid temptation big time.
The old city is easy to explore on foot and the tour groups cannot take buses into the old part of the town so if there is time I might do a walking tour tomorrow.It will depend on how long the queues are for the Ann Frank museum and the Van Gogh.
I spent the afternoon at the Rijksmuseum looking at Rembrant's,The Jewish Bride ,Vermeer's The Kitchen Maid, and the very famous The Night Watch (1642) as well as Rembrant's portrait of a married couple which is shared with the Louvre and on show here so that was a coup.There were other memorable treasures on display too such as the Delft ware and some impressive dolls houses ( on the grand scale).
Brad had spent a lot longer here than I but we met for lunch at the cafe and shared favorites. Before we left we managed a visit to the outdoor gardens where there was a sculpture display by Peroine (???) of trees in all shapes and in varying stages of conservation.
Later in the evening we tried out the tram system to go to what we were told was a free concert at the Concert Theatre but sadly a bit misinformed so wandered along the canals again to find an authentic place to eat. I had a hot pot dish similar to bubble and squeak and Brad had a calves liver dish - very hearty fare.The beers are good here.
Finally time for bed but it is so hot in our cell I am not sure if it will be possible to sleep however an excellent day and more to come....

Hanging out in Salzberg

Our last day in Austria today.We left Bad Goisern after breakfast  by train in the rain. We had about an hour to wait at Bad Ischl before catching the 150 bus to Salzberg. It was dreary so no point in a last look around the town of handmade Austrian shoes.
The rain did not stop so by the time we arrived at the Holiday Inn in Salzberg we were wet ducks and keen for refuge.
Even if we had not had to shorten our walking holiday I imagine we would not have walked anyway as it was pouring when we left the mountains.We have still to see the top of the mountains or even where the cable car alights.
We had a trip to the railway station to get our bearings for tomorrow as we catch a train at 8.00am for Amsterdam,with changes at Munich and Frankfort before arriving at six in Amsterdam.
We were a bit concerned about the change overs at the stations and how long it would take but the information man says it is a piece of cake.
Linch was in a little bakery which served delicious smoothies with frozen strawberries plus a toasted sandwich with ham and cheese.It is odd how you crave for some toast when you are away travelling in places that do not serve up the old standby.
Later we went for a walk to rediscover the Mirabelle Gardens which we loved on our last visit.Still beautiful but they have taken a battering with the storms last week.We were amazed at how many more people were visiting the gardens.Tourists much more in evidence than we remember.
We took a stroll along the old town and revisited Mozart's home and museum before hiking back to the hotel for a rest.

Finale

At last a day without rain. Mercy. It is our last day walking too so we can celebrate at least the joy of dry clothes although it was pretty cold at Hallstatt.
The walk was relatively easy today.We started out from the hotel about eight thirty and we followed a trail along the river and through farming communities. Hay is cut with a long bladed knife and stacked by the houses.The houses are all very neat and well maintained though and wood,kindling and various grades of wood if different thicknesses are stacked around the houses. Woodpiles are a work of art here.
We had lovely views of the lake with amazing reflections ,not a bit of wind to ruffle the surface.
It was a very pleasant walk along a very easy track,well marked and not steep although we were expecting a very hard climb at the end where you climb up to the salt mine and come down the funicular. (What a pity the track was closed and we were unable to test our fitness).
The Brine Pipeline Trail has historical significance because it follows the old salt pipeline leading from the salt  Mountain in Hallstatt to Lake Traunsee and is the world's oldest pipeline established in 1607.The length is a total of forty km but we only walk a section of it today.
As it turned out we were not able to complete the walk today because the bridge across the gorge was closed off until the end of 2016 so the alternative was to walk down to the road and catch a bus to Hallstatt for the last four km.
The option was to catch the bus into Hallstatt so we waited for some time before one arrived so we were well cooled off by the time we arrived in the town.Just as well we did not walk in as the road led through a tunnel and I am sure they would not like two kiwis strolling in through the portals.
The town is beautiful but very crowded.Lots of tourists today so it is the place to be.
We were so cold it was a hot drink and something to eat on our minds rather than the history of salt that was an attraction here.
We had a delicious carrot and ginger soup with coffee in a cafe in the centre of the town.The most amusing moment of the trip took place here as Brad locked horns with a Prussian autocrat over her coffee choice and where to pay the bill.Highly entertaining to watch and we retreated like naughty school girls after he insisted on us returning to the table to pay,standing his ground in the face of a stoic Brad.
We did stroll along the promenade and enjoyed the picturesque houses tumbling down the steep hillside with their colourful porches,hanging baskets and shutters.It was picture perfect but cold so we decided not to visit the mine where the man preserved in salt was discovered in recent times or see the exciting things promised in the salt museum but catch the next ferry across the lake to where the commuter train transports you back to Bad Goisern.
The train trip was very good as it took you through some little towns on the opposite side to where we had walked today.
So here we are back in Bad Goisern.Not a place  of any note really but we have a comfortable hotel and it does have a great coffee place so all is well.

Rained in at Bad Ischl

Rain greeted us when we woke this morning. Rain stayed with us all day apart from a short break when we went outside to visit the Kaiser Villa about five.That had shut and before long the rain was heavier than ever. The clouds are black and overhang the town.The mist is right down so difficult to get a sense of the size of the mountains.Unseen since we arrived.
We checked out the river levels as it looks dangerous to me.Well over the normal banks and carrying a lot of water.We are supposed to be waking along a river bank trail tomorrow so I am wary of starting out without a clearance from the tour group. We are anticipating a bus trip tomorrow instead to Bad Goisen.
It was our rest day today so we had a late breakfast and enjoyed lingering over the toast instead of racing to get our bags  packed for the couriers.
We had a wander into town to check out English books for Brad and the Thermal baths for me.
I spent a few hours in the thermal resort here.A big covered heated pool with a spa plus all other services on offer to make you look younger,feel younger,more active.Massage in umpteen different options are available but I settled for a swim in the heated pool followed by a soak in the spa.There were loungers to lie on around several floors so relaxation is well catered for.It actually was a good way to spend the afternoon.
The town caters for tourists who enjoy the spa town famous because of the association with the Austrian Royalty.Sissi and Franz Joseph made this a special place and we had a coffee and cake in their famous restaurant,Juane this morning.
World War 1 has its origins here too because Count Ferdinand was assasinated by a Serb,said to be here but we suspect that to be a porky for the tourists.

Overland from Wolfgansee to Bad Ischl

Well, have we been both  lucky and unlucky today. The dilemma about whether to walk or not continued right up to breakfast time as it was very overcast with heavy clouds and a poor weather outlook on my tablet but I asked for an updated forecast from the hotel which suggested a better outlook so we opted to head off on the walk.
We left St Wolfgang at nine am and set off on the path  around the lake one last time until the township was left behind and the farmhouses came into sight.The art of stacking wood is alive and well around here.We are impressed with their perfectly stacked wood piles,so even and all the same size. Hay is being made and farmers were stacking the big bales in sheds with some silage as well.
The walking track was a well formed one,well signposted and plenty of nice tracks in the forest. The storm last night has certainly done some damage with trees down and very muddy sections on the tracks.
We walked along the lake for awhile before heading upwards and into the bush line. Our climb today was 802 meters at the saddle or "Sattel" but we climbed about 289 m of that.It was pleasant climbing,I really enjoyed it as the temperature was fresh and envigorating. This was a novelty as we are usually sweating and overheated by the top.
We passed the usual little shrines along the way and eventually we arrived at Lake Schwarzensee.This is a popular lake with cyclists,fishermen and walkers as there were two restaurants here in the middle of nowhere.We were advised to go to Madame Lore's to try the regional specialities on offer.We had a coffee and a cheese strudel with a custard sauce.A very moorish treat for morning tea.
We made good time to here so set off in high spirits for the next section, although there was some thunder rumbling nearby the rain had not eventuated and we should get to a Strobl by lunch time.
We decided not to attempt the downhill option which called for caution if you were light headed ,nauseous or suffered from vertigo!!! Instead we took the easier option via Almwegwhich took us downhill to the lake where you meet up with the more adventurous track.
We had a glitch at this stage as the track around the headland we were to follow had a closed sign up.We did u ignore it but then came to a bridge which was all covered in red tape so back we went for quite a long detour to Strobl where we would catch the bus to Bad Ischl.
We were lucky the bus was not late and we caught the one thirty bus just as the rain started!!! And it has not stopped.Tomorrow is our rest day so unsure what the weather will allow us to do with our day of rest.
We ventured out for some supplies and scurried back into the comfort of our room.
The bad news?I lost my camera somewhere on the walk.Gutted is the word for it.I had some great photos of our walks and events....Thank goodness Brad has not lost her camera.

Walking the Pilgrims Way to St Gilpen

First day walking after living the life of a tourist so I can expect a few aches and pains tonight.
We set off after breakfast to walk to the town of St Gilpen at the head of the lake.The trail goes over an old pilgrim pathway so there were a number of religious shrines along the way plus the stations of the cross and even a little church to climb up to which was built into the rock face so there were interesting things to se along the way.
The first part of the walk was through the local area and followed the road through some very upmarket houses and accommodation places which all have lovely gardens with hanging baskets and pots planed up with a riot of color. The road lead around the lakeside for about forty minutes before disappearing up into the treeline and over the pass.
We were impressed with the neatly packed woodpile outside the houses,testament to a cold winter.
The climb was not too strenuous,about 260 metres upwards and a steady gradient so we were full steam ahead.We even overtook a few folk on the way up!
The forest path was a nice section of the walk and the hermitage marked the top point of the walk so familiar names to see here.
There was a lookout to scramble up to but we opted for the safe way down. No heroes this year.
We walked down quite a steep descent though,my knees never enjoy this section but we made the lakeside in good time and set off around the lake towards the town of St Gilpen,the home of Mozart; so of course we had to photograph his house with his statue outside.
The photos will have to come later as they are on my camera.
After a nice coffee and a snack we explored the town before catching a ferry (all part of the package) back to Wolfgansee just as the rain started...And did the heavens open!!!Thunder and lightening again but by then we were back inside the hotel having a cup of coffee and chilling out.
Later an even more severe storm struck and the power went down along with emergency sirens because of an accident caused by the storm.
Fortunately we had booked for dinner at our hotel so we did not need to go outdoors at all.
Heavens knows what tomorrow will hold.No point walking in these conditions.There is even snow forecast for the mountains.
We will sleep on it......

First impressions of Wolfgansee

Arrived this afternoon to a delightful vista from our room.We overlook the old church outside our room, the lake with views of distant mountains and a variety of delightful Austrian hotels and public buildings in traditional styles,even the painted buildings we saw in Germany. The flower boxes and hanging baskets are beautiful here,colorful and immaculate - not a weed to be seen.
There was a market in the square with live traditional music, it is still belting out some hours later. Food stalls and local wine, beer and any drink you like. No bad behavior though, everyone is having a good time.There are people in traditional dress too mingling amongst the crowds.
We had a walk around the town and down to the lake.This is safe for swimming so maybe tomorrow I will try it out. Boats and pleasure craft are tied up so a summer holiday place for Austrians.
There are lots of people out and about so it is a lively place
I had a refreshing raspberry drink with prosceco, soda water and fruit plus a pulled beef and salad plate which we ate sitting in the square listening to music and watching all the locals and visitors enjoying themselves.
It was worth the long trip to get here about four o'clock after catching the train in Ljubljana at nine twenty three am and arriving in Salzburg at  one fifty followed by an hour and a half on a bus to Wolfgansee.I must say we have been through some beautiful countryside and the height our train travelled at was significant as the mountains still had snow on them. It was very hot when we arrived so great to get into our room and have a shower and a coffee.
We had a briefing from our tour company at six.She was very efficient and we meet with her again tomorrow to check out our progress so a bit better organised than the last tour group.
We were given a fancy green backpack and caps as well so we will look like Irish leprechauns on our walks through the forest.
Long forward to our walk tomorrow but the weather is not promising.We have already had a thunderstorm which sent us scurrying back to our hotel to avoid the lightening and heavy rain so who knows what it will throw up tomorrow?

Lake Bled

Another lovely day in Paradise as they say. We are getting used to these lovely mornings,sunny skies and balmy temperatures but it is all to end when we get to Austria where the forecast is promising a week of rain!!!!
We got organised early for our trip to Lake Bled but missed the nine o'clock  bus by a few minutes so we arranged our travel for tomorrow and sussed out platforms etc.We can walk to the station from our apartment in about twenty minutes.
The bus trip was through lovely countryside,rural landscapes.Fields filled with corn - corn is a favourite fast food here and sold on street stalls.So much for Mac burgers!
The farms seem small but well cared for and homes are large and usually double storyed with gardens,fruit trees and vegetables. The mountains looked quite impressive as they came into sight so we were glad we were not walking in this area.

It took about an hour forty to get to Bled itself and then another few minutes to the lake itself and there was the iconic castle image looming in front of us.
It is impressive but anything like the Ljubljana one we climbed up to last night it may well be a disappointment.
We opted not to visit it but took a boat trip out to the island instead.We were rowed out by a good looking young man who had a traditional style of boat used in the area which is paddled from the back.
You could hire boats and some people even swam to the island.
You had forty minutes to explore the island so we climbed up to the church via the steps and spent some time looking around before having coffee with a walnut cake which is traditional here. We have the recipe to try when we get home.
Great views from here but the time went quickly and too soon we were gliding back across the lake.
We wandered around the lake shore and checked out the stalks etc and caught the bus back to town later in the afternoon.By then it was very hot and a relief to get out of the heat.
Our last day in Ljubljana so we spent some time wandering past the sights.It is a Sunday and many places are shut for the day but food is still a business and no shortage of places to eat at.
Tonight we ate at the oldest house in town, 1583 it was built and the owner was the famous author who wrote the first books in Slovenia,the alphabet book and the Bible so it felt very authentic and suitable for our last evening here.

Ljubljana

What a surprising little city. Two hundred and seventy thousand people call it home,sixty thousand of those are students so some links to Dunedin.
There is free education here for people which is a hangover from the Communist days but is a marketing jewel for the city. Holidays at present so the city does not reflect the youth culture currently.

The buildings here are magnification and a mix of Baroque, Renaissance and art nouveau styles.
A large earthquake last century mean the city on the newer side of the city reflects the Art Nouveau era. The Dragon Bridge is another landmark along with the St Nicholas Cathedral with amazing iron doors built to honor Pope John Paul in 1992 although they look like they have been in place since the cathedral was built.
Plecnik was a famous architect who has designed many of the notable buildings including bridges and the cemetery! His name was on the lips of our guide today as he described many of the features of the city. The Triple Bridge is another of his creations as well as an outdoor theatre space.
Another feature which marks the city is that it has a statue to a poet, Preseren as centerpiece to the town square instead of a general! Slovenia has been occupied a number of times but lacked war heroes as figures of prominence or so our guide told us.
We arrived by train yesterday on a very hot afternoon to find we could not get into our apartment.A lovely young couple at the local restaurant provided us with coffee as they tracked the owner down for us.He was an agent and he had sent us an email in the morning but of course we were away from Zagreb by then and no email access.Anyway very helpful people here.A lady we met on the train carried our suitcases off and escorted us to the taxi stand and negotiated a ride to our apartment.
Eventually we were escorted to the apartment,four floors up but everything we need for the next few days.
We went to the Food Market for our evening meal.Lots of the big restaurants have stalls here to showcase their best dishes.Lots of fun sitting out with the locals and tourists alike dining in the warm evening air.
Today we went and bout our breakfast things there and then did the free walking tour of the old town with Peter our guide before heading back for lunch.

Exploring the city of Zagreb

These two days have been fun.We have explored the city on foot and found many quirky and interesting things to do as well as sitting drinking coffee and watching the local sights unfold around us.
Firstly the day starts at the Dolac, or local market spread over several levels and selling all varieties of fresh fruit and vegetables,flowers and plants, cheeses and meats,fish and a variety of crafts.
You grab a table,order a coffee and buy your bread from another shop then sit outside and enjoy the ambience of the place.
The market traditionally has been the work of women and at the entrance to the market there is a bronze statue commemorating their contribution to feeding the city.
We took a bus up to the Mirogoj  Cemetery on the slopes of the Medvednica Mountain behind the city to view what is called the most beautiful example of a cemetery in all of Europe.It is a park, an art gallery and a place of rest for the city father's. The exterior is amazing,big arcades front the entrance to the cemetery which were built in 1897 and now covered in ivy and clothed from top to bottom in green making an impressive entrance way.
We had a great wander around this place, many statues and memorials too to the soldiers of major world wars and city father's.
Later we visited the Croatian Naive Art gallery and found the bronze sun at the heart of a solar system arranged around parts of the city to accurately reflect the dimensions of the solar system.
We had lunch at a local restaurant serving local dishes.We tried the sour cream and clotted cheese dish,famous here and there is lots of it sold at the market, which is served with paprika and rocket and home made bread.This was a taste treat and great service.
Later we found the statue of Pats and took our photos alongside him as he gazed over the city from the old part of the town.
We were too late to get tickets to the concert tonight it was booked out but we did go to the Museum of Broken Relationships which was the most quirky place of all.Amazing stories told of loss,heartbreak,grief in all guises and yet funny and agonizingly real.Loved the artifacts chosen to tell their stories too,like the toaster that a spouse took so the other would not be able to make toast!!!
We visited a sculpture museum of one of the leading Croatian sculptures in his home,so a living museum of his work.Most impressive works on show there.
Later we ate at a wonderful  fish restaurant where I tried a raw fish pate and scampi risotto.Great food and service here.
Today we had an explore of the botanic gardens and some of the other buildings of note before setting off to the railway station for our trip to Slovenia.

Photographs of Zagreb

Out and about in Zagreb on a warm and sunny day.

Plitvice National Park

Today was an early start.We had to walk to the bus station and catch the bus to Plitvice Lakes at 8.30am and find some breakfast on the way. The day was particularly notable because it was raining,the first time since leaving home so our raincoats got an airing.
The bus trip takes about two and a half hours through quite rural countryside.Lots of forest and some rivers and wetlands along the way.Farming is the way of life in this area,some quite small and a number of abandoned houses in the villages.We actually saw a small flock of sheep,a couple of cows and some goats.
Antway the arrival time was eleven and we arrived on time.Lots of tour groups gathering and buying up raincoats because of the rain.However the rain was shortlived and we were able to revert to our shorts and a  t-shirt as we walked around the waterfalls on wooden walkways with large numbers of sightseers cramming the way.
The waterfalls had been replenished by the overnight rain so they were quite spectacular.I have to say as New Zealanders we have to have something pretty amazing to match our own parks.
We walked up and around the smaller lakes brimming with fish until we came to a larger lake where you catch a boat and ride along to the end of the lake where you transfer to a bus which returns you to your exit gate or you can go further up the lake system.The colours of the water are spectacular.It is karst country,Colin will know all about this and the water forms through tufa  to create this rich blue shade. Very striking against the green foliage.
Bird and animals were unseen by us but brown bears,wolves and lynx are present along with many butterflies and species plants native to Croatia.
Eventually we arrived back to where we would catch the bus back to Zagreb.Time for an ice cream and some lunch before heading back to the city.
We spent a few hours glamming up before walking into the old town to listen to a concert near St Catherine. It was in a museum outdoor courtyard so we were sitting under the stars.
It was stunning.The first half was a formal choir singing classical music,spine tingling in the harmony and chorus followed by another choir who sang and played a range of classical folk music.Very melodic and lively but great tempo and in harmony.Magic music.
The night was spoiled by me losing Brad's purse.We think it was picked out of my bag,no idea how but we retraced our steps and could not find anything so we treked around looking for the police station which we eventually found.We have to go back tomorrow!
The night was late so we ended up getting pizza at the railway station and eating in our room.
Such a shame as we had had a memorable day apart from the purse mystery.

Appealing Zagreb

We arrived before six this morning and emerged out onto the station without any real idea of our location or where the hotel was in relation to us but a quick inquiry of a nearby taxi driver who told us our hotel was about 500 metres along the road in front of us.
We found our way without difficulty to the Arcotal Hotel and found we could not check into until 2.00 pm but they were happy to store our bags for us until we could check in. This was a relief so we were able to head off into town and explore the place before most people were up!!!
Our first impressions were very favourable. It is very European in its appearance but it has its own charm and sense of grandure befitting such an old city.
We wandered around with a map the hotel gave us and found the market which was a very large one with a huge range of very fresh produce, fish,meat,crafts,plants and anything else you expect at a market. We enjoyed looking around here and we bought some bread and had a coffee for our breakfast and ate it at a little cafe.
Later we wandered up and down little streets bordered by eating places and cafes for just a drink or coffee.It is a vibrant and busy place.
I think we will enjoy this place.Lots of gardens with roses and hydrangeas, green spaces and bigger parks to explore during our three days here.
We managed to fill in our time quite easily before heading off to the bus station to get our tickets to go to Lake Piltvce tomorrow. By the time we had done this the hotel beckoned and we were able to check in and have a shower and a break from the heat. Thirty degrees again today so it is good to have a siesta time.
Tonight we plan to go to a free concert featuring Mozart and classical music in a local church.

Farewell to Split

Our last day here looms.We have had such a nice stay here in Split, such a vibrant place and the place is so easy to get around.Once you work out the location of the different gates it is easy to find your way around the labyrinth of little streets with courtyards running off them and new delights to uncover.
Music is big here with lots of live performances in the squares and courtyards so you come across some delightful treats to sit and listen to.
Lots of cafes and a variety of fast foods Croatian style, well lots of pizza and bread in various forms.
We decided to put our bags into the luggage lockers at the railway station once we packed up our room first thing and then visit the nearby towns of Trogir and Solin. 
The bus was easy to find and we were soon wandering around another very ancient town on an island connected by bridges to the mainland.
Trogir has a history going back, 2,300 years with examples of Gothic, Romanesque, Baroque and Renaissance architecture along with more modern shop fronts and restored buildings.It was founded in the 3rd Century by Greek settlers from the nearby island of Vis and in those times it was the most important town in the region.
The Dukes Palace and the Cathedral were the most important buildings, so much so it was declared a World Heritage Site in 1997.
The Romans had had a big influence here and the churches were very impressive although we did not go inside them we could see the affluence  from which they were created centuries ago.
We did sit in the Loggia in the centre of town and listen to a group of Croatian singers serenading the crowd for money and CD sales.They were pretty impressive.
Tourists are everywhere here and the little alleyways are crammed with shopping distractions and local gifts and produce.
We left there about 11.30 am and took the bus to Solin where we wanted to see (well I think I wanted to see) the old Roman town ruins of Salonia.
We were unlucky in that our bus only took us to the foot of the town and we had rather a walk up the hill to find the ruined town.
It was worth it though.An extensive site covering the hillside with an ampitheatre, the forum,a palace  and other features to be expected in such a find.
The interesting thing about this place was it was the birthplace where Emperor Diocletian grew up.It was his palace we were living within the was of in Split.
It was once the largest Roman town in this part of the Adriatic.It is known as 'Croatia's Pompeii'.
We had a good scramble around the hillside ( photos later) in fairly hot windy conditions so we were grateful to catch a bus back to Split from outside the gates of the excavations.
We had some lunch at a old square in Split and then sat in the park under the trees for awhile.
We were out of our room and the train did not depart until 9.43 pm so a bit of time people watching at the park and then down on the Riva where people promenade as the night goes on. You can watch all the cruise boats and sunset cruise boats coming and going and enjoy the view out over the sea to the islands offshore.
We had a cold drink sitting under the shades before heading up to the Perstila for dinner.We thought there would be live music to listen to from the local cafe who provides a different entertainment each night but we were too early so it was off to the train to collect our bags and see what a sleeper on Croatian Rail would offer.
We were pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the sleeping berth.Every where we have been has been very clean I have to say.
A good bunk bed so I climbed aloft as the train left the platform and enjoyed a surprisingly good night sleep.There were a few stops along the way but we drew into Zagreb on the dot of 5.50am feeling quite refreshed.
How we filled in our day is the next episode.....

Another day in Paradise...

What a beautiful day to wake up to.Sunshine beckons so out to explore the old city after eating breakfast and sorting out our travel to one of the islands tomorrow.I liked the idea of a day cruise to Brac on a catamaran with lunch served and a bus trip of the island but there is not one now until Tuesday and we will be away by then so we will hop on a ferry and explore as much as we can buy bus and legs eleven!

We were lucky to find some of the old iconic sites mentioned in our guide book but half the fun is wandering down the narrow streets and coming across things that hide out in small places.Lots of squares and public spaces food outlets of every description and for every event.No wonder Rick Stein was a fan.
We had a good look around before siesta time during the heat of the day.Over thirty degrees today so nice to go back to air conditioning and a rest before setting out to climb Mt Marjam at the far end of the town. The road leads to a set of steps which we climbed up for ten minutes to the first lookout and then a bit longer until we came to the first of the churches and then onto an area with playgrounds and the zoo. Not our top choice.
This area has a lot of very old churches going back to the thirteenth century and pilgrims made their way down the headland from the top of the mountain.Hardy souls they were.They did not take the soft option like us.
Mt Marjam covers quite a  large area and we thought we could get to the swimming beach via this walkway but not so.Back down the steps and around the boat Harbour to find a  place I could swim.It was a bit stony underneath the feet but the water was refreshing and I enjoyed the swim.
We walked back to the Fife restaurant which has a great reputation here and had been recommended to us by several people.It was full so we joined the queue and eventually got seated for what we thought was going to be a top choice.I have to say it was a bit of a let down.We have been spoiled by our meals to date.It was okay but not memorable.Tbe atmosphere was cheerful and we sat outside overlooking the Riva or promenade.
On the way home we sat and listened to a live band on the Riva playing Pink Floyd hits and later along the way back to our room we came across a magical group like the Ten Tenors singing outside the forum just by our rooms.We stood in the crowd and soaked up the sounds of tenor voices in harmony.Magic.