Dubrovnik, Croatia

Posted on January 4, 2026 by buskbob

“You don’t have to do a lot in Dubrovnik, just walk around and enjoy it.” -Laura Hyatt

Dubrovnik, Pearl of the Adriatic, has been around for a long, long time. It began sometime in the 7th century under the name Ragusa and overtime merged with nearby Slavic settlers to form a fortified city-state. This independent republic became a major maritime power and traded widely. Over time the wall defending the city grew taller and stronger and helped repel many an invasion. The name Dubrovnik began appearing around the 12th century, but it wasn’t until 1918 that the name was officially changed. Today Dubrovnik is a stunning medieval walled city with a well-preserved Old Town and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the most visited cities in Europe and gained additional fame by being a filming location for the Game of Thrones.

We found a charming little Airbnb just outside of town. The home had been in the family for generations and had only recently been transformed—from its original dirt floors into the beautiful apartment we were lucky to stay in. The owner remembers being in kindergarten when Dubrovnik was bombarded by Serbian and Montenegrin forces in late 1991. While her father left to help defend the city, she and her family hunkered down inside the house. The scars of that bombardment remain visible today: when you look out over the Old Town, the patchwork of roof tiles tells the story, with more than 68% of the buildings having been damaged during the attack.

One thing we had to do was to walk the walls. It is a bit expensive, 40 euros each, but it is so worthwhile. The total distance around is about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) and takes around two hours, depending on how many pictures you take and stops to gaze. We chose to go in the late afternoon and it was such a great decision for the wall was practically empty. When we came to town the next morning, the walls were teaming with people fresh off the cruise ships. I mean they were butt to stomach across the entire wall, just inching their way along. Ugh!!! The wall is not flat, in fact there are over 1080 steps you must go up or down. But every step you see another amazing view….overlooking the Old Town, out to Lokrum Island the the Adriatic Sea, behind to the towering cliffs….this city is stunning.

The next day we arrived early in the morning to explore Old Town itself. We of course found a bakery and a nice cafe with good, strong coffee. Heidi posed on the stairway where Cersei Lannister performed the infamous “Walk of Shame,” a naked walk of atonement through the streets of King’s Landing, forced upon her by the High Sparrow. Of course Heidi wore clothes and instead of an angry mob of people, we had the spot to ourselves. We went into Baroque Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola and saw the oldest grotto in all of Europe. I grabbed my pin at the Hard Rock Cafe, and we walked and walked and walked all about this stunning town.

Tomorrow we grab a plane to Athens, a car to Piraeus Port, overnight at the Piraeus Port Hotel, and then bright and early the next morning we hop on a ferry to our final destination of this trip, Serifos Island!!!!

Venice, Italy

Posted on January 2, 2026 by buskbob

“Venice is eternity itself.” — Joseph Brodsky (1940-1996) – Russian-American poet

“Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go.” — Truman Capote (1924-1984) – American novelist, screenwriter and playwright

Venice, Italy…“La Serenissima” (The Most Serene) A city so unique it is hard to believe it exists. Set on top of millions and millions of logs pounded into the ground centuries ago, this city appears to float upon the water. It is truly a magical place with the canals, the hidden squares, the narrow alleyways….so easy to get lost, and that should be your goal. Wander about and discover all the gems this city holds….it is a goal you will never regret.

When we exited the train station, Heidi experienced one of those OMG – AHA moments, for there in front of her was the Grand Canal, turquoise water, gondolas plying back and forth with a marble church as a backdrop….OMG, WOW!!!! You just don’t expect it. It doesn’t register in your brain that this is real….and then it comes to you….you are in Venice!!!!

We chose to stay a little ways away from the bustling, frenetic pace of the main island….across the Giudecca Canal on Giudecca Island (Pronounced: Jew Decka) We chose this so we would be afforded a little peace and quiet during our stay and because we found just the cutest little spot to stay complete with a balcony with a killer view over to Venice. There is a vaporetto stop just meters away from our apartment, cafes, restaurants and bakeries below us, and even little grocery stores. After we checked into our digs, we spent the rest of the evening touring about Giudecca, found a wine shop and a great little restaurant and stayed up late just sitting on the balcony watching the lights of Venice come on and the boats going up and down the canal. Magical.

Barolo Wine, potato chips and a view….Priceless!!!

Bright and early one morning we grabbed an early vaporetto and made our way across the canal to San Marco Square, we had tickets to visit the Doges Palace and St. Mark’s Cathedral. The Doges Palace, the home of the Venetian Government, was spectacular. We crossed over the Bridge of Sighs, toured the prison, the legislation rooms and even the Doge’s apartment.

The Bridge of Signs….the last view of freedom prisoners saw as they were led to the prisons

The Basilica di San Marco is filled with mosaics, the entire ceiling is a mosaic…..millions of tiny tiles placed together to make beauty….and so much gold, every where is gold. And inside are the famous four horses stolen years ago from Constantinople (now-a-days Istanbul). The thieves had to cut their heads off in order to get them out of the country. The horses were put back together and bridles were added to cover up the scars. There are replicas of the horses outside on the balcony. This church was built specifically to hold the remains of St. Mark whose body was stolen from Egypt in 828 A.D.

St. Mark’s Square is huge and is surrounded by cafes, many with live music and all with very, very expensive coffee and food…..it is the view you are paying for.

Such fun with this amazing woman

St Marks Square

As you wander about Venice, you come across some of the most amazing sites.

And of course, we HAD to do a gondola ride. We didn’t want to go out of one of the main gondola hubs…so many people, so crowded. We wanted a nice quiet ride along the smaller canals. And as we were walking across one of the many bridges, we saw a gondola pull into a little dock just on the other side of the bridge and let two people off. We jumped at the chance, asked if he was up for a ride, and off we went. Just what we were hoping for….all through the tiny canals, under bridges where we had to duck our heads, and even spent little while on the Grand Canal and under the Rialto Bridge. Romantic and so fun!!!!

We dedicated one full day to explore a few of the outer islands….Murano, Burano and Mazzorbo. Murano is famous for their glassworks. The factories were moved here to Murano years ago out of fear they might cause fires in the main island. The craftmanship here is world renowned. Murano glass is special due to its centuries-old secret techniques, vibrant colors due to unique mineral mixes and intricate handmade artistry by master craftsmen. The entire island is recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage. We found a nice necklace for Heidi and a Christmas ornament to take home, and we walked all over the island.

Back on the Vaporetto to make the long crossing to Burano. The boat was filled to the gills, the sun was hot and there was absolutely no breeze…..it made for an uncomfortable crossing. When we disembarked, we walked over the bridge connecting Burano with Mazzorbo. We wanted to eat lunch at this wonderful little restaurant there and see the vineyards that produce the indigenous Dorona di Venezia grape, and bottles of this wine go for hundreds of dollars. (we didn’t purchase any)

Then it was time to explore Burano with the colorful homes up and down the canals…supposedly so the fishermen would know their homes upon their return from the sea. The island is also famous for their lace making, though the craft seems to be dying slowly as the younger generation isn’t picking it up. Burano was picture perfect and fun to explore.

And our time in Venice has coming to a close. We pack up, say goodbye to our magical terrace, hop on the vaporetto for our last water taxi crossing, and find our ride to Croatia. Thank you, Venice, for the time of our lives and for the memories that will last us the rest of our years.

St. Augustine

Posted on December 10, 2024 by buskbob

“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” – Susan Sontag

St. Augustine, founded in 1565 by Spanish Colonists, is the oldest continuously inhabited European established settlement in the current United States. Everywhere you go in this seaside town are signs stating the oldest this, or the oldest that….We saw the Oldest House, The Oldest Jail, the Oldest School House…on and on and on. We had been in Orlando attending a conference and we had a couple days after the conference so we decided to rent a car and drive up to walk about St. Augustine.

We parked at one end of town and bought tickets for one of those hop-on, hop-off buses, and away we went. One of our favorite stops was the old fort – Castillo de San Marcos. Of course, it is the oldest masonry fort in the nation and the oldest structure in all of St. Augustine. The Fort was completed in 1695, came under fire for the first time in 1702 from British Forces. The Castillo was used as a military prison during the Revolutionary War, and at one time it held three signers of the Declaration of Independence within its walls. It is in remarkable condition and you can wander all about. Everyday, starting at 10:30 and repeating every hour until the last firing at 3:30, volunteers dressed in period costumes fire off one of the cannons.

Lightner Museum

Originally the Alcazar Hotel, built in 1888 by Standard Oil co-founder Henry Flagler, as a destination resort with a casino, a grand ballroom, bowling alley, huge indoor swimming pool (at the time the world’s largest), health facilities (a wellness center), Turkish Baths, and upscale rooms. Outside were tennis courts and croquet lawns. The Great Depression and the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and changing recreation tastes in the public brought an end to this luxury hotel and it closed its doors for good in 1931.

Today the building is home to the Lightner Museum, showcasing the vast, eclectic collections of Chicago publisher Otto Lightner. Otto wanted a museum as a “collection of collections”. Everything is in here, Victorian Art Glass, mechanical musical instruments, a shrunken head, an Egyptian mummy, toaster collections, baseball card collections, and so, so much more. And you can wander around parts of the old hotel, see where the pool was, the grand ballroom. Interesting fact, Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel (and held the record for quite a while for the fastest crossing) swam in the indoor pool.

Flagler College

Across the street from the Museum is another hotel built by Henry Flagler, the Ponce de Leon Hotel. This beautiful hotel closed in 1967 and is now part of Flagler College, a private, liberal-arts college founded in 1968. Besides being a dry campus, it is famous for the paranormal activity that is said to occur with some frequency. It is said that the mistress of Mr. Flagler, who lived in a room on the fourth floor, killed herself in a fit of despair. Her spirit has been reported roaming the halls. Mr. Flagler’s wife is also reported haunting the college. Mr. Flagler was able to have her diagnosed as insane, so he could then divorce her to be with his mistress. She spent her life in an insane asylum. And lastly, Mr. Flagler himself is said to traipse around the halls. When he died, his body was put on display in the lobby of the hotel and his spirit now keeps watch over his beloved hotel. We didn’t see any ghosts while we were there, just a beautiful building.

Lincolnville

Perhaps the most interesting time we had was visiting the Lincolnville Neighborhood just a little ways behind the Alcazar Hotel. Back in the late 1800’s, this neighborhood began as a “freeman” community, a place where emancipated slaves came to live. The neighborhood grew and thrived with churches, school, stores built. In the 1960’s, Lincolnville attracted nationwide attention for the roll it played in the civil rights movement. Demonstrations were held here. Martin Luther King Jr. stayed here numerous times. He was once arrested at a nearby Monson Motor Hotel when he stopped in to order lunch. The white owner, James Brock, refused to serve him and called the police to arrest Mr. King for trespassing. At a later date, James Brock poured acid into the swimming pool when black and white protesters jumped into the pool. All through this neighborhood are old homes with plaques describing the history. Quite the neighborhood.

And in this neighborhood we found our favorite little cafe, THE BLUE HEN…where Heidi, who happens to LOVE biscuits and gravy, found the very best here at the Blue Hen. And that is saying something for Heidi has tried buscuits and gravy all over the place.

Some other sights we saw…

The Old Senator…a live oak more than 600 years old

After spending a most enjoyable day at this old town, we headed to Cocoa Beach for a quick shopping trip at Ron Jon Surf shop and dinner at Coconuts on the Beach.

Our Adventures

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

Tag Archives: history

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Venice, Italy

St. Augustine