by Krista | Feb 12, 2012 | Bootstrap Monday
Returning vicariously to Budva, Montenegro in this post last week was so inspiring, that I have to linger a bit longer today.
Visiting in the spring was perfect. Glorious weather and hardly any tourists allowed us to wander the Old Town of Budva at our leisure. We clambered up stone steps, stood atop ancient stone walls and gazed out to sea, basking in delicious sea breezes, blistering hot sunshine, and the dazzling turquoise waters of the Adriatic Sea.
Although this ancient city – believed to be the oldest settlement on the Adriatic Coast – was destroyed by a a devastating earthquake in 1979, it has been almost completely restored to its original form.
I loved wandering the narrow streets, stopping to peer in glistening shop windows, pausing to wonder why all the stones on one wall were numbered in red paint.
One of my favorite parts was the library, housed in the building below. Filled with tufted, red leather sofas, the walls are lined with glass cases full of books on Balkan history. I could’ve spent days there.
This doorway enchanted me. Hidden down a dark alley it led to a seaside restaurant that served up delectably fresh seafood under a shady awning.
My brother Ryan and I shared this enormous platter of goodness, and loved every last morsel.
The views from Budva are magnificent, taking in brilliant blue ocean, hazy green mountains, and rocky islands.
I’d love to return to Budva one day, and time to linger in that lovely old library, swim in the Adriatic, and explore nearby villages.
How about you, dear ones? Is there a place from your travels that you long to return to?
by Krista | Feb 10, 2012 | Fabulous Friday
Before I traveled through the Balkans, I always pictured them looking like Communist-era Eastern Europe: dark, cold, and starkly utilitarian.
Perhaps this is why I spent the entire road trip agog, staggered by the pristine beauty of Bosnian lakes, Slovenian mountains and a Montenegrin coastline dotted with palm trees.
I know so many of you are in the icy grip of winter right now, so I thought we could all escape for a little bit to the sunny shores of Budva, Montenegro.
Wishing you a beautiful weekend, dear ones! xo
by Krista | Feb 8, 2012 | Compatriot Wednesday
I grinned when Margo at The Travel Belles asked us this months Across the Cafe Table question: “How do you pick a hotel?”
I grinned because until my late twenties, I’d NEVER picked a hotel!
Although my childhood was very happy, we were dirt poor. Our vacations were spent camping in tents or, if we were feeling especially flush, Motel 6. I loved our little vacationing adventures, but admit I grew up thinking that only rich people stayed in hotels, that they were something reserved for Hollywood elite or posh businessmen. The thought of staying in a fancy hotel with room service was relegated to the glowing rooms of fantasy.
Since then I have been able to stay in “real” hotels, and it still gives me a thrill every time: the weird paintings on the walls, pristine bed linen, fluffy white towels, unlimited air conditioning and wi-fi. It doesn’t bother me if the bathroom is so teensy I can barely turn around (Paris) or if my environs are invaded by friendly lizards (Fiji). I don’t mind being shoe-horned in with my family for a night (Rome) or hauling my luggage up three flights of stairs (Venice). It doesn’t seem to matter what catastrophes arise, it’s always such an adventure and I feel that I’m being spoiled rotten. 🙂
When choosing a hotel I look for cheap, clean, and close to wherever I want to go exploring. Since my job requires access to internet, I also look for free Wi-Fi.
But to be perfectly honest, I’d rather stay almost anywhere than a hotel these days. They do their job well – providing a safe, clean place to sleep and shower – but they’re not overly interesting. And I’m rather fond of interesting.
For short stays I love bed and breakfasts. They’re quirky and unique and you never know what you’re going to get. The owners are usually cheery and helpful, providing invaluable information about local transportation, food, and culture. Bed and breakfasts generally take you off the tourist/hotel strip and into a real neighborhood, allowing you to see how the locals live, shop and eat. I love this.
My friend Betsy took me to my first bed and breakfast on a fabulous Girls Road Trip we took to Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Beaconsfield Inn is located in gorgeous Victoria and had everything I could ever hope for in a lovely place to stay:
- sherry in the library upon arrival
- delicious breakfast in a plant-filled sunroom
- enormous rooms with fluffy feather beds, a fireplace, hot tub, and cute little bottles of champagne to go with your chocolates.
above photos from http://www.beaconsfieldinn.com/
While secluded enough to be peaceful and quiet, it was within walking distance to downtown Victoria and just around the corner from a splendid little theater that was hosting the Victoria Shakespeare Festival. For a girl used to sleeping in a small tent with three rowdy brothers, it was heaven.
It did not fit my usual requirement of cheap, but oh, it was marvelous, definitely worth a splurge for one night.
If I’m staying in a place longer than a few days, I will always look for a house or villa to rent.
My love affair with such accommodation started in Italy when four friends and I stayed at the idyllic Villa Trotta near Perdifumo, Italy. I’ve already waxed long and prolifically about this wonderful place in previous posts, but I couldn’t possibly describe how I choose a place to stay without bringing it up again.
Villa Trotta is a massive stone house in the country, perched right on the edge of a hill that sweeps down through orchards and vineyards to the Adriatic. For just over $1200 a week it was a steal, especially since the cost was divided between five girls. Yes, just over $200 per person for an entire week. We had the whole place to ourselves and spent many hours sunning and reading on the numerous terraces, cooking up splendid meals in the kitchen, and taking day trips to wondrous places like Capri, Naples, and Pompei.
My love for such places continued this fall when I met up with my friends and fellow travel writers Margo, Katy, Kate, and Kathy in Vogogna, Italy. We stayed in a wonderful old home nestled down the narrow cobbled streets of the Old Town. With three-foot-thick stone walls it was a quiet oasis in the midst of town. I loved the clawfoot tub in my bedroom, the wide stone steps that led from one level to another, and the rustic little courtyard out back that provided so much inspiration during our brainstorming sessions. Once again, the price was much, much lower than any nearby hotel, and the ambiance was exquisite.
So, how do I pick a hotel? I rarely do. I choose a villa or a rental house or a bed and breakfast, places with character and charm that don’t break my budget.
How about you, dear ones? What do you look for in a place to stay?
by Krista | Feb 6, 2012 | Bootstrap Monday
“The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea.” – Isak Dinesen
Dear ones, thank you with all my heart for the kindness and support you’ve given me the last few days. Isn’t it strange how one moment you can be chipper and hopeful and then something – a loved one diagnosed with terrible cancer, losing someone precious, the shattering of an illusion – brings it all crashing down? It’s odd how sometimes you can bear one trauma after another, head held high, chin up, and others, well, you’re a puddle, feeling weak, insecure, and afraid.
Last week was a puddle time for me. It held the proverbial last straw and I crumpled. Thoroughly. It struck me anew that I’ve been bearing too much for too long, stuffing it in, letting it build until I couldn’t take anymore. I don’t like being in that place. I like feeling strong and brave, like being cheerful in the midst of pain, like having hope when things are dark.
I’m so glad the dark times don’t last.
The last three days I gave myself a break. Turned off my computer, stayed offline, and just lived.
I slept. I read. I drank lots of tea and coffee. And when Bear and our friend had to go to the coast for a meeting, I tagged along for the ride.
Driving through Queensland never fails to cheer me. The countryside is so beautiful, especially driving through Cunningham’s Gap through the mountains to the coast. We had such a good time, visiting happily and stopping for our very-favorite-fried-chicken-in-the-whole-wide-world. It felt so good to be with dear, trusted friends and see a bigger, more beautiful world than the little painful struggles in my heart.
The best part of the trip was after the meeting when Ann decided we couldn’t possibly drive all this way without going to the beach. I love that woman! 🙂
So over the bridge we went to Bribie Island.
After clambering out of the car, we made our way through a stand of trees, grinning as the cool sea breezes hit us.
For me there are few things more healing and rejuvenating than the beach. The fresh air, salty wind, and hot sun do wonders for the soul.
It didn’t take long for us to jump down into the soft sand, kick off our shoes and head for the water.
Although the ocean in this part of Australia is the Pacific, it is nothing like the Pacific I grew up with in Washington State. There’s no hint of cold northern waters, no beaches of smooth pebbles and craggy cliffs. Here the water is deliciously warm and the sand is feather soft, dotted with all sorts of interesting treasures.
We found twisty, weathered driftwood, vivid orange lava rock of some sort, and a whole swath of sand balls, made by a little crab who grabs mouthfuls of sand, swishes it around to sift out the edible bits, then spits it up on the surface in perfect little spheres.
Fisherman dotted the shoreline and kids shrieked with laughter as they chased each other through the waves.
It was a glorious afternoon. The sun felt so good on bare shoulders and the water was pure bliss on our bare feet. The Glass House Mountains towered in the distance as pelicans swooped and boats bobbed leisurely along.
On such a day there is no other lunch to be had than fish and chips. We popped into a local shop on the pier and chose a type of fish called Sweet Lips to go with a mountain of golden fried chips. We found a shady spot under the trees where we could still see the beach and tucked in. Deeelicious!
At last, drowsy and full, we brushed the sand from our feet and bid farewell to the beach.
Where is your favorite place to escape to?
by Krista | Feb 2, 2012 | Fabulous Friday
It’s been a week marked with pain and sadness, both personal and in the lives of those dear to me. Yesterday was one of tears and that tightness in the chest that comes from grief and anxiety over things you cannot change, but wish with all your heart that you could.
I want to fix, heal, restore, and I can do none of them.
As I worked through my sadness yesterday, I sat in Bear’s big green armchair and edited photos from my trip to Bosnia from a couple of years ago. Seeing these images, so soft, green and intensely peaceful, helped me move from deep grief to deep peace. I let myself have a good cry, spoke aloud the things laying heaviest on my heart and then read moving and inspiring things like this post from my friend Rain.
As the day came to a close I was wrung out but at rest. My hope was restored, my joy intact. It’s a lovely thing to be able to hope again. To see the pain in this world and hope for those broken relationships to be restored, those shattered bodies made whole, those places of darkness illumined with light.
I cherish those hopes and thought of the family motto of my Mum’s Welsh family line: “While I breathe, I hope.” All is not lost while there is still life. The broken things can be healed.
I put on the kettle and slid ginger cookies into the oven. I smiled as the sun came out after days of rain and cloud. And I just shook my head and chuckled when my dear, wretched goats found another hole in the fence to escape through.
Life is devastatingly painful sometimes. And scary. And sad. But somehow it’s still beautiful, with friendships and experiences that restore, comfort, and cheer.
“Be brave enough to hold onto the hope that life will be beautiful again.” – Brave Girls Club
I wish you a beautiful weekend, dear ones.
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