by Krista | Jun 1, 2010 | Gulliver Tuesday
Before traversing the gorgeous, fairytale Bosnian countryside, my imaginings of Bosnia consisted of the horrific images of burning buildings and massacres flickering across television screens in the early 90’s. Thus far we had seen little evidence of those tragedies, but as we drew closer to the city of Mostar the pristine mountains and clear rivers gave way to bullet-ridden churches, crumbling ruins of bombed homes, store fronts marred with scars from mortar rounds.
One three story home caught my eye. The bottom and top floors were completely gutted, shattered by artillery of some kind, but the middle floor was mostly intact and there was laundry billowing in the warm spring winds.
What horrors had these people lived through? Where do you go when your homes, offices and churches are being fired on? How do you start rebuilding when the war finally ends after four long years? What manner of person comes home to a bombed out house and immediately sets about making it homey again by stringing laundry, cooking dinner? I fuss when my power goes out or the hot water is gone, yet this person had an entire wall missing and used it as the ideal place to catch a breeze to dry their laundry.
I am grateful for my intact walls today.
We entered Mostar mid-afternoon, wending our way towards the Old Town when we turned a corner and saw the remains of a synagogue. The walls were riddled with pockmarks left by thousands of bullets. It is closed now, the windows bricked up, the courtyard overgrown with weeds. I wished I could see laundry billowing from a balcony.
Here and there were signs of hope, life, and renewal as Bosnians mended broken houses of worship, restored shattered homes, and raised new buildings where old ones could not be redeemed. It was peaceful, calm, but I felt anxious somehow, wondering if that same mending and restoration could heal the families and communities shattered by that devastating conflict. I hope so.
Next week I’ll take you to wonderful Old Town Mostar with the delightful self-appointed guide we found in a parking lot. 🙂
by Krista | Apr 13, 2010 | Gulliver Tuesday
After our glorious gallivanting around Lake Bled, we piled in our 9 passenger van and drove to Ljubljana, Slovenia. As we got closer to town we realized that in all our excitement over the Julian Alps and Lake Bled, we had clean forgotten to eat lunch. We were RAVENOUS!!
We pulled into our uber-cheap hostel ($12 a night!!) and hailed a taxi to take us to Old Town Ljubljana. The concierge at our hostel had recommended a place with traditional Slovenian food and we tracked it down. It was a bustling, well-lit place that welcomed customers from the darkened streets.
Everything inside seemed old in that comfy, well-worn way. Creaky wooden stairs slick from thousands of feet ascending and descending, old wooden benches worn smooth from many a scooting bottom, and this lovely vine mural pocked and darkened from hands pressed against it as patrons climbed up to the loft for dinner.
Truth be told we were so exhausted we could hardly stay awake. 🙂 So we ordered a round of water and good Slovenian beer and soon we were relaxed and merry, laughing hard at each other’s crazy stories.
At last dinner arrived! Stace, Nat and I ordered tender roast pork with arugula salad and herbed dumplings.
Ben went very traditional with roasted horse meat in some sort of sauce and a stuffed jelly-roll type pasta. He obligingly gave us a taste of the meat so we could say we’d eaten horse. 🙂
Ryan went all out with a meat platter laden with blood sausage, roast pork and who knows what. 🙂
We ended our meal with traditional Slovenian cakes studded with fruit and poppy seeds, layered with cream and sweet sauces.
Thoroughly stuffed and oh so sleepy, we bid farewell to our jolly waiter, posed for pictures with this jaunty chap, and wended our way home where we fell fast asleep.
All too soon it was time to wake up for our pre-sunrise stroll of the Old Town, taking in the sights from empty streets before hitting the road for our long drive through Bosnia.
by Krista | Apr 6, 2010 | Gulliver Tuesday
The sun shone down hot and glistening as we explored Bled Island, a jewel of a spot set in a turquoise lake in the Julian Alps of Slovenia. We had wandered through medieval Bled Castle, been rowed across beautiful Lake Bled, and now, after seeing the ancient church and other buildings, we had time to wander the paths that wended along the island shore.
First we took a breather on some shady stone steps, enjoying the cool breezes that swept up from the water.
My brother Ryan and I took this beguiling pathway, utterly charmed by the lamp posts. 🙂
Around a bend in the path we were thrilled to see these turquoise waters, teeming with fish, the sun shining just right to make the water seem to glow from within.
We loved these boats, and had fun making up stories of the smugglers who most certainly owned them, imagining them rowing silently to the island under cover of darkness to engage in nefarious business dealings. 🙂
As we rounded the island we sighed in delight at this amazing view of the castle, church and mountains we’d explored earlier that day. All our preconceived notions of Slovenia had been obliterated by the beauty and serenity of this wonderful place.
All too soon it was time to clamber aboard our boat and be rowed back to shore. Our regrets at leaving this beautiful island were assuaged as we bobbed our way across the lake, reveling in the stunning views. Much to our delight, we discovered an open air market on the other side, brimming with handmade jewelry, woodwork and other crafts. We spent a happy time there talking with the artists in a nonsensical hodgepodge of English and Russian, and found the most lovely treasures to commemorate our trip to Lake Bled.
Then it was time to load up our 9 passenger van and begin the drive to
Ljubljana. I’ll take you there next time. 🙂
by Krista | Mar 30, 2010 | Gulliver Tuesday
After wandering about lovely Bled Castle in Slovenia, we boarded a sturdy rowboat for our journey across Lake Bled to reach a wonderful 15th century church on an island waaaay out in the middle.
It was a beautiful voyage, quiet and gentle as we bobbed past homes tucked back in the trees. We imagined ourselves living in them, waking up each morning and taking our coffee on the terrace as we gazed out over the pristine lake. They were blissful dreams.
We looked back to see Bled Castle perched atop a cliff overlooking the lake, a snow-topped mountain towering behind, and I felt like we were in an illustration for a fairytale.
After about thirty minutes we arrived at the island, clambered from our rocking vessel onto the dock, and proceeded to explore at our leisure.
Our first sight was of this mother swan nuzzling her fluffy grey babies. 🙂
After oohing and aahing appreciatively, we trekked up, up, up a steep flight of stone steps to the church, Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary, craning our necks to see the tower far above us.
Then looked out across the glistening water to the tree-carpeted hillsides.
We stepped into the old church, delighting in the coolness of the air on our sun-warmed skin. We took turns with other visitors loudly ringing the church bell, and had a (sorta) quiet moment on the smooth wooden benches. 🙂
We emerged into the hot sun, admiring the stonework, architecture and statuary, wondering about the stories of those who built this place, lived and worshiped here over the centuries.
Next time I’ll take you on a walk around Bled Island, the only natural island in Slovenia. 🙂
by Krista | Dec 1, 2009 | Gulliver Tuesday
Although I love Washington State with its rugged coastline, pristine forests and soaring mountains, this fall has been a doozy with incessant rain, fog, and mist. I suppose all this clean air and lush green is worth a few dark months but, oh, how I miss the sun-drenched mornings of Italy.
This past spring four dear friends – Trish, Nat, Becks and Viss – joined me for an amazing week at a wonderful old villa in Southern Italy–Villa Trotta.
I knew it was beautiful from the photos online, and at 240 Euro per person for an entire week it was an absolute steal! But nothing prepared us for the beauty that awaited us. The villa clung to the side of a mountain, grape vines clambered over the arbor, geraniums flowered cheerily in pots down stone steps to the orchard, and three tiled terraces overlooked a valley dotted with olive groves and vineyards.
The villa echoed with our squeals and gasps of delight as we dashed from room to room not quite believing that this was actually real. That this wondrous place was truly ours for a whole week.
I loved every single moment of our time there, but somehow breakfast holds a special place in my heart.
Nat and I usually woke first, soft breezes wafting in through the lace curtains, dogs barking, Italians talking in the groves below. Viss would brew strong coffee and one by one we’d make our way out to the terrace, soaking in the sunshine and gazing out over the hills to the sea beyond. Bliss.
Strawberries were a favorite, followed by Nutella on chewy bread and thick Greek yogurt. If I close my eyes I can almost feel the sun beating down on bare shoulders. Almost.
by Krista | Nov 24, 2009 | Gulliver Tuesday
Next to making and sharing delicious food, traveling is my favorite pastime. I gladly give up movies, new clothes and such, and put every spare penny towards plane tickets, hotel rooms and oh so fabulous meals.
This fall I spent a couple of weeks in Paris visiting family and dear friends. One brisk afternoon my friend Amy and I donned coats and scarves and set off for the Jardin de Luxembourg, instantly slowing to a saunter as we entered the gates.
Wide, leaf-strewn gravel paths meandered past twisted old trees, around great stretches of green grass bordered in short, scalloped iron fencing. At the center of nearly every grassy place was an intricately carved marble statue, its base festooned with flowers, the lawns dotted with fallen leaves.
It was lunchtime and clusters of teenagers parked themselves on chairs, benches and even the pathways to eat their meal, laughing, talking and smoking happily in the warm fall sunshine. Here and there an artist sat in the sun, capturing the autumnal beauty in chalk or paint. Well-dressed women sat alone with their thoughts, or shared them animatedly with a friend. My favorites were the elderly couples, the women in heels, dresses and wool coats, the men in dress pants and overcoats, both wearing hats, strolling hand in hand along the winding pathways.
We emerged from the park ages later, our hearts richly satisfied with the beauties we’d seen, and walked towards the Pantheon. By this time our stomachs were crying out for victuals, and we spotted a crêperie across the road. We had the cheeriest waiter, a young fellow about 22 who behaved as though nothing pleased him more than to see his customers happy.
He seated us outside at a tiny round table and brought us flat water and our buckwheat crêpes of choice. I chose a savory one filled with white ham, Emmental cheese, tomato and fried egg, while Amy indulged her sweet tooth with Nutella, banana and coconut. The crêpes were amazing – delectably crisp yet chewy, with fresh and flavorful fillings. Ooeee, SO good on a cold day! 🙂
They were delicious, so earthy, rich and hearty that within a day or two we were positively craving them!
We found another crêperie down a twisting side street and were directed to a teensy table by the window with two round-seated wooden chairs. Within a few minutes it was packed to the gills with locals – nary a tourist to be seen – so we were quite proud of our choice. 🙂 Amy’s crêpe was filled with melty, caramelized pears and I had a buckwheat one with cheese, ham and egg topped with a fabulous green salad with a vinegary dressing that dripped down onto the crepe. Deeeelicious!
Wanting to replicate these beauties at home, I experimented with flour and milk and came up with my own version that I love. I hope you will too!
Buckwheat Crepes
Ingredients:
2 cups coconut milk
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup flour
3 large eggs
Directions:
- Mix all ingredients in non-metal bowl and let sit overnight.
- Heat non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
- Use 1/4 batter per crepe, pour into pan and tilt to cover bottom. When nearly set, flip and brown other side for 10-30 seconds. Repeat until batter is used up.
- (The first couple of crepes may be flops – mine always are – but you’ll get the hang of it in no time.)
- Spread warm (or cold!) crepes with Nutella or top with shredded ham and Swiss cheese and heat until cheese is melted.
