April 20, 2017

We left Venice last evening feeling blessed to have been able to spend such a special time in that inspiring city.  Hundreds of years has only amplified its beauty.  Pat and I decided we must return to Venice someday and spend more time.  The ship cruised right down the Grand Canal which gave us a fantastic view of this city on the way out to sea.  

We are currently in the Adriatic Sea heading to Croatia (what was part of the former Yugoslavia). 

The sea was just a little angry last night. Pat did great, but I was feeling a little queasy. We bought sea sick bracelets before we left the States. Hey, they seem to work! About 15 minutes after putting them on I was feeling just fine. We also had pills and the two combined did the trick. We both seemed to get a good night’s sleep after a couple of days without much. Don’t think we ever caught up after that 4 am departure from Paris a few days ago. But today we’re back on track. Next stop – Dubrovnik. 
We arrived in Dubrovnik, Croatia about noon on Thursday. We didn’t know what to expect but were surprised to find such a magical city. The cruise ship offered tours that were roughly $75 a person or more. We went downtown and found a guy that offered a private tour for 20 euros per person. It was the best thing we could have done.  

Our guide, Peter, explained both the ancient and modern history of the area. He told us of the war with Bosnia-Herzegovina. Peter said he was only 13 years old when he took up arms and fought for his country. He showed us some very interesting local sites, like the River Ombla, which he explained was the shortest river in Europe…only 30 meters. We also saw the border between Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. We ended our time with a beautiful Croatian lunch. Pat took some great shots of the area. Take a look.

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