Adriatic Adventure | July 2015

CROATIA

June 27, 2015, Saturday | Budapest to Zagreb

We left Budapest early afternoon for Zagreb. It’s become a first stop for us on trips south; an easy 3 ½ hour, 350-kilometer drive. We checked into The Esplanade, Zagreb’s nicest hotel; even so, it is a tad bit shabby. Rain threatened all day and in fact we watched as a wedding ceremony held on the hotel’s extensive terrace washed out during the young couple’s vows. Our dinner was in the bistro; the risotto quite nice. After a nightcap it was off to bed. 

June 28, 2015, Sunday | Zagreb to Split

We were up early, had breakfast and were off on the 4 hour, 410-kilometer drive to Split. The trip down the very new and well constructed E71/A1 was very scenic, forested mountains with numerous tunnels boring thorough the landscape. As we approached Novigrad and the sea the terrain became more arid and flat; we paralleled the coast past Šebinik, turning toward the sea and Split on the D1.

Our home for the next several nights is the large, very modern Radisson Blu, on the coast, 20 minutes east of the old city. We booked a nice suite on the sixth floor with terrace and views to the Adriatic and Brač Island. The room wasn’t ready upon our arrival, so we had lunch at the hotel’s terrace restaurant. There was a brief rain shower that sent us under cover, but the sun quickly returned. By 2:30 pm we got to the room and unpacked quickly.

The highlight of this area of mainland is still clearly centered on Diocletian’s Palace. We drove to old city, found good parking close by and set off to explore.

Split is on the map primarily because one of its native sons “made it big.” Diocles (or possibly Diocles Valerius) was born in Solin on the Dalmatian coast in 244. He was poor and most likely the son of a slave. He rose in the military under Emperor Carus, eventually becoming commander of his elite cavalry force – a post that earned him the honor of a consulship in 283. After the death of Carus and his son, Diocles became Emperor Diocletian in 284. He ruled until 305; then left the imperial office, becoming the first Roman emperor to abdicate the position voluntarily; how very democratic. Everything wasn’t perfect, under his rule it wasn’t a very good time to be Christian, but I won’t get into that here.

In his retirement he moved back to his Dalmatian birthplace and built a palace, Diocletian’s Palace to

Rendering - Diocletian's Palace

be specific. His seaside retirement “home” was ambitious and very big: approximately 160 meters by 190 meters – about 7 ½ walled-in acres to you and me. Think of a giant double Mac-mansion combined with a fortress and housing for his retainers, staff and military guard; a temple here and there, and a nice mausoleum thrown in for good measure. Fast forward and this is now the center of Split, Croatia – thank you Diocletian.

The Palace today is anything but a palace; it’s more a medieval maze of 220 buildings – currently housing about 3,000 Splicani (Split residents), shops, cafes and restaurants. Four gates (named Gold, Iron, Silver and Bronze) located midpoint on each wall create two bi-sectional passages, north-south and east-west; with everything radiating out from one of these arteries. Originally the southern half (facing the Adriatic) was the Emperor’s wing, and the northern, home to guards, retainers and staff.

The anchor of the Palace remains the Peristil, an impressive imperial square framed by two colonnades to the east and west, a prothyron to the south leading to the vestibule and further to the imperial quarters. Most of the structure is made of white stone from the nearby island of Brač; however; the columns are made of Italian marble and there are other exquisite imports from all over the Roman world.

Our first stop was logically to the Peristil; a bustle of tourists jostling with their cameras and selfy sticks recording their personal moments. The octagonal shaped mausoleum had been transformed by the early Christians into the Cathedral of St. Dominius. The 13^th century doors were marvelous, 28

St. Dominius

panels of Romanesque miniatures; the altar, magnificent. The exterior belfry is framed by two lion figures and there is a beautifully preserved Egyptian black granite sphinx adorning the wall to the right of the entrance.

We briefly stopped in the Vestibule hall; an impromptu archapello group singing within the wonderful acoustics of the dome. It was then down to the adjacent basement halls, exuding a haunting timelessness amidst the dim light and moss laden walls.

We were back to the hotel by six, drinks and then to our room. A late dinner was on the terrace and we were quickly to bed.

6/29/2015 Monday | Split

We were up early to a hot, sunny, breezy day. Parking in our spot, we walked up to Marjan, the hilly nature reserve just to the west of the Palace. Hundreds, Judith would

St. Nikola

say thousands, of steps later; we reached the Vidilica Café with its wonderful views, and a nearby Jewish cemetery. Staggering on in the heat, the little stone chapel of St. Nikola came into our sight – reaching it we gave up and headed back down to the sea.

Trudging back towards Diocletian Palace’s northern gate (Golden Gate) we stopped for espressos at the shaded café of Gallery of Fine Arts. Refreshed, we continued on to the massive Gregorius of Nin statue, sculpted by Meštrović, just outside the walls; and then the Temple of Jupiter, City Museum and the Synagogue, all within the Palace.

Lunch was an okay pizza on the city’s seaside promenade, Obala Hrvatskog Narodnog Preporoda. Thankfully it is commonly referred to as the “Riva,” so we didn’t need to pronounce this Croatian mouthful of mismatched vowels and consonants. We were back to the hotel by three and had a glass of wine at the beach.

It was a taxi to dinner at a very nice spot, Dvor Restaurant, on Put Firula, 14. It had a lovely terrace overlooking a tranquil bay; staff and food were excellent. Another taxi, nightcap at the hotel and then it was quickly to sleep.

6/30/2015 Tuesday | Split

Eyes opened to another hot and sunny morning. We were off to Solin (Roman Solona), about 15 kilometers northeast of Split. This archaeological preserve was the former administrative headquarters for Rome’s Dalmatian province, and established in 78 CE. The site is massive; at the far end its amphitheatre, now in ruin, accommodated 18,000. This was also an early Christian area and remains of the 3^rd century trench graves bear witness to Diocletian’s persecutions. The city was eventually sacked and destroyed by the Avar and Slav invasions in the 7^th century.

It was then onto Trogir, 30 kilometers west. This tiny village is set within near perfectly restored medieval walls, and is fronted by a beautiful seaside promenade. The highlight was the Cathedral of St. Lovro, a 13^th – 15^th century Venetian inspired Romanesque beauty. We had a seaside lunch at

Trogir

Pizzeria Mirkec; an adequate caprese salad. We returned to Split via local coastal route 409 passing through a series of seven small fortress towns, collectively the Kaštela. Unfortunately, these beaches remain polluted from previous Communist-era factories, and so are off limits to all but the most foolish bathers.

After our arrival back to the Radisson Blu, we were down to the beach for a drink; eventually dinner was at the hotel’s nondescript terrace restaurant.

7/01/2015 Wednesday | Split

It was another hot, sunny day, so we decided to spend a few morning hours at the pool.  Afterward, we returned to the city to see the Gallery of Fine Arts collections and Ethnographic Museum. The

Gallery of Fine Arts

museum has an interesting terrace; one is able to see into the Vestibule and the full expanse of the Peristil.

We had ice cream and espressos for lunch, and then traveled back to the hotel. Dinner was at Hotel Vestibule Palace in the old city and was quite good. During our meal we were serenaded by a local concert in the adjacent Ethnographic Museum. A taxi back to the Radisson Blu, a last glass of wine on terrace and then it was to to bed.

7/02/2015 Thursday | Split

Many do not realize that Croatia’s Adriatic coast is dotted with over 1,200 islands; most small and uninhabited. Through the hotel we hired a 34’ Sunseeker Superhawk with skipper and mate for the day to explore. The skipper, Vinko Mariani, and his mate, also Vinko, picked us up at the hotel pier at 9:30 and we were off on a cloudless and beautiful morning. We had a full day planned, heading south through the channel between Soltar and Brač Islands; our first port of call was Hvar about 1 ½ hours off the coast.

This island’s hub is Hvar Town, a beautifully preserved 13^th century walled town, ornamented with Gothic palaces and glassy marble streets. Vinko arranged a taxi to take us up to the Fortica, the citadel, originally a fortress defense against the Turks. The view was magnificent. After this visit, the

Hvar Town - View from Fortica

driver dropped us back to the promenade and St. Stephen’s Square, dominated by the cathedral. It was then a short walk to the Franciscan Monastery with its elegant bell tower, adjoining Church of Our Lady of Charity and a tranquil Renaissance cloister. There is a cypress in the adjacent garden that is over 300 years old.

Vinko was waiting for us with the boat, and soon Hvar was fading into the horizon as we sped to our next destination, the Devil’s Island chain; twenty-one in total, for our lunch. In Croatian, these are actually the Pakleni Islands, named for the resin once used to seal boats. We arrived to Sveti Klemant Island and Palmižana cove and disembarked at Toto’s for a very pleasant lunch.

Continuing on after our meal we stopped at Stari Grad, another town on Hvar Island and then to Bol on Brač island’s southern coast – this place is a wind surfer’s dream with the breeze naturally

Bol Beach - Wind Surfers

funneled west through the Hvarski Channel. Our final island town was Milna, also on Brač, a former sardine canning hub and now a bucolic seaside port of pleasure yachts.

As if we hadn’t seen enough, Vinko showed us a decommissioned submarine installation on our way home, an eerie Cold War throwback now a part time hideaway for fish poachers and other miscreants. We were not back to the hotel until seven, a long but very rewarding day. There is nothing like the perspective of the sea to make one realize how small a place we occupy on this threatened planet of ours. I would love to come back and sail these waters at a more leisurely pace. We had a lazy dinner at the hotel and put our wind and sun bruised bodies quickly to bed.

7/03/2015 Friday | Split

We woke to another nice but hot day and decided to be a bit lazy. We took a morning trip to Šibenik, 88 kilometers and about 1 ½ hours north of Split along the coast. It is unique in that the city was founded by a Croatian, Petar Krešimer IV in the 11^th century; it is not an abandoned outpost of the Illyrians, Greeks or Romans. Still, its ownership bounced around over the centuries among the Venetians, Hungarians and Austrians.

The city’s steep medieval streets are interesting, but the main attraction is St. James’ Cathedral. There was much restoration work being done to this edifice, but the majesty shows through, beginning with the graceful marble staircase leading up from the quay to Trg Republike. The cathedral was begun in 1431; the undisputed masterpiece of its designer, Juraj Dalmatinac. It is the largest church built completely of stone without brick or wooden supports – it truly deserves its status as a World Heritage site. The frieze has 71 heads; it is said that the stingier the 15^th century donor was the more grotesque was his caricature. Lunch was a very chic spot for the size of the city called “Pelegrini” – well worth a stop.

St. James' Cathedral

We were back to the hotel by early afternoon; dinner was on the terrace with a very nice Croatian Pinot Noir: 2012 Pinot Crni (“black” in Croatian) from Korak. We decided to cut our stay in Split by one day; so heading for Dubrovnik tomorrow.

7/04/2015 Saturday | Split to Dubrovnik

After breakfast and some computer chores, we left for Dubrovnik at 11:30. It is 230 kilometers further south and should take about three hours. The first part is along the modern A1, but at Mali Prolog we transferred south on single lane Route 425 toward the coastline, then along Route D8 and the Neretva River. Since the fragmentation of Yugoslavia into six sovereign states in the late nineties (and later for Montenegro, 2006) travel has become, pardon the pun, more “balkanized.”  Croatia inherited most of the coastline, but Bosnia-Herzegovina (“B-H” for short) held onto 24 ½ kilometers, centered on the city of Neum. So in this little stretch of road we went through two immigration crossings. We left Croatia, check point one (30 minute wait) drove 20 minutes, and encountered check point two, B-H (50 minute wait) – all very frustrating. Croatia has proposed building a bridge to span the one and a half miles from the mainland before the Montenegrin boarder to the northern tip of the Pelješac Peninsula, in its territory. Another option is a sealed transit road further north of Neum. Momentum for the bridge ebbs and flows with elections, but has gone nowhere since first proposed in 1997.  I can only imagine the drag this must have on both commerce and tourism. A bit more on this later, but by the end of the drive I was willing Marshall Josip Tito from the grave to glue this fractious land back together.

In spite of this, the coast drive was indescribably beautiful. To our left, steep cliffs of gray stone and scrub pine and to the right, the shimmering light blue and turquoise palette of the Malo Sea, and the Adriatic; classic wooden oyster traps bobbing everywhere in the water. Rounding a corner on the D8, the ultra modern Franjo Tuđman Bridge appears, and around the next Dubrovnik’s iconic walls present themselves in all their historical glory. We had arrived and our immigration frustrations melted away.

View from Room #410

Our home for the next five days was the Excelsior Hotel, east of the old city, but only a ten minute walk. After a bit of room jockeying, we landed in suite 410; spacious with wonderful views to the city’s Ploće Gate and the harbor. We had a late lunch on the hotel’s sea breakwater/sundeck, unpacked and lazed around a bit; and had a sunset bathed dinner of grilled tuna, also on the breakwater. Our waiter was a wonderful young professional – marvelous! 

7/5/2015 Sunday | Dubrovnik

After our Soviet inspired hotel buffet breakfast we were off to the old city on a very warm morning.

Dubrovnik is a treasure; we last visited over 30 years ago while I was working for Yugo America. In the 7^th century the Slavs finished off this part of the crumbling Roman Empire; Epidaurum (present day Cavtat) was overrun, inhabitants escaped north to the rocky islet of Ragusa and rushed the completion of defensive walls. Similarly, locals were heading south from Zaton and by the 12^th century these communities merged into present day Dubrovnik, filling in the channel that separated them.

Dubrovnik came under the thumbs of Byzantine, Venetian and Hungarian rule, but by the 14^th century it was a self governing city state. In the 15^th and 16^th centuries it flourished economically and artistically because of expansive trade with the Ottomans. Much was destroyed in the 1667 earthquake; what is seen presently is the rebuilding from that natural disaster. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the damage from the 1990s Serbian shelling has been artfully restored. Still, you can see where the bombs fell; these sections of tile roofs are orangey new compared to the original muted and sun baked mossy ones.

Walking down from the hotel we entered through the eastern Ploče Gate and our first order of business was to walk the perimeter walls, all 6,363 feet of them, plus innumerable stairs. The views were well worth the perspiration. During this rampart trek we also stopped into the Dulčić-Masle-Pulitika Gallery, exhibit space for these interesting local artists; and the Maritime Museum.

The main street, Stradum, most times called the Placa, is the major artery of the city, bisecting it east to west. Its ancient marble pavement stone is polished to perfection, reflecting the light and heat of July without mercy. There are too many beautiful things to fully report on here; before lunch we took in the Sponza Palace with its clock tower and the exterior of St. Blaise, closed for renovation. We

Rector's Palace Staircase

found a nice spot for lunch, Gradska Kavana, and had a well prepared beef carpaccio.

Refreshed, it was to the Rector’s Palace and its Cultural Historical Museum. Judith posed for me on the palace’s gothic 1435 staircase – I have a photo of her in this exact spot from 1985 (maybe 1986). We continued down the Placa to the 15^th century Fountain of Onofrio, the Franciscan Monastery and the western Pile Gate. Continuing our touring marathon, we swung south to the Orthodox Church. Circling along the seaside wall we arrived to the Dubrovnik Cathedral and Treasury, built right after the earthquake – magnificent. Still going, our last stop was the War Photo Limited Museum, a gallery featuring intensely compelling photography stressing the senseless human suffering of war – very powerful stuff. The anguished faces of old women and the baffled stares of children were haunting – the backdrop smoldering ruins of both buildings and lives.

Exiting through the port, we dragged ourselves back to the hotel, both noting that trying to keep the pace of twenty-something sightseers is rather foolish. We changed and had a refreshing swim in the sea; dinner tonight was not very good. After a nightcap, we crawled into bed. 

7/06/2015 Monday | Dubrovnik

It was another beautiful 90⁰F day; we decided to have an easier schedule. We took the Dubrovnik Cable Car to the top of Mount Srdj. It began transporting passengers back in 1969, but was

Dubrovnik from Mount Srdj

completely destroyed during the Croatian War of Independence and not restored until the summer of 2010. The panorama of the city was breathtaking.

After this, we visited the small synagogue, and travelling through the Pile Gate, viewed the detached Lovjenac Fort which stood guard on Dubrovnik’s southwest flank. We retreated to another nice lunch at Gradska Kavana and returned to the hotel for an afternoon of swimming and sun. The Adriatic seemed perfect. Dinner was on the upper terrace, still nothing special. We were quickly asleep.

7/07/2015 Tuesday | Dubrovnik

On yet another nice day we ventured a drive up the Peljšac Peninsula, a 40 mile narrow finger stretching north from Dubrovnik. Our first stop was at the start of the peninsula in Ston and (“little”) Ston. There is a 3 ½ mile wall linking the towns, in the shape of an irregular pentangle and traversing up a steep mountainside. It was completed in the 15^th century, along with its 40 towers (20 of which have survived) and 5 fortresses that formed a part of Dubrovnik’s defenses. Ston is still the home of a once thriving salt works; the salt pans stretching as far as one could see.

Ston's Defensive Wall

. 

Back to the car, it was another 45 minutes up and down narrow winding roads with harrowing drop offs (guardrails are for sissies) to Orebić, about ¾ of the way to the tip of Peljšac. Here we parked and boarded a passenger ferry for the four mile crossing to Korčula Island and its main town, Korčula. This is perhaps the nicest walled city we have seen. Charming in scale, its 13^th century walls preserve a little jewel. The Cathedral of St. Mark in the main square, Strossmayerov, is built of honey-colored stone

Approaching Korčula by Ferry

with an impressive bell tower. The Land Gate (“Kopnena Vrata”) and its staircase exude the importance the Venetian’s poured into this small settlement. Best of all, we had a fabulous lunch overlooking the sea and nestled under an umbrella of pines at Lešic Dimitri’s Relais & Chateaux restaurant.

I was restless to get going so I arranged what I thought was a private water taxi back to Orebić. Unfortunately the skipper had other plans, and we waited for two ladies also travelling with us. One was young, the other very, very rotund; wearing a too short whimsical skirt and outlandishly large hat, even for her size. Throughout the journey back, she posed for photographs taken by her mate on the afterdeck of our well worn little boat – we both tried to look away! Needless to say, the public ferry beat us back to the opposite shore by several minutes.

It was then backtracking along miles of winding road to the hotel; about two hours total each way. Dinner was on the terrace; not much else to tell.   

7/08/2015 Wednesday | Dubrovnik

The weather remains divine; breakfast less so. Today we were off to Cavtat, 12 miles south of Dubrovnik. It is just far enough away that it misses the mainstream tourist flow so it has a bit more of a peaceful, local feel.

The town sits in a beautiful bay with a very nice seaside promenade, Put Ante Starčevića. There is a small church, St. Blaise and a connected Franciscan monastery. On the far promontory is the Račić Mausoleum, a Byzantine inspired domed structure by Meštrović – we decided not to hike to it. Instead we had a nice lunch at “Bugenvila” on the promenade; they had a caprese salad that was

My Zucchini Flowers!

topped with a heavenly tempura zucchini flower. I persuaded the waiter to make us half dozen more! After lunch we visited the museum and former home of Vlaho Bukovac, perhaps Croatia’s most famous painter. The artist had a rich and varied life; some of his impressionist paintings of his three daughters were ephemeral; love and innocents delicately reflected.

We were back to the hotel by four; I got some work done. Dinner was in the old town at “Restaurant 360,” our table perched up on the rampart. The food and wine were excellent, but toward the end we were plagued by bugs. Greece and a market glitch on the NYSE sent yet another shudder through the markets; we went to bed with our net worth slightly dented.

7/09/2015 Thursday | Dubrovnik

It was another nice day and we spent most of it at the seaside. Judith and I usually prefer pools to the sea, but today could have changed our minds. The water was crystal clear, exposing a rocky seabed. The temperature was a bit of a shock when first lowering yourself down the ladder, but within seconds was perfectly refreshing. Lunch was at the seaside.

In the late afternoon we visited the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, founded in 1945. The building was originally conceived and built (1935-1939) as the showcase residential mansion of Dubrovnik ship owner Božo Banac, and in 1948 it was converted into exhibition premises and museum. Works displayed are mostly classics of Croatian modern painting. One of my real joys of travel is to be exposed to local Impressionist masters.In addition to Bukovac’s canvases; favorites included Ingjat Job’s “Olive Trees” and Vlasimir Becić’s “Siesta.”

"Olive Trees" by Ignjat Job

Dinner was a return to Gradska Kavana, with after dinner drinks at “Restaurant 360.” We had a very thoughtful conversation with the restaurant’s manager. He relayed his sadness at what Dubrovnik had become; too many cruise ships (712 disgorging in 2014!) and overall crowding, a loss of the cultural connection to the past for many visitors. Locals can no longer afford to live within the walls, so the authentic bohemian nightlife of earlier times has vanished. With these thoughts on our minds, we walked back to the hotel and were off to sleep.

MONTENEGRO

7/10/2015 Friday | Dubrovnik to Sveti Stefan

Overnight we had our first bad weather; high wind, some rain and thunder. After packing and check out, we were on our way to Montenegro. This turned out to be a tough drive; single lanes most of the way; another customs nightmare leaving Croatia and entering Montenegro. As we approached the Bay of Kotor I realized the NAV was sending us onto a ferry; of course we didn’t have a ticket. Judith jumped from the car at a brief stop, sprinted over to the booth, tossed some Euro and dashed back to the Mercedes with our ticket as I was being flagged out of the cue. We did get on the boat, but upon the ferry’s arrival at the opposite shore the car didn’t want to restart – finally it sputtered to life and we disembarked. Something seemed amiss with the “eco start-stop” so I disengaged it. Perhaps the high heat was stressing the starter.

Traffic seemed to get worse; now the NAV was trying to persuade me in her prissy English voice to turn right onto what looked like a dirt road. On the NAV display, it looked so windy that it could have been a medical diagram of the small intestine. So I declined to follow and continued straight on, which was a terrible mistake. In about a mile, traffic stopped and we dragged along (pedestrians were passing us on the shoulder) until we were well through Budra. Dubrovnik was only 100 kilometers away. The journey took us almost four hours; but we finally arrived in Sveti Stefan and the Aman Resort.

A primary reason for taking this trip was that we were attending friends Regine and François’ 50^th anniversary that was being held here. We had attended their 40^th in Marrakech and had had a great time. The Aman staff was helpful and they directed us up to the Village’s Piazza restaurant where our hosts were waiting for us to start a very late lunch. We met the two other partygoers; Jeffrey and Andrew, friends of theirs from San Miguel de Allende. Afterward we were shown to our cottage and unpacked.

Aman Sveti Stefan is located in the centre of Montenegro’s Adriatic coastline, south of Budva and between the villages of Pržno and Sveti Stefan. The site incorporates two kilometers of coastline

Aman Sveti Stefan

including the pebble beaches of Sveti Stefan, Miločer Beach and the Queen’s Beach, behind which is the resort’s expansive spa facility. It’s connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus and enjoys breathtaking views of the sea, across the bay and along Montenegro’s most renowned stretch of coastline. While the historic exterior remains largely unchanged, the resort’s interiors have been restored and updated and there is an assortment of 50 accommodations: rooms, suites and cottages. The island itself measures a bit more than three acres; beautiful plantings, low hanging scrub pine, stone walkways, two small churches and two pools.

The six of us met for dinner at the island’s terraced Signature Restaurant, but a strong wind pushed us inside. After dinner, tired, we dropped to bed at midnight.

7/11/2015 Saturday | Sveti Stefan

We decided to withdraw from the professional sightseeing competition for the next few days. We woke up to a beautiful morning and had breakfast at the signature Terrace. It was then onto a lazy morning at the secluded Cliff Pool and an extended lunch with our friends at the Villa Miločer

Villa Miločer Spa

Restaurant on the mainland. We toured the beautiful spa facilities and the rest of the afternoon floated away as we lounged by the property’s other, larger pool. Dinner was outside at the Signature Restaurant; a wonderful local lamb had by all. Judith and I also received a late call with some good news from our friends in Bordeaux, Timea and Dan. They had a healthy baby girl: Maeva Lilou.

It was then to bed.

7/12/2015 Sunday | Sveti Stefan

We awoke to a beautiful morning and after breakfast we decided to take a short trip to Porto Montenegro on the Bay of Kotor, about a 45 minute drive. This time I took the advice of NAV and went up the twisty road we had avoided on our trip from Dubrovnik. It was hair-raising but did cut lots of time and traffic from the journey. Porto Montenegro was formally a naval shipyard named Arsenal, which fell into disuse after the breakup of Yugoslavia and the decline of the Yugoslav Navy. This shipyard was put on public sale in 2006 and purchased by a consortium including commercial luminaries such as Nate Rothschild, Jacob Rothschild, Bernard Arnault and Peter Munk, among others.

The site was redeveloped into a state-of-the-art deep water luxury yacht marina capable of handing super yachts of up to 150 meters. In addition to a series of luxury apartments, the Regent has opened a hotel here with 51 rooms and 35 one to three bedroom suites. All the global retail brands are represented here, as well as most boat manufacturers.

In future it would be a convenient base from which to explore the parts of Montenegro we have missed, but the whole complex presented itself as a depressing homogenization of overindulgence. Extravagance is getting easier to find, elegance and sophistication less so.

We returned to the Aman and had lunch with the group, Judith and I sharing a very nice pizza; we then went to the pool until about six.

Tonight was the official party, taking place outside at Regine and François’ little villa. Andrew and

Jeffrey, Andrew, Regine, François, Judith & me

Jeffery had arranged everything: hors d’oeuvre, food, wine, flowers and a wonderful pair of Croatian musicians. The weather was perfect, conversations engaging, the evening magical. We said our good-nights and all went to bed.

7/13/2015 Monday | Sveti Stefan

We all met at reception about nine since our hosts had arranged a charter of a nice Jeanneau yacht for a cruise to Dubrovnik. We had just been there, but we thought it would be fun to see the coast and spend more time with friends. We left from Budva on a beautiful and still day.

The boat was comfortable and the staff friendly, but our land based customs issues followed us out to sea. We were required to detour into Bay of Kotor, stopping at the Montegrian border station of Stari Grad. Back out to the open waters of the Adriatic for only about ½ hour; we again traveled back to the coast, this time checking in at Cavtat, Croatia. It was then back out and onto Dubrovnik.

Approaching from the water, the walls looked even more impressive; I’m sure medieval invaders

Approaching Dubrovnik

took pause as they contemplated breaching these defenses. The skipper skillfully weaved his way into the busy harbor and dropped us off at one of the piers. We went for lunch at Gradska Kavana, and afterward strolled along the Placa for a short while in blistering sun. A quick visit to the synagogue and it was back to the pier. Jeffrey and Andrew were staying on in Dubrovnik and then onto other destinations in Europe, so we all said our goodbyes.

The trip back included the customs stops once again. In all, we were on the water for almost eight hours. The actual distance by boat between Budva and Dubrovnik is a bit over 50 miles. The Jeanneau was cruising at 22 or 23 knots; so without the border crossing hassles the round trip would have been about four hours. Customs clearance had doubled our travel time – amazing!

We had a nice dinner with Regine and François and then all were off to an easy sleep.

7/14/2015 Tuesday | Sveti Stefan

We were up a bit later this morning, but to a beautiful day. After breakfast and some picture taking on

"Signature" Terrace

this serene little island we went over to Regine and François’ villa. They have a nice pool there, so we lazed away until late afternoon swimming, talking, snacking on a light lunch with some pleasant wine. The sun seemed mild, but Judith and I both got a little burn.

Our last dinner together was at the Signature and outside; another excellent pair of musicians adding to the tranquil atmosphere. After this relaxing meal, we bid our friends a good onward journey and thanked them for their hospitality; Judith and I were leaving very early to Zadar. It had been very nice to share in their memories and memory making.

CROATIA

7/15/2015 Wednesday | Sveti Stefan to Zadar, Croatia

We woke to a windy morning, had breakfast, packed and were off on the 470 kilometer drive to Zadar, Croatia; still a bit worried about the car’s performance. The route had us backtracking over old ground; the ferry crossing and four immigration stops. In all it was a seven our trek but not too bad.

Zadar is set on a narrow peninsula northwest of Split, developed in Roman times, specializing in exporting timber and wine. We found Hotel Bastion, our home for the night. It is a Relais and Chateaux property so we were expecting very nice accommodation and food – unfortunately neither turned out to be on offer here. Our suite had that unpleasant rundown bordello look and feel; and the food and service that evening were quite bad. I should write to Relais and Chateaux, but probably won’t.

The old town is compact and has two hubs. The first centers on People’s Square, and the nearby

Altar at St. Simeon

Church of St. Simeon. Housed within the church is a magnificent sarcophagus in the shape of a chasse, overlaid with silver and silver-gilt plaques, located over the main altar. The chest, considered a masterpiece of medieval art and also a unique monument of the goldsmith's craft of this age, is now under the protection of UNESCO. The other hub is the old Forum and it's Byzantine circular Church of St. Donat. With a bit more walking we also took in the impressive Land Gate and the Five Wells Square.

After our terrible dinner, we walked to Zadar’s “Sea Organ” which creates melodies using the tides and wakes of passing boats; and the “Greeting to the Sun,” installation, a 70 foot diameter circle comprised of

"Greeting to the Sun" Installation

photo voltaic cells. Its practical purpose is to power the some of the port’s operations, but at night it hosts a light show that is connected to the Sea Organ. The sound is transposed into a show of light that starts performing on the Zadar waterfront after sunset to the delight of residents and visitors. People were lounging, flitting and dancing through the multi colored beams late into the evening.

BUDAPEST

7/16/2015 Thursday | Zadar to Budapest

We were up early, had a quick breakfast and started our drive home to Budapest. Originally we were going to break up the trip and stay over in Zagreb, but decided to just do it in one go. It turned out to be a long but easy drive. With just one stop for a quick snack, we pulled into our garage at Palazzo Dorottya a little before four.

Throughout the trip, each evening we were greeted by the erry brightness of Saturn and Jupiter low in the night’s sky as these planets stage their closest conjunction until next August. It was comforting that there was actually some order and organization to the universe; some mathematical certainty. On the other hand, to the naked eye these heavily bodies looked a little blurred. The image a bit out of focus – in the shape of a fuzzy and squeezed rhombus - so not quite like viewing nice symmetrical stars. It’s because the planets’ moons confuse things – without a telescope everything gets somewhat distorted. It was a bit like this trip. The geography seems stable, timeless, clear and beautifully comforting. But then you add in an earthquake or two, three clashing religions, clannish isolation and the odd crazy but powerful leader and things get anything but stable, timeless, clear and beautifully comforting.

It was good to be back to Budapest from our adventuresome 2,784 kilometer road trip.

Am I Charlie?

The event in Paris at Charlie Hebdo was a very tragic and horrific affair. “Je suis Charlie” quickly became the meme. There was no justification for this brutality, period; full stop.  But I also think the story, its lessons and consequences, are not as simple and straightforward as the media and most politicians have presented.  

The 2.5+ million people in the streets of Paris and perhaps another 1.5+ million in other French cities were a spontaneous outpouring of solidarity. But why were these citizens on the street, did they really consider what got them out? I believe if questioned and after some reflection the majority would say they were not there mainly in support of free speech; rather they were there to decry and denounce terrorism. Terrorism’s evil cannot be debated; however, the question of free speech should be, it is more nuanced.

Free speech in most advanced societies is not without strings attached; nowhere is it permitted  to write, say, print, post or draw anything you want – it is tethered to civil or criminal regulation. Defamation, the action of damaging good reputation, has a long history of statute. The crime of “libel,” (written defamation); and “slander,” (oral defamation) are upheld in courts every day.

Blasphemy, loosely speaking, defamation of someone’s god, is more troublesome. France abolished the offence of blasphemy in 1791. But this is far from universal in the world at large. A Pew Research analysis finds that as of 2012, nearly a quarter of the world’s countries and territories (22%) had anti-blasphemy laws or policies, and one-in-ten (11%) had laws or policies penalizing apostasy. The legal punishments for such transgressions vary from fines to death. In Europe, Germany, Poland, Ireland, Italy and Greece still prohibit some forms of blasphemy and are enshrined in their laws.

Hate speech regulation further limits free speech. Laws in many countries stop child pornography and hate speech against GLBT communities. Holocaust denial and other genocide denials are considered hate speech in Germany and most other EU states.

Sorry to belabor the point, but speech is abridged in many ways; and free speech is a very fluid concept.

David Brooks, columnist for the NY Times, published a thoughtful piece on January 8 titled “I am not Charlie Hebdo” and took a bit of heat for it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/09/opinion/david-brooks-i-am-not-charlie-hebdo.html 

Still, he got to the heart of the matter. We do need to be vigilant to protect our rights to free speech from infringement by the state; but we also need to nurture societal filters for respect and understanding of others and their beliefs.

Throughout history cartoonists and satirists have exposed “emperors with no clothes” to the long term health of us all; but there have also been fowl mouthed blowhards with no respect for anyone’s feelings – journalists with not much talent, just a bad case of coprolalia.  Modern times and the atomizing of media are giving these types a megaphone that was not available to them before the Internet.

I think of a civic minded and pious Muslim; these cartoons must have been an ugly affront to him – I imagine his conflicted thoughts about the tragedy. Think of other speech disrespectful to the beliefs of other religious people – Christian, Jew, and Buddhist. I am not religious, but I’m not so prideful to think I know what really is in the great unknown.

I’m still not sure where I come down on all this.  Inayat Bunglawala former spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, backed its demand for a “religious-hatred” law designed to shield Muslims from offensive speech or even sharp theological debate. Now, he says, his views have changed completely: the cost of seeing and hearing things you don’t like is more than outweighed by the benefit of being able to say anything you want. For me, I’m not sure I’m ready to endorse “being able to say anything you want.” Therefore, my heart is murmuring “Je ne suis pas Charlie,” even if I’m not saying it out loud. I reject terror, but I do not embrace unbridled and unthinking free speech.

But there is hope. On our walk this morning in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, we bumped into the end of the “Gaza Winter Walk,” the seventh such five mile walk in support of Gaza’s children, held in London and other cities. We passed a returning family; husband, wife and a small and pretty little girl. She was holding her pale blue foam hand pointy finger (think football game souvenir) with “Allahu Akbar” printed on it. Our meeting took place right at the Peter Pan Statue, an iconic sculpture of Sir George Frampton, installed here in 1912.

Pointing her foam finger at the bronze, she sweetly said to her parents that “she liked Wendy the best.” Someday maybe all of us will see the wonder in cultures and beliefs that are not our own, with less hatred and violence the result.

Székesfehérvár

On the third day of the New Year, we took a day trip to Székesfehérvár, 30 minutes southwest of Budapest on the M7. Székesfehérvár was an important Roman outpost since the 5th century BCE. Hungarians arrived around 897, when Árpad created a permanent settlement. Géza and then St. Istvan continued building and the walled city continued to grow. The city was home of Hungary’s Diet, or parliament, for 500 years, only ending with the Turkish occupation in 1543.

The city was the scene of one of the last German battles in World War II; somewhat miraculously the historic center was spared major damage.

Bishop's Palace

We found easy parking at Piac ter, and walked up to the city center at Városház ter. There are three churches packed into this medieval center: Szent Istvan’s Cathedral, Carmelite Church and the Cistercian Church, all in Baroque style and all unfortunately closed except for their small entryways. The Bishop’s Palace is also a grand Baroque statement, its yellow façade and ironwork glistening in the January sun; behind which are the expansive ruins of the 11th century basilica.

Dinner Plate

We saw an interesting exhibition, the “Seuso-Kincs,” in the Szent Istvan Király Museum; housed in the adjacent friary of the Cistercian Church. Seven pieces of this late Roman silver hoard were on display including two large plates of exquisite craftsmanship. Much mystery and controversy surrounds this collection, including the murder of a Hungarian soldier (still unsolved) in 1980. The hoard came into the possession of Spenser Compton, 7th Marquess of Northhampton around this time.A Sotheby’s 1990 sale was halted because of alleged false provenance; law suits followed in New York and the topic was debated in the House of Lords. Victor Orbán, Hunagry’s Prime Minister, recently arranged the purchase of the displayed pieces, referring to them as “Hungary’s family silverware.” There seems overwhelming proof that these artifacts are from Hungary, the “Hunting Plate” has an inscription “Pelso,” the Roman name for Lake Balaton. This whole bizarre story was documented in the UK Channel 4 archeology program “Time Team.”

We also stopped into the black Eagle Pharmacy, a small baroque jewel box built in 1774. After this, it was cappuccinos and puncs szelet at Pátria Kávéház. Nearby, there were a few wonderful, whimsical paintings on a corner café; I would have bought one if I could. All  that remained was our easy ride back to Budapest.

Vienna & Andau

We are having a lovely time in Budapest. Our wedding anniversary was on December 24, and Judith’s birthday on the 26. With an approved serendipity, I decided that we would go to Vienna to

Palais Coburg

celebrate the birthday and booked an overnight stay at Palais Coburg. It is just a short 2 ½ hour drive to Vienna, and we arrived mid afternoon. Although here many times, we walked the inner city, Stephensplatz, the Kärntner Strasse; and then out to the Ring and had cappuccinos at the Imperial hotel before returning to the Coburg.

The added treat of this visit was dinner at Silvio Nickol’s 2-starred Michelin restaurant. The five course set menu was wonderful, as well as the perfect wine pairings. This restaurant is clearly a “chef’s restaurant;” food and flavor are everything. Therefore, one must discount the lackluster decor and the youthful front of house staff. To be sure, they are well educated to a fault, from the best schools and

Menu - Silvio Nickol

all possessing impeccable CVs. But their adolescence lacked a certain gray-haired gravitas and the worry lines of experience I’ve come to enjoy in my maître d’. But only a fool would comment or complain about these things.

After a restful night we spent the brisk morning visiting the iconic Karkskirche and the Secession Building, Olbrich’s 1897 architectural manifesto for the Vienna Secession movement. The Klimt friezes remain magnificent. It was then on to the lively

Jugendstil Apartment detail

Naschmarkt and the few remaining Otto Wagner Jugendstil apartments. We were back to the hotel by noon and checked out.

We had one more stop to make on our way back.

While in Budapest, a friend lent me his copy of “The Bridge at Andau” by the Pulitzer Prize winning James Michener. One of this prolific writer’s lesser know works of non-fiction, it is a vivid account of the horrors of Hungary’s 1956 Revolution. In the late autumn of 1956 Michener found himself in the Austrian border village of Andau, as nearly 70,000 Hungarians escaped to the west over this rickety conduit crossing the Einser Canal, a few miles north of Kapuvár in Hungary. Through many hundreds of interviews, Michener stitched together composites to narrate this tragic story that started on Tuesday evening, October 23, 1956. It is a tail of frustration, bravery, betrayal, terror, barbarity – ending weeks later on November 11.

Michener’s style is almost journalistic, an account that is “in the moment”; and he is prescient in some of his conclusions. He writes: “In this book I propose to tell the story of a terror so complete as to be deadening to the senses…I am absolutely convinced that the yearning for freedom which motivates the Hungarians will operate elsewhere within the Soviet orbit with results that we cannot now foresee.” Michener saw the brutal crushing of the Hungarian uprising by the Russians to have forever pulled back the curtain from the false promise of communism. He knew then that November 9, 1989 was coming, he just didn’t know exactly when, or exactly where. I recommend this short work in spite of the rather longwinded philosophizing of the last two chapters.

After reading it, Judith and I visited some of the battle sites within Budapest including the Radio Station off Bródy Sándor utca, scene of the first shootings; Corvin ter, with its circular theatre; and

Corvin Ter

across Űllöi ut to the Kilian Barracks where the freedom fighters staged their last stand. I was very surprised by how modest the memorials to this horrific event were.

Our trip home from Vienna east on the A4 allowed us to detour about a half hour south to the town of

Brücke von Andau - 1956

Andau, and then another nine miles further south to the marshy fields near the bridge and canal. The original bridge was blown up by the Russians after their discovery of the escape route, but it was restored close to its original design in 1996.

The site dripped with memory; hopes both fulfilled and extinguished. It was well worth the diversion, as I was reminded

Brücke von Andau 

once again how lucky I was to be born when and where I was.

Bratislava

From our base in Budapest, we took an overnight trip to Bratislava, capital city of Slovakia. It’s surrounding  geography has been added to or carved up by empires since Austro-Hungarian times; after WW I the Slovak and the Czech republics’ were combined into the victorious Allies muddled construction of Czechoslovakia. 

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, and mostly through the efforts of Václav Klaus, in January 1993 these two culturally autonomous regions were formally split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. This “Velvet Revolution” should stand as a model for currently contentious independence and separatist movements in both Europe and Africa; it was a peaceful and collaborative endeavor.

Slovak National Uprising Bridge

We entered the city from the south, over the 1970’s iconic Slovak National Uprising Bridge, with its asymmetric cable-stayed construction and strangely perched UFO restaurant, shaped as a Soviet inspired flying saucer, at the pinnacle.

Our hotel, Radisson Blu, was well located on Hviezdoslavovo Námestie (“square” in Slovak), although the hotel itself was a bit tired and dated.  We were quickly out to the old town.

Old Town Hall

First stop was the Hlavné Námestie, centered on the 1572 Maximilian Fountain. Unfortunately, the Christmas Market cluttered things, the haphazard wooden huts huddled together with their seasonal trinkets, sausages and other not so culinary delights. Surrounding the square was the 17th century Jesuit Church and the 15th century Old Town Hall, with its tall Baroque tower – a long climb of stairs is rewarded with an excellent view of the city. Klostolná Street leads off this square to Primaciálne Námestie and to the Primatial Palace; one of the city’s finest Neo-classical buildings, its pink and gold façade is crowned with the bishop’s coat of arms and topped with a giant-sized cardinal’s hat.

St. Martin's Cathedral

Moving further north we took in the Franciscan Church and the 14th century Michael’s Gate, the only surviving gateway to the medieval city. Turning south again, we walked through the Františkánske Námestie with its Marian Column and then west toward St. Martin’s Cathedral. It is an imposing Gothic edifice, completed in 1452 and host to coronations of eleven Hungarian kings and eight queens.

We returned to the hotel looking for the Esterházy Palace; unfortunately some misguided architect had grafted on a hideously contemporary dark stone boil of a structure, totally annihilating the esthetic of this classical building – thankfully it was closed for renovation (hopefully demolition).

The hotel’s restaurant was inexplicably completely closed for a private function (to hell with its guests, comrade!).Trip Advisor gave La Monde Restaurant a good review, so I booked there. It was close to the hotel, the décor a bit odd, but the food and wine didn’t disappoint. A short walk after dinner, we crashed to bed.

Up early the next morning, we visited the Bratislava Castle, first foundations dating to 907. History

Bratislava Castle

took it though the competing architectural styles, but in 1811 it burnt down, reconstruction not beginning until the 1950s and still ongoing. Eventually its Baroque splendor will be restored; there is a pleasant new picture gallery on the second floor. Afterward, we returned to the Old Town Hall to visit the City Museum, well worth the time. By noon we had checked out and were on our way back to Budapest.

Bratislava is still finding its way from a provincial administrative center of Czechoslovakia to the capital city of Slovakia within the European Union. Its geography pins it to the western boarder of this new country of 5.4 million and awkwardly, it is more closely in tune with Vienna than its eastern citizens. An old civilization trying on a new skin and political reality – I will be curious as to the future.

Eger in December

Since November of last year, we have been spending more time in Hungary and Budapest. While here, we decided to stay in a spacious flat in the V District, close to Vörösmarty tér, instead of our longtime haunt of the Four Seasons Gresham Palace.

I have been remiss in my writing from here; this blog will start to correct this.

Dan & Judith - Castle Wall

Travelling by car, Eger is two hours east of Budapest. I found it an optimistic and young town compared to the more traditional Magyar state of melancholy; fresh student faces and an upbeat mood pervaded. The town is bursting with history; the Eger Castle was the country’s defender in the six week 1522 siege by the Turks; Hungarians outnumbered five to one. The ten foot outer walls would be menacing to even the most fearsome foe and the Turks retreated, but were back 44 years later to eventually claim this prize. In 1702 the Habsburgs completed the destruction – the castle now mostly ruins – slowly being restored.

Still, the Bishop’s Palace has been redone and houses a very nice historical museum. Also, there is a very nice café, the “Teto Centrum” where we warmed up over cappuccinos.

Cathedral Fresco

Walking down from the castle’s plateau, we crossed the Eger and travelled along Kossuth Lajos utca, a wide boulevard studded with 18th century Rococo mansions. The nicest is #4, the Vice-Provost’s Palace dated from 1758. Further along, the Eger Cathedral, second largest in Hungary, anchors two other buildings in a pleasant square.  Unique, its cupola is shorter than its two western towers, the east displaying an impressive colonnaded façade with figures representing Faith, Hope and Charity.  The interior is a bit somber, with the exception of the ceiling fresco adorning the central cupola. The remaining two buildings are the Lyceum, demoted from university status only because of its connection to the church, and the grand Bishop’s Palace, unfortunately closed for renovation.

17th C. Minaret

Moving north, there is the second main square of Eger, Dobó István ter. Pleasant in spite of the Christmas Market chaos, the Minorite Church of Saint Anthony dominates. The rounded, tiered façade with its twin towers is much richer and ornate than that of the Eger Cathedral. After visiting, we stopped for a so-so lunch at Főtér Kávézó.

We finished our tour seeing a 17th century minaret, the northernmost Ottoman relic in Europe. The mosque next door was demolished in 1841, but the minaret stubbornly stands, its sleek 131 foot, fourteen sided symmetry withstanding the storms of this town’s history.

All in all, a good day trip; we were back to Budapest for dinner. 

Bully in Chief

In conversations lately, many friends and acquaintances have voiced “disappointment” in President Obama. Most voted for him twice, so these thoughts aren't from some Tea Party fringe. A recurring theme is that Obama doesn't exhibit enough “strong will” and “single-minded purpose.” This crops up in some discussions of domestic policy, but much more often the topic is foreign policy. My friends, and many international ones, point to “red lines” crossed and ignored, disrespect from other heads-of-state and a general dissipation of American power.

I can’t agree with most of this. America and the world should not push Obama to take “macho lessons” from Putin or Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. For that matter, also not from McCain or other of our own government types that present things in oh so clear “black and white.”

Two points form the basis of my thoughts on this matter.

First, we shouldn't be surprised (nor should Obama) that we have bad actors and awful conflicts being inflicted on our world. In 3,400 years of documented history, most of the time humans have been at war, not peace – its how we have settled things since we started walking upright. It is hard to pin down with any accuracy, but some historians write that of those 3,400 years, perhaps 200 – 300 could be considered globally peaceful – ten percent.

Second, at present the United States military is without equal. We seem to forget that in the spring of 2003 we demonstrated this to the world. In six weeks America, with little real help, defeated the 375,000 troops of Saddam Hussein with a loss of 138 American lives. I am in no way defending this disastrous foreign policy or diminishing the sacrifices made, but merely pointing out how easily the third most highly regarded military machine at that time was crushed by ours. The United States spends over $600 billion on defense, 36% of the world’s total, and more than the next 15 top spenders combined.

I think Obama’s slow, non-confrontational and stoic approach will prove to be less dangerous, less deadly and more effective than if we had a Putin-like pugilist in the White House. The world doesn’t need a yet another trigger happy demagogic bully. But we cannot look like we have no policy or a policy of weakness. We must communicate and telegraph to the world and to the bullies what we plan to do and how we will react. This Obama has done poorly.

His communication must become simple, direct, unambiguous and totally lacking “footnotes.”

President Obama should tell America and the world:

·         Humans are a warring bunch, so we shouldn't be surprised and should prepare to have conflicts that destroy life and infrastructure. Innocent people will be hurt the world over, even in America. Saying otherwise is a cruel fiction.

·         America remains the most dominant military the world has ever experienced, stronger than any other by a large measure.

·         The pure military threat is the least of our concern. We can be late to the game, very late, and still have an assured victory if the political world stage is properly set and nations agree to the course of action.

·         America has a responsibility to the rest of the world because of our wealth and strength. This includes when we are directly threatened, but also if others are threatened. We have a big stake in not letting any part of the world sink into chaos because left unchecked it will destabilize and spread. At its heart this is a moral position that Americans can respect and the world can admire. Isolation is a naive mirage in the world we now live in.

·         America will support an economic or military response to aggression only in coordination with and the approval of the United Nations, not unilaterally. Two exceptions will apply: first, to an attack on America or Americans; second, in response to a lawful invitation from an allied country for help that is urgent to their survival.

·         America will demand little, but will be firm that our approval and participation requires directly affected nation neighbors to the conflict to have “skin in the game” in proportion to the threat against them. We will never again be seen as a solitary mercenary force fighting someone else’s battles.

·         If America responds, we will be all in. This means that our decision will not be limited, sequential, stepped or measured; we will specifically announce that our response will be what is appropriate and proportional to the size and capability of our forces, agreed among the UN nations participating. It is self defeating to limit our action to air support or other limited tactics; we must, up front, fully commit to the endeavor – or not commit at all. Mixed messages are always taken as a sign of weakness by a bully

·         America will make solving the Israeli and Palestinian crisis within three years a top priority and no longer allow either party’s brinkmanship of the process. Until this is believed by the Arab world, America realizes that our standing and influence in this region of high conflict is diminished.

Even our military says the “military” part is easy if the mission is clearly stated and the commitment is “all in.” Obama, and many presidents before him, have not taken this message fully to heart. It will take some time for the world to know that we have “put money where our mouth is.” This will be tough for awhile; America will be tested and pulled into some conflicts where a bully has over played his hand. But at some point, future bullies will understand consequences and therefore be smart enough not to overplay.

And America will wake up to a new found respect and stature in the world; and American’s will feel better about themselves, their leadership and their military.

Case in point to my argument about going slow is the current campaign in Syria and Iraq against IS. The effort underway is now supported by Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This would not have been the case if we acted more unilaterally nine months ago against Assad.

We and the world do not need more bluster; we need a calm and steely strong reserve and clearly communicated, simple foreign policy principles. And if the UN and EU finally realize that they cannot just wait for America to run out of patience; then they too will perhaps face their responsibilities more forthrightly.

The military dimension is not the critical item here; it is the hearts and minds aspects of the world community. Luckily, our military might allows the international organizations to muddle along a bit as they create a consensus for appropriate action.

I like that Obama isn't a hot headed, testosterone fueled leader. We have enough of those, and our country is powerful enough not to need one.  We need more Gary Cooper, less James Cagney.

Plitvice Lakes, Croatia | July 2014

July 6, 2014; Sunday

We left Budapest for Zagreb after lunch; a three and a half hour, 210 mile trip. Checking into Hotel Esplanade Zagreb, it was out to their terrace for a relaxing late afternoon, followed by dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, “Zinfandels.” We had stayed here overnight on our May trip to Istra; it’s a bit dated but comfortable and well located.

July 7, 2014; Monday

Awoken by our 6:00 am call we had a quick breakfast and were off to Plitvice Lakes National Park on a beautiful sunny morning. Although it’s only 85 miles south of Zagreb, it’s still a two hour drive. After a short stretch on the E65 to Karlovac, the balance of the trip is on the twisting single lane D1.

Galovac Jezero

Plitvice Lakes is the largest and oldest of Croatia’s eight national parks, opened in 1949 and placed on UNESCO’s heritage listing in 1979. The 115 square mile park consists of 16 lakes; cascading waterfalls and breath taking scenery at every turn. Trails and wooden footbridges connect everything, as well as an electric boat to move visitors along the largest lake, Jezero Kozjak. The pools of water are exquisite hues of azure, blue and turquoise; impossible to describe in word. The local geology over the millennia has created a world of beauty and a unique biodiversity. This place should not be missed, in spite of the sometimes crowded pathways and mostly unhelpful staff.

Judith and Dan

We spend four hours on the trails, lastly taking the difficult “K” route to the panoramic view of the big waterfall - the Veliki Slap. On this trail we met a lone woman who looked a bit lost. We asked her if she needed some help, and subsequently she tagged along with us as we attempted to discern the very poorly marked route. But our fortitude paid off as we stumbled upon the vista looking out to the Veliki Slap and the whole of the lake system – wow, one of the most beautiful views of my life!

We climbed down the steep and winding steps to the base of the waterfall, and then back up the other side of the ravine to the parking lot

Plitvice Panorama

and our car. Our trail companion, Angie, who turned out to be a botanist from Munich, hitched a ride with us to Zagreb; so we had some pleasant conversation to pass the time on our journey back.

We arrived at the Esplanade by 5:30 exhausted. After a cleanup we had some drinks on the terrace, and afterward a pleasant dinner in the relaxed café amid a threatening thunderstorm. Obviously sleep came quickly and easily.

July 8, 2014; Tuesday

We slept soundly. The morning was unlike yesterday; dark, dreary and drizzling. After breakfast we started our return to Budapest, but with a stop in Varaždin. This city is first documented in the late 10th century, but came into prominence in the 16th as a border fortress defending the Habsburg territories from the Ottomans.

Dodging the rain, we visited the Varaždin Castle and Civic Museum, a most down in the mouth monument and exhibit. That finished, we hopped back in the car and finished the drive, arriving in Budapest early afternoon. It was a wonderful trip, but we are glad to be back.