gone'splorin

After returning safely to Split from our Splendid Sailing Sojourn it was off to Istria!  Istria is a small peninsula that has been occupied by Italy, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia and now Croatia and NO WONDER!  There’s gold in them thar hills…yes the black and especially the white variety and ohhhh are they yummy!  We made our way to Rovinj in the rain, yes a long wet driving day. But no matter, the old city looked great with the glistening limestone alleys.

And this morning it was up early to head to Montovun, and ancient walled city that we toured as the clouds began to part.

We had arranged for a Truffle Hunt of the finest kind: experienced hunter, awesome dog, just us.  And off we went.

Anita has been hunting truffles for over 30 years and is third generation Istrian Truffle Diva.  Vera, a six year old German Pointer with a very wet tongue has been at Anita’s side for five years.  Together they are awesome.  The outfit is called NaturaTartufo.  Remember it if you ever want this experience of a lifetime!

Within minutes, our first black truffle.  Then a bit more hunting, a bit more slipping in the mud and then…EUREKA!

A veritable trove of truffles, a fountain of fungus, a plethora or pestilence, an over abundance of over indulgence.  We had hit pay dirt, most literally.

By the end of just over an hour, we had found truffles indeed and more than expected, thanks to Vera the truffle tracker.

After a lunch of fresh white truffle encrusted scrambled eggs and truffled ice cream and truffled brandy (are you hungry yet?) it was off to, what else?  The truffle festival!

After we had our fill, just a final visit to the walled city of Istria to pay respects to the birthplace of our favorite Indy car driver.

Until tomorrow then…

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Some singing too, of course!  We’ve arrived in Komiza after a day in Hvar and a good soaking sail.  Here are a few snapshots culminating with tonights stormy sunset.  More tomorrow!

We have a little catching up to do!  We left Dubrovnik on Saturday after finding the Hole in the Wall.  Of course, on the other side was a card game that looked like it had been going on since the 50’s! 

We also visitied the War Photos museum and seeing the images from the 1990-92 war that broke up Yugoslavia in to the sovereign republics that include Croatia.  It’s a remarkable story that is worth learning about if you are so inclined.  We headed north to Mali Ston, the oyster capital of Croatia and a lovely fishing village.  By nightfall we reached Split and got aboard the s/v Wild Wind, our home for the week.  Our first stop was the beautiful village of Stari Grad on the Island of Hvar.  A picturesque exactly as you would expect.  I was lucky to find this gentleman repairing his fishing net.  Kind of him to allow me to photograph him working.  The wifi is spotty so we’ll post when we can!  Thank you for the comments, we love to hear from you.  We don’t get much news from back home and on one here has mentioned Donald Trump!

This is a tough one. There’s just no way I’ve found to photograph this drop-dead-gorgeous walled city so that you can see why you want to drop everything and go. Now. Dubrovnik was bombed for over a year and was devastated.  Twenty years plus later it is a beautiful, albeit touristy, destination that will take your breath away. What you walk around on looks like this.  

 
The pedestrian-only main boulevard looks like this.  

 
The narrow alleys look Ike this.  

 
And overall it looks like this.  

 
But in fact it doesn’t look anything like any of these. I think you’ll just have to go to see for yourself. And you should. Marci agrees! 

 More to come as we head up the coast tomorrow. 

Good morning!  Before leaving Montenegro we made a short and lively stop in Perast. I might stay here next time do if you are planning a visit, take note!

  
We crossed the border into Croatia and headed to Cavtat for a lunch of oysters and local fish (sorry I don’t take pictures of my food!) and just settling in to our hotel in Dubrovnik. Here’s your first glimpse from our balcony

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After a delicious breakfast in Kotor, we drove to the superyacht marina in Tivat to see this extensive new development. 

  Then passed a small village where they fish right off the road by hand. What a contrast!  

Back into the car and up into the mountains to Skadar Lake national park.   It wasn’t quite as photogenic as promised, but a fun afternoon nonetheless. To top off the day?  What else!?  

The beautiful bay of Kotor. A walled city where we are staying.  

 
And Budva…

  
And a private yacht designed to look like a submarine. 

  
And the prettiest girl in town.  

 
And more to come. 🙂

After an overnight flight to Munich we had a 4 hour layover so a quick side trip to Freising and a yummy breakfast.  

   
Next stop…Kotor, Montenegro.   See you there!

The first step is to decode it. We’re headed off on another adventure and trying mobile entries. Enjoy and comment! 

After 2,995 miles, some acknowledgments are in order.  There are lots of people who make a trip like this as great as it was and so it’s right to say thank you.  To my dear friend Roger who immediately agreed when I proposed this slightly crazy notion in honor of his 66th birthday.  To Dollar car rental who worked with us to get just the right car, you don’t think we appreciate it, but we do.  To the nearly a dozen hotel front desk clerks that we negotiated with and cajoled who provided us with everything we needed and wanted, with a smile.  To the many dozens of Rt 66 shopkeepers, museum people and waiters, waitresses, hostesses and bartenders we met along the way that filled our bellies and our hearts with their hospitality.  To Jerry McClanahan, author of the EZ66 driving guide, without whose book we could not have found and stayed on the Road.  To the Facebook page called Route 66 Pictures whose members responded to our requests for landmarks with gusto and friendly assistance.  And to my wonderful wife who cheerfully covered for me while I disappeared for 11 days, thank you.

Our last day on the Road began in the town of Pontiac, Illinois.  Give credit to the townspeople here who have turned a  sleepy town into something worth making a special trip for.  The center of town is spotlessly clean with various monuments honoring our war veterans in all the wars the US has been involved in that had losses from among the towns residents.  A Pontiac-Oakland car museum on the north side of the square features all the GTOs, Bonnevilles, Trans Ams, Firebirds, and more that you could ever want.  On the east side of the square sits the Rt 66 Hall of Fame, a jammed packed one room hoarders paradise with memorabilia and honororabilia from the Mother Road.  Upstairs are several rooms with giant color photos from all the states the Route hits.  And on top of that, a fine breakfast at The Apple Tree.

We hit the Road for the final stretch and here are a few photos from the day.

Driving Route 66 is about a journey, not a destination.  It’s a journey to remember and a journey to see and hear much of what makes America the place that it is.  If there’s one thing that defines the Rt 66 experience it is diversity.  Beginning n California, we drove through deserts, mountains, hot and cold, rugged terrain and flat.  We drove roads that had switchbacks that gained 500 feet of elevation in a quarter mile, and roads that we so straight and flat one could lash the steering wheel, set the cruise control and take a nap.  We met people of all shapes, sizes, colors and life experiences.  From tourists, to locals, to back country folks to city people, Rt 66 connected us all and provided the common ground we shared.

Even though we came through big cities, Rt 66 is not a road that most people drive because, for the most part, it is near other, more modern roads, that people use to get from here to there.  As a result, for 11 days there were very few other cars.  We could stop at almost any point to observe or take a photo and not even have to pull over.  Its pretty cool to have the road to yourself, and we did much of the time.

Everyone’s Route 66 experience is unique.  Yours will be too should you ever decide to make the drive.  If not, I hope that this blog has given you a taste.  I know that it has been great to have you along with us.

So, another adventure has ended.  You’ll hear from me when the next one is planned.  Until then…