Part of our trip plan was to spend a week in Croatia which is Murray’s ancestral home. So we set off from Switzerland and decided to stop in Austria on the way there. We had a choice of cities and decided on Vienna as I knew it to have a lot of history around art and opera. Vienna has a beautiful Cathedral and in fact almost every building in the city is architecturally stunning even down to apartment buildings. We decided to skip the palace tour as we are experiencing “palace burnout” from seeing so many and so instead we went on a tour of the opera house. It was really fascinating to see behind the scenes of the opera. The stage is over fifty feet in depth and has dozens of curtains and backdrops that move up and down for quick scene changes. We thought that the opera hall was really lovely until the tour guide showed us how it had looked before being bombed in the war. The reception room below was all that survived but the entire opera house was apparently done in the amazing style below prior to World War Two. After Vienna we were off to Croatia where we camped in three different places. None of these campgrounds was next to a train station, (although there are many near stations throughout the country), but in this case we had decided to rent a car as we wanted to visit Murray’s relatives and there town was not accessible by train. So we took a train to Zagreb and rented a 4 door smart car for 25 Euros per day which was a great price and it used very little gas. Just enough room for two travellers and our bags. The first camp ground we stayed at is called: Terme-Lendava and it is a campground with five different mineral pools to soak in. You can find it here: https://www.sava-camping.com/en/lendava-camping/terme-lendava-camping It was a great campground and our camping neighbour was a typical Croat. We stepped out of our tent in the morning and he was standing there with shot glasses full of plumb brandy which he had made himself and which he wanted us to drink in order to make friends. That was an interesting moment! This campground was close to Murray’s ancestral home in Sveta Maria and we visited his relatives there. I do have to say that Croatians are probably the most hospitable culture we have encountered. You HAVE TO stay in their home , and you just HAVE TO eat! This is how they show love and they are incredible cooks too, making everything from scratch! This is the church in Sveta Maria where Murray’s Family comes from. The church is incredibly beautiful and very old. The choir was practicing when we toured it and their voices give a rather gothic feel to the video I shot of it. From Sveta Maria we drive down to the coast of Croatia to camp on the Adriatic Sea. Our campground was in Medulin which is just next to Pula and you can camp right in the ocean. Below is the view from our tent. https://www.arenacampsites.com/de/campingplatze-istrien/camping-arena-medulin We visited the Roman Colosseum in Pula which is still used to this day for events. We also took a day cruise on the sea where we were able to swim in a cave and feed the sea birds by hand. The Mediterranean Sea is a beautiful region and we will likely go back again. We finished our time in Croatia with a visit to Plitvice falls which is considered one of the more recently discovered wonders of the world and it is truly breathtaking. It is a series of lakes with azure blue water and waterfalls running throughout. We camped just outside the park in a wonderful campground at Korana Campground where they said “Just camp wherever you want” and everyone picked their own sites and got along great. https://np-plitvicka-jezera.hr/de/ Today’s Camping Tip-How to keep things cold.As North Americans we really like our morning coffee with real cream. They’re is just one problem. Nowhere in Europe serves it that way. So knowing this from our last trip I set out to solve the problem. I knew I could buy cream at the stores in Europe, but how would we store it while camping without a refrigerator. After thinking through the problem I had the idea that if I could find a really good thermos then maybe we could carry cream. I researched many thermoses including Yeti and the reviews were less than stellar. They are usually very heavy and don’t live up to the hype in real testing. Except one. It is simply called “Coldest” Water bottle and it’s beats all the others hands down. This bottle has exceeded our expectations and when we put ice in it, the ice is still there two days later. https://thecoldestwater.com/product/the-coldest-water-bottle-21oz/ Now in order for this to work for us and to keep cream and butter cold for a couple of days, I wanted to be able to add ice cubes to it and store our cream inside it within another container so that the ice didn’t water it. How do we accomplish this? By using disposable baby milk bags, as seen in the photo below. We simply pour our cream into one of these zip locked milk bags, add some ice cubes, and slide it into our thermal bottle. It has worked even in 40 degree Celsius heat and stays fresh for two days with along with the ice. We also store small butter pats in here too. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a thermal bottle that has impressed me this much before! In my next blog I will visit Italy and chat about how we deal with our dirty laundry!
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We were very happy to arrive in Switzerland. One of the most beautiful and expensive places on earth! We decided to use Interlaken as our home base as it’s a great jumping off point into the alps and also on a gorgeous lake. Our campsite was called TCS Interlaken 6 and the information for it can be found here: https://www.eurocampings.co.uk/switzerland/bern/interlaken/tcs-camping-interlaken-6-107082/ As with all things Swiss the campground was almost perfect with spotless bathrooms, a canopied area for cooking during rain and even a building called “the living room” with sofas and tv. Murray liked to go in there at night to do some work on his auto dealership . When I say that the Swiss do everything perfectly, what I mean is that they are very innovative and they think of details that make sense and make life easier. Below is a simple example. The sink in the laundry has a built in wash board to make hand washing effective. We saw details like this everywhere. Our main tourist goal in Switzerland was to hike and to see the alps. Our first day there we took a cruise on the lake. The water is as blue as the Caribbean and clean enough to drink. On our second day in Switzerland we decided to take a local train up into the alps. Somehow we misunderstood the signs, which were in German and Swiss and got onto a private tourist train. When the conductor came to check our passes, he told us they were not valid. So I asked him what happens now? He could have given us a big fine but he was pretty nice and sold us the cheapest ticket back ... and then promptly put us off the train at the next stop in the middle of nowhere Switzerland! We have learned to laugh at these mishaps, as it’s all part of having an adventurous spirit! In order to celebrate being ejected from the train, we stopped for dinner at the off-limits, high in the alps town where we were not supposed to be and had a Swiss fondue. After coming back down to Interlaken, we decided on a hike up one of the trails on the lake, which ended at a resort that you can only access through a cog train or hiking. It was truly beautiful. The cog train which we took back down is the oldest in Switzerland. You can have lunch up on the terrace of the hotel once you get to the top, and we did. Our final highlight in Switzerland was a train trip on the Glacier Express which takes you through the highest parts of Switzerland. The train leaves early in the morning, so we arrived in Zermatt the home of the Matterhorn the evening before we left. Zermatt is a tourist town much like Banff Alberta with lots of hotels and high prices. We simply pick up some food from the local grocery and eat in our room in theses situations as the prices for food are approximately 4x the normal cost. Murray is happy to be sporting his Jets gear in competition with the local mascot! They had these sweet little Heidi dresses for sale in the shops. We were up at 6:30 am and raring to go on the Glacier Express! The train took us through some of the highest glaciers in Switzerland and the views are the ones they use for postcards! We went through many tunnels and deep gorges along the way. It’s hard to see due to the reflection on the glass but they were spectacular! At a certain point in the journey I got woozy due to all the twists and turns. So I decided to try out these motion sickness glasses. They have water in them that stays level and is supposed to trick your brain into feeling better. Sure enough after 10 minutes of everyone in the train staring at me I felt great! Today’s Camping Key-How to choose your footwear.Your shoes are among the most important items you will buy for your trip and I do not recommend going cheap in this area. You will be on your feet 15-20 hours each day, walking, climbing, hiking and stepping in water and mud at times. In addition your shoes or boots need to provide a good foundation for the weight of your pack which you will be carrying. While there are many options out there I will share what we chose on this trip and then give you some general tips for choosing your own footwear. My husband Murray has been buying Merrell shoes for years and he swears by their quality. He has owned many versions including hiking boots, but for this trip he decided he wanted a sturdy shoe that would be good for walking, and even light hiking, but which would also double as a dress shoe as we are considering a cruise at the end of our trip. This shoe is called the Merrell World Vue and can be purchased here: https://www.merrell.com/US/en/world-vue-lace-wide-width/30967M.html?dwvar_30967M_color=J94355W#cgid=men-footwear-shoes&prefn1=isOnSale&prefv1=false&start=1 For sandals Murray chose these Merrell Traveler Tilt leather sandals. He says they get full marks for durability and comfort. I normally wear lace up hiking boots due to an ankle injury, but on the recommendation of my adult kids, I decided to buy a pair of Blundstone boots which they seem to live in. Sure enough these boots are super comfortable and have great traction for climbing along with ankle support. Plus according to my daughter in-law they can be worn with a dress in today’s bohemian fashion culture. You can find them here: https://www.blundstone.com/ For my sandals I always wear Romika brand which are Italian leather and have four adjustable straps which make for a perfect fit. They can look both casual or dressy depending on what you pair them with. https://www.zappos.com/b/romika/brand/137 Now that I have shown you the shoes we wear on our trips, I’ll give you a few quick tips for finding and wearing your own. - Do spend the money to buy quality leather shoes or boots and think about the activities you will be doing on your trip so that they will be a good match. If you are only going to be walking in some cities, hiking boots may be a waste of money. However if you plan to do even some hiking, they can be worth the investment. - Do start breaking in your shoes or boots at least a month before your trip. You don’t want to be dealing with blisters while you should be enjoying the sites. - Leave your high heels at home. They take up space and add weight, and will likely only be worn once or twice. Finding leather sandals that look good with both shorts and a dress is a better plan. . - Do invest in two pairs of these incredible anti blister socks by wigwam. They were recommended to us by guys who hike the pacific trail and they keep your feet warm and dry and wick away sweat. We have not had one blister while using these socks. https://www.wigwam.com/ - And just in case you do get a blister, Pack a role of this Leukotape which hikers swear by for treating blisters and which will not come off even when wet. In my next blog we will visit Austria and I’ll show you how to keep your food cold without a refrigerator.
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Wendy Peter is the North American Director of Events for the Women on the Frontlines Organization.
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