Salzburg

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I vividly recall a trip to Salzburg during my 1994 Air Force enlistment. As my last duty, I vacationed with my Aunt Bruny, Uncle Jay, and Vivian. Many Zagreb friends recommended Salzburg due to its proximity. We planned the trip and watched “The Sound of Music” with the kids to get them excited.

Salzburg exceeded our expectations! We checked out the Augustine Brewery, founded by Austrian monks way back in 1621. It’s famous for its delicious beer and a gorgeous beer garden under chestnut trees. It was a real treat!

We explored the Hohenwerfen Castle, a 900-year-old fortified castle high above the Salzach valley. The kids learned about medieval life and torture. We also witnessed a falcon show where the birds dove close to us.

Dominic’s love for salt led us to the Salzwelten Salzburg, an old salt mine turned into a museum. We journeyed through the dark Middle Ages and the Iron Age to the Celtic miners. We slid down slides, briefly crossed into Germany, tasted salt brine, rafted over an underground salt lake, and viewed a mummy preserved by the salt.

Next, we visited the Mirabell Palace, where we danced around the fountain from “The Sound of Music” and admired its garden. There are also midget statues.

We visited Hellbrunn Palace, known for its trick fountains dating back over 400 years. Unfortunately, Dominic didn’t like getting wet by one of these fountains. There’s a table where guests of Prince-Archbishop Markus Sittikus sat on seats that suddenly squirted water up their butts, either to amuse or annoy them.

The kids were total champs! They bravely trotted over 8 miles through the beautiful city, checking out all sorts of churches like the Salzburg Cathedral, St. Peter’s Church, Graveyard, and Abbey. They even made a quick stop to grab some yummy Dutch cheese (except Papo, of course!).

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Wintertime Visit to Plitvice Lakes National Park

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One of Croatia’s bucket-list items is definitely Plitvice Lakes National Park, known for stunning views of 16 lakes and waterfalls. Most guests visit in the summer, but it’s truly a four-season park and worth visiting year-round. We braved the temperatures for a very cool (pun intended) wintertime visit. The kids were troopers, and we look forward to returning for a different experience with warmer temps and more foliage.

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Christmas Vacation in Texas

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We made the journey to Texas for the holidays, the highlight of which was spending time with family in both McAllen and Austin. Sal and the kiddos nerded out for an afternoon at SpaceX. The Tamez family knocked it out of the park with a muy Mexicana Noche Buena for which all the Cubes came out in full force. Unseasonably mild temps, even for Texas, made for many wonderful afternoons playing dominoes outside with the Abuelos and bike-riding. M+V and Mimi hosted what will likely be our last Christmas in Austin, and the cousins got to enjoy the full childhood Christmas experience. We returned to Zagreb with our hearts full and grateful for such fun memories.

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Sonnenaple Nassfeld Austria Fall Trip 2024

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For the kids’ October break, we returned to Carinzia on the Austrian-Italian border for all the fall feels. Despite the horrible weather (it was rainy and foggy 90 percent of the time) and a severe cold running through the entire family, we made it work. We took advantage of a break in the weather for a hike on the slopes. Annika was a pro and served as an excellent instructor for her brother. As always, we recommend the Falkensteiner for excellent food, lodging, spa, and kids activities. We’ll be back, and next time with the bikes…

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Vis September 2024

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After a few days in Split, we took the ferry over to the island of Vis, one of the more distant islands off the Croatian coast. Historically, Vis was primarily a military base and was only opened to the public in the 1990s; as a result, it is less developed and quieter than islands such as Hvar or Brac. We enjoyed incredible sea views, but the Caribbean-colored waters belied the water temperature in late September. The sea town of Komiza is particularly charming and ranked as one of our favorite spots, although it would easily become overwhelmed with tourists in the high season. While the shoulder season of September is generally good, by late in the month the weather and the seas became rough—but not before Dominic learned the pleasure of skinny-dipping.

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Split September 2024

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We welcomed the GrandMimi’s visit to Croatia with a long-awaited trip to Split and the island of Vis. It’s easy to see why Split ranks as one of Croatia’s must-see spots. History meets gorgeous scenery at Diocletian’s palace, and there’s heavy Italian influence all around. Gelato at Emiliano’s is a must.

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Istria

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Memorial Day weekend is a fantastic time to travel in Croatia— the summer heat and crowds haven’t arrived just yet. We decided to use this time for our first trip to the Istrian peninsula—3 hours drive from our home in Zagreb. Beyond geography, this area has heavy Italian influence in language, culture, and cuisine. We stayed in a little villa in Burici and slowly began working our way through the Istria bucket list, starting with a visit to hilltop village Motovun, wine and olive oil tasting, strolling through seaside Rovinj, and a small family bike ride in our neighborhood. It was a great time, and now we have even more ideas for the next visit. Mainly more biking, more wine, more olive oil…

Recommendations: La Casa de Mime restaurant in Svetvicnenat.

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Ski trip to St. Johann im Pongau, Austria

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Julia found a fantastic family run and we loved our stay at the family-friendly Zinnkruegel in St. Johann im Pongau, Austria.

It was a great start to the new year with our first full-family European ski vacation! Papo persevered and worked on his “pizza”. Annika, showing no fear, continued to improve. Julia worked on her carving skills and for this old guy, slow and steady.

We've moved to Croatia

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Unfortunately, I have neglected to post on our blog. A lot has happened since my last post; we’ve moved from Podgorica, Montenegro, to Reston, VA, and, as of August 2023, we have moved to Zagreb, Croatia.

Below is a slideshow of some photos from our first couple of months here in Zagreb. They include traveling by bus and tram through the center of the city (which Papo LOVES!), our kid’s first day of school, an embassy fall celebration at a nearby farm, a pumpkin festival, a fall family photo shoot for our Christmas cards (that have yet to arrive to us — that’s why you haven’t received our Christmas cards!), and a Croatian version of Day of the Dead.

Budapest, Hungary

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We took advantage of the orthodox Easter holiday for a quick trip to Budapest. Despite the crappy weather (and being under the weather), the city did not disappoint. The kiddos got the real European train experience, and we did the not-to-miss Danube River evening boat tour, so Papo got his fill of planes, trains, boats, and cars on this trip. Both kids loved the Minipolisz where they got to try out various professions. Parents enjoyed fantastic food and an amazing place called the Cookie Beacon. The city has a really great vibe and we can't wait to return to spend more time exploring.

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Cetinje

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We learned last year just how much rain can fall in November and December; so we know to take advantage of a dry fall day. On just such a day, we took a drive to Cetinje, the historic and royal capital of Montenegro. Limestone mountains surround the city, including Mount Lovcen, the inspiration behind the name of Montenegro; Crna Gora (Black Mountain). And home to the Mausoleum of Petrovic.  

To get to the Mausoleum, we had to climb up 461 steps to the top, a challenging task with a toddler who just got up from his nap. Passing the Mausoleum, there's a narrow walkway with a thousand-foot or so drop on either side. Scary for "some" of us.

After, the kids rode their bikes in the center of town.

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Grlo Sokolovo - Fall Photoshoot

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It’s late October, and fall colors are in full swing. We hopped in the car and drove an hour away to Grlo Sokolovo, a viewing point of the Cijevna canyon and the Prokletije mountain range. What should have been an hour-long hike turned into a 3-hour hike, but in the end, we got to see some beautiful fall foliage, take a plethora of pictures, and the little guy got to witness an excavator in action. SCORE!

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Dubrovnik, Croatia

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What a cool place. We loved our short trip to Dubrovnik, and a visit in the shoulder season is the way to go. We’re happy to throw on jackets and brave some wind to avoid tons of tourists and scorching temps in the high season. We walked the old city walls which provide really incredible views of the city itself and the sea below. And then there’s Game of Thrones. Only 3.5 hours from our house, we made it there and back on half a tank of gas. We definitely look forward to returning.

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Djurdjevina Family Farm

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Just an hour away from Podgorica up in the mountains is Djurdjevina Family Farm. We stayed there for the weekend back in mid-September, and we got a long enough break from the rain to enjoy the stunning views, a relaxing picnic, and a family hike.

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Tivat Labor Day Weekend 2021

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For Labor Day Weekend 2021, we stayed at an Air B&B in Donja Lastva. September is the beginning of the offseason -- less crowded and with somewhat warm water temperature, we got to enjoy some quiet time in our little spot with long walks and morning rides on our stand-up paddleboards (SUP). Annika learned how to maneuver her SUP all by herself!

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Grand Mimi visits Montenegro

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We were fortunate to have the GrandMimi travel with us to Montenegro following R&R. During the month of August 2021, we set off to show her our Montenegrin adventures, starting with Sveti Stefan, priganice at Imanje Knjaz, and a tour of Skadar Lake with our favorite little company Ivana's Golden Frog.

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Skadar Lake with Mimi

“Camping” with Mimi

Kotor Bay with Mimi

Texas R&R 2021

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In June we departed for R&R in Texas, our first time leaving Montenegro since we arrived a year ago. A few weeks in McAllen and Austin to reconnect with family and friends were just what we needed. We made and checked off a huge list of to-do's, which were really more like "to eats", including: Abu's ropa vieja and paella, Taco Palenque, Whataburger, Uchi, The Switch, Sap's, and Rositas al Pastor. A few trips to Central Market and HEB completed the trip. Oh and Target!

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Kotor Bay

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Last week we took a boat tour of Kotor Bay with Captain Ivan (perhaps Wilco’s biggest fan, but that’s a story for another time). There's a lot of history here, most notably the plethora of fortresses and Catholic Churches -- both of which served as fortifications against the Ottomans when the bay was under Venetian rule. The most famous church is Our Lady of the Rocks sitting on an artificial island built over the years by sailors laying rocks after a successful sea voyage. You can also see various relics from the Cold War -- tunnels along the coast built to hide Yugoslavian submarines and boats. Some people now use the tunnels for "cliff" jumping (notably, not us). Although the water was cold at 68F, we did jump in to explore Blue Cave, aptly named because the reflecting light from rocks and sand give off a blue color.

We stayed at the lovely Carrubba hotel in Donja Lastva, just outside of Tivat.

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