Roadtrip Review: Plitvice Lakes

Remember in my first roadtrip recap that I said I wouldn't be titling any posts "Don't Miss This Or You Will Regret It Forever"? Well, I won't be. But if I was going to, this would be it. Take note. 

Plitvice Lakes National Park (Plitvicka Jezera) might not be a place you know by name, but I guarantee that you've seen pictures of it before. If you haven't, it may be because you haven't encountered a travel magazine, top things to see before you die article, or are brand new to the internet. 

The stunning (and ubiquitous) images of this destination capture the imagination of almost anyone that sees them and lands it on many travelers' lists, including mine. But photographs, even those that are far superior to the many that I snapped, don't do this place justice. It is otherworldly.

And because of its location, farther north and inland than the popular islands and cruise ports, not everyone that travels to Croatia will go to Plitvice Lakes. But they should.

Roadtrip Review: Pula, Croatia

On the road again!

After overnights in Ferrara and Rovinj, we were headed to Plitvice Lakes but knew that we had time to make a stop in Pula to check out the Roman ruins.

I know that sometimes after people have spent a lot of time traveling in Europe, they can tire of seeing cathedrals, or castles, or ruins, or what Graham and I generally lump together into a category that we affectionately refer to as "old shit". Admittedly, it's everywhere - from small villages to grand cities, almost every town boasts its own visible (and visitable) connection to the ancient past. And sure, it can start to run together. Which town was that Moorish fortress in? Which pueblo blanco has the church at the top of the hill? (Answer: Almost all of them.)

But to be honest, I still love it. Maybe it's the American in me, but I'm still fascinated by the antiquities that are found around every corner. And Roman ruins are no exception.

We had previously visited the Roman ruins north of Sevilla, in Mérida, and it seemed like a great opportunity to see more, so much farther east, in Croatia.

So, we stopped in Pula, a Croatian seaside town in Istria that has Roman ruins strewn throughout, and woven within, its streets.

Roadtrip Review: Ferrara & Rovinj

The blog took a week (mas o menos) hiatus because I had friends in town from the States and spent my time with them instead of the computer - taking day trips, exploring pueblos blancos, seeing the sites, catching up during some late nights, and of course, wining and dining them with typical Spanish specialties. So, it was very quiet on the internet, but quite busy in real life. Which, if I have to choose between the two, is what I prefer, hands down.

Also, I've been struggling (mostly due to the epic number of photos that I took) to decide on the best way to share our end-of-summer, 12 day, big Balkan roadtrip, but after some thought, I'm just going to go through our destinations chronologically. I know, so boring, no Top 10s or 5 Musts or Don't Miss This Or You Will Regret It Forevers (actually, I do have one of those, but I'm sure the title will be something much more literal than that). 

Instead, I simply want to focus on the pretty pictures and share some of our favorite parts of the trip, sticking with the journaling style that I like. When that's all finished, I think I'll do a wrap-up post with more details, tips, and specific information for those who are interested in planning a similar vacation. What do you think? 

Great, here we go. 

Ferrara, Italy

We flew into Bologna in the evening, picked up our rental car, and had just enough time to get to Ferrara for a late dinner. While it was bustling and charming on a Friday night, it wasn't until the next morning that we really got a chance to see the city.

I'm back and August recap!

If you follow my instagram, then you're probably aware that we recently returned from a 12 day driving vacation - mostly Croatia and Slovenia, with a little Bosnia and Montenegro thrown in, and even some Italy and Austria for good measure. It was amazing, I took a couple thousand pictures (I could have exaggerated and said something like "a zillion" but the real number is ridiculous enough), and will be sharing some posts about the whole trip soon. 

Before moving on though, I really wanted to talk about the end of my summer. August was just what I needed after an incredibly rough time (see:  my June and July) and made it clear to me that after 2 years, El Puerto de Santa María is my home. It's the familiar place that I look forward to being after a long or stressful trip, I like the routine and the pace of daily life here, and it has become full of friends and experiences. Of course, it won't last forever, such is Navy life. But for now, I'm enjoying living la buena vida.

So this is just a happy little recap of my August, some events and good times that really bolstered my battered spirits. Sounds dramatic, but seriously, if I could never have so many negative things happen in such a short time ever again, that would be wonderful. Gracias.

Each one of these events could have had its own post, but at the time, I was just happily soaking everything in and loving living in the moment, which was so refreshing. 

Anyway, let's get to the pictures!

This was our third year attending the beach races in Sanlúcar and it's one of our favorite events, so we made a point of going 2 nights, once during each weekend. Both times, we went to the finish line tent.

Horses, sunsets, a little betting (but no winning), drinks, food, and friends. What's not to love? Well, except for the not winning. That would have been a nice bonus. 

Since we had recently traveled to the States twice and to Bordeaux, we didn't travel over Labor Day weekend (Graham gets American holidays, even though the base is Spanish). But we did try our best to get out and see some different sites in our area.

Labor Day long weekend!

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy weekend! For my fellow Americanos, it's a holiday, and Graham is lucky enough to have 4 days off (a "96" in Navy-speak). Since we have a vacation to Croatia and Slovenia coming up soon, we won't be traveling over the weekend, but we do plan to make the most of his time out of the office (including a day trip to see beachside Roman ruins). Some people might call this a "staycation" but really it's just an effort to not let 4 days pass by in a complete blur of general laziness.

I'm sure we'll still find plenty of time to relax. And there will definitely be at least one trip to the chiringuito.

Feel free to follow along on my instagram account @meghannbg!

What are your plans? Are you traveling, planning a busy weekend close to home, or just doing a whole lot of nothing? Whatever you have going on, ten un buen fin de semana!

Chiringuitos (beach bars)

I think it goes without saying that I love the playa. And I love the month of August - in Spain it's the height of summer, when many people are enjoying weeks of vacation time, and El Puerto de Santa María is bustling. It's great to see the city full of people going out, enjoying themselves, and (most importantly for local businesses) spending money. But to be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of the beach in August. 

When the temperatures are reaching into the 100s (or 40s) inland, it seems like every Sevillano heads south to El Puerto and straight to the beaches. Maybe it's my Americana need for personal space, but I just can't handle the masses of people, packed umbrella-to-umbrella. If it's high tide on a weekend in August, buena suerte finding a piece of beach to call your own. The only way to get some sand to yourself is to show up early (10 o'clock might as well be the break of dawn for vacationing españoles), claim as much playa as possible, and leave before you end up sharing a towel with your new beach neighbors, sometime early in the afternoon. 

I prefer when the playa looks like this:

The August crowds, not to mention the lack of parking in the surrounding neighborhoods,  have me longing for September, when the beaches will be relatively peaceful again. But there is one thing about the summer season that I will miss - the chiringuitos.

Bonjour, Bordeaux!

Hola, amigos! How has your summer been? Mine has been steadily, happily improving. It's amazing what a positive effect Spanish sunshine can have. And I've been beyond thrilled to simply be at home, relaxing back into daily life in my little corner of España. That doesn't mean I've forgotten about our last vacation though, just the opposite actually - Bordeaux has been difficult to get off my mind!

We had just 3 days and spent most of that time eating, sipping, strolling, and falling in love with the city. This was not our typical, fast-paced touring trip - hardly any time was spent at historic sites, we walked through just one church, and didn't set foot in a single museum. I do enjoy all of those activities, but this getaway truly felt like a vacation devoted to my favorites things, of which Bordeaux has plenty to offer. And for me, that was the perfect way to spend our time.

So, with that in mind, here is a list of what I consider musts for Bordeaux, if you want a similarly lazy, but delightful trip:

1. Walk along Les Quais, the wide pedestrian path that follows the Garonne River, past the Place de la Bourse. Continue your walk away from the waterfront, through the smaller streets and neighborhoods, dotted with cafes. Pick out your (imaginary for us, unfortunately) new apartment.

Ours is the one with the umbrella...I wish.

Then do the same at night.