Walking Around Lisbon
We’ve really been enjoying our time in Lisbon. This is a great city for eating and walking, and that pretty much sums up what we’ve been doing every day. Here are some photos of things we’ve seen between meals:
A Cevicheria
For our first meal in Lisbon we struck gold with A Cevicheria. We plan to eat there many more times. Even before our food arrived, the restaurant stole our hearts with its giant octopus, jars of fermenting things, fish display, and general hipness.
Plitvice Lakes
Bam. Stunning, right? We spent one of our favorite days ever at Plitvice Lakes in Croatia last week. It rained throughout our entire visit and we hardly noticed. The park was bursting with fall colors and the waterfalls were near their peak. The walkways were even washed out and closed in some places due to the high water level. (more…)
Gračišće, town of nightmares
On the winding road out of Istria we suddenly found ourselves surrounded by a dense, swirling fog. Visibility dropped to mere meters; with the road rendered hazardous, we had little choice to pull over. Trapped by the thick blanket of haze, we ventured on foot into the small town of Gračišće.
What we found there gave us pause: Gračišće was utterly devoid of all living creatures, while evidence of struggle abounded. Our explorations left us with the grim certainty that some great horror had been unleashed upon this place.
Real Deal
Lest you think it’s all fabulous meals and fancy living for us, here’s the real deal:
Pasta tube: When you have leftovers but no tupperware or utensils.
Gotta save dat money, after all.
Stari Podrum
Another day, another amazing meal in Istria. We visited Stari Podrum in the town of Momjan, Istria, to enjoy the height of truffle season. This lunch was so rich and filling we didn’t have dinner. First there was this:
Istrian Hill Towns
Driving around Istria is really, really pretty. It actually looks and feels like autumn here, which is something we hardly ever experience in the Bay. The roads are great for leaf peeping:
Rovinj and Konoba Batelina
After parting with Gary we rented a car and drove up to Istria, Croatia’s northwestern peninsula. Istria is widely regarded as having the best food in Croatia, so we were eager to try the famous local products, which include fish, olive oil, wine, truffles, prosciutto, cheese, and honey. Basically, they have all of our favorite things.
Istria’s proximity to Italy is reflected in both its food and architecture. We spent a day in Rovinj, a colorful seaside town that is popular with cruise ships but was pretty empty the day we visited.
Split
After a few days in Dubrovnik we split for Split. The city surpassed our expectations. The old town is really cute and seems to have more businesses that cater to locals. One of our first stops was To je to, a cafe and bar where we sampled different flavors of rakija, the Croatian fruit brandies. Rakijas are popular throughout the Balkans as well as in Hungary. These were great. We tried plum, fig, cherry, honey, and herbs.
Lokrum Island
On our second day with Gary, we took a day trip to Lokrum Island. Lokrum is just a ten-minute ferry ride away from Dubrovnik, and it’s a nice place to escape the crowds and enjoy some nature. The island is small enough to walk around in about an hour, though there is plenty to do there. The contrast of forested paths and bright blue water makes the whole place feel a little magical.
