Building future adventures – Svetvincenat, Croatia

Among the handful of interesting places to see around our current home base of Barban is the castle village of Svetvincenat. Built in the 10th century around a small hill with a castle, the village square is considered to be one of the prettiest in Istria. Well, perhaps it could be one day. Right now, […]

Building Future Adventures – Rovinj, Croatia

This is a treasure trove of photographic opportunities for any adventurer who loves to tote around a camera to record impressions. Whether from across the bay where one can capture a skyline which is reproduced on dozens of postcards, paintings and drawings sold around the town or from within the narrow confines of the medieval […]

Building the Perfect Trip at Villa Stefanija, Barban, Croatia

We’ve come in for a landing at the lovely, just opened Villa Stefanija overlooking the Istrian Coast outside the town of Barban, Croatia. Found through booking.com, we were delighted when we drove up to the house and saw the infinity pool blending into the wooded hillsides and the bay far below, which itself blends into […]

Building Future Trips – Poreč, Croatia

It seems as if everyone comes to Poreč, or what the Italians call “Parenzo.” Old photographs on the walls of the little place where we had a great lunch show scenes from 100 years ago when the town was just a fishing port with some interesting old Roman and Byzantine ruins. Now it’s chock-a-block souvenir […]

Building Future Trips – Piran, Slovenia

Following our two-week adventure with the Cain family in Italy, we’re scouting in Slovenia and Croatia for the next week or so, building itineraries for 2012 and the future in these undiscovered (at least by European Focus) places. They sure aren’t “undiscovered” by the Germans. We feel as if we are in Little Germany in […]

Memories of wine tasting in Montalcino

We stopped in Montalcino, Tuscany recently with our guests, the Cain family. We were really just there for lunch, but while in Montalcino, you really should try the special “Brunello di Montalcino” wine. Dennis and Melissa had a taste with their lunch, and liked it. So, we stopped at a wine store which offered tastings. […]

Eating Gelato in the 1600s?

We were stunned the other day when we noticed this relief of what we are certain is a young woman enjoying an ice cream cone on one of the support pillars of the Doges Palace, Venice. We wondered if it was pistachio or cherry?