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The Magellan Expedition
  • Amy and Pat Taylor
  • Amy and Pat Taylor

The Magellan Expedition

24 Days. Switzerland, Italy, Croatia & Spain. Traveling with Gary and Patty. Read more
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  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler

    Boboli Gardens

    August 27 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    We had such high hopes for the Gardens. Maybe earlier in the season before it gets hot. There was only one bed of flowers that we saw. The hardscaping ...fountains, walkways, Staircases, was a work!

  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler

    Delayed Gratification - Palazzo Pitti

    August 27 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 88 °F

    Palazzo Pitti

    Not everything can be great. Palazzo Pitti was a disappointment. But there was a highlight (at the end)

    (From Wikipedia)
    The palace began construction in 1458, as the urban residence of the banker Luca Pitti . The palace was then purchased by the Medici family in 1549 and became the residence of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany, it was royal palace for the House of Savoy in the five-year period in which Florence was the capital of the Kingdom of Italy (1865–70).

    The palace is grand to be sure. The art work was more than we could take in. We did the audio tour which I usually enjoy, but in this case, the audio your was more of a course in art history an did not help me understand what I was seeing.

    To be clear, the artwork is stunning even if I don't understand it. And, as is always the case, beauty from floors to ceilings (inclusive).

    The most disappointing aspect were the gardens. Large but burnt up and in disrepair.

    The highlight of the day was the fashion exhibit. The dresses. Absolutely beautiful and fantastic.

    One of the best things to come from this will come about when we get home. My Lovely took pictures of almost every dress. She will get to share these with mom. That will be nice.

    Amy's take...I agree with Pat that the Biboli Garden was a disappointment. The palace was huge and the artwork stunning. For me, the most amazing was the full wall paintings with forced perspective. One huge room in the Imperial Apartments (separate post) had flat walls and a barrel ceiling. But the way it was painted, you would swear there were staircases and balconies and alcove with ceilings....just unbelievable !    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler

    Ahhhh GELATO!!!

    August 28 in Austria ⋅ 🌬 86 °F

    Ahhhh GELATO!!!

    Italy, where the "!!!" Is part of the spelling of the word.

    Gelato is an important part of each day. Just a small portion of happiness --- without any guilt.

    Gelato is a primary way of knowing where you are (Italy), yet not useful in finding your bearings (ie next to the Gelato shop), because Gelato is everywhere.

    Gelato has many purposes.

    Sometimes, Gelato allows you to rest, because you might sit down while you have a Gelato.

    Sometimes, Gelato is how you stop to make important decisions.

    Sometimes, Gelato saves you money, because you can't carry your Gelato into the stores.

    Gelato is NEVER about coconut or chocolate, because you can always have both.

    And Gelato is all about adventure because with Gelato you a can try the 'carmel peanut'. There is no such thing as a bad flavor of Gelato and tomorrow, you can go back to your standby flavor.

    Gelato is part of the attitude of being in Italy. We truly enjoyed that attitude.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler

    We Stormed Another Castle

    August 28 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    We Stormed Another Castle

    The Kamerlengo Castle dates from the 15th century and was built by Marin Radoj on the orders of the Venetian Republic.

    It provided us with an hour of fun and a speculation view from atop the Keep. This Castle is not as well preserved (or restored) as Vezio, and no aperitivo, but it was a nice diversion.Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler
    1

    Cathedral of St. Lawrence

    August 28 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    We walked through the church on the centuries worn smooth stone floor. Every edge rounded. The supposedly flat surface polished by shoe leather.

    These floors reminded me of the walkways on the surrounding town.

    The Cathedral of St. Lawrence is a triple-naved basilica constructed in Romanesque-Gothic in Trogir, Croatia. It was founded in the 13th century but the constriction took several centuries.

    The Church displays artifacts from the 14th century on, gold and silver busts, service pieces etc. I was most impressed by the bishops hat from the 14th century. It looked brand new.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler

    PLEASE!!! Trap Me Trogir!

    August 29 in Croatia ⋅ 🌬 84 °F

    PLEASE, Trap Me!

    How many vacation mistakes can we make?

    How can we continue to be surprised?

    One day in Lake Como and one day in Florence made us return to Italy for this trip.

    We have done it again. We have one day in Trogir and we are simply blown away. This town is an island connected to the mainland of Croatia by bridges. The island completely pedestrian.

    The village dates back to the 13th century and is made up of Renaissance buildings from end to end.

    The only road (with no cars) is the pier road where the boats are docked. A main drag lined with open air restaurants. The walkways have pavers that have been smoothed slick after 1200 years of foot traffic.

    To be honest, this is an island tourist trap. PLEASE, Trap Me!!!

    These shop are different. You don't have hawkers trying to pull you in. It is not like New Orleans where every shop has the same worthless trinkets. It us a pleasant experience.

    When you walk out of a shop or restaurant, you don't know where you are, but you start walking and something else catches your attention. Eventually, you make your way out of the maze of Renaissance buildings and stone walkways back out to the pier, the square or the cathedral.

    This place is fabulous, clean and fun. They take every opportunity to make something beautiful.

    We are headed out for our boat and bike tour. We will see if the other ports are similar.

    One last Gelato and away we go.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler

    CRUISING - Day 1, The Names

    August 29 in Croatia ⋅ 🌧 73 °F

    Getting Our Sea Legs

    Embarkation!

    Today's main activity; the game of Tag. Name Tag.

    As suspected, all our shipmates are of our age. But surprisingly, most are American. We have a sprinkling of Aussies, a pair of New Zealanders, a German couple.

    There were no name tags so we had a group of about 30 people, 60 and 70 somethings, trying to learn everyone's name. But by the end of the day, the best we could do was know some of the names, and not the faces that goes with them. No matter, everyone is in good spirits.

    I found a little humor in that we seemed to be trying to remember the names by remembering the initials. "You are an 'A', you are with a "C". It didn't seem to work, but nobody cared. We just laughed, corrected and moved on.

    We are on the move, headed for our first port, but our week will be rearranged a bit due to weather.

    As the sun collapsed and the moon shown through, the spirits were on the rise. Our cabin falls directly below the salon (or is that SALOON?). No matter, everyone deserves their fun. Lady Love is reading to me.

    The Court of Mist and Fury

    Her heart purrs as she reads. A first day for the books.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler

    More fun than Playdoh!

    August 30 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    A slight diversion. A touch of fun and a bit of culture - a lesson in the Croation language begins with a little geography and some recent border history.

    Most of our group joined the lesson.

    The Croatian language is phonetic. Each letter has only 1 sound.

    30 letters. 3 'C's, 2 each D, L, N, S & Z.

    No Q or W.

    R is sometimes a vowel.

    English is taught in the 1st Grade for most if the country. In some areas, more inland, German option or requirement. A peninsula (near Italy), Italian is a primary language, but English is taught as a third language.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler
    Dolphins! Patty's prayers answered!Bike orientation by Serge1Serge and Tara

    Finally, Time To Ride Telascica Natl Pk

    August 30 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    We spent the first half of the day on the Magellan, dodging rain—not so much getting soaked, just trying to stay ahead of the approaching front.

    One of the bright spots during the boat ride, aside from the dramatic mountains rising out of the surrounding sea, was a dolphin sighting. Dolphin sightings are always exciting. Apparently, they are quite prevalent in the area.

    After reshaping our plans more than once, we finally set the wheels in motion by late afternoon..

    And as if the day owed us something more, the weather turned beautiful and we found time for a bonus hike.

    It started with a quick climb to an overlook, and the view of the cliffs and the Adriatic Sea was absolutely stunning.

    My Lovely commented on the clarity and the colors more than once. The sea shifts from clear aqua to deep cobalt blue, looking incredibly inviting.

    We also wound down to a small salt lake, circling its edge along a trail where each step demanded attention.

    The highlight of the lake loop? A quirky little hoodoo "farm" scattered along the trail between the lake and the sea. 100s of hoodoos, or rock Cairns

    The ride itself was pretty mellow—about 12 miles total—with a few solid inclines to give us a workout and help us get comfortable with the bikes. A great warm-up for the trip ahead.

    Tomorrow, things ramp up with a much longer ride—triple the distance—across two islands.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler
    1

    The Swim

    August 31 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    The Swim
    You had to pay close attention. Was it 30 teens or was it 30 seniors (senior-ish)? Everyone was in for the fun!

    THE POOL IS OPEN! Time to swim. Some behaved and dove in from the swim deck. A couple eased in, and regretted it - the water was cool at first! A few dove in from the main deck - which is allowed, but do it at your on risk. And then there is always the ONE.

    Yes, ONE! One who wanted to (and was prepared to) dive in from the upper deck - the top deck. But he was called off when his wife called him by his full name. Yes, the name on his passport. You know what that means. Of course, he was Aussie!

    But anyway, we all ended up in the water for 20 minutes (maybe 30 minutes) or so. Bobbing in the crystal clear, (pick your color - cobalt, turquoise, saffire) water.

    Bobbing because of the extra salt. Anyone and everyone would be buoyant here.

    A few tried to swim down to the bottom, but that wasn't happening. They were lucky to get 10 feet down before bobbing back to the surface.

    On to lunch in the salon!

    *** UPDATE ***

    Another swim day on day 4 and the seal upper deck got cracked. Several of the men and one of the ladies made the big splash.... some of it easy going - and some with a little peer pressure ... I mean cheerful convincing.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler

    Full Service!

    August 31 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Every time we are ready to ride, the bikes are already unloaded onto the dock for us. Serge, Tara, and either Hari or Ivan work as a team of three. Serge lifts them over the rail of the boat to one of the sailors standing on a ledge, who then hands it down to Tara on the dock. When we are done, Tara, who is quite strong, lifts all 30 bikes, weighing 55 lbs each, up to the sailor who passes them up to Serge, who lifts them back over the rail and puts them in place! They also charge the batteries each night and make sure everything is in good condition.

    Every morning at breakfast we have a briefing for the day. Then another short brief about the ride just before. We are encouraged to spread out on the ride and take our time. Stop to take pictures and admire the view, get a drink. Whatever. Either Serge or Tara leads the ride, and the other stays at the back to make sure no one gets lost!    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler

    The Sound Of The Sea

    August 31 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    How often can we get Wowed??

    The Zadar Sea Organ was a Super Wow! Honestly the best wow of the trip. It was not necessarily the most fun. But it was a complete surprise.

    As an unadvertised goody provided by the boat and bike cruise, we were treated to a guided city tour of Zadar.'s 3000 year old Old Town. The climax of the tour was the Promenade.

    People show up for the sunset. A steady stream easily and peacefully walks towards the promenade. The gentle waves and the organ sound. The sun descends slowly as day gracefully gives way to evening.

    Hundreds and thousands have gathered. More stroll in. People from all over gather, sitting on the steps, facing west and listening.

    The sun kisses the distant mountain range beyond the Adriatic. It slips past the backside. The last bit of the sun disappears as the crowd applauds.

    A scene I am sure it will repeat itself tomorrow.

    The sun was the Star of the show, but the unsung hero, the way I am telling it, is the organ.

    The organ is an architectural sound art object which plays music by way of sea waves and tubes located underneath a set of large marble steps.

    There are 35 tubes of varying diameters and lengths below the promenade. The tubes have "whistles" installed. As sea washes below the steps of the promenade, the water forces air through the tubes, musical notes are played. There are vents under the steps and port holes in the marble walkway that allow the notes to escape.

    The people come to watch the sunset and listen to the calming sounds of the organ.

    But the setting sun is not the end of the show. In another installation at the end of the promenade is a group of 300 solar cells, absorbing energy all day. At night, the panel creates a light show. The lights paced to the flow of the ocean.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler

    Day Three and All Is Well

    August 31 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    This footprint is about boat Life and the passengers.

    The biggest surprise is that there is nothing bad. Not a thing, so far. No one person that is excessively loud. No one that is rude or inconsiderate. Honestly, nobody to vote off the boat...

    That is, unless it is me.

    You know. "If 1 in 3 people are jerks, and it is not the guy on your left, and not the guy on the right, it must be you"

    Truly, all our boatmates are delightful.

    The names are coming together. And by tomorrow, thanks to a bright idea from Cate, we will get there.

    People are open and sharing. Easily mixing up the seating arrangements and getting to know one another. Freely sharing their lives.

    Connie is the "little bit" of the boat. Always a smile and quite often a dance in her step.

    Patty asked Verena (from Germany) what types of dishes she usually makes for dinner. She said "Pasta. Mostly Italian food".

    Paul, one of the Aussies, explained the differences between rugby and Australian Rules Football.

    The only young couple (thirty somethings, here with parents) easily engage as well.

    There are plenty of places on the boat to hang out and relax. No pushing for the best spot. The rooms are larger than I expected they would.

    Can't imagine a prettier combination Adriatic, the view towards the mainland with the islands and the mountians in the distance. Villages dotting the shores.

    The food has been very tasty and much more than we should be eating!    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler

    Ride 4 Skradin, Krka Monastery Island

    September 2 in Croatia ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    Riding Day 5

    My Lovely and I have climbed more. And we have had longer rides. But today, we got both. Twice the elevation gain made us push hard. The distance was not an issue, but the ride as a whole took a toll. Everyone was tired.

    Today's ride was almost entirely in the Krka National Park. And it was loaded with a lot of extras.

    The first extra was Visocac Monastery.

    Visovac is a little island owned by the Catholic Church, and inside the Krka National Park. Like so many other churches we visited, the chuch was beautiful and it displayed artwork and historical pieces.

    Prior to human habitation of the island, it was only a "White rock" in the middle of the lake. The setting was beautiful. We enjoyed the tour, and the baby chick's running around the island.

    It was a fun bike ride; but the prettiest part of the ride for me was the very tail end, as we pulled into town. Again, it was all so beautiful. Quaint would a good word for this town.

    Today's treat is a tour of the waterfalls at the head of the Krka River, the location of the 2nd hydroelectric plant in the world (beaten by the plant at Niagra Falls by 2 days).    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler

    Ride 5 Primosten

    September 3 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    I'll get to the ride little later. It is 10am on Wednesday morning. Day 6 We are cruising now. Today's ride, our 5th ride, is an afternoon ride, the first of the trip.

    We have a 3 hour cruise first. Coffee and breakfast this morning, followed by an anchor drop, for a quick swim.

    Only 5 or 6 swam, but there were backflips off the back of the boat.

    And everyone is just in chill mode. A game of Cribbage below. Most are up top reading. A few listening to music and just taking in the sights.

    We all easily know each others names. There is a great comfort together.

    A peaceful prelude to what I expected to be a tough ride, but we have been reassured is going to be the best ride of the trip.

    3pm now. We had a huge lunch and are letting it settle. This is the most quiet the boat has been.

    My Lovely is beside me on the upper deck, loading photos. The wind and waves are rocking the boat. I'm fighting the desire for a nap. We leave in an hour...

    The Ride

    The Ride was challenging, but not too much. Most of the ride was heading uphill through the country. Then the BIG, curvy downhill and back to the coast. Serge had said that this would be the best ride. I can see where some would say that as we did several miles on a path that runs along the coast.

    I would not agree that this was the best ride. It was beautiful but not the best.

    I actually felt a little guilty on the coastline pathway. There were 32 of us riding. It was a bit much for the pedestians, although we were spaced out in smaller groups.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler

    Day 7, Ride 6

    September 4 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    Our final ride.

    We traveled from Primosten to Trogir.

    The beginning of today's ride was the same as yesterday. We climbed out of the bay, up through the olive groves.

    It is interesting that we seemed to enjoy the olive groves. I mean that the groves are limestone rock areas, where they dig down about 3 feet, removing the stones, and plant the trees. The rocks are gathered together to form fences. But a raw look at it would not be appealing to some. The olive trees are pretty, but without the olive trees, some could the area look desolate.

    Other areas are taken up with small vineyards. They are much prettier, and at this time, quite full of grapes.

    In any case, 2/3rds of this ride was up through the hills and olives. Then, the down hill that was both pretty and fun.

    Again today, we wound ourselves through a campground. We saw on camper that looked like a repurposed Russian Troop Truck. Very large.

    And again, another ride along the coast on a stone pathway, but not as long. A stop for a swim and then the interesting part for me - a ride through traffic in town. I like the culture. Seeing how people live.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler

    Guest House Ljubo and Ana

    September 5 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    This one night exemplified what is has been like visiting Croatia.

    The drive in from the coast, which changed from rocky and drier with low trees to lush green forests on the other side of the mountains, was easy and lovely. Our host, Ana, was friendly and welcoming, and funny even with our language barrier.

    I'd like to say that this exceeded my expectations but that simply wouldn't be true.

    We had no expectations.

    It was a room for a night, near Plitvice - and it was cheap - with good reviews. It was a place to crash.

    As it turned out, the place was clean and comfortable. Beyond that, Croatian. It had gardens of flowers. Fruit bearing trees. Little niceties all around. Truly cared for.

    The place was over-the-top home and unpretentious. Warm and enveloping. Self sufficient.

    Ana had asked if we wanted breakfast in the morning ($10 a person). I declined, thinking we would be pushing to get on the road, but Patty wanted to try a traditional Croatian Breakfast, so we changed our mind.

    Patty was RIGHT!!!

    Well at least partly right. The breakfast was AWESOME!!!

    But this can't be a traditional Croatian breakfast.

    I suspect what was traditional was that it was all homemade. Also, mostly sourced from home.

    Homemade bread. Homemade jam - with fruit from her own fruit trees. Fruit, from her trees. Scrambled eggs from the hens next door.

    She made special gluten free items, polenta and gluten free pancakes (crepes).

    But the over the top part was the baklava, pastries, beignets and drip coffee (American Coffee).

    There was more. Cereal, yogurts etc.    Read more

  • Amy and Pat TaylorThe Magellan ExpeditionTraveler

    Slap Heaven

    September 5 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    Plitvice

    Describing the color of the water will be a great challenge ... but I will try.

    Standing above, the water so clear, only visible due to movement. From a distance, the minerals provide a depth to the turquoise water. A hue seemingly not found on the prismatic scale. And the shades that change based on the angle of view.

    Paths walk you to the waterfalls - a slap in Croatian. Too many to count.

    Slap me happy.

    Water from springs, from a river, from upper lakes. Water pours out all over. The tallest fall at 184 meters, taller than Niagra. While the flow pales by comparison to Niagra, I found it much more enjoyable. There was simply so much more to see.

    There are many falls that have more force, and more flow, but the beauty here is in the peace of the sounds; and the imagination of the colors.

    This is a national park - the largest in Croatia - and Plitvice has that feel.

    The tour is a small hike, beginning with the big falls right out of the gate. Then there many options the stroll you through nature, mini falls, lakes, fish, ducks and a boat ride.

    We did not do the entire tour, that would have taken about 6 or 8 hours, much more than our legs had to give.

    Waterfalls everywhere of all shapes and sizes...the sounds of flowing water....the brilliant shades of blue. Just heavenly..    Read more

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