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Europe Trip 2023

September 2023
50 years ago I went on my first trip to Europe. On that trip I travelled solo, with a backpack, stayed in youth hostels and lived on $5/day! This time there’s two of us, carrying suitcases, staying in hotels and lucky if we can survive on $250/day! Read more
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  • Dewit Family TravelsEurope Trip 2023
    Day 12

    Basel to Zagreb

    September 12, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Today we leave Switzerland for Croatia. But we don’t need to leave for the airport until noon.

    We started the morning with coffee from our in-room machine and food we picked up at a local supermarket yesterday. After making lunches and checking out of our hotel room we made our way on-foot to the Basel Kunstmuseum (Art). We were able to leave our luggage in the hotel.

    It was our first museum visit and we looked forward to the visit, having heard good things about it. We were able to use our Basel tourist pass to get in for 1/2 price. It’s a large museum organized by time periods. We started our tour looking at very old paintings from the 1500’s to around the 1800’s. Then finished by viewing 20th century art. I was surprised to see that the museum housed a large number of pieces by well known artists such as Picasso. We had a couple of hours in the museum and got to see a lot of interesting pieces.

    It was very easy to get from our hotel to the airport by bus. Only had to walk 1/2 a block to the first bus and the second bus picked us up right where the first dropped us off. We are now waiting to board our plane to Zagreb. It’s scheduled to arrive 30 mins. late.

    Plane finally flew almost an hour late. Got great seats with more legroom than I’ve ever had on a flight! That’s because we were in line with the emergency exits. On arrival in Zagreb we got lucky and found our way to where a shuttle bus was heading from the airport to the city bus station. From there it was short tram ride and walk to our apartment.

    It felt good to arrive at our next destination. But we had to go out and buy some food because we are going on a full day bus trip to a national park leaving early tomorrow morning and we want food for both breakfast and lunch. We found a nice grocer near by and were happy to see that prices were much lower than in Basel. We also noticed that a restaurant right outside our apartment has margarita pizza on the menu for a good price. So, after unloading our groceries that’s where we went for dinner. We both ordered the margarita pizza. We enjoyed both the food and the lively atmosphere on the street. I also really enjoyed the local, Croatian beer I had with my pizza.    Read more

  • Dewit Family TravelsEurope Trip 2023
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    Day 13

    Hiking Plitvicka National Park

    September 13, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Got up extra early this morning and headed to the bus depot to catch our bus to Plitvicka (130 Km from Zagreb). I’d read about it when planning our trip and had seen some impressive photos, but until you actually experience the place it’s impossible to appreciate the awe inspiring beauty and uniqueness of this park. Every turn on the trail brought something amazing into view. But because it’s so special it also draws a whole lot of tourists. We did have a view waits in order to get to some of the most scenic, photo taking locations.

    Everyone who arrives is asked to choose from three available routes, each a different length. We chose “H” which was the mid length route. It included a tram ride to the starting point, about 10 kms of hiking and a boat ride across one of the longest lakes in the park.

    We took a lot of photos. I can only post 10/footprint so I’ve added an additional footprint just for the photos we took today.    Read more

  • Dewit Family TravelsEurope Trip 2023
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    Day 14

    Exploring Zagreb

    September 14, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Today was a day to wander about and take in some of the many historical sights in Zagreb. But first, we wanted to experience one of the many bakeries near our room, so we stopped to enjoy a coffee and pastry for breakfast. It was located right across from well known, Ban Jelacic Square.

    Afterwards, we headed to the Upper Town area. On the way we passed through the Dolac open air fruit and veggie market. We walked along historic Tkalciceva Street, which is one of the oldest streets in the area. And then we went to the City of Zagreb museum.

    We spent a couple of hours there looking at artifacts dating back several centuries in the city’s long history. The museum is well organized and takes you on a journey through time from distant past to present.

    From the museum we we walked on to view several more landmarks including Zagreb Cathedral and St. Marc’s Church. Unfortunately, those two attractions are both under renovation right now. So we could only view them from the distance and unfortunately, some sections were also obscured by scaffolding.

    Following a short rest break at our apartment, we walked back to the Upper Town area to view The Stone Gate and follow some streets we missed earlier. We then picked up meals to go and headed back to our room to eat, relax and get ready for the next leg of our trip. We are getting up early to catch a train to Split.    Read more

  • Dewit Family TravelsEurope Trip 2023
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    Day 15

    Zagreb to Split

    September 15, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    We said an early morning goodbye to Zagreb and boarded the 7:03 train to Split. We had breakfasts and lunches made and we picked up coffees at the train station. The trip was enjoyable with lots of nice scenery to keep us interested on the six hour journey. We had a table with our seats so we could play some cards as well as eat our meals in comfort.

    It was only a short, 15 min walk from the train station in Split to our apartment. Zoran, the owner, met us nearby and proudly showed us to his newly renovated property. Absolutely beautiful (see photos)! And, located right in the heart of the action. After a little rest, we packed up all our dirty clothes and took them to a laundry just down the street to get cleaned. We paid a bit extra to have it all done for us, including washing, drying and folding! We’ll be picking it up at 7:30 tonight.

    We were keen to do some walking after the long train ride so after dropping off our clothes and picking up some groceries we started touring Split. We decided to follow the promenade along the coast and see what the beach area looked like. There were a few sandy sections but mostly it was just a sea wall where you could put down your towel and access the water if you wanted to go for a swim.

    We walked a few kilometres before heading back along a slightly different direction to find a takeout dinner to bring to our apartment. We look forward to seeing more of this historical coastal town tomorrow.    Read more

  • Dewit Family TravelsEurope Trip 2023
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    Day 16

    Exploring Split

    September 16, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Cappuccino and a coffee made by Laura on our DeLongi coffee maker. Eggs and toast for breakfast, cooked to our liking, in our kitchen. So started the day. Then it was off on foot to see more of Split. Our plan was to spend the morning exploring the UNESCO World Heritage site of Diocletian’s Palace. When we arrived we realized that we had left a map of the extensive site in our room. As well, I had left my sunglasses there and was finding the glare off the white, limestone block streets hard on the eyes. So, we walked backed to our apartment.

    Once there, we decided to change things up and do now what we had planned for the afternoon and leave Diocletian for the afternoon. Our room is in the historic Veli Varos part of town. It has all kinds of irregularly shaped, narrow streets and alleyways and is located on the slopes of Marjan Hill. Our planned route would take us up the hill through a park where we would get nice views of Split and the surrounding ocean. Taking our time, we slowly ascended to the top. This included a section with 178 steps! The effort was worthwhile as there were several viewpoints enroute, and it is a park full of beautiful trees filled with the chirping sound of cicadas.

    From the top of the hill we could see beaches on the shoreline far below. Our next goal was to find our way down to the beach where we would have a cold drink and a bite to eat. It was enjoyable making our way down and we came across a few interesting features, such as a small, very old stone church built into the side of a rock bluff. Getting to the beach took us on a bit of longer walk than expected, however, because there was no public access until quite a distance along the shoreline. Eventually though we got there, ordered cold drinks and a side of fries and enjoyed the ocean view.

    Checking my map app, it was almost 5 k back to town. We decided to bus it back because we still wanted to see Diocletian’s Palace and it was now almost 2 o’clock. It was a short walk to the bus stop and then a short wait for the bus, but for $3 it was well worth it. After a quick break in our room, it was off to the Palace, this time with our map in hand.

    This tourist attraction is like no other historic archeological site I’ve ever seen. Not only does it cover a very large area, but the centuries old buildings inside the walls of the place are still in active use. There are shops, bars, restaurants, apartments and all kinds of businesses occupying the numerous buildings that line the narrow alleyways and promenades. You feel transported back in time and get a feel for what life might have been like. It’s not a typical ancient ruin where you have columns, walls and statues but no intact buildings or inhabitants still living there.    Read more

  • Dewit Family TravelsEurope Trip 2023
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    Day 17

    Day trip to Dubrovnic

    September 17, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Today we are going to experience more Croatian history. We’ve got bus tickets to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dubrovnik. It sustained considerable damage in the early 90’s when it was pummelled by artillery fire during a conflict with a neighbouring country, but work began soon after the conflict ended and the damage has been repaired.

    It was just a short walk to the bus station in Split, but it was a bit of a long wait for the bus because I got the time wrong and we got there kinda early. Onboard the double decker bus we were just settled into our front row seats when we had to move. Apparently, some seats are reserved. How you are to know which ones are is anyone’s guess.

    All the mixup was soon forgotten as we started leaving Split. Around almost every turn in the road was another beautiful sight. There are small picturesque villages, lots of beaches, orchards, vineyards and more. Some sections of the route are quite mountainous and the road gets fairly steep, narrow, as it winds it’s way high above valleys and the ocean. There are also several tunnels with a few that are very long, and an amazing cable stayed bridge across a stretch of ocean.

    About four hours later we arrived at the bus depot in Dubrovnik. A large cruise ship was moored nearby. That got me a bit concerned. The bus depot is about four Km from the Old City so we decided to catch a city bus to save some time and legwork. Once there, it became apparent that there are hoards of tourists off the cruise ship and from elsewhere here to see the historic, Walled City.

    We decided to make the most of it. So, map in hand, we made our way in. First priority was not the sites, but food. We just needed to find a bakery to buy some bread. The paper map was not helpful. Google Maps came to the rescue and located a grocer, but the lineup for the cashier was ridiculous so we soldiered on and luckily found a bakery.

    With the precious loaf tucked safely under my arm we made our way to a shady spot with a bench and enjoyed our lunch of bread, cheese and cold drink. Now, one last thing before we could get into serious touring: WC.

    We were able to locate one nearby using our paper map and then fight our way through the crowds to get to the lineup. Yes, even I had to stand in line! But, then came the next hurdle. It was one Euro to get in. No problem, I had a two Euro coin. But, the machine doesn’t give change and nobody else in line could either. Now I was going to have to find a shop or cafe that would be willing to change my coin so that Laura and I each had exact change.

    I started off, but didn’t get far. Someone in the lineup was waving and whistling frantically to get my attention. I went back and learned that the toilet entry machine would accept tap! So great. We both have credit cards on our phones. I wait my turn in line and just as I’m about to tap, the bathroom door flies open and the guy leaving holds the door so I can get in for free. Great!

    The room is tiny with one toilet behind a door and two urinals along a wall, positioned uncomfortably close to each other. The room is so small that when I try to leave, the guy using the urinal next to the door has to press himself into the wall just so that the door can open. Not sure why it has to swing inward?

    When I get back out to the alleyway with the lineup, I see Laura frantically waving for help. Her card didn’t work and she hadn’t been able to get in to the women’s side. You can’t tap your credit card if you don’t have cell service. So, now I had to go to the machine guarding the women’s side and use my phone so she could get in and use the toilet. All the while there is a lady looking after the washrooms who couldn’t give change or even open the door to let someone in that hasn’t got the stupid one Euro coin required to use a toilet!

    Finally, we were ready to tour. Our map had the key points of interest marked. With Google I was able to give some background information on the things we were seeing. I guide would have been helpful, but it was all so crowded and hectic that I’m not sure we would have learned much more. We walked up and down the main streets and many of the narrow alleyways. The more stairs we climbed the thinner the crowds became. We saw a lot of interesting things but after a couple of hours we’d had enough. It was a bit of a circus with the throngs of tourists.

    We chose not to pay the roughly $100 it would cost to access the tops of the walls and museums. We were able to climb to some great vantage points outside the Walled City and didn’t feel the need to pay that much to walk the walls. It might have been nice to go to a museum, but they too would likely have been overrun with tourists.    Read more

  • Dewit Family TravelsEurope Trip 2023
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    Day 18

    Day trip to Trogir

    September 18, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Today’s adventure was quite a change from yesterday’s. The trip was only 1/2 hr each way instead of four, and it was far more relaxing because it wasn’t nearly as crowded with tourists. Trogir, like Dubrovnik, is a UNESCO World Heritage site with a walled, old town. Buildings date back as far as the 13th century and are still in use, albeit in many cases as restaurants, bars and shops. I really like that these centuries old buildings are not just being set aside as curiosities, but have been repurposed and are still in use today.

    Laura and I used the free map and guide books available at the tourist information centre to create a walking tour for ourselves. I was also able to eavesdrop on a few tours we intersected along the way. Unlike Dubrovnik, we were able to climb a tower and wander along the top of a fortress wall for only a small fee. The views were fantastic! We saw a number of very old structures that are in remarkably good condition considering their age. I know that many have been restored, but it is still a testament to the people of the time that designed and built them. I’m not so sure that the homes and buildings in today’s towns will even last a hundred years, let alone the thousands of years that these have stood.

    Once back in Split and after a short break in our apartment, we headed out for dinner. We’ve been mostly finding takeout and bringing it back to our apartment, but this being our last night in Croatia, we decided to go to a restaurant. We found a nice spot off the beaten path. After contemplating the menu for a few minutes and asking our waiter for some help identified the various food items, Laura ordered Gnocchi and Beef (served Croatian style). I decided to go for Fish with Gnocchi. Soon after ordering though I decided I should look up the fish. It was cuttlefish. I had no idea that it was more mollusk than fish (see photo). I immediately got up from my chair and flew up the stairs to intercept the waiter before the order was placed. I ate Chicken with Mozzarella in a tomato sauce instead.

    Following dinner we could hear live music coming from a plaza nearby. It was quite the spectacle with an orchestra and the “Ten Tenors” playing classic, Croatian songs. Everyone in the crowd seemed to know the words to all of the songs being played. I couldn’t understand a word, but I really enjoyed the music and soon I was bobbing my head and clapping my hands to the beat. From the spirit shown at this event, it seems that the Croatians are a proud people with a strong sense of patriotism. I had to wonder, Do we Canadians have a whole bunch of patriotic songs other than our national anthem and “This Land” that we could join in and sing to?    Read more

  • Dewit Family TravelsEurope Trip 2023
    Day 19

    A Long Train Ride

    September 19, 2023 in Hungary ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Went all the way from Split, Croatia to Budapest, Hungary today! However, had the train from Split to Zagreb been on time we would’ve had an hour and a half to stretch our legs and go out and get some food and drink in Zagreb for the second leg of the trip. However, the train arrived almost an hour late and we had no time, but to find our way to the next train. Luckily, we still had some bread left over from lunch that we could eat for dinner. And, Laura had a bit of water left in her bottle so we didn’t die of thirst.

    The train trip from Zagreb to Budapest didn’t go entirely smoothly either. Not too much after we had started, we learned that there was a problem with the track and that we would have to all get off the train and board buses, and then get back on another train to complete our journey to Budapest. So, as a result our arrival in Budapest was almost 30 minutes later than scheduled. We did get lucky though. Tom, the son of the owners of the apartment, in which we were staying, made contact and offered to pick us up from the train station. That was fantastic because we didn’t arrive in Budapest until 10:30 pm.    Read more

  • Dewit Family TravelsEurope Trip 2023
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    Day 20

    Touring Budapest - Day 1

    September 20, 2023 in Hungary ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    WOW! In a word, that describes what we saw today, touring Buda and Pest.

    Our day started with a trip to the bank to get some Florints. I didn’t realize that although Hungary is in the EU, it is not in the Eurozone! It still uses its own currency. We then caught a bus that brought us near to where we were to meet with our guide, Boulash, at 10:30 to begin a “free”walking tour of Pest. We found him to be very knowledgeable, with a good sense of humour and a voice loud enough to be heard. He took us to see a whole bunch of attractions and gave us insights that we would never have discovered on our own. The nearly two hour tour was worth every penny it cost us. Absolutely beautiful buildings, sculptures, fountains … views

    Following the tour we went looking for a place that serves lunch. We ended up choosing a vegan restaurant with a nice selection of light meals on their menu at reason prices. I had a pasta dish that was served with a spicy, cauliflower sauce. I quite like it. Laura had quesadillas, which she liked. It was then time to catch the metro to the starting point for our next tour.

    The next tour was with the same guide, but this time we would tour Buda, on the opposite side of the Danube. This is the hilly side where the Budapest Castle and the cities oldest building are located. More Spectacular buildings, sculptures , fountains … views! Following the tour we stopped at a cafe near the Budapest Palace for a cold drink and then walked around a bit more to take in the beautiful sights.

    I think what impressed me most on the tours was seeing the incredible amount of work that has gone into restoring and replacing these centuries old buildings. Other cities may have similar structures, but I’ve never seen so many that are in pristine condition with none of the usual black and dark grey coatings caused by years and years of exposure to air pollution. As well, the amount of work underway to restore or reconstruct entire buildings completely from the ground up is amazing!

    After returning to our apartment and getting cleaned up we went to the restaurant in our building for dinner. Laura ordered spaghetti with a tomato based meat sauce. It was huge and she could only eat 1/2 of it. I ordered Hungarian pizza. It was very tasty and had Hungarian sausage, onions, hot peppers and mushrooms on it. We got a 40% discount because we’re staying in the same building and I think the restaurant is owned by the same people that own our apartment. Dinner for two with drinks for about $20!    Read more

  • Dewit Family TravelsEurope Trip 2023
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    Day 21

    Budapest - Day 2

    September 21, 2023 in Hungary ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    We saw a lot of Budapest yesterday, but not nearly all of it! Today we are doing some more touring. This time we are on our own. It’s actually raining lightly and we get to wear our rain jackets! First destination is the indoor market. We also hope to find a coffee bar near by. With our Map App we find our coffee place tucked in behind the market building. I also find the elusive poppy seed pastry I’ve been looking for since our arrival. I remember from my previous trip to Budapest that poppy seed pastries were everywhere. Not so much anymore. I had to settle on a slice of poppy seed lemon loaf.

    Indoor market is fantastic. The basement floor has a fishmarket. We did not go down there. The main floor was mostly food, ranging from fruits and vegetables to various meats. Upstairs are souvenir items as well as clothing and glassware, and other Hungarian handicrafts.

    Our next destination was the neoclassical styled, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, a short walk away. We had seen it yesterday as part of the Pest tour, but did not get a chance to go inside. We chose to buy a ticket that gives you access to three areas inside. The main church with the altar, organ, and seating for worshippers; the treasury with a collection of historical, religious artifacts and the tower where you could ascend to a viewing platform near the top. This building is one of the tallest in the city and we really wanted to get a bird’s eye view. As you can see from the photos, it is a beautiful building inside and out, and provided a spectacular 360 degree view from the top.

    After a lunch break at a small cafe, we continued on touring the Pest side before deciding to head back to revisit the Palace on the Buda side. The plan was to take the funicular up the hill. It is a short ride on the oldest funicular in continental Europe. After a short wait in line we discover that for reasons unknown we would have to buy a return ticket when all we wanted was to catch a ride up. So, we declined and chose a new destination - Varosliget (City Park). It was a distance away and so we hopped on a tram.

    On arrival, we were awestruck by the Heroe’s Square situated at the entrance to the park. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site finished in 1996 as part of Hungary’s millennium celebrations. The park also has one of the best thermal baths in the city. However, we didn’t bring our bathing suits and we couldn’t see the actual bath. We did, however, go inside the entrance of the building housing the bath. Very impressive architecture. Walking through the park we came across a rock band in the process of producing a video in a picturesque setting alongside a pond and across from an old castle. It was silent though with the band only pretending to be playing their music.

    It was nearing dinner time and I was tired out after 20,000+ steps so we made our way to the nearest tram stop and went back to our apartment to get cleaned up and ready for dinner. We chose again to go the same restaurant, just steps away from our room. Tonight, I ordered a spicy chicken wrap with salad and fries. It was a huge meal even though I had ordered the small size of wrap. Laura had a garden salad and fries. It was enjoyable and came with a 40% discount again on both the food and the drinks!    Read more

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