Expectations are always funny . I definitely had planned to not like Mykonos . Playground of the Kardashian set..I mean there was a reality show of Lindsay Lohan running a restaurant set here . Once a huge gay playground even they are fleeing to Naxos and Crete . Up to 6 cruise ships dock here a day disgorging thousands of day trippers . I was prepared to hate it … of course I had a fantastic day . Walking through tiny alleyways and paths. Excellent cafes everywhere and even some pretty good shopping

It turned out to be one of those days where you feel unrushed , relaxed and truly on vacation

We got up quite early and walked into town before most things opened. We found a lovely place overlooking the sea for a light breakfast and then strolled through the immaculate streets getting lost but not caring. We stopped for coffee and wine a few times then had a late lunch. It was in many ways a perfect vacation day in a very pretty place

So, if you approach Santorini by sea you first notice a huge slab of volcanic rock . As you get closer you start to see the small white villages with the blue domes dotted here and there . There’s no question it’s spectacular… and then you arrive.

I can’t imagine a more ineffective way of handling tourists than what has been devised by the local government. In the last 10 years the number of cruise ships had grown by more than a 1000 fold a day. It’s now common for 4 to 5 cruise ships a day to arrive for 8to 9 hours , disgorge their 12, 000 passengers who clogged the streets and create huge traffic issues in the small beautiful but touristic towns

To make matters worse all these ships offload passengers to the old port by tenders(small boats that carry about 150 people) . This mean offloading takes forever . Then once you get off the only way up to the villages is by foot , (600 steps) or Cable Car (36 people per trip) or have a mule transport you . This means that after a 90 minute wait to get on the tender and a 90 minute wait for the cable car you’ve spent 3 hours just trying to get to the top of the hill.

Yes I could have taken a mule to cut the time but I certainly would want to carry some fat American tourist up 600 steps so why should they

Once you’re at the top you can explore the island. The primary attraction is indeed the village of OIa, a sort of wealthy persons shopping mall transformed from a heartbreakingly beautiful village with a spectacular view. The whole experience made me curse mass tourism while being part of it

Then after a mad dash to see anything you start the process all over again . Down the cliff after a 90 minute cable car wait and then a 30 minute wait to get on your tender. We actually walked down the steps dodging enormous amounts of Donkey poo to make our way to the tenders

For me the highlight of the entire day was the drive up to the Monastery. Sitting at over 2000 feet this sacred site to the Prophet Elijah is today maintained by 8 monks . There used to be 200 . Built 400 years ago it is an oasis of calm and tranquility. We were the only ones there and to be honest I could have spent the whole time here

This place is beautiful and historic but I’d never go again via cruise . They were supposed to limit cruise traffic to 8000 people a day but apparently that seldom happens . they need to finish the new port that’s been in process for 20 years and strictly limit cruise passengers or in 10 years there won’t be anything left to see. Amazing beauty being destroyed by greed and stupidity. I’m done

I had heard that Dubrovnik was a beautiful place for years. Then , with the Game of Thrones phenomenon it burst onto the mass tourism route that has blessed and cursed so many world heritage cities

It is beautiful . Surrounded by 2km of Medieval walls still intact and a gorgeous position on the Adriatic it’s quite stunning

It started as an independent republic and survived that way for 400 years walking a tightrope between the Venetians and the Ottomans using trade as its primary weapon . Finally, the Venetians, Then the French , then the Austrians controlled it until it was folded into Yugoslavia. With break up of Yugoslavia it endured a 3 year shelling from the Serbians before it became its own republic again in 1995

It’s definitely a walking city. We walked through the streets and everywhere is a stunning vista or a remarkable building and after awhile I stopped taking photos and just absorbed it all.

Definitely, I’ll be back in off season to explore it further

I was sort of late to the party with Game of Thrones . John was well into season 3 when he finally convinced me to watch it . Of course I was hooked . Yesterday in Dubrovnik we took the GOT tour to see the places where so much was filmed. It turned out to be very interesting ! Jure, our guide was fantastic as he walked with us for 6 miles and explained the complicated history of the city and the GOT phenomenon.

So, if n these pics you’ll see the Red Keep, Kings Landing, Purple Wedding, Blackwater Bay. The walk of shame stairs . So many it’s hard to remember them all . The city let HBO film for free which was quite controversial at the time but paid off as now Dubrovnik has become a regular filming location and it is quite lucrative not to mention the increased tourist revenue.

One bad aspect is that during the summer crowds have gotten so unmanageable that most native residents have moved out to the new town . It’s a bit like Venice. How to you manage tourism but still keep a quality of life . It’s something cities like this are really dealing with. In the meantime it’s a gorgeous city and well worth a visit…in May or October .

Didn’t really know what to expect from Kotor . When I lived in NYC my apartment super was from Kotor and always told me how beautiful Montenegro was. He would sit in his small super’s office , drink some sort of strong alcohol and tell all the tenants that Montenegro was the “ most beautiful place in the world . One day I noticed the supers office was vacant and a notice was posted saying Masic was no longer “with” the building .

So until I arrived here yesterday that was my total knowledge of Montenegro. I know they sided with Serbia in the 1991 war and then declared independence after it was all over .

Anyhow, one thing for sure is that it is indeed one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to . The whole town is set on an amazing bay and completely surrounded by mountains. It’s striking

The old town is very compact but again beautiful structures from the 1600s comprise the heart of the old town. Like so many towns these days they survive on tourism and the cruise ship industry . I stopped for coffee and lunch. I hate eggplant but ended up ordering eggplant rolls stuffed with cheese ..delicious

It’s quite a lovely walk around the town and up on the remaining medieval town walls . It was pleasant day and I walked for several hours. Not sure I’d need to hurry back. Probably prefer spending more time in Croatia.

I always wondered what happened to Masic. Did he get fired , did he quit? I’m my mind I hope he decided to chuck his life in the states and head back to Kotor as it truly is a most beautiful place .

So, after all that food we still managed to waddle around Split. what a beautiful city ! I’m always fascinated with port cities. Especially those with lots of ferries taking people to all sorts of places. Cities like Istanbul and Seattle and Hong Kong where I can literally just sit in a cafe by the port and watch ferries depart for places I’ll probably never get to. Split is that kind of place.

Split also is a place to wander. Evolved from the Emperor Diocletian’s palace built in 305 AD the city was literally built on top of the old foundations. Building spurts from Persians and the Venetian Empire have created a hodge lodge of beautiful buildings

Of course , Split was also where they filmed a lot of Game of Thrones. It was the setting for the slave city of Meereen and the site where the dragons were caged up until freed by Daenerys . It was fun to ramble through the ruins of the castle and remember the various scenes filmed there

Loved Split and will definitely put this on the return list. Maybe , I’ll even take one of those ferries someday.

So, after yesterdays trip to Rijeka I was a bit concerned that maybe Croatia wasn’t for me. I had found Rijeka a bit depressing and washed out

Today we arrived in Split. Well, clearly thinking Rijeka is indicative of the rest of Croatia is like people thinking Cleveland represents all the cities of the States ( sorry Anne Russell)

Split is beautiful. Vibrant, Historic and just plain striking . As we often do when we travel we try and book a private food tour with a local guide/chef who walks us around a city and we sample local specialties. We did that today and it was great ! Led by Lea we started our day at the local market. I love a market and this one was great

The market is open 6 days a week and it’s jammed packed with every kind of food vendor . Here, unlike so many places they want you to sample the goods and are downright insulted if you don’t.

So, I ended up snacking on fresh strawberries, fresh cherries, several cheeses , various sausages, homemade schnapps, sopranik, more cheese and even some anchovies.

Then of course there was gelato and pastry and it all ended with a wine tasting. Fun fact apparently the grape used to make Zinfandel came from Croatia ..they even have the DNA to prove it … you’ll have to read part two to hear that story .

I really wanted to like Rijeka. honestly I did . I realize it’s not a huge destination in itself which often means it’s a fantastic place to visit. Sadly , not the case

Still recovering from a large earthquake the town seems on the brink of something ..the problem is you couldn’t tell if it was rejuvenation or depression

It’s the third largest city in Croatia but lacks the sense of vitality you often find in second and third cities. Studded with a few remarkable 1800 century buildings so much of it is still remnants of 1960s Eastern Europe.

Luckily, we walked around the town and spotted a castle high on a hill. We decided to climb to the top and at least get a view

700+ plus steps later we arrived at a stunning small village called Trsat . Filled with cafes and stunning churches and a beautiful old castle we felt we had actually arrived in Rijeka . The climb was quite strenuous but definitely worth it.

While I probably wouldn’t return to Rijeka I definitely would suggest if you find yourself there then take the walk to the top.

So unfortunately the cruise had to cancel our stop in Venice due to port issues which apparently means Venice is tired of all these day tripper tourists and wants to limit them . Who can blame them . If I were in charge I’d only allow me to visit Venice and ban all others lol. It really is a crazy mob scene . My only issue is perhaps these cruise companies can think about alternatives or ways to reduce their impact . The ship we are on only Carries 2500 people but the new super cruises are carrying 5 to 6 thousand passengers . Imagine if 4 show up at the same time and suddenly 25 to 30 thousand people arrive. It’s a huge strain on the whole environment. So I get it .

So, it meant another day in Trieste which I actually found very appealing. It’s a compact city , full of history, pleasant strolling and excellent restaurants. Today with our Irish friends we strolled the city and made a few purchases as well. For us who have been to Venice many times it allowed the discovery of a whole new city that I would definitely return to .

I had completely forgotten until a friend reminded me today that Trieste was travel writer Jan Morris favorite city. I had read her book years ago and it was only when reminded that it all came back to me

Trieste is an anomaly. A city tucked into the NE corner of Italy that seems strangely not very Italian. Until it was lost after WW1 Trieste had been part of the Austrian empire. It had once been the base of the Austrian navy as as a result it is full of Hapsburg imperial structures and wide plazas

It is also the cafe capital of Italy . Like Vienna the city is chock full of artistic coffee shops and like Italy full of great restaurants.

I spent the day wandering through the city from the waterfront up to the Castelle San Giusti overlooking the city. I was really surprised by the pulse and feel of the city. I stumbled into the cathedral and watched as a family with 5 kids baptized their 6th and a group of kids celebrating their holy first communion stood for pictures.

In Trieste I felt this was a real city , a former imperial city but a real city that exists not for tourists but for its citizens. I liked it very much