TRUFFLE HUNTING in Croatia

Friday, October 6, 2023

BRYAN'S JOURNAL

The Azamara Quest arrived at the seaside resort town of Opatija, Croatia around 9:00

am. We were looking forward to the excursion we had booked to go hunting for truffles.

After breakfast, we boarded our bus to travel to Karlić tartufi at the village of Palladini

near Buzet, the truffle capital of Croatia.

 

This family-run farm harvests black and white

truffles in its managed grove of oak trees and hazelnut bushes. The truffle hunters use

trained dogs to sniff out the truffles.

Our “hunt” was brief as many of the older members of our group were reluctant to walk

down among the trees to watch the two dogs search for truffles. The staff served us a

lunch of scrambled eggs with truffles

                                                                                     

as well as cured meats and cheeses with truffles.

Local wine was served as well. Naturally, we bought a few truffle-based products from

the farm store. Our tour bus drove us back to the cruise ship through the beautiful

mountains of the Istrian peninsula.

While the truffle excursion did not turn out as

anticipated we did enjoy a sunny afternoon in the Istrian countryside of Croatia.

The evening, we dined at the more formal Discoveries Restaurant on the fifth level. The

hostess kindly placed us by a rear window so that we enjoyed a pleasant view. (She

would continue to do this for the rest of our journey.)

The mixed grill appetizers were quite tasty; the duck breast was outstanding. 

The after-dinner entertainment in the Cabaret Lounge was provided by the ship’s

singers and dancers. We tempered our expectations and enjoyed a diverting evening.

Later that night we had tea on the stern deck. Eleanor challenged me to a table-tennis

game and promptly demolished me. I spent a lot of time chasing a ping-pong ball down

a flight of stairs to the deck below, much to the amusement of one of the ship’s staff

who teased us about it every time we walked off the ship.

Ljubljana, Slovenia

One of the books I read when preparing for the cruise.

 Ljubljana, Slovenia

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2023

We took the excursion organized by Azamara.

 The Azamara guide gave us a couple of hours to do our own thing.   Most of all, I wanted to visit the National & University Library on Narodna in Univerzitetna Knijiznica to “enter through the main door (note the horse-head doorknobs” . . . find yourself in near darkness, entombed in black marble. 

As you ascend the steps, you’ll emerge into a colonnade suffused with light – the light of knowledge, according to the architect’s plans.” (Lonely Planet)

  Bryan and I also enjoyed The City Museum which has the “reconstructed street that once linked the eastern gates of the Roman colony of Emona (today’s Ljubljana) to the Ljubljanica River”.  (Lonely Planet)

We did not have time to see The National Museum of Slovenia which has “a Celtic pail from the late 6^th century BC and a Stone Age bone flute”.  Also Roman glass and jewellery.

We also hoped but did not get to see the view from 16^th century Ljubljana Castle.

Presernov Square or Preseren Square is the city’s social center. The statue of Slovenia’s greatest poet was, at first, so shocking that the model who posed for the naked Muse was so disgraced that she emigrated.    

             

Standing at the base of the statue, look right and down the first street to the second floor of the first yellow house.  The woman in the picture in the window is the unrequited love of Preseren’s life.     

The rose-colored 17^th century Church of the Annunciation

St. Nicholas’s Cathedral (Ljubljana Cathedral) has an “Italian Baroque interior and bronze doors with intricate, symbolic designs” : Rick Steeves

SOME THINGS WE MISSED: I also would have liked to spend a lot of time just strolling along the river promenade and on the bridges designed by Joze Plecnik, shopping at the Riverside Market, and relaxing at sidewalk cafés.   Rick Steeves says there are great views from the bridge called Brv. 

Also missed:

The Serbian Orthodox Church of Sts. Cyril and Methodius

Tivoli Park

Slovenian Ethnographic Museum

Contemporary History Museum:  Baroque mansion in Tivoli Park

The colonnades of the Central Market were designed by Ljubljana’s famous architect, Joze Plecnik.  

Museum of Contemporary Art

Obviously, too much for one day’s sightseeing!  

FOR FOOD, I was hoping to find Kranjska klobasa (traditional Carniolan sausage), jota (turnip stew or a bean and cabbage soup),  bograc (goulash stew), dodole (roasted dumplings),  struklji, Slovenian sweet or savory dumplings), Postrv (trout from the Soca River), zlikrofi (ravioli), and prsut (air-dried ham).         But the restaurant our guide took us to served us a very nice wild mushroom soup inside loaves of bread. 

For dessert, I looked for emona kocka (layer cake with nuts and chocolate), potica (a nut roll),  and Prekmurska gibanica (poppyseed, walnut, apple, cheese, and cream layer cake).

FOR WINE:    I looked for peppery red Teran and Malvazija, a white. 

FOR COCKTAIL:  Brinjevec: brandy from juniper

 

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BRYAN'S JOURNAL

We were up early to see the rare meeting just before Koper of all four sister cruise

ships: Azamara Quest, Azamara Pursuit, Azamara Journey, and Azamara Onward. We

were able to see much of their assembly manoeuvres by looking out of our stateroom

window. The ships managed to position their bows inward to resemble a compass. Our

ship hosted an on-deck pancake breakfast in honour of the occasion. After an hour the

ships dispersed with the Quest moving on to dock at the port of Koper in Slovenia.

After breakfast, we took our first excursion, a tour of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.

Our shipmates from Wisconsin were on the tour with us.

The bus took 1.25 hours

driving over many beautiful mountains and through two very long tunnels to reach the

city of some 288,000 people.

Our tour guide marched us around the old town centre

beginning at Prešeren Square (with its controversial statue of Slovenia’s greatest poet,

France Prešeren, and a naked woman. Our guide pointed out features such as the

picture of Julija, the unrequited love of Prešeren, placed on the outside of a yellow

house; the late 19 th -century department store, Galerija Emporium; the Riverside Market.

and the carved doors of the 18 th -century Cathedral of St. Nicholas.

We crossed a

number of famous bridges;

Butchers’ Bridge (with its many locks fixed on its rails},

The Butcher’s Bridge (Mesarski Most) is a footbridge with glass and granite flooring, also designed by Jose Plecnik. 

Cobblers’ Bridge, Dragon Bridge, and the aptly named Triple Bridge, all designed by Jože

Plečnik.

 She took us to a local restaurant for lunch

and then for a river boat ride.

We

were given some free time to explore the area so we scurried off to see the sights that

Eleanor had already earmarked: the inside of St. Nicholas’ Cathedral with its Italian

Baroque interior and , the stair way at the University Library (It starts in darkness and

ascends toward the bright light from a high window), and the Roman road at the City

Museum.

We returned to the cruise ship by 4:30 pm. After a short nap and a quick dinner we

walked over to Tito Square to have a glass of sparkling wine (it was served everywhere)

to listen to a very talented Slovenian acapella group. It was a beautiful evening – not too

chilly and no rain. On the way back to the ship we were serenaded with operatic arias

from the ship’s upper decks by the Cruise Director. (She did love to perform.)

 

 

 

 

CHIOGGIA, ITALY

Chioggia is about one hour and 20 minutes from the airport by bus.   

You can go to Chioggia with the ACTV vaporetto lines, but if you have never been to Venice, cannot speak Italian, and you are starting a cruise there, I do think your best bet is the cruise line transfer. 

Pronounce:  Kee- odge- ya

The important thing to know about Chioggia if you are starting a cruise there is that the cruise port is VERY close to the Old Town -- you really can plan to walk there and sightsee in the town and have a nibble or a drink under the red awnings of a restaurant on the main square.  

 Bryan's journal:

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

We arrived at the ship around 2 pm. Although we were told that we would have to wait

until 4 pm before we could board the ship, we preceded to check in immediately. It went

very smoothly, reminiscent of the old style of doing it. (We had anticipated having to use

a smartphone app or a QR code.)

Our cruise ship, Azamara Quest, is one of four almost identical ships. (The company

only has four.) It is a small ship (less than 600 feet long) which carries a little over 400

staff and less than 700 passengers, mostly affluent well-travelled retirees. It had about

two shops and did not have a casino or an art gallery. It did have a library!

After a couple of complimentary glasses of sparkling wine we proceeded to the ninth

floor for a pleasant lunch in the Windows Café. We saw very few children on the ship so

far, but next to us was a precocious five-year old named Leopold who was with his

parents. His father turned out to be “second in command” of the ship. The young lad

confidentially and openly conversed with us old strangers. He spoke English, German

(his mother’s language) and was learning Croatian (his father’s language). He and his

mother planned to disembark at Dubrovnik where he would return to school

(kindergarten).

As the ship was not leaving port, we decided to explore Chioggia. An official must have

thought we looked a tad frail for he insisted that we use the cruise line’s “Mobile

Disability Shuttle”. We gladly accepted the offer and took the short ride out of the

terminal area.

We walked the narrow streets and crossed a canal to reach the main

street of the old town along which was a fine basilica

as well as other 11 th- to 13 th- century religious buildings.

We began our return to the ship hot and sweaty. Fortunately, we met

the driver of the shuttle who was only too happy bring us back to the terminal.

After a short nap to regain our energy we attended the mandatory passenger safety

demonstration. That called for a drink at one of the ship’s bars while we watched the sail

away from the dock. (It seems that all passengers received a complementary wine-

beer–cocktail package which we used regularly during the voyage. Huzzah!) While out

on the deck we spoke with a Scottish couple who recounted their problems finding

transportation to the cruise ship terminal at Chioggia. They also told us about their

experience on an Azamara ship cruising along the west coast of South America when

the Covid pandemic struck. Ports denied them entry but the ship took everyone back to

Miami and arranged their flights home.

We were off to dinner at the Windows Café where food was served cafeteria-style. We

enjoyed fresh sea food and more wine, and we met a lively group of travelers from

Wisconsin some of whom were of Slovenian heritage.

After dinner at the Cabaret Lounge (which is quite small, but then this is a small ship)

the ship organized a traditional ‘welcome aboard” event. The Captain and his crew were

introduced and the small troupe of performers which included the Cruise Director (it is

not a big ship) were showcased.

Our stateroom (4007) was located on the 4 th level – the lowest level for passengers- in

the forward section of the ship. The room was relatively roomy with a queen-sized bed,

a small couch and oval table, and a large window.

Our room was in a quiet, low-traffic area with easy access to the elevators, to Guest

Services, to the gangway, and the 5 th floor dining area. Our attendant, Gildee, was quite

pleasant and efficient.

Balkan Cruise, October 2023

 Bryan kept a journal of our trip.  Here are his first entries:

The end of September has arrived and Eleanor and I are preparing to leave Comox for

our visit to three Balkan countries on the cruise ship, Azamara Quest. This is the first

time in many years that we have taken a vacation with just the two of us. Initially, we

had invited other family members from both sides as well as an acquaintance of

Eleanor’s to join us but they all declined for various reasons.

We felt fortunate when we booked the trip last year because the cost kept rising as we

approached the day of departure. What we had not anticipated was the final cost (after

some expensive revisions) of the airfare and the last minute complications regarding our

shuttle service from the airport to the cruise ship. There were many e-mails and

telephone calls to Azamara and to our booking agent, Wyatt, at Vacations To Go.

Saturday, September 30

We had booked the 12:45 pm ferry from Duke Point to Tsawwassen to anticipate any

unforeseen delays (eg storms, mechanical problems) and to spend some time with

Nestor and Diana in Surrey.

We were treated to two suppers: at Nestor’s on Saturday

and at Diana’s on Sunday. Eleanor found a good pair of rain boots to take on our trip.

We had expected cool weather and some rain showers during our Balkan sojourn.

Monday, October 20, 2023

The morning began with a drizzly rain. Nevertheless we walked to a local coffee shop

where Nestor treated us to breakfast after which we packed up for our drive to

Vancouver International Airport. We parked our RAV 4 at Value Long Term Parking

(which we had booked in advance). We collected a small green token to be used when

we returned to pick up or vehicle. (It would later become a source of some anxiety.)

We boarded the Sky-train rapid transit at nearby Templeton station (The Ticket to the

airport is free.) to take the 8 minute ride to the airport.

We proceeded to the Lufthansa check-in in the international departures area. Already

there was a line-up

but we eventually were able to check in our luggage and to obtain our

boarding passes. (We were able to sit together but we could not obtain an aisle seat.)

We boarded a Boeing 747-400

and took off a bit later than our 4:25 pm departure for a

10-hour flight to Frankfurt International Airport. The plane was full; there were very few

children on board. We were stuck between two burly chaps. Lufthansa provided a

supper in the evening and a breakfast next morning. Long-distance flying is no fun for

old folks like us.

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

We arrived in Frankfurt at 11:40 am and had a few hours to locate the gate for the final

leg of our journey to Marco Polo Airport, the international airport situated some 8 Km

north of Venice.

 

We were supposed to lift off at 4:25 pm but again there was a delay

and, after a 1.5 hour flight on an Airbus 320 we arrived close to 6 pm. With the shifting

time zones our biological clocks were becoming a bit confused.

We hailed a taxi which took us to the Titian Inn (Best Western) in Tessera about ten

minutes away for 20 Euros.

So far there was no rain. In fact it was quite warm and humid.

After settling in to our hotel room, we walked down to the Bar La Sosta

where we sat at an outdoor table and ordered pasta dinners.

The busy local restaurant was run by an Italian-speaking Asian family. While we were there we met an older couple who hailed from Aberystwyth, Wales. They seemed to be avid travellers and we were comfortable enough to share our experiences.

Although our room was fine, we both spent a restless night still trying to adjust to the

time change.

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

We woke up early to gray skies but there was no rain. We walked up the road to a small

bakery, Pancaffé da Ely, to have a coffee and a croissant.

This establishment serves

mostly local workers especially shuttle drivers. The staff were quite friendly. [Eleanor

had forgotten her water bottle at the bakery. When Bryan went back the staff had kept it

for her.]

We had a problem with Azamara regarding our transfer to the cruise ship which was

located in Chioggia about 51 Km from Venice. [Venice no longer allows cruise ships to

dock there.] They would not allow us to pick up a shuttle from the airport. Instead, we

had to first go to the rail station on Tronchetto, an artificial island in the Venetian lagoon

where tourists park their vehicles which are not allowed in the city.

This morning we met an elderly woman at the hotel who was confused as to where she

should go to take a shuttle to the ship. In the end she opted for the airport (because she

had vouchers to do so) and did mange to reach the ship.

We, on the other hand, were forced to take a more circuitous and expensive route to the

ship.

Our shuttle driver who was to take us to Tronchetto asked to pick us up earlier than

planned because a serious accident in Mestre might very well tie up traffic. [It was a

serious accident. A bus carrying foreign tourists toppled off an overpass on to train

tracks below. Severed electric power lines ignited fuel from the bus’ ruptured tanks

killing 21 people including 3 children.] We did arrive at Tronchetto but there was no train

station which was located some distance away (we had envisioned eating a leisurely

breakfast in the station) and no sign of a bus to take us to the cruise ship. After

wandering about looking anxious and lost (we met an Asian group in a similar

quandary), some kind official took pity on us and directed us to the Azamara

representatives who happened to be in another parking lot on the other side of some

kiosks selling tourist merchandize. After much waiting (thank goodness it was cloudy

but not raining) we boarded a bus for the one hour journey to the cruise ship terminal at

Chioggia. On our way, we did pass the scene of that accident.

Next time: Lots more Bryan wrote on the Azamara Quest

Wednesday, October 4	Venice (Chioggia), Italy		5:00pm
Thursday, October 5	Koper, Slovenia	8:00am	10:30pm
Friday, October 6	Opatija, Croatia	9:00am	6:00pm
Saturday, October 7	Zadar, Croatia	8:00am	8:00pm
Sunday, October 8	Split, Croatia	8:00am	9:00pm
Monday, October 9	Dubrovnik, Croatia	8:00am	10:00pm
Tuesday, October 10	Kotor, Montenegro	9:30am	6:00pm
Wednesday, October 11	Sibenik, Croatia	8:00am	3:00pm
Thursday, October 12	Venice (Chioggia), Italy	7:00am