Zadar, Croatia

I worked my way up the coast of Croatia in August. Yes, it was hotter than Hades, but it was totally gorgeous. Dubrovnik seems to be a new hot spot with travelers- although when cruise ships roll in to town, it can become unbearable. While Dubrovnik is well worth a visit, throngs of daytrippers can ruin the experience. Zadar, further up the coast, is not as well known. Its old city isn't nearly as remarkable as Dubrovnik's, but it has something unique that is definitely worth seeing: the Sea Organ and Sun Salutation installations. The Sea Organ is an installation along the sea wall steps that has openings of varying lengths. As waves hit the sea wall, they push air through these openings (with whistles on them) and, just as an organ works, music is created. Bigger waves produce louder music. The result is haunting notes that never stop, and match the rhythm of the ocean. 

These openings function the same as pipes do on a pipe organ. Wind is forced through when waves hit and music is created. Installed in 2005, artistic architect Nikola Bašić knew what he was doing.

Impressive flips off the wall into the Adriatic at sunset. 

People congregate on the steps at sunset because it's not only in the prime location to watch said sunset, but it's next to the other installation, Sun Salutation. Sun Salutation is a set of solar panels that absorb the sun's energy during the day and then use that energy throughout the night to create a flashing light display on the ground. It's big- over 70 feet in diameter. After sunset, people walk over to it to check it out. The darker it is, the better the show.

One small solar panel that is part of a path of other panels that lead you to the Sun Salutation.

If you're near Zadar, you should definitely plan on catching the sunset on the Sea Organ steps.

Overlooked Italy

The Mezzacorona vineyards and HQ are in....Mezzocorona.

Do you like wine? Biking? Italian food? Not being around hoards of tourists? You should check out any of the little towns in the Trentino/ Alto-Adige region of Italy. These towns are a part of the Adige River valley and in a section of the Alps called Sudtirol, known for having a German/Austrian influence.

There's so much wine! Something for everyone: red, white, and rose is grown  made here. And it is so inexpensive.

Hidden castle.

In the winter, it's ski resort central. In the summer, you can go walking through vineyards or go for a hike up in the mountains. For more adventurous people there is alpine climbing and something called via ferrate. I have no idea what it is, but it sounds hard core. I'll stick with the wine.

Grape delivery.

 What was cool about being in Mezzocorona in October was seeing tractors rumbling up and down the streets, towing wagons overflowing with harvested grapes. They drive to the winery where they are weighed and unloaded before heading back to load up again. 

Just a nice view as I walked to the laundromat.

Bike paths (35 km) and walking trails line Torrente Noce. On Sundays, it seems like most families can be found strolling here in the afternoon.

The miraculous Virgin at the end of the Camino de grotte di Lourdes.

Atop the Monte di Mezzocorona. A cable car takes you up the face of a cliff to get there. Plenty of hikes leave from here.

Budapest: Memento Park

Since my last post was mostly about a weird park worth visiting I figured I'd keep the trend going with a little bit about a park I went to in Hungary. I arrived in Budapest in the middle of the day. Usually after traveling you're fairly tired and not in the mood to do much. I figured before I dove into everything Budapest, which by the way is totally gorgeous and lovely, I would check out this park I'd heard about on the outskirts of the city. Outskirts was kind of an understatement in the end, but given the choice I'd go again. So that's saying something.

The Liberating Soviet Soldier Memorial

First, a note about how to get there if you're flying solo and carless, cuz it ain't straightforward.  To ride the subway, tram, or bus in Budapest you'll want to buy tickets in advance from either a vendor in the Metro or one of there little machines (also in the Metro). Buy a bunch because each ticket is worth one ride. For example, if you take the Metro to a stop and then switch to a bus, you will need 2 tickets. When you get on a bus or tram there will be little boxes on board where you validate your ticket. On the subway the validation box is at the entrance to the platform. Make sure you validate your ticket and keep it on you. Hungary was pretty much the only place where they checked for fare evaders. And I got checked at least 3 times. Tickets are cheap so just follow the rules.

You'll want to take the Metro to the last stop, Kelenfold, on the No. 4 line. It's also the green line. From there you go out to the exit indicated for buses 101B, 101E, and 150. There are a ton of exits at this station so just pay attention. I feel like it might have been Exit C, but I can't remember. Buses come fairly frequently, so pay attention and hop on one of those three buses. When you get on you can ask the driver, who may not speak English, to let you know when you get to Memento Park/ Memorial Park. From there it's about 20 minutes of driving through the country to get there. When you see signs for Fitoland (a garden center at the same stop as the park) you are close. People were very helpful and told me where to get off the bus. Take notice of the 2 bus stops that go back to the city. One is across the road from the entrance to the park and the other is a minute away on another street. 

Ok, now that that's out of the way let's talk about the park/ open-air museum. To sum it up in one sentence, it's a series of statues from the Communist Era in Hungary that were removed from the city when the Communist regime fell. Normally, in cases of regimes collapsing we see people knocking over statues that they see as symbols of oppression. The fact that these statues were preserved before they could be ruined is huge as not many of them still exist. 

Out of context, these Communist propaganda statues make everything feel surreal.

It's a bit of an eerie feeling walking around the park. First, when I went I was one of three people there. Not many locals go here. In fact, the guy who sold me my entrance ticket said most of their visitors are Americans. Unless you're there during some rush hour or bus tour, it's you and a bunch of creepy propaganda. Luckily, the symbols of Communism lose their oppressive menace when they're all put together in a field. As you walk around, you see Stalin and Lenin as well as statues of workers and soliders. Under Communism, art could only exist if it represented glory or support for the cause of Communism. Even though you are seeing them out of context, it's still pretty easy to imagine what life was like under such a controlling ideology.

If you go the park is open Monday-Sunday, 10 am until sundown.

The Case for Andorra

Once you escape the 'city' Andorra can be quite stunning.

Andorra is a wee country in the Pyrenees Mountains between the borders of France and Spain. In the winter it is a ski resort and in the summers it's a hiking and biking wonderland. In July 2016 its mountains comprised a portion of the Tour de France. 

You might recognize the Arcalis 91 sculpture way up on a mountain in Ordino from the movie Stargate.

It's got loads of rich people because it is some sort of tax haven. However, if your not the outdoorsy type there doesn't seem like much to do except shop. But to not mince words, I'm just going to say it. Andorra is weird. I say it's weird because it's home to one of the strangest places I saw on my travels. And I loved it. I'm talking about a little place called Juberri Gardens.

Tip of the iceberg at Juberri Gardens.

Juberri Gardens are totally free to visit and open to the public. They are high up on a mountain in the Sant Julià de Lòria neighborhood, known for luxury homes. The driving up the mountain is not for the faint of heart- there are so many sharp turns and precipices! Trust me when I say that you will leave with more questions than answers.

Are you starting to scratch your head yet?

According to VisitAndorra.com, "The gardens are home to sculptures by Àngel Calvente, creator of other pieces dotted around the Laurèdia parish, with different-sized representations of animals, Versailles-inspired waterfalls, and benches to rest on and to enjoy the landscape." Let me tell you, VisitAndorra is totally downplaying this place. It has sculptures of giant snails, dodo birds, tigers, elephants, crocodiles, Easter Island heads, penguins, the Nativity, and lots and lots of dinosaurs. 

Dodo sighting.

I was pumped after my visit. Maybe too pumped. Since I was in town for a week visiting friends, I proceeded to tell every single one of their friends I met about it. I was shocked that many locals hadn't heard about it. So, consider yourself in on the secret. If you go to Andorra DO NOT miss this place.
 

I had to sit and think about all I was seeing on unicorn bench. Yes, a unicorn bench.

Sundays in Europe

If you're an American traveling in Europe, you should be prepared for things to shut down on Sundays. In certain cities like London, for example, this does not apply. But you will find that grocery stores, shops, restaurants and pharmacies are closed on Sunday. In smaller towns where there is less to do, it feels like everything has come to a grinding halt. If you need medical attention for something not life-threatening, there is usually one pharmacy that is open for the city or town. In Spain, it's called farmacia de guardia. 

The moral of the story is: don't forget to get groceries on Saturdays and try not to hurt yourself. Ok?

Saturdays at a hyper market are a totally different story. People are out in droves and if you're lucky you might witness something like this giant paella party in the parking lot of a Carrefour in Tarragona, Spain like I did.

Bla Bla

If you are in a more obscure European town or are trying to get to one, you might have luck with BlaBlaCar. BlaBla is a ride share option in about 18 countries that is a solid alternative to bus and train. It's like if you took an UberPool from one city, state, or country, to another. The longest one I have taken was in Spain from Granada to Valencia. It took about 5 to 6 hours and 2 other passengers were in the car with our driver, a college student. It cost almost nothing- especially compared to what train fare would have cost (and there are no direct trains). In Vienna, Austria, I met a guy who had taken BlaBla from Florence, Italy- something like 14 hours. He had come to surprise his friend, a flight attendant landing in Vienna, with a midnight picnic and to ask her to be his girlfriend. Awwwwww. The point is, you can take BlaBla from a lot of places and for long or short rides. Check it out.

The Alhambra is the reason you go to Granada. And it's worth it.

Make Mom Happy

This post is more for the ladies. Traveling solo as a woman has a different set of risks associated with it than if you were a guy. I might catch some flak for that, but I think it's true. For example, I try not to be out by myself after dark and I steered clear of couchsurfing.com because of some sketchy stories I'd heard. 

In preparation for my trip as a solo female traveler, I took a self-defense class. It left me feeling empowered and I know it helped my ma sleep a little better at night. I chose the R.A.D. class offered through my local police department. It was free, open to women only, and met after work. R.A.D. stands for Rape Aggression Defense. It doesn't teach you how to beat people up, but rather how to get out of sticky situations.  The class met twice a week for 3 weeks, 2 hours each time. We learned different types of kicks, punches, how to deflect, and most importantly how to say no, loudly. 

The class ended in a simulation where every woman put on defensive pads and a helmet and had to fight off police dressed as 'attackers' who were also in Michelin Man-like padded suits.  The peace of mind alone made the time commitment totally worth it. Please encourage your female friends and family members to take the course. Even if they aren't traveling, it could come in handy.

Ready to rumble at my self-defense simulation.