Venice and Rijeka

Our original itinerary had us landing in Turkey, but with the difficulties there, we changed our initial flight to land in Venice. Smart move, because it gave us a bonus night in the city we love so much. Another smart move was to pay the porter to hump our bags to our hotel, because we had no idea where it was, and the bags weighed a total of over 200 pounds up and down the ponti that span each canal. Exhausted as we were, we still managed a terrific fish dinner right beside the water and were able to get up at 5:30 AM to walk some of our 23,000 steps that day. (if you don't believe me, ask my pedometer!) If you ever get the chance, try to see Venice before the city wakes up, before the hucksters and hawkers get set up to prey on the tourists, before even the fruit vendors get organized, and most important of all, before Piazza San Marco is blemished by even one sight-seer. Absolutely majestic! Later that day, off by train and bus to Croatia. I don't know why we have not ventured before to any of the Slavic nations, but Croatia is incredibly beautiful. We arrived at our “botel” a converted ship re-purposed as a hotel – complete with a bar, dance club and restaurant – and proceeded to explore Rijeka. The next day we picked up our rental car and were either lucky or smart enough to ask that, if we were going to Slovenia, would we need Euros? Passports? Yes to both. (we are using Kuna in Croatia). After braving the traffic in downtown Rijeka and figuring out the cruise control, the GPS and the highway signs, we set out for the world-famous caves in Postojna, Slovenia. The caves are probably the best-know in the world, and for good reason. The tour starts off with a ten minute train ride through spectacular chambers and halls of stalagmites and stalactites, dramatically lit to good effect. My friend and colleague Aaron Moffatt recommended these as a must-see: I owe him a beer for that! You are then led on a one hour walking tour through the some of the most beautiful displays that Mom Nature has created. The caves themselves are principally limestone, which is very porous, and water easily takes its scalpel to chisel out fantastic formations. The different stalactites are created as the water volume or rate changes, and as it encounters different minerals in the caves. The presence of iron, for instance will imbue a stalactite with reddish hues. Some stalactites are called spaghetti stalactites, because they are long and thin, looking like, you guessed it, spaghetti. Others resemble billowing sheets, sails or curtains, from which they take their name. When stalactites drip on to the floor, they form pillars or stalagmites. My imagination conjured up images of ice cream cones, the tower of Pisa, mushrooms, ogres, all in a setting that J.R.R would have been proud of. I expected an orc, a goblin a dwarf, or a Hobbit to pop up around any corner. I hope that I am not jaded, but nor am I easily impressed, but I sincerely believe that this was one of the most incredibly stunning visual experiences I have ever had.

San Marco Square before the Crowds

Venetian Fruit Stand

The Caves!

Ice Cream Cone Stalagmite

Pipe Organ?