Travel Destination: Croatia

Happy Weekend!

I haven't made a Travel Destination post in a while, so here we are! ;)

I spent about 30 minutes thinking of the perfect place to escape to (virtually, of course!), and I remembered reading all about Beyonce and Jay-Z vacationing in Croatia days after Prince Harry partied there... so, I did a little research about beautiful Croatia.

And where else would I go for travel details, but www.lonelyplanet.com?

Despite the hype, Croatia’s pleasures are more timeless than trendy. Along its 1778km coastline, a glistening sea winds around rocky coves, lapping at pine-fringed beaches. Istrian ports bustle with fishermen while children dive into the sparkling water. In Dalmatia, cities throb with nightlife amid ancient Roman ruins.

Yachts glide up the coast, movie stars discreetly arrange to buy one of Croatia’s 1185 islands and no Mediterranean cruise is complete without a stop in Dubrovnik. The interior landscape is as beguiling, even though less visited. Soak in a thermal spa at Istarske Toplice in Istria. Hike through pristine forests watered by mountain streams in the west. Let the waterfalls of Plitvice moisten your face. And then there's the culture. The country that endured Roman, Venetian, Italian and Austro-Hungarian rule has a unique and slightly schizoid identity. You’ll find a strong central European flavour in the baroque architecture of Zagreb, and Italian devotion to the good life percolates up from the coast, permeating Croatian food and style. During holidays and festivals the country’s Slavic soul emerges, as colourfully costumed dancers whirl about to traditional folk melodies.

Croatians retain a strong attachment to the land and traditions that nourished the dream of independence for so long. Even as a tide of speculators and developers wash ashore, there is a real commitment to preserving the extraordinary beauty of the coast.

Let's go? :)

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Zlatni Rat Beach

Hvar town and harbor & sailing cruiseship - Royal Clipper

Lovrijenac Fortresson

St. Dominus Cathedral

Cathedral of Saint Jacob

Roman amphitheatre

lavender fields, Hvar Island

hilltop town

island town

Skradinski Buk waterfalls

dried prunes and almonds

outdoor cafe in Decumanus in Diocletian's Palace

cafe in the streets of old Dubrovnik

***images from www.lonelyplanet.com***

*Sigh* It's such a beautiful place, and I would love to visit Croatia one day! :)

I know some of our fellow bloggers are from Croatia -- I hope I was able to present your beautiful country well. What other places should we visit when we go there?

Have you been to Croatia?

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P.S. My $25 Apothica gift card giveaway is open until September 25th! I hope you can join!

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)

Travel Destination: Venice, Italy

Happy Weekend! :D

I hope you are all having a fabulous one!

A few days ago, I made a post about The Tourist, and I mentioned how much I wanted to go to Venice... I haven't made a Travel Destination post in a while, and hey, it's the weekend so why not take a tour of Venice with me? :)

Okay, the first thing we're gonna do: ride a gondola! As tempting as the gondolas are in Las Vegas' Venetian Hotel, there is no doubt in my mind that they are nothing compared to the real thing, haha. ;)

So, we are riding a gondola!

gondolas on Bacino Orseolo

Venetian gondolas

After our gondola ride, we are going to eat gelato! :D

Delicious!

Then we can find a restaurant on the bank of the Grand Canal near Rialto Bridge.

Or head over to Piazza San Marco, walk around, take pictures, and eat!

Cafe Florian

Cafe Florian on Piazza San Marco

We can also buy food from this floating green grocer - how fun! :)

Carnival participants

Ca'Macana Carnival mask

Let's take a stroll on Rio della Sensa.

Walk around some more or ride a gondola again?

Beach, anyone? Let's go to Lido di Jesolo beach, east of Venice.

Watch the sunset while rowing in a lagoon near the Lido.

We can observe an artist painting at Pescaria market or visit many of Venice's art museums.

Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Another thing on our list: feed pigeons at St. Mark's Square!

Bucintoro Galleon leading the Historical Regatta pageant in Grand Canal

Ponte dell'Academia in Campo San Vidal

San Marco across the Canal

*Sigh* Absolutely beautiful!

How cool is this photo?!

If you feel like buying souvenirs, we can go check out this store that sells Venetian glass. :)

And we can walk around some more to take in beautiful Venice.

Gothic Palazzo Ducale

view of Castello from Chiesa di San Giorgio Maggiore

view from Campanille Tower

view of Piazza San Marco from Basilica di San Marco

***photos from www.lonelyplanet.com***

That's about it for our little weekend trip to Venice. I hope you guys had fun! :)

Have you been to Venice? Any travel tips for us? :D

I wish you all a wonderful weekend! :)

P.S. My $100 Shopbop gift card giveaway ends tonight! Enter here.

Travel Destination: Greece

Happy Monday!

Since the week has just started, I thought it'd be nice for us to take a little trip. It's been a while since my last Travel Destination post, and I remember Carrie from http://www.readmylifeascarrie.blogspot.com/ requesting that we go to Greece next.

So, let's go! :D

***photos are in no particular order***

Athens at night

Parthenon, Acropolis Hill, and some houses of Anafiotika - seen from Lykavittos Hill

Agios Minos Cathedral

Cape Sounio - located at the eastern part of the country.

The Temple of Poseidon is located in Cape Sounio.

Greek Orthodox chapel and an approaching ferry - island of Santorini



Church of Agia Fotini




interior of the Chapel of Agia Fotini - combines Byzantine and Hellenistic elements



Boat cruising through Corinth Canal




south coast of Crete

How beautiful is this photo?!



cruise ship


Delphi


Temple of Apollo in Delphi


ferry ride

The water is soooooo beautiful!



We can swim and sunbathe near Hera's Temple.


House of Cleopatra




While on vacation, we can still update our blogs because they have internet cafes! :)


sunbathing on Kathisma Beach



Matala Beach

The man-made caves date back to prehistoric times.


Take a therapeutic dip on Moustos Lake.




town and harbor of the island of Mykonos

The island fortress of Bourtzi, Nafplio harbor -- seen from Palamidi fortress.


Are you into hiking?

descending trail on Mt. Olympus

western face of Mytikas on Mt. Olympus

If you're like me, then hiking is probably not your thing. No worries, there are a lot of other things we can do... like watch musical and theatrical performances at the open-air theater on Lykavittos Hill.

We can also swim and walk along the shores of Pebble Beach at Kokkari.

The Parthenon at sunset




I love these cute little umbrellas on Perissa Beach on the east coast of Santorini. (P.S. That's black sand!)

Piraeus - the main port of Athens

Potami Beach

Perhaps, one of the most well-known of the Greek islands: Santorini.

white-washed houses and blue domes

Southern Aegean village of Oia

Santorini sunset







I would love to eat at this waterfront restaurant!

A traditional Greek tavern.

Taverns are an integral part of Greek culture and cuisine.

This then brings us to an important aspect of our little trip to Greece: Greek food! :D

olives

Greek salad choriatiki

Fasolada - soup made of beans, tomatoes, carrots, celery, and olive oil

Moussaka - an oven-baked layer dish.

It is usually a ground meat and eggplant casserole, topped with bechamel sauce, then browned.

Pikilia platter

Pitas with Gyros

Gyros - meat roasted on a vertically turning spit and served with sauce and garnishes on a pita bread

Taramosalata - fish roe mixed with boiled potatoes or moistened breadcrumbs, olive oil, and lemon juice

Ready for dessert?

Kourabiedes - Christmas cookies

Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts

And of course, baklava! Yum! :D

Well, that's about it for our trip to Greece. :)

Have you been to Greece? What else should we do when we go there? What other places should we visit?

If you have a place in mind for our next virtual trip, let me know!

Have a great week, everyone! :D

***images and info from www.google.com, www.lonelyplanet.com, and www.wikipedia.com***