46 HOURS IN LONDON

Dear Teri 

At the end of a recent three-week European vacation, London was the last stop after winding up nine glorious days spent in Croatia.  The most efficient way (and least number of flights) to get home from Dubrovnik is to go either Frankfurt or London, then get a non-stop to LAX.   But I couldn't find any reason to not stay over in London for at least a couple of nights, so that was the plan.  

After arriving into Gatwick, I was most pleased with the car service Hummingbird, found online.   I always love coming out of baggage claim and seeing someone holding a sign with my name ... plus this method was less than a cab and far more enjoyable than dragging the bags on the train.  I was so impressed I immediately booked the service to take us to Heathrow for our imminent departure.

A last-minute hotel change was employed prior to leaving Dubrovnik.  I'm clearly all for five-star hotels, but it seemed rather a waste given the short amount of time we could enjoy our accommodations in London.  I cancelled the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park (small room, inside view) for a points+cash Executive room at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House on Park Lane -- half the cost plus access to the beautiful lounge for breakfast and snacks all day long.  One cannot beat this location even if the hotel is a bit on the "older" side.  It worked out quite well.   A side note is that I thought very expensive luxury cars were ubiquitous in Beverly Hills until I walked the streets of Mayfair and Belgravia.  Oh, my ... 

The hubby was only kidding!  But we did go to London on the original honeymoon ... BTW, best cheesecake ever.

First stop was exchanging currency.  One must understand that living/traveling with a financial professional means one doesn't accomplish this just anywhere (i.e., must be no commission and a better rate than the previous place(s) checked). Of all places, we were sent to a post office/mini-mart that fit the bill.  Next stop was shopping because this is London and the end of the trip.  Small purchases -- a scarf plus the best walking shoes ever -- which saved my feet after a couple of hours of literally pounding the pavement.  Hard to believe that we have a "go-to" restaurant in London, but we discovered Orsini back in 2007.  We wouldn't miss it for the most delicious and authentic Italian well located across from the Victoria & Albert Museum.  

Westies worldwide are irresistible ..

The evening was a double treat with a performance of the just-opened play, The Audience, starring Kristin Scott Thomas (Helen Mirren starred on Broadway and won the Tony). This is an expansion of the wonderful movie, The Queen, in which Queen Elizabeth has a weekly "audience" (conversation) with her Prime Minister.  The movie featured only Tony Blair, while the play has all 12 PM's that have served during her reign. Timing is EVERYTHING:  This was the day after the U.K. elections so Peter Morgan's script literally had to be rewritten the day of this performance for the act when David Cameron is on stage.  After all, he was not expected to win and his surprise and significant victory was well stated on stage with lots of knowing reaction from the audience.  If you enjoyed the movie, you will love the play -- complete with a couple of the Queen's beloved corgis making an appearance onstage.

For the proverbial "last supper," I booked L'Atelier Joel Robouchon after the show -- a short walk from the theater. In the U.S., one would need to go to Las Vegas or NYC (soon to open at the new Ground Zero building) to experience this amazing food.  It was perfect.  Alas, no pix as I forgot the camera but the atmosphere wasn't conducive for photos.  We had excellent seats at the counter with the kitchen in full view.  For a place with quite serious food, the staff was so friendly and helpful.  And after the hubby paid the chef a compliment, he promptly "organized" our last courses with his compliments -- a variety of cheese followed by three desserts!  As if I hadn't already contemplated walking across the Atlantic after so many incredible meals in the past weeks, this nearly sealed the deal.

Of course no trip is complete without one "ooopsie," and that was waking up on the final day to an email that our flight home was cancelled.  No worries, American had rebooked us on British just two hours later.  That was the good news.  The bad news was that our window seats -- just one per row on each side -- had become two (way) inside seats.  I don't want to seem spoiled, but I had planned on an uninterrupted rest and instead had to climb over the outside seat. These were still Biz Class with all the benefits, but I can only think the layout must have been engineered by a contortionist.

So what are the final thoughts?  It is an extreme privilege to see the world and then come home safely to loved ones with the memories and stories.  As always, my last task is packing up all the hotel toiletries and shipping them to Operation Gratitude for inclusion in care packages to our troops around this glorious world.

VISITING DUBROVNIK AND MONTENEGRO

To complete a wonderful 9-day stay in Croatia, the fitting last location was Dubrovnik following stays in Split and Zadar (see previous post).  The drive from Zadar takes 3+ hours, and the winding highway goes through the smidgen of coast that Bosnia must have demanded when the former Yugoslavia broke up into several countries. After being waived though a border crossing, we proceeded to the coastal road when we decided to stop for lunch in a town called Neum.  It wasn't until we were paying for lunch with Croatian Kuna and the waiter brought us change that we realized we were actually still in Bosnia (it was the Bosnian currency that was the tip-off).  And the lunch was delicious -- my fish was caught that morning in the local waters so it doesn't get much more fresh than that ...

Finding our hotel in Dubrovnik was a bit of a challenge as most of the city is built into the side of the mountain with very windy and narrow roads. "Narrow" in this case means it might be a two-way street but only one car can fit at a time. To say it was worth the journey is a huge understatement. The Hotel Villa Dubrovnik  can more than hold its own against any of the gorgeous hotels along the Amalfi Coast for essentially half the cost (a good thing).  And then there is the view ... 

Two views of the old city, both taken from our balcony.

The old walled city of Dubrovnik was an easy 10-minute walk from our hotel and, once inside the gates, there are myriad choices of sidewalk cafes, gelato shops and plenty of other types of shopping available.  For the first dinner, we went to Restaurant Wanda which is owned and operated by a Dubrovnik native who spent many years in Los Angeles, most notably at Locanda Veneta.  We have mutual friends in L.A. so we were treated exceedingly well and the food is just delicious. I absolutely went crazy for a native Croatian wine and the linguine and clams were about the best I've ever had!  

Clockwise from top:  Eggplant Parmesan; Fettucine with Croatian Clams;  Dingac wine;  with Owner/Chef Goran Starcic

During the planning of our Croatian itinerary, we were fortunate to have the guidance of Los Angeles restaurateur and Montenegran native, Goran Milic -- owner of the wonderful Divino Restaurant in Brentwood, who provided great help. As an added bonus, Goran "volunteered" his brother Davor to meet us in their hometown and show us around some beautiful parts of Montenegro during our day trip there. Not only did Davor give us the guided tour, but he provided us with a freshly-baked made treat from his mom's kitchen that we enjoyed later in the day.   

Montenegro is an easy drive of less than one hour from Dubrovnik.  Had we not encountered the misfortune of being behind a car from Albania at the border crossing, we would had made it through quickly.  But those pesky Albanians have the reputation of questionable activity, causing literally every inch of their vehicle to be closely inspected.  

Montenegro is a small country, both in size and population (approximately 600,000), and has not benefited or advanced nearly as much as the other countries that were collectively Yugoslavia.  Nevertheless, it is beautiful, especially all along the Bay of Kotor where we drove after meeting Davor in the Milic hometown of Hercig Novi. We were thankful to have their help and good advice to enhance our stay!

We followed the water from Herceg Novi to Tivat

With Davor

Bay of Kotur

Baseball fans (one very tall from Oregon) always find each other.

Our last day in Dubrovnik was spent browsing around, and included a visit to a wonderful exhibit of Salvador Dali art, plus lunch at a local yacht club outside the old city.  After taking in the sights, it was time once again to organize the suitcases for the following day's flight to London.  Happily our last Croatian meal was at Konavoski Dvori, sort of en route to the airport, but a place one wouldn't just happen upon. The patio tables are next to a beautiful stream with low waterfalls, and the trout I enjoyed was from one of their local pools.  I highly recommend this restaurant and, for that matter, pretty much anywhere in this sensational country ...

Top row:  Walking into the city plus one more view from our balcony.

Next row:  Lunch dishes included a wonderful soup, trout and veal

Below:  All of their meats are roasted in the spit; trout swim happily "before" ...

CROATIA AND THE DALMATIAN COAST

Want to fly from Milan to Dubrovnik?  No problem .. just go through Munich for some unknown reason. And that was the path to get us to our stay in Croatia for a few stops along the incredible Adriatic Sea coastline.   I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked Luftansa's regional jets -- two seats on each side of the plane -- for I was concerned they would be bumpy. Not at all. Ample legroom and punctuality enhanced the experience.  And given that we were one of only two planes at the Dubrovnik airport, the luggage was a cinch.  Avis?? Not so much. I could make a joke about how many Croatians it takes to rent a car, with the answer being six, but that would be cruel. Too bad it was so.  The first one lost the key to the Avis office ... which was miraculously found in his pocket after 15 minutes or so.  Finally, after two others programmed the Garmin device for our hotel in Split, we were on our way in some type of Mitsubishi vehicle with lousy pick-up compared to the Hyundai we had rented in Spain.  I do think we got soaked paying 40 Euros for some green card we were told was absolutely mandatory if the car is taken out of Croatia -- which is frequent as we learned along the highway -- since we weren't asked to present it once at any checkpoint.  I see a refund in our future ..  The hubby inside reading the map in our Croatian wheels ..  After roughly three hours, we arrived at our hotel in Split, one of Croatia's main coastal/gateway cities with many options for ferries to the neighboring islands. With the late hour, travel fatigue and rain, we had no idea what lay in store regarding the next morning's view .. and what thrill it was.  Clear and gorgeous blue water for as far as the eye can see.  Best of all, no agenda for the day or the ones to follow.  A trip to the spa was in order for their "Made to Measure" massage -- i.e., basically pick your favorite technique and pressure, etc.  For the hour, plus a nail polish change afterward and tip, it was under a hundred bucks. Unheard of at most high-end resorts (this one being Radisson Blu). View from the room in Split! We made the short drive into the city center to get the local currency ... Croatia is not part of the EU so the Kuna it is.  Maybe that's why it is so affordable here. A great and fresh meal with a couple of courses can easily be had for $40 or so.   A delicious gelato for a $1.50.  Again; unheard of!   The nearby island of Brac (pronounced "brash" -- too many j's, p's and c's in the language) was our destination of choice by ferry with our rental car. The hour-long trip and driving there was easy, continuing on the island until we found a small boat harbor for lunch.  Again, the delicious and fresh food was a bargain. Such a pleasure after expensive meals in Spain and Italy (it is both a culinary and currency diet in Croatia). Top:  On the ferry to Brac; view back toward Split Middle:  Lunch of grilled fish and calamari Bottom:  Port where we stopped for lunch Below:  Various ferry routes from Split Above: The gorgeous water as we waited for our ferry (below) to take us back to Split.   Left: I guess someone either got lost or had wishful thinking. As has become typical during our travels, an itinerary change was made after deciding against the long drive inland to the capital city of Zagreb.  Instead we headed north to Zadar, another of the coastline's main gateways.  A quick Frommer's/Trip Advisor consultation led us to the Falkensteiner Hotel & Spa Iadera in Punta Skala.  Some travel expert I am -- there are 28 Falkensteiner locations throughout Europe, heavily concentrated in Germany and Austria, but I'd never heard the name.  They offer both hotels and family residences throughout.  This property has a spectacular location, albeit challenging to find even with GPS. This unplanned stay ended up being a great choice for some R&R after ambitious traveling.  Less than ideal was the number of kiddies here, mostly because the international holiday of May 1 created a 3-day weekend.  But we had a very large suite for a very attractive price, an enormous spa, several pools, etc. Enough said.   A few views of the resort -- the main pool was both inside and outside via a sliding glass door.  The contrast of the Adriatic with the pool created quite a stunning view. After a day of doing nothing, it was off to the spectacular Krka National Park in Skradin to see the waterfalls.  Wow -- just gorgeous.  We would gladly include Plitivice on a return trip for more of the same.   We admit it.  We're obsessed with Westies and take photos of them world-wide. Next stop:  Dubrovnik plus a day trip to Montenegro ...

Reunion in Milan

Imagine my surprise when a private Facebook message was received in November, 2013:  "Are you the Teri Michaels who went to St. Moritz a very long time ago?" To which I replied, "It depends ... Who are you??" "It's me -- Maddy from Luxembourg!"  Well, then indeed I am one and the same, but for many years now with my married last name Bialosky.  The wonders of the internet will never cease to amaze ... 

Maddy and I not only became fast friends during that two-week ski trip to Switzerland in 1979 (my first trip to Europe), but we were pen-pals for several years after ... you know, the quaint art of paper and stamps?  I'm not sure when we lost touch, but I was so happy to reconnect via FB. When I wrote to Maddy about a vacation we already had planned to Europe, it didn't take long for us to figure a location (Milan) in which she and her husband John would travel from Luxembourg to meet me and the hubby for a whirlwind two days.

I am on the left (with all that hair), and Maddy is on the right.

I learned that Maddy had tried in vain to contact me during many of her visits to the U.S., including California!  What a shame it took so long ... but we took up quite fine once we encountered each other at the hotel elevator of all places.  Her English is great and John understood what we were jabbering about so all was well from the get-go.  

The backdrop was from an event at the hotel so we had our 15 seconds of "red carpet" fame.  Maddy had the perfect towering heels for this shot!

The last visit to Milan for the hubby and me was in 2001.  The city layout stayed with me all this time (must be the stores) as I found it very easy to navigate on foot. The exchange rate is not the miracle it was then, but it was much better than in recent years.  Since we had seen the historical/art aspects of Milan on the previous visit, this time it was all about shopping (mostly the "window" variety) and people watching.

We arrived very early so breakfast was enjoyed with this view, plus a very nice amenity waiting in the room.

And so that is what we did during our time together:  strolled the streets, compared our lives then and now, ate delicious food (it is quite difficult NOT to pretty much anywhere in Italy) and made some small purchases.

Neither she nor I ski anymore as we did for those two glorious weeks in St. Moritz. But then as now we had adjacent accommodations (albeit considerably more upscale now) and a basic connection that has spanned more than three decades. There is also a love of world travel, long-time marriages, and an ease with online communication.  All that is left is to plan our next visit!  

Regarding those "more upscale" accommodations, I was excited to stay at my first Bulgari hotel.  I am a longtime fan of the brand and only wish I could own more of their products ... This property is definitely a "boutique" hotel with superb accommodations and a phenomenal location.  The service was top notch.  A young female concierge even accommodated me when I my flat iron device blew in the electrical outlet by bringing hers from home for my use.  Now that is service.   

Everything Armani - including sushi (Nobu)

The four of us at Paper Moon.  They serve outstanding and simple Northern Italian fare.  In Trip Advisor terms, it is "a neighborhood gem."  Below is their Pizza Margherita.

A last shot before we departed the hotel. As tempting as it was,  we refrained from taking that car for a spin (it was available to rent!)

Moral of the story: reconnect with someone meaningful from your past if the opportunity presents itself. Maddy, my friend, thank you for finding me!  See you again soon. Next stop for the hubby and me: Croatia ...