CROATIA - Vela Luka, Island of Korcula

KORCULA – Vela Luka
March 31, April 1,2

Ivan and Karenza are friend of ours who lived in El Cajon for about 15 years. Ivan was born on Korcula and, like many natives of this island, earned his living by the sea. In his case, he was a shipbuilding engineer by trade. After working in Yugoslavia, Nova Scotia, Japan, Canada, et.al., he got a job at NASCO in San Diego, his final, formal workplace. Ann met Ivan through the internet as she searched for someone who had internet access on Korcula so she could more easily communicate with her family and friends she made on her trip there in 1997. She found his name in a Korcula directory and cross-referencing also lead to his poetry written about his love and yearning for his birthplace. Ivan and Karenza, who have been married for 20 years, moved to Vela Luka, Korcula 8 years ago when he retired, where they built a home and began tending to their olive grove, vineyards and fruit trees, including luscious fig trees, all of which Ivan inherited from his family. Karenza reinvented herself here as she became an English teacher, easily developing a busy practice.

Ann has kept in contact with Ivan and they invited us to visit them for a few days.

We took the Marko Polo, a cruise ship in the Jadrolinija Line which crisscrosses and goes up and down the Adriatic Sea. The trip was overnight from Rijeka, Croatia to the island of Korcula. The Marko Polo in recent years transported Pope John Paul II on one of his travels. Once on board, I picked up an air of infallibility.

We had a cabin with a window and the trip was amazingly comfortable. Ann felt right at home due to her cruising days with her friends Patty and Hank on their travels to Catalina. The ship actually cruised by Racisce, the birthplace of Ann’s mom and our ultimate Croatian destination. There was also a stop in Split, one of Croatia’s largest cities. Since Vela Luka is at the extreme opposite end of where we landed, once we disembarked, Ivan and Karenza gave us a tour of this incredibly scenic island. The Adriatic Sea, surrounded by its many hills, olive groves, vineyards, coves, inlets, bays, et. al…and at its heart, its crystal clear water. As they say locally (and in Peter’s house in Leucadia), “The water is so clear that the fish don’t have a chance.” And its true as we stood counting fish many times waterside.

Vela Luka is a gorgeous town with a beautiful bay. During the 3 days we were there it was sunny and in the 70s. One day, we went up in the hills to explore Ivan’s olive grove and get a cutting from one of his trees for the upcoming Palm Sunday blessing ritual all the while enjoying the view down to the Adriatic. While there, we ran into a cult figure of the town…..a short man, 79 years old, whose singular, extraordinary feature (so we were told later) belied his stature.

We had the pleasure of enjoying Karenza’s gourmet cooking which was prepared by using Ivan’s home made olive oil and downed with homemade wine, prosek and even rakija. After each culinary extravaganza, a nap was in order.

On Palm Sunday, we walked in a procession along the front bay from a small chapel at one end of town to the main church at the other. The town’s people, maybe 400, young and old alike, brought olive branches decorated with beautiful garden flowers into a bouquet which were blessed by the priest, thereby ensuring a fruitful harvest in their olive orchards. Prior to the procession, Ivan had asked me about my ethnic background. During the procession, he whispered to me, “One day in Vela Luka, the townspeople will day that on Palm Sunday, years ago, there walked a man named DiMaggio.”

SLOVENIA

SLOVENIA
March 27, 28,29,30

We took a final, beautiful, functional, vaporetto ride to the train station . We left Venice on the 15:44 train to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Ljubljana, as we all know, is phonetically pronounced.

The train ride was, again, beautiful. The beauty was different though. As we passed Trieste (imagine.. Ann says….we are in Trieste) we noticed trees, trees, trees. Slovenia, I would later find out, is 85% forestland…less buildings, villages, people…more spruces, firs, pines, lakes and rivers. Oh, and Ann noticed something else…..toilet seat covers on the train….and we are headed for Slovenia….is this a sign she wonders? Turns out Slovenia, of all the countries of the former Yugoslavia, was the most organized and advanced – in the modern sense of having creature comforts. These are the first toilet seat covers we’ve seen since Encinitas Ann says. Is she obsessed? She says yes and doesn’t mind.

We arrived close to 8PM. As usual, because of our luggage, we’re the last people off the train. I meet the eyes of an anxious greeter, who then looks away and shouts, “Ana, Ana”….It’s Ann’s aunt, Anica who came to pick us up and bring us back to her home in Kranj, about 15 miles away. She brought her friend, Marta with her, which was a plus on many levels, part of which was that Marta was bilingual and no one else came close. Ann’s Croatian language skills are minimal…not to minimize them.

I don’t want to get too warm and cuddly here but over the next four days these two women, in particular, were unbelievably protective and loving towards us. Everytime I heard Anica say Ann’s name, I felt the special relationship that existed between the two of them although they struggled to verbally communicate and they had not seen each other in 8 years. They had kept in contact through correspondence…..Anica has her English speaking friends translate these letters for her. She even had a file on Ann with all her letters and pictures Ann had sent of our family….all correspondence meticulously translated.

We met up with Ann’s uncle, Ivo, a sweet man, who is equally loving towards my wife. His English is halting, at best, but he easily manages to say to Ann, “I love you”. Ivo is a retired commandant in the Yugoslav Army. He is currently having some health problems so he doesn’t accompany us on our travels but we do meet up with him in the evening.

We actually stayed at Marta’s house because she had more room. We had never met before but you’d never know it, judging by her kindness and graciousness. Turns out she had two children living in the New York area and had lived with her family there in the 90s. On the first night we were there, at Anica and Ivo’s home, she asked us what we’d like for breakfast. We said coffee and toast would be fine. We woke up to a banquet: croissants, prosciutto, salami, different cheeses, fresh fruit, juices, jams, spreads, Turkish coffee, et. al.

We ate meals at Ivo and Anica’s home with Anica’s sister, Elizabeth, joining us. We had pastas, chicken, veal roasts, specially prepared cheese pie, fresh fish, risotto, blitva (a swiss chard and potato mixture), great home made wine and prosek (a special dessert wine only made on the coast and islands of Dalmatia) and rakija/ medicina (an equivalent of ouzo or clear tequila which has been infused with herbs from the Croatian islands). This shot of medicina is commonly taken in the morning…..for your health.

Anica, Marta, Ann and I had three major excursions, with Anica driving her stick shift Renault and at times gunning the motor…but only when she was shifting! It became our joke as we toodled along the tree laden roadways. On our first day, we drove about 30 miles to Lake Bled (pronounced blade). Ann had heard about this place from a Slovenian girl she had met in Long Beach. No prior knowledge can prepare you for the beauty of Lake Bled; especially on a cloudless, mild sunny day. We walked up to a castle on the lake, toured it briefly then went outside and saw the lake below with its island, containing a church, in the center. The lake is surrounded by forestland….with a backdrop of snow covered mountain peaks. Tito’s summer residence at the lake is now a hotel on the lake front. Swans are paddling over the water…..this is a place to be experienced. Afterwards we went to a lakeside restaurant and sampled a dessert, Kremna Rezina, that visitors and natives travel to savor.

The next day we drove 40 miles to the caves of Postojna. Marta and Anica stayed outside having coffee (there’s a lot of uphill walking in the caves and they had been there many times before) while we got cave-educated. There was a Disneyland quality to the caves since we had 2 underground 15 minute tram rides. Ann commented how she felt like a grain of sand in time as our English tour guide gave us a commentary on how long the caves took to be formed.

On our last day, we went to the Brdo (pronounced birdo) Estates, another former home of Tito’s and the State Protocol facilities of the Republic of Slovenia. (Incidentally, I have never heard anyone here, or in Croatia, say a bad word about Tito. Actually, he appears revered.) They had beautiful gardens there as well as a castle. Lipizzaner horses are raised on this estate and there is a beautifully manicured hippodrome. In a couple years, it will be the acting headquarters for the European Union since Slovenia will take its turn as head of the Union.

Anica and Ivo maintain the family Simunovich home in Racisce, Island of Korcula, Croatia where Ann’s mother was born. They have invited us to stay there on this trip although they themselves will not be heading to the island for a couple of months. Anica and Marta essentially made our travel plans to the island(train from Ljubljana to Rijeka, then an overnight boat, The Marco Polo, to Korcula). We had a final lunch at Ivo’s home followed by a car ride to the train station. The farewells were filled with lots of emotion. Personally, I was stunned by the love and kindness that I received and it seems to fill in the whole picture of who Ann is as a person, her ability to love and depth of feeling. I’ll never forget this.

SWITZERLAND...

Out of sequence faux pas....We went to Lucerne after Lake Como but before Venice

LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND
March 23, 24

Before we boarded the train at Varenna enroute to Lucerne, we heard that the Italian train workers were striking for the day in certain areas. Seems that Italian trains are separate from the EuroStar system and either one of them could be striking at any time, in roving areas. There may be a strike in Milan one day and in Rome the next. There was a possibility that it would affect our journey…but we carried on.

This was going to be a long train ride (6-7 hours) but now ,as seasoned train travelers, these journeys seem to pass quickly. We read, may do a sudoku (yes, Ann has even taken them up as her book supply has dried up and book swaps are hard to find) talk with others, take in the scenery, etc. We expected this journey to be pretty because we would be traveling through the Swiss Alps on the William Tell Express, designated as one of the most beautiful train rides by the Eurail system. We passed through the town of Como on the lake and began elevating. We started seeing snow in the distance, then snow on the ground and trees, streams, rivers, lakes….thicker snow…bridges…tunnels……spruce and pine trees laden with snow…then a long tunnel…maybe 10 minutes. When the train came out of the tunnel, the people in our car actually voiced a collective, “Ahhhhh” ….it was a winter wonderland. Truly breathtaking beauty especially for a couple from So-Cal…..you’d look to the right and see a picture postcard of winter and then desert it for a more spectacular view on your left.

After an hour or so, we began descending and before long we were in Lucerne. We took a 5 minute cab ride from the train station to our hotel and it cost us $20. The cynic in me concluded that the cabbie jobbed us, but I was soon to learn otherwise.

Our hotel, The Hotel Krone, was located in the Old Town on what is considered one of Lucerne’s most picturesque squares and was very nice. Our rate included a cold breakfast which meant that I would be eating salami before ten A.M. Cold cuts are part of the breakfast here as well as in Spain, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia.

Lucerne is a beautiful city. It reminds me a lot of Edinburgh but doesn’t have the castles. It’s on a lake of its name and has a beautiful river (Reuss) running through it with a multitude of swans floating to and fro. We were seeing swans on the lakes and rivers on just about every city we visited. Classic looking buildings surround the downtown area and off in the distance are the ubiquitous snow capped mountains. Along the river, every 50 yards or so, is a bridge which spans the Reuss and separates the old from the not so old. The city is sparkling clean with a charming market spanning the edge of the river….everyone getting ready for Easter.

The people here are very proud of their city and country, maybe even a bit aloof about it. Nevertheless, they appear happy and healthy. I noticed, on more than a couple occasions, middle aged couples acting, in public, like young lovers. The train station is packed with people carrying snow skis, snow shoes, snow boards…everyone off for the day to higher ground to enjoy the slopes.

The first night we were here, we went out to dinner. The first menu we looked at outside a restaurant had ordinary food at high prices. I figured it was the restaurant but after a few more stops at other cafes, I realized that this city was expensive, perhaps 60% more than any place we’d been to in Italy. The coup ‘d grace was a sign on a fast food restaurant that said: Hot Dog and Coke – 8 Swiss Francs. (about $7.80) Where’s AM/PM when I need them. I asked a young man in a store why the prices for things were so high here…He said, “We’re neutral.” I wondered if they were neutral to Hitler and Mussolini.

Definitely glad we came here but also glad we’re headed for Venice.