Slipping through the Slovenia and Croatia borders

Approaching the passport control booth at the Slovenia/Croatia border, a sense of nervousness came upon me.  Were my passport and CT drivers license going to be enough, or would I be asked to provide my international drivers permit, which expired 1 year ago.  If my documentation fails, would I no longer be able to drive in the country?  Even though the permit is required in some countries, it is really just a small book written in multiple languages which says the license I have is valid.  I do not see much value you in it but I guess you never know.  Success!...they did not even ask for anything more than a passport which they scanned and stamped.  Proceeding through the checkpoint, the nerves re-emerge as another checkpoint is upon us, this time the Croatian.  Even though Croatia joined the European Union as their 28th member state on 1 July 2013, border controls still exist because they are part of the Schengen Agreement.  Good for me, because that means an additional passport stamps.

Driving through the northwest part of former Yugoslavia, you are surrounded by history and beautiful landscape.  Formed in 1918 after World War I as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, it was commonly referred as "Versailles state" but later renamed in 1929 to Yugoslavia.  At the conclusion of World War II, Yugoslavia modeled itself after the Soviet Union, establishing six republics, with the federal capital as Belgrade.  Following the fall of communism in the rest of Eastern Europe, Slovenia and Croatia voiced their demands to ties within the Federation in 1990.  The Yugoslav Wars between the different republics soon followed.  On June, 25 1991, Slovenia and Croatia became the first republics to declare independence from Yugoslavia. During the next three months, the Yugoslav Army completed its pull-out from Slovenia, however, in Croatia, a bloody war broke out in the autumn of 1991 due to pro-Serbia resistance.  Soon after, the Republic of Macedonia declared independence, and the war in Bosnia followed shortly thereafter.  As the Yugoslav Wars raged through Croatia and Bosnia, the republics of Serbia and Montenegro, which remained relatively untouched by the war, formed a state known as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1992.  As a result of the conflict, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution in November 1991, which paved the way to the establishment of peacekeeping operations in Yugoslavia.  Today, the former Yugoslavia has been split into 7 different countries: Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Kosovo.  While numerous countries have recognized it, Kosovo has no official recognition due to ongoing sovereignty dispute.

While the trip would not take me through all 7 places, I was looking forward to exploring the natural beauty of Slovenia and Croatia.  Located about 2 hours south of the Croatian capital of Zagreb near the Bosnian border, Plitvice Lakes is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe and the largest national park in Croatia.  Formed by runoff from the Mala Kapela and the Plješevica mountains, Plitvice is comprised of sixteen interconnected lakes at different levels from one another, with limestone and trees creating natural dams and forming incredible waterfalls.  The altitude drop from the first lake to the last is 133 meters or 436 feet.  Although the trip was in late October, the weather was absolutely perfect, and the park was not as crowded as the summer months.

In route back to Slovenia, the combination of the sea and mountains brought in fog, which made the driving conditions tough, but probably better for me, as I would not be distracted by the scenery.  Crossing the border again was uneventful, and I was on my way to Bled, a small town smashed between the Alps Mountains, which runs across 8 countries in Europe (France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, Italy, Monaco, and Slovenia).  Bled is a hot spot for hiking, where you can lose yourself in the picturesque setting of lakes, trees, and rolling mountains.  The lake surrounds Bled Island, the only natural island in Slovenia. The island has several buildings, with the main one being the pilgrimage church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary.  Walking around the lake takes about 2 hours, and perched high above on a rock overlooking the lake, with the mountains providing a beautiful natural background, is the iconic Bled Castle.  Located a short distance from the lake is Vintgar Gorge, a 1 mile path carved by the Radovna River, with the canyon walls measuring 160 to 330 feet high.

The final stop on the trip was an afternoon in Ljubljana, the capital and the large city in Slovenia, with just under 300,000 people (which is basically classified as a town).  The symbol of the city is the Ljubljana Dragon. It is depicted on the top of the tower of the Ljubljana Castle in the Ljubljana coat-of-arms and on the Ljubljanica-crossing Dragon Bridge to symbolize power, courage, and greatness.  The city has numerous small bridges which span across the Ljubljanica River.  The Triple Bridge is a group of three bridges, connecting two parts of Ljubljana's downtown.  Originally one bridge that linked Central Europe and the Balkans, two additional pedestrian bridges on both sides of the central one were added avoid a bottleneck.

One place which I did not visit on this trip, but have in the past and would definitely recommend is Dubrovnik, Croatia, a UNESCO site and one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean and also plays King’s Landing in the HBO series Game of Thrones.  The city suffered a lot of destruction during the wars, but following the end of the war, damage caused by the shelling of the Old Town was repaired.  One important feature of Dubrovnik is its six meter thick walls that run almost 2 km (1.24 mi) around the city.  The system of turrets and towers were intended to protect the vulnerable city.

European Vacation

Driving 120 km (not miles, which is about 72) down highway A4, I attempted to pass a car on the right.  I accelerate as I move into the left lane when all of the sudden the dash board lights up like a Christmas tree.  Red, green, yellow lights flash all around as the car decelerates down to 60 km per hour (36 miles per hour).  With my hazards on, I quickly scan for the next off ramp as cars and trucks pass.  Finally, I pull of at the nearest stop and try to understand what just happened.  Before phoning the rental service about a problem with the car, we decide to write down the stop which we pulled off at.  I walk down the side of the off ramp and take down the name….Rastplatz.  Proud of my accomplishment of pinpointing our location, I am informed that Rastplatz is German, meaning rest place, which there are upwards of 30 just on highway A4.  After 20 more minutes of driving through the mountains of Austria at speeds ranging from 60 to 110 depending on the ascend or descend, we arrive at a gas station.  After a short rest which the car thought I might scrape it at a junk yard, all was somehow fixed and we were back on the road home.

Having numerous relatives and friends visit over the last couple months, as well as exploring new areas myself, travel in Europe can be different when compared to the US.  To conserve electricity, many European hotels require the insertion of the key card into a slot beside the door.  Arriving into the hotel room late afternoon, I attempted to switch the light on to guide my path through the room.  After several unsuccessful tries and switches (including the TV) to restore power to the room, I ended up showering in a dark bathroom with half hearted attempt to light the room with the reflection from multiple mirrors.  Easiest solution is to insert the key card near the door and power the room. The benefit is you won’t lose your key when you are in the room.  Also, there are times when a hotel may provide you with the heavy, old-fashioned tassel key. When heading out to explore, it’s customary to leave the key with the desk clerk so the cleaning staff knows when the room is vacant.

In the U.S., hotels typically contain two full-sized or one larger bed (a king or a queen). In Europe, many guest rooms consist of two single mattresses, either separated or pushed together. Your “king” will have a seam.  And in most of the world, a luxurious bed isn’t soft and plush; it’s usually firm.  This was the case at one hotel which the bed was literally stiffer than a board, and the pillow was even worse.

Unlike in the US which “Hi,” is used as the conversation starter, it does not fly in Europe. Locals may even be insulted. At a minimum, learn how to say “Good day,” “Good evening,” “Thank you,” in the local language.  In Slovakia, Dobre Rano (Good morning), Dobre Den (day), Dobre Vecer (evening), and Dobre Noc (night) are used when greeting people on the street, and Dakujem (thank you), and dovidenia (good bye) are also very common when ending the conversation.

In some countries, hailing a cab isn’t easy, so learn where the taxi stands are.  Cabbies can be fined for picking up a fare in the middle of the street in some cities.  You have to find your way to a marked taxi stand (ask a local), or head to a hotel lobby and have them hail or call a cab for you.  In Bratislava, it is best to call a taxi, otherwise you might pay 4 times the going rate.

The influence of American casualness can be observed differently through Europe.  Locals in Italy dress for a night on the town which shorts are off limits, while those in  Barcelona, and even London are much more laid-back and diverse, clothing-wise. 

When it comes to food, you get what you ordered.  Meaning the sautéed scrimp on the menu will come complete with head and legs, or the bake fish with head and eyes.  But there is always McDonalds for anyone not brave enough to sample the local cuisines; I am heading to MCDs every other month, but much better than when I originally arrived and went every other day.  Also, living in America, I became so use to seedless…seedless watermelon, grapes, oranges, etc.  That is not the case here, were you have to deal with the seeds, but on the plus side, it does taste better.  Last but not least, as both my dad and brother have pointed out, when ordering a pop or water at a restaurant, it rarely comes with ice unless specifically requested.

At the site of the pedestrian-only sidewalk

Finally, back to driving, which I have become the master of roundabouts, but still unable to drive manual.  In most European countries, head lights are required to be on at all times, even during daylight hours.  Also, the way highway tolls are collected can vary from country to country.  Poland, Italy, and Croatia collect tolls at designated booths, however, in Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Slovenia, you must buy vignettes, or toll stickers at the first gas station or face a large fine.  But the nice thing on highways in Europe is people respect the traffic rules, and always pass on the left side only.  Finally, don’t let GPS replace common thinking.  For example, the tourists in Australiawho tried to drive through a bay or the Belgian woman who tried to drive to the nearby train station and ended up at the Croatia border.  While driving up the narrow streets on the mountain in San Marino while searching for the hotel, I let GPS guide me up the pedestrian-only sidewalk to the castle.  After seeing tourists scramble, I aborted the mission, and retreated down a side street which turned out to be the street I was looking for.

Croatian guardrail - I do not even thing it can support itself, let alone a car

Biking through historic Berlin

“General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”  Standing in front of the Brandenburg Gate, I am reminded of the famous speech delivered by Ronald Reagan on June 12, 1987.

Located on the River Spree, Berlin is the capital city of Germany with a population of 3.3 million people, making Berlin Germany's largest city and second most populous city in the European Union behind London.  Berlin is a city with an extraordinary history, complete with culture, politics, science, and nature - one third of the city's area is composed of forests, parks, gardens, rivers and lakes.  During the Thirty Years' War between 1618 and 1648, a third of its houses were damaged or destroyed, and the city lost half of its population.  After the 1806 Prussian defeat at the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt, Napoleon marched through the Brandenburg Gate and stole its Quadriga (statue of a chariot drawn by four horses) while on route to Paris.  At the end of World War I in 1918, a republic was proclaimed in Berlin until January 30, 1933 when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power.  After the Nazi-Germany was defeated in World War II, the Allies (the U.S., Britain, and the Soviet Union) agreed on dividing a Germany into occupation zones.  Later, a French zone was carved out of the American and British zones.  Additionally, although large parts of the city were destroyed by air raids, Berlin, even though it was inside the Soviet-controlled territory of Germany, was also divided into four parts because of the city’s strategic and historical importance.  In 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany was founded in West Germany and eventually included all of the American, British, and French zones, however, this republic excluded those three countries' zones in Berlin.  Airline service to West Berlin was granted only to American, British, and French airlines.

The founding of the two German states increased Cold War tensions. West Berlin was surrounded by East German territory, and East Germany proclaimed East Berlin as its capital, which was not recognized by the western powers. Although only half the size and population of West Berlin, East Berlin included most of the historic center of the city.  By 1961, approximately 20% of the entire East German population, or 3.5 million people fled East Germany, with the majority of emigrants being young and well educated.  With the brain drain of professionals becoming so damaging to the political credibility and economic viability of East Germany, construction on the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961 to curb its declining population.  The barrier completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and East Berlin and included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, which circumscribed a wide area (aka the "death strip") that contained anti-vehicle trenches, beds of nails, dogs, and other defenses.  This only added to the political and economical tensions of the Cold War and events escalated to a tank standoff at Checkpoint Charlie on October 27, 1961.  The dispute began over whether East German guards were authorized to examine the travel documents of a U.S. diplomat named Allan Lightner passing through to East Berlin to see the opera.  By October 27, ten Soviet and an equal number of American tanks stood 100 meters apart on each side of the checkpoint.  The standoff ended peacefully the next day, however, the tension was high given that at any moment, a new world war could have started over an accidental shot.

Following widespread public anger over the faking of results of local government elections in 1989, many citizens applied for exit visas or left the country.  When Hungary removed its border restrictions and unsealed its border in August 1989, and more than 13,000 people left East Germany by crossing the "green" border via Czechoslovakia into Hungary and then on to Austria, and finally into West Germany.  On 9 November 1989, a few sections of the Berlin Wall were opened, resulting in thousands of East Germans crossing into West Berlin and West Germany for the first time. Finally, on October 3, 1990, East and West Germany was re-united.

Berlin's history has left the city with a highly eclectic array of architecture and buildings.  The eastern parts of Berlin have many Plattenbautens (large, prefabricated concrete buildings) as reminders of Eastern Bloc ambitions to create complete residential areas that had fixed ratios of shops, kindergartens, and schools to the number of inhabitants.  The Fernsehturm (TV tower) at Alexanderplatz in Mitte (same location as the Bourne Supremacy) is among the tallest structures in the European Union at 368 m (1,207 ft). Built in 1969, it is visible throughout most of the central districts of Berlin.  The Brandenburg Gate is of course the iconic landmark of Berlin and Germany, with the nearby Reichstag building serving as the German Parliament.  The building was in the 1990s and features a glass dome over the session area, which allows free public access to the parliamentary proceedings and magnificent views of the city.  Small sections of the Berlin Wall remain today, but for an interesting history of the wall, you can watch via the attached link.  Finally, the border crossing at checkpoint Charlie draws a number of visitors, and it is interesting thinking how easily I passed through on a bicycle without any questions, which 25 years ado was unthinkable.

One final reference to my favorite TV show Seinfeld while sitting in the Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL), which may be one of the worst airports for a delay or transfer due.  As customary for some European airlines, complementary newspapers and magazines are handled out to read on the plane.  In Berlin, one of the magazines was Playboy, which did not seem to last very long on the shelf.

Bridge from the Bourne Supremacy

 

Strolling through Sofia

Entering the packed cafeteria a short distance from the office, I knew finding enough seats for our large group was going to be tough.  Sitting at a table near the entrance, we ask a couple patrons next to ours who were dining at the table for over 10 minutes if we could take one of their empty chairs.  Baffled by the shake of their heads no, we start wondering why they might be holding the chair.  As we turn to head back to our table, they stop us, and indicate that we forgot to take the chair we asked for.  It appears that we have just experienced our first encounter with the Bulgarian head nod.  While the head motions are exactly the same as others cultures, for some reason, they have done the same thing but opposite. The head nod up and down means “no”, and the head nod from side to side means “yes”, and was definitely one of my most interesting experiences in travel.

Located at the foot of Mount Vitosha in the western part of Bulgaria, Sofia is the 15th largest city in the EU with a population of about 1.3 million people.  Lying on the western side of the country at the center of the Balkan Peninsula and about 3 hours north of the sea coasts of Greece, the history of Sofia dates back over 2,400 years; however the population remained relatively small until 1879, when it expanded greatly after being declared that capital of Bulgaria.  One of Sofia's symbols and primary tourist attractions is St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.  Built in Neo-Byzantine style, it serves as the cathedral church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria and is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world with a capacity of 10,000 people.  The cathedral is adjacent to St. Sofia Church, and not far from the church, you will find an open market were you can purchase numerous handmade textiles and antiques.  I was definitely surprised at the number of Nazi Germany related items and it was not until late 1943, and early 1944, when Sofia was bombed by Allied as a consequence of the invasion of the Soviet Red Army, the government was overthrown.

After World War II, the country was ruled under socialism, and experienced an industrialization period which rapidly expanded the city to the point where the influx of workers became so intense that a restriction policy was imposed, and residing in the capital was only possible after obtaining Sofianite citizenship.  This strengthened Sofia’s standing as the economic heart of Bulgaria which still stands today with Vitosha Boulevard the main shopping street adorned with numerous outdoor cafes and restaurants, including a number of ice cream stands.  The city is also very green, with numerous parks sprawling across the city.  There are bungalows as well as several ski slopes on Vitosha, allowing many to take full advantage of the mountains without having to leave the city.

Ironic - Coca Cola and the Museum of Socialist Art

With the Revolutions of 1989, democratic reforms were initiated, and some of the Bulgarian socialist republic can be found Museum of Socialist Art in Sofia and the Politics of Avoidance.  The country continues to develop, and I really enjoyed meeting the team, especially trying the local cuisine, which I would recommend Pod Lipite (Under the Linden Tree in English).  Finally, an added bonus to the trip was it aligned to the start of Bon Jovi’s European tour in the city, which was a lot of fun.