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Mark & Magellan's Grand Adventure - Europe
By: Mark Glucina
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| Tuesday, 15-Aug-2006 16:48 |
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BLOG SITE HAS MOVED
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For adventures in Latin America visit http://markovnikovii.fotopages.com
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| Monday, 7-Aug-2006 12:00 |
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More shots of Barcelona and the end of the Europe leg
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Jack O´Lantern
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Palau de Musica de Catalyunia
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at a city water fountain
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Beach front
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Barca Beach
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football by a beach sculpture
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It is my last night in Barcelona. I have an early flight to Quito so I didnt take a room for the night, and instead am on the interweb in the hostel foyer, and will latter take a bus to the airport and bum around there for a couple of hours. I have had an excellent time in Barcelona, and made many short-term friends. Travelling is an endless string of goodbyes. There are many museaums and turist attractions here that I never visited, due to a combination of my abhorance for queing and because it was often just a better option to lay on the beach of bum around the streets with my friends. There is always plenty happening here and my hostel is right in the centre of town, providing easy access. Barcelona is a lot of fun.
This will be the last entry for Europe. I think its fitting that my port for travel to the new world is Spain.
Also, due to lake of space on this fotopage, Ive set up a new site for adventures in Latin America. Its not too different: http://markovnikovii.fotopages.com
cu there!
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| Friday, 4-Aug-2006 23:54 |
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Montserrat
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Caught the train out to Montserrat (serrated mountains), which is 50km out of Barcelona. From here, you can take a cable car or another train up into the hills where there is a Monestry dating back to the 14th century. It was built up in the hills apparently, because some sheperds (presumably living on fermented berries and small lizards) followed a light to a spot where thay found a carving of a black Madonna. For some reason (not explained) it was impossible to move the statue from the mountains, and so the Monestry was built there and became a pilgramage site. The monestry still functions, and in addition to performing various monkley functions like making pottery, they also run a school for young boys. Thats all im saying.
After visiting the black Madonna and the Basillica, which is richly decorated for a church in a mountain, we caught a vernicular railcar even further up into the mountains. With me this day was an Isrealie guy who shall be known as Sheckles. We followed a track through the hills that took an hour each way, but was worth it. There were some spectacular views of the rock formations and surrounding country. Also fun to make up names for the rocks.
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| Wednesday, 2-Aug-2006 13:15 |
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Barcelona
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dinner in the hostel with Frenchies and others
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Magellen outside Sagrada Familia
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sculptures on Sagrada Familia
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Flew into Barcelona a few days ago and made it to my hostel, which is pretty much in the middle of the old city, without difficulty. I almost immediately latched on to a group of 3 Frenchies + 1 English guy who were in the same dorm room as me. They had walked to Barcelona from the French boarder, which I think is enough to demonstrate that they are the type of guys I get on with. It was a sunday in Spain, which means everything was closed, but the Frenchies rumaged up some rice and stuff, so I bumed of them for dinner as did a few others.
On my first full day in Barcelona, I went along with the Frenchies, and others to the Barcelona beach. The beach is man-made I think, with sand shipped in, but it is still good for swimming, which is surprising because it is so close to a large city (about 20mins walk from my hostel). The Frenchies were also leaving this afternoon, so we went for lunch in a little place hidden behind a nondescript door in a nondescript alley close to the hostel. This place has a little courtyard with a largish tree in the middle and plastic tables and chairs. It kinda looks like someones backyard. They ran out of bread for sandwiches, and didnt have enough glasses for the drinks. It felt very Spanish.So in summary, my first couple of days in Barcelona were spent bumming round with people form the hostel, and no touristy site-seeing stuff.
I took care of that on the 3rd day- walking round the city via the Gaudi buildings. For those who dont know, Gaudi was an eccentric and deeply religious archetect from barcelona who designed many "original" buildings around the city. For the most part I think they are cool- organic and cartoony. They are also quite expensive to visit so I just viewed the outside of most on route to the big one- the Sagrada Familia cathedral. This is still being built, even though it was started over 120 years ago. It was strange viewing this structure, which will probably not be finished in my lifetime. It must be strange to work on it too- knowing youll never get to see the finished product. But a fantastic structure it is. I have retracted my statement that after seeing the Vatican, all churches are kinda ho-hum. This one is unique- and more like a gigantic work of art then church. It is far to grand to illustrate with photos, and really needs to be visited, but here are a few shots anyway.
After visiting the Cathedral, I went to Parc Guell, which houses Gaudis old house (now a museum) an a few other structures he designed- the mushroom houses, lizard fountain, and a large sandpit held up by classical columns. The purpose of this sandpit is unclear to me- you cant play football there so what is the point. The Gaudi museum was not very interesting, but the Parc does provide great views over the city. It also must be reached by a very steep street, similar to Baldwin St in Dunedin. Fortunately the Barcelona version has a half dozen esculators on it.
Today I was gonna go to the Picasso Museum with a Belgian guy from the hostel, but the line is about 100m long and slow moving and Im not that interested. Might try again early tomorrow as it opens. Instead we wandered around the city abit- ok this was mostly cause we got lost on the way to the museum, but it was good. Stumbled on the Parc de la Ciutadella, which is really nice as the pictures show. Also had paiella for lunch, which I felt oblidged to try while in spain. Its spicey rice mixed with seafood, like shrimps and crays and squid and shellfish. I actually liked it.
Overall, I think Barcelona is great. I think this is a city that I could happily live in for a while.
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| Thursday, 27-Jul-2006 12:55 |
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Last days in Dalmatia
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Its a Thursday- my last day on the coast. I will catch a night bus to Zagreb this evening, and the day after I will get a train to Venice for my flight to Barcelona, all going well.
Paul and Aimmee left Igrane on Sunday morning, by bus to Dubrovnik. Im confident they made it because I spotted them rumaging through a shop in Dubrovnik on a Croatian news story about tourism a couple days latter. By now they will have caught a ferry to Italy where they will start a month long whirlwind tour, which also includes France and Spain.
About half an hour after Paul left, I also said my aurevours to Sonja, who has buggered off with a couple of friends to go camping on the islands. The night before, we all headed down to the bright lights of Igrane to have a drink in a local disco-rock-cafe-bar. It was an entertaining evening. The highlight for me was watching aimme shreaking and hopping in terror in an effort to avoid a company of giant grasshoppers (aka big bugs) who are endowed with wings as well as impressive leg strength, and have a tendancy to leap out at you from the shadows.
Ive spent most of this week bumming around on the beach and researching various aspects of south america for my upcoming visit. Ive decided on a Quito-based school, of which there are many, to do my immersion spanish course. I have about 3 weeks in Ecuador before my mate Tony arrives, and I will probably spend most of this working on my espanol, while hanging out in Quito and its surrounds. I plan to stay in a hostel for the first week, then move in with a local family as a homestay for about a week, and then possibly spend the 3rd week in the rainforest. This school partners with jungle-tour operators, and offers week long programs where you do classes in the morning and then go on jungle adventures in the afternoon. But mostly I chose this school because it gives 10% of its profits to conservation organisations, which helps protect the rain forest. The school, Vida Verde, has also recieved positive comments on the Lonely Planet online forum.
I spent all of yesterday in Drasnice hanging out with the various Glucinas, who all made an apparence at one time or another during the day. Today im in Igrane where I still need to back and do some last minute internet stuff, and of course take my last swim...well untill Barcelona anyway.
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| Thursday, 20-Jul-2006 12:00 |
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Ivan Meštrović Gallery- Split
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Statue of Persephone in garden infront of the gallery
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the cyclops in bronze
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face in bronze
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I left Tony d Michelle counting z's and took the 5 min walk down to the port of Hvar town to get the early morning boat over to Split. The woman in the ticket office told me that the boat was already full and she couldnt sell me a ticket. But knowing how Croatia works, I was not finished yet. I waited around till the ticket-holding passengers had all boarded, then payed the ticket collector cash to let me on. This money no doubt goes straight into his pocket, but they probably get crap pay so I dont mind.
The boat trip to Split, the largest city in Dalmatia, took only an hour. I have been here numerous times before and there isnt alot of interest so I didnt plan to stick around. I did pay a visit to the Ivan Meštrović gallery however. Meštrović, probably Croatia's greatest artist, was a sculpter whose work I like muchly. He was active during the first half of the 20th century and was born near Split, but also worked in Vienna, Switzerland, and the US where he was a professor of sculpture in a couple of universities. Lonely Planet also tells me he was the first living artist to have his own exhibition at the Metropolitan Museaum of art in New York. He has many works scattered in the US, the Vatican, throughout Croatia and other parts of ex-Yugoslavia.
The gallery is housed in his former residence along the coast of Split. This building can be seen in the first photo, along with the gardens, which display some larger bronze statues. I wasnt allowed to take photos inside the gallery but I bought the book of the exhibition. I think the only other time Ive done this was at the Vatican, which is evidence that I quite liked the work on display.
After the gallery I headed back to the bus station just in time to leap onto a south bound bus, which was heading out the gate, and rode it back to Igrane.
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| Wednesday, 19-Jul-2006 12:00 |
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Island hopping
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Got up early (8ish) after the fisherman party night to get the bus to Dubrovnik. After wasting many hours I found out the hard way that they wernt inclined to stop at the Igrane bus-stop. I had to go north to Makarska (a transport hub) to get a bus going south to Dubrovnik. I eventully did this at 1pm. Dubrovnik is a medieval walled city on the coast, very picturesque, jewell of the adriatic, and full of americans who go where the cruise liners take them. Ive been here before and have tons of photos already so I have none to show here. My purpose for coming here was to meet Tony and Michelle for were begining a 10 day stay in Croatia. I did this, stayed one night and then we all took an early catamaran to the island of Mljet.
Mljet is probably my favorite place, after Plitvice, that Ive so far encountered on this trip. Half of it is a natonal park made up of pine covered hills and clear blue salt-water lakes, which are joined with the sea. Odeseas is said to have spent 7 years stranded here after being shipwrecked- he could have done plenty worse. The most unique feature in the park is the remains of a medieval monestry, which is situated on a small island, within the larger lake. So thats a monestry on an island, in a lake, on an island, in the sea- crazy.
The fast boat we caught stops at two ports on Mljet. I laugh at the stupid english tourists who got off at the first port where they would then have had to take a 1.5 hour bus ride to get to the 2nd port, where the boat was going anyway, taking only half an hour. On disembarking at Mljet, we liked it so much we took a room for 2 nights. We stayed in a very small village called Pomena, which is closest to the lakes in the national park. The walk from our rooms to the lakes took only 15 minutes. On the first day we caught a small boat to the monestry, and spent the afternoon swimming in the surrounding waters, which were a couple degrees warmer than on the coast. I decided to swim around the entire monestry island, which probably sounds more difficult than it was- it only took 15-20 minutes probably, and of course I randomly chose the direction that was against the current. On the second day we hired bikes for cycling around the lakes. Not being used to bikes, my ass was sore after about 5 mintes- an afflicion also shared by my companieros. As a result the rest of the afternoons riding consisted of small burts of momentum gathering pedaling followed by freewheeling it while standing as much as possible. It was still a fun day.
Boats from Mljet to Korčula are at strange times and leave from various locations. Luckily, a fast hydrofoil was leaving on the day we wished to go and from almost right outside our room. Korčula town, on the island of the same name is like a mini Dubrovnik. Another thing these places have in common is the fact that I had visited them both before and didnt take many photos this time. The old town is the main point of interest and can be viewed in a few hours. However, having already missed the daily boat to out next destination, we took a room for the night. Korčula was unusually lacking in tourists that day, which made for a relaxed afternoon wandering around the streets of the old town.
The final island on my tour was Hvar, where I visited the town of the same name. Hvar town is small but very pretty. The whole place can be taken in by climing to a fortress that sits atop a hill behind the port, and was used for protecting the residents from Turkish invasions. After 2 or three hours we had wandered round most of the town and so spent the afternoon swimming and sunning at a nearby beach. After dinner that evening I said my aurevours to Tony and Michelle who were spending another 2 nights on the island, while I was getting up early to catch a boat back to the coast.
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| Friday, 14-Jul-2006 08:35 |
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Makarska by night
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A fishy snack
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Aimee tells sonja how many icecreams shes had today
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Kolo- Croatian folk dancing
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Spent a couple of nights in a row in Makarska, which is the administrative centre for the central coast, and also the main party town. Its about a 15 to 20min drive from Igrane. On Friday night, cousin Josko took us in for a performance of traditional Croatian folk dance (kolo), which was part of the Makarska summer programe. The troup was professional I think, or at least holds some kind of national troup status. Either way it was very polished, with singing and dancing and at least a half dozen costume changes. The men were very good singers, which is probaly the main criterea for selection as the dancing is not that difficult. Surprisingly, the spot we picked to watch the performance was right next to cousins from NZ- Steve and Carolina, and their kids. I didnt even know they were in Croatia, but like NZ, its just not that big.
On Saturday, cousin Sonja arrived back in Igrane from Zagreb for the summer holidays. That evening we went to Makarska again for a 'fisherman party'. This was actually nothing more than a few stalls grilling various seafood by various methods, amidst a normal Saturday night in Makarska. A normal Saturday night consists of girlies getting all flossied up and strutting around the streets so as to be seen, and beachside bars where one sits with a drink to watch the flossies on parade. There are also the discoteks, playing oonst or top 40 pop hits, if one is that way inclined. We stayed in Makarska till about 4am, and then managed to scam a ride home on the bus. Normally they dont pick up passengers at these hours, but a few kunas paid directly to the driver and a promise to not wake up the sleeping passengers secured us a ride.
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| Thursday, 13-Jul-2006 16:22 |
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Village people
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the view from my bedroom window in Igrane
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sunset over Drasnice
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shifty characters on the beach
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Spent the week buming around on the Dalmatian coast. Im staying in Igrane, the small village of around 300 people where my maternal grandfather came from. The other 3/4 of my grandparents came from the next village along- Drašnice, which isnt mush bigger. The villages are about 4km apart and I can walk from one to the other in about 40min using an old road.
It hasnt been as hot as it could be (its only in the low 30s), for which I am thankfull. In fact most days have been overcast with intermitent rain, and on one occasion spectacular thunder and lightning storms. This hasnt prevented anybody lazing around on the beach, and I have not gone a day without a swim in the clear azur waters of the adriatic sea. Beach idelness is usually concluded at 4pm, when we climb the steep paths of Igrane back to the house for one of Michellas wonderfull hot lunches. Lunch is the main meal in these parts, and I am greatly enjoying the home cooking after 3 weeks of eating out in Germany, as is my wallet.
In the evenings, Paul and I have been slowly working our way around the numerous relations that live in Igrane and Drašnice. However, it is best to avoid this type of visit straight after lunch, as Dalmation hospitality demands that the guests be stuffed with smoked ham, and beverages. I will continue to add pictures to this entry as we do the rounds.
The nights in Igrane are never lonely- I am visited by many friends. I think the mosquitos have overstayed their welcome however. Their nightly banquet on my flesh has gotten a wee bit old and I hope a coating of repelent will get the message across tonight. Only slightly more welcome are the giant grasshoppers- a rowdy mob who are found to be a little ofensive to the ladies. The tiny lizard who lives behind the dresser is much better behaved and is welcome to stay. This is more than can be said for the scorpion I found loitering around my underware draw-bag. I tried capturing him for show and tell, but when he scampered inside the bag I called the contest a draw and shook him out into the garden instead.
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| Friday, 7-Jul-2006 12:00 |
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Plitvice national park
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two large monkeys in Plitvice
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one small monkey in Plitvice
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veliki slap (large waterfall)
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Plitvice is a Croatian national park and a UNESCO world heritage site. Im not sure, but this may be the best place on earth....thats about all I have to say.
Here are some photos, but they wont do justice to the place.
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