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(S): Slovenia, (C): Croatia,
(M): Montenegro, (B): Bosnia-Herzegovina |
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A la Carte |
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With the restaurant owner, Mr Osim's friend
October 8, at Mostar |
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Hotels, Meals |
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All three meals everyday were by the service of the travel agency, except
in plane.
I would like to avoid naming the specially best hotels because of no hotels unsatisfactory. Though the attendant was concerned about "no bathtub", Emiko, my wife, seemed not unsatisfactory and I was satisfied with a shower.
The beds in every hotel were nice to have a good sleep and took fatigue
away. They helped our next day sightseeing with a little hard schedule.
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Medina Hotel, Trogir
October 5 |
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Hotel Petka, Dubrovnik
October 6 |
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Ljubljana Resort
October 10 |
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Every breakfast was in hotels. Maybe too much to compare them with those
in hotels during the travel around Egypt and Turkey in June last year,
but there was nothing to be careful of water, vegetables and any other
food, and so, carefree this time.
I drank coffee straight or as captino. Yogurt was genuine. Ham and sausage
were delicious in every hotel. It was hard for me to restrain from overeating.
I do not remember any hotel nor any food was unsatisfactory for lunch and
dinner. What was specially delicious? I do not remember either, which means
I was satisfied.
The talk with travel friends one after another during every meal time was
a good help for an appetite and taste.
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Breakfast at Bellebue Hotel, Plitvice
October 9 |
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Lunch at a restaurant in Dubrovnik
October 7 |
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Dinner at Ljubljana Resort
October 10 |
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Travel Companion |
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I took off my hat to Mr S, an attendant. He gave a clear information of
the next visiting spot on the way everywhere. This is all the same with
every other attendant, I admit. In addition, his character supported him.
Humor, the way to pause, delicate attention, ....., like a pro, exquisite!
Also he did not fail in the consideration to a local guide explaining in
English.
He is 42 years old, more than 25 years younger than me. Nevertheless he
does not make me feel the age difference. Moreover on the other hand, he
seems to be welcomed by young twenties like me. A calm and relaxed manner
in short. Thanks a lot. |
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The guide at Bled
October 4 |
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The attendant and the guide at Split
October 6 |
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Attendant S and other Pictures |
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32 tour members in total. They were men and women between twenties and
eighties.
In the bus, at lunch, at dinner, ....., all the members became mutually
understood each other day by day, which made the tour splendid.
The encounter with S couple. Mr S and myself are acqueintances at AA-Net
Urayasu, but what a coincidence! Both couples happened to see each other
at the airport bus stop in Oriental Hotel at the time of our travel start.
They asked us, "Where are you going?"
We answered, "We are going to Croatia."
Mrs S said with her eyes wide open, "Us, too."
Both couples became a wonderful company for the ten-day tour.
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We made friends with F couple. They are still in business, so they joined
the tour not wasting a time. Mrs F of Ibaraki dialect, and Mr F working
for an insurance company in charge of legal matters.
Their talk was very enjoyable with jokes every day. |
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G couple. I sometimes saw Mr G making a sketch. He was putting colors with
a portable painting in the bus, and taking out a memo paprer for haiku
poem. Mrs G, accompanying him with her injury of the fracture of her arm,
is enjoying the views in a smile. |
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Mrs H, absorbed in video, brought soy sorce, mayonase and tabasco, which
we tasted thanking her.
Two ladies of twenties were system engineers. They joyfully dined with
us again and again. I hope they will refer to my talk when they travel
in Spain.
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Travel Friends, Other Pictures |
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Local People |
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While in an exotic mood here and there, I did not feel uncomfortable anywhere.
The people were all in a friendly smile.
They never failed to smile and answer my stumbling greetings in their local
language. How effective such local words of greeting were! The local people,
who must be a pronoun of friendship, really made me understand the importance
of peace.
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Lake Bled |
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A lady, professional photographer, was kind to us.
At Plitvice Lakes |
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Other Pictures of Local People 1 2 3 4 |
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Beer |
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The beer I tasted both in the planes to and fro and at Frankfurt Airport
was Warsteiner. It is said to be another famous German beer compared with
Beck's, but for me a new brand.
Other beers were Union in Slovenia, and Ozujsko and Karlovascko in Croatia.
Mr S, an attendant, recommended Ozujsko.
To my regret, every beer was the same taste to me, while feeling richer
flavor than Japanese ones. I guess all of them during the travel were pilsner
compared with mostly lager in Japan.
The price anywhere was about the same with mineral water, cheaper than
juice.
I don't like to drink alcohol in the daytime, but as for this travel I
lifted the ban.
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I tasted Ballantine's 12-year-old bought at Narita Airport as a nightcap
on the way with dried squid and peanuts from home as light snack, and Ozujsko
bought at a store of some rest area.
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Outline of the Four Countries |
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We toured around the four countries in Balkan Peninsula for 10 days in
a hurry.
This peninsula in southeastern Europe faces the Black Sea and the Aegean
Sea to the east, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and the Adrian Sea
and the Ionian Sea. To the north, Danube and Saba Rivers are running across.
The countries in this peninsula other than the four countries are Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey north of the Marmara Sea.
The four countries, Macedonia, and Serbia belonged to Former Yugoslavia
before the year of 1991. They were the base of the conflict known well
in the world. Even the views of each place we saw still retained horrible
scenes vividly.
The following is a table of the present situations of these four countries.
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Republika Slovenija |
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Area: 20,256 square km (about the same with Shikoku |
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Population: 2,020 thousand (as of 2007) |
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Capital: Ljubljana |
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Ethnic Groups: Slovenian (90%), Hungarian, Italian, and others |
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Religion: Roman Catholic (95%) |
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Official Language: Slovenian |
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Currency: Euro since 2007, EU from 2004 |
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Republika Hrvatska (Croatia) |
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Area: 56,542 square km (1.5 times as large as Kyushu) |
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Population: about 4,500 thousand |
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Capital: Zagreb |
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Ethnic Groups: Croats (90.42%), Serts (4.36%), others (5.22%) |
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Religions: Christians (91.06%), Irreligious (4.57%), Muslims (1.47%), others
(2.90%) |
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Official Language: Croatian |
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Currency: Croatian Kuna |
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Bosna Herzegovina |
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Area: 51,126 square km |
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Population: About 4,500 thousand |
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Capital: Sarajevo |
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Ethnic Groups and Religions: Muslim (44%), Selvian (31%), Croatian (Catholic
(17%) |
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Official Language: Bosunian, Selvian and Croatian. They have a little difference
of diarects. |
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Currency: コンベルティビルナ・マルカ (KM) |
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Montenegro (Republika Crna Gora) |
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Area: 13,812 square km |
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Population: 620 thousand |
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Capital: Podgorica |
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Ethnic Group: Montenegro (40%), Selvian (30%), Muslim (9%), Albanian (7%) |
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Religion: Selvian Orthodox (70%), Islam, Roman Catholic |
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Official Language: Montenegro (Almost the same with Selvian) |
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Currency: Euro (Not an EU country) |
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Boltage is 220 v and consent is C-type plug
in all four countries. |
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(S): Slovenia, (C): Croatia,
(M): Montenegro, (B): Bosnia-Herzegovina |
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Close |
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