Yes, it's official, we've been in Rome for over a year now (only a week over, but hey.)
I'm still trying to work out the kinks in this blog website, sorry guys. It only cooperates to a point.
July was a month of travel for Joel and me. He had a business trip in early July to Milan, and I said, hey what the heck, and went with him. I hung out in Milan while he worked, and then we played around Milan together. And no, I didn't do anything exciting or see anything important. I tried to get tickets to see "The Last Supper," but they were sold out. Joel and I did take a boat trip on the weeked on Lake Cuomo and looked around Bellagio. George Clooney owns a house on the lake, but we were too busy sightseeing to hang out with him. He was heartbroken, I'm sure.
Then surprisingly, Joel and I actually got a week of vacation! We didn't expect to get any time off this weekend, so it was a bit of a scramble trying to get everything booked in time. This is what I wrote for our community newsletter.
"We just got back from a week in Split, Croatia, and had a marvelous time. After a "leisurely" (aka. a local) train ride to Pescara, we boarded a catamaran ferry over to coastal town of Split (www.snav.it); which was a great boat and only took about four hours. The best way to get your place to stay is to step right off of the ferry and speak to one of the many people holding up signs that say "Sobe" or "Rooms." These are very inexpensive, and almost always have their own bathroom, AC and often have a little kitchenette also. The other possibility is to call the hotels directly -- (in Italy, travel agencies book only in "packages" and can take a while to confirm and book). We tried calling a hotel that was full, however the receptionist gave us a great referral to someone who rented a small studio right beside the hotel. We were right on the beach, and also were allowed to use the hotel's pool. The beaches in Croatia are mostly rock, but the water is very warm and very clean. It was wonderful and we spent most of our time laying out or in the water.
Eating and shopping are great in Croatia as it is very cheap! For every American dollar, you get about six Croatian kunas. It became a game for us to do the math on our purchases and realize that after a five course meal with wine, we only spent about $30-40 for both of us to eat! We purchased some very interesting pottery at the huge bazaar next to the Diocletian palace, and the island of Hvar is well known for their fields of lavender and lavender products. Dining out is more casual than Rome, being more of a beach town atmostphere, and there is no reason to get very dressed up for dinner.
If you are interested in historical or seeing the sights, Split's Diocletian palace is in fantastic condition and very interesting. On our last night there, there was even a "Diocletian Festival" celebrating the city's Roman history.
Croatia's cultural influences are very mixed due to their history of being "ruled" by other groups; from Rome, Venice, the Turks, Austria and Hungary. Did you know that Marco Polo was supposed to be Croatian? According to our guidebook, he was "taken" from the island of Korcula when the Venetians took over control of the area. These influences are reflected in their food also. (By the way, please don't try their pasta. If you've eaten in Italy, you will be sorely disappointed.)
We were very happy with our time in Split, and if you are looking for a laid-back, relaxed vacation with a great beach, we recommend it. It would probably be a location for families also. For more information on Croatia, check out www.Croatia.hr."
Anyways we went to Croatia and had a fabulous time. Wonderful warm beaches and lots of sun. I got a tan. Not a dark one, but a tan nonetheless. If you know me you know what an amazing accomplishment that is. Joel was almost unrecognizable he got so dark.
Other than that, we've not done much other than work. My new partner in my office started, and has been a great addition. She's been trying to get caught up, and I've been just trying to get projects that I've started accomplished. (By the way, if you wrote New Year's Resolutions, you only have 4 1/2 months left to complete them.)
Coming up: Our new Ambassador arrives, and we work some more. Joel's boss is out of town for the next few weeks. Trying to get all of the pre-planning done for the rest of the year in my office before the end of the month and the busy season starts up again.
Love,
Julie and Joel
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