Joshua leaps with his cousin Ellena into the warm Adriatic Sea.
Highlights of Our Trip
Precious time with friends and family who opened their homes to us. Enjoying long walks with Oma and Opa. Picking small, ripe mirabelle plums from trees along the walking paths and popping them in our mouths. Taking in the deep green countryside and colorful scenery of Gemany in the summertime. Diving again and again into the warm, mediterranean waters of Croatia. Sharing a pizza at the Rialto Bridge in Venice. Seeing the German women's national soccer team beat the Dutch women's team 6-0 in the Sinsheim stadium before going on to win the European Championship. Wandering the familiar streets of Old Town Heidelberg and marveling once again at the centuries old architecture and sense of history. The boys hammering, sanding, and building with Opa in his workshop. Biting into the tasty pastries of the Croatian Istrian coast -- foods like burek and krofna. Sitting on the beach at dusk at Hotel Brioni in Pula with Stefan, Vesna, Ellena, and Sandro watching the sun shimmer on the water. Drinking Croatian beer, capuccinos, and red pasareta soda (the Croatian version of a Shirley Temple). Enjoying the long, warm summer nights where the sun lingers until almost 9:30 p.m. Learning we were far more flexible as a family than we realized as we navigated the different customs, cultures, foods, languages, and schedules in three countries without a hitch. Exploring the narrow cobblestone streets and sampling the charm of medieval towns in Germany and Slovenia. Visiting castles with real dungeons! Catching crabs and small fish in the tidepools along Croatia's coast. A jubilant Toby when he caught a small anchovy with his hands after valiently attempting the feat for hours in a small, protected inlet. Riding on Uncle Stanko's boat to spend the day on Veruda island. The cousins jumping off the pier holding hands and reveling in time together.
Jochen enjoys a German beer with his Dad.
Joshua with Sandro (8) and Ellena (9) on our first day in Germany. The cousins were inseparable during our stay.
Visiting castles with real dungeons, towers, and knight's armor inspired Toby and Joshua's imaginations.
Tidepooling with Uncle Stefan in the Mediterranean waters of Pula, Croatia. They found jellyfish, anchovies, crabs, and other crusteaceans.
Jochen poses with his brother Stefan on our last evening in Croatia. It's already nearly 8:00 p.m. when this photo was taken and we were on our way to enjoy a traditional Croatian meal at a restaurant with the Croatian and Italian relatives.
Hanging out with Mom in Slovenia's beautiful capital city, Ljubljana. We toured the Ljubljana castle, dined in a former monastary and marveled at the Old World charm of the city Rick Steve's calls "the next Prague". The entire city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1895 and rebuilt in the Art Noveau style popular in Vienna at the time.
Joshua plays dress-up with Sandro.
Toby tests the waters on Veruda Island, Croatia. He spent hours every day snorkeling, diving, and swimming in what he proudly referred to as, "the deep end of the ocean".
Toby and Joshua were eager to spend time using tools in Opa's workshop. They worked together to build a peg game (shown above) that the boys brought home as a memory of their time with Opa.
We wandered through many delightful towns on the Istrian coast of Croatia. This one was Rovinj -- built in Venetian style with narrow, cobblestone streets, but with a colorful Croatian flare. (Notice the laundry hanging in the background behind them.)(View the full slideshow of our time in Germany, Slovenia, and Croatia in the right sidebar. Double-clicking will take you to the Picasa website, where you can enlarge the view.)
