Day 12: The Trip Home

Dear Friends and Family, 

We've made it home safely!  It's been such a wonderful trip, and we feel so blessed to have been able to visit Europe.   Today's recap will be pretty short, since 8 hours of today was spent on a plane. 

This morning we ate our first Swiss breakfast.  It was delicious!  We had the most amazing apricot yogurt, delicious breads, and nutella.  There was also a great variety of juices, teas, and also coffee.   Then we packed up our possessions and headed to the train station.  

As we traveled in the train stations, and then through the airport, we couldn't help but love the peace and quiet.  Unlike other countries, the Swiss do not seem to pump music through speakers in public areas.  The result is something we both enjoy, and even in crowded public places, if you had your eyes shut, you might mistake it for a library.  

In the airport, we purchased a couple pretzels and a bitter lemon schwepps for our last official European meal.  We boarded the plane without any problems and found ourselves sitting in front of young children (again!).  At least this time we weren't planning on sleeping.  The flight was unremarkable, and we were glad to be home!  Many thanks to Claire Guida for picking us up and bringing us back to our house.  

Thanks for following our journey with us!  We've enjoyed posting so much that we'll be continuing this little blog for our travels.   That's all for now!

Love, 

Team Chavez

Day 11: Lucerne

Hi Family and Friends,

Today has been such a fun day of adventure! Although the conference was wonderful, it is nice to have a day without any group responsibilities.

In the morning, we got a ride to the airport with our innkeeper. It is amazing how light, warm, and beautiful Dubrovnik is at 5 a.m. No wonder everyone seems so happy and relaxed. Security in Croatia is much lighter than in America, so apart from my barrette setting of the metal detector, it was a very quick check in process.

Our flight from Dubrovnik to Zagreb was filled with other conference attendees - it almost felt like we were back on the bus! We had a two hour layover in Zagreb, and then we were shuttled out to our plane...and it was a tiny propeller plane! Not quite what I was anticipating for an international flight. Regardless of our first impressions, the flight was quite nice, and we were served the most delicious ham sandwiches and cherry juice.

We arrive in Zurich and caught a train to the main station. Our hotel, "Hotel Montana" (curiously decorated with French art) was only a couple blocks from the main station. Our room looked like it had been ordered out of an Ikea catalog, and there was a beautiful paint finish on the wall behind our bed. We picked up a couple complementary apples and hopped the next train to Lucerne.

The ride to Lucerne was breathtaking, and at 45 minutes, all together too short! Once we arrived, we purchased the most amazing pretzels covered with roasted pumpkin seeds. Sorry Auntie Ann, I've found a pretzel I like better! Dave and I toured Lucerne through a self guided walking tour of the city. We saw so many neat places, squares, and landmarks, that it would be impossible to describe them all.

The covered bridges were especially interesting. Not only are the beautiful from a distance, but works of art are hung in the gables. Dave and I also saw a huge Panorama painting (one of the largest canvases in the world) of the French internment during the Franco-Prussian war. The painting was so large and detailed that it almost felt like we were really there. Right up the street from the Panorama is the most famous sculpture in Lucerne, the Dying Lion Monument. The sculpture is carved into the sandstone cliff, and it is a moving depiction of a fallen wounded lion amidst shields. We also saw several medieval churches and courtyards. Very beautiful!

The swans in Lucerne are also something of a wonder. They are very aggressive and follow would-be feeders around. They also have an impressive diet - I actually saw one eating the end of an ice cream cone.

We didn't feel particularly inclined to have to fend off swans, so we opted to eat dinner inside. We tried weinerschnitzel and a boiled beef pretzel sandwich. Both were very good, but the highlight of the dinner was the lager and wheat beer. Made right in Lucerne, they were delicious! After dinner we had been hoping to visit a few shops, but it appears that almost everything closes in Lucerne after 6 pm. We decided to take the train back to Zurich, enjoy the scenery at twilight, and have some extra time to sleep before another day of travel.

I am not sure if I mentioned this before, but I (Melissa) am part Swiss, and I noticed several of my features that are considered unique in the US are normal here. First, the uneven hair line that my sisters and I have is extremely common. Secondly, the women have larger than average feet. Even the display shoes in the stores are my size, EUR 42! Next time I need shoes, I know where to go. :)

Cheers!

Team Chavez

Day 10: Dubrovnik

Hi friends and family!

Today is our last full day in Croatia and the last day of the conference. We woke up to another beautiful day, with the sun streaming in through the orange curtains. Our guesthouse shower has the most unusual configuration of waterspouts – one of your feet and one for your head. Breakfast was the usual Croatian fare. We love almost everything about Croatia except the traditional breakfast. If we ever come again, we will be skipping the provided breakfast and feast on cherry yogurts and pastries instead. And with all the steps we have to climb here in Dubrovnik, we certainly wouldn’t have to worry about the calories.

After visiting the Old Town market, (and eating an outstanding peach the size of a softball) we caught a public bus to the conference hotel. Now that the last day of the conference is here, I can’t believe how quickly it passed. I am glad that we still have one more full day in Europe, although I wish we could stay for much longer. Tomorrow morning we will be flying to Zurich, and then we are hoping to spend the day in Lucerne.

Following the conference sessions, we visited the beach and waded around for a short time. Then we headed back to our guest house to do some much needed laundry. Due to scheduling issues, our hosts asked if we would mind changing rooms, and our new room assignment is gorgeous. We even have our own private balcony.

We dressed for dinner and headed back to Old Town for the conference farewell dinner. We arrived early, so we took some time to walk the wall surrounding the Old Town. The views were amazing and it felt adventurous to climb up and down the ancient steps and watchtowers. Our dinner was in a beautiful seaside restaurant, and we were served the most delicious seafood: Octopus salad, tuna pate, brined and plain anchovies, shrimp risotto, cuttlefish risotto, and sea bass. After the usual spate of speeches and thanks, we closed the evening with a traditional music performance. It was a wonderful conference, and we really enjoyed meeting so many wonderful people.

Tomorrow, our Air Croatia flight leaves at 6:25 a.m., so it is going to be an early morning for us! We will arrive in Zurich just before 11, and then we will be off on an adventure for the day. Please think of us as we travel.

Day 8 & 9: Split, Hvar, Bosnia, Dubrovnik

Day 8

We began today with a trip to Dioclesian’s palace. First we went underground and saw the historic substructures, and then we went above ground to view some of the remaining remnants. Dioclesian’s palace is a huge structure, and it is amazing to consider living in such a vast complex.

After seeing the palace, we went by Catamaran to Hvar, a large island near Split that is famous for its lavender production. It is so fragrant that we could smell the island from quite a distance. Once we were on the island, we took a group tour of old city Hvar, and then we had the afternoon and evening free to wander. Some of the highlights of the tour included seeing the oldest theater in Europe, a wealth of 15^th century paintings in the cathedral, and the lace making of Benedictine nuns. Once we were on our own, Dave and I hiked up to the top of the hill to visit the fort. It was a long, hot, and beautiful hike. Neither of us had ever seen cactuses as large as the ones we passed on the trail. The view from the top of the fort was incredible – we were told that you could see Italy on a clear day. It was a clear day, and I am not sure if what we were seeing was Italy or not, but we could see very far.

After our hot hike, we decided to go to the beach. The beach in Hvar is a pebble beach, and people lie out on rocks while sunbathing. Dave hopped right into the (cold) water, but in the process stepped on a stinging sea urchin with both feet. Although his feet seem to have recovered completely, we haven’t figured out how to remove all the stingers. Hopefully he can just declare them at customs. I am sure the US would be glad to remove them. ;)

For dinner, we decided to try local beverages and seafood. The seafood has a very different texture and

look on the Adriatic. We found the shrimp and lobster very delicious. The shrimp were white with pale pink stripes and had the texture of a firm potato. The lobster was spiny and had a crazy shape – the meat was fairly close in taste to a Maine lobster, but the legs were much meatier.

After our long day, we slept very well!

Day 9

Packing our stuff up went much faster this time. We got on the bus bright and early for the trip to Dubrovnik. The road winds along the Adriatic, and there is a section of the road that passes through Bosnia & Hercegovina.

Add one more country to the list! We got out at a rest stop and took some pictures, and I (Dave) tried a brew from Sarajevo available at the mini-supermarket -- and it really was a mini-supermarket, complete with bedspreads, clothing, CDs, and various foodstuffs. It's amazing to think that less than two decades ago, these countries were still torn by war surrounding the breakup of former Yugoslavia. They have done an admirable job of rebuilding and the various peoples seem to live together peacefully today. The infrastructure throughout our trip has been in noticeably good shape, particularly the long, winding roads.

Dubrovnik is at the southeast tip of Croatia, on a small sliver of the country between the sea and neighboring Bosnia & Hercegovina (which is the official name of that country: both Bosnia and Hercegovina). The ride into Dubrovnik has dramatic views of a city built onto steep slopes running down to a beautiful port and beaches. There is a very modern-architecture-looking suspension bridge leading into the city, and a few minutes later, views of the stari grad, the "old city."

Dubrovnik's old city is the original Dubrovnik, a walled fortress of a city that looks like a giant castle, with huge, steep walls running straight into the rocks and the ocean.

After arriving with the group at the hotel where the conference sessions would take place, we had a group lunch very much focused on the local seafood. It was delicious, if a bit heavy after a long drive; the restaurant seemed to do either mostly or all wood-fired cooking.

We found lodging at a B&B we had read about the night before, and the innkeeper's wife even picked us up from the conference hotel for free! Her English was limited (though her skills were better than she gave herself credit for). One interesting part of the conversation was when she mentioned living for a while in Neum, which was the place we had stopped earlier in the day. I recognized the name and, not knowing any better, said "Bosnia." to which she corrected me: "Hercegovina." It was interesting to realize that though Bosnia & Hercegovina are one country now in the eyes of an American like me, there seems to be a clear distinction in the mind of a person from this area.

Our friendly, witty innkeeper gave us free juice and Croatian beer (!) on arrival, and showed us to our room. What a cool b&b home, high above the old city and the sea, complete with a pool, a large bbq area, all sorts of flowering plants and an absolutely amazing view! We chatted with our host for a while and some other guests; not unlike our discussion with the man working at his family restaurant during our dinner in Split, the conversation quickly became somewhat philosophical and I feel like we gained a fascinating view into this laid-back man's live-and-let-live view of the world.

He showed us on our map how to walk down to the old city, and in minutes, we were at the "Pile" Gate (pronounced "pee-lay"). Across a drawbridge, our group broke into smaller groups for a tour. We learned about the history of this very old city, including the fact that new archeological finds reveal even older artifacts than before and they cannot therefore tell us exactly how old the city is. The old city is well-planned, with multiple churches, halls of government, grain storage, and fountains with fresh water that came from mountain springs via aqueducts.

It is all stone and built to last. Unfortunately, some of this still-inhabited historic city-fortress was damaged in the recent war and is still being restored. We could see shrapnel damage to at least one old church, and other places where the roof tiles or stone was much newer than elsewhere. Apparently, Dubrovnik was the a major point of attack during the war. A French-built fortress on the huge, steep hill high above the city used to have a cable car running up to it and a restaurant operating in it, but the restaurant is abandoned and the cable car is gone. One notable feature is a large, blue, cross-shaped post that used to help hold the cable car, standing strangely alone near the fortress above. There is also a surprising large population of thin, stray cats (so adorable!) prowling the old city, searching for handouts, chasing birds and staking out territory. We asked about them, and our tour guide said they were left during the war.

Our tour guide also said that the people of Dubrovnik, after they returned (many became refugees during the war) now were a bit more negative in their attitude. We couldn't tell, however, as this city seems friendly like the rest of Croatia, and at the time was brimming with tourists, many probably from the large cruise ships which seem to visit Dubrovnik as a popular port-of-call.

Like Zagreb and Split, Dubrovnik has multiple Catholic churches (including a cathedral, the seat of a bishop), which display a mix of historic art and architecture alongside very current decoration evidencing their continual use up to and including the present. Above the entryway to one church sits a statue of Saint Blaise, patron Saint of the city. In one hand, he holds (quite literally) the city -- it looks like he just picked it up, rock and stone and all! We also learned that the town hall-type building across the street was where the current town administrator would live in old times, but that he was only elected by the rest of the council for a month at a time. There's an interesting example of checks and balances.

The city was under Venetian control for centuries, and sometimes when walking up and down the stairs of the hilly city, it feels like Italy. I'm not sure if it's related or not, but there are also plenty of ice cream shops.

We had dinner with two of our fellow conference attendees at a delicious pizza place called Tabasco, right outside of the old city. Two sizable gourmet pizzas and a liter of wine--plenty for four people--for the equivalent of 31 American dollars. I love how well one can eat here without spending too much!

Day 6 and 7: From Zagreb to Split

Hello Friends and Family!

Happy Fourth of July! While it seems strange to not be spending the day with friends, family, and fireworks, it was nice to celebrate with some fellow Americans this evening. More on that to come, but first - the news to date.

Day 6

Yesterday morning, we met the CMS conference group nice and early to ride by coach bus to Split, Croatia. On the way, we stopped at the Plitvice Lakes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was incredibly beautiful with many waterfalls and crystal clear water. There is no hunting or fishing allowed in the park, so the fish must feel incredibly safe since they followed us around begging for food. We took an hour walk through the park, and then had lunch at the nearby restaurant. I think we could have easily spent a whole day at Plitvice Lakes, but since we didn't really want to be left behind, we'll have to save that for a later date.

We arrived in Split around 6:30 p.m. and after wandering the windy Split streets, we found our bed and breakfast and checked in. Our room is tastefully decorated and spacious (for European standards), and the innkeeper is quite nice. She is from Australia and consequently her English is excellent. There are many people in Croatia who do not speak any English, and while we have acquired a vocabulary of about 50 useful Croatian words, it is still nice to communicate effectively in English.

After checking in, we found a delightful place to eat near the fish market. We shared an appetizer of crostini with sardines and tomatoes, and then I had sea bass with swiss chard and boiled potatoes, while Dave had scampi with green noodles. Delicious. For dessert, we had the Croatian cross between gelato and ice cream.

Day 7 - From Dave

Split is much more of a coastal resort town -- has a bit more of the trappings of tourism/nightlife. However, much of this atmosphere occurs around (and within) the massive complex of Diocletian's Palace by the waterfront. Fashion shops, coffee bars, banks, open-air markets and all manner of souvenir shops are built into the centuries-old walls.

Last year, we decided that every time we took a major trip we would bring back some kind of art to decorate our home. Today, we found our first art piece from Croatia -- a piece of handmade lace. We also picked up some fresh lavender which we are thinking of pressing and framing. The open-air markets were beautiful and inspiring. We saw fresh cheese, plenty of olive oil bottled in all manner of repurposed drink bottles, fruits, vegetables, flowers, souvenirs, arts and crafts, and more. The fish market was so fresh, and the vendors were not afraid to call out to passers-by about their wares! I remember at one vendor's spot seeing a scale with old-fashioned metal weights to counterbalance the product being weighed.

We shared a cab with some other conference attendees to the music academy in Split and attended the afternoon conference sessions, including performances-with-talking about a Croatian composer, and a discussion about some European efforts to bring more standardization to higher-education music degrees among different countries and institutions.

In the evening, we went to the unfortunately-named but actually very interesting "Ethnoland," a re-creation of a Dalmatian village of a century ago. First thing off the bus, they played a local bagpipe instrument for us (which I believe is older than the bagpipes of the British Isles) and served us a local specialty which was an herbed brandy. We saw where the wheat was threshed, as well as a re-created house with all the tools of the time, including a loom, a smoking room (for smoking meats -- an 18-month process!) and a wine cellar. It's always impressive to see what pre-industrial societies went through in order to survive and carry on their daily lives. At Ethnoland, we had a truly delicious dinner centered around a speciality from that time which involved meat and potatoes cooked by the heat of a hot stove and hot coals underneath a big metal bell.

After dinner, we were entertained by a Croatian folk ensemble and many different types of Croatian dancers. We also entertained ourselves by singing many patriotic and American songs. Many of the CMS conference attenders are not American, but they still sang along - and occasionally knew the words better than we did!

Tomorrow, we are visiting the island of Hvar.

Day 5: An Culinary Adventure

Hello Friends and Family!

Tomorrow the conference moves to Split, Croatia, so Dave and I started the day determined to really enjoy being in Zagreb. Our first adventure began with breakfast. I forgot to mention breakfast in yesterday's blog entry, but a Croatian "continental" breakfast is simply astounding. Even here at the Best Western, the breakfast buffet is a wonder to behold. We have never, ever seen such a variety of foods offered for general consumption at 6:30 a.m. in the morning. For example, consider an approximate snippet of our breakfast conversation:

M - Are those french toast sticks?

D - I'm not sure.

M - Is there some type of filling in there?

D - Yes.

M - What is it?

D - I have no idea.

M - (tries a bite) Oh. It's filled with fish.

D - I'm not sure I'm enjoying this breakfast.

Croatians apparently eat at least one complete meal for breakfast. A typical morning spread here includes: hot dogs, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, american pancakes, scrambled eggs, roasted eggplant, pate, several types of yogurt, several types of granola, caprese salad, fresh cottage cheese, assortment of dried fruits and nuts, assortment of canned fruit, tea, champagne, coffee, and a full spread of desserts. There are also about 20 different types of meats/breads/spreads. All for breakfast. No wonder most Croatians only eat two meals.

Today, on our second attempt at breakfast, we had figured out what some of the best breakfast choices are and stuck to those.

After breakfast,we went on a conference tour of musical sights around Croatia and then attended a lecture on 10 centuries of Croatian music. It was very interesting, in part because the history of Croatia is fascinating. This blog would go on for a long time if I tried to retell it all, but it is definitely worth investigating. Following the lecture, we had a group lunch at a local restaurant. We had some type of egg and cheese appetizer, followed by a 1/4 of a turkey over klugel. For dessert we had a poppy seed and fruit bar. It was very unique.

On our way back for the next lecture, we stopped in Zagreb's farm market, which boasts the most amazing variety of fruits and cheese. Fruit, and food in general, is extremely inexpensive here, even in the capital city. We got some fresh raspberries and shared them.

After an interesting lecture on music theory pedagogy, we had the afternoon to explore Zagreb. We decided to walk th

rough the old town area. To get to the old town, you can either walk up a small hill or you can take the "world's shortest" funicular. We decided to take the funicular just because we wanted to experience the world's shortest one, and because it was rather inexpensive (about 80 cents per person...and it is in the background of the picture on the left). In old town, we visited several churches. Croatia is predominately Catholic, and although it seems that it has been that way for a long time, many of the church buildings are more recent due to devastating fires, wars, and earthquakes of the past. There is a beautiful shrine at the east stone gate. The stone gate dates from the mid 1200's, and at some point in history there was a tragic fire that burned down many homes and consequently destroyed much of the gate. However, a picture painted on the wall of Mary and Jesus was miraculously left unscathed, and is one of the most sacred spots in Zagreb. The sincere devotion of the people praying there was quite moving.

After our time in the old town, we found a place to try two traditional Croatian dishes: Gulash (stew with meat and potatoes) and Strukli (fresh cheese placed in dough pockets and then boiled). Even with dessert, beverages and tip, our check still came to less than 18 dollars.

The last event of the day was the composers concert, and we were treated to two hour concert of new music by composers from various countries. The music was incredible! I think Dave's music would be ideal for one of the concerts, and I hope he had that opportunity in the future.

Tomorrow we leave at 8 am for Split, Croatia. Along the way we will be stopping in beautiful Plitvice National Park. We might not get a chance to blog tomorrow, so we'll fill you in on our adventures on Saturday!

Presentation day!

Well, today was the big day! Melissa gave her lecture recital on Astor Piazzolla's tango opera María de Buenos Aires, and Dave presented his research on two David Gilmour guitar solos from Pink Floyd's The Wall. It was a lot for one day, especially since we were both involved in helping the other prepare and execute, but at least now we can sit back and enjoy the rest of the conference without feeling like we "ought to be preparing!" And it went really well! Thank you for all the support from back home. We could definitely feel it!

Afterwards, we went out to dinner with friends we made at the

last CMS conference we attended. We had a very traditional Croatian meal of spit-roasted meat (picenje) and fried potatoes. It was so delicious, especially because we skipped lunch in order to make sure everything was ready to go for Melissa's lecture recital. For dessert, another Croatian tradition: walnut pancakes

(palačinka).

The pictures on this post are of us presenting. We mostly have Dave's presentation on video, but you can see him chatting post-presentation in the middle picture.