“The business of life is the acquisition of memories. In the end, that’s all there is.” Carson pontificating to Mrs. Hughes, Downton Abbey
Mr. Carson, Downton Abbey Wiki
Where we traveled in mid-April 2026
The Balkans are the former Yugoslavia, with leaders in its history like Tito and Miloßeviç. Yugoslavia became five independent states in June 2001. We visited Slovenia, Montenegro and Croatia, which has the longest shoreline along the Adriatic Sea.
On this map, our first stop, Koper, Slovenia, sits almost directly across from Venice, Italy, where our Delta flight landed from Atlanta, Georgia, a day earlier.
Most towns featured red tiled roofs with houses perched, terrace-like, along the sea, like this one.
Culturally, Slovenia is diverse, but we visited several Roman Catholic cathedrals like this one, Stolna cerky Marijinega. Our tour guide mentioned that during WWII, the Nazis stole precious art work from the church, loading smaller paintings onto their trucks, but leaving the larger ones intact.
Zadar, Croatia
In Zadar, we saw Roman ruins, Venetian-built city walls, and a monumental church with some quackery going on.
The town is also notable for its sea organ. Along the sea, an architectural feature plays music via sea waves pushing air through pipes under the marble promenade. To me, the “music” the pipes generated sounded a little bit like whale music.
Alfred Hitchcock claimed that Zadar’s sunsets are the most beautiful in the world.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Dubrovnik, dubbed “pearl of the Adriatic,” is one of the most popular destinations in Croatia. The city served as the primary filming location for King’s Landing, the Red Keep, and Quarth in Game of Thrones. Some travelers took an excursion to the series’ sites. We visited the Old Town instead.
And the magnificent steps leading up to the cathedral!
Our stylish and knowledgeable guide immersed us in the town’s history and world-wide appeal!
Dubrovnik, located in Dalmatia, the southern region of Croatia, is popular for its massive, 16th-century stone walls and its harbor of clear, blue water.
How we felt after the long, immersive tour
Kotor, Montenegro
Mountains grew higher and the history even more enchanting as we sailed south to Kotor, Montenegro.
Our Lady of the Rock Church—According to local lore, sailors, returning home after a successful fishing trip, contributed rocks to form the artificial island on which the church rests.
Our energetic guide led us through the city gate and then to the interior of the ornate church Pjaca Sv. Pripuna.
Women’s costumes displayed in a nearby museum. In the photo below that, a metal symbol of feral cats that once roamed the town.
My backpack, worn bandolier style, contained a water bottle, passport, and RFID pouch to protect a single credit card.
Corfu, Greece
Corfu, an island on the Ionian Sea made famous to Americans who watched the TV seriesThe Durrells of Corfu, features cobblestone streets and pastel-colored Venetian architecture. My photos reflect our morning shopping tour with the ship’s executive chef in the town’s market. In the evening we and other guests dined with produce from the market: lemons, olives, honey, kumquats, bread and various fish including anchovies.
Vendors and produce
Chef selects spices
Kumquats in season, a big menu item
That evening, orange tee-shirted shopper dons his chef uniform and presents a huge spread with 8 courses
Santorini, Greece
We cruised to Oia, Santorini in the Aegean Sea on a “tender,” a small boat. The views were stunning with blue and white architecture, perched on high cliffs. Before heading back to our ship, we enjoyed a Greek salad with pita bread in the Thalami restaurant, menu in Greek and English, of course.
Athens, Greece, our point of departure for our trip back home.
From Venice Italy, and through the Balkans (Slovenia, Croatia, and Montenegro), we heard church bells ringing. At the end of our voyage, we heard clear bells tolling as well, bestowing a benediction upon our trip to the Mediterranean.
Takeaways
- We visited a part of the world we hadn’t seen before, a very good thing.
- A cruise is a great way to travel if you want to unpack just once.
- Go while you are still ambulatory. Viking offers all types of port tours and they accommodate travelers with canes or a wheelchair.
- Cliff and I took advantage of most of the town tours, but we didn’t take the rigorous, day-long hike to the renowned Plitvice Lakes and Waterfalls in Croatia.
- Because of the fine cuisine, we expected to gain weight. Au contraire: Cliff lost weight (5 pounds) and I stayed the same. How come? A Viking representative explained that while walking on board, muscles are constantly being exercised even if the ship’s movement seems almost imperceptible.
- We met world-class staff all around: Servers in the dining rooms, maid service twice daily. A diverse group of young people, they send money back to their families; some with children they Face-Time as often as possible.
- We took photos and videos, and made memories—the best souvenirs of all.
What a marvellous adventure. You stopped at so many fascinating places. We love cruising and have taken 7 sea cruises and 1 river cruise over the years, and have never been disappointed. Thanks for the fabulous photos, and the bells ringing in the video are so lovely. Great memories for sure!
You and Paul are been to fabulous places, so accessible from your vantage point in Spain. Except for 2-3 short trips to the Caribbean, we have not cruised on the ocean. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos and videos, Darlene. 😀
Oh my goodness, Marian! Wow! What beautiful photos! That vivid blue and white in Santorini—so iconic. I’ve never been. I’ve only seen pictures. So funny that Cliff lost weight and you didn’t gain either during the cruise!
The cathedral steps in Dubrovnik look so familiar. You mentioned that Game of Thrones was filmed there, but I’ve never seen the show, except for a few seconds of footage in videos. But I wonder if movies were filmed there.
I did a little research and found that in addition to The Game of Thrones, other movies and shows have been filmed there: Star Wars “Return of the Jedi,” filmed on the main street of Stradun, and in 2018, Robin Hood.
We haven’t traveled much since 2017 for a wedding anniversary in British Columbia, so this trip was extra special. I’m glad you enjoyed the travelogue, L. Marie! 😀
Hi Marian,
I’ve been looking forward to reading about your Balkan travels! It sounds like the trip was a huge success. I had no idea you were cruising over there. That made things much easier, haha.
Thank you for the wonderful report of your time there and for teaching me a few new things. I had no idea that the longest coastline in the Adriatic belonged to Croatia and not Italy and now I know – or can guess – what Bandolier style means. 🙂
At our age, cruising makes sense, although Viking offers so many excursions, you could wear yourself out with all the choices. To clarify, Croatia has the longest coastline in the Adriatic in the Balkans; Italy would be longer.
I’m glad you learned something new, Liesbet. That’s saying something–from a world traveler! 😀
Good morning, Marian! It looks and sounds like you and Cliff certainly had your trip of a lifetime! I’ve never been on a cruise, and the closest I’ve been to the places you’ve mentioned is Venice. It all looks beautiful, despite the wars they’ve endured there.
I’m surprised, too, that with all that fabulous food, neither of you gained weight! 😊
Yes, this was the trip of a lifetime. I didn’t mention wars, but we saw buildings that remained pock-marked from bullets and other missiles from enemies. Sad!
Yes, we didn’t gain weight. Now the challenge is to keep it off back home.
Thanks, again, for sharing your thoughts here, Merril! 😀
You’re welcome, Marian! 😊
Wow what a great trip, Marian! I really enjoyed seeing these pictures and reading about your experience. My sister and SIL are trying to convince me to take a trip to Croatia and I’m leaning heavily towards a YES. I’m glad you and Cliff had such a nice experience on your cruise and were able to take tours. I think when you visit a new place it really helps to have a guide.
Go ahead with your impulse, Barbara. The time to go is NOW. It would have been easier for us to go earlier. You will enjoy it fully–maybe even hike to the amazing falls!
And, yes, we would have been lost without a guide–a native who has a history of the area and can add personal knowledge too. 😀
Thanks so much for letting me join you and Cliff on this amazing trip, Marian! 😊 The photos are spectacular! Who knew that Alfred Hitchcock had visited Zadar and thought their sunsets were the best in the world? I always enjoy the unique, quirky elements different towns offer like those feral cat metal figures. It would be fun to walk around looking for more peeking out here and there. May I ask what is the meaning of the large egg in Dubrovnik? But I think you saved the best for last with the video of the bells ringing. With the view, it was all so beautiful to take in. Cruises really are the best to explore the most territory. Thanks, Marian!
Melanie, you certainly are an astute reader.
About the large egg. It’s an Easter egg, created by artisans in an art school apparently in the town. This one has a design but no story. Often the painters depict a rural scene: farming, fishing, etc. I believe, too, the eggs “travel” around to different locations to advertise local talent.
Here’s to exploring foreign towns with a tour guide! For example, I would not have understand the meaning of the metal cat without the guide’s explanation. I didn’t see any reak cats running around in the neighborhoods we visited. 😀
Thank you, Marian for the explanation about the egg. I like that they change and are painted by artisans right in the art school. In terms of the cats, I figured that there were maybe more of the metal variety partly hidden scattered around for fun for visitors to find. Some towns do similar things. That’s good you didn’t see a lot of real ones running around, haha. 😄
What a great trip! Jealous! jadk
Well, Jack, thanks for commenting — I hope you get to go cruising sometime! 😀
Looks like a wonderful adventure, Marian! And so well documented! Thanks for sharing a memorable time!
You’re welcome, Elfrieda, and thanks for showing up here regularly! 😀
Thank you for giving us a tour of your trip! It looks like you and Cliff had a wonderful time! I was particularly taken with the story of Our Lady of the Rock Church. (I love a good legend!)
You’re welcome, Liz.
The activities director advised us to go out on our room’s balcony to see the tiny island. Sure enough, at about 6:30 a.m. on our way to dock in Montenegro, it can into view, partially hidden by trees. 😀
I’m glad you were able to get a photo of it!
What a marvelous trip, Marian, making so many memories. I loved reading about your experiences and your takeaways. Yes, we shouldn’t put off these dream trips until it’s impractical to get around. You are the first cruisers I’ve ever heard of who didn’t gain weight.
Pete, we did a lot of walking–that, and the ship’s motion apparently kept the pounds off. Now the challenge is to keep them off! 😀
It looks like a wonderful adventure! I’d love to do it just to see and hear the sea organ. I’ve always wanted to visit Greece too and this way you’re seeing and experiencing a lot more than one country.
Sheila, welcome!
Readers, Sheila is new to Plain and Fancy and lives by the sea on Cape Cod. Her books also echo the ocean: https://sheila-hurst.com/about
Thanks for visiting my blog today. 😀
Thank you so much for the introduction and the virtual trip! I’m happy to find you and your books too!
What a wonderful trip … glad you could go! Those countries are fascinating even if I don’t get there. Thanks for the photos and explanations!
The Balkans held allure for us for a while, and I’m happy to share our experience here. I do believe this is our grand finale ocean cruise-wise. Thanks for noticing, Melodie! 😀
Hubby and I have been trying (for years) to go on our honeymoon. This June marks 30 years. With my health issues, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with many of the trips and tours. We’re still planning… lol So glad you got to go and loved your photos. I think I could eat my through any of those countries. 🙂
A river cruise would suit you and hubby just fine. There would be fewer people and (I imagine) a less strenuous pace. I had to chuckle when I read: “I think I could eat my through any of those countries.”
You deserve a vacation–especially a honeymoon, Jenn! 🙂
Thanks for taking us all along on your dream trip, Marian!
Wow, what wonderful adventures you had! So happy for you.
Beautiful pictures.
I know you and Harry enjoy cruising. You would enjoy this adventure.
And I’m glad you liked the photos too, Lorrie. We had good weather but a little chilly sometimes: 55-70 degrees. 😀
Travel is so essential to the writer. Thank you for sharing, Marian.
Your travel and writing life is an endorsement for that idea. Thanks for chiming in, Susan! 😀
Hi Marian, this looks like a fantastic experience. I haven’t been to Greece or the Balkan’s and it looks gorgeous. Thanks for sharing your adventure.
You are most welcome, Robbie! You love to travel because you are curious about other lands. That was our motivation. 😀
What a magnificent trip Marian! So that’s where you’ve been! Thank you for sharing so many wonderful pics to give us a feel of those countries. Hugs 🥰
Yes, after 6 weeks, I’m baaaack!
Glad you enjoyed the travelogue, Debby. We hadn’t taken a “real” trip in 9 years, so this one was overdue. 😀
Finally showing up here, Marian. Glad you included a link in your latest blog. I was in London and then Scotland for two weeks, so must have missed this one then.
You and Stuart are amazing, Shirley, traveling in your prime. I’m guessing you have amassed lots of Skymiles. I’m glad you found out more about the city tours on this post. Thanks for commenting once again. 😀