Wow! What to say about today? Somewhere in the middle Rod Serling was saying, "Do not adjust your sets...". It began with me being the first one in the house awake...surprise, surprise, huh?
I went next door to what was supposed to be my hotel and had breakfast. I had to wait a while before people who work there started arriving. But I had plenty to do trying to figure my options for the continuation of the trip.
My wish was to get a hotel reservation (for a real room...not a pretend one) in Dubrovnik for Saturday night. Then I could catch the Bari ferry on Sunday, giving me quite a bit of time around Dubrovnik. (Bari ferry...does that sound alliterative in some sort of sweet weird way?)
But there was not a room to be found...at least on my Internet. I went to check the ferry availability, and was told it was too close to sailing to book on-line, and I should call phone number xyz. (Am I the only one who finds that strange? It would seem the closer to sailing you get the more beneficial the speed of computers would be. But WTF do I know? I would have thought that would work for late hotel reservations, too.) A call to that number yielded, first in Croat, and then in English, a message that said the number was not assigned to anyone. So, once again, I'm caught in what I've begun to think of as the Croatian dilemma: you want everything to work...but nothing does. The hotel last night was great...but you don't have a room in it. The manager and her husband?, boyfriend?, significant other?, brother? (you just don't bloody know anymore, do you?) were very nice, but their agent had screwed up the negotiation for when a room was truly available for Orbitz, AND, I repeat AND, he doesn't give directions for crapola! Sorry, that doesn't get me where I need to be...he doesn't give directions for shit. You spend a small fortune on Garmin, and they can't find a fooking island that has been there for a least a couple of hundred thousand years. The latter introduces American screw ups into the equation so we can't call it the Croatian dilemma any more, we need another word for this. How about "croak?" (Croat-American Foul-up [but I ain't thinking 'foul']). Works for me.
Anyway, I can't find a room in Dubrovnik, I can't connect to the phone number which is supposed to get me a ferry reservation, so I do what you are supposed to do in such occasions, I adapt, innovate, overcome.
My only solid commitment at this point is to be in Firenze, Italy on or after August 9th to meet my new driver's license. So, I point my nose northward. To Trieste, Italy. It used to the "in" place among the beautiful people, though, I think, Croatia has usurped some of that title. But, it works for me. It's highway, and Betsy and I love highway. It's on the Adriatic. It ain't raining there. C'est marche!
The only downside to this route is I have to backtrack some road. Betsy and I are partial to new road, but old road will do if it's getting me the hell out of Croatia. Too much bad karma going on here.
I'm beginning to think I'm the poster child for Murphy's Law. I program in Trieste, Italy on the Garmin and it tells me something like 8-9 hours to get there. I should know enough by now to double check this beast, but I'm in a hurry to go so I pull out and say, "I'll pay the toll, whatever it is...just get me the hell outta here."
Imagine my surprise when Mr. Garmin routes me to Zadar, Croatia. It's not far off the road I thought I'd be routed on but, I thought, what the hell, I have it set to fastest route, I guess Mr. Garmin knows what he' doing. Wrong again, Amerigo Vespuchi-breath. Mr. Garmin don't know shit from shinola. I had allowed the setting for ferries to be "Yes," because I'd planned to take one from Dubrovnik. So what Mr. Garmin had done is route me to the ferry terminal in Zadar...that is what added three hours to a five hour trip. Evidently, it doesn't matter if you select faster route if you turn ferry on? Who the hell would guess that? (No one, can you say "bug?") But, what the heck, I end up with yet another Garmin moment for my diary. And, more importantly, I got to see a lot of Zadar. It's a great looking place. If I could have found an internet connection somewhere in the entire city, I'd have made reservations there and canceled Trieste. It turns out that was another piece of serendipity.
This is all getting pretty ridiculous. But, boy, am I learning that Ronald Reagan was right about one thing: Trust, but verify.
None of this matters, though. It was a great ride, through beautiful country, to a wonderful destination.
After checking into the NH Trieste, I had that wonderful "road shower," dressed and went looking for some dinner and scenery. I found it in spades.
Trieste harbor late in the afternoon.
From the harbor looking inward.
And this spectacular piazza
Beautiful in the daytime
As you can see, a concert is being set up.
I found a table just to the right of the white tent "sound" control area you see in the photo. Couldn't see the orchestra, but I could hear them. Music is, after all, an aural event. Plus, beer and food as well.
I hadn't a program...but recognized both Liszt and Bach in the works. And, I think, a couple of Verdi. That would certainly be appropriate here.
By the way...a fellow can have quite a few beers listening to this music, and not really know it until he stands to walk back to his hotel.
I said above the piazza was beautiful in the daytime. Catch the night.
My restaurant is toward the end down there.
The Piece de Resistance
The canal on the way back to the hotel
The following were all taken during my ride out of Trieste the next morning. But they are Trieste, and belong on this page. It is truly a beautiful spot.
Sometimes Mr. Garmin takes you down really nice places, too.
Seems to me there was a James Bond scene (with the real one, Sean Connery) shot right here. I think the boat he was on blew up just off the shore.
Aha! A Survivor!
And, of course, Kilroy and Betsy were here.
Out of breath, but will be back.
ReplyDeleteTrieste looks like a worthy destination alone. Nice.
ReplyDeleteLooks like you have a Belstaff jacket (now BMG). What model is that? Discovery? How do you like it?
Sylvia has the Discovery. I've put about 50,000 miles on my BMG Mercury. Nice jackets.
Actually, the jacket is another FirstGear. It's called the Jaunt Jacket and, like my old one with 50,000+ miles on it, works just fine. They do a good job of thinking through their designs.
ReplyDelete