Thursday, June 30, 2016

Dream Vacation ~The Full Story ~~Day Seven: The Trip within Our Trip, A Weekend in Dubrovnik ~~How We Spent the Morning

I woke up Saturday Morning to this view from my patio.
I had slept with the sliding glass door open a bit, 
so I could enjoy the fresh air and the sounds of the sea.

After breakfast, we rode the city bus
to the Beautiful Old Town Dubrovnik.

If you plan to take a walking tour of the ancient city wall,
start early in the day before it is too hot.

It was simply stunning...
every..where..you..looked.

The contrasting colors of the red-orange roof tops 
with the blue of the sea and sky...



The warm weather...the scenery...the company...
It was all just so very pleasant.
With hard work and determination...we reached the highest point.


Enjoy this panoramic view from the top.

Take care,
~Natalie

Monday, June 27, 2016

Dream Vacation ~The Full Story ~~Day Six Continued: Our Trip within our Trip ~~~An Awesome Ending to the Day

The "trip within our trip"...it doesn't get any better than this!
We were staying at the Hotel Dubovnik Palace.
You can relax here on this level,
enjoying the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.

Or you can relax here with the clean, fresh, 
and warmer water of the resort pool.

After our pool-side beverage, we freshened up.
It was time for dinner, and the restaurant was a short walk away.

There was a beautiful view around every corner.

The dining is much more formal than it is here, at home.
White tablecloths.. cloth napkins..
and a full place setting.

The server brings a one-bite appetizer,
This one is an anchovy with greens on a toasted baguette.

My Dinner Companions

Our view at Dinner.

I absolutely love seafood,
and this was the perfect opportunity to order it fresh.

I ordered the Shrimps prepared Dalmation way.

These guys were served, complete with their beady little eyes.

And, my awesome son-in-law, with his steak waiting on his plate,
showed me how to break off their heads and cut their bellies open.

While, I had to work for my dinner,
I thoroughly enjoyed every bite.

We all shared dessert.




Do you see the walkways?
Yes, it is glass, and you can see all the way down!
Yeah, I didn't step on the glass!!

While walking back to our resort,
we enjoyed live jazz music from the local musicians.

Stay Tuned!
Take care,
~Natalie

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Dream Vacation ~The Full Story ~~Day Six: A Trip Within Our Trip

 
Our dream vacation was planned 
to include a weekend getaway.

So, on Friday, we were up and at 'em early.
It's a two hour drive from home to Heathrow. 
Our flight was at 6 a.m.

With a three hour lay-over in Vienna,
Amy and I shopped the local wares while 
Nick finished some work assignments. 

For lunch, we enjoyed the local brew...

...and I ordered the Soup of the Day, which was Gulasch.

This is the menu listing.
Now, at home I consider Goulash the ultimate comfort food.
I knew this would not be quite the same, 
but was confident that I would like it!

And here, I was not disappointed.
The Gulasch soup was delicious!

Then, we were back in the air to our weekend destination.

Nick picked up the rental car, 
while Amy and I waited for our checked luggage.

We checked into our rooms and took a few minutes to get settled.
Out on my patio,
This was my view to my left...

...and this was my view to the right.

I really.. was.. living in a dream!

It was a privilege to travel with these two love birds.

Cheers!

Take care,
~Natalie

Stop back often, as I have so many fabulous photos to share!

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Dream Vacation ~The Full Story ~~Day 5: Continued...How We Spent our Afternoon

High Tea
You cannot visit the UK without participating in this tradition.

It is called High Tea, as it is a light meal served at a table.
Afternoon Tea is served on comfortable chairs and sofas.

After visiting Nick at work, we were on the road.
Amy driving her mini cooper 
and me with my selfie stick!

Our first stop was in Newmarket.
They have a darling little tea room there...

...plus this is where Amy and Nick attend the horse races.
The Newmarket Tea Room was booked...

...so we moved on to Ely.

There, the Peacocks Tearoom was just so charming.


We each had our own tea service.


The food is served in tiers.

The top tier features Sandwiches...
Egg Salad,
Cucumber,
 and Salmon.
Yum

On the second tier, Scones with Clotted Cream.
Not sure how to explain clotted cream...
but, imagine a combination of butter, cream cheese, and whipped cream.

On the third tier, we could choose our type of cake.
We each ordered something different so that we could share.

Mine was the delicous carrot cake.

Amy ordered the chocolate cake.
That little pitcher contains a rich cream sauce.

After we left the Tearoom, 
we enjoyed the view on the water front.

High Tea was one of my favorite experiences on my trip!
Thank you, Amy.

Take care,
~Natalie

p.s. when we got home,
Nick had finished his homework.
He fired up the grill and prepared a delicious meal
of Salmon and Asparagus.

Road Trip ~Day Three ~Burger Battle ~Sweet Shopping Highlights

Our last full travel day took us through four states… Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Including some Big Bridges over some Big ...