Adriatic Anticipation

Started to do some serious research into the spring break plans to Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia, with possible side-trips to Slovakia and Italy. It looks more and more beautiful, particularly the church on the island in Bled, Slovenia that you'll see if you click the link in the title above. On top of that, it will be (relatively) cheap! We can survive on US $35 a day if we need to, although since we want to treat ourselves to a bit of comfort, it looks like we will be spending about US $1000 total on this trip. Myself and my roommate Mike are committed, with two others definite for part of the trip if not all of it.

So the current plans have us arriving in Ljubljana on the Saturday preceding Palm Sunday and leaving from Vienna on Easter Monday. Unfortunately this means things will probably be largely shut down but we'll do our best. We plan on visiting Ljubljana, Bled, Split, Dubrovnik, Zagreb, Vienna and time permitting, Graz, Trieste, and Bratislava. Other lesser sites will fill in travel time between all those amazing sites most of which I'd never heard of before about a month ago. The entire area just sounds like a total gem and we'll really be there in the off season for Croatia and the extreme tail end of the ski season for Slovenia and Austria. From the sounds of it (and the pictures I've seen), I'm really not sure I'll ever want to come home again. The Slovenians are apparently born on skis, yet they do have a bit of lovely azure coastline. They twin the histories of Hapsburgian Central Europe with that of the Mediterranean Sun. A paradise on Earth and a nation of polyglots, easy to navigate. Home to Ljubljana, the "new Prague," small but sleek, cosmpolitan, and cultured, as well as many a natural wonder, Slovenia and its neighbours sound simply astounding. All this, plus fold in the heritage tour. With the maternal side hailing half from Croatia and half from Austro-Germany and the Dad's side from Slovakia and Austro-Germany, I'm covering at least 2 of the 3 if not all 3 major parts of my heritage--and I might even visit actual villages from whence the ancestors came.

I am quite visibly excited. All for now. Can't really write any more before I actually TRAVEL THERE.