Tag Archives: Europe

2018 TOP PICKS & HOSTED ADVENTURES

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By Chris Meyer/Expedia Franchise Partner

We’ve narrowed down the endless adventure opportunities to a curated selection of top picks and hosted trips with sensational value.

ALASKA: 

The Last Frontier is more popular than ever. And for good reason! The scenery is vast and dramatic, both while cruising the eye-opening Inside Passage and while riding the luxurious Alaska Railroad to striking Denali National Park. In 2018, Norwegian Bliss will be the newest, largest and most feature-filled of more than two-dozen ships that ply Alaska’s waters. A destination itself, the Bliss enhances an already amazing destination. And its hull art is by Orange County’s own marine artist, Wyland. Our inventory of Expedia Exclusive Staterooms provides the best pricing and amenities on Alaska cruises, with some substantial discounts with Celebrity Cruises.

Bald Eagle in flight with mountains in backgroundExpedia Exclusive Picks:  

  • 10-day Cruise Tour departing July 20, 2018 with 7 days on the Celebrity Millennium plus a ride on the Alaska Railroad to Denali National Park. Hosted by Michael Berman and Sheila Diskin. Balcony staterooms start at just $2,269 per person.
  • For a shorter option, Norwegian Bliss is the newest ship in Alaska, doing round-trip itineraries from Seattle from $1,569 per person.

More info: Contact your consultant, call (800) 745-4015, email cmeyer@ocglobetrotter.com or visit the center @ 24321 Avenida de la Carlota, Suite H-3, Laguna Hills.

EUROPE

The Old World is bursting with fascinating places for tracing our roots. Several of us took river cruise in 2017 and came away absolutely charmed with this type of travel, which gets you up close to the historic sites you want to experience without worrying about logistics. You are on vacation the entire time, and your floating hotel takes you to the next storybook destination while you sleep. But first, we went atop the ship after dinner to watch the sun set and the stars come out from our panoramic 360-degree perch – an unexpected treat. It was the trip of a lifetime. Do you want to give it a try in 2018? There are many options, but they won’t be available for long.

Expedia Exclusive picks:

Hosted Viking Rhine Getaway. Seven-day cruise from Basel, Switzerland to Amsterdam, Netherlands departing Sept. 14, 2018 with optional three-day pre-cruise stay on Lake Cuomo, Italy. Prices starting at $3,374 per person for the cruise with $395 round-trip air from LAX. Hosted by Jane Shobe.

Grand European Tour. Double your pleasure with a 15-day river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. We have one departing Oct. 1, 2018 from with special pricing $6,295 with $395 round-trip flights from LAX.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen

Hosted Baltic Cruise. The Baltic Sea is best experienced by cruise ship, and we have an exceptional hosted 9-day itinerary July 13-22 on the Norwegian Breakaway from Copenhagen, Denmark. Ports of call are Warnemunde (Berlin), Germany; Tallinn, Estonia; St. Petersburg, Russia (2 days), Helsinki, Finland; and Stockholm, Sweden. Expedia exclusive prices start at $1,523 per person including all beverages (adult and otherwise), gratuities and taxes. While you are not immersed in these fascinating places, you will enjoy a ship with 27 restaurants, a jazz and blues club, mini golf course, casino, ocean-view gym and a myriad of other features and activities to make sure there is never a dull moment.

More info: Contact your consultant, call (800) 745-4015, email cmeyer@ocglobetrotter.com or visit the center @ 24321 Avenida de la Carlota, Suite H-3, Laguna Hills.

HOMEPORT LA

For those times when you want to avoid the airport, there is a surprising variety of cruises out of our local ports. Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, South America and the South Pacific can all be reached through a drive to San Pedro, Long Beach or San Diego. There even are round-the-world cruises that begin and end in Los Angeles. Cruise lines calling on local ports include Carnival, Norwegian,  Princess, Holland America, Cunard, Viking Ocean, Regent Seven Seas and Crystal. So you can find whatever level of luxury and price. The brand-new Norwegian Bliss will even be doing a month of Mexican Riviera cruises in October 2018. What a way to return to a destination on a ship that is a destination itself with 26 restaurants and a ship-top racetrack.

Expedia Exclusive Round-trip LA Picks:  

 

  • 10-day Mexico on the Regent Seven Seas Navigator departing May 25, 2018. Experience the utmost luxury at your doorstep. Special all-inclusive pricing from $3,199 per person

 

    • 27-night Hawaii-South Pacific on the Emerald Princess departing March 30, 2018 and Sept. 23, 2018. From $2,999 per person.

      French Polynesia

      French Polynesia

 

  • 7-night Mexican Riviera on the brand-new Norwegian Bliss. Four departures in October, 2018 before the ship repositions with a 15-day Panama Canal cruise to Miami. Prices start below $1,000 per person including the beverage package.

 

  • 14-night Alaska on the Carnival Splendor departing Aug. 25, 2018. From $1,319 per person.

https://www.ocglobetrotter.com/

More info: Contact your consultant, call (800) 745-4015, email cmeyer@ocglobetrotter.com or visit the center @ 24321 Avenida de la Carlota, Suite H-3, Laguna Hills.

HAWAII

I have been enchanted with Hawaii since I backpacked and surfed my way through the islands after high school. So when it comes to getting your aloha on, we are definitely your best option with Expedia’s enormous inventory of resorts, condos and private residences for rent. But I have come to believe, after nine trips to the islands,

Hawaii

Hawaii

that Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America offers the most relaxing and cost-effective way to experience the whole of Hawaii. The seven-day cruise includes two days each on Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. Add a couple hotel nights on the front end for Oahu and you have the best of Hawaii. The ship even shows you Kauai’s colossal Napali Coast and the Big Islands hot lava flow into the Pacific. Excursions that are time-consuming and costly if you are staying on land. On Pride of America, your food is included and you can choose the beverage package as a free perk. Plus on selected departures, discounted round trip air is as low as $399 per person including a one-night hotel stay  and kids sail free. This is a fantastic introduction to the islands for first timers and a most enjoyable way to return for an aloha fix. .

Expedia Exclusive Pick:  Departing April 27, 2018 from  $2,049 per person

More info: Contact your consultant, call (800) 745-4015, email cmeyer@ocglobetrotter.com or visit the center @ 24321 Avenida de la Carlota, Suite H-3, Laguna Hills.

SOUTH PACIFIC

Did you know Tahiti is a mere 8 ½-hour flight from LAX? That’s just a couple of mai tais past Hawaii! An excellent way to experience that mythical island and neighboring Bora Bora and Moorea is aboard the Paul Gauguin a small 312-passenger luxury shipDSC_0161 that anchors inside breathtaking lagoons, is staffed by Polynesians who immerse you in their romantic culture, and tantalizes with the freshness expertly prepared cuisine. The verdict of the group I hosted: Best vacation ever and one that needs to be repeated. You not only get to experience more of Polynesia than at a single land resort, but you save money with all-inclusive pricing that includes round-trip air from LAX, an open bar and gratuities.

Expedia Exclusive Pick: Hosted 7-night Society Islands departing Feb. 17, 2018 from $4,521per person all inclusive including flights. Hosted by Expedia consultants Michael Berman and Sheila Diskin.

More info: Contact your consultant, call (800) 745-4015, email cmeyer@ocglobetrotter.com or visit the center @ 24321 Avenida de la Carlota, Suite H-3, Laguna Hills.

THE JOYS OF A VIKING RIVER CRUISE

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Hungary's Waterfront Parliament sparkles

Hungary’s Waterfront Parliament sparkles

By Chris Meyer

What a finale!

Budapest’s ancient buildings sparkled as the Viking Egil took a victory lap along the Danube River waterfront. We oohed and awed atop the ship and reviewed the spectacular week, taking occasional breaks from conversation to capture that perfect angle on the castle, parliament building or some other illuminated structure basking in the limelight.

The week had sped by, but at the same time the start of our journey seemed sort of distant. We had packed so much in since setting foot on this beautiful river ship seven days earlier outside of Nuremberg, Germany.

The whirlwind of sights and sounds seemed a kaleidoscope as Program Director Anthony Papandrea wound down his week of witty narration.  Our group of 22, and every other passenger I talked with, agreed that Viking exceeded even our lofty expectations.

Enjoying the scenery atop the Viking Egil.

Enjoying the scenery atop the Viking Egil.

EXPLORING IN COMFORT

Once we settled in on embarkation day, the advantage of a floating hotel was immediately evident. We hadn’t unpacked our suitcases in Berlin and Prague because of our short stays there and need to move along to the next hotel. We were able to get organized on the river cruise ship and make ourselves at home.  Our French balcony cabin was quite compact, but highly functional with a place for everything. Just don’t drop anything in the shower or you will have to open the door to retrieve it. Open the floor-to-ceiling sliding-glass door and the outside floods the room. Watch the river float by from the bed or peer over the rail to watch a lock raise or lower the vessel.

The beautiful restaurant is just down the hall, with the convivial lounge just a deck above and the 360-degree-view top deck just one more flight of stairs. Floor-to-ceiling windows everywhere mean the magnificent scenery is always in full view.

Viking ships double parked in Budapest.

Beautiful  Viking ships double parked in Budapest.

The ship is marvelously engineered to function at a high level in space constrained by the size of river locks. Similar precision is demonstrated by a crew that constantly keep the hardware polished and passengers well served. The compact galley consistently produces 5-star meals including perfectly prepared chateaubriand, surf and turf (medium rare filet mignon and lobster), and authentic wiener schnitzel on German Night.

Chateaubriand as tasty as it looks.

Steak and lobster as tasty as it looks.

The Ukrainian captain guides the vessel expertly though locks so snug there are just an inch or two to spare. When Anthony is not explaining what’s upcoming, sprinkling quips befitting the stand-up comic he is in the off season, he’s troubleshooting, quickly appearing in central Vienna after our local guide made an SOS call about a malfunctioning unit broadcasting her voice to our earpieces. He pulled a spare from his messenger bag of tricks and, viola, all is well.

INSIGHTS ASHORE

Vienna, Austria was typical of our stops along the river. After the guided walking tour, we returned to the ship for lunch and ventured out on our own for more exploration in the afternoon. In the evening, we took in a classical concert because that’s what you do in Vienna. In Nuremberg, Germany our guide reviewed the city’s long history from medieval times through its role in the rise of the Nazis and its destruction by bombing during World War II. And finally the rebuilding. One interesting fact we learned is that the ramp over the moat and to the castle gate makes a left-hand turn so right-handed hostiles’ shields would be rendered ineffective.

Picturesque Passau receives the largest chunks of tourists from river cruises.

Picturesque Passau receives the largest chunks of tourists from river cruises.

In Passau, Wolf expertly explained how the charming baroque architecture – in churches and throughout town – reflects the optimism that accompanied improving lives after the dark gothic period. For me, this was the hidden gem of the itinerary, though every stop had its delightful discoveries. In places once behind the Iron Curtain, we heard and saw again and again how the people have recovered since freedom was regained.

Austria's Wachau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Austria’s Wachau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Although this was a cruise, it was quite different than a large ocean ship – and not only in size. There is no casino or glitzy entertainment. An excellent piano player provided a delightful nightly soundtrack and on German Night, a combo with accordion and guitar offered rousing traditional tunes. But the true entertainment was the river. And the places. Each has its own magic. And especially the people.

The Danube winds 1,785 miles from Germany’s Black Forest to the Black Sea. I contemplate the great mass of water flowing. Constantly. It seems calm compared to the upper Arkansas River we went whitewater rafting on last year in Colorado. But its power is documented by lines on buildings marking epic floods that, over hundreds of years have periodically swamped buildings in towns along its shores .

The Egil’s top deck offers360-degree panoramas of pristine valleys, terraced vineyards, picturesque villages, colorful sunsets and constellations. It is a wonderful place to sit, mingle over drinks or move about and take pictures. That’s entertainment!

The captain in his sophisticated wheelhouse.

The captain in his sophisticated wheelhouse.

It’s no wonder people take one Viking cruise after another. We all were talking about becoming repeat customers. I even purchased discount certificates to give to customers of my travel agency.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • River cruises are a great value and a wonderful, hassle-free way to experience Europe. The value is enhanced by Viking’s air specials for early booking. $500 round-trip air from Los Angeles in this case.
  • Viking offers a high-quality luxury experience in all aspects. I look forward to sampling the ocean product and plan to redouble efforts to market this product to our customers.

    Dinner is delicious and joyful aboard the Egil.

    Dinner is delicious and joyful aboard the Egil.

  • Traveling in a group enhances your travel experience. As with anything, it’s the people that make the difference. That includes your fellow travelers, the crew and local guides. We struck gold on all counts. Program directory Anthony called us a “joyful group” in a note me. So that’s my new nickname for us as we truly enjoyed sharing the adventure with each other. Friendships were deepened and new ones made along the way. We’re already planning post-trip get-togethers including possibly a trip to Pasadena to see Anthony’s comedy act.

Want to learn more about river cruises and how our relationship with Viking and Expedia Extras can deliver the best value and make the entire process seamless?  Check out our co-branded Viking web site OCViking, email me at cmeyer@ocglobetrotter.com or give us a call at 949-201-4246. For a comparison of the various river cruise lines we book, check out Avid Cruiser.

I will review highlights of our pre-cruise activities in Berlin and Prague in a separate post.

Sunset on the Danube.

Sunset on the Danube.

 

 

 

 

10 GREAT CRUISES OUT OF LA

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By Chris Meyer/ cmeyer@ocglobetrotter.com

If you’re a cruiser, chances are that you know that you can hop a ship in San Pedro and head to the Mexican Riviera: Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan. This “Love Boat” route is as old as the modern cruise industry.

But you may not know about the more distant destinations, from Australia to Rome, you can access from LA. So here are 10 great cruises from LA:

  1. ALASKA: You can boacolerd the ship in shorts and flip flops, but pack warmer clothes as you will will be chilling with massive glaciers as well eagles, bears and whales. These 12- and 14-day itineraries are the easiest and most economical way to experience the Great Land.
  2. COSTA RICA AND THE PANAMA CANAL: New this year are 19-day round-trip voyages that blend the engineering masterpiece of the canal with Central America’s unspoiled rainforests.
  3. HAWAII: Plenty of relaxing sea days and visits to four Hawaiian Islands make this an epic 15-day round-trip from SoCal.
  4. TAHITI: The ship keeps going after Hawaii for a second tropical paradise – Tahiti, Bora Bora and other fabled French Polynesian wonders – on this awesome 28-day voyage, which returns you back to where you started from.
  5. SOUTH AMERICA: Mexico, Central America and all the way down the South American coast with time to visit Machu Picchu on the way.  After 17 days, you can get off in Santiago Chile and fly home or continue on the ship around the cape and all the way to Rio.
  6. NEW ZEALAND: Rather than making a U-turn in Tahiti, this ship powers on all the way to New Zealand. After 21 days at sea, you can continue another four to Australia, stick around or fly back to LA.

    Overwater bungalows are alluring but stationary.

    Overwater bungalows are alluring but stationary.

  7. ROME: Travel from La La land all the way to the Eternal City on this 31-day epic traversing the Panama Canal and Atlantic with plenty of fascinating ports of call along the way.
  8. VANCOUVER: A little closer to home, but a lovely 9-day voyage up the coast with stops in San Francisco, Astoria and Victoria. You can continue to Alaska on the luxury ship or catch a three-hour flight back home.
  9. LONDON: Take a very British ship through the canal and across the pond on a 29-day journey to England.
  10. AROUND THE WORLD: If you have 111 days you can circumnavigate the globe without visiting and airport. This is the ultimate LA cruise!

Here’s a link for searching cruises out of Los Angeles:  HomeportLA

Contact Chris Meyer for more information and exclusive Expedia pricing.  (800) 745-4015 or cmeyer@ocglobetrotter.com.

It’s almost “Ciao Italia”

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DSC_1053

Passports – check.

Euros and no-foreign-transaction-fee credit cards – check.

Flight, transfer, cruise and excursion reservations confirmed – check.

Rome plans and recommendations plotted on map and spreadsheet – check.

Camera with charged battery and spare memory cards – check.

Now it’s just a matter of finishing some office work, throwing some clothes in the suitcase and heading over to LAX on Wednesday.

Much planning has gone into what promises to be an epic trip … for us and for clients. I’m sure we will thoroughly enjoy living the dolce vita. But I’ll be on the clock, too – absorbing the vibe of small coastal towns and Rome itself, testing restaurant recommendations, trying out tours, and evaluating how small ship immersive cruising compares and contrasts with its larger cousin. First-hand experience that will help me better help our clients make choices fitting their preferences.

Soon it will be showtime as we emerge from a long flight into the Eternal City. I’d like to think that when in Rome we will do as the Romans do. But I know that would not be accurate. I know I will again be smitten by the magic of the place. But maybe we can insert a little more native perspective than the typical tourist.

Oh, we’ll again visit the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps, but this time we will linger longer and settle in for dinner at a local enoteca a bit off the beaten path. On Friday, we’ll hit the Pantheon early in the morning when it is quieter and the rising sun puts on a show through its ancient skylight. At St. Peter’s, we’ll climb the dome for an amazing sight from what is by law Rome’s tallest structure. We also will try to fade into the scene as much as our few words of guidebook Italian will allow.

Equally exciting will be our cruise along the northwest Italian coast aboard the Azamara Journey. We visit picturesque Portofino, Cinque Terre, Lucca and Elba – alternating between packaged excursions and do-it-yourself roaming as we evaluate the difference ways to experience the local culture and stunning natural beauty.

Of course I will report the findings on this blog and other materials for our clients, but not until I return. Italy is sure to keep us very busy trying to absorb all she has to offer.

 

Ireland trip: The Legacy of St. Patrick

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Ann Ronan of San Juan Capistrano is taking a group on a special Globus tour of Ireland, which will highlight spiritual sites,  Oct. 1-10, 2012. Interested? Read on.

What’s included:

–Tour directors: Take your heads out of the guidebook and  let expert guides make  every destination fascinating.

 –VIP access: Skip the lines and get special treatment at the must-see attractions.

–Perfect hotels:  We’ve done the work to find just the right hotels in just the right locations.

–Transportation: Leave the navigating to us – and just sit back and enjoy the ride.

– Private deluxe motorcoach with air-conditioning.

– Baggage assistance.

DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrive in Dublin, Irish Republic: Check into your hotel.  The rest  of the day is free to relax in the Irish capital. At 6 pm, join your Tour Director and  traveling companions for a welcome dinner  at the hotel.  (Dinner)

Day 2 – Dublin:  An orientation drive in the “Fair City” includes statue-lined O’Connell Street, elegant Georgian squares, and visits to ST. PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL and  Oscar Wilde’s TRINITY COLLEGE, famous for the 1,200-year-old Book of Kells and  the magnificent Old Library. Balance of the day is at leisure.  (Breakfast)

Day 3 – Dublin-Knock:  Head  for dairy farm country in the center of the “Emerald  Isle” before arriving in Knock, where  the Virgin Mary appeared to the townsfolk  in 1879.  Today, the site attracts pilgrims from around the world. Visit KNOCK SHRINE, the CHURCH OF THE

 APPARITION, the BASILICA, and the FOLK MUSEUM. Maybe join the evening  rosary processions.  (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 4 – Knock-Murrisk-Kylemore Abbey-Galway: This morning, visit the CROAGH PATRICK VISITOR CENTRE at the foot of St. Patrick’s Holy Mountain in Murrisk. Afterwards, visit KYLEMORE ABBEY, the massive yet graceful castle acquir

ed by Benedictine nuns  as a precious heirloom  for Ireland. Arrive in the port city of Galway, where  you will spend the next two nights.  Tonight, you may wish to join one of our optional  evening  outings. (Breakfast)  Note: The overnight on Day

4 will either be in Knock or Sligo. Due to limited hotel availability in Knock, we have  selected the best available  hotel that satisfies Globus’ high standards of quality.

Day 6 – Galway-Kilfenora-Bunratty-Adare-Killarney:  Take the scenic route  across the desolate limestone plateau known as The Burren.  At Kilfenora, visit THE BURREN CENTRE. The newly restored ancient cathedral and  Celtic crosses in the churchyard form an important center of early Christianity.  Continue to Bunratty,  where  there  is a lot to see  and  do: visit the castle; stroll in the folk park,  which depicts Irish life in the early 1900s; browse the complex of shops; or try a refreshment in famous Durty Nelly’s Irish pub.  Skirt the metropolis of Limerick and continue south via quaint  Adare with its thatched cottages to the popular resort  of Killarney, your destination for the next two nights. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Susan Meyer with the good Saint

Day 7 – Killarney. Ring of Kerry Excursion:  Join the famed “Ring of Kerry” for a 100-mile panoramic drive around the island’s  southwestern tip. Have your camera ready to take  photos of the spectacular scenery that includes both  land and  sea. In Killarney, enjoy a fun horse-drawn JAUNTING CAR RIDE through the national park with beautiful  vistas  of the Lakes  of Killarney and  ancient Ross Castle. (Breakfast)

Day 8 – Killarney-Blarney-Waterford: Cross the Kerry Mountains and  drive into County  Cork for a visit to Blarney, renowned for its castle and  magical  Kissing Stone. Time for lunch,  to walk up to the castle, and  to shop for traditional  Irish handicrafts. In the afternoon, proceed via Cork to Waterford, a stronghold founded by the Danish Vikings, and  look forward  to a guided tour of the HOUSE OF WATERFORD CRYSTAL. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 9 – Waterford-Avoca-Glendalough-Dublin:  An exciting  agenda today:  Enniscorthy, site of the final battle  of the Great  Rebellion  of 1798; Ireland’s  oldest HANDWEAVING MILL at Avoca; the Wicklow Mountains; and GLENDALOUGH, the early Christian  monastic site founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. See the engaging audiovisual presentation Ireland of the Monasteries, then  let your Local Guide show  you the remains of this ecclesiastical settlement. (Breakfast)

Day 10 – Dublin:  Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.  (Breakfast)

PRICING:(per person land only rates)

$1,869 double occupancy

$2244 single occupancy

-$1,833 triple occupancy

AIR: Available upon request. Please contact Ann Ronan for more details

DEPOSIT: $250 per person

FINAL PAYMENT: July 28, 2012

Ann Ronan: 949-485-4499 aronan@cruiseshipcenters.com

 

 

 

Europe by Sea: Cruise to Legendary Cities

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Here’s how David Medzerian starts his OC Register series on cruising in Europe:

It’s no coincidence that most of the world’s great cities are on the water. Rivers, lakes and seas were the original transportation corridors, moving commerce, commodities and people from place to place.

Those very waterways make a cruise ship one of the most popular ways to visit those legendary cities.

Click here to continue the article

Part two discusses pleasant surprises presented by Estonia.

Part three: St. Petersburg.

The Register also reported on July 3 that European cruise prices are down to as low as $71 per person per day and that airfares may also plunge. Want to see where you can go and what the best prices are? Expedia CruiseShipCenters/Orange County You can also enter to win a free cruise and sign up for monthly email newsletters focused on your selected destinations.

Photo: Dubrovnik, Croatia, with its old walled city, has become a popular destination and port of call for Mediterranean crusies.

 

 

Europe Roots Travel

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My daughter Megan and her husband Bryan traced their family roots and a newer friendship through Europe in 2009. Here is the story that was published September 16, 2010, in The Orange County Register:

By MEGAN MEYER AND BRYAN ROSENKRANTZ

There was an unexplainable silence in the car as we left Ghisalba. We had everything to say, but where to start? All we could do was laugh.

We had spent the past 36 hours with a group of Italian strangers – eating their food, sleeping in their beds and being chauffeured in their cars. Ghisalba had been a whirlwind, and we were still in a jet lag haze. The whole experience seemed dreamlike.

Ghisalba was the first stop on our three-week-long European tour. Unlike past journeys to see the famous sights, this trip took us beyond the tourist zones to the rural and charming lands of our ancestors.

Like many Americans of European descent, we have mixed ancestries, with some lines tracing back to early English settlers and others connected to relatives who emigrated later from Germany, Ireland, Italy and Croatia.

In recent years we have taken an interest in understanding our roots, starting with asking our grandparents questions, looking through old photographs and documents, and even building a surprisingly deep family tree on Ancestry.com. While creating our family tree was helpful in understanding our lineage, the stories and information that had been passed down made the Old Country feel within reach. Inspired by what we had learned, our quest became to visit the places our ancestors came from and meet the distant family still living there.

ITALIAN ROOTS

We launched the quest in the summer of 2009. After landing in Milan, Italy, we made a quick stop at breathtaking Lake Como before meeting the Iottis of Ghisalba. Ghisalba is a tiny town in the countryside surrounding Milan. It is the place that Bryan’s maternal great-great grandfather left for America around 1900.

Bryan’s family had lost touch with their Italian counterparts decades ago and it wasn’t until 2000 that those ties were restored when Bryan’s great-uncle Vince did some ancestral research. After writing the mayor of Ghisalba to see if there were any Iottis still living there, he was put in touch with some cousins, and in 2001 he made his first trip to meet them. To his surprise, the relatives were not only delighted to have him but also had been wondering for years what had happened to the American branch of the family. They explained that a letter sent in 1931 with $20 enclosed was the last they had heard from the American Iottis.

The family treated him “like royalty” and they have kept in touch ever since. Hearing Vince talk so fondly about these relatives made us eager to meet them.

Before our arrival, Bryan’s distant cousin Luca, whose broken English was on par with our terrible Italian, explained that we shouldn’t get our hopes up because “Ghisalba – no bella.” He informed us that Bergamo is indeed “bella” and he would take us to this larger and more beautiful neighboring city to see the sights. Even though he didn’t speak much English we could tell that Luca was extremely talkative and had learned most of our language from watching American movies. He spoke mostly in simple Italian and we somehow managed to understand him with the elementary Italian we had learned while studying in Rome in 2005.

When we met the family, they all appeared very excited to see us. They were more than welcoming, insisting on paying for everything and having us sleep in their master bedroom while they relocated. They took us to a local pizzeria, cooked us meals and took us on a town tour visiting all the living Iottis and even the deceased in the town cemetery.

Bryan at an Iotti grave.

They also took us to see the castles and nearby towns in the countryside and the beautiful city of Bergamo. Everyone was warm, and despite the language barrier we somehow kept the conversation and laughs flowing the entire time. Even though the Italian and American sides have been separated for generations, we could tell they were cut from the same cloth.

Upon departure, we were given a packed lunch, a bottle of wine and custom mixed CDs for the road. Our next stop was picturesque Lake Bled, Slovenia, where we met Megan’s parents and sister before heading south to Dubrovnik, Croatia. In Dubrovnik, we would be meeting up with Megan’s grandfather, who would introduce us to his Croatian cousins. It would be a whole family event, with Megan’s parents, sister, aunt, uncle and first cousin all in attendance.

CROATIAN COUSINS

This was the first trip to Croatia for everyone in Megan’s family except for her grandfather. We were first introduced to our Croatian counterparts on the glimmering marble streets of Old Town Dubrovnik. Jutting into the Adriatic, Dubrovnik rises from the sea, its fortified walls stretching around charming white stone buildings with distinct red tile roofs. In stark contrast to our Italian relatives, practically every Croatian relative spoke flawless English, making communication effortless.

We stayed in Dubrovnik for one week with Megan’s parents in a rented apartment with a commanding view hundreds of steps above Old Town. We made the trek many times and found ourselves continually running into relatives in the compact district. This turned out to be very useful for insider tips on things to do and see.

Megan’s American first cousin Aerin and Croatian third cousin Nina, both 11, made friends the day we took a boat trip to nearby islands. Nina’s English was perfect and she made a wonderful tour guide, even sharing a helping of Croatian history along the way. One night Nina’s older sister Doris, 20, took us out to the bars where she typically spends the evenings with her friends. Megan’s 20-year-old sister, Michelle, said it was remarkably similar to how she spends evenings with friends back home.

On our last day we went out to the old seaside village where Megan’s great-grandmother was born. It was stunningly beautiful, sitting atop cliffs high above the clear blue waters of the Adriatic Sea. The people still there appeared to live a slower-paced life, inhabiting 250-year-old stone houses and tending to vegetable gardens while shepherd-less sheep wandered the only tiny road into the village.

Being surrounded by such serenity, simplicity and beauty it is hard to imagine why anyone would willingly leave. We certainly wanted to stay longer.

GERMAN FRIENDS

Our next stop was the city of Ulm in southern Germany, where Megan’s friend Martina and her fiance, Wolfi, hosted us for the night. Megan and Martina met online a few years ago while Megan was taking a stab at learning German. They found each other on myhappyplanet.com, where people around the world can help each other learn languages. Martina helped Megan improve her German a little bit, but mostly they used Skype to chat in English. We spent only one day with them, but it was another unique experience.

Martina and Megan in Ulm

Martina and Wolfi were very similar to us – in age, economic status and interests. Seeing how they lived was like seeing how we would be living if we lived in Germany. We had a great time with them. They generously opened their home, fed us and insisted on paying for a dinner of the region’s traditional giant pancakes and tickets to climb the tallest church in the world – the Ulm Minster.

All three experiences were different and wonderful. We had such a good time that we are eager to expand our knowledge of our family tree and explore the possibility of meeting more distant relatives in other faraway lands. Fortunately for us, not all European connections were lost, making our journey relatively easy. We believe that with a little work we could even repair some broken connections to Ireland. It may be a challenge, but we know the discovery and experience of seeing where you came from is rewarding.

Megan and Bryan are a married couple who live in Laguna Beach. The submitted their story as part of the Register’s ongoing “Reader Report” series. They chronicle their travels at the website twostepsfar.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Alps Less Traveled

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Bled Castle

 

Here’s an article I wrote in 2009 about a place that turned out MUCH BETTER than advertised:

A picturesque mountain lake. Soaring Alpine peaks. A storybook island church. A medieval castle overlooking the scene from high atop a rock cliff. And no summer crowds.

Dare I let the secret out?

When you mention you’re going to Lake Bled, Slovenia, it tends not to register with the typical Orange County resident until you fill in some blanks. First of all, it’s Slovenia, not Slovakia, which used to be part of Czechoslovakia. Look further south and west on your map of Europe and you will find Slovenia, a country about half the size of Switzerland, tucked in south of Austria. For most of the 20th century Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia, and Bled had the distinction of being its longtime ruler’s hideaway.

It’s easy to see why. The sparkling turquoise lake set amid the towering Alps is every bit as charming as those you find in Switzerland. But Slovenia is off the beaten track of Euro-tourism – at least for Americans.

We stayed at Pension Mayer, a small chalet-style inn with a top-rated restaurant just outside our cottage’s door. Here they keep the local trout fresh, splashing in a well, until a diner places an order. At one point we worried that our reservation, made on the Web, might not have stuck because the proprietors had not requested a credit card number. We emailed them, and they said they didn’t need one. When we got there all was in order.

Pension Mayer

The lodging was very reasonable – about $450 for two nights in a two-bedroom cottage that slept five. Despite the town’s quaintness and lack of tourist hordes, we did not find meals to be bargains. They were fresh and high quality to be sure. We also had good meals at the lakeside Labod, where we sampled Bled’s signature cream cake on the patio, and Okarina on the main road into town, where wild art, fresh fish and Indian food made for an eclectic and enjoyable dinner.

Generally speaking, restaurant prices in Bled, like the other places we visited in Europe, were similar to at home – not particularly cheap or expensive.

There was no lake view from our two-bedroom cottage, but a five-minute walk alongside the larger hotel next door got us to lakeside and we were able to view its various brilliant colors, moods and angles as we walked the entire 4-mile circumference on an uncrowded shoreline trail in weather that transitioned from sunshine to rain and back.

We rented a wooden row boat — only vintage crafts without motors are allowed on the peaceful lake — and visited the island where grooms purportedly are required to carry their brides up dozens of steps to the 17th Century Church of the Assumption. We walked through a fable-style enchanted forest to Bled Castle, a 1,000-year-old fortress built strategically atop a huge cliff. The views are spectacular and the castle museum offers an interesting glimpse into the history of the area and its people.

We had heard Bled was nice and made it a two-night way station on our drive from Munich, German, to Dubrovnik, Croatia. This rather atypical itinerary was cobbled from airline miles, Marriott Rewards points and a family gathering in Dubrovnik. Although we had not even heard of Bled a few months before, it seemed familiar, like the inspiration for those European fairy tales we all grew up with.

Slovenia and Croatia exceeded our expectations with plenty to fill an entire two weeks if we had chosen. Lake Bled is a somewhat hidden treasure that is definitely worth visiting if you’re going to be in the neighborhood. And the neighborhood is a worthy destination, even if it is off the typical vacation track for Americans. This situation is likely to change. New, modern autobahns provide easy access to Slovenia and Croatia from Austria and Italy. There may not be an abundance of flights directly into Sovenia, but Bled is only a 2 ½-hour drive from Salzburg, Austria, and four hours from Munich, Germany. This corridor makes for a spectacular exploration the eastern Alps, which we might consider the Alps less traveled.

Links:

Pension Mayer

Restaurant Okarina

Rose of Dubrovnik