wanderlust – Page 7 – Barry's Adventures Following Retirement

Dateline May 6, 1945 – Plzen, Bohemia

Dateline May 6, 1945, Plzen, Czechoslovakia. Over the past five and a half years Plzen (Pilsen) in the Bohemia region of Czechoslovakia has been oppressed under the boot of NAZI German rule. Today, General Patton’s United States’ Third Army liberated Plzen. Czechs, young and old, greeted American soldiers by waving the stars and stripes as American tanks thundered into the city.

Occupying forces of the Third Reich, Czech conspirators, and NAZI sympathizers are being rounded up. Remnants of NAZI German snipers are being cleared out and life is returning to normal.

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Brno Snowfall Reminds Me of Home

The first real snowfall of the season occurred this week in Brno, Czech Republic. Granted, the snowfall was just a dusting of maybe four inches. As it fell, the view of Špilberk Castle disappeared from my apartment’s picture glass window. Snow covered the branches of the trees and I reminisced about this time of year when winter snowfall would come to Somerset, my hometown in Western Pennsylvania in the United States

I have always thought of January differently than other months. It is a bleak time of year. Yes, the daylight hours are increasing but January also has penetrating cold and blustery winds. It is time when one’s exhaled breath drifts away in a cloud of steam. It follows the celebrations of Christmas and New Years and it seems to me to be a time for resting and recovery from them. By a burning fireplace seems to be the place of comfort.

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“Look Up” – My Brno Exploration

heads-2 — Holding the Building on Their Backs

Happy New Year, everyone. I hope you have a wonderful 2017 and have begun to work to achieve all of your personal goals for the year.

Today is a cold New Year’s Day and the streets in Brno, Czech Republic (a.k.a. Czechia) are almost empty. I had the opportunity to wander around and “look up” to enjoy the architectural beauty designed into many of the center city buildings.

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Silently I Paused in the IUP Oak Grove

Silently I paused while walking through the Oak Grove at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, my alma mater. While the university has changed so many things since my graduation, the Oak Grove appears to be the remaining, residual component of my school and my experience there. In the Oak Grove are fond memories of my university, the trees, their smells, their acorns and the grey squirrels that inhabit the grove.

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Medieval Dragon Legend and Brno Tradition

obolysk — Snowy Christmas Day at the Napoleonic Wars Memorial

A few years ago I traveled to the Czech Republic city of Brno. Within a few blocks of my apartment the story of the past 900 years of this part of the world is preserved… not only in stone but also in legends and the cultural traditions of the people there.

Brno is located north of Vienna, Austria. It is a small city of about 500,000 people and is accessible by trains and busses that run between Vienna and Prague. Many tourists just see Brno as a waypoint between these more famous places. Little did I know when I initially arrived that I would find myself staying in Brno’s old town for seven months including a frigid, blustery winter. Living in Brno provided me with a different perspective than a tourist may get.

This blog story is based on a small geographic portion of the city… my neighborhood… and the legends, history and traditions that are preserved there.

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Adventure to Antarctica!

I knew that any exploration to Antarctica would be scenic. I also knew it would be more challenging than any other adventure that I have taken. The two-day voyage through the Drake Passage would be difficult, the weather would be harsh, and there would always be imminent danger on land as well as at sea. There would be no medical personnel with us and evacuation, if needed, would depend on helicopters and cooperation of the weather.

ushuaia-at-a-landing — The Tiny Boat Ushuaia Landing Near a Penguin Colony at Paradise Bay

The adventure began in Ushuaia, Argentina which bears the nickname “fin del mundo”… translated as the “end of the world!” Provision was made with an outfitter for renting rain pants and parkas there and off we went… 65 explorers from 14 nations on an adventure of a lifetime.

Weeks prior to leaving for South America there were petty serious videos on Facebook of boats being tossed around like toys in the violent Drake Passage. My experience in the Passage was no different from those videos. And once ashore, slippery rocks covered with ice, snow and penguin poop were everywhere making walking treacherous in the cold, wind-swept Antarctic continent.

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Bucket List – You Must Explore Dubrovnik!

I have traveled to many places in the world and have been delighted everywhere by the people, beauty, and culture. Croatia, however, has really been spectacular and picturesque! I lived in Zagreb for a month and a half and visited a beautiful country which most Americans have little knowledge of. While I have written about Plitvička National Park, and Zagreb, the Croatian Adriatic Seacoast has several awesome sites that are certain to be added to bucket lists for world explorers.

fullsizerender-34 — A view through a wall window on the Dubrovnik Old City

Croatia declared independence in 1991 during the break-up of Yugoslavia. After that the nation was forced to fight a war with neighbors Serbia and Montenegro which had other ideas to keep the nation together.

Most explorers coming to Croatia arrive from Eastern Europe and Mediterranean countries. They enjoy the beautiful seaside cities with unique, colorful names such as Pula, Dubrovnik and Split. The explorers know great places to visit and the history and beauty on the Croatian Adriatic coast are very inviting. I recommend that you put this country on your bucket list! This story is about my adventure to Dubrovnik and the nearby town of Korcula. This blog is about the enticing things I saw there as I was in awe of the beauty of these old cities and their stories.

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Discovering Treasures in Plitvička Jezera

My exploration adventures have taken me to many beautiful natural and man-made places on the planet. This week I found a gem in Croatia’s 295 square kilometer Plitvička National Park. This is my short story about my experiences enveloped by the deep forest and seeing beautiful lakes, cascades, waterfalls and wildlife there.

Moss covered rocks in the cascades next to the slippery wood walkway in Plitvicka National Park

The rain began early in the morning in Zagreb and continued all the way to Plitvička, an hour and a half away to the mountains. Once there, who cared that it was raining slightly as I discovered the grandeur of this magnificent park.

I went with a small group of like-minded adventurers with a Croatian guide. She said that the park had been cleared of land mines from the war between Croatia and next door neighbors Serbia and Montenegro in the early 1990’s.

“Wait a minute” I thought, as I said “Did you say land mines? Were all of them removed?” “Yes,” she replied. But she recommended we stay on the marked trails anyway and then the worst things that could happen would be to encounter a bear or slip and fall. This was an adventure like no other! I felt encouraged to stay on the trails and away from the cliff edges!

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My Return for More Croatian Adventures

In May I visited Zagreb, Croatia. In a short span of twelve days I knew that I wanted to return to this ancient, small city, the capital of Croatia, and explore it and the country as part of my travel adventures.

Ban Jalecic — Ban Josip Jelacic in the Square Named for Him

When I was in Zagreb, I blogged about “Slaying Dragons in Zagreb” and I have several unpublished photos. This blog entry is a photo collage of my best unpublished photos of Zagreb. It not only is a record of my initial visit but also sets the stage for what is to come.

This week I returned to Zagreb after two very enjoyable months exploring Romania; I have high expectations about my adventures in Croatia. There are traditional foods that I intend to sample and there are ample opportunities to visit places near the Adriatic Sea and the mountains between Zagreb and the seacoast.

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Farewell to My Typical Days in Romania

It is 5:00 AM and the neighborhood rooster noticed that the sky is brightening and he begins to crow. Moments later he is joined by another and the chorus is aggravating the dogs and they begin to bark. I am uncertain if the barking is at the roosters or the townspeople who are making their way into Cluj-Napoca. Such has been the typical start of everyday in my exploration in Transylvania.

Soon the sun is completely visible and the roosters return to their “more calm” state! But the construction crews on the sides of my apartment now begin their day’s labor as the edges to Cluj expand further into the countryside.

With the seven hour time difference between the Eastern Europe Time Zone and the Eastern Time Zone in the USA, it is not uncommon that I am awake and going before my friends and family in the USA have gone to sleep! While I have often written about Cluj and my journeys, this entry is about my typical daily routine in Transylvania.

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