Quito, Ecuador

Quito, Ecuador 2004

Denver – Quito In the morning, we went to find a place to have breakfast. There were two cafés next to each other and close to our hotel. One was noisy, unpretentiously furnished and packed to capacity with locals; the other was more formal, with starched tablecloths and empty. It was going to be our

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In Quito Ecuador

Denver, USA – Quito, Ecuador 2004

A break between trips is a good time to write about an old trip. This story is about a 3-week vacation in Ecuador and Peru in 2004. The main reason for the trip was for my husband Sergey to climb an active volcano Cotopaxi. In Colorado where we live there are 53 fourteeners, mountains with

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Kranj, Slovenia

Kranj, Slovenia 2019

The only reason why I went to Kranj was its convenient location. It was easy to get to it from Bled and on the following day from Kranj to the airport. But I loved this city at first sight. My room was at Layer’s Art Residence, in the heart of the old town. This building

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Lake Bled Slovenia

Bled, Slovenia 2019

At Ljubljana’s bus station, I bought a combo ticket for €40 that included a one-way ride to Bled, entrance to Bled Castle, a return boat ride to the island, entrance to the island church, a slice of cake and a drink at the island café. Fearing that Bled would be crowded because the summer season

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Ljubljana Castle, Slovenia

Ljubljana, Slovenia 2019

I was coming by train from Postojna and studying a map of Ljubljana. Nothing was prebooked, and I wanted to stay near the station and all attractions. Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia and I thought that finding accommodation in it should not be a problem. That was a big mistake. I walked from

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Predjama Castle, Slovenia

Predjama Castle, Slovenia 2019

This unusual castle is located 9 km (5.6 mi) from Postojna. It was built in the early 13th century in a rock cavern high on the cliff. At that time, safety was paramount. It was more important than comfort living. Predjama Castle is absolutely impregnable. It is attached to the rock wall that is almost

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Postojna Caves

Postojna, Slovenia 2019

While I was on the bus from Koper to Postojna, the drizzle changed to downpour. I congratulated myself on a wise decision to book a room in Postojna the night before. I’d not need to look for a place to stay in such rain. The hotel had excellent reviews, it was close to the station

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Tito square, Koper, Slovenia

Venice, Italy – Koper, Slovenia 2019

The rain began falling during the night. So far, the weather in Venice was excellent, not too hot and not cold, just perfect for sightseeing, and it did not rain. I packed after breakfast, sent a text message to Giorgio that I was leaving, placed the keys on the table and closed the apartment door

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Correr Museum, Venice

Venice (continued), Italy 2019

On my second day in Venice, I decided to see its main attractions. Having heard so much about long lines on St. Mark’s Square, I bought an online ticket that that covers four museums: Doge’s Palace, the Correr Museum, National Archaeological Museum and the Library. When I got to the most famous square in Venice

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Venice, Italy 2019

This is my third trip to Italy and I did not see Venice before. It seems like everyone was there. How come I wasn’t? To remedy this, when I was back from San Marino to Rimini, I took the train to Venice. Hotels in the island part of Venice were rather pricey. So I found

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