Funny Faces & Other Funny Photos Part 1

Funny face of Amalfi

Traveling alone, I often take photos of complete strangers. It is that or take photos or nobody. After I tire of all the wonderful architectural elements, I am photographing, one of my favorite past times is to take photos of people making funny faces or doing funny things.

Here are a few of my favorites from a cruise I took in April/May of 2013. Enjoy!

Pissed-off face

Before I left for my cruise from Civitavecchia, I was in Barcelona. Above I took a photo of a guy who was none too pleased I was taking his picture, or so it seems. It was at the Book Fair by my hotel.

at Dubrovnik

At Dubrovnik, this photo is more of funny people than funny faces. The whole crowd just looks off kilter, don't they?

Back to Croatia: Part of Eastern Europe

Map of Eastern Europe

I don't know about you, and maybe it has a lot to do with when I grew up(the old Cold War era,) but I really don't know that much about Eastern Europe. Many of the countries were part of the Soviet Bloc. In school, it was more about fear than it was about knowledge as far as Russia was concerned, so I don't remember learning about the history or geograpy of this area. 

On my upcoming cruise, I will be stopping at two places in Croatia and one in Slovenia. I have been to Dubrovnik before and was struck by the beauty of the Adriatic Sea. More information on the location of these countries can be found here.

Old town Riga, Latvia

Aerial view Riga, Latvia

I only hope that Split is as beautiful as Riga, Latvia, which I did on a Baltic cruise in 2010. I think it will be. As much as I loved Dubrovnik, I'm not too keen on revisiting a place, so I picked a tour to the countryside this time when we port at Dubrovnik. I am sure it will be fun!

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Hopefully I can continue to explore all these countries and make up for what I didn't learn in school!

Dubrovnik: Gargoyles Found

Dubrovnik was the first stop of our Holland America cruise, Roman Empire. It  is a hidden gem on the Adriatic Sea. The color of the sea reminds me of where I live, Cozumel, with its clarity and color. I believe the water is a lot colder though. Add mountain vistas, gargoyles and medieval buildings - you begin to see why I loved Dubrovnik. This is definitely a gargoyle post, with a definite lack of graffiti. 

In the middle ages, it was known as Ragusa, and rivaled Venice for maritime activities. Some more info on its history can be found here 

Gorgeous fountain on our walking tour

Dominican monastery courtyard

We did a walking tour of the old part of the city and went to an outdoor cafe afterwards for lunch.

Fort Lovrijenac

One of our stops was at Fort Lovrijenac. It can be seen from all over. More information on this fort can be found here

A great day was had by all in our group, but in all honesty, other than the fort and the view from the vantage point on the bus tour, all of the city of Dubrovnik was very accessible. If I go back, I would definitely do Dubrovnik without a tour and just walk around and soak up all the gargoyle effects.

Our tour bus

Dubrovnik & Corfu: Heavenly Sea Views

Corfu, Greece

On our Roman Empire cruise, our first stop was Dubrovnik, Croatia. Second stop was Corfu in Greece. I was hard pressed to decide which has more magnificent sea views, the Adriatic Sea near Dubrovnik or the Mediterranean Sea near Corfu. Both are so amazing because the hilly or mountainous terrain on these islands creates lookouts for Heavenly sea views.

You decide. Which do you like more?

Dubrovnik Adriatic sea view

Paleokastritsa Beach in Corfu

Vlacheraina monastery at Corfu

View near Dubrovnik

In and around Dubrovnik, the Adriatic sea is a deep blue and on Paleokastritsa Beach in Corfu, the water of the Mediterranean is so clear, it reminds me of my hometown of Cozumel.

Where is this? Answer at end of post.

Corfu pier

More information can be found on Corfu here. Info on hotel options by Paleokastritsa Beach, in my opinion one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, can be found here.

Information on Dubrovnik, Croatia can be found here. Personally, I think they are both magnificent and would be thrilled to go back either place.

Lastly, no post would be complete without some art or architecture so here goes.

From Achilleion Palace in Corfu



Answer from above: Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Dubrovnik Croatia: A Medieval Delight

The last few days I have been reminiscing about a Holland America cruise I went on with my niece called Roman Empire on the Holland America Noordam. We visited Croatia, some ports in Italy and Greece and Malta - from Rome to Rome. I remembered how beautiful the Adriatic Sea was in Dubrovnik, but I hadn't fully appreciated the old medieval buildings. Looking at the photographs again, I am struck by their beauty. This is definitely a gargoyle post!

 First for the gorgeous scenery ...

So lush and green

Sarah and me (on the right)

Dubrovnik and the Adriatic Sea

We took a bus tour through the countryside and the views were awe-inspiring. When we returned to the town, my niece and I took a stroll around and bought some paintings made by local artists and had lunch at an outdoor cafe. In all sincerity, I don't remember what I ate but I do remember the town. It is delightful!

Now on to the medieval streets and statuary:

Mix of old and new!

Beautiful courtyard

More information on Dubrovnik and Croatia can be found here