The Travelling Pants "The only time you should ever look back, is to see how far you've come." - Proverb Enough's enough. Exploring Pula on foot my first day in the city, I was physically uncomfortable, and decided it was time. I was flying to Athens at the end of the week. It would be much cheaper to do this here. The first store I visited was a little boutique shop selling designer beachwear and exactly the kind of baggy, comfortable-but-stylish (in a hippie ...

The Art of the Tasting "As nothing in this world is purely coincidental and as certain unexplainable events, in which we take part as subjects, often happen without us realizing that we were destined for them, even though we feel, as I do at this moment, that we have somehow been remotely directed, we either start to live in accordance with celestial forces, or we choose to ignore them. Nomen est omen. In this case, Santa Lucia, a beautiful young woman who chose...

Shameless "Everything's better when you feel guilty." - Anthony Bourdain I never thought I would actually make it this far. Analyzing every expense and logistic and risk before I left home, I was certain I would crash and burn in the first week.These ancient places with their unrivalled scenery, extraordinary food and rich culture were glimpses from the Travel Channel and Lonely Planet, static and flat. The actual sounds, textures and tastes I could only imagin...

Don't Worry. Be Happy. "Did you try Turkish coffee?" "Yeah." "Is it similar to anything you've tried before?" "Uh, yes. Crack." - Anthony Bourdain I've pretty much got the routine here down. Every morning I wake up around 6:30 or 7, wash my face and make myself a cup of coffee (because, really, one more cup a day won't kill me). I spend the next hour trying to get a wireless signal, and the hour after that (provided I've found said wireless signal) checking my ...

Herd Immunity "Croatia, as a nation, doesn't seem to recognize how good they've got it and what it is about themselves that's so wonderful that other people will want." - Anthony Bourdain Tuesday I finally began to venture out and reclaim some of my independence. Alan had gone back to Zagreb (where he and Iris lived for most of the year) for work for a few days and with Iris house-bound with the kids, I had to find other ways to keep myself occupied. Iris' fri...