Northern Montenegro

After a short weekend in Rome, Brian and I flew to Podgorica, Montenegro.  Where's that and why are you there you ask?  Montenegro is the country that is just northwest of Albania and was one of the six republics of the former Yugoslavia. It gained its independence from Serbia in 2006. Why haven't you heard of it but you've heard of all the countries around it?  Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo?  Each of those had a military war with Serbia but Montenegro was allowed to vote for independence and when it reached the 55% mark, Serbia allowed Montenegro its independence freely.  Montenegro has a beautiful Adriatic coastline and a less known, but fabulous mountainous area.

To answer why are we here?  We are trying to get off the beaten path and want to see these areas that were so war torn over a decade ago.  They are names in our mind, but we really don't have much of an idea of what it looks like.  So we're off....

Brian and I chose first to drive north to the mountains, away from the more touristy coast.  And we drove along this river.  And yes, the water is that clear and green.

Our car for the Balkans trip.  It has Serbian plates.  Never would I have ever though I would be driving a car with Serbian plates.

As we were driving north from Podgorica (the capital city) we came across a lot of people stopped along the road.  We wondered, perhaps somebody was bungee jumping?  But we came across this police tape.

Brian, being Brian, had to climb down and see what happened.

June 23rd, 2013
PODGORICA, Montenegro — At least 13 people were killed and 32 were injured when a bus carrying Romanian tourists swayed off a bridge and plunged into a deep ravine in central Montenegro on Sunday, police said.
Montenegro Interior Minister Rasko Konjevic said the bus with 46 people on board crashed some 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of the capital, Podgorica. He said the bus was traveling from Romania to Montenegro's Adriatic coast.
Police said the bus plunged from a bridge over the Moraca river during a rain storm and crashed some 40 meters (130 feet) into the ravine. A helicopter was used in the rescue operation mounted by Montenegro police.
Konjevic said "sadly, this death toll could climb further" because seven of the passengers were seriously injured.
The winding road that leads from Serbia in the north through the Moraca canyon and then to the seacoast is notorious for traffic accidents because it is narrow and slippery in wet weather conditions.

We were here on June 24th.  Ugh, we started driving a bit slower and more carefully.

Fluvial Geomorphology in action!!  Don't build your home in a river bed.

We don't have a guidebook, but simply a picture book we purchased at a gas station.  We saw pictures of this and wanted to see it.  So, we found it on the map and determined it is the Tara River Canyon.

Too cold to swim....or even dip your feet in!

The most perfect scene of the day.

 

24 Hours in Warsaw

The cheapest one-way flight from Beijing to Rome was on, of all airlines, LOT Polish Airlines.  The catch?  The Beijing flight landed in Warsaw at 1245PM on June 21st and the second leg to Rome departed at 1120AM on the 22nd.  What to do?  Connect with Yvonne and Jadgia who were visiting family in Poland.

Jadgia and her great aunt, Ewa.

I landed and of course, I was fed.  Schnitzel and potatoes were the first course.

Apple blintzes, cheese blintzes and pickled vegetables for the second course.

We had to take a walk through downtown Warsaw.  That building shown was a "gift" from Lenin during the Soviet era.  It looks much like the same ones in Moscow.

Warsaw was completely leveled after WWII. Some buildings were reconstructed to their original state. In this case, a painting by Canaletto in the 1700's was the basis for reconstruction.

Jadgia has just finished 7th grade and is now applying to American Boarding Schools.

Happiness everywhere!!

Yuanmingyuan -- The Old Summer Palace

Last day in Beijing and we went out to the Old Summer Palace. Started in 1707 it grew to be a combination of three huge gardens with lakes and buildings (both Chinese and European architecture)

However, in 1860 during the Second Opium War, French and British troops destroyed nearly every structure in the Old Summer Palace.  There are some buildings, such as the one shown here, that have been reconstructed. However, most buildings will not be.

The original remnants of a destroyed bridge.

However, the lakes are still present.

We went at the end of the day so we got to see the start of sunset on a beautiful Beijing day.

Wait?  Are we in Europe?  No, these are the ruins of the European style buildings found at the northern end of the Old Summer Palace.

One cool thing is this reconstructed maze.  The goal is to get to the cupola in the middle!

Mom and I raced and she beat me.  Here are Mom and Dad trying to get back out!

Last dinner in Beijing was at the famed Quanjude.  It was Mom's 70th birthday dinner!!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Shanghai With Mom and Dad

Last stop, Shanghai.  First thing Dad wants to do is eat at this Taiwanese Noodle Shop!!

It's official, I'm addicted to my iPhone!  Dad catches me texting.

Saturday night on East Nanjing Road!!  Time for some lights and shopping.

A foggy Pudong from The Bund.

One of the highlights of our trip to Shanghai?  My score on the hotel!!  It is called the Shanghai Fenyang Garden Hotel and it was fantastic.  I found a deal online for $100 a night per room.

It is in the heart of the French Concession, right off the corner from Huaihai Road, and built on the grounds of a former estate!

On Marl's suggestion, a trip to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition.

One very cool thing is the scale model of Shanghai!!!

Overlooking People's Park.

Mom and Dad at the very touristy Fengcheng (?) Temple area.

If teaching doesn't work out.....

Last night in Shanghai was spent over in Pudong.  Here looking up that the Jinmao Tower in the middle, the Shanghai World Financial Center on the right and the still under construction (and tallest of the three) Shanghai Tower.

My proof Mom was there.  You can see the back of her head, and outline of her hair, blocking the view!

Expensive but fantastic tea in the lounge.

We loved breakfast at the corner of Xiangyang Road and Changle Road.  All little shops serving great breakfast.

We were partial to this place with the "Melrose Pizzeria" sign.  There was no pizza in sight.

This girl runs the stand I ate at when I came to Shanghai back in August 2012.  Then Marlene, Eleni and Kendra ate at her stand when they were here. 

Shanghai is great in that they have lots of public green space.  The city feels incredibly European and it is, I hate to say it, superior to Beijing.  Here the locals are in Xiangyang Park.

Mom, Dad and I brought breakfast to the park and had breakfast in the park.  How cute are these two???