nklenske's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries

nklenske's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member nklenske on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/nklenske en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 22 Feb 2008 05:53:53 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com Belgian Chat — Brussels, Belgium http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1201273680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1201273680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1201273680/tpod.html Fri, 22 Feb 2008 05:53:53 -0500 The Expat Files: Brussels

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Brussels, Belgium

Dear Friends,Well, I am now officially a world traveler.  Although I don't remember much of it, as my owners drugged me heavily, I successfully made my first flight.  My very chic transporting bag is now covered with stickers from the USA, Italia and of course my new homeland, Belgium.I like my apartment, it has a very big glass window looking out over a park that is full of cats.  However, I can't seem to understand any of what they are saying to me, nor does it seem half of them can understand what the other half of the park population is saying.  In fact, the park seems to be divided down the middle with each population of cat staying on their linguistic side and not having much to do with the other side.  This I do not understand, although I do enjoy watching them sit around smoking and drinking café during the mornings...There are some things I do miss about being home.  For instance, the Doritos that grandpa used to feed me.  These Belgian chips that claim to be Doritos are nothing like the real thing.  Everything was grand here on the flip side of the pond, until one day I woke up with a tummy ache.  Soon I couldn't even eat without throwing up.  I had other problems too, but as this is a family site I'll just say J e ne vais merde pas.  Nick took me to the vet to see what was up, and it seems my organs decided to go ahead and strangle each other.  In other words, my guts swelled up and wouldn't let anything in or out.  Unfortunately, this meant I had to go under the knife.  And although I'm not that happy about my scar, I have to admit, I do feel better.  Also, hanging out with those other cats at the vet for a few days allowed me to become fluent.  Which means I can now cuss at my owners in French and they can't understand a thing I'm saying.  Stupid humans, they've been here almost half a year and can barely say bonjour.  Me, two weeks and I'm officially Belgian.Gotta eat-MiaVisit Klenske, Ink.
]]> Quick Update and Some Photos — Kandersteg, Switzerland http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1203244320/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1203244320/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1203244320/tpod.html Sun, 17 Feb 2008 05:36:59 -0500 The Expat Files: Brussels

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Kandersteg, Switzerland

It's been awhile since we posted, so here's a 30 second update:1.  Work was really busy.  Nick put out two magazines in the last month, along with skipping around to events in Paris and outside of London.  Kara has been traveling around the world with her class.  The five weeks since Christmas Break have went by in a blink.2.  Mia is doing fine.  3.  We went for a winter holiday in Switzerland (see photos).  We'll post something more in depth within the next couple of weeks, so check back as this rather pointless page will get better...4.  Now we're back in Brussels and it's feeling like Spring - the sun is shining and the cafe's are setting up outside.5.  Next Up: 2 weeks in South Africa!Nick and Kara
]]> Home for the Holidays — Dubuque, Iowa, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1169840760/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1169840760/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1169840760/tpod.html Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:21:49 -0500 The Expat Files: Brussels

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Dubuque, Iowa, United States

The best part of being home for the holidays, besides family, getting our cat, eating too much, PBR, driving and being reminded of what winter is really like- is getting my luggage a week and a half later.  Thus, teaching me the greatest lesson of all: You can travel for two weeks with little more then a pair of jeans, a sweater and a couple of t-shirts.  A toothbrush is nice, but isn't essential...Visit Klenske, Ink.
]]> Happy Holidays from Bruxelles/Brusel — Brussels, Belgium http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1197960060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1197960060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1197960060/tpod.html Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:21:15 -0500 The Expat Files: Brussels

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Brussels, Belgium

Happy Holidays from Belgium.  Hope to see you on the flip side of the pond.  As our cybergift to all of you, here's a few pictures that we braved the freezing temperatures to capture.  And yes, why that is an Ice Monster...Visit Klenske, Ink.
]]> The Quest for the Seven Mugs of Christmas — Cologne, Germany http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1196505840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1196505840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1196505840/tpod.html Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:20:44 -0500 The Expat Files: Brussels

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Cologne, Germany

The Quest for the Seven Mugs of ChristmasA Drinking Adventure by Nicholas J. KlenskeAs Featured in Dubuque 365, Ink. Every journey is a quest, especially when it involves the always-toxic combination of alcohol, Germany and Chad Van Cleve.  Granted, our trip does not begin as an adventure, it in fact starts innocently enough.  My wife, Kara, and I are traveling to Cologne to meet our good friends and fellow Dubuquers Chad and Jen Van Cleve, who now reside in Rotterdam.  The plan is to meet for a weekend of shopping at the city's historic Christmas Markets.  Yes, that's right- An entire weekend of shopping at massive, crowded, outdoor arts and craft markets.  Hence, our need for a twist.Now remember, these Christmas Markets are in Germany and, like everything in Germany, or Europe for that matter, alcohol is involved.  Which of course is the instigator of our intoxicating little quest.  Although Cologne's Christmas Markets do have an abundance of carved wooden Santa figurines, horrendously colored knitted scarves and a diverse assortment of other yuletide crap, the main focus is on the food and drink- primarily of the fried and alcoholic variety.Eating such delicacies as fried potatoes topped with lard, greasy sausage, cream doused dumplings, salty pretzels, sticky nougat and not-quite-Belgian-chocolates, one is left with a lingering hint of thirst.  Thankfully, the Germans live up to their reputation of being prepared for everything and have plenty of liquids on hand to quench one's holiday pallet.The Christmas drink of choice is gluhwein, or warm red wine best when garnished with a powerful yet completely unnecessary shot of rum.  More so, each Christmas Market serves the drink in their own specially designed, commemorative Christmas mug.  As Chad and my taste buds acclimate to its first flirtation with the potent drink's uniquely sharp taste, we think, "Do we really have six more of these markets to go?" Fast-forward four more drinks and it suddenly dawns on us: Each market has a mug.  How could we be so blind? Obviously we have no choice but to collect a mug from each market.  It is our destiny.  Our thinking now: "One down, six more to go".  And thus, the Quest for the Seven Mugs of Christmas commences.Like metrosexual (aka, European) Indiana Joneses donning scarves instead of leather fedoras, we set off.  Stop number two is the legendary Cathedral market, located adjacent to the overbearing gothic Dom, where we quickly acquire our second treasure.  This bound-for-the-mantel- place trophy is a colorful red mug painted with a whimsical cityscape of the ancient Cologne skyline complete with a floating penguin set adrift atop a solitary iceberg (both of which can actually be seen after many mugs of gluwhein).  The AlterMarkt round is rather uneventful, beyond the intense and clearly gluhwein induced deliberations of whether the blue or the white mug is the officially sanctioned one.  After coming to the conclusion it is the blue, Chad and I celebrate our early success with another round... or two.  After all, once you shell out the three Euros for what in hindsight is nothing but an overpriced future garage sale item, the refills are heavily discounted.The fourth mug turns out not to be a mug at all but more of a chalice.  It comes from the city's Medieval themed market, which is highlighted by fifers, wenches, an open bonfire and, instead of gluhwein, the more medieval favored mead, or honey wine.  In German this is spelled meth, and with the drink's signature aftertaste of cough syrup, one has to wonder if its just imported from Iowa.Upon entering the fifth market, which is located on a boat anchored on the Rhine, we initially panic, thinking we have been duped into entering a legitimate, food and beverage free craft market.  But alas, our navy blue and slightly frosted mug awaits on the ship's frigid deck, whose chilly condition creates the perfect excuse to warm one's body with more gluhwein.At Neumarkt, the sixth market of the day, we almost fall for an imposter as one cedar cabin is serving our drink from a glorified Dixie cup.  Yet we call this scrooge's bluff just in the nic-of-time and are able to stumble our way to the real deal- an enchanting clear glass mug etched with a cartoon Santa decor.  And then there is Seven.  But Seven is not there.  Granted, we have been drinking for an entire day, but we do have two things going for us: One, we are from Dubuque and two, we have the benefit of spreading our indulgences over the many hours of the day.  So, to all you skeptics, no, it isn't that we just cannot find the seventh market.  We are men after all and, even more, men with maps.  No, we are definitely at the right plaza.  We even circle around twice before I send Chad to walk in on the middle of a church service just to make sure the market isn't hiding inside.  Nothing.Clearly our quest has been foiled as there is no seventh Christmas market and definitely no Seventh Christmas mug.Depressed, rejected and perhaps a tad bit drunk, we decide to comfort our misery with a round of beer- lethargically consumed from a very ordinary and very non-Christmas mug.But a good Christmas story simply cannot end with such gloom.  And, although this may not be a good Christmas story, I will not let it end like this.  So here's the Happy Ever After, the "Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" and the "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night":For you see, I am an optimist and an objectivist and, when inebriated, a creativist.  Thus, it suddenly dawns on me that perhaps our quest is not yet over.  Perhaps the Seventh and final mug of Christmas is not here in Cologne after all.  "Of course," I say as I leap off my stool with a disturbing level of excitement. "The Seventh Mug of Christmas isn't a mug at all.  Well, it is, but only in the metaphysical way- Like a chalice that holds the spirit of Christmas itself," I continue to lecture the bar's now cautiously curious crowd.  "The Seventh Mug of Christmas is the mug filled with the comfort and joys that can only be found when in the comforts of home," I continue at an ever-accelerating pace.  "It's not yet Christmas and I am surely not home, so of course our quest cannot be complete.  This weekend is only meant to give us a taste of the warming and intoxicating aroma of Christmas. And, yes, now I get it. I know exactly where the last mug can be found!""Where?" the crowd gasps in united excitement as they skate towards the edge of their chairs.  "My Seventh Mug of Christmas is waiting back home," I declare.  "It's sitting on my parent's kitchen table, filled to the brim with Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, oh that sweet nectar of the gods, patiently waiting for me to get home." I can almost taste it now...Nicholas J. Klenske, formerly of Dubuque, is a freelance writer living in Brussels.  His work has appeared in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, New Haven Advocate and Telegraph Herald.  He currently serves as the Editor of BART International, Europe's leading Business Aviation publication. Contact him through www.KlenskeInk.com.              
]]> Sun and Rain in Antwerp — Antwerp, Belgium http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1195979880/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1195979880/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1195979880/tpod.html Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:20:11 -0500 The Expat Files: Brussels

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Antwerp, Belgium

We decided to take a trip to the Flemish city of Antwerp and escape the French for a day.  It's still hard to get used to the fact that just outside Brussels you feel like you are in a different country, which in a sense you are...Which is why we still don't have a government.Met the VanCleves for the day.  It started out as a beautiful sunny day, as you can see from the pictures.  But, in typical Belgium fashion, this quickly changed into a downpour.  Which, I guess, is something that stays the same no matter which side of the language line you're on.Visit Klenske, Ink.
]]> Hurray for Pannekoeken! (and other Dutch staples) — Rotterdam, Netherlands http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1195238760/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1195238760/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1195238760/tpod.html Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:19:35 -0500 The Expat Files: Brussels

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Rotterdam, Netherlands

Spent the weekend in Rotterdam visiting the Van Cleves, biking, learning about the Pilgrims, drinking, and eating all the healthy food that The Netherlands is known for...Stories to come, pictures for now.Visit Klenske, Ink.
]]> The Comical History of Brussels — Brussels, Belgium http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1195124520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1195124520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1195124520/tpod.html Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:19:02 -0500 The Expat Files: Brussels

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Brussels, Belgium

Europe has a lengthy history of literary prominence and stature.  Paris has the Hunchback of Notre Dame, England its Sherlock Holmes and Prague the literary legend of Kafka.  But Brussels' literary scene, on the other hand, is a complete joke.   No really- It's literally quite funny.  What Brussels lacks in Shakespeare, Joyce or Pope it makes up in floppy eared dogs, mustachioed Vikings, shadow chasing cowboys, an adventurous boy with an easily excitable sailor sidekick and, well... lots of little blue Smurfs.  The History of Comics in Brussels From a country roughly the size of New Jersey has come an unprecedented amount of comic creativity- A level that has defined the genre from the industry's golden age to its present day renaissance.  At the center of the Belgian comic culture is Brussels, the self-proclaimed comic strip capital of the world.  From such international icons as Herge's Tintin and Peyo's Smurfs to the multitude of modern titles currently cluttering the comic store shelves, according to legendary comic writer and organizer of the annual Comics Fest Alain de Kuyssche, one thing remains the same: "Everyone of them gets their start in Brussels." Alain is the authority on the Brussels' comic book culture.  Not only is he the former editor-in-chief of Spirou, a leading comic journal, over the past thirty years he has worked as a writer for such comics as Jacques Martin and Mickey Mouse.  Six years ago he founded the Brussels Comic Fest as a way of "celebrating the great authors and the great comic culture that has flourished here in Brussels."    The emergence of Brussels' comic culture coincided with World War II, when a suffering population turned towards the allure of escapism found in the fantasies of the comic strip.  Following the war, comic's early readers began developing their own characters and, as they came of age in the 1960s, produced a plethora of talent for a market eager for more comics.    "It's a mater of national pride that such a tiny country as Belgium has had such a profound impact and influence on the international comic scene," says Alain.  Much of this international influence can be traced to the coinciding popularization of television cartoons, which allowed Brussels to export its golden-age characters to the world. "There isn't a minute that goes by where somewhere in the world there's not a TV showing a Smurfs cartoon." Today Brussels' comic culture is experiencing a resurgence as new artists continue to create cutting edge, experimental strips that compliment the nostalgia of its golden age classics.  "That's why we started the Comic Fest," Alain comments.  "To bridge the gap between the classics and modern talent, creating opportunities and inspiration for aspiring artists and writers and ensuring that our literary tradition will continue for generations to come." One of these aspiring artists is 24-year-old Pelli, whose favorite comics include the American Spiderman and Batman characters.  The shaggy haired and slightly shy Pelli is recognized for his unique style that takes American superheroes and recasts them in the Belgian tradition.  Currently he spends his time working on Bedecoone, his self-published comic journal.  "Someday I hope to get my comics published in one of the big journals, such as Spirou or Tintin," he says.  "You know, maybe even get one of my characters painted on the side of a building," he states in reference to Brussels' Comic Book Route, a trail of comic-related murals painted on buildings located throughout the city.  "Yea, that'd be pretty cool," he says with just a hint of a prolonged daydream. The Comic Book Route  Brussels' extensive Comic Book Route, an initiative launched by the Belgian Comic Strip Center, is comprised of over thirty murals located on buildings and walls scattered across the city.  Each mural acts as a single frame depicting a Belgian comic character within a unique Brussels' scene.  From Captain Haddock, Snowy and Tintin running down a fire escape near the Grand Place to Cubitis taking over the iconic Manneken Pis' position, the Comic Book Route is the ideal way to discover the city's main attractions and hidden gems- along with meeting the diverse characters that comprise the comic cannon of Brussels. The route begins just down the road from the Manneken Pis, a mischievous naked boy who has become the icon of Brussels.  One legend has it he saved the city of Brussels by putting out a potentially destructive flame by peeing on it.  Another legend says a war was diffused when the two rival sides came across the comical site of a naked boy peeing with a silly grin spread across his face.   Along a wall near the Manneken Pis is a mural featuring Brussels' other iconic character: Tintin.  The blue toned mural seems to echo with such classic Tintin phrases as,  "Billions of blue blistering barnacles!!"  Tintin, who will soon be the subject of three Steven Spielberg produced feature films, is a journalist version of Indiana Jones. Accompanied by his canine sidekick Snowy, Tintin travels around the world, finding himself involved in numerous mishaps and cliff-hanging adventures.   The Adventures of Tintin was the creation of Georges Remni, better known by the penname Herge.  From 1929 to 1983 Herge wrote and illustrated all of the Tintin adventures and is highly regarded in the comic world for his humanism and realistic portrayal of the stories. Between the years 1929 and up to his death in 1983, Herge wrote and illustrated 24 Tintin adventures, including the unfinished Tintin and Alph-Art.  Herge's lifetime commitment to the art of the comic book earned him the honor of being inducted into the Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2003.      Down Kolenmarkt and across Rue du Lombard towers a foggy 1940s detective scene portraying the always-suave Victor Sackville.  Just up the street, next to the tucked away gothic edifice of Rue du Marche au Charbon, is the just-in-the-nick-of-time Ric Hochet mural.  This mural is of particular interest in that the scene is painted to create an illusion that the action is actually taking place in and on the house.   North of the Place Fontaina, at the end of Boulevard Anspach, is one of Brussels most dynamic ethnic neighborhoods.  Here one is greeted with quiet parks, neighborhood kids playing in streets, and a treasure chest of out-of-the-way cafes.  The St. Gery neighborhood is also home to two murals highlighting several of Brussels' most famous and favorite comic characters.   Serving as a bright backdrop to an otherwise drab concrete and brick schoolyard soccer pitch is a colorful chase scene from the Astrix comics.  The Adventures of Asterix chronicles the comical resistance to Roman occupation maintained by an ancient village of witty and sometimes troublesomely magical Gauls.  This mural and its crowd of characters also demonstrates the unique European style of comics, which tends to be more cartoonish than its American counterpart.   Just next door to Asterix and company is the floundering cowboy Lucky Luke, known around the world for his ability to shoot faster than his always-lurking shadow.  The mural also features the strip's progressively shrinking villains, the Dalton Brothers, along with Jolly Jumper, "The smartest horse in the world" and Rantanplan, "The stupidest dog in the universe". St. Catherine Church and the surrounding Saint Catherine Place is one of Brussels' most scenic neighborhoods.  Anchored by the black-moss cloaked stone cathedral, the surrounding square is the place to go for authentic Belgian seafood.  During the summer months restaurants fill up the off-kilter cobblestone with alfresco dining and fill the air with the scent of freshly boiled muscles.   Perhaps it is this aroma of food that has attracted Cubitus, the mischievous shaggy canine best known for his one-liner gags, to crawl up into a nearby mural.  Staying true to his reputation for practical jokes, the mural shows Cubitus taking the privilege of replacing a furious Manneken Pis' in performing the important task of peeing into the fountain.   Another area adorned with murals is the Marolles neighborhood, a former working class neighborhood situated just below the daunting Place de Justice.  Today Marolles is alive with boutique furniture shops, dusty antique stores and some of Brussels' best-kept secrets for cafes and pubs.  Within the alleys of this dynamic neighborhood, often lurking behind markets and unaware diners, are such comic favorites as Blondin and Cirage, Boule and Bill, and Odilon Verjus A Museum and a Shrine  On the way back towards the Old City Center, a stop at the Belgian Comic Strip Center is in call.   Located in a renovated and salvaged Art Nouveau building, the comic museum is to the comic book world what the Louvre is to the art world.  This comprehensive museum is located through a grand corridor cluttered with Tintin's rocket, a smiling Asterix and a very blue Smurf.  Here one is treated to not only a testament to the many characters and creators of this literary culture, but also to an interesting insight into the art of the comic.  Being a comic book museum, the displays tend to show instead of tell.  Thus, the process of creating a comic book, from drafting text to filling in the ink to creative mass-marketing, is all told through comic strips drawn by some of the nation's leading artists.  The museum also has displays on the animation of comics, features on the golden ages' characters and creators, and a tracing of the art form's development into its modern day rendition. Yet no trip to Brussels is complete without a visit to its Grand Place, a fairytale cobblestone square of cafes, classic museums and an assortment of street performers all neatly confined by slightly off centered, baroque-era guild houses.  This is the place to sample Belgium's divine line up of beers and chocolates- and to stock up on Tintin memorabilia.   The Tintin Boutique is both a collector's haven and an opportunity to venture into the pages of a Tintin adventure.  With t-shirts, original posters and everything Tintin, it's the perfect place to end a perfectly comedic day.   Brussels: The Comic Capital of the World  The cannon of comic characters found in the ink-filled pages of the comic book stores, painted in the nooks and crannies of Brussels' diverse neighborhoods, and celebrated in its museums and festivals are a testament to both a national heritage and to a unique literary tradition.  From the originals of the 1940s to the classics of the golden age and on to the modern features that hint at a form of comic noir, Brussels has inked itself a unique position within the world's literary cannon- Designating itself as, according to Alain de Kuyssche, "The Comic Book Capital of the World." More information  Comics Fest: Early October in St. Gilles Town Hall. www.comicsfestivalbelgium.com Belgium Center of the Comic Strip: Rue des Sables 20, 02 219 19 80, www.comicscenter.net. Open 10am - 6pm Tue.-Sunday. Adm. 7.00 euro.  (Ask for an English guide at the admissions desk)Comic Route:  The Brussels Tourism Office has a free online map of the route plus a full length guide to purchase at their main office, located in the Grand Place.  www.brusselsinternational.be  Tintin Boutique: Rue de la Colline 13, 02 514 51 52 Nicholas J. Klenske is a freelance writer living in Brussels.  His work has appeared in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, New Haven Advocate and PreView Magazine.  Contact him through www.KlenskeInk.com.    
]]> Even A Travel Writer Needs a Vacation — Dubrovnik, Croatia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1194084180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1194084180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1194084180/tpod.html Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:18:35 -0500 The Expat Files: Brussels

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Dubrovnik, Croatia

Even Travel Writers Need a Vacation By Nicholas J. KlenskeAs a travel writer I make my living by traveling and writing.  As Kara and I set off for a week in Croatia, the plan is to do what I normally do: travel and write.  In Zagreb I am set to explore communist-era museums and off-the-beaten path parks.  In Split, it is working on a story about Croatia's developing eco-tourism efforts and expansive national parks.  And within the ancient walls of Dubrovnik, I am to spend my days exploring an island so magical it seduced Odysseus, have Breakfast with Bosnia and wander into the newly established nation of Montenegro.But like any well-intended plan, mine quickly unravels.The plan begins its long spiral towards oblivion in Zagreb, where Kara and I realize this is the first time in months we are able to spend the greater part of the day together.  No early morning buses to catch.  No Internet and emails to check.  No errands to run and, most importantly, no work of any kind to be done- Except for mine.But instead of work I want to stay up late and sleep in.  And neither of us really wants to spend our days inside a museum- that just sounds like work.  So instead of an agenda we opt to freelance our way through Zagreb, which essentially means doing nothing more than going to a café, ordering kava and beer, and spending the day enjoying the café culture of Croatia.  "I'll just write about Split," I think...On our first day in Split it is raining and, the day after that, pouring.  There is to be no swimming in rejuvenating streams, diving from towering waterfalls, or admiring azure mountain pools.  Instead, it is dejavu as we make our way to a café for kava, beer and conversation.  This time, instead of cobblestone city squares, we spend our day in the midst of Split's sprawling Roman Palace and its romantic setting of marble tiles glazed with rain, moss-carpeted columns and, most importantly, the opportunity to relax inside history.  "Dubrovnik," I think as I finish off a homemade walnut brandy.  "I shall write about Dubrovnik."In Dubrovnik, the sun finally breaks free from its cumulous shackles, forcing the temperatures to spiral into a much-appreciated 80 degrees.  The streets suddenly became alive with a summer-time vibe of anxious vendors, selective shoppers and eccentric street performers.  Even the city's population of a half-million cats comes out to stretch and roll in the day's warming rays.Being easily seduced, I, like the cats, only want to roll around in the sun.  Needless to say, there is no Breakfast with Bosnia.  Instead I spend my day lounging on a solitary rock that abruptly protrudes from the city's outer walls.  Nor is there any chasing of Odysseus.  Instead I spend the evening watching the sun paint the horizon into a watercolor mirage from the precipice of a cliffside bar.  And instead of discovering the landlocked nation of Montenegro, I spend my time falling in love with the seaside city of Dubrovnik.Although this trip was completely devoid of any travel writing, for once, instead of the reality of computers, phones, emails, and deadlines- I see Croatia not as a story but for what it really is: ancient cities, cozy cafes, a shining sea and a disturbing overabundance of cats.  "Does this mean I am a failure as a travel writer?," I ask myself.  "Lazy, perhaps?  Even incompetent?"Hardly.  After all, even a travel writer needs a vacation.More Information:Split Tourist Information:  www.visitsplit.comDubrovnik Tourist Information: www.tzdubrovnik.hr  Nicholas J. Klenske is a freelance writer living in Brussels.  His work has appeared in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, New Haven Advocate and PreView Magazine.  He currently serves as Editor for BART International.  Contact him through www.KlenskeInk.com.            
]]> Fall Break Croatia: Bosnia-Hercegovina — Neum, Bosnia and Herzegovina http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1193909580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1193909580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/nklenske/eurolife/1193909580/tpod.html Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:18:08 -0500 The Expat Files: Brussels

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Neum, Bosnia and Herzegovina

How do you determine if you can count being to a state or a country?  Here's what we decided. 1. You have to actually be outside in the place.  Therefore, driving through a place in a car, train or bus does not count.  Neither do airports. 2. You have to contribute to the local economy.  Thus, you have to buy something from somebody in the state or country.  Further, Rule Two is subject to Rule One- In other words, duty free airport shops don't cut it. 3. You have to taste something from the country- preferably a local beer.  Again, subject to Rules One and Two.  Since Bosnia has a slight inlet to the sea, on our way South to Dubrovnik, our bus passed through Bosnia.  However, in Bosnia our drivers decided to stop for lunch, which allowed us to 1. Get out of the bus, 2. Go to a café and order a beer, and 3. Drink the beer.  Thus, Bosnia counts.Visit Klenske, Ink.
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