The most important religious building in Vienna, St. Stephens is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vienna and the seat of its Archbishop. Construction began in 1137 following the Treaty of Mautern and was "completed" in 1160 (although "completed" may not be the correct term as it was renovated and rebuilt a number of times over the centuries because of fires, earthquakes, and wars). The current Romanesque and Gothic design of the church was initiated by Duke Rudolph (1339-1365) and stands on the ruins of two earlier churches, the first of which was a simple parish church.

  Dedicated to St. Stephen, patron saint of Vienna, the church is 351 feet long, 230 feet wide, and 448 feet tall (at its highest point, the South Tower). One of its most outstanding attributes is its ornately patterned roof with 230,000 richly colored glazed tiles. It's decoration mirrors the double-eagle Imperial Emblem of the South Tower on one side and the Hapsburg-Lorraine Coat of Arms on the other.

  Our self-imposed requirement for each location visited, is to stay ( if at all possible) in a furnished apartment which includes a washing machine (for our one week's worth of clothing) and WiFi (so we can stay in touch with our family). The Vienna apartment meets those requirements. As you will see in the pictures, this centrally located one-bedroom apartment is spacious and comfortable. It includes a full kitchen and a bathroom with a shower and a tub. There is a rather large open-air farmers type market as well as a regular full-service supermarket within a five minute walk. In the opposite direction are some of the main attractions of Vienna ( which will be the subject of future postings) also only within a 5-10 minute walk. We love it!

  The six month half-way point has arrived. So how do we feel about the progression of this journey? In most respects, this adventure has exceeded our initial expectations. To recap how we got to this point (for those newer followers who may not have been aware of our early planning process), last summer we made the decision to sell our house and give away all of our belongings to the poor. All we had to our names were two carry-on suitcases with one week's worth of clothing each. Rather than buy a new home right away, we decided to go on a year long voyage. While visiting Europe was our goal, the first obstacle we encountered was the Shengen Treaty. Twenty eight member countries of the European Union signed a treaty which, in part, limits non-EU citizens to spending no more than 90 consecutive days out of any 180 days within the Shengen Zone. This meant that our plans had to include traveling in and out of the Shengen every three months. Specifically, for the month of October we were in Florence, Italy and for November and December, we were in Rome. In order to be outside of the Shengen for the next three months, we traveled to Istanbul Turkey for January, to Bangkok , Thailand for February, and to Croatia (Zagreb for two weeks and Dubrovnik for two weeks) for March. We are now in Vienna, Austria and back in the Shengen.

  The next obstacle we had to plan for was our medications. Having our prescriptions filled in the U.S. and then mailed to us was not going to work as it is illegal to mail prescription medications to individuals overseas. Some internet exploration suggested getting our medications filled at pharmacies over in Europe. In actuality, this proved to be the best solution. Pharmacies in Europe are quite helpful filling prescriptions without any hassles. Obstacle overcome.

  The third main obstacle we needed to plan out was travel health and medical evacuation insurance. We both are covered by Medicare and that does not provide services in Europe. Most of the travel insurances we looked at only offered 90 days of coverage which then had to be renewed. A hassle when on the road. TravelEx came to the rescue with a full year policy for both of us for $3400 total cost for the year (this came in handy when Lorraine broke a tooth while inZagreb Croatia and had to get a crown made).

  With all of these obstacles out of the way, the adventure was on. The one big question we continually face is, "how affordable is this kind of trip?" We are both retired and our pensions, which are not huge, are our only income. Lorraine was a teacher and I was a psychiatric social worker. While we are comfortable with this income, we certainly are not going to be rich. If you are interested in visiting Europe as we are doing, it is affordable as long as you watch what you spend and plan carefully. We rent fully furnished apartments each month and cook our own meals, at least two out of the three each day. We do go out to eat a couple of times per week.

  Here is the month-by-month breakdown of our expenditures (in U.S. Dollars); including rent, food, travel expenses, and any entry fees to attractions we visit;

  October....$6837.40 Florence(including our air fare from the U.S. to Italy

  November...$4380.62 Rome first month

  December...$3022.99 Rome 2nd month

  January...$3313.85 Istanbul

  February...$4978.92 Bangkok

  March...$5813.18 Croatia

  We have yet to reach the top of our monthly pensions on this trip and have actually been able to bank some after all of our expenses. So this kind of trip is doable if you plan it out correctly and just watch your spending.

We hope this explanation has been helpful.

  Sitting in the apartment, enjoying a quiet evening, we suddenly heard singing just outside our window. A fairly large group of folks were walking the streets of Old Town singing Acappella. This HAD to be explored further. We caught up with them on the Stradun, and they gave us a "private" performance (in the middle of the street). They were excited to meet Americans who really enjoyed their music. As a result, we were pulled into the middle of the group while they serenaded us with three additional songs. This local (from Ogulin Croatia) ensemble, called Kud Klek, has been singing together since 1989. Tonight's entertainment was a warm-up for a full performance on Palm Sunday (tomorrow). They were fantastic!

During our stay in Dubrovnik, we have posted on many visited sites. Still, there are quite a few pictures left that did not necessarily fit neatly into those previous postings. In an effort to wrap things up before moving on to Vienna, we offer the following odds and ends for your (hopefully) viewing pleasure. We have thoroughly enjoyed Dubrovnik and hope you have also enjoyed following along;

  And, of course the wonderful people we continued to meet;

  The Dominicans and Franciscans arrived in Dubrovnik around the same time, the early 13th century.

  Arriving around 1225, the Dominicans did not establish their monastery until the 14th century. Located in the eastern part of the Old Town, near the Ploce Gate, it has become one of the most important archetectual parts of the city. The Dominican Monastery houses treasures of cultural art (paintings, artifacts, jewelry) but by far it's most notable piece is the large golden crucifix designed by Paolo Veneglian in the 14th century. The four evangelists surround Christ in each of the corners, while the mourning characters of Mary and St. Joseph are below.

  The Franciscans arrived in Dubrovnik in 1234. Their first monastery was established outside the Old Town city walls, on the site now occupied by the Hotel Imperial. When war seemed imminent in 1317, the Franciscans demolished the monastery to prevent the enemy from using it. Rebuilding a new monastery within the Old Town walls, next to the Holy Savior Church just inside the Pile Gate, was accomplished within the year. That same year, the Franciscans established a "minor" pharmacy with the intention of caring just for their brethren. However, it quickly became a public pharmacy and still functions as such today, the third oldest functioning pharmacy in the world. In 1937, a museum was added to the complex.

One of the fun parts of this adventure, at least for us, is to explore an area without any particular destination in mind and see what we could find. Today was one of those days. Using the front of our apartment building as a starting point, we began walking a spiral and quickly came across the following "interesting" sights;

The Candy Bar.

Down a non-descript alley-way, we came across the Candy Bar. The inside was decorated like the hold of an ancient cargo ship. At least three dozen wooden barrels lined the walls and center aisle of the store, along with at least 18 treasure chests mounted on the walls. Every one of these containers exhibited different candies. Of course, we could not leave without our own care package.

  The next stop was the Marin Drzica house. Born in 1508 to a family of merchants ( with 5 other brothers and 6 sisters) Drzica was appointed as one of two rectors of the All Saints Church (more commonly known as the Domino church) in 1526. Later on, he was made an organist at St. Mary's cathedral. The house that we visited was not the one in which he was born, rather it was where he lived as rector of the Domino Church. Over the years, Drzica became an accomplished and well known poet and playwright, in addition to his duties as a cleric.

The next few pictures are examples of some of his written works.

As we traveled around the old town of Dubrovnik, we came across a lot renovation work.

One of the tenets of this adventure has always been to try to find some off-the-beaten-track experiences as well as the attractions that most people gravitate towards. We managed to accomplish this last night. The Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra, in collaboration with the Antiphonus Choir performed Bach's St. John's Passion Lenten Concert which they called "Days of Christian Culture". This was done in celebration of the 330th anniversary of J.S. Bach's birth. Founded in 1925, the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra was originally called the Dubrovnik City Orchestra. The name changed in 1992 to the Festival Symphony Orchestra, finally achieving its present name. Many of its musicians have academic education from the Zagreb Academy of Music and are accomplished soloists. In addition, there are a number of original composers amongst its members.

After several years of singing in various groups, the Antiphonus Choir finally came together in 2006. They perform a wide-range repertoire, from the Eastern European full-bodied vocal sound to that of western countries. However, the choir likes to focus on Croatian contemporary music. The two groups do tour all over Europe and the United States.

Dedicated to exhibiting daily life centuries ago, in-and-around Dubrovnik, the Ethnographic Museum is situated in the old 16th century granary. Originally built by the government of Dubrovnik in 1590 (after 42 years of construction), it is located on the Islet of Lave, the oldest part of town, just a two minute walk from the main road. Wheat, barley, and millet were aired and dried on the upper floor then channeled down shutes into 15 stone silos (called Rupe) that had been coated with a waterproofing material to keep the grain dry. These silos held 1200 tons of grain that was sold to the public.

Renovated in 1991, the building now houses 5000 exhibits of folk costumes, textile handiwork, and life in the countryside of Dubrovnik.

  We have met so many wonderful people while in Dubrovnik, that waiting until this leg of the journey was at its end would probably make the listing much too long. So, in order to keep our readers abreast of our adventure, here is the most recent group of fellow travelers we have encountered;

Dubrovnik is bordered by the Adriatic Sea on one side and mountainous terrain on the other. The closest hill to the Old Town is Srd, 412 meters (1236 feet) high. At one time, Srd was forested by oak trees that the Croatians called "Dubrova", lending its name to the town below. This hill was the site of the fiercest battle of the 1991-1995 War of Independence, known as the Seige of Dubrovnik. As a result of the many fires caused by the shelling, the trees were gutted and the slopes remained barren afterwards.

Running from the base of Srd to the top is a cable car system originally built in 1969. Approximately 2.5 million people per year visit the cable car and Srd Hill.. On a clear day, you can see 37 miles from the top. Because of this, when Napoleon occupied the area between 1806 and 1816, he felt it was of strategic importance, so he had Fort Imperial built on the site next to where the cable car system now sits. Following the fall of Napoleon, the fort was used by the Austrian/Hungarian authorities who reinforced it.

Fort Imperial and Srd Hill became a symbol of defiance during the War of Independence when the Croatian defenders, outgunned and outnumbered, successfully fought off Serbian/Montenagro forces. Today, the fort is a museum to that war.

During our walking tour of the defensive walls around Dubrovnik's Old Town, we saw some unusual activity down by the harbor walkway. Of course, curiosity "encouraged" us to go check it out. Bollywood (India's film industry) was shooting part of a movie along the waterfront. We spent the better part of two hours watching them set-up scenes and then shooting and reshooting them. It was facinating! What's more, the main actor in the film reportedly is the second highest paid actor in the world, next to Seinfeld. For about a half-second, we thought about hiring on as extras, but fortunately thought better of it.

The Rector of the Republic of Ragusa governed Dubrovnik from the late 15th century until 1808. Situated between the Dubrovnik town hall and the church of St. Blaise (patron Saint of the old city of Dubrovnik) is the Rector's Palace. The governing position of Rector was designed to be held only for one month at a time, and the person in this office was forbidden to leave the building without express permission of the Senate. During the early Middle Ages, a defensive building (documents of 1272 referred to this building as castrum) occupied this same location. Once it became the Rector's Palace, the structure was either destroyed or heavily damaged over the ensuing years by fires, gunpowder explosions, or earthquakes. Each time it was rebuilt and/or renovated, the palace took on a different look (following the 1435 fire, archetect Onofrio della Cava, who designed the water system for the city and the fountain named after him, was commissioned to rebuild the Palace). Thus, the present-day shape of the Rector's Palace owes its look to the many additions and renovations over its history. Today, the Palace houses the history department and the Cultural Historical Museum of Dubrovnik.

Because of its Adriatic Sea location and historic significance, Dubrovnik is a magnet for visitors from around the world. Obviously, late Spring and Summer sees the largest number of tourists, but even now, there are still many who come to take in Dubrovnik's wonders. We were fortunate enough to meet, and talk with, several of them. Here they are;

One of the "Must See" attractions of Dubrovnik is the fortification walls surrounding the old city. While there were wooden fortifications here dating back to the 7th century, the stone walls, considered to be one of the great fortification systems of the Middle Ages, were constructed between the 12th and 17th centuries ( with the bulk of the numerous additions and modifications occurring between the beginning of the 15th century and the latter half of the 16th century). These fortifications hold the reputation of never having been breeched by hostile armies. Running uninterrupted for 1940 meters (6360 feet), and reaching a maximum height of 25 meters (82 feet), the walls contain 3 circular and 14 quadrangular towers, five bastions (bulwarks), two angular fortifications, and the large St. John's fortress. There actually are four strong fortresses situated at significant points along the walls; to the north is the circular Minceta tower; to the east, the Revelin fortress; on the west is Fort Bokor ( the old town main entrance and considered the oldest preserved fort of its kind in Europe); and on the southeast is the large St. John fortress complex. In 1979, this fortification complex was added to the UNESCO World Heitage list. While some of the brochures state one can tour the walls in 90 minutes, we found that three hours was required to really explore the whole site, including the number of museums contained within the complex.

Following a wonderful two weeks in Zagreb, we have now arrived in the Croatian city of Dubrovnik on the Adriatic Sea (The Dalmatian coast). Considered to be one of the most important tourist destinations within the Mediterranean, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

One legend states that Dubrovnik was founded in the 7th century on a rocky island named Laus by refugees looking for a new homeland. However, some recent archeological finds pose a more plausible theory that Dubrovnik was really founded sometime before the birth of Christ by Greek sailors. For a time (1205-1358) the city came under the sovereignty of Venice, but then bounced between Hungry, the Serbian Empire, and the Ottoman Empire because of its strong maritime trading and skill at diplomacy. In August of 1296, most of the city was destroyed by a great fire, but was quickly rebuilt.

Our apartment is in the Old Town's walled fortifications which is off-limits to all vehicular traffic. Consisting of a very spacious bedroom, a full bathroom, and a combination kitchen/dining area, this is a lovely accommodation in a four hundred year old building.

Rounding out our stay in Zagreb was a visit to the Croatian Ethnographic Museum. Founded in 1919, this 80,000 item museum (divided into three geographic zones; the Pannonean, the Diuaric, and the Adriatic) highlights the heritage of Croatia. Some of the museum's items were brought back by Croatian explorers from such areas as Japan, India, Australia, and the Congo. A significant collection of folk costumes is also contained in the museum.

  Most large cities have some form of "farmers' market", usually the open-air type (the most popular). Less common are farmers' markets that are completely contained within a warehouse type building. However, making headway around the world are markets that combine open-air with some portion contained within buildings. Zagreb's market is this latter type, with a twist; it is multi-level. On the lower level is an outdoor flower market and an indoor meat market, while the upper level is the outdoor fruit and vegetable market, with an indoor fish market. The first thing we noticed was the huge size of the fruits. They were immense!!!! (Grapes were the size of golf balls, strawberries were the size of tangerines, and apples and pears were the size of softballs).Manure based composting accounts for the super growth of these fruits. No GMO's are involved. Nothing artificial. Everything comes from small, organic farms with free range chickens and grass fed cows and other farm animals (according to the farmers we met). Family and friends who swear by organic farming techniques might swoon over these sizes (Jessica, you would love roaming through this market). This whole complex probably covers five acres of land, at least, and it is open every day of the week.

Throughout our travels over the past five months, residing in apartments has been the norm. Zagreb was outside the norm because of difficulties in finding a suitable...and available... apartment. Deciding on the Best Western Premier Hotel Astoria was definitely a bonus. From the front reception desk, the wait staff at the restaurant, and housekeeping, we were well taken care of and pampered. Every question and need was dealt with on the most professional of levels. When Lorraine broke a tooth, the staff referred us to an extremely competent local dental office that immediately took care of the issue. The bottom line is that we felt very comfortable here and would have absolutely no problem recommending this hotel to anyone planning on visiting Zagreb.

When we first began this adventure, one of the big issues we needed to plan for was travel health and medical evacuation insurance. It took some exploration to find a plan that would provide coverage for the full year of this trip. Once obtained, we pretty much put it out of our conscious thoughts. That is, until Lorraine broke a tooth earlier this week. Fortunately, the hotel referred us to a local dentist just a five minute walk away. What a pleasant surprise Dr. Nino Balenovic, Dr. Kristina Horvat and their staff were. Not only were they accommodating enough to see us right away, they also were very pleasant and gentle, completing the process of making a crown for the broken tooth within two days. This is a family dental practice, as Nino, his sister, Mateja, and their father (now 74 and retired) are all dentists. Dental training in Croatia is fully funded by the government, so there are no tuition costs for those who become dentists. From our perspective, Croatian dentists are every bit as competent, efficient, and painless as their colleagues in America.We would highly recommend this office to anyone who required dental work in Zagreb.

  There is much to see in Zagreb, between the Upper Town, the Lower Town, and the Old Town. We made an effort to capture as much as possible within our two week visit. Unfortunately, a number of the sights visited did not allow the taking of photographs of its exhibits, so we could not share them with our readers. The following collage is an overview of Zagreb's sights not previously discussed. We hope it is enough of a taste of this beautiful city to encourage your own visit here.

  No matter where we have visited, we love visiting museums and Zagreb has many beautiful such structures. The National Archeological Museum is located within the Vranyczany-Hafner Palace. With over 450,000 artifacts,it was originally opened in 1846 as the "National Museum". The current name ("The Archeological Museum ") was established in 1939.

  During this adventure, at least two main events have occurred; we have experienced many interesting places; and we have continued to meet wonderful people from all over. Zagreb is no exception. Here are some of the delightful folks we have encountered.

  This 13th century fortified tower, built to guard the southern gate of the Gradec town wall, is one of Zagreb's landmarks. It's name derived from Latin meaning "thieves bell" referring to a bell hung in the tower in 1646 to signal the closing of the town gates. During the 19th century a fourth floor with windows was added to the tower. Since the beginning of 1877, a canon placed at the top was fired at mid-day so as to coordinate the ringing of the city church bells. A more interesting legend states that the canon is fired to commemorate a day in the 15th century when it was fired at invading Turks camped across the Sava River. Inadvertently, a rooster was blown to bits by the firing and reportedly this so demoralized the Turks that they decided not to attack. You choose which story to believe.

  Zagreb is the largest city and Capitol of Croatia. It extends approximately 19 miles on an east-west line and 12 miles on a north-south line. The Roman town of Andautonia was the first settlement here. Zagreb, the origins of its name still remains a mystery, became a free Royal town in 1242.

  Before making our first extensive exploration of Zagreb, we took a side-trip to the Caritas charitable organization near the Cathedral to donate some of the clothing we had determined to be unneeded to the poor. How can a week's worth of clothing each, contain "excessive" items? It does seem counter-intuitive. That decision came after five months of travel, washing and rewashing the clothes we were using, and having to deal with lifting the bags into airline overhead bins. This process reinforced our belief that we do not need "...a lot of stuff..." to enjoy life.

  With this side trip completed, we centered our explorations around Ban Jelacic square. Named after Count Josip Jelacic, an Austrian general who became Governor of Croatia from 1848 to 1859, it has served as Zagreb's commercial heart for over four centuries. Most of the current buildings surrounding the square date from the 19th century due to fires, earthquakes, and invasions that destroyed the older buildings. The following pictures depict some of the places we visited on this part of our trip.