Travel Mishaps and How to Deal with Them

Travel mishaps are unfortunate accidents. They are pimples in the otherwise clear complexion of a fine travel day. I’m not talking about those incidents that make us scared enough to rethink how we travel. I am talking about simple occurrences that can be prevented but didn’t or couldn’t. Travelers are often in unfamiliar places so mishaps can happen to us more often. How we deal with them matters.

Buried in Snow

Early in our RVing career, we had to return to Washington from Florida for my citizenship interview with the US CIS. We weren’t supposed to be in the north in November, but we had to. We parked our RV at the Thunderbird RV and Camping Resort in Monroe, beside a river so my husband could do some fishing. But when a snowstorm arrived, we got trapped inside our RV.     

With very little propane left, our lone energy source for the heater and stove, we confined ourselves to microwaveable meals. Since management could not risk their pipes freezing, we were forced to scrimp on the little water we had left in the freshwater tank.  But we didn’t get glued to the TV and Internet. Instead, we enjoyed the new living arrangements. My husband ran errands and walked through the snow. I was a good girl scout, following instructions, for a change.

Stranded on the Interstate

flat tire on I-71

Later we had a scarier one. Driving down Interstate 71 from Cincinnati, Ohio to Louisville, Kentucky, the right front tire of the RV blew out. It had eight tires, two in front and six at the rear in two axles. It was such a loud noise, unfamiliar to my ears, and I got scared. Bill managed to steer our 20,000-pound rig off the road. He remained calm and called Good Sam.

Then he found the Rummikub game and we played a few games, letting me win so I could forget my fear. But we had to wait inside the RV on a hot afternoon, without air conditioning. Help finally arrived and the tire was replaced. The rescue truck accompanied us to Louisville because he said many of our tires needed changing. It was midnight when we arrived at their shop. We were tired but, as usual, my husband was that same old boy scout I had married!

Lost in Helsinki

Hotel Ava and Institute

And that is why, in Helsinki, I panicked when I thought I lost him.   After the failed hostel experiment in Oslo, we chose the Hotel Ava, a very affordable option because it was attached to a Hotel Management Institute that provided most of the staff. The only problem was it was twenty minutes away from the city center. A Helsinki card was our solution, It paid for museums, tours, and cruises, as well as all public transport. It was a nice feeling to go ‘home’ at the end of the day.

On our last day, we finished packing early. We waited in the lobby with our bags, ready for the 3 pm public bus to the airport. We had time so my husband left for the nearby pharmacy just around the corner. But by 2:30 pm, he had not come back. I was upset that the receptionist did not give him a map of how to get there and back. I was in full panic mode, imagining all sorts of things that could have happened to him.  At 2:55 pm, he came in, got his bags, and instructed me to follow him to the bus stop. I ran all the way, lugging my carry-on through the cobbled streets, unmindful if it got damaged. Mr. calm, cool, and collected.

More planning is needed to prevent these mishaps. And how we deal with them when they happen that matters. My husband showed me how. He says, “They are just that, mishaps, not tragedies!” The right perspective.

 

Are a Few Hours Enough to Enjoy a City: Vienna and Salzburg

Are A Few Hours Enough to Enjoy a City?

We were already in Innsbruck, Austria so why not visit Vienna and Salzburg, too? Vienna is two hours east of Salzburg, which is two hours east of Innsbruck. The solution was simple. Leave Innsbruck by 7:30 am, arrive in Vienna by 11:30 am, and retire in a Viennese Airbnb by 6:30 pm, giving us seven sight-seeing hours. The following day, we leave at 8 am, arrive in Salzburg at 10, and head back to Innsbruck at 5 pm, giving us seven hours, too. Or so we thought.

The Case of Vienna

We lost each other at the Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof (Main Railway Station). As soon as we found each other again, we jumped onto the train that was leaving. When the conductor checked our tickets, he told us we were going to Munich, in the opposite direction! We reached Vienna at 1:30 pm and had only five hours to enjoy the city of 2.6 million!

We still covered quite a few landmarks (StephenPlatz, Mozart Haus, KarlsKirche, Secession Building, Hofburg Palace, Museum Quartier), but we were running from one to the other with just time to take photos. It was not how to enjoy a city. Long lines at the Café Sacher prevented us from tasting the original Sacher torte, and we ended up having those ubiquitous puffers being sold on the sidewalks for lunch.

At the end of our frenzied walk, we had a quick dinner at Café Raymond, enjoying some wine and a slice of, albeit not the original, sacher torte. Our Airbnb was only four subway stops away, so we slept well but felt sad. Even seven hours would not have been enough for the Viennese allure.

The Case of Salzburg

But we had seven hours in Salzburg, smaller with a population of 150,000. From the Hauptbahnhof, we walked to the Mirabell Palace on the way to the Old Town Square. It was at this beautiful palace and garden where Maria (Julie Andrews) and the von Trapp children sang Do Re Mi.  

Across from the Palace, there was a raging Thursday farmer’s market at the Church Plaza. How lucky could we be? It was a haven for local food, produce, plants, and even dry goods. We did not leave until Bill had a version of the famous apple strudel and I got a 15-euro leather purse.

A bridge glistening from the number of love locks (the sun shone on it just right) led directly to 9 Getreidegasse where Mozart was born. Just a block away is the historic center of Salzburg called Residence Platz, a large stately square named after the Residence of the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg. In front of the building, beside the Cathedral, and in the middle of the Square is the beautiful Residenzbrunnen fountain, another point in the Sound of Music Tour.

The Salzburg Cathedral, St. Peter’s Abbey, and the Residential Building define the lovely Dom Platz where carriages can be hired for tours. Happy newlyweds were doing it at the time. You can see the Salzburg Fortress up the hill (you can also see it from the Mirabel).Finally, aA huge golden ball embellished the interesting craft stands.

The Visitors Information Center at Mozart Platz (with a statue of the man) recommended Swelter’s for an early dinner. My husband had wiener schnitzel while I loved my griesnockerlsupp. Wine capped our memories of the Sound of Music and Mozart, street food and shopping, and the love bridge. 

Yes, we enjoyed Salzburg and felt we didn’t miss a thing. But if a city is big, it would be better to allow for more time. We didn’t regret visiting Vienna, however, since we may not pass that way again, but we certainly enjoyed Salzburg a whole lot more.

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An Eventful Road Trip through the Canadian Rockies

From Park City, Utah, we proceeded north to visit friends and my daughter and family at their home in Calgary, Alberta. From there we turned west toward on the road to Vancouver, British Columbia stopping in Kelowna to visit more friends from the Viewpoint snowbird community.

the Bullwhacking Statue in Helena

Park City, Utah to Helena, Montana

Driving to Helena, Montana took seven hours but it was all through freeways so the trip was largely uneventful. But the capital of Montana, 31,000 in population, proved to be quite a lovely stop. In search of a nice place to dine, we were led to the Last Chance Gulch Walking Mall, right in the heart of downtown Helena. Lucca’s, the best Italian restaurant, was fully booked so we opted for Bella Roma.

After dinner, we walked the Mall that was lighted by large yellow bulbs just like San Diego's gas district. Victorian buildings that have been converted into shops and hotels lined the entire strip. The highlight at the back near the restaurant was the Gazebo. At the middle stands the interesting Bullwhacker Statue. At the entrance, we shied away from the Homemade Ice Cream Shop because we were full...and there was a long line.

with the grandbabies in Calgary, Alberta

Calgary, Alberta

From Helena, it took us seven hours to reach Calgary, with a 30-minute duty-free and border time included. We go to Calgary every year to visit with the family. This time, we also got to visit with two friends, one from my BIR days in the Philippines who was also babysitting a grandson (Filipinos make up the fourth-largest minority in Canada, after the Chinese, the First Nations, and the South Asians).

The other is a couple from the Viewpoint snowbird community. Their unit was right in front of ours. Their Calgary home is a 3BR penthouse at a condominium building in the upscale Valley Ridge Golf and Country Club area in the outskirts of Calgary. It is at the last exit of the Trans-Canada Highway right before reaching Banff and all the beautiful national parks of the Canadian Rockies.

Calgary, Alberta to Kelowna, BC

the scene of the second accident

Up to this time, we have had such good luck. But it changed on the road trip to Kelowna. On July 17, we headed out west, bright and early at 8 am, on the Trans-Canada Highway through the Canadian Rockies. The trip was supposed to have been for eight hours. When we had just three hours left, deep into the Rockies, we came upon a non-moving line of vehicles on our side of the two-lane mountain highway.

Mountain View Cabins

Thirty minutes later, a highway patrol vehicle was going around telling every vehicle that it would take at least 4 hours to open the road where there was a fatal collision (I found out later that the fatality and three others injured were Filipinos). It was already 2 pm. It meant arriving at Kelowna well way into the night. We turned back and found the Mountain View Cabins about thirty minutes before Golden, BC.

the Canadian tin man

There were about twelve rustic cabins a mile up from the highway through the dirt road called Forde Station Road. Since there were no dining facilities, just simple cabins each with two wooden double beds and a bathroom, we drove to the town of Golden. Upon the suggestion of the owner, we took the back roads, 100 meters from the Cabins, opposite the direction of the highway which might be busy from vehicles turning back. That proved to be a great suggestion. Although a bit bumpy, the drive gave us interesting finds, including the more than life-size tin man hoisting a Canadian flag and a cool house almost completely covered by mounds of grass to keep it cool.

At Golden, we came upon a Wednesday Farmer’s Market and bought special mountain truffles to take to our Kelowna friends. Then our day ended with a dinner of mountain bison burger for Bill and ginger chicken spring rolls for me at the Island Restaurant, a mountain cabin bar/grill beside the Kicking River Horse River, emerald-hued from large amounts of mountain snow melts.

the cool mound house

Back at the cabin, there was no cable TV, no wifi, and no phone so I fell asleep early. We woke up at 4:30 am. It felt good to be able to hit the road an hour earlier than we had planned. Now, what are the odds that there would be another line of vehicles at exactly the same place we were stopped the day before? We thought that the highway people had not managed to reopen the highway. It turned out that another, but non-fatal, accident occurred at 6:43 am two miles ahead.

the Three Valley Gap Chateau

About an hour later, the road was cleared and alternating lanes were allowed to go. Past the site of the second day’s accident, it was smooth going again. Just west of Eagle Summit Pass, about twenty-seven kilometers from Revelstoke, the site of the first day’s accident, stands a striking complex tucked into the Monashee Mountains and the Three Valley Lake. The red Three-Valley Lake Chateau has 200 rooms and the Three Valley Gap Ghost Town includes First Nations’ heritage buildings, an antique car museum, and an antique rail car exhibit. We wished we had time to stop.

Kelowna, BC

Okanagan Lake from their cabin

At about lunchtime, we reached the Sampahluchee Golf and Country Club, an hour before Kelowna, where Bill and the two husbands/friends had lunch and played golf. The wives lunched and rested at their cabin on the Okanagan Lake, deep and 90 miles long. It waters the whole valley that produces the best fruits and vegetables for western Canada. We sat around the end of their long dock where our friends had built a cute 8-ft. lighthouse. When the men returned, we drove in a caravan on the northern part of the road around the lake. It was a scenic ride into Kelowna.

I wondered about the cluster of high-rise buildings that were huddled in the middle of the lake connected by a lovely floating bridge to the road that we were traversing. It turned out to be the city itself. We stayed at one of the couples’ houses. Delightfully designed, it is highlighted by a very private backyard of the pool, hot tub, and patio, separated from everything else by a cool running stream and a woodsy little hill. The other couple’s home, up in the hills overlooking the lake, should be another stunner.

The Okanagan Valley has truly become a retirement haven, especially with its great micro-climate. A visit there is worth the eventful road trip. I even found my special writing place there...where I can churn out all this chatter.

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10 Gems of Largely Undiscovered Slovenia, Courtesy of Our Friends

beautiful Lake Bled

Please see the end of the post for discounts on Slovenian apartments and day trips.

We had such low expectations of Slovenia. It is not exactly off-the-beaten-path but neither is it top of mind when you think of going to Europe. But we had had not seen our long-time Slovenian friends for six years and our new American First Lady comes from Slovenia. When we got to Washington DC for our flight to London where we had a connecting flight to its capital, Ljubljana, we were told that Primera Air had just declared bankruptcy and was no longer flying as of that day. Tough luck! We had to shell out $3,500+ for new tickets. Our Slovenian visit just became very expensive!

But as soon as our Easy Jet flight made the approach, we saw how lovely it is: verdant green with purple mountains streaked with white. I was fascinated by the spruce trees of near whitebark I saw as our shuttle made its way. They looked like evergreen brothers of birches or aspens. We started to feel good!

the Central Market

Imagine our surprise when we found out that the apartment our friend Katarina was letting us use from her stable of units is right in front of the massive Central Market whose stall come alive every day at 7 am with all the goodies farmers and other vendors have to offer. Just to the left of her building is the funicular that led to the Ljubljana Grad (Castle) from where you can get the best aerial view of the city. At the Castle grounds, we found an exhibit of Slovenian mythology, front, and center of which is the dragon. To the right of her building is the walking path to the castle, right after her office where she offers day trips. It was good to know that all of Slovenia is reachable in a day.

view of Ljubljana from the Tower of the  Castle

the Fountaiin and St. Nicholas Church at the background

Just a few steps after her building and the Market you will get to the pedestrian, cobble-stoned Old Historic Center. Little electric shuttle cars are available for those who are tired from walking. Just half a block and you get to the yellow St. Nicholas Church and its massive unique doors. The Fountain is not far from the church. If you turn right you will immediately get to the Ljubljana River with the Three Bridges that lead to the Pink Church. The river is punctuated by other bridges, most notably the Dragon Bridge to the right and the Shoemakers’ Bridge to the left.  

To the left of the Pink Church are the shopping areas. Mustering the strength not to buy too much, we found the city’s green oasis, the Tivoli Park, at the end. There are two art galleries at its entrance and the long promenade, lined with Slovenia’s classic paintings, leads to a former castle that had also been turned into a beautiful art gallery up the hill.

the mystery at Tivoli Park

Katarina customized, per my request, a combination of two-day trips to be done in one day, setting aside the tour of the Lippizans which we have seen in Florida. Luckily, an Australian couple loved the idea and joined us in a small van with a guide to visit three unforgettable destinations south of Ljubljana.

Our first stop was the Postojna Jama (Cave). I almost wanted to remove it from the itinerary, too, since we have seen so many caves around the world. OMG, I am glad we did not! All of its 24 kilometers of viewable areas were accessible by trains and short walks and are all very well-lighted. We climbed the highest point, descended to the lowest, of the whole hill inside the cave! We explored the Dance and Concert Halls and were fascinated by gleaming pure calcite pillars, the colorful iron oxide curtains, and white spaghetti sprouts. They were grand formations we have never seen before.

beautiful curtains of Postojna Jama 

Part of the Park and just about fifteen minutes away, is what is called Predjama Grad, a unique castle built onto a smaller cave. We saw the older portions of the castle carved into the cave and the newer parts at the cave’s opening that were built to make the castle more comfortable for the owners. There is a fireplace in the bedroom, a kitchen, a dining room, a cellar, a water collection cistern, a chapel, and servants’ quarters. But it is the defense structures that were unique: a solid entrance with a drawbridge, an armory, shooting holes, and narrow openings for the guns and cannons. What an interesting castle built, not primarily for the luxury like others, but for maximum defense.  

unique Predjama Grad

And we continued south to the 43 kilometers of Slovenian coastline In the city of Piran where the finest sea salt in the world is produced. After a sumptuous seafood lunch, we descended into the spit where the red rooftops made for a beautiful scene, very much like in Croatia. To the left one can see Croatia’s coast, to right Italy’s, and up the hill stands a Catholic Church and a monastery from the 1600s.

ice cream at the tip of the coastline in Piran with  a view of the Italian coast 

That night Katarina drove us to Bled and, on the way, we relished the burgers at the only MacDonalds in Slovenia. Then she brought us to one of the rental apartments of another friend, Jure, for our next tour day. Imagine our thrill when we found out it was right on Lake Bled. We could see the lights of the other castle on the hill but it was In the morning when we were left awestruck by all the beauty around.  

Jure picked us up the next day and the three of us began our slow walk around the six-kilometer perimeter of the lake. We stopped several times so we can take many photos at different angles of the famous church on the island in the middle of Lake Bled Colorful boats regularly brought tourists to and from the castle. We also stopped for coffee and to admire the work of a painter which were different perspectives of the famous scene. Jure bought me a small one and the painter proceeded to paint the three of us at the back of the painting, signed it, making permanent our “moment in time.”

the twin falls at the end of Vintgar Gorge

After lunch at the oldest local dishes restaurant in town, Jure took us to Vintgar Gorge, a 1.6-kilometer gorge created by the Radovna River. The stream is so clear you can see the fish, logs, and rocks in the not-so-deep waters. As we walked the long, narrow boardwalk, we saw the boulders that punctuated the waters, creating gushing little waterfalls. Towards the end, you will find the larger twin falls, crowned by a tall arch bridge where trains ran. It was such a pretty scene.

By that time we had walked 9.2 miles and were tired but Jure wanted us to see the largely unexplored, more pristine, and the bigger lake known as Lake Bohinj. On the way and back, he happily told us about the Slovenian countryside and rural life: the identical little churches in every village, the unique kozolecs or hayracks for drying hay and corn or even store wood, and the small garden each Slovenian home nurtured from where the family gets their own favorite vegetables. 

   

Lake Bohinj

We saw so much more in three days than we had ever planned. Having Slovenian friends host us was our definite advantage. As a matter of fact, we were also able to sample many local dishes. My next post is a deeper look into Slovenian cuisine and why they are so delicious and healthy. There is a reason obesity is nonexistent in the country. But for now, $3,500 seems so small compared to the emotional, intellectual, and spiritual satisfaction we found on this short but comprehensive trip of the largely undiscovered gem that Slovenia is!

IMPORTANT NOTE

For those who want great rates on Katrina's centrally-located  Ljubljana apartments featured in Airbnb, please click CENTRALLY-LOCATED LJUBLJANA APARTMENTS. For discounts on the day trips she organizes, please go to her website TRIP YOUR DAY. Mention “Carol Colborn Blog” in your inquiry for both apartments and day trips and get the 10% discount for any booking(s) you make.

For those who want to rent any of the six sought-after lake view apartment units of Jure on Lake Bled, please click LAKEVIEW APARTMENTS ON LAKE BLED. 

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