CROATIA, BOSNIA HERZEGOViNA AND MONTENEGRO

 As one gets older, it is a lot easier to use a Tour Company with a reliable reputation to sort out one's travelling arrangements.  We have enjoyed bus trips through Turkey and Morocco with excellent , friendly, well-educated and informative travel guides.  We decided to use the same mode of travel to Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Montenegro.  All three countries were fascinating one way or another.  Stunning architecture is part of the charm as well as lovely mountainous scenery and the glorious coastline.  I was able to spend time doing the following sketches.  Cats , for instance are an integral part of Montenegro.  They are everywhere, mostly well-fed and tame.  There is still quite a way to go for Montenegro and Bosnia Herzegovina to reach European Union standards but Croatia is well on the way.  It is a lovely clean country with lots of green parks and beautiful beaches.  Our final week spent in a large hotel in Montenegro was very pleasant.  The food was outstanding, delicious with a multitude of choices for all palates.  The staff were hospitable, efficient and friendly.  I will not dwell on the negative aspects of any of the countries because they were far outweighed by so many positive and happy experiences. 

Click on the photos for a larger view.  

Thanks for looking and joining me in my memories.

A TRIP TO THE BEAUTIFUL CITY OF ULM

It is ages since I last wrote anything in my Blog.  Somehow,  it seems to be neglected with all the other social media taking precedence. Time to add a word or two and a few sketches.

A trip to Ulm on a 9 Euro train ticket had its ups an downs. The journey there was a pleasure with decent seats and everyone adhering to the rule of wearing masks on public transport. Returning was rather different but that is another story. I want to remember the fun and positive parts of visiting this amazing city. It is simply beautiful. The towering cathedral , apparently the highest church steeple in Europe or in fact anywhere, dominates everything. Inside its elegant arches and beautiful floor were a highlight for me. I am in the process of finishing a very challenging sketch.

The old fishing quarter with its charming houses along the tree-lined Danube River was also an ooh and aah experience!!! I loved the market on Münsterplatz.

It had no cheap and tatty stalls but rather every conceivable vegetable , flowers and fruit. I was particularly entranced with the variety of herbs. For an example, in my horticultural ignorance, I was bowled over by the number of varieties of Basil.

Albert Einstein was born in Ulm. There is a memorial where his family home once stood. I researched a little of his life story and decided that as physics was one of my worst subjects at school, I would concentrate on the personal side of the man.

Here are two sketches.