Traveller's Cheques - "Not" Accepted Everywhere

How many of you know what a traveller's cheque is? I can name three people who do, but at least 100 businesses in Europe that do not. As with all family vacations, running jokes seem to really stick in my family and create memories last a lifetime.
The recent visit of my parents and aunt to Europe gave us another perspective on the subtle differences among cultures and a continued interest in our travels. Although our journey started off on a hot train ride to Prague, with the lack of a promised chocolate box and one debit card swallowed by an ATM, we managed to make the most of our time.

Prague is a great stop if you are heading out of Munich. There is a totally different feeling in the city with its tight streets in the old city that scatter out from a main square. I was especially happy to get a second look at the city. Last time Ayelet and I were here (in Prague) in February, the days were short and we were both under the weather travelers.

summer fishing across the river from the Prague Castle

The best part about summer in the city is all of the outdoor live music. This was a big jazz event in Prague with the temperature so hot that a firetruck was parked among the people with a wide spray of water. There were more adults getting soaked than kids.

Back from Croatia

Croatia's current tourist slogan is "the Mediterranean as it was." And that is so true. It reminded Greg and I a lot of the Mediterranean-esque places we've been to - Israel, Italy - and pictures of other places - California, Greece. However, it has a unique vibe all its own - not really picture perfect, but very much real with all the good and bad that goes into being real.

For example, Zadar was our last stop. A beautiful city with old, twisting marble pedestrian streets lined with cafe tables and chairs. People sitting out at all times of the day and night chatting over kava (coffee) and pivo (beer). Spotless? Not exactly. Well-preserved buildings? Mostly not, due to wars (WWII and 1990s conflicts). Variety in food? Not enough for vegetarians, but the cheese burek, pastries, pizzas, and fresh fruits and veggies were delicious. Safe? Definitely. It also didn't hurt that the city was steps from the sea shore. 

That example best depicts our time during our slow trip south - we traveled by train, bus and boat from Munich to Ljubljana, Slovenia, to the islands of Cres and Mali Losinj to Plitvice National Park to Zadar all in one week (and then took an hour and a half flight back to Munich ;-). There is still a lot more to see in that region, but it was a fantastic week-long trip.