Going to Vienna we realized we were just less than an hours drive to the country of Slovakia. Why not spend a couple of days there and add another county to the list. We stayed in the capital of Bratislava. This county has seen a lot of changes in who has the control over them. Hungary, Germany, and the Communist. Of course the last control ended in 1989 when that party fell, and they joined the EU in 2004. 3 major car manufacturers are there, and they produce more cars per capita than anyone in the world. We found a place right outside of old town, where we could walk every day we were there. It was a cute, little village with an Austrian influence. I spent some time talking to the locals who love sharing about there country. And then of course they ask about America. Always asking where they should visit if they ever come to our country. It boils down to what they want to see.

Now it’s back to Vienna for a couple of days. We were here in 2014 for the Christmas Marts, so now it will be nice to see the other sites of the city.

Another beautiful place in Croatia. After visiting Dubrovnik twice, we waited until the big guys knee was replaced before venturing into this city. We knew that we would be doing a lot of walking. Yesterday we did just that by taking a walking tour of the city and taking a cooking class.

Split is the 2nd largest city in Croatia. It was founded in either the 2nd or 3rd centuries as a Greek colony. The Romans took over in the 300’s. It was lead by the Emperor Diocletian who reformed the government and established the Tetarchy. He had an elaborate palace built in his honor to be used after his retirement. Some of those structures are still visible today.

There are 4 existing gates you can use to enter the Roman Old Town. These were built in honor of the 4 Caesars: Golden, Iron, Silver and Brass.

The people of Split rely heavily on tourism. Various cruise ships and yachts can be seen in their port every day. Lots of restaurants and bars line the promenade and side streets. It sure was nice to see the places full of people laughing, eating, drinking and having a good time. After we walked around the city, we went and took a cooking class. I learned to make a traditional stew using squid and homemade pasta, grilled a sea bream and for dessert Fritule a Croatian pastry. They taught me to make that the way their grandmothers did. I love doing that sort of thing. Taking the recipes home with me.