top 5 reasons to visit europe in the late fall and winter

Yes, I've heard it many times before that the European continent could be cold to freezing in winter (although the Southern parts and the Adriatic coast may be relatively warmer). But, I hope the following reasons will convince you to at least consider a European trip when the mercury dips.

Rovinj, Croatia - no crowds!

1. It's cheaper. Other than around Christmas, airfares to and lodging costs in Europe tend to be cheaper in the late fall and winter because most people shy away from the continent during that time. So, because the law of supply and demand means less demand = lower price, winter is the perfect time to take advantage of an affordable European trip.

York, England - no crowds!

2. It's less crowded.  I hate crowds. I really do. That's why very late fall/winter is my favorite time to travel (and particularly, late November -- see reason #3 -- where the photos on this post were taken during many different trips during that time of the year). Europe in winter could provide you with winter wonderland photo opportunities with a smaller chance of a random person photo bombing your shot. 

travel zen on tuesday - dubrovnik, croatia

Looking out from the old walls of Dubrovnik.

Fun fact:

things to do in pula, croatia

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Croatia is beautiful.  That being said, Pula - which is in the northern part of the country in a region called Istria and very close to Italy - is not as pretty as other Croatian towns.  But, it is still worth a visit. I promise.

Arena in Pula.

View of Rovinj from the marina.

Due to its past as a part of the Venetian and Roman Empires, many of those influences remain in the architecture and the food (and you know, I'm going to talk about the food).  These are my top five things to do in Pula:

1.  See the sights.

Arena

          Arena.  Apparently, this is the sixth largest surviving Roman amphitheater in the world. Like the Colosseum in Rome, the Arena also has a subterranean area that houses a small exhibit.  We actually rented an apartment thisclose to the Arena and it was such a pretty sight whenever I looked out my window and saw the colors of the setting sun reflected on those old stones.

The triumphal arch.

          Triumphal Arch - Roman Gates - Gate of Hercules.  If you walk along the walls of the old town, you'll see these gates. For me the one that stood out the most was the Triumphal Arch, which led into the old town, because not only did it still have a lot of the details from when it was built but also because someone erected a sculpture of a sitting James Joyce, the author, looking at the entrance. Either way, walk along the walls and let us know what you discover. 

sazy rock's top 10 best restaurant dishes (to date) around the world

If you haven't figured it out yet, I really like to eat - and not necessarily healthy foods - when I travel. Eating while traveling makes me happy. In this first of my top 10 series, I will be sharing my top 10 restaurant dishes so far. I've excluded the US because I live there. I also reserve to change my mind about what should be on the top 10 tomorrow -- only because there's so much tasty food out there. So, without further ado, here they are:

1.  Various dishes at Azurmendi near Bilbao, Spain
This restaurant just outside of Bilbao served delicious, local, seasonal and beautiful food. The lobster on lobster dish was absolutely simple yet so tasty. The truffled egg was not simple but, biting into the yolk just showed how a great chef can elevate a simple egg into something ridiculously good. Oh, and the foie gras ash was so rich and creamy I thought I died and went to heaven. Okay, I loved a lot of dishes at Azurmendi, which I reviewed here. In fact, I'll just say that, in the past five years (and probably more), Azurmendi served the best dishes I have ever eaten anywhere (including in the United States).

Five of around 19 dishes served at Azurmendi. Clockwise from top left: lobster with lobster cornet,
foie gras ash with a block of foie gras underneath, squid, mullet, and egg yolk infused with black truffles.

Gran Reserva Jamon from Joselito's.

2.  Jamon Iberico de Bellota at Joselito's in Madrid, Spain
Technically, Joselito's is not a restaurant but a store where you can get Jamon Iberico to take home or eat in the store. When I visited, they offered different kinds of Jamon Iberico de Bellota, which came from black footed Iberian pig fed on acorns while freely roaming the dehesa of the Extremadura region of Spain. The best kind I tasted was the Grand Reserva, which was aged for up to five years before being carved. The resulting ham was nice and fatty (I'd like to think that the fat was good for me because you know, it's acorn fed). When I ate it, the thinly hand sliced piece practically melted in my mouth.

things to do in dubrovnik, croatia

The walled city of Dubrovnik

I think Croatia is an absolutely beautiful country.

Given that Croatia is participating in this year's World Cup, I think it appropriate to pay homage. For this post, I'm focusing on the walled city of Dubrovnik, also known as the Red Keep in King's Landing, as known by all you Game of Thrones fans.  There are many things you can do there but these are my top suggestions:

1. Check out the sights and learn about her history. 

The walled city from Mt. Srd

          Fort Imperial atop Mt. Srd. Until recent memory, Croatia was a part of Yugoslavia, and under the influence of the Soviet Bloc. Then, there was that bloody war involving the Serbs, the Bosnians and the Croats. All that history is still fresh, and, when you visit, you may be able to hear first-hand stories from locals you meet about life in those days. Or, you can check out the walled fortress high above the old town where they have a museum. You will not only have great views of the walled city below, but will also learn about Croatia's history. You can hike up, take a cable car, or drive up. We hired a car and our driver, Cvijeto, was a well of information. Either way you choose to get around, it is worth exploring.