Croatian Birthday Vacation

While we are really enjoying Basel, settling in, making new friends, we still talk about China and how we miss some of the great friends we made.  When we found out Camilla & Andreas (our Danish friends from Shanghai) were going to be at their place in Croatia for a week, we jumped at the opportunity to see them again.

Flying over Venice

It ended being just a wonderful weekend. Perfect way to celebrate our birthdays. 

We didn't arrive at their home until late Friday evening so we had to guess a little bit what the city would have in store for us but Camilla & Andreas were the most wonderful hosts right from the start. They waited for us to arrive and waited even longer as we put EZ to sleep well past his bedtime, and they had made a delicious truffle(!!) pasta dish for dinner which we enjoyed on their balcony overlooking the lights of the city. 

Right at midnight, Camilla came out with a homemade brownie cake lit up with candles for the start of my birthday. Just so sweet and thoughtful. I was so touched. The perfect start to my birthday. 

The next morning we slept in a bit (well I slept in while Matt took care of the little guy who didn't seem to care that it was my birthday ;)  Andreas came back from the market with fresh breads & croissants straight out of the oven. We had a perfect morning brunch again on their balcony where we got our first glimpse of the sea & city. Perfectly picturesque.

Room with a View!

Ps. Here is the website for his place if you're ever interested in renting his awesome apartment. http://www.casakarmelo.com/

We were off to the beach! It was only about. 10min walk down to the shores and what waited for us was EZ's first trip into the ocean and a magical inflatable obstacle course. Just what you'd expect in Croatia! ;) It was perfect relaxing on the shores, climbing the "Iceberg", grabbing a drink at the spot where Andreas asked for Camilla's hand in marriage, and catching up with our favorite Danes!

 

Next, we headed back to their perfect apartment and freshened up before heading into town. Again, just another short walk into town where we did a little exploring before walking all around the harbor and finding a luxurious spot to grab a couple cocktails before dinner.  We made some risky orders, ie "Russian Iced Tea," but we also found the perfect beachside cocktails that I've been craving for too long! 

Working our way back into the city, we loved exploring the alleyways and walking through the cobblestone streets. Our hosts introduced us to the best pizza restaurant in the city (& as I read on the wall the best on the Istrian peninsula). Perfect. Thin crust piled high with tasty, fresh, melty toppings. My mouth is watering just thinking about it...

And it was just one more highlight with a walk to the top of the town to visit the church and see the breathtaking sunset! I loved walking through the streets and was enamored by the fresh laundry hanging between the houses, the men & women with their folding chairs talking to the neighbors in the streets. There were certainly tourists around but it felt like you could still get a glimpse into the local lives.

 

The perfect little weekend in Croatia! Made even more special for our birthdays thanks to our hosts! We can't wait to return to Croatia.

Basel Tattoo!

Tonight we went to Basel Tattoo! 

Basel Tattoo is the world's second largest open-air "tattoo." (see below) It is a performance or marching bands, dancers, singers, motorcycle performers, etc, from across a variety of countries. 

We attended the 5:30 showing because we wanted the big guy to be able to join us, meaning it was still broad daylight and you may be surprised that we didn't last the whole 2.5 hours. Still, we had an fun time!

http://www.baseltattoo.ch/

What is tattoo?
"Tattoo" comes from the Dutch: in the 17th century with the phrase "the doe tap toe" ("make the tap on!") This signal is usually played by a drummer or piper. Over time, the curfew or even "tattoo" has become synonymous with corresponding music festivals. Now, a "tattoo" is entertainment consisting of music, marching, and the performance of displays and exercises by military personnel.

Pictures!

Badenweiler, German Roman Bath Town

In an attempt to make these posts more frequent, I'm also going to make them more casual. 

Today, we went to a little town 30min from Basel, called Badenweiler. We originally found it when we were looking for a place with thermal spas but we didn't make it there that time. Nor did we make it to the baths this time, but we saw them and they looked great. 

The town was adorable! It was a picturesque town in the hillside behind a castle. People come here for a weekend getaway and I can see why. It's not your typical "beach town" or fantastic destination but the whole area had such a calming vibe and friendly vibe that I think anyone could appreciate. 

Now for the pictures! ...plus, we had a little fun playing around in the castle