Big Rock Anniversary Hike

May 3^ed was the third anniversary of Jon's retirement from Autodesk. On his first day of retirement, he took a hike to Big Rock in the Lucas Valley. He tries to do so every year. This year was nice and sunny. The trail goes through Big Rock Ranch - owned by George Lucas and adjacent to Skywalker Ranch. It goes above Summit Skywalker Ranch, a former Lucasfilm production facility and now a luxury corporate retreat center. The hike is spectacular - it is 6 miles through woods and open fields to Big Rock Ridge - a vertical rise of 1300'. There are great views of San Francisco, Berkley/Oakland, Mt. Tamelpias, and Pt. Reyes National Seashore. It is a reminder of how lucky we are to live in this special place with easy access to all kinds of outdoor beauty.

Dalmation Coast Cruise

We took a 10-day cruise along the Dalmation Coast aboard the Seaborn Quest with our long-time friends David and Kathy. The cruise originated in Venice and ended in Rome so we spent time in both cities. We flew in and out of Zurich so we got to spend time there, too. We took a spectactular train ride trough the Alps from Zurich to Venice. On this trip we went to five new countries - Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro,Albania, and The Vatican (Holy See). We had a great time and it was really fun spending time with our friends David and Kathy.

Zürich

Our first stop was Zürich. We flew into Zürich and spent a couple of days there sampling the local food and ambiance. It was beautiful spring weather and a great introduction to Europe. We took a boat ride on the Zürich See and walked through the University of Zürich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology campus. After Zürich, we took the train to Venice via Milan through the Gotthard Pass. It was a spectacularly scenic ride, but the weather was low overcast so not amenable to taking pictures. We arrived in Venice to meet up with David and Kathy and begin our cruise. Here is Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Zürich.

Venice

We arrived in Venice and met our friends David and Kathy. Our hotel was conveniently located 10 minutes from Piazza San Marco, an easy walk. We had less than a day in Venice so we mostly looked around Piazza San Marco. We then took a water taxi to the cruise terminal where we checked in and took a bus over to the port to board our ship. Here is Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Venice.

Slovenia

Our first port of call was in Koper, Slovenia. We did not stay in Koper but, instead, took a trip up into the mountains to Lake Bled, a picturesque lake up in the mountains. We walked around Lake Bled in a rain storm and then drove toward Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. In Ljubljana, we walked around the market and the old city. It is a very beautiful old town that looks like it has a high standard of living. After our tour of Ljubljana, we returned to Koper and reboarded the Seaborn Quest. Here is Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Slovenia.

Opatjia, Croatia

Our next stop was Opatjia, Croatia, a small resort town with nice gardens and a promenade along the oceanfront. Here is Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Opatjia.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Our next stop was Dubrovnik, Croatia, a beautiful walled city and World Heritage Site that showed signs of the many wars fought there over the years. Our guide first took us up to the mountain overlooking the city to get an overview. We then went to a small waterfront town on the outskirts of Dubrovnik and finally entered the walled city. It was very crowded with tourists but also very beautiful. We had a nice lunch overlooking one of the town squares. This was easily one of our favorite places on our trip.. Here is Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Dubrovnik.

Montenegro

after Dubrovnkik, our next stop was Kotor, Montenegro, a very picturesque fortified town (and UNESCO world heritage site) at the end of a deep bay, the Bay of Kotor. We toured the town and the area, including a church built out on a small island in the bay. We also saw Porto Montenegro, a very high end resort community for super-yachts - designed by Orange County archtecture firm WATG, whom both David and Jon know. Here is Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Montenegro.

Albania

We woke up in Durres, Albana to the sight of a cargo crane outside our window. We were docked in an industrial port. We left Durres for the one-hour drive to Tirana, the captial of Albania. Albania is a former communist country and the architecture was pretty bombastic. It was an interesting place to see but not high on our list of places to return to. Here is Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Albania.

Lipari, Italy

After Albania, we had a day at sea and then landed at Lipari, a small island in Italy just north of Sicily. In Lipari, we were met by a couple with a nice boat who took us on a boat tour (with food and wine) around the island. It was beautiful. Jon and Kathy did some snorkleing in crystal clear water. In the evening, after dinner, the ship departed Lipari, and we passed Mt. Stromboli, an active volcano off the coast of Sicily. Since it was dark, we could clearly see Mt. Stromboli erupting - a spectacular sight. Here is Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Lipari.

Amalfi, Italy

We were planning a stop at Amalfi where we had a tour arranged to see Pompeii. Unfortunately the seas were too rough for the tenders to dock so the captain elected to go on to Rome. We only saw the Amalfi coast from the ship (and the tender in rough seas). Needless to say, we missed Pompeii as well. Here is Care's Rizbee on the Road blog for Amalfi.