tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14064037808269742772024-02-19T16:49:23.794-05:00JUST JOOLZ...and moreramblings from the life of a retail shop owner who loves handcrafted jewelryFranciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.comBlogger274125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-60486420785437674562013-01-28T13:25:00.000-05:002013-01-28T13:25:56.199-05:00thank you and goodbye<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a ride this has been.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In 2006, as I was entering my second year of being president of a women's club in Rochester, I told myself I wanted to take what I had learned as the club treasurer and president and turn it into a business I could own and run myself. This blog has chronicled that process and the resulting business, JOOLZ, was like a fourth child for me. I incubated it, birthed it, sent it out into the world and watched it succeed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The time has come, however, to put it to bed. Since 2006 we have added another grandson to the first one, born in 2005, and a third grandchild is expected this summer. We are still healthy and relatively mobile, and want to travel as much as possible while we can do so comfortably. We want to have the flexibility to pick up and go at the drop of a hat. We don't want to put off to tomorrow what we can do today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">With all that in mind, I have closed my business completely, even shutting down the online store. The corporation will be dissolved in the upcoming months and I will turn in my Sales Tax Certificate to the powers that be in Albany. I'll be done, but the wonderful memories of customers who became friends, artists who became friends and drop-dead, gorgeous joolz will be with me forever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thanks to you all for being with me along the way. It's been a treat to have had you at my side.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">And now I will finish writing this blog (it'll stay online, because I want to be able to thumb through it whenever I want), and I have started writing a new blog, <a href="http://breakfastbrownies.blogspot.com/">Brownies for Breakfast</a>, that will chronicle our life, our travels and all the things I especially love. If you're interested, I invite you to hop on over there and keep on riding with me. And have a brownie, if you like.</span>Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-39732901090113758102012-11-18T11:05:00.000-05:002012-11-18T11:18:42.442-05:00meet the author of a stunning new book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Imagine my surprise this morning, when I opened my e-mailed link to <a href="http://www.houzz.com/">Houzz </a>and saw an article about the new book, <em>Long Island Modernism 1930 - 1980. </em>The author, Caroline Rob Zaleski, was a classmate of miine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Caroline was born and raised in England, but moved to Rochester when her father, a noted vascular surgeon, was hired to be the Chief of Surgery at the University of Rochester. She became a classmate in 7th or 8th grade and I remember a petite blond with a wonderful English accent. We've seen each other a few times since those middle and high school days; she's still petite but the English accent is not as pronounced now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Caroline became a nurse and then a medical writer. Raised by parents who loved art, that interest later evolved into Caroline's passion for architecture and architectural preservation. She went back to school for further studies and has a flourishing career as a preservationist. Her writing talents are now being used in that arena, resulting in this beautiful new book. Published in September 2012, it's available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Island-Modernism-1930-1980-Caroline-Zaleski/dp/0393733157/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353253961&sr=8-1&keywords=long+island+modernism+1930-1980">Amazon</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I think the medicine/art connection is wired into many of us. Caroline went into nursing first and ended up with a career based in art. I started out as an Art History graduate, later went to nursing school and then 20 years after that was back in the art world with JOOLZ. There's nothing to say you can't enjoy both, and certainly both Caroline and I have. Congratulations to you, Caroline, on a job well done!</span>Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-13272136255160348562012-11-17T16:30:00.000-05:002012-11-17T16:30:16.285-05:00fun colors - fun joolz<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are delighted to welcome Jennifer Lenel to our lineup of artists. Now living in Washington State, Jennifer has been making jewelry for some time. When we first learned of her work, she was using sterling silver. Now she's switched to working with anodized aluminum,, in all its many colors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Take a look at her Paula necklace:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't the colors just sing?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">And put them together with her Naomi earrings, and you're ready for a party:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have fun <a href="http://www.shopjoolz.com/store">shopping</a>!</span></div>
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Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-89974119529775362802012-10-30T21:40:00.000-04:002012-10-30T21:40:12.721-04:00the JOOLZ collection is online<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, I am happy to announce that <a href="http://www.shopjoolz.com/store">The JOOLZ Collection</a> is up and running and available for online shopping.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I honestly thought I would have this up in the late spring, but life and commitments used up so much of my time that there was little left over. However, since returning from our trip, I have been working long hours behind the scenes to get the online store back up. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">You'll note a new name: The JOOLZ Collection. To put up the massive inventory we carried in the Main Street store would take years, not months, so I have chosen fewer pieces to sell in the online store. It's now a "collection" - culled from the larger inventory.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Plans are to list more pieces as time allows and to introduce work by artists new to JOOLZ, too. I'm always open to suggestions, so if you know of an artist you think would be a good fit, please contact me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Enjoy the shopping experience, and please note that shipping charges for Canandaigua/Rochester area customers will be refunded - a small thank you for being a loyal customer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Have fun!</span>Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-91191670124614966692012-10-08T10:23:00.002-04:002012-10-08T21:05:19.531-04:00day ten - venice to home<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have no pictures to share with you from this long day, but I do have some final thoughts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We arrived in San Basilio early in the morning, our luggage having been taken away for unloading promptly at 6:30am. We had a quick breakfast and then were in the first group off the ship at 8:00am.. After retrieving our luggage from inside the small port terminal, we were directed to a bus to take us to the airport - no water taxi this time. A long causeway connects Venice to the mainland and we were traveling on an extremely uncomfortable bus - the seats were small, there was virtually no leg room and even the aisle down the center of the bus was narrow and difficult to navigate. Additionally, the assistant from the transfer company talked to the driver nonstop. We were lucky he could concentrate enough on his driving to make the turn into the airport. We were definitely out of our travel cocoon and back in the real world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The airport was hopping and the lines to check in for flights went on and on. We retrieved our luggage and headed for the US Airways ticket counter. Once checked in and through security, we had a wait of several hours for our 11:35am non-stop flight to Philadelphia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The flight was uneventful (no maintenance issues this time) and we even arrived in Philadelphia an hour early. That gave us the opportunity to try to get on an earlier flight to Rochester. We cleared customs and went to the US Airways transfer desk. After consulting a non-smiling clerk who took 30 minutes to get us on the earlier flight, we had to RUN through the airport, go through security again and then RUN again, take a bus and RUN again to get to the gate. We were the last people to get on the plane, the doors closed behind us, and off we went to Rochester. Our bags, on the other hand, stayed in Philadelphia. When we landed in Rochester, we spoke to the baggage supervisor and were told the bags would be coming on our original flight, even tho they had been tagged for our new flight and had a "rush" tag placed on them by the non-smiling clerk. Living an hour from the airport meant we would have to drive back the next day to retrieve them,...or, if we were lucky...they would be delivered to our home late that same night. At 12:30am, the bags were placed on our front porch and Larry brought them in. Our trip was officially complete.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">A few thoughts stay with us:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">A lot of the success of traveling with a group depends on the Tour Director(s). We met but didn't get to know Stephan Grosse, who led a third group of our fellow travelers, so we can't comment on his abilities. But Steve Weiler and his wife, Melissa, who work as a team on their trips, were outstanding. Steve (the lead Tour Director) was, by chance, our group leader and he really knew what he was doing. He knew all the vendors, he knew the ship's crew, he knew the itinerary like the back of his hand and he knew how to keep track of all 3 groups without seeming to be doing that at all. At the end of the trip, Tauck asks all its guests to complete a questionnaire on their experience and we gave high points to Steve. Tauck should be very proud of his work ethic and how he presents the company to its customers.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">This itinerary is a fascinating one. We loved Venice and we loved seeing Croatia and Montenegro, countries that in the past might not have been so open to having visitors from the US. We were suprised at the arid, tropical climate and were pleased that the weather was so cooperative. September is a great time to travel in that part of the world and the summer crowds have thinned out a bit.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">L'Austral is a lovely ship and the crew is very friendly and willing to go to any lengths to take care of you. Our only complaint, and it was not ours alone, was that the food in the main dining room was often inedible. The chef seemed to be trying to be "too gourmet" and served dishes that incorporated ingredients that didn't go together. At one point, the 4 people at our table who were having a soup at dinner took one spoonful and couldn't eat the rest.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Travel with Tauck is easy and while you're on the trip, everything seems "free." Of course you've paid for that privilege already, but not having to tip the guides, the ship's crew, the Tour Directors, the hotel staff, etc. etc. makes for a very comfortable travel experience. And having your luggage handled so efficiently by others is another blessing. We also learned A LOT from the guides and were exposed to cultural experiences that we would never have had if we were traveling on our own.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">As mentioned before, the downside of traveling with Tauck is that the schedule must go on, and there is little down time for those who want a break. Traveling on a ship, where your transportation is also your hotel, makes it easier to say "no" to an event or to an afternoon of touring. Traveling on a group bus trip, as we did in France, means you pretty much have to go with the group to each event and on each tour.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">Will we travel again with Tauck? Most certainly, yes. Will we still travel independently at times? Most certainly, yes. Did we meet nice people on this trip? Most certainly, yes. Did we come back exhausted but happy? You bet!!</span></li>
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Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-88578900262478121022012-10-07T21:33:00.001-04:002012-10-08T09:34:23.258-04:00day nine - pula and rovinj, croatia<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our last day of touring had arrived. We docked in Pula, the largest city in Istria County, in the morning, and left the ship to meet our guide, Nada. You may remember that our guide in Korcula was also named Nada. Different women, but both named "Hope" in Croatian. I think it says something about the people of this country, that in our small exposure to its residents, two women of a similar age were named Hope.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Pula is known for its shipbuilding, and in fact, Nada's husband is a naval architect. The large shipyard is the biggest employer in Pula and tourism is a close second. Pula has also been Istria's administrative center since ancient Roman times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">And the impact of the Romans was immediately apparent, as we visited the sixth largest Roman amphitheater in the world. It was originally a small amphitheater built by Claudius and then enlarged by Vespasian in 79 AD for gladiatorial fights. In Roman times it could hold 23,000 spectators; now it can hold up to 5,000 spectators for concerts and an annual film festival. We approached from the pier:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once inside, we were impressed by the size of building and how much of it remains: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The metal girders being dismantled by an Italian crew were the remants of an ice hockey game that had been played the night before. This was a first for the Pula amphitheater, and Nada said her husband and son felt they HAD to be there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Only a small part of the structure has been cleaned of thousands of years' worth of dirt and grime, but the difference in appearance is striking. Nada said she thinks the rest of the stone cleaning will not be completed for hundreds of years, as the work is so very expensive:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We then went down beneath the seats to the area where the gladiators and the lions prepared to meet each other. The prisons and cages are now a well-lit museum,. We saw rows of amphorae that were used to transport wine and other substances on ships traveling the high seas. The type of amphorae found at the site of a shipwreck helps archeologists date the wreck. These containers looked to be in good shape:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We left the amphitheater and continued on our walking tour of the city, passing by a relief map of the city:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nada pointed out the architectural differences of the buildings nearby, which reflected several different eras and styles. She also mentioned that 4 generations of men in her family have lived under 7 different governments. We don't appreciate the stability we have in this country until we hear what others have borne.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We walked along one of the main streets looking at Roman ruins, including the Gate of Hercules. Built in the 1st century BC, it is the oldest and best preserved Roman monument in the city: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The head of Hercules is in the center and his club is to our left. Just to the side is what Nada called 1st century graffiti. Translated from the Latin, the words essentially say Kilroy Was Here:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzVC-Rxx-J9dk7tkdKThgmDQe4f1cNILojWdcsxMmkGBgVsoxhn59KBDwGlchXKm2liXVz9_EDWsUvyLvIfxMfjgfP7OXO91axGLRsmqDfIaUvN6kR4YarWYKO85gusNEFjswPZR4mJ8M/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzVC-Rxx-J9dk7tkdKThgmDQe4f1cNILojWdcsxMmkGBgVsoxhn59KBDwGlchXKm2liXVz9_EDWsUvyLvIfxMfjgfP7OXO91axGLRsmqDfIaUvN6kR4YarWYKO85gusNEFjswPZR4mJ8M/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+602.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We walked past the lovely flower market:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIgbwux8rYU7fo9nh23rEX42P63pb0bkY7S5jyx1vDXfDRpxx4-lu8B69npEiRe9jF5hZhfIVuMeY4UrIESFOeHmUhIzLBDzoqbCSz3fSVwXsDzEYUAZatiRquHZ4QTLLdom8lV1OWirm/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIgbwux8rYU7fo9nh23rEX42P63pb0bkY7S5jyx1vDXfDRpxx4-lu8B69npEiRe9jF5hZhfIVuMeY4UrIESFOeHmUhIzLBDzoqbCSz3fSVwXsDzEYUAZatiRquHZ4QTLLdom8lV1OWirm/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+604.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and past the Arch of the Sergii, erected in the 1st century BC on the orders of Salvia Postuma Sergia, to honor three brothers who held important positions in the Roman Empire:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We ended up near the fish market (no, I didn't go anywhere near it), but I did sit on the edge of a fountain while waiting for others to gather, and as I looked across the square I saw this shop:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I got the Charlie part, but had to wait until I got home to translate the "slasticarnica." It means cake - a perfect translation for Sweet Charlie, our #2 grandson.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Nada led us back to the ship, which was going to sail north to Rovinj, our last stop on this cruise. One of our group asked Nada if she would like to join us for lunch on the ship, and she thanked us, but said that while we would be sailing for 2 hours to reach Rovinj, she would hop on the fast road and be there in 30 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Two hours later....we arrived in Rovinj and Nada was there to meet us. The look of the town was very different from Pula:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rovinj was originally an island port built by the Romans. In 1763, Rovinj was joined to the coast by filling in the channel dividing the island from the mainland, creating a peninsula. In the square in front of the pier is Balbi's Arch (an ancient city gate), dating from 1680, and a late-Renaissance clock tower:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One last peek up one last Croatian sidestreet and we were on our way back to the ship.</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Goodbye to Nada and goodbye to Croatia. We set sail for Venice and we would be traveling home the next day. More thoughts on that in another post.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15IkKjcLG9AFKlJpkmT7-76-EchEZWIM49FfZPiBPrdf4Xsx-Uk9NrN_evet0UGwtZEUE5-A4vzOp43oA9LxEeO9FzxAvyG5zrlSfA385K3EoB2TQXUp8fp72mxlVQ8UCKN5rOeXmxSHa/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15IkKjcLG9AFKlJpkmT7-76-EchEZWIM49FfZPiBPrdf4Xsx-Uk9NrN_evet0UGwtZEUE5-A4vzOp43oA9LxEeO9FzxAvyG5zrlSfA385K3EoB2TQXUp8fp72mxlVQ8UCKN5rOeXmxSHa/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+631.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-81615585345091161212012-10-06T14:27:00.000-04:002012-10-06T14:28:18.171-04:00day eight - hvar, croatia<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We sailed to the lovely island of Hvar overnight. After anchoring offshore, we took the tender to the pier in the morning, and again met our guide, Maria, on the island where she was born. Maria had been with us in Sibenik and Split (where she lives now), and then she took the ferry to Hvar to stay with family overnight before meeting us at the pier. A lovely woman, Maria is obviously a favorite of the Tauck Tour Directors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As we walked along the pier to the central square,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">we learned that Hvar residents work mostly in the fishing and tourism industries. It is also a big draw for the rich and famous as a vacation spot, and even Prince Harry was on Hvar this past summer. The island's natural beauty, good beaches and mild climate consistently place it on the Conde Nast Traveler magazine's list of top 10 islands</span>. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were entranced right from the beginning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">At the far end of the square is the Cathedral of Saint Stephan (Katedrala Sv. Sjepana), which has a trefoil pediment and a 17th-century bell tower standing to one side:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After a walk up and down the streets of the small town (where I spotted an interesting looking jewelry shop), we walked through the market on the way to our bus. Maria, seen kneeling here, explained which local herbs were the best, and told us that lavender, which was introduced in the 1930's, used to be the island's main crop, until a large wildfire a few years ago diminished the annual harvest:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKh44CcexHoetUJtoYDoUeC1o_MMLB-pxn4QFYYuCmpCdXu1VoXhmKmgJ_DrfXE4PPLKaOx-M7arKIanPTI6ORSUo19AXLWL_9kL_sgBLZ2CVTfhao3eKOI8gG4ser2eemoIDBKAPl91Lm/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKh44CcexHoetUJtoYDoUeC1o_MMLB-pxn4QFYYuCmpCdXu1VoXhmKmgJ_DrfXE4PPLKaOx-M7arKIanPTI6ORSUo19AXLWL_9kL_sgBLZ2CVTfhao3eKOI8gG4ser2eemoIDBKAPl91Lm/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+506.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our bus ride took us to the Spanjola Fortress, a 16th century fort, which for centuries protected the city from invaders. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The views from the fortress were breathtaking:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvu96vsGnXL2wx4tYQulUZ0QKAt5KgINjQIFhesxPxVgsRxkwdlwrNiwFLiD9Yl_69EJQoPI91XIvZ5Gnq5CQljfxJda500-AAlbZ2QUoneQMm0Phfk1G8A8wD4i4X7DO2qPn8S1oyLLX/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvu96vsGnXL2wx4tYQulUZ0QKAt5KgINjQIFhesxPxVgsRxkwdlwrNiwFLiD9Yl_69EJQoPI91XIvZ5Gnq5CQljfxJda500-AAlbZ2QUoneQMm0Phfk1G8A8wD4i4X7DO2qPn8S1oyLLX/s320/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+510.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and we looked down into the harbour with L'Austral anchored to the rigiht:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then we departed for the old town of Stari Grad, originally called Pharos and founded by the Syracusans in the 4th century. This was Maria's hometown, and when one of our fellow travelers told her his daughter-in-law's family was originally from Stari Grad, he learned that Maria's grandmother's maiden name was the same as the daughter-in-law's family name; she and Maria were probably distant cousins. How small is this world?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We visited the Dominican Monastery, founded in 1482, which had been rebuilt and fortified after destruction by the Turks:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBljtT97YU9IjiVMzcY-CIvJ4bUi9U4Qc3fD1MgjFe0AoJuxLHxPmjHAVsQei5w065y7-gv0a6HIBPT3sQqN846QO22mApRVGMZZMnqHMkIpdG9GDZw2es6IzTS4z6rN_VNgI3mhSBaXFp/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBljtT97YU9IjiVMzcY-CIvJ4bUi9U4Qc3fD1MgjFe0AoJuxLHxPmjHAVsQei5w065y7-gv0a6HIBPT3sQqN846QO22mApRVGMZZMnqHMkIpdG9GDZw2es6IzTS4z6rN_VNgI3mhSBaXFp/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+525.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Walking further into town, we saw this lovely gated entrance to an old house:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuroi9JzRaWkXb5jwYrGpWIr9ynIIso3AelG3t1eAyjnKtMloGYy3WZBIjHHwFzZqaOdWUH_8mB9D6tLthcufkVaLvI_pFiv_K6bAmWgOSMUVRfm6_nPYjEywoAyx3lTEe45Xp-FUOWDR/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuroi9JzRaWkXb5jwYrGpWIr9ynIIso3AelG3t1eAyjnKtMloGYy3WZBIjHHwFzZqaOdWUH_8mB9D6tLthcufkVaLvI_pFiv_K6bAmWgOSMUVRfm6_nPYjEywoAyx3lTEe45Xp-FUOWDR/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+530.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and determined that the heavenly aromas wafting from this store meant it was not a chiropractic office:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzTFDdWd2gKZtSu-snjmRRyXgjZLTXbLLSEsQeNQnBGv4ceXC0PWm7BF4eWV_X9ka59Soi252u2Ls47686LfB5FU3pHA6SXUBVJqoWzENiCcRZJUy4yjzEMRUdSFEIYJSQZMdVLKEBdnb/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzTFDdWd2gKZtSu-snjmRRyXgjZLTXbLLSEsQeNQnBGv4ceXC0PWm7BF4eWV_X9ka59Soi252u2Ls47686LfB5FU3pHA6SXUBVJqoWzENiCcRZJUy4yjzEMRUdSFEIYJSQZMdVLKEBdnb/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+536.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We looked up the old streets, with their shiny, worn cobblestones:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvoGin_68I1r18qdbrzeVaUUgWOYo-45pdepP0uSAiyjxmrDuMBX-BsmysLs5_6wqU6YNMz39gydGTTD-kUfHnpeDZWKVxHhRtxdKBPEBMsAqB_7IxyzWUxFeDD602AcjLT99A5jF7R7T/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvoGin_68I1r18qdbrzeVaUUgWOYo-45pdepP0uSAiyjxmrDuMBX-BsmysLs5_6wqU6YNMz39gydGTTD-kUfHnpeDZWKVxHhRtxdKBPEBMsAqB_7IxyzWUxFeDD602AcjLT99A5jF7R7T/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+534.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and had some Hvar gelato (good, but that first taste in Venice still takes first place) and then got our picture snapped at the harbour:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next, we were back on the bus, riding up into the hills of wine country. The climate and soil of Croatia makes it prime territory for growing grapes and some of their vintages are known throughout the world. However, you need to taste them in Croatia, because they are not exported at this point.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We were taken to the Konoba Vrisnik (Vrisnik Tavern), located in the very small town of Vrisnik. This was the tasting area of the winery and the owner of the winery was there to greet us. Those who tasted said the wines were excellent. I was more about the gorgeous surroundings:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Throughout this trip, I took pictures of windows. Each was so different from the next, and each made its own statement. That's a subject for another blog post (with images of the windows), but here's one of my favorites, from this konoba:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We returned to Hvar and said goodbye to Maria, a really excellent guide who loved to call us "my dearest ladies and gentlemen." But I wasn't finished with Hvar yet. I needed to find that jewelry store. We walked up one side street and found a jewelry shop, but it wasn't the right one. Then I remembered better where I had seen it and on the second try, we found it. I must have tried on 10 different necklaces - the clerk was quite the saleswoman and kept putting them on me and changing them out. I finally decided on this one, made in Hvar of fired ceramic sea creatures. I'll always remember finding it on a special island in the Adriatic and will enjoy wearing it on our favorite island in Florida:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsS7ab9B-ctRVUaDjv1pnVcgkM27TV1hOjuZLqFdga8_gQJCrmlG1cwgXAV2OkH7i8wE5QdDB2syVUaXXPCrANAG74f5aPWjWZ_h3Gn6GtVnOaP6WsbD_evEIyfWBi-BVL9FUmsH3nvz3k/s1600/Hvar-necklace-003-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsS7ab9B-ctRVUaDjv1pnVcgkM27TV1hOjuZLqFdga8_gQJCrmlG1cwgXAV2OkH7i8wE5QdDB2syVUaXXPCrANAG74f5aPWjWZ_h3Gn6GtVnOaP6WsbD_evEIyfWBi-BVL9FUmsH3nvz3k/s320/Hvar-necklace-003-copy.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
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Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-71736147356986406022012-10-05T21:51:00.000-04:002012-10-05T22:23:41.832-04:00day seven - kotor, montenegro<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We docked at Kotor, Montenegro early in the morning. Operating as a part of the former Yugoslavia and later as a union of Serbia and Montenegro, Montenegro voted for independence from Serbia in 2006. They are already using the Euro as their monetary standard (Croatia is still using the kuna and hopes to be using the Euro within the next few years) and have a relatively new airport near Kotor which connects this beautiful part of the world with the rest of Europe. With this infrastructure in place, they are working hard to increase their tourism business.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Located on a bay at the end of a 15-mile submerged river canyon, Kotor is surrounded by strikingly gorgeous scenery. Our visit to Kotor began with a bus ride up a very steep road to the village of Njseguse. Tauck assigns seats in the buses they use, rotating them every day so that guests have an opportunity to sit in all parts of the bus. Today we were assigned to be in the second row behind our guide, Mira. This gave us a heart-stopping view of oncoming traffic as we went up (and then back down) through 30 hairpin switchback turns in each direction. I graciously gave Larry the window seat so that he could catch me as we fell off the cliff! Believe me when I say I have NEVER been on a bus ride like that one. The driver was excellent, however, and we all survived.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">This gorgeous view of the Bay of Kotor, also known as Boka Bay, greeted us at the top of the mountain:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipRCEC6MpeVZ82GJqj-mlhmJHBBx_icw_bPkzMJ-9uzjLgs1VTHldhcrm75I0wJe0Bey0OTDXNKRb1LPVdpuRcLMKgAffs1Z4mN3RRvEEPLhMFOuK77evZQWIs3KRVg2H6aUHE4qbzZYs5/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipRCEC6MpeVZ82GJqj-mlhmJHBBx_icw_bPkzMJ-9uzjLgs1VTHldhcrm75I0wJe0Bey0OTDXNKRb1LPVdpuRcLMKgAffs1Z4mN3RRvEEPLhMFOuK77evZQWIs3KRVg2H6aUHE4qbzZYs5/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+342.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And to prove we were there, here we are with our new travel friends, Carl and Mimi, and Gene and Rita:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We traveled on to Njseguse, where we went to a small country restaurant to have some of the region's renowned prosciutto-like ham, with cheese, bread and grapes. The local wine was also available for those who wanted some:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWYdakrnZfhzvRFjlCaljdAY-lBOW6yywJEdfvZbkHxViTc2N8sANE844OAZ9i3gigvy9oLgblbfiK6KxA5IA7ST6UT0h7wgaDxAXbtJCVKpKAXPM_PDB-pWdFHmQY8ZWhE-nMmlSuayV/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCWYdakrnZfhzvRFjlCaljdAY-lBOW6yywJEdfvZbkHxViTc2N8sANE844OAZ9i3gigvy9oLgblbfiK6KxA5IA7ST6UT0h7wgaDxAXbtJCVKpKAXPM_PDB-pWdFHmQY8ZWhE-nMmlSuayV/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+360.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can even stay overnight in one of their cabins, should you decide you never again want to be on that road to Kotor:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a nice break and after we were lulled into a sense of carefree relaxation, we once again boarded the bus for a mind-numbing ride <em>down </em>the mountain. Now I not only needed to stress about going over the cliff but also whether or not the brakes had recently been inspected. Lordy, lordy...I will never forget this bus ride.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">When my eyes were open, I could appreciate the beautiful view:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and was grateful that the driver skillfully avoided a cow/bus collision. The three animals were being guided by a very elderly woman, who was no match for the bus:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once back in town, we headed off with Mira to see the town of Kotor, which is one of the best preserved medieval old towns in the Adriatic, and is listed with UNESCO as a world heritage site. We entered through the city gate:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUx-p9kqU_L-7VoQCsO8dE9nFfRF6jStawrBSbwwSv7U0GHc824TR7XWuH1dHobV9syBxc0SDysq8NiP1MA0J2s9942HBZ8UBaAOcQtKZHFg4Lf7dW2nRK95eZVKlBtDDmrAPLGYmcn4P/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUx-p9kqU_L-7VoQCsO8dE9nFfRF6jStawrBSbwwSv7U0GHc824TR7XWuH1dHobV9syBxc0SDysq8NiP1MA0J2s9942HBZ8UBaAOcQtKZHFg4Lf7dW2nRK95eZVKlBtDDmrAPLGYmcn4P/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+373.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and were immediately in the Square of Arms:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBRK4HkLmk13F2Zr_RQTKYTXt5Cy_XkBpJSx4c7LsX7wALuGB1N8XwZBiWo8oOr5sk_Uda9PZKDYUg5o3HSMXYY9KuonUHs6rYvD_tOtjFuoa7Ax7cM3h9kvAclDsr084ck7mGaUbhnCf/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBRK4HkLmk13F2Zr_RQTKYTXt5Cy_XkBpJSx4c7LsX7wALuGB1N8XwZBiWo8oOr5sk_Uda9PZKDYUg5o3HSMXYY9KuonUHs6rYvD_tOtjFuoa7Ax7cM3h9kvAclDsr084ck7mGaUbhnCf/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+374.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We saw the Town Clock tower:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and were surprised to see on the attached sign that this was a Clock Tover. Too bad they didn't have someone proof their sign:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFxjlhm9Ib5HA2k0jFGFJskX0agMKr0mxU10aL6tHTt3z2R9Wg_tGHMALcNuv5F26K-otWy3XuDTvFATyStYDDz3x3pFURHwQlrU_mAMUi04ISK0seRt8OlYQb0Qj6je5y334-EeYzOpjP/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFxjlhm9Ib5HA2k0jFGFJskX0agMKr0mxU10aL6tHTt3z2R9Wg_tGHMALcNuv5F26K-otWy3XuDTvFATyStYDDz3x3pFURHwQlrU_mAMUi04ISK0seRt8OlYQb0Qj6je5y334-EeYzOpjP/s320/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+376.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the Prince's Palace:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Cathedral of Saint Tryphon, built in 1166, is nearby:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It had already been a full day, but then we returned to the ship and enjoyed a Tauck-sponsored performance by the female Klapa Singers, a group of nine who had absolutely lovely voices. They have been given a UNESCO World Heritage designation and performed in traditional costumes. However, once again there was no explanation in English as to what they were singing about.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">At 6:00pm the ship's horn blew three times and we sailed out of Kotor, headed for the island of Hvar, Croatia. The sail away was perhaps one of the most beautiful we have ever experienced on our many cruises - two hours of sailing in a 15-mile long "fjord" back out to the Adriatic Sea. We six new friends took up a prime location at the stern of the ship, near the pool, and just reveled in the beauty surrounding us:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are two islands about half way to the Adriatic, one natural:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SnV8qPiTSqSUztmzTiewQe4Lx5mz9zCPjDEX2oEyM-ddGdc2-21Icadzym98EoFc9ysJwxKbg6GStvBF8ApWihzX8H9SIameh03DnP752zIm27qG6a_oVvJ_BbN2nWwIA4O9ZtXUBVUF/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6SnV8qPiTSqSUztmzTiewQe4Lx5mz9zCPjDEX2oEyM-ddGdc2-21Icadzym98EoFc9ysJwxKbg6GStvBF8ApWihzX8H9SIameh03DnP752zIm27qG6a_oVvJ_BbN2nWwIA4O9ZtXUBVUF/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+443.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and one artificial, made from an old wall of rocks and by sinking seized ships loaded with rocks. Upon it is the Lady of the Rocks church:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Captain carefully circled both islands, giving us all a 360 degree view of them and the surrounding area:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We saw one last charming town at the water's edge</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2FlJSTh3BR5pRXdYRMONgltYfOGJf3cQ9oKWqaWrbtTCYGOWm-xyJ8PzdbB99fwe4T2swtpKokYcaQ2ozXrekpTMGYI0KK5yw3bsYTgMaKWXd1WowuJthzauXIiadr5qbmQyjZta5uvC/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2FlJSTh3BR5pRXdYRMONgltYfOGJf3cQ9oKWqaWrbtTCYGOWm-xyJ8PzdbB99fwe4T2swtpKokYcaQ2ozXrekpTMGYI0KK5yw3bsYTgMaKWXd1WowuJthzauXIiadr5qbmQyjZta5uvC/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+451.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and then we were out on the sea. It certainly had been an interesting day - a death-defying bus ride in the morning and a heavenly, serene sail away in the evening. We'll never forget either one.</span>Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-22380929851596317382012-10-04T18:19:00.001-04:002012-10-08T21:20:55.322-04:00day six - dubrovnik, croatia<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We arrived in the Dubrovnik harbour before breakfast, anchoring at sea. I lifted this picture of the city and harbour from the Internet:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2v2ImSfh3TDNojMFo4IorMgOY6nA9L1KIduMtCo9ZehOUxFGBJzLikbMlvVxw7mbBgqYQLtxcrNybL5t0Lhfk8uDOlzNUKYgWrJPRVZDprzhKU2ZFSox_jadX8imu4-37BaNJfejQOg-q/s1600/Travel-Dubrovnik_20120104105331157370-420x0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2v2ImSfh3TDNojMFo4IorMgOY6nA9L1KIduMtCo9ZehOUxFGBJzLikbMlvVxw7mbBgqYQLtxcrNybL5t0Lhfk8uDOlzNUKYgWrJPRVZDprzhKU2ZFSox_jadX8imu4-37BaNJfejQOg-q/s400/Travel-Dubrovnik_20120104105331157370-420x0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rather a spectacular setting, isn't it? Until the war broke out in 1991, Dubrovnik was one of the top international tourist destinations of Dalmatia, noted for its beautiful monuments, magnificent wall and welcoming atmosphere. Founded in the 7th century, the city was ruled by the Romans, the Byzantines and the Venetians over the years. In 1382 it became the Republic of Ragusa. There was a serious earthquake in 1667, and much of the old town was rebuilt after that time. More recently, Dubrovnik was the target of sustained, heavy bombing by Yugoslav troops from the autumn of 1991 until May, 1992. During this time, over 2000 bombs and guided missles fell on Dubrovnik, and many of the most revered symbols of the Dalmatian culture were damaged. The war also damaged the city's tourisit industry, which suffered a dramatic decline for 4 years. UNESCO and the European Union set up a special commission for the reconstruction of the city and much of the damage has been repaired. Today tourism is flourishing in Dubrovnik.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We heard much of this information at a special Tauck presentation which began at 8:00am in the ship's theater. The speaker was Pave Zuban Ruskovic, who had been president of Atlas Travel, a huge travel company in Croatia, and later the Croatian Minister of Tourism:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxyPB6JxSGn9JmNE8djVl7KTk_Tt_QKKNOjg_BXIGQhElpmMwIkdttUJkGtgnmRKunria_J1nyAc7CGhQVyMoykcUe6n4b6XzMak3WMNofPLkKaMlEQuW2fsmPGkzKMA9OOTz34Jub-cT/s1600/pave-200x0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxyPB6JxSGn9JmNE8djVl7KTk_Tt_QKKNOjg_BXIGQhElpmMwIkdttUJkGtgnmRKunria_J1nyAc7CGhQVyMoykcUe6n4b6XzMak3WMNofPLkKaMlEQuW2fsmPGkzKMA9OOTz34Jub-cT/s320/pave-200x0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mrs. Zuban Ruskovic spoke movingly about her experiences before, during and after the war of the 1990's. At one point she was brought to tears, as were many in the audience. The war became very real that morning. She also spoke of the good things that were happening in Croatia now, including a satellite campus of the RIT Business School in Dubrovnik. We spoke with her later, as she was seated next to us on the tender ride to the city, and she was most enthusiastic about the RIT program and what it means to the Croatian people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">When our group arrived at the citiy port, we began our guided tour by entering through the Ploce Gate, which dates from the 1300's. Our first stop was the lovely Dominican Monastery:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The church was plain but beautiful, and featured some spectacular paintings, including a stunning gilded panel by Veneziano from the 14th century:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We exited onto a side street...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJpYFfH5Fgfmc-_cKRLn-O9paPCsTsRMA7Z6huyToV3znbtBetcXjSEltDKlbAQRrm1ZwPQKqJ-PFk9ftdIAW6vv0x_SxpcOLj7K7FfWJZEoS_cqVNxXBc0HQIiPDnYUZij1Cy1Cg-vKu/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJpYFfH5Fgfmc-_cKRLn-O9paPCsTsRMA7Z6huyToV3znbtBetcXjSEltDKlbAQRrm1ZwPQKqJ-PFk9ftdIAW6vv0x_SxpcOLj7K7FfWJZEoS_cqVNxXBc0HQIiPDnYUZij1Cy1Cg-vKu/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+310.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and made our way to the very busy Stradun, or main street. Dubrovnik was almost as busy as Venice:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We got our bearings in the central square and looked up at the Church of St. Blaise, which was rebuilt in the early decades of the 18th century:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We then went to visit the Jewish synogogue, which was located in a small house down a side street. I was surprised the synogogue was open to the public that day, as it was Yom Kippur. The ceiling was striking:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was a room dedicated to the Dubrovnik freedom fighters who were killed during the war of the early 1990's. Picture after picture of young men lined the walls. The names of members of the synogogue who died in the war were listed on a special plaque. At least 5 had the same last name as the family that lived next door to the synogogue and were the caretakers of the building.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We then walked down the Stradun to the Big Fountain of Onofrio, just by the citiy ramparts. Many in our group planned to walk the walls of the city, over a mile long and with many uneven steps and stairs. Our knees cried out in protest and we decided to listen to them</span>..<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When we saw the 100+ steps going up, we knew we had made the right choice. You can see the steps going up, with the Church of St. Saviour to the right. Tiny little people are high up on the walls:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We walked back to the area near the port, where we first began, and visited the Rector's Palace. This was the seat of government for the Republic of Ragusa, and was designed in the 15th century:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Rector's Palace now houses the Cultural Historical Museum, which offers an overview of the city's history. Of course, photos were not allowed inside, so I concentrated on the architecture:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had a little gelato (!!) after the tour ended and returned to the ship. Also anchored in the harbour was the Seabourn Spirit:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Later in the afternoon, Tauck presented the Mike Wallace documentary film, "The Death of Yugoslavia," in the ship's theater. While well done, we walked out of there even more confused about the history of the area and complex issues that brought about the war.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We set sail later in the evening for Kotor, Montenegro. We'll be visiting our third country of this trip tomorrow.</span></div>
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Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-13112070456925880492012-10-03T12:29:00.000-04:002012-10-03T12:29:47.391-04:00day five - korcula, croatia<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This morning we arrived at the island of Korcula (pronounced Korchula), one of the largest islands in the Adriatic. The main town, also named Korcula, is on an isthmus on the northeast corner of the island.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We met our guide, Nada, and off we went. We entered through the Land Gate, which was fortified by a huge tower:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrija200pnfRVkiBwhaZV05kZs38SoemmiZSSKHdFdq6n7Gw2O3f6Xn7NF3c4zx9qSrPByVPyh_0gp6VkTJVlc2inFcI3d0CnMzIGT79AX4hdKUj-YofFAWJuMw1SLqGMVbaSGjldC_vTx/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrija200pnfRVkiBwhaZV05kZs38SoemmiZSSKHdFdq6n7Gw2O3f6Xn7NF3c4zx9qSrPByVPyh_0gp6VkTJVlc2inFcI3d0CnMzIGT79AX4hdKUj-YofFAWJuMw1SLqGMVbaSGjldC_vTx/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+242.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nada explained that the city was built with air conditioning in mind: </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the narrow streets are arranged in a herringbone pattern off the main street. To the north, the streets are curved, to lessen the impact of the bora wind, and to the south, the streets are straight, to allow the passage of the mistral into the city. This charming street is on the south side, allowing the pleasant winds to blow through town:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Korcula hosts a well-regarded Baroque music festival each year, and today was the last day of concerts. We saw a stage being erected in one of the smaller city squares:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The central Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral of St. Mark (Katedrala Sv. Marka), built mainly in the 15th century, is undergoing facade renovations, and was covered with green netting:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I especially loved the choir windows, bright with sunlight:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QcvNRtFKT0ZHas0XvC4hgl2q_Dlb2noLz-hfSiB6srbLeuvCtyhO-WgZfLGKWxRUR-D4yr2NLd_XP-T18iZDLKER7BOecQz64nmY-cph8aBouvTXsdaHqmx1eHy6ymzv5Mda366Pbzt_/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QcvNRtFKT0ZHas0XvC4hgl2q_Dlb2noLz-hfSiB6srbLeuvCtyhO-WgZfLGKWxRUR-D4yr2NLd_XP-T18iZDLKER7BOecQz64nmY-cph8aBouvTXsdaHqmx1eHy6ymzv5Mda366Pbzt_/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+260.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After our tour of the town, we attended a special performance of the Moreska sword dance, which commemorates the clash between Christians and Moors in the attempt to free a gril kidnapped by the infidels. Unfortunately, my no-flash pictures did not turn out very well, but we lifted one of the short iron swords and appreciated all the heavy lifting being done by the dancers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">On our way back to the ship, I stopped again at a jewelry vendor I had seen going into the Land Gate. She had interesting looking pieces, silver in color and heavily embellished. I asked her if she made them herself and she said no, she got them from Turkey. I decided against buying them,, as I felt they were overpriced. Later, our traveling friend Rita told me she had seen many more vendors selling similar jewelry pieces. I was glad I had said no.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">As we returned to our tender, we saw the Sea Cloud anchored out near our ship. We chatted with one of their crew, who said that National Geographic and Lindblad Travel charter the ship together for about 4 months a year. He was most interested to hear about our experiences with Tauck, as he was from Connecticut.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We returned to the ship where we were entertained by a traditional Croatian male quartet. Their a capella voices were beautifully matched, but there was no information given about their songs. Since they were singing in Croatian and we were listening in English, there was a serious disconnect. Perhaps on future Tauck voyages, someone will explain the meaning of the songs.</span></div>
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Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-7229227593140331632012-10-02T13:36:00.000-04:002012-10-02T18:24:20.733-04:00day four - sibenik, krka national park and split<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We approached Sibenik, Croatia in the morning, coming in to its bay-like harbour fronted with red tile-topped houses:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our guide, Maria, met us at the tender and we began our walk around Sibenik, once a lively cultural center of Renaissance Croatia. First documented as a town in 1066, Sibenik has been under Hungarian, Venetian, French, Austrian and Yugoslavian rule, before returning to a Croatian government after the war of the 1990's.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We knew we were in a truly foreign location when we saw this truck parked along the road, near several private sailing yachts. Having absolutely no idea what the advertising written on the side of the truck meant, I took the photo and used Google to translate it when I got home:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> <em>cleaning and washing of facades</em></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial;"> hard floor surfaces</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial;"> sandblasting of stone</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial;"> washing vehicles, ships, industrial plants</span></em><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also got a good view of our ship, L'Austral, resting at anchor in the bay. Note the prickly palm tree trunk at the right of the picture. We saw palm trees everywhere in Croatia - another surprise. Shortly after we got ashore, the ship's horn blew and it sailed away to Split, where we would meet it later in the afternoon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Cathedral of St. James (Katedrala Sv. Jakova) dominates the city center. Badly shelled in 1991, Croatian and international experts have restored the building over several years. The cathedral was originally built between 1432 and 1555, and includes work by Juraj Dalmatinac, who designed the 72 faces on the outside of the apse:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mainly faces of the financial contributors to the building of the cathedral, the artist included himself more than once, taking full advantage of his artistic license. Sometime later, the Door of Lions, featuring Adam and Eve, was designed by Bonino of Milan:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I love this shot of an avenging angel looking down on the square:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And finally, the front facade of the cathedral:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also visited the Civic Museum and saw the Church of Saint Barbara (below) on our way to the bus:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next was an easy bus ride to Krka National Park, established in 1985 to protect the middle and lower stretches of the River Krka. Bus traffic into the park is regulated so that vehicles move only in one direction on the narrow roads. We were entranced with the beauty of the area, so restful and very well maintained. While we were there, Tauck set up a wine and cheese tasting for our group and we were also told there was a large group of US Marines (in civilian clothing) visiting for the day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Several old mill buildings have been restored:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steve told us that when he had been at the park several weeks prior, there was practically no water rushing over the falls, but because there had been heavy rain in the past few days, the falls were roaring:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back on the bus, we took off for Split, which is the largest Dalmatian city and the second-largest urban center in Croatia.It is considered to be nearly 1800 years old. L'Austral was waiting for us upon our arrival and we all went on board for lunch. We decided to take a break in the afternoon and not go on the walking tour of Ivan Mestrovic's sculpture gallery (100+ steps) and Diocletian's Palace, as our disintegrating knees were crying out in pain. Eight plus hours of touring and walking in one day was about 3 hours too much for us. We did see the city from the ship, however, and also watched harbour traffic as we sat on our balcony and read books in the 75 degree weather:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We especially liked the yacht "Ari," but saw only crew members on it:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the downsides of traveling with an organized group is that it's difficult to schedule your own down time - you're always missing something. But after hearing about all the walking and steps done that afternoon by our dinner companions, we knew we had made the right decision.</span>Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-91749367935310495292012-10-01T14:24:00.001-04:002012-10-02T18:32:40.110-04:00day three - murano and burano<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were up early this morning so that our luggage could be taken away by the hotel's porters. (One of the best parts of traveling with Tauck is that they take care of all the luggage handling and tips for the porters). We said goodbye to Venice this morning, as we would only return to board the ship, find our luggage in our stateroom, and sail away for the Dalmatian coast. One last picture of Venice for you, of one of the many pigeons that cluster around St. Mark's Square:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He must have been conceived during Carnival time, because his colorful feathers and feet fit right in with all the bright costumes and masks worn then. We also saw pigeons like this one that had chartreuse and turquoise feathers. Very strange!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We boarded our chartered boat and sailed over to the island of Murano, famous for its glassmaking. First up was a demonstration at one of the many glass blowing factories, with the master (on the right) and his assistant making a glass swan:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPM5fpETKg3ptHNGWLzLGJb9lD2tEFUcQ5SSsBrqVvqhhdscolEdtyFThyphenhypheneYDzGwrAEEpFGH30Q1qTNywbwH4rml8gZBbm2bN1KbdMdQ8iGsqTGXIH2-9i19HFPoYGbYfjq0PNa38cpM6E/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPM5fpETKg3ptHNGWLzLGJb9lD2tEFUcQ5SSsBrqVvqhhdscolEdtyFThyphenhypheneYDzGwrAEEpFGH30Q1qTNywbwH4rml8gZBbm2bN1KbdMdQ8iGsqTGXIH2-9i19HFPoYGbYfjq0PNa38cpM6E/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+130.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The glass foundries were ordered out of Venice, due to the fire risk to the many wooden buildings, and moved to Murano in 1291. Today glassmaking is still the island's main industry and century-old techniques are used by today's craftsmen. This chandelier, displayed in the gallery attached to the factory, was priced at 250,000 Euros ($322,920.77 at today's rates):</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHS0aag6-8xoZtb_Fv1Fl9SMqRSsUWdEKtMJ7XIaDaaUoRQqEkKCpnjw07KFmH0RLwUTNVchlk__HlfH-8BruBeUkv9k8_cwefMSPilnUsHID9WLON4AU3hJuVMvzSkD1BjR6ZmpIGwMz/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHS0aag6-8xoZtb_Fv1Fl9SMqRSsUWdEKtMJ7XIaDaaUoRQqEkKCpnjw07KFmH0RLwUTNVchlk__HlfH-8BruBeUkv9k8_cwefMSPilnUsHID9WLON4AU3hJuVMvzSkD1BjR6ZmpIGwMz/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+140.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the demonstration and a tour through the gallery, we strolled around Murano and found this glass sculpture, reminiscent of the work of Dale Chihuly. Chihuly, in fact, came to Murano to study with several of the masters on the island:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHCmonkVW_evcNxEL62YJDMYVki2cIeSjFxJtaBlVspaHmc49pmV4e8Rs6lK1ZGzsxI6iWmPKzr8YfFERoyNCsN7l6NYP6EPcjxV03Xv7TSaMDXP7IXNZ0K4OhEti8ljebbBUsLz8g8pp/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHCmonkVW_evcNxEL62YJDMYVki2cIeSjFxJtaBlVspaHmc49pmV4e8Rs6lK1ZGzsxI6iWmPKzr8YfFERoyNCsN7l6NYP6EPcjxV03Xv7TSaMDXP7IXNZ0K4OhEti8ljebbBUsLz8g8pp/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+146.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The canals of Murano were charming...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKABhOzO8GLCjB5LddXCWR9VJefrmQ0gxUOsaF2cUUsJReM1y2wLPmf85lKdb38Zq26qW2AVz06Qfk__6DcY2EkWXBTAfFHcmzYfpXCep4wN7Fx_JpzS-zy6plkCdKB48QVmP-k0k20YTd/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKABhOzO8GLCjB5LddXCWR9VJefrmQ0gxUOsaF2cUUsJReM1y2wLPmf85lKdb38Zq26qW2AVz06Qfk__6DcY2EkWXBTAfFHcmzYfpXCep4wN7Fx_JpzS-zy6plkCdKB48QVmP-k0k20YTd/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+145.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and we saw Wegmans' mobile produce section pulled up nearby:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcJ848FbU18faf7aiRyuwUkGgm57lGihG4XXF1i1yGGopCrXhrjObOTZPTR8npOUBNpCxxhuniVQPaVG1fbOE4dIo-i7fyX7-QH_-k5iVCme537kYSiJI-JRmM-s3SnZyO0Vl7W_saNUi/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcJ848FbU18faf7aiRyuwUkGgm57lGihG4XXF1i1yGGopCrXhrjObOTZPTR8npOUBNpCxxhuniVQPaVG1fbOE4dIo-i7fyX7-QH_-k5iVCme537kYSiJI-JRmM-s3SnZyO0Vl7W_saNUi/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+148.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We returned to our chartered boat and sailed away for the island of Burano. Famous for its lace-making, Burano is delightfully colorful. There are ordinances in place that require homeowners to continue to paint their houses only in approved colors, so if you don't like the exterior color of a house you are considering to buy, either get to like it or choose another one:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAwxp_1OnV9ryX8NLnio0kCnoYwoYbpepJ_p93ZM_3w1_hUQLDmAbG4C_1CeJwRPO8hNUx4g8sNsSceZvrVGSlBnhnNWRZqc3_6bCoVYCg1RgO06cu9I4jFil15NINfelXRgx9iEzSLXH/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAwxp_1OnV9ryX8NLnio0kCnoYwoYbpepJ_p93ZM_3w1_hUQLDmAbG4C_1CeJwRPO8hNUx4g8sNsSceZvrVGSlBnhnNWRZqc3_6bCoVYCg1RgO06cu9I4jFil15NINfelXRgx9iEzSLXH/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+152.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Notice the blue and white striped curtain in the doorway above? That's Burano's idea of airconditioning: the doorway is covered with a curtain for privacy, but the breezes can still blow into the house. There are flowers everywhere, including at this well-appointed flower shop:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCzp_Ub_9wjYgfpvfKrSkxL8nXbFaa6QHdZdANn4SBk2j1-eLAuddjlXkjbhgF4YDpFO1GR_ety-HUBy19RP2bACI93vNbuNg7I14YQkmWPrbYwr4xlGMCjjeAETfU60dw6oOITYkI7qJ/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCzp_Ub_9wjYgfpvfKrSkxL8nXbFaa6QHdZdANn4SBk2j1-eLAuddjlXkjbhgF4YDpFO1GR_ety-HUBy19RP2bACI93vNbuNg7I14YQkmWPrbYwr4xlGMCjjeAETfU60dw6oOITYkI7qJ/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+154.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We strolled the canals, </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBM7g66_T3FN8-tp0Yaa8Ly_B0bysD8FrpaoB6ZI65cYyfYna9K7RvnhAQ3r8AWv8tClyKfWZwT_p-IUjGGGGUqfn23U2G3s6cOK83KyGsrNEsS9JQym6-nH8-cjfL8ZZhQ7UxTmVH6ey/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBM7g66_T3FN8-tp0Yaa8Ly_B0bysD8FrpaoB6ZI65cYyfYna9K7RvnhAQ3r8AWv8tClyKfWZwT_p-IUjGGGGUqfn23U2G3s6cOK83KyGsrNEsS9JQym6-nH8-cjfL8ZZhQ7UxTmVH6ey/s320/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+163.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">had lunch followed by yet another gelato tasting (good, but still not as good as that first one in Venice) and returned to the chartered boat to travel back to Venice. Because the boat lanes are laid out like a highway system , to prevent groundings on sand bars and rocks, and to keep traffic moving safely, we had to ride back past Murano to return to Venice. There we went directly to the small port of San Basilio, where our home for the next week was waiting.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L'Austral, a French ship which carries 264 passengers at the most, had been chartered by Tauck to carry 112 of their guests. The remaining passengers had booked their trips directly with the cruise line. Our Tauck groups had our own tours, not those offered by the ship, and we even had a section of the dining room reserved for our group for dinner. Our wines were included with meals and the other passengers had to pay for theirs. Mixing the groups would have sent the wait staff into a frenzy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were met at San Basilio by the cruise director, Jerome, and Captain Lemaire. Boarding was accomplished quickly and we found our stateroom on Deck 3. Thanks to our friends Twig and Jim, who had traveled with Tauck on L'Austral's sister ship, Le Boreal, we purposely booked on Deck 3 for its convenience to the gangway and the tender loading point. Additionally, it was one staircase down to the restaurant and one up to the theater, where Tauck presentations were scheduled. Almost all the staterooms on the ship are the same size, but prices go up as you go to higher decks. There was one passenger deck below us; we were low and mid-ship...a perfect location for rough seas, should we have them. I never have been able to understand why the most expensive cabins on cruise ships are high up, as they are the ones that get tossed the worst in bad weather. Convenience and less rocking....that's the way we like it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The ship sailed from San Basilio and we passed St. Mark's Square on the canal:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-gAMBfRtK9YbF7xFK-kVQpdG9sx5mDQ4eXiiVThq8YEAu69rprNI7ThjhO9U5snxg4OYbNnwE-dsOVX1Mvl3BYEv1pOV911Y2CoJ4ebLT7lMX6XNHohT-xU09LcuiMnL1DzUw9xH64Ue/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-gAMBfRtK9YbF7xFK-kVQpdG9sx5mDQ4eXiiVThq8YEAu69rprNI7ThjhO9U5snxg4OYbNnwE-dsOVX1Mvl3BYEv1pOV911Y2CoJ4ebLT7lMX6XNHohT-xU09LcuiMnL1DzUw9xH64Ue/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+177.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Goodbye, Venice - we loved getting to know you, and hope to return someday for another visit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Next stop - Sibenik, Croatia.</span></div>
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Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-23579605458790576752012-09-30T17:25:00.000-04:002012-10-02T18:39:14.438-04:00day two - venice with tauck<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today our trip with Tauck began in earnest. Our Tour Directors, husband and wife Steve and Melissa, and Stephan, were ready to take their groups on the morning's adventures. (We, along with Mimi and Carl,and Rita and Gene, were assigned to Steve's group). Tauck uses local guides in each city they visit, and they vet them well. Each guide we had on this trip was well-informed and had obviously worked with Tauck many times in the past. The company finds its favorites and then uses them repeatedly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Our local guide met us in the hotel lobby and we were off to see the Doges' Palace, which was almost right next door to the hotel. We passed by the Bridge of Sighs, so named because the prisoners who were convicted in the court at the Doges' Palace (on the left in the picture below) had to walk through the bridge to reach the jail on the other side of the canal. They sighed as they looked through the rock-carved window as they had their last glimpse of the sea and sky. Here's the bridge from the sidewalk:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO69W9BR2T0Fs_1OHJnO8e8ZCgdm8P2oi77SJBzpOdK4n6HGFDKfZgYnPqMCjy415r8PK8En0iKlHQsJswdpgsfvLhsVAUz_GqI62_rpebb2byRBY4CV8eaGBXqBDwIMuPWcAHZ7FVzeqt/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO69W9BR2T0Fs_1OHJnO8e8ZCgdm8P2oi77SJBzpOdK4n6HGFDKfZgYnPqMCjy415r8PK8En0iKlHQsJswdpgsfvLhsVAUz_GqI62_rpebb2byRBY4CV8eaGBXqBDwIMuPWcAHZ7FVzeqt/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+055.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Doge was the elected supreme head of state and his residence was first constructed in the ninth century. There were several fires over the years and the buildiings we see today are mainly of the 16th century. The courtyard impresses visitors immediately, with its size and ornate design:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihej4pF1WSuX84qa7myejjHs5TWmg1CzPBxrENNCvlanyMc9UF2c73d5qa23mizSAic-ZKnO8dGxTnSZEX6pYfox-hNsea9046WgXWbiTrb6a4_ZzwI77rni4kUOSktogGUh5DqQTF15Ai/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihej4pF1WSuX84qa7myejjHs5TWmg1CzPBxrENNCvlanyMc9UF2c73d5qa23mizSAic-ZKnO8dGxTnSZEX6pYfox-hNsea9046WgXWbiTrb6a4_ZzwI77rni4kUOSktogGUh5DqQTF15Ai/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+071.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The magnificence of the interior's design and construction was immediately apparent as we walked up the Golden Staircase:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPUr_E6I2hfAoCimAZ4qnkyO1owylQZB6lUkLWxjzUfOodB-lqGrz8U11eCOSWTtRMNyDD-LXITYP5VlMihyphenhyphenWcgVXnfxdP23aUOl0O2sbVuAvCMg_xSnP4CyrBHjnlK5P_cPbUSTrVVw-/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPUr_E6I2hfAoCimAZ4qnkyO1owylQZB6lUkLWxjzUfOodB-lqGrz8U11eCOSWTtRMNyDD-LXITYP5VlMihyphenhyphenWcgVXnfxdP23aUOl0O2sbVuAvCMg_xSnP4CyrBHjnlK5P_cPbUSTrVVw-/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+062.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After touring the building and learning that the Doge was responsible for locking the gates to the city in the evening and unlocking them in the morning (thus, the importance of being given the "keys to the city"), we crossed over the Bridge of Sighs to the old jail and exited to walk around the corner to St. Mark's Basilica. Here's one of the views you would have had as you walked to your new residence in the prison....well deserving of a "sigh"...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglfmhh5Lsrx9lCp2s8bRtd3RZlKbGklAQvvt23nWYOPBL6Bmj569JAtFBe2H8_eb40hu8yu3KT43s7TZlGvF42YEiXwiQ4Dur7ZXW_VsWgoMrTyLlo_z_P0rChDNJ-RwarFBHo1CoZIC9s/s1600/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" kea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglfmhh5Lsrx9lCp2s8bRtd3RZlKbGklAQvvt23nWYOPBL6Bmj569JAtFBe2H8_eb40hu8yu3KT43s7TZlGvF42YEiXwiQ4Dur7ZXW_VsWgoMrTyLlo_z_P0rChDNJ-RwarFBHo1CoZIC9s/s400/Venice+and+Dalmatian+Coast+Sept+2012+073.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lines of people waiting to get into the Basilica stretched almost to the Grand Canal from the entrance to the building. Our guide, however, led us to a different door and we entered quickly, bypassing the hordes waiting outside. The facade of the Basilica, seen below, is lovely - and the interior even more so. Unfortunately, photos were prohibited inside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were on our own in the afternoon and visited the Correr Museum at the end of St. Mark's Square. Then gelato-hunger attacked and we had tiramisu gelato from a different shop. The ice cream tasted very different and our first taste the day before was definitely the winner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We then followed the suggestion of Steve and Melissa to take the Vaporetto #2 around the whole length of the Grand Canal. Easily accessible right near our hotel, we popped on after buying and validating our tickets and went to the open-air back seats for a water's view of Venice. Here's the Doges' Palace and the Campanile from the water:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The entire circle cruise took us over an hour, with stops all along the way. We passed by the Club Med 2, having seen one of its tour groups in the morning:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We saw the Rialto Bridge again, this time from the water:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and chose a nearby restaurant to return to in the evening for dinner:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We took the vaporetto again later in the evening to reach our chosen restaurant, now that we were veteran public transportation riders, only to learn after dining that the #2 line shuts down at 8:00pm and it's a long wait for the very local #1 line to appear at the Rialto boat stop. Future riders, beware!</span>Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-3328352734305538792012-09-29T16:05:00.000-04:002012-09-29T16:05:10.700-04:00day one - venice on our own<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We slept - we actually slept well - during our first night in Venice. Not knowing how well we would sleep, we set the alarm to make sure we had time to get to breakfast. The hotel's restaurant is located on the top floor and has a lovely terrace overlooking the Grand Canal. Even the seagulls enjoy breakfast at the Danieli:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The city was waking up and the gondoliers were headed off to work::</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We decided to take a walk over to the Rialto Bridge, exiting St. Mark's Square and walking through small alleys to meet the Grand Canal again on the backside of the island. The bridge was jammed with tourists, cameras in hand, all of whom were trying to get the very "best" shot:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But not everyone in Venice is a tourist, although it seems that way most of the time. The UPS (boat) driver was hard at work making deliveries, too:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">but this gondolier had decided to take a break::</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After scoping out the area for a while, we walked back to the hotel via a different route, coming upon this lovely view of a small canal:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also happened upon one of the bazillion gelato shops in Venice and both had scoops of tiramisu gelato, which we enjoyed all the way back to the hotel. Delizioso!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">When we arrived back at the Danieli, we saw that Tauck had reserved a section of the lobby for its guests. Fruits, cookies and drinks were available, so we decided to sit for a bit and recharge. Earlier we had picked up our Tauck info packet, including a list of all the group's participants - names and hometowns. We were the only listing from Canandaigua, but it turned out that many other travelers were interested to meet us, as they also had connections to the Finger Lakes area.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The first couple to connect approached us in the lobby as we were resting after our walking adventure. On first meeting, everyone in the group seemed to share first names and where they were from.. When we said "Canandaigua, New York," Mimi said, "oh, we've been looking for you." It turns out they lived in Pittsford (as did we) for several years. I asked her where they lived and when she told me the street name, I asked if she knew my friend, Marty. She looked at me with wide eyes and said, "she was our hext door neighbor!" I explained that Marty and I had worked together at Pittsford Ambulance every Wednesday evening for 13 years! Marty was the driver and I was the medic on the 6-11 shift and we had the best time working together. We still see each other occasionally, and I will be sure to tell her about traveling with Mimi and Carl.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In the evening, all the Tauck guests met for a welcome cocktail and dinner reception in a private room at the hotel. We walked into the event with another couple, Rita and Gene from Orange County, California, and ended up at a dinner table with them,, Mimi and Carl, and another couple. The three Tauck directors had split up the large group into 3 smaller groups, and those were the groups that would tour together. We learned that Mimi and Carl, and RIta and Gene were in the same group with us. And from that night on, we were a happy group of six. Instant friends and a fun way to start the trip.</span><br />
Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-16778146950373750122012-09-25T21:19:00.000-04:002012-09-29T16:06:17.825-04:00our adriatic adventure begins!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've just returned from a great trip to Venice and a cruise down the Dalmatian coast. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Planned for over a year, departure day finally arrived on September 10. We flew to Philadelphia, waited around for several hours and then boarded our US Airways flight to Munich. And we sat. And sat. And sat. Finally the captain came on and said that "the log had been taken from the plane by the maintenance guys and they didn't know how long it would be to get it back." What did that mean?? Two hours later, still at the gate and still on the plane, the pilot announced that the log had been returned and they were cleared to depart. Our 2.5 hour layover in Munich, which seemed generous when we booked it, had suddently shrunk to 30 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">There was nothing we could do about it, so we ate dinner and tried to sleep. Breakfast was served and we landed in Munich. 40 minutes to make our connection. We RAN through the airport to get to immigration, got our passports stamped and continued to run to the Lufthansa gate, which was as far as possible from the immigration check point. Of course. Is it ever the closest one? Not that I can remember.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We got to that gate and the agent couldn't find Larry's reservation in their system, although mine was there and we were travelling on the same confirmation number. She determined that we had been rebooked on a later flight, but managed to get us back on our original flight to Venice with moments to spare. Up we went over the alps and minutes later we were on our way down to Venice. After landing, we hiked another 10 miles (or so it seemed) to the baggage area and amazingly our bags made it. We were never so happy to see the strips of neon green duct tape that we have plastered all over our bags. (Hint for fellow travelers: those duct tape strips have helped us locate missing/misplaced bags several times and make traveling with checked luggage on long trips much, much easier).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We were traveling with Tauck for the second time (long-time readers will remember our trip to France several years ago) and we were met by their reps once outside the baggage area. They led us and a few others to a water taxi, our luggage was loaded on after us, and off we went. We quickly crossed the lagoon and approached the area of St. Mark's Square. Boat traffic was crazy busy and the congestion around the small canal to get to our hotel's taxi entrance was astonishing. Water taxis, private boats, numerous gondolas, a garbage boat and several vaporettos (water buses) were all maneuvering around each other on the Grand Canal. Think Times Square with no traffic lights.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Finally our water taxi was able to enter the canal and pull up to the back entrance to the Hotel Danieli, now a member of the Starwood Hotel Group and formerly the palace of a Venetian shipping merchant. The hotel lobby was rather overwhelming at first, but we got used to it:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check in was easy and our room was ready - good thing, as we were asleep on our feet. We set the alarm and took a 3 hour nap, then rallied to walk over to St. Mark's Square and to find some dinner. Venice was still hopping and there were crowds everywhere. We managed to find our way around without getting lost and explored several back streets and canals:</span><br />
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After dinner we strolled back to the hotel, once again crossing St. Mark's Square. Most of the pigeons were off roosting for the night, but the crowds were still enjoying the nice weather and many of the square's cafes had musicians playing:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We said good night to the square and took one last look around before heading "home" for the night:</span><br />
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<br />Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-26092589885766272862012-08-27T18:10:00.003-04:002012-08-27T18:10:32.838-04:00fun new pieces from susan nickles<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been hard at work today, taking photos and then editing them for the online store. I just haven't gotten that far yet....nothing's up on the store but it is waiting in the wings. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here are a few of the images from today's shoot:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirM_eKpejCJYNLsq-YVddyeMiUea0xz-xSzor6jXL_PRWlIBe9Eiq0TrLocP8yuKTOBHPSAczbA1Oh8wncmP2nU3hg9tVaqy-CtGnubMIL5Sru46A0Fwdh7Mnpzxy0mCSgBDO3iTdXGRzl/s1600/NICK.2.036X.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirM_eKpejCJYNLsq-YVddyeMiUea0xz-xSzor6jXL_PRWlIBe9Eiq0TrLocP8yuKTOBHPSAczbA1Oh8wncmP2nU3hg9tVaqy-CtGnubMIL5Sru46A0Fwdh7Mnpzxy0mCSgBDO3iTdXGRzl/s320/NICK.2.036X.jpg" width="256" yda="true" /></a></div>
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<em>Sterling silver and tumbled blue glass from a Sapphire Gin bottle</em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcrl60C8Gav1nLNVvP_a374-w7ZDjYtytTpgczuX7jk0ga8T100kADHxg2OmTLjQL3uwJHErbYtKPS6vCjZpnfnYFyp-bRS1NqBtZf9pIMBawaGb1BUISaXAax_o16L3F3PugBsRu5Wg7j/s1600/NICK.2.039X.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcrl60C8Gav1nLNVvP_a374-w7ZDjYtytTpgczuX7jk0ga8T100kADHxg2OmTLjQL3uwJHErbYtKPS6vCjZpnfnYFyp-bRS1NqBtZf9pIMBawaGb1BUISaXAax_o16L3F3PugBsRu5Wg7j/s320/NICK.2.039X.jpg" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div>
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<em>Sterling silver and tumbled "beach" glass from a wine bottle</em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56yqLr3gh96pmmb30Ipxq4MPw8sdzK5koYCW-8LZad77SDcneNy4sXJn3OG-qBQQ0PQRCQLdtJtpxZ0cS0G51176sGbB9PwEROnF9EHXODPCLceVa0Tq3qjOFEcPavHOPdRw5N9mM_b9C/s1600/NICK.3.012X.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj56yqLr3gh96pmmb30Ipxq4MPw8sdzK5koYCW-8LZad77SDcneNy4sXJn3OG-qBQQ0PQRCQLdtJtpxZ0cS0G51176sGbB9PwEROnF9EHXODPCLceVa0Tq3qjOFEcPavHOPdRw5N9mM_b9C/s320/NICK.3.012X.jpg" width="275" yda="true" /></a></div>
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<em>Sterling silver 2-1 chain necklace with a 1"</em></div>
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<em>domed/pounded disc and a toggle closure, 19"</em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLktsXMD_QC_o17b9OSoSMVA7aXGG3_Q3dyCC_uCYco3X0A_xbYcPyd52fBBEht4ZgkRa5M91rv0Q4JALzLjlCXvYzt1Qfz7Dw7z2wlMfsBlPSd4F3PKWwpENg2Puay6UcoO6lXB4V8Bje/s1600/NICK.3.013X.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLktsXMD_QC_o17b9OSoSMVA7aXGG3_Q3dyCC_uCYco3X0A_xbYcPyd52fBBEht4ZgkRa5M91rv0Q4JALzLjlCXvYzt1Qfz7Dw7z2wlMfsBlPSd4F3PKWwpENg2Puay6UcoO6lXB4V8Bje/s320/NICK.3.013X.jpg" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div>
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<em>Sterling silver rings with a drop pearl and lobster claw clasp, 20"</em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sue makes each sterling ring and embellishment herself - great technique and a transitional (and very wearable) aesthetic. Call me if you want to grab any of these before they go up on the online store.</span></div>
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Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-53645620404090220322012-08-24T14:13:00.001-04:002012-08-24T14:15:53.250-04:00a bad news day<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I received some bad news today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I needed to contact my sign guy today,the person who had made numerous signs for the two different JOOLZ locations, about a new sign needed for a neighborhood group. I knew with his artistic bent and construction talents, he could do a great job at a reasonable price.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I called his number and his wife answered the phone. That, in itself, was a little off. He always answered the phone himself, usually from the extension in the shop. I asked for Brent and she told me he wasn't there. I launched into a message for him and then she stopped me, telling me that he had passed away in March from a massive stroke. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">At age 59.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">In otherwise excellent health.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">He'd had oatmeal for breakfast that morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I was dumbfounded.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Brent Gillette was an artist, an avid outdoorsman, a hiker and a biker. He was a fair and honest businessman and a pleasure to work with. I found him only by chance, having driven by a local hair salon whose sign was eye-catching. I stopped to speak to the owner to find out who had made her sign and she gave me Brent's name and contact info. He made inside and outside signs for JOOLZ at both stores, together with vinyl applications for the doors and windows. Everything was top notch.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkpvufhdpNRUSvhABWJwQWZl6AVLfVPJefrwCrAk5HV6HObR6cbRENrOnWSuPy94oBy7KnQ9p-Lu-bqvDz3n1lyfTMSXRACCLdR3Lf0lo9bMENltEM6ifKnjoWsbIKYkck7bruzeszuUI/s1600/BrentGillette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkpvufhdpNRUSvhABWJwQWZl6AVLfVPJefrwCrAk5HV6HObR6cbRENrOnWSuPy94oBy7KnQ9p-Lu-bqvDz3n1lyfTMSXRACCLdR3Lf0lo9bMENltEM6ifKnjoWsbIKYkck7bruzeszuUI/s320/BrentGillette.jpg" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div>
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<em>Brent Gillette at JOOLZ, May 2007</em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">My deepest sympathy to his wife Robin, their two sons and his grandson. He will be missed.</span></div>
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Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-10101755601996472822012-08-18T14:36:00.000-04:002012-08-18T14:36:34.095-04:00getting into (double) trouble<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been a while, hasn't it? I apologize, but I've been busy! After we returned from our beach holiday, I dove right back into the major volunteer job that I had started in the late fall. We finally wrapped that up at the end of June and it's been fun and family, family, family since then. Now it's time to get back to work and to get our online store back up and running. Lots of images to take and edit, joolz to be measured and info to be uploaded to the store software. Soon....I promise.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">But today was a bus man's holiday for me. The annual outdoor Arts at the Gardens art and craft show, held on the grounds of Canandaigua's lovely Sonnenberg Mansion and Gardens, kicked off at 10:00am this morning. I was there at 9:50, ready to stroll and look and NOT buy anything. I keep telling myself that I will never pay retail jewelry prices again. That good intention went out the door at 10:05am, when I stopped to see what new creations Linda Lawrence</span> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">had in her booth. By 10:10am, I owned this fun piece:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5X7smM9kV7Xfi1LaigbVMDSuBkbobBE92FY97TNlT-2ZqFW1kYFGHFk2TUvkEZUHxt3zDdKvdYc4_NOTIxYh1RpSJLhizdxDZkVKEBmO9Po1XDpxkxFfJr8k6WHxXVMTNj8oL_0JtTmP/s1600/BellaBead-necklace-final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit5X7smM9kV7Xfi1LaigbVMDSuBkbobBE92FY97TNlT-2ZqFW1kYFGHFk2TUvkEZUHxt3zDdKvdYc4_NOTIxYh1RpSJLhizdxDZkVKEBmO9Po1XDpxkxFfJr8k6WHxXVMTNj8oL_0JtTmP/s320/BellaBead-necklace-final.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Colorful, whimsical, eye-catching, one-of-a-kind.....all the things I like in playful, glass bead jewelry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">And to make it a business-related transaction, I asked Linda how she liked using Square for her show credit card processing program. (She loves it!). Thanks, Linda - great necklace and a fair retail price.....even though I am never paying retail again....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Until I got to Barbara and Rick Umbel's booth:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwG5frHULUp4u1rsJN6Nvtpn_yGX1dDkeDhNEk7ZMj5FUrYcw1aBXUL7GJNiYyvm-VihdEVX1sADv2ccRVQf1uMGXZG5LRRKUC1H17rJFc8sedVoM_0XvFlsRUONvdk9F7hyn6GitcGK3p/s1600/Barbara-Umbel-final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwG5frHULUp4u1rsJN6Nvtpn_yGX1dDkeDhNEk7ZMj5FUrYcw1aBXUL7GJNiYyvm-VihdEVX1sADv2ccRVQf1uMGXZG5LRRKUC1H17rJFc8sedVoM_0XvFlsRUONvdk9F7hyn6GitcGK3p/s320/Barbara-Umbel-final.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">You'll remember from my last blog post in March that I had met Barbara and Rick while on vacation, and fell in love with their shell and precious metal jewelry. I reintroduced myself and fell in love with their work all over again, this time walking away with this aqua limpet and blue topaz pendant and multi-strand cable necklace:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnc_8n8P6X3QelPc1v6EVPdVv1l72HydOPMZQzrQnjItHId4_XH4m0G38eSQbb64HnwjUrnXRl2FX3vlEZkGg4Si0Y01I08wMsBwxsXq8BGMW7mvy3XT538oL2pA2NCjIdQ0yziNB2bKY/s1600/Umbel-pendant-final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnc_8n8P6X3QelPc1v6EVPdVv1l72HydOPMZQzrQnjItHId4_XH4m0G38eSQbb64HnwjUrnXRl2FX3vlEZkGg4Si0Y01I08wMsBwxsXq8BGMW7mvy3XT538oL2pA2NCjIdQ0yziNB2bKY/s320/Umbel-pendant-final.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You'll note that Barbara has changed the design of the piece a bit, so it's not exactly like the one I saw in Florida. But it is smashing and I know I will wear it often. And by the way, Barbara loves Square, too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The show was beautifully organized by friendly, helpful volunteers and the lineup of artists was topnotch. Even Mother Nature cooperated, with temps in the high 60"s and sunny skies. I saw lots of friends and even was able to spend some time walking the show with my youngest brother and his wife, who are staying in the area for a while. All in all, a very nice morning, despite the fact that I got in (double) retail-priced jewelry trouble!</span><br />
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Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-20335002873537106042012-03-16T12:12:00.006-04:002012-03-16T12:34:16.700-04:00my kind of shelling at the beach<span style="font-family:arial;">Our annual vacation at the beach has been a delight so far. We've relaxed, eaten well, read numerous books, seen friends from near and far and are expecting our kids to start arriving tomorrow. But it's not always play and no work, as I'm always on the prowl to find new artists.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This morning was the Lions' Art and Craft Show, where several years ago I found the work of the very popular Joan Sample. Joan's button jewelry is owned by many, many JOOLZ customers; we hit a home run with that find.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">We had another good find this morning: Barbara Umbel from Pawley's Island, SC. Barbara works with shells, sterling and 14K yellow gold to create beautilfully crafted, unique pieces.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This is a necklace where the center section can be separated from the chain and worn as a pin:</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdTSHUyy5K68ZooxQlCBN2fCQIROLrWCTaC7WVAfK-2GuEoaapUnbFBoaTUjW8H0mYHyEvY-gLMDLNXmgAPEMoivtzJ3kkYd6709UDUbpXSX9Le0JUF38NSPkoKVzgIaAp-QwkqDXYE-z/s1600/greensatellite.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720530938600361666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 246px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 226px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFdTSHUyy5K68ZooxQlCBN2fCQIROLrWCTaC7WVAfK-2GuEoaapUnbFBoaTUjW8H0mYHyEvY-gLMDLNXmgAPEMoivtzJ3kkYd6709UDUbpXSX9Le0JUF38NSPkoKVzgIaAp-QwkqDXYE-z/s400/greensatellite.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;">In talking with Barbara's husband, Rick, I learned that they are going to be exhibiting at Sonnenberg Gardens' Arts at the Gardens show in Canandaigua this coming August. This will be their first time at AATG and I know they will be well-received; Barbara's work is just stunning. Here's an aqua limpet shell slide that can also be worn as a pin:</span></p><br /><p></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYeJq1lcgswefDoAPUD2Yx2F3Kzoa7_KwxfAvjI8-RUoECYnBso6gXKGJKVzi5ttm70fuwdke00NGV6bF-nwtyeBD04RXu0uz-mXXkR0MY_yMIPG9l5WnD95PxIcN2Pa2ccvbXOHi0_VN4/s1600/aqualimpetslide.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720532431134186818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 225px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYeJq1lcgswefDoAPUD2Yx2F3Kzoa7_KwxfAvjI8-RUoECYnBso6gXKGJKVzi5ttm70fuwdke00NGV6bF-nwtyeBD04RXu0uz-mXXkR0MY_yMIPG9l5WnD95PxIcN2Pa2ccvbXOHi0_VN4/s400/aqualimpetslide.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Definitely my kind of shelling.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><br /><br /></p>Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-60888023477174242722012-02-13T21:12:00.005-05:002012-02-13T21:29:13.191-05:00a new journey begins<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXvs2r-U_O6G6P3BI5eDkQTLmEoyAINzJaBn2SG37zU2eeu9i8Jp2KJ_yP-NVPRwTNfRIyx6wYgnkiy7Rrm9vZXFTP5OZ-c3Q6JYL87vQsRFHRUrqsiz38QFzP21G1ELLxyFnosY9HAp_/s1600/the+end+2.13.12.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708808859831735058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlXvs2r-U_O6G6P3BI5eDkQTLmEoyAINzJaBn2SG37zU2eeu9i8Jp2KJ_yP-NVPRwTNfRIyx6wYgnkiy7Rrm9vZXFTP5OZ-c3Q6JYL87vQsRFHRUrqsiz38QFzP21G1ELLxyFnosY9HAp_/s400/the+end+2.13.12.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Today was it - the very last day. We went over to the store this evening and I ran the vacuum for the last time, put the brass cover on the floor outlet and said goodbye with a tear in my eye. The rooms are empty, the sconces and pendants have been taken down and the phone and alarm have been disconnected. You'd never know how great it looked unless you had a picture like this:</span></div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyBA-QN87DIMOmbmI1KiURF_Us6nm6ih-Or-uqSKEHcPhrsRVDMQeyAKMVxSHZUA2dMGskN8GtDp1iKii0ak1xX9yx3bIkar3Hvy9QFzFtzrPCGD3CE2aqS4JGVs_f3SmDeGE678jb4RQ/s1600/112+interiorfrontKLP.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708810166291672930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyBA-QN87DIMOmbmI1KiURF_Us6nm6ih-Or-uqSKEHcPhrsRVDMQeyAKMVxSHZUA2dMGskN8GtDp1iKii0ak1xX9yx3bIkar3Hvy9QFzFtzrPCGD3CE2aqS4JGVs_f3SmDeGE678jb4RQ/s400/112+interiorfrontKLP.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Having the business has been a wonderful, exciting adventure for me. And as I keep telling myself, I haven't closed the business, I've just closed the store. The adventure will continue, just in a different setting. You'll find a new store, an online store, on our website in the spring. Come along with us on that new journey...and remember the good times on Main Street.<br /><br /></span>Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-65213606589579283102012-02-06T10:31:00.008-05:002012-02-06T11:08:26.523-05:00terra cotta warriors<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhqn-uaGY3pwFWaPftrBSu62Ux2i74IvD3eW1kKvW5l1aaoPm61Wq66VcGSbJEK-eomC2aGSFFQTWJ6BPq20HHWwZ9cxri6h1Sk-NtjdbBDDkRBBIWDrLjoF2SbPyKw-5Q639mowpQwOj/s1600/terra+cotta+warriors.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706045877536171042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhqn-uaGY3pwFWaPftrBSu62Ux2i74IvD3eW1kKvW5l1aaoPm61Wq66VcGSbJEK-eomC2aGSFFQTWJ6BPq20HHWwZ9cxri6h1Sk-NtjdbBDDkRBBIWDrLjoF2SbPyKw-5Q639mowpQwOj/s400/terra+cotta+warriors.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It's been a busy week since we closed the shop's doors last Saturday. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">On Sunday, several different groups of local merchants came in to pick up their chosen items: bookcases, tables, chairs, lamps, custom shadow box cases. The room looked pretty naked after they left, but there was still jewelry on the wall shelves and locked in the floor cases. Then it was time to organize the joolz.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">All the consignment jewelry had to been inventoried and taken out of QuickBooks for return to its owners. All the wholesale jewelry had to be inventoried and put back in the safe. Believe it or not, the work on the consignment items took several days of computer input and relabeling, finished off with mailing to out of town artists and personal delivery to Rochester area artists. The last box goes out today.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Then I was able to see all the display busts and other black velvet pieces more clearly. In order to count each type, for posting on Craigslist, I organized them by size and lined them up. Doesn't this shot of the big busts remind you of pictures of the Chinese terra cotta warriors?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Yesterday, in clear weather with no snow on the ground, the safe was moved without incident. Remember last time? One day like that was enough. One of the moving company workers injured himself while moving the safe and had to be transported to the hospital. No ED visits this time, thank goodness.</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBx-m9f4q7lVbnkg4ToTAuBdVseeHDSVV0Kz49wiDIwZUNwuDo-cfCghAf8VXQ18qL1Y9DM4meBeGFMqD7IbWeiJI688itoivDGCJHEbrdqFuizF43t6ALhqJ6YL_DjnSwQOzAEX4iA0EA/s1600/JOOLZ.112.41.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706052820302175570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBx-m9f4q7lVbnkg4ToTAuBdVseeHDSVV0Kz49wiDIwZUNwuDo-cfCghAf8VXQ18qL1Y9DM4meBeGFMqD7IbWeiJI688itoivDGCJHEbrdqFuizF43t6ALhqJ6YL_DjnSwQOzAEX4iA0EA/s400/JOOLZ.112.41.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Now all that remains is some more clean out and a final sweep through with the vacuum cleaner. Will the warriors be watching from the top of the case, or will I have stuffed them all into a big plastic bag for the ride home?</span>Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-68860988728894835882012-01-10T18:42:00.003-05:002012-01-10T19:02:24.714-05:00closing the store but not closing the business<span style="font-family:arial;">It's been an interesting couple of weeks since the announcement of my retirement and the closing of the store. Most everyone has been supportive, and other grandmothers have been 100% behind me. I've heard things like "you'll never get this time back with the grandchildren;" "I would do exactly the same thing if I were in your situation;" "carpe diem;" and my favorite, "you GO girl!" While friends and customers alike are on my side about this, some are also downright sad that the store will no longer be a presence on Main Street. And that's when I explain that I'm closing the store, but I'm not closing the business.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Many ask why I'm not selling the business, so that it could stay on Main Street and continue to be a magnet for those who love handcrafted jewelry. I try to explain that it wouldn't be the same if someone else owned it -- different taste, different choices in artists, different customer service. And honestly, I'm not done with it just yet. I want to continue to seek out interesting work and build relationships with artists across the country. I even want to continue doing the books! I just don't want to do that with the responsibility of managing a brick and mortar store, unable to travel to see family, friends and the world, whenever we want.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">So instead JOOLZ, the Main Street store, will morph into The JOOLZ Collection, an online shopping experience where you'll find familiar JOOLZ artists and some new ones, too. Same design decision-maker, same excellent customer service, same wide range of prices and styles. You'll be able to find new treasures and I'll be able to live a new life that allows us more travel freedom. It'll be a win-win.</span>Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-80872968082406773312011-12-28T18:09:00.002-05:002011-12-28T18:13:55.708-05:00BIG news! in today's newsletter<span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">THE LATEST FROM JOOLZ…<br />December 2011<br /><br /><br />Dear Friends,<br /><br />JOOLZ has been an exciting adventure for me over the past 6 years, one year of incubation and 5 years of retail selling. From the tiny kernel of an idea, it has grown into a full-fledged, successful, well-respected business.<br /><br />Recently, however, I’ve recognized that I’m missing out on a lot. Christmas Eve fell on a Saturday this year and I needed to be at the store. (Yes, we did have several male customers who had that “deer caught in the headlights” look while doing last-minute shopping). That meant no traveling to see our kids in LA and Denver for the holidays. It was a very difficult decision to be away from our young grandsons for the holidays, a decision I don’t want to have to make ever again. Life is short and I want to enjoy being with family and friends. I also want the freedom to be able to see more of the world.<br /><br />In my home office this quote is framed and sits on my desk:<br /><br /><em>Design the life you want to live first<br />and then design your business to fit your life.<br /></em><br />I realized that I needed to re-design the life I want to live and also re-design my business to fit that life.<br /><br />After several months of agonizing, middle-of-the-night conversations with myself, it is with some sadness, but also a lot of anticipation of new adventures, that I have decided to retire. <strong>Our last day at JOOLZ will be January 28 and all our inventory is now on sale.</strong> (Most of the fixtures and furniture pieces are also for sale and may be reserved, with a deposit, for pickup after January 28). Be sure to come in early to get your favorites and if you’re not in the area, you can call us at 585.396.3520 to shop over the phone.<br /><br />Later in the spring we’ll open The JOOLZ Collection online store through our website, </span><a href="http://www.shopjoolz.com/"><span style="font-family:arial;">www.shopjoolz.com</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">. And as a thank you to our Canandaigua/Rochester area customers, local shipping will be free. Almost like walking down Main Street and shopping in the store, right?<br /><br />It’s been a true pleasure getting to know so many of you and having you come to love JOOLZ as much as I do. Thanks to you all for your support and thanks to our employees, past and present, for all their hard work in helping to make JOOLZ a success. Finally, a special thank you to my husband, Larry, for being a quiet, supportive force behind me every step of the way.<br /><br />All the best,<br />Francie</span>Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-5458107295272132392011-12-24T09:58:00.002-05:002011-12-24T10:14:07.449-05:00Merry Christmas!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHLtdCIu6HzDHBYCpgBhSpYaZRQsFHav2B_lh8KxoXLJt3pw994Z_NulxoDxEB7So23-zAvsRokDVU8PW4-J91os4CXCw-fB1303jxCvAx71lS3udQhydp97va-fOg3QypQln8F8E2_Zg1/s1600/Christmastreeoutside.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689709608193967458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHLtdCIu6HzDHBYCpgBhSpYaZRQsFHav2B_lh8KxoXLJt3pw994Z_NulxoDxEB7So23-zAvsRokDVU8PW4-J91os4CXCw-fB1303jxCvAx71lS3udQhydp97va-fOg3QypQln8F8E2_Zg1/s400/Christmastreeoutside.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">It's been a busy couple of months and the blog has been silent for a while - apologies to loyal readers. But the busyness has been all about the business and the family, both of which vie for top billing on a daily basis. The business won out this Christmas season, as we have stayed home to oversee the store's holiday activity. Meanwhile, both grandsons and their parents are in Denver, where they ARE having a white Christmas, just like the one above. Here in Canandaigua it's been almost spring-like and today there is only a dusting of snow on the driveway.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Today in Denver they'll be making cookies, decorating a gingerbread house and getting all geared up for Santa's arrival. Thank goodness for FaceTime - we'll be able to see the stockings hung by the chimney with care right along with them. And then tomorrow morning we'll adjust our inner clocks to Mountain Time and watch the happiness and glee of a 6 year old as he first sees the goodies that Santa brought. His 5-month old cousin will be pretty oblivious to all the excitement of the day, but I know his Mommy and Daddy will be recording every smile and babble.</span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">We wish you all a joyous Christmas and holiday season and thank you again for your support of our efforts to make JOOLZ your special holiday shopping spot. There will be lots of joolz under trees for many delighted recipients this year. Enjoy them all!</span></div>Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1406403780826974277.post-67010070623733682162011-10-15T19:08:00.003-04:002011-10-15T19:27:28.640-04:00yes, we make house calls<span style="font-family:arial;">In today's busy world, most women are constantly juggling home, work, family and fun. That can often lead to many "I meant to ___________ today, but time just got away from me" days. What to do when you know you need/want a new piece of jewelry to go with a certain outfit and there's no time to shop?</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Well....if you're like my friend, X, you mention to me at a party that you're looking for a necklace to go with some brown fall clothes. The next day, I make a trip around the shop, looking for likely contenders. Finding several, I call X and we agree to meet at her house later in the afternoon. I hop in my pink Mary Kay caddy (just kidding!) and take a collection of joolz for her to try on in the privacy of her home. She puts on her brown top and tries on several necklaces. One is just perfect. She smiles. I smile. Even her husband smiles, especially as the necklace has a finger-friendly, large toggle clasp. Totally and completely painless, minimal interruption to her day and everyone is happy.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">No, I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. But I do make house calls!</span>Franciehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18121165200035988024noreply@blogger.com0