Croatia (Trip taken in March)

We took a one-night vacation to Croatia and stayed on the Adriatic Coast on the Island of Krk.

On Friday morning, we left Pápa and headed to Croatia. We crossed the border into Croatia and immediately found ourselves on a toll road. There are no vignettes in this non EU, non Schengen country. Instead, there are numerous toll roads, which luckily for us accepted Forint (Hungarian currency) because we did not yet have any Kuna (Croatian currency).

We crossed over a very large bridge to get over to the island. The journey to the town of Punat, where our hotel was located, reminded us of our journey to Sorrento, Italy. The town of Punat itself, also reminded us of Sorrento.

Our hotel, Hotel Park Punat, was right on the water and surrounded by olive trees. We were able to park in the lot directly in front of the hotel and check in without any problems. The three star hotel was clean and comfortable. Our "economy" room was small but nice.

Unfortunately the weather was not hot enough to go swimming, but we still enjoyed the warmer temperatures. We spent most of our time walking up and down along the water. The water off the Adriatic Coast is beautifully clear and we were able to see to rocks on the sea floor.

When we booked our room, to chose to go with "full board". Full board means that all meals are included in your room rate. The cost of the room was not expensive, so we did not expect great food. Fortunately, we were wrong and the buffets offered for lunch, dinner and breakfast, were all outstanding.

We had a wonderful time enjoying the sun, clear water and delicious meals.

Broggingen Road Trip Part IV

Our time in Broggingen, with my distant-cousins, was wonderful. We ate traditional German meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, all made from fresh, local ingredients. The hospitality shown to us was amazing and very much appreciated.

The first full day in Broggingen, we visited the small distillery where my cousin produces his own brandy.

We also walked around and toured the very small town of Broggingen. Broggingen is where the Holzinger side of my family is from. My family left in the mid 1800's, so unfortunately any evidence of them living there does not exist. However, we did walk up the short stairway to the local church which has stood there for years. The church has been renovated since the time of the Holzingers, but it is most definitely the church my relatives were married and baptized in. Taking a look at the church records would have proved fruitless because the records from the 1800's are in "Badish". Badish is the German dialect once spoken and written in the area of Baden, Germany. Badish is still spoken by many Baden residents, though the old Badish script can not be read by anyone.

After a homemade lunch of fried fish, mashed potatoes and a garden salad, we were taken into the beautiful Black Forest, where we explored castle ruins. We enjoyed liverwurst and cured ham for dinner, before then going to a Fasching party.

The party was in a near-by town and consisted of local performers, including dancers and bands. Many people were dressed in costumes or traditional German attire. Fasching is an old German celebration, believed in old times, to scare off bad spirits. It was a wonderful time with lots of fun people.

Our next day in Broggingen took us to Freiburg where we walked around town and climbed to the top of the church. The view, from the church, was amazing and we were able to see the entire town. During World War II, the town was completely destroyed by the Allied forces. The only building left standing was the church. Now completely rebuilt, the town is beautiful. We also visited Lake Titisee, and enjoyed shopping in gift shops and admiring the frozen lake.

For dinner that night, more family came over to meet us. They brought gifts and we all shared stories. We were thrilled to savor another traditional German dinner. After dinner, we went to Europa Park where we admired a replica of The Colosseum.

Our time in Broggingen was full of meeting family, exploring where the Holzingers came from, and having fun. The hospitality shown to us was immeasurable, and meant more than they will ever know.