We didn't know what to expect from Dubrovnik, Croatia. One of Rob's colleagues raved about the place and we'd seen it mentioned fondly in several travel magazines, but we had no idea it would be as awesome as it was. In addition to the cobblestone streets, tiled rooftops, and narrow alleys that are typical (but nonetheless charming) of Europe, the hella-cool thing about Dubrovnik is the wall. It encircles the city and the entire 2 km circumference is walkable. We spent a couple hours up there, walking and gazing down at the quaint little city below.

Dubrovnik reminded me a bit of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, which is another place I loved exploring. Only a small remnant of San Juan's old city wall still remains, but its forts offered a similar experience and similarly gorgeous views.

It was strange to walk the wall and stroll the streets of Dubrovnik knowing that in recent history it was a city under seige. We found a map on display that notes where damage occurred from the war - direct impact, fires, shrapnel. It was remarkable to think that this lovely tourist attraction and UNESCO World Heritage Site was, within my lifetime, part of a war zone. Rob remarked that it made him wonder about the cultural losses in other places currently at war. We worry about the lives lost and homes destroyed in a place like Baghdad, for example, but we'd never really thought about the museums and statues and architecture being demolished as well.

Click to see Dubrovnik photo gallery.

And then in contrast to our thoughts of lost cultural artifacts is Ephesus (in Turkey), a place that seems to suggest a certain timelessness. To walk through an ancient city is surreal. Maybe this is just an English major thing, but to be in a place where ancient Greeks and (later) Romans once lived fucking blows my mind a little bit. We walked through the ruins of the Temple of Apollo, touching the pillars that this ancient civilization erected. I was standing right where people came to consult the oracle. Holy shit. Or perhaps you're more impressed to think that this is the same Ephesus of the Ephesians to whom the apostle Paul wrote letters. We even visited an amphitheatre where he gave a sermon. Blows my fucking mind, people.

One interesting tidbit that particularly pleased Rob was something our guide told us about the statues that lined the main street of Ephesus. The statues portrayed the important leaders in the city. But the heads of the statues were actually a separate piece from the body. Rather than removing the entire statue when a new person took over a position of power, they simply lifted the statue's head and replaced it with a head depicting the new leader. How's that for forward thinking?

The only food we had on the entire trip that we did not care for was in Turkey. Our guide took us to a restaurant that served a buffet of traditional foods. Most of it was unremarkable, although a couple dishes were pretty good. But what we will forever remember is The White Sauce. Several foods were covered in a thin white sauce, and I was the first of the four of us who happened to taste it. It was terrible - tasted sour, in fact, although all the dishes with white sauce tasted that way so it must have been intentional. I didn't say anything about it to the others because I didn't want to affect anyone else's opinion. But I watched carefully when I saw Doreen lift a sauce-covered bite to her mouth. And I will never forget the expression that crossed her face when she tasted it. It was a combination of horror, disgust, and near-nausea. "That was my opinion as well," I said, laughing. However, the baklava was divine.

Click to see Ephesus photo gallery.

Celsus Library

Temple of Apollo