Desperate Serbwife

As I get older, my parents get cooler

A big apology that it has been 2 weeks since my last post - it's just that I was having too much fun showing my first visitors around that I couldn't manage to pull myself away for even a short time in order to post. Sadly for me, my parents have returned home, but happily for my blog, I am back to my old posting routine.

I have to say, after spending two weeks with my parents, they really have gotten much cooler since I was 17 (which was their low point in coolness - hahaha). I find it amazing how much I like talking and hanging out with them. It really shouldn't be all that amazing since I was raised with their mindset, but I am truly sad when they leave and I wish I could spend more time with them.

They began their visit by touring Belgrade and getting to know our life here. Then last week, we took a road trip through northern Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and Hungary. Our main destination was Venice, Italy (about an 8 hour trip from Belgrade). We spent 3 days in Venice - which if you haven't been, should be on your list of places to visit before you die because it is absolutely spectacular!!! Even in winter it was beautiful and facinating to wander through the little passageways and cross the cute bridges over the various waterways traversing the city.

While everybody knows about the wonders of Venice, I am a bit hesitant to tell you all about my new, secret, favorite city because I don't want all of you to go there an spoil it. However, I'll tell you because I feel it would be a shame if you didn't know about Ljubljana. Lju-what, you say? Ljubljana (prounced Lube-lee-yana) is the capital of tiny Slovenia (look it up on a map, it's between Italy and Croatia). It is the cutest, most unspoiled town I have been to in Europe. The people, the architecture and the culture are Italian, but the prices are Eastern European (meaning, cheap, cheap, cheap). If I am ever in the position of requesting a posting as Ambassador, I'll be choosing Slovenia. It has the Julian Alps in the north, Adriatic beaches in the south, and is full of beautiful Italian men...I mean people. (note to Jillian - if you make it in the foreign service, Slovenia, won't disappoint you - and no one is requesting it so you won't have to compete for the post).

Anyway, after our trip through Slovenia and Venice, we headed home via Budapest, Hungary. And for those of you that think that Hungary is just some random Eastern European (sorry, Central European - they are very picky about these things) country, think again. Budapest is truly Europe, with all the modern conveniences of any other European capital - and it is only 5 hours from Belgrade!!! You better believe we will be heading there when we need a few days away from the difficulties of Serbian life.

I will post some of the highlights of our trip on future blogs, but I thought you'd like to know where I've been and what I've been up to for the last two weeks. And I missed wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah while I was gone - so belated wishes to all!!

posted by Brooke @ 1:27 PM