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Croatia with Mondo the American Football lover

July 11, 2014 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Motovun

Motovun

Mondo the American football lover – that’s what I call him.  He was one of my favorite hosts in one of my FAVORITE countries in the world – Croatia.  If you’ve never been, put it on your list!  I planned a great 2 -week trip to several countries in Europe with my husband and then 14-year old stepdaughter Katie.  She had never been to Europe (and Brian hadn’t been to most places on our trip) so I was really excited to show them both some of my favorites.

I found Mondo through Couchsurfing.  He was an amazing guy and reminds me a lot of myself.  He really went the extra mile for his guests.  He picked us up at the Trieste train station in Italy and drove us to his house in Porec, Croatia. I had been to Croatia a couple of times, but never to Istria.  Porec is located on the western side of the Istrian peninsula.  We stopped at the grocery and stocked up on easy to fix meals and snacks for our adventure.  He had a nice room with a twin and queen, perfect for the 3 of us!

Arena of Pula 1AD

Arena of Pula 1AD

Every morning Mondo came home from work and took us to the beach 10 min from his house.  There are beautiful beaches in Porec with lots of activites to keep you busy.  We packed a simple picnic and spent every day relaxing on the beach and exploring the resort town.  He would come by after work, pick us up and take us sightseeing through other towns like Motovun (where Mario Andretti hails from), Pula to see the Arena of Pula built in 1AD (same as Coliseum in Rome), to the crystal clear Limski Fjord for swimming and to local watering holes to watch the world cup.

Beautiful Croatian fjord

Beautiful Croatian Limski Fjord

I know that none of us will ever forget that trip.  I hope to take my daughter Ellie there someday to show her mommy’s favorite country to visit.

 

Laurie in front of Limski Fjord, Croatia

Laurie in front of Limski Fjord, Croatia

Enjoying Croatian beaches with our host

Enjoying Croatian beaches with our host

Katie with our host Mondo

Katie with our host Mondo

Making new friends in Porec

Making new friends in Porec

Spectacular Croatian lagoon

Spectacular Croatian lagoon

Savoring fresh, delicious Croatian seafood

Savoring fresh, delicious Croatian seafood

Filed Under: Croatia, Destinations, Hospitality

Turkish Delight

April 14, 2013 by Laurie Deppa 1 Comment

Union Jacks Event

Showing our Turkish friends a good time at a Union Jack’s event

 

One of our greatest guests was a couple from Turkey and their son, a student at St. John’s College. They found us through Couchsurfing because they needed a play to stay for a week or two while visiting their son in Annapolis. Asuman and Salahittin (and son Cinar) are really just wonderful people.  They were so kind and brought us gifts for my baby (in uterto at the time), Turkish delight, beautiful lace and local beverages.

We had a party while they were here and they prepared some Turkish fare for our guests, who were very pleased.  We took them sightseeing in Baltimore, to the Metro for a day in DC and really just tried to show them what life is like in nan American family.  We took them out to a concert and fundraiser at a local hangout – Union Jack’s of Annapolis.  They got to see first hand some of the issues that matter to us.

We kept in touch and occasionally saw Cinar their son going to school in Annapolis.  When he graduated they came back to stay a couple of days and my husband even attended his graduation ceremony at St. Johns.  You know, I’ve lived here 20 years and never been to their graduation.  So as hosts we got to experience something new in our town and we got to share another part of the world in our home.

I tried to go visit them last year but I just couldn’t squeeze it in the schedule.  You can bet that I will take Ellie to Turkey and we will get the royal treatment.  They said to come visit as they have places in the city and down on the southern coast.  For now, we keep in touch through Facebook.  Oh I can’t wait!

Filed Under: Europe, Hospitality

LOVELY LUCY

January 1, 2009 by Laurie Deppa Leave a Comment

Lucy and Soony were two lovely girls from Korea.  They were touring the US and decided to visit Annapolis.  We had a wonderful time playing tour guide and taking them to our favorite local spots.  My daughter Katie really loved hanging out with them as well!

We had a wonderful New Year’s celebration – downtown Annapolis has a fantastic fireworks display!

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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