by Wendy Perrin

Two questions have come in about Croatian transportation options:

"Can you tell me who to contact and what would it be reasonable to pay to have a driver take two adults from Dubrovnik to Drvinek so we can take the ferry to Hvar?" asks kedougherty.

Meanwhile, annereilly asks: "Ferry from Rovinj, Croatia, to Venice in September? Venezialines does not appear to travel on September 8, the day we need to cross. Is there another company we could use? A fast ferry is preferred."

When I was in Croatia back in September 1998, I drove my own rental car, and the ferry I took was a slow one from Split to Ancona, Italy, so I'm afraid I'm ill-equipped to answer these two questions and, unfortunately, have no time to research them right now. Might anyone else know the answers?

Rumkale (Turkish for "Roman castle") is a fortress dating from 855 B.C. that sits some five hundred feet above the Euphrates in Mesopotamia. It's the most stunning Roman ruin I've ever seen (and I've seen my share, including gems like Baalbek in Lebanon and Palmyra in Syria).

by Wendy Perrin

Today is the last day you can increase the chance that your favorite entry in The Geotourism Challenge--a "global search for innovations in tourism that sustain, enhance, and preserve local culture and place"--will be named a finalist, by posting a valuable comment about the entry you support. Finalists are announced, and voting begins, tomorrow.

Many of the 324 entries from 84 countries are worthy, but one is especially close to my heart . . . and, I'm sure, close to the heart of anyone else lucky enough to have traveled in the undiscovered jewel that is southeastern Turkey, a.k.a. Upper Mesopotamia.  Check out the Southeastern Anatolia Promotion Project: You can watch a beautiful film about this otherworldly region, download guides to its highlights, and listen to mesmerizing music performed by the local people. Then go to the Geotourism Challenge and post a comment.

Tell me, readers, have any of you been to southeastern Turkey . . . or are you planning to go?  You can  learn more about my magical experience in Mesopotamia by reading the comment I posted.

At Deyrul Zafran (Arabic for "Saffron Monastery") near Mardin, Turkey, the monks still speak Aramaic and perform a church ceremony, complete with chanting and incense, straight out of the Middle Ages. I spent a night sleeping in that cloister under the stars in June 2006 (it was too hot to sleep indoors!).

What better place to be next May than Mykonos, Greece?
Photo: William Abranowicz, Conde Nast Traveler

by Brook Wilkinson

Question from reader Brianne:

"I'm going to Dubai for four days in May for a friend's birthday and want to plan a trip around it. I'd like to go on safari, but East Africa at that time is too rainy and I don't want to go all the way to South Africa. I've thought about Egypt, Greece, or Turkey. What are your suggestions?"

You're in luck, Brianne, because all of those places are fantastic in the springtime, according to some of Conde Nast Traveler's favorite travel planners. Leftheris Papageorgiou of Hellenic Adventures says:

"Spring in Greece is just magnificent. The wildflowers are in full bloom and all the venues (shops, restaurants, museums) are up and running. The weather will be in the upper 70s to low 80s in the daytime and in the upper 60s to low 70s in the evening. The one shortcoming is with regard to water activities such as swimming, snorkeling, and wind surfing: The water is generally a bit cold after the winter (though sailing would be fine). If the winter is mild, the best time to begin water activities is mid to late May; if the winter has been a cold one, the best time for water activities is June."

Click below for advice on Turkey from Earl Starkey of Sophisticated-Travel.

Neil Mandt, who wrote, directed, co-produced (with his brother Michael) and starred in "Last Stop for Paul," a charming travel film the likes of which you've never seen.

Photo: courtesy of Mandt Brothers Productions

by Stephan Wilkinson

Ever been curious what your kids were up to when they did that post-college backpacking thing?  Be sure to see the delightful pseudo-documentary Last Stop for Paul.  Well, maybe you shouldn't, particularly if you're old enough to remember Mondo Cane or assume your daughter's still a virgin. 

This excellent comedy is a combination of that cultish Italian "shockumentary" of the early '60s, with a dash of Girls Gone Wild and a heaping bowl of every buddy film you've ever watched.  (Did I mention that I loved it?)  Last Stop for Paul will be "theatrically released" in October and presumably on DVD 20 minutes later, but you can also watch at least some of it in chapters right now on the film's website.

That's all you need to know, but if you want more...  (Oh, and did I mention that I want to go on their next road trip?)

 
Tracker1312 guessed it! This is Podvorye, a famed Russian restaurant near the entrance to Pavlovsk Park outside St. Petersburg.

 
Inside Podvorye: The entertainment may be a bit kitschy, but the food is fabulous, the atmosphere welcoming, and the location perfect for lunch after a morning spent exploring Catherine Palace.

by Wendy Perrin

Congrats to Tracker1312, who guessed yesterday's clue: The place is Podvorye, a traditional dacha-style restaurant serving authentic Russian country fare and located in the town of Tsarskoe Selo (which translates as Tsar's Village and was formerly known as Pushkin). Rumor has it that Podvorye is Vladimir Putin's favorite restaurant; he took the former President Bush there.

If you followed the trail of guesses in response to yesterday's clue, you know that Tracker1312 had help: TheGlobalTraveller was first to place the mystery building near one of the Imperial parks outside St. Petersburg. Very impressive indeed. Kiwiwriter also helped, by deducing that the mystery building was a restaurant.

But the truth is that this game could have been won by anyone holding a March 2007 issue of Conde Nast Traveler. Look at the picture on p. 98!

This little brainteaser was just to put you in the mood for the WHERE IN THE WORLD IS WENDY? contest that starts tomorrow in the late afternoon. For info on the rules and the prize, click here. And fasten your seatbelts!

 
Me and my notebook in Catherine Palace -- a must-see on any Russian iconic itinerary -- in Oct 2006, before lunch at Podvorye.

A cafe inside Diocletian's Palace -- a 1,700-year-old remnant of the Roman empire -- in Split, Croatia. Photo: Photographer's Choice, Getty Images

by Wendy Perrin

Question from reader LeonMalkin:

"We are looking to spend the month of September in Croatia. Do you have a travel agent in your "Rolodex" who specializes in travel to that country?"

Boy, am I jealous.  An entire month in Croatia!  I had only four nights there -- IF you include the night on the overnight ferry from Split to Ancona, Italy -- and, of course, it wasn't nearly enough.  Plus you've picked a gorgeous time to go.  I was there in September too, and it was delightfully uncrowded. (Of course, that was back in '98, when virtually the only tourists were Germans.)  Don't miss Diocletian's Palace in Split, and be sure to spend at least one night on the enchanted island of Hvar.

But I digress. To answer your question, the Croatia travel specialist you want is Wanda Radetti of Tasteful Croatian Journeys (800-828-0345; wandasradetti@visitcroatia.com).  Tell her I say hello!  And have a fabulous trip.

It costs 270 roubles, or about $10, to visit Spasa Na Krovi
(Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood) in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Read on for the best ways to have enough cash on hand.
Photo: Emma Lee, Getty Images/Conde Nast Traveler

by Brook Wilkinson

Question from reader Holly Bassett:

"I will be traveling to Moscow, Novgorod, and St. Petersburg in the middle of July. I have been hearing some horror stories about credit card and ATM fraud from Ukrainians who frequently travel to Ukraine and only carry cash. Is it safe to use ATMs and/or credit cards in those cities? Are the reports exaggerated? For currency, should I bring U.S. dollars or Euros?  Should I bring some travelers checks as well? I'm concerned about carrying a large amount of cash, even if put into a hidden waist pouch. Please let me know what you would advise."

I knew Greg Tepper would have a good answer for this one. He's the president of tour operator Exeter International and Wendy's and my chosen expert on Conde Nast Traveler's annual list of top travel specialists when it comes to Russia and Eastern Europe. (He also helped plan Wendy's Iconic Itinerary of Russia). Here's what Greg told me:

In September, the crowds have thinned but it's still warm enough to hit the beach or sit outside at a cafe in Gunduliceva Poljana Square in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
Photo: Digital Vision, Getty Images/Conde Nast Traveler

by Brook Wilkinson

Question from reader Psbex:

"Wendy, your April 2007 Iconic Itinerary for Moscow and St. Petersburg was amazing! So well thought out and researched. I was planning to go this September, but based upon your article I will now go next April or May. I am also planning a December/January journey to Egypt. I saw that Egypt will be one of the trips you will feature in the coming months, but am concerned that if I wait to make arrangements, things will be booked since that is high season. Have you published anything similar to the Moscow/St. Pete article on Egypt that I can access now?

"In the meantime, I'm looking for a new place to go this September. What areas of the world would be perfect to visit then? We love ancient ruins, architecture, museums, prehistoric sites, etc., and one of us has heart disease, so no scuba diving or rappelling!"

Psbex, I hope you haven't booked anything for Egypt yet, because Conde Nast Traveler's editor-in-chief, Klara Glowczewska, strongly recommends traveling there in May, June, or early July in her Iconic Itinerary. Yes, it's hot, but it's also far less crowded than December.

As for where to travel in September, Wendy and I put our heads together on this one.

Helen Mirren's new pile, in Italy's Puglia region, is surrounded by fortified stone walls.
Photo: Reuters

By Beata Loyfman

All hail the Queen!
Dame Helen Mirren, perhaps inspired by her regal roles in The Queen and Elizabeth I, has purchased Masseria Matine, a 500-year-old castle in Puglia, Italy's southern heel. She must have read Conde Nast Traveler's 2006 Hot List issue, which featured under-the-radar Puglia. Savvy writer Ondine Cohane still sighs when recalling the region's "unforgettable back-alley no-menu restaurants" and beautiful beaches.

I bet Dame Helen will be aching for some Puglian pasta by the time she returns from her trip to Moscow, where she's making a documentary about her Russky roots. Wait a minute, is it possible that Dame Helen (born Ilyena Vasilievna Mironova) and I are related...? Wendy, did you meet any other Mironovs during your recent trip to Russia? 

Although the idea of owning an Italian castle may seem romantic, the reality is less rosy. Mirren and husband Taylor Hackford will have to invest tons of time and money into renovating the dilapidated palace before they can wander its grounds and pluck grapes off the nearby vineyard.

Luckily, Wendy Perrin has discovered a way to experience castle living without the headaches or monstrous expense. Conde Nast Traveler's annual Worldwide Villa Rental Guide names the agents who have made it past Wendy's rigorous application and interview process (look for this year's list in the June 2007 issue). Here are the Italy experts' (and our) favorite spots for a royal vacation:

Helen Mirren at the Academy Awards, February 25, 2007.
Photo: Jeff Vespa/style.com

This seven-bedroom villa on the island of Brac off Croatia's coast sleeps 14.

By Wendy Perrin

Question from Conde Nast Traveler subscriber P.Divine:

"Can you suggest a good travel agent for a group of 10 adults planning to visit the Dalmation coast in September for one week?  We would like to rent a villa for the week, and will drive from Vienna."

May I come along?!  Seriously, that is one terrific-sounding trip, and I'm very jealous.  I've dreamed for a long time of driving through Slovenia and am dying to return to Croatia (I was in Dubrovnik, Hvar, and Split back in '98; I drove there from Sarajevo, so holler if you need any Bosnia driving advice.)

I suggest you contact Charla Cusinato at HomesAway, which is expanding into Croatia and is very careful about vetting properties there.  I like HomesAway because each of its villas comes with a "local host"--an English-speaking resident of the area who will introduce you to the local community and troubleshoot for you--and because its "house books" (the binder you find at the house upon arrival or are given in advance by the rental agent) are loaded with invaluable insider information about the region.  I have great trust in the company's professionalism and customer service because Maija Palkienen, Charla's colleague whom I recommended in my list of the best villa rental agents last year, has done a superlative job for Conde Nast Traveler readers. Bon voyage, and let me know how it goes.

Before your trip, if you would like to keep up with politics and analysis of other news developments in the Balkans, I recommend surfing the Croatia-based Neretva River blog.  You can also find beautiful photography and some fascinating insight into the region at this blog of an American UNDP worker in Albania.  Among the contradictions the writer cites in her Top 10 Things to Know About Life in Albania: "I've drank the freshest water I've ever drank from a mountain stream just 100km from the dirtiest smog I've ever inhaled."

Vote for my blog by clicking here.

By Wendy Perrin

Each year for the December issue of Conde Nast Traveler I and my team, fellow staffers Brook Wilkinson and Kathryn Maier, compile "The Fabulous 50" -- a list of 50 of the best insider-access travel experiences worldwide.  "Insider access" means access to places, people, and events that are off-limits to the general public -- from museums and monuments to archaeological digs, royal families, indigenous peoples, and traditional festivals, all of which give you special insights into a foreign culture.  You too can have these experiences . . . IF you know the right sources to contact (which, of course, we provide).

I'm amused to see that the blogger behind lifeasdaddy seems ready to book himself on the experience Brook tested for this year's feature article accompanying the list. She patrolled Sydney Harbor by Jet Ski, helicopter, etc., tracking down sharks with Australia's ace Surf Life Savers.  Mr. LifeAsDaddy expressed zero interest whatsoever in replicating MY experience.  Then again, all I did was discover a lost civilization in ancient Mesopotamia.

By Wendy Perrin

I'm fascinated by the unfolding story of Alexander Litvinenko, the former KGB spy who died of radiation poisoning in London on Thursday. The weapon: A rare radioactive isotope called polonium-210.  Litvinenko's friends and colleagues say he was poisoned because of his public criticism of Russian president Vladimir Putin.  Death by poison is apparently a murder method favored by Russia's security services in recent years.

I'm fascinated because, when I was in Moscow in 2005, I visited the so-called KGB Museum, a private club for officers of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB, the KGB's latest incarnation).  Last year this museum was open to the few travelers who knew how to get in.  This year it is once again off-limits.  As I learned when I was back in Moscow last month, it is now closed to all but FSB officers. Of course I can't help but wonder if Putin, a former spy and head of the KGB, has ordered the museum closed to outsiders because he wants to keep its poisoned-dart-style weapons secret . . .

Moscow's St. Basil's Cathedral Photo: moscow-city.ru

By Wendy Perrin

The other day I warned about the endless lines and countless tour groups that jam-pack Russia's museums, monuments, and palaces in the tourist season of mid-May through mid-September.  I lamented that the Russian government doesn't extend museum hours, which are typically from 10:00 or 10:30 till 5:00 or 6:00. A reader responded:

"I think the reason the Russians will not extend the visiting hours for the museums is that the later hours are for people who have connections and can visit the museums alone by paying the 'right' people."

Yes, that is indeed one of the reasons for the relatively short hours.  And it is why I asked Exeter International, a travel firm that specializes in Russia, to arrange my trip.  Exeter can get you into museums and monuments before or after hours, and into sections that are closed to the general public. It also books tickets in advance, which allows you to skip the lines.  But in Russia such advance arrangements can cost 10 times more than if you were to just show up, stand in line, and buy a ticket.

I wanted to have immediate entry at some museums, but I also wanted to experience what is encountered by non-group travelers who can't afford Exeter's arrangements.

Photo:  Dansko

By Wendy Perrin

Back from Russia and can finally answer some of the questions readers have been posting, like this one:

"Enjoying your reports from Moscow but am wondering how your feet are holding up.  My perennial concern when traveling in big cities is how to protect against my feet being sore and pulpy by midday.  Any tips on specific brands of shoes that you have found useful would be appreciated."

After two days of sightseeing in Moscow, my feet were so callused and blistered that I was limping.  That's because I opted against a car and driver (which is how Exeter International, the travel firm that arranged my trip, recommended I get around) in favor of far more affordable transport: my two feet and the metro. Unfortunately, getting from sight to sight in Moscow requires far more hoofing than your typical European city.  The distances between subway stops are much greater, many sidewalks are cobblestoned or potholed, and often it's neither easy nor safe to hail a taxi when you're tired.

Your question about shoes is a great one, and I wish I had the perfect answer.  I rarely wear sneakers overseas, since I like to blend in with the crowd rather than get pegged as an American. When I must spend much of a trip walking on uneven or unpaved streets, the shoes that work best for me are Dansko clogs. My podiatrist recommended them, and I wore them every day when I was in Turkey last summer. But they work best in dry climates. I did not bring them to Russia because the weather called for rain, and Danskos can be slippery on smooth surfaces (such as museum or palace floors, especially when the soles are wet).  So I packed Munro shoes and boots, which serve me well in cities like London and Paris (and, of course, at home in New York City) but were not enough to keep my feet from getting mangled in Moscow. My husband (the best traveler I know) swears by Mephisto walking shoes; he wore them all over Ireland last summer, and they kept his feet in good shape rain or shine.

Can anyone else recommend supportive and well-cushioned walking shoes for big cities abroad?  If so, I invite you to click on "Post a comment" below.

The Kremlin
Photo:  Exeter International

By Wendy Perrin

I suppose I could have done like the fashionable "New Russians" and had drinks at the Hotel Savoy followed by dinner at Gallery, but I don't own the requisite furs, jewelry, and heavy makeup.  I could have taken in a ballet at the Bolshoi, but I did that the last time I was in town.  So I opted for the Moscow Circus and saw:

*A monkey disrobing himself of hat, vest, and pants before doing somersaults and backflips through the air into his trainer's hands.
*A bear walking on a tightrope, turning on his toes to walk back, then doing a handstand on the rope.
*An elephant standing on a ball while twirling three hula hoops around his trunk.
*Another elephant stomping his foot while playing the harmonica.

But the best part of the circus was in the lobby, where children could get their pictures taken with the animals. They could pose with their arm around the monkey, sit on top of a dromedary, even cuddle up next to a tiger.  In one night I saw more smiling Russian faces than I've seen in the past week.

So my evening may not have been glamorous--dinner was popcorn and ice cream; transportation was the underground metro--but it sure was fun.