First, we extend a special welcome to new readers as we return from our last bout of travel. We’re happy to have you along.
Our recent European trip divided itself up into three distinct and separate segments. If it had been a hockey game, we'd call it a hat trick.
This itinerary provides a pretty good example of our travel strategy to buy a bargain airfare first when you find it, and to decide later how and where you'll spend your time on the ground.
That strategy is especially important as we two seniors only fly business class on overnight flights. As we often say, we suffer from jet lag even when we stay home, so even a few hours of fitful sleep on a lie-flat seat is an imperative.
The bargain fare in question was on Condor Airlines, an Alaska Airlines partner that we've enjoyed flying fairly regularly over the past few years.
If you've been reading our blog recently, you already know that we landed at FRA and then flew onward to Florence on Air Dolomiti. We then traveled by train to Civitavecchia, Rome's port, and embarked on a seven-night Mediterranean cruise on the Sapphire Princess.
Following that, we traveled by train to Orvieto, Italy, and enjoyed a wonderful three-night stay at the Altarocca Wine Resort.
We had been thinking of returning to Croatia, and discovered the Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik, a highly rated property no more than half a block from the entrance to the Old Town, and available at a good price for a five-night stay.
We booked flights on Croatia Airlines, flying from Rome to Dubrovnik, and Dubrovnik to Frankfurt for our return flight on Condor.
Our other overarching strategy is a controversial one among frequent travelers. We benefit from travel loyalty programs and generally choose our flights and accommodations based on our loyalty status. Other folks do very well by ignoring such limitations. All we can say is that our strategy has worked well for us over the years.
For example, on this trip we earned about 40,000 Alaska Airlines points on our Condor business class flights booked through Alaska, of which about 25,000 count toward status for 2027.
We booked all of our intra-Europe flights through United Airlines points generated from our Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards. Croatia Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance, as is Air Dolomiti, a small regional Italian airline owned by Lufthansa. As Lifetime United Airlines Million Miler Golds, we enjoy lounge access, priority security, and priority boarding, despite flying in economy. Those perks aren't a big deal but they're not hard to take.
In the Frankfurt Airport Hilton, the Rome Airport Hilton, and the Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik, Kathy's Lifetime Diamond status resulted in suite upgrades, great free breakfasts, and lounge access. When we stay in a Hilton property, we're either earning points or burning points, which can be very useful. For example, when you stay on points you don't have to pay those annoying resort fees that so many U.S. properties tack on. When booked with points, a four-night stay also gives you a fifth night free, which is a heck of a good deal.
On the other hand, the Altarocca Wine Resort near Orvieto has no affiliation at all that we know of, and our stay there was a genuine highlight that we would have missed if we'd remained absolute slaves to brand loyalty.
We only returned home Thursday night, but as of Saturday morning we've already managed to accomplish a few necessary tasks. We also have had time to look over the photos we took along the way, and remind ourselves that the experiences were worth the planning and effort. For example...
Our suite at the Hotel Imperial Dubrovnik
The Executive Lounge
Breakfast in the restaurant. Why not Eggs Benedict? We'd be fools to turn it down. We skipped the breakfast Champagne to prove to ourselves we had willpower, and confined ourselves to fresh orange juice and double-shot Cappuccinos.
Visiting Dubrovnik's walled Old Town
The gondola hadn't started up for the season so we hired Mario, a friendly taxi driver, to deliver us to the top. The hilltop war museum is quite moving and documents Croatia's 1991 battle for independence.
Looking down at the Old Town.
We dined in the hotel restaurant that night. It was better than okay.
We made a deal with Mario, our congenial taxi driver, and the next day he took us on the long drive to a country new to us, Bosnia and Herzegovina. That would appear to be the 84th sovereign country we've visited, but who's counting?
Our first stop was Ston, a fascinating Croatian village with a thriving salt industry and the Walls of Ston, its own "European Great Wall" that rivals China's in size, if not in length at a total of seven kilometers, or a little over four miles.
The border crossing between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina wasn't complicated and we enjoyed some beautiful scenery along the drive to Mostar, our eventual destination.
It started to rain lightly there and we retreated to a friendly little restaurant where we shared a meat-lover's lunch. At about 30 Euros for two, including a half-liter of white wine, it was a delicious bargain but we could only eat a quarter of it.
As night fell, we returned to Dubrovnik, crossed the illuminated Franjo Tubman Bridge (Tubman was president of Croatia when it became independent in 1991), and said our good-byes to Mario, who was off early the next morning to his other job as a truck driver delivering food to restaurants. We slept well after our long day of driving and sightseeing.
The next day it was back to the Old Town, with new views around every corner (although we avoided walking up and down the lengthy medieval stairs, many of which lacked handrails).
A large flock of pigeons in square provided some entertainment, especially when scared into flying off in all directions, and perilously close to tourists. Duck! No, pigeon!
Down at a docking area, we talked to a couple of friendly fisherman (as fishermen usually are) who told us they were catching mackerel.
We enjoyed lunch outside on this beautiful day at the Soul Kitchen, an eatery that lived up to its reputation with a couple of especially friendly waiters, one from Nepal. When Brian ordered a burrito, the waiter warned him it actually contained Bolognese-style meat and sauce. Brian enjoyed this Italo-Mexican combination. Kathy liked her prawns and pasta, even though it wasn’t what she'd ordered.
Eventually it was time to fly back to Frankfurt, and we told the Hilton Imperial employees that this one of the very best Hiltons we'd ever visited. We were lucky to load our boarding passes onto our phones after considerable effort, and spent some time in an elegant looking lounge before boarding our flight to Frankfurt.
The Airbus A220 was a very nearly brand new plane and everything about it was excellent. We had snagged an exit row with plenty of room, and the overhead lockers (as they call them in Europe) held our rollaboards with ease. The seats were comfortable, and one tip-off the plane was new was the lighted sign next to the no-smoking symbol indicating the WiFi was operational.
Before long, we landed at Frankfurt and walked at least a mile to reach the Airport Hilton above the train terminal, which rewarded us with another magnificent suite.
We were too late for Happy Hour, but not too late to dine a five-minute walk away at perhaps our favorite airport restaurant in the world, the Paulaner.
We'd booked two nights at the Hilton, and considered taking a train into Frankfurt's Old Town. However, we awakened to somewhat rainy weather, and we contented ourselves with relaxing in the hotel, including a daytime visit to the Executive Lounge.
We also completed successfully a bit of detective work. Regular readers will know that we warn fellow travelers away from the European ATMs such as Euronet and Travelex that aren't affiliated with banks. They basically offer lousy exchange rates along with hefty fees.
A friendly security officer pointed us toward a bank ATM located in "The Squaire," the massive area that leads downstairs to the train station and upstairs to the Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn properties. All you have to do is walk to the Squaire West, right to the front of the Rewe Supermarket, and there you will find a Sparkasse bank group "Auszahlung" (literally Payout) or ATM. Bitte sehr (you're welcome).
On our final evening, we enjoyed a glass or two of wine in the Executive Lounge, and then (what else?) returned to the Paulaner for a final hearty German dinner with a shared salad, a Schnitzel for Brian, and Kathy's favorite Pork Hocks mit Kraut.
Kathy encountered a slight detour the following day while navigating the German border exit controls.We were assured it wasn't a "criminal matter" by a friendly young female Polizist, but Brian was still a little nervous snapping a photo of Kathy as she waited.
The problem was simply that, for reasons unknown to us, there were two separate "profiles" for Kathy in their new system as they prepare to implement ETAs in the last quarter of 2026. They claimed it was all straightened out, and off we went to visit a pleasant Lufthansa Business Class Lounge, a privilege provided by Condor for its business class passengers.
The boarding was a smooth one and we settled into our seats for the ten-hour flight home. Condor excels in the air with excellent service, and generous amounts of good food and beverages with one full meal and a lighter meal before landing.
Yes, Condor feeds its business class passengers generously.
It was another long walk at SEA from the plane to immigration, but we were through Global Entry without having to show our passports.
We rented a car to drive home from the Seattle Airport, and two sleeps later we're almost ready to start thinking about our next trip in less than two weeks, featuring a do-it-ourselves French canal boat cruise in Brittany with Kathy's brothers and a sister-in-law.
That's a post for another day.