Going To Sea + Other Adventures (Croatia=Awesome)

July27

I had an “awesome” birthday week, and hopefully Rose is as well :). Since I had to work so much the first 3 weeks I was in Croatia I took 3 days off to see more of the country and do some touristy type trips. I got rid of as much stuff as possible after Australia so I only have my old iphone 4s for pictures. And thus, the quality of photis is not great.

Sunday, a friend & business associate invited me to join his family and friends on a huge ship off the island of Vis for 2 days. It was a fantastic trip filled with a lot of great Croatian wine, absolutely amazing food, and good company. I was particularly proud that I slept on a boat, and that I didn’t end up puking everywhere given some bad seasickness experiences I had as a kid :). The water around the island is crystal clear, and I swam all over along with a little bit of snorkeling. I’m hoping to come back in a year and bring my flippers and snorkel gear to do more.

After waking up we headed to the Blue Cave. You might think the below photo is faked but it is 100% like this when you enter, incredibly surreal experience. You expect mermaids to start jumping out of the water at any moment.

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Later that day we did an amazing tour of a few military bases on the island of Vis. I highly recommend the Alternatura tour/guide as his english was great and he explained everything + knew the history of the island. I love military history and climbing through old tunnels and abandoned gun turrets is like a dream come true. Plus I got to go in a submarine base which has been a dream ever since watching indiana jones :). Best tour ever, and hopefully in a few years I can go explore some of the old Russian bases that have been abandoned too. A few pictures too…

And then I woke up really early on Tuesday to drive up to Bosnia and see Mostar and a lot of other stops along the way. The group on the trip were fun and we had some nice 10am grappa shots + a cold swim to end the day at Kravice.

And on Wednesday Dubrovnik, I think I found a few places they filmed Game of Thrones too. When I left split they were just about to start filming there and screening for extras for season 4!

And on Thursday I flew & trained to Freiburg Germany where I’ll be for a month. It is near the black forest with an amazing trail system and I should be getting a bike to use next week :)

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Stone Walls Insulation Rating?

July27

What is the insulation factor of stone walls versus modern building techniques? Can’t seem to find the answer…. Some of the forums talk about insulating the stone walls in addition to the stone for a number of reasons. Very impressed with the coolness of the buildings with big walls in Dubrovnik.

This is a possible useful post on a forum, or my favorite, this faq on castles.

Are castles cold and damp?

Ours are toasty warm and dry in the snowy winters and cool in the summer’s heat. Since medieval standards of hygiene, lighting, and heating were far below those of even ancient Rome, we have incorporated modern science and technology into what appears to be a medieval castle inside and out. Our unique use of a hidden insulation core between the double layers of interior and exterior wall stones in our castle walls is what makes our new castles are warm and dry inside The use of radiant hot water floor heat evenly and quietly distributes hidden heat throughout every room. Modern plumbing pipes and electrical conduits are hidden inside of the castle walls. The result is a medieval castle with modern day conveniences and hygiene standards.

Kinda curious, I wonder how concrete applies too.

Cruising / Sailing Croatia Recommendation

July26

If you are looking for an amazing sailing / cruising experience around the islands of Croatia I highly recommend MV Cruising and the Korab. I spent a few days on the ship touring Vis and it was an amazing experience. The cabins are fit for a king and the crew incredibly friendly. The food is one of the best parts, amazing chef :)

Plus the owner is local to Vis and knows all the best places to go. Highly recommended and the prices are very fair. Check out some pictures here too.

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Croatia is Beautiful!

July19

Fantastic trail running in Split at Marian hill and just loving it. I highly recommend a visit to Croatia and nearby Belgrade :). I can’t wait to come back!

I Love AngelList: A Story Of Why It’s Awesome

July15

About 8 months ago I was browsing AngelList looking for startups that were trying to solve interesting problems. And I came across one called CodeAnywhere that was working to create a online code editor and even better they were doing a freemium/premium business model which made it accessible to the world. This meshes perfectly with our goal of making it easier to build online. I left this comment and then contacted them through AngelList:

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And now 8 months later I’m happy to announce that one of our companies did a big investment in CodeAnywhere to help them do even more. News on TechCrunch (and TNW).

I love solving problems and that is the entire purpose of startups, find a problem and solve it! The process is challenging, difficult, sometimes frustrating, and usually attracts people who have an interesting temperament. AngelList is like the google of the startup eco-system and I love it!

And I’ve spent the last 3 weeks in Split and they certainly choose a great place to start a global startup :)

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PS, anyone interested in the Croatian startup scene should come next year to the Shift Conference here in Split, it won’t disappoint!

This is bwb’s personal blog, so he can share his thoughts with the world, however scary or silly they might be. Plus family and friends can track what I am up to, and where I am in the world.

I am pretty simple. I love Mangos. I love the ocean (although mostly at sunset, as I’m a ginger). I love to travel, eat exotic food, do long bike rides, read, and use my imagination. At some point, I decided it was better to be a pirate captain than an admiral. I am a globalist and see the entire world as my responsibility and playground. And I am married to an amazing woman who makes life even more fun :)! And we are now the proud parents of Calico Jack :).


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