My First "Christmas Alone"
CHRISTMAS ALONE ???
Most US military men and women have at least one “Christmas Alone.”
My dad did it once when, on December 25, 1944, his 337th Regiment of the 85th Division (Custer Division) was north of Lucca, Italy, with the 92nd Division (Buffalo Division) for reconnaissance. In the evening, the soldiers enjoyed the Christmas dinner.
The following day, the 337th men reverted to 85th Division control after the enemy attacked the 92nd Division area.
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Due to the lack of affordable housing in the area of Rehoboth Beach, DE, I had three “Christmas Alone” days: 2018 at Momjan, Croatia, 2019 at Wroclaw, Poland, and 2020 at Brookhaven, Georgia.
WHY MOMJAN, CROATIA?
It was during my first Airbnb-hopping adventure from September 19, 2018, to January 9, 2019 (113 days long.)
If I stayed on the left lane on December 20, 2018, I could get severe penalties because I did not have a visa.
Look at the list of 27 European countries in the Schengen Area.
NOTE: Croatia became a Schengen nation on January 1, 2023.
You can stay 90 days in any 180 days within the Schengen Area without a residence permit or long-stay visa.
When applying this rule, the following aspects should be taken into account:
The date of entry is considered as the first day of stay.
The date of exit is considered as the last day.
The 180-day reference period is not fixed. It is a moving window, based on the approach of looking backward at each day of the stay (be it at the moment of entry or on the day of an actual check, such as inland police control or border check upon departure);
Absence for an uninterrupted period of 90 days allows for a new stay for up to 90 days.
Penalty for Overstaying?
Ban on entry: Probably the most severe punishment for overstaying Schengen visa can be a ban on entry. A ban on entry is usually issued for 1 to 3 years. A traveler overstaying Schengen visa may not be allowed back into Schengen countries for 1 to 3 years.
Deportation: A very unpleasant consequence to overstaying Schengen visa is an immediate deportation when caught overstaying Schengen visa
AIRBNB ROOM
After researching for an Airbnb room with quiet surroundings, I found “Beautiful Momjan with WSW Sea View” ($28 per night and no cleaning fee).
It is a typical Istrian stone house about 200 years old, situated at the very top of the village.
NO HOUSE KEY-!!!
Yeah, the hosts said that most houses in this village of 100 people are not locked-! Of course, the stores are closed during the night.
VIEWS
From this house, the views are spectacular. They overlook an 11th-century castle ruin, mountains, and the Adriatic Sea (top) in a village with great food and wine.
CROATIAN AIRBNB HOSTS
They are not Croatians!
On December 24, 2003, this couple moved to Momjan to have a new venture as the proprietors of the Due Momianesi Bike Hostel with 22 beds.
Graduated from Oberlin High School (OH), Oglethorpe University for International Studies and French (GA), and Georgia State University College of Law (GA), Michael Stechow went to Europe to become an expat (short word of expatriate), worked for several organizations, and met a Belgrade woman, Marijana A. Andjelkovic.
The bride persuaded Mike to explore her favorite childhood vacation in the Istria Peninsula in Croatia. They fell in love with the tiny hilltop village of Momjan.
Both are enthusiastic cyclists and often ride with friends on weekends in Macedonia, Greece, and Montenegro.
Michael told GlasIstre, a Croatian regional daily newspaper, in 2014 about his new home.
The friendliest place
I have nothing against America, but I don't want to live anywhere else but here in Istria. Although there are many beautiful places, Istria is probably the best place to live. It's nice to travel, but also to come back here. It is easier to work and earn in America, but life is more than that. I find people are treated with more respect here and I like that. Families spend time together, different generations socialize. Many have gardens, vineyards, olive groves and work together, which is an important part of life, and the food is healthier, as is the air. Istria is the most tolerant and friendly place I have ever been. People are friendly everywhere, but here, especially in small towns, you immediately feel accepted. Elsewhere in the world, it's nice to live in villages, but you have to prove yourself for a long time, sometimes even ten years. Here in Istria, you are accepted immediately. I feel at home here, and I also learned "half-half" Croatian.
The 2011 Pez Cycling News article tells you why my Croatian hosts moved to Momjan, and below is one paragraph.
Michael and Marijana only did to us what they experienced themselves. After their first night in the town, following the purchase of their house, they woke up on Christmas Day and walked down to the local restaurant, Rino’s. At this point, the ink was still wet on deed to the house, but the whole town knew of the purchase, so when they walked into the crowded bar filled with most of the town and Christmas cheer, the proprietor’s wife looked over, raised a glass, smiled, and cried out in Italian: Due Momianesi! Two from Momjan. That was their welcome after their first day living in the town.
Of course, I totally agreed with Travel Writer Rachel Lammers’ article, “Discovering Momjan.”
Another article about the hosts at “Meet the Stechows – German-American and Serb in Momjan.”
OFF FOR THE ISTRIA COUNTY TOUR ON THE 25TH
Fed to a donkey
Michael told me that, in 2011, he went cycling and saw this donkey with a deer in the same spot. Since then, he visited and befriended this donkey. Michael called his donkey friend, "Tuuuuuucoooo!!!!"
View of Oprtalj
View of Motovun
See the round hill on the right center. It is Motovun, where the famous American-Italian racing driver Mario Andretti was born.
Seaport of Novigrad
Dinner at Taverna Amfora in Umag
On that date, I was not alone-!!!!!!!
While I was about to leave Momjan, Michael and Marijana said, “It’s not good-bye! It’s I’ll see you again.” I told them I could return, but the COVID pandemic prevented me from returning to be with them in 2020.