Split

Checked out of Hotel Plitvice and went on a wonderful hike around the upper lakes for a couple of hours before heading to Split.  The weather was foggy as we started out but cleared up as we headed down to sea level.  The drive was a 2.5 hr breeze as we were on secondary or Interstate highways all the way into Split.  Coming into Croatia's second largest city (population 200,000) is not a pretty sight and I must say, looking at the street and the building where our apartment is located was also a bit unnerving as it was at best a bit shabby looking.  However, once we had lugged our luggage up 5 flights of stairs to our penthouse apartment, we were very happy.  Lot's of space, very modern and clean.  The best part is we are only a 5 minute walk from Old Town Split which we will thoroughly explore tomorrow.

Old Town Split was once the huge retirement palace of the Roman Emporer Diocletian, who had grown up just inland of Split.  In 295 he started the construction of his 28,900 square meter palace (you can fit over 52 NFL football fields inside the walls) which only took 11 years to buid but cost 2,000 slaves their lives.  When finished it had a sewer system, fresh running water and healing sulpher springs water within its walls.  This monsterous complex was two impressive structures in one:  luxurious villa and fortified Roman town.  Diocletian and his family moved into the palace on his retirement as Emperor of Rome in 305 and lived there until his death in 313.  The family lived in the seaside half of the palace and his 700 servants, bodyguards and soldiers lived in the back half.  After his death the palace remained an imperial posession until the fall of the Roman Empire late in the 5th century, at which time it was abandoned.  It was'nt until the 7th century that the inhabitants of nearby Salona took refuge in the palace grounds fleeing a Slavic invasion and never left.  Even today, 2000 people live or work inside the palace walls amid a maze of narrow alleys that are home to fashionable boutiques, galleries, hotels, outdoor cafes and apartments.

It was a hot and sunny day (28c) with no wind as we started our exploration of the Old Town.  We spent the whole day inside the palace grounds marveling at how some of these structures still survived after 1,700 years and enjoying little breaks at wonderful little cafes for cappucinos and local beers.  Walked home weary but happy and looking forward to a delicious Rita prepared Greek salad and a good nights sleep. 

 The Diva on the Riva, Split's waterfront promenade between the sea and the Old Town walls

The Emperors mausoleum was converted to a cathedral in the 7th century and construction of the 200-foot-tall bell tower was started in the 13th century and took 300 years to complete

 Spectacular view of Split, harbor and surrounding area after climbing the 183 steps of the bell tower

 One of the charming plazas where we did some serious people watching over a cappacino

 Taking a well deserved break and relaxing on our balcony before getting dinner ready

          Rita preparing dinner in our well functioning apartment

Hiking Plitvice Lakes National Park

We really enjoyed our time in Rovinj but one of the reasons Rita and I chose Croatia was our next destination, Plitvice Lakes National Park.  So, we were really looking forward to getting there.  We plugged the address into our Tom Tom and headed away from the coast and into the interior for our 3.5 hr drive.  The first half of the journey was on their Interstate which is a dream to drive.  Unfortunately, Tom Tom instructed us to turn off the  Interstate and we ended up on a very narrow country road for the last half of the journey passing through tiny villages that seemed to have every resident selling sacks of potatoes, cabbage, apples and pumpkins out of wheelbarrows in front of their houses.  We also encountered numerous tractors being used as passenger vehicles crawling along the road.  Upon finally reaching the national park and our accommodation, Rita had to pry my fingers off the steering wheel and guarantee me a stiff drink in the bar.  We settled into our very large room before going for a walkabout to find the entrance gates to the parks hiking trails before retiring with a bit of excitement for our next days adventure.

Plitvice (PLEET-veet-seh) is ranked as one of Europe's most spectacular natural wonders and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  There is nothing quite like this lush valley of 16 terraced lakes, with its waters full of vibrant colors that are laced together by countless waterfalls and miles of planked walkways.  Plitvice became Croatia's first national park in 1949 and now attracts almost a million visitors a year.

 The morning was sunny and warm but we could see clouds forming so we quickly went down for breakfast and then headed for the park entrance gates.  The cost to enter the park is 110 Kuna ($22 Cdn) per person and this also includes the use of their bus and boat shuttles to get around the park.  After looking at the maps and reading about the sites, we took the bus shuttle to the far end of the park and started our hike from there.  A little over 5 hours later we were back home, exhausted but thrilled with the experience.

The amazing color is from the calcium deposits that are released into the water from the eroding limestone

The eroding limestone creates amazing waterfalls throughout the 16 lakes

The water is crystal clear due to it coming from high-mountain glacier runoff

There are several large caves and this boardwalk leads to one you can climb through

Boardwalks snake around the lakes and waterfalls of the park

This is the largest waterfall in the park and it plunges 250 feet over a cliff into the valley below

Climbing a steep trail up and over the waterfall leads to this spectacular scenic outlook 

    

Biking and Bathing Around Rovinj

The sun was back for our last full day in Rovinj and we made the most of it.  Rented bikes and rode toother parts of the city where we had not been before as well as heading out to some sunbathing and beach areas for a little downtime.  Ended the day with a wonderful dinner at an outdoor cafe watching the sunset.  It will be hard to leave this wonderful place tomorrow but we are looking forward to heading inland and Plitvice Lakes National Park.  

 

With our bikes on one of the beach trails on the outskirts of Rovinj 

Starting the tanning process on one of the many rocky beaches surrounding Rovinj

Rovinj has several man-made sunbathing areas located below the old town city walls 

Relaxing on a sunbathing platform along the cliffs while watching the boats sail by

 Watching the sunset at a waterfront cafe with sailboats and old town Rovinj as a backdrop


  

Roaming the Hill Towns of Istria

woke up this morning to overcast skies and a forcast for thunder storms and lightning.  We decided to go ahead with our planned trip to visit several of the small hill towns of the Istrian interior, the weather be damned. It was a wonderful day as we got off the main and secondary highways and onto some twisting and narrow one track roads to find these little gems.  It reminded Rita and I of our driving in Cornwall except this time we were on the right side of the road.  We explored four of these quaint and ancient towns before heading back to Rovinj. The rain held off and we actually had bits of sunshine throughout the day but as we returned to Rovinj the predicted lightning and thunder storms arrived.  Hopefully, it will pass and we will have hot and sunny weather again tomorrow.

The first hill town we visited was called Buje and it sits atop a 222 meter hill that overlooks grape and olive fields.  The medieval town has been around since Roman times but four centuries of Venetian rule starting in 1412 left the most prominant mark on the towns layout.  

Making our way into the town of Buje

 A loney wild cat sits on the street looking up at the 50 meter St. Servulus Bell Tower

Groznjn was the next charming little town we visited and it really had that medieval feel as we walked the narrow streets looking at the quaint stone buildings, many filled with artisean galleries. 

 One of the many narrow and crowded streets

A quaint square with its original cobble stone lanes and stone buildings


Hum was developed in the 11th century and is now famously known as the "smallest town in the world" as it has just 16 residents, a town hall, church, school and post office within its two streets and three rows of houses. The town is more disheveled and has a more rustic feel than the other hill towns we visited but it still was interesting to tour around its cobbled streets.

 Heading towards the medieval gate and the entrance to Hum

The 11th century entrance way, Church of Assumption with its 22 meter bell tower. 

Motovun, was the largest and most impressive hill town we visited.  We walked the town wall and enjoyed the spectacular views of the valley and forest below.  The Romans built a castle here in the 2nd century and it grew steadily, especially through Venentian rule (13th to 18th centuries).  

 Motovun is dramatically situated high above the valley of the Mirna River and a truffle-filled forest.

 The 15th century gate and the external town square before you enter the inner gate

 Main square with the 16th century Church of St. Stephen and the 13th century bell tower

Enjoying the spectacular views with a cappucino and a Motovan specialty, crepes with jam

Historic Roman City of Pula

We are using beautiful Rovinj as our base so we can explore other parts of the Istria Peninsula of Croatia.  After checking out  Rovinj yesterday, we picked up our rental car this morning and headed out on our first road-trip, to Pula.  Pula's big draw is it has the top Roman ruins in Croatia, including a fully intact Colosseum.  With our Tom Tom activated, we easily found the center of town and parked the car.  We spent the afternoon in the Old Town wandering down the narrow, stone slab streets and finishing off the day with a tour of Pula's main attraction, the Roman Colosseum.  It was built over several decades and three Roman Emperor's in 1st century and remained active until the beginning of the fifth century, when gladiator battles were outlawed.  The Colosseum is the sixth largest remaining in the world and one of the best preserved.  It has four rectangular towers anchoring the amphitheater's facade which were also unique.  They once held wooden staircases for loading and unloading the amphitheater more quickly.  At the top of each  tower was a water reservoir used for sprinkling perfumed water on the spectators to help mask the stench of blood coming from the "slaying field".  Sand was also used to absorb blood spilled by man and beast as they fought each other in the oval center surrounded by 25,000 screaming fans.  The sand (barena) gave the amphitheater its nickname...arena.       

Pula became an important outpost for the Roman Empire in 177BC and still has many ruins and artifacts from that era. As with most of Croatia, Pula has been ruled by foreign powers since the 3rd century BC that included the Romans, Goths, Hungarians,Venetians, Ottomans, Austrians, French and Yugoslavs.  Only in 1991 did Croatia finally gain its independence. 

After such a heavy history day it was great to get back to Rovinj and relax with drink in one of the outdoor cafes on the waterfront. 

 The Arch of Sergius, from the 1st century BC, was one of the gates of the original Roman town wall

The Temple of Augustus, built during the reign of and dedicated to Augustus Caesar in the 1st century

 Pula lunch specialty, toasted bread with tomato sauce, cheese and assorted toppings.  MMMM tasty!!

 The Roman Colosseum from the outside.  The road in front is part of the original leading to Rome

Rovinj

Woke up to a beautiful sunny day.  When we left our apartment, we were able to see what our place looked like on the outside for the first time.  It certainly looks its age and could do with a bit of  refurbishment.  But as mentioned earlier, the apartment is clean, its very quiet and only half a block from the ocean.  We headed into town and spent the day exploring this remarkable jewel of a town.

Rovinj was a very prosperous, well fortified town in the middle ages and was part of the Republic of Venice from the 13th to 18th centuries.  So its current architecture, culture and language are strongly Venetian.  Rovinj is still a fishing village at heart and has the feel of a real town and not some fancy tourist mecca.  Sure there's lots of seafront restaurants and cafes but when you head into the narrow, winding streets there are lot's of skinny houses that are not fancy by any means and many look like they could use a good coat of paint. The original old town was an island that rises from the sea and reaches its pinnacle on top of a hill where its church and bell tower are located.  In 1763 the bridge was removed and the canal filled in connecting the town to the mainland.

We had a wonderful day of exploring, having coffee and later drinks along the waterfront before calling it a night.  We had picked up some groceries and Rita made a fabulous pasta dinner as we celebrated our 178th monthaversary with some excellent local bubbly before happily heading for bed.  

Our kitchen and living room

 The outside of our apartment building

Old Town Rovinj from its breakwater harbour

One of the many narrow streets in Rovinj

Four small streets leading into a small square in Old Town Rovinj

Steps leading down to the Adriatic Sea with man made sun bathing decks

St. Euphemia Church built in 1754 with its 190 ft campanile, a replica of St. Marks Bell Tower

Climbing the narrow wooden steps up to the lookout of the 190 ft bell tower is not for the faint of heart

 However, the spectacular view of Rovinj and its harbor is well worth the effort

Tour and Travel

Sadly, its our last day in Venice but our ferry does not depart for Rovinj, Croatia until 5:00pm.  Rita managed to get a late check-out of 2:00pm so after packing up our suitcases and a hearty breakfast we set off to see if we could get lost in parts of Venice we had not been to before.  It was another beautiful sunny day and we had a great time exploring the Arsenale, Giardini and Porto areas before boarding our ferry for the 3.5 hr trip to Rovinj.

We took the water bus from San Marco Square to the Port of Venice and it was a great experience.  The cost was 7 Euro per person and you have unlimited use of the water buses for 60 minutes and then you have to purchase another 7 Euro ticket.   Our trip was much shorter as it took only about 15 minutes.  Once there, we found our ferry and checked in.  They took our bags and we had 90 minutes to explore the area and have a coffee by the water.  Very civilized.

Our Ferry was a passenger only catamaran but it was very comfortable.  We departed on time and we spent the next hour crawling our way out of Venice water space.  Once we cleared all the lagoon barriers, the ferry opened up its engines and we made rapid progress.  The ferry arrived on time in Rovinj and in darkness.  As soon as we got off the ferry, we headed for the nearest bank machine as Croatia is not part of the European Union and has its own currency (the Kuna).  By the time we had used the bank machine, all the taxis has gone so we headed around the bay to hopefully find a taxi. After about 10 minutes of walking and no taxis in sight we stopped at a tobacco kiosk and thankfully the woman spoke English.  She told us a taxi stand was another 200 meters down the road. We found a taxi and gave him the address.  He looked at us in bemused astonishment while talking Croatian and waving his arms.  He finally loaded our luggage into the car and we headed off on a two minute ride to our apartment.  We did not want him to leave us there before finding our keys to the apartment, which were located in a wooden chest of drawers outside of our unit.  This took a few minutes and a several false alarms that included a couple of people who lived there on a permanent basis.  One was our next door neighbor who did not appreciate the notion of foreigners waking her up by accidentally ringing her doorbell.  We finally found the key, picked up our luggage and paid the taxi driver.  The apartment is very clean and spacious.  Not as luxurious as the one in Venice but the shower pressure is awesome and we are only a half block from the ocean.  Unpacked, sat down and relaxed with a cougnac before heading to bed after a long day of touring and travel.    

Entrance to The Arsenale Fortress, the former Venetian Navy base and now home to the Marine Police

Recently refurbished white and pink marbled San Zaccaria Church

Gondola parking station next to a bakery shop along a small canal

View of the Doge's Palace, Campanile and San Marco Square from the water bus

Rita enjoying the views from the water bus taking us to the Port of Venice

The majestic San Sebastiano Church is currently being fully restored

Our comfy seats aboard Venizia Lines San Frangisk Catamaran Ferry taking us to Rovinj 

Discovering the Nooks and Crannies of Venice

It rained all night but we woke up to sunshine and blue skies.  Had a quick breakfast and headed out the door to explore parts of Venice we had not seen before.  After 7 hours of exploring we ended back at our apartment ready to put our feet up.  Not sure where we had been, but wherever it was it was a wonderful day of exploring.  Once you get out of the main routes, the crush of the massive crowds evaporate and you are left almost alone to enjoy this magnificent city.  Will let the pictures tell the story as Rita and I are ready for a glass of wine, a light dinner and bed.  Tomorrow we get ready for our ferry boat ride to Croatia.    

Do not know the names of the places below.  We just stumbled on them during our walk-about. Funnily enough, it seemed the only crowded places we found were the canals.  Hope you enjoy the tour as much as we did.