Wonderful Croatia

This trip certainly exceeded our expectations.  The lovely experience we had in historic Grant Fosters attending  Holly and Robs wedding was very special to Rita and I.  We had been to Venice before but very early in our relationship.  This time it was just as magical as we walked the myriad of narrow, winding streets of this unique city that rises up out of the sea.  And Croatia, what can we say about Croatia?  We were definitely unsure of what we would be getting ourselves into prior to our arrival as this was a country, culture and language that we knew very little about.  What a very pleasant surprise.  The architectural splendor of the medieval towns, the spectacular natural beauty at Plitvice Lakes National Park, the city within a Roman Palace and the brilliant azure blue of the Adriatic Sea; all this in wonderful Croatia.  The people were  friendly, relaxed and most spoke English.  The value for money in such things as accommodations, food, alcohol, attraction fees was also a very positive surprise for us.  For me, the history of the place was the highlight as it seemed every major empire from the Romans through to the Austrians had a piece of Croatia throughout their reign and you saw the remnants of their rule in all the cities, towns and villages we visited. 

The decision to visit Croatia happened last December when we were in Denmark watching a TV program that showcased Dubrovnik and Plitvice Lakes.  But it was the total Croatian experience that made the trip so special for us.  Rovinj, the small Isterian mountain towns, Hvar, Korcula and Split were all a joy to visit and were each special and unique in their own way.  If you have not gone, do yourself a favor and add Croatia to your Bucket List.           

Hiking up Mount Srd

The weather was cool and overcast today. Perfect for a vigorous hike up to Mount Srd. The hardest part was getting out of Dubrovnik as we climbed hundreds of steps to get up and out of the town which sits at the bottom of Mount Srd. We entered into the forest where we picked up the start of the rocky trail.  As mentioned earlier in the blog, the trail was a supply route for the Fort that was built by Napoleon in 1808 and used by the Dubrovnik civilian militia during the 1991/92 Siege. Today it is used for recreational purposes as thousands of people hike up to the top for the outstanding views. It's definitely not as tough as the Grouse Grind as it zig-zags up the side of  Mount Srd.  It took us 45 minutes to make it to the top. We had a look around again but with the weather being overcast, the views were not as spectacular as when we came up on the cable car a few days earlier. After taking a break and enjoying a cappuccino in the hilltop cafe, we headed down the trail, down the steps to our apartment for a shower and change of clothes before heading into Old Town for dinner.  Had a very tasty Italian style dinner before heading over to our favorite people watching cafe for cappuccinos and brandy. Tomorrow we pack and fly to Frankfurt to meet Rita's parents before heading home to Vancouver the following afternoon.  Can't believe our time is over in wonderful Croatia.

 

 

 View of Old Town Dubrovnik and its Old Harbor part way up the steps that take you out of town and to the forest

 On the old supply trail leading up to the top of Mount Srd with walled Old Town in the background

The zig-zaging supply trail with Old Town Dubrovnik and Lokrum Island in the background

Lokrum Island

After an emotional day visiting Mostar we decided on something a lot lighter and took a 15 minute boat excursion to  Lokrum Island just 600 meters from from Old Town Dubrovnik. Lokrum Island features a monastery-turned Hapsburg-palace, an old military fort, hiking trails, several rocky beaches and a little lake called the "Dead Sea".  We spent a lovely 4 hours hiking, swimming and sunbathing on the Island before heading back to Dubrovnik for dinner.  We had a local specialty called a seafood hot pot. The hot pot was made up of mussels, prawns, sardines, squid and fillets of Mackerel and swordfish.  Interesting and very flavorful, but not sure I would order that again.  Ended the evening with our usual cappuccino and brandy at an outdoor cafe before heading home.

 

 Harbor front as seen from the boat as we leave Dubrovnik for Lokrum Island

The massive protective walls as seen from the Adriatic

 Standing on the back of the boat with Dubrovnik in the background

View of Dubrovnik from one of the hiking trail lookouts on Lokrum Island

A rare sighting of a Sturgeon swimming in salt water in the "Dead Sea" Lake on Lokrum Island



 

An Emotional Mostar Day

Rita and I had discussed going on a day excursion to Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina due to its  historic bridge, recent history and its proximity to Dubrovnik.  We had looked at group bus tours, renting a car and going on our own but ended up hiring a guide for the day.  In the end it proved to be the right decision.  When Pepo Klaic picked us up at 08:00 we were not so sure as he was driving an older minibus that was spewing blue smoke from the exhaust, had some sort of alarm going off and the engine sputtering erratically.  Pepo apologized about the car stating his normal car was not available and  assured us it would not jeopardize our trip.  Since he was recommended in our Rick Steves book and first impressions were positive, we decided to get in the car and start our adventure.  Pepo turned out to be a very talkative and entertaining tour guide who was also part of the Dubrovnik civilian militia that defended the city from the Fort at the top of Mount Srd.  It was very chilling to get a first had account of his time defending Dubrovnik.  He also had some very interesting theories about how Yugoslavia fell into its ugly civil war that split one country into six.  Several thought provoking discussions became part of our day trip.   On the way to Mostar we stopped for a break at the medieval fortress town of Pocitelj inside Bosnia-Herzegovina and saw our first Mosque and Minaret.  Arriving in Mostar we toured the city by car, then parked, took a short walk to the Old Town and had a traditional Bosnian lunch.  After lunch Pepo gave us two hours on our own to explore before picking us up for the ride back home.  It was a very emotional day as there are still lots of reminders of the war in many bombed out and pock-marked buildings.  But at the same time, the destroyed Old Town and its famous bridge have been fully restored and rebuilt.  By using the limestone blocks from the original quarry, hand carving the stone blocks and assembling the stones with the same technology used when they were first built; the Old Town and Bridge look as they did prior to the war.  And most important, the tourists are back by the busloads spending their money to help this very poor and still divided country slowly get back on its feet.

Mostar was part of the Ottoman Empire for over four centuries and the majority of its South Slave citizens converted to Islam and you can feel and hear this Turkish heritage everywhere.  It's embodied in the skyline of minarets and in the five times daily call to prayer.  And in it's famous stone bridge that was commissioned in 1557 by the Ottoman Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent to replace a rickety suspension bridge, guarded by Mostari ("watchers of the bridge"), who gave the city its name.  The old stone bridge was a technical marvel for its time as it was the longest single-span  stone arch on the planet. With it's elegant, single pointed arch and flanked by two stone towers, the bridge is striking-even if you don't know its history.  Mostar for centuries was the place where East meets West and where cultures mingled - where Catholic Croats, Orthodox Serbs and Muslim Bosniaks lived together in relative harmony.  But when Yugoslavia started to break apart, Mostar became embroiled in the war.  Neighbors and friends took up arms against each other.  First the Croats and Bosniaks forced out the Serbs.  Then the Croats and Bosniaks turned their guns on each other - establishing a bloody front line that ran through the middle of town.  The conflict reached its peak in November 1993 with a symbolic moment that was seen around the world.  Mostar's stone bridge was continually shelled by Croat forces until it collapsed into the river.  The war has been over since 1995 but the sectarian symbolism is still very powerful as the Croats live on one side of the river and the Muslims on the other.  But all sides came together immediately after the war to rebuild the bridge and celebrated its inauguration on July 24, 2004.

The fortress town of Pocitelj was established in 1383 and has both medieval and Ottoman architecture in its stone buildings

The towns Mosque and Minaret was built in the 18th century

The narrow street on the Croat side of the Old Town Bridge is crammed with tourists enjoying the souvenir shops and cafes

Enjoying a traditional Balkan lunch specialty cevapcici (cheh-vahp-chee-chee) made of spiced minced meat rolled into finger size pieces and grilled.  About 10 are stuffed inside a pita pocket and served with diced onions and a spicy hot sauce called ajvar (eye-var).  It was all very tasty.

Muslim section of Old Town Mostar as seen from the bridge with its Mosques and Minarets

At its highest point, the bridge is 75 ft (23m) above the Neretva River and young men in skimpy speedos tease donations out of the tourists to watch them jump off the bridge.  We saw this happen several times during our short stay.

One of the many abandoned and pock-marked buildings outside the Muslim section of Old Town 

View of Old Town Mostar, its stone bridge and Neretva River.  Croats live on the left side of the River and Muslims on the right

We were having a cappuccino and baklava (phyllo pastry layered with honey and nuts) at a cafe o the other side of the street from this souvenir shop on the Croat side of Old Town.  He makes and sold his own jewelry.  This man did not like Americans and yelled insults to them in English if they tried to take his picture.  Thankfully, he did not see me take this shot

Walking Dubrovnik's Medieval Wall

Another great day to go exploring with sunshine and a bit of an ocean breeze. So we were back in Old Town to go and walk the mile-and-a-quarter (2 km) medieval walls that have protected Dubrovnik since the 13th century. Forts with rounded walls, so that cannonballs would glance of harmlessly, and towers were added in the 15th century. These 20ft (6m) thick and up to 72ft (22m) high walls intimidated would-be attackers and protected its citizens for centuries.  The walls were never breached, even during the 1991-1992 siege. Walking the walls certainly offers the best illustration of the damage Dubrovnik sustained during the 1991/92 siege. Nearly two-thirds of Dubrovnik's roofs were damaged by 8 months of bombing and were repaired with bright red tiles. You can also see, or more accurately not see, the workmanship of the repairs that went on as the damaged buildings were rebuilt using exactly the same materials and methods with which they were originally constructed. As this is Dubrovnik's most popular attraction, crowds can be an issue. To help keep the people moving and avoid traffic jams, everyone moves in one direction around the wall. We were fortunate as we got on the wall early and did not experience any serious crowd problems.

The new red tiled roofs applied to Old Town buildings after the 1991-1992 bombings

 Looking out through a portal in one of the fortresses you can see the Franciscan Monastery roof with its original tiles

One of two cafes located on the rocky bluffs outside of the walls offering superb views of the Adriatic

Some of the crowds walking along the massive medieval walls and the Franciscan Monastery with its cloistered gardens

Another view of the protective medieval walls and the Old Town buildings they protect

Nightime Dubrovnik

After taking the cable car back down to Dubrovnik we headed back to our apartment to shower and change before going to dinner in Old Town.  Found an outdoor restaurant in one of the squares and had a delicious seafood dinner of octopus salad, mussels and shrimp risotto (Croation risotto is white rice!!!).  We strolled around the town taking a few pictures before finishing the evening with a cappucino and brandy.  Another wonderful day in Dubrovnik.

 

 Caught a spectacular sunset setting behind Old Town Dubrovnik from our balcony

The Rector's Palace built in 1435 had to be restored in 1463 after an explosion and again in 1667 after the earthquake.  It was the home of the Rector of Dubrovnik (head of the Government) who was elected for a one-month term and had to live in the Palace, away from his family and could not leave unless on official business.
  

 Modelled after Rome's Spanish Steps, this sweeping staircase leads to the 18th Century Jesuit Church of St. Ignatius

Geoff contemplating where Rita would like to go after dinner.  Home or to a cafe for cappucino and brandy.  Hmmmm.

The Stradun sparkles during a light rainfall while we are enjoying our cappucino and brandy

Above Dubrovnik

After absorbing Dubrovnik into his empire, Napoleon built a fortress at the top of the 1,545 ft (471m) Mount Srd behind the Old Town in 1810.  In 1969 a cable car was built to whisk tourists to the top so they could enjoy the excellent views.  But when war broke out in the 1990's Mount Srd became crucial in the defense of Dubrovnik.  The fortress was shelled and the cable car was destroyed.  After the war, minefields and unexploded ammunition left the hilltop a dangerous no-man's land.  With the clearing of the landmines and ammunition, a new cable car was rebuilt and opened in 2010.

 

One of the cable cars whisking its way up to the top station on Mount Srd

Standing on the lookout deck with the spectacular view of Dubrovnik and the Adriatic Sea behind us

It was a beautiful day to take a birds-eye view of the Old Town of Dubrovnik and its medieval walls

The original supply trail to the Fort zig-zags down the hillside to the Old Town and we will try to hike the trail       

Picture Perfect Dubrovnik

Rita woke me at 07:30 as the sun was streaming into our apartment and we quickly got dressed, had breakfast and headed out to tour the Old Town. It's an amazing place and so well preserved considering the pounding it has taken from the war and all the tourists that come through the gates every day. Yesterday there were five cruise ships docked in Dubrovnik which disgorged just over 10,000 day visitors. They usually start arriving by bus at 10:00am and depart by 3:00pm. Thank goodness we are here during the shoulder season as its not anywhere near as crowded as during their high season of July and August. We had a great day looking around the inside of Old Town Dubrovnik.  If the weather holds we will take a cable car ride to get a birds eye view of Dubrovnik.

 Looking at Dubrovnik as we are coming into the Old Town from our apartment, about a 15 minute walk

The Franciscan Monastery is situated at the very beginning of the main street and has been here since 1317.  The current buildings were constructed immediately after the 1667 earthquake   

The 300-yard-long Stradun promenade is its main street running through the heart of Old Town and is packed with  people, shops and cafes.  Originally a canal, it separated the Roman town from the Slav town.  In the 11th century, the canal was filled in and the towns merged.  The look of the street and its buildings is from 1667 aftert it was rebuilt from the earthquake.

Luza Square is located at the end of the Stradun with its bell tower and St. Blaise's Church. Both were built in the 14th centuries but the Bell Tower was rebuilt in 1920 when it started to lean and St Blaise Church which survived the earthquake only to burn down in 1706 was rebuilt starting in 1707.

One of the many narrow alleys found throughout Old Town, this one leading to cafes and Dubrovnik Cathedral 

Dubrovnik, Saving the Best for Last

Had an 08:30 departure from idyllic Korcula as we were picked up at our accommodation by car and taken to the harbor for a 20 minute boat ride to the mainland and then a 2 hour minibus ride to our apartment located just outside Dubrovnik's Old Town.  It was too early to check into our apartment as the cleaning crew was still there but we were able to drop of our luggage and go explore for a couple of hours.  As it was hot and sunny, we checked out a couple of nearby beaches and chose one to enjoy a picnic lunch that Rita put together prior to our departure from Korcula.  After lunch it was off to look for a grocery store and pick up some provisions and lug them back to our apartment.  We unpacked, changed and headed out to see a bit of Old Town Dubrovnik. 

Backed by rugged mountains Dubrovnik juts out into the sea, ringed by its thick medieval walls curving around a tiny harbor making it one of the world's most beautiful fortified cities and certainly deserving of its nickname:  Pearl of the Adriatic.  Dubrovnik's origins are a bit murky but everyone agrees that the city was surrounded by defensive walls during the 13th century and these walls were reinforced with towers and bastions in the late 15th century.  In 1667 many of its splendid Gothic and Renaissance buildings were destroyed by an earthquake. The defensive walls survived the disaster, and the city was rebuilt in baroque style.  Today, many claim that Dubrovnik's Baroque core is the most attractive and well-preserved of any European city.  Any new work is strictly controlled to maintain the integrity of the buildings heritage. In 1358 Dubrovnik received its freedom from Venice and became a rich and powerful independent republic for almost 500 years.  They achieved their independence not from military might but from cold, hard cash which they paid first to Venice then Hungary and Ottoman Empires.   During the 15th and 16th centuries it was a major maritime power and had the third largest navy in the Mediterranean. Dubrovnik finally lost its independence in 1808 when Napoleon conquered the Adriatic it became a French possession.  In 1979 it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site but this did not save it from being the only coastal city to be targeted during the Croatian war for Independence with Yugoslavia.  After eight months of bombing, Dubrovnik was liberated by the Croatian army.  More than two-thirds of the cities buildings had been damaged and over 300 Dubrovnik citizens lost their lives.  The Old Town has been painsakingly repaired and the only physical reminders of the war are thousands of new, bright orange roof tiles.

St. Jakob beach about a 25 minute walk from Old Town which is in the background.  Very steep steps take you down to the small, gentle cove where we enjoyed our delicious picnic lunch

 Banje Beach is a very popular sunbathing and swimming spot just outside the walls of Old Town

Rita on our balcony with Old Town in the background. It's about a 15 minute walk to the entry gate

 

About to enjoy a delicious 100% Dalmatian grown, baked and brewed dinner on our balcony

  


   

Rita Speaks

 

Rita regally sitting on her Throne in Korcula

I have been gone now for more than five weeks. Oh where to start? As always I had a wonderful time with my parents in early September. The weather was so beautiful; we gardened, pickled, picked plums, made pies and had lots of “Deutschland food” as Geoff would call it. Heavenly, it seems that food is very important to me. When it was time to reunite with Geoff in London, I was very excited. Of course seeing him after two week but also I was looking forward to Holly and Rob’s wedding at Great Fosters, just outside of London. It was a picture perfect day for a wedding, a wonderful ceremony and certainly a memorable highlight of our trip.

But now we were about to start our “adventure”. When we begin the planning of a trip, I take a lot of time selecting accommodations, create our itinerary, time frame and routing. Never had “surprises” before, but this was to change. Just before the trip started we had a couple of “surprises”.  We were informed that the apartment in Split was no longer available.  OK – well, better to know now and find something else, which we did. I then contacted the owner of the place in Dubrovnik to finalize payment and he said “sure you can pay but I made a mistake, you will have to move places once while you are here”. Of course we did not want to do that, so we found another place and started a long process of getting our deposit payment back. That all happened before we even started the journey….but what’s a trip without some kinks?? Leaving my E-Book on the plane from London to Venice when we changed planes in Munich did not make me very happy (that’s something that happens to Geoff….not ME!!). Arriving in Venice and being told that our apartment had a water problem and we could not get into it before the next afternoon, I guess we had our share of “kinks” by then. But our luck turned around the next day.  My E-Book was found at Munich Airport and mailed to my parents (I like to call that German efficiency), we moved into our beautiful place on the fourth floor in Venice and we were happy. Being on the fourth floor in an old building means narrow, twisting staircases and no elevator - I guess I love being on “top”!!! We selected quite a few of those “penthouse style” places and each time, while Geoff lugged the bags up I had to promise to pack lighter next time (ha, but how??) Leaving Vancouver in late August, I had no idea how to pack for this trip. I should buy while on the go, sounds like a nice idea now. Luckily it’s been much warmer and sunnier than I had imagined.  All my sweaters and long pants are still waiting for their chance to be worn, but we love this weather. Temperatures are quite perfect around 25-28C and all this with a lot less tourists. High season is July and August, that’s also when it’s very hot and humid.

We have been so impressed with Croatia; it’s very clean and sophisticated. We are doing a lot of walking and especially in Rovinj, Split, Hvar, Korcula and Dubrovnik the smell of the Pine trees are so intense and lovely.  Another smell, not so lovely, is from all the cigarettes people are smoking here which surprises us. I talked about how much I like eating, we had some lovely fresh fish dinners, pasta dishes and the pizza here is very good (but who wants to eat Pizza three times a week?). The prices are still affordable though. Two cappuccinos were about 3 Euros in Split, a bit more in Hvar and Dubrovnik. We find the food options in restaurants a bit unusual for our taste buds. Even buying food at local markets and grocery stores gives me a bit of a challenge; thank God Geoff is not a picky eater and is happy with Salads, Wine & Cheese. I did have to promise him a Lamb Shank dinner after getting back to Vancouver. Geoff did a great job researching the local wines and which ones to buy, we have not been disappointed.

Our trip is nearing its end, as always we are looking forward to going home, being with our family and friends. BUT time and again it’s reinforced that we love this kind of traveling and exploring. In our minds we know we will be back for more soon.

 

Rita sitting on the ramparts of Hvar Fortress with Hvar Harbor below

 

 

 

Korcula - Not A Long Time But A Good Time

Korcula (KOHR-choo-lah) is a lot smaller town and does not have the "buzz" of Hvar but it is still a very charming and relaxing place to visit.  Korcula was founded by the ancient Greeks, then became part of the Roman Empire and really thrived from the 13th to 17th centuries as a key southern outpost of the Venetian Republic. Korcula also takes great pride as being the birthplace of the world famous explorer Marco Polo who was born here in 1254.   The town itself sticks out into the sea on a picture-perfect peninsula.  Inside the town walls, the tiny lanes branch off the narrow main street like ribs on a fish's backbone.  This street plan is designed to catch both the breeze and the shade to help the homes stay cool during the very hot summers.  The original town walls date from the 13th century but the Venetians extended and added fortifications up to the 16th century.

We only had one full day to explore Korcula.  It started early to get some images before all the day tourists arrived, we went for a long walk outside of the town walls to some beautiful bays and beaches, took a sunset cruise that ended up being with only the two of us on board and ended the evening with a delicious locally caught BBQ fish dinner that we washed down with a nice bottle of local white wine.

 The Great Land Gate which accesses the mainland to the main entrance of Old Town Korcula

Along the inside of the wall, buildings are now waterfront cafes shaded by a pine tree lined walkway

 

Looking out at Old Town Korcula from the 14th Century Bell Tower of St. Marks Cathedral 

 

 A beautiful blue water bay about a mile outside of Old Town Korcula

Old Town Korcula and its western harbor

 

Hvar by Day, Korcula by Night

It was our last day in Hvar before taking the 5:00pm ferry to Korcula Island. We had to be out of our  apartment by 11:30 but were allowed to leave the luggage until it was time to catch the ferry. Another beautiful day so we explored a couple of out of town beaches, enjoyed a late lunch at an outdoor restaurant, picked up our luggage and went to a waterfront cafe next to the harbor and people watched while sipping cappuccinos before getting onto the ferry for our 90 minute ride to Korcula. It was dark by the time we arrived at Korcula Harbor, thankfully we were met by the couple who owned the apartment we had rented for the next two days and they drove us to where we were staying. It is a beautiful one bedroom apartment on a steep hill overlooking the town and bay. As it was getting late, we quickly unpacked and headed back down into town to pick up a few grocery items (wine and breakfast supplies) before heading back for an early night.

 

Starting to set up food stations for the Hvar Squid Festival in front of the Loggia and Clock Tower at St. Stephens Square where several restaurants offer up different ways to serve this Hvar delicacy

 

 Looking out over a small cove and the beautifully coloured waters of the Adriatic Sea

High season is over so the small fishing boats are being put onto the beaches for the winter

 

 Another out of the way cove offering great swimming in warm and beautifully blue waters

 Walking the seawall into Hvar Harbor with Old Town and Hvar Fortress in the background

Great Land Gate stairs leading into the main entrance of Old Town Korcula as seen from the harbor