Dubrovnik, Croatia

The grape covered patio of our apartment in Dubrovnik. Almost every house has "sobe" (rooms available). We were lucky enough to get 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, a TV room and a kitchen...plus a great patio all to ourselves!
Our walk to "old town"...which we did up to four times per day. As the apartment owner said, "It's only two minutes away!" Ummmm....yeah....that's going DOWNHILL. I think there were over 10 sets of staircases.



Old town is incredible....a walled city with marble streets and baroque buildings. Touring the city you can see a drawbridge, fountains, churches, museums, a clock tower, and palaces. Then there is the shops, restaurants, gelato stores and masses of people. We could only go to old town for short periods of time before developing "crowd rage."
In 1991 Dubrovnik was pummelled with some 2000 shells in the war that ravaged former Yugoslavia. The damaged buildings have been restored..but you can still see evidence.
We took a ferry to Lokrum Island, a Unesco protected national park. Hiked out to a point where you can see the walled city of old town.
We found the perfect swimming spot...even came back the next day with a picnic and a bottle of wine.
We took a walk on the city walls. The walls were built between the 13th and the 16th centuries. The entire old town is contained within a curtain of stone over 2km long and up to 25m high. Each side is protected by a fort or tower.
A bar on the outside of the city walls. People jump off the rocks and swim...and many stay there the entire day!
The clock tower has two bronze figures that ring out the hours on the bell. The old harbor is outside one of the city gates.
A view of old town from high on the wall. Many of the buildings are homes. We saw laundry hanging, private gardens and even two basketball courts. You can see Lokrum island in the background.
We took a long ferry ride out to Mljet Island....half of which is a national park. Most of the island is covered by forests and the rest is dotted with fields, vineyards and small villages. We rented bikes and spent the day exploring. This is one of two lakes that are connected to the sea. The waters vary between green, blue and turquoise. Very beautiful! Now back to the United States for a visit...then on to leg three....the last leg! Munich (Oktoberfest) and Africa.

Korcula Island, Croatia

We took a very nice ferry (sat in a lounge with a floor to ceiling window next to us) and a not so nice bus (not enough seats…big “bus brawl”) to Korcula. Our Italian friends that we met in Turkey recommended Korcula for the AMAZING olive oil. Enough said. We were pleasantly surprised to find that it was also gorgeous…the marble streets are dotted with Renaissance and Gothic architecture. The walled old town has two large towers and cradles a harbor.

We got a top floor apartment right in the middle of old town. The narrow walkways hid small restaurants and shops, and were usually framed by laundry swinging from above!

In the center of old town is St Mark’s Cathedral, a 15^th century cathedral built in a Gothic-Renaissance style. The bell tower still rings loud and clear…especially at 6am this morning…ugh.

The entrance to the old city is through the Veliki Revelin Tower. There was originally a wooden drawbridge, but it was replaced in the 18^th century by stone steps.

The next morning we rented bikes and headed along the coast to the small town of Racisce. The ride was along the coast..we passed bright white houses, sailboats, olive groves and vineyards.

We could not resist the turquoise waters…and found a steep trail down to a stone beach. The cold water was refreshing! Also enjoyed some snorkeling..although not much to see.

Passed a family run restaurant on our ride back. Dean was blessed with good ordering karma….incredible grilled scampi. All with an ocean view.

We rode for about 5 hours…great way to really see the island.

Our favorite bar in Korcula…it is lodged in a turret and accessible only by ladder. Thank goodness for the “skort.”

The view from the top. Korcula is also known for windsurfing…it is incredibly windy! Great place to watch sailboats and windsurfers fly by, not to mention the sunset.

Our ferry to Dubrovnik. Looks nice, huh? We have discovered that every OTHER bus or ferry in Croatia is nice. This is the not so nice ferry. We sat by the dance floor under a “black light.” I think it was a decommissioned cruise ship. Hundreds of people with no place to sit. Bodies and luggage strewn throughout…in every hallway, staircase, nook and cranny. Only three hours to go…!

Split, Croatia

We arrived in Split…the second largest city in Croatia. A beautiful harbor town with a backdrop of dramatic coastal mountains. We booked a tiny studio apartment right in the center of Diocletian’s Palace.

The palace as it once was…the Roman emperor Diocletian’s retirement palace. It is now a Unesco World Heritage site and one of the world’s most impressive Roman monuments. The walls currently surround dozens of bars, restaurants and shops.

The view from one of our apartment windows. Another old town full of marble pathways and stone buildings. Easy to get lost in…and we did!

The old Riva (seafront) steps away from the palace walls. At night it becomes a mass of people…with music playing and street performers gathering crowds.

The reason we shoved earplugs into our brains and took sleeping pills each night! This is the view from our front window….three bars…bass pumping…until 2am. A great place for a nightcap. Amazing people watching…but the cigarette smoke might kill you.

In the morning we left the crowds behind and hiked up Marjan Hill. The Croatian “Forest Park.” The view of central Split and the harbor below.

We hiked along a gravel path with amazing views of the surrounding islands and blue waters of the Adriatic Ocean.

A “hermitage” built into the cliffs set next to a small stone chapel. Meters away we could see climbing routes and chalk marks. Fantastic place to go climbing!

The walls of the Palace. Each wall has a gate named after metals…Golden Gate, Bronze Gate, Silver Gate and Iron Gate. There are 220 buildings within the palace boundaries and it is home to about 3000 people.

We finished our visit with a walking tour…exploring the statues, Temple, Cathedral & Romanesque belfry (shown above) and the eerie basement halls below. Now on to Korcula Island, known for its vineyards and olive groves.

Sibenik, Croatia

We arrived in Sibenik...Our apartment was in the center of old town, a labyrinth of marble walkways, old churches and limestone buildings.

The view from our apartment patio...we spent an evening out there listening to the sounds of the neighborhood. The Croatians talk very much like Italians...you can´t tell if they are angry or jovial!
The Cathedral of St James, a World Heritage site. It has a frieze of 71 heads on the exterior wall that convey every expression of human emotion. It is reputed to be the world's largest church built completely of stone without brick or wood supports.
Lucky for us, the cathedral was only steps away from our apartment....and right on the harbor.
The harbor at sunset. We climbed up a maze of tiny back streets and staircases to an old stone fortress. The fortress was closed...but the ancient cemetery wasn't! Spooky at dark, especially with the lit candles and yowling cat...but gorgeous view of the town below.
The morning of Dean's 40th birthday we headed out to the remote, peaceful (ha ha) Krka National Park famous for it's waterfall. If you can find a space, you can even swim! (Waterwings not included...)
We walked a series of wooden "boardwalk" trails around the falls, elbowing our way through the crowds.
Turns out August 5th is not only Dean's birthday, but a Croatian holiday! All these people came out to celebrate with us.
We decided to veer off course...grabbing prosciutto sandwiches and beers...and heading down a seldom used road for a 45 minute walk back to town. A great way to avoid the crowds and see some beautiful scenery.
Back in town...we found vino served by an old Croatian woman who did not speak a lick of English! She served her wines from old re-used glass bottles of various shapes and sizes. Absolutely delicious!
The old town of Skradin was very picturesque. We walked the streets finding such treasures as coconut gelato and espresso to help kick off our celebratory night!

The view from our dinner table....we ate right on the square. Had papparadle with sheeps cheese, proscuitto, and basil....and a mouthwatering steak. (Croatians love their meat!) We were treated with a complimentary birthday drink of homemade dessert wine "made from small flowers". Delicious! Now on to Split..further down the coast of Croatia.

Opatija and Zadar, Croatia

We took a bus to the old Austrian resort town of Optija. During the Austro-Hungarian empire this was one of the most fashionable seaside resorts for the Viennese elite. Between the world wars the villas went into decline…but they have recently been revamped. The hotel we booked with upgraded us to their 5 star hotel. We had booked the "economy" suite..which ended up being the "living room" of a suite...so we slept on the pull out couch! The view was incredible.

The old villa's have so much "fluff." I compared this one to a lemon meringue pie!
We spent all day walking the Lungomare, a shady promenade that winds along the sea for 12km. We passed plush villas, beautiful gardens and amazing spots for a swim.
Unfortunately it is high season in Croatia. The Optija Riviera attracts numerous Italians and other Europeans. There are bronzed bodies on every rock surface and path...you literally have to step over them. I equated it to a bunch of seals lolling in the sun....
We spent one night in Zadar to help break up the long bus ride. Thank goodness we did...our 5+ hour bus ride had no air con and we managed to hit a car along the way. The cities old town follows the old Roman street plan, and is made mostly of marble. It is walled in, with four old gates, one of which is shown above.
The town is full of museums, churches and monuments. Above is the town watchtower.
We wandered the back streets and found a konoba (simple family run restaurant). I had a delicious ink fish risotto and Dean feasted on sausage with German mustard.




We also visited the world's only Sea Organ....a system of pipes and whistles set within the perforated stone stairs that descend into the sea. It exudes wistful sighs when the movement of the sea pushes air through it. Very bizarre! Next to it is the Sun Salutation...a 22m circle cut into the pavement, filled with 300 multilayered glass plates. The plates collect the sun's energy during the day that produces a light show at night! Now on to Sibenik for Dean's 40th birthday celebration!