Oh the Places I'll Go

I had a marvelous experience and highly recommend Road Scholar.  We were taken care of by our guides, Brigitte and Daniel.  Brigitte was with us the entire time as our RS guide.  Daniel drove our buses and provided us with lots of information during the middle of our trip. Here are some miscellaneous shots of life in Croatia. A herd of sheep grazing on one of the islands. Playing bocce ball. Ships in harbor. Olives!  Most families have at least one tree and press oil each year. Ciao!  Thanks for joining me on this trip!

Monday (10/26/15) was spent in the Dubrovnik old town.  The ancient Republic of Dubrovnik was built strategically on a peninsula with walls, lookouts, and armaments on all sides.  The Republic was quite advanced diplomatically and had embassies in most countries from the 12th century on.  In fact,  Dubrovnik was the first country to recognize the United States at its founding.  The town was struck by earthquakes on Easter Sunday 1667 and again on Easter in 1979.  During the recent war, the Serbians bombed Dubrovnik, damaging 80% of the buildings in the old town. Steps, steps, everywhere!  Postman delivering mail. Part of the wall.  We walked around the city on the wall. Ruins of the original Dubrovnik. Map of the buildings damaged by Serbian bombing. The walls from outside the old city.

We traveled to Dubrovnik by bus on Saturday, stopping at Ston on the way. Dubrovnik from the highway. On Sunday we walked a coastal path to the village of Cilipi. We timed our arrival for the end of church and the weekly folk festival.  After the dancing, we drove into the hills for lunch at an inn. The church we were walking to. Lunch on the patio.

Saturday we went to the town of Ston where much of an ancient wall still stands. We walked along the wall, about 2 miles and 64 flights of stairs. A perfect 70 degree day!  Ston is know for its salt fields.  The people have been harvesting sea salt here for 2,000 years. View of salt fields from the city wall.

We drove up a winding one lane road to the top of the Bivoko mountains. It was 33 degrees and VERY windy at the top, but the views were spectacular. Me freezing in the wind at the top. Resting after the hike. We met these horses on the trail. On the left is Croatia, on the right is Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Tuesday we hiked in the Croatian wine country. We enjoyed a winery tour, a wine tasting, and a hearty farmhouse lunch before returning to Makarska for an interesting lecture on the history of the region. Cooking in coals at the farmhouse.

Monday, October 19 We left Trogir and moved to the town of Makarska on Sunday. This portion of the Dalmatian Coast has a string of small tourist towns built on the ocean and backed up against the mountains.     On Monday we hiked a VERY rocky trail along the Biokovo mountains between two small villages. It rained off and on as we hiked. At the end of the walk, we had lunch at a country inn. After sampling the inn's homemade liquors, we had a hearty meal of soup, salad, grilled meats, cheese, and plenty of red wine.    We returned to Makarska for a city walking tour. During the tour, the skies opened and we were soaked through by torrential rains. Luckily, our 4 star hotel rooms have great showers.

Sunday, October 18 We spent Sunday in Split, a town of about 200,000. The Roman emperor Diocletian, a Croatian native, ruled 30 years at the end of the third century. He retired to a palace he had built on the ocean in Split. In the middle ages, the palace became a fortified town. These photos are from the original palace basement and the vibrant town that still lives on top. Sculptor Ivan Mestrovic built his home in Split and gave it to the city as a museum for his work.The works of this Croatian sculptor are in museums around the world. A number are displayed in his former home in Split.  My favorites were "Compassion" (on the left) and "Hope."

Saturday, October 17 Saturday was spent visiting Krka National Park, which is known for its waterfalls and rivers. The area has had heavy rainfall this week such that the rivers are overflowing their banks and the waterfalls are even more spectacular than usual. Most of the trails were closed, so we walked very little and were unable to take the planned river cruise. Nevertheless, we saw some beauty and power and enjoyed a lunch of fresh trout and locally-made wine. Best of all, the sun came out and the temp reached 70.   After returning to our hotel in Trogir, we had a lecture about modern Croatia. In brief, several years after Tito's death, Slovenia and Croatia declared themselves independent countries. The other states within the former Yugoslavia objected. There was a 10 day war with Slovenia. The longer war was between the Roman Catholic Croatians, the Moslem Bosnians, and the Eastern Orthodox Serbians. All speak the same language but the Croatians write thei...

Friday, October 16 Ciova is located across a bay from Trogir. We started our hike at the island's highest point (the village of Zedno) and walked about 6 miles to the end of the island where we visited a monastery built in the 13th century.  This photo above shows some the island, looking down on a coastal village and across the ocean to the mountains of the mainland.  And below are photos of the monastery.   As if we hadn't already walked enough, after lunch we spent the afternoon seeing the town of Trogir: The village was founded by the Greeks around 200 BC, later fortified by the Romans, and then developed as an outpost to repel the Turks. The cathedral photos show an alter and the ceiling (God is in the center, looking down on the world).   People live in the old city; one home's entrance is decorated with flower pots.