We stopped in Trogir for lunch. Situated on an island, the UNESCO site with a 4000 year history is accessed by a bridge. Trogir is a Greek word meaning island of goats.
A good part of the old fortification wall
remains in Old Town. Because of a malaria epidemic Napoleon ordered the wall torn down to allow air circulation
within the city. A Romanesque cathedral dates back to the 13th
century. There are beautifully decorated
doors and windows on buildings along the narrow cobbled alleys. The homes in Old Town
are still lived in.
The community is small and after passing
through the other old gate we found ourselves on a wide seaside walkway. We had
a delightful lunch under large umbrellas before wandering around further
We walked slowly
through town and across the bridge.
We drove through Sibenik, the oldest Slav
city on the coast. A huge river runs to the Adriatic.
The river provides for many oyster farms. One of the doctors on the TV show ER
was born here. Off hand I can’t remember his name.
Another day we stopped at Rovinj (Roven) for lunch. The Italian
port and town was under Venetian rule for years and much of the architecture is
Venetian-style. We wandered the small cobbled town before selecting a
picturesque outdoor café at the sea wall. We enjoyed a good and leisurely lunch
and people watched. An insistent sea gull grabbed a piece of food right out of
a cat’s mouth. He was a quiet but aggressive little devil and about half the
size of the cat!
Arriving in Dubrovnik, we went immediately to the University to hear a lecture on
the recent war, its effects and the present government. The professor was most
interesting. From the university we headed over the mountains for dinner with a
local family. The road up the mountain was one-way narrow, steep and without
guardrails. The gentleman of the house greeted us in native costume. We were
served a strong grape brandy while
watching some local dancing and music.
We then moved to a room with two small
sand fire pits in the middle of the floor. We placed bacon on a green stick and
cooked it over the fire. When done it went with a thick slice of cheese onto a
thick slice of bread. Yummy! Dinner cooked ‘under a bell’ was served on the
patio. Slow cooking made the meat very tender and tasty. It was a delightful meal
and visit filled with conversation.
A 1648 stone fortress sits on the hill
above the city. In 1667 an earthquake made a wide swath through the city killing
5000 people. In 1806 Napoleon arrived and in the 20th century
Mussolini’s troops arrived.
Located between the Dinaric Alps and the
Adriatic Sea, the fortress city served as a base for a fleet of ships that
carried trade between much of Europe and the Middle East. Ships full of cargos
of salt and wool were a rival to Venice. The city flourished in the 15-16th
centuries. With the third largest navy in the Mediterranean 500 years ago, the Republic of Dubrovnik was a major maritime power.
The ancient wall, Gradske Zidine, has withstood time and tide for hundreds of years
as well as the Serbian attacks in 1990. The original bastions and ramparts date
to the 12th and 13th centuries. The wall was beefed up
when Turks were a threat in the 15th century.
A favorite meeting place is In front of
the clock tower and the 1419 Orlando Column. Using Orlando’s column as its
centerpiece, Luza Square was built when allegiance shifted from
Venice to
Hungary. A natural people magnet, the
square was where the town crier would deliver important news. The height of the
crier’s step determined the importance of the message. The square was also used
for public punishment. The length between Orlando’s
elbow and hand is 51.2 centimeters and was used as a measurement in ancient
times.
The tiny 1492 Synagogue is the 2nd
oldest in Europe and is near the clock tower on a narrow lane still called Jew
Street. Jews from Spain
passed through Dubrovnik
on their way to Turkey.
When many decided to stay the synagogue was built. The synagogue is on the top floor while a
museum occupies the first floor.
See posts: Dubrovnik
5-26-10, Split 6-23-13, Plitvice Lakes 9-18-12
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