The Balkans are an interesting part of the world. My first trip included Slovenia and Croatia and there are several past post re: Slovenia where we had an absolutely fantastic time. We flew into Vienna and knowing I was going to buy my stash of Mozart balls I packed a small broken-down carton in the bottom of my suitcase. I made large address labels and tucked them with a supply of packing tape wound around a medicine bottle into my suitcase. I was after the chocolate, not any fancy packaging so I bought many plastic sacks of my favorite chocolate. When we arrived in Ljubljana I put the box together, emptied the loose balls into it, taped it shut, labeled it and headed to the post office across the street from the hotel. With only minor language problems I sent my package home where they awaited my return. A really good move on my part!
While in Slovenia we had a chance to
sample some of their home brew which so many countries make. This was made from
pears. And as usual a wee taste was enough for me!
Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro,
Slovenia and Serbia, central Europe’s multi-cultural lands of unsurpassed
beauty, were united after World War I as Yugoslavia. These diverse regions at the crossroads of
eastern and western cultures have co-existed for centuries in the heart of the
Balkans.
Croatia joined the Hungarian royal house
in 1102. When the dynasty ended in 1526
the Habsburg ruler of Austria
was elected king and all Croatia,
Slovenia,
and Hungry were bound together. In the early 1990s Yugoslavia endured a civil
war until the countries declared independence. When Slovenia seceded from
Yugoslavia in 1990 Serbia tried to get Croatia to join them against their
neighbor. When Croatia
continually refused Serbia
unleashed all its fury onto Croatia
and in December 1991 Dubrovnik
was in flames. Over 350 shells from Serbia and Montenegrin forces fell
on hundreds of people. The world was shocked and in spite of protests from the
European Union and UNESCO the fighting continued until spring.
With restoration complete Dubrovnik has
recovered and is a breathtakingly beautiful city. Streets are paved in marble,
walls are rebuilt and churches, palaces, and monasteries restored. Today people
live in harmony with three religions, Catholic, Orthodox, and Islam within nine
ethnicities that include Croat, Serb, Slovene, Montenegrin, Albanian, Greek,
Hungarian, Austrian and Italian. There are four alphabets: Latin, Greek,
Cyrillic, and Arabic and a half dozen languages. Croatian, Italian, German,
Greek, Albanian, Hungarian, with some Turkish, Arabic and Russian are
spoken. Slovenia and Croatia have
different ethnicities and language, but share religion and writing. These two
counties have always been the most cosmopolitan and cultural parts of the
former Yugoslavia
and are now self-governing republics for the first time in 1000 years.
On the Dalmatian Coast sailors have three
names for wind: Maestral, Bura, and Scirroco. A Maestral wind is a warm
northwest wind that billows the sails. A gusty wind from the mountains to the
northeast brings a Bura wind and it’s all hands on deck. A Scirroco is only a
stirring breeze from the Sahara and it’s time
to turn on the engines. Knowing the difference matters to thousands of
fishermen who’ve plied the waters since the sixth century. For work, leisure
and defense the sea has always been the heart of Croatia.
Our historic hotel in Opatija, built
1903-1906 accommodated guests from aristocracy and
high finance. Renovated in
accordance with the strictest requirements of a historical building it reopened
in June of 2005. The hotel remains popular among guests who enjoy historical
flair. The stucco façade is adorned with small wrought-iron balconies.
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| Historic Bristol Hotel |
A city of 12,500, Opatija was the fashionable sea resort of the
Austro-Hungarian empire until WW I. The first hotel appeared in 1884 and many
old hotels remain. The shady waterfront promenade stretches 12K (7 miles) along
the Gulf of Kvarner.
Located in an area known as the Kvarner
Riviera, the pleasant weather and stunning location, with views overlooking the
islands of Krk and Cres in the Kvarner Gulf, make it a popular vacation
spot. In the mid 19th
century a wealthy foreigner constructed the Italian-style Villa Angiolina. In
the following years lush gardens were planted and flourished as the area became
an elite resort.
The city, with its Mediterranean climate
and palm trees, is known as a health resort. The city is very hilly with narrow
winding paved streets.
One evening we walked along Opatija’s
lovely waterfront promenade. We also walked the park-like grounds of the
Angeolina estate to the seaside restaurant Bebana.
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