BALKAN IMPRESSIONS

                                Beautiful Scenery Everywhere

            * Marked difference in attitude in Croatia from that in Slovenia and Slovakia.

            * Pay to pee in Croatia or buy a drink in a bar or café to use the facilities.

            * Croatia coastal towns typical beach towns.

            * Seaside promenades popular everywhere along the coast.

            * Much less use of credit cards in Croatia.

            * Slovenia and Slovakia vibrant young populations.                                     

            * Strong Turkish coffee café/bars culture everywhere.

            * Sidewalk cafés the norm.

            * Croatian towns look ‘worn’, but much construction in outskirts and on roads.

            * Typical European toilet paper, stiff and narrow.

            * Bathtubs very deep—thigh high from the floor---except in an American chain hotel.

            * No commercial salad dressings. Vinegar and oil. Light & no swimming salads.  Nice.

            * Marble paving stones common.

            * Cobbled streets and narrow alleys.

            * Small cars everywhere or large buses, no large cars.

            * Walled cities with gates and remnants of.

            *Red tile roofs.

            * Big meat eaters.

            * Wonderful fresh vegetables and salads.

            * No wooden structures.

            * Stone walls divide fields.

            * Tips not expected. Happy when receive one. No hands out though.

            * S & P seldom on table.

            * Bread eaten dry, generally no butter on table.

            * Little litter, but lots of graffiti.

            * Pedestrians beware!

            * Good local beer and wines everywhere.

            * Lots of stairs everywhere.

            * Hotel elevators very small—hold four people at best.

            * Almost impossible to be anywhere where you can NOT see mountains!

            * Lots of English everywhere, less in parts of Croatia and in small rural areas.

ZAGREB, CROATIA

                                      Croatia's Capital
      Only 30 min from the Slovenia border, Zagreb, Croatia’s capital is a contrast to tourist coastal towns.  After centuries of being the de-facto religious, cultural, and political capital of Croatia, Zagreb became the official capital after independence in 1991.  With a population of one million, one in every five Croats lives there.

The capitol is hard to miss

     The 11^th century city, located on the southern slopes of the Medvednica hills, spreads up from the Sava River. The present city started as two medieval towns, Kaptol and Gradec, separated by the river. They merged in 1850, and like most medieval towns it has an Upper and Lower Town (Donji Grad).  Civic and historic monuments are in Lower Town as well as landscaped parks and open spaces while medieval landmarks are in Upper Town.

     Lower & Upper Towns are separated by Jelacic Square, the city’s main square. It is the hub of the city with its cafés, shops, trams, and baroque buildings. The gracious and hospitable city suffered little fighting or damage during the recent war.  A funicular runs every ten minutes to Upper Town. For a fee of 3kn one can enjoy the quick 55 second ride. We did.

       In Historic Upper Town street names can be confusing, as locals call them something other than what the signs say. Upper Town is the medieval heart of the city. At the overlook we had a great view of the city below.

      Our docent-led walking tour started at the Mirgoj cemetery. It is a lovely quiet area where many locals come to get away from the busy city. All religions are buried there. The cemetery is large and is bordered on the front by big long arcades. Walking down the wide walkway we noted crypts in the outer wall. Many were also buried under the walkway.. The arcades had several cupolas that were topped with the religious design of each religion housed within its section. There was a conventional cemetery beyond the arcades. These arcades provide quite a collection of lovely and varied sculptures. 

      It is a most unusual cemetery and was a very lovely landscaped quiet place. The landscape provided a lot of shade and it was easy to understand why people might take a respite here

 

One gorgeous day

     The 1841 St. Marks church had a most unusual mosaic roof. There are several mistakes in the coat of arms. It is reversed and the lion heads do not form a proper Y. The proper red is replaced with blue. None the less it is a beautiful colorful roof.

      The inside of the Church of St. Catherine is intricately decorated, while the outside is Zagreb baroque. This is typical of the mansions also--simple outside, but ornate inside.  It is still the most important church. In the mid 13^th century Tartars destroyed the church and used it as a stable. The quake of 1880 destroyed the rebuilt church. The present church, built to protect against Turks, is of neo-gothic design with Renaissance towers.    

      Zagreb has much to offer and although we would have liked to spend more time here, it was the very end of a fantastic trip and I think we all were anxious to get home. The city is on my return list.

           

CROATIAN CITIES continued

                               Lovely Balkan Cities
   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 13^th 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 20^th 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 15-16^th 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 12^th and 13^th centuries. The wall was beefed up when Turks were a threat in the 15^th 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 2^nd 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

                                                           

                                                           

CROATIAN TOWNS

                                             Pula and Zadar
        Pula, a city of 5000 located on the southernmost tip of Istria, is the largest city and has the only airport in Istria. Many Istrian towns have two official names, one Italian and one Croatian. The 400 years of Venetian rule have strongly influenced the region’s architecture.

      The large regional center has some industry, a large naval base and a busy commercial harbor. It was an important base for Romans and Roman ruins abound.  The Venetian Citadel, 17^th century, is in the center of Old Town.

   A well preserved 1^st century Roman Amphitheater, seating 23,000, is the 3rd largest of its kind preserved in the world,--northeast of old town, it overlooks the harbor.  Constructed entirely of local limestone, it was built for gladiator contests. When gladiator contests were outlawed it was used as a market. The inside has been gutted but the nearly complete outside remains. Shows are now preformed inside.

     We found much less English spoken here as well as less friendly people. The town, except for the Roman ruins, had little to offer. Strong Turkish coffee is common here but picturesque sidewalk coffee cafes were few. We entered one establishment to buy a drink in order to use the bathroom.

     Grape vineyards and olive groves thrive in the red soil.   During Europe’s 30-year war, 1618-1648, Croats were sent to Paris. They wore a scarf in a unique way. The French intrigued with the fashion 

      Zadar has a long, tumultuous and dynamic history as it has been destroyed, plundered, and devastated only to surpass these obstacles and rise from the ruins with even more beauty, strength and wealth. In 1202 the city was burned and conquered by crusaders and Venetians. After the city’s burning, the first Gothic churches in Dalmatia were built.  Following Venetian rule Zadar was ruled by the Austrians (1797), later the French from 1806-13. After the short French rule the Austrians again ruled until 1918 when the city became part of Italy. After WWII, Zadar was united with Croatia. Today it is part of the independent Republic of Croatia.

      This city of 72,500, sitting on a long peninsula between the harbor and the channel, is the main city of northern Dalmatia. Its strategic position made it a target during war time. It was damaged in 1943-44 during WW II and again in 1991 when 60 percent of the city was destroyed. Rebuilding and restoration has been slow but has retained the city’s old flavor. 

     Parts of the ancient wall remain. Today there is a large tuna fishing industry with much of the tuna being exported to Japan. Basketball is big in this town. Baron von Trap was born in Zadar. We sampled their local sausage at lunch time. The servings were huge and we each ate only half of our meal. The use of credit cards is less in Croatia than in Slovenia where I used it all the time. It was an unusually hot day with temperatures in the mid to high 80s.

       We met our guide in the main square, the general meeting place.  Dalmatia starts in Zadar and runs south to Dubrovnik. Croatia’s oldest university was started in Zadar in 1396.

      The ancient seaside market town with Italian accents is one of the oldest Slavic cities on the Adriatic coast. Roman and Venetian heritage has created a rich turbulent history and the culture and spirit is reflected in the town’s numerous monuments. It seems to be a city of churches.

      Marble traffic-free streets in old town are replete with Roman ruins, medieval churches and fascinating museums. Massive 16^th century fortifications still shield the city on the land side while high walls protect along the harbor.

      The guide walked us all around the city trying her best to find shade every time we stopped. St. Donatus was built over the old Roman forum destroyed in a 6^th century quake. The tower was added in the 16^th century and the church added to in the 19^th century. It is only 200 steps up to the tower. The round part of the church is used for concerts as it has great acoustics.

      Just before walking the promenade we stopped in a grove of trees to gaze upon the profile of Alfred Hitchcock on a bulletin board. Hitchcock visited Zadar in the 1960s, loved the cherry liqueur and said the sunsets were the most beautiful in the world.

      It seems all Adriatic cities have promenades and this one was tree lined. A sea breeze made the walk to the wave organ bearable. The original purpose was to extend the sea wall to accommodate cruise ships. The wave organ was a wonderful and creative bonus. Thirty-five horizontal pipes of various lengths and widths run under the Zadar channel. Holes on the sidewalk whistle as the waves hit the pipes below. It creates a sound similar to that when blowing across a soda bottle. Several rows of steps/seats are available so one can enjoy the tranquility and concert. In the evenings many sit here to watch the sun set.

     Our hotel was built during the communist era and typically had a mammoth street level reception area and an equally huge restaurant. Rooms were a bit small, but ours was comfortable and had a balcony that afforded a pleasant view. We did not find Zadar particularly interesting, but maybe it was the exceptionally hot day.