Croatia 2010

I guess it has been a while, but only had internet in cafes

August 2, To Athens, Greece

Not much sleep last night as the guy next door watched tv on full volume, I swear, most of the night!  It actually woke me up, so must have been loud.

Another great breakfast and off to the airport.

Again what a great city!  At the entrance to the airport is another huge park!  So nice to see rather than, cars, buses, traffic and noise!

August 1, Zagreb, Croatia

Hotel had a great breakfast, and got more Turkish coffee, good but not as good as in Dubrovnik!  Head out to see the city.  Very impressed with this place.  The city is spotless, with many parks.  After all, it has to be nice when you walk out of the train station and in front is a huge bronze statue and a big park!

Caught the tram to the old part of the city.  Saw the Cathedral and then headed off to ride the funicular tram.  A very short ride but took to Upper Zagreb and the Stone gate.  Here there was the changing of the guards.  The traditional dress is quite nice.  In one of the squares there were also some people in traditional dress singing.

The city is very quiet today.  Was told that most are at home having their 'beauty' rest or at the coast.  

The city itself is very nice.  Many museums, but did not go in any.  Was going to catch the Coffee exhibition in one but the museum was closed.  Funny as I noticed that there was the "Bodies Revealed" exhibit, the one with the cut up bodies.  I debated where I could cope or not, but turns out I missed it!

July 31, Zagreb, Croatia

Caught the train to Zagreb, a 6 hour journey.  The ride was very nice.  Passed through some great country side.  Interesting as the train took a very high route, and ended up in the clouds.  The forest here was almost rain forest.  The valleys were very green!

No one to meet at train station with accommodation, so the information desk gave me a hotel.  Very nice but 49 euros.  The best part is that it is right on the tram lines and turns out the tram lines are free!  Was a bit worried as information told me where to get off, but everyone I asked had no idea where this hotel was.  I even asked a couple of old guys sitting in a bar, but they did not know.  Well the hotel was right across the street!  Too funny!  Maybe something in their beers!

July 30, Split, Croatia

Up early and made coffee!  Very nice and relaxing.  I have to admit the view is very nice, overlooking the bay and the city behind the large hill!

4 Belgian kids were staying as well and they headed off right away.  But I caught up with them at the bus stop.  All very well educated.  2 masters in engineering with one going on to Phd, one medical doctor doing her internship and the other a teacher.  The bus wait turned out to be an hour for me, and the ride into the city almost 30 minutes!  The traffic is very slow going.

Wandered around the old city.  Very nice, but not as well kept as Dubrovnik or Korcula.  Still many shops, but at least they have hot spots for free internet!

Took a long walk along the shoreline!  Beaches similar except here they have more smaller rock type beaches.

I got back to the house just in time.  There was a very loud thunder and huge lightning storm!  Then poured rain.  The storm passed right over head!  The best I have seen in ages!

July 29, Split, Croatia

I had planned to try and get in on a dune buggy tour of the olive groves and vineyards, with some snorkeling included, but had to meet early, but I slept in.

So instead I had breakfast and bought a ferry ticket to Split.  Ferry left at 1.30 and arrived at 6.30 pm.   A very nice trip along the coast line.  The coast is all rock and very rugged.  Most of the hill tops do not have much for trees or bushes.

Arrived in Split and was met by guy with accommodation.  Turns out he lied, and not just me, everyone that was at the house.  He said it was a 8 to 10 minute bus ride, and forgot to mention that was by plane!  Turns out it is about 9 km out of the city, and up a very steep hill to the top!  There is a TV but he does not know how to turn on.

  Very interesting is all I can say.

Got settled and headed off to a 'near by' restaurant'.  "Near by" is about a 20 minute walk!  But the food was excellent.  Problem was I miss read the prices and did not have enough money to pay!  Embarrassing, but the waiter was great, and told me where the nearest bank machine was!

July 28, Korcula Island, Croatia

Caught the bus to Korcula, and arrived about 12.00 after 3 hours, including a short ferry ride.

Found the house that the hosts in Dubrovnik had made reservations for me.  Turns out only have 1 night, not 2.  But the room has the best view.  Right on the water with a view of the dock and the old city.  Quite the change after 3 nights in the kitchen!  Then headed off to eat!  Found a bakery.  Got burek again.  This is the name of the layers of dough with fillings of either meat or cheese.  They are very good.

Then off to wander around the city.  This city is similar to Dubrovnik, but not as commercial.  Not as big, but still all narrow pedestrian streets.  There are many shops and restaurants but not as many souvenir shops.  Many handcrafted items, paintings, and jewelery.  

Interesting in that they believe that Marco Polo was born here and that he spent some time in jail here as well.  Did a tour of his house.  Also this is the town for the merishka, the sword dancing, but the next one is on Monday, so will have to miss that.

Ran into the Australians and we made plans to meet for dinner.  Caught up with them and went first for a drink and then to dinner.  Lots of wine before and with dinner.  Then on way back a bar had taken over the street.  Tough getting through the crowd so just ended up have a few drinks!  Drank way to much but was great fun.  Late by time I got home.

July 27, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Did not do much other than buy my bus ticket for tomorrow, and then headed off to Lokrum Island.  Spent the afternoon on the beach.  No sand, as seems to be the standard, just try to find a flat rock.  Went out for dinner at a restaurant down the street a bit.  Was very good, pork on skewers with grilled vegetables.  Plenty of garlic and olive oil on the vegetables, but were very good.

July 26, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Up and off to get coffee at the local internet cafe.

I went to go up the gondola.  Turns out it is only 14 days old.  The old one had been destroyed in the war as the top of the mountain was one of the first places to be bombed and occupied.  

The views from the top are great, of the city, the old city, and nice to be able to see the mountain range in the other direction.

Then went to the war museum.  They had many pictures of the destruction and the people involved with the resistance.  They were also showing a video that I found quite disturbing.  Showing the bombing and the cheering that was going on when a bomb hit a building.  Probably disturbing as I had talked to the host in the morning about how it had impacted them.  

The woman had taken their kids and left the city, but the husband had stayed behind.  Their house only suffered some damage, broken window and chips in the walls, but there were houses around them that were hit and burned as a result.  The woman's sister's flat, not too far away was also hit.  A bomb actually went through the window and destroyed the flat.  The sister was not there.  I can not wrap my head around the hatred or being that close to a war.  So lucky to not have been close to anything similar.

I then headed off to Lokrum Island.  Caught the ferry and spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the monastery, botanical gardens and the various paths on the island.  The island is all a park.  Half the park is shut due to a high fire hazard.  The beaches are actually flat rocks along the water.  There are ladders off the rocks into the water.  Actually very nice, even if the rocks are very hard!

Went out for dinner and the local cheap place recommended by the host.  I had the best lasagna I have ever had.  Was made with a cream sauce but had chicken, ham and mushrooms.

Relaxed for what little was left of the evening.  Went to bed but got woke up by the others at about 1 am to join them for a glass of wine, or 2!  Was about 2.30 by the time we went to bed again.  Fun to sit and laugh and tease, country against country!

July 25, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Had a great sleep, on a real bed!  Turns out I slept great but the NZer did not, I snored, very loud.  Not sure if I should believe her as I never heard a sound!

Had to head out in the search for coffee, but it is Sunday and the only place I could find opened at 8!  So had to wait a bit!

Got my coffee, and was very good, and then back to get cleaned up.  Lounged around for a bit and then headed off to make travel arrangements to get to Greece!  Ended up with a flight from Zegreb to Athens, nothing else out of Croatia unless I went back to Rome first.

Then headed off to walk the wall around the old city!  The views were beautiful, and the colour of the water is almost blue.  I am sure the pictures will just not do it justice.  Great to have a view of the city from above, looking at the houses, the streets and all the red tiled roofs.

After that wandered around a bit waiting to do the kayak trip.

The kayak trip was a paddle along the old city wall, past the neat bar, and across the old harbour.  Stopped in an inlet only accessible by boat, and went for a swim and snorkel.  Water felt great, but not much for fish.  Just a few small ones but not really that colourful, but then I did not have my glasses on.  They feed us a sandwich that seemed like 3/4 of a loaf of bread, with some ham and cheese.  Good, but huge!  The paddling was good but we seemed to be heading left all the time, so I think we paddled twice as far as anyone else.

Then headed off across the harbour again to Lokrum Island.  Paddled around it, into a cave area.  I should also mention that the island is a rock, not sand, so is a rocky beach, but also many were  nude!  A bit of a surprise.  The water is very clear!  Then headed back the the starting point.  Lots of gusty wind and some very tired arms, it seemed like we would never get back.  But made it.  

Went for a glass of wine, just so we could use the toilet.  Then off the catch a walking tour of 'Dubrovnik at war'  Very interesting.  The guide had a sarcastic point of view.  He went back about a 1000 years, before he got to the war in 1991 when the Serbians, Yugoslavians and Montenegrians attacked Croatia.  Apparently they want their country to have access to the sea.  The Croatians and the Serbs had been living together for many many years without any trouble.  I will have to do some more research.  The war lasted about 8 months.  The tour showed where there was some damage from the bombing, some that remains and some that has been repaired.  The remaning evidence is different cobble stones on the streets, pits in some of the walls, and some door frames that are very white (limestone goes white when exposed to extreme heat)  The residents felt that they would be safe in the old city as a World Heritage site, but the city was bombed heavily.  

Got back to house and 3 Australians had moved in next door.  Chatted for a bit and went to bed.  I ended up on a cot in the kitchen, but was my choice as then I could have coffee in morning.

July 24, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Had a good night, and talked to a few people.  An Australian  that is going to university in Sevilla, and met a Vancouver woman, traveling with her 7 year old son  .  Interesting as ran into them again on the search for food and ended up having lunch and gelato with them.  Very nice to met other Canadians, and great to talk to them.  And we did do a lot of talking!  Dubrovnik is a fairly small city so I am sure we will meet again.

Ended up in a private house, which is the most common here.  The couple were not sure if another couple were going to leave so I may not have a room.  Turned out the other couple did leave.  So private room for 30 euros!  They had also convinced a New Zealand woman ( to stay as well.  After much room swapping then room sharing and then not, ended up sharing a room with the New Zealander, and 4 Brazilians moved into the other room.  Very confusing, but the couple are very nice and accommodating.   Such a great change!  The house is about a 40 minute walk to the old city, or a 10 minute bus ride.

The city is beautiful.  So nice to walk down the street and not have horns blaring and constant traffic.  The old city is completely walled, so spent the afternoon having lunch with the Vancouverites and then walked around the city.  The main streets are really just a bunch of tourist shops, but the many small side streets and the buildings are great.  Found a neat little bar, that is between the wall and the Adriatic Sea.  They have poured concrete to flatten out spots for tables amongst the rocks!  The tables are the the edge of the rocks, without rails.  I can not imagine having the combination of booze, rock band and cliffs anywhere else!  But the crowd was just getting into the 'rock band on the rock'.

Went for a swim and cleaned up and the New Zealander and I went back to the old city for dinner.  I had a great sea food platter!  The competition is very stiff with so many restaurants, that we were enticed with a free glass of wine!  Work for both of us, not just me!  We then went for a stroll around the city.  Ended up back at the same rock place, and they had a live band and lighting on the stairs.  Beautiful view of the sea with the boats lit up and the lights on the rocks.  Had a drink and then to bed.  Very tired.