A Fond Farewell to Croatia

A few final “reflections” on one of our now-favorite countries, Croatia. Although we never got very far inland, we were all amazed at the beauty and variety of the coastal region, Dalmatia:  from rugged, barren mountains that plunge into the Adriatic, to rolling, evergreen forested hillsides and beautiful rivers and waterfalls, to protected little coves with lovely beaches and quaint little villages nestled into harbors at the base of the hills and mountains.  The people are warm and welcoming (most speaking at least enough English to help visitors get by).  Another observation:  there are very few fat Croatians!  They are fit.  We’re guessing it’s from all the hiking up and down the steps and hills in town, carrying kids and groceries.

We were very impressed, and a little surprised, with the modern infrastructure of the country.  (I guess we were expecting crumbling roads, run-down buildings, drab living conditions, etc. from Croatia’s old Yugoslavia communist days under Tito.)  And, obviously there are still vestiges from those days, but it appears the government has invested substantially in roads, public transportation (modern buses and ferries abound), and protecting the environment and natural beauty of the country.  We visited several national parks whose visitors’ centers, trails and interpretive signs along the way were so impressive, my brother-in-law who is Superintendent of Acadia National Park, was green with envy.  We were also stuck by how immaculate the towns are – people do not litter and there is very little graffiti.  The residents sweep the leaves and dirt from the narrow steps and walkways of the villages daily.

On occasions when we had the opportunity to ask the locals about their government and the economy, we generally found them to be very optimistic about their futures.  We must admit, that those living and working along the coast, benefit from the rising tourism here where the unemployment rate is only about 4%.  The national unemployment rate, is about 15%, we were told.

In the four weeks we spent in Croatia, we had the opportunity to sample many of the local wines (for research purposes only, of course).  We are great believers in ordering the restaurant “table wine”, but after a few nearly undrinkable ones, we started asking for a small taste of both the red and white house wine, and would then make our decision as to which was more palatable.  We did find many very good wines, and made a point of picking up several bottles at a time at the local markets.  Our only real disappointment in Croatia, was with the cuisine.  It really is not very impressive.  There is a definite German influence (need we say more…), but fortunately, a fairly strong Italian influence as well.  We ate a lot of pizza and pasta!  All in all, I think our friends who visited Croatia with us would agree that it is a very special place, and that we would all love to come back for another visit.

Our Final Days in Croatia... sadly

After dropping Barbara and Sheridan off in Trogir last Saturday, we rented a car and drove to Split, where we spent most of the day at the walled Palace of Diocletion.  Our private guide gave us a great feel for life within the walls from the time it was built by the Emperor as his “retirement home” in the 3^rd century, through the middle ages when it had a population of 6000 at its height.

With a 24 hour window of calm seas, we motored south the following day to Dubrovnik, where we were “trapped” for the next four days due to high winds and seas.  What a great place to be stuck, as there is so much to see and do in this area!   With winds of more than 30-35 mph, there were no safe anchorages, so we were forced to go to a marina and “med moor”, something John swore he would never do. This is basically the only way you can dock anywhere in the Mediterranean.  For those who may not be familiar with med mooring, it is a little nerve wracking.  You must back your boat up and place the stern along the dock.  And, as you’re “backing in” between boats on either side of you, you must drop both the anchors off the bow, which you later tighten up to secure the boat.  You have about 2 feet of clearance on each side and crew from the other boats are nervously watching your attempt at threading your way between their boats, as high winds are add to the challenge.  Of course, all boats (including ours) have huge fenders out to protect them.  Captain John did a masterful job (in spite of his protests) with some helpful coaching from Captain Joc.  We were all relieved and excited to be at a dock for a few days, since it gave us the freedom to come and go more easily.

We rented another car for the four days and on day one, drove the beautiful coastal road to Kotor, Montenegro.  After wandering around the city and then having the best pizza in the old town that we’ve had yet, we hiked the 1300 steps to the fort at the top, working off our pizza and wine lunch! The views were even more incredible this time since the sun was shining brightly.  The two-hour drive back to Dubrovnik in the dark that evening was a little hairy, but our fearless chauffeur, Peter Andretti, got us to the boat safe and sound where we rewarded him with his very own bottle of wine.

Due to our intermittent cold and rainy weather over those next few days, John and Nancy dragged Peter and Carol back to the bridge table. It’s hard to believe that two accountants can have so many problems adhering to “rules”.  It seems that whenever we play, Peter looks as tense as if he were in the dentist chair and Carol reverts to the Erickson family tradition of  “If I can’t win, I’m not playing”.

When we got a break in the weather, we ventured back to Dubrovnik, where there is no end to exploring this fascinating town.  In the fort above the city is an great museum depicting the six month siege against the town during the Croatian War of Independence 1991-95.  The Yugoslav/Serbian army shelled the fortified city from the water and the hills above, but the local Croatian resistance forces, consisting of only 1500 men, and equipped only with old Soviet guns from 1942, protected the town from invasion until international pressure forced the government troops to withdraw.  The city was severely damaged – over 68% of the buildings took direct hits, and much of the city burned.  The restoration of the city is nearly complete and Dubrovnik is the gem of Croatia once again.

Our last night in Dubrovnik, we went to a small wine-tasting bar, where we learned a lot about the different wines of the country.  However, Peter and John promptly ignored all recommendations we were given when they stocked up on wines the next day!  We listened to a classical guitarist playing on the steps of the cathedral, as we finished our evening with dinner at one of the many outdoor cafes.

Our last morning, after a failed attempt to get a ferry to a near-by island for a hike, Carol and Nancy finally had 2 hours of successful and fun shopping in Dubrovnik where they were forced to spend the last of their Croatian “kunas”.  And then… a final  outdoor lunch overlooking the fort, as we witnessed the invasion of thousands of cruise-ship tourists, pouring across the drawbridge into Dubrovnik.

We left Dubrovnik Friday afternoon for a 40 hour (2 night) run to Syracuse, Italy, where we arrived this morning.  The Adriatic finally calmed down and we had a very easy run.  

One last visit to Split

   

John med mooring in Dubrovnik

John celebrating his success docking!

Hope there's not much tide here...

It was a tight fit...

The wall to the fort at the top of Kotor, Montenegro

Carol finds makes a new friend on the hike to the top

Sure could use a glass of wine about now...

View from the top of Kotor

The happy hikers

Another spectacular view of Kotor from the top showing the walled city below

Dubrovnik... our other favorite walled town

There are 24 churches within the the walls of the city, many with breath-taking interiors

View as we strolled along the top of the city walls in Dubrovnik



Aren't they just the cutest couple!

The formidable water-front walls of Dubrovnik

This cross commemorates those who died in the siege against  Dubrovnik

Our last lunch overlooking the fortified town of Dubrovnik

All the grave sites were cleaned and adorned with fresh flowers on All Saints Day

Sailing away from beautiful Croatia

What a great 4 weeks we had here!!

Water... water... everywhere

After a nice “welcome dinner” ( fresh red snapper from the fish market in Split) for Barbara, Sheridan, Carol and Peter Wednesday night, we left Thursday morning and headed north to an anchorage outside the Krka National Park. The park encompasses the 47 mile River Krka, which begins inside a canyon on a limestone plateau behind the city of Sibenik and finally empties into the Adriatic after a series of waterfalls, rapids and lakes that are surrounded by lush vegetation.  We took our tender to the small village of Skradin, one of the main access points to the park.  From there, a park boat took us upriver to the base of the first and largest of the waterfalls.  There is a boardwalk that winds through the area from the bottom of the falls to across the top.  Hundreds of small waterfalls surround the boardwalk as you make the one hour hike.  It really is “water water everywhere…” Sheridan is Superintendent of Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine and was quite impressed, as we all were, with the construction and management of this park.  There are signs along the path identifying interesting plants and animals… and if you want more information, you simply hold your cell phone over a scanner.  The ultra-modern, all-glass visitor center in town was a bit of a shock at first sight because the rest of this sleepy little village looks like something from the turn of the century.  It was very well done, with multi-language interactive displays and information centers.

We spent the next day in Sibenik which lies at the mouth of the Krka River.  Although there is no doubt that there were ancient settlements here, this town is the “youngest” of the cities along the Dalmatian coast and the first one founded by a Croatian king (1066).  The historic town center is well preserved and we wandered through local shops, markets and piazzas.  The most impressive of the buildings is the Cathedral of St. James.  It is one of the largest in Croatia, and built with local stone, all so perfectly cut, that the interlocking slabs have no mortar between them.  The detailed carvings along the exterior of the church, as well as the magnificent marble statues, arches and columns inside are truly breathtaking.  The church took a direct hit during the 1991 war and for the last 10 years has been under extensive renovation by Croatian and international experts, paid for mostly by UNESCO, as the church had previously been designated as one of their world artistic sights. 

Our last day with Barbara and Sheridan, we turned back south and spent most of the day at Hvar, a town John and I had visited earlier (see the "Enough is enough"  blog) and had enjoyed so much we wanted Barbara, Sheridan, Carol and Peter to see it, too.  After a hike to the fort at the top, we enjoyed a lovely outdoor lunch in the center of the main piazza.

After a couple hours of cruising back to Trogir for a flight out the next day, the 4 hearty explorers braved the rain-threatening skies, and spent a couple hours touring that quaint historic town as well.

Unfortunately, the weather gods have turned against us:  rain and wind are putting a damper (pun intended) on our current travel plans.

Skradin (entrance to KrKa National Park)

View from top of fort

One or several lovely churches in Skadin

On the park boat 

Up the river to the falls

Krka National Park

Krka National Park from the boardwalk 

The old mill at Krka 

Barbara, Sheridan, Peter, Carol and John

Sibenik (at the mouth of the Krka River)

Cathedral of St. James

One of only two working 24-hour clocks in Croatia

Croatian children on a "field trip"

Lunch in Sibenik (We've found some great Croatian wines)

The Andrea Cay in the harbor of Sibenik

The girls in Hvar, begging for a little shopping time...

View from the fort at the top of Hvar

Rewarding ourselves after the big climb to the top of the fort

The old city of Trogir

Church of St. John the Baptist in Trogir

Getting ready for a relaxing dinner onboard 

One of Shaz's great salad creation!