Tuesday, 6 September 2016

The Balkans Part 3 - Croatia and Slovenia (10-16 July and 15-29 August)

Croatia Part 1 (10–16 July 2016)
We arrived into Dubrovnik ~17 hours after we left Kigali (via Brussels and Munich).  Compared to some of the travel to date this seemed pretty short.  We were transferred to our apartment in Lapad by taxi and immediately felt like we were in the lap of luxury – actually it felt very much like home.  We had decided to book somewhere with a kitchen, washing machine etc so we could really relax after 8 weeks or so on the move. 

The next day consisted of a visit to the beach at Lapad Bay and trying to get used to the 30+ degree heat.  It’s a good 10 degrees hotter than Africa (although they are in winter and we’re now in summer) and from the number of red lobster people we’re seeing the sun is working overtime too.

In the late afternoon we headed over to Dubrovnik’s old town.  The first thing we did was catch the cable car up to Mt Srd which looks over the old city and gives amazing views of that and the surrounding, and very beautiful, Adriatic. 






After the mandatory beverage soaking up the views we headed back down and into the old city, along the Stradun (the main street) and up onto the old city walls.  They are said to be the finest old city walls in the world and are certainly the towns claim to fame here.  You have to walk anti-clockwise which proves perfect as the views around the city just get better and better – it is really beautiful and surrounded by the shimmering sea – very picture postcard.  The walk took around 90 minutes and following that we headed just outside the gates for a really nice dinner before catching the bus back to Lapad.


 





For the next excursion we opted to do the 3 island cruise to the Elaphite Islands.  A great way to have a bit of a nosey around and good value for money at $50 NZ each for the whole day (9.30am to 7pm) including lunch and drinks.  First stop was Lopud where we had just over three hours and time to walk across the island to Sunj Beach.  The architecture is fantastic and the sea is so unbelievably clear it looks like lake water, as opposed to sea water.  After some lazing in the sun, a swim and an ice-cream it wasn’t long before we were back on the boat and headed for Sipan.

Just a short stop here to check out the Skocibuha Castle built to repel pirates in the XV century, and to protect the summer manors built by Dubrovnik aristocracy in the time.

Final island was Kolocep.  It’s the smallest settled island of the Elaphites and looks like a postcard.  We managed a walk up to one of the 7 churches on the island – all dating back to the time of the Croatian kings.  A beautiful final stop before heading home.

The following day it was back to the old city and on a Game of Thrones walking tour.  Several parts of the series have been filmed here and the sites involved have become a major tourist attraction for those GOT fans out there – it also gives you a great wander around the old town too.  Most of the sites we saw were on Fort Lawrence (just across a short water divide from the old town) and a lot of them are almost untouched.  It was quite something to see for real the places that we’ve watched on TV with thousands of others.
 



Game of Thrones - Iron Throne



The fort and the old town are quite simply amazing places to walk around.  It is like you’ve stepped back in time with the old cobbled lanes, houses squeezed in together, staircases everywhere and towering walls around you, not to mention the super crystal clear water that surrounds them both.  It was a great way to spend some time and after 5 hours of wandering (the tour was 90 minutes) we decided to catch the bus back to our base in Lapad.


As this part of our journey has been has been designated relax and catch up we have had several days where we did very little.  Skip to the 16th of July (being our last in Croatia for the moment as we’ve decided to head East as it is so close) which was pretty relaxed as we headed out for a lovely dinner at More Restaurant.  The restaurant is part of a hotel that sits along the water’s edge and has beautiful views, as well as a natural cave bar underneath - quite unique and worth a visit.  The restaurant was a lovely way to end our stay in Dubrovnik, which is definitely a city that has captured us.




Croatia Part 2 (15-23 August 2016)
30 days after we left Croatia we headed back departing on time at 10.20am and arriving in Split ~5 1/2 hours later.  Back to the seaside and beautiful sparking waters the initial impression of Split is that it is much larger and busier than where we've been and unsurprisingly full of summer tourists.  We found our accommodation and spent a bit of time catching up with notes and photos before heading out for dinner.  Just a quick transit stop here before we head to the island of Vis.

We spent two nights on Vis with Lesley's birthday in the middle so decided to do very little while we were there.  We discovered pretty quickly that we were 260 stairs above the town below however the walk up and down wasn't anywhere near as bad as it might sound.  We were walking through the old town for the most part with some really old houses and history surrounding us.  Vis is really little (unless you want to travel the whole island) and a really nice spot to chill out.


The Vis "car park" is full of yachts moored along the dock and this is very much a seaside town.  Restaurants and bars line the waterfront and there are people from all walks of life and nationalities here.  It's very pretty.

16th August - Lesley's birthday.  We had decided to have a sleep in and lazy start to the day which was exactly how it turned out and after a late "brunch" we headed to the beach.  Gary decided to hike up the hill to the old fort while Lesley soaked up the sun and made the most of the relaxation.



We had booked Pod Kaveta for dinner (all the good restaurants are booked out here in advance as its super busy being summer and along with that school holidays).  The booking turned out to be well worth it with the best lamb (falling off the bone) and potatoes we've had since we've been away (the lamb even challenged our NZ lamb shanks!).  We had a really nice evening and feeling super relaxed climbed the stairway to one of the nicest rooms we've had (Guesthouse Bellevue with super nice owners too that even bought Lesley a birthday present!).


Final day on the island we decided to catch the 6pm ferry to Split allowing us to do a 6 hour boat trip during the day. Our first stop was the Blue Cave on Bisevo Island - just off Vis the Blue Cave was discovered in 1884.  It is lit with natural sunlight shining through an underwater cavity into an underground cave, and was absolutely beautiful inside.  The colours were quite simply stunning.
  


Following that we headed for a small keyhole shaped bay (back on Vis).  The bay was tiny and gorgeous but unfortunately a little too full of people so very busy.  Gary again headed up the hill to get some pics and fill in the hour and a half we had to spend here.

Our last two stops were the Green Cave - not quite as stunning as the Blue but with a circle of light coming through a hole in the top the water lit up below was amazing.  Hard to know if the hole was originally there or put there to create the illusion we are now seeing.  Then it was another sandy beach (or rocky really as there is no sand) where we got to swim and laze about for another 90 minutes before our return trip.  It was a great way to see a little more of Vis (given we weren't going anywhere) and nice to be out on the water - which is absolutely beautiful and so clear it's ridiculous.

We had three hours to kill before the ferry so had a couple of nice cold beers in the park.  The ferry departed at 6pm (to arrive back in Split at 8.20pm) and after takeaway pizza (which was delicious) we called it a night.

The following day was our one full day to explore Split.  Split is the second largest city in Croatia and is abuzz with summer holiday makers.  The old town is effectively an open museum (and a Unesco site) that is home to Diocletian's Palace - one of the world's most imposing Roman ruins (304AD).  It is however not a palace as one might expect - it's effectively the living and breathing heart of Split, filled with bars, shops, restaurants, a labyrinth of streets and packed with people.  Originally built as a military fortress the palace is now home to 220 buildings and ~3000 people.  

 


Inside the palace was definitely the focus of our exploring today and the highlight within it was the Cathedral of St Domnius.  The cathedral was originally built as a mausoleum and sits almost in the centre of the palace.  It was turned into a Catholic Cathedral in the 7th century.  As part of this centrepiece we got to climb the 60m bell tower, view the crypt, the cathedral itself and the 5th century Temple of Jupiter.  The views from the bell tower were great, as was getting lost in the maze of streets that make up the old town. 





Now, onto a more scenic part of the country.  We boarded our bus at 10.15am and headed north towards Plitvice Lakes National Park.  As the landscape turned more and more green it was a great feeling to be leaving some of the concrete behind for a while.  The Park is full of forested hills and turquoise lakes and is extremely scenic (also a Unesco site since 1979).  We opted to stay as close to the park entrance as possible and arrived late in the afternoon.  We set about getting our tickets to the park, bus tickets to leave and organising ourselves for some park exploration the following day.

Next morning we headed into the park just before 10am.  Plitvice Lakes National Park is the largest of eight national parks in Croatia and having been declared a national park in 1949 is also the oldest.  The area we visited (and the jewel in the parks crown) is made up of sixteen beautiful lakes that tumble into each other (over ~8 km’s dropping 133m) via many waterfalls and cascades.  Everywhere you look there is water trying to escape from somewhere and along with its uniqueness it is extremely beautiful.  There are 6km of wooden walking platforms and pathways that have all been created to fit in with nature.  Apparently August is the month where there is the least water but you would never know it looking at what we are seeing.  The volume of water in spring must be completely phenomenal.






The finale came at the end when we got to the biggest waterfall (Veliki Slap) at 78m.  Again not just one but many cascading down into lower pools and more waterfalls and the picture perfect blue pool at the bottom.  Plitvice Lakes was an area recommended to us by a couple of different people on our travels and it has been more than worth the effort to see such a beautiful place.



On the move again the next day, this time to the little fishing village of Rovinj.  It is close to another site that we want to visit so rather than stay in the busy town of Pula we will be basing ourselves here for a couple of days.  A couple of bus rides to get here - the first only 90 minutes to Karlovac and a three hour "stopover" in a sad little bus station until our next bus at 2.25pm (which saw us arrive into Rovinj around 7pm).

We found our way to our accommodation through the narrow, very cool, cobbled lanes (we know we've seen lots of these but Rovinj is really charming). We found a fantastic little restaurant close to where we were staying that was almost a wine bar their wine list was so extensive.  The place was filled to the brim with corks and bottles of wine (so loads of character) and to top it off the food was fantastic.

A leisurely start the following day we headed to Pula on the bus.  It's a historical city located on the sea, has many Roman ruins and is very popular with tourists - life here began as early as 10th century BC.  Our first stop was the Arena which is one of the six largest surviving Roman arenas in the world (also the best preserved ancient monument in Croatia).  It was built between 27BC-68AD and is still in fantastic condition - so much so that it is used regularly for concerts, particularly in summer.


We headed further into the centre passing the Porta Gemina (Twin Gates) - a double arched gate built 2-3 century AD and then to the Triumphal Arch of the Sergii.  This arch commemorates three brothers of the Sergii family specifically one that served in battle (the legion was disbanded in 27BC).  We passed many amazing old buildings as we walked through the centre towards the waterfront and the Temple of Augustus.  Its exact age is unknown but probability is that it was built between 2BC and 14AD.  It's a grand building overlooking what is now a square edged with restaurants - the square used to house many other grand ancient buildings however most were lost during WWII air raids.  Last but not least was the 5th century Pula Cathedral.






Our last day in Rovinj (and Croatia) we set about exploring the town.  Rovinj's old city started developing in the 3rd century although traces of life date back to the Bronze Age.  It was originally an island and the channel between that and the mainland was filled in 1763.  The old town is small and absolutely filled with charm.  We headed up to the Church of St Euphemia which was restored between 1725 and 1736.  The building dominates Rovinj from the hilltop in the middle of the peninsula and sits on the site of the previous Chapel of St George (10th century).




We walked up the centre of the old town (Grisia Street) which is winding and paved (slippery shiny stones), full of galleries, shops and cascading stairs.  A great entrance or exit from the Church, although so is the alternative which is to walk around the edge of the peninsula with lovely views.



We then headed to Red Island (Sveti Andrija).  A 15 minute ferry ride saw us there in no time (great views of Rovinj from the ferry!) and we disembarked onto one of the most popular islands in the Rovinj archipelago.  There is very little here and the island is tiny, although there is a large resort style hotel and some pretty coastline - hence the popularity... beach and sun.  Loads of people and a great kids playground out on the water.  We spent a couple of hours relaxing in the sun and reading although nothing like watching kids play to waste time which went pretty quickly. 



We made it back to Rovinj late afternoon and after some freshening up headed back up to the Church (up the hill but only a 10 minute walk) as the light was much better for any last photos we wanted to take.  Then we spent the early evening on the coastlines "sunset spot" before heading back to our new found favourite wine restaurant. 


The things we’ll remember about Croatia:
Bougainvillea the size of large trees
Super clear blue and turquoise water
Sparkles on the sea
White stone buildings
Sun
Terracotta tile roofs
The old cities
Waterfalls
Islands and boats



Slovenia (24-29 August 2016)
Our bus departed Rovinj at 8.55am, direction Postojna, Slovenia.  The border crossing was probably the best we've done - very quick and easy and no real delays to speak of.  As we entered Slovenia (a country of 2m people with more than half its small 20,000 sq km covered in forest) it got greener and greener. 

We decided to visit both the Postojna Cave and Predjama Castle straight away.  We jumped on the free shuttle to the Castle which dates from the early 1200's, although most of what you see now is 16th century.  It's built within a cave mouth halfway up a 120+ metre cliff, making it cold and damp but very safe and defensible.  It's like a kids playground with all the traits you would expect of a castle still existing - drawbridge, holes in the towers for pouring oil on intruders, a dungeon and a multitude of rooms, living quarters, cellar etc.   



  
Back on the shuttle to Postojna Cave.  The cave is 24km of galleries, tunnels and halls and is one of the largest caverns in the world.  Tourists have been visiting for almost 200 years (it was discovered in 1818 and visits began the year after) and on the day we were there the 37th million visitor ticked over.  It's visited by a third of all tourists to Slovenia so is an extremely busy place however it is incredible how the people get swallowed up upon entering and it's all extremely well managed.  The 90 minute tour includes a 4km train ride and 1.7km walk.  The formations (stalagmites and stalactites) are something else and said to be unequalled anywhere in the world - certainly beyond anything we have seen to date.



Our second day of cave exploring saw us heading to Skocjan Caves.  This one is a little further afield and required a 35-40 minute bus ride to reach the town of Divaca.  The caves are 3.5km south of town so with a nice clear walking map we reached the World Heritage site in around 40 minutes with some picturesque viewing spots along the way.  We confirmed our place on the 1pm tour which was to take 3-3.5 hours.  The cave system has been acknowledged by Unesco as one of the natural treasures of the Earth and it ranks as one of the most important caves in the world.


This cave system was created by the Reka River which disappears underground at the Big Collapse (where a cave roof has fallen in and is 164m deep) and flows for 34km under the ground before resurfacing.  The explored part of the caves is 6.2km (of which we cover about 5km inside and outside).  The underground channel is ~3.5km long, 10-60m wide and over 140m high (no photos allowed inside the “guided” cave).

Skocjan Caves were much more captivating that Postojna, although both were amazing to see.  The sheer size of Skocjan is incredible.  The river running through it also adds to the beauty spectrum. One of the real highlights here was seeing what remains of the pioneers pathways and stair cases from the 19th and 20th century’s, it’s a wonder anyone got in and out alive.  Its stalagmites and stalactites formations aren't what Postojna's are though so the two combined give you a fantastic overview of these hidden treasures.


After feeling like we'd walked our legs off and climbed up and down too many stairs it was time to walk back to Divaca and wait for our bus back "home" and getting ready to move on tomorrow.

Heading to the capital of Ljubljana (pronounced Ub-Li-Yana) which is just a short hour or so away we had a reasonably relaxed start so not to arrive too early.  The centre of the city here is restricted to pedestrians and cyclists and we took a short walk (after checking in) to see Presernov Trg (the city's square) which links the centre district with the old town via the Triple Bridge.  Not intending to do too much today we headed to the Farmers market, which isn't happening today but a vibrant "Fete" or mini Carnival is with food stalls from multiple restaurants, drinks and music.  Apparently this is a Friday thing and what a great day to arrive.  

Pork traditionally roasted for 3.5 hours (18kg)


Our afternoon consisted of more mundane things (but necessary) like a visit to the supermarket, info centre ideas for the next couple of days, changing money, updating notes and photo admin.  We have three nights here so the exploring can wait until tomorrow.

Gary was up early to go for a run and after booking a half day trip for the following day we met the 10am walking tour group outside the Town Hall.  The original building was built in Gothic style in 1484 and underwent a Baroque style renovation between 1717 and 1719.  After a quick visit inside we headed to the Cathedral (Church of St Nicholas).   The two bronze doors were created in 1996 to commemorate the 1250th anniversary of Christianity in Slovenia and coincide with a visit from Pope John Paul II.  The main door is known as the Slovene Door and the side door (and holy door) is the Ljubljana Door. 







A bit of a treat tasting local food (sausage and a Slovenian walnut based dessert) before we headed up the funicular to Ljubljana Castle.  Originally a medieval fortress dating back to the 11th century most of the buildings now are only 500 years old after the Castle/Palace was rebuilt after a 1511 earthquake.  Inside the castle we visited the small chapel and the Pentagonal Tower which was originally the main entrance gate accessed via a drawbridge.


Back down in town we visited Ljubljana's first square and the oldest remaining residence (dated 1523).  Then it was off to Congress Square (1821) which was edged by the University (founded in 1810), the Church of the Holy Trinity (built 1718-26) and Star Park.  It's a welcome green refuge in a city that happens to have been awarded the European Green Capital in 2016 for its green spaces.  




Next stop was the Franciscan Church on Preseren Square.  Built between 1646 and 1660 it replaced an older church on the same site.  It is red in colour which is symbolic of the Franciscan monastic order.  We finished the tour on top of Triple Bridge - an 1842 bridge that was expanded by two side footbridges to give it the triple crossing.  There are records of a bridge being on this site (however changed numerous times) since 1280.

Another couple of bridges to note are - the Dragon Bridge that opened in 1901.  Its statues are dragons which happen to be the symbol of Ljubljana and they give the bridge a picturesque uniqueness.  The second is the Butchers Bridge which is a new bridge placed across the river alongside the daily market, in particular the Butchers area.  We had a quick nosey at the market which included fruit, vegetables, meat, bakery items, oils and much more. 






There are many sites, lots to look at and some amazing architecture here all in an easily walkable and condensed space.  The buildings and colours are beautiful as are the surroundings, the river, the trees and general greenery.   It's a city that is very easy to lose yourself in (not literally).  We finished the afternoon with a 50 minute boat trip and down the river where we happened upon a couple of Nutria (River Rats).


Our last day in Slovenia was spent on and around Bled.  A 35-40 minute drive from Ljubljana Bled is a tourism postcard.  A beautiful lake, church atop a tiny island in the middle of the lake, a medieval castle atop the hill and surrounded by some of Slovenia’s highest peaks (Julian Alps).  Our first stop was Vintgar Gorge where you can walk 1.6km through the gorge, crossing wooden bridges following the rushing Radovna River.  It’s really picturesque and the waters sparkling clear, making for multiple stops to gaze and take photos along the way. 




From here we headed directly to Lake Bled.  The waters are mildly thermal and at this time of the year around 26°C so plenty of swimmers are making the most of it.  In the centre is the tiny Bled Island where a small church resides.  To get out there you take a type of gondola (much larger than the Venice type) and you disembark at the base of the 99 stairs that are the south staircase.  Very popular for weddings with a tradition that the bride to be must not set her feet down until she is at the top! (yes, her groom has to carry her up the stairs).  It was set up for a wedding when we visited although we weren’t lucky enough to actually see the tradition in action.  The church has been restored and is very pretty inside and we also climbed the clock tower for great views, but more importantly a close up view of the old mechanical clock that still operates chiming on the ¼ hour and hourly. 




After we were back on the mainland it was a trip up to Bled Castle.  It’s perched on top of a steep cliff more than 100m above the lake and is medieval in style sill with towers, ramparts and a great terrace for views of the lake and its surroundings.  While we were here we all indulged in trying the traditional Slovenian custard flaky cake.  Much like what we know as a vanilla slice but much lighter and tastier; it was delicious!



Bled was definitely worth the visit, albeit short.  A very beautiful part of Slovenia and certainly one that a lot of tourists have already discovered.  We were back “home” early afternoon so after a few last minute chores and photo stops, we made a supermarket stop for lunch and dinner (have already exceeded the budget today ;o) 

Time to repack for flying and get ready to say a sad goodbye to Slovenia and the Balkan countries – an area of the world well worth the effort.

Things we will remember about Slovenia
Green pastures
Green trees
Green forests
Summer flowers
Lakes and rivers
Caves
Firewood stacks


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