Hungary & Croatia -- Day 6

Bus left Fuzine promptly at 9 a.m. Unfortunately, I was unshowered since there was NO hot water. We headed toward Krk (pronounced Krick – Croatians seem to be vowel-challenged), an island in the Kvarner Gulf. It is the only island that has a road as well as the ferry connection which serves the other major inhabited islands. There was beautiful scenery along the way; Croatia is quite gorgeous – lush and green with mountains and curving roads and, once we passed through a long tunnel, a gorgeous view of the Adriatic.

The major roads in Croatia are good; many seem to be new, and there is still construction going on. On the way down the hillside to the Krk bridge one could see a new, improved, road being constructed. Using tunnels, it will reduce the elevation changes and eliminate the sharp drop-off from a narrow road that we experienced.

The City of Krk is on the west side of the island of Krk. The island has a population of 17,000 residents, which number expands dramatically during the tourist season. The bridge has increased accessibility for both tourists and full-time residents although during the winter the bridge is sometimes unusable when winds of up to 200 km. can render it impassable.

Krk was colonized in the 4^th century by the Romans who built city walls. Since they were not defensive but just part of typical city architecture, the materials used were not the best, and those walls did not last. The walls currently remaining are from the late medieval period and were built for defense against the Venetians. As it turned out, the Venetians were successful in taking over Krk but did so peacefully by reaching an agreement with the city’s leading families.

The clock on the gate is a rare, 24-hour one. The a.m. hours are on the left side, and p.m. is on the right.

The owl is the symbol the city of Krk and flies on the flag over the main town square.

The Francophone family was the lead family under Venetian rule. The fortified castle from which they ruled was built from the 12^th to the 14^th centuries and served as the town’s defense from naval attacks. The square tower, from 1191, is the oldest part and originally also served as a courthouse.

For a small fee I was able to climb up to the top of the round tower and go along the battlements to the square tower to descend. In the square tower was a display of medieval dress and a huge display of the Francophone family tree. Once the Hapsburgs came to power in the area, they had the Francophones killed so the family tree ended rather abruptly.

The views from atop the castle were quite nice.

The Bishop’s House was next to the Square Tower. This is the front of the Bishop’s House, the eastern side of which was constructed at the same time as the cathedral. The Krk diocese was first mentioned in the 7^th century.

The cathedral was begun in the 11^th century of Romanesque construction; it comprises remains of Roman baths, the chapel of St. Quirinus, and a bell tower, which was built in the 16^th century.

The original wood angel atop the bell tower also served as a weather vane. The current angel with trumpet, made “music” with the wind until the neighbors complained.

Krk had many narrow charming streets. In an effort to catch tourist’s interest, one shop owner had a number of music box mechanisms displayed which played a variety of tunes. Steve, the band’s tuba player, was clearly interested.

We returned to the bus to drive to the mid-point of the island of Krk and the much smaller town of Vrbnik. Its streets are so narrow that the bus had to leave the trailer (with our luggage!) on the outskirts of town near the vineyards and even with just the bus had to leave us to walk up several hundred yards to reach the main part of town. On the walk we had a lovely view of the church and of the sea (only slightly disturbed by me).

Vrbnik claims one of its streets as the narrowest in the world. Klancic, at its narrowest point is only 43 cm. Wouldn’t pay to be claustrophobic.

We had a walking tour of the town which included some city walls and towers. For residents’ safety, all residential buildings were located within the walls with access only through two gates.

We were heading for the Nada Winery where grappa and wine tasting were scheduled. Along the way was some lovely scenery.

There were three types of grappa available; fig, herb, and plain (going from mildest to strongest). All were a bit harsh for my taste.

The wines were a bit more enjoyable (from my perspective). There was Zlahtine (white), Bejda (red) and Prosek (dessert). I liked them all since they tended to be light and mild. A good time was had by all.
We returned to the bus, walking down a somewhat easier pathway, picked up the luggage trailer at 3:30 and began a 2-hour journey to Opatija and our hotel for the night where, as usual, it took time to get keys distributed to 60-some people. Opatjia really came into its own in the mid-19^th century when a visit by Austrian Empress Maria Anna made it the “in” place to vacation. It’s no longer the height of fashion but does have some nice beaches and typical tourist offerings.

We unpacked a little and then headed off at 7:10 to Lovran, a nearby town of 3,600 residents, where the concert was to be held. One local band, Marinici, played first, then Star of the North, with the Lovran band concluding the concert. It was a delightful setting – the Main Square, next to the Church of St. George. Chairs were set up for the band and audience, in between the outdoor tables of several restaurants and coffee bars.

After the concert there was a brief reception at a nearby building. Such get-togethers with the local bands are fun, but it went on a bit long for me. We didn’t get back to the hotel until 11:45. By the time I got myself organized and to bed it was almost 1 a.m. – far too late for me!