Hungary & Croatia -- Day 8

While a few people in the group stayed behind to enjoy the pleasures of the resort and spa, most of us left on the bus to travel for 45 minutes to Trogir Old City. It is set on an islet between the mainland and the island of Ciovo

and is reached by a pedestrian bridge.

The city was established in 380 B.C. by the Greeks as Tragyrion and became Tragurium under the Romans in 78A.D. In 1123 it was attacked and destroyed by the Saracens and abandoned for 70 years. It later was revived and artistic growth occurred under the Kings of Hungary and from 1420 under Venetian rule. In 1987 Trogir was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We spent several hours wandering the city. Although there are many small, and confusing, streets and lanes,

eventually one will come out at an “edge” and be at the sea where one can easily walk to the pedestrian bridge. The island IS small. It’s also comforting to know that one can find a “Sexy Shop” everywhere.

The two primary attractions of the town are the castle and the cathedral. The “castle” known as the Camerlango Fortress was built in the mid-15^th century for defense and had a well and other amenities for withstanding sieges. It deteriorated in the 19^th century but was restored after WWII. It is notable that the Mongolian invaders got as far as Trogir which was under siege for awhile, but the Mongolians never attempted to attack the city, instead folding up their tents and returning to the east.

One can climb to the battlements and then to the top of St. Mark’s Tower (seen here) on stairs that would give an OSHA inspector apoplexy. But the views are lovely.

From the top of the Fortress one could see a tourist attraction for children.

The Cathedral of St. Lawrence is, like so many churches in Dalmatia, sited where a previous church had been. Its construction began in the late 12^th century in Romanesque style but wasn’t completed for decades so has Gothic and Mannerist styles as well.

The portal by Radovan is the best remaining feature of the 12^th century building.

The church tower

is directly across the square from a city building with its own bell tower.

I was in the square at 12 noon when both bells, very different in style and sound, proudly rang 12 times but then the church tower continued with more ringing.

I went to a small museum that contained a variety of Greek and Roman remains from the monastery site as well as religious art from the monastery and town. Not great art, perhaps, but interesting. It met my “small” requirement and was supporting the religious orders. A nun in full regalia was the ticket seller. No pictures allowed inside, but the entry courtyard was quite attractive.

I exited the walled city via the North Town Gate and ate some lunch while awaiting the time to get the bus.

We arrived back at the hotel at 2:15. I rested for a few minutes before attending an impromptu concert by the four saxophone players in the band. A fun session.

I then hurried to my 4 p.m. Hot Rock Massage at the spa, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Swam for half an hour in the indoor pool. I didn’t get a picture of it, but it was similar to the outdoor pool except for being warmer and filled with hundreds (it seemed like) of children.

After dinner I relaxed and worked on my blog in the lobby (where the WiFi was) which was relatively noisy with music and the sounds of many children. Obviously this resort caters to families.

I elected to miss the final concert of the trip. I would have liked to see the town of Sibenik which was first documented in 1066 as Castrum Delenici, a triangular fortified tower. It became a lively cultural center during the Renaissance. The recent war at the break-up of Yugoslavia resulted in the collapse of local industry and mass unemployment. It’s working on recovery. But despite being interested in the town and the final concert, I needed some down and catch-up time.

Although the rain, pouring heavily when the bus arrived in town with the band, stopped in time for the concert, and the band played very well, the hour of the concert (10:30 p.m.) with a reception with the local band following was enough to make me glad I’d decided to skip this one. As it was, I didn’t get to sleep until almost 1 a.m. as I heard about the evening when Helen returned just after midnight. (She’d skipped the reception; those who attended got back about 2 a.m..)

Hungary & Croatia -- Day 7

With great excitement I put on shorts for the first time and a different top; clean, previously unworn, clothes! I then promptly spilled coffee on both. The best laid plans. . . .

We left a little after 9 a.m. for a 3-hour bus ride to Plitvice Lakes National Park. Established in 1949 it’s been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. There are 16 lakes in an area of 110 square miles. Because the lakes occur at varying downward elevations as the water moves toward the River Krona, there are many, many waterfalls – the primary feature of the park. There is, of course, more water in the spring and fall so many of the waterfalls are at this time of year poor imitations of their more impressive selves.

After buying the entrance tickets we walked down over 200 steps to reach the lake

where we took a boat down the lake to the point where we’d begin our walk. The lake is 47 meters deep and very clear. Our guide provided some information about the park during our brief boat ride.

There were many cascades and waterfalls and much lovely scenery as we made our way to the end of our path. No one was exactly sure what type of fish there were in the lakes, but there were many, mostly small but a few were quite large. Best guess was that they are some kind of trout. The population appears large and growing.

At frequent intervals along the path were placed these maps to show the location and relative elevation of the water at that point.

At the conclusion of the scheduled walk, we reached the Great Falls, which at this time of year weren’t so great. . . . We had to stand in line for the opportunity to reach the viewing area.

Then we reached the Great Falls – or perhaps the Many Trickles.

There was then an equally long upward climb to the exit as there had been downward from the entrance, but on a switchback path rather than stairs.

The park was quite lovely but, unfortunately, far too crowded with tourists to allow for much of a real nature experience. The guide indicated that the park had been a prize in the war amongst the parts of the former Yugoslavia. Although it had not been bombed, all the buildings had been destroyed, and most of the animals had left. Efforts at reintroduction are currently underway.

At 5 p.m. the bus left the park to return to the coast, now in Dalmatia, and the city of Sibenik where we are scheduled to spend two nights. Our hotel was not really in the city but a large resort complex on the Adriatic.

There were some problems with rooms that eventually got resolved, and we settled in. Fortunately, the dining room remains open until 9 so we were able to have dinner before heading back to the room to unpack a bit and get to bed.

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!

Hungary & Croatia -- Day 5

The hotel in Fuzine, the Hotel Bitoraj.












Up at 8 for a relatively leisurely start to the day. Didn't have to be on the bus until 10:30. Despite some internet connection problems, I did get some work done on my blog (and later in the afternoon was actually able to post Days 3 & 4).

A member of the Fuzine band came along on the bus to serve as tour guide. We went first to the Vrelo Cave. (Vrelo means "spring" in Croatian.) The cave was discovered in 1950 when some limestone was being excavated. The cave is 300 meters long and is unusual in that it is level throughout making it the only handicapped-accessible cave in Europe. There were interesting formations and a deep spring at the back, 12 meters deep and incredibly clear.

We then drove a short distance (the bus driver is amazing as he maneuvered and turned on extremely narrow streets) to a small lavender farm. The plants are smaller (and, of course, the scale is smaller) than the Norfolk lavender farm I visited in England about 20 years ago.

But we enjoyed the fresh air, lovely surroundings, and opportunity to support the local economy. We were given free samples of a very light and refreshing lavender drink, but I opted against carrying a breakable bottle for the rest of the trip. Too bad, but practicality ruled. However, I did buy some crushed lavender which can be used for tea, bread, or for a soothing smell in the house.

The sign says "Selling Domestic Products." And the kids were cute.

We proceeded to the small town of Lic to visit the Ethnografska Zbeika Lic, the Ethnic Museum of Lic. It was started by a local resident who, along with his brother, thought the town’s history should be preserved so created the museum. It was small, easy to cover in 30 to 45 minutes – my kind of vacation museum! Here is our guide for the morning, a volunteer from the local band, translating for the museum founder as he described the contents of the museum, which included a beautifully-done piece of embroidery.

The bus took us to the far side of the man-made lake (opposite the town and our hotels) where members of the local band had been roasting a pig and lamb for hours. The pig was off the spit and cut up by the time we arrived, but the lamb was still cooking.

While I love lamb, I prefer not seeing my food look so much like the animal it was. Hypocritical, I know. (And I did enjoy the lamb.)

In addition to the pork and lamb, they barbecued sausages and a ground meat mixture (looked something like hamburger but was better). And the women of the band did the usual kitchen work. . . .

Along with bread, a few tomatoes, onions, and a paprika spread, that was lunch. It was delicious, but I don’t think I have ever eaten such a quantity of meat at one meal. Quite amazing. Then the Fuzine band presented us with their “surprise:” at least 20 different kinds if homemade desserts, I sampled at least 6 to 8 of them! (Weight Watchers, forgive me – for I knew exactly what I did!).

Helen and I decided we needed some exercise so walked back to town/our hotel – all of about ¾ mile on a path running alongside the lake.

Helen then decided to bathe and rest while I used this free time to visit the tourist office, grocery store, and post office.

Then it was time to walk over to the athletic field where the concert was to be held. The Fuzine band played several numbers first. Then the two bands played several songs together, including, of course, the war horse number, Stars and Stripes Forever. The Fuzine piccolo player, a teenager, was quite amazingly good, nimble fingers flying.

The Fuzine band took the stage for three pieces, then Star of the North began their concert.

By 9 p.m., midway through their presentation, a warm day had turned chilly, and I hadn’t taken my coat along so I abandoned the concert and returned to the hotel room. When Helen came in half an hour later, she was freezing, had been fighting off mosquitoes, and squinting from trying to read her music in the dark. The difficulties of being an artiste!!

We went downstairs to the hotel restaurant for a late dinner which became even later when the hotel musician, an older man who played keyboard and sang classics – in the styles of their originators, like Louis Armstrong and Ray Charles, performed. He was delightful but at 11 p.m. I left to return to the room and, at midnight, finally get to bed.