Month: October 2018

Friday, October 26

The touristy part of town is to the East of our apartment but some of the nicest beaches are reputed to be to the West.  There is a road that follows the shore all the way around.  Much of the interior of the peninsula is an elevated park that overlooks a large marina.  We had to see it for ourselves.

Along the way we encountered The Museum of Croatian Archeological Monuments, The Gallery of Ivan Mestrovic and the Institute of Oceanography. We planned to go back to see the first two but the institute is not open to the public.  As we walked we couldn’t help noticing that the interior of the peninsula was composed of high hills and long winding roads with sheer drops.  On the other side were a series of pristine beaches outlined by piers made of  large natural stones and palm trees – all of them public – and all of them maintained by the city.  Given that the season for swimming is over the beaches were deserted.  They reminded us of desert islands.

(Beautiful Beaches)

Up on one of the cliffs we saw a man made cave.  It was carved directly into the mountain.  I tried to take a picture but found that my lens would not zoom in.  It was stuck.  I poked and prodded and even banged it a bit to no avail.  It had been working flawlessly all day but now there was a problem. The lens still worked and the auto-focus was unaffected but it’s range was cut from 24-70mm to 24-50mm.  That extra 20mm really is a big deal.  For the time being I switched to my 70-300mm lens but was unable to take any decent photos of anything that was within 50 feet.

As we rounded the bend towards the North we entered Marjan Forest Park.  We found hiking trails, walking paths and places to bike.  Interspaced along the path were benches and drinking fountains that reminded us of the Nasoni in Rome.  Down by the water there were small coves and grottoes where people had laid out blankets and were enjoying the sun.  It seemed like the perfect place for a family outing or to walk your dog.  The pine trees and the terrain reminded us of places we’d seen on the Northern California coast and was highly reminiscent of Muir Woods.

(A Small, Private Cove)

As we rounded the bend towards the East we spied a large marina with sailboats, small motor boats and a large Naval vessel.  We walked down towards the waterfront and had coffee in one of the cafes overlooking the protected bay.  It was called Kavana Procaffe.  We found a table under an umbrella with a direct view of the harbor and had a look at the menu.  They had  chocolate and vanilla flavored cappuccinos.  We ordered one of each.  For once we exercised some self-control and didn’t order any of the beautiful cakes that were on display.  The cappuccinos were quite good.

Distance walked: 9.4 miles

Saturday, October 27

The weather was forecast to be cloudy and cold so we decided to use this day to try and find a camera shop to service my camera.  We figured that in the end we’d probably have to send the lens out for repair but we had nothing to lose.  We Googled for some nearby camera shops but only found office supply stores.  We found a review for one of the malls where a customer had said the camera shop had helped her with a similar problem.  What did we have to lose?

Our first stop was the Joker Mall.  It’s a four level mall with a large number of coffee shops but not too many stores.  We found the store mentioned in the review but they did not service cameras – they only sold them.  The clerk directed us to their store in one of the other malls and told us that they could help us.  We walked the rest of the mall looking for another camera store but couldn’t find anything useful.  Strike one.

Ever hopeful we headed over to the City Center Mall.  It was 3.1 miles distant from the Joker Mall.  This was a much larger mall on three levels with a large food court.  We found the store that the clerk had directed us to but they said that any items that needed to be served are sent to Zagreb.  Strike two. None of the other shops in the mall were helpful.

A little dejected we decided it was time for lunch.  After checking all our options at the food court we found two interesting places.  Deborah had a spinach quiche from one and I had moussaka from another (in Croatia moussaka is made with potatoes instead of eggplant).  The quiche (10 KN / $1.60) was delicious.  It had a wonderful flaky crust, was loaded with spinach and contained sweet red peppers.  The moussaka (35 KN / $6.00) was huge and very filling.  It was just layers of meat and potatoes with a crusty cheese on top.  I ate all of the meat but left most of the potatoes on my plate; it was just too much for one person to eat.

After lunch we headed to the Mall of Split, which was about 1.1 miles away.  It is the largest of the three and had a nice selection of shops except, of course, camera shops.  Strike three.  We sat at one of the cafes and found consolation in a piece of ganache cake – a dense chocolate cake layered with thick chocolate fudge and topped with dark chocolate ganache.  Cost: 20 KN / $3.15).

(A Small Consolation)

On the way home we picked up dinner at a shop that we’d noticed on our first day in town.  It’s called Kantun Paulina.  The pictures on the side of the building looked wonderful, the smell was enticing and there was a long line of people queued up outside.  It’s just a small takeaway restaurant that sells Croatian style sandwiches.  We got a sausage sandwich to take home.

The bread, a Croatian specialty called Lepinja, resembles a pita but it’s soft and yeasty.  Inside were several small sausages (they’re made from beef), kajmak (a soft, creamy cheese that resembles cream cheese), ajvar (a relish made with sweet red peppers) and chopped onion.  It was the perfect sandwich.  One sandwich was enough to feed the two of us.  Cost: 27 KN / $4.25.

(Best Sandwich Ever)

Distance walked: 10.6 miles

Sunday, October 28

It poured rain all day.  We stayed in and did laundry and thought about the sandwich we’d had from Kantun Paulina.  Around 3:30 pm I went out and purchased two to take home.  I had high hopes that I’d be able to eat Deborah’s leftovers.  There weren’t any.

Distance walked: 0.8 miles

Wednesday, October 24

Another bus ride.  This time we had tickets to Split on the 11:30 am on our new favorite bus company: Flixbus.  Not only were we able to use electronic tickets (we hate having to print tickets) but they didn’t charge us for our luggage.  The vehicle for this trip was a double-decker bus complete with a bathroom and a nice smooth ride.  We’re going to use Flixbus whenever possible from now on.

Our trip was scheduled for two hours and fifty minutes and we got in ten minutes early.  Our apartment was a fifteen minute walk away and our path took us all along the waterfront.  It was a great way to see some of our new home before we had the chance to explore.  We’ll be in Split for the next two weeks.

Our new apartment is just two blocks from the waterfront.  It’s an older building with just a handful of apartments and a charming courtyard in the middle.  It’s a large apartment with one bedroom, a huge TV with cable, HBO and a dishwasher.  We discovered, however, that there was no hot water in the kitchen sink.  When we told our host he informed us that there was none.  He said that if we wanted hot water we could take it from the bathroom or boil some in the kettle.  Imagine how convenient that would be.  The website didn’t mention this little detail and none of the previous tenants commented on it.  We think it’s a significant issue.  If we knew this we certainly would have chosen another apartment.  It’s going to take some getting used to.

After settling in we walked all around the old town area.  It may look like an old town but in fact it was all part of a giant palace that was built by Emperor Diocletian in the 4th Century.  It was a blast to walk around and see the old buildings, arches, temples and churches situated within a myriad of long narrow streets and alleys.

For dinner we decided to try a local restaurant in the old town that was serving some Croatian specialties.  Deborah had the Pasticada, a stewed beef normally served with either gnocchi or pasta.  I had a pan fried Dorado.  It was served whole.  It was so fresh I suspect it had probably been swimming in the ocean until that very morning.

(Pasticada with Gnocchi)

We stocked up at a grocery store before heading home to make plans for the next day.

Distance walked: 5.5 miles

Thursday, October 25

Apparently the people in the other apartments in the courtyard come and go at all sorts of hours.  How do we know this?  Well, every time someone opens the gate between the garden and the street a motion sensor turns on a light that shines directly into our bedroom window.  As if that wasn’t bad enough the church that is just down the street rings its bells at 7:15 am and the workmen in the neighbor’s yard started making lots of noise at 7:30 am.  It doesn’t look like we’re going to get to sleep late in this town.  After breakfast we realized that there are shutters on the windows.  Maybe they’ll help with the lights and sounds.  We’ll see what happens tomorrow.

Our plan was to go on the free tour at 10:30 am.  When we arrived at the designated site we were met by an aggressive saleswoman.  She tried to convince us to sign up for her company’s tour.  When we declined and said that we planned to take the free tour she informed us that the free tour hadn’t existed for at least three years and that no one had bothered to update the web site.  Her tour normally cost 100 KN / $16.00 per person and she offered us a discount of 10 KN if we signed up right then.  We were a little suspicious so we ducked into a nearby tourist information center where they confirmed that there were no free tours.  We had no intention of paying over $30 for a tour so we set out to see the city on our own.

Our first stop was Cathedral of Saint Domnius which is actually a complex of three buildings: The cathedral, a Roman era mausoleum and a bell tower.  The mausoleum dates from the end of the third century and was part of Diocletian’s Palace.  The space retains many of its original architectural features and many Roman Era burials are evident.  The building was converted to a cathedral in the 7th century and is the second oldest structure in the world used by a Christian Cathedral.  The bell tower, in the Romanesque style, was built in the 17th century.  Technically the church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the bell tower is dedicated to Saint Dominus, a bishop of Dalmatia who lived in the 3rd century.

Upon stepping inside you enter a round chamber with a domed ceiling that strongly resembles a pagan temple.  At the back of the chamber is a rectangular annex where an altar has been installed.  It seems a rather odd juxtaposition but together they made a lovely sight.

(Cathedral of Saint Domnius)

We bought a combination ticket that allowed us to see the cathedral and the nearby Temple of Jupiter for the low, low price of 25 KN / $4.00 per person.  We decided to visit the bell tower on another day because there was an additional fee to see it.

The Temple of Jupiter was built between 295 and 305 during the construction of the palace.  It was dedicated to the god Jupiter who Diocletian was said to have descended from.  It’s a tall building with plain walls made of large stones and a curved vaulted stone ceiling heavily decorated with carvings.  In the back was a large statue.  The effect evoked the temples of ancient Greece.  Surprisingly the statue was a representation of Saint John the Baptist as the building had been turned into a baptistery in the 6th century.

We’re big fans of the HBO series Game of Thrones.  Many of the scenes were filmed in Croatia – particularly in and around the cities of Split and Dubrovnik.  The substructure of Diocletian’s Palace was the setting for the scenes where Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons are imprisoned in the city of Meereen.  We visited the dragons’ lair today.  Unfortunately, the dragons were on holiday but in their place we found plenty of souvenir shops.

(Entrance to the Dragons’ Lair)

Now it was time to find the produce market.  Every city we’ve visited in Croatia has had one.  We’ve been having a great time browsing and the prices are better than what we’d find in the supermarket.  As usual we walked the entire market noticing what was for sale and how much it was at each booth.  There was a large choice of meats, cheeses, honey, bread, fruits and vegetables.  We bought some proscuitto, smoked cheese, apples, a large loaf of artisanal bread, butter lettuce, red onion and a green that’s a cross between a swiss chard and arugula (it wasn’t labeled and we can’t remember the name but it was highly recommended by a local who was at the booth at the same time).

We had intended the above to be our lunch when we ran into the fish market on the other side of town.  A man at one of the booths was cutting a fresh swordfish into steaks.  We just couldn’t resist.  We got a little over 3/4 of a pound for just $8.00.  We might just go back tomorrow for the tuna.

Our last stop, before heading home for lunch, was a neighborhood bakery.  We noticed it the day before and had tried some of the free samples they were handing out.  They had some really interesting choices.  We bought a slice of pita sir.  It’s a Croatian specialty.  It’s a very moist cake with the consistency of a cooked noodle with layers of a sweetened cottage cheese.  It’s rather heavy but delicious.  We also bought a cake that resembled an apple strudel with a crumb topping.  They had several trays with samples of many of their pastries and we tried them all – one was better than the next.  This place is WAY too close to our apartment for comfort.

After a lunch featuring fresh swordfish, salad greens, cake and cake (no, that’s not a typo) we decided to walk the entire waterfront.  We headed West.  Along the way we saw a number of waterfront cafes and finally stopped when we got to the marina.  It’s hard to imagine more lovely sailboats crowded together in a single place.  Then we walked East, past all of the tourist boats and saw where the ferries and cruise ships come in.  We tried to walk to the end of the peninsula where the lighthouse was but the road was not open to the public.  We headed back West and stopped at one of the many cafes overlooking the marina and talked about our plans for the coming days over cappuccinos.

(Picturesque Split Harbor)

For dinner we ate the prosciutto, smoked cheese, dried figs and apples while dunking our bread in the olive oil we’d gotten in Pula.  We’ve been using olive oil in everything imaginable but have hardly made a dent in our supply.  What’s worse: having no hot water in the kitchen or having too much olive oil?  We have real problems people!  😉

Distance walked: 7.3 miles

Monday, October 22

After a day off for good behavior we went back to the Museum of Ancient Glass.  Before buying tickets we confirmed that they were having a glass blowing demonstration that day.  The clerk told us that the demonstration had just started up on the second floor.  We paid our 30 KN / $5.00 per person and headed upstairs.

“Mark” was in a large studio behind a plate glass window about halfway through making a vase.  He connected a stub to the bottom, heated the piece in an oven and turned a flange on the top.  Then he heated some more glass and twirled it around the neck of the vase making a lovely decorative addition.  We watched as he made another vase from scratch.  This one had a colored base.  We spoke with him afterwards and he told us that all of the pieces he made were for sale in the museum’s gift shop after they “slept” in a cooling oven for 18 hours.  He said that one out of ten pieces will break during the cooling process.

When the demonstration was done we went to see the exhibits on the second floor.  Most of the pieces on display had been imported into Zadar from all over the Roman Empire.  There were a large number of utilitarian pieces used for keeping perfumes and medicines as well as general household items like glasses and bowls.  We also saw several collections of jewelry made from glass beads and paste bracelets.

(First Century Roman Glass)

On the first floor the displays chronicled the history of glass making.  According to one display glass was invented accidentally when some sailors cooked a meal using soda to support their cookware.  When the soda became hot it fused with the sand on the beach and formed the first man-made glass.

There was an interesting display showing decorative techniques throughout the years.  Murano, Italy is one of the few places that still produces decorative glass the way it was done in Medieval times.

The first floor also had a temporary exhibition on lighthouses.  None of the information was in English so it was hard to make out exactly what it was all about but there was a nice display of lights and glass reflector mechanisms from old lighthouses.

The museum was fairly small and the exhibits were not all that compelling.  By far the most interesting portion was the glassblowing demonstration.  The museum was also supposed to have a bead making demonstration later in the day but we decided not to hang around until the person showed up.  In summary, it’s hard to recommend this museum unless, of course, this is a subject that is really close to your heart.

Afterwards we walked back to the sea organ and watched the boats frolicking in the water.  This has been one of our favorite things to do since we landed in Zadar.  We watched and listened for over an hour before searching for a place to have lunch.  After checking a few menus we decided to try Papica Burger House.  They had a burger with ajvar, kajmak cheese, relish and onions.  It sounded too good to resist – so we didn’t.  It turned out to be a great choice.  We also shared an ordered of fries.  They were just ok.

(Burger with Ajvar and Kajmak)

After lunch we tried to go to the Museum of Religious Art but they were closed between 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm so we decided to come back the next day.

Distance walked: 6.2 miles

Tuesday, October 23

This was our last full day in Zadar and the only thing left on our list of things to do was the Religious Art Museum.  We arrived just after they opened at 10:00 am to make sure that we had enough time to see everything before it closed at 1:00 pm.  We had low expectations and expected to be out in about 30 minutes.

The museum is housed in a Benedictine Convent and is run by the nuns who live there.  The entrance fee was 25 KN / $4.00 per person.  Cash only.

The museum starts on the first floor (second floor for you Americans – we’ll stop saying that when it stops amusing us).  The museum covered the entire floor and was filled with painted icons, reliquaries containing relics from many well known saints, golden chalices and wooden processional crosses covered in precious metals and stones.  The items were primarily from the 1200-1500s. It was an impressive collection.

(Restored Paintings of Saints)

The next higher floor contained more of the same plus several collections of carved wooden religious statues taken from area churches that no longer exist.

The final displays were on the ground floor.  One room was dedicated to printed materials in the Glagolitic script, a written language developed in the 9th century that preceded the Cyrillic Alphabet.  At one time this monastery was the only church in Zadar allowed to conduct services in Glagolitic and Latin.

There was also an exhibit demonstrating how some of the pieces in the museum had been restored.  There was a great deal of information but unfortunately none of it was in English.  Lastly we entered a small, ancient chapel that had undoubtedly been part of the original convent.  The chapel had no decorations to speak of but displayed some intricate carvings that used to be on the walls.  It is likely that the chapel suffered significant damage in the War of Independence in the 1990s.

The museum had a large, high quality and diverse collection of objects in very good condition.  Our entire visit took a little over an hour and we enjoyed it very much.

We decided to kill some time before seeking a place for lunch by having coffee at one of the many seaside cafes.  They were serving Franck brand coffee which is one of the better brands we’ve had in Croatia.  While at the cafe we discussed our plans for the coming weeks.  Our plan had been to go from Montenegro to Greece sometime near the beginning of December.  It turns out that getting from Montenegro (or even Southern Croatia) to Greece was going to be a challenge.  No direct flights were available and the flights we could find were terribly expensive and a trip by bus would take over 24 hours.  Our best and cheapest option turned out to be a flight from Podgorica, Montenegro to Athens, Greece with a stop in Berlin, Germany.  Since we’ve never been to Berlin we decided to take the opportunity to visit it.  We’ll be staying there for two weeks.

For lunch we tried one of the best reviewed pizza places in town.  It’s called Crazy Pizza.  Each slice (they call them ‘cuts’) was 14 KN / $2.20 and it was the equivalent of two normal slices – or a quarter of the pie.  We had slices with pepperoni and arugula.  It was some of the best pizza we’ve had in a while.

Distance walked: 4.3 miles

Friday, October 19

Our first stop was at the church of Saint Simeon.  Inside, where no photos were permitted, we found the Chest of Saint Simeon which holds the relics of the named saint.  The chest, made by local goldsmiths in the late 1370s, is considered a masterpiece and is under the protection of UNESCO.

Next was the Church of Saint Anastasia which dates from the fourth and fifth centuries.  It was rebuilt in the 12th and 13th centuries in the Romanesque style.  This church is home to the Zadar Catholic Archdiocese and is the largest church in Dalmatia.  The interior is distinguished by stone colonnades connected by arches which support a second level.  The stonework is rather plain but contrasts nicely with the Baroque style altarpieces.

(Church of Saint Anastasia)

Nearby we visited the Serbian Orthodox Church of Saint Elias.  It’s a lovely little church with a very tall bell tower.  It has the typical golden iconostasis and has whitewashed walls in place of the usual frescos.  In the back was a three tier balcony made of carved stone.

(Iconostasis from the Church of Saint Elias)

The last church of the day was the Church of our Lady of Health.  It’s a small Roman Catholic church with a very plain interior.  The church was severely damaged by bombs in Croatia’s War of Independence against Serbia in 1991.  Some of decorative elements of the outside of the church used original stones in the reconstruction but the church was substantially rebuilt.

Our last stop of the day was to the Museum of Archeology.  The museum is said to include exhibits from pre-historic times until Roman times.  Entry was 30 KN / $5.00 per person.  Cash only.

The museum starts on the second floor in pre-historic times.  There were several informational panels and display cases full on uninteresting rocks.  It quickly moved through paleo/neolithic times to the stone, copper, bronze and iron ages.  There we saw displays made up of flints, arrowheads and axes.

The next section went directly to Roman times.  There were a couple of nice mosaics that had been taken from elsewhere in town, a few pieces of gold jewelry and lots of carved stones from building pediments.  Near the end there were four statues of famous Romans from the Imperial period.  Two were nearly complete and two were unrecognizable.

(Augustus Represented as Jupiter) 

We zipped through the museum in less than one hour.  The displays were not particularly interesting nor were they informative.  None of the pieces were particularly special or rare and many of the artifacts were in poor condition.  We could not recommend this museum especially in light of the very high ticket prices.

For lunch we got sandwiches and, once again, sat by the waterfront and amused ourselves by watching the boat traffic.

Distance walked: 4.9 miles

Saturday, October 20

We walked back to the old town and hunted for a coffee shop that was highly recommended named Kavana Danica.  As usual we ordered two cappuccinos.  When they arrived we discovered that it was Franck brand coffee that we’d had in Zagreb.  We liked the coffee but had been looking forward to trying something new.

We’ve made an interesting observation since we’ve been in Croatia.  All of the coffee houses have exceptionally good foam in their cappuccinos.  It’s thick, creamy and composed of small, dense bubbles.  We’ve tried many different brands of coffee and many different coffee houses (and doubtless many different expresso machines) and the foam is very consistent.  We suspect it may have to do with the milk.

After coffee we walked over to the far side of the fortress.  We found a barbican and a gate with intricate carvings.  We continued passed another marina and were once again on the western side.  What did we see in the water: over 150 sailboats of every size, type and class were gathered near one of the piers.  It looked like the setup for a regatta.  We walked over to the northern end of the peninsula where we had a good vantage point near the Sea Organ.

What is a Sea Organ?  It’s a very interesting installation done in 2005 as part of the reconstruction of the waterfront after the devastation suffered during World War II.  Movement of the water pushes air through pipes at water level underneath marble stairs that lead to the sea.  The area under the stairs is hollow and serves to amplify the sound.  The configuration of the stairs is said to resemble the organ’s keyboard.  When nearby boats cause a wake the organ gets louder and higher pitches are produced.  The organ doesn’t actually play anything resembling a tune but the sounds are soothing and organic (no pun intended).

Sea Organ Video

We watched the regatta for some time.  Different classes of boats took turns crossing in front of us to get to the starting point where they would follow the prescribed course.  By the time they finished the course and headed back towards where we were they were flying their colorful spinnakers.

Eating out in Zadar has been a real problem.  The restaurants are, compared to Zagreb, horribly expensive.  What’s worse is that most of them have Google ratings in the 3 – 3.5 range.  That’s pretty bad.  It’s been a real challenge.  After searching for a while we found a small place that was off the main road.  We ordered čevapi with ajvar and fried calamari.  The food was fairly good.  We ordered a piece of rožata for dessert.  It’s a speciality of the Dalmatian coast area and was originated in Dubrovnik.  It’s a cross between a flan and a creme brûlée and comes with a rose flavored sauce.  We really hate flan but this was pretty good.  The total came to 150 KN / $24.00.  That’s a lot more than we’re used to spending and a lot more than we’d like to spend.  Sadly, it’s probably going to get worse as we go further south.

(Rožata for Dessert)

After lunch we tried to go to the Museum of Ancient Glass where they have glassblowing demonstrations.  We found out that the demonstrations ended a few minutes before we got there so we’ll go back on another day.

We spent the rest of the afternoon back at the Sea Organ watching the sailboats coming back to the harbor in the setting sun.  We didn’t do much but we had a great time.

Distance walked: 7.5 miles

Wednesday, October 17

Our choice of busses from Pula to Zadar was limited so we booked an 11:00 am.  By car the trip should take about four hours but on the bus it was going to take almost seven.  It was going to be a long day.

In the morning we walked down to the market and bought a couple of sandwiches for lunch.  We expected the bus to make some stops along the way where we could get something to eat but figured we could get something better and cheaper in Pula.

When we arrived in Pula we took a taxi from the station to our apartment.  The taxi had a meter and the cost turned out to be about $11.00.  Considering that the distance was about one mile that seemed very high.  For the trip back to the bus station this morning we booked an Uber.  The cost was about $4.50.  As much as we don’t like using Uber we’ve found that it is generally the lowest cost option.

For the most part the bus hugged the coast for the entire trip which meant narrow winding mountainous roads the entire way.  Our view of the coastline alternated between deep blue seas, soaring mountains and breathtaking vistas.  If we had to endure a long trip this was the way to go.  In addition to the numerous pickups along the way we made three 10-15 stops.  The last one, two hours before we got to Zadar, had no public bathrooms.  Most of the passengers used the facilities at a local restaurant but were required to buy something.  We bought a small bottle of Coke for $3.50.  The bus company should have planned their stops better.

The old town of Zadar is situated on a peninsula that juts into the sea.  Access from our apartment, just two blocks away, is via a long narrow footbridge which crosses one of several marinas.

We unpacked and headed over to a Kaufland supermarket.  Many of the cities we’ve visited have had a Kaufland but this is the first that there’s been one close enough to patronize.  Based on their commercials we expected them to have a great selection of produce, meats and cheeses.

The store was a large, warehouse style market similar to what you might find at a BJ’s or Sam’s Club.  They had a nice selection of goods but we didn’t find their prices or quality to be anything special.  We were a bit tired so we just stocked up on a few of the essentials and decided to come back the next day after we explored the town.

Distance walked: 3.5 miles

Thursday, October 18

Zadar is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Croatia.  It’s history goes back to the Stone Age.  Starting around 59 BC it became part of the Roman Empire.  After Rome fell it became part of the Byzantine Empire.  Control passed back and forth between several rulers until, in 1202, it was conquered  by the Venetians.   Control passed back and forth between Venice and several other rulers until 1918 when it became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  In 1920 the Treaty of Rapallo ceded control to the Kingdom of Italy.  During World War II the city was controlled by Germany and afterwards became part of Communist Yugoslavia.  As of October 1991 Croatia has been an independent country.  Historically Zadar had been the capital of the Dalmatian Region.

Fun Fact: Dalmatian dogs originated in the Dalmatian region of Croatia.  When we asked someone why we hadn’t seen any they replied that the Dalmatian dogs have become too expensive.

Personal Observation: Croatia is a very dog friendly place.  Everyone seems to have dogs and they take them everywhere they go – including restaurants and cafes.  One of the most popular breeds seems to be Golden Retrievers.  Enough said!

We started the day by taking a turn around the old city.  It’s surrounded by water on three sides.  Everywhere you look you can see boats and marinas.  It’s truly a nautical paradise.  It was hard to pull ourselves away from the view but eventually we decided to take in a few of the sights.

(View of Old City from Bridge)

First we stopped by the Franciscan Monastery of Saint Michael.  It’s a pretty church with a somewhat plain interior and baroque style altars.  Next we walked around some of the old fortifications.  The old town is surrounded by high walls and several ornate gates.  These items are all listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  We saw the square with five wells which were created inside the city walls by the Venetians as part of an effort to protect the town from the Turks in the 1600s.  We also walked through the area that was the Roman Forum in ancient times.  Most of the area is in ruins.  It is said that the forum sustained heavy damage in World War II.  Nearby is the Church of Saint Donatus and the Church of Saint Anastsia.

(Church of Saint Donatus and the Church of Saint Anastsia Bell Tower)

We visited the Church of Saint Donatus which dates from the 9th century when it was named The Church of the Holy Trinity.  The central core is the only part of the church complex to survive.  During ancient times it served as the Temple of Jupiter.  The interior has the characteristic round shape that is most often associated with such temples.  Cost of admission: 20 KN / $3.25 per person.

(Church of Saint Donatus)

For lunch we grabbed some pizza from a street vendor and ate over by the waterfront.  (They call a slice of pizza a “Pizza Cut”.)  We had a great time watching the large variety of boats coming and going.  There were ferries, fishing boats, tourist boats, sailboats and motorboats criss-crossing everywhere.  It was a bright sunny day with warm temperates and a lovely breeze.  It’s hard to think of a nicer place to spend an afternoon.

On our way home we stopped in one of the souvenir shops.  Something in the window had caught our eye.  It was a cherry flavored liqueur that is made from Dalmatian Maraska cherries and is only produced in Zadar (Maraska cherries are a type of sour Morello cherry).  There were several varieties  having different levels of alcohol.  The clerk offered us some samples and we willingly accepted.  We tried one with 17% alcohol and one with 32%.  We both liked one with the higher alcohol level better.  It was thick and sweet and had a strong cherry flavor.  The name of the liqueur is Maraschino.  In spite of the higher alcohol it was smooth and had little to no bite or burn.  We bought a small bottle to take home.  It cost just over $3.00.

(Maraschino)

Distance walked: 5.9 miles

Monday, October 15

Our plan was to visit the nearby town of Rovinj but, since the first bus out was at 1:00 pm, we had some time in the morning to run some errands.  The first thing we saw when we left the apartment was a happy site: in the yard in the house across the street we spied a golden retriever puppy!  As soon as we made eye contact he came running over.  He wagged his tail so furiously we thought he’d knock himself over.  He was really sweet.  We talked to him and petted him for quite a while.  It reminded us of a quote from the golden retriever character in the movie, “Up”…

I have just met you and I love you

That just about sums up all goldens.  Of course we’re rather partial to them as we shared our home with two for many years.  We miss them terribly still.  Now we’re going to be looking for this puppy every time we leave the apartment.

After parting with our new friend we walked over to the forum and entered the tourist information center.  We had some idea about visiting Brijuni National Park and needed some assistance figuring out how to get back and forth.  The center was very helpful and gave us all the information we needed.  We also asked about a place where we could print our bus tickets to Zadar.  There was one a just a short walk away.

The two main bus companies in the area seem to be Flixbus and Brioni.  The 45 minute trip to Ravinj was on Flixbus.  We purchased our tickets through their iPhone app which meant that we didn’t have to print our tickets.  We liked that.  When we got to the station we found out that the actual carrier for this trip would be Brioni.  Brioni tickets MUST be printed but they seem to accept electronic tickets from Flixbus.  We’re never going to understand that.

Rovinj was part of Venice even before it was conquered by the Romans.  After the fall of the Roman Empire it was part of the Byzantine Empire before it was taken over by the Frankish Empire in 788 when it was ruled by a succession of feudal lords.  From 1283 to 1797 it belonged to the Republic of Venice.  In 1763 the island was connected to the mainland when the channel was filled in.  Today, the town has two official languages: Croatian and Italian.  It’s main industries are fishing and tourism.

(Old Town in Ravinj)

Given its history it’s not surprising to see that the Old Town sits on a peninsula that juts into the sea.  All around are small islands, most of which are uninhabited.  We decided to walk around the perimeter.  The sea is blue and crystal clear.  We could easily see the bottom in 12 feet of water.  The southern side contains a marina where we saw mainly small motorboats and docks for the ferries.  On the western side a large section of coast has been cordoned off from boats and stairs have been cut into the rocks making it one of the largest swimming pools you can imagine.  Near the north end we found an old World War II era pill box.  We went inside and were able to see the entire port area through long, narrow slits.

The Old Town is dominated by the Church of Saint Euphemia which sits on top of a hill.  There are high walls around the church that resemble a fortress.  The top of the church features a sculpture of the saint along with a wheel symbolizing the method by which she was martyred in 303.  The building is in the Baroque style and dates from 1736.  The tower, which can be climbed, is said to resemble Saint Mark’s in Venice.  The interior is in the Italian style and is very pretty with marble accents.  The tomb of the named saint can be found near the rear.

(Sunset over Ravinj)

After leaving the church we explored the Old Town.  The streets are narrow and winding and are all made from large blocks of travertine that have been worn smooth over the years.  It must be tricky to walk there on rainy days.  There are a few sights to be seen, like the clock tower and Balbi’s Arch (which was undergoing restoration and was completely obscured when we were there) but the main attractions are simply the coast and the sea.  They are magnificent sights.

(Ravinj at Night)

For dinner we went to a restaurant that was highly recommended.  It was Taverna di Amici.  It’s a small place where the outside tables sit on a heavily inclined road.  From what we could tell the owner was bussing and waiting tables and his wife was in the kitchen cooking.  One of the reasons we went there was because we wanted to try their fuzi, a special pasta that is only found in Rovinj.

We ordered a plate of fuzi with ham and arugula and tried to order a fish in garlic sauce.  The waiter instead recommended the bream with vegetables and truffle sauce.  He said the portion was larger and that the truffle sauce was emblematic of the area.  We obliged him (we figured that they were out of the other fish).

It was one of the best meals we’ve had in a while.  The fuzi was thick and chewy and was freshly made.  We got four fillets of fish and the truffle sauce was incredibly delicious.  The best part of the entire meal may have been the rosemary potatoes and the sauté of peppers and eggplant.  The bill came to 245 KN.  We tried to pay with a credit card but the waiter made a face and said that if we paid in cash it would just be 200.  We paid in cash.

(Fuzi Pasta with Ham and Arugula)

Since our bus back was not until 8:00 pm we set out to try and find a place for dessert.  To our surprise the only dessert we could find was ice cream.  Normally that would have been fine but the sun and temperatures had dropped so we opted to walk around the harbor and enjoy the lights.

Back on the bus our driver seemed rather anxious to get back to Pula.  Stop signs were a mere suggestion and we made it back in record time.  We decided that his wife was about to go into labor and he wanted to be there when it happened.  It’s as good an excuse as any.

Walking back from the station we passed by the Roman Amphitheater.  It looked wonderful in the nighttime lights.  Then we headed to the harbor to see a light installation.  Some years ago an artist strung lights on seven of the large cranes that are used in the shipyard.   Every evening since the cranes have been lit up.  About once a minute they change colors.  The cranes cycle through a series of colors independently so that sometimes they are lit with the same colors but more often they are different.  It was a wonderful show.

(Lighting Giants)

We did a lot of walking that day.  Our milage came in tied for fourth on our all-time list (yes, we keep track of such things).

Distance walked: 12.1 miles

Tuesday, October 16

We decided we just didn’t have the energy to do another long day so, instead of going to Brioni, we just decided to hang around town.  For lunch we went to a restaurant that had been recommended to us by one of our “olive oil friends”.  It was Jupiter Pizzeria.  We were told that both their pizza and their dishes were quite good.

When we left the apartment we were on the lookup for our new best friend.  Sure enough the puppy showed up.  This time he had a bone in his mouth and he was so excited that he just couldn’t make time for us.  Before we left we saw an older female golden that had obviously had puppies recently.  “Mom” looked very tired.  If you had an energetic puppy to deal with day in and day out you’d be tired too.

Once at Jupiter Pizzeria we ordered a Pizza Bolognese and a plate of calamari with fries.  The pizza was quite good and the bolognese sauce added a nice flavor.  It would have been great if the crust had been a bit crustier.  The calamari was some of the best we’ve ever had.  It had obviously been made with fresh fish and that made all the difference.  It was tender and sweet and had a wonderful flavor.  Even the fries were really good in spite of the fact that they had probably been previously frozen.

After lunch we made one last stop at the fish market and got some shrimp for dinner.  We were all set for our the next leg of our trip: tomorrow we will be going to Zadar.

Distance walked: 3.1 miles

Sunday, October 14

We started the day rather early.  We wanted to get to some of the town’s most interesting sights before the sun was too high in the sky so we could get some high quality pictures.  Our first destination was the Triumphal Arch of the Sergii.

The arch is a short walk from our apartment and we arrived around 7:30 am. Sunrise had occurred just a few minutes before so the light was soft and even.  At that hour no one was out and about so we were able to get photos without any other people in them.  For a major tourist site that is quite a luxury.  A few quick snaps of the shutter and we were off to find the Small Roman Amphitheater.

We arrived at the theater just about 10 minutes later but were saddened to see a group of young men sitting on the seats.  They appeared to be drinking beer and were watching videos on their phones.  We suspected that they had been up night.  The light was still good so we took some more pictures.  It took some creativity but we managed to get a few without them.  In retrospect, Tuesday morning might have been a better time to try this.

Our next destination was the Pula Amphitheater.  By now the sun was rising and the light began to shine directly on the Eastern Walls.  We had to move quickly.  We practically ran around the entire site snapping pictures as we went along.  We probably got some good shots but we haven’t had time to look at them yet.  We’ve been very busy.

(View of the Harbor Through the Theater)

We planned to visit the amphitheater but since we had almost an hour before it opened we decided to get coffee at one of the cafes on the hill overlooking the harbor and the theater.  It’s a really lovely way to kill some time.

At 9:00 am we paid for our coffee and headed over to the entrance of the theater.  Admission was 50 KN / $7.75 per person.  For a few dollars extra we could have gotten an audio tour but we decided against that.

The amphitheater in Pula is the sixth largest Roman amphitheater in the world.  When it was built it could seat 20,000 people.  The site was used mainly for gladiatorial games.  Today a large portion of the theater has been restored and is used for concerts and events like the Pula Film Festival.

(Seating Area)

We had been given a guide that gave information about various spots along the way but we wondered how the theater would have looked in its day.  From what we could see it was unclear as to whether there had been two or three levels of seating.  The present configuration has a central stage with one level of seating.  Originally the theater had seating all around the perimeter but today it is only on a 180 degree arc.

We explored the entire site.  At one point we sat in the seats and took in the view.  Between the arches you can plainly see boats coming in and out of the harbor.  Our tickets also included access to the subterranean passages where animals had been kept and elevators carried people and animals to/from the arena floor.  The area held an exhibit on olive oil production showing how Istria had been an important producer even in ancient times.

(Happy Travelers)

Our way out went through the gift shop.  We leafed through a few books and finally found a representation of how the theater would have looked in ancient times.  It had (and has) three levels of arches and had two levels of seating all around the perimeter.  The book suggested that there was also a movable awning to provide shade for the spectators.

Our plan for the day had included a trip to the Archeological Museum but we’d seen some notes on Google that indicated that it had been closed for renovations in 2012.  We hadn’t seen any indication that it had reopened.  We asked at the arena ticket office and found out that it would be closed for at least another two years.

Undaunted we headed over to Gallery C8.  It’s a small space near the museum that has constantly rotating exhibits.  We saw an exhibition about how the ancient city of Troy was discovered and saw a short film showing the site.  It wasn’t really too interesting but entry was free.

As we headed back home we passed the House of Istrian Olive Oil, which bills itself as the Museum of Olive Oil.  We went inside and found a shop with a variety of regional oils, wines and truffles at extremely inflated prices.  The clerk came over and explained to us that we could but a ticket to the museum for some ridiculous amount of money (we can’t remember how much it was) and, once inside, that there were several types of tastings that we could participate in for an even more ridiculous amount of money.  Can you say “Tourist Trap”?

We continued walking through the district when we noticed that services at the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary has just ended.  We took our opportunity to see inside.  It’s a large Romanesque style church with huge stone columns and a rafted wooden ceiling.  Over by the altar we found some floor mosaics from the 15th century and a 3rd Century Roman sarcophagus containing relics from a number of saints.  We were just about finished taking photos when the lights started turning off.  We were fortunate to have seen the church at all.

By now it was 11:30 am.  We wanted to have some lunch before we went home but the restaurant we intended to go to, one that had been recommended by our “olive oil friends”, opened at 1:00 pm so we walked over to the forum and sat at one of the many restaurants there.

Normally we’re reluctant to order Italian food outside of Italy (we’ve had some really bad experiences) but we figured it was safe to do so here.  Deborah ordered a bowl of tomato soup and I ordered some spaghetti bolognese.  Deborah liked the soup but the bolognese came in a watery sauce that had a funny smell.  There was no pork or veal in the meat, only beef and there was absolutely no cheese.  It was very disappointing.

When the bill came it was a lot more than we expected.  First the bottle of water we ordered had cost more than the soup.  Secondly, there was an outrageous cover charge.  The final straw was that they didn’t accept credit cards.  Normally we would look up a restaurant’s rating before eating there but we figured most anyplace in the forum had to be decent.  We were wrong.  When we got home we saw that the restaurant, called Nonno (that should have been a hint), had been severely panned by all reviewers.  It had the lowest rating possible.  Live and learn.

Distance walked: 5.5 miles

Saturday, October 13

My tennis coach, Vanya, from Belgrade has been following our travels and has offered us all kinds of advice on things to do and places to see in Croatia.  Today he arranged for us to meet someone he knows who lives in the area.  We met him at the “James Joyce” cafe.

We actually met up with Tim, Mario, Petra, Dragana and Vanya’s uncle, Igor.  They joined us for coffee and presented us with a bag containing olive oil that they produce.  It was interesting to chat with them about their lives in Pula. They gave us some great advice on things to do and restaurants to visit.  Unfortunately, they had a prior engagement so we were only able to visit with them for a short time.  They were charming and amusing.  We wish we’d had the opportunity to get to know them better.

 

We were anxious to get home and try our new olive oil but first we had to stop at the market and get MORE SHRIMP.  We had to have our daily fix.  Yes, we’re developing a habit.  This time we went straight to the booth that we bought from the day before; they had the best we’ve had in a long time.

When we got back to our apartment we realized that we received not one but two HUGE bottles of olive oil and a pomegranate to boot.  We poured some of the oil out onto a spoon to taste.  It had a dark rich color, a bright, fruity taste and a peppery finish.  We liked it a lot.  We used it to dress our salad that afternoon.  We’ve got a lot of oil now so we’re going to have to come up with some creative ways to cook with it.  Traveling is a bitch 😉.

(Istrian Olive Oil)

We spent the rest of the day tracking down all of the sites that were still on our list of things to do.  Our first stop was the Roman mosaics near the Chapel of Saint Maria Formose.  After the bombings in World War II the remains of some old Roman era houses with intricate mosaic floors were found near the center of town.  One of the most impressive was fully excavated and can be found in the back on a modern day parking lot more than six feet below ground level.  The mosaic features a depiction of “The Punishment of Dirce”. Dirce is a character from Greek Mythology and is featured in Euripides play Antiope.

(The Punishment of Dirce)

On our way to see the Small Roman Theater we stopped to visit the Sacred Hearts Museum Gallery.  The gallery is hosted in the former Church of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary from 1908.  The gallery was featuring an exhibit on Prehistoric Croatia.  It was a small gallery with few authentic artifacts but it was free and did have some interesting narratives.

Before we got to the Small Roman Theater we ran into another item on our list: The Church and Monastery of Saint Francis.  We entered into the cloister where they had ancient artifacts on display from the 13th century.  We had fun watching several tortoises “frolicking” in the garden.  Inside the church we saw the famous Gothic style wooden altarpiece from the 15th century.  The fee for entry was 9 KN / $1.50 per person.

(15th Century Altarpiece)

After all that we finally made it to the theater.  It’s an outdoor theater carved into the side of a hill that, in its day, could seat the entire population of Pula (about 5,000 people).  It was built in the first century AD.  The stage area and some of the lower level seats are intact but most of the rest is in ruins.  It was fun to walk along the ancient pathways and discover the remains of the various arches and columns that have been excavated.  It’s a charming place to spend a few hours.  There is no fee to visit.

(Small Roman Theater)

There’s a path that leads from stage right to the top of the hill from which you can access the Venetian Fortress / Maritime Museum of Istria more often referred to simply as “The Castle”.  We climbed up through the rocky path and visited the museum.  It’s not really a museum in the traditional sense of the word.  It’s really just an opportunity to explore the fortress.  There’s a lookout tower that you can climb and some cannons to see but the main attraction is really just the view.  It overlooks the harbor and commands a 360 degree view of Pula.  Cost of entry: 20 KN / $3.25 per person.

(View from the Moat)

Distance walked: 4.9 miles