Blogs from Dalmatia, Croatia, Europe - page 8

Staying safe, social distancing, wearing a mask, and acutely aware of my surroundings has led to unquestioned boredom for the last 11 months. We have tried to be as diligent as possible, avoiding group functions, dining in restaurants, shopping for food only when necessary.Just having received my second Covid vaccine does not mean everything is automatically better. But I think we are headed slowly in the right direction. Could that direction be Scottsdale in March, Washington, DC in April, and Europe in May? Maybe.In the meantime, I have broken up my "Ground Hog Day" routine by working two weeks on the local University campus. But there are very few patients here, even fewer people on campus as well. But my daily lunch time walks are quite enjoyable. There is somethin ... read more

Vodice for us was not just any town along the coast. It is the home town of our good friends Ana and Tomislav and their families. We stayed there on and off between August 23 and October 24, experiencing it as a bustling tourist town and as a small local coastal town, where its citizens live as a tightly knitted community through the off season months. Vodice has during peak season more than 40'000 inhabitants. Once the locals are among themselves you will find hardy 10'000 inhabitants. In summer all sorts of tourist activities are on the agenda. Off season, fishing, everything around boats, olive oil and wine making and similar stuff take priority. We have seen many different things in the two months in Vodice and its surroundings, experienced the heat of the summer as ... read more

Only 15 km from Vodice lies the town of Sibenik. A regional commercial center today the city has a 900 yrs old history. Best travel to Sibenik from Vodice with the Jadrolinija ship, a small passenger boat (unlike its big brother ferryboats we used to go to Brac). It takes a while (about 90 minutes), as Jadrolinija stops on the islands of Prvic and Zlarin connecting these islands with the mainland. Unlike other cities along the Adriatic coast, which were established by Greeks, Illyrians and Romans, Sibenik was founded by Croats. It was mentioned for the first time under its present name in 1066 and for a period of time, it was a seat of this Croatian King Kresimir. For that reason, Sibenik is also called "Krešimirov grad" (Krešimir's city). Between the 11th and 12th centuries, ... read more

101 km South of Vodice following the Jadranska Magistrala (Route no 8) lies Split, the second largest city of Croatia and by far the biggest and most important city in Dalmatia, despite only having 160'000 inhabitants. Since the end of the war Croatia experienced a massive shift and decline of its 4.1 million population. Migration from the impoverished countryside along the Serb and Bosnian borders to Zagreb and migration of the younger population to other EU countries, made the population shrink by more than 300'000. Split is known for its proud and laid back people, fashion conscious ladies, its rich history, music, art, its promenades and a million and one cafes and restaurants, and of course for Hajduk Split, its local football club. Ahhh not to forget Goran Ivnisevic, the only Wimbledon champion Croatia has (so ... read more

All the way in the South of the Croatian Adriatic coastline lies a city often described as the "Pearl of the Adriatic" and certainly internationally the most know city of Croatia, Dubrovnik. It surpasses the international popularity of the capital Zagreb, certainly within the tourist community. In the recent decade Dubrovnik became the victim of its own success. A massive over tourism developed crowding the city with masses, arriving by cruise ships or charter flights. Especially in the old city it became impossible to walk the narrow streets, and finding space in cafes or restaurant became a logistical challenge, spoiling the enjoyment of visiting and the prices. And then came Nui and Nenad and everything was different ! Dubrovnik was deserted. Hotel prices halved, restaurants offered 20 to 30% discount on food and beverage and flexibility ... read more