Traveling exigencies being what they were, we were up at an ungodly hour to get our bags out for placement on our small bus, and to get breakfast and a cup of coffee before a very early departure back to Quito, by way of the Middle of the Earth or nearby. In 1736 the very first major international scientific expedition was launched by the French and Spanish to measure the roundness of the earth. There was considerable debate at the time as to whether the circumference of the earth was greater at the poles or at the equator. The expedition showed the that the earth was an oblate spheroid (a sphere flattened at the poles) and the greatest circumference was at the equator. A separate French/Swedish expedition to Lapland at the same time completed its work ... read more

Our last day on the road we just drove from Sarajevo to Rijeka, then the next day took the bus to Trieste and the train to Venice, then the next morning departed for an uneventful trip home. All the pics are now available on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/buddymedbery/albums/72157669868646503... read more

The drive from Dubrovnik to Kotor Montenegro is a short one, but it involves a change in worlds. Croatia is blessed with a beautiful coast extending for hundreds of miles of shoreline, including islands. The bounteous sun is almost ever-present, and tourists are plentiful. As a result, they have had the money to invest in their infrastructure and it shows. Roads are well-constructed and well-maintained. Hotels are everywhere, and restaurants plentiful. Almost everyone speaks English, a virtual necessity in the tourist trade. The parliamentary government is apparently well-organized, and the population is relatively homogeneous. Croatia has emerged from the break-up of the old Yugoslavia and the resulting civil war with a bright future, realizable now. As far as I can tell, the same is true for Slovenia, although we did not see as much there. It ... read more

Although the city of Split was founded as a Greek colony in about 400 BCE, all that we know of it currently comes from the fact that Diocletian was the first Roman emperor to retire from rule, and did so when he moved to a new palace he had constructed at Split. The palace had walls that were 50-70 feet high and enclosed about 9.5 acres. With abundant water supplied by an aqueduct from the Jadro spring, and with the palace fronting on the sea to allow easy escape in case of attack, it represented a safe and secure place for refuge. The palace was finished in 305. Following the death of Diocletian in 311, the palace was apparently virtually abandoned, but was later reoccupied by Flavius Julius Nepos, the last emperor of the western half ... read more

I have been fascinated by the Roman arena in Pula since I first saw the Il Divo video with them singing Amazing Grace there, and that led me here several years ago, and back again today. The Pula Arena is the most complete remaining arena in existence, and one of the 6 largest in existence. Completed in 81 CE, it was long abandoned after the outlawing of gladiatorial contests and fight between prisoners condemned to death. Today it is used for the Pula Film Festival and for various concerts, including artists such as Elton John, Pavarotti, David Gilmour, Sinead O'Connor, and many others. After touring the arena, we elected for an early supper, and had a great repast of grilled branzino and pasta with truffles. A note on the truffles: Istria is famous particularly for the ... read more