Blogs from Dalmatia, Croatia, Europe - page 78

Once again, apologies for the delay in our blogging adventures, but as we're now in Thailand Nemo is too hot and busy to do anything. So we still have the rest of Italy to update you on but in the interim we're going to skip forward a couple of weeks and I'll update you on the Croatia chapter. The ferry to Split from Ancona is an overnight trip, leaving Ancona at 8.30pm and arriving in Split at 7am. You can choose from a whole bunch of accommodation options (dorm room, single room, inside shower, shared WC and so on). As usual we went for the cheapest option: 'airline seats'. Usually €46 per person, I found a special for them that was €20 each - for all the way across the Adriatic! On the top level, there ... read more

Please see the same text but with many pictures at the sites below Click here For a web page, or cut and paste this link: http://www.dickschmitt.com/travels/Croatia/Hvar/hvar/index.html Click here For a slide show or cut and paste this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/schmitt.dick/HvarCroatia#slideshow/5420735224775379474 Hvar, Croatia Visited 18 and 19 October 2009 Hvar claims to be the sunniest spot in Europe and has been a tourist destination since 1886. Over 5,000 years ago, this was the site of the Hvar Culture. UNESCO calls the still-used fields a world heritage site for Greek agriculture. This island is the longest Adriatic island at about 43 miles long. B... read more

Rector's Palace -- Dubrovnik, Croatia Visited 16 and 17 October 2009 Please see the same text and many pictures at the sites below Click here For a web page, or cut and paste this link: http://www.dickschmitt.com/travels/Croatia/Dubrovnik/rector/index.html url=http://picasaweb.google.com/schmitt.dick/RectorSPalaceDubrovnikCroatiaSupplementalPictures#slideshowl Click here For a slide show or cut and paste this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/schmitt.dick/RectorSPalaceDubrovnikCroatiaSupplementalPictures#slideshow You may prefer to see these pages as a photo slide show which contains the same text but presents the pictures full screen size. If so, click on the slides presentation at the right. Prison or Palace? This somewhat warped pict... read more

These are the captions for this album: http://picasaweb.google.com/schmitt.dick/TheDefensiveWallsOfDubrovnikCroatia?authkey=Gv1sRgCPun7on-t_qangE# It makes a lot more sense to see them by clicking on the link above Day or night, by land or by sea, Dubrovnik's walls are highly visible as one approaches this historic city. One of the strongest set of fortifications in Europe, these were never breached. The town fell only once, when that rascal Napoleon and his buddies were invited in to help defend -- and decided to stay and take over the place. (Oh, those French!) But to a large degree, Dubrovnik's best defense were the skillful diplomats who played the city'-states's enemies off against each other such as the Venetians and the Turks. (Diplomacy sometimes consisted of paying tribute -- and bribes -- to each of those countries as well.) At the rear we see ... read more

a sample from out quick stop in Dubrovnik!!! ... read more