Sunday, September 30, 2018

Dubrovnik, the War, the Rebuild and the Beautiful City !

Our last day in Dubrovnik, and we spent it inside the city walls. So much to explore, especially when you get away from the stores, etc.  These cities that are built within the fortification walls are ‘mixed’ use and have been for hundreds of years.  Stores and restaurants on the bottom level (floor ‘0’ here in Europe) and the above levels are for apartment homes.  Many, many of them and, as we got off the main paths, so to say, we saw everyday life.  Pretty cool! That’s the advantage of Geocaching, you go to new and unusual places while looking, and yes we found another one!
We listened to a speaker for about an hour who talked of what the war in the 90’s was like for the citizens.  She said they had no warning, just suddenly shells were being lobbed into the city.  She and her 9-year-old daughter were there in the family home.  She stayed for 3 months, but eventually moved to Milan, Italy till the war ended.  She had so many stories and also, how hard it was cause at first, not many other governments were coming to help.  Like I said previously, I’m gonna have to check the history books when we get home!
Another beautiful sunset, then a great dinner with our travel mates.  We had a Croatian group play and sing for us.  What talented artists who do this in their off time cuz they love the music and heritage.  Had to get to bed early, off to Rome in the morning! 






 The war and it's damage








 Inside some buildings, some damage still exists!









These guys were staring at us everyday... watched us while we slept! 





Saturday, September 29, 2018

Another Country! Montenegro! Sunset in Dubrovnik

Another adventure where we left Croatia, a long, long wait at the border crossing (and that was on the Croatian side!!!).  Montenegro has only been independent since 2006.  So much turmoil in this part of the world related to borders, staying with their own ‘kind’, and some horrible men in charge.  That’s in the past, and the new countries are making their own way… some better than others.  Less than half the citizens are Orthodox Christians (they are the majority) here while the next group are Serbs.  Definitely going to do more reading about this once I get home!
Montenegro means Black Mountain, which describes the mountains there.  Almost fjord like coming into the blue water.  Again, a fortified city which has embraced it’s history.  We spent a few hours here, had lunch and even geocached.
Later took a boat to a little man made island next to Perast.  On it is the Church of Our Lady on the Rocks.  Quite a story on how it came to be (built our of  a bulwark of rocks and by sinking old and seized ships loaded with rocks in .....1452!mean it.
Got back to the hotel and saw a beautiful sunset.  We ended up ordering room service: a bottle of wine, a cheese plate and a ceasar salad.  Perfect ending to a great day.
The Cypress trees grow on the hillside just naturally.

Inside the city

Not drying their laundry, but hanging wet towels so the air blows in cooler! 



This a hike up the hillside... looked pretty neat... but I would think earlier in the day would be cooler.  It's the old fortification, from the Medieval Times.

 Perast
Benedictine Monastery now closed 
Riding out there... 

This is the man made island and the church, Our Lady of the Rocks,








Thursday, September 27, 2018

On to Dubrovnik via Bosnia and via Ston on the Peljesac Peninsula (a mouthful!)

Goodbye to Split, we had a nice time, even found a geocache!  Woke to a nice sunny day for our journey to Dubrovnik.  The scenery changed as we rode along, nothing drastic, just got a bit greener.  We did stop in Bosnia and we’re so surprised what the area was looking like.  This stretch of area is very Croatian in appearance and tradition, but, it is Bosnia. Very safe and so different from what I remember about the war back then.
After we made it through the Border Crossing, we saw more and more of the Adriatic Sea and it is beautiful!  Stopped in a town call Ston for some of their famous oysters (yuck).  Yes, I tried one… had to so I could say I did!  We were served some great wine and bread, so the oyster flavor left my mouth pretty quick!  We left there for an actual meal which was a 90 minute lunch that was superb!  Best meal yet here!  Amberjack fish, squid ink risotto, pasta, salad, these guys know how to eat!  All was good!  Got back on the road and I slept a bit.
Drove into Dubrovnik and the old city walls are something to behold.  Hope to get pictures later during our stay, but it is something!  Then, we get to the hotel, and our view is something!  We were thrilled.  Dinner within the city walls… the only negative… PEOPLE PEOPLE PEOPLE everywhere!  And then we were told “well, it’s worse in summer”.  So, it’s not Disney crowded, but just lots of folks.  There was an orchestra concert in one of the squares that was cool. The size of the whole area is huge and in such good repair considering it is from the Middle Ages and had been damaged during the military conflicts in the early 90’s.  Many countries helped with that latest repair as this site, with such history, could not go to ruin.
Good night folks… Tomorrow, Montenegro!    


Bosnia 
Ston...City fortifications everywhere around here 



 Oh, this is the boat we ate our oysters on...


 Can you make out the stone wall?  Longest one in Croatia...

 An unexpected concert we heard a bit of