From our base just outside Dubrovnik, we drove into Bosnia & Herzegovina for a day trip. We planned to see the historic town of Mostar. We read that the border lineup could be very long and slow so we left earlyish. On the way out, the border wasn’t too bad considering they only had one lane leaving Croatia and one lane entering Bosnia & Herzegovina. Yup, we had to go through two border controls each way. The drive to the border was quite nice, on the non-freeway roads, we passed a lot of fresh fruit and honey stands. Not knowing whether picking up some fresh fruit would be a problem entering into Bosnia & Herzegovina, we decided to play it safe and skip. We got through the border without any issue and off we were to explore Mostar. There are a lot of similarities driving through both countries. We continued to see a lot of abandoned and dilapidated homes. Another sign of the not so long ago distance war and the exodus of people trying to escape the conflict.
Mostar is best known for "Stari Most", the bridge spanning the Neretva River. This attraction is what draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to this city each year. The bridge is an impressive piece of architecture originally constructed in the 16th century. It was destroyed in 1993 during the Croat-Bosnik war but was subsequently reconstructed to replicate the original bridge and reopened in 2004. Today on either side of the bridge, there are small shops lining the streets where you can find anything from intrinsic tea sets, to artwork, to scarves, to souvenirs and plenty of restaurants. Walking over the bridge can be a little tricky as it is quite slopped and the stones used to build the bridge can be a little slippery. An old tradition has once again started at the bridge....diving. While we did not have the opportunity to actually witness this event, locals will dive from the highest point of the bridge's arch, some 79 feet above the river below. It is said that local youths dive from the bridge as a sign of their transition into manhood.
What may not be as common knowledge is the city remains somewhat ethnically divided between Muslims and Christians. It is pretty evident when you walk from one side of the city over the bridge to the other side. There are mosques and women dressed in traditional Muslim garb on one side, while the other side has churches. Reading about the city it appears as though full healing from the conflict is still in the works.
We plan was to head down to Počitelj, a town about 30 minutes south of Mostar. We were going to have lunch there and check out their medieval fortress. All was going according to our plan until an intense thunder and lightening storm changed those plans. We had just arrived in Počitelj and were driving up the road to find the entrance to walk up to the fortress. A few rain drops started and we thought, no big deal it will pass quickly. Except that these few rain drops intensified to the point where we no longer felt safe driving on the road. We pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant and sat there awhile contemplating whether we wanted to risk exiting the car to head into the restaurant. Then the hail started and the lightening lit up the sky with very regular flashes with not a lot of time in between. The thunder cracked through the sky very quickly after the lightening; I barely got to "2 mississippi's" after the lightening which meant the storm was pretty much right over us. We felt safest sitting in the car because the second we got out, we'd be soaked to the bone and it would be a very uncomfortable lunch. Others had the same idea and pulled off the side of the road and sat waiting out the storm. After what seemed like forever, but was probably about 15-20 minutes, the rain lightened up to the point where we felt comfortable driving again.
We came across a hotel and restaurant called Storia and by this time we were both really hungry so we decided to stop to eat. The place had the best sign ever to describe the restaurant. It said: "Probably the last chance for a good meal today." The sign did not lie. Our lunch was incredibly good, made with fresh ingredients and had that home cooked feel to it. The portions were quite generous too. I ordered a garden salad and tomato soup. When both arrived, I was unsure how I'd finish. The salad itself was enough to satisfy my appetite. And then add the soup, which normally when you order soup in a restaurant, you get a standard bowl sided serving. My soup came in a serving bowl with a ladle and another bowl for me to eat from. The portion was enough to feed a family. I think the chef prepared a pot of soup and I was served that entire pot. I have to say it was very tasty and was definitely home made. Z ordered the cevapi which too was a very generous portion and came with pita bread and french fries. I don't think we had a big supper that evening. This was a good day trip despite the monsoon.
Croatia has roughly 1000 islands off its coast. We chose to explore three of these islands. The first was Brać, a ferry ride from both Split and Markaska. We thought it smart to drive to Markaska and try and catch the ferry from there with the car. We quickly found out this wasn’t the best idea because the ferry only accommodated about 25 cars and we did not arrive early enough. Instead we found parking for the day and were walk on passengers. The ferry configuration was such that the cars were loaded by driving on forwards, but when they unloaded at Brać the had to disembark driving backwards. A pleasant 30 minute ferry ride and were docked at Brać. It was once again a very hot day and we had a 15 minute walk to the beach we planned to hang out at. Walking through town was pleasant with very nice buildings to look at and an abundance of olive trees to see.
The beach again was a rocky beach and was quite packed, but we found a great spot on a large flat rock. We quickly jumped into the water to cool off and enjoy the day sunbathing and swimming. We had a quick bit to eat on our way back to the ferry and the entire time I was pacnicked that we could miss the ferry because well food service isn’t the quickest here. In the end it all worked out and my panicking was pointless. Returning back to the mainland, we walked around Markaska for a bit and checked out its market and beach. At one of the shops, one of th locals working said to us, “why would you come to Markaska? There’s nothing to do here.” We thought that pretty funny. Just as we finished our shopping and we’re heading back to our cars, a rainstorm started and the skies opened up with a deluge of rain. We were going to wait it out under a small awning outside the grocery store but decided it better to make a run for it and got rather soaked instead. To cap off the day trip, we bought some of the best tasting gelato so far on the trip.
Our second island adventure was to the island of Solata, also off the coast by Split. Learning from our last ferry experience we decided that we’d walk on as passengers this time. Funny thing is the ferry was much larger this time and we could probably have driven on. It didn’t really matter because greeting us on our arrival to Solata were our Croatian neighbours who happen to also be in Croatia. They invited us over to their place and we ended up visiting with them and their youngest daughter and her family for the day. We were greeted by Joseph at the ferry and driven to the family home which has been in his family for some 500 years. Here we picked up Lily and they took us swimming at a locals hangout. We would never have known of its existence had we travelled to this island on our own. The water was once again so crystal clear and so refreshing. We spent some time snorkelling and swam a distance in search for some narrow shells that grow vertically out of the ocean floor. We had never seen anything like that before. For some strange reason, the water here seemed a little different in that Z was actually able to float on his back. Usually his feet start to sink and he can’t stay afloat properly, but only here that didn’t happen. After swimming for about an hour we drove Lily back to the house and she started on lunch while Joseph took us on a driving tour of his home island. There is a homely feeling on this island; everyone seems to know everyone. There are so many beautiful coves and outcropping where you can take a refreshing dip in the ocean. The road are some of the most narrow I’ve seen and Joseph navigated them like an expert. After our island tour, we enjoyed a very tasty home cooked meal with the family and enjoyed great conversation. We felt very welcome and appreciated the invitation. After a lengthy lunch and some down time we went back to the swimming place for an after dinner cool off dip. This capped off a most enjoyable day and before we knew it, it was time to hear back on the last ferry for the night. We enjoyed sitting outside on the upper deck and took in the brilliant sunset.
Our last island adventure took us to Lokrum, an island off Dubrovnik. This island is famous for not only being a Nature Reserve, but also as a filming location for the series Game of
Thrones. We took a boat from the town of Mlini, a short 15 minute walk from our hotel in Dubrovnik. The boat ride took about an hour with its stops along the way. There is an entry fee to access the island, which is likely meant to help preserve the island. The sites to see on the island are the monestary (filiming location for Game of Thrones), the botantical gardens, the fort, a lake called the Dead Sea and off course the cliffs and various rock formations. We found our way to a popular swimming area where access to the water was either climbing down a ladder, or cliff jumping. Most choose the cliff jumping route. There were several different heights where people were jumping and the higher up, the more time it took some to muster the courage to jump. I had no courage and chose the ladder route. Z on the other hand went the jumping route and enjoyed the thrill. After drying off, we enjoyed a fabulous lunch at Lacroma where we were entertained by some live music. The island is k on for its wild peacocks and wild rabbits. As we were finishing off our meal, a bunny hopped around the restaurant in search of food. Several of the patrons gave it some bread and for a wild rabbit, it was very comfortable engaging with people.
We continued on south from the lakes to Split as our next stop. Driving in Croatia has been great. The major highways are in excellent condition with regular rest stops. While the highways are tolled, the rates we paid were rather reasonable depending on the distance we drove. They ranged from $6 Kuna to $61 Kuna, which when converted ranged from $1-$12CAD. Not unreasonable in my opinion considering the roads were not congested, well maintained and easy to naviagate. There are many tunnels through the mountains as well and the longest one we drove through was roughly 5km. The city road conditions were also quite good, though a little more congested particularly when trying to access the centre of town. The coastal roads were one land each way and st time rather narrow. Cities and roads were built hundreds of years before the invention of cars and buildings and houses are literally built all the way to the property line leaving little room to expand roadways or even have adequate sidewalks. The coastline drive has incredibly breathtaking views of the Adriatic Sea below.
You could really see the distinguishing colours of the ocean with pockets of brilliant light blue surrounded by dark navy. In each of the many coves you could see people swimming. The road twists and turns require you to be alert because when heading south the right side of the road is usually a sheer cliff drop off. There are signs posted along the road that say, “ if you are tired, please stop”.
We were based in the Split area for five nights and stayed at Le Meridien right on the water. We decided to stay just outside of Split in Lav to avoid some of the major crowds. The hotel was incredible. We got upgraded to a sea and marina view room situated right along the promenade in front of the hotel. The staff at the hotel were very friendly and our check-in was one of the most memorable because it included a glass of champagne; Z’s frequent status had a little something to do with this. Our room was well appointed with a king size bed, full bathroom, two closets, a sitting area and balcony. Our stay included breakfast each morning and the restaurant had a fantastic patio overlooking the pool and sea. This was a great way to start each day. The selection of food was vast and included fresh fruit, pastries, breads, warm items like waffles, pancakes, French toast, an omelette station and cheese and cold cuts. The coffee was very tasty and the freshly squeezed juice was a must. The hotel was newly renovated and had a great gym and spa area. The plan had been to get a run in, but the mornings were already quite hot, around 25-27C, by the time we got up and an Achilles injury I’d been ignoring was acting up with all the walking we were doing. We decided to treat ourselves instead to a massage at the spa. The hotel pool and beach area had plenty of loungers and some umbrellas to protect from the blistering sun. The beach itself was rocky, which is common in Croatia, so watershoes are recommended. The water was ever so refreshing though and usually very calm.
There were many large yachts docked in the marina with most staying out throughout our stay. Most everywhere along the coast yachts were docked or anchored and some were so large you could probably fit 100 people on them. The wealth required to purchase and maintain one of these is staggering.
We were able to book a walking tour last minute thanks to a cancellation. Our guide was Joško of Walking Tour of Split and by far he is the best tour guide we’ve ever experienced. We chose his four hour Grand History tour for a cost of $60Euro per person. We can’t rave enough about how incredible Joško was. He is full of passion for his city and country, extremely knowledgeable and engaging. He is personable and is able to carry the tour conversation in any direction as questions come up. We met in old town Split in Diocletian's palace. From there we started with a walk through the daily farmer’s market just outside the palace walls. He bought a couple fresh figs for us to try; I don’t really like figs, but tried a bite anyway and found it to be very juicy and sweet. Not anything
like back home. The market is the place to buy your daily fruits, vegetables, and flowers. From here we walked to the promenade where we learned a little more about life in Split during the Romans’ rule and Diocletian’s time. An interesting fact about the palace is that this was Diocletian’s retirement palace and he moved there at roughly the age of 60 which was almost unheard of living to age age in his time. We toured inside the basement of the palace which is said to be a direct replication of the upper living quarters of Diocletian. There were many different rooms including a theatre, sleeping quarters and hallways guarded by military personnel separating the living quarters from any visitors. Today the palace is buzzing with commerce activities and is filled with a bunch of shops, hotels, and restaurants. Roughly 2000 people actually live inside apartments within the palace walls. We learned many interesting facts about Croats including that they have two religions, Catholicism and football. Croatia has a rich history and has been ruled under many different empires including the Romans, Greeks and Austrians. There is a square in the palace, by the main cathedral built by Christians over top the original musuliem as a revenge on Diocletian’s treatment of a Christians in his final days as emperor, that showcases the architecture of all three empires. The palace itself is very well kept considering it was built in the 3rd century. The walls were all built with limestone rocks and were stacked to prescision requiring no
mortar to keep them together. The palace even had a sewer system which was incredibly advanced for that time. The roads were all made from limestones and over the years have become so well worn that they appear to be marble instead. Diocletian’s rule was actually quite progression in that he introduced a taxation system and split the Roman empire into four regions each with its own emperor.
After about four hours, we all had lunch together and this is where we learned more about the recent history of Croatia and its fight for independence as communism under Yugoslavia started to crumble in the area. Joško grew up under communism and lived through the Homeland War of 1991-1995. His story was heartbreaking but one of survival and hope. He is roughly our age and rightly so says he will never forget what happened and is working on forgiving. Many people fled during this war. We could see evidence of this as we drove through the country by the number of abandoned houses in delapitated state. You could see where bombs hit buildings and have never been repaired. Twenty-three years after the war ended, the country is beginning to thrive again. Tourist visits are back up to the levels of the early ‘90’s. The downside is that since the war ended and Croatia has joined the EU, the general population continues to decline as young people migrate to places like Germany and Ireland where they can make a lot more money. All the while during this conversation, we enjoyed a very tasty lunch where I had a traditional beef stew dish and Z enjoyed a lamb dish and tried a slice of cuttlefish pizza. All in all our tour lasted about five hours and I’m pretty sure that Joško would have been prepared to continue if we wanted to. But alas we parted ways, filled with a good appreciation for Croatia. We spent the remainder of the day into the evening walking around old town Split some more before taking an Uber back to the hotel. Cool thing about Uber here is that the drivers double as taxi drivers too, so that gives them plenty of customers. Seems like forward thinking to me.
We finished our evening by driving to a pizza festival that our morning Uber driver recommended to us. We had no clue what this was about but thought we’d go anyway. It was pretty late already and after being on our feet all day, I was getting to my max limit. It
was definitely a locals festival. We watched with interest how they made and then baked these pizzas on bricks which were heated by burning twigs directly on the bricks. Not being versed in Croatian resulted in us really not understanding how we might be able to buy a couple slices and so as my max was reached we left empty handed and hungry. We discovered very quickly that no food establishments are open at midnight. I guess the 24-hour food culture of North America hasn’t thankfully made its way here. We had to resort to ordering room service and ended up not really enjoying our overpriced meal.
Before leaving the beautiful city of Split, we drove to see the nearby Roman ruins in Salona. Here you can find extremely well preserved, extensive ruins of this ancient city. The amphitheatre ruins are impressive and standing a top provides you with an appreciation just how large the amphitheatre was and the significance of it within the Roman empire. It held upwards of 17,000 people in its day. Your imagination can just run wild thinking of the vast amounts of events held within the walls and the numbers of lives and animals that were brutally sacrificed all in the name of entertainment.
The amphitheatre is about a 15 minute walk from the rest of the city ruins, but the intense heat of the day helped in our decision to drive over instead. Walking around the city ruins, you can see memorial chapel and the importance of providing ornate tombs for the deceased. A short walk from here you come across the city walls that stand towering over the ancient city ruins. Again, the imagination can run wild to think of what life might have been like to live in that city in that time. Discovery of ruins continues today and while there we saw some archeologists working at uncovering further remains within the city walls.
From our base just outside Dubrovnik, we drove into Bosnia & Herzegovina for a day trip. We planned to see the historic town of Mostar. We read that the border lineup could be very long and slow so we left earlyish. On the way out, the border wasn’t too bad considering they only had one lane leaving Croatia and one lane entering Bosnia & Herzegovina. Yup, we had to go through two border controls each way. The drive to the border was quite nice, on the non-freeway roads, we passed a lot of fresh fruit and honey stands. Not knowing whether picking up some fresh fruit would be a problem entering into Bosnia & Herzegovina, we decided to play it safe and skip. We got through the border without any issue and off we were to explore Mostar. There are a lot of similarities driving through both countries. We continued to see a lot of abandoned and dilapidated homes. Another sign of the not so long ago distance war and the exodus of people trying to escape the conflict. 
Mostar is best known for "Stari Most", the bridge spanning the Neretva River. This attraction is what draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to this city each year. The bridge is an impressive piece of architecture originally constructed in the 16th century. It was destroyed in 1993 during the Croat-Bosnik war but was subsequently reconstructed to replicate the original bridge and reopened in 2004. Today on either side of the bridge, there are small shops lining the streets where you can find anything from intrinsic tea sets, to artwork, to scarves, to souvenirs and plenty of restaurants. Walking over the bridge can be a little tricky as it is quite slopped and the stones used to build the bridge can be a little slippery. An old tradition has once again started at the bridge....diving. While we did not have the opportunity to actually witness this event, locals will dive from the highest point of the bridge's arch, some 79 feet above the river below. It is said that local youths dive from the bridge as a sign of their transition into manhood. 
We came across a hotel and restaurant called Storia and by this time we were both really hungry so we decided to stop to eat. The place had the best sign ever to describe the restaurant. It said: "Probably the last chance for a good meal today." The sign did not lie. Our lunch was incredibly good, made with fresh ingredients and had that home cooked feel to it. The portions were quite generous too. I ordered a garden salad and tomato soup. When both arrived, I was unsure how I'd finish. The salad itself was enough to satisfy my appetite. And then add the soup, which normally when you order soup in a restaurant, you get a standard bowl sided serving. My soup came in a serving bowl with a ladle and another bowl for me to eat from. The portion was enough to feed a family. I think the chef prepared a pot of soup and I was served that entire pot. I have to say it was very tasty and was definitely home made. Z ordered the cevapi which too was a very generous portion and came with pita bread and french fries. I don't think we had a big supper that evening. This was a good day trip despite the monsoon. 
