When we decided to visit this Balkan area, I really had no idea what to expect. I'd heard from others that areas like Dubrovnik in Croatia were beautiful and should not be missed and each successive person we talked to who had been to this region added another name to our ever growing list of places to see. And of course outstanding in our memory was the conflict suffered here twenty five years ago between the different ethnic groups. So much to wonder about. Our last three weeks in this amazing area have only fostered in us the need to come back again (just a little earlier in the season) and spend some more time discovering the delights of the former Yugoslavia. By now you must be tired of my glowing reports of the different cities and regions we have visited and I must admit ... I think I'm running out of adjectives so I'm going to write only a sentence or two about the places we visited.
Ljubljana, Slovenia: a delightful gem of a small city. A waterway winding a path through the centre of the Old Town and bridges and coffee shops connecting people to the centre of the city. People walking everywhere.
Zagreb, Croatia: a city with a fantastic outdoor market. Fruit and vegetable stalls, fish markets, T-shirts and the latest in women's fashion. Anything you want, it can be bought at the local stall for a good price.
Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina: Stepping into the Old Town of Sarajevo was like revisiting Istanbul, complete with the five time daily call to prayer, but Sarajevo is so much more complex than that. If you've read Bernie's blog, you will know that it gave us so much more to think and talk about. Baklava and Turkish coffee round out our wonderful stay. Note to self: drink strong Turkish coffee before lunch!
Dubrovnik, Croatia: Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful! We got to explore this city and it's surrounding region longer than we first intended as I had an emergency root canal to fix some issues that had cropped up at the beginning of our trip. But by staying extra days, we enjoyed the added bonus of getting to know our AirBnB hosts Boris and Mirandela and their sweet daughters. Our connection with them cemented our reasons to return.
Kotor, Montenegro: a quick day trip from Dubrovnik led us to an amazing fjord-like area that just begs for a more summery visit when one can really enjoy the deep, clear blue water.
Split, Croatia: Staying just outside the palace walls where markets and shops abound. Walking the promenade amid palm trees and an endless vista of the Adriatic.
Krka National Park and Plitvice Lakes (two separate places): Water spilling through travertine rock. Wooden bridges and walkways inviting trekkers to wind their way in and out of their gorgeous landscapes. The joy of fog and rediscovering cold temps.
Zadar, Croatia: another walled city on the sea and more gorgeous Adriatic vistas. (Plus our first real Christmas lights and decorations of the season!)
Rovinj, Croatia: Our last stop in this beautiful country called Croatia. A small city with a lovely waterfront and more beautiful views of the Adriatic.
Like I said at the onset of this piece of writing, I had no idea what was in store for us in these countries. Again, I had heard about the beauty of Croatia but seeing is believing and I believe that Bernie and I will be back to discover new places (and rediscover old ones) in this country formerly known as Yugoslavia.
