After Zagreb, we flew to Dubrovnik. We loved Dubrovnik - the stone-paved main street, shaded side streets always filled with people drinking coffee, the impressive walls and the sparkling sea. No cars are allowed in the city and there are no unsightly air-conditioning units on the buildings, but washing is strung over the heads of the diners across the streets.
In the distance is the island of Lokrum, a short boat ride away, and a strenuous walk to the highest point. The cable car was badly damaged during the 1992 Yugoslavian war, as was much of the walled city below. During our stay the cable car was re-inaugurated.You can hold  the city below in the cup of your hand.

 

 While circumventing the ramparts we spied our favourite restaurant in Dubrovnik, Ekvinocijo. The squid was superb. In fact after the defeat of Holland in the soccer world cup, we took revenge on the psychic octopus by eating squid or octopus at every meal.

We attended an outstanding performance of Carmina Burana, part of the Dubrovnik summer festival. The open-air performance was outside, in front of St. Blaise's church, on the night of the cup final.  Although the concert started at 23.00 the shouts of joy and celebration reverberated down the narrow alleys. A fitting background to a piece about students and their songs.

The hours before an international bridge tournament are always tense when the last minute decisions must be made. Here Eitan, Chief Tournament Director of the European Youth Pairs, sits with Marc van Beijsterveldt, assistant Chief,  both obviously unhappy.


Our hotel in Opatja was excellent with a lovely view of the marina below.

While Eitan was busy with the bridge I took the opportunity to explore. I popped over to Slovenia to visit the enormous Postojna Caves. It seems that there are over 6,000 karstic caves in Slovenia,  and Postojna is the biggest.  After entering the cave we took a 20 minute ride in box carts through stalagmite formations and then we walked for 40 minutes within cavenous spaces filled with beautiful stalagmites and stalagtites.  Afterwards I drove to the centuries-old Predjama Kastel - a 6 storey castel built within the mouth of a cave to protect it. They obviously didn't live long enough in those days to suffer from knee pains!

My next visit was to the Istrian Peninsula. Driving around the peninsular I visited Motovun. Perhaps it was not surprising to see a fortified mountain village, evocative of the fortified villages we had seen in Toscana as this was built by the Venetians in the 1300’s.  There was even lavender scenting the air.  In Porec I was amused to see a kiosk featuring Nutella crepes. M young grandson Maayan traumatized me by insisting that Granny doesn’t know how to make crepes.  I was rather surprised that this 5-year old knew the difference between a ‘real’ crepe and a fancy pancake. When questioned how did he know he replied: “These aren’t crepes – there’s no Nutella!”

 

Eitan and I love to pick fruit from trees by the wayside. (For another occasion, picking wild mulberries in France, see here.) Here in Istria I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw numerous fig trees bowed down with dark delicious fruit that dissolved in your mouth like honey.

Not content with two countries in two days, and fascinated by the freedom with which one can cross borders here, I popped over to Trieste in Italy for the day.

 James Joyce lived in a number of apartments here, moving each time he had to pay the rent.  Now everyone stops to have their picture taken by his statue.

 Trieste, a port city, has even today tax free status. During the 1700’s the Hapsburg monarchy developed the town. It replaced the salt ponds with this canal so boats could enter right into the city.

 

It seems every city in Europe had its Jewish Quarter and Trieste was no exception.

 

This beautiful building with Lloyd Triestino carved on the top brought back many memories. The day after Eitan/Anthony and I got married in Durban we sailed for Venice on the Europa, a Lloyd Triestino liner. This fountain is interesting in that it depicts four continents – built before the discovery of Australasia.

After the bridge competition finished, we spent another  4 days touring. We drove 4 ½ hours southwards, buffered by high bora winds whistling down the mountains sides, to reach Split. A long way to drive to see an ancient city that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; but we weren’t disappointed.
Split was built by Diocletian as a palace and mausoleum, but far from being another ruin, the modern city has sprung up inside its walls.  Much of  Diocletian’s octagonal mausoleum was dismantled and the Cathedral of St Domnius built in its stead. But ask the locals where are the statues of Diocletian and his wife in the church they all shake their hands and say: “No statue, no statue..

Both touristy and authentic, Split has ‘soldiers’ guarding the daily appearance of ‘Diocletian’, while inside one of the banks there is a benchmark depression, from where all distances were measured, as well as an ancient drain cover. It is very much a living city.

 

We walked to the waterfront, busy with ferry traffic, and tried out the regal chairs carved out of stone. (See This Week's Picture). The south wall of Diocletian's Palace was on the sea front, and if  you look carefully you can see the ancient stone pillars incorporated into later buildings on the waterfront.

 

The sea food here, as in most of Croatia, is delicious, and Eitan is about to enjoy another squid meal at a restaurant recommended by a waiter from another restaurant in the the adjoining square

After Split we drove up the Dalmatian coast to Zadar. We could not help being impressed by the many inlets, islands and peninsulas hugging the Dalmatian coast, like the little village of Primosten.

 

For us the highlight of  Zadar, besides picking plums from a tree in the parking lot and another delicious sea food meal,  was the Sea Organ. It was built and designed by Nikola Basic. As waves lap or crash through a series of pipes below the stone steps they cause a moaning or sighing that is mesmerizing, recalling communication between whales. Another interesting feature of the promenade is the Sun Salutation that absorbs the sun’s energy during the day and emits it at night as light, lighting up the promenade.. 

We then drove inland to the Plitvice Natural Park. It is a series of lakes that spill into each other through an endless series of waterfalls.  We have traveled to many places where there is water wherever you look. Here, wherever you looked  there were waterfalls. It was truly beautiful.



And then back to Rijeka for our last night in Croatia. We met Branka and Goran Grguric, of the Croatian Bridge Federation, who were the on-site organizers of the bridge competition. We went with them to their favorite local  fish restaurant we we enjoyed an excellent meal.