Tragir

 

Copyright © noel.moore@gmail.com

Old Tragir is located on a small island only a few meters off the mainland with a much larger island on its seaward side. It's architecture, history, and character has much in common with Korcula, Split, Hvar and to a lesser extext Dubrovnik.

However it was my favourite. Small and perfectly located on the island with airport, city and infrastructure close at hand, make for a great holiday location.

The old lady in the market used the old but reliable weights on balance scales, as did many others. Not a bar code within sight! And they work long hours; from 7am into the evening 7 days per week. 88% of workers are in service industries and many work similar long hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have been amazed by the thousands of expensive yachts we have seen, with many hundreds of the 35 to 55 foot class being charter boats. The yacht (top left) was one we watched heading out with a novice crew. After spinning out of control and hitting 3 other boats they appeared to be successfully underway.

 

And they start young! Afternoon sailing school for juniors in full swing.

And this "James Bond" special cruiser? There is not much that I can say. I was politely but firmly told that it was confidential! But they certainly had a range of toys in the back! Similar boats hire for US$140,000 per week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tragir is very close to, and on the direct flight path into Split Airport. We watched with interest the large number of cut price and charter operators flying into Split; mostly A320 / B737 class of aircraft with disproportionate numbers from Scandanian countries including direct flights from non capital city locations. Compared to Scandanian prices, everything would appear cheap in Croatia! It was also interesting to see that Aeroflot (the Russian national carrier) had a desk in the Split terminal.

Cycling tours are also big business. This is at the finish of a "2 Islands ride" on a Sunday afternoon. Followed by pasta and beer in the afternoon and a rock concert at night.We also saw a number of charter boats that were taking groups between islands which they would then ride around; many in this category were 40 to 70 year old couples.

 

Split

The Roman emperor Diocletian built his retirement Palace in Split at the turn of the fourth century AD. The structure is massive and more resembles a large fortress built upon Roman fortress architecture; square with four gates located at the midpoint of each wall. The seafront or southern half of it was for Diocletian's personal use, and the northern half housed the military garrison.The Palace is a living example of repurposing a structure. Built upon earlier Roman Imperial structures, it has been renovoated, rebuilt and altered many times in its history. In the Middle Ages the majority was a series of mansions owned by rich families. Today shops, restaurants and churches exist in the spaces that were once the Palace. Our 1 bedroom holiday apartment is within the Palace, in the north western quarter.

The first photo on the left is a column that is now located in a supermarket where a group of retained columns are now in front of the Deli section.Many shops are located in various sections of the Palace. The second photo shows shops located in what was the basement of the southern end of the Palace.

Near the the North Gate of Diocletian’s Palace is a towering statue. His pointed hat, topped with a small cross, gives a clue as to his identity. He is Gregory of Nin, a medieval Croatian bishop who is now considered a national hero.The statue was created by Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic in the mid 20th century.Also just out side the walls, this time on the East, there are a series of markets. Clothes, craft, souvenirs and fruit/veg of very high quality.

There are always some people who like to dress up, like these two guys at the north gate.On the tour I have noticed a large number of young ladies who like to dress down with holes in their jeans!

We used Jadrolinja ferry on a number of occasions; Bari to Dubrovnik, Korcula to Hvar (passenger cat), Stari Grad to Split.

Split is their major hub with a busy schedule of arrivals and departure, like this ferry we passed as we arrived into Split. I would rate there service as "good" to "very good". This is in Spite of our problem of missing one ferry due to them suddenly deciding to introduce their June schedule 5 days early without making it generally known.

 

Hvar: Town and Island: May 2016.

We have read that Hvar is a "party destination"! Well it certainly has a buzz that is not as apparent at other Croatian harbour towns. Lots of restaurant and people trying to sell you excursions. But also hiring deck chairs, beach access and taxi boats.

Hvar (town) is built on bay with a small island at the enterence providing additional shelter from the sea. Boats, yachts and bikes can be seen in abundance. The history of conquest is similar to the other Croatian Islands. The current location of Stari Grad (translation: "Old Town") was the site of the original Greek settlement, on a great harbour and adjacent to fertile land.

It is inspiring to walk down streets of beautiful whitish stones polished by feet overs thousands of years and in places channeled by the wheels of chariots and carts. Similarly the steps of many buildings including church's are warn by the feet of generations.

The cruising yacht Casablanca docked briefly in Hvar while I was on the wharf. It is a luxury mini cruiser intended for charter and private cruises in Croatia, based out of Split and/or Dubrovnik. Casablanca is 51 meter long and can accommodate up to 38 passengers. It's charter rate (mid season) is 43,000Euro, plus meals and refreshments.

The old town of Hvar reached a peak under Venetian rule and their winged lion symbol can be seen in many places, particularly on items funded by the Venetians, including on this well (photo to left) and on the fort above the town.

The beautiful harbour town of Jesla.

 

 

 

 

 

Stari Grad has a large and well used harbour and the ferry port for the Island on an adjacent fork of the harbour.

While we were there the harbour master was busy juggling spots for all the 30ft + yachts. There are currently significantly enlarging the docking space.

The south coast of the island, to the east of Hvar is quite steep, and has its own micro climate. It claims the most sunny hours in Croatia which assists the development of their premium wines.

We found a remote but excellent restaurant near the sea, run by a man who after 15 years in London restaurant swapped that life to be close to his son!

Many slopes behind the town of Hvar are covered by integrated dry stone walls and stone shelters. They are UNESCO protected as a monument to centuries of work by many generations to turn rocky hills into productive agriculture. Today the slopes are largely covered by lavender.

Our little hire car near stone walls and chapels on the heights between Hvar and Stari Grad.

 

 

 

 

This typical example of a 19th C lime kilm was built by locals, but before it could be fired, they were called up for WW1!

 

Ston and coastal Croatia

Ston is located at the southern end of the Peljesac Peninsula, about 54 km north-west of Dubrovnik.

The 5.5kM wall was built during the Dubrovnik Republic; namely 14th and 15th C. At that time, a kilo of salt was worth the same as a kilo of gold. It was therefore essential to protect their salt production. The salt pans date back to Roman times and the same pans have been producing salt for over 2000 years using traditional techniques.

In addition to its salt and wall Ston is today known for its mussels and oysters that are farmed in the sheltered waters between the peninsula and mainland near Ston.The oysters perfectly complement French Chablis, or vice versa.

A fish we had not eaten previously was the red skarpina; a member of the grouper family. The locals recommend eating fish with a light coating of olive oil. We followed instructions noting that the Hvar and Brac olive oils have a more delicate flavour than the more robust Spanish olive oils.

There appears to be a viable fishing industry around the Croatian islands, much of it on a small scale and on a local basis, with one and two person boats; although we did see some larger vessels moured in ports.

The small operators assure a supply of fresh local fish to restaurants, but at a price. Although not easy to quantify, it appears to us that a quality fish meal in Crotia is more expensive than in Australia. This is similar to what we have previously found in Japan, Norway and Finland..

 

Korcula: 18 - 22 May 2016

 

Korcula Statute (left) from 1214 ( a year before Magna Carta) covers laws of Korcula city and island. The stone town was built in the 13 th and 14th C by skilled local stone masons. A feature is the arch bridges linking houses and churches above street level. In the 19th and 20th C. shipbuilding was a key industry and Post WW2 many islanders migrated to Australia. Today tourism is the dominant industry with cruise ships and day trippers supplementing holiday makers.

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Korcula has a similar history to other parts of the Dalmatian archipelago. The first known inhabitants of Korcula were Illyrian tribes who occupied a large area of Dalmatia. They lived from farming and fishing. Upon the arrival of the Ancient Greeks, Korcula became a Greek colony. However, they made no attempt to integrate with the Illyrians, who continued both their tribal lifestyle and their separate existence.The Greeks were followed by the Romans as they were around the Mediterranean. The Croats came to the Adriatic coast from the fertile Neretva valley and arrived on the Island of Korcula in the early 9th century. The Venetians arrived in Korcula in the 10th century and they ruled Korcula on and off up to the 14th century. The golden period for Korcula was between the 13th and 15th centuries, when the old town's present form was acquired through the construction of important buildings.

Existing on the fringes of the Venetian territory, Korcula lived with the Ottoman on its doorsteps. The most famous battle was in 1571 when the Ottomans attempted to plunder Korcula. Despite being abandoned by the Venetian garrison the Korculans managed to defend the town and repel the invaders, preserving their livelihood and Korcula itself. By the 15th and 16th C. the decline in the Mediterranean trade led to economic and cultural decline. In the late 18th C. European city states crumbled in front of the Napleonic armies and Venice lost its dominace over the Adriatic with the Peace Treaty of Campoformio in 1797. After the fall of the Venetian state Korcula became part of the Austrian empire, for over a century.

Korcula, along with with other places lay claim to being the birth place of Marco Polo.

His trip to China and his chronical were European milestones.

Four images come together in this photo:

1. the beautiful historic town,

2. the towering heights of the peninsula that runs north from Dubrovnik and made the strait at Korcula of such strategic importance,

3. a P and O cruise liner leaves after a day stop in Korcula. Next stop Dubrovnik,

4. Local boats, once built here and essential for trade and communications, and now for tourist pleasures.

 

14 May 2016: Mostar

 

Copyright © noel.moore@gmail.com

The drive from Dubrovnik included 3 border crossings; Croatia to Bosnia, back into Croatia and then the major crossing into Bosnia.The section of coast that is not part of Croatia dates back to 1667, the year of a major earthquake in Dubrovnik. The Republic couldn't afford to pay its annual gift to the Ottoman Empire, so instead gave them a strip of coast. In time the coast line passed from Ottoman to current day Bosnia.

Bosnia was were some of the worst "crimes against humanity" occurred in the War, and today has the highest diversity of the former Yugoslavian federation; 40% Serb/Othodox, 40% Bosian/Muslim and 20% Crotian/Roman Catholic.

Mostar was significantly destroyed in the Bosnian War. Current unemployment is approx. 50%. No one is really sure. There is much talk of government corruption and waste, and a high level of despair leads to many young people leaving, particularly ethnic Croatians who can get automatic Croation citizenship and therefore the right to work within the EU.

Tourism is one high growth industry and prices are generally lower than in Croation. Shopkeepers and restaurant staff were very adapt at working in 3 currencies; Euro, Croatian and Bosnian currency.

The rebuilt "Old Bridge" of Mostar.

Rebuilt by Turkisk engineers; the original bridge was built by the Turks. The appearance of the Old Bridge on nightly TV News being progressively destroyed was such a powerful symbol of the divide between Christian and Muslim in the Bosnian War. Just as it was a physical divide and sometimes "bridge" between the Ottoman Empire and Europe in earlier times.

A young girl begging in the streets of Mostar. Her extended family was a short distance away, out of sight waiting to collect any gifts from tourists.

 

May 2016: Dubrovnik: pearl of the Adriatic

 

Lenore and I walked around the city walls on our first afternoon, just as we did with a 2 year old daughter in 1981. The complete wall is one of many features that makes Dubrovnik such a magnet, and a reason why the shelling of Dubrovnik, including the Old Town - UNESCO World Heritage Site - became a public relations disaster for Serbia and Montenegro, contributing to their diplomatic and economic isolation and the international recognition of the independence of Croatia. It was clear to see in so many places the repaired damage to walls and roofs from the war; a sign that the "men who try to take with force" did not succeed. We took a second floor apartment in the old town, from where we can see the daily flood of tourists, many off cruise ships, get their few hour exposure to Dubrovnik before it is off to the next port. The full tourist buses unload near the main (Pile) Gate on the hour, empty buses pick up on the half hour. The weather has been wet on a couple of days. I felt sorry for the tourists on the cruise ships that were in port yesterday. It was quite wet at times, so they were huddling in groups in and out of the souvenir shops. At least today's group will have some bright photos. For such a major tourist site the local authorities keep the streets very clean; rubbish bins every 20m! Being sunny we headed off on the local bus service (excellent) to the north to walk around a headland, consumed a seafood pizza, and then back to the Franciscan Monastery- Museum. Particularly pointed is a rocket hole in the wall 1M from a Peter Paul Rubens painting: from when the Serbs shelled the town in 1991-2.

The main square in the Old Town is close to the City Harbour and is flanked by a medieval clock tower and Saint Blaise's Church, the patron Saint of Dubrovnik. Twins "Maro" and "Baro" are the bronze bell ringing figures who have now became tinted green from the salt air. Summer concerts are held in the main square; not a square meter is under-utilised.

Dubrovnik today is highly reliant on tourism; almost every available space is used for outdoor cafes and restaurants. One square multitasks: morning market, afternoon/ evening restaurant.

Dobrovnik built its wealth through trade; mainly trans-shipping goods between the east and western Mediterranean. They were constant rivals and often in open conflict with the Venetians. This rivalry drew them into alliances with the Ottomans and Spanish, who were also their major trading partners. Venice was one end of the Silk Road to China, and Istanbul the other. At their height they were an independent Republic. Dubrovnik based shipping companies were prominent until WW1 which caused major disruption and WW2 hastened the decline.  

An unaccompanied male choir entertains in the streets, and two pix from the city wall. (If you though that the ladder behind the alter in the church (above) was out of place, how about this one?)                          

Top: Musician near Pile Gate and the gate itself. Bottom: Local fresh fish is great and similar price to Australia, and the street near our apartment.  

Italian Trains

 

We had previously travelled on Italian trains but this was the first time on the 300kM/Hr intercity trains, and they are good. There are 2 competing companies operating trains on major lines; the Government Co and a private Co. When I went on line to purchase tickets I found that by selecting the time of day I could get business or first class fares at not much higher than economy!

Business Class on the Government Co; leather seats with power adjustment, plus drinks and snacks served in your seat! There was also a meeting room for business men and free wifi- Internet.

The off peak First Class on the Private Co was of similar standard.

At Naples a helpful railway employee assisted us to make the tight connection to the Regional train; the station is conveniently located under the intercity station. (And yes, I did tip him!)

He said he had lived in Naples all his life,and "no problems".

The Regional service Naples to Sorrento (70min) was very much a crowded commuter, all stops service with no space for bags, many standing passengers, and noisy school boys on their way to football training. The Ticket price was Euro 3.60 single. The line runs down the coast via Pompeii and Herculaneum.

30 April - 3 May 2016; Bologna

Bologna is a beautiful city; an emerging tourist destination, a foodie destination, a business hub and a university city. The city's symbol is Neptune; the statue's stylised trident has become Maserati's logo. Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and Ducati are all close to Bologna.

A characteristic of inner Bologna is the extensive use of colonnades. They must be a blessing in mid summer when it can get quite hot!

The Cathedral is undergoing maintenance at the main roof level. This allowed us to ride in an industrial lift, for a fee on the weekend, up to the work site. A great view over the city was the reward![Clock wise from top: View from Cathedral roof, a Ducati, the lift to roof top.]

Inside the Bologna Cathedral.

Like many university towns there is a high population of bikes. On a busy Saturday afternoon there was a team of students performing comprehensive repairs (including new rims) for other students, in a city square. They are clearly a good form of transport, especially on weekends when the city centre becomes a 'no cars' area.However I fear that some students have over capitalised their bikes with the value of their chain and lock exceeding the value of the bike.

A unique characteristic of the town is their towers. Between the 12th and the 13th century, the number of towers in the city was possibly up to 180. The reasons for the construction of so many towers are not clear. One hypothesis is that the richest families used them for offensive/defensive purposes. Today about twenty remain, and it is possible for tourists to climb some of them.

 

 

An interesting side story from Bologna:

 

Usually when travelling oversea local events pass you by; with a very few tragic exceptions.Lenore and I quite suddenly found ourselves in the 3 M gap between protestors (with flags and megaphones) and this group of police. The Police had locked down a few blocks as protestors had occupied a building and the police were not allowing anyone including potential supporters into the area.Unfortunately we had left our hire car in an underground car park in the lock down area. The initial police response to our request to retrieve the car was "impossible"!! After talking to a number of very helpful police, and referring up the line, we were eventually told "okay"! Good to know we were considered low risk.

 

Alberobello and Bari: 10 May 2016

 

Having watched a couple of shows that featured the trulli of Alberobello we were keen to observe them for ourselves. These limestone dwellings found in the southern region of Puglia, are remarkable examples of drywall (mortarless) construction, a prehistoric building technique.

The original trulli were made of roughly worked limestone boulders collected from neighbouring fields. Characteristically, they feature pyramidal, domed or conical roofs built up of corbelled limestone slabs.

Naturally there are a couple of structural limitations; limited room size and limited weather proofing. Modern Trulli use mortar, and dedicated chimneys rather than allowing smoke to seeping out.

We visited a modernised Trulli (circa 18th C.) with an additional evolution; multiple Romanesque Arches to support a greater roof span.

The front bedroom also had a 'peep hole' to allow owners to see who was at the front door, or it was suggested, to take a shot at undesirables!

Many Trulli have been converted to holiday lets, or for sale to foreign retirees. Certainly not for us, as they tend to be the opposite of open plan living; cute but impractical.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The day ended with returning our hire car in Bari, enjoying a light meal in a cafe, an expensive taxi ride to the port, a very slow queue through passport control (EU Countries have the express lane) and finally onto the ferry "Dubrovnik".

We had booked a basic internal cabin with basin, and by the 10pm departure we were in our bunks sedated with sea sick tablets. Arrival time Dubrovnik, 8am.

Maratea to Matera

After a beautiful stay in Mararea, we headed across the toe of Italy. Firstly there was a steep climb up into semi alpine county. I'm not sure how high we climbed but there were many warnings about the road being slippery when covered with snow. There was also a large hydroelectric scheme in the mountains. The descent on the eastern side was more sedate through wide sand and gravel valleys.

This is the furthest south we have ever driven in Italy, with the exception of Sicily; who don't regard themselves as part of Italy.

The major reason for our journey was to see the historical town of Matera. Like so many locations it was visited and publicised by Earnest Hemingway and in particular the extremely primitive cave conditions that residents endured immediately post WW2.

The town is certainly all stone. The photos on the left are of a preserved grotto; the family lived on the top level, with animals on the lower two levels.

Matera has been the back drop for a couple of religious movies, taking the part of Jerusalem.

Our accommodation was certainly stone if not a grotto, and afforded an excellent view over the valley, and the grottoes on the hill opposite.

 

The Duomo is magnificent and showed the signs of recent maintenance.

Like so many old Italian towns there appears to be a church around every corner.

There is certainly great charm and even beauty with unique features in this town. It could however be so much better. The dog dropping in the streets, rubbish and unkept verges makes for a shabby look.