Zagreb

After Split we arrived in Zadar just after noon where we planned to spend a few hours examining the old town and mainly the sea organ which was installed a couple of years ago. So after storing our bags we headed out in search of the sea organ and after about an hour of wandering around we eventually found it built into the stone stairs descending into the sea just outside the old town. The sea organ was quite unique to see as there were about 30 holes in the ground which each emitted a slightly different note when air was pushed through them. The sea organ worked by waves from the sea pushing air through the pipes (holes) that are built into the stairs and the air in the pipes each emitted a sound. Unfortunately there wasn't much waves when we visited so the sea organ was fairly quiet but we could still hear the truly unique sounds that it made.

After examining the sea organ and wandering around the old town for a bit we made our way back to the bus station where we boarded a bus bound for Zagreb, the capital of Croatia and our next destination. We arrived in Zagreb at about 9pm and unfortunately most things were closed by this time so we were left to wander the streets of the capital on our own looking for accommodation. Luckily a friendly local spotted us and helped show us to a nearby hostel where we spent the night.

The next morning we awoke and set off to find the store carrying Teva sandals to replace mine now that they were just barely holding together. So after succeeding in buying a new pair of sandals we looked into finding some cheaper accommodation as the hostel we were in was fairly expensive and not in the greatest condition. After about an hour of searching we succeed and moved into another small private apartment where we again dumped our bags and set off to explore the rest of the city. Unfortunately Lianne wasn't feeling the best so most of the day was spent taking it easy either in a park or back in the hotel room. We did manage to see the magnificent Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary which is probably the most impressive church in Croatia (that we saw anyway). Along with the church we also managed to see the nice outdoor fruit and vegetable market and just wander around several of the streets. That evening was also pretty low key and other than going out for a simple dinner we didn't get up to very much.

The next day was our last full day in Croatia and thankfully Lianne was feeling better so we set off to some sightseeing in Zagreb. We started off in the old town (also known as Gradec)and entered into it through a 13th century stone gate which is the only surviving gate into the old town. Inside this we made our way to the centre where we saw St Mark's Church, even though we couldn't enter the church the exterior was fabulous as the roof had been covered in painted shingles which showed the Croatian coat of arms and the coat of arms of Zagreb. Surrounding the square which contained St Mark's Church were the parliament buildings which were also beautiful old buildings. From this central square we made our way to the Museum of the City of Zagreb which went into quite a detailed description of the history of the city.

After wandering around the old town we made our way to the lower town where several museums, art galleries and parks are located. Due to a lack of time I was only able to visit the Archaeological Museum (Lianne decided she was museumed out and lay in a nearby park writing postcards) which started off quite interesting talking about the first people who settled in Croatia but then for the second half of the museum was a bit of a let down. The rest of the evening was spent enjoying a few drinks and dinner along the street containing most of Zagreb's nightlife.

The following morning we packed up and set off for the train station. Upon arriving at the train station we quickly boarded a train bound for Ljubljana in Slovenia, the next destination in our trip.










The sea organ in Zadar.




















The outdoor fruit and vegetable market with the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the background.



















St Mark's Church in the old town of Zagreb complete with its colourful tiled roof.

Split

Getting off the ferry from Hvar we were again bombarded by people trying to rent out their apartments to us and so after a little negotiation we set off following an unpleasant lady to her apartment located within the old town of Split. Since we were arriving in town late in the afternoon we just managed to wander around the old part of town for about an hour before finding a grocery store to buy supplies for dinner. After that we just returned to the apartment where we met a couple of Swedish girls staying next to us and then proceeded to enjoy cooking dinner and spending the night relaxing in the apartment.

The following morning we set off in search of the fresh fish and vegetable market so that we could get some supplies for that nights dinner. We easily located the fruit and vegetable market and after buying our supplies we wandered around assuming that the fish market was nearby but after 30 minutes of searching we still hadn't found it. So after asking several people we eventually found the fish market all the way on the other side of the old town and finished getting the supplies for dinner before returning to our apartment to drop them off. After dropping our dinner supplies off at our apartment we set off to do some sightseeing in the old town. We started with the Diocletian Palace which is essentially most of the old town of Split as the palace has been converted into numerous stores and apartments in recent years. Even though there weren't very many fancy buildings that remained that we could enter just wandering around the streets was still quite beautiful. One of the remnants of the palace is the excavated remains of the basement which have the exact same floor plan as the above ground level. In the basement we were able to see several cavernous rooms including one where a wine press used to operate. After the basement we visited the St Duje Cathedral which was a fascinating old cathedral complete with a huge bell tower and a treasury showing the standard religious icons. Lastly we visited the small Jupiter's temple which is a small and plain building on the outside, but inside there is some carving, a basin for holding water and a statue.

After seeing these sights and wandering around the city some more we made our way back to our apartment to enjoy a home cooked meal before heading out to visit a Croatian night club with our Swedish neighbours.

We awoke the next morning and set off hoping to do a little shopping and to visit some museums. However upon exiting the building we quickly found out that everything seemed to shut down on Sunday's in Split. So we spent most of the morning just wandering the streets outside of the old town and seeing some interesting statues (including one where rubbing the toe was considered good luck). The day was mostly passed in this manner or just relaxing in parks as there was almost nothing to do as even the museum we wanted to see was closed.

Our final day in Split was spent getting up early and rushing to a specific store where I hoped to replace my broken Tevas. Unfortunately upon entering the store I discovered they didn't have my size but was recommended a place in Zagreb where we were heading next. So after this we returned to the apartment, grabbed our bags and made our way to the bus station. At the bus station we boarded a bus bounded for Zadar where we planned to spend the day before heading to Zagreb that night.










Lianne standing in the basement of the Palace.




















A square just outside the Diocletian Palace. This is what most of the buildings and streets (although not this wide) in the area looked like.



















The Peristyle which is the main open square inside the Palace.

Korcula and Hvar Islands

I've again made 2 blog entries today, this one and Dubrovnik which we visited before Korcula Island so please enjoy them both. The Dubrovnik entry is below this one.

Leaving Dubrovnik we made our way to Korcula Island and after a 3 hour bus ride and a short ferry ride we made it. Upon reaching Korcula we again were bombarded with people trying to get us to stay in their rooms however most of them were expensive and the only one that was affordable we could only stay one night in. So after dumping our bags in the room we quickly set off to explore the small island town and to make the most of our short stay on the island.

We started off by just going for a walk around the old city which is perched up over the sea and even has some old city walls still intact, although they were not anywhere near as impressive as the ones at Dubrovnik. After our tour around the walls we delved into the old town and quickly found the Cathedral square where most of the sights are located. Our first stop was in the Gothic St Mark's Cathedral which was a dominating building in the old town and contained some nice artwork inside. After visiting the church we went in search of the house where Marco Polo is said to have been born in. Finding the house there wasn't much to see but still pretty interesting to see the location where it's thought he was born. Returning back to the Cathedral square we attempted to visit a couple of museums but found them closed for the afternoon so we decided instead to just wander around the town for a bit. That evening we went to find out what time ferries ran to Hvar the next day since we had to leave Korcula and found out that the only ferry running there departed at the ungodly hour of 6am. So after an enjoyable pasta dinner on the waterfront and a short amount of wandering around the old town again we made our way to bed so we could wake up for the ferry.

Waking up at 5:15am the next morning wasn't very pleasant but we managed to make our way to the ferry with all our gear so I guess it was a success. After our 2 hour long ferry ride we arrived on Hvar island and quickly found a place to store our bags for the day since we planned on leaving that afternoon for Split. After dumping our bags we enjoyed a self service breakfast from the nearby supermarket on the waterfront and then set off to climb the hill above town to the Venetian fortress. Reaching the fortress we were rewarded with some stunning views out over the town of Hvar and out to the Mediterranean sea although it was definitely a hot climb up to get them. Other than the views that we were awarded there wasn't much else at the fortress so we quickly climbed back down to explore the old town. Near the base of the climb to the fortress we saw the remains of the partially destroyed Church of St Marko. The church wasn't too spectacular but its location did offer another splendid view of the old town of Hvar. From here we made our way to the huge Gothic Arsenal which is an enormous cathedral located pretty much in the centre of Hvar and it's giant arch is visible from almost everywhere. After the Gothic Arsenal we just wandered through the small alleyways in the old town arriving at the church at the far end: Franciscan Monastery which was quite nice and included a small museum displaying mostly religious artwork.

At this point we learned that the latest ferry leaving the main town of Hvar for Split left at 2pm so we quickly grabbed our bags and made our way onto the ferry for the ride back to main land.









One of the little alleyways in the old town of Korcula. These streets were pretty common in all of the old towns in Croatia that we had visited.

















Looking back across a small bay at the old town of Korcula which stands out into the sea.














A tree growing over the path and in front of a small gate on the climb up to the Venetian fortress on Hvar.



















Lianne standing in front of a small church that we encountered on our way up to the Venetian fortress.

















A view back across the bay near the Church of St Marko looking at the heart of the old town of Hvar.

Dubrovnik

So we arrived in Dubrovnik and stepping off the bus we were bombarded with people wanting to rent their rooms out. So after a bit of negotiation we found one that was fairly cheap and in a good location so we set off for it. After dumping our bags at our room we set off to find the bus that would take us to the old town. After a few minutes of wandering we found the bus and made our way there. The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering around the picturesque streets of the old town and gazing up at the beautiful old buildings, churches and the famous clock tower. After wandering the streets for a bit we set off to find a sea kayaking company to book a day trip. The rest of the evening was spent just returning to our room where, with the use of the common kitchen, we cooked a delicious dinner. The first time that I had cooked in about 10 months.

The next day we made our way back to the fabulous old town to take in more of its sights. We started by visiting the Rector's Palace which has been turned into a museum showing how the rector used to live. During the Rector's one month term he wasn't allowed to leave the palace without the permission of the senate and so there were rooms containing everything from offices to bedrooms, and even some prison cells in the basement. After the Rector's Palace we made our way to the Maritime Museum which was located in Fort St John, an imposing building built on the edge of the harbour to protect ships. Inside the museum is an extremely detailed description of the maritime industry based in Dubrovnik from the 1st century right up until present day. After visiting the museums we wandered around the picturesque streets some more and visiting a few churches inside the old town before taking a walk around the city walls. The city walls are one of Dubrovnik's most famous sights as they enclose the entire old town and are over 2km long and at some points over 25 meters high, built right over the water. The walk around the walls was absolutely fabulous as it gave some great birds eye views out over the red roofs of the old town and out onto the sea. Definitely a highlight of Dubrovnik. After walking along the walls we returned back to our room to enjoy another home cooked meal.

Our third day in Dubrovnik we spent sea kayaking out to a nearby island about 4km off the coast. The day was beautiful and paddling on the perfectly blue sea was great. We set off from just Northwest of Dubrovnik and quickly left the mainland bay to head for the island. Upon reaching the island we took a short break on the southern point of it where we got to spend a few minutes snorkeling around (there weren't any fish to be seen though) and also some time cliff jumping into a small pool of water. After our break we hopped back in the kayaks to paddle around the island to a small beach complete with a few houses where we left our kayaks and walked for a couple of kilometres to the other side of the island to enjoy lunch. The island was extremely peaceful as there weren't any roads for cars on it and you could tell that everyone there had the relaxed island lifestyle so it was quite enjoyable. After lunch we returned to our kayaks where we enjoyed a short swim before getting back in them and setting out for the mainland again. Once we had crossed the open water we enjoyed a paddle back along the coast passing several caves to our starting point. All said it was a very enjoyable day and the weather was perfect for it. That evening we made our way down to the old town so that we could have a chance to see what the area looked like all lit up at night. Upon arriving there we wandered the streets for a bit and enjoyed a beer while sitting below the clock tower, quite nice.

The next morning we rose nice and early to make our way to the bus station where we quickly boarded a bus bound for Korcula Island, our next destination just a little ways up the coast.










A view from the city walls looking down the main street to the clock tower at the end of it.



















A view along the city walls where you can see them towering over the brilliant blue Mediterranean sea.
















Standing on the city walls with the red roofs of all the buildings within the old city behind me.















Jumping off the cliff into the small pool of water during our first short break of our kayaking adventure.
















Lianne practising her paddling skills while we make our way back towards our starting point during our day out kayaking.












The clock tower lit up at night in the old town.