At the Crossroads

Split is home to one of the most impressive architectural remnants from Rome, Diocletion's palace. That said, it is not your typical archeological site. Over the centuries it has been adapted to be the old town of the city - using crumbling pieces of the Roman palace complex to create apartment buildings amidst what remains from the original edifice - not a ton, but plenty to recognize what might have stood here in centuries past. The Mausoleum where Diocletian was buried still stands, though like most relics from that age in Christian Europe, has been adapted to a church. One can also pay to go below the streets to see the original basement of the palace, with rooms that mirror that which sat above them. The old town area has plenty of small nooks and crannies, with small little cafes at every turn, and a fair bit of charm if one can look beyond the tourist oriented culture thriving this time of year. Beyond the walls of the palace is a second tier of old town, almost as interesting but without the roman flare. There is just as much life though, and would be in and of itself a cool area to see if not for being overshadowed by what lies directly next door. The rest of the city is typically grimy but vibrant port city with its fair share of intimidating, sparse rocky mountain ranges once moving further inland over an industrialized bay. It reminds a lot of naples, or to a small extent Pula, a fast paced life in a city crawling with people. There are though, way too many tourists - English speaking - who arrive and leave in an instant on the way out to the Islands. It is a shame, but obviously a big part of the local economy.

As you probably can tell, I am really taken by this city, a close second to being my favorite on this trip right behind Ljubliana. It has almost the beauty of Dubrovnik, but more bustle and life to it making it seems a little bit more real, a little bit more alive. And, as found all over Croatia and Slovenia, it teems with some of the most beautiful women I have seen, though my fellow travellers claim I havent seen anything yet, that the further east I travel, the better they get. We shall see. As mentioned yesterday I head inland tomorrow to Mostar, in Bosnia but part of the Hercegovina portion. It is a divided town, with a Muslim and Serb populations living on different sides of the the river which is spanned by what is the quintessential Balkan picture, the Mostar bridge. Any book or travel guide on the region uses it as their cover photo, and though only three years old - this iteration, it had been blown up in the most recent war - its said to be a pretty amazing spectacle in person. They used many of the same pieces to rebuild it after some Croat hooligans destroyed it back in 93 despite UNESCO protection. I think this is to be a really interesting place to spend two nights, given the Muslim influence and latent tension. It is a city that even 4 years ago the state department didnt want us to go, but now its cool, dont worry.

Ok, two in a row, feeling good about it. Hope you are all well. It is too hot - high 30s - and am going to spend the afternoon at the beach.

Also, nearby in Sibenek:

My ambition with this message board was to draft an entry for, at minimum, each city where I chose to spend the night. Seemed reasonable enough, but the free market has in recent days, again, proven to my demise. Internet is readily available on the Dalmation coast, but for 30 Kuna an hour I found it only prudent to check my email - and my first place fantasy baseball team - and move on. For those who are not familiar with the Croatian currency and exchange rate, thats about six dollars an hour, which to me would be better spent on plenty of other things one can do here on the coast. Lets just say mom isn´t too happy about this decision - received several emails concerning my having gone silent. So mom, I´m quite safe, and having a great time, and will check in with you soon. I promise, you need not worry.

This past week has been busy, but still quite relaxing. Having moved on from Zagreb, I have spent the past four nights on the coast in Dalmatia, which is quite different from Inland Croatia. Situated on the Adriatic, it has more of a Mediterranean feel and garners greater influence from Venice, then the more Habsburgian Capital which, like Slovenia, seems far more akin to Austria. The first three nights I spent in zadar, an interesting though by no means special coastal town about 5 hours ride from Zagreb. Its most interesting aspect is its diversity of architecture, with buildings from many different ages sitting in close vicinity to each other, a result of many different sieges on the city. It was nice to be back on the coast, to have a chance to spend a few hours each day reading on the beach. From here, I was also able to take two day trips, one to Sibenik, also on the coast and home to what many describe as the most beautiful cathedral in Dalmatia, and the Plivice Lakes National Park. This second trip I had been looking forward to for a long time and still met my ambitious expectations. It consists of a series of 18 lakes - water with greenish tint - which pour from one to the next, with waterfalls of all widths, heights passing from one to the next. It was a whole day event, and quite pressure filled/agonzing at times as missing the last bus - at 5:20 - is a frequent problem for ambitious travellers. It is a must see though on a trip here and best done on your own terms, without the time constraints and pressure which to an extent took away from the beauty of the moment.

I am now in Split, Croatias second largest city and main transportation hub to the islands. It is as great as I expected. Since I am running out of time, I will write about this next time - and there will be a next time as I have found much cheaper internet here. That said, from here I go to Mostar, then Sarajevo, and it seems to my moms relief, I might have a travel partner for these two destinations. When I was up Bled I met a kid from Connecticut with a similar Balkan itinerary. We went our separate ways after a night of talking about our intentions and other travel stories, only to stumble into each other again here in Split, same hostel, same room no less. So, as we both intended to go to these stops next, we will to an extent be moving together. Anyway, a weird coincidence from the road, but one which seems to happen more often than you would think and more so in the balkans where there are much fewer of us backpackers - cringing as I call myself that - to go around. Anyway, im out but its been good to be writing again and hope my next one is sooner than later.

Pices from Plitvice Lakes National Park:

Internet has proved harder to come by in Lake Bled region - and to be honest, I did not seek it out (wasnt the kind of place where one is anxious to spend time playing with anything remotely electronic) - so this posting arrives perhaps a little later than I wished. It also seems I will have to cut short the second, less analytical posting promised from the few days I spent in Ljubliana. So, for those who want to know about nightlift in Slovenia, it must wait though im sure those who are curious are satisfied enough that I am finding time to go out and am willing to spend the Euro or Kuna to check out the scene, whether it be an outdoor jazz venue or a disco saturated with teenagers.

Again, Ljubliana is best enjoyed on a sunny afternoon, sitting river side in a cafe talking with friends, reading a paper and generally enjoying the serenity of the moment. But, there are a few worthwhile things that might keep you away from the cafes for at least a few hours. The castle is the natural first choice. It sits above the city, just above the river bend and offers fantastic views of the city. The museum isnt that special, but thats not why one goes up there, its to head to the top of the tower to look down on the city and to glance into the distance at the Snow dusted mountains of the Julian Alps. At the foot of the castle hill is a fantastic market open daily where one can pick up almost any food or clothing item desired, which is also flanked by St Nicholas Church, probably the best Ive seen in 3 weeks on road.

The hidden gem, where few tourists seemed to venture, was Tivoli park just west of the city center. The city is small, so we are talking no more than ten minutes from the main square. The first ring of the park is a fairly well manicured set of gardens, with walkways leading in numerous directions, each of which likely shares a common endpoint. What is more special though is the center of the park, a wooded hill - approaching mini mountain status - with hiking trails which, when trekking along, conceals not only the sight, but also the sound, of the bustling city below. It was hard to imagine any city having such hiking opportunities, albeit of no real difficulty, so close to a downtown setting. There is also a great, relatively isolated and thus empty, museum on contemporary Slovenian history that presents a few not so special exhibitions on life under Tito which I enjoyed, though doubt the average tourist would.

Now, to my Next Destination:

The last two nights were spent at Lake Bled, an incredibly picturesque lake in the foothills of the Julian Alps. Though its beauty is unquestioned, it is a little touristy at times for my taste. Who can blame the industrious folk who see fit to capitalize on the opportunity presented to them though - its not every day you find a lake situated so close to the mountains, with a castle overlooking it from high atop a mini-mountain and a mini-church positioned on an island that sits right in the middle of it. I promise, I found a chord and will get pictures soon. Anyway, among the better things I did in my time there was to trek 4km north to the Vintgar Gorge and take a day trip to slightly larger, and far more serene, Lake Bohinj which is about 20 miles deeper into the Alps and possesses greater natural beauty, albeit w/out like castle and churches. Still, it was a great place to hike - 3 hours around 3/4 of the lake - and get away from all of the tourists at Bled. Not to say Bled isnt worth the Journey, it definitely is, but if you are allergic to tourists there are better places out there. Thankfully the weather held out for most of my time there, only raining right at the end of it and the morning that I left. It is not a good place to spend time in the rain - unless you find a pub.

Today I left Slovenia - though somewhat disappointed I did not make it to Maribor or Ptuj in the Northeast - and am currently sitting in Zagreb. It is a much grimier city, more graffiti, and you can the changes as you move toward the heart of the Balkans. I have been here before - four nights in fact - and dont intend to spend much time here. Likely two nights, with most of the day spent on some trip elsewhere in the vicinity as I have yet to see much of the inland croatian area outside of the capital. It is my hope to post a similar posting on my way out to the first one I shared in Ljubliana and have my new 1000 page tome by Rebecca West - a Yugoslavian travel memoir from the forties - to help guide me in this pursuit. I cant believe I am towing this thing along with me - it literally weighs a kg. But it is one of, if not the, definitive piece on this region, and should be a great companion for the next few weeks.

Unfortunately this truly will be a short posting, simply to help bridge my readership along as I fear my neglect these past few days will have lost you. Im in Rovinj, an absolutely stunning city on the Adriatic coast that reminds me of Dubrovnik, the ˝pearl of the adriatic˝but lacks the rustic appeal of that city. This city has a little more color, a little more Italian influence, but the same charm, relic feel without the same decay thats apparent elsewhere. Im staying in a private accommodation for toooooo much money but that is fine for a few days, its worth it. Though, this is the first time I felt that riding solo to be an issue, not only with the cost since im paying virtually a double rate but because this is a place i feel should not be experienced alone, there is too much beauty that I would never feel capable of conveying to people back home who are interested.

I did take a short day trip today to Porec, about 30 km north of here and famous for being the Croatian tourist trip, but also for a basilica that has mosaics rivaling the most famous of ones across the sea in Ravenna. Ive never been, but so ive been told. Tomorrow I head inland to Pazin, and if time permitting, Beram a 6km walk upstream from there. This will be my opportunity to see what the hill towns away from the coast are like, or so i hope since without a car, im limited to only a few options via bus. Well, more to say, but less time as I hemorrhage Kuna. Swimming the Adriatic these past few days have been nice, completely blue skies sure help in cleansing my memory from the cloud that is Ireland. Seeya...

If Ireland was my European Appetizer, the main course has arrived. One day has passed since I arrived in Croatia, landing in the port city of Pula where I'm spending two nights in a tiny hostel near the city center. This town is ostensibly the capital of Istria - an arrowhead shaped peninsula situated directly across the Adriatic Sea from Venice. This region is well known for its rocky beaches, frequented by German and Italian tourists, and its inland vineyards, truffles, and seemingly abandoned hill towns. I find Pula to lack the charm which Istria is well recognized for - its hard to hide the giant cranes in the harbor - but it remains a vibrant place to spend a few days and worth seeing for a day trip, if not a short stay. I have not been to some of the bigger Italian port cities such as Trieste or Genoa but I'd imagine them being quite similar, with Pula possessing a slightly more rustic and/or resort feel (its suburbs).

Some History:

Pula began as a Roman settlement, with a few notorious remnants from their rule. Though not quite as big as the one in Rome, the amplitheater rivals the colleseum in how well its been preserved. Most of the seating has been removed, but at the time, it could fit 22000 people, though for a town of only 5000, the math doesnt seem to add up. Today its used for performances of all sorts - currently tickets are on sale for Croatian version of Grease and a ballet. Pula has since been under the control of Venice, the Habsburgs, and most recently Yugoslavia before gaining its independence in the late eighties. During the Habsburg period Pula was the main naval command station, and James Joyce once was employed here as an english teacher - amusing, nice company - for their officers.

Small town Airport:

Arriving via plane alone emphasizes the difference between Croatia and its more modernized western counterparts. Though my antiquated guide book warned me it would be the case, I took for granted there would be public transportation from the airport that could shuttle me the 7 km to town, but clearly not. The only way in is via taxi, and luckily I was able to find someone willing to shuttle me in to the bus station for a mere 5 euros, significantly cheaper than the going rate of 100 kuna - about 20 usd, 15 euro. The airport in itself was quite empty, and there was little evidence of any new flights coming or going anywhere, anytime, in the near or distant future. I'd bet there were no more than 40 employees of all things airport oriented making the place run smoothly.

Next Steps:

I'm leaving for Rovinj in the morning, a smaller, more picturesque coastal town where I intend to stay three to four nights. The timing is based on the circumstances of my accomodation, the first place where I am going to have to arrange a sobe or homestay/private accomodation. It should be interesting, and hopefully not too expensive given the time of year. I look forward to writing about the experience of securing one - often by negotiation right outside the bus station. Also, coming soon will be a far more evocative explanation of my special interest in the balkans, and in effect, why I am devoting two months of my life to traveling to cities + places so far off manz peoples radar.