The Dalmation Coast Trip (Part 2) -- Albania to Montenegro

Early the next morning our ship set sail for a short cruise to Albania.  We docked in Saranda and then traveled overland to the ruins of Butrint.  Butrint is located on the southwest coast of Albania.  The site has been occupied since at least the 8^th Century BC.  By the 4^th Century BC a walled settlement was established and the city became a successful cult site.  Until the 6^th C BC it remained a small Roman port.  Its later medieval history was turbulent as the town was involved first in the power struggles between Byzantium and successive Norman, Angevin and Venetian sites and later caught in the conflict between Venice and the Ottoman Turks.  As described by UNESCO, Butrint has been inhabited since prehistoric times, has been a Greek colony, a roman city and a bishopric.  Following a period of prosperity under Byzantine administration, it was briefly occupied by the Venetians, and then abandoned in the late Middle Ages.  Today’s ruins are an amalgam of monuments representing a span of over 2000 years from the Hellenistic temple buildings of the 4^th Century BC to the Ottoman defenses created in the early 19^th Century.

We visited a 4^th Century BC sanctuary dedicated to the healing god, Asclepius, a 2^nd Century AD Roman bath-house, a 3^rd Century BC theater, the agora/forum, an early 6^th Century baptistery, and the Great Basilica, an early Christian church constructed in the 6^th Century AD.

Sanctuary of Asclepius

Sanctuary of Asclepius



The Theater

Public Baths

Roman Forum in Butrint

The Baptistery

The Great Basilica

Driving back to Saranda, we stopped and viewed a 20^th century bunker built by the Communist government.  In 1943 there was a battle at this site and a monument to the Albanians killed there has been erected.  The monument includes an American flag which represents Albania’s move away from Communism.  We also passed a lake filled with mussel farms.  Once in the town, some of us got off the bus and walked the mile-long waterfront promenade back to the ship.

Bunker built by Communist government

Mussel Farm

 

Beach at Saranda

Sunset on the Adriatic Sea



After lunch the MV Athena set sail for Kotor, Montenegro.  It will be an 18 hour cruise, but the weather conditions are good and it should be a smooth sail.  We were supposed to cruise into Kotor during the morning so we could see the beauty of this bay that has been named one of the most beautiful bays in the world.  However, there was a large Costa cruise ship that was coming into Kotor this morning, so our Captain had to speed up so we would beat the Costa ship into the dock.  Otherwise, the Costa ship would have blocked our access to the dock.

Kotor is a beautiful walled city – outside of Dubrovnik, perhaps the most beautiful on the Dalmatian Coast. The wall that surrounds the city also goes up the mountain ending at the Castel St. John, and Illyrian fort that sits on top of the mountain.  Halfway up the path to the fortress is the Church of Our Lady Remedy, built in 1518.

Church of Our Lady of Remedy

City Walls of Kotor

 

We started our day with a walk through the main part of the city, visiting the town’s clock tower with the Pyramid of Shame located at its base, the Maritime Museum, the Church of St. Maria (dedicated to the victims of the black plague), and the Church Square.  The Pyramid of Shame was where convicts were tied or executed.  In the Church Square was St Lucas, a 12^th Century church that until the 17^th century had been a Roman Catholic Church and today is a Greek Orthodox Church.  Also in the square was St. Nicholas, a 20^th Century Byzantine Church.  The town has many palaces (not for kings, but homes where the wealthy lived since the Middle Ages).  They are still inhabited today – some with shops and some with families.  The town is also home to many cats, and they even have their own museum.  The cats belong to the city and all the restaurants feed them.  They also have a green (farmers) market located just outside the city walls.  We visited it and sampled the prosciutto ham and cheeses that they are famous for – the cheese was excellent.

Clock Tower

One of the Palaces inside the city

 

Cathedral in the town

Greek Orthodox Church

Inside Greek Orthodox Church

Cat Museum

Farmers Market

Cat Sleeping in box in window



City Walls of Kotor

Fortress Lit up at Night

In the afternoon we were supposed to climb up the path to the Church of Our Lady of Remedy.  However, it started to rain, and our guides determined that it would be too dangerous to climb the slippery, marbled-stone pathway.  In the evening we went out to view the city walls that are lit up the mountain to the fortress.

The next morning (we overnighted in Kotor) we took a bus ride over 25 hair-raising hair-pin turns up the mountain on our way Cetinje, the palace of King Nikola and nestled at the foot of Mount Lovcen and encircled by steep hills.  When we reached the top of the mountain we stopped for a photo opportunity and panoramic views of Kotor and the bay.  We then stopped in the village of Njegusi to sample the local smoked ham, cheese, beer and wine.  I almost didn’t make it to the next stop – I got locked in the bathroom.  After about 15 minutes, one of the workers at the restaurant was able to get the door open with a key.  After that I was afraid to lock any bathroom door.  At Cetinje, we toured the palace and had a chance to walk around the small town. King Nikola, the last monarch of Montenegro, ruled from 1860-1910.  Cetinje is also the official residence of the President of Montenegro. 

25 Hairpin Turns

View of Kotor from top of Mountain

 

View of Kotor from Mountain

Rest Stop in Njegusi

Town of Cetinje

Church where King Nikola is buried

Monastery at Cetinje

In the afternoon, we once again boarded our buses for a 30 minute drive to Perast, a small fishing village, known for the Baroque “Our Lady of the Rocks” shrine on a man-made inland.  Legend has it that this island was made by sailors and villagers on the rock where a painting of Madonna and Child was found by two fishermen.  The island was made by throwing tons of rocks into the water until a small island was formed.  They then built a small Roman Catholic Church there in 1452.  We took a small boat out to the island and had a tour of the church.  Arriving on the island, we all had to take our small rocks (which we had collected on the trip to Cetinje) and throw them into the water by the side of the island.  This was our symbolic way of helping to keep the island alive.  Inside, over the altar, was the painting that had been found.  The church is also a shrine to the sailors in that area, and in the past, sailors gratified that they had returned safely from a voyage, would donate small silver plaques (called voltives) in appreciation for returning back from the sea.

We set sail for Dubrovnik in mid-afternoon.  Most of us went up on the sundeck to enjoy the beautiful scenery as we cruised out of Kotor Bay.  Many of us brought snacks we had bought at the farmers market and added some wine for a very enjoyable "Happy Hour."

Town of Perast

Our Lady of the Rocks

Silver Voltives

Madonna and Child Painting

Sailing from Kotor

Sailing from Kotor

The Dalmatian Coast (Part 3) - Dubrovnik to Split

The Walled City at Nifgt

Panorama of Dubrovnik

 

 

 

Our next stop was Dubrovnik, Croatia, regarded as one of the world’s most exquisite and best preserved walled city.  Approaching from the sea, you see the gleaming white walls and red-tiled roofs – absolutely stunning.  It is still known as the “Pearl of the Adriatic.” In the past, Dubrovnik was an independent city-state that rivaled Venice.  (Its period of autonomy extended from 1358 to1808 when it was known as the Republic of Ragsa.)  It served as the base for a fleet of ships that carried trade between much of Europe and the Middle East.  In 1991, after Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia, Dubrovnik was subjected to 3 months of shelling by Serbia and Montenegro who lobbed mortars from the hills overlooking the city.  Many of the gorgeous historic centuries-old structures were destroyed or heavily damaged.  Almost ¾ of the homes inside the city were also damaged, as was the beautiful polished marble pedestrian street (the Stradun).  Although the bombings slowed considerable after December 1991, it wasn’t until the Dayton (Ohio) Peace Accord was signed in December 1995 that peace came to Croatia.  All the damage has been restored.  However, the dark-tannish tiles that were the roofs of the homes before the bombing were no longer available, hence the red-tiled roofs that you see today.  The only building rebuilt with the dark-tannish tiles was the Cathedral.  Its roof was rebuilt using dark-tannish tiles scavenged from the damaged roofs of other buildings.

Walls of the City

Oldest Pharmacy in Europe

 

 

 

 

 

We had arrived in the evening (it was only about a 2 hour cruise from Montenegro) so our guides took us for a short walk on the Stradun, the main street in the old city so we could see it lit up.  It was beautiful.  In the morning we took our regularly scheduled tour of Stari Grad, the old walled city.  But first we had to stop and get some local currency – the Kuna.  Although a member of the EU, Croatia still uses its own money.  We then stopped at the fountain/cistern that still provides fresh, safe drinking water from the mountains, the Franciscan Monastery which houses the oldest pharmacy (1318) in Europe, the Bell Tower, the Rector’s Palace (once the administrative center of the old city),  St Blaise Church, and the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.  St Blaise is the patron saint of Dubrovnik and whenever you see a statue of him, he is holding the city of Dubrovnik in his hands.   After our guided tour, Bill and I set off to find the “Hole in the Wall,” a bar that lies just outside the city walls where you sit on cliff-side ledges and enjoy the Adriatic Sea.  We found it – it is just a little door in the wall (no sign) and you go down a few steps and select your table.  We were joined by two other members of our group (Trudy and Renee) and enjoyed a relaxing glass of wine while admiring the beautiful view.  Then it was back to the ship for lunch – just what we needed – more food!

Franciscan Monastery

St. Blaise Church

 

 

 

 

 

St. Blaise holding city of
Dubrovnik in his hand

Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying wine and the view at the Hole in the Wall Bar

This evening we drove to the small Dubrovnik suburb of Gromaca where we will had a home-hosted dinner and met with some of the local people of Croatia.  We were broken up into groups of 8.  At our home, we were met by our host Theresa and her adult daughter Anna.  We were first ushered into their smokehouse where Anna talked about how her parents are keeping the old traditions alive.  The homesteads are handed down to the oldest son and this house has been in their family for more than 300 years.  In the smokehouse, Theresa smokes the ham, makes the cheese, and cans the fruits and vegetables that they grow in their fields.  The family has a bull, cows, pigs, and chickens.  They also grow most of the vegetables and fruits that they use – squash, peppers, tomatoes, beans, cherries, figs, pomegranates, lemons, and olives.  Theresa makes her own wine and brandy.  Anna, who did all the talking, said that her parents will most likely be the last to keep to these traditions.  Most young people now live in Dubrovnik and work outside the home (which she and her husband do).  While in the smokehouse, Anna served us some of their very sweet grapes and Grappa (a strong, clear brandy made from grapes).

Smokehouse at our Home-Hosted Dinner

We then went into the main part of the house, which has a modern kitchen and bathroom.  Our dinner started with home-made bread, smoked ham, cheese, and pickled red peppers.  The main course was stuffed peppers (with meat and rice) in a tomato sauce and mashed potatoes.  Dessert was an apple strudel.  We were served their home-made red wine, and with dessert they gave us some of their walnut brandy.  The food was delicious!  While we were eating dessert, Anna’s 6-year old daughter Maggie joined us.  She is just beginning to learn English in her Kindergarten class.  Her mother showed her the photo book of Colorado that we had given them, and she loved looking at the pictures and saying the names of the animals in English.  It was a most enjoyable dinner – one of the best home-hosted dinners that we have attended.

Anna and Maggie

Anna, Maggie and Theresa

 

 

 

 

 

About midnight our ship set sail for Korcula, an island off the coast of Croatia that is covered with forests of cypress and oak.  The city of Korcula is a walled-city that many historians believe is the birthplace of Marco Polo.  It was first inhabited by the Greeks in the 4^th century BC.  During its golden years from the 11^th-14^th centuries, it was ruled by the Venetians.  We did a short walking tour of the old city.  As you enter the gate of the walled city you see a stone plaque with St. Mark’s winged lion.  He is holding an open book in his hand which means those were peaceful times.  If the book on a statue or plaque of St. Mark’s lion is closed it means turbulent times (no time for reading).   In the main square are three palaces, again, homes of wealthy inhabitants, and one church (St. Mark’s).  The palaces or houses have 4 stories.  The shops are on the first floor, the living and dining rooms are on the 2^nd, the bedrooms are on the 3^rd, and the kitchen was located on the 4^th.  The heat from the kitchen would rise out of the roof, keeping the house cooler, and if there was a kitchen fire, the flames would move upward thus allowing the occupants to escape. The used a rope pulley system to move the food up and down the house.  We visited the Cathedral of St. Mark’s, a local museum, and the supposed home of Marco Polo – of which only one wall remains.  The Cathedral was built from the 14^th-16^th centuries.  St. Mark is the patron saint of Korcula, and over the entrance to the Cathedral is a statue of St Mark.  On either side of him are statues of a lion guarding the people, and below the lions, on one side is Adam and the other side is Eve.  Our guide told us an interesting architectural fact about air conditioning the homes inside the walled city.  The streets on the west side of the city are straight so that when the Maestral winds (a cooling breeze from the NW) blow they blow through the town cooling it off.  The streets on the east side of the city are curved to slow down the Bura winds (strong, cold winds from the NE).

Walled Old Town of Korcula

Town of Korcula

 

 

 

 

 

Entrance to the Walled City

St. Mark's Church

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ruins of Marco Polo's supposed
birth place

 

 

In the late morning, our guides arranged a boat trip for us around some of the nearby islands.  It was a wonderful little trip – the scenery of the islands and the turquoise blue of the sea was beautiful.  On one of the islands (Brnik) we saw the remains of an old stone quarry.  This quarry produced much of the marble that was used in building the old cities and statues, and even provided some of the marble used in the construction of the White House.  We stopped in front of a Franciscan Monastery for a little snack of Croatian cookies and walnut brandy. After lunch, Bill joined several other guests for a dip in the Adriatic Sea.  I just dipped my feet in it.

Brnik Island

Beautiful waters of the Adriatic Sea

Franciscan Monastery

Swimming in the Adriatic Sea

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the afternoon, our guides tried to give us a “Balkan Wars for Dummies” lecture on the complex break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1980s/1990s that resulted in independence for six former Yugoslavian states – Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Serbia.  While interesting, it was also mind-boggling.  We really should have taken a refresher course in Western Civilization for this trip!

We left Korcula for Hvar at 4 AM the next morning – who needs a wake-up call when the bow thrusters that are used to push us away from the dock are located just under our room!!

Hvar is a small lavender-covered island teeming with tiny bays.  In the morning we did a short walk through the small fortress town of Hvar, seeing the Cathedral of St Stephen, the village square and the Benedictine Convent where the nuns continue the tradition of making lace doilies from the fiber of the agave plant.  We did a short visit to their museum to see samples of their work.  It is exquisite.  I was disappointed that the only items they had for sale were larger pieces that cost over $300.  The smaller pieces (costing between $70-$100) were sold out.  I really wanted to buy a small piece – it is so unique and the only place you get these lace pieces is in the Convent Museum.

Town of Hvar

Convent where Nuns make lace from Agave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lace doilies made from fiber of Agave Plant

After our walk we boarded buses for a drive around the island to see the fields of lavender (the hills are purple during the summer), thyme, and rosemary.  Our destination was the seaside village of Vrboska, where we had a wine tasting at a local winery.  The wine was very good, and I could even drink the red wine.

Wine tasting with our new friends from Parker, CO

 

In the afternoon we cruised 1½ hours to Split on the mainland of Croatia.  This is the final stop for our ship.  Our last leg to Zagreb will be by bus.  The town is dominated by the Palace of Emperor Diocletian and most of the better shops and restaurants are located within its walls.  Diocletian built this palace as his retirement home in the 4^th Century AD, and lived there from 300-313 AD.  He was buried in the large 8-sided mausoleum within the walls, but his sarcophagus is no longer there.  In the 6^th Century, Christians converted the mausoleum into a church and the belief is that, since Diocletian tortured Christians during his reign as Caesar, the Christians removed his body.  Today no one knows where the body is.  The church is magnificent.  The Christians broke out one of the walls and extended the mausoleum, placing a beautiful alter in the space where the back wall used to be.  The palace is the only Roman palace that has been continuously occupied since Roman times and is one of the best-preserved Roman ruins in Southeastern Europe.

When we arrived, the waterfront was teeming with ferries and little cruise ships that sail between Split and the many Croatian islands.

Our guides took us for a short walk along the waterfront promenade in front of the Palace.  Bill and I then went into the Palace to see what was there.  The weather tomorrow when we have our guided tour is supposed to be cold and rainy so we felt it was better to see it tonight.  We also stopped in the flea market and Bill bought a sweat shirt and I bought a pair of warm pants.  The temperature in Bled (where we will be in 4 days) is in the mid-30’s and neither one of us has any warm clothing.

Palace of Diocletian

Inside Palace of Diocletian

Inside Palace of Diocletian

Walls surrounding Palace of Diocletian

 

 

 

 

 

After dinner we were treated to a Croatian folk dance.  There was a live band with a cello, two mandolins, and two guitars and 4 couples doing their native folk dances.  They performed 3 dances for us.  Their native costumes were fabulous and they were great dancers.  A nice way to end the day.

Croatian Dancers

 

Saturday morning dawned cold and rainy.  Bill decided to go on the guided tour of the palace but I decided to stay on the ship.  I do not want to get sick for the Romanian tour.  Bill enjoyed the tour and said he learned some interesting facts about the palace and the Emperor Diocletian.  The rest of the day was at leisure – they offered a tour of the engine room which Bill went on, but the rest of us were either busy packing or talking in the lounge.  Tomorrow we leave the ship and travel by bus to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.