Hand Luggage.

Walking the walls – part one

Dubrovnik old town is encircled by around two kilometres of walls and battlements. It takes around a hour and a half to march along them and they give fantastic views of the town, sea and red roof tiles.

There are three entrances to the city walls: at Pile Gate, Ploce Gate and at Sv Ivan fort. We chose the Ploce Gate entrance as there was not as much of a queue.

Here’s Revelin Fortress, an austere block of formidable stone.

The initial fort was built in 1463, in the period of threats from the Ottoman empire, who had conquered Constantinople in 1453 and were about to occupy nearby Bosnia (occupied in 1463).

The first of many terracotta roof tile shots! I love the warm, ripples of the roofing. During the shelling of the city in the early 1990s many of the traditional roofs were damaged and have been repaired in a patchwork of different shades.

Minceta Tower is another of the imposing fortifications along the town walls. The sunlight really makes the ancient grey stone come to life.

The views across Dubrovnik old town are just lovely and change as you get further along the walls.

Here Neil blocks out some of the lovely views . . .

On average 24 metres high and up to 6 metres thick, the walls date back to the 13th century.

Further reinforcements, including a series of imposing towers intended to protect the city against the Turks, were added in the 15th century.

It’s not just about endless patchworks of red though, you also get fantastic views out to sea as well.

Peeping through the thick stone walls gives you a nice shady spot to beat the heat. Just don’t hit your head like I did!

Beach life and taking a dip

Finally, back in Dubrovnik, we head for the iconic view point that inspired me to head to Croatia in the first place.

It’s a place called Banje Beach. Part private beach bar and part public sunspot. From high up you can get the fabulous view across the beach to the fortress.

No apologies for a variety of beach shots now! Just sit back and enjoy them…..

The sea is that beautiful shade of aquamarine that makes you want to hurtle head first into it.

However it’s not quite as warm as it appears so we keep our distance and concentrate on viewing all the loveliness from afar.

I also enjoyed the spectacle of the tourist galleon sailing majestically into the bay.

Looks like the ship is making a sinister bee line towards my head in this particular shot . . .

Luckily for me, and all onboard, the ship manages to make it safely to shore!!!

More Mostar markets!

Before we headed back to Croatia, we had time to mooch around some more of the picturesque little stalls that line the main cobbled street of Mostar.

From colourful slippers to beaten copper work, tiny traditionally attired dolls to artwork, there’s almost too much to take in.

Colourful wooden instruments make interesting (and custom friendly) souvenirs!

Copper wear, sumptuous fabrics and cute little tea sets are also displayed to attract the magpie eyes of the tourist.

The plethora of textiles make me salivate slightly . . .so many cushion covers that could be made from them.

Everywhere you look there’s a riot of colour, pattern and texture to delight the snap happy and trinket gatherer! (Both of which I happen to be)

We also stuck our heads inside the courtyard of a traditional Moorish home, but, as we’d no cash for the entrance fee, we didn’t venture further!

Here’s some carpets instead . . .

Finally a few more bridge snaps. (I really need to find a blog template that arranges pictures better!!!!!)

Here’s me attempting to strike a pose . . weirdly I look like I have one HUGE hand and one freakishly tiny one.

Cultural barbarism

After Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia, the town of Mostar was subjected to a bloody siege that left the town’s cemeteries filled with young men.

In 1993 the city was surrounded by Croat forces for nine months and much of it was severely destroyed by shelling. Residents were cut off with no electricity or food during the siege.

All around the town are haunting reminders of the conflict, more than two decades on. Buildings still wear the strafing scars of bullets while a rusting reminder of the siege sits directly in the path of tourists.

Shell casings were so numerous that they are now transformed into slightly macabre souvenirs to take home.

Mostar was divided into a Western part, which was dominated by the Croat forces and an Eastern part where the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was largely concentrated.

However, the Bosnian Army had its headquarters in West Mostar in the basement of a building complex referred to as Vranica.

In the early hours of May 9, 1993, the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) attacked Mostar using artillery, mortars, heavy weapons and small arms.

The HVO controlled all roads leading into Mostar and international organisations were denied access. Radio Mostar announced that all Bosniaks should hang out a white flag from their windows.

HVO forces then engaged in mass killings, effectively an ethnic cleansing on the Bosniak people of the West Mostar and its surroundings as well as a fierce shelling campaign on the Bosnian Government run East Mostar.

During the siege the 16th century bridge was completely destroyed having been hit by 60 mortar shells before it finally collapsed. It was later described as an act of cultural barbarism at The Hague.

All around Mostar are the reminders of conflict, the legacy of the horrors of war. The new Muslim cemetery is full of graves, nearly all of who perished in 1993 and 1994.

The cemetery is a former tree filled park that has been given over to white grave marker after white grave marker.

Apparently during the war, snipers would shoot at anyone who moved, making it difficult for families to bury their dead.

The city’s cemeteries were too exposed, but this former park was relatively safe from snipers. People buried their loved ones under cover of darkness.

Marvellous Mostar

Mostar is a city in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina situated on the Neretva River. Its quaint cobbled streets are lined with colourful stalls and converge on the main focal point of the town, the (newly restored) old bridge.

From multicoloured scarves, bags and wallets, wooden instruments to shiny copper jugs, the bazaars are a cornucopia of consumables.

One of the most unusual souvenirs to be found all over the town are carved shell cases and bullets, left over from the bombardment of the town in the 1990s.

The purchase of one such object lead to my first ever confiscation at airport security . . .

The scenery is spectacular with mountains stretching into the background, colourful flags flutter in the warm breeze while bullet scarred buildings still nod to the war torn past.

It feels a little like we’ve stepped back in time as we pass old men beating pattern’s into ornate metal work and laughter lined women offer us fragrant teas and pastries as we pass.

Mostar was named after the bridge keepers (natively: mostari) who in the medieval times guarded the Stari Most (Old Bridge) over the Neretva.

The Old Bridge, built by the Ottomans in the 16th century, is one of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most recognizable landmarks, and is considered one of the most exemplary pieces of Islamic architecture in the Balkans

The original bridge over the Neretva River stood for 427 years before it was destroyed during the Bosnian war in November 1993.

In the summer months young men perch at the edge of the bridge and wait for enough coins to perform breath taking plunges into the river below. It’s about 24 metres from the bridge to the water.

Even in October a single solitary man waits, ever hopeful of a few coins in return for a perfectly poised decent.

(Note this man is not waiting to dive . . )

Losing the plot in Bosnia

My grandparents visited Mostar, formerly in Yugoslavia, over 25 years ago and I had always been charmed by the photographs of the old bridge that is its most famous image.

Sadly the grand old bridge was completely destroyed in the 1990s during the Bosnian war but I have always wanted to take a trip to see the city.

Cruising on the wide, expansive sweep of Croatia’s A1 highway, we headed to the checkpoint, passports in hand and confident of a relatively pain free journey.

After assurances from the somewhat brusque border patrol guard that Mostar was easy to find “yes, yes, you follow signs!” we were on our way!

Early progress was good as we found the same huge, empty roads that we had grown accustomed to in Croatia.

We passed lots of clear signage, assuring us we were heading in the right direction.

Growing up in the 90s, with the headlines full of the horrors of the war, certain place names such as Sarajevo still have a certain impact, even decades later.

Our initial direction related optimism was soon to be thwarted however, as we followed the dual carriageway to a small village we passed heaps of rubble, a stationary JCB and then the dual carriageway just ends. In its place a single track, dusty road snakes into the distance!

There appears to be some sort of disagreement between the two countries about the road, so it stops!

Wonderful . . so the the big signs might have said Mostar sadly however the road just “disappears”. Our sat nav from home only featured one Bosnian road and it didn’t happen to be the one we were on unfortunately.

Equally useless was sat nav that came with the hire car. It took about an hour to boot up and then simply refused to acknowledge that it was actually anywhere at all. . . . sigh.

So for about an hour we were utterly and totally lost in Bosnia. Passing small villages on a dusty track, unsure if we were ever going to get out, let alone reach Mostar.

Then suddenly, an actual road with signage reappeared! Not entirely sure if this was the town of Metkovic or somewhere else entirely . . (bit rubbish on directions TBH)

Either way, miracle of miracles we’d managed to keep heading in the right direction, and we were on our way again!

Next stop Mostar! Here’s a sneaky peak . . .

Tiny Trogir

Having finished our whistle stop tour of some of the stunning national parks, we headed back to Spilt.

We had a tiny bit of spare time so decided to head into Trogir, a lovely little medieval town.

Here’s me enjoying some late afternoon sun on the bridge over the canal that separates the new town from Trogir’s medieval core.

Trogir’s centre, surrounded by walls, comprises a preserved castle and tower and a series of dwellings and palaces from the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Surrounded on all sides by water it is a tiny gem of a town.

Trogir has a high concentration of palaces, churches, and towers, as well as a fortress on a small island, and in 1997 was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

The orthogonal street plan of this island settlement dates back to the Hellenistic period.

*Interesting fact alert* Trogir featured in two episodes of Doctor Who. Due to its specific architecture, it served as a double for Venice in “The Vampires of Venice” and as a double for Provence in “Vincent and the Doctor”.

We mooched around as the sun set on the imposing facade of Kamerlengo Castle.

The castle was built in the mid-15th century by Marin Radoj as part of an expansion of the Veriga Tower, built on the site in the late 14th century.

It is used as a location for performances during the summer months. The word kamerlengo refers to the title of a Venetian administrative official (a chamberlain).

As the light was fading fast we quickly admired some of the flashy boats clustered in the harbour before heading back into the twisting alleyways of the old medieval town.

Once again we’re loving the mellow stonework and quirky details to be found throughout the town.

I used to have one of these tiny little wind up music boxes as a nipper.

Roski Slap

Heading on from the frothy watery delights of Skradinski buk to another, less visited part of Krka National Park -Roski Slap.

It is possible to get a boat trip from Skradinski Buk upto Roski Slap. however due to the ever present scourge of the tour group, the boat trips were full up.

Not to be deterred we decided to drive to the falls ourselves, as our Krka Park ticket allowed us admittance to the site for no extra cost.

Que another slightly hair raising car journey up winding roads and along a single track bridge across the river (heaven help you if a vehicle comes from the other direction . . )

We park up and a guide pokes her head out of a tiny shack to give us directions, first to the lake and museum and then onto the walk to the falls.

After grabbing a quick brew at the waterside cafe we head off for a gentle stroll along the river . .or so I think. But oh no, the other half had got wind of the fact that there is set of steps that cling to the cliff face, leading upto a cave and then a panoramic view of Roski Slap.

The snag (for lazy me) being that there are approximately 600 steps . . . .. sigh

Here his nibs is looking suitably excited about forcing me to partake in exercise . . .

I am not impressed . . oh dear lord . .

After me going on strike half way up (and collapsing in a pile of sweat and sulkiness) we finally reach the cave, and more importantly, the incredible view of Roski Slap.

Here you can look down and see why this section of the river is known as the Necklace Cascades. These cascades are a successive series of rapids arranged and banded in such a way that they resembled necklaces

If you squint, you can see, far far in the distance, the tiny speck of a bridge that we have to head back to . . . .

Having got my breath back, and returned to a normal (none red) colour, I got to enjoy stunning vista. Well worth the slog upwards!

But, not allowed to relax for too long, we were soon heading back down to the riverside to complete the loop across the river. Here’s the route back down . . . .

Back on the flat, we ambled across the river and back to the car. Stopping on route to enjoy the rushing water once again.

More waterfalls

Utterly enchanted as I was with Krka, this meant I took A LOT of photos! So this post is just a few more images of the watery wonderland.

Along the course of the river Krka, about 30 water mills, and several washing holes and columns have been preserved. The best preserved, and now restored watermills are at Skradinski buk.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the water mills on the Krka River were important for the entire Adriatic coast, as wheat was milled here for numerous towns, from Dubrovnik to Istria.

The mills typically have rural style. The walls of the mills were built with stone and travertine, with mortar made of a combination of limestone and sand or clay. The roof and inner construction was made of wood, and the roofing was most often stone slabs.

And now for more frothy, watery marvellousness. I love the almost fluffy white of the foam against the opaque blue of the ongoing river.

With its seven travertine waterfalls and a total drop of 224m, the Krka River is a natural phenomenon.

Here’s another glimpse of the magical Skradinski buk waterfalls before we move on.

Cracking Krka

Our second national park adventure starts in the picturesque little habour town of Skradin – the beginning of our journey to Krka National Park.

There are several ways to get to the park, but one of the nicest is to buy your park ticket at this little town and take a boat trip up the river and into the park itself.

The main attraction of Krka National Park lies in its seven waterfalls. The widest of these is Roški slap although Skradinski Buk is the biggest and most well known.

Usually you’re able to swim in the lake near to Skradinski Buk, but due to high water levels (thanks to all the recent rain fall) health and safety squashed that idea!

However, the upside of all the rain meant that the waterfalls were in full spate with the maximum volume of water powering through them.

This created a breath taking spectacle of foaming white water crashing into the placid lake below.

Here’s Neil feeling the spray on his face after scrambling up the side of the mighty waterfall.

Skradinski buk is one of the most attractive parts of the park. It is a massive, clear, natural pool with high waterfalls at one end and cascades at the other. It is the lowest of the three sets of waterfalls formed along the Krka river.

In an area 400m in length and 100m in width there are 17 waterfalls and the total difference in height between the first and the last falls is 47.7 m.

Skradinski Buk is, understandably, considered to be one of the most beautiful calcium carbonate waterfalls in Europe and it is magical.

Similar to Plitvice, visitors get to explore the park via wooden walkways that criss cross over bubbling brooks and thundering waterfalls.

The sunlight filters through the trees and sparkles off every little stream. It is so fantastical that you half expect Gandalf or Bilbo Baggins to pop out from behind a tree.

Eight hundred and sixty species and subspecies of plants have been identified within the territory of the national Park.

The park is a wildlife haven with 18 species of fish, 18 species of bat and over 200 species of birds as well.

Here we paused to take a look back down at Skradinski Buk and the wooden walkway we’d crossed earlier.

The tourists look pretty darn small from all the way up here!!

Travertine steps create differing levels for the water to play and roll over. Each section of the river takes on another colour and hue. From muddy browns to deep aqua, turquoise through to opaque blues.

The endlessly tumbling water creates a delightful spectacle of foaming, frothing loveliness.

Next up we visit the old mills by the Krka River and then head up to Roski Slap for some vertigo inducing views.