• Roland Routier
  • Roland Routier

Renault Roaming

Italy -- Croatia - ?
All in my little Red Renault Trafic
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  • Spomenik

    5. Juli 2019 in Kroatien ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    30 km off the main highway I entered a secluded valley where anti-Axis partisans had a large base and hospital. From Podgaric Tito launched his uprising against the despised Ustase forces of the Independent State of Croatia. After hostilities ended the authorities decided to build this "Spomenik":
    "Here are buried 900 soldiers from the wider area of Moslavine, who sacrificed their lives for the freedom and independence of our nation during the National Liberation struggle from 1941 - 1945."

    The wings of victory are represented in this concrete monument; and a fuller description of the symbolism is on-line.
    It was a very peaceful place in the setting sun which I could enjoy alone until a man drove up to exercise his dog.
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  • Campsite

    6. Juli 2019 in Kroatien ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    After the Independent State of Croatia was established by the force of the Axis powers behind it, the first thing the Croat leaders did was to clear the decks of undesirables: that is anybody who did not agree with them or who posed a potential threat. A number of concentration camps were established, amongst them Jasenovac and Stara Gradiska In a unhealthy swampland conveniently serviced by an existing train line. Whilst they were not extermination camps like Auschwich, the inmates still died, mainly from disease, malnourishment and overwork though plenty were shot, (some whilst trying to escape.) In the museum, a torn scrap of cardboard with "thirsty" scrawled on it records an episode when the notorious camp commandant ordered on section of the camp to be denied food and water - until they were no more.
    Stara G soon became a holding facility for women and children. The women were sent on to labour camps in Germany and the children were left behind, soon to die from malnutrition and untreated diseases.
    The exact number of people perishing will probably never be known. So far 82,570 have been identified by name: 47,141 Serbs, 16,148 Roma, 13,041 Jews, 4,235 Croats, 1,129 Bosnian Muslims. And of these, about 20,000 were children under 14.
    Video testimonies from survivors make it clear that people were not targeted for religious or ethnic reasons but because they were not "People Like Us" and in particular many were communists and actively opposing the State. That's why Orthodox Christian Croats were included as well.
    Unlike the German SS with no sense of shame who kept their camps going until virtually until the Allies arrived, the Ustase knew exactly what they were doing and made every effort to destroy the evidence before their enemy turned up. Hence there are no buildings left standing and this memorial flower grows alone out of the fields now returned to hay.

    As I left, I could not help but notice the tattooed lightening bolt on the neck of the security guard. It could all happen again so easily.
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  • Fairy fortress

    7. Juli 2019 in Kroatien ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Another 40 km diversion took me to Duzluk a pleasant provincial Serbian town in the mountains of NW Croatia. I came to see this old ruin, Ruzica Grad, (Rose Town,) one of the largest mediaevil castles in Croatia with walls 9m thick and reputed to be haunted by ghosts.
    Once large enough to house barracks, church and governor's mansion the Turks destroyed it and rebuilt only enough to serve themselves: so there really is nothing much left to see but magnificent views to the Hungarian mountains across the Pannonian plain. The plain was formed about 14 million years ago when the oceans flooded this area and subsequently became separated again. The volume of water in the sea and flowing into it was sufficient to keep it in existence long enough to become a fresh water lake before evaporating completely. The fossil record tells a rich and fascinating history of this evolution.
    The region around Orahovica is known for its wines and after leaving the roses, (not that I found any evidence for them so why they named the place thus I can't fathom,) I came across the Cistercian Wine Cellar at Kutjevo. Closed alas, but a sign informed me that it had been established there since 1232 - or maybe that is opening time.
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  • Pyramid schemes

    8. Juli 2019 in Bosnien-Herzegowina ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Entering Bosnia was easy enough, presumably their application to join the EU helps, even though their application has been returned yet again for completion, and the change in Country was underlined by the decline in road conditions. It was immediately obvious that Jasenovac was not forgotten any more than the 1991 war, for the first signpost boldly announce "Republic of Srpska", thus excluding the central and non-Serbian part of the country.

    The first town, Brad, bravely announced "Municipality of Favourable Business" so maybe there is hope yet.

    There were only two things I wanted to see in BiH and Visoko was the first. This was where 20 years ago a Bosnian archaeologist, now resident in Houston Texas, discovered the remains of ancient pyramids and sacred sites dating back 34,000 years. And not only were they older than the Egyptian Pyramids but taller and more accurately (12 seconds of arc,) aligned with the Geographic North Pole!
    The entrance to the largest, the Pyramid of the Sun, lay in a tunnel 3km distant and for 10 Euros I joined a guided tour in English by a volunteer who had all the facts down pat. The tunnel had been filled in with loose material and was gradually being revealed by amateur teams as money allowed.
    Although the side tunnels and meandering path, together with its catenary shape reminded me of Predil, especially when the guide was recounting the curative effects on respiratory ailments that some people have experienced by sitting in underground chambers 40m under the hill, at a steady 12.5 C, other curious facts underlined the importance and uniqueness of this location. For you see, there were amazing ceramic objects found at several places, directly above flowing water to harness and focus the beneficial electromagnetic frequencies creating a positive experience for visitors. [Ceramic here means shale containing silica baked at high temperatures.] I'm afraid the scientific explanation involving Hartmann intersections and Bovis fields was too advanced for my comprehension, but the invitation to try was not one I could ignore. (For after all, I tried defining with copper rods for opal seams and definitely felt something.) And so when instructed to rub my hands vigorously together and hold them 10cm above this cracked ceramic stone I did so with an open mind. Hot sensations implied health and cold ones required more time in the healing chamber.
    Well, you won't be surprised to learn that I did feel something: I felt my blood circulating in my hot little hands. Well, what would you expect after the application of friction and concentration of the mind?
    One of the more important discoveries, (at least in my mind,) was a stone with runic emblems carved on it. Although the guide avoided showing it to us, I escaped the tour long enough to take a photo. Nobody has interpreted it apparently and later, a guide could not tell me who was conducting the research on this unique and culturally explosive object.

    In fact, after being presented with this archaeological site in terms leaving no doubt as to its significance to Europe, historically, culturally and touristically I was a little surprised that there was no EU involvement, no UNESCO application, in fact no university involvement in the project at all.

    I enjoyed myself, particularly wondering around the healing garden where I learned that the sign for infinity, the man-made symbol for an imaginary concept, had enormous positive energy attracting potential activated by sitting for no more than 15 minutes in each segement. So I interrupted my garden stroll, sat down for 10 minutes and felt rested. So it must have worked.
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  • Another bridge too far

    9. Juli 2019 in Bosnien-Herzegowina ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    The second thing to see in Bosnia was the place where feudal times ended: the bridge at Sarajevo. The first curiosity I noticed was the sign on the library building, showing once again that Serbian aggression will not be forgotten for a long time. Perhaps it also explains why I was not allowed inside unless part of a guided tour.
    The bridge itself - the Latin Bridge - was small; the type of ornamental bridge one might find in a country house garden. Another sign reminded me of the Bosnian ability to focus on the important points. It marks the spot where a monument commemorating the assassinations of the Archduke and his wife used to stand. No mention of the historic nature of the place and its significance to world history.
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  • Oriental meeting

    9. Juli 2019 in Bosnien-Herzegowina ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    The old, touristic part of Sarajevo is also small and resembles the Middle East. As a predominantly Moslem environment perhaps it should not have come as a surprise, but it is definetely a relic of times past, as the extensive, modern, high rise blocks show.
    After walking around to gain an impression of the place I left without any feeling for it at all.
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  • In Burton's footsteps

    9. Juli 2019 in Bosnien-Herzegowina ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    By now it must seem obvious that my tour of Europe is turning into a tour of Hollywood film sets. In this case I turned right instead of left and arrived at Richard Burton's - "The Partisan" - place.
    The film commemorates the heroism of the resistance to the Axis forces during WWII. Here at Sutjeska, in a remote valley carved by the Dina River, a massive battle took place in May / June 1943 with the intent of wiping out the resistance movement. There were 16 partisan brigades comprising 15,700 soldiers and 4000 wounded, many with typhus.Against them were 127,000 Axis troops, 8 artillery regiments, tanks and 300 aircraft.
    Following the abject failure of a fourth attempt at suppression, the campaign called "Case White", Hitler got quite cross and ordered another one, Case Black, with orders starting:
    "Units are obliged and authorised to use every means in this battle, without limits and against women and children as well if it leads to success ... ...."
    It didn't. But the Germans did ensure that none of the wounded or sick, or their nurses survived. Their justification was the existence of typhus.
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  • Gorge ous

    9. Juli 2019 in Montenegro ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    The road from Sarajevo to Pluzine in Montenegro steadily grew worse, that is narrower and rougher until it was virtually one at a time. The TIR lorries had to travel at less than 20 kph since they occupied the entire road, especially on hairpin bends. Shades of the Northern Frontier in Pakistan. Along the way I noticed quite a few houses being rebuilt, but little investment in infrastructure. Hard to escape the feeling that Bosnia is the runt of the Balkan litter. And to cap it all, the guard at the border post leaving Bosnia wanted to stop me as he said my Green Card was not valid in BiH. Luckily they let me through without a shakedown but it was a bizarre thing to check, after the event one might say.
    But the journey was worth it to see the inspiration for the O'Hara plantation name. Once again it was pouring with rain as I raced along the smooth road to Pluzine, so while Black Mountain loomed ahead in the Durmitor National Park, there was no chance of an awesome photo. The existence of this fractured terrain is what has guaranteed the Montenegran independence.
    The Tara gorge is one of the deepest in the world, only 300' less than the Grand Canyon, and a magnet for kayakers and rafters. The mountain ranges are some of the last true wilderness areas left in Europe and many paths cross them for trekkers, who have to carry their own supplies. The Montenegrins seem to be aware of the potential but hopefully will not make the interior more accessible.
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  • Onogost

    10. Juli 2019 in Montenegro ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    Yes, as advertised (just) over the entrance door in this town now known as Niksic, there really is a restaurant inside!
    Cigarette stalls mark many crossroads.

    The Serbian Orthodox St Basil of Ostrog Cathedral is filled with icons, a few Byzantine and many early 20th C ones in a more realistic style. Like many such churches, there are no pews but stalls surround the walls.
    The stones or 'stecci' are medievil tombstones from between the 12th and 16th C. Of note are the pre-Christian burial stones. Made by unknown masons, (who called themselves 'blacksmiths',) their decorative motifs are a fusion of Slavic pagan and Orthodox / Catholic symbolism.
    The once Royal palace is now the local museum.
    The steelworks can be seen lurking in the background of the cemetery it helped populate.

    BTW, the place is famous for its beer too. Called Niksicko I believe it was named after its principal effect.
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  • Most na Mostanici & lakes

    12. Juli 2019 in Montenegro ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    The Romans built a bridge across the Mostanica river in 4 BCE but it moved, or maybe the water did. Now it is stuck out in a farmers field all by itself.

    Montenegro seems to be full of lakes. Spano and Krupac here shown.ccWeiterlesen

  • Kotor

    12. Juli 2019 in Montenegro ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    To counter the magnificent mountains of Montenegro, the bay of Kotorska offers a beautiful harbour setting that attracts the mega-rich in their mega-yachts as well as the medium rich on their cruise ships.

    Go spa of Skrpjela (Our Lady of the Rock) is an artificial island enveloping a rock on which an image of the Madonna was found. Since its construction on 22 July 1452 locals row over once a year to add more stones to the mass. Known as the Fasinada, only male descendants of the leading families in Perast are required to row over in a convoy of decorated and roped together boats.

    "Children against the pollution of the Adriatic" have created sculptures from recovered flotsam and jetsam which adorn the walls, including this dragon chained to the earth by plastic bottles.
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  • Kotor cruising

    12. Juli 2019 in Montenegro ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    There is no escape from the looming presence of the cruise liner, except perhaps by climbing the city walls which stretch up the cliffs behind the town.
    Have to include the image of the laundry hung out to dry across a tourist footpath by a local resident intent on asserting her prior rights.Weiterlesen

  • Stuck in the Perast

    12. Juli 2019 in Slowenien ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    A few km up the bay, Perast used to be rich and famous, boasting 16 churches and 17 grand palazzos. Well they used to be grand and some of them will be again as properties have been snapped up by investors and many turned into high class restaurants.

    I missed the annual commemoration of the 1654 victory over the Turks, Gadjanje Kokota or 'shooting the cock'. Yes, it's a competition to shoot a rooster. Nothing to crow about in these enlightened times but tradition is tradition.uu

    Local police like to make the no parking rules explicit when issuing tickets.
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  • Game of marketing

    16. Juli 2019 in Kroatien ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Separated from the main part of Croatia by a tiny Bosnian finger pointing to the Adriatic, the area around Dubrovnik seems just like Montenegro to me. I felt obliged to brave the hordes of sightseers to check what the fuss was about.
    As Ragusa, the town was formed in the 7th C as a refugee camp for people fleeing the advancing barbarians and became one of the strongpoints for shipping control in the Adriatic when the Venetians took over. The wealth of the town made it an impressive place and even Machiavelli applied to the city fathers to work there, (he was turned down.) All except 2 buildings were destroyed by the 1667 earthquake so what we see today is the baroque reconstruction.
    Or should I say the reconstruction of the reconstruction because Serbian artillery tried to destroy it in 1991-92 in order to sap the morale of the Croatian Army. It didn't of course, and in fact the TV footage produced the opposite effect.
    So whilst the town is pleasant, the real attraction for tourists seems to be to visit film sets, those for Star Wars and Game of Thrones. Tour guides lead their columns of consumers with one hand raised like a biblical prophet, holding the book of location shots and pretending they know more than their audience.
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  • Arboretum Trsteno

    16. Juli 2019 in Kroatien ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Trsteno is a charming little harbour good for an afternoon swim; but the house is empty and falling down. Probably the owners can't afford fixing it and want too much money to sell it.
    In 1494 one of the Dubrovnik super-rich traders built a house for the Summer season just above it, and laid out an extensive garden: in fact one of the first Renaissance gardens in Europe. Now the 70 acres includes the original garden as well as later additions. In particular it is a haven for threatened Mediterranean plants. I never knew there I existed a Mediterranean Oak, a Downy Oak not to mention an Incense Pine or an Aleppo Pine. My favourite has to be the 'Bridal Veil Broom" (according to its label.)
    BTW in case you were wondering, yes it was used as a set for GOT.
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  • Phoenix in Kijevo

    17. Juli 2019 in Kroatien ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Spotted the towers and thought maybe it was from the series "Twin Peaks".
    But no, this time no Hollywood connection. The Crkva SV Mihovila was first built at the beginning of the 13thC and is now in its 4th reincarnation: the Serbians knocked it down 3 times in the last century. Perhaps they wanted a new Canon.
    I liked the cemetery for the old church parts.
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  • Knights of Knin

    17. Juli 2019 in Kroatien ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Haven't seen a decent castle for at least 20 km so here is one. Settled since the Neolithic times, its first mention as a city was in Strabon's Geography in the 7th C Before the Common Era. And the rest is history.
    Rumour has it that the city was paid some upfront money to use the castle as a GOT set and that the mayor absconded with the cash. According to the barman.
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  • Crowd funding nature

    18. Juli 2019 in Kroatien ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    I counted about 20 buses and estimated about 200 cars on the day I visited the Plitvicka National Park. At 40 Euros admission and another 20 or so for parking, I had to do a little work to enjoy the place - without paying. All the road verges in the vicinity of the lakes have been staked to discourage parking,
    I went for a hike and eventually found the best place to see the falls. Even though there was a storm there were still many people so I didnt bother going down to the waterside where wooden paths channelled the human flow.
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  • Lozenge for the soul

    21. Juli 2019 in Kroatien ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Took the 20 minute ferry from Brestova to Porozina on the island of Losinj in order to visit the ancestral (maternal) homelands.
    There are two islands, but the 10m gap between them has long been joined by a swing bridge.
    Most of the island is dry, rocky and covered with dense shrubs but there are numerous trails down to the remote rocky seashore.
    Here are 3 of the towns: Cres, Ilovic and Mali Losinj.
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  • Big lozenge

    21. Juli 2019 in Kroatien ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    The Leva family were one of the principal families in Veli Losinj and this is the inner harbour which is now flanked by one restaurant after another. Its one of the prettiest harbours I've seen on the Adriatic.
    The church covers the old cemetary where many of the Leva's were buried. Unfortunately it is only open once a week and I was 4 hours too late to check out the interior.
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