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Croatia, Greece & Italy
  • Debi Shaw
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  • Debi Shaw

Croatia, Greece & Italy

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Churches in Athens

    26 сентября 2024 г., Греция ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Of course we popped into every church we came across, even those we visited last time. It is amazing how different the churches are in different countries. It Italy it seems to be more about the art that is added whereas in Greece the art is the walls and ceiling as every space is painted and frescoed. They are also a lot darker than the many we have visited in Italy but still totally amazing.

    The church that always draws me in is the Church of Panagia Kapnikarea, one of the oldest churches in Athens. Believed to have been built around 1050, it was built over an Ancient Greek temple dedicated to the worship of a goddess. Thankfully it was saved from demolition and sits in the centre of the modern day Athens, right in the middle of a high-traffic shopping area at the edge of the Plaka.

    The next church we came across was tucked away in a quiet side street and we almost missed it. Devoted to the archangels, the Church of Panagia Grigoroussa stands on the site of a former Byzantine chapel. Built between the 11th and 12th century it was almost entirely destroyed during the 1822 revolution. It was rebuilt using materials from the first church as well as materials from other destroyed churches. Adorned with beautiful frescoes we were glad we came across it.

    I know we go on about the churches we see on our travels but are so interesting and amazing. The art that is on display always blows me away and the history of the buildings and awe inspiring architecture always amazes us.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник
    1

    “Art” in Athens

    26 сентября 2024 г., Греция ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Our last time in Athens it was a “gritty” place but it featured lots of amazing street art. This time is feels just grimy in places with graffiti covered everything it can. There is very little street art left which was disappointing. Athens certainly has lost a lot of its “gritty” vibe.

    The other touches of art were shown in the shop displays and some of the items being sold, some of which were quite interesting.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Exploring Athens

    26 сентября 2024 г., Греция ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    After our sweet treat at Little Kook we needed to walk it off so spent the next couple of hours walking and exploring. As we had visited the ancient Acropolis on our last visit we opted not to walk up there this time as the time was a bit warmer than expected. We were happy to admire from afar. We passed so many ancient ruins, popped into another church or two and wandered through the crowds at the Plaka and Monastiraki flea markets and shops. It is basically just long stretch of tourist shops now with the odd gem of a shop tucked away in the middle. I have no idea how they all stay in business selling basically the same trinkets.

    Feeling quite hot we stopped for a lovely light lunch of a Greek salad and grilled halloumi and a couple of refreshing cocktails before succumbing to the Greek way of an afternoon siesta. Time to cool down and rest our weary feet.

    Once it has cooled down we headed back out for another stroll around town before sharing a delicious Greek pizza for dinner followed with a refreshing pineapple and coconut ice block. Not our usual gelatos and just perfect on a warm night. Full and tired we headed to bed as we have an early start tomorrow with a tour booked to see the Meteora Monasteries.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Little Kook, Athens

    26 сентября 2024 г., Греция ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Next stop was back to the quirky cafe we visited on our first trip and boy has it grown. What was once a small cafe at the end of a lane is now a laneway with the buildings on each side all part of the business. Little Kook is a cafe specialising in very delicious sweets and desserts operating since 2015. It does spectacular seasonal displays and being well are here so close to Halloween and Autumn, that is the theme. We last visited at the same time so were expecting the same display as last time but amazingly that was not the case. We thought the decorations last time were over the top. It this year is even more so.

    Every window front up the laneway is so elaborately decorated and what was once the cafe is now just a display room filled with even more decor. Over the top and fabulous and even the staff dressed the part.

    And the food is amazing with a menu to suit the season and names to suit the theme. For example there were cocktails called Dark Blood and White Skull. While it wasn’t as cheap as some of the sidewalk cafes we have visited, it was worth the few extra Euros to enjoy the atmosphere and the food and we had a lovely morning there.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Church of the Holy Apostle Philip, Athen

    26 сентября 2024 г., Греция ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    After a well deserved lie in we started reacquainting ourselves with Athens. While the Monastiraki and Plaka districts are still relatively the same, other parts have grown making the area quite expansive. In our wanderings we came across a church we hadn’t visited on our previous visit and of course we had to check it out.

    We love the Italian churches for their architecture and art and the Greek churches are so different but just as impressive. They are beautifully covered with colourful frescos, walls and ceilings, not a surface not covered. They are also dark and solemn which disappointing makes them hard to photograph, but perfect for worship.

    The Church of the Holy Apostle Philip was built in 1866 on the remains of an older church which had undergone a massive attack during the siege of the city of Athens (1826-1827) and had dated back to the 9th century. The writings and drawings of various travelers give information about the original church. The church suffered from several damages through the years and in the year 1961 a major restoration of the church building took place. This restoration included the removal of all modern interventions of the past years and the return of the building to its original basilica shape. While very simple in the outside the interior was such a pleasant surprise.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Long Day Waiting… Finally Athens

    25 сентября 2024 г., Греция ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    Today we farewelled beautiful Trogir with brunch on the promenade before making our way to the airport for our quick flight to Athens. If only we knew we would be spending the next five plus hours waiting for our plane that was delayed numerous times. Eventually at the end of a long day waiting we finally made it to Athens, our base for the next five nights.

    Eager to see if Athens had changed much since we were last here in 2018 and feeling a bit hungry we dropped off our bags and hit the streets. At 9.30 at night we did not expect to see so many people just heading out for dinner. Athens is bustling, more than last time, but it is also grittier and sadly graffiti now covers most buildings. There also appears to be a real issue with drugs and alcohol wi the lots of people loitering in the streets and this is the first time I have felt a bit unsafe.

    Eager for my first gyros we found a place in the main square to have a quick bite before calling it a night. I don’t think we have ever had dinner at 10.30pm. It was worth it though. Only the Greek know how to make a good gyros.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Terrific Trogir, Croatia

    24 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    After an early morning storm, which meant a lie in for us, we headed out to enjoy some more time in Trogir. Being that it is such a small town and we had seen the main sites yesterday, today was all about enjoying the food and cocktails and just exploring the laneways and promenade.

    We had a late breakfast/early lunch at Calebotta, a cafe in the square right out our front door. Delicious and fresh with some well made cocktails, it was a nice way to start our day. Followed up with another cocktail on the promenade it was a cocktail kind of day.

    We ended our day with dinner at Capo Restaurant where we enjoyed some more traditional style meals, and you guessed it, a couple more cocktails. A few night time snaps and we called it a night. It was the perfect day relaxing in this best little town.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Afternoon Exploration of Trogir

    23 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    The cathedral forms part of Trogir's central square which is the heart of Trogir. Filled with lovely cafes and bars it is quite small, but it is surrounded by historic buildings and landmarks including the 14th century Town Hall and the 15th century Town Loggia.

    Trogir Town Loggia's origins date back to the 15th century when it served as the hub for political and social life in the town. Decorated with stone carvings, arches and columns and an interesting and rustic wooden ceiling, it is the back drop to the square. It once served as a courtroom and the judge’s desk is still located there.

    Next to the Loggia is what remains of Saint Sebastian church, now known as the City Clock Tower. With its pale blue clock face and gold hands it is a striking structure in the square.

    After exploring the historic buildings surrounding the square we continued exploring until our feet were sore and it was “gelato time”. After such a big day we opted for a night in to refresh and relax in preparation for the next day. Trogir was truely won us over and we are looking forward to enjoying more.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Cathedral of St. Lawrence Bell Tower

    23 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Brad chose to do to the climb to the top of the cathedral’s bell tower but one look at the dark, narrow, spiral stairway had me opting out. Thank goodness I did as the last part of climb was up a ladder through a narrow entry to the top. Thankfully Brad took some photos from the top so I didn’t miss out.Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Cathedral of St Lawrence, Trogir

    23 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Next was a visit to the Cathedral of Saint Lawrence, also known as Trogir Cathedral. There are a large number of churches in Trogir but this was the only one open to visit. Many are now homes and businesses.

    Construction on the Cathedral began in the 13th century, however it took several centuries to complete it resulting in it’s mixed architectural style which includes Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque.

    I especially loved the sculpted entrance, commonly referred to as Radovan's Portal (named after its sculptor, 13th-century Croatian Master Radovan). It is so detailed and intricate and it is mind blowing to imagine how they mastered such fine details in stone and marble. Truely impressive.

    The interior of the chapel was also impressive with its beautiful chapels and the collection of valuable religious art and artefacts.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Kamerlengo Fortress, Trogir, Croatia

    23 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    At the end of the Trogir waterfront sits the 15th-century Kamerlengo Castle or Kamerlengo Fortress. Kamerlengo Castle and the former medieval city walls (destroyed to facilitate the growth of the town), once formed a strong defence for Trogir, especially during the period of Venetian rule (15th to 18th century).

    While the castle is quite shabby, the views from the top tower of the town and the Adriatic Coast were worth the visit.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Trogir, Croatia

    23 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We farewelled Split this morning and made our way to Trogir, a short distance from Split. We immediately loved this town as it has the small town vibe we love to experience. Split just seemed to be missing that for us and Trogir has it all.

    According to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites profile on Trogir, the remarkable orthogonal street plan of The island of Trogir, the old town, dates back to the ancient times
    when the Greeks found it in the
    3rd century BC. Often cited as "Little Venice", it is gorgeous from all angles and it topped National Geographic's list of best Island Cities in 2015.

    Trogir is known for having a historic centre which is considered the most preserved medieval town in Central Europe and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Europe's first pharmacy is believed to have opened in Trogir in the year 1271.

    This town is one picturesque laneway after another and we quickly dropped off our bags to explore more. Not only is the town centre lovely, the promenade is a wonderful wide inviting space lined with restaurants and cocktail bathes overlooking the clear blue waters. We decided to sit and enjoy some lunch at one of the restaurants and just as we were about to order we spotted Wendy and Ross walking past. They had decided to stop and explore the town on their way to their next stop. So our farewell dinner from the previous night ended up being a farewell lunch in another town. It was a lovely surprise to see them again and enjoy one more meal together.

    Once lunch was over we parted ways (again) and continued exploring all that Trogir had to offer.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Dinner & Drinks with Old Friends, Split

    22 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    To end our time in Split we once again met up with Wendy and Ross who now feel like old friends and had a lovely dinner at Skalonada, a seafood and steak restaurant with a lovely feel. It is funny how you can just meet some people and click. We shared yet another lovely night with them

    We ended the night trying to find the perfect location for our last cocktails in Split and made our way to a rooftop bar only to discover the drinks was beyond overpriced. After a few photos of the fabulous view we opted out of cocktails there and managed to grab a table at Picasso Pizza & Bar, a bright and colourful bar. A couple of cocktails later and we once again bid goodbye to our new friends. A lovely way to farewell Split as well.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Morning Walk in Split, Croatia

    22 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    We woke early this morning to wander the streets of Split before it filled with crowds. With over 900 000 tourists visiting a year, we have found that Split is very, very busy. On our walk this morning we discovered there was a huge triathlon on today so that would make it even busier and we were happy with our decision to venture out before breakfast.

    The first square that captured our eye as we walked to the Old Town gates was Prokurativa Square. Said to have begun sometime in the mid-19th century, the mayor's intentions were to showcase the fact that the city of Split had a culture deep seeded and rich in Italian tradition and that it supported Italian tradition whole heartedly. This is the reason why the architecture of the square was very similar to Italian buildings from the same era. It is certainly eye-catching with its bright colours compared to many of the stone buildings in town.

    The next square we entered was the
    People's Square or Narodni Trg, a popular, attractive piazza just outside the Iron Gate. The buildings here are softly coloured and very interesting and is home to many restaurants and bars and dotted by beautiful stone buildings. Since the 14th century the square has been a central meeting area overlooked by an impressive Renaissance clock with a medieval sundial and belfry. It is a very inviting and pretty square.

    One of the major attractions in the city of Split, is Diocletian's Palace, an imposing Roman ruin built in 305 AD. The ruins of the palace are among the most valuable buildings on the Adriatic coast from the Roman era. Even though the palace remained vacant for several centuries many residents took refuge at the palace in an attempt to escape a Croat invasion in the 7th century.

    Nowadays for the most part, the Palace isn’t really a palace anymore but its complex and winding streets are packed with shops, restaurants, and bars, and it is buzzing with people throughout the day and night. Nevertheless, there are still many buildings that remain that give Split its unique feel.

    Peristyle Square is the central square and heart of Diocletian's Palace and is now a meeting place that is overlooked by a 3500 year old sphinx and imposing columns that were shipped from Egypt. It is believed that Emperor Diocletian would appear at the square and have his subjects approach him. It is one of the popular tourist attractions although it is well frequented by the locals as well and we were lucky to finally see it fairly empty. Early morning outings do have their benefits.

    There are so many more historic sites through the old town of Split and we managed to admire as many as possible before the crowds hit. Feeling quite bruised and battered still we chose to return to our apartment to rest a bit before heading out again.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Split, Croatia

    21 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    After cruising the Dalmatian Coast for the past eight days, our cruise has come to an end. While the cruise experience could have done with some small improvements, overall it has been a great experience, made even better by the people we met and bonded with on our first day onboard. After an early breakfast we disembarked, farewelling many of our fellow travellers. With time to kill we spent the morning with Gill and Steph while they also waited for ferries and planes to catch. We just weren’t ready to say goodbye.

    Finally with our sad goodbyes said we made our way to our accommodation to drop off our luggage, put on some washing and then headed back out to see Split in the daylight. Being a Saturday when cruises were ending and starting there were a lot of people in town. We managed to make our way to the fresh fruit and veggie markets to buy some juicy peaches, wandered through the gates to Old Town and marvelled once again at the history of this place. It certainly is a bustling town.

    We settled on a restaurant on the Riva promenade for a lunch of pizza and a local beer and wine and it was a pleasant stop. After a bit more exploring and admiring the town we opted for a night in so I could rest my bruise covered legs, the result from the cliff jumping incident, with plans to head out early the next day before the town fills with tourists again.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Last Supper with the Secret Six, Split

    20 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    After our morning white water rafting adventure we took some timeout to relax before heading into Split for dinner. This is our last stop on our eight day cruise and thankfully we have a couple more days to explore after we disembark.

    Split is such a nice town and after Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, it is the second largest city. The city was founded as a Greek colony in the 3rd or 2nd century BCE and in 305 CE, it became the site of the Palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian. While very little remains from the Palace, old town Split is situated within the old palace walls.

    Ross and Wendy managed to find and secure an amazing restaurant for our last night together as the “Secret Six” called Grego Levante. Named after the wind that blows from the Greek coast towards to Adriatic, this fabulous restaurant is located within the western walls of Diocletian’s palace, and it has such an amazing feel. Food was delicious and cocktails were a great price. Followed by a gelato from one of our new favourite gelato shops, it was a great way to end our cruising experience with our new friends.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник
    1

    Slap Rafting, Cetina River, Croatia

    20 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Thankfully we woke up today to much better weather than yesterday and ventured off early to go white water rafting on the Cetina River. And what an experience it was.

    The Secret Six - Wendy, Ross, Gill, Steph, Brad and I - all got to raft together with our guide Marco. We experienced a ten kilometre rafting trip that took about three hours to complete, starting near the town of Slime, down the Cetina River and ending near the town of Omis. The ride included some gentle water ways and some more exciting rapids. Marco took us through our instructions and it was quite hilarious when we kept getting orders to turbo (go 200%) and bomba (sit in the boat with your paddles us) mixed up with half the boat doing one action and the other half doing the other. At one stage doing the bomba I was flat on my back completely underwater thinking we were sinking. It was a lot of fun.

    We stopped at one stage for the more adventurous ones to jump off a cliff and silly me decided that of course I wanted to do it too. Out of the eighteen in pur group only five of us tried it. Thinking I was still young and fit, I was all for it. But one mis-step and my plan of a graceful entry into the water went out the window. I landed with a massive slap on the water and the sound of “oh no” from the people watching. I now know why they call their company Slap Rafting. Comment of the moment came from Louie, one of our group who wears a hearing aide. He said without his hearing aide on he still heard me hit the water. I’m glad I could entertain.

    It was such a fabulous day and an amazing experience. Even though I am now badly bruised I would do it again in a heartbeat. It was a great activity for our last morning on the cruise.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Makarska, Croatia

    19 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Today’s destination was Makarska, a port town on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, known for its Makarska Riviera beaches, seafront promenade and nightlife. It is a seafront resort town known for its water activities and the plan today was to do a rafting excursions. However we woke to freezing cold rain and loud thunder so the majority of us on the boat “chickened out” - well we actually postponed until tomorrow. At 13 degrees in the cold rain, rafting was just not appealing. Hopefully tomorrow the weather gods will be in our favour.

    With a very wet morning the best thing to do was relax and that is exactly what we did. Thankfully the weather had cleared by lunch time so we left the boat to explore the town of Makarska.

    The old town with archeological findings placing human settlement as far back as 6000 BC., nestles beneath the rugged Mt. Biokovo. While the old town is small, it is quite charming with its historic buildings and cobblestone lanes.
    We checked out the Church of Saint Mark, which, built between 1697 to 1755, was the Cathedral until 1969.

    We strolled the promenade from one end to the other, from the National Park at one end to the Statue of St. Peter overlooking the harbour, thankful we had some time off the boat.

    After such a late lunch we weren’t that hungry so met the others from our “Secret Six” group for cocktails and light bar food for dinner. The prices here have been the best so far on this cruise and the food was so fresh and delicious. Once again a nice way to end the day. We all called it a night quite early as we have an early start tomorrow for rafting.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Drinks & Dinner at Stari Grad

    18 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    After exploring the streets of Old Town we met up with a group of lovely people from our boat for an afternoon drink(s) in the beautiful courtyard of Konoba Pharis, a restaurant and bar that has been operating since 1988.

    After a bit more of a wander admiring the streets we stopped at Gradski Restoran Vala for dinner, recommended by our tour guide Mario, and we were not disappointed. Delicious food and drinks, fantastic staff and all finished off with a complementary cherry liquor. We were even serenaded by a group of men singing so beautifully at the restaurant next door. Our waiter Boris kept us entertained, we had plenty of laughs and were all a bit merry when we left. We all agreed it was out best night so far - it just felt like such a special experience.

    We ended the night with the obligatory gelato before heading back to the Carpe Diem for happy hour. Fantastic day was had by all.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Stari Grad, Hvar, Croatia

    18 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    This morning we left Hvar, Hvar and made our way to a lovely cove to spend the morning, eating, relaxing, reading and swimming. While initially cold to get in, we warmed up quickly and enjoyed snorkelling, paddle boarding and splashing about in the Adriatic Sea. A very relaxing day before we made our way up the Croatian coast to Stari Grad, on the other side of Hvar, a beautiful coastal port. Due to weather conditions our itinerary has changed a bit and this is a different port than planned and it has not disappointed us.

    Stari Grad is one of the oldest towns in Europe and was settled in 384 BC by the ancient Greeks. This town is by far the prettiest we have visited and has such a “non tourist” vibe. There is a real sense of peace here.

    We spent time wandering the streets and were impressed by the old buildings and port area    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Hvar, Hvar, Croatia (part 2)

    17 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    The town square and the beautiful buildings surrounding it, including St Stephens Cathedral date back to the 13th century. It is a wonderfully preserved town and a very pretty place to visit.

    Our boat friends, Wendy, Ross, Steph and Jill, joined us later for drinks and a delicious meal in the square before heading back to the Carpe Diem for happy hour. The drinks weren’t cheap, but we were happy! Great way to end the evening, chatting with other passengers.Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Hvar, Hvar, Croatia (part 1)

    17 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    After lunch we took a water taxi into Hvar on Hvar island as our boat wasn’t docking until later.

    The town of Hvar has a long history as a center for trade and culture in the Adriatic. Part of the Venetian Empire during the 13th to 18th centuries, it was an important naval base with a fortress above. Brad and I enjoyed a lovely walk around town, deciding not to walk up to the fort overlooking the city.

    The welcome to Hvar sign did give us a giggle with the pictures of what not to do if you don’t want to get fined.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Relaxing along the Croatian Coastline

    17 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    Today we sailed up the Split-Dalmatia coast under threatening skies to Hvar town on the island of the same name, Hvar.

    I managed to make it on deck as we were departing to capture the sunrise as we left Korcula. While quite brisk it was beautiful but that didn’t last long before thick clouds covered the sun. By the time we had had breakfast the captain had found a sheltered cove for the morning and thankfully the weather cleared enough for Brad to have a swim and snorkel. The breeze was still too cold for me so I opted out.Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Sunset Cocktails at Massimo, Korcula

    16 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Our tour guide Mario booked the Massimo rooftop cocktail bar on top of the fort for us. To access the rooftop we had to go up a little ladder before climbing through a small opening to the bar. It was a bit sketchy and the cocktails not cheap at €16 each, but worth the effort and the price. We enjoyed a few cocktails while watching the sunset over the Dalmatian hills. It was a pretty cool experience with most of our cruise mates enjoying the views.

    Wendy, Ross, Steph, Gill, Brad and I later found a backstreet pizzeria for dinner filled with lots of chatter and laughter before finishing our night with a delicious gelato.

    We are having a fantastic trip and really enjoying our time on the Carpe Diem, sailing the Croatian coast.    Читать далее

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  • Debi ShawCroatia, Greece & ItalyПутешественник

    Churches of Korcula, Croatia

    16 сентября 2024 г., Хорватия ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Like all small towns there are quite a few churches in Korcula and you know we love checking out the odd church or two, so of course we popped our heads into a few of them.

    The first church we came across was St. Michael. First mentioned in documents from 1408, it was later restored in 1603 when it got its Baroque appearance. The most eye catching piece as we entered this church was the statue of Jesus on the gold embossed cross. On the high alter is a painting by Domenico Maggiotto from the 18th century, depicting the Virgin of Consolation.

    The next church we stepped into was a little church built in 1483 to celebrate the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. Known as the Church of Our Lady it was used as a private chapel for the local noble families.

    Gravestones decorated with coats of arms from several medieval Korcula families are set in the floor. It is believed that the tomb of the priest Antun Rozanovic, who led the defence of Korcula from an Ottoman assault in 1571 is also in the church.

    What I loved about this church was the mosaics behind the altar, created by Dutch artist Louis Schrikkela from 1964 to 1967. The hues of the mosaics just complement the church so perfectly. Today the church is used as an occasional art gallery to display works of local and international artists.

    The next church we came across was one of the oldest in the Old Town, dating from the 14th century. Sadly it was closed so we were unable to see inside. Sometimes it is the churches with the simplest exteriors that reveal the most stunning interiors.

    The church that can’t be missed in town it the St. Mark’s Cathedral. It was built by local stonemasons in the 14th, 15th and 16th century with the support of Italian masters. The cathedral was quite busy with multiple tour groups so we opted not to venture inside, instead checking out the exterior of the cathedral. What caught our eye were the stone statues of Adam and Eve on either side of the Cathedral door. It was certainly an interesting pose to put them in.

    While we enjoyed checking out the churches we much preferred to wander and explore the beautiful lanes of Korcula.    Читать далее

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