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The Balkans

ottobre 2021
  • skip's retirement travel
Un’avventura di 29 giorni di skip's retirement travel Leggi altro
  • skip's retirement travel

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  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelThe Balkans

    Opatija

    7 ottobre 2021, Croazia ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    Opatiha is a fashionable resort town on the Kvarner Gulf where there has been settlement dating to pre-Roman times. It was in the middle of the 19th century when Opatija began to become well known. This is when it came to the notice of the Hapsburg royalty and aristocracy. Villas were built. The 1st sailing club on the Adriatic began. Lots of hotels opened.
    The 1st picture is the statue of the Maiden with a Seagull. The gull on her head is an interloper. This statue has become a symbol for the town.
    The 2nd picture looks along the shore toward most of the town. Note the concrete structure. This coast is all rocky. No sand for beaches. So these structures make the shore usable for swimming.
    The 3rd picture looks the opposite direction along the shore, and you can see St. Jacob's Church. The 4th picture is in the nave of St. Jacob's that dates to the 16th century.
    The 5th picture gives a longer look at the coastline in this area,. The 6th looks out to the islands just offshore.    Leggi altro

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  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelThe Balkans

    Labin

    7 ottobre 2021, Croazia ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    Labin is described as a well preserved medieval walled hill town and is located in the ancient district of Istria. It is built on Roman foundations of their town called Albona.
    The 1st picture looks at the town walls. At the bottom of the corner in the center of the picture, you can make out the town gate. The gate is in the 2nd picture.
    The next 2 pictures are of a couple of the narrow stone-paved streets typical of the town.
    On the very top of the hill in the center of town is the bell tower of St. Just in the 5th picture. The stairs to the top are very old, steep, uneven and hard to climb. My impression is the they may be original. The last picture looks out from the top of the bell tower.    Leggi altro

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  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelThe Balkans

    Pula Old Town

    8 ottobre 2021, Croazia ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    Pula was an administrative center from Roman times until recently and is best known for its many Roman ruins, most notably the 1st century amphitheater (see Pula Arena post).
    The 1st picture shows the Hercules Gate named for the picture of Hercules above the arch. Some of the remaining Roman walks are shown too. There are several monumental gates still here
    The 2nd picture is of the forum. The temple to the left is the Temple of Augustus and is original to the 1st century. All other Roman buildings and temples are gone.
    The 3rd picture is of the bell tower and Cathedral of the Assumption which dates to the 6th century but reached its current form in the 16th century. The bell tower dates to the 17th century.
    The 4th picture is of house ruins from the 1st century said to be Agrippina's house. Originally, the wall to the left was part of the wall tif the forum.
    The 5th picture is a preserved Roman floor mosaic, and the 6th is a typical stone paved street in town.
    I just have to end with a shout out to Claire Pula.    Leggi altro

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  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelThe Balkans

    Pula Arena

    8 ottobre 2021, Croazia ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    My 1st reaction when I saw place this was "mini-coliseum". That is what it looks like. It is one of the six largest arenas of this type remaining. Given that this a seismically active area, it give credence to the capabilities of Roman engineers that so much of it is still standing.
    This arena was built between 27 BCE and 68 CE. So it was begun during the reign of Augustus and finished at about the end of the reign of Nero (and expanded under both Vespasian and Titus).
    Apparently the arena was even used for jousts and fairs during the middle ages. Today it is a concert, performance venue.
    The 1st picture shows the extent of the building showing why I thought if the coliseum. The 2nd picture is in a tunnel under the structure and central performance area. The 3rd picture looks down on the remains of the functional space beneath what had been seats. Here and on the lower level is where gladiators, beasts, criminals, etc. were kept before their entry to the arena. The remaining 3 pictures look at various views of the arena.    Leggi altro

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  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelThe Balkans

    Svetvinčenat

    9 ottobre 2021, Croazia ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    This is a small village in Istrian Croatia dating to at least the 10th century. The village is dominated by Grimani Castle, shown in the 1st picture. The structure we see today dates to the 16th century.
    The 2nd picture is of the main square of the town, considered a renaissance design. Grimani Castle is just to the left of the picture. In the center is St. Vincent's Church, originally dating to the 10th century and replaced in the 12th or 13th century. It was founded as part of a Benedictine monastery that was, in turn, dissolved in the 14th century with only the church surviving. The 3rd picture is in the nave.
    The 4th and 5th pictures are of streets in the village that grew up around the monastery and the church. Much of the growth occurred in the 16th century after it became the property of a Venetian family.
    The last picture is the product of a successful local business: Kampanjola Brewery that produces several fine brews.    Leggi altro

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  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelThe Balkans

    Rovinj

    9 ottobre 2021, Croazia ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Rovinj is a city in Istrian Croatia whose old town is situated on a hill on what had been an island but is now a peninsula. It dates back to pre-Roman times and was made part of the Roman and Byzantine Empires. Today it is an active fishing port and popular tourist destination.
    The 1st picture looks across the edge of the new pier and bay to the old town on the hill. It is a bit reminiscent of Venice with buildings right in the water. No surprise as the city was ruled by Venice for centuries. The tower of St. Euphemia Basilica can be seen at the very top. St. Euphemia's is in the 2nd picture. The bell tower is just to the left.
    The 3rd picture is part of the old city walls. The 4th picture is of the main or harbor square and is a central meeting point filled with restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, etc.
    The 5th picture is Balbi's Arch, dating to 1680. Interestingly, on one side is carved a head of a Turk. On the other side is the head of a Venetian. And, no, I haven't learned why it has that name. My guess is a guy named Balbi commissioned it.
    The last picture is a typical "street" leading up the hill.    Leggi altro

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  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelThe Balkans

    Jama Baredine

    10 ottobre 2021, Croazia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Baredine cave is a karst formation in Istrian Croatia. The cave entrance is a 15 meter vertical drop, now with stairs. The cave continues down to a subterranean lake at 60 meters below grade where the public access ends. There is another lake at the bottom of a shaft that drops to 132 meters below grade.
    The 1st 4 pictures are of various cave formations. The 5th is too except most folks thought this one looks like that famous tower in Pisa. My 1st thought was it reminds me of Taipei 101.
    The last picture is of an aquatic salamander that is often associated with cave ecosystems, at least of the science related TV shows. This is the olm, the largest animal that is completely subterranean. At about 25 cm long, it is the apex predator in the ecosystem, and it can live 100 years.    Leggi altro

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  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelThe Balkans

    Episcopal Complex, Poreč

    10 ottobre 2021, Croazia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    The episcopal complex, as it is called, was built around the Euphrasian basilica (see another post). It consists of several parts. The Episcopal Palace was not open, but adjoins the atrium that is shown in the 2nd picture.
    The 1st picture is of the entrance to the complex from the street. Even here, the mosaics are stunning.
    The 3rd picture is of the baptistry with the bell tower behind. The 4th picture looks at the inside of the baptistry which is an open multistory octagonal building. It has both an ancient hexagonal immersion pool and a baptismal font.
    The 5th picture looks at a portion of the complex wall in the atrium showing examples of the bas relief carvings that have been preserved. The last picture looks from the atrium to the basilica facade with more extraordinary mosaics. The carvings above are there but not discernible.    Leggi altro

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  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelThe Balkans

    Euphrasian Basilica

    10 ottobre 2021, Croazia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Originally built in the 4th century, the basilica as it exists today dates mostly from the 6th century and is part of the Episcopal complex (see another post). It is named for Bishop Euphrasius, the 6th century bishop responsible for the building of the basilica as it mostly exists today. The most striking feature is the mosaics.
    The 1st picture is of the nave, and the 2nd is a detail of the chancel. Note the gold mosaics. The pictures don't do them justice. In particular, the Mary with child in the center is the only surviving image of the Mother of God in an early church. The ciborium in the apse dates to the 13th century and is modeled on the one in St. Mark's in Venice.
    The 3rd picture is of some of the ancient frescos found here. The 4th picture is one of the side aisles with unrestored walls and what appears to be a processional cross.
    The 5th picture is a detail of the altar rail. This is the 1st time I've seen a carved stone altar rail.
    The last picture is of floor mosaics preserved from the previous church on site. They are located below the current floor    Leggi altro

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  • skip's retirement travelskip's retirement travelThe Balkans

    Poreč

    10 ottobre 2021, Croazia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Poreč is another seaside town in Croatia. In fact, this is part of the most visited tourist destination of Croatia. This post focuses on the old town where the UNESCO listed basilica/episcopal complex is located (see other posts). Like most of this region, there is evidence of prehistoric settlement, but it was thanks to the Romans in the 1st century BCE when it became more settled. It may be of any interest that the old town preserves the locations of the streets of the old Roman town.
    The 1st picture looks along the quay and bay to the old town. The bell tower of the episcopal complex is visible.
    The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th pictures are of various places along the ancient defensive walls.
    The 5th picture is of the main square, called Freedom Square. This looks across to the end of the main pedestrian and shopping street that is in the last picture.    Leggi altro

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