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EDuBu

EDuBu

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Faces of those missing from SrebenicaMothers wait to claim loved ones remains identified as having been armed with explosivesCaskets of 599 men from Srebrenica and 1 womanA mother giving blood as a DNA sample to help find her family

    Srebrenica massacre, Sarajevo, BiH

    8 de octubre de 2022, Bosnia y Herzegovina ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Today, David and Emily toured the "Gallery 11/07/95" in Sarajevo. A photography gallery showing pictures of victims of Genocide at Srebrenica on 11/07/95 (July 11th for Americans). This is a tough subject, but terribly significant to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mostar museums also dedicated exhibits to this event and the western world shares responsibility. It feels important that we mention this event as well.

    During the war in Bosnia in the early 90s, the UN did not want to get involved, but did eventually declare the eastern city of Srebrenica (right near Serbia) a safe zone. The city was quickly flooded with war refuges and dealt with water and food supply issues. Srebrenica quickly became a slum, but those inside were thankful for the opportunity to escape war. A Dutch peacekeeping force was dispatched to protect the city from attackers and used an old Factory at Potočari as their base of operation.

    By July 11th, 20K to 25K refuges were in the general Potočari area. Bosnian Serb forces (aka VRS) began to surround Srebrenica and Dutch forces denied access of sufficient refugees into the Potočari compound. Eventually the Dutch forces proved insufficiently armed and were forced to evacuate. No more UN forces or air support was dispatched to the aide of Srebrenica.

    Male refugees were separated from women and children. From there mass execution of males began. Bodies were buried in multiple mass graves. In some instances, to hide their war crimes, bodies were dug up and moved to secondary graves, and sometimes into even tertiary mass graves.

    Today, through DNA analysis, 6,838 victims have been identified. However, the list of missing persons is currently at 8,372 and DNA analysis continues to this day. In some instances, entire families were wiped out so no DNA analysis can be used to identify bodies. The identities of those families have been lost. Many mothers and widows still believe their men may still be found as a war prisoner, but continued visits from the Bosnian Federal Commission of Missing Persons are usually not met with years of happiness.    Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Fountain on Ottoman side of town
    1Rugs for sale1551 building first used for selling silkLatin Bridge and pink museum where Franz Ferdinand was shotOld Bazar and mosqueBathing fountain outside of Gazi Husrev-beg MosqueSpot on the wall is where assassination occurred of Franz Ferdinand and wife sofia in carSt Marys Orthodox Cathedral2Streets of Ottoman eastern half of city. Full of shops, merchants, tea and coffee housesPark by side of the river2On top of yellow bastion, old wall reminents with beautiful view of Sarajevo enjoyed by allOrthodox churchKovaci cemeteryCity hall2View from yellow bastionOttoman street by old bazarOttoman architecture and libraryMore scenes from old bazar on Ottoman sideExample of Austro-Hungarian empire style buildings3

    Sarajevo, BiH (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

    8 de octubre de 2022, Bosnia y Herzegovina ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina and a prominent center of culture in the Balkans. Because of its long history of religious and cultural diversity, Sarajevo is sometimes called the "Jerusalem of Europe"or "Jerusalem of the Balkans". It is one of a few major European cities to have a mosque, Catholic church, Eastern Orthodox church, and synagogue in the same neighborhood.

    The city arose in the 15th century as an Ottoman stronghold, when the latter empire extended into south eastern Europe. Sarajevo suffered a series of attacks from the invading AustroHungarian empire which took a foothold in the city in the 1800s. In 1885, it was the first city in Europe and the second city in the world to have a full-time electric tram network running through the city, following San Francisco, California. In 1914, it was the site of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand by a local Young Bosnia activist Gavrilo Princip, a murder that sparked World War I. This resulted in the end of Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and the creation of the multicultural Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the Balkan region.

    Later, after World War II, the area came under control of the communist Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina as nationalism became more predominant in the 80s and 90s.

    In 1984 the socialist republic hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics, which marked a prosperous era for the city. However, after the start of the Yugoslav Wars, the city suffered the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare, for a total of 1,425 days, from April 1992 to February 1996. This was during the Bosnian War and the breakup of Yugoslavia, under nationalist ethnic passions that tore families apart and resulted in genocide and massacres.
    With continued post-war reconstruction in the aftermath, Sarajevo is the fastest growing city in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

    This has been such a wonderfu and unique l city to explore. They have a cultural meeting line that runs through the city streets separating the AustroHungarian side of the city from the Ottoman. There is a very stark contrast between the large multistory ornate buildings from the AustroHungarian empire compared to the more primitive 1 story Ottoman huts/homes on the east side of the city. Sprinkled in are mosques, orthodox and catholic church's as well as Jewish synagougs. It's truly a melting pot here of cultures religions and ethnicities.    Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    1

    Central Bosnia, BiH

    7 de octubre de 2022, Bosnia y Herzegovina ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Today we made the journey by bus from Mostar to Sarajevo BiH. These are some of our photos on the 3 hour ride past Blidinje National Park to our northwest, through central BiH along the Neretva river and Tresanica river headed east to the nation's capitol.Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Old Mostar Bridge, reconstructed in 2004
    Old Mostar BridgeOld BazaarNeretva RiverOld BazaarKoski Mehmed Pasha MosqueKarađoz Beg Mosque - This was Emily and David's FIRST time in a Mosque!1Small Bridge at night. This bridge was used as a trial run for the "Old Bridge."Vendor selling pomegranate juice from their local farm. Gave me kind of a dry mouth feel.Mortar River's Club. They ensure safety of bridge diversOld Mostar and the bridge1Bazaar coppersmith shop2A look at 3 types of stone floor in old town. Wear good shoes!More stone floorsSerbian Orthodox ChurchNeretva River and the jumping platform. Diver's Club uses this to test potential bridge divers.Anti-corruption Mural / Antikorupcijski Mural1We actually got to see a bridge jump. We were told the water was about 5 meters deep

    Mostar, BiH (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

    6 de octubre de 2022, Bosnia y Herzegovina ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Mostar is the crown jewel of BiH, and what many consider the prettiest city. It was once the capital of Herzegovina before joining merged with Bosnia post Yugoslavia breakup. Although tensions between ethnic groups and remnants of the war exist today, Mostar is very much on a comeback swing when it comes to tourism. Today its a very welcoming city, with friendly people and a beautiful old town. The old bridge is Mostars pride and is a beautiful sight to see. In warm weather the local men jump from the bridge after gathering enough money from the crowd. Together with local copper smith's (five families still exist in the city), a bustling Bazar selling jewelry, sobering museums, cashmere scarfs, and Mostar silk it is truly a hidden jem worth visiting.Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Destroyed gravestonesEntrance to the Monument

    Partisan Monument, Mostar, BiH

    6 de octubre de 2022, Bosnia y Herzegovina ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    This was an unexpected sight for us today. Inside of Mostar, there is a Monument to the fallen freedom fighters of Tito's Partisan army who retook Yugoslavia from Fascists without help from Allied powers. Last July, that monument was vandalized. More than 600 gravestones were destroyed. In the past, this monument was the sight of graffiti of swastikas being painted on the outside gates (I heard about 2 years ago was the most recent).

    While we were there, a local man was paying his respects. We started talking, and he said he was taking his grandfather and neighbor's headstones home so they could no longer be vandalized. As near as I can figure, many others have done the same. There were many chips of headstones, but clearly not the remnants of 600.

    We helped him carry his neighbor's headstone to the entrance, where he waited for a taxi. This was a bit of a shocking way to start our last full day in Mostar. Very sad.

    The Wikipedia page has a good photo of how the Monument used to look.

    https://hr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partizansko_gro…    Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Infamous snipers tower during the war

    Bosnian War and Mostar, BiH

    5 de octubre de 2022, Bosnia y Herzegovina ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    During our time in Bosnia, we had the pleasure of taking an excellent walking tour with 47 year resident who fought in defense of Mostar during the Bosnian War (see Sheva Walking Tour below). We also attended the "Museum Of War And Genocide Victims" in Mostar. In addition to the above I've also used the below linked article and YouTube video to supplement my knowledge. In this post, we will offer pictures and accounts of what we've learned.

    https://youtu.be/hHzmzuuGnhU
    https://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/c…

    Sheva Walking Tour - Mostar
    https://www.mostarfreewalkingtours.com/

    To truly understand the conflict we need to go back to the WWII. I will try to do so quickly. Yugoslavia existed prior to the war, but Nazi Germany was able to institute a puppet government lead by the Croatian Ustaše Fascist government. The Ustaše performed genocide and ethnic cleansing on Serb Orthodox and Jewish in Yugoslavia. It has also been stated that the Serbs also did ethnic cleansing against Croats and Muslims during this time. This government was eventually overthrown by Slav freedom fighting "Partisans" led by Josip Broz Tito. After the war, Yugoslavia was reestablished and Tito was made "President for life." He held the country together with a message of Slav Brotherhood until his death in 1980. Despite the years of prosperity that Yugoslavia enjoyed, the sins of WWII were not forgotten.

    After Tito's death, economic troubles ensued and local elections of the republics of Yugoslavia started to vote for independence centered along Ethnic lines. First with Slovenia, and then Macedonia. Serbs gained power of the previous Yugoslavia government and then Croatia voted for independence along it's traditional borders. Serbia attempted to hold Yugoslavia together and attacked Croatia. There was also fear of more ethnic cleansing of Croatian Serbs.

    At this point, Bosnia and Herzegovina was a previously existing republic inside of Yugoslavia, but unlike the other republics, was not ethnically defined. The territory was largely half Croat, and half Serb, but also contained a strong Bosnian Muslim population (called the Bosniacs). Please see the below map for a better picture.

    https://qr.ae/pvejvX

    Croatia and Serbia seemed to have gone into a land grab mode and attempted to secure land of Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of their new nations. Attempts were made to divide BiH (the preferred abbreviation as "i" is Bosnian for "and") peacefully. However, because Bosniacs were not part of ethnically part of Croatia or Serbia this made things difficult. Both Serbia and Croatia invaded and pushed to create pure ethnic territory. BiH was caught in the middle.

    Mostar was of military significance, because of it's place on the Neretva river and the well known "Big Bridge" (today known as the "Old Bridge"). Both sides pushed in from the East and West and local Croat and Bosniac force attempted to defend the city and civilians. Most took shelter in the basements of large apartment buildings. Most notably a large one on Bulevar Street along the West bank. Croatian snipers shot at any targets that attempted to cross the street. Even today large sections of the building are still littered with bullet holes.

    During the conflict the historic old Mostar bridge was destroyed by Serb forces looking to solidify their control over the east bank. The bridge was then rebuilt in 2004 with UNESCO assistance. It was done so with pains taking process to use the same processes of the original bridge.

    Today Mostar is beautiful, but still contains ruins of the war. Some building have still not been restored or rebuilt. They stand as constant reminders of the atrocities and reflects the tensions that still exist today. Even now, Serbs, Croats and Bosniacs can attend the same schools, but are taught different History classes from their peers.

    There is a lot I'm leaving out there. The culturalsurvival.org article I linked above seems to be very complete and a good source.    Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    2Dubrovnik Old Town as seen from Lovrijenac Fortress
    St. Blaise's Church in the back left and the Rector's Palace on the right1Lovrijenac Fortress in the background1Dave with Tvrđava Minčeta Fortress in the backgroundAlleyway ending at St. Nicholas ChurchOnofrio's Fountain, Church of St. Salvation (left)St. Blaise's Church and the The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in backSerbian Ortodox Church of the Holy AnnunciationChurch of St. Ignatius1Dubrovnik old town as seen from Tvrđava Minčeta Fortress2The old port on the east side of old townDubrovnik new town1Ronald Brown Memorial House museumSt. Blaise's ChurchDubrovnik sea cliffsDubrovnik Old Town Walk

    Dubrovnik, Croatia

    3 de octubre de 2022, Croacia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    The inevitable charm and beauty of today’s Dubrovnik lies in its long and rich history. Over the many centuries of its existence, Dubrovnik has established itself as an independent, powerful and influential city. Its specific geographic position helped in the development of successful merchandising and maritime tradition. Dubrovnik has always been valued as a safe harbour, shielded by the group of islands rising in front of it, but also being intersection of the important maritime and trading routes.

    It is believed that Dubrovnik was founded in the 7th century when Croatian tribes expanded to the area in attempt to hide from the barbarians. They formed a number of small settlements that gradually, over the centuries, merged together, forming a single city shielded by the today famous ramparts.

    Dubrovnik soon established itself as a prosperous trading and maritime center at the Adriatic and Mediterranean Sea. Despite turbulent historical circumstances, Dubrovnik fought to preserve its trading autonomy and valued independence in dark medieval times, even under the Venetian reign.

    The era of true prosperity of Dubrovnik begins with the foundation of the Republic of Ragusa or the Dubrovnik Republic in the 15th century. It was an independent aristocratic republic, with its own authorities (the Rector and the counsellors), currency and flag with an image of St. Blaise, the city patron. The Republic of Ragusa was the first European country to abolish slavery. The age of prosperity and well-being reached its culmination in the 16th century with the development of the maritime trade and the local merchant navy, placing Dubrovnik among the most valued trading contractors in the world. The era of financial security and development helped in the formation of a specific lifestyle in the city. A circle of humanists supported the blooming creativity resulting in magnificent artistic achievements in architecture, urbanism, poetry, literature and science. Some of the most famous buildings from that period include the Church of St. Blaise, The Dubrovnik Cathedral and  the Rector’s Palace. However, the era of prosperity was replaced with the deep political and economical crisis in the 17th century culminating with the great earthquake in the 1667, which almost destroyed the city. Balancing between the wars against the Turkish Empire and the Venetians and struggling with the ongoing crisis, the Dubrovnik Republic ceased to exist in the 18th century as a result of Napoleon’s decision. It became a part of the Dalmatia, a region at the south of the Croatian coastline, sharing its political and historical destiny to the present day.

    In the late 20th century, Croatia declared its independence followed by the Serbian aggression on Croatian territory. Dubrovnik was among the first cities to be attacked in 1991, suffering brutal destruction and significant losses. Most of the destroyed parts of the city are today restored, preserving the priceless beauty of Dubrovnik and once again establishing it as one of the most beloved Croatian summer destinations. It is now made more popular from HBOs Game of Throwns TV series which used old town dubrovnik as the filming location for Kings Landing.    Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Kings Landing
    Pile gate, used in seasons 2 and 3The Jesuit Steps. The site of Cersei Lannister's Walk of Shame.Shame! Shame!Rectors Palace: Daenerys visits the Spice King to request ships to carry her army across the sea1Tyrion Lannister sightingDominikanski samosas, protest speech against the Lanisters delivered hereDominikanski samostanCommon marketplace featured across many seasonsST DOMINIKA STREET Scene from Mothers Mercy episodeWalls of Kings Landing3Pile Harbour. Used as the sea entrance of King's Landing

    Game of Thrones - Dubrovnik, Croatia

    1 de octubre de 2022, Croacia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Kings Landing in the Game of Thrones was filmed in Dubrovnik. Originally season 1 was filmed in Malta but the government there did not like the film crew so they moved the set to Dubrovnik starting in season 2. You may recognize some of these images of Dubrovnik old town from the HBO TV series.Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    One of the many tower fortifications around the island
    The Land Gate aka Kopnena Vrata or Vrata od Grada2Town walls, restaurant area, and the mainland of Croatia.Croatian mainland as seen from Korcula. So close, it seems swimable.The plaza "Trg kralja Tomislava" just outside the Land Gate.1St. Michael's Church3View of more of the island of Kocula from Old townOld Town alleywaySt. Peter's ChurchSt. Peter's Church appears to be a store showcasing wood carvings of a local artist now.2Park ForetićChurch of St. JustinOld Town LoggiaMain road leading up to St. Mark's CathedralKorcula Town MuseumSt. Mark's CathedralChapel inside St. Mark's CathedralOld Town Ancient stairs2Pano of Mainland CroatiaMarco Polo House7Walk from the main port, up the Land Gate to St. Mark's Cathedral

    Korcula, Croatia

    26 de septiembre de 2022, Croacia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Korcula was a pleasant surprise. What was supposed to be a week of solid rain had turned into only partially cloudy and occasional rain.

    Korcula Town is most known for being the birthplace of Marco Polo. It's old town seems to be not quite as old as it appears, the stair case and "Land Gate" leading up to the rest of old town was built in the 15th century. Old Town is encircled by St. Mark's Cathedral in the center and has a number of towers along the sides. One of which now appears to be a cocktail bar.

    The history of Korcula Town and Korcula island matches many of its mainland counterparts. First settled by semi-nomadic Illyrian tribes, before being overtaken by the Greeks. According to their legends the first Greek to found a settlement here was the Trojan hero Aeneas or his friend Antenor.

    The island then became part of the Roman province of Illyricum after the Illyrian Wars which happened about 220 BC. From there it came under Byzantine rule in the 6th century, fell to "Slavic invasions" in the 7th, came under Venetian control in 998 as part of the Principality of Pagania.

    From there, it seems their rule got a bit fluid. In the 13th century, it loosely governed by the Hungarian Empire and the Republic of Genoa (that one is new). It then seemed to flip flop between Venetian and Hungarian rule. In 1806 the French conquered the island. Then the British in 1813 who then gave it back to the Austrian Empire as a result of the Congress of Vienna. In 1815 ( that's a tough two decades).

    Their history becomes a bit more familiar after that. It became part of Yugoslavia after WWI. Then had German Nazi rule during WWII becoming Yugoslavia again after WWII. After the wars of the 90s it became part of Croatia where it rests today.    Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Entrance to Diocesan's Palace
    The Vestibule of Diocesan's PalaceArtists representation of The Vestibule of Diocesan's Palace in its original form2Diocletian's Cellars still contains many shops as it maybe did for centuries beforeThe Baptistry / Temple of JupiterInside the Baptistry and a statue of Saint John the Baptist in backA sphinx, apparently the oldest thing here as it was taken from Egypt.A view from besides Saint Domnius CathedralSaint Domnius Bell Tower and Cathedral2Ruins of the Vomitorium with Saint Domnius Bell Tower in the background1A westerly view of Saint Domnius Bell TowerA northerly view of Saint Domnius Bell TowerA easterly view of Saint Domnius Bell Tower3The view from an archway in Saint Domnius Bell Tower6Short video of scenes around Saint DomniusInside Saint Domnius CathedralInside Saint Domnius CathedralPeople's Piazza with a view of Church of Our Lady of the bell tower in the backgroundThe Venetian Tower2Statue of Gregory of Nin1Ruins of Benedictine monastery of St. Euphemia

    Split, Croatia

    25 de septiembre de 2022, Croacia ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    We've spent five days in Split which is the largest city with the exception of the capital Zagreb. It's certainly the largest city on the coast. It's a beautiful one at that, featuring a large old town with the most notable landmark being Diocletians palace built in 350. The original palace (built for the Roman emperor Diocletian) encompasses about half of Splits old town. We saw the Palace, Bapistry (originally a Temple of Jupiter), Saint Domnius Cathedral. We also climbed the Saint Domnius Bell Tower to see beautiful views of the city.

    If you're into Game of Thrones, a few key scenes were shot in the old town here. Diocletians palace was used as a stand in for the Daenerys Targaryen liberated city of Meereen. The Diocletian's Cellars were used as the caves where Daenerys kept her dragons.

    Split was originally founded as a Greek colony and later brand the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia. From there it was owned by the Byzantines, Venice, and Croatia. It was fought over by the Hungarian Empire, but apparently never conquered.    Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    223

    Bol, Brac Island Croatia

    23 de septiembre de 2022, Croacia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    On Friday we took a day trip via ferry to our of the islands on the coast; Brac Island. They have the famous Zlatni rat beach with a beautiful promenade lined with pine trees. We spent the day checking out the quaint town of Bol and snorkeling at the beach.Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    1View from atop Veriga Tower in Kamerlengo Castle
    Kamerlengo CastleInside Kamerlengo CastleAnother view from atop Veriga Tower1Another view from atop Veriga TowerQuick History of TrogirTrogir City Loggia3Spomenik braniteljimaPorte Du NordSt. Lawrence's CathedralDoor to St. Lawrence's CathedralCrkva sv. Ivan KrstiteljView of old town Trogir from Čiovo island

    Trogir Croatia

    18 de septiembre de 2022, Croacia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    As we continue to head south down the adriatic coast we make our was to Trogir. It's a cute port town on the dalmatian coast known for its old town sitting on a separate island with connection to the mainland and another larger island. It boasts a tiny castle as well as a few older church's and monestaries. The old town itself was very cute with winding alleyways and plenty of restaurant and shops along with a daily market on the mainland.Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Primosten Old Town with St. George's Church rising aboveMainland Primosten, as seen from Old TownOld Town GateSt. George's ChurchSt. George's ChurchInside St. George's ChurchOld Town33Chaos in front, tranquillity in back1Our first meal, Sea Bass and Mussels2Local Sausage2Seafood plate: Sea Bass, Sea Bream, Squid, Octopus, and "Scampi" on a bed of fries.View from our AirBnB deck

    Primosten, Croatia

    14 de septiembre de 2022, Croacia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Primosten was once a small fishing village and is now a beach town for locals and Germans alike. It's situated in northern Dalmatia. We spent a week here in slow mode relaxing on the beach, snorkeling, and strolling through the tiny old town and streets. It was a perfect place to stop and watch the world go by.
    .    Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    227Western part of our driveWestern part of our driveEastern part of our drive4Eastern part of our drive

    Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

    10 de septiembre de 2022, Croacia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Plitvice Lakes National Park was founded in 1949 and sits on the eastern side of Croatia, near the border of Bosnia and Herzegovina. To get there we rented a car from Zadar, and the drive was beautiful.

    It was interesting that the terrain changed dramatically. Closer to Zadar and the coast, the terrain was rockier and dryer. Then we passed through a series of tunnels near Paklenica National Park and the terrain became lush and wet immediately.

    Politics is known for its series of tiered lakes and cascading waterfalls between them. The water of the park can change between azure to green, grey and blue. The water colour changes based on the quantity of minerals on the water or organisms in the water and anal the angle in which you're viewing the water.    Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    A local market2The Land GateView from the city walls into the old town.The Five Wells Square, yes there are 5 wells.Cathedral of St. AnastasiaOrgan concert inside Cathedral of St. AnastasiaRoman Forum and the Pillar of ShameRoman Forum and the Benedictine Monastery of St. MarijaRoman Forum3Roman ForumRoman Forum and the Church of St. DonatusInside the Church of St. DonatusInside the Church of St. DonatusPamphlet from the Inside the Church of St. DonatusPeople's SquareView fro. The Five Well SquareOld city wallsDobro Bibe Miles monument inside Vladimir Nazor Park4"The Greeting to the Sun" - Solar panel that puts on a light show after dark.1The Sea Organ

    Zadar Croatia

    8 de septiembre de 2022, Croacia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Located on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, Zadar is a beautiful seaside city with a fascinating historic centre, bustling restaurant scene and hosts five sprawling national parks within easy each. It sits in northern Dalmatia which is towards the middle of Croatia and was once an old Roman port city. Zadar is also known to have some of the best sunsets in the world. It's beautiful historic center was pleasant to stroll through and was not overly touristed. This still remains a slightly under the radar destination compared to many of the more popular cities in Central and Southern Croatia.

    One of the more notable attractions in Zadar is the Sea Organ. It's a series of slits cut into steps that lead into the water from a pier. I THINK the way it works is there is an air chamber underground and the rushing water into the chamber forces air out through a series of pipes set up like organ pipes, this creating sound. There is a video of the Sea Organ in this post.    Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    1Pula Arena
    3Pula ArenaChurch of St. Mary2Laundry?Temple of ConstantineChurch and monastery of St. FrancisCourtyard of the Church of St. FrancisThe "Forum"Church of St. Maria FormosaTwin GateArch of the SergiiFortress Kaštel / Castello2Some traditional Istrial food including Cevap a type of sausage

    Pula, Capital of Istria, Croatia

    2 de septiembre de 2022, Croacia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    The Istria peninsula has been continuously inhabited since 800,000 BC. Pula is the Croatian capital of Istria. I have to say Croatia, because Italy and Slovenia also occupy small pieces of Istria as well. The ancient regions of Croatia are very important to its identity. In fact the flag of Croatia is a composite the 5 historical shields of its 5 regions. If you look above the flag, there are 5 smaller emblems above the red and white chalkboard. They represent, from left to right: Croatia, Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Istria and Slavonia.

    Istra and Pula have been ruled by the Romans, Byzantine, Franks, Venetians, Habsburg, Napolean, Austrians, Italy, and then Yugoslavia until an independent Croatia was established. It was the Romans that seem to have left the biggest mark. Three are many ancient relics of their rule still left in Pula. These include the Arena (think Colosseum), Temple of Constantine, Amphitheater, and Roman Forum.

    During the Hasburg rule, the Istria Coast became littered with cannon forts. We visited Fortress Kaštel, here in Pula which gave us great panoramic views of Pula.    Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    An ancient olive oil press.
    The museum interior and an ancient olive grinder model.A map of Istria and ancient olive oil production townsA medieval mobile oil press, able to handle more volumeAncient Romans divided olive oil quality into 5 groups based on the quality of the olives used.How olive oil is tasted.2A slide from the PowerPoint presentation we were shown during our tastingThe Venetian empire was pretty ruthless to the Istria oil productionHow smaller farmers would produce oil at homeHealth benefits of olive oil study [1 / 3]Health benefits of olive oil study [2 / 3]Health benefits of olive oil study [3 / 3]A small selection of olive oil from the gift shop. Just $210

    Olive Oil of Istria Croatia

    2 de septiembre de 2022, Croacia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    The olive oil of Istria which is the northwestern part of Croatia by the Adriatic sea is known to be some of the best olive oil in the world. We landed in Pula Croatia yesterday and our first stop was to the olive oil museum where we learned the history of Istria's olive oil production, how olive oil was made historically, and we were treated to an olive oil tasting and educational class.

    It was awesome, we learned about the 3 stages of olive oil production; grinding, pressing, and separation. We also learned about the 5 different stages of olives as well as the 3 categories of olive oil; extra virgin, virgin, and lampante. Lampante olives are olives that are worm ridden and rotten and was given to slaves back and the day and also used for lighting in lamps. Today 80% of olive oil made, is lampante and yet the vast majority of olive oil sold is extra Virginia olive oil.

    How could this be the case? Well they take lampante oil mix it in with very trace amount of extra virgin olive oil to get it down to under .8% amino acids. It now can be called and sold as extra virgin olive oil in the stores even though the majority of it is not. That's typically what your buying in grocery stores is lampante oil when it just says made in italy or made in Greece, or made in California. True 100% extra virgin olive oil is typically made by smaller local producers and will always have the name of the producer and address under the country in which it is made.

    During our tasting we tried both high quality and low quality extra virgin olive oil and we can now decidedly tell the difference thanks to Maya our instructor. High quality extra virgin olive oil outside of the labeling noted above should always taste fresh, fruity, and bitter (some have peppery notes). It should never taste thick or oily on your pallet, it should taste light. It was a delightful and informative tour and we were amazed at how robust and complex Istria olive oil tasted    Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    11142

    Glencoe Scotland

    29 de agosto de 2022, Escocia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    No visit to this country is complete without driving through the beautiful Glencoe Valley which offers some of the best views and mountains in Scotland. We spent a few days here walking through town and doing a day hike up the Glencoe Pap.

    The hike was quite difficult. Most of the hike was covered in loose rocks, but we got some great pictures of the valley, Glencoe, and Loch Leven below.

    Glencoe also has some troubled history. In 1692, Glencoe was the site of the Clan MacDonald Massacre by order of the English King. The worst part was that the massacre was a misunderstanding. The leader of the clan was doing as requested and swearing loyalty to the English King, but the local official who was supposed to accept the pledge was away. So the pledge was not made until after the deadline given, leading to the massacre.    Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    22

    Oban Scotland and Oban Distillery

    27 de agosto de 2022, Escocia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We spent a few days in Oban a quiet seaside town that is known for their distillery as well as their seafood. We enjoyed the Highland Games here noted in our previous post.

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    12

    Oban Highland Games

    25 de agosto de 2022, Escocia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    This will likely go down as one of the highlights. This was technically the 2nd annual festival we've been able to attend The first was Saints day in Pisa. Although, that was not planned making this the first intentional visit to a local festival. We've heard a lot about the Highland Games, but it was amazing to attend one of the many from around the region. We were able to hear bag pipe bands... oh so many bag pipe bands, see traditional dancers, see the foot races and strong man competitions.

    We took so much video, that we really had to try to make a compilation of the footage. I apologize for my shaky hands, especially in the parade video. I was trying to walk and record and dodge others.

    https://youtu.be/aYehBC3Nax0    Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    The Broch
    Explanation of the Broch and artist rendering of the completed structure.Old ruins of a house below the BochPurple bushes that Scotland is known for.2The Henge named the "Calanais Standing Stones"Calanais Standing StonesCalanais Standing StonesCalanais Standing StonesStornawayStornaway1StornawayStornawayStornawayStornaway1

    Isle of Harris & Isle of Lewis

    23 de agosto de 2022, Escocia ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    The largest island in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland is Harris and Lewis which share the same landmass. It’s actually the third largest island in the British Isles after Great Britain and Ireland and covers an area of over 810 sq miles (2,100 sq km). We spent three days here relaxing on the beach, seeing some of the numerous broch's, an ancient henge, as well as the largest town which was tiny Stornoway. This was the furthest north we've been swimming in the ocean.

    Isle of Harris and Lewis were much more rocky then Isle of Skye and also had many more sheep. We has to drive very carefully as they were often beside and in the road. These sheep had to be marked with multiple colors instead of just one ... there were thousands. The only way to get to these islands is by ferry which runs from two towns, also grocery stores are not open on Sundays which caught us by surprise. It's that quiet. That being said the island was charming and scenery beautiful. Scotland also is home to some of the world's best beaches on these 2 islands, but you have to tolerate the cold water as well!

    Speaking of the Broch, this one caught us surprise. Our BnB was titled the Broch View Apartment. We did not know what that meant when we booked it. After we checked in, we noticed there was a Broch visitor center and Broch parking across the street. It wasn't until we were checking out that we finally went across the street to see the local landmark. It was amazing! All we could see from our BnB was a stone wall, but (as you can see from the pictures) it was a an ancient fortified dwelling and local heritage sight. The Broch was basically a big stone egg with an elaborate interior. To enter the Broch, it seems you had to walk a spiral staircase between the inner and outer shell. That would have made it highly defensible! Very impressive.

    For those of you not familiar with the island we circled it on a map picture.    Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    212

    Dalmore Beach, Isle of Harris Scotland

    21 de agosto de 2022, Escocia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    The beaches on the Isle of Harris in Scottland are renowned for their beauty. We stopped at a small one; Dalmore beach today for a walk and a swim. It was a bit cold but there are really only two months that are swimable in northern Scotland; July and August. The water ranges from 55-58f during this time. It was cold but it was fun to run in and enjoy a few minutes in the northmost country we have both swam in. The beach was beautiful, and water crystal clear like many beaches in northern Scotland. The sand was a golden color although other beaches are crystal white sand here in the area as well.Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    1That has to be freezing2The flowering bush that makes the purple hills of Scotland.

    Fairy Pools, Isle of Skye

    20 de agosto de 2022, Escocia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    The Fairy Pools is a natural landscape in the Isle of Skye. It's a series of small waterfalls and pools on the southern part of the Isle. They went from a totally unknown attraction to becoming a highly touristed sight between 2015 and 2019.

    It's a pretty hike, but if you can't get there early, be ready to fight droves of nature lovers.    Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    11111

    Armadale Castle, Isle of Skye

    20 de agosto de 2022, Escocia ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We headed west on the isle of skye to visit Armadale Castle which is home to the MacDonald clan. This clan was prolific in northwestern Scotland. They hail from King Sonderland half Norse half Scotish. The castle has been abandoned as many Scottish castles are. The real highlight was the gardens and museums on site. This was a wonderful and informative morning.Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    2131

    Inverness and Loch Ness, Scotland

    18 de agosto de 2022, Escocia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Inverness is the capital of the Highlands of Scotland. It's name in Gaelic means "Mouth of the River Ness" and that's exactly where it sits, on the north end of Loch Ness. The town itself was very tourism focused with museums dedicated to Loch Ness and the Legend of Nessy. It had a cute aesthetic, and we even found some remnants of Emily's MacDonald clan heritage.

    Loch Ness was beautiful. It is both the 2nd deepest at 230 meters (after Loch Morar) and 2nd largest loch (after Loch Lomond) in the British Isles. That makes Ness the largest Loch by volume. It contains more water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined. Plenty big enough to hide a dinosaur!

    We started by driving up the west bank and then ambitiously decided to return by driving around the east bank. The east bank was amazing. No one was out there and we saw two huge bucks by the road, a beautiful stone bridge and beautiful landscapes.    Leer más

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    211

    The Clava Cairn, Iverness Scotland

    18 de agosto de 2022, Escocia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    As it often happens, the Clava Cairns was something we were on the fence about doing,but ended up being a highlight of the day.

    The Clava Cairns are ancient burial mounts from 2000 BC. There are 3 of them, and one smaller one. It's amazing that this is just a sight you can walk up to, with no guards or roped off areas. We were about to walk right into the center of these burial mounds and take pictures of these bronze age structures.Leer más

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