Croatia it seems, is on many people's Bucket List these days, for good reason.
And we're no exception.
We are super excited to be here at long last,
having boarded the cruise ship
'Azamara Pursuit' just outside of Venice ...if you read my last blog, you'll understand the effort it took us to get onboard!
😅 🛳
Now we can relax, and settle into this short, yet jam packed nine day cruise which will see us calling in at the main ports of Croatia, as well as one stop in the tiny country of Montenegro, before delivering us for a few days on our own in Greece.
We are currently coming to the end of this epic 10 week adventure,
which started 8 weeks ago in the USA, and continued through Iceland, Norway and Venice, and now we're here!
Woohoo!
Our first Port of call is the northern Croatian town of
Opatija.
With nothing planned other than a stroll along the seashore, we simply enjoyed exploring it at our own pace, taking in the various stores as well as having one of the strongest
Gin and Tonics I've ever had in my life.
When I asked to try a local brew...I wasn't expecting the 74% proof!
Whoa! 😵💫
Just kidding...one was quite enough! 😵💫
With deck chairs lining the shore, swimmers were enjoying this glorious location
in total relaxation.
There's so many entry points into the water here...plenty of little ladders offering safe passage between mossy boulders, and its open for everyone to utilise ...
even the deck chairs!
Some might be part of a resort, but often they are there for all to enjoy. How lovely!
Don't mind if we do!
Someone was feeling a little... 'cheeky'! 😆
It was a very simple and casual start to our visit here in Croatia.
After the couple of months of travelling we've had already,
it was nice for a change not to have a full day's jam packed itinerary.
That'll come later I'm sure!
Back onboard our ship, and I had noticed an invitation on our room desk. Ordinarily I tend to brush past these,
as more often than not they are just a generic invite to an art auction,
or a jewellery sale/raffle, etc, so luckily for us I actually picked
this one up to read!
It was personalised to us, inviting us to join the Hotel Director and his wife
for a fine dining event in the main dining room... Wow, okay, not sure exactly what to expect, as this is our first time cruising with Azamara,
so I called the extension given on the invitation to confirm that we'd be there.
(I'm just living up to the mantra I have a tattoo of: 'Just Say Yes')
That's for tomorrow night, so I thought nothing else of it.
There's a funny story about this to be told, but I'll wait till I'm up till tomorrow!
Always love a sunset sail away!
I should add here, that we met a great fun, like minded couple onboard yesterday,
as we were sailing away from Chioggia (Venice). Don and Christina are from the USA, and we were going to be spending plenty of time with them onboard as this cruise progressed.
I love adding new fun members to our 'travelling family tree'. Those branches are getting longer, and more crowded, as we continue our travels,
also knowing full well we will visit these various travellers somewhere,
sometime in the future!
The term 'people collector' comes to mind.
👥👥👥
---
The ancient seaside town of Zadar was our next port of call.
With a human history dating back to the Stone Age,
it can lay claim to the earliest of human habitation in the area.
Think about that. Thats 4 - 2 millenia BC.
That's 4 million + years ago. Wow.
Fast forward to the 9th century BC, yes still pre-Roman,
and these settlements were battling many others even back then.
It's unfathomable to me, as an Australian living in a country
only settled by Westerners in the 1780's,
to learn about this location having often fallen to invaders over many millennia
is really overwhelming.
It wasn't till 1995 when the Croatian War of Independence ended,
that there has been a long (ish) period of peace.
Even to this day, parts of their local Highway 8 is still sectioned off,
due to landmines remaining in the vicinity.
So much violence, death and sadness for what seems/is forever, in such a beautiful area.
I guess its location has had it strategically front and centre!
Okay, history 101 over!
Yeah I know, but I'm passionate about history, and Europe has SOOOO much!
NOW, I guess, the only invasion is from tourism!
And you should definitely visit too!!!
So, have you heard of the 'Sea Organ?'
No, it's not something you'd find in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie...
But rather an artist's clever creation and use of the sea and sound.
Having opened in 2005, this extraordinary idea has, let's say, caused more than a ripple.
For us visitors, it is amazing.
The lapping of the waves running into the organ like pipes
built under the paved boardwalk,
makes for varied musical tones.
Imagine doing some yoga there at 5 am... you know - Salute to the Sun...
It would be fabulous.
I personally thought it was an artistic and engineering wonder, but after chatting with our 'Walking Guide of Zadar', I understood a little more from a local's perspective.
Most hate it.
It doesn't stop.
24/7 those waves lap, or roll in.
And sound travels.
So if you live nearby, you can never escape the chiming sounds of this sea organ.
Particularly in stormy seas!
Sorry guys.
But for those of you unfamiliar with the sounds of waves running into various sized piped embedded under a footpath, click on this link and turn up your volume.
It simply looks like this, so don't expect anything visual, other than little holes in the pavement.
But it is worth experiencing.
All you have to do is stroll along the waterfront to enjoy it.
Apologies and sympathies for the locals.
From here we had to meet up with a local guide, for our pre booked
'Free Walking Tour of Zadar'.
These 'Free Tours' are available in many places around the world these days,
so just do a google search ahead of time, to see what is on offer where you are visiting.
I think they are a great way to get an insight of a place, and whilst they are technically free,
you will still need to book online to secure your place, and also,
be prepared to provide an appropriate tip at the end, (local currency preferred.) They are usually led by actors, uni students, passionate locals and the like,
giving up their time to enlighten, educate and entertain.
And whilst it's not compulsory,
I believe they deserve something for that.
€20 is much cheaper than any ship booked shore excursion!
~
Church of St Donatus.
Built in the 8th Century, this ancient Church today sadly sits between drab Soviet buildings
that were built in the 1970's.
They, I guess, help to highlight this classic old relic,
that has survived so many wars over the ages.
You can see in the above photo, the foundations that have been used for this Church -
they had been repurposed from the
ruins of the ancient Roman Forum that stood beside this site.
Somewhere amongst this rubble, are ruins of the Roman sacrificial altar,
still with its inscription visible:
IVNONI AVGUSTE IIOVI AVGUSTO .
(Even Google translate had no idea either...😉)
After being utilised over the centuries by different denominations,
and for different purposes,
the Church is now currently used as a concert venue for the annual
International Festival of Medieval Renaissance Music.
So cool, and I bet the acoustics are amazing!
~
Zadar Cathedral
This historic church traces its origins to a Christian Basilica constructed in the
4th and 5th centuries,
with most of the existing three-nave building developed in the
Romanesque style during the 12th and 13th centuries.
The site has been proposed for UNESCO's Tentative List of World Heritage Sites.
~
You can't walk around Zadar without coming across this famous site:
The Five Wells Square.
During the Ottoman Empire army's siege in 1574,
these five wells were constructed on the west side of the bastion
where the defensive moat had been filled in from the Middle Ages.
Instead of the moat, a sizeable cistern for potable water was erected,
featuring five ornate wellheads.
Some sections of the aqueduct, which once transported water from Vrana Lake, still remain.
So apart from strolling the tourist filled lanes, and popping into a church recess that sits in the middle of a coffee shop, yes, you read that right... (see below photos),
we were pretty much done with our exploration of Zadar.
How different a photo can look by just a couple of metres. First photo is taken from inside the coffee shop, then through the archway reveals such a different, ancient vibe.
It was now time to head back to the boat to enjoy another scenic sail away before the anticipation of tonight's mystery dinner!
We were quite intrigued as we headed to dinner tonight, honestly,
we had no idea what to expect.
As we entered the main dining room, we noticed a beautifully set table with the
Hotel Director, Tim, looking immaculate in his dress uniform,
accompanied by his charming wife,
both being blessed to be travelling the world together.
After the greetings, we were informed that the other invited guests wouldn't be joining us,
so it was just a formal dinner for four.
Looking at the menu it read like a dream.
Eye fillet with lobster had me sold straight up.
Even each course was paired with specially selected wine.
Sadly, I only remembered to take a photo of dessert.
Imagine being fed like this every night?
😋
Our curiosity got the better of us, and we just had to ask...
"What's the catch? Why were we invited to this special dinner?"
Tim's answer is a cracker, and a hack for future reference for us, and for anyone cruising...
Tim explained that at the beginning of every new sailing,
he sits at his computer and scrolls quickly through the photos on everyone's sail cards, looking for people who stand out,
look fun...look like they are characters.
He liked us for some reason!
So here's our tip: When you send in your photo when you register for your cruise,
or if it gets taken as you board -SMILE, grin, give a thumbs up! Just be happy, you're about to be on vacation!
It's not a passport photo, so have a little fun. What do you have to lose?
You may even get noticed for something like this. I don't know if this happens on other cruise lines, I hope it does!
We got along so well with these guys, and it was really interesting hearing their story.
About how Tim was a former Cruise Director who retired, only to be enticed back with the offer of a promotion to Hotel Director,
as well as the opportunity for his wife to live with him onboard as well.
How could you say no to that?
---
Šibenik was next in our sites,
and what a great day this turned out to be.
Šibenik is one of only 5 cities in the world with two Unesco listed monuments:
(London, Berlin, Peking and New Delhi are the other four that can boast that.)
St Nicholas Fort and St James Cathedral, and we were fortunate to visit both today.
Photo credit: Adriatic Pearls.
Another glorious ancient city, with churches, fortresses, and a beautiful 'Old Town',
full of passageways lined with restaurants and quaint retail stores,
all begging for some attention.
The entrance into the harbour was so very narrow,
no wonder they were never invaded from the sea. The perfect protection.
Add to that, the interesting, triangular shaped Fort Nicholas at the mouth of the entrance, that was enough to deter any would be raiders or plunderers,
and perhaps the reason why they weren't taken by sea.
See that tiny entrance behind us?
The only way in and out...and it was a tight squeeze for our cruise ship,
and she's not a large one by any means.
We are standing here, at the top of St Michael's Fortress, one of four fortresses that have helped protect this Dalmatian city.
We only chose to walk this one, not to cram everything in, but to slowly savour the history of this particular hilltop Fortress, which was now set up with an open air auditorium at the top. We only wish we were here for the evening to enjoy the music!
This fortress can be seen from all over the city, with its towering walls dominating the skyline,
built seemingly on foundations constructed without the use of a level or string line...? 🤔
But hey, it's still standing isn't it, despite being built (its believed),
around the 8th and 9th centuries.
It has survived many wars as well as a lightning strike that caused a fire after hitting a gunpowder storage area.
I was waiting for Trev at one point, so I helped a friendly couple stage and take this photo for them, so they kindly reciprocated upon Trev's return.
It personalises an already interesting photo, in my humble opinion.
We came across these guys a little later, doing this pose in other doorways,
and the husband gave me a playful glare!
He was doomed for the rest of his holiday now, he announced. 🤣
So I just continued to snap away, until we found ourselves down by the waterfront...
...right alongside a little tour boat that was heading out to St Nicholas Fort
in a few short minutes.
So we made that a 'plus 2', and jumped aboard, not really knowing where we were going!
How fun!
Turned out to be an amazing highlight for us - not just of Šibenik,
but of our whole time travelling in Croatia!
For only about €12 each, we enjoyed perhaps a 3 hour tour of the Fortress,
including the boat ride there and back, which also included an audio tour.
However, we had the most fabulous guide, so we switched off the audio,
much preferring to listen to her 'take' on it all.
(I'm so sorry but I can't recall her name, I hate saying 'she'...😞)
'This wonderful guide' also mentioned the Aussie Travel Guide Show came here as well,
so we had a giggle when we watched that on our return home, recognising this amazing tour guide, and the fabulous Fort she knew so much about.
Built in the 16th century, on a site of a former Benedictine Monastery,
this fortress was designed to keep Turkish ships out of the harbour.
Lined with 32 cannons, it is said that no ship has ever invaded the harbour
since it's construction.
This harbour also sheltered German Battleships during WWII.
St Nicholas Fort has been listed as a Unesco World Heritage site since 2017.
Definitely worth a visit if you're in town!
Now, the artistic photographic opportunities were plentiful!
I was like a pig in mud, taking photos left, right and centre.
The lighting was incredible, and there was only a handful of us here.
This one below of Trev is one of my favourites...
But there were many others!
And this hole here would have been a perfect spot for a cannon, back in its days of defence.
We loved it, and these photos may bore some of you, but I was thrilled with the images.
Once back in town, our guide implored us to poke our heads into St James Cathedral
(also known as Cathedral St Jacob),
before we returned to the ship, and wow, yep, certainly worthy of Unesco protection.
It took over 100 years to build this unique Gothic-Renaissance domed church,
and it is still believed to be the only church in the world build entirely of stone.
No wooden construction or support what so ever.
It was also suggested to us, to make sure we descend the stairs below the alter,
to experience the beauty of the stone walls and ornately carved ceiling that houses the famous St James Baptismal Font.
We would never had known otherwise.
Love receiving local knowledge and advise!
"I christen thee: Trevvy!"
😇
The following image, is what lies directly above the font.
A stone mason's true work of art!
What a great day!
From climbing to the top of fortresses, to sailing out to one,
plus all the wanderings and delicious local cuisine in between,
it was a day well spent, simply exploring on our own.
Nope, actually, we weren't alone.
We also enjoyed the marvellous company of our new American friends Don and Christina with us for part of the Old Town, as well as a gorgeous sunset sail away.
Bye bye, Šibenik, you were a delightful find!
Cheers guys! We had loads of fun with you two. 🫶
See you next year in Texas! 🤠
I think one of the best parts about this cruise itinerary, is that because the stops are so close together, we get to remain late - meaning we often had 9-10pm departures.
When you are exploring a new town, it really makes a difference when you get a good solid amount of time in one place.
It doesn't always happen, but along the Croatian Coast - it does!
Ample chances to book tours and also have the time to wander around
exploring on your own,
not to mention savouring the late northern summer sunsets!
---
Next Port:
The famous
SPLIT.
What a history this place has!
Formerly (and still locally known as) 'Spaloto'...
this ancient name evolved through time from Splet, to Split,
with a few derivations in between.
Founded by the Greeks in the 3rd or 2nd centuries BC,
like many places in Croatia it has had a lengthy list of occupiers:
Greeks
Romans
Hungarians
Venetians
The Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy French Empire
Austrian Empire
German occupation during WWII
Yugoslavia
and finally becoming Croatia,
after the end of the Croatian War of Independence ended in 1995.
I'm sure this list isn't complete, but wow!
Maybe they wished they had a tiny harbour entrance like the last town of Šibenik?
Like other towns here along the glorious Dalmatian Coast, it is now invaded by tourists!
A double edged sword I imagine, but it is now their number one source of income,
with tourism contributing almost 20% to their GDP.
Split alone welcomes nearly one million visitors each year.
And here we are!
Today we had booked an excursion from the ship, out to Krka National Park,
to see the famous waterfalls.
Let me just add here quickly, that Azamara Cruise Line's shore excursions were very well priced, pretty much equal if I was to book them independently.
So this time, I pretty much booked them all through them,
apart from a couple of local free walking tours.
At least we knew we were in good hands, with no guess work, and no fear of not making it back to the ship on time...like what we faced recently in Iceland!
Anyway, Krka and the majestic Skradinski Buk Falls are on our dial for today.
You can actually get here from quite a few different Croatian coastal stops, so don't stress if you can't get there from one place, as the next one will probably be just fine.
It is a very interesting stop, with a well set up historical village display,
outlining how they lived back in the day, as well as their rudimentary yet effective way of harnessing this incredible force of water.
I had to grab an aerial shot online, just to show you the vastness of the system.
We then proceeded to wander along a wooden boardwalk through the thick forest,
crossing over the crystal clear river which was teeming with fish...
... before making it down to the very bottom of the falls to enjoy them in all their glory.
These trees reminded me of something out of Tolkien's Middle Earth.
I'm happy that they don't allow swimming in here anymore.
Much nicer to view it without hoards of bodies ruining the view, in my opinion.
Dork, I know...
Once on the valley floor, they have a huge set up with an open air restaurant,
take away food stalls, the works.
They even had Trev's favourite apple cider!
That's pretty much Trev's drink of choice and its been so hard to find it on this holiday,
so he cooled off with a refreshing bevy, before we tackled the walk back up hill.
So pretty, it was hard to leave!
We had another late ship departure this evening, so that allowed us to spend the afternoon exploring the incredible Diocletian's Palace.
Built in the 3rd century as a residence for the Roman Emperor Diocletian,
today it occupies almost half the old town of Split.
Wow.
Allow time for this bad boy!
There's just as much below as above.
Don't miss exploring the cavernous underground chambers.
Oooh, did I just spot a photo op?
Of course I did!
Worth the €10 tip for these fun pics!
And lastly, I can't resist a fun blackboard menu!
Might be time now to head back to the ship for one of these delicious cocktails
that are so eloquently advertised!
---
KORCULA
Now THIS place was what I had been really looking forward to since we booked the cruise.
You see, I had booked a fun way for us to explore a good part of this island,
that is only 279 square kilometres, and sits in the central Dalmatian archipelago.
We are going on a 4 hour Buggy Safari, including a beach swim and a home cooked lunch.
So down for that!
With a history as chequered as everywhere else in Croatia, ruling wise,
Korcula - (pronounced KOR-CHEW-LA)
was actually first settled by the Greeks 6000 years ago. 😱
Now apart from being famous for its unique dry white wine production, known as Grk,
which is grown and produced only on Korcula, and not exported,
it is also known for being the 'alleged' birthplace of the legendary traveller, Marco Polo.
Now, historians argue that he is Venetian, but don't mention that to a local here!
They firmly believe he belongs to them.
Click on this link for an interesting read about it.
Wherever he was born, he wasn't born to stay in one place!
What a legend!
He travelled all this way during the 13th century...isn't that incredible?
But first on the agenda for us, is a tender boat to get ashore,
to meet our guide who'll take us to pick up our buggys.
This is an amazing company.
I would NOT hesitate in recommending them for an outstanding day.
Heading out of the villages, we crossed varied terrain, through olive groves,
until we came across wine country!
🍇
Stopping briefly for a refreshment, we were highly entertained by our host, Branko. He was hysterical!
Then it was down to the beach for a swim in the freezing, yet exhilarating Adriatic Sea.
Even Trev braved the cold waters!
After our refreshing frolic in the sea, it was back to the buggys,
to head back to the home of our hosts,
where a delicious spread of a typical Croatian home cooked style lunch was laid out for us.
Just fab.
An antipasto feast!
Even the table was home made. 👍🏽
Thanks Branko, you're a legend!
Geez, we look like Hobbits next to him. Such a gentle, and funny giant!
Giant to us, but they do breed 'em tall here in Croatia!
Back to the old town of Korcula, to explore some more,
and chow down on more delightful Croatian cuisine.
I turn my back for two minutes...
Bless.
Another awesome day.
We are VERY excited about our last stop in Croatia tomorrow,
before arriving in Montenegro...
Anyone else out there a Games of Thrones fan?
---
DUBROVNIK!
Regarded as 'The Pearl', or sometimes 'The Queen of the Mediterranean',
Dubrovnik is possibly the most visited city in the entire region,
and our absolute favourite Old Town in Croatia!
Most people onboard our ship, including us, were truly looking forward to today.
With a population of only just over 40,000, it rises to 150,000 during the summer months,
due to the massive influx of tourists.
The cruise ship industry certainly has a lot to contribute towards that.
And of course, the hit series 'Game of Thrones' used this walled city
for many of its location shoots, (it was used as King's Landing),
so the pilgrimage here for that experience also accounts for overcrowding.
Sorry to say, we kind of tick both those boxes.
🤦♀️
That said, they have started limiting the amount of cruise ships per day,
and I'm sure that has made a difference.
A friend of mine said that she freaked out a little when she first visited,
as nearly 6000 people were filing through the narrow entrance through the city walls.
Luckily for us, it wasn't too bad when we were there, and yes, it was July,
so it was the height of summer.
It was more the heat we were worried about.
Tip #1: Go either very early, or late afternoon/evening to avoid the crowds.
The sunsets are incredible, so why rush if you don't have to?
Our ship was anchored just off shore, only with one other, so we tendered ashore,
as to not disrupt or invade the tiny, busy harbour.
Check out my little time lapse video of our arrival:
This archway between us, is the tiny entrance into the city, from the harbour.
Remember, this was a fortified city, so the entrances are either narrow like this one,
or via a drawbridge which is on the opposite end.
You can imagine the crowding when a giant cruise ship is in town.
Luckily ours isn't one of the biggies.
Today I went cheap, and simply booked a free walking tour of the Old Town,
as well as the Game of Thrones film sites.
Checking my meeting point, it just said to meet at a particular fountain inside the city walls.
With an hour or so up our sleeves, we decided to find a spot for breakfast,
seeing we usually skip brekky on the ship.
When this sign appeared just off the main thoroughfare, we jumped on it.
Sooo cheap!
It's nice to support the locals, even though we could be fed onboard.
Cheers, Big Ears!
From here we waited patiently for our tour group to amass, but when I lined up to check in,
I was told we were at the wrong fountain, and we had to go to the other end of the city.
AND the tour was about to start.
YIKES!
It was really crowded, and by the time we found the enormous fountain
we were supposed to be at, there was no sign of our tour group.
We both darted off in different directions to see if we could catch up,
but that was an epic fail.
I was gutted!
I was sooo looking forward to this.
See what can happen when you don't book tours off ship? 😬
Anyways, we called the number on the ticket, and the operator said that they'd be happy for us to join another tour that was leaving in about an hour.
Fabulous!
Every problem has a solution,
so we utilised this time to poke around the harbour walls ourselves.
But first, we may as well top our water up at the fountain whilst we're here... This pure, untainted water has been running for centuries - Love it!
GOT fans may recognise this little harbour...
Once it was time for our tour, I realised that some things happen for a reason...
Firstly, there were only 6 of us - fantastic, alongside our guide,
whereas we were told that the tour we missed had over 30 people.
Next bonus was the fact our guide was a film camera man,
just doing these local tours as a side hustle - and he gave us a great insight to the Old Town,
seeing he lived in it - as well the fact that his Game of Thrones knowledge was extensive.
Okay, I had a bit of fun putting these next shots together. I didn't have any reference pics to go with at the time,
so I'm pretty lucky with the photos I took!
My photo on the left, (or on the top if you are reading this on your phone),
versus the Game of Thrones version in the same spot, with a little CGI.
Here's me, doing the 'Walk of Shame'!
You can find people doing naked walks here around 2 in the morning.
What a hoot!
How fun!
Must be time for lunch!
We found a great spot, not far from the top of the 'Walk of Shame' staircase,
and just opposite the mammoth Saint Ignatius Church.
A great view, and Trev found a place that sold Cider.
Win-win.
The food here tastes so darn good!
YUM! 😋
After we destroyed that delicious pizza, we headed out of the walled city,
to find the cable car that takes you right up the top to the fabulous lookout.
On a perfect weather day like this, where else would you rather be?
A great view showing the circumference of the walled city. Amazing, hey?
