A few years ago we were invited to take a cruise from Greece to CROATA. It's so lucky to have friends with a yacht especially if they invite you to explore Mediterranean. They suggested my husband and me that we join them aboard the Quadrille, (their 40 foot sailboat), for a cruise along the coast of Croatia. How could we say no to a free cruise?
Croatiais country renowned for its stunning scenery and ancient cities. The war of 1991 decimated Dubrovnik. We wondered how would cope in a country we knew so little about? Croatia, once a part of the former Yugoslavia, is shaped like a horseshoe. Its scalloped coastline begins at the Slovenian border on the east side of the Adriatic Sea, which separates it from Italy. It snakes 5,835 kilometers south through Dalmatia to Dubrovnik. Inland it sweeps toward Hungary.We found it to be a country of clear blue seas and dramatic highlands, and a mecca of Roman and medieval history veneered with present-day European sophistication.
An absence of heavy industry means the water and air are refreshingly unpolluted, and were happy that English was spoken just about everywhere.
Nini, our Greek friend love the spirit and endless surprises in this small but complex country. Her new husband was a retired British Navy commander.
The Cruise
We expected to see a war weary country but found that Croatia is no Balkan backwater. The 4.8 million industrious, savvy folks are educated, energetic and ready to do business. Right from the get-go, we saw a country poised to become the next big tourist discovery.
It is at its finest when enjoyed by independent travelers with a sense of adventure and a yen for history.
Croatia is a vibrant kaleidoscope of Old World and high tech, of pirate ships and sleek yachts. North Americans are slowly discovering the charms of this potent little country, while Europe's smart set is already there, strutting city promenades and idling over coffee in 15th-century village squares.
The country is blessed with bath-warm seas, regional cuisine and interesting wines, a diverse cultural heritage and respect for the environment. Pristine drinking water is delivered through 1,700-year-old aqueducts.
Our adventures began on the mainland at Split, a coastal city built in AD 300 by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. The old palace is one of the world's most intact reminders of that infamous era when Christians were used as lion fodder and slaves were worked to death.
Folks still live in original palace apartments. Others conduct trade in trendy ground-level boutiques that once sold sandals and togas. Some 175 kilometers south of Split, at the country's southeastern tip, is the old city of Dubrovnik, a UNESCO World Heritage site and Croatia's tourist hot spot.
A drive between the two cities along the Dalmatian coast is a white-knuckle odyssey of testosterone fueled young men passing on blind corners and tossing speed limits to the wind. But it's worth the risk. Nowhere is there a coast so perfectly peppered with red-tiled fishing villages, dramatic vistas of the sea and cliffs that soar to heaven
On Oct. 1, 1991, the Serb.-Montenegrin army brutally attacked Dubrovnik. The seven-month siege damaged centuries-old palaces and churches.
After peace was negotiated, international support for restoration poured in and now this gem of medieval architecture appears as it once was, with sculptures and architectural detail gracing revamped buildings and monuments.
It is also a city of worship. Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, and a 15th-century Sephardic synagogue, (the second-oldest in Europe), dominate the compact city.
Circling the city are walls that define the space between sky and land. These are considered the finest of their period and offer stunning views of sea and land.
After descending the wall, we stopped to take a customary drink from the Onofrio Fountain, built in 1438.We then proceeded down the Placa Stradum, (Dubrovnik's main street), is made out of glistening white marble hollowed by centuries of footsteps.
Patio restaurants and little shops are everywhere, luring Croatians, Italians, French, Austrians and a smattering of Brits to browse or pause, sit awhile, and enjoy a pint of pivo, (beer).
A Franciscan monastery entranced me with its remarkable Pieta sculpture above the door. Inside we found a pharmacy that has been functioning since 1391.
Beyond the Old City are luxury hotels, such as the newly remodeled Dubrovnik Palace Hotel that sheltered refugees during the 1991-92 hostilities. Today this seaside establishment discreetly caters to presidents and diplomats who enjoy terraced outdoor bathing pools, flat-screen TVs in state-of-the-art guest suites, and fiery sunsets over the island-dotted Adriatic.
While cultural tourism is a huge draw, so is the food. Croatian cuisine reflects its Venetian, Hungarian and Turkish heritage. Lamb infused with pungent wild sage and rosemary slow-roasted on outdoor spits, seafood salads of mussels, squid and octopus, and Dalmatian ham are predictable menu items, as are salads of beets, fresh cabbage, tomatoes and cucumber grown in fields behind the eateries. We also dug into heaps of risotto often flavored with squid ink. Forget sandwiches, Big Macs and French fries. And forget big prices. Food here is memorable and affordable.
Off shore, Croatia's has 1,185 islands, that have distinct personalities and histories. Sixty-six of them are inhabited. While the approach to life on the islands is slow, now that it is also liberal. The seas were calm when Mike, (Nini’s husband), manoeuver Quadrille toward the island of Brac, that has a lot of sleepy villages and best known for the exquisite white stone used in the construction of Diocletian's Palace in Split and the White House
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