A mildly early start today - we're heading back North, from one end of Croatia to the other.  It's one of the longer day's drives that we do touring - just under 400 miles.

Unfortunately we can't tour Bosnia - our State Dept. says there's some "concerning" things happening there right now.  However, we do get to cross a 6 mile coastal section of Bosnia, as that's the only way, other than by multiple ferry legs (which we did heading South) to cross back to the North.  There is now a bridge to avoid the Bosnia crossing, but it's only 99% done and won't be open to cross for about another month.

Both border crossings were non-events, as they just waved us through.

The driving is easy - little traffic and safe/comfortable highway.

We see many Germans on their Summer vacations, renting little motor homes.

3.6 mile tunnel through mountains.  There were many tunnels, most shorter.

There were also multiple versions of this (below) - crossings for wildlife movement - it seems Croatia is another country bolstered by European Union funding to modernize the country.

We're here!  Opatija!  Mostly a locals, or adjacent country people, relaxing on the Adriatic Sea.

Rubbing da belly for good luck, it's what tourists do.

Giant potatoes, truffles, petrified bread, old cheeses, roundhenge???  Whatever it is, we found it!  We're going with "teacher with pupils", maybe even sitting stones for the real versions.

Coastal themed church altar.

This was a very low-key coastal town, no gigantic yachts or gaudy clubs "littering" the scenery.

Nice open-air theater with stage events, but also serving as a movie theater with current Hollywood movies.

A Porsche Taycan, a $90,000 purely electric 4-door high-performance sports car.  We just saw a documentary showing the development of this car, which began sales in 2020.  This would have been a fun drive to make our miles today, but we'd been about 100 miles short on range without plugging it in somewhere (we have seen a good number of plug-in stations, even along the highways at rest stops).

Today is a recharge day - we're chilling out in the air conditioning.

Today we do a road trip out from Dubrovnik and back, visiting a new country for us - Montenegro.  We also take in Cavtat, an awesome laid back stroll-able city.  It's a 110-mile round trip

It's not getting old - once again on a picturesque roadway clinging to the slopes over the sea.

Now in Perast, Montenegro - its existence as a full-on town goes back about 700 years.  Near Perast there are two islets: one is called Sveti Đorđe (St George) and the other Gospa od Škrpjela (Our Lady of the Rocks), and each has a picturesque chapel. Gospa od Škrpjela is the only artificially-built island in the Adriatic.  In the photo below, St George is immediately to the right of the narrow steeple, and Our Lady is to the right of it.

We initially wandered about the street along the waterfront.

A wedding and an anchor, you interpret how they find themselves shown side-by-side here - hint: it's a good thing.

For about 5 bucks each, we take a 10-minute hop to Our Lady of the Rocks.

Approaching Our Lady, hmmm, looks like this low rising artificial island will see some changes with Global Warming Sea Rise, but perhaps it is just high enough.  It's probably better situated being in a back bay and at the side of the Adriatic, to have not seen the periodic flooding that Venice has.

Our "boat company" crosses back and forth every 1/2 hour, so we soon hop on for the return.

Heading back to our car, it's a bit of an uphill slog in the heat.

We see the Regal Princess visiting the Bay of Kotor - it's the same class as the Enchanted Princess we'll board out of England for NYC in a couple of months.

​"The old (1200-1400 years?) Mediterranean port of Kotor is surrounded by fortifications built during the Venetian period. It is located on the Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska), one of the most indented parts of the Adriatic Sea. Some have called it the southernmost fjord in Europe, but it is a ria, a submerged river canyon. Together with the nearly overhanging limestone cliffs of Orjen and Lovćen, Kotor and its surrounding area form an impressive landscape."

A Byzantine church:

Rather than back track around the Bay, we take a short ferry hop across a narrowing, our timing is perfect and we drive right on.

​Back to Croatia, we find Cavtat.

"Originally Greek-founded in the 6th century BC under the name of Epidaurus.  The surrounding area was inhabited by the Illyrians, who called the city Zaptal.  The town changed its name to Epidaurum when it came under Roman rule in 228 BC.  Justinian I the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire sent his fleet to Cavtat during the Gothic War (535–554) and occupied the town.  The city was sacked and destroyed by the Avars and Slavs in the 7th century.   Refugees from Epidaurum fled to the nearby island, Laus (Ragusa), which over time evolved into the city of Dubrovnik."

We visit painter Vlaho Bukovac's childhood home in Cavtat.

HIs parents allowed him, as a child, to decorate the walls.

Painting depicting a textile with images of his beheaded children - a bit strange.

We continue by strolling around the park-like peninsula - quiet and scenic.

A big yacht, with a boat garage, and we're sure, an elevator - after all it is 5-decks tall.  It must receive every cable channel on Earth.  What, no helicopter, we'll pass.

Typical beach around these parts - be sure to bring your rock shoes, but it's still nice.

Time to head for "home" - our mighty black KIA parked back in its assigned "car slip".

"Dubrovnik is one of the most popular Mediterranean tourist destinations, added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in recognition of its outstanding medieval architecture and fortified old town.

The city dates back to the 7th century, when the town known as Ragusa was founded by refugees from Epidaurum (Cavtat from the Middle Ages) and under the protection of the Byzantine Empire and later under the sovereignty of the Republic of Venice. Between the 14th and 19th centuries, Dubrovnik ruled itself as a free state. The prosperity of the city was historically based on maritime trade.  As the capital of the maritime Republic of Ragusa, it achieved a high level of development, particularly during the 15th and 16th centuries, as it became notable for its wealth and skilled diplomats.

Much of the city was damaged when a devastating earthquake hit in 1667. During the Napoleonic Wars, Dubrovnik was occupied by French Empire forces, and then the Republic of Ragusa was abolished and incorporated into the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy and later into the Illyrian Provinces.  In the early 19th to early 20th century, Dubrovnik was part of the Kingdom of Dalmatia within the Austrian Empire.  Dubrovnik then became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia after WWI, and it was incorporated into its Zeta Banovina in 1929, before becoming part of the Banovina of Croatia upon its creation in 1939.  During World War II, it was an Axis puppet, the Independent State of Croatia, before being reincorporated into a larger independent Yugoslavia post war.

In 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence, Dubrovnik was besieged by the Yugoslav People's Army for seven months and suffered significant damage from shelling. After undergoing repair and restoration works in the 1990s and early 2000s, it re-emerged as one of the Mediterranean's top tourist destinations."

​Our walking tour of the city begins:

The focus of today is exploring the walled fortressed portion of old Dubrovnik.

Near the main entrance into the walled city are remembrances of the shelling during the tumultous times of the 1990's.  The diagram illustrates where shells and missiles struck within the city walls.

A curious head decorating a downspout exit.

"P" shaped entrances/windows found in numerous little shop spaces - allows a  larger door and window in a narrow facade.

The main central street, originally a canal.

"Robotic " bell gongers preserved in a museum.  Working replicas are installed in the tall bell tower.

Gerri peers out from the small entrance to a dungeon.

"Dungeon dweller".

Artifacts from the museum.

We visit the maritime museum.

Weather forecasting equipments.

We take a break, enjoying the cool spaces, before heading back out into the heat.

An elegant staircase entrance, and Gerri signing the visitor's ledger in a restored synagogue.

​Beer break!!!

Now visiting a cultural museum, with many artifacts and displays featuring the daily life of yesterday.

​Now onto the tour taking us along the tops of the city walls.

Looking down the central main street, again, once a canal.

A "Where's Waldo (Gerri)?" photo - the zoom feature of our point-and-click digital camera isn't too shabby.

We sure were able to get an expanded perspective of the old city from the tops of the fortressed walls.

Locals and tourists recreating on perches outside the walls, and over the sea.

We did not eat here - we're sure it's good, but pricey.

Even pricier eats, location, location, location.

Back down to ground level, someone found a time portal and crossed through it.

A shop capitalizing on Game of Thrones fame, for which Dubrovnik provided some filming settings.

Today we have to just do it, climb the hiking trail high to above the city, in the heat.

The trail has that ancient look about it.

The day gets hotter, coming out from the shady part of the trail.

The gondola way to the top, for those not needing a good hot workout.

We get good views of the old walled city.

Well exposed now, gotta get this hike done and away from the heat.

The big boats have to anchor out and take launches in to explore the old city.

Finally, coming back from the wilderness, and getting closer to our lodging's A.C.   Phew!

After our visit to Hvar, where we travelled without our rental car on a ferry to and fro, we retrieved the car at Korčula and soon were in line for the short car ferry to the Pelješac Peninsula.

Now on the Pelješac Peninsula, we motor up to the bluffs.  The weather is a bit hazy, but otherwise nice.

Next on tap, or at least in bottles from the counter, Dalmatian coast wine.  "Family owned winery. We offer an authentic Pelješac wine tasting experience, including Dingač, Plavac Mali and Prošek wines among others."

The next one proudly exhibits their "Rick Steves'' endorsement.

Photo on the wall of the winery, showing the town nestled against the coastal ridge.

Another bottle is obtained, as well as some local olive oil.

We now turn away from the town, and head through the tunnel that takes us through that ridge shown in the previous "photo of a photo".

Ooooh, scary road, but actually the photo makes it look a bit more treacherous than it actually is.

We turned across the island at this point to seek out some local seafood, stumbling upon "SUTVID", a neat shack serving fishes, oysters and mussels brought out of the sea within view of the tables.

The city presses on going through recent earthquakes (the last in 1996) and the latest war in the 90's.

See the salt harvesting beyond the city.

Gerri hikes up and over to Mali Stone.

We head to Dubrovnik, crossing a modern bridge just outside the city.

We depart for the points southward on the Dalmation coast of Croatia.  So we've decided to take a 3-hour car ferry to carry our rental to the next stop - Korčula.  The medieval town is recognized as being the birthplace of the world explorer Marco Polo.  It's a laid back little resort town with meandering cobblestone streets, cute little shops, and assorted cafes, pubs and restaurants.

After arrival, we head to the other side of the island with the recommendation of our host to grab some eats and find a beach that isn't all rocks and stones.

After a good swim, upon recommendations of the guide book, we stopped at a couple small family wineries to get some of the regions characteristic dry white wines.

The  next morning the tour of the old town begins...

Evidence of Venice - a Venetian lion.

Marco Polo stuff seen about town.

Many nice sailing boats seen around the peninsula town.

Across the channel, to the north, on the next island, vineyards are spotted on the bluffs.

Another rendition of something we saw in Split - it doesn't submerge, but you sit within it and view the sea-life through a glass bottom - we passed, again.

Back to our lodging, yes, this is the view out our window.

Charter yachts rafted up for the evening on the town wharf.

We finished the day "rafted" up to a couple brews at a local brewery.

Driving to Split for a two-night stay after a nice stay at a country hotel with "fine" dining.
Neat clouds, created by mountain wave winds.

It's a Flying Saucer!

Our first view of the Adriatic Sea (at least since we were in Venice a few years ago).

Surf's up, Croatian style.

Now entering Split - a typical city/town entry - first we see the new, before we settle into the old.

Dinner is served, at the brewery pub, best ribs I've had in some time; Gerri's veggie burger wasn't too shabby either.

The next morning, our walking tour begins, with a look down the street at what appears to be cruise ships, but in fact are numerous large car ferries.

Old walls of the fortressed area:

We grab a quick "walking" breakfast, before continuing.

"Gregory of Nin was a medieval bishop of Nin who strongly opposed the Pope and introduced the Croatian language in religious services after 926 A.D. Until that time, services were held only in Latin, not being understandable to a majority of the population. Not only was this important for Croatian language and culture, but it also made Christianity stronger within the Croatian kingdom."

How it all used to look, the Palace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian upon completion in 305 A.D.

Down in the basement under part of the palace - Game of Thrones fans should recognize this place as the setting where Danarys raised her dragons to adulthood.

Definitely some Venetian influence here and there.

An almost, but not quite, hokey skit of Roman stuff appears in a small square in the palace area.

What's going on here?  We're in the catacomb under the old church in the palace area.

Ah, everyone's getting a good photo of the Patron Saintess of healthy eyesight.

We can see this tower quite clearly today.

There's Gregory of Nin again - he's a big guy around here.

We cut through the market to get an orientation of the car ferry set-up for our drive aboard tomorrow to head southward along the Dalmation coast tomorrow.

One of these boats will be ours tomorrow - we see where we'll drive along the wharf and look for our island name.

Now we head back along the water front to climb up for a far view.

We go from seeing ancient buildings built of thousands of bricks, to modern reinforced monoliths.

After a bit of a climb, we're at a scenic overlook.

An awesome patio, tree-house-like, is seen as we head back down to the old town.

An especially elegant street, paved in shining marble.

We've been seeing corn on the cob stands around Croatia - here's another example.

Here's an ancient looking olive tree - for some reason it's potted like a Christmas tree.

More Venetian structures.

A relief type sculpture, with weathering making it look more 3-dimensional that it actually is.

"In the middle of the Shabbat prayer on June 12, 1942, a group of fascists destroyed the synagogue, Jewish homes and nearby Jewish shops.  They burned and looted Jewish centuries-old heritage in this place.  It was not forgotten and it will not be repeated!, City of Split, June 12, 2018."

"Are you ready to rock Zagreb!"

The tour begins...with a upward walk of course.

The cathedral looms above - we'll see more of it later.

We're heading to the market - fingers crossed - oh no, yes, it's the Feast of Corpus Christi, so with Croatia observing this as a national holiday, along with only a handful of other nations, there's no market this day.

They must really love BBQ at the market.

Back to the square/plaza, passing the statue of the "kumica" before we head back down.

Not a whole lot of people out today doing Corpus Christi, and we confirmed as the tour book described, Zagreb is a hidden treasure amongst a small tourist following.  We did hear some amount of accent-less English (North Americans) here and there however.

Our tour book guided us to see a couple of tunnels which provide short-cuts under a ridge-top neighborhood.  These were also used as bomb shelters during the Kosovo War in the 1990's.

Ah, this must have something to do with Corpus Christi - we were tempted to follow, but decided otherwise.

Gerri reads that the origin of the neck-tie can be traced back to Croatian mercenaries serving in France during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648).  The French king took notice and initiated the popularization.  Tim snaps a photo.

Yes, yes, as the dude is pointing out, "to the funicular!".  The smallest we've ever seen (and the cheapest at 60 cents).  Our timing was perfect, as we were able to walk right on, along with a small tour-guided group.

At the top, Burglar's Tower, a watch tower from around the 13th century.  Before we ascended the funicular, we heard a fairly loud boom, like an "oh-shit" kaboom, but found out that a canon is fired from the top right window of this tower at noon everyday to commemorate a victory over the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century.

Ala "Monty Python":   "...and now for something totally different...

A museum that collects artifacts from broken relationships, be it separation/divorce, death, family members that "walk away", or those that end even as they barely start.

"A mobile phone - it was 300 days too long, he gave me his mobile phone so I couldn't call him anymore."

"A parachute rig:  I met him on my first parachute jump.  I was really scared but this handsome man, who was my tandem jump instructor, 'saved' me.  Later he helped me to jump solo.  We loved to play in the sky and we loved each other.  Then he died in a parachute accident."

On May 24 1892 Nikola Tesla, a local hero, proposed to city hall that Zagreb become the first city in the world to build an A.C. power station, they rejected it, so he went to America and Buffalo NY accepted the proposal.

The Prime Minister's offices, Church of St. Mark, and the parliament building.

This turn in the street, through a segment of the original city defensive wall, contains a tiny chapel.

And now Zagreb Cathedral, Roman Catholic Gothic, from 1217 A.D.  It suffered from Mongol attacks before the end of that century, and then earthquakes in 1880 and on March 22, 2020

Behind Gerri are remains of fortifications to defend against Ottoman-Turks in the 15th century.

One of the tower spires were removed after the 2020 earthquake, the other tower spike did fall off striking an adjacent building.  To the right is displayed what centuries of weathering damage has done to poorly chosen stone (soft sand stone), with a replacement readied for taking its place.

"Have tour-guide book, will travel..."

Another replacement piece getting prepped to replace worn parts above.

Apparently steel put in place to support earthquake damaged walls.  It's also possible this is where one of the tower spires toppled over landing on this roof top.

Do you see any you'd like?

Zagreb has a ton of green space.

Some of modern Zagreb.

"Here's to Zagreb!"

Today we travel from Vienna, Austria, to Bratislava, Slovakia, to pick-up our next rental car, driving through a part of Hungary to arrive in Zagreg, Croatia.  Below, we ride the Vienna metro to get to the bus station.

Aboard the FLIXbus, 90 minutes to Bratislava.

Entering Slavakia, no Visa required, we just zoom through without stopping.

We've never heard of Bratislava, but this is no insignificant city.

On the highway with our new rental car, a fancy KIA.

Taking the most direct route, we leave the freeway, and head towards a stretch of Hungary.

Now leaving Hungary and entering Croatia (see their flags below), a formal border crossing is required.

Interesting statue outside the Belvedere Palace.

We enter the palace (art museum) and find Hercules hard at work.

The Kiss is an oil-on-canvas painting with added gold leaf, silver and platinum by the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt. It was painted in 1907 and 1908, during the height of what scholars call his "Golden Period". The painting depicts a couple embracing each other, their bodies entwined in elaborate beautiful robes decorated in a style influenced by the contemporary Art Nouveau style and the organic forms of the earlier Arts and Crafts movement. The painting is considered a masterpiece of Vienna Secession (local variation of Art Nouveau) and Klimt's most popular work.

Mariahilfer Strasse stroll - just a stroll, with lots of people watching, mostly all locals here.