OAT Tour, Crossroads of the Adriatic, Part 1

The Overseas Adventure Travel Tour, Crossroads of the Adriatic, was a 15-day guided tour of Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, and Montenegro. The bus tour commenced in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and terminated in Ljubljana, Slovenia. We shared the tour with 12 companions. You will meet them all as you read through this blog. 

Our trip leader, Edo Poljarevic, and our driver, Tony, were with us for the duration. 

In addition, there were local guides at major stops.

Most of our lodgings were in first-class hotels, with uniformly spacious rooms, clean and well maintained. Breakfast buffets were elaborate, with many foods new to us. Besides the standard items muesli, yogurt, and fruit, there were the choices of eggs in several preparations, boccacini with basil and anchovies, caviar, banana frappe, numerous cheeses, breads and pastries, smoked and pickled fish, prosciutto, sausages, bacon, sauteed vegetables, and champagne mimosa!  Always a great start for a busy day of touring!  

One lodging was unique: The Skelpic Living History House. This is a family-run guest house to be described in the section on Karanac, Croatia. It is a delight.

Crossroads of the Adriatic

Part 1: Croatia

We toured for nine days in Croatia to visit Dubrovnik and Zagreb where we attended concerts and ballets. The itinerary also included numerous smaller towns; Karanac, Zagorje, Kumrovec, Samobar, Motovun, Hum, and Lovran. There was a delightful day in Plitvicka Jezera National Park with it's incredible collection of waterfalls.

At the Beginning, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Our Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) Group assembled in Dubrovnik for our “Meet-and-Greet” drinks, a short walk and dinner together. The next morning our group used the local bus to access Old Town Dubrovnik, founded in 7th century and incorporated in 1272.  The old city was heavily bombarded during the 1990s war, but fortunately has now been restored to it's former glory. 

For some shocking photos of the war situation in Dubrovnik click on the Link.  https://www.google.ca/search?q=dubrovnik+during+bosnian+war&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:%7Breferrer:source?%7D&rlz=1I7ADBR_en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=MCXVVODSHoXkapWagvAD&ved=0CEUQsAQ&biw=1093&bih=514

Our Local Guide, Lydia, took us to the Old Pharmacy (operational since 1317), the Franciscan Monastery (14^th century) and the Rector's Palace (15^th century). Dubrovnik has had public Medical Services since 1301, Old Peoples' Home from 1347, and Quarantine Hospital from 1377. Lydia oriented us to the locations of historical sites, museums, shops and restaurants.

We enjoyed a City Wall Tour with Edo.  Click on the video below to appreciate the fantastic view from the top of the city walls.

Then we were “on-our-own” to visit the numerous museums with our Dubrovnik day pass. Highlights were the Ethnographic Museum, the Maritime Museum, and the old synagog (from 1652).

We enjoyed an evening concert with Anne, Dave, Lou, and Edo. It was the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra Tvdava Revelin, classical jazz improvisation, with guest Canadian performers.

Into the Countryside of Croatia

The next region of Croatia to explore was Slavonia, the eastern-most province of Croatia, bounded by the Drava, Sava and Danube Rivers. The fertile farmlands, rich hunting grounds and robust wine industry make Slavonia the “breadbasket” of Croatia. This region was heavily contested during the 1990s war. It was part of Hungary during the 1700s. Road signs are a combination of Latin and Cyrillic, reflecting the ethnic diversity of the region (Croats, Hungarians, Serbs and gypsies).

Marilyn, one of our traveling companions was always happy to find a friendly cuddly dog!











Our primary destination in Slavonia was Karanac village near Osijek, close to Hungary. The rural village of Karanac is characterized by traditional Pannonian houses, usually L-shaped with entrance on the sides.

Our lodging was at the Skelpic Guest Home “Living History House” where we received a warm welcome from our hosts with an aperitif.  

Our rooms were charming country-style. 


Chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys wandered the courtyard.










It was a pleasant stroll down the village road to the Kuca for dinner of beet soup, salad and cheesecake, after our welcome aperitif of local brandy.






 





We enjoyed the local folk musicians, singing with accordion and guitars.

Check out the video below to see our enthusiastic dancing!

And still more dancing!

The next morning there was a hearty breakfast at the Skelpic Guest Home, of beignets with homemade jams, juborach, smoked meats, spicy cheese, homemade bread, coffee, alder flower and apple juices.

We stopped at Vina Belje, one of the largest (and oldest) local wine producers and stretched our legs through their vineyards, now dormant for the winter. 

 After visiting the cellars of Vina Belje we enjoyed wine sampling and, of course, bought bottles of Grasevina and Cabernet Savignon.

On our return to Karanac we traveled through rolling hills and farms of apple, pear, and chestnut trees. There were swans, storks, and herons. We visited an ethnographic collection, part of a Centre for Developmentally Challenged Adults, learning to make jams, crafts and juices. We helped support the centre by purchasing some of their hand-prepared items.

Then there was a cooking class for beef peka, fish/roe and paprika soup prepared outside and accompanied, of course, with brandy aperitif and estate wines. It was a sunny fall afternoon, perfect for the outdoor event.

The Next Large City, Zagreb, Croatia

A long bus ride to Zagreb was the perfect time for Edo's history lessons, interspersed with jokes, stories and other silliness on the bus PA system.

Serious discussions included the issue of unexploded ordnance left behind from the 1990s war. Substantial progress has been made in locating, signing and removing the old land mines, but many remain. Unfortunately, some farmers use signs stolen from mine fields to protect their wild asparagus fields, leaving some of the real minefields unsigned.

Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia, intermittently, since 1557, is a city of museums, culture and commerce.  

We puzzled over some local customs.

We met our local guide, Ivana, near the statue of King Tomaslav Jelavitch, a nationalist, (taken down to storage during Tito's regime). Our City Tour included the funicular (cable car) to the Upper Town to see Zagreb's medieval landmarks.

The city tour ended at the open-air market in the Dolac section of Zagreb.

The market at Zagreb is massive, including produce, fish and meat, plus the usual souvenirs. 

We enjoyed the "fruits" of our shopping at the Kras Bonbonniere!  

Magnificent dark chocolate!









At the Mirko Virius Gallery, we liked the Naive Art paintings by Miroslav Pintar. (http://www.hd-naiva.hr ). We visited the Archeology museum (excellent, with a 4-6 century loom exhibit), the Museum of Broken Relationships (pop culture), and the Joan Miro Exhibit at the Zagreb Art Pavilion (not particularly impressed).

The Assumption Cathedral was originally built in 13-18th century in Gothic style and is being renovated to replace the original limestone (dissolving under acid rain) with Italian marble. It was severely damaged by earthquake in 1880. Inside we viewed the tomb of Cardinal Stephanac, soon to become a saint.

For that evening Edo arranged choice seats for us at the Zagreb National Theatre for a performance of Ana Karenjina Ballet, a terrific performance in a beautiful theatre.

Back into the Countryside of Croatia

We left Zagreb for the small village of Zagorje, in the hinterlands of northwest Croatia.

Lunch in local restaurant Gresna Gorica overlooked the 1400s castle. We were greeted with cornbread dipped in salt, and honey brandy. We had lovely chicken noodle soup and salad, followed by a platter of sausage, chicken, veal, beef, and mashed potatoes.

We continued to Kumrovec, birthplace of Josep Broz, born in 1892 and nicknamed Tito, the seventh of twelve children. He was drafted into the army, was a prisoner of war in Russia and later becoming Marshal and then President for Life of Yugoslavia.

We explored the small town of Samobar and hiked on forested hills to the 13th century fortress ruins. Our reward was the coffee cream cake, “kremsnita”, in the town square.

On returning to Zagreb from our countryside day trip, we attended the Zagreb Filharmonia held in beautiful Vatroslava Lininskog, directed by dirigent Dmitrig Kitajenko for a wonderful symphony. There were 31 violins, other string instruments, wind and percussion. Thrilling!

Next day we departed Zagreb to Plitvicka Jezera National Park, UNESCO World Heritage

site, the largest and oldest (1949) of Croatia's eight national parks. Plitvicka Park with it's 16 lakes and over 100 waterfalls is the second most visited site in Croatia, after Dubrovnik.

Click on the short video below for a sample of the magnificent beauty of this site.

To see more pictures of this Croatian treasure, follow this link. http://www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr/en

Istrian Peninsula

We stayed for two nights in Lovran, an idyllic Kvarner seaside town, famous for lush vegetation, chestnuts, cherries, asparagus and the marunada. It is an old town from 12^th century, formerly named Lauriana, after the local laurel, and greatly influenced with Austria-Hungarian architecture. We could have spent more time in this delightful town to see more of the Austrian style buildings dating from 1900. Lovran is now known as “The Pearl of the Adriatic Riviera”.

We hosted a “happy hour” on the balcony of our hotel room, and later strolled together to the Bistro in the town square of Lovran, where the highlight of the dinner was vegetable pasta with minced truffles. We adored “Kremitza” with dark chocolate sauce (similar to clotted cream).

The next day, traveling up the switchback road, we enjoyed views of the islands of Cres and Krk surrounded by a calm Adriatic sea. Excellent roads and a five kilometre tunnel under Ucka Mountain and lake brought us to the “hinterland” of the Istrian Peninsula with it's spectacular landscapes. 



 We learned that the lush forest is home of their famous mushrooms and truffles.

The Teran Malvasia vineyards surround the town of Motovun.


A local legend tells of giants who built the town with Istria's longest staircase (1052 steps) which we walked up to the old walled city. 





We were expected on the patio of the shop/restaurant for wine tasting, truffle lessons and samples of white and black truffles. We were intrigued to hear about the botany of truffles, their commercial value, preparation, and tastiness.

Peter and I bought jars of truffles in olive oil and of minced truffles to share with friends back home. There was also a bottle of medica (honey grappa with mistletoe).

We stopped for a “learning and discovery” session, a reenactment with truffle dog, Nera, finding truffles on the hillside near oak trees.

She found the "planted" truffles!

Afterward, we visited Hum, a town of 17, enclosed in walls dating from 1102 with a bell tower built in 1552. We learned of Hum Glagolitic writing from the Middle Ages and tried writing our names in Glagolitic. 

We visited shops and sampled brandy, liquors and, of course, grappa.







In the medieval church at Hum there are amazing frescos peeling from the ancient damp walls. 

No funds for preservation.







We had a lovely tour of Croatia and certainly recommend it. For more on Croatia visit: http://croatia.hr .

Our next post, will be Adventures in Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Slovenia, Overseas Adventure Travel Tour “Cross-roads of the Adriatic”. Part II:

We hope that you enjoy it.

Catherine and Peter, now aboard S/V “Charlotte D” in the Southern Caribbean (www.svcharlotted.blogspot.com )

“All roads lead to Rome. Take a new one everyday!”

Report from The Nine Glens of Antrim, Northern Ireland

We left Riversdale early Oct 18 by hackney to Belturbet.  After coffee at The Corner Bistro, we boarded Bus Eirann to Dublin to pick up our car hire from National Europcar, pre-paid on the internet, but, in the usual fashion, undisclosed charges were tacked on by the "vultures."

We drove to Lanesborough, calling cousin Joan from Addie's Swan Pub from where she guided us to their lovely home along the banks of Lough Ree. After saying goodbye to their visitors from Illinois on their way to Paris, we were entertained in the “Homeplace”, laboriously renovated and decorated. They graciously put us up for the night in the "The Children's Place", another of their beautiful cottages. They have a serene and lovely Homestead.

After goodbyes, we were on the road again to Strokestown, (House and Gardens of the Pakenham Mahon Mansion, and attached Famine Museum). It was built on the site of the 16^th century castle, home of the O Conor Roe Gaelic Chieftains. The Landlord Major Denis Mahon was assassinated in November 1847 at the height of the Great Famine of Ireland and it is fitting that the Irish National Famine Museum was established at the Strokestown Park.

The six acre walled pleasure gardens have been restored to their original splendour and give an insight into horticultural design and architecture from the 1740's to the present. Henry Pakenham traveled extensively gathering plants and seeds from around the world. It includes a herbaceous border,  fernery,  lily pond, Victorian rose garden, pergola, peach house, vinery, fruit and vegetable garden..

The Great Irish Famine of the 1840's has been called the single greatest social disaster of 19^th century Europe. Between 1845 and 1850, when blight devastated the potato crop, in excess of two million people, almost one-quarter of the entire population, either died or emigrated. The Museum is twinned with Grosse Ile and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site, Grosse Ile, Quebec. Over 5,500 Irish immigrants are buried in mass graves at Grosse Ile.

The Museum, located in the original Stable Yards of Strokestown Park House, was designed to contrast the lives of the tenant farmers with those in "The Big House". Whereas the landlord class had the resources to leave an indelible mark on the landscape, the Irish tenants lived in poverty and nothing of a physical nature has survived to commemorate their lives. The surviving Mahon family documents include many haunting pleas from starving tenants and the responses they received.

In a pattern repeated throughout Ireland, English Lords assumed control of farms that had been owned and worked by Irish. When hard times came, the Irish tenant farmers could no longer pay their taxes or tithes to the Lord and were displaced. The fortunate families exchanged their land for ship passage to North America. The wealthy Lords varied in their compassion for their tenants. Disease was rampant and education did not exist, except for the wealthy. The Famine Museum documents the story of Irish workhouses.

Of course, without tenant farmers, income to the Lords declined, and the descendants of the Lords eventually lost their inherited fortunes. Mansions were turned into museums and many were destroyed. The last inhabitants of the Strokestown Park House sustained themselves by selling their paintings and furnishings bit by bit and lived their last years in a single room on the lower level to minimize heat costs, before dying in poverty. The sad history of that era, and the aftermath, is much more complex than we had realized.  

Remaining artifacts and furnishings from bygone years were on display in an interesting mansion tour. 





You can read more at www.enjoy-irish-culture.com 

We went on to Tulsk to The Rathcragan Bronze Age Visitor Center, with its interesting dioramas. The archeological investigations of Druid ringforts from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages are well-described. The concentric circles of burial mounds commemorated their dead.








Oweynagat, “The Cave of the Cats” is one of the three main entrances to the “Otherworld”. It is the “fit abode” of Morrigan, the Goddess of Battle and Fertility. It was thought that it kept some away from the “Hell's Mouth of Ireland.”

In the same neighborhood, we visited the 1448 Dominican Priory and Cemetery, which was part of the O'Cona Rua, where current day Christian inhabitants commemorate their deceased with fresh flowers to the grave sites of their loved ones still today. Not much change since the times of the Druids.

We continued on towards Leitrim Lodge where we stayed overnight after a nice roast beef, potato and vegetable dinner with Guinness.

The next day we visited Donegal, where I must surely have many relatives. 







 



We had a delightful lunch at the Olde Castle Bar after a self-guided tour of The Donegal Castle. 














 
Donegal was busy with tour buses and we were soon on our way to Drumcorrey Farmhouse, pausing for a brief, but intense, hail storm.

At the Drumcorrey Farmhouse B&B, we met Martina and Pat, our hosts. We were treated to the pleasure of Pat playing the fiddle.




Click the video below for a sample of traditional Irish fiddle music

One of my most treasured experiences was Pat working his sheepdogs.    





 He has won many sheepdog trophies and is currently training five more pedigree Border Collies. 

 Click on the video for a sample of how the dogs work the sheep.

We headed to the Roe Valley Country Park where we had lunch in the tea room. There were many walkers with dogs.  There is a statue to the wolf-hound who saved the king by leaping across the river to deliver a message. Unfortunately, most of the attractions here were closed for the season.

We traveled around Port Rush and Coleraine and managed to find economical lodging at fancy Atlantic Golf Hotel where we ate dinner of parsnip soup and chicken wings. The north shore has many RV parks of seasonal “caravans”, surrounded by golf courses. We were glad not to be there during peak tourist season as we understand traffic can by bumper-to-bumper.

The next morning, we visited Dunluce Castle, spectacular on the sea coast with an interesting visitor centre.

This 14^th century castle, still in good repair, was home to the MacQuninlan's and MacDonnells from Scotland. It is reputed to have dozens of ghosts: servants, a daughter of former inhabitants, the MacQuillans and an English constable. The daughter was to elope with Peter Carey, set to be hanged when part of the castle fell into the ocean in the winter of 1639.

The Castle was once a bustling community centre before it was attacked during the Irish Rebellion in 1641 and abandoned in 1680.

Other historical tid-bits include: The King of Norway, Magus, lost his head, after plundering Dunluce.  The Norseman's silver is still undiscovered.  Rober Senuit recovered the sunken treasure of the Spanish Armada. The Scottish pirate Black Tavish lost his life along with his treasure from four English vessels bringing provisions for the Earl of Ulster.





The remnants of Hurricane Gonzalo only added to the telling of these ghost stories, turning the weather wet and windy. Ferries to the out islands were ruled out by the unruly sea.

It was an interesting tour of The Old Bushmill's Distillery, the oldest whiskey distillery in Ireland dating from 1608. We watched with dismay as the quality control officer dumped out a case of whiskey in which we could not perceive a deficit. Made us cry! 

 We enjoyed sampling of their products early that morning (whiskey for breakfast).

Departing Bushmill's, we visited tiny Portballintrae, a scenic harbour. Plaques describe days of yore, when in the 1700's schooners loaded lime from the kiln there. It was surprising to see dracenas on the hillsides. We did not know that they grew this far north. Occupants of charming cottages have fantastic ocean views.

The Giant's Causeway and Visitor Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site was our next stop. The geology is fascinating, with 40,000 interlocking basalt columns resulting from intense volcanic and geologic activity, over 60 million years. 

 Click on the video to sample the unusual seaside rock formations.

We learned the folk story of Finn McCool, who built a causeway from Antrim to Scotland to challenge his enemy, the Scottish Giant, Benandonner, to battle. Finn was horrified that Bennadonner was much bigger than he had anticipated, but Finn tricked Benandonner by dressing himself as a babe.  Benandonner took flight at the thought of the “baby's” father and ran back to Scotland on the stones breaking the causeway as he went.

A pleasant night was spent in Fragren's B&B, where breakfast was another “Ulster Fry”.

This part of Northern Ireland is characterized by a series of deep Glens which run from the mountains to the North Channel of the Irish Sea. These are known as the Nine Glens of Antrim and are the product of glaciation during the last Ice Age. The Sea of Moyle on the rocky shores, the coast of Scotland, and the Mull of Kintyre were visible from our Glen House Hotel room window (only 16 miles away). The people are welcoming, the air is fresh and the countryside beautiful. The hedges are made of well-maintained hawthorne shrub. Traditional stone walls, hill farms, winding streams, cattle, sheep, peaceful landscapes and spectacular views are everywhere.

The Irish have many folk stories of fairies, giants, leprechauns, banshees and other spirits. Though mainly Christian, they hold many ancient superstitions, particularly about death and dying, as noted during our visit to ruins of 1400's Bonamargy Friary and grave yard. We happened to be visiting around Halloween time and encountered a teacher taking his very attentive class, explaining some of the handed-down superstitions (e.g., seeing into the “otherworld” by looking through holes in stones). He agreed to us tagging along to hear his presentations. We learned the story of the Black Nun, Julia McQuillan, who could predict the future.

We drove through Ballypatrick Forest, under the Glendun Viaduct, up the Glendun along the river with many side roads, little traveled. We met cyclists, salmon fishermen, hikers and photographers taking in the beautiful woods, streams and waterfalls. 

We headed to Glenariff and saw the Grey Mare's Tail (waterfall) and on to Laragh Waterfall.







Click on this video to appreciate the Glenariff Waterfall.




After a nice walk we had lunch at the lodge, decorated for Halloween (roast beef with Yorkshire, pudding, a side of mash, peas and carrots and potato leek soup with brown bread).

We left Hotel Glens, the oldest hotel in Antrim, located in Cushendun after a nice breakfast. We walked along the beach/golf course and later went north to Cushendun and Knocknarry. We walked on the beach, learned about the Irish game of hurling vs lacrosse, saw many colours of hydrangeas, and dracenas. There were fish farms, seals, oil rigs, lovely harbours, and ring-necked pheasants.

We passed Waterfoot Harbour, passed the Glencloy village and Carnlough and enjoyed the marina and old town. 


Mothers pushing their prams along the road, very little trafic to worry about. Everyone stops and chats when they pass by.

Folklore is alive and well along the Antrim Coast and Glens. The area has always had associations with the "wee" folk. Many of the place names reflect this tradition such as Feystown (town of the fairies), Breen (the fairy palace) and Skeagh (the fairy thorn). There are the legends of Ossian, the "Children of Lir", and Julia McQuillan, Bonamargy's "Black Nun", who could predict the future.

Cushendun is one of the prettiest villages on the coast. We discovered the sea caves, then traveled south along the coastal route passing Ossian's grave (warrior, bard and part son of Giant Fin McCool). 




The story is that Ossian left his love, Namagh, in Tir Na Nog, land of everlasting youth, on horseback. He passed an old woman who he lept down to help and, upon touching the earth, instantly died

Glenarm is one of the oldest villages on the coast, the home of the Antrim McDonnels. It includes the remains of a Franciscan friary, the private Glenarm Castle, the Barbicon gate and the old core of the village from the 19th century. 



We drove to the start of the Sculpture Trail at the Glenarm Forest Park, but decided not to walk in the forest because of the rain.

Ballygally Castle was built in 1625 by James Shaw and his wife Isabella Brisbane. He came from Scotland in 1606 to occupy a sub-grant of land from the Earl of Antrim, on which land they built the castle. The Castle served as a place of refuge for protestants during the civil war.  In 1799, the castle passed to the last squire, William Shaw. In the 1800's, the Shaws lost all their money and the estate was sold. It was a Coast Guard Station and now a first-class hotel and restaurant.

Ballygally Castle retains many of it's original features, including turreted bedrooms and three ghosts. 

Catherine wore a ghost cape of Lady Isabelle Shaw who fell to her death from her locked room trying to escape from Lord Shaw, to search for her infant.

We visited haunted castles surrounded by ancient city walls with legendary tales, secret tunnels (and continual major renovations). We were lucky to be in Carrickfergus during the Halloween season to enjoy the variety of costumed reenactors portraying, friars, Kings, Queens, musicians, jesters, and knights 

While in Carrickfergus we went for lunch to the 400 year old Dobbins Hotel with cod, champs, and Caesar salad. According to legend there is a tunnel to the castle.

Another enjoyable stop was at the Andrew Jackson home in Carrickfergus. There we were pleased to meet two very knowledgeable docents who answered many of our questions about the Ulsters, Scottish, British and North American influences in Ireland. On the same grounds was a thatch roofed museum dedicated to the US Army Rangers who were stationed in Northern Ireland during World War II.

Andrew Jackson was one of eight presidents born as British Subjects before the USA was formed.

We drove through the busy city of Larne to Gleno to find Billy Andy's Pub Inn and Restaurant. Dinner was the BEST.

We learned of a traditional music jam session to be held at Billy Andy's the next day. It was well-attended, hardly room to move. The variety of musical instruments was amazing: fiddles, guitars, flutes, bodhran, banjo, mandolin, accordion and viola. We will return to Billy Andy's for “trad”music starting at 3:30 Saturdays (www.billyandy's.com ). 

 Click on the video for a sample of the jam session.

We were referred to Derrin's Four Star Guest Home in Larne, quite comfortable and handy for visiting Belfast, but we were out of time. After a Full Irish breakfast with beans, we left Derrin's Guest House.

We stopped for lunch at Dooley's Carvery,  with many families of young children, all who were PERFECTLY behaved.  Passing through the town of Ardee there where many HUGH tractors lining the streets of town center and farmers collecting money for hospice, certainly a unique way for fund raising.

Our last night in Ireland was spent at the Dublin Airport Manor, just 5 minutes from the airport. The next morning we left on Ryan Air for Zadar, Croatia (subject of our next posting).

“Progress is impossible without change, and those that cannot change their mind, cannot change anything”. George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright

Catherine and Peter, now aboard the sailing vessel Charlotte D in the Southern Caribbean.