When in Doubt, Shrug Your Shoulders

Dear Reader,

Once again I have been neglectful in not writing my blog. There are so many stories I have yet to tell about my most recent vacation in Italy, Croatia, Greece and Turkey, and yet somehow there never seems to be enough time. Lately I've spent a lot of time planting petunias and marigolds in the garden. My good friend, Cobo, the owner of the Fischbanke Bar in Bolzano, recommended planting lots of annuals every year as he does at his bar. It makes everything so much more festive and doesn't cost very much to buy every year. He is right. Our vegetable garden now looks very festive and colorful. But I digress and must bring my thoughts back to travel.

I'm really becomming a big fan of the eastern country of Croatia. This was our second visit to that beautiful emerald land with her thousand miles plus of beaches and islands along with an ancient history pre-dating the Greeks. The food is very good and the people are very friendly. Surprisingly many of them speak English. They also make a very good wine and beer. One of the biggest advantages of visiting Croatia is that they are not yet on the Euro and their currency, the Kuna, is weaker than the dollar at 5.6 Kuna per one U.S. dollar as of May. This makes Croatia a reasonable country to visit.

The first time we went to Croatia we visited the large city of Split's old town. This is not a little cutesy "old town" with spruced up quaint buildings and people in costumes. This old town is ancient and yet thriving. It was originally settled when the Slavs attacked their nearby city and the Croatians fled for cover inside the old Roman Palace built by Emperor Diocletian as his retirement home on the coast. I don't know why the palace was unoccupied at the time but the entire city moved into the palace and later became the city of Split. The sight is quite remarkable. The palace walls line the broad waterfront boulevard which is now lined with bars and restaurants with outdoor tables and umbrellas plants and lawns. It looks like a fortress but an attractive one. You enter the palace, and the city, through a large archway which leads you into the former basement of the palace and continue straight through to a set of broad stairs on the opposite side through another large archway. The thoroughfare is lined with small shops selling local handicrafts and postcards. Before leaving the basement you can take a self guided tour of the various rooms, mostly empty, but interesting.

Once you step outside through the second archway you'll find yourself right in the middle of the thriving main square which is oddly shaped because of a giant temple of Venus which looms diagonally on the right. It is right next to a broad long set of stairs leading up to the hidden Cathedral which dates back to the 10th century and which is next to the tower which can be climbed for a small fee. Across the square are medieval buildings jammed together, some with partial Roman parts such as steps and columns incorporated into them. The square itself still has the original marble floor paving from the palace itself. It's difficult to envision, but we had just stepped into the courtyard of the palace which was square in shape surrounding a square court. This was a typical Roman construction for dwellings. We walked through the entire old town and out the far gate through many narrow cobblestone streets lined with medieval buildings. We visited the Bapistery which was originally built by Diocletian as a temple for his own burial but later Christianized. It's a fascinating place with lots of small local eateries and bars to make it very cheerful indeed.

This year we had the good fortune of returning to Split as well as visiting the famous Unesco National Heritage city of Dubrovnik, a place I'd always wanted to see. Dubrovnik is a favorite stopping place for cruise ships not just because of its beauty but also for its manageable size. The entire city is inside medieval walls which are fully intact and contain four fortresses, one on each corner. The walls are about two miles long I believe and the walk, which involves a good deal of climbing, takes about two hours if you're not making too many photo stops. The location could not be more beautiful surrounded on three sides by crystal clear blue ocean and a green mountain on the fourth side.

The walls, which are eighty feet high in some places, are built on top of sheer rock cliffs on the ocean sides and the views are magnificent. They were originally built by the Romans but later fortified by the Croatians in the 15th century as extra protection from a Venetian invasion. It worked. The walls were never breached by Venetians or any other enemies until the 1991 war with Serbia when the Serbian army bombed Dubrovnik for weeks on end destroying most of the city. The brave civilians of Dubrovnik stayed throughout the bombing, hiding in the fortresses and underground while their homes were being destoyed and while their brave young men gathered their grandfather's hunting rifles and made a stand in the highest fortress on the mountain above the city, determined to hold the Serbians from entering Dubrovnik. This tragedy was finally brought to an end when the rest of the world finally took notice and joined to put a stop to it. The damage was horrendous but the people rebuilt and the walls were repaired and it is once again a thriving and living city and major tourist site. The major difference as you gaze down into the city from the walls are the bright orange tile roofs which replaced the old faded brown ones. Very little other evidence of the tragedy remains but you can see a memorial exhibit to the brave who fought and died in one of the museums.

Inside the walls, Dubrovnik is very lively and packed with tourists by day. The main street called the Stradum or the Placa divides the city right down the middle and is a broad pedestrian only street made of marble. There are fountains at either end from the Renaissance plus many other fine Renaissance buildings to see. This is the place where people like to stroll in the evening and sit at outdoor cafes and bars and eat gelato. It has an interesting history too. Originally it was a small inland ocean canal which separated the mainland from an island. The Romans settled on the mainland and when the Slavs invaded they settled on the island. Strangely enough they left each other in peace and a couple of hundred years later decided to fill it in and join the two cities.

But even more interesting to me are the extremely narrow side streets running perpendicular to the Stradum on each side. These are very medieval and some are so close you could easily touch both sides at once with your hands. On the east side the streets are steep and many have steps to help climb to the tops which end at the wall. The streets to the west are mostly flat with only a bit of a climb on some. These side streets are where the most local restaurants are to be found. But first we had to have a drink at the Busa Bar inside the wall over the ocean. Everyone goes to the Busa Bar but I still wanted to go anyway because of its location. You have to find a little sign that says "Cold Drinks" on the inside of the wall and follow the wall until you see a hole about six feet tall. My husband only had to duck a bit so the hole wasn't as small as advertised. Once through the hole you go down steps which have been carved right into the side of the cliff and down to the first level, a giant slab covered with umbrellas, a drink cooler and a tiny bar. We ordred two pivos (beer) and drank their local with plastic cups while we gazed down at the ocean and an island very close by and our cruise ship off in the distance. It was near sunset and very beautiful. There is another lower level and also big rocks to sit on and drink, sunbathe and also for diving into the ocean. Further down we noticed more stairs carved into the rocks right from the ocean to welcome swimmers ashore as well as kyackers and other boaters. It was a great place to rest up in the middle of all that wall climbing.

After finishing the wall we ate dinner at a tiny restaurant we had spotted from the wall earlier and which happened to be on my list of recommended local eateries. It was fantastic. John says it was our best meal of the trip. He had a seafood pasta and I had scampi which were very messy in a wonderful red bussola sauce. The scampi were huge and had to be completely peeled but I managed not to spill on my clothes. We were very thirsty so we had two liters of white Croatian wine which was crisp, dry and lovely. After that our waitress brought us complimentary Croatian brandy which is similar to Italian grappa but much smoother. It was very nice. But alas we had a ship to catch so we strolled back towards the main gate past people in the square eating and drinking outdoors with open wood fires and grills burning. There were torches lining the square and the street leading back to the gate. I wanted to stay and join the party and am determined to return for that reason. The last tender back to our ship was delayed so we had time for one more treat, homemade gelato. It was every bit as good as the gelato in Italy and something I always miss upon returning home.

When we returned to Split, having already toured the city in the past, we decided it would be fun to visit the nearby tiny island town of Trogir. It is only a mile long and completely medieval and the long distances buses all stop there so it seemed a convenient thing to do. The trip takes only 20 minutes by long distance buses heading north or 30 minutes by the local bus #37 or an hour by ferry. Always worrying about time and missing our ship we opted for the fastest route and headed straight for the bus depot from where all the buses depart. I would not have even recognized the strip mall like building with the giant valvoline sign painted on the end as the bus depot if I had not researched it in advance and seen the photo. My advance information indicated that long distance buses leave every ten minutes and to just catch the first one leaving when we get there. I had also noted not to buy a round trip ticket because we would then be stuck with the same bus company and might have to wait longer than necessary upon our return.

My first disappointment upon arrival and a brisk walk along the water front was that the next bus was not leaving for one half hour. There were no other bus companies that I could discern or even ask about, because I didn't know how to ask that question in Croatian, which might leave earlier, so we waited. At least we used the time wisely and found a Bankomat to get some Kunas so we were armed and ready to go. They let us board the bus early, which was nice because it was getting hot outside, and it is airconditioned.

The bus is very luxurious and comfortable and left right on schedule dropping us off across the street from a little bridge which connects to Trogir. We decided to be smart before crossing over to Trogir to confirm my return bus schedule and get our return tickets at the tiny bus station first. We also wanted to know exactly where to catch the return bus because this can also be tricky. But, alas, this was where the lost in translation problem stepped in. The clerk spoke to us in English but didn't quite understand my questions. We asked him what times the return buses to Trogir would leave. He told us there is only one per hour and gave us the approximate times. I should have been more specific about the buses but just couldn't get it out and I knew that didn't sound right. He also told us to buy our tickets when we returned which also didn't sound right but not knowing what to do, we went on across the bridge into tiny Trogir.

Trogir is another city completely inside walls but it is entirely medieval and the architecture is very consistent throughout being from around the 11th century. It is a maze of narrow streets inside which have no rhyme or reason for their direction making it very easy to get turned around in a hurry. The good news is that it is a tiny town so you know you will eventually get to the other end or the middle or the sides. The walls are made of a pleasant golden stone which makes it unusually bright and though the walls are high and buildings tall, the sun shines down to street level with a brilliance unusual to medieval towns.

Our main goal in Trogir is their magnificent 11th century cathedral with its unusual three architectural leveled tower. The cathedral itself is vast and dark inside, afterall, it is Romanesque and was built before the flying buttresses and stained glass windows. However, the tower is ornate and very attractive. The lower portion is Romanesque, the middle portion Gothic and the top section is Renaissance. It is only about maybe ten stories high but the climb is worth it for the nice view of the entire island as well as the water surrounding it and the rooftops of the town itself. It's an easy climb too because it is an open tower inside with wide modern rod iron stairs for the most part, though I met a girl who was afraid to do the climb because you can see all the way down. I guess it's not for those with acrophobia but the rest of us love it! At the very top it gets a little difficult because the stairs turn to stone and are very steep and narrow and worn down. There is a small opening at the top that you have to climb through to get to the roof. I was worried John would get stuck but he managed alright. The tower overlooks the main square and the museum, the two main sites of the town.

We enjoyed our afternoon in Trogir and found a nice seafood restaurant for lunch. There were pleasant surprises around every corner and every restaurant had fresh seafood on display. I could have spent some quality time there as well. At last we reached the large square Venetian fortress outside the walls and took a very pleasant waterfront stroll lined with grass and palm trees and lots of bars and restaurants with the usual outdoor seating. Behind them appeared to be grand hotels and apartments. The water was filled with yachts and other nice watercraft. It appeared to be a very affluent area. But our ship was awaiting so we headed back to the bus station for our 4:05PM bus back to Split.

When we returned to the bus station the man who had helped us before was gone. A young woman who was very nice advised us that we had just missed the bus to Split. It had left right at 4:00PM. I knew it! I knew the information had been wrong. I realized then that the man had assumed I was asking about the local bus, not the long distance bus.  She also said the next bus would not leave for another 40 minutes but it is the local bus #37 which takes a lot longer. We were worried. Our ship set sail at 6:00PM. We anxiously bought tickets and then she suggested we go look for the bus as perhaps it might still be out there so we ran out to the parking lot and looked at all the buses. We couldn't tell one from the other. None had names on the front except the obvious tour buses which had signs such as "Norwegian Jade" , which was our ship, in the windshield. So I ran back inside and asked her exactly where the bus would be parked and she advised to the left of the lot. It was the best I could do. But when I got to the lot there were only two buses parked on the left side and they both were tour buses. The bus in front had a sign "Norwegian Jade" in the windshield and there was no driver nor tour guide present. There were people on board however which indicated they must be departing soon. Sometimes you just have to fly by the seat of your pants so I made my decision and told John we were getting on that bus. He was agreeable to this idea as we hadn't many options and suggested we sit way in the back.

The bus wasn't even half full so we weren't fearful of taking someone's seat when we hurried to the back of the bus. Several people stared at us and one said "no" as we passed but I didn't care at that point. I was determined to get on that bus and no one was going to get me off of it. John and I were slumping down in the back with our hats pulled brims low over our foreheads trying not to giggle out loud. It wasn't easy because it was extremely funny, or so we thought. A very few short minutes later the driver and tour guide jumped on board and we took off without even a head count. Phew! What a relief.

We were on our way back to Split and doing a good clip when the tour guide commenced her narrative about Split in French. Oops, we had gotten on the French tour bus. This could be bad afterall. But ever the optimist I held my ground and my tounge and just signalled to John to do the same. I was enjoying her talk about the history of Split and what to do when there was some babble from some of the guests up front which I only partially understood. I heard her say "Group four?" and some more talk ensued. This was not good. Her speach was interrupted. I leaned over to John and told him that she thinks we are with group four and that theirs was group seven. I suggested we both keep our mouths shut and just pretend not to understand her. Suddenly she was standing there staring at us and yelled at us in French. We just sat there and tried looking stupid and shrugged our shoulders. So she yelled in English "Who are you?" Uh oh, we can't pretend not to understand her now. What to do? She commented next "I have to ask in English to get an answer from you!" This ticked me off a bit so I decided not to answer her at all. So she turned on John and asked him if we were supposed to be on another bus. Always quick, John said we were with group four and must be on the wrong bus. I interjected that we saw the sign on the front of the bus and we are on the Norwegian Jade and there was no one around to ask if it was the correct bus so we were afraid of missing it if we didn't board. She looked furious and got on the phone and called, I presume, group four to tell them they had two missing passengers but they didn't. Then she confronted us again and we both just shrugged again. I repeated that all we knew was we saw the sign and throught it was our bus. She turned and stomped back to the front and took up her narrative once again. But I heard lots of laughter from the others and know she said some snide things about us and probably how stupid Americans can be.

John and I held hands and smiled in relief. We got to stay on the bus. What could they do, turn around and take us back to Trogir? We weren't going to miss our ship afterall and in fact, would even have time to do some things in Split before boarding. It was all good and we were pleased that we can think on our feet and fly by the seat of our pants when necessary since, as we know, all the research in the world can not guarantee a flawless trip. This was one of those moments when we like to "high five" and enjoy the thrill of victory when the chips seem to be down. We could only sit and wonder what our friends would have thought of this had they come along as planned. Would they have agreed to jump on the bus or insisted on waiting for the local bus? What would they have thought about our bending of the truth? I would like to think they would have enjoyed it. Afterall, these are the stories that are fun to tell back on the ship while relaxing in the spa with new friends and for years afterwards because it will always bring laughter.

Dobargenie