Today we left the boat early and traveled by bus for many hours to Zagreb. We fly out of Zagreb early on Monday morning. Our trip back in the bus was through the mountains and tunnels with several stops. It has snowed here overnight also, and it's cold enough for it to stay. I looked for some souvenirs on this trip back, but wasn't lucky. Even the small shops in Croatia are decorated for Xmas. I asked at one shop for the tiny reed or grass woven ornaments I saw in the beginning of our trip, but with no luck. they were really unique. Being only one to two inches tall they were woven of grass or reeds into angels, bells and Xmas shapes and decorated with a tiny red ribbon. they would have been perfect to carry home as they weighed almost nothing.
Once we arrived in Zagreb we were able to go on a tour of the town around our hotel. The first day here we arrived so late that we couldn't do it. They have a Christmas Market downtown and it is nice and chilly outside. It had snowed overnight so it is laying on the cars, houses and grass. It is like a festival downtown with lots of people of all ages. Outside of the Roman Catholic church was a live display of the nativity scene. They had goats and one was eating the thatch on top of the hut! There were sheep and donkeys too. it was called Bethlehem. All around the church were small shops so I was able to do some souvenir shopping. I bought a mug with a map of Croatia on the outside with the towns listed that we visited. In the Xmas Market I was able to buy the gingerbread baked and painted ornaments for which Zagreb is known. I also bought an unbreakable red Xmas ball with Croatia and its symbol on it. The man added our name and the year also for us. At first he didn't understand me because I can't speak Croatian, but another local man shopping alongside of us interpreted for us.
We stayed down at the market till it was dark. They had an ice skating rink set up and the line was extremely long to get in. daddy took some pictures of it. We are at the end of the camera's battery because Daddy forgot to bring the battery charger and I dropped my camera and messed up the lens. I really liked my camera because it had a good zoom. We stopped inside a huge tent set up with all kinds of stalls selling food. the hit dog stand was unique. They served beer along with the dog, but their rolls have no slit for the dog to fit into. Instead they have a contraption that is a heated cone sticking up and they slip the roll onto this cone to toast it. Then they slip the hot dog into the slot the cone made. It was really neat! We have never seen anything like it!
We went back to the hotel for our Farewell Drink which was red and white wine and orange juice. The 2 guides: Darko and Matt gave each couple a gingerbread ornament just like the set I bought in the Xmas Market. Darko was buying them as we were buying ours and I didn't even realize it. Then Bruce and Cynthia walked with Daddy and I to eat dinner at a restaurant called Hansel and Gretel. It is amazing that so many families are outside this late at night with young children and it is school tomorrow. It is really cold outside, but the locals are used to it. A lot of the people in our group are just dressed in layers with no winter coat. I'm glad I have my coat, scarf and gloves!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010, Opatija, Croatia
We are in Opatija after a very long bus ride for 8 hours. It is a resort town. Park Angiolina (Angelina) was originally a private park but since WWII it is a public botanical garden. There are 3000 species of Mediterranean plants covering 3 hectares or 8 acres. They have the sequoia or redwood tree, a Japanese camellia, several magnolias, various palm trees and shrubs.The palms have to be protected in the winter. The music gazebo was rebuilt 2 years ago; the Communists destroyed it in 1945. Noble families traveled long hours to arrive here to vacation. The original family owner was a gardner in 1844 and he built the villa and sold it to an Austrian nobleman. After WWII it was owned by the town. This gardner, Scarpa, built a second villa in 1847 and named it after his daughter, Amelea. At this villa is growing sage, lavender, roses, cedar and cypress. It has a 9 foot wide chandelier with over 7000 crystal pieces, the largest in all of Europe. It is found in the gigantic ballroom. There is a statue of Isadora Duncan here because thiis was her favorite place to visit.
The town's name, Opatija, means abbey or monastery. The Franciscian monastery is next to ST. James church. The bell of ST. James rings early on the hour and continues slightly past the hour too. Next to ST. James church is a gold covered statue of the Madonna from Florence. The first statue made came by ship, was caught in a storm and lost when the ship sank. The second one came by train instead. In town is a healing spring that the nobility visited. The town is situated on the sea, but no swimming occurred until after the 20th century. It just wasn't fashionable and wasn't considered healthy. Along the sea is a 5 mile long promenade that extends to a town south of here. The residents take very long walks.
In 1904 a girl named Maria drowned in the whirlpool up against the sea wall. The fresh water from an underground spring flows out there so fast it creates a whirlpool that she couldn't swim out of. Of course, in 1904 swimming wasn't even taught. The whirlpool was called Slatina. There was a bronze statue erected by her father for her, but in 1942 Mussolini confiscated it for the bronze to be used in weapons.
The town of Opatija is a relatively new town, being only 160 years old. Rich people came from Vienna and Buddapest to visit the villas. Their transportation then was by carriage meaning it took 7-9 days to arrive. When the train lines were built, it became a 12 hour trip. The gazebo in the park was originally the pastry shop in that time. But they never really baked the pastries here. They were shipped by train from Vienna the afternoon before.
We stopped in a coffee shop to use the restroom and ordered 2 cappuccinos, mainly because it was cold outside. This was the first place I have seen over here to eat in that is no smoking! There were 2 old men that bought beers and went outside to drink and smoke. This is a Sunday morning around 9AM!
The town's name, Opatija, means abbey or monastery. The Franciscian monastery is next to ST. James church. The bell of ST. James rings early on the hour and continues slightly past the hour too. Next to ST. James church is a gold covered statue of the Madonna from Florence. The first statue made came by ship, was caught in a storm and lost when the ship sank. The second one came by train instead. In town is a healing spring that the nobility visited. The town is situated on the sea, but no swimming occurred until after the 20th century. It just wasn't fashionable and wasn't considered healthy. Along the sea is a 5 mile long promenade that extends to a town south of here. The residents take very long walks.
In 1904 a girl named Maria drowned in the whirlpool up against the sea wall. The fresh water from an underground spring flows out there so fast it creates a whirlpool that she couldn't swim out of. Of course, in 1904 swimming wasn't even taught. The whirlpool was called Slatina. There was a bronze statue erected by her father for her, but in 1942 Mussolini confiscated it for the bronze to be used in weapons.
The town of Opatija is a relatively new town, being only 160 years old. Rich people came from Vienna and Buddapest to visit the villas. Their transportation then was by carriage meaning it took 7-9 days to arrive. When the train lines were built, it became a 12 hour trip. The gazebo in the park was originally the pastry shop in that time. But they never really baked the pastries here. They were shipped by train from Vienna the afternoon before.
We stopped in a coffee shop to use the restroom and ordered 2 cappuccinos, mainly because it was cold outside. This was the first place I have seen over here to eat in that is no smoking! There were 2 old men that bought beers and went outside to drink and smoke. This is a Sunday morning around 9AM!
Friday, December 10, 2010, Mostar, Bosnia.
Today we need our passports again because we are not in Croatia. Most of our trip has been in towns in Croatia. When we flew to Zagreb, Croatia we went through customs; therefore, we do not need our passports anywhere in Croatiaa. But we needed them in Montenegro and now in Bosnia.
Our boat is docked in the river outside of Neum, Croatia. The water is crystal clear and the shore is steep and rocky. The trees on the shore are pine, fir, cedar, palms and oleander.There are 6 hotels here. The area is rich because the trade is only 1% tax here; but Croatia has 23% tax. The hotels are very expensive and exclusive. Croatia is on the border against the water for 8 miles. So Bosnia does not touch the water. We had to get in tenders to get to shore. There they had to check our passports before we boarded a bus to go to the Bosnian border.
we are rdriving through a valley in Croatia where they grow most of their agriculture. Their weather is perfect for it. They have olive groves, vineyards, apple groves, kiwi groves, tangerine trees and watermelon. From the 15th century to the early 19th century, the Ottoman Empire was in control of this area. From the 7th century on it has been Christian. The olive trees are only 2 years old because the Civil Wars destroyed their crops. First, it was the Serbs who set them on fire. Then it was bombed when the Muslims were fighting the Croats.
The Yugo was the only car produced in Yugoslavia. By the end of the 1980's the Yugo had been upgraded. The village is deserted now
because when the war came the Muslims left and not too many bothered to come back. They just left their mosques with their minarets because the Croatians moved in from Bosnia. It was known as an art colony in the summer because of all the artists that visited to paint. They store their beer and grappa outside because it is so cold.
Mostar, Bosnia is a city of bridges. It is at the crossroads of the East and West. Founded and developed by the Turks, it is still a place where all of the cu,tures meet and blend. It is the second largset town in Bosnia. The largest is the capital, Sarajevo. This countrygoes by 2 names: Bosnia and Herzegovina. They use 2 alphabets: the Surrelic and Latin. It is protected from the winds by the hills so it is a little warmer here than where the boat is. It was 35 degrees at the boat, so we are dressed in layers. Plus the sun is shining now since it is later in the day. Now it is 50 degrees.You can see a lot of destroyed houses and the streets have trash blowing all around. They are so depressed they don't have the pride the Croatians have for their towns. Before the war Mostar was a great town, but not now. They had an aluminum factory that was connected to Croatia by train. After the Civil War all industry has halted. During the war all of the factories and infrasucture was destroyed, so the economy is in very bad shape. The people only care about themselves, not about their towns or others. There are lots of graves on the sides of the road just from the Civil War of 1991 - 1999. Before the war 100,000 people lived here, now only 70,000. In all of Bosnia/Herzegovina the population is 4.5 million. Bostnick is Muslim for Bosnia. Bosnia/Herzegovina is 35% Muslim, 30% Roman Catholic and 20% Serbian and a small percentage of Jewish gypsies. We can see a Christian cross up in the hills which is the highest cross in the Balkans. The first people that settled in Bosnia were the Illyrians, then the Romans, then the Baltics, followed by the Turks, then the Austrians. Then it became part of Yugoslavia and now is Bosnia/Herzegovina. The Turks brought the Islam way of life to these people and they just assimilated it. The Austrians brought schools, culture, music and theatre.
They had many Turkish wars. You could tell what faith a person was by the color they wore. The Serbs wore green, the Muslims wore blue and the Roman Catholic Croats wore red. In a Muslim house the women and children never saw the visitors. The man entertained them by himself with food and drink prepared by his wives. She would prepare the food and place it on a shelf that would turn and open up on the other side of the wall where the husband was entertaining. Therefore, the visitors would never see the man's family at all. Today, they can have several wives if they can support them. In most cases they can't afford more than one. The kitchen was in the yard with the fireplace. To keep the house warm they brought the coals inside and placed them in a metal pot with a lid. It served to keep the food and room warm. They drink Turkish coffee very slowly because it is very thick. Their cups have no handles and they are very small. The women always had their faces covered. A man could not see her before he married her. Now they don't practice this anymore. When the Austrians came and they could see the ladies eyes, they changed. When the Communists came the ladies became powerful.
When the Serbs fought the Croats, Bosnia was the land caught in betwee;, so their people were divided in their patriotism depending on where they lived. So many have not come back to where they used to live and their houses are just sitting there destroyed and empty. it is a really depressing city.
We also visited the old town. It has all cobblestone streets and is hard to walk on. it is also very cold outside with a strong wind called the burra. It has forts, towers and gates all built in the 16th century. it is built around the river which is flowing so swiftly today because eof all the rain they recently had. In fact, part of the river is flooding into people's yards and porches. The recent Civil War destroyed the old bridge and it has just recently been reconstructed. This old bridge of the Old Town of Mostar is on UNESCO's World Heritage List. They had to do the reconstruction exactly as if it were being done in the 16th century. When it was reopened the Prince of Wales did the honor in July, 2005. It is amazing to see how high the bridge rises in such a short span, that they could have built something like this in the 16th century!.
The streets are steep and narrow in the Old Town. There are many, many shops and mosques here. At noon bells ring and the Muslims walk towards their mosques for their daily service. This occurs 5 times a day. They definitely seem to be more religious than we do, if mosque attendance is counted. There are also Roman Catholic churches too. We were able to do a lot of souvenir shopping here. I was able to buy some beautiful scarves and of course, I found my thimbles. At one point I got nervous because a young girl was begging for food. she grabbed my arm as if to pull me and get my attention. I just kept on walking. That part is hard to deal with. You know we live in such a nice country with all of the modern conveniences, and here they are in a third world environment.
We are back on the bus going to a restaurant for a very late lunch, like 2:30PM. It has been a rather long ride and in some spots the bus can hardly stay on the roads because they are so narrow. When we went over one bridge I looked out and couldn't even see the road below us. It looked like the bus was literally, driving on top of the river. We weren't sure what food we were eating. The salad was identifiable, but the meat: chicken? Turkey? Beef? Pork? Found out later that day. It was chicken and veal. Some people don't believe that. But it definitely was not pork because the restaurant was a Muslim one.
We arrived back on the boat very late and had to hurry up for the Captain's Farewell Dinner. It was very good and the people somewhat dressed up, but not like you see on the big cruise ships. All of us have been wearing our clothes more than once over here. You just cannot pack enough for this long of a trip into one suitcase.
Our boat is docked in the river outside of Neum, Croatia. The water is crystal clear and the shore is steep and rocky. The trees on the shore are pine, fir, cedar, palms and oleander.There are 6 hotels here. The area is rich because the trade is only 1% tax here; but Croatia has 23% tax. The hotels are very expensive and exclusive. Croatia is on the border against the water for 8 miles. So Bosnia does not touch the water. We had to get in tenders to get to shore. There they had to check our passports before we boarded a bus to go to the Bosnian border.
we are rdriving through a valley in Croatia where they grow most of their agriculture. Their weather is perfect for it. They have olive groves, vineyards, apple groves, kiwi groves, tangerine trees and watermelon. From the 15th century to the early 19th century, the Ottoman Empire was in control of this area. From the 7th century on it has been Christian. The olive trees are only 2 years old because the Civil Wars destroyed their crops. First, it was the Serbs who set them on fire. Then it was bombed when the Muslims were fighting the Croats.
The Yugo was the only car produced in Yugoslavia. By the end of the 1980's the Yugo had been upgraded. The village is deserted now
because when the war came the Muslims left and not too many bothered to come back. They just left their mosques with their minarets because the Croatians moved in from Bosnia. It was known as an art colony in the summer because of all the artists that visited to paint. They store their beer and grappa outside because it is so cold.
Mostar, Bosnia is a city of bridges. It is at the crossroads of the East and West. Founded and developed by the Turks, it is still a place where all of the cu,tures meet and blend. It is the second largset town in Bosnia. The largest is the capital, Sarajevo. This countrygoes by 2 names: Bosnia and Herzegovina. They use 2 alphabets: the Surrelic and Latin. It is protected from the winds by the hills so it is a little warmer here than where the boat is. It was 35 degrees at the boat, so we are dressed in layers. Plus the sun is shining now since it is later in the day. Now it is 50 degrees.You can see a lot of destroyed houses and the streets have trash blowing all around. They are so depressed they don't have the pride the Croatians have for their towns. Before the war Mostar was a great town, but not now. They had an aluminum factory that was connected to Croatia by train. After the Civil War all industry has halted. During the war all of the factories and infrasucture was destroyed, so the economy is in very bad shape. The people only care about themselves, not about their towns or others. There are lots of graves on the sides of the road just from the Civil War of 1991 - 1999. Before the war 100,000 people lived here, now only 70,000. In all of Bosnia/Herzegovina the population is 4.5 million. Bostnick is Muslim for Bosnia. Bosnia/Herzegovina is 35% Muslim, 30% Roman Catholic and 20% Serbian and a small percentage of Jewish gypsies. We can see a Christian cross up in the hills which is the highest cross in the Balkans. The first people that settled in Bosnia were the Illyrians, then the Romans, then the Baltics, followed by the Turks, then the Austrians. Then it became part of Yugoslavia and now is Bosnia/Herzegovina. The Turks brought the Islam way of life to these people and they just assimilated it. The Austrians brought schools, culture, music and theatre.
They had many Turkish wars. You could tell what faith a person was by the color they wore. The Serbs wore green, the Muslims wore blue and the Roman Catholic Croats wore red. In a Muslim house the women and children never saw the visitors. The man entertained them by himself with food and drink prepared by his wives. She would prepare the food and place it on a shelf that would turn and open up on the other side of the wall where the husband was entertaining. Therefore, the visitors would never see the man's family at all. Today, they can have several wives if they can support them. In most cases they can't afford more than one. The kitchen was in the yard with the fireplace. To keep the house warm they brought the coals inside and placed them in a metal pot with a lid. It served to keep the food and room warm. They drink Turkish coffee very slowly because it is very thick. Their cups have no handles and they are very small. The women always had their faces covered. A man could not see her before he married her. Now they don't practice this anymore. When the Austrians came and they could see the ladies eyes, they changed. When the Communists came the ladies became powerful.
When the Serbs fought the Croats, Bosnia was the land caught in betwee;, so their people were divided in their patriotism depending on where they lived. So many have not come back to where they used to live and their houses are just sitting there destroyed and empty. it is a really depressing city.
We also visited the old town. It has all cobblestone streets and is hard to walk on. it is also very cold outside with a strong wind called the burra. It has forts, towers and gates all built in the 16th century. it is built around the river which is flowing so swiftly today because eof all the rain they recently had. In fact, part of the river is flooding into people's yards and porches. The recent Civil War destroyed the old bridge and it has just recently been reconstructed. This old bridge of the Old Town of Mostar is on UNESCO's World Heritage List. They had to do the reconstruction exactly as if it were being done in the 16th century. When it was reopened the Prince of Wales did the honor in July, 2005. It is amazing to see how high the bridge rises in such a short span, that they could have built something like this in the 16th century!.
The streets are steep and narrow in the Old Town. There are many, many shops and mosques here. At noon bells ring and the Muslims walk towards their mosques for their daily service. This occurs 5 times a day. They definitely seem to be more religious than we do, if mosque attendance is counted. There are also Roman Catholic churches too. We were able to do a lot of souvenir shopping here. I was able to buy some beautiful scarves and of course, I found my thimbles. At one point I got nervous because a young girl was begging for food. she grabbed my arm as if to pull me and get my attention. I just kept on walking. That part is hard to deal with. You know we live in such a nice country with all of the modern conveniences, and here they are in a third world environment.
We are back on the bus going to a restaurant for a very late lunch, like 2:30PM. It has been a rather long ride and in some spots the bus can hardly stay on the roads because they are so narrow. When we went over one bridge I looked out and couldn't even see the road below us. It looked like the bus was literally, driving on top of the river. We weren't sure what food we were eating. The salad was identifiable, but the meat: chicken? Turkey? Beef? Pork? Found out later that day. It was chicken and veal. Some people don't believe that. But it definitely was not pork because the restaurant was a Muslim one.
We arrived back on the boat very late and had to hurry up for the Captain's Farewell Dinner. It was very good and the people somewhat dressed up, but not like you see on the big cruise ships. All of us have been wearing our clothes more than once over here. You just cannot pack enough for this long of a trip into one suitcase.
Thursday, December 9, 2010, Korcula, Montenegro.
Korcula, Montenegro is an old historic town that dates back to 4BC when the Greeks came here, which they called Lombardo. The Greeks and Illyrians drew up a contract in 4 BC as friends not as invaders. Then it was called Korcula Black because of the mountains. The first written document in Korcula was written in the 10th century AD. During the 11th century the Venetians gained control. In the 16th century they built walls around the town. The Austrian-Hungarian Dynasty took control in the mid 19th century. The wall surrounding the town has been broken down at the top several times to be able to use the stones. originally the wall had 12 towers, but now there are only 7. Two of the square towers are of Rabeline construction and have a lion with wings holding a book. the lion represents Venice and the book represents peace. So the Venetians came in peace but not to control them. In 1863 they had a draw bridge in order fomented the town. It was locked p at night and you had to ring a bell and pass inspection in order to enter.The highest point around the town is Mount Elias which is 961 meters high.
The main church is ST. Marks. Inside the museum are souvenirs from wars during the 14th -17th centuries. They have come from Crete. The church ceiling is painted with Biblical scenes. On Good Friday the town has a procession of men from 3 separate brotherhoods that originated from the 3 churches. They are: the Brotherhood of All Saints which represents the shipbuilders, the Brotherhood of ST. Michael which represents the stone carvers, and the Brotherhhod of St. Druggall which represents the tradesmen. ll of these brotherhoods are connected to their respective churches. These brotherhoods were influenced by the Venetians and only men march in the procession. the rights to belong to these guilds passes down from father to son at birth. The shipbuilders guild was started in 1301 and was the largest and
oldest guild. The women perform all of the preparation and clean up at the festival. Each guild has a representative that carries a very large candle in a cup supported by a sash. The ST. Michael candles weighs 160 pounds. It is carried in the procession for 1 hour.
ST. Lucie is the lady patron saint of the blind. She is celebrated on December 13th. ST. Katherine is celebrated on November 25th. ST. Nicholas is celebrated on December 6th. Officially, there are o gifts given on Christmas.The gifts are given by Santa in the New Year. Christmas is for the celebration of Jesus only. The Chapel of the Lady of now is on an island and it has protected the town from the Turks. This island controls the channel and all ship traffic. When the Turks attacked Korcula the Bishop sent all of the people outside the walls with weapons. The Turks figured they had just as many soldiers inside. plus a very strong north wind came and the Turks ran away.
The town hall was built on the 16 th century behind the palace for the Venetian rulers. Now the town offices are there because it is the political center of the town. The first example of a public servant in the 17th century was a doctor that was paid by the government.The town is laid out in an unusual way. There is 1 main street with all the other streets crossing this main street. All of the streets on the east of Main Street are curves to slow the wind and cool off the town with it's very hot summers. The streets to the west of Main Street all end at the water and are straight so the wind from the water can flow straight into the town. This is their form of air conditioning and it was built this way thousands of years ago.
The palaces then had the door and window built as one. The kitchen is always on the top floor for safety reasons because fires always burn up. Up at the top of the house they have 2 more hours of light to see to cook. In addition, food smells rise to the roof instead of going into the bedrooms. Last, but not least, they have privacy and a great view from the top floor. One of the stores had a sign that said " OLD IS NICE". They still need stonemason skills today because they need to constantly fix their homes and walls. They keep olive oil in huge stone jugs with a stone on top to keep animals out.
ST. Mark is the patron saint of the town from the 14 th to the 16 th century. The church was built with Roman, Gothic and Venetian influences. It has been built in 4 part; the last part in the 16th century was the bell tower. children and people who had not been baptized had to enter the bell tower to become baptized before they could enter the church. This cathedral was built on top of the Roman castle, so it isn't symmetrical like most. There are carvings showing lions coming down from the heavens with Adam and Eve below them. The columns have a knot in the center representing a connection between the heavens and earth. the remains of ST. Theodore are behind a drape on the altar. Swords are on the walls inside the church because they protected the town against invaders. instead of an organ , they have a piano becaus sit has great acoustics.
In 1254 Marco Polo was born here in Korcula a citizen of the Venetian Kingdom. His family was known for their travels all over the world, so he was just following in their footsteps. He came back and told stories of things he had seen. Europeans did not believe him about the silk, ice cream and fireworks from China. They thought he was making it all up.
We have tasted cappuccinos in every town we have been in. Their coffee is very small and without cream. A cappuccino has steamed milk, not cream. I don't think they even make cream.
The main church is ST. Marks. Inside the museum are souvenirs from wars during the 14th -17th centuries. They have come from Crete. The church ceiling is painted with Biblical scenes. On Good Friday the town has a procession of men from 3 separate brotherhoods that originated from the 3 churches. They are: the Brotherhood of All Saints which represents the shipbuilders, the Brotherhood of ST. Michael which represents the stone carvers, and the Brotherhhod of St. Druggall which represents the tradesmen. ll of these brotherhoods are connected to their respective churches. These brotherhoods were influenced by the Venetians and only men march in the procession. the rights to belong to these guilds passes down from father to son at birth. The shipbuilders guild was started in 1301 and was the largest and
oldest guild. The women perform all of the preparation and clean up at the festival. Each guild has a representative that carries a very large candle in a cup supported by a sash. The ST. Michael candles weighs 160 pounds. It is carried in the procession for 1 hour.
ST. Lucie is the lady patron saint of the blind. She is celebrated on December 13th. ST. Katherine is celebrated on November 25th. ST. Nicholas is celebrated on December 6th. Officially, there are o gifts given on Christmas.The gifts are given by Santa in the New Year. Christmas is for the celebration of Jesus only. The Chapel of the Lady of now is on an island and it has protected the town from the Turks. This island controls the channel and all ship traffic. When the Turks attacked Korcula the Bishop sent all of the people outside the walls with weapons. The Turks figured they had just as many soldiers inside. plus a very strong north wind came and the Turks ran away.
The town hall was built on the 16 th century behind the palace for the Venetian rulers. Now the town offices are there because it is the political center of the town. The first example of a public servant in the 17th century was a doctor that was paid by the government.The town is laid out in an unusual way. There is 1 main street with all the other streets crossing this main street. All of the streets on the east of Main Street are curves to slow the wind and cool off the town with it's very hot summers. The streets to the west of Main Street all end at the water and are straight so the wind from the water can flow straight into the town. This is their form of air conditioning and it was built this way thousands of years ago.
The palaces then had the door and window built as one. The kitchen is always on the top floor for safety reasons because fires always burn up. Up at the top of the house they have 2 more hours of light to see to cook. In addition, food smells rise to the roof instead of going into the bedrooms. Last, but not least, they have privacy and a great view from the top floor. One of the stores had a sign that said " OLD IS NICE". They still need stonemason skills today because they need to constantly fix their homes and walls. They keep olive oil in huge stone jugs with a stone on top to keep animals out.
ST. Mark is the patron saint of the town from the 14 th to the 16 th century. The church was built with Roman, Gothic and Venetian influences. It has been built in 4 part; the last part in the 16th century was the bell tower. children and people who had not been baptized had to enter the bell tower to become baptized before they could enter the church. This cathedral was built on top of the Roman castle, so it isn't symmetrical like most. There are carvings showing lions coming down from the heavens with Adam and Eve below them. The columns have a knot in the center representing a connection between the heavens and earth. the remains of ST. Theodore are behind a drape on the altar. Swords are on the walls inside the church because they protected the town against invaders. instead of an organ , they have a piano becaus sit has great acoustics.
In 1254 Marco Polo was born here in Korcula a citizen of the Venetian Kingdom. His family was known for their travels all over the world, so he was just following in their footsteps. He came back and told stories of things he had seen. Europeans did not believe him about the silk, ice cream and fireworks from China. They thought he was making it all up.
We have tasted cappuccinos in every town we have been in. Their coffee is very small and without cream. A cappuccino has steamed milk, not cream. I don't think they even make cream.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010, Cetinje
Cetinje was the former capital of Montenegro. Here single story cottages share the street with mansions. In 1452 the town was founded by Ivan Crnojevic, ruler of the Zeta State. The Monastery was built in 1785. We had to ride on a bus from the docks thru a tunnel in the mountains and out into the country to this historic capital. The Gothic medieval castle became the monastery. The peasants hid here when the Ottomans and Muslims attacked the town. The first books were printed here in 1494. The church books were made with gold, silver and pearl ornamentation and were protected for 400 years. It is the soul and spirit of these people. The 12 most important ambassadors of Europe came here at the end of the 19th century.
Prince Nicholas was chosen to be educated in Europe. He learned German when very young and attended a primary school in Vienna. He was at the Cadet Academy of Paris at 19 when he was sent a message to come home to takeover the throne. He was coronated from Prince to King. His marriage was arranged in 1860. She was only 15 and he was 19 years old. They were married for 50 years and had 9 daughters. One died at 1 year old, another died at 11 years. Being all girls and out in the country with no nobility around the girls' marriages were also arranged. One, Regina, became Queen of Italy. One married Serbian royalty, 2 married Prussian royalty and one married Russian royalty. One was a tomboy and one remained unmarried. In 1918 the commission decided to join together Montenegeo, Serbs, Croats and Bosnians. During WWI King Nicholas and his queen had to evacuate through Italy to Dieppe, France. They died there in poverty in 1921. When Communism was in control their coffins were not allowed back home. After Communism fell, the coffins were returned to Montenegro.
The Monastery was destroyed and rebuilt many times by the Ottomans and Serbs. Every spring these countries attacked Cetinje. All the embassies that were here have been turned into cultural centers for music, art, theatre and academy. Now there are many people living here concerned with improving the town. The museum was built with parquet floors. Inside are the decorations given to King Nick by the Prussians, Germans, Turkish, Japanese, Serbs, Greeks, Bulgarians, French, English, Croatians, Spanish, Illyrians, Romanians and the Pope. They had the formal clothing of the King and Queen and even some of their children. They didn't wear boots, but leather shoes.
Our Lady of the Rocks Island was built by dumping rocks on a reef in the bay. Some fishermen found a painting of Mary and Jesus in 1450 on the reef and thought it was a miracle. So they started to build the island. The bay was 22 meters deep and they started building the island with rocks in 1550. In 1630 they built a small Baroque church with 68 paintings from Paris. The ceiling is painted with Old Testament scenes, Mary's Assumption and Jesus. One hundred services a year are performed here in the form of weddings and baptisms. The bride must leave a present for Mary when they use this church. There are pictures of ships in storms at sea and sailors with maimed arms and legs and they are asking for protection when at sea. The pipe organ is the oldest working organ in all of Yugoslavia. The altar is made from 4 types of marble: white from Italy, most expensive is the green from Italy, yellow marble from sienna and rose colored marble from Egypt. The compass in the courtyard is made of roseand white marble. Buried underneath the church are the first two priests of this church.
A lady from Kotor whose husband was a sailor and away at sea more than at home embroidered a replica of Mary and Jesus above the altar. She used 8 different thread forms including gold, silver, cotton, silk, and even used her own hair for the angels' hair. it took 25 years to complete.
At 2:30 today we took a tender out to the Our Lady of the Rocks Island and the historic Roman Catholic church with each of us carrying a rock. Once there we all tossed our rocks into the sea just around the church and it's courtyard; thereby adding to it's size. That was the cost of admission to the island. When we arrived back on board one of our passengers who is an artist drew a cartoon of fish under the water as we toss in the rocks. The fish has a band aid on his head and throbbing marks above his head to show it was painful when the rock struck him. The caption read, " Those OAT people are here again!"
Prince Nicholas was chosen to be educated in Europe. He learned German when very young and attended a primary school in Vienna. He was at the Cadet Academy of Paris at 19 when he was sent a message to come home to takeover the throne. He was coronated from Prince to King. His marriage was arranged in 1860. She was only 15 and he was 19 years old. They were married for 50 years and had 9 daughters. One died at 1 year old, another died at 11 years. Being all girls and out in the country with no nobility around the girls' marriages were also arranged. One, Regina, became Queen of Italy. One married Serbian royalty, 2 married Prussian royalty and one married Russian royalty. One was a tomboy and one remained unmarried. In 1918 the commission decided to join together Montenegeo, Serbs, Croats and Bosnians. During WWI King Nicholas and his queen had to evacuate through Italy to Dieppe, France. They died there in poverty in 1921. When Communism was in control their coffins were not allowed back home. After Communism fell, the coffins were returned to Montenegro.
The Monastery was destroyed and rebuilt many times by the Ottomans and Serbs. Every spring these countries attacked Cetinje. All the embassies that were here have been turned into cultural centers for music, art, theatre and academy. Now there are many people living here concerned with improving the town. The museum was built with parquet floors. Inside are the decorations given to King Nick by the Prussians, Germans, Turkish, Japanese, Serbs, Greeks, Bulgarians, French, English, Croatians, Spanish, Illyrians, Romanians and the Pope. They had the formal clothing of the King and Queen and even some of their children. They didn't wear boots, but leather shoes.
Our Lady of the Rocks Island was built by dumping rocks on a reef in the bay. Some fishermen found a painting of Mary and Jesus in 1450 on the reef and thought it was a miracle. So they started to build the island. The bay was 22 meters deep and they started building the island with rocks in 1550. In 1630 they built a small Baroque church with 68 paintings from Paris. The ceiling is painted with Old Testament scenes, Mary's Assumption and Jesus. One hundred services a year are performed here in the form of weddings and baptisms. The bride must leave a present for Mary when they use this church. There are pictures of ships in storms at sea and sailors with maimed arms and legs and they are asking for protection when at sea. The pipe organ is the oldest working organ in all of Yugoslavia. The altar is made from 4 types of marble: white from Italy, most expensive is the green from Italy, yellow marble from sienna and rose colored marble from Egypt. The compass in the courtyard is made of roseand white marble. Buried underneath the church are the first two priests of this church.
A lady from Kotor whose husband was a sailor and away at sea more than at home embroidered a replica of Mary and Jesus above the altar. She used 8 different thread forms including gold, silver, cotton, silk, and even used her own hair for the angels' hair. it took 25 years to complete.
At 2:30 today we took a tender out to the Our Lady of the Rocks Island and the historic Roman Catholic church with each of us carrying a rock. Once there we all tossed our rocks into the sea just around the church and it's courtyard; thereby adding to it's size. That was the cost of admission to the island. When we arrived back on board one of our passengers who is an artist drew a cartoon of fish under the water as we toss in the rocks. The fish has a band aid on his head and throbbing marks above his head to show it was painful when the rock struck him. The caption read, " Those OAT people are here again!"
Tuesday, December 7, 2010, Kotor, Montenegro
Montenegro is a small nation, 13,812 square kilometers (size of Conneticut) that has a great position in the Balkan Peninsula. They have a strong army and are extremely tall people, population -680,000; but are considered lazy.They have 10% unemployment. It's name means black mountains because from a distance that's how they look. The mountains are covered with dense dark green forests. From the boat you see black mountains, aquamarine water and red tiled roofed limestone villas and rocky, steep hillsides. Their people were originally Roman Catholic, but after Yugoslavai fell, the Serbs moved in in large numbers. Now they are mostly Orthodox. Boka Bay that leads to the town of Kotor is an UNESCO site because it is considered to be the most beautiful bay in the world. They are poor in natural minerals, just have limestone; but have natural beauty. The inner part of the bay resembles a fjord. Boka Bay means "out from". In the past ships would come into Boka Bay for trade, rest and repair. The shipyard was built in the 14th century by the bay because the water is always calm. The town in so far up the bay that the rough waters of the Adriatic Sea does not reach them. The coastline is gorgeous because it has pebbly beaches. Lots of people spend their summers here and it is extremely crowded. Last week in Vienna, Austria, the red wine Montenegro produces won the gold medal over a1300 other wines.
It was a little difficult to eat breakfast as we were sailing to Montenegro. The captain said it'll be very rough because the south winds were blowing very hard. He said anyone with a sensitive stomach needed to take some Dramamine. Daddy and I were fine.
For 500 years the Kingdom of Montenegro was able to protect itself against invaders because the have very high mountains.The walls around the city of Kotor were built from the 9-19 centuries. They have a seagate that holds the seawater back.. At the top of the mountain is the Our Lady of Herbed Remedy which in 1667 was the largest in Europe. It was built into the hillside and is only open now for the holidays because you need to climb 600 steps to reach it. These people are extremely tall and their steps have very tall risers. When the Black Plaque hit here in the 16th century they took the sick up to the church.
After WWII, Montenegro's borders were fixed by Tito, but they were basically the same as they were previous. As Yugoslavia they had plenty of industy. Plus, they had an industry based on organized crime. Their main industry was smuggling tobacco. After Yugoslavia folded, all of their industry was destroyed. Montenegro was liberated on November 21, 1944. Now, they only have tourism. The Serbs living in Montenegro did not want their independence in the civil war of 1991-1999, so they held out to the end. They were the last to receive independence, June, 2006. In 1998 they changed their currency to the German Marc. Then it was changed to the Euro; but it is not in the European Union.
Montenegro today is 70% Orthodox; but the southern half is Roman Catholic. They have learned how to harmonize together and there is a lot of intermarriages. They do whatever they have to to survive. One week ago today they had a huge rainstorm which flooded the town up to the bench seats. Today, there are still lots of big puddles. The mayor of the town is a lady and she requires they wash their stone squares every day. Inside the town the main square is called Weapons Square because this was where they made beautiful swords out of gold, silver and bronze. The clock tower was built in the 17th century and they continue the tradition of oiling the clock daily. The pillory in front of the clock was where they tied the criminals tom the building. The Pima family were the aristocrats that started education for all the people. Their castle is now the Grammar School and is 4 stories tall. The Roman Catholic Cathedral was built in 1166 with a clock tower dedicated to ST. Triphon, the patron saint of the town. From 809AD to 2009AD they carried his body through the town every February. This is part of their heritage.
The Maritime Museum has the 98 Coats of Arms from all over Boka Bay of the aristocratic families inside it's walls. There was elegant furniture made from the wood of the lemon trees. On display were many items that sailors brought back from foreign countries: elephant tusks, hair pins from the 18th century, fan from China, English dishes, guns decorated with gold, sliver, ivory and pearl, ornate gunpowder boxes with huge silver tassels. Ladies of that time carried carved blades inside their sleeves for protection when they were alone on the streets.
The Orthodox Square is called ST. Nick and was built in the 19th century. The ST. Luca Church was built in the 12th century and it is Roman Catholic. Their squares have restaurants with tables outside under huge umbrellas. These umbrellas curve up (looking upside down to us) because it forces the hot air to flow up, out and away, instead of staying under the umbrella. Neat idea! I ordered a cappuccino and a water while I people watched. The ladies wore a lot of leggings, patent leather boots that come above the knees, short skirts, wool coats, scarves and umbrellas. Most of the people have dark hair and eyes. Daddy went to walk the wall. I can't after re-injuring my knee in Dubrovnik. There are very few cars within the town walls. Instead the people drive bicycles with baskets on the front the size and shape of a coffee table to carry their wares. They could carry a month's groceries in these.
We were supposed to have a group of performers tonight on the boat performing local native folk dances, but the winds are so bad they cannot get onto the boat. The winds are called burras and are 55 to 70 mile per hour winds but no rain. it whips up the sea into very high waves and the boat has to anchor down with several anchors to try to level it out. These winds come down from the north and usuallys last for at least 8 hours. It'll be hard to sleep tonight with the boat pitching around. But at least when we sail away tomorrow, the winds'll be gone.
It was a little difficult to eat breakfast as we were sailing to Montenegro. The captain said it'll be very rough because the south winds were blowing very hard. He said anyone with a sensitive stomach needed to take some Dramamine. Daddy and I were fine.
For 500 years the Kingdom of Montenegro was able to protect itself against invaders because the have very high mountains.The walls around the city of Kotor were built from the 9-19 centuries. They have a seagate that holds the seawater back.. At the top of the mountain is the Our Lady of Herbed Remedy which in 1667 was the largest in Europe. It was built into the hillside and is only open now for the holidays because you need to climb 600 steps to reach it. These people are extremely tall and their steps have very tall risers. When the Black Plaque hit here in the 16th century they took the sick up to the church.
After WWII, Montenegro's borders were fixed by Tito, but they were basically the same as they were previous. As Yugoslavia they had plenty of industy. Plus, they had an industry based on organized crime. Their main industry was smuggling tobacco. After Yugoslavia folded, all of their industry was destroyed. Montenegro was liberated on November 21, 1944. Now, they only have tourism. The Serbs living in Montenegro did not want their independence in the civil war of 1991-1999, so they held out to the end. They were the last to receive independence, June, 2006. In 1998 they changed their currency to the German Marc. Then it was changed to the Euro; but it is not in the European Union.
Montenegro today is 70% Orthodox; but the southern half is Roman Catholic. They have learned how to harmonize together and there is a lot of intermarriages. They do whatever they have to to survive. One week ago today they had a huge rainstorm which flooded the town up to the bench seats. Today, there are still lots of big puddles. The mayor of the town is a lady and she requires they wash their stone squares every day. Inside the town the main square is called Weapons Square because this was where they made beautiful swords out of gold, silver and bronze. The clock tower was built in the 17th century and they continue the tradition of oiling the clock daily. The pillory in front of the clock was where they tied the criminals tom the building. The Pima family were the aristocrats that started education for all the people. Their castle is now the Grammar School and is 4 stories tall. The Roman Catholic Cathedral was built in 1166 with a clock tower dedicated to ST. Triphon, the patron saint of the town. From 809AD to 2009AD they carried his body through the town every February. This is part of their heritage.
The Maritime Museum has the 98 Coats of Arms from all over Boka Bay of the aristocratic families inside it's walls. There was elegant furniture made from the wood of the lemon trees. On display were many items that sailors brought back from foreign countries: elephant tusks, hair pins from the 18th century, fan from China, English dishes, guns decorated with gold, sliver, ivory and pearl, ornate gunpowder boxes with huge silver tassels. Ladies of that time carried carved blades inside their sleeves for protection when they were alone on the streets.
The Orthodox Square is called ST. Nick and was built in the 19th century. The ST. Luca Church was built in the 12th century and it is Roman Catholic. Their squares have restaurants with tables outside under huge umbrellas. These umbrellas curve up (looking upside down to us) because it forces the hot air to flow up, out and away, instead of staying under the umbrella. Neat idea! I ordered a cappuccino and a water while I people watched. The ladies wore a lot of leggings, patent leather boots that come above the knees, short skirts, wool coats, scarves and umbrellas. Most of the people have dark hair and eyes. Daddy went to walk the wall. I can't after re-injuring my knee in Dubrovnik. There are very few cars within the town walls. Instead the people drive bicycles with baskets on the front the size and shape of a coffee table to carry their wares. They could carry a month's groceries in these.
We were supposed to have a group of performers tonight on the boat performing local native folk dances, but the winds are so bad they cannot get onto the boat. The winds are called burras and are 55 to 70 mile per hour winds but no rain. it whips up the sea into very high waves and the boat has to anchor down with several anchors to try to level it out. These winds come down from the north and usuallys last for at least 8 hours. It'll be hard to sleep tonight with the boat pitching around. But at least when we sail away tomorrow, the winds'll be gone.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Dubrovnik, Home Visit, Monday , December 6, 2010.
The country of Croatia being 90% Roman Catholic celebrates Xmas and decorates their towns with Nativity scenes and lots of ornaments. They were very strong people to have been able to keep their culture in tact even though they were invaded many, many times. Under Communism the only place they were allowed to speak their native tongue was in church. Therefore, they attended church everyday to be able to socialize with their friends. Their religion allowed them to be able to stay connected with others of their own nationality but only inside their churches. The children were able to attend school in the church also. This formed very strong bonds.
In Hvar, (pronounced without the "h"), we ate Hvarti cheese in cubes but it was served in olive oil. it was delicious. We need to try it that way at home. They serve it on a wooden board. we also ordered seafood risotto with muscles, squid and shrimp. They cooked the seafood with the shells and legs in the risotto. Therefore, we had to pull the legs, heads and shells off before we would eat them. But it was tasty. We also had bread with olive oil. They make the best bread done inside a dome that is covered with ashes to bake for about 3 hours. The dessert was called Rosata which is a caramel cream. It is more like our flan.
We visited a local family that lives outside of Dubrovnik on a farm. With OAT, you always have a home visit with the locals. In 1991, during the Civil War, he was inscripted into the Crotian Army for 4-5 years as a MP. They had to rebuild their home after the Civil War. Most of their house was destroyed; but between them, their extended family and friends, they were able to rebuild it by themselves. The man did all of his own woodwork and stonework. Their walls are of stone on the inside as well as the outside of the house. The two children they have were born after the Civil War. They are 6 and 9. When we arrived they took us into their wine cellar. They had several oaken barrels full of homemade wine and homemade olive oil. They have a farm; therefore, in the wine cellar were huge baskets full of white potatoes, carrots, celery, cabbages, turnips, beets, peppers, almonds, black walnuts, figs, grapes and citrus. Their main citrus they call clementines but it looks like our tangerines. They make their own black walnut schnapps. It was delicious. I had 3 shots of it. They also make their own grappa. This one had herbs in it. When Bill next to me asked which herbs were fermented in it, she pulled out her Croatian/ English dictionary and pointed to the word. It ended up being weeds, instead of some fancy herb!!! And we had already had several shots of it!!! But nobody got sick. I guess it is like the older farmers in America making dandelion wine.
The lady of the house kept stressing that everything they eat is natural. Everything they eat at supper is grown in their gardens. They buy baby pigs at 6 weeks of age and raise them till butchering time. They raise pigs and butcher them and hang the hams up in the wine cellar to cure after they have been placed in salt. Then they slice them very thin into proschuitto which they serve as an appetizer along with cheese, bread and olive oil. They have a special slicer to be able to cut the ham so thin you can almost see through it.
The main course was stuffed cabbage rolls. The rolls were stuffed with rice, carrots, potatoes and ham and then boiled. This is served with a side of mashed potatoes. They eat a lot of starches, but they work really hard outside in the fields all day. They obtain their beef from his parents. His parents raise the calves and butcher while they are young. Therefore they eat a lot of veal. They also raise chickens for the eggs. His wife made Rosata which was so much better than what we ate in the restaurant today. She has a special caramel liquer she pours over it. It just melted in your mouth. After the meal he played a 3 stringed lute and the girls danced their native folk dance to the music.
We were a group of 4 couples and Darko spent some time with us as well. Bill's wife, Karen, said the wife related to me more than the others. I didn't notice it, but I was able to ask her questions and make comments because of the dictionary. She had items for sale after the dinner : homemade crocheted scarves , homemade black walnut liquer, homemade caramel liquer with the recipe for the flan. I wanted to buy that too, but didn't. she had homemade dolls dressed in their native folk costumes; but they weren't dolls to play with. When we left she gave everybody a stocking full of walnuts, almonds, carob sticks and a Clementine.
It was very chilly out tonight because it rained. During the winter they receive a lot of rain. They have no snow and in the summer it can reach 120 degrees Farenheit which is 44 degrees Celcius. The wife came from the town of Dubrovnik where her parents still live. She remembers being able to watch TV a lot as a kid. Her kids do that now. The husband came from the rural area where they now live. He remembers helping out on the farm as a kid. Now the wife works in town as a bookkeeper, but she has even more work to do when she comes home. She has to help in the fields and she has to help with the olive oil, wine, hams, nuts, citrus, figs and putting up of all the veggies.
Tomorrow morning we sail to Montenegro at 6:30AM while we are eating breakfast.
In Hvar, (pronounced without the "h"), we ate Hvarti cheese in cubes but it was served in olive oil. it was delicious. We need to try it that way at home. They serve it on a wooden board. we also ordered seafood risotto with muscles, squid and shrimp. They cooked the seafood with the shells and legs in the risotto. Therefore, we had to pull the legs, heads and shells off before we would eat them. But it was tasty. We also had bread with olive oil. They make the best bread done inside a dome that is covered with ashes to bake for about 3 hours. The dessert was called Rosata which is a caramel cream. It is more like our flan.
We visited a local family that lives outside of Dubrovnik on a farm. With OAT, you always have a home visit with the locals. In 1991, during the Civil War, he was inscripted into the Crotian Army for 4-5 years as a MP. They had to rebuild their home after the Civil War. Most of their house was destroyed; but between them, their extended family and friends, they were able to rebuild it by themselves. The man did all of his own woodwork and stonework. Their walls are of stone on the inside as well as the outside of the house. The two children they have were born after the Civil War. They are 6 and 9. When we arrived they took us into their wine cellar. They had several oaken barrels full of homemade wine and homemade olive oil. They have a farm; therefore, in the wine cellar were huge baskets full of white potatoes, carrots, celery, cabbages, turnips, beets, peppers, almonds, black walnuts, figs, grapes and citrus. Their main citrus they call clementines but it looks like our tangerines. They make their own black walnut schnapps. It was delicious. I had 3 shots of it. They also make their own grappa. This one had herbs in it. When Bill next to me asked which herbs were fermented in it, she pulled out her Croatian/ English dictionary and pointed to the word. It ended up being weeds, instead of some fancy herb!!! And we had already had several shots of it!!! But nobody got sick. I guess it is like the older farmers in America making dandelion wine.
The lady of the house kept stressing that everything they eat is natural. Everything they eat at supper is grown in their gardens. They buy baby pigs at 6 weeks of age and raise them till butchering time. They raise pigs and butcher them and hang the hams up in the wine cellar to cure after they have been placed in salt. Then they slice them very thin into proschuitto which they serve as an appetizer along with cheese, bread and olive oil. They have a special slicer to be able to cut the ham so thin you can almost see through it.
The main course was stuffed cabbage rolls. The rolls were stuffed with rice, carrots, potatoes and ham and then boiled. This is served with a side of mashed potatoes. They eat a lot of starches, but they work really hard outside in the fields all day. They obtain their beef from his parents. His parents raise the calves and butcher while they are young. Therefore they eat a lot of veal. They also raise chickens for the eggs. His wife made Rosata which was so much better than what we ate in the restaurant today. She has a special caramel liquer she pours over it. It just melted in your mouth. After the meal he played a 3 stringed lute and the girls danced their native folk dance to the music.
We were a group of 4 couples and Darko spent some time with us as well. Bill's wife, Karen, said the wife related to me more than the others. I didn't notice it, but I was able to ask her questions and make comments because of the dictionary. She had items for sale after the dinner : homemade crocheted scarves , homemade black walnut liquer, homemade caramel liquer with the recipe for the flan. I wanted to buy that too, but didn't. she had homemade dolls dressed in their native folk costumes; but they weren't dolls to play with. When we left she gave everybody a stocking full of walnuts, almonds, carob sticks and a Clementine.
It was very chilly out tonight because it rained. During the winter they receive a lot of rain. They have no snow and in the summer it can reach 120 degrees Farenheit which is 44 degrees Celcius. The wife came from the town of Dubrovnik where her parents still live. She remembers being able to watch TV a lot as a kid. Her kids do that now. The husband came from the rural area where they now live. He remembers helping out on the farm as a kid. Now the wife works in town as a bookkeeper, but she has even more work to do when she comes home. She has to help in the fields and she has to help with the olive oil, wine, hams, nuts, citrus, figs and putting up of all the veggies.
Tomorrow morning we sail to Montenegro at 6:30AM while we are eating breakfast.
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