Thanks to its constantly maintained and incredibly successful system of fortifications, moats and city walls Dubrovnik spent many centuries as an independent maritime republic. From 1358 when it seceded from Venetian rule until 1808 when the city surrendered to Napoleon’s all conquering army to prevent imminent Russian invasion this republic known in Latin as Respublica…
Despite the reputably blue skies that greet us the next morning I am loath to stir. Pam puts on her spurs and goes to work to rouse me. ‘Get up you lazy B’ she exclaims, ‘no rain, no excuses, no problems, we are going to the beach’. She has been reading Rick Steves’ guide book…
Dubrovnik television has a channel that during frequent programming breaks is almost completely devoted to a live shot of the Stradun that runs the length of the lowest part of the Old City. Pam has challenged me to streak down the main street late at night to show the Dubrovnik citizens a full moon however…
Dubrovnik’s new dawn continues our sensational run of great weather. Blue skies greet my upturned face as I poke my head out of the bedroom window shutters. I have slept late, Pam has already been out and about and I find a bag of tasty fruit from the local street market on the table when…
Winter is allegedly the season of stark cold savagery in Europe. Two soft poorly prepared Aussies like Pam and myself need to hole up somewhere to avoid the worst of it. Where better than Dubrovnik Croatia, Pearl of the Adriatic. Dubrovnik is a beautiful old coastal city in the far south of Croatia. The Old…
Turns out our landlord in Korcula is an older white haired avuncular man who has a very hands on way of communicating. He constantly pats my shoulder as he ushers us into the apartment and describes the town. Walking along the waterfront and climbing the steep stairs to the road of our apartment has settled…
Jelsa is a small, pretty harbour town on the northern side of the island Hvar. Our apartment balcony faces the hills that curve around the outskirts of the town. We are staying in a clean one room apartment with a little kitchenette. Strangely, given the fact that many Croatian men are quite tall, the bed…
Actually Brac is pronounced closer to ‘Bratch’ however Pam and I have been singing the AC/DC song with misplaced lyrics for well over a fortnight before we find this out. ‘Bratch’ doesn’t fit the rhyme and rhythm so we are letting it slide. Brac is one of the larger islands in the archipelago spread along…
Eager to greet the new day in a new town we wake early. Outside Split is already making us feel welcome, crisp clean air under bright blue skies. We purchase a few days worth of fresh fruit and half a kilo of local dried figs in the farmers market that lies between the nearby Riva…
One of the glories of traveling in the slow relaxed manner that Pam and I have adopted is never having to feel rushed or constrained by time. Only on rare days where we have action that needs to be co-ordinated with third parties such as buses, airlines or (in the case of Plitvice Lakes National…
andtheywalked.com 