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| Group Photo on the Island of Lopud, Croatia |
The lack of heat and sunshine didn’t damper the
spirits of our group of jovial travelers on our recent trip to Croatia, Bosnia
and Montenegro. At the drop of a hat they played Bridge, sang with lead singer
Kathleen Campbell in full voice, danced with Brid Moore an expert in the
‘Birdie Dance” leading the troupe. We shared many wonderful experiences on this
trip.
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| The Stradum, Dubrovnik |
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| Steps of the Cathedral |
We visited the ancient city of Dubrovnik
situated in the far south of Croatia, south of the capital Zagreb. Starting at
the Onofrio’s Fountain which for centuries brought fresh water into the city:
our route led us through the main Stradum around which streets and alleys
spread like fish bones are entirely filled with magnificent architectural structures
of fountains, cathedrals, monasteries, palaces and churches. The magnificent
stone buildings replaced wooden structures that once presented a constant
threat to life due to frequent fires. Kitchens in the new buildings were placed
on the upper floors – a fire precaution. The same stone was used in the
construction of buildings and the streets but the street stone is now polished
by the thousands of tourists who walk there daily.
We walked the city walls built in the 13th
century and still in tact despite the bombings in 1991. They are considered to
be the finest walls in the world. A walk along the walls gives you a view of
the hundreds of red tiled roofs of the city buildings far below you. They offer
you splendid views over the harbour.
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| Harbour View |
In a
niche over one of the many arches leading into the city stands a small statue
of St Blaise. We were privileged to have our throats blessed in the church of
St. Blaise, patron saint of Dubrovnik. We walked the cloisters of the
Franciscan monastery and visited the pharmacy located inside the monastery and
still doing business since 1317 - the oldest pharmacy in Europe. The Cathedral
treasury was impressive if not unusual - a collection of gold and silver
reliquaries including an arm of St. Blaise and a Holy Cross which contained a
wooden fragment of the True Cross of Jesus.
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| Feeding time in the market |
There are little artistic gems everywhere –
like the door-knockers of the Rector’s Palace, Statue of St. Vlaho over the
Pile Gate and again standing guard over the city walls. We witnessed thousands
of pigeons congregating on the roofs just before the bells ring out at mid-day.
They descend beside the local market as the clock strikes twelve and are fed
grain by an elderly man. They flew away as quickly as they came.
You can imagine our surprise when a Croatian
who spoke perfect Irish served us ice cream on the main street. “Cár fhoghliam
tú do chuid Gaeilge”, a dúirt mé. “Sin sceal eile a,” a dúirt sé.
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| Tiled Roofs |
We were shocked to witness the photos of the
many young Croatian freedom fighters who lost their lives in the bitter war of
1991 in the Castle Museum. From 1991 –1992 Dubrovnik was the target of
relentless heavy bombing by Yugoslav Bosnian and
Montenegro troops. During
this period over 2,000 bombs and guided missiles fell on the city, damaging some
of the most significant symbols of Dalmatian culture. Over half of the houses
and all the monuments were shelled. The war also hit the city’s productivity
especially tourism, which suffered dramatic decline for four years. The miracle
of the after math of the war was the rapid reconstruction of the city in such a
short time. You can see clearly the evidence of reconstruction when you walk
the walls as there are hundreds of newly tiled red roofs.
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| Folk Concert |
We attended a Folk Concert in the Old Town.
Over 100 performers in authentic national costumes performed traditional
Croatian songs and dances. It was a splendid performance enjoyed by all.
We visited two islands - Sipan and Lopud in the Elaphite archipelago.
Both islands are extremely picturesque their villages tucked into sheer cliffs:
quiet bays, beaches, cypress trees, groves of orange and lemon trees, old
structures (churches, summer residences of the landowners with small churches
adjacent to their houses) are
dispersed throughout the forested slopes with a
long history interwoven with many stories and legends.
Croatian musicians entertained us while we
ate a delicious lunch of grilled hake, salad, bread and wine and local plum
brandy. We had Dubrovnik strudel and ice cream at the open-air restaurant on
the beach. Many of us swam in the warm crystal clear waters of the Adriatic. On
our return journey Kathleen Campbell delighted all aboard with her rendition of
Danny Boy. We had a terrific singsong with our Croatian friends.
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| Island Vineyards |
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| Apparition Hill |
We visited Medugorje. It is believed that Our
Lady appeared in front of a group of
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| Site of the 1st Apparition | | |
children in 1981. Thanks to Our Lady’s apparition this simple
village has become a place of pilgrimage for people all over the world. It is a
place where many people find faith and peace. We climbed the rough terrain of
Apparition Hill and prayed at the spot of the first apparition for members of
our Branch. We attended Mass in the local church where I had Mass offered for
the deceased members of RTA Galway and Mass for the intentions of our members.
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| Old Flour Mill |
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| Wild Flowers |
Some of our group took the Cable Car to get a
spectacular bird’s view of the entire city of Dubrovnik. Others took a day trip
to Konavle Valley and the town of Cavtat. The tour took us over 1200 feet up
into the mountains around winding roads over looking the fertile valley of
Konvale. The Burren like landscape was a splash of colour with wild flowers and
various grasses. We were in awe of the splendour and vibrancy of the tiny
flowers in the rock crevices. We visited
an old mill still in working order and saw felting of cloth in the traditional
manner in the village of Ljuta beside the remains of an old Roman aqueduct. We
sampled local brandy, liquors, wine, cheeses ham and bread. Arriving in the
Roman town of Cavtat in the late evening we walked around the picturesque
peninsula a delightful finish to a wonderful day as the sun set over the
Adriatic.
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| Group with Serb Orthodox Church in the background |
We took a day trip to Montenegro. This is a
land where the mountains descend almost directly into the sea creating a
surreal atmosphere. We drove around Kotor Bay with its numerous small
settlements: stopped in Medieval Kotor, to soak in the typical Mediterranean
lifestyle, where people laze about at
the many outdoor restaurants, walk the narrow cobbled streets and we visited
the island Catholic church and the Serb Orthodox church. We browsed in the tiny
shops before continuing high up into the mountains to the ancient town of Budva
- a lively tourist resort. It surprised us to find that Montenegro uses the
euro as its currency. Years ago when
their own currency was weak Montenegrians saved the German Mark and when
Germany joined the E. U. the people followed the Germans who used the euro.
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| Montenegro |
Croatian uses the Kuna but on joining the
European Union in July they too will use the euro. We found the country offered good value for money. We enjoyed top
class accommodation in Hotel Tierena, excellent food, lively entertainment (our
group were willing participants), the services of a well-informed guide, a safe
driver, good company… What more could one desire?
Mary Kyne
May 2013
Brigid, a very informative and entertaining
guide took charge of us for over two hours. She regaled us with historical
information and stories of this ‘Ireland’s necropolis’, the cemetery is the
burial place of 1.5million people, including some famous names. These include
the politicians, Daniel O Connell. Michael Collins, Charles Stewart Parnell,
Éamon de Valera, Arthur Griffith,and Countess Markievicz, the poet Gerard
Manley Hopkins, the writer Brendan Behan, the singer Luke Kelly and art
collector Alfred Chester Beatty.
