Monday, March 7th. City Walking Tour. Fun, large man led the group. I took his picture and printed it. “That’s a terrible photo!” says he, bluntly. So I take another. The entire tour needed to cover only a very small section of the city to hit all the key spots, but it was a slow, meandering route. Rode the arguably shortest funicular in the world. Maybe two minutes, bottom to top.

It’s a very clean city, except for an extreme problem with graffiti. Not very imaginative graffiti either. We walked through a very well made tunnel, built as a bomb shelter in WWII. It’s still used as a thoroughfare, which is handy on cold, windy days. Farmer’s market was sparsely attended, being a Monday. Many, many museums. The main church is closed to repair damage from an earthquake. It was originally constructed with substandard stone, which they’re replacing with more sturdy material.

The entire city seems very well organized. Cars, trams, bikes, pedestrians travel in sync with one another. At lunch time there is an army of bicycle deliverymen, all carrying oversized backpacks. I had a good but unusual burger and fries. People walk around munching on sandwiches. This is a city where dressing for success begins with a pair of very stylish shoes.

In the afternoon I visited a wine bar/shop recommended by Damir. I spent over three hours there, tasting and drinking various Croatian wines. Between sips I scanned through a book that described the history and qualities of Croatia’s most popular grape, Plavic Mali. It’s parent is Crljenak Kaštelanski, otherwise known as zinfandel. A key desire for this entire trip was to taste Crljenak Kaštelanski, which I did. Very much like zin. I purchased too many bottles to bring back, so I’ll be sharing some among my travel partners, assuming any of them are healthy enough.

Sadly, the illness that began in Sarajevo is still making it’s way through the group. I’ve been spared so far.

Sunday, March 6th. This town is quiet. Totally flat counryside. Began walking on my own at 6:10: After the roosters crowed, but before the dogs woke up. Cloudy day, so photos unremarkable. A lot of construction and renovations are going on. The workmanship is excellent. A winery, school, three churchs. On the way back the dogs woke up and barked at this stranger, but the church bells had already begun their ringing, so everyone should have been up anyway.

Breakfast was homestyle and endless. The cheese we had made the night before was solid and good. Several types of bread. Goca kept urging us to eat more. She’s a whirling dervish. “I always need to be moving”. Wore us out with her enthusiasm. After breakfast Denis and Goca immediately began preparing lunch, with some assistance from us.

Ceramics lesson was far more fun than any I had attended before. His simple actions that achieved astounding results displayed the necessary thousands of hours of experience. A cheesegrader, credit card, and garlic press were his tools. After I gave him a photo print, he gifted me with a plate.

The day suddenly turned colder than it had been all week, so I bailed on the town walk. Been there anyway. Lunch was goulash (and the every-present bread). Very good.

Departed in the afternoon for Zagreb. Rain, which stopped before we arrived. Excellent timing. Hotel is very nice, though after the “Farmer’s Museum”, its name (Best Western) is too pedestrian.

Saturday, March 5th. Left Sarajevo and B&H for Croatia (again). Passed by the stadium that opened and closed the 1984 Olympics. Unimpressive in itself, but brought back fine memories of a happier time. The dorms used by the competitors had seen happier days, but Damir says they are occupied.

The drive gradually brought us from mountains to plains, which was surprising to me. I assumed that Balkins was all mountains. Had lunch in a “Museum” tavern. They rented tiny cabins, complete with front “porches”, along a very brown stream. I was chosen to be king. Small “yeah”. Food was excellent. Proprietor was very entertaining.

Visited a department store that had a kitchen’s sink collection of items. Some things were familiar, some things not. Border crossing was slow, as usual.

Small town near the old border with the former Ottoman Empire had large church, impressively decorated. Excellent rendition of the Last Supper.

Our lodgings in Karanac was in a Farming “Museum”. Wonderful and fun guests. Learned how to make civilized cheese, as opposed to Mongolian cheese-in-a-tent. Home-Hosted dinner was with a couple who spoke no English, so we had a translator who occassionally gave his opinions before turning to the hosts. His views were enlightening. Husband is a huge Golden State Warriors fan. I gave him a Spurs t-shirt, someone else gave him a Lakers cap. I don’t think either will sway his support for the Warriors.

I’m trying a new thing. The photos are “Thumbnails”. Click on then for a larger view.

Friday, March 4th. Drove out to the Tunnel Museum. The Tunnel was built in 1993, under the airport, which was controlled by the UN. About 2,600 feet long, 3 feet wide and 5 feet tall. Had rails, ventilation, and lights from a waterwheel-powered generator. Used extensively to resupply the city’s defenses.

A veteran recounted a few of his experiences. The worst part of the siege was the existence of snipers who targetted anyone who moved. Doctors and nurses were the first priority, but they weren’t picky. After nearly 30 years, he still had trouble talking about it.

Afterwards I walked up to the “Yellow Fort” (I don’t know why it got that name), then the large mansion I photographed yesterday. Though not visible from a distance, it’s surprisingly ruined! A true fixer-upper.

In the late afternoon we had a speaker talk about his thoughts on “Yugoslavia”. He wants the nations to reunify, and has created some altered history to fit his reasoning. Nice guy, but he’s a journalist with fantastical thoughts. It was an interesting alternative to what we’ve heard before.

Dinner was fun. My fellow tourists are opening up. I took photos of the waitresses and cook and printed them out. They were so happy, I received a complimentary small bottle of Rakija liqueur.

Tomorrow we spend the night in a small vilage, so wifi is doubtful.

Thursday, March 3rd. Walking Tour of the city. Visited the street corner where Princip killed the Archduke and wife. Was a cafe, now it’s a museum. Lunch was nibble food of pastries containing cheese, meat, or potato. I walked to the Sarajevo Brewery and tasted two beers. Beautiful space. Their museum was closed. (Sarajevo has a lot of museums.) Extensive tram system, too many cars. Many times I had to walk on the street because the sidewalks were used as parking spots.

Lots and lots of souviner shops, much less intensive salemenship than other cities, though as soon as looked at something for the customary three seconds, the proprietor would get a shopping bag ready to drop it in. Too much smoking. Over 100 mosques. Famously has a catholic church, orthodox church, mosque, and synagogue all within 200 yards of one another. The tourist area is very clean.

The evening was a home-hosted dinner. Extremely knowledgable host with a very cute 4 year-old daughter and 16 year-old daughter who spoke better English than I with no trace of an accent. As usual, I had real misgivings entering a house with zero knowledge of the host. I consider it rude not to learn something in advance. But it’s OAT’s way.

At least four in our group of 13 got food poisoning, probably during breakfast. Two skipped their home dinner, two got the symptoms during dinner. It happens. The hotel seems extremely understaffed and undertrained.

Wednesday, March 2nd. Today I ate an oyster. A first. But I’d slathered so much lemon juice on it, then swallowed it so rapidly, I have no idea how it tasted. But I didn’t enjoy the experience.

Left Dubrovnik for Sarajevo. The bus ride was long, but much more interesting than a plane flight. Visited a Salt factory and old territory that build a long wall to protect themselves from invaders.

Due to some ancient agreement, Bosnia & Herzegovina has a 15 mile extension that reaches the Adriatic. So one must go through B&H (and it’s Customs) to get from the southern part of Croatia to the main part. There’s a Croatian peninsula which juts north of the B&H section, so Croatia has had built (by China) a bridge from the mainland north of B&H out to the peninsula. It’s completed, but not the roadway. Due to open next year. It’s beautiful. What will happen financially to the resort town in B&H when the bypass opens is a mystery.

Had the oyster experience. The cost was $1 per oyster. Surprisingly, their oysters have a 50% or less survival rate.

Arrived in Mostar for lunch. Mostar has one of the more famous ancient bridges in the world. Destroyed during their 1990’s war, then rebuilt with donations from many countries, mostly Italy. Pretty. Lunch was okay. Souvenir shops were plentiful, but not oppresive.

As we approached Sarajevo snow appeared in the hills, but there was none on the road. A relief, because the roads did not look safe.

Had dinner in Sarajevo. Delicious local cevapi, sausages nestled in a half-loaf of flatbread. Very satisfying.

Though it was a long day on a bus, we took frequent interesting stops. During the ride, our Leader tried to explain the 1990s wars. Many people slept instead.

Tuesday, March 1^st. A well-paced day. At the top of the hill overlooking Dubrovnik is an old fort that was converted into a museum documenting the Serbian (Yugoslavian) Army’s siege of the city in 1991-4. Marvelous view of the surroundings. We attended a lecture by a survivor who was 20 during when the siege began. Very illuminating. Though the citizens are forgiving, the museum makes it clear that they aren’t forgetting. Harsh words are used throughout the display.

In the afternoon we walked the city walls. Many, many step steps leading up, then down. The perimeter follows the contour of the ground beneath and is not flat by any means. The views into the city are impressive, comparing old roofs and the new roofs that reflect repairs from battle damage. Today was beautiful weather, making great photography easy. Fantastic blues.

In the late afternoon we visited a restaurant that doubles as a family-run business making olive oil, orange candies, figs, brandy, liqueur, and wine. The owner gleefully described the process for each product. Following that we had a large dinner with music, ending with a short group dance (hint: everyone had tasted the liqueur, brandy, and wine).

An aside: Dubrovnik has a massive car problem, so there are many Smart Cars. The two main roads above the old city are both one way, a curious but necessary feature. The point is that there is no short way to get around.

Monday, February 28th. Bus ride included passing through immigration, which was thorough. The drive entailed a long and fast trip on a nearly sea level road along a long and winding bay off the Adriatic. Rising seas will have an impact. Got off for boat ride to Kotor, which allows for a better perspective of the rising mountains all around. Towns are long and narrow. Though many of the towns appear new, Kotor itself was clearly old.

Kotor has a long history, which seems to also be a largely quiet one. Montenegro has the distinction of never becoming part of the Ottoman Empire, either through wise diplomacy or the possibility that it had nothing the Ottomans wanted. Fortifications very high on the mountains were built over a span of centuries. A climb to the top involves 1,300 steps. (There’s an annual race, up and down.) The section of town that we toured was 100% tourism. Too many souvenir shops. It had the feel of Disneyland, with Anaheim a short distance away that goes unvisited. I think I’d have preferred trying to climb the 1,300 steps. Many, many Orthodox churchs. Citizens seem unusually tall. Had delicious lamb soup and bread. Had my first taste of Rakija, a traditional brandy in the region. Not bad.

The return through immigration included an entertaining look at what they do to visiters who come from Albania, home of smugglers. The car was essentially strip searched.

Walked into the Old Town for dinner on my own. Again, delicious.

Dubrovnik has a population of about 41,000. The Old Town section has about 500 residents. It’s a UNESCO Heritage site, so if they want to change a window pane, they have to ask, which explains why there are only 500 residents. Massive number of rentals, beginning at $400 per night. We’re here during the off-season, so it was very quiet. Wee were told more than once “During the season, this alley would be jammed.” The city is composed of a very few avenues and lots of alleys. With stairs, many stairs.

Lots of history. The tour guide tried to condence it down to just an hour, but there was certainly a lot we missed. There are many museums, but really the entire town is one. Lunch after the tour was delicious. Noodles with beef. In the afternoon I just walked around the less traveled alleyways. I found a passage under the perimeter wall that opened up into a bar area with a gorgeous view of the outer wall and seascape. The city is full of feral cats. There was a donation box to aid the cats. I was a lot of walking, but it was at my pace, so not bad.

An unexciting tour of the modern city, interesting only in the number of hotels that are closed due to Covid. Dinner was tender beef fillet. Cut with a fork. Excellent.

The flight was essentially routinely uncomfortable, though three layovers was a greater struggle. Odd part was landing in Zagreb from Frankfurt, deplaning, going through a thorough security search, then customs, then getting back on the same plane. At least it reduced my fears that my bag would be lost.

Picked up a Dubrovnik airport, which sits on a plateau. We had an excellent view of Dubrovnik during the approach. I was picked up and as we drove to the hotel, the driver learned that another tour member had arrived early on my flight. So back we went. Not a big deal.

Visited the hotel bar, where the bartender kept offering standard types of French wine. I persisted in a request for some Croatian wine. He found an open bottle of something. Marvelous! Dingac. Turns out it’s the highest rated grape in Croatian, meaning it’s all downhill from there. Hope not. Only $10.

Leader gave two of us a little tour, mostly to point out the supermarket. But we entered the Old Town area for a little taste of tomorrow’s tour. It looks very interesting.

Our welcome dinner was fine. Discovered my travel mates are extremely outgoing and talkative. Clearly everyone is dying to share travel stories with like-minded people. It’s been a long time.