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Begovo Razdoje, Croatia
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Monday
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Scott,
Cheri, and Megan at Spilja Vrelo ("cave spring") The Tater Tots |
We
visited Spilja Vrelo, a limestone cave in the Gorski Kotar region of Croatia.
The 300-meter long, horizontal cave was discovered in 1950, and opened
to visitors in 1998. The cave is approximately 3 million years old with
300,000-year-old stalactites. Our guide explained that each centimeter
of stalactite growth takes 5200 years! The interior temperature remains
a cool 8 degrees C (45 degrees F). As its name suggests, Spilja Vrelo
contains a spring. Drinking the water is purported to be good for one's
health.
After visiting the cave, we stopped for coffee in the small town of Fuzine. The town and surrounding area have been a tourist destination for the past 140 years. A quick stop at the tourist information office let us know that the area is still a popular recreation spot. Brochures enticed visitors to hike, bike, kayak, hunt, and fish. Several logging trucks rolled through town in the few minutes we were there, giving credence to the fact that most residents of these mountain towns make their living from the forest industry.
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"Spaghetti" stalactites (stringy shaped drip formations) in Spilja Vrelo. |
Since the
Adriatic Sea plays a vital role in the lives of so many Croatians, our
guides suggested we spend some time in a coastal town. Rovinj seemed to
be the perfect choice for a taste of coastal Croatian culture. It took
almost two hours for our bus to drive out of the mountains of the Gorski
Kotar region and reach the town of Rovinj on the Istria peninsula. Part
of our trip included driving on the new highway, opened in 1998, thankfully
cutting our travel time. On the way, we passed the city of Rijeka, an
important coastal city, but not an aesthetically pleasing one. The tall,
block-style, cement apartment buildings looked dreary from the highway.
Sinisa explained that Rijeka is an industrial, port city, rather than
a tourist destination. Because of its proximity to Italy, Rijeka is a
bilingual city (Croatian and Italian). Just beyond Rijeka, we spied the
picturesque village of Opatija, which was a favorite coastal playground
of the aristocracy in the 19th century, and continues to be a favorite
destination for tourists today. Rovinj has played a similar role.
As
we stepped off the bus in Rovinj, we experienced the very warm, Mediterranean
climate, made pleasant by the sea breeze. Sinisa pointed toward the different
plants growing on the coast. We saw magnolia trees, rhododendrons, azaleas,
lemon trees, and an evergreen oak tree (especially adapted for the climate).
The town was bustling with tourists and local recreation-seekers. The
architecture had a Mediterranean feel with its pastel Italianesque villas
and red tile roofs. The streets were lined with limestone cobblestones,
and many were so narrow that we easily imagined people leaning out of
the windows above to visit with their neighbors or help them hang laundry.
We enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the streets, occasionally stopping
to look at, or buy, local art and typical beach souvenirs. Dinner was
eaten at an Italian restaurant on the pier where we were amused, and somehow
not surprised, to learn that our chatty waiter has a brother who owns
a restaurant in New York.
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Looking
out to sea from Rovinj on the Adriatic coast.
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Narrow
cobblestone streets line old town Rovinj.
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Palm
trees hint at the Mediterranean climate of Rovinj.
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Strolling
through "old town" in Rovinj, we recognized the winding, climbing,
cobblestone streets and tall, narrow, stone buildings typical of the other
medieval towns we've visited. This one, however, exhibited its Mediterranean
style in the colorful wooden shutters, wrought iron balconies, and cheerful
flowers overflowing from window boxes. Sinisa led us up the narrow street
to view the church dominating the skyline. The tri-naval church was dedicated
to St. George and St. Euphemia in the mid 10th century. It was consecrated
in 1756, after being rebuilt and broadened. In 300 A.D., Euphemia was
fed to the lions for professing her Christian faith. The church possesses
the sarcophagus containing the mortal remains of St. Euphemia. Flanking
the sarcophagus are two oil paintings depicting the martyrdom of St. Euphemia.
Sailors still pray to St. Euphemia for guidance along the Adriatic coast,
and Euphemia continues to be a popular girl's name in Rovinj.
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Skyline
of Rovinj on Adriatic coast.
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St.
Euphemia acts as a weather vane and sailors' guide atop the church
bearing her name.
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As
we have traveled from country to country, we have met many wonderful people
who have helped us on our journey. Sinisa, our Croatian guide being no
exception. His endless knowledge of the history and significance of monuments,
churches, and the overall country was boundless. We also really enjoyed
his classic sense of humor. Sinisa would always disappear while we were
waiting for our meals, only to return with bags of brochures and gifts
from visitor centers. His jovial personality will be missed. Thank you
Sinisa and good luck on your English proficiency exam on the 25th!
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Our
Croatian guide, Sinisa Ozimec, catches up on his text messaging
while waiting for lunch.
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The Beverly Hillbillies? No, that's our stuff below
Completing the third week of the project, most of us have become professionals
as far as doing our laundry…without laundry facilities. While some hotels
are willing to do your laundry for a "small" fee, we have found
that with a bar of soap, some elbow grease, and good weather, we can fare
almost the same. Nonetheless, some of us have already started leaving
a breadcrumb trail of the less salvageable clothes behind.
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Airing
our "clean laundry."
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