From Zagreb to Dubrovnik and Montenegro, along the coast
Croatia
Our tour begins in Zagreb, the Balkan capital
Main cemetary
Christian, Jewish, and Muslim
Croatian National Theater 
Zagreb 
"The most important argument to replace the Eastern mentality with a Western one is industrialism instead of slowliness... The Belgrade motto Ima Vremia (there is time) and its Russian equivalent must disappear from our vocabulary" - Ivan Hribar
(This is so true....we waited 1 1/4 hr for our restaurant meals to be served)
LJUBLIANA 
Republic of Slovenia is a country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north. The capital of Slovenia is Ljubljana.Ljubliana is an enchanting place. At Preseren Square, the Triple Bridge (Tromostovje) provides a perfect, lovely gateway to the historic district, a series of narrow, cobblestone streets, shops, Italian restaurants and pubs. Walking this Old Town is like a voyage in time -medieval Ljubljana remains practically untouched.
Inside the Town Hall
Peg at a country restaurant set in vineyard outside Zagreb
Marshall Tito's village in Kumrovec- note corn drying
Josip Broz Tito ,1892-1980 was the leader of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1943 until his death in 1980. During World War II, Tito organized the anti-fascist resistance movement known as the Yugoslav Partisans. Later he was a founding member of Cominform, but resisted Soviet influence, and became one of the founders and promoters of the Non-Aligned Movement. He supported the creation of a Yugoslav nationality and identity as a Pan-Slavic replacement of the existing nationalities in Yugoslavia, and thus considered himself a Yugoslav. He was an ethnic Croat of mixed Croatian-Slovene ancestry.
Elena and George at a local market
Lake Bled was a favorite with our hotel on the lakefront, a castle, and a lovely path around the lake. Did I mention their specialty- cream cake?? An island in the middle is the site of a church. You reach it by pletna, little boats.
Bled Castle
The cream cake was quite devine.........
( Do we look a bit like Easter eggs? )
The cream cake was quite devine.........
( Do we look a bit like Easter eggs? )
Postojna's caves are about 4 million years old and are home to the Proteus anguineus - a sort of blind salamander which can only live in cave like conditions. A small train takes you 2 km down to the start of the tour. It was cold!! and wet!! Postojna is also where the Lipizzaner horses were originally bred.The Lipizzan breed dates back to the 16th century, when it was developed with the support of the Habsburg nobility. The breed takes its name from one of the earliest stud farms established, located near the Kras village of Lipica (spelled "Lipizza" in Italian), in modern-day Slovenia.
Lampo Restaurant in Rovinj 
This little resort town is absolutely charming and we climbed up and down and found a perfect seaside restaurant.
Lampo Restaurant in Rovinj 
This little resort town is absolutely charming and we climbed up and down and found a perfect seaside restaurant.
OPATIJA 
Opatija was a Hapsburg playground, hence the Baroque flavor
We visited an old bakery & restaurant in Radovjlica that makes the local decorated heart- shaped cookies.
Zadar had ruins of a Roman forum and several churches 
We formed a nice little group of five ladies: Helen and Marcie from CA, Carol from CO, Peg and myself.
The sea organ at Zadar -the surf plays music by way of sea waves and tubes located underneath a set of large marble steps. The waves create somewhat random but harmonic sounds.
The sea organ at Zadar -the surf plays music by way of sea waves and tubes located underneath a set of large marble steps. The waves create somewhat random but harmonic sounds. Chaotic reconstruction work undertaken in an attempt to repair the devastation Zadar suffered in the Second World War turned much of the sea front into an unbroken, monotonous concrete wall. Now, this project sees the construction of white marble steps leading down to the water. Concealed under these steps, which both protect and invite, is a system of polyethylene tubes and a resonating cavity that turns the site into a large musical instrument, played by the wind and the sea.
In 2006, the Sea Organ was awarded with the prize ex-aequo of the fourth edition of the European Prize for Urban Public Space.
In 2006, the Sea Organ was awarded with the prize ex-aequo of the fourth edition of the European Prize for Urban Public Space.
PLITVICE LAKES 
The beauty of the Plitvice National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, lies in its sixteen lakes, inter-connected by a series of waterfalls, and set in deep woodland.
Pula with its Roman Ruins 
Trogir is the best-preserved Romanesque-Gothic complex not only in the Adriatic but in all of Central Europe. It was founded by Greek colonists in the 3rd century BC.
Split is the second largest city in Croatia. It is located on the coast in the South of the country. The most important sight is Diocletian's palace
We were serenaded in the palace
The view from Marjan Hill of Split 
Dubrovnik was full of tourists, but in the late afternoon we could really enjoy the beauty.
Dubrovnik has survived many attacks, including in the 90's war when 70% of roofs were damaged. In the Middle Ages, as the Republic of Ragusa, it became the only eastern Adriatic city-state to rival Venice.
Dubrovnik has survived many attacks, including in the 90's war when 70% of roofs were damaged. In the Middle Ages, as the Republic of Ragusa, it became the only eastern Adriatic city-state to rival Venice.
Despite demilitarization of the old town in early 1970s in an attempt to prevent it from ever becoming a casualty of war, following Croatia's independence in 1991, Serbian-Montenegrin remains of Yugoslav People's Army(JNA) attacked the city. In May 1992 the Croatian Army liberated Dubrovnik and its surroundings, but the danger of sudden attacks by the JNA lasted for another three years. Following the end of the war, damage caused by the shelling of the Old Town was repaired. Adhering to UNESCO guidelines, repairs were performed in the original style. As of 2005, most damage had been repaired. The inflicted damage can be seen on a chart near the city gate, showing all artillery hits during the siege.
Video of the siege of Dubrovnik http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU0JPXUmg44
Franciscan Monastery 
Pine shaded park nearby 
Montenegro
The Bay of Kotor
Montenegro is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south and borders Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the southeast.In World War II, Dubrovnik became part of the Nazi puppet Independent State of Croatia, occupied by an Italian army first, and by a German army after September 1943. In October 1944 Tito's partisans entered Dubrovnik, that became consequently part of Communist Yugoslavia. Soon after their arrival into the city, Partisans sentenced approximately 78 citizens to death without trial, including a Catholic priest, later Cardinal Stepinac.
While serving as Zagreb's archbishop in 1941, Stepinac supported Croatia's German-backed fascist puppet government. By 1942, however, Stepinac denounced the regime's genocidal policies, which led to the extermination of thousands of Serbians, Jews, Gypsies and Croatian opponents.
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