Croatia Part II

Most tourists visit Croatia for glorious islands with sapphire waters and sunny beaches. Some go to find medieval castles or enjoy summer festivals. And a few reach Croatia to learn the history of the necktie. But since we arrived much too late for summer, and missed National Cravat Day, we took the road less traveled.

We started in Istria, a lush green peninsula of olive groves and vineyards edged with colourful fishing towns. Almost at the tip of Istria is Pula.

Pula's history stretches from its days as a Roman colony to the main port of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The Pula Arena, one of the largest surviving Roman amphitheatres in the world.

We spent a little time at the very south of the cape.

A mildly-visible crustacean spotted in a rockpool.

On the West of the Istrian Peninsula is the fishing port of Rovinj.

From there we headed inland to the stunning Plitvice Lakes National Park.

16 green lakes are connected by flowing water which we explored almost by ourselves.

Ahhh the serenity.

Heading back down to the coast, we went to Split.

The old centre of the city is within what is left of Diocletian's Palace.

Its narrow lanes, high walls and seamless merging of new and old was really unique.

Above the city are the ruins of the Roman city of Salona, capital of Ancient Dalmatia.

Exploring the ruins which are overgrown, seemingly ignored by locals and having no tourists in sight was really cool.

We enjoyed Croatia a lot, but as we drove along the coastal road and stared at the islands which seemed to somehow avoid the clouds, we couldn't help but plan to come back some day. Perhaps in summer, when everyone else goes.

By the Rivers of Slovenia

We spent five surprisingly fun days in a country that was described to us as "looking like a chicken", Slovenia. The Slovenes are very proud of their rivers, which are represented on their flag, and we soon found out why.

We began in Ljubljana, the capital and only Slovene city, which is situated on the Ljubljanica River.

The city is beautiful, especially at night, with restaurants, bars, shops and squares focused along the river.

Within a short walk you can see medieval streets, the interwar architecture of Jože Plečnik and the hilltop castle which overlooks it all.

The self-proclaimed autonomous Metelkova neighbourhood

The Tivoli Park, which held a National Geographic photography exhibition.

Feeding the birds

The city's symbol, the dragon, guards one of the many bridges over the Ljubljanica.

Not exactly a river, but perhaps Slovenia's best-known water feature is Lake Bled in the Julian Alps.

We arrived at dusk, the perfect time to see the sleepy pilgrim's church of Bled Island.

Bled Castle

The view from the castle

Early on our fourth day, we drove over the Vršič Pass.

Beyond the pass we encountered the ridiculous cyan of the Soča River.

In and around the mountain town of Kobarid (Caporetto in Italian) we learned of the alpine combat between Italy and Austria-Hungary in the First World War. At the time, Slovenia was simply a province within the Austrian Empire. With the Italians' unexpected invasion, Slovenian soldiers and civilians found themselves at the frontline of the Great War.

There are still remnants of the Italian fortifications built in 1915

There are mushrooms too

After experiencing the best rivers flowing over Slovenia, we went in search of one flowing under it. Within the Škocjan Caves is the Reka River.

Also not a river, but represented by one on the flag, is the 47km of coastline known as the Slovenian Riviera.

We stopped in at the beautiful Venetian port city of Piran.

The town square, full of graceful buildings...

...and graceful people.

As we left this little country which is overflowing with things to do and see, we passed the Sečovlje Saltworks. At the mouth of the Dragonja River, salt is still produced in the same way as it was in the 13th century.

Zig-Zagreb

This week's episode sees our heroes, Josh and Yaz, zigzag their way through Serbia and Hungary, before reaching Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.

We begin on the Danube in the Serbian city of Novi Sad. Much like the river itself, the story of Novi Sad is long and has seen many cultures come and go.

It was raining during our visit but the buildings of Liberty Square take it all in their stride.

Protecting the city from up high is the Petrovaradin Fortress. Due to its significant location between the Austrian and Ottoman Empires, it has heard the madness of many massive attacks. These days it hosts the famous EXIT festival and has heard among others, Madness and Massive Attack.

In the nearby town of Sremski Karlovci we tasted two honeys and six wines for 2€.

The next night we stayed near the tranquil Palić Lake.

The multiethnic city of Subotica is famous for its Art Nouveau buildings. Like the town hall (on the left)...

...and the Neolog Synagogue.

Pécs (pronounced Paich) is a beautiful city in the southern plains of Hungary.

Also perched on the crossroads of history, the city has been influenced by the major religions of Europe.

The Mosque of Pasha Qasim was built in the 16th century by the conquering Turks.

After the Turks were ousted, the pious but thrifty Jesuits converted the building into a church.

The Cathedral of Pécs

Under the city are an exquisitely preserved scattering of early christian tombs.

On one of the main squares is yet another grand synagogue.

But today, the main religion in Pécs is love. As you can imagine, we've seen these locks almost everywhere this year, but not since Cologne have we been so impressed by a town's commitment to commitment.

The famous Zsolnay ceramics museum.

Croatia is a major tourist destination, but many people overlook its capital. We went to see what it had to offer. We began at the Dolac farmer's market, which is one of the busiest and most interesting we've seen.

The history of this region is deep and complex. But it is also very recent, which means that we have already learned far more from conversation and observation than from museums. For example, these candles were placed at the base of Zagreb's cathedral in support of two generals that were acquitted for war crimes by the war crimes court in the Hague on November 16th.

St. Mark's Church

The award winning Museum of Broken Relationships is one of the most unique we've seen. The exhibition displays touching stories of heartbreak, loss and new beginnings and the objects that represent them.

We completed our visit to Zagreb meandering around the lower town's elegant buildings and spacious parks.