Camere d'aria 2019. 7th stage. Dubrovnik - Neum

[plavarda]

Photo 1- The main entrance to the historic center, Porta Pile. Even today it represents the obligatory passage for tourists and inhabitants. Medieval architecture, there was also the drawbridge with a moat below. A stone bridge leads to the monumental external door of 1537, surmounted by a statue of the patron saint San Biagio.

The route of the stage

The movie of the stage

Seventh stage. Today, being also my birthday, we had in mind to do something very light, namely a 13 km to reach Neum which, is about seventy km from Dubrovnik, taking advantage of the bus services that connect Dubrovnik to Split. Yesterday was Easter, today is Easter Monday. In Croatia, as in Italy, everything stops, and even the buses are very few. Therefore, at 7:00 this morning, I got on my bicycle and went to the central bus station in Dubrovnik. Here I tried to buy two tickets for one of the few buses that would have made a line with Split, the one at 15.30. But a problem arose, namely that the ticket office could only sell me the ticket as a passenger but could not get me the ticket for the bicycle. In fact, the final decision to load the bike rests with the driver. The ticket clerk advised me to show up at 3pm and ask the driver. Clearly this was impossible due to the fact that, if he refused us, we would be arriving too late.

Therefore, back at the hotel, with Cristina we decide to make a short visit of a couple of hours to the city of Dubrovnik and then leave at 12 by bicycle towards Neum in Bosnia Herzegovina, in order to arrive at their destination around 18. We left our bikes and luggage at the hotel and took a taxi to the center of Dubrovnik.

Fantastic city the most Venetian I've ever seen. Little remains of the medieval and Renaissance city. In fact, two earthquakes in 1520 in 1667 completely destroyed Dubrovnik, causing even more than 5000 victims. Only the fountain of Onofrio and the church of San Salvatore were saved from destruction. The city was rebuilt after 1667 with a Venetian layout but also with wide streets. Palaces very interesting that seem to be placed in Venice without water. All around run Mighty Walls on which it is possible to walk. We didn't have time to do this type of activity even though we were surprised by the price of the visit, 200 kuna, which is over € 25 each, which put us off completely. Therefore, in order to take a picture of the top, I headed towards the tower passing through an alley with very high steps leading towards it. And there I found a basketball court suspended above the city with some guys who in my opinion were making some music videos, so much so that one looked like a tattooed Fedez (italian rap singer). And there were also some beautiful dancing girls and other dancing boys. Nonchalantly I entered the field, took my photos and left. Going down the steps we stopped in front of the fountain of Onofrio and there, we met a group of Vicentini, probably with Zarantonello's organized tour, and we exchanged a few words. On the way back we crossed the Zarantonello bus that overtook us until we were pedaling.

Taking the taxi back, we returned to the hotel where at 12:00 sharp we left with our bicycles. We headed towards Neum along the same road we had taken to get to Dubrovnik which in fact I wanted to avoid. In total 73 kilometers and 1100 meters of altitude difference, a considerable effort and becomes the longest stage of the tour so far.

In Ston we met a guy who had left Lausanne by bike and was headed for Tehran. At my typical, and non convetional, italian expression of surprise, he starts laughing. "But then you understand, man!!!" We cross the Croatian border and waiting in vain to pass the Bosnian sentry box; there is not.

The Grand Hotel of Neum is truly a beautiful and very large structure and the welcome was impeccable. The moment they saw we were on the bike, they told me to take the bike and put it in a room, practically inside the reception office, so the bikes are okay and in no danger.

Dinner is a bit comical. The dining room will have more than 300 tables, practically empty apart from one table from an organized tour. But the maitre d 'put us at the table with another couple. Embarrassed looks and then a laugh. Scottish couple who went to Panda in Greece for work. Pleasant hour of language training, with a final kiss from the lady for my 64 years.

Tomorrow towards Gradac where we will sleep waiting to take the next morning's ferry to Hvar

Photo 2- The walls of Dubrovnik with fortifications. About 2 kilometers long, up to 25 meters high and, in some places, even 6 meters thick, reinforced by forts, bastions and the two towers Minceta and Bokar, which made it practically impregnable. The walk along the ancient patrol walkways offers unparalleled views over the roofs of the city and the sea.

Photo 3 - The Great Fountain of Onofrio. A few steps from the 15th-century Porta Pile, it is one of the most famous historical monuments of the city. Designed by Onofrio de la Cava to bring water from the Dubrovacka River, for centuries it was an important source of water supply for the population. It is still functional, despite being damaged by calamities and earthquakes.

Photo 4 - Church of Sant'Ignazio has a single nave, with side chapels and a divided semicircular apse, decorated with magnificent Baroque frescoes with scenes from the life of Sant'Ignazio di Loyola painted by Gaetano Garcia. The church tower houses the oldest bell in Dubrovnik, cast in 1355. The elegant steps of the Baroque staircase are built in a convex-concave shape and appear to mimic the feel of the famous Roman staircase leading from the Spanish Steps to the Trinita dei Monti church. 

Photo 5 - The Palazzo dei Rectors was its political heart. The works were carried out from 1435 to 1463. The style of the building is a fusion of Gothic and Renaissance. Today the Palazzo dei Rectors houses the historical-cultural museum.

.Photo 6 - The stairways of Dubrovnik

Photo 7 - The historic Stradun street that divides the city in two.

Photo 8 - The fortress

Photo 9 - Franjo Tudman Bridge saves 10km of road to cross a fjord

Photo 10 - Sweets for my 64th birthday

Dalmazia 2019 stage 1 

Dalmazia 2019 stage 2 

Dalmazia 2019 stage 3

Dalmazia 2019 stage 4

Dalmazia 2019 stage 5

Dalmazia 2019 stage 6

Dalmazia 2019 stage 7

Dalmazia 2019 stage 8

Dalmazia 2019 stage 9

Dalmazia 2019 stage 10

Dalmazia 2019 stage 11

Dalmazia 2019 stage 12

Dalmazia 2019 Krka national park

Dalmazia 2019 stage 13

Dalmazia 2019 stage 14

Dalmazia 2019 epilogue

[helga19]

Hello @plavarda 

Interesting post with perfect photos  again!

You introduce us with the amazing sightseeing of Croatia.Dubrovnik is beautiful city with interesting historical places.

It is great to be on Birthday in other country,you make a nice present for yourself

Thank you so much for sharing information and photos about Dubrovnik.

Best wishes,

Inna

[plavarda]

@helga19Hi Inna, I like to have a birthday on the go: 62 in Lesina nel Gargano, 64 in Neum, 66? depends on Covid! We spent the longest carnival in history, a whole year with the mask on his face !! 🙂 Let's me joke and I thank for still being here to do it. I made three multi-day trips to Croatia and always by bicycle. I do not know the interior, apart from Istria, but only the coast. I went in search of the beauty of the coast and of the islands that are more than 1500. Then there is the history that has always fascinated me, and the Croatian coast or rather Dalmatian coast is very linked to Italy and in particular to Venice. Although the population is almost exclusively of Croatian origin, you still find many people who speak Italian, or better still the Venetian dialect. Much of the Dalmatian region remained Italian until 1947. Have you ever been to Croatia?

Ciao e grazie!

Paolo

[helga19]

Thank you dear @plavarda 

for your reply. 

I have never been in Croatia, but I would like to visit it. Istria, Dolmazia, Dubrovnik, and Plitvicki lakes. 

It is amazing country, there are a lot of beautiful places. 

I admire your photos and videos of picturesque landscape  of this country. 

I like you joke about carnival 👍

I read about Venetian carnival this year. It is sad. 🙁

Every year a lot of tourist all over the world came to Venezia to watch amazing and beautiful show. 

It is great tradition to celebrate your birthday in different places of the world. 👌

I hope the next birthday  you will have in amazing trip, I wish you that! 

Best wishes from Russia, 

Inna

My best regards to Mariacristina. 

[plavarda]

Dear Inna @helga19 , certainly Venice is sad in this period. I remember the years when I photographed Venice with my camera and photographed masks. The most fun was hearing the masks talking to each other. Not infrequently they looked like beautiful women, perhaps in wedding dresses, but then you discovered, looking at the photos at home, that they were men with a lot of beard under the mask! 🙂 🙂 :). Or, understanding the Venetian dialect, I could easily hear and understand the dialogues between the various masks, and I assure you that I cannot write here what they said, either by making fun of the tourists who took the photos, or by making fun of themselves. themselves among them. (I hope the translator knows how to translate correctly). In short, I had good laughs, a real carnival as it happened in 1700. The mask was a cover for the face to make jokes but also to be able to give oneself to all those things that religion did not allow, first of all many sins with many lovers ! I don't think this tradition has completely disappeared in Venice !! 🙂 🙂 🙂 

Look under the mask!!!

Here I am attaching the eighth stage of the tour in Croatia 

Ciao also from Mariacristina  e thanks a lot!

Paolo