Week 13 1/2 Venice, Italy and Zadar and Dubrovnik, Croatia
March 16-20
We spent 2 days each in Venice, Italy and Dubrovnik, Croatia with one day in between in Zadar, Croatia. Today we have a sea day which we are all happy about as we can rest. Tomorrow we have three different stops in Greece which will become Week 14.
Venice has to be one of the most beautiful and historic cities we have visited. The canals, architecture, art, religion, and history just overwhelms one's senses. Due to Covid restrictions we were not allowed to travel about on our own, we had to stay in our tour groups the whole time (Italian law). So, no going to a small restaurant we found a few years ago for spaghetti bolognese. We decided on two tours- Murano Island and St. Giorgio Maggiore Church and then the Hidden Venice on Foot. Both were perfect except the weather was cold and somewhat cloudy.
Murano Island is famous for their glasswork factories and have been since the 13th Century. There are two stories told about why the Doge of Venice removed all the glass factories to this island. The first is that the Doge feared that the city of Venice was in danger of burning down due to all the kilns used in the making of the glass. The second is that the Doge did not want the glassmakers to leave Venice and give another country the secrets of their glass making. The second is historically accurate the first doesn't make the Doge look like a bad guy, which he was. This was finally stated by our guide when I asked the question. The penalty for being caught trying to leave the island or Venice was beheading. Once the Doge showed he meant business they did not often attempt to flee the island. That being said, the demonstration of glass blowing was unbelievable. The glass blower made a horse rearing up in under 2 minutes. It was perfectly crafted. If the horse is not made in under two minutes the glass is recycled as it will crack on its own. We briefly walked the area viewing a park, church, and bridge as well as seeing storefronts with beautiful glass pieces.
The Church of San Giorgio Maggiore is huge. It was constructed in 1548 under the architect Palladio, the father of Palladian architecture admired by Thomas Jefferson. Inside the church are three large paintings by the artist Tintoretto: The Last Supper, The Gathering of Manna, and San Giorgio. Tintoretto is said to have inspired the artist Caravaggio.
Day 2, as I said, we did a 2 hour walking tour of Venice's back alleys and bridges. Here we started with the entrance to the Venetian Arsenal still active today in naval repairs. We walked past beautiful small courtyards with the old wells that still supply clean water for pedestrians. The supposed birthplace of Marco Polo (Dubrovnik claims him as well but most historians say Venice). We crossed the Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal then returned via the bridge to pass through St. Mark's Square to our awaiting boat taxis. The only bad thing is that UNESCO, in 2018, stopped all large vessels from the main port due to one accident and a near accident. They felt that the ships were contributing to the destruction of the cities structures. We were docked at an industrial port and took our buses 20-30 minutes to get to the original port so we could take larger taxi boats to our tour areas.
Zadar, Croatia is the third largest tourist spot in their nation. The remains of 9th Century Roman ruins are visible in the town square. What is amazing is how the city is developing their shoreline for people not business. They have installed a large circular solar panel that provides power to their musical steps and also acts as an artwork by changing colors at night. The steps act as organ keys and when the sea water laps at the steps the water enters channels pushing air out and the steps now produce a sound. It was so unusual and wonderful to listen to the changing sounds. Not a lot of waves so only lower notes.
This small city has three churches, St. Clare, the Cathedral, and the Church associated with the convent. St Clare is more of a medieval structure built with stones from the Roman ruins. The cathedral is from the 1500s and is smaller. The Church at the convent we could not enter but we did see the gold and reliquaries museum. The icons, the silver reliquary items, and the lace making from the time period were unbelievable. The convent is still active today, Benedictine nuns, and they manage the museum in their original habits but carry cell phones.
Roman Ruins Column and Walls
Dubrovnik is a city I could live in. The huge fortress was built by the Romans, then modified by Venetians, and also impacted by World War II and civil wars. It is also famous for being the film site for Game of Thrones. We did go to the fortress for dinner our first night and we were told the Taj Mahal's Bosnian cuisine was the best. They did not lie, the meal was wonderful. All four of us enjoyed our selections. The first tour we took was Renaissance Garden and Views. We had our first stop in Majkovi at the Trsteno Arboretum. The gardens were first established in the 1400s and continue to be cultivated today. The views of the Adriatic Sea from the patio are spectacular. Our guide was quite knowledgeable about the plants and the history, she kept us enthralled the entire walk. We viewed the aqueduct from the Romans that is still used to power a beautiful fountain and the old estate house of the founding family.
Yesterday, we took the Quaint Towns of Dubrovnik's Riviera. The region and the city are called Dubrovnik. In Ljuta, we visited two restored water mills which are still owned by the original families. Upon arrival we were offered liquors and a bowl of dried figs, orange peels, and almonds, the traditional welcome to my home treat. The owner then showed us how the corn mill is operated and how they produce the corn meal for sale. We followed him to the next mill which powered a cloth felting machine. I had never seen one before. They take wool and weave it into cloth then wrap it around a wood frame. The frame turns as large wooden blocks are pounding the fabric making it felted. The felted fabric is highly water resistant allowing the coat to keep a person warm and dry.
They then gave us a "snack" (traditional) of prosciutto ham, cheese, bread, olives, and pickles. Plus wine. Now that we were totally full, we went to the city of Cavtat. The city was almost totally destroyed in the Serbian war of the 1990s but with the aid of Norway the city was rebuilt. Old structures were restored and a new promenade alone Zupa Bay was constructed. It was a Sunday afternoon with few shops open but the cafes and restaurants were busy with local customers. Tourist season starts around the first of April.
Oh, my goodness! You must be exhausted! Venice looks just like I always thought it would. And I love Murano glass - so pretty! Did you get a keepsake?
ReplyDeleteI like this Last Supper better than the other one. This one has so much more going on!