Two days ago, we left Plitvice, driving northwest, down through the Croatian Inland, to Opatija.
The terrain is beautiful, lush, green, very reminiscent of Ireland or parts of New England. Fall is settling in, the leaves are turning.
We were barely 15 minutes out of Plitvice when we drove by a monument to Tito and his Partisans and their fight against the Nazis in World War II. It's almost hidden by trees, but as we zipped by, I saw the outline of the figures. I knew it was special.
It's an impressive, violent monument. Strictly Soviet-Era socialist realist in its construction and design.
I couldn't understand the inscriptions, a list of the dead, locals, I suppose. But hostilities seemed to have ended in 1943. Still, there were red, votive candles at its base. So nice to see that someone nearby remembers.
The closer we drove to the coast, the more the country began to look more like Northern Italy. Opatija is only a couple of hours away from Trieste, in Italy. Following World War II, Italy and Yugoslavia almost came to blows over the region. Up until World War I, the area had been part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and between then and 1943, Italy had taken control of the Istria region.
In the early-1950s, as tensions grew between Italy and Yugoslavia, Tito negotiated a deal to keep Istria and give Trieste to Italy. Good call. I'm pretty sure he did it for the wine and olive oil. (Still, Croatia and Italy spar over fishing rights. Some things never change.)
Driving in Croatia is not for the timid. As Igor, the chap who dropped off our rental in Dubrovnik cautioned: "They are crazy here. Like in Italy. Or Mexico." And this from a native, right?
The road infrastructure is incredible, we think because Croatia has an eye on joining the EU, despite the crisis, but mostly due to post-war international investment. That said, the drivers ARE crazy, and lines on the road and speed limits are more like suggestions than actual directives. "If it says go 70," Igor advised. "Go 90." This is kilometers per hour, but still ...
Drivers aside, Bob and I do love the International road signage for Parking, Wi-Fi, Dining and Roast Beast:
Of course, Bob and I didn't recognize a lot of the names, but one stood out ...
Tesla was of Serbian origin, and he was born and raised not far from Montenegro and Dubrovnik. Still, nice to see him represented.
Opatija is quaint, relaxing and made for a perfect gateway into Istria. But first, we had dinner in Rijeka ...
The terrain is beautiful, lush, green, very reminiscent of Ireland or parts of New England. Fall is settling in, the leaves are turning.
We were barely 15 minutes out of Plitvice when we drove by a monument to Tito and his Partisans and their fight against the Nazis in World War II. It's almost hidden by trees, but as we zipped by, I saw the outline of the figures. I knew it was special.
It's an impressive, violent monument. Strictly Soviet-Era socialist realist in its construction and design.
I couldn't understand the inscriptions, a list of the dead, locals, I suppose. But hostilities seemed to have ended in 1943. Still, there were red, votive candles at its base. So nice to see that someone nearby remembers.
The closer we drove to the coast, the more the country began to look more like Northern Italy. Opatija is only a couple of hours away from Trieste, in Italy. Following World War II, Italy and Yugoslavia almost came to blows over the region. Up until World War I, the area had been part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and between then and 1943, Italy had taken control of the Istria region.
In the early-1950s, as tensions grew between Italy and Yugoslavia, Tito negotiated a deal to keep Istria and give Trieste to Italy. Good call. I'm pretty sure he did it for the wine and olive oil. (Still, Croatia and Italy spar over fishing rights. Some things never change.)
Driving in Croatia is not for the timid. As Igor, the chap who dropped off our rental in Dubrovnik cautioned: "They are crazy here. Like in Italy. Or Mexico." And this from a native, right?
The road infrastructure is incredible, we think because Croatia has an eye on joining the EU, despite the crisis, but mostly due to post-war international investment. That said, the drivers ARE crazy, and lines on the road and speed limits are more like suggestions than actual directives. "If it says go 70," Igor advised. "Go 90." This is kilometers per hour, but still ...
Drivers aside, Bob and I do love the International road signage for Parking, Wi-Fi, Dining and Roast Beast:
Note sad, hollowed-out, eye sockets. Nice touch
Opatija is a beautiful seaside town, referred to at the Opatija Riviera. It sits on the Adriatic, on the Gulf of Kvarner, looking east in an almost perfect U-shape. Elegant hotels and villas from a previous era climb up the steep hills from the water's edge.
The Croatian Walk of Fame is located on the boardwalk.
View from Hotel Kristal
Founded millennia ago by the Illyrians, the Pre-Roman inhabitants of this part of the Balkans, it wasn't until the 1840s when the town took off as a major holiday destination. Still, despite its location, only an hours drive into Italy, it has a weathered, sad look of a summer destination past its prime; the population is elderly, though we were told a lot of young people come into the town on weekends to hang at the bars and restaurants which dot the promenade.
It's the home of an Open Air Summer Theater, and over the last century, the town has attracted its fair share of artists and luminaries, many of whom appear on a mural surrounding the theater.
The Croatian Walk of Fame is located on the boardwalk.
Of course, Bob and I didn't recognize a lot of the names, but one stood out ...
Tesla was of Serbian origin, and he was born and raised not far from Montenegro and Dubrovnik. Still, nice to see him represented.
Opatija is quaint, relaxing and made for a perfect gateway into Istria. But first, we had dinner in Rijeka ...
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