Old Singer Tables -> New CafeTables

I like the ambiance that these tables give the cafe. Usually, I think of Eastern Europe as "old country" with a long history and a lot of tradition. Although these tables are not all that old, it's nice to see them recycled in a stylish way, giving character to this cafe in Split.

I could not understand why there were so many people (of work age) outside at the cafes all day, and was told that it is for two reasons:
1) they are working (having long meetings outside the office, which is apparently very common)
2) they don't have jobs (unemployment among young people seems to be a big problem in Croatia - many older people complained to me about young people living off of their far from rich parents and being lazy)

Diocletian Palace, Split

This is a part of the Diocletian palace in Split, Croatia. It was built from around 300 AD for Diocles - a Roman emporer born in Dalmatia. It is amazing that such an enormous, grand palace was built in just over 5 years. Diocles went to live there in 305 and remained there until his death in 312. According to Wikipedia, "Diocletian retired to his palace near the administrative center of Salona on the Adriatic Sea, taking up his beloved hobby of growing cabbages."
Most of the historical downtown Split is found within the palace walls, which are still standing. Although not much other than the walls remain of the part of palace above ground, the entire basement is in tact. Tourists can stroll around the chambers of the basement.

Dubrovnik: upclose & personal

These are two pictures that I particularly liked which depict Dubrovnik more in detail. If you want to see the original coloring of the door knocker check out this picture in www.croatia.hr's Dubrovnik photo gallery. My photo of the knocker is sepia because the lighting was not great the day I was there.

The story behind the stone face gargoyle is funny. Although it is not evident in the photo, it is very low to the ground (I'd say between 1-2 feet). My friend told me that it has become a tradition for visitors to the city to test their balancing ability: see how long you are able to stand on top of this stone without falling off.

Slobodan Milosevic

Since my past 5 posts have all been about Croatia, it seems fitting to include the news on Slobodan Milosevic - former Yugoslav leader.

"Mr Milosevic was found dead in his cell at the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague on Saturday morning. He was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity for his alleged central role in the wars in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo during the 1990s."

- BBC

Sibenik / St. Jakov's Cathedral

The door on the left was most likely ruined during the war and has yet to be fixed. Too many things to repair and too little money. Since tourism is a major source of wealth for the nation, the lack thereof during and after the war have had a harsh impact on the economy.



This is especially true for Sibenik - one of Dalmatia's coastal towns and home to Saint Jakov's Cathedral (second photo). St. Jakov's is said to be the world's largest church built entirely of stone. It was named a world heritage sight by UNESCO in 2000. One of the cathedral's many particularities is the frieze of 74 heads outside, which are believed to be Sibenik citizens.

Beautifully worn

This is one of my favorite photos from Croatia - taken in Split. The beautiful colors and slightly worn state of the door remind me of Croatia itself - still remarkable although slightly run down from the war.

Atop Dubrovnik

This picture is rather banal, yet has its charm. This view of Dubrovnik has no doubt been photographed by many others and will surely be photgraphed many times more. What I like about it are the sweeping colors in the sea and the distant minute island peeking through in the top right. The bright rooftops add cheer to the most dismal of days.

Croatia Photos: The Chair

This is one of my favorite pictures from the Croatia trip. It was taken at a little natural port in Dubrovnik. Apparently when this chair's owner is not around he/she hangs it up on their special hook that they have driven into the stone. Very quaint and characteristic.

Mid-Winter Trip to Croatia

Until fairly recently, I knew embarrassingly little about ex-Yugoslavia (the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia). Ex-Yugoslavia existed from the end of World War II (1945) until it disintegrated in the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s and was replaced by the present-day independent states of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro and Slovenia.

About a year ago I picked up The Hemingway Book Club of Kosovo by Paula Huntly and took a small step towards becoming more knowledgeable about the area.

When my Croatian friend asked if I would like to go home with her on her next visit, I jumped at the chance. Not only would I get to see the country - I would have the opportunity to have interactions on a more intimate level. My friend, who is finishing her PhD in Art History, had also been a tour guide for years. She generously devoted many hours to showing me around and sharing her knowledge. I had the opportunity to get to know her wonderful family and friends, and country. The Croatian people I had a chance to meet were all extremely friendly and genuinely kind. My one regret was not being able to see more, but I will just have to wait until next time. In the meantime I will start learning some more about life in that part of the world with the book I picked up - Miljenko Jergovic's collection of short stories "Sarajevo Marlboro".



This is a picture of one of the many guys around town who weigh people (in Split). This is a real job and people actually stop by and get weighed. My friend pointed out that it's important to always be faithful to the same scale if you want to really keep track of exactly how many kilos you've gained or lost because one might vary quite a bit from another.





This rooftop has seen many better days.









Scarves on sale at the market in Split. 1 for 30, 2 for 50, and if you look closely you can see the math for deals for 3 and 4 scarves in pencil.



More pictures coming soon!