The republic of Ragusa was a maritime republic centered on the city of Dubrovnik from 1358 when it broke of from Venetian domination until 1808 when it was conquered by Napolean. We had a lecture on the diplomacy of this republic and it was fascinating. It was ruled by a small group of aristocratic families.… Read More Republic of Ragusa

On the way from Hvar to Korcula we got a lecture on Croatia from WW II to the present. Croats and Muslims sided with Germany during the war while the Serbs did not. Even though Tito was Croatian he led the resistance movement against the Nazis. After WW II, countries in the area were so… Read More Korcula

Woke up in Stari Grad, the fog was as thick as pea soup. Eventually we got under way to the town of Hvar on Hvar Island. There we visited the Arsenal, Cathedral and monastery. Everything here is made of stone. This makes the Cathedrals quite interesting and not as ornate as their counterparts in other… Read More Hvar

Stari Grad is a very small, quaint town on the island of Hvar. Here we visited the home of the poet Petar Hektorovic and a monastery museum. The roots of the town date back to 800 BCE. on board we were entertained by an a Capella group singing in the traditional Dalmacian style. 

First stop on our boat, Casanova, was the town of Trogir. On the way we got a lecture on history of Croatia. Croatia was part of the Roman Empire until the 5th century, then the Byzantine empire until the 6th and 7th centuries when it was overrun by Slavic tribes, mainly Croats and Avars. Then… Read More Trogir

Today we went by bus up the coast to Sibenik, a very cute town surrounded by fortresses that protected the town from the Turkish invasion in the 17th century. The cathedral in town, built in the 15th century, is unique in that it is constructed entirely in stone. I am not much of a cathedral… Read More Still in Split

First I have some photos of the sunset from the boat from last night. This morning we went back into town to the ethnographic museum. On one of the islands we will be going to, they make lace out of agave fiber. The lace was unbelievablely fine. I also found a wedding dress to be… Read More Last morning in Split

I am now on the Roadscholar tour. After breakfast we had a lecture about the twentieth century sculptor, Ivan Mestrovich. If you get a chance look at his works. Very impressive. We spent the morning walking through Diocletian’s Palace built in 295 CE. Some of the underground area reminded me of the Cardo in the… Read More My day in Split

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