Tučepi

Sunday May 23

We started the day with breakfast at our host restaurant and got ready to go hiking. We were hiking Tučepi- which is part of the mountain we have behind our apartments, but on a different side. We were told that the hike was going to be steep- but we didn’t plan on it being as steep as it was. We walked mostly on the road, and yes there were cars driving up the mountain, but sometimes we had to venture off the regular road and get in the brush. We braved the heat and the steepness of the mountain and made it to the wall of the mountain- pretty much the tree line.

When we stopped we also visited a Catholic church as well as a small museum depicting Croatian life many years ago. After the museum tour, we were offered some wonderful Croatian snacks. We had dried figs, fried dough, bread with olive oil, and cake. Drink choices were different forms of rakija made from figs or carob or a desert wine. There was an entire table set with food, but when we left, there were just a handful of figs left- everything else was gone!

Our tour guide then took us on another hike, but this time the trail was so narrow you could only put one foot down and walk heel to toe. We saw many homes, even our tour guide’s birthplace. We also were able to see that the people living on the mountain had many options for growing there own food. During the first hike of the day, we saw almond and walnut trees, pomegranates, figs, and a variety of herbs. The second part of the tour we saw artichokes, various fruits, and grapes. Getting up and down the mountain can be very tedious, so the inhabitants have to grow a lot of their food. While having snacks, we also were allowed to see a lamb being roasted. These people are able to sustain themselves very well for living in such remote places. We later had lunch at a restaurant on top of the hill and then made our way back down the mountain by vans.
-Rachel

Roč and Hum

May 19- Our charter bus took us to the border where Croatia and Slovenia are having disputes over a bay that touches both countries. We heard from two speakers while at the bay about how long it had been going on, what was the current status and what could potentially happen. Members of the E.U. virtually share all borders, there is no “line” to state when you are entering one country or leaving another. Slovenia is delaying Croatia's acceptance into the E.U. by not providing a unanimous vote for Croatia to join the E.U. This dispute will be resolved in Croatia gains acceptance into the European Union.

After our visit to the bay, we met up with a familiar face, Dr. Alexandria , to visit the cities of Roc’ and Hum. These towns were both very old and situated high atop a mountain. In the city of Roc’ we saw children having class at an elementary school, a small church, and the beginning of the Glagolitic trail leading to Hum. The Glagolitic language is one that has a rich history that was almost forgotten, but a few people decided to restore it to Croatia and its heritage. We stopped at four Glagolitic symbols along the road to Hum. These visuals were put up in the 1970ties so that the Glagolitic language would not be forgotten and would be remembered as an important part of Croatian history. We saw a table with three legs to represent the Trinity; a block statute, stone seats and a chair to represent learning in nature, and the Glagolitic letter “S”. We then stayed on the bus to view the other seven symbols. All of the symbols were made of stone. The final symbol led us into the city of Hum. Hum was recognized as a city a long time ago by a King, and still maintains being a city, even though there are only twenty people living in the city. Our guide told us that it Hum has everything a regular city has, but just a handful of people. The view from Hum was really pretty. It was really interesting to see how these cities were still in existence, since they were so remote and so tiny.

After our tours here, we were on out way back to the top of the mountain to Hotel Kastel.

- Rachel

Zagorje

Sunday May 17

Today we went to Zagorje to see the Veliki Tabor castle. The castle is in the process of being restored, and was opened just for our group. It was built in 15th century. We got to see rooms in the castle that are being excavated and renovated, and pieces of ceramics and tiles that have been found in the castle. After touring the castle, we went to Kumrovec, the town where Tito was born. The town has been preserved as it was when he lived there, with the homes and buildings open to tour.

Next, we had lunch at Gresna Gorica. The restaurant is set atop a hill, with peacocks and guineas walking around. The meals in Croatia are usually (at least) four course meals. The appetizers were typical Croatian foods, like olives, peppers, bread, prosciutto, cheeses, etc. One of the appetizers was something we’ve never seen: jellied meat. Only one of the people at our table was brave enough to try it, and she didn’t like it. Next, we had soup and salad, and then the main course included two meats: pork and fried chicken. We also had baked beans with our lunch, and ended the meal with two desserts: a cheesy pastry and an apple cinnamon pastry.
-Elizabeth