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The Balkans by Bus

by

Vance C. Titus

Have you ever taken a really neat bus ride? We did. Years before our trip, I had the pleasure of working in the former Yugoslav republics of Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia. When the opportunity to visit these now independent Balkan nations arose we jumped at it.

Leaving the U.S. from New York’s JFK airport, we flew to Frankfurt, Germany. Where, after a breakfast of sausage and beer at my favorite stand-up bar in the middle of the main concourse, we changed planes for Ljubljana, Slovenia. Sharing international borders with Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia, Slovenia is the northern most republic of the old Yugoslav federation. Now a sovereign nation, Slovenia is considered the historical crossroads between Europe and the Middle East. Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, boasts a unique mixture of socialist-style skyscrapers surrounded by lovely old Art Nouveau and Baroque buildings, manicured parks, and tree-lined streets. We didn’t get to see any of this. Following our arrival at the Ljubljana airport we were immediately whisked off to Lake Bled.

The time I spent in Yugoslavia before this trip I had been working on two electric power plant projects, one in Slovenia and the other in the Autonomous Provence of Kosovo. Because of the work associated with these two projects and being the vice chairman of the U.S.-Yugoslav Economic Council I had the opportunity to visit many different parts of the nation, rarely as a tourist however. I had never been to Lake Bled and I was really looking forward to it.

Lake Bled was everything we had hoped it would be, and more. Nestled at the foot of the Julian Alps and surrounded by lush forests, the lake is a short 25-mile bus ride from the Ljubljana airport. Our first stop in Bled was the Grand Hotel Toplice, where we were booked for two nights. From the balcony of our room we had a picture-postcard-perfect view of Lake Bled with Bled Castle off to our right on the cliffs above the lake and in the distance the 15th-century Church of the Assumption on the island in the lake. Truly breathtaking.

There are three ways to get to the church on the island in the lake. The first two are do-it-youself options: you can swim to the island; or, you can rent a boat and row yourself to the island. We’re too old for either of these. We opted to take the pletna – a large wooden gondola-like boat with a roof. The pletna watercraft is claimed to be known only in Bled. The island’s story is centuries old and abounds with myths and legends. The church which today is the main attraction on the island was built on the ruins of an ancient Slavic shrine. First built in 1465, the original church was a single-nave Gothic building with a 52 meter high free-standing bell tower. The church achieved its present Baroque appearance in the mid-17th century when the Chapel of the Virgin Mary and the 99-step stone staircase were added. A popular wedding site, it is considered good luck for the groom to carry his bride up all 99 steps to get married in the island church. My back aches just thinking about walking up the steps, let alone carrying my bride.

Bled Castle is built on a cliff overlooking the lake and dates back to the 11th century. Visitors to the Castle can explore its restored Renaissance towers and learn how its strategic high-ground location played an important role in medieval history. Taking a few minutes to ourselves, we sat and soaked up the sunshine and the splendor of northern Slovenia.

Following our too short stay at Lake Bled, we boarded the bus to continue our journey. Our next stop was the coastal town of Postojna and the absolutely magnificent Postojna Caves. About an hour’s drive west of Ljubljana, the Postojna Caves are the most visited caves in Europe. Formed by the Pivka River, this 12.5 mile cave system is estimated to be over 2 million years old. Visitors to the caves see stunning stalactites, stalagmites, and other incredible geological formations. Our guide explained that it takes 30 years for nature to produce 1 millimeter of stalactite. The Postojna Caves are alive and growing, ever so slowly.

The Postonja Caves system is home to the olm. An aquatic salamander, the olm is the only species in the genus Proteus and the only European species of the family Proteidae. Often called the “human fish” because of its skin color, the olm lives in the waters that flow underground through the extensive limestone caves of Central and Southern Europe, most notably in southern Slovenia. Entirely aquatic, the olm eats, sleeps and breeds underwater. The olm is blind but its senses of smell and hearing are acutely developed and well suited to sustain life in its underground habitat. Cute little critter, if you like wiggly slippery-looking things.

Following our tour of the Caves we visited the Predjama Castle. Reported to have been first built in the early 13th century, the original Predjama Castle was built in the Gothic style. Located in the village of Predjama, approximately 7 miles from Postojna, the Castle was built high on the stone cliff face, in the mouth of a cave under a natural rocky arch. The original Castle was destroyed in the early 16th century following the siege of the Castle by forces commissioned by the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick III. A second castle built at this same location was destroyed in an earthquake a few short years following the demise of the first. The current Renaissance-style castle was built in 1570 and has remained virtually unchanged to the present day.

Our stay in Postonja took parts of two days and a single night. Back on the bus we headed off on a spectacular drive along the Dalmatian Coast. With the turquoise-blue waters of the Adriatic Sea to our right and the coastal mountains to our left our next stop was Dubrovnik. During our drive we were treated to stories of the rich – though warring – history of the ancient walled city. Founded in the 7th century on a rocky island named Laus, the original settlement provided sanctuary for refugees from the nearby city of Epidaurum. In the 13th century the narrow channel between the island and mainland was filled in and a wall was built for protection against the Venetians. A countervailing theory suggests that Dubrovnik was established by Greek sailors and was always a part of the mainland. Regardless, Dubrovink’s myths and legends are derived from the sea and its importance in maritime trade on the Adriatic. Over the years Dubrovnik has been ravaged by pirates, marauders, the Turks, the Austro-Hungarians, and most recently the fight for Croatian independence. The 1991 siege of Dubrovnik lasted seven months, 650 artillery rounds landed within the old city walls damaging over half of its buildings. Overshadowing the physical devastation of the Old Town, 114 civilians were killed and many more were wounded during the conflict. Dubrovnik’s Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which, following the end of the war, was repaired adhering to UNESCO guidelines. Damage resulting from the civil war can still be seen from high points around the city, but the beauty of the ancient city lives on undiminished.

I mentioned that I had worked in Croatia years earlier. During one of my previous trips to Dubrovnik my then young daughter and I discovered a most intriguing art gallery in the old city on one of many narrow cobbled walkways in the Old Town. Jovan Obican was the artist. His artistic style has been characterized as being “timeless with a naïve, child-like primitive quality.” We were captivated by his colorful funny little people and his birds. We bought a poster for my daughter’s room and to our great surprise the clerk went into the back of the gallery and brought out Mr. Obican to meet us. A wonderfully personable elderly gentleman, Obican greeted my daughter and took her poster away from her. He put it on the counter and proceeded to enhance it with an original sketch blending in with the poster’s peasant theme. He signed it and wished us a pleasant stay in his home town. My wife and I found Obican’s gallery during our strolling about the Old Town. He had been dead for many years but my memories of the man and the cheerful, whimsical style of his artistic vision endures.

You cannot travel through Slovenia and Croatia without marveling at the food and drink of the region – both good and bad. When I first worked in then Yugoslavia there were no restrictions on the harvesting of prstaci or date-shells. In Slovenia, the locals call them finger-shells. Prstaci are a saltwater bivalve that makes its home by boring into marine rocks. Prstaci are very slow growing; it takes about 20 years for the date-shell to reach 2 inches. At the time of my earlier travels the prstaci was openly harvested and served in restaurants along the Dalmatian Coast. I enjoy good seafood and became quite fond of prstaci. Today the governments of Slovenia and Croatia and Italy, among others, have outlawed the harvesting of prstaci. The problem with harvesting prstaci is that the only way to get them is by breaking the stone formations where they live. In simple terms, harvesting prstaci destroys the underwater habitat of the coast. Today prstaci are considered the “forbidden fruit of the sea,” with jail time imposed for their harvesting. The best prstaci grow on the eastern side of the Adriatic. Unfortunately, there still exists a thriving black market trade in prstaci smuggled from the Dalmatian Coast across the Adriatic to Italy.

Both my wife and I were wine drinkers when we toured the Balkans. Slovenia and Croatia are home to wine makers of all sizes. Early in our trip we were treated to a luncheon in the home of a local farm family in Slovenia. They served their own wine with the meal. The wine was wonderful. We asked if they sold it and were told no, they made only enough for themselves. In other stops along our journey we were told by our hosts that while there is an active export market for Yugoslav wines, the producers keep the good stuff for consumption at home. The real liquid treat that day following lunch was the travarica. Travarica claims to be the “king of all rakijas” in Dalmatia. The beverage is an infusion of a variety of herbs in pure grape brandy. The locals claim it is a superb digestive aid.

From Dubrovnik we flew to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. Dating from Roman times, Zagreb is comprised of two unique districts – Upper Town and Lower Town. Originally the medieval settlement of Gradec, the Upper Town is reached by the world’s shortest funicular. Do you remember your basic physics? A funicular is an inclined plane or cliff-side railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope. My wife and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary during our stay in Zagreb. We snuck away from our group on the evening of our anniversary to have dinner at the Stara Vura. The name of the restaurant means ‘old clock’ and is located in part of an old monastery in the Upper Town. I had discovered this place years before. A traditional favorite of the locals, we enjoyed a quiet evening being spoiled by exceptionally attentive service, fine wines, and a fabulous meal. Back to being typical tourists, we enjoyed the panoramic views of Zagreb and the Sava River from Upper Town’s Strossmayer promenade. On our way to Lower Town we passed through the Stone Gate, the only part of the old fortifications protecting the old city of Gradec that is still standing. A must-do in the Lower Town is a stroll through Dolac, the biggest open market in the city. Zagreb was the final stop on the tour of the Balkans.

Prior to embarking on our Balkan adventure we had elected to take the optional extension of the tour and visit Budapest before we returned home. Straddling the beautiful “blue” Danube, Budapest was first colonized in 1 AD. Amazing to the Americans in our group, Budapest is well over two millennia old. The United States has existed for only one tenth of that time. The city of Budapest resulted from the unification in 1873 of the villages of Buda and Obuda on the west bank of the Danube with Pest on the east bank. Originally a Celtic settlement, control of Budapest has passed through the hands of Romans, Mongols, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The two World Wars further impacted the controlling influences over Budapest and the surrounding region. Thought by many to be one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, elements of the World Heritage Site designations in Budapest include the banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter, and the Millennium Underground Railway, the second-oldest metro line in the world. Walking near our hotel one of the real treats of our visit to Budapest was marveling at the Szechenyi Chain Bridge. Designed by English engineer William Tierney Clark, Chain Bridge is the oldest bridge crossing the Danube River.

Walking along the Danube our last afternoon we discovered A38 Restaurant. A38 is a sailing ship permanently anchored on the river near the Petofi Bridge. The ship’s upper deck features an open air restaurant. The afternoon was warm and we decided to stop for a final view of the river and the marvelous buildings across the river. My wife and I play cribbage during our travels. We ordered a glass of wine and pulled out our traveling cribbage board for one final game before heading to the airport. During our stay in Budapest we played on both sides of the river. We rarely keep track of who wins, but as we were getting ready to return home we determined that I am the king of Pest and my wife is the queen of Buda. Our wonderful trip to the Balkans and Hungary ended on this high note.

Vance is a well-travelled construction industry professional and writer. Vance has worked on very large infrastructure, industrial and institutional projects, as well as more modest-sized tourist and residential properties, and government buildings in more than twenty-five countries. He has visited more than seventy-five countries around the world. Contact Vance at: vance.karen.titus@gmail.com.