Dubrovnik Old Town

Dubrovnik’s city walls are intact, dating mainly from the 12^th and 13^th centuries although extended and repaired many times subsequently. A great way of checking out the old city itself is to walk the full circuit of these battlements. There are some panoramic views of the re-roofed buildings in the town especially from the top of the fortress dominating the northern side looking in the direction of the sea.

Back down at street level, the town is laid out in a grid pattern resulting from the substantial rebuild following the earthquake of 1667 when 5,000 inhabitants perished. Dubrovnik also received a severe battering when it was shelled by Serbian forces during the Homeland War as it is known here, from November 1991 to May 1992. The destruction of that time has been so well repaired you would not realise that there had been any damage. The photo below shows the main street that contains the expected typical tourist shops, but quite reasonable quality and prices (i.e. we’ve seen a lot worse!)

There are some interesting historic buildings that predate the earthquake, for example the Sponza Palace and the municipal bell tower in the next photo. The Sponza Palace was once the city’s customhouse and mint, with an inscription inside designed to deter merchants from cheating on weight: “When I weigh goods God weighs me”

The bell tower contains some detailed figures that strike the bell on the hour and, so my guidebook tells me, are known as the “Greenies” on account of their weathered copper colour. They are however copies of the 15^th century originals.

On either side of the main thoroughfare, the parallel streets run on higher and higher levels, especially heading for the North Gate, the exit needed to catch the bus back to the campsite. Take a look at the one we plodded up. It looks pretty at the start and pretty exhausting at the top.

The overall strong defensive position of the town is best shown in this last photo, taken from the road leading out of Dubrovnik. Unfortunately, it’s looking towards the sun but the circuit of the massive walls can be clearly seen and the characteristic red roofs. Invaders these days are confined to tourists and cruise ships, which are welcomed rather than repelled.

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Mlini and Camping Kate

At this time of the year, out of season, it’s not usually necessary to book in advance. You like the description of a site in one of the campsite books, or maybe somebody’s recommended it, and just turn up generally anytime from mid-afternoon onwards. But this time we’re rolling into Camping Kate at 8.00am, one hour after docking. The proprietor is there waiting. This is obviously normal on overnight ferry days. He’s really pleasant and speaks almost perfect English, having worked in New York.

Given a free choice, we select a spot at the far end of the site over looking the sea. This is the view from the patio slightly beyond our pitches.

A knee-trembling set of steps leads down to the little harbour of Mlini. It takes its name from the Latin word for mill, Molina. Two large streams rush headlong down the hillside on either side of the campsite and these flow under some of the buildings, with channels and sluices formed to divert the flow of water. These we can see from the steps and are clearly the former mills. On the day we arrive the streams are in flood and have become torrents, so the view from the steps provides a spectacle of roaring water. To give an idea of scale, the river (hardly a stream now!) is about 4 meters in width. 

Mlini is a small, pretty village where the two streams meet before flowing into the sea. There’s yet another old mill complex here with a 250 year- old plane tree spreading over the water. How do I know it’s 250 years old?  Conveniently, there’s a plaque on the tree in Croat and English giving its history. We are finding that where a second language is used it’s always English. 

The walk along the front, a pedestrian path of several miles to the next village, gives some lovely views through the pine trees into the bay. This is almost a daily walk for us and as part of the routine we reward ourselves with an ice-cream to give us the energy to climb up those steps back to the campsite.

April 18th: Nearly Not Bari to Dubrovnik

To catch the ferry to Dubrovnik we needed to cross from Rome, on the west coast of Italy, to Bari on the east. It was a full day’s drive and we arrived at Bari port just after 6.00pm. Loading commences at 8.00pm for the 10.00pm sailing. We hadn’t pre-bought tickets, and the ticket office was closed but a queue was already waiting outside the ticket window, so the signs were good. At 7.00 the lights came on, the blind was raised and two faces appeared at adjacent ticket window.
We get our turn at 7.30ish after being queue-jumped several times by bus tour operators each with 50 passengers’ passports to be checked and tickets issued. Feelings of outrage firmly under control since nobody but the British rigorously obey the rules of queuing.
Paul and Trish’ motorhome is no problem, but here is an English caravan that has no official registration document. I explain that no such document exists in the UK. The car registration document covers everything and the caravan is just a towed box we sleep in.
The ticket office clerk wasn’t having any of it.
“No papers, no ticket, as you going outside EU. You must ask police then maybe we give you ticket. Police in Terminal, that way.”
Her hand waved vaguely towards the far side of the port. The wave was more dismissive than directional, and anyway the far side of the docks was swiftly sliding into a filmy curtain of darkness.
It wasn’t negotiable. There is only one ferry company, Jadrolinija, running this route so you need to comply with their rules, however exasperating. And time is ticking on: it’s 7.45pm, nearly loading up time. The next ferry is in two days time.
We discover there’s a shuttle bus to the Terminal, which Paul and I catch leaving Jane and Trish to keep an eye on the vehicles. At the terminal we can’t find the police, and anyway why would the Italian police care what went to Croatia, surely that would be the concern of the Croatian police?
Before despair has time to set in, we have a great stroke of luck. The information desk at the Terminal is manned (womanned?) by a large Mrs Fix-it. Speaking good English, she takes up our cause with a missionary zeal. Within 10 minutes she has rooted out the police, customs and an official from Jadrolinja all of whom see no reason why the caravan should not travel to Croatia. She gets the Jadrolinija official to phone the ticket office to instruct them to accept the caravan. Job done. Just a dash back on the shuttle, buy the tickets and proceed to the loading queue. Phew!!
The ferry left at 10.00 and chugged on through the night to Dubrovnik. All cabins are knocked up at 6.00am to partake of the free breakfast before docking at 7.00am. The photo below, taken on the way to breakfast, shows the cold light of dawn with its washed-out colours as we near the Croatian coast.

After breakfast a new world emerges as the sun paints its first rays on the final approaches to Dubrovnik. It’s a scenic canvas of inlets, small islands and red-roofed houses. We dock and drive out of the port, eager to see more.

A small but relevant post-script: the customs weren’t particularly interested in the caravan and weren’t scrutinising our documents. It was just another tourist vehicle, a cursory check and then they waved us through.

The Vatican State

To many people, St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican are one and the same, but the Vatican is much more: it is the power-base of the Catholic Church. As well as being the spiritual leader, the figurehead of that powerbase is the Pope. So it was with a sense of purpose that we went to see the Pope deliver his Sunday blessing at mid-day. This is us, waiting for mid-day, with several thousand others in the huge St Peter’s Square.

Everyone has a clear view of the Pope as he appears from an upper window of his apartment, to the right just off camera. He delivers his blessing in numerous languages, including English, and there is much inter-reaction as people cheer when it’s their language’s turn. We did feel a sense of occasion, separate from any religious context.

In past times, the Vatican’s political power put the Pope and his administration at risk from invading armies. The Vatican buildings themselves were not designed as fortifications, but Castel Sant Angelo half a mile away, also part of the Vatican’s domain, certainly was. So a “secret passage” was constructed giving the Pope and his staff the chance to dash to the safety of the castle when the going got rough. It’s not much a secret as the line of the passage can be easily defined by following the ventilation slits in the wall leading to the castle. It’s interesting to speculate whether they held time trials with the Pope and Cardinals to ensure speedy evacuation, cheering the winner past the finishing tape. Only small bets allowed of course.

Our next topic has nothing to do with the Vatican, at least I hope not! The Mafia. Not much in the news these days, and maybe its because of the success of the organisation behind the tablet in the photo. It reads "Direzione Nazionale Antimafia".In the UK we take it for granted that the police has national organised crime contained if not eradicated, but what must it be like when it isn’t, as in Italy? Don Corleone (aka Paul) poses alongside the plaque.

Let's end on a really cheerful note: a street ensemble playing in a piazza near the Vatican. And very professional, too. Rome seems to come up with these unexpected delights so often. So now it’s arrivederci Roma, and dobar dan Dubrovnik in a few days.

Rome's Wonderful Churches

Rome has over 900 churches, and those at the top of the range are designed and decorated with unequalled scale and magnificence.
Santa Maria Maggiore is such, and is one of the four churches in the city under the direct control of the Vatican. The original church was built when the Virgin Mary told the Pope in a dream in 352 AD to build a church at the exact spot where it would snow overnight. So he did. The miraculous bit wasn’t the dream, but the fact it was 5th August and a hot Roman summer! The structure has been improved and embellished many times since: from the photo underneath, it could be a palace.

The detail, quantity and quality of workmanship is beyond comprehension. Take the panelled ceiling as an example. Each of the hundred or so panels is exquisitely and identically formed even though the naked eye can’t see the details (these days the camera can).

Beautiful inlaid marble floors are the norm, as in this one from the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli.

Nothing, however, quite prepares you for the size and splendour of St Peter’s. It’s the second largest church in the world (the largest is on the Ivory Coast, of all places). The first church was consecrated on this site in 326 AD following Rome’s first Christian Emperor’s conversion to Christianity. The photo below is an example of just a small part of its incredible opulence.

You’ve got the floors and walls above, now let’s look up at one of the domes. It seems to be glowing from within.

These descriptions are far too sketchy, but maybe it’s best done this way or it would fill 10 volumes. We’ll round off with an example of one of the sculptures. It’s Michelangelo’s Pietà, surely one of the most beautiful carvings of all time and one that he created at the age of only 23. In 1972 some nutcase attacked it with a hammer, so now it’s behind glass. All entrants get security checked airport-style to prevent any further incidents.

It was definitely culture overload, but an experience not to be missed.

Ancient Rome

Legend has it that Rome was founded in 753 BC by Romulus and Remus. There is no historical evidence to support this tale, but experts say it dates from around that time. The Roman Empire’s power was at its height from the century before Christ’s birth to the end of the third century AD and most of the ruins and excavations relate to this period. The photo looks in the general direction of the forum where Shakespeare’s Mark Anthony made his famous “Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears” speech. It isn’t recorded whether he gave the ears back, having borrowed them.

The Coliseum symbolises Rome: buy a souvenir bag or tee-shirt and that image will almost certainly be on the it. Even in its partly ruined state it is impressive. Finished in AD 80, it held up to 50,000 spectators with access corridors are so well designed that it could be emptied in minutes. Gladiatorial contests were not always to the death and there is no record that Christians were persecuted here. However, the spectacles were bloody and on a large scale. A few years after its completion a 117- day victory celebration involved 9,000 gladiators and 10,000 animals, most of whom met their deaths. Even football violence can’t match that.

The Pantheon was dedicated as a temple to all the gods, and its current appearance dates from 120 AD. The gods must have been well pleased with this shared arrangement because the building is in a remarkably well-preserved state. In 608 AD it became a Christian church, thereupon our God must also have done his bit towards the upkeep. The photo doesn’t convey its awesome size; particularly of the roof which is the largest non-reinforced concrete dome ever made.

What is truly amazing is how some of these ancient buildings have been adapted but the end result is still visually harmonious. The photo underneath is of Marcellus’ Theatre (17BC), the arches looking remarkably like a smaller version of the Coliseum, which was initially pillaged for materials to build a nearby bridge. It was a fortress in the 11th Century, and then a luxurious palace in the 16th C, the remaining upper floors looking like apartments.

April 10th: All Roads Lead to Rome

From Pisa to Rome was a fairly easy 230 miles of motorway, a picturesque run through the rolling countryside of central Italy, past farms, vineyards and hilltop villages.
The campsite is located on the side of our approach to Rome, so not too much manic city traffic for Jane to cope with (she was towing). Camping Tiber is, well… on the Tiber, and we found a peaceful pitch overlooking the river.
A free shuttle bus runs from the site to the local station from where the frequent trains take 20 minutes into the centre of Rome. An open ticket for a week using train, bus or metro, costs just 16 Euros per person. Make as many journeys as you like: it is amazing value. UK tourist industry, please take note.
So now into Rome itself: out of the metro, round the corner, and into the Piazza di Spagna, better known to us as the Spanish Steps. The connection with Spain is because the Spanish Embassy is located in the square. Our little group (Paul, Trish and Jane) is huddled together between the bottom of the steps and the fountain.

A little further along and we’re at the beautiful Fontana di Trevi, made even more famous by the song ”Three Coins in the Fountain” from the 50’s film La Dolce Vita. Shows your age if you remember it! So you throw coins in and make a wish. The authorities hoover out all the coins once a week and send them to charity: an astonishing average of about 1,500 euros A DAY.
Lire coins, Italy’s currency before the euro, contained ferrous ingredients that could be magnetised, and it was revealed in 2002 that a tramp called D’Artagnan had been using a magnet to pull out large sums every night for many years. Euros are not magnetic, so his harvesting stopped and he then presumably confessed.

But now culture takes a back seat as we head for another of Italy’s treats, the gelateria, or ice-cream parlour. The ices come in many different flavours, in a variety of cones or tubs, beautifully presented, and not cheap- but they do taste good. Look at this display of cones, as good as any artistic flower arrangement.

We’re back on the streets again, and come across a charming elephant sculpture. It was designed by Bernini and unveiled in 1667 for the glorification of the Pope. Bernini designed St Peter’s Square amongst other noteworthy architectural creations, none of which could be described as a white elephant.

And so it’s goodnight from Rome on Day One.

Going to the Dogs

On Sunday morning at the campsite lake we noticed a group of cars, vans, people in wetsuits and dogs. The dogs were having a grand time jumping in the water and retrieving things. It soon became clear that this was not a dog fun day and these were no ordinary dogs, but Newfoundlands having a rescue training session. These are big, powerful dogs as you can see in this photo, this one having just emerged from the lake dripping wet.

The dogs all wore a collar with a handle so that non-swimmers would have something to hold on to while being saved. How practical! This handle can be clearly seen on the swimming dog below. I suppose you could also use it to rescue the dog.

Even more impressive was the boat rescue. A Newfoundland swam out to an inflatable 30 yards off shore, grabbed the rope hanging off the side of the boat in its mouth and towed the boat to the bank with two men in wetsuits aboard. Perhaps it’s all part of a big eco-plan to save fuel. Container ships entering Livorno port will be piloted in by 2,000 Newfoundland tow-dogs.

April 5th: Visit to Lucca

Lucca is an almost perfectly preserved medieval city surrounded by its original massive walls. Although only 15 miles north of Pisa, it receives just a fraction of Pisa’s visitors. Puccini, the composer of so many famous operas, was born here. It is one of the riches cities in Tuscany based on silk and high quality olive oil.
This is a typical square, the Piazza San Michele, with an ornate church that somehow looks as if the roof is missing. Apparently the church was meant to be built up to the level of the façade but the money ran out.

A really extraordinary square, an oval square, is the Piazza Anfiteatro Romano. As the name suggest, it was originally a roman amphitheatre and the medieval buildings now present were built on its foundations. It has one set of buildings on the outside of the perimeter and another, back to back, on the inside. This is the more picturesque aspect, as it is what comprises the square itself.

It’s always interesting to compare how these places looked in past times, and an old photo was displayed in the square from about a century ago. You can see that not much has change apart from the market stall buildings in the centre of the old picture.

And now two weary tourists, sat by the canal that runs through the city. The whole place has a quiet, harmonious elegance that is also reflected in the exclusive and expensive shops. To sum it up, we had a most enjoyable day out.

Sat 31st March: to Pisa

Levanto to Pisa is 60 miles, and the campsite 5 miles to the south of the city, set in a nature reserve, with a small fishing lake. Very peaceful, even though less than 3 miles from the end of Pisa airport runway. Just remove the jack-hammer ear defenders before you go to bed. It’s here we are meeting our friends Paul & Trish: we both arrive just after lunch within an hour of each other.
Here’s a view of the site, with us in the centre behind the silver car and Paul & Trish on the right in the motor home.

All visits to Pisa must contain a picture of the Leaning Tower, so let’s get that done right now, with a dramatic story to tell. It’s been standing since 1173, leaning more and more over the years, until before our very eyes it started to topple. By a stroke of great fortune, Trish was on hand to save it- just in time. This will surely merit a marble statue in the piazza.

The Tower, Cathedral and Baptistry are located together in the grassy Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles) with the Camposanto cemetery. The buildings all date from roughly the same period and make a magnificent group. The next snap shows another magnificent group posing in front of the Cathedral and Baptistry. The angle of the photo is a bit odd as the camera was on the grass on timer, so it makes the Baptistry look like a spaceship from which we have just emerged, disorientated but happy E.T.’s.

The rest of Pisa is not to be ignored and there are many fine ancient buildings in the squares and streets.

The remaining fine houses along the banks of the river Arno that flows through Pisa are also worth a photo.

Pisa is of course touristy but the cafes and restaurants were reasonable value for money. We sampled the fare at lunchtime with pizza in the piazza at Pisa.