Croatian towns Rogoznica and Primosten

Posted on 24/11/2024 by ainarsbl

The city beach is considered one of the ten best beaches (depending on source) in Croatia and even has stationary sun umbrellas for holidaymakers (such thing is not very common in Croatia). The surrounding region is famous for its wine, and there is a vineyard right near the town. which is even included in the UNESCO world cultural heritage list.

Just outside the city on the other side of the bay is another interesting sight, the statue of Our Lady of Loreto, which can be seen from the city if you have climbed to a higher place. We did climb on the hill of St. George’s Church and saw the statue from there.
Walking around the town was nice, especially the part of it that is on the island. There are many cafes, restaurants and small shops – as usual in a real resort town.

Statue of Our Lady of Loreto

Lady Loreto is associated with Catholicism, it is a statue of the Virgin Mary that was found in a holy house, but not about religion here. The drive to the statue on a rocky road was interesting, the statue itself was quite impressive, but the best view around was from the very top of the hill where the statue is located.

The weather was brutally hot when we got there, but fortunately there is also a bar with shady space and you can buy ice cream there (I find the name a bit funny – Madonna’s bar and shop). It is really up to you how much time to spend there and observe the surrounding landscape. There is a good (asphalted) free parking lot next to the object. From there there are a couple of hundreds of metres to climb to the statue.

Rogoznica and fish

We drove to Rogoznica next day after arriving to Sevid. That is another small town by the sea, however the purpose of our trip was very practical this time – to buy some seafood for lunch and dinner.

In the centre of the city there is a market where both agricultural products and seafood are sold. We were unlucky because the seafood season had not started in mid-June, so all the fish stalls were completely empty.

Locals told that something might arrive in the market in a week’s or two time.

We didn’t bother much and took the opportunity to at least buy local tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries and other tasty things.

We had researched before that there must be a fish farm in the nearby area where seabass and similar fish are grown. Without thinking much, we went to the other side of the peninsula to ‘catch fish’ ourselves. The farm is called Klismar ribogojilište Zečevo, I can only guess that it is something about catching fish.

The ride was quite extreme. One lane that can be used in both directions, the road is rocky and unpaved, not to mention the bends, serpentines and steep slopes. And all this within just a few kilometres drive. However, this event turned out to be a complete success.

When we arrived, we found a shed where a couple of local individuals were staying with some fish boxes in the stall. The fish were very fresh, kept in boxes on ice. I don’t remember the price, but it was really fair deal, so we paid, collected our purchase and headed back to the place of residence with a small detour through the outskirts of the already mentioned Rogoznica town.

I should add that we decided to grill fish for dinner and it turned out very tasty!

Croatian town Omis

Posted on 17/11/2024 by ainarsbl

Seaside town Omis

Omis is a small town in Croatia at the estuary of the Cetina River into the sea, about 25 kilometres (30 minutes) south of Split.

Omis is known for being used by pirates around the fourteenth century. The river is surrounded by mountains and was a good place to hide to rob the sea-going merchant ships that operated between Dubrovnik, Venice and Naples in Italy.

Not only the ability to hide played a role, but also the fact that sea vessels could not navigate the river. The pirates had even built a fortress and concluded an agreement with the surrounding villages on non-aggression and ‘cooperation’.

There isn’t much to do in the town itself, although it has its own charm and a large parking lot, which is essential when traveling by car. However, we did not go to Omis to look for pirates – the purpose of the trip was to ride one of the longest zipline tracks in Europe. The track consists of seven descents of different lengths with a total cableway length of more than two kilometres.

Zipline

The cableways are divided into eight sections, the longest of which is 700 meters, while the others are much shorter. The good news is that each run is different – one steeper and faster, another flatter, but with better views around. The whole event takes place at an average height of 150 metres above sea level.

The price of the attraction is 400 Croatian Kuna (about 45 euros) per person, but children under the age of six are not allowed to participate. It should be noted that it is not possible to leave children nearby, as you will be taken to the starting point in the mountains and later collected to go back to the town from another location.

It all starts in the town centre, where Zipline Omis Croatia has an office. Before that we left the car in the parking lot about a five-minute walk from the office. When we arrived, we had to sign documents and pay (payment can only be made in cash in local currency, but from January 2023, according to the latest news in the summer of 2022, Croatia will join the euro zone, so the inconvenience of currency exchange will also disappear).

After a short wait, while all those who wanted to go to zipline gathered (about 12 people), we went to the parking lot nearby, where two buses with instructors and equipment were waiting for us. Each group is accompanied by two instructors, the first of whom goes to the destination and the second as the last of the group joins everyone else for the next ride.

When we went up the hill, everyone was given equipment and about half an hour was spent on briefing and test drives on a 20-meter-long training track. Those who failed the short practice run the first time were given the opportunity to repeat until they did succeed. After all that, we went further up the mountain to the first real ride.

The first ride was the longest and the view was spectacular. The good news is that it is relatively flat section and the speed is not high. It’s a bit nerve-wracking that the wind moves the riders while riding across the canyon, but the view around is fantastic!

You can see everything else on the Zipline website. I can only add that the instructors were professionals and the whole event passed so quickly that one could only wonder where the time disappeared. After the ride, we all took pictures together and the buses took us back to the town centre.

Lunch near Omis

After a job well done, you need to also rest well. We asked the locals where we could eat and went to the recommended Restoran Radmanove Mlinice on the banks of the Cetina River, some five or six kilometres outside the town. In general, this place was something very similar to a recreation complex.

Rented boats with passengers and rafters with kayaks were going back and forth along the river. By the way, rafting is the second most popular form of entertainment in Omis area and agents offer rafting on the sides of the streets near their small shops.

The restaurant is impressive in size and the service is very fast. The prices are also very good; looking at what the actual demand is and the food offered, I even would expect being asked paying a little more.

After a good lunch, we went back to our home in Sevid using different route; we drove through the mountains. To sum up, the whole day was really successful!

The capital of Greece Athens

Posted on 10/11/2024 by ainarsbl

Greece

Greece is one of the countries I have been to many times, on business, leisure and in transit. However, I have never written about this country so far, so here not only about Athens, the capital of Greece, but also a little bit about Greece in general.

To be honest, there isn’t much that can be said about Greece that is unknown to everyone, so at least a few figures and a little bit of history.
Greece is located at the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula, covering an area of almost 132 thousand square kilometres. This is comparable to countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, which are slightly larger than Greece and North Korea and Nicaragua, which are slightly smaller. Compared to the United States, Greece is two times smaller the size of the state of Colorado.

Greece owns 227 islands, of which at least 166 are inhabited. The largest Greek islands are Crete, Evia, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. The area of Crete is just over 8,000 square kilometres, larger than Palestine and slightly smaller than nearby Cyprus. Crete is 260 kilometres long and 12 to 60 kilometres wide.

According to 2020 data, a bit less than 11 million people live in Greece, of which more than half a million live in the central part of Athens.

The capital Athens

Athens is the capital of Greece and, like many other major cities, form a conglomerate of around three million people living in the area.

Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world, historians say it is about 3,400 years old. Names such as Plato and Aristotle are associated with Athens.

Athens is associated with such things as ancient temples, amphitheatres and, of course, the Acropolis. Athens has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Acropolis of Athens and the Byzantine monastery of Daphne (Daphni or Daphne), which is much less well known than the Acropolis.

Acropolis

The Acropolis is a complex of buildings on the top of a cliff in the centre of Athens, the most famous object of the Acropolis is the Parthenon. The Parthenon is a temple (more precisely, its remains) that was built in honour of the Greek goddess Athena. The temple was completed more than 400 years BC.

Athena is the daughter of Zeus, one of the gods of Olympus, the goddess of wisdom and war. The Roman equivalent of Athens is Minerva, although Mars is more widely known as the god of Roman warfare.

The word acropolis means the highest point, as it actually is when you climb it. At the foot of the Acropolis you can find some parking lots if you are there with your own or rented car. We parked our car ate Rovertou Galli street 39 parking lot. And the climb is worth it – from above there is a fantastic view of the city.

Entrance to the Acropolis Museum is for fee. Tickets start at 12 euros and more, up to 80 euros for a of ancient Athens, both privately and in a group tours (I didn’t spent money on this, so cannot say if it’s worth it and any better than cheaper option).

Accommodation in Athens

We chose accommodation outside the city centre closer to the sea – Tropical Hotel, which is located a little more than ten kilometres southwest of the Acropolis.

In Google reviews I wrote about hotel that it is in a very convenient location, the rooms are clean and tidy, the staff is welcoming and breakfast is good. It should also be noted that we also were lucky to have a wonderful view towards the sea as our balcony was on that side of the hotel. Overall, a very good hotel at a reasonable price, especially when you need a place to stay for a short time.

One more thing I wanted to add about Athens. We tried to drive early in the morning and late in the evening, because driving around Athens during the day can be a nightmare, especially if you are in a busy populated area.

I remember that during another trip I was waiting for a bus quite long time, which did not arrive at all. In the end, I decided to walk on my own several kilometres and it paid off because traffic jams were heavy and many cars I left even behind.

Capital of Scotland Edinburgh

Posted on 03/11/2024 by ainarsbl

Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland

Edinburgh definitely is one of the most special places, at least for me personally. Not only because we have been living there for several years.

Although Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland, it is only the second largest city in Scotland, the largest being Glasgow. It is home to just over half a million people, although in summer the city’s population can even double during the touristic season.

The city hosts many different festivals throughout the summer, so tourists from all over the world come there to see those and even participate. In addition, Edinburgh’s Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Getting there

The Scots have done their best to make it easy to get to the city. At Edinburgh Airport, a variety of airlines live together in a friendly way. Prior to the pandemic, the airport handled almost 15 million passengers a year. For example, Riga, which is a city of similar size, accommodated only half of it (7.8 million passengers).

Getting from the airport to the city centre is very convenient. To get to the city centre, you can take a bus (airport shuttle) or a modern tram (Edinburgh has only one tram line operating from the city centre to the airport). The fastest is the AirLink bus (route No. 100), which has some other stops between the airport and the city centre.

Edinburgh can also be easily reached by flying to the nearby Glasgow Airport or the slightly more remote Aberdeen Airport (there are five much less important international airports in Scotland).

And of course, train and bus routes connect Edinburgh with many other British cities. I have also written separate blog about the road network in Scotland.

Places and things definitely worth seeing in Edinburgh

Even if you haven’t been to Scotland, you’ve probably heard words like Edinburgh Castle, the Old Town, the Royal Mile, Holyrood, Walter Scott and Arthur’s Seat. The good news is that most of Edinburgh’s attractions are relatively close together. In addition, there are many events in the city that are worth attending if you are lucky enough to be in the city at that time.

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Undoubtedly, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, which takes place every summer in the courtyard of Edinburgh Castle (in 2022 from August 5 to 27). Military orchestras from different countries take part in the show and delight the audience with military marches, marching and other passionate performances.

Admission to the event is quite expensive, ranging from £ 60 to over £ 600. The cheapest tickets theoretically cost £ 30, but it’s a small sector on the very edge of the arena. Tickets must be purchased well in advance, preferably several months before you decide to go there. In any case, if you’ve given away £ 60 for the show, you won’t feel overpaid after the grand event – it’s really worth seeing!

The Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle is certainly the most famous tourist destination in the capital, if not the whole of Scotland (mysterious Lake Loch Ness could compete with it).

Edinburgh Castle is on an ancient volcano and can be seen from a distance before you even enter the city. The top of the volcano has been inhabited since the Iron Age, but the royal castle has been located there since the 12th century. Until 1633, the castle was a royal residence, but since then it has also played an important role in Scottish history.

The castle is the most visited tourist destination in Scotland (over 2 million visitors a year) and the second most visited in the UK. The entrance fee to the castle is quite expensive (in my opinion, compared to what you can see there), £ 18. However, to see the large courtyard of the castle and the city panorama from the top of the cliff, you do not have to pay at all – you can enter it for free and spend as much time as you want. However, it will not be possible during the military show period, because there are stands for spectators installed at the time.

This blog covers just a few things you can see in the Scottish capital, I will continue posting about something else soon. If you are elsewhere in Scotland, you can also read my blog about the Scottish Highlands, the Isle of Skye in the west of Scotland and Stirling.

Travel notes, food and more

Road trips, mountain walks and holidays

Monthly Archives: November 2024