Tag: Balkans

  • The Women's Lido building overlooks Lake Palic, in northern Serbia.

    Paddleboating & Promenading at Lake Palić, Serbia

    Passing through Palić’s Great Park entrance, a heavily-carved wooden arch that resembled reddish-brown lacework, I couldn’t help but imagine who had strolled through the gates a century earlier when this part of northern Serbia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. We continued along on a sidewalk that was covered by a thick canopy of handsome old trees, our…

  • Photo du Jour: Role Reversal – Petrovaradin Fortress, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Known as the “reversed clock” because of its swapped hour and minute hands, the clock tower of the Petrovaradin Fortress overlooks the city of Novi Sad, Serbia. The fortress sits on the right bank of the Danube River. The clock was designed in such a fashion so that fishermen could more easily tell time when viewing…

  • Strolling Through Šibenik, Croatia

    Šibenik is a city that quietly invited us to stroll in a pleasantly aimless fashion. Located near Croatia’s stunning Dalmatian Coast and Krka National Park, we didn’t find an abundance of things to do in Šibenik, but that just added to its charm. Instead, we mingled with locals and a friendly feline and people-watched from the window of a cozy café while sipping coffee.…

  • Delicious History: Zinfandel Wine & Octopus Peka in Kaštela, Croatia

    As our friend’s car propelled us up the jagged slopes of Kozjak Mountain in Croatia’s Dalmatia region, we struggled to steady our cameras enough to document the increasingly-magnificent view. Simultaneously fearing for the health of my friend’s tires which risked being ruptured on the rocky dirt road, I marveled at the panorama along this stretch of…

  • Shades of Blue: Krka National Park, Skradin & Primošten, Croatia

    During an excursion along Croatia’s twinkling Adriatic Coast one winter afternoon, I concurred with astronauts who’ve professed Croatia to be the bluest place on earth. Along with our friend, Damir, we’d left our home away from home within Diocletian’s Palace in seaside Split, and headed northwest on a day trip. We had plans to stop at Krka National Park, the risotto and yachting town…

  • A Journey Through the Millennia: The Split Archaeological Museum in Croatia

    As we perused the holdings at the Split Archaeological Museum along Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast, I found myself most drawn to the stone headstones bearing family portraits of citizens from the Roman Empire – some more than 2,000 years-old. Though the subjects’ faces were often weathered and lacking facial extremities, I enjoyed pondering how the family’s likenesses came to be…