Ston is an hour’s drive from Dubrovnik on the Pelješac Peninsula. It’s best known for salt works, farmed mussels, and a wall which is the longest defensive structure in Europe; they are sometimes referred to as the ‘European Walls of China”. The parapet show here is where the wall starts and proceeds for another 3.1 miles.
In the center top you can see Fortica. The Byzantines built a citadel here in the 6th century, and the Venetians began construction of the present fortress in 1278. It was strengthened in 1551, which may have saved the lives of Hvar’s population, who sheltered here in 1571 when the Turks sacked their town. The Austrians renovated it in the 19th century, adding barracks. Inside there’s a collection of ancient amphorae recovered from the seabed, and a terrace cafe.
In the port city of Hvar the streets are so narrow that the restaurants get their morning produce delivered by hand from these carts.
Hvar is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, located off the Dalmatian coast, lying between the islands of Brač, Vis and Korčula. Approximately 42.25 mi long.
The large blue circle in the center of the photo is the Sun and is part of a to-scale representation of the Solar System on the Riva in Zadar, Croatia. The display begins far back on the promenade that runs along the Adriatic Sea. Furthest from the Sun is Pluto, represented by a small disc, followed by Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, and Jupiter. After another stretch of empty space, Mars, Earth, and Venus appear as tiny specs in comparison to the massive sun. Each panel is also a solar cell that generates electricity for the city.
The Rječina river runs through the town of Rijeka. At one time this river was the border between Croatia and Hungary. Rijeka, by the way, actually means river.
Rijeka is a Croatian port city on Kvarner Bay in the northern Adriatic Sea. It’s known as a gateway to Croatia’s islands. We recently cruised Croatia and this was our first stop.
It’s not really a factory but this is where gondolas are made by hand. Two hundred years ago there were 10,000 of these water taxis. Today there are approximately 400 being used for tourism. A new gondola will cost around $45,000.
No trip to Venice is complete without taking a boat ride along the Grand Canal.
Santa Maria della Salute, commonly known simply as the Salute, is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica located at Punta della Dogana in the Dorsoduro sestiere of the city of Venice.
