http://www.croatia.org/crown en-us http://www.croatia.org/crown N/A letters@croatia.org Thu, 30 Apr 2026 19:03:19 +0000 20 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11148/1/Yoko-Nishii-speaking-about-Croatia-at-the-Japanese-TV-in-February-2019.html Yoko Nishii, Japanese pianist and proponent of Croatian classical piano music in Japan, as well as of Japanese music in Croatia, was a guest of Japanese TV on 14th Febrary 2019. She described some of her numerous concerts in various Croatian cities (till 2018, she had as many as 48 soloist concerts in 24 cities, and innumerably many other appearances). She also described some of the cultural values of the country, as well as a little bit about Croatian cuisine. Yoko Nishii is fluent in Croatian language. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko �ubrini�) Mon, 01 Apr 2019 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11145/1/American-Airlines-flights-to-Dubrovnik-DBV-Airport-three-times-weekly-from-June-7-till-September-27-2018.html The new nonstop flights will take you to Dubrovnik, a top Game of Thrones filming location. Flights to Dubrovnik (DBV) Airport will run three times each week starting June 7 and ending September 27, 2018. Though travelers flock to this destination to explore its key Game of Thrones filming sites, there'€™s more to the city than the fictional Seven Kingdoms. Dubrovnik is one of the most beautiful cities on the Mediteranean. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko �ubrini�) Sat, 23 Feb 2019 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11073/1/2019-Heritage-History-and-Cultures-of-Croatia-Hosted-by-Robert-Jerin.html We invite you to join noted genealogist, Robert Jerin, for this custom designed exploration of beautiful Croatia. We'€™ll have a chance to meet with local villagers as well as professionals working in the field of genealogy. We will learn why the gem we call Croatia has been sought after (or coveted) over the centuries. We'€™ll explore the rugged landscape as we work our way north along the Dalmatian coastline. We'€™ll visit towns with thousands of years of history, and port cities that pre-date Roman history. Tour dates are May 9-22, 2019. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Pulji�) Wed, 30 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11038/1/Heritage-and-History-Tour-of-Croatia-and-its-Islands-September-14-30-2018.html We invite you to join noted genealogist, Robert Jerin, for this custom designed exploration of beautiful Croatia. We'€™ll have a chance to meet with local villagers as well as professionals working in the field of genealogy. Also encountering artisans and experts dedicated to studying the rich history, culture and heritage of Croatia. Not only will we walk the paths of our ancestors and notable figures in history but we will visit several places featured in major American motion pictures. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Pulji�) Tue, 09 Jan 2018 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11022/1/Vjeko-Martinko-director-of-Hotel-Villa-Astra-in-Lovran-celebrating-his-70th-birthday-in-October-2017.html Vjeko Martinko, director of the Hotel Villa Astra in the town of Lovran, Croatia, celebrated his 70th birthday with his friends and colleagues, including his schoolteacher Ana Ujeviæ. As always, Vjeko is full of energy, fresh ideas and challenges for the future. The celebration was held in a peaceful and very pleasant environment of the hotel and the surrounding beautiful park, filling us with a special energy and enthusiasm. Hotel Villa Astra is one of the trademarks of Croatian private entrepreneurship, offering its guests a unique place for creative rest in a friendly atmosphere, where one feels like at home. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko �ubrini�) Mon, 16 Oct 2017 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11021/1/Public-call-for-an-open-statement-of-interest-Small-and-Medium-Business-Entrepreneurs.html The Croatian Ministry of Tourism has issued a public call for an open statement to identify the interests and needs of small and medium - sized enterprises to invest in projects raising quality and additional offers of accommodation facilities from "Hotels", who could be co-financed with EU Structural Funds. Interested parties have until October 18th, 2017 to contact the Ministry of Tourism. Read more in Croatian. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Pulji�) Thu, 05 Oct 2017 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11016/1/The-Magic-of-a-Christmas-in-Croatia-and-Slovenia.html We often recall Christmas with our Croatian grandparents; the celebration of the birth of Christ throughout the holiday season, the special customs and the aromas of special foods. Now you can recreate those memories by joining us for our Christmas in Croatia and Slovenia Tour. All of Europe has focused on Zagreb during the Advent season as, Zagreb has won the title as the City with the "œBest Christmas Market" in all of Europe. Great News, we will be doing another Advent Season tour to Croatia and Slovenia. rjerin26@yahoo.com (Robert Jerin) Mon, 18 Sep 2017 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/11000/1/Darko-Varga-1956-2017-distinguished-Croatian-publicist.html Darko Varga, 1956-2017, born in the city of Osijek, grown up in the town of Dalj, attended High School in his native city, and completed his studies in Electrical Engineering at the University of Zagreb. From 1993 till 2000, he served as director of HEP (Croatian Electric Supply) in the region of Baranja on the NE of Croatia. He was active in revitalizing Croatian villages as well as ecotourism in Baranja, ravaged in the early 1990s during the Serbian aggression on Croatia. Also, he was an indefatigable promoter of cultural traditions of the region. His latest work on an impressive monograph dealing with the cuisine of the noble Croatian family of Zrinski, has been published in 2015 on the occasion of 450 years since the legendary Siget Battle in 1566. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko �ubrini�) Thu, 03 Aug 2017 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10891/1/Ivica-Kostelic-Summer-Ski-Camp-on-the-island-of-Mljet-in-Croatia.html Ivica Kosteliæ, the greatest Croatian male skier in history, invited a number of his friends, mostly skiers, to spend a part of their summer vacations on the island of Mljet, one of the most beautiful Mediterranean islands. The resulting series of six videos provides a lots of information about this island, as well as about Ivica and his guests. The island of Mljet is the one on which the shipwreck of St. Paul the Apostle occured in the first century AD, described in the Acts of the Apostles (Chps. 27 & 28) of the New Testament in the Bible. On the photo Ivica with his beautiful wife Elin Arnarsdottir from Iceland. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko �ubrini�) Tue, 30 Aug 2016 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10879/1/The-Magic-of-a-Christmas-in-Croatia.html We often recall Christmas with our Croatian grandparents; the celebration of the birth of Christ throughout the holiday season, the special customs and the aromas of special foods. All of Europe has focused on Zagreb during the Advent season as, Zagreb has won the title as the City with the “Best Christmas Market” in all of Europe. Join us for this exciting and fun tour of Croatia and neighboring Slovenia where we will enjoy the spirit of the Christmas season as celebrated in the city squares and festive Advent markets. You’ll be back in time for Christmas, perhaps with a few unique and memorable gifts for your friends and families! rjerin26@yahoo.com (Robert Jerin) Sun, 07 Aug 2016 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10867/1/Ivan-Mrvos-of-Croatia-designed-the-best-smart-street-bench-in-the-world.html Steora is the world's best street bench, and its designer is Ivan Mrvos from the town of Solin, Croatia. It provides phone charging and internet to users and beautifies the street. All powered by green solar energy. Steora is more than a bench. Steora is the future of cities. The benches are equipped with an independently developed wireless device charger and two smart USB connectors, providing fast charging for mobile devices whilst ensuring battery protection. Internet access is constantly available within a four-meter diameter of the bench, delivered by a superfast 4G mobile router. The product is exported to Australia, and the product is tested in the USA, Switzerland, etc. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko �ubrini�) Sat, 16 Jul 2016 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10860/1/Goranka-Gudelj-presenting-Croatian-cooking-artistry.html   Goranka Gudelj, London darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko �ubrini�) Sat, 02 Jul 2016 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10829/1/Beautiful-Croatia-founded-and-directed-by-Amanda-Grbavac-organized-an-event-in-New-York-on-26-April-2016.html Beautiful Croatia will be hosting stylish and unique events throughout the year. With over 15 years of experience in events, Beutiful Croatia also offers an event management service, to help make your destination dream event a reality. Beautiful Croatia presents all this to you with style, lots of love and happy spirit. On travels around the world, there was always one country that stood out for me like the brightest gem, it stole my heart and never let me go. That country was Beautiful Croatia. On the photo Sylvio Roubertto Kovacic, haute couture fashion designer, Amanda Grbavac founding director of Beautiful Croatia and Robert Grgurev, President of Startas USA. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko �ubrini�) Fri, 13 May 2016 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10796/1/Traditional-celebration-in-Subotica-Prelo-sicanja--to-be-organized-on-7th-February-2016.html CROWN is very proud to announce a traditional celebration of Prelo 2016 in the city of Subotica. The whole region of Baèka where the city is situated is one of the trademarks of Croatian culture, especially via beautiful songs and dances of Bunjevci Croatians in Baèka. At the beginning of the 20th century, the city of Subotica was the largest Croatian city (larger than Croatian capital Zagreb). Also, the oldest Croatian soccer club called Baèka has been founded there, and its trademark was the Croatian Coat of Arms. The celebration of Prelo siæanja starts on 7th Feb 2016 at 5pm near the Franciscan church and continues at the Croatian Cultural Center Bunjevaèko kolo at 7pm. Traditional Bunjevci suits are obligatory. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko �ubrini�) Fri, 29 Jan 2016 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10792/1/May-2016-Croatian-Heritage-Tour-and-Cruise.html Join genealogist Robert Jerin for a unique cruise and heritage tour of Croatia! This cruise begins in Dubrovnik and works its way up the coast, visiting historic cities and towns like Korcula, Split Sibenik and Zadar. From there the tour works its way inland to the towns of Karlovac, Zagreb and Varazdin. You will have to hurry if you want to experience Croatia like this - seats are filling up! stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Pulji�) Tue, 19 Jan 2016 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10786/1/Lovre-Stavun-linking-Croatia-and-Japan-via-his-native-city-of-Zadar.html Lovre ©tavun is a young Croatian tourist guide living in the city of Zadar, who is very fond of Japanese language and culture. It is even more impressive that he learned Japanese without visiting Japan yet! In his article, that he wrote in English and Japanese (sic!), he discusses the possibilities of offering completely new contents for tourists visiting Croatia, with emphasis on his native Zadar. "How many natural wonders does the country of Croatia possess, but those same wonders are rarely ever offered as something of value to Japanese tourists." lstavun@gmail.com (Lovre Stavun) Thu, 07 Jan 2016 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10777/1/Lovre-Stavun-the-first--only-Japanese-speaking-Croatian-tour-guide-in-the-city-of-Zadar.html Not many people in Croatia can claim to being fluent in the Japanese language, and even fewer people in Croatia can claim to being fluent in the Japanese language without any formal education… 29-year-old Lovre ©tavun from the the city of Zadar is perhaps one of the few people in Croatia who can claim that. The Japanophile is putting his skills to use and recently he became the first formally schooled tour guide in the Japanese language in the Zadar county and one of the very few Japanese-speaking tour guides in Croatia. He has not yet visited Japan, but if he were to be given a chance to do so, he would gladly take such an opportunity. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko �ubrini�) Mon, 21 Dec 2015 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10775/1/CROATIA-Impression-by-Ante.html darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko �ubrini�) Mon, 14 Dec 2015 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10767/1/Ashley-Colburn-visiting-various-cities-and-resorts-of-the-Rijeka-bay-in-Croatia.html     darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko �ubrini�) Mon, 30 Nov 2015 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10735/1/France-in-Croatias-capital-Zagreb.html The French Institute in Zagreb is among the oldest such institutions in the world, founded almost a century ago, more precisely, already in 1922. We present a short video published in 2013, accompanied with nice scenes from Croatia's capital, featuring the following guests: Luc Levy, director of the French Institute in Zagreb, Michelle Boccoz on the photo, ambassador of France in Croatia, Clelia Chevrier, counsellor of the Ambassador, David Gabelica, president of the French-Croatian Club, Guillaume Bardot, priprietor of the Bistro Bardot in Zagreb, and Damien Derrenberger, director of the French School in Zagreb and some other. darko.zubrinic@gmail.com (Darko �ubrini�) Sun, 06 Sep 2015 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10732/1/Ante-Glibota-i-neke-njegove-muzeoloke-poruke-i-elje-upuaeene-najlipem-gradu-na-svitu-Splitu.html G. Ante Glibota, dopredsjednik Europske Akademije Znanosti i Umjetnosti, koji ¾ivi u Parizu, povjesnièar umjetnosti i arhitekture visoke meðunarodne reputacije, nekada i sam graðanin grada Splita, nakon kraæeg boravka u najlip¹em gradu na svitu tijekom srpnja 2015., daje vrlo kompetentnu ocjenu sada¹njeg stanja u muzeolo¹koj kulturi grada, kao i sugestije za rje¹avanje primjeæenih problema, analizirajuæi Muzej hrvatskih arheolo¹kih spomenika MHAS u Splitu, kao i  Me¹troviæevu galeriju. Upozorava da Hrvatska mora inzistirati da znamenita Me¹troviæeva mramorna skulptura Povijest Hrvata, koja veæ osam desetljeæa stoji otuðena u Beogradu (gdje je do¹la posudbom), bude iz Srbije vraæena u grad Split, a prema ¾elji velikog hrvatskog umjetnika iskazanoj u vi¹e navrata. ante.glibota@wanadoo.fr (Akademik Ante Glibota) Wed, 26 Aug 2015 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10727/1/Nikola-Piasevoli-photo-rapsody-of-olives-and-stones-near-the-town-of-Sali-on-the-island-of-Dugi-otok-Croatia.html Mr Nikola Piasevoli, amater photographer from Zagreb, was born in the town of Sali on the island of Dugi otok (Long Island), near the city of Zadar. We provide his beautiful photos of olives arround Sali. The olives are surrounded with hundreds of kilometers of stone-walls created by anonymous peasants during many centuries, in order to secure their living. The area is surrounded with amazing Nature Park Tela¹æica and the National Park of Kornati. nikola@piasevoli.com (Nikola Piasevoli) Wed, 12 Aug 2015 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10709/1/Photos-that-will-make-you-pack-your-bags-for-Croatia.html Courtney McCaffrey is a freelance writer and editor based in Wilmington, N.C. In addition to writing, she lives for travel - seeing new places, learning new cultures and surfing new waves. She prepared 42 stunning photos about Croatia, published by FlightNetwork, and we are happy to have obtained a special permission to present you some of them. On the photo is a picturesque town of Vrbnik from the largest Croatian island of Krk. darko.zubrinic@gmail.com (Darko �ubrini�) Fri, 26 Jun 2015 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10637/1/Metkovic-Croatian-town-on-Neretva-river-ornithological-paradise-in-Europe.html The town of Metkoviæ is best known for Fr. Ante Gabriæ, SJ, Sundarban saint in Bengal in India, who was born in this town. It is also known for its exceptionally rich nature, due to its position on the delta of the Neretva river at the Adriatic sea. Especialy interesting is its Ornitological Museum. In the vicinity of the town there is a valuable archeological site of Narona from Roman times. During the last two decades the city has revived its tradition of races of old traditional boats. On the photo is a detail from the church of St. Elias (Sv. Ilija) dominating the town and the Neretva valley. darko.zubrinic@gmail.com (Darko �ubrini�) Sat, 02 May 2015 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10664/1/Direct-flights-from-Toronto-to-Croatia-start-June-22-2015-New-York-Chicago-USA-When.html Proponents of non-stop airline flights between North American cities and Croatia received a major boost this month when America’s Ambassador to the central European nation said the U.S. is working out the details to once again make direct travel a reality. "I am happy to see that arrivals by American citizens to the Dubrovnik County are growing,” said US Ambassador Kenneth Merton. “I hope this year there will be even more visitors. It is good to see progress here at Dubrovnik Airport. For Croatia, it is important to plan for growth." caroline@profilecoms.com (Caroline Spivak) Mon, 30 Mar 2015 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10648/1/TV-shows-turn-Croatia-into-hot-spot-for-South-Korea.html Koreans finding love and adventure traveling through Croatia in reality TV shows have put the Balkan nation on the map, making it a popular tourist destination for the Asian market. It all started back in 2012 with the filming of the South Korean show "Romantic," featuring Koreans in their 20s and 30s visiting Croatia's highlights, from the capital Zagreb to the stunning Plitvice lakes national park and onto UNESCO World Heritage site Dubrovnik on the Adriatic coast. It became a perfect TV advertisement to visit Croatia. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Pulji�) Thu, 26 Feb 2015 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10643/1/10-Annual-Heritage-and-History-Tour-of-Croatia-with-Robert-Jerin-September-12---September-26-2015-.html Join noted genealogist, Robert Jerin, for this custom designed exploration of Croatia’s history and heritage. We’ll have a chance to meet with local villagers as well as professionals working in the field of genealogy while we tour this country rich in tradition and benefiting from a confluence of cultures for thousands of years. This year’s tour will include a tour of places on the lovely, but often overlooked, Istrian Peninsula, Gorski Kotar known as the Green Heart of Croatia, including Mrkopalj, Plitivice Lakes Park, Slavonia, the centuries old pilgrimage town and church of Marija Bistrica, Zagreb and Samobor. Included are many scrumptious traditional meals and several performances by Croatian musical groups including Klapa and Tamburitza. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Pulji�) Tue, 20 Jan 2015 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10541/1/Quietest-road-race-ever-Croatia-hosts-electric-vehicle-rally-in-May-2014.html Nikola Tesla would be proud. In May, Croatia will host its first electric car rally that winds from the northern coast to the capital Zagreb through some of the country's most scenic spots. The route includes a visit to electricity pioneer Tesla's hometown too. Over five days, electric car and motorcycle drivers will pass through three national parks - Paklenica, Plitvice Lakes and Krka - as well as resort towns like Opatija and Rovinj. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko �ubrini�) Tue, 25 Mar 2014 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10505/1/Croatia-Summer-Conservation-Field-School-June-20---July-18-2014-initiated-by-the-University-of-Oregon-USA.html The Croatia Conservation Field School adds an exciting international element to the University of Oregon's Historic Preservation Program. It is an intensive program that allows students to gain hands-on experience in a culturally rich setting. Students will explore villages, while learning the history of the area of the city of Trogir (protected by UNESCO, on the photo) and on the island of Braè, documenting and analyzing important structures, and participating in a hands-on building project. The program is open to undergraduate and graduate students. z@zerostudio.net (Zoran Orlic) Fri, 03 Jan 2014 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10422/1/Destination-CROATIA-Destination-CROATIA-Destination-CROATIA-Destination-CROATIA.html Croatia, one of the most beautiful countries in the world, is a land which its citizens often call her Lijepa Na¹a, that is, Our Beautiful. It is not surprising that this is the title of Croatia's National Anthem as well. Croatia is a southern Central European country at the crossroads between the Pannonian Plain and the Mediterranean Sea. Its southern and western flanks border the Adriatic Sea. In this article we show two fantastic films about Croatia. On the left is a photo of probably the most beautiful cape in the world, called Zlatni Rat (Golden Cape), on the island of Braè in Croatia. darko.zubrinic@gmail.com (Darko �ubrini�) Thu, 13 Jun 2013 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10332/1/Mrgari-flower-shaped-dry-stone-sheepfolds-on-the-island-of-Krk-in-Croatia-studied-by-Dr-Berislav-Horvatic.html The ancient building technique of dry stone walling called mrgari, are complex multicellular dry stone sheepfolds, flower-shaped in ground plan, used for sorting out the sheep of various owners. These giant dry stone flowers, tens of meters in diameter, ornate the common pasture (komunada) of only three settlements on the island of Krk (Ba¹ka, Jurandvor, and Batomalj), still maintaining the traditional custom of communal sheep round-up. Except in Croatia, somewhat similar flower-shaped multicellular sheepfolds can be found only in Wales and on Iceland. Mrgari have been studied by Croatian physicist Berislav Horvatiæ. darko.zubrinic@gmail.com (Darko �ubrini�) Mon, 15 Oct 2012 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10280/1/6th-Epidaurus-Festival-solemnly-opened-on-9-June-2012-in-the-town-of-Cavtat-on-Croatian-south.html Ivana Marija Vidoviæ, director and founder of the Epiduarus Festival, distinguished Croatian pianist, poet and humanist, oriented her activites also towards younger and youngest generations of the City of Dubrovnik and in the southmost Croatian region of Konavle, to the great pleasure of numerous visitors and parents of children. The festival has international character, and is organized in the magic Mediterranean ambiance of the town of Cavtat, or ancient Epidaurus. On the photo two Konavle girls with typical Konavle caps. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sun, 10 Jun 2012 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10276/1/Sasa-Casic-young-Croatian-winemaking-prodigy-of-Pakrac-and-his-teacher-Ivan-Enjingi.html Sa¹a Æasiæ is 28 year old professional wine maker from the town of Pakrac on Croatian north. He has been awarded as the most successful young entrepreneur in 2012 by the Ministry of Enterpreneurship and Crafts of the Republic of Croatia. This is a result of ten years of hard work and advices of his older colleague, another distinguished Croatian wine-maker Mr. Ivan Enjingi. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Thu, 07 Jun 2012 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10275/1/Croatian-Festival-in-France-in-automn-2012-will-have-more-than-60-events.html More than 60 events held in 45 different locations will be the feature of the 2012 Croatian Festival in France which is to be held from September to December, confirmed Croatia's Ministry of Culture. The official opening of the Festival will be on 9 October in the Cluny Museum in Paris, where it is expected that the presidents of the two countries will open the Croatian medieval art exhibition. Furthermore, the 400th edition of French magazine Geo, June 2012, has been dedicated to Croatia. On the photo the town of Rovinj in Istrian peninsula, Croatia. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Thu, 07 Jun 2012 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10260/1/Marko-Vrdoljak-photographer-and-his-presentation-of-Croatias-capital-Zagreb.html Marko Vrdoljak, Zagreb: "We have to make sure that we see the beauty of tomorrow and enjoy it as happily and intensely as possible. It is our duty to keep our faith in beauty and hope. We must be the ones to create a better tomorrow with our positive energy, our talents, the ones who must keep negative thoughts inside and transform them into warmth, understanding and kindness..." darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Fri, 18 May 2012 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10250/1/Lika---Karlovac-A-harmony-of-nature-and-tradition-in-Croatia.html Clarity and power are perhaps best conveyed by the wondrousness of the Plitvice Lakes National Park, the phenomenon which attracts with its uniqueness, but also with the effect it bears on both our mental and physical wellbeing. The National Park of Northern Velebit is an area of distinctive diversity of karstic forms, the wealth of all kinds of a living world and of breathtaking natural beauty in a relatively small area. The best known person born in Lika is Croatian-Americna inventor Nikola Tesla, on the photo. Music for the video was composed by distinguished Croatian composer Ðelo Jusiæ. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Fri, 20 Apr 2012 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10247/1/Cooking-Croatia-Easter-In-Croatia-And-Traditional-Croatian-Easter-Cake-by-Tamara-Novakovic-.html Tamara Novakovic is a passionate self-taught cook, food blogger, freelance food writer and photographer behind bite-my-cake.blogspot.com. Her life journey has led her through Faculty of Humanities in Zagreb, Croatia to discovering passion for making cakes. She is currently a weekly food columnist for Croatian newspaper V magazine and food magazine Repete. Tamara Novakoviæ writes on Croatian Easter traditions, and with a recipe for the delicious traditional Easter cake. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sat, 07 Apr 2012 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10189/1/Travels-bring-experiences-and-memories-that-last-a-lifetime-Capt-Iv-Vidos-and-Violi-Calvert.html Travels bring experiences and memories that last a lifetime. They give us the opportunities to visit beautiful and interesting places, and meet amazing people. During a recent holiday my husband and I had included a 10-night Mediterranean cruise. In his welcome address I noted that the Captain is Croatian. Captain Iv Vidos reflected in his talk to passengers his great love for the sea and his mission of ensuring the safety and enjoyment of the holidaymakers as well as the staff of the ship. Aside from sharing valuable information and pointers, his good sense of humour came through his announcements before docking at various ports. violicalvert@optusnet.com.au (Violi Calvert) Mon, 17 Oct 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10179/1/Mediterranean-Culinary-Adventures-on-the-Opatija-Riviera-in-Croatia---Feasts-for-the-Senses.html In the fall of 2007, I took a well-deserved vacation in Europe. I visited Croatia on that trip and fell in love. I just had to go back. And so I did, and on a five-month journey of discovery, the idea to create a Website devoted to international gastronomy and travel destinations was born... You will be transported to a wonderful world of field trips, sumptuous wine tastings, hands-on cooking classes and adventurous truffle-hunting or wild asparagus picking. You'll learn, you'll experience, and you'll enjoy. It will be a rich, rewarding and enlightening get-away and you'll be glad you chose to spend your time with us. Written by Carmen Grenier from Canada. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sun, 25 Sep 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10167/1/Japanese-mathematicians-Yuki-Naito-and-Satoshi-Tanaka-visited-Zagreb-and-Plitvice-Lakes.html  Yuki Naito and Satoshi Tanaka, professors of mathematics from Japan, visited the Department of Applied Mathematics of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Croatia, by the end of July 2011. This is a result of their collaboration with professor Mervan Pa¹iæ from that faculty. They delivered two plenary lectures at an International Math Workshop organized in Zagreb. During their stay in Croatia they visited the Plitivce Lakes. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sat, 10 Sep 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10160/1/Epidaurus-Festival-in-Cavtat-childhood-dream-of-Croatian-pianist-and-poet-Ivana-Marija-Vidovic.html My wish is that every sound produced at Epidaurus Festival would merge with Cavtat's magical hug, and that every word, every verse, whether sung or spoken, would, for centuries to come, continue to echo throughout its old streets, the very same ones that - within and of themselves - had been a stage for centuries already. Ivana Marija Vidoviæ, Artistic director of the Epidaurus festival. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sat, 20 Aug 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10159/1/Festival-Kvarner-a-new-meeting-point-of-artists-and-scholars-in-Opatija-Croatia.html The idea of the artistic exchange on a European level is revived in our Festival in the Kvarner region in Croatia. The fact that many composers, such as Mahler, Puccini, Lehar, Kalman, etc., who, over the course of history, have stayed here and have been inspired by the picturesque landscape and the Mediterranean flair proves that this location is perfectly suitable for music: history provides us with the evidence that our idea has a good basis. On the photo Vjekoslav Martinko, Lovran, president of the Festival Kvarner. Director of the Festival is dr. Michael Fendre, Vienna. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Fri, 19 Aug 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10158/1/Kayaking-in-Croatia---Destination-of-the-Year-according-to-National-Geographic.html It's a common practice in the town of Vis  (on the island of Vis, Croatia) for fishermen to purposefully sink their boats to get the wood to swell, which prevents leaks. However, it is an uncommon practice to photograph this procedure. The locals were so baffled while I shot this that they gathered around to watch me. Then they recruited me to help them. Just ten minutes after snapping this image, I was sent to bring the boat to shore. This is an article of National Geographic about Croatia, photos by Peter McBride, text by Rachel Scheer. ilija.veselica@gmail.com (Ilija Veselica) Wed, 17 Aug 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10145/1/Drago-Struna-and-his-view-to-natural-beauties-of-Croatia-in-particular-of-Istria.html We inivte you to see some very nice sets of photos prepared by Drago Struna, devoted to various parts of Croatia, in particular to Istria. Some presentations are accompanied by authentic Croatian music. Mr. Drago Struna is high school professor of chemistry, amateur photographer, and nature lover. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Thu, 21 Jul 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10133/1/Association-of-small-and-family-hotels-in-Croatia.html The Association of Small and Family Hotels gathers more than 150 members whose concept is based on high quality service and nurturing authenticity and indigenous local values. Hotels are spread all over Croatia and are distinguished by their continuous search for new features to enrich the stay of their guests. Whether you are searching for an active vacation, traveling with family, love to enjoy local cuisine or just want to rest we believe you will find a hotel that will fulfill all of your expectations. Welcome! darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Fri, 17 Jun 2011 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10042/1/Ivan-Gligoras-Pag-Cheese-awarded-with-the-Superior-Taste-mark-in-Brussels-2010.html The famous Pag cheese produced in the cheese plant Sirena – Mala sirana in Kolan at Island Pag owned by Ivan Gligora, has recently been awarded two golden stars and the right to label this cheese with the Superior Taste mark at the international Superior Taste event in Brussels. This is the greatest award so far for this cheese that has thus been included in the circle of seventy top food products in the world. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Thu, 02 Dec 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10033/1/Ashley-Colburn-and-WOW-Croatia-seen-by-10-million-families-in-the-USA.html WOW Croatia is a documentary created in 2009 which has brought  the prestigious Emmy Award in 2010 to Ashley Colburn. Here we present the second part of her series of documentaries about Croatia, and an interesting interview she gave to Goran Rotim of the Croatian TV. By the mid 2010 about 10 million families in the USA have seen WOW Croatia darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sun, 14 Nov 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10001/1/Croatian-Cooking--Brenda-Brkusic-on-KOCE-TV.html Brenda Brku¹iæ shows us how to make delicious, healthy, traditional dinner from the Coastal region of Croatia, like Brudet, Blitva and Polenta. Croatia is known for its pristine island beaches, crystal clear waters and picturesque architecture, but we learn in this episode of Cooking for Health and Pleasure that it is also known for great food! darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sun, 01 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9997/1/Ashley-Colburn-and-WOW-Croatia-won-an-2010-Emmy-Award.html American television journalist and producer Ashley Colburn has won a prestigious Emmy Award for her documentary "WOW Croatia," which was filmed in October last year in our country, supported by Croatian National Tourist Board. From the historical walls of Dubrovnik to the markets and ties of Zagreb - get ready for a first class exploration of this amazing country. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9989/1/Fifty-three-Croatian-wines-awarded-at-the-Decanter-World-Wine-Awards-2010.html Fifty three Croatian wines have won awards at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2010, one of the most prestigious and acclaimed competitions in the industry. In 2009 Croatia has been hailed as a major force in the wine world after the country won more gold medals than established rivals including the US, New Zealand and Portugal at a leading tasting competition. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Mon, 19 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9988/1/The-Korea-Times-Croatia-8211-8216Miss-World8217-of-the-Mediterranean.html Mr. Lee Chang-sup, The Korea Times correspondent, wrote a very nice article about Croatia. Writing about Plitvice Lakes, Mr. Lee expressed his opinion that Croatians may feel their pride hurt when this national park is compared with the Niagara Falls in the U.S. and the Iguazu Falls near the border of Brazil and Argentina, at least in natural beauty. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9982/1/Croatian-town-Lipik-needs-help-to-rebuild-Kursalon.html The Kursalon, the neo-Renaissance style cafe in the town Lipik, Croatia, was constructed in 1893, with concert and a dance halls, a movie theater, restaurants, a piano bar, casino etc. It was the central point of the social and cultural life of the town until 1991, when it was destroyed  and burned during the Serbian aggression on Croatia. This is an appeal to rebuild one of the trademarks of the town of Lipik. On the photo Nenad Bach and Ivan Pu¹æenik in Lipik. ipuscenik@yahoo.com (Ivan Pu��enik) Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9977/1/Croatian-Warm-Sea-project---Projekt-Hrvatsko-Toplo-More.html The unused and neglected thermal and therapeutic springs in NW Croatia call for urgent action, in the area full of  castles, granges and villas. We want to renovate existing structures and put the unused springs to use, to invest in tourist-health centres. We invite Croats who are interested in taking part in this project to get in touch with us as soon as they can. zoran.posinovec@zg.htnet.hr (Zoran Posinovec, attorney at law) Thu, 17 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9959/1/Moreska-in-Croatia-the-last-authentic-sword-dance-in-the-Mediterranean.html The more¹ka dance on the island of Korèula in Croatia can be played only by those for whom at least one parent is from the island. The dance dates from the Middle Ages, and together with the house of Marko Polo represents one of the chief attractions of the island. The confraternity of All Saints is the oldest one on the island, founded back in 1301. Text and photos by Davor Rostuhar, Croatian journalist and photographer. rost@net.hr (Davor Rostuhar) Mon, 19 Apr 2010 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9876/1/Croatias-gold-medal-winning-wines-.html Croatia's discovery continues, with wine experts now realising what locals, and those in the know, have  been aware of for many years. The recent Decanter World Wine Awards gave eight gold medals to Croatian wines, whilst Argentina could only muster, seven and Chile four. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 17 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9850/1/Villa-Ruzic-in-Rijeka-and-Croatian-Tales-of-Long-Ago-by-Ivana-Brlic-Mazuranic.html Villa Ru¾iæ, situated in the city of Rijeka, is a top monument of Croatian culture. Among other things it comprises numerous editions of the famous Croatian Tales of Long Ago published by Ivana Brliæ Ma¾uraniæ in 1916. The book intended for children was translated into some fourty languages, including Chinese. The Villa Ru¾iæ is superbly directed by Mr. Theodor de Canziani Jak¹iæ on the left. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Thu, 20 Aug 2009 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9841/1/Epidaurus-Festival-in-Cavtat-Croatia-Aug-28---Sep-22-2009.html CROWN invites you to attend the Third Epiduarus Festival in Cavtat,  from  August 28 to September 22 2009. The Festival has been founded and is directed by infatiguable Croatian pianist Ivana Marija Vidoviæ, on the photo. Cavtat is a lovely town south of Dubrovnik, on Croatian coast. Among principal guests of the Festival this year will be a famous Croatian guitarist Ana Vidoviæ. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9774/1/Museum-of-Frogs-in-Lokve-Croatia.html In the village of Lokve in the region of Gorski Kotar in Croatia there is a unique museum devoted to frogs, called Muzej ¾aba - Museum of Frogs. Regular competitions are organized in frog jumping, which are very popular, among children as well as among grown-ups. Competitors with their frogs arrive from all over Croatia. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Wed, 08 Apr 2009 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9764/1/Sime-Strikoman-millenium-photos-of-Croatia.html ©ime Strikoman is the author of a series of unusual photos representing various aspects of Croatia. For example The Kutjevo Wine Cellars celebrate 777 years of existence, so he made a millenium photo. Equaly interesting are his photos related to the island of Pag, towns of ©ibenik, Zadar, Biograd, Split, etc. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9705/1/Wooden-Baroque-Church-from-1642-near-Zagreb.html The Church of St. Barbara in Zagreb is the most important example of folk wooden sacral architecture of the Baroque period in Croatia. It was built of oak timber in 1642. It is very near the Zagreb airport. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sat, 17 Jan 2009 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9687/1/Croatian-Natural-Heart-found-by-Google-Earth-on-Island-Galesnjak-near-Zadar.html On the coast of Croatia, is this gorgeous heart shaped island, lined on every side with golden sands. Honeymoon location anyone? Croatia has 1185 islands, and 66 among them inhabited. slaven1947@gmail.com (Prof.Dr. Slaven Letica) Wed, 31 Dec 2008 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9666/1/SNAV-MSC-Cruises-in-Dubrovnik.html In the last 7 years, MSC Cruises fleet brought over 700,000 guests to the Croatian city often nicknamed The Pearl of Adriatic - Dubrovnik, the only port in Croatia where passengers can embark MSC ships and start a vacation of their dreams. In 2008 alone MSC ships have called Dubrovnik 73 times carrying onboard over 200,000 passengers. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 05 Dec 2008 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9541/1/Spectacular-Monument-to-The-Sun-in-the-city-of-Zadar-by-Nikola-Baiae.html Nikola Ba¹iæ is the author of probably the most beautiful monument dedicated to the Sun that exists on the Earth. The monument is placed in the city of Zadar, on the Croatian coast, along with equally famous Zadar Sea Organ. This is one of greatest achievements of contemporary Croatian Art and Architecture. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9451/1/Put-Zagreb-Croatia-on-the-Monopoly-Board-Game---Help-our-tourism.html HELP OUR TOURISM. Every day you can vote again at  monopolyworldvote.com click on Zagreb, and then add to my cities and then VOTE to Vote to have Zagreb on next WORLD MONOPOLY gameboard it takes 30 seconds maximum. Ivobach2@aol.com (Ivo Bach) Wed, 30 Jan 2008 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9438/1/Enriching-experience-The-cream-of-Croatia-provides-a-fascinating-experience.html With miles of pristine beaches framed by dramatic mountains and impossibly clear Adriatic waters, more than a thousand picturesque islands ripe for hopping, and town upon ancient town bursting with faded Habsburg grandeur and dazzling Byzantine churches, Croatia provides a fascinating experience for any visitor. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 19 Jan 2008 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9433/1/Help-Cora-Yanacek-explore-the-Dalmatian-Coast.html   Cora Yanacek (left) wants to explore Croatia's Dalmatian Coast in May but hasn't been able to decide on the best approach: Stay at one resort and use that as a base? Travel by bus along the coast? Take a cruise? She'll be traveling by herself and needs to stay under $2,000, including airfare. larryvote@aol.com (Larry Cirignano) Tue, 15 Jan 2008 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9404/1/No-exaggeration-Croatia-truly-the-Jewel-of-Adriatic.html I had read that Croatia was called the "Jewel of the Adriatic," to which I had rolled my eyes thinking it another trite and  exaggerated description. But it had become clear from the moment we got in our rental car in the marble streets of Zadar to begin our drive south that the description was in fact quite modest. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 21 Dec 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9380/1/Who-Needs-Venice-When-Zagreb-Beckons.html   Take Vienna's florid architecture, throw in Budapest's bubbling cafe culture, and you get Zagreb, Croatia's grand capital. A showcase of fin-de-siecle architecture capped by two hilltop medieval towns, Zagreb's unexpected beauty is drawing sophisticated weekenders. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9378/1/1925-elegance-lives-in-Zagreb.html   The Regent Esplanade brought glamor and elegance to Zagreb in 1925 when it opened to cater to passengers of the famed Orient Express train route between Paris and Constantinople. Today the Esplanade offers a luxurious gateway to one of Central Europe's hottest destinations - Croatia. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 10 Dec 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9377/1/Watch-Croatia-in-primetime-on-the-Amazing-Race-tonight-on-CBS.html   Croatia will be featured on the December 9, 2007 episode of the Amazing Race.  The Amazing Race is an Emmy award winning reality program on CBS that features teams of two in a race around the world. Tune in to watch! stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Pulji�) Sun, 09 Dec 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9367/1/Newsletter-of-the-Croatian-National-Tourist-Office-December-2007.html Gorski Kotar is relatively less known region of Croatia located in the continental part, just half an hour drive from the Northern Adriatic Coast. With parks of nature and rich wooded areas, it is a great alternative for coastal vacation. During winter months, ski-lovers can enjoy in any of ski-resorts, like Platak or Bjelolasica. cntony@earthlink.net (Nena Komarica) Tue, 04 Dec 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9364/1/Vinjica-estate-offers-riding-of-Arabian-horses-and-looks-for-investment.html Guests of Vi¹njica on the north of Croatia can, beside visiting the fallow-deer breeding site and the stud farm, enjoy riding beautiful Arabian horses or spend a day walking, jogging or riding a bike through the nature. To bring the entire estate to its purpose we need capital investments. vladom@xnet.hr (Vladimir Mihajlovi�) Mon, 03 Dec 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9359/1/Nikola-Baiae-author-of-the-Zadar-Sea-Organ.html Nikola Ba¹iæ, on the left, is one of the pioneers of cultural tourism in Croatia, author of the project of the Zadar Sea Organ, the newly built urban musical attraction in the city of Zadar, Croatia. His principal collaborator was Ivan Stamaæ, expert in acoustics who contributed musical solutions to the project. The random music is created by sea waves and tubes. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 29 Nov 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9346/1/Introducing-mobiExplore-Croatia.html A new mobile travel guide - mobiEXPLORE, developed in Split, Croatia, was officially presented. More than 300,000 tourists walk around Croatia with mobile guide in their hands, reserving table in a restaurant, booking room in a hotel, sightseeing, listening stories about sights. vedran@gideon.hr (Vedran Prazen) Fri, 16 Nov 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9335/1/Scenic-Projection-for-Croatia-in-Edinburgh-Scotland.html   Thye Edinburgh company projected images of the country onto a building opposite the city's Balmoral Hotel. The event coincided with a visit to the Scottish Parliament by Croatia's president, Stjepan Mesic. The projection used images of Croatia, its flag and the Croatian Tourist Board's branding. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 05 Nov 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9256/1/Croatia-is-a-standout---by-Jon-Durbin.html   We actually traveled through five countries, beginning and ending our trip in Venice. In addition to Italy, the other four countries, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Montenegro are all part of the former Yugoslavia. While we have wonderful memories from the whole trip, Croatia is a standout. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 12 Sep 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9243/1/Americans-Flock-to-Croatia.html    letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 31 Aug 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9230/1/Croatia-The-New-Riveria.html With summer upon us, we face a serious question: where is the hottest place to soak up the sun?  martina.sola@sanmina-sci.com (Martina Sola) Thu, 23 Aug 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9175/1/Croatian-National-Tourist-office-Newsletter---August-2007.html     cntony@earthlink.net (Nena Komarica) Wed, 01 Aug 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9169/1/Interhome-expands-Croatia-offering.html  Croatia remains at the top of the "wish" list for many British holiday-makers and now there's even more choice for those who want the "home away from home" experience. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 01 Aug 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9170/1/Beaches-to-dive-for-with-Hidden-Croatia.html Hidden Croatia, the leading specialist tour operator, brings you the most outstanding beaches and diving spots along this rugged and breathtaking coast.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 31 Jul 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9165/1/Summer-2007-Hvar-Croatia.html  In our new resort report series we look at Hvar, Croatia and get the lowdown on the best places to eat and stay. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 29 Jul 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9160/1/A-Thousand-Leaps-of-Faith-in-Zadar-Croatia---World-Record.html     letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 27 Jul 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9152/1/ATP-18th-edition-of-Croatian-Institution-Studena-Croatia-Open-Umag-2007.html As we enter the 18th edition of the tournament...we proved the world that Umag's tournament is not only about tennis. A new look of the main square, an entertainment program just like those in the main world capitals. A Croatian Institution Studena Croatia Open Umag. Croatia Open Director, Slavko Rasberger (photo).   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9149/1/Children-play-with-a-dolphin-in-the-sea-off-the-Adriatic-coast-of-Croatia.html Children play with a dolphin in the sea off the Adriatic coastal town of Krilo Jesenice, Croatia. The baby dolphin was separated from his mother but later rescued when the school of dolphins returned to collect it   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 22 Jul 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9136/1/Czechs-love-Croatia.html Croatia is a country that Czech people love. The Croatian seashore helps Czechs restore their physical and mental condition, and Czech money helps Croatians to restore their post-war economy.   c.mateo@verizon.net (Martin Cvjetkovi�) Wed, 11 Jul 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9135/1/Flyglobespan-offers-new-route-to-Pula.html     stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Pulji�) Wed, 11 Jul 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9134/1/Croatia-All-at-sea.html  We left British shores as six strangers, split into two crews on a flotilla holiday across the azure waters of Croatia's spectacular coast. We returned as friends who had learnt a bit about sailing. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 08 Jul 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9128/1/Special-Deals-for-Australian-Tourists-to-Croatia.html    letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 05 Jul 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9114/1/Two-Americans-living-in-Dubrovnik.html Andrew and Michelle Kehoe have swapped the "big apple" for the peace and quiet of Dubrovnik. They first came here in 2006 and as they say fell in love with the city.   c.mateo@verizon.net (Martin Cvjetkovi�) Tue, 03 Jul 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9115/1/Iowans-on-the-go-Croatia-finds-peace-old-self.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 02 Jul 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9107/1/The-vulture-man-of-Croatia.html  Goran Susic runs an operation that helps conserve a surprisingly large local population of griffen vultures, which have become a tourist attraction, since he set up his centre in 1993. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 28 Jun 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9106/1/Get-fit-the-fun-way-with-an-Activity-Holiday-in-Croatia.html If you are always promising yourself an activity holiday, why not try one with a more adventurous edge? letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 28 Jun 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9051/1/Heritage-and-genealogy-of-Croatia-tour-hosted-by-Robert-Jerin-October-4---17-2007.html Join Robert Jerin, for this exploration of Croatia's history and heritage. Meet with local professionals working in genealogy while cruising the coastline and tour this country rich in culture.   rjerin26@yahoo.com (Robert Jerin) Wed, 30 May 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9005/1/Europe-2007-Zagreb-the-Continents-new-star.html  Now, in person, the capital of an at-last independent Croatia shows off its colors and vibrancy. Maybe it always was thus, but it never came to mind as one of the must-see cities on the Continent. no_e-mail@email.com (Ana Petercic) Wed, 28 Mar 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8971/1/Hidden-Croatia-Releases-Honeymoon-Brochure.html Hidden Croatia is pleased to announce the launch of their honeymoon brochure. Hidden Croatia have hand picked a selection of unique hotels letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 07 Mar 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8952/1/Online-Route-planner-For-Cycling-Trips-To-Croatia.html   Holidaymakers thinking of visiting Croatia can now get information online about cycling tours in Istria. Istria's tourist office in Porec has a multilingual service online, where a list of cycling routes can be found. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 20 Feb 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8951/1/A-View-With-a-Room.html The spectacular coast of Croatia is studded with centuries-old lighthouses. Eleven of them have vacation rentals that allow guests to play keeper for a week.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 20 Feb 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8919/1/Le-Meridien-Lav-Opens-First-Hotel-In-Split-Croatia.html   Le Méridien Lav is taking over the resort previously known as the Hotel Lav, giving it a $150 million renovation. The resort has 364 guestrooms with 17 suites and a Presidential Suite. The beach-front resort has seven bars and dining areas, tennis academy, private yacht marina, a casino and indoor and outdoor pools. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Pulji�) Tue, 30 Jan 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8918/1/Croatia---The-New-Foodie-Frontier.html Croatia has been my second home for nearly three decades. I learned to cook from my mother-in-law, in the tiny kitchen, two blocks from Zagreb's bustling, colorful open market. She taught me that the key to any successful dish began with selecting the freshest ingredients, preferrably local. Herbs and spices were also important.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 30 Jan 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8917/1/Terra-Incognita-Croatia-2007.html   Terra Incognita is an Expedition Adventure Race that covers over 400 km through Croatia - one of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes on the European Continent. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 30 Jan 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8903/1/Croatia-The-best-of-Europe.html Does Croatia cross your mind while you use a ball pen or knot your tie? Probably not, but not too many know that these mundane, every day things originate from this Mediterranean country (the ball pen was invented by a Croatian and the latter by Croat soldiers).  stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Pulji�) Thu, 18 Jan 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8896/1/Croatia-vs-Greece.html Greece has sharpened up its image, but Croatia needs no makeover. Summer holidays here are hype-free, a throwback to the Med as it used to be. Few bits of Europe compare with the southern Dalmatian coast. It has the cleanest seas in the Med (sorry, Greece); the sunniest islands in the Adriatic (Hvar and Mljet); and the longest, whitest beaches.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 14 Jan 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8836/1/Ten-best-places-in-Croatia.html     letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 24 Nov 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8810/1/Plitvice-Lakes-National-Park-Croatia.html In Croatia's rugged interior, a stone's throw from the Bosnian border, hides one of Europe's most exotic hikes: through Plitvice (PLEET-veet-seh) Lakes National Park. There's nothing like this lush valley of 16 terraced lakes, laced together by waterfalls and miles of pleasant plank walks. Years ago, after a dozen or so visits, I thought I really knew Europe. Then I discovered Plitvice, and realized you can never exhaust Europe of its surprises.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 10 Nov 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8785/1/Croatian-lace.html The annual exhbition of Croatian lace in the town of Lepoglava near Zagreb, showed amazing skills of our women in knitting, using subtle patterns of breathtaking beauty. The 10th International Lace Festival - Lepoglava 2006 has been very successfuly organized. The oldest testimony of lace making in Croatia is from the 15th century, mentioned in the minutes of the Dubrovnik Senat.   darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sat, 04 Nov 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8770/1/Truffle-fever-hits-Croatias-Istria-peninsula---for-their-supposed-aphrodisiac-effect.html   MOTOVUN WOODS, Croatia - It's 5:00 am and dawn is still far off, but Keti and Bela are already at work and don't seem to mind the cold autumn mist shrouding the Motovun woods in the heart of the Istria peninsula. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 03 Nov 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8702/1/Croatian-Highlights-and-History-Tour.html Are you interested in traveling to Croatia next year, but don't want to deal with the hassle of making an itinerary? Croatian-American photographer Don Wolf will be offering a guided tour of Croatia in 2007. Interested? Read more.   stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Pulji�) Wed, 13 Sep 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8649/1/Touring-Croatia-on-a-Bicycle.html   Increasingly tourists are asking for more from their holidays and gone are the days of merely lying on a beach for two weeks. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Pulji�) Sun, 03 Sep 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8648/1/Visit-Croatias-Grandest-Coastal-Town.html  Opatija is one of northern Croatia's grandest coastal towns and is an ideal place to see beautiful buildings, take in sea views and wander around colourful gardens.   stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Pulji�) Sun, 03 Sep 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8650/1/Yachts-and-Hot-Croatia.html  While there are bundles of cheap, more traditional holidays to pick up in the country, there is an alternative, swash-buckling way of enjoying Croatia's verdant beauty - that of a yacht race.   stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Pulji�) Sat, 26 Aug 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8610/1/Mario-Ancic-on-a-Zagreb-Tour.html Mario Ancic tours Zagreb, 3 minute video letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 13 Aug 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8595/1/E-Croatia-27-countries-at-2006-International-Finn-General-Assembly.html Croatia. 27 voting countries attend 2006 International Finn Association Annual General Assembly   Wednesday, 12 July 2006 Corinne McKenzie:The 2006 IFA Annual General Assembly took place on Sunday in the spectacular Archaeological Museum assembling over 70 participants and 27 voting countries (Finn class decisions are democratically taken on a yearly basis by the countries members of IFA). The Executive Committee members were re-elected with the inclusion of top Swedish sailor, Daniel Birgmark in the role of Vice President Sailing. He is replacing Ali Enver Adakan who after committing to the Finn class during many years has decided to reduce his sailing activities.Among the decisions taken, the Council voted to adopt the new Olympic format for the European and Finn Gold Cup, but will include providing racing on the last day for sailors not qualified in the top 10 final.For their last Olympic qualifying event which has to be outside of Europe, the Finn representatives have decided to return to Black Rock Yacht Club, Australia, for the 2008 Finn Gold Cup and chose the newly built Etrusca Marina in Puntone di Scarlino, Italy for the 2008 European Championship. Representatives from the Moscow Sailing School and Moscow City Sport Management presented the 2007 Finn Junior Championship. To respond to the increasing number of Juniors and with the limitation of entries imposed by ISAF for the 2007 ISAF Worlds in Cascais, the IFA executive committee has proposed to create a separate Junior World Championship every 4 years (in the year of the ISAF Worlds). With 100 complete boats available for racing in Moscow, it was logical to enjoy this opportunity to organise this inaugural Junior event there. Based on the same system as the ISAF Youth Worlds, participants will only have to organise their trip. Accommodation and food will be provided on the premises for all participants for a good rate while the equipment and coach boats will be provided at no cost. “It is a great development opportunity for the class and sailing generally, the Finn class will organise a clinic to increase the level of junior sailors” explained IFA President Dr. Balazs Hajdu.Other step towards development includes the “Web based Finn clinic” elaborated by Gus Miller and Jane Walker. All sailing topics will be covered in this tutorial interactive web based tool, where still and motion pictures will be available along with comments and interviews of top athletes and coaches in different languages.The Finn class welcomed the project and will participate with US$6,000 on an overall estimated budget of US$30,000. This great development tool will be available free of charge to any sailor at the end of 2006 and is predicted to be used not only by Finn sailors but also by other dinghy sailors and coaches.In order to generate sufficient income to cover the Finn development items, administration, measurement expertise and regatta organisation, IFA has voted in favour of increasing the equipment building fees for boats, masts and sails. In the last 3 years, the ISAF grant for Olympic classes was enough to cover these items. The decision by ISAF to cancel it this year is forcing most Olympic classes to find other source of income.The high demand from sailors to see the football final forced the AGM to be adjourned after the St Francis YC bid presentation for the 2009 FGC which received high interest from sailors and will be voted for in 2007 along with other bids. The remaining items in the agenda will be discussed on Tuesday evening.http://jklabud.hr/2006/index.php?regata=finn/ Last Updated ( Wednesday, 12 July 2006 ) http://www.bymnews.com/new/content/view/32214/48/ letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 12 Jul 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8594/1/E-Ecotourism-on-the-rise-in-Croatia.html Ecotourism on the rise in Croatia  07/07/2006Most visitors to Croatia come for the beaches and islands. But an emerging trend in tourism is drawing more and more of them inland, while also helping to boost ecological awareness.By Kristina Cuk for Southeast European Times in Zagreb -- 07/7/06Snowboarder_Brezovica_Croatia.jpgA snowboarder hits the slopes in Brezovica, Croatia. [Getty Images]Ecological tourism is a rapidly developing branch of tourism, appealing to those eager to follow the road less travelled, see natural treasures firsthand, relax in the countryside, enjoy traditional cuisine and -- most importantly -- preserve the environment. Such tourists are drawn to locations offering natural rugged beauty and diversity of animal and plant life. They enjoy activities such as cycling, mountain climbing, horseback riding, swimming, fishing and hiking. Alternatively, some come to plant trees or clean up the area.Because of its unique geographical location, Croatia stands to benefit from this emerging trend. It is a country of great regional diversity, with mountains, lowlands, coastlines, rivers and lakes. Summer tourism is usually concentrated along the coast and centres on the sea and islands. Now, however, ecological and rural tourism is leading more and more visitors to turn their focus inland.Across the country, cabins, motels and even small castles are being opened, while traditional old houses are undergoing renovation. Guests can relax and take in the scenery while enjoying domestic cuisine prepared according to the specific customs of each particular area.Ecotourism is growing rapidly and will be profitable in years to come, says the owner of one rural house near Zagreb. Croatia's coming entry into the EU means more financial support for these endeavours, as well as the likelihood of more visitors.However, this style of tourism is not only about enjoyment. It also aims at developing greater awareness of and responsibility towards the natural environment. The United States, for instance, has an organisation called "Green Hostels" that how to travel responsibly by following certain ecological rules. These include using organised transport rather than renting cars, cleaning up waste, and conserving water while showering. While eco-tourism remains a new phenomenon in Croatia, over time it may help foster similar awareness in this country too.http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2006/07/07/feature-02   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 07 Jul 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8593/1/E-Croatia-Glows---A-simple-appreciation-of-life-and-love-that-requires-no-analysis.html Croatia Glows  SIMONA RABINOVITCH A simple appreciation of life and love that requires no analysis, a sensibility Croatia continues to embrace.From Saturday's Globe and MailZagreb — Two groomsmen duck into the courtyard for a smoke. I watch them from the restaurant doorway, taking in their black tuxedos, champagne grins, and stumbly ease with one another. The serene, magnolia darkness offers a much-needed break from the heated conversation at our table.I'm dining with two other foreign journalists and a group of locals at Okrugljak, an eatery just outside Zagreb. We had all met for the first time a few hours earlier in the lobby of the Regent Esplanade hotel, but any awkwardness at dinner is soon soothed by the relaxed chatter and laughter of the families filling the dining room — not to mention the bevanda, a traditional Croatian mixture of red wine and water.In fact, we feel so at ease that our uncensored chit-chat reveals cultural differences. For instance, the New Yorker in our entourage can't understand why requesting a doggie bag for my dessert might be a faux-pas. "You've heard of fast food? This is slow food," says our hostess Amelia Tomasevic, graciously looking us each in the eye, as Croats do.The evening was the first of many that would highlight the contrast between North America's rat race and Croatia's laid-back lifestyle. A decade removed from civil war, the union of Old World warmth and modern sophistication — everyone, for instance, seems to own fancy cellphones — is one reason Croatia is regaining its A-list status among jet setters and discriminating European travellers. Actors Sean Connery, Gwyneth Paltrow and Tom Cruise have been spotted vacationing (separately) on the Dalmatian Coast. Princess Caroline of Monaco is reportedly buying one of the 1,185 islands in the region, and Robert e Niro, Clint Eastwood and Sharon Stone are also rumoured to be eyeing real-estate along Croatia's 1,778-kilometre Adriatic coastline.Many influential publications — from GQ and CondàNast Traveler magazines to National Geographic and the New York Times — are dubbing this Adriatic country "the new Riviera," equating Croatia with what Western Europe once was, before the onset of commercialism and gaudiness. The Dalmatian Coast — notably lavender-skinned Hvar Island and the ancient resort town of Split — is being referred to as "the new CÃÂte d'Azur." Dubrovnik, the thousand-year-old seaside city of marble streets and stone walls that poet Lord Byron called "the pearl of the Adriatic," is "the new St-Tropez." Inland, the green hills and wineries of Istria make up "the new Tuscany."Despite the recent hype, Croatia remains refreshingly inexpensive compared with such Mediterranean destinations as Italy, France and Spain. Main courses of grilled sea bass and roasted lamb in the finest restaurants, for example, usually remain well below the $20 mark.Wine with dinner is also quite inexpensive ($10 to $20 for a bottle of Istria's white malmsey or red teran), but a round of cocktails in a popular club may yield a Toronto-esque tab. Of course, prices in Zagreb and the country's popular coastal towns jump drastically during the crowded summer months, but during the off-season — September through May — are well below Western European levels.Croatia's position between Eastern and Western Europe has allowed Italian, German, Hungarian, Mediterranean, Balkan and Slavic customs to surface in its art, food, architecture, and society. The latter is noticeable in the hospitable and strikingly attractive population. Visitors hoping men will measure up to Croatian actor Goran Visnjic — sexy Dr. Luka Kovac on TV's ER — won't be disappointed.Which brings me back to the tipsy groomsmen, who had been part of a wedding taking place in a banquet hall adjoining the restaurant. Theirs was the seventh ceremony I had come across earlier that day, strolling through the city's medieval Upper Town. (The Lower Town, meanwhile, is home to most of the city's 50 museums and galleries, as well as countless parks, shops, cafÃÂs, and trendy nightclubs like Boogalo, Sokol, Saloon, and Gap club.) Weaving my way through the Upper Town's cobblestone laneways, wedding parties spilled into the streets, drawing me into flurries of flashbulbs and satin, then spitting me out the other side. Truth be told, walking through moments of other people's happiness made me feel like the ultimate tourist. I realized I was a stranger not only to this country, but to the ease with which Croats interact and rejoice.But life in Croatia isn't all easygoing dinners and wedded bliss. The other side of this kuna (Croatia's currency) is rampant unemployment, relatively low wages, corruption, and declining standards of living. Some of these problems stem from the civil war and transition from a socialist-communist economy. But nobody talks about the past. At least, not to me. Things they do talk about: Whether or not to join the European Union. Art, music, movies, sex, sports.Leisure is certainly important here, and most Croats love to sit with their coffee. In Zagreb, I did just that at the elegant Regent Esplanade, a five-star, art-deco hotel built in 1925 for passengers of the Orient Express. (The train station is still across the street).For handicrafts, housewares, and fresh fruit and vegetables, don't miss Zagreb's outdoor Dolac market, nor the beautiful Mirogoj cemetery, which is also a flower-filled park and houses an outdoor sculpture gallery. For people-watching and cafàculture, Trg Jelacic is the bustling town square linking the city's upper and lower halves.Leaving the capital with Nino, our driver, at the wheel of a rented car, our dinner group heads north into Istria after two days in Zagreb. This region is so close to Italy that it feels Italian — its population includes a 10-per-cent minority of ethnic Italians. Asparagus grow like dandelions in Istria's hilly green interior, where other culinary specialties include cheese and truffles.A pair of villages — each perched on a mountaintop, separated like estranged cousins — have witnessed the region's slow evolution since medieval times. Motovun, which local legend says was once inhabited by giants, was fortified by the Venetians in the 14th century. Every July during the Motovun Film Festival, fans of independent cinema overrun the town and pitch tents in the surrounding foothills (a practise that has yielded the nickname "Film Woodstock").The other village is Groznjan, less famous, but in my mind just as alluring. Walled in the 12th century, this artist colony emanates stillness, as if the forces of modernism can't make it up the hill (I wasn't sure our car would, either). I fantasize about living there, just to write.I'm in good company. In 1904, James Joyce moved from Trieste, Italy, to Pula, the Istrian port town where Roman ruins stand beside busy, modern shops. (He lived there for a year with his partner Nora Barnacle, writing and teaching English to Austro-Hungarian officers.)In the town centre near the majestic Arch of Sergius (erected in 27 BC) and Temple of Augustus (2 BC to AD 12), we happen upon a brass band performing on a side street near the town square; a gastronomical festival; even an archeological dig beside the temple, where a woman in a red suit barks directions at archeologists who, just five days earlier, had uncovered the original pavement of the town's Roman forum. Pula's main attraction — its first-century Roman amphitheatre — is now used as a concert venue for big rock shows.The next day we drive to Opatija, a lovely seaside resort town in the neighbouring Kvarner region that was once the preferred playground of the Austro-Hungarian elite. Its 12-kilometre-long waterfront promenade offers great views of Cres, Croatia's largest island.Accessible by ferry, Cres is a rocky landscape of ancient towns and sandy beaches. Cres Town evokes an Italian fishing village, while northern Cres is home to the Eco-Centre Caput Insulae, a sanctuary for griffon vultures. An "outdoor museum" of walking trails leads us through forests, medieval ruins and stone sculptures inscribed with ancient Glagolitic script.Back in Opatija, the freshest of fish is served at Mali Raj, a family-owned seafood restaurant nestled into the coastline. For dessert, we sip sorbetta, a marvellous concoction of lime sorbet whipped with vodka. Our host is Ante Stampalija, a jolly, robust gentleman from a long line of fisherman who personified the Mediterranean way of life I am beginning to covet. "We say fish three times swim," he jokes. "First in the sea, second in olive oil, and third in wine — when you drink it."During the next day's four-hour drive to Plitvice Lakes National Park, a World Heritage Site of 16 lakes connected by waterfalls, Nino suggests we stop for espresso at a roadside bar. This break in the action reminds me of my favourite moment of the trip: Of that first night in Zagreb when I stood outside, smelled the flowers, and watched two guys share a cigarette.Suddenly, I understand what people miss when they reminisce about the old days: a simple appreciation of life and love that requires no analysis — a sensibility Croatia continues to embrace.!Special to The Globe and MailGETTING THERE Although Air Canada doesn't fly to Croatia, fellow Star Alliance member Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com) operates flights to Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik from various airports in Western Europe. National carrier Croatia Airlines (www.croatiaairlines.hr) also operates flights to European hubs. WHERE TO STAY Regent Esplanade: Mihanoviceva 1, Zagreb; 1-800-545-4000; www.regenthotels.com. Built in 1925 for passengers of the Orient Express, this five-star property combines traditional elegance and contemporary chic. Rooms start at $200 a night. Hotel Kastel: Trg Andrea Antico 7, Motovun; 385 (1) 5268 1607; www.hotel-kastel-motovun.hr. Located in the town square of this ancient hilltop village. Rooms start at $55. Hotel Bristol: Lica Marsala Tita 108, Opatija; 385 (1) 5170 6300; hotel-bristol.hr. Newly renovated, this seaside four-star has retained its architectural highlights dating back to 1906. Rooms start at $100. WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK Okrugljak: Mlinovi 28, Zagreb; 385 (1) 467 4112; www.okrugljak.hr . A splendid traditional family restaurant with an adjoining banquet hall. Mali Raj: Opatija; 385 (1) 5170 4074. With a name that translates to "Little Paradise," this restaurant and pension specializes in seafood fresh from the Adriatic it overlooks.! THINGS TO DO Motovun Film Festival: www.motovunfilmfestival.com. Annual festival takes over the village from July 24 to 28. Eco-Centre Caput Insulae: Beli 4, Island of Cres; 385 (5) 184 0525; www.caput-insulae.com. This private non-profit organization houses a sanctuary for endangered griffon vultures, as well as an "outdoor museum" of walking trails. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060708.wcroatiatrav0708/BNStory/specialTravel/home letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 07 Jul 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8591/1/E-Cocktail-from-10000-feet-has-been-launched-in-Croatia.html HIGH-FLYING COCKTAIL The ultimate cocktail which can only be mixed by a barman freefalling from 10,000 feet has been launched in Croatia. The Wings of Zadar cocktail, based on the local Maraschino liqueur, is poured upside down so that the drink flies upwards into the mixer, and then shaken as the barman performs a series of somersaults. The drink is chilled by the freezing air rushing over the shaker - and then served on landing to the customer. Drinks creator Ante Butic, who has been serving the drinks to clients on the beach at Zadar, said: "The high altitude mix gives the drink a distinct flavour. "It is really popular, the service is sponsored by the local tourism board but who knows, maybe I might carry on if I can find enough rich customers who want to try the ultimate cocktail." source: www.ananova.com/ May 30, 2006 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 14 Jun 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8592/1/E-Former-Derby-County-defender-opens-hotel-in-Croatia.html Former Derby County defender opens hotel in Croatia  (13 June 2006 15:52)Former Derby County defender Igor Stimac has opened a Â10m hotel in his home country of Croatia, and is preparing to welcome some of England's national team to the hotel after the World Cup.Reopening the 111-year-old hotel Therapia in Crikvenica in the northern Adriatic last week, Stimac said Frank Lampard and Joe Cole were set to spend their holidays there after the tournament."I expect more celebrities,” he said at the launch of the hotel he bought two-and-a-half years ago.The four-star Therapia was built in 1895, when Franz Josef ruled the Austro-Hungarian Empire.It has 113 rooms, several apartments, two restaurants, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a massage centre, a dance terrace and tennis and miniature golf courses.Besides playing for Derby County and West Ham, Stimac won the bronze medal with the Croatian national team at World Cup 1998 in France.By Jim Glennhttp://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2006/06/13/307175/Former+Derby+County+defender+opens+hotel+in+Croatia.htm Hotel Therapia - www.therapia.hr  Hotel Therpia Contact and locationBraÇe Buchoffer 12, 51260 Crikvenica, Croatiatel: +385(0)51 785-063, fax: +385(0)51 785-072e-mail: therapia@jadran-crikvenica.hr , therapia@adria-crikvenica.hr , therapia@booking.hr letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 13 Jun 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8305/1/E-Croatias-so-hyped-that-prices-are-rising-by-the-minute.html See Croatia's Adriatic pearls from $20/nightVisit World Heritage sites, sleep in a lighthouse, take a kayak tourUpdated: 11:44 a.m. ET May 18, 2006Book by: ASAP Travel by: Through September 2006 The deal: Long gone is the time when Croatia was a no-go war-ridden zone. In fact, the country's comeback has been so glamorous that it currently ranks as one of Europe's hottest summer vacation spots. Since its economy doesn't rely on the euro, a visit here is definitely great value, but peak-season airfare can still be known to break the bank. You'll be able to discover this new "it" destination with the four deals we've found, ranging from an escorted eight-night air-and-hotel Adriatic combo from $2,199 to a historic lighthouse overnight from less than $20/nightDalmatian sunshine for $2,499The best-value summer fling to Croatia is currently on offer by Gate1Travel: the escorted 10-day Dalmatian Coast escapade for just $2,499. In addition to air from New York, known to run over $1,500 during summer months, this stellar special covers eight-night hotel stays; 14 meals; guided sightseeing with entrance fees; and all transfers. The itinerary includes sojourns in Dubrovnik, also known as "the pearl of the Adriatic"; the historic port city of Split; the breathtaking Plitvice National Park with its terraced lakes; Sloveniaâs lake village of Bled; and Croatiaâs picturesque capital of Zagreb. Other stops en route are the stunning Postojna Caves; the immaculately preserved historic town of Trogir; and the elegant Opatija sea resort.Lodgings provided throughout are at properties like the four-star Sheraton in downtown Zagreb. At this price, you can pick between the following departures: June 23; July 7 and 21; August 18; and September 1. Save $300 on fall toursSummer may be the peak season for visiting Croatia but what most people donât know is that early fall is just as beautiful and less crowded to boot. So if you want to save a serious chunk of change, we recommend an autumn jaunt to this European treasure. Go-Today's deal is the best one going here, as $2,199 gets you exactly the same inclusions as above and itâs good for travel between September 15 and October 27. Youâll save $300 over summer departures plus youâll have the Dalmatian gems practically to yourself. On top of destinations mentioned above, other highlights of the extensive itinerary include a visit to the Roman-era Diocletianâs Palace in Split, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site; a pit stop in Sloveniaâs charming capital city of Ljubljana; and a stopover in Croatiaâs Zadar, the oldest Slavic city on the Adriatic. Kayak around the Adriatic for $2,390How about a little adventure thrown into your Croatia stay? If the idea rocks your boat, we suggest Travel Timeâs Dubrovnik and Dalmatian islands kayaking trip for $2,390. Valid for weekly Saturday departures through August, this 11-day odyssey covers air from New York, with transfers; three nights at midrange Hotel Lero in Dubrovnik; seven nights at privately owned guesthouses; daily breakfast, five lunches and three dinners; and all local taxes. But hereâs the best part: This fun trip includes eight days of kayaking in small groups around Sipan and Lopud islands or Korcula Island. September is also a great time to go, with weather perfectly pleasant, sea temperatures still balmy and prices for the same package down to $1,990. Add-ons from other getaways are available at low prices: From Boston, itâs $50 more; from Chicago, it costs $110 extra; L.A. or San Francisco departures increase the price by $250. Lighten up with a lighthouse stay in Croatia this JuneWe also have a unique travel suggestion if you can pack up and head to Croatia in short order. Why not lighten up with a stay at one of the historic lighthouses along the Adriatic and save 10 percent off rack rates for stays through June? You can pick between 11 lighthouses, located both on the mainland and on small islets out in the open sea. Each property features well-appointed apartments with fully-equipped kitchens and TVs. Most of the lighthouses have a resident keeper, so you wonât have to play Robinson Crusoe, but you will have to bring your own groceries and drinking water and be prepared to cook as there are no on-premise facilities.Note that thereâs a one-week minimum stay, from Saturday to Saturday only. Per person rates (before the discount) start at $17/night for a stay at Struga Lighthouse on the island of Lastovo and go up to $38/night at the hilltop Palagruza Lighthouse on a remote island of the same name.The dollars: See details above. The packages exclude air taxes and fees, while the lighthouse stays exclude boat transfers (if you pick one of the island lighthouses). The catch: Croatiaâs so hyped that prices are rising by the minute. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12853420/ letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 18 May 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8304/1/E-Jack-Nicklaus-will-build-Signature-Golf-Course-in-Croatia.html ÂNicklaus will build course in CroatiaVartan Kupelian / The Detroit NewsJack Nicklaus was in Croatia last weekend for a meeting with Prime Minister Dr. Ivo Sanader in Zagreb, the capital city,where they announced the first Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course in that country. A contract signing ceremony Sundaylaunched the project at Porto Mariccio Resort, a community on the Istrian Peninsula.Nicklaus' design firm has courses open for play in 28 countries. Croatia will be No. 29, and 19 other countries are beingadded to the roster."This is one more country that five years ago we, as a firm, never dreamed we would have the opportunity to be involved in asfar as developing golf," said Tim Kenny, executive vice-president for Nicklaus Design.There are currently three courses in Croatia, but with the country being touted by National Geographic as a top destination, thenumber is sure to spiral.Tribute eventJay Delsing finished fifth last week at the Nationwide Tour's Rheem Classic. Delsing was the halfway leader. It's noteworthybecause Delsing was mourning the death of his father, Jim Delsing , who played center field for the Tigers years ago. Delsingplayed as a tribute to his father."I didn't feel much like playing golf I don't know what I'm feeling," Delsing said. "I've never experienced anything like thisbefore. It's obviously life-changing."Robbins to OpenKelly Robbins and Michelle Wie have accepted special exemptions for the 2006 U.S. Women's Open, June 29-July 2, atNewport (R.I.) Country Club.Robbins, 36, a Mt. Pleasant native, was exempt for the 2005 championship but had to withdraw due to a back injury thatcaused her to miss most of last year. Robbins has played in the Women's Open 14 times and has won more money,$805,695, than anyone who has not won the title.Million dollar manLoren Roberts won $88,000 with his third-place finish on the Champions Tour on Sunday and, in eight events, has gone overthe $1 million mark. That ties Roberts with Hale Irwin for the quickest to seven figures to start a season.Roberts, who has a game fit for the TPC of Michigan in Dearborn, site of the Ford Seniors Players Championship in July, has10 consecutive top-10 finishes dating back to last year.Moore returnsIf you're wondering what's become of Ryan Moore , the young golfer who turned professional last June and earned his PGATour playing card in just 10 starts, he's back. Moore had hand surgery early this year.He will tee it up this week at the Bank of America Colonial, seven weeks after the operation.Ferris secondFerris State's women's golf team placed second -- its best finish ever -- in the NCAA Division II championships Saturday atThe Meadows Golf Club in Allendale, Mich.The Bulldogs finished six shots behind Rollins (Fla.), which was at 919 (55-over-par) in the 54-hole event and won its fourthconsecutive national championship. Lynn (Fla.) was third and host Grand Valley State was fourth.Ferris junior Casey McKinnon (St. Ignace, Mich.) and senior Elena Robles tied for third overall at 10-over 226. FreshmanMeghan Hunter (Dexter, Mich.) was 13th at 237.http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060516/SPORTS04/605160435/1048/SPORTS04 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 18 May 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8306/1/E-New-Night-Ferry-Services-in-Croatia.html ÂNight ferry services connecting islands to operate as of JuneZAGREB, April 20 (Hina) - The Croatian Government has decided that additional night ferry services be introduced for islands Cres/Losinj, Rab, Ugljan/Pasman, Brac and Hvar as of 1 June.The new lines will connect the islands with the mainland between 2300 hrs and 0400 hrs.The Ivo Sanader cabinet on Thursday decided to ensure 5.8 million kuna (approx. 789,000 euros) as state subsidies for this purpose. The new services will be in place through the whole year.|News|Hina| April 20, 2006 - letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 17 May 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8303/1/H-Arthur-Frommer-izdao-turisticki-vodic-za-Hrvatsku.html ÂArthur Frommer izdao turistički vodič za HrvatskuWASHINGTON - Najpoznatiji američki turistički vodič Arthur Frommer's izdao je u ponedjeljak prvi svibnja i prvi samostalni vodič za Hrvatsku. U publikaciji "Frommer's Croatia" na 340 stranica su dane turističke destinacije u Hrvatskoj za svako godiÅnje doba i svačiji džep. Autorica vodiča Karen Torme Olson započinje vodič s Dubrovnikom, predstavlja Dalmaciju i Istru, a nije propustila dati Amerikancima informacije i o kontinentalnoj Hrvatskoj, mjestima koja se mogu posjetiti u Zagrebu i okolici, Zagorju te Slavoniji i Podravini. Ovaj vodič će biti važno pomagalo američkim turistima i može potaknuti njihova putovanja u Hrvatsku. Frommerove vodiče američki turisti najčeÅće koriste kao pouzdan izvor informacija kako za putovanja po Americi tako i inozemstvu. Na naslovnoj stranici vodiča je fotografija Dubrovnika s pogledom na katedralu, a u njemu je autorica uz korisne informacije i karte opisala zanimljivosti kojima je svjedočila putujući Hrvatskom. (Hina) letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 17 May 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/1/1/H-35-obljetnica-Hrvatske-Katolicke-Misije-u-New-Yorku.html Submitted by: fr. Robert Zubovic Date: Apr 28, 06 Category: Religion35. obljetnica Hrvatske Katolicke Misije u New Yorku   KONCERT: Povodom proslave 35. obljetnice Hrvatske Katolicke Misije u New Yorku na prigodan nacin bit ce obiljezena i 100-ta obljetnica rodjenja velikog hrvatskog skladatelja Borisa Papondopula. Na koncertu prije svecane mise njujorski ansambl "St. Raphael Cappella" izvest ce Papandopulovu skladbu Impresije za puhace. Bit ce izvedena i cuvena Sinfonietta op. 10 Lisztova ucenika i romanticnog skladatelja Joachima Raffa, jedno od monumentalnih djela za puhace. St. Raphael Cappella sastoji se od vrhunskih profesionalnih glazbenika Vojne Akademije SAD-a West Point kao i od povremenih clanova iz Julliard School of Music u New Yorku. Glazbeni ravnatelj i dirigent sastava je prof. Drago Bubalo, koji je od 1999. - 2003. djelovao u RH kao dirigent Orkestra Hrvatske vojske. MISA. Tijekom Svecane Sv. Mise pjevat ce se poznata Hrvatska Misa don Sime Marovica, kapelnika Splitske Katedrale. Misa je skladana za soliste, muski ansambl, mjesoviti zbor, orgulje i orkestar, te je praizvedena tijekom posjete Sv. Oca Ivana Pavla II Splitu 1998. godine. Nastupa Hrvatski Zbor u New Yorku (novi pjevacki sastav od 50-tak clanova kojeg je okupio zupnik don Robert Zubovic), Klapa Astoria, Rade .... i don Robert Zubovic kao solisti, a uz pratnju puhackog orkestra "St. Raphael Cappella" pod ravnanjem Drage Bubala. Formatted for CROWN by Nenad Bach   Distributed by CroatianWorld.net. This message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and their Friends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed on this list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please delete or destroy all copies of this communication and please, let us know! Ivobach2@aol.com (Ivo Bach) Sat, 29 Apr 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/1/1/H-35-obljetnica-Hrvatske-Katolicke-Misije-u-New-Yorku.html Submitted by: fr. Robert Zubovic Date: Apr 28, 06 Category: Religion35. obljetnica Hrvatske Katolicke Misije u New Yorku   KONCERT: Povodom proslave 35. obljetnice Hrvatske Katolicke Misije u New Yorku na prigodan nacin bit ce obiljezena i 100-ta obljetnica rodjenja velikog hrvatskog skladatelja Borisa Papondopula. Na koncertu prije svecane mise njujorski ansambl "St. Raphael Cappella" izvest ce Papandopulovu skladbu Impresije za puhace. Bit ce izvedena i cuvena Sinfonietta op. 10 Lisztova ucenika i romanticnog skladatelja Joachima Raffa, jedno od monumentalnih djela za puhace. St. Raphael Cappella sastoji se od vrhunskih profesionalnih glazbenika Vojne Akademije SAD-a West Point kao i od povremenih clanova iz Julliard School of Music u New Yorku. Glazbeni ravnatelj i dirigent sastava je prof. Drago Bubalo, koji je od 1999. - 2003. djelovao u RH kao dirigent Orkestra Hrvatske vojske. MISA. Tijekom Svecane Sv. Mise pjevat ce se poznata Hrvatska Misa don Sime Marovica, kapelnika Splitske Katedrale. Misa je skladana za soliste, muski ansambl, mjesoviti zbor, orgulje i orkestar, te je praizvedena tijekom posjete Sv. Oca Ivana Pavla II Splitu 1998. godine. Nastupa Hrvatski Zbor u New Yorku (novi pjevacki sastav od 50-tak clanova kojeg je okupio zupnik don Robert Zubovic), Klapa Astoria, Rade .... i don Robert Zubovic kao solisti, a uz pratnju puhackog orkestra "St. Raphael Cappella" pod ravnanjem Drage Bubala. Formatted for CROWN by Nenad Bach   Distributed by CroatianWorld.net. This message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and their Friends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed on this list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please delete or destroy all copies of this communication and please, let us know! Ivobach2@aol.com (Ivo Bach) Sat, 29 Apr 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8307/1/E-Wanda-Radetti-Croatia-a-destination-for-baby-boomers.html ÂWanda Radetti:Croatia a destination for baby boomersÂhttp://www.croatia.org/crown/oldphotos/Wanda.pdf  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 22 Mar 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8309/1/E-Croatias-Tourism-Has-Great-Potential.html ÂCroatia's Tourism Has Great Potential - Austrian Minister Croatia has great potential in tourism, Austrian Economy and Labour Minister Martin Bartenstein told a news briefing in Vienna on Tuesday at the end of a two-day conference on tourism.The conference, called "Tourism and Culture - A Key to Development and Employment in Europe", pooled tourism ministers from European Union member-states, acceding countries, candidate countries including Croatia, western Balkan countries and officials from international organisations."The Dalmatian coast is splendid," Bartenstein said, adding that as soon Croatia joined the EU, the Dalmatian coast would enjoy great European prospects regarding tourism development.The State Secretary of the Croatian Tourism Ministry, Zdenko Micic, who led the Croatian delegation at the conference, agreed that Croatia had much to offer as regards tourism.Guenther Verheugen, the European Commission Vice President and Commissioner responsible for Enterprise and Industry, told the news conference that Croatia was making great headway in tourism development.Verheugen stressed that tourists who had spent their holiday in Croatia last year were not only Germans or guests from other Western European countries but also those from new EU member-states, including the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland.This is the secret of success and it contributed to Croatia's success in tourism, he stressed.The conference was organised by current EU president Austria, Finland and the European Commission.Tuesday , 21 March 2006http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=28346 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 21 Mar 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8308/1/E-UK-lifts-visa-regime-for-Croatia.html ÂUK lifts visa regime for CroatiaÂ01/03/2006(London/Zagreb, DTT-NET.COM)- After more than 6 years the United Kingdom visa regime for Croatia will be lifted on 22 March 2006, the embassy in Zagreb announced on Wednesday.According to the decision tourist, business and family visits for up to 6 months will NOT require a visa. Transit visas are abolished also and visas are not required for Croats who want to study for up to 6 months in the United Kingdom. Croats who intend to stay in the United Kingdom for a period of more than 6 months a visa will be required. However as with other non-EU citizens, Croatian citizens will be subject to immigration control on entering the UK and will have to satisfy the immigration authorities on entry that their visa complies with UK immigration law. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 20 Mar 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8310/1/E-Travel-to-Croatia-A-Beginners-Guide-by-Jeanne-Oliver.html ÂTravel to Croatia: A Beginner's GuideFebruary 28, 2006by Jeanne Oliver Croatia has quickly become Europe's hottest destination, and for good reason. The rocky coastline continues for 1778 kilometres and includes pine-fringed coves, wide sandy beaches and cozy inlets. As if that weren't enough, there are a good 1185 islands that range from lush and wooded to stark and hilly. Yachties love the sailing opportunities, sunbathers have an incredible choice of beaches and scuba divers have a paradise of sea life to explore. Beyond the pretty scenery, Croatia also boasts a fascinating history and cultural life.The walled city of Dubrovnik on its southern tip is a must-stop for Mediterranean cruises but the long coast is littered with remnants of Croatia's varied past. The Romans swept through two thousand years ago, leaving an amphitheatre in Pula and Diocletian's Palace in Split. Long ruled by Venice, many ports along the coast bear the distinctive imprint of its former master. In southern Dalmatia, the towns of Hvar and Korcula resemble Little Venices without the canals. In Istria, the striking bell tower in Rovinj is modeled after that on St Mark's Square in Venice. In contrast to the Italian-influenced coast, the Croatian interior was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and looks it. Zagreb, Croatia's capital, has the kind of stately architecture that wouldn't be out of place in Vienna or Budapest. Plus,it has a small medieval quarter that vaguely resembles Prague.To the north of Zagreb, in the middle of green, rolling hills, lies Varazdin, Croatia's most underrated city. Lying too far from the coast to attract much tourism, Varazdin nevertheless boasts a stunningly well-preserved baroque center. So, what to see first? Following is my personal list of highlights for a Croatian visit: Dubrovnik Byron called it the "Pearl of the Adriatic" for the magnificent curtain of walls surrounding a city paved in marble and strewn with Renaissance sculpture. Hvar Town In addition to the splendid harbor promenade and sculptured facades, it's becoming known for the best nightlife on the Adriatic. Korcula Town It resembles Hvar in some ways, especially the narrow cluster of streets,but iit lies on a narrow peninsula and is quieter. Rovinj Istria's prettiest little town, it retains the flavor of a traditional fishing port despite the heavy influx of tourists in recent years. Plitvice Lakes National Park It has to be seen to be believed. The 16 turquose lakes seem to glow and there are waterfalls everywhere. It's a UNESCO world heritage site. Brela Beach The idyllic coves, bordered with pine trees, stretch out like a long necklace of beaches. Forbes magazine recently named it one of the top twenty beaches in the world. No matter where you go in Croatia, you'll find people eager to welcome tourists after the grueling war of the early 1990s. English is widely spoken and costs are comparatively reasonable compared to the rest of the European coast. So what are you waiting for? Jeanne Oliver is the author of this article. She has written all three editions of Lonely Planet's Croatia guidebook. To find out more about traveling to Croatia including accommodation, car rentals, ferry schedules and itineraries, visit Jeanne's website, http://www.croatiatraveller.com. This article represents the views and opinions of the author and not of www.dailyindia.com.http://www.dailyindia.com/show/4338.php  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 09 Mar 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8311/1/E-Easyjet-launches-more-flights-to-Croatia-from-Bristol.html ÂEasyjet launches more flights to CroatiaThursday, 09 Mar 2006 09:34 Split, Croatia, is an ideal point for exploring the islands of Hvar and Brac Printer friendly version Easyjet is launching cheap flights to a further five cities on top of last week's move into three new markets. Hot on the heels of its new route to Croatia's third largest city, Rijeka, the low-fares airline revealed it will be flying to Split, Croatia's second largest city after Zagreb, from May. The addition of Split to the airline's rosters is good news for holidaymakers, as the city is an ideal launch point for the exploration of Croatia's islands such as Hvar and Brac. Easyjet is also increasing its routes to France and Italy, with Ajaccio in Corsica, Bordeaux, La Rochelle and Rimini new destinations for the airline. It has added five new routes from Bristol to Rijeka, Toulouse, Krakow, La Rochelle and Marseille, and revealed plans to launch flights between Edinburgh and Alicante in the summer. "This is a significant announcement from Easyjet," said Andrew Harrison, Easyjet chief executive. "As well as adding a further Croatian city to the network, we are delighted to be growing even further at our Bristol base, from where we will carry almost three million passengers in the coming year." Easyjet's new routes London Gatwick to Split, Croatia – launches May 2nd, four times a week (Tue, Wed, Thu, Sat) with one-way fares from Â25.99. London Luton to Bordeaux, France – launches June 29th, daily, with one-way fares starting from Â25.99. London Luton to Rimini, Italy- launches June 29th, four times a week (Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun) with one-way fares starting from Â25.99. Edinburgh to Alicante, Spain – launches May 20th, Saturdays only, with one-way fares starting from Â30.99. Bristol to Toulouse, France – launches July 21st, daily, with one-way fares starting from Â20.99. Bristol to Krakow, Poland – launches July 21st, four times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun), with one-way fares starting from Â25.99. Bristol to La Rochelle, France – launches July 21st, four times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun), with one-way fares starting from Â20.99. Bristol to Marseille, France – launches July 22nd, three times a week (Tue, Thu, Sat), with one-way fares starting from Â20.99. Bristol to Rijeka, Croatia – launches July 22nd, three times a week (Tue, Thu, Sat), with one-way fares starting from Â25.99. Paris Orly to Ajaccio, Corsica – launches July 14th, daily, with one-way fares starting from €34.99. http://www.travelbite.co.uk/news/flights/cheap-flight/easyjet-launches-more-flights-croatia-france-and-italy-$314825.htmeasyJet announces MASSIVE expansion at Bristol with five exciting NEW routes /noticias.info/ easyJet, Europe's leading low-fares airline, is to launch five new routes from Bristol to Krakow, La Rochelle, Marseille, Rijeka (Croatia) and Toulouse this summer. These routes are the result of the introduction of a ninth aircraft being based at Bristol, bringing the total number of destinations served by easyJet to 30 and increasing the capacity at its Bristol base by almost 10%. The new routes to Krakow, La Rochelle, Marseille and Rijeka are not currently served by any other carrier from Bristol International airport. In the next 12 months, easyJet expects to carry some 300,000 passengers on these new routes and almost 3,000,000 in total from Bristol. The introduction of Bristol to Rijeka, Croatia's third-largest city is a new move for easyJet as it spreads its wings outside the EU for the first time. La Rochelle is also a completely new market for the low-fares airline to the vibrant French city, which is situated midway down France's Atlantic seaboard. Krakow, Marseille and Toulouse are currently served by the carrier from other UK airports and following their success easyJet is now introducing them to the Bristol region.All five destinations should prove popular with both business and leisure passengers, not only for Bristolians travelling abroad, but also for inbound passengers bringing business and tourism to the region. Last year easyJet converted its Bristol base to a solely Airbus operation, replacing the existing fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft with brand new Airbus 319s. This move reflects easyJet’s continued commitment to Bristol International Airport and the people of the south west. easyJet's Bristol operation now accounts for over almost 10% of its total network, making it the airline’s largest UK base outside of London with close to 70 daily departures and 8,500 passengers every day. easyJet also today announced new routes from Gatwick to Split (Croatia), Luton to Bordeaux and Rimini, Edinburgh to Alicante and Paris Orly to Ajaccio (Corsica). Toby Nicol, easyJet Communications Director commented: “Bristol’s largest airline is delighted to be announcing more routes to more destinations once again. easyJet is the only airline to offer low-cost flights with both care and convenience for its customers – no wonder almost 3 million people will fly with us from Bristol over the course of the next year.” Tony Hallwood, Aviation Development Director at Bristol International said: "This is fantastic news for Bristol, with easyJet having once again reinforced their commitment to grow their business in the south west. By introducing five new routes this summer they now offer an unrivalled choice of exciting destinations for leisure and business travellers. "Poland has been top of the airport’s ‘wish list’ over the last 12 months and we are pleased that Krakow (a World Heritage City) will be our launch gateway. The increasing numbers of Poles who live in the south west have been instrumental in supporting the airport in securing this route and we look forward to the inbound tourism potential that this route will now offer."Rijeka in Croatia is an up-and-coming destination with an attractive coastline and alongside La Rochelle on France’s Atlantic coast, we believe both will be firm favourites with holidaymakers and second home-owners. Meanwhile, the introduction of Marseille, France’s second largest city will provide key business links to the south west and additional Toulouse capacity will be welcomed by aerospace industry and leisure customers alike." http://www.noticias.info/asp/aspComunicados.asp?nid=152126&src=0 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 08 Mar 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8312/1/E-Economical-Croatia-a-good-spring-break.html ÂEconomical Croatia a good spring break ÂThe ancient walled town of Dubrovnik is a magnet for visitors to CroatiaPhoto-Ken Krueger ÂEconomical Croatia a good spring break By Sandra Harper-Contributing writer If thoughts of a holiday are tickling your fancy during the dreary winter months, Croatia should be first on your list. A flight to England or Europe, followed by a short flight or a drive from Italy or Austria, and you are in Croatia-a country that combines beauty with a palette of activities. From April to November, a visitor has lots of fun choices. Sun and swim on fabulous beaches lapped by the crystal clean water of the Adriatic Sea. Explore the historic ancient walled town of Dubrovnik, which is still the home and working place of Croatians. Sail or cruise among some of the mainly uninhabited string of 280 islands along the coast. Spend time on one of the islands, like Korcula, settled by the ancient Greeks in the 6th century. Visit wineries and taste wine until your head spins. Climb an ancient wall at Mali Ston that is only somewhat shorter than the Great Wall of China. Climb mountains, golf, bike, visit the neighbouring countries of Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Or just sit and bask in the sun in one of the many town squares or islands. Last October I flew from Vancouver to Manchester and then on to Dubrovnik for a sun-filled week of exploring Croatia in 20- to 22-degree temperature. Using that route meant a more economical ticket. The summer rush of European tourists was over by early September so I did not pre-book accommodation. There is a wide choice in Croatia: hotels, apartments to rent, charming rooms in private homes called sobes, campsites and the most beautiful hostel. Getting off the airport bus at the Pile Gates of the old town of Dubrovnik, I was greeted by men and women with signs indicating that they had rooms available. I walked to the tourist information office and the staff there sent me round the corner to Atlas Travel where I rented a very large bedroom-sitting room with an enormous bath in a 16th-century house just outside the town walls-for 30 Euros a night. I was delighted with my room and with the 80-year-old landlady and her granddaughter, who shared their experiences and information. My room contained 17th-century furniture and number of large paintings from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Rather than renting a car or taking the local buses, I used the local Atlas tour agency to book three day-tours. The first went to the fabulous Korcula Island, combined with Mali Ston wall climbing and a visit to a winery, followed by a day tour of the high mountain and uninhabited beaches of Montenegro. It finished with an eye-opening trip to war-torn Moster in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Tours ranged around 45 Euros. Local buses for local travel cost about two Euros and were easy to use. That left me with four days to explore the old town and the new area around the inner harbour of Dubrovnik and visit the small island of Lokrum-just a 15-minute ferry ride from the old harbour of Dubrovnik-to explore the botanical gardens and get lost in the ancient forest. Local boats ferried visitors to a small village of Cavtat-another Greek settlement and a smaller, charming version of Dubrovnik. Meals were delightful and varied. I particularly savoured the mussels, squid, steak and ham. Pizzas and vegetarian meals were tasty and easily available. A glass of Croatian wine or beer always accompanied the food. People are polite, kind and welcoming. They speak English, French, Italian and German. Crime appears rare, although police were not obvious. The waters of the Adriatic Sea are refreshing and inspiring. Crowds of tourists come in July and August so there is still an off-season. Prices, in Kunas, are reasonable right now, but that will change in a couple of years when Croatia joins the European Union. Dubrovnik is a jewel of a city. No wonder people have been visiting and staying since 1000 BC. published on 01/27/2006 http://www.vancourier.com/issues06/014206/travel.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 13 Feb 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8314/1/E-AHOY-CROATIAN-SAILORS.html ÂAHOY CROATIAN SAILORS!By Katarina TepeshA group of Americans, all members of an environmental group, are organizing to sail from the port of Split, Croatia on Saturday, June 24th and return the next Saturday, July 1st, 2006. We will visit the islands of Brac, Hvar, and Vis, spending one or two days in each port with some flexibility in our itinerary depending on weather and our whims.The yacht we have chartered is a new 50 ft. Bavaria which is richly appointed. The vessel has 5 staterooms which will accommodate a maximum of 10 crew members. There is a roomy galley and gorgeous salon where we will prepare and take our meals together communally. The cabins with separate single berths are $995 PP, DO. The double berth staterooms which are a little larger are $1,050 PP, DO. A private double stateroom is $1,895, for seven nights with partial provisioning as outlined above.We will have 7 nights aboard which will include all breakfasts and 3 lunches, 3 dinners. Other meals will be taken ashore in the quaint harbors that we visit. All crew members are invited to participate in the running of the boat. The Captain Michael Miller is a US sailing Association Certified Sail Instructor and enjoys teaching beginners. No sailing experience is required to join the crew.Croatia has an incredibly diverse history from the many civilizations that have ruled it over thousands of years. Split has Diocletian's palace which was built for the Roman emperor. The city of Dubrovnik to the south was completely walled in for defense. The country is a historical treasure. Now that peace has been restored, it is just being rediscovered as amazing tourism destination. The islands are said to be majestically beautiful with each having its own unique personality. If interested, you are welcome to call or write Michael Miller, to answer any further questions. Captain Michael Miller, USCG Licensed Master9 Court AveGreenwood Lake, New York 10925Tel: 845 477 3497Cell: 845 494 4083 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 12 Feb 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8313/1/E-Dubrovnik-Live-webcam.html ÂDubrovnik Live. You want to see waht is happening on Stradun...click.Zelite vidjeti tko pije kavu na Stradunu..kliknitehttp://www.dubrovnik.hr/webcam.htm letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 11 Feb 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8315/1/E-Tour-to-Croatia-this-coming-April-24---May-1.html ÂTour to Croatia this coming April 24 - May 1As a tour coordinator for Marshall Field's Travel Service, I have put together an overview tour to Croatia this coming April 24 - May 1, to Zagreb and Dubrovnik. And as a thrid-generation Croatian, I am pleased to present Croatia to the traveling public, now that it has become as popular as it has. Although this tour is not designed for those 1st and 2nd generation Croatians, with immediate family in Croatia, or who have traveled there often, it is designed for those of Croatian descent who have heard stories from their grandparents and the like, and who would like to go back to the "old" country to see it's beauty, charm, and experience the food, wine and the people that make this country so wonderful. I would like your help in trying to get this tour information out to as many people as possible, and would like to find out your thoughts on the best way to promote this. Details on the tour can be found on our website at www.travel.fields.com . If anyone has any questions, they could contact me at 612-375-3631 for more information.Hvala...jim gladjglad@mftravel.com CroNetwork: The Croatian-American Organization for Young Professionals. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 26 Jan 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8321/1/E-Croatia---the-Most-Desirable-Destination-in-2006-for-American-Travelers.html ÂCroatia - the Most Desirable Destination in 2006 for American TravelersÂJan 17, 06 | 7:47 amAccording to the recent survey of the USTOA, the hottest new tourist destination for 2006 is Croatia! National Geographic Adventure also awarded Croatia as The Best Destination for this year. Followed by the last year’s great success after it was proclaimed No. 1 destination by the Lonely Planet, this year should definitely bring new record numbers for the Croatian tourism. For more info visit www.ustoa.com 2006 the Year of Croatian InventorsOne of Croatia’s most well-known and world-renowned scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla,was born on July 10, 1856 in Smiljan, a small village near Gospic, in the region of Lika. Croatia will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of his birth with numerous manifestations, scientific meetings, lectures and other festivities. Slavoljub Penkala was holder of over 70 patents among which in 1906 he created the first mechanical pencil, which became known as ballpoint pen; 2006 is a 100 year anniversary of this invention. City of Rijeka – January and February Reserved for the Carnival Rijeka is all the more affirming itself as a city of culture, Carnivals and fun. The 3rd biggest international Carnival in the world takes place every year in Rijeka with over 10,000 masqueraders and carnival groups. They all come to follow the Carnival events, characterized by a particular blend of Europe’s urban and rural carnival traditions. The jam packed program starts at the beginning of January and lasts up to the end of February.Many hotel facilities in Rijeka, like completely renovated Hotel Jadran, await its guests. The hotel now offers 66 rooms and three suites with the vast majority of which have seafront views. The hotel is located directly adjacent to the sea, its foundations being in fact dug deep underwater and its view extends to the neighboring Kvarner Bay. Four star rating placed Hotel Jadran at the head of Rijeka’s hotels. This is one of the oldest hotels in the city that opened back in 1914. Reconstructed faÃade and the walls look exactly the same as they did decades ago, so hotel again looks truly luxurious outside as well as inside.For those who enjoy good maritime cuisine and appreciate a great view, Arca Fiumana ship anchored in Rijeka city harbor is the place to go. This will in near future be Croatia’s first floating hotel. For now it features restaurant and a pub that became a guarantee of good time in Rijeka.For more info visit www.tz-rijeka.hr Newly Refurbished Westin Hotel in ZagrebCity of Zagreb welcomed 2006 with a newly renovated Westin Hotel. This luxurious five star landmark hotel is a part of the world-renown Starwood Hotels & Resorts chain. Its 378 rooms are all equipped with legendary “Heavenly Beds and Showers” and a total of 13 congress halls in the city core will provide memorable experiences for both business and leisure travelers. For more info visit www.westin.com/zagreb Small and Family Run HotelsOver the past few years Croatia has seen especially intense growth in the Small and Family Hotels sector. Some 150 of these hotels, most gathered under the umbrella of the Association of Family and Small Hotels of Croatia, offer an atmosphere, comfort and quality that reflects the local color and blends tradition with family setting. Given the dynamics of their growth over the past few years, estimates say their number in Croatia may grow by 50 to 100 small hotels a year. For more info visit www.omh.hr Zagreb - Romance in the City of HeartsThe Regent Esplanade Zagreb brings back tradition spiced with contemporary luxury with its special “Romance in the City of Hearts” package. The package consists of: Two-nights in a luxurious double room, breakfast served in the room, bottle of champagne, bouquet of roses, welcoming relaxing bubble bath, sightseeing tour of Zagreb by limousine and a romantic candlelit dinner. For more info visit www.regenthotels.com Substantial Capital Investment in Cultural HeritageCroatian Ministry of Culture announced large capital investments in order to increase the number of cultural facilities in the country. Three new museums will open this year and another five will be constructed. Many of the existing museums, public libraries, theatres and castles will get capital investments that will improve the overall appearance of the Croatian cultural treasures. For more info visit www.min-kulture.hr Moderna Galerija ZagrebThe Moderna Galerija Zagreb (Modern Gallery Zagreb) is open once more after the 11 year closing and its total reconstruction. It reopened on December 29, 2005 with the slogan “100 years of Modern Gallery, 200 years of Croatian Art”. This slogan was chosen because up to now nowhere in Croatia was there an exhibit which covered 200 years of Croatian art. The new exhibition celebrates the Croatian Art with 153 paintings, sculptures, photography and videos. It is a must see Gallery in Zagreb. For more info contact cntony@earthlink.net Croatia a Growing Destination for Cruise ShipsThe appeal of Croatia as a tourist destination has found further confirmation in the growing number of cruise ships making stops here. There were more than 450 ships in 2005, which is up around 11% over figures from the last year. Total of around 500,000 passengers sailed on these ships. Top destinations was Dubrovnik, followed by Korcula, Hvar, Split and Sibenik. For more info contact cntony@earthlink.netBritish Airways - Top Recognition for Dubrovnik Airport British Airways has recently awarded Dubrovnik Airport a special recognition for top results in flight and passenger arrival and departure services. Out of 65 international airports to which British Airways flies, Dubrovnik Airport got top marks. The airport was monitored over an 18 month period during which time Dubrovnik Airport recorded top marks deservedly winning the recognition. For more info visit www.visitdubrovnik.hr Sljeme for Skiers and HikersSljeme, the highest peak on Zagreb’s Medvednica highlands will this coming February see the re-opening of the Old Scouts House now completely redesigned and converted into a four star apartment facility that will operate under the name of Snjezna kraljica (The Snow Queen). It will feature one eight-bed and 16 four-bed suites catering to skiers and hikers. Besides its lodgings the building will have a large restaurant featuring traditional local cuisine, as well as small wellness center with sauna and whirlpool. With the runs outfitted with snow canons, ski season on Sljeme lasts at least to the end of March. For more info visit www.sljeme.hr http://travelvideo.tv/news/more.php?id=7812_0_1_0_M letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 17 Jan 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8320/1/E-Croatia-improves-tourism-infrastructure.html ÂCroatia improves tourism infrastructureÂJul 07, 05More than eight million foreign tourists visited Croatia last year and the Croatian government is expecting more than 10 million in the next years. Thanks to the country’s supportive tourism private sector in tourism for efforts in improving the industry’s infrastructure.HotelsPrivate and state investors spent 400 million euro last winter for hotel modernization older and construction. New small hotels, summerhouses, camping sites and restaurants infrastructure were established as a result. Previously state-owned hotels have also been revamped to meet international standards. Melia Sol and Thomas Cook are two examples. AirportsThe government announced it will bring financial support for the construction of six new airfields, a 800-meter runway of 800 meters private airplanes, air taxi and rescue flights to the mainland and for short commuter air traffic to existing international airports.AirlinesCroatia is celebrating the creation of two new air carriers. Sun Adria Airlines, based in the Croatian capital Zagreb, started the scheduled flights to several European destinations, including Germany, using two Fokker 100 in the fleet. Dubrovnik Airline, based in Dubrovnik and jointly founded by the Croatian Atlantic Shipping Company and Dubrovnik Airport Authority, is providing summer charters and scheduled using MD-83s. A third carrier, named European Coastal Airlines, is expected to be established within the next few weeks. HighwaysThe 380 kilometers long highway across mountain terrains between capital Zagreb and Split, the most important tourism center, finally opened June 29. Work is set to begin on Dubrovnik highway.Croatia is a relatively small (56,500 square kilometers and 4.49 million inhabitants) independent post communist country (former a part of Yugoslavia) in southeast Europe at Adriatic Sea. Tourism contribution to the country’s GDP is approximately 20 percent. Picturesque fishing villages, old antique and medieval towns with unique architecture are among its tourist attractions.By Jan BlazejZagreb, Croatia (eTurboNews)http://travelvideo.tv/news/more.php?id=5842_0_1_0_M136 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 17 Jan 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8317/1/E-USA-Today-Six-destinations-to-keep-on-your-radar-for-2006.html ÂSix destinations to keep on your radar for 2006By Jessica Labrencis, SmarterTravel.com The new year brings with it up-and-coming destinations worth keeping on your travel radar as you begin to plan your vacations for 2006. From destinations in the U.S. to those in Europe and even farther afield, several factors influenced our choices, including cultural events, political changes, increasing popularity and major rebuilding. Our picks for the top six destinations to watch for 2006 are Albuquerque, China, Croatia, Thailand, The Netherlands and Turkey.CroatiaCroatia is the latest country in Europe with "hidden gem" status. However, according to the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), Croatia began experiencing a boom in tourism in 2005, one that is likely to increase even more over the next few years. This Mediterranean country has plenty of things to offer visitors, from its capital city, Zagreb, to the islands scattered along the Dalmatian Coast, and the old city of Dubrovnik, a UNESCO World Heritage site.At the time of publication, mainstream vacation-package providers had not yet begun offering many Croatia packages. However, booking airfare and accommodations separately allows for greater freedom in traveling the country and selecting hotels. As an added benefit, Croatia is not in the European Union, so prices in the Croatian kuna may not be as expensive the prices listed in euros in other European countries.AlbuquerqueAlbuquerque is celebrating its tricentennial on April 23 and will host a series of special events January through October. Each month has a theme, including Theatre Arts Month in March, History and Education Month in April, and Cuisine Specialties and Albuquerque's Future Path in August.In addition, the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History is hosting three exhibitions of Spanish art featuring artists that include Dali, Miro and Picasso. The exhibits run through April 23.Albuquerque will also host its 34th annual International Balloon Fiesta Oct. 6-15, the largest balloon event in the world. This nine-day festival features a 400- to 500-balloon nighttime "Balloon Glow," "Balloon-Shape Rodeo," and balloon race.Albuquerque is always a relatively affordable destination, with most of the major airlines, as well as low-fare carriers Frontier and Southwest, offering service to its airport.ChinaChina has long been a popular travel destination, with more than 30 UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Great Wall. In coming years, however, tourism is expected to rapidly increase, with the 2008 Summer Olympics and several other factors.The Olympics will be held in and around Beijing, and will attract thousands of visitors from all corners of the globe. In addition, business travel to China has been rapidly increasing for several years, with major hotel chains constructing huge new hotels catering to business travelers. As China emerges as an economic powerhouse, tourism is expected to keep up with the pace.The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that tourism spending in China will increase about 3.5 times by 2014, from $87 billion to more than $300 billion. And a New York Times report stated that Internet sites offering bilingual searches will begin to make planning travel inside China less daunting.Planning a vacation to China can be as easy as planning one to Europe or the Caribbean. U.S.-based package tour providers including Go-today, Gate1Travel and Pleasant Holidays have begun offering a wide variety of China vacations, giving travelers plenty of package options from which to choose.ThailandA little more than a year after the tsunami disaster, Thailand is continuing to encourage visitors to return. Not surprisingly, tourism in 2005 was sluggish but began increasing toward the end of the year. Tourism in 2006 is expected to compete with pre-tsunami levels by November 2006. Therefore, visiting Thailand before November will give tourists the advantage of fewer crowds and lower prices, particularly at beach resorts.Thailand is still rebuilding, however, as inhabitants re-create what was destroyed in December 2004. Fewer hotel rooms are available to tourists in some areas, and evidence of the devastation leaves a reminder of the tsunami. One of the most important ways to help Thailand is to visit, helping to pump dollars into its tourist infrastructure so it can successfully rebuild sooner rather than later.The NetherlandsThe year 2006 is being dubbed "Rembrandt 400" in the Netherlands. This year marks the anniversary of the Dutch artist's 400th birthday, and year-long celebrations will take place around the country. The exhibitions are expected to draw about 1.5 million visitors from around the Netherlands and abroad.Amsterdam is hosting the bulk of the exhibitions, with special shows featuring Rembrandt at the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, the Rembrandt House Museum and others; a Rembrandt musical at the Royal Theatre Carre; and a Rembrandt walking route.Leiden, Rembrandt's childhood hometown, is also partaking in the events with several major exhibitions and another Rembrandt walking route. The Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague is also featuring a Rembrandt exhibit that boasts 10 of the artist's most famous works.Several vacation providers are currently offering deals on Amsterdam vacations, including EuropeASAP, Gate1Travel and Go-today. Gate1Travel is also offering a special Rembrandt 400 package that includes airfare, accommodations and admission to the Rijksmuseum.TurkeyAs Turkey's attempts to join the European Union are met with resistance by some Europeans, its leaders are planning to strengthen the country's image by increasing the promotion of tourism in 2006. Although Turkey is already popular with European visitors (out of the 22 million visitors to Turkey in 2005, 12 million were Europeans), Americans have been slower in their eagerness to visit (more than 334,000 visitors in 2005).However, Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism reports approximately 555,000 Americans are expected to visit the country in 2006, and it's not hard to imagine the numbers will climb in the years to come.Turkey's location gives it a unique blend of Eastern and Western influences making it appealing to tourists. It is home to no less than nine UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the cavetowns of Cappodocia and the archeological site of Troy. To meet the increased demand from tourists, a new international airport terminal is being planned, along with 10 new resorts in key tourist areas.If you decide to visit Turkey, it's smart to strike while the iron is hot. Because tourism is just now beginning to significantly increase, you're stilllikely to find relatively inexpensive in-country rates for accommodations and activities. However, it's conceivable that Turkey's relatively undiscovered status will be fleeting, and the country will experience an increase in both tourism and prices.http://www.usatoday.com/travel/deals/inside/2006-01-10-inside-the-deals_x.htm letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 17 Jan 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8316/1/E-Make-love-not-war.html ÂMake love not warÂÂÂÂÂhttp://www.shepsplace.net/croatia/index.htm letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 17 Jan 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8319/1/E-New-flights-from-Edinburgh-to-Pula.html ÂNew flights are set to be a crowd Pula EDINBURGH Airport will offer flights to two more new holiday destinations this summer, including a first service to Croatia. City-based Flyglobespan has announced it will provide a weekly service to Mahon in Menorca, as well as the first flights to the increasingly popular Croatian resort of Pula. The service to the Balearic island will provide the first non-chartered flights to Menorca, allowing customers to book flights without them being part of a package holiday. The Croatia flights also add to the range of worldwide destinations on offer at the airport, and join other new routes announced this year, including Helsinki in Finland, Warsaw in Poland and Geneva in Switzerland. Flights to Mahon will start at Â35.99, while Pula fares begin at Â59.99, both including tax. Both services begin in May and will run to October, taking the company's portfolio of destinations for this summer to 13. The low-cost operator, which launched in 2002 and is one of Britain's fastest-growing airlines, said that if demand for the flights was high, it would consider adding both to their list of year-round destinations.http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/business.cfm?id=74872006  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8318/1/E-New-flights-from-Glasgow-to-Pula.html ÂCity gets more sunshine flights FLYGLOBESPAN today unveiled new sunshine flights from Glasgow Airport. The Scots budget airline announced the city's first scheduled flights to the increasingly popular Croatian hotspot of Pula. And it said it would also lay on budget scheduled services to family favourite Menorca. Both services will operate weekly from May to October to cater for the holiday trade. They bring the total number of destinations offered by flyglobespan from Glasgow this year to 20. One-way flights to the Menorcan capital Mahon will cost Â35.99, while Pula fares will be Â59.99, including taxes. Flyglobespan chairman Tom Dalrymple said: "These are two exciting new destinations for our customers. "We've always had a strong presence in Majorca so adding a Menorca flight seems very logical. "We are delighted to add Pula to our destinations. The Croatian holiday market is really booming and I'm sure these flights will prove popular." Pula is at the top of the Adriatic, at the heart of some of Europe's most stunning coastal scenery. Glasgow already has direct flights to Dubrovnik, further down the Dalmatian coast. Flyglobespan said it would also offer the new routes from Edinburgh Airport. And sales of its new daily flights from Glasgow to Orlando are continuing to boom, sparking talk in industry circles of more transatlantic services. Bosses at Glasgow Airport are eager for good news, as the airport lost its lifeline business link to Brussels last week. Its interim managing director, Alan Barr, said: "The addition of Pula is sure to attract even more interest in flights to Croatia. We're confident Mahon will also prove a popular family holiday destination." Publication date 16/01/06 http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5047917.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 16 Jan 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8322/1/E-Vjeko-Martinko--Lovranske-Ville-on-US-TV-Jan-15.html ÂVjeko Martinko & Lovranske Ville on the US TV Jan 15ÂÂDear Mr. Bach and CROWN readers,We would like to inform you that on Sunday, January 15th, at 01:00 pm. will be the broadcasting of the TV Documentary on Croatian Tourism which includes a journalistic interview with Mr. Martinko. It will be broadcasted on the TV Station MHz TV Networks ( http://www.mhznetworks.org/programming/shows/ ), Washington, USA. If the network is available in N.Y. we are inviting you to view the documentary. We would also like to ask if you could be so kind and pass this information to anyone you know that might be intrested in viewing it. DIRECTV    56 or 972* ÂFind your carrier: http://www.mhznetworks.org/programming/carrier Sunny greetings from Lovran,Alin Zivanovic (For Mr. Martinko)Hotel Restaurant 'Villa Astra'Viktora Cara Emina 11HR - 51415 Lovran, CroatiaTel: +385 51 29 44 00Fax: +385 51 29 46 00www.lovranske-vile.com villa.astra@lovranske-vile.com member of:Schlosshotels und HerrenhÃuserwww.schlosshotels.co.at Historic Hotels of Europewww.historichotelsofeurope.com  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 11 Jan 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8323/1/E-MONET-cruise-along-Croatias-Dalmation-coast.html ÂMONET cruise along Croatia's Dalmation coast A cruise along Croatia's Dalmation coast By: RALPH COLLIER, Main Line Times12/20/2005For more information about M/Y MONET, please contact Elegant Cruises and Tours at 1-800-683-6767 or visit www.elegantcruises.com . The M/Y MONET offers a sweet sampling of the advantages of cruising on a small, intimate ship rather than the usual huge, impersonal vessels. She is dockside in Venice as 50 odd passengers climb aboard. (There are only 30 cabins, total.) Among them, there are the customary first-time sailors. On their anxiety scale, where "1" is "no sweat" and "10" "no fingernails to gnaw," the mix of Brits and Americans give her a comfortable "2" rating.The M/Y MONET is bound for the Dalmatian coast in Croatia. Mention the area to locals here and they'll reference the Komati Islands, which lie just off the coast. The Komatis make up by far the largest archipelago around wild, deserted slivers of windswept rock dotted with salt lakes and sheer cliffs emerging from the limpid Adriatic. The islands are a superb destination for hiking, swimming, and at other times of the year, sunbathing. Unlike large cruise ships, the M/Y MONET's tariff is all-inclusive; there are no side excursions or other extras. Bottled water in staterooms is gratis, and throughout the day and night, coffee and tea are available with delectable pastries from the MONET mess. There are lectures by university professors, local musical talent and the ship's own pianist. Irving Berlin wrote the song "I Love a Piano," but the musician plays a synthesizer, suggesting to one passenger that Berlin could not have written the same ode to that instrument. One of the first ports of call is a city named Split in Croatia. As is custom when the MONET approaches her harbor, a local pilot boat comes alongside to place one of her pilots aboard the MONET bridge to guide her safely to the docking facility. They know not just the treacherous tides, but local currents and tiny adjustments needed to dock the ship. Split, just off the Dalmatian coast, reveals a shimmering shoreline; it is dubbed "the new Riviera" as the bloody wars of the 1990s that accompanied the breakup of Yugoslavia recede into European history. A number of international luminaries, arriving on their own yachts, have dropped anchor here recently. By day, there are fishing boats galore along with massive yachts, and everywhere, there are the doughty little tugboats that look like a child's toy but do a man's work -- or, more precisely, the work of a stallion. There is a rich diversity of accessible and relatively affordable attractions ashore. (Local currency is the Kuna, which is more sympathetic to the U.S. dollar than the Euro.) All of this makes for an even more welcoming port. Winter and spring are excellent times to enjoy the Croatian islands. (The M/Y MONET resumes cruises on March 15, 2006.) In Croatian towns, the tourist is struck by the simple beauty of it all and wonders how it might just have felt to be here only a decade ago, when the world abandoned this lovely spot on earth and its people bombed, shot and raided one another's meager territory in a ruthless rush for power and control. Given the size of M/Y MONET, there is but a single seating at breakfast, lunch and dinner. At some tables, at dinner, conversation does not flow with the drink; it drowns in it. Red and white wine are poured by waiters as though the beverages are going out of style, and since it is free as part of the cruise, some passengers tend to imbibe to their heart's content at lunch and dinner. The well-known oil tycoon Nubar Gulbenkian said some winters ago that the best number for a dinner party is two - "myself and a good waiter." He would have been charmed by the waitstaff on this ship, who are attentive and simpatico. After a few days aboard ship, American passengers tend to love them and speak of them as being almost one of the family, rather in the manner that they speak of their pets. The more reserved British aboard show considerably less spontaneity.Three times daily, passengers are warmly greeted by a uniformed host, a bronzed, handsomely weathered, robust looking gent with a gutteral accent and suave demeanor. The ship's cook is not the ordinary chef-de-cuisine, for the chef goes public at breakfast and at later meals briefly visits the tables in the Nymphea Restaurant to determine how the evening's efforts went over. Both chef and menu get high ratings throughout the two- week voyage. The food aboard the M/Y MONET is always decent, often delicious, at times superb, making this ship's culinary efforts among the best on the high seas. A ship like the MONET turns out to be the perfect size for calling at small island ports and coastal towns of Dalmatia. She has only outside cabins. In tune with her name, there are countless superb replicas of Monet oil paintings in cabins. The Giverny Lounge also has numerous photos of the painter in his atelier, gardens and in the bosom of his extended family. It is significant that Claude Monet himself was in Venice at this time of the season exactly 93 years ago. He made just one painting trip to the shores of southern Europe, and his experiences at Bordighera, a picturesque resort near the Italian border, marked one of the crucial stages in his long trajectory as an artist. For more information about M/Y MONET, please contact Elegant Cruises and Tours at 1-800-683-6767 or visit www.elegantcruises.com . Ralph Collier used the Lonely Planet Guide to Croatia while cruising the Dalmatian coast on the MONET. Log on to www.LonelyPlanet.com , or call 1-800-275-8555. Ralph Collier is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association.http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15785752&BRD=1676&PAG=461&dept_id=43790&rfi=6  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 03 Jan 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8324/1/E-101-Dalmatias-Adriatic-coast-of-Croatia-displays-endless-variety-of-.html Â101 Dalmatias: Adriatic coast of Croatia displays endless variety of sights and experiencesÂSunday, December 25, 2005  LopudMelissa Burdick Harmon, Post-GazetteThe serene Adriatic island of Lopud basks in the warmth of a summer day. By Melissa Burdick Harmon, Travel Arts SyndicateDALMATIAN COAST, Croatia -- The clean, rich smell of pine fills the air.Old-fashioned, loosely stacked dry stone walls form lazy borders for fields blanketed in vivid pink and yellow wildflowers.Far below, a brilliant blue bay glimmers in the sun, its surface punctuated by twin sailboats making their serene way to the next deserted beach or quiet cove. Aside from a bit of birdsong, there is not a sound to be heard.Dubrovnik, CroatiaÂMelissa Burdick Harmon, Post-GazetteClimbing Dubrovnik's ramparts gives a birds-eye view of this small, self-contained city in Croatia.Christopher Hague, walk manager for my Wayfarers journey along the Dalmatian Coast, breaks the silence. "This is my idea of paradise," he says. "This is Shakespeare's 'Tempest.' "It is, in fact, the no-cars-allowed island of Lopud, one of the green Elaphite Islands that punctuate the waters around the medieval fortress city of Dubrovnik, the heart of Croatia's Dalmatian Coast. Lopud may not be Prospero's island, but in spirit it is very close.I have come here with a group of 15 Americans, part of a nine-day organized walk along the coast and nearby islands in the Adriatic Sea. The trip, operated by the Wayfarers, a British-owned walking tour company, promises six to 10 miles of walking a day, while seeing the sights, mingling with the locals and enjoying fine food and wine and good hotels. On this early day of our journey -- in the off season, when the tourist hordes are still at home -- they are clearly making good on those promises.In fact, our walk on Lopud takes us along a dirt trail to the private home of a woman who speaks no English, but greets us with a wide smile, serves us homemade wine and allows us to picnic beneath her grape arbor. Then she takes us to meet her goats.If the Dalmatian Coast is a red-hot tourist destination these days, Dubrovnik, a jewel of a city ringed by powerful -- and delightfully climbable -- medieval ramparts leads the list for visitor numbers. That is good news, since this UNESCO World Heritage Site was seriously damaged in the 1991-93siege. Its restoration has been both swift and careful.The patchwork of roofs seen as we traverse the ramparts gives a clue to the extent of the war damage. Red shingles are new replacements, donated by UNESCO. Crazy-quilt red-green-and-white shingles predate the war, and we see precious few of them.The winding drive north along the coast, toward Split, is reminiscent of the Amalfi Coast, with the road forming a dividing line between mountains swooping toward the sea and tiny red-roofed and multi-steepled villages tucked along the coves and beaches below. For 10 miles we are actually in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a post-war move to grant them a tiny patch of access to the coast.A stop at Ston, a salt-producing center for eons, lets us climb part of a wall that formed the old Republic of Dubrovnik's northern defense, then stroll to a hidden beach where we are rewarded by sweet, briny Ston oysters, among the world's best.By now, over oysters and huge salads and just-caught fish, it is apparent that our group of Wayfarers has bonded. Conversations are lively, covering everything from world affairs to theater to medicine to Victorian novels.Confidences are shared, and friendships have formed. On this trip, the participants are definitely a positive part of the experience.Split, Croatia's very Italian-feeling second-largest city, has a lively, chaotic charm. A twilight stroll along the Riva, the promenade at water's edge, captures the romance of the town, with its Roman and Venetian architecture and virtually its entire population -- or so it seems -- taking the evening air in the outdoor cafes.This is a European city on a European coast, living with its back to the Balkans. Its ties with Italy are strong, but the Croats work harder at it, which might explain why the pizza, gnocchi and gelato are better here.Split's not-to-be-missed site is the vast third-century palace built by the Roman Emperor Diocletian, a complex character whose main hobbies were growing cabbages and murdering Christians. He occupied the front part of the palace with his (Christian) wife and daughter, while some 700 courtiers lived in the back.Over the centuries, local people moved inside the palace walls, dividing the grand rooms into hundreds of small apartments. Today Diocletian's Palace is a warren of shops and pubs and open-air markets -- a vibrant, bustling heart-of-the-city where 2,000 people live and work. Its Cathedral of St. Domnius, formerly Diocletian's mausoleum, is not to be missed. (His portrait in stone can still be seen on one high wall.)If chaotic Split stimulates the mind, then an off-season visit to Brac, one of the largest of Croatia's Adriatic Islands, soothes the soul. Roaming down stony mule tracks, we encounter a few of these less-than-lively work animals tied to trees, too bored to care. A red rooster sporting an enormous comb strides onto the path -- checking out the interlopers. A friendly dog tags along.We climb a mountain to see vast quarries of white, crystallized limestone, just like the stone shipped from Brac long ago to build the White House. We visit the island's surprisingly good small museum and peek into tiny churches and shops we pass.Another day, we follow a track along the sea bluffs, gazing past trim vineyards and through groves of olive and almond trees, with their gnarled, ancient-looking trunks. A hand-painted sign points the way to a waterside restaurant, otherwise reachable only by boat, where we tuck into some fresh mackerel, then travel by water taxi to a deserted beach. From there, some hike to a monastery, others nap on the beach, soothed by the lapping of the water.On our final day, we take the ferry to Hvar, the Adriatic island of the rich and famous. John Malkovich looked into buying a house there. Gwyneth Paltrow vacations there. Bill Gates sails in. Here, the Venetian-style houses are grander. The gardens look professionally done. Yet it has not lost its off-the-beaten-path charm.In Hvar's village of Jelsa, with its winding alleys and streets made of steps, we lunch outdoors on light-as-a-cloud gnocchi with white shrimp sauce, followed by fresh grouper. Afterward, we climb a street of steps to see the heavily fortified parish church and, as we descend, encounter a bevy of 8-year-old girls, thrilled to pose for photos that they will never see.Our last walk takes us along Hvar's coast. The sea is as clear as a glass of vodka. The bougainvillea is a frenzy of pink. The needle-thin cypress trees emulate the island's dozens of church steeples, pointing straight to heaven.And before I know it we are strolling into the town of Hvar, the end of our walk.I arrive home feeling a bit more fit, having made new friends, gained a pound (despite all that fish!), and -- here's the good news -- totally mentally rested. My mind is racing with new projects to undertake and new challenges to meet.I have been to Prospero's island -- several of them, in fact -- they were truly enchanted, and now I can't wait to get back to work.And that may be the best possible outcome from a vacation.(Melissa Burdick Harmon has visited all seven continents, researching more than 200 magazine articles.)http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05359/626685.stm  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 02 Jan 2006 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8325/1/E-Discover-why-everyones-talking-about-Croatia.html ÂDiscover why everyone’s talking about Croatia 23 December 2005 Washed by the sparkling waters of the Adriatic Sea, Croatia is home to some of the most magnificent coastal scenery in Europe. Rich in history and culture, it is no wonder this secluded treasure trove is fast becoming the ‘hot’ destination for 2006. Travelsphere has introduced two new itineraries in their latest European collection with charter flights from Gatwick, Manchester, Nottingham EMA and Bristol airports.A traditional 8-day break with accommodation on a half-board basis in the pretty resort of Rabac on Maslinica Bay costs from just Â299. For a city break with a difference, have a look at the new 8-day break to the fascinating port of Dubrovnik, available on a half-board basis from Â489. The old town has one of the most famous views in Europe, thanks to its celebrated medieval fortress, maze of ramparts, narrow streets, hidden squares, museums and churches. In contrast, Opatija on the Kvarner Peninsula has been a popular holiday resort since the 19th century and retains an unmistakeable air of grandeur with its seafront promenade, majestic gardens and lovely assortment of shops, bars and restaurants. The new 8-day break from Â489 features 4-star accommodation on a half-board basis, a gala dinner and fascinating excursions in neighbouring Slovenia. Further details can be found in Travelsphere’s new European Collection brochure for 2006, which boasts its biggest selection ever to Europe with over 146 great value holidays, 26 of which are brand new in 30 European countries. Prices start from as little as Â99 for a weekend break in Paris, rising to Â929 for a delightful 10-day river cruise on a full-board basis down the mighty River Elbe from Germany to the Czech Republic. Several of the holidays featured conveniently include a local coach departure from over 200 towns and cities throughout the UK. The company has picked up on the growing trend for more choice and flexibility with holiday packages by introducing add-on and extend your stay options, hotel upgrades, included extras and special departures to festivals and events around Europe. The brochure also features a great selection of walking and activity based holidays, plus some exciting ideas by train. The choice of new holidays by air is extensive. Take in the ‘Visions of Northern Spain’ on an 8-day 4-star break on a half-board basis featuring stays in Bilbao, Ojedo-Potes in the west and the pretty seaside town of Comillas from Â499. Budget in advance on an action-packed 8-day tour of Tunisia from Â599, featuring full-board accommodation at 4-star hotels throughout, lots of included excursions and a memorable journey aboard the Red Lizard train through the dramatic Selja Canyon. Discover Ukraine, still a relatively undiscovered jewel on a fascinating 8-day tour of its historic capital, Kiev and the breathtaking scenery around Yalta on the Crimean Peninsula from Â759. http://www.easier.com/view/News/Travel/article-33922.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 22 Dec 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8326/1/H-Hrvatska-bozicna-vecera---Harvard-Club-New-York.html ÂHrvatska božićna večera - Harvard Club, New YorkAmerički novinari Hrvatsku proglasili "velikim otkrićem!"By Višnja MiočićHrvatska božićna večera koju je Hrvatska turistička zajednica priredila u prestižnom Harvard Clubu na Manhattanu drugog prosinca svojom je grandioznom prezentacijom dostojno obilježila kraj ove, za hrvatski turizam, izuzetno uspješne godine. Ova večera je okupila oko 200 uzvanika i niz predstavnika američkih turističkih medija, a prije same večere održana je konferencija za novinare, na kojoj je predsjednik Hrvatske turističke zajednice Niko Bulić održao kratku i sažetu prezentaciju hrvatskog turizma danas, te odgovarao na brojna pitanja novinara."Hrvatska postaje sve poželjnije odredište za američke turiste. Potvrđuje to prodaja aranžmana i najave dolaska 20 posto više američkih gostiju od 130.000 koliko ih je u 2005. posjetilo našu zemlju rekao je Bulić tom prilikom. Zanimanje Amerikanaca za Hrvatsku posebno je naraslo nakon udarnih članaka u vodećim medijima, te nakon što je Hrvatska u Lonely Planetu proglašena najpoželjnijim svjetskim turističkim odredištem za 2005. godinu. Pozitivnom imidžu i popularnosti Hrvatske pomogli su zatim i članci objavljeni u listovima poputThe New York Timesa i National Geographic Adventura, koji je u svom broju iz studenog proglasio Hrvatsku za naj destinaciju avanturističkog turizma za 2006. godinu, istaknuo je Bulić. Ono što nudimo i po čemu želimo biti prepoznatljivi je spoj očuvane prirode, bogatog kulturnog nasljeđa, čistog mora i dobre zdrave hrane, kazao je Bulić, ističući kako je upravo taj sadržaj smisao hrvatskog turističkog sloganaMediteran kakav je nekad bio. "Godina 2005. bila je uspješna hrvatska godina na američkom turističkom tržištu, s kojeg sve više turista dolazi u Hrvatsku, a očekuje se da će se taj uspješni trend nastaviti i u 2006.", izjavila je Nena Komarica, voditeljica Ureda Hrvatske turističke zajednice u New Yorku. Ona dodaje kako Amerikanci vole naše spomenike, gastronomsku ponudu, čistoću, očuvanost obale i mora te srdačnost ljudi, a oduševljeni su time što gotovo svi s kojima komuniciraju dobro govore engleski. Američki su novinari Niku Bulića pitali razna praktična pitanja u svezi posjeta Hrvatskoj. Jedno od vodećih pitanja je mogućnost uvođenja izravne zračne linije između Amerike i Hrvatske. Koji se strani jezici govore i kako se strancima najlakše sporazumijevati, te kako će i na koji način Hrvatska povećavati hotelske kapacitete i zadržati čistu i neprenaseljenu obalu također su zanimali novinare. Neki od prisutnih novinara već su posjetili Hrvatsku, za koju su imali samo riječi hvale. Gotovo svi su istaknuli kako su bii potpuno zaprepašteni ljepotom na koju su naišli u srcu Mediterana a o kojoj praktički ništa nisu znali do sada. Novinar Tim Sohn, koji je u magazinu "Outside" napisao članak o Hrvatskoj kao turističkom otkriću, kaže da će svake godine ljetovati u Dalmaciji jer "takav pozitivan spoj tradicije, kulture, kulinarstva i stila života i sačuvane prirode" nije vidio nigdje na svijetu. Isto oduševljenje iskazao je i John Bowemaster, novinar National Geographic Adventura koji je svoj put kajakom uz Hrvatsku obalu opisao u reportaži objavljenoj prošloga mjeseca, i u kojem je Hrvatska proglašena najzanimljivijom destinacijom za sljedeću godinu. O svom boravku u Hrvatskoj Bowemaster ima samo riječi hvale, a na naše pitanje da nam kaže barem jednu stvar s kojom nije bio zadovoljan ozbiljno je rekao; Sve je bilo fantastično! Od prirode i hrane do ljudi na koje smo nailazili….samo pozitivna otkrića, kaže Bowemaster, koji dodaje kako su njihovo mišljenje očito dijelili i urednici koji ovakve reportaže obično objavljuju i po šest mjeseci nakon puta, dok je ova o Hrvatskoj neočekivano objavljena ubrzo nakon povratka novinara iz Hrvatske. Trend uspjeha hrvatskog turizma u Americi potvrđuje i već iskazano zanimanje Amerikanaca. "Mnogi touroperatori posvjedočili su da su rezervacije za 2006. u tijeku, a neki su već rasprodali kapacitete i sigurni smo da će trend Hrvatske kao popularne destinacije samo jačati", rekla je Komarica. Dodala je da bi se još veći broj Amerikanaca odlučio za Hrvatsku kada bi se uspostavile izravne zračne linije između SAD-a i Hrvatske, što bi je učinilo pristupačnijom američkim turistima. Odličnoj atmosferi u Harvard Clubu doprinijela je svakako izvrsna hrana koju je pripremao vrsni Anđelo Ljubičić, dugogodišnji vodeći šef ovog prestižnog newjorškog kluba. Osim istarskog tartufa gosti su okuse Hrvatske mogli osjetiti i ispijajući Malvaziju Kozlović 2004, a kao desertno vino na stolu se našla i Violeta iz Grgichevih vinograda. Autentičan ugođaj upotpunio je nastup dubrovačke klape Maestrali koja je specijalno za ovu prigodu doputovala u New York s gospodinom Bulićem. Osim brojnih uglednih članova hrvatske zajednice božićnoj su večeri nazočili i predstavnici hrvatske diplomacije predvođeni veleposlanicom pri Ujedinjenim narodina Mirjanom Mladineo i generalnim konzulom Petrom Ljubičićem.Ured HTZ-a iz New Yorka imat će prigodu i dalje popularizirati Hrvatsku kao turističko odredište predstavnicima američkih turističkih agencija i medija na konferenciji Američke udruge touroperatora (USTOA) sljedećega tjedna u Orlandu na Floridi. Na skupu će se sastati predstavnici njezinih više od 800 članova, koji na godinu imaju više od 10 milijuna putnika i ostvare zaradu od oko osam milijardi dolara. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 12 Dec 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8328/1/E-Croat-DAzure.html ÂCroat D'AzureIs the Dalmatian Coast the next Riviera?Europe By Peter Jon LindbergIs the Dalmatian Coast the next Riviera? Dubrovnik and the islands off Southern Croatia are tempting travelers with natural beauty and a buzzing nightlife. Peter Jon Lindberg succumbs to their charms.My friends and I play a travel game we call Swoon. The rules are simple: Choose a storied locale from a particular moment in the past 50 years, and the place that earns the most "aaah's" wins. Someone invariably picks St.-Tropez circa 1955, or Ubud in the seventies. Pre–charter flight Ibiza. Post–Cold War Prague. Such places are the geographical equivalents of Truman Capote's Black and White Ball or Manchester's Hacienda Club: that perfect confluence of location and time—before the rest of the world arrived, before the inevitable Wild On! specials on E! Think of Bahia in the sixties, Saigon in the nineties, or Tan-gier in Paul Bowles's day.Think of these and you'll begin to understand the Dalmatian Coast in 2005. Right now, the islands of southern Croatia are—among a certain group of people—the premier destination in the Mediterranean region. They glimmer on the periphery enough to attract the trendy, yet hang enough off the radar to elicit blank stares among the rest. And the rest don't know it now, but they'll be coming soon, too.Europeans long favored Croatia's coastal resorts as a low-key alternative—Greece, Italy, and Spain without the tourist junk or the exorbitant prices. (In the 1970's and 80's, Yugoslavia drew more British travelers than any other European country besides Spain; most of them were bound for Dalmatia.) When Yugoslavia erupted into civil war in 1991, the Dalmatian Coast was not as hard hit as the inland regions of Bosnia and Serbia. But violence was widespread even here, and tourists—the backbone of Dalmatia's economy—disappeared altogether.Today the pockmarks of mortar fire are faintly visible in Dubrovnik's ancient walls, grim reminders of the 1991–92 siege by Yugoslav forces. In most of Croatia, the war now feels ages, not just a decade, gone. And tourism is increasing by as much as 50 percent a year. Europeans are again flocking here each summer—arriving by yacht, by sailboat, by car ferry, or by Gulfstream—and picking up where they left off. Americans, too, are finally being clued in: dozens of cruise lines and tour companies have added Dalmatia to their itineraries in recent years. And, for better or worse, Croatia was recently given the Wild On! treatment on E! If that's not a tipping point, I don't know what is.So what's the appeal? The landscape, for starters. This is the most stunning coastline in Europe: a mix of limpid bays, craggy bluffs, hidden coves and beaches, vineyards, olive groves, and forests of cypress and pine. Remarkably well preserved ancient towns hold vivid examples of Greek, Roman, Venetian, and Slavic architecture. The sailing and yachting scene here rivals any other, with hundreds of ports and dozens of marinas and countless natural inlets scattered across a thousand islands. Dalmatian cuisine—consisting of superb fish, shrimp, octopus, and oysters, along with increasingly renowned wines—compares favorably to Italian cooking, and borrows heavily from it: here risotto becomes rizot and prosciutto becomes the delectable prsut. But Dalmatian food is earthier and rougher than Italian, blending hints of Hungarian (paprika-laced goulash), Turkish (kebab-style raznjici, or meat skewers), and Slavic (sour dumplings). It's also exceptionally affordable.There's endless adventure around every corner – food, wine, shopping, art and more. Finally, an exuberant nightlife dominates on the larger islands of Hvar and Brac, where revelers keep the party going until sunrise. There's a palpable urgency to the proceedings. This may be the most widespread consequence of the war: everyone—Croatians themselves, as well as their blissed-out guests—seems to be making up for lost time. For now, it's Croatia's moment; who knows how long it will last?DUBROVNIKDalmatia's most famous city is touted as an unspoiled gem, though this is really a matter of degree. While it's not yet as overrun as, say, Prague or Positano (the two unlikely places that Dubrovnik most resembles), it's well within the crosshairs of mass tourism. Dubrovnik's Old Town maintains a precarious equilibrium between Then and Now, Here and Elsewhere. Menus in Italian, English, and German hang outside every tra-ditional wooden-beamed konoba, or tavern. Benetton and Diesel boutiques line the medieval lanes. And pushcart vendors proffer not just handmade olive soaps but also Old Town mouse pads.Such culture clashes form the essence of this city, and always have. In the Old Town, one feels a sense of displacement, as if all of Europe had come to cluster within Dubrovnik's fortified walls. At various points, most of Europe has. Witness the twisting staircase above Gundulic Square, an explicit homage to the Spanish Steps; the 16th-century Baroque cathedrals abutting Renaissance palaces and medieval fortresses; and the Gradska Kavana, a cafà straight out of fin de siÃcle Vienna.The Old Town is shaped like a cereal bowl; from its elevated rim you can gaze across the city's orange roofs to the vividly blue Adriatic beyond. Down below, at the center of the bowl, lies the Stradun, Dubrovnik's limestone main drag. Centuries of casual strollers have buffed the street to an icy gloss—you expect a Zamboni to arrive at any moment. Each evening the Stradun roars to life for the nightly korso, or promenade. A motley crowd emerges: teenagers in sunbleached-blond dreadlocks, grizzled Croatian men smoking pipes, cruise-ship passengers in flip-flops, Italian men in Ferragamo loafers. A white-haired nun passes by, cocooned in an all-white habit. She's trailed by a surfer dude in satin shorts, nothing more. Both wear crucifixes.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8961456/  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 12 Nov 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8327/1/E-NBC-live-from-Dubrovnik-Croatia---THE-New-Riviera.html ÂNBC in Croatia, THE New Riviera Touring the 'New Riviera' Nov. 11: "Today" show host Matt Lauer profiles Dubrovnik, Croatia, and the Dalmatian Coast, often called the "New Riviera." Fri, 11 Nov 2005 13:34:47 GMT  Matt Lauer in Croatia Nov. 11: "Today" show host Matt Lauer reveals his location for day five of the "Where in the World" tour, Dubrovnik, Croatia. Fri, 11 Nov 2005 12:31:20 GMT  WITW day 5: Dubrovnik, Croatia Nov. 11: "Today" show host Matt Lauer reveals the final location of his "Where in the World" tour, Dubrovnik, Croatia. Fri, 11 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT  What are Matt's last stop gifts? Nov. 11: "Today" show host Matt Lauer offers gifts from Croatia to the rest of the "Today" show crew. Thu, 10 Nov 2005 13:00:00 GMT  'ER' doc on his home country Nov. 11: "Today" show host Matt Lauer talks with NBC's "ER" star Goran Visnjic about his life in Croatia. Thu, 10 Nov 2005 13:00:00 GMT  How did Matt get to Croatia? Nov. 11: "Today" show host Matt Lauer explains how he ended up in Croatia, the last stop on his "Where in the World" tour. Thu, 10 Nov 2005 13:00:00 GMT  Investing in Croatia Nov. 11: "Today" show host Matt Lauer talks with businessman Goran Strock about his investments in Croatia. Thu, 10 Nov 2005 13:00:00 GMT  A look at the history of Croatia Nov. 11: "Today" show host Matt Lauer profiles Croatia's past and present. Thu, 10 Nov 2005 13:00:00 GMT  Take a tour of Croatia Nov. 11: NBC's Lester Holt tours Croatia, the last "Where in the World" destination. Thu, 10 Nov 2005 13:00:00 GMT letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 12 Nov 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8329/1/E-Croatia-old-culture-new-era.html  Croatia old culture, new era Posted on: Sunday, October 30, 2005 By Kurt Umbhau Special to The Advertiser  Dubrovnik, one of the most attractive and culturally important cities on the Mediterranean, offers tourists ancient architecture, seaside activities, and a rich history. KURT UMBHAU | Special to The Advertiser  Many women harvest flowers from their gardens and sell them on the streets of Old Town in Zagreb. KURT UMBHAU | Special to The Advertiser  In Zagreb, many buildings survive from the Middle Ages. The city has for centuries been a center of culture and science, and more recently of commerce and night life. One million residents live in the capital strategically positioned between the Adriatic coast and Central Europe. Croatian National Tourist Board  Brela, on Croatia's Damatian Coast, has pebble beaches, pine forests, a coastal promenade and the region's delicious seafood cuisine. Croatian National Tourist Board  A Motovun visitor to the town's film festival hits his campground after a night of Croatian beer, wine and the powerful local drink, rakija. KURT UMBHAU | Special to The Advertiser In Croatia, don't be surprised if a two-hour coffee overflows into three. People have time. During a summer tour including the seaside Croatian region of Istria, the capital city of Zagreb and the Dalmatian Coast from Brestova to Dubrovnik, I ran into many locals with rooted and real Mediterranean dispositions. In a country that endured a divisive war 10 years ago, the mellow rhythms put me in mind of the Bob Dylan line, "When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose." In late July, I hitched a ride from Wels, Austria, to the Motovun Film Festival. Motovun is an isolated hilltop settlement in the Istrian region near Trieste, Italy, along the Adriatic Sea. The ancient fortified city once ruled by Romans sits high above valley vineyards and golden lowlands. For the past six years, the little town has transformed an unassuming film festival into a big-time bash. This is not Cannes or Sundance. Croatians looking to dance, drink and socialize easily outnumber film freaks. And forget the movies, because a lot of people at the five-day festival never see one. As the festival has gained popularity over its six-year life, each year there is more real-life drama and less of the celluloid. "The first two years, this was about watching movies, but now, it is about drinking," remarked Boyan Szabo, a 24-year-old veteran of all six festivals. "If they wouldn't show films, it might be better. Just make it a party." One night I labored through "Land of Plenty," the latest Wim Wenders movie. Only a temporary chain fence with a vinyl drape separated the movie area from the main plaza. As the plaza crowd grew and the buzz got louder, the audience's preferences began to show. In twos and threes, people stood up and waded through lawn chairs for the exit. After dwindling further for a half-hour, Wenders' movie audience was left to sleepers and introverts. Around midnight, every corner of Motovun pumped to life with DJs grooving in beer gardens, meat sizzling on grills and taps and bottles in the full tilt boogie. A few thousand people on holiday enjoyed July's T-shirt weather. Most roamed uneven alleys nursing a drink. In some spots, the crooked cobblestones became the dance floor and the crowd tripped around. The group perspired through sunrise and slowly disappeared with the daylight. On the way down from the old city, I noticed people passed out, faithfully holding their last beer. Throughout the festival, cold Ozujsko beer was on tap for 10 kuna ($1.65). Most of the grape growers in Istria produce homemade wines and spirits, and local products are available at farms surrounding the Motovun (signs simply read "vino"). Next to the bus drop-off, a fruit stand is open for the entire festival stocking the local wine for 10-15 (2.50) kuna per bottle, along with potent liquor called rakija, which can reach 50 percent to 60 percent alcohol. Motovun's film festival facilities are less than ideal, but somehow that makes it more charming. The theater venues are 14thcentury buildings, not a multiplex with reclining seats or clean bathrooms. In Motovun, seats are hard and either plastic or wood. Rooms have low ceilings and subtitles are sometimes only visible to the first few rows. And almost everyone uses the portable toilets or at night, nature. The largest theater is located outside on the square and near the town gate, so noise can be a factor. Several hundred chairs comprise the seating, and each audience rearranges them so you might find yourself feeling surrounded and marooned from the exit. During the sleeper "Antares" by Gotz Spielmann, my neighbor napped like a cat on my shoulder, and I tilted back, watching the stars overhead. Compared to Motovun's carnival atmosphere, Zagreb was a morgue. Trams and sidewalks were deserted except for city workers resurfacing roads and a few lonesome policemen. As Croatia's capitol, with nearly 1 million residents, Zagreb celebrates culture through numerous museums, galleries, concerts, dance, and dramatic performances each year. But this was August, and everyone was at the sea. During this peak tourist season, stores, companies, and restaurants hang out their "Gone Fishin'" signs and migrate to the water. By the look of it, Croatians are not at all tempted to forfeit their August holidays to earn more tourist money in Zagreb. To get oriented, I took a two-mile walk and toured the city walls, climbing up Lotrscak tower to see the cannon they still fire every day at noon. From the tower, St. Mark's patterned tile roof and the panoramic view of the Mount Medvednica highlands to the lazy Sava River are worth the 10-kuna entrance fee ($1.65). Down the street, Catholicism is practiced at the city's Stone Gate, where people pray to statues and hundreds of red candles flicker in the wind. The narrow alleys and streets are ideal for walking, but to move more quickly, public trams and buses are efficient and inexpensive with day passes for 15 kuna ($2.50). At Jelacica square, the city's nerve center lined with majestic 16th century baroque buildings and upscale cafes, I headed for Praska Avenue. I walked the warm park blocks listening to hissing water fountains and enjoying flowers preening in a late-summer bloom. Within a few minutes by foot, I passed the Gallery of Modern Art, the Archeology Museum, the Art Pavilion, and the National Theater. I stopped in at the plush Hotel Inter-Continental to gamble. After two guards checked me for guns and dress code violations, I played blackjack in a tomb called Casino City. The place had the lonesome scent of desperation and only two other customers. A dozen assorted pit bosses, dealers, guards, and slot jockeys stood around with spinning roulette wheels for eyes. I won, but it felt like losing. By then it was dark, and the 13th-century Cathedral of the Assumption's glowing towers looked like gothic chandeliers. Outside the town core, some of the architecture has the same punitive effect found in zoos and jails. One complex in New Zagreb is a famous concrete monstrosity built in Marshall Tito's era with over 1,000 units. A university student who once lived there described conditions as "not human, but cheap." A local friend introduced me to traditional Croatian cuisine at the upscale Paviljon restaurant in the center of Zagreb (22 Trg Tomislava). The patio looked a lot like what you might find at a Los Angeles country club, but the plates told a different story. The first thing I saw was Fred and Wilma Flintstone sharing a kilo (2.2 pounds) of beef served on a platter. The meat, beer and bread were the stars of the show as decorative crinkle-cut carrots, infant potatoes and cabbage wisps sat untouched. The menu boasted a variety of pork, beef, lamb and seafood by the kilogram. There was also pag and lika (sheep cheeses), Bosnian cevapi (spiced sausage), and Slavonian kulen (paprika- flavored salami). For something lighter, I enjoyed the fresh tomato soup and a Croatian vegetable plate, which was a sampling of pickled vegetables (tursija), grilled onions and peppers, roasted potatoes (przeni krumpir) and a pasta and cheese pie called strukli. The lunch tab was very reasonable at 100 kuna ($16.60) for two. Zagreb is not an electrifying city, but it has a fair share of discos, nightclubs and entertainment listed in a free guide. One of the most popular places with the locals is Sidro, a dingy club featuring Croatian rock and open all night long. Ludnice (Insane House) offers a cultural experience with Serbian folk music. Global is a gay discotheque open all night with commercial dance music and a "crazy" atmosphere. One local described Hemingway's, a singles and tourist bar, as a "terrible elite place, very boring." I found myself returning to Melin (Kozarska 19). This bar is a phenomenon because it seems everyone in the 18-to-35 year age group meets here for a drink before going out. Melin has the feeling of a giant living room, and it is easy to strike up conversations with strangers. Patrons often buy drinks for each other, and it is important to reciprocate. The price is right as a half-liter of Karlovasco beer costs 10 kuna ($1.65). For late-night snacks, there are sandwich shops, bakeries and pizzerias. One treat many people eat after a night out is a baked roll called burek sa mesom (with meat) or burek sa sirom (with cheese). These are perfect for soaking up any remaining rakija in your system. As I traveled through Croatia, Bob Dylan sang in my head, "The times they are a changin'." As the former communist country embraces the European Union and outside investment pours in, the nation is learning the ropes of capitalism. I hope that the times don't change the place too much. IF YOU GO ... CROATIA INFORMATION Videos, travel, hotel and festival information is available through the Croatia Tourist Agency Web site at www.croatia.hr and the Croatian National Tourist Office, 350 Fifth Ave., Suite 4003, New York, NY, 10118 (cntony@earth lin.net). WHERE TO STAY, ZAGREB For accommodation in Zagreb, the Hotel Inter-Continental is a luxury option ($190-$230). The Central Hotel across from the train station is a generic mid-grade hotel at ($75-$90). For budget travelers, the 10-bed St. Patrick's Hostel at $18 a night is a great value for a quality hostel experience. MOTOVUN FILM FESTIVAL For more information and a program, see www.motovunfilm festival.com. WHERE TO STAY, MOTOVUN The campground is one option for film-festival accommodation. However, conditions are very crowded. The Hotel Kastel (www.hotel-kastel-motovun.hr) has rooms and apartments starting at $60. Rooms in private homes are also available. FERRY GETAWAY ON THE CROATIAN COAST The Croatian coast is an easy place to forget time. Was it Thursday? No, couldn't be. Friday? Perhaps. After a few shoulder-to-shoulder days with tourists in Pula, a well-preserved Roman military outpost, I decided to disappear for a while. Pula's picturesque 1st century amphitheater is still used for pop concerts and festivals. The former site of gladiator battles and executions rivals the Roman Coliseum, but I was tired of buildings and longed for solitude. I wanted to swim with the fish and not flop around on land anymore. To escape the masses, the ferry system is ideal. I jumped on the local boat in Brestova, Istria, and we docked 25 minutes later at the deserted Porozina harbor on the quiet island of Cres. I found a remote campsite in brush overlooking the beach, and I snorkeled alone for hours through clouds of glittering sardines. When plunging through the shimmering schools, I felt like I had smashed through a glass door. The game had the same childhood attraction as running through a flock of pigeons at the zoo. Beside the sardines, the water seemed lifeless except for urchins looking like fallen fruit on the flat ocean floor. Along the coast, the hot climate painted the landscape browns and yellows. From the fishing boats moored in the soft blue shorebreak, I could see 1,000-year-old stone houses in sun-drenched vineyards. Each was a Mediterranean postcard. After a few days on Cres living off the local market and a pizzeria, I caught another ferry to the island of Krk and found the old Roman seaside village of Baska, homemade liquor and rocky beaches hosting fewer tourists than the mainland beaches. Aside from short routes where ferries act like water taxis between two islands, larger ships transport people and cars the coastal length of Croatia from Rijeka to the ancient seaside city of Dubrovnik, Croatia's most popular tourist destination. The historic trading city has deep Roman and Venetian history, and the old town is nicely restored after suffering extensive damage during the 1991-95 war. While Dubrovnik is worth visiting for a couple of days, it is crowded and expensive compared with other coastal locations. The Dalmatian Coast is loaded with untouched islands, so sailing through the chain is a highlight for most mariners and scuba divers. Hopping off the coastal ferry is the name of the game. For the price of a through ticket from Rijeka to Dubrovnik ($40), passengers can get off at any port for up to one week, which is less expensive than buying individual tickets between destinations. From Zadar, Split, Hvar, Korcula and Mljet, you can take local ferries to more remote locations. From Zagreb or Rijeka, catching a bus to Split and then a ferry to Dubrovnik or vice versa is the best way to see the Dalmatian Coast as well as the interior Mediterranean landscape and architecture. For accommodation, hotels or private rooms are the most convenient option while on coastal islands. Hotel listings are available at tourist information offices located in ports, and rooms are advertised on houses with the word "Sobe." âÂâÂâ Âhttp://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2005/Oct/30/il/FP510300317.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 31 Oct 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8330/1/E-Fifth-year-success-for-Croatias-Mljet-Triathlon.html ÂFifth year success for Croatia's Mljet Triathlonby Jeff HendersonIT Interactive EditorThis report filed October 25, 2005Mljet Island, Croatia - The lovely island of Mljet played host to the fifth annual Mljet Half Iron Triathlon just over two weeks ago. Although Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, a half-decade of bitter fighting left the country war-weary and eager to achieve peace. In 1998, integration of separatist territories was finally completed under UN supervision, and two years later the Mljet Triathlon was born - a celebration of sport and human spirit in the wake of turmoil. Mljet is a lovely island in the Adriatic Sea, the body of clear, turquoise water which separates Croatia from Italy. Croatia is home to dozens of national parks, many of them perched on the hundreds of islands fanning out from the coastline. The Mljet Triathlon has made its home in the National Park Mljet, on the northwestern end of skinny Mljet Island. The island, only reachable from mainland Croatia by ferry from the capital city of Dubrovnik and tourist charter boats from KorÄ?ula, Hvar, and Split, is known for inland salt lakes, rich, unspoiled forests, and collapsed caves facing the south sea. On Oct. 2 Mljet welcomed 64 individuals and seven relay teams from eight countries for one of the most demanding races in the Balkan region. With the water temperature 22ÂC and the air 24ÂC, ideal conditions awaited the participants. For a small race, the total prize purse of €14,000 signified the dedication of the organizers to supporting its athletes. The race owes its difficulty to the rugged terrain of the island. The bike course features two loops and 1,890 meters of ascent, and the run course subjects athletes to 400 meters of stairs at the beginning and end of each of the two loops. The elevation has its merits, though, affording views of the island and sea beyond to those who make the climb. The women's defending champion, Svetlana Brkic from Serbia, handily claimed another title, defeating Ireland's Elena Maslova and Hungary's Fatima Kovacs. The men's winner from 2004 was not so blessed, however. Dejan Patrcevik, defending champ, took the lead in the early stages of the bike but could not hold onto it during the run, Hungarian Gyula Kis finagled the upset on the second loop of the run to take first by 14 seconds. Six minutes later, Tomas Korinek from the Czech Republic claimed third. The relay division was won by the team led by Ana Srsen, a well-known Croatian disabled athlete who took fourth in the 400m freestyle at the 2004 Summer Para-Olympic Games, in Athens, and is a world championship bronze medalist in the 5k run and marathon. In the wake of her dominating swim skills, her team has won Mljet in each of the last two years. According to organizers, participating in local triathlons and other races is one way Srsen supports her fellow physically challenged athletes. The next edition will be held October 8, 2006. http://www.insidetri.com/race/iro/articles/3053.0.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 29 Oct 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8331/1/E-Croatia-Hosts-66th-Skal-International-World-Congress.html ÂCroatia Hosts 66th Skal International World CongressZagreb. The 66th Skal International World Congress starts today in Zagreb, Croatia. Above 1,000 tourist companies from 87 countries will take part in it, Croatian newspaper Novi List reads. The congress will last till October 21st. Croatian President Stipe Mesic will officially open the congress Monday. Skal International is the largest organisation of travel and tourism professionals in the world embracing all sectors of the tourism industry. It has about 22,000 members active in 87 countries and in about 500 locations around the world.http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?catid=129&newsid=74446&ch=0  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 15 Oct 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8332/1/E-Tuscan-style-farm-tourism-takes-root-in-Croatia.html ÂTuscan-style farm tourism takes root in CroatiaSat Oct 8, 2005 9:53 PM ET By Igor IlicDIVSICI, Croatia (Reuters) - For years, Portugal's Algarve, France's Provence or Tuscany in Italy have been leading the field for farm holidays in peaceful rural settings.The picturesque Istrian peninsula in Croatia's northern Adriatic is keen to join their ranks.Judging by the Stancija Negricani, a sprawling farm estate surrounded by pastures and woodland in the hamlet of Divsici in the south of the peninsula, the idea may take off.In the past few years, the number of rural households offering accommodation and home-made food has risen from a handful to more than 200, spread across the triangle-shaped peninsula whose lush vegetation belies the closeness of the sea."Istria and Croatia have long attracted tourists because of the pristine coastline and crystal-clear sea. A decade ago we started thinking 'Why not also take advantage of our unspoiled hinterland?' and a few years ago kicked off the project," said Marino Brecevic of the Istrian Tourist Board.Now the tourist board wants the "agrifarms" to take care of business for themselves."We can carry on promoting agritourism, but the owners will have to organize themselves and ... facilitate their business by linking up with tour operators in Europe who sell such offers," Brecevic said.Istria was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire until 1918 and was then ruled by the Italians until World War Two, and many inhabitants speak both Croatian and Italian. It was spared the devastation of the 1991-95 war following Croatian independence.Since 2000, tourists have been steadily returning to the Adriatic which, thanks to 50 years of communism and a decade of war and isolation, has remained pristine and alluring.DELICACIES ABOUNDStancija Negricani, north of the largest Istrian city of Pula, is one of a few dozen more exclusively furnished farms in the area. It covers 34,000 square metres (8 acres) and is equipped with a playground, pool and beach volleyball pitch. The owners, Mirjana and Marijan Modrusan, quit running a restaurant four years ago and invested in buying an estate and making it suitable for about 20 guests."We ran up a considerable debt to start this business. We wouldn't have achieved this had we not enjoyed refurbishing an old farm ... (and) if our only motive had been quick profit," Mirjana Modrusan said.The guests, mostly from Britain, Germany and Italy, can enjoy delicacies such as ham, cheese or pasta with truffles and home-made bread and sausages made to a family recipe.They can learn how to prepare traditional Istrian dishes and spend time in the wine cellar -- another indispensable part of an Istrian country household.The Modrusans have a contract with a British travel agency and also advertise on a Web site. However, they agree that agritourism needs a more organised effort."It is difficult to define what a real farm holiday should include. At the moment, accommodation, food and facilities on offer at rural estates are not properly classified and vary a lot," Marijan Modrusan said.VILLA HOLIDAYSA more luxurious version of Istrian agritourism includes villa holidays, aimed at wealthier guests.Rented villas are particularly popular with British tourists, who account for about 80 percent of villa clientele.The business is evidently booming and some foreign media have dubbed Istria "the new Tuscany".The recovery of Croatia's tourist industry has spilled over into the capital, Zagreb, whose refurbished facades, new luxury shops and central European charm are proving a tourist draw.Sprawling between the Sava river in the south and Mount Medvednica in the north, the city of one million has never been a tourist hotspot, unlike the scenic coast.However, the Zagreb tourist board says about 38,000 foreign tourists visited the city in July this year alone, a rise of 38 percent compared with last year."Many of the tourists are interested to see life now, after the war, compared to what they saw here under communism," said tour guide Hela Markanovic, 40.Most tourists like to explore the cobbled lanes of the old Upper Town but many also roam the wide downtown streets lined with shops selling designer clothes and high-tech equipment.A sore point remains the unwillingness of shop-owners in this conservative Roman Catholic society to work on Sundays."Along with lack of public toilets and parking lots, the main problem is that shops, souvenir shops and exchange offices are closed on Sundays. That shows how much more effort we need to have a professional tourist industry," Markanovic said.http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=lifeAndLeisureNews&storyID=2005-10-09T015307Z_01_FOR906743_RTRUKOC_0_US-LEISURE-CROATIA-AGRITOURISM.xml letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 09 Oct 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8335/1/E-Croat-DAzure---the-most-stunning-coastline-in-Europe.html ÂCroat D'AzureIs the Dalmatian Coast the next Riviera?ÂBy Peter Jon LindbergUpdated: 2:01 p.m. ET Aug. 15, 2005Is the Dalmatian Coast the next Riviera? Dubrovnik and the islands off Southern Croatia are tempting travelers with natural beauty and a buzzing nightlife. Peter Jon Lindberg succumbs to their charms.My friends and I play a travel game we call Swoon. The rules are simple: Choose a storied locale from a particular moment in the past 50 years, and the place that earns the most "aaah's" wins. Someone invariably picks St.-Tropez circa 1955, or Ubud in the seventies. Pre–charter flight Ibiza. Post–Cold War Prague. Such places are the geographical equivalents of Truman Capote's Black and White Ball or Manchester's Hacienda Club: that perfect confluence of location and time—before the rest of the world arrived, before the inevitable Wild On! specials on E! Think of Bahia in the sixties, Saigon in the nineties, or Tan-gier in Paul Bowles's day.Think of these and you'll begin to understand the Dalmatian Coast in 2005. Right now, the islands of southern Croatia are—among a certain group of people—the premier destination in the Mediterranean region. They glimmer on the periphery enough to attract the trendy, yet hang enough off the radar to elicit blank stares among the rest. And the rest don't know it now, but they'll be coming soon, too.Europeans long favored Croatia's coastal resorts as a low-key alternative—Greece, Italy, and Spain without the tourist junk or the exorbitant prices. (In the 1970's and 80's, Yugoslavia drew more British travelers than any other European country besides Spain; most of them were bound for Dalmatia.) When Yugoslavia erupted into civil war in 1991, the Dalmatian Coast was not as hard hit as the inland regions of Bosnia and Serbia. But violence was widespread even here, and tourists—the backbone of Dalmatia's economy—disappeared altogether.Today the pockmarks of mortar fire are faintly visible in Dubrovnik's ancient walls, grim reminders of the 1991–92 siege by Yugoslav forces. In most of Croatia, the war now feels ages, not just a decade, gone. And tourism is increasing by as much as 50 percent a year. Europeans are again flocking here each summer—arriving by yacht, by sailboat, by car ferry, or by Gulfstream—and picking up where they left off. Americans, too, are finally being clued in: dozens of cruise lines and tour companies have added Dalmatia to their itineraries in recent years. And, for better or worse, Croatia was recently given the Wild On! treatment on E! If that's not a tipping point, I don't know what is.So what's the appeal? The landscape, for starters. This is the most stunning coastline in Europe: a mix of limpid bays, craggy bluffs, hidden coves and beaches, vineyards, olive groves, and forests of cypress and pine. Remarkably well preserved ancient towns hold vivid examples of Greek, Roman, Venetian, and Slavic architecture. The sailing and yachting scene here rivals any other, with hundreds of ports and dozens of marinas and countless natural inlets scattered across a thousand islands. Dalmatian cuisine—consisting of superb fish, shrimp, octopus, and oysters, along with increasingly renowned wines—compares favorably to Italian cooking, and borrows heavily from it: here risotto becomes rizot and prosciutto becomes the delectable prsut. But Dalmatian food is earthier and rougher than Italian, blending hints of Hungarian (paprika-laced goulash), Turkish (kebab-style raznjici, or meat skewers), and Slavic (sour dumplings). It's also exceptionally affordable.Finally, an exuberant nightlife dominates on the larger islands of Hvar and Brac, where revelers keep the party going until sunrise. There's a palpable urgency to the proceedings. This may be the most widespread consequence of the war: everyone—Croatians themselves, as well as their blissed-out guests—seems to be making up for lost time. For now, it's Croatia's moment; who knows how long it will last?DUBROVNIKDalmatia's most famous city is touted as an unspoiled gem, though this is really a matter of degree. While it's not yet as overrun as, say, Prague or Positano (the two unlikely places that Dubrovnik most resembles), it's well within the crosshairs of mass tourism. Dubrovnik's Old Town maintains a precarious equilibrium between Then and Now, Here and Elsewhere. Menus in Italian, English, and German hang outside every tra-ditional wooden-beamed konoba, or tavern. Benetton and Diesel boutiques line the medieval lanes. And pushcart vendors proffer not just handmade olive soaps but also Old Town mouse pads.Such culture clashes form the essence of this city, and always have. In the Old Town, one feels a sense of displacement, as if all of Europe had come to cluster within Dubrovnik's fortified walls. At various points, most of Europe has. Witness the twisting staircase above Gundulic Square, an explicit homage to the Spanish Steps; the 16th-century Baroque cathedrals abutting Renaissance palaces and medieval fortresses; and the Gradska Kavana, a cafà straight out of fin de siÃcle Vienna.The Old Town is shaped like a cereal bowl; from its elevated rim you can gaze across the city's orange roofs to the vividly blue Adriatic beyond. Down below, at the center of the bowl, lies the Stradun, Dubrovnik's limestone main drag. Centuries of casual strollers have buffed the street to an icy gloss—you expect a Zamboni to arrive at any moment. Each evening the Stradun roars to life for the nightly korso, or promenade. A motley crowd emerges: teenagers in sunbleached-blond dreadlocks, grizzled Croatian men smoking pipes, cruise-ship passengers in flip-flops, Italian men in Ferragamo loafers. A white-haired nun passes by, cocooned in an all-white habit. She's trailed by a surfer dude in satin shorts, nothing more. Both wear crucifixes.The summer crowds may seem unavoidable down on the main streets, so strike up any lane into the higher parts of town. Here the only signs of life are alley cats dozing on the cool and shady stone. The air carries the scent of jasmine and lemon trees, laundry soap, cat spray, and, occasionally, the buttery aroma of scampi frying in tiny kitchens. Climbing a deserted lane one afternoon, I heard, of all things, faint strains of Dixieland echoing down the alleyways. I soon came upon an open doorway, inside which—barely visible in the dim—sat a half-dozen young Croats in shorts, gleefully blowing jazz for an audience of indifferent cats.I was lucky enough to score a bed at the 19-room Pucic Palace, the Old Town's first upmarket hotel, carved out of an 18th-century nobleman's mansion. Even now, as tourism explodes, hotels in Dalmatia are mostly Socialist-era holdovers with lackluster service and design. The Pucic Palace is the glittering exception, a stylish blend of contemporary (gallery lighting, Bulgari bath products) and old-world (copper-shelled, claw-foot tubs; rustic beamed ceilings, olive-wood floors). Balconies look over Gundulic Square, one of Dubrovnik's prime social spots. At night it's filled with cafà tables and Cinzano-sippers, but by sunrise the entire piazza is transformed into a farmers' market. Each morning I would step outside to buy a breakfast of figs, plums, and Charentais melons. The peach bins were swarming with honeybees, but the stall tender paid them no heed; she simply tossed a few peaches into a paper sack, bees and all, then handed them over with a toothless smile. I closed the bag tight, tucked it deep inside my backpack, and waited till noon to open it, by which time the bees had passed out. The peaches were sublime.The Old Town has some compelling museums—the best of them focusing on 16th-century religious art—but they draw curiously few visitors, and most of those seem to be merely seeking respite from the heat. You almost get the sense that Dubrovnik's tourists can't wait to get out of the city and into the surf, or at least onto a chaise longue. Browsing displays of medieval coins, muskets, and teacups at the Rector's Palace were two barefoot Spanish girls in dripping wet swimsuits. The guards hardly noticed.Despite its sober visage—stone battlements, stately Baroque faÃades—Dubrovnik in July feels as louche as any Mediterranean beach resort. For every Franciscan monastery, there's a raucous cafà serving cocktails called Test Tube Baby and Blow Job. The bacchanal reaches its apex at Buza. If this isn't the perfect beach bar, I'll eat a honeybee. A literal hole-in-the-wall (reached via a tiny opening in the Old Town ramparts, and marked by a sign reading COLD DRINKS), Buza unfolds across a series of terraces hewn to the cliffs. There's nothing but a narrow railing between you and the Adriatic. Plastic chairs and tables cluster under a thatch canopy; the bar itself is just a refrigerator and a stereo, both powered by an extension cord running up the cliffside. At sunset I joined the locals leaping off 20-foot-high bluffs into the green water below. Dean Martin was crooning "Cha Cha de Amor" while a 12-year-old girl waited tables, bringing chilly Ozujsko beer from the fridge. At some point, a yacht pulled up and dropped anchor in the cove below. We all watched as the bronzed pilot dove into the water, swam up to the rocks, climbed the winding staircase, sat down at a table, and ordered a beer.KORCULAThe sharp scent of pine resin mingles with salt air on Korcula, three hours by ferry from Dubrovnik. Forests of Aleppo pine, cypress, and holm oak make this one of the Adriatic's most verdant isles. It's known for top-notch wines and for being one of several alleged birthplaces of Marco Polo.Korcula's primary draw, however, is the town of the same name. A snow-globe version of Dubrovnik, with a compact historic quarter encased within stone walls, Korcula took shape under Venetian rule between the 10th and 18th centuries. The Italian influence lingers in Renaissance-era loggias, arched bridges linking the upper stories of palaces, and myriad statues of St. Mark. In contrast to Dubrovnik's, the architecture is quite rough-hewn—all of Korcula looks to be carved from a single piece of stone, like an Adriatic Petra—and is on a decidedly smaller scale, with squat fluted windows and minuscule doorways rimmed with green shutters. The 30-odd lanes wending through the old quarter are so narrow that one could leap from rooftop to rooftop clear across town.The English writer Rebecca West, visiting in 1937, likened Korcula to "a goldsmith's toy, a tortoise made of precious metals, sitting on its peninsula as on a show-stand." Not much has changed. Days begin with ink-black espresso at one of Korcula's ubiquitous cafÃs, followed perhaps by a circuit around the pine-fringed promenade just outside the city walls. The Old Town's promontory juts like a thumb into the shimmering bay, lapped by waves on three sides. From inside the walls, however, you'd have little idea you were on the sea; the crooked passageways huddle in shadow for most of the day. I alternated stints at the sun-drenched town beach with cooling strolls down the old quarter's lanes. Peering into darkened ground-floor kitchens I could glimpse the dim figures of housewives preparing lunch: grilled squid, sautÃed shrimp, wine-braised octopus. At Korcula's jumbled Abbey Treasury museum, a charming old docent followed me from room to room, pointing out Titians and Tintorettos and switching lights on and off as we went.In the afternoons I would bike out for a bracing swim at Przina beach, a pebbly strand on Korcula's southern peninsula, near the town of Lumbarda. Lumbarda is famous for Grk wine (wonderful name, that), a pungent white with the sweet character of liqueur. Vineyards crept over the roadside here; wheel-crushed grapes stained the asphalt. The road wound past olive, lime, and almond groves, past stalks of blood-red sunflowers, past a medieval chapel dropped in the center of a vineyard. With slices of prsut and sharp paski sir cheese procured from a butcher, I stopped to picnic beside the shell of a stone farmhouse; a copse of trees poked up through what remained of the roof.I returned to Korcula Town just before sunset, the evening air soft as a silk shirt. The passageways were bathed in the glow of amber lamps; moonlight cast a blue aura on ship masts and church steeples. Several women were grilling garlicky dorado on a barbecue while their children squeezed in a game of soccer. I assumed they were Korculan, but upon closer inspection, I realized they were all speaking French. (Foreigners—particularly French and Italian—are buying up property here at a dizzying pace.)Just beyond the medieval walls, Vespas were honking their way through the crowds by the marina. Beck's "Sexx Laws" thumped from a harborfront disco. At the Internet cafÃ, Croatian teenagers were playing Grand Theft Auto. But down the musty, catacomb-like corridors of the Old Town, the night slipped back 100, 500, 750 years, and Korcula looked much as it must have in Marco Polo's day. The wine, of course, helped.HVARBy far the most glamorous of the Adriatic islands, Hvar is heir to that noble lineage running from Cannes and Capri through St. Bart's and South Beach: the latest of the famous international playgrounds. At the height of summer, Hvar Town is so relentlessly gorgeous it makes your eyes ache. Everything screams, Ogle me: the harbor edged with bougainvillea, the perfectly aged Renaissance faÃades, the absurdly huge yachts and sailboats, and a nonstop parade of caramelized torsos. As if the cast and setting didn't already suggest a perfume ad, Hvar's entire waterfront is redolent of lavender, which proliferates on the island and is sold in satchels by sidewalk vendors.Each afternoon in summer, another dozen yachts glide into Hvar's mandrac—the marine equivalent of the driveway at Monte Carlo's casino. Here come the new arrivals, in their brushed-steel cleats and finery: the Pescatore from Tuscany, the Commitment from London, the Aerie from Cap d'Ail, the Coup de Grace from Barbados. And here come their occupants, strutting insouciantly down gangways to alight on the pier: men in cream linen suits and Gucci sandals, divas in sheer silk wraps and Michael Kors bikinis. These people can make an ATM withdrawal look sexy.You could spend a month within two blocks of the marina and never tire of the daily routine. At the morning market, Claudia Cardinale look-alikes rub shoulders with black-cloaked biddies shopping for figs and olive oil. As the sun climbs higher, the yachties move from cafà to konoba around St. Stephen's Square, and breakfast seamlessly merges with lunch. After a swim off the rocks, it's time for midday cocktails at chic quayside bars, where all the chairs face out to provide views of the show. Hvar's Renaissance-era planners must have anticipated the town's eventual function as one of the world's preeminent catwalks.At twilight the yachties are all dining on their decks, served by white-gloved attendants. The air fills with the clink of Prosecco glasses, voices chattering in a dozen languages, and the clapping of high heels on stone—and Hvar's evening promenade begins. The top-shelf crowd congregates at Carpe Diem, the ne plus ultra of trendy boÃtes. Wicker sofas and cushioned cube-stools are occupied by couples who pay with Bank of Geneva platinum cards—probably nobility from some obscure corner of Europe. When the terrace is full they adjourn to the loggia and drape themselves across marble ledges with uncanny grace.On this particular night, however, Carpe Diem was not the most fabulous spot in town. Just past midnight, a five-story superyacht slid into a berth opposite the club. On the terrace at Carpe Diem, all heads turned as the crew emerged, clad in marine whites with brass epaulets. Ropes were secured, decks scrubbed, torches lit on the ship's sprawling veranda. Two sailors prepared the gangway, then posted themselves on the pier to tend, no joke, a velvet rope.One by one, elegantly dressed women strode through the assembled throng, got the once-over from the doormen, and were ushered up the gangway. Baccarat glasses appeared; votives flickered in the breeze. Soon enough the lucky inviteds were shedding all but their skimpiest clothing and gyrating to hypnotic soul music—a scene straight out of a high-class porn movie. I passed by again at 5 a.m. and the celebrants were still on deck, still dancing half-naked in the predawn light. By breakfast time the ship was gone. The owners, for all I know, never got off the boat.VISJust 12.5 miles across the water from Hvar Town, the island of Vis is as insular as its neighbor is cosmopolitan, its hardscrabble landscape a far cry from Hvar's sparkle and polish. Foreign visitors were not allowed on Vis until 1989; before then the island was largely controlled by the Yugoslav army, with just a scant population of farmers and fishermen for company.A crucial strategic outpost for warding off seaborne invaders, Vis has been variously occupied by Greeks, Romans, Illyrians, Venetians, and Austro-Hungarians. Toward the end of World War II, Tito set up his Partisan headquarters in a mountain cave here and, with the help of the British, transformed the whole of Vis into a military base. During the Cold War, miles of tunnels were carved into the rock to connect subterranean barracks, gun turrets, and missile silos. Portions of the tunnels remain. Today you can comb through the rubble and find Eminem graffiti covering the skeletons of rocket launchers.From the sea, Vis seems an unforgiving hunk of rock, dotted with parched scrub and brush. Despite its desolate appearance, Vis holds remarkable natural bounty. More than 500 varieties of herbs flourish on the island (consider that the whole of England has only around 300). Climbing those scrabbly hillsides, you can grow dizzy from the scent of rosemary and sage. Asparagus, garlic, and arugula all grow wild here, alongside the mandarin-orange and carob trees—carob infuses the local grappa. There are also some passable island wines, such as the dry white Vugava and the ruby-red Plavac, which, for some reason, Viskis often dilute with ice cubes.I sampled the wild asparagus at Konoba Bako, in Komiza, where I had the best meal of my trip. Komiza is an unpretentious fishing village with few stores and cafÃs, and even fewer tourists. Those who come tend to gather at Konoba Bako, whose waterfront terrace makes an idyllic backdrop for simply prepared seafood. Lunch began with pristine oysters from Mali Ston, northwest of Dubrovnik, where underground springs and freshwater rivers create an ideal feeding ground for shellfish (Mali Ston oysters were purportedly a favorite of Emperor Franz Josef's). A luscious pÃtà of anchovies followed, then a sublimely tender stewed octopus. Finally, out came a grilled dorado, its skin as crisp as a roast chicken's, its pearlescent flesh so rich and juicy that olive oil and lemon seemed redundant.BRACBrac was always renowned for its quarries; the island's creamy white marble was used for the walls of Diocletian's Palace in nearby Split and, farther afield, for the White House. Nowadays the stone trade has ceded to the sun-and-surf market. Possessing Croatia's most famous beach, as well as a limpid bay for swimming and snorkeling, Brac is an obvious haven for sporty types. On the breezy harbor around Bol, the island's tourist hub, windsurfers slice the water like dorsal fins. The downside: Brac is becoming popular with package vacationers, and is being developed accordingly. Sprawling, chain-style resorts are still rare on the Dalmatian Coast—pensions, B&B's, and small hotels have long dominated the market here—but Brac now has more than its share of behemoths. (This may explain the preponderance of Jet Skis.)The upside: there's enough beachfront for now to accommodate the crowds. And the town of Bol, diminutive though it may be, manages to absorb the ferryloads of visitors without sacrificing its mellow, understated character. After the evening ferries depart, Bol settles into the pleasant vibe of an after-party. Still, most travelers come here on day trips from Hvar or Split and skip the town altogether, heading straight for the beach.Brac's mountainous interior is spotted like, well, a dalmatian—harsh gray stone broken by patches of scraggly maquis. Against this towering, nearly monochromatic backdrop, the coastline seems to explode in a riot of emerald greens, terra-cotta reds, and aqua blues, as if all of the island's color had long ago trickled down the hillsides to the sea. Just west of Bol, a ring of evergreens hugs the shore, shading a limestone promenade. Carpeted in pine needles and lined with vendors selling seashells, sarongs, and coral necklaces, the pathway stretches for a mile alongside 40-foot-high cliffs. Cicadas and crickets thrum in the trees. Through the forest you can catch glimpses of an impossibly blue bay glistening in the sun.Finally, the path slopes downward and you emerge onto Zlatni Rat (Golden Cape), the beach everyone comes here for. It is, even skeptics will admit, an extraordinary spot. The cape forms a V that thrusts into the bay, rimmed by a broad, flat strand of polished shale. (There are hardly any sandy beaches in Dalmatia—and if you miss the softness, you certainly don't miss the mess.) The beach slides gently into the water, translucent as an indoor swimming pool and nearly as warm. Commerce is nonexistent, except for a couple of stalls selling kiwi, melon, and coconut gelatos. The far side of the beach is reserved for nude bathers (naturism is quite the rage in Croatia) but, given the size of European bikinis, there's precious little to indicate when you've found it.Copyright  2005 American Express Publishing Corporationhttp://msnbc.msn.com/id/8961456/http://www.travelandleisure.com/  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 20 Aug 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8334/1/E-CROATIA-BEACHES---The-best-beaches-of-Croatia.html ÂCroatia-Beaches.comFor many people a summer vacation means one thing - the beach and if you are determined beach-hunters, you've come to the right place.Croatia's main tourist attraction has always been its beaches. The Adriatic coast and islands are lined with amazing beaches, abounding in natural harbors, with its countless bays, ports and marinas. Croatia offers 1.778 kilometers (1.103 miles) of seaside and should you run out of the mainland, there are still over 1.000 islands to choose from (66 inhabited) with additional 4.012 kilometers (2.487 miles) of seaside. Croatia-Beaches.com reveals best Croatian beaches in several categories. Hopefully you'll find this site interesting and useful letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 20 Aug 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8333/1/E-Hungarians-flock-to-Adriatic-coast.html ÂHungarians flock to Croatia's Adriatic coastMonday August 15, 2005By Patricia Fischer The most popular foreign holiday destinations for Hungarians lie along the Croatian coast, according to current surveys. More and more Hungarians are visiting Croatia; the number of visitors last year was over 400,000, and a 10% growth has been registered in the first six months of 2005. The Adriatic’s popularity is due not only to its spectacular natural scenery, but also to its accessibility. Once across the border, the coast is easily within reach via newly built, high-quality toll motorways. But despite the increasing numbers of Hungarians visiting the Mediterranean country, tourism experts stress that there is no need to worry about Croatia distracting tourists from Lake Balaton. 'I don’t think Croatia is our real competitor,' said KornÃlia Kiss, head of the research department at Hungarian Tourism Rt. 'It’s quite far away, and travelers have to pay highway tolls.' Marin Skenderović, head of the local representation of the Croatian National Tourist Board, agrees that Lake Balaton and the Adriatic Sea are not comparable.'We’re talking about two different products. They are aimed at different target groups,' said Skenderović. 'Those who prefer seaside holidays do not present a significant demand for the Balaton region.' Croatia’s government has realized the importance of developing the country’s highway network – especially in those areas favored by tourists. Croatia now has a highway and motorway system stretching more than 900 kilometers – 100 kilometers of which has been completed this year. Once the decade-long highway construction program is completed in 2008, the network will be more than 1,500 kilometers in length. Skenderović is certain that the latest highway construction efforts will increase the number of Hungarians traveling to Croatia. 'Even though the tolls are not cheap,' he said, 'the speed and convenience by which Hungarians can now travel is prompting many people to make weekend getaways, in addition to typical week-long visits.' Among Hungarians, Croatia has been the second most popular holiday destination in recent years, according to the Central Statistics Office (KSH). Hungary is the sixth largest source market for tourism in Croatia, and the number of Hungarian visitors was 13% higher in 2004 than the year before. 'Germans, of course, are on top, but the growth rate of German visitors is much slower than that of Hungarians. I’m expecting approximately one million Hungarian visitors to Croatia in 5–6 years’ time,' Skenderović predicted. National traits Hungarian travel habits have not changed significantly over the last few years.'The most favored accommodation types among Hungarians are apartment houses and campsites, but there is increasing demand for hotel accommodation,' Skenderović said. Prices are at nearly the same level as they are at Lake Balaton, though a Hungarian traveler also has to factor petrol and tollway costs into the equation. Nevertheless, Hungarians are still among the top spenders in Croatia.'Hungarians rank sixth in terms of average spending on a Croatian holiday. A Hungarian spends €47 a day on average, which is close to Austrian and Dutch spending,' Skenderović said. The Croatian Tourist Board spends around Ft 50 million (about €200,000) a year to operate its Hungarian representation. The amount includes promotion costs, but this year another Ft 20 million is being spent on marketing. 'We had a television campaign, and billboards were placed all over the country, but we are also spending on study tours,' Skenderović noted. This year, the Croatian Tourist Board decided to introduce a strong promotion program in Hungary. As Skenderović claimed, the program is based upon the success of a previous large-scale campaign. 'We carried out a similar campaign in 1999,' he said. 'Back then, Croatian authorities registered a 3% increase in the number of border crossings from Hungary, which shows the effectiveness of our campaign.' Skenderović put Croatia’s planned income from tourism at €6 billion this year, 5%–6% higher than in 2004. 'Last year, nearly 5% of tourism industry income came from Hungarian travelers. That’s a high share, considering that Germany, as the main source market, generated a 20% share of last year’s income in the sector,' Skenderović concluded. http://www.bbj.hu/?module=displaystory&story_id=250180&format=html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 19 Aug 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8337/1/E-Exploring-Croatias-overlooked-islands-By-Jeanne-Oliver.html ÂExploring Croatia's overlooked islandsÂTravels With Lonely PlanetBy Jeanne Oliver Vis' picturesque port evokes the Croatian island's pristine appeal. (Wayne Walton/Lonely Planet Images ) With 1,185 islands to choose from, you would think that visitors to Croatia might spread out a little. Instead, famous islands like Hvar, Korcula and Brac can sag under the summer crowds, while on other equally beautiful islands, Croatia's unique Mediterranean culture flourishes in peace. On three of my favorites - Vis, Pag and Cres islands - the calendar revolves around wine and olive harvests, sheepÃshearing, fishing and festivals. Built under Venetian rule, the centuries-old villages are enchanting, and you can laze away the day on a host of beaches. Vis: Until 1989, a visit to Vis island was as desirable as a visit to boot camp. In fact, it was a visit to boot camp. Vis was an army base in former Yugoslavia and off-limits to civilians. When the army pulled out, Croatians discovered that the lack of tourism on their "forbidden island" had left the natural splendor intact. The low, rolling hills sprout vineyards, pines and a cornucopia of wild herbs. The pristine offshore waters teem with fish, attracting fishers, scuba divers and snorkelers. Pebbly beaches stretch out from the island's two port towns, Vis town and Komiza, which contain remnants of the island's fascinating history. After exploring the Roman baths and Greek cemetery in Vis and the Venetian churches in Komiza, take a boat trip to the Blue Grotto on nearby Bisevo island. If you compare it to the Blue Grotto on Capri, islanders will quickly inform you that their grotto is bluer and better in every way. Getting there: Fly to Zagreb and then connect with a flight or drive to the coastal city of Split. Daily car ferries connect Vis with Split (the trip takes two hours) all year, and there's a daily fast boat running between Split and Vis from June-October. Where to stay: Hotel Paula (call 011-385-21-711-362; http:// www.paula-hotel.htnet.hr; doubles $100) in Vis town is a small, family-run hotel with artfully decorated rooms. Where to eat: In Vis town, Villa Kaliopa (011-385-21-711-755) serves scrumptious local dishes in the verdant gardens of a 19th-century mansion. In Komiza, Konoba Jastozera (011-385-21-713-859) specializes in lobster, but all the seafood is superb. Pag: Say "Pag island" to any Croatian, and the first response is likely to be "cheese" - as in the pungent, salty sheep cheese for which the island is renowned. Barren, rocky and nearly devoid of trees, Pag's landscape contrasts sharply with its festive and artistic culture. Along the white-stone streets of Pag town, black-clad women sit on stools, working the delicate "Pag lace" that is as prized as the cheese. On national holidays, Carnival or any other excuse for a party, everyone heads to the town square to dance the "kolo," sing old Pag tunes and drink the local Sutica wine. To the north, Novalja offers strictly 21st-century nightlife with a cluster of beach bars, cafÃs and discos that has become a magnet for young revelers. Quiet pleasures are also abundant. The coastline curves around two protected bays where shallow waters lap at nearly deserted sandy beaches. To recuperate from the sun and fun, you can even arrange to immerse yourself in special healing mud just outside Pag town. Getting there: Fly to Zagreb and drive to the coastal city of Zadar. From there, it's an easy drive across the causeway connecting Pag with the mainland. Where to stay and eat: The Hotel Biser (call 011-385-23-611-333; http://www.hotel-biser .com; doubles $77) is across the bay from Pag town and only a short walk to the beach. Hotel Tony (011-385-23-611-370; http:// www.hotel-tony.com; doubles $60) is a homey hotel-restaurant on a quiet cove that serves delicious food. Cres: The principal inhabitants of Cres (pronounced "Tsres”) island are sheep, the shepherds who tend them and the rare griffon vultures that feed on their carcasses. With a 10-foot wing span, these birds shouldn't be too hard to spot as they swoop down Cres' eastern cliffs. The west side of this 40-mile-long island has a wealth of hidden coves, most notably idyllic Valun at the bottom of towering hills. Pine and oak forests carpet the northern part of the island right up to the edge of Cres town, the island's capital. A scattering of Italian Renaissance structures recalls the days when this tranquil port was an important hub of the Venetian empire. Tiny Osor, with a population of 80, is a 15th-century jewel on the island's southern tip. Original sculpture adorns the restored streets, and Osor's summer Musical Evenings feature the finest classical musicians. Getting there: In July and August you can fly to Venice and take the Saturday boat to Mali Losinj, the island immediately south of Cres. It's then an easy drive across the bridge to Cres. Otherwise, fly to Zagreb and drive to Brestova on the Istrian coast, where there are frequent car ferries to Porozina on Cres island. Where to stay: There are more campgrounds on the island than hotels. In Cres town, the only hotel is the modest Hotel Kimen (call 011-385-51-571-161; http://www.hotel-kimen .com; doubles $113). Where to eat: In addition to a full array of fish and seafood, look for highly prized Cres lamb on the menu at Belona Gostionica (011-385-51-571-203). --- Jeanne Oliver wrote the first three editions of Lonely Planet's Croatia guidebook. "Travels With Lonely Planet" is coordinated by Global Travel Editor Don George. E-mail him at don.george@lonelyplanet.com .http://www.sltrib.com/travel/ci_2920327ÂOp-edJeanne Oliver's page is www.croatiatraveller.comHer email is: jeanne@croatiatraveller.com Shower her with compliments. She may become an honorary Croatian.Nenad Bach letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 07 Aug 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8336/1/E-PBS-Program-on-Croatias-Dalmatian-Coast---AWESOME.html ÂPBS Program on Croatia's Dalmatian Coast A number of years ago I persuaded Rick Steves to tape a program on bothSlovenia and Croatia and he did. Rudy Maxa just aired a program onCroatia's Dalmatian Coast on PBS two weeks ago and it is awesome! Youcan read about the program and order the tape or DVD below.Judy FeldworthCROATIA'S DALMATIAN COASTLimpid, calm waters …. rock bound coves …..and shimmering stone cities – Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast is Europe’s less traveled Riviera. Ancient stone towns, renaissance palaces and romantic fortresses dot the landscape. Rocky islands --some inhabited, others wild sanctuaries, beckon across the placid sea. Fresh seafood and wine liven up the cuisine. All that and a sunny climate make Dalmatia a prime Mediterranean destination. Dalmatia is the coastal region of Croatia with a history of its own. This beautiful and strategic region has been fought over for centuries by the Romans, Venetians, Hungarians, Turks and French. Dalmatia’s more powerful neighbors took what they wanted and kept the populace in poverty. Yet through their ingenuity and independent spirit, the coastal people managed to flourish in the 15th and 16th centuries, boasting a huge merchant fleet. In the early 1990’s a devastating civil war rocked the region. Today, only the mismatched roof tiles recall that war, and tourism has returned full force. Tough, resilient, poetic and proud, Dalmatia today is thriving, and the visitor will find modern facilities, great food and warm, welcoming people.There’s something mysterious and exotic about the Dalmatian coast. You truly feel as though you have stumbled back in time amid all the turrets, towers and ancient ruins. Add to that the sun, the surf, the solitude and you having the makings of a perfect holiday. TIP: Visit www.croatia.hr (Croatian National Tourist Board) for a quick lay of the land. For extensive photo galleries of Croatia, www.photocroatia.com's your place.DUBROVNIK Dubrovnik. Named a World Heritage site for its beauty and cultural significance, this walled medieval gem once reigned as the most powerful city in the southern Adriatic.The most dramatic and romantic way to know Dubrovnik is to circumnavigate the city walls, taking in views of the town … the tiles roofs ….and the clear blue sea.The Greeks, Romans and Slavic people all populated this coast. Dubrovnik passed hands many times, but in the 15th and 16th centuries, the city remained fairly independent through the payment of tributes and shrewd alliances. Known as the City State Ragusa, Dubrovnik commanded the third largest merchant fleet in the world. Built between the 13th and 15th centuries, the city walls stretch for one and a half miles and are as high as 80 feet in some places. TIP: For more on Dubrovnik as a major tourist destination, read Time Europe Magazine's article from the series Secret Capitals at www.time.com. STRADUN TO THE HARBOR The limestone main street, Stradun, polished by centuries of passersby, marches straight through Stari Grad, Dubrovnik’s beautifully preserved old quarter. The city enforces strict rules about upkeep of homes – and signage for shops is limited to a discreet name on the lantern above the door.At the far end of the Stradun a gate leads to the picturesque harbor. Here, women sell traditional handicrafts and ships come and go into the walled inlet. In the 16th century, Dubrovnik’s sea trade reached its zenith and boats regularly sailed from here to the far corners of the globe. Today enormous cruise ships often loom in the harbor and the streets midday suddenly overflow with tourists.TIP: For a list of monthly events in Dubrovnik, including performances by the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra on the Stradun, go to web.tzdubrovnik.hr. FRANCISCAN MONASTERYRoman Catholicism is the religion of the Croat; the Serbs belong to the Eastern Orthodox church. Neighboring Serbia differs culturally as well – influenced by the eastern Roman empire, whereas the west dominated in Dalmatia. Catholicism flourished here, as Popes promoted the building of monasteries and churches. In Dubrovnik’s 14th century Franciscan Monastery, you can wander through lovely cloisters where animal and human heads adorn the dual columns.Preserved within the monastery is the pharmacy, established in 1391, and one of the oldest in Europe. The monks concocted cures from plant roots and bark and extracted poison from snakes for anti-venom.TIP: Interested in historical Dubrovnik? You can find a list of churches, palaces, fortresses, and monuments at www.dubrovnik-online.com. GRAND PALACE HOTEL Most of Dubrovnik’s hotels are located outside of the old town. At the newly renovated Grand Palace Hotel, every room commands a stunning view of the sea.Here swimming pools nearly merge with the sea and there’s an open air restaurant where you can gaze out and plan your route to the islands.TIP: Treat yourself to a stay at www.dubrovnikpalace.hr. THE ISLAND OF LOKRUM If you crave a beach break, you can grab a water taxi to the wooded island Lokrum, just 10 minutes away. In fact, for the best beaches, it’s a good tip to get out of the major towns and take water taxis to nearby islands.Water taxis ferry people to and from the island and take about 10 minutes. You can also sign up for cruises to various islands for picnics or nature walks. The shore of the island is rocky, with built in ladders to help swimmers down into the sea. A side benefit of the trip is the chance to see Dubrovnik as have so many centuries of invaders, traders, and pirates.TIP: A regular boat service runs every half hour to Lokrum. You'll find the details at the bottom of the page dubrovnik.laus.hr. For a line on boat charters, check out this short list.ISLAND HOPPINGThe Dalmatian coast can be explored entirely by boat. Ferries run to all the major towns and cities. Or you can rent a sailboat or yacht and design your own itinerary. With over 1100 islands and countless private coves, this gorgeous archipelago is a boater’s paradise.Croatia today evokes Greece a couple of decades ago --- a vast number of islands set in the cleanest water of the Mediterranean, unspoiled and inexpensive. With a boat the possibilities are endless – un-crowded waters, …well-equipped marinas …and countless private isles you can make your own for an afternoon. For the moment, Croatia manages to balance tourism with unspoiled beauty. TIP: July and August are busy months, so plan your ferry route early. The Croatian ferry company Jadrolinija runs the majority of routes in the country. You'll find them at www.jadrolinija.hr. For more ferry companies in Croatia as well as information about sailing holidays, be sure to visit www.visit-croatia.co.uk.THE VILLAGE OF STON A great excursion from Dubrovnik takes in Penninsula then we island hop to stunning Korcula.Little more than an hour’s drive from Dubrovnik, I came upon a walled town that once provided the Ragusa Republic with riches. In 1333 when the wall around Ston was completed it was the 2nd largest fortification after the Great Wall of China.The republic of Ragusa built walls around the town of Ston to protect the saltworks, a series of shallow pools in the bay where salt is still collected today. All the residents of this tiny town were required to harvest salt by hand. Two witnesses had to observe any sale of salt to prevent fraud.TIP: You'll find more about Ston at www.croatia.hr. THE VILLAGE OF MALI STON Next door to Ston, the little fishing village Mali Ston offers the best seafood in Croatia. Oyster and mussel beds dot the bay at Mali Ston. The picturesque walled town formed another important fortification along the Ragusa republic’s northern defenses. Today, the town restaurants serve up all kinds of fish, mussels and Croatia’s best oysters. Seafood is the coastal staple here in Croatia. Even Italy imports Croatian fish because they say the seafood is better along the rocky coastline on this side of the Adriatic.Mali Ston is quintessential Croatia – a gentle fishing village lost in time.TIP: Find out more about Mali Ston at www.croatia.hr. If you'd like to know a great place to relax and taste the region's cuisine, visit the restaurant Rudy visits in this show: Vila Koruna. TIP: There's a great website for the Peljesac Penninsula on which you'll find lots of info on the towns, plenty of maps, and pictures. THE GRGICH WINERY The Peljesac Penninsula also produces some of Croatia’s finest wines.The grapes in the overgrown vineyards here ripen and sweeten in the sun reflecting off of the sea. At the Grgich winery east meets west. Owner Mike Grgich was born in Croatia but he took his winemaking skills to California to produce world class Zinfandel and Chardonnay. After Croatia gained its independence, Grgich returned to start a small winery. Grgich claims the Plavac Mali grape grown here is a cousin of the Californian Zinfandel. The estate produces a red Plavac Mali and white Posip wines.TIP: Want to find the winery? Here's the address. If you want to know more about Croatian wines and winemakers, as well as where to find them, www.hrvatska-vina.com's the the place for you. If that's not enough, check out www.chiff.com as well.TIP: If you find those fancy Croatian wine labels tough to read, www.hr will clear up any confusion in a hurry. TIP: Finally, Mike Grgich has been producing wines at the Grgich Hills vineyards, in the heart of California's Napa Valley, since 1977. Be sure to visit the Grgich Hills website for the great story of how Miljenko “Mike” Grgich first gained international recognition.KORCULA The Peljesac Penninsula offers sandy beaches and pleasant towns, but the real gem lies across the water from the town of Orebic. The car ferry at Orebic carries passengers 2 miles across to the island of Korcula and to the stunning town for which the island is named.Perhaps the most romantic of all the Croatian walled beauties, Korcula makes a spectacular first impression. The town took its present form from the 13th to 15th centuries. The streets curve to form a leaf-like grid to minimize the effects of a strong northeast wind and to maximize cool breezes from the west. Grey stone houses, red tiled roofs, fortress walls and a splash of green palm trees --- Korcula town makes an idyllic island retreat. Korcula claims adventurer Marco Polo as their native son. Many experts agree Marco Polo came from Croatia, but from which town, no one is certain. Yet it was surely in these waters off of Korcula in 1298, that a battle raged between Venice and Genoa and Marco Polo was captured. Later, in a Genoa prison he recounted his travels to a fellow inmate who wrote them down. For swimming, touring, stopping at towns or monasteries, a boat trip from the island makes for a great adventure. On my trip I hit a sudden squall and caught Korcula looking quite dramatic.The Venetian influence in Korcula is manifested in lacy architecture. From the 10th century, Venice controlled much of Dalmatia for some 800 years. Korcula’s main cathedral, St Marks, features expert carvings in its pale limestone, some by 15th century artisans from Italy. Limestone quarries on the island provided Dubrovnik with stone and master carvers from the republic taught Korcula artisans their craft.TIP: The town of Korcula is also well known for its dramatic sword dance, Moreska. Find out the story of this fascinating dance, as well as where to find others in Croatia, at www.korculainfo.com. TIP: For a great 3D map of Korcula town, including ferry locations, check out www.korculainfo.com. When you've had your fill of the town, hop a catamaran up the coast to Split. Here's the schedule.THE CITY OF SPLIT With a car, you can explore other towns and beaches on the island. You can even search the internet or travel agencies for vacation homes to rent in a private cove along this gorgeous coastline.Back on the mainland, we tour the ancient city of Spilt and its neighbor, little Trogir, then hop a ferry to one last island, Hvar.Croatia’s second largest city, Split began as a Roman Palace and today a jumble of centuries exist within its glorious shell.Split sprang from a Roman emperor’s desire to retire to the peaceful, secluded Dalmatian paradise where he was born. The year was 295, and after years of trying to whip the empire in shape and ruthlessly persecuting Christians, the emperor Diocletian opted out. He built a colossal palace – over a million square feet of apartments, temples, barracks and baths. The largest private residence in the ancient world, Dioletian’s retreat survives in remarkably good shape. The peristyle or open square with its granite columns once served as the public meeting place and grand entranceway to the imperial quarters. Diocletian spared no expense, importing what were even to him ancient black granite sphinxes from Egypt that date all the way from the 15th century BC. The mausoleum of Diocletian later became a Christian church – St Dominus. The principal structure and the dome, which was once covered in gold – date from Diocletian’s day. Baroque chapels, 3rd century Corinthian columns, and 13th century walnut and oak doors make for a dazzling hotchpotch of styles. To get a sense of the vastness of the palace, take a trip below to the unadorned underground where the layout of the rooms mirrors the palace rooms that once stood above. TIP: For interesting detail on the palace, take a look at the on-line article from the Australian National University. SPLIT ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM Just outside the city center, the evocative Split Archeological Museum, takes us back to Diocletian’s roots. Here in a lovely courtyard you can wander among sarcophagi from ancient town Salona, where Diocletian was born.Enchanting mosaics and eerily life like tomb sculptures are jumbled together in a way that makes you feel you are discovering them for the first time. The city of Salona or Solin was located four miles northeast of Split. A great Roman city in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, Salona was the capitol of Dalmatia. In Diocletian’s time the city had a population of 60,000 and many splendid buildings. The tombs often depict couples and the realistic portraits demonstrate great sculptural command.The most remarkable piece in the collection: a glowing tomb illustrating the Greek story of Phaedra, who falls in love with her stepson and then kills herself. The tomb was buried with the relief side protected by a building, thus the remarkable preservation. TIP: Find Croatian museums on the internet, go to www.mdc.hr. CROATIAN NECKTIES In 1635, a group of Croatian mercenaries arrived in Paris to lend aid to King Louis XIII. The French were immediately struck by the soldier’s silk scarves which they tied loosely around their necks. The fashion caught fire. The French called the scarf la croat which later turned into la cravate, and thus the modern necktie was born. Croatian neckties are made of silk and handcrafted. The designs reflect the mingling of east and west – a touch of the exotic mingled with a classic design.(soundbite) I think it says buy this tie in ancient Croatian … buy this tie… buy this tie .. buy this tieTIP: Boutique Croata has many locations in Croatia. Visit their homepage for address and phone info. There, you can also order neckties to your heart's content.THE MESTROVIC MUSEUM For something completely different and more modern in Split, the Mestrovic Gallery houses a collection of sculpture by Ivan Mestrovic. The artist was born on the coast in 1883. An illiterate Shepard boy, Mestrovic began attracting attention with his wood carvings and was soon apprenticed to a stone carver in Split. His work went on to receive international acclaim. Mestrovic’s sculptures are influenced by Greek classical art and inspired by religion and Croatian nationalism. His fluid lines and swooning bodies are sensual, poignant and powerful.TIP: The museum hosts many fascinating "virtual walks" of the collection, as well as the grounds, at www.mdc.hr.TROGIR Nestled on a small island, the little town of Trogir is a car free open air museum with splendid 13th to 15th century buildings on display.An hour’s drive north of Split, romantic Trogir makes a nice day trip. The narrow streets of the town reverberate with history. First the Greeks settled here, then the Romans established an important port. In the 10th century, Venice and Hungary warred for possession of the Dalmatian coast and Trogir sided with the Hungarians in exchange for a degree of independence. Art and architecture flourished. In the 15th century Venice finally took over the town and added its own distinctive style.Here, as elsewhere in Croatian towns, economic and comfortable accommodations can be had by renting local apartments. Travel agents and the internet are great resources.Trogir’s gloriously faded stone streets are some of the narrowest and most evocative in Croatia. The town was also named a World Heritage site.TIP: You'll find an excellent on-line city guide of Trogir and the surrounding area at www.trogir-online.com. Also, for a quick tour of the city, visit www.e-trogir.com and select the site links along the right side of your screen.HVAR A long day trip from Split or an ideal getaway for a few days our last island stop awaits.We’re docking at another spectacular island, Hvar. Pirates once cruised these waters until the Venetians drove them out in the 13th century, then the town flourished.The Venetian legacy of fine carving and renaissance palaces graces Hvar town, the most beautiful town on the island. In the 15th century, Hvar grew quite wealthy, as all Venetian boats stopped here en route to and from Venice. Today the island town attracts wealthy European vacationers.A pleasant afternoon can be had strolling along the waterfront and shopping for lavender products. Lavender grows in profusion on the hillsides and you can purchase the perfumed herb in many forms. A long seaside walkway hugs the shore and meanders past rocky coves and small beaches. At the end of the promenade, a 15th century Franciscan Monastery stands watch over a sleepy cove. Here too, water taxis ferry people to islands for swimming or exploring. Some vacation rentals on the island include a boat for guests.Sweet views can be had from the Fortress Spanjol, a fortified medieval castle built to defend against attacks from all the invaders who coveted these shores.TIP: There's quite a wealth of information on-line if you're getting ready to visit this getaway, or even if you just want to know more. Our top three picks: www.hvar.hr, www.hvar-travel.com, and www.sunnyhvar.com. The ferry schedules alone from various locations along the Dalmatian coast are especially helpful.VISIT CROATIA Croatia captivates. With its translucent waters,…. secluded islands,…. and walled towns: …no wonder people have battled for this land for centuries. Countless travelers who have ventured here for a quick stop have found themselves abandoning their plans and staying longer in this enchanted land. Here on an island forgotten by time, there is nothing to do but enjoy some fresh local seafood and wine and watch the sun set over the blue coves of the Mediterranean. From Paradise Found, I’m Rudy Maxa on the Dalmatian coast. TIP: The Croatian Embassy in London provides a helpful "mini guide." Take advantage of this handy travel resource by visiting croatia.embassyhomepage.com. Next to the waterfalls picture, click on create a mini guide and check just the type of information you'd like to include in the guide. When you're done, click on "create mini guide" at the bottom of the page. Print the result for your convenience, or you can send it along to a friend.http://www.smarttravels.tv/SmartTravels/europe/tips%20&%20links/Croatias_Dalmatian_Coast.htm  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 06 Aug 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8343/1/E-GOING-TO-Zagreb---The-New-York-Times.html ÂGOING TO Zagreb - The New York TimesBy ALEX CREVARÂPublished: May 1, 2005ÂWHY GO NOW -- There's a bubbling just below the surface in Zagreb, the Croatian capital of one million people, and most visitors sense it instantly. It's a well-worn, East-meets-West passion called Balkan culture that equally embraces a consumer's desire to visit a newly opened fragrance shop and the cafe next door where an entire goat turns slowly on a spit.ÂOn just about any weekend afternoon, you'll find shoppers strolling along Ilica, the city's main promenade, toting Max Mara and Louis Vuitton bags. They pass vendors selling chestnuts and cafes with rich wood interiors and billowy couches on marble floors. The promenade gives way to the busy, expansive Jelacic Square where people cluster beneath bistro awnings or near theaters.ÂIn Zagreb, one of the most overlooked cities in Europe, high fashion, more than 50 museums and galleries, and an urban plan simple enough for the most directionally challenged combine intriguingly with the charms and chutzpah of an Old World city that is still coming to grips with modernity.ÂBut as Zagreb dons a new attitude, one might presume its main goal is to prepare for hordes of tourists taking advantage of a non-euro economy. Not so, says an official at Zagreb's Office for Culture, Davor Zagar, who notes that the makeovers to theaters and pedestrians zones, along with an expanded social calendar -- keeping jazz aficionados as happy as folkloric dancers -- are as much for Purgers (Zagrebians) as they are for tourists.ÂWHERE TO STAY -- Zagreb's lack of tourism savoir-faire is a boon for those hoping to unearth the undiscovered. But when it comes to hotels, this doesn't necessarily translate into bargains. An adequate option starting at $72 a night, at 5.75 kuna to the dollar, is the tidy, comfortable 22-room Hotel Ilica, conveniently situated at Ilica 102, (385-1) 377-7622, www.hotel-ilica.hr.ÂBut most hotels in Zagreb's center were built for a bourgeois set that started visiting at the end of the 19th century. The grand Regent Esplanade was recently reopened after a restoration of its Carrara marble and Art Deco interior. Situated next to the train station -- itself a renovated neo-classical gem -- at Mihanoviceva 1, the Esplanade was built in 1925 as a posh stop along the Orient Express. The 209 lavish and ''wireless'' rooms range from $285 to $1,980. Information: (385-1) 456-6666, www.regenthotels.com.ÂBuilt in 1891 in the Secessionist style, the Palace Hotel, Strossmayerov trg 10, is the city's oldest hotel. About half of the 123 rooms, which cost from $160 to $415, have been renovated, while the others retain the ornate Art Nouveau look. The Palace's plush cafe provides a vantage point from which to watch fashionable Croats gathering in Strossmayer Square. Information: (385-1) 481-4611, www.palace.hr.ÂThe Hotel Dubrovnik, Gajeva 1, with its glass facade, was opened in 1929. Many of the 266 rooms -- all sleekly furnished and equipped with satellite TV -- overlook Jelacic (pronounced YEH-lah-chich) Square. Rates range from $140 to $280. Information: (385-1) 487-3555, www.hotel-dubrovnik.htnet.hr.ÂWHERE TO EAT -- Most of Zagreb's restaurants offer a combination of the Eastern European, grilled-meat leitmotif and Mediterranean fare. For instance, Baltazar, Nova Ves 4, (385-1) 466-6999, has an upscale-casual ambience. Baltazar's veal medallions or Gaspar's pick-your-own fish pair nicely with dingac (red) or grasevina (white) wines. Try the medovaca, a honey brandy, and enjoy the fireplace in the winter or terrace in summer. A meal for two, with wine, runs about $80.ÂKerempuh, at Kaptol 3, (385-1) 481-9000, provides a front-row view of the frenetic Dolac farmer's market and a traditional menu that changes with each day's purchases. The sarma (cooked cabbage stuffed with mincemeat) is wonderful. A meal for two, with drinks, is around $30.ÂIt's a good sign when local residents stare at you as if happily surprised that an outsider discovered their spot. Vallis Aurea, Tomiceva 4, (385-1) 483-1305 -- under the funicular connecting Upper and Lower Town -- is that kind of place. The smoked pork ribs on Monday or trout on Wednesday are can't-misses. Lunch or dinner with a liter of house wine is $25.ÂWHAT TO DO DURING THE DAY -- Zagreb has two halves. Upper Town, the old city dating back to the 11th century, is chock-full of red tile roofs and cobblestones privy to a millennium of secrets. Lower Town is a 19th-century invention, where most of the city's museums are intertwined with parks and cafes. The synapse linking this yin and yang is Jelacic Square. Jelacic is the hub for the rumbling trams (fare is about $1) that crisscross town.ÂThe City Museum, Opaticka 20, (385-1) 485-1364, www.mdc.hr/mgz, tells Zagreb's story, complete with room-sized models of town, starting in 1094, when the Hungarian King Ladislaus I founded the bishopric of Zagreb. Admission is about $3.50; closed Monday.ÂAlso in Upper Town, Ivan Mestrovic's Studio, Mletacka 8, (385-1) 485-1123, www.mdc.hr/mestrovic/atelijer/opci-en.htm, ($3.50), is where Croatia's most famous sculptor worked and many of his pieces still stand.ÂSoutheast of the museums, the Upper Town's remaining feudal Stone Gate (Kamenita Vrata) is a holy site, where the devout light candles before a painting of the Virgin Mary and Jesus that survived a devastating fire in 1731.ÂYou'll shift into the 19th century as you stroll past the Lower Town's Viennese-style, pastel mansions. The Mimara Museum -- Zagreb's major art museum -- at Rooseveltov trg 5, (385-1) 482-8100, has a collection that includes Greek sculptures, and paintings by Rembrandt and Rubens. Admission $3.50; closed Monday. Nearby is the Modern Gallery, at Hebranga 1, (385-1) 492-2368, ($3.50), with some 10,000 works of Croatian art from the 19th century to the present, and the Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters, Trg Nikole Subica Zrinskog 11, (385-1) 489-5117, ($1.75), displaying pieces by such artists as El Greco and Bellini.ÂAnchoring the ''green horseshoe, '' a U-shaped series of parks that envelope Lower Town, is the 11.6-acre Botanical Gardens, Trg Marulica 9a, (385-1) 484-4002. Free.ÂWHAT TO DO AT NIGHT -- There seem to be as many cafe-bars in Zagreb as people; most of them charge around $2 for a beer or a glass of wine. Boban, Ljudevita Gaja 9, (385-1) 481-1549, www.boban.hr, is atrendy restaurant and cafe-bar a block south of Jelacic. It has outdoor seating,and attracts trendy tourists and locals alike.ÂFor live music, there are many clubs that charge little or no cover. Near the mammoth cathedral, Purgeraj, Park Ribnjak 1, (385-1) 481-4734, www.purgeraj.hr, attracts an eclectic crowd for everything from rockabilly to disco.ÂThe BP Club, Teslina 7, (385-1) 481-4444, www.bpclub.hr, is owned by Croatia's top jazzman, the vibe master Bosko Petrovic. Solid players regularly show up and when they do, the small, mirrored interior seems to vibrate.ÂSouthwest of the center, on Lake Jarun, Aquarius, (385-1) 364-0231, www.aquarius.hr, ($11 cover), plays host to a stream of international guest D.J.'s.ÂThere are, of course, many ways to spend an evening. The Croatian National Theater, Trg marsala Tita 15, (385-1) 482-8532, www.hnk.hr, is the main venue for opera and drama. Verdi's ''Traviata'' will be presented in June. Ticket prices range from about $6 to $35.ÂWHERE TO SHOP -- Heading west from Jelacic, Ilica is packed with boutiques, where one can find local fashion and international designs, staggered with art, fishmongers and ice cream shops. Just off Ilica, between the so-called Flower Square (for its flower stalls) and Jelacic are the classy cornerstones Escada, Gunduliceva 15, (385-1) 487-5577, and Lacoste, Frankopanska 12, (385-1) 492-3541.ÂFor local flavor, visit Croata, Kaptol 13, (385-1) 481-4600, www.croata.hr, specializing in ties and high-end accessories. With your purchase (silk ties are $25 to $70), shoppers can get a lesson about neckties, which originated in Croatia. The French began dressing à la croate in the 1600's, naming the accessory la cravate.ÂTo really shop like a local, head to Dolac, directly above Jelacic. This daily outdoor market has everything from fresh produce to cheeses to wooden toys.ÂContinue north to Bornstein, Kaptol 19, (385-1) 481-2361, to taste hundreds of labels like Stagnum ($44), made from the Dalmatian varietal plavac mali, a close relative to zinfandel. Closed Sunday.ÂHOW TO STAY WIRED -- There are several Internet cafes near Jelacic; most charge about $2.70 an hour. Ch@rlie's, Ljudevita Gaja 4a, (385-1) 488-0233, is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Cafà VIP, Trg Preradoviceva 5, (385-1) 483-0089, is in the Flower Square.ÂYOUR FIRST TIME OR YOUR 10TH -- Zagreb's calling card is its 344-foot, 788-year-old Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Kaptol 31. Meant to inspire awe, its monumental Gothic towers succeed wholeheartedly.ÂDue west, in Upper Town, is vibrant Tkalciceva Street. This pedestrian-only avenue teems with cafes, where old and young drink espresso and pivo (beer). Melin Monroe, Tkalciceva 47, is an ideal spot to debate who represents Croatia more, the world champion skier Janica Kostelic or the Olympic champion handball team. You'll pay about $2 for a local pivo and $1 for an espresso.ÂHOW TO GET -- There Prices start around $900 from New York, but there are no direct flights. An option is to fly to major cities in Europe and connect with Croatia Airlines, www.croatiaairlines.com, or Lufthansa, www.lufthansa.com. Another is to take a train from a more popular airport. Zagreb is on the Venice (seven hours) and Vienna (6.5 hours) lines, www.hznet.hr.ÂHOW TO GET AROUND -- Zagreb was made for walking. Nearly everything you'll do is a 20-minute trek from Jelacic Square. But when the urge grabs you to explore outside the center -- a hike or skiing on Mount Medvednica, for instance -- you can take a 15-minute tram ride to the mountain's base. Tram maps can be found at the Tourist Info office, Trg bana Josipa Jelacica 11, (385-1) 481-4051,www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr.Âhttp://travel2.nytimes.com/mem/travel/article-page.html?res=990CE1DC1231F932A35756C0A9639C8B63&fta=y letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 18 Jul 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8342/1/E-Svelte-and-majestic-the-lighthouses-of-Croatia.html ÂSvelte and majestic, the lighthouses of CroatiaÂTourists arrive at the lighthouse of most remote central Adriatic island of Palagruza. The initiative to open the lighthouses to tourists was launched by the state-run company Plovput, in charge of maritime security but also of maintenance of some fifty lighthouses scattered alongside the 1,770-kilometer (1,097-mile) Adriatic coast from the Istria peninsula in north to the southern town of Dubrovnik.(AFP/File/Hrvoje Polan) ÂTue Jul 12, 6:37 PM ETISLAND OF DUGI OTOK, Croatia (AFP) - Svelte and majestic, the lighthouse of Veli Rat dominates the crystal waters of the Adriatic above the central Croatian town of Zadar, providing an unusual perch for vacationers on their summer holidays."To spend a vacation here you have to make a reservation a year in advance," said Zvonimir Skorcevic, the lighthouse keeper who has seized the opportunity to become a tourist guide as well.Veli Rat lighthouse, on Dugi Otok island, has two apartments for rent. For the past few days, Zvonimir, his wife Alenka and their daughter, Ivana, have been hosting two Dutch families."If they want, tourists can climb 164 spiral stairs to the top of my 40-meter (132-feet) lighthouse to enjoy a striking unobstructed view of the sea," said Zvonimir with a smile to a panting visitor at the top of the stairs.State-run company Plovput, which is in charge of maritime security including some 50 lighthouses scattered along Croatia's 1,770-kilometer (1,097-mile) Adriatic coast, is responsible for the new open-house policy for tourists."Since 2000 when we launched this idea we have renovated and opened 12 lighthouses to tourists, situated on the islands and the coast," said Neven Seric, a Plovput official.The vast majority of the lighthouses were built in the 19th century, when Croatia was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and the oldest dates back to 1810. Some are proclaimed national monuments, said Seric.But spending a vacation on a lighthouse also means respecting certain rules including strict light discipline at night -- no bonfires on the beach after dark.Most tourists bring their own food but Plovput can take care of that as well for an extra fee. All the lighthouses opened for tourists have electricity and running water. Plovput takes care of transfers to and from the islands, along with fishing trips with the lighthouse keeper.Each lighthouse is a unique mixture of history and legend. In Veli Rat, Zvonimir explained that the lighthouse still looked clean and fresh inside because when it was built in 1849 it had been decorated with a special paint."It's a mixture based on thousands of egg-whites in order to resist rough sea winds," he said.Located on the edge of a pine forest, Veli Rat dominates an emerald green bay and is surrounded by beautiful pebble beaches.Croatia hosted some eight million tourists last year, almost double its population. Tourism is a mainstay of the economy, generating revenues of up to seven billion euros (8.4 billion dollars) last year.A lighthouse apartment costs up to 1,000 euros (1,200 dollars) a week to rent in high season, but Plovput officials claim profit is not their motive."The income is used only to maintain and renovate our lighthouses," said Seric.Adriatica.net, Plovput's partner in the lighthouses project, gives a briefing for "amateur lighthouse keepers".One of the most important pieces of advice is to "bring your own washing-up liquid." And of course: "Pets are not allowed".http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050712/lf_afp/afplifestyleholidaysaccommodationcroatia_050712223754 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 18 Jul 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8341/1/E-A-Peaceful-Solution-in-Croatian-Islands.html ÂA Peaceful Solution in Croatian IslandsBy Angus PhillipsSunday, June 19, 2005; Page E04VIS, CROATIA There's not much sign on this rocky island in the Adriatic of the war that ripped the former Yugoslavia apart a decade ago. Indeed, from all visible signs, war barely touched that nation's coastal islands, being confined mostly to the mainland where city names like Mostar, Srebrenica and Kosovo conjure visions of ethnic cleansing and horrors unspeakable.But an unease still lingers in the faces of the locals, and when three explosions rumbled down from the barren hills overlooking the harbor here one day last week, all eyes turned upward in apprehension. Moments later an armed boat with Policija emblazoned on its side and two armed men in the cockpit sped from the town quay to investigate.The view to the harbor from the ancient fortress at Hvar, just off Split in Croatia. The country's islands were barely touched by war. (By Angus Phillips For The Washington Post) The source of the staccato blasts and the puffs of powdered stone that followed them turned out to be just another road-clearing project. But the universal, wary reaction brought home the nearness of that awful civil war, which ravaged the seaside city of Dubrovnik not far south and knocked sideways the tourist trade for which the Dalmatian coast was justifiably known.The pretty islands between Split and Dubrovnik are rallying. Last week seven of us from the Chesapeake area toured them in a 41-foot sailing catamaran, stopping in at Hvar, Vis, Brac, Korcula and other picturesque outposts where 1,000-year-old towns spill down to the sea on lanes of worn, slippery marble. It's a difficult region not to fall in love with, with its olive groves and grape arbors, delicious fresh seafood and wine."Drink all you like," said the cheery waiter at a little outdoor seafood restaurant here in Vis, where we inhaled a local bouillabaisse called brodetto and mopped up the aromatic tomato gravy with crusty bread. He was delivering our second bottle of the local white wine, which he said would leave us all "happy tomorrow, no headache, no problems." At $3 or $4 a bottle, who could say no?We are far from alone. In addition to charter boats like ours, the passages between islands were dotted with traditional tourist motorboats that carry 30 or 40 passengers from spot to pleasant spot, with clients coming from as far away as South Africa and Australia. They pay a modest $400 to $500 a week per person for tiny cabins for two and two meals a day, a bargain almost anywhere by today's standards.The weather and ambience of the Croatian coast is a lot like that of Italy or the south of France, but without the crowds or the high prices, at least for now. That's because Croatia is still rebounding from decades of iron Communist rule under Marshal Tito, which ended with his death in 1980, followed by 10 years of confusion and 10 more of civil war and its awful aftereffects.The witty American writer P.J. O'Rourke once wrote a book called "Holidays in Hell," in which he went from one nightmarish, war-torn quagmire to another in search of fun. He didn't find much. Anyone who read it would have been unlikely to put Croatia at the top of his list in the 1990s, when it was clawing through and then out of the clutch of ferocious armed conflict.But it's peaceful here now, and as beautiful as ever. The towns on the islands are small, the houses modest, the roads and lanes of polished stone, the churches cool and dark. Dining is largely outdoors, where the weather is Mediterranean. The sailing winds are mostly from the south and strong enough to test a charter crew's skills.Nick Harvey of Annapolis and his girlfriend, Danielle Launais, arranged our charter. He's the North American distributor for Lagoon catamarans, so he worked out a friendly trade for a Lagoon here. He's the regular mid-deck hand on my boat on Wednesday night races back home, but he's the skipper and taking his responsibilities seriously. Every morning when we get up, Harvey addresses the crew, which includes Andy and Caroline Hughes, Teresa O'Keefe and my wife, Fran. He maps out the upcoming day.The itinerary usually includes stops at two islands as we slowly make our way 100 miles south from the mainland city of Split to Dubrovnik. The sailing is smooth, the boat responsive, the sun is warm and the sea is clear and clean. It's close to perfection, though still a bit chilly for sunbathing.We drag out the charts and map the course from Vis to Hvar to Korcula to Lastovo, and come into the sunlit little ports with all sails flying, marveling at the soft perfection of the terra cotta roofs and pale ochre of the stone streets and houses.You are struck by the simple beauty of it all, and wonder how it must have felt to be here just over a decade ago, when the world abandoned this pretty country place, and its people bombed and shot and raped each other in a ruthless rush for power and control.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/18/AR2005061800648.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 18 Jul 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8340/1/E-In-Croatia-a-New-Riviera-Beckons-YOU-will-cry-when-you-see-it.html In Croatia, a New Riviera Beckons YOU will cry when you see itStephen Crowley/The New York TimesThe harbor of Hvar, mountainous and lavender-scented, in the foreground.ÂÂJuly 17, 2005In Croatia, a New Riviera BeckonsBy STEVE DOUGHERTY"YOU will cry when you see it. Bring tissues. You willneed them."ÂWe are finishing a marathon meal at Macondo, a seafoodrestaurant on a nameless back alley in Hvar. My dinnercompanion, a local painter, writer and actor namedNiksa Barisic, was talking about a historic theaterbuilt in 1612 during the Dalmatian Renaissance andstill in use half a millennium later. But he couldjust as well have been describing his feelings forHvar itself, a mountainous, lavender-scented isle setin the blue, sun-blasted Adriatic Sea off theDalmatian coast of Croatia.For centuries, the island has lured visitors andinspired poets. "I know paradise now, I know Hvar," alyric local saying goes. Now, 10 years after the endof a bloody civil war that devastated much of Croatia,it still struggles as it sees hope for its future inancient tourist meccas like Hvar, sister islands likeKorcula and Mljet, and Dubrovnik - Croatia's, and,arguably, Europe's, most beautiful city.Recently rediscovered as an off-the-radar haven by theinternational celebrity set and their media-campfollowers, Dubrovnik and Dalmatia's many romanticislands and hidden coves provided backdrops for lavishphoto layouts in magazines like GQ, which this yearproclaimed the Croatia "the Next Riviera, " and SportsIllustrated. In May, Croatia, a scythe-shaped countrythat sits astride the star-crossed, blood-drenchedBalkans, was named the world's hottest traveldestination in the new edition of the Lonely Planetguide to Croatia, which cited its "rich diversity ofattractions," accessibility and "relativeaffordability" (its currency, the kuna, is farfriendlier to the dollar than the euro is) as well asits "stunning beaches and islands" and "magnificentfood."Stephen Crowley/The New York TimesSome reach the Croatian island of Hvar, in the Adriatic, by yacht.ÂThat's a surprising turnaround for a country that sawits most fabled city, Dubrovnik, nearly destroyed byartillery bombardments during a months-long siege inthe 1991-95 war. With eight million visitors expectedin Croatia this summer, the government-run nationaltourist board has begun a campaign to restore tourismto its prewar levels, when upward of 10 millionvisitors annually flocked to the beaches of Dalmatiaand Istria, the neighboring coastal province to thenorth. Back then, the tourist industry accounted for afull third of Croatia's national income. Tourismofficials say that the number of visitors has grown 6to 10 percent in each of the past several years.Nowhere is the tourist board's touted "MagicalCroatia" brand more fitting than on Hvar, where theygive names to the wind but not the streets, wherechildren are said to fly and the richest man in theworld has to wait for his latte during fjaka, when theisland tucks in for its afternoon siesta.ÂHolding court at Macondo, Mr. Barisic, a burly,bearded cross between Jerry Garcia and Zorba theGreek, is quick to cackle at his own stories and eagerto share his knowledge and love for Hvar and itsbounty. "You must be careful," he cautioned as hepoured me a glass of the rich local red, strong as itis delicious. "One glass you won't feel; have two, youwon't feel a thing."ÂDescribing Hvar (awkward in English, it's pronouncedhwahr) as a "hideaway for the creative poor and thevery rich," Mr. Barisic said, "Celebrities like tocome here because they're left alone. Bill Gates sailsin on his yacht and no one pays any attention. No onecares. There are no paparazzi, no fans, no autographs.I was in a cafe with my daughter and a lady sat downat the next table. My daughter said, 'Dad, that's thelady from "Shakespeare in Love." ' "Gwyneth Paltrow is among the many red-carpet facesseen blending in with the crowds in recent summers."It gets to be like 42nd Street around here in Julyand August," Mr. Barisic said the next afternoon as hesipped a whiskey-laced coffee in one of Hvar's outdoorcafes. "No one sleeps during the season. Everyone isjumping around, singing and roaming the streets untildawn."The scene is hard to imagine during a visit in lateMarch, when the sun-drenched square, a wide piazzafrom the 13th century paved with polished white stonemined on Hvar and its sister island, Brac (the samestone was used in Split to build the palace of theRoman emperor Diocletian and, 16 centuries later, theWhite House) is deserted during fjaka.Toddlers chase pigeons across the square, squealingwith delight. Elderly men smoke in the cool shadowscast by the bell tower of the 16th-century Cathedralof St. Stephen, which forms the picturesque west faceof the square.ÂA three-legged dog, a red scarf tied at its neck,trots as best it can behind its master who, like mostdog owners here, carries a leash but seldom has usefor it. Dogs here are a well-trained lot who obeyvoice commands and stroll in and out of the open-aircafes as they please. Their owners don't botherscooping up after them. That work is left toprofessionals, street cleaners who do an excellent jobkeeping tourists' Manolo sandals unsoiled during theraucous high season.My friend Buga Novak, a Hvar-born translator andinterpreter who lives in Zagreb, took me on a walkingtour of Hvar town. Strolling the riva, the longwaterfront promenade that winds around the harbor, shepointed out a hilltop fortress and the remains of citywalls that were built in the 13th century to defendagainst Turkish pirates. Far above, another fortress,built by Napoleon, one in a long list of invaders,today bristles not with cannon but with instruments torecord seismological and meteorological data.ÂOn summer nights, when the fortifications above areilluminated and fishing boats bob at anchor in theharbor, films are shown in an open-air theater whereaudiences sit at tables, drinks are served and, Ms.Novak says, the chatter and action off screen can beas entertaining as the film.In front of the Hotel Palace, children play at thebase of the Pillar of Shame, where in the Middle Agessinners were tied up for display, jeered at and spatupon. Nearby, water taxis line up along the riva toferry summer hordes of beer-cooler toting "naturists"- the guidebook euphemism for those who like toperform their sun worshiping naked - to the island'shighly popular offshore nudist beaches."The ancient Greeks and the Romans were growing grapesand producing wine on Hvar 300 years before Christ,"said Andro Tomic, a local vintner, as he toured hisvineyards high on the windward face of the nearvertical mountain ridge that runs the length of Hvar.Mr. Tomic was one of only a handful of Croatians I metwho did not speak English.ÂWith Ms. Novak translating, Mr. Tomic said that Hvar'sabundance of sun and strong winds - which he called"ideal conditions for producing the highest qualitygrapes" - had kept the vineyards insect and diseasefree. Those same winds blow with such force off theAdriatic that workers tending the vines have to betethered by ropes to prevent them from being sweptfrom the mountainside and cast out to sea, Mr. Tomicsaid.ÂMythologized by islanders' ancestors, the winds areknown by name throughout Dalmatia, explained Ms.Novak, who swears her Hvar-born mother "flew" as achild, lifted off her feet by a gust and blown thelength of her family's backyard. "Bura, the good northwind, blows clouds and bad weather away," she said."It is said that the evil south wind, Jugo, awakensthe existing demons within you."From the Iron Age to the Iron Curtain and beyond, warhas been a fact of life in a country that sits at thebloody crossroads between Europe and Asia Minor. Tenyears after fighting ceased in the latest installment- the five-year civil war that left more than 10,000dead and hundreds of thousands homeless, caused morethan $20 billion in damages and left much of thecountry in ruin - the scars are not often visible, butthe effects remain profoundly felt.ÂIn the Dalmatian port city of Split, physical damagesuffered during the war has long since been repaired.But the city, with its terraced homes and itsLido-like riva of outdoor cafes, is awash inunemployment, drugs and crime that arose in theaftermath of the war. Good hotels are few. Many moreare in disrepair, having only recently been vacated bythousands of homeless war refugees who were giventemporary housing in the city. One such is run by askeleton staff and is embarked on a dubious campaignto attract tourists by hyping its casino and AmericanGo Go Club, featuring 36 dancers and a "Lesbian SexShow."Split is home to the enormous, fortresslike marblepalace where the Emperor Diocletian, known for hispersecution of Christians, retired in the early fourthcentury. The place still teems with life; residentslive in its apartments, and many restaurants and pubsallow visitors to dance, at least figuratively, on theemperor's grave.ÂWith a 1,700-year-old interactive theme park like thatin its midst, Split may well regain its standing as aleading tourist destination. Now, however, the cityserves primarily as a jumping-off place for touristscatching ferries to the offshore islands or headingsouth on the Adriatic Highway, the spectacular,150-mile coast road to Dubrovnik that offers a driveevery bit as eye-popping as California's Highway 1,only without the fog shrouding the view.ÂWell-paved if serpentine and heavily trafficked, thehighway hugs the mountainous coastline, offeringvertigo-inducing views of the Adriatic at every turn.As it winds along the Makarska Riviera, the roadway iscarved from the limestone cliff face of a snowcappedmountain ridge. Small towns with their clusters oforange-tile-roofed homes nestle around coves farbelow. The spires of churches and cypress trees reachheavenward, toward us.ÂSouth of Makarska, the highway crosses a wide, fertileflood plain, where farmers at roadside stands selloranges and honey and tall, slender bottles of oliveor lavender oils.ÂIn unsettling counterpoint to that peaceful scene, anugly black scrawl of graffiti is spray-painted on abillboard in Bosnia and Herzegovina (the highwaypasses through a 10-mile-wide strip in Dalmatia thatgives Croatia's neighbor access to the sea), with thewords "I Love ..." in English followed by a swastika.The graffiti markings are a chilling reminder that oldhatreds die hard in the Balkans. So are the dozens ofwhite ribbons of cloth tied to roadside bushes andfence posts we see when we take a long detour acrossthe mountains and into Krajina.ÂMost guidebooks warn visitors away from Krajina, aformer Serbian enclave that was the scene of bloodysectarian violence during the war. The cloth strips,Ms. Novak said, were tied to mark the location of landmines planted during the war and yet to be removed bythe Croatian military.ÂAround a bend, we see a large color photo poster of afugitive Croatian army general, Ante Gotovina, wantedby the Hague war crimes tribunal. The general, likesome Serbian counterparts in Bosnia and Herzegovina,Croatia's primary foe in the 1991-95 war, standsaccused of committing atrocities during that conflict.Most Croatians I spoke with say they are looking westin the hope of gaining admission to the EuropeanUnion, which they believe would bring security to thevolatile, war-torn Balkan region, reduce traderestrictions and enable the country's ancient wine andolive industries to flourish anew. The general, whosewhereabouts are unknown, is the focus of new debate.During my visit it was announced that Croatia'sinvitation to join the union was contingent in partupon his arrest or surrender, actions strongly opposedby the country's loud rightist minority. Beneath theposter's portrait of the warrior in uniform, hissupporters wrote the words "Hero, Not Criminal."War and its terrors are not readily conjured today inDubrovnik, the Croatian city hardest hit in the war.The long-prosperous and proudly neutral city statethat survived for centuries as a beacon ofinternational cooperation while mightier powersarrayed around it battled and bled, Dubrovnik is awalled seaside town of orange tiled roofs, marblestreets and lyrically placed turrets and towers thatmake it look like a sculpture, exquisite from anyangle.Like many of Dubrovnik's architectural treasures, theelegant Hotel Imperial, severely damaged and in flamesafter an artillery bombardment in 1991, has beenpainstakingly restored to its prewar glory. Painted abright Hapsburg yellow, with filigreed wrought-ironbalconies adorning its facade, the hotel reopened inspring under its new owners, the Hilton Hotel chain,one of many United States and European companies andprivate individuals who see gold in this beautiful buttragedy-stalked city and country.Just as foreign investors, who have been buyingseaside homes and condominiums in Dalmatia, arebetting on a lasting peace, some Croatians I talkedwith are wary.Â"Every generation has its war," said Ms. Novak's85-year-old grandfather, Bozidar Novak, who as ateenage partisan leader during World War II foughtFascists in the mountains of Hvar. His son, Srdjan,now a professor of physics at the University ofZagreb, nodded in agreement. "It isn't something youthink about," said Srdjan, a civil war veteran, "whenit's your home you're fighting for."Even Mr. Barisic, the self-described "free artist" ofHvar whom everyone calls Art, found himself joiningthe battle. "All my life I hated uniforms," he said."I am Art, not war. But when war happens, you live it.It is not something you fear or avoid."Now," however, Mr. Barisic said, "I am finished withwar. That's the last one. It's over. Ours is the lastgeneration to fight in a war.""I would be drunk with happiness if it was so," saidZdravko Bazdan, a University of Dubrovnik economicsprofessor who survived near daily bombardments duringthe siege of the city. "But this being the Balkans,"he said, "you never know."ÂAlong the Dalmatian Coast, Many Spots Worth a VisitThe Croatian National Tourist Office, (800) 829-4416,www.croatia.hr, is a useful source for information.Getting ThereThough there are no direct flights from the UnitedStates, connecting flights from the New York area toDubrovnik can be booked through most major Europeancities. Croatia Travel, (800) 662-7628,croatiatravel.com, arranges connections throughCroatia Airlines, www.croatiaairlines.hr, on a numberof airlines. In early July, a round-trip AmericanAirlines flight from New York to Dubrovnik in lateAugust (transferring in Manchester, England, toBritish Airways) was $1,065.ÂWhile regular rail service to Croatia is availablefrom most Western European countries, the going can beslow and even slower within Croatia. Bus service ismore reliable, with daily service from Germany, Italyand Austria (www.eurolines.com) and an extensivenetwork of domestic routes (www.akz.hr).Car ferries operate daily during the summer (lessfrequently off season) between Italy and the Dalmatiancoast, crossing the Adriatic from Ancona to Hvar, in10 hours (berths from $40, cars $70, at $1.22 to theeuro) on Croatia's largest ferry company, Jadrolinija,www.jadrolinija.hr.Where to StayWith hotel rooms at a premium along the coast duringJuly and August, enterprising locals rent space intheir homes by posting signs in town or on line.Private accommodations can be found on the Web atsites like www.findcroatia.com and www.hvar.hr. Hotelprices here are for high season, and includebreakfast.HVAR Hotel Amfora, (385-21) 741-202;www.suncanihvar.hr. If the private beach is toocrowded, try the big pool (scuba and snorkelinglessons available) or enjoy the view of the small coveand winding riva from the balcony of the spaciousfourth-floor lobby. Double rooms start at about $100,at 6.3 kuna to the dollar.ÂHotel Palace, (385-21) 741-966; www.suncanihvar.hr.Facing Hvar's small but active harbor, the century-oldhotel was built on the site of a Venetian palace thatonce housed the local parliament. Doubles from $180.ÂDUBROVNIK Hotel Excelsior, Frana Supila 12,;(385-20)353-353; www.hotel-excelsior.hr. A recently renovatedluxury hotel offering five-star accommodation andservice. The view from the Excelsior's terraces andbalconies as the sun sets behind Dubrovnik isunsurpassed. Doubles from $255.ÂPucic Palace, Od Puca, (385-20) 326-222;www.thepucicpalace.com. In the heart of Dubrovnik'swalled old town, the four-story stone Palace, once anobleman's opulent home, catered to visitingmerchants, aristocrats and dignitaries duringDubrovnik's days as an international trading center.Today's guests enjoy in-room DVD players and arttreasures on loan from the city's leading museums.Doubles from $584.Where to EatHVAR A cozy, candlelight-and-artwork-filled seafoodrestaurant located in a narrow, nameless alleyway afew stone steps from the town square, Macondo,(385-21) 742-850 (named after the town in "One HundredYears of Solitude"), offers fresh seafood andshellfish and wonderful local wines (the whiteBogdanusa - "God's given grape" - and the red PloskiPlovac, 14 percent alcohol, are superb). Dinner fortwo, with wine, about $90.ÂMALI STON This tiny town was built with 14th-centurywalls and fortifications on the Peljesac Peninsula,some of which still stand. Mali Ston, in southernDalmatia, and its sister town, Ston, are renowned forthe fresh oysters and mussels harvested from shellfishfarms in the waters of the surrounding fjords.Kapetanova Kuca, (385-20) 754-264, a patio restaurant,with an array of pastas and succulent shellfish, is apopular stop for travelers on the Dalmatian highway.Oysters, an entree and wine cost about $80 for twoDUBROVNIK Lora Rudnjak, the owner of Ragusa 2, Prijeko30, (385-20) 321-203, a seafood restaurant andsidewalk cafe in the old town, took the name in turnfrom the original Ragusa (the name of Dubrovnik whenit was an independent city-state), which her familystarted in Dubrovnik in 1929. Featured along withseafood, pastas and risotto are large platters ofCroatian cheeses, thinly sliced Dalmatian smoked ham,octopus salad, oysters, mussels and clams. Dinner fortwo with wine, about $55.STEVE DOUGHERTY wrote about night life in Reykjavik,Iceland, for the Travel section in December. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 18 Jul 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8339/1/E-Carnival-Liberty-departs-Dubrovnik.html ÂCarnival Liberty departs DubrovnikÂIn this photo, provided by Carnival Crusie Lines, the new Carnival Liberty departs Dubrovnik, Croatia , Sunday, July 17, 2005, during its first cruise. The 952-foot-long Liberty is the first vessel for Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines to sail a full slate of summer-fall European cruises. On Nov. 12, the ship is to begin a series of eight-day Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and then return to Europe in May 2006. Oscar-winning actress Mira Sorvino is to officially name the vessel July 19 in Civitavecchia, Italy. (AP Photo/Carnival Cruise Lines, Andy Newman)The new Carnival Liberty is docked in Dubrovnik, Croatia July 17, 2005. Carnival Cruise Lines' 952-feet-long (290 m) Liberty can carry 3,000 guests and is the first Carnival vessel to sail a full slate of summer-fall European cruises. NO SALES NO ARCHIVES REUTERS/Andy Newman/Carnival Cruise Lines/Handout  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 18 Jul 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8338/1/E-Local-Hungarian-sailors-shift-tack-to-Croatia.html ÂLocal sailors shift tack to CroatiaBy Patricia Fischer Monday July 18, 2005Sailing is becoming an increasingly popular leisure activity in Hungary. But as many yachting marinas on Lake Balaton see demand for berths falling as the domestic market reaches saturation, more and more local sailboat owners are taking their boats to Croatia, where two Hungarian-owned marinas are practically booked solid. Six years ago, BH Rt, the Balaton Shipping Company, launched a marina development program. Today, the chain consists of ten sailboat marinas with total capacity for over 2,000 boats. The Balatonszemes marina, with 134 available moorings, is the project most recently completed. âWe can offer an annual lease for a lower price than those charged by privately owned marinas, and clients are entitled to use all marinas in the chain and related services at no extra charge,â€? explained Ferenc Lain, BHâs technical director. âIf someone keeps their boat in a private marina and wishes to spend a few nights at a different mooring, they should calculate on paying between Ft 4,000 and Ft 10,000 [â16ââ40] per day, depending on the location.â€? Lain added that prices this year have risen by 6%. âOur price rise, however, is in line with inflation,â€? the technical director said. âThis means we are still far cheaper than other private marinas offering similar services.â€? Even so, demand for moorings on the Balaton has fallen in the last two to three years. According to Lain, there are approximately 5,000 boats currently registered at the lake. âIn the past we registered between 20 and 30 new lessees each year, but recently itâs been more like two or three,â€? he said. He attributed the drop partly to the fact that Croatian marinas are currently in fashion, while suggesting that low Balaton water levels could be another reason. One shipping expert requesting anonymity agreed that the number of moorage renters on the Balaton is falling, but attributed this to a different cause. âAnyone wishing to buy a boat has already done so, so no significant increase can be expected in this segment,â€? the source said. âAs a result of great demand for sailing as a leisure activity, grandiose marina development plans were drawn up between 1997 and 2000. However, due to enlargements and new developments in the last five or six years, the market is now saturated.â€? Berths to spare Operators of privately owned harbors around Lake Balaton do not take quite such a dim view of the situation. âWeâve been 90% booked for years,â€? said DÃnes Bartos, harbor director of Kenese Marina-Port Rt, which opened in 1997. âNinety-nine percent of those renting moorings are Hungarians. Each year, four or five new lessees appear.â€? Kenese Marina-Port also operates a four-star hotel adjacent to the marina, the Hotel Marina-Port. âIn running both the hotel and the marina, many of the services are closely connected, but it would be true to say that the marina works profitably in its own right,â€? Bartos claimed. Bartos said he believes the lake could accommodate ten times as many sailboats, although he conceded that an increasing number of boat owners have chosen to keep their boats in Croatia in recent years. âAround 15 boat owners recently took their boats away from our marina to the Adriatic,â€? he admitted. The 206-berth Marina Fűzfő, which opened last April in Balatonfűzfő, is currently working at 35% capacity, but the marina manager is optimistic, given that last year the figure was just 14%. âIn terms of quality, the Marina Fűzfő provides more than most other Balaton marinas,â€? asserted marina manager MÃrta Kenyeres, who also predicted that market demand will increase. âA few years ago there was a significant drop in the water level, but this has stopped, and the boat trade has picked up again; used boats rather than new, unfortunately, but itâs still a good sign,â€? Kenyeres said. The annual fee for a berth at Marina Fűzfő varies between Ft 250,000 and Ft 590,000 â a sum unchanged since last year. âApart from the unchanged rates, weâre also offering discounts that include exchanging up to 25% of the annual fee for credit at the marina restaurant,â€? Kenyeres added. Improving services Although a large percentage of the marinas at Lake Balaton are privately owned or run by various clubs and associations, almost half of the available berths are owned by BH Rt. âBH Rt owns over 50% of the Balaton yachting marina market,â€? said Lain, adding that the companyâs goal is to retain this market share, having managed to double the number of its moorings since 1994. âRecent developments have made it obvious that standards which seemed sufficient three years ago are no longer adequate,â€? he added, conceding that BHâs services need renewal. Although the average utilization level of BHâs marinas is around 92%, Lain admitted there are places where the situation is less than perfect. âOpened last June, we expect mostly Austrian and German renters at our Keszthely Marina,â€? Lain revealed. âFor the moment, however, utilization of the 200-berth marina remains below 10% â despite all our marketing efforts.â€? Lain said that Austrian and German yacht clubs make frequent inquiries about the marina, but are looking to buy rather than rent. He added that they have even approached BH with the intention of buying the entire marina. The company, however, is reluctant to part with any member of its chain. According to Lain, BHâs marina branch produces what he described as a minimum acceptable profit of 9%â10%. âTaking only cash flow into account, our results are fairly good,â€? he said. âThis, however, must be seen in the context of general costs and amortization. All things considered, our profit is not that high.â€? Hungarians at sea Over in Croatia, meanwhile, one Hungarian company, DalmÃcia Holiday Kft, can boast two marinas. The Marina Tribunj, owned entirely by DalmÃcia, has 250 berths, while joint venture Marina Kremik has 400 berths to offer sailors. âIn Croatia the market is definitely governed by demand,â€? said Ãva Kerekes, operator of Marina Tribunj and managing director of local joint venture Danuvius Marina d.o.o. âBoth marinas are fully booked, with another 100 boats, both in Tribunj and Kremik, on the waiting list,â€? she added. At Marina Tribunj, 30%â35% of lessees are Hungarians, while this proportion is lower at Marina Kremik because charter companies book most of the available berths, explained Kerekes. The number of Hungarian lessees at Marina Tribunj has increased steadily since opening in 2003, which she attributed largely to the newly constructed motorway along the Dalmatian coast. âNow it takes barely six hours to reach Tribunj from Budapest,â€? Kerekes noted, while adding that even in the year of its opening, the marina was 90% full. According to Kerekes, there are as many as 15,000 berths available in Croatiaâs marinas, which face steadily increasing demand. http://www.bbj.hu/?module=displaystory&story_id=249333&format=html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 18 Jul 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8344/1/E-Instyle-Magazine-Lists-Croatia-among-7-Top-World.html Â'INSTYLE' MAGAZINE LISTS CROATIA AMONG SEVEN TOP TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN THE WORLDÂZAGREB, July 8(Hina) - The latest issue of American fashion magazine 'InStyle' listed Croatia among the seven top tourist destinations in the world ('Seven Great Global Getaways'), recommending a trip to Croatia for the country's natural beauties, clean sea and historic and cultural heritage, the head of the New York office of the Croatian National Tourist Board, Nena Komarica, said on Friday. 'InStyle' magazine, which has a circulation of 1.6 million, published an article headlined 'Dalmatian Coast, Croatia', giving reasons for travel to Croatia.The article says that apart from natural beauties, Croatia also has various styles of architecture. The author particularly recommended a visit to the southern Adriatic town of Dubrovnik, saying it was the cultural centre of the country, a trip to Trogir which, according to the author, reminds of Venice, and the Island of Hvar, which has already been listed as one of the 10 most beautiful islands in the world.The magazine also published photos of Hvar, Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg, for whom it said they visited Croatia by yacht.(Hina) http://www.hina.hr/nws-bin/genews.cgi?TOP=hot&NID=ehot/zanimljivosti/H7084576.4ye  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 09 Jul 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8345/1/E-Croatia-improves-tourism-infrastructure.html ÂCroatia improves tourism infrastructureÂJul 07, 05 | 9:33 amMore than eight million foreign tourists visited Croatia last year and the Croatian government is expecting more than 10 million in the next years. Thanks to the countryâs supportive tourism private sector in tourism for efforts in improving the industryâs infrastructure.HotelsPrivate and state investors spent 400 million euro last winter for hotel modernization older and construction. New small hotels, summerhouses, camping sites and restaurants infrastructure were established as a result. Previously state-owned hotels have also been revamped to meet international standards. Melia Sol and Thomas Cook are two examples. AirportsThe government announced it will bring financial support for the construction of six new airfields, a 800-meter runway of 800 meters private airplanes, air taxi and rescue flights to the mainland and for short commuter air traffic to existing international airports.AirlinesCroatia is celebrating the creation of two new air carriers. Sun Adria Airlines, based in the Croatian capital Zagreb, started the scheduled flights to several European destinations, including Germany, using two Fokker 100 in the fleet. Dubrovnik Airline, based in Dubrovnik and jointly founded by the Croatian Atlantic Shipping Company and Dubrovnik Airport Authority, is providing summer charters and scheduled using MD-83s. A third carrier, named European Coastal Airlines, is expected to be established within the next few weeks. HighwaysThe 380 kilometers long highway across mountain terrains between capital Zagreb and Split, the most important tourism center, finally opened June 29. Work is set to begin on Dubrovnik highway.Croatia is a relatively small (56,500 square kilometers and 4.49 million inhabitants) independent post communist country (former a part of Yugoslavia) in southeast Europe at Adriatic Sea. Tourism contribution to the countryâs GDP is approximately 20 percent. Picturesque fishing villages, old antique and medieval towns with unique architecture are among its tourist attractions.By Jan BlazejZagreb, Croatia (eTurboNews)http://travelvideo.tv/news/more.php?id=5842_0_1_0_M  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 07 Jul 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8346/1/E-Life-in-Croatia-contest-for-Croatia-Traveller---deadline-July-15.html Â'Life in Croatia'contest for Croatia Traveller Âdeadline July 15Dear CROWN readers,I'm writing because I thought you might be interested to know that www.croatiatraveller.com is running a contest on Life in Croatia. I'm interested in any and all anecdotes, stories and tales from people who live or have recently lived in Croatia. The winner will receive a signed copy of Lonely Planet's Croatia 3 guidebook. I know that many of your readers live in or have close contact with someone who lives in Croatia. Here is the link: http://www.croatiatraveller.com/phpBB2/index.php .Regards,Jeanne Oliverwww.croatiatraveller.com  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 06 Jul 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8347/1/E-Zvonkos-Travel.html Zvonko's TravelMr. Zvonko Springer, citizen of Salzburg, Austria,born in the city of Osijek in Croatia, has recentlycontributed to my web site his very nice web pagesrelated to Croatia and its natural beauties. Here arethey:http://www.croatianhistory.net/etf/zvonko.html The presentation is accompanied with numerous verygood photos.I am convinced that these web pages may be of greatuse for all those who plan to spend their holidays inCroatia. Here is the outline of the content:Zvonko's TravelsApsyrtides - Where are these islands?Plitvice Lakes Region Lokrum Island Cavtat Township and its famous Mausoleum Mljet IslandSusak IslandOsijek - Essek - MursaIsland of Vis - Lissa - Issa 1999 Vukovar1999 Ilok and AljmasRegional History of VukovarBol on Island of BracBrijuni alias Brioni ArchipelagoHouse No. 10 in Bol and Skrip (Island of Brac)NIN by Zadar - Croatia's first Royal capitalThese web pages can be found at Mr. Springer'soriginal site in Salzburg at the addresshttp://www.cosy.sbg.ac.at/~zzspri/It contains also additional very interesting andimportant material for Croatia, in particular, the oneconcerning his personal experiences on the CroatianWay of the Cross immediately after the WW2 "ended" in1945.I take the opportunity to wish Mr Zvonko Springer avery happy 80th birthday. Truly amazing how one can becreative at that age. Also, I send my warmest regardsto his wife Mrs. Ljiljana.Mr. Zvonko, my big FALA (Thank You).Darko Zubrinic, Zagrebwww.croatianhistory.net PS. The result of my collaboration with Mr Springer isthat I can (upon his request) call him simply Zvonko.I am very proud of this. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 05 Jul 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8349/1/E-This-is-the-future-of-tourism-in-Croatia---Some-things-cannot-be-sold.html ÂThis is the future of tourism in Croatia - Some things cannot be soldTourism: Tension between two visions By Eric Jansson Published: June 7 2005 09:38 | Last updated: June 7 2005 09:38 Croatia The boat drifted by one morning and lingered just offshore. On board, a Russian businessman - a magnate of some stature if not quite an oligarch - gazed coolly toward the land. His eyes settled on a bright yellow villa ornamented in Venetian gothic floral patterns, built in 1905 for a wealthy Italian family. Days later, there was a knock on the door. The Russian wanted the villa and would pay â1m. âNoâ€? came the answer from Vjeko Martinko, the owner, who now enjoys telling this story. A few days passed, and again the Russianâs assistant arrived with an offer, higher into the millions. âNoâ€? again. Once more the man visited, raising his offer. Mr Martinko says he turned him down flatly, with some advice. âIâm sorry, but some things in life are priceless. Some things cannot be sold. This place is one such thing.â€? Mr Martinkoâs view of his private property, Villa Astra in the seaside retreat of Lovren, which he runs as a boutique hotel and gourmet restaurant, bears little resemblance to the view Croatiaâs rulers once took of assets along the countryâs splendid coastline. Under Yugoslav Communist rule, prize coastal properties became gifts to Party loyalists - including those who once inhabited Villa Astra - while most of the shore became a playground for the proletariat. Crowds jammed into countless campsites and cement-block hotels. The state clung jealously to the land, as private owners like Mr Martinko now do, but it also cheapened it by opening it to all comers. In the new era, tension between these competing visions - one of total exclusivity and one of total accessibility - defines the struggle for the future of Croatian tourism. The stakes are high. Croatia attracted 9.8m foreign visitors last year. Tourism accounted for more than 20 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), with receipts worth â5.7m attributed directly to the industry, according to state statistics. The London-based World Travel and Tourism Council calls Croatiaâs tourism market the fifth fastest-growing market in the world and predicts that tourism will account for 30 per cent of the countryâs GDP by the year 2015. To stay on track, Croatia must continue its balancing act, accommodating both high-end and low-end holidaymakers. For years, the former have holed up in grand hotels around Dubrovnik, while the latter make do in campsites and rooms-for-rent. But critics add that the country must also plug an important hole in its market - the very-high end. With its vast shoreline and more than 1,000 islands, Croatia possess ample space to provide super-rich guests - stars of business, sport and Hollywood - the privacy they require. But the countryâs existing high-end hotels, mostly massive resorts and self-catering villas, cannot always do the job. Such shortcomings drive the countryâs wealthiest visitors on to the water, where they spend catered holidays on private holiday yachts, landing only occasionally in secluded harbours to stretch legs. Some of these, like the aspiring Russian buyer, later seek ways to buy their own exclusive properties. Spotting a business opportunity, a small but growing number of entrepreneurs aim to fill this gap. Among those tipped for success are Mr Martinko, with his Villa Astra and other properties near Lovren, and the Turkish proprietors of the Pucic Palace, the first luxury boutique hotel to open within Dubrovnikâs old walled city. Benefiting from exclusivity and privacy, both options offer delights found at none of Croatiaâs luxury mega-hotels, including the newly refurbished 139-room Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik, the Hilton Groupâs first step into the market. At the Pucic Palace, guests sip cocktails on a exquisite stone porch overlooking Dubrovnikâs famous tiled rooftops. Rather than inducing claustrophobia, as the sometimes-crowded walled city can do, the location provides a soothing escape even in the heart of the city. Soundproofed walls block out the noise of the walking streets below. By contrast, Villa Astra, in the northern region of Istria, capitalises on a quiet location directly on the shore and exploits synergies with Mr Martinkoâs other retreats, including a nearby hilltop farm. By a serene pool, guests eat sumptuous meals made of locally harvested ingredients - scampi, mussels, wild asparagus, strawberries and nettles. âThis is the future of tourism in Croatia,â€? Mr Martinko says. He blasts both old-style mass tourism in Croatia and the tendency of todayâs top-end guests to hide themselves away on hired yachts. Such tourism is âan industry with no human element.â€? âThere is so much capital floating around in the world, targeting Croatia. We must focus it on what is sustainable.â€? Some of the worldâs most exclusive boutique hoteliers aim to enter the market, among them Singapore-based Amanresorts International, whose only other effort in Europe to date operates in Courchevel, France. With new entrants like these, Croatiaâs image could soon change for the better.http://www.znanost.org/~hmestric/ft/ft6.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 25 Jun 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8351/1/E-Finding-energy-and-balance-in-Croatia.html Finding energy and balance in CroatiaJune 23, 2005 - Volume XIII, Issue 25 After a hot Hungarian summer everyone dreads returning to an intensive work schedule following their vacation, but this can be eased by holidaying in Croatia's excellent wellness centers. ALLOWING yourself a few days in a nice four or five star hotel on the Croatian coast with a wellness program and halfboard accommodation will help you raise your energy, find balance and prepare yourself for the struggle awaiting you back in the office. From September, prominent tourist centers with wellness facilities such as Pula, Porec, Opatija, Dubrovnik, Losinj or Umag become calm and peaceful, while the mildly Mediterranean climate still allows for daily swimming and sunbathing. All of these towns are acknowledged for their high-quality service in hotels and restaurants, which offer a wide variety of dishes and menus that fit beautifully with wellness programs and are designed to be of maximum benefit. Accessible by car (with the exception of Dubrovnik, which can be easier reached from Budapest by plane), getting to Opatija, Pula, Porec, Umag or Losinj will not take you more than six-eight hours on Croatia's brand new roads and motorways.Depending upon your preference, one can choose beauty and/or bodyfit programs, relaxation and meditation programs or mixed solutions created by experts. In addition, some hotels offer special wellness programs for men only, while several offer special arrangements for couples. The duration of programs vary from two to seven days, and often offer economy prices for a two-person combined program. Wellness programs in Croatian hotels often include thalasotherapy treatments since seawater is a proven cure for skin and dermatology problems, while mud and seaweed is used for cosmetic treatments on both face and body. Aromatherapy treatments using mediterranean oils from lavender, rosemary, sage or similar are ideal for the Croatian climate. These treatments are suggested if one suffers from mood changes or has a particularly stressful job. Should you be interested in Eastern techniques, chose wellness offering shiatsu massage or reflexotherapy treatments. Some hotels offer reiki and ayurved massages, while devotees of exotic treatments can enjoy chinese tui na massage, particularly recommended if you have circulation problems. In addition to wellness programs and comfortable accommodation in well-furnished rooms, hotels will provide their guest with special menus, from standard continental to vegetarian and even macrobiotic cuisine. Some hotels are able to provide ayurved meals and light dishes prepared in consultation with the client. _For more information visit www.adriatica.net and book your wellness program easily and quickly online! http://www.budapestsun.com/full_story.asp?ArticleId=%7bEDAA82F7D5AC4609B405A5E0C82D2692%7d&From=Style letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 23 Jun 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8348/1/E-Unique-Concepts-in-Holiday-Living---Lovranske-Vile.html ÂUnique Concepts in Holiday Living - Lovranske Vile ÂÂwww.lovranske-vile.com ÂCompany profileThe company, Lovranske Vile Ltd., was established in 1996 with the main objective of developing 'Unique Concepts in Holiday Living', which address the personal needs of each and every guest. It is intended to blend the Croatian natural and human heritage with a warm personal approach, friendly environment and high comfort levels, while enhancing creativity and personal health. All this, to achieve "life balance" during the holiday.To meet this challenge the company has selected a historical health resort: the town of Lovran. The selection was based on the following main considerations:• Lovran’s prime location: situated in the Kvarner Bay, Opatija Riviera, where Mediterranean and central Europe meet, only few hours drive from Vienna, Trieste, Venice, Ljubljana, Munich. Additionally, it is not far away from the famous Croatian national parks. • Beautiful architecture: a romantic mixture of Central European and Mediterranean styles. • Climate: Lovran is part of Opatija Riviera with its mild Mediterranean climate.• Lovran's tourism tradition: a seaside medieval town with numerous villas and beautiful land, town and seascapes. In the first half of the century Lovran was a famous tourist health resort, developed at the turn of the century (1890-1910) by the Vienna Medical Society.Taking the above into consideration, Lovranske Vile Ltd. has outlined a vision for the Lovran district:As part of the prestigious Opatija Riviera, Lovran is an intimate, luxurious enclave of villas and gardens with a variety of attractive tourist events and services offered on the market all the year round at a high quality level. Lovran will become a synonym for sophisticated leisure. It will primarily be intended for the customers of various backgrounds and interests.. Apart from offering the possibilities of long vacations or short breaks throughout the year, Lovran will be also considered as a “second home” destination.The business philosophy of Lovranske Vile Ltd. supports and nicely fits into the concept of Lovran, -- this fine, peaceful and friendly oasis on the Opatija Riviera -- where mountains, sea, islands, beautiful towns and villages fit together.Up to this point, the company has been engaged in the following activities:1) Purchased the residences in villas: Adele, San Giovanni and Astra, renovated them up to their former standard/architecture, re-furnished the interior of the villas to the highest standard and decorated them in the classic style and rented them to visitors (tourists) who want to experience an extraordinary environment. The residences are offered to international business and diplomatic communities, and similar organizations and individuals who would think of the residences as their "second home", either for long stays or short breaks throughout the year. 2) Reconstructed an old country house ORAJ on the mountain overlooking Lovran and improved the surrounding agricultural land. The landscape reconstruction included the surrounding terraced land with its dry stonewalls. Additionally, a garden with a Mediterranean atmosphere (flowers, trees, vegetables) has been developed based upon the ecological principles of sustainable development. Finally, the country house has been reconstructed to:• provide a peaceful place (in traditional Mediterranean rural environment) for seminars and programs, such as anti-stress, spiritual, cultural, management and recreational,• give the guests an opportunity to do some specific gardening work, and use the vegetables and fruit from the garden for their own cooking,• rest/study in tranquil environment, walk or hike the Mt. UÄ?ka.3) Enhanced our accommodation with number of tailor-made programs, to include:• excursions and one or more day trips to coastal areas and the neighboring islands, to the hinterland of Istria, and excursions to more distant beautiful natural and cultural places in Croatia, Slovenia and Italy,• special programs for health care, spiritual, and personal development all as part of an individual life-long learning process, • active programs such as walking, hiking, sailing, fishing, rafting and climbing,4) Offered consultation services for the implementation of an Integrated Local Development Program, and providing expertise on sustainable tourism and development, as well as marketing and promotion.5) Offered assistance to individuals worldwide who are interested in establishing their home or second home in the area.All activities are in process. Four, five-star residences in Villa Adele, San Giovanni and Farmhouse “Oraj” renovated to the highest standard, are in the operational stage.Herewith, Lovranske Vile Ltd. invites experts, facilitators, trainers, individuals and friends who are interested to take part in the implementation of the Unique Concept in Holiday Living, Integrated Local Development Plan (ILD) and Sustainable Tourism Development to contact us.Vjeko MartinkoÂContact:Lovranske vile d.o.o.Poljanska c. 27HR-51414 IciciT/F: +011-385 51 704 276/183www.lovranske-vile.com vjeko@lovranske-vile.com member of:Schlosshotels und HerrenhÃuserwww.schlosshotels.co.at Historic Hotels of Europewww.historichotelsofeurope.com  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 22 Jun 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8350/1/E-Lovranske-Vile-in-Financial-Times---Vjeko-Martinko.html ÂLovranske Vile in Financial Times - Vjeko MartinkoVjekoslav MartinkoLovranske vile d.o.o.Tourism: Tension between two visionsBy Eric JanssonFinancial Times, FT.comPublished: June 7 2005The boat drifted by one morning and lingered just offshore. On board, a Russian businessman - a magnate of some stature if not quite an oligarch - gazed coolly toward the land. His eyes settled on a bright yellow villa ornamented in Venetian gothic floral patterns, built in 1905 for a wealthy Italian family.Days later, there was a knock on the door. The Russian wanted the villa and would pay ?1m. "No" came the answer from Vjeko Martinko, the owner, who now enjoys telling this story.A few days passed, and again the Russian's assistant arrived with an offer, higher into the millions. "No" again.Once more the man visited, raising his offer. Mr Martinko says he turned him down flatly, with some advice. "I'm sorry, but some things in life are priceless. Some things cannot be sold. This place is one such thing."Mr Martinko's view of his private property, Villa Astra in the seaside retreat of Lovren, which he runs as a boutique hotel and gourmet restaurant, bears little resemblance to the view Croatia's rulers once took of assets along the country's splendid coastline.Under Yugoslav Communist rule, prize coastal properties became gifts to Party loyalists - including those who once inhabited Villa Astra - while most of the shore became a playground for the proletariat. Crowds jammed into countless campsites and cement-block hotels. The state clung jealously to the land, as private owners like Mr Martinko now do, but it also cheapened it by opening it to all comers.In the new era, tension between these competing visions - one of total exclusivity and one of total accessibility - defines the struggle for the future of Croatian tourism.The stakes are high. Croatia attracted 9.8m foreign visitors last year. Tourism accounted for more than 20 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), with receipts worth ?5.7m attributed directly to the industry, according to state statistics.The London-based World Travel and Tourism Council calls Croatia's tourism market the fifth fastest-growing market in the world and predicts that tourism will account for 30 per cent of the country's GDP by the year 2015.To stay on track, Croatia must continue its balancing act, accommodating both high-end and low-end holidaymakers. For years, the former have holed up in grand hotels around Dubrovnik, while the latter make do in campsites and rooms-for-rent.But critics add that the country must also plug an important hole in its market - the very-high end.With its vast shoreline and more than 1,000 islands, Croatia possess ample space to provide super-rich guests - stars of business, sport and Hollywood - the privacy they require. But the country's existing high-end hotels, mostly massive resorts and self-catering villas, cannot always do the job.Such shortcomings drive the country's wealthiest visitors on to the water, where they spend catered holidays on private holiday yachts, landing only occasionally in secluded harbours to stretch legs. Some of these, like the aspiring Russian buyer, later seek ways to buy their own exclusive properties.Spotting a business opportunity, a small but growing number of entrepreneurs aim fill this gap.Among those tipped for success are Mr Martinko, with his Villa Astra and other properties near Lovren, and the Turkish proprietors of the Pucic Palace, the first luxury boutique hotel to open within Dubrovnik's old walled city.Benefiting from exclusivity and privacy, both options offer delights found at none of Croatia's luxury mega-hotels, including the newly refurbished 139-room Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik, the Hilton Group's first step into the market.At the Pucic Palace, guests sip cocktails on a exquisite stone porch overlooking Dubrovnik's famous tiled rooftops. Rather than inducing claustrophobia, as the sometimes-crowded walled city can do, the location provides a soothing escape even in the heart of the city. Soundproofed walls block out the noise of the walking streets below.By contrast, Villa Astra, in the northern region of Istria, capitalises on a quiet location directly on the shore and exploits synergies with Mr Martinko 's other retreats, including a nearby hilltop farm. By a serene pool, guests eat sumptuous meals made of locally harvested ingredients - scampi, mussels, wild asparagus, strawberries and nettles."This is the future of tourism in Croatia," Mr Martinko says.He blasts both old-style mass tourism in Croatia and the tendency of today's top-end guests to hide themselves away on hired yachts. Such tourism is "an industry with no human element.""There is so much capital floating around in the world, targeting Croatia. We must focus it on what is sustainable."Some of the world's most exclusive boutique hoteliers aim to enter the market, among them Singapore-based Amanresorts International, whose only other effort in Europe to date operates in Courchevel, France.With new entrants like these, Croatia's image could soon change for the better.Lovranske vile d.o.o.Poljanska c. 27HR-51414 IciciT/F: +385 51 704 276/183www.lovranske-vile.com vjeko@lovranske-vile.com member of:Schlosshotels und HerrenhÃuserwww.schlosshotels.co.at Historic Hotels of Europewww.historichotelsofeurope.com  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 21 Jun 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8352/1/E-Luxurious-New-Hilton-Imperial-Dubrovnik-First-Hilton-in-Croatia.html ÂLuxurious New Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik Becomes First Hilton Hotel in CroatiaBusiness Wire June 6, 2005 Monday 1:01 PM GMT Business Editors; Travel & Hospitality Writers DUBROVNIK, Croatia June 6, 2005 Hilton(R) Hotels, Suites and Resorts is proud to announce the opening of the Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik, the first Hilton in Croatia, which began welcoming guests on May 1. The Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik is the outcome of a 25 million Euro investment made by the shipping company Atlantska Plovidba, Hilton International and the Austrian construction company Bau Holding Strabag. The hotel is strategically positioned on the edge of the historic city walls that enclose the old city, set in a beautiful garden and boasting a great sea view.The Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik is a conversion of two former hotels that originally opened in 1897, combining 19th century architecture with a modern design to provide the ultimate in comfort and the very latest technology. The hotel retained its original twin-palazzo structure, offering 147 luxurious guest rooms, including eight apartments and a Presidential Suite. Guests staying in the executive rooms have access to the Executive Lounge, an exclusive environment with a panoramic terrace overlooking the Adriatic Sea and famous city walls. The Executive Lounge also offers satellite TV, newspapers from around the globe, and a large range of snacks and beverages that will be provided free of charge all day.The hotel's event and conference facilities offer the ultimate in meetings technology, in a complex spanning two floors and comprising six meeting rooms, a 244-square-meter ballroom for up to 250 guests, and a foyer perfect for exhibits and presentations.The hotel's contemporary restaurant Porat delights the senses with an added touch of local color, offering a broad range of international cuisine and Dalmatian specialties prepared using freshly-caught seafood. Porat also offers a separate room for an intimate dining experience for up to 12 people, and a large outside terrace with beautiful fresco seating surrounded by an immaculate garden.The lobby bar is the perfect bistro for light snacks and drinks, and will be transformed in the evening into a piano bar, serving exquisite beverages with a soft backdrop of live music. For the active guest, the LivingWell Health Club features the latest fitness facilities, an indoor swimming pool, sauna and a Turkish bath.Within easy reach of the area's tourist attractions, the hotel is an ideal holiday location, and will provide the high level of service and quality guests expect when visiting a Hilton hotel.About Hilton International-- Hilton International (HI), an operating division of the UK based Hilton Group plc, owns the rights to the Hilton brand name throughout the world, with the exception of the USA. HI operates over 400 hotels, including 250 branded Hilton (46 of which are under the Hilton Worldwide Resorts(R) brand) and over 140 properties under the mid-market Scandic brand. HI also operates 15 luxury Conrad hotels under a joint venture agreement with Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC). Hilton International Grand Vacations Club (HIGVC) operates 176 time ownership properties in Egypt and Scotland. Hilton International employs over 70,000 staff in over 70 countries. A global marketing alliance between Hilton International and the North America-based Hilton Hotels Corporation extends the number of hotels operated by both companies worldwide to over 2,400 -- over 500 of which are branded Hilton. Committed to doing business in a responsible way, Hilton International's aim is to bring a positive benefit to the societies in which it operates through high quality services, economic growth, environmental protection, community involvement and employment.Note to photo editor:-- For more information on Hilton Group and latest news, please visit our corporate website, at: www.hiltongroup.com -- High resolution Hilton images are available for the media to download free of charge from www.vismedia-online.com CONTACT: Hilton Media Relations Jeanne Datz Rice/Andrew Keown, 310-205-4545 jeanne_datz_rice@hilton.com/andrew_keown@hilton.com http://www.hiltonworldwide.com or Guliz Ozbek, +90 212 315 60 15 (Turkey & Eastern Europe) guliz.ozbek@hilton.com http://www.businesswire.com June 6, 2005 Copyright  2005 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright 1999- Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Reed Business  is a trademark of Reed Elsevier Inc. The Reed Business logo and HOTELS are registered trademarks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc. Used under license. Privacy Policy | Contact the webmaster http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=616&topicId=12552&docId=l:286037581&start=19 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 06 Jun 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8354/1/E.html   Gilmour said. "The people of Croatia are great."Gilmour overhauls Baird for tour lead in CroatiaThe AustralianÀ™s fifth ACI H1 Match Race Cup is also his seventh career Tour victory Saturday 28 May 2005Info Swedish Match TourPeter Gilmour (AUS), of Pizza-La Sailing Team, today became the new leader of the Swedish Match Tour leaderboard and the career victories list when he won the ACI H1 Match Race Cup.Gilmour and crew Rod Dawson, Mike Mottl, Kazuhiko Sofuku and Yasuhiro Yaji defeated Philippe Presti (FRA) 3-2 in a tightly fought series. PrestiÀ™s crew included Thierry Fouchier, Fred Guilmin, Pascal Rambeau and Mathieu Renault.Gilmour, with 112 points, overtook Ed Baird (USA), of Team Alinghi, for the lead of the 2004-À™05 season. And GilmourÀ™s seven career victories are tops on that list.Bertrand Pacà(FRA), of BMW Oracle Racing, placed third, while Baird finished fourth. Pacàbeat Baird 2-0 in the Petit Final."WeÀ™ve just been looking to improve on last yearÀ™s performance,À? said Gilmour, 45 years old. "We werenÀ™t very happy with how we sailed the second half of last year. Now weÀ™ve got two wins and a second in the last three events.À?Those finishes have put Gilmour in position to become the first repeat champion of the Swedish Match Tour. He leads Baird by 10 points (after trailing by 23 points at the beginning of May) with one event to sail, the Swedish Match Cup (July 4-10)."Him finishing fourth and us first is a surprise,À? said Gilmour. "We just hoped to finish one place ahead of him.À?GilmourÀ™s victory was his fifth championship at the ACI Cup, which is also tops on that list. "ThatÀ™s a real pleasure,À? Gilmour said. "The people of Croatia are great.À?In the final Gilmour opened a 2-0 lead. He won the first match when Presti was penalized twice at the leeward mark, and the second when he completed a 270-degree penalty turn on the finish line.Presti, who upped his level of aggression in the semifinals and final, rallied to make it 2-2. He won the third flight when Gilmour received a pre-start penalty and the fourth when he completed a penalty turn on the finish line.That set up a winner-take-all final match, but it was anticlimactic compared to the first four flights, which were marked by close racing and many leebow tacks.With the west/southwesterly seabreeze blowing around 8 knots, down from its high of 10 knots earlier in the day, Gilmour started the final match to the left and Presti to the right."The right had been favored all day,À? said Presti, 39 years old. "We thought it was still favored in the last race. We saw a big puff on the left, but thought the wind would drop and swing right.À?Presti, by his own admission, guessed wrong. When Presti tacked to starboard and towards the left side, Gilmour was crossing in a 10-knot puff about three boatlengths ahead. He led by 30 seconds at the windward mark, and was never threatened the rest of the way."I guess it was bad eyes,À? said Presti, laughing off the loss."Philippe started very well today,À? said Gilmour. "He pushed us to the right all the time. By hook or by crook we were going to win the left in the last match, and we did.À?Gilmour advanced to the final by beating Baird 3-1 in one semifinal match. Presti got there by beating PacÃÂ, also 3-1. Ironically, Gilmour and Presti just barely advanced to the semifinals. They had to win their final races in the round robin and count on others losing to advance.Yesterday Presti said he enjoyed racing Pacàbecause of his aggressive nature. But it was Presti who turned up the aggression in the semifinal, taking the fight to Pacàand not backing down from his countryman."In the round robin we were happy to be here, happy to race,À? said Presti. "But when we got to the semifinal we knew we had to pick it up and we did.À?Gilmour said he was surprised to beat Baird by such a lopsided score. "Ed is the quintessential smooth and consistent sailor. You have to be all that and more to beat him,À? said Gilmour, who beat Baird in five of their six matches this week.À Swedish Match Tour Standings (After 7 of 8 stages)1. Peter Gilmour (AUS) 112 points 2. Ed Baird (USA) 102 points 3. Russell Coutts (NZL) 70 points 4. Jes Gram-Hansen (DEN) 45 points 5. Philippe Presti (FRA) 44 points 6. Staffan Lindberg (FIN) 38 points 7. James Spithill (AUS) 35 points 8. Bertrand Pacà(FRA) 34 pointsÀ ACI H1 Match Race Cup Final(3) Peter Gilmour (AUS) d. (4) Philippe Presti (FRA), 3-2ACI H1 Match Race Cup Petit Final (1) Bertrand Pacà(FRA) vs. (2) Ed Baird (USA), 2-0À ACI H1 Match Race Cup Semifinals(3) Peter Gilmour (AUS) d. (2) Ed Baird (USA), 3-1 (4) Philippe Presti (FRA) d. (1) Bertrand Pacà(FRA), 3-1À ACI H1 Match Race Cup Final Standings À Prize Purse: $40,000Skipper (Country) Team, Record, Prize Money1. Peter Gilmour (AUS) Pizza-La Sailing Team, 18-11, $15,000 Crew: Rod Dawson, Mike Mottl, Kazuhiko Sofuku, Yasuhiro Yaji2. Philippe Presti (FRA) le DÃÂfi, 17-12, $8,000 Crew: Thierry Fouchier, Fred Guilmin, Pascal Rambeau, Mathieu Renault3. Bertrand Pacà(FRA) BMW Oracle Racing, 20-6, $6,000 Crew: Eric Doyle, Zach Hurst, Dirk de Ridder, Brad Webb4. Ed Baird (USA) Team Alinghi, 15-11, $4,000 Crew: Jordi Calafat, Lorenzo Mazza, Dean Phipps, Piet Van Nieuwenhuyzen5. Mathieu Richard (FRA), 11-9, $2,400 Crew: Greg Evrard, Olivier Herledant, Frederic Rivet, Yannick Simon6. Staffan Lindberg (FIN), 11-9, $2,000 Crew: Nils Bjerkas, Johan Karlsson, Carl-Johan Uckelstam, Daniel Wallberg7. Kelvin Harrap (NZL) Emirates Team New Zealand, 10-10, $1,600 Crew: Rod Davis, Andrew McLean, Richard Meacham, Rod Salthouse8. BjÃÂrn Hansen (SWE), 8-12, $1,000 Crew: Mathias Brendin, Fredrik Ekman, Anders Jonsson, Johan Tempelman9. Flavio Favini (ITA) Mascalzone Latino - Capitalia Team, 6-14 Crew: Marco Constant, Flavio Grassi, Antar Vigna, Jon Ziskind10. Dario Kliba (CRO), 5-15 Crew: Kosti? Hrvoje, Zvonko Jela?i?, Prlenda Nikola, Celi? Slaven11. Ian Ainslie (RSA) Team Shosholoza, 4-16 Crew: Charles Nankin, David Rae, Mark Sadler, Ante Vanjakhttp://www.seasailsurf.com/seasailsurf/actu/article.php3?id_article=3643     letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 28 May 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8353/1/E-Why-does-Croatia-make-so-many-appearances-throughout-history.html   Why does Croatia make so many appearances throughout history?Sail Croatia and its islands, made of "God's tears, stars and breath", wrote George Bernard Shaw. God's tears, stars and breathMay 26, 2005 - Volume XIII, Issue 21 It was in the Croatian sea that the Argonauts searched for the Golden Fleece and on the island of Mljet that Calipso imprisoned Ulysses for seven years. Gustav Mahler reorchestrated several movements of his 4th Symphony in Opatija, and James Joyce wrote while teaching English in Pula. Why does Croatia make so many appearances throughout history? Perhaps Shaw was right. Croatia won the Lonely Planet award for the world's top destination for 2005, and, with 1,186 islands, is one of the best sailing destinations in the Mediterranean. Clean sea, unspoiled nature and a rugged coastline, well equipped marinas, mild climate and fair winds are some of the reasons why Croatia is a favorite for boaters. The Croatian coastline, from north to south, consists of Istria, Kvarner and Dalmatia. Here is a brief survey of some of the most well-known sailing destinations. The Brijuni archipelago of 14 islands off the western coast of Istria holds unparalleled beauty and was the preferred destination of rulers. It was the choice of the Austro-Hungarian aristocracy and the location for Tito's summer residence. In 1984 Brijuni became a national park and boasts a safari park and a golf course. With so many islands to choose from, sailing itineraries are plentiful and offer something new from one year to the next. If you hanker for the historical, consider departing Opatija for the island of Cres, visit the ancient town of Lubenice, standing atop a 378 meter high cliff, and the Croatian St. Tropez, Le Figaro. From Cres continue on to Mali Losinj and visit the Ilovik Island, called "The Island of Flowers". Try the squid there - the taste is unlike anywhere else on the Adriatic. A completely different Kvarnerian itinerary could be: Porer - Unije - Susak. Porer is a tiny island occupied only by a lighthouse (available for summer rental). Just 70 meters wide and without vegetation, Porer appears like a white pearl floating on the blue sea surface. Unije, alternately, will amaze you with high vertical cliffs, while Susak is a sandy island of scrub, no higher then half a meter, famous for unique traditional ladies costumes: hectic-colored skirts are above the knees - something rare in conservative Croatia. The 140 islands of Kornati national park in Northern Dalmatia are one of the most celebrated sailing destinations in the Adriatiac. The park offers 69 species of butterflies alone. Sailing routes here are so numerous that recommending any would be unfair to the others, but some locations stand out: Taljuric island has a surprising oval shape and is so low that it is often submerged by the sea; Anica Bay, on the island of Lavernaka, is considered to be the most beautiful bay in Kornati; while Stiniva boasts an impressive cave. From Split, the capital of Central Dalmatia, setting your course for Lastovo, making your first stop on the island of Solta, famous for its olives. Continue on to Brac, where the stone used for building the White House was quarried, then turn toward Hvar, the island of lavender and wine. Palmizana should be your next stop: it offers an excellent marina and restaurant. Set sail then for the island of Korcula, visit the island of Proizd for a swim, visit Vela Luka, then sail on to Lastovo. Southern Dalmatia has two world-famous attractions: the city of Dubrovnik and Mljet National Park. Both are tame in comparison to the sailing route we recommend for the adventurous. The starting point is Dubrovnik and the final destination is the Ostra (translated as "sharp") Horn. Vertical cliffs over 100 meters in height dominate the landscape of this itinerary punctuated by beautiful Croatian resorts like Srebreno (translated as "The Silver"), Mlini and Cavtat, along the Azurna Obala.Your itinerary includes the deserted islands of Mrkan and Bobara, the seagall kingdom, ideal for sports fishing. Strma is found beyond the Cavtat shore, where, on the cliffs tops, you can try horseback riding. _ Sail through Croatia with the help of www.adriatica.net, the online travel agency. http://www.budapestsun.com/full_story.asp?ArticleId=%7BAC983DA0D6C94502A0B860658EC9E3B8%7D&From=Style   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 26 May 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8359/1/E-Americans-are-on-the-road-again---to-Croatia.html ÂAmericans are on the road againÂThe dollar has held up better against some national currencies outside the euro-zone, making a beach vacation in, sayCroatia, more reasonable than one just across the Adriatic in ItalySummer travel: Fares, room rates spikeFor the first time since 9/11, the peak travel season looks to be hitting on all cylinders.May 4, 2005: 9:48 AM EDT By Les Christie, CNN/Money staff writerNEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The message from the travel industry this spring: Americans are on the road again. "Despite terrorist threats, fuel price rises, and a weak dollar," says Amy Ziff, roving editor for Travelocity, "Americans feel free to travel again, especially to Europe, where they've been going in increasing numbers." According to the European Travel Commission, a record 14 million Americans will visit Europe this year, surpassing the 13.5 million who ventured there in 2000.This is good news for the travel industry. For travelers, though, heightened demand has pushed up prices across the board. An annual AAA survey of domestic travel costs reports that per diem prices are up 5 percent over last year. The story is even worse overseas. The dollar has lost 6 percent of its value against the euro, and that doesn't account for other price increases. So far, high fuel prices have had little impact on fares, but just last week American Airlines announced it would add fuel surcharges of $5 a ticket for domestic flights, more for international ones. Other airlines will likely follow suit. Hotels prices are up already. John Walsh, spokesman for Marriott International, reports that average daily rates (ADRs) at Marriott (domestic and international) are up an average of 7 percent this year. The AAA reports that domestic lodging for a family of four costs nearly 4 percent more this year and now average $129 a night. Lower room inventories also means chains offer fewer bookings to such Internet bidding sites as Priceline.com. "When the economy was not doing well you could find great rates there," says Walsh. "Now, it's hard to find bargains." Heavy demand for airline seats and hotel rooms has many travel professionals advising vacationers to book well in advance. Procrastinators may have to pay more or settle for an inconvenient flight. In the past, prices tended to drop as the departure dates grew near as airlines scrambled to fill empty seats. This year, prices are rising as travelers compete for scarce berths. Sean Comey, spokesman for AAA of Northern California, Nevada, and Utah, reports that the best air deals are available 90 to 120 days in advance. He himself was stung by not booking early; it cost him an extra $300 each for two cruise tickets because he waited too long. Ultimately, vacationers may have a tough time finding big savings this year, but that will not necessarily discourage the search. "Some travelers are such bargain hunters," says Ziff, "that if the price is $25 different between Paris and Rome, they change their destination." Savings strategiesPay in dollars. The dollar's weakness has proved a boon for companies offering European tours and cruises. Americans can pay in dollars for a complete package. Other than shopping, they incur few other expenses -- or surprises. Explore alternatives to the euro-zone. The dollar has held up better against some national currencies outside the euro-zone, making a beach vacation in, say Croatia, more reasonable than one just across the Adriatic in Italy. U.S. neighbors Mexico and Canada are comparative bargains. Stay at business hotels. Comey says some destination cities in the United States are more affordable than many realize, compared with many of the country's main tourist centers such as Las Vegas and Orlando. San Francisco, for example, has many excellent hotels that charge less than $150 a night. In cities that cater to business travelers, downtown hotels lure leisure travelers with generous weekend rates. Travel to off-season destinations. You can save on summer travel by staying at winter resorts. "Many ski reports have great summer programs," says Ziff, "with terrific facilities and wilderness at your door, but much less expensive than in ski season." Use the Internet to plan and book. Travel planning online continues to grow in popularity; nearly 45 million Americans booked at least one service on the Internet last year, according to the Travel Industry Association (TIA). Ziff says Travelocity, like other online vendors, offers what she calls "dynamic packages." These take advantage of excess inventory at hotels or airlines, who will sometimes offer rooms or airplane seats in bulk to Travelocity at a much lower prices than those they advertise to the public. Trends for 2005Educational excursions. Many Americans are opting for vacations that incorporate learning. Literary tours, anthropological travel -- even cooking lessons -- are all gaining popularity. Short trips. A three-day weekend can refresh and renew almost as well as a week off. These are perfect for the hard-charging executives who just can't tear themselves away from their responsibilities. Getting the family together. Family reunions account for an increasing share of travel. The TIA reports that 34 percent of Americans have traveled to a family reunion in the past three years. But increasingly, families are not just getting together, they're traveling together. Multigenerational travel takes several forms: Three generations may tour or cruise together, rent out a house as a family, or settle in en masse at a resort. Such trips enable everyone to "vacation at our own speed, but come together for meals," says Ziff. http://money.cnn.com/2005/05/02/pf/travel_summer_trends_2005/  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 08 May 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8358/1/E-Croatia-and-Jewels-of-the-Adriatic-at-the-Waldwick-Public-Library.html Â"Croatia and Jewels of the Adriatic" at the Waldwick Public LibraryBERGEN COUNTY BRIEFS Friday, May 6, 2005 LITTLE FERRY - The borough held its annual "Mayor for a Day" program Tuesday, with 16 eighth-graders from Memorial School conducting town business and voting on agenda resolutions under the guidance of council members.Students took the oath of office for a variety of roles, including mayor, council members, and borough administrator.Students in the program were Carly Scibetta, Lina Martinez, Erik Garcia, George Mikhail, Freddy Vasquez, Eunhwa Mouada, Christine Gaul, Barbara Martinez, Samantha Rivas, Jessica Ortiz, Kathryn Stout, Kubra Kalkan, Priscilla Periut, Patrick Ryan, Samia Souza and Kavan Panchal.- John A. GavinWALDWICK - Travel consultants Jim and Alix Morriss will present "Croatia and Jewels of the Adriatic" at the Waldwick Public Library on June 2 at 7 p.m.The slide lecture is an armchair traveler's tour of Croatia's dramatic coastline along the Adriatic Sea.Among the highlights of the program are Kotor, the old maritime center of Montenegro; the picturesque city of Dubrovnik, notable for its medieval double walls and fortifications; and the lush Ionian island of Corfu, written about by Homer in "The Odyssey."The program is free and open to the public. Registration is recommended. For more information, call (201) 652-5104.- Allison Prieshttp://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk1MCZmZ2JlbDdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5NjY5MDE2MSZ5cmlyeTdmNzE3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTI= letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 05 May 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8362/1/E-Rent-a-Villa-Levanda-on-Hvar.html ÂVilla Levandawww.villalevanda.com 5 Apartments for rent in a beautifully decorated villa on Hvar – the island famous for lavender and boasts 285 sunny days a year. All apartments have ocean views from thebalconies and are a 1 minute walk to the beach.. you can fly direct from New York or Chicagoto split, arrive am, take the ferry to Hvar and be on the beach the same day. For more infoview www.villalevanda.com or contact Sandra on 1 917 238 3781.sandrasperka@tmgmt.com  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 17 Apr 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8361/1/E-599-Round-trip-New-York---Split-and-Zagreb-Croatia.html Â$599 Round Trip Airline Ticket from New Yorkto Split and Zagreb, Croatia 32-66 Steinway Street Astoria, NY 11103 info@croatiatravel.com Tel. 718-726-6700 Toll Free 800-662-7628 Fax. 718-956-3988 Croatia Travel is proud to announce the opening of our new office in Cleveland, Ohio. 34900 Lakeshore Blvd.Ste.202 Eastlake, OH 44095 marija@croatiatravel.com Tel. 440-942-1400 Toll Free 877-577-5503 Fax. 440-942-4575 Mention that you've seen this on CROWN.Limited time offer from Croatia Travel  Â letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 17 Apr 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8360/1/H-Direktni-letovi-iz-SAD-a-za-Hrvatsku-predstavljeni-u-Hiltonu.html ÂDirektni letovi iz SAD-a za Hrvatsku predstavljeni u Hilton Hotelu za samo $599.00NEW YORK- U prisustvu brojnih novinara, turistickih djelatnika, predstavnika hrvatske zajednice i diplomacije u hotelu Hilton na Manhattanu je u petak 15. travnja odrzana javna prezentacija direktnih letova iz SAD-a za Hrvatsku. Kao domacin predstavljanja u New Yorku prisutne je pozdravio Boris Miketic, vlasnik putnicke agencije Croatia Travel, koja je uz poslovnu grupu Astada i zracnu kompaniju Transmeridian airline bila domacinom ovog dogadjaja.O pokretanju projekta direktnih letova za Hrvatsku govorio je zatim Milivoj Miki Pavletic, predsjednik poslovne grupe Astada. On je priblizio prisutnima kako je doslo do realizacije ovog projekta te naglasio kako se nada da ce mogucnost direktnog putovanja iz New Yorka i Chicaga do Splita i Zagreba napokon poboljsati komunikaciju izmedju dvije zemlje. ÂMogucnost direktnog putovanja povecat ce i ogromne potencijale koji postoje u hrvatskom turizmu, a koji je jos uvijek premalo poznat AmerikancimaÂ, kazao je Pavletic. Zracnu kompaniju Transmeridian Airlines predstavio je Russel Ryan, podpredsjednik za poslovni razvoj (Vice President Business Development). On je govorio o strategiji razvoja, klijentima i mogucnostima koje TMA nudi. Isto tako on je podrobno opisao zrakoplov Boeing 757 - 200ER, nosivosti 200 osoba koji ce od 3. lipnja do 5. rujna prevoziti putnike na relaciji New York â Zagreb, New York â Split, Chicago â Zagreb, Chicago- Split i iste linije u povratnom smjeru. TMA nudi sigurnu i pouzdanu uslugu, a dokazali smo to i ove godine kada je TMA bio sluzbeni zracni prijevoznik predsjednicke kampanje Kerry&EdwardsÂ, kazao je Russel.O direktnim letovima je zatim govorila Marina Zadro iz putnicke agencije Vega Travel iz Chicaga. Ona je istaknula kako je vijest o direktnim letovima izuzetno dobro primljena medju Hrvatima Chicaga. ÂZa sada imamo uistinu izvrsne reakcije i puno dobrih zelja, jer je ocigledno da se ovaj projekt dugo i s nestrpljenjem ocekivao. Zahvalni smo svima koji su prepoznali vrijednost ove akcije, a posebno naglasavamo izvrsnu podrsku Hrvatskog generalnog konzulata u ChicaguÂ, kazala je Zadro. Menadzer touroperatora Speranza iz Zagreba Andrea Blazekovic predstavila je turisticke ture od sedam dana, te naglasila kako u organiziranju boravka u Hrvatskoj Speranza nusi visoku kvalitetu usluge i mogucnost upoznavanja najatraktivnijih turistickih destinacija u Hrvatskoj. Ona je zatim pozvala sve hrvatske i americke goste da posjete biser Jadrana i boravak u Hrvatskoj ucine jedinstvenim i posebnim iskustvom, koje od sada postaje dostupno i lako izvedivo upravo zahvaljujuci direktnim letovima vec od 3. lipnja. O mogucnostima koje ce direktni letovi otvoriti za promociju hrvatskog turizma u Americi govorila je zatim Nena Komarica, voditeljica Ureda Hrvatske turisticke zajednice u New Yorku. ÂHrvatska je danas vodeca turisticka destinacija. Lonely planet proglasio je nasu zemlju najpozeljnijom destinacijom ove godine, dok se i ovaj mjesec, drugu godinu za redom Hrvatska nasla kao tema travanjskog broja JaxFax, vodeceg magazina za putnicke agencijeÂ, kazala je Komarica, te dodala lkako zanimanje za Hrvatsku nikad nije bilo vece te kako je upravo sad pravi trenutak da se brojni zainteresirani gosti usmjere i dovedu do Hrvatske. Ove godine, kazale je Nena Komarica ocekujemo da ce Hrvatsku iz Amerike posjetiti 200. 000 gostiju, sto je daljnje poboljsanje u odnosu na proteklih nekoliko godina, a cemu ce znatno doprinijeti upravo postojanje direktnih letova. Okupljene goste na prezentaciji u Hilton hotelu pozdravio je i generalni konzul republike Hrvatske u New Yorku, gospodin Petar Ljubicic, koji je takodjer naglasio kako se ovim projektom napokon otvaraju i neslucene mogucnosti daljnje promocije i priblizavanja hrvatskih ljepota americkim turistima i svijetu. ÂNadamo se da ce ovaj projekt popuniti prazninu koja je dugo postojala i zelimo mu puno uspjehaÂ, kazao je generalni konzul Ljubicic. Prezentacija projekta direktnih letova za Hrvatsku popracena je snimkama hrvatskih turistickih ljepota, a svim gostima uruceni su paketi s promotivnim turistickim materijalima i suvenirima. Predstavljanje direktnih letova naislo je u hotelu Hilton u New Yorku na veliku podrsku i odobravanje, kako od turistickih djelatnika tako i od clanova hrvatske zajednice te brojnih poslovnih ljudi i predstavnika medija. Cijena povratne karte iz New Yorka do Zagreba i Splita pocinje vec od 599.00 dolara a prvi letovi iz Zagreba i Splita za New York najavljeni su za istu cijenu.CROATIA TRAVEL AGENCY, Inc.(The consolidator for flights from New York - JFK)Phone: 800-662-7628www.CroatiaTravel.com Email: sales@croatiatravel.com  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 17 Apr 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8363/1/E-DUBROVNIK-Croatian-city-exquisitely-calm.html ÂFully revived Croatian city exquisitely calmÂDUBROVNIKPosted on Sun, Mar. 27, 2005 BY CAROL PUCCISeattle Timescpucci@seattletimes.com Travel Wise is aimed at helping people travel smart, especially independent travelers seeking good value. Drawing on my own experiences and readers', I'll cover everything from the best resources to how to tap into the local culture. My column runs the last Sunday of each month.DUBROVNIK, Croatia - At the Gavun fish bar, trays of salt cod, sardines and fresh squid fill a glass case in a closet-size kitchen. Diners relax outdoors on sidewalk picnic tables shaded by red umbrellas.In between bites of a $3 tuna carpaccio sandwich, I caught the attention of Alan Durovic, the Gavun's young owner, and asked about the Complaints Book.''The Complaints Book is on the front table,'' read a note at the top of his menu.I had no complaints, but I was curious.''Do you really have a complaints book?'' I asked, as he darted past my table with a platter of the finger-length sardines Croatians eat like French fries. ''Of course not,'' he smiled.I'd been trying to solve the mystery of the Complaints Book ever since I'd seen a dusty blue volume labeled ''Complaints'' sitting on a hotel bar a few days before. On my way to the restroom, I peeked inside. There were instructions in five languages and carbon paper for making copies, but all the pages were blank.''Is it something that's required by law?'' I asked Durovic.''Of course!'' he smiled again.A regulation left over from the days of Yugoslavia and communism, he speculated, but Durovic now has bigger concerns. Among them: how to kick-start a fledging business in a postcard-perfect town that many foreigners still equate with bombs and destruction.Dubrovnik has been called the city of light and stone; a city of poets, writers and scientists. Today, it might be called the city of survivors.A dozen years after a siege by the Serbian-controlled Yugoslav army damaged more than 70 percent of the buildings, the historic walled Old Town has been completely restored. Few signs of the war remain.More than 250 people died, but not everyone fled.''Some of us stayed,'' said Vesna Gamulin. Dressed in flared blue jeans and a white shawl, her blond hair tied back to show off a pair of handmade silver earrings, she showed me the ''street'' where she was born, a steep alley of stone steps and landings where my husband and I rented an apartment for a few days last spring. ``We defended the city with our presence.''Her fluency in several languages earned her a job as a translator after the Balkan war. Today she guides visitors on walking tours through old Dubrovnik, pointing out friends who reopened jewelry shops and restaurants after the war ended.Ringed by medieval walls 80 feet high in some parts, Dubrovnik's historical center was rebuilt in Baroque style after a 1667 earthquake. Millions went into reconstruction after the war ended in May 1992. Today, the only way to tell a building that was damaged from one that was not is by the color of its roof -- red tiles for new; yellow for old.GETTING SITUATEDRenting an audio guide and walking the 1 Â-mile sea wall is the best way to orient yourself, but we were able to get our bearings by just looking out our bedroom window.Most visitors stay in the modern city outside the walls, in resort hotels stretching along the Adriatic coast. But for us, spending the night in pedestrian-only Old Town left us feeling less like tourists in an outdoor museum and more like part of the living city that old Dubrovnik becomes once the day-trippers leave.Huffing and puffing our way up 84 stone steps on Palmoticeva, a pedestrian alley that passes for a street in Old Town, was a small inconvenience for the rewards that went with the apartment we rented through a Croatian travel agency.Our neighbors panted their way up the stairs just like we did, only they lugged bags of groceries from the corner store. They watched satellite TV, played basketball, grew gardens in tiny patches of grass surrounded by acres of stone and strung their laundry on clotheslines that stretched between buildings.A few steps away from our apartment was a row of outdoor restaurants and cafes on Prijeko Street. Prijeko means ''across,'' a reference to the time when this part of town was divided from the rest of Dubrovnik by a swamp, now limestone-paved Stradun, the main pedestrian promenade.From our third-floor window, we looked down over the rooftops at the rotunda of the big, 16-sided Onofrio drinking fountain, built in the 15th century, that continued to work and supply water during the Balkan war.To the right was the 14th-century Franciscan monastery and cloister with an antique pharmacy that still serves as the Old Town's main drugstore. Below us was the Stradun and the Cafe Orlando, our favorite spot for morning cappuccino and 60-cent slices of cherry strudel served by waitresses in blue blazers and gold neckties.Casual strolls down random alleyways led us into courtyards where we found women selling dried figs, hand-knitted booties and oils made of lavender.JEWELRY MAKERSModern craftsmen carry on Dubrovnik's tradition as a jewelry-making center. On the Stradun, jewelers Luci Vierda, 19, and her father, Matija, sold craft reproductions of traditional silver and gold filigree earrings and pendants in a shop that has been in the family since 1914. Nearby, Galerija Nakita, displays more modern designs inside a maze of rooms flooded in neon light.Around the corner from our apartment we found the Convent of the Transfiguration where Franciscan nuns first came to live in the 13th century.Vesna had tipped us off about a small museum that the nuns open on request. When we walked into the stone courtyard and rang the doorbell, Sister Karolina stuck her head out a top-floor window and motioned for us to push open the wooden door and come inside.She spoke only Croatian and Italian, but she spent 45 minutes showing us through exhibits stored in the basement where the nuns hid during the war. On display were antique irons, tools for spinning and weaving wool, urns used for storing olive oil; paintings and artwork. Shells and pieces of shrapnel from the war were arranged on a wooden table.Sister Karolina went to a drawer and found some printed material in English that explained how workers uncovered ancient paintings and other architectural elements of an original medieval church next door to the convent when they removed plaster while making repairs after the war.Dubrovnik was a major maritime power when it broke from Venetian and Hungarian rule and became the independent Republic of Ragusa in the 14th century. Strip away the trappings of the tourist destination it is today and it remains essentially a fishing village. Mussels, squid, sardines and octopus are the local specialties, and old Dubrovnik supports a thriving restaurant and cafe scene.The restaurants along Prijeko would tempt any visitor with their displays of shellfish on ice and candlelit outdoor tables. But locals consider them tourist traps, and pointed us instead to neighborhood spots such as Lokanda Pskarija, a harborside cafe with a few tables scattered around a stone patio next to scales where fishermen weigh their catch.We watched more than one sunset here as we sampled local specialties such as black risotto -- colored so with squid ink -- and Mussels Buzara, cooked in wine, oil, garlic (never onion) and tomatoes. Rarely did we pay more than $20 for a meal for two.''Hole-in-the-wall'' and ''hidden hideaway'' are clichà descriptions, but they literally fit the Cafe Buza, an outdoor bar clinging to a sea cliff just outside the eastern walls.The only way to reach the Buza is through a hole poked into a cement archway, and the only clue that you've found the place is a wooden sign with an arrow that says Cold Drinks.It was chilly and beginning to rain when we claimed the last free table on the terrace. We ordered beers and waited out the storm under a thatched awning while listening to Frank Sinatra tunes blend with the sounds of waves pounding against rock.A waiter came by with a tray filled with tiny plastic cups.''Something to warm you up,'' he said, handing us each a shot of a clear liquid that tasted like vodka.Rather than rushing everyone out the door to clear tables for new customers, he offered drinks on the house.I wondered if the Buza had a Complaints Book, but just couldn't bring myself to ask.http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/travel/11216725.htm  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 30 Mar 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8365/1/E-ARRIVE-WITH-THE-SUNRISE-to-Croatia.html ÂARRIVE WITH THE SUNRISEANNOUNCING DIRECT FLIGHTS FROM USA TO CROATIAÂBusiness groupAstada and travel agencies Croatia Travel from New York and Vega International Travel from Chicago are announcing the start of direct seasonal flights from JFK in New York and O’Hare in Chicago to Zagreb and Split in Croatia. Direct flights from USA to Croatia are finally here! After many years American Croats, their American friends, business people and numerous tourists will finally be able to travel directly starting on June 3rd from New York to Split.Direct flights are operated by Trans Meridian Airlines, Inc with a fleet of 2 modern Boeing 757-200 ER. The plane carries 200 passengers: 190 passengers in economy class and 10 passengers in business class. The round trip flights from Chicago and New York to Split and Zagreb will make a short refueling stop on Iceland. The flights will operate from June 3rd, 2005 to September 5th 2005, with 4 weekly flights from New York and Chicago.New York flights are leaving from JFK’s terminal 4 to Split on Fridays at 5:15pm, arriving at Split on Saturday 9:20am. Return from Split is on Saturday 11:30 am, arriving JFK at 6:05pm.From New York to Zagreb flights leave on Sundays at 5:15pm, arriving Zagreb on Monday at 9:30am, returning from Zagreb on Monday at 11:30am arriving JFK at 6:05pm.From Chicago to Zagreb flights leave on Fridays at 2:15pm, and to Split on Sundays at 2:15pm, returning back to Chicago at 10:00 am arriving Chicago at 4:50 pm.Baggage allowance is 2 suitcases weighting up to 45lbs each, or 1 suitcase weighting up to 99lbs. Children have the same baggage allowance while infants have none.This is a great chance for the American traveler to experience a great event. Direct flights will make your Croatian vacation more pleasant and give you an opportunity to discover the superior natural beauty and rich historical and cultural heritage Croatia has to offer!For flights from Chicago callVEGA InternationalTravel Services, Inc.Phone: 800- FLY THERE (359-8437)www.vegatravel.net For flights from New York call CROATIA TRAVEL AGENCY, Inc.Phone: 800-662-7628www.CroatiaTravel.com Or contact your own travel agent. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 21 Mar 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8364/1/E-Krecu-direktni-letovi-iz-SAD-a-za-Hrvatsku-4-puta-tjedno.html ÂKrecu direktni letovi iz SAD-a zaHrvatsku cetri puta tjednoFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact:Astada Group Inc.Croatia Travel Agency, Inc.VEGA International Travel Services, Inc.Krecu direktni letovi iz SAD-a za HrvatskuPoslovna grupa Astada i turisticke agencije Croatia Travel iz New Yorka i Vega International Travel Services iz Chicaga najavljuju realizaciju direktnih sezonskih letova od zrakoplovnih luka u New Yorku i Chicagu do Zagreba i Splita u Hrvatskoj.Putovanje direktnim letom iz Sjedinjenih Americkih Drzava do Hrvatske napokon postaje stvarnost. Nakon dugogodisnjeg iscekivanja americki ce Hrvati, kao i njihovi americki prijatelji, poslovni ljudi i brojni turisti imati priliku prvim promotivnim letom vec 3. lipnja ove godine putovati direktno od New Yorka do Splita. Direktni letovi ce se realizirati u suradnji sa zrakoplovnom kompanijom Trans Meridian Airlines, inc., koja je za letove do Hrvatske osigurala dva supermoderna zrakoplova tipa Boeing 757-200 ER. Nosivost zrakoplova je 200 putnika od cega 190 u ekonomskoj i 10 u poslovnoj klasi. Na putovanju od Chicaga i New Yorka do Splita i Zagreba, zrakoplovi ce se nakratko zaustavljati samo na Islandu gdje ce uzeti gorivo. Iz SAD-a prema Hrvatskoj zrakoplovi ce u razdoblju od 3. lipnja do 5. rujna 2005. polijetati cetiri puta tjedno – dva leta iz New Yorka i dva leta iz Chicaga.Iz New Yorka ce zrakoplovi polijetati sa zracne luke JFK za Split petkom u 5,15sati popodne, a slijetanje u splitskoj zracnoj luci se ocekuje u subotu oko 9,20 sati ujutro. Povratak iz Splita bit ce istoga dana, u subotu u 11,30 sati prije podne, a dolazak na zracnu luku JFK u New Yorku se ocekuje u 6,05 poslije podne. Iz New Yorka za Zagreb ce se letjeti nedjeljom u 5,15 popodne, a dolazak na zagrebacku zracnu luku se ocekuje u ponedjeljak u 9,30 ujutro. Zrakoplov polijece iz Zagreba istoga dana u ponedjeljak u 11,30 sati ujutro, a u New Yorku se ocekuje u 6:05sati popodne.Iz Chicaga za Zagreb ce se letjeti svakog petka u 2:15 poslije podne, a za Split svake nedjelje u 2:15 poslije podne. Zrakoplovi se vracaju za Chicago u 10:05 ujutro sa dolaskom u 4:50 poslije podne. Postanite i sami djelom dugo ocekivanog dogaÃaja na ovim prostorima. Direktnim letom ucinite svoj odmor ugodnijim i priblizite sebi i svojim prijateljima vrhunske prirodne ljepote i bogato kulturno nasljeÃe nase domovine Hrvatske. Osim izuzetno prakticnog i ugodnog leta, koji ce od sada put prema domovini uciniti ugodnim i prijatnim iskustvom, organizatori jamce i autobusni prijevoz s aerodroma u Zagrebu i Splitu u druge hrvatske gradove koji su krajnja odredista putnika iz SAD-a. Ukoliko boravak u domovini zelite pretvoriti u nezaboravno iskustvo, nakon ugodnog leta prepustite se potpunom uzitku. Zajedno s direktnim letovima putnicka agencija Croatia Travel iz New Yorka nudi vam i osam vrhunski osmisljenih turistickih tura, koje ce svojom bogatom ponudom najbolje opisati zbog cega je Hrvatska ove godine vodeca svjetska turisticka destinacija. Vise informacija potrazite kod turistickih agencija;VEGA International Travel Services, Inc.(The consolidator for flights from Chicago-ORD)Phone: 800- FLY THERE (359-8437)www.vegatravel.net CROATIA TRAVEL AGENCY, Inc.(The consolidator for flights from New York - JFK)Phone: 800-662-7628www.CroatiaTravel.com ili kod svog putnickog agenta.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 21 Mar 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8366/1/H-Od-Lipnja-Hrvatska-povezana-sa-SAD-direktnim-letovima.html ÂÂZRAKOPLOVNA KOMPANIJA TRANS MERIDIAN AIRLINES OD LIPNJAPOVEZUJE HRVATSKU I SADIz Splita i Zagreba prvi put izravnodo Chicaga i New YorkaOd 1. lipnja do 5. rujna svakog će se tjedna petkom letjeti iz Chicaga za Zagreb, a nedjeljom za Split, dok će povratak biti idućega dana. Iz New Yorka će, s aerodroma JFK, letovi za Split biti svakog petka, a za Zagreb svake nedjelje. Povratak je također idućeg danaSPLIT - Split i Zagreb od lipnja će dobiti dvije izravne sezonske zrakoplovne veze sa Sjedinjenim Državama. Kompanija Trans Meridian Airlines svakog će tjedna povezivati New York i Chicago s dva najveća hrvatska grada.Potvrdila nam je to Ingrid Zupicich iz newyorÅke putničke agencije Croatia Travel, koja će prodavati karte za letove Trans Meridian Airlinesa iz New Yorka prema Hrvatskoj.â Čini nam se da je zanimanje američkih turista za Hrvatsku ove godine povećano i to je dobar znak i za letove Trans Meridian Airlinesa. Oni će letove iz New Yorka i Chicaga prema Splitu, odnosno Zagrebu obavljati s dva zrakoplova boeing 757-200. To su udobne letjelice kapaciteta 210 putnika â kazala nam je Ingrid Zupicich u telefonskom razgovoru iz New Yorka. Potvrdila nam je i to da će Croatia Travel već od idućeg tjedna početi primati rezervacije za letove prema Hrvatskoj.Od istog izvora doznajemo kako će povratna karta iz New Yorka do Splita stajati oko 1000 dolara, a na naÅe pitanje je li moguće da karte kupljene u Splitu za izravni let do New Yorka i Chicaga ipak budu jeftinije, agentica Croatia Travela je odgovorila:â Da, razmatramo takvu mogućnost, a viÅe ćemo znati za tjedan dana.Kako doznajemo, zrakoplovi Trans Meridian Airlinesa od 1. lipnja do 5. rujna svakog će tjedna petkom letjeti iz Chicaga za Zagreb, a nedjeljom za Split, dok će povratak biti idućega dana. Iz New Yorka će, s aerodroma JFK, letovi za Split biti svakog petka, a za Zagreb svake nedjelje. Povratak je također idućeg dana.â Zrakoplovi će iz tehničkih razloga na putu od New Yorka ili Chicaga prema Splitu ili Zagrebu nakratko slijetati u Reykjaviku na Islandu â dodala je Ingrid Zupicich.Na splitskom aerodromu joÅ nisu dobili službenu najavu za prekooceanske letove Trans Meridian Airlinesa, no voditelj službe marketinga Mateo Boljat nam je kazao kako za to joÅ ima dovoljno vremena.â Ako letove planiraju od 1. lipnja, onda joÅ nije kasno za najavu. Koliko je meni poznato, to bi bile prve izravne linije iz Sjedinjenih Država prema Splitu od samostalnosti Hrvatske â izjavio je Mateo Boljat. Dodao je usput da je ovoga tjedna Åest ljetnih čarter letova između Toronta i Splita najavila kanadska kompanija Skyservice Airlines.Ivo ÅĆEPANOVIĆhttp://www.slobodnadalmacija.com/20050316/novosti07.asp  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 16 Mar 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8367/1/E-Direct-seasonal-flights-to-Croatia-from-New-York--Chicago.html ÂDirect Flights to Croatia from USAFrom June 3rd to September 5thNew York - ZagrebNew York - SplitChicago - ZagrebChicago - SplitÂASTADA Group Inc. entered a Commercial Agreement with TRANS MERIDIAN AIRLINES, Inc. to fly seasonal direct flights form USA to Croatia and Ukraine.The flight program will start June 1, 2005 and finish September 5, 2005.TMA will fly from Chicago( ORD ) every week to Zagreb ( on Friday ), Split ( on Sunday ) and Kiev ( on Wednesday ), returning the next day back.The flights from New York ( JFK ) will depart every week to Split ( on Friday ) and Zagreb ( on Sunday ), returning the next day back.ÂÂTMA will operate this program with two B 757-200 ER aircrafts. www.transmeridian-airlines.com ÂThe consolidator for flights from Chicago (ORD) is: VEGA International Travel Services, Inc.Phone: 800- FLY THERE (359-8437)www.vegatravel.net The consolidator for flights from New York (JFK) is: CROATIA TRAVEL AGENCY, Inc.Phone: 800-662-7628www.CroatiaTravel.com Please contact your travel agent for more information. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 11 Mar 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8368/1/E-End-of-the-world-but-the-beginning-of-everything-Logbook.html  “End of the world but the beginning of everything.”Logbook of the m.s.Andrea USHUAIA — ANTARCTICAJanuary 6-15, 2005 www.elegantcruises.com/  First Wedding on the AntarticaIn late afternoon the wedding of Jessica and David Wilborntook place ashore at Orne Harbor. A crowd gathered on a smallsnow covered slope, Dick gave the preamble and then CaptainPazanin conducted the service –pronouncing them man and wife.Then Praba and Jittu sang a traditional Sanskrit song of goodwishes for the bride and groom. Then the revelers were taken ona zodiac tour of the area and then back to the ship for a champagnecelebration. We remained at anchor all night in this beautiful area. expedition leader: Dr.KimCrosbieassistant E. L.: Sonja Messicklecturers: Dick Cameron, Gustavo Lovrich, Nanette SchleichMonday, 6 December ushuaia, argentinaThe m.s. Andrea calmly awaited dockside for its passengers whilethe crew was stowing supplies, preparing staterooms, and settingtables for dinner. The expedition crew was also busy checkingradios, and practicing Zodiac launching from the bow area.The passengers arrived at about 1600 hrs and were shown totheir cabins and their luggage appeared as well. All received theirown luggage and for the crew there was a sigh of relief, for whenluggage is misplaced immediate confusion breaks out with everyonesearching everywhere for the missing piece.A buffet of sandwiches, pastries, tea and coffee was set in theKittwake Lounge for the passengers. This allowed them to mingleand get to know one another. Dr. Kim Crosbie, Expedition Leader,took advantage of this gathering to introduce the expedition staff :Sonja Messick (Assistant Expedition Leader), Dick Cameron,Nanette Schleich, and Gustavo Lovrich.People then had the chance to familiarize themselves with theship by taking a nice walkabout. The Mandatory Life Boat andSafety at Sea Drill was postponed as cargo was still being loaded.Dock workers were on strike so the cargo had to be brought tothe ship by small boat and then loaded through the starboard side(the port side was along the dock). Just before 2000 hrs the shipbegan to maneuver from the dock and by 2007 hrs. the Andreawas full away. And then in short order the mandatory drill tookplace followed by dinner as the passengers were, by this time,famished.Leaving Ushuaia the sign on shore read “End of world but thebeginning of everything.” The Andrea sailed smoothly down theBeagle Channel on its way to Antarctica.Tuesday, 7 December All night long and all day long, the Andrea did her imitation ofRock and Roll. Numerous passengers and a few of the Expeditionstaff were somewhat without sea legs and thus scheduled lecturesand other informative activities were postponed. Severaltimes during the day one heard the crashing of dishes and onewould think that we were attending a Greek wedding.Some lectures were given and they were:A Time to Krill – Gustavo LovrichKrill are the keystone of the Antarctic ecosystem with whales,penguins, and seals depending on krill for sustenance. Krill are themost abundant animal on earth. Gustavo presented informationon numbers of krill, their biology, and the way in which krill studiesare being done.Antarctic Sea Birds by KimOverview of the types of birds and their unbelievable life at sea.Basic Geology by DickThis was an overview of basic geology and a primer on platetectonics and the overall geology of the Antarctic continent.Passengers reported seeing penguins and a whale. The systemworks, as the only real way to enjoy Antarctica is out on deck. At2000 hrs fog appeared and the sea temperature dropped to 0degrees Centigrade. We were crossing the convergence wherecold Antarctic waters meet the warmer seas to the north.In the evening a contest was announced whereby the person whosaw the first iceberg would win a bottle of champagne. The excitementof the passengers was keen but it all came to a halt when at2100 hrs all were notified that it was Ivan, the Ice Captain, was theone who sighted the berg. As he is considered staff he was ineligiblefor the bottle. The berg was sighted at 59 degrees and 25 minutessouth latitude and 62 degrees and 23 minutes west longitude.NOON POSITION: 57Â22.7’S 69Â28.9’WWednesday, 8 December Icebergs were all over this morning, and under a beautiful bluesky we sailed on Southwards. The first lecture of the day was byNanette, entitled Science in Antarctica Part 1. This lecture explainedthe Antarctic Treaty and how it is the basis of worldwide cooperationand governance of the continent. She also gave a briefoverview of the significant research projects that are underway.Kim conducted a Mandatory Zodiac Briefing whereby the passengerswere given the rudiments of how to board and disembarkfrom these rubber crafts and the do’s and don’ts while in the zodiac.They were also instructed in the IAATO Code of Conduct inAntarctica. The environment on the continent is fragile and theanimals have such a short summer their activities must not beinterrupted.The first landing of the day was to be Aitcho Island in the groupof islands called the South Shetlands. However, the wind wouldnot quit and a landing was impossible. So we sailed on. We founda decent place to land at Half Moon Bay where there was an abandonedboat most likely left by whalers. The landing went smoothlyand we were able have a nice walk to see the Chinstrap penguinsand some Weddell seals. Of course I am only kidding about a nicewalk, as every step of the way on the snow surface was one ofanticipation as to how deep will my foot go this time. This landingwas great as there was plenty of time to spend absorbing this environment.After this good time ashore the passengers returned tothe Andrea to prepare for the Captain’s Welcoming Cocktail Partyand Dinner.During the evening we sailed towards the Weddell Sea side ofthe Peninsula. As we approached the Antarctic Sound the greattabular bergs appeared as if on parade. A beautiful sightNOON POSITION: 62Â29.2’S 59Â22.0’WThursday, 9 December By early this morning we had passed through the AntarcticSound and were in Terror and Erebus Gulf. The destination wasDevil Island but as we arrived the wind was too strong for a landingso we sailed south along the Prince Gustav Channel that separatesJames Clark Ross Island from the mainland Peninsula. Butbefore long sea ice obstructed further progress and the ship cameabout and we once again headed for Devil Island. This island is astrange one, set in an embayment of the larger island called Vega.The islands in this area are fascinating in two ways. The first isthat the Swedish explorer Nordenskjold wintered on Snow HillIsland in the early 1900’s and the story of his travail and rescue isan amazing one which is yet to be properly appreciated. And secondly,the islands have some interesting Mesozoic and Cenozoicrocks in which numerous unique fossils have been foundincluding the remains of a 6 foot tall penguin.We were able to land on Devil Island as the wind speeddecreased. On the island were large rookeries of Adelie penguinsguarding their precious eggs and it was more than entertaining towatch their antics of communication and their serious attention tothe business of keeping the eggs at a proper temperature. Somepeople climbed to the summit of the island while others watchedpenguins and strolled along the beach.There were several good examples of columnar jointed basaltalong the beach. This jointing is produced when lava flows outonto the surface and cools rapidly. Back to the ship and Gustavotold the fascinating story of Nordenskjold’s expedition with itsunbelievable coincidences of sledge journeys, boat trips, time, andplace that finally reunited the expedition.During the evening we sailed towards Paulet Island wherethere resides a tremendous number of penguins. Enroute, however,the wind increased to a gale over 50km/hr. and the ship had apermanent list to starboard. We could see where the huge rookerywas on Paulet but there was no way to visit the island so wesailed on into the Antarctic Sound and then during the night theship made its way to Deception Island.NOON POSITION: 63Â45.7’S 57Â16.1’WFriday, 10 December As we awoke we were just off the entrance to Deception Island.The sky was overcast but visibility was reasonable. When passengerswere notified of our position and what we were about to dothe decks were immediately filled and we sailed throughNeptune’s Bellows and into Port Foster. We made directly forPendulum Cove and the morning swim.There were a large number of passengers hardy enough to dothe swim. Steam covered the beach and the shallows. Nanettewas to be the sacrificial lamb so in she went and said the waterwas fine. The rest followed with giggles and oh’s and aw’s. Asswimmers came out they were handed nice heavy towels. Nowthey could brag they had been swimming in Antarctica.Our next stop on Deception Island was Telefon Bay where theeruption of 1967 created a large crater. The passengers climbed tothe crater and viewed this large depression with steep sides and aflat central area, and waterfall on the far side. Kim led a group ofwalker/climbers up and around the crater while the remainderrelaxed and strolled to view a small crater nearby and then back tothe beach. At the beach a group of Weddell seals were sunbathingon the snow so passengers had another opportunity to take a fewphotographs. The number of photos being taken on this trip mustbe phenomenal as cameras seem to be in constant action. In the olddays one could here the clicking of cameras – now they are silent.Onto Whaler’s Bay to view the remains of the old whaling stationand the equipment used for rendering the blubber and storingthe whale oil. Here also are the remains of a British research stationabandoned after the 1967 volcanic eruption. LincolnEllsworth landed here on his historic flight from South America toLittle America in 1935.We left Deception in early evening headed for a landing on thecontinent.NOON POSITION: 62 56’ S 60Â40’ WSaturday, 11 December Early this morning we approached the continent of Antarctica. Itwas with palpable anticipation that the passengers were ready toland on what is known as the Seventh Continent. The Zodiacstook the Redcoats to Selvick Cove of the Antarctic Peninsula andpeople stepped onto a new continent. For many of them it wasindeed their 7th continent while others, especially the youngerpassengers, have a few continents yet to go. Group pictures weretaken and people mingled about on the rocky beach and on thesnow platform beneath the rocky cliff.Taking advantage of surrounding majestic mountains and theirice cover as plateau glaciers and outlet glaciers, Dick gave a brieftalk on glaciology; their classification from ice sheet to ice cap tovalley glacier and how they are formed and how they flow.From here the zodiacs took all to Cuverville Island where therewere several Gentoo penguin rookeries. The water here was veryclear so one could watch the penguins swimming underwater. Anumber of passengers went on a stimulating walk high up on therock for fantastic views of the mountains and glaciers that surroundthe area.With all aboard once again the Andrea sailed from Cuverville forNeumayer Channel, a spectacular waterway between Anvers andWiencke Island. Unable to penetrate the channel very far, the shipcame about with the intention of trying to reach the southernentrance of the Neumayer via the Gerlache Strait. Had we beenable to do this we would have visited Port Lockroy, a Heritage Siterun by the British. But unfortunately ice blocked the Andrea’s pathonce again and at 64 degrees 47 minutes south latitude, the mostsoutherly point reached on this trip, the Andrea headed north.Before long a pod of orcas’ were sighted headed south.In late afternoon the wedding of Jessica and David Wilborntook place ashore at Orne Harbor. A crowd gathered on a smallsnow covered slope, Dick gave the preamble and then CaptainPazanin conducted the service –pronouncing them man and wife.Then Praba and Jittu sang a traditional Sanskrit song of goodwishes for the bride and groom. Then the revelers were taken ona zodiac tour of the area and then back to the ship for a champagnecelebration.We remained at anchor all night in this beautiful area.NOON POSITION: 64Â41.0’S 62Â38.0’WSunday, 12 December Waking, the passengers could not believe their eyes, for onceagain blue sky and absolutely wonderful calm weather engulfedthem as if embraced by a loved one. Well, that seems to be a littletoo poetic but it indeed was a beautiful day.We arrived at Enterprise Island and a zodiac cruise was initiated.The island is located in Whilemina Bay where whalers wouldbring in the whales for processing. The wreck of the factory shipGuvernorn is there rusting away. The ship was destroyed in a fireon the 27th of January in 1915. Through a hole in the hull wecould see the explosive harpoons that were used to kill the whales.A bygone age. Although the Japanese are still doing some whaling.We cruised around the area and saw many Kelp Gulls and afew Weddell seals. One seal left his snowy perch, entered thewater, and swam past the zodiac creating a fantastic wake. Backto the ship and we sailed north to Ceirva Bay.Into the zodiacs again. This area is the sight of the Argentinestation Primavera which is presently unmanned. These stationscost a great deal to maintain and so it will most likely only be utilizedfor special research projects. The reason for our visit herewas to see leopard seals. Kim knows this Peninsula so well thatindeed we saw a wonderful leopard seal on an ice floe. We wereable to get quite close and get good pictures. As we were concentratingon the seal a Minke whale appeared and began to playwith us. The three zodiacs cut their engines and drifted about asthe whale came up between the boats and then dived under theboats. The passengers and the staff were thrilled with this performance.In the evening we made our last landing on Trinity Islandwhere there was a Argentine Refuge and many Gentoo penguins.This was a somewhat sad visit as the passengers knew this wastheir goodbye to Antarctica. It was a quiet evening with no windand on the ride back to the Andrea we could see golden clouds atthe horizon.The Andrea set sail on a heading of 330 degrees for Cape Horn.NOON POSITION: 64Â32.1’S 61Â51.2’WMonday, 13 December At sea in the Drake Passage. This cruise has been an extremelylucky with a southern crossing in relatively moderate seas andnow as we head north the seas seem to be behaving once again.Today the activities were confined to shipboard as the zodiacsare stowed away for the crossing. We have had eleven landingswhich is quite remarkable in such a short time.Today’s lectures were:Science in Antarctica II by NanetteNannette devised a research project to determine the amount ofsunlight that penetrates snow. She conducted this work nearScott Base on Ross Island, McMurdo Sound. Her results agreedfavorably with other researchers.Armageddon in Antarctica by GustavoIcebergs scrape the bottom of the sea destroying animal andplant life that have been living for hundreds of years. It will take along, long time for these biota to reestablish their communities.Global Warming by DickA series of examples of warming trends were presented includingcoral reef loss, drying up of Chinese rivers, increased rain andstorms on East coast of the U.S.AÂ., and finally how the ice coverof Kilimanjaro will be gone in about 15 years. An astute observationby one of the passengers noted that in the map shown amajority of the ice cover disappeared between 1910 and 1923,before real concern about the greenhouse effect.After each lecture there were numerous questions that led tomore questions and a lively ensued.Just before dinner we had the Andrea Quiz with groups of sixanswering 25 questions, doing a crossword puzzle, and composinga song. The creativity of the songs was amazing. The group withthe highest number of points won a bottle of champagne.Dinner was delightful as ever with conversation somewhatmore animated stemming from some of the controversial answersto quiz questions.NOON POSITION: 61Â08.0’S 63Â33.8’WTuesday, 14 December At sea. Last night the Andrea gave the passengers a taste of theDrake with pitching and rolling for a number of hours. But bybreakfast time the sea had moderated and remained that way forthe rest of the day. By late morning Cape Horn was sighted –South America was in sight.Today the lectures were:How to Cope with Antarctica by GustavoThis talk explained the mechanisms by which the various animalskeep from freezing.Long line fishing and the Albatross by KimThe ongoing slaughter of these birds is a terrible tragedy that iscaused by the birds taking the baitand being pulled under thewater and drowned. Efforts to develop methods to minimizethese deaths were discussed.The Uttermost Part of the Earth by DickTwo books that are about the Beagle Channel area were reviewed.Lucas Bridges was the son of a missionary to the Ushuaia area in1871 and in his book “Uttermost Part of the Earth” he describesthe life in Tierra del Fuego and the various the Indian tribes.Rockwell Kent’s book “Voyaging Southward from the Strait ofMagellan” describes his trip to this area in 1922 and his woodcutsare gorgeous.Rain began to fall as we approached the Beagle Channel. Thefirst bad weather of the trip. We hove to for part of the eveningas we waited for the pilot to take us into Ushuaia. The Captain’sFarewell Cocktail Party and Dinner was a splendid affair. At theend of the Cocktail Party Kim showed a series of photos withAfrican music in the background. The photos were made availablefor those contributing to the Save the Albatross effort andthis wonderful group of passengers all did so.The dinner was magnificent. It was a great finale to this adventure.NOON POSITION 55Â54.8’S 66Â43.3’WWednessday, 15 December The Andrea arrived at the dock in Ushuaia at 0700 hrs amid abright sunny day and the mountains about the harbor coveredwith powdered sugar. While rain was falling on the lower Beaglelast night snow was dusting the mountains.Disembarkation day is always a day of where did I put my luggage?What time does the bus leave for the airport? And can Iboard the ship again to look for my pen? But it always works outand the passengers leave for their many destinations with happymemories of a wonderful trip to Antarctica and a good feelingabout the Andrea and its crew.NOON POSITION 54Â48.5’S 68Â16.4’W Captain Stanovic, owner of m.s.Andrea, Nenad Bach, Marilyn Armbruster  For further information regarding our special luxury cruises call your travel agent or contact us at: Elegant Cruises & Tours, Inc. 24 Vanderventer Avenue Port Washington, NY 11050 Ph: 516-767-9302 1-800-683-6767 Fax: 516-767-9303 e-mail: info@elegantcruises.com   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 13 Feb 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8369/1/E-EUR-265-Million-For-Modernisation-Of-Dubrovnik-Port.html ÂEUR26.5 Million For Modernization Of Dubrovnik Port Feb. 02 2005 As more and more cruise passengers flock to Dubrovnik – one of the most popular attractions on the Adriatic Sea – a €26.5 million EBRD loan aims to help modernize Gruz Harbour to meet the growing demand. The loan is part of a plan by the Dubrovnik Port Authority to upgrade its facilities. Basic infrastructure will be modernized, including expansion of berth capacity to accommodate as many as three of the new generation of 300-metre cruise ships at one time. EBRD First Vice President Noreen Doyle, speaking at a signing ceremony in the city, said the project will allow Dubrovnik to burnish its already enviable position as one of the most popular destinations in the Mediterranean tourism market. The Bank’s investment in this public infrastructure will help create attractive business conditions for subsequent private-sector participation in the port’s development, Ms Doyle added. The second phase of the development will involve construction of all the facilities a modern passenger port should have, such as a passenger terminal, parking spaces for cars, leisure and entertainment facilities and a shopping centre. Vlaho Durkovic, Manager of the Dubrovnik Port Authority, said the berth-extension investment is a crucial stage in the development of Dubrovnik as one of the must-see attractions in the Mediterranean area. The EBRD support has also led to the mobilization of grants from the UK, US, Spanish, Dutch and Italian governments to pay for consultancy assistance for different stages in the development’s preparation. Dubrovnik is internationally known for its numerous monuments, and the historic Old town is classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. Because of its rich array of history, culture beauty, climate and location between Greece and Venice, Dubrovnik is recognized as an ideal cruise port. The development of the tourism industry is key for Croatia’s economic progress given the sector’s huge potential, and the authorities are confident they can make the country one of the leading tourism destinations in Europe. http://www.harolddoan.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=619  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 08 Feb 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8370/1/E-Croatia-airlines-adds-Brussels-Split-route.html ÂCroatia adds Brussels Split routeÂPosted on Monday, January 10, 2005 @ 2:20 PM CET by webmaster b737229 writes "Croatia Airlines will take delivery of an additional Airbus A320 in May 2005. The aircraft is ex-Skyservice (C-GJUQ). The airline will begin nonstop service from Split to Brussels on April 2nd. The weekly Saturday Airbus A319 flight will operate in codeshare with SN Brussels Airlines." http://www.luchtzak.be/article7222.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 14 Jan 2005 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8371/1/E-Visit-Rome--Croatia.html ÂVisit Rome & CroatiaVisit Rome, Assisi, Dubrovnik, Medjugorje, Hvar, Split, Plitivice, Gerovo, Karlovac and Zagreb and dinner with the sisters at St. Theresa's orphanage with Don and Mary Wolf from June 17 to July 1. Send me your e mail address or home address and I will send you details. Don Wolf Wolf1936@aol.com Â letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 15 Dec 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8372/1/E-Airport-Dubrovnik-expects-over-one-million-passengers.html ÂAirport Dubrovnik expects over one million passengers in 2005Dubrovnik Airport Sees 23% Increase in Passenger Traffic December 14, 2004 DUBROVNIK (Croatia), December 14 (SeeNews) - Dubrovnik airport officials said on Tuesday they expected passenger traffic to rise 23%, to 880,000 travelers, this year as more tourists flock to Croatia's Adriatic resort.Higher interest in Dubrovnik as a destination, coupled with improved infrastructure and more flights by low-cost and other carriers, led the increase, the airport's deputy chief executive officer Frano Luetic told SeeNews. Airport Dubrovnik expects the trend to continue next year, when passenger numbers should exceed one million.Passenger numbers through the first eleven months of the year totaled 863,507, up 23% on the year. Of those, 703,671 flew internationally. The number of takeoffs and landings rose by 20% on the year for the January-November period, to 11,969.Domestic carriers Croatia Airlines and Air Adriatic led the pack. The leading international carrier serving the airport was French Air Mediterranee, followed by British Airways, Austrian Airlines and Belgian Thomas Cook Airlines. The most popular destinations were Paris, London, Dublin, Brussels and Frankfurt.www.see-news.com Copyright © 2004 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=616&topicId=12552&docId=l:245897285&start=18  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 14 Dec 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8374/1/E-Croatian-Comeback-National-Georgraphic-Adventure.html ÂCroatian ComebackÂNational Geographic Adventure Magazine==========================Croatian National Tourist Office350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4003New York, NY 10118Tel: 800-829-4416; 212-279-8672Fax: 212-279-8683www.croatia.hr  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 11 Dec 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8373/1/E-Croatia-on-the-cover-of-National-Georgraphic-Adventure.html ÂCroatia on the cover of National Geographic AdventureÂÂPostovani gosp. Bach, Za vasu informaciju, Hrvatska Turisticka Zajednica u New Yorku uspjela je na naslovnicu najnovijeg izdanja NG Adventure Magazina uvrstiti Hrvatsku, slapove Une.Srdacan pozdrav, Danijela PavelicTravel Consultant==========================Croatian National Tourist Office350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4003New York, NY 10118Tel: 800-829-4416; 212-279-8672Fax: 212-279-8683www.croatia.hr  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 11 Dec 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8375/1/E-Bloomberg-Plugs-Croatia.html ÂMayor Bloomberg: "Croatia is such a beautiful country and the hospitality is something that I will never forget,"ÂNew York Mayor Mike Bloomberg was in Croatia yesterday lobbying Olympic officials for New York to be chosen as host for the 2012 Olympic and Paraolympic Games. In the article below from the NY Daily News (which has the largest circulation of any newspaper in New York), Bloomberg made a nice plug for Croatia as well. I also note that the local TV newsprograms in New York had stories concerning his trip to Dubrovnik.John Peter Kraljic, Esq.************************************New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.comMike sells Apple as Olympic home turf BY MICHAEL SAULDAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU Saturday, December 4th, 2004 If New york City gets the 2012 Olympic Games, every nation would have the home-field advantage in the city's melting pot, Mayor Bloomberg said in Croatia yesterday. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor Dan Doctoroff and Olympian Donna de Varona traveled across the Atlantic to address the General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees at the Excelsior Hotel in Dubrovnik. "There were 201 countries that competed in the Athens Olympics and we have children from 198 of them in our public school system," Bloomberg said yesterday. "No matter what the sport is and no matter what countries are participating, we'll be able to fill the stands with New Yorkers who come from that country," Bloomberg said. "It would be the most exciting thing anybody has ever seen in sports." New York is competing for the Olympics against Paris, Madrid, London and Moscow, and all five of the bid cities participated in the conference. In the hallways of the hotel, Bloomberg bumped into the mayors of Paris and Madrid, warmly wishing both of them good luck in the high-stakes global competition. Bloomberg, who had never been to Croatia before, also met with Croatian President Stjepan Mesic and Dubrovnik Mayor Dubravka Suica. "This is such a beautiful country and the hospitality is something that I will never forget," Bloomberg said. Meanwhile yesterday, the city's bid committee launched its international outreach campaign with its first major mailing to each of the 117 members of the International Olympic Committee. The bid committee sent them a supersized brochure, measuring 38-by-26 inches and weighing 3 pounds, that contains enormous photographs of New York scenes and Olympic performances. The International Olympic Committee will select the host city in July.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 09 Dec 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8376/1/E-New-York-Mayor-Michael-R-Bloomberg-in-Croatia.html ÂMayor of Dubrovnik receives Mayor of New YorkNew York mayor Michael R. Bloomberg talks to reporters in Dubrovnik, Croatia, Friday, Dec. 3, 2004, as Dubrovnik mayor Dubravka Suica stands next to him. Bloomberg arrived in Dubrovnik to present New York City's bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to the General Assembly of the European National Olympic Committees (EOC). (AP Photo/Darko Bandic) ÂThe mayor of Dubrovnik Dubravka Suica received Friday at the City Hallthe mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg. Mayor Suica discussed with NewYork's mayor Bloomberg the situations in the Dubrovnik area, especiallythe events of 1991 when Dubrovnik endured the largest destruction by theSerbian-Montenegrin aggression, as well as its rebuilding. The New York mayor, expressing his great satisfaction regarding his visitto Dubrovnik, also stated his belief that the next years will see a largeincrease of American tourists visiting Dubrovnik and Croatia. After the meeting, the New York mayor also visited the memorial house"Ron Brown" in memory of the tragic death, in a plane crash nearDubrovnik, of the entire U.S. trade delegation led by the then Secretaryof Commerce Ron Brown.Mayor Suica presented the guest a copy of the charter in which theDubrovnik Republic recognizes in 1783 the newly independent UnitedStates of America.HINA - translation by Hilda Foley letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 07 Dec 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8377/1/E-Beauty-abounds-in-Zadar-Croatia---Help-Promote-Vote.html ÂBeauty abounds in Zadar, CroatiaHelp support promotion of Croatia worldwide. ÂDear Al,ÂI read the article and I support Alan Nemaric. If you feel the same please do so. Articles like this helps all of us to present our culture and heritage the way is SHOULD be presented in the first please. Article is number 2. Feel free to read all of the articles and decide on your own. I vote for Zadar.ÂNenad BachÂDear Nenad,FYI, I am an active writer. I have submitted an article meriting Zadar's tourism attractions. I'm competing against 5 other writers. Can I request that you ask your readers to vote for ENTRY #2 and to read my article? If it wins it will be printed nation wide in the Sun chain of newspapers, large circulation (millions)! I also win a 2 day trip in Canada (honestly, this really is not the reason I submitted the article). Help support promotion of Croatia worldwide.http://travel.canoe.ca/Travel/Contest/MyTravels/2004/11/13/715868.html Sincerely,-Alan NemaricP.S. Nenad, you're doing a great job.Beauty abounds in Zadar, CroatiaBy ALAN NEMARIC -- Special to Canoe TravelAlfred Hitchcock once said that Zadar, Croatia had the most beautiful sunsets in the world. After my most recent visit I would have to agree, but at the same time state that the sunset is just one of many reasons to visit this 3000 year old historic Dalmatian city. If you're not into swimming and sunbathing on Zadar's 5-star public or clothing optional beaches, there's always the nightlife, the restaurants and mountain climbing. But if you're more of an armchair quarterback and would rather have a cocktail and watch the beautiful people walk by... I can direct you to the best spot in the world...to front row centre! In picturesque downtown Zadar, near the main square, lies a tiny pub called "Bar Toni". "Toni" as the locals call it, sits on one of the old city's many narrow Roman and Baroque cobblestone pathways. What's so special about this place? Because this bar is so close to the Central Square and main shopping area (Benetton, Armani, Diesel, Mango, Image Haddad, Bata, etc.) most residents and visitors to this Adriatic city must walk by Bar Toni. There is no avoiding it!Like many European cities, it is customary for locals in Zadar, when visiting the old city, to look their best. If you're fortunate enough to get one of Toni's 6 outdoor seats, don't expect to be served quickly. Slow an easy is the working pace in Zadar. Once you have ordered your cappuccino or "pelinkovac and tonic" (local favourite), just sit back, put your sunglasses on, light up a Marlboro Light (yes, smoking is still legal in Europe) and wait for the show to commence. You won't believe your eyes. In a matter of minutes you will be overwhelmed with visions of absolute physical beauty. The local women and men are naturally tall, tanned, attractive and most importantly "stylish". You'll feel like you're sitting next to Madonna, watching an actual runway model show in Milano! Blondes, Brunnettes, Red Heads...there's an abundance of all on them. Croatians, Italians, Germans, Dutch, Hungarian.....all dressed to impress. It's common for people to sit at "Toni's" for hours a day, nursing their drink and hoping for a particular "man or woman" of their dreams to walk by at least one more time. It's the place where men of all ages muster up enough courage to finally say "hello" to the pretty, yet mysterious, woman who always manages to throw them a glance or smile. Toni's is the place where young hearts come alive and where old hearts reminisce. Toni's is the place where people are young, no matter how old they are. It's hard to believe that after all these years, this little Bar on Miha Klaif Street still packs the customers in, not for the quality of food, not for the drinks and certainly not for the service. People still come here to sit and watch the beautiful people and if they're lucky, one of those beautiful people will be buying them their next drink! Bar Toni is open Monday's to Sunday's, 7am to 2am!  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 17 Nov 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8378/1/E-Croatia-Sees-Bumper-Tourist-Year.html ÂCroatia Sees Bumper Tourist Year World Markets Analysis November 04, 2004 Valerie Mason Croatian Tourism Minister Bozidar Kalmeta said yesterday that the country had received 8.3m tourists in the first nine months of 2004, a 5% year-on-year increase and the most since it declared independence in 1991. The year-end tourist figure is expected to be over 9m. 'Croatia has stabilised and earned the image of a safe and organised tourist destination,' Kalmeta told parliament, according to French news agency AFP. Significance: Although this is a post-2001 record, the increase in tourism is now levelling off slightly. However, it has re-established itself as a significant part of the Croatian economy. The increase in overnight stays was up only 2% year-on-year, suggesting a possible increase in short breaks or visits from neighbouring countries. Copyright 2004 World Markets Research Limitedhttp://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=616&topicId=12552&docId=l:238513630&start=16  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 05 Nov 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8379/1/E-Korcula-on-Front-Page-of-National-Georgraphic.html ÂA photo of Korcula on the National Geographic Traveler Magazine front coverThe October 2004 issue of National Geographic Traveler Magazine features a photo of Korcula on its front cover. The photo is published in connection with the cover story entitled "The New Grand Tour."John Kraljic, Esq.http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/ letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 06 Oct 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8381/1/E-Croatian-lighthouse-Sv-Ivan-na-Pucini-Beacon-of-light.html ÂBeacon of lightÂBy Eugene BrcicThe Associated PressPosted on Sun, Sep. 12, 2004 SVETI IVAN NA PUCINI, Croatia - A picture-perfect lighthouse in the Adriatic Sea stands out like a weathered relic above the cobalt-and-crimson horizon.Built in 1853 as a beacon for 19th-century mariners, this Croatian lighthouse and others like it are now being used as 21st-century retreats. For a couple of days or a week of splendid isolation, tourists can escape the hectic pace of modern life with a Robinson Crusoe adventure in one of 11 lighthouses up for rent this season.The lighthouses -- some close to 200 years old but all still working -- are the twinkling jewels on a bracelet of islands strung out along Croatia's crystal-clear Adriatic coastline.After island-hopping for four days, Sveti Ivan Na Pucini -- St. John of the High Seas -- was my pick for a brief overnight escape.It was barely the size of a regulation baseball field, taking me only a few minutes to circumnavigate its rocky perimeters, though barefooted thrill-seekers should calculate the extra time needed to negotiate some of the razor-sharp ridges.I had planned to do lofty and constructive things during my stay. I couldn't wait to abandon the rat-race of the office, to unwind and recharge my batteries, perhaps even to contemplate the finer elements of life, such as nature and humanity.But the novelty of solitude began wearing off soon after I disembarked from the dinghy that was my lifeline to civilization.Tick, tick, tick. There's no doubt about it, even the seconds and minutes are on holidays out here. I was a stranded whale, waiting helplessly for Greenpeace to haul me back home.The lighthouse keeper, Zoran Marovic, was just that, "keeping" mostly to himself and to Tara, a crossbreed terrier. He made his presence known mostly through his croaky voice, as he radioed in a carefully examined synopsis of meteorological data that included water temperatures, wind velocity, shape and makeup of clouds.Legend has it that St. John, the southernmost isle on an archipelago of 13, owes its name to a Venetian duke. The duke beseeched the saint to spare his life and those of his shipmates after sailing into troubled waters on a voyage to the nearby town of Rovinj.Reaching the shore safely, the unknown duke neglected his vow to light a candle in tribute to St. John in a chapel on the mainland. A wrathful tempest sunk his vessel upon return to the gates of Venice, killing all on board.A good bedtime story. But it wasn't even noon, and I was already yawning.In desperation, I turned to yoga. No experience, but how difficult can it be to do some deep breathing, stretching and meditation?The setting was right. Nothing but blue skies, blue seas and blue -- ouch -- bruises. Untrained and inflexible, I gave up on trying to twist my limbs into new shapes. Besides, I already was in a state of bliss; this was after all a deserted island, with just me, Friday and his scruffy dog.Then, a flash of nirvana. How about just relaxing, kicking my feet up and doing nothing -- zip, zilch, nada?Words cannot do justice to the feeling of a gentle breeze caressing your cheeks, bringing with it fresh juniper- and salt-scented air as you gaze into pristine waters, while sun and clouds conspire to create turquoise, emerald or quicksilver reflections.Then there is the breathtaking closeness of the universe at twilight; the luminescence of the moon or the brilliance of the stars, and the taste of Zoran's grilled block-tailed sea bream, lathered in olive oil, with a sprinkling of garlic and parsley, washed down with a glass too many of robust red wine.Once I reached the right mood of contemplation, the minutes and hours flew by. My respite from reality was over much too soon, and bliss was replaced by pangs of regret as the same weathered dinghy that brought me here slowly began carrying me away.http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/living/9645483.htm  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 12 Sep 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8382/1/E-Croatia.html ÂCroatia "Heaven on Earth"Much has been said about the beauty of Croatia. "Heaven on Earth" has been described in many books by artists, in paintings and countless photographs. "God wanted to crown his creation, so on the last day he created the Croatian Adriatic from his tears, the stars and sea breeze", wrote an author long ago about the splendor of this most beautiful and preserved ecological corner of the modern world. Long beaches, rocky mountains within reach of the sea, fervent summers, untouched nature and unique city monuments have turned the vacations of many travelers into an exceptionally beautiful dream. It is often said that most travelers by chance stumble across the Adriatic. Every other visit discovers more of the diversity, blessedness and hospitality of this land. It would seem that we are not objective to those who have not visited this jewel of the Mediterranean. The only way to prove our objectivity is through ones own experience of the sea with its thousands islands. Croatia covers an area of 56538 km2, and its territorial waters cover 31900 km2. The coastline including the islands is 5740 km long. According to the latest census, Croatia has a population of 4.8 million. More than 78% are ethnic Croats and Roman Catholicism is the prevalent religion (76.5 % of all inhabitants are Roman Catholics). The official language is Croatian, written in the Roman script. In the northern regions, the way of life is typically Central European, Whereas the South is Mediterranean. Although there was an independent Croatian principality and Kingdom from the 9th to the 12th century, today's Croatia is one of the newest states in Europe. It adopted its constitution on 22nd December 1990, and was recognized internationally on 15th January 1992. The international recognition of its sovereignty and its acceptance into the membership of the UN in 1992 marked the end of a crucial period in the establishment of Croatia as a new state in the European and world community. After the collapse of the communist regime in the democratic elections in the spring of 1990, Croatia became a parliamentary democracy, with a political system based on human rights, the rule of law, minority rights, private property, private enterprise and a free market economy, social justice and political freedom. its legal system conforms to modern European standards.Croatia is rich in natural resources, and is determined to build its future on services and high technology. Its priority is the utilization of its maritime potential: above all, tourism, shipping and ship building.The capital of Croatia is Zagreb, a city of one million inhabitants, the hub of Croatian culture, education and trade. The cities of Split, Zadar, Osijek and Rijeka also have universities. The unit of Currency is kuna (KN).source: Vela Luka website letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 09 Sep 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8380/1/E-Seven-million-tourists-visited-Croatia-from-Jan---August.html ÂCroatian tourism numbers up 4%ZAGREB - Visitor numbers to Croatia grew 4% in the first eight months of the year as the former Yugoslav republic continued to rebuild its tourism industry from the ashes of the Balkan wars in the 1990s. The Tourism Board said more than seven million tourists visited the country from January to August, 4% more than in the same period in 2003. Most of the visitors were Germans, Italians, Slovenians and Czechs, it added.During the same period there were 40.4 million overnight stays, a rise of 1% over the same time last year. Croatia is hoping tourism revenues this year will rise 7% to $8.5 billion. Croatia's economy was hard-hit by the 1991-95 war of independence from the former Yugoslavia. Tourism, a vital revenue earner for Croatia, has recently recovered to pre-war levels. AFP http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,1700408-6078-0,00.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 09 Sep 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8384/1/E-Tom-Cruise-delights-Croatians-in-Dubrovnik.html ÂTom delights CroatiansÂFrom correspondents in Dubrovnik, Croatia07sep04SOME visitors to the ancient Croatian city of Dubrovnik this week brought back an unexpected souvenir: a photo with Tom Cruise, who came for a brief visit after promoting a new movie at the Venice Film Festival.Cruise told reporters he was "fascinated" with Dubrovnik, a picturesque southern coastal city, whose ancient walls, fortresses and churches have attracted tourists for decades. "I'll certainly be back," he was quoted by saying by Tuesday daily newspapers.He toured the city and the nearby wooded island of Mljet, almost unnoticed. When reporters spotted him, sitting by the monument of Dubrovnik's famous poet, Ivan Gundulic, he briefly spoke to them, signed autographs and posed for a few photos He agreed to be photographed with a couple of tourists, then slipped away. Several Croatian newspapers published a photo of Cruise with two female tourists, reportedly from the United States. Cruise, who was accompanied by his mother, came two days after promoting his new movie, Collateral, at the film festival in neighbouring Italy. He left Croatia earlier today. http://www.themercury.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,10701172%255E10431,00.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 08 Sep 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8383/1/E-Tourist-Tom-Cruise-thrills-with-Croatian-surprise.html ÂTourist Tom thrills with Croatian surpriseÂ08/09/2004 - 10:52:13Tom Cruise thrilled fans in Dubrovnik, Croatia, over the Labor Day weekend by spending time site-seeing in the ancient city.The movie star took some rare time off after cancelling plans to premiere his new movie Collateral in Moscow, Russia, out of sensitivity to last week's hostage crisis in Beslan, which left hundreds dead.And he used his downtime to visit one of his favourite cities.When he was spotted by a local journalist and asked about his reasons for being in Dubrovnik, Cruise said he found the city "fascinating" and insisted: "I'll certainly be back." Cruise was accompanied by his mother and took the opportunity to visit Croatia two days after promoting Collateral at the Venice film festival.http://breakingnews.iol.ie/entertainment/story.asp?j=116883948&p=yy6884654  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 08 Sep 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8386/1/E-Where-the-villa-living-is-easy.html ÂWhere the villa living is easyThe newly built Casteletto Parenzana was finished only in June but has already proved popular with British guests ÂAugust 14, 2004 The TimesAnnabelle Thorpe finds quality self-catering properties all the rage on Croatia’s Istrian peninsulaIT’S said of Istria, the peninsula that hangs from Croatia’s northernmost tip, that in every home there is a drawer containing seven flags. The story goes that each time a different army invaded, residents would simply hang out the appropriate flag. Not surprising in a region that has changed hands more times than a used Mercedes; from the Germans to the Venetians to the Austrians to the French, to the Austrians again, on to the Italians then finally into Tito’s Yugoslavia. It wrenched itself free of the lot of them, and was reborn as part of the newly formed Croatia in 1991. Istria was desirable because of its ports — Porec, Pula and Rovinj — but inland it was usually dismissed as a rump of land with not much to offer. We Brits have re-embraced parts of Croatia — the Dalmatian coast and Dubrovnik, and the islands of Brac and Hvar — but Istria isn’t seeing the same surge in visitor numbers. The Germans charged back in, and coastal resorts such as Porec and Rovinj are dominated by German tourism, but more savvy visitors, mostly British, are discovering that inland Istria combines a landscape of lush green hills and honey-coloured hilltop towns reminiscent of Umbria, and with the kind of tranquillity you’d only find in Tuscany on a rainy day in February. Villas, dilapidated cottages, crumbling farmhouses; all are changing hands, as British buyers compete with returning Croatians to own their own piece of the Istrian idyll. The Croatian diaspora — some 4.5 million, the same number as the country’s indigenous population — stretches as far as Canada and Australia, and many Istrians are now returning to set up businesses in the tourism sector. “It is wonderful to be home,” says Dorina Vlakancic, who has returned with her husband after 15 years in the UK. Their newly built villa, Casteletto Parenzana, was only finished in June and they have already had their first guests. “There is nowhere else in Europe so peaceful,” says Dorina. “At night we just sit out and watch the stars; although we have been back from England for some time, we still can’t believe the night skies.” Evenings at Parenzana are glorious; the heat of the day fades, the sun slips slowly behind khaki hills and the sky floods fuschia pink. Istrian earth is lush and fertile, and fields of crops stretch between clusters of toffee-coloured cottages. Silent hamlets freckle the countryside; some have only one or two inhabitants, elderly now, sons and lovers long gone, some to the war, some to work on the busy coastal strip. Families who remain make a living from the earth; across the road from Parenzana, a man ploughed his fields while his wife and mother leant together on a battered pitchfork, silently watching the earth turn beneath the fading sun. The verdant hills that roll through Istria are scattered with towns; Venetian Motovun, Groznjan with its artists’ community, Oprtalj with its 17th-century loggia and tiny medieval streets winding up to the peak. The villages may play host to tourist coaches by day, but nothing on the scale of Provence or Tuscany; by late afternoon they have settled back into a peaceful languor, with only the odd quiet bar, serving menestra (an Istrian take on minestrone soup) and cevapcici (meatballs) to locals and a few stray tourists. “Istria is an oasis — rural and unspoilt,” Dino Omrcen told me, as he drove me around the countryside, “and this is rare in the Med now, so people want to buy. These are very exciting times for us, people are making good money, and life is coming back to villages that were dying away.” Dino’s company rents villas, but also helps foreign investors buy, design and restore their properties. “Last year I had ten villas with pools, this year 30, next year we think it will be 60. But this is soft tourism, the numbers are still small. Mass tourism will stay on the coast.” “Soft tourism” is a suitably gentle term for the development taking place in Istria; a wine route has sprung up, truffle-hunting trips are on offer, and most hilltop towns hold festivals in the summer, but all are low-key initiatives; the main attraction is the beauty and simplicity of the region. “We had no idea it would be so gorgeous,” Jane Shirley told me, who was staying in a villa called Captain Morgan’s with her husband, Paul, and four children. “We’ve been to Porec, but it was like any other beach resort. Up here it’s unique; so quiet and everyone in the village so friendly. We chose Istria because it was that bit cheaper than Spain or Italy, but the villa is more luxurious than anything we’ve rented before.” The properties in Istria are a good metaphor for the region; spacious, beautiful, individual, of a far higher standard than you might expect. Istria as a whole is a surprise; “Where are all the battered Fiats?” asked my copilot Ali, as we drove past gleaming BMWs and four-wheel drives. Everywhere felt upbeat, a well-to-do country absorbing tourism into everyday life. There are things Istria doesn’t have: there are few beaches for example. And it’s hard to get the sense of a particular culture. What it does have is tranquillity and an overwhelming sense of contentment. This is a region, and a country, finally at peace. THERE is a handful of individual hotels on the peninsula if self-catering doesn’t appeal. The Villa Angelo D’Oro is in the heart of Venetian Rovinj; a beautiful converted mansion tucked away in one of the pedestrianised streets.This is Rovinj’s best hotel, but what makes it extra special is the walled garden, full of fig trees and geraniums, perfect for the excellent buffet breakfast, or a lazy afternoon with a book. Agroturismo is flourishing in Istria, and the number of small pensions is increasing. One of the best is the Pension Stancija Negricani, a two-storey stone farmhouse dotted with antiques, which has landscaped grounds filled with bougainvillea and geraniums. Traditional Croatian food is available, made from local organic produce. http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,10209-1213972,00.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 03 Sep 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8385/1/E-I-would-like-to-ask-you-all-for-your-best-travel-advice.html ÂI would like to ask you all for your best travel adviceDear Crown Friends, ÂMy husband and I want to make a vacation to Croatia in 2005. We would like to start off in Zagreb and make a road trip all the way down to Dubrovnik stopping all along the way. I would like to ask you all for your best travel advice. In 2003 I asked for your travel advice and everyone gave us such great tips. We visited Hvar and Dubrovnik and had the most amazing time!We will probably make our trip in July. Can you suggest places to stop and see along the way from Zagreb to Dubrovnik? What about places to stay and restaurants to visit? Is it possible to rent an apartment for less than a weeks time during the peak summer months? I am guessing that we will have just about 19 days for this trip.I really enjoyed reading all your emails last time. Hope to hear from you all again soon!Please send emails to patandnan@prodigy.net ÂThank you very much!Nancy De Waard from Los Angeles, California letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 02 Sep 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8387/1/E-An-Old-Pearl-Gets-A-New-Shine.html ÂAn Old Pearl GetsÂDUBROVNIK {the riviera, circa 1960} A New Shine Croatia's jewel on the Adriatic is becoming Europe's trendiest tourist destination. Turning back the clock on St. Tropezby ANDREW PURVISPosted 12:34BST, Sunday, August 22, 2004 | Print | Subscribe The first view most of the world had of Dubrovnik was of its red-tiled roofs disappearing behind clouds of black smoke during shelling by Serb and Montenegrin artillery in the fall of 1991. The threat to this walled medieval city on the Dalmatian coast, with its Renaissance palaces, Titian masterpieces and lemon-scented cloisters, brought home the pointlessness and savagery of the Balkan wars. Carla del Ponte, chief prosecutor at the International War Crimes Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, recalls being horrified by the attack. "I could not believe," she says, "that someone — anyone — could have fired a single shot or shell or mortar anywhere in its vicinity."If she went back now, Del Ponte might have a hard time believing anybody did shoot. Not only has the Croatian city survived the bombardment, it has been repaired so meticulously that the only visual reminder of those terrible months is a patchwork of bright orange tiles where faded roofing splintered by the shelling has been replaced. Residents have repainted their homes, filled the bullet holes in their walls, and paved over craters in the streets. Walk down the Stradun, Dubrovnik's polished-limestone pedestrian thoroughfare, lined with open-air cafés and designer shops, and you wouldn't know that it was only a few years ago covered by the fog of war. "We have arisen from the ashes," says Maja Milovcic of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board.That's great news for tourists as well as locals. In the prewar years, Dubrovnik was known to the European cognoscenti as a low-cost alternative to the ritzy Riviera. Now, its charms are fast becoming an open secret. Flights arrive almost daily from Madrid, Paris, Rome and Vienna, together with budget services from Bratislava, London Gatwick and Dublin. In all, more than 320,000 foreigners holidayed in Dubrovnik (pop. 37,000) last year, up from 250,000 in 2002. "Dubrovnik is a jewel," says Ed Serotta, a Viennese historian and frequent visitor. He recommends a stroll on the 2-km medieval wall encircling the city: on one side is a bird's eye view of white stone architectural treasures and on the other a panorama of unspoiled coastline and open sea. "It will make your jaw drop," Serotta says.Dubrovnik has had that effect on visitors for more than a millennium. Byzantine Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus wrote of "the city ... on the cliffs" to his son in the 10th century. The poet Lord Byron called it "the Pearl of the Adriatic" in the early 19th century. In the early 1930s, the British King Edward and Wallis Simpson sunbathed naked on a nearby island. (The current crop of celebrities drawn to the city include Steven Spielberg, Sharon Stone and John Malkovich.) Whether or not you're famous, Dubrovnik promises fine swimming in sheltered coves, sweet shellfish and the quiet pleasures of nearby islands. On Lopud and Sipan, picnickers stroll side by side with amateur archaeologists looking for Greek and Roman ruins. On Lokrum, the pine-covered outcropping that faces the old town, peacocks strut among the ruins of an abandoned monastery and bathers lounge in rock pools warmed by the Mediterranean sun. But perhaps the best moments are at the end of the day, as the sun sets behind the roofs of the old town, and an evening meal of fresh fish and white wine beckons. Let the glitterati have their St. Tropez. Dubrovnik does quite nicely, indeed.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 30 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8388/1/E-Celebrity-sets-sail-for-enchanted-ports-of-call.html ÂArnold, Celebrity Tempt the Imagination August 25, 2004 By David Gianatasio A TV spot, "The Lights," broke last week during NBC's Summer Olympics coverage, showing residents of the port town of Dubrovnik, Croatia, heading to the edge of the sea as lights approach from a Celebrity ship.Celebrity sets sail for enchanted ports of call. BOSTON Havas' Arnold has unveiled an effort touting Celebrity Cruises partnership with Cirque du Soleil. The avant-garde circus troop will stage performances on select Celebrity ships, which are portrayed as "Soon departing for the unimaginable" in print and TV efforts from the Boston-based shop.The first of three print ads launches in the Aug. 30 issue of The New Yorker. The execution shows a trapeze hanging above an otherwise empty ocean, with reddish light blazing on a distant shore. "Sailings are limited. Possibilities, quite the opposite," the text says. Print will also run in Conde Nast Traveler, Gourmet, Travel & Leisure and elsewhere.A TV spot, "The Lights," broke last week during NBC's Summer Olympics coverage, showing residents of the port town of Dubrovnik,Croatia, heading to the edge of the sea as lights approach from a Celebrity ship.The campaign continues the two-year-old tagline, "A true departure.""The innovative approach taken by Cirque du Soleil to break the conventions of entertainment immediately made us recognize their ability to take the cruise experience to a whole new level," said Steven Hancock, evp of marketing at the Miami-based client. Celebrity spent nearly $20 million on ads last year and $15 million during the first six months of 2004, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus.http://www.adweek.com/aw/regional/new_england/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000618140 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 25 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8389/1/E-Croatia-is-Hot-Stuff-on-Med-Cruises-This-Summer.html ÂCroatia is Hot Stuff on Med Cruises This SummerDestinations: Dubrovnik Activities: Beach, Cruise Author: Heidi SarnaMay 27, 2004 -- Who doesn't grow giddy at the thought of a trip to Europe? History, culture, fashion, food -- all these things keep us coming back year after year. Love affair aside, who wouldn't appreciate a new twist thrown into the standard Italy and Greece cruise mix. Just how many times do you want to take the three-hour bus ride to Florence from the port of Livorno? Can you really face the crowds at Lindos (the impressive ruins of an Acropolis in Rhodes) one more time? Maybe you're just plain itching to one-up your know-it-all neighbor with tales of the hottest new European destination since the wall came down...Well, hot, it certainly is, but new? Hardly. Croatia is as old as the hills. It's just that it was off limits for most of the 90s due to the Balkans war (pre-1991, Croatia was part of Yugoslavia). The fighting ended a few years ago, and it's safe to say that the Dalmatian Coast is now firmly back on the tourist map. It's hopping like it was for years before the war, drawing Europeans who appreciate its beauty, beaches, history, culture and affordability."I've haven't been as excited about a destination in 20 years," says David Vass, Director of Land Programs & Hotel Development for Seadream Yacht Club. He should know, during his career Vass has traveled to more than 170 countries to check out potential ports of call, combing countless towns, villages and cities for interesting things to see and do.A place like Croatia makes that job easy. Roman ruins and medieval villages are as common here as heather in the Lake District. The country's long rugged island-dotted coastline covers practically the entire eastern seaboard of the Adriatic, and there's no shortage of ancient towns encircled by picturesque crumbling walls. Vineyards, olive groves and beaches complete a montage of landscapes right out of central casting.Itineraries may include calls on Korcula, the birthplace of Marco Polo; Pula, known for its Roman amphitheater; Losinj, for its long 18-mile beach; Rovinj, a medieval fishing village; Hvar, supremely picturesque with its vineyards and rolling hills; and Dubrovnik, the ancient walled city that sits high above a beautiful harbor. An ideal cruising destination, there's no doubt.Not the least of Croatia's appealing virtues is its affordability. Among the best bargains in Europe, the dollar and Euro still go a long way here. Unlike most of the continent, Croatia isn't yet part of the European Union. That means, Vass points out, that shore excursions can be dramatically cheaper than in other European ports, like Italy.With all it has going for it, it's no surprise that nearly every line worth its weight in bingo chips and Baked Alaska is including calls to Croatia this summer on Mediterranean itineraries, often embarking from and/or ending up in Venice. Not a bad deal.Small-ship lines focus itineraries on typically four to five Croatian ports, and are the best way to skirt the crowds and slip into harbors and small villages. They'll show you more of Croatia than the megas could ever hope to. The best include SeaDream Yacht Club (www.seadreamyachtclub.com), whose 110-passenger ultra-luxe yachts are heaven on earth with free-flowing champagne and fun diversions like ski jets and mountain bikes (carried aboard and complimentary). Star Clippers' (www.starclippers.com) 227-passenger Royal Clipper is a lovely fully-rigged square-sail clipper, while Windstar's (www.windstarcruises.com) fleet includes the 308-passenger five-masted Wind Surf, a modern-style yacht with electronically operated sails. Slightly larger, ultra-luxe lines hitting Croatia this summer include all-inclusive Silversea (www.silverseacruises.com) and Seabourn (www.seabourn.com), plus Radisson (www.rssc.com) and Crystal (www.crystal.com), who offer a similarly elegant onboard vibe on their somewhat larger ships. The biggest, mostly 2,000-plus mega-ship lines visiting the Croatian coast this year -- typically just Dubrovnik -- include Royal Caribbean (www.royalcaribbean.com), Celebrity (www.celebritycruises.com), Holland America (www.hollandamerica.com), Princess (www.princesscruises.com), and Cunard (www.cunard.com).Have you cruise into Croatia? We would love to read your Trip Report. Just click over to our Croatia Message Boards and tell us all about it.http://www.frommers.com/activities/cruise/article.cfm?articleid=2008&destid=CRUISE  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 22 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8390/1/E-A-Croatian-boy-is-silhouetted-as-he-jumps-in-the-sea-in-Split-Croatia.html ÂA Croatian boy is silhouetted as he jumps in the sea in Split, Croatia, August 13, 2004. The Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea is a popular holiday destination for European tourists. REUTERS/Matko Biljak  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 13 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8394/1/E-Fine-Living-Your-Private-Island---Hvar.html ÂYour Private Island Hvar on TVÂFor those that have Fine Living on their cable boxes or satellite dishes,you might want to tune into the show "Your Private Island" which has anepisode featuring the island of Hvar. All information, including air timesis below.http://www.fineliving.com/fine/your_private_island/episode/0,1663,FINE_1637_33825,00.htmlYour Private IslandEpisode FLYPI-407AIR TIMES:• August 08, 2004 9:00 AM EST• August 09, 2004 3:30 PM EST• August 12, 2004 8:00 PM EST• August 12, 2004 11:00 PM EST• August 13, 2004 3:30 PM ESTIsland of Hvar, Croatia (407)Explore a seaside hideaway, Villa Floriana, on a Croatian island in theAdriatic Sea called Hvar. On the journey in, visit the port town of Split onCroatia's Dalmatian Coast, a cobblestone historical jewel protected byUNESCO.A short ferry ride away is Hvar, where you can swim in the villa's privatebay, hike the endless and surprising trails and chase the island's wildsheep, known as mouflon. All the while, immerse yourself in rich andcolorful history and drink in the breathtaking landscapesHvar, CroatiaYour Private Island : Episode FLYPI-407 -- More Projects »* Croatia is surprisingly close to Italy. Start your trip by spending a fewdays in Rome.* Flights leave regularly from Rome to Split. You'll get there in just twohours.* Hvar is 42 miles long and six miles at its widest point.* There are several hotels on the island. Villa Floriana provides the mostprivacy and the five-bedroom property comes with staff, boat and Jeep.* There are more than 300 wild mouflons on the property - the small, wildEuropean sheep native to Sardinia and Corsica.* The Hvar Cathedral was built in the 15th century.* The fortress was built in the 16th century and admission is only a fewdollars per person.* Hvar receives 2,724 hours of sunshine a year, more than any other place inthe country.ResourcesVladi Private Islands (booking for Villa Floriana)902-423-3202 (Canadian office)www.vladi-private-islands.deThe villa is on 1,500 wooded acres and rented in its entirety for about$11,000-$18,000 per week, depending on the season.Croatian National Tourist Board800-829-4416www.croatia.hrAlitalia, Italian airline800-223-5730www.alitaliausa.comCroatia Airlineswww.croatiaairlines.hrJadrolinija, ferry rides from Split to Hvarwww.jadrolinija.hrpassdept_e@jadrolinija.hrCroNetwork: The Croatian-American Organization for Young Professionals. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 09 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8393/1/E-Sail-into-the-sun-n-sand.html ÂSail into the sun 'n' sand Uday K. Chakraborty Repose in languorous joy and experience divine bliss at Porec. Its blue-green lagoons and balmy Mediterranean ambience combine with the region's ancient charm to revive and rejuvenate. ÂA view of St Nikola Island from the Marina. ÂLong before Christ, the Illyrian tribes chose the hills around Porec as their place of settlement. And it was not coincidence that more than 2,000 years ago, Roman soldiers built their fortified colony, Parentium, here. It was even less accidental that on the coast near Porec, beautiful villas were erected - the villa rustica described by the Roman historian Kasider as the `jewels of a young girl's diadem'. The villas housed the patricians, who led the life of gods, surrounded by sea, sun, wine and olives. That's the divine bliss and repose you can enjoy in Porec and in the blue-and-green lagoons that exist even today. The only invaders are the high-heeled tourists from all over Europe. What attracts them is the heady combination of natural beauty, clean waters of the deep blue sea, lush greenery, wonderful Mediterranean climate and the historical ambience. Porec is the jewel in the touristy crown of the Istrian Peninsula, which is one of the spectacularly endowed regions of the Croatian Adriatic. Porec ushered in organised tourism during the turn of the 19th century. First, came the duchesses and dukes of Austria and, later, the building of the Hotel Riviera in 1910 set off tourism in full earnest. Roman urban character survives in this Mediterranean town, especially in the names of its main streets - Decumanus and Cardo Maximus. Roman churches and houses, medieval walls and round towers, and the Gothic and baroque houses are all witness to the growth of Porec through the centuries. The old city of Porec is a tourist magnet, with its historical monuments and stone-paved streets dating back to the Roman era. The Euphrasian Basilica is an early Christian cathedral. But some of the other monuments date back by two millennia. The Decumanus forms the heart of Porec. This historic Roman street with cobblestones polished over centuries, is now a lively shopping area abounding in boutiques, galleries, cafes and restaurants. Against the historical backdrop of the old town, tourists wander about, leisurely taking in the sights. The Decumanus and the romantic, Romanesque sidestreets are a restorer's delight. Venetian palaces and ruins of temples to the Roman gods, Neptune and Mars, rub shoulders with the old city walls and the pentagonal and round towers; the Barco Sincic palace beckons with its museum of local history. With its mosaics of precious stones and mother-of-pearl, the Euphrasius Basilica from the Byzantine period is easily the grand highlight of the old town. UNESCO declared the basilica and parts of the old town as world cultural heritage sites in 1997. The basilica's bell tower affords a magnificent view of the old town and its harbour.Ancient Decumanus is also a perfect promenade during summer. Even if you haven't planned anything, the place has no dearth of entertainment - jazz in the ancient stone collection garden or a classical music concert in the basilica, summer cocktails on the ancient Marafor Square; even the massive crowds that swarm by make a charming spectacle. At times, the street's the stage for summer performances. The old city carries with it a distinctive charm because everything about it is both modern and ancient. The harbour promenade, the Riva, is ideal for a relaxing stroll. There is always something going on here; you can either revel in the everyday sight of fishermen bringing in their catch or watch yachts swaying peacefully in the spacious marina harbour. The Riva is where the tourist boats embark on their exploration of the Istrian Adriatic, taking in the idyllic fishing villages and spectacular islands. Small ferries make regular crossings to the island of St Nikola, home to one of the oldest lighthouses of the Adriatic. There is also a neoclassical villa and several beach resorts facing the magnificent old city of Porec from across the sea. The 35-km long Riviera's varied coastline - with its peninsulas, fishing villages and islands - makes a perfect holiday setting. In the afternoons, the cafes fill up with people while the harbour promenade becomes a hive of activity in the evenings. Here restaurants dish out local delicacies to go with the famous Malvazia white wine; artists and entertainers fascinate their audiences and you are certain to find the perfect souvenir at one of the many quaint market stalls. While in Porec, don't miss out on the beauty of inland Istria, which abounds in small towns and medieval castles. This is a world where there are no roads - you either walk or ride a bike to your destination. No less amazing is the Porec underworld, which comes to life in the Berendin Cave rich in stalactites and stalagmites. But no matter where you go, you always return to the bay area to watch the sun gradually set against the backdrop of the panoramic sea and the old city. How to get there: The nearest international airports are Zagreb, Vienna and Milan. One could also cross the Adriatic from Venice by fast ship and reach Porec in two hours. The nearest Euro rail station is Pula. Visa regulations: If you already have a Schenegen visa, you can get your visa in a day's time. Otherwise it takes a little longer. Where to stay: There are both high-end and budget hotels. When to visit: The best period is during April, May, September and October. Avoid peak season during June and August.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 08 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8392/1/E-The-sun-sets-over-a-small-fishing-boat-sailing-out.html ÂÂThe sun sets over a small fishing boat sailing out from Sparadici, a village near Sibenik on Croatia's Adriatic coast, August 8, 2004. Unlike the dwindling fishing industry, tourism is Croatia's main hard currency earner, thanks to its pristine nature and geographic proximity to most European countries. REUTERS/Nikola Solic  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 08 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8391/1/E-The-worlds-deepest-subterranean-vertical-drop-found-in-Croatia.html ÂThe world's deepest subterranean vertical drop found in CroatiaCave explorers find deepest subterranean dropAugust 10, 2004Cave explorers have discovered a pit inside a mountain range in central Croatia believed to have the world's deepest subterranean vertical drop, at over 500 metres. The cave, in Croatia's mountainous Velebit region, has a steady, weaving drop of 62 metres before it takes a direct vertical plunge of 516 metres through the ground, said Ana Sutlovic Baksic, a researcher at the Velebit Speleological Society. The cave's widest stretch is about 30 metres. "We have even bigger caves in Croatia, but according to available data, this cave has the world's deepest vertical drop," Sutlovic Baksic said. At the foot of the Velebit cave are small ponds and streams, including one of the largest known colonies of subterranean leeches, Sutlovic Baksic said. It is located in the Rozanski Hip National Park reserve in the rocky Velebit mountain range in central Croatia. The pit was discovered by a team of explorers from around the country. The Voronya Cave in Georgia's West Caucasus has the world's deepest cavern, measuring 1710 metres. But the pit discovered in Croatia is thought to have the largest underground vertical drop. AdvertisementAdvertisementCroatia, which is rich in natural wonders, is home to two of the world's 20 deepest caves. The Velebit region is Croatia's largest mountain range, attracting speleologists, botanists and hikers from around the world. Much of the rugged area remains untouched, and scientific expeditions over its vast expanse covered by rare flora and fauna have been ongoing for years. AP http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/09/1092022411252.html?oneclick=true letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 08 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8395/1/E-Croatia-challenge.html ÂCroatia challengeExplorer trio head east for Scouts awardAdventurous Scouts are preparing for an expedition to Croatia in a bid to recieve one of the most challenging awards available.The three Explorer Scouts from Upper Caldecote are set for the challenge of a lifetime as they aim for their Explorer Belt, which encourages young people to gain a deeper understanding of another country.Rachel Randle, 22, of Biggleswade Road will be leading Richard Holiday, 18, of Shakespeare Drive and Allan Robertson-Cowley, 17, of Dean Way as they head off next month to trek around 160 km.Rachel said: "I can't wait. It is going to be exhausting but it should be good fun."The group will have to complete a major project during the expedition, keep a diary of their travels and give a presentation when they return.The project will see them investigating the post war development of the region and the effect on tourism and they hope to get as many first hand accounts as possible.Their route will take them through major tourist centres and quiet rural areas to compare the level of development, and they also hope to meet local dignitaries to discover their views on development and hopes for the future.For the full story see the July 30 edition of the Chronicle.05 August 2004http://www.biggleswadetoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=182&ArticleID=831761  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 05 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8396/1/E-Brijuni---one-of-worlds-sexiest-Islands.html   Brijuni - one of world's sexiest IslandsTravel Feature World's Sexiest Islands Christina Valhouli www.FORBES.comThe Adriatic Coast of Croatia is fast becoming one of the most popularsailing routes in Europe. The islands offer everything the SouthernMediterranean does--balmy weather, great food and beaches--but without thecrowds. Any sailing trip must include a stop at the Brijuni Islands (alsoknown as the Brioni Islands), the former summer residences of PresidentTito, which have only recently been open to the public. Prince Ernst ofHanover is rumored to have invested here, and Sharon Stone and ClintEastwood have visited. The Brijuni archipelago boasts a national park,archaeological sites dating back to prehistoric times and gorgeous beaches.The largest island, Veli Brijun, has a safari park with zebra and camels.The best way to visit the Brijuni Islands is by chartered yacht, or youcould try the Hotel Neptun, where rates start at 102 euros ($122).http://www.forbes.com/2004/08/05/cx_cv_0805feat.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 04 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8400/1/E-Beautiful-and-unspoilt-country-full-of-history-kindness-and-very-tall-men.html ÂCroatia, we agreed, is a stunningly beautiful and unspoilt country, full of history, kindness and very tall men.Back from the brinkÂChristina Patterson and her mother were thankful to survive the precipitous drive to their Croatian villa. Luckily there was light at the end of the tunnel, an idyllic spot and a handsome man31 July 2004Four hours after we arrived in Croatia, my mother nearly had a heart attack. "We'll have to go somewhere else," she declared firmly, "we can't stay here." I looked out at the sparkling sea - vivid turquoise by the rocks, a deep, hypnotic blue further out - and back at my mother's ashen face, and wondered what to do.It had started so well. After our crack-of-dawn flight to Dubrovnik we emerged, blinking, into brilliant sunshine and a huge blue sky. The airport was like Toy Town: a little patch of concrete surrounded by rolling hills and trees. In continental Europe, the trees are different. The greens are darker and they seem to point towards the sky or hover, like puffy green clouds, over the land beneath. They make me think of fairy tales.After picking up our hire car we were soon speeding past those magical trees, through those cucumber-green hills and along a vast expanse of amethyst sea. The road was cut into the rock and offered sudden, breathtaking vistas of the villages and sea below. It snaked into heart-stopping bends, but it was Sunday morning and the roads were mercifully clear.An hour later, in a café with views over the valley, we toasted our holiday with espresso. We had arrived safely. The sun was shining. We would potter around a few sites, but mostly we would lie in the sun and admire the beauty. I would continue to write the family history I'd started, and my mother would chip in with stories. We would bond over G&Ts on the terrace as the sun set.Two hours later, we were on the Peljesac peninsula. We had driven through Ston, noted for its oyster beds, and were edging our way towards the village of Potomje. "Turn left towards the factories and drive straight till you pass through the stone-made tunnel," said our directions. "Be aware of the traffic from the opposite direction, because the tunnel is quite narrow." It was indeed quite narrow, and also pitch black. With the headlights on full beam it was like being in some kind of grotto - a grotto where a sudden flash of lights might herald disaster.On the other side, the sunlight was dazzling and so were the views. We were on the edge of a cliff, on the edge of the world. Somewhere in the distance, by the rocks and the sea, was our villa. It was an awfully long way down. "Please slow down," my mother begged as we inched our way around another hairpin bend. Moments later, we met a car. The road was wide enough for only one and we were on the outside. Somehow, miraculously, the oncoming vehicle reversed into a tiny dip in the rocks and somehow, miraculously, I manoeuvred past. I glanced over at my mother, who was clutching at her heart.The road got even narrower as we crawled our way down the mountain. Some of the hairpins seemed too narrow for even one car. Suddenly, we saw a sign to our villa, Tabo, which involved a 320-degree turn. I drove on to a little patch of concrete, fumbled with the reverse and doubled back onto the steepest drive I have ever seen. One final hairpin and we were there.My mother was crying. I was shaking. We stared grimly down at the beautiful villa, the garden full of olive and lemon trees, the pool and terrace overlooking a sea that was like glass. "We can't stay," sobbed my mother, who has weathered numerous family tragedies with less visible grief. "We'll have to find somewhere else. But how will we get out?" I nodded sadly. We were prisoners in paradise.Ante Radovic, our genial and extremely handsome host who had built both the villa and the pool, was reassuring. His 40 years at sea had taught him that most problems can be solved. "It will be fine!" he boomed, seizing my mother's suitcase. "I will show you a better road! It will be fine. You'll see." Ante led us down to the steps to an airy apartment where every room had a view down to the sea. The terrace was the size of a restaurant. The pool was for our use only. My mother smiled politely, but I could see the panic in her eyes. We had no food and no way of getting any. Perhaps, she whispered, we could pay Ante to go and buy us some?Ante had, in fact, laid out a tray of cold meats and cheese and a fresh loaf of bread. He brought us wine from his brother's vineyard. After lunch, he would take us to the good road. Everything would be fine. But first, could I please move my car? He needed the driveway, so could I just move it onto that concrete strip over the garage? I nodded and smiled. Infused with his cheery optimism, I tripped off with the keys.Moments later, I was perched on the edge of a precipice. I had mastered the reverse, but my foot was shaking. If it slipped, I would be dead. For the first time in my life, I understood the phrase "paralysed with fear". I couldn't get into the space and I couldn't turn the car. Instead, I turned the steering wheel on full lock and went up the drive, back around the hairpin bend and back onto the road that led into the village. I pulled into a clearing with some tables and chairs. Perhaps this was the restaurant that was "only open at high season". A plump man bustled out of the kitchen and smiled. Were they open? Yes. Hallelujah! Could I leave the car here? Could I, in fact, leave it all week? We would, I promised, eat there every night. Yes, he said, with a warmth that tried to hide his bewilderment. Yes, if that's what I wanted. Yes, I replied, nodding hysterically, yes, thank you, it was what I wanted.Ante's good road was slightly better than the bad one. At least it was paved and he was driving. I sat in the front while my mother cowered in the back, trying not to look at the inches that separated us from the rocks below. The views were spectacular, a surreal mix of sea and mountain - as if a magician had conjured up a Mediterranean and an Alpine landscape and somehow jumbled them up together.In Trstenik, a tiny village on a harbour, we stopped at a café. My mother and Ante both had coffee and I had a cold beer. "I have never yet let a woman pay for a drink," he thundered when the bill came. "And I am 70!" My mother is 69. They made, I couldn't help thinking, a handsome pair. Ante took the bad route back, the one that twisted back to the main road from Ston, onto Potomje and through the tunnel. My mother shut her eyes.Back at the apartment, we clinked glasses, sipped our G&Ts and nibbled the cashew nuts my mother had packed. Things were looking up. Dinner was only a short walk away and in the morning Ante would take me to Potomje to buy some food. That night, as the sky changed from blue to pink to black, we picked the bones out of the local catch of the day, a deliciously fresh sea bream.In the village the next morning, Ante knew everyone. He stopped the car in the tunnel to clasp the hand of an old man and pass him a cigarette. "My cousin!" he announced before leading me to the tiny shop that was run by his sister. I piled my basket high with carrots and cabbage and ham that had passed its sell-by date and shook more hands: Ante's brother-in-law and nephew as well as his sister. Could I, I wondered, buy some of the local wine? "My brother's wine is best!" bellowed Ante, moments before we bumped into him in the street. "Mirka will give us some," he added, as he climbed into the car.Mirka's house was surrounded by vineyards, stretching out to the mountains ahead. She disappeared for a few minutes, re-emerged with a litre of excellent red wine and beckoned us in. Sitting on Mirka's balcony, sipping strong, sweet coffee and eating her stupendous home-made mille-feuilles, I nodded and smiled. She could speak no English and I had learnt only huala (thank you), which I said a lot. The huge gardens around us were packed with produce - onions, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans - and birds were singing in the lemon trees.After a hearty lunch, in which carrots and cabbage featured prominently, my mother and I settled down for a lazy afternoon reading and writing by the pool. That night, at the restaurant, we were the only customers. The family who ran it were all hunched around a little television that they'd rigged up outside to watch the football. We were eating sea bass when Croatia scored. When we left, they were still in the lead.The following morning, we left the house at seven and trudged up to the restaurant to fetch the car. We were off to Mljet, an island that's now a national park, and the ferry from Trstenik was leaving at eight. On the journey from one beautiful harbour to another we studied the guide book. Mljet was, we were told, used by the Romans as a place of exile and was briefly owned by the kings of Bosnia, who sold it to Dubrovnik in 1333. According to legend, it's where Odysseus holed up with Calypso.When we drove off the ferry we could see why. The coast around Villa Tabo was stunning, but this was something else. The whole island is covered in forest and has two salt water lakes of such piercing turquoise that it's hard to believe they're real. The forest - of Aleppo pines, cypress and holm oaks - is full of butterflies. We got a ferry to the tiny island in the big lake and had coffee and waffles and apple strudel in the shadow of the monastery of St Mary. It was, I decided, my duty as a journalist to do some intensive research on Croatian cakes. They are, in fact, a little lumpen, but don't let that deter you. There's little in life as pleasant as coffee and waffles in the sunshine as you gaze down at a glassy, azure sea. In the end, it proved irresistible. I had assumed (after dipping my toe in the sea at Trstenik) that the water would be too cold and had left my swimsuit behind. I swam in my underwear and dried myself with my dress. The mild discomfort that followed was worth it.On the Thursday, after another demanding day reading and writing by the pool, we set off for Orebic, where you can get the ferry to Korcula. First inhabited by the Greeks, Korcula was fought over by Venice and the Croat kings and later by the Genoese and Turks. The ice-cream was delicious (a concoction of nuts and cherries in honour of Marco Polo, whose house on the island you can visit). We went to the cathedral of St Mark, the Gothic church of St Peter and the civic museum, which houses an eclectic array of icons, pictures and pots, as well as documents on the island's seafaring history. And then, in a restaurant by the water's edge, we ate seafood risotto. Only the journey back dented our joy. On the road down from the tunnel we met a car that I couldn't get past. "Can I help you?" said the kind Croatian with a worried smile. "Yes," I said, handing him my keys. We got out of our car and watched him move it. He waved cheerily as we climbed back in.Two days later, after a final lazy day at the villa, we packed our bags and waved goodbye to Ante and to the Villa Tabo. "I'd need a helicopter to come back," my mother announced happily as we left the treacherous track behind. We were spending our final night in Dubrovnik, to the south, at the four-star Excelsior.Dubrovnik was even more beautiful than I had imagined, a gorgeous cluster of honey-coloured buildings, rich in history. We walked along the city walls, visited the Franciscan monastery with its ancient pharmacy, the cathedral and its treasury, the synagogue and the Rector's Palace. It was only in the Sponza Palace that recent history reared its head. Mostly, you miss it. Only the new tiles and stones are testament to man's inhumanity to man and his capacity, afterwards, to paper over the cracks. Off the courtyard of the Sponza there's a room lined with black-and-white photos of the young men who fought and died in the war that tore Yugoslavia apart. They would now be in their early thirties. Back in the square, we walked straight into an enormous wedding. The bridesmaids arrived first, splendid in lilac silk, and then, to a medley of yells and whistles, the bride. On the steps of the cathedral a man played an accordion and sang. The reception was at our hotel. When we got up for our flight at six the next morning, some of the revellers were still on the terrace.Waiting for our plane in the Toy Town airport we had time to reflect on our trip. Croatia, we agreed, is a stunningly beautiful and unspoilt country, full of history, kindness and very tall men. We had been to a beautiful island. We had seen a monastery and the ruins of a Roman palace. We had eaten exquisite squid and sea bream. We had driven and survived.TRAVELLER'S GUIDEChristina Patterson travelled as a guest of Croatian Affair (020-7385 7111; www.croatianaffair.com). A fortnight's holiday in August at Villa Tabo costs Â1,281, based on two sharing, and includes flights from Gatwick, Birmingham, Norwich, Manchester or Edinburgh, transfers/car rental and self-catering accommodation. 2004 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd http://travel.independent.co.uk/europe/mediterranean/story.jsp?story=546324 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 02 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8399/1/E-I-favor-the-Croatian-wines-particularly-the-native-Teran.html ÂI favor the Croatian wines, particularly the native TeranSports Illustrated senior writer Paul Zimmerman covers the NFL for the magazine and SI.com. His Power Rankings, "Inside Football" column and Mailbag appear weekly on SI.com. Andrew has sent me seven pages of commentary from these loyal folk, and I am deeply grateful to all parties concerned. Too many to comment on individually, especially after this thing has run as long as the Trans-Canada Highway, as predicted. But I will mention a few:To Erich of Zagreb, Croatia, and yes, I favor the Croatian wines, particularly the native Teran, but not the Cabernet. French grapes for the French, Croatian grapes for the Croatians, I say. Incidentally, the Redhead and I simply loved the Istrian Peninsula when we were there last year. Unfortunately, that's all we were able to see of Croatia.Just a ton of mail to answer this week, I mean a real load of stuff. So if you're thinking of getting through this in the usual minute or two, forget it. It's gonna be a long one.I'll lead with my E-mailer of the Week Award, which goes to a gentleman who asks a question that gets right to the heart of our business, kapow! From Gary Hoover, living in Alabama but originally from Wisconsin -- "What does it mean when a person says something off the record? Are you still allowed to use it? Can you use it if you don't say who said it? Have you as a journalist ever gotten in any trouble with an athlete [or anyone] about confusion over what was said?"OK, gimme room, and if you can hear the cathedral bells in the background, it's because I'm bucking for sainthood.Violating an off-the-record confidence is a risky way to travel, in addition to being nasty. Usually young writers trying to make a name for themselves are guilty of this prime journalistic sin. To me, it just doesn't make sense. You're trading a snappy quote, or statement, or a cheap headline, for the loss of a news source, possibly forever. And then, if the word gets out in the locker room that you're a sneak and not to be trusted, you're losing a lot of sources.Sometimes when something doesn't seem that inflammatory to you, you try to talk it onto the record. Maybe you'll be told that you can use the quote but not if you mention the source's name. That's when you see all these unnamed players or unnamed sources or "source close to management," or close to the water cooler, etc. Sometimes you protect a person on a quote you're sure is off the record, even though you were never told that, and eventually you have the pleasure of seeing something you got first widely quoted in rival outlets, when the quote was repeated.If anything, I've probably been guilty of over-protection. I remember when I was beat man on the Jets, and they were about to play the Redskins, and left tackle Bob Svihus was looking at a picture of Verlon Biggs, the DE he was going to play against. "Handsome devil, isn't he?" Svihus said.I used the quote in a story, but it bugged me all night. I couldn't sleep. So at 2 a.m. (my paper, the Post, came out in the afternoon, which meant that the lock-up was real late) I called Svihus at home. Those were the days when we used to have players' home numbers. I asked him how he felt about my using the quote."I felt OK about it," he said, "but the fact that you're so worried makes me worried, too, and you'd better take it out." Which I did.Some years ago I was doing a piece on a lineman who was a bit of a wild man, but a very nice guy as well. He had a thing going with terminally ill children whom he used to bring to the games. I mean I was really in the guy's corner. So we were out to dinner, he, his wife and I, and somehow he got started on The Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Some major rips. Guys who need a crutch to lean on, who can't do it on their own, etc. The worst thing about it was that he played for a team in the heart of the Bible Belt.So I'm writing everything down in my notebook (I always make it clear that if it's going into the notebook it's on the record, but if they want it off the record, then it won't be written down), and his wife is looking more and more nervous, and finally she asks him, "Do you really want to see this in a national magazine?" And he pauses for a moment and then says, "Yeah, I might as well be controversial in my old age," and keeps on ripping. And I keep on writing.When it comes time to do the piece a few days later, I'm looking at those notes and I'm thinking, "This guy doesn't realize what'll happen to him if these quotes see the light of day, how his life will change." So I kill them all. See, I could have had a nice, nifty headline, and all the wires would have picked up the quotes and I would have been like the guy who broke the John Rocker story, but I just couldn't do it. And I can guess what you're thinking. Oh, if you like a guy, then you protect him, but if you don't like him, then you'll use the nasty stuff to bury him, right? Those are some journalistic principles you've got there. Sorry, but I'm trying to be honest, and that's just the way it is. We're all human.See what I mean? I've answered only one question and written the equivalent of half a regular Mailbag column already. It's a long trail a-winding, folks.A lot of people got fired up about my famous running back twosomes two weeks ago. Hey, read the thing again. I said I was commenting only on the names my e-mailer supplied because I didn't want to spend the rest of the week researching all the great duos in history. So everyone's mentioning people I forgot. Hey, I didn't leave them out. Marc of Margate, N.J., is the guy who came up with the eight twosomes I analyzed for him.Still annoyed? OK, since I'm a good guy, and I'm in a much better mood this week, after all my anti-Bush support came pouring in, I'll get into each of the "How could you neglect?" pairs mentioned. Jack of Bangor, Maine, likes the Cleveland duo of Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner. A good call. They were both over 1,000 yards in 1985. Mack, in his rookie season, gained 1,104 yards, Byner, a second-year man, had 1,002.Ickey Woods and James Brooks of the Bengals, says Bryan of NYC. Another good call. I wouldn't have thought of them, yet in 1988, a Super Bowl year for Cincy, they put together 1,997 yards, a 5.2 average and 23 TDs. Rick of Jackson, Miss., mentioned the 49ers Roger Craig and Tom Rathman, who faced the Bengals in that Super Bowl. Total yardage for 1988, 1929, with Craig accounting for 1,502 of them.Finally Mike of New London, Conn., points to the "glaring omission" (and I'm glaring at you right now) of Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen on the Raiders. Allen's most productive years came before Bo arrived. First off, I had a hell of a time looking Bo up because he wasn't listed. I nearly went blind searching out the B, Jacksons, until I finally stumbled across him in the V's. His first name was Vincent, you see. Anyway, his best season was 1989 (950 yards), but Marcus missed eight games and only accounted for 293 that year. The most yards they had together was 1,411 in 1988. Boy, that year has come up a lot, hasn't it?Tony of Vancouver is intrigued by the whole HB-FB tandem idea, with the halfbacks drawing fire away from the middle, opening it up for the fullbacks, and vice-versa. Yeah, I like it, too -- the precision of a well-blocked running play. And I particularly liked the last real HB-FB running attack the league saw (although some of what they did was without the other guy on the field), which would be Mike Alstott and Warrick Dunn in Tampa Bay. Most productive season -- 1998, when they accounted for 1,872 yards and carried the ball 460 times between them ... uh, I don't mean they actually carried the ball between them ... each one carried it under one arm ... it's just ... you know what I mean. And do you know how many entire teams failed to record 460 rushing plays last year? You don't? Me, neither. Just kidding. Of course I know. I just looked it up. The answer is 20.There's nothing that gets me as psyched as being called "a walking encyclopedia of football history," which is what Jack of Toronto uses as his hook to get me to undertake an obscure research project for him. Jack writes the following: "I remember [world class hurdler Renaldo "Skeets" Nehemiah of the 49ers] getting totally cold-cocked going out for a pass one time, and the guy who did it to him standing over the still warm body, looking down at him, but for the life of me I can't dredge up the name of the tackler. Can you?" They don't call me a walking , or stumbling, encyclopedia for nothing. It was Kenny Johnson, cornerback, Atlanta Falcons, in 1983. There. I hope I've impressed upon all you youngsters out there the value of hard work and dedication.OK, OK. I vaguely remembered the play, but I put through a quick call to the San Francisco Chronicle's Ira Miller, my West Coast encyclopedia. Ira said he'd get back to me and put through a quick call to Randy Cross, who lined up at right guard for the Niners that day. "Kenny Johnson, No. 37, right corner," Randy said, "and Skeets came back and played later." See what it means to have friends in high places.Hal of San Francisco thinks I'm a nice guy. Honest. As a counter-measure to all the George Bush hate mail I've gotten recently he recounted the following story. "I bumped into you along Ocean Beach in San Fran and you had the humbleness to stand and talk to an average fan for 20 minutes about nothing in particular. You even called over the redhead. 'Hey, dear, it's a fan. Come on over.'" Well, as soon as Andrew faxed me that e-mail I clutched it tightly and ran up the 14 stairs to Linda's studio, where she was busy creating another of her lovely photo assemblages. "Honey, do you remember? DO YOU REMEMBER?"Oh boy, did she remember. It's a story she has enjoyed telling. The day she was a celebrity. We had just had lunch at the Cliff House, the Redhead, myself, my daughter, Sarah, and my granddaughter Natasha, who was a year and a half old and in the full flower of her wildness. An average lunch for Natasha. Heaved a few plates, tripped some waitresses, upset a tray or two. So now we're on the way back to the car, which is down the street, Sarah taking the point, Linda pushing the stroller with the baby in it, Z bringing up the rear and fending off the cars whizzing by. I mean a real shleppers' caravan. And here comes Hal. And we yack for a while. And I call Linda and over she comes, pushing the stroller, and Hal says, "Omigod, it's the Redhead, wow!" And, buoyed up by her celebrity status, Linda engages in some lively conversation, with the cars honking and Natasha screaming and trying to twist out of the stroller, and Sarah yelling, "What the hell's going on?" I don't think it was 20 minutes, Hal. More like three or so. But it was memorable.Sgt. Mike of Houston is a soldier in Iraq who doesn't like officers, either, and if this is off the record information, then I'm sorry, but I am protecting him by not using his last name. And let me say, please, without sounding sanctimonious, that my political views have nothing to do with the great respect I feel for our military personnel in the Middle East and the sacrifice they are making. The sarge wants to know how I see the AFC South. Yeah, I guess I have to go with Indy again. I did a self-scouting, and I found that year after year I tend to rank the Colts too low and the Titans too high. The interesting thing is that neither one of them did a damn thing in free agency, actually losing more than they gained, and neither team had a first-round draft choice. Tennessee is still basically blue collar, Indy is flashier. You tend to think of the Titans with the good defense and the Colts lousy in that department, but Indy actually finished one place (11th to 12th) ahead of Tennessee last season. The Titans will still grind it out on the ground, using that as a platform to set up everything else, and I like that big, hog line, and I think Antowain Smith will do OK. Jacksonville is a comer, if you believe in Byron Leftwich, but I don't think he's ready yet. Houston? Show me an offensive line and I'll get interested.Time for Samson Antagonistes to weigh in with his Hall of Fame Greek chorus, and first up, oh my God, not again, is Larry of Fredericksburg, Va., waving a banner that has Art Monk's name on it. I say it, over and over again, why I feel others are more deserving than Art, although he was a valuable player. But it just keeps bouncing off them, like a tennis ball off a wall, and on they come, wave upon wave of them. And it's wearing me down. It's like the H.G.Wells story, The Man Who Could Work Miracles, which opens with Mr. Fotheringay and Toddy Beamish having an argument in the bar of the Long Dragon, and Toddy Beamish conducting a "monotonous but effective" argument consisting of answering every one of Mr. Fotheringay's statements with "So you say." Monotonous but effective. Why isn't Art Monk in? Why isn't Art Monk in? I'll admit, it's getting to me. Air. I need air.Why not Big Daddy Lipscomb? Asks Peter of Ashland, Va. I've already written that he'd get my vote in a minute. It's just that when you're in the Seniors Pool you have to wait in line behind about five million other worthies.Eddie, a Giants fan from Jersey City, N.J., wonders, with amazing objectivity and an eye toward the statistics, whether or not Phil Simms really is Hall of Fame material. I think that Phil was one of those players who was better than his stats, who lifted his game when the pressure rose. He's an iffy choice. Whether or not he would get my vote would depend on whom he was up against."Gene Hickerson," scream Sunny Jim of Brooklyn and Doug of Arlington, Va. (Didn't I just answer you? Wait a minute. Sorry. That was Larry of Fredericksburg). Interesting case here. A few years ago Hickerson, the right guard on the Jimmy Brown Cleveland teams, was a very hot name in the Seniors Committee meetings, and I really believe that if they'd have allowed two candidates to go in each year he would have made it. Then he kind of cooled. Don't know why. There's an ebb and flow to these things. Right now the guard I'm pulling for hardest is Bob Kuechenberg. Then Hickerson.General Hall of Fame question from my man, Fuzz, of Milwaukee. Why not take a year to "clean up" the veterans list once and for all? Just put everyone in who belongs, even if 15 people all are enshrined, and bag the rest? Fuzz, old boy, I would pay big money to be the guy in charge of that operation. How much money? Just name it. Sky's the limit ... 50, 60, 75, Even a dollar. I'll find you 20 great, great neglected players who deserve enshrinement as much as anybody. Unfortunately such a scheme would subject the Hall, the NFL (which runs it), and American sports in general to ridicule from the rest of the world. "I mean, harrumph, 15 people all going in? Where the deuce have they been hiding until now?" etc.And from Fuzz one more thing, as Columbo would say. My thoughts on William Henderson blocking for assorted Green Bay tailbacks through the years. Good man, but more of a position blocker than a real boomer type. But that's what happens to fullbacks. They learn. They start off trying to kill people, then they learn to position themselves.Finally, thanks for your kind remarks, and that goes for just about all the preceding e-mailers, except for the Art Monk guy. Fuzz adds, "Say hello to your lovely wife from all of us Cheeseheads." Just a minute. OK, I said it. "Hello, and are their heads really made of cheese?" says Linda. Phew, it's getting late. All right, I piped that stupid quote. The Redhead isn't home. She's hosting a dinner for the Society of Unfortunate Bald Headed Women of Denville, N.J.Steve of Astoria, N.Y., needs a good primer on football for his wife. My own New Thinking Man's Guide to Football, 1984 edition, will cover it, if she doesn't mind the sexist title. Dated as to the characters, but she'll find the basic information there.James of Sacramento sets me up with a lot of whipped cream...very few writers have your experience ... big fan of redheads ... I respect your views, etc., and then hits me with the snapper. Wants a complete recreation of the Immaculate Reception game. OK, pal, but it's only because my first ever newspaper job was as a schoolboy writer for the Bee. Boring game. Daryle Lamonica wasn't right. Flu or something. Finally he's out of there and Kenny Stabler is in. Nobody's doing anything on that frozen field. Steelers are up, 6-0. I remember saying to the guy next to me in the press box, in one of the few real flashes of insight that I've had during a contest, "Boring games tend to get real exciting toward the end." He yawns. Presto, the Snake scrambles for 30 yards or so and goes in and the Raiders are up, 7-6, with a little over a minute left. Time for one last Steeler drive. I had been on my way down to the locker room, but I stopped and went back to my seat. Art Rooney, the Steelers' owner, wasn't so lucky. He was in the elevator down and missed the Immaculate Reception. The play was over just so quickly ... bang-bang, like that. I remember there was a quick TD signal from the ref, then a big huddle by the officials, and John Madden was all hot on the sidelines, and then I disappeared into the elevator to get down to the locker rooms. I didn't think the play was legal. It looked to me like Frenchy Fuqua touched the ball and Tatum hit him and knocked it loose but never touched it before Franco caught it. But the call didn't bother me because it was such a magnificent play on Franco's part.Always glad to get a women's input in the old Mailbag department, and let's have a great big West 50th St. welcome for Jennifer of Pensacola, Fla. "My first time writing," she says. OK, I'm ready. Let's have your thorniest gridiron problem. Here it is: "How much do you know about African wine?" Just this. When you hear the drums, you pop the cork. "South African to be specific," she adds. Ohhhh, that? Look for anything you can find from Meerlust. Really a high class house. Anything else is mere lust (seems that I've used that line before ... I'm wondering if it's really that funny). Thanks for the praise, Jen, and that of your husband, too.From Steve of Phoenix, home of you know who (who has red hair) -- What do I remember of Tommy Kramer? Caroused a bit. I remember Gary Smith did a big bonus piece on him in the magazine. Made him sound like an All-Pro. Actually he was a gutsy QB who took a lot of chances, threw a lot of picks and had one magnificent year, 1986. The biggest knock on him was that he couldn't stay healthy. The Vikes this year? Almost everyone I know says they're really gonna be good. Gonna sneak up on people. If everyone says that, then it's not a sneak attack anymore, right? Personally? I guess I kind of like them, but I'm curious to see if Chris Hovan regains his form of two years ago. If not? Well, their rushing defense allowed 4.9 yards a crack last season, and that ain't good. Thanks for the nice words, and yeah, I admit I wrote the last mailbag with a hair up my ... uh, with a touch of annoyance, but I've calmed down this week, haven't I. HAVEN'T I?Thanks, Matt. That's Matt of Astoria. The rippers got me down two weeks ago, but not now, mainly because there haven't been any. Matt feels that DTs flash in the pan quicker than vermouth in an omelet? Oy, what an analogy? I'll tell you what's good in an omelet. Linda makes this great meat sauce for lasagna and spaghetti. So you take some of her sauce and make sure there's plenty of meat in it, add Tabasco, cook it in an omelet and guess what? Huevos Rancheros, Ole! The question: Why do these big guys burn out so quickly, case in point being Darrell Russell, who went down in a heap at age 27? Well, in Russell's case, I think there was a little chemical help involved, but for the rest of them, I think the defensive coaches finally have caught on to the idea that no interior D-lineman can play every down. There's got to be some relief from the constant pressure of those sumo monsters leaning on them every play, there's got to be a rotation. As this idea takes hold, seriously, I think you will see the defensive guys hanging around longer.A sincere thanks to Dave of Santa Barbara for finding something nice to say about my draft chart, which consumed many hours and drew much ridicule. Dave wonders if it would be possible to draw up a free agent chart, chronicling success and failure related to money spent? Yes, but not by me. Too complicated, and then you'd have to differentiate street free agents from unrestricted high-priced guys, and all manner of things so time consuming that yours truly wouldn't even think of entering that realm, especially following the reception of the last such venture. But there is a guy who does precisely that. Mike Giddings of Pro Scout, Inc., a private consulting service used by a number of NFL teams. Want to get aboard? It'll cost you something in the neighborhood of serious six figures.Chris of Southfield, Mich., asks a very sensible question. What's the difference between being cut, waived and released, and how does it affect contracts? Cut is the same as waived. A player is released after he has gone through the waiver process and no one has picked him up. If a team picks up a player who has been waived, it must pay him his old salary. If it signs him after he's been released, it can pay him anything, as long as his contract is not below the league minimum.Barry, a Dolphin fan from Holden, Mass., suggests a trade -- Unhappy Adewale Ogunleye for a RB such as KC's Larry Johnson, in the wake of Ricky Williams' departure. No, no and no. Now is not the time to panic. Don't give up a near-Pro Bowl DE, even if he does want more money, for an unproven back-up. So many people have weighed in on the Williams thing that you don't need my two bits worth, so here it is. What bothers me about Williams, and a lot of guys, is that they're kind of inhuman in a way. They just won't communicate. They don't care about anyone else. They can't even recognize their existence. But it's not unique among high-priced athletes. Try dealing with the business community in New Jersey, where I live. The guy who says he'll call you back when the part is ready, who'll call you with an estimate, who'll be over on Thursday ... and then never shows. Never calls. Never writes. Doesn't love you anymore. Amazing how often it happens. These people are inhuman, too. As far as what Miami should do for a running back, well, I called their GM, Rick Spielman, with the following suggestion: Mike Anderson, former running back and current back-up fullback for Denver. I think he'd be OK in the Miami system. If they actually do sign him, remember you heard it here first. "What are your thoughts on Mcallen's 16-year old scotch?" Barry wants to know. Three thoughts -- 1) It's spelled Macallan's, 2) I've never seen a 16-year old ... the 18 is the one I've got in the house, and 3) it's delicious, but I kind of like Glenmorangie a little better because of the exotics.Al. G. of Santa Monica would like my thoughts on Lance Armstrong and the Tour de France. Sure, I'd be glad to provide them if someone could please explain to me what the hell it is that they do. I mean nowhere in the 5,000 pieces I've read is there any explanation of how the rules of that thing work. I've said it many times, I'm interested in any sport in which the stakes are high. I mean I'll watch every minute of every game in World Cup Soccer and love it ... but this Tour thing, hoo boy. It makes me feel awful dumb to watch world class competition without having a clue as to the rules.Well, folks, we've come to the end of a long, hard journey. We've supped from the cup of friendship and tasted the bitter dregs of discord. We have dined on many exotic dishes, and now it's time for dessert, the piece de resistance. Once, when I was a kid, my father bought me a record called I Can Hear It Now with Edward R. Murrow. Recorded sights and sounds of world history. My favorite band was something called The Jungle Answers Back, and it was the sound of jungle warfare in the Pacific in World War II. You'd hear an artillery round being fired, then you'd hear the sounds of the jungle animals screeching and hissing and snarling in response. The jungle answers back. Well, after my prolonged bout with the powers of darkness two weeks ago, the jungle has answered back, and those who have heard the artillery shells are snarling and hissing, not at me, but at those who would pull me down. Andrew has sent me seven pages of commentary from these loyal folk, and I am deeply grateful to all parties concerned. Too many to comment on individually, especially after this thing has run as long as the Trans-Canada Highway, as predicted. But I will mention a few:To Erich of Zagreb, Croatia, and yes, I favor the Croatian wines, particularly the native Teran, but not the Cabernet. French grapes for the French, Croatian grapes for the Croatians, I say. Incidentally, the Redhead and I simply loved the Istrian Peninsula when we were there last year. Unfortunately, that's all we were able to see of Croatia.To Tim of Portland, Ore. -- Someday, maybe, we'll go through a run of Oregon pinots, and please don't forget my favorite, Scott Henry Estates. I agree with you about Denny Green. Good organizer, not a great game day coach.To Michael of Gaithersburg, Md. -- Yes, I think Linda and I will enjoy the New Zealand wines, if it comes to that. When we were there two years ago, I managed to visit 35 wineries. My favorite region was Central Otago, which looks like Wyoming.Distressing news from Michael of Denver. "New Zealand has some really tough rules about bringing pets there." Oh man, that breaks it. What do I tell Little Jake, our tabby? I've got to think this one through.General thanks to Alan of East L.A. and Rob of Charlottesville, Va. And Guy from Northbrook, Ill. Sorry but it's too early to get a read on either Rex Grossman or Terry Shea's Bears' offense. Mark of Tucson suggests that I consider his town instead of NZ. The problem is that it's still the USA and that's what we'd be trying to get away from."Think Vancouver," says Derek of Falls Church, Va. Derek, I was there before you were born. Played in a rugby game there against UBC in Stanley Park. Part two, from Derek. Wants to know the best offensive lines. Well, KC and Green Bay for a start. I like the Titans, hog-wise, and Denver's finesse style is effective, although nasty. New England has a bunch of no-names, but they did it with mirrors against Carolina in the Supe. Jacksonville, believe it or not, looks pretty good to me. I'm probably forgetting a bunch, but it's getting late. I mean seriously late.Sports Illustrated senior writer Paul Zimmerman covers the NFL for the magazine and SI.com. His Power Rankings, "Inside Football" column and Mailbag appear weekly on SI.com. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/writers/dr_z/07/30/drz.mailbag/ letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 02 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8398/1/E-Le-Meridien-moves-into-Croatia.html ÂLe Méridien moves into CroatiaÂWorld leisure news03 Aug 2004Le Méridien Hotels & Resort has signed a management contract which will see the hotel operator move into Croatia. The company is to take over a luxury 381-bedroom property in Split on the Croatian Adriatic coast. The hotel is currently closed for redevelopment and will reopen as a Le Méridien seafront destination in early 2006, boasting three restaurants, four bars and health and leisure facilities including indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a spa, a private beach with water sports and two tennis courts. As well as a nightclub and casino, the resort will also offer the largest conference space in Croatia with 2,000sq m of flexible meeting space. Robert Riley, Le Méridien's CEO, said: "This hotel project represents a fantastic opportunity for Le Méridien to move into an emerging destination that has experienced ongoing stability and substantial growth. "Strong inward investment and the anticipated accession to the EU over the next five years will also contribute to the overall success of the region." http://www.worldleisurejobs.com/newsdetail.cfm?codeID=8649 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 02 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8397/1/E-No-Doctor-Luka-but-I-still-fell-in-love.html ÂNo Doctor Luka, but I still fell in love The ER heartthrob might be nowhere in sight, but Dorota Nosowicz doesn't mind - a twin centre trip to Croatia and Slovenia is twice as nice Sunday August 1, 2004The Observer The harbour at Rovinj, Croatia, where the culture and food is heavily influenced by nearby Italy (op-ed: And vice versa).ÂThe only Croatian man I have lusted over, along with thousands of ER fans, is Goran Visnjic, the moody but gorgeous Doctor Luka Kovac. So it was with expectations of great natural beauty that I arrived at Rovinj, on Croatia's rocky Istrian coast. First impressions were favourable. The sun shone high, the green sea sparkled and the dusty pastel bars and houses of the old harbour looked inviting. Everything about Rovinj - 40 kilometres from Venice - breathes its Italian influences. Menus and street signs are in both languages and Italian is taught at school. Bohemian and charming, Rovinj is a perfect base from which to visit other parts of Croatia. We wandered the old town of chalkstone-cobbled streets lined with chic shops, artists' studios and cafes, the sun glinting on corn-yellow houses with high-stacked chimney breasts. There was the obligatory religious stop, climbing 192 woodworm-riddled steps to the bell-tower of the 17th-century church of St Euphemia. The reward was a stunning view of terracotta-tiled rooftops, clear sea and surrounding islands. In the distance was Monsena, a nudist resort, celebrating a long Istrian tradition, of which the church strongly disapproves. There are plenty of boat trips from Rovinj - Venice is a two-hour voyage. A shorter option is to sail 12km down Lim Fjord, the longest outside Scandinavia. The rocky coastline, dense with vegetation, is populated by fishermen and naturists - particular thanks to the man who stood full frontal watching our boat pass by (no Doctor Luka he). At the end of the fjord, an amazing restaurant served a banquet of freshly caught giant prawns and squid, helped along by fruity cold wine. We headed back to Rovinj to drink cocktails lying on cushions on the rocks of a shoreline bar. Early the next morning we drove to Fazana, a small harbour village, for the boat to Brijuni: in 1983, three years after his death, Tito's former private island was opened to the public and made a national park. Here you can hire funny looking golf carts and whizz round the island, stopping to check out the Tito museum which brims with photos of him meeting world leaders. Visiting heads of state would offer as gifts animals from every continent (Gandhi bestowed two elephants and a holy cow). When the creatures expired, Tito would have them stuffed - and they're still there. The beautiful Brijuni has long been popular with the famous: Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor came, and Princess Caroline of Monaco holidays there every year. The town of Pula, however, didn't do it for me. Once the Austro-Hungarian Empire's naval base, it was furnace hot when we visited, and although the guidebook describes it as 'engaging', our guide was the grumpiest known to mankind. That said, James Joyce must have found something to write home about, since he taught English there in 1904-5. Certainly the amphitheatre is impressive, built by the Romans towards the end of the first century BC and now a concert venue for the likes of Sting and Plácido Domingo. That night we discovered what has to be Istria's best kept culinary secret: Taverna Vodnjanka in Vodnjan, an unpretentious restaurant run by a Croat family who have embraced all the best elements of Italian food. We gorged on pasta with fungi, truffles and asparagus, sheep's cheese, followed by sea bass, and oven-roasted lamb, washed down with Malvazija white. If I'd stayed any longer I would have come back the size of one of Tito's elephants. Croatia is clearly keen to welcome back tourists: one of our guides was so enthusiastic he assured us that his country has the tallest men, the lowest crime rate in Europe and entirely organic food. What no one talks about is its recent bloody history: in 1991 the Balkan conflict erupted as emerging Croatian and Serbian nationalism tore former communist Yugoslavia apart and Croatian nationalists seized land from the Muslim population. That summer the Croatian parliament declared its independence; autumn and winter saw a terrible war between Croat separatists and an army and paramilitary loyal to Belgrade. Independence was won amid widespread death and destruction on both sides. Croatia also played its part in the carnage across Bosnia between 1992 and 1995 during which Bosnian Croats carved out vast tranches of country inhabited by Bosnian Muslims. Slovenia broke free during a 10-day war in 1991, pulling out of the Yugoslav Federation and voting in favour of independence. In May 1992, with a new constitution, it was admitted to the UN, becoming a full EU member last May. At this year's Observer Travel Awards, it was voted favourite European country. We arrived at the serene and stunning Lake Bled in the north west, which offers long walks by day and blueberry schnapps by night. For the not easily embarrassed, a noddy train circles the massive lake; for cyclists and walkers, there are the Karavanke mountains nearby. On to Bohinj, comprising the Julian Alps, Slovenia's only national park and Lake Bohinj, which we sailed across with a group of sprightly septuagenarians. Like us, they proceeded to walk 240 feet up through the forest to reach Slap Savica, a beautiful waterfall. Our guide was like Denis Lawson's Gordon Urquhart in Local Hero - the island's lawyer, hotelkeeper and bartender. A celebrated musician, he had also appeared in a Slovenian soap opera as a gay hairdresser.I discovered I still had a pulse at Adrenalinski park: here, after too many placid lakeside hours, I allowed myself to be secured into a harness, attached to a giant swing, winched high in the air and released to swing backwards and forwards screaming. There was some silent screaming that afternoon on a boring tour of a cheese factory and museum that charted the history of alpine cheese making. A part of me died in that museum. Otherwise Bohinj is gorgeous - coveted by walkers, climbers, summer cyclists and (with two ski resorts) winter piste-bashers. Slovenia is as pristine and welcoming as Croatia, and although I didn't spot any Dr Luka lookalikes - the food, the clear sea and mountain air kept me deliciously light-headed for the whole visit. For further information on Croatia contact the Croatian National Tourist Board (020 8563 7979; www.croatia.hr). http://travel.guardian.co.uk/countries/story/0,7451,1273654,00.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 02 Aug 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8403/1/E-In-Croatian-islands-small-is-beautiful-restful-friendly-and-inexpensive.html ÂIn Croatian islands, small is beautiful and restful, friendly and inexpensive By Carol PucciSeattle Times travel writerÂCAROL PUCCI / THE SEATTLE TIMES Photo LopudA village woman repairs a fishing net on the island of Sipan off the Southern Dalmatian coast of Croatia. The island is part of a chain known as the Elaphites.LOPUD ISLAND, Croatia - I left my husband sitting on a bench near the ferry dock as I followed the woman along a stone path toward a house hidden among a grove of orange trees. "Deutsch?" she asked. The look on her face was hopeful. "No," I said. "I don't speak German. English?" I asked. She smiled and shook her head "no." She had a room to rent. I understood that much, and my husband and I were looking for a place for the next few nights as we explored a trio of small islands in the Adriatic sea off the coast of Dubrovnik. We walked the next couple of seconds in silence as I tried to remember my phrasebook Croatian. "What's your name?" I finally asked. "Ane!," she beamed, throwing her arm around my shoulder and giving me a hug. "You speak Croatian!" And then she told me in halting English that she has an uncle in Texas. We reached her house, a concrete bungalow, and walked to the second floor. She led me into a bright, simply furnished room with a balcony and two white plastic chairs positioned to take advantage of the sea view. CAROL PUCCI / THE SEATTLE TIMES Lopud Island, part of the Elaphite chain of islands, is steeped in history, such as this early Croatian chapel. Cars are prohibited. (see photo at the top)"How much?" I asked. I wasn't sure I understood her answer, so I asked her to write it down. It sounded like she said $30. She did. The islands off the Southern Dalmatian coast in what was part of the former Yugoslavia brim with Venetian-style architecture and sandy swimming beaches. Attracted by prices half of what they are on the other side of the Adriatic in Italy, European tourists flock to Croatia in the summer. Guidebooks point travelers toward well-developed Hvar, Brac and Korcula, but locals favor the quieter Elaphites, or Deer Islands, 13 smaller islands that curve along the Adriatic coastline, none more than an hour and a half by ferry from Dubrovnik.Carts instead of cars Lopud, the second-largest of the Elaphites, is the most developed, but "development" here translates into a handful of restaurants, one store, two hotels and no cars. Only the occasional motorbike or electric cart interrupt the sounds of birds singing and church bells ringing. With about 400 residents, Lopud measures just three square miles - two hills, each with a beach, connected by a rocky valley shaded by Cypress and pine trees - small enough to cross on foot from one side to the other in less than an hour.It took me five minutes to walk back to the waterfront to fetch my husband and our suitcases. Ten minutes later, as we were unpacking, we heard a knock at our door. Ane appeared with a platter of pancakes filled with homemade jam and glasses of orange juice. We drank the juice, but saved the crepes for later, and went in search of lunch. Following the scent of honeysuckle and lemons, we climbed a wooded path above the ferry dock to Konboa Peggy, a seafood restaurant with a shady terrace and a view of a Franciscan monastery built in 1483. Lopud was the regional headquarters of the Republic of Dubrovnik in the 15th century, and nobles built their summer villas here. Scattered around the island were 24 churches and two monasteries. The ruins of many remain. Lunch was a platter of crunchy, fried sardines translated on the menu in English as "little fish," a salad of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, cheese marinated in olive oil and two beers, all for about $7. CAROL PUCCI / THE SEATTLE TIMES The bell tower of a parish church dominates a panoramic view of Sipanska Luka on Sipan Island, part of the Elaphite chain, off the Southern Dalmatian coast of Croatia near Dubrovnik. (see photo at the top)Afterward we followed a concrete walking path that cut through pine forests and olive groves to a beach on the opposite side of the island at Sunji Bay. A few days earlier, when we had been in Dubrovnik and taken a day-trip to Kolocep, the smallest of the Elaphites, we discovered the meaning of "FKK" (an abbreviation for the German word "Freikörperkultur," meaning Free Body Culture) when we saw the letters painted in red on a shed near a rocky cove. "Stop! Place for Nudists," was written in English on a stone pathway. We spotted the FKK sign again, this time on Sunji, and followed it to a stretch of sand where several people were sunning their nude selves and snacking on calamari from one of the beachfront cafes. The next morning, while waiting for the early ferry coming from Dubrovnik, we learned more about what it means to live on a secluded island. The owner of Lopud's one store was waiting on the dock with a red wagon. So was the waiter we recognized from the Konoba Peggy and a moustached man from the cafe near the nude beach. Once the ferry docked, everyone rushed to unload their booty. Off came rolls of toilet paper, garden hoses, bags of fertilizer, loaves of bread, bottled water, a keg of draft beer, boxes of lemons, heads of lettuce, sacks of potatoes and two potted plants. The job was completed in 10 minutes, and the ferry took off again on schedule for Sipan, the largest of the Elaphites, about 45 minutes by boat from Lopud, and the only one of the three islands that allows cars. Nature and peace Two settlements on Sipan, Sipanska Luka and Sudurad, are connected by a road that cuts across 10 square miles of cow pastures, lavender fields and olive groves. We got off at Sipanska Luka, a quiet fishing village tucked into a horseshoe-shaped bay flanked by limestone hills. Our plan was to look for a place for lunch, then hike across the island about three miles to Sudurad where we could catch a late afternoon ferry back to Lopud. "We get a lot of people but not a lot of commercial tourism like Lopud or Dubrovnik," explained Tanja Brajovic, owner of the Placa Shop. Tourist season was still a few weeks away, and hers was the only shop open. We bought tiny bottles of brandy made with local cherries and olive oil extracted with ancient stone presses. A flask of red liquid contained an herbal potion for clearing up scars. Like the other Elaphites, Sipan enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate, ideal for growing lavender, elder, sage and other aromatic herbs. "People come here who love nature and peace," said Brajovic. It was a lazy, sunny afternoon, but the possibilities for lunch around the harbor at first looked disappointing. There was a bar that served pizza and a hotel restaurant near the ferry dock. Then we looked across the water on the other side of the bay, and spotted the white umbrellas outside a cafe called Konoba kod Marka. Marka Prizmic greeted us in work clothes, a hammer in his hand. "Are you open?" I asked. Things were slow, so he was using his spare time to make a few repairs. "If you want, I can prepare you something," he offered. The wind had kicked up so he sat inside near an open window and motioned to a side table filled with dozens of colored bottles of local liquors and brandy. "Help yourself to anything. It's free." Then he went to work in the kitchen no bigger than a walk-in closet. Soon the restaurant was filled with the smell of garlic and shrimp sizzling in olive oil. He brought a plate of cheese in oil we had first sampled on Lopud and two glasses of white wine. "It's nice, huh?" he said glancing out the window at the bay where he likes to gather sea urchins. "Yes," I said. "You must love it here." "I'm very happy." So were we, especially with our $15 bill. A farewell gift Rain was in the forecast for the afternoon, but the showers held off until we hiked across the island to catch the return ferry at Sudurad. We were back on Lopud in time for dinner and one more sunset. Thunderstorms and lightning woke us the next morning. The ferry back to Dubrovnik didn't leave until noon, so we sat on the bed trying to decide whether to make a break for breakfast on the waterfront. Then Ane knocked at the door. This time she brought a plate of hot fritters dusted with powdered sugar, a pot of coffee and a pitcher of warm milk. She pointed to her watch to make sure we knew what time the ferry left. Then after we packed, she insisted we come into her living room. She went to a cabinet and took out what looked like bottled water. "Benzine," she said, rubbing her stomach. Benzine? My Croatian phrasebook failed me this time. She filled two shot glasses. "Just a little, just a little," she insisted."Water?" I asked. "No water, no water," she smiled. I put the glass to my lips, and then I knew. It was 10 a.m., and we had just been offered a shot of homemade schnapps. It would have been rude to refuse. Ane took my hand and kissed it, and we picked up our suitcases and stepped out into the rain. I looked back. Ane was standing in the doorway, waving goodbye.Carol Pucci: 206-464-3701 or cpucci@seattletimes.com Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times CompanySource:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/traveloutdoors/2001991499_croatia01.htmlIf you go to the islands:http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2001991524_ifgoadriatic01.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 30 Jul 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8402/1/EH-Skola-Jahanja-i-Klapska-Pjesma-kod-Boskinca-Novalja--island-Pag.html Skola Jahanja i Klapska Pjesma kod Boskinca, Novalja , Island PagHorse-Back Riding School at BoskinacPoštovani,poceli smo s klapskim vecerima u Boškincu svakog utorka. Prošli utorak bilo je vecer "vina, srdele i pisme". Prekrasna atmosfera uz zapaljeno mnoštvo svijeca po terasi konobe i vrta terase hotela uz mnoštvo gostiju gdje se trazio stol više. Klapa je pjevala do kasno u noc, naravno zajedno i s raspjevanim gostima. Stranim posjetiteljima je to bio posebni dogadjaj. Sutra pripremamo slicnu vecer, " klapska vecer uz bogatu ponudu domace kuhinje".Od danas svako vecer imamo live muziku uz piano i violinu. Prekrasan dozivljaj uz zalazak sunca koji ce pratiti romanticnu vecer.Za ljubitelje sporta i zivotinja-škola jahanja-3 prekrasna konja!!! i ubrzani i pocetni tecaj jahanja.Sir, We like to inform you about news in Boškinac.Every Tuesday we are preparing special "Klapa night" with songs, wine, sardines and home kitchen. From today every night live music on piano and violin.And who likes a sport or animals good news. We have 3 beautiful horses and horse-back riding school .Kind regardsLjiljana MarovicHotel Boškinacinfo@boskinac.com http://www.boskinac.com letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 30 Jul 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8401/1/H-Vanesse-Redgrave-u-Hrvatskoj---in-Croatia.html ÂBRITANSKA GLUMICA I OSKAROVKA S KRCKOG AERODROMA U ARANŽMANU TEATRA ÂULYSSES OTPUTOVALA ZA BRIJUNEDrago mi je što sam ove godine dio projekta teatra ÂUlysses na Brijunima koji ce održati jednu doista zanimljivu radionicu, izjavila je RedgraveRIJEKA – Britanska glumica i oskarovka Vanessa Redgrave jucer je redovnim letom iz Londona stigla u Zracnu luku Rijeka na Krku odakle je u aranžmanu teatra ÂUlysses otputovala za Brijune gdje ce sudjelovati u kazališnoj radionici ÂCekajuci Godota – Goli otok 1949-1956Â. Voditeljica projekta što ce se od 28. srpnja do 14. kolovoza održati na Brijunima je redateljica Lenka Udovicki, supruga Rade Šerbedžije, a kazališno istraživanja na engleskom jeziku temelji se na fragmentima drame klasika svjetske književnosti Samuela Becketta ÂU ocekivanju GodotaÂ, te zapisanim svjedocanstvima i izravnim sudjelovanjem bivših zatocenica Golog otoka. Naime, ideja je teatra ÂUlysses Beckettove likove smjestiti u vrijeme i podrucje jedne od vecih trauma bivšeg jugoslavenskog razdoblja, u kaznionice na Golom otoku. Uz Vanessu Redgrave, u projektu Lenke Udovicki sudjeluju još tri svjetski poznate glumice: Lynn Redgrave, Amanda Plumer i Carolina Jones koje su prije dva dana doputovale u Zagreb. – Drago mi je što sam ove godine dio projekta teatra ÂUlysses na Brijunima koji ce održati jednu doista zanimljivu radionicu. Drago mi je opet biti u Hrvatskoj, kratko je porucila novinarima koji su je docekali u zracnoj luci na Krku. Zanimljivo je dodati kako je ugledna gošca iz Londona na aerodromu doživjela i manju neugodnost. Naime, prilikom transporta osobne prtljage, vozac teatra ÂUlysses je njezine kovcege ukrcao u pogrešan automobil. Doduše, nije bilo teško zamijeniti službeni automobil ÂUlyssesa od necijeg privatnog, jer su oba bila crne boje, marke ÂaudiÂ, u karavan verziji, ZG registarskih oznaka, a bili su parkirani gotovo jedan pored drugoga. No, glumica se na sve to samo iskreno nasmijala. Srdan BRAJCIC letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 30 Jul 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8404/1/E-Discovering-the-delights-of-destinations-such-as-Croatia.html ÂTHE REIGN OF SPAIN IS OVER ... discovering the delights of destinations such as Croatia ...By Damien FletcherTHE sun is setting on Spain. Britain's favourite holiday resort is losing out to the upstarts of eastern Europe.Ever since the package holiday was invented 40 years ago millions of us have flocked to the bars and beaches of sunny Espana - but new figures show that the reign of Spain could be coming to an end. Holiday firms are reporting a 20 per cent drop in the number of Brits taking their holidays in Spain and a huge increase in trips to eastern European countries and the US. Tour operators First Choice are axing their holidays on the Costa Brava - once a mainstay of British tour operating - because they feel hotel quality does not match prices.And Thomas Cook is shifting 20,000 package holidays from Spain to Turkey, while Cosmos is also pulling Ibiza from its 2005 summer brochures.Instead, holiday-makers are discovering the delights of destinations such as Croatia, with its timeless, elegant cities and beautiful, unspoiled beaches.But above all, they are re-discovering what once drew them in their millions to Spain - a place in the sun where food and drink are still incredibly cheap. According to travel experts, the strong euro means that it's getting too costly to go on package trips to Spain, so Brits are looking to non-euro countries such as Croatia, Bulgaria and Turkey where they can get more for their money.A typical family holiday costs £1,290 in Spain, compared to £800 to Bulgaria.An average family meal in a Spanish tourist resort will set you back £17, whereas in Croatia you would spend a paltry £4.70.Desperate Spanish hoteliers have slashed prices to tempt people back. Jose Prieto, president of the Malaga Hotel Association, says: "Some hotels in this area are cutting prices by up to 20 per cent."But a Thomas Cook spokesman says: "Turkey, Bulgaria and Croatia are very popular this year."We have added Bulgaria, Croatia and Morocco to our directory because everyone wants to go to these places."They are finding that their spending money is going a long way. People are also flocking to Florida and the Caribbean because you can get two dollars to the pound there."Another nail in the Spanish coffin is the internet which has encouraged millions to put together their own packages - which don't include Spain.An easyJet spokesman says: "We've seen a massive increase in DIY holiday."Because so many people have access to the internet, they are surfing and finding the best bargains to piece together their own holiday."It works out cheaper and you're not restricted to what the package offers you."We've seen significant increases in flights to Hungary, Slovenia and Prague."And Richard Bowden-Doyle, UK managing director of lastminute.com, said: "There's a trend towards people booking later."Two years ago 40 per cent of people booked their holiday six months or more in advance, but that's down to 20 per cent."We all have more uncertainty in our lives and there's a trend towards not making _ a commitment - such as to an expensive holiday - too far in advance."Another sign of the interest in these countries is the commercial property boom they've experienced, with entrepreneurs eager to replicate the success of the bars in Ibiza.Amar Sodhi, director of property firm Avatar International, says: "Initially we started selling in Turkey, but when we moved into Croatia and Bulgaria we realised there was a lot of interest in these countries."The buyers are people who missed out on the Spanish boom, but don't want to miss out on this one."It also seems that more of us are interested in holidays that involve more than applying sun-tan lotion and turning the pages of a paperback.Wey're looking for a bit of adventure and consider the rugged coasts of Turkey or Bulgaria or the romance of north Africa to be more challenging than lounging on the crowded beaches of the Costa del Sol.A spokesman from the Association of British Travel Agents says: "The trendiest destination this year is undoubtedly Eastern Europe and especially the former Yugoslavia."We have been told that many Spanish hoteliers are even travelling to eastern Europe to set up hotels there, because that's where the market is going."People have been to the standard Costa destinations as children and now they're looking for something a little bit different."The British tourist industry has always been very responsive to changes in demand from our customers."Because of this, tour operators are now concentrating more on holidays in other European destinations, and specialist holidays like activity or long-haul breaks." But it's not all misery in Majorca... We may be turning our backs on package holidays but we are buying property so we can take breaks when we feel like it - last year 45 per cent of all homes in Spain sold to non-Spaniards went to British buyers.http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/tm_objectid=14399160&method=full&siteid=50143&headline=the-reign-of-spain-is-over-name_page.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 07 Jul 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8406/1/E-An-area-of-exceptional-beauty-natural-attractions-and-uniqueness.html An area of exceptional beauty, natural attractions and uniquenessÂNew world game series Tour to Italy and CroatiaÂA Mondial tour to romantic Italy and beautiful Croatia, a Lm50 Malta International Airport shopping voucher and a year's membership in the Scrabble Club await the lucky winner of the new word game series starting today. The tour will be made between August 24-31 and includes sightseeing in Rijeka and Trieste.There will be an optional full day city tour of Zagreb and the northern Croatian city of Varadzin, the administrative, economic, cultural and educational centre of the country on the right bank of the river Drava.Another optional excursion will be to Ljubljana, the capital of neighbouring Slovenia - a charming, inexpensive city with a relaxed pace, active café life and fondness for poets, referred to by visitors as "the Prague without tourists".Yet Ljubljana still has its own distinctive character with every nook and cranny filled with whimsical and delightful surprises.The tour offers an optional excursion to the beautiful national park of the Plitvice lakes, an area of exceptional beauty, natural attractions and uniqueness, declared by Unesco as a World's natural inheritance area. Rijeka, one of the most important port cities of Croatia and Trieste, a beautiful city in an idyllic setting backed by a white limestone plateau and facing the Adriatic are included in the tour. Other excursions will be to the unique city of Venice, to the most famous of all Italian resorts, Cortina d'Ampezzo, in the snow-covered Dolomite mountains and to Padua, the city of St Anthony.The winner of the word game which ended last Saturday is being drawn on Tuesday. The prize is a free place on Mondial's Mediterranean Cruise between July 16-23 and a year's membership in the Scrabble Club. The six nine-letter words for the series were undertone, nefarious, pervasive, sentiment, harlequin and undercoat.http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=156240  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 04 Jul 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8405/1/E-Sunset-in-Croatia-July-3-2004.html ÂMario Jurman, 10, fishes for the first time as his father Zeljko looks on during sunset in the Adriatic town of Fazana, Croatia, Saturday, July 3, 2004. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 04 Jul 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8407/1/E-Balmy-days-along-Croatian-Riviera.html ÂBalmy days along Croatian RivieraHi Nenad,I hope you are doing very well. Attached is an article that appeared inyesterday's San Francisco Chronicle. So great to see so much positive presson Croatia. All my American friends are going. This was a 4 page spreadwith large color pictures. On the front page of the Sunday travel section.You might want to add this link to your web site for other's around thecountry to view.http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/06/20/TRGQO773MA1.DTL Best Regards,Martina SolaBalmy days along Croatian Riviera Adriatic isles have flavor of Greece, Italy John Flinn, Chronicle Staff Writer Sunday, June 20, 2004The hiss and gurgle of a cappuccino machine drowns out the drone of the engines as the coastal ferry Marco Polo glides past medieval walled cities and tiny islands crowned with stately monasteries. On the sun deck, bikinied women rise from their lounge chairs to watch a pod of dolphins surfing in our wake. A warm Mediterranean sun is shining, the turquoise sea is flat as glass, and the entire tableau is as idyllic, serene and postcard-perfect as can be. So don't be shocked when I tell you we're in Croatia. For many Americans, the name still conjures disturbing images of ethnic cleansing, unexploded land mines and historic treasures blown apart by artillery shells. But it's been nine years since the last mortar round was fired, and Croatia's exquisite Dalmatian Coast -- which, except for Dubrovnik, was spared major damage -- is rapidly regaining its reputation as the Mediterranean's Next Big Thing. Tourism is still 30 percent below pre-war levels, but it's expected to catch up in a year or two, or certainly by 2007, when Croatia hopes to join the European Union. Chic-seeking Europeans have been returning by the yacht- load, and hardly a week passes without news that a Hollywood celebrity, international soccer star or British royal plans to buy one of the 1,100 islands dotting the coastline.Visitors from the United States are still so few, though, that when I had ferry tickets delivered to my hotel in Hvar, the travel agency didn't bother writing my name on the envelope. "Just give it to the American," the delivery boy told the front desk. Here's what we've been missing: A constellation of sun-drenched Adriatic isles with achingly gorgeous harbor towns, gnarled olive groves, hard-working donkeys, fields of lavender and even those rarest of things in this part of the world, a few white-sand beaches. Oh, and some of the most imposing Roman architecture still standing. The landscape is vaguely Greek, the food definitely Italian and the ambience in the palm-shaded cafes slightly reminiscent of the Côte d'Azur. The visitors are mostly German, French and British, more or less in that order, and their faces have one thing in common: smug grins from having gotten there before the tourist hordes. Recently I spent 10 days island-hopping along the Croatian Riviera, as it's increasingly called, on the coastal ferries between Dubrovnik and Split. The traveling was easier than I'd expected. Ferries were clean, modern, surprisingly cheap and spot-on punctual (although they don't run on a full schedule until June 1, which I discovered the hard way.) Despite what the guidebooks said, just about everyone I met along the coast spoke English. This part of Croatia felt more like the easternmost outpost of Western Europe, which it keenly aspires to be, than the westernmost reach of Eastern Europe. An island squared Two hours up the coast from Dubrovnik is an island, and on the island is a lake, and in the lake is an island. I searched all over this smaller island for a pond, preferably with a tiny island in it, but had to settle for an 12th century Benedictine monastery. Mljet, the main island (pronounced mill-YET), is the greenest, most tranquil, most environmentally protected isle in the Adriatic: Three-quarters of it is covered by a deliciously fragrant forest of oak and Aleppo pine. The entire western half, where you find the island-on-an-island, is a national park. According to local legend, Mljet is Homer's island of Ogygia, where the beautiful goddess Calypso kept Ulysses as her lover for seven years as he tried to return home from the Trojan War. Ask anyone, and they'll give you directions to "Ulysses' Cave," where the Greek hero supposedly spent his days gazing longingly out to sea. Local lore also has it that the apostle Paul was shipwrecked here on his way to Rome. (This, it must be pointed out, is at least the third Mediterranean island I've visited that makes this claim. Either someone is being inventive, or Paul was one guy you did not want to get into a boat with.) Most people visit Mljet as a day trip from Korcula or Dubrovnik, and it can become temporarily crowded as the tour boats disgorge their groups. It's worth spending at least one night on Mljet to savor the sound of birdsong along the cool forest paths and to visit Sveta Marija, the island-on-an-island, when it's not teeming with tourists. There's only one hotel, with a number of private rooms for rent, called sobes. Bus service is limited. A lot of overnighters rent comically small cars called Mini Brums, which look like they escaped from a child's amusement park ride. Your national park entrance fee covers the cost of the boat out to Sveta Marija, but I rented a kayak and paddled across the milky blue lake myself, detouring a few times to investigate intriguing coves and beaches. Sveta Marija ("Island of St. Mary") is home to a Benedictine monastery, which was built in Romanesque style and given a Renaissance-style face lift in the 16th century. Abandoned by the monks in 1869, the monastery building now houses a restaurant. According to one news report, Britain's Prince Charles has expressed interest in adding the place to his real estate portfolio. Because I arrived in Croatia a week before the ferries began their full summer schedule, my itinerary forced me to omit the island of Korcula. This broke my heart during the 40 minutes I spent docked there aboard the ferry. A miniature Dubrovnik, its main town is a medieval grid of streets and buildings made of square-cut limestone. It looked romantic as all get-out. If I'm ever in this part of the world again, I'll make a special point of going there. Hvar from home The island of Hvar, where million-dollar yachts crowd the fishing boats out of the harbor, and where impossibly fashionable, ridiculously tanned Europeans stroll the waterfront in their gold chains, is well on its way to becoming the Mykonos of the Adriatic. A little to my surprise, I quite liked the place. With facades of faded mustard and peeling tangerine, the ornate hotels and homes lining the harbor in Hvar Town are faintly reminiscent of Venice, which once ruled the island. The main square, Trg Sveti Stjepana, a pocket- sized Piazza San Marco with seagulls instead of pigeons, is paved with marble flagstone polished to an alarmingly slippery sheen. In one corner is the handsome Arsenal, which once served as a repair station for Venetian galleons; the Venetians called it "the most beautiful and most useful building in the whole of Dalmatia." It now houses souvenir shops and a small theater. The scent of lavender wafts lightly through town from the little stands selling dried leaves, soap and other products. The hillsides are normally carpeted with lavender in spring and early summer, but a fire last year scorched most of it, and it is expected to be a year or two before it all grows back. These days, most of the lavender sold on Hvar has to be imported. Partly hidden behind a gracious, 16th century loggia, the Hotel Palace, where I stayed, is a boxy, modern hotel with Tito-era ambience and decor. But it's right in the center of the action. I could throw my shutters open in the morning and look straight down on the sloops, schooners and fishing skiffs bobbing in the harbor. This location lost a bit of its romance at 2 a.m., though, as I covered my head with my pillow to muffle the throb of the Euro- pop blaring from the waterfront clubs. There are, if you need them, a number of diversions. You can climb the steep, twisting streets, as I did, to the hilltop castle called Fortress Spanjol for sweeping views of the town and offshore islands. Or you could hire an off-duty fisherman to ferry you over to the nearby islands of Jerolim and Marinkovic, with their nude beaches, which I did not. More fun, though, was wandering the cool, narrow, car-free streets in the late afternoon before settling into an outdoor cafe along the harbor for some serious people-watching. I'd order a glass of bijelo vino (white wine) and sometimes a plate of the local prosciutto, known as prsut to the vowel-stingy Croats, and take in the passing parade of beautiful people. Splendor of Split Around 300 A.D., when the Roman emperor Diocletian grew bored with feeding Christians to the lions, he put an army of slaves to work building a vast and magnificent palace for himself on the distant shore of the Adriatic, near the village of his birth. Today Diocletian's fortified retirement home, large portions of which are still intact, is the historic downtown of Split, the second-largest city in Croatia. About 3,000 people live in the 220 buildings within the old palace walls; the whole thing is a UNESCO World Heritage site.Instead of toppled columns and outlines of brick foundations, you see standing Roman buildings that look more or less as they did in Diocletian's day. Parts of the city were modified during the Middle Ages, but it's possible to stroll the colonnaded streets and come upon spots that require only a little imagination to hear the rustle of togas. My favorite was the little piazza that occupies the peristyle, the ceremonial courtyard outside the imperial residence. On one side, behind a row of six granite columns, an Egyptian sphinx and a medieval belfry, is Diocletian's octagonal mausoleum, with its chiseled Latin inscriptions. To the front is the grand protiron, the ornate entrance where the retired emperor, flanked by guards and dressed in swanky silk, would make his ceremonial approach before a crowd prostrated on the very granite floor upon which my cafe chair rested. As the waiter set down a glass of bijelo vino on my table and the setting sun warmed the polished stone, I fully understand why the Roman emperor, who had his pick of pretty much anywhere in Western world, chose to live out his days in the place that 1,700 years later would later come to be known as the Croatian Riviera. If you go The unit of currency is the Croatian kuna (abbreviated KN in Croatia, HRK in foreign exchange). Getting there Lufthansa, code-sharing with United Airlines, flies from San Francisco to Zagreb, via Munich. Croatia Airlines (www.croatiaairlines.hr ) flies from Zagreb to Dubrovnik and Split several times a day. It and various European airlines also fly from London and other major European cities to Dubrovnik in summer. Getting around Jadrolinija (www.jadrolinija.hr) operates large car ferries and smaller passenger-only ferries along the Dalmatian Coast, connecting most islands in the summer. Smaller companies such as Sem Marina (www.sem-marina.hr) run faster, pricier catamarans and hydrofoils. Ask at your hotel. Where to stay Most tourist hotels are bland, uninspiring Tito-era places that are generally clean and offer large but not always delicious breakfast buffets. Service varies. Expect to pay roughly $100 US a night. On stays of less than three nights, rates often go up 30 percent. Your other option is sobes, private rooms for rent. Occasionally you can find these on the Web, but more often the owners just meet arriving ferries and buses and try to strike deals. Travelers I talked to paid anywhere from $15 to $60 a night, and most were quite happy with their accommodations. On Mljet, there's only one hotel, the Hotel Odisej (011-385-20-744-022, www.hotelodisej.hr ), with a good location and pleasant staff. Summer rates are about 216 KN (about $36 US) per person per night in a double room, with various taxes and national park fees that bring the total up to about $90 a night for a couple. On Hvar, I stayed at the Hotel Palace (011-385-21-741-966; www.suncanihvar.hr ), where doubles in summer run from 240-278 KN ($40-$46 US) per person per night for a double, plus the 30 percent penalty for staying fewer than three nights.In Split, I splurged at the very nice Hotel Park (011-385-21-406-400, www.hotelpark-split.hr), a 10-minute walk from the Old Town. Summer rates are 960 KN ($160 US) per night for a double. Where to eat Most mid-priced food is generic Italian tourist-menu fare, with an emphasis on seafood -- not bad, but generally lackluster. Pizza abounds, some of it quite decent. On Hvar, Gostionica Luna (local phone, 21-741400), on a street one block uphill from the main square, offers hip decor and a big jump in quality from the tourist places around the harbor for not much more money. Dinner for two with wine, 290 KN ($48.50 US). In Split, Restaurant Stellon (www.stellon-split.com), in the restaurant-and-club complex next to Bacvice Beach, near the Hotel Park, has great sunset views and the best pizza I had in Croatia. Pizza and salads for two with wine, 150 KN ($25 US). What to do On Mljet, double kayaks and single bikes rent for 20 KN ($3.35 US) per hour. Rent them next to the dock on Veliko Jezero (the big lake), where you catch the boat to the small island. For more information Croatian National Tourist Board, 350 Fifth Ave., Suite 4003, New York, NY10118. (800) 829-4416 or (212) 279-8672; us.croatia.hr. E-mail Executive Travel Editor John Flinn attravel@sfchronicle.com . http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/06/20/TRGQO773MA1.DTL  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 21 Jun 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8408/1/E-10000000-ANSARI-X-PRIZE---Space-Travel---Success.html ÂSpace Travel - ANSARI X PRIZEThe ANSARI X PRIZE is a $10,000,000 prize to jumpstart the space tourism industry through competition between the most talented entrepreneurs and rocket experts in the world. The $10 Million cash prize will be awarded to the first team that: Privately finances, builds & launches a spaceship, able to carry three people to 100 kilometers (62.5 miles) Returns safely to Earth Repeats the launch with the same ship within 2 weeks The ANSARI X PRIZE competition follows in the footsteps of more than 100 aviation incentive prizes offered between 1905 and 1935 which created today's multibillion dollar air transport industry. (read the detailed ANSARI X PRIZE Guidelines)For more than 30 years, the general public has waited for an opportunity to enjoy the space frontier on a first-hand basis. The X PRIZE Foundation is working to make space travel possible for all. The spaceships that compete for the ANSARI X PRIZE are designed to carry passengers.Since its inception in May 1996, the X PRIZE Foundation has registered more than 20 teams from seven countries to compete for the prize. The ANSARI X PRIZE is fully funded through January 1, 2005, through private donations and backed by an insurance policy to guarantee that the $10 million is in place on the day that the prize is won. Additional funds are still being raised by the X PRIZE Foundation to implement the competition (judging, media, event management, etc.) and continue the Foundation's education mission.The ANSARI X PRIZE was inspired by the early aviation prizes of the 20th Century, primarily the spectacular trans-Atlantic flight of Charles Lindbergh in The Spirit of St. Louis which captured the US $25,000 (US$) Orteig prize in 1927. Through a smaller, faster, better approach to aviation, Lindbergh and his financial supporters, The Spirit of St. Louis Organization, demonstrated that a small professional team could outperform a large, government-style effort.The Societal Benefits of the ANSARI X PRIZE include: Creation of a new generation of heroes Inspiring and educating students Focusing public attention and investment capital on this new business frontier Challenging explorers and rocket scientists around the world; and, Vehicles built for the ANSARI X PRIZE will eventually serve four different industries: Space Tourism Low-cost satellite launching Same-day package delivery Rapid point-to-point passenger travel X PRIZE FOUNDER SPEAKS AT WORLD SPACE CONGRESS 05.02.2004Peter Diamandis, Chairman of the X PRIZE Foundation, presented the present and future of the X PRIZE competition and the follow-on the X PRIZE CUP to a large audience at the 41st Space Congress held in Cape Canaveral, FL, on April 27-29th. Diamandis stated that, "We do expect the ANSARI X PRIZE to be captured within three to five months," and that "We will be making a decision [whether to host the X PRIZE CUP in Florida or New Mexico] and announcing it in the next month or so."ANSARI X PRIZE TEAMS HOLD 2-DAY SUMMIT IN LOS ANGELES 04.08.04ANSARI X PRIZE leaders from 12 teams gathered at a 2-day meeting in Los Angeles to trade experiences, discuss the future of sub-orbital tourism, and discuss the X PRIZE CUP.Pictured here (Left to Right): Dumitru Popescu, ARCA, Romania; Pablo DeLeon, DeLeon, Argentina; Oded Loebl, ILAT, Isreal; Eric Meier, Space Transport, USA; Steve Bennett, Starchaser, UK; Burt Rutan, Scaled Composites, USA; Randa Milliron, Interorbital Systems, USA, Chuck Lauer, Rocketplane LTD, USA; Brian Feeney, daVinci Project, Canada; Neil Milburn, Armadillo, USA, Tim Pickens, HARC, USA; Lori Sheerin, Canadian Arrow, Canada The X PRIZE Foundation722-A Spirit of St. Louis BlvdSt. Louis, Mo. 63005Tel: 636-519-9449Fax: 314-533-6502 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 20 Jun 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8409/1/E-11-lighthouses-on-coast-of-Croatia-rentable-retreats.html Â11 lighthouses on coast of Croatia rentable retreatsÂÂThe trick is being comfortable with isolationEUGENE BRCICAssociated PressPosted on Sun, Jun. 13, 2004 SVETI IVAN NA PUCINI, Croatia - A picture-perfect lighthouse in the Adriatic Sea stands out like a weathered relic above the cobalt-and-crimson horizon.Built in 1853 as a beacon for 19th-century mariners, this Croatian lighthouse and others like it are being used as 21st-century retreats. For a couple of days or a week of splendid isolation, tourists can escape the hectic pace of modern life with a Robinson Crusoe adventure in one of 11 lighthouses up for rent this season.The lighthouses -- some close to 200 years old but all still working -- are the twinkling jewels on a bracelet of islands strung out along Croatia's crystal-clear Adriatic coastline.After island-hopping for four days, Sveti Ivan Na Pucini -- "St. John of the High Seas" -- was my pick for a brief overnight escape.It was barely the size of a regulation baseball field, taking me only a few minutes to circumnavigate its rocky perimeters -- though barefooted thrill-seekers should calculate the extra time needed to negotiate some of the razor-sharp ridges.I had planned to do lofty and constructive things during my stay. I couldn't wait to abandon the rat-race of the office, to unwind and recharge my batteries -- perhaps even to contemplate the finer elements of life, like nature and humanity.But the novelty of solitude began wearing off soon after I disembarked from the dinghy that was my lifeline to civilization.Tick, tick, tick. There's no doubt about it, even the seconds and minutes are on holidays out here. I was a stranded whale, waiting helplessly for Greenpeace to haul me back home.The lighthouse keeper, Zoran Marovic, was just that, "keeping" mostly to himself and to Tara, a crossbreed terrier. Marovic made his presence known mostly through his croaky voice, as he radioed in a carefully examined synopsis of meteorological data that included water temperatures, wind velocity, shape and makeup of clouds -- every three hours on the dot.Legend has it that St. John, the southernmost isle on an archipelago of 13, owes its name to a Venetian duke. The duke beseeched the saint to spare his life and those of his shipmates after sailing into troubled waters on a voyage to the nearby town of Rovinj.Reaching the shore safely, the unknown duke neglected his vow to light a candle in tribute to St. John in a chapel on the mainland. A wrathful tempest sank his vessel upon return to the gates of Venice, killing all on board.A good bedtime story. But it wasn't even noon, and I was already yawning.In desperation, I turned to yoga. No experience, but how difficult can it be to do some deep breathing, stretching and meditation?The setting was right. Nothing but blue skies, blue seas and blue -- ouch -- bruises. Untrained and inflexible, I gave up on trying to twist my limbs into new shapes. Besides, I already was in a state of bliss -- this was, after all, a deserted island, with just me, Friday and his scruffy dog.Then -- a flash of nirvana! How about just relaxing, kicking my feet up and doing nothing -- zip, zilch, nada?Words cannot do justice to the feeling of a gentle breeze caressing your cheeks, bringing with it fresh juniper- and salt-scented air as you gaze into pristine waters, while sun and clouds conspire to create turquoise, emerald or quicksilver reflections.Then there is the breathtaking closeness of the universe at twilight; the luminescence of the moon or the brilliance of the stars, and the taste of Marovic's grilled block-tailed sea bream, lathered in olive oil, with a sprinkling of garlic and parsley, washed down with a glass too many of robust red wine.Once I reached the right mood of contemplation, the minutes and hours flew by. My respite from reality was over much too soon, and bliss was replaced by pangs of regret as the same weathered dinghy that brought me here slowly began carrying me away.Peekin' at the BeaconBASICSGETTING THERE: British Airlines and other airlines have direct flights several times a week to Croatian cities along the coast, while most commercial airlines have direct flights to the capital, Zagreb, with connecting Croatia Airlines flights to Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar and Pula. Rovinj is about 12 miles from Pula. Details: www.croatiaairlines.hr.COST: St. John of the High Seas lighthouse has two double-bedroom apartments available for rent. A week's stay in either apartment in peak summer season costs $1,063, dropping to $642 during the off-season. The nearest town, Rovinj, is a 40-minute boat ride away; transportation fee is $120.AMENITIES: There is a solid cell phone signal but no landline phone service from the lighthouse. Energy is solar-powered but there is enough to watch TV, take warm showers, charge your laptop, etc. A fresh breeze from the sea makes air conditioning unnecessary.TIPS: Purchase food staples in Rovinj beforehand; each apartment has a kitchen and cooking utensils. (The lighthouse keepers don't usually prepare meals for guests, but you may be able to arrange this informally, either through Adriatica or by asking the keeper politely if he'd like to dine in your company and share a fine bottle of wine.) Resupply can be arranged through the keeper, who makes regular trips to the mainland. Although each lighthouse is equipped with radio stations, and rescue helicopters and sea patrols are on alert in case of medical emergencies, stays on remote island lighthouses are not recommended for those not in good health. Fickle weather can delay assistance.RESOURCESInfo or help in planning a trip to St. John or the other lighthouses: www.adriatica.net. The staff at Adriatica is flexible and can organize transportation or cater to other requests.http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/living/travel/8911832.htm?1c http://www.adriatica.net/lighthouse/main_en.htm  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 14 Jun 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8355/1/E-Croatia-more-beautiful-than-the-French-Riviera-and-the-Italian-Coast-put-together.html   "The Adriatic Coast and all the islands alongCroatia, more beautiful than the French Riviera and the Italian Coast put together."   Travelers Drawn to Old World Feel of Eastern EuropeWednesday May 25, 7:14 am ET TripAdvisor User Survey Reveals Travelers Bypassing Traditional Western European Mainstays for Hidden Charms of the 'Other Europe' NEEDHAM, Mass., May 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Prague is the new Paris. According to a survey of nearly 700 TripAdvisor users, 91 percent consider Eastern Europe more appealing than Western Europe for leisure travel. Of that group, 39 percent said Eastern Europe was appealing because it is more "authentic," 25 percent because it is more affordable and 15 percent because it is more beautiful than Western Europe. Sixty-eight percent of those surveyed have already visited Eastern Europe and 52 percent are currently planning a trip."It's pretty clear that smart travelers are looking eastward in Europe for value, authenticity and new experiences," said Michele Perry, TripAdvisor spokesperson. "The countries of Eastern Europe are more accessible than ever and present unique opportunities appealing to curious and adventurous travelers."TripAdvisor offers travelers an honest guide to Eastern Europe with an insider's look at what's hot and what's not, based on the opinions of real travelers.TOP DESTINATIONS - TripAdvisor's favorite Eastern European cities, basedon May 2005 user survey1. Prague, Czech Republic2. Budapest, Hungary3. St. Petersburg, Russia4. Krakow, PolandTRAVEL BUZZ - TripAdvisor's tips on traveling to Eastern Europe, based on May 2005 user survey1. Get religion - "I'm not religious, but I thought the Black Madonna inCzestochowa, Poland was truly spiritual."2. The French Riviera is so ... 20 minutes ago - "The Adriatic Coast andall the islands along Croatia, more beautiful than the French Rivieraand the Italian Coast put together."3. Lights out - "Prague at night from the St. Charles Bridge - like afairy tale."4. Get real - "The neighborhood of 'Zizkov' in Prague. Including thelocal bars and restaurants, Televizni tower and 'Infinity' nightcluboff Vinohradska Street. These are places where I could really feelthe authentic Prague over the touristic Prague."MUST SEES - TripAdvisor's top picks for places to see in Eastern Europe, based on May 2005 user survey1. Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg2. The Charles Bridge, Prague3. Old Town in Prague; Old City in Dubrovnik; Old Bohemia in Budapest; OldTown in Tallin4. Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland5. Adriatic/Dalmatian Coastline, Croatia6. Dracula Castle, Romania7. Red Square, MoscowHIDDEN GEMS - TripAdvisor users reveal "secret" spots that are sure to please, based on May 2005 user survey1. Sand Dunes of Nida, Lithuania2. Tatra Mountains, Poland3. Salt Mines, PolandRANTS & RAVES - Pearls of wisdom from experienced TripAdvisor travelers, based on May 2005 user survey and Forums1. Be careful who you call Eastern - "The Czechs do not feel they are inEastern Europe, rather Central Europe!"2. Prague or Budapest? - "No need to be torn, Prague wins hands down.More beautiful, cheaper, more friendly, more interesting, just moremore more." (TripAdvisor User - UK, April 26, 2005)3. Budapest or Prague? - "Having visited both Prague and Budapest withinweeks of each other two summers ago, I preferred Budapest. Prague wasbeautiful but it was overrun with tourists and I truly felt like I wasin the Magic Kingdom. I would like to return in the off-season.Budapest, on the other hand, felt like an actual 'getaway.' It waspicturesque and romantic with great restaurants, beautifularchitecture and wonderful people."4. While in St. Pete ... - "I have been to St. Pete 3 times and going foranother week in June. The 'Must See' is Peterhof. Easily gotten to byHydrofoil at the Winter Palace. The other MUST see is the CatherinePalace and the Amber Room there. The Hermitage is next (center ofcity). Church on Spilled Blood is easy to get to also and quitemagnificent." (TripAdvisor User - Greenville, SC, May 8, 2005)TOP HOTELS - TripAdvisor's best bets in top 4 Eastern European cities (top cities determined by May 2005 user survey)Prague, Czech RepublicAndel's Design Hotel, Stroupeznickeho 21, Prague 5, Prague 1500097 Reviews, most recent posted on May 22, 2005Average Price: US$ 195"Nice hotel in great location. Just across the river from old town (short walk or subway ride away), close to park and castle. Clean, friendly staff, free internet in lobby." (TripAdvisor User - Texas, May 19, 2005)Budapest, HungaryLe Meredien Budapest, Erzsebet Ter 9-10, Budapest 105137 Reviews, most recent posted on April 12, 2005Average Price: US$ 260"The location is great, the hotel is situated within a stones throw of the Chain Bridge and the Vaci Utca. We cannot praise this hotel highly enough; the room, the location and the staff." (TripAdvisor User - Manchester, UK, April 12, 2005)St. Petersburg, RussiaDostoevsky Hotel, Vladimirsky prospekt, 19, St. Petersburg 1910027 Reviews, most recent posted on May 18, 2005Average Price: US$ 244"The staff were delightful, all young, speaking very good English and incredibly helpful. They made sure we had everything we needed, booked ballet tickets, taxis and found out details of tours, etc. The room, although small, had all that was required." (TripAdvisor User - Godalming, UK, May 12, 2005)Krakow, PolandRegent Hotel, 19 Bozego Ciala St, Krakow 31-0597 Reviews, most recent posted on May 21, 2005Average Price: US$ 66"Hotel was excellent, the reception staff were very helpful. Nice big rooms, brilliant shower and very good breakfast. The Jewish district is peppered with brilliant bars, mainly for the youngsters but that didn't stop us from frequenting them till the wee small hours ... no loud music just cheap beer and top vodka ... " (TripAdvisor User - Lancashire, UK, May 21, 2005)Note: TripAdvisor calculates an average price for each hotel, which is based on the rates of available rooms obtained from booking partners and other independent sources of pricing information. In addition, average hotel prices are updated nightly based on prevailing conversion rates. These are only estimates and not guarantees. Rates are subject to seasonal fluctuations.About TripAdvisorTripAdvisor.com is the most popular travel information and recommendation destination worldwide (according to comScore Media Metrix, January 2005), with more than 1.8 million unbiased reviews and opinions and covering nearly 200,000 hotels and attractions. A popular travel homebase with more than 13 million unique monthly visitors, TripAdvisor.com offers easy access to major worldwide online travel sites, including Expedia, Orbitz, hotels.com, American Airlines and Travelocity, for the best deals on the Web. TripAdvisor offers travel suppliers a cost-per-click marketing platform, guaranteeing the budgeted number of leads (not just impressions) with every campaign. Winner of dozens of awards, including PC Magazine's Top 100 Web Sites and Forbes Best of the Web, TripAdvisor is part of IAC/InterActiveCorp (Nasdaq: IACI - News).CONTACT:Kelly Burke, Mullen(978) 468-8936kelly.burke@mullen.comSource: TripAdvisorhttp://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050525/new013.html?.v=13   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 25 May 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8411/1/E-Vis-as-Croatian-as-it-gets---BBC.html   King Willow's Adriatic conquestBy Alex Kirby BBC News Online environment correspondent The Adriatic tourist trade is picking up again You might not suppose a small island in the central Adriatic would have had much to do with Britain. I didn't, and I kept finding out how wrong I was. Vis, nearly thirty miles south of Split off the coast of Dalmatia, has had an interesting half century. It was where Tito made his headquarters in World War II: soon afterwards, he seized control of Yugoslavia, which he ruled autocratically until his death in 1980. From his assumption of power almost until Croatia became independent in 1991, Vis was out of bounds to most Yugoslavs, a military reserve with an isolated civilian population. Today, apart from a litter of deserted barracks and abandoned tunnels, Vis is doing quite well out of its long quarantine. Those people who stayed are fairly cheerful, though there are few jobs, most of them in fishing. But many have decamped to the mainland or headed abroad. Lotus eaters Birds and marine life survive in greater numbers than on many more accessible islands, and there is no sign yet of pell-mell tourist development, though everyone recognises the potential for it. Every prospect pleases on Vis - for now At the moment, Vis is still laid-back and heedless of time. Zoran, a former journalist, invited me on a half-hour walk to an abandoned village. We reached it after 90 minutes, sat by someone's fireside for several hours, and stumbled home down a rocky path by moonlight, too late for dinner, though Zoran didn't mind. People press you to try the pilchard pie which is one of the local staples, or the island's wine, too good to reach the mainland. A walk along a scrub-covered hillside betrays no sound or scent of traffic, but leaves you heady with the aromas of rosemary and sage. Before long, all that may change. And if the steady trickle of tourists turns into a deluge heading for sun and fun, those from Britain need not feel homesick. My first surprise was the Fortress of King George, guarding a headland above the harbour of the island's main town. It was built in 1812, during the four years when Vis was a British possession. Still remembered If you doubt its origin, look at the stone slab above the main gateway: a carved Union flag, and a tribute to George III. Vis can prove it once was British There is an echo of that across the other side of the harbour, in the British military cemetery behind St George's Church. The oldest memorial there commemorates 11 sailors from the British battleship Victorious, who died of their wounds in 1812 after engaging with a French man-of-war near the coast of Venice. The most recent tablet on the cemetery's walls, placed there in 1999, reads simply: "In memory of the British forces who from this island of Vis gave their lives in comradeship, supporting Tito's army of liberation..." A couple of miles above the town, on a broad and gently sloping plateau, there are two parallel lines of concrete posts, marking out the limits of a runway.Olives grow now on the land between the posts, but a nearby stone still carries a dedication to the men of the RAF who died over Croatia in the second world war. More recent conflicts may have blurred memories of the old bitterness. But in one respect, Vis has decided to hark back to the brief spell when it was a truly British island - it has formed a cricket club. More accurately, it has revived the club which played here nearly two centuries ago, in Britain's Adriatic heyday. French victors The club's rebirth is the work of a Croat, Oliver Roki: he learnt to love the game from his father, who lived in Australia. It has been going two years, and has 20 adults and 50 younger members. Oliver's claims to distinction on the pitch are varied. He was the only person on the island who knew the rules of the game when he first suggested the club - and in its inaugural match, he boasts of having scored the first duck on Vis in 200 years. He is convinced that cricket is catching on in Croatia, though local opponents remain scarce - a club in Zagreb, and another just begun in a small town near the capital. But there have been visits by teams from France and a pub in Cambridge. Vis lost to both of them, but still pulled in 200 spectators, Oliver says, none of whom understood the first thing they were watching. This summer, the islanders are looking forward to a visit by a Royal Navy side, and hoping for a game with their Ionian neighbours on Corfu, where cricket is a much older tradition. Suckers for sustenance There is already a thriving trade in selling properties on Vis to foreign buyers. One British couple were so entranced with the house the agent showed them that they bought it on the spot, unfazed that the sale was taking place late at night and they had yet to see the property in daylight. The cricket club may soon have an infusion of new blood, and the hillsides and beaches which few outsiders have seen for more than 60 years will begin to fill up. Some signs of a new and more popular phase in the island's life are there already. One Vis restaurant has a Dalmatian novelty on offer - an octopus-burger. There are even chips to go with it. I'm not sure I can see it catching on, though. From Our Own Correspondent was broadcast on Saturday, 22 May, 2004 at 1130 BST on BBC Radio 4. Please check the programme schedules for World Service transmission times. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/3737101.stm   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 22 May 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8412/1/E-Croatia-the-new-darling-of-the-Mediterranean-tourist-scene.html ÂCroatia, the new darling of the Mediterranean tourist sceneBathing in the warm Adriatic sun By Faith Glasgow Published: May 13 2004 15:26 | Last Updated: May 13 2004 15:26 Croatia, basking in the glory of its 1,400 miles of unspoilt coastline and 1,165 idyllic islands, is the new darling of the Mediterranean tourist scene.British holidaymakers looking for an affordable alternative to the CÃte d'Azur or Tuscany have certainly voted with their feet.According to the Croatian tourist board, the number of visitors more than tripled from 1999 to 2003 (though they are still only around a third of the level in 1990, before the Yugoslavian conflict).Tourist enthusiasm has spilled over into the international second-home market - still in its infancy and with rough corners yet to be sorted out, but growing rapidly. In April, for example, UK-based estate agent FPD Savills announced a formal link-up with Dubrovnik-based property agent Croatiansun."Quite a few of our clients have expressed interest in buying a villa there after yachting around the islands, and we felt Croatiansun had done their homework on purchase procedures," says Charles Weston Baker, head of FPD Savills' international department.The same week, the London launch of a scheme by property investment company Letterstone, offering investors the opportunity to buy into an upmarket island development with guaranteed rental returns, attracted so much interest that the venue had to be changed at short notice.The attractions, beyond issues of stunningly beautiful scenery and sailing paradise, are several. For a start, Croatia is only a two-and-a-half-hour flight from the UK and has become more accessible to Britons with the introduction in March of thrice-weekly British Airways flights to Dubrovnik.Second, the international property market there is still so immature as to offer interesting opportunities for investors. Paul Keppler, managing director of Croatiansun (which has a sister company based in Spain), estimates that new apartments in Dubrovnik, the most expensive place to buy, are about half the price of comparable properties on the Costa del Sol in Spain. "Admittedly, prices in Dubrovnik have risen about 20 per cent in the past 12 to 18 months, but they came from a very low starting point," he says.But the youthfulness of the market brings its own challenges. Maria Bennett is an enterprising Irish woman who fell in love with the country and bought a flat in a 11th-century convent in old Dubrovnik for Â25,000 six years ago. Fired with enthusiasm, she and a Croatian partner set up a UK-based search agency attempting to find Croatian properties for UK buyers."We had more than 500 people registered and tremendous support from the Croatian ambassador in London, but the big problem was a massive shortage of supply," she explains."Basically, Croatian families prefer to leave property to their kids rather than sell it, and local estate agents didn't want to deal with foreigners; so we would be offered the dregs for our clients - things that had been started in the 1980s and never finished, or old ruins, often belonging to an extended family and therefore very difficult to negotiate on.I planned initially to team up with a local estate agent but there just weren't any I felt I could work with and trust." Lack of money and the complexities of the market finally defeated Bennett, though she still owns her flat (now worth about Â65,000)."The biggest difficulty remains the supply of suitable holiday property," says Keppler. "We just don't have any smart new three-bedroom villas for an international market at this stage, so it's a matter of building your own or picking through the limited domestic market." That will change gradually as developers become more active and also as existing foreign owners put their properties on the market.Meanwhile, Keppler estimates that around Â100,000 would see you comfortably installed in your own custom-built Mediterranean beachfront idyll on one of the islands.So far, though, most of Croatiansun's buyers have been investment-oriented, looking for capital growth and rental yield from good quality holiday apartments that can easily be rented out to the growing tourist market."Two bedroom apartments are currently around Â100,000 in Dubrovnik, and we're seeing yields of around 8 per cent, net of management charges," says Keppler.British and other foreign developers are now in evidence, building schemes geared to this international tourist demand.But the Croatian government is reassuringly keen to avoid the architectural eyesores blighting other parts of the Med, and strict building controls limit the number of storeys, building density and proximity to the sea.Deep Blue is a marina development, near Zadar in northern Dalmatia, complete with health-spa hotel, bars and restaurants. Fifty of the 400 apartments are being offered to investors by Letterstone, with a guaranteed rental yield of at least 6 per cent for the first three years (or 5 per cent if you opt to use your property yourself for up to four weeks a year). Prices range from Â60,000 to Â150,000.But, as chief executive Simon Hill explains, this is not an opportunity for novice buy-to-let investors. "At the moment the property scene is still pretty backward, both in price terms and as far as the market infrastructure is concerned," he says.For example, it's not easy to arrange a mortgage for properties. "We have arrangements with two local banks, and have also persuaded Royal Bank of Scotland to create a product for UK buyers in Croatia, but it requires a minimum 30 per cent deposit," says Hill. "To be honest, though, we expect many buyers at Deep Blue will come with cash."Land ownership is another challenge awaiting the unwary buyer. A property may well have been in the same family for generations, so that several different branches of the family have a stake in it and all must sign up to the sale. However, Keppler stresses that Croatiansun will do all that work before marketing any property. "Anything we sell is offered with a clean title and ready to go," he says.Furthermore there are few estate agents on the ground catering for international buyers and the industry is entirely unregulated, though from July estate agents will have to be registered with Croatia's Chamber of Commerce.Croatia is set to join the EU in 2007, and Simon Hill expects that will help speed the process of modernisation, encouraging system computerisation and the introduction of more accessible mortgages. But it will also narrow Croatia's price advantages over Spain, Portugal and France.DETAILSBuying in Croatia: You can buy as a private individual, but this involves finding a property you want and then obtaining permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which can take up to a year.Most people buy first and then try getting approval (given to 95-98 per cent of applicants) The alternative is to set up a Croatian company, which can take a month and a half. There’s no need for government permission if you take this route, but there are various other legal and financial considerations and you need a good lawyer either way.http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1083180454630 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 17 May 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8410/1/E-Croatian-all-stars-1000-idyllic-islands-line-this-stunning-stretch.html   Croatian all-stars   More than 1,000 idyllic islands line this stunning stretch of Adriatic coast   May 16, 2004 The Sunday TimesCroatian all-starsMore than 1,000 idyllic islands line this stunning stretch of Adriatic coast — which one is right for your summer escape? Andrew Thomas presents the bestPicture this: you’re sipping a cappuccino on the sunbaked wooden deck of a ferry steaming between idyllic islands. A pair of dolphins chase at the stern, and two yachts — their blue and white sails puffed out pompously — race towards your wash. Otherwise, the water is as smooth as a satin sheet. The Seychelles? Southeast Asia? Absolutely not. The ship is called Dubrovnik, and this is island- hopping Croatian-style. Croatia has attracted all manner of tags and accolades recently, from “the new Greece” to “the post-war paradise”. Believe the hype. The country’s islands are about to hit the big time — again. Before war tore up the Balkans, Yugoslavia welcomed more Brits and Irish than anywhere except Spain. When the country split, Croatia won the lion’s share of the coast, and today, tourism is its most important industry. About 150,000 of us holidayed there in 2003, and this year there will be more direct flights from Britain than ever before. Aside from Dubrovnik, it’s the islands that people come for: 1,185 of them in all, speckling the Adriatic coastline like green ink flicked across a turquoise page. Just 66 are inhabited. There are three main clusters: the northern Kvarner group, including Krk, Cres and Rab; the central islands, notably the Kornati archipelago; and the popular, easy-access southern Dalmatian group between Split and Dubrovnik. While harder to pigeonhole than others in the Med, the islands are starting to develop their own characters. Here is our choice of 10 of the best. Unless otherwise stated, all package prices are per person, based on two sharing, and include flights from London. A wide range of regional departures is available — for further details, see Getting to your island or ask your tour operator BRAC The activity island After Goran Ivanisevic won Wimbledon in 2001, 300,000 Croatians turned out to welcome him home. Even today, a mere mention of the former champion’s name elicits a wistful look from his countrymen. Tennis is big in Croatia, and on Brac, a hive of offshore activity holidays, and Goran’s summer home, it is biggest of all. A largish, oval island, Brac has a pine-fringed coast and an arid interior. Farming has always been hard here, and for many years the island’s biggest export was its white stone: Washington’s White House was one beneficiary. People visit Brac, though, not for its rock-strewn interior, but for its wonderfully accessible coast. Goran chose the island because it is close to his home town of Split — and with hourly ferries from there and regular flights from Zagreb, Brac is the best-connected of all the central Dalmatian islands. It’s hugely popular with weekending Croats in search of a quick burst of sporting R&R. Given the island’s popularity with mainland city-dwellers — people who like other people — it is unsurprising that a single town has become the focal point for Brac’s fun. Bol is on Brac’s southern shore and offers plenty of sporting diversions. Every May, the town’s tennis centre hosts a pre-Wimbledon tournament; and at other times, its 22 clay courts are open for hire. “Centre court” costs Â6 an hour — then you just need to find 2,000 friends to cheer from the stands (for free). Bol is also a popular windsurfing centre: reliable breezes mean the island attracts surfers from across Europe. Four-day courses with Orca-Sport (00 385-98 286600, www.orca-sport.com) cost Â75. Diving, too, is an attraction — there are some excellent caves close to shore (21 635367, www.nautic-center-bol.com). Brac is the highest island in the Croatian Adriatic, and a two-hour uphill climb will bring you to the Vidova Gora peak, with stunning views back towards the mainland and south over Hvar and Vis. King of coves here is the postcard- perfect Zlatni Rat, a mile from the centre of Bol. A spit of land juts into the sea like a curving horn, and there’s a double- triangle wedge of trees and pebble-beach. Zlatni Rat gets packed in summer, but remains the place to relax after a day living life to the max. Staying: Hotel Kastil (21 635995, www.kastil.hr; doubles from Â36) has lovely rooms, all with sea views. Or to book rooms in guesthouses and private homes, try Bol Tours (21 635694, www.bondtours.com) Eating: Jandranka (21 635434, Â9pp) is good for seafood and exceptionally friendly service. Or try the consistently popular Konoba Gust (21 635911, Â14).Nightlife: Faces nightclub (21 321006), on the hill above town, is owned by a famous Croatian footballer and each night hosts 2,000 hedonists dancing alfresco. Sample package: Bond Tours (01372 745300, www.bondtours.com) has a week at the Hotel Kastil, half-board, from Â399. RAB The sandy island Sand is in short supply in Croatia. Most beaches are pebble, shingle or — in extreme cases — concrete. Coming across the real deal, as you do on Rab, is quite a thrill. This island is shaped like a lobster, and its long, barren “body” is a desolate place, whipped by the bura wind and almost devoid of life. The island’s west-facing head and claws, though, more than make up for it. It is here, in the most sheltered part of the island, that you’ll find Rab’s greenery, its most attractive town and that precious sand. The beaches to head for are those around San Marino, on the Lopar peninsula. Otherwise known as “Paradise Beach” — yes, sand is that unusual — the main bay is just about big enough to cope with the summer crowds. Beyond the beach lies the island’s main settlement, Rab town, and it is one of the Adriatic’s best. Its Great Bell Tower looks like the crow’s-nest of a grounded ocean liner, while the medieval town is crammed onto the deck below — all romanesque towers, shuttered houses and streets so worn they shine. Rab town occupies a peninsula: on the port side is a busy marina; on the starboard, an urban beach. Altogether it’s an exquisite place: think San Gimignano overlooking Mon-aco harbour. The town is also the place to bag a boat trip (Â15). At 9.30am, vessels leave the marina, taking tourists to otherwise inaccessible coves or to visit Goli Otok — once a prison island for those who fell out of favour with Tito’s regime.Staying: the best hotel in town is Hotel Istra (00 385-51 724276), overlooking the marina: Â30pp, B&B. The Dragica Pansion (51 775420), set just back from the beach on the Lopar peninsula, is also a good choice: Â20, B&B. For private rooms on the island, try Katurbo (51 724495, www.katurbo.hr)Eating: for seafood — especially mussels — you’ll struggle to beat Labarint (Â15 for two courses, including wine). Nightlife: for sundowners, it has to be the Banova Vila bar, on Rab town’s western promenade. It even has its own water-polo court just offshore. Sample package: Hidden Croatia (020 7736 6066, www.hiddencroatia.com) has a week, half-board, at the Padova Hotel in Rab town from Â429 in July. HVAR The flashy island Most ports smell of fish. Hvar’s smells of lavender. This is where the rich and beautiful come to play and the rest of the world comes to watch. Approaching from the water, the island is like a long and especially creamy cake, topped by a confection of rippled hills. Once ashore, it’s the colours that hit you. Most of the year, Hvar is covered in verdant greens — heathers and firs — but in spring and early summer they give way to the rich purple lavender for which the island is famed. With beauty comes success. Hvar town, a renaissance settlement that is easily the island’s most attractive base, is packed in summer. Increasingly, though, that’s the appeal: it’s the crowds that people come here to see. Every other man wears the uniform of the off-duty movie star: deep tan, white shirt and shades. Every other woman has a tight bikini and a bandanna. And if you’re not wearing Armani, you may well be an Armani: Giorgio visited last year. The town even has a dedicated mooring — a catwalk, really — for the super-yachts. Boats with names like Cool Runnings and Star Rising are there to be ogled, their cleats twinkling seductively. The best beaches are on the Pakleni Otoci islands, just offshore. Those without their own clipper can either take a water taxi (Â3) or hire a small motorboat for a day (Â35). There are lovely beaches on the islands of Marinkovac and Sveti Klement, too. Staying: arriving by yacht, you can moor either on the town catwalk or in the marina at Palmizana, on the nearby island of Sveti Klement. Even without your own boat, Palmizana is a good option. Meneghello Guesthouse (00 385-21 717270, www.palmizana.hr) has lovely stone cottages overlooking a sandy bay (Â25pp per night). A water taxi shuttles back and forth to Hvar, so you needn’t miss out on the nightlife. In Hvar town, private rooms are the best option. The Fontana agency (21 742133, www.happyhvar.com) will reserve one for you. Eating: Pape’s has a terrace that looks out over the harbour, and serves superb langoustines. Or try Palaca Paladini (21 742104), set in a garden of orange trees and serving great fish and a dish called “vegetarian pleasure” — which it really is. Both restaurants will set you back about Â15pp, with wine. Nightlife: Carpe Diem, right on the harbour, is the place to be seen. By day it is frequented by the kind of people who can make reading a paper look cool; at night, the bar is transformed by a heaving throng of cocktail- swigging yachties.Sample package: Bond Tours (01372 745300, www.bondtours.com) has a week in the Hotel Palace in Hvar town from Â499. KORCULA The romantic island Locals claim that Marco Polo came from their island. It’s clearly rubbish. If the explorer had been born on Korcula, he would never have left. Thirty miles long but never more than five miles wide, Korcula is similar in size to nearby Hvar, and yet the temperaments of the two islands could not be more different. People go to Hvar to party and show off; couples come to Korcula to hide away. The island is one to fall in love with and on. Korcula town — a mass of Venetian streets all leading to the cathedral that tops the town — is stunning. It’s a mini Dubrovnik, all towers, bells and city walls. Approaching from the sea, it’s love at first sight. Outside the town, two features mark Korcula apart: the hills and valleys of the interior, and the coves. The cliffs of the island’s southern coast have more indents than a magician’s saw. The only sandy beaches are at Lumbarda, on the island’s eastern tip. For lovers, though, a better option is to hire a scooter (Â18 a day) and head for one of the secluded bays on the southern side of the island. Pupnatska Luka — a horseshoe-shaped bay backed by forests and cliffs — is as romantic as Croatia gets. Staying: Hotel Korcula (00 385-20 711078, Â60-Â80 for a double) is a good bet and gets the evening sun. In Pupnatska Luka, Sime Unkovic (20 717038) has three simple rooms (Â10pp). Eating: in Korcula town, Planjak (20 711015), by the port, has a large outdoor area and excellent seafood at good prices (Â8pp). Adio Mare (20 711253), near the cathedral square, is pricey but does good meat and fish (Â15pp). Nightlife: Buffet Massimo bar has taken over three levels of an ancient defensive tower at the tip of the Korcula town peninsula. A pulley system whizzes cocktails to the roof terrace. Sample package: Holiday Options (0870 420 8386, www.holidayoptions.co.uk) has a week staying in the Bon Repos Apartments in Korcula town from Â339, including boat transfers from Dubrovnik. MLJET The untouched island Mljet is an island for the senses — it looks, smells and sounds beautiful and feels like one of the most tranquil places on earth. With more than two-thirds of the island covered with forests, Mljet is probably the greenest of all the Croatian islands. It is certainly the least developed of those covered in this survey; most roads are dirt tracks and tourism remains a minor industry. The most attractive area is the national park encompassing the entire western flank of the island. There, in the midst of a hilly forest are two saltwater lakes — Malo and Veliko Jezero. In the middle of Veliko is a tiny island within an island, itself home to a 12th-century Benedictine monastery. Like Russian dolls, Mljet is one delight after another. The island looks like the sort of place that should be absolutely silent. It isn’t, thanks to the clicking of cicadas. As for the smell, the scent of pine in the forests is so strong that you miss it on returning to the sea. Most people visit Mljet on a day trip from Dubrovnik (an hour and a half away) or Korcula. That’s time enough for a taste of the island — a kayak paddle across to the monastery or a cycle around one of the lakes (Â2 an hour for either) — but to really appreciate Mljet, it’s worth staying. When the day-trippers leave, the island is at peace. Staying: Mljet’s only hotel, the friendly Hotel Odisej (00 385- 20 744022, www.hotelodisej.hr), is in Pomena, which overlooks a beautiful bay on the island’s western tip (Â30-Â45pp in high season). Otherwise, there are private rooms in the hamlets of Polace, the main harbour for the park, and, right opposite the monastery, Babine Kuce. Call the Mljet tourist office (20 744086) to reserve one. Eating: in Babine Kuce, and right on the shore of Veliko Jezero, Mali Rey has a tank from which you select your own fish. Sample package: Holiday Options (0870 420 8386, www.holidayoptions.co.uk) has a week, half-board, at the Hotel Odisej from Â339, including transfers from Dubrovnik. KRK The family island As an all-round island — water slides and beach for the kids, sunshine and good wine for the parents — Krk is hard to beat. Because it is the only island that you can fly to direct from the UK (Rijeka airport is actually on Krk) and is linked to the mainland by a bridge, it’s also the easiest to reach. The largest of Croatia’s islands, Krk can be broadly divided into two. The northern and western parts of the island are high, barren and windswept. The sheltered areas nearest the southern coast have the island’s forests and the best of its beaches. Baska, a well-developed sweep of beach on Krk’s southern shore, is the best base. There are activities galore — with its shops, ice cream and watersports, it’s the closest that anywhere on a Croatian island feels to a west European resort. Staying: private rooms and apartments in Baska can be arranged through a local agency (ww.tz-baska.hr, 00 385-51 656801). Hotel Corinthia (51 656111) is a sprawling place, but good value at Â30pp in high season. Eating: in Vrbnik, Nada (51 857065) serves good local food and has a clifftop bar terrace that almost topples into the sea. Nightlife: there’s not much to choose between the bars along the front in Baska — but there are plenty of them. Malinska, on the island’s north coast, has some pleasant places alongside a pretty harbour. Sample package: Hidden Croatia (020 7736 6066, www.hiddencroatia.com) has a week in a choice of self-catering accommodation from Â330 in July, including transfers. VIS The laid-back island On Vis town’s harbourside, an unnamed restaurant sells fish. Just fish, wine and bread, unadorned by potatoes, salad or any other frippery. It’s simple food on a simple island. Shaped like an arrowhead, with a high, rugged and green interior and a craggy coast, Vis, the furthest inhabited island from the Croatian mainland, has a laid-back air and an infectious charm. During the second world war, the island’s position — a quarter of the way to Italy — meant it was a site of great strategic importance. Tito directed his anti-Nazi campaign from the island, and key members of the British high command came to Vis for secret talks and skinny dips. Sixty years on, the cave from which Tito directed operations is the only evidence of the island’s former fame. After the war, Tito left and most islanders followed suit — all over Vis there are shells of buildings, bombed by sheer neglect. The whole island has an eerie but bewitching otherness to it. With deserted bays — Stoncica in the northeast is exquisite — and some good hilly walks, it’s an island for those really wanting to get away from it all. Except, that is, in August, when it’s invaded by Italians and best avoided by you. Staying: for rooms and apartments in Vis town or quieter Komiza, try Darlic Travel (00 385-21 717205, www.darlic-travel.hr). Unusually, it has details of whole-house rentals — many set in their own bays. The best hotel in Vis town is Hotel Paula (21 711362, www.hinet.hr/paula-hotel). Its premier suite, with private Jacuzzi and roof terrace, costs from Â60. Eating: the unnamed fish buffet restaurant is right next to the Ionios agency on the harbourfront in Vis town. In Komiza, Jastozera is famous for lobster, but pricey (Â20pp). Nightlife: Peronospora Blues, at the eastern end of Vis town, is a funky place with art on the walls and chairs made of stone. Sample package: Croatian Affair (020 7385 7111, www.croatianaffair.com) has a week, B&B, at Hotel Paula from Â515. CRES The island for naturists and naturalists Two types travel to Cres (pronounced “Sir-ress”): those keen to see flora and fauna laid bare, and those wanting to bare all themselves. It is the cliffs that set this very long and relatively thin island apart: at the northern end, it all but topples into the sea; further south, near where a small bridge joins it to the less interesting island of Losinj, the landscape is flatter and more wooded. The naturalists come for the vultures. Huge, white-headed, majestic birds, griffon vultures are a common sight thanks to the efforts of the Caput Insulae Ecological Centre in the hilltown of Beli (00 385-51 840 525, www.caput-insulae.com; free). Take a clifftop walk, or drive down the high road that swings between the east and west of the island, and you’re likely to see groups of them, ominously circling overhead. The whole of Cres has a wild feel. Trek around the dramatic settlement of Lubenice for a landscape like Pembrokeshire’s. The beach directly below — a 45-minute walk down, an hour-long clamber back up — has the clear water and aquatic life of an aquarium. Further south is one of the Croatian islands’ biggest nudist camps. Everything’s the same, but totally different. Nobody has anything on. Staying: if naturism is your bag, you can camp at Baldarin (51 235646), or near the other nudist beach just outside Cres town (Camp Kovacine: 51 571423). Otherwise, rooms and apartments are available in town through Cres Anka Agency (51 571161), which also handles reservations for the lovely, non-nudist beachside camp site near the fishing village of Valun. Eating: after trekking to see vultures, you’ll appreciate the grilled fish and meat at Gostionica Beli (51 840515; Â15pp). Nightlife: Cres town is good for a low-key drink — bars encircle the small harbour. Sample package: Simply Croatia (020 8541 2214, www.simply-travel.com) has a week, self-catering, at Marija’s Apartments in Cres town from Â460pp. BRIJUNI The surreal island Riding a bike while being chased through a safari park by two ostriches and a donkey may not sound like a barrel of laughs, but it certainly ranks as one of the stranger experiences the Croatian islands have to offer. Veli Brijun, the largest of the islands in the Brijuni National Park, was for 30 years Tito’s home and official base. Today, it is one of the strangest places imaginable. A small and very flat island, easily cycled around in a day, Brijuni has a very different feel from the others in our top 10. For a start, there’s the landscape. With well-tended parks full of deer and Roman ruins, the island feels like one of London’s Royal Parks would if it were dropped in the Adriatic. In the early 1900s, this familiarity made the island one of Europe’s premier resorts — James Joyce visited, as did Archduke Franz Ferdinand, shortly before he inadvertently started the first world war. As headquarters of Marshal Tito’s communist regime, the island again found itself centre stage from the late 1940s. Today, the island is a holiday destination once more, but it’s a strange one. Where else boasts fossilised dinosaur footprints, giant empty greenhouses and a pigeon aviary? Even the photographic exhibition (behind Hotel Karmen; free) is a strange record of Tito’s eclectic guests — Fidel Castro, Ho Chi Minh, Gadaffi and the Queen. There are more straight- forward pursuits: it has bicycle hire (Â2.50 per hour), golf, tennis and pleasant shingle beaches, but it is for its history and sheer bizarreness that the island is worth the trip. Staying: Veli Brijun can be visited as a day trip from the Istrian Peninsula (boats leave regularly from Fazana on the mainland; Â1.50 return), or you can stay at one of the hotels on the quayside, such as Karmen (00 385-52 525807, www.np-brijuni.hr; doubles from Â50). Or try Croatian Villas (020 8368 9978, www.croatianvillas.com). Sample package: the island is more of a day-trip than a week-long destination. Plenty of big operators offer packages to the nearby Istrian Peninsula, from where it’s easy to get to Fazana. For example, Thomson Holidays (0870 550 2555, www.thomson.co.uk) has seven nights at the Istra Hotel in Rovinj, on the peninsula, for Â409 in June. KORNATI The sailor’s islands Flat, barren, and all but lifeless — like giant, scrappy bits of white-and-green moon rock sprinkled in the sea — there is something serenely beautiful about the Kornati archipelago. If Armageddon could ever be a positive event, it would look and feel like Kornati. Stark the Kornati archipelago may be, but with 147 islands — 87 of them in a national marine park covering just 30 square miles — the area is a sailor’s dream. In summer there is considerably more activity on the water than on the land. Staying: landlubbers steer clear. You’re best off dropping anchor from your liveaboard yacht. Sample package: Sunsail (0870 777 0313, www.sunsail.com) has a week on a 30ft yacht, sailing around the archipelago as part of a flotilla; from Â840pp in June. Andrew Thomas travelled as a guest of Hidden Croatia and the Croatian National Tourist Board ... and the winner is?FOR SHEER beauty and tranquillity, Mljet is a close runner, but its lack of accommodation lets it down. Hvar, beautiful and buzzing, also makes the top three. But it’s Korcula that takes the honours. It’s got the lot: a lovely town and some stunning quiet bays, on an island easily accessible from either Split or Dubrovnik. Best of all, it’s midway between both the runners-up. Stay on Korcula and visit all three.Getting to your islandGETTING THERE There are more flights to Croatia this year than ever before, and prices have fallen considerably — many seats cost less than Â100 outside high season. The choice of whether to go charter or scheduled largely depends on where you want to fly from and on what dates, as prices are similar for both. Scheduled flights: Croatia Airlines (020 8563 0022, www.croatiaairlines.hr) flies from Gatwick to Dubrovnik, Pula and Split, from Â200; from Manchester to Dubrovnik, Pula and Split, from Â229; and from Heathrow to Zagreb and Rijeka, from Â200. British Airways (0870 850 9850, www.ba.com) flies to Dubrovnik from Gatwick from Â98. In Ireland, Aer Lingus (0818 365000, www.aerlingus.com) flies from Dublin, from €249. Charter flights: Hidden Croatia (020 7736 6066, www.hiddencroatia.com) has flights from Stansted to Rijeka (July and August only), Split and Dubrovnik, from Â120. Holiday Options (0870 420 8386, www.holidayoptions.co.uk) has flights from Norwich, Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow and Birmingham, from Â99; and Thomson Holidays (0870 550 2555, www.thomson.co.uk) has seat-only flights from Manchester (from Â189) and Gatwick (from Â159) to Pula. Or try Flightline (0800 541541, www.flightline.co.uk) or Charter Flight Centre (020 7854 8434, www.charterflights.co.uk). The third way: the no-frills carriers haven’t reached Croatia yet, but an alternative is to fly to Italy first. For example, Ryanair (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com) flies from Stansted to Ancona (from Â35), from where there are fast ferries or hydrofoils to Zadar, Split, Vis, Hvar and Korcula. Journey times are from 4hr 30min, and prices start at Â60 return, booked through Viamare (020 7431 4560, www.viamare.com). ISLAND-HOPPING There are dozens of regular inter-island ferry services, which operate like local buses and are best enjoyed independently. Tickets can be bought at the harbour on the day — but get there early at the height of summer. The main operator is the state-run Jadrolinija: visit www.jadrolinija.hr for details. The best jumping-off point for the islands is Split, with services at least twice daily to Brac, Hvar, Vis and Korcula; Dubrovnik is best for Mljet and other southern islands; while Zadar is the easiest port from which to reach Kornati. For foot passengers, the ferries are cheap — about Â2-Â6 for most journeys. Tour operators can combine a week on the mainland with a week on an island. For example, Hidden Croatia (020 7736 6066, www.hiddencroatia.com) has one week, half-board, on Hvar and one on Brac from Â699pp, including flights, transfers and ferry travel between the islands. Another way to hop is on a flotilla holiday. Sailing Holidays (020 8459 8787, www.sailingholidays.com) has a week’s sailing trip from Â395pp (based on six sharing), calling at Vis, Korcula and Hvar, and including flights from Heathrow to Split and transfers. Or try Adriatic Holidays (01865 516577, www.adriaticholidaysonline.com), Neilson (0870 333 3356, www.neilson.co.uk), or Sunsail (0870 777 0313, www.sunsail.com). TRAVELLING ON THE ISLANDS There are reasonable bus services on all but Brijuni and the Kornati islands. Hiring a car is only useful on the northern islands of Cres, Krk and Rab. Holiday Autos (0870 400 0099, www.holidayautos.co.uk) has one week’s inclusive hire, picking up at Rijeka airport, from Â176. FURTHER INFORMATION Contact the Croatian National Tourist Board on 020 8563 7979, or visit www.croatia.hr.http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,10209-1113461,00.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 16 May 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8356/1/E-Croatia-is-Number-One-Destiantion-in-the-World-by-Lonely-Planet.html   Croatia is Number One Destination in the World by Lonely Planet     Plan your holiday in Croatia with, Jeanne Oliver, Croatia expert and author of Lonely Planet's best-selling guidebook. Travel to Croatia has never been easier!   Jeanne is a seasoned travel writer who has produced dozens of books for Lonely Planet and Frommers. After writing the Croatia chapters for Lonely Planet's Eastern Europe, Mediterranean Europe and Europe on a Shoestring, she wrote Lonely Planet's best-selling Croatia 1 in 1998 which was thefirst guidebook in English to Croatia. She continues to work on Croatia for Lonely Planet. Recently she has produced the Croatia chapters forEastern Europe and Europe on a Shoestring. Croatia 3 is now available. Order the latestLonely Planet books here! Click on the picture!   The Mediterranean as it used to be......before the developers came in and wrecked everything. You have walled cities instead of a wall of condos, local markets instead of souvenir shops, fresh locally caught fish instead of fast food. A Long Splendid CoastA solid 1778km (1102mi) of Adriatic coast winds around innumerable bays, inlets and coves. Add in the 1185 islands and you're talking a whopping 6000km (3720mi) of seafront. If you can't find the beach of your dreams here, it probably doesn't exist.   Good value for moneyWhile costs have risen considerably over the last five years, Croatia still compares favorably with other EU countries on the Mediterranean, especially for meals and private accommodation. Unspoiled natureClean air, clean water and plenty of meadows, forested mountains, lakes and rivers to explore are the legacy of a relatively under-industrialized country. Easygoing people"Nema problema" or "no problem" is the prevailing spirit which is part of the reason naturism took off here. Behave yourself and no one will pester you with nit-picking rules. An exciting blend of culturesThe coast was long part of Italy while the interior was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. It's convoluted history has produced a taste for both pizza and pastries, classy architecture and Latin exuberance. And when was the last time you saw people dancing with swords? It's safeStreet crime is rare, assaults on foreigners nearly non-existant and the country untangled itself from Balkan warring in 1995. www.croatiatraveller.com letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 12 May 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8357/1/E-Croatian-Hotel-Esplanade-restores-old-glory-reaching-new-markets.html   Hotel Esplanade in Zagreb Croatian hotel restores old glory while reaching out to new markets     Wed May 11,12:09 PM ETZAGREB (AFP) - The Regent Hotel Esplanade in Zagreb has played host to celebrities from "Black Venus" Josephine Baker to the Rolling Stones and Queen Elizabeth II, earning a reputation along the way as the grand old dame of Croatia's social elite. Now in its 80th year but looking younger than ever after a restoration by new owners Regent Hotels International, the Esplanade is hoping to cash in on Croatia's booming tourism market with a mixture of modern luxury and past elegance.Built in 1925 to accommodate passengers on the Orient Express between Paris and Istanbul, it has had no shortage of well-heeled visitors such as Orson Welles, Nikita Khrushchev and even the Nazi Gestapo, who used it as their headquarters during World War II.Baker's notorious "banana dance" scandalized the city's puritans but crowds still gathered at the hotel to catch a glimpse of the glamourous American who epitomised the Roaring 20s. Forty years later, the Esplanade pushed the boundaries again when it opened communist Yugoslavia's first casino in 1967.Manager Torbjorn Bodin said the Art Nouveau hotel had to preserve its old-world charm while remaining fresh for the demanding modern visitors who are flocking to Croatia in increasing numbers."We are trying to offer the same comfort and luxury but in a different way," he told AFP.The hotel's ballrooms carry the names of cities on the route of the Orient Express and the 202 rooms have been refurbished in a retro design, but history is not standing in the way of progress at the Esplanade."People do not travel on the Orient Express to Zagreb anymore ... but at the same time I don't think our guests in 1925 would have appreciated a wireless high-speed Internet connection," Bodin said.Croatia last year received more than 8.8 million tourists, the highest annual intake since its 1991-1995 war of independence from the former Yugoslavia.The vast majority of visitors make a beeline for the Balkan country's stunning Adriatic coast, so the challenge for Zagreb, Bodin explained, is to be recognized as a tourist destination in itself."We will see more people visiting Zagreb as tourists than before. There's a lot of interest abroad because Zagreb is a new destination for city breaks and for longer vacations," he said."Croatia is so well known now in Europe and other parts of the world and we have to take advantage of the good brand Croatia has, which was created mainly on its Dalmatian coast. Now we have to say this is also valid for Zagreb."Overnight tourist stays in Zagreb rose some three percent in 2004, but Croatia's tourism industry remains almost exclusively focused on attracting sunseekers to its 5,500-kilometer (3,300-mile) coast.Deputy Tourism Minister Robert Bacac is confident Zagreb can be "developed as a distinct offer" to visitors from western Europe, but analysts warn that more foreign investment is badly needed to boost the city's tourist infrastructure."There is no infrastructure for things to attract tourists like golf courses, and that's why no new hotels are being built and old hotels are not being refurbished to the standards of international chains," Bodin said.http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050511/lf_afp/afplifestylecroatia_050511160936  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 11 May 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8413/1/E-Croatian-Youth-Hostel-aims-to-meet-growing-demand.html ÂCroatian Youth Hostel aims to meet growing demand16 April 2004The Zagreb city centre youth hostel on Petrinjska Street is undergoing a massive redevelopment to cater for the growing numbers of young people heading to Croatia. The multi-million euro investment will see the number of bedrooms decrease from 210 to 170, but the extra space will mean every room will have its own bathroom, or will only share it with one other room. The existing six-bed rooms are being converted to offer either four, three or two beds. The new-look hostel, due to open in September, will also offer three rooms for disabled guests, a restaurant, internet bar and an art gallery. http://www.worldleisurejobs.com/newsdetail.cfm?codeID=7585  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 16 Apr 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8414/1/E-And-life-doesnt-get-any-more-peaceful-than-that.html ÂCroatia: Spectacular scenery, low costBy DON MELVINThe Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionPublished on: 03/08/04HVAR, Croatia -- Few sights soothe the troubled soul like the beauty of the Adriatic Sea.I was coming from a reporting trip to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Macedonia, all cauldrons of ethnic hatred. An overnight bus trip from Macedonia gave me 12 hours to reflect on man's brutality and did nothing to improve my mood.Then the darkness lifted, the sun rose and, as the bus careened down a mountainside, before me spread the Adriatic, blue as the sky, smooth as glass and dotted with islands. The heart started to heal.I changed buses in Dubrovnik, a beautiful walled city jutting into the sea, and headed north for the city of Split. The ride revealed some of the most spectacular coastline in the world, on a par with that of California or the southern tip of South Africa.The mountains, white and rocky, plunge into what the marine explorer Jacques Cousteau called one of the cleanest seas on earth.Croatia, too, has known hatred. Like the places I had just visited, it used to be part of Yugoslavia. When Croatia declared independence in 1991, war erupted. About 750,000 people were displaced and 10,000 were killed.Hotels were forced to house refugees. The name of the country became associated with war. Tourism, part of the economy of this area for generations, collapsed."In 1991 and 1992, it was awful," said Oliver Kesar, an assistant in the department of tourism at the University of Zagreb.But Croatia is, by all appearances, stable now. And in a remarkable turnaround, fueled by an ad campaign on CNN International, tourism is back. Officials expect the figures this year on overnight stays will match the highs of the late 1980s.Croatia, in the public mind, is becoming associated less with war and more with beauty.There are compelling reasons to visit Croatia. The splendor of the mountains, the clarity of the water and the charm of the villages are chief among them.The Dalmatian Coast is best appreciated by boat. The view from the sea offers the constant backdrop of white cliffs, and there are attractive ports of call on many of the more than 1,000 islands that line the coast.Being a man of lesser means -- and lesser free time -- I chose to spend a couple of days on the island of Hvar, considered among the country's most beautiful. Nowhere could conflict seem further away and peace a more intrinsic part of life.The sea was swimmably warm, even at the end of September, with water was so clear you could count the stones beneath. The town of Hvar, on the western tip of the island of the same name, was a small and enchanting port that reflected -- in its architecture, its open square and its cuisine -- the long domination of this coast by Venetians.The hotels were inexpensive, and justifiably so. Beachfront lodging could be had for less than $70 per person per night in resorts that, from the magnificence of their location, could have charged $300. I was there in the off season.In my hotel, the personnel were sometimes, to put it charitably, inappropriately abrupt. The fluid the hotel restaurant passed off as orange juice was more akin to Kool-Aid. The food was more akin to swill. Thank goodness the restaurants in town were good."We must bring the level of the service to the level of the scenery," Boris Vukonic, a professor in the university's Graduate School of Economics and Business, told me.The industry faces other challenges as well. As part of a former Communist country, where the hotels used to be owned by the government, the ownership of such property is not always clear. Foreign investors have little taste for lengthy court procedures to clear up titles, Vukonic said.And some tourists who used to know of the Yugoslav coast -- Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton frolicked here -- don't recognize the name Croatia, he said. Sometimes, Vukonic said, people send him mail addressed to "Zagreb, Yugoslavia." Others send e-mails asking if battle tanks are still in Zagreb, when, in fact, they never were.As Croatia struggled to attract tourists again after the war, its first clients were from former Soviet satellites. The fall of Communism freed them from travel restrictions and Croatia had the nearest seacoast.But big spenders they are not, said Katarina Tudor, who works in a gift shop in the town of Hvar. Many travel in groups and spend little beyond their all-inclusive meals-and-lodging package deals.Word about Croatia is spreading, and this year tourists arrived in numbers, particularly from the Scandinavian countries of Norway and Sweden, and even from as far away as Australia and New Zealand.Many people in town want the hotels to improve their services to attract a "better class" of tourists, Tudor said. But the hotel owners so far have resisted doing what is necessary, and that has rankled residents who see the island's potential, she said.Still, for travellers who find Venice far too pricey but long for the incomparable loveliness of the Adriatic, Croatia is well worth a visit. It offers, for far less money, a chance to experience one of the most attractive spots on earth.One evening in Hvar I saw signs taped to poles announcing a concert. It turned out to be beautiful a cappella singing by a local choir in the open cloister of a centuries-old Franciscan monastery. And life doesn't get any more peaceful than that.http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/atlanta_world/0304/08croatia.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 08 Mar 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8415/1/E-Havent-chosen-a-destination-yet-Try-Croatia.html ÂHit an Adriatic beach and other scenic spots in CroatiaROGER PETTERSON Canadian Press Friday, March 05, 2004Sun bathers enjoy the weather at a pebble beach near Cavtat. Cavtat is a Croatian town located on the Adriatic Coast. (AP) - Thinking of a trip to Europe but haven't chosen a destination yet? Try Croatia, a corner of the Continent on the shore of the sunny Adriatic that hasn't yet become overrun by other American tourists. There's a host of Web sites working to entice you into visiting, and a surprising number have versions in English. Get acquainted with the help of the Croatian National Tourist Board - croatia.hr/ - by clicking on English and then on Tourism Plus to learn about activities from scuba diving to mountain climbing and skiing. In many cases, you'll find Web links to other informative Web sites.Click on Destinations to reach the tourist board's interactive map. Try the Dalmatia-Zadar region and check out towns such as Ugljan, where you can relax on sandy beaches, or centrally located Zadar. Along with brief descriptions of the towns you get a pronunciation guide, and many have a small photo gallery. Click on About Croatia for information on history, food and the Adriatic, then go to "Arrival" to see about airlines that fly to Croatia. You won't need a visa, according to the Croatian information page at the U.S. Department of State - http://travel.state.gov/croatia.html - but be sure to read Safety and Security. Elsewhere in Washington, the Croatian Embassy - croatiaemb.org/ - can help you with facts and figures, and useful Web links. Try out some of the food before you go. Balkan Web - balkanweb.com/kroacia/recipes.htm - has recipes in English. And Croatian Wine Page - hr/vino/ - has a map of the major wine-producing regions, plus other information. Find out about festivals by going to Culturenet - culturenet.hr/v1/english/index.asp - which has info on jazz festivals (late March in Zagreb) and student theatre.Then soak up art and history with the help of Croatian Museums on the Internet - mdc.hr/www-MDC-eng/4-1siteovi.html - which has links to institutions on local history, archaeology, art and more. Croatia's westernmost section is Istra - istra.com/index.asp - a peninsula at the northern end of the Adriatic. Tour winemaking regions, go sailing, venture in the Baredine Cave, or just enjoy the scenery. Look under Istra Info for the link to a photo album. Explore the islands and villages along the Dalmatian coast by going to Dalmatia Net - dalmatianet.com/ - and clicking on Destination to reach an interactive map. They'll also help you find places to stay or charter a boat. Brac Island has the resort town of Bol - bol.hr/ - and sandy beaches. Click into Excursions to learn about the 16th century monastery, caves and other island communities. In central or Continental Croatia, the capital city of Zagreb - zagreb-touristinfo.hr/index.php.en - offers history, culture and shopping. Learn more about Continental Croatia at Find Croatia - findcroatia.com/pla(underline)cont.htm - which has links to destinations from the forests of Gorski Kotar (look hard for the link to the English version) to more featuring Zagreb. Get a quick course in the Croatian language at the Croatian Homepage - hr/index.en.shtml - and then explore their many Web links on other subjects, including Arts & Culture and Society, where you can delve into gastronomy and find Croatian cook books, read Croatian legends or learn about the war's effect on the nation. Look under Tourism and Travelling for more links for visitors. © Copyright 2004 The Canadian Presshttp://www.canada.com/travel/story.html?id=ABEBC829-9B69-441B-9CB2-C2B1EE482203 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 07 Mar 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8416/1/E-Discovering-the-Girls-of-Croatia.html ÂDiscovering the Girls of Croatia With more than 1,000 miles of coastline, Croatia is set to become Europe's next great playground. But it's not just the deserted islands or the beautiful beaches that are attracting men from all over. It's the gorgeous women. We sent a reporter to see what all the fuss was about -- and he wasn't disappointed. BY JASON HARPER http://www.mensjournal.com/toc/index.html -----Original Message-----Dobar Jutro!Here is the address you need:www.mensjournal.com Article: The Girls of Croatia written by Jason Harper.Thank you and have a great day!Michelle Dunaj letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 23 Feb 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8417/1/E-Croatia-in-London-Times.html ÂComplete CroatiaBetter sailing than Turkey, islands to rival those of Greece,and a cuisine to match Italy's: it's the hot spot thatcame in from the cold, says David WickersAsk anyone: Croatia is the hottest destination in theMed this summer. The Dalmatian coast, they will tellyou, with its close-hauled constellation of 1,000islands, is the "new Riviera"; while the Istrianpeninsula, with its Italian looks and flavours, is "thenew Tuscany". But these slick phrases miss the point.Croatia isn't really a "new" anything: it is still verymuch its old self. In the late 1980s, half a millionof us came to play here and almost universally lovedit, but during the civil war, we shifted our allegianceto Spain, Greece and Turkey ? even though most ofCroatia was never touched by the conflict. Well, we'refinally back. About 170,000 British visitors areexpected in 2004, and 24 holiday companies arefeaturing the country for the first time.The smart set are already there in force. StevenSpielberg, Pierce Brosnan, Andre Agassi, GywnethPaltrow and Sean Connery are all among the celebritynames to appear in the hotel visitor books. Some likethe country so much they bought a piece: Robert DeNiro, Clint Eastwood and Sharon Stone are each rumouredto be buying their own private island.If you visited back in the 1980s, you'll find Croatialargely unchanged. A few designer hotels have opened,welcome alternatives to the rather drab 1960sstructures, but otherwise its glittering coast remainsjust as it was 20 years ago ? and all the lovelier forthat. And if you can't afford to buy an island, don'tworry: you can certainly afford a holiday, becauseCroatia now offers perhaps the best value for moneyanywhere on the Med.Unless stated, prices are per person per week, based ontwo sharing, and include transfers. Where packagesinclude flights, prices are based on London departures.Operators using scheduled carriers can often arrangeconnections from UK regional airports or Ireland,usually for £50-£100. In several cases, we have giventwo prices, the first for departures in June, thesecond in August, to give an idea of the savings to bemade outside school holidaysCROATIA FOR BEACHESCROATIA HAS more than 1,000 miles of mainland littoral,as well as those 1,000 islands. The swimming issparkling ? 58 resorts fly Blue Flags ? although thebeaches tend to be narrow and pebbly.TUCEPIThe 40-mile Makarska Riviera used to be the gold coastof Yugoslav tourism. Most of its resorts are not wortha look, but Tucepi is attractive, friendly and low-key,with a beach, a marina and a good hotel. The town ofMakarska is within easy reach if you want some livelierevenings, while a ferry to the island of Brac makessplit weeks an easy option.BRELAThis is a cluster of gorgeous white-pebble beachesbacked by a thick fringe of fragrant pines, withwatersports on the main strand and a shaded coast pathto some smaller, quieter neighbours. If you want to upthe tempo at night, walk to next-door Baska Voda.CAVTATAn elegant resort of waterfront cafes, palm trees andwhitewashed houses. It has access to some good beachesand is linked to Dubrovnik by regular boats and buses.BOLMost tourists to the island of Brac head for Supetar,but the south of the island, around Bol, is where yourbeach mat wants to be, spread on the famous Zlatni Rator Golden Cape. The beach looks like a shark's fin andstars on all the posters (although the pebbly textureis a tad disappointing). Bol itself, a mile or so fromthe Rat, is a pretty, stone-built town with a goodgallery of 20th-century Croatian art.KOVERSADACroatia has long been a popular nudist retreat,especially for the Germans and the Dutch. Koversada, onthe Istrian peninsula, is the oldest of about 30official naturist resorts (there are scores ofunofficial strips, so to speak). Visit www.cronatur.comfor more details.Sample package: £349/£401, half-board, with Peng Travel(0845 345 8345, www.pengtravel.co.uk), includingscheduled flights from Gatwick (add £20 fromManchester).CROATIA FOR CULTUREFrom Roman to gothic, renaissance to baroque and on toart nouveau, Croatia has a wealth of historicarchitecture.THE ISTRIAN PENINSULAAs you'd guess from looking at a map, the Italianinfluence is strong in this northern corner of thecountry. The area was ruled from Venice for 400 yearsand its influence is stamped on the local architecture? in the spectacular walled towns, many bear theimprint of the Venetian lion. Most towns have twonames, one Croatian, one Italian; there's lots ofspaghetti, risotto and pizza on the menus; and thereare also some impressive Roman ruins.Istria is low on beaches, but makes up for that infascinating, appealing little towns. Both Rovinj andPorec have handsome horseshoe harbours, lots of cafesand restaurants and a potterer's treat of narrowbackstreets jumbled together on peninsulas. (The hotelson their outskirts are not so charming, so be sure tostay in the centre.) Venice itself is an easy hop awayby hydrofoil.Sample package: the Neptun, overlooking the harbour inPorec, costs £445/£489, half-board, with Thomson (0870606 1470, www.thomsonlakesandmountains.com), withflights from Gatwick or Manchester (from £35 extra). Ortry Balkan Holidays (0845 130 1114,www.balkanholidays.co.uk) or Holiday Options (0870 4208372, www.holidayoptions.co.uk).DUBROVNIKByron's "Pearl of the Adriatic" is a handsomearistocratic town encased in 15th-century walls. Alongwith Venice, Pisa and Genoa, Dubrovnik was one of thepower hubs of the medieval Med, its vast wealth thereason for its Renaissance palaces, baroque towers,cloistered monasteries, churches and treasuries of art(Tintorettos, Titians and more). Although it took analmighty hammering during the war, restoration is nowmore or less complete and remarkably seamless, barringthe glare of thousands of new roof tiles.Sample package: push the boat out and stay at the19-room Pucic Palace, the only luxury boutique hotel inthe country, converted from an 18th-century nobleman'shouse within the city walls, overlooking the dailyfruit-and-veg market on Gundulic Square.THE KVARNER RIVIERAOpatija is one of the most sophisticated of Croatia'sresorts, its buildings, formal gardens and promenadestill redolent of its 19th-century heyday, when itssheltered climate made it the winter playground forAustro-Hungarian toffs.THE PELJESAC PENINSULAA place to escape the crowds, even in August. As wellas being home to Croatia's best vineyards, this is alsowhere you'll find the 14th-century fortifications ofSton, a Dalmatian version of the Great Wall of China,which rollercoasters up and over impossible contours.The town, once rich from salt, has a tiny harbour, MaliSton ? a centre for oysters.Sample price: the waterfront Ostrea (00 385 20 754555,www.ostrea.hr; doubles with breakfast about £80) is asuperb family-owned 10-room hotel. The owners also havethe nearby Kapetanova Kuca (Captain's House)restaurant, where local molluscs and black risotto(made with squid ink) can be combined with local wines.Also bookable through Bond Tours (01372 745300,www.bondtours.com).THE BIGGER PICTURERather than concentrate on one area, it's perfectlypossible to take in many of Croatia's culturalhighlights in one trip: the country is relatively smalland transport links are good.Sample package: ACE Study Tours (01223 835055,www.study-tours.org) has a two-week trip in May(leaving on the 14th) that scoops up most of thecultural must-sees on the mainland. It starts in thecapital, Zagreb, exploring the old fortified uppertown, home to the cathedral, churches, palaces andmuseums, and the newer, Vienna-like lower town with itselegant pavement cafes. It then continues by coach tothe Plitvice Lakes National Park (where a duckboardedfootpath leads you right over the top of spectacularwaterfalls); Zadar, home to a Roman forum and SacredArt Museum; the Roman emperor Diocletian's palace inSplit; nearby Trogir, a perfectly preserved outpost ofLa Serenissima; and Dubrovnik. It costs £1,755, B&B,with scheduled flights from Heathrow to Zagreb and backfrom Dubrovnik, excursions and entrance fees. Or tryBond Tours (01372 745300, www.bondtours.com); Consort(0845 345 0300, www.consorttravel.com); Cox & Kings(020 7873 5027, www.coxandkings.co.uk); Martin Randall(020 8742 3355, www.martinrandall.com); Page & Moy (0870 010 6460,www.page-moy.co.uk); or Titan (01293 440033,www.titantravel.co.uk).--------------------------------------------------------------------------------CROATIA FOR ISLANDSWHAT CROATIA does best, almost on a par with Greece, isislands. No two are alike, most having grown up inisolation from their neighbours. The way to enjoy themis to hop. It would take a whole, delightful summer towork your way down the chain, flying in to Pula orRijeka in the north and home from Dubrovnik. On a morerealistic time frame, you should fly into Split andwork your way south along the Dalmatian archipelago.Here are the best stops along the way.BRACAside from Bol and the beaches, its interior is coveredin olive and lemon groves, vineyards, wild herbs,free-ranging sheep and quarries whose pale stone wasused to build the White House in Washington, DC and thealtar in Liverpool cathedral.HVARThe most Riviera-chic of Croatia's islands, its maintown is a Renaissance show of palaces, with a Venetianmain square flagstoned in polished marble as slipperyas an ice rink. The old arsenal is part gallery, part17th-century jewel-box theatre, while overlookingeverything is a fortress with a tiny museum ofshipwreck finds.KORCULARoughly the size of the Isle of Wight, its main draw isthe 14th-century walled Venetian town, supposedly thebirthplace of Marco Polo (lots of De Polos live on theisland today). There's even a St Mark's Cathedral,housing a Tintoretto, as well as an impressivecollection of art in the Bishop's Treasury, whichboasts a Tiepolo.VISThe sleepy old fishing village of Komiza serves as thedeparture point for excursions to Vis's sister islandof Bisevo, to see the Blue Cave, the Balkans' answer toCapri's Blue Grotto. It's at its best at midday, whenthe sun angles in to illuminate the cave in iridescentblues.MLJETThis is the most natural of the islands, covered inancient pines and oaks and mostly protected as anational park. Explore by rented bike as well as bycanoe across a pair of saltwater lakes. At the southernend are some of Croatia's rare sandy beaches.Sample packages: last year, I sailed on board Bozidar,one of a handful of historic vessels that carrypassengers between islands on the Dalmatian coast.Built 100 years ago to ferry fruit from Alexandria toVenice, the Bozidar has been converted into a simplecruising boat, a living, creaking, romantic example ofMediterranean maritime heritage, all wood, balustradesand louvred shutter doors. It sailed from the UnescoWorld Heritage town of Trogir, just 15 minutes fromSplit airport, visiting each of the islands describedabove. It's chartered throughout the summer by ExploreWorldwide (01252 760000, www.exploreworldwide.com): aweek-long trip on the Bozidar, which has 10 pocket-sizedouble cabins with shared facilities, costs £689,half-board (June or August), including flights. Youcould charter your own boat: a group of friends in anold-fashioned schooner sleeping eight would pay a totalof £8,300/£9,636, half-board, including flights fromHeathrow to Split, with The Ultimate Travel Company(020 7828 7778, www.theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk). Or, if youare looking for cruising with more hotel-stylecomforts, consider Hebridean Spirit (01756 704704,www.hebridean.co.uk). The ship has three one-weekitineraries in April, May and October visiting severalislands, from £3,590, including all meals, drinks,tips, excursions and flights. You can also hopindependently but with prebooked accommodation.Croatian Affair (020 7385 7111, www.croatianaffair.com)has four itineraries, two for one week, two for afortnight. A two-weeker, divided between Hvar, Vis andBrac, costs £526/£765, B&B, including flights fromBirmingham, Bristol, Gatwick, Manchester, Norwich orEdinburgh to Split or Dubrovnik, and your first ferryticket.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------CROATIA FOR SAILINGWHY TAKE a chance on Croatia rather than stick withGreece and Turkey, the established haunts ofwarm-weather sailors? Simple answer: the coast ofCroatia has statistics to make sailors spill theirgrog. With those 1,000 islands, 500 harbours, 48marinas and hundreds of safe anchorages, it makes forsome of the best sailing in the Med ? and it's a lotless crowded than the old favourites.Sample package: Sunsail (023 9222 2222,www.sunsail.com) has three bases in Croatia: Kornati(near Zadar airport), Kremik (near Split) andDubrovnik, with a choice of both flotilla sailing (fivedifferent itineraries to choose from) or bareboat.. £820, with flights from Gatwick to Dubrovnik orZadar(also Manchester to Dubrovnik). Or try Neilson(0870 333 3356, www.neilson.com), which has a base onthe island of Mljet; Activity Holidays (0845 345 7418,www.activity- holidays.co.uk) in Murter; SailingHolidays (020 8459 8787, www.sailingholidays.com) inKremik and Tucepi; Nautilus (01732 867445,www.nautilus-yachting.com) in Pula, Zadar, Biograd,Murter, Split and Dubrovnik; and The Moorings (01227776677, www.themoorings.com) in Dubrovnik and Trogir.CROATIA FOR FAMILIESCroatia isn't in the first division of familydestinations in the Med ? the lack of sandy beaches isa serious disadvantage for many ? but there are a fewgood options here.KOLOCEPJust 30 minutes from Dubrovnik, the traffic-free islandof Kolocep has several sandy coves and just one hotel,the family-friendly Villas Kolocep, on a woodedhillside above the sea. Children's entertainment islaid on during the school holidays and there is alsotennis and watersports.ACTIVE IN THE ALPSFamilies looking for adventure could consider atwo-week trip that combines Croatia with the SlovenianAlps, with sea- kayaking, rock-climbing, white- waterrafting, mountain-biking, night canoeing,hydrospeeding, canyoning and boating on the agenda.CAMPING IN CROATIAA good budget alternative if you can face the1,000-mile drive. Eurocamp has three sites in Croatia:the large and lively Lanternacamp, at Porec, withpools, hot tub, shops, restaurants and sports; Simuni,on the island of Pag, which is quiet, unspoilt andideal for relaxation; and Poljana, on the tiny islandof Losinj, a small, friendly site with a restaurant,gelateria, shop and a programme of activities.STILL HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR?DIVINGCroatia offers great visibility, wrecks, wall and cavedives, with Biograd na Moru being one of the bestbases. Bosmere Travel (01473 834094) has a week's B&Bin a pension and 10 dives (courses can also bearranged) for £275/£300, excluding flights. Also tryNeilson (0870 333 3346, www. neilson.com).KAYAKINGExplore the Dalmatian coast by sea kayak, based atVilla Vilina on the island of Lopud: £800/£875, B&B,including flights from Gatwick and three days' guidedkayaking, with Original Travel (020 7978 7333,www.originaltravel.co.uk).ESCAPINGCroats say that when God made the world, he took theoffcuts, tossed them into the sea and left them wherethey fell. The result: the Kornati, a national park ofabout 100 wild, barren mostly deserted, limestoneislands. You can rent a handful of simple fishermen'scottages, where you have to draw water from a well andhave your groceries delivered by boat. They come withthe option of a motorboat or rowing boat and cost about£525/£565 (June/August), including flights fromGatwick to Split, a night in Split and six on anisland, through Bond Tours (01372 745300,www.bondtours.com).MULTIACTIVITYSt Michael's Hotel, in Trilj, 20 miles from Split onthe banks of the Cetina River, has an Adventurer Clubthat arranges rafting, canoe safaris, trekking,kayaking, mountain-biking, riding, paragliding andcanyoning. A week costs £699, half-board, between Juneand September, with Hidden Croatia (020 7736 6066,www.hiddencroatia.com), including activities andflights from Stansted to Split. Also try The AdventureCompany (01420 541007, www.adventure company.co.uk).David Wickers travelled as a guest of Explore Worldwide--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Create your own Croatian holiday: the flights, theferries, the places to stayCroatia has no cheap-as-chips flight deals (yet), butindependent travellers need not think of it asdifficult territory: there are several ways to getthere, and accommodation options galore.SCHEDULED FLIGHTSWith Croatia's popularity taking off in 2004, don'texpect to pick up a flight at the last minute ?especially in high summer. Direct, scheduled fares fromLondon to Zagreb start at about £175, if booked withan airline. Alternatively, try Travelocity (0870 1117060, www.travelocity.co.uk), which has flights toSplit (via Prague) with Czech Airlines from £223, fromBirmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester and Heathrow; orOpodo (0870 241 7051, www.opodo.co.uk). Aer Lingus(0818 365000, www.aerlingus.com) has flights fromDublin to Dubrovnik from €251.Dubrovnik is served by direct flights from Dublin withAer Lingus (0818 36500, www.aerlingus.com); fromGatwick with British Airways (0870 850 9850,www.ba.com) and Croatia Airlines (020 8563 0022,www.croatiaairlines.hr); from Glasgow (CroatiaAirlines, June 22 to July 27 only); and from Manchester(Croatia Airlines).The other airports with direct flights (all withCroatia Airlines) are Pula (from Gatwick andManchester); Rijeka (from Heathrow); Split (fromManchester and Gatwick); and Zagreb (from Heathrow).CHARTER FLIGHTSIt is not just scheduled airlines that are heavilybooked: getting a good flight-only deal with a charterairline is becoming more tricky too. Flightline (0800036 0777, www.flightline.co.uk) has fares from Gatwickto Dubrovnik from £198, or to Pula from £296. There arealso charter flights from Birmingham, Bournemouth,Bristol, Glasgow, Jersey, Manchester, Norwich andStansted. Contact Airtours (0870 900 8639,www.airtours.co.uk); Hidden Croatia (020 7736 6066,www.hiddencroatia.com); Holiday Options (0870 420 8372,www.holidayoptions.co.uk); or Thomson Holidays (0870550 2555, www.thomson.co.uk). For flights from Dublinand Cork, contact Concorde Travel (01 872 7066,www.concordetravel.ie).GETTING AROUNDAn extensive ferry network links some 40 islands, plus60 coastal resorts. Most are operated by Jadrolinijaand need to be booked locally, but one exception is thesix-times-weekly service from Rijeka, which calls atZadar, Split, Hvar (Stari Grad), Korcula, Mljet andDubrovnik. Passengers cannot hop on and off at ports onthe way using the same ticket, but need to buyindividual sectors. To sail from Rijeka to Dubrovnikcosts about £50, for example, including a cabin (basedon two sharing). To book, call 00 385-51 666111(www.jadrolinija.hr) or, in the UK, Viamare (0870 4106040, www.viamare.com) or Dalmatian and Istrian Travel(020 8749 5255).Car hire costs about £200 a week for the smallest car,including insurance, from Budget (0870 156 5656,www.budget.co.uk). Or try Sixt (0870 155 5800,www.e-sixt.co.uk).HOTEL STAYSIndependent travellers should ignore the big hotels ?they are geared for package holidaymakers and so chargesilly rack rates (about £40pp per night for a grimthree-star). Instead, stay in private rooms, whichyou'll find through local tourist offices or simply bylooking out for signs reading "sobe" (or camere,zimmer, chambres or just rooms). These are typicallyoffered by a swat team of quayside grannies who meetevery ferry. The price for a room for two, often a miniflat with kitchen and bathroom, can be as little as£25.Further information: Croatian National Tourist Board(020 8563 7979, www.croatia.hr ).http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,160-985721_1,00.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 03 Feb 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8418/1/E-Croatia-in-TOP-5-places-on-the-Planet.html ÂNew Zealand is No. 1 - again Newcomers this year are Peru, Croatia, Australia and ThailandLonely Planet global staffers have submitted their annual votes for the hot (as in "gotta go there!") destinations for the new year. The grand winner in 2004, by a pronounced margin, is New Zealand - again. The perfect storm of spectacular scenery, hospitable citizenry, compelling culture, perceived geographical safety and free global big-screen advertising courtesy of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy has catapulted New Zealand into the coveted top spot for the second year in a row. As in previous polls, five places emerged as more popular than the rest. New Zealand was in the top five last year, but the other four were not. Newcomers this year are Peru, Croatia, Australia and Thailand. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2001841648_updates25.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 29 Jan 2004 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8420/1/E-Croatia-by-the-sea.html Croatia by the seaAdriatic country relies on beauty of mountains and charm of villages to draw postwar tourists By DON MELVINThe Journal-Constitution Hvar, Croatia -- Few sights soothe the troubled soul like the beauty of the Adriatic Sea.After a trip to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Macedonia, all caldrons of ethnic hatred, an overnight bus trip from Macedonia gave me 12 hours to reflect on man's brutality. It did nothing to improve my mood.Then the darkness lifted, the sun rose and, as the bus careened down a mountainside, before me spread the Adriatic, blue as the sky, smooth as glass and dotted with islands. The heart started to heal.I changed buses in Dubrovnik, a beautiful walled city jutting into the sea, and headed north for the city of Split. The ride revealed some of the most spectacular coastline in the world, on a par with that of California or the southern tip of South Africa.The mountains, white and rocky, plunge into what the marine explorer Jacques Cousteau called one of the cleanest seas on earth.Croatia, too, has known hatred. Like the places I had just visited, it used to be part of Yugoslavia. When Croatia declared independence in 1991, war erupted. About 750,000 people were displaced and 10,000 were killed.Hotels were forced to house refugees. The name of the country became associated with war. Tourism, part of the economy of this area for generations, collapsed."In 1991 and 1992, it was awful," said Oliver Kesar, an assistant in the department of tourism at the University of Zagreb.But Croatia is, by all appearances, stable now. Though a coalition led by the governing Social Democrats was defeated in elections last weekend by the Croatian Democratic Union, government transition is expected to go smoothly.The stability of the past few years has led to a remarkable turnaround for tourism, aided by an ad campaign on CNN International. Officials expect the figures on overnight stays this year will match the highs of the late 1980s.Croatia, in the public mind, is becoming associated less with war and more with beauty.There are compelling reasons to visit Croatia. The splendor of the mountains, the clarity of the water and the charm of the villages are chief among them.The Dalmatian Coast is best appreciated by boat. The view from the sea offers the constant backdrop of white cliffs, and there are attractive ports of call on many of the more than 1,000 islands that line the coast.Being a man of lesser means -- and lesser free time -- I chose to spend a couple of days on the island of Hvar, considered among the country's most beautiful. Nowhere could conflict seem farther away and peace a more intrinsic part of life.The sea was swimmably warm, even at the end of September, with water so clear you could count the stones beneath. The town of Hvar, on the western tip of the island of the same name, was a small and enchanting port that reflected -- in its architecture, its open square and its cuisine -- the long domination of this coast by Venetians.The hotels were inexpensive, and justifiably so. Beachfront lodging could be had for less than $70 per person per night in resorts that, from the magnificence of their location, could have charged $300.But in my hotel, the personnel were sometimes, to put it charitably, inappropriately abrupt. The fluid the hotel restaurant passed off as orange juice was more akin to Kool-Aid. The food was more akin to swill. Thank goodness the restaurants in town were good."We must bring the level of the service to the level of the scenery," Boris Vukonic, a professor in the university's Graduate School of Economics and Business, told me.The industry faces other challenges as well. As part of a former Communist country, where the hotels used to be owned by the government, the ownership of such property is not always clear. Foreign investors have little taste for lengthy court procedures to clear up titles, Vukonic said.And some tourists who used to know of the Yugoslav coast -- Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton frolicked here -- don't recognize the name Croatia, he said. Sometimes, Vukonic said, people send him mail addressed to "Zagreb, Yugoslavia." Others send e-mails asking if battle tanks are still in Zagreb, when, in fact, they never were.As Croatia struggled to attract tourists again after the war, its first clients were from former Soviet satellites. The fall of Communism freed them from travel restrictions and Croatia had the nearest seacoast.But big spenders they are not, said Katarina Tudor, who works in a gift shop in the town of Hvar. Many travel in groups and spend little beyond their all-inclusive meals-and-lodging package deals.Word about Croatia is spreading, and this year tourists arrived in numbers, particularly from the Scandinavian countries of Norway and Sweden, and even from as far away as Australia and New Zealand.Many people in town want the hotels to improve their services to attract a "better class" of tourists, Tudor said. But the hotel owners so far have resisted doing what is necessary, and that has rankled residents who see the island's potential, she said.Still, for travelers who find Venice far too pricey but long for the incomparable loveliness of the Adriatic, Croatia is well worth a visit. It offers, for far less money, a chance to experience one of the most attractive spots on earth.One evening in Hvar I saw signs taped to poles announcing a concert. It turned out to be beautiful a cappella singing by a local choir in the open cloister of a centuries-old Franciscan monastery. And life doesn't get any more peaceful than that.Publication date: Nov. 30, 2003http://www.ajc.com/travel/content/shared/travel/destinations/europe/croatia113003.html© 2003 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 28 Nov 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8419/1/E-Croatians-Hoping-for-Tourism-Increase.html ÂCroatians Hoping for Tourism IncreaseÂAFPNov. 28, 2003 - Croatia's picturesque Dalmatian coast is enjoying a strong revival in the tourism industry after the 1991-95 war, and voters here hope it will stay that way after Sunday's general election.One of a series of Croatian medieval fortress towns which line the country's Adriatic coast, Split was for decades a playground for German and Italian tourists who flocked to its shores every summer.But this thriving business, one of the mainstays of the Croatian economy, went bust during the 1991-95 Serbo-Croat war and it's only just showing signs of recovery, with last summer's season the best in more than a decade.Voters here said that no matter who wins the election - the centre-left alliance under Prime Minister Ivica Racan or the nationalist Croatian Democratic Union - the continued growth of tourism was vital."I would like the new rulers to continue with the incumbent government's policy in tourism, providing also that they make investments more available by cutting interest rates and taxes," Mare Miosic, the owner of Mala Mare restaurant near Split, told AFP.But she said controls on investment were important to protect the rustic charm of the region, with its rocky inlets and headlands dotted by stunning fortress walls and white beaches."Of course foreign investments are welcome, but some control should be ensured in order to preserve Dalmatia's authenticity," Miosic said."And most importantly, the future government must have efficient control over construction because otherwise the coast could become overbuilt."Images of the 1991 Serb shelling of the World Heritage-listed town of Dubrovnik left a lingering impression on potential visitors. But the damage was quickly repaired and the town's historic treasures survived. Visitors today would not even know there had been a war, unless they looked hard at some of the shrapnel marks on the walls.After last season Croatia now hopes its war-battered tourism industry will make up nearly one third of the country's gross domestic product by the end of the decade.The government hopes that receipts from the leisure industry will reach 7.5 billion dollars by 2010, putting it back on Europe's tourist map alongside southern France, the Greek islands, Italy and Spain.Tourism currently makes up 22 percent of the Croatian GDP, a vital contribution to an economy that is struggling with the transition from communism, nationalist autocracy and inter-ethnic bloodshed.Last year was the best for the local tourism industry since 1990, despite the general slump in worldwide travel due to terrorism and security fears.A total of 8.9 million tourists visited Croatia during the first nine months, while overnight stays reached 45 million. Most travelers came from Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy and Slovenia.http://travel.discovery.com/news/afp/20031124/croatian.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 27 Nov 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8421/1/H-Medjunarodni-Festival-TURISTICKOG-FILMA-u-Splitu.html ÂMEÐUNARODNI FESTIVAL TURISTICKOG FILMA U SPLITU Priznanja filmovima iz RijekeSPLIT - Na šestom Medunarodnom festivalu turistickog filma u Splitu, Grand Prix dodijeljen je austrijskom filmu »Dance of seasons« redatelja Curta Faudona iz Beca, dok je nagradu »Baldo Cupic« za najbolji hrvatski turisticki film primio Mile Gizdic za film »Trogir - grad sretnih trenutaka«. Medu 169 filmova iz 53 zemlje svijeta posebna priznanja šestoclanoga žirija dobili su i filmovi »Medunarodni rijecki karneval« autora Deana Lalica i Sanjina Stanica u produkciji Kanala Ri, te »Primorsko-goranska županija« scenarista i redatelja Bernardina Modrica koji je ostvaren u produkciji rijeckog Istra filma. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 27 Oct 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8422/1/E-Croatia---Best-of-All.html ÂBest of allJason does it again ! (op-ed)ÂIN THE EARLY '90s, post-Communism set off a messy power struggle. The last time most of us saw Croatia, it was imploding live on CNN. Peaceful now for nearly a decade, Croatia is again attracting Europeans to her secluded beaches and her tangled streets. Yet for Americans, Croatia remains forgotten. The whims of twentieth-century politics reshuffled it into a blind spot between worlds, but it's gradually reentering the mainstream. A baby democracy of royal parentage, it remains as Italian as Venice, as Austrian as Vienna, and as much Caesar's as Rome.    ÂAs a first-time trip reveals, Croatia holds some of vacationdom's biggest surprises: a Roman emperor's palace and one of earth's largest gladiator coliseums. The most spectacular walled city known to Europe. Some of the most scenic coastal drives on the planet. Olive oil, pizza, seafood, truffles. Long afternoon siestas, charming cafés.    ÂBest of all, it presents the U.S. tourist with a refreshing price structure, though not as low as its shambling economy might denote. Businesses are savvy to big-spending Germans and Italians, so prices are not only quoted in the local kuna (kn) but also often in euros (€), so learn the € to kn exchange rate (at press time, about 1 to 8) to guarantee the best deals. ($1.15=€1 and $1=7kn.) Still, in spite of this confusing pricing system, with my help Croatia can give you a dream Mediterranean vacation at $25 a night for a room with a view, $8 for a meal, and $2.50 for attractions. Try beating those prices in haughty France or aggressive Greece. For more information: Croatian National Tourist Board, 800/829-4416, www.croatia.hr.   ÂZAGREB: VIENNA'S SISTER   ÂTourists touch down either in Dubrovnik or here, the inland capital of Hrvatska (Croatia's local name). Some zoom straight to the coast, but wise ones linger in this fine, manageable city that recalls the Beaux Arts zenith of the Hapsburgs. Actually two medieval towns fused into one and embellished by neoclassicists, Zagreb has zero tourist culture, and so no traps.    ÂThere are plenty of authentic elements worth losing yourself in, such as squares of proud Vienna-style buildings and clattering trams, a network of prim parks, and a stash of capital-quality museums. Those include the studio of legendary sculptor Ivan Meštrovic; the broad Mimara art collection, beqeathed by a tycoon; and a densely curated city museum (all around 16kn/$2.30 each). But Zagreb's most welcoming feature is a proliferation of unhurried cafés-its dominant social mode. Bring a book and steep in the atmosphere awhile.   ÂCroatians don't eat out much, so restaurants are priced for foreigners ($8 to $18 a full meal wherever you go). If they eat out at all, Croatians prefer pizza. Here, pizza isn't gloppy with grease like it is at home, but a genuine meal, and every block has a cheap, classy, sit-down pizzeria serving fresh ingredients like prosciutto, chilies, and octopus. It's your fallback, too; expect to pay 20kn/$2.85 to 40kn/$5.70 for a foot-wide pie and expect to leave satisfied.   ÂRoom & Breakfast: Unlike on the coast, the concept of quality budget lodging is as fresh to Zagreb as tourism itself. Two-year-old Hotel Dora gets it right, with quiet, pleasant rooms a 10-minute walk south of the train station, at downtown's edge (Trnjanska 11e, 01/63-11-900). Doubles are 277kn/$40 per person, singles 307kn/$44, including breakfast. On the central shopping avenue, Ilica, about a mile west of the main square, Trg Jelacica, is Hotel Ilica, small but neat and from 449kn/$64 a double, 349kn/$50 a single, including breakfast (Ilica 102, 01/37-77-522, www.hotel-ilica.hr). Zagreb's HI (Hostelling International) hostel is a grim, Red Star-era tourist prison, so hop the #11 or #12 tram to the custom-built Ravnice Hostel (1 Ravnice 38d, 01/23-32-325, www.ravnice-youth-hostel.hr; Ravnice tram stop), airy and singing with wind chimes beside the fragrant Kraš chocolate factory. In addition to two double rooms, it has what must be the cleanest toilets in the hostel universe, and all beds cost 99kn/$14 a night. Zagreb info: www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr.   ÂDUBROVNIK: WALLED WONDER    ÂAt the southernmost tail of the country's coast (in the region called Dalmatia, as in the dogs), Dubrovnik has always been special. Its skyline alone, one of the world's most stirring-ranking with Manhattan, Hong Kong, or Cape Town-has awed for centuries. For half a millennium, until Napoleon, it was an independent city-state, accountable to no one and awash in riches, and that age endowed it with treasures.    ÂTwelve years ago, for eight memorable months, Serbian rebels shelled Dubrovnik from the hills above while residents cowered in the city's 700-year-old fortresses. Most of the damage has been repaired and aside from the glow of new roof tiles, most visitors wouldn't know. Disaster has long courted Dubrovnik, anyway; a 1667 earthquake did still worse damage.   ÂOld Town is the fortified area bisected by the gleaming avenue Stradun and capped everywhere by those famous earthen tiles, and it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site brimming with attractions: the Franciscan Monastery, with its delicate arches and 700-year-old pharmacy; Ono-frio's Fountain, from 1444, festooned with spitting faces; the assiduously carved Rector's Palace; the Dominican Monastery's priceless art and the well that quenched the thirst of residents during the war; the cathedral's polyptych by Titian (shockingly, exposed to sunlight) and its overstuffed reliquary of withered martyrs' bones and fingers. Nothing's more than 15kn/$2.15 to enter. You could roam here for days.   ÂDubrovnik's singularity, manifest in the spectacular medieval walls that encircle it for one-and-a-quarter miles (don't miss walking them for 15kn/$2.15), is hard to dismiss. Some claim just being on its white stone streets, with no cars or skyscrapers to shatter the illusion of time travel, verges on a mystical experience. People come to stroll, loiter at cafés, and swim where the Adriatic laps gently at ancient fortifications. (And when cruise ships disgorge the hordes, they escape to the beaches.)    ÂAs one wanders the alleys and bright squares, all the outdoor cafés seem identical-risotto for around 50kn/$7.15, meat dishes for 90kn/$13, and so on-but locals whisper praise for the one called Moby Dick, beneath the last remaining medieval balconies on Prijeko. Also sample the local taste for strolling with ice cream; at 10kn/$1.45 a cone, dessert covers a lot of ground.   ÂAs is often the case with postwar societies, Croatians come across as a touch numb, showing few signs of the passion that fueled the recent bloodshed. Inland, farmhouses remain bulletpocked and burnt, but in Dubrovnik, emotional scars lie deep. When I told one resident I live in New York City, she murmured with solidarity. This woman, a survivor of the Dubrovnik terror, had the single most sympathetic question anyone ever asked me about September 11. "Did it make a terrible sound?" she asked, and perhaps remembering her own trauma, probed no further.   ÂRoom & Breakfast: Most low-cost/package hotels land you three miles west of Old Town, by the beaches and away from the magic. There are two hotels within city walls, but one charges $226 a night and the other $150. So one of the cheapest options (still a 15-minute walk west from the Pile Gate) is Fadila Vulic B&B (Dr. Ante Starcevica 54, 020/412-787), 250kn/$36 to 300kn/$43 per room, breakfast 20kn/$2.85. Five minutes farther, the front-facing rooms at Hotel Lero (Iva Vojnovic'a 14, 020/341-333, www.hotel-lero.hr) have distant sea views; B&B rates are 290kn/$41 a person, double, and 420kn/$60 a single, and high summer costs 25 percent more. The best option, though, is to rent a villa owned by absentee western Europeans. Consult the British brokers Croatian Villas (011-44/20-8368-9978, www.croatianvillas.com) or Hidden Croatia (011-44/20-7736-6066, www.hiddencroatia.com), for summer flats for as little as $350/week. Up that to $100/night for abject opulence. To get a famous view of Old Town, you must splurge; I loved Grand Villa Argentina (Frana Supila 14, 020/440-555, www.hoteli-argentina.hr). Cascading down a cliff to the very lip of the Adriatic, it's where reporters stayed during the siege in 1991-92, so its sensual Old Town panorama was made iconic by CNN. Outside of summer, its modern (renovated in 2003) rooms are in the middle $100s-money you can avoid paying by choosing a cheaper place, but far less than comparable quarters at home. For Dubrovnik area information, see www.tzdubrovnik.hr.   ÂSPLIT: ROMAN HOLIDAY If the Palace of Diocletian were in the middle of, say, London, it would be a beloved treasure. Instead, in Split, two thirds of the way down the coast of Croatia, it's furniture.    ÂIf the Palace of Diocletian were in the middle of, say, London, it would be a beloved treasure. Instead, in Split, two thirds of the way down the coast of Croatia, it's furniture. The Palace was built for a Roman emperor in a.d. 295. Still inhabited, it's now an open-air warren of boutiques, hidden pubs, and smoky shrines. Split is the second-largest city in Croatia and the port for its most appealing islands. It's also perfect for hanging out. Simply sipping espresso under the weathered porticos and Corinthian columns is one of the finest diversions I've had in Europe.    ÂCroatia's glittering swatch of the Adriatic-glassy smooth and because of natural currents, among the cleanest of the whole Mediterranean region-was once just an outer borough of Rome. North of the Palace are more Roman remnants, and three miles inland are the ruins of the city of Salona, complete with a still-working aquaduct (free).   ÂIn addition to the Palace (free), tony shopping, and all those seafront cafés, there's Trogir, a seaside village (and, like the Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) of Renaissance-era glory. It's 30 minutes away via the port's bus station (14kn/$2 each way) and makes for a film-gobbling day out. The sculptor Meštrovic's estate, a 25-minute walk west of town, is a showcase for his arresting handiwork (15kn/$2.15). Croatia's main highway runs perilously but spectacularly along the coast in both directions from Split, and it makes for a world-class multiday drive.   ÂRoom & Breakfast: Don't be afraid, here or anywhere in the country, to lodge in private residences. Older women who have lost their sons and husbands offer sobe, or rooms, for pocket money (think $15 to $35). Bargain, but ask how far from town the house is. Lodging within the Palace: the basic but warm Prenocište Slavija (Buvinova 2, 021/347-053), hidden up a staircase behind Jupiter's Temple; rooms with shared bath are 317kn/$45 double, 233kn/$33 single; private baths are 70kn/$10 more. The impressive Bellevue (J. Bana Jelacica 2, 021/347-499) is humdrum but ideally located, and some rooms face the Riva quay; 560kn/$80 double, 375kn/$54 single, summer about 70kn/$10 more. Croatia is one of the few places you can afford luxury; Hotel Park (Hatzeov perivoj 3, www.hotelpark-split.hr), a former palace on a trendy section of the sea, costs E61/$70 to E67/$77 per person double, E93/$107 to E103/$118 single. Split info: www.visitsplit.com.   ÂHVAR: ADRIATIC RELIC Comprehensive guided tour, including home visits, cooking classes and more from just $1495 with air from US Carnival in Croatia from $870, airfare and hotel; add a visit to Venice's famed Carnival for just $325 more    ÂIn a country with 1,185 islands, there are plenty of choices for offshore escapes. No Croatian vacation is complete without a stop on at least one. Korcula has sword dancing, Pag is renowned for tart cheese, and Mljet is a forested national park. Here is the Adriatic of Jason and his Argonauts, of pirates, and of Marco Polo. Even the region's stone is famous; nearby quarries dressed the White House and the U.N.    ÂHvar, though, may be the quintessential Croatian isle. Scented by fields of wild lavender, its heart is the hamlet Hvar Town, which curls around a row of coves and is adorned with Venetian architecture, a knot of narrow streets, and a hilltop fortress.    ÂHvar Town's lures, besides authenticity and a ban on cars (park outside the city walls), include a seafront Franciscan monastery with its century-old cypress garden and over 200 pristine Greek and Roman coins; a theater dating from 1612 said to be the first in Europe to admit commoners; a glorious central square full of soccer-playing kids; and the castle above it all. All tickets cost 15kn/$2.15, tops.    ÂRoom & Breakfast: Arrive via a 90-minute Split-Stari Grad car ferry (E29/$33, each way with car) and drive 30 minutes across the island. Croatians are aggressive drivers; let peevish bumper-huggers pass. For Hvar Town, book early. Hotel Slavija (021/741-820) is 157kn/$22 double in winter to 420kn/$60 double B&B in summer. Hotel Palace (021/741-966) is $7 to $15 more and closest to the square; full board costs about $7 more per night if you stay three or more nights. Hotel Amfora (021/741-202), a 15-minute walk past town on the water, is a very '70s megaresort on a private beach charging 188kn/$27 to 503kn/$72 double, with breakfast, depending on season and view. Either Hotel Palace or Hotel Slavija remains open for winter. All three hotels are online at www.suncanihvar.hr. Hvar info: www.hvar.hr.   ÂROVINJ: VENETIAN CHARMER    ÂA vacation in Istria, or northwest Croatia, might as well be one in Italy, such are the slouching brown buildings, olive-oil-washed cuisine, and laconic company. Rovinj ("roe-VEEN-ya") is one of the most striking images of nautical Europe: A lordly cathedral with a jumble of houses gathered in its skirts, all rising abruptly out of the azure sea. Rovinj was developed by the Venetians, and the Italians can't seem to let go; thousands drive in (Trieste is less than an hour north) to throng its winding, café-lined waterfront, where floating markets sell sponges, shells, and other knickknacks.   ÂMost tourists plant themselves on a beach or on an outlying island for at least a few days of a stay. But a 45-minute southerly drive brings you to Pula, home to one of the world's largest Roman coliseum ruins (16kn/$2.30), still used as a theater. Other relics: the Arch of the Sergians (30 b.c.; free) and the Temple of Augustus (about 2 b.c. but rebuilt; free).   ÂRoom & Breakfast: Book early to beat the Italians. There are few cheap options in town. The only high-capacity hotel with the requisite view of the Old Town is the concrete package-tour mill Hotel Park (I.M. Ronjgova bb, 052/811-077), E31/$36 to E60/$69 per person, with breakfast; for all meals add 20 percent. Hotels within the Old Town aren't cheap but might be worth it, since fussing with parking in this car-free town is a trial. The Hotel Villa Angelo D'Oro (Via Svalba 38-42, 052/840-502, www.rovinj.at) is a richly accented Venetian charmer, E55/$63 a person, winter, to E96/$110 a person, summer, with breakfast. Hotel Adriatic, on the noisy main square, is a good choice (E31/$36 to E52/$60 a person in a double, with breakfast, seasonally; 052/815-088, adriatic@jadran.tdr.hr). Private flats are the least expensive route; they range E20/$23 to E45/$52 a night for two, based on season, and can be arranged via www.inforovinj.com. Regional info: www.tzgrovinj.hr (Rovinj), www.istra.com (Istria).   ÂCROATIA: TIPS AND QUIRKSMoney: Credit cards and ATMs are common. Phones When calling Croatia from North America, first dial 011-385 and drop the first zero. It's six hours ahead of our East Coast. Hotels: Most were communist-designed, so midpriced ones are often as good as top-price ones; guests are required to surrender their passports, usually over the first night, to be registered with police; on May Day (May 1) and in July and August, book ahead. Languages: Croatian; also widely spoken are German, Italian, and English.Eating: Restaurants fill after 7 p.m.; waiters allow patrons to linger all night if a bill isn't requested; always ask if "service" is included to avoid stiffing the waiter; if liqueur is offered, it's not a swindle-it's a traditional post-meal courtesy. Driving: Major names like Avis and National rent compacts ($20 to $30/day); add $10 a day for automatic transmissions, and choose a vehicle tiny enough to navigate those medieval alleys; towns are well marked but roads aren't, so find a map packed with names. Shopping: On the coast, businesses close in mid-afternoon and reopen for evening. Inland, they observe regular hours.   ÂSIX WAYS TO GET THERE FROM HOME OR EUROPE   ÂAir Croatia Airlines (www.croatiaairlines.hr) flies to Zagreb from major European cities (London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Frankfurt). Internal flights are cheap (Dubrovnik-Zagreb one way: about $60).   ÂFerry Routes from Italy include Venice-Rovinj (Venezia Lines, 21/2 hours, E42/$48 one way, www.venezialines.com) and Ancona-Split (multiple companies, 41/2 hours or overnight; E47/$54 to E79/$91, www.traghettionline.net). Domestic routes are covered by Jadrolinija (www.jadrolinija.hr).   ÂTrains Zagreb-Budapest (five hours, $39, www.raileurope.com), Vienna (six hours, $57, www.raileurope.com). Many people train to Trieste, Italy, and drive or bus from there (about 30 minutes). There are no high-speed capabilities, and the coast is not adequately served by rail.   ÂPackages: now sells Dubrovnik, including air on Lufthansa, transfers, and a hotel for six nights with breakfast, for $599 from November to March (from New York; other cities available for slightly higher rates). Or fly to England to catch a British package, which are plentiful; in 2003's peak season (July), there were weeklong stays in Dubrovnik, with airfare, for £395/$649    ÂCharter yacht Croatia-based ABEO rents boats sleeping four to six from E1,100/$1,265 a week (motorboats), E1,600/$1,840 a week (sailboats).   Â   Â{Editor's Note: Have you ever vacationed in Croatia? Do you have an instructive anecdote, tip or horror story to share? We'd love to hear it and possibly reprint it in our letters to the editor column. Simply click here to send a letter to our editors. traveleditor@newsweekbt.com    Â   ÂCopyright © 2003 Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc.   ÂJason Cochran is senior editor of Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel.http://www.msnbc.com/news/953928.asp?0ql=c8p&cp1=1#BODY letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 20 Oct 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8423/1/HF-CROATIA-PRIVILEGED-TOURIST-DESTINATION.html FRENCH TELEVISION IN TWO HOURS DOCUMENTARY PROCLAIMED CROATIA PRIVILEGED TOURIST DESTINATION IN THE WORLDÂFRANCUSKA TELEVIZIJA O HRVATSKOJPARIZ, 25. rujna (Hina) - Na francuskom javnom televizijskom kanalu, France 3, prikazana je u srijedu navecer, u udarnom terminu, dvosatna emisija posvecena Hrvatskoj kao "povlaštenoj turistickoj destinaciji". #L# Emisija "Korijeni i krila" ("Des racines et des ailes") - koju vodi poznati televizijski novinar Patrick de Carolis - zauzima znacajno mjesto u francuskoj televizijskoj produkciji. Višemjesecni rad koji iziskuje ovakav karakter emisija objašnjava zašto su ove godine samo tri bile posvecene stranim gradovima, i to: Luksoru, Istanbulu i Sankt-Peterburgu, dok ih je prošle godine bilo ukupno pet: Prag, Rim, Firenca, Sevilja i Atena. Emisija - okosnica koje je bio Dubrovnik, gdje je ispred Kneževa dvora bio i plato na kojem je Patrick de Carolis primao brojne hrvatske sugovornike - zapravo je pravo posvecenje Hrvatske kao nove velike turisticke destinacije koju su, "upravo ovoga ljeta u velikom broju otkrili francuski turisti, prvi put iza rata", kako bilježi Figaro u srijedu u clanku Hommage Dubrovniku i Hrvatskoj, kojim je i najavljena emisija o Hrvatskoj. Nakon reportaže o Dubrovniku, pod naslovom Suparnik Venecije, svojevrsnog hodocašca kroz burnu i "slavnu povijest" grada podno Srda, milijunskoj je televizijskoj publici predstavljen Split - "Grad palaca", ali i Vukovar, cija je ratna drama ispricana kroz sudbinu Hrvatice Ruže Maric, kustosa Gradskog muzeja, i Srpkinje Slavke Loncar, direktorice djecjeg vrtica, i njihov rad u prilog pomirenja i suživota Hrvata i Srba u gradu na Dunavu. U završnom dijelu emisije smjenjivale su se reportaže o ljepotama jadranske obale, od Kornata do Mljeta, s vecim prilozima o Korculi i Hvaru. "Hrvatska, zemlja na raskrižju Istoka i Zapada, slavenskog svijeta i Sredozemlja" - uvodno je slovo voditelja emisije Carolisa, dok je specijalizirani casopis "Telerama", u broju od prošloga tjedna, naglasio kako "sredozemna klima, netaknuta priroda i izvanredna kulturna baština" predstavljaju za Hrvatsku dodatne adute u prilog njene kandidature za integraciju u Europsku uniju, podsjecajuci još jednom da je Hrvatska danas "povlaštena turisticka destinacija".DES RACINES & DES AILES DU 24 SEPTEMBRE 2003 Emission proposée et présentée par Patrick de Carolis depuis la ville de Dubrovnik en Croatie. Situé au carrefour entre le monde slave et le monde méditerranéen, entre l'orient et l'occident, ce pays indépendant depuis 1991 possède un patrimoine architectural tout à fait exceptionnel dû notamment à sa position stratégique.Dubrovnik, la rivale de Venise Split la ville - palais Femmes de Vukovar Les perles de l'Adriatique Mélange de cultures, de civilisations, d'époques, la Croatie porte en elle les traces de son histoire, des peuples qui s'y sont installés, qui l'ont convoitée : Grecs, romains, byzantins, Vénitiens et même français. Mais au-delà de cette histoire riche en évènements, ce pays possède un patrimoine naturel unique en Europe. Des milliers d'îles, la plupart inhabitées, des parcs nationaux, une nature méditerranéenne tout à fait préservée. Nous installerons notre plateau à Duvrovnik, un joyau situé sur la côte Adriatique et classé au patrimoine mondial de l'Unesco. Nous vous raconterons l'histoire de cette ville qui longtemps rivalisa avec Venise. Au sommaire de ce soir, 4 reportages : - « Dubrovnik, la rivale de Venise » Invitées Dubravka ZVRKO (Présidente de l'Alliance Française) et Tereza KESOVIJA.- « Split, la ville-palais » Invités Nansi IVANISEVIC et Dino MILINOVIC (Historien de l'art) - « Femmes de Vukovar » Invité Nansi IVANISEVIC - « Les perles de l'Adriatique" » Invité Dino MILINOVIC (Historien de l'art) letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 28 Sep 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8425/1/E-Dubrovnik-most-popular-British-Magazine-claims.html ÂDubrovnik most popular, British Magazine claims DUBROVNIK NAJPOPULARNIJI TURISTIcKI GRAD NA SVIJETU PREMA WANDERLUSTU Luksuzni britanski turisticki casopis Wanderlust proveo je istraživanje o najpopularnijim turistickim destinacijama u nekoliko kategorija. U kategoriji gradova na prvom mjestu je Dubrovnik. ÂIstraživanju je pristupilo preko 1400 osoba koje su putovale u vremenskom periodu od sijecnja 2002. do kolovoza 2003. godine. Sveukupno su posjetili 185 zemalja, putovali su sa 129 razlicitih avionskih kompanija i koristili se uslugama 546 turistickih agencija. Istraživanje se smatra najopsežnijim takve vrste u Britaniji. Ispitanici su ocjenjivali države, gradove, turisticke agencija, avio-kompanije, sigurnost u zemlji, itd. Za svaku kategoriju trebali su navesti cetiri imena i ocijeniti ih. Bez obzira na ocjenu najmanje 20 glasova je bilo potrebno da odredeno mjesto bude na završnoj listi koja je formirana na temelju glasova i ocjena pretvorenih u postotak. Dubrovnik je s 95,6% naj-grad na svijetu ispred peruanskog Cuczaa, talijanske Venecije, južnoafickog Cape Towna i mnogih drugih.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 21 Sep 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8424/1/H-DUBROVNIK-NAJPOPULARNIJI-TURISTICKI-GRAD-NA-SVIJETU-PREMA-WANDERLUSTU.html  DUBROVNIK NAJPOPULARNIJI TURISTICKI GRAD NA SVIJETU PREMA WANDERLUSTU ÂLuksuzni britanski turisticki casopis Wanderlust proveo je istrazivanje o najpopularnijim turistickim destinacijama u nekoliko kategorija. U kategoriji gradova na prvom mjestu je Dubrovnik.Istrazivanju je pristupilo preko 1400 osoba koje su putovale u vremenskom periodu od sijecnja 2002. do kolovoza 2003. godine. Sveukupno su posjetili 185 zemalja, putovali su sa 129 razlicitih avionskih kompanija i koristili se uslugama 546 turistickih agencija. Istrazivanje se smatra najopseznijim takve vrste u Britaniji.Ispitanici su ocjenjivali drzave, gradove, turisticke agencija, avio-kompanije, sigurnost u zemlji, itd. Za svaku kategoriju trebali su navesti cetiri imena i ocijeniti ih. Bez obzira na ocjenu najmanje 20 glasova je bilo potrebno da odredeno mjesto bude na zavrsnoj listi koja je formirana na temelju glasova i ocjena pretvorenih u postotak.Dubrovnik je s 95,6% naj-grad na svijetu ispred peruanskog Cuczaa, talijanske Venecije, juznoafickog Cape Towna i mnogih drugih.Source: http://www.sailing.org/Article_content.asp?ArticleID=5363 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 21 Sep 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8427/1/E-Croatia-pound-Thailand.html  Croatia pound Thailand ÂPublished on Aug 19, 2003[VOLLEYBALL] Croatia hammered Thailand's Girl under18 squad 31 (2628 2517 2514 2516) to finish fifth in the FIVB 8th Girls' U18 World Championship in Poland on Sunday night.The fifth place playoff began with the Thais taking an early lead and maintaining it throughout the entire opening set. The European champions put up a strong resistance and Thailand had to serve five times to take the first set at 2826.The Thai team, who beat hosts Poland in the earlier round, struggled in the second set as the Croatians changed their gameplan. Senna Usic, one of the tournament's best scorers, was unstoppable in attack and collected 23 points in the match.Usic's teammates made some magnificent contribution as Croatia cruised along smoothly. Thailand never got the break through they were desperately looking for and lost the next two sets easily.The defeat was a big setback for Thailand, who failed to repeat their 1997 success, when they ended up at fifth in the championship that was hosted by the Kingdom."My girls showed tremendous guts. We have to accept the fact that the Croatians were much stronger than us. Their blocks made it difficult for us to bounce back," said Thai coach Jittipol Toomanee."We're smaller than other European players, so ending the tournament at the sixth is not bad at all," added Jittipol.Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/page.news.php3?clid=9&theme=A&usrsess=1&id=19292 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 13 Sep 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8426/1/E-Croatia-for-High-lifers-in-hiding.html  Croatia for High-lifers in hiding ÂBrigitte Bardot reckons St Tropez is finished, its glamour all gone. Can she be right? Anthony Peregrine went to investigateThe case of the Côte d'Azur in general, and St Tropez in particular, has been exercising some great minds recently. Only a couple of weeks ago in The Sunday Telegraph, Brigitte Bardot complained that St Trop was now overrun by hordes and irremediably naff.Granted, she missed the irony that most of these crowds were drawn in by the racy, glam image generated by her and her skimpily clad chums in the 1960s. No matter. The point was that, for her, St Tropez as a phenomenon was finished.She's not alone. We are constantly being told that fashionistas and other types who pepper the "people" pages have abandoned La Côte for Croatia or Mauritius. Could this be true? It seemed vital to find out. After all, it's no good folk travelling to St Tropez thinking they're cool, and then being sneered at for being hopelessly passé.The obvious place to start inquiries was the Byblos Hotel, just off-centre in St Tropez. Prouder than any other French hotel of its celebrity past, the Byblos reckons itself "entwined in the mystique of St Tropez". For 35 years it has been at the apex of what was, at least, the planet's trendiest resort.BB herself was a regular, Mick and Bianca got married there, Elton stayed and Bruce took off his shirt in the bar (that's Willis, not Forsyth). Its Caves-du-Roy nightclub claims to have the toughest door policy on the coast - and an unrivalled name for sophisticated excess. Here was Côte d'Azur glamour in microcosm. Or not, of course.I approached on tenterhooks. A place with this kind of reputation had to be up itself to a critical degree. In truth, I wanted it to be vulgar and insensitive, so that I too could dismiss St Tropez and get off home.Talk about disappointment. The bloke out front didn't seem the slightest bit fazed to be dealing with a car a quarter the size of everything else in the car park. The welcome was charming and the room - well, my wife went through various grades of euphoria from the moment we entered."These tiles," came a shriek from the bathroom. "I've seen similar ones in a magazine. They cost 300 quid a square metre!" I had to clamp some of the room-service nougat between her teeth just to get some peace.Outside, things were even better - therefore worse. The Byblos is built to resemble a Provençal hamlet, a succession of ochre frontages descending the hill. "Doesn't look like a real Provençal hamlet," I said. "No butcher's shop, washing or old women in black.""Or rubbish, bad drains or dog muck," said my wife, teeth once again unstuck. Mediterranean horticulture exploded abundantly, walkways and galleries led all over the place. They were dotted with antiques, busts and more ceramics. Lord knows, I looked for vulgarity - but found none.After a couple of scotches in the bedroom - we take our own bottle, wary now of muggings by minibar - we dined in the hotel's brand-new, Med-themed Bayader restaurant, low-lit, by the pool.Food and setting were splendid, but what of our fellow guests? Had we fallen in among jet-setters? Apparently not. On the next table was a heroically overweight banker-type with a well-preserved wife, over there two middle-aged English couples (GPs on a weekend break, at a guess), across the way a young French family. Not one of them looked as if they'd rate a down-page paragraph in their local paper, never mind Hello! magazine.Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/main.jhtml?xml=/travel/2003/09/06/etbyblos.xml&sSheet=/travel/2003/09/09/ixtrvhome.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 13 Sep 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8429/1/E-Croatia---Overseas-Travel-Rebounding-for-Israelis.html ÂCroatia - Overseas Travel Rebounding for IsraelisAUGUST 15, 2003Overseas Travel Rebounding for Israelis By ELLI WOHLGELERNTER FORWARD CORRESPONDENT JERUSALEM - Propelled by the optimism of the Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire and a modest economic upturn, Israelis are traveling abroad this summer in numbers not seen since before the intifada, government and industry spokesmen say.The number of Israelis who left Israel during the first seven months of this year was up 8.5% over the same period in 2002, according to statistics released in early August. Most of that travel came during the past three months following the end of the Iraq war.Overseas travel, a staple of Israel's leisure culture, rose by a steady 14% per year during the 1990s, reaching a peak of about 3.6 million departures in 2000. Travel stagnated in 2001, however, and then dropped 8% in 2002. The decline in travel is due to worsening security since October 2000, the declining value of the shekel and the general economic slump, the statistics bureau said.While travel has rebounded this year, Israelis' destinations are more limited than in the past, thanks partly to financial constraints and partly to Israel's battered reputation around the world.The most serious blow is a new limitation on Israeli travel to the United States, traditionally one of the most popular destinations for Israeli travelers. Despite official protests, the Bush administration has declined to exempt Israel from strict new visa rules that require would-be visitors to undergo a personal interview in English at an American consulate, adding weeks to a process that previously was all but automatic.State Department officials were grilled at a congressional hearing last month on Israel's failure to be admitted to the Visa Waiver Program, which exempts 27 countries, mostly in Europe, from the new strictures.The exclusion of Israelis, said Rep. Henry Waxman of California, the ranking Democrat on the committee, "raises the question in my mind whether it's reasonable for us to have this discrimination against Israel, which has been as close an ally as countries in Western Europe."However, a State Department official told the committee that Israel's exclusion resulted not from politics but from the growing perception of Israelis as rule-breakers. "The majority of Israeli applicants... have not been able to overcome the statutory presumption that they are intending immigration... coming here perhaps to work or stay," said the deputy assistant secretary of state for visa services, Janice Jacobs.Israeli officials have raised the issue with American government officials. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom recently told Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge that delays for visas were damaging business relations. Ridge promised to shorten the waiting period.Israelis, undaunted, have moved on and picked other destinations. This July, 890,734 people had left the country, compared with 820,881 in July 2002. On one day last week, 41,000 people left on 230 flights."This year's popular destination is Croatia and Slovenia, because it's relatively cheap to go there," said Hillary Weiss, a travel agent with Ziontours, a popular agency in downtown Jerusalem. "Spain is also big. There are a lot of family package deals - either flight with hotel, or flight with car rental."The other popular attractions for families, Weiss said, are the usual ones: the Greek Isles, Turkey, the capitals of Europe and holiday villages in the Netherlands, England, Italy and France.Natan Uriely, chairman of the Department of Hotel and Tourism Management at Ben-Gurion University, has a different explanation for why Israelis travel in much higher proportion than most countries."It's part of Jewish nature - the 'Wandering Jew,'" he said, laughing. "So even when Jews get settled in their own country, a little of that 'Wandering Jew' leads them to travel a lot."For Israeli youth, it is considered a rite of passage to travel abroad in the year following army service, a way to unwind from the stress of serving two to three years in the army.At the same time, their craving to unwind has fueled the perception of Israelis in many countries as unruly, aggressive and at times obnoxious. Repeated news reports in recent years tell of young Israeli tourists getting into fire extinguisher fights in hotel corridors, throwing watermelon rinds over balconies, burning beds, stealing faucets off the sinks in their hotel rooms, and spray-painting their names on mountain ranges in the Rockies, in Thailand and even on a bunkhouse wall at Auschwitz.At a hotel on a Thai island, a sign at the entrance reads: "Israeli nationality is not welcome to stay in this hotel, because they are problem makers. We cannot accept their behavior."Weiss said she has not heard of hotels discriminating like that anymore. "Israelis have learned how to travel," she said. "There are always going to be individuals like that, in groups of German and French tourists as well. There were certain hotels in Turkey [that discriminated], but I haven't heard anything like that recently."Among the destinations for the Israeli army veterans looking to unwind and seeking new thrills are India, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Australia and South America, as well as Nepal and Peru, where backpackers take to mountain climbing that sometimes ends in disaster.Last month, two Israelis were killed in an ice avalanche in the Peruvian Andes, along with four Germans, one Peruvian, one Irishman and an Argentinean who were part of a 16-person expedition. It is not the first time such accidents have occurred, but it seems such tragedies do not deter the daredevils."It's very typical, and widespread among the middle class in Israel," Uriely said. "For some it's a leisure way to show their army skills, but for most it's a way to get away from everything, to do something for yourself, explore yourself without family and the army around you. While many do the extreme, others who take this [post-army] trip sit on beaches of Thailand and smoke dope all day. So you cannot say that this is the typical backpacker."It is often said that Israelis travel so much out of the need to regain their sanity, to take a break from the news and the reality, to relax and be free of the daily stress, even in the midst of an economic recession."That's part of the Israeli routine way of life, the tendency of Israelis to travel a lot and to take vacations," Uriely said. "They keep on doing it even when the economic situation is bad. Israelis will still go abroad, but to cheaper and closer destinations: Greece and Turkey instead of Europe, and now in Egypt since the [cease-fire]. And some Israelis stay at home and do internal tourism rather than go abroad."http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.08.15/news6.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 13 Aug 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8428/1/E-Is-Croatia-the-new-Cote-dAzur.html  Is Croatia the new Côte d'Azur? ÂWith its dazzling coast and historic cities, the former Yugoslav republic is gaining a reputation to rival the Riviera. Rosemary Behan finds out if it is deservedCroatia has been billed, with equal vapidity, as the "hottest new destination for 2003", "the new Med" and "the new Côte d'Azur". Celebrities are flocking there, we are led to believe, abandoning Tuscany and St Tropez faster than you can say Hvar, Korcula and Brac. Even Princess Caroline of Monaco is reported to be buying an island in the area (prices start at £1 million).The country promises 1,000 miles of unspoilt coastline, some of Europe's clearest seas, a string of ancient walled cities and islands covered with olive groves, lemon trees and lavender, but is Croatia all it is cracked up to be? After all the hype, I was keen to find out.When we boarded our boat in Trogir 15 minutes after stepping off the two-hour flight from London, things already looked promising. A vast flotilla of gigantic, shiny yachts from Barbados had moored next to our 97-year-old, 20-berth, wooden motor cruiser. It was named Bozidar, meaning "God's gift" (a popular name for boys in Croatia, apparently). I was sailing with a diverse group of 19 people, not the sort you would run into at the Caves du Roy in St Tropez but travel stalwarts, some of whom had visited Croatia up to 30 years ago, when the area first became popular with Britons. They knew that Croatia is not a "new" destination - some 500,000 British holidaymakers used to visit the coast of the former Yugoslavia every year before the civil war in the early 1990s. And in Trogir you can see immediately why Croatia has been able to emerge from almost a decade of conflict as a new country with new-found popularity.Although fighting had ruined the economy of what had once been the richest of Yugoslavia's six republics, cut and destroyed its main railway lines and roads and seen oil pipelines, refineries, power stations and water supplies blown up or put out of action, Croatia emerged with the lion's share of Yugoslavia's coastline, which, with the exception of shelling in Dubrovnik and Split, escaped virtually unscathed.Around 300,000 Croats fled westwards during the war to take refuge on the Adriatic islands, its resorts abandoned by holidaymakers. Now they have gone home and the tourists are returning. The Croatian Tourist Board is expecting some 135,000 British holidaymakers this year, nearly 40 per cent more than 2000. It is still a far cry from pre-war levels, but promising for a country that is trying to reinvent itself as an upmarket destination, having catered mainly to package holidaymakers in the 1970s and '80s.Trogir's ancient and compact maze of mainly medieval streets is encapsulated within 15th-century city walls, but although it was a declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1997, the town is, like most on the Croatian coast, gorgeously lived in. With washing hanging out of windows above bookshops in Gothic yards, exquisitely situated restaurants - some alfresco in the shells of derelict Renaissance houses - and the trendy bars and internet cafes in its narrow lanes, Trogir was one of my favourites, partly because, as I had heard so little about it, it came as such a surprise.While Croatia may be short of exclusive hotels, it is a haven for yachties. Unlike the Côte d'Azur, Dalmatia has more than 1,000 islands, 500 ports and 48 marinas, and natural harbours and bays abound. The close proximity of the islands to each other - formed when the rising sea level drowned valleys along the coastline - also makes the area easily navigable.From Trogir, at night, we sailed past the dark outline of Brac, Dalmatia's largest island, inhaling the smell of thyme and staring up at the stars. An hour later we arrived at Stomorska, a small harbour backed by an exquisite Renaissance village on a gently rolling hill on the island of Solta, where we moored for the night.The following morning, we dropped anchor in a quiet bay next to Hvar for "lunch and swimming", the central pastimes of each day. The water was as blue and clear as I have seen anywhere - and certainly much cleaner than most of the Med. After we had swum, snorkled and sunbathed to our hearts' content, we set off again for Vis, the farthest offshore of Croatia's inhabited Adriatic islands.It was a military base and closed to foreigners until 1989, and retains a sedate, sleepy feel. Its quiet atmosphere is a direct result of the collapse of the local population when the island was used as an Allied base during the Second World War: all men between the ages of 15 and 50 were called up by the Partisans, while women, children and the elderly were evacuated to a tent-camp in British-controlled Egypt.We moored at Vis Town, an attractive medley of fine 16th-century Venetian houses, municipal buildings and deserted cobbled streets, and went in search of the island's "famous" wines. We were disappointed by the poor, watery red Viski plavac, and the unremarkable white Vugava. But while the wine failed to live up to French standards, the food was just as good and much cheaper. There was as good a variety of seafood as in France, Spain, Turkey or Greece. The same went for the wide selection of pasta and pizza dishes. None cost more than £4 and they were just as palatable as anything on the Côte d'Azur. Coffees cost no more than 50p and ice-creams 40p.From Vis we set sail for the Blue Cave, an enchanting grotto on the islet of Bisevo, which can only be reached by boat. Once inside the cave, sunlight shining through the water from outside turns the sea an incandescent blue, with visibility to a deph of 50ft.The islands themselves come in assorted shapes and sizes - from tiny flat islets to others more than 10 miles long - but their appearance is fairly uniform, consisting mostly of limestone outcrops and scrubland. They were not especially beautiful, but there was much to be said for the quiet of an environment unpolluted by huge resorts.One of the reasons Croatia remains relatively undeveloped is the complete absence of sandy beaches. What beaches it does have are shingle, and small at that. This was not a major concern to us as we could jump straight off our boat, but at the major holiday centres - Korcula, Hvar and Brac - families were crowded onto narrow pebble beaches and strips of rock. The water, however, was divine, and crystal clear. The combination of rocks and seclusion also means that Croatia is popular with nudists - several times we rounded a corner into a quiet cove to find naked bathers perched uncomfortably by the water's edge.Our next stop was Korcula Town, a much-hyped medieval ensemble clustered on the top of an oval promontory jutting into the sea. The best thing about Korcula, which had been variously described to me as the "jewel of Dalmatia", a "miniature Dubrovnik" and a "photographer's dream", was the approach from the water, which was truly enchanting. Sixteenth-century defensive towers rise dramatically from the sea, and the town's cluster of houses appears to form an island of its own. Inside the town, which plays on an extremely debatable claim to be the birthplace of Marco Polo, we found unfriendly locals looking to cash in on the boom in tourists. Its harbour was plain and unnattractive, and had too many of the people - rich, brash and over-tanned - that are so hard to avoid on the French Riviera.The town had just two or three fashionable bars, which catered to a young, hip crowd, but the atmosphere was refreshingly laid-back and uncrowded. Korcula Town also had undeniably pretty architecture, including a medieval cathedral, city walls with towers, and streets paved with polished marble slabs. And like most of the town centres, it was car-free.After Korcula we set sail for island of Mljet, a thin strip of land some 20 miles long and less than two miles wide containing two salt-water lakes and forming a national park.Mljet was my favourite place - a large and rare expanse of woodland bordered the two lakes, the larger of which contained a tiny island housing a 12th-century Benedictine monastery. After kayaking the length of the two lakes, we cycled round them, breathing in the thick smell of pinewood in perfect weather. When we came to the place where the sea feeds into the larger of the two lakes, we found an exhileratingly clear and deep bathing spot where the water was the bluest and clearest any of us had ever seen - and it was deserted.If Mljet was my favourite natural place in Croatia, Hvar was my favourite town. A well-preserved car-free haven of Venetian architecture, with an exquisite piazza reminiscent of Venice itself, Hvar is the place to be. Stylish yachts with names such as Slipstream and Passion Four lined the harbour (there was a queue just to get into it), lending the town a certain glamour, and the town centre features a large number of fashionable and atmospheric restaurants. There was a wonderfully young, relaxed air, and, with international DJs playing at the town's clubs throughout the summer, Hvar was the only Croatian town hip enough to match the South of France.Our last port of call was Split, which, although Croatia's second-largest city, also has a very Mediterranean feel, its wide boulevards filled with the optimisim of international youth. The highlight, Diocletian's Palace, built when the Roman emperor abdicated in AD305, is a breathtaking hotchpotch of architectural styles, including Roman, medieval and Renaissance. As in Trogir, the fact that the palace is a Unesco site has not stifled the life of the place - some 3,000 people live within its confines and shops, bars and restaurants hum with excitement.If it were a choice between the Côte d'Azur and Croatia, Croatia would win hands down - not because it is the same, but because it is so different - cheaper, much less crowded, more interesting and, above all, more relaxing. If I wanted a beach holiday, however, I would go elsewhere.Croatia basicsExplore Worldwide (01252 760000; www.exploreworldwide.com) has a Dalmatian Island Cruise (regular departures May-Sept) from £629 per person. The price includes flights from Gatwick (regional connections from £79), transfers, seven nights' half board in twin cabins and an Explore tour leader.Other companies that offer holidays to Croatia include Hidden Croatia (020 7736 6066; www.hiddencroatia.com), which organises a range of tailor-made trips from around £500 for seven days, including flights. It also offers flight-only arrangements to Dubrovnik (from £169 in August, including taxes) and Rijeka (from £99, including tax) on Krk island.Simply Croatia (020 8541 2214, www.simplytravel.co.uk) and Holiday Options (0870 013 0450; >a href="http://www.holidayoptions.co.uk">www.holidayoptions.co.uk) offer flight-only deals and self-catering and small-hotel options across the country. Villas and apartments are available through Croatian Villas (020 8368 9978; www.croatianvillas.com).Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/main.jhtml?xml=/travel/2003/08/12/etcroatia10.xml&sSheet=/travel/2003/08/12/ixtrvhome.html#bas letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 13 Aug 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8432/1/E-Croatian-Summer-of-2003.html ÂCroatian Summer of 2003An unidentified tourist folds her pareo, before swimming on the beach of northern Adriatic town of Rovinj on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2003. Meteorologists expect sunny weather with some thunderstorms to continue for the upcoming days in Croatia. (AP Photo/Hrvoje Knez) letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 06 Aug 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8431/1/E-Sultan-Qaboos-expected-in-Croatia.html  Sultan Qaboos expected in CroatiaÂSultan Qaboos of Oman expected in Croatian resortZAGREB (AFP) - Oman's ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said is expected next week in Croatia's Adriatic Sea resort of Dubrovnik where his luxurious fleet is already awaiting him, port officials said Friday.  Several member's of Oman's cabinet are to arrive in the southern town Saturday where they will join the Sultan's and his retinue aboard a 104-meter (300-foot) yacht, "As Said", and a 137-meter ship named "As Salamah". For his first visit to Croatia, Sultan Qaboos -- one of the world's richest people -- joined by some 600 family members, including 17 wives, will also have at his disposal a 16-meter speedboat and two planes kept on standby at Dubrovnik airport. His fleet carries several luxurious cars and is equipped with a helicopter pad and a hospital. Source: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20030801/en_afp/croatia_oman_people_030801205005 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 06 Aug 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8430/1/EH-God-Created-Croatia-for-Himself---in-Guardian.html  God Created Croatia for Himself Ian Wylie offers an A-Z guide to Zagreb Saturday August 2, 2003 The Guardian If I talk to any of the locals in Zagreb, the Croatian Airlines in-flight magazine assures me, they'll tell me this story: God creates the world, but forgets to give anything to the Croatians. After a Croat speaks up to complain, God grudgingly gives Croatia the beautiful piece of land he's been keeping for himself. None of the locals that I spoke to had heard that story, but seven years after the Dayton peace accords ended hostilities here, Croatia is slowly repairing its relationship with travellers prepared to judge for themselves whether God or Croatia got the better deal. Zagreb is a chaotic mix of Italian, Austrian and Balkan influences, a mishmash of medieval and modern. And while Prague bar owners feel the need to put up signs saying "Please, no groups of drunken British men allowed", Zagreb is an affordable weekend break destination for travellers who fancy a cocktail of central European culture, Hapsburg architecture and Mediterranean weather without the stag parties. Although Zagreb is an amalgam of old city (Kaptol and Gradec) and new town (Donji grad), it has a compact city centre, hemmed in by the slopes of the Medvednica hill to the north and Sava river to the south. (Locals call the suburbs over the river the "sleeping room" because of its dearth of entertainment.) It's small enough to cover on foot, and most locations are central. In terms of pace and rhythm, this is a city where people like to stroll, even during rush hour. "As soon as the sun comes out, the cafes with outdoor tables are mobbed. I don't know how any work gets done," says Ida, a young Croatian who has returned from studying at LSE to help run her father's construction company. The city's population of 800,000 people seem a very friendly bunch, but centuries of conflict, occupation and domination, and persecution have left Croatians with low self-esteem. Locals readily admit their victim complex, but are desperate for tourists to experience the warmth of their welcome. There are many parallels with a city like Belfast - Irish and Croatian football fans, I'm told, get on famously when their teams play. Don't come here expecting Prague. The hangover from war persists. Anti-Serbian graffiti is rife. There's still a heavy police presence (albeit the kind of policemen who lean up against walls and chainsmoke). And restaurants still feel the need to paste "No guns" notices to their doors. But Zagreb somehow manages to combine the restlessness of a cosmopolitan city in permanent transition with the intimacy of well-manicured boulevards, concealed courtyards and steep cobbled streets, where Communist-made Yugos bounce up and down with little or no suspension. Where to stay Ilica, (Ilica, +377 7622/377 7522, hotel-ilica.hr). Small but value for money rooms with a location just west of the city centre. From 349kn. Central (Branimirova, +484 1122, hotel-central.hr). Where I stayed during my visit. Rooms are small and heavily scented, but recently refurbished and perfectly adequate. Central, facing the train station with a good view of the steam engine that pulled Tito's funeral carriage (he was born just outside Zagreb). Room rates start at 400kn. Dubrovnik (Ljudevita Gaja, +487 3555, tel.hr/hotel-dubrovnik). Built in 1929, but fronted by a modern glass tower. It looks out on to Trg Jelacica with its buzzing cafe scene. Recently renovated. Single rooms start at 500kn. Jagerhorn (Ilica, +483 3877). Cosy, 13-room courtyard hotel just 100m west of the Trg Jelacica. Books up quickly. Prices begin at 550kn. Where to eat Baltazar (Nova Ves 4, +466 6824, morsko-prase.hr/baltazar/baltazar.htm). High-end, traditional north Croatian dining (grilled meats, breads and salads) just five minutes' walk from the cathedral. 55-125kn. Atlanta (Tkalciceva, +481 3848). At the quieter end of Tkalciceva and well suited to romantic dinners. 30-80kn for a main dish. Paviljon (Trg kralja Tomislava, +481 3066). Mix of Italian and seafood offerings in elegant surroundings next to the city's art gallery. 65-125kn. Antica (Kaptol, +481 2187). New seafood restaurant with an Adriatic flavour and a small but cosy dining room tht is yet to make it into the guidebooks. 30-55kn. Where to drink Boban (Ljudevita Gaja, +481 1549, asker.com/boban). Owned by the footballer Zvonimir Boban, who achieved cult status among locals during a match in 1990 when he laid into a couple of policemen (the police were widely believed to be under Serbian influence). Italian restaurant in the basement. Oliver Twist (Tkalciceva, +481 2206). Tkalciceva is at the centre of Zagreb's nightlife, and Oliver Twist's outdoor seating and jukebox are popular with locals and tourists alike. Bulldog (Bogoviceva, +481 7393). An expat hangout, this pub-cum-cafe-cum-bar with its labyrinth of rooms and levels is usually jammed with beer drinkers. Godot (Savska, +484 3477). Close to the student centre, a cosy cafe with an Irish theme - Guinness posters line every crevice. Where to dance Aquarius (Aleja Mira, +364 0231, aquarius.hr). House and techno club popular during summer months for its outdoor dancing area.This summer, the owners opened a new club on the island of Pag. Best (Horvaæanski Zavoj, +369 1601, thebest.com.hr). Destination for younger clubbing set, hosting rave-style events and a Teen Dance Party on Sunday evenings. Sokol (Trg Marsala Tita, +482 8510, sokolklub.hr). More sophisticated venue that attracts an older clientele and occasionally local celebs. Saturday nights include a fashion show. Where to shop Refreshingly, you'll find all the brands, but (almost) none of the retail chains on Zagreb's main shopping street, Ilicia. But don't expect friendly service. 'Put a Croatian behind a desk and they think they're the president,' grumbles Elvis, a radio journalist from Istria who lives in Zagreb. Dolac is a huge two-storey outdoor market - a vast vista of vegetables, meat, fish, flowers and dairy produce that is open every day but Sundays. Where to be learned City Museum (Opaticka, +485 1364). Come here for a potted history of Zagreb told via a warren of documents, artwork, crafts and other historical objects (including, rather bizarrely, a couple of chairs damaged by the rocket attack on Gradec in 1991). The story of the past 50 years is a little selective (where's Tito?). Mimara Museum (Trg Franklina Roosewelta, +482 8100, mimara.hr). Large and varied collection of artistic treasures from all over the world, with more than 3,750 works spanning three millennia, much of them Christian in theme. No one quite knows how the wealthy businessman Ante Topic Mimara came to amass such an eclectic collection. Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters (Zrinjevav, +489 5115). The collection of a fervently pro-Croat bishop who founded the Croatian Academy of Arts and Science. Includes the works of Italian masters from the 14th century, Dutch and Flemish painters from the 19th century, and Croatian artists such as Medulic and Benkovic. Where to be holy Katedrala Marijina Uznesenja (Kaptol, +481 4727). Seemingly in a permanent state of reconstruction, the cathedral remains a wonder of neo-gothic artistry. Founded more than 1,000 years ago, it has withstood sieges by the Tartars, sweeping fires and even an earthquake. Kamenita vrata (Kamenita). This archway shrine was one of the four original entries into the walled Gornji Grad of the feudal period. After fire destroyed much of the town in 1731, legend has it that a vision of the Virgin Mary was spotted in the ashes. Believers come here to pray and pin up postcards and plaques of thanks for answered prayers. Crkva sv. Marka (Trg svetog Marka, +485 1611). The Lego-like configuration of colours displayed on St Mark's roof depicts the Croatian, Dalmatian and Slavonian coats-of-arm, and also the Zagreb city emblem. Sits opposite the small but plush Sabor parliament buildings. Where to hang out Trg bana Jelacica This Austro-Hungarian-styled square is the centre of the city. Aside from the obligatory panpipers, the square is dominated by a statue of Count Jelacica (19th-century governor of Croatia) on his horse, holding a very pointy sword. In 1947, the statue was dismantled on Tito's orders, but restored to the square in 1990, with the sword pointing towards Belgrade as a sign of defiance. Should you have a rendezvous to keep in the city centre, the clock in the square is the place to do it. Trg Kralja Tomislava The first in a set of gardens that form the 'Green Horseshoe', the city engineer Milan Lenuci's U-shaped series of promenades and parks that bend around the city centre. It's a restful urban oasis where old men sit on benches, children chase pigeons, couples walk dogs and lovers smooch behind trees. Where to escape to Maksimir and the City Zoo (Maksimirirski perivoj). Park Maksimir is a perfect half-day outing - 18 hectares of lush greenery and forest that were opened to the public in 1794 - and the first of its kind in this part of Europe. The City Zoo is an added bonus. Catch tram 11 or 12 from Trg Jelacica east (Dubec) to the Bukovacka stop. Mirogoj cemetery As a rule, graveyards don't get much of a mention in city guides, but the flickering candles, ornate stonework, flowers and all kinds of artwork make this cemetery a world-beater. Different religions, languages and cultures get the chance to express themselves within this beautiful tree-lined resting place. The graves of Drazen Petrovic, Franjo Tudman, Petar Preradovic, Ljudevita Gaja and Stjepan Radic are all here. Take bus 106 from the cathedral - it takes 15min and costs 7kn. Way to go Getting there: British Airways (0845 7733377, ba.com) and Croatian Airlines (croatianairlines.hr) both operate direct flights from Heathrow to Zagreb. Prices for a BA flight out on a Thursday morning, returning Sunday afternoon start at £198. Zagreb's small airport (Pleso) is 8 miles out of town. The bus service from Pleso to the bus station (Autobusni Kolodvor) costs 25kn and takes about 30min. Alternatively you can catch a taxi in front of international arrivals for 150-250kn. Getting around: Trams run 4am-11.45pm. A 7kn ticket entitles you to 1hrs of travel and can be purchased at the front of the tram or at a kiosk. Children under six go free. Stamp your ticket once you board. Buses work the same way. For information about public transport, contact ZET (Ozaljska, +365 1555). Further information: Tourist office (+481 4051/481 4056, zagreb-touristinfo.hr) at Trg bana Jelacica. Country code: 00 385. Flight time: 2hrs 10mins. Time difference: GMT +1hr. £1 = 10.70 kuna. http://travel.guardian.co.uk/saturdaysection/story/0,8922,1010467,00.htmlNebeska zemlja The Guardian: Bog je Hrvatsku stvorio za sebeBOG JE HRVATSKU STVORIO ZA SEBE!U najnovijem je broju Guardiana izašao kratki opis Zagreba, Hrvata i Hrvatske u cijelosti pod naslovom "Hrvati raznih boja". Na samom početku teksta autor primjećuje kako hrvati uglavnom ponavljaju istu priču kako je Bog stvorio svijet, ali da Hrvatima nije dao ništa. Na to on odgovara kako je Bog stvorio Hrvatsku, prelijepi komad zemlje, samo za sebe. Autor teksta spominje kako se u Zagrebu još uvijek malo mogu osjetiti posljedice rata, grad je opisan kao mješavina talijanskih, austrijskih i balkanskih utjecaja i kao mješavina starog i modernog. Autor teksta Zagreb preporuča putnicima koji vole popiti koktel u gradu srednjoeuropske kulture s Habsburškom arhitekturom i mediteranskom klimom. Što se tiče ozračja i ritma našeg glavnoga grada u tekstu se govori o tome kako hrvati vole laganu šetnjicu čak i tijekom špice. Primijetio je i to kako su terase kafića od ranih jutarnjih sati prepune ljudi. 800.000 stanovnika grada Zagreba naziva prijateljskom gomilom, koja ipak zbog stoljeća okupacije i sukoba ima jako nisko mišljenje o sebi. Hrvati će priznati da imaju kompleks žrtve ali će jasno reći kako su očajni što turisti ne dolaze u dovoljnom broju kako bi osjetili njihovu gostoljubivost. Autor na kraju upozorava moguće posjetitelje da od Zagreba ne očekuju Prag. "Još uvijek se ovdje osjeća ratni mamurluk", navodi autor te dodaje "prisutni su i antisrpski grafiti te veliki broj policajaca koji podsjećaju na one vrstu policajca koji naslonjeni na zid jedan drugome dodaju cigarete". No, na kraju teksta autor Zagreb doživljava u pozitivnom tonu navodeći kako je sve gore navedeno spojeno u jednu lijepu i zanimljivu cjelinu.http://www.nacional.hr/index3.php?broj=2003-08-05&kat=dnevne&id=4139&PHPSESSID=e391212f9fa83fa99ae3b531a9dd006cÂÂÂEditor in Chief, CROWNLetters@CroatianWorld.net letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 06 Aug 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8433/1/E-Come-out-of-your-shell-on-your-own-Adriatic-island.html ÂCome out of your shell on your own Adriatic islandOne Hour From: Dubrovnik Come out of your shell on your own Adriatic islandBy Ian McCurrach29 June 2003Even the Romans used to rave about the shellfish served up in southern Dalmatia. Try it for yourselfCavtatFounded by the Greeks, this bustling harbour town is a haven for art lovers. Discover the works of Croatia's most notable painter, Vlaho Bukovac, on show in the gallery in the artist's 19th-century former home. Renaissance art is found in the collection of the Monastery of Our Lady of the Snow; for sculpture, take the uphill path to the mausoleum of the Racic family to see the work of Ivan Mestrovic.By car: E65 east towards Herceg Novi and follow signs; journey time approx 20 mins. By bus: No 10 hourly service from Dubrovnik bus station, approx 30 mins.LokrumThis undeveloped sub-tropical island is Dubrovnik's off-shore nature reserve, home to a variety of vegetation, birds and butterflies. There are rock beaches, one for naturists, a salt-water lake and botanical garden. Climb to the island's summit, from the ruined French fort, and you will be rewarded with great views.By boat: half-hourly from Dubrovnik's old harbour; approx 15 mins.LopudSecond largest of the 13 islands that make up the Elafiti archipelago. With a population of 348 and no cars, it offers true isolation. Highlights include a 15th-century Franciscan monastery and a church displaying 16th-century Venetian art. Sunj Bay is considered one of the Adriatic's best beaches.By boat: ferry from Gruz harbour; approx 50 mins.Ston and Mali StonFamous for Croatia's best oysters and mussels, these two picturesque fishing villages nestle on the Mali Ston channel, renowned since Roman times for its shellfish. Ston is also known for its salt works and walls, built in the 14th century to protect the salt pans. Medieval buildings of note include the Chancery of the Dubrovnik Republic and Sorkocevic Palace.By car: E65 west and follow signs; approx 1 hour. By bus: three buses daily from Dubrovnik bus station to Orebic; 1 hour plus.Neretva DeltaA wildlife paradise. The Neretva river wetlands produce Croatia's best citrus fruit and provides shelter for waterfowl and wading birds. At least 200 species of bird are found here. Explore the reedy canals on a trupica (punt).By car: E65 west, follow the signs to Ploce; approx 1 hour plus.CilipiSituated in the heart of the Konavle, Croatia's southernmost region, the village of Cilipi is known for its folk customs, national costumes and embroidery. Don't miss one of the local folklore performances that take place in front of the church after mass and make sure you stop off at the Konavoski Dvori restaurant to sample specialities such as figs, trout and roast lamb.By car: take the E65 east towards Herceg Novi and follow signs; approx 45 mins.http://travel.independent.co.uk/europe/eastern/story.jsp?story=420387 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 31 Jul 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8434/1/H-Planinarski-Dom.html Planinarski Dom "Bijele Stijene"Posjetite naše internet stranice: www.euroliber.com Planinarski Dom "Bijele Stijene"Tuk 2951315 MrkopaljTel./Fax: 051/833-603E-Mail: info@euroliber.com Naš planinarski dom nalazi se u šumovitom Gorskom kotaru - hrvatskoj Švicarskoj - koji privlaci mnoge ljubitelje prirode, planinare, penjace sportaše i lovce, a nalazi se u neposrednoj blizini mora. Tko pode iz Delnica i kroz romanticno podrucje putuje u Mrkopalj, ostaje opcinjen smirenošcu i ljepotom Gorskog kotara. Svaki ljubitelj prirode nalazi pravu radost promatrajuci uzbudljivi krajolik prepun raznolikih biljnih vrsta. Osim toga, ovo podrucje upravo obiluje brojnim životinjskim vrstama. Tu je moguce sresti cak i medvjeda, i risa, i vuka. - Mnogo je toga što vas poziva da svoj odmor provedete upravo ovdje. Planinarski dom „Bijele stijene“Naravno, osiguran je i dobar smještaj. Na to vas poziva obnovljeni i s mnogo ljubavi ureden planinarski dom „Bijele stijene“. Na raspolaganju vam stoje pedeset cetiri postelje, a možete birati izmedu sobe s dvije do sobe s dvanaest postelja. U našem planinarskom domu uvedeno je centralno grijanje, na svakom katu postoji WC i tuševi, kao i jedna soba s kaminom te jedna velika prostorija za dnevni boravak.Planinarski dom „Bijele stijene“ nalazi se u lijepom, šumovitom podrucju, a izvanredan zrak i osobiti mir pružaju ugodnu klimu za odmor. Od sportskih mogucnosti tu je igralište za odbojku, nogometno igralište, dvije bocarske staze i još mnogo toga. Djeci su na raspolaganju razlicite igracke za igru izvan kuce, a tijekom kišnih dana mogu se uz malu kauciju unajmiti razlicite igre, kao što su pikados, Playstation, karte, itd.Za razrede ili skupine nudimo i tjedni program izleta. Osim toga, raspolažemo videoprojektorom, kopirnim strojem i ostalom opremom. Sve daljnje obavijesti dobit cete na tel.: (051) 833-603Cjenik: nocenje 80 kn s planinarskom iskaznicom 40 kn djeca starija od 3 godine 56 kn studenti i djeca 56 kn Svatko tko nema vrecu za spavanje, placa korištenje posteljine 20 kndorucak od 8 kn rucak od 18 kn vecera od 12 kn jelo po narudžbi od 25 kn Jelo po narudžbi priprema se svježe.Cijene ukljucuju PDV Pri predbilježbama za skupine iznad 10 osoba, uplacuje se akontacija od 30%.Zadržavamo pravo promjene cijena. Bilo sami, bilo s obitelji ili kao skupina, u planinarskom domu „Bijele stijene“ zacijelo cete se osjecati kao kod kuce.Domari letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 28 Jul 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8435/1/E-Croatia-is-making-a-comeback.html  Croatia is making a comebackÂThe beautiful coastline and islands of Croatia are making a comeback as a major summer destinationÂResort reportThe beautiful coastline and islands of Croatia are making a comeback as a major summer destination. Fred Mawer reports on this alternative to the mainstream MedIn the late 1980s, the coastline of what was then Yugoslavia attracted nearly half a million British visitors a year. Then came the civil war, in the early 1990s, which all but obliterated tourism.Croatian coast: Europe's unspoilt rivieraNow, with the conflict long over, tourism in Croatia is on a roll. The Balkans are thought of as safe again, and yet at the same time Croatia is perceived as a more adventurous option than tried and tested Mediterranean countries such as Greece and Spain. The Croatian Tourist Board is expecting 135,000 British holidaymakers - nearly 40 per cent more than in 2000, and several tour operators, including Cosmos and Simply Travel, have introduced Croatian programmes this year.So, what will visitors find when they get there, and does Croatia deserve its renewed popularity?On the upside, its coastline - more than 3,600 miles long if you take into account its 1,200 islands - is a strong contender for the most beautiful and least spoilt in the Mediterranean. Much of it is fringed by pine woods; the sea is as clear and inviting as anywhere I've ever been; and there has been no new tourist development since the war.The resorts are special, too. Dubrovnik and the former Venetian ports of Hvar and Rovinj are simply stunning, and traffic is banned from all their centres. The atmosphere is civilised and has a more Italian than east European feel to it. Everyone takes a leisurely passeggiata in the early evening, any self-respecting café serves espressos and 20 flavours of ice cream, and pizzas, pasta and risottos are staples on menus.I had been warned that Croatian food was lousy. But I found that if I chose my restaurant carefully I could dine as well in Croatia as on the Italian side of the Adriatic. Prices are mostly low: an espresso costs 40p, a pizza Â3. But a drinkable bottle of local wine, such as Dinjac, costs Â10, and if you eat fish you can easily spend Â25 a head on a meal.But Croatia does have its drawbacks. Most glaringly, it has virtually no sandy beaches. (CROWN op-ed Where have you been, not to see sandy beaches? From the top of my head 20 AMAZING ones) Some resorts have picturesque pebbly and shingly beaches, but you may find that a concrete bathing platform is your only option. Because of this, Croatia has limited appeal for families. It's better suited to couples who are happy to spend as much time pottering about in the towns as on the beach.Another shortcoming is the quality of hotels. Package-oriented hotels are usually vast, soulless, communist-era dinosaurs, with indoor swimming pools (not what you want in August when there's no beach nearby), unreliable plumbing and poor food (try to avoid half-board packages).That said, many are being revamped, and I found at least one or two places of character in most of the resorts, including the occasional smart new boutique-style hotel.Here is a summary of what to expect in the most popular resorts along the Dalmatian coast and on the Istrian Peninsula.Central DalmatiaHvarNear the farthermost tip of Hvar island, Hvar town takes some effort to get to. It's worth it. After Dubrovnik, this town - ruled by the Venetians, with a few interruptions, from the early 1300s to the late 1700s - is the most beautiful spot on the Dalmatian coast. Its centrepiece is a vast, rectangular piazza of a square, flanked by a cathedral, Renaissance palaces, a colossal arsenal (upstairs housing a delightful 17th-century theatre) and an inner harbour full of fishing boats. The stone buildings have a grey and golden, almost Cotswold hue, and the square is paved in smooth marble slabs.To the north, below a hilltop citadel, are lanes lined with tumbledown mansions: look for crumbly coats of arms, and a sculpted pietà awaiting a restorer's hand. From the inner harbour, long quaysides lined with bars and cafés fan out in both directions - ideal spots from which to watch the constant toing and froing of ferries, yachts and fishing boats. All these charms have not gone unnoticed. Hvar is a fashionable place, with several smart restaurants and boutiques, and hordes of flashy Italians in July and August.In the mornings, boats ferry passengers across to the wooded Pakleni islands, just round the corner from the harbour; their beaches are rocky and pebbly, and popular with naturists. Hvar island is also worth exploring. Much of it is covered in vineyards, olive groves and fields of lavender, and the ports of Stari Grad and Jelsa, though overshadowed by Hvar town, are very pretty.Where to stay The Hotel Palace is the best of a lacklustre bunch. It's just off the main square overlooking the harbour (expect some noise), and there's a big terrace from which to watch all the goings-on.However, public areas are gloomy and bedrooms plain.Where to eat and drink Macondo, on an alley just north of the square, is a good seafood restaurant: knowledgeable staff, delicious shrimp pasta (Â7), and recommended mixed platters of grilled fish. Locals regard the square as an outdoor living room, and its cafés are always buzzing. There are also lively drinking spots along the waterfront south of the square, including Carpe Diem.BolPeople come to the resort of Bol because it's next to Zlatni Rat (Golden Cape), Croatia's most famous beach. It looks extraordinary. Banks of shingle and pebbles flank a triangular pine wood, then come together in a yellow tongue poking out into the bluest of waters. Expect crowds in high summer (including nudists on its far bank), when thousands of trippers descend each day on boats from Hvar and other resorts.Bol itself is over a mile from Zlatni Rat. You can get between the two by boat, tourist train, or on foot - the walk along the paved promenade through the pine forest is lovely, and passes other shingle strands used by windsurfing outfits (this is the main centre in Croatia for the sport).Cut off from the rest of the island of Brac by a mountain ridge, Bol is a lovely little place. Old stone houses snake along its long, pedestrianised waterfront, past a couple of striking nautical sculptures. Keep going beyond the harbour to reach a 15th-century monastery above a little-frequented shingle beach.In general, though Brac is rather bleak. There are quarries and fields with piles of rocks everywhere. The island's white stone was used in the construction of Diocletian's Palace in Split, a 45-minute ferry ride from Supetar on the north of the island. The remains of the emperor's retirement home, now interwoven with medieval buildings and modern shops and cafés, are fascinating.Where to stay Villa Giardino (Bond Tours), a mansion 150 yards inland from Bol's waterfront, has gorgeous gardens filled with statues, and good modern bedrooms with interesting art. The Hotel Kastil, by the harbour, has stylish rooms, but you may be disturbed by live music from its pizzeria. In the woods between Bol and Zlatni Rat are four big package hotels, including the Elaphusa - soulless, but with decent bedrooms.Where to eat Riva, overlooking the harbour, does good grills, and cuttlefish risottos - a Croatian speciality - for Â4.50. There are several more romantic dining spots east of the harbour.The Makarska RivieraThe resorts along this 40-mile stretch of coastline have none of the charm of those elsewhere in Dalmatia, but they do have long and attractive shingle and pebble beaches. The biggest resort by far is Makarksa, a likeable, vibrant place worth considering if nightclubs and watersports are high on your agenda. (You can also go on guided ascents of the imposing Biokovo mountain range, the highest in Croatia.)The resort centres on two bays - one backed by a long arc of pine-fringed beach, the other with innumerable cafés and bars facing a busy harbour where fishermen sell their daily catch direct from their boats. The nearby resort of Brela is much smaller, quieter and prettier, with a long pedestrian promenade behind picturesque, pine-shaded beaches.Where to stay In Makarksa, the Meteor is the most comfortable hotel. Though large and ugly, it has good facilities, and it is right behind the beach. It is, however, next to a building site; no work should be carried out over the summer, but check before booking. A simpler option is the Biokovo, on the harbour front, with acceptable rooms and a popular café. Brela has more than its fair share of large, unappealing package hotels, but it also has the six-room Pension Hedi Zamic (00 385 21 618 409, Â27 a night for two b & b), an airy old house with a big garden right behind the beach.Where to eat One of the best restaurants in Makarksa is Susvid, which has a pleasant terrace on the main square: try prsut (Â5), Croatia's excellent cured ham, as a starter.Southern DalmatiaDubrovnikIf there is one place in Croatia you should not miss, it's Dubrovnik. The old town, perched on rocks above the sea and enclosed by more than a mile of colossal walls, is like a pristine, stage-set version of a medieval city. Its limestone pavements have been buffed improbably shiny and smooth by centuries of wear; the wide main thoroughfare, the Stradun, with its identical façades of arched windows and regulation green shutters, looks too perfect to be entirely real.It is even harder to believe that two-thirds of the old town's buildings were damaged in the siege of 1991-1992. The extent of the reconstruction becomes apparent only when you walk the city walls and look down on all the new terracotta-tiled roofs.Though there are interesting monasteries and Renaissance palaces (some are the scene of regular concerts), much of the pleasure of Dubrovnik is to be had just strolling through the traffic-free squares and alleys and dawdling in the many cafés. The most bewitching time is early evening, when the cruise ship tours have left, the swallows wheel around the clock towers, and the locals promenade up and down the Stradun.Where to stay There are two hotels in the old town, both new. The Pucic Palace (Bond Tours, Simply Croatia), on the market square, is a mansion with 19 luxurious bedrooms, antiques, fine art, flashy bathrooms and a smart and expensive café/restaurant. The Stari Grad (Bond Tours) is more modest, with eight smart but plain rooms, and sensational views from its roof terrace.Also consider one of the upmarket hotels set into the cliffs of the Ploce district. Many of their rooms have fabulous views of the old town, which is 10 to 15 minutes' walk away. Villa Dubrovnik, once a rest home for communist officials, is civilised and tranquil, with understated bedrooms, excellent staff and a water taxi to the old town; there is no pool, however, and access is via a long flight of steps. The larger Argentina has just been refurbished; it has smart bedrooms, an inviting seafront pool and a bathing terrace.Most hotels are on the Lapad peninsula, a 10-minute bus ride from the old town. The leafy suburb is pleasant enough, but you are better off staying in the old town or Ploce.Where to eat and drink The many restaurants that fill Prijeko, an alley in the old town, are pushy and best avoided. A notable exception is tiny Rozarij (at the Ploce Gate end), which has been in business for more than three decades: excellent seafood risottos for Â5. No-frills Kamenice, on the market square, does a roaring trade in plates of mussels and small fried fish for Â3.50. Mea Culpa specialises in vast, tasty pizzas for Â3-Â4, served at wooden tables that fill the back street of Za Rokom. Gradska Kavarna, overlooking Luza, the main square, is the grandest and most atmospheric of the cafés. Lively night-time bars are concentrated around the cathedral.CavtatIf you want a sedate base near Dubrovnik, consider this pretty, villagey resort, a 40-minute bus ride or Â6 return boat trip along the coast. It's set around a wooded peninsula squeezed either side by two deep bays. Palm trees and a string of cafés and restaurants line the waterfront. Behind, stepped lanes climb up into the old village, where you will stumble across tiny chapels and courtyards with fig and lemon trees.Where to stay The Albatros is one of several large package hotels on the resort fringes. Ten minutes' walk from the centre, and close to a 250-yard-long pebbly beach, it has lots of facilities, including a big pool and a dive centre.KorculaThe quaint little town of Korcula guards the straits between its eponymous island and the mainland. The pale stone houses of its old town unfurl in a neat grid over a hilly peninsula. The Venetians ruled here for centuries - their legacy is in hidden churches and architectural flourishes such as coats of arms and balustrades. Korcula is a popular stopping-off point for yachties. There are also plenty of day-trippers from Dubrovnik, a 90-minute hydrofoil ride away. The alternative approach is a two-hour drive via the vine-covered Peljesac peninsula, then a 15-minute ferry ride across from Orebic (decent shingle beaches).Where to stay The old-fashioned Hotel Korcula is on the waterfront, right by the old town. The sea views and sunsets from its large, convivial terrace compensate for the small bedrooms and saggy beds.Where to eat Try Adio Mare, an atmospheric, vaulted restaurant in the old town next to Marco Polo's house (Korculans claim he was born here). Good bean soup (Â2) and simply grilled fish and steaks (Â8).The Istrian peninsulaOpatijaTucked under thickly wooded slopes overlooking the lake-like Gulf of Kvarner, Opatija feels utterly different from Croatia's other resorts. Its golden age was the late 19th century, when it was the Austro-Hungarian Empire's version of the French Riviera; its Belle Epoque hotels and villas and its benign winter climate attracted royalty.Now it is a faded, soporific place. The hotels are still resplendent in pink, green and mustard, but many could do with an overhaul. They attract an elderly clientele, who spend their days playing cards, having coffee and cakes, and pottering along the rocky, wooded foreshore (the main "beach" is a concrete platform). An eight-mile path follows the waterfront up to Volosko, a pretty fishing village just north of the resort, and down to Lovran, a smaller version of Opatija that is famous for its chestnut trees.Where to stay The plushest hotel is the Millennium, close to the waterfront in the centre of the resort: atmospheric bedrooms in the original building; smart, contemporary rooms in a new block; first-rate breakfasts; and the best café in town for afternoon coffee and cake. The neo-classical Hotel Kvarner is the most redolent of Opatija's heyday, but it's well past its prime.Where to eat Volosko has a clutch of good fish restaurants, including Plavi Podrum: memorable scampi bouzzara (Â9) - whole prawns in their shells in a garlicky tomato sauce - and grilled fish deftly filleted for you at your table.RovinjThe Italian border is a short drive up the coast, and the resorts on the indented western side of the Istrian Peninsula have a strong Italian flavour. Street names are in Italian as well as Croatian, and Italians make up a large proportion of holidaymakers, particularly in July and August. A day trip by hydrofoil to Venice is a popular, if expensive, excursion.Nowhere is the Italian influence more pronounced than in delightful Rovinj. Once a Venetian port, it has an old town covering an egg-shaped peninsula and with a disproportionately large Baroque church and bell tower.Down at the harbour, faded, stuccoed and pastel-coloured houses and several dozen cafés and pizzerias overlook a jumble of yachts, fishing boats and craft selling sponges. The back streets deserve attention, too - especially Grisia, which climbs up to the church and is lined with art galleries.A 20-minute walk south of the harbour brings you to Zlatni Rt, a wooded headland park. Its main bay has several picturesque shingle coves, backed by grassy picnic spots.The port of Pula, a 40-minute drive away, has a colossal and reasonably well preserved Roman amphitheatre.Where to stay The Hotel Villa Angelo d'Oro (Simply Croatia), on a cobbled back street in the old town, was a bishop's palace in the 18th century. It has flagstone floors and lots of fine art and antiques, and has a lovely hidden garden - altogether highly recommended. The Melia Eden, with large and lovely grounds around a super pool, is one of Croatia's best big package hotels. It's two minutes' walk from Zlatni Rt's beaches, and 20 minutes' walk from the old town.Where to eat Veli Joze, near the harbour, serves interesting pasta dishes - with truffles from the Istrian interior, lobster, and scampi and mushrooms (Â6-Â10). Its interior is decorated with old musical instruments and pictures of Rovinj.PorecPorec is Croatia's largest and liveliest resort. Its old town, spread over a little peninsula, has been taken over by tourism but is still pleasant. Jewellery, lace, candle and T-shirt shops line its main street, and there are appealing bars and restaurants off what was once the Roman forum (some ruins are visible). For a quick dose of culture, pop into the Basilica of Euphrasius to admire its dazzling Byzantine mosaics.Most of Porec's 30 or so hotels are in two large, purpose-built resort areas, Plava Laguna and Zelena Laguna. These are two to three miles from, and have boat, bus and tourist train services to, the old town. With lawns, pine woods and footpaths along the shore (mostly rocky, with concrete bathing platforms), the holiday villages are attractive, and offer a host of sports facilities. However, most of the hotels are dated.Where to stay The Hotel Neptun is in a great spot - right by the old town, overlooking the waterfront; simple bedrooms, decent breakfasts, and a café with a big terrace. Laguna Gallijot (Bond Tours), in Plava Laguna, has good-quality rooms and self-catering bungalows spread over its own, car-free wooded peninsula, as well as a smart, big pool.Where to eat and drink Pizzeria Nono, opposite the tourist office, is the busiest restaurant in town: a smart rustic interior, and Â4 for a huge pizza with prsut ham topping. Lapidarium, a bar on a back street close to the harbour, sometimes has live jazz in its courtyard, which is full of classical masonry.Croatia basics Getting thereAdriatic Tours(CROWN sponsor)Croatia Travel (CROWN sponsor) Flights Croatia Airlines (020 8563 0022, www.croatiaairlines.hr) flies to Dubrovnik from Gatwick ( Â249) and Manchester ( Â276), and to Split and Istria (Rijeka or Pula) from Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester (from Â211). Holiday Options has charters to Dubrovnik from Gatwick ( Â209), Birmingham and Norwich, and to Split from Birmingham. Fares are returns for this August, and include taxes. Getting around Ferries The main ferry company is Jadrolinija: schedules on www.jadrolinija.hr. Services to the islands are punctual and frequent in summer. However, normally you can't book: if you have a car, turn up at least an hour in advance. Car hire Fred Mawer hired a car through Suncars (08705 005566, www.suncars.com): a week's hire this summer costs from Â249, fully inclusive. Buses Local buses are frequent and inexpensive ( Â1 anywhere within Dubrovnik). Tips* Be wary about going in August - the coast is swamped with Italian and German visitors. * The local currency is the kuna, though hotel rates are often quoted in euros. There are cash points in principal resorts, but credit cards are not universally accepted. * Private rooms and apartments are widely available; look for signs, or get contacts from local tourist offices. A room costs Â15- Â30 a night, an apartment from about Â30 a night. * Take plastic sandals to protect your feet on the pebbles and rocks.* The best guidebook is The Rough Guide to Croatia ( Â11.99) - a new edition has just been published. * More information from the Croatian Tourist Board (020 8563 7979, www.croatia.hr). Report filed: 19/07/2003Source: http://www.portal.telegraph.co.uk/travel/main.jhtml;$sessionid$WX0QSRR2U1MWXQFIQMGCFF4AVCBQUIV0?xml=/travel/2003/07/19/etcroatia19.xml letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 22 Jul 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8436/1/E-German-Leader-Cancels-Vacation-to-Italy-and-goes-to-Croatia.html ÂGerman Leader Cancels Vacation to Italy and goes to Croatia?By STEPHEN GRAHAM, Associated Press Writer BERLIN - Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder scrapped a planned vacation in Italy following a series of diplomatic spats with Rome, opting Wednesday to rest at home in Germany instead. The Italian prime minister's laconic response: "I'm sorry for him." Schroeder's decision to ditch a trip to the Marche region next week followed an Italian official's assertion that German tourists were "stereotyped blonds with a hyper-nationalist pride." The chancellor's spokesman, Bela Anda, said the quarrel would make it impossible for Schroeder and his family to have "a restful and undisturbed vacation." But Germany's conservative opposition brushed aside the row as "pure summer theater" and said Schroeder's decision was an attempt to distract voters from domestic problems. Italy and Germany have been on diplomatic tenterhooks since Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told a European parliamentarian from Germany last week that he would make a good Nazi prison guard in a film. Berlusconi made the gaffe after the German lawmaker questioned the prime minister about laws that have eased his legal problems in Italy. Schroeder initially held on to his vacation plans - accepting Berlusconi's expression of regret. However, tensions escalated after Italian Industry Minister Undersecretary Stefano Stefani lampooned German vacationers as "stereotyped blonds" and Germany "a country intoxicated with arrogant certainties." Some Italian ministers had distanced themselves from Stefani, to the satisfaction of many German officials. Still, two of Schroeder's ministers called for Stefani's removal from office - and the controversy smoldered. "You have to ask if a man is fit for this job, with responsibility for tourism, if he says German tourists aren't needed any more," German Interior Minister Otto Schily said Wednesday. "He'll have to accept that they perhaps will go to Dalmatia and Istria (Croatia), Spain or France - there are a lot of good places for vacations." Schily, who owns a house in Tuscany, said he had yet to decide whether he would take a vacation in Italy this year. The chancellor - under intense domestic pressure to spur economic growth and brighten the dismal unemployment picture - seemed to have struck a chord with fellow Germans with his decision to take his vacation in his hometown of Hanover. Under the headline "No Bella Italia!" the mass-circulation Bild daily urged the chancellor earlier Wednesday to stay home. Germany's n-tv television channel, which asked viewers to phone and e-mail it with their views on the chancellor's decision, said more than 80 percent supported it. "Year upon year, thousands of Germans spend their vacation in Italy," said Olaf Scholz, general secretary of Schroeder's Social Democratic Party. "They don't need to be collectively insulted, and the chancellor has made that clear with his decision." Berlusconi was asked to comment on Schroeder's decision during a visit to Positano, on the Amalfi coast, and responded: "I'm sorry for him," according to the ANSA news agency. The diplomatic rifts have underscored the love-hate relationship between the two countries. Germany's powerful economy and political stability compared with Italy's political chaos has underlined the rivalry. Berlusconi has made a point of trying to make Italy's weight felt internationally, sidling up to the United States and Russia while making clear Germany and France can no longer take Rome for granted.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 20 Jul 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8438/1/E-Still-an-unspoilt-jewel-in-the-Mediterranean-crown.html  Still an "unspoilt jewel in the Mediterranean crownÂStill an "unspoilt jewel in the Mediterranean crown".HOLIDAY WINNER RETURNS TO CROATIA Mother-of-three Anna Wakelin from Bishops Itchington couldn't believe her luck when she heard she had won the Courier's Carrick Travel/Holiday Options competition for a holiday for two in Croatia.Jet set: Carrick managing director Sally Carrick, left, Rupert Diggins , sales and marketing, manager Holiday Options and lucky winner Anna Wakelin, right, picking up her prize. Jul91Anna had visited the region about 15 years ago and had always wanted to go back. She has also been trying to fix for some time out with mother Marian who lives in Staffordshire.So, while husband Dave stays at home minding the children, Anna and mum will be jetting off for some quality time together.Anna said: "It's a beautiful place and we had been talking about trying to go back. When I heard I had won it seemed an ideal opportunity for my mother and I to take that break we had been promising ourselves!"Carrick Travel, Warwickshire's longest established independent travel specialists with travel offices in Coventry, Kenilworth, Leamington Spa and Stratford-upon-Avon, had teamed up with Holiday Options, a specialist independent tour operator to Croatia, Corsica and Sardinia to offer the prize in a competition in the Courier that attracted nearly 400 entries.For Carrick Travel, managing director Sally Carrick, said: "Croatia is a rising star in the Mediterranean. It has sun, sea, scenery, historic sites, friendly and hospital people, something for everyone. Anna and Marian will be able to step on a plane in Birmingham and step out less than four hours later just few hours later to a fabulous week away."Holiday Options sales and marketing manager Rupert Diggins says that while Croatia is becoming an increasingly popular destination, it is still an "unspoilt jewel in the Mediterranean crown".Source: http://www.leamingtononline.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=691&ArticleID=559739 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 15 Jul 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8437/1/E-Lost-Mediterranean-island-deemed-wild-paradise.html  Lost Mediterranean island deemed wild paradise  Stiniva passage on the island of VisKOMIZA, Croatia (Reuters) -- During 50 years of communist rule in former Yugoslavia, the Croatian island of Vis remained an inaccessible naval base lost in the middle of the Adriatic.The islanders eked a living from fishing and services for the Yugoslav military. Tourism, which in today's Croatia generates some $4.0 billion in revenues a year, came much later to the island than it did elsewhere on the Adriatic coast.There are no big socialist-style hotels here, some 12 years after Croatia left Socialist Yugoslavia and fought an independence war with its ethnic Serb minority and the Yugoslav army.The place looks more like an early 20th century fishermen's settlement and, with some luck, it may stay that way.The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has designated Vis as one of the 10 last paradises on the Mediterranean and is taking steps to preserve its pristine beauty and wildlife, while giving locals a chance to make some money in the process.The WWF estimates that by 2020, some 350 million holiday makers a year -- or 22 percent of all tourists worldwide -- will be flocking to the Mediterranean basin, compared to the current 220 million.It also believes that Croatia is likely to become one of the leading tourist destinations in the region, together with Turkey and Greece, and that the growth in tourism, if unchecked, may irreversibly destroy its nature.WWF marine biologist Paolo Guglielmi said that some parts of the Mediterranean, such as most of the Middle East, Spanish or Italian coastal areas, "are already lost forever.""But we have identified 10 last paradises that are still remarkable for their bio-diversity and are worth huge efforts to save," he told Reuters.No mass tourism hereAmong them are Vis and two other southern Croatian islands -- Lastovo and Mljet -- where tourism, although on a steady rise, has so far had a low impact on the environment.Loggerhead turtles, bottlenose and common dolphins can still be spotted in the waters around the outer Croatian islands, which are also home to increasingly rare birds of prey.With only four small hotels, Vis was spared the mass tourism of big lackluster dormitories, which were built everywhere by Yugoslav communist authorities before Croatia's independence in 1991.The WWF, which has been fighting to preserve worldwide natural heritage since 1961, is now trying to convince Vis residents that tourism, profit and the preservation of nature are not mutually exclusive."The only way to do it is to work hand-in-hand with the locals and develop activities that are viable in the long term," said Marina Radic from the local non-governmental group Sunce (Sun), which cooperates with the WWF on the project."There are people who see their interest in making a living from nature-friendly activities, not in making money from large restaurants and hotels," she said.However, she added the key was to convince the majority of the island's 3,600 people -- many of them hurrying to cash in on the growing tourist industry -- that nature must not be neglected.Nature or profit?Ljiljana, 58, and her daughter Lea, from Podspilje village in the heart of the island, are convinced the new concept can work. Their hobby-turned-job is making natural health products from local aromatic herbs.They also plan to open a small boarding house to cater for "up to 10 people a week who want to see our nature and traditional way of life."Such ideas are taking root among a handful of young adults who have set up alternative tourist agencies and ecology groups, but most islanders are still unconvinced."Small bed-and-breakfasts alone cannot become a driving force for our infrastructure development. We also need a bigger tourist investment," said Vicko Mardesic, the mayor of Komiza, the island's second largest town.Aware of the dilemma, the WWF's Guglielmi readily offered the example of Cirali, a coastal community in Turkey's western Anatolia, and said he hoped it would not remain a unique case.Cirali beach was one of the major nesting sites for the endangered loggerhead turtle. But the sites came under threat in late 1980s by increased construction of tourist facilities, as the younger generation saw tourism as an easy source of income."We worked closely with around 600 inhabitants of the village, who eventually removed the facilities that were taking care only of income and not of natural wealth and beauty," he said, adding the project took almost 10 years to succeed."We also want people on the Croatian coast and islands to develop a similar sense of ownership http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/science/07/14/mediterranean.paradise.reut/ letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 14 Jul 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8439/1/E-Adventures-with-Jason-Croatia-Part-Two.html  Adventures with Jason: Croatia, Part Two Here I am at the Minceta Tower, the highest point on Dubrovnik's 1,000-year-old walls. Behind me, you can see the jarring mix of brown old tiles and new reddish tiles laid after the shelling 12 years ago. But Dubrovnik survives, lavish as ever. More surprises, including the legendary cities of Split and Dubrovnik, await in this Adriatic jewel By Jason Cochran ARTHUR FROMMER'S BUDGET TRAVEL May 29 - ÂI have just discovered one of the world's great drives. I'd love to give you directions, but it's not some three-hour Sunday excursion. It's Croatia. The whole coast. As the crow flies, that's about 440 miles of seashore on roads that wind around dramatic cliffs through sleepy villages, flying over crystal Mediterranean waters, surveying magnificent mountains floating in the distant sea. IT'S EASY to forget that before the violence of the early '90s, Croatia attracted a stunning 10 million tourists a year. Numbers are up again, but they still haven't recovered. Which means these fabulous roads are still relatively uncluttered and 2003 is an ideal time to visit Croatia. Right now, it's in that slim window of time in which tourist amenities are back on line but tourists themselves are straggling. (And if my dispatches from Croatia - you'll find the first one by clicking HERE- have made you curious about going, at the bottom of this story, you'll find a partial list of information contacts and companies that sell travel there.)  ÂOn the map, Croatia looks something like a boomerang; one prong points into Central European farmland and rings with Austro-Hungarian influences, and the other whips down the coast of the Adriatic, where Italian flavor dominates.  ÂMy plan is to drive most of the coast, from the port of Rijeka in the north to Dubrovnik at the southern end. On the map, it doesn't look like much-essentially half the length of Italy, its neighbor about 100 miles across the Adriatic--but the twists and turns of these vertiginous coastal roads retard progress considerably. Americans are unused to such thinly guardrailed highways, or to drops of such precipitous proportions (as well as to the bumper-hugging impatience of your average Mediterranean driver), so if you want to enjoy the view, you have to take your time. There are 1,185 offshore islands in Croatia, mostly uninhabited, and on a drive along the coast they scroll through your car window with almost magisterial grace. Under normal circumstances, I get rattled when a slowpoke truck appears at my front bumper on a long road trip, but in Croatia (where I sometimes spot rusting car wrecks clinging to the cliffs below), I'm grateful for slow traffic. Besides, it affords me chances to steal more gazes at the Adriatic. ÂIn Istria, in Croatia's northwest, the weather, like the sea, is murky at this time of year. But once I pass Rijeka, the islands of Krk and Rab slide into place and Mediterranean magic takes hold. Haze and vegetation clear, leaving only ancient rock, crisp sunshine, and a sea like a basin of solid glass, with the odd sailboat skimming an imperceptible surface. Although the Dalmatian dog may or may not have originated here, you will see a few of them trotting about, and they match nicely with the spotted white stone streets. For seven hours, that's my view, as I advance into the legendary coastal region known as Dalmatia. This is the homeland of Marco Polo. Dalmatia's island of Brac is where the white stone facing of our White House originated (yes, America; the "white" part of the white house spent more time in Croatia than in Washington). And although the Dalmatian dog may or may not have originated here, you will see a few of them trotting about, and they match nicely with the spotted white stone streets.  ÂThe next UNESCO World Heritage Site on my tour (they come fast and furious in these parts) is in the coastal town of Sibenik, about midway down the coast. The site: the Cathedral of St. James. My work takes me to many old churches. Too many, each one claiming to be a can't-miss attraction. I know tourists who get "cathedraled-out" after just a day or two in Europe; can you imagine having a job where you had to visit them daily? Well, this is one of the few in the world that I can say is definitely worth the detour. I'm not saying that God plays favorites, but not all churches are created to be equal. This church has wicked charm. It's worth your time, as are the steep stone streets that climb the hill behind it. A few of the 72 faces decorating the Cathedral of St. James ("St. Jacob" in some guide books), completed in 1555. Visiting the interior is free, but be warned that you must wear long pants and enclosed shoes. Despite boasting St. James, Sibenik, a hillside town overlooking a particularly serene section of the Mediterranean, is not a touristy city. St. James was begun in 1431 (its roof was smashed by shelling a decade ago, but it has been so elegantly restored that you wouldn't know if I hadn't told you-and that's the case for most of Croatia's sights). From afar, one might declare it the ideal Mediterranean church. Its cladding is nicely sunbleached and its dome (incredibly, built without mortar) is pleasingly bulbous. But up close, St. Jame's true appeal reveals itself. A total of 71 faces, representative of 71 average Joes from the 15th century, stud the exterior in rows. Some are grinning, some frowning, some gloating, some laughing, but all are rich with a wry humor rarely seen in art of that age. It's as if the whole building was carved as a medieval version of the opening of "The Muppet Show." (That's probably not what the UNESCO people had in mind when they named it to their World Heritage List, but I'm a child of the '70s, so my reaction is either terribly sad or terribly modern. It reminds me of the time in Botswana when, after our tiny motorboat was attacked by a hippo, a fellow tourist, oblivious to how close he just came to expiring in the messiest conceivable manner, exclaimed, "That was just like the Jungle Cruise at Disney World!" But that's another topic, and one probably left alone. Onward.)  ÂIt's a shame that my frenized travel-writer's schedule won't permit me more time in Sibenik, or time in the university town of Zadar, or a hike in the limestone gorges of Paklenica National Park. Periodically, I pass a young woman or child standing at the roadside extending a fat bunch of asparagus toward my car. I wish I could buy some, but my plans are set. Finally, and regrettably after such a dazzling drive, I crest a mountain and, like something with wings, descend into the ancient city of Split.   SPLIT AND TROGIR  ÂSplit, which is about two-thirds down the coast of Croatia (roughly across the Adriatic from Ancona, Italy), is another big surprise. Get this: Much of the old city is in fact a Roman palace, built around the year 300. It is the Temple of Diocletian, my next UNESCO site, and it's still used for homes and businesses today. While our kids pass Ross Dress For Less and Wendy's on the way to school, Split's kids walk past Roman temples to Jupiter and sphinx statues from ancient Egypt.  ÂI find Split's age impossible to grasp, even as I find myself walking through the Silver Gate into the Peristyle, surrounded by Roman columns and an ancient mausoleum, with polished ancient stone underfoot. In many parts of the world, they would put a velvet rope around the whole place. Here, there are café tables spread about, and some bored-looking teenagers abjectly exhale cigarette smoke in the vague direction of priceless antiquities. Split's port bustles even today with ferries heading all over the Adriatic, including Italy. There were even some American ships just in; a Coast Guard ship and a minesweeper, fresh from the Suez Canal after five months of duty. A 15-minute walk from the Temple is Bacvice, where the young and pretty people dine and dance each night, and the Hotel Park (my place), where the American ambassador sleeps during visits to Split. On my first night there, a wedding is taking place on the grounds. A male choral quintet serenades with pleading, leaning harmonies, like Bulgarian folk music; within hours, everyone is cheerfully drunk.  ÂWest of Split, very close to town, you'll find hillside villas overlooking the sea. Even in the suburbs, people have their own vineyards, and almost everyone keeps a private garden. One of the villas was designed and built by the great sculptor Ivan Mestrovic, and today it's a conservatory of his extraordinary work. His audacious depiction of Job is particularly moving. That costs about $2.50, but if you're extra cheap, you can see his 1926 opus "Gregorius of Nin," for free. It's a tribute to a 10th-century Croatian nationalist bishop, and it stands at the northern, or Golden, gate of the Temple of Diocletian. Its left big toe has been burnished by generations of luck-seekers. In Split, at the steps of the Roman emperor Diocletian's former mausoleum and the Protiron, once the entry to his palace, modern-day Croatians lounge al fresco with 90-cent espressos and $1.50 beers As I drink a leisurely al fresco beer in the theatrically lit Temple of Diocletian, I again have that now-familiar reaction: Why aren't there any American tourists here? The lack of Americans isn't explained by the current mania (a deliberate word choice) for staying home. Americans have never been much for Croatia, which fell off our travel radar even before the war there.  ÂNow, things are slowly changing. The coast is being bought up by foreigners seeking cheap summer houses, and many of the investors are American. To the consternation of locals, strong foreign currencies are sweeping in and turning once-vital communities into comatose holiday towns that stand empty for most of the year. In Trogir, it seems like nothing has changed in 500 years. No modern buildings, no Golden Arches (what are those?), not even a phone booth or Coke machine in sight. A half hour north from Split by local bus ($1.50), there's yet another UNESCO site: the island town of Trogir. It was inhabited in turn by Greeks, Romans, and Venetians, and now it survives (linked to the mainland by a blip of a bridge) as a jewel of Renaissance architecture. It really is charming. During its peak, it was an economic and artistic powerhouse, and everything retains those old cultured flourishes. Romanesque churches crowd with a tangle of medieval walls and gates, shoe-polished alleys twist beneath the watchful eyes of ancient carved angels. In Trogir, it seems like nothing has changed in 500 years. No modern buildings, no Golden Arches (what are those?), not even a phone booth or Coke machine in sight. The sensation is heightened, a local tells me, by the fact the German coach tourists have not yet arrived for the high season of July and August. My timing makes Trogir is a place of beauty and peace. For just $2.50, buses from Split visit splendid Trogir, a richly decorated island town left largely untouched since its prosperous peak during the 15th and 16th centuries. Most sights are free, including the indulgent Cathedral of St. Lawrence, which features this fantastic Romanesque door, carved in 1240. Ringed by water and sun-soaked cafes, Trogir (like much of the coast) is a place where it's easy to spend a few hours dining outside, beneath the steeples of ancient cathedrals. Me, I have black risotto, the local specialty of Pag cheese (dry like block parmesan, but sharp), and a succession of ice cream cones loaded with gelato. Total cost: less than $10. This Mediterranean lifestyle is contagious.  ÂBut there's no time to dally, because my itinerary takes me next to one of Croatia's many islands. Hvar is 90 minutes by modern ferry from Split's central port. The Temple of Diocletian recedes behind the stern and the turquoise sea carries us evenly, as the Adriatic is impossibly flat; even in open waters, the sea is placid and it irons our wake as soon as we make it. Soon, I'm making the scenic half-hour drive from Hvar's port of Stari Grad to Hvar Town itself, on the island's southwest coast. My car windows are rolled all the way down and the warm breezes lift off the sea to carry the constant scent of lavender, which grows on the cliffs. Hvar Town is yet another Mediterranean dream. Within its walls are some of the finest relics on the Dalmatian coast. In this small, hillside old town, wrapped around bay so clear it induces gasps, you'll find one of the most handsome squares on the whole coast, full of kids playing soccer around a well built in 1520. You'll find a lovely former monastery on the sea, with a collection of Greek and Roman coins (they look freshly minted) and a heavenly garden sheltered by the same gnarled cyprus tree since the 1800s. Above the sweeping arches of the Arsenal (built late 1500s), you'll find a 16th-century theatre ($1.50 entry) that's said to have been the first in Europe to open itself to commoners. The entire seafront is a broad stone promenade, most of it lined with cafes and restaurants, where small boats from throughout Europe tie for the evening. Above is a well-preserved castle (try the dungeon), and the promenade leads into countless isolated coves and bays perfect for private sun worship; it rarely rains here. Tucked into otherwise anonymous lanes, you'll find gourmet home-cooked meals, the most expensive of which will set you back only $20 a sitting. (At the "Slow Food" Restaurant, I have beefsteak stuffed with goat's cheese and fresh capers-oh my good heavens, can you imagine?)  ÂBy now, this parade of cafes, sun, indulgent cuisine, and antiquities might be grating on you a little more than it's grating on me. (After all, I'm the one getting the tan.) So before we reach Dubrovnik, the grand finale and one of the world's great destinations, I'll interject a few quibbles. One concerns hotels. Although the situation is changing as tourism increases, most have echoes of unexciting Communist-run facilities; rooms are not big, and in most of them, you can still find the switch intended to summon the chambermaids who once found employment walking each floor of the hotels. Another quibble: Although Croatia is in many ways a Western European country, it requires visitors to register with the police. Luckily, this is always done for you by the hotel's front desk, but it does require tourists to surrender their passports upon check-in, something rarely done these days in civilized Europe. Since all the best areas of Croatia are pedestrian-only (a big plus over Italy), parking is scarce (a minus); if you rent a car, make sure it's small, nimble, and be ready to hoof it to your hotel. Most bewildering is Croatia's tendency to shut down to tourists during the winter. It's not that it gets too cold; the Mediterranean is never frigid. It's that the Germans and the Italians dry up. July and August are their peak holiday periods, so that's when Croatia takes its hotels out of mothballs. But between mid-October and mid-April, hotel options dwindle to a slender few (although, happily, prices also drop). It doesn't seem right. I'd gladly visit Croatia in the winter. So would most Americans I know. Then again, if more of us do, perhaps more hotels will become available then.  ÂCroatia's economy is tepid, however, and many older people (such as women who have lost their husbands) cruise the ferry ports and bus stations in search of tourists willing to rent accommodation in their spare spaces. If hotels are full or closed, just listen for anyone saying "Soba, soba" to you--they're not offering noodles but "sobe," or a room. Expect to pay about US$20 a night if you use this entirely appropriate, common, and safe method, but make sure you know how far from town you'll be staying before you seal the deal.   DAZZLING DUBROVNIK  ÂAnd finally, the climax of my trip. After more than two weeks of never lingering longer than one or to nights, I'm relieved to come to a place where I will stay for three. My hotel in Dubrovnik is the Argentina, a plush palace that reopened only two weeks ago after over a decade of decay. You see, it was the place where journalists stayed as they covered the shelling of Dubrovnik in the winter of 1991-1992; the view of a smoldering city that you saw on your TV screens is the same view you now behold from the swimming pool, way below the hotel at the Mediterranean's edge, over the icy surface of your hand-delivered cocktails. Only now, the smell is not of smoke but of suntan oil as Western European tourists check into one of the only fully modern super-luxury hotels in the country--paying a bit over $100 a night for what would easily cost them $500 back home. Seeing Dubrovnik's fortifications shoot straight out of the azure Mediterranean is one of the most transporting experiences in world tourism. ÂI can count on one hand the number of world cities that cut such as striking profile. Dubrovnik was for many centuries a fabulously wealthy city-state (like Venice, like Singapore) whose riches enabled and required it to construct massive and towering fortifications around itself. Thanks to generations of shrewd political maneuvering, it was never sacked, although a few earthquakes nearly ended the place. Today, those fantastic walls--a mile of them--still encircle the sumptuous red-roof jumble of the old city. Seeing Dubrovnik's fortifications shoot straight out of the azure Mediterranean is one of the most transporting experiences in world tourism. Sunbathers hit the beach beside one the Mediterranean's most sublime sights: Dubrovnik's eye-popping walls, begun a millennium ago, which rise majestically from the freakishly smooth Adriatic Sea. It was this perspective from which, in 1991 and 1992, the world watched the treasured old city get hammered by shells launched from above. In case you weren't aware (since Croatia is empty of Americans, I must assume our ignorance is more widespread than I'd feared), 12 years ago, Serb extremists seized a fort atop a hill above the city and lobbed some 2,000 shells into this fantastic city. Residents huddled inside the medieval forts which, incredibly, protected them from modern rockets.  ÂEven now, historians argue whether the Serbs meant only to terrify the Croats, not destroy the city (and there's much agreement that some on the Croatian side inflicted their own incalculable damage elsewhere), but one thing is obvious: Dubrovnik, though rebuilt, is different now. It's a gem, of course--just with many a new roof and the whiff of fresh paint. Its weathered, lichen-covered tiles, so famous, are now upstaged by many more luminous red tiles, glaringly fresh. Ah, well. Dubrovnik has survived cataclysms worse than this. I just wish I could have seen it before.  ÂOne of my tour guides lived through the siege. Inside the Dominican Monastery, she points to a Renaissance-era well and explains that's where, at the time, she sent her kids to collect more water than the rations allowed. Then she points to the old man taking tickets at the monastery's museum of priceless objects. "That man is still angry with me for it." He waves from across the room at her.  ÂWhen I tell her I live in New York City, I get her full attention. Most of the time, when I tell foreigners that I was in Manhattan on September 11, they instantly tell me where they were when they saw events unfold on television. But my guide, as a survivor of the Dubrovnik shelling, asks the single most sympathetic question that a stranger has ever asked me about it. "Did it make a terrible sound?" she asks, and that's all she asks. (It did.)  ÂI have walked atop the walls of Dubrovnik twice now, once clockwise and once counter-clockwise, to catch the way the sunlight plays at both angles. The entire old city is an UNESCO site, the fifth and last of my trip. I have explored every street inside the walls, plumbed both the monasteries, the old granary with its centuries-old silos, the hidden alleys full of kids playing soccer on ancient stone paths. I can't tell you how many times I have strolled the shiny avenue of Placa. I have allowed myself to be intoxicated not just by the city itself but also by a fairly immoderate round of beers in a thatched-roof outdoor pub I found through a hidden door at the base of the fortifications. There, a few feet above the glittering Adriatic and a hundred feet below the sheer drop of the medieval walls, the pub owner (a lanky kid with a wry grin) and I sat listening to Dean Martin classics and watching the Mediterranean rub fondly against the city's stony feet. "Standing on the Corner," indeed! Enjoying a leisurely evening korzo, or stroll, along the gleaming stone of Placa (a.k.a. Stradun), the main avenue in Dubrovnik's old town. Anchored by two squares, Placa is lined with outdoor cafes, bookstores, and priceless antiquities such as the Church of St. Saviour (1528), Onofrio Fountain (1438) and the Orlando column (1417). On my last day here, a Costa Cruises ship pulls into the waters in front of the Argentina. It's as massive as the old city itself, and it disgorges fleets of tenders loaded with European tourists, who obediently shuffle behind sign-toting tour guides. The day seems ruined for us independent travelers, but incredibly, the crowds suddenly dissolve after lunchtime and the ship quickly pulls anchor and departs just six hours after the day began. Those poor people, I think, as the ship glides northward. How could you see Dubrovnik, the city tour of a lifetime, in just six stumbling hours? Why would you want to?  ÂWe have already received a few e-mail letters from readers who point out, quite rightly, that there's more to see in Croatia than the places I have just visited. But I must say that my itinerary (Zagreb, Plitvice, Opatija, Rovinj, Pula, Sibenik, Split, Trogir, Hvar Town, and Dubrobnik), crowded as it is, makes an excellent introduction to Croatia. Between those highlights, it's easy to find your own discoveries in Hrvatska. Don't let the vagaries of modern political boundaries reshuffle Croatia into the fold of Eastern European countries. It was largely built by Western Europe, and it depends on it today. It might as well be part of it. Croatia is as Italian as Venice, as Austrian as Vienna, and as much Caesar's as Rome. © Copyright 2000-2003 St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 06 Jul 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/4895/1/EH-Boskinac---A-New-Croatian-Star.html   BOŠKINAC A NewCroatian Star GrandOpening July6th 2003, Novalja, Island Pag, Croatia  www.boskinac.com  Info@boskinac.com 011-385-53-663-500Tel 011-385-53-663-501Fax letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 26 Jun 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8440/1/E-Cuddling-Croatia.html ÂCuddling CroatiaÂLucia Appleby • Special to Arab NewsÂWe know the ferry from Ancona has arrived at Split, Croatia, because a passionate Italian is hammering on the cabin door shouting "get up you lazy lot." The lady in the bunk above me - on her way to visit her husband in Dubrovnik, who is working with a shipping firm there - curses in her best Italian and instantly appears fully clothed at the door with her lipstick on.ÂOvernight, Loretta and I have become firm friends, having discussed the problems of long-distance relationships, the complexity of married partners working in different countries, and the pleasure of being able to show the beauty of Croatia to her three children. Continuing to reflect on the double-edged sword of the ease with which we travel and work between various European countries, Loretta and I tumble into the disorder of huddled passengers spilling onto the deck, blinking themselves awake, and failing to walk off the boat in to the port because they've suddenly noticed that it's raining.ÂThe tourists check themselves. This is the Dalmatian coast after all, with its archipelago of idyllic islands (the largest in the Mediterranean), and in the middle of August - so all the guidebooks say - it's supposed to be blissfully sunny. A Mexican wave of waterproofs erupts, and everybody shuffles off to the cafe glowing in the distance to digest their thoughts over a cup of cafe, cappuccino or kava - depending on their now confused linguistic orientation.ÂI have two words in my foggy head: private rooms. At 600 kuna plus a night, and despite the very favorable exchange rate (7.3 K to a Euro), it's clear that hotels are out of my league. As if in direct response to my mental meanderings, a man in a bright red and orange tropical shirt suddenly appears, introduces himself as Mario, and says his sister Yela has a cheap room for 120 Kuna a night. As we walk under his umbrella along the palm tree-strewn promenade, shards of light break through the clouds, instantly turning the view over the pretty port into a post-card quality scene. Mario beams and the significance of his shirt becomes clear as he boasts, "Look! You are in Hawaii!"By the time we have darted along the winding cobbled streets to Yela's place, the sun has come out and Mario has filled me in extensively in fluent Anglo-Deutsch on where to buy cheap cigarettes from Bosnia (100 K for a pack of ten), how to get to the island of Brac and its aquamarine waters (one hour away by boat), the best place to go for dinner (he will take me to a good place for fresh sardines at eight o'clock), the situation with the weather (very changeable at the moment), and the political situation in Croatia (although the country is no longer at war and the situation is stable, I should avoid places littered with unexploded land-mines around Dubrovnik). Asking about the war is not considered offensive.ÂNormally deeply suspicious to the point of paranoia of anybody directing my course of action to this extent, I find that I instantly warm to Mario andYela, who fusses around me in her kitchen, making coffee and smiling like a happy grandmother fattening up her loved ones, pushing fresh figs, plums, apricots and sweet pastries in my direction. Mozart floats through the window from the shop downstairs, church bells ring in the distance, and a young boy shouts repetitively, "Bruno!" Mario talks in serious tones about this and that and concludes that Split has a perfect mixture of pasta and seafood.ÂI deduce from my rough translation and their various gesticulations that I will be staying in the dining room (which has a beautiful parquet floor and an imposing two-foot painting), while Yela has given up her bedroom for an Italian couple, and has been sleeping for the last three weeks in the kitchen larder next to the fridge. Embarrassed by the domestic setup, I offer to move, but am argued down. "No, no, you are the guest," says Mario, "Yela will sleep in my flat, and I will stay with my daughter." The next morning, I notice the fridge has been moved to the hallway, and set off with a slighter easier conscience to explore Split and its surrounds.ÂWith its bronze beaches and Roman ruins, there is no denying that this stretch of Croatia's coast is stunningly beautiful. Incredibly picturesque and dripping in history, Split features an impressive Diocletian palace-by-the-sea (entered on the UNESCO world heritage list in 1979), hidden in a labyrinth of paved alleyways. Croatia's second largest city after Zagreb, and probably its most vital, it's a big urban and university center with some important collections of art and archaeological artifacts. It also has easy access to some of the country's most beautiful islands.ÂThe snow-tipped mountain ranges behind the town provide an impressive backdrop and the town's best views. Split is considered to be a lucky city because it's watched over not only by the mountains but also by a large pine-forested hill calledMarjan. Today, Marjan is Split's largest and most attractive natural botanical park, where teenagers woo each other at night and the fashionable locals parade in their Sunday best.ÂA short four-hour drive away from Split in a rented VW Polo (£30/day) is the legendary Dubrovnik. The road south is both deeply beautiful and amusing - a straight line down the coast, with a breath-taking view over the wide expanse of Adriatic Sea, it passes almost by accident through a miniature section of land belonging to Bosnia. Croatians claim this is the only country in the world where you have to pass through another country to get to one of their cities. The border guards look vaguely bored by the onslaught of traffic and locals returning almost as quickly as they left - "Hello! Goodbye! Hello!"Dubrovnik is a must for anybody wanting to witness the rebirth of one of the world's most beautiful medieval cities, subject to heavy shelling during the Yugoslavian war (520 historic buildings damaged, 70 percent of roofs destroyed). The old city, also one of UNESCO's world heritage sites, isjaw-droppingly beautiful and home to some architectural masterpieces and a summer festival with outdoor concerts in July/August. You can see why George Bernard Shaw described the city as "paradise on earth" when you pass through the thick old city walls into the pedestrianized historiccentre, with limestone streets worn down so much over the years that they now look like polished marble. With the help of £6 million of UNESCO funds, most of the buildings have been restored (the numerous new red terracotta roofs everywhere bear testimony to this). Sitting in one of the pavement cafes enjoying a plate of fresh mussels, it's hard to believe that this ethereal place was the subject of Serb aerial attacks less than ten years ago. Dubrovnik is very much a cosmopolitan lived-in city, and one of the most aesthetically pleasing towns in the Mediterranean.ÂI still haven't hit the beach, so travel to Bol on the island of Brac near Split, and immediately realize that the sea here - said to be the cleanest in Europe - is completely underrated. Although luminaries like Shaw and Jacques Cousteau have waxed lyrical about it, nothing prepares you for the sight of the completely clear pristine water lapping against the shore. I'm forced to abandon any remaining preconceptions about Croatia when I ask the gorgeous and voluptuous lady bronzing herself next to me - in the now blistering sunshine - if she can keep an eye on my bag while I go for a swim. She says in a low husky drawl: "Sure, but you know, you don't have to worry, because here... people are not like that."ÂHow to get there: Ferries leave to Split from Ancona, Italy, four times a day. The ten-hour trip costs 56 Euros (£37) for an overnight cabin space, 36 Euros (£24) for deck space during the day. To drive to Dubrovnik to Split or vice versa, cars can be rented for around 350 K (47 Euros, £31) per day.Â- Arab News Features 12 June 2003http://www.arabnews.com/?page=9&section=0&article=27316&d=12&m=6&y=2003&pix=community.jpg&category=Features%22 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 12 Jun 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8441/1/E-The-world-is-full-of-surprises-THATS-CROATIA.html ÂAdventures with Jason: CroatiaIn the first of two parts, our intrepid traveler reports from a surprising Mediterranean idyllSource: http://www.msnbc.com/news/916085.asp {Editor s Note: Have you ever visited Croatia? Do you have an instructive anecdote, tip or horror story to share? We d love to hear it and possibly reprint it in our letters to the editor column. Simplyclick here to send a letter to our editors.} Still an active fishing port, Rovinj, on Croatia's sumptuous west coast, is an hour's drive from Italy, while ferries to Venice take 2 1/2 hours May 22  The more I travel, the more I see, the less I seem to know. As a travel writer, my job makes me familiar with an ever-growing territory, yet even as I absorb more of the world, the very fact that I m learning things reminds me that I know nothing. No matter how many new places I load into my memory bank, a single salient fact remains: The world is full of surprises.THAT S CROATIA. Hidden in plain sight, wedged between so many major European attractions favored by Americans, but virtually ignored. Virtually next door to Italy, due south of Austria and Hungary, a day s drive from Germany, closer to Paris than Greece. Croatia lines the sweetest, cleanest stretch of coast on the entire Mediterranean Sea. The ugliness of the early  90s helped remove it from the international tourist panorama, but to be honest, even before that, it was never a major stop for visiting Americans still, how could I have avoided Croatia for so long? Its identity crisis came out of more than recent trouble, though. As a lynchpin of mid-Europe, Croatia has bounced from empire to empire for hundreds of years, leaving it with a melting-pot personality more akin to the United States than to the venerable Adriatic Coast. Zagreb, which began existence as two Middle Age cities sparring across a stream, now has an unmistakable Austro-Hungarian panache As soon as I arrived my Croatia Airlines flight from London to Zagreb, it became clear that Croatia (or Hvratska, as it s called there) is not the Eastern European post-Communist sleeper state that some may believe it to be. The church steeples are as voluptuous and shapely as those in Vienna; the red-tile rooves are distinctly Venetian; the goulash on my dinner plate is straight from Hungary. Only the people (who came out of one of the world s most permissive Communist cultures only to stumble into a very messy internal insurgency that ended in 1995) seem as Eastern European as the country s reputation would have them be. So I ve come to Croatia with a simple goal: to find out what it is. Zagreb, its capital, is straight south of Vienna. And its charm surprises me. Communist Yugoslavia was kind to it. The main town, which slopes up a gentle and leafy hill, was never scarred with concrete high-rises or factories the way so many other bloc cities were. Instead, it is as cobblestoned and as meandering as it was 500 years ago. An atmospheric tram system, antique without irony, stretches through town and connects in a tangle at Josip Jelacica Square. Over the square, the equestrian statue of Jelacica, a 19th-century nationalist hero, presides; during the communist era, the artwork was mothballed in pieces for two generations before being restored to this place of glory in 1991. Zagreb is agreeable. Nothing frenetic. This is a smallish city (1.1 million) in an emerging country (4.4 million), so its energy isn t cosmopolitan so much as fraternal. Croatians don t make much money, so you won t find them thronging restaurants (they re for visitors) or boutiques. Instead, they re at the cafes. Zagreb is jammed with them. One after another, beer-sipping, chain-smoking (never eating), people fill outdoor cafés on countless streets; the buzz of conversation seems to bounce around city corners and draw passers-by into joining. Just a few days here and I ve already spent hours sitting in cafes under the sunny spring skies, reading books and making notes. It s the pace of things here, and since I love settling into new cities and watching life go by, I m suited to it. The Croatian National Theatre (1895) is one of several Gilded Age masterpieces in the Croatian capital's Lower Town, or Donji Grad Pints of beer (Ozujsko, roughly pronounced  Oh-SHOO-sko is the local brew) are $1.50 to $2, and patrons are encouraged to sit and watch life pass by for as long as they wish. This is one of the many areas in which Croatia feels much more like Western Europe than Eastern Europe. Another is architecture: The Lower Town, built during a population doom under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, consists of regal, sherbet-colored, high-ceilinged buildings commonly found in Vienna or Prague. A series of Parisian parks comb through the Lower Town, forming a giant letter U; my hotel (the Palace, one of Europe s longest-running) is on one of them, next to a tram line that s as regular as the tides. Zagreb is so full of life that a visitor might never know about the shelling that happened there. I ve always found it remarkable how easily a country can slip into violence and unrest, and incredible to see how quickly humans can adjust to any sort of living conditions, but most of all, I ve been repeatedly amazed at how fast a place can seem to erase all traces of recent misery. From my observations in Port Arthur, Tasmania, to Cambodia s Killing Fields, to here in Croatia, I have begun to view history s negative episodes as dark storms that pass overhead destructive, disruptive, but incapable of lingering.Zagreb has zero tourist culture. I love that! Even the venerable churches have been so well-used and regularly overhauled that although they were constructed centuries ago, they re children more of recent generations than of history. Zagreb, then, is a city that hasn t wistfully frozen itself in the era of kings and queens; perhaps that accounts somewhat for its lack of gawping tourists. I found just one shop with a rack of postcards out front. Entire historic city streets, blocks long, lack trinket stores of any kind. I spent hours rambling the hilly old town above the rest of the city, and I didn t see a single collectible spoon or thermometer magnet. Its humbleness is magnificent.The downside to that is, of course, a dearth of cheap places to stay. Granted, even the big hotels don t see enough demand to skin visitors (it s easy to find a room for under $50), but you could count the acceptable inexpensive places on one hand. There is no backpacker s culture in Croatia yet (by my count, there are about a dozen facilities in the whole country, and most of them are of the antiseptic YHA variety). But two- and three-star options are growing. As tourism grows, so will tourist amenities. Odd, too, since Zagreb has a surprising cadre of museums. There s the Mimara Museum ($3), a 3,750-piece stash bequeathed by a Croatian-born tycoon. There s the Zagreb Museum ($3), a terrific walk through the city s multifaceted history (religious way station to Belle Epoque valentine to sleepy communist enclave) within a historic convent. There s the studio of legendary sculptor Ivan Mestrovic, a onetime Croatian nationalist who spent his latter years teaching at Notre Dame in Indiana. Plus a museum of folk art (or  naïve art), a museum of contemporary art, and an assortment of other down-to-earth galleries, none more than $3. And there s a piddly old funicular train, surely one of the world s shortest, that charges 50 cents to carry you a distance that would take perhaps 30 seconds to walk. Marvelous bits of color. I have much more to see. I left Zagreb in a rental car (why do so many small countries neglect to mark their roads well?) and sped southwest toward Plitvice National Park. Croatia is a compact country; the trip barely took two hours. When I was doing my research before arriving in Croatia, I found (to my shame) that I was hearing of many places for the very first time. How shocking, then, to arrive at a place like Plitvice (pronounced PLIT-vee-say) and find it s one of the most idyllic spots I ve ever been to. Plitvice is essentially a series of lakes that cascade one into another. That sounds state-park dull until you re told that the top lake is at a relatively high altitude and the last one is deep in a chasm, so most waterfalls are stunners that are at least a few stories tall. Add to that the way they were formed: Plitvice is a sort of landed coral reef in that the leading edge of the lakes  the waterfall walls  are not rocky cliffs but were gradually constructed over time by calcium deposits (travertine). So the whole area is a mossy, cool, cloistered affair, and the waterfalls aren t harsh and loud but smooth, soft, and seemingly designed to lull the visitor into a powerful desire to picnic. It takes about two hours to stroll from the topmost lake to the bottom along a series of handmade catwalks; a half-hour of the journey is on an electric ferry across one of the middle lakes (included in the ticket price of about $10). Plitvice is a UNESCO World Heritage site one of the first such sites ever named, and one of six in Croatia (I ll be visiting five of them over the coming days). It also happens to be where the first death of the recent unpleasantness occurred; Serbian rebels occupied the park for four years, trashing all the buildings, but although they shelled Dubrobnik to tatters, they were transfixed by the park s serenity, and they left it intact. That should say a lot about how beautiful it is. It stands in contrast to the decimated countryside around it. Zagreb got off easy during the fighting; the worst of it happened in the county east of Zagreb (like in Vukovar). But there was plenty of violence, some of it akin to ethnic cleansing, in rural Croatia, and a casual drive on the smaller roads quickly yields evidence of it. In rural Croatia, a town might consist of 10 to 15 houses on the road. I saw town after town of bullet-pocked walls, humanitarian-built red-tile masonry, and burnt-out buildings. The farther from cities I got, it wasn t uncommon to see lonely kerchief-wearing widows (at least, I imagined them to be widows) sitting forlornly on their stoops, waiting for international aid trucks to arrive. Some towns are still marked with signs denoting the donor countries that keep their inhabitants afloat, and sure enough, I did pass a UN truck as it rumbled into one outpost village. There is peace now, to be sure, and there s no danger for tourists. The brutality is over, but now the fight is of a different sort. ISTRIAAfter that sobering journey through Croatia s hard-hit towns, I made for the northern coast. I didn t realize it at the time, but as I left inland Croatia, I was heading into a different world. Because while the Croatia of Zagreb is an Austro-Hungarian affair with magnificent coffees, handsome avenues, and industrious citizens, coastal Croatia is molto Mediterranean. Meaning protracted meals laden with fresh fish and olive oil, sapphire-blue seas lapping at stony fishing ports, and (my favorite) the mandatory mid-afternoon siesta. Passing through more than a dozen tunnels, I headed seaward through the port of Rijeka to the coastal town of Opatija, about 15 minutes west. Opatija ( Oh-PAHT-ya ) found favor as a getaway for the rich and famous over a hundred years ago when its gracious Hotel Kvarner was built for Europe s elite to vegetate and socialize. A seaboard full of gracious hotels followed, but after the Great War, the crowds (like the royalty) dissipated. The grand hotels remain, but now the guests are decidedly less trendy. After all, Opatija is just a 45-minute drive from the border of Italy, and many tourists connect through Trieste for relaxing sojourns here. With mass tourism thriving there, it s possible to sample the grandeur of the Old World without breaking the $40/night mark. I, of course, chose the Kvarner (I rolled up at 6 p.m. and got a room without a reservation) and was ushered to a small third-floor room with a walk-on balcony and a magnificent southerly view over the Mediterranean. At a glance, it s easy to see that this place must have been something in its day. The back terrace spills into the sea with palatial expansiveness; the lobby swims with fabric; and behind sheer white curtains, the grand ballroom (chandeliers intact) silently awaits its next storied function. The next day, a quick one-hour drive brought me to Pula, to the third-largest remaining Roman coliseum in the world. Now, I didn t know that I d find one of the world s best collections of Roman ruins in Croatia, but it makes sense. The west coast of Croatia is only about 50 miles away from the east coast of Italy. In Caesar s day, this was all the same  hood, and Croatia hosted some of the Adriatic s most important ports. And influence from Italy never slowed down after that. Venice (which, you ll recall from high school history, was once a powerful city-state) owned stretches of Croatia s coast, particularly Dalmatia, for some 500 years, giving it the marble-street/red-roof finesse it retains today. (It sounds picturesque, but the Venetians were slum lords.) It was only around 1797 that the area began a political flip-flop that led it inexorably behind the Iron Curtain the French, the Hungarians, Yugoslavia; they all had staked their claim at one time or another in the past 200 years. But Croatia as we know was developed before all that happened. It s Western European in body, but its people have grown slightly more Eastern European in spirit. Meanwhile, cuisine bounces between Italian, Austrian/German, Hungarian, and age-old Mediterranean. It all gives the country its peculiar split personality (so to speak). Pula's 1st-century Roman coliseum is remarkably well-preserved and is still in use today (though not by gladiators) The coliseum is in terrific shape, partly because of restoration work; it is still in use as a theatre today. But other Roman remnants dot this port city, too, such as the Triumphal Arch of Sergius, erected 27 B.C., now standing amidst gelato shops and pizza places. There s also the Temple of Augustus, also 2,000 years old, and standing on what used to be the Forum but is today humming with cafes and sandwich shops. Istria hosted the Romans for a while, and it still hosts their decendants. Italians can t leave it alone. On weekends and in the summer, they flock down from Italy s northern parts and fill up the many resort hotels built a few miles outside of Pula, away from its unwelcoming deep-water piers. It s no accident that this part of Croatia is famous for its excellent pastas, delicious truffles, and fine olive oil; do you think Italians would stand for anything less? You might ask what the Italians would want to drive around to the east coast of the Adriatic in order to take a dip. If you did ask that, it would prove that you have never been to Venice, the enchanting island city that floats in one of the most virulent cesspits in the known world. The Adriatic flows counterclockwise here; the water licking at Italy is fetid and cloudy, but here, it s liquid crystal. Boats seem to ride their own shadows on the seabeds. In fact, the cities themselves sometimes seem to float on air. I m speaking of Rovinj, 45 minutes north of Pula. Like a fantasy, it juts into the waters, virtually an island to itself, rising in tumultuous layers of climbing rooves and weathered shutters, capped with a mighty cathedral. At first glance, it appears like a Mont St. Michel of the Mediterranean, its honey-toned ancient houses catching evening sunshine. Rovinj ( roe-VEEN-ja ) regularly appears as the poster city for Croatian tourism, with good reason. Rovinj's knotted stone streets, which climb toward the giant Cathedral of St. Euphemia, are crowded with cafes serving the day's catch And with mixed results. Rovinj is knee-deep in Germans and Italians, who, let me tell you, haven t yet realized that baby strollers don t work on cobblestones. The double bays leading toward the old town are lined with waterfront cafes and sponge-sellers hawking their wares from boats-and legions of European holidaymakers. I ve had to phone more than six hotels to find a free room (I should have booked ahead; it s my own fault). I finally find a place right on the main harbor (the Adriatic), facing the back but in the neighborhood. Most of the hotels are big, drab, and ugly (European tourists, blessed with three times the vacation time Americans get, are not too fussy), but one of them, the Hotel Park, has a vista of Rovinj that would enable me to overlook its architectural underachievement. Once again it strikes me: If this place is chockablock with tourists, how come not one of them (except me) is a Yankee? Rovinj is the sort of European city that Americans dream about finding but never quite locate. It s hugely atmospheric, not terribly expensive, and sets a mean table of Italian standards. I think I paid $7 for a huge foot-wide pizza with fresh ham, mushrooms, and chili peppers (pizza is popular here because it s so cheap, and the good news is I have yet to eat a bad pie). And my fettuccine with truffles was all of $3.50.Another Croatian pleasure: The people s love of ice cream. I rarely see these folks eating sit-down meals in public restaurants, but they re always strolling down the streets licking cones of smooth gelato. Since cones cost about $1.20, I find it easy to join in. Well, if slurping scoops of hazelnut ice cream is the best way to blend in, I plan to thoroughly camouflage myself. Right after this beer, that is. Come back here in a few days, because my trip to Croatia isn t finished. I ve just dipped my toes. Coming up, I head down the coast to Dalmatia, where I ll explore the famous cities of Split, Sibenik, Trogir, and Hvar-where those four other UNESCO sites are located. I m most excited about the climax of my journey in the legendary city of Dubrovnik still encircled by over a mile of massive medieval walls where I will find out just how bad the recent war damage was. The second part of my report will appear at www.budgettravel.msnbc.com in a few days.  Til then, I ll be here, under the Mediterranean sun, eating ice cream cones, drinking at harborside cafes, and taking notes for you. It s all in a day s work. {Editor s Note: Have you ever visited Croatia? Do you have an instructive anecdote, tip or horror story to share? We d love to hear it and possibly reprint it in our letters to the editor column. Simplyclick here to send a letter to our editors.} Copyright © 2003 Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc.Source: http://www.msnbc.com/news/916085.asp letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 26 May 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8442/1/E-Croatia-Travels-in-Undiscovered-Country-by-Tony-Fabijancic.html "Croatia: Travels in Undiscovered Country"There is, in old Croatia, an undiscovered country that is passing away, aworld of peasants, shepherds and fishermen irrevocably surrendering beforethe reality of a modern European state.When Tony Fabijancic traveled to Croatia he was returning to his ownundiscovered country. With the tongue of a native but the eyes of anoutsider, he journeyed the old country of his father. He sought out thehidden corners where he could hear the earthy stories of country people.With thoughtful portraits, he throws open a personal window into alabyrinthine world of character and identity.Outside a church in Pag, the author experienced a flash of eternity, anepiphany into his own mortality. Tapping into a new-found strength, hetraveled the expanse of Croatia, conducting a personal investigation intoits extraordinary regionality while commenting on the complex history of adeeply layered landscape. In fine style, he transports the reader to theAdriatic in the summer: the blast of heat, the smell of dust, the bountifulkitchen gardens, and the impromptu ritual of sljivovica at outdoor tables.Most of all, we are introduced to rural men and women who, along with theirhospitality, openly share their views on their lot in the new Croatia.Written with sensitivity and balance, Croatia: Travels in UndiscoveredCountry is smart, literate, travel writing that takes us to the heart of afascinating land.Tony Fabijancic was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. From an early agehe accompanied his father to Croatia where he experienced the lives of itspeasants firsthand. He is Associate Professor of Contemporary Literature atthe Sir Wilfred Grenfell College campus of Memorial University inNewfoundland. He lives in Corner Brook with his wife and two children.Tony Fabijancicafabijan@swgc.mun.caÂÂThis is to announce the publication of a new travel book about Croatia.Written by Tony Fabijancic, "Croatia: Travels in Undiscovered Country" hasbeen released by the University of Alberta Press. The book will bedistributed in the U.S. by Michigan State University Press(1-800-678-2120), and in the U.K. and Europe by Gazelle Books, London (44(0) 1524 68765; Fax 44 (0) 1524 63232; Sales@gazellebooks.co.uk ).You can also order online or through your bookstore. The book's isbnnumber is 0-88864-397-7. Price: $29.95 Canadian. Includes photographs. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 15 May 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8443/1/E-Croatian-island-re-discovers-its-history.html ÂCroatian island re-discovers its history - and takes up cricketBy Ivo Scepanovic in Vis, Croatia(Filed: 23/03/2003)ÂThe discovery of a letter from a British naval captain to his mother during the Napoleonic wars has inspired the inhabitants of a remote Adriatic island to take up cricket - despite the fact that the nearest team to play against is 200 miles away.The William Hoste Cricket Club, named after the hero of Lord Nelson's navy who regularly dropped anchor off the Croatian island of Vis almost 200 years ago, has won a grant from the European Cricket Council and is now creating a proper cricket field.The sport has so captured the 3,000 islanders' imagination that impromptu cricket matches have become a common sight in clearings among the palm trees beside the beaches.Capt Sir William Hoste earned his place in British naval legend after defeating the French near Vis in 1811, during the Napoleonic wars. Outgunned by a fleet with three times as many ships, he still managed to rout the enemy and hoisted a triumphant signal: "Remember Nelson."As British naval commander of the Adriatic station for the previous three years, he encouraged his seamen to play cricket to stave off boredom, and founded a club on Vis - then known as Lissa.In a letter home he extolled the island's virtues as a cricketing venue, with year-long sunshine and perfect conditions for the sport."We have established a cricket club and when we anchor for a few hours it passes away the time quite wonderfully," he wrote, adding praise for the islanders who had taken to joining in the sport.His hopes that cricket would continue to be played after he left the island came to nothing - until two years ago when a resident of Vis discovered his letter in the book Remember Nelson: Life of Captain Sir William Hoste by Nelson's biographer Tom Pocock.The islander showed it to his neighbour, Oliver Roki, 31, a winegrower, who was fascinated by the passion for the game which the letter evoked and decided with some friends to try to rekindle Hoste's dream.Mr Roki said: "I was inspired by the passion for a sport I had never heard of in connection with our island, and together with other people here we looked into what cricket involved. We'd never played it, but now it is talked about by everyone. Sir William Hoste's letter struck a chord and it just went from there."So great was their enthusiasm that the European Cricket Council awarded the new club a £7,000 grant for equipment and paid for a coach from Manchester, David Gelling, to work with the players until early this year.When it is complete, the pitch will be the second in Croatia - there is a club in the capital, Zagreb - but until then wickets have to be improvised.Mr Roki said: "We are all desperate to make our club a success. People here have taken to the game with a passion I find incredible. Even local fishermen come ashore, leaving their boats for hours at a time to play a game."We're kings of improvisation. We play it everywhere - among the palm trees, on small uninhabited nearby islands, everywhere."Sinisa Vodopija, a geography teacher at the local high school and another of the club's founders, said: "We'll develop this sport on the island step by step but being a nation with a talent for sports I'm sure we'll give Sir William Hoste something to be proud of in the future."The club still needs to raise €30,000 (£20,000) to build its cricket field. The plan is to complete the project by the summer so that the club can challenge Zagreb to decide the Croatian national championship.When the pitch is ready Mr Roki hopes that his club may lure cricket-loving visitors from Britain who want to play in winter.Toni Luksic, a coffee shop owner and a keen player, added: "In Vis you can play cricket for the entire year. We think British people could come and enjoy playing in the sun even in January and February."He said locals were dreaming of playing - and defeating - a visiting British cricket team. He said: "For all of us - the fishermen, waiters, cooks and wine producers - it means something to have realised the dream of William Hoste. When a British team comes here, that will be the best, because then we will really have made it."© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2003.Âhttp://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/03/23/wcrick23.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/03/23/ixworld.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 03 Apr 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8444/1/E-101-reasons-to-visit-the-Dalmatian-Coast.html  101 reasons to visit the Dalmatian Coast and other Croatian hot spots ÂRound-trip air, eight-nights hotel and more in the heart of central Europe from $1,299By Adrien GloverARTHUR FROMMER'S BUDGET TRAVELCROATIA, A CROOK-SHAPED country that gloats over its impressive expanse of coast along the Adriatic Sea, survived recent events with fewer scars than its neighbors. Its capital, Zagreb, may find it difficult to hide its war-torn past but many of its greatest monuments remain, whereas the capital of its blood-worn neighbor, Bosnia-Herzegovina, is barely distinguishable as the center of grandeur it once was.With its growing population of one million, Zagreb is presently experiencing a radical rebirth, and with this new incarnation comes a vibrancy and energy not felt in years. It is an exciting time to visit and a golden opportunity to witness history in the making. For that very reason we're thrilled to share two vacations with you, both of which are priced around $1,299 and offer round-trip airfare from the United States, eight nights accommodation, visits to more than one Croatian city, guided sightseeing tours and other extras. (Scroll down for all the details.)Mar. 3 - Don't balk at the Balkans. As we all know, the 1990s brought wrenching trials and turmoil to the former Yugoslavia and as a result it is now a land divided. Croatia, however, soldiers on as a distinctly affordable and inviting vacation destination, luring curious travelers with its quilt of ethnicities,cool European sensibilities, Hapsburg architecture, Roman ruins, dense forests and turquoise waters - just to name a few of the country's attractions.PARADISE ON EARTHOne of the most famous sayings about the Dalmatian Coast's most charming cities came from the mouth of George Bernard Shaw who uttered, "Those who seek Paradise on Earth should come to Dubrovnik." Situated on the tip of Croatia's tail, the postcard-perfect 14th-century walled city of Dubrovnik was left 99 percent unscathed by war and remains a popular draw for its rusty-hued sunsets, exquisite Renaissance Franciscan monastery and heavenly waters. Dubrovnik's attractions even extend to an olde-time pharmaceutical museum, a nude beach on nearby Lokrum Island and seafood specialties such as salted sardines. The city officially marks the southern end of the Dalmatian Coast, which lumps some 1,100 islands (66 of which have residents) into its territory.THE THREE-STOP TOURPaul Laifer Tours is weighing in at the moment with a $1,299 vacation package to three of central Europe's star cities - six nights split between Croatia's Zagreb and Dubrovnik, plus four nights in Prague. The price, which is $100 less than last year, includes round-trip airfare from JFK on Czech Airlines, airport transfers, air transportation between the three cities, and hotel and buffet breakfast daily as follows: four nights in Prague, two nights in Zagreb, and four nights in Dubrovnik. The trip also tosses in half-day tours in each of the cities with English-speaking guides.The 210-room Ibis City Hotel in Prague has a restaurant and bar and enjoys a central location. The 260-room first-class Dubrovnik Hotel in Zagreb (the name is confusing so pay attention) features a long list of amenities including Internet access and is close many major city monuments. And last but certainly not least, the Lero Hotel in Dubrovnik is also classified as a first-class hotel and is a short walk to the old town. Many of its 160 rooms have views of Miramar Bay.As with all Paul Laifer Tours, it's possible to extend one's hotel stay in any town. In Prague this will cost $50 for doubles and $85 for singles per night additional, in Zagreb it's $56 for doubles and $81 for singles per night additional, and in Dubrovnik it's $60 for doubles and $85 for singles each additional night. For more hotel details, check out the Paul Laifer Tours Web site: www.laifertours.com.Singles can expect to pay $380 additional for the basic vacation price. The $1,299 price is valid from Apr 1 to May 31, 2003, at which time high season prices begin to kick in. Gateways other than New York are also available; travelers from other U.S. cities fly on Delta Airlines into JFK to connect with the the transatlantic Czech Airline flight. Example prices from other gateways include: from Seattle add $300, from Chicago add $140, and from Dallas add $210. For more information on the three-city tour or to reserve space, visit the Paul Laifer Tours Web site at www.laifertours.com or call 800-346-6314.JUST COAST!For just a few dollars less ($1,290), Travel Time is offering a romantic (and chic) vacation to Opatija, Croatia, followed by a short visit to Venice."It's ironic," says Croatian-born Milena Damjanov, who grew up in the United States but spent summers on the Dalmatian coast. "For years and years I've been trying to get friends to visit the Croatian coast for their summer holidays. But, in the days of Yugoslavia it wasn't considered very chic - the accommodations were always quite basic, but then who needs a luxury bed when you're there for the breathtaking nature and scenery?" Ms. Damjanov counts Opatija as one of Croatia's coastal gems.Located much further north along the coast from Dubrovnik in Istria, Opatija is an Adriatic resort and spa town built by the Austro-Hungarian aristocracy. Fashionistas flocked to the "climatic health resort" in the late 19th century to seek the services of dozens of physicians or to check in to one of several sanatoriums dressed up in elegant villas. With years to reflect, many Croats suspect it was simply Opatija's mild climate, spot at the foot of lush mountains and curative waters that attracted the well-heeled and health-conscious.The price tag for this somewhat off-beat but irrefutably interesting vacation from Travel Time includes airfare from either New York or Boston into Zagreb, Croatia via Paris on Air France. The return trip is from Venice, Italy, located just a three-hour drive or direct train trip from Zagreb. Departures from the United States are mid-week, however travelers wanting to leave or return on a weekend will pay a $25 surcharge each way.In addition, the vacation bundles eight nights at the Hotel Kristal in Opatija, a modern property featuring both and indoor pool AND a private beach) plus two nights at the three-star Hotel Belle Arti in Venice (10 nights in all!). Those wanting to spend more time in Opatija will pay $35 per night, and additional nights in Venice are significantly costlier (though not for pricey Venice) at $100. Just to ensure a little adventure, Travel Time leaves it to the travelers themselves to take care of their own transportation between points in Croatia and Venice, which runs an additional $20 to $25 for one-way bus or train fare.The $1,290 price is per person based on double occupancy, and good for departures Apr 1 to Jun 12, 2003 and Sep 5 to Oct 30, 2003. (For dates in between during the high season, travelers should add $250.) The single supplement for the $1,290 price is an additional $235. For more information or to book this unusual vacation package, contact Travel Time at 800-354-8728 or visit its Web site at www.traveltimeny.com.{Editor's Note: Ever been to Croatia, or traveled with Travel Time or Paul Laifer? Do you have an instructive anecdote, tip or horror story to share? We'd love to hear it and possibly reprint it in our letters to the editor column. Simply click here: traveleditor@newsweekbt.com to send a letter to our editors.}Source MSNBC: http://www.msnbc.com/news/878893.asp letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 04 Mar 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8445/1/E-Japans-33-billion-is-outdone-by-Croatia.html ÂOvertaking CroatiaForbes MagazineThursday February 27, 5:34 pm ETBy Justin DoebeleJapan's tourism industry is suffering. Add one more rescue act for Koizumi.In the 1960s "Japan was a paradise for tourists," says Philip Gsell, the president of Toppan Travel in Tokyo. He recalls how Americans and Europeans would spend weeks crisscrossing the country, staying in the best hotels. "Now our customers normally stay only three or four days, mostly in Tokyo," he says.ADVERTISEMENT One would expect the world's second-largest economy to have a tourism industry to match. Instead, it's lopsided: While Japanese are avid travelers, for foreigners Japan is terra incognito.Japan gets 5 million international visitors a year, ranking it 33rd in the world, below Ukraine and the Czech Republic. In international-tourism receipts Japan's $3.3 billion is outdone by Croatia, (see chart).Another measure: The U.S. has 4.2 million hotel rooms; Japan, with half the population and half the economy, has only a third that many.To be sure, Japan is an island nation, so its numbers aren't inflated by short-term border crossings as with other countries. But so is Britain, and its tourist numbers are in the world's top ten for both visitors and receipts."The numbers are very sad," says Masafumi Miura, an official at the Japan Association of Travel Agents. "It's a bad situation."To address the problem Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi announced in January a "Visit Japan" campaign aimed at doubling the number of arrivals by 2010. "The entire government will endeavor to promote tourism," he told parliament. The government's tourism budget will be increased from $25 million to $42 million--still paltry--for the fiscal year starting this April, and a high-level committee is working to carry out Koizumi's mandate.National efforts are backed up by local ones. Shintaro Ishihara, Tokyo's governor (the equivalent of mayor), is talking up tourism as a way to revive the local economy--including casinos--and hasa budget of $22 million to carry out his plans."This is the biggest change I've seen in my 20 years in the industry," says Masato Takamatsu, vice president of Japan Tourism Marketing, a research and consulting subsidiary of Japan's largest travel agency, JTB Corp.An irony is that Japan was one of, if not the, first Asian countries to market itself to Western tourists. A group called the Welcome Society of Japan was formed in 1893 to bring in tourists, followed by the launch in 1912 of the state-owned Japan Tourist Bureau. Until World War II Japan courted tourists to earn foreign currency to fuel its modernization and military.As Japan's postwar export boom solved the foreign currency problem, the tourism effort lost its impetus. Business, not tourism, drove most visitors to Japan. (On top of this were visits connected to the U.S. military presence in Japan.) This kept arrival numbers up--they have grown rather steadily over the decades--but has masked a fundamental deterioration of recreational traffic. "Tourism hasn't been recognized as an important industry," says Masahiko Maiya, president of Hotel Okura in Tokyo.The biggest blow came from the rapid appreciation of the yen in the mid 1980s, making Japan one of the world's most expensive countries to visit. "Everyone has heard the horror stories about high costs," says C.J. Dennett, a vice president at the Asia division of the Westlake Village, California, Pleasant Holidays, the first U.S. travel agent to specialize in Asian tours, founded in 1959. A typical seven-day package from Pleasant for Japan today costs $1,250, while similar packages for China go for $886 (all-inclusive, including air, from the U.S. West Coast)."Even for theJapanese, it's expensive to travel," says Margaret Price, an Australian living in Japan who's written extensively about the tourism industry. Instead, Japanese tourists have flocked to cheaper destinations outside the country, making 16 million trips abroad, spending $43 billion. In comparison, Americans made 58 million trips outside the U.S.and spent $83 billion.Japan's government also encouraged its citizens to travel abroad. Bureaucrats used to boast its "tourism deficit" would help offset its trade surplus. The decade-long recession has changed that mind-set.A nation like Thailand now gets 10 million visitors a year, twice that of Japan. Five years ago Thailand got only 7 million. Virtually no one visited Cambodia ten years ago, and today its total hovers around 1 million a year. "Other countries have been much more aggressive than Japan in their marketing efforts," says Dennett. Singapore, for example, spends $72 million to attract some 8 million visitors to its island nation.In Japan tourism is the responsibility of a tangle of bureaucracies, including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. "There's no tourism ministry, and there should be," says Price. At the ministry only 130 employees out of 68,000 are responsible for tourism affairs.Despite talk of radical change, the "Visit Japan" campaign may be more recycled than new. Back in 1996 the government also talked of boosting tourism under a "Welcome Plan 21," with the aim of doubling tourism by 2005 (instead of 2010). Some officials say the two plans are one. "The DˇVisit Japan' campaign is for realizing the aim of DˇWelcome Plan 21,'" says Isokazu Tanaka, the executive director of overseas promotion at the Japan National Tourism Organization.In the meantime Japan suffered setbacks, failing to land the 2008 Summer Olympics in Osaka and to get the expected number of arrivals for the World Cup games it shared with Korea.If Japan is to revive tourism, big changes will be necessary. The lack of English speakers, especially outside of the major cities, is one barrier. Writer Price was asked by tourism officials to test the English skills of staff at 25 hotels in the southern prefecture of Ehime, touted as a model for foreign tourism. A third couldn't understand her when she tried to make a reservation using only English.Japan also has geography going against it. "We are geographically handicapped, being so distant from markets such as Singapore and the U.S.," says Satoru Kanazawa, head of the land ministry's tourism department. Unlike Southeast Asia, where countries are close enough together to allow reasonable hopping around the region, north Asia tends to be a one-country destination. "If you are getting on a plane for 14 hours and this is a once-in-a-lifetime visit, tourists want multiple destinations. Japan is more of a solo destination," says Dennett.Not surprisingly the countries that send the most visitors to Japan are also the closest, notably Korea, Taiwan, China and Hong Kong (the U.S. is the fifth). China's growth is the most rapid; the half a million arrivals last year was double 1997's number. (Korea is still number one with over 1 million.) Chinese tourism is burgeoning throughout the region.Yet Japan is ambivalent about its Chinese visitors because some stay as illegal workers. It's a hotly debated topic in a country with draconian immigration laws. "Some want to expand tourism with China. Others want to close the door," says Miura of the travel agent group.To combat the problem Japan requires each Mainlander to put up a bond of up to $6,000 and to travel in package tours of at least six people. But if Japan wants to increase tourism, it has no choice but to court the Chinese. "China is our most important market in Asia," says Kanazawa.Aside from geography, which it can't change, Japan can do much better. Despite its prowess at marketing its products, Japan is lousy at marketing itself.First to go should be the stereotypes of "temples, geishas and cherry blossoms," says Price. And contemporary images of Japan don't help: crowded cities, stressed office workers and widespread recession. "I can't imagine why anyone would want to come here," says John Bosworth, an American who has lived in Japan for 30 years and runs a travel agency.Japan can offer a wide variety of travel experiences, from tropical beaches in southern Okinawa to European-style towns and ski resorts in northern Hokkaido. "No one tells you about these places," says Price.Japanese officials also talk about creating niche tourism. Ideas include ecotourism, cycling tours, bird-watching and pottery tours to learn the secrets of Japanese ceramics.Even the cost issue can be deflected. "I think Japan has gotten a bad rap expense-wise. There are cheap alternatives, whether it's accommodations, food or getting around," says Tony Wheeler, the founder and owner of the Lonely Planet budget travel guides (now the world's largest travel guide publisher).For example, Japan offers a rail pass allowing unlimited travel in Japan, including the famous bullet trains, which is similar to the Eurailpass in Europe. Yet few know that it exists, and that the price of a 14-day pass is just $382, cheaper than a 15-day Eurailpass at $498.And visitor costs in general are declining, both because the yen exchange rate has generally grown more favorable for Europeans and Americans in the past five years and because domestic prices are falling because of deflation. Japan is doing nothing to herald this abroad.The shortage of international-brand hotels may be giving way. The Hyatt chain is about to open a new unit in Tokyo. The Raffles hotel chain in Singapore and the Okura chain signed a strategic alliance last May.Yet much of what makes Japan special is an acquired taste, like sushi. Take the ryokan, a traditional inn sans beds--lodgers get a futon mattress on the floor. "My friend complained he felt like he was camping when he stayed in one of them," says Price. Yet for Japanese, austerity is the charm--it's called wabi or tranquil simplicity."The Japanese definitely have their work cut out for them," says Dennett. Yet few doubt that almost any effort would be an improvement over the current neglect. Offers veteran travel agent Gsell, "Something is better than nothing."http://biz.yahoo.com/fo/030227/417461b5ab64a4bc2546783bff6dee6a_1.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 01 Mar 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8446/1/E-Russian-Tourists-Are-Welcome-in-Croatia.html Distributed by CroatianWorldÂRussians tourists welcome in CroatiaRosbalt, 18/02/2003, 15:02 Croatian President: Russian Visitors Are Especially Welcome in CroatiaMOSCOW, February 18. Croatian President Stipe Mesic promised to do 'everything possible' to make it easier for Russian tourists to obtain visas to Croatia at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. As Mr Mesic told Mr Putin at the Kremlin 'Russian visitors are especially welcome in Croatia,' and once again Zagreb is able to offer Russians 'a paradise on the Adriatic.' According to the Croatian government the number of Russians taking holidays in Croatian resorts has significantly increased recently. Mr Mesic emphasised that 'Russian tourists bring twice as much money to the Croatian resorts as European tourists and this makes people with Russian passports especially welcome.'ÂThe Croatian president is currently in Russia on a three-day official visit. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 19 Feb 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8447/1/E-Croatia-tourism-close-to-pre-war-level.html ÂCroatiaTourism Close to pre-War levelZAGREB - Croatia'svaluable tourism industry, hard hit by the 1990s wars on its own and neighboring territories,has almost recovered to pre-conflict activity in terms of tourist numbers andovernight stays, the tourism ministry says.In 2002, Croatia hosted 8.3 million tourists compared with 7.8 million ayear before. In 1990, which preceded the country's 1991-95 war for independencefrom the former Yugoslavia, Croatia welcomed 8.4 million tourists.Thenumber of overnight stays reached 44.6 million in 2002, or 1.2 million more thanin 2001. In 1990, there were 52.3 million overnight stays.Asin 1990, Germans were on the top of the last year's list of foreign tourists,followed by Italians, Slovenians, Czechs and Austrians. Thearea which welcomed most of tourists was the northern peninsula of Istria,followed by a northern seaside resort of Opatija.Theregion of the famous southern Adriatic resort of Dubrovnik, badly affected bythe 1991-95 war, was on the fifth place only.Croatiahas seen a gradual recovery of its tourist industry destroyed in the 1990s warssince 1998.http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,1283109-6078-0,00.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 12 Feb 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8448/1/E-More-than-110000-British-visitors-in-2003.html ÂMore than 110,000 British visitors in 2003ÂCroatia TROUBLE in the Balkans knocked tourism in the region for six in the 1990s. Now, however, there are signs of re-emergence for what used to be one of our favourite places in the Med, Tom Chesshyre writes. Croatia, which attracted 500,000 Britons each year in the 1980s, leads the way, with 20 tour operators offering trips there for the first time in 2003. This year there was a record 22 per cent increase in British visitors, bringing the total to more than 110,000. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 11 Jan 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8449/1/E-Tourists-Turn-Eyes-to-Bulgaria-Turkey-Croatia.html ÂTourists Turn Eyes to Bulgaria, Turkey, CroatiaÂBulgaria, Turkey and Croatia form the trio of countries preferred by tourists, German newspaper Westfalenpost wrote in its latest issue. The article points out that these countries offer all that a tourist wants - comfort, sun and low prices. Focusing on Bulgaria and its summer resorts the article says their attractive names - Sunny Beach and Golden Sands - lure you to spend there the best weeks of the year. The article points out prices as among the country's top advantages and publishes the average prices of the tourists' favourite beer, wine, fries and salad.http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=17982 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 07 Jan 2003 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8450/1/E-Adriatic-sailing-trip-dips-into-family-roots.html Adriatic sailing trip dips into family rootsÂVerena Dobnik Wednesday, November 27, 2002ABOARD THE DODI -- The Dodi. That was the whimsical name of the sailboat we boarded -- four friends exploring the islands off the coast of a country once called Yugoslavia.One would never guess that these hundreds of islands in the crystal-clear waters of the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Dalmatia -- now in Croatia -- had survived thousands of years of bloody battles, the latest the Balkan war of the 1990s. At the crossroads of East and West, this sea has borne ancient Greeks, Romans and U.S. aircraft carriers.The four of us, all with roots in the former Yugoslavia, spent 10 days reclaiming the sights, sounds and smells of our childhoods.Our Italian-based shipmate, Patrizia Stekar, leased the 13-metre sailboat. She also packed supplies that could have jump-started a gourmet food shop.At sea, Patrizia would call out in Croatian to the fishermen we spotted: "Ima ribe?" (Do you have fish?)Their faces weathered by the sun, these old men of the sea -- and a few young ones -- waited hours to trap even a modest catch. It's a challenge to make a living in waters overfished in recent years by industrial freezer ships.We watched as they pulled up the catch, then went onto their larger, "cargo" boat where we caught our own by plunging our hands into barrels of flopping fish. Then we took turns sitting at the back of our boat, feet in the water and armed with knives to clean the fish, dumping the remains into the sea.Twice a day, our friend Lidia Matticchio, a Manhattan restaurant owner, cookbook writer and James Beard chef of the year, cooked divine dishes, from risotto made of baby cuttlefish and calamari to raw shrimp sprinkled with olive oil, plus a bit of orange juice and rind."For me, it's a return to pure, intense flavours, to the materials of this earth and the sea. When these products come alive in my hands, I come alive," she says. "It's the taste of the sea in your mouth."One morning, as we jumped into the water for a swim, we noticed lots of round black spots on the seabed: urchins.Lidia's first thought was lunch: pasta made with urchins, their reddish, caviar-like flesh scooped out after splitting the black shell.Harvesting the creatures, which are covered with five-centimetre needles, was no problem for the skipper, who put on goggles, grabbed a wooden spoon and dove in. Lidia floated a bucket on the water, and he flipped the urchins in.From the two-burner cabin stove, we'd bring the food up the wooden steps to the rear deck, where a white table emerged when flaps were raised on the central locker. We often ate watching the setting sun, spilling like liquid gold into the sea as the moon rose. Some meals were capped with wild sage tea, a few drops of lemon added.At night, we either dropped anchor in some small bay sheltered from the winds and the open sea, or docked in fishing villages and went out on the town.That meant joining the local passeggiata as the locals still call it in Italian, meaning the evening walk by the sea. For this, Dalmatians dress to the hilt; this is their courtship ritual, a time for men to observe their possible future brides, and vice-versa.On the island of Vis, we hit the shops for basics including fresh fruit and vegetables, and special fare such as aromatic lavender oil. There was an exotic touch: communicating with the natives of Vis, whose language is Croatian infused with the Italian dialect of Venice, a former ruler of the area.Our small group was hardly the model of linguistic purity. An astounded Vis native said he heard a gibberish of three languages in one sentence alone as we switched spontaneously between Croatian and Slovenian and also Italian and English, plus dialects of Italy and Istria.The Dalmatian Islands are bathed in sheep's milk, honey, almonds, grapes, wheat, olives, dates and pomegranates and the land is fragrant with herbs.In contrast to the simple, but refined food, our accommodations were rough. Each morning, I watched that my head didn't hit the wooden ceiling as I sat up in the small cabin, which had less than a square metre of walking space between the door and the bed.But from my pillow, if I rolled over and faced the porthole, I could see the vibrant Adriatic waves at eye level.We showered in one of two bathrooms on board, or we bathed in the sea, which is so salty that one can float on it and practically take a nap. There were also public showers in some marinas along the route.Stranded on Vis for three days because of dangerous winds at sea, we explored an island of stark beauty, the site of a former Yugoslav military base that was off-limits to tourists until a half-dozen years ago.We were led by a local guide, Zoran Franicevic, whose agency, Alternatura, also offers adventures on Vis -- parasailing, rock climbing, horseback riding, and exploration of everything from sea caves to the ruins of ancient Roman thermal baths and a Greek amphitheatre.One night at sunset, we climbed to the island's highest point, where a tiny, crumbling Roman Catholic chapel was ringed by rosemary bushes and sage.Then we climbed hundreds of rugged stone stairs to a cave chiselled into a cliff, which had been the secret command post during the Second World War for Marshal Tito, leader of communist forces who joined with the Allies to fight the Nazis and Fascists.As we sailed, we were lulled back to nature by the sea, the sun and the rocking of our boat. But each day also brought reminders that we were hardly in paradise.In Trogir, an entrancing settlement with a medieval castle, I got a haircut from Maria Jadric, who works 12-hour days to support three children and an unemployed husband.She said that since the war, unemployment is up, tourism is down and many people are depressed.One morning, my wakeup call was dishes smashing through the main cabin, having popped out of a latched cabinet. The waves were about two metres high, shaking our vessel and slamming it into the water.I dashed out of my bed, gripping anything that had an edge. Our skipper, Mitja Simcic, was in sailing heaven -- a yachtsman who had won races and sailed through storms far worse, when his crew had to tie themselves in place. Instead, we bounced around like pingpong balls, hanging onto anything that didn't move.After six hours of tossing and pitching -- and helping pull sail ropes with wind changes -- we finally anchored in the Kornati National Park, 140 islands as barren as a moonscape, but with a mysterious allure and sprinkled with wild sage. At sunset, the Kornati appear pitch black, surrounded by a burning orange sea as smooth as oil.Trying to move faster toward our starting point, Mitja had turned on the boat's motor. On the deck, we watched like hawks for small boats.Toward midnight, we stopped at the island of Iz where a dock beckoned as a good overnight spot.At 6 a.m., Mitja was aroused by a crowd of people who had gathered by our sailboat, carrying luggage and waiting for the ferry, which docked at the exact spot we were occupying.The ferry passengers assured our skipper that it was no problem: They would simply trek across our boat to catch theirs. Instead, he decided to sail off into the rising sun.For travel and tourism information about Croatia, visit http://www.croatia.hr.Âhttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/GIS.Servlets.WireFeedRedirect?cf=tgam/travel/travel_config&date=20021127&archive=travel&slug=TRADRI letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 27 Nov 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8451/1/E-Croatia-Europes-hottest-new-tourism-destination---The-Observer.html ÂCroatia returns with new imageÂTom TempletonSunday November 24, 2002The ObserverÂCroatia looks set to be Europe's hottest new tourism destination with 20 UK tour operators, including Abercrombie and Kent and Simply Travel, starting to sell holidays there next year. Once a mecca for low-cost package holidays when it was part of the former Yugoslavia, the country is reinventing itself as an upmarket destination.ÂJoze Lozic, of the Croatian Tourist Board, says the aim is to ensure the country maintains its old Mediterranean style . 'Croatia was a package-holiday "sun, sea and sand" destination in the 1960s, Seventies and Eighties. We will not build any more hotels, we will not return to our previous "mass market" incarnation.'ÂFor the height of luxury, top hotel group Aman resorts is revamping the Hotel Excelsior for a summer 2004 reopening.Â'Croatia is one of the very few places left on the Continent whose coastline and country remains unspoiled by overbuilding and intensive tourism,' says a spokesperson for the group.ÂBetween 1990 and 1993, when the country was at war with Serbia, Croatia's visitor numbers dropped from six million to one million. UK visitor numbers are still only a quarter of their 1980s levels. However, that figure shot up this summer by 24 per cent, with a similar growth expected next year.Â'Croatia combines the best of other Mediterranean countries - Tuscan style farmhouses in the north, secluded bays, small family-run hotels and friendly hospitality,' says Ben Blackler of Simply Travel, which launched its first Croatia brochure last week.ÂAs Catherine Crone, managing director of Headwater Holidays says: 'Our customers have been asking us to include Croatia. It combines relatively easy walking, coastal scenery and very high-value culture.'Âhttp://www.observer.co.uk/travel/story/0,6903,846252,00.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 25 Nov 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8452/1/H-Povijesno-gurmanska-putovanja.html WANDA S. RADETTI, VLASNICA NJUJOR`
KE TURISTIČKE AGENCIJE SPECIJALIZIRANE ZA ISTRU I PRIMORJE Povijesno-gurmanska putovanja Istrom i Kvarnerom Wanda Radetti i Guverner Pataki Njujora
ka turistička agencija »Tasteful Journeys« specijalizirana je za pomalo neobične turističke aran~
mane koji bi se najbolje mogli okarakterizirati kao povijesno-gurmanska putovanja Istrom i Primorjem. Aran~
mani su, dodua
e, nea
to skuplji, no zainteresirani turist dobije smjea
taj u opatijskom Hotelu »Ambasador« ili pak u nekoj njegovoj isto tako luksuznoj alternativi u blizini, koji ujedno ostaje i baza iz koje svakog dana kreće do~
ivjeti neke nove od ljepota i produkata naa
eg kraja. Jednog će dana tako posjetiti Rovinj i saznati ponea
to o njegovoj dalekoj povijesti vezanoj za Rimsko carstvo, diviti se predivnom zalasku sunca, pojesti nea
to dobro s ribljeg menija, a tada mo~
e krenuti do Poreča i ponoviti do~
ivljaj. Drugog će dana lutati po unutraa
njosti Istre  razgledavati redom Hum, Roč, Motovun, Gro~
njan i upoznavati se s istarskim vinima i kvalitetnim konobama. Trećeg će dana ostati u Opatiji, gdje će se podsjetiti na stari austro-ugarski duh i detale iz zlatnih dana liburnijske ljepotice. Upoznat će se potom mo~
da s Kastvom i konačno stići do Rijeke. E, tu će se njegov vodič, glavom i potpeticama vlasnica dotične agencije, potruditi da mu objasni kako najsjevernija jadranska luka nije tek tranzitni grad u kojem nema pretjeranih turističkih zanimljivosti, već će mu srdačno objasniti sve prednosti Rijeke kojih valjda ni mnogi starosjedioci nisu svjesni. Vlasnica ne govori baa
dobro hrvatski, no o Rijeci zna jako puno, od povijesti do aktulanih političkih tema. Razlog je vrlo jednostavan i se~
e pola stoljeća unatrag. ÂÂÂ Wanda S. Radetti rodila se u Rijeci negdje baa
na početku drugog svjetskog rata. Tada je njezino prezime glasilo Radetić, no negdje se, uz put, ne pamti ona via
e gdje, pretvorilo u Radetti. Cijela je obitelj nakon rata otia
la u izbjeglički kamp u Italiji. Bilo je tako laka
e emigrirati u SAD, objasnit će danas simpatična gospođa Wanda, a njenog je oca u SAD-u, kad jednom dođe do njih, čekao posao kuhara u jednom čikaa
kom restoranu. No otac je iznenada preminuo, a majka, brat i Wanda koja je tada imala 10 godina ostali na sto muka a
to sad sa ~
ivotom. No, majka Stefanija, inače porijeklom iz Novog Vinodolskog bijaa
e, ističe rado vlasnica agencije, vrlo odlučna ~
ena, pa je tako odlučila da će Radetići ipak u SAD. ÂÂÂ  Doa
li smo tamo s dvadesetpet dolara u d~
epu i joa
uvijek u ~
alosti od očeve smrti. Nismo razumjeli jezik i sjećam se kako smo se trudili shvatiti a
to nam govore po iskrcavanju s broda isključivo po pokretima. Odlučili smo ići u Chicago do čovjeka koji nam je napisao preporuku zbog oca, kuhara. No kako oca via
e nije bilo, čovjek je rekao da od nas nema koristi. I tako smo se vratili u New York gdje su nam srećom pomogli dobri ljudi iz Istre koji su već prije doa
li u SAD. Od novaca a
to su smo imali u prvo smo vrijeme kupovali samo mlijeko, kruh i banane, prisjetila se Wanda mukotrpnih početnih emigrantskih koraka. Obitelj se, međutim, brzo počela snalaziti, pa se majka već za desetak dana po dolasku zaposlila u tvornici obuće i umjesto engleskog, najprije zbog tamoa
njih kolegica radnica naučila a
panjolski. Brat je počao raditi u nekoj pizzeriji, a mala je Wanda doma obavljala sve kućanske poslove. ÂÂÂ  Mo~
ete misliti onda kakvo je bilo to a
to sam skuhala, smije se ona, pričajući nam dalje kako je i ona ubrzo krenula u svijet rada. Imala je samo trinaest godina. ÂÂÂ  Lagala sam da imam a
esnaest, da bih dobila radnu dozvolu. Prodavala sam neku robu. U a
koli bih bila do 15,00 sati, a onda cijelo popodne do 21,00 sat na poslu. Radilo se onda i subote i nedjelje, prisjeća se dalje Wanda. New York je već onda, ka~
e, za nju bio ugodno mjesto. Kako je tih godina dolazilo puno ljudi iz ovih krajeva, bilo je puno laka
e stvarati prijateljstva i usklađivati mentalitete. Danas je, reći će ona pomalo nostalgično, to ipak malo drugačije. Emigranti su sad uglavnom ljudi iz Afrike, Bliskog i Dalekog Istoka, i prilagođavanje ide donekle te~
e zbog svih tih različitih kultura i principa ~
ivljenja. ÂÂÂ Ona je, pak, nakon zavra
ene srednje a
kole krenula na studij dizajna, od kojeg je odustala i prebacila se na sociologiju i a
panjolski jezik. Već je sa a
esnaest godina počela raditi u nekoj firmi koja se bavila nekretninama, i od tada je mijenjajući radna mjesta polako napradovala u sadr~
aju poslova. Na koncu se, u svojoj dvadesetprvoj godini, naa
la u američkoj podru~
nici Fiata, kao tamoa
nja pomoćnica nikog drugog doli tadaa
njeg legendarnog Fiatovog a
efa Agnellija. ÂÂÂ  Od mnogih sam ljudi tijekom mog ~
ivota naučila puno, pa tako i od njega. Bila sam vrlo mlada, pa sam ga tretirala s poa
tovanjem, no nisam bila kao drugi oko njega zastraa
ena autoritetom. Njemu se to, mislim, na neki način sviđalo  da se nisam pokua
avala »uvlačiti«. On sam je bio savra
eni d~
entlmen, vrlo uglađen, nikad nije podizao ton, niti imao agresivne ispade. Bilo je lijepo iskustvo raditi s njima, prisjetila se Wanda čelnika automobilskog giganta. Nakon toga je Wanda promijenila niz firmi i obavljala cijeli niz poslova, od toga da otvara podru~
nice po s Manjkava turistička ponuda ÂÂÂ ÂÂÂ Iako su Primorje i Istra njen primarni poslovni interes, Wanda S. Radetti nije mogla a da ne primjeti »neke manjkavosti« turističke ponude. Nije u redu, smatra ona, da se u hotelu sa pet zvjezdica kao a
to je opatijski Ambassador gostima nudi a
vedski stol, kao a
to nije u redu da se grupama iz nekih drugih zemalja nudi bolja cijena nego Amerikancima, a
to je njeno iskustvo. Druga je, pak, njena generalnija opaska da je Dubrovnik u SAD-u, recimo straa
no dobro predstavljen, forsiran i svi znaju za njega, dok se o području Istre i Kvarnera vrlo tea
ko nalaze turističke informacije. vijetu, do toga da je s bratom osnovala familijsku tvrtku u Teksasu i bavila se marketingom i prodajom robe. Prije sedam godina odlučila je provesti u djelo svoju najveću poslovnu ~
elju  putovati i osnovala turističku agenciju. ÂÂÂ  Prvu sam grupu povela u Opatiju 1995. godine, joa
dok je praktički trajao rat. Počelo je s ljudima koji imaju neku vrstu veza s ovim krajem. Najprije su to bili oni koji su otia
li i njihova djeca koja nikad do tada nisu upoznala rodni kraj njihovih starih, a onda su oni rekli svojim prijateljima i tako je bilo sve via
e zainteresiranih. Sada otprilike četiri puta godia
nje dovodim male, prisnije grupe od dvadesetpetoro ljudi. Moja je filozofija da im ~
elim ponuditi nea
to posve drugačije  da taj kraj osjete, da upoznaju njegovu proa
lost i ljude koji tamo ~
ive. U stvari, da im prenesem moj subjektivni do~
ivljaj, objasnila nam je gospođa Radetti, napomenuva
i da se u posljednje vrijeme dogovara posjet riječkom karnevalu kao specifičnu turističku ponudu za svoje mua
terije. ÂÂÂ Wanda S. Radetti ima, u stvari, niz projekata u glavi i svi se tiču Rijeke i Primorja. Eto, recimo, već odavno pokua
ava realizirati povezivanje Houstona i Rijeke. ÂÂÂ  Houston je grad u kojem postoji mala, ali homogena grupica Primoraca od kojih je jedan i moj dobar prijatelj. I jedan i drugi su luke, a Houston recimo, osim sveučilia
ta s kojim bi se Rijeka mogla povezati, ima i veliki medicinski centar za koronarne bolesti, objaa
njava Wanda, dodajući da se je već po tom pitanju u Rijecu susretala s rektorom Danijelom Rukavinom, ravnateljem KBC-a, dr. Hallerom, vodećim ljudima Lučke uprave, pa i gradonačelnikom Obersnelom kojeg je molila da joj omogući neku vrstu opunomoćenosti za daljnje dogovore. Odgovor od njega, međutim, joa
uvijek nije dobila. ÂÂÂ Ima ona joa
jednu zanimljivu ideju, a ta se tiče povijesnog elementa Rijeke kao luke kroz koju se mnogo ljudi otiskivalo u bijeli svijet. ÂÂÂ  Znate kako u njujora
kom muzeju imigranata postoji neka vrsta interaktivnog zida na kojem su ispisana imena imigranata koji su proa
li kroz otok Ellis. Mislim da je princip da se tamo mo~
e naći bilo tko, tko je evidentiran uz naknadu od 100 dolara. Nea
to tako slično bi se moglo napraviti i u Rijeci jer je kroz nju u inozemstvo kretalo ne samo puno ljudi iz ovog kraja, već i iz drugih europskih dr~
ava poput Austrije ili recimo Mađarske, od kud je primjerice krenuo i moj prijatelj George E. Pataki, aktualni guverner dr~
ave New York. To bi zasigurno bio jedan od razloga za mnoge ljude da posjete Rijeku i vide svoje ime ili ime nekog svog rođaka. Rijeka je tako lijep grad, zaista je a
teta da ga se u inozemnim turističkim vodičima spominje kao »tranzicijski« grad u kojem se nema previa
e a
to vidjeti, smatra Wanda. ÂÂÂ Osim po agenciji koju dr~
i, u Astoriji, dijelu Quennsa, je gospođa Radetti poznata i kao organizatorica »talijanskih večeri« gdje se uz talijansku muziku, specijalitete i vina dolaze zabavljati razni gosti. Već neko vrijeme, uz razne talijanske umjetnike, domaćica pokua
ava »podmenuti« i istarske note, pa je tako recimo par puta nastupao Đo Maračić Maki. Poznata je Wanda i kao dobročiniteljica kojoj se valja obratiti za pomoć kad nemate novaca niti ikoga kome biste se obratili. Trenutno kod nje ~
ivi i radi petoro takvih nevoljnika  dok se malo ne snađu. ÂÂÂ  Nisam nikad zaboravila a
to su dobro ljudi učini za nas i nastojim se tako i ja ponaa
ati u ~
ivotu. Lijepo je pomagati ljudima, i nečiji osmijeh zaista mo~
e biti najbolja nagrada, objaa
njava ona svoj ~
ivotni moto. © Copyright 2002NOVI LIST d.d. Sva prava pridr~
ana.http://www.novilist.hr/default.asp?WCI=Pretrazivac&WCU=285A285F2863285928582863285A28582858285A286328632863285B285B285C2861285B286328632863285E2863G letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 18 Nov 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8453/1/E-Less-is-more-13-great-escapes---FISHERMENS-COTTAGES-CROATIA.html ÂKornati, CroatiaNovember 13 2002ÂTRAVELTravelNovember 10, 2002ÂThe Sunday TimesLess is more: 13 great escapesHolidays that take you where the modern world can't follow. No phones, no internet, no hassle - the most relaxing holiday is one that goes far beyond the reach of everyday life. In his search for splendid isolation, Mark Hodson reveals the world's 13 greatest escapesA holiday is about getting away from it all - from work, routine, miserable weather and the daily hustle and hassle of modern life. Pick up any travel brochure and you won't have to look far to see that phrase "away from it all". It's a promise repeated so often that it's as meaningless as a mantra.ÂMeaningless because, when you are on holiday, you're often still surrounded by the annoying paraphernalia of the 21st century. The television in your room is tuned to CNN, there is a phone at your bedside (and sometimes in the bathroom), faxes shoved under your door, visits from people demanding to check your minibar. In a bid to escape, you stroll out, only to find internet cafes, shops selling goods imported from home and branches of Starbucks and McDonald's.ÂAs the pace of life quickens and the world gets smaller, it's increasingly difficult to find a place that is utterly different, where life is stripped down to its basics and slowed to the point where you can hear yourself think. But it's a challenge worth taking on. When you do find that place, you'll feel life's stresses fall away.ÂAnd you don't have to go backpacking across China to find your own private paradise. It might be something as simple as a houseboat in the Devon countryside, a log cabin in Canada or a beach hut off the coast of Kenya. These are the places where you can still find splendid isolation. Some are expensive, some affordable. But here's a promise: none has phones, faxes, televisions or internet cafes.ÂFISHERMEN'S COTTAGES, CROATIAThe Kornati archipelago, off the coast of Croatia, is made up of 125 islands and crags, all uninhabited. On some are long-abandoned fishermen's cottages that have recently been restored in traditional style and are now available for rent.ÂA lack of sandy beaches and a fresh water supply has kept the developers away, but the compensations for today's visitors are great: dramatic cliffs, rocky coves, limestone caves and pristine seas. The houses - all with easy access to the sea - are simple, with no mains electricity, phones or heating. Some are arranged in clusters, others have a large part of an island to themselves. They have gas for cooking, 12V batteries for lighting and enough well water to last the summer.ÂA boat stops at all the cottages two or three times a week selling fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and fish. Fishing rods, motor boats and rowing boats can also be hired.How do I get there? Take a charter flight from Gatwick or Manchester to Split, then a two-hour boat transfer to your island.Details: from £600pp per week in the summer, including flights from Gatwick, with the Croatia specialist Bond Tours (01372 745300).Further information: Croatian National Tourist Office (020 8563 7979, www.croatia.hr).SKELETON COAST CAMP, NAMIBIAÂThe Skeleton Coast is one of the most desolate and starkly beautiful spots on earth, a place of endless sand dunes that stretch down to a shoreline dotted with shipwrecks and whalebones. On a dry riverbed inside the Skeleton Coast National Park sits one of the world's most remote safari camps, accessible only by air.ÂGuests stay in one of six luxury tents, each raised on decking with a veranda and ensuite facilities. Meals are taken under an ancient leadwood tree, or, if the wind picks up and the sand starts blowing about, in an indoor dining area.ÂIt has no electric lights and no telephones - only a VHF radio for use in emergencies - and hot water comes from solar-heated tanks fed by springs.ÂDuring the days, guests take walking safaris or drives into the desert, looking at shipwreck sites and seal colonies, visiting local villages, searching for ostrich and brown hyena, and staring into absolute nothingness.ÂHow do I get there? You take an over-night flight from London to Windhoek, then charter a light aircraft to the Skeleton Coast.ÂThe details: from £3,310pp for a week, including flights from Heathrow via Johannesburg with British Airways, transfers, meals and game drives. Through World Odyssey (01905 731373, www.world-odyssey.com).ÂFurther information: www.namibweb.com/scc.htm.ÂBOATHOUSE, RIVER DART, DEVONÂProof that you don't need to cross oceans to find solitude, this boathouse in south Devon is completely secluded and surrounded by trees and water, with no television or phone. To reach it, guests must walk half a mile over fields and through a dense wood. Luggage is delivered by 4WD.ÂThe house sits on a bend in the river between Stoke Gabriel and Dittisham - a perfect spot to fish, watch birds (shelduck and egrets breed nearby), mess about in boats and generally contemplate nature.ÂSimply furnished, it has a living room with an open fire, two bedrooms - one overlooking the river, with windows on three sides - and a veranda for breakfast and evening drinks. Stoke Gabriel, a quarter of a mile away, is a pretty village with a medieval church and three pubs. Bring a torch.ÂHow do I get there? The house is four miles from Torbay and five from Dartmouth.ÂThe details: a week's rental for up to five people starts at £274 (up to £693 in high season) with Helpful Holidays. Three nights start at £196.ÂFurther information: 01647 433593, www.helpfulholidays.com.ÂTAPROBANE ISLAND, SRI LANKAÂThe only privately owned island in Sri Lanka, tiny Taprobane is dominated by a house built in the 1920s by an eccentric Englishman, and once owned by the writer Paul Bowles. Guests have included Arthur C Clarke and Peggy Guggenheim.ÂThe restored palladian-style house is built around a central hall surrounded by verandas and terraces looking out over trees and tropical flowers to superb sandy beaches and a nearby fishing village. It has an infinity pool, four bedrooms, each with an ensuite bathroom, and a staff of six.ÂThe island is yours: staff will lay out a table for eight anywhere you choose, on the terrace or under a tree in the garden. There is a telephone in the house, but none in the rooms; no television or internet, either. To reach the island, guests wade out into the shallow surf or take a small boat.ÂHow do I get there? Fly to Colombo, from where it's a 3-hour drive. Taprobane is in the Bay of Weligama, near Galle, on the south coast.ÂThe details: £1,246pp for a week, room-only, including flights from Heathrow with Sri Lankan Airlines and transfers, based on eight sharing, with Scott Dunn (020 8682 5010, www.scottdunn.com).ÂFurther information: 00 94 74 380275, www.taprobaneisland.com.ÂPINE CAY, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDSÂThe Turks and Caicos, a British protectorate just south of the Bahamas, has some of the world's prettiest coral cays and most turquoise seas. Many of the islands are uninhabited, but one - Pine Cay - is owned by a select group of wealthy individuals devoted to preserving its natural beauty and privacy.ÂThe island has two miles of pristine beaches and no cars: just a small landing strip and sandy tracks that can be negotiated by cycle or golf buggy. A few of the houses - most of which are owned by CEOs of American and Canadian corp- orations - are available for rent, but they're not cheap. A week in a one- bedroom cottage starts at £2,880.ÂGuests can also stay in The Meridian Club hotel. Owned by the residents, it is as low-key as it is expensive. The 12 beachfront rooms are plainly but tastefully decorated, and have ceiling fans and outdoor showers; no televisions, phones or air conditioning. Meals are taken at the clubhouse. Guests are encouraged to walk around barefoot, and mobile phones are banned.ÂHow do I get there? Fly to the main island, Providenciales. From there, most guests make the short trip by private aircraft. If you stay on Pine Cay for a week, air transfers are included. Boat transfers can also be arranged.ÂThe details: rooms at The Meridian Club start at £520 per night, full-board, for two people. British Airways (0845 773 3377, www.ba.com) flies direct to Providenciales from Heathrow; from £641.ÂFurther information: 00 1 203 602 0300, www.meridianclub.com.ÂFEDJE LIGHTHOUSE, NORWAYÂThe remote island of Fedje (population 680), off the west coast of Norway, is known for both its tranquil beauty and its 150-year-old cast-iron lighthouse. Only in the past 10 years has the mechanism been automated and the lighthouse-keeper's residence rented out.ÂThis is not a destination for wimps.ÂThe lighthouse and quarters sit on a small rock separated from Fedje by 50 yards of water. Residents have the use of a small rowing boat to take them back and forth.ÂDay-trippers sometimes visit the lighthouse on summer weekends, but otherwise you are on your own.ÂThe house itself is surprisingly spacious, and has recently been refurbished. It has five bedrooms, a wood-burning sauna, two sitting rooms, a kitchen, a barbecue and a jetty from which you can fish. If nothing bites, you can buy from the local fishermen or rent your own boat and venture out to sea. Other provisions can be bought nearby.ÂBack on the mainland, there is excellent hiking along the North Sea Trail and, if the weather is good, you can swim in a lake on Fedje.How do I get there? Fly to Bergen. Take the airport bus to Bergen bus station, then another bus to Saevroy, about two hours away. From here, regular public ferries make the 30-minute crossing to Fedje. It's then a two-mile taxi ride to the lighthouse. Alternatively, take an overnight car ferry from Newcastle to Bergen and drive all the way to the dockside.Details: the house costs £14pp per night (children £7) with a minimum of £58 per night to rent the whole place. Book direct with Fedje tourist board (00 47 56 16 40 70, www.fedje.org). Flights from Heathrow to Bergen with Braathens (0191 214 0991, www.braathens.no) start at £109.Ferries from Newcastle start at £400 return for a car and four people. Through Fjord Line (0191 296 1313, www. fjordline.com).Further information: Norwegian tourist board (0906 302 2003, www.visitnorway.com).FAIRMONT KENAUK, QUEBEC, CANADAKenauk is one of North America's largest private fish and game reserves, made up of more than 70 lakes and 100 square miles of forest populated by deer, moose, coyote and bear. Deep within the park are 13 wood cabins, each on its own lake or stretch of river.ÂThe accommodation is simple but comfortable. The cabins have no electricity or phones, but they do have propane lights, a fridge, a stove, a furnace, a hot shower, an indoor toilet, a kitchen and a screened porch. Most have their own driveway; one can be reached only by motorboat.ÂThe reserve offers 25 miles of hiking trails and is home to 200 bird species. Anglers can expect to catch rainbow and speckled trout, as well as large- and smallmouth bass. Canoe trips and treks, in search of black bear and moose, can be arranged.ÂThe nearest town, Montebello, is a half-hour drive away, and has restaurants and shops. If the simple life gets all too much, you can visit Fairmont's sister hotel, Le Château Montebello, which is so grand that it has hosted a meeting of G7 leaders.How do I get there? Fly to Montreal and rent a car. The Fairmont Kenauk is 75 miles to the northwest.Details: from £750 for two people in a cabin for a week, including fishing permit but not flights or car hire, with Clearwater Holidays (01993 868727, www.clearwaterholidays.co.uk). Virgin Travelstore (0870 066 4477, www.virgin.com) has flights from Gatwick to Montreal via Newark with Northwest; from £295. Holiday Autos (0870 400 0099, www.holidayautos.co.uk) has a week's all-inclusive car hire from £214.Further information: www.fairmont.com/kenauk.PORUMA ISLAND, AUSTRALIAIn the Torres Strait, between the Australian mainland and Papua New Guinea, the tiny coral island of Poruma has recently opened to tourism, allowing visitors to experience for the first time Australia's little-known "other" Aboriginal culture.ÂThe 200 inhabitants of Poruma are Melanesian and speak Kalaw Lagaw Ya, or Yumiplatok, as well as English. The main activities on offer for visitors are swimming, snorkelling and sunbathing, but locals also promise to take tourists out for a spot of fishing - demonstrating traditional techniques using nets and spears.ÂUnspoilt and undeveloped, the island has little contact with the outside world. The only way to get there is on a low-altitude flight from Horn Island. The aircraft fly so low that passengers can spot manta rays and turtles in the shallows below.ÂThe newly built beachfront accommodation is all at the west end of the island, where the sun sets, and is made up of a bedroom, a bath garden, a plunge pool and a day room. Children are welcome - apparently, the kids on the island are looking forward to meeting some.How do I get there? Fly to Cairns, then take a two-hour flight to Horn Island. From there, it's a half-hour flight to Poruma.Details: from £982pp for a week, full-board. Flights from Heathrow to Horn Island with Qantas, via Singapore and Cairns, start at £1,006 with Travelbag (0870 890 1458, www.travelbag.co.uk). Flights from Horn Island to Poruma start at £109, also bookable through Travelbag.Further information: www.poruma.com.SOMERI ISLAND, FINLANDEvery summer in Finland, the cities empty and the Finns go out to the lakes, the beaches and the forests in search of splendid isolation.ÂIt's not difficult to find. Two-thirds of the country is covered by trees or water, and there are 188,000 lakes, many dotted with small, privately owned islands.ÂOn Paijanne, the country's second largest lake, you can rent the tiny island of Someri, which has a single house equipped with a sauna, a wood fire and a speedboat. What to do there? In the long days of summer, when the sun barely sets, you can jump out of the sauna and swim naked in the crystal-clear waters of the lake - it's clean enough to drink.ÂThis is basic living. The house consists of one studio room and an anteroom, with no electricity, no way of communicating with the outside world and no indoor toilet. It has a double bed, an Aga-style oven, a gas-powered fridge and fishing equipment. In the anteroom, there is a fold-out bed, suitable for children. For provisions, you must jump into the speedboat for the 15-minute trip to the village of Kuhmoinen.How do I get there? Fly to Helsinki, then rent a car for the four-hour drive to Kuhmoinen, near Jamsa. There, you pick up the speedboat.Details: £299 per week for up to four people, including the speedboat, with Holiday Rentals (020 8743 5577, www. holiday-rentals.com). British Airways (0845 773 3377, www.ba.com) flies to Helsinki from Heathrow (from £133) and Manchester (from £201).Further information: Finnish Tourist Board (020 7365 2512, www.finland-tourism.com/uk).KIPUNGANI BAY, LAMU, KENYADozens of resorts along the coastline of Africa claim to offer barefoot luxury, away from the stresses of modern life. Among the best - and most remote - is Kipungani Bay, on its own 600yd beach on the historic island of Lamu.ÂFor a resort that charges up to £255 a night, Kipungani is remarkable for what it doesn't have. It has no phones, faxes or televisions, no hot showers, no air conditioning, no door keys. In fact, the 14 thatched bandas, fashioned from palm leaves and mangrove poles, have no doors - they open directly onto the beach, and are cooled by sea breezes. What guests pay for is an almost unreal sense of isolation and beauty, combined with lots of fresh fruit, seafood and fish, as well as seamless service. The beach is superb. Income from the resort also supports a school in the local village.How do I get there? Fly to Nairobi, then take a 90-minute flight by light aircraft to Lamu, followed by a 45-minute boat transfer to Kipungani Bay.Details: from £1,002pp for a week, full-board, including flights from Heathrow to Nairobi and transfers. Through ITC Classics (01244 355527, www.itcclassics.co.uk).Further information: www.heritagehotels.co.ke.NINGALOO REEF RETREAT, WESTERN AUSTRALIANingaloo Marine Park contains one of Australia's most important reefs, and has a unique location: although remote to the point that it's almost off the map, the reef itself is just a few yards from the shore, making it easily accessible with the aid of just a snorkel and a mask. Most visitors to the park are so entranced that they spend their days with their faces below the surface of the clear, shallow water, inspecting the 500 species of fish, 250 species of coral and magnificent turtles. Ningaloo Reef Retreat is built on sand dunes inside the national park. Guests sleep in tents or in swags under the stars. Meals are prepared communally, using fresh local ingredients, with everything running off solar power.How do I get there? Fly to Perth, then take another flight 800 miles north to Learmonth. From there, a courtesy bus takes you the final 40 miles to Ningaloo.Details: a wilderness tent with double bed and hammock costs £77 per night. A swag costs £56. Both prices include meals, transport, snorkelling and kayaks. Flights to Perth with Malaysia Airlines from Heathrow or Manchester start at £559; return flights from Perth to Learmonth with Skywest Airlines start at £180 (both through Quest Travel: 0870 442 3513, www.questtravel.com).Further information: 00 61 8 9949 1776, www.ningalooreefretreat.com .BARDSEY ISLAND, WALESAmong the most remote spots in the British Isles, Bardsey Island is a national nature reserve and a pilgrimage site that dates back to the 6th century. Although it's only a mile off the coast of Lleyn, in North Wales, most tourists are deterred from visiting by the torrid waters that separate it from the mainland. The island has a stark, windswept beauty. Its mountains, sea cliffs, lowlands and beaches provide nesting grounds for dozens of species of birds, including razorbills, kittiwakes and moorhens, and there is a resident colony of 150 seals. Several cottages are available for rent, although facilities are basic. There is no electricity - fridges and cookers run on gas, and lighting is provided by candles and gas lamps.How do I get there? Drive to Porth Meudwy, Aberdaron, leave your car and catch the boat (£26 return). Crossings are on Saturdays. Phone the Bardsey Island Trust (01758 730740, www.bardsey-island.co.uk) after 7.30pm on Friday to confirm.ÂDetails: from £180 per week for a two-bedroom cottage, to £420 for a farmhouse sleeping eight, peak season. Through Bardsey Island Trust.Further information: Wales Tourist Board (0800 915 6567, www.visitwales.co.uk).POUSADA BAIAZINHA, BRAZILThe Pantanal is the world's largest area of swamp-land, and a place of almost mythical status among animal- and bird-lovers. Amid hundreds of square miles of emptiness stands Pousada Baiazinha, a lodge built on stilts overlooking an islet that is home to spoonbills, egrets, cormorants and alligators. Guides take visitors out into the forest on foot, in canoes and on horseback to spot anaconda, cayman, capybara, anteaters, macaws, toucans, kingfishers and tiger herons. The lucky ones also see jaguars. The lodge has just six rooms, each with ensuite bathrooms and terraces, and a restaurant, a living room, an observation tower and a pool. There are no TVs or phones. Most guests get up for the dramatic sunrises, when the birds are at their most cacophonous.How do I get there? Fly overnight to São Paulo, then to Campo Grande. From there, you will be taken by minibus to the lodge (3-4 hours).Details: £1,595 for a week, full-board, including flights from Heathrow, transfers and activities, with Steppes Latin America (01285 885333, www.steppeslatinamerica.co.uk).Further information: Brazilian tourist office (020 7629 6909, www.brazil.org.uk).http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,71-476850,00.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 15 Nov 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8454/1/E-Dinner-by-the-Danube---trip-to-CROATIA.html Dinner by the DanubeDinner by the DanubePilgrimage for peace, part VÂ(Editor's Note: Englewood resident Jean Ranallo, representing the Florida Southwest Peace Coalition, recently returned from a trip to Croatia, where she and Mario Spalatin, president of the Croatian-American Society of Sarasota, toured the Eastern European country ravaged by war in the 1990s. Following is the fifth installment of Ranallo's first-person account of her trip. Part I appeared in the Oct. 1 paper, part II on Oct. 4, part III on Oct. 8, part IV on Oct. 11, part V on Oct. 15 and part VI on Oct. 22.(The story continues with the author visiting her longtime friend Lidija Taus in war-torn Osijek.)It was drizzling on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 21. The sunny Saturday seven days before would have been better for harvesting the grapes of Lidija's Uncle Geza, but some relatives who only visited once a year had come at that time, so the harvest was put off a week.On Friday, Lidija's parents had taken a freshly slaughtered suckling pig to the baker to have him roast it for the harvest dinner Saturday. When we awoke that morning, they were already leaving with all the food to pick up the pig at the bakery on their way to Batina. Lidija and I soon followed in her car.ÂIt was a road I'd taken only once before, in the summer of 2000, when I was in a group of visiting teachers in Pecs, Hungary. One weekend, I visited Lidija's family and on that Sunday after the nine o'clock Mass at St. Michael's in the old town, we set out with the car loaded with food.Shortly after crossing the Drava Bridge, we came to a back-up in traffic due to soldiers de-mining the woods near the road. We had to wait near the old front line. When we were allowed to proceed, we passed groups of exhausted soldiers sitting near ambulances. At that time, in July of 2000, one soldier had died and one had been seriously wounded while working to uncover and remove the mines.This area had been seized by the Serbs in 1991 and given back after the Dayton Agreement, so it saw no fighting or shelling to speak of, and those who had fled have begun to return. On Sept. 21, we were going to a house in Batina that belonged to the family and was being used for Sunday dinners with Lidija's cousins and their parents. The house was located near Strauss' beautiful blue Danube.ÂNow there was no delay. Soldiers are no longer risking their lives near the road and it is clearly marked where mines have not been removed. We quickly arrived in Batina, on whose slopes the grapes were ripe.High on a hill is a huge Soviet memorial to those Russians who died fighting here, for it is at Batina that the Red Army was able to cross the Danube in the Second World War.ÂThe ground was damp and muddy and there was a light drizzle as several dozen of us snipped away at the clusters of sweet yellow grapes hanging from Uncle Geza's vines. In the early 1990s, vines from the Primorski Region of Slovenia, the only republic of the former Yugoslav Federation to succeed in seceding without much bloodshed, provided the grapes for wines that people could buy at Winn-Dixie and Publix, including a chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon that were real bargains. As I tasted Uncle Geza's sweet white grapes, I wondered if those from near the sea were similar.When we were finished gathering the grapes, tables were waiting with platters of the roast suckling pig, salads, desserts from Osijek and sweets from Sombor.ÂAt the table, I sat next to Uncle Geza's sister-in-law, Mila Matasovic, who had been one of 10 children. She was from Karlovac, the city we passed through on our way to and from the Adriatic coast, a city whose ruins served as a reminder of the terrible fighting that had gone on there.ÂUncle Geza's beautiful house, which had been designed by his architect son, survived the conflict, but on the wall were photos of what it had looked like after Serbs had been living in it for about five years. All the furniture had been taken. There were piles of junk and garbage in the rooms and the gardens and vineyards were in an awful state.Now everything looks as though nothing had happened. The furniture has all been replaced and there are no weeds or wild vines. The grounds look very well tended. And the house is lovely.Aunt Mila, who was a geography teacher, asked if I had ever been to Egypt. Back in 1997 I had to decide whether to go to Guatemala or Egypt and it was the Mayan pyramids that I wound up climbing. She told of her travels to the land of the pharaohs and her enthusiasm was like that of all our Egyptologist friends. It makes me long to visit the graves of those whose dieties included both great gods and goddesses.After coffee Lidija, her cousin Marta, and I went for a walk along the levee that protects the little houses of Batina from the high waters of the Danube. They told me about having taken a short trip across the Adriatic to Venice in the summer. At one time, long ago, Croatia's coast had been part of the Venetian Republic and even now there are Croatians of Italian descent for whom there are special schools where Italian is taught. Not only the Italian minority attend such schools, but also Croatians wishing to learn Italian.We returned to Uncle Geza's and looked at the pictures from the trip to Venice. After another cup of coffee and some very moist rice cake, Lidija and I set out for Osijek in the early afternoon. The sun was trying to shine.Return to Osijek(Editor's Note: The following excerpt was inadvertently omitted from part V of the author's account of her trip to Croatia.)Over the years, I'd been back to Osijek several times, visiting with Lidija while she was still living in Pecs.In the summer of 2001, after Lidija had moved back to Croatia, my husband finally felt safe enough to come along. We stayed at the refurbished Hotel Osijek.In September of this year, I noticed that much more of Osijek has been repaired. There remain some facades still to be brought back to their former glory, but life is returning to normal and those who fled are beginning, like Lidija, to return.The drive from Pakrac to Osijek was slower this time, for only country roads remained and often, since we were passing through agricultural areas, we had to share the road with wagons with only one or two horsepower.Arriving in Osijek, we went to the Center for Peace, located in a building near a McDonald's and an apricot-colored theater that had been destroyed in the winter of 1991 and rebuilt thanks to international donations. Shortly after it was rebuilt, however, the new facade began to crumble, with pieces falling on passersby. It had to be redone. I don't know if the facade of McDonald's had similar problems.The Center for Peace occupied a floor of the building rent-free from the city of Osijek. Branka Kaselj and Snjezena Kovacovic met us and told us about their efforts to bring the various ethnic groups back together.ÂThey set up chess clubs and computer classes, tried to get people involved in community projects and organized holidays for children of different ethnicities. They were reaching out beyond Osijek as far as Pakrac and Vukovar, and even into Bosnia.ÂWe thanked them for meeting with us and Mario returned to Pakrac, while I went across the street to wait for Lidija in front of the cathedral.ÂSoon Lidija's white car was making a U-turn and she was climbing out. After a quick hug, we put my bag in the trunk and pulled into traffic. The drive took us past parks and the old town with its many bright red rooves having been replaced after the shelling.Behind the apartment building I got out of the car so Lidija could squeeze it into the garage. Up on the seventh floor, her parents were waiting and asked if I'd eaten. They had had milk-rice after Lidija had returned from school and there was plenty left. It hit the spot.ÂLidija had books to return to the library, so we walked along the Drava, paused at an ice cream stand and ordered scoops of hazelnut, pistachio and chestnut ice cream.ÂA beggar came by asking for a hand-out, and Lidija gave him a coin. She explained that he was a sort of mascot in Osijek. He was always polite and always grateful. People liked him, she said, and his photo is in a little book about the city that tourists can pick up.After dropping Lidija's books at the library, we returned home and ate supper rather late, watched a Hungarian costume drama on TV, then turned in.By JEAN RANALLOSpecial to the Sunhttp://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/110502/ew4.htm?date=110502&story=ew4.htm letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 13 Nov 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8455/1/E-Croatia-starts-to-catch-on---Times-Online.html ÂCroatia is beautiful,unspoild andTimes Online November 3 2002 Croatia starts to catch on MORE THAN 20 tour operators are to start offering trips to Croatia next year following a record rise in the number of British visitors this summer, Sarah Turner writes. Tourists had been slow to revisit Croatia since the war in neighbouring Kosovo ended three years ago, but this summer saw numbers increase by almost a quarter. Tourist officials now expect 110,000 Britons to travel to the former Yugoslav country this year, a 22 per cent increase on 2001. Simply Travel, Cosmos and Headwater are among the big names to start offering trips there next year. Simply Travel features 14 hotels and 12 self-catering properties, including four agro-tourism projects in Istria, for next summer. "Croatia is beautiful,unspoild and you can do everything, from a weekend in Dubrovnik to two weeks in a villa on an island in the archipelago," said Sally Balcombe, a spokeswoman. Cosmos is offering 11 hotels serviced by Pula airport in the north, and six near Dubrovnik in the south. "Croatia is picturesque and cultured with loads of history. It's probably more for the older market, rather than groups of girls and lads," said Jill Standeven of Cosmos. Croatian National Tourist Board (020-8563 7979, www.croatia.hrÂÂÂ); Simply Travel (020-8541 2222); Cosmos (0800-093 3922). Copyright 2002 Times Newspapers Ltd.http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,71-465119,00.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 03 Nov 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8456/1/E-Lighthouse-Sleepers.html Lighthousesin CroatiaLighthouse sleepersÂSarah Crown finds a world of dazzling colour and seclusion in the Adriatic, where the best rooms with a view are found in the islands' old lighthousesÂSarah CrownFriday October 18, 2002The GuardianÂYou'd be forgiven for thinking that they've been mixing Persil Colour Care in with the rain around here. Arriving in Split from smeary, waterlogged London, it feels like I am stepping into a different, paintbox-bright universe: the houses are red-roofed and white-walled, the trees sweeping down to the waterline are green as spinach, the sky is as blue as the sea and the sea is as blue as you dreamt it would be.ÂIn terms of singular holiday destinations, it is definitely up there. Croatia's coastline is scattered with islands like breadcrumbs on a duck pond - 1, 185, to be precise. There are lighthouses on 48 of them, and it was to one of these that we were heading. Built between 1818 and 1880 under Austro-Hungarian rule, it was when they were undergoing renovation and automation in the late 1990s that some bright spark recognised the tourist potential of all these empty, absurdly picturesque buildings, purpose-built to command the best views the islands have to offer.ÂWe are planning a three-night stay on Plocica, meaning 'slate', named because of its appearance: low and flat, like a slate rising out of the sea. It's a speck of an island, small enough to spit over with barely room to contain its lighthouse and the colony of white rabbits that live on it. Rather than the fresh salt-and-seaweed smell I was expecting, the whole place smells like a sweetshop thanks to the rosemary bushes, which have taken root on every spare inch of soil. The lighthouse itself is solid as a rock; its white walls and green shutters blending so seamlessly with the rest of the island that it looks as though it has shouldered its way up out of the ground. The rooms are clean, if basic - all electricity is solar-generated, so hot water can be temperamental - but such fripperies are forgotten when you throw open the shutters and soak up the view over the sea to the higher, rockier islands which ring Plocica like a stockade and behind which the sun sets in layers of colour like a particularly expensive sponge cake.ÂThe sense of Crusoe-like seclusion is heightened by the three hours it takes us to sail from the mainland to Plocica. The captain of our motor launch - and Plocica's lighthouse keeper - is Ante, an enormous grizzly bear of a man who alleviates the tedium of the voyage and the vague paranoia that comes over you when everyone around you is speaking a language you don't understand by teaching me my first two words of Croatian: tragedia and catastropha. These are his favourite words, and he uses them at any and all available opportunities over the following days - to describe the inclement weather, the overcooking of a fish, the bottom of a bottle of wine.ÂFortunately, he takes a shine to me, as I discover at dinner that night. Via several willing translators and much bashing of ham-sized fist on table, he expresses deeply held convictions on the twin subjects of women who wear high heels and people who don't eat their supper. The one has difficulty negotiating the leap from boat to island (there is no harbour here); the other is rude and has no place at his table. Thankfully I am sensibly shod and the food is fresh and unbelievably good - although if you don't like fish you are in trouble, to be honest. My belief that he is the most terrifying man I have ever met - triggered by stories of him rowing for six hours to tow his broken-down, several-tonne motor boat back to land, and shooting a rare and valuable bird which landed on Plocica with a cry of the Croatian equivalent of "Get off my land!" - is confirmed when he offers me the eyeball of the fish we've just eaten. I balk: he shrugs and munches it himself with every appearance of relish.ÂThe following morning, my hangover is instantly banished by a deep breath of rosemary-scented air and an industrial strength cup of coffee. We set off to visit some of the other islands in the best of weather and the highest of spirits. But it doesn't do to forget about the forces of nature while you're out here. We've been on the sea for an hour or so when we run into one of the electrical storms to which the area is prone. In a matter of moments, the light leeches from the sky, the sea churns up and turns from brilliant blue to the colour of gunmetal, and fingers of lightning begin to twitch down around the bowl of the horizon. When we land on Susac, the full irony of its name - 'dry island' - is made abundantly clear. We scramble up to the lighthouse in the sort of rain that leaves you deaf, dumb and blind and stumble inside to stand coursing with water and squeaking in disbelief.ÂOnce we've wrung out our hair and clothes, we can appreciate the lighthouse's spectacular situation: perched on a rocky bluff on what must be one of the most beautiful islands in the Adriatic. Plocica feels isolated, but Susac is truly an open sea island, utterly deserted apart from the lighthouse keeper and a shepherd who keeps his flock on the southern side, and makes very free with his rakija, a ferocious local brandy. The steep white cliffs, raked by the "bura" (the prevailing north-eastern wind), are counterpointed by the sea and caper bushes, and the colours have a shape and clarity which make this easily my favourite of all the islands we visit.ÂEverywhere we go we're offered a drink. On Struga it's raw red wine round the kitchen table with the family while we watch their dog giving birth to puppies in the corner. On Korcula we visit a household that has been making wine on the island for over 500 years. In the cool, dark interior of the farmhouse - no longer lived in, but still housing the wine-making equipment - the stones are impregnated with the scent of fermenting grapes. When the wine comes it's served with smoked ham and goat's cheese, courtesy of the family's three goats, which live in the yard outside. I take my cue from Ante, who sips and sups as if there's no tomorrow - or indeed lunchtime.ÂWine was brought to Korcula from Greece in 400BC, according to a document discovered on the island 130 years ago which is purported to be the oldest surviving document in the whole of Croatia. Further evidence of Croatia's bibulous heritage continues to appear through the discovery of more and more amphoras from the days of the country's Roman occupation. Such artefacts are considered to be property of the state and, upon discovery, Croatians are obliged to hand them over under pain of a hefty fine. Ante has three in his lighthouse.ÂDespite its Greek origins, the wine bears the name of a Roman, Lucul, who liked it so much they named it after him. He was into Bacchanalian revels; drink the wine and it's easy to see why. I personally thought it was a bit fizzy, but if it's good enough for a top-flight Roman hedonist, who am I to argue? The tangerine brandy, served next, tastes like marmalade and white spirit, but by this time I am several glasses down and pronounce it "Super!" in my best Croatian before wandering outside to have a chat with the goats.ÂWe lunch in the island's main town, also called Korcula. It's as tumbledown and beautiful as Split, but without the industry or tourists. Down a narrow alley we found a house - more of a staircase with walls around it, really - which purports to be the place where Marco Polo was born. True or not (where did his family live? on the stairs?), who cares? For five kuna (about 36p) you can climb up to the tower at the top and have all to yourself one of the best views of the city: the clutter of rooftops dotted with moss and ivy, roof gardens, washing looping from window to window, down to the sea. Suddenly I'm back where I started, admiring the vivid colours which will form my lasting impression of these islands. And believe me, I'm impressed.Ways to go Sarah Crown flew to Split with Croatian Airlines www.croatiaairlines.hrÂ. A return flight cost approximately £275. A week's accommodation on Plocica in peak season (July-August) costs 1,366 euros (around £850) dropping to 1, 179 euros (£750) in September and 888 euros (£550) off-season. Accommodation is per apartment, and an apartment in the lighthouse can sleep up to six. Transfer from the island of Korcula costs 100 euros (£60) and is charged separately. Tax is not included. For further information and price for the other islands, visitwww.adriatica.net.ÂÂGuardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2002 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 20 Oct 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8457/1/E-Israelis-making-quick-getaway-to-Croatia.html Increasing numbers of Israelismaking quick getaway to CroatiaAROUND THE JEWISH WORLDIncreasing numbers of Israelismaking quick getaway to CroatiaBy Ruth E. GruberÂDUBROVNIK, Croatia, Sept. 5 (JTA) - When her mother from the United States was visiting in Jerusalem recently, Hadass, an office worker, knew just where to take her for a summer getaway.Â"We caught a charter and came to Dubrovnik for the weekend," she said. "It was great."ÂHadass is one of tens of thousands of Israelis who have discovered the stunningly beautiful Dalmatian coast of Croatia as a new destination for quick summer holidays.Â"It has everything here," said Steven, also from Jerusalem. "It has the sun, it has a terrific coast and it's small - it's small enough that you don't feel overwhelmed. I don't know how long it's going to last, but right now everything is in a short space - sea, forests, mountains. It's very picturesque."ÂOfficials say that some 100,000 Israeli tourists are expected in Croatia this year - double the number who came last year.ÂMost of them head for the resorts on the dramatic rocky coastline that stretches hundreds of miles along the Adriatic Sea or on the idyllic islands that dot the offshore waters.ÂSome 25,000 are expected in Dubrovnik, the historic fortress city known as the Pearl of the Adriatic that is located at the southern tip of Croatia.Â"We're seeing a very impressive increase in tourists here," Israel's ambassador to Croatia, David Granit, told JTA. "It attracts people who want a short vacation in a nearby destination - one or two hours away. That means places like Cyprus, Turkey, the Greek islands."Now they suddenly discovered the Adriatic shore of Croatia. It's become very, very attractive - fashionable."ÂIn addition, said Granit, "this means an increase in services, first of all flights. We are talking now about almost daily flights here by Israeli charter companies. Also, Israeli entrepreneurs are beginning to buy hotels."ÂThere is even talk of starting up a kosher winery in another part of Croatia.The Israeli tourist phenomenon only took off after Croatia and Israel established diplomatic relations five years ago.ÂThe move had been delayed for years by apparently anti-Semitic statements made in an autobiographical book by former Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, as well as by the Tudjman government's apparent attempts to rehabilitate the fascist Ustashe regime that ruled Croatia during World War II as a Nazi puppet state.Tudjman died in December 1999 - and since then, relations between Israel and Croatia have blossomed."In a relatively short period of time, we have established very good and friendly relations, and the big wave of Israeli tourists is certainly one of the consequences of this," Svjetan Berkovic, the Croatian ambassador to Israel, told JTA.The Israeli tourist boom has given a welcome shot in the arm to the Croatian tourist industry, which is still recovering from the effects of the bloody series of wars that broke up the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.ÂTourism all but dried up in the 1990s, particularly after Dubrovnik itself came under heavy Serb bombardment in 1991 and 1992.ÂThousands of shells crashed into the city, causing more than $2.5 billion of damage. Tourist infrastructure and priceless architectural treasures were devastated.ÂAmong the historic buildings that were damaged was Dubrovnik's synagogue, a jewel of a prayer house established in the 16th century on the top floor of a stone house in Zudioska Ulica - Jewish Street - the steep, narrow alley in the center of the city where Jews were compelled to live during the 1500s.ÂThe synagogue roof was hit by two shells, but the building underwent full restoration and was rededicated at Rosh Hashanah in 1997.ÂThe Jewish community of Dubrovnik numbers only 46 members - only about 20 of whom actually live in Dubrovnik.ÂThe president of the community, Sabrina Horovic, says local Jews are often overwhelmed by the hundreds of Israeli tourists who now flock to visit the tiny Baroque sanctuary, whose decor and fittings, featuring a delicately carved wooden bimah, date to the mid-17th century.Â"Several days a week we get about 300 visitors," she said. "The synagogue is an old building, and we really can't handle more than 50 people at a time."Work has been under way this summer to expand the community's facilities and adopt new security measures.ÂOn the floor beneath the sanctuary, two rooms have been refurbished as exhibition halls for the synagogue's precious collection of ritual objects.ÂThese include valuable silver and textiles, as well as Torah scrolls written in the 13th and 14th centuries that were brought to Dubrovnik after Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492. All were smuggled out of the synagogue and hidden from the Nazis during World War II.ÂIn addition, the community has moved its office to a nearby building where it hopes to renovate two apartments for the community's use.ÂStill, most Israeli tourists have no contact with local Jews.Â"I don't think they are aware of these 46 people," said Ivana Burdelez, director of the University of Zagreb's Center for Mediterranean Studies in Dubrovnik."They are coming for the seaside, and when they leave Dubrovnik, they don't have the opportunity to say that they saw Jewish Dubrovnik."ÂBurdelez, who is not Jewish, has tried for years to make Dubrovnik's centuries-old Jewish history better known.Every other year since 1996, she has organized an international conference on the social and cultural history of Jews on the eastern Adriatic coast.This year's conference, which drew scholars from Europe, Israel and the United States, coincided with the height of the tourist season and featured a public concert of Sephardic songs performed by two Israeli musicians.ÂThe audience was standing room only - and more than a few spectators were speaking Hebrew.Âhttp://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?strwebhead=Israelis+visit+Croatia+in+droves&intcategoryid=2 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 11 Oct 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8458/1/E-Croatia-is-doing-better.html Croatia is doingbetterGreece'sTourism Industry SufferingBy Associated PressAugust 6, 2002, 10:10 AM EDTATHENS, Greece -- Greece's finance minister appealed to the tourism industryTuesday not to hike prices to compensate for a drop in summer visitors.Nikos Christodoulakis said the reduced number of tourists to some areas haveprompted merchants and others to increase prices."Let's try to present quality and competition and to avoid price increasesin all tourism services," he said after a meeting with hotel and tourismrepresentatives.The industry has reported a drop in tourism, Greece's biggest industry, so farthis year.Some tour operators say Greece has lost its appeal because prices oftourism-related services are approaching those in other European countries.Also, there is a worry that tourists could bypass Greece in favor ofless-expensive seacoast resorts in places such as Turkey and Croatia.Prices on some Greek islands have a 100 percent markup over mainland costs.Copyright © 2002, The Associated Press letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 26 Aug 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8459/1/HE-HR-2002-From-Solid-State-To-Solid-State.html The Scope of the Conference - See BelowIznenadjujuce lijepe vijesti o hrvatskoj turistickoj infrastrukturi:Organizirao sam s kolegama vrlo elitnu konferenciju fizicara u hotelu'Croatia' u Cavtatu, http://bobi.ifs.hr/dubrovnik2002/ , pa sam tijekom18 mjeseci intenzivno suradjivao s mnogim organizacijama a i tvrtkamau Hrvatskoj, te mnogim ''nevidljivim osobama'' o kojima mediji ne govore.Naglasavam da se radi o vrlo kompleksno hrvatsko-svicarsko, te sad vec i,americko-europskoj suradnji koja mi je omogucavala provjeriti ponasanjehrvatskog sustava u praksi; rezultati su bolje nego sam se nadao, ali nezahvaljujuci 'politicarima' ili 'sefovima' nego tzv. ''malim hrvatskim ljudima'':Hvala svima koji su nam pomogli.Kratka poruka:Hrvatske elitna, turisticka infrastruktura, konkretno, grupa Luksic: hotel 'Croatia'te 'ATLAS', pa i Croatia Airlines i cijela dubrovacka regija zasluzuju odlicnu ocjenu!Naglasavam da imam i konferenciju u USA iduci tjedan (Seattle) i imao samjednu prije dva tjedna na francuskoj rivijeri, tako da je ovo ozbiljna pohvala,utoliko prije sto mene politicari izbjegavaju; nitko nam nije 'politicki' pomogao.Cak i na skupoj dubrovackoj rivijeri cijene smjestaja i hrane su u prosjekuotprilike upola jeftinije nego ekvivalentne usluge u USA ili Euro-centrima.Jedino nedostaje vise letova iz Euro-centara direktno za Dubrovnik.Svi sudionici te cak Svicarci su izjavili da je bilo 'fabulous', te su odbili iducukonferenciju u Montreux-u (2004) i zatrazili istu lokaciju - u srpnju 2004 !----Detaljnije izvjesce:Paradoksalno u stotinjak telefonskih poziva nisam prakticno NIKAD dobio glavnogduznosnika, nego smo morali komunicirati s tajnicama ili zamjenicima, no toje islo jos i bolje jer su SVI, bez iznimke, cinili sto smo ih uljudno zamolili!PORUKA:ÂSvakodnevnu Hrvatsku de facto NE VODE sluzbeni manageri, nego ''mali ljudi''koji ce Vam uciniti cuda, ako ih uljudno zamolite i objasnite da se radi oprojektu od strateske vaznosti za buducnost Hrvatske ! Ja sam tako i cinio.Ponavljam da me niti jedna hrvatska osoba nije iznevjerila.Opet konkretno, gospodin Luka Alaric (kojeg nikad nisam imao cast upoznati)na Konzularnom odjelu Ministarstva Vanjskih poslova nam je pomogaoda vize dobiju predavaci iz Indije, Ukrajine (doticni su istaknuti profesori u USA),te cak Taiwana, a nase Veleposlanstvo u Parizu je produzilo rad da bi ProfessorPoonit Boolchand dobio vizu u 17:15, dan prije puta i same konferencije.Gospodja Nina Dumancic (Atlas) je vodila kompletnu infrastrukturu konferencijetocno po ugovoru, te po usmenim korekcijama u realnom vremenu, a sve seodvijalo vrlo fluidno do te mjere da su Svicarci zatrazili da se i iducakonferencija odrzi (u srpnju 2004) u Cavtatu, a NE u Svicarskojkako je planirano !?!?! Talijani, Francuzi, Spanjolci i Grci suizjavili da oni ne mogu bolje organizirati a svi zajedno su reklida je ovo sto su vidjeli dozivjeli naprosto fenomenalno ...Kompletno osoblje hotela Croatia je radilo savrseno (ponavljam savrsenojer su mi se Nobelovci hvalili da nije bilo potrebe se zaliti na klimatizaciju jersu sobarice SAMOINICIJATIVNO rjesavale probleme) ... Gospodja Marija Sebalj,ravnateljica prodaje nam je takodjer u realnom vremenu pomagala, ai pripremila nove datume za iducu konferenciju. Mnogi kolege ( a i ja)su odlucili se vratiti u hotel na privatni odmor ove jeseni ...Jedina tvrtka koja ocito ima nekoliko problema i to se odmah uocava kads njima radite jest Jadrolinija. da bismo promijenili karte za ferryza Nobelovca Muellera (76g) morao sam osobno se odvesti do Dubronika,dok smo u Svicarskoj istu stvar rjesavali telefonski ... Za razlikuod njih tvrtka BISTRA nam je poklonila sotitine boca ponajbolje(znanstveno dokazano) izvorske vode iz nas domaje, a to su nasikolege znanstvenici znali cijeniti (na vrucini Dubrovnika :-)Na kraju moram uociti da je Hrvatska ipak jos jako financijski nejaka:Konferenciju su nam u pocetku podrzalo Ministarstvo znanosti i tehnologijei iako su odrzali rijec i potpomogli nas (s ukupno sestinom troskova)konferencija se ne bi odrzala da nije bilo ozbiljne americke i svicarske'tvrde' financijske pomoci (gotovo dvije trecine budzeta) ...Sada nam pomoc (za 2004) nude i Francuzi i Talijani i EU ... :-)Zakljucak: u Hrvatskoj se mogu raditi ozbiljniji projekti, alimorate imati 'tvrdo' financiranje iz inozemstva, a i tada redovi unasim bankama (konkretno Zagrebacka banka u Dubrovniku) sunesnosni; paradoksalno, 'nase' banke vise nisu hrvatsko vlasnistvo ...Bankarska infrastruktura i financijski sustav trebaju ozbiljna poboljsanja !(Tu nema usporedbe sa Svicarskom ili bilo kojom jakom ekonomijom)Ipak, konferencije i elitni turizam se mogu odlicno planirati u LijepojNasoj, a korekcije koje su jos nuzne je ipak moguce ispraviti.Dr. Davor Pavunahttp://ipawww.epfl.ch/lpme/LPMESubPages/Pavuna/pav.htmÂP.S. Imena brojnih kolega fizicara, sponzora i institucija koje s nam pomoglesu na nasoj web stranici: http://bobi.ifs.hr/dubrovnik2002/ jer doiduce konferencije (26.6. 2004) Internet koordinacija ostaje aktivna ... International Conference Sponsored by Croatian Ministry of Science and Technology Office of Naval Research (ONR, Washington D.C., USA) Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Organization (co-)supported by: Faculty of Science, Zagreb, Croatia Institute of Physics, Zagreb, Croatia École Polytéchnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland From Solid State To BioPhysics 13-19 June 2002 in hotel "Croatia", Cavtat May 31, 2002: Extended electronic summary of the paper i.e. up to one A4 page abstract in pdf or Word format should be sent to Ms. Mrkonjic (ivanam@phy.hr). Otherwise your abstract will not be available at the conference in the printed format. The Scope of the Conference Despite the continuing successes of solid state physics, it is natural to expect ever more overlap and even a 'transfer' of some successful models and measurement methods to the flourishing and challenging soft-matter and bio-sciences. Understanding of the living matter with its enormous complexity may require techniques and approaches at least partly elaborated in solid state physics. The 'conventional' condensed matter physics places the emphasis on structure-property relationships and on common denominators, while the bioscience focuses more on the functionality, and subtle differences between the systems are often crucial. The interplay between the theory and experiment is important yet, while established physics tends to strive to achieve quantitative agreements, the bioscience often remains at the level of phenomenological description. The goal of this conference is the interdisciplinary discussion of the aforementioned and other new challenges among leading scientists in solid state, soft-matter and bio-science. All original contributions on relevant topics are strongly encouraged. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 01 Jul 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8461/1/E-Letter-from-Ministry-of-Tourism.html Following is the letter I received from the Minister of Tourism, Ms. Pave Zupan Ruskovic answeringÂmy suggestion that tourism in Croatia ought to also encompass the cultural and archaeologicalÂsites, by promoting it among the academia and related magazines which offer such tours toÂinterested parties. As you can see, her answer was very positive. Hilda ----- Forwarded Message -----Date: Mon, 13 May 2002 KLASA:303-03/02-01/73URBROJ: 529-04-02-01Zagreb, 06. svibnja 2002.gđa HILDA MARIJA FOLEYÂPredmet: e-mail predstavka od 19. ožujka 2002.Poštovana gđo Foley,Zahvaljujem na Vašem e-mail pismu od 19. ožujka 2002. godine, na koje odgovaram s malim zakašnjenjem.Kao i Vi smatram da treba, što je moguć e više, širiti raznovrsne informacije o Hrvatskoj, njezinoj kulturi, povijesti, gospodarstvu i dr. s obzirom da Hrvatska, kao relativno mlada država tek mora graditi svoj image i predstaviti svijetu svoj identitet. U tom smislu Ministarstvo turizma i ja osobno, kao i HTZ i njezina predstavništva u svijetu gotovo svakodnevno odgovaramo na brojna pitanja novinara iz različ itih zemalja, od kojih već ina dobronamjerno i istinito prenosti saznanjaÂo Hrvatskoj. To pomaže hrvatskom turizmu koji je u posljednje dvije godine doživio snažan, iako još uvijek nedovoljan oporavak, a nadam se da će se pozitivni trendovi nastaviti i u ovoj i narednih godina.Svakako da bi bilo potrebno i vrlo korisno da točne informacije o Hrvatskoj što prije dopru i do znanstvenih i dr. institucija koje utječu na kreiranje mišljenja i stavova o Hrvatskoj. Kao što Vam je vjerojatno poznato Hrvatska turistička zajednica ima vrlo dobru prezentaciju ukupnih hrvatskih turističkih potencijala i mogućnosti na web. stranici www.htz.hr , a raspolaže i sa izuzetno kvalitetnim tiskanim brošurama koje se distribuiraju širom svijeta.Vašu sam predstavku proslijedila predstavništvu Hrvatske turističke zajednice u SAD-u, te se nadam da ć e Vaše opservacije biti uputa za učinkovitije promicanje turizma na ovom za Hrvatsku potencijalno izuzetno važnom emitivnom tržištu.Uz najbolje želje pozdravljam Vas s poštovanjem. M I N I S T R I C APave Župan Rusković  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 17 Jun 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8460/1/E-CROATIA-in-The-Washington-Post.html ÂCroatiaCliff-Hanger: Would They Ever Leave?By Daniel and Barbara Zwerdling-RothschildSpecial to The Washington PostSunday, June 16, 2002; Page E01IT'S OUR FIRST NIGHT IN Croatia. We're sitting on the tiled terrace ofour rented house on a cliff near the ancient walled city of Dubrovnik, gazing atislands that stretch like bumpy stepping stones across the Adriatic Sea. We'resipping margaritas made with limes from one of the fruit trees that dot theproperty, and nibbling clusters of purple and green grapes that we plucked fromthe trellis over our heads.Our landlords insisted on cooking our first Croatian dinner, so Antun isgrilling whole fish smothered with parsley and garlic in the outdoor stonefireplace, while Marija unmolds a flan draped in caramel and perfumed likeroses. The sun is melting on a mountain ridge and the sea is turning from goldto red to pink, as cruise ships head across the bay like floating strands ofChristmas lights.And as we recall how much our loved ones back home are worrying about oursafety ("Aren't they still fighting over there?"), we feel almostguilty.We'd been dreaming for decades about visiting Dubrovnik, on Yugoslavia'sDalmatian Coast. Yugoslavia was the Friendly Communist Country, and Dubrovnikwas the Renaissance jewel of Eastern Europe.But we kept putting off the trip -- and in 1991, the Balkans exploded intowar. Historians will probably argue eternally about precisely what triggered oneof the worst bursts of genocide since World War II, but perhaps they could agreeon some limited facts: The leaders of Croatia, one of the republics ofYugoslavia, declared that they were seceding from the nation and forming anindependent country. Slobodan Milosevic, then Yugoslavia's dictator, sent in hisarmy to try to prevent it. And Dubrovnik became one of the war's first victims.Yugoslav troops fanned out on the mountain ridges that overlook Dubrovnik andwarships closed off the sea. For more than seven months, they hurled artilleryand mortar shells at the city as the international community watched in shock.The world would learn about the carnage in places like Sarajevo and Kosovolater, but back then, in the first months of 1992, it seemed incomprehensiblethat Milosevic would order his troops to bombard an ancient, cherished cityfilled with civilians, apparently out of spite. The United Nations reported thattwo-thirds of the churches, palaces and proud old houses had been hit. Some hadbeen gutted.So we were astonished when we ran into an acquaintance a couple years ago whohad just returned from a work trip in the Balkans, and he said, "Want me totell you a secret? Go to Dubrovnik, and go soon. Go before every other touristin the world finds out that Dubrovnik has been repaired. In fact, it might bemore beautiful than ever."Cultural SurvivalSometimes we start our days by meeting Darija, our guide and interpreter, atour favorite cafe in Old Town. To get there from our house on Zaton Bay, wedrive for 20 minutes through layers of history, like sediment layers on a cliff:We pass hillsides of drab, communist-era apartments on the outskirts, then parkin the faded Victorian quarter of "new" Dubrovnik; we cross the oldmoat and stroll through one of the massive gates in the medieval walls -- andsuddenly, we enter a time warp. Dubrovnik is a magic pedestrian world wherealmost every cobblestone, statue and doorway was built between the 13th and 17thcenturies -- unless, of course, it's been restored since the Balkans War.The place feels a bit disorienting: The facades look Italian but the peoplecrowding the alleys look and sound almost Russian. It's a Slavic Venice withoutcanals.And the marble tables of the sprawling Gradska Kavana cafe make a great stagefor people-watching -- no wonder leaders of the old communist regime used tohang out here. When we sit on one side of the cafe, we gaze over Dubrovnik'slittle marina, where fishing boats and cabin cruisers rock at the base of thefortified walls. When we choose the other side, under the fuchsia awnings, welook up at the baroque dome and columns of St. Blaise church. On weekends, theorgan spills through the stained-glass windows, and we linger over espressos sowe can watch wedding parties pose and mug on the steps."Hello," a voice says in soft, accented English, and there's astriking young woman with a delicate hoop piercing her belly button. Darija.We've never hired a guide and interpreter before on vacation, but this youngartist could use the extra work, and we figure she's a friendly way to get toknow Croatia."You can't possibly imagine what this town was like during thewar," Darija says. "The morning it started, it was the first day ofschool. My brother and me, we were excited, we were going to see our friendsagain. My parents were dressing for work. And I went outside when I heardsomething" -- she pauses, searching for the right word -- "somethinglike thunder. But it was so strange, because the sky was completely bright. Thenwe heard that the Serb soldiers were coming down from the mountains to kill allof us with their knives."The soldiers didn't invade with knives, but the bombardment had begun. Localresidents say the troops rained explosives down on the city from October untilMay, from sunrise until dark. Most people, like Darija's family, lived like ratsin basement shelters during the day. The moment they stopped hearing the"thunder," they'd surface and head for the marina and bathe in thewinter sea, using kerosene lanterns to guide them. They didn't have electricityor running water until the siege ended.We stroll down the smooth limestone cobblestones of the Stradun, which islike a walkway of polished ivory tiles. This is the main promenade, lined withshops and cafes all shaded by blue awnings and crowded with young Croatians wholook gorgeous and trendy and thin. Darija turns down a narrow alley and wefollow her past art galleries and shops into the market square. Local farmerssell garlands of dried figs and bay leaves, and they pile tomatoes and peachesand baby arugula on rickety tables under striped umbrellas. By evening, thevendors will have disappeared and the square will be filled with tables, andwe'll be feasting on platters of briny oysters that a fisherman just lugged infrom his boat.But now it's time for lunch, and Darija motions us to sit in the shadeoutside Buffet Skola, her favorite sandwich shop. She's right: Who could believethat much of this glorious town was rubble? The moment the siege ended, theCroatian government and United Nations began raising tens of millions of dollarsto repair the damage. They ordered a city's-worth of clay roof tiles fromEuropean factories; the new replacements are a bit too orange next to the mutedtiles that survived the war, but hardly anyone's complaining. They hiredstonemasons to replace every pulverized cobblestone and rebuild every collapsedwall. They imported sculptors from other nations to heal every statue that wasmissing a hand or nose.Darija gives a gracious, fake little laugh and says she's tired of talkingabout the war. The waitress has just brought thick, crusty slabs of yeastysourdough bread, topped with local sheep's cheese and smoky ham. The bread isstill warm, and we ask if we can buy a few slices to take home for dinner. Thewaitress says no -- and then wraps two hot loaves as a gift."I'm sorry, I have to go soon," Darija says. "I'm workingtonight as an usher at the festival concert." The Dubrovnik festival wasone of Europe's great summer attractions before the war. Actors like DanielDay-Lewis would perform Hamlet in the ruins of a 16th-century fort andworld-class musicians would make a pilgrimage to perform here.The festival is finally reviving after years of forced intermission, althoughit's still not back to its former glory -- which is the only reason we can gettickets on short notice to hear Bach and Mozart in the Rector's Palace. Themusic is magical, but the setting transcends it: The orchestra performs in anintimate courtyard, with balconies rising above us like tiers on a wedding cake.The overflow audience hangs over the balustrade and pigeons swoop among thearches.As the ovation fades, we exchange smiles with the stranger sitting next tous. "What a beautiful concert," we murmur. "Do you know, by anychance, which countries the musicians in the orchestra come from?""But they all live here," she says, looking surprised. "Thisis the Dubrovnik Symphony."Berta Dragicevic introduces herself. She says she just stepped down as deputymayor, and she cites an astonishing figure: The local government spends 20percent of its budget on culture. Think about it: Dubrovnik is still recoveringfrom the war. Some of the biggest (and ugliest) hotels are still abandoned. Theunemployment rate tops 20 percent. Yet the city spends a huge chunk of itsbudget to support a full-time symphony and professional theater, a folk ensembleand choir, plus a gallery and museum -- all for a community that has at most50,000 residents. "We have traditions," Dragicevic explains.A Mouthful of MusselsWhen we were planning our trip, we planned to use Dubrovnik as a base to tourthe Balkans. We were going to venture over the mountains and visit Sarajevo. Wewere going to take ferries to islands like Korcula and Kvar, where hot youngEuropeans hang out. We would drive three hours south into Montenegro, which byall accounts is shabby and spectacularly beautiful.We never made it. We'd start sipping coffee most mornings on our terrace,then watch, mesmerized, as the sun spilled onto the islands and mountains andour little bay woke up: first, a lone fishermen in a puttering skiff, then afreighter moving down the channel, then a sailboat or two. If one of us feltenergetic, he or she would cover their coffee with a saucer and run down thesteps past our swimming pool, returning five minutes later with, say, a handfulof figs."Okay," someone would finally say, "does anybody feel liketaking an expedition?" And we'd just sit there -- happy and inert.But we weren't lazy. By mid-morning we'd embark on a daily adventure. We'ddescend the dizzying steps our landlord had built all the way down to the water,and go snorkeling at the base of our cliff. The water was so clear and pristinethat every day we were dazzled again. We would swim through clouds of plumpwhite fish as big as trout, and others striped like underwater tigers, andmasses of neon-purple fish that floated in place like Calder mobiles.Sometimes we'd harvest our lunch before we got out of the water. The base ofour cliff was covered with thousands of small mussels, like bouquets of blackflowers clinging onto the rocks. We'd pry them off by the handful, then steamthem in garlic and wine -- plus an occasional rosemary sprig from our giantbush.On other days, we'd clamber into our outboard motorboat, putter across thebay and tie up at one of the restaurants with tables set at the water's edge. AtMarko's, you don't even have to look at a menu; you just sit under thevine-covered trellis, sipping honey-colored wine as the owner and his son Darkoserve whatever traditional coastal dishes his wife feels like making. She mightstart with mountains of tiny clams tossed with capers, then faintly charredshrimps bursting with juice, and fried baby calamari with a wispy and fragilecrust, and whole fish with the skin grilled so crisp it crackles. By the timeDarko serves his mother's crepes dusted with ground local walnuts, we'rebegging, thank you, please, we have to stop.War-Torn MemoriesWhen the Yugoslav army invaded the area around Dubrovnik, they seized ourrental house and turned it into a command post. "And we were lucky,"says Marija, our landlord. At the moment, we're sipping Antun's rose liqueur andnibbling olives with some of their family and friends, and watching anothersunset off our terrace."Yes, lucky," Marija repeats, with a bitter laugh. She's speakingCroatian, which her daughter-in-law translates, plus a smattering of Italianthat many Croatians speak. They tell us how Serb soldiers from the Yugoslav armyburned some of the nearby homes on this bay but saved this house because it wasa perfect lookout point on the shipping channel. The family took refuge inshelters in a nearby town.They're here this evening because our month in Dubrovnik is almost over andthey want to send us off with a traditional Sunday dinner. So Antun is back atthe outdoor fireplace, shoveling glowing coals around an enamel casserole that'sheavy with potatoes and chunks of lamb. Marija is simmering seafood risottothat's black and musty with squid ink. As we work our way through a bottle oflocal wine, we figure that we've finally become friendly enough to broach theissue that local residents usually avoid:Have they put the war behind them?There's an edgy silence. The Croatians look at their drinks. Finally, ourlandlords' daughter-in-law, Marijana, speaks."Do you know what it's like to live for months below ground, while thereare bombs exploding outside?" she asks. "One day, some of the peoplewent outside just for a few minutes, to smoke cigarettes." Marijana flushesand starts to cry, and nuzzles her baby. "And just at that moment, anartillery shell hit. Seven people died. Friends.""And do you know what we found when we came back to this house after thewar?" Marija says. "The soldiers destroyed or stole everything. Allour plates, all our furniture, everything." Now Marija is wiping awaytears, too. "And the Serb soldiers used our floors as a toilet. Can youpicture that?"We murmur something that we hope seems supportive but objective, but ends upbeing inadequate. Both Serbs and Croatians committed atrocities, according toall the evidence, and both Serb and Croatian military officers have been chargedwith war crimes. It's the innocent civilians who are always caught in the vise.Their friend Stefi cuts us off, her voice trembling. She works part time atthe Croatian tourist bureau. "Only last week, a man came into the touristoffice and wanted some information," she says, "and I knew he was Serbby his accent. The Serbs are coming back to visit our Dubrovnik for the firsttime since the war."Stefi says the man wanted some details about traveling, but she politelyexplained that she didn't have them, and the man got belligerent and stormed outin a huff. "And as he was opening the door," Stefi says, "heturned and he looked at me. And he said, 'I wish we had killed all of you whenwe had the chance.' "And now she's the third person crying at our dinner party. "The risottois ready," Marija says, in a voice that's too cheerful and loud. "Mangia.Let's eat."Hugs and StrudelThe morning we leave Croatia, we're in a fog. The Milky Way still sparkles aswe lock the house at 5 a.m. and lug our suitcases up the cliff. By the time weget to the airport we're waking up just enough to feel sorry for ourselves: Wehave to leave Dubrovnik and go back to reality.But at exactly 6:15 a.m., Antun and Marija walk through the airport doors."I made strudel for your trip," Marija says, and we peek under thewrapper at little pillows bulging with apples and raisins. She and Antun give usbig hugs.That's our last memory of Dubrovnik: Antun and Marija standing at the metaldetector, waving as we board the airplane, cradling packets of impossibly flakypastry in our arms.Daniel Zwerdling-Rothschild is a senior correspondent with National PublicRadio. Barbara Zwerdling- Rothschild is a psychotherapist and freelance writer.Details: CroatiaGETTING THERE: Getting to Dubrovnik, Croatia, can take some juggling,especially if you're trying to save money. Under frequent-flier constraints, weflew a complicated route from Washington to Boston to Zurich to Zagreb toDubrovnik. No matter what, you'll have to connect at least twice to get there.Choices include flying Austrian Airlines from Dulles to Vienna, then takeTyrolean Airlines or Croatia Airlines to Dubrovnik via Zagreb. Or, fly United,British Airways or Virgin Atlantic to London, then hop on a Croatia Airlinesflight to Dubrovnik via Zagreb. Round-trip fare is about $1,775 for summertravel, $885 for fall. You can also fly to Rome, catch a train to the Italianport of Bari and take an overnight ferry to Dubrovnik.WHERE TO STAY: The Villa Dubrovnik (Vlaha Bukovca 6, www.villa-dubrovnik.hr)is a cozy hotel with great views, about a half-mile outside of Old Town. Ratesstart at about $150, double. The nearby Villa Orsula (Frana Supila 14, www.hoteli-argentina.hr/index.html)is also recommended, at about the same rates.Or you can rent a house. We found ours through a friend -- it had never beenlisted before. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Adriatic, with four bedrooms,three bathrooms, a main kitchen, two mini-kitchens with extra refrigerators, alarge outdoor terrace and swimming pool, it rented for $5,500 for one month, butcurrent rates may vary. For information, e-mail the owners' daughter-in-law,Marijana, at vicko.soko@du.hinet.hr.Dubrovnik is just beginning to develop a rental house market, but manyapartments are available. The Croatian National Tourist Office (see below) listsmore than 25 firms who can help arrange private accommodations. Here are someoptions:• Gulliver Travel and Tourism Agency, telephone 011-385-20-419-109, www.gulliver.hr.• Atlas Travel and Tourism Agency, telephone 011-385-20-442-222, www.atlas-croatia.com.• Refika Knezevic, telephone 011-385-20-412-521, e-mail ilija.knezevic@du.tel.hr.These agencies can also help arrange bookings at B&Bs, where rooms startat $20 per night. Or you can find rooms last minute by driving along the coastand looking for signs proclaiming "Zimmer-Chambres-Camere."WHERE TO EAT: Most of the restaurants we recommend -- in fact, mostrestaurants on the Croatian coast -- specialize in the sort of simple,super-fresh Mediterranean dishes you'd expect to find in Italy: whole grilledfish and steaks, grilled or fried calamari, risotto, arugula salads. Expect topay $25 to $60 for two, including drinks, tax and tip. Note: Steak costs lessthan fish.Orhan (Od Tabakarije 1), tucked in a cove at the base of the fortifiedwalls, might be the best restaurant near Old Town. It's lively, relaxed andnever pompous. Sesame (Dante Alighieri bb), just outside the fortifiedwalls, resembles a terrace at a country villa and prepares lovely fish andzucchini carpaccio. Buffet Skola (Vl Dinka Popovic), a few steps off theStradun, serves local cheese and ham on thick slabs of bread. Villa Dubrovnik(Vlaha Bukovca 6) offers a romantic setting for lunch.Near Dubrovnik, Pansion Mali Raj (HR-20235 Zaton Veliki 99) serveshuge platters of great food on Zaton Bay, 20 minutes from Old Town . At Orsan(Zaton Mali), which offers deceptively simple meals under a thatched awning onthe shore of Zaton Bay, we were served the best fried calamari we've ever had. StaraMlinica, an hour by taxi boat from Dubrovnik on the nearby island of Sipan,has good food overlooking a tiny harbor that feels as if the tourist worldpassed it by.INFORMATION: Croatian National Tourist Office, 800-829- 4416, www.htz.hr.© 2002 The Washington Post Company letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 17 Jun 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8462/1/H-HONG-KONG-ZANIMA-HRVATSKI-TURIZAM.html Vecernji list ( www.vecernji-list.hr), 19. svibnja 2002.HONG KONG ZANIMA HRVATSKI TURIZAM HONG KONG - Hrvatski predsjednik Stjepan Mesic jucer je doputovao u HongKong gdje je razgovarao s izvrsnim administratorom Specijalneadministrativne regije Hong Kong Tung Chee Hwaom o jacanju gospodarskih vezas Hrvatskom. Tung je Mesicu govorio o razvoju Hong Konga te kazao kako je sazanimanjem pratio stanje na prostoru bivse Jugoslavije i stvaranje RepublikeHrvatske. Mesic i Tung razgovarali su i o skorom otvaranju pocasnog konzulataRepublike Hrvatske u Hong Kongu te se slozili kako ce otvaranje togkonzulata ojacati bilateralne veze. Na taj ce nacin hongkonski poslovniljudi koji su pokazali zanimanje za ulaganja u hrvatski turizam dobiti uvidu stanje u Hrvatskoj, a i hrvatski ce gospodarstvenici lakse doprijeti dohongkonskog i kineskog trzista. Hong Kong ima veliku stopu rasta, vrlo razvijeno gospodarstvo, a brutonacionalni dohodak iznosi 24.000 dolara po stanovniku. Hong Kong je nakon Shanghaija, Xi"ana i Pekinga posljednja etapa Mesicevavisednevnog drzavnog posjeta Kini. Mesic ce se danas nakon obilaska luke uHong Kongu vratiti u Hrvatsku.Croatian World Congress H.S.K.NGO Member of the United Nationshttp://www.crowc.org letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 11 Jun 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8464/1/E-A-city-that-defies-description---Dubrovnik.html ÂStradun - DubrovnikHi. I'm the music professor from southern Illinois who wrote in somemonths ago because I had an opportunity to go somewhere, and had decidedon Dubrovnik. I just wanted to let you know that, even though mostpeople here and my family as well, thought I was crazy -- this turnedout to be one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I did my homework. Lots of reading -- history, culture, etc. -- so I'dknow what I was seeing. And I started learning some of the language andwas fortunate enough to find a language class, which was a BIG help! Soby the time I actually boarded the plane, I was "loaded for bear." Tosay I had a fulfilling experience barely touches the reality, but I'lltry. This, in part, is from a letter posted to a Flute List.Dear Flute List: I have just come back from a city that defies description -- Dubrovnik,in Croatia. It sits by the Adriatic sea, surrounded in back bymountains. The part known as the Old City (stari grad) is completelyenclosed by a medieval defense wall on which people may still walk, fora spectacular 360 degree overview of the entire area. The old city iscompletely pedestrian. It is filled with shops, places to eat or havecoffee, etc.etc. It is also filled with medieval and Baroquearchitecture, museums, and many churches with the kind of art worksusually found only in museums. Past and present merge beautifully,neither crowding the other out. Many places were damaged in the war (the wall didn't help when theywere shelled from a mountain top for three weeks), but the sounds ofreconstruction are everywhere and the people have come through theirordeal with remarkable aplomb. This has been a shipping and trading center for at least a millenium.Cargo now is tourism, but the old harbor still brings in ships of allsorts and ferries go to neighboring islands (one of which houses aspectacular botannical garden) for a very reasonable price. Musically, I felt that I had hit the motherlode. I was NOT there duringtheir annual Festival -- and I still went to a concert or performance ofsome sort EVERY DAY. I heard the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra, theSorkocevic (Sorko-CHEY-vich) Quartet, several chamber groups, wastraditional folk dancing and ballet and modern dance, heard tamboritzenmusic, new music from young Dubrovnik composers, and even a children'schorus that sang -- among other things -- an Arcadelt madrigal. I evenwent to the music school and heard their excellent graduation concert. Accomodation was outrageously good. For the same price that in Americawould put me in a Motel 6 room, I had in Dubrovnik an apartment -- yes,an apartment -- with an amazing view of the old city, the mountains, andthe Adriatic from each of the TWO terraces. My hosts, Mario and Marija,lived downstairs and were the soul of kindness. They actually picked meup at the airport, and sometimes Marija would bring up a homecooked dishof something just because she thought I might like it. I did! Althoughrestaurant prices were extremely reasonable, I didn't have to eat out alot. Between the local bakery, the daily farmer's market, and thewonderful cheeses -- my midday meal was usually bread, Trappist cheese,and Dalmatian figs. At restaurants I learned about seafood! Don't beafraid -- if it's not moving, EAT. By the way, you can drink the waterstraight from the tap here without any worries. And coffee drinkers willbe in heaven. Through my hosts, I was introduced to Dive (JEE-va) Franetovic, aflutist in the Dubrovnik orchestra. An excellent player, she is also oneof the nicest people and most artistic souls I have ever had theextraordinary good fortune to meet. I had brought some flute music ofcomposers that I thought might not be commonly known in Europe, and afew days later she responded with a wealth of Croatian flute music whichI am having the MOST wonderful time with! I also met Dive'sextraordinary family -- parents, grandmothers, and 5-year-old brotherRokko. I could go on and on, and would love to. But in short I have never feltso safe or so relaxed in any city area. For a female traveling alone,that is an enormous plus. English and German are second languages, andit is quite possible to get around without learning any Croatian.However! Although I've always had a weakness for Slavic languages, thisone is really beautiful. It flows like music. And if you do take thetime to learn even some rudimentary Croatian, the floodgates open andyou will meet more people, discover more things to see and go to, andhave a much more enriching experience. (It is lovely to make a lunchorder in Croatian and have the waitress smile and say, "Bravo!") I had actually planned on seeing some other areas on the coast butthere was so much in Dubrovnik that I never actually left. The lastnight of my stay, I went to hear one last concert -- the quartet -- playin the beautiful little Saint Saviour church. Their encore was anarrangement of the Bach-Gounod Ave Maria and I was having a real hardtime trying not to break down, as I realized how hard it was going tobe to get on that plane the next day and face Wal Mart and Burger Kingagain. It was my prvi put (first trip) there, but I have a strong feeling thatit won't be my last. Flutistically yours, Suzanne Lord Not in the letter, but to you all in the Midwest Croatian Connection,PUNO HVALA for putting me in touch with all the wonderful people whomade this trip and this experience possible. Suzanne Lord letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 04 Jun 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8463/1/EH-Less-then-50-to-fly-to-Croatia.html Izvor/Source: www.hrvatskicentar.atÂStarting June 20, SkyEurope Airlines will be offering low fares to the Dalmatian coast. For 46 Euros, tourists can fly to Split and Zadar. Flights will go to Zadar twice a week and to split 4 times a week. Because Bratislava is so close to Vienna the new airlines is hoping to get Austrian passengers. Even for Burgenland Croatians in Austria and Hungary, Bratislava is an attractive alternative to Vienna.ÂSkyEurope Airlines is a typical low fare airlines, which are currently a trend. They only offer minimal service such as not serving food to the passengers. They also have smaller aircraft, which saves them from the high taxes incurred by planes in congested airports in the larger cities.ÂFlights for Split leave on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, while flights to Zadar leave on Thursdays and Sundays. The fares are partially lower than a train ticket or the costs of driving in a car, and the airlines' slogan is "Just one hour to the sea." Reservations are possible via the Internet.ÂOd 20. junija poceto nudja "SkyEurope Airlines" lakocijene lete na dalmatinskuobalu. Za 46 Euro moru turisti letiti u Split i u Dalmaciju. Letit ce se dva pute(Zadar) do cetire pute (Split) u tajednu. Pokidob je Pozon jako blizu Beca, racuna novalinija, da more vabiti i cuda pasazirov iz Austrije. I za Gradiscanske Hrvate iz Austrije i Ugarske je Pozon atraktivna alternativaBecu.ÂSkyEurope Airlines je tipicna lakocijena linija, ke su momentano jako u trendu. Nudjaju samo minimalan service, tako na primjer ne serviraju jilo zapasazire. Nadalje imamju samo manja letilisca u programu, tako da moru sparati visoketakse za preopterecena letilisca u veliki gradi.ÂLeti za Split idu pandiljkom, utorkom, cetvrtkom i subotom, a za Zadar se leti cetvrtkom inediljom. Stroski su dijelom nizi nego karta za vlak ili stroski za auto, a lini vabi s izrekom "Za jednu uru namorju". Rezervacije su moguce i pomocu interneta.http://www.skyeurope.comÂOp-edWe left the language from the Gradiscanski Hrvati website as it is.nb letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 04 Jun 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8465/1/H-Lovran---Dostojan-kutak-za-umirovljenike.html ÂLOVRANBroj stanovnika: 6100Prosječna temparetura zraka: 13.3 stupnjeva CProsječna godišnja količina padalina: 1.500 po m2ÂVedri dani: 2.230 sunčanih satiSrednja zimska temperatura zraka 7 stupnjeva C ljetna 22 stupnjeva CÂTemperature mora zimi 9 stupnjeva C ljeti 26 stupnjeva CÂ-----------------------Lovran, a town situated 7 kilometres southwest from Opatija, is a well known touristiccentre. ItÂhas evolved from a medieval fort with a seaport to a beautiful resort that atracts many touristsÂfond of the Adriatic Sea. Being close to wonderful beaches makes it a great place to spend aÂvacation, and many events throughout the year make of Lovran an interesting place to visit.ÂLovran is known for its variety of chestnut trees (Maruni) and its cherry trees (črešnje). LovranÂhad already begun exporting its products during the 19th century into theAustro-HungaricÂMonarchy.Besides being a tourist centre, Lovran is also an art centre. The famous artist Charles Billich hasÂopened an atelier last year, and the art gallery and exhibition showroom in open the whole year.NEDAVNO U LOVRANU OTVOREN PRVI EKSKLUZIVNI PRIVATNI DOM ZA OSOBE TRECE ZIVOTNE DOBIDostojan kutak za umirovljenike"Njemacka disciplina, hrvatska toplina"Nakon prve privatne zdravstvene ustanove za smjestaj i rehabilitaciju starijih osoba AV-Vitalis,Âu Lovranu je na adresi Opric 55A otpoceo s radom prvi privatni dom za smjestaj starijih osobaÂVilla Vitalis. On je podruznica prvog zagrebackog doma AV-Vitalis, kojega je prije cetiri godineosnovala Anka Veit, uspjesna poslovna zena koja vec vise od trideset godina zivi u Njemackoj.Otkako je otpocela s ulaganjima u Hrvatskoj, u koju je ulozila priblizno 2 milijuna maraka,gospodja Veit ucestalo zivi na relaciji Zagreb-Muenchen.ÂVilla Vitalis je prvi privatni dom za starije osobe na podrucju Liburnije i u njemu ce bitiÂorganizirana 24-satna skrb i njega osoba trece zivotne dobi. Ravnateljica i vlasnica doma AnkaÂVelt, odlucila je svoja golema iskustva iz zagrebackog doma prenijeti i u Lovran. Naime, osnazenadobrim zagrebackim iskustvom, iznajmila je kucu velicine 600 kvadratnih metara unutar koje cepronaci smjestaj 35 osoba. Nasa ju je poduzetnica "uzela" u petogodisnji zakup, sa golemomzeljom da ju kupi, buduci joj predstoje znacajna ulaganja.-Radim po vec uhodanom sistemu njemacka disciplina, hrvatska toplina. Naglasavam kako ce uÂOpricu dom biti organiziran isto kao i u Zagrebu, dakle, zaposlit cu lijecnika, visu medicinskuÂsestru, medicinske sestre, potom tehnicare, fizioterapeuta i njegovateljice, kao i ekonomsko osoblje.Kanim uposliti ukupno 20 osoba i upravo ovih dana vrsim odabir, buduci ima mnogoÂzainteresiranih - kaze gospodja Veit.Napominje kako ce se u domu gledati na svakog covjeka ponaosob, te na njegove potrebe i zeljetijekom cijelog dana. "U Zagrebu smo stalno popunjeni i ljudi su iznimno zadovoljni nasimÂuslugama, pa se stoga nadam da ce tako biti i u Lovranu", istice gospodja Veit.Doznajemo kako ce unutar doma u Lovranu biti jednokrevetne i dvokrevetne sobe, s kupaonicomili bez njih, te nekoliko apartmana, kao i prostor za intenzivnu njegu najte¾ih bolesnika. Osimtoga postoji prostor za dnevni boravak, terase s pogledom na more, te prostor za zajednickoblagovanje pokretnih umirovljenika.ÂZanimljivo je napomenuti kako ce se osim skrbi o starijim osobama u Villi Vitalis organizirati iÂvikendi za starije osobe koje ¾ele doci na masazu, kao i na uprilicena edukativna predavanja. Zazainteresirane ce biti osiguran smjestaj u cetiri apartmana u potkrovlju.Novootvoreni dom u Lovranu jos mora proci sanitarnu kontrolu, no kako kaze vlasnica doma,Âprvi pacijenti ovdje vec mogu doci.-Polako vec stize i oprema za sobe, a po osobi je za nju izdvojeno oko 2500 eura. Cijene smjestajakretat ce se od 620, pa do 770 eura mjesecno, ovisno o tome je li osoba pokretna ili nepokretna, ilipak zeli li jednokrevetnu ili dvokrevetnu sobu. U spomenutu cijenu su ukljucene sve navedeneusluge, no od iznimne je vaznosti sto dom ima uposlenog lijecnika.Otvaranje ovog doma zasigurno ce obradovati mnoge nase Hrvate u domovini iÂizvandomovinstvu, posebice one starije dobi koji se zele vratiti u domovinu i ovdje prozivjetiÂstarost. U ovakvim domovima zasigurno ce pronaci miran kutak dostojan covjeku trece zivotneÂdobi.Kontakt adresa: Opric 55 A 51415, Tel: 011-385-51/291-961, 011-385-51/294-441, Fax: 011-385-51/294-365 ,ÂE-mail: vitalis@zg.hinet.hrÂZeljka Lesic letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 24 May 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8467/1/H-E-Museji-u-Zagrebu---Museums-in-Zagreb.html  Muzeji u Zagrebu Museums in Zagreb  Hrvatski prirodoslovni muzej Demetrova 1 tel. 4851700 Edukativna izložba "Kuća za svagda". Stalni postav Stalni postav zooloških i mineraloško-petrografskih zbirki. Muzej je otvoren radnim danom, osim ponedjeljka, od 10 do 17 sati, subotom i nedjeljom od 10 d0 13 sati. Muzejski dokumentacijski centar Arheološki muzej Trg N. Zrinskog 19 tel. 4873101 LAPIDARIJ - arheološki park u dvorištu Muzeja Otvoren je u radno vrijeme Muzeja. Stalni postav Najznačajnija spomenička građa iz fundusa Muzeja. Muzej je otvoren radnim danom, osim ponedjeljka, od 10 do 17 sati, subotom i nedjeljom od 10 do 13 sati. Dijecezantski muzej Etnografski muzej Mažuranićev trg 14 tel. 4826220 Stalni postav muzeja Narodne nošnje i vaneuropska kultura. Muzej je otvoren od utorka do četvrtka od 10 do 18 sati, petkom, subotom i nedjeljom od 10 do 13, ponedjeljkom je zatvoren. Fundacija Ivana Meštrovića Mletačka 8 tel. 4851123 Gliptoteka HAZU Medvedgradska 2 tel. 4667005 Gradski muzej Jastrebarsko Vlatka Mačeka 1 tel. 6283991 Stalni postav Povijesna i etnografska zbirka. Muzej je otvoren radnim danom od 10 do 13 i od 16 do 18 sati, subotom i nedjeljom od 10 do 12 i od 16 do 18 sati. Hrvatski muzej arhitekture I.G. Kovačića 37 *Nema izložbe* Hrvatski muzej naivne umjetnosti Ćirilometodska 3 tel. 4851911 Stalni postav: Radnim danom, osim ponedjeljka, od 10 - 18, vikendom od 10-13 sati. Hrvatski povijesni muzej Matoševa 9 tel. 4851900 Do 19. svibnja - Izložba Likovna kolonija Monopoli-Cozzana 1944. autorice D. Ivanuše Muzej je otvoren za posjetitelje radnim danom od 10 do 17 sati, subotom i nedjeljom od 10 do 13 sati. Hrvatski školski muzej Trg maršala Tita 4/1 tel. 4855716 Stalni postav Muzej je otvoren radnim danom, osim ponedjeljkom, od 10 do 19 sati, subotom i nedjeljom od 10 do 13 sati. HT muzej Stalni postav Stalni postav - povijesni razvoj poštanskog i telekomunikacijskog prometa, poštanske marke, manuelni telefonski aparati i telefonske kartice. Muzej je otvoren radnim danom od 10 do 14 sati. Lovački muzej Vladimira Nazora 63 tel. 4834560 Stalni postav Stalni postav zbirki trofeja divljači, dermopreparata divljači, diorama, zbirki ptičjih jaja, lovačkog oružja i streljiva kroz stoljeća, te povijesti hrvatskog lovstva. Muzej je otvoren utorkom i četvrtkom od 12 do 17 sati, srijedom, petkom i subotom od 8 do 13 sati. Grupne posjete uz prethodnu najavu. MGC Gradec Katarinin trg 5 MGC Klovićevi dvori Jezuitski trg 4 tel. 4851926 Muzej grada Zagreba Opatička 20 tel. 4851364 Izložba "Kasnogotički pećnjaci s Nove Vesi" Borisa Mašića Stalni postav " Od pretpovijesti do kraja 20. stoljeća ". Muzej je otvoren radnim danom, osim ponedjeljka od 10 do 18 sati, subotom i nedjeljom od 10 do 13 sati. Subotom i nedjeljom od 11 sati muzejski se postav može razgledati uz stručno vodstvo. Muzej Mimara Rooseweltov trg 5 tel. 4828100 Do 26. svibnja - Otvorena je izložba Suite Europa 2002 U povodu španjolskog predsjedavanja Europskom unijom. izložba je ostvarena u suradnji Ministarstva vanjskih poslova Kraljevine Španjolske i Ministarstva kulture Republike Hrvatske. Stalni postav "Zbirka umjetnina Ante i Wiltrud Topić Mimare", "Zbirka starog vijeka", "Zbirka europskog kiparstva i umjetničkog obrta Srednjeg i Novog vijeka". Muzej je otvoren radnim danom, osim ponedjeljka i četvrtka od 10 do 17 sati. Ponedjeljkom je muzej zatvoren, četvrtkom je otvoren od 10 do 19, nedjeljom od 10 do 14 sati. Muzej planinarskog saveza Društveni dom Hrvatskog planinarskog saveza Muzej Prigorja Sesvete, Domjanićev trg 5 tel. 2001601 Muzej suvremene umjetnosti Katarinin trg 2 tel. 4851808 Do 16. svibnja - Izložba: "Privremeni smještaj" autora Z. Pavelića i K. Mijatović Zbirka Richter - Vrhovec 38a Otvorena je srijedom i subotom od 11 do 16 sati, ulaz je besplatan. Za stručno vodstvo potrebno je najaviti se na tel. 4851-808. Muzej Turopolja Trg kralja Tomislava 1 tel. 6221325 Muzej za umjetnost i obrt Trg maršala Tita 10 tel. 4826922 Stalni postav 'Umjetnost i obrt u Hrvatskoj od gotike do danas'. Muzej je otvoren radnim danima, osim ponedjeljkom, od 10 do 18 sati, a subotom i nedjeljom od 10 do 13 sati. Samoborski muzej Livadićeva 7 tel. 3361014 Stalni postav Stalni postav geološke, arheološke, kulturno-povijesne i etnološke zbirke. Muzej je otvoren od utorka do petka od 10 do 15 sati, subotom i nedjeljom od 10 do 13 sati. Stan arhitekta Viktora Kovačića Masarykova 21 tel. 4855911 Stalni postav Zbirka je otvorena svakog četvrtka od 10 do 17 sati. Tehnički muzej Savska 18 tel. 4844050 Do 26. svibnja - Izložba Beč, arhitektura, urbana zaštita i obnova-sadašnje stanje III. Stalni postav Stalni postav muzeja s odjelima: "Vatrogastvo", "Transformacije energije", "Rudarstvo-geologija-nafta", "Geodetska soba", "Velikani tehnike - kabinet Nikole Tesle", "Osnovi poljodjelstva", "Astronomija - planetarij" "Prometna sredstva". Muzej je otvoren radnim danima, osim ponedjeljkom, od 9 do 17 sati, subotom i nedjeljom od 9 do 13 sati. Tifološki muzej Darškovićeva 80/2 tel. 4811102 Stalni postav Stalni postav iz fundusa muzeja. Muzej je otvoren radnim danom od 9 do 16 sati. Grupne posjete uz prethodnu najavu. Source: Moj HThinet http://moj.hinet.hr/vodici.asp?Grad=1&tip=3 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 18 May 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8466/1/E-Princess-CAROLINE-to-buy-PARADISE-ISLE-in-CROATIA.html  Princess Caroline, pictured above at Monaco's International Flower Show recently, is set to buy a new island retreat in Croatia Caroline and husband Ernst have apparently fallen in love with the area after spending a month cruising the country's coastline last summer 8 MAY 2002 Princess Caroline of Monaco and her husband Prince Ernst of Hanover are about to shell out on a new island retreat in Croatia. The couple apparently plan to buy property on one of the Brijuni Islands, a national park and former holiday getaway of Yugoslavia's former ruler Marshal Tito. Once popular with such Hollywood luminaries as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Croatia returned to favour with the jet set following the end of the Balkans war. Caroline and Ernst seem to have fallen in love with the area after spending a month cruising the country's coastline last summer. Ivana Trump's former husband Riccardo Mazzucchelli has already converted one of the islands into an international resort and the president of Istria, the county in which the pair are set to invest, was ebullient about the effects of the royal decision. "The islands are soon to become one of the world's most famous destinations. A concrete move by Princess Caroline can be expected within the month," he says. © 2001-2002, HELLO! All rights reserved. Disclaimer letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 18 May 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8468/1/E-SAILING-ON-THE-ADRIATIC.html ÂADRIATIC SPECIALSAILINGIf you are thinking about sailing the Adriatic - the best sea in the world, there is limited space still available on the beautiful fully equiped, air-conditioned motor yacht "Romanca". All cabins with private facilities. Ideal for family reunions and small groups.ÂDates available:June 1-8, 2002 (few cabins available)July 6-13, 2002 (available for charter - 10 cabins max.24 pax)July 20-27, 2002 (few cabins available)September 14-21, 2002 (available for charter - 10 cabins max.24 pax)September 21-28, 2002 (available for charter - 10 cabins max.24 pax)Suggested itinerary:Split-Brac-Peljesac-Dubrovnik-Mljet-Korcula-Hvar-SplitCALL TODAY 1-800-262-1728 ext.107 or 120 for prices and availability!Hurry space is selling fast!Space is also available on some sailings on luxury yacht like vessel "Monet".For more info and deck plans visit www.adriatictours.com letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 11 May 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8469/1/E-The-London-Times-up-the-wall-in-Croatia.html The TimesTravelÂApril 27, 2002Emma Haughton and her sons pause for breath during thefamily's tour of Dubrovnik's city walls, one of thehighlights of their holiday in CroatiaÂSending them up the wall in CroatiaDubrovniks views, Cavtats beach and Dalmatianhospitality suit Emma Haughtons childrenSOMETIMES first impressions of a place are misplaced,and so it is with Croatia. Frazzled after flying withour brood of four, I inadvertently step beyond theimmigration checkpoint before being invited and findmyself brought to task by a fierce-looking customsofficial.Â"You vill come back here now," she barks in a tonethat snaps something inside my usual British reserve."I will not be spoken to like that," I say equallyvehemently, not missing the kids' looks of alarm andmy husband Jon's sharp intake of breath. Oh gawd, Irealise the moment it's popped out of my mouth - nowthey're not going to let us into the country.ÂThankfully they do - and very grateful I am too,because Croatia proves to be a real treat. On theshort coach journey from the airport to our hotel, myruffled nerves are quickly soothed by the lush greencoastline, interspersed with peaceful-looking villagesand hemmed with gorgeous bays and a deep blue sea.ÂPomegranate and tangerine trees are fruiting along theside of the road, and flowers are blooming in thehedgerows. It's October, but feels like spring. "Howcome it's still summer here, but it's winter backhome," says Chip, six. "Because they're lucky andwe're not," is all I can think to reply.ÂOur hotel, on the southern edge of the coast, islarge, clean and well equipped. The two good-sizedswimming pools are a stone's throw from the beach andwe spend our first day basking, bathing, thenstrolling the 20 yards or so to a restaurantoverlooking the sea, where we tuck into salads andplates of chips.ÂJon, having refused to pack sunblock on the groundsthat "we couldn't possibly need it at this time ofyear" is forced to eat his words when, later thatevening, we all turn as red as the local roof tiles.ÂThe hotel and the smart little resort of Cavtat nearbyare perfectly placed for trips to Dubrovnik: sittingon the beach we can just make out its fortified wallsa mile or so away across the bay. So it seemsappropriate to make our first visit by boat, and catchone of the regular ferries leaving from outside ourhotel.ÂIt is the ideal way to travel, the sun on our backsand the kids squealing with delight as the boatgathers speed and sprays them with brine. As we closeinto the harbour, we soon see why Dubrovnik isconsidered such a treasure. It is impossiblybeautiful, with its fortified harbour and the Stradun,the grand main street where thousands of feet havepolished the stone pavement to an improbable shine.ÂIt's also tiny, with a population of 30,000 and, likethe rest of Croatia, incredibly cheap. Our kids thinkChristmas has come early as we sit in a posh café inthe main square and indulge in luscious slabs of cake,a mere 40p a slice. "I weally would like to wivehere," mumbles nine-year-old Flan through mouthfuls ofconfectioner's cream.ÂBut to get a real flavour of Dubrovnik, you have torise above it. We drag our protesting brood on aone-mile tour of the city walls. They soon stopcomplaining as we gain height and peer down into thegrid of streets and cobbled passageways that cutbetween whitewashed houses, and into the assortment oflittle courtyard gardens, all lit up with Barbie-pinkbougainvillea.ÂThe highlight of our trip, literally, is the view fromthe dizzying 650ft heights of the Minceta Fortress,where we survey a sea of coral red roofs, spotsomeone's washing hanging from a TV aerial, a catsunning itself on a top storey windowsill, and beyondit all, wonderful views across the bay, the cobaltblue sea blending into the horizon with barely a faultin the blue-grey haze.ÂWe hire a car for a couple of days and drive along thenear empty coastal roads of the southern Dalmatiancoast, past imposing white hills speckled green withscrub and trees. There's a collective frisson as wepass a sign to Mostar; again when we see another forthe main road to Sarajevo.ÂOur curiosity is aroused - the next day we ventureinto neighbouring Bosnia. Our first port of call is asupermarket, from which I can only conclude that theBosnians are extremely fond of Swiss chocolate, thenvisit to Neum, or Bosnia-by-Sea, the only town on thenine-mile stretch of coastline the country lays claimto.ÂIt turns out to be a rather godforsaken and grim bitof land culminating in a car park that looks like itcould well be mined; the surrounding buildings havebullet scars in the walls and I can't help thinkingthe Bosnians got something of a raw deal when it comesto seaside resorts.ÂThen we head inland into the beautiful, fertile andeerily quiet interior, where we perch on a pile ofrocks up in the hills and listen to the sound ofnothing. Passing back across the border, the loneguard and his dog look surprised to see us, but aftera careful check of our boot and passports, they allowus to leave.ÂAnother day we take a boat trip to the Elaphiteislands. The kids discover that by chucking theirlunch over the side of the boat they can attract halfthe marine life in the Adriatic. Word gets aroundalmost instantly, and suddenly we're deluged by aheaving frenzy of bread-crazed fish.ÂOn Kolocep, population just 150, we sit in the littlecafé in the harbour admiring the surrounding islandswith their volcanic looking peaks. "Hope they're notstill active," says Chip, worried.ÂAt Sipan we walk the pretty, woody half-mile to one ofthe few sandy beaches in the region, where Hetty,three, finds a crafted boat made from flotsam anddriftwood, and spends a couple of happy hours bouncingit on the waves.ÂIt's perhaps the most idyllic and relaxing afternoonof the holiday, only slightly marred by my wanderingoff the path on the way back and coming face to facewith a large snake - I run in one direction, the snakeheads off in another, both as terrified as each other.We spend our last evening lounging in one of the caféslining the pretty waterfront at Cavtat, watching thepleasure boats deposit their passengers on thequayside. Suddenly the little resort is invaded by ahigh-spirited and raucous Croatian wedding party.ÂSome 30-odd cars parade up and down the seafront,decked out in white ribbons, their drivers tootingtheir horns and waving before parking in the middle ofthe street, and disgorging their happy revellers intothe nearby church. We follow their lead, and are justwatching the bride and groom emerge as newlyweds whenour eldest two decide to engage in themother-of-all-battles over nothing in particular, andhave to be half-nelsoned into submission.ÂJon and I are pink with mortification, but thecelebrating Croatians seemingly nonchalant. Scarycustoms officials aside, it clearly takes more than acouple of squabbling English kids to ruffle theirfeathers.ÂNeed to knowÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂGetting there: The Rees-Haughtons travelled withHoliday Options (0870-013 0450,www.holidayoptions.co.uk). Seven nights at thethree-star Hotel Albatros in Cavtat costs from £349ppand £315 per child (under 12) based on two sharing,including flights, transfers and half-boardaccommodation. Other operators to Cavtat includeTransun (0870-444 4747, www.transun.co.uk) and Inghams(020-8780 4444, www.inghams.com).ÂReading: Croatia (Lonely Planet £10.99), Croatia(Rough Guides, £9.99).ÂFurther information: Croatian Tourist Office (020-85637979, www.croatia.hr). letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 27 Apr 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8470/1/E-New-Ways-Of-Croatian-Tourism-Promotion.html NEW WAYS OF CROATIAN TOURISM PROMOTION - MULTIMEDIA SIGHTS AND SOUNDSmultimedia CD ROM presents Split in a unique way, combining music, photos, videos, and much more, …Split, CROATIA - March 26th, 2002 - A new multimedia CD ROM "Split - where the time stood still" (www.gideon.hr/split) was presented this week in Split, Croatia. Developed by Gideon Multimedia, this CD ROM uses a rare combination of multimedia CD ROM and audio CD, all in one, in promotion of the ancient Croatian city of Split. It provides all the potential visitors, tourists and guests with an insightful look of city's sights and sounds, past and the present.As the recent studies have shown, people remember 20% of what they hear, 40% of what they see and hear, but 70% of what they see, hear, and do. Accordingly, interactive and multimedia presentations tend to be more effective in tourism promotional efforts.Multimedia CD ROM "Split - where the time stood still" uses interactive, user-friendly interface to present an authentic story of the city of Split, which starts over 1700 years ago. This multimedia story is outlined through the interactive sequence of panoramic photos with a view of 360°, video clips, drawings and more than 250 photographs combined with the authentic music from Split. Interactive map of the city with comprehensive presentation of its most famous sights is an integral part of this multi-lingual (in Croatian, English, German and Italian) multimedia CD ROM. It doesn't require any additional installation to the hard disk, when placed in the CD ROM drive it is activated automatically.ÂThis CD ROM is both a multimedia CD ROM and the audio CD at the same time. In order to hear the 12 traditional songs from Split, CD just needs to be placed in the standard audio CD player.Multimedia CD ROM "Split - where the time stood still" was developed by Gideon Multimedia, a privately owned Croatian-American enterprise specializing in CD-based multimedia presentations and Internet website development. Although active in all industries, Gideon Multimedia has particular expertise in tourism and in industrial presentations. Since its founding, in the April of 2000 it has designed multimedia and Internet presentations for hundreds of clients.For individual and wholesale orders or further information please contact:Vedran Prazenvedran@gideon.hrÂTelephone: +385 21 260 204Fax: +385 21 260 205Gideon LLC - www.gideon.hrÂDubrovacka 33HR - 21000 Split, CROATIA letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 25 Mar 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8471/1/H-HRVATSKA---NAJCISCA-ZEMLJA-SREDOZEMLJA.html ÂHrvatski informativni centar http://www.hic.hr/hrvatski/vijesti/Â12. 02. 2002.ÂÂZeljko Buksa, Vjesnik (www.vjesnik.hr), 12. veljace 2002.ÂÂHRVATSKA - NAJCISCA ZEMLJA SREDOZEMLJA?ÂÂZAGREB, 11. veljace - Nesto ne valja u hrvatskoj turistickoj promidzbi,Âzakljucak je koji se namece vec dulje, a posebno nakon objave rezultataÂstudije koju su izradili znanstvenici s poznatih americkih sveucilisa Yale iÂColumbia po kojima je Hrvatska po cistoci okolisa svrstana na 12. mjesto naÂsvijetu.ÂÂÂMozda je jos vaznije da medju prvih dvadeset zemalja nema nijedneÂsredozemne, pa cak nijedne Hrvatskoj izravno konkurentne turisticke zemlje!ÂZasto je to vazno i sto to ne valja u nasoj turistickoj promidzbi?ÂVazno je zato sto se radi o jos jednoj potvrdi da su, unatoc povremenimÂmanjim ekoloskim incidentima, kakvi su cesti i u drugim zemljama, cistÂokolis i lijepa priroda najveca vrijednost Hrvatske i njena najvecaÂkomparativna prednost u sve ostrijoj borbi za raspodjelu primamljivogÂsvjetskog turistickog kolaca.ÂÂA losa je cinjenica da nadlezni taj podatak nedovoljno koriste u turistickojÂpromidzbi Hrvatske. Jer, sudeci i prema izjavama stranih turista, prednostiÂhrvatskog turizma nisu ni kvaliteta ni cijena usluga nego bas lijepa prirodaÂi cist okolis. Uostalom, to potvrdjuju i odgovori stranaca u anketama oÂmjestu gdje namjeravaju provesti odmor u kojima je stanje okolisa u mjestuÂgdje provode odmor sve presudniji podatak kod izbora kamo otputovati.ÂÂZato ne cudu da se i strani organizatori putovanja zanimaju za stanjeÂokolisa u Hrvatskoj te da inspektori njemackog autokluba ADAC, na primjer,Âkoji ima oko 13 milijuna clanova, ovdje provode ispitivanje kvaliteteÂokolisa.ÂÂUmjesto da isticemo nas cisti okolis u odnosu na nerijetko znatno losijeÂstanje u konkurentskim turistickim zemljama, mi te prednosti koristimoÂprilicno sramezljivo. Umjesto da potencijalne goste bombardiramo sloganima uÂstilu "Hrvatska - najcisca zemlja na Mediteranu", i dalje su naglasci naseÂturisticke promidzbe na vecini onoga sto konkurentske zemlje nerijetko nudeÂkvalitetnije i jeftinije od nas.ÂÂStovise, zahvaljujuci vjestoj stranoj promidzbi, koja se nerijetko uz pomocÂmedija pretvara i u prava podmetanja Hrvatskoj, nasa se glavna prednost uociÂsvake turisticke sezone pokusava pretvoriti u nedostatak. Izmisljaju seÂpodaci o nepostojecoj nuklearki na Jadranu, jatima morskih pasa,Âpreuvelicavaju price o cvjetanju mora ili necem slicnom.ÂÂStoga ce Hrvatskoj jako koristiti povoljni rezultati istrazivanja americkihÂznanstvenika, osobito zato sto su stigli u vrijeme kad se sirom EuropeÂodrzavaju najvazniji turisticki sajmovi i rezerviraju smjestajni kapacitetiÂza ovogodisnju sezonu.ÂÂAli znajuci dosadasnju praksu, pitanje je hocemo li te rezultate iskoristitiÂna pravi nacin. Sumnje su opravdane s obzirom na to da je vijest o 12.Âmjestu Hrvatske na svjetskoj eko-ljestvici u domacim medijima objavljenaÂnekoliko dana prije pocetka turistickog sajma u Ljubljani, ali tamo nijeÂdobila primjerenu prezentaciju u predstavljanju hrvatske turisticke ponude,Âiako je Slovenija jedno od nasih najvaznijih turistickih trzista, a SlovenciÂpuno drze do zastite okolisa. Usto, Slovenija je u studiji americkihÂznanstvenika svrstana znatno iza Hrvatske.ÂÂNa promjene celnike Hrvatske turisticke zajednice nije, koliko je poznato,Âpotaknula ni cinjenica da su Ujedinjeni narodi ovu godinu proglasiliÂMedjunarodnom godinom ekoturizma. U sklopu toga je glavni tajnik SvjetskeÂturisticke organizacije Francesco Frangialli istaknuo da "ekoturizam nikakoÂnije rubna djelatnost niti ga treba dozivljavati kao prolaznu modu, pa cakÂni kao drugorazredni trzisni odjeljak, nego kao jedan od buducih adutaÂturizma". Jedan od glavnih ciljeva Medjunarodne godine ekoturizma jeÂpojacavanje marketinga i promocije ekoloskih ocuvanih odredista i proizvodaÂna medjunarodnim trzistima.ÂÂZato ostaje nada da ce u Hrvatskoj turistickoj zajednici ipak shvatitiÂvaznost cistog okolisa i "ekoloskih cestitki", kakva je nedavno stigla izÂSAD, za turisticku promidzbu pa im barem ubuduce osigurati primjereno mjestoÂu sklopu turistickog predstavljanja Hrvatske.ÂÂZ. B, Vjesnik (www.vjesnik.hr), 12. veljace 2002.ÂÂCISCA PROIZVODNJA SMANJUJE TROSKOVE POSLOVANJA I ZAGADJIVANJE OKOLISAÂÂZAGREB, 11. veljace - U ponedjeljak je u Ministarstvu gospodarstva zapocelaÂprovedba projekta "Uvodjenje strategije cistije proizvodnje u nacionalnoÂgospodarstvo Hrvatske". Projekt zajednicki realiziraju Hrvatski centar zaÂciscu proizvodnju i Norveski nacionalni institut za tehnologiju, uz podrskuÂhrvatskih ministarstava gospodarstva i zastite okolisa.ÂÂSmisao je cisce proizvodnje da se sa sto manje sirovine i energije napraviÂsto vise konacnih proizvoda. Time se uz troskove poslovanja vec na mjestuÂnastanka, a ne na kraju procesa, smanjuje i nastajanje raznih vrsta otpadaÂte emisija stetnih plinova u atmosferu, sto poboljsava konkurentnost tvrtkeÂi zastitu okolisa, objasnio je v.d. ravnatelja Hrvatskog centra za ciscuÂproizvodnju Marijan Host.ÂÂUvodjenje strategije cisce proizvodnje pocelo je u ponedjeljak prvimÂtreningom koji pohadjaju strucnjaci iz 13 domacih tvrtki. Cilj tog projekta,Âkoji s 430.000 eura financira norveska vlada, poticanje je gospodarskogÂrasta uz postivanje pravila odrzivog razvoja, a svrha mu je izgradnjaÂinfrastrukture koja ce osigurati siru primjenu cisce proizvodnje u hrvatskomÂgospodarstvu.ÂÂStrategija cisce proizvodnje trebala bi biti osnova u svim gospodarskimÂstrategijama, a u norveskom je gospodarstvu vec opceprihvacena, istaknuo jeÂotvarajuci prvi trening norveski veleposlanik u Hrvatskoj Knut Toraasen.ÂRijec je o trogodisnjem projektu kojim ce se u tri visemjesecna ciklusaÂinteraktivnih seminara i treninga 80 do 90 domacih strucnjaka obrazovati zaÂciscu proizvodnju. U ostala dva ciklusa, koji ce poceti na jesen ove i uÂproljece naredne godine, sudjelovat ce predstavnici tvrtki iz prehrambeneÂindustrije te iz turizma i drugih usluznih djelatnosti.ÂÂZamjenik ministra zastite okolisa i prostornog uredjenja Roland ZuvanicÂkazao je da su taj projekt uvrstili u prioritetni plan aktivnosti koje suÂproizisle iz Strategije zastite okolisa, a stranim je financijerimaÂpredstavljen na donatorskoj konferenciji odrzanoj lani u rujnu. ZamjenicaÂministra gospodarstva Maja Brinar istaknula je vaznost tog projekta zaÂpoboljsanje konkurentnosti hrvatskog gospodarstva uz istodobnu zastituÂokolisa.ÂÂKao zemlja koja izuzetno brine o zastiti okolisa, Norveska je jos 1990.Âpotaknula pokretanje prvog programa cisce proizvodnje u Poljskoj, aÂfinancijski je pomogla provodjenje slicnih projekata u 20 zemalja u istocnojÂEuropi, Latinskoj Americi i Aziji.ÂÂVecernji list (www.vecernji-list.hr), 12. veljace 2002.ÂÂJUGOISTOCNA EUROPA NAJOCUVANIJI DIO KONTINENTAÂÂZAGREB - U Zelenoj akciji Hrvatske vrlo su zadovoljni kvalitetom prveÂregionalne Konferencije mreze nevladinih udruga za zastitu okolisaÂjugoistocne Europe, sto je proteklog vikenda odrzana u Stubickim Toplicama.ÂTamo su predstavnici Albanije, Rumunjske, Bugarske, BiH, Jugoslavije,ÂMakedonije i Hrvatske raspravljali o Paktu o stabilnosti, Programu zaÂrekonstrukciju i zastitu okolisa i politici EU prema ovom dijelu Europe.ÂZeleni vjeruju da je jugoistocna Europa najocuvaniji dio kontinenta i daÂnakon sukoba u regiji i unistenja teske industrije, gospodarski razvoj trebaÂosigurati bez unistavanja okolisa.ÂÂDistributed by www.CroatianWorld.net. This message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and their Friends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed on this list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient,Âplease delete or destroy all copies of this communication and please, let us know! letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 15 Mar 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8472/1/E-Croatia-THE-NEW-TUSCANY.html ÂWeekend: space: property: THE NEW TUSCANY?: Like it or loathe it, British homebuyers have a hunger to discover uncharted territory. Faith Glasgow talks to two women blazing a trail in DubrovnikÂÂThe Guardian - United Kingdom; Mar 9, 2002ÂBY FAITH GLASGOWÂÂÂMaria Bennett reckons on a door-to-door journey of about four hours to her holiday home. She nips off for long weekends or the occasional week-long break. Last year, she made the trip six times. But this is no cottage in Dorset, no Normandy gite or Algarve villa; it's an 11th-century convent in Dubrovnik, Croatia. To be more precise, Bennett owns a small flat within the convent walls, in the heart of the medieval Old Town. "When communism came to Yugoslavia, a lot of church property was confiscated and used for housing," she explains. That's part of the charm if you're an enterprising romantic, as Bennett, a 34-year-old financial controller, undoubtedly is. She stumbled upon Dubrovnik while visiting friends in Split, the Croatian port - and fell in love with it. "It's like living in a castle," she says. "I wanted to be in the Old Town because I love the atmosphere - the smell of clean laundry, the kids playing on the steps." Her two-bedroom flat is about 50 sq m, and cost pounds 25,000 three years ago. Most properties are sold through newspaper adverts, but she bought through an estate agent - a new and so far unregulated breed that has sprung up since the break-up of Yugoslavia. "To begin with, he tried to sell me his aunt's property and pay the money into a foreign bank account, but once I had a lawyer on board he was fine and showed me genuine properties." Most of the places he took her to see were in the new area by the beach. He found it hard to understand why she wanted to look in the Old Town, where Dubrovnik's older and poorer inhabitants tend to live, and most of the buildings are pretty run down. The flat she finally bought needed pounds 5,000 worth of refurbishment. When Bennett came to look for reliable builders to renovate it, however, she was almost defeated by the inflationary effects of the language barrier. "Workmen would multiply the price by two or three times," she recalls. "I spent 18 months looking for workmen - and that was with Croatian friends to help me. I nearly gave up and sold the flat again, but in the end I found someone through a new local friend I made - a very good man who ran a little team and managed the project in my absence." Language hurdles are shrinking, says Bennett, as many younger Croatians now speak English and might also know some German or Italian. "I always had a friend to help with translation in business meetings, which made things simpler; but it would be easy enough to find a translator." She is now learning Croatian. Is she concerned about a resurgence of political instability? Of course it's a risk, she replies, but Croatia is moving towards EU membership and an element of insecurity is built into property prices. "I only bought what I could afford to lose," she says. "There's no crime here - you pass people in the street at 2am and they just say good evening. I've never lived anywhere else where there wasn't some level of fear. And as a single woman, I have had no hassle from men compared with places like Turkey. The socialist heritage has ensured that women are generally respected as equals." For Bennett, Dubrovnik's culture and historical wealth is another major attraction, but the cramped confines of the Old Town certainly won't suit everyone. Most foreign holiday home buyers - mainly Germans and East Europeans so far - head for the coast. Even in its socialist years, the former Yugoslavian coastline was a popular tourist destination, with up to 10 million holidaymakers a year descending on its beaches and sailing around the myriad little islands sprinkled across the Adriatic. The ethnic conflict of the 1990s put paid to all that, but foreign buyers are creeping back. Frances Gard, a business adviser and keen sailor living in Bristol, intends to be among them in the coming months. "I don't want to buy anywhere that's full of Brits," she says. "I have been to Croatia and enjoyed it, and I made several friends there who said they'll help me when I do buy." Gard is planning to release equity on her UK mortgage to pay for a property, and hopes to cover the additional mortgage costs by renting out her holiday home through her sailing friends. She expects to pay somewhere between pounds 10,000 and pounds 50,000 for a coastal property: "I don't know yet how much I'll have to spend, so I'll get whatever I can afford." For information on buying in Croatia, contact the Croatian Embassy on 020-7387 1790. A list of recommended property lawyers can be obtained from the Consular Department in Zagreb. British Airways flights to Dubrovnik cost pounds 180.ÂÂAll Material Subject to CopyrightÂÂÂDistributed by www.CroatianWorld.net. This message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and their Friends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed on this list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient,Âplease delete or destroy all copies of this communication and please, let us know! letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 12 Mar 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8473/1/E-Through-the-Croatian-Looking-Glass.html ÂÂCruising World magazineÂFebruary 4, 2002ÂThrough the Croatian Looking GlassÂBy Jon EisbergÂÂThe magical commingling of opposites at the heart of this Balkan stateÂhighlights the advantages of a crewed charter in the DalmatianÂarchipelagoÂÂ****************ÂÂ"Meester Jon-would you like some try my cake of cheese?" I was sippingÂan afternoon coffee when Antonela's delightful, lilting voice sang outÂfrom the galley. I'd been gazing across the water at Carmelengo TowerÂand the Romanesque town walls of the medieval island city of Trogir.ÂAntonela completed the picture by setting down her delicious offering,Âstill steaming from the oven, on the cockpit table.ÂÂI was reeling from an early summer flu further enhanced by the longÂovernight flight from the States. Clearly, Antonela was a woman on aÂmission to nurse me back to health, if not to fatten me up a bit. "ItÂsurprises me no you are sick," she lectured. "Forgive me, but you areÂtoo skinny much." Though her English syntax was charmingly convoluted,Âher understanding of how to win the affection of one forever wishingÂto shed 10 pounds couldn't have been clearer.ÂÂI'd found my way to this enchanting setting courtesy of an invitationÂfrom Stardust Platinum Yacht Charters. I was asked to join anÂinternational crew for a week aboard one of the Lagoon 47 catamaransÂthat operate from Stardust Platinum's base near Split, in the centerÂof Croatia's Dalmatian coast. Most Americans wouldn't associate thisÂstretch of the Adriatic with a luxury crewed-charter destination, butÂit's a place that'll quickly shatter preconceived notions and readilyÂcharm the wariest traveler. With the exception of the damage done byÂshelling to the coastal city of Dubrovnik 10 years ago, no physicalÂevidence whatsoever remains that the hostilities with Bosnia andÂHerzegovina ever visited Dalmatia's coast or islands.ÂÂThe Accidental TouristÂI was an unlikely candidate to be charmed by the pampering offered byÂStardust. I'll never be an airport-limousine kind of guy-I'll foreverÂstubbornly schlepp my own bags from long-term parking, thank you-soÂthe notion of a crewed-charter vacation has never held much appeal. IÂsuppose I'd assumed it would be anÂif-it's-Tuesday-this-must-be-Belgium kind of experience.ÂÂThat misconception was dispelled by our captain, Leo Lesvic,Âimmediately after clearing customs in Split. Before I could protest,ÂLeo hoisted my huge duffel from my shoulder as if it were filled withÂdown. Using a phrase I was to hear repeatedly over the next week, heÂsaid, "Nema problema-we are from steel." With a wolfish grin splittingÂhis handsome, sharply featured face, it was impossible not to likeÂLeo-immediately and immensely. It was obvious that we were inÂextremely capable hands on this trip.ÂÂSailing among the hundreds of islands in the Dalmatian archipelagoÂappears deceptively straightforward-the sort of place where anyoneÂcould bareboat with confidence. With predominantly steep-to shorelinesÂand few off-lying hazards, a tidal range between six inches and aÂfoot, a wealth of potential anchorages, and a network of modern,Âstate-sponsored marinas, you could quickly discount the value of localÂknowledge. That notion will be quickly dispelled, however, when youÂlearn that Croatia is a place where the winds have been givenÂmysterious names with few apparent references to the points of theÂcompass. Watching Leo furrow his brow as the forecast spoke of anÂexpected jugo, bura, tremontana, or siroko, we began to get the hintÂthat these winds would possess characteristics above and beyond theÂmere direction of their source. Despite being a devout believer in theÂsort of self-reliance fostered by the long-term-parking option, I wasÂbeginning to feel relieved that Leo would be our "limo driver."ÂÂWind Like WaterfallsÂThe winds with which I'm most familiar blow horizontally. The fearsomeÂbura, however, possesses a significant vertical component that posesÂreal challenges for anyone cruising Croatia's waters. This is a cold,Âkatabatic wind that cascades like a waterfall from the high karstÂvalleys of the Dinaric Alps, spilling out along the coastline andÂDalmatia's rugged islands.ÂÂA local bura can often blow with storm-force ferocity and, like itsÂwilliwaw cousin in the Chilean channels, can instantly turn aÂseemingly protected anchorage into a death trap. One is ill-advised toÂseek shelter overnight where trees lean toward the south, and I pityÂthe bareboat skipper who ventures into these waters unarmed with thisÂsort of information.ÂÂHowever, the most daunting challenge for the first-time, unassistedÂcruiser is effecting the dreaded Mediterranean moor in Croatia'sÂtightly packed harbors. Lying stern to the quay in the center of townÂpresents even the most competent skipper with the fabulous opportunityÂto be humbled in a spectacularly public fashion. And, of course, itÂalso affords the local populace its afternoon amusement. Amid theÂconfusion about whether to lower the anchor or pick up mooring linesÂbeneath the surface-when commands and advice from shore are beingÂshouted in three or four different languages-most sailors quickly findÂcontentment in the knowledge that the charter is crewed and the bossÂcan give as good as he gets in Croatian, German, Italian, English, andÂeven French, should the need arise.ÂÂFor me, however, the most startling crewed-chartering revelation wasÂthe extent to which a dedicated crew can make things happen. WithoutÂLeo's presence and direction, we wouldn't have experienced a fractionÂof what we were able to that week. When not moonlighting as a skipperÂfor Stardust Platinum, he commands the largest vessel in Croatia'sÂmaritime-police force. He's a greatly revered figure along theÂDalmatian coast and islands, and wherever we went, everyone knew Leo,Âand he knew everyone as well. Within minutes of our arrival in aÂharbor, a vehicle would materialize, and we'd be off on a tour of theÂcountryside. Restaurants graciously extended their hours toÂaccommodate our schedule, and everyone we encountered was infected byÂLeo's vitality. The force of his personality, coupled with Antonela'sÂdelicate charm, guaranteed serendipity.ÂÂLast Unspoiled GroundsÂIn Trogir, I met David Gregory, a British ex-pat cruiser who'd spentÂthe last 30 years skippering large yachts based in southern Europe. HeÂreckoned that Croatia is the last unspoiled cruising ground-with farÂand away the most beautiful water-in the Mediterranean. And he wasÂimpressed with this young nation's determination to keep it that way.ÂThere seems to be an awareness that the days of mass tourism areÂnumbered, that travelers are searching for more intimate experiences.ÂCroatia appears determined not to repeat "the Spanish Mistake," forÂexample, where unfettered high-rise development overwhelms localÂinfrastructures, tour buses clog the roads, and so many of theirÂsun-kissed costas have been cast into shadow.ÂÂThere's something special about seeking refuge in a harbor that's beenÂused for similar purposes since 385 B.C. That's when the town ofÂStarigrad was founded by Greek colonists and first given the name ofÂPharos. Well protected at the head of a four-mile-long bay on theÂnorth shore of the island of Hvar, Starigrad has remained an importantÂcenter of the Adriatic as one civilization has succeeded another. LeoÂthought it would be the best spot for riding out an anticipated jugoÂtwo days into our cruise. The jugo is a warm, humid wind from theÂsouth that usually portends wet and stormy weather for a couple ofÂdays.ÂÂAfter a beautiful first day reaching to the outermost island ofÂVis-courtesy of a temperate maestral, or sea breeze-we retreated northÂtowards Starigrad. The jugo is typically slow to build, but by the timeÂwe tacked into the bay of Starigrad, we were experiencing gusts near 40Âknots and boatspeeds nudging the teens. While the Croats have names forÂtheir winds from every quarter, "reefing" apparently doesn't exist inÂtheir vocabulary. Leo is a sailor par excellence, and he gave us oneÂhell of a ride, but had our skipper been born in the American West, he'dÂhave been a rodeo cowboy, for sure.ÂÂHvar is perhaps the best known of all the islands of Dalmatia. CondéÂNast Traveller named it one of the 10 most beautiful islands in theÂworld, but in truth, it's no more splendid than any of a dozen or soÂof its neighbors. The magical port of Hvar represents the best of theÂMediterranean blend of antiquity and the modern sophistication thatÂpervades Croatia's more fashionable destinations. Strolling along theÂquay at this time of year, one is reminded of Saint-Tropez, minus theÂhordes of poseurs.ÂÂSince antiquity, the Adriatic Sea has been the crossroads of much ofÂWestern history, and being there imparts a sense of perspective tooÂoften missing from a week in the tropics. When viewed in the harbor inÂSt. Barts or Antigua, a Perini Navi superyacht can dominate the sceneÂto an extent that distorts one's sense of the place. Moor that sameÂvessel adjacent to the centuries-old fortress in Trogir, however, andÂit begins to seem less significant. The enduring, hand-chiseled laborÂof Dalmatian stonemasons speaks a universal language in praise ofÂpermanence and communal achievement, while the flashy megayacht seemsÂmore like a testament to the transience of fashion and to the obsceneÂdisparity between the haves and the have-nots.ÂÂÂCruising throughout Croatia is also remarkably free of the plantationÂsociety that caters to charter guests in so many popularÂtropical-chartering grounds. We were but a tiny piece of the touristicÂpuzzle being assembled there in the aftermath of the war with BosniaÂin the last decade, and no hint of subservience or pretense was in theÂwarmth we were shown wherever we went. The intense pride CroatiansÂfeel for their country is obvious and unmistakable, and the benevolentÂtreatment we received from total strangers was almost overwhelming inÂits generosity and good faith. A favorite saying along the DalmatianÂcoast is, "You don't have to live, but you have to eat." Thus,Âinevitably, any display of hospitality involved massive quantities ofÂthe delicious local fare.ÂÂSt. Anton's FeastÂOne afternoon, we anchored in a small bay on one of the islands offÂthe southern coast of Vis. While preparing for lunch and a swim inÂwater that appeared to be freshly imported from the Exumas, some localÂfishermen came alongside in their skiff-Leo knew them, of course, asÂhe seems to know every single human residing along the DalmatianÂcoast-and we were immediately invited to join them for a feast calledÂSt. Anton's Day. I never did get the straight scoop on exactly who St.ÂAnton was, but he certainly provided sufficient excuse to party.ÂÂThe gathering of these fishermen and their families was under a smallÂgrove of trees next to an abandoned stone building. An entire lamb wasÂskewered on a long spit, and the men took turns slowly rotating theÂglazed carcass over the fire. The air was filled with smoke, two orÂthree spoken (and occasionally understood) languages, animated andÂwonderfully descriptive hand gestures, and incessant laughter.ÂÂOur banquet was laid out on a crude table, the settings were a mélangeÂof paper, plastic, and Styrofoam, and the deliciously potent localÂwine was dispensed from an old plastic kerosene-storage container. IÂwasn't aware of any flammable aftertaste, and the food and the companyÂcouldn't have been finer. Perhaps this was a departure from theÂtypical afternoon aboard a luxury charter in some more DisneyesqueÂdestination, but much of the privilege of this cruise involved theÂrare and unhindered opportunity to interact with and befriend theÂpopulace.ÂÂEight hours later, we found ourselves in a place as trendy andÂfashionable as our afternoon had been rustic. Along the HvarÂwaterfront, the bar, Carpe Diem, is clearly the place to see-and to beÂseen. The creation of a couple of entrepreneurs from Munich, thisÂplace has an atmosphere second to none, matching anything New York,ÂMiami, or Paris might have to offer. We lounged amid the decorÂimported from Bali, soaking it all up while we could. Two monthsÂhence, in high season, we'd be lucky to get past the velvet rope atÂthe entrance, and our table would likely be occupied by a rock star orÂsupermodel. Such is the curious blend that is modern Croatia.ÂÂIn Eastern-Bloc TimesÂI'd traveled along this coast almost two decades earlier, shortlyÂafter the death of Marshall Tito, the leader of Yugoslavia from 1943Âto 1980. Then, one couldn't help but be struck by the dourness of theÂpeople, the lack of goods, and the overall resignation. It was clearlyÂa population frightfully aware of the risks inherent in stepping outÂof line. Along the major roads, gas stations were always placed inÂpairs, on opposite sides of the road. Often I'd see a long line ofÂvehicles waiting on one side, while the opposite station remainedÂdevoid of cars. While not technically illegal to do so, the notion ofÂmaking a U-turn to pull into the empty station seemed beyond anyone'sÂcapability to imagine.ÂÂIn present-day Croatia, however, all that has changed. One of theÂgreat pleasures of visiting the country today is witnessing the myriadÂways in which its people make the best of the modest resources theyÂpossess. Croatia, as a nation with newfound independence, is very muchÂa work in progress. As confusing as things often appear to be, somehowÂeverything seems to work out in the end, and people often wear manyÂdifferent hats-or uniforms-to ensure this outcome.ÂÂThe morning of our departure from the harbor of Komiza on Vis, weÂdawdled too long for Leo's liking, jeopardizing a visit to the BlueÂCave on the nearby islet of Bisevo. This undersea cave is best visitedÂbefore noon to allow the morning sun to flood it with reflected lightÂfrom below. When it became apparent we wouldn't arrive in time, LeoÂconvinced a few of his fellow policemen to run us out in one of theirÂpatrol boats.ÂÂA handful of seasonal inhabitants operate the low-freeboard launchesÂrequired for passage through the cave's entrance, but none were foundÂso early in the season. Nema problema. One of the officers went below,Âchanged from his uniform into his civilian togs-from law enforcer toÂtour guide. He jumped into the launch, fired up the one-lung engineÂwith an alacrity indicating he'd done it before, and we were off toÂsee the grotto.ÂÂTime and again during our charter we witnessed such cheerfulÂcreativity in dealing with minor obstacles, without a trace of "Hey,Âit's not my job" or without any hesitation to act because of liabilityÂor propriety. Never once did I witness any currency change handsÂduring one of these occurrences, yet it was obvious that bartering wasÂat work here, a tradition of favors and loyalties passed down throughÂthe generations that allowed our transit through this new territory toÂpass without a hitch. With the passage of every day, the list ofÂmarvelous encounters grew longer-happenings we'd never have had on aÂbareboat charter.ÂÂThe Quality of the LightÂAs a photographer, my perception of a place is largely dependent on theÂquality of the light that exists there. With the rugged Dinaric AlpsÂrising so precipitously from the Adriatic, the Dalmatian seaboard is oneÂof the most beautiful coastlines in all of Europe. This spectacularÂgeography seems to create its own weather, and the region is cast in aÂluminescence that's a protean blend of continental and maritime, alpineÂand oceanic.ÂÂThis commingling of opposites is at the heart of Croatia's nature. TheÂBalkans have forever been at the crossroads of East and West,Âantiquity and modernity, Christianity and Islam, tyranny and freedom.ÂThis blend of cultures and ethnicities pervades every aspect of aÂtraveler's experience and provides unexpected delight and surprise atÂalmost every turn. If anything, time spent along the coast and amongÂthe islands of Croatia compels one to reassess his definition of aÂsailing vacation. Spend some time in this wondrous place that isÂCroatia, and you'll learn many lessons about the struggle to achieveÂharmony.ÂÂMy favorite spot during our charter was the harbor town of Komiza onÂVis, the most far-flung of the islands of the Dalmatian archipelago.ÂVis was Tito's stronghold during World War II, and it remained closedÂto foreigners until 1968. A 17th-century Benedictine monastery, setÂamid vineyards and lavender fields, overlooks the town and its harbor.ÂÂAs I drifted off to sleep that night in Komiza, an instrumentalÂquartet played traditional Croatian music in a casual, elegantÂfashion, careful not to overpower any conversation. The happy,Âanimated medley of Croatian, German, Italian, French, English, and whoÂknows what else rose into the fragrant air, mixing like the smoke fromÂso many hand-rolled cigarettes.ÂÂThen this admixture of sound was picked up by the nighttime landÂbreeze-the burin-and blended a bit more before wafting through theÂhatch above my berth. The music was as mellifluous and exotic as anyÂI've ever heard, and it remains an enchanting memory of this place andÂall its intricacy.ÂÂ***************ÂÂA photographer specializing in shooting auto racing, Jon Eisberg livesÂnear Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, where he's sailed since childhood. AÂdelivery captain for a quarter of a century, he sails his own boat,ÂChancy, a Chance 30-30, at every opportunity.ÂÂhttp://www.cruisingworld.com/cw_article.php?articleID=632ÂÂÂÂDistributed by www.CroatianWorld.net. This message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and their Friends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed on this list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient,Âplease delete or destroy all copies of this communication and please, let us know! letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 25 Feb 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8474/1/H-ZADAR-U-PRVOJ-KATEGORIJI-PO-CISTOCI-ZRAKA.html ÂÂLj. I. Balen,Vjesnik (www.vjesnik.hr), 10. veljace 2002.ÂZADAR U PRVOJ KATEGORIJI PO CISTOCI ZRAKAÂÂZADAR, 9. veljace - Prosjecne vrijednosti sumpornog dioksida su izmedju 60 iÂ80 miligrama po metru kubicnom, a vrijednosti ukupnih taloznih cestica neÂprelaze prosjecno sto miligrama. Buduci da je gornja granica oneciscenja 650Âmiligrama, Zadar pripada prvoj kategoriji gradova po cistome zraku, zadnjiÂsu podaci Zavoda za javno zdravstvo. Mjerenje cistoce zraka u Zadru seÂprovodi tek od svibnja prosle godine na trima kontrolnim tockama: na trguÂPetra Zoranica na Poluotoku, kod hotela "Borik" na Puntamiki i u BiogradskojÂulici. To su mjesta pojacanog prometa, pogotovo u ljetnim mjesecima. CistÂzrak Zadrani imaju ponajprije zato sto je industrije vrlo malo ili je gotovoÂi nema. U zimskim mjesecima zrak bi trebao biti vise zagadjen zbog grijanja,Âno gradjani se vecinom griju na struju, sto je dodatni plus cistoci zraka.ÂOsnovni razlog sto se s mjerenjem cistoce zraka zapocelo tek lani bio je uÂtome sto su Zadrani htjeli dokazati da je zrak u gradu iznimno cist, a to jeÂjos jedan motiv turistima za dolazak u Zadar.ÂÂ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ÂNote:ÂThis message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and theirÂFriends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed onÂthis list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the readerÂof this message is not the intended recipient, please delete or destroy allÂcopies of this communication and please, let us know!ÂÂThank you!ÂÂCroatian World Congress H.S.K.ÂNGO Member of the United NationsÂhttp://www.crowc.org letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 19 Feb 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8475/1/E-Croatian-Tourism-Presentation.html ÂÂNenadÂPlease post. With these presentations we are targeting Travel Agents, TourÂOperators, Media and anybody that has an interest in Croatian Tourism. WeÂinvite all pro-active Croatians to help us generate interest among americanÂfriends and bring them to the presentations. Please note: Space is limitedÂand R.S.V.P is a must!ÂThank youÂNiko HazdovacÂCATA coordinatorÂÂI N V I T A T I O NÂÂCNTO - THE CROATIAN NATIONAL TOURIST OFFICE andÂCATA - THE CROATIAN AMERICAN TRAVEL ASSOCIATAIONÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂCordially invites you to a specialÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂCROATIAN TOURISM PRESENTATIONÂÂÂÂÂFeaturing famous folk singers "Klapa MAESTRAL" - DubrovnikÂÂ* LOS ANGELES - FRIDAY, FEB.1st. at 12:00-1:30 PMÂCroatian Cultural CenterÂSeventh & Pacific Ave. SAN PEDRO,CAÂDalmatian style lunch,Croatian wineÂRSVP by Jan.31,2002 - (310) 548-1446Âor e-mail:adriaticsp@aol.comÂÂ*SAN FRANCISCO - MONDAY,FEB.4th at 5:00 - 7:00 PMÂHoliday Inn- Portola Room-Lobby LevelÂ1500 Van Ness Ave., SAN FRANCISCO,CAÂHors d'oeuvresÂRSVP by Feb.1,2002 - (800) CROATIAÂor e-mail:AdriaticSP@aol.comÂÂ* CHICAGO - THURSDAY, FEB.7th. at 5:00 - 7:00 PMÂCroatian ConsulateÂ737 N.Michigan Ave Suite 1030,CHICAGO,ILÂRSVP by Feb.4,2002 - (773)271-1800ÂÂ* NEW YORK - MONDAY, FEB.11th.2002 at 6:00 -8:00 PMÂHotel Millennium Broadway - Metropole Room - 2nd Fl.Â145 W.44th Street., NEW YORK, NYÂWine & CheeseÂRSVP by Feb.8,2002 - 1-800-683-6767ÂÂFor further info call CNTO: 1-800-829-4416ÂÂdistributed by CROWN - www.croatianworld.net - CroWorldNet@aol.comÂNotice: This e-mail and the attachments are confidential information.If youÂare not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are hereby notified thatÂany dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail and the attachmentsÂis strictly prohibited and violators will be held to the fullest possibleÂextent of any applicable laws governing electronic Privacy. If you haveÂreceived this e-mail in error please immediately notify the sender byÂtelephone or e-mail, and permanently delete this e-mail and any attachments. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 29 Jan 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8476/1/My-grandparents-were-born-in-Croatia---planning-a-trip-to-Croatia.html Hello, My name is Gaylene Mihalevich Billington and I am planning a trip to Croatia and was wondering if by chance you would put this information on your site. My grandparents were born and raised in the little village of Fuzine and came to the United States in 1908. My first trip to Croatia was in June 2000 and I can not even begin to tell anyone the feeling that went through me when we landed in Croatia for the first time. This is beautiful country and anyone who likes to travel and see different places then this is one that I would highly recommend.June 1, 2002 to June 15, 2002 - visiting the most beautiful and intersting regions of Croatia including: Zagreb, Opatija, Fuzine, Plitvice, Split, Dubrovnik and more! On June 1 we depart from our home airport, then rendezvous with fellow travelers for our transatlantic flight to Croatia. Currently I have 25 passengers and would love to have 40 for a full bus. If anyone wants to contact me they can by e-mail or phone: mihal@earthlink.net 828-256-8716. My father came from a family of 11 children - 8 boys and 3 girls. All the boys were born first and then the girls and the last little girl was stillborn. To have a family this size was not uncommon back then - but could you imagine now. Anyway, back in 1969 we ask our grandfather to write down all the information he could remember about his life from start to present - and at this time my grandfather was already 86 and lived another 3 years. And so, let me quote some of what my grandfather had to say about his wife: "As to the ccharacter and virtue of my wife, your grandmother, suffice it to say just this: "If there ever was an angel living in this world she was the only one that I know of. She was perfect in everything. Good wife and Mother, and good neighbor and friend with pure heart wishing well to everyone. Ane everyone that met her once respected her as never forgotten friend. And he goes on to say, while our children was all young and small your grandmothers health failed her and her condition was critical. Imagine my feelings fearing of losing her and me be left alone with house full of little children. So her ailment prompted me to seek help which only the Lord God can give. So I fervently prayed of him to spare her life at least until we raise the children and put them on their feet and sure enough God heard my prayers and no sooner than the children was all grown up and able to take care of themselves, she died. And this was the beginning of the end of my earthly life." Can you imagine this kind of love today. Over the years we have had many family reunions, but in 1999 when I was asked to go to Croatia my life changed forever because now I had the opportunity to walk the streets of my ancestors. After making the decision to go I ask the corridinator of the trip for a contact in Croatia that might help me find family. And now I am off and running - if you know what I mean. From the time I started my emailing back and forth with my contact and three weeks - I received and email that said, "BINGO" we found family. And now there is now end. I have wrote a letter about my experience and I would love to share this with anyone that might be interested. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your time.Gaylene Mihalevich Billingtonmihal@earthlink.netdistributed by CROWN - www.croatianworld.net - CroWorldNet@aol.comNotice: This e-mail and the attachments are confidential information.If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail and the attachments is strictly prohibited and violators will be held to the fullest possible extent of any applicable laws governing electronic Privacy. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify the sender by telephone or e-mail, and permanently delete this e-mail and any attachments. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 18 Jan 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8477/1/If-you-visit-Croatia---The-Birmingham-Post---United-Kingdom.html Theme for TodayÂÂThe Birmingham Post - United Kingdom; Dec 13, 2001ÂÂBY JOHN LAMPENÂÂÂIf you visit Croatia, try to see the Plitvice lakes. These are a UNESCO WorldÂHeritage Site, a chain of 16 lakes in a wooded mountain valley, linked byÂthousands of waterfalls. Lime deposits on the bottom give the water anÂastonishing blue, even on cloudy days.ÂÂÂThis is one of the loveliest places in the world. It calms the spirit andÂrefreshes the soul. It is hard to believe that, only a few years ago, warÂcame into this peace. Walking here for many hours, we saw history from aÂdifferent perspective. Human behaviour seemed like the changing weather,Âsometimes unwelcome and even damaging, which the trees and hills endure andÂoutlive.ÂÂÂBrian GallagherÂÂdistributed by CROWN - www.croatianworld.net - CroWorldNet@aol.comÂNotice: This e-mail and the attachments are confidential information.If youÂare not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are hereby notified thatÂany dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail and the attachmentsÂis strictly prohibited and violators will be held to the fullest possibleÂextent of any applicable laws governing electronic Privacy. If you haveÂreceived this e-mail in error please immediately notify the sender byÂtelephone or e-mail, and permanently delete this e-mail and any attachments. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 09 Jan 2002 07:00:00 +0000 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8478/1/E-Budget-Travel-Magazine---799-to-Dubrovnik-including-most-meals-In-2002.html The following exerpt regarding Dubrovnik appears in the current issueÂof Frommer's Budget Travel magazine and may be of interest to others.ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂJoe MisuracÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ***************ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂBeginning in January, Prices for Air-and-Land Packages to FamousÂÂÂÂÂÂEuropean Cities Will Plunge (In Some Cases, to New Lows)ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂby Arthur FrommerÂÂÂÂÂÂÂJust four months from now, starting in January of 2002, the price of aÂÂÂÂÂÂshort European vacation will plunge to levels rarely experienced inÂÂÂÂÂÂtransatlantic travel. Blame it on the economic slowdown, the strongÂÂÂÂÂÂdollar, the remorseless increase in the number of ocean-crossingÂÂÂÂÂÂaircraft--whatever. Seven particular packages are especiallyÂÂÂÂÂÂcompelling, and will sell out fast. If you're to enjoy the bonanza,ÂÂÂÂÂÂyou might consider booking this far ahead.ÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ(7) $799 to Dubrovnik (including most meals). In 2002, there's no needÂÂÂÂÂÂto balk at the Balkans. A gorgeous medieval walled city (and UNESCOÂÂÂÂÂÂworld heritage site) set on one of Southern Europe's loveliestÂÂÂÂÂÂcoastlines, Dubrovnik offers excellent food, mild winter weather,ÂÂÂÂÂÂsuperb sightseeing, and impressive off-season bargains. ThroughoutÂÂÂÂÂÂJanuary, February, and March, you can experience seven nights at theÂÂÂÂÂÂbeachside Hotel Kompas, including daily breakfast and dinner, andÂÂÂÂÂÂtransatlantic flight, for just $799 out of New York. Tour operatorÂÂÂÂÂÂTravel Time (800/354-8728) charges just $100 more for many otherÂÂÂÂÂÂdeparture cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, andÂÂÂÂÂÂChicago. And finally, you can add another week to your Croatian stayÂÂÂÂÂÂfor just $335.ÂÂdistributed by CROWN - www.croatianworld.net - CroWorldNet@aol.comÂNotice: This e-mail and the attachments are confidential information.If youÂare not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are hereby notified thatÂany dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail and the attachmentsÂis strictly prohibited and violators will be held to the fullest possibleÂextent of any applicable laws governing electronic Privacy. If you haveÂreceived this e-mail in error please immediately notify the sender byÂtelephone or e-mail, and permanently delete this e-mail and any attachments. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 06 Jan 2002 07:00:00 +0000