At one time there was a republic called Yugoslavia, held together under the iron hand of Josip Broz Tito. But after he passed away in May 1980, ethnic, religious and economic conflicts broke this once large country into smaller entities. As of today, 2008, there are six republics, i.e., Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Montenegro. Some of the creation of these republics have been bloody; the secession of Montenegro, on the other hand, was very benign. We had a lecturer one day who claimed the split was even more peaceful than his divorce. And now, on my third visit to this area, in 2013, there is a seventh republic, Kosovo. How they can operate together is a miracle and is usually also far from smooth. Just consider; between these 7 republics they share three religions, Catholic, Orthodox, and Muslim. There are 4 languages, Slovenian, Croatian, Serbian, and Macedonian.  And to make things more interesting they also share two alphabets, Latin and Cyrillic.

    I have been in Croatia three times so far. The first time was in 1957. I was a student with a backpack, the country was still called Yugoslavia, and Tito was is control. I don’t have too many recollections left, except for nice people who were still afraid but yet wanted badly to talk to foreigners about the world outside; crowded trains and buses; the magnificent Dalmatian Coast with the azure waters, and walking on the ramparts of Dubrovnik.

    Croatia is shaped roughly like a C or like the jaws of a crocodile clamping down on Bosnia-Herzegovina. The west or the lower jaw borders the Adriatic Sea. This coastline is the second most visited tourist destination for Europeans. The top part of the beak goes inland. It is separated from the prosperous coast by the Dinaric Alps, and the only reason for a tourist to visit the furthest eastern regions, where unemployment levels are 25-30 %, is by accident, or because he/she is traveling on the Danube. I don’t think you really want to got there as your primary tourist destination.

    Well, in 2008 we were on a riverboat trip on the Danube, so we were bussed to look at the area. The local guides were profuse in their gratitude for having us visit them. It is not often that the locals cast us in the role of saviors. I suppose it was better than being seen in the opposite mold.

    Our last visit was in April of 2013, we traveled mostly along the Dalmation Coast. This chapter is a blend of the last two visits, but still mostly about what we saw on our second visit.