Monthly Archives: May 2016

“Rising dramatically from the Adriatic as though being pulled up to heaven by its grand bell tower, Rovinj is a welcoming Old World oasis in a sea of tourist kitsch. Among the villages of Croatia’s coast, there’s something particularly romantic … Continue reading →

“Diocletian’s palace is the retirement fortress of  the matyr-generating tyrant, who ruled the Roman Empire for a very long time, 20 years. He was a dastardly kind of guy when it came to the Christians who were, after all, only … Continue reading →

“Plitvice Lakes National Park in northern Croatia is a series of 16 naturally terraced lakes, an upper series and those referred to as the lower lakes, which form numerous waterfalls as they spill down, one into the other. One walks … Continue reading →

“Amen!”    

 Joze Plečnik left a lasting mark on three Central European cities: Vienna, Prague, and Ljubljana. Upon returning to Ljubljana from Vienna in 1921, Plečnik accepted the post of professor at the newly established University of Ljubljana and focused all his … Continue reading →

“Metelkova Mesto – one the largest, and arguably most successful, urban squats in Europe. Sprawled across 12,500 sq m of an abandoned army base, the self-proclaimed city has become the leading centre of underground music and art in the region. Vivid, … Continue reading →

“A pleasant peruse through Ljubljana’s Central Market is just as much of an obligation for visitors as that imposing castle up on the hill. Infused with colour and fascinating smells, not to mention fabulous architecture in the case of Plecnik’s collonade, … Continue reading →

 “To gain an idea of how wealthy some Triestini became, visit the Museo Revoltella, the former 19th-century palazzo of Pasquale Revoltella, a whizz-kid financier who, amongst other things, put money into the Suez Canal. His art collection forms the basis … Continue reading →

“Half of the city was built under Austro-Hungarian dominion, so there is present a very large number of avenues and palaces that resemble Vienna. The most present architecture styles are Neoclassical, Art Nouveau, Eclectic, Liberty and Baroque (with, unfortunately, a smattering of fascist brutalistic buildings from the still-simmering Mussolini era). Imagine what … Continue reading →

” Gone are the working-man dive bars where Joyce would binge drink and ponder his literary hardship. Gone are the pharmacies that would dole out cocaine and heroine like Tylenol. Gone are the dank bordellos and painted whores of the old … Continue reading →