Moved to WordPress

Hello blog friends! Hope all's well with you.

I moved my blog to WordPress about a year ago.

Feel free to drop by and say hello at https://natalietheexplorer.home.blog/

See you there.

Malta Highlights

Greetings! A friendly reminder that I'm gradually moving from Blogger to WordPress. I plan to blog regularly on WordPress starting July 1. In the interim, I'm redirecting readers from this blog to my new blog location.

If you've been following my blog, thank you. I hope you continue to follow me at my new site.

If you have listed my blog in your blog roll, thank you. Please kindly update it to reflect my new blog location.

I'm sharing the highlights of my trip to Malta earlier this month. I hope to see you there!

What Have You Been Reading?

Greetings! A friendly reminder that I'm gradually moving from Blogger to WordPress. I plan to blog regularly on WordPress starting July 1. In the interim, I'm redirecting readers from this blog to my new blog location.

If you've been following my blog, thank you. I hope you continue to follow me at my new site.

If you have listed my blog in your blog roll, thank you. Please kindly update it to reflect my new blog location.

I'm sharing what I've been reading since January this year. Plenty of good books, various book genres, and many award-winning authors from different countries. I hope to see you there!

Wellness Post #6: Mid-Year Review

Welcome to the 6th Wellness link-up of 2019! I'm in Europe at the moment and have scheduled this post before leaving home. Thank you to Leslie who set up the link-up for us. The optional prompt for June Wellness topic is Mid-Year Review. It gives me the opportunity to review how I'm doing with my goals for 2019 that I set out in January.

GOALS FOR 2019 - MID-YEAR REVIEW

FAMILY & FRIENDS

• Do four fun family outings, tentatively in January, April, July, and August: Four fun outings done and more to come. We did one in January, two in April, and one in May so far. We have a few trips planned for the summer. I'm looking forward to all of them.


• Go on a trip with my sister in March: Done! We went on a guided tour to Croatia and Slovenia and had a wonderful time.


• Visit a cousin who lives abroad, tentatively in June: In progress. I'm visiting my cousin who lives in Munich, Germany this week.


• Get together with my family clan, approximately every two months: In progress. We had one get-together in February. I missed one family event in April as I was out-of-town. I'm looking forward to the next family gathering at the end of June.


• Meet up with my friends as many times as possible throughout the year: So far so good. I had about thirty meet-ups with my friends in the first five months of 2019. I'm expecting more meetings in the summer. I gave myself a bonus point for stepping outside my comfort zone and going to my first blogger date in May!

HEALTH

• Meditate 15 minutes daily: Perfect score so far. This is habitual, relaxing, and short enough that I make time for it every day.


• Find humour to smile or laugh daily: Yes, I feel happy and am grateful for all the good people and things that are present in my life.


• Walk 45 minutes near nature 6x/ week: Perfect score so far. I've been living a car-free lifestyle for many years. I enjoy my outdoor walks and go out in all four seasons.


• Strength workouts 3x/ week: As of June 1, I've got in sixty strength workouts. When I travel and don't have access to a gym, I use my body weight and a resistance band to do strengthening.


• Yoga 2x/ week: As of June 1, I attended thirty seven yoga classes. I've been practicing yoga since the mid-90s so I'm familiar with the poses. When I'm at home, I attend yoga classes. When I travel, I practice the poses myself. It may not be as good as a class but it keeps my mind clear and my body flexible.


• Swim 1x/ week: As of June 1, I completed twenty swimming sessions. When I'm at home, I swim laps every week. When I travel, most of the time, I don't have access to a nice swimming pool so I substitute the activity with a walk or yoga or simple stretches.

LEISURE

• View three art exhibits/ month: So far so good. As of May 31, I've viewed seventeen visual art exhibits. Most of them were in Toronto, and some were abroad such as the Pratneker art exhibit in Ljubljana.


• Blog weekly, except when I travel: As of May 31, I published twenty four blog posts, or about one post per week. I plan to switch from Blogger to WordPress after I return home at the end of June. I did write two short posts on my blog on WordPress to see how they look and to get used to WordPress features. Same blog name, slightly different URL.


• Read three books/ month: Exceeded. As of May 31, I read thirty books, or six books per month. I've been using the proposed categories in the Toronto Public Library 2019 Reading Challenge as a guide to read more widely.


• Listen to three concerts/ month: So far so good. As of May 31, I listened to nineteen concerts. Most of them are classical piano music although there were other types as well (guitar, violin, cello, drums, voice, etc). I plan to attend free outdoor concerts in the summer months.


• Learn French and Spanish, 15 minutes/ day for each language: Yes, no day off so far. The lessons are taking me longer to complete as they get more complex. I just keep working on them. I know my vocabulary has expanded and the words have stayed in my mind as I learn every day.


• Watch three movies/ month: So far so good. As of May 31, I watched twenty movies, most of them at home, and a few were in-flight.


• Travel to explore five new-to-me countries this year: Yes! I visited Guatemala, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and would be in Malta when this post goes live. Each trip has been amazing.


• Try at least one new food dish in each of the countries I visit: Yes! I enjoyed Guatemalan breakfast food which had beans, tortilla chips, fried plantain, egg and sausages, Croatian pasticada with gnocchi in Split, Croatian bureks in Zadar, Slovenian cream cake at Lake Bled, and Slovenian sheep cheese in Ljubljana. I intend to try a local dish while I'm in Malta.

I try to stay fit and make each day as enriching and fulfilling as possible. I plan to continue with the same goals in the next six months, and keep using a simple sheet to track my progress.

In case you missed my previous five Wellness posts, they are as follows:

• January: A Fresh Start 
• February: Icefest 2019 
• March: Ice Breakers 2019 
• April: Healthy Mind 
• May: The B.E.S.T. Care

How are you doing with your goals? I'd love to hear your comments.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

May Wrap-Up

Hello June and goodbye May! May was a good busy month with lots of enjoyable activities. I'm relying on my calendar to keep track of what's coming or going.

For readers who are new to my blog, this is my 5th monthly wrap-up in 2019. My previous wrap-ups in 2019 are here: January, February, March, and April. I plan to write a wrap-up for each month so I can look back and see how well the year has turned out.

MAY 2019

ARTS

For visual arts, I chose to see the Sputnik photo exhibit and two architectural tours that examine the architecture and history of the big banks in the Financial District, and Osgoode Hall, home of the Law Society of Upper Canada. All three events were very interesting and well organized. I may write up a separate post on the last two architectural tours at a later time.

BLOGGING - Quite a few blogging-related events in May.

• I was pleased to finish five posts, especially the three posts about my Croatia adventures along the delightful Dalmatian Coast, the stunning Plitvice Lakes and Istria Peninsula, and Zagreb highlights. It took me a while to decide on which photos to include in the blog posts to hopefully give a sense of the places without overwhelming the readers with photos.
• I had my first blogger meeting with Ann from The Unretired.life blog. Ann was in Toronto for a few days and would like to meet a local blogger. We enjoyed a Thai buffet lunch at Bangkok Garden while talking about blogging, travels, adventures at home and abroad, etc. It was quite fun.
• I played with a free blog template in WordPress to eventually move my blog from Blogger to WordPress. I'm thinking to have a couple more posts on Blogger to wrap up June, and starting from July, I'll be writing my regular posts on WordPress. I'll announce again closer to the date and will keep my Blogger blog open for a while.
• A friendly reminder that the next Wellness Wednesday link-up is on June 12. Optional prompt is Mid-Year Review. Please feel free to join in on the fun. I'll be travelling at that time so I plan to schedule my post in advance.

BOOKS

I read seven very good books written by authors from Australia, Canada, England, Japan, and the USA:

• Boy Swallows Universe, by Trent Dalton, 452 pages.
• What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, by Nathan Englander, 207 pages.
• Ru, by Kim Thúy, translated from French by Sheila Fischman, 143 pages.
• Book Love, a graphic book by Debbie Tung, 140 pages.
• When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi, 228 pages. 
• The Remains of the Day, by Kazuo Ishiguro, 299 pages. 
• Norwegian Wood, by Haruki Murakami, translated from Japanese by Jay Rubin, 296 pages. 

Books read in May 2019

CONCERTS

I attended four classical concerts with a friend. The musicians are all winners at various musical competitions both in Canada and abroad. Each concert ended with standing ovation from the audience.

• Kimberley Jeong, cello and Tristan Savella, piano
• Brian Hsu, piano
• Vlad Solovie, piano
• Dr. Su Jeon Higuera and Jessie J. Lee (piano duo)

From June to September, I plan to attend outdoor concerts to take advantage of the nice weather and warmer temperatures.

FAMILY

We took time out for a nice family getaway on the Victoria Day long weekend. Around mid-May, we celebrated when one nephew bought his first home, and one niece graduated with a Bachelor's degree. We have a few birthdays coming up and relatives visiting us this summer so I'm looking forward to our big family gatherings.

FRIENDS

I met up with my friends seven times for coffee or tea. On one occasion, we tried a new Japanese restaurant named Sushi Inn. The food and service were good so we'll be back.

Sushi lunch

HEALTH

I was at home most of May and was able to complete daily meditation, twenty-nine outdoor walks, thirteen strength workouts in the gym, nine yoga classes, and five swimming sessions.

Walking outdoors in the spring is a joy as I can see flowers everywhere. I hope to add a few bike rides in the next four months while the nice weather is here.

Pretty spring flowers

LEARNING

I continued with my online French and Spanish lessons every day in May. I also started learning more about WordPress (see Blogging above) and about my upcoming travel destinations (see Travel below).

MOVIES

I watched four movies with my neighbours. Coincidentally, Nicole Kidman starred in two of them. We agreed that Aquaman had great visual effects and Matthew McConaughey's character in Serenity was weird! The comedies were just OK.

• Second Act, starring Jennifer Lopez and Vanessa Nudgens.
• Serenity, starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway.
• Aquaman, starring Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, and Willem Dafoe.
• The Upside, starring Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston, and Nicole Kidman.

Movies watched in May 2019

TRAVEL

May felt like t'is the season for trip planning. Where to? I'm going to Malta and Germany in June. I've also booked flights or train tickets, and accommodations for trips to three different Canadian cities (Regina in July, Kingston in August, and Victoria in September). New adventures await!

Overall, May was a splendid month for me. I felt I got a lot done. I look forward to enjoying new adventures in June. It will be quiet on this blog for the next three weeks until I return at the end of June.

By the way, if you'd like to take a quick preview at my blog on WordPress, it's here. Same blog name, slightly different URL. If you see something that doesn't work right, please let me know. I'd love to have you follow my blog on WordPress so I have real data to work with while I'm getting used to WordPress.

How was May for you? What good things happened? I look forward to hearing your comments.

Croatia: Postcard from Zagreb

Greetings! After our adventures along the delightful Dalmatian Coast, and our multiple day trips to see the stunning Plitvice Lakes and Istria Peninsula, my sister and I continued to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.

Today I'm sharing some photos that I took during our walks to explore Zagreb. We happened to be there on Friday and Saturday when the locals were out in full force to enjoy the sunny and warm weather.

We began our first walk at Kaptol Square in Zagreb's Upper Town, dominated by the huge Zagreb Cathedral, with its soaring twin spires, its cobblestone streets, and red tile roofed buildings.

Zagreb Cathedral and surrounding buildings

From the Cathedral, we walked to the large Market with red umbrellas and many stands offering flowers, fruits, veggies, meats, as well as puppet toys, souvenirs, and household items. The streets near the market were packed with restaurants, trendy cafes, and a vibrant shopping scene.

Zagreb Market

From the market, we walked to St. Mark's Church with its brightly coloured roof, Stone Gate (the stone gate into town with a Virgin Mary shrine popular for prayer and candle lighting), Strossmartre Gate, and Lotrscak Tower. This is a large tower with daily cannon blasts and an observation area providing panoramic city views and the view of the funicular.

St. Mark's Church, Stone Gate, Lotrscak Tower

Views of Zagreb and the Funicular

We continued to explore the winding streets of the Old Town and reached Ban Jelacic, the city's main square, accessible only by foot and by tram. It’s a popular meeting spot thanks to the giant statue of Josip Jelačić on his horse that acts as a convenient landmark.

Ban Jelacic, Zagreb's Main Square

For our second walk, we started from the main square, and walked south towards Zagreb Central Train Station and the Botanical Garden in Zagreb's Lower Town. The parks, gardens, and fountains along this stretch are beautiful. On the weekend when we were there, the locals were out to enjoy the green space, outdoor art exhibits, blossoming trees, and sunshine.

Park and Central Station in Zagreb

The main streets in Zagreb's Lower Town form a U-shaped or horseshoe-shaped area with many beautiful and big buildings. It would be time well-spent to explore the history and the architecture here.

Buildings in Zagreb

Building in Zagreb

Zagreb is a charming and pedestrian-friendly city. We enjoyed our walks both in the Upper Town and Lower Town. The weekend was beautiful so even though there was an extensive tram network in Zagreb, we decided to walk and did not use the trams.

This city was our last stop in Croatia, before flying home from Zagreb International Airport. Our time in Croatia was amazing. I hope you've enjoyed visiting (or revisiting) Croatia through my lens.

I'd love to hear your comments.

Croatia: Stunning Plitvice Lakes and Istria Peninsula

Greetings! After our adventures along Croatia's delightful Dalmatian Coast, my sister and I continued with our tour to visit Croatia's Plitvice Lakes National Park and three towns on Croatia's Istria Peninsula (Opatija, Rovinj, and Pula).

We stayed overnight at Plitvice Lakes and spent a full day in Plitvice Lakes National Park. From there we moved on to stay overnight in Opatija, and took day trips from Opatija to Rovinj and Pula. We had a few stunning surprises waiting for us at each of the four locations, shown as blue markers in the map below. Plitvice Lakes National Park is the far right blue marker.

Croatia's Plitvice Lakes and Istria Peninsula

PLITVICE LAKES NATIONAL PARK
 
Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest and largest national park in Croatia. It was designated as a national park in 1949, and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The park is famous for its sixteen turquoise-coloured lakes and numerous smaller lakes, separated by travertine barriers.

Map of Plitvice Lakes National Park

On the day of our visit to Plitvice Lakes National Park, we woke up to an overcast sky and a dusting of fresh snow which melted as the temperature rose. I had read about the Plitvice Lakes and was excited to explore this magnificent natural wonder.

Our tour guide got tickets for the group and walked us through various sections in the park. The park entrance ticket includes a 20-minute ride with the electric boat and a panoramic train as the park is a large area to discover. Raised wooden footpaths zigzag and curve to lead us through this natural beauty.

Wooden path at Plitvice Lakes National Park

Zigzag wooden paths at Plitvice Lakes

The views were spectacular no matter where we looked. The sixteen lakes terrace their way down a hillside, each one connected to the last via cascading waterfalls, caves, springs, and chutes. The highest falls, Veliki Slap, the tallest waterfall in Croatia, tumble some 78m. Altogether, the string of lakes is almost eight km (five miles) long.

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Veliki Slap tall waterfall at 78 m

Waterfalls and chutes at Plitvice Lakes

There are four hiking trails, three caves, and a special beech-fir forest reserve for visitors to explore. I truly enjoyed our visit to Plitvice Lakes National Park. On a sunny day, or in the Fall, I imagine the park and colours of the lakes must be quite stunning.

OPATIJA

Opatija is about two hours drive north west of Plitvice Lakes. It's a charming town located on Croatia's Istria Peninsula, along Adriatic shores near the tip of the Gulf of Kvarner. Opatija has a fascinating cultural blend, Austro-Hungarian, Italian, Yugoslavian, and Croatian, over the centuries. With its close proximity to Italy, many Italians come here for rest and relaxation.

During our stay in Opatija, the sunny skies and warm temperatures returned. We strolled along Opatija's seaside promenade, the Lungo Mare, and soaked in the small city’s ambiance and lovely setting.

Opatija, Croatia

Some of Opatija's landmarks include the Maiden with the Seagull statue, the Boatman statue by the small harbour, Kvarner hotel, and the gardens.

Opatija's landmarks

Opatija Gardens

ROVINJ

From Opatija, we took a day trip to Rovinj, located about an hour drive south west of Opatija. Rovinj delighted us with its stunning sea views, Venetian architecture, and cobbled streets.

Rovinj, Croatia

It was a pleasure to walk and wander the small alleys in and around Rovinj. The houses all seem to exude charms and present numerous photo opportunities.

Sights in Rovinj, Croatia

For a panoramic ocean view, we climbed the stone steps leading to Rovinj's church and walked the pebbled grounds before going towards the market. The local specialities include truffles, sauces, fruit jams and herbs such as lavender.

Sights in Rovinj, Croatia

PULA

From Rovinj, we took a side trip to Pula, about 40 minute drive south of Rovinj. Walking towards Pula's centre, we were delighted to see Pula's remarkably well-preserved Roman amphitheater (or arena), where performances are still held today. It is the 6th largest amphitheater in Europe.

Roman amphitheater in Pula, Croatia

Without any tourist crowd, we were able to spend some time walking around the Roman arena and examining its structure in details. We could see the Adriatic sea through the arena's openings.

Roman arena in Pula, Croatia

Further wanderings let us see more of Pula's interesting and historic landmarks such as the four shown in the photo below the Cathedral (top left), Temple of Augustus (top right), Town Hall (lower right) and Twin Gate (lower left).

Pula's Cathedral, Temple, Town Hall and Twin Gate

Our time in Croatia's Plitvice Lakes National Park, Opatija, Rovinj, and Pula was truly amazing. I hope this post and my selected photos reflect the beauty of these places in Croatia. I plan to have one more post on Zagreb.

Thank you for travelling with me. I'd love to hear your comments.

Croatia: Delightful Dalmatian Coast

Greetings! In March, my sister and I took a guided tour to visit Croatia and Slovenia. Our itinerary included one stop in Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I wrote about our day trip to Mostar here, and our wonderful time in Slovenia here.

While in Croatia, we started from Dubrovnik, travelled north with overnight stays along the Dalmatian Coast, Plitvice Lakes National Park, the Istria Peninsula, and ended with a two-night stay in Zagreb, Croatia's capital, before flying home.

At each location we had about one to two hours of walking with a local guide, followed by free time on our own until we met again to return to our hotel. The old towns are all cobble stoned and the best way to explore them is by walking. One exception is Plitvice Lakes National Park where our tour guide was with us for close to a full day.

We lucked out on at least three things:

1. Our group size was twelve, including my sister and I, even though the tour was advertised with a maximum of twenty-two people. The participants were all Canadians, from various Canadian provinces. Everyone was friendly and prompt, which means no wasted time waiting around at meet-up times.
2. The weather was superb for March, a transition month from winter to spring. We had sunny skies and pleasant temperatures throughout the entire trip, except one overnight stay at Plitvice Lakes National Park. On a couple of days, it felt like summer at 25C (77F).
3. The tour went smoothly from beginning to end. We received all the services as outlined in our tour package. In hindsight, my sister and I both feel that we've got very good value for the 'flash sale' price we paid. In addition, by travelling in shoulder season, we didn't encounter any crowd or long queues at the main sights, or traffic jam on the highways, or delays at border crossings.

I'm sharing my Croatia's Dalmatian Coast highlights in this post and the remaining Croatia highlights in the next post(s). Will you join me on these walks?

DALMATIAN COAST

Croatia's coastline is 1778 km long, with over a thousand islands dotted the Adriatic Sea, waiting to be explored. We flew from Toronto to Dubrovnik and started our guided tour in Dubrovnik. Our Dalmatian Coast adventures included four stops, shown as blue markers in the photo below: Dubrovnik, Split, Trogir, and Zadar. Click to enlarge the pictures.

Dalmatian Coast, Croatia

DUBROVNIK

My first sight of Dubrovnik, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was from a hill top, and it was as beautiful as I imagined it to be. The well-preserved citadel completely encircles the city, with red-tiled roofs within its 800 year-old medieval wall. On a clear and sunny day, Dubrovnik is a jaw-dropping beauty with the blue Adriatic Sea as its background, dotted with a few green islands. 

Before entering Dubrovnik's Old Town, we stopped to take in the views of Fort Bokar and Fort Lovrijenac. Without a doubt, Dubrovnik is Croatia's gem. Its image is on the back of Croatia's 50 Kuna bill (Croatian's currency is the Kuna or HRK).

Dubrovnik: Fort Bokar, Fort Lovrijenac, on 50 HRK bill

We entered Dubrovnik's Old Town from Pile Gate (top left in the photo below). The pristine marble streets in the Old Town are lined with baroque buildings, beautiful Renaissance fountains, and facades. Some of the important landmarks include: Stradun (the main street in Dubrovnik's Old Town), with the Franciscan church and monastery at one end (top right), Sponza Palace at the other end (bottom right), Rector's Palace, and Dubrovnik Cathedral (bottom left). 

Pile Gate, Stradun, Sponza Palace, Dubrovnik Cathedral

We walked along the underpass of the Bell Tower to reach Dubrovnik's Old Port. From here we could see fantastic views of the sea, St. John Fort, and the City Walls. The walk way that hugs the Old Port also has benches for visitors to sit down and enjoy the Adriatic sun and sea.

Dubrovnik's Bell Tower, Old Port, and City Walls

At Dubrovnik's market, we tried a delicious local snack consisting of dried figs, orange rinds, and nuts. Then stopped by the Terrace by the Sea coffee shop by the Old Port for a good cappuccino while soaking in the views.

Dried figs, orange rinds, nuts, and cappuccino

Dubrovnik's main attraction is the City Walls which are approximately 2 km long. With renewed energy after our coffee break, my sister and I decided to climb the narrow streets of the Old Town up to the northern walls for great views, and walked along the perimeter of the Old Town before meeting our group to return to our hotel. It was a gorgeous day in a beautiful city!

SPLIT

Split is Croatia's second largest and lesser known city. It's a town steeped in ancient history preserved over the course of 1700 years by its inhabitants. Emperor Diocletian chose Split as his retirement destination in 305 AD and had a grand palace built here to accommodate his post-imperial court. Today, the ancient Roman palace – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – serves as Split’s vibrant marketplace and its city center. The ancient narrow streets are alive with people, shops, bars, restaurants, and hotels.

Columns at Diocletian Palace, Split, Croatia

 

Church and Statue of Gregory of Nil, Split, Croatia

Split Cathedral, Alley, Theatre, and Fish vendor

Split is also known as the jumping off point for a visit to the magical Mediterranean islands. Unlike Dubrovnik which has unfortunately become full-on touristy, Split is the place to discover real Dalmatian life in an atmospheric setting. On a beautiful sunny day, we strolled Split's seafront promenade which is lined with palm trees. We savoured the views of dramatic coastal mountains and shimmering sea, and mingled with the locals.

Split, Croatia

Split, Croatia

At our tour guide's recommendation, my sister and I ordered traditional Dalmatian pasticada with gnocchi and local wines for dinner. Pasticada is a stewed beef dish slow cooked in special sauce and served with homemade potato gnocchi for special occasions. We quite enjoyed this flavourful dish.

Pasticada with gnocchi in Split, Croatia

TROGIR

Trogir is a medieval town developed in the 13th to the 15th centuries and another UNESCO World Heritage site. It's located about 29km west of Split.

We entered Trogir historic town centre via the Renaissance city gate. Above the gate is a statue of the town's protector, the Blessed Ivan Orsini. Trogir historic town centre is pedestrian-only and is like an outdoor museum. We walked to explore the beautiful facades, elegant churches and palaces, and medieval streets.

Trogir city gate, cathedral, and palace

Trogir waterfront has a wide promenade perfect for walking. At one end is the Kamerlengo fortress which was built in the 14th century and used to be connected to the city walls. From the promenade, one can see the Trogir-Ciovo bridge and many sailboats.

Trogir waterfront

At our tour guide's recommendation, we took a coffee break at Dovani restaurant which has a great pastry selection and coffee bar on the ground floor. The cake and coffee were some of the finest that we've had.

Cake and coffee in Trogir, Croatia

ZADAR

Zadar is a walled Adriatic town like Dubrovnik, with Roman ruins, Venetian architecture, and a rich cultural heritage found on every corner. The city was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2017.

One of the main attractions in Zadar is the Roman Forum, constructed from the 1st century BC until the 3rd century AD. It's the largest forum in Croatia. Here we see St Donatus church (the round pre-Romanesque church in the photo below), St Anastasia's Cathedral (right), column ruins (front), and the Pillar of Shame (left) which was used to punish evildoers during the Middle Ages.

Roman Forum in Zadar, Croatia

Zadar historic centre is pedestrian-only. The streets lead to several beautiful public squares. One of them is the People's Square (top left in photo below).

Public squares and Roman ruins, Zadar, Croatia

Other landmarks shown in the photo below: St Mary's Church and the Benedictine Convent (top left), the ornate, late-Renaissance Land Gate dating from 1543 with a snarling Venetian lion over an effigy of St Chrysogonus on horseback (bottom left), the Captain's Tower and the Square of the Five Wells (bottom right).

St Mary's church, Buildings, Five Wells, Land Gate

Zadar's waterfront is a great spot for strolling and watching the sunset. On the southwestern quay, we sat on the steps to listen to the Sea Organ. It's an urban installation and a musical instrument. Tubing within the stone steps transforms the movement of the waves and the sea breezes into a series of musical chords.

Nearby is the Greeting to the Sun, a remarkable installation made out of 300 photo-sensitive glass plates that absorb daylight and transform into a wondrous light show at night. Both the Sea Organ and the Greeting to the Sun installations are designed by Nicola Basic.

Sea Organ, Greeting to the Sun and Boardwalk

While in Zadar, we tried a popular Croatian snack called Burek at the local Mlinar bakery. Burek is phyllo pastry filled with meat or spinach and cheese or just cheese in spiral shape. It's inexpensive and tasty.

Burek in Croatia

I hope this blog post and my photos reflect how delightful Croatia's Dalmatian Coast is. In my next post(s), I plan to share my highlights of Croatia's Istria Peninsula, Plitvice Lakes National Park, and Zagreb.

Thank you for travelling with me. I'd love to hear your comments.