Aqua Therapy in Cavtat

Cavtat and Luka Bay

Many moons ago, I was lucky to have spent a week in Dubrovnik in the off season. It was enchanting and tranquil then. I had a room at the Hilton Imperial with a view of St. Lawrence Fortress (Lovrijenac). The fortress glowed at night and it was magical! But Dubrovnik has changed quite a bit in the intervening years. Current hotel rates there are beyond my budget and the city is crowded with visitors who want to see one of the locations of Game of Thrones. So this time around, I chose to stay in Cavtat (pronounced tsav-tat). It is a small, relaxed village on the Rat peninsula just thirty minutes south of Dubrovnik. It turned out to be a great choice!

Franciscan Monastery and Church of Our Lady of the Snow with

Supetar Island in the distance

Račić Family mausoleum (on the hilltop) and marina

Vlaho Bukovac

Vlaho Bukovac (Biagio Faggioni) is one of the foremost Croatian painters and is considered an early exponent of modern Croatian art. He was born in Cavtat where he spent his early years. He moved to New York to be with his uncle when he was 11 years old and stayed there for four years. He took a a job as a sailor upon his return to his hometown. He later studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris under the tutelage of Alexandre Cabanel. He lived in various cities including San Francisco, California and Zagreb before settling down in Prague where he was appointed assistant professor at the Academy of Fine Arts. He stayed in Prague until his death in 1922. Bonhams sold his painting Une fleur (Reclining Nude) for £100,800 at an auction in London in 2006. See image here: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/14216/lot/33/. You can see a few of his paintings at his home in Cavtat which is now a museum.

Bust of Dr. Franjo Tudman

Dr. Franjo Tudman was the first president of Croatia after it gained its independence from Yugoslavia in 1990.

Church of St. Nicholas

This is a 15th century Catholic Church, rebuilt and restored several times. The steeple is from the 1830s. There are paintings of the four evangelists by Vlaho Bukovac in the Church.

View of Tiha Bay from Setnica Rata Trail on the Rat Peninsula

One of the things I like best about Cavtat are the walking trails and the views of blue sea and sky. You can walk along the seaside promenade to the Mausoleum or enjoy the peace and quiet of Setnica Rata park and trail. There’s also a hiking trail on the Sustjepan peninsula. There are more trails to discover in and around Cavtat.

Rocky shoreline of Cavtat and the turquoise blue waters of Tiha Bay

View of neighboring beaches and resorts on Tiha Bay

No need to worry where to get cash. There are ATM machines everywhere including at the seaside promenade.

Just before sunset is the best time to take a walk on the waterfront. Some of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve witnessed have been in Croatia.

Blue hour

Caught the sun setting from my bedroom window.

How to get there:

Cavtat is 10 minutes from Dubrovnik International airport. I took Uber to my hotel and it was considerably cheaper than taking a taxi. There’s a ferry that goes to Dubrovnik several times daily from Cavtat. There’s also a small bus terminal by the harbor for trips to nearby towns and Dubrovnik.

Where to stay:

Boutique Hotel Villa Pattiera

Trumbićev put 9, Cavtat

https://www.villa-pattiera.hr/

I can’t say enough good things about this boutique hotel. My room was spacious and spotless, the ladies at the reception desk took good care of me, helped me find a tour to Medjugorje and worried about me when I didn’t show up for breakfast on my first morning there. (I had an early morning tour to Montenegro.) The hotel is located across the seaside promenade and is a stone’s throw from restaurants, grocery stores, banks, bus terminal and harbor. And most importantly, the room rate was reasonable. I hope I can stay there again in the near future.

Terrace at Villa Pattiera

Where to eat:

Restaurant Dalmacija

Trumbićhev put 9

Risotto with prawns

Since Cavtat is by the sea, you’ll have a wide selection of seafood on the menu. The fish dishes I tried were fresh, succulent and served with vegetables and bread. The risotto was very good and I wanted to order it again the next day. As you can see, I ate well during my stay.

Sea bass with assorted vegetables

*****

Images by TravelswithCharie

Brașov was once called Stalin City

White Tower Brașov is a city nestled in the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania. Remnants of its medieval fortifications and bastions are added attractions to this buzzing city. The White Tower along with the Black Tower are two of the remaining watchtowers still visible today. During the Communist period, Brașov was called Orasul Stalin or Stalin City after the Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin. Black Church This is such a storied Gothic church which was originally the Catholic Church of St. Mary before it was converted to a Lutheran Church. It was believed to have been affected by fire in 1689 which blackened its exterior walls and roof. But a new 21st century study reveals that this wasn’t the case at all. The only reason for its blackened state according to the study is environmental pollution caused by the industrialization of Brasov in the 19th century. The walls have since been cleaned but there are traces of black spots on the roof. Republicii Street This long pede...

The Gold of Ancestors: Pre-Colonial Philippine Treasures

Openwork basket, Surigao, 10th-13th century What a wonderful surprise this exhibition is! These gold objects, about a thousand of them, add a rich layer to Philippine history. This collection which was found in various sites in the Philippines, date back to the 10th-13th centuries. It demonstrates the well developed culture of pre colonial Philippines which the Spaniard, Antonio Pigafetta, recorded in 1521 when Ferdinand Magellan landed in the islands. A thriving interchange between the Philippines and its Asian neighbors existed prior to the arrival of Magellan as attested by some of these gold accouterments which show for example, images from Hindu mythology. The motifs and curvilinear ornamentation of the openwork basket (shown above) intimate Chinese designs found in their ceramics and textiles. Torso ornament, 10th-13th century Weighing four kilos of gold, this sash is worn across the chest similar to the upavita (sacred thread) style in Hindu culture. This sash w...

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was...

TravelswithCharie

Search This Blog