I took a bit of break from shooting since Thanksgiving but today was my day off from work and I wanted to get some last minute shots of the autumn colours before a predicted windstorm was to hit. I usually park at the southern entrance off Finch and Steeles and I did so again today. A very unique looking bridge stands here at the base of a hill.
The Old Bridge
It’s slowly crumbling away and I will be curious to see if the city does anything to save it. It’s a little damp along the trail today but the large puddles don’t stop me from exploring. Reaching a crossroads I hang a right along an old road until I see a trail entrance on the right side taking me down into some tall pines. As I exit the pines I find a small pond perfectly reflecting the trees around it.
Beyond the Reeds
Following the trail I’m taken through a field and back into the forest and finally back out onto the road. Here is what I was looking for. A winding road surrounded by red, orange and yellow leaves. I decided to try out my Redhancer filter that I had bought at a show the week before; it really made those red tones pop just a little more.
The Forest Road
I walked up and down this section of the road a couple of times to get a few different angles. I was sad that this windstorm was coming as I would have liked to visit a couple more times. I’ll just have to remember this spot for next year.
It was another early morning today as my cousins and I hit the road for Bohinj at 6 am. Our first stop was Trojane for some massively huge donuts with marmalade injected in them. Yum! The view from the restaurant was just as spectacular as the donut itself. Of course being sleepy I had left the phone and the camera in the car so no photos of the donut or the view. After half an hour we were back on the road to our next destination – Bohinj. My first introduction to the park was of low lying clouds above a lake surrounded by mountains.
Bohinj Lake
We watched para gliders make their way over the mountains and into the valley next to us. Our plan was to wander halfway down the lake and then head back for lunch. Things did not end up going according to plan instead what actually ended up happening was us hiking around the entire lake – 13.5 km worth of trail.
Canoes at Bohinj
Along the way we found a small town celebrating a festival – specifically a Cow Festival. We didn’t stay long as we were hungry having left our sandwiches in the car so I didn’t find out what actually happens at a cow festival, maybe next time.
Town on Lake Bohinj
Dragging our feet the final few kilometers we finally made it back to the car and were soon on our way to have some pizza before heading to our final destination. We had passed the town of Bled on our way in and I wanted a couple of shots of the town before we went home.
Bled
I was very glad we made some time for this place. Weather was definitely on my side with dramatic clouds above the gorgeous views of the old town set precariously on a cliff. We were getting tired after our long day out and we had a three hour drive back home so we headed back to the car leaving this town unexplored, until next time.
Early morning walks through the towns have been a great way to see all the historical places without all those crowds getting it the way and Zadar was no different. The bell tower of the Cathedral of St Anastasia was the first to open and I, the first one to climb the steps to see the town from above.
Port of Zadar
It was already getting hot out so my trek up the steps was a hot and long one. The views however were just as great as they were from the other bell towers in each town. My next stop was the Church of St. Donat, originally called the Church of Holy Trinity, built in the early 9th century. A completely circular church it upper story held the women’s gallery. The church stands completely empty and for that reason seems much holier than the more ornate ones.
St Donat Women’s Gallery
The church hasn’t been used as a church since 1797 but with its wonderful acoustics I’m told that makes it great for concerts that are often held here. Across the John Paul II square lies the Church of St. Mary. I had hoped to get inside but I found out from the nun that the church isn’t open on Fridays.
Church of St Mary
The church was built for King Koloman in 1066 but has undergone many renovations ending up with the now Renaissance façade. After one last look around it was time to board my bus for Plitvice Lakes. Arriving at the national park about 5pm I checked in at Hotel Jezero, located inside the park, for my one night stay. I was told that if I bought my pass tonight for the park I could get in with the same pass tomorrow at no extra charge. I decided it was a great plan and after dumping my stuff I grabbed my gear and headed down the hill to the entrance of the park. It took awhile to figure out the map but when I did I ended up boarding a boat that took me to the first lake and my first views of its well-known waterfalls.
Gradinsko Lake
There were many little waterfalls as I wandered along the boardwalk of Gradinsko Lake. The above photo had one of my favourite little hidden waterfalls. Every little nook and cranny seemed to have some water rushing out. One never knew what was around the next corner.
Under the Stairs
The nicest surprise was when I turned right along the boardwalk and found this waterfall under the stairs.
Galovacki Buk
Time was running out to catch boat back so I decided to walk along the road to see if I could catch a ride on the park bus. A gentlemen in a tractor stopped and offered to take me right back to my hotel and I took him up on that offer. Apparently I had missed the last bus to the park gate so I was very lucky to have crossed paths with him.
The alarm went off at 6am this morning and I had to press the snooze – the week was starting to catch up on me. As I pressed the button I started thinking about all the things I would be missing if I didn’t get up so up I got. I was very glad I did; the sunrise in Trogir was amazing.
Sunrise in Trogir
Even looking in the opposite direction gave me a pretty good view.
Carmelengo Fortress
I continued to wander the streets as the sun made its way into the sky. As 8am approached I went to the cathedral to climb the bell tower and get some views of the square below.
Clock Tower in John Paul II Square
Although Trogir is a very small island town it ranks up there as one of my favourite to visit in my adventure so far. It was the perfect size if you wanted to slow down and enjoy some good meals and slow walks. It’s packed with many things to see but I had to head to my next stop – Zadar. It was a long drive (where I caught up on a little sleep) and after getting to my apartment I grabbed my camera and walked along the boardwalk.
Zadar Boardwalk
As I walked the sun started going down and I watched its descent while the Sea Organ made beautiful music next to me. The Sea Organ was designed by a local architect named Nikola Basic. It is a system of pipes and whistles that create music when the sea pushes air into them. It is haunting beautiful and one could stay hours enjoying its music.
Sea Organ at Night
The small holes in the boardwalk can be seen in the photo above and stretch along the tops of the steps that lead you into the sea. I decided to check out the rest of the town now that the sun was down and the city lights were on. There were so many lovely places made that much better now that the big ball in the sky was gone for the day.
Land Gate
Zadar is surrounded on three sides by the city walls most of which was built under Venetian rule. The Land Gate (seen above) was built in 1543 and recently renovated in 2011. Above the main doorway resides the Venetian lion. It’s stunning to see in daylight but I find it has much more impact at night.
Waking up early today I wanted to get some photos of the monuments before the tour groups started up. I wanted to get some shots of the Gregorius of Nin statue; I had taken this photo from the back at night in silhouette but thought I would share what the statue looks like in daylight.
Gregorius of Nin
He reminds me of a wizard every time I see him. There is a smaller version of him in Varaždin and remember him from my last visit there almost twenty years ago. Of course, he’s not a wizard but a bishop. Doesn’t look very bishop-like, does he? Walking back through the Golden Gate I proceeded to the Cathedral of St. Dominic to check out it’s interior.
Cathedral of St. Dominic
One problem that I have noticed here is that none of the churches allowed you to take any photographs when inside. I did try to sneak some shots in but it wasn’t really worth it. The Cathedral here in Dicletians palace is one of the smallest in Europe. The photo below is the back of the altar in a small ante-chamber to the main part of the cathedral.
Entrance to Cathedral
The cathedral was originally the mausoleum of Diocletian before being consecrated in the 7th century and has been left undisturbed since except for the addition of the bell tower in the 12-16th centuries. I would love to share how beautiful it is inside but you’ll need to visit it yourself. My next stop on the tour of Dalmatia was Trogir. Only a one hour bus ride from Split this tiny little town packs a punch with all the historical monuments it holds. My first view of the city was the old Land Gate as you cross the bridge.
Trogir Land Gate
I walked along the walls to the western side to meet with someone who would lead me to my abode for the evening. The rental unit was through an adventure company and I ended up with a fantastic room with a small balcony for me to enjoy the sun and views of the old town. After settling in a little and walking over to the market to pick up some fresh figs I decided to get my gear and head out for dinner and some night shots.
Night in Trogir
It was hard to stop shooting but I knew I had to get some sleep as I would again be getting up early to see the sites before it got too busy,
I woke up early today to get some shots of the sights before anyone else was out and about. There was a lot to shoot before the city walls opened so I wandered by the same sites I had checked out last night. First stop was the Church of St. Blaise; it was rebuilt in the 18th century according to its 17th century design. It’s as stunning on the inside as it looks on the outside.
Church of St Blaise
Another place I really wanted to shoot this morning was the Big Fountain of Onofrio, built in 1438-1444 by Onofrio de la Cava who also built the city’s water supply system. Alongside the fountain stands the Church of St. Saviour whose architecture is in the Venetian-Dalmatian style. I didn’t get a chance to see inside this little church but hopefully on my next visit I’ll be able to spend a little more time exploring.
Onofrio Fountain and St Saviour’s Church
At 8 am I was second in line to climb the steps for the top of the city walls. I was told there were over 700 steps along the wall and boy it felt like a lot more. The walls offer amazing views of the town below and the surrounding area.
Dubrovnik Castle
There was so much to see from here that it ended up taking me an hour and a half to walk the entire wall. My walk started out a little cloudy but by the end the sun was shining. Near the Pile gate (where I entered and exited the wall) is a Franciscan Monastery so I decided to check this out quickly before my check out time of 10am. This place has a beautiful cloister and has one of the oldest pharmacies in Europe. Unfortunately no photos can be taken of the pharmacy itself but the cloister was fair game.
Franciscan Monastery Cloister
I quickly made my way back to the apartment to get ready to check out and get to my next destination – Split. I had to take a local bus from Pile gate to the bus station where I picked up the intercity bus to Split – an over four hour drive that would have me crossing the border into Bosnia and Hercegovina before crossing back into Croatia. My apartment was a short walk from the bus station and of course when I got there I found out I was on the third floor. Frane, the owner, was kind enough to help me with my stuff up the stairs ( no elevators in the old town). Once I situated myself and had a short rest I grabbed my camera and off I went into town to see what I could see.
Riva
After a little shooting I stopped for dinner at a little placed called Villa Spiza. A little hole in the wall that took me 30 minutes to find but had the most amazing food; I had mussels and clam risotto. Amazing! After gorging myself on great food with some vino I wandered around town to get some more night shots.
Gregorius Nin
After a couple hours of shooting I decided it was time for bed as I had another early morning ahead of me.
