Day 12: Rural Herzegovina
Today we took the back roads through rural Herzegovina from Mostar to Dubrovnik and caught a few sights along the way.
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Highlights
The visit to Stolac was really eye opening, here are a few highlights of the day:
- It was fascinating to walk among the stećak necropoli in Radimlja. Sanel told us that they were largely undisturbed during the war, as everyone recognizes the cultural heritage associated with them. He also let us know that they were applying for UNESCO status. I hope they get it so the site will be protected. It's hard to believe that some of the tombs were destroyed when the Austro-Hungarian empire built the highway right through the necropolis.
- As we strolled through the town with Sanel, he told us about the work that he does in the community. The area has 90% unemployment which is almost unfathomable to me. But life carries on and people are trying to reinvent a new economy now that all the factories are gone. One of those new economies is Udruženje žena Orhideja, a group of women who make souvenirs and traditional handicrafts from the Herzegovina region.
- It was clear to see that there is money to rebuild in Bosnia-Herzegovina as we stopped in the heart of downtown, near the monument to Croatian soldiers lost in the fighting, new buildings surrounded the intersection and Barbara said that when she first started coming to Stolac four years ago, there was nothing at that intersection.
- The Tvrdoš monastery is a wonderful example of a Serbian Orthodox Monastery and we had the opportunity to speak with one of the monks in the order and ask any questions we wanted. The decorations in all Serbian Orthodox churches are the same so even though the church was reconstructed in the 30's, the decorations had a very pre-Renaissance feel. Attached is a winery with a new wine cellar as well as one that dates to the 15th century.
- A late afternoon arrival in Dubrovnik is the best time to arrive - all of the cruise ship passengers are emptying out of the heart of the old town leaving you with a selection of wonderful restaurants and bars with live music. Pro-Tip: Make a dash for the city bus after arriving in Dubrovnik and you can toast the sunset at the Hole in the Wall bar.
Activity Tracking
Today was a low-key day of strolling the town of Stolac and a ride back into Croatia with a bit of evening exploration in Dubrovnik. It sure looks like I took a lot of steps, but I cheated here with a bit of help from bumpy roads. Sometimes the Fitbit isn't perfect about interpreting flights of stairs vs. bumpy roads, but I figure, either way, I've earned those flights of stairs!
Totals for the day: 17,505 steps and 65 flights of stairs
- A: Tour of Stolac with our local guide, Sanel
- B: Bussing into old town Dubrovnik and wandering the streets
- C: Bus stop walk back to the hotel after dinner
- D: Bumpy roads in Bosnia-Herzegovina mean I get flights of stairs and steps! We did stop and visit the Tvrdos monastery here, but it doesn't account for all these steps and flights of stairs....
Totals for the day: 17,505 steps and 65 flights of stairs
We found our way back to the coast and to enjoy one more delightful day in .....
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