As usual, we're up before the rooster crow...........not that I can hear a rooster here, but millions of pigeons that cooing and seagulls laughing. It's ok because it's too hot to sleep anyway.

Last night Mom decided it is time to head North to a cooler climate because it is getting way too hot to go sightseeing here now

It's a midsummer (solstice day) celebration in Sweden now and I wish all my Swedish friends a happy weekend.

Yesterday we took an early bus into the old town of Dubrovnik and I had to sit in a bag because no dogs on buses here.

I know how to keep quiet and hide so I'm ok with it, but Mom is surprised at how many places do not allow dogs here. 

In some places, like in this Game of Thrones shop everybody loved me and put me in their best seat 

they did have a scary dragon in there too

Dubrovnik is a fascinating city the narrow streets and small squares nestled within the city walls are alive with shops selling local goods, bars with live music entertainment, historical churches, and monasteries.

As soon as we entered through the  Pile Gate there was a large rounded polygonal shape structure with a cupola and 16 water taps. This is the well-known Onofrio Fountain designed in 1438 by the prominent Italian architect Onofrio di Giordano della Cava. He was an Italian architect from Napoli who got a job in the town to design the Towns waterworks and fountains. In the period from 1435 to 1442, he also designed and constructed a 12 km long water supply system that brought water from the Knežica spring, Šumet River in Rijeka Dubrovacka to the Old Town. The waterworks were in use by the end of the 19th century.

The fountain is embellished by 16 stone carved masks and a statue of a dog that adorns the top walls of the fountain. Locally called “kuchak” aka fountain dog,  the replica of the dog statue was reinstalled in 2016 as it was badly damaged. The whole fountain was badly damaged by the earthquake in 1667 and rebuild since.

In 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence, Dubrovnik was besieged by the Yugoslav People's Army for seven months and suffered significant damage from shelling. After undergoing repair and restoration works in the 1990s and early 2000s, it re-emerged as one of the Mediterranean's top tourist destinations, as well as a popular filming location. According to Statista, Dubrovnik is the most 'over-touristed' destination in Europe, with 36 tourists on one local resident

There's a discussion about limiting visitors to 8000 a day and charging people who don't stay inside the walls a fee, and 

forbid pulling your luggage since the wheels make a lot of noise on the streets.

We walked through to the big gate before 8 am so there wasn't a crowd yet, but by the time we left, you could hardly move on these streets. I got to wear my service vest but that didn't seem to make much of a difference here.

Under communism, Dubrovnik became part of SR Croatia within SFR Yugoslavia. After World War II, the city started to attract crowds of tourists–even more after 1979, when the city joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The growth of tourism also led to the decision to demilitarise the Dubrovnik Old Town. The income from tourism was pivotal in the post-war development of the city, including its airport. The Dubrovnik Summer Festival was founded in 1950. The Adriatic Highway was opened in 1965 after a decade of work, connecting Dubrovnik with Rijeka along the whole coastline, and giving a boost to the tourist development of the Croatian Riviera. 

It is a beautiful road with many many turns and steep cliffs

this is before the selling of boat tickets starts, and nope, I'm not allowed on a boat either?

Following the end of the war, damage caused by the shelling of the Old Town was repaired. Adhering to UNESCO guidelines, repairs were performed in the original style. Most of the reconstruction work was done between 1995 and 1999. The inflicted damage can be seen on a chart near the city gate, showing all artillery hits during the siege, and is clearly visible from high points around the city in the form of the more brightly colored new roofs.

We met Ivan who had an electric "Rolls Royce" who took us up to the top of the mountain. (I wasn't allowed on the gondola to get up there either)

Ivan was born here and was in kindergarten during the war and told me it was scary but as a child, he didn't know any other way of life. He drove us back to our campsite which we both were very grateful for. 

Ivan asked Mom if she wanted to go bungy jumping from the bridge, he knew the guys who arranged that. I could tell Mom thought about it for a moment, but this is where I put my paw down to a firm NO

You see that little spider thing hanging from a thread? and Mom had to THINK about it?

This is Orlando, and he is a well-known monument situated in the very heart of the old town right in front of St. Blaise's church. The column, erected in 1418, and according to the legend, helped the people of old Dubrovnik (Ragusa) to defeat invaders in the middle ages and therefore helped Dubrovnik to remain a free trade city-state.

 Orlando’s forearm, 51.25 centimeters long was also at the time the standard Dubrovnik measurement for fabric where local merchants were measuring, cutting, and selling fabric. Looks like he's getting a makeover now

The steep stairs are all around this fort so we think only the strongest of young athletes can live here but this little man seems to be doing ok living here.

I think this guy must have had a cold since he rubbed his nose raw 

Games of Thrones has been recorded here and I suppose Mom will have to watch that when we get back home

So many cats everywhere and they aren't super friendly but still they didn't hiss at me. I miss Lilly

Amazing how beautiful flowers can grow everywhere 

and orange trees

This man was feeding pigeons from his window on the top floor. I bet a lot of people would be upset about it, because there was a lot of pigeon poop on the steps

Is this lady strangeling a sheep or what?

This fountain was located in the shade where we sat and rested for a while away from most of the hustle and bustle,

and where I could find a green patch to relieve myself.

Well, Dubrovnik is the most interesting place we've seen so far and I'm sure there's plenty more but the heat is getting to both of us, So soon we'll start our journey north.

Happy Solstice from us 

and many wet kisses from me

Henry

Early this morning Mom packed up everything before anyone else was awake ready to leave and make it to Dubrovnik before the only camping there fills up. As it turned out there was plenty of space, and we arrived early and set up Lucy so we could rest. Mom didn't sleep very well last night I guess too much on her mind.

The drive getting here was gorgeous, but again many sharp curves and narrow passes without many places to pull over to take pictures. Mom gets annoyed because she says it's hard to take in all the beauty since she has to keep a keen eye on the road.

We are passing all these little villages nestled on the mountainside. Mom thinks the people here must have the strongest legs on earth since everywhere we go there are steep steps or roads.

Getting closer to Dubrovnik we see these giant cruise ships puffing out smoke for hours?  Much much more than Lilly does.

Our new British friends came here too, which made us both very happy, it's nice to have someone to have a chat and a beer with sometimes. They had noticed this sign and thought of me ............I like it a lot

There are many stands that sell gelato here and this Pistachio flavored one was delicious

So many yacht sailing on the gorgeous waters 

We had to get through town to get to the campsite and it was very crowded,

Arriving at Solitudo Sunny Camping I tried to make friends with this cute kitten, she was curious and didn't hiss at me, but I lost interest pretty quickly. She sure was cute though

After a homecooked meal and a walk, we are now ready for bed because we're getting up really early to see the town before the crowds and the heat.

To be continued.

Wet kisses Henry

Mom just got back from a swim and I told her "Enough procrastination of my story" so here it goes

We are very close to the Bosnia border and the closest town is named Ston.

 With the end of communism, Yugoslavia broke up into a bunch of independent nations, namely Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. Bosnia and Herzegovina retained its only access to the Adriatic Sea through the Neum corridor, which is 20 miles of coastline, and the newly independent Croatia was now split in two.

Croatia was left with an exclave surrounding Dubrovnik, and this caused some headaches for tourists wishing to visit this stunningly beautiful coastal city. To get to Dubrovnik, tourists have to cross two international borders and go through two customs checks and the associated security arrangements causing a lot of unwanted delays.

So Croatia built a bridge stretching over 2 kilometers, the bridge was funded by the EU and built by a Chinese firm. 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

   

Thursday morning it was time to leave this relaxing place and move on, and Mom decided we should drive along the coast because it's beautiful she said.

This looks quite exciting, doesn't it?

And yes it was beautiful but so many sharp curves that sometimes I think I saw Lucy's behind. Up and down and around the mountains and like that wasn't enough the wind was brutal and grabbed Lucy and kept trying to blow her off the road. I could tell Mom was concentrating on keeping Lucy on the road so she had to stop occasionally to admire the views.

I didn't want to go outside, but Mom made me, she said I had to take a whiz. I said If I can fly over the Atlantic without going so I can wait now too.

Can't she tell I'm holding on for dear life to the ground? Mom laughed  and took pictures, which wasn't nice

But then she carried me back to safety in Lucy, and she needed to use all her strength to shut the door.

The area where some of the strongest bora winds occur is the Velebit mountain range in Croatia. This seaside mountain chain, spanning 145 km, represents a vast weather and climatic divide between the sharp continental climate of the interior, characterized by significant day/night temperature differences throughout the year, and the Adriatic coast, with a Mediterranean climate. The bora occurs because these two divided weather systems meet and tend to equalize over the mountain range. 

After hours of driving, we happened to see this sign, so we had to stop.

Roads here are quite narrow so Lucy didn't fit in the parking space without having her rear sticking out, so the lady in the restaurant came out to help Mom park more on an angle which Mom tried to avoid since that meant we took up more than one spot, but that was ok lady said

Near the towns of Senj, and the southern portal of the Sveti Rok Tunnel in Croatia, it can reach speeds of up to 220 km/h. On 21 December 1998, the speed of a gust on the Maslenica Bridge (north of Zadar) was measured at a record speed of 69 m/s or 248 km/h

Mom needed a break from driving so we had lunch and relaxed for a bit

Mom had spaghetti and I'm an expert on how to eat them 

A little kitten saw me doing it so she came and wanted to try too 

She was a quick study and ate a few under my careful watch

After this stop, we continued on to Zadar where the famous sea organ is located............we did go to see it, but it was very disappointing, it made the same sound as when you blow in an empty bottle. and that was IT. This boat? or submarine? comes by to watch this? we weren't amused so we moved on

Many beautiful boats were anchored at the dock 

Many of the houses reminded us of the communist era, and that felt depressing

we walked through the old town and it looked similar to some other old towns in Croatia.

And yes Mom respected this sign so we didn't look inside, There was no sign about dogs though? like every other church we had seen.

Ladies are selling their crocheted items by the church wall

Dogs that didn't seem to have an owner came to greet me, but I guess they didn't like me, because they quickly moved on.

This town wasn't all that interesting so we rested for a while and had a drink. (no beer for Mom since she's still driving) but why didn't I get one, I said? 

Because codrivers can't drink either Mom says......

We left this town and continued on south, but this time Mom chose the highway so we'll get to the next destination faster.

As usual, when we are on highways Mom gets sleepy really fast so when we saw this bridge she pulled into the rest stop.

Sibenik Bridge 

It’s an arch bridge across the Krka River. The bridge is 391 meters long (669 feet) and is 65 meters high (213 feet).

It turned out to be a wonderful place to spend the night (for free) and there was a coffee shop that opened at 6 AM so we had a croissant for breakfast. (Mom is missing her rolls with cheese in the morning, but the cheese here is like plastic)

We watched a gorgeous sundown and had a peaceful night, maybe because this lady was watching over us?

It's now 6 am on Sunday. The WiFi slowed down to less speed than a snail has, so Mom lost patience to finish my story last night. 
We are now in a wonderful place close to Trogir and yesterday we took a water taxi into town and it was amazing according to Mom. For me, it's getting too hot and the tourists are invading every possible space here on the coast so I think Mom is replanning our route? 

We met a very nice  British couple in the town we were in before and they came here too so we had dinner together.

I don't know today's plans, but I did hear something about a boat ride? 

Mom went swimming yesterday and I think she may want to do that again at the blue lagoon. Fine! as long as she doesn't decide to get me in the water too. It's enough that I had to take a shower this morning. Mom said I was very dirty and there are a lot of prickly seeds, known as burrs or stickers, that latch on and become entangled in my hair, and If left they can cause irritation, pain, and infection and Mom is constantly picking them off me. When they stick to my toes I try to get them off myself, and according to Mom that leaves an even more difficult task to get them off.

Right now I'm taking a nap and hoping Mom will catch up on yesterday too.

Wet kisses to yall

Henry

It's Tuesday night at 10 pm and we're staying in a little fishing village named Senj. This is our second night here and from what I hear it sounds like we'll be here yet another night. Sounds good to me because this is a great place. Friendly people good restaurant gorgeous sunset, what else do we need asks Mom. Not much I say I'm mostly off-lead and ever so often I venture into the kitchen. Another dog lives there but he's ok with me visiting.

I do not like water that moves so I wasn't very happy when Mom made me wash my feet in it. I told her she can go, but no it was too cold for her feet.

Talk about feet, Mom has a very funny-looking toe now, and she blames it on her flip-flops from that day we walked so far. It's presently being healed with saltwater and beer.

A campers pedicure. 

Mom is dead tired now, so I'll continue this story in the morning.

Good night Henry  

WEDNESDAY MORNING 10AM

There's something very special to be parked right on the edge of the Adriatic Sea going to bed with windows open feeling the breeze listening to the seagulls and the waves breaking on the stonewall just outside the window.

That's Mom's thoughts about where we are now. I like it very much too but most for the close proximity to the restaurant.

 and they have great beer.

I take it for granted everybody is willing to share their beer, This almost cost Mom a pint hahahaha 

We are in a small town named Senj, it's a city that is more than 3000 years old and is one of the oldest cities in the northern Adriatic. Located by the sea, at the foot of the mountain of Kapela and Velebit which is the biggest mountain in Croatia.

We just happened to find this town and it's so relaxing away from the big city hustle and bustle.

This region was used to cross from the inland to the coastal area since ancient times. Greek and Roman geographers, as well as historians, mention a port named Senia where Senj stands today.

  History enthusiasts can visit the historic sights of the fortress Nehaj which is a medieval fortress from the 16th century, a symbol of the town of Senj.

We aren't going up there Mom said and she blamed it on her toe 

We did walk around in town which is built on a steep hill and has many narrow cobblestone streets 

In the fall of 1943, during WW II when Fascist Italy capitulated, the Partisans took control of Senj and used it as a supply port. Subsequently, the Luftwaffe started bombarding the town. By the end of the year they had demolished over half of the buildings in town and inflicted heavy civilian casualties.

Modern Senj is a seaside tourist town. Primary industries are fishing, boating, and tourism. The population in settlement of Senj had 4,810 inhabitants.

This is a very common sight here, especially in the mornings, a bunch of men getting together having their morning coffee, and smoke

Fishermen statue 

Back with Lucy, it was time to rest that toe 

In the evening we decided to try the restaurant and I'm always cool with that BUT TAKE A LOOK AT THIS !!!!!

And what the heck is this? where's the beef? 

SERIOUSLY Mom !!!!! What am I supposed to eat?

I did not get a taste of those scallops, Mom sucked up every single drop of that, but I did get to taste the squid and it wasn't bad at all, it had the same consistency as some of my chew toys.

In the evening people like to sit on the wall by the water and drink beer (a lot of it) and this time as I'm trying out last night's stunt, a lady gave me my own bowl

Well, it looks like we're staying here a third night.

Lazy days doing nothing is a little unusual when it comes to Mom but I'm perfectly fine with it. The water is too cold for Mom and I'm scared of it so there will be no swimming today we'll just lay around looking at the water meeting the mountain and a blue sky.

The temperature has not gone over the 80ies yet and its much cooler at night, in other words, perfect weather

Wet kisses to yaall

Henry

On the way to Pula Mom had plans to stop in Trieste a deep-water port, which is a maritime gateway for northern Italy, Germany, Austria, and Central Europe It is considered the end point of the maritime Silk Road.

Unity of Italy Square is the main square in Trieste.Located at the foot of the hill with the castle of San Giusto the square faces the Adriatic Sea. It is often said to be Europe's largest square located next to the sea. The square was built during the period when Trieste was the most important seaport of the Austrian Hungarian Empire and includes the city's municipal buildings and other important palaces.

The entire city was packed with people and cars. There seem to be no rules at all for the thousands of scooters that speed around you like angry bees, nowhere could we find parking so this picture is taken from Lucy's window as we passed by and continued on directly to Pula. 

A lady on the back of a scooter gave Mom the finger so I gave her a pfrrrffftt 

If they drive so close to Lucy as they do Mom can't see them in her mirrors...............so there

Istria County is the westernmost county of Croatia which includes the biggest part of the Istrian peninsula (2,820 km2 out of 3,160 km2, or 89%). Administrative centers in the county are Pazin, Pula, and Poreč. Istria County has the largest Italian-speaking population in Croatia.

The Pula Arena is a Roman amphitheater located in Pula. It is the only remaining Roman amphitheater to have four side towers entirely preserved. It was constructed between 27 BC and AD 68 and is among the world's six largest surviving Roman arenas.The arena is also the country's best-preserved ancient monument

The arena had a total of 15 gates. A series of underground passageways were built underneath the arena along the main axis from which animals, Ludi scenes, and fighters could be released; stores and shops were located under the raked seating. The amphitheater was part of the circuit of the gladiators

Ludi (Latin plural) were public games held for the benefit and entertainment of the Roman people

The amphitheater was first built in timber during the reign of Augustus (2–14 AD). It was replaced by a small stone amphitheater during the reign of Emperor Claudius. In 79 AD it was enlarged to accommodate gladiator fights by Vespasian and to be completed in 81 AD under emperor Titus. This was confirmed by the discovery of a Vespasian coin in the malting.

The axes of the elliptical amphitheater are 132.45 and 105.10 m (434.5 and 344.8 ft) long, and the walls stand 32.45 m (106.5 ft) high. It could accommodate 23,000 spectators and had forty steps divided into two. The seats rest directly on the sloping ground; The field for the games, the proper arena, measured 67.95 by 41.65 m (222.9 by 136.6 ft). The field was separated from the public by iron gates.

The amphitheater remained in use until the 5th century when Emperor Honorius prohibited gladiatorial combats. It was not until 681 that combat between convicts, particularly those sentenced to death, and wild animals was forbidden. In the 5th century, the amphitheater began to see its stone plundered by the local populace. By the 13th century, the patriarch of Aquileia forbade further removal from the Arena
The exterior wall is constructed in limestone. The part facing the sea consists of three stories, while the other part has only two stories since it was built on a slope. The maximum height of the exterior wall is 29.40 m (96.5 ft). The first two floors have each 72 arches, while the top floor consists of 64 rectangular openings.

Here's a ballerina on a photo shoot with her Dad

Each of the four towers had two cisterns filled with perfumed water that fed a fountain or could be sprinkled on the spectators. The amphitheater could be covered with velaria (large sails), protecting the spectators from sun or rain.. Below the arena was a system of canals that collected rainwater and effluent and drained into the sea.

flowers can grow in almost any environment

This is a very interesting city and very old. We walked up and down these cobblestone streets amazed at how ancient everything is, and it's still here for us to see.

Not sure how to interpret this picture we saw in a gallery? is it mocking the British King? or is it an Andy Warhol copy attempt?

We passed this store but didn't go in, the sweet smell of sugar was enough to turn Mom off  

After so much walking it was time to get something to eat, so we stopped at this restaurant Mom ordered a tuna salad but due to a language mishap, she got a tuna steak. It was a very good steak but too much food so I ate a lot of it.

After a long rest, we continued on 

Fronted by a high porch supported by six Corinthian columns, this small but perfectly proportioned temple was built sometime between 2 BC and AD 14. It survived the Christian era by being converted into a church, only for it to be destroyed by a bomb in 1944. The subsequent stone-by-stone reconstruction has brought it back to something closely approaching its former glory, and it now houses a small archaeological display.

those pillars are broken everywhere and to me, it looks like pieces can come falling down any minute...........

Fort Bourguignon is one of many fortresses in Pula that were built by the Austrian Empire in the second half of the 19th century. It was a steep cobblestone street to climb, and again Mom was huffing and puffing to get there, but after that giant lunch it was a good idea to work some of it off,

From up here we got a pretty good view over the entire town.

It is not known when the fortress stopped being used as a fortification, but it was used during the Third Italian War of Independence in 1866. Soon afterward, it was considered non-operational, but the damage on the roof shows that it was used during the First World War as an army shelter. In the 1970s, the protective channel was half-filled with trash. Ten years later a group of young activists turned the fort into one of the two most popular places for rave parties on the southern Adriatic coast.

So much walking and so much to see, 

Josip Broz, commonly known as Tito, was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and politician who served in various positions of national leadership from 1943 until his death in 1980.

He was the leader during World War II. He fought Nazi occupation, made Yugoslavia independent from the Soviet Union in 1948, and served as President until 1980."

Sitting in a park resting and letting me take a whizz (I never go on sidewalks, I need grass).

A man putting lotion on his (presumably) wife with such concentration is a sweet picture.

This guy looks like he'll be the life of the party 

 

We had great weather all day but Mom wasn't looking forward to getting back to camp to clean up the muddy mess we got from the heavy rain the night before.

This statue is the landmark of the bus stop Mom noted

The trunk of This tree looks like it's made of stained glass 

Finally, we took the bus back to camp and now it was time to clean up all the mud from last night's rain.

Not fun at all but luckily there was a dog wash station where Mom took our mats to hose them off, and our neighbor helped put up a string between trees to hang them to dry.

We're staying here one more night to relax.

Mom got a giant blister between her big toe from wearing flip-flops or maybe some bug bit her there. it looks bad.

All is well here tomorrow we'll be back on the road

Wet kisses Henry

Yesterday it was time to break camp and move on, Our pitch at this campsite was great, it was close to the pool and restaurant and had a beautiful view. It's just one thing when you want to relax, and we both agree on this, do NOT park close to the pool. When kids have fun they scream................. A LOT

 Driving south we had to go through Slovenia for a few miles before we hit Croatia. 

Since we're still in the EU there's no custom checkpoint, but the old stuff is still here so you know you entered a new country.

On the first of January 2023, Croatia became the 20th country to join the eurozone. The kuna, the local currency, has been replaced by the euro.

With a single currency, the country hopes to make its economy stronger and more stable and to improve the standard of living of its inhabitants.

We wanted to get to this town Pula to find a parking spot near the centrum which from experience we know fills up quickly so the early bird .............

This is the sign on every single P-space marked on Mom's RVapp  

There are things Mom absolutely wants to see in this town so the only option is a camping 3km outside centrum

Driving through the outskirts there's a lot left from the communist era.

We found the campsite and set up everything before we went for a walk admiring the blue-green water of the Adriatic sea.

There are a lot of activities here, and we headed directly to see if anything would suit us and waterskiing? surfing? nope but kayaking maybe?   

We headed to the bar to think about it

It's lunch time so Mom ordered a ???? yeah you know it

A caprese for lunch 

There was absolutely nothing on that plate for me, so I went to the kitchen to see if there would be something better for me. Mom got really worried, but my cuteness and charm win every time, everybody welcomed me with many smiles and cuddles.................that's all good, but where are the treats

Mom decided to spend the afternoon at home and we'll go to town in the early morning. We have fast free WIFi so Mom wanted to catch up on some stuff.

She even fixed some home-cooking and yes this time I got a nice taste 

This morning it was overcast and Mom thought that's good because it stays cooler to pedal into the city. After a lot of procrastination by Mom, we weren't ready until around 10  and by then I heard thunder and a little later the sky opened up.

This is our neighbor's truck, they are rinsing their laundry 

Boy are we glad we're still sitting nice and dry inside Lucy.

According to weather rapport, this will be over at 3 and we can take the bus in then, just in case it starts raining again.

Meanwhile it's a great time for napping

Henry

What a day I had all morning running on this trail loose even if no dogs are allowed to. Mom breaks that rule when no one is around knowing I'll listen when she needs me to come.

It was a challenge in places so I had to stop often and wait for Mom. Sometimes she stops to look at the gorgeous view and take pictures. I want to look too and because I'm shorter I jump up on a rock and Mom gets panicky, I can tell by her voice. Just because she is afraid of heights and is too clumsy to jump up on rocks, doesn't mean I can't. 

I'm as agile as a mountain goat I tell her

OK, I'll get down I don't like hearing that voice 

Our goal was to reach the Duino Castle which is the private residence of the Princes della Torre e Tasso ............No we were not invited,................................. the Castle of Duino has been open to the public since 2003

we were early the castle wasn't open yet, so we found a nice little cafe where we relaxed for a while

This time Mom said no to the guided tour, not only because no dogs were allowed inside, Mom wasn't in the mood for it either, but we really wanted to see the garden

        Castello di Duino is a marvelous fortification from the 14th-century privately-owned castle that is best known for its literary and musical guests, such as Mark Twain, Liszt, Strauss, and particularly the poet Rilke.

There was noone around, so we cheated a little and ran inside just for a minute. Mom needed to use the facilities.

This staircase and floor looked  amazing

Of course, we had to see the dungeon too, and Mom didn't want to go down there but I insisted I felt some really cool air from there

The Bunker of Duino Castle has an area of 400 square meters and is 18 meters deep. It was constructed in 1943 by the forced-labor organization TODT for the German navy to defend the base at Sistiana against a possible Allied attack. Venezia-Giulia was part of the Adriaten Kustenland .. In 1944 the bast Sistiana was used by the Kleinkampfmittle flotilla 441 with midget Submarines: MOLCH (newt). Many people of Duino, before the Bunker was armored and housed a cannon, fled inside when there was an air-raid warning. From 1945 to 1954 the British used the Bunker as a fuel store.

Mom did NOT like this ? she said we're 18 meters underground alone and only one way out, besides a lot of bad stuff has happened here. I couldn't disagree.

After this, we had to visit the old castle which is in ruins 

The Lords of Duino, vassals of the Patriarch of Aquelia were first mentioned in about 1150. From their ancestral seat, located on a rock high above the Adriatic Sea, they controlled the trade routes running from the city of Monfalcone along the coast to the Istrian peninsula

Prince Raymond standing on these ruins looking at his Castle occupied by the Allied military government (June 1949)

I bet he wanted his castle back

The views are amazing

Not too many people seem to come here it was quite overgrown

Mom spotted something in the water below and zoomed in for a picture. That jellyfish looks huge like it sweeps you into it and sucks your blood or something, no swimming I say........the water looks very inviting says Mom they don't move fast, you can move around them

Many seagulls are enjoying the cliff

Looking at getting back to our camp without walking the same way we found a bus, so we just hopped on and since Mom couldn't figure out how to pay and the chauffeur couldn't be bothered we got a free ride back.

There was a sign about muzzles for dogs on the door here too but no one said anything this time.

Every country has different rules and some don't make sense to us, like for instance Mom wasn't allowed into the pool without a bathing cap? For hygienic reasons, hmm a lady told me men aren't allowed to wear baggy swim trunks either they have to wear speedos, and trust me not ALL men look good in them. Mom thinks it's hilarious that for a change MEN are told what to wear.

Back at Lucy Mom made lunch..........

And it looks like it'll be the same for supper

Life is great 

Wet kisses Henry