Tag: History
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Bolzano
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The city of Bolzano lies in the heart of South Tyrol. It is the capital of South Tyrol, and a crossroads of Italian and Austrian cultures. Bolzano has had some form of human settlement since the prehistoric era and has seen influence from various ruling empires. Due to its location within the alps,…
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Verona
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Going to Verona took us along the Adige River. In Verona, we began in the Veronetta—a vibrant district with medieval architecture and the University. We crossed over the Ponte Pietra, or stone bridge, across the Adige River to the old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the oldest bridge in Verona,…
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Lake Garda
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Alluring Lake Garda beckoned us next. Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake, is about 50 miles from Trento. It is located on the border between three regions: Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino. Lying at an elevation of 213 feet, the lake is 34 long and 2–11 miles wide. It has a shoreline of 77.5 miles and a maximum depth…
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Volcanoes National Park
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The island of Hawaiʻi is built from five separate shield volcanoes that erupted somewhat sequentially, one overlapping the other. Three are still active: Hualālai, Mauna Loa, and Kīlauea; Mauna Kea is dormant, and Kohala is extinct. Mauna Loa and Kīlauea make up the Volcanoes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage…
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Hawai’i–The Big Island
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One year we went to Hawai’i a week early to explore the Big Island on our way to Kaua’i. We landed in Kona/Kailua, rented a car, and found our way to our hotel on the beach in Kailua. Already, the island of Hawai’i has a different feel from Kaua’i. The Big…
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The Coconut Coast
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I will start here since this is where we stay–half way between the rugged beauty of the North Shore and the nearly perpetual sun of the South Shore. The royal coconut coast on the East side, has beautiful white sand beaches backed by a mountain range with the magnificent Mt.…
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Kaua’i–The Garden Isle
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Nearly thirty years ago, we took our first trip to Kaua’i and fell in love with the island. Having gone there yearly since that first trip, Kapa’a has become our home away from home. Geologically, Kaua’i is the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is the fourth largest. It contains the wettest spot…
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Perast
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Perast was our first destination. We had a short walking tour of the historic old town. First we saw the Church of St. John the Baptist, located in the western part of the town. It was first mentioned in documents in 1595 when one of its church bells was made. At Perast…
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Montenegro
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Montenegro, situated along the Adriatic coast, is a small country with a millennia-long past. Its history spans ancient Illyrian tribes and Roman takeovers to medieval rulers and Ottoman exploits, creating a dynamic patchwork quilt of ethnicities, beliefs, and political upheavals. Our destination in Montenegro was the town of Igalo in the…
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Dubrovnik
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Pearl of the Adriatic Dubrovnik Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is celebrated as one of the globe’s most impeccably preserved medieval cities. Once a formidable rival to Venice in trade, its grandeur is evident in its vast stone walls, constructed between the 11th and 17th centuries, which encircle…
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Sipan
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Once part of the Republic of Ragusa, Sipan is the biggest island of Elaaphiti group and has two small settlements. Wealthy Ragusa families built their summer palaces and villas on this island. Its history dates at least from the 1370s when the island’s name was first mentioned in historical documents.…
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Šibenik
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Šibenik is a historic town in central Dalmatia. Sibenik is the oldest Slavic town on the Croatian coast, possibly dating from the 11th century, although Croats had reached the surrounding area a few centuries earlier. The town intermittently switched between Croatian and Venetian rule over the following few centuries, with…
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Korcula Island and Town
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Korcula is the sixth largest island in the Aegean Sea; mountains run the length of it, rising to 1,800 ft. It has been inhabited since prehistoric times. According to legend, Korcula’s Old Town was founded by Trojan prince Antenor, who also founded the city of Padua in Italy. The island was named…
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Hvar–Hvar Town and Stari Grad
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Our next island was Hvar. We docked in ‘Stari Grad and motored to Hvar Town first. Following the decline of the Roman Empire, Hvar Town–a center of Adriatic civilization for thousands of years–was besieged by pirates. The people sought protection from the Venetians that led to a new ear of…
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Split
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Split is the second largest city in Croatia and the largest in Dalmatia. Centered around the Roman Palace of Emperor Diocletian, Split dates back to the 4th century C.E. When Diocletian abdicated in 305 C.E., he had already completed a lavish palace in Salona, now Split, in his native Dalmatia. It is a walled…
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Smiljan and Zadar
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The highway from Plitvice Lakes runs along the mountains, diving Croatia. In early times the mountains kept the Ottomans on the east side of the mountains and the Venetians on the West. Our next stop was Nikola Tesla’s home in Smiljan. There we saw the church where his father was an orthodox priest,…
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Zagreb
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We started in Zagreb, Croatia’s capital and largest city. Zagreb lies in the northern part of the country along the Sava River. It is on the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountains, foothills of the Dinaric Alps, close to the border with Slovenia. Zagreb’s history dates to Roman times. In 1094…
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Croatia
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To gain a better understanding of Croatia, one needs to look at its history. From about the 11th century BCE to the 5th century CE, the Romans ruled the area called Croatia. It was split into two parts: Dalmatia and Pannonia. By the middle of the 7th century, Croat tribes from around Poland, Ukraine,…
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Emmaus
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On our last day, we walked the Stations of the Cross in the Old Town before breakfast and then loaded the bus for the airport in Tel Aviv. On the way we stopped at Emmaus for our final Eucharist together. While the site of Emmaus (also known as Nicopolis) is…
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Mount of Beatitudes
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From Tabgha, one can ascend the Mount of the Beatitudes where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Overlooking the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, the Mount offers a view of the northern part of the lake and across to the cliffs of the Golan Heights on the other side.…