Our port city

Every day from our apartment balcony and bedroom windows, we watch what's going on in our port city.  There's a lot of activity--cargo ships, fishing boats (with birds following behind), sail boats, ferries to the nearby islands, and the occasional cruise ship (our friend Greta tells us that 33 cruise ships are scheduled to come to Rijeka this summer).  

But we've been told that before the Homeland War (Croatia's War for Independence from 1991 to 1995), there was much more going on in this port.  Since then, Rijeka has lost a lot of its industry, and today, in the wake of the global financial crisis, Croatia is experiencing great financial difficulties and high unemployment (officially the rate is 20%, but people here have said that they think the rate is actually much higher).  

Recently, J.D. and I walked--and Caroline scootered--to the end of Rijeka's pier.

We happened to be on the pier during the month of "Pier Shear," which, as its website explains, is "a month long 'happening/art show' that brings seven sheep to live on the pier, while seven local artists transform raw wool into art installations that reveal the complexity of Rijeka's transitioning future."  The sheep and the art work were supposed to help the people of Rijeka re-imagine what this pier--this representative of the city's once thriving industry--could be.  While we were there, the sheep must have been hiding, but we did see the art and the wool:

  


While walking on the pier, we could see our apartment.  It's pictured in the photo below.

Laura

Another Welcome!

Welcome Aunt Kathryn!

Fish, Fruit, Nuts, and Rijeka's High School Seniors

J.D. and I went to Rijeka's main downtown market this morning.  We love going there.  It's open every day, and outside you can find fruit, vegetables, flowers, eggs, nuts, honey, wine, and clothing.  There are also three beautiful market halls (one of which is pictured here); one has cheese, one has meat, and one has fish (the fish photos below were taken by my Dad--thanks!).

"Med" means honey

As for Rijeka's high school seniors...this morning the girls' homeschooling tutor, Greta, had warned us that because today was the last day of school for seniors, we should avoid the Korzo.  However, I hadn't known about this before today, so I had arranged previously to meet two of my graduate students at a cafe to go over drafts of their papers with them.  It turned out that at the cafe, I had a front row seat to the show.  Rijeka's high school seniors gather on, and parade along, the main pedestrian street for several hours.  Dressed in t-shirts representing their schools, they throw eggs and flour at one another, and they use squirt guns to spray each other with vinegar and oil, all while imbibing their favorite beverages and singing loudly.  Still, while this was going on, I had interesting conversations with my students (one helped to translate what some of the kids were singing), had a cup of tea, and managed to stay egg- and flour-free...and I enjoyed the show.

Laura

More guest bloggers

The time between "hello" and "goodbye" has been much too short.  It seems as though we just arrived at the Zagreb airport, where we happily spotted J.D. as soon as we arrived in the baggage area.

We have been anticipating our visit to Croatia to see Caroline, Alison, Laura, and J.D. ever since they left New York state to go to Croatia.  Needless to say, we have missed them even though we have been able to be in amazingly good touch through phone calls, e-mail, Skype, and, of course, their wonderful blog.  (Thank you technology!)  But there is nothing like a hug to help erase the frustrations of distance and we have shared many of those over the past eight days.  J.D., Laura, Alison, and Caroline have been amazing hosts, guides really, helping us to understand what it is like to spend a significant amount of time living and working in another country and helping us to appreciate as well the beauty of Croatia.

Caroline with Grandma & Grandpa in Krk Town on the island of Krk

We knew, of course, that we would be thrilled to see our family (an understatement!) but, although we had done a lot of reading about Rijeka and Croatia, we were unprepared for our reaction to Croatia.

Vodnjan, a small town in Istria

It is fascinating and astoundingly beautiful--the history, the architecture, the beauty of the landscape, the people all combine to create an experience that is unforgettable.

Thanks to our wonderful guides, each day has brought experiences that will remain vivid in our memories--travels through Istria and the islands and mainland of the Kvarner Gulf (including some challenging roads!), exploring towns and villages that unself-consciously make accessible hundreds or even thousands of years of varied history, sharing amazing meals reflecting the quality and variety of the local cuisine, interacting with Croatians who have been warm and welcoming...as well as patient about our rudimentary attempts to speak their language--or at least be polite.  How many times have we said, "It can't possibly get better than this!"  And it has!

Grandpa/ Dad/ David in the
(supposedly) smallest town in the world, Hum

Most of all, though, we have a mental scrapbook of wonderful images of our granddaughters:

Caroline on the Korzo in Rijeka



Alison just outside of Rovinj in Istria

• showing us their apartment (fabulous view of the Rijeka harbor!) and, of course, their rooms
• navigating their environment in Rijeka
• Alison doing some serious shopping at Rijeka's Tower Centre (great taste, Alison!)
• watching Caroline and Alison joyously riding their scooter...on the Korzo in Rijeka, at the harbor in Krk Town, on the sidewalks of Rovinj.
• both climbing around the Roman Amphitheater in Pula and Caroline's excitement at finding some pretty sizable snails visiting the site as well
• dipping their toes--with their parents!--in the Adriatic while at a quiet seaside just outside of Cres Town
• and so much more.

In the town of Fažana, looking out at the Brijuni Islands, in Istria

What a privilege it has been to share their experience of Croatia with Laura, J.D., Alison, and Caroline.  They have been kind and generous hosts and have helped us to understand both the allure and the challenges of their adventure.

In Opatija

Kastav, just outside of Rijeka

Thank you for an amazing week.  The time has just passed too quickly.  We will have to go back to missing you but now we will be able to imagine you in your temporary home.

Hvala!

Phyllis and David/ Mom and Dad/ Grandma and Grandpa

Grandma and Alison in Rovinj

MORE

Hi, guys. I know that we don't post as much as before. But for the month of May, I want to make at least 16 posts. What do you think?

Alison

Welcome

Grandpa and Grandma in Rovinj, Croatia

Welcome Grandma and Grandpa!

Our TV

Hi it's ALISON! I'm watching Caroline watch tv right. We own a European DVD player. We rent DVDs too! Look below for photos.

Balcony Update

Hi! We meant to post this a long time ago, but when Grammie came we updated our balcony with green flooring, chairs, and plants! Thanks Grammie!

Caroline

What Words Do You Want To Know & Green Grass+Turtles

Hi everyone! I know we did this a few months ago, but I wanted to do it again. If you want to know any Croatian words, ask in the comments! Thanks!

As for the grass and turtles, we went to a park (Park Vladimira Nazora) in Rijeka with another American family with kids.  Here are the turtles and the green grass that Alison enjoyed.

The Sunset Page

I'm sure that you may have noticed " The Sunset Page" a page with Rijeka's sunsets. We don't quite know exactly how much we will post, but I think we will a lot.

ALISON