we woke up to a wet ground and a dull sky, showering intermittently but unusually warm. after Jun’s doctor appointment, we decided for a short walk. gray skies, no sun.
the glorious splendor of autumn is upon us and we didn’t have to go far. the trees in our neighborhood are spectacular showing off an array of colors, even the fallen leaves on the ground.
today was another outdoor excursion but first, we had an early morning mass at the Chapel of the Wounded Jesus in downtown Zagreb right across Ban Jelacica Square. located in a nondescript building in an urban block, it is a very small chapel with a beautiful altar made of stained glass mural depicting the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
the façade of the building is a huge cross. in the narthex is a stunning stained glass wall of Jesus and the Apostles in the Agony in the Garden. on the side behind the altar table is a standing tabernacle made of steel, simple and elegant.
after the holy mass, we were whisked to Plitvice outside Zagreb for a nature excursion. Plitvice Lakes is the oldest and largest national park in Croatia. it was listed as Unesco Heritage in 1979 and visited by more than one million visitors per year.
we had an unhurried walk in the park on easy walking trails, boardwalks and wooden bridges suspended over blue, green and turquoise waters. the entire walk was exhilarating and breathtaking. right before us were picturesque and stunning viewpoints around every bend. crystal clear waters, picture perfect small and large lakes and photogenic rapids, cascades and waterfalls. the beauty around us was simply intoxicating.
we also had a boat ride with panoramic views of falls, cascades and lakes. everything you looked at was beautiful. i took some pictures of fish on crystal clear waters along the shore while waiting for the boat.
i must have taken a thousand pictures at the Plitvice Lakes National Park. yet none of the photos do justice to the beauty and splendor of the park. it is magnificent. it is beautiful. it is simply spectacular. sunset shots from the bus on our way for an overnight stay at Zadar, one of Croatia’s most charming coastal towns.
we spent an entire afternoon in Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia. Nicolas, our well versed and enthusiastic tour guide met us at the Central Square where the iconic statue of Ban Josip Jelacic takes center stage. Josip Jelacic was a soldier and provincial governor of Croatia under the Austrian Empire and helped crushed the Hungarian nationalist revolt in 1848. this large pedestrian square is the city’s common meeting place. it is surrounded by photogenic buildings of different architectural designs, department stores, restaurants, establishments and institutions. here you can feel the pulse of the city, upbeat and pulsating. a hub of many activities.
we explored Lenuci Horseshoe boulevard in the lower old town passing through romantic parks and squares, statues, and fountains. it is also the home to historical buildings and headquarters of organizations and businesses. it is popular for outdoor concerts dotted with charming cafes, high-end bistros and luxurious food stalls. it also has a huge underground mall. this beautiful part of Zagreb old town was named after the engineer and urbanist Milan Lenuci who was the main architect in building the city.
a powerful earthquake hit the city in 2020 leaving behind cracks and damages causing some temporary closures of buildings including the iconic St Mark’s Church and Zagreb Cathedral. twin spires of the Cathedral are still in scaffolding.
Zagreb’s old town is charming, replete with history and in some ways, interesting. the Museum of Broken Relationships dedicated to failed love relationships displaying personal objects, sad and funny stories from former lovers. not amusing for my own taste as some were simply too tacky and downright personal. walking the old town invites you to admire, even marvel, at beautifully preserved buildings peppered with museums, nice boutiques, novelty shops and an array of restaurants.
the Lotrscak Tower in the upper old town remains erect and tall. in the 19th century a fourth floor with windows were added to the tower. a cannon was placed on the top which is fired from the tower daily at midday to signal church bell ringers of noontime. this 13th century fortified tower provides a full view of the entire city. Nicolas mentioned that the view from the tower is gorgeous at night.
we passed by several churches. i would have loved to see the interior of the fully restored St. Catherine but was closed. history says it was burned to the ground twice. open was the Greek Catholic Co-cathedral of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. the church retable is magnificent and the fully lit intricately designed chandelier is spectacular.
Zagreb’s patron saint is the Madonna and Child named as the Lady of the Stone Gate because of its significance. the altar in a small chapel is nestled in the renovated Stone Gate and the faithful and tourists stop by to venerate, pray, light a candle or simply gaze and take photographs.
not too far is the Holy Mary Monument. unlike the city cathedral, this towering monument was spared from the devastation of the recent earthquake. the 30 meters column has a base with four angels on each corner. rising above is a golden sculpture of Mary. on her head is a halo of stars, her head bowed down and her arms reaching out. it is a beautiful sight.
our tour ended at a square near the Holy Mary Monument. there were a lot of souvenir stores i was lured to shop, picking up a couple of knick-knacks.
it was truly a special day for me. we started with a holy mass in Ludbreg followed by a lovely tour of the beautiful and historic city of Croatia’s capital. when we got back to the hotel, i was surprised with a lovely birthday cake by the hotel staff. and before hitting the sack, i received a video call from family. my cup was full. thanks be to God!
it was a lovely day at Mallard Lake!
Jun and I went for a late morning walk. we had blue skies and glaring sun, it was such a glorious day. crisp and chilly as expected on a typical autumn day. the bushes swayed with the breeze and the leaves rustled in the trees.
Mallard Lake was almost empty except for a few walkers and a solitary man on the dock.
new england asters dominate the paths while the white ones, though looking tired continue to linger. showing off their autumn colors were the sumac leaves and creeping ivy while some lovely grass and wildflowers continue to rally. you can’t simply ignore their beauty.
Mallard Lake is our haven. a place of comfort and peace. a place of beauty. a sanctuary.
last weekend, we had a lunch date with our grandson, Tyger. a small gesture for having straight A’s in class. we had seafood delight at his favorite restaurant! great conversation and catching up. we talked a lot about his school and friends. and also travels from Calif and Europe. a half day well spent. lots of laughter and love.
always a joy to babysit baby Theo! babysat for a couple of hours last week. lots of giggles and smiles.
blessings abound. praise and thanks be to God!
we had holy mass at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Ludbreg, an hour drive away from Zagreb. Ludbreg is a small town in Croatia known in the Catholic Church for its Eucharistic Miracle in 1411. it was believed and later on recognized by the Catholic Church for its authenticity after many years of extensive investigations and tests. the miracle took place in the chapel of Count Batthyany’s castle known today as Batthyany Castle or Ludbreg Palace.
we did not go to the castle, instead we went to the Sanctuary of the Precious Blood of Christ, a chapel built by the Croatian Parliament as a promise to God by abating a plague that killed many in the region. the promise was made after the plague in 1739 but because of hundreds of years of war, instability and uncertainty in the region, the vow was never fulfilled. but all was not forgotten after all. finally, after a democratic election in 1991, construction began and the sanctuary was completed in 1994.
the sanctuary was closed when we arrived so i just took a picture of the interior from the glass doors. not enclosed was a huge statue of the crucifixion and a white marble altar for outdoor masses and eucharistic celebrations. beautiful blooms adorned the sanctuary entrance.
the relic of the eucharistic miracle is kept in a reliquary made of gold and jewels donated by countess Eleonora Strattman, a Viennese court lady. it is permanently housed in the Church of the Holy Trinity, a fifteen-minute walk from the sanctuary.
the Church of the Holy Trinity is small but beautiful inside. the main altar is a painting the Holy Trinity with a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus just above the tabernacle. the reliquary was beautifully encased in glass and prominently placed on the front side of the high altar. the two side altars were that of Jesus Most Sacred Heart and St Joseph. not to be missed was the gilded pulpit that was extraordinarily stunning.
i turned 71 that day and i had the privilege of proclaiming the first reading at mass. Fr Greg, the group chaplain presided and we had a beautiful celebration of the Eucharist. i felt so blessed and was beyond thankful. God is good all the time! after mass, we all had lunch at Pivnica, a lovely restaurant next to the church. there, the group sang me a happy birthday. such a wonderful gesture i was so touched.
Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia was not in our itinerary but since it was close to lunch time, it was a convenient stop. unguided, we were on our own for two hours to explore this charming city. four of us ventured out, had lunch and enjoyed the capital’s old town.
we started at Preseren Square, where the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation stood tall. an imposing bright pink exterior and equally impressive interiors of Baroque design. the high altar was a painting of the Annunciation and below were two beautiful side altars of Madonna and Child and the Crucifixion. stunning frescoes adorned the walls and ceilings. it was well decorated and beautiful.
there were three bridges called the Triple Bridge across the river all leading to the historic old town. part of the city hall was under construction but you cannot miss its beautiful clock tower. the city was quaint and charming with a medieval look. the city center was dotted with restaurants, charming boutiques and souvenir shops. also in the city center close to the river was the outdoor semi covered market. there were fresh produce, all types of fruits and veggies, meats and cheese and whole variety of dry goods.
we explored St Nicholas, the cathedral of Ljubljana. the interior was exquisitely beautiful. here’s the cathedral’s short history from the Ljubljana tourist website:
The site of the Cathedral was originally occupied by a three-nave Romanic church whose earliest mention dates back to 1262. After the fire of 1361 it was re-vaulted in the Gothic style. When the Ljubljana Diocese was established in 1461, the church underwent several alterations and additions. In 1469 it was burnt down, presumably by the Turks.
The surviving Baroque interior decoration notably includes frescoes by Giulio Quaglio (painted in the periods 1703-1706 and 1721-1723), Angelo Putti’s statues of four bishops of Emona situated beneath the beams of the dome (1712-1713), Putti’s painting of Dean Janez Anton Dolničar (1715), who initiated the rebuilding of the church in 1701, Francesco Robba’s altar angels in the left part of the nave (1745-1750) and brothers Paolo and Giuseppe Groppelli’s altar angels in the right part of the nave (1711).
A host of other works of art were added later. One of the more interesting is the dome fresco painted by Matevž Langus in 1844. The most outstanding 20th century additions include Tone Demšar’s main entrance door relief depicting the history of Slovenia, commissioned to mark the 1250th anniversary of Christianity in Slovenia, and Mirsad Begić’s side doors with portraits of bishops.
our small group Angel, Mila, Marta and I.
Bled is a resort town in Slovenia nestled in the foothills of Julian Alps. we stayed in Hotel Park for a night with a room overlooking Lake Bled and it’s centerpiece, the Bled Island. Bled Island’s crown is the 11th century Bled Castle that houses a pilgrimage church of the Assumption of Maria with a beautiful bell tower and steep staircase. Lake Bled is quaint, romantic, charming town. it is picturesque and photogenic.
we had a rough night in Bled. at about 5:00 am, there was a loud knock at our door and before i could open my eyes were these two firefighters at the foot of our beds prompting us to vacate the room that very moment. my roommate Marta, and i were in deep asleep, we did not hear the hotel siren so firefighters broke in. apparently, a hotel fire alarm went off and they had to evacuate the entire building. it took the fire team an hour-and-half to clear before we were allowed back into our rooms. thank God, it was just a faulty alarm, no casualty and no actual fire occurred.
despite the early morning scare, we made it to our bus at 9:00 am for an excursion to Vintgar or Bled Gorge, a 3km wild and steep-walled gorge dug by the Radovna River. for nearly two hours, we were enthralled by the majestic sound of the water and the chirping of the birds as we walked into the canyon zig-zagging our way on wooden bridges and boardwalks over crystal-clear river. our walk ended at the picturesque Sum waterfall. the Vintgar Gorge experience was refreshing and delightful. it was beautiful and truly a masterpiece of nature.
rain came early in the morning but not for long. soon we had sunny blue skies. it was chilly early on but warmed up a little bit i didn’t need a vest, my sweatshirt and beanie were fine.
Mallard Lake was refreshing despite burnt bushes, trees past glorious lush and most grass brown.
wildflowers are gone except for small pockets of white asters along the bank. i spotted an almost disarrayed knapweed bent to the ground.
clouds came back closing in the blue skies. it was time to call it a day always grateful to Mallard Lake. another pleasant walk. peaceful and calm.
via motor coach, we travelled from Vienna to Postojna, a town in southwestern Slovenia. the four-and-a-half hours drive was such a treat of Austrian and Slovenian countryside boasting mountain ranges, undulating hills and lush green meadows. there were pockets of charming villages nestled in the gentle hills. the views were simply stunning.
we arrived at Postojna Cave Park, a vast subterranean paradise that is formed by tiny droplets from the Pivka River, a karst lost river in Slovenia, over millions of years. these are called stalagmites, stalactites and some formations called drapes because they look like folded curtains.
we took a 3.7 km (2.3 mi) underground train ride into the depths of the cave then walked through what seems like hills, valleys and slopes of an underground world. the formations were magnificent and spectacular. i marveled at the rocks, in awe, mesmerized at times. truly a geological wonder that boggles my mind.
additional attractions in the Postojna Cave are the olms referred to as baby dragons. olms are endemic to the Dinaric karst and Postonja Cave remains their main habitat.
“they have long snake-like bodies, and their length of 25-30 centimetres makes them one of the largest cave predators. Their skin is pale and pink in colour, and looks almost translucent. They have small short legs with three digits on their forelimbs and two on their hind feet. They move around the water by snake-like twisting of their bodies, assisted by the legs. They breathe with external gills and rudimentary lungs. Although adult olms have no eyes, they can “see” everything with the help of skin receptors. They are very good at sensing their prey and their skin is also very sensitive to light. They can go without food for up to twelve years and have a lifespan of up to 100 years. – Postojna Cave website including the photo below.
we ended our underworld tour at the cave’s souvenir shop and a post office that is operational.
after Postojna, we went back on the road and continued on our journey for a short one hour-and-a-half drive to Bled where we stayed for the night.
simply beautiful... 