Graveyard by the Franciscan Monastery of Pridvorje

Today I am participating in a new meme recently started on a topic that fascinates me: burial grounds. Taphophile Tragics is the title of the meme and will be posted on Tuesdays.

Quoting from Julie's blog:

Taphophilia is an interest, morbid or otherwise, in graveyards and cemeteries. Graveyards were attached to churches, whereas cemeteries were specifically set up for the burial of the dead.

A taphophile is one who finds they are attracted to walking around cemeteries, reading the headstones and musing upon the family history contained therein.

Yes, that describes me. There is something a little curious about that, too. 

My biological father, a Morocco-born Frenchman (whom I did not grow up with, but met as a young adult), had an absolute horror of cemeteries. When we traveled together, he became visibly upset whenever I wanted to go explore one. He never could adequately explain that aversion to me. I surmised it might stem from a fear of death. So I find it intriguing that my inclination is so opposite.

My first post on this topic is a tiny strip of graveyard on the side of a small Franciscan monastery near the village of Pridvorje on the slope of Mount Snježnica. It is about 8 kilometers (5 miles) up the hill from Cavtat, the gorgeous town on the Adriatic Sea where we lodged in May of 2009 for four nights when my mother's car broke down (see earlier post).

The monastery with the church of St Blaise was built 1423-1429. I can only guess that it is former resident Franciscan monks who were buried here. Had I known I would one day post for this meme, I would have paid more attention to details and taken more photos.

While we saw no one in the monastery, the many fresh flowers left on the graves, as well as in the courtyard, told me this place was not deserted.

Croatia, 2009

D is for Dubrovnik

On one of the four days we were "stuck" in Cavtat (see last week's post), my mother and I took a ferry to Dubrovnik, a late medieval walled city in Croatia I had long wished to visit. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, this "Pearl of the Adriatic" on the Dalmatian coast was founded in the 7th century and became an important sea port from the 13th century onwards that once rivaled Venice.

Neither one day nor one post can adequate cover the richness and beauty to see and appreciate in the old walled town. Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries and monuments, with shiny marbled streets and small alleyways, make this a popular tourist destination. 

This is no dead historical tourist trap, however. It's very much a live city where children play and locals go about their business of living. A walk away from the main streets offered charming surprises around every corner.

This is just a brief photo tour to inspire you. [Photos enlarge with a click.]

 

Croatia, 2009

Linking with the community at ABC Wednesday with the letter D.

C is for Cavtat in Croatia

Cavtat (pronounced "tsavtat") is a harbor town on the Adriatic coast of Croatia boasting a history that goes back to the 6th century BC. But today's earliest structures date only to the Middle Ages. Hah!

My mother and I stayed here for four lovely days in 2009 while her car was being made roadworthy again for us to continue our Balkan road trip. I think you'll agree we couldn't have been given a more delightful place for the normally reliable old clunker to break down.

Here you see the bell tower of the baroque St Nicholas Church, as well as a few of the awnings of the many bars and restaurants lining the harbor.

This is a long view of the town from the northern peninsula. Look how crystal clear the water is! [As usual, all images can be enlarged with a click.]

I don't mean to make you drool, but this was the view from our pleasing private apartment rental that we were so very fortunate to stumble on. The food at all the restaurants we sampled here was delicious and easy on the pocket book.

 

This view from the boat we took shows how beautifully Cavtat nestles in the coastal hills.

 

Watching the sun set from the promenade was the perfect way to end the day.

 Croatia, 2009

Today I link with ABC Wednesday and Watery Wednesday.

Up, Up and Awaaaay!

Right click on this and open in a new tab to hear what's on my brain.

Split, 2009

Okay, so I'm not really going up in a balloon, but I am boarding a plane in a few days to go work on a project in Europe. I expect that my blogging over the next months is going to be much more sporadic than it has been. Just a heads up for anyone who may miss me. I know I'll miss you.

And this is linked to My World Tuesday and Ruby Tuesday.

Mellow Yellow Market

Split, Croatia, 2009

Yellow bags, yellow tags, all so mellow at the market. 

Posted for Mellow Yellow Monday meme. Click on the link for more links to yellow.