Great news! The band got back together again and went out on the road. Uh, the “band of merry media,” that is.
We were 18 intrepid travel writers and photographers invited by Insight Vacations to experience the sights, sounds and savors of the Dalmatian Riviera, where Bosnia-Herzegovina embraces Croatia along the eastern Adriatic Coast, and where once upon a time the Most Serene Republic of Venice flexed its maritime muscle.
For eight days, we toured in style aboard one of Insights’ sleek motor coaches — with business class legroom seating, WiFi and plenty of bottled water — as our premium-escorted itinerary took us to Sarajevo, Jablanika, Mostar and the Stari Most bridge, Split, Ston and the Great Walls of Croatia, the Pelješac Peninsula, Korčula — where celebrated merchant globetrotter Marco Polo is rumored to have been born — and Dubrovnik, “paradise on earth,” according to George Bernard Shaw.
Along the way, we ate our fair share of authentic regional dishes — like grilled ćevapi (minced meat sausages) and tufahija (walnut-stuffed poached apples) — and sampled superlative wines — like Plavac Mali, a robust red, and Grk, a rarest-of-rare white — during a variety of delectable dining events and winery tours.
Local historians guided us through some of the region’s most incredible relics, including Roman Emperor Diocletian’s massive palace. And, we spent restful nights in five-star hotels. Not too shabby for band members, right?
You can virtually retrace all of my steps along the Dalmatian Riviera, from Sarajevo to Dubrovnik, by simply clicking on the story links below. And, don’t forget your sunscreen.
©The Palladian Traveler
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1. Dining at Grandma’s Kitchen
2. Bird’s-Eye Views from the Yellow Fortress
4. A Bazaar, a Mosque and an Assassin’s Bullet
5. My Kup runneth over with Kafa
7. The Daredevil Divers of the Stari Most
9. Mali Ston on the Half Shell
10. The Great Debate on Korčula
11. Eat, Drink, Cycle: A Foodie Ride on Korčula
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