14 nights, 5 countries, 8 ports and countless photographs – this trip was a Mediterranean Cruise from Venice to Rome aboard the Celebrity Constellation with stops in Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Malta & Italy.
A sea is defined as “a body of salt water partially enclosed by land”. The Adriatic sea is the body of water between the back of Italy’s boot and the Balkan peninsula. It’s bordered by on the east by Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovena, Montenegro and Albania. At only 27 miles, Slovenia has the smallest coastline, while Croatia has the most at 1,104 (not counting the islands). As the crow flies, it’s only 327 miles from border to border, but the many bays and inlets increase this number substantially.
Venice, Italy
Imagine a cluster of over 100 islands, connected by bridges and surrounded by canals. A place with no streets, no cars and over 400 bridges; where daily life happens on the water. This is Venice, a city like no other. Read more – Venice part 1
In Venice, only Piazza San Marco is a piazza, the other squares are “campi” and the smaller ones are “campielli”. The word “campi” translates to “fields” in English; historically these squares were cultivated fields. Read more – Venice part 2
Glass making has been a colourful part of Venentian history. Although it dates back to the Roman Empire, it was Venice’s trade with the Orient that brought it to the next level. As the popularity of Venetian glass grew, so did the protectionism of the authorities. Read more – Venice part 3
Slovenia – Vintgar Gorge, Lake Bled & Koper
54 nautical miles east and slightly north of Venice, across the Adriatic Sea, is Koper, Slovenia, our first of 7 ports. Slovenia is one of the six former Yugoslav countries – along with Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia. With less than 50km of coastline, Slovenia lies mostly inland and that is where we headed. Read more – Slovenia
Croatia – Plitvice Lakes
There are 16 cascading lakes at Plitvice. The highest lake is at 636m above sea level and the lowest is at 503, with dozens of waterfalls in between. There is no swimming allowed here and the boats on Lake Kozjak are electric which helps to keep the water pristine. Read more – Plitvice Lakes
Croatia – Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is known for it’s old city and the massive stone walls that surround it. The city walls stretch about 2 km (1.2 miles) and reach a maximum height of 82′. Once you’re up there it’s not flat my any means; there is a lot of up and down. You have to walk counter-clockwise, so our walk began along the Dalmatian Sea. Read more – Dubrovnik
Kotor, Montenegro
Montenegro is the last of the former Yugoslav countries that we visited and it’s the smallest. Our destination was Kotor, a small city located deep in the Bay of Kotor. Read more – Kotor
Valetta & the Three Cities, Malta
Malta is small island country that lies 50 miles south of Sicily and just over 200 miles north of Libya in the Meditteranean Sea. Over the years it’s been conquered by everyone from the Romans to the Greeks, Arabs, Sicilians and of course the British. Read more – Valetta & the Three Cities
Malta – on the road to the Blue Grotto & Marsaxlokk
We had booked a car and driver for the day from Prestige Cabs; this was the best surprise of the trip. Our driver, Valentine, was absolutely amazing – so much more than just a driver! We had him for 6 hours and he made the most out of our time. We wanted to go to the Blue Grotto and Marsaxlokk but we saw so much more. Read more – on the road to Marsaxlokk
Sicily – Taormina & the slopes of Etna
Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and an autonomous region of Italy since 1861. The Sicilians are proud of their rich heritage and, if asked, will tell you they’re Sicilian. They even have their own language which has Arabic, Hebrew, Byzantine and Norman roots. Read more – Sicily – & Gambino Vini
Capri, Italy
We were docked in Naples but our destination for the day was the island of Capri – to the south, across the Bay of Naples. Read more – Capri