Zadar's Church of Saint Mary was consecrated in 1091. Its Benedictine convent, originally founded in 1066, now holds one of the most important church treasuries in Croatia.

The collection, The Gold and Silver of Zadar, includes medieval reliquaries made of precious metals. Reliquaries, housing the bones of saints or martyrs, are often in the shape of the body part stored—a leg, a hand, a foot, even a head. Worshippers believed that the bones of saints held special powers, to drive out evil spirits or heal diseases.

The exhibit also includes a cross from seventh or eighth century Palestine and many fine religious paintings and sculptures.

There has been a settlement at Zadar since the ninth century BC. The town became Roman in the first century BC, and the layout of the streets in the old town remains as it was during the Roman era.

Europe has so many ancient artifacts that places like Zadar can simply leave them in plain view, like this fragment alongside the old Roman forum. People take their history so for granted that they use blocks like this as benches or places to lean against and chat.

We visited an Internet café that was improving its basement. About ten years ago, the previous owner was trying to create a basement shelter, and discovered a stone alcove and a mosaic on the floor that local archaeologists dated to the sixth century BC.

One of our favorite pastimes is to visit the produce markets. This market is in Šibenik, a medium-sized city, but it's very typical of open-air markets in Croatia.

The vendors use balancing scales with metal weights to ascertain the number of kilograms. They place the weights on the balance in combinations until they arrive at the amount of your order. Meat and fish sellers are in kiosks and buildings around the market's outside edges.

You won't find much produce, bread, meat or fish in most supermarkets in Croatia. People here shop every day for what they need, at specialty shops and open-air markets like this one.

Šibenik's Cathedral of Saint Jacob (Saint James) was begun in 1431. It is built entirely of stone, limestone and marble, and is unusual in that there is no bell-tower.

 The outside of this cathedral is as intriguing as the inside. This frieze—that goes on for more than seventy heads—immortalizes Renaissance dignitaries and others favored by the architect. The two cherubs above them are holding a document that describes the building and the cathedral's builder.