Next Stop: Zadar

 When we got up it was still cold and still raining, but the forecast for Zadar still said "low 70's and partly cloudy".  With optimism that we'd drive out of the rain, we headed south.  The scenery was lovely and after leaving the park we began to notice a plethora of little stands along the side of the road, in front of homes.  They were selling cheese and honey.  I finally decided to stop at one and buy my parents some honey.  A mom, her daughter, and her six-month old granddaughter were manning their small booth.  The daughter explained that some stands had sheep's milk cheese, but hers was from cows.  She then let me sample some of the honey options.  Since I'd never heard of "Pine Honey" before I decided to try that one.

We continued on and drove through several tunnels, one of which was over 2 miles long (good thing we weren't playing the hold-your-breath-in-a-tunnel game on that one!).  We made it to Hotel Kolovare with no issues and were once again able to check into our room early.  We stowed our stuff and started walking towards the Old Town.  We passed through the Land Gate and quickly decided gelato was in order. 

From there we wandered along past tons of tourist shops, cafés, and clothing boutiques.  The old Roman Forum, the largest in Croatia caught our interest, and the Church of St. Donatus was there as well.  We paid our 20 kunas to get in and see the inside - although not that much is left of the 9th Century church.  

The architecture of these old stone churches and buildings, the narrow stone pathways - we love it - a feast for the eyes.

We continued on to the water for a visit to the famous sea organ.  We enjoyed the somewhat random, but harmonic, sounds the Zadar Sea Organ on the city's waterfront.  It plays music by way of sea waves and tubes located underneath a set of large marble steps.  By 3:30pm I decided we should get a late lunch (or early dinner, take your pick), so we wandered until we found a spot with food from the Dalmatian Coast that included people watching opportunities.  Skala Restaurant fit the bill perfectly and I enjoyed a tasty Dalmatian stew with gnocchi before we wandered back to our hotel.

We settled in by the pool for a bit, and since it is Sunday I listened to my church service back home on YouTube.  By 6:30pm we decided warmer clothes and a walk along the water were in order.  Too cloudy for an actual sunset, we still immensely enjoyed the views, and got some nice photos of the sun peaking through the clouds as it sunk below the horizon.

Plitvice Lakes National Park

 What a change in weather from yesterday!  Overcast skies and very cool, it only reached 53 degrees today!  We had a leisurely breakfast, extensive options compared with our last hotel, and sat talking while hoping the sky might clear.  By 10:30am we realized that was unlikely to happen and decided to start searching for warm layers to wear.  I had brought none (anticipating humid, 80-90 degree days), so the best I could manage was capri leggings and 2 long sleeve shirts - no poncho and no umbrella.

We rode the "Panoramic Vehicle" to Station 3 on the upper lakes where we got out to chat with the information booth personnel.  They suggested Hike H so that when we made it down to the boat dock we could decide to cross over that lake (and go back to the hotel) or take the long boat ride over to Hike F (which was the route I'd taken the day before).  Today's hike, despite the damp, chilly weather, was spectacular!  Less crowded and more waterfalls to be seen; a new stunning vista around every bend.  

I was cold the entire walk and the last 1/3 of our hike was through the rain.  Seeing how there was no other day for us to do the walk, we definitely made the best of it.  Cold and wet, my Aunt was done by the time we finished, no more walking for her today.  Since it was about 1:30pm we dried off, hopped in the car, and hit the road in search of food, which isn't as easy as it sounds when you're inside a National Park.  We stumbled upon Winnetou Pansion (Bistro Winnetou).  Winnetou is a fictional Native American hero of several novels written in German by Karl May (one of the best-selling German writers of all time). In the 1960s several Winnetou movies were coproduced by German–Yugoslav producers and became part of their Pop Culture.  A warm hot chocolate, delicious grilled chicken and potatoes - they really hit the spot.  

It was still raining when we returned to the hotel, so we decided to try out the whirlpool.  It was large, but only had two jets; we were thankful it was warm enough that we could spend a long time in it without being too hot or too cold.  After exiting the whirlpool we watched TV and chatted in our room until we decided we needed another food run.  We ended up back at Bistro Vučnica for dinner, since we'd enjoyed it for lunch the day before.  Since my Aunt brought her Uno deck all the way to Croatia, we decided tonight was the night to play!  We enjoyed a few rounds while waiting for our food - they serve excellent pizza (perks of Croatia having Italian neighbors perhaps).

Croatian Roadtrip Beginnings

 Croatians drive on the right side of the road (literally, and figuratively, if you're American), and they have impeccable roads, so no real concerns with the remainder of our trip requiring me to drive from top to bottom of the country.  We picked up our rental car - a small Opel SUV/crossover - and headed for the national park.  

A missed direction trying to leave Zagreb was our only navigational issue, and with little traffic and little construction it was a nice drive to Hotel Jezero.  Since our hotel is one of only a handful inside the park, we had few options for food - but with a car we could easily cruise around to find what few, small restaurants were nearby.  After lunch we returned to the hotel, I bought my park entrance ticket and headed out for a quick hike (my aunt decided to stay and read a book since she was a bit stiff from all the walking the day before).  Photos do not do this park justice, it's a place you have to see for yourself.  I took the trail that led to Veliki Slap ("slap" means waterfall, so I'm assuming Veliki means "big" since this was the "Big Waterfall"), the tallest waterfall in Croatia.  It was a very warm afternoon, but the path was partly shaded in most places and the water in the lakes past which I was hiking was an incredibly shade of blue.

After my return and a shower, we took a short walk near the hotel and then had some coffee (decaf, of course) and dessert on the terrace to round out our day.

Zagreb Day 2

 Jetlag last night made it difficult to fall asleep, despite being tired, so we started the day a bit earlier than usual largely due to the need for coffee (our room had no such amenities).  With some caffeine and food in our system we were ready to explore Zagreb.  Our first stop was the Nikola Tesla Technical Museum, which only bears his name, which we found out once inside.  Although disappointed at this turn of events, it was still a fascinating visit.  It was a technology museum, so it focused scientific and technical appliances used in Croatia's history; showcasing planes, bikes, boats, trains, engines, turbines, even fire fighting equipment.  

The real planes, helicopters, bikes, and boats were neat, but I most enjoyed the exhibit they had on Tesla himself (he is the museum's namesake, after all).  He was a fascinating man and the glimpse into the contrast between him and Edison made me realize I need a better grasp of these two men who changed the course of history.  A book explaining the ramifications for Edison's direct current electricity vs. Tesla's alternating current electricity and why DC beat out AC at that point in time.  *If anyone knows of such a book, please let me know in the comments!

Our next destination was Zagreb's cathedral (formerly known as St. Stephen’s Cathedral)and its stunning neo-Gothic architecture.  It's the country's largest Catholic cathedral, and was only partially hidden behind the scaffolding used to fix damage from weathering and the earthquakes that have damaged the façade.  The church has dominated Kaptol Square since the 11th century, not the original, mind you, since invasions, fire, and earthquakes have all had their way with the edifice over time.  We were unable to go inside, but we did get to see the clock from 1880.  The time always reads 7:03, the exact time when the "The Great Zagreb earthquake" struck.

Onwards towards Dolac's iconic red parasol-ed farmers market!  We snagged some pastries (not as enticing as a French pastry, if I'm being honest) and stopped at a café for another shot of coffee with a view of the beautiful fruits being sold.  It was after 1pm, so many of the stands had already emptied and removed their umbrellas, but we still got the essence of the place.  A brief stop at the kumica monument to the village women who have sold their products on Dolac for hundreds of years and then it was on to Ban Jelačić Square.

Dolac Market

Ban Jelačić Square

"Ban" means governor, and Ban Jelačić Square is the main city square - its size alone gives that impression.  From there we walked to Nikola Zrinski Square which had large trees, Zagreb's first fountain and lots of park benches for resting (which we did).  It is adjacent to two other squares/parks (in a long strip) and they are lined with stunning landmark buildings (on both sides of the street).

King Tomislav Square, with his statue proudly presiding over the square, was the last in the lineup.  Opposite his statue is the beautiful Art Pavilion, built for the 1896 Exhibition.  Surrounding the statue are signage explaining the history of the monument.  Tomislav is considered to be the first king of Croatia, somewhere around year 925 (historians debate the year), and although little is known of his reign, the invasion of Hungarians was stopped and there was a unification of different regions of the country during his time. "The celebration of the thousand years of the existence of the kingdom of Croatia took place in 1925.  its goal was to strengthen the national consciousness and to develop the Croatian national identity...During 1925 there were numerous cultural and artistic events."  In 1927 they dedicated the square in his name, and his monument (much political disputing delayed its erection) was finally placed in the its current location in October 1947.

The stunning Hotel Esplanade was our next stop and it was built in 1925 to lodge passengers traveling the Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul.  It retains its Art Noveau architecture (inside and out), very glamorous, and I'm not only referring to the architecture.  Their list of A-List guests over the years includes Charles Lindberg, Alfonso XIII (King of Spain), Vladimir Gajdarov, and even Jane Seymour, and Omar Sharif.  During WWII the Gestapo and the Wehrmacht turned it into their headquarters, but you wouldn't know that today.  We found a small café on the grounds in front of the hotel and sat by their fountain to enjoy a cold beverage and people watch.  We so enjoyed the atmosphere that we probably sat there for two hours; they don't care how long you stay at restaurants and cafés here, it's refreshing.

A Long Awaited Adventure

Our arrival into Zagreb was uneventful, for which I'm always grateful.  We got an Uber ride from the airport to Hotel Laguna, our very friendly driver  gave us some good recommendations for our visit as well.  We were able to check into our room early so we managed a nap before heading out to do some exploring.  We knew nothing about the city and had no desination in mind, so we wandered and looked for some dinner.  In the end we ate at Pizzeria Karijola, located across the street from our hotel, but highly recommended by the Uber driver (he was correct, the pizza was fantastic).

Our first full day (May 25th) started with an unimpressive hotel breakfast we caught an Uber to Upper Old Town.  We'd learned the night before that we were well "below" the Old Town (tourist attractions) of Zagreb, so an Uber to the farthest destination and walking back was the outline for the day.  Our driver dropped us off a "Trg Sv. Marka" to visit St. Mark's Catholic Church.  It is one of the city's oldest architectural monuments (13th century I believe), and the iconic roof tiles show the medieval coat of arms of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia on the left side, and the emblem of Zagreb on the right.  

Due to the earthquakes in Croatia a few years ago, many of the churches and historic buildings, which often house museums,  are closed to the public due to the ongoing renovations.  The Klovićevi Dvori Art Gallery shows both Croatian and international art, and since it was open we decided to visit.  Here we were introduced to the country's renowned artist Vlaho Bukovac.  The "Roots and Wings" exhibit was a highlight, he was a phenomenal portrait artist; paintings to lovely and clear they almost looked like photos!  

After spending the morning in the gallery we wandered back into the streets and past the Stone Gate (their only preserved city gate from the Middle Ages) which has since become known for the chapel there to "Our Lady of the Stone Gate, Protectress of the City of Zagreb".  A fire in 1739 spared a painting of the Virgin Mary so it is a place of worship for all devout Croatian Catholics now.  From there we headed down to the Lower Old Town and had lunch in Petra Preradovića Square.  We enjoyed being off our feet for a bit and with an outdoor table we had a prime spot for people-watching.  

At our stop next to the Nikola Tesla Monument we met a lovely couple from Sri Lanka (now Aussies) and had a lovely chat about our respective visits to Croatia, American politics, and travel safety to name a few.  Unbeknownst to us before arriving, Tesla was born and raised in Croatia (although it was Yugoslavia at the time), and as such they have capitalized on his identity.

Our last stop for the day was the Botanical Gardens which opened in 1891.  Professor Antun Heinz of the University of Zagreb founded it and it is still mainly a scientific institution.  Home to about 10,000 species of plants, 14 greenhouses, and many sub-gardens in various styles, it was quite impressive.  We enjoyed the shade and bench by the duck pond (it was unseasonable warm) and then enjoyed the incredibly variety of flowers while meandering back through to the entrance/exit.

To round out the day I taught my Aunt my lazy-travel-dinner secret (Australian tuna flavors, I miss you) of flavored tuna and crackers.  Purchased at a little convenience store and enjoyed at a small park near our hotel, it "hit the spot" as they say.

The Grand Balkan (That Wasn't To Be)

Since I've now heard a few times, in person and through the grapevine, about how my blogposts were missed I will attempt to give some glimpses into my trip.  Traveling on your own certainly affords more "downtime" to blog, but when you have a traveling companion the concentrated time required seems a bit rude.

When I booked our Grand Balkan adventure in October of 2019 I was anticipating getting 4 passport stamps and visiting an area of the world of which I knew very little.  Touted as a "13-day odyssey through Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, and Macedonia" that would give us a look at the region's most impressive sights, it sounded perfect. One of the things I enjoy about Group Tours is that the tour guides are a wealth of information - from culture, to history, to personal stories and experiences, they are a huge asset when visiting another country (if you came to learn, that is).  As many of you know, the pandemic was blamed time-and-again for the cancelation of our tour.  They would postpone and I would buy another set of plane tickets, then they would do it again.  I have refused to add up all the money I have spent on a tour that never materialized, it would have been far too depressing.  When they cancelled again in March of 2022, my aunt and I had both decided we were done.  They continued to refuse to return our money and they would only offer travel vouchers, but since our plane tickets were still valid we were stuck.  When I saw that they had a self-driving tour of Croatia (only Croatia, not the Balkans), we concurred that this was our best option at this stage of their little game.  We had to pay more money, which was nearly unthinkable, but we felt desparate to get out of their clutches so we did it anyway and had them book our rental car and hotels for us.  

After many delays and email exchanges we finally got all of our vouchers with less than a week before our departure (can you tell how incredibly disgusted I was with them by this point?).  It was then that I realized the company with which I'd booked our tour is more of a travel broker.  The vouchers were from a completely different company (in Slovenia), so the tour wasn't their tour, hence they had no control over whether it operated or not!  But enough about our travel woes, we had a plan and we were packed and ready on May 23rd for whatever the trip might bring.  The bright spot was that the week before our trip Croatia decided to waive all Covid Restrictions!  No testing or vaccincations required, no masks, just live your life.  Since we transited through Germany there were Covid restrictions on the journey to and from (the U.S. didn't remove their testing-to-return requirements until the week after we returned), but once there it was smooth sailing.