Croatia; the Finale

At long last, I bring you the final chapter of our jaunt to Croatia! I know you’ve all been on tenterhooks, so I shan’t keep you waiting any longer.

Friday was just as warm as the rest of the week had been. Hubster, Little Man, and I dropped the in-laws off at the bus station so they could make their way north and continue on to Italy. We three, on the other hand, headed south from Zadar to Split, a drive that took about two hours. It was quite fun to see the similarities of “road-tripping” between Europe and the US. The tollways in Croatia were exceptional. Rest stops were scattered along the way with what seems to be the standard gas station/food store combination and there was never too much traffic. The smooth pavement and lax speed limit (with the exception of going through tunnels) made the drive easy, and the scenery made it enjoyable.

We stopped about halfway to Split at one of the rest areas so Little Man, unaccustomed to being in a car for so long, could run around, and we could grab a snack. Had the license plates not been from Germany, Poland, and Slovenia, and had the coffee selection been worse, I could’ve been convinced that we were in Ohio.

Hopping back into the (thankfully) air conditioned car, we continued on our way. Split came into view as we rounded a curve and the glittering Mediterranean winked at us from a distance. It was gorgeous. We made our way toward the old town, finding a parking garage that looked promising. (I had read that street parking could be a nightmare, so we opted for a garage first.) However, the man only accepted cash and we had yet to stop at an ATM, so he unceremoniously pointed us to the exit. As we circled around the block, I spotted an open parking space. On the street! And it was the correct zone! We pulled in and Hubster used the handy parking app to pay. It was 7 kuna per hour, or 35 kuna for the day. As we weren’t planning on being there for five hours, we opted for the hourly pay. The app reminds you five minutes before your time is up, so you can add more if needed.

With that settled, we made our way into the old town. Oh my goodness, it was so cool! I didn’t do much (any) research about what to do or see, but you can’t really miss Diocletian’s Palace. It’s a crazy city-like place now full of restaurants and shops with a winding, rabbit hole feel to it. We somehow circled back to the same spot two or three times and managed to find ourselves at the top of a staircase without ever going up any stairs. There were ads for tours, but finding them was impossible. Instead, we contented ourselves with wandering and admiring the construction of such a place, and also how it was converted for modern society. No cars can fit in the tiny alleys, so motorized carts are used to bring supplies to the various restaurants.

 

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It was obvious that Split is a huge tourist destination (thanks in part to Game of Thrones filming there) as I heard more American accents there than I do in Helsinki! It’s easy to see why; I would have loved to have spent more time there.

Little Man taking a break from his explorations

Having worked up an appetite during our explorations, we went to the waterfront to seek out food. The entire waterside length of the palace was lined with restaurants. All the food sounded delicious, so I opted for one of the prettier places called Olive Tree. Other than iced coffee, I don’t recall now what I ordered, but it lived up to my hopes and made my taste buds happy. I mean, you can’t help but smile when you have lunch with such a spectacular view.

dav

After our relaxing meal, Hubster and I let Little Man lead us around for a bit before heading back to the car. We wanted to arrive back in Zadar before it got dark (it does that in Croatia, even in the summer!) and without any solid plans, we had no reason to extend our time in Split. We meandered out of Old Town, stopping in a park to have some water.

The outside wall to Old Town

As we re-hydrated, a crowd of people drew my attention. Seemingly out of nowhere, two men came charging across the park, the Croatian flag flying from their shoulders as they shouted along to what I assumed was the national anthem. Ah, yes.  It was the FIFA world cup. The best part? Croatia wasn’t even playing that day! The pride and excitement was palpable and I was so happy to have been able to spend any amount of time in this wonderful country.

Our drive back was uneventful, other than me walking into the rest stop bathroom to find three older women washing their feet in the sinks. For some reason, I found that highly amusing. We grabbed a quick dinner on the way back to our Air BnB and, after putting Little Man to bed, spent the rest of the evening packing and preparing for the next day.

We were up and out by 10 am, on the road to Zagreb for our last full day in Croatia. Our flight left early Sunday morning so we had decided not to rush and booked a hotel near the airport for Saturday night. That left us one day to explore Zagreb. Not much, but we were all worn out by then and spent the day leisurely wandering.

I should know what this building is, but I don’t

As was standard on this trip, it was hot and humid, so after a few hours of walking, we stopped for lunch. I must say, the misters that all the restaurants have are amazing. They really make the heat bearable.

Little Man drinking water with class

In an attempt to wear out Little Man, we went to a park and let him play. He greatly enjoyed climbing up to the slide, and even liked riding on the wooden merry-go-round! Finally, we walked back to where we had parked the car. This time, the crowds of people made sense as Croatia was playing England that night in the world cup.

HRVATSKA!

The airport is a decent ways out of the city, so once we checked in that evening, we didn’t bother going anywhere else until morning. We employed our usual trick of fitting the hotel-supplied crib in the bathroom, and Little Man slept just fine, clearly undisturbed by the celebratory fire works when Croatia won. (We kept our travel crib packed in the car; I wanted as few things as possible to put away in the morning.) 5 am is never a good time to get up (unless you’re going fishing), but we managed to drop the rental car off and get to the airport with plenty of time to check in.

Tanned and happy after a week in Croatia

The flight went smoothly and we were happy to be home. I had just enough time to unpack and complete two loads of laundry before my parents arrived the next day. Whew! Good thing I cleaned the apartment before we left!

Totally in love with Croatia!

 

If you missed any of my other posts about Croatia, check them out here:

Arriving in Croatia and Plitvice

Tuesday in Zadar

Wednesday: Beach in Nin and Pag Cheese Factory

Thursday in Preko, Croatia

Thursday in Preko, Croatia

Hello, dear readers! Now that I’ve taken a full month off from blogging, let’s see if I can jump back in, eh?

It was another hot and humid day in Zadar, Croatia (just remembering it puts me in a happy place) and we – Hubster, the In-laws, and myself – had decided that we needed to visit an island. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the geography of Croatia, they posses an absolutely stunning archipelago with a multitude of gorgeous beaches. Much research went into choosing a particular island, with ferry accessibility being a high priority. At long last, we found the city of Preko on the island of Ugljan. It was a 25 minute ferry ride from Zadar, costing only 18 kuna (less than $3 US) per person with Little Man cruising for free. The views when we came closer to Preko were beautiful.

I still can’t get over how clear and blue the water was. We disembarked and walked about 20 minutes to a beach that someone had read about. (I’m not the research person when it comes to vacation. I’d rather be led somewhere, allowed to take in the sights along the way, and appreciate the final destination without putting in too much effort.)

We were able to walk along the water most of the way, and I couldn’t help taking more pictures. Croatia is a photographers dream!

Our end location put us at a beach-side restaurant where the in-laws happily people-watched in the shade while easily obtaining cold drinks. It was ideal for all. Hubster and I took Little Man (sans the swimming costume, but thoroughly doused in sunscreen) to the beach, where there were both steps and a ramp. Also provided were changing stalls. I’ve never seen these before, but since we were in and out of the water, I didn’t have my camera readily available. Having used it though, I can tell you that it provides sufficient privacy while making you feel like you’ll be caught naked at any second. It’s quite an experience.

With the water being so shallow, it was fairly warm. Little Man took a couples dips, but he was more interested in tossing rocks off the ramp. Then he saw the water slide and became obsessed. When it became clear that he wouldn’t leave it alone, we moved down the beach a ways to try to distract him. The heat and exertion took their toll and I realized our little dolphin probably needed to eat. I took him back to where the in-laws were sitting, offered him food and water and, shortly thereafter, he fell asleep.

Hubster and I were both able to enjoy the perfect swimming conditions. This is my ideal beach vacation. It was glorious.

After swimming and changing, with Little Man still asleep, the grown ups were able to relax with some nice drinks and nosh. I was even able to indulge my craving for ice cream before we decided to make our way back to the ferry. We took a different route so we could see a little more of the island. My goodness the sun was strong! (Little Man hardly turned pink, but Hubster and I were solidly red, at least where the sunscreen missed.) It was interesting to see the different flowers and plants. Some of them seem so tropical, and others are unlike anything I’ve seen. The beauty of Croatia is endless.

The ferry ride back to Zadar was smooth and quick. Little Man insisted on exploring, so even though I would’ve been content to stay in the air conditioned interior, he led me upstairs to the outdoor deck. The breeze was wonderful and I got to see more of the lovely blue water I’d fallen so in love with.

I can’t recall now how we found the restaurant for dinner that night, but I do know that it was spectacular. We sat outside, as was commonplace on this trip, and the owner, who happened to be our server, sang as he worked. Hubster and I ordered the seafood platter for two, not realizing that it would easily have fed four.

Seafood Platter

Two whole fish, a handful of head-on shrimp, two dozen mussels, and a boat load of risotto. Little Man helped us make a dent, but we by no means ate all of this, as delicious as it was. If you find yourself hungry in Zadar and craving seafood, Konoba Bonaca is waiting for you with open arms.

Konoba Bonaca

Needing to walk off that delightful meal, we made our way back toward the sea organ to check out the Greeting to the Sun. This too, was underwhelming after all the hype it got. It’s supposed to be a light show that takes place after the sun sets. A large number of solar tiles are set into the promenade and light up with different colors. The fact that most of the tiles were blocked by crowds didn’t help. I think being there right at sunset was also a mistake as the tiles didn’t appear as bright as they may have when it was a bit darker. Even so, we witnessed another stunning sunset and brought Thursday to a close on a happy note.

So, friends, now that I’m back, let’s keep adventuring!

Wednesday: Beach in Nin and Pag Cheese Factory

My one must-do on this trip was go to a beach. I was raised in a beach-loving family, so the idea that someone wouldn’t care about spending a hot day in the sand and water is foreign to me. I put my foot down and researched beaches (kid-friendly was a priority), and found that Nin has some of the best beaches in Croatia (actually, in the world). As much as the in-laws (and even Hubster, most of the time) wouldn’t put this activity on their list, everyone enjoyed our midmorning outing.

This wasn’t the exact beach we were trying to get to, but it was there, convenient, and turned out to be perfect. It was mostly sandy, with small pebbles a few feet into the water, but quickly returning to a sandy bottom. The water was calm and remained shallow for a good distance. There were people already swimming and playing, but it was by no means crowded.

Umbrellas and Adirondacks were available for a fee (80 kuna for two chairs) and we quickly found two that would work. Hubster and I took turns entertaining Little Man in the shallows, while the in-laws relaxed and people-watched in the shade. Having not even lived in Finland for two whole years, I was surprised to see how adapted I was to Finnish culture; LM was the only child wearing a swimming costume. You know, that outfit kids wear to prevent them from getting burnt to a crisp in that harsh Finnish sun. All the other European kids were wearing bathing suits or simply going naked. I could see how that would be preferable.

After about two hours, Little Man had had his fill, and I’d grown weary of chasing him around, only to have him throw a tantrum when I took him back to the sand. (Whoever thought traveling with a two year old would be fun?) Luckily, we already had plans for where to go next: the island of Pag (pronounced pog).

From the beach, it was about an hour and a half drive to the cheese factory we were going to. Pag is basically a giant rock. There’s very little vegetation, so the sheep there end up eating different herbs like rosemary and thyme. This makes for incredible tasting cheese. We made it just in time for the factory tour at 13:00. The tour could’ve been more interesting, but the required uniforms certainly provided some laughs. (Little Man was not amused.)

We had managed to pre order some cheese plates to prevent a long wait time after the tour. About ten minutes after being seated, we were able to indulge in some delightfully unique flavors. I don’t recall everything we tasted, but I do remember that between us, our favorites were the rosemary, truffle, and zigjen. Quite frankly, they were all worth a taste.

Little Man was worn out from the beach and completely uninterested in food, so he kept himself busy in the play area near our table. It was the perfect set up and provided plenty of entertainment for the hour or so that we were there.

The tour costs 35 kuna (~$7 US) per person, but if you order a cheese plate for 85 kuna (~$12 US), the tour is included. I think it was well worth the drive; everyone had a great time and it’s just a fun experience. You can find Pag cheese all over Croatia, and they ship world wide, so if you can’t travel but would like to try a bite, I’d highly recommend looking into it. (http://gligora.com/dairy-croatia/) We stopped at the shop before getting back in the car for the 45 minute drive back to Zadar.

A stop at the apartment was required to freshen up before dinner. (It was incredibly hot and humid the whole week we were there.) As predicted, Little Man fell asleep in the car, and even though he woke up when Hubster carried him inside, he managed to fall back to sleep once we put him in the crib.

Punta was our restaurant of choice for the evening. It fulfilled all the necessary food demands: vegan, seafood, and well-rated. It certainly did not disappoint. Our waitress was warm and friendly, and kept up the Croatian standard of enjoying children.

Somewhere during the course of the evening, it was decided that we’d watch the sunset after dinner. I guess it never crossed my mind as sunsets in Finland are so late this time of year (22:40) that it’s never an option. About a twenty minute walk from the restaurant, however, was a prime sunset-viewing locale.

I practiced my photography skills as we listened to the gentle roll of the waves and admired the beautiful seascape. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day.

Tuesday in Zadar

Tuesday morning was a bit of a recovery from hiking the previous day, and the drive from Plitvice to Zadar. Little Man slept to a decent hour, and the only thing we had planned was a walking tour of the old town. The tour has set times, but there’s no need to pre-book; you show up at the appointed time and however many people are there, join in. We finally left the apartment (we stayed in an Air BnB Monday night through Saturday morning) around 10:30. The next tour time was noon, so we took our time walking through the old town, eventually stopping at a cafe for some coffee. These lovely Roman ruins served as our view.

Now fully caffeinated, we made our way to the designated lamp post in the People’s Square where we’d meet the tour guide. His name was Šime (pronounced she-may, or Simon in English), and he was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. We ended up being the only people on the tour which was great. (Check out http://www.art-and-nature-travel.com for more information!) We were able to let LM walk a little, but he also did a great job in his pram. He even bonded with Šime to the point that he wanted to hold Šime’s hand as we walked around!

We were told about the history of Zadar, which Roman ruins were which, and got to see how the old blended with the modern day. I find it such a fascinating juxtaposition. We stopped by the outdoor market where Šime obtained fresh figs from a lady who grows them in her yard. I’d never had a fresh fig before, but I must say, it wasn’t anything special. Much unlike the ruins. It’s amazing how well-preserved they are, especially when you think about the daily use they undergo. The streets in old town (like in the picture above) were paved with wide marble stone, worn smooth from hundreds of years of foot traffic, and ideal for prams.

The tour lasted an hour and forty minutes and concluded in Šime’s office. It was a relief to step into the air conditioning after being outside all morning. (It was HOT.) There, we all had a taste of the Croatian liquor, Maraschino. It’s made from distilled maraschino cherries and is quite tasty. Little Man had some refreshingly cold cherry juice.

After all that time in the sun, we stopped for ice cream to help cool us down. Zadar really embraces the European cafe culture, with most places having large seating areas outside. We lucked out and found a table in the shade where we could relax for a while. (There’s no rush from the staff in Europe. Once you sit at a table, it’s yours until you’ve finished with it.) When we did decide we were finished, we made a pit stop at the liquor store for air plane sized bottles of Maraschino, before continuing on to the Sea Organ.

I had read a lot about this and was really excited about hearing it. There are pipes under the pier that make noise when the tide comes and goes. It was sadly anticlimactic. The music was cool, but there were so many people around that the noise from all the talking mostly drowned out the organ. Fortunately, there were also large steps that led into the sea. Little Man and I shed our shoes and carefully climbed down. Most people were sunbathing or chatting on the steps, while the more daring types were doing flips into the water. It was not a toddler-friendly swimming zone, so we contented ourselves with getting our feet kissed by the Adriatic. Little Man very much enjoyed climbing up and down the stairs.

Having checked that off my list, we took the scenic route back to the car and stopped at a grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner at home. As far as I can remember, Little Man didn’t get a nap all day, so he went to bed at a decent time (meaning before 9 pm). The four of us were then able to eat dinner and I was able to relax, not having to worry about whether or not LM was eating enough, making a mess, about to break something, etc. Toddlers are stressful!

We had a good plan for the next day and, as always, were ready to keep the adventure going!

Arriving in Croatia and Plitvice

July started out with a new adventure: a week long vacation in Croatia! As Little Man had recently turned two, this was the first flight that he had his own seat. It was a smaller plane for the 2.5 hour flight from Helsinki to Zagreb, and the seating was two by two. I blocked LM in the window seat, where he kept himself busy with the window shade, while Hubster sat across the aisle.

We were flying on Croatian Air and, as I’m not familiar with most of the various European airlines, I didn’t expect much by way of in-flight food. I was pleasantly surprised when the flight attendants came down the aisle offering snack boxes.

I mean, those are pretty fancy! Meat, cheese, crackers, olive spread, and candied almonds. Delish!

After refusing to eat more than a bite or two, LM finally fell asleep about an hour before we landed. He woke up when I carried him off the plane, and we were able to enjoy our first glimpses of Croatia on the bus ride from the tarmac to the terminal. (I think our plane had to park in the overflow parking as we were really far away.) We cleared customs easily enough, gaining another stamp in our passports. (Croatia is in the EU, but not the Schengen area, so they stamped us in. Finland never seems to stamp our passports, no matter the direction.) After collecting our checked crib, we headed for the exit. There’s something so nice about arriving at a new airport and knowing that someone is waiting for you.

Hubster’s parents met us there and we picked up the rental car before driving to Plitvička Jezera.

It was a pretty easy drive once we got on the tollway. The cars all lined up and as they reached the check point, instead of stopping at a machine, each driver was handed a ticket by a person standing outside. No joke. You keep the ticket until you leave the tollway, at which time you pay a fee based on distance. For us, it was 3.20€.

It took just under two hours to reach our bed and breakfast, Millennium House. The hosts were incredibly welcoming, offering complementary drinks upon arrival, and catering to specific dietary needs for dinner. Not having to find somewhere to get dinner was quite a relief. After settling into our rooms (two rooms across the hall from each other with one other room on that floor), we headed back downstairs for an excellent meal. We took turns chasing after Little Man while we waited for the food to be served; he was not in a sitting still mood. The staff, and even the other guests, seemed to enjoy watching my little explorer roam about. Luckily, there was easy access to the outdoors, so we didn’t have to keep him cooped up.

Dinner arrived and even though LM was still not interested, it was delicious. Everything about Millennium House was wonderful. If you ever visit Plitvice, I highly recommend you stay there. It’s about a ten minute drive to the park along a two lane road with no sidewalks, but we saw a number of people walking down the street with large suitcases.

We all had a fairly early night so we could get up in time to beat the crowds. Plitvice is a very popular tourist attraction (and well worth it), so we wanted to get there as early as we could. (Breakfast was served at 7 am, so we couldn’t go earlier than that, which was fine by me.) It was cool in the morning, about 12°C, but ended up not raining as the forecast had threatened. We parked in lot 2 at the park (7 kuna per hour), shed our jackets as we figured we’d warm up as we walked, and parted ways briefly as I bought sunscreen and Hubster bought our entrance tickets.

Once Little Man and I were thoroughly covered in sun protection (a must when you’re a redhead, or the child of one), we all walked the relatively short distance to the bus that would take us to the beginning of the hiking trails. We had opted for route H as that seemed the most doable time wise, and not too ridiculous distance wise. The bus (and later, the boat) was included in the price of the entrance fee. (Hubster can’t remember what that price was, but as it’s now almost a week later that I’m writing this, I can’t blame him.)

We hopped off the bus, found the sign that directed us to route H, and away we went! We did indeed warm up as we walked, and the temperature rose to a balmy 24°C by the end of the day. We were soon surrounded by breathtaking beauty.

The views only got better as we went along. These are the upper lakes and they are stunning.

The trails were easy to walk along, but definitely not stroller friendly. Hardly any of the bridges had hand rails, and a lot of times they were just on top of the water.

Not to mention they’re all planks. The waterfalls were plentiful with the number of people not so, at least in the morning. It was quite the enjoyable experience.

Quite frankly, there are just too many pictures not to share! We made good time (without rushing) to the boat, and relaxed for the twenty minute ride to the lower lakes.

There we found the rest area, complete with a large number of picnic tables, restrooms, and a cafe. We had a brief snack and continued on our way, once Little Man figured out the route.

The lower lakes are home to the large waterfall, and the biggest draw for tourists. It’s beautiful, but if that’s all you go to see, you’re missing some of the best areas of the park.

By the time we got close, the crowds had swelled to almost uncomfortable numbers. I think we were all happy to be nearing the end at that point. The trail down to this gorgeous site has a decent number of stairs and is fairly narrow. We had been taking turns all day wearing LM on our backs in the carrier, or having him ride on shoulders. I knew better than to bring the pram, but apparently not everyone got that memo. I saw four people maneuvering down those narrow, wooden steps, pushing buggies. It was amusing and frustrating as they took up so much room. I was just glad to get away from the hoards of people.

At the end of the trail, we got back on the bus. That relatively short walk to the parking lot now seemed a lot longer. Conveniently, there’s a shop and restaurant there, so we stopped for some cold drinks and I picked up the necessary souvenir shot glass for my dad. (Who, by the way, I will be seeing in two short days!) The hike had taken us almost exactly four hours. High on so much beauty, we happily climbed into the car for an almost two hour drive south to Zadar. That would be our home base for the next few days.

It’s Saturday night as I type this, so I can safely tell you that we’ve had quite a few adventures this past week. As I’ve said previously, this is going to be a busy month, so I’ll do my best to keep the posts coming.

And you, friends, keep adventuring!