Author: CaravanRamblings

Today we drove to Zadar for lunch and a look around the old town.

Lunch was at Restaurant Spajza. Food was excellent – I had the Sea Bass fillets and Moe the Spaghetti Bolognese. Service was also good and everything was nice and clean in the shade under their giant canopies. As is often the case over here, a complimentary grappa at the end of the meal.

Zadar is a narrow peninsula and its layout dates back to Roman rule, when the straight roads and forum were built. In the middle ages it was the main base for the Byzantine fleet.

There are lots of quaint old streets to explore and Zadar is also a popular cruise calling port.

The “sea organ” too is worth a visit, a musical instrument built in to the quayside. Under the white stone steps are a set of pipes which produce musical chords naturally as waves push air through the pipes.

Next to it is another installation by the same architect called “Greeting to the Sun”, consisting of 300 glass plates that produce interesting light effects.

Saturday was a “chill” day.

Today (Friday) it was a drive south again towards Sibenik, but this time we were heading for Krka National Park, not Sibenik itself and we took the motorway south from Zadar.

We were a little late setting off as sleep had been punctuated at several points in order to check the election progress overnight. I lost my bet with Rich having gambled that Corbyn would be the next pm (note, I reckon he won’t go double or quits next time!).

We arrived at Krka around 10:30 and bought tickets for the Park. We were then ushered onto a shuttle bus to drive us to the lakeside but as the walk was a mere 1km, we decided to walk. Big mistake. We hadn’t appreciated that the 1km was a steep descent down a slippery stony path. We didn’t walk back up.

At the start of the trip, there is a kiosk selling excursions and we chose a 4 hour boat trip to Visovac and Roski slap.

Visovac is a small island in the middle of the lake and it takes only around 5 minutes to walk around its circumference.

There are picnic tables and this is where we ate our lunch. The island is a very valuable natural and cultural site and the Franciscan Monastery of Our Lady of Visovac and the Church of Our Lady of Visovac have stood here since 1445. It remains an active monastery to this very day.

Inside the church at Visocav.

The tour allowed us around 30 minutes ashore before we left for Roski slap, which is a waterfall 36km downstream from the source of the Krka River.

We walked around a 2km trail which circled over and around the falls. This was  a perfect distance for early afternoon in the full sun and temperatures hitting 30 degrees. I wish I’d take the drone with us as some of the aerial shots would have been truly magnificent.

After four hours we returned to the boat dock and continued our tour of the park on foot. We had a 2km or 3km walk remaining at Skradinski buk.

Skradinski buk is the longest and the most visited waterfall on the Krka river and is one of Croatia’s best known natural wonders. Note that due to the extensive network of boarded trails and bridges, the waterfalls can be enjoyed at any time of the year.

If you are visiting Croatia, this is definitely one of the must see locations. A further selection of pictures from Skradinski buk follow.

Later in the evening we walked to the beach area for dinner at Kanoba Jaz. I have been a little puzzled about wine ordering around this region as wine tends to be priced per bottle or per 100ml. I felt that was a tad small for a glass of wine but when I ordered one, the waitress said I could have 1, 2, 3 4 decilitres – whatever I wanted.

This is the glass which arrived. Note that the beer is a large 1/2 litre glass. That’s what I call a proper glass of wine. Next time someone asks how much you drink, one can reply, honestly, just the occasional glass of wine!

Thursday. Ditto Wednesday, Mo nursing a migraine so took the opportunity to take care of some chores and shopping. BBQ Tuna in the evening.

Wednesday Mo was nursing a migraine so in the end, we managed a late afternoon walk into Nin and a Pizza in the centre of the old town.

Nin has won many top destination awards, the latest in 2015 “On-line recognition to the Town of Nin as one of the most romantic destinations in Europe – Internet portal European Best Destinations (www.europeanbestdestinations.com).”

The Church of the Holy Cross called “the smallest cathedral in the world“ is the most valuable preserved monument of early Croatian religious architecture and one of Nin’s symbols.

Gregory of Nin was a medieval Croatian bishop of Nin who strongly opposed the Pope and official circles of the Church and introduced the national language in the religious services after the Great Assembly in 926, according to traditional Croatian history.

Sibenik is an historic city on the central Dalmatian coast of Croatia, where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic sea.

The journey from Nin lead us along the coastal highway south to Sibenik. Just outside Sibenik is a large bridge crossing the Krka river – reminds me of the one across the Rio Grande in New Mexico but its name eludes me at the present.

There is also a very nice view to be had of Sibenik in the distance, the oldest Croatian town on the sea.

At the top of the old town is the Medieval Mediterranean Garden of the St Lawrence monastry, shown here on the right.

Slightly further up is the Fort of St Michael which although restored after destruction by a lightning strike, is nevertheless of medieval origins and offers sone stunning views over Sibenik and the nearby islands.

There is also a nice view of the Cathedral of St James.

The city has a really nice feel to it with the ancient Cathedral Square, narrow streets, cafes and restaurants to explore. Although Moe wasn’t impressed with the amount of steps!

Bizarrly we also stumbled upon a fountain providing sun and shelter for dozens of turtles! It was located in the front of one of the churches but we weren’t sure which one.

Another relaxing day today, preceded by a visit to the Pharmacy for some mosquito repellent. The mosquitos are out in force here at Autocamp Peros and our supplies of Deet are taking a bit of a hit.

Later in the afternoon we cycled to Privlaka further along the coast from Zaton. We discovered a campsite nestled by the sea, Dalmacija Camping, and this would be worthy of consideration should we return to this area.

The view from one of the harbours across to Privlaka.

The evening was another BBQ, Joe sporting the latest in anti-mosquito technology!

Sunday we finished setting up at Autocamp Peros and later walked into Nin. Nin’s historical centre is located on an islet of just 500 meters in diameter.

Nin is situated in a lagoon, surrounded by natural sandy beaches and linked with the mainland by two stone bridges from the 16th century.

Roman Temple at Nin. We figure that some elements of the concrete column aren’t perhaps as authentic as they might be.

This whole area doesn’t quite seem as affluent as Istria and this is reflected at Camping Peros. The campsite is a small family run site with plenty of trees for shade. The pitches are all different in shape and size and although we had been pre-allocated a pitch, we swapped this and have a very large plot with almost a fully serviced pitch. I say almost because in this area of the campsite there is no grey waste, but there is a drain below the water feeds and that’s where we’ve attached our grey waste pipe.

The facilities are clean but fairly basic in comparison to other sites we have stayed at recently. I’ve yet to discover the best time of day for a warm shower! Still, this is our home for the next two weeks or so.

Saturday we drove from Porec to Nin, near Zadar. We took the motorway option all the way from close to Porec down to as far as Zadar. At around 246 miles, it was some 46 miles further than following the highly recommended scenic coastal highway which we didn’t think would be suitable for our outfit. The roads were generally quiet without any major delays.

Friday was another hot day with highs in the late 20s. An early start to pack everything up, ready for our departure on Saturday.

You’ve probably heard that Croatia has the best preserved Roman amphitheatre in the world but who would have guessed that Brijuni National Park is also the home to Croatia’s very own Safari park – who needs to fly to Africa?

Whilst perhaps lacking some of the big five, the Safari Park on the island of Brijuni was founded by General Tito, the president of Yugoslavia from 1953 until his death in 1980. In fact he used the island as his holiday home and lived there for some six months of each year.

He received and entertained many heads of state including the Queen of England and a number of African leaders. As was customary in that era, heads of state often brought exotic animals as gifts.

The head of India gifted two elephants, one of which is still alive at the Safari park. She lost her mate some seven years ago and is 45 years old. Perhaps the saddest Elephant you will ever see.

As well as the Elephant there was the sight of a new born donkey. Just an hour old in this photograph.

Zebras and other animals roamed around both inside their enclosures and along the walkways – the enclosures weren’t perfectly maintained – to put it politely.

Brijuni is also home to a full sized golf course, hotels, a Mediterranean garden and an Olive tree over 1600 years old. The ancient olive is one of the oldest trees in the Mediterranean, a fact that has been proved by research carried out on samples of this ancient olive tree

This was an excellent day out. We had previously visited Fazana to buy tickets two days prior, but because the prices were due to increase on our chosen date of travel, we were unable to buy any advance tickets although we were able to make a reservation on the 11:30 ferry which we were assured would have an English guide.

Note there is an “official” Birjuni travel shop and this is the only outlet where one can buy return tickets for the boat and associated tours. There are lots of other traders selling tours of the Brijuni area but we concluded that these were just cruises with no ability to disembark and explore the island.

The tickets were 200 Kuna and this included a return ferry crossing, guided “train” tour of the island and then the opportunity to explore unguided.

Following the guided train, we chose to hire Electric Bikes. What a great decision – they were amazing. The concern that they would reduce exercise was completely unfounded. It just means you can go further and faster with the same amount of effort. Note: Add to the “wish list”.

Later in the afternoon, post a waterside beer, we launched the drone and grabbed some aerial footage of Brijuni.

Evening was another very excellent and great value meal at Polidor campsite restaurant.

Yesterday (Wednesday) was a chill day. The afternoon was spent around the pool. Early evening we launched the drone to take some stunning aerial footage of our campsite and the coastline between us and Funtana.

There have been a few surprises since our arrival in Croatia but we weren’t expecting to see the sixth largest (and apparently, best preserved) Roman amphitheatre in the world.

Pula is around a 45 minutes drive south from Porec and is a very mixed town. From masses of stunning Roman architecture to soviet era apartment blocks to a working port.

A selection of pictures follow from our wanderings around Pula.

In the evening we enjoyed another nice meal at “Nando” restaurant, part of the campsite.

Yesterday was a bit of a “chill” day. Some shopping at a local caravan supplies store and then food shopping at the local Lidl. Early evening was a walk to one of the beach bars followed by dinner at the campsite restaurant.

The weather continues to be near perfect, highs in the late 20s and lows in the mid teens. No sign of any rain

Today we toured some of the Fortified Towns. The villages and towns of Istria were all fortified and the first people to build walls were the Histri, an Illyrian tribe who put up defences on the hilltops where they settled.

We would visit three of the hilltop towns today and witness a huge contrast. The first location was very rural and quiet whilst the last town we would visit had lots of tourists and even a shuttle bus to avoid the climb to the hilltop.

First up was Boljun, the village still retaining its medieval walls, ramparts, a tower and a water trough from 1697.

Completely unspoilt, we were the only tourists in the area. A single café / restaurant the only sign of life (save for half a dozen cows sheltering in one of the “houses” on the main street.

More pictures follow along with some aerial photography from the Mavic Pro.

Next was Roc. The walls around Roc were built in the 14th century and Towers were added in the 1500s.

The Mavic was launched again for some great stills and video.

Finally we headed off to Motovun which turned out to be by far the most spectacular of the towns. Despite driving some distance up the hill to the car park, the medieval village of Motovun still towered above us. Too high we felt to be able to get any meaningful video from the drone.

Many more tourists here and even a shuttle bus up to the top of the hill. It’s always tricky for pictures to capture the true breath-taking views which were absorbed at the summit whilst walking around the rampart walls.

Very nice BBQ in the evening but sadly, this was the last of our bacon and sausages from blighty. Croatian food only from now onwards.

Saturday was a chill day with the afternoon lounging at Polidor’s beach. The evening we walked to Zelena Laguna in the vain hope we might be able to watch the FA cup final. No luck whatsoever but we enjoyed a nice meal alongside the sea.

Friday was another relaxing day with a trip to the Polidor beach and a BBQ in the evening.

Thursday and the weather has settled into a perfect pattern of clear blue skies, highs in the late 20s and lows overnight in the mid teens. Today we drove south from Porec to Rovinj.

Rovinj was originally an island port built by the Romans in 1763 but was joined to the coast by filling in the channel dividing the island from the mainland, creating a peninsula.

Definitely worth a visit to explore the old town and visit the church at the top.

Weather has been very good the last three days with high’s in the mid 20s and low’s around 15. This provides a nice contrast and chance to cool down overnight.

Monday we visited the largest camping shop in Croatia, allegedly, but we weren’t able to find anything on our shopping list. It also looks like we won’t be able to buy Camping Gaz over here so once we are out of gas, that’s the end of the BBQs.

In the afternoon we cycled to Porec to do some more shopping. Again, mission unsuccessful.

Tuesday was our 25th wedding anniversary and the trip to Porec the previous afternoon was not successful in finding Croatian anniversary cards.  The campsite had recommended restaurant “More” in Funtana for dinner and the recommendation was a good one.

The selection of seafood on the menu was exceptional – all locally caught and freshly prepared. Mo opted for the beef steak with mushrooms and I chose the steak tagliatelle – both excellent choices.

The meal was rounded off with complimentary desert, grappa and then a 2 mile walk back to work off some of the excesses.

By now it was dark, slightly chilly but still a very clear evening. On our way back, we were treat to the sight of a fox was chasing it’s prey along our walkway.

Yesterday we cycled back to Porec and had lunch at Stari Saloon. Nice pizza just set back from the water. Had another look around the old town – selection of photos follow.

Later in the day we took an evening cruise on the boat Santa Maria and watched the dolphins playfully swimming around. Well, no, actually they were being constantly chased by a few sight seeing boats.

This is our first visit to Croatia and so far so good. The sun is shining, as per the guarantee to Mo, and the expected high today is 27 degrees. After posting yesterday’s update, we ate at the campsite restaurant. It’s called Nando which is no relation to the Nandos we know in Blighty. In particular, I’m sure I read somewhere that the Croatians are rather fond of their meat and fish. However, proper meat like beef and pork – not chicken which is perceived somewhat down market. I didn’t spot any chicken on this menu.

I did however spot a Peppersteak and it was excellent. I’ve had many a good steak but this one was right up there with the best. A huge slab of meat, tender and cooked to perfection.

So, we know that Croatians like their food and it’s proper food. They also seem a very friendly bunch, with a perfect grasp of the English language, which is just as well. The roads we’ve been on so far have been good quality and the tolls relatively inexpensive.

How about the facilities at Polidor.

On arriving at Polidor, we didn’t have an enormous selection of pitches, about half a dozen were available for a 2 week stay. We chose one behind the toilet block and proceeded to manoeuvre the caravan crossways to take full advantage of the afternoon sun.

With no room to spare we concluded the pitch is 7.5m wide. There’s room for our Sunshine Awning and we can just park the car too so that probably makes about 9m of usable depth. For now though the car is abandoned on a vacant lot.

Mo was the first to use the facilities and remarked they were average at best. Oh no, a moaning Mo for the next few weeks until we head out from Croatia.

Mind you, the joke was on me. These are the best facilities we have encountered. Better than Camping Prumtal – well, that’s a difficult call – but on reflection, we both agree that the standards are marginally higher, here at Polidor.

If there’s any criticism, the site appears slightly cramped and bigger pitches would indeed be nicer. Trouble is we have nothing to compare against in Croatia, save from seeing pitches at a distance on Bijela Uvala and those appeared similar to here.

There are lots of nice touches, such as the bicycle service point.

Oh, and if I didn’t mention it already all 75 pitches are hard standing and fully serviced with un-metered electricity, fresh water and grey waste. Shame our waste pipes don’t reach.

I’m also lead to believe we have the ACSI pricing of 17 Euros per night.

A selection of photos below showing the first rate facilities:

It’s time to leave Austria and Lake Ossiach. We’ve already stayed nearly a week at what was scheduled to be a 1 or 2 night stopover.

The site, Campingbad Ossiachersee has it’s plus points and it’s not so plus points. The facilities, whilst not as modern as the last two sites we stayed at in Germany were clean and the restaurant was good. In the excellent category was the team running the site. Nothing was ever too much trouble and always a laugh and joke to be had at reception.

On the not-so-good side was the internet access. This was more miss than hit at the pitch and even at reception, it was impossible to get the work VPN functioning anywhere so thank goodness we had 4G access on the phones.

Anyhow, enough of Lake Ossiach and it’s now time to move on to Croatia. We had finalised a short-list of 3 sites:

• Camping Val Saline
• Camping Bijela Uvala
• Camping Polidor

and we would need the entire 3 to 4 hour journey to decide which one. Val Saline was a promising recommendation from a member of CaravanTalk; Bijela Uvala and Polidor were found through the ACSI campsite book (both just south of Porec and within striking distance of Porec by bicycle).

The latter two are very different sites – Bijela Uvala, with it’s sea view pitches is a monster of a site with well over 1000 pitches (maybe approaching 2000) and at least six restaurants. Polidor is much smaller with around 75 touring pitches all fully serviced with water, electricity and grey waste. A very boutique looking 4 star site.

We hit the road around 09:30 and the first challenge was to locate a vignette for the Slovenian motorways. These work in a similar manner to the Austrian ones and fines for not displaying the said vignette are harsh – allegedly between 300 and 800 Euros.

We stopped at the first location advertising the vignette. It turned out to be a hut in the middle of what seemed like a building site (maybe a service area under construction?) but nevertheless we secured our 7 day vignette for 15 Euros.

There were three other options for this later on – a service area just before the Karawankentunnel (for which we didn’t actually see the entrance), the toll booths for the tunnel itself and the first service area just over the border into Slovenia.

We think we made the correct choice.

Progress to Istria (which is where our choice of 3 campsites are situated) was normal, the roads generally good and free of heavy traffic. The worst section was at the end of A1 in Slovenia and the E751 in Croatia. This is also the location of the border and passports were still being checked resulting in a 20 minute delay. The standard of this section of road was abysmal with the caravan bouncing around the worn-out road surface.

We had by now decided which site we would stay at and we had rejected our favourite one (Val Saline) due to the apparent high internet charges of 12 Euros per 24 hours – we appreciated that this is metered based upon logging in and out but it seemed just a bit too restrictive and given we’d had bad service at Ossiach, Val Saline was rejected.

Out of the remaining two sites, we decided we would stay at Polidor, the much smaller of the two sites. We wouldn’t have the sea views from the caravan but Polidor does have it’s own beach (and bar) some 800m walk away and there is also complimentary travel to it from the site.

There’s much more to write about following our arrival at Polidor but I’m going to save that for another day. Lot’s of comments about the site itself, the restaurant and the location but signing off for today very soon.

Apparently, a small correction to yesterday’s post – Mo did not state she was mildly concerned that Slovenia and Croatia might not be as developed as the rest of Europe… Will she be correct? Will the facilities have toilet seats or not? Will they even have toilets or just a hole in the ground and a couple of grab handles?

All will be revealed tomorrow, so to speak.

(P.S. It’s done nothing but rain since we arrived in Istria; The one item I had guaranteed in Croatia – fine, hot and sunny weather!!!)