It’s Saturday and another scorching hot day. Temperatures overnight in the van only fell to 26 degrees and even though we got an early start ready to pack up and move on tomorrow, it was at least 30 degrees in the shade as we pulled everything apart after our 3 weeks in Nin. Sue got her flight back to Southend and we are more or less prepared for our move to Krk island tomorrow.

Salt Lakes, Nin

Friday and we walked to the Salt Museum in Nin – in hindsight we should have driven as another baking hot day here on the Dalmatian coastline. The salt museum is still operational and produces some 3 million kg of salt each year using the traditional method of salt lakes and evaporation.

Salt Museum rolling stock…

A series of interconnected ponds gradually increase the density of the salt as it passes from area to area until finally the brine concentration is so great that the salt crystalises and it is then manually harvested.

Original Roman sleuce gate…

The production period is limited to 3 months of the year around June – August. The perfect conditions for such an operation rely upon abundant heat, a decent sea breeze to aid evaporation and little rain. Nin certainly ticks all of these boxes!

It turned out to be open day so we didn’t pay for the tour although we did buy rather a lot of different types of salt from the onsite shop. Bet we can’t taste the difference!

Lunch we shared a Pizza at Peperoni’s and dinner was at a nice restaurant overlooking the town of Nin and its coastline.

Thursday was a quiet day with lots of cooling off in the pool. In the evening we visited Zadar old town as we wanted to see the Solar display. Apart from the central light display, each of the planets of the solar system have their own light piece as they stretch along the promenade.

Greeting to the Sun, Zadar…

The Greeting to the Sun consists of three hundred multi-layered glass plates placed on the same level with the stone-paved waterfront in the shape of a 22-meter diameter circle. Under the glass conduction plates there are photo-voltaic solar modules through which symbolic communication with nature is made, with the aim to communicate with light, just like the Sea Organs do with sound.

Zadar cathedral and tower…

The cathedral and tower also looked rather splendid after dark.

Wednesday we returned to Krka National Park. You can read about this in more detail in a previous blog post. However, on this occasion we drove to Skradin and took the boat into the National Park. This boat transfer is included in the standard entry price.

There are lots of parking “entrepreneurs” and we chose to park ours near to a restaurant. The parking was free so long as you produced a till receipt from the bar / restaurant – quite innovative we concluded.

A few more pictures from the return to Krka.

View from the boat at Skradin…

Krka National Park…

Krka National Park…

Tuesday another chill day with a late afternoon walk to the Church of St Nicholas, just on the outskirts of Nin.

Church of St Nicholas

Today we had an early start (at least for us) and headed to the Plitvice Lakes National Park. About a 2 hour drive from Zadar, we would arrive just before 10:30am.

Plitvice Lakes…

Plitvice turned out to be unexpectedly stunning and was truly a hidden wonder tucked away in the Croatian mountains. I use the phrase “tucked away” fairly loosely because despite it’s location, many hundreds of other visitors had managed to find the lakes, where one can explore some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world.

The daily high temperature around Zadar is now in the mid 30s but the visit to Plitvice was very pleasant and the temperature remained in the early 20s for our hike around the park.

The stunning park is awe-inspiring and many have described it as “Mother Nature in her loveliest, most scenic guise”. Words can’t describe this picturesque park which has 16 stunning blue-green Plitvice Lakes, which are separated by natural dams of limestone on the Plitvice plateau.

It is surrounded by the mountains Pljesevica, Mala Kapela and Medvedak, which are part of the Dinaric Alps.

A selection of photos follow from this truly beautiful location.

The Croatian day moth…

Lastly, some information – it’s all available on the website but it took some time for us to fathom out what to do. The two most popular walks are around 8km, with some steep ascents and descents. These two walks are called “C” and “H” and cover similar parts of the national park but are more or less a reverse of each other. Walk “C” starts from park Entrance 1 and involves a 1 hour walk, an electric boat ride, a 1.5 hour walk and then a panoramic train ride to Station 1, which is a 10 minute walk from Entrance 1. Route “H” starts from park entrance 2 and is more or less the reverse of “C”.

In the evening we walked into Nin and ate at Peperoni’s – excellent pizza.

Sunday was a “chill” day, followed by a tour of Zadar with Sue. BBQ in the evening.

Sue’s tent…

Saturday is another chill day, waiting for our daughter Sue to arrive. We had to buy another tent as we’d left hers at home. We managed to pick one up at the Decathlon store which now appears to be one of our favourite haunts.

Friday was shopping and laundry. I did visit the local “Bauhaus” which is like a B&Q on steroids. First I had one handful of shopping, then another, until finally I had go and grab a trolley!

Thursday we drove to Split which is around 2 hours each way on the motorway. If anything, we were a little underwhelmed by the town. Yes there are lots of the usual narrow streets and plenty of ancient buildings to view but it was difficult to park, very busy with tourists and, well, just a little underwhelming. Moe did manage to climb the 60m tower but the staircases bolted on the inside were just a little bit too flimsy and precarious for my liking. A selection of pictures follow.

Tower in Split…

View from Moe at the top of the tower…

Split narrow streets…

Split palace…

Grgur Ninski statue (this one is in Split!)…

On the way back we stopped at a motorway service area which has a viewing point over Skradin, from where one can catch a boat into the Krka National Park.

Bridge over RIver Krka…

The motorway passes over the Lower Krka River at this point and there was another of the “standard” Croatian bridges like the one in New Mexico. Moe has suggested (I believe accurately) that the film shot at that location was actually “Terminator”.

Views towards Skradin…

Views towards Skradin.

Wednesday and Sue has her flight booked for Saturday direct from Southend to Zadar! Some swimming later on and then a walk into Nin to take some aerial footage and finally an evening BBQ – listening to the RAIN bouncing off our caravan and awning! To be honest, we could do with a good downpour to clear the air which is becoming a little too hazy and humid. Daily highs are now in the early 30s and the caravan is at 27 (10pm) despite the fan and several open windows.

Nin from 100m…

It’s now Tuesday and many of the campers here at Camping Peros are moving on to Pag island to have a campsite right next to the sea. We have been debating whether or not we should explore that option. For one thing, Croatia is close to a complete sell-out. Whilst at our site, there are people arriving and departing daily, after around 3:00pm, folks are being turned away. We wanted to make sure that if we went to Pag, there would be somewhere nice to stay.

Bridge to Pag…

The drive to Pag takes one over another bridge of similar design to many others here in Croatia, and also a famous one across the Rio Grande, who’s name I have forgotten but I think a Star Wars movie was part filmed there.

Pag town…

The island of Pag is very barren and draws lots of comparisons with the lunar landscape. Pag town, which we didn’t yet manage to look around and the nearby salt lakes are pictured here.

Pag Salt Lakes…

Joe with his latest toy…

Next we visited Camping Village Simuni. All but full, but with a good chance we will be able to reserve a pitch in the next week or two. Whether or not we will acquire one by the beach is up for grabs! We met a couple there who had relocated from Autocamp Peros and they had lots of positive feedback about the Camping Village Simuni.

Ferry from Zigljen to Prizna…

We then drove further North on Pag to Novalji and then across to the ferry where we were able to catch a boat to the mainland for around 15 Euros. We then had a long drive on the coastal highway. Spectacular but it took some time to drive back to Nin, eating a late dinner at Kanoba Jaz (again).

Even the locals are truly shocked about how busy everywhere is and in part it may be explained by the Germans not travelling to Turkey in the same numbers as prior years and also it’s currently a two week spring break holiday in Bavaria. Either way, the Croats won’t be too bothered whether or not it remains as easy for us Brits to travel to the continent in a couple of years…

It’s now Monday and a day to re-group. Our daughter Sue is considering now to fly out to Croatia so we need to postpone some of the more exotic trips until she arrives on Saturday.

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

Lunch at Restaurant Spajza…

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.

Roman Column…

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

City gate and walls…

Ancient tower…

One of many boat excursions…

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.

Greeting to the sun…

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.

Approaching Visovac…

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

Monastery on Visovac…

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.

Church at Visovac…

Inside the church at Visocav.

Roski slap…

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.

Necklace trail, Roski slap…

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.

Necklace trail, Roski Slap…

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…

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.

Skradinski buk…

View from Skradinski buk…

Bathing at Skradinski buk…

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.

Wine at Konoba Jaz…

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).”

Church of the Holy Cross, Nin

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…

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.

Bridge over river Krka…

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.

SIbenik in the distance…

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

St Lawrence Monastery garden…

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

St Michael’s fort…

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.

Cathedral of St James…

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

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!

Cathedral Square…

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.

Basking Turtles…

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.

Dalmacija Campsite, next to the sea…

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.

That sinking feeling, Pravlaka…

The view from one of the harbours across to Privlaka.

Latest mozzie repellent clothing…

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.

Ancient gate at Nin…

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

Nin, Roman Temple…

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.

Brijuni Safari Park Elephant…

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.

New born donkey…

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

Brijuni National Park escapees…

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 National park ancient Olive tree…

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.

Brijuni ferry…

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.

First ride on an electric bike

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.

Brijuni National park aerial view…

Brijuni National Park aerial view of the centre…

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.

Camping Polidor aerial view…

Aerial view of the coastline near Polifor beach…

Camping Polidor beach facilities…

Funtana in the distance…

Pula Amphitheatre…

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.

Pula, arch of the Sergians, 1st century BC…

Pula, Temple of Augustus…

Pula, Castle and historical museum of Istria…

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