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

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.

Tour of the fortified towns –  Boljun ramparts…

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

Aerial view of Boljun, the Fortified Towns…

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.

Croatia Fortified Towns – Boljun…

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.

Croatia tour of the fortified towns – Roc aerial…

Roc ramparts…

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.

Croatia fortified towns – Motovun square…

Croatia fortified towns – view from Motovun…

Croatia fortified towns – Motovun ramparts…

Croatia fortified towns – Motovun tower…

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.

Polidor beach…

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…

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.

View from Rovinj harbour…

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.

Cycle to Porec…

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

25 years…

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.

Kanoba More, Funtana…

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.

Porec…

Marina at Porec…

Porec…

Porec…

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.

Dolphins, seen from Sanata Maria cruise…