Croatia, Part 2

 

Plitvice Lakes National Park

Schengen

I should mention that the reason we were able to stay four months in Europe was that neither Ireland, England nor Croatia are part of the Schengen region. I carefully calculated the minimum number of days I would be in one of these three countries so my Schengen days did not exceed 90. 

Since our original plan was to spend the last two weeks in Ireland and England, we would have hit Croatia earlier and been in cooler locations in August. Now we were hitting hot weather in Croatia so we added new campground criteria - a pool.

Our first stop northward from Dubrovnik was to revisit Split for one night with plenty of time in and no near the pool and no trip into the city. 

Warning: Dangerous Chocolate

Chocolate is a staple in our camper so when I spotted this, it was a must try. On the back of the wrapper it says:

"THIS PRODUCT IS INTENDED FOR PURCHASE AND ENJOYMENT BY PEOPLE OF LEGAL PURCHASE AGE FOR ALCOHOL BEVERAGES. PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK GUINNESS® RESPONSIBLY."

😂😂😂

Click here for our photos, (i) for information.

Plitvice Lakes National Park

Actual water color with mallard for color reference.

We camped at Bear Camping - a small campsite, without a pool but set among fruit-bearing trees and home to more bees than I’ve seen in all of Croatia so far. They were all shapes and sizes and extremely inquisitive - zooming in and hovering closely to inspect everything in detail. At first it was charming. We were never stung but they were so brazen and constant in their attention I began to think they had designs on my hair serving as a hive and retreated into the van.

The lakes in the park are clear and a beautiful turquoise color but the many waterfalls they create are the star attraction. We had timed entry tickets purchased the day before and nearly missed our hour-long window. We're blaming our Garmin. 

The park has miles of paths and wooden boardwalks and staircases which often spanned the creek with water cascading right beneath our feet. If you love waterfalls and the sound water, whether it be softly gurgling, mad rushing or even crashing, this is your dream come true. It was pretty crowded at the most spectacular waterfalls. After weeks of touristry in cities, it was wonderful to wander in the woods around the lakes, marvel at the many waterfalls, and enjoy a day wrapped in the sights, smells, and sounds of nature. 

Rovinj

The following day we headed for Rovinj with a stop along the way to meet up with a friend for lunch and conversation. Marina regaled us with both a delicious meal and stories about her very interesting life in Croatia and elsewhere.

Polaris Campsite turned out to be huge with multiple pools, many amenities, and restaurants but ineffective front desk staff. Public transportation just wasn't available and, surprisingly, there were no übers either so we drove in and parked far outside the city. 

Istria had been ruled by Venice for years and you'll find Italian just as often as Croatian here. Following our guide book, we walked through the market and outside the town walls which once were solid defensive walls but now had windows looking out on the sea. Inside the walls, there is an old world city with narrow twisting lanes and a lovely port with many colorful boats and offers of excursions. 

Though the guide book warned us of crowds when we entered the narrow shop-lined street up to the church, we were lucky, and never felt crowded or rushed - just hot. I love towns with centuries old buildings chipped and crumbling, repaired and repurposed. I always wonder at the stories behind changes, like why someone chose to fill in a window with stone disrupting the facade’s symmetry and rendering the stone ledge purposeless. 

According to our guide, this town was very crowded even in medieval times and every available space was purposefully used but there are little alcoves that allowed families some respite from jam-packed public streets. We visited the Church of St. Euphemia at the top of the town. Dermot decided to climb the 400 year-old rickety wooden stairs up into the bell tower to see the views from the top. I opted to hold his bag and swelter without the exertion. He said going up wasn't too bad but looking through the big gaps between the slats made the descent hair-raising.

Motovun 

The interior of Istria is dotted with hill towns. We intended to tour several, stay a few nights and maybe do a bit of wine tasting. Once underway, we read the descriptions of the roads and looked at the maps more closely and decided to go go to just one. The one with a campsite near the walled town of Motovum with a pool. 

We arrived in the morning and found ourselves ascending the steep switchback road that signs indicated campers were not allowed on with nowhere to turn around until we reached the top! Returning to the bottom of the hill, we found the sign for the campground we’d driven right by. In our defense, our Garmin had directed us up to the top so we’re very disappointed in it for failing us many times here in Croatia. 

The day was hot and the shuttle was booked full for an unknown amount of time so we headed for a restaurant in town at the bottom of the hill on foot. Here we had some of the local speciality - truffles shaved over risotto and fuži (a type of pasta associated with this region) in a cream sauce. I guess we expected something more distinctive and flavorful but what we got was rather bland. Turns out the best season for truffles is October. It probably didn’t help that there was no air conditioning.

We packed up our bathing suits to check into the campsite at the associated hotel at the top of town and were delighted our stay included use of the indoor pool which was completely covered (giving our skin a break from the sun) and felt heavenly. We relaxed and snoozed and when we checked the outdoor temperature it was 99 degrees. We stayed until late afternoon and finally roused ourselves because the temperature wasn’t dropping and this town wasn’t going to see itself. We had the place nearly to ourselves but it was so hot the few tourists moved slowly and sweatily about. The views from the rampart walls of rolling hills, farmlands and adjacent hill towns was picturesque (as the photos show). Back at our campsite we dropped gratefully into the outdoor pool to cool off. 

Coastal Resort

I still needed some time out of the Schengen region so we spent a few days on the coast trying not to get too sunburned and overheated by applying liberal amounts of pool time, sunscreen and relaxation.

Croatia, Part 1

 

Zagreb

Camp Zagreb was far enough outside of the city to make Uber the best way to get in. We caught the end of the Dolac (market) which is held each morning and includes fresh fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses, and flowers. This is a heavily Catholic country but every church was only open for mass so we couldn’t visit any. We followed the Rick Steves self-guided walking tour and enjoyed this city very much. The historical sights, cafes and eateries were manageable, lively and not crowded with tourists. Significant areas that used to have medieval buildings were replaced by more modern structures less interesting to us. We enjoyed the unique “Museum of Broken Relationships” which was recommended by Mary Murphy. She wrote a great blog post about it: Zagreb Revisited.  Though not an art museum, it made me both think and feel which is my criteria for what makes art. The pairings of objects and stories ranged from funny to despair to joy at being free. I highly recommend you see this if a traveling version of the exhibit intersects your path.

Click here for our photos.

We took an afternoon break and then a bit more sightseeing and happened on a group practicing for a show of some kind. We had dinner at a nice spot in the middle level of the market and headed back to camp. On the way, we heard music and and yips coming from the square we’d visited earlier so decided to return. Several troupes of dancers took turns performing traditional dances with costume changes between sets. Since it was just outside the cultural center and there were locals who knew the words, we decided it wasn’t “just” a tourist show. It was fun to watch the energetic dancing and costumes and try to follow the story line. We’re reasonably sure one was a scene from a play in which the father calls the dance at his daughter’s wedding. Dermot had a beer at the adjacent Harat’s Irish Pub - bonus! It was later we learned that it’s a large chain of Irish Pubs that are  Russian-owned. 😫

Zadar

The next day we headed for Split with only the hope of snagging a campsite as it was now high season. A terrible traffic jam meant we were on the road with no hope of stopping for lunch so I left the front seat, grabbed items and seat belted into the dinette seat to make lunch in the purest definition of “on-the-go.” A quick look at the map and briefest search for a campsite led us to detour to Zadar mid-journey.  Falkensteiner turned out to be an expensive seaside campground resort with a wellness spa complete with a Finnish Sauna, steam bath, exercise room and wellness pool. No kids allowed in the wellness area as its clothing optional. Kids were having a blast in the other pools, slide and beach. 

 

We happily slipped into resort mode and enjoyed the slow pace and views of water lapping the pebble beach but our tender feet have been spoiled by the sand beaches of Florida. That night Dermot mused that it was a huge campground but so quiet he had the feeling everyone was somewhere else and they’d return later talking about the fun they’d had and we’d missed. 

The next morning I checked Mary Murphy‘s blog and only then realized what it was we missed - the sea organ! Here's her post: Zadar-Croatia. We ditched plans to hit the sauna again, packed up and headed for a likely parking lot. But all the parking spaces were taken in every lot we checked and we regretfully headed for Split with the intention to return on our way back. My lovely cousin Melissa really had it right when she sent me a meme she said reminded her of us. 

Split

Camping Split turned out to have space for us though it was pretty full. We relaxed enjoying the waterfront views and found the pool was a necessity for cooling off.  We ventured into Split only once to see Diocletian’s Palace and surrounding area as it was very crowded. It was fascinating to see how a Roman era palace was transformed and integral to the present day city. In the pictures you’ll see Roman arched windows now partially bricked up or fitted with shutters and glass. New buildings are grafted to the old in a hodgepodge of styles. St. Martin’s Chapel is one of the earliest Christian chapels anywhere and dates from the fifth century. Its burrowed into the city walls and is now run by Dominican nuns. What was to be Diocletian’s mausoleum is now the Cathedral of St. Domnius and the final resting place of Christian saints. Diocletian would be rolling over in his grave - but his remains have never been found. Just desserts for the man who persecuted thousands of early Christians. We spent time swimming, gazing at the ocean and resting with a few breaks for planning and tasks.

Dubrovnik 

The “Pearl of the Adriatic” certainly lived up to its name. We toured the city along with throngs of tourists. Our Über driver had told us they now limited the number of cruise ships to two each day which we appreciated. After a light lunch we tackled what we knew from our guide would be a long walk along the walls of the town with the sun beating down on us. We weren't at the top of our tourist game as I had forgotten a hat and Dermot had forgotten sunglasses. The views were stunning from just about every angle and we didn't feel crowded or rushed up there. The guide book pointed out the fascinating ways people, politics, wars and nature (in the form of geology, earthquakes and fires) had shaped life in the City since the seventh century. By mid afternoon we were bathed in sweat and bordering on heat exhaustion. We tried some refreshing drinks and looked into the possibilities for a kayaking trip the following day then went back to camp for showers and spent the rest of the day recuperating from an excess of sun. 

After considering many possibilities, we chose laundry and a kayak trip along the walls of Dubrovnik and around the island of Lokum. The only kayak available to rent was a double sit on top but we made the best of it and enjoyed the scenery, caves, and watching the daredevils jump from the rocky outcroppings into the clear azure waters. Though there were ladders we could have used to join the sunbathers (both with and without swimsuits) we decided we'd had an abundance of sun exposure recently and paddled on.

Some things that are different in Croatia. Gone from menus are rich stews like goulash, in their place are grilled meats and veggies on a stick, salads and seafood. Sadly, public transportation isn’t up to the task of getting us around even in the closest campsites so we’ve used Uber everywhere so far.

Hungary and Slovakia

Bratislava

The Peeper

This charming city was a stop along our route to Budapest so we just had time for a guided walk through the old town. As usual, some places were covered due to renovations but on the whole it seemed to have an excellent mix of historical sights and thriving businesses. It’s also a university town so it has the energy that always seems to contribute to the ambiance. There are quite a few whimsical art installations such a the “peeper." Though finding parking for our campervan was problematic, we were glad we got to experience it.  For a much more informative look, read the blog post of our future hostess Mary Murphy: Bratislava - Feeding the Mind 

Click here for our photos.

Budapest 

Two forces of nature conspired to slow us down a bit on this leg of the trip - heat and rain. We spent the time planning for something (we’ll let you know what if it works out) and arranging to get air conditioning in the habitation area of the campervan. It took some doing but I can’t tell you how excited I am to have it! 

St. Stephan's Basilica 

Both beauty and decay are on full display in this sprawling city. Once two cities on opposite sides of the river Danube, each part - Buda and Pest have distinct personalities. Our campground and many places of note were in Pest so we spent most of our time there. The parliament building is proof that a government building can be inspiring and lovely. There are moving monuments to the victims of WWII and commemorating those who died in the revolution against communist rule in 1956. It kept hitting me that U.S. citizens still celebrate the independence gained in 1776 but the people of Hungary only became independent of communist rule in 1989 - within the living experience of many people. Highlights included experiences unique to this area such immersing ourselves in a thermal bath and visiting a ruin pub. We thoroughly enjoyed our time here but I'm going to let the photo album do most of the talking for me here since I got behind in my writing.

For more on this wonderful city I'll lean (again) on Mary Murphy as she has lived in Budapest and is a far better travel blogger than I ever hope to be: What-to-do-in-budapest

Lake Balaton

Without a doubt, meeting friends in new places is one of the great joys of life. Add to this the fact that I have been in love with Mary Murphy's three blogs for some time now and you can begin to imagine how excited we were at the invitation to stay with her in Lake Balatonmagyarod. Mary and Steve were the perfect hosts. We spent several days with them being spoiled with home-cooked food and being driven all over seeing the highlights of the area. The hilltop ruin of Castle Szigliget was exhilarating to climb and the views of the lake and surrounding area were lovely. Mary and Steve then took us on a wine tasting tour of the Badacsonytomaj area which gave me Napa Valley vibes without the sky high prices. They make fabulous wines but don’t export them. If you need an excuse to come yourself, now you have one.

The next day we borrowed their bikes to tour the local nature preserve. 

Social lubrication equilibrium achieved. 

We borrowed their car to visit the thermal bath at Hevizi-to and Dermot got a much needed massage while I swam and soaked in the warm waters until I reached the perfect level of Zen. Our last night there, Mary and Steve hosted a dinner party with another couple, one of whom was from Hungary originally and the other from Germany. Mary knows just how to keep the conversation flowing for a lively, entertaining and thought-provoking evening. Many bottles of wine were consumed and at one point Mary brought out three bottles of whiskey for "comparison." 

If you'd like to immerse yourself in much better writing by an actual author and just a generally fantastic woman, do yourself a favor and read her blogs and leave her some "likes."

Any Excuse to Travel 

Unpacking My Bottom Drawer

Dying To Get In

Dermot and I absolutely loved the time we spent here but our campervan battery was draining and we sadly waved goodbye. 

Vienna

Dressed for Mozart

An easy drive to Vienna brought a considerable change. Vienna seems to be a center of good living. There are nice little cafes with outdoor seating spilling along many sidewalks sprinkled throughout the manageable old town. We were used to being surrounded by people dressed fairly casually (like us), but Vienna streets included quite a few fashionistas of all ages. There are broad boulevards with old world architecture; leafy parks with places to have a semi-private picnic among the plantings; and monuments, statuary and fountains seemingly everywhere. 

Click this link for photos and "i" for information.

Vienna also marked a big change in weather. When you have a small wardrobe in heavy rotation, being able to slip into clothes you haven’t worn recently is a real treat. We even dressed up one night for a Mozart concert in the golden hall (Wiener Musikverein). The concert brought back distant memories from when I played classical music on the flute. It's too bad the majority of our Mozart exposure was through Hanna Barbera.

Outdoor dining in the museum district.

Once again we loved the convenience of public transportation including trams which we used along with an audioguide for low-effort sightseeing. Biking is also a great way to get around with bike lanes in both traffic areas and throughout the large parks on the outskirts of the city. There are even very modern public water bottles filling stations dotted throughout.  Our campground was just across the Danube river and we had many opportunities to dine beside its historic waters. We were also pleased with the campground facilities at Camping Neue Donau.

Sachertorte - pretty but meh.

Our first few days were spent following multiple audio tours, guide suggestions, and touring the Opera House. We enjoyed breaks to sample the famous Sacher torte, Wiener Schnitzel (which has been on menus since Belgium), beers and reasonably priced meals that more often contained vegetables other than cabbage.

We “saved” touring the Cathedral and Hapsburg Palace until the last day. The truth is that, as beautiful, majestic and awe-inspiring as grand sights can be, there's a point at which they all start to blend together.

Our Vienna stay was extended by a day so that Dermot could watch the Clare vs. Limerick Hurling final. More effort was spent planning for a place to watch this game in Flanagan’s Irish Pub than on getting tickets for the Mozart concert. We all have our travel priorities and our Irish readers will certainly understand! 

 

Czech Republic

Prague

 

Terezin/Litomerice

Our first intended stop in the Czech Republic was Terezin, a small town with a tragic history. We spent the night in a small campground in the nearby town of Litomerice.  Arriving in the late afternoon, we walked into town for a look around and to see if we could find an alternative to dinner at camp. We were surprised to find a charming town with great old buildings on a large square with winding streets branching off in many directions. There were lots of touristy looking restaurants but Dermot noticed a woman emerging from a business set away from the main square and decided to investigate. What he found was a bright, modern looking restaurant that the locals seem to frequent. Dinner was very good and the prices were much lower than we were used to. 

Back at camp, we noticed the camp owners put alot of emphasis on the restaurant and bar.  People seemed very social. They lingered in the bar laughing and talking well into the night. We lacked the language skills to join but it looked like fun. 

Touring Terezin was interesting but the whole town seemed steeped in tragedy. The museum was excellent at conveying just how horrible the concentration camp was even though the Nazis had used it once (with over a year’s staging) to show how well the imprisoned Jews were treated. Less than one percent of those who passed through the camp survived to be liberated. The town seemed deserted the rainy day we visited. 

Click here for a silly number of photos, (i) for information.

Prague

Though it survived world wars nearly unscathed, Prague is now at risk of being loved to death by throngs of tourists. As I'm sure you've heard and can see from the photos, it’s a beautiful place to visit. Rick Steves’ guided walks taught us the history and pointed out the landmarks that made our visit so much more meaningful. I was moved by small monuments to young men who had literally set themselves on fire in an effort to gain independence for their country. The public transportation in general and the trams in particular made zipping from place to place a breeze. There are historical treasures sprinkled throughout the city. Our campground was set in the outskirts of town and the apartment buildings there often had a Soviet block feel, but as we entered the older sections of the city, the architecture was usually interesting and often beautiful.

However, there are places so packed that our touristing was reduced to shuffling along slowly towards the next destination and foregoing entering intended destinations due to long waits and crowded conditions. What should have been an enjoyable experience was, at times, rendered irritating. And yes, I'm fully aware we were contributing to the problem. I can only imagine how the locals feel. All that being said, we were treated politely at all but one restaurant - probably dealing with the same staffing shortages we have at home. We arrived on Friday and spent our last full day was Monday and I much preferred Monday since there were fewer people and we employed crowd avoidance techniques.

Healthy choices.

The food was hearty and often had a rich sauce. We really enjoyed the goulash, roast duck and salmon. We sampled many beers and even a spiced mead and enjoyed almost all of them.  We tried to find meals with healthy fruits and vegetables included.  

Fields between towns and cities were planted with crops - most of which we couldn’t identify. Some had yellow, purple, blue, chartreuse and even burgundy shades in stripes and patches across the land. Many trucks were stacked high with logs.

Cesky Krumlov

Our last stop was a small town in the south with a castle surrounded by a river that encircled it providing lovely views from every angle. This is the kind of town I can imagine spending months exploring. The streets and buildings bear traces of the passing centuries. There are always interesting ways they adapted spaces to accommodate modern conveniences such as electricity and indoor bathrooms while still retaining the original structure. Heavy wood and metal doors have fascinating handles, latches and locks.

Without reading our guide book I never would have known there are only about 20 permanent residents in the old town but it receives two million tourists a year! We saw teenagers dressed up for what we guessed was a graduation each carrying a single rose and walking with their families so they must live in the outskirts. We walked 20 minutes from our campground and followed the guided walk of the town which was a delight. Coming from flat lands, we marveled at the castle perched high above the town on a cliff facing the river.  We stopped for a beer and spiced mead beside the gurgling river and watched happy people enjoying a paddle. After more exploring we had dinner at a "Gypsy"restaurant. A visit to this town was worth one last night in the Czech Republic.

I'm so glad we visited more than one place in the Czech Republic because if we had only visited Prague, our impression of the country would have been entirely different. The culture is rich, the people have overcome huge barriers, and I really enjoyed it.

Language Barrier

Though we tried on multiple occasions to learn a few polite phrases to indicate we had at least tried to learn a bit of the language, we failed miserably when the circumstances warranted it. We always got the information we needed from a kindly bilingual person or google translate. When confronted with informational signs on buildings or monuments we just scratched our heads and moved on. 

General Notes on Traveling in a Van

I don’t want to give you the impression that all our travel experiences are reflected in the photos we post. For example, at the Berlin campsite we only had one restroom key for the two of us. Restrooms were separate units and pretty abysmal so Dermot would have to drop me off at one restroom and he had to find another. As he opened the door to let me into a women’s unit one night, I noticed a spider slowly rappelling from the ceiling on a long silky strand right next to the only sink. I just entered and didn’t even mention it to Dermot because yeah, I could work with that. I've handled worse.

In Prague, I was in a restroom stall and heard two young men enter laughing. One literally pushed my stall door open as there was no lock. I had to push back grumbling that it was the women’s. During the next morning’s shower, I was plunged into near darkness while dripping wet. The motion sensor was set to detect people entering the shower room, not those currently taking one, so no amount of sudsy waving illuminated the room. Every camp in the Czech Republic had fairly rudimentary bathroom and camper service facilities. 

Then there are the difficulties staying connected via pay-as-you-go phone sims and intermittent internet connections. The struggle is real my friends! As I write this I'm huddled near an internet connection point in the cold and drizzle. But when we hear that people are enjoying the blog posts and may even get the feeling they are traveling along with us, it gives us such a thrill to share it with you!