It's a scorcher!

Thursday July 18th, and we were headed to the island of Brac today.  We drove to the ferry which is a 2 min drive and got into the line up for the ferry to Supetar- ran in to buy our tickets and then the ferry loaded.  There is no real order here, the foot passengers, cars and everyone all load a the same time up the same ramp - a little scary.  The round trip ferry with car and 4 passengers was only $90- not too bad.

Lots of grapes on Brac.

Gorgeous Zlatni Rat.

Road to Hana??

Leaving Split behind.

We sat up on the deck and enjoyed the 50 minute ferry ride to the island of Brac- a warm breeze blowing and enjoying the beautiful blue Adriatic ocean.  We arrived in Supertar and headed off to the other side of the island and Zlatni Rat- an amazing looking beach that we had read about.  I have to say the landscape has surprised me- I really did not expect these huge mountain ranges so close to the coast in Split and the island is one huge mountain- to get to the other side we had to drive over the mountain and so a 30 km drive took about 50mins, in some spots I felt like I was back on the road to Hana with all the switch backs.  The drivers- have I mentioned how crazy they are?  Even if you are going as fast as you can with a car in front of you, the will sit on your tail and overtake whenever they can- even on blind corners- crazy (mostly it is people in mercs and vw's!!)   Also the island is covered in white rock, olive groves and vineyards- apparently the white stone from here was used to build the White House as well as Diocletians palace.
Arriving in the town of Bol, we found our way to the beach- it was crowded but beautiful. The beach is shaped like a big horn coming out out of the land and has 2 sides to the beach. On our decent down to the beach we noticed a little area hidden by rocks that appeared to be the nudist beach- we avoided that and headed to a nice area and planted our towels.  The girls were straight into the water and i sat about watching for a while.  Well it seemed maybe the nudist beach was full as to our right people started stripping down- the girls got an eyeful.  Not sure why the people who feel they should go naked are the ones who really shouldn't - yuck!!!  I dipped my foot in the ocean to test to the water and it seemed a lot warmer than Brela beach had been- so in I went and floated around for a while.  There seems to be a much higher salt content in the water as when you get out you are coated in a fine layer of salt!

Zlatni Rat.

Trees line the beach- so nice and cool.

After 4 hours on the beach- it was hot, about 30C, we packed up and had to have an ice cream of course!  Then we made our way back to the other side and back to Supetar.  We parked and took a stroll around this quaint little town- what a great place- a little like Rovinji.  We spent a while and then went to the ferry line up to catch the 8:45pm ferry back to Split.  The sunset was a red ball of fire- too stunning for words. Then we were on the ferry and back to Split!  Another amazing day.

Quaint Supetar.

Approaching Split.

Split

Another gorgeous day on the coast- today was the day to explore Split.
First we headed to the stadium where Hadjuk Split play- Frank wanted to see it.

Then we parked the car back at the apartment and walked into town- about a 15 minute walk.
We were on the Riva in no time.  We entered Diocletian's palace and went to the underground section for the tour.  Pretty amazing that this castle and it's insides have been standing since 293AD!! There were wet patches all over the area and we found out that because there are houses and shops built all amongst the walls outside, and the plumbing is not that great- every time someone showers the water drains into this underground and takes a few hours to sink in!  Coming back out from the underground of this massive palace.  (Diocletian was a Roman Emperor btw, who built this palace as his retirement house- he was the only emperor to retire and not be killed or die on the throne!)

The main court of the once palace is now a shopping area- with tons of neat stalls selling stuff for our tourist eyes. Walking through we came up the other side in front of the Cathedral of St Domnius and the bell tower on top.  We climbed the bell tower and has the most incredible view of the city from above.  These older cities don't have massive skyscrapers blocking your view and I like it!

Following the crowds we were in search of lunch- we found a little store serving sandwiches and sat down to observe the madding crowds as they went by.  Certainly not as many crowds as Paris or Venice - which is a good thing.  We wandered around some of the boutique store in square and then sat down for a coffee (it has been a long day- must have time for coffee!) Strolling back to the Riva we headed home.

it smells like sulpher down on the Riva!

On our way back, our noses were drawn to this chimney sending divine smoked smells into the air.  I popped in and it was the most incredible looking restaurant.  I booked a table for 9pm, just for Frank and me as the girls were too tired and said they rally wanted to just chill at home.
Frank took the girls to the beach for a swim and I headed to the store to pick up some dinner for them.
They had a great swim and claimed the water to be much warmer than the Brela beach water.
Frank and I headed out for our 9pm dinner at Dvor.  we arrived to the most gorgeous setting - candlelit  tables on the ocean, the trees overhead and smells that made any stomach long for dinner.
We ordered an appie of beef short rib risotto and before that arrived were given a tray of fresh smoked sausage and bread- so good.  For dinner we both had fish - I had sea bass and Frank's was called white fish- some of the English translations were funny! The atmosphere was great and I kept thinking I was in Malibu or some other elegant setting.  Then it was home and too bed as we were so full it took everything to roll ourselves the 300m home!

Beach Day!

Today we decided was going to be a beach day, but the beaches in Split are sooooo busy and not that inviting.  We had heard about the Makarska Riviera- about 50 km south of Split.  We headed out in search of a nice beach.  As soon as we were 10 mins south of Split it was unbelievable- the mountains on the left and this blue green ocean to our right- stunning.  There were areas where we could have been in the Okanagan as the terrain is very desert like and other turns we felt like we were in Southern California.

We came upon the Makarska Riviera and were high up in the mountains- we started the descent down and we were on this amazing stretch of beach.  We had to pay 80kuna for parking (not too bad- about $14!) Down to the beach we headed- we forgot that we had no towels!! There were little stands selling everything from fruit to flip flops on the beach, but they were pretty expensive.  Frank took a walk towards town and found a cheapish vendor and bought some towels.  We spread out and started soaking up the sun. The rays here don't seem as bad as in BC- we had run out of sunscreen in Venice and had bought some there so we lathered up.
Side note- they had nothing higher than 30 SPF in Venice and the sunscreen there was so expensive 18euros for a small tube ( about $22!)  They looked at me funny when I asked in they had anything higher and showed me a 5 SPF (what is the point of 5?).
Back at the beach- the girls headed straight for the water.  Luckily I had read that Croatian beaches are pebbly and had bought the girls water shoes as there is no sand here.  Then again there are no waves so it is kind of hard to have soft sand beaches if there are no waves.  I settled in to people watch- oh boy you see it all here- men in speedos, topless women and kids naked!

pigs on the spit in the parking lot!

surrounded by mountains and ponderosa pines.

After a few hours we headed up to a little beach shack and had a light lunch (hahaha- massive burgers, a foot long hot dog for Delaney and sausage sandwich for Frank that was ridiculous!!) I would love a salad- really i would. Strolling back to our towels we saw an ice cream stand- well okay lunch was big but not that big (!)  Ice cream is so cheap here it is hard not to have it all the time- a 2 scoop (BIG scoops) ice cream on a very fresh cone is about $2.50 max- one scoop just over a buck- it's like they are giving it away!
Back on the beach the girls convinced me to come in to the water- OMG it is so cold- it looks so inviting but brrrrr.  I had to swim in it as that makes another ocean/sea that I have dipped myself into.
After almost 6 hours on the beach- we had to drag the girls out of the water.  We headed back to Split drving towards a magnificent sunset.  We stopped in Omis on the way- a cute little town that had a river flowing down the middle and massive mountains surrounding it- high on the hill we could see a castle.  There are so many high up castles in the mountains- left overs form hundreds of years of war.
Back in Split we are now sitting in the apartment and chilling after our hard day at the beach.

Omis

It's a long, long road

Sunday was our last day in Pozega- we woke up, packed our stuff and headed to Mato's for a last coffee.  Then the whole family got together at German restaurant in a little town outside of Pozega for a huge last lunch together.  It was hard saying good bye - everyone is amazing and we will miss them.  Not sure if they will ever make it to Canada- I guess that means we will have to come back to Croatia :)

Last Pozega Coffee

The Whole Family!

We had decided to book a last minute B&B on the way to the coast so that we could visit Plitvice Lakes- they are supposed to be amazing and we didn't want to miss this natural wonder.
We drove to the Plitvice area in about 3.5 hours and arrived at House Tina at around 7pm.  There are so many B&B's around here we couldn't believe it!  The road to this area, once we got off the main tolled highway was a one lane and so the traffic was horrible- there are an incredible amount of trucks passing through this country and the roads are full of huge trucks- the speed varied from about 40km/hr to 100km/hr!  On the main highway the speed is supposed to be 130km/hr but you are destined to travel in the slow lane if you go that slow!!
The radio station had us laughing- we found the national public radio the first day in the car and you never know what you are going to get- we have had everything from country roads- reggae style, Spirit of the West, OLD REM, 80's one hit wonders, Mumford and Sons and lots of Croatian music- very interesting.
The highways as I mentioned are tolled and therefor amazing to travel on- there are these rest areas every so often that are full service coffee bars (of course), gas stations, grocer and all- very nice to stop at these and take a break.
House Tina was great- set up in the hills and surrounded by farms- the room was great and we had a good night's sleep.

Monday we woke early- had a full breakfast at House Tina, headed to the grocer to pick up some sandwiches and off to Plitvice.  The owner at house Tina had given us the route we should take, as we only had about 3-4 hours in the park.  We stopped at entrance 1, paid and then took a quick look at the tallest of the waterfalls- pretty amazing.  Then we headed back to the car as we were going to hike from entrance 2.  We parked and off we went.  We walked to the boat- which was a 200m ride across to the main lakes and we started our hike up the lakes.  I believe there are 16 lakes cascading into each other and down- the water is like glass.  The colour of the lakes and the tranquillity was not captured in my pics- it is a great hike and gorgeous.  There are so many trout in the lake just lazing about, we saw ducks too, storks and all kinds of colourful dragonflies.  Just a great day all round.  We got to the top and caught the shuttle bus down.

The main falls

So clear

Trying to catch the fish!

 After a quick lunch we were off, as we still had a 3 hour drive to the coast.Some of it was on the one lane highway - a little frustrating!  Then we hit the A1 and toll highway all the way to the coast.  Once again we passed through so many tunnels I cannot believe how many there are- some of then many km's long!
Our first glimpse of the ocean was in Zadar- looking good.  Onward to Split- we arrive at about 4:30 and of course got lost- this is a really big city, and roads that are named would be a huge help!!
We found our apartment and a parking spot.  It is a great place- we settled in and then decided to walk to old town.  We walked along the many city beaches and ended up at the main tourist promenade- pretty cool area. We took a stroll and enjoyed the sites. Then we ended up in the courtyard of Diocletians Palace and had a yummy dinner, surrounded by ancient walls- pretty amazing. The palace has been incorporated into the city and there are apartments and stores all part of the old walls.  It looks amazing at night all light up- what a neat city.

Split beaches

Beer on the Promenade

To market to market…

Saturday is market day in Pozega.  We woke earlyish, had breakfast and then headed to Mato's house.  The kids wanted to spend some time together, so Frank and I dropped them of and walked into the town square to check out the market.  It is a full fruit and veggie market, with vendors also selling clothes, shoes and other sundries.  A neat glimpse into the local way of life.  We took a walk through town and every kafic (there are many of these coffee shops and they sell coffee, beer and juice is really all- no snacks or anything), was over flowing with locals having their Saturday morning coffee.  We found a spot at Mona Lisa and enjoyed watching the people go by- I like this Saturday morning tradition -  I believe we should bring it to Poco!  After a coffee we took a walk and went and looked at some stores- just taking in the local life- really laid back and pretty neat I have to say.  Clothes are all in boutiques- not a brand name for miles. They have some pretty nice jewellery stores too- but I have to refrain as I hear there is nice jewellery to be had on the coast.

A couple of hours and we had seen and done most of this great little town and we headed back to Mato's for lunch. When we go there back yard smelt incredible; he was barbecuing lamb- but it is more cooked than barbecued really- a huge pan with the meat is put onto a bed of heated coals and a lid placed on top, then more hot coals are put on top and it is cooked for 2-3 hours.  My mouth was drooling when the food was put on the table. The lamb was melt off the bone tender and there were potatoes, carrots and peppers all cooked in the same pan, along with a salad and fresh bread- we stuffed ourselves silly (did I mention the serious need for a diet after I leave this town?!) After this huge lunch we couldn't even move for a few hours- we just sat and watched the kids play.  They then decided they had room for some sladoled- of course - and off they went for some while we still tried to move in our seats.

Later we headed to Steffi and Vjeko's house- they live on the other side of town about 5 minutes away.  They too have a lovely home and pretty back yard.  We arrived just in time for dessert (!) They brought out plates of cake and a plate stacked high with palachika (crepes); we of course had to eat some more.  There is no escaping the incredible food around here- you just have to eat until it is all done otherwise you will have to stay until it is done.  We stayed for a few hours and visited with them- it was great for Dani as she got to hold Matilda for hours- the poor baby cries and cries all the time- but Dani has the knack and can seem to quiet her and get her to sleep with little problem.

As I sit here- back at teta Zdenka's it is almost 11pm and I am still full- sheesh what a week of eating it has been!

Croatian Shopping

Friday we were going to head to a different pool, but on-one likes to go that far so we settled on going shopping for the day.  Steffi and Vjeko met us at Teta Zdenka's, dropped off Lucjia and off we went to Slavonski Brod for a day of shopping.  The first centre we hit is a new mall with a lot of German stores in it.

No shopping trip or day for that matter would be the same if you didn't sit down at a kafic for a cup of coffee (yes I am still loving the espresso with whipped cream- this has to be good for you!) Then we hit the stores - there is a different fashion sense to what we are used to for sure- so many bright colours on everything from shoes to underwear.  They even have a few stores that we do- like HAA i MEH as they call it or as we say H&M; Zara and Nike.  But overall the fashion is pretty different here. After a few hours we had finished and went to the next mall- this town is so close to the border that Frank's phone was welcoming us to Bosnia!!  This mall didn't have as many stores, but we went into a Beauty store that sold perfumes and there were so many different scents to the ones we have- Frank and I smelled like a flower garden when we exited! To end the afternoon we had to have a coffee of course!  Then it was back to Jaksic and Frank's aunts.  She had made a delicious dinner for all of us - another traditional Croatian dish of chicken, as well as a bean soup.  Then we had a quiet evening as Frank spoke to his aunt and I spoke to her through him- it is tough wanting to say something to someone and they have no idea what you are talking about- imagine me silent!!  Even funnier is his uncle who speaks almost no Croatian, but German- He talks to Franks's Aunt, who translates into Croatian for Frank- who then translates into English for me!!

Dani and went for an evening stroll and took in the most gorgeous red sunset- so hard to capture in film.  Also difficult to capture is the smell in the air- it smells like camp fires all the time- awesome wood smell.  There is no green waste disposal here - so all the branch cuttings and garden waste is burnt in the back yard, the stale bread give to the chickens, the kitchen scraps given to the dogs and that doesn't leave too much garbage. 

After all that shopping we were in bed by 11am- only to be woken by the church bells ringing at 5am!! Really? 

Downtown Jaksic!