June 4, Split to Zadar
We got up in the morning with just enough time to shower, pack up our stuff, and check out. We stored our bags in the bag room and headed back into Diocletian Palace to have a look at Cathedral of St. Duje, which was founded and built around 305AD. Pretty much it is likely the oldest thing I’ve ever seen. Before we entered the Cathedral we decided to climb the bell tower right outside the Cathedral. The first little bit of the climb was like walking through a tiny little cave and was almost impossible to get up. Well not impossible, but it was only big enough for one person but you had people coming up and going down, and each step was almost 2 steps high. It was a narrow climb but that part didn’t last very long. The view from the top was really great and it was a perfect day for it, sunny and clear.
Being a Saturday we really noticed how many more people were in the city. It was packed with tour groups and people from a cruise ship that had not been there a day before. When we came down from the bell tower we went inside the Cathedral, but having little information about it made it difficult to appreciate its history.
We set off to the bus depot to figure out when we should be heading back to Zadar. We would be flying out of Zadar Monday morning and we booked a tour for Sunday. After the bus station we went to find an internet café to check up on a few things. Oddly we walked into a tourism office that advertised internet and when we asked the guy just gave us his desk computer then charged us about 2 euros for half an hour. We figured he just pocketed the money. Ha. So strange.
We wandered around the city some more, it was quite hot and sunny. Eventually we took refuge on the Riva boardwalk area on a shady bench under a palm tree. We proceeded to people watch until we were hungry enough to find food. Now our hunger was mostly motivated by the fact that we would be boarding a bus for about 4 hours and needed to eat before that. After much walking around – finding food there is much more difficult than you would think – we found a restaurant that served food – so many just serve drinks. At this point we didn’t have a lot of time before we would need to be heading for the bus. I devoured a place of spaghetti before rushing off to collect our bags and board the bus.
The bus was near full but the ride was nice. Eventually it thinned out and we were able to snag seats next to each other.
We arrived in Zadar and walked back to the same hostel we stayed at earlier in the week. It was really quite hot still.
We headed to the edge of the old town where there are these steps into the sea. As the tide comes in, in the evening there is a set of organs that play a low, somewhat eerie tune. It was really neat. As boats drove by the music becomes more varied and somewhat sporadic. This was a great way to spend the evening because it was accompanied by watching the sunset. We stuck around until just before the sun fully set and then headed back to find dinner.
After dinner we walked back to the same spot as the sea organ where they have this huge circle of solar powered changing lights. It is meant to represent the sun and then there are a series of other smaller lights to represent each planet. It was actually way cooler than it sounds. We spent a long time just sitting on the lights watching them dance and shift.
Eventually we walked back and headed to bed.
June 5, Plitvice Lakes
We were up rather early in order to catch our pick up for our tour to Plitvice Lakes. Initially we had intended to take a bus out to the lakes and wander around on our own. Sadly the trains only run in the afternoon and the lakes are about 2 hours away so our only other options were to rent a car or join a tour. The tour was, not surprisingly, cheaper, and they said they would include a free transfer to the airport whenever we needed which saved us some cash.
We were picked up in a minivan and bused out to the lakes. It was a lovely drive into the mountains of Croatia. The climb was quite substantial and at times reminded me of both going to the mountains at home and of Arizona. Sometimes I wonder if these things actually remind me of places or if I am searching for similarities. Either way, that’d be my best description. At times it is very desert like then more like rolling hills covered in trees.
Upon being dropped off we downed a coffee before following our tour guide down to the lakes. I would like to be able to describe the lakes and waterfalls and the colour of the water and how clear it was but I just couldn’t do it justice. What I can do is tell you that it has to be one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Perhaps that is gushing but it was like no where I have ever been. It seemed so untouched and natural. There was no fishing, swimming, camping, etc.
When you first walk down to the water you are initially mystified at how blue it is then caught off guard when you look down into the water and realize you can see perfectly through to the bottom and see all sorts of details. The next most absurd thing is that there are schools and schools of fish swimming around, just near the docks, in the middle of the water; they are everywhere.
There are paths that run around the lakes that you are able to walk, they quite literally hover on top of the water as there is water flowing everywhere and none of it looks moldy or gross. You walk past waterfalls, beside trees fallen into the water, which are never removed. As far as the park, it is left exactly as it is found.
On our circle around the first lake it started to pour rain so we got drenched but it wasn’t even cold it was just hot humid rain.
We took a boat further down the lakes, ate lunch then carried on. The water in the lower lakes was an unreal shade of turquoise that was as clear as tap water. Basically we just went camera happy. Upon returning I found my pictures somewhat disappointing, but I think that is just because the real experience was so much better.
By the end of it all we felt we had been a little rushed by the tour group but there wasn’t really much we could have done about that. We were drenched in humid air and it was so very warm.
We boarded the bus and were told that we were headed for a surprise. The surprise was simply two bears in a fenced off grassy patch off the side of the road. There were also deer. I don’t really know how I felt about it.
The drive home was fine. When we arrived at the hostel we were pretty tired but didn’t want to just sit around inside so we headed down to the water to find a café to grab a beer. We spent the remainder of our last night out for dinner before grabbing an ice cream and heading back to the sea organ where we waded in the water at the steps until it started raining. At this time we went back to the hostel and attempted to pay for our last night’s stay but we only had euros left. We were sent back out into the streets to find a cash machine. By then it had stopped raining but the smooth stone streets were exceptionally slippery, naturally we figured our only option was to take our sandals off and walk barefoot. The looks we got were worth the laughs we got from the situation.
We made it back, packed up and went to bed.
June 6, Zadar to Groningen
We were picked up by the tour group to take us to the airport and caught our 9:30am flight back to Dusseldorf. From Dusseldorft Weeze we transferred to Nijmegen and caught the train home to Groningen. All went really smoothly, in fact our flight arrived early and we ended up getting back to Groningen a whole hour earlier than expected.
It was so surreal to be able to be in Croatia on a holiday. I think that if you ever go, or if I ever go back I would try to book a boat or do an island cruise tour – there were tons. Because the glory of Croatia is that every little island looks interesting, the water is amazing everywhere, and you could really just explore everywhere.
That evening two of the girls that I hang out with were hosting a Swedish party, as June 6 is a Swedish national day. Basically it included a great deal of yellow and blue, Abolut vodka, meatballs, and other Swedish things. I helped them decorate, cut up jell-o shots to make a Swedish flag, cooked Swedish pancakes, etc. It was lots of fun. The evening was really great and tons of people turned out. We had a bottle of blueberry pomegranate Absolut that we were made to do shots from; entertainment ensued. I made it to bed around 4am. To be honest I’m surprised I lasted so long because I was up so early that morning.
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