Croatia

                                                    Croatia 

A short trip for me this time, but to somewhere that I had wanted to visit for ages. I was looking forward to seeing this beautiful region, with its historic cities, lush landscapes, and dramatic coastlines. But for a change, I was intending having some time to relax; being based at a hotel in Lovran for the whole week, being able to sit around the pool, perhaps bathe in the sparkling waters of the Adriatic - sounded like heaven!

Day 1

After a good nights sleep, I rose with the sun and headed out exploring before breakfast. Directly outside my hotel was the Lungomare - a coastal path that followed the waters edge for miles in both directions from the hotel. I headed south for a short way and was surprised how often there were steps down to small concrete ledges - that they called beaches! As much as the coastline was scenic, I really didn't find these areas appealing at all.There was hardly anyone about; even when I arrived at the old town of Lovran - it was deserted. Then at 7.30am the whole world woke up and everyone appeared from nowhere. Lovran has a rich architectural heritage with a small town square, narrow alleyways radiating from it, Baroque houses, a Romanesque bell tower and the Church of St George. Everywhere was immaculately clean and tidy; but I found the colourful buildings mixed in with depressed, crumbling concrete structures (that were inhabited) spoilt the ambiance.

After breakfast we had a walking tour of nearby Rijeka, through its ancient, cobbled streets and along The Korzo, an old thoroughfare (with children playing a variety of sports). We went inside the rotund St Vitus Cathedral which was rather dark and solemn, its interior was mainly dark wood and marble - very different with its separate square bell tower and a canon ball embedded in the wall, dating from Napoleonic times.

As well as colourful Baroque buildings, there were the completely opposite remnants of the communist occupation, which spoilt the general impression. We passed through an open air fruit and vegetable market, where all of the produce looked as fresh as I have ever seen any; there were lots of people about now and I was very surprised to learn that many people are leaving this area and heading for Ireland! Next stop was the delightful resort of Opatija, located further along Kvarner Bay. We walked along the seafront and around the beautifully maintained gardens, passing the town's elegant villas, hotels, shops and cafés.

 With its long history, elegance and unrivalled beauty, Opatija has been one the most popular tourist destinations since 1844.

With an ideal climate and location, it has been a fashionable resort for some of the world's most famous names, Lord Byron, Isadora Duncan, many sporting superstars and political dignitaries. St Jacobs Abbey, dating back to the 14th century was the most incredibly preserved monastery, as was Villa Angiolona set in its own lush garden with sweet violin music playing amongst the camellias - the country's national flower.




We had been invited to a hotel that makes its own chocolate; there we were given some nettle brandy before being plied with fresh chocolate that had only been made within the last few hours. Suitably refreshed I opted to walk back to Lovran along the Franz Josef promenade known as the Lungomare.

It was the most delightful couple of hours walking along the rugged coast, with its cafes, beach shops and ice cream stalls. Gelato to die for! The pine trees, the old stone walls and arches, the pebbled beaches and crashing waves were the best part of the day - it could not have been more perfect. There was just enough time for tea on the balcony watching the sun go down, before our evening meal.

Day 2

The first stop along The Istrian Peninsula was Pula, with its harbour and immense Roman Amphitheater; a 3 storey structure that originally held 23,000 spectators - but today it is the venue for concerts and other tamer events. After the Roman Empire expanded into Istria in 177 BC, Pula became a Roman colony and grew rapidly. This is when the amphitheater was constructed and the town became an important trading centre. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Pula fell under the control of the Goths, the Slavs, The Venetians, and eventually the Austro-Hungarians in the 19th century.

 So as you can imagine, there are many variations in architecture from all of the different influences. After the WW1, the entire area became part of Italy, then after the WW2 it became part of Yugoslavia - only becoming the independent country of Croatia in 1991. The amphitheater was a magnificent site with the sun shining through its arches; I was disappointed that we weren't able to go inside for a look - but it was all set up ready for a concert. So we headed into the old part of this early Roman town, we passed 2 gates, one of which was Hercules Gate that is the oldest standing 1st century BC Roman monument. We wandered through the busy, narrow streets ending at the ancient Forum where we saw The Temple of Augustus which was built in 2-14 AD and had been restored after being bombed by the Allies in 1945.

Our next visit was to picturesque Rovinj, with it's bustling harbour and the Old Town with narrow cobbled streets and red-roofed buildings - very Italianate. Rovinj was originally an island, but 250 years ago the narrow channel which separated it from the mainland was filled in - due to the town expanding.

After lunch we walked up a steep, narrow street (with the most shiny, slippery cobbles) to visit the Church of St. Euphemia - the largest Baroque building in Istria. The church was decorated ready for a festival celebrating Saint Euphemia - a young girl who was tortured for being a christian and thrown to the lions, but instead of eating her, the lions were reputed to have licked her wounds. We had marvelous views of the Old Town and the bay below and it gave you a real insight of what Rovinj was like when it was all packed onto one crowded island. 

The narrow, winding, cobbled streets, crammed-together houses and red roofed buildings gave you a feeling that you were in Italy - in Venice especially where the houses were built right on the waters edge. Yet other areas had an Austro Hungarian feel. We could easily have spent longer here but there was much more planned for our day. An hour up the coast was Porec, a small tourist resort with delightful views over the Adriatic - which was as calm and reflective as a mirror. The sun was still shining and we were lucky to see a medieval festival in the market place. People were dressed in ethnic costumes, there were farmyard animals, music, dancing and an old fashioned carousel ride like I have never seen before - there was a small child in a basket going round and round!

 The streets of Porec were very easy to navigate; they all went down to the same point of the peninsular where excavations have found remains of more roman buildings. The shops were nearly all selling jewelry or ice creams - I opted for an orange ice cream. As they say "When in Rome.......!", and Porec is renowned for its Gelato! There were so many flavours to choose from!

It was relaxing walking along the edge of the ocean, the water was so clear and calm - it felt like the perfect end to the day.... but we hadn't finished yet! On our way back to Lovran we called at a traditional farm and sampled some of their local produce, including ham, cheese, bread and a type of doughnut; we were also given a small glass of mistletoe brandy (firewater), and as much of their local red and white wine as we could drink. The farmer played his accordion, and the more wine we drunk - the better he sounded, the more vigorously we clapped and even ended up singing! The wine must have been good! Needless to say, it was very late when we arrived back at the hotel, and no one really wanted any dinner let alone any more to drink - but it had been a very enjoyable day.

Day 3

We left early heading for Slovenia, briefly passing through Italy (for 5 minutes) before arriving at Lipica to see the famous white Lipizzaner horses. It was established in 1580 by Archduke Karl, the son of Emperor Ferdinand 1st, as a place to breed horses for the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. The stud has suffered much in the past; they were evacuated to Hungary during Napoleon's time, divided by the Italians and Austrians during WW1 and seized by the Germans in WW2 - although it is now a national treasure of Slovenia.

As we arrived, we were delighted to see many foals grazing in their paddocks; most of these were black or dark grey - they only turn white when they reach about 6 years of age. It was a magnificent sight to see so many together. Apparently at 5pm, the gates are opened and they all run back to their stable block (a large building that is not sectioned off - it is just one large room). We were shown around the luxurious stables, the small chapel, a museum that tells of the history and the evolution of horses and of course we saw the horses themselves. There are about 350 horses there today, mares for breeding, youngsters that are being trained, and the stallions - even the retired ones.

From the age of 4 years the stallions start training and by 7 years old they are ready to perform agile routines that delight audiences worldwide. They continue to perform well into their 20s - most living until they are almost 30 years. The estate is normally remarkably elegant, with spotless well-tended grounds and white fenced paddocks, but there was a lot of groundwork happening and JCB's did spoil the ambiance somewhat. After the guided tour we were taken to the indoor riding school and were allowed to watch a training session by a top teacher from Vienna. That was quite an experience; 8 Pure Lipizzaner's being put through their paces. My favourite part was watching them learning to jump with all 4 feet off the ground at once - not footwork but air work! A thoroughly enjoyable morning. Then we were back on the coach travelling through the beautiful Slovenian countryside, which was so like Austria in every way. The scenery, the houses - just made you feel like you were in the Alps. We didn't have to travel very long before we reached the famous Postojna caves which were first discovered in 1818.

Railway lines were laid in the cave in 1872 and a few years later electricity was used to power the locomotives - making it a far more pleasant experience than on the earlier diesel trains. We boarded the train and descended several kilometres underground; this journey took about 10 minutes and the temperature dropped so much that I was shivering - it could have been due to the speed that this little train was travelling at! Postojna Caves are a network of 20 kilometres of passages, galleries and chambers and after whizzing through the exceptional ballroom cavern with its huge chandelier; we left the train and headed on foot up the path of The Great Mountain.

The first caves we walked through were the best; the Spaghetti hall, the White hall (that was like a winter wonderland) and Red hall were truly remarkable to see. We crossed a bridge and saw calcite formations, stalactites and stalagmites in a variety of shapes, colours and ages - they were all amazing.

The most famous stalagmite called The Brilliant is a 5-metre shiny white limestone formation that certainly lives up to its name.

Although the cave was very dark, there is one strange creature that lives in these conditions, it is called a Proteus. It is a snakelike creature with no eyes that can live without food for many years - we only saw the one in aquarium. The walk ended at a huge hall where special concerts have been held and then we boarded the train again to be taken back to the surface. The last kilometre of tunnels was particularly dark with blackened walls; this is due to the Resistance blowing up a huge amount of fuel that the Nazis had stored there in the war and the resulting fire. The journey back to Lovran was as picturesque as it had been in the morning and everyone was so happy with everything that they had experienced on this remarkable day.

Day 4

Today was an exciting day for me; this was my reason for visiting Croatia - to see the stunning scenery of Plitvice National Park. It was a very long drive, but there was so much to see that the time sped by. We followed the rugged coastline, quaint villages with red roofed houses, passed secluded campsites and the occasional industrial complex. Over the still Adriatic, we always had the island of Krk in our view. It appeared to be almost white, ghost-like and often described as a moonscape by the locals - I could see why. The colour was caused by wind depositing salt on the land, an area upon which no vegetation could survive.

 The coastline we drove down was very rocky; there were no fields of crops as there wasn't enough soil to support them. But as we headed inland the change was immediate. Within minutes of climbing up into the mountains the entire area became densely forested, dark and picturesque in a totally different way. Brown bears, wolves and wild cats still roam wild in this area. The mountains gave way to broad, green valley floors where if you didn't know where you were - you could have thought that you were in Switzerland or Austria. The influence was so apparent.

This area was so sparsely populated, due to its remoteness, and is frequently cut off in the winter. Everyone needs to be self-sufficient here, on their small holdings and a local saying is "It's the land where the wolf is your friend". It was an area so untouched, so unspoilt - until you looked closely and saw holes in the front walls of some houses. Shrapnel! Now we started to see houses that had been abandoned, ones that had gaping holes still in them - and we realised that we were in an area that was devastated by war not many years ago. Bosnia was in the distance. The beautiful area we were driving through was still full of land mines - that gave a completely different feel to things. Only half of the land mines have been cleared and this means that Croatia is losing 50 million euros every year in areas that cannot be farmed. The country is trying to rebuild here though, and towns that were ghost towns only a few years ago are now being developed; new alpine chalets, colourful hotels and quaint restaurants are appearing and all of the roads were excellent. There were stalls occasionally by the roadside selling honey and a local brandy, and it was good to see that tradition still going - so many people had fled this area and not returned. It was almost lunchtime when we arrived at the National Park, which is world famous for its 16 lakes that are arranged in cascades, and for its thundering waterfalls.

We caught a boat over to the area described as the Upper lakes and walked on a rickety boardwalk with the rush of thundering water just inches below our feet. There were hundreds of people shuffling along, admiring the scenery, often getting too close to the waters edge and there was no health and safety here! I felt like I was going to be knocked into the water every time I stopped to take a photo - or at least, my camera was going to be knocked out of my hands. There was so much to see, the vivid colours of the different lakes and the trees - how many different shades of green could there be!

The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colours, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue; and are constantly changing, depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the amount of sunlight they receive. The Upper lakes are surrounded by dense forest through which we walked for several hours; around every corner was another amazing photo opportunity.

I have seen a place similar to this in China but the number of waterfalls here was unbelievable. There wasn't only tall thundering ones, there were ones that followed the path, hundreds of steps of cascading water.

The tallest ones were at the end of the walk, the Sastavci, they made me think of Angels Falls. Many of the ponds and lakes were fed by not one, but dozens of falls either trickling or gushing into them. 

I had been concerned that the colours might not have been so impressive (being too early for autumnal colours), but I needn't have worried - there were so many different yellows and greens. The lakes in the upper section were a lighter green than I was expecting, but the water was so clear - you could see hundreds of fish, especially trout swimming about.

One lake was surrounded by reeds; another had a high rocky wall along one of its sides - which made the most amazing reflection. It reminded me of the hardest jigsaw puzzle, where all of the pieces look the same. One lake tumbled into another and we eventually reached the starting place again and boarded the boat to be taken the 3 km down to the lower lakes. After a quick rest and ice cream, we continued walking around the Lower Lakes. The scenery was quite different here, it wasn't such dense forest, there were steep shores that were surrounded by cliffs, grottoes and caves - and the water had become a darker shade of azure blue.

Everyone who we had spoken to earlier said that the lakes get more beautiful at every corner and they were so right. I felt that it was a truly unspoilt place (except for the people constantly pushing past you). Words cannot describe the true beauty of such a place; I hope my photos will do a better job.

 I hadn't had terribly high expectations of the day beforehand, and it had surpassed everything I had wanted it to be and more. I would be telling everyone to visit the amazing Plitvice National Park and its glorious lakes. On the long journey back we stopped at a Honey stall and sampled some cheese and walnut brandy; hence I slept the rest of the way back! A very long day but well worth it.

Day 5

A rest day for me at last, but as usual I was up with the sun. After breakfast I walked south along the coastal path admiring the dark sea - it looked like a storm was brewing.

The rocky coastline still looked beautiful whatever the weather. I had been unsure about coming to a seaside without a conventional beach, but this place had worked its spell on me. After lunch and a leisurely swim in the indoor pool, I caught the local bus into Opatija to do a little shopping. It was easy to buy a return ticket from the shop adjoining the hotel, very reasonably priced and the bus journey only took 15 minutes.

I did so well not to get wet, the storm clouds had been close by all day and they waited until I was safely back at the hotel before dropping a deluge of water. After dinner with the group, I decided to stay up a bit later than usual and have a few cocktails..... I was on holiday after all. Everything was so laid back and so reasonably priced here - and I didn't have to get up too early the next morning. There was only one more day left in this beautiful place - I was definitely not ready to go home.

Day 6

Although I hadn't booked a trip for today, I was still up quite early. I had to make the most of my last day. I spent a few hours walking the Lungomare towards Opatija, capturing the stunning coastline for one last time. Although the storm clouds were still over head, the ocean was calm and mysterious.

The dark rocks, shingle coves and quaint archways held such an appeal. They had really grown on me this week. I did try to spend some time relaxing by the waters edge, but the rain seemed to follow me all day. I didn't feel too disappointed, it had been a wonderful trip and I knew that I would definitely be returning to explore some more of this remarkable country - Croatia.

Lynne

Please check out my other blogs ..............

http://lynnemorleys.blogspot.com

http://lynnemorley.blogspot.com

http://morleysjourneytoozandback.blogspot.com