Croatia - Week 42

Monday 1st April

Plitvice Lakes, wow!! A wonder of nature for sure. The glorious colours of the water have to be seen to be believed. The waterfalls, the flowers, the fish, the butterflies and the birds singing, all food for the soul. The photos really don’t do it justice. It’s absolutely beautiful.

The water was so clear it was like looking into an aquarium, and to top it all I saw a Swallow Tail butterfly which I don’t think I’ve seen before. It wouldn’t keep still long enough for me to photograph though.

Even the drive there was great!

Parking was easy and we used their website to work out which route we wanted to take. The entrance ticket included a boat ride, which gave another perspective of the beautiful lakes.

What an amazing day.

We asked if we could overnight in the car park and the attendant said no but we could use their campsite a few miles up the road.

We drove to camp Korona and stayed there the night.

The plan was to drive to Rijeka but after a change of heart we head for Krk Island and the old town of Krk.

We paid the toll and drove over the bridge to the island. Good old park4night guided us to a parking area in view of the old town church. The sign said campervans were welcome to stay 24hours for a fee. The barriers were up when we arrived so we found a parking place and walked into town.

It was a small old town with a lot of construction work going on and apart from the odd restaurant it was mainly closed. Luckily the Frankopan castle was open so we had a look round.

The views from the walls were well worth the entrance fee.

The Frankopans were a fearsome bunch who assumed control of Krk after the Venetians in the 1100s, they built the fortified square in Krk town known as Trg Kamplin.

We decided to eat out that night and chanced upon Volsonis.

Not only did we enjoy a lovely meal but the waiter told us the restaurant owners had discovered an ancient altar of Venus, tombstones and other 2,000-year-old masonry. He showed us round and as we descended the stairs to the toilets we passed an actual Roman wall.

The following morning we went to buy bread from the Pekara (bakery) and after lunch drove the short distance to Klimno.

It was a small pretty harbour with more construction going on. The campsite was closed so we parked up overlooking the sea and went for a walk.

We headed for the coffee shop but changed our minds when we found everyone smoking. We stayed there the night and watched the sun set over the harbour.

We drove to Rijeka as it had been recommended. We weren’t sure what to expect when we got there but were told to visit the Stari Grad (Old Town). There were some interesting buildings, a few Roman remains and lots of interesting architecture interspersed with modern buildings.

It wasn’t really our cup of tea and our first impressions were that it all needed a good clean. It’s going to be a city of culture in 2020 so maybe we were being a bit mean?

A walking tour would have probably helped. We found the Placca (the market) and bought some fruit and veg.

Next we headed to Pula and to Camp Stoja that we’d read was open.

Camping Stoja was closed when we got there but they were kind enough to let usemoty the toilet and the lovely man who lived next door, let us fill up with water. We stayed in the parking area outside the camp that night.

We didn’t venture out the van until after tea the next day as the weather was awful. After we’d eaten though, we caught the bus into town so we could see the Arena lit up. We weren’t disappointed, it was stunning.

The following morning we ventured back into Pula to investigate the Arena a bit more. We paid to go inside. What a magnificent structure. In the days of the gladiators, it could seat 20,000 people and is one of the six largest arenas in the world. We went down into the subterranean chambers where the beasts and instruments for gladiatorial combats were kept.

We also visited the Temple of Augustus, which is Croatia’s oldest preserved building,

the Hercules Gate,

the double arch

and the Triumphal Arch of Sergii.

Another town with amazing history!! We wandered around the town itself, had coffee in the square and even ate out for lunch.

That afternoon, we drove to Rovinj, another place that had been recommended to us. Kamp Ulika had also been suggested as a good base to explore the area. We turned up and wow, what a fantastic little campsite. Not big, but beautifully maintained. We got a lovely welcome too. The toilet and shower block were immaculate, It had everything you needed for 15 Euros a night. We were even given a card to swipe to lift the barrier if we wanted to go out and a zapper to open the gates if we were later than 11pm.

Sunday morning was a bit drizzly but the weather turned out lovely in the afternoon, so we went out for a walk. It was 600m to the pebbly beach through another campsite, great for a wander there and back. We even found a place open for coffee on the sea front. Paradise.

When we returned though, the barriers and gates were locked solid and we'd neither the card or zapper with us, doh! Luckily the lady was still in reception to buzz us back in. Apparently they close the gates early on a Sunday. You learn something every day lol.