May 20, 2024

 Holy!  Where did that week go?!  We haven’t really covered a lot of ground geographically since my last post but boy oh boy have we seen and done a LOT!  Tonight will be our last night in Croatia for a bit but we really feel like we’ve experienced a fair bit of it.  We loved our time in Zagreb where the little courtyards down seemingly random alleys were home to caffes and bars (just for drinks) as well as bakeries and other businesses.  Our accommodation being right across the street from the Canadian Embassy was kind of cool - we got to see the Canadian flag flying every time we went out (we were there 3 days).  We located the BEST bakery right at the end of our block and a perfect caffe for coffee where we could take our baked goods to eat with our cappuccino at a sidewalk table while we watched the world go by along with a lot of other people.

One thing we’ve learned during out time in Croatia is that (particularly along the Dalmatian coast) there is something called fjaka and it is a feeling that we’ve all experienced at some point.  Here they believe that it goes beyond the common definition of siesta time and that it is more of a psychophysical state that must be respected when it presents.  If someone is feeling fjaka they should simply be left alone until they’re ready to “wake up” again.  I believe this is part of the reason that the restaurants seem to have no problem with you sitting at a table for hours.  While it can’t be good for business during peak season (and maybe it changes when the demand for tables is higher) I have to say…..I really like it!  :-)  My favourite restaurant that let us stay there most of the day was actually in Zadar and it was called Primavera.  We sat in the shade of their umbrella covered tables with a perfect breeze while we researched some of the “next steps” for our adventure.  The server was always at the ready to bring us some more water (yes, you can drink the water out of the taps everywhere here) and another coffee any time we wanted something.

But back to Zagreb….we noticed that many buildings are under renovation with scaffolding up in front of of them.  Thanks to Daniel (an amazing taxi driver) we learned that there was a significant earthquake (5.3) there during covid that caused extensive damage.  Fortunately, it happened fairly early on a Sunday morning and it was during early covid days so there was no one on the streets and as a result there were no serious injuries.  They speculate that had it been during “normal” times many people would likely have been killed.  That is one thing to be thankful to covid for!

The theatre in the main square of Zagreb was a gorgeous yellow building that kind of stood alone.  It was stunning when the sun shone on it.  It’s copper topped roof was green with age and that just accented the brightness of the yellow under the afternoon sun.  It really was a beautiful sight!  Zagreb (old city) was very walkable and we walked it all.  We did have a little rain but no worries….we happened to be right in front of a department store when it started and so got ourselves some nice little umbrellas (just $5/each!)

We were introduced to rakje (a type of local brandy) and had some tasty local cuisine here too.  When it came time to say good bye to Zagreb, Daniel drove us to the bus station and sweet guy that he is….he just left his taxi running and door open at the end of the road and proceeded to carry our suitcases up three long flights of stairs for us to the main floor of the terminal.  Then to top it all off….he said “If at any time you need anything at all while you’re in Croatia, you have my WhatsApp - just call and I will help you.”  Yep, sweet guy!

Next stop was Zadar for 3 nights.  We stayed at City Heart apartments in the heart of the old city (hence the name) and what a perfect place it was….well except for the bed…..that wasn’t perfect for me.  LOL.  Also, note to self…..1st floor doesn’t mean ground floor in Europe.  LOL. And 1st floor doesn’t mean only one flight of stairs either.  In Zadar it meant a climb of 32 stairs every time we went out or more accurately, came home.  Our host in Zadar was HR (short for his name as there is no way anyone who isn’t Croatian can pronounce his name).  He was quite a character and liked to talk!  He also introduced us to Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey Whiskey, serenaded us with his guitar, and told us about Taranino (a local brandy made from red wine).  Yes….our education wasn’t being neglected at this stop.  LOL

Zadar is also home to the sea organ, an amazing piece of “art” that was created in 2005.  It is a series of “steps” where the sea (Adriatic) wave action somehow pushes air through openings creating a kind of musical serenade.  If not for the hoards of people mingling around it would be easy to sit there listening to it for hours!  The historic centre of Zadar is so walkable….the cobblestone has been polished to a smooth surface and the streets are all wide.  Caffes, restaurants, and souvenir shops line the maze of streets and it is the perfect place to people watch with a cappuccino and pastry.  We found a little place where we could get our cappuccino for 60 cents and about 4 mini pastries for less than 1 euro! 

While we were in Zadar we ate some great food served by Mario (manager of Kala restaurant) who also gifted us with our first taste of teranino and who actually left his personal cell phone at our table so we would have a hot spot to access wifi.  Yep, another sweet man!  Lynda climbed her second bell tower here too.  This time there were 200 steps though!  It was a high one with 5 bells.  She was justifiably worried that they’d start ringing while she was up there.  That would have been deafening!  They’re super loud from down the street and around several corners so I cannot imagine what they’d sound like when you’re just inches away from them!!!

We were also lucky again in Zadar as there was a convenience store right below our accommodation so we were able to get yogurt and bananas etc for breakfast.  Zadar is also home to a marina for some pretty fancy boats (or perhaps I should say yachts) and as Lynda said, “where there’s a marina there will be a laundry” and she was right.  We were able to get all of our clothes washed, dried and folded for 14 euros (or about $10 each)

Next stop would be Trogir (just a 2 1/2 hr bus south of Zadar).  We decided to break up the journey south and stay away from Split if we could.  Split is super expensive and filled with hoards of tourists all the time.  We actually drove right through it in the bus today and I’m super glad we didn’t stay there.  Instead it would be a night at Villa Okrug in Trogir and a night at Villa Rosa in Makarska before we get to our next 3 night stop in Mostar, Bosnia.  Both Trogir and Makarska are lovely smaller towns where it is possible to actually get a sense of the people and their culture.  This morning in Trogir we had an amazing breakfast (included with our room) and the server was once again so thoughtful and happy in his work.  At one point he went out onto the patio and picked a grapefruit that was ripe, brought it in, and asked if we wanted it (but we were already so full) before he took it into the kitchen.  The night before we’d sat at a beach bar having a bite and another shot of teranino over ice.  (I could get addicted to that stuff!). Sitting there looking out over the Adriatic Sea with the beach pretty much all to ourselves was very very special.  We are a couple weeks ahead of the major tourist season and are very thankful for that!  We got to see how crowded it gets when a cruise ship comes in in Zadar as we were there long enough to really experience the old city.  Not to say that there isn’t tourism all the time….its just that it gets crazy when a ship (or two) is there and from what we were told…in the middle of summer…..it will be even crazier!

Today before we left Trogir we had a couple hours to explore the historic centre there too.  It is another little city with a maze of cobblestone streets lined with touristic shops.  The streets in this city are much narrower than Zadar though and so it felt crazy crowded (and there was at least one ship in).  On the upside, those cruisers have experiences on their day trips and so today we got to enjoy one of them.  They had a group of traditional Dalmatian singers performing for them in the old city and we just happened to be in the right place at the right time.  Lucky again!  Before leaving Trogir we were able to locate the grand prize winning gelato shop for all of Croatia.  It is called Bella and so of course we had to try some.  It was delicious but then I have to admit….all gelato is pretty delicious.  LOL  Also in the heart of Trogir is a rather large and unique monument of lying, diagonal, and upright stone blocks.  It is a dedication to all the veterans who fought during the war for independence in 1991 and represents the fall to the resurrection of Croatia.

So now we are in Makarska - arrived here a couple hours ago and don’t have to leave again til 6:00 tomorrow night so we will have a full day to feel the vibe of this little place too.  One thing I know for sure is that it is built on hillsides!  To access our accommodation we had to climb more stairs and to get to the beach we have to go down down down which means there is an up up up to get back from there.  Actually, the smart money will take the bet that the taxi driver makes some money from us tonight and tomorrow.  LOL

Time to head out to find something for dinner - the Pringles just won’t cut it tonight.  LOL.

Till next time,

L & L