Krk and Croatia at Ferragosto

DEPARTURE FROM PERUGIA BY CAR

A BIT OF A TAILBACK AT THE TOLL BOOTHS, BUT WE STOP FOR LUNCH IN ROVIGO AT A GOOD FAMILY-RUN RESTAURANT (L'ARTE DEL MANGIAR BENE BY EVENING WE REACH SLOVENIA WHERE WE STRUGGLE TO FIND A PLACE TO SLEEP. IN THE END, WE STAY AT A 3-STAR HOTEL IN PORTOROSE, VERY NICE, FOR THE PRICE OF 112 EUROS WITH BREAKFAST AND DOUBLE ROOM FOR ONE NIGHT. ON WAKING WE FACE THE CUSTOMS LINE BETWEEN SLOVENIA AND CROATIA AND HAVE LUNCH IN BAKAR WHILE WAITING FOR THE LINE OF CARS TO CLEAR. WE IMMEDIATELY DISCOVER THE EXCHANGE RATE: WITH 1 EURO WE GET ABOUT 7.1 KUNE. DIESEL COSTS 6.96 KUNE OR A LITTLE MORE. DEFINITELY BETTER THAN IN ITALY!

TOWARDS PONTE DI TITO

WE ALWAYS BOOKED ONLINE ON AUGUST 10 WITH LASTMINUTETOUR.COM FINDING ONLY A 2-STAR Little PENSION WITH HALF BOARD FOR 648 EUROS INCLUDING DOUBLE ROOM, BREAKFAST AND DINNER OF COURSE. IT'S CALLED HOTEL ADRIATIC. WE ARE IN THE PRIMORKA DEPENDANCE, DEFINED BY THE OPERATOR AS "IDEAL FOR YOUNG CLIENTELE WHO PREFER A PURELY BEACH VACATION"......I DON'T THINK I'M YOUNG ANYMORE THEN! IT'S A GROUND-FLOOR ROOM OVERLOOKING A SEAFRONT PASSAGE, SO WE TOO INSIDE THE ROOM ARE ON DISPLAY BECAUSE WE HAVE A WINDOW WITH A TRANSPARENT CURTAIN AND NO SHUTTERS. SO WE EQUIP THE WINDOWS WITH OUR BEACH TOWELS FOR A BIT OF PRIVACY.

THE WALLS COULD USE A REPAINT AND THE BATHTUB IS FALLING APART IN PIECES THAT IMMEDIATELY RISK CLOGGING ITS DRAIN! BUT ANYWAY IN THE EVENING THE SEAFRONT IS PLEASANT TO WALK ALONG, IF YOU DON'T MIND THE POWER PLANT OR FACTORY THAT OVERSHADOWS THE PANORAMA AND THE SUNSET (WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS STUNNING). THE HOTEL'S SEA COMES WITH A SEWER THAT GIVES OFF THE PROPER FUMES! APART FROM THIS HARSH CLASH WITH REALITY, WE GET USED TO SLEEPING WITH THE WINDOWS CLOSED THANKS TO THE COOL TEMPERATURE THAT THE FERRAGOSTO OF 2005 GAVE US...

GLAVOTOK

WE ARE ON THE ISLAND OF KRK, REACHABLE VIA TITO'S BRIDGE WHICH, DUE TO THE STRONG WIND, CAN BE CLOSED TO MOTORCYCLE AND CAMPER TRAFFIC. ON ENTRY YOU PAY A TOLL OF 30 KUNA PER CAR (ABOUT 4 EUROS) BUT NOTHING ON EXIT. WE VISIT GLAVOTOK BEACH, VERY SECLUDED BECAUSE IT CAN ONLY BE REACHED BY FOREST TRAILS LEADING TO A SMALL COVE WITH STONES DIRECTLY ON THE SEA. THE WATER IS FREEZING!

PLITVICE LAKES

FOR 95 KUNA WE CAN ENTER THE NATURE PARK THAT CONTAINS THE PLITVICE LAKES (PLITIVICKA JEZERA). COMING FROM KRK, WE DROVE ALONG THE CROATIAN COAST HEADING SOUTH TOWARD SENJ AND THEN INLAND TOWARD OTOCAC. IT TAKES ABOUT 3 HOURS OF DRIVING. AT THE ENTRANCE YOU CAN CHOOSE TO TAKE A BUS TO TACKLE THE LAKES FROM THE FINAL PART OF THE WATERFALLS OR TO TAKE A FERRY THAT TRANSPORTS YOU TO THE BEGINNING OF THE PARK. THE WALK THROUGH THE LAKES LASTS ABOUT 2 HOURS AND THEN SOME. SPECTACULAR SCENERY!!! ALMOST LIKE THE KRKA WATERFALLS, WHICH WE VISITED IN THE PAST AND WHICH ARE A BIT MORE MAJESTIC.

NJIVICE AND PUNAT

PARKING IN A PINE FOREST AND A BEACH THAT, AS USUAL, CONSISTS OF AN EXPANSE OF CONCRETE WITH A FEW ROCKS EMBEDDED IN IT...THE WEATHER IS TERRIBLE. AFTER THE DOWNPOUR ON FERRAGOSTO, THE TEMPERATURE HAS DROPPED AND IT'S CLOUDING OVER, SO WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT BEACH BETWEEN PUNAT AND KRK. UNFORTUNATELY PARKING IS DIFFICULT BUT THE BEACH IS AMONG THE LARGEST WE'VE SEEN (PEBBLES, NOT SAND) WITH TOURIST FACILITIES LIKE INFLATABLE RINGS TOWED BY A MOTORBOAT, PARASAILS, ETC. WE EAT IN STARA BASKA AT A SEASIDE RESTAURANT AT THE END OF THE ROAD, BUT WE AREN'T SATISFIED. THE PRICES ARE ALWAYS SUCH THAT YOU CAN HAVE BIG SEAFOOD MEALS (FRIED SQUID AND FRESH GRILLED FISH) FOR A FEW EUROS, BUT THE QUALITY ISN'T ALWAYS GREAT.

PAKLENICA PARK

ANOTHER CLOUDY DAY. WE HEAD INTO CROATIA TOWARD THE NATURE PARK ON MOUNT VELEBIT. PAKLENICA PARK IS REACHED FROM THE ISLAND IN 2 1\2 HOURS OF DRIVING. 30 KUNA TO ENTER AND YOU CAN WALK FOR HOURS AND HOURS AMONG SPECTACULAR CANYONS. WE SETTLE FOR SEEING THE FIRST PANORAMIC STOP AND IT TAKES US 2 HOURS! LET'S GO TO LUNCH! FRIED SQUID, FRENCH FRIES AND FRESH GRILLED FISH WITH LOCAL BEERS FOR ONLY 170 KUNA (25 EUROS FOR TWO?!!)

BASKA AND VRBNIK

ANOTHER BIG BEACH WITH PEBBLES ALTERNATING WITH SMALL PIERS CROWDED WITH PEOPLE!! WE SETTLE ON ONE OF THESE PIERS, AFTER PARKING IN A PAY CAR PARK. WE EAT VERY WELL AT A RESTAURANT BEHIND THE BEACH. AND THEN WE HEAD TO VRBNIK. PERHAPS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACH.

STARA BASKA

THE ROAD GIVES ACCESS TO A STEEP DROP ALONG ONE OF THE BENDS TO REACH SMALL COVES SEPARATED BY ROCKS. THE USUAL STORY: BRING A BEACH UMBRELLA, A BEACH MAT, SOMETHING TO DRINK AND EAT (IF YOU WANT, A BOY COMES BY SELLING BIG KRAFNA, THAT IS, FILLED DOUGHNUTS). WE CONTINUE, DISCOVERING BETWEEN PUNAT AND THE TOWN OF KRK A SKI CENTER WITH EQUIPMENT FOR LEARNING TO WATER SKI. FUN!