Today we left Slovenia to visit its neighbor: Croatia. Surprisingly, we had no problems with border control. We drove straight to Zagreb which is the capital of Croatia. Somehow we arrived within a reasonable time even though the road signs were difficult for us to understand. Good thing we had GPS to guide us.
We found a parking spot, ate a quick snack, and then walked to the Botanical Gardens. The gardens were not the same caliber as others we have experienced and we didn't spend much time there. However, we did enjoy the Japanese bridge and pond. We then walked to the nearby Croatian History Museum to look at their free exhibits.
Our next stop was the St. Mark's Church (it wasn't open to the public) but we fell in love with the rooftop. A little ways down from the church we walked through the Stone Gate which houses a shrine. The legend states that in 1731 the gate was set ablaze by witches but the image of the Mother of God was not damaged, so now numerous people come to worship the image.
We continued walking toward the Zagreb Cathedral and happened to walk through the Zagreb street market on our way. The cathedral's exterior was under renovation, but the interior was completely accessible. We walked around the inside and found the wall with the Ten Commandments written in 12th-century Glagolithic script interesting.
From the cathedral we started to walk back to our car making sure to pass by the Lotrscak Tower tower for a panoramic view of the city. We eventually made it to our hotel, but before heading to bed we walked down the street to explore. We walked by a park and noticed a lot of commotion so we went over to see what was going on. It turns out the locals were engrossed in a competive game of bocce ball. It was fun to watch how emotional everyone got throwing around their bocce balls. Afterwards, we walked back to the hotel and retired for the day.
Day 7
We checked out early from the hotel to start driving to the Plitvice Lakes National Park. This park is the most visited tourist attraction (1,200,000 visitors per year) in Croatia. It is a lake system created by natural dams of travertine, which is separated into an upper and lower region. There were walking paths throughout the entire park. We spent half the day walking the trails, taking the ferry, and riding the train.
We checked out early from the hotel to start driving to the Plitvice Lakes National Park. This park is the most visited tourist attraction (1,200,000 visitors per year) in Croatia. It is a lake system created by natural dams of travertine, which is separated into an upper and lower region. There were walking paths throughout the entire park. We spent half the day walking the trails, taking the ferry, and riding the train.
From the park we got back into the car and drove to Croatia's western coastline. On the way we came across these colorful bee hives. Apparently, the locals believe the bees remember the colors and they are meant to promote hive loyalty.
Once we got to the coast we snaked our way up to the Istria region of Croatia. We didn't have much sunlight but enjoyed watching the sun set as we made our way. When it got dark it started to rain fairly heavy. Upon arriving in Rovinj we had a hard time finding our hotel because our GPS's batteries were dead and the weather made it difficult to orientate ourselves. We ended up calling the owner and she came to escort us to the hotel
Day 8
We drove into Pula where our first stop was the Temple of Augustus and then we walked through the streets until we found the Chapel of St. Mary Formosa. Afterwards we visited a floor mosaic from the 3rd century which depicted the Punishment of Dirce.
We started to walk toward Pula Arena and on the way took some time to experience the Pula Castle. It is situated at the highest point in the city so the view was amazing. The arena reminded us of the Coliseum but on a smaller scale. Although it was smaller the Pula Arena has been preserved very well.
We left Pula and drove to Medulin Beach. Even though the weather was not the warmest we did end up getting into our beach clothes. The water was not warm but it amazed us that so many people were laying out and enjoying the water. Apparently, when the sun is out in Croatia it is a good day for the beach.
We only stayed at the beach for an hour but before leaving Ryan dared me to get into the water up to my waist. After some time debating to do it or not, I took the plunge and as a reward I got a gelato.
From the beach we drove back to Rovinj and walked around for the rest of the day. We made our way by the old harbor and then up the hilly streets to the St. Euphemia's Basilica. We walked through the Basilica and really enjoyed the modern stain glass windows and the story of St. Euphemia.
Before making our way back for the night we sat on the rocky coast as the sun fell toward the ocean. We didn't stay to watch the sunset because we needed time to walk back and make dinner before bed.
Day 9
Our last full day in Croatia we went to some other nearby towns to see what they had to offer.
In the city of Porec we walked around a bit before entering the Euphrasian Church that was built during the 6th century. It housed several great examples of Bzatine art, a delightful atrium, and an octagonal baptistry. We also enjoyed the beautifully preserved mosaic floors throughout the church.
We drove into Pula where our first stop was the Temple of Augustus and then we walked through the streets until we found the Chapel of St. Mary Formosa. Afterwards we visited a floor mosaic from the 3rd century which depicted the Punishment of Dirce.
We started to walk toward Pula Arena and on the way took some time to experience the Pula Castle. It is situated at the highest point in the city so the view was amazing. The arena reminded us of the Coliseum but on a smaller scale. Although it was smaller the Pula Arena has been preserved very well.
We left Pula and drove to Medulin Beach. Even though the weather was not the warmest we did end up getting into our beach clothes. The water was not warm but it amazed us that so many people were laying out and enjoying the water. Apparently, when the sun is out in Croatia it is a good day for the beach.
We only stayed at the beach for an hour but before leaving Ryan dared me to get into the water up to my waist. After some time debating to do it or not, I took the plunge and as a reward I got a gelato.
From the beach we drove back to Rovinj and walked around for the rest of the day. We made our way by the old harbor and then up the hilly streets to the St. Euphemia's Basilica. We walked through the Basilica and really enjoyed the modern stain glass windows and the story of St. Euphemia.
Before making our way back for the night we sat on the rocky coast as the sun fell toward the ocean. We didn't stay to watch the sunset because we needed time to walk back and make dinner before bed.
Day 9
Our last full day in Croatia we went to some other nearby towns to see what they had to offer.
The remainder of the afternoon was spent driving in a round about way through the Istria region. We made sure to stop by Motovun, which is a city set atop a large hill. Before returning to Rovinj we stopped along the roadside and ate lunch while taking in the happenings of Motovun.
On the way back to Rovinj we came by a kazun, which at one time was a type of shelter but overtime they became more of a farmer's storage shed. After getting back to Rovinj and walking around for a little bit it was time to get ready to go home the next day.
Day 10
We started our drive back to Venice early and since we had to drive through Slovenia (less than 20 miles total distance) we stopped and bought a vignette because we didn't want to risk getting another fine. In the end we didn't need it but its always better to be safe then sorry. Our flight out went well but we arrived late into JFK and missed our flight to ATL, so we decided to fly to Charleston instead. Luckily we have a friend in Charleston so we stayed with him, but that story will be for another post.
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