Everybody said it’s so pretty, so we decided to check it out for ourselves and did a two week road trip to, through and back from Croatia. Some of the National Parks were really nice and the old cities were impressive, but even though we were travelling in low season, there were simply too many tourists.
Today will be mainly filled with eating, so we plan carefully. Breakfast around 8, then a small walk through the fields to the next hamlet to work up an appetite. Back at the hotel we get installed in the bar where Arne reads and I continue with the almost-ending job of sorting pictures and writing… Continue reading chillax
It should be a seven-hour drive to Kaikenried in Germany, where we have booked a room with Voll-Verwöhnpension for two nights, which means breakfast, lunch, dinner ánd tea with cakes included. I pack while Arne prepares lunch (same again) and we set of before 9 am. First I drive a long stretch on two-lane roads… Continue reading more driving, but also a castle
To avoid the crowds, we get up at 6h30 to get dressed and prepare our backpack. Breakfast at 7h30, we get French toast and pancakes without asking for it, but we consider it an investment for all the calories we’re going to spend today walking. I make the lunch bag (same as usual, but we’ve… Continue reading Plitvice NP
Check out is at 10 am, so we don’t dawdle with breakfast and packing. It’s a five-hour drive, back up the coast and then over the inland highway. We pass by Ston again, we have learned they grow really good oysters here (a different kind than in western Europe), but decide it’s a bit early… Continue reading to Poljanak
Up early, quick breakfast and then out to wait for our pick-up. It’s about 15 min late, but the ride itself is a comfortable bus with 18 passenger seats. The guide gives us some general background info while driving to the border to Montenegro. Our first stop Kotor is at the end of an impressive… Continue reading Montenegro
Dubrovnik (16.845 steps, 11,89 km, 82 floors) We’re meeting our guide at 10 am, so we have time to fix our breakfast at ease and have a relaxed morning. Breakfast is oat porridge with banana, chopped nuts and chocolate (from our stash at home) and some local honey to sweeten it up. I sort and… Continue reading In and around Dubrovnik
beach & drive (7.900 steps, 5,58 km, 50 floors) We’re driving to Dubrovnik today and want to take the ferry at 3 pm. We get up late (after 8 am), we have a long breakfast (pancakes with Nutella and strawberries, again) and take our time packing. We make the final arrangements for our guide to… Continue reading to Dubrovnik
Breakfast is served from eight, so we endeavour (and succeed) to get up late. There is not much available at the buffet, but our hostess (the same as yesterday, she is the owner of the apartments and restaurant) promises she can make anything we ask for. For starters she brings us a freshly made smoothie,… Continue reading Mljet and a first
Today we want to visit Split, but we’re afraid of the crowds so we pack our stuff before breakfast and are downstairs around seven. It’s warm enough to have breakfast outside, even in the shadow. I have fruit salad and yoghurt, to compensate for all the extensive dinners lately. We drive to split and aim… Continue reading Split & Mljet
In the brochure of Krka NP there was a mention of an educational trail from the parking lot near Visovic island to Roski Slap as one of the most beautiful walks in Croatia. Since the area looked indeed very nice, we had already decided to return today to do that walk. We get up early… Continue reading Krka & Trogir
Up early to pack before breakfast, because we want to do our walk at Krka National Park before it becomes too busy. It’s raining heavily but we are mentally prepared for a walk in the rain. The breakfast buffet is really busy, it turns out the hotel is full with groups from all over the… Continue reading Skradinski But
The alarm is at seven, but we’re awake before that. The swallows are very active and very noisy. One of them must have been sitting on our balcony railing, it was so loud. The breakfast buffet is very extensive, there are a lot of older people around in biking clothes, we expect they must be… Continue reading Zadar
We plan to take the ferry at 10h30, because it’s a holiday and we don’t want to rush (the one before leaves at 8h30). Breakfast outside in the sun, there is no wind at all. I have trouble fitting everything back in the trunk, I’m thinking it’s because the dirty clothes are not nicely folded… Continue reading Paklenica
Breakfast outside, tomatoes, cucumber and paprika with a soft fresh cheese. Arne walks to the store nearby to get a supply of bottled water. The reception informs us that Jogi has called to let us know that there might be a problem with the plans due to the strong wind. I call him back and… Continue reading an unexpected hike
Today we move to a hotel on Rab island, so we have planned a short walk in Risnjak National Park. The weather at the coast is okay, but further inland it’s raining. We park at the main entrance near Crni Lug and set off with the camera bag and a day pack containing the picnic… Continue reading Rab
We had decided last night over dinner to skip the big tourist attractions like Pula and Rovinj. The plan is to visit Motovun and to do a walk in the Učka national park. Since the weather at breakfast is very cloudy, we decide to the nature hike last in the hope that it will clear… Continue reading Adventurous driving and hiking
We wake up before the alarm, though we haven’t got that much planned today we want to get going early. Getting everything back in the luggage is a challenge, but I’m getting the hang of it by now and have succeeded quicker than the first time I tried on Monday. Arne takes care of all… Continue reading to Croatia
Tuesday 17/05 Late breakfast at eight am, with great hot chocolate (from a machine!), a nice selection of breads and spreads and homemade cake for dessert. It’s still raining (or raining again, it’s not clear) but we set out in good spirits. We’ve downloaded a pdf with two walks and are planning to hike up… Continue reading Salzburg
Sunday On Sunday morning we start the actual packing and we manage to get most of the clothes packed away before we have to leave for the first communion of Xander, Arne’s nephew. We’ve resolved to limit the volume, so that we can stack everything in the trunk under the soft cover, so that it… Continue reading Setting off
Febe writes 