Travel Bugs

Croatia was next on our list. I was most looking forward to seeing Dubrovnik, but we went to a few places beforehand, spending a bit more of our time in Istria. Istria is a small triangle of land which is actually the largest peninsula in the Adriatic and has a stunning coastline. The coast is not what we’re used to, being from Australia—nary a speck of sand to be seen, you know. It is all pebble beach and jagged rock, making for a striking landscape but not so easy to get to the water, and not very comfortable sitting. The tourist shops sell all the typical things—sunglasses, hats, ice creams, magnets…but also foldable cushions for people to attain more comfort than a beach towel would offer.

Our first stop for a couple of days was Rovinj. This had a very similar feel as Piran in Slovenia, as it is not far. We stayed about a 15-minute walk to the beach and were very surprised our first night to encounter a strong storm. The furniture was blowing, trees fell, and yachts were toppled over and beached. I looked out the kitchen window of our Airbnb and was astonished to see dark clouds almost forming a funnel. Fear coursed through my veins, and I beseeched Callum to be careful as he helpfully placed potted plants from precarious positions to safety, and, moved our rental car to a more favourable parking spot. The next day it was sunny and calm, almost as if nothing had happened. Our walk through the neighbourhood showed several people dealing with the aftermath, tree after tree knocked over, and, two or three yachts beached on the white pebbles, sitting at alarming angles. It was quite a feat for rescue crews to free the boats back into deep water. In the morning, we noticed two boats needing help and later in the afternoon we got to witness one being freed; the public on the beaches watching with interest and cheering when one of them was able to sail away.

It was a very hot day, but we still managed to see quite a lot of the old town and enjoy our packed lunch in a shady spot overlooking the clear blue water. I got to shop a little and found a few souvenirs as well as a chocolate orange gelato. Rovinj was very busy and like most popular places I would recommend going earlier in the morning to better enjoy the cobbled streets, the many resident cats, and the galleries and cafes.

One of our days we did a little drive up to a couple of mountain-top towns, but I was underwhelmed. It was hot, I was tired, we had just seen a couple of similar towns, and the vibes of these places was not joyful, welcoming or worth our time. They land on must-see lists when visiting Croatia, but I’d give them a miss next time: Grožnjan and Motovun. Grožnjan is apparently known for its resident artists, but I found it difficult to find any art that I wanted to buy. It was all either generic, AI-generated, poorly made, unskilled, or too expensive. Sometimes all of the above! As an artist myself, I value purchasing art from artists as much as possible when we travel. I wanted to part with my money but didn’t find anything that inspired me to open up my purse. As for Motovun, it was difficult to get to. The misleading parking lot at the bottom of the hill made it seem we had to park there, since there was a ‘full parking’ sign indicating if we drove up all the way, we’d have nowhere to stop. This is only partly true. We had to pay for parking, pay to use the toilets, and would have had to pay for the shuttle bus but opted to walk instead. This was quite a hike (about 800m) in the heat while I was wearing a cute dress. I thought we’d be visiting wineries, and I could pose gracefully with a clear white in hand, but instead I was a gasping, sweating mess, swearing with every step up the top of Motovun. We passed several places we could have parked. We found a restaurant with a view and did indeed have a very nice meal. The thing to eat there is truffles—neither of us like them, but we were able to find other things to eat. My mood improved a little, but, we had to rush back down the hill to retrieve our car, since we had no idea how many hours we would want to stay, so had only parked for 2 hours. This was not really enough time to hike up, have lunch, walk around a little bit and make it back down. We were actually about 15 minutes late and hope we don’t get a parking fine in the mail in a few months, since the lot we were in was guarded by cameras.

Next, we were due for some real rest so drove onward to Rabac. We stayed up on the hillside with a couple who had lived there (or in the nearby Labin) their whole lives. They had bought their land up on the hill in 1988 and built their very large house (four or five stories) in 1992. They were lovely people and by far the kindest Airbnb hosts we’ve had this year. I couldn’t help thinking they had listening devices in our apartment, though, because any time we complained a little about a small issue, it was promptly resolved as if they knew what we were saying behind closed doors. Anyway, I didn’t mind because I got to rest, take my time with photo editing and blogging, and enjoy the slice of a view we had outside our front door. One of our days in Rabac we did a boat ride advertised as a ‘dolphin cruise’. I knew full well we probably wouldn’t see any dolphins, but I wanted to get on the water one way or other, and I wasn’t about to rend a SUP with so many other tourists leaning over the railings along the pathway to watch. We had a nice time on the boat and even got to jump in the water for a few minutes, the water cold and shocking yet refreshing.

We then moved inland to stay for a couple of days close to Plitvice Lakes National Park. This park was amazing and a true must-see if you are in the area. We went as early in the morning as our tired bones would allow and were still amazed at the shear number of people also there, entering the park before 8am. We didn’t really know how large the park was. We walked around for five hours and could have done lots more if I didn’t get so tired. The waterfalls, pools, and numerous dragonflies kept us in awe that whole time. Thankfully they have trails that are basically one-way, so that helps with the crowds. There are little ferry boats you can buy tickets for to get across lakes without having to walk all the way around them. Finally, there are a couple of shuttle stops where you can catch one most of the way back to the parking areas to save your weary feet, which we made use of. Everything needs to be booked well in-advance though, so make sure to plan your visit accordingly.

From Plitvice we returned to the coast to the equally as popular seaside town of Dubrovnik. This may be a serious understatement. There were so many people there, as it is known for being a filming location of Game of Thrones, and a must-see stop on all of the cruises that go through the area. We got there early in the morning after a sleep in a very tiny Airbnb outside of the town. We started the walk along the wall at 8am, and it was already stifling. The wall walk is something you have to do when in Dubrovnik…it’s outrageously expensive, but I’m not sure why else you would go if you didn’t walk at least part of the wall. It took us two hours to do the whole thing, with several rests in little pockets of shade that we found, as well as slow and careful cat-spotting. We had a little competition going and together saw 23 cats and two small tortoises. I am forever fascinated by people who live in and amongst extremely touristy places. It’s such an interesting choice! I am not sure I could handle millions of tourists peaking into my garden every day.

We wandered the streets of the old town a bit and found a coffee and a snack before searching for souvenirs and then leaving to rest in our Airbnb. One day (two nights) is enough for Dubrovnik, especially if you’re on a budget and get overwhelmed by crowds. If you thrive in cities, you may want a couple days there to really see everything.

This was the end of our time in Croatia for the next dozen days or so, as we went to a few other locations before finishing our Eastern European road trip in the capital of Zagreb. I don’t anticipate seeing much in Zagreb, so I’ll end my musings about Croatia here. I thought it is a lovely country very much worth visiting. I liked the varied scenery we saw, as well as the popular destinations—they are popular for a reason, after all.