gparenti, 1 year ago

#SplitHappens - part 12 In a happy confluence of #TravelTuesday (in the US) and #WaterfallWednesday (where I am) we reach one of my favorite days in our Croatian adventure: the day we returned to Rastoke Slunj and spent the day at National Park Plitvicka Jezera. The heat finally broke, and I was as happy as I’d ever been in my life. One of my top ten travel days ever. In Rastoke, a creek flowed under our apartment, giving a lovely breeze all night. Just heaven. #TravelPhoto #Wanderlust

A couple sits under a tree beside a still green lake.
An old mill among thick green foliage. Water flows under the mill house, creating a waterfall spilling into a creek.

gparenti, 1 year ago

#SplitHappens - part 13. Day 30 of our odyssey found us in the scenic mountains of northern Croatia, in a serene meadow near the quaint village of Sunger, with the promise of fall in the air. We had learned exactly 5 words of Croatian, what we call the magic words: please, thank you, good morning, good day, and cheers! When we walked through town, we gave a big "dobar dan" to all the little old ladies on their porches or in their yards, just to see their faces light up. #TravelTuesday

gparenti, 1 year ago

#SplitHappens - part 14. After bouncing around the interior of Croatia, your intrepid travelers decided to take a beat and rent a house in Istria for the month of September. Istria is a county in Croatia that is so close to Italy we could almost taste it, not surprisingly since it was historically part of the Republic of Venice. We found ourselves in the tiny hamlet of Smoljanci, which I’m pretty sure is Croatian for Hooverville. #TravelTuesday #Wanderlust

gparenti, 1 year ago

#SplitHappens - part 15. Imagine growing up in a place where it is normal to practice soccer after school in the shadow of a 500-year old castle on a green that used to be the castle moat. Svetvincenat was the closest “big town” during our month in Istria. September 2012. #TravelTuesday #Wanderlust

gparenti, 1 year ago

#SplitHappens - part 16. During our month in Istria, we never knew what the day would bring. We came to learn that Saturdays meant weddings. We went to the little beach town of Fazana for a sunset stroll and dinner, and caught this couple parading through the center of the town with their whole entourage to the water's edge. We then watched as they gathered on a rock jetty and drank champagne while they waited for the sun to set. #TravelTuesday #Wanderlust

gparenti, 1 year ago

#SplitHappens - part 17.
Gelato: $3
Gas: $5
Catching twilight in Rovinj: priceless
#TravelTuesday #Wanderlust

gparenti, 1 year ago

#SplitHappens - part 18. The best part about our month in Istria was the easy access to the rest of the peninsula. Within a half hour, we could reach two beautiful harbor towns, Rovinj and Pula, a peaceful fjord, and a smaller fishing village, Fazana. A little further up the road to the north was another historical harbor town, Poreč (formerly known as Parentium - how cool is that?), and picturesque ancient hill towns of the interior. #TravelTuesday #Wanderlust

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gparenti, 1 year ago

#SplitHappens - part 19. While we were in Croatia, our running joke was the absence of vowels. This was the next little town down from our house in Istria. Every time I saw this sign I thought: "Hmm, I wonder if Ms Pggj’s home?" I crack myself up. #TravelTuesday

gparenti, 1 year ago

#SplitHappens - part 20. At day 60 of our Magical Mystery Tour, we left Istria to return to Croatia’s mainland, and it just kept getting better. We took the ferry over to the islands of Kres-Losinj and enjoyed perhaps the most dramatically beautiful coastal drive I'd ever seen. (Well, when I didn't have my eyes squeezed shut, that is!) Mali Losinj is a fishing village which combined medieval cobblestone streets with a laid-back Keys feeling. #TravelTuesday #Wanderlust

A view of the town from the harbor at twilight. Pastel colored buildings are lit up, and the lights and buildings are reflected in the water between moored boats. The town rises on a gentle hill and a lighted church spire is seen at the top of the town.

gparenti, 1 year ago

#SplitHappens - part 21. We spent 9 days exploring the clear, clean water of Mljet Island’s two interior lakes, thick forests, and heartbreakingly beautiful views. The western end of the island is a national park which contains about five little villages, each more quaint than the next. We stayed in one of the apartments rented out by islanders which offered home-cooked meals from the abundant local seafood, caught that day. #TravelTuesday #Wanderlust

A view between pine trees of a very calm lake, with clear water. The shit is taken in the shade, but the blue of the lake is illuminated by the sun. There is a small wooden bench in the shore in the shade. Woods are seen across the lake.
A peaceful cove, with mountains in the background. There are houses and small boats on the shore in the right of the frame. The water is very still and very blue.

gparenti, 1 year ago

#SplitHappens - part 22. It is a miracle that we ever heard about Mljet. The owner of our favorite beach bar in Split recommended it as his favorite place to travel in Croatia. We would never have made it if we had listened to that guy with two first names who said: "Many Croatians rave about Mljet. Take it with a grain of salt." He calls the park "overrated," and suggests that "one day is plenty for Mljet." That guy’s an idiot. #TravelTuesday #Wanderlust

gparenti, 1 year ago

#SplitHappens - part 23. Your travelers next went to the charming little town of Mali Ston, where we enjoyed the best-equipped kitchen we had encountered during our odyssey in Croatia. A sharp knife! A cutting board! The one thing that all of our prior non-hotel accommodations had in common was a kitchen approximately the size and configuration of a thimble. I was in heaven. The town, and neighboring Ston, were lovely, too. #TravelTuesday #Wanderlust

A 15th century stone wall rises above the town of Ston, Croatia, against the backdrop of a mountain topped by a very blue sky. The shit is taken down a street with ancient stone houses on both sides.
A view from our upper window on a sunny day over the rooftops of the town of Mali Ston. A small cove is seen beyond the barrel tiled roofs, an pd mountains are seen in the background. A brilliant bougainvillea is seen above one of the roofs.
Ston is home to ancient salt pans, which were historically the source of the town’s wealth. This shot shows a large, weathered wooden crate filled with salt against a view of the water, with mountains in the background. The sky and water are very clear.

gparenti, 11 months ago

#SplitHappens - part 24. As our Croatian adventure started to wind down, we made our way to Dubrovnik. This is what I wrote at the time: "You know how when you go to a fireworks show, and the first part of the show is like 'Oooh.' 'Aaah.' And then it's like 'OoohAah, 'OohAah,' and then at the end they are so high and so close together you are almost dizzy going '000, 00o, Ooo, OohAahOohAah!!!!' It's kind of like that." #TravelTuesday #Wanderlust

A view of the old town of Dubrovnik from across a very calm sea on a clear day. The shot includes the ancient city walls, a prominent church, red tiled roofed buildings, and features a square guard tower.

gparenti, 11 months ago

#SplitHappens - part 25. Toward the end of the Magical Mystery Tour, we dipped down to Kotor, Montenegro, a place of ethereal beauty. They say that the drive around the Bay of Kotor is one of the most magically beautiful in the world. They aren't kidding. #TravelTuesday #Wanderlust

A foggy bay with two islands visible. The bay and sky look silvery and are almost indistinguishable.

gparenti, 11 months ago

#SplitHappens - part 26. The 89th day of our exile from Italy found us back in Split where it all started. It was nice to be there in October, without the heat and hordes of tourists. We enjoyed eating with the locals, and exploring Diocletian's Palace and the cathedral by ourselves. And so the Magical Mystery Tour ended the way it began, with a full moon over Split. Full car, full hearts, ready to take the overnight ferry back home. #TravelTuesday #Wanderlust

A view through a wall of arches at Diocletian's Palace at night. The full moon peeks through one of the arches, with a few clouds. Buildings in the city center are lit up behind the arches.
A view of Split at night from the ferry boat. In the foreground, another ferry boat. The buildings of Split are gently lit, with lights of the city and the ferry reflecting in the water. The sky and water are very black.