Croatia, Part 2, May-June, 2014
No trip is complete without at least one scooter adventure.
Our destination, Zlatni Rat Beach on the island of Brac. Croatia beaches are not sand but of smooth white pebbles.
This beach that stretches for about 500m, is shaded by the pine trees, with the rocky cliffs in the distance. Low season here meant, like most places we went, people were few.
I boast about the many uses of a sarong…today, it provided some warmth as I was not dressed for a early evening scooter ride:)
Sometimes, a picture...
…is worth a thousand words.
We had an adventure to "Froggyland". This is a collection of 507 stuffed frogs. Ferenc Mere was a master craftsman of taxidermy of small animals. Over 10 years, 21 exhibits were created showing scenes of daily lives of Croatian people. It is the biggest, and apparently the best, collection of this kind in the world. The detail is incredible in both the positions of the frogs, and the details of the scenes they are in. We were only allowed to take one photo. This was a classroom. Creepy but cool!
One of the most beautiful places we have ever been was Krka National Park. The green was so green…and in so many shades and shapes…you couldn't stop looking around.
Lonely Planet describes the waterfalls as, " …a karstic phenomenon: over 1 000s of years, river water has created a canyon (up to 200m deep), through limestone hills, bringing calcium carbonate with it. Mosses and algae retain the calcium carbonate and encrust it in their roots.
The material is called tufa and is formed by billions of plants growing on top of one another.
These growths create barriers in the river that produce
spectacular waterfalls."
Not only were you overwhelmed with colour, but there were sounds everywhere. Birds were singing.
The chorus from the frogs was the loudest I have ever heard.
This all accompanied by the gentle trickle and rush of moving water.
Around every turn you just wanted to sit and get lost in this beautiful place. The air was so beautifully clean, and the water so unspoiled. Yes, you could drink it.
Magic in another realm was waiting for us in Zadar. A local architect, Nikola Basic, created two unusual sound and light spectacles - the Sun Salutation and the Sea Organ.
At sunset each night, tourists and locals together gather at the seaside promenade.
The Sun Salutation is a 22m wide circle cut into the pavement. It is filled with 300 multi-layered glass plates. During the day, these plates collect the sun's energy.
Utilizing the wave action of the sea, a dancing light show emerges from sunset to sunrise.
The Sea Organ is built within stone stairs that descend into the sea.
A configuration of pipes and whistles responds to the movement of air being pushed through
with the action of the waves. It produces a serene and mystical melody as you sit and enjoy the magic of the magnificant Ardiatic sea.
Evidence of war was apparent as we drove through the interior.
It was a harsh reminder that this magificant country hasn't always been just pristine Roman ruins and green national parks.
We left the coast and headed to the interior and the rolling hills and farmland.
This was the view from our bedroom window.
