Ok - let’s start by saying this may be a long post. Sorry (?). I’ll try to keep it short, and you can look at the photos in the album, but I am packing a month into this one post, so be gentle please.

Well, since Greece was put on the ”Level 4” list by the US CDC, we decided to hole-up in Croatia for an additional month. Great decision! We were planning to visit the northwestern islands and Istrian peninsula in 2022, but decided we could venture up that way this time instead. We’d do a little more exploring and see what happens with other countries - we could either head home from Croatia or keep exploring. We’ll take a look toward the end of August.

So, from Dubrovnik we took the high speed ferry to Split, staying just one night as it is a city we had been to a few times in the past (see 2019 posts). We stopped in Hvar to pick up day trip passengers - and there were many! It is peak travel season in Europe.

We arrived in Split late and really just grabbed a bite and went to bed - but this is a beautiful city to explore.

The following day we had a driver take us from Split to Zadar where we would again board a ferry, headed for Mali Losinj. On our drive to Zadar, we came very close to a small wildfire - they are all over the world for sure. But we made it through with no problem.

Just a little bit about logistics - it’s really easy - there are many “apps” out there to help you. In Croatia I used “Bookaway” several times, and everything worked great. I could book drivers to meet us at the ferry terminal and book the ferry trips as well. They would text me maybe 6 hours before with a map of where to meet, etc. Very easy way to help us get from place to place.

The old town in Zadar was great and we explored it a bit while we waited for our ferry - a little challenging to explore while pulling your luggage, but we were able to see a few things.

The old town of Zadar is on a peninsula. For hundreds of years, boats would row people from one side to the other - maybe 70-100 yards. You can still take the ride for about $1 per person! This guy was busy - about 5 minutes each way.

The Sea Organ was designed and built in 2004-05, and is an amazing piece of work. The tide and waves move air through the pipes creating music 24 hours a day. Interesting to consider that once we are all gone - this thing will likely still be playing. I took some videos, but am adding a more professional one here for you to enjoy. The same architect also designed the solar panels that collect energy during the day and then provide a light show at night with help from the sea organ. Amazing work.

We arrived in Mali Losinj around 6PM, and with a 10 minute walk we arrived at our hotel. We (meaning Eileen) worked very hard to find places for us at the last minute after we canceled Greece - and with this being the “peak of peak season”, places were scarce (the ones in our price range anyway). The hotel we found - “Hotel Apoksiomen” was near the museum that houses the original Greek bronze cast statue of the Apoxyomenos. This figure was made around 2nd or 1st century, BC, and was discovered in 1996 off the coast of this island. It is believed that it was thrown into the sea during a storm. A beautiful piece of work - about 6 feet tall.

Another great part of our hotel was that it was located right on the bay, and right across from “real mermaids”! The submarines would arrive each morning with a couple of them onboard - a great way to attract customers!

Mali Losinj and Veli Losinj are the two main towns on this island, and both are great little seaside places. Plenty of places to walk and see, and many beaches to visit as well. Oh, and ice cream every 50 feet (I think it’s a law of some kind).

There are campgrounds galore here and we met several people staying in them. They have “Glamping”, motorhomes/trailers, tents, and mobile homes for rent. It seems like maybe 50-60% of the people here were from Germany, as it is an easy drive for them and a great spot in the summer.

Maybe the best thing for us on this island was the accessibility. There are promenades all around the island that allow you to walk the coastline for miles, exploring various beaches and towns. Walk for 30 minutes - swim - walk 20 minutes - have a beer - walk 20 minutes - swim…you get the idea.

We also took a boat tour one day while we were here and visited a few beaches and islands in the area. Another great way to see the local area and meet some new people. The captain/chef made us a great lunch of fish, chicken and Wiener schnitzel (or maybe it was just a hot dog).

Ok - On to Rovinj! We took the ferry from Mali Losinj to Pula, where we were met by our driver to take us the additional 30 minutes on to Rovinj. Again, everything worked very smoothly and for maybe 20% more than a taxi, without the hassle. We arrived to the old town of Rovinj where Eileen had found a great AirBNB with a little kitchen, etc. Great location and a great place - just had to navigate the stairs…

Rovinj is an incredibly beautiful place - the old town sits above the sea, and the tower of St. Euphemia’s Basilica can be seen from everywhere. A great walking city, but with old cobblestone streets of varying heights, it seems you are looking down more than you are looking up - and the rock (granite I think) is so worn, it is slick! Still, beautiful places to see everywhere.

We took a local boat trip one day to visit a few local islands and to visit Lim Fjord. The fjord is about 6 miles long and part of the 25 mile long Lim Valley. Interesting to note that as you enter the fjord - on either side are two of the largest “Naturist campgrounds” in the world…interesting views on this tour for sure! Oh, and since we were "in Rovinj", we thought we should "do as the Rovinjians do"...(or did we??)

Our final adventure while in Rovinj was a to take a wonderful day trip into the Istrian peninsula, visiting several wineries and towns. We passed the town of Motovun, on the hill and visited with a few bikers on the Parenzana Trail - a 100 mile former rail line converted into a hiking/biking route. A great way to explore this region if you have the time (and fitness level!).

We enjoyed some great wines and excellent views along the way and saw just enough to know that “we’ll be back” to Istria! One of the wineries we visited had been used in a movie (that we have not seen), posing as an Italian villa. “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard”(?). Anyway, beautiful place and incredible view out to the sea.

Well, I guess that covers most of the past month. We just finished nearly two months in Croatia and it was incredible. We spent as much time as we could, actually in the sea - getting our much needed water fix. And now the sun is setting on this portion of our trip. Italy is still a level 3, so we will head there next. We’ve made many adjustments along the way, and we will start with a ferry from Rovinj to Venice, and see what happens after that.

For now, that’s it from Croatia.

All the best to everyone,

Tim & Eileen