Croatia 2014 (Summer)

We had a really fantastic time in Croatia - made even more special by having my Mum (Val) along to enjoy the adventure.  We started this 6 week summer escapade in Istria.  Istria is the north-western part of Croatia and and for some time was part of the Venetian Republic.  The region is rural and idyllic.  We particularly loved the hilltop village of Motovun. We then drove over to the extraordinary island of Cres.  The water here is crystal clear.  We found a nice beach-side town called Martinšćica, which thankfully had few tourists.  We had a great walk down from the cliffs to Plava Grota (blue grotto).  When swimming in the grotto, the light pierces the water and creates an iridescent blue glow.  After 4 days on Cres it was time to head south.  We drove the full length of the coast to reach the iconic Dubrovnik.  With a backdrop of rugged limestone mountains, Dubrovnik Old Town is known as one of the finest and most perfectly preserved medieval cities in the world.  It's great fun to just wander the streets and watch local kids diving off the ramparts into the Adriatic. Much of The Game Of Thrones was shot here.

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After a side trip into Bosnia, we then drove back to Zargreb stopping at the amazing Plitvice Lakes NP and Krka NP. The waterfalls in these parks, which cut through the limestone in a thousand rivulets, are stunning.  We stayed about an hour outside Zargreb on a traditional farm.  The house, lovingly restored by Thomaslav, was the perfect base for our 7 days exploring the Zagorje region.  We went on walks through vineyards, a day trip to Slovenia, visited castles and markets, and generally enjoyed the peaceful country life in this beautiful part of the world.  Longing to go back!

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