MORE TO CROATIA THAN MERELY DUBROVNIK!

Please don't get me wrong, I loved Dubrovnik when I spent time there previously, but this trip showed us that are so many more places and so much more history, than appears on the typical travel itinerary. What an education!


We were supposed to meet our group in Venice to depart to places unknown.  Loving Venice, we decided to fly in a few days early to spend a few days on our own in this fascinating city. We stayed at a small B&B, on a canal, called Residenza Ca' Riccio, a wonderful small hotel close to the Rialto Bridge. I requested the room at the top with a wonderful view, five flights up with no elevator service. This would have been no problem, if I had not broken my back two weeks prior! We decided not to cancel the trip, so I, and my brace, made it up the steps, with the help of my friend, who had a sciatica flare-up and was using a cane! A sorry sight, we were! We revisited favorite places, ate great food and listened to the wonderful orchestra in St. Mark's Square, while drinking very expensive cappuccino, which was worth every Euro!

On the Rialto Bridge

Mr Smiley Face

 

 

Three days later, we met the group at the airport, boarded a bus, and set off for five hours of travel through the country side, driving NW to Slovenia and then South to Croatia. We spent two nights in the sea side resort town of Opatija, where we checked into the Hotel Savoy. The next day, we embarked on a tour of Istria, the " the Tuscany of Croatia", where we visited the hilltop medieval HUM, "the smallest city in the world" according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Then we stopped at Livade, the city that claims to have found the largest truffle in the world! Enough said!

 

Hotel Savoy

Medieval  city of HUM

 

 

After departing Opatija, we drove along the beautiful Adriatic Coast to the small port of Jablanac, where we took a ferry to the Island of RAB for two nights. RAB is said to be the most beautiful of all the Croatian Islands, of which there are hundreds! We checked into the Arbiana Hotel and took a tour of the island. Then after ferrying to another smaller island and touring that also, we returned to our hotel for a special evening of entertainment and wine and cheese tasting .

 

Cobblestone Streets

Churches

Town Square

 

The next day, after returning to the mainland, we headed inland to Plitvice National Park, we took a walking tour that high-lighted the most beautiful of the 16 lakes, each one connected to the next by a series of dazzling waterfalls and cascades. Truly a photo op as no other! Driving north for awhile, we arrived at the small town of Slunj, still in Croatia. The town had a river running through it with little homes, shops, gardens, pets and behind the town was the most beautiful landscape imaginable. Waterfalls everywhere! It was so calm and peaceful, so everyone relaxed in this paradise for awhile.
 

Plitvice Falls

 

 

 

 

Town of Slunj

 

Chillin in Slunj

 

 

 

A short distance farther north, we arrived in Trebelno, Slovenia and checked in for an overnight at "Pule Estate", the most deluxe "hotel" in the country. Offered are a range of activities, golf, horseback riding, hunting, cycling, a wellness spa and stables of prize winning horses.

 

Our accommodations at Pule Estate

White Beauty!

One of the gathering places

Walk around the Estate

 

 

 

 

Before leaving Slovenia, we visited Postojna, the largest underground caverns in Europe and second largest largest in the world. We took a train into the caves with a guide and explored 20 kilometres of passages, galleries and chambers. We were amazed by the stalagmites and stalagtites and the variety of shapes and colors. One could also hear music piped into the "concert hall"!

The trip was wonderful! We found it somewhat different, exciting, friendly and very safe. Their money is the Kuna which is lots better than the Euro. At the time we went, they accepted US$'s in Croatia, but not in Slovenia who is on the Euro system.