13.03.2011 -Croatia - Plitvice National Park and Split

We got up early to do a walking tour of Plitvice Lakes National Park. We visited the Korana Canyon to see the falls and Tomicevo Pogledalo for views over the Park, how spectacular is the only way to describe! It is on the UNESCO Heritage List of the world. oNE WORD - YU HAVE TO GOOGLE IT, IT WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE SOFAR i have seen in the world. We spend 4 hours walking the park, we caught 2 boat ris=des from one section to the other, absolutely spectacular.
We took a drive on to the Dalmation Coast. We admired the cathedral and renaissance Cipiko Palace in Trogir. Most of all Carol (My fellow Perth friend) and I just decided to sit down at the watersedge, drink a wine and watch the tall ships come in depositing the people returning from their island cruises. Well, ths is the palce you need a yacht, to explore the dalmation coast! But more about that tomorrow.....We continued on to Split, my first impression was - wow its a concrete jungle, more than what I expected, only to be told by the tour guide, these buildings are geared up for earthquakes..... huh..... We are staying in the Atrium hotel...and wow, we are so spoilt by staying in the best hotels on this trip....if anyone wants to do a trip - Insight Vacations is the nly traveling group to tour with. They have it absolutely sorted to the 'T'. We had a couple dyas just really relaxing, and gettign to know the group. Being all Australian and New Zealanders, tonight was the first night we really clicked and had an awesoe Croation night at a typicl Dlmation/Croation dinner. Well the photos tell a story. Even Carole and I were dared to dance with the 27yr old Italian Stallion Busdriver, and what a sweetie he was, could not understand a word of English....It was a night torembmer...but ai am sure, many more fab nights to come. The fellow travellers are really a joy, and finally after 10 days we are now starting to relax with the company. But unfortunately some will leave us in Greece, and a few more will join us, and we all worried how this will change the dynamics of the aussie group....
　
Some 1700 years ago, the Roman Emperor Diocletian built his palace here, We met a tour guide to help us explore the streets and buildings within the same palace. To truly experience the Dalmation cuisine, we had dinner in a traditional 'konoba' - a stone daylight basement - is the best way to describe it. We had a selection of choices from seafood or meats, and not to forget the delicious dalmation wines.
12.05.2011 Zagreb - Komrovec-Plitvice National Park
We took scenic drive through to Kumrovec the countryside of Zagorje, the birthplace of Marshall Tito, whose house has been turned into a museum. Its situated on the bank of the River Sulta, Komrovec is an exceprional valuable and attractive ethnic village with about 30 rural houses and farmsteads, restored and kept as a typical rural entity. It was truly a highlight for me, I loved the rural atmophere, with chickens, roosters roaming freely. Of course I bought a small painting, an origninal from one of the locals. (needless to say, I am trying to buy a small original where ever I can, I have 3 sofar!)

Later we followed a winding road through to the Zagorje hills and had lunch of croation specialities and we had spectacular vies of the Croation countryside. The food was absolutely fantastic, it gave me a tru feeling of how the Croats live. We were met with a glass of 'Grappa' well jetfuel in other words...but delicious...all home made from fruits. Every bit of food was locally made, with no preservatives, and all from the land, salami, veal, duck, apple strudel, all reall flavours....wish i could eat all day.... You can actually see 'Rosa' the big mama cooking this feast for all of us, it was really a very special day. Ate far too much and also took too many photos. Zagreb is definetely the ugly duckling, but the hinterland...fabulous. It was also quite sad to drive through the ruins of some of the buildings from the Bosnia war See photos attached..Tomorrow we will explore the Plitvice National Park in Croatia.