Croatia Croatia!

Just as I begin to plan my next big adventure, I was reminded of my sweet and noble blog which will serve as a memoir for my son of our time in Europe. I can't help but smile at the fact that I can imagine me and my son (hopefully he will be empathic enough to amuse me by reading this when he grows up) reading our blogs and trying to recollect the minute and larger details of our trips to different places in Europe. This August, we got the opportunity to travel to Croatia, a country that is persevering to make a deeper mark on the tourism industry and get all the praises it deserves.

Just like India, Croatia has much to offer- the unique natural sites like Plitvice Lakes National Park to its pebble beaches; there are vineyards and inland pastures and culture-rich with historic stories. The food is the cherry on the cake and if you love seafood; well you definitely should plan to visit Croatia. Our trip was in the making right from the time we met this beautiful Croatian family here in Salzburg. Abhi (my husband) wanted to drive down and the fact that Ivaan (my son) loves the beaches and was yearning to go back to Goa made us quickly finalize Croatia and more importantly Istria as the region we wished to explore.

Booking and packing were my responsibility and planning activities each day were Abhi's (at least that's what I thought). Whereas in Abhi's head it was all me. So in July, while I read little blogs such as this one and was closing down on 2 cities we wanted to visit, a rude awakening hit me; EVERYBODY is heading to Croatia! August is well into the peak season (June to mid-September is considered the peak season here). While I was still romancing the fact and being choosy about where to stay, good places to actually stay were getting booked! Booking.com surely makes you rush as they flash 97% of the places are booked in your location!! I frantically decided to start our trip from Zadar and then base out of Rovinj. 

Both my choices were spectacular and that was confirmed when I could not find good places to stay near the city within my budget! Anyways, I did find our gems at both cities through AirBnb and Booking.com. Our first criteria to stay close by was met at both locations, we could walk to the city center and explore most locations on foot. Our second basic criteria of having the basic home amenities: a small kitchen and washing machine, wifi, etc were also sorted. Driving down was super smooth and the highways did not disappoint us. What was really commendable is the fact that Ivaan is a very good traveler, even as a baby he would never be too much to handle. We played games like I-spy and listened to some real good stories on podcast. An early morning start was a good plan and gave us room to have a nice meal with a couple of breaks in our journey. 

Day 1 could not just be a road trip for us three and after checking in, we decided to head to a highly rated restaurant in the old town called Skoblar for our first meal. The meal was fine but the atmosphere was especially good. A good place to be away from the crowds and yet do some people watching <wink wink>. A walk by the Riva during sunset could not be missed even after such a long journey and it was overwhelming; especially because we were so not used to being in crowded places after Covid. There were tons of tourists just walking by the Riva and towards the Sea Organ. Everybody needs the sunset view during their stay in Zadar. We braved ourselves as one must feel after 2 vaccinations and we actually started to enjoy being in the open with people (some with masks and some without). Funny how the human body craves social gatherings and has such a short and forgiving memory. It was surely a good way to start our trip.  

Sunset by the Riva, Zadar

Day 2 we explored Zadar as a city and its cobbled streets had coffee breaks and drinks and food on our way. The narrow lanes with coffee shops and art were so enticing to the eye. It was rather pleasant to climb up the bell tower and actually make sense of the entire city. The sandstone-colored rooftops give the city an iconic postcard view that can easily be connected to Zadar. Ivaan was rather nervous climbing up the spiral staircase and equally slow on our way back but I am sure he did not regret the view and the gaint bell. It was a hot sunny day and one cannot refuse a child some water time especially if he doesn't mind removing all his clothes and just splashing the waves at the Sea Organ. We saw many people sunbathing and taking dips to stay cool right at the Riva. By now, both Abhi and I were ready for the beach too and thus Day 3 was just at the beach near Nin. The town of Nin can be a good place to have lunch but there is not much except the historic cobbled streets, St Nikolas Church, and the historic town gate. It will take you less than an hour to walk by this small town at a leisurely pace. The sandy beach however was super child friendly and surprised us a little. Everybody was prepared with airbeds and coolers, boomboxes and an umbrella for sure. The vibe was friendly, young and we found people covered in mud (hopefully for its healing properties). The fact that we managed to spend our entire day at the beach and Ivaan was still asking for more when we left is testimony itself of how wonderful the beach really is. I loved the fact that one could leave kids in the water and read a book as the water was extremely shallow for a long stretch. The mountains on the backdrop made it feel very different from any other place I have been. We left with a heartful of sun and a very heavy tan in spite of applying sunscreen several times during the day!

Coming all the way to Croatia and not going to Dubrovnik was a bummer but nobody could stop us from driving down to Split. We started early on Day 4 to have a full day and the drive was comfortable. In just 2 hours, we found ourselves in the magical city of Split. All geared up for the Diocletian's Palace, we found ourselves amidst the finest Roman architecture. Somehow my eyes were fixed on the blue sky above as it looked so strange and novel with the white stone-built palace as background. I can't explain it but Split did not disappoint us, it took us back to the Roman empire days. Our walks in the old town were interrupted when our son was really tired primarily due to the heat and needed a break so we had to just make peace with sitting at one of the many restaurants right in the city center. It will be futile but I will try to explain a very bizarre concept I could savor sitting at the resturant. There were so many couples (boy and girl) that seemed to be on a business tour here. The guy was always carrying a huge camera and the girl was dressed like a model who will be on the runway soon. It is really disheartening to see that so many people travel for Insta stories! I may delve into this later sometime but come on, if half the population travel only for pictures one can only hope that the pictures are liked enough

Being on a holiday in this part of Europe (or maybe all of Europe) also means unlimited Gelato access and Gelato we must have at the Riva. This was also a way to prepare our son for the hike we had planned to see the entire city before heading back home. The hike started easy and slowly started to become steep but as we went higher the view of the city and the sea became even better. Sun God was especially happy on this day and made us sweat more than we should have. It felt like a lovely workout and Ivaan made up his mind not to go beyond the small little church where he was amused by trees and his ability to climb up one of them. He particularly liked the church ruins and asked us to peep in too, we obliged to find an empty room inside. Although I am sure the view from up top would have been worth the climb, it was happily forsaken for our son's few minutes with nature. This summed up a lovely day at Split for us with the highlight being people watching at the People's square (Yes, I get the irony).

Having had a long day at Split, we decided another day (Day 5) at the beach makes sense and Zaton was a perfect choice. If you do ever go to this area, make sure you stop for a little something to eat at Restaurant Konoba Antika (I chose it for the name- Ankita). It is away from the touristy destinations and was rather homely with the grapes hanging from the shed and light music. We loved our lunch here paired with the house wine. We asked the waiter to suggest a beach with the kid and Plaža Pliša was his recommendation. It is almost natural that simple days like these make us realize that we are on a holiday. Doing nothing but going into the water and making sandcastles with your little one can be just what we needed to say goodbye to Zadar and this region. 

Day 6 was moving day and while planning this trip there was this postcard vision we wanted to see in real life. It was none other than the Plitvice Lakes National Park (though we were not sure and bought tickets online just a night before). Starting as early as 6am paid off and we reached before the crowd starts to pour in. If there is one tip I can give about visiting the Plitvice Lakes, it will be to reach early and enjoy the lovely breathtaking views; to take breaks and enjoy the glass-like clear water and fish swimming in these perfectly preserved lakes. I can't help but wonder how we had never seen such sights before in our lives and how our son is lucky to really be exposed to this beauty at such an early age. Doing a circuit and planning your walks is a very good idea and even if you get to take a detour (like we did) write it off as an extra workout needed for the next gelato. Food wasn't awesome here, so packing a little something will be a good idea but the hike was worth the expense. Even our 5 year old did not complain until the last mile! We reached Rovinj late evening and called it an early night.

Day 7 was time to say Hello to the much-adored town of Rovinj. Rovinj's old town was magical and full of art to inspire almost everyone who can stop to appreciate it. The cobbled lanes and marble floor, the open terrace restaurants, live music, and the atmosphere were all too charming. I will have to admit that evenings were better here and the daytime seemed a little too hot to be outside water. Most of the people here seemed like the fictional mermaids/mermen just out for a drink or some food after a long swim in the clear Adriatic sea. We climbed up a small hill on top of which is a huge white church and panoramic views of the city. We stayed for a coffee while watching the sunset and the sky changed colors. This made me realize why there are so many artists here; the view here was like no other I could even imagine. When you have views like this, it seems almost natural to drift towards art and create something as beautiful as your surroundings. 

Traveling with kids is absolutely not the same as traveling with your partner or just traveling with friends. We need to plan a little, pack a little more, and be prepared for dirty clothes and hunger pangs. So when our kid had had enough of walking by the city, it was time for the beach. We simply spent 2 days (Day 8 and Day 9) driving to the beach and going back to our sweet Airbnb to take a nice shower, rest before heading out to the city on foot for a lovely meal. Few places like Da Sergio (pizza), Maestral Restaurant (views with good food), Konoba Jure (for authentic local food), Restaurant Sunset Porec (chill atmosphere) were our favorites.

Day 10 is when we finally decided to step into inland Istria and take a break from the sea. Driving inwards to Hum, the smallest town in the world was absolutely sweet and without many tourists. We strolled around with a relaxed smile while our son tried balancing on the stones nearby. In my head, I was thinking this is what every holiday should be like, tension-free. Little did I expect that we will end up having a big quarrel about not knowing that Motovun has a steep climb that could be avoided if we knew there is a shuttle bus service available. Motovun is a cute little hilltop village known for its surrounding vineyards and panoramic views. However, we cannot drive up all the way and needed to park at the foothill. As we climbed up during the hot midday, I felt the tension building up. Unsure of how much more the climb was left and what to expect once we actually reach the top.

To my relief, it turned out to be a great place for lunch on a clear day and they serve some yummy Italian pasta with wine which we enjoyed while staying silent after our quarrel. But then again no holiday is complete without one heavy argument between a couple, what amazed me is how our little one maintained his middle ground and refused to take sides! You see my husband and I are very different when it comes to planning holidays. I love to get the basics rights, like locations, our flight bookings (or in this case our drive routes), and our stay but after that, I don't really care about the nitty gritties like which village to go on a day trip. Abhi on the other hand loves to be active all the time and gets stimulated more by doing more. While there is no right or wrong way to travel, we have tried to find a common ground and thankfully after having Ivaan travel has become more about soaking in the central squares with fountains and just chilling in a park in the afternoons. 

Two more days (Day 11 and Day 12) in Rovinj passed by quicker than I could really tell. In between the cocktails with sea views and the beaches, we dare say there was anything that we could ask more. We promised Ivaan a boat ride in the semi-submarine and vicariously I was hoping to see much of the underwater action (at least an octopus) during our ride. But we saw just some small fish by the shore, distant cousins of jellyfish and sea cucumber that resembled poop. The view is clear only near the shallow water where the sunlight can seep through and thus my dream of seeing the underwater action is still a dream. Our last dinner (thanks to Abhi booking in advance) was at Maestral restaurant and it was a memorable way to say goodbye to Rovinj and Croatia. The sunsets from here with live music by the boat is a great experience and highly recommended by us three. 

When the timing is right, all seems perfect but we humans cannot predict it all. I had this strange plan of stopping by at Ljubina for a quick bite and massage during the day to soothe away the holiday blues before we drive back to Salzburg. All was perfect until the roads were jammed almost 25 km before a toll payment! That was it, traveling by road can be a bummer if a 5-hour journey is converted into a 10 hour one (minus the 4 hours spent at Ljubina)! Unlike in India everybody was so patient and dealing with this insane jam by listening to music mostly or walking for a mile or two. This is again one of those moments when I thanked the Lord with joint hands (obviously in my head and afterwards secretly with Abhi) about our very patient almost saint-like son. He did not go bonkers, he did not whine about the traffic and we actually had a good long drive. We listened to some really good old music, ate dinner at a cafe by the petrol pumps and enjoyed the rain. The magic of a road trip is that you always have food, drinks and comfy jackets to snuggle into while watching the scenic green landscapes turn dark during the night. Talking about random things with your loved ones is also so comforting and a road trip gives you just that. I think the trip to Croatia brought us closer as a family and we made memories of a whole new kind of family adventure.