Croatian Relaxation
Plitvice National ParkHard to believe this place, filled with such wonders, was where the first shots of the Serbo-Croatian war were fired in 1991. I think I took 500 pictures in this place alone - it was a gorgeous, geological phenomenon. Every 2 steps there was something worth photographing! We spent all morning walking the paths of planks alongside lakes, streams and 100's of waterfalls. This place was as near to perfection as I can imagine. So glad it's beauty did not succumb to the violence that started here.
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A Vacation from your Vacation!
Rab Island was heavenly! We arrived in the afternoon and had a fantastic seafood feast with the group and then Peter told us the next day would be all on our own to have a vacation from our vacation! This was a great place to truly relax, enjoy, and soak it all in! Rab Island has a Venetian feel to it since Venice is just across the bay. And, thanks to England's King Edward (remember the movie King's Speech? He's the one who ran off with the American) - Rab Island became known for offering nice nude beaches. I chose to remain modest, though with my swimming attire!
"If you're feeling down and out - come on baby, drive south."
Click on these photos for more details.
What's playing on my iPod?
* Soak Up the Sun - Sheryl Crow * Drive South - Suzy Bogguss
* Sunshine on My Shoulders - John Denver
* Sunshine on My Shoulders - John Denver
The Best of Eastern Europe Bus
Antone keeping us on route and filling up the ferry!
Antone, who was from Slovenia, was a skillful bus driver. There are some narrow roads in Europe and he navigated them with ease. One of my worries about taking an escorted tour was that we'd have to be up at O'dark thirty to get on the bus and on the road. That was not the case with this trip. The earliest we had to be on the bus was 8:00 am - and that was just a couple of the times. That may not be an issue for you - but I'm not a morning person! I loved being able to get up at a decent time and still be able to enjoy a nice breakfast before hitting the road. The ride was so smooth and the seats very comfortable. Plus, there were about 2 seats for each person - so lots of room to stretch out if you wanted.
An end to a perfect day. . .I had walked around town, ate 3 different gelato flavors (all superb), shopped a little, photographed a lot, and then swam in the Adriatric. That evening, Peter hosted a "happy hour" for anyone who wanted to attend. We were asked to bring something to share - food, wine, beer; anything we wanted which resulted in quite the international smorgasbord! We sat on the veranda of the hotel and shared with each other about our perfect vacation day in Croatia.
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