Istria and Plitvice
We drove through a localized blinding rainstorm to reach Trieste, which was fortuitous. The rain stopped just as we arrived, and the city streets, plaza and parking lots were EMPTY! We took off our shoes and walked through the shallow puddles to view the area. This central plaza is one of the largest in Europe.
Just as the Danish love their bicycles, the Italians love their motor bikes. A flooded street in old town Trieste.
Nudism is very popular in this area, thousands of people and entire resorts. These are tourists, not locals. More Germans than any other country; an easy trip to get here.
Driving south from Trieste, you quickly re-enter Slovenia and pass through to Croatia, on the Istrian Peninsula. It is the warm Adriatic coast, a very popular tourist area, particularly with Germans, and favored by many nudists (google FKK). We stayed on the central coast in Porec. A little hotel (really a B&B) in a residential area only a few minutes' walk from the harbor. The host, when he found out I was lactose intolerant, went to the market and came back with more lactose-free breakfast items than I could eat in 1-2 weeks. All these small coastal cities are incredibly old, ancient cobblestone streets, and stone buildings. Wine and fresh fish in a restaurant overlooking the harbor; a daytrip by boat down the coast to Rovinj; some local shopping and sight-seeing; it is a relaxing way to spend a few days.
Plitvice Lakes National Park has so many waterfalls that you lose count. The underlying geology is sponge-like rock which collects the rain and keeps the water flowing. Didn't see anyone fishing, but fish are plentiful. Only part of the park is open to view.
From Porec we headed inland toward Plitvice Lakes National Park, an easy half-day drive. This is different territory. You start to see the damage of war; bullet holes, damaged buildings, homes never re-built. This is where the real struggle over failing Yugoslavia started. Neighbor against neighbor. We stayed in a B&B within walking distance of the park. The owners told us that they had to flee in September 1991; went to Italy and didn't come back for seven years. The house was gone when they returned; done by neighbors.
Nudism is very popular in this area, thousands of people and entire resorts. These are tourists, not locals. More Germans than any other country; an easy trip to get here.
Driving south from Trieste, you quickly re-enter Slovenia and pass through to Croatia, on the Istrian Peninsula. It is the warm Adriatic coast, a very popular tourist area, particularly with Germans, and favored by many nudists (google FKK). We stayed on the central coast in Porec. A little hotel (really a B&B) in a residential area only a few minutes' walk from the harbor. The host, when he found out I was lactose intolerant, went to the market and came back with more lactose-free breakfast items than I could eat in 1-2 weeks. All these small coastal cities are incredibly old, ancient cobblestone streets, and stone buildings. Wine and fresh fish in a restaurant overlooking the harbor; a daytrip by boat down the coast to Rovinj; some local shopping and sight-seeing; it is a relaxing way to spend a few days.
Plitvice Lakes National Park has so many waterfalls that you lose count. The underlying geology is sponge-like rock which collects the rain and keeps the water flowing. Didn't see anyone fishing, but fish are plentiful. Only part of the park is open to view.
From Porec we headed inland toward Plitvice Lakes National Park, an easy half-day drive. This is different territory. You start to see the damage of war; bullet holes, damaged buildings, homes never re-built. This is where the real struggle over failing Yugoslavia started. Neighbor against neighbor. We stayed in a B&B within walking distance of the park. The owners told us that they had to flee in September 1991; went to Italy and didn't come back for seven years. The house was gone when they returned; done by neighbors.
Everyone had lost family members. Many would never know what had happened to their loved ones. And yet everyone we met was so educated, open, reasonable. The Park is one of the world's wonders; featured in many remarkable photographs. Imagine hundreds of waterfalls, dozens of lakes, clear mineral-tinted water. And thousands of tourists from all over the world; many standing in your way trying to get a "selfie" while blocking your view of the great features behind them. Truly amazing landscape and yet how many waterfalls can you see before they start to look the same? We headed south.
posted by Wayne | 6:26 PM
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