VENICE CROATIA DAY 6 – A Warm Welcome From The Rain

 

A Warm Welcome From The Rain

We leave early heading to the Plitvice Lakes region, our only inland stop of the trip, but much anticipated for the promise of good hiking.  It’s been an interesting trip to pack for, needing everything from a nice suit for the opera to heavy hiking boots for the next few days.  Our bulging bags barely fit in the back of the Toyota Aygo, but our bellman has squeezed them in by the time we are done breakfast.  Boren, our driver from Venice to Rovinj, suggested we take the more scenic route, skirting the coastline to Senj then turning to head west.  It takes an hour longer, but that’s OK as we’re hoping the rain will pass by the time we reach our destination.

We try to rent small cars in Europe as they are most appropriate for the roads, and we have had some embarrassingly underpowered vehicles in our travels.  Our Irish Opal Corsa was a standout in this category until the Aygo, a diminutive, 72 horsepower crossover with a manual transmission hits number one with a bullet.  Every car I have ever driven has at least some power band, that combination of engine RPM and gear selection where maximum performance happens.  Not the Aygo, which has already earned the nickname “Eggo” due to its inability to outrun a box of waffles.  Every switch of the gearbox makes we wonder if we’re stuck in mud.  Every position of the accelerator is an exercise in chaos theory, and pushing it all the way to the floor in 4^th or 5^th is just as likely to cause deceleration as acceleration.  That being said, it has some surprising features for a €15,500 car: adaptive cruise control, active lane keep that acts more like self-drive on the highway, and lane change assist, none of said technology that the geniuses in Stuttgart thought to put in my 911 Turbo S.

The first leg of the trip puts us on coastal roads that wind along the mountainside.  Besides having to go into first gear a disconcerting number of times while still moving, the ride is beautiful and goes smoothly despite the weather.  We arrive in Senj in time for a hydraulic break… WC and cappuccino at a café in a seaside resort town that apparently closed a few weeks ago.  It’s nice enough but challenging to find a coffeeshop that doesn’t smell like a 1980s nightclub as everyone here seems to have reverted to smoking.

The last 90 minutes of the trip puts us on true mountain passes, complete with tight switchbacks, steep drop-offs and a complete lack of guardrails.  The kind of roads Mandy really loves, but the Eggo isn’t even fast enough for me to scare her.  Once over the biggest mountains, we enter the rolling hills of an agricultural area.  Every mile or so there’s another stand selling fresh made cheese and local honey, which, if you know Mandy at all, is her idea of heaven.  Eventually we stop at one and get a too-big-to-cart-around-on-vacation wheel of “Sir”, 4 different cheese varieties, and a too-big-to-carry-on-the-plane-but-we’re-going-to-anyway jar of Med Vrijesak, honey fortified with bee pollen for increased health benefits.  Mandy is a happy puppy as we bounce on down the road.

We arrive at Plitvice Lakes National Park around 1:30.  Despite the forecast of “clearing”, no amount of stalling was going to give us relief from the rain.  We hike, we have gear, so we don the rain jackets and head in.  Plitvice Lakes National Park was created around a series of cascading lakes which flow into each other through hundreds of waterfalls, which, if you know Mandy, is how she thinks one gets to heaven.  Just inside the entrance we get or first glimpse of Veliki Slap, literally translated to “The Great Waterfall”, a towering 256 foot high with dozens of spouts.  Our vantage point from here is almost even with the top and a great photo spot by design, making this feature accessible to virtually every person of every ability.  We hike down the gravel path to the base of Veliki and it’s even more impressive from this vantage point.  We feel the power as the mist soaks us even more then the rain. 

The hike proceeds along wooden walkways, some right over the surface of the lakes, some right along the tops of waterfalls, providing an outstanding perspective of the way of the water.  Even with the weather, the lakes glow a stunning blue-green.  We hike onto Station P2, where fortunately there is a grill for us to finally get some lunch.  Hikers of all ages and languages are huddled into the small shack for a respite from the rain, which shows no signs of stopping.  The thick burgers hit the spot, as much for the taste as for the fact that we haven’t eaten since breakfast. 

Today’s hike, marked as Trail B, involves a few unique features.  The next leg of this hike involves a ferry to the next leg and we board with an entire group of Chinese tourists.  The electric powered boat is silent, so it’s a peaceful trip through the mist across the lake.  A few more hiking legs past a myriad of falls of every size (and one shuttle) bring us back to the start, soaked but happy.

It’s a blessedly short drive the Zrinka House, our inn for the next 2 nights.  We’re greeted by Zrinka her fabulous self, and welcomed, mothered, bosomed into the warm embrace of her hospitality.  Handed wine and snacks, we meet Barbara, Zrinka’s daughter, just in from watching a soccer match with friends and who is every bit as warm and welcoming and charming as her mother.  We’re shown to our room, 4, a charming and well-appointed one bedroom apartment.  We set our soaking gear on the cast iron radiators and heated towel rack with hopes they dry in time for tomorrow.  The nap is well deserved and deep.

On Zrinka’s recommendation we have dinner at Dejenia, the eatery of the small hotel of the same name.  The food and service do not disappoint and you can tell they specialize in comforting weary adventurers with fresh local food and wine.  Back at the hotel we stop in the breakfast room where Zrinka has thoughtfully left out some local liquors for our late-night enjoyment (OK, it’s probably only 9:30…).  There we meet Marybeth, a fellow traveler in search of a nightcap for her husband.  We smell-test the bottles, then spill a healthy pour of clear brandy with notes of pears and black currants into crystal tumblers.  Deep sleep comes without delay.