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Published: August 15th 2009
Plitvice in Spring
Most seen photo of this magical place in Spring - couldn't resist.After 5 days of rest and relaxation on Hvar, it was time to get back on the road. Up at 6am, we were in the ferry line by 6:45am. We ended up being one of last 20 cars on the 7:45am ferry. The 2 hour ferry ride was spent playing backgammon, snoozing and sunbathing. Matt and Syd had their eyes on some marble bowls back in Diocletian’s palace in Split so as we drove back through, they ventured off to grab these souvenirs (they each try and grab something that represents the trip to them - apparently these bowls will be filled with a bit of sand, shells and rocks to capture their Croatian experience). We decided not to retrace our steps along the coast and got onto the A1, part of the incredible highway stretching North to South a few kilometers inland. We again got a taste of the European driving and Trevor managed to creep up to 170 km/hr, but he was still being passed like he was a grandma (no offense to you grandma’s out there). We found out from a Parisian gentleman we met, that on the Autobahn many cars do over 250 km/hr (I don’t think
Veliki Slap
"Veliki Slap" means Big Waterfall and it does not disappoint. my speedometer at home goes that high!). He also noted that when they crashed, it stretches for miles so they try not to.
Our journey took us up the coast and we took a look at Sibenik, also drove to Krk National park and then settled on trying to find a place in Nin. Nin looked really cute but had nothing for 1 night, so we again began the dreaded task of trying to secure single night lodging. Ten minutes back down the road, we stumbled upon the Zaton Holiday resort (recommend in Frommer’s Travelling with Children guide). The guard at the gate told us it was unlikely that there were rooms available but that did not deter Super Mar.
Our fearless leader entered the reception area and there was a 30 person deep line that was moving at a pace of 1 person every 10 minutes. That did not deter Super Mar. Quietly slipping away to ask a question of the “Info Lady” she got passed onto “Telephone Lady” who calls manager and as fast as a speeding bullet, the Connor family has secured a room for one night in the biggest resort on the Croatian Coast (600
Volleyball showdown
We are ready to rumble. Bring it on. apartments and 1500 campgrounds and with 3-4 people per unit, you can get the idea of the multitudes that were there.) It was kind of like an “all inclusive without the inclusive”. By that we mean that it has everything you could ever want to do and it is filled with tons of people but there was something for everyone and activity abounded (from Salsa dancing to aerobics to … you get the idea). What a wonderful reprieve we had found without spending our afternoon trying to find a place and the fun was just beginning. This was all thanks to Super Mar.
After quickly settling in, we ventured down to the beach. Mar, Syd and Court went one way exploring. Matt and Trev wandered the other way looking for some action and found it in the way of a volleyball tournament. We are matched up with two singletons (1 German and 1 Swiss) and as we warm up, it slowly becomes obvious that we are a pretty pathetic 4-some. The competition isn’t bad as there are a couple of really good teams but the wind is blowing pretty well (always a leveler in beach volleyball) and our practicing
Water extravaganza
An afternoon of fun on the water. starts to bring out some latent skill (at least at keeping it off the ground). There are 12 teams to start (single knock out) and games go to 11 switching part way to compensate for wind and sun. The first game we find ourselves down 6-2 and switch sides only to end up winning 11-7. We won the next game and found ourselves in the final where we succumbed to a definite group of volleyball players. Matt had a blast (and made some great digs) while Trevor got a taste of the glory days playing beach volleyball down at Kits. We were then off to the water park (in the ocean) where there was a decent selection of inflatable climbing apparatus in the water - Trevor and the kids played and laughed and fell and laughed (especially at Dad trying to do the Moon walk - a 10 metre long cylindrical tube that really doesn’t serve any purpose except try to make you look like an idiot when you attempt to run down it - remember it is filled with air and you couldn’t sit on it if you had to). The gist of our stay in Zaton was that
Initial view
This is our first view upon entering the park. Pretty captivating. we were so thankful to have found a place that was so much fun and filled with such great people. We had a bit of an epiphany in that we thought it would be a neat experience to go to the U2 concert in Zagreb (the whole country seems abuzz about it). The staff at the desk worked very hard that evening to get us U2 tickets (they had some shuttles taking people up and back to Zagreb but we didn’t want that) and they were successful so we are excited to see how that all plays out.
The next morning, we got an early start and headed inland to Plitvice Lakes. We arrived to find our accommodation at Tina House (www. Tina) again exceeded our expectations. What a quaint cottage with room out back for the kids to play. It also had internet which allowed everyone to reconnect with home. There was a real alpine village feeling and the temperatures cooled off just enough (around 23 degrees) that Marla had to put a sweater on at night (first mosquitos of the trip as well).
We quickly settled in and then went out to Plitvice National park to
Continuous cascades
Water tumbles all around you. join the throngs that have ventured 2 hours inland to see this marvel of God’s creation. Despite the multitudes, the spectacle did not disappoint but as usual, our pictures do not quite capture the experience so hopefully we can do justice with the words. A bit of a digression is necessary in order to allow you to visualize what we had the privilege of experiencing. Plitvice National Park is a continuous chain of 16 beautiful turquoise and aquamarine lakes and numerous waterfalls forming a captivating display of nature at its finest. The chain, is 8 km in length, and drops around 150 m from top to bottom beginning with two mountain streams that join near Plitvički Ljeskovac to form the Matica River. The river feeds Lake Prošće, the highest in elevation; it then flows by a number of waterfalls and smaller lakes into Lake Kozjak, the largest. Of the many cascades and falls, Plitvice and the Sastavci falls are the most spectacular, particularly we heard during the spring snow melt. The formation of the lakes and subsequent waterfalls is fascinating and everchanging.
NOTE: Beware of SCIENCE LESSON These unique geological formations are a result of barriers being constantly created
More waterfalls
After an hour, you are continually amazed that there are more and more falls. between lakes and cascades. Under certain physical / chemical and biological conditions, calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is extracted from water, and then deposited on the bottom of lakes, and on submerged objects due to the super saturated environment. The resulting chalky material that builds up new channels and waterways is called travertine. It is a hard, porous and fragile limestone, full of the remains of microscopic mosses and petrified water mosses. Today travertine is being created much faster during the summer, than in the winter. The creation of underwater tunnels and barriers that are constantly growing ends up changing the face of the spectacular landscape over time.
BACK to Blog: All of the science stuff aside, the beauty, peace and tranquility of the area is quite astounding. The lower lakes are traversed with low level wooden boardwalks that give the sensation that you are walking on water. The incredible design of walkways is such that the water makes it way below you and then plummets off a 30 ft cliff just off to your side. The effect is exhilarating. Halfway through our excursion, we boarded a boat that took a 15 minute ride up the largest lake. This put us
Aqua pools
Crystalline clear water illuminates the fish under the branches. into the upper area that had much less people traffic. Once we got away from the crowds, we enjoyed some awesome family time as we walked and talked for over and hour and a half. Marla spent the better part of 45 minutes answering all of Courtney’s questions about our wedding day while trekking along the paths - she wanted every detail- it was just a great chance to enjoy each other in this amazing setting. As has been mentioned before, this chance for our family to connect has been a recurring theme on this trip.
The whole adventure took around 4 hours and finished with a great tram ride back to our car. Then we found one of the best restaurants we had visited so far and enjoyed the rest of the evening in our peaceful little cottage. This detour to the middle of Croatia was definitely worth it according to the critics.
Kids Corner:
Matthew: Volleyball was awesome. Our next trip needs to be in Germany and the
autobahn - Zoom, Zoom
Sydney: So aqua, so beautiful. Wow! Excellent West Coast trail training.
Courtney: Gorgeous, I just wish I could swim and jump
Travertine ridges
Travertine builds up ridges causing lakes to form and diverting water over cascades. in the waterfalls.
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Krista
non-member comment
looks amazing
Hi Connor Family, I am enjoying your blog...even auditing the science class....the water is sooooo beautiful. Krista