Signs and Definitions

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According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of the word 'relaxation' is " to spend time resting or doing something enjoyable, especially after doing work." In our fast-paced society of today we are constantly on the go, often making sure our days our full. There are a variety of synonyms and terms that people use to describe "relaxation" such as "just chillin', down time, taking time to smell the roses, chillaxin", kicking back, cooling your jets, just hangin', takin' it easy, vegetating, and knocking back", to name a few. Curtis and I have never been really good at this to say the least ( I blame his ADHA😊. We always seem to pack a million things into a day at home and on this trip it has not been much different. We have tried to cram as much in as we could in fear that we may miss something. We have seen amazing sights, met wonderful people, and loved every minute of this adventure but both decided that the 4 days before we arrived in Split were to be our "relaxing" time. No plans, no excursions, no alarms. Riiiiggghhhhttt.

Our full day in Crikvenica was sunny and beautiful. We got up and the first thing we did ... was go for a power-walk along the promenade where Curtis found a spot to stop to do chin-ups and pull-ups and I opted to run ahead for a bit and then come back. This is the first time we have done this sort of planned exercise while travelling. Relaxing start to the day. Rrrriiiggghhhttt.

Next we went down to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. It was good, with a selection of yogurt, muesli, cheese, meat, scrambled or boiled egs, little boiled weiners, and lots of breads and croissants. Heading out, armed with our towel, reading material and language lessons, we set off to search for a place to "just chill" for the day. We figured we would go down by the water and find a place where we could "kick back" on our towel and soak up the sunshine. On our way we stopped into the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was right below our hotel. It dates back to the 15th century and is the oldest church in Crikvenica.

We then ambled through the small town on our way to seeking out our "down time" spot. While walking we saw a set of stairs that lead up to another church. Why not? It would only be a couple of minutes out of our day. As luck would have it the doors were locked when we got to the top but we noticed another sign that had a fort on it and one that had a walking path. Why not check it out? We walked up the paved street to where we saw a marked path along the mountain. Why not? We would only take it for a bit to check it out and then head back down to "cool our jets." Rrrriiiggghhhttt.

We followed the path which started out kind of rough underfoot, but then levelled off to a nicely groomed, stone encrusted trail that wound around the side of the mountain. It was a nice walk, shady in some areas with benches set up along the way for rest stops. Apparently it was taken on by a group of townspeople in 1999 and they completed it in 2002. It had been a "kind of" path but they made it into a nice trail walk. We continued for a while longer until the path reached an intersection marked by a sign. We could go up to "Ulaz 2" or head straight ahead for 2400m. Well, let's see what up is, after all "ulaz" may mean fort. It wouldn't take long and when we are done we can go back down and "chillax" by the water. Rrrriiiiggghhhttt.

Up we climbed onto this next path that was pretty steep, with the odd large stone protrusion, laden with pine cones which were covered by a carpet of needles. Just enough to make you extra wary about walking. We wentup and up and up until we reach the top where we then learned the definition of the Croatian word "ulaz". It means 'entrance' and this was just another entrance to the same trail. Back down we trekked until we reached the fork in the road again. Did we head back from whence we came in order to "just hang" by the shore? Rrrriiiggghhhttt.

We continued on ahead, winding our way along the mountain path. It was beautiful, however a bit of a sheer drop down the rocky side. We plugged away until we saw the ruins of the fort up on another hill. We continued our climb up where we had a great view. We noticed the "Good Spot to Kiss" sign so we did the obligatory photo. After all, we had learned that this path was called the "Love Path". As we went to leave, in order to "kick back" in town, we saw another path going up. Some sense of reason must have kicked in as we decided enough was enough. Or maybe it was due to the fact that I was rather inappropriately attired for this unexpected hike. You know, carrying my black leather, Vera Pelle Italian purse and wearing..... my flip flops!!!!! Steep learning curve apparently.

Needless to say we made our way back along the "Love Path" (my feet were NOT feeling the love by this point). We made it back into town and stopped at a grocery story for water and oranges and then to a bakery so Curtis could indulge in his new Croatian favourite, a "burek". We took our culinary delights down to the shore where we holed up on a bench, you know "taking the time to smell the roses". After an hour or so we had had enough and decided to head back for a nap to help us recover from our "relaxing" day, after all this time "vegetating'" ended up to be 8 km of walking!

After re-charging our batteries we went out for a nice dinner and back to the room to get ready for our departure in the morning.

We got up and went for another morning power walk/run and then came back to a rather disappointing breakfast after all that was offered the day before. The scrambled eggs and yogurt were gone, no fresh cut fruit, no croissants, no scrambled eggs but a whole whack of little boiled weenies floating in warm water!

Next we began our trip to Biograd Na Moru, a coastal town where we had booked a hotel for the next two days. The scenic drive along Hwy. #8 was a beautiful, postcard- like nail-biting, twisty drive to say the least. We passed through several small towns that were gearing up for the busy summer season. We climbed up numerous hills, with the towering rock mountains on one side and gorgeous aquamarine water far below. The road snakes around each and every cove along the coast, where the land goes down to a "V" and the water changes from clear, to aqua, to dark blue. It was a roller coaster of a ride as we rounded curve after curve. Often Curtis had to slow down so that my stomach could catch up to my head. I'm usually pretty good in the front seat but this was one road without a straight line in it! Eventually it became less scenic as we made our way through the stone wall of the hills.

Now most of the road signs we have seen are pretty universal. However when you are maneuvring around hairpin turns, often meeting a bus or transport truck, all the while hoping your stomach catches up, there are some signs you don't want to see! Ones like "deer crossing". First of all I'm not sure how the deer transverse the rocks but I surely didn't want one crossing our path where we had no where to go to avoid it. Another sign was of a "windsock" which we took to mean "windy area". I had visions of gale force winds sending us pummeling off the road and tumbling into the surf below. Next is the one that has a car skidding and rolling. That is most often when my foot rammed on the brake and I grabbed the "Oh Sh_t" bar (often with both hands). The best one yet, "cow crossing". We have seen no mammals of any kind here in Croatia, so the thought of a cow crossing on this steep, rock-filled terrain and onto the road made us believe it was just a way of getting people to slow down. However, our made-up myth was soon put to rest as we rounded a bend and saw a 4 or 5 "Mountain Cows" grazing on the hill. They must have some dexterity to make their way around the huge rocks in order to find a little bit of grass! Add to the this the frequent "falling rocks" signs with small boulders littering the side of the road and it was a wee bit of an unnerving ride at times!

We finally arrived to Biograd Na Moru, to our hotel overlooking the marina. When we checked in the lady was so friendly, wishing us a wonderful stay and told us that we were receiving a free room upgrade! Our room is a little piece of heaven right now. Huge glassed in shower, comfortable bed, a large terrace with a view over the water that is filled with beautiful yachts and sailboats. THIS place will be our place to just "chillax"!

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Photos

The Love Path
Dressed for Hiking:)