I walk to the coach at 07;30 to get ready for our departure at 08:30.
We have a long day today to the Plitvice National Park which has 16 lakes and many waterfalls.
Our guide for the day, Marino, is going to meet us at the hotel.
A police car has come into the coach park and is parked close to the bus. As this large policeman gets out of his car I ask if he could move to let me out. He doesn’t even look at me as he gives a short shake of his head. I am about to say something to him when I see the car park man waving his hands at me to be quiet and he will help me shunt the bus out!
A bit of tooing and frowing later I am out without touching the police car. He only had to move a couple of feet forward.
We are away from the hotel at 08:30 and Martino directs me back to Rijeka and then the coast road south. We have a long journey today but the drive is lovely. After the coast road we drive into the mountains for more spectacular scenery and also pass through some towns and villages that were at the heart of the recent civil war and one house in particular still has the many bullet holes on its front.
We have a couple of short stops, firstly in the last town before driving inland and then at a small market stall where more brandy, cheese and honey can be tasted. A nice little stop that also has a good toilet but I think it is all about Marino stopping at a friend’s place. He is obviously on some sort of commission and I am given some sheep’s cheese so all is not bad.
We eventually arrive at the Plitvice Lakes at 12:15 and I drop them all off at a hotel and then have to go away and park in cark park 2. This is a shame as I would have liked to have walked around with the group.
Marino has told me a shorter walk where I will be able to see the largest waterfall so at least I will see something.
It is once again very, very hot as I set off on my walk. I have about a ten minute walk to a bus that then takes me further into the park. From here I have a twenty minute walk down to car park 1 where I will be able to see the waterfall. It is then a twenty minute walk back up to the bus and then ten minutes back to the coach.
I am absolutely drenched! I have worn a dark blue shirt and it looks like I have just got out of a bath! I am leaking profusely by the time I return to the coach park. I feel fine physically and have enjoyed the hard walk but it is so hot. Being a bit portly obviously doesn’t help either!
I buy a cheeseburger for lunch but I could have hem on trade descriptions as the piece of cheese is so small it is hidden in the middle of the roll and is the smallest piece of cheese I have seen! Burger is surprisingly good though. I also drink a 1½ litre bottle of cold water.
The group are back at 15:30 and they look totally knackered! Marino is soaked in sweat and he does this often and is used to the heat.
We are away shortly after and take the main road to Kalarov (not far from Zagreb) where we join the motorway for a quicker journey back.
We are back in Opatija by 18:15 which is not bad considering the distance covered.
As beautiful as it has been today I hear some comments of it being too far and Marino was not a great guide once in the park. He went off quickly without enough stops and when they did stop it wasn’t for long enough. A route march is what they are all saying.
It was obviously a hard walk and I do feel for them but they have all made it and come back in one piece.
I think Marino was a bit mercenary as he just walked them at speed without telling them what they were seeing, only talking or texting on his phone all the time.
He only seemed interested in the group when the chance of money was about like the unscheduled stop earlier and also when we arrived back at the hotel he asked me to pull across the road so the passengers could alight at the front door where he was standing!
As I am not out tomorrow I have to park at Volosko and be picked up by the parking man.
He arrives soon after me and I don’t even have enough time to clean the windscreen before I am whisked off back to the hotel.
I always like to go out for dinner on one night and tonight is the night. I want to return to the restaurant I had a pizza at on Tuesday and am looking forward to it.
When I get there it is packed with people queueing for a table. I not going to queue so end up with a pizza down the road. A very tasty pizza I might add.
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