Croatia! A Visit to a National Park & Day 18!

I’ve been watching the weather along with everyone else, and there is at least a 75% chance of rain today.  We have been so blessed during this trip with only one day with rain in Albania.  I know Croatia needs rain, but I hope and I have prayed that rain wouldn’t interfere with us seeing God’s creation today.  

We are heading to one of Croatia’s national parks, and in the past, it has been some peoples’ favorite day of the entire Balkan adventure.  There will be some serious bus time…ie:  serious “learning time”… but I’m looking forward to being out of the city and in nature.

The European Summit is in Zagreb today and tomorrow so we are leaving just before Nancy Pelosi arrives.  In the past, Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush along with Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State, and Vice-President Joe Biden have visited.

As we cross the Sava River leaving Old Town and entering New Town, we see modern towers along with evidence of Tito’s Brutalism with concrete gray plain construction.  

In 2005, a new arena opened for sporting events and concerts.  Beyoncé was the first major pop star concert.

Years ago, Zagreb was not a tourist center but rather a quick stop on the way to the Adriatic coast.  In 2007, with the completion of a major highway, tourism boomed, and Croatia became the most visited country in the Balkans.

We leave the city behind and enter a small town most of which has been renovated, but some buildings still show the impact of the Balkans War.  This area was a shield protecting Zagreb which only suffered two attacks from the blunt of the Serbian destruction.  Because of this, The Museum of the Homeland War is located here built around the shell of the front facade of a brick structure.  

During the four years of war, 20% of Croatia was occupied by the Serbs.  However, they could not maintain multiple fronts so the city of Zagreb did not suffer after 1993.  In July of 1995 in a military strike known as “The Lightening “, western and southern Slovenia was liberated.  With the support of the EU, NATO, and the US, “The Storm” in August liberated the entire mountainous area known as the “likas” in just four days.

Before the war, there were 12% Serbs comprising the population.  Today, Croatia only has 4-5%.

A little side note that Damir loves to tell us…Eurovision is a singing competition that is wildly popular.  The winning country has the honor of hosting the competition the following year.  In 1990, the winning song was “Together” by an Italian group.  It’s ironic that the following year in 1991, part of Europe was falling apart and being terrorized.

We pass a charming tiny village of fifty residents.  That’s not a typo…5…0!  These residents have the musical sound of waterfalls outside their doors everyday!

In 1949, the Plitvice Lakes National Park was established and became a UNESCO site in 1979.  Fifteen percent are lakes and the rest natural forests and mountains.  There are sixteen lakes total in a natural progression divided into two groups, the upper and lower, linked by a series of waterfalls and cascades.  The largest waterfall is the biggest in Croatia over 200 feet high.

There are eight national parks in Croatia all near the Adriatic coast or on islands except this one.  We walked with a local guide almost two hours down the canyon along the lower falls and back up to the nature trail learning about the flora and fauna.  Brown bears, gray wolves, and lynxes are the apex predators but the woods and water are also home to brown trout…the only native species, various ducks and birds, deer, foxes, squirrels, beavers, and wild boar.  There are two species of poisonous pit viper snakes.

You might wonder where the pictures are of this beautiful national park.  In my hurry for our hike, I left my camera on the bus!  Robyn was sweet to offer me her camera, and she used her phone.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to download any of the pictures.  I might just lose my “Eagle Scout Mom” badge since I was not prepared!

And, what a blessing because the rain never came!  Thank you, Lord!  I really enjoyed your creation today!

They keep feeding us!  I shouldn’t complain and after a walk that stressed my knees and ankles, I was hungry!  Cauliflower soup…delish, followed by….I forget since it starts to run together, but I know we had ice cream for dessert.  Apple strudel was the day before!

I have only briefly mentioned Nikola Tesla, but he is one of Croatia’s prize citizens.  He was born in a village now in Croatia but some people believe it was located in Serbian.  Both were part of the Austria-Hungarian empire so his passport was Austrian!  

He worked with Edison and left to pursue his own inventions which include AC current. Edison who was much better known and the inventor and promoter of DC current tried to discredit Tesla.  He died penniless and little known in the New Yorker Hotel in NYC and is buried in Belgrade.  His name has become known in recent years thanks to Elon Musk naming a car after him!

In this region of lika, locals produce dairy products from cows and sheep.  There is also a large number of beehives resulting in honey production.  

We will be driving serpentine roads for most of the day up and over mountains as trucks stop at curves to let another one pass.  

The peninsula of Croatia on the Adriatic coast has two winds.  The southern wind is not too strong, but the people say it makes you lazy and gives you headaches.  The northern wind, Bura, is strong and blows toward Venice!  It can happen anytime of year with 130 mph which limits the use of the coastal highway.  In summer, this wind keeps the climate mild on the coast, but in the winter, you can feel it in your bones! 

We make a turn, and there is the Adriatic again!  It’s more green in this area, and even with the clouds, it is beautiful with the sun shining through!

Off the coast is Barren Island, the worst prison in former Yugoslavia, where prisoners spent their time moving rocks from one side of the island to the other exposed to sun and winds.  Even today people will threaten if they are perturbed at someone, “I’m going to send you to Barren Island”!

The Croatian beaches are rocky, and the beaches here are even rockier than those in Dubrovnik.  Concrete platforms and steps are built along the coastline to make it easier to get in and out of the Adriatic.

The largest island, Krk, is exposed to the north winds on the side facing land.  The other side, however, has a bridge connected to the mainland and is the most populated island in Croatia with 7,000 residents.  It also has a beach voted one of the top five in Croatia.  Wish I had time to go!

Someone asked Damir about gay rights and the Croatian government which is a parliament republic where the Prime Minister controls the power and the President is a “political vegetable”…his words!…or a figurehead.  In Croatia, the conservative government is usually in power, but this can change with elections every four years.

Liberals wanted to legalize same sex marriages.  If 10% of the Croatian voters sign a petition, a referendum must be organized and voted on.  In Croatia’s short history of 31 years, there have only been three referendums…independence, joining the EU, and now the vote on the definition of marriage as one man and one woman.

64% of Croatians approved the definition of marriage which is now part of the Croatian constitution.   However, in 2014, civil partnerships were legalized so same sex couples can get married in city hall but not in churches.  In the past 5-6 years, about 150 partnerships have been formed.  Interestingly, the towns of Istria where we are going were the only area which disagreed with the referendum.

Istria is a peninsula which has been part of six countries…Rome, Venice (when it was its own country), Italy, Austria-Hungarian empire, Yugoslavia and now Croatia.  65% of its economy is based on tourism which also includes banking and other tourist services, 25% shipbuilding industry, and 3-4% agriculture.  It is the largest percentage of tourism dollars to an EU’s country’s GDP.

We debate slogans of different countries to promote tourism.  Croatia’s use to be, “Croatia, Small Country for a Great Holiday!” but it was recently changed to “Croatia, Be There!”  Someone suggests, “Croatia, Where the Magic Continues!”  I suggest, “Croatia, Find the Magic!”  Wonder if I can copyright that!

We arrive in Opatija, a sea-side town developed initially by Austria-Hungarian emperor, Franz Joseph, and the promenade is named for him.  A statue of a maiden with a seagull is the symbol of the town.

Robyn, a co-traveler, Pam, and I wander the promenade and decide to get a “light” dinner at a recommended restaurant.  I wanted seafood, and we had a delicious meal, but it was far from light!

It’s been a long tiring day, and GJ needs some ibuprofen so she can keep on Traveling!