Still Alive!

Two days without internet connectivity - we survived ... just.
In Massa Lubrense now, and day trip to Capri tomorrow. Will post some more stories soon. Our current host - what a doozy!

Day 5: Plitvice Lakes National Park

Today was a day-trip from Rakovica; we took a 20 minute bus ride down the road to Plitvice Lakes National Park. There really isn't much we can say about this place that pictures couldn't do better, and even they don't come close to doing it justice.

Highly recommended to all, and for those who do make the adventure out here we have a few tips:
- Definitely go early. We arrived about 8am and the trails were pretty much clear for most of our day. Looking back onto some of them later in the day we could see hordes of people, and your yearning to overtake grandma hobblepants could cause you to miss a stunning sight. Just get out of bed and get there!
- Wear some sturdy shoes, anything with grip is good. Thongs bad. A lot of the paths are constructed from logs over rushing water.
- Try the strudel. But not the mass-produced stuff in the main cafe, get it from the old bird with a stall across from the exit gate.
- Finally: Any detours you see, take them. Some of our best pictures came from off the main tracks.

This monster greets you as you first walk through the gates.

The first of our many detours...

This was also a detour. Worth the 10 minute walk!

The lakes had the clearest water we've ever seen. This fish was 12 feet deep.

We made it to the top :)

 

Total distance walked: 11.5km

Total time taken: 4h 35m

Pictures taken: 167

Sladoled consumed: Only one :(

That's all folks. Tomorrow we return to Zadar before catching the overnight ferry to Ancona.

Day 4: Zadar to Rakovica

Željko and Max

Our last day in Zadar and the sun is out again. Zeljko has made a delicious brekky of fresh melon and figs, scrambled eggs and poppy seed bread with local cheese. He's unusual, but we decide we're really going to miss him as he tells us about how he loves to cook and used to be a chef.

Then his phone rings, and it turns out his dishwasher is arriving in 20 minutes. I scramble to help, and Auds watches in unhelpful amusement as we gracefully heft the 400 tonne oven and then the dishwasher up 1200 flights of stairs. Cheerleading skills clearly on show today.

We have a few hours until our bus to Rakovica, so go for another walk through the old town. We come across a stand selling some childish artwork and Auds loves it. I'm initially nonplussed, but we find a few we both think are kind of cool and eventually narrow it down to one, and then the vendor brings out a final option which after all that we both decide is best anyway, and go for that. They are done by a local Croatian artist, and some of them really captured the essence of our trip (so far).

We go back to collect our bags and say our farewells to our lovely and memorable host Zeljko, who presents us with a locally made lace doily as a parting gift and agrees to pose in some pictures with Max and me at Audrey's request. He really has been a good host, and has been very polite and helpful, that's just not as entertaining for us to write about :)

We then get the bus from the old city to the main station, have lunch at the local grocery store across the road to avoid all the pervs and smokers at the station, and eventually board our bus with two mins to spare. Croatia Bus is no TFL, but it sure could teach them a thing or two about punctuality. We left at 2:30pm on the dot, and were delivered safely to Rakovica at precisely 4:55pm as suggested by the timetables. The driver even helpfully called ahead to our b&b and confirmed the address, giving us directions as he unloaded our bags for us. Service!

We had a short stroll past the one cafe and market in the town, then off the main road and into the rolling green hills and cornfields, past occupied pigpens, some giant poo-looking slugs, and two bounding retrievers. House Zupan has overflowing flower boxes, wrap terraces, and backs onto more rolling fields and hay bales. Our host, a small and smiling woman called Marijana, immediately knew who we were and showed us to a big clean room, with two sweating glasses of ice tea on our balcony table. I thought Auds would faint from happiness. I found a table-tennis table downstairs, then I thought I would faint from happiness.

We had a kitchen at our disposal now and we both were feeling the need for something healthy and home-cooked. There was discussion of a 'salad' for which I had finally negotiated the inclusion of meat, but when we explored the aforementioned local market, we quickly realised the discussion was moot. All they had was meat.

Pretty much all the vegies were rotten, I'm pretty sure Auds actually turned over every single tomato in search of a good one. No joy. So 'sadly' we resorted to gnocchi and minced meat with some sort of 'Blagi' sauce. There were vegies depicted on the label, good enough for me! Also scored a bullseye in they booze department, 2L bottle of 'Ojusko Grejp' (grapefruit beer). I like it cos it doesn't taste like beer. Pretty sure this stuff could supplant Vodka cruisers in the Aussie market. Probably would be a hit in juiceboxes too.


'nuff said, time for bed. Early night as we have Plitvice Lakes National Park to explore tomorrow. Woot!

Day 3: Zadar

We woke to an almost constant rumble of thunder; doors and shutters bashing in the howling wind. The dark skies flashed regularly with bolts of lightning, its accompanying thunder whipcracking almost simultaneously. It was such a contrast to yesterday and it really had seemed to come out of nowhere. We hadn't checked any forecasts and it was only through the good grace and selflessness of Adrijana (selling tickets for the Kornati excursions) that we didn't purchase tickets. Obviously still disappointed we wouldn't be able to do a tour, but extremely thankful to have a roof over our heads as we sat down to breakfast.

Zeljko had another early start for work so he was gone by 6am again, and there was no Maida today, but a full breakfast was again prepared and laid out for us today. Sophie and Clemmi were already tucking into the croissants and fresh fruit by the time we surfaced, but they hadn't realised about the meat and cheeses in the fridge, so I would call that one-all. Game on Frenchies!


The balcony had clearly suffered severe distress through the course of the storm as the wind threw the disturbing H&M cushions hither and unsurprisingly also thither. Potplants were swinging about like hurdler's boobs, and Zeljko's makeshift bed was slowly turning into a pool. I spent several minutes trying to catch a lightning bolt on camera (no joy unfortunately) while Auds bemoaned a lack of cheesy grits on the breakfast menu.


Without the island tour to rush out for, our day was now somewhat unplanned. We had already seen a lot of the old city, and crossing the bridge into modern-day Zadar was not a particularly attractive proposition. We caught up with a few emails and pored over our travel books while we waited for the rain to ease. By late morning the worst seemed to have passed and we headed out again.


We took random turns down streets as we walked about and managed to discover several streets we hadn't yet seen. Some lovely gardens, a museum of ancient glass, and a couple more street markets were all retro-ticked off our unwritten list of places to see.


Retrotick: verb – To add something you've already done to your todo list, and then tick it off immediately for a sense of achievement and purpose.

We shuffled about for a while trying to decide on a suitable location for lunch. Looking for an alternative to pizza and icecream, and nothing too hoity-toity, we settled on a place called Canzona which seemed to be serving decent tuck for a reasonable price. I ended up getting some beef and gnocchi thing which was swimming in cheese and oil. The meat was perfectly cooked. Delicious? Yes. Healthy alternative? Maybe not so much. Auds somehow managed to get something which looked decent and even tempted me to try eating some squiddy octopus type creature. It was still gross obviously, but I told her I liked it...


The rest of the evening pretty much consisted of us wandering around admiring the local artwork and market crafts, then heading back to the promenade to watch the sunset again. We scrounged about in the backpack to count up our remaining kuna and found we had just enough for a couple of orange-flavoured beers (surprisingly good), a couple of sandwiches (one was ham, cheese and tomato, the other indeterminate but still tasty), a bag of chips and some fruit. Set all that out on a beach-towel and you have a pretty enjoyable picnic.

Can we eat now?!

Honestly the people that walk along the promenade by were almost as entertaining as the sunset itself. We lost count of the number of people doing the 'holding the sun' pose, we took turns loudly pointing out unshortunates.


Unshortunate: noun – Compound word combining 'unfortunate' and 'shorts'. Loosely refers to either the individual or the attire. Most often used in reference to someone whose shorts are so short and/or tight that most of their gluteal features are venturing beyond the confines of the straining material. See also: Hungry Bum.


Hungry Bum: noun – Most often a feature of the more heavy-set in our community. Describes the way ill-fitting shorts or pants gradually disappear into the crevasse between the cheeks as though being consumed.

With the sun down and the passing parade of entertainment dwindling, we headed back for dear Zeljko's. I stopped to take a few pictures of the uplit monuments and buildings before Audrey's bladder ordered us home.

To his credit Zeljko had fully restored the balcony by the time we had returned, everything had been replaced, mopped, washed, he had even embedded fresh cutlery in the potplants. He helped us with our travel plans for our impending journey to Rakovica, which is to be our two-night base for the hiking through Plitvice National Park. 

Stay tuned for more of our exciting adventures. Same Matt-time, same Matt-channel, different Matt-place!

Day 2: Zadar

Our first real day of holiday! We're up at the crack of 9am and Zeljko's friend Maida has laid out an impressive breakfast spread on the balcony. In the daylight, we can actually fully appreciate not only the amazing view over the old city and red roofs to the sea, but also Zeljko's eclectic taste in home décor, including cushions upholstered with images of models from H&M brand campaigns, steak knives spearing the soil in all his potted plants, and a decorative silk marijuana leaf vine coiled around the ceiling pipes. All these delights await you when you reach the end of this post. HEY! No scrolling ...


Matt and I are typically famished, so take our seats at the table to tuck into Croatian bread (really soft and crumbly/cakey), chocolate spread, fig jam, olive cream cheese, plums, and coffee so thick it's like drinking pudding. Ours quickly and discreetly finds its way into a conveniently located potted palm.


We're then joined by Yasmine, Zeljko's other guest. Yasmine is sweet and very chatty, and we all eat as she tells us about growing up in Algeria before moving to Paris. She also casually mentions how she picked up a German hitchhiker called Martens on the way to Montenegro last week, after he had been walking for three days. By the end of the meal, she's leaving to catch a plane back to France, and we part ways with a hug, each others contact details, and open invitations to visit.

Sea Organ

I then somewhat awkwardly stretch out on an H&M lingerie model cushioned lounger to catch some sun as Matt types away on the blog before we go out to explore. We first find our way to the famous sea organ, an art installation on the sea promenade that creates ethereal music using the power generated by the waves. It's right next to the Greeting to the Sun, a giant flat disc that absorbs solar power during the day and lights up at night in various patterns, proving very popular with toddlers and my boyfriend alike.


We stroll past the ancient circular Forum, the old meeting place of the Romans,which is surrounded by pediments and bits of intricately carved Roman columns-- just strewn on the grass like regular rocks. We squeeze up an ancient stone staircase of the nearby tower, so narrow that Matt has to go sideways, and past the giant bells that you can hear ringing all over the town to the very top. The views out over the city and the sea to the neighboring islands are amazing, and it's only the lure of sladoled that coaxes us down after about half an hour.


Walking through the harbor, it's hard not to notice an old boat blaring Italian operettas. There is a poodle perched happily on the roof, and a man on board waves to me before casually jumping to one side and aiming a spear into the water-- I hope at a fish.


We decide it might be time to get moving and now would be a good time to book our boat trip to the Kornati Islands for the following day.



We head down to the pier where we nearly trip over Zeljko and pup Max, who are both sleeping in the sun by the path. Adriana, the tour guide, looks genuinely upset as she tells us that we can't go to the islands tomorrow because a storm is coming. We'd both really been looking forward the the islands part of the trip, but instead decide to book in for a sunset cruise around Zadar that turns out to be great, once we get past the six recently emptied Karlavacko beer bottles clanking around el capitan's feet...


Back in harbor, we walk back down toward the sea organ to see the famous sunset that Hitchcock once called 'the most beautiful in the world, better than Key West.' Matt reliably informs me that Alfred was staying at Hotel Zagreb in room 204. Of course.


We stretch out on our classy Croatia map-printed towels, and I have to say that Mr. Hitchcock's appraisal does not disappoint. We watch the mountains of the islands on the horizon go hazy and then pink, orange and red, as the sun seems to get bigger and bigger and the sailboats go into silhouette. The water here is a perfect crystal turquoise fading to navy, and the stones Matt is throwing in (he is somewhat less entranced by the view) are visible down to 10 or 12 feet at the bottom, even in the harbor. It's amazing.


We finally tear ourselves away to get changed and cleaned up for dinner, which in our vacation-world now means 'make half-hearted attempt to wipe off at least some of your sunscreen and possibly change into a clean shirt if one is really readily available.' We walk down the seaside again to a local seafood restaurant and sample some amazing fresh fish and local wine before strolling through the town again. It's nearly midnight when
we pass a French girl and her mother, asking a Croatian woman for directions to Poljana Plankit 5, and meeting a blank stare.


I watch in amazement as my boyfriend (who, it should be noted, is wearing swim shorts and a tee that says 'Don't you wish your boyfriend was Aussie like me?') turns to them and confidently announces that they should follow us-- we will take them there!

I'm not sure who is more shocked, me or them. Maybe the geographically challenged Croatian woman. Turns out that is our address and they are Zeljko's new houseguests. It's our turn to feel pretty sketchy as we lead them down the same ridiculously dark garden path and their French conversation takes on a slightly hysterical note. Soon the light is switched on and we go upstairs, as they explain that they have not been able to get Zeljko on the phone despite repeated attempts.


The reason is revealed as we walk into his apartment, bringing our new friends Clemmie and Sophie with us, and he is softly snoring on the balcony, face down on a cushion depicting a lovely multi-racial couple in H&M khaki shorts. I tactfully leave Matt to wake him up and introduce his new guests, and Matt makes an impressively quick getaway to our little room soon after. The clouds are rolling in with Adriana's predicted storm, and it's time for lights out, as we hear Zeljko begin his life story again for his new guests.

 

Day 1: London to Zadar

Packing stress get to Matt...

Packing stress gets to Audrey..

I can't believe we're finally doing this. Seems like we have been planning forever (well, a year) and we finally have set off! Our room is empty, our bags are packed, and our tickets printed. Last-minute photos with the housemates (several of them were unfortunately 'sick' today and had to stay home from work) as we head out the door. Can't believe everything we're going to need for the next two months is now carried on our backs.


We somehow managed to make our first two travel connections without issue but as the traffic backed up on the freeway the stress-levels climbed. Were we really going to miss the very first flight of the trip? Size has its advantages as we knocked over old ladies and kicked several children while bolting through the airport. Turns out it's possible to run up stairs with a 70L backpack.

Had packed a bottle of prosecco, having planned to surprise Audrey with a relaxing celebratory glass in the airport lounge, but after the delays this basically turned into us trading slugs from the bottle at the security gates. The guy behind the nearby currency exchange desk watched with some amusement.


Anyone who has flown RyanAir (Aussies - imagine Tiger Airways on a budget!) will know exactly what we faced at the boarding gates. Everybody sweating profusely as they wear everything in their bag to get it under the measly weight allowance. Usually us, but we feel particularly smug with only a small daypack between us. We choose to sit as close as possible to the only screaming infant on the plane. Two hours later we have landed and cram onto a bus which is rumoured to be heading for the centre of Zadar's old city.


Thirty minutes later everyone piles out of the bus - "Last stop, Zadar old city". Excellent. I send a quick text to our AirBNB host Zeljko (pronounced Zhayl-ko apparently). He comes to meet us and guides us the two minute walk to his apartment. Things are little sketchy as we head through a dark alley into an even darker garden. But the guy seems fine, serial killers are never smiley happy people right?!


He leads us up five flights of stairs - "Sorry guys, no lift" - and shows us through our room. A fold out couch, a small desk and a large stereo system. Then he takes us out to the balcony. Score! 50 square metres overlooking the old town. Take a seat, he motions towards a couple of chairs. Over the next 2.5 hours he gives us a generous helping of his life story. I shall sum it up thusly:
- 12 years in Germany (5 illegally, 7 via fake marriage arrangement - "like getting greencard in your USA")
- Huge lazy dog called Max. Audrey melts when she sees him.
- An earring in each ear.

 

 

Had to leave my car behind :(

- A glossy 8x10 of himself (taken at least 10 years ago), matted with hearts and mounted with pride of place in the kitchen.
- Sleeps on the balcony every night (as we learned when we all but tripped on him coming home)
- Apparently involved in regular disagreements with his neighbour about who will clean the stairs outside.


Several attempts to involve ourselves in the conversation with more than an 'uh-huh' or 'oh really' were met with a brief pause before he continued his monologue. A few subtle and then not so subtle hints later, we headed out for a quick stroll around the town. 11:30pm and the place is still a hive of activity. Strains of classical music and accordian echoing down the alleyways as we try to recall his directions. The noise of the crowds just outdoing our growling stomachs, the alley opens into a square, we see market stalls and a seaside promenade.


We each pick out a slice of pizza and I proffer a 100kuna ($20) note, "Sorry, no change". I try a 50 ... still no good. FREE PIZZA. How could life get any better? Yes. Auds uses her impressive linguistic skills (ie one of the three words she knows in Croatian) to get us some sladoled, and we get our icecream cones for about 50 cents apiece We stroll for a few hours and it's time for bed.

Farewell 278 - See you in October :)

Total distance travelled today: 1500km
Free pizzas consumed: 2

Welcome!

"Where are Matt and Audrey now?" is a question we expect a lot of you will be asking over the coming months. Unlike most things however, it can't be answered directly by google. In fact, searching for that very phrase returns 12.5 million results; none of them even remotely related to us. Actually I only checked the first 40, but that's twice as far as anyone ever looks, right?!

Moving on, and being as techno-malogically advanced as we both claim to be, we've created a little blog to help us keep in touch. Once we're on the road, our aim will be to update at least daily with stories, pictures and fun facts about our travels.

We would love to hear from you along the way. Any thing. Any time. Guide us with things and places nearby which we must see. Arm us with the finest swear words for our current location (be sure to include sample usage). Challenge us with tasks to complete along the way. Berate us for not providing regular enough updates. Inform us with sports scores and news from home. Annoy us with grammar and spelling mistake corrections.

Anyway, it feels like it's been forever since we started planning it, and yet we still only have a half-baked itinerary to show for it. Less than half of our accommodation is booked, we won't understand the language pretty much anywhere we are going. Our goal for this trip was immersion though, and I think we'll get it. We're trying to generally avoid the most touristy places and major cities, although there is a bit of that along the way. We've spent ages on CouchSurfing trying to find hosts we think sound really cool and would be fun and interesting to spend time with while we travel. We're hoping to learn a lot as we go and this blog shall be a testament to that.

Before I go any further, a massive shoutout to The Mansh... Fellow co-habitants of 278 Trinity Road - Thanks for an awesome year you guys. Couldn't have asked for better housemates.

278 does Marbella

Apologies we've been kind of house-bound lately, especially when the sun is FINALLY showing it's face. Three years in London and this is the first month of warmth! And it rained just when the Aussies were about to smash the Poms in Manchester. Typical.

The PLAN

Stay tuned for a more complete itinerary, but here's a little teaser of trip stats:
48 days

10 countries

6 hours on planes

33 hours on trains

2200 km in a car

We'll be setting off from London's Stansted Airport on August 23.