I’ll Have A Side Of Coffee With My Coffee Please ☕

Monday 18th –

 

We had to pack up our things and be out of the apartment by 9:00 that morning.
The agency in charge of the apartment was who we dealt with to rent a car for the day as well.

We had wanted to check out a national park that was highly recommended so we began the almost two-hour drive there.

First though was a grocery store stop to get some drinks, snacks and a coffee to go.  
 

All you need is coffee for sure… coffee with our coffee.⬆️
Worst coffee we had the whole trip as it was pretty much just tan colored froth 🙄
Not the best way to start a morning drive but oh well.

Poor dad got rather carsick during that particular drive… I wouldn’t know as I had slept most of it 😜

We got to ‘Plitvićka Jezera National Park’ around noon.
Tried to use the public washroom which was not of the variety that believes in toilets but of a hole in the floor 😳😖
I waited and used a more civilized bathroom at a restaurant just before the walking paths began 😜
Mike got us some coffees that tasted a lot more like coffee then our first ones of the day had and then down the path we went.  

 

It seemed like a tiring tromp after the first couple minutes so we maaaaay have detoured down the hill via a path made by others much like our own unmotivated selves 🙈😋
Was the keep out sign in English? Who knows😎

The wandering through nature truly began with the park people boating you across the lake (like a 1 minute ride) to the paths then built through and around waterfalls and lakes.🏞

While waiting for the boat we gazed into the amazingly clear, bluey green water and watched the fish…and ducks 🐟  

 

The water was that color and clarity in most of the areas we seen.
We walked along the wooden bridges, gazing at the beauty of the mingling trees and waterfalls around us💙  

Also gazing in repulsion at the amount of algae that’ll grow 😜

As we journeyed, there was one slightly terrifying moment when a lizard scurried in the bush beside mom and I and we may have been a tad startled 😏
Other than that it was a calm and collected walk among waterfall mist, budding trees, and a few other tourists.
We were glad we were there during off-season, as we couldn’t imagine maneuvering the full walkways and getting more pictures of strangers heads then of the actual nature. 

 

I ‘accidentally’ fed the fish some of our Pringles crumbs and watched them fighting to grab at the morsels, before we got on the boat to ferry us back.
Mike heard some Germans discussing my fish feeding and they were not pleased 😏
Finally we have the ability to know when people are talking about us and they think we can’t understand… But we have Mike!

Back where we parked the car there was a small restaurant so a few burgers and fries were split between us all before beginning the drive to our room for the last night.  

 

There was an old church/ruins that Mom wanted to stop and check out that she had spotted on the drive to the park.  

 

We snooped around there for a moment and dreamed of how amazing it could look if somehow  it was cleaned up and turned into an open roofed venue of some kind. Hosting weddings, formal functions, banquets, a cafe… the list goes on.  

 

(Next on the list to buy: Ruins 😋)

Back on the road we went.

I tried to stay awake… really I did.

They woke me up when they reached a tunnel in the road that went on for 5km ! 😳
But I fell asleep part way through again… who wouldn’t after being in the dark that long 😏😜

The countryside I did see was pretty and diverse.
Having mountains and hills… Snow on the peeks and blooming trees along the roadside.
Lots of sheep, with shepherds and many types of building materials used on homes.
Sometimes seeing wood, bricks, stone, concrete and clay shingling all on one house.

Mike had found us a duplex available to vacationers and the owners were very friendly and welcoming… 

 

Fruit for breakfast, water and juice in the fridge and a map with restaurants pointed out.
Our kind of map 😎👌🏻🗺🍴
They had us almost wish we would have stayed there a tad more than the other place 😋

Once we all stretched and lounged for an appropriate amount of time after being in the car, we went out to explore a bit of our new surroundings.
The same coastline we had been at from our first apartment…just further along it.
Mikes energy must have been building during the drive back because he didn’t run out of antics to entertain/embarrass us during the walk.
Whether he was practicing new walking styles or pretending to be simple (not a hard thing for him to pretend 😏)

Finally shells were found!🐚
It was a rock beach and at first glance we seen nothing and were slightly disappointed.
When upon further inspection we discovered many shells just of the smaller proportion.  

 
Yet again the curse of my shelling came down and low and behold who finds an amaaaazing shell?
Not me 😏
Mom found an iridescent pearl lined shell laying upright among the stones… It could easily be one of the best shells found from our combined shelling efforts, including other trips.
I pouted and then pouted some more when dad came up to is holding a shell of the same kind.
He gave it to me💕
Which is nice that it’s from dad☺️
But no finders satisfaction.
It got worse though… Mike also find one. 

 

He then tried to find me some other nice ones which was kind but the only problem there was the shells still had tenents 😏 

 

It was time to lose myself in food 😜
I’m kidding I wasn’t thaaat devastated but it was time to go eat.
We sat down at ‘Rafaelo ‘ and I’m slightly surprised we could get up once we were done our largely portioned meals.  

 

Chicken cordon blue for me… And I think it was turkey because I ain’t never seen no piece of chicken THAT big.
Filet mignon for Mike.
Beef and gnocchi for mom and a rump steak for dad.
Also a very big tray of fries for everyone.

Mike said his meat was crazy good at least twice… I believe it’s because it came to him rare instead of medium and he never eats meat that under cooked.
To me that’s the only way to eat any type of steak 😏

All of our meals were very tasty and as I said before the portions were none to small.

Leaving there stuffed and satisfied we passed an ice cream place and Mikes eyes lit up 😏
Mom and dad tried their first espresso and on we walked.  

 

The lovely little duplex was comfortable and enjoyed for a short while before we all hit the hay knowing morning would be coming all to soon.