I left off my last post with us starting our drive from Dubrovnik. After bidding farewell to the beautiful city (and to Harneet's constant humming of the game of thrones theme in my ear), our first stop on our drive north was to Ston! Definitely worth a stop. We ended up climbing the Great Wall of Ston. I haven't climbed these many stairs in a row in a long time (my watch indicated 50 floors up). However, the views were legit gorgeous making it worth it. After the intense climb we rewarded ourselves with some roasted oysters and I finally got to try a mussels buzara (a local mussels stew made with white wine and olive oil).

Tummies full, we continued our drive to Plitvice via a scenic route with quick stops in Polce, Makarska, Omis, and at a fruit stand to grab some fresh oranges for the drive. Since this was Easter Monday, a lot was closed for the holiday. We got to our Plitvice lodging later that night to hear that the Pope had passed away 😢.

The next morning, we got to Plitvice Lakes bright and early on advice from the lodge we were staying at. Because it was off season, we ended up getting cheaper tickets which was great. We started at the less crowded Entrance 2 and made our way through route H. Basically, it started with a panoramic bus ride up to the upper lakes, followed by a walk on fairly paved paths. You then take a boat ride to the lower lakes to walk some more. Don't get me wrong, it's still a lot of walking but not super challenging. Sharing a few of the gorgeous views below. The lower lakes are crowded but the upper were super peaceful and tranquil.

With a good workout under our belt, we found a nice restaurant where we got to try out the local cheese they take great pride in and peka (meat and potatoes cooked under a bell).

And we continued our drive to Rovinj (our next destination) after a quick stop in Rastoke - which is a village built right on top of/in the midst of a waterfall!

After a long drive, we arrived in Rovinj. This was once run by the Venetians and felt very Italian to us. It is in midst of Istria which is also truffle country here. We explored the pink and yellow old town, caught a beautiful sunset at St. Euphemia's church and indulged in fantastic pizza and truffle pasta at Orlando's (a recommendation from our Airbnb host). The evening was topped off with some appertif wine.

And it was time to prep to head back home. After grabbing some local buns for breakfast, we began the 5 hour drive back to split to catch our flight back. One more evening in Split, a lovely dinner at Cicibella (more truffle pasta and tuna pasticada), some delicious Kava 2 coffee and a climb up Marjan Hill later, we are now on our flight back home. That was Croatia and it was a fabulous trip where we were fortunate enough to be able to disconnect for a bit from reality. Catch you on our next trip!