Croatia: From Rijeka via the Plitvice Lakes to the island of Okrug

But on the way to our shower opportunity, there was a lot going on. As always, we chose a park4night spot and instructed Google Maps to avoid toll roads. At the border crossing, we did not go straight ahead but turned left. Our road went from a paved road to a dirt road and eventually turned into a dirt road full of potholes - but that's what Google wanted. So we followed obediently until we stood at the free 'border crossing'. This 'crossing' turned out to be a river that was not possible to cross by car. So, quite annoyed, we turned back and went over the correct border, which also turned out to be free - thanks to Google Maps. After our IDs were checked at the Slovenian border and a few meters later at the Croatian border, we finally made it! But the control did not end there, because after a few hundred meters we were overtaken by the police, who waved us down and wanted to see our IDs for the third time. They asked us where we were going and where we came from. In the end, we think they just wanted to help us, as we had turned around several times, but the start in Croatia felt a bit strange.

We had decided to skip the Istria Peninsula and drive directly to Rijeka. Halfway there, we reached our long-awaited campsite in Roc. And there was actually a shower. The operator could not speak German or English, but we managed to communicate with gestures and broken language. We spent the rest of the day cooking, skyping, showering, and looking forward to the new country.

From now on, we also had to get used to a new currency - Kuna.

Day 40: Our next destination was the island of Krk. To get there, we first passed through the Ucka National Park, but we decided against hiking on the nearby mountain because Leni was still suffering from sore throat and tiredness. So we continued after a short break. From the road, which ran along the cliffs, we saw an impressive castle and spontaneously decided to stop in Rijeka to visit Trsatska Gradina, which houses a lovely castle café.

We then crossed a toll bridge to the island of Krk. Once there, we wanted to make a plan for where to go next, and Leni asked where the beautiful waterfalls were. It quickly became clear that our intended destination was Krka - Oops! Well, since the toll had already been paid, we decided to go to the island of Krk. We visited the town of Krk and then continued to Baska.

From the town, we hiked up to a castle/church from where we had a great view of the town, the sea, and the bay. Since the next day was All Saints' Day, the cemetery was also decorated with flowers, as we had noticed at other cemeteries. Our place to stay was in Risika, a village further northeast. Unfortunately, we arrived there in the dark, so we could only enjoy the idyllic place by the beach the next morning.

Day 41: And so we set off to see the Plitvice Lakes. Due to its popularity, an admission fee was charged here as well, but it included rides on the small electric train and boat. We decided to take the route that would last 4-6 hours in order to see as much of nature as possible. The small and large waterfalls, the blue, green, and turquoise lakes were truly spectacular, and it was no wonder that even at this time of the year, many tourists found their way here. When we arrived at the largest waterfall, it suddenly started raining again and didn't stop, so we were soaked once again until we reached the car.

Equipped with dry clothes and wet towels hanging in the bus, we continued towards Zadar. Unfortunately, it was pitch dark again until we reached our overnight parking spot. It was located at the end of a long, stony, and bumpy dirt road right by the sea. The spot was fantastic, and the evening was very mild. However, while cooking, we felt a bit spooky - maybe it was because of the thriller audiobook we had just listened to and the past Halloween night.

Day 42: When we woke up pretty early the next morning, we discovered a beautiful and deserted beach right in front of our bus door. So we went into the sea and felt alive at around 15 degrees. Then we set up our super camping shower and were glad to have the shower issue resolved early that day: P Tobi opted for the cold version, and Leni cooked at least a liter of hot water to warm up the shower a bit. Now we really felt like real campers.

Then we continued to Zadar, the former capital of Dalmatia. There we visited the old town, which is located on a peninsula. The absolute highlight was the Sea Organ - whenever a wave hits the promenade, organ pipes sound in different pitches. This is especially exciting when boats pass by. Unfortunately, we didn't have much time to explore the city further because suddenly all the floodgates opened again. Despite the umbrella, we were completely soaked in no time, at least from the waist down! It had never rained so crazily before, the streets were flooded, and even the sewers seemed overwhelmed.

Back in the bus, we looked at the weather forecast and then decided to continue to the Krka National Park, as the weather was expected to improve significantly the next day. We drove to a beach spot again and made ourselves comfortable inside the bus. As it was still raining, we had a cold buffet this time.

Shortly thereafter, a message arrived - Karl and Elina wanted to join us and spend the night in the same spot.

When we wanted to go to sleep and made the bed, we noticed with great horror that one corner of the mattress was wet! We are not quite sure if the extremely heavy rain got through the rubber or if the condensed moisture collected at this corner of the car. No matter what it was, now we have to keep our fingers crossed that it doesn't happen again!

Day 43: Since the forecast turned out to be true, we were actually able to go hiking in the Krka National Park the next day. But first, we turned the entire bus upside down so that all the damp areas had a chance to dry out.

First, we visited the Skradinski Buk. Here, the river makes its way through the rugged landscape in various waterfalls and smaller streams before joining together in a bathing bay. The paths, similar to those at the Plitvice Lakes, lead over numerous wooden walkways. It was truly beautiful again. But we noticed that the national parks we have seen so far here are quite similar, and the landscapes don't differ much.

Then we saw the small island of Visovac in the middle of the Krka River from a distance, on which an old monastery stands.

Our final destination in the Krka National Park was Roski Slap, a waterfall at the end of cascades located further north and upstream in the park.

Since Karl and Elina had informed us the day before that they had chosen a cozy spot on an island to spend a few days without traveling and seeing much, we decided to follow them there. Because we also needed a break. When we arrived on the island of Okrug, near Split, in the afternoon, we were delighted with the view of the sea and the small islands opposite. Once again, we spent the evening together with eating, relaxing, chatting, and this time also playing. Luckily, Bohnanza turned out to be a game that everyone could understand - yippee.

Day 44: We decided not to drive any further on this day, but spent the entire day at the beach. Our activities included eating, reading, fishing (less successfully but still with great pleasure), writing blog posts, and relaxing. And that was completely sufficient! It felt good not to drive and not to see anything new for a change.

Now we will grill together and enjoy life and freedom.