From waterfalls, laundromats, and the search for fresh water

Due to the late border crossing and arrival in the dark, it was important for us to find an easily accessible sleeping place close to the destination for the next day: the Plitvice Lakes. We had heard how crowded this attraction gets with all the day trippers and were on time at the ticket office for the opening at 7:00 a.m. We crossed the first lake by a small boat to start our pre-planned tour through Croatia's oldest national park. What awaited us was simply indescribable, a great natural spectacle, as the crystal clear water splashed into the individual lakes over several different "terraces" of varying heights. We took countless pictures in an attempt to capture the reflection and clear water to show off, but nothing came close to the original. It was as if you were looking through a glass pane into the underwater world behind it. The wooden stairs led directly over the paths that the water had carved out over the centuries, sometimes flowing slowly, sometimes bubbling wildly. Just standing there and looking gave you goosebumps.
We had done everything right, by 10 a.m. it was getting crowded and the first groups caught up with us, by 11 a.m. it was almost impossible to get through, and out of a sense of duty we looked at the highest waterfall before we made our way back to the car, which was fortunately parked in the shade.
We still had a long way to go, as we wanted to drive to the Kvarner Bay near Rijeka. On the way, there was a stopover: we used a laundromat for the first time. For overnight accommodation, we went to a nearby national park for a relaxed day to come, sleep in, play Frisbee, dry clothes (took a little longer because clever Karsi hung them up in the only shady spot), write postcards (you should all receive one), nibble on cake (Lotti had an amazing [white chocolate, almond, and lime] one and finally got her coffee), and go swimming in the Mediterranean Sea.
It felt good to relax, not have to drive anymore, and our legs also thanked us for the day without hiking. This also made it possible to find a great sleeping place, not really in the remote wilderness, but with a great view from a hilltop, both in the evening and in the morning.
The oatmeal for breakfast had already been prepared since the evening before, so we could go directly to the starting point of our circular route. An ascent of 1,272 meters through beautiful forest sections and small forest paths. One reason for choosing this route was the spring at the starting point, but it had dried up when we returned from the hike. In general, getting fresh water supplies in hot Bosnia and Croatia is more difficult than before. But it was still enough for brushing teeth.
We stayed near the small town of Buzet, from where we wanted to hike the next day, but in the evening we changed our minds, so today we only visited a small mountain village, crossed the border to Slovenia, and undertook a different hike there. This time with spring water.