Frances tour by Frances tour by FranFran

Croatia , August 2014 Croatia , August 2014

Our friends and myself arrived in Croatia in August 2014, accompanied by our tried and true philosophy of travelling with a clear, open and accepting spirit in the hope that the country we were visiting would be kind to us, but nothing could have prepared us for Croatia! This countrys beauty, coupled with the hospitality and kindness of its people and the invaluable help given to us by Lion Queen Charters (LQC), set this holiday apart from many before it. Please allow me to share with you my impressions on part of our extraordinary holiday. Frances Malzard (Australia)

FRANCES TOUR

DAY 1

TROGIR PAG BJELOLASICA

After an unforgettable week on board our traditional wooden gullet sailing boat, it was time time to say goodbye to our captain and crew. We became friends with them which made it hard to part. Theres a wonderful week behind us, with the best ingredients for a memorable holiday: the lazy indulgences of complete relaxation; much laughter; great weather; good food; beautiful coastal villages and magnificent blue water for swimming, all of which were part of our daily existence. But then, there was a new adventure ahead of us, our land tour, which we anticipated would be full of entirely new and different experiences.

We leave our sailboat in a small Dalmatian town of Trogir where we have our land tour transfer vehicle already waiting for us.

Above: The UNESCO World Heritage listed city of Trogir

While our friendly chauffer is placing your luggage in the van, our city guide is already there to welcome us. The weather is great, and the town even more beautiful. We make our way through the town centre, listening to interesting stories about the history and culture of this UNESCO World Heritage listed precinct. Leaving the historical core of the town we return to the waterfront

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promenade realising how quickly time flies (weve been there for more than an hour!). We prepare to head towards our next destination - the Island of Pag.

No, wait ... The captain and crew of the ship have found us on the promenade and wont let us leavewithout having another cup of coffee with them: retelling "sea stories, laughter, kisses and a promise to see each other again!

The summer heat is still largely present, but luckily there are water and snacks in the van waiting for us to make our ride more comfortable. Leaving Trogir behind, the chauffer adjusts the temperature to meet our needs as we travel along the new Croatian highway - "Dalmatina." En route, we take a short break at Skradin rest stop. What a good idea! A beautiful panorama and such a nice little town. We should definitely visit it during our next holiday in Croatia.

Above: elevated views of Skaradin taken at our rest stop en route to Pag Diary Note: Next time we will visit this villageduring our Croatian travels.

Part of our intent with todays itinerary was to investigate aspects of Croatian agricultural traditions.There are two must-see sights on the island of Pag - Gligora Dairy and Solana salt pans. They are on the other end of the island, but our chauffer stops when crossing the Pag bridge so that you can take photos of an impressive and dramatic nature switch a green terrain to a stark, stony landscape.

Above (left): Dramatic landscape on the Island of PagAbove (right): Its not a case of having a medical emergency, just required dress for the cheese factory tour.Below: Gligora Dairy and luncheon cheese sampling platter

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A lunch stop has been organised at the family owned and operated Gligora Dairy and Cheese Factory, the most modern and technologically advanced and internationally awarded cheese production facility in Croatia. As to our luncheon menu.. there are four kinds of cheese, Dalmatian smoked ham, anchovies and wine. Typical Dalmatian dishes.

There is nothing to complain about, quite the contrary, all is good! Shortly after lunch, we go to the souvenir shop and try to decide what to buy-olives, cheese, honey, ham... Its all homemade!

Our guide takes us through the factory, and explains the climatic conditions and production techniques, that makes Pag cheese so unique.

On the way back from the island we stop at Solana to see Pag salt pans. Unfortunately, tours of the salt pans are not permitted, but we still get to see salt fields, and hear about the process of salt production and take photos.

Our adventure on the island of Pag is over and we head towards Bjelolasica, our accommodation for the next five days.

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Above and below: Bjelolasica - staying in our charming and traditional Croatian villa was all that we had hoped for, and more. As to Marias cooking, that was exceptional!

What a wonderful welcoming party, there are so many hosts around us, all very friendly. The dinner is served, and the fire burning in the fireplace lends a wonderful ambience. There is a cosy

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atmosphere of life and warmth throughout the house. Our first impression: we cannot decide whats more beautiful the house itself, the atmosphere, the hosts or the promise of a tasty dinner luring usto the table.

Homemade cheese and smoked ham are served. The hostess, and owner of the house, brings out freshly baked bread, aperitifs and wine already poured in the glasses ... and the main dish is on its way! Straight from the fireplace, we are ready to sample peka, another traditional dish. We are impressed that only traditional foods will be served during our villa stay (just what we had hoped for).

It's getting late, but we are certainly not in a mood for sleep. We engage in pleasant conversations with our hosts, very comfortably and quickly settling in to our home away from home.

Day one travel diary note: What a wonderful atmosphere and hospitable people. Everything so far exceeds our expectations!!!

DAY 2

OGULIN - surprise trip VRELCE

We slept wonderfully, our villa is in the mountains, so the temperature at night is low. Even though its summertime, we are tucked in and sleep "like a baby".We hear silence as we wake up, no traffic noise and other sounds of the city bustle. There is just bird song, smell of fresh air and aromatic coffee. A plentiful breakfast is on the table, there are various flavours and dishes... what we like the best is having fresh eggs from home-grown chickens,who would have thought that something as simple as fresh eggs could prove to be so addictive? Our chauffer is waiting for us and we are ready for our trip today we set off to visit Karlovac, a town near Bjelolasica where we will be within 30 minutes. Our first stop - a museum where our guide takes us through different sections of the museum: we hear stories about history, war, lifestyle. Onwards we go, accompanied by a local guide who introduces us the town of Ogulin, the town of fairy tales..It was the hometown of one of the greatest Croatian writers Ivana Brli Maurani whose work wasinspired by mountains, rivers, abysses and by images of the town.We visit its famous ula abyss, a beautiful church, town squares and gardens. Theres still time to return to the museum dedicated to Ivana Brli Maurani to buy a book...

Above: Ogulin

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The morning is already behind us, as we return to our mountain abode. It is lunchtime, so, undoubtedly, food is already on the table ... How do they get the timing right?

A variety of pasta dishes, grilled meat, cakes...Our hosts organized a little surprise: in the afternoon they are taking us on a trip to Vrelce, only 500 metres from the house, and set within a pristine pine forest, just ideal for a picnic. Everything is pre-packed in a basket- food, drinks, games for children (and adults). Now we already know each other well, so there are no awkward moments and we cant stop talking to each other (whilst keeping an eye out for foraging bears).

Photo above: Having our own vehicle and driver during our land-based excursions, meant that we could all, travel in comfort whilst enjoying the scenery and the on-board-banter and laughter.

Above and Below: Our afternoon picnic at Vrelce (only 500 metres from our villa) and our host Laura, joining in the

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fun! Special mention, goes to Kristinas Cherry Yoghurt Cake, (foreground), my efforts at cooking it, just doesnt taste as good,

Time flies and its sunset soon so we head back to our villa to have dinner. Yes! More delicacies await us. Accepting genuine Croatian hospitality is not for the feint hearted and it is so hard to resist such wonderful culinary offerings. Be prepared to leave Croatia, weighing considerably morethan when you first arrived!Theres another pleasant evening ahead, with a glass of wine its easy to lose track of time and continue chatting late into the night...Tomorrow we go to Plitvice. All of us look forward to that, we get instructions to have our sportswear, and carry a jacket (it could be chilly).Time to adjourn to our rooms for sleep, we need to gather energy for tomorrow!

DAY 3

PLITVICE

Another wonderful day is in front of us and has become our custom, we gather around the breakfast table. Our cook already knows how to prepare delicious eggs to meet our individual preferences (how spoilt are we!). We are not just ready, we are clearly excited about todays itinerary which takes us to the Plitvice Lakes. None of us have been there, but its reputation is common knowledge, as one of Croatias iconic attractions. We are eager to see if they are truly so special. Water bottles are already in the van given that we have to drive a bit further away from our villa.

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We arrive at lunch time, with our dining table pre-booked, so we dont waste any precious viewing time.Now we are ready for a walk and photo taking. We chose one of the routes offered by the Plitvice Lakes tours with the Great Waterfall waiting at the end of our walk. As soon as we start out, we are stunned by numerous people who want to see this beauty, and have every reason to do so!Waterfalls, water, lakes, greenery, water colours, odours of pine, in the air... its perfect. Our route will definitely take longer because every few metres we want to stop to take a photo. Its impossibleto choose one thing as your favourite. This natural wonderland is truly awe inspiring.We watch the water find its way in the most surprising places, and just when you turn your camera off, you see another waterfall and want a photo of it.

As planned, we get to see Great Waterfall at the end of our trip - the most beautiful and the highest in the national park! This is where the biggest crowd is, everyone wants to have a photo under it.So do we! Below and following page: visiting the exceptionally beautiful, Plitvice Lakes

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Its time to go back to our villa. During our trip back we have time to review all the days photos. There is general discussion too, as we compare this chauffeur driven itinerary, to previous family holidays and recognise that is so refreshing not having to be the designated driver, with the added responsibility of having to concentrate on safe driving. This time, everyone, gets to enjoy the scenery, the conversation and a sleep, should the mood strike.

What a wonderful day! Unquestionably, it was an active one, as we walked for hours, went on a boat ride, went on a train ride, took photos etc and admittedly, it was also a l-o-n-g day, but we could never begrudge the time spent in our explorations and there is the compensation in that, as wehave come to know and appreciate, our hosts will have everything organized for our arrival, with some R&R (rest and relaxation) awaiting us at the Villa. We are ready for another delicious dinner -this time its stuffed peppers with mashed potatoes and a dessert!Writing down recipes has become a common entertainment and almost a necessity! We surely haveto try our hand at preparing such impressive meals on our return home.

Croatia is a small country but full of diversity in culture, climate, food and environments (both natural and man-made)... and the conversation around the dinner table never wanes, as our hosts willing share anecdotal stories about their own experiences in living in this extraordinary country.

DAY 4

GRONJAN

Now we feel so at home here, and we know we're in for another pleasant awakening, our coffee andtea are on the table, breakfast is served (hosts already know everyones preferences), we get directions for the day ahead. But above all, we start our day relaxed, chit-chatting, discovering the differences and similarities between us. No hurries, no worries. How good is that!!

This day is all about Istria an exceptional part of Croatia. The first things that come to your mind upon hearing Istria are- tourism, wine and truffles. Of course, there is no shadow of doubt that LQC will organize tasting of the aforementioned things for us.

The first order of the day, was a scheduled visit to a family operated winery on a typical Istrian estate. The owner brings wine for us to taste, theres a little "snack" served (little and snack by Croatian standards is never less than what some would consider a hearty meal). We are seated around a rustic table, under the canopy of a tree in the garden, enjoying the view of vineyards and feeling very relaxed, the atmosphere is just "sooo homey". The children are having fun with the petturtles, whilst the adults are sipping wine. You are probably ready to pack your travel bags immediately as you picture this setting and I can assure you, I do not exaggerate!

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Above: Visiting Zigante Winery

Only one more important thing to do before we board our vehicle - we cannot consider a departure without buying some wine to share with our hosts over dinner!

We have been very happy travelling at the most sedate pace during the morning (time to savour the experience), but finally we arrive in Gronjan. We were keen to seek out this particular village which has the reputation of being: the most cosy and charming of old Istrian hilltop towns, with its cobbled laneways and stunning vistas. Indeed this town is impressive, perched on top of a hill,its streets go round in a circle becoming more and more narrow towards the top, whilst being surrounded by vineyards. An astonishing appearance indeed. As soon as we park and get out of our van, we hear the violin from around the corner. We do not see it, but Gronjan is a town of artists and to us this isnt strange or unexpected.

But first, there is lunch to consider. Why arent we surprised to find that our table has been set, in an idyllic, private courtyard, with pasta and truffles, steak with asparagus on the menu. We listen to stories about healthy asparagus and dishes typical of this area.

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Above: Gronjan offered a wealth of photographic opportunities. Photos include:. Our gourmet lunch at Bastia Restaurant, with its secluded courtyard dining, Anamarija from LQC, who accompanied us on all our excursions to ensure that everything went well and other photos taken during our village walk.

After eating so much, we are surprised to hear that there is also a dessert... Hopefully, there is still some room for it. I believe I did warn you that it can be challenging adapting to Croatian hospitality!The afternoon is free for us to enjoy and explore the town at our leisure. The township truly is fascinating- song, dance, painting, artists wherever you look. We cannot resist entering some of the boutique shops and buying some beautifully crafted souvenirs.

As arranged, we meet our chauffer and head back to our villa. We can smell the dinner at the door. Seeing fish and shrimps leaves us speechless and whets the appetite.Just when we think we cannot be surprised, our hosts succeed in doing so. This is a gala dinner, our last on this holiday and it is just the right time for us to thank our hosts.They watched over us the whole time, thinking of every little thing, creating beautiful menus, and

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doing their best to make us feel comfortable, and they succeeded so well!

We exchange gifts, signs of affection, we too, want to show our hosts that we were very happy in their home, appreciating the laughter and good times shared.

We leave early in the morning, but by no means we are going to go to sleep early ... It's hard to say goodbye.

Above: our never-to-be-forgotten LQC friends taken at Bjelolasica (rear: Demir and Laura front: Anamarija, Kristina and Maria)

DAY 5

ZAGREB

Its early morning... The hosts, chauffeurs and guests are in the dining room. After breakfast, unfortunately, its time to say goodbye.

We were honoured and pleased to find that new and long-lasting friendships have been formed with our hosts and the LQC team. Throughout our holiday, the daily tours showed us a different aspect of Croatia. The destinations and attractions are distinctly different and everything is remarkable!Each of the friends travelling with us agree that this tour was not an ordinary holiday, it was so much more. Will we return to Croatia to find some new adventures? Absolutely!! We are already discussing our next cruise itinerary, vessel of choice and possible land based itinerary. Hopefully, youll find your own opportunity to visit Croatia, the rewards certainly promise to be both unique and enormously satisfying! I freely admit, that Ill be jealous if you get to visit before I do!!

Our sincere best wishes for your happy and safe travels. Frances and Ken Malzard

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Will we return to Croatia to find some new adventuresWill we return to Croatia to find some new adventures Absolutely!!Absolutely!!

Our sincere best wishes for your happy and safe travels. Our sincere best wishes for your happy and safe travels. Frances and Ken MalzardFrances and Ken Malzard