108 Ohh My goodness what have we done!

Saturday 07/07/2018 (Day 22 SZ). Alpska perla Apartments Gorenji Novaki 80, Cerkno, 5282, Slovenia

Today we depart Croatia, after nearly 6 weeks here it feels a little sad 😢 we have to leave..... it’s also James Day, packing to be organised to talk with James is a bit of a task but we manage to be organised... they are all sadly still sick... it stated with a James having conjunctivitis again from childcare, then both parents now have a flu 🤧 as well.... anyway we called, he really is starting to know us know, which is lovely... so had a little chat... he is growing up so fast... doesn’t talk a lot but understands what you say....said our goodbyes for a week then packed the car and off to Rovinj, what a gorgeous amazing little medieval city/village is this one... with having to do a lot of Ks today we couldn’t spend much time here.

On our way in what struck us was how neat and tidy this town was, gardens lined the streets the whole way to the main part of the city, so pretty and so inviting.... so different to many of the dirty towns we have been in, you could see the personal pride they were taking in this lovely city/village what ever it’s called... we needed a cuppa so after parking we found amongst the heaps of water front cafes/restaurants a place to sit watching over the over crowded little harbour with hundreds of little to medium sized boats... we shared the most yummy not to sweet cheesecake and had coffee... I so wanted to wander through this little ancient town where you could see that it has alleys here and there, the obligatory Cathedral sitting on top of a small hill with tiled red roofed houses all around it.... it looks idyllic like you are stepping back in time.

What blew us away is the sheer number of boats in this tiny harbour... so many that you could see men trying to get their boats our, by pushing apart boats with a big stick so they could move their boat forward.... it was like watching a car yard full of cars one behind, in front, to the side of each other layer after layer of them... the good thing is they were on water so it meant they could move them easily apart... it was certainly interesting watching it all fall into place...

After our cuppa we did a quick wander around the outer edge of the village before heading back to the car.... as we had a fair amount of k’s to do today we thought best keep moving. The countryside at times reminded us if around Kingaroy with it red, red soil.....growing grapes, veggies and olives... even spotted a lavender farm.... plenty of road side stands with Cheese, Wine, Olive Oil and yes Lavender...

Our next stop was Umag, not as quaint looking as Rovinj, but another unreal little village offering tourist lovely restaurants p, boats fir cruisers around the bays..... what we did notice was much less tourist here so sadly there were heaps of empty restaurants where they are trying so hard to get you to eat......by striking up conversation to get you to come in, it did look sad as it was such a quiet tranquil little spot you could see they really were struggling... on trip advisor we had read some negative comments about coming here as it’s not like Rovinj and no it’s not but it certainly has a lot to offer..... it also has the obligatory Cathedral in the main square... very neat and tidy... also taking great pride in their presentation on how the village much, smaller than Rovinj, but again on a bay... with a massive Marina on the opposite side of the bay... it must be the last huge marina before the boarder...

The restaurants all look really wonderful, many over hanging the water below. still blue tranquil waters that made you feel like just sitting and watching it.... the issue for these restaurants they were all have basically very similar menus! Nothing different to attract the people, but have noticed this in many of the city’s etc we have been in, similar offerings which makes it feel like same, same but not different menu offerings... nice menus but all too much the same...

They all looked like they were struggling to stay open ... the other industry that seems like its struggling is the daily cruise excursions... all standing around by restaurants and boats trying to convince people to come to eat or head out on a sea trip... to be honest it looked sad as you know it’s their livelihood that depends on tourists, and not all tourists have big money... so we found a bakery for John a quick hotdog and some hot chips for me and we kept going...

Before we new it we had hit the Croatian/Slovenian border again one lot we drive straight through then up the road another 2 boxes to show our passports... we thought we had a missive wait at the border with heaps and heaps of cars, but once through the line up went for at least 5-8 is up the road all backed up waiting to get through, just unreal to see how many heading into Croatia, the other thing we noticed was so many different number plates all from so many different countries....

Our memories of Croatia will be all the Wine, olive oil, lavender bags/oil, cheese they make every town has some on offer of each of these... the sheer volume of the 1,000’s and 1,000’s of apartments, scores of marinas and 100’s and 100’s ATM’s we have never in all our travels seen so much access to an ATM they literally are everywhere... in big cities have heavy tourist areas honestly they are at least 59-100 metres apart....their focus is heavily on offering family holidays with all the trimmings that go with that... on this top end of Croatia the amount of theme parks, water parks, ATV parks, so many different types of adrenaline parks you name it, It’s a big thing that’s for sure and with the sheer volume of people coming in 100’s loaded to the hilt for the long term holiday, mostly with push bikes on the back of their cars, you know these parks will do well... the other thing on offer everywhere especially along the coast is Holiday Camps, it’s a huge business, Camp after Camp, after Camp... most not much bigger than say 30-50sites, but then to the other extreme of 100’s and 109’s of sites for Vans, camper and tents plus they usually offer little units as well......unreal to actually see the sheer volume on offer.....

The 3 things I didn’t get to try was their local wine, the local cheeses and the BBQ pig, we saw being cooked outside in an open flue type cooker, I wanted to try the honey mead and of course honey is a huge industry here, all producing their own honey in each town... plus fruit and veggies stalls abound.....

We haven’t seen any golf courses anywhere in Croatia or Montenegro..... we have noticed especially up north bike paths lots and lots along the hwys, but just as many riding in the roads... people on push bikes and Motor bikes traveling, it’s a big industry here and seems to cater well for them... again I know I mentioned it earlier but how weird it is seeing different countries number plates when we are only used to different states and not many of them.... this is country after country and trying to work out each country has been quite a challenge.... The first 2 letters of number plates is in 90% of times is the city or town the are from then letters and numbers that... Croatia has been a truly wonderful experience fir us both... now onto new ground.

So we crossed the border then drove onto Slovenia’s first big city Koper! And of course our first port of call is a Maccas, you know whatever country you go to it’s always going to offer a good cuppa... once we refreshed a quick drive around Koper to see what’s to see.... again in the coast, Marinas, boats, restaurants and cafes and like so many little seaside towns in Croatia it has the walls of a fortified old city still in parts, what looks like a castle of fort to see, alleys and that real old village feel as you pass by the streets...This place is filled with teenagers everywhere, so must be a happening place or they certainly would be here...

Then on we head, on some of the wildest roads since Montenegro we have been on.... through village after village after villages some no more than 1k apart but with different names... they have little restaurants/cafes but certainly not the big cafes scene of Croatia.... we finally arrived or we thought we had arrived at our village hotel we had booked with booking.com

On getting out of the car which was next to the obligatory Cathedral and town square, they were in the Tho’s of setting up for a concert, Opera it would seem is the concert tonight... we entered the hotel, which was a bit hard to find, we were greeted by the guy at the desk... ohh you are the Australian’s yrs we have your booking, but your apartment is 10 is away... 10ks away we said.... yes he said and it’s on top of the mountain in the ski village... hmmm ok... by now it was pretty late but we had no choice... the guy before we left kept being apologetic for the apartment and if we didn’t want to stay there it would be a lot dear to stay here at the hotel... okkkk what’s the go, we are thinking... So with his rough directions we set off and climb, climb, climb through tiny village after tiny village until no villages, just pine forests and hairpin narrow roads. We started to think either we got it wrong or he gave us the wrong instructions, as we had gone past the 10k mark well and truly and by now we were in a dirt track.... John was about to turn around when we see an electronic gate which we tried to get to work or push the button to get some one to open it, the voice at the end and John couldn’t sink so I had to get out and try and open it... it did eventually open... then we had to climb high in by now a bitumen road again... around hairpins then suddenly we hit a huge building, we still climb higher and yep here’s another building with apartment 6 written in a car space... so we get out and climb the stairs to what is a massive building a ski lodge... there are chairlifts around, and kids playing, people around not a lot but a few.... we finally spot a guy in a bar and ask how we get to our room... there not a soul in the bar and he us shutting at 7 which is in 20 mins... we find our apartment and wow it’s fantastic, but the whole place is nearly empty.... we half unpack, then hit the bar fir a drink, thinking we could get some info... but the barman was busy packing up.... it would be opening to tomorrow... The guy at the hotel told us the restaurant would be open Sunday but not today... but from the barman we gather it’s been the same both days and I don’t think they open any restaurant just drinks...

Thank goodness we can self cater because it’s advertised as having a restaurant fir meals, you can get breakfast there is a pool, sauna and salt room... well it’s true on all accounts but not here 15ks up the mountain it’s at the hotel at the village below... all that’s up here is a very empty ski lodge, a fantastic looking apartment, if your into mountain bike riding well you are in the prefect spot because that’s what people come here for at present.... by 8pm all bar 2 cars had gone and not a person in sight.... we settled in for the night, discovering no wifi as advertised and why we chose this place and no washing machine as was advertised as well..... however every other Knick knack in the kitchen you could think of..... except tongs ha ha good thing I have my own...

We are here now so have to make the best of it... just a long way down and back up when we head out to do our sightseeing... we chose this spot because it was in the middle of both areas we want to see... Lake Bled and Ljubljana.... little did we realise it was high in a sheer mountain ⛰ and that every road around it was full of hairpin roads to get from A-B..... see how we go!Read more