Hiking in Paklenica National Park

Today we hiked about 10 miles in another of Croatia's national parks--a river canyon in the Velebit mountains. The trail was rocky and steep for 5 miles--about an 1,800 foot elevation gain--but always wide and safe with no threats of slipping off cliff edges. Much of the trail was wooded and shady, a relief from the continued heat. The views up the limestone cliff faces were spectacular, and it is a popular area for rock climbers.

There is no camping in the park, but there are several mountain huts where climbers or visitors can stay the night and get a meal. We stopped at one of the huts perched high on the mountain with spectacular views. We were greeted with a table full of a variety of flavored homemade grappa--all very smooth, not like the firewater we'd had before. It seems strange to drink hard liquor in the middle of the day after a strenuous hike, but that's what they do here!

On the porch overlooking the valley, we were served a special traditional lunch--Peka, which translates to "under the bell." It was prepared in a smokehouse they call a black kitchen (because of the soot-covered walls). On a raised platform is a tiled pizza-oven-like surface. This is where they would prepare their own prosciutto and other smoked meats. Peka is a way of slow-cooking: chicken and veal pieces are placed on the hot surface and covered with vegetables, herbs, wine, and some bacon, then covered with a heavy flat-topped metal dome, and coals placed on top of the "bell." Midway through, the meat is switched to the top of the vegetables and cooked until tender. It is served with homemade bread (all the baked goods here are freshly baked and delicious!) and salad with vinegar and delicious local olive oil.

Somehow after that wonderful lunch we kept hiking higher up the mountain until we reached a 400 year old homestead. The overhanging cliff provided part of the roof and all of the back wall of the stone home.

Back in Novigrad, we enjoyed a late dinner of risotto with mussels--a local specialty. We had seen the muscle "farms" in the sea on our drive earlier.Lue lisää