Location: Vrbnik, Croatia
Travel Time: August 12-17, 2015
The time had arrived for us to visit Croatia! This was the original location chosen when we began planning this trip. Since there were 10 adults and 3 children, a lot of planning was involved. But thanks to Kristen, Andrea and Tj, everything was perfect. We started off our road trip in Bratislava, Slovakia. The drive was about 7 hours to Croatia, including the bathroom breaks and pit stops. We did have to stop a few times at border patrol in Slovakia, Austria and Slovenia. All we needed to present was our passports and we were good to go. We also had a sticker that needed to be put on the vehicle before the trip began. Other than that, the drive was fairly easy; who am I kidding, I was asleep the whole time!
We arrived on the sunny island of Krk that afternoon to our apartment for the week. It was a little confusing at first because the address to check in was not the address we were actually staying at. The roads were also very narrow and uphill which made it difficult for driving a manual transmission. When we found our apartment, everything was a positive (http://www.mare-vrbnik.com/en/). The location was easy and the parking situation was perfect for 3 cars. We had 2 apartment units with 2 bedrooms. Each unit had a full kitchen with a dining table and outside patio. Plus, there was the added bonus of air conditioning and a balcony. There was also a pullout couch and a rolling bed so everyone had a place to sleep. It worked out where the families with children all stayed in one unit and then the rest of us stayed in another.
After everyone was settled in, our main focus was hitting the beach while it was still sunny outside. Fortunately, Zgribnica Beach was right up the street. The ‘sand’ area (more like rocks) was very limited spacing, however, the water was gorgeous. You only had to step a few feet out before you saw some fish. If you are an experienced swimmer, the water can get somewhat deep and it is perfect for snorkeling. I actually didn’t mind the rocks because it was easier for cleaning up instead of having sand stuck all over you. Just be sure to bring plenty of towels or cushions to lay out on. That night, we opted to have dinner at the restaurant next to the beach. The restaurant was inside the Hotel Argentum (http://www.hotel-argentum.net/). The food was phenomenal! Seriously, one of the best dinners I’ve ever had! We had a fresh fish platter, pizza, risotto and more. After a few beers and a bottle of champagne, we expected the bill to be somewhat high. Instead, it only came out to about $17 pp in US currency. You couldn’t beat it! The exchange rate (at the time) was 7 kuna to our 1 dollar. We were living like kings! The night ended with a few rounds of Monopoly Deal and some much needed sleep.
The next day, we decided to take the cars and drive to a different beach on the island. We drove to Baska Town, just on the other side of Krk. This beach was definitely more touristy. It was very crowded and the parking involved a bit of a walk. The scenery was worth it though. You would be out in the middle of the water with the sun shining on you and these beautiful mountains in the background. I liked that there was a little more shopping in the area. This came in handy when I needed an extra towel and a pair of water shoes. We set up the umbrellas for some shade and then hit the water. The boys opted for a massage while some of us girls (including myself) took a nap in the sun. It was the perfect day. That night we returned home ready for a second round of our favorite dinner spot, Hotel Argentum.
For our third beach day, we decided to stay local and go back to Zgribnica Beach. It felt good to just sit back and relax instead of running all over trying to tour places. That evening, we opted to walk around the city as a group and find a new spot for dinner. We ended up passing the bell tower in Vrbnik so naturally we had to climb to the top. The view was fantastic! The nice thing about Vrbnik is that it’s very small so all the roads will eventually lead you back to the city square. We passed several cute jewelry and wine shops along the way. We finally settled for a restaurant that had outside tables overlooking the water. Watching the sun set and laughing with our friends was the icing on the cake. And once again, the food did not disappoint!
The following day, the boys wanted to do their own thing so they went off on a wine tour. I’m not sure where they went, but they seemed pretty happy when they came back. Not to mention, they came bearing gifts of wine and cheese. Us girls spent another day beach side. We seriously couldn’t get enough! After two years in a row of rough winters in Chicago, the sunny 90 degree beach weather was exactly what we needed. I practiced some more snorkeling and when Tj returned, we went out further into the water. Since I am not a very strong swimmer, I’m actually very surprised as to how far I went. We saw some pretty awesome fish, but as the sun started going down the water started getting cold quick. That night, we went to the main city square for dinner and some live music. Giovanni and Mia had a good time playing on the inflatable jungle gym.
On our final day in Croatia, it rained a little bit so needless to say there was no beach time. The good news is, it forced us to see some of the other things Krk had to offer. Our first stop was the Biserujka Cave. The cave takes you about 40 feet below the earth’s surface. Next, we went to the Frankopan Castle. For a small donation, you could climb the stairs to the top of the castle to get a great panoramic shot of Krk. Outside the castle, the streets are filled with tourists (who stopped Kevin asking if he was Dwayne Wade). We finished off the day with one last dinner and some gelato to wash it all down. The rest of the night was spent back at the apartment finishing off the wine and some final rounds of Monopoly Deal. The perfect ending to our Croatian experience.
Overall, I definitely would give Croatia 5 stars. The people are incredibly friendly and the food was outstanding. Everything (I mean everything!) tasted delicious. Also, quite a few people speak English so the language barrier was not an issue at all. I would suggest renting a car since a lot of the cities are still rather small and there is no public transportation like large metropolitan cities. The only thing we didn’t find was a Kingdom Hall. We figured since Krk is definitely a tourist destination, the Kingdom Halls might be located on the mainland of Croatia instead of the island. I definitely would love to return to Croatia to explore more and hopefully have a chance to visit with the local friends. After checking out of our apartment, it was time to hit the road. At first we were going to return and spend the day in Slovakia. But we figured since we were so close to Venice, why not take a detour? So off we were! Venice, Italy… here we come!!!
For the full album, please ‘click’ on the link below:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/YWBQ1poazwnqT6Ao8
Enjoy the photos!
Agape,
Asia Johnson
Traveling Threefold Cord 