Zadar, Croatia (Part 2)
On Tuesday we went to the beach at about 2pm and stayed there all day, stopping for an incredible chicken burger for tea! We didn't go home until about 9pm - watching the sunset was gorgeous. We got changed and wandered to the old town, we just had a pizza slice for tea (quarter of a pizza for £1!) and then went for a couple of drinks in the narrow streets near the university which were full of character, and a mojito was only £3. As everything kicks off so late in Croatia even after a couple of drinks it was 2am before we got to bed!
The following day we got up quite early as we were going on a trip to Krka National Park. We walked to the bus terminus and caught a coach there for £11 each return. The journey took about forty minutes and then we had to queue to get a boat along the river to the entrance of the park. It was boiling hot and we had to wait for nearly an hour, so it was nice to have a breeze on us once we were aboard!
A ticket into the park was £10 and included the ferry crossing, so good value. It was very busy, we had to push through the crowds to the waterside, but it was definitely worth it - the lake and waterfall were beautiful! It felt like we were in Thailand or somewhere exotic, not two hours from home! We swam in the lake, getting in through the rocks was rather precarious, but we made it in the end with help from each other.
We had an ice cream and then started queuing again at 4pm to head back. As it took so long we missed our last coach home, but luckily we weren't the only ones as a group of four Irish guys had too, so we all shared a minibus. We had to go to a place called Sibenik and get a coach back to Zadar, but the lads were a laugh so the journey was relatively painless. We didn't get home until 9pm so once we'd showered and had a quick drink we headed out to The Garden where we had arranged to meet the boys again for a night out.
We stuck on Caipirinhas there as they were lovely, and then when The Garden was closing at 1.30am we went to a club in the central square of the Old Town called Lebara, which we had been eyeing up all week as it always had good music on and lots of bright lights, as well as being in a really cool sort of outdoor Roman ruin!
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It was here that we met our downfall - the dreaded rakija. Croatia's local liqueur, it is fruit flavoured (usually cherry or plum) and bloody awful! We had more than a few shots courtesy of the boys (cheers lads) and somehow ended up moving on to Maraschino again once Lebara shut at 3.30am! We eventually got back at about 5.30am and sat up drinking coffee and eating chips (naturally) eventually sleeping at around 7am. Awesome night!
As can be expected, we weren't the most spritely the next day, eventually dragging ourselves to the beach and literally sleeping all day until about 7pm. It was a bit overcast which was a good thing as we would have burnt otherwise! We stayed chatting until 9pm before heading back; as it was our last night we wanted a nice meal out. We went to a place just as you get into the square, where we both had lobster and crayfish ravioli that was amazing and a perfect sized portion for two hungover girls! I finished it off with pistachio cheesecake, but I found it a bit rich to eat it all.
The next morning we packed the last of our stuff up and went out for a drink for breakfast (we couldn't find anywhere that did food, Croatians obviously just run off coffee!). We caught a bus to the airport and flew home, and I got a great Chinese to cheer myself up upon arrival at my flat - after such an incredible week, I needed it!
Zadar, Croatia (Part 1)
I have just returned from a week in Zadar in Croatia, on such a holiday comedown - I had an amazing time! It was my first time there, but my dad's friend had been a few weeks previously, so I went armed with a recommended list of what to see and do.
I went with my friend Laura, and it was our first holiday together, we were both desperate for some sun! We travelled early on Friday 8th August, so arrived at 2.15pm local time (the flight is just over three hours). The weather was lovely when we stepped off the plane - we jumped on a bus into the city centre where we stopped for a glass of wine in a little bar on a side street.
After a rest we headed to the apartment where we were staying, and after a slight delay due to not having contact details for our host (we were using air B&B) we got inside. It was a gorgeous place with everything we could need - including a dishwasher and washing machine.
After unpacking we walked down to the beach and had a cocktail in a bar on the shore called Hitch. Unfortunately all beaches in Croatia are shingle, but it is very pretty, and the mojito we had was bloody good! We went home and got changed and then walked into the Old Town (a five minute walk) and had some food in a restaurant in the main square. I had a prawn and spinach risotto which was really tasty, and we shared a half litre of house white wine, a steal at £4. We were both pretty knackered so went home afterwards and had some wine, saving ourselves for the next day.
We were both up early on Saturday, so went to the beach and paid for sun loungers for the day (only £2). We stayed there until the evening, stopping for a lunch of pizza and chips in one of the beach shacks and indulging in a few ciders! That evening we ate in and made a tuna salad, and then drank excessively until 12pm when we headed out. We went to a club called Maraschino which was around the corner from us, and managed to befriend some boys who bought a bottle of rum for us all to share on the table. Laura was slightly worse for wear so I took her home and then dashed back out thinking I'd lost my phone and camera (I found out at the end of the night that I'd left them on the sofa at home) so ended up staying out drowning my sorrows until 4am!
The following day we were a bit fragile to say the least, I wandered down to the beach by myself at 2pm to sunbathe for a while. That evening we went out quite late as Laura still felt rough! We walked all the way along the harbour front before stopping in quite a posh restaurant which overlooked the sea. We finally managed to get some prosecco there (we had been asking for it since we arrived to no avail) and I had stuffed chicken wrapped in parma ham with puree potatoes and vegetables - gorgeous! We went home and watched TV for a while before crashing out - most sleep in one day I've had for a while!
On Monday we got up and ready for a day exploring Preko - one of the neighbouring islands. It was £3.60 return on the ferry, which took about twenty minutes and was very modern, it even had a bar! We stayed on the island all day, the views were amazing and it was so serene ad quiet. We had crisps, doughnuts and lemon beer from a shop there, and stopped for a mojito in the afternoon. The sea was crystal clear and a good temperature so we both had a dip and caught the ferry home at 6.30pm.
We just had nibbly bits for tea and got ready with a few drinks before going to The Garden - an incredible bar at the end of the harbour that has beds to sit on and delicious cocktails, to a delightfully chilled soundtrack. I had one called an Ebouska which had apple, mint and gin in amongst other ingredients. We then shared a pitcher of Zombie before moving on to Maraschino again. It was another super late one full of dancing and drinking!
