Day 4, Venice & Croatia: Plitvice Lakes National Park
An early buffet breakfast at the Hotel Grand Adriatic II was followed by our groups’ exeunt omnes from the semi-dormant resort town of Opatija to begin our 3-hour drive in-land to Croatia’s beautiful Plitvice Lakes National Park. On our way we crossed mountain ranges and rolling hills, traveled through numerous mountain tunnels including one more than 6 kilometers long, and passed through the small town of Karlovac. This town is noted for its production of a popular Croatian beer, but it is also home to a military museum. As we drove through the town, we passed the war the tanks and trucks positioned on the war museum’s territory; and then we passed the war itself. Though fought more than 20 years in the past, signs of the war with the former Yugoslavian National Army were evident in the several homes we saw that were riddled with bullet holes from the fighting—whole sides of several buildings, mostly homes, remained unrepaired and some uninhabited (as their Serbian residents had fled the town to find refuge in safer parts of the country. This was an unexpected, halting experience on this part of the journey; an encounter with history that seemed recent, even current. We passed through Karlova not unchanged by witnessing these stark images and continued our journey to the northeast and the park.
The Park includes large swathes of pristine virgin forest and a series of lakes and waterfalls that flow down from the Velebit Mountains and produce pools of light green water beneath
descending steps of placid waterfalls. We descended a serpentine path to reach the running water in the gorge then worked our way up stream via a series of paths and low wooden catwalks to view the falls and their lake sources. Once at the endpoint of our ascent, we sat to rest and enjoy a snack while we awaited the return of the ferry that would take us down the lake to the spot where the buses awaited. We enjoyed an invigorating hike amid the natural beauty of the landscape and were impressed by this awesome UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We ate lunch at a restaurant in the middle of nowhere Croatia (or so it seemed)—pork and potatoes and donuts, for dessert. The faculty chaperones also enjoyed a salty lettuce/cabbage salad/slaw with their meal. An interesting repast, perhaps best not repeated too often...
After lunch, we saw a brown bear. It was a surprise, as much as being there to be seen as was its sad condition. The bear was perched on a large tree a trunk, which was lying on its side in the bear’s enclosure. The bear looked sad, and our excitement to see a live bear was diminished by its condition. Behind it loomed the mountains it should be roaming, but these were out of reach. We took pictures, gave it our best wishes and once again continued our journey, ironically enough, to the Falkensteiner Funtime Resort and Spa, a much less natural/much more artificial human environment near Zadar on the Adriatic. Good food, beautiful rooms and views, and a respite, for us all, however.
The Park includes large swathes of pristine virgin forest and a series of lakes and waterfalls that flow down from the Velebit Mountains and produce pools of light green water beneath
descending steps of placid waterfalls. We descended a serpentine path to reach the running water in the gorge then worked our way up stream via a series of paths and low wooden catwalks to view the falls and their lake sources. Once at the endpoint of our ascent, we sat to rest and enjoy a snack while we awaited the return of the ferry that would take us down the lake to the spot where the buses awaited. We enjoyed an invigorating hike amid the natural beauty of the landscape and were impressed by this awesome UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We ate lunch at a restaurant in the middle of nowhere Croatia (or so it seemed)—pork and potatoes and donuts, for dessert. The faculty chaperones also enjoyed a salty lettuce/cabbage salad/slaw with their meal. An interesting repast, perhaps best not repeated too often...
After lunch, we saw a brown bear. It was a surprise, as much as being there to be seen as was its sad condition. The bear was perched on a large tree a trunk, which was lying on its side in the bear’s enclosure. The bear looked sad, and our excitement to see a live bear was diminished by its condition. Behind it loomed the mountains it should be roaming, but these were out of reach. We took pictures, gave it our best wishes and once again continued our journey, ironically enough, to the Falkensteiner Funtime Resort and Spa, a much less natural/much more artificial human environment near Zadar on the Adriatic. Good food, beautiful rooms and views, and a respite, for us all, however.
Brimmer and May School
69 Middlesex Road
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-566-7462
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-566-7462
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