Sunday 29 September

 We are up early as we have a 7 am pick up for our all day tour. Our driver is right on time and we are away. Our first stop is the salt mines and we arrive just after 8.30, but the mine doesn’t open till 9. During our wait our guide gives us some information on Romania. We are first in line and head down in the first bus. It is a five minute drive to get to the bottom and at times the sharp turns feel like we are driving down a corkscrew. We get to the bottom and walk through a tunnel to an amazing sight. It is a huge cavern with other branches off to the side.

We are 208 metres below the surface and the cavern is 54 metres in height. Most of the walls are smooth after being mined and cut out in big blocks. It is awe inspiring. Our guide tells us there is another 60 metres of salt below us. The area we are in was the sea bed many thousands of years ago. We have a coffee at a shop/bar in one of the caverns. The temperature is a constant 12 degrees with very low humidity. It is very therapeutic and some people spend up to 6 hours below. There is an area where you can rest and sleep. There is also a mini golf, kids play ground and a basketball ring. We end up spending 2 hours down there and it felt like less than an hour.

After this incredible experience we head off to the winery. As we reach the surface the car park is full and there is quite a long queue. Good thing we arrived early. It takes us about an hour an half to get to the winery. We arrive just before 12.30. We have a tour of the winery then a tasting. We pay for 6 wine tastings but end up with 7, courtesy of the wine maker. He was very good with his information on the wines and how he blends his wines. In addition to the wines we had cheese bread and olive oil and some cured meats.

We then head off to the mud volcanoes which takes another hour and half. The guide is concerned that rain is on the way and if it rains it might be too slippery to visit, but we are in luck and the rain holds off. The mud volcanoes are interesting and unusual. There is a mound and at the top a small bubbling area where the mud is coming out. 

It is just starting to rain as we head home at 4 pm. It rains for the whole way home and we eventually get back at 6.30. A long day.

We did see a lot of the country side of Romania. All up we travelled just over 400 kilometres. Unfortunately it is still raining and the fountain and light show was cancelled, we were lucky to catch it last night.

Mud Queens

Winery Cork Art

Enjoying a coffee

Bubbling mud

Saturday 28 September

 Too wired up to sleep properly, and then the swans get shit on, not a good start!

It is a little cool this morning but as the clouds clear and the sun comes out it starts to get warm. Expected top 30 degrees. We have little food in the apartment and we need to convert euros into Romanian Ron. Ann and I head out about 10 am and convert our euros. We find a Carrefour super market which has everything including alcohol and Mateus Rose, We buy some milk and tea and on our way back have a maccas coffee. We have not eaten anything since breakfast at 7 am the day before and half a roll each in the airport. We realised we had an alcohol free day yesterday!

We let the others know what we have found and at 1 pm everyone else goes out to change money and purchase things for lunch, dinner and stock the larder and some alcohol. We picked up a dozen heineken, two reds and a Mateus for 148 Ron which is Aussie $50! We have lunch just after 2 pm.

After lunch Ross and I head out to find where our pick up is for Monday and we are now prepared. For tomorrow’s tour we get picked up from our apartment. At 4 pm we are in need of a beer and ready to relax!

The beers go down well, as do a rose our host left for us, and two bottles of red. We were also told of a light show that happens twice a night, one at 7 and the other at 8. The 7 pm show was great with the fountain changing colours. The 8 pm show went for 45 minutes and was spectacular with lights and music choreographed with the fountains. It was 22 degrees and our balcony was the perfect place to view the display while enjoying a glass of red.

Friday 27 September The Saga Continues

 The flight from Frankfurt  departed on time, but the flight was very bumpy and in flight service was cancelled, not that it was a big disappointment as all you get is a free small bottle of water, anything else you have to pay for. The flight landed on time and disembarking was very smooth with everyone staying in their seats until the row in front had moved. We had been provided a 7 euro food voucher, but Ann had thrown her boarding pass away, so we shared a Turkey roll which cost 7.95 euro!

While waiting I tried to get onto our driver who was to pick us up in Bucharest, I make contact and arrange the correct time and the pick up time is midnight as our eta is 11.40 pm Romanian time.

The flight from Frankfurt to Bucharest was about 30 minutes late but made up some time. We landed in Bucharest just after midnight. We then had a 30 minute wait for luggage which was a great relief when they appeared. I was stressing about our driver so I had sent Ann out earlier to make contact. Our driver was waiting for us and it was now 1 am! He was a surly prick and not happy to be there. He took off and we had to walk quickly to keep up. He sped away from the airport and he was going to drop us off at the wrong spot. We said this wasn’t the spot, so he picked another area and was on the phone saying this was the right spot. We were not sure but were happy just to get out.

It was the correct location and we just had to walk around the corner to the main entrance. I put in the door code but the door would not unlock! I sent a message to the host via booking.com. Ann and Karen said there is another entrance further down the street. I put the code in and success! We then took the elevator to the 7th floor and opened the key safe. I tried the key and couldn’t get it to open. I handed the key to our key master, Ross, who after a couple of attempts got it open. We all relaxed and entered the apartment. The host contacted me and it was now 1.30 am and I said we had managed to get in and blamed tiredness for the mix up. 

The apartment is great. She even left a bottle of rose in the fridge. All we wanted to do was get into bed. 

Views from our Apartment 

S

Friday 27 September

 Wake up at 6, despite being moored the Princess is moving a bit due to strong winds. Bags are packed and onboard the bus and we are away just before 8 am. The road to Zagreb is very good, a dual lane freeway. The landscape changes as we leave the coast and mountains. There are forests in the mountains and then fields and crop farms. We have a rest break at 9.10 and then we are on our way by 9.50. We arrive at the airport just after 11. The airport is fairly new but small. The temperature is 26 degrees.

We breeze through check in and slight problem with security, knee set it off, and then iPads left in the bag. We are sitting at the departure gate at 11.30 with our eta 1.35 pm.

We get an email to say our flight has been delayed. We have a tight changeover in Munich, so I hope it is not delayed too long. It is 1 pm and there is no plane at the gate!  We  depart at 2.15 and land at 3.10. It is cloudy and rainy. It takes a while for the plane to get to the gate area and then we have to get a bus to the terminal. Needless to say we did not make it! Lufthansa has rebooked us on a flight to Frankfurt at 6 pm and then to Bucharest departing at  8.20 and arriving at 11. 40. Then we find out Karen and Ross are the next day! 

Karen eventually gets the same flight but is on standby but she was told she and Ross should be ok. Let’s hope we do not have another delay and miss the Frankfurt to Bucharest connection. I then had to get onto our pickup and advise the change of details. It is going to be a long day, I then get a message that our tour for tomorrow has been cancelled, which is probably good thing in view of our late arrival.

Thursday 26 September

 This morning is cloudy but not raining and 18 degrees after staying overnight in Rijeka. We have free time this morning before an early lunch then a 1 hr 50 min drive to Rovinj. We wander in to the markets and have a look around. Fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and fish. There does not appear to be any size limit judging by the size of some fish for sale. We then have time to pack for departure tomorrow.

At 12.30 we head off to Rovinji. Our guide is full of information on the history of the town which is on the coast and just 170 kms across the Adriatic to Venice. To get there we have to travel over/through the mountains to the other side of the peninsular. The roads are very good and there are a couple of long tunnels through the mountains. Once through the mountains the landscape changes dramatically. There are fields growing crops and far less limestone.

Our guide informs us that 80% of the limestone used in Venice came from Rovinj. The town is very different from the others we have visited, still narrow streets and lanes, but no walled city. It looks like it could be in Cinque Terre. Apparently there is a large contingent of Italians who reside in the area and Italian is spoken throughout the town. 

At one stage the town and surrounding area was sold to the Austrians so they could have a port. One 105 year old lady had five citizenships without changing her address. Italian, Austrian, Yugoslavian and Croatian. Quite a few have had multiplied citizenships.

We wander about the town and then head back to the bus for our return to the Princess.

We arrive back just after 6 so have plenty of time to finish packing and then attend the captain’s farewell dinner. Another good time is had by all.

The food has been great and plentiful and enough variety for everyone. The Croatians are very proud and protective of their freedom. One other thing that stood out was the cleanliness of their streets, very little litter, but in Reijka we did see graffiti and evidence of homeless.

Tomorrow we head to the airport for our flights to Bucharest. Our host has been in touch and provided us with door and key codes and wifi access. We are on the 7th floor but there is an elevator!

Using the airport wifi so photos to come later.

Wednesday 25 September

 This morning we have a 5 am departure. I hear the engines start up but then fall back to sleep. It is a fine sunny morning but apart from a small stop at Rab we will be sailing all day. 

Rab is a smallish island and we only have a self guided tour although our Director Tomas accompanies us and shows us the way and the particular highlights. It is a lovely morning and though there are some steps it is an easy walk. It is a picturesque town and after just over an hour we are done.

The sky is starting to look menacing. As we sail away and prepare for lunch we are heading into some very threatening weather. However our captain skilfully navigates around most of the weather. The island of Krk which we were going to visit disappears in the weather. Tomas tells we have an extra excursion tomorrow to Rovinj to make up for the other cancellations. It is a 1.5 hours bus ride to the city.

We reach Rijeka and have a short walk before dinner. It is quite a large town and more cosmopolitan than the other old towns we visited. Tonight at dinner we have a trivia night.

We have a win at trivia with Kaye doing very well and the rest of us adding some important answers. There is a prize for the best named team and Costalotta won! We also end up winning the trivia! 

Tomorrow is our last day and we now have to think about re-packing. 😕

Photos from Zadar

 

Sea organ pipe

Sun light show

The sun

Sun sent over the water 

The planets

Roman ruins

Sailing from Sibenik

Queen Victoria

Photos of Sibenik

 

Sea Gate water used to reach the gate

Water clock

Magnificent cathedral with no internal wooden framework 

Waterfront

Busts of ordinary people include in the Cathedral facade

Tuesday 24 September

 We wake to pouring rain, thunder and lightning. We have a walking tour at 9 am! Tomas our tour director tells us at breakfast that the rain will clear and we might experience some light rain. Only Ross and I decide to go on the tour. By the time we leave the sun is out and the rain has gone.

Our guide today is full of interesting information. Sibenik was only founded 1000 years ago and was not subjected to invasion by the Ottoman, Romans or Venetians. It is hard to believe that none of those nations discovered the harbour.  Their population was once in the 40000s but the plague devestated the city and it was down to 16000, but has now climbed back up to 35000. Schools have one week of morning teaching and then one week in the afternoon. Similarly workers can choose to work from 6 to 2 or 2 to 10. Lunch is their main meal and dinner is leftovers from lunch and cold cuts of meat and cheese.

The city layout is much like the other places we have visited. With such beautiful places on the water it is no wonder there are so many boats and yachts around.

We enter a square and there is an unusual water fountain. It is a water clock. The water jets on the outside signify the seconds and the longer stream from the middle the hour and the shorter the minutes. It is now quite sunny and getting warm. 

Back on board our tour director Tomas advises us the captain is worried by forecast high winds from tomorrow night. The harbour at Rab where we were to dock is not protected from southerly winds so he has decided to proceed to Rijeka but will stop at Rab for a short tour on the island. 

We are now sailing to Zadar and the temperature is 25 degrees. Zadar is quite a large city and we pass two cruise liners moored at docks just outside the main entrance, one is the Queen Victoria. We have a walking tour from 5 pm and then free time and dining in town. Our guide once again is great, there are many impressive buildings and ancient ruins and of course another city wall! She tells us towards the end of the tour she has a surprise for us. In the meantime she takes us down the Main Street and tells us of a tradition where single men would walk down one side and single women would walk on the opposite, the right side because women are always right. As they passed each other they would check to see if anyone was interesting enough to warrant an approach. Our guide Martina tells us that was how her parents met with her mother giving her father a wink to let him know she was interested. It does not occur as much these days as most hook ups occur over the internet. She also told us that those not single would parade down the centre of the street to show off their new clothes.

We move onto the surprise, which is on the waterfront. There is a large blue circle which looks like solar panels. This represents the sun. Then trailing away is a number of smaller circles, these represent the planets and are placed in relation to their distance from the sun on a similar scale! Also the sun is an array of solar panels which stores the energy and then produces a light show at night. We have another surprise as we walk a little further where hundreds of people are just sitting on the steps staring out over the water. We hear a beautiful humming musical sound. They are a sea organ as in a pipe organ. The tide and waves enter pipes set under the sea to create this amazing sound. There are holes in the ground where the air and sound escape and create the music. It is so peaceful and soothing, no wonder there are so many people there. It is also a great place to watch the sunset. The tour ends here.

We then move on to a restaurant recommended by one of crew onboard - his cousin’s restaurant and he has promised us 15% off. It is a lovely setting in an open air garden. We order three burgers and the girls have three Caesar salads. The girls have broken away for our ordering technique!

After a lovely dinner we head back to the waterfront for the light show and another listen to the sea pipes.

Another guuud day!

Photos to follow.

Photos Monday 23 September

 

Entering Sibenik harbour

Waterfalls

View of lakes driving into national park

Ship leaving harbour - L’Austral   Our Antarctic Ship

Croatian BBQ