The Old City of Zadar, to the ‘moon-like’ Island of Pag

We are on the Island of Pag at Camping Village Simuni (N44.46384 E14.96777).  This campsite is huge, it has 5 beaches, its own marina and about 4,500 plots of lodges, permanent caravans and motorhome spots. However, this time of year it is only about a 10^th full and although we hate large campsites this one isn’t too bad as it's spacious and the setting is stunning.  It is more like a little village with its own restaurants and cafés, a fish market, supermarket, a bakery and stalls selling local products.  The campsite is divided up into sections, with the premium section being right on the beach.  As we are using our ACSI Card and getting a plot for just €17 we have to park slightly back from the sea.  I was a bit disgruntled as a lot of the premium pitches are empty but if we wanted one we have to pay double.  I was tempted but there was no way Mel was going to part with extra dosh to be a few metres closer to the sea, so he said he would take me out for a ‘slap up’ meal instead, that would include lots of wine – who was I to argue with that!  From our plot we actually get a sea view through the trees if you strain your eyes!

Sonny, the motorhome sheltering under the shade of pine trees looking out to sea!

Before leaving our last campsite at Zadan, we had a trip in to Zadar on the scooter – about 10kms from Autocamp Peros.  It’s a lovely old town with very little tourists – in fact we only saw one coach load of Japanese tourists as we were crossing the bridge from the old to the new town.

This little submarine looks like good fun to go out on!

In the centre is the City Forum, a large Roman Forum founded by the first Emperor Augustus, that sits St Donatus Church and Cathedral.

To one side of the Forum stands the ‘Pillar of Shame’ where naughty people were chained and pilloried.  Mel was quite happy to go and stand by it, as long as I didn't chain him to it!

The Land Gate – once the main entrance into the city.

Walking down towards the north-west end of the town you come across the Sea Organ – the first in the world.  It’s basically a series of steps leading down to the sea and by a clever bit of engineering sea water and air is sucked in underneath the lower steps pushed through 35 pipes of various lengths and pushed out through channels on the upper steps.  It produces a chime a bit like pan pipes that is constantly changing due to the shift in the sea so you never hear the same sound twice – brilliant!

The Solar Circle (that changes colour with the sunset) and people sat on the steps of the Sea Organ

After a couple of hours mooching around Zadar, it was back to the campsite for a game of table tennis.

We left Zadar at about 10am yesterday, and headed north. It was a grey and wet morning as we followed the narrow roads around Nin and towards the Island of Pag. We were greeted on Pag bridge by strong winds and rain.  We couldn’t resist stopping for a photo on the bridge, although Mel looks like he is going to be blown over!

Pag is an unusual island, it’s a cross between being on the moon and in the wild west - not that we have been to either but have seen pictures! It is extremely rocky and crater looking and has dessert-like scenery with hardly any vegetation and what does exist is mostly scrub and salty herbs.  The salt is attributed to the Bura winds that blow across these parts. As the wind kicks up, it blows the salt from the Adriatic Sea onto the island grass. The sheep graze on the salty grass and herbs, which makes their milk extremely tasty for their Pag cheese and the Pag lamb.  Along with sheep farming, the other main industries are Pag salt (there have been salt pans here for centuries) and lace making.

Waking up this morning, the weather had changed.  The rain and wind had gone and was replaced by sun and blue sky, so we had a scooter ride into the old town of Pag.

Pag

The biggest place on the island is Pag, but that said, it isn't that big and you can easily walk around it in an hour or two.

The sign on this street says it is Pag's oldest street

Lace for sale outside an old house in Pag

We couldn't find a restaurant that we fancied eating in in Pag, so we headed back to the campsite for Mel to honour his deal of me getting my 'slap up' meal!  We had a shared starter of Pag Cheese, prosciutto ham, olives and salad, followed by Pag lamb, roasty potatoes, veg and salad, washed down with wine - delicious!

As the sea was very calm here this afternoon we took the kayak out – we figured we hadn’t had too much to drink at lunch time!  It hadn’t been out on the water since Italy, back in June.

Mel dropped me off on one of the pontoons, to sunbathe for a while.

The salty beaches of Simuni offer three elements of Pag – oil, salt and rock and is the only one in Europe. The campsite offers Halotherapy, known to improve your health and immune system – might give that a go before I leave!

Halotherapy at Simuni

Watching the Sunset go down tonight from the campsite was stunning!

Sally x