Gligora Cheese Factory, Pag Island - Everyone Say ‘Cheese!

We are parked up at Camping Selce, (N45.15362 E14.72262) and have a sea view through the trees and over the tops of the holiday lodges – whoop! whoop!

Before leaving Pag we had a look around a cheese factory in Kolan, famous for the making of Paški Sir - the official cheese of the Island of Pag since 1918.  Before going into the production area, we had to dress up in a paper coat, paper hat and shoe covers, for hygiene regions. 

Say 'Cheese'!

We were the only two on the guided tour and our guide explained the history around the factory and the process of making the various cheeses.

The cheese is only made for 5 months of the year from the sheep’s milk on the island and the special flavour comes from the sheep eating the salt herbs created by the Bura winds.  In the curing room, there were rows upon rows of cheese from young to old.  The youngest is 5 months old and the oldest is 3 years before it gets sent out to the shops. Everything is done by hand from milking the sheep to layering the flavours around the cheese (such as rosemary, cherries, olive and wine) and packaging.

Flavouring the cheeses

The cheese isn’t cheap but when you see and hear about the processes involved you understand why.  After the tour it was off to the tasting room to sample all of the cheeses we had just seen.  You can just do the tour on its own but we opted for the tasting platter and wine, which including the tour for 2 people was 167 kuna (£19 approx), which we thought was good value.

Mel ready for the tasting session

Watching the sheep enjoying their salty herbs to make that tasty Paški Sir (Pag Cheese)

Leaving Pag Island this morning, we headed north to catch the ferry to the mainland.  It was quicker than going south via Pag bridge (the way we came onto the island) and then having to head north again. The closer we got to the ferry port the more rocky the landscape seemed to become, until there was no more greenery to be seen.  This part obviously gets battered by the northly Bura winds coming over the Velebit Mountains.

Waiting patiently in the queue for the ferry to the mainland

The ferry journey takes about 15 minutes, so we managed a quick walk around on the upper deck and a look back at the rocky Island of Pag.

Leaving Pag, Mel is looking a bit windswept - must be that Bura wind!

Approaching mainland and the Velebit Mountains that we last saw when we were in Nin.

Disembarking, we took a slow drive up the coastal road to Selce.  Enjoying the views of Pag Island on the other side.

Lovely views looking towards the Islands of Pag, Rab and Krk

Arriving at the campsite late afternoon, we managed to enjoy the last of the sun and a barbeque.  Only one more day until October, and we have started to notice how quickly the night time temperatures are dropping and so by 7pm it's time to come inside!   Tomorrow we are off to explore Selce before heading off to the Island of Krk, the largest island in Croatia.

Sally x 

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

The Tiny Island of Nin

Sonny (the motorhome) is on a small campsite in Zaton - Autocamp Peros (N44.22983° E15.17295°) near the island of Nin, in the shadow of pine, olive and fig Trees.

We are managing to squeeze out the last of the sun down in Croatia but we know it won’t be for much longer.  Temperatures are struggling to get to a max of 24°C now but we are still managing a dip in the campsite pool. 

Across the road from us is Zaton Holiday Resort that has 1500 plots – wow it is massive.  It is controlled by security guards and barriers but we managed to just walk in.  It took us about 30 minutes to walk around it and looking at the motorhomes and campers there is every nationality here! It is an ACSI site and only costs €2 euros more than Autocamp Peros but everything you use you have to pay extra for and has a feel of Butlins about it, with loud speakers announcing everything and music blasting out everywhere.  In comparison Peros takes 60 motorhomes/ campers/ tents but there are only about 10 motorhomes on here and it is lovely and quiet – oh my goodness I sound so old all of a sudden!

Watching the sun set over the sea near to the campsite

A couple of kilometres up the road is the pretty Dalmatian town of Nin, which sits on a small island in the middle of a shallow lagoon and connected to the mainland by 2 stone bridges.  It is the oldest Croatian royal city.  To get to it you pass through the salt works that has been producing salt for thousands of years and is also know for its medicinal mud which apparently has cured many illnesses.

Stone Bridge and Lower Gate into Nin

The still waters of the lagoon overlooking the Velebit Mountains

The bronze statue of Grgur Ninski (Gregory of Nin).  We first saw a monument of him in Split and the same tradition of rubbing his big toe to bring you luck still applies.  Well, it’s worth giving it a try!

The town is over 3 thousand years old still surrounded by the town walls and gates, with remains of the Romans in the form of a Roman temple and house.

St Cross, the smallest cathedral in the world

The oldest cathedral in Croatia

Love these little characters!

Outside of Nin sits St Nikola - 7 Croatian kings have been crowned here.  Unfortunately, it is padlocked up so not a lot to see here.

Careful coming down that steep hill Mel!

A large bug decided to camp out in our bathroom last night! Needless to say I had a panic attack, as I am not a lover of them!

This afternoon we are off to Zadar on the scooter - about 15 kilometres away.

Sally x

The Natural Wonder of KRKA National Park

We woke up this morning to blue sky, glorious sunshine and high temperatures.  What a contrast to yesterday’s wind, rain and cold temperatures.  The weather in Croatia seems to change so quickly.  We wanted to get to KRKA early to avoid the crowds, and luckily the park was only a few kilometres from the campsite.  We got there for 9am on the scooter and not a tour group in site - result!

You usually get a boat up the river to the entrance to the park but all this week is known as ‘Mobility Week’ and for a 25% reduction on the ticket price they are encouraging people to walk to the entrance rather than take the boat.  It’s only an 8kms round trip, so we thought why not we could do with the exercise. At the ticket office we handed over 130Kuna (€17.50 for 2 adults).  The man handed us our tickets and asked us where we were from.  England, we replied, okay he said, so would you like an information brochure in English or German? Erm, English please Mel said slightly confused!  We know it has been nearly 9 months since we were in England but we are sure, as night follows day that the language hasn't changed!

Skradinski buk is the longest waterfall on the Krka river and one of Croatia’s best known natural wonders.

Skradinski buk

In this part of the lake you are allowed to swim, although the waterfall area is sectioned off.  We were tempted to go in for a swim but were put off by the sign "Enter at your own risk, there is an increased risk of drowning due to the strong under currents and coldness of the water".  We decided we valued our lives too much to chance it and chose to pose for a photo instead!

Like Plitvice Lakes that we visited a few days ago, you follow a network of trails and wooden walkways around the lake and waterfalls.  We enjoyed Krka, as there wasn’t the crowds we had encountered at Plitvice or the sweltering heat.  The National Park covers an area of 109km² and impossible to cover it all in one day unless you join a tour group or purchase additional tickets that takes you on an extended boat and bus trip.  We spent 3 leisurely hours wondering around the lakes and waterfalls.  WARNING: there are a lot of waterfall photos coming up!

There are over 20 species of fish in the lake - couldn't tell you what these ones are though!

There is a water mill on the route, that demonstrates how they use the water to soften wool and mill corn and explains the history of the hydropower plant.

Remnants of the former Krka Hydropower Plant stand at Skradinski buk. Hydroelectric Krka was the first Croatian hydroelectric alternating current.  Put into operation August 1985, two days before the hydro dam on the Niagra River was put into place.

Krka is an amazing natural wonder, just like Plitvice is stunningly beautiful.  We would definitely recommend you visit them both.

Sally x