Croatia, Take 2

One year ago I visited Croatia. I fell in love form the first sunrise. The natural beauty is unmatched from anywhere I have been. There was one major attraction that I missed on my first trip that I knew I would have to come back and see one day, Plitvice Lakes. That day has now come and gone. These lakes were worth the wait.

This trip was a girls getaway. 1 American, 1 Spaniard, and 2 Fins decided to embark on a Croatian Adventure.

We arrived in the capital city of Zagreb after a long night on the bus. Rain was on the forecast, but we were determined to make the most of our day. We explored a bit on our own, checked into our hostel, and then joined a free walking tour of the city. Zagreb was not my favorite city, but I think my excitement to visit the lakes the next day kept me from giving it its best chance. Another factor that was really working against Zagreb was how tired we all were. So tired that we accidentally took a 4 hour siesta. Whoops.

Today is the day. Gonna go chase some waterfalls. We booked a tour to the lakes since we were staying two hours away from the park and with only 1 day to see it, we wanted a guide to efficiently show us the best there is to see. Breath taking is the only way to describe it. I had visited Krka national park last year and was blown away. This is Krka on steroids.

I am very happy with the time of year we decided to visit the falls (early May). It was not yet overly crowded or hot. Everything was green and the water was crystal clear. We, Irene in particular, never wanted to leave.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end and that night Irene and I were on yet another bus to our next stop...

Verona, Italy.

Irene and I parted ways. She returned back to Innsbruck and I waited for a few special guest to arrive. I explored on my own. Drank a cappuccino. Realized that I cannot handle such high levels of caffeine. Finally found my parents.

Mom and Dad are back in Europe, this time with four of their closest friends. After lunch, a bit more exploration, and an impromptu rain storm we decided to say goodbye to Verona.