Bilo je to kobne 2014 godine. S obzirom da je Andrei živio u Italiji punih 16 godina, znao je raditi kod svojih susjeda u berbi grožđa. Satnica je bila nesto malo manje od 10 eura, a radio si od 8 do 12, zatim dva sata odmora za rucak i onda od 2 do 6 navecer. Zvuci podnošljivo, zar ne? Kad je on meni rekao za to, to mi se činilo kao dobra i poprilično laka zarada novaca. Rekla sam da mozemo probat. No, s obzirom da ga susjed nije bas previse volio i, po njegovim pricama, zezao za svaku sitnicu, rekao je da će nam naći isti posao samo kod drugih ljudi. Ja sam to prepustila njemu, a moj zadatak je bio nagovoriti moje roditelje. Na moje veliko iznenađenje, pustili su me! Tako smo mi krenuli za Italiju. Prije toga imali smo tehnički pregled auta i tamo smo se zadržali jer nešto nije bilo dobro i morali smo to srediti ukoliko želimo krenuti za Italiju. Uspjeli smo riješiti problem, auto je prošao tehnički, a mi smo tek popodne oko 6 krenuli na put koje će trajati 6-7 sati. Nije baš dobra ideja obavljati važne stvari na dan puta, vjerujte mi. Uz put smo naravno opalili par fotki, a kad se spustio mrak umor je uzeo maha i šopali smo se red-bullima. Do Italije smo došli u polusnu.
[ENG] It was a fatal 2014. Given that Andrei lived in Italy for 16 years, he used to work with his neighbors in the grape harvest. The pay-check was something a little less than 10 euros, and you've worked 8-12, then you had two hours of lunch break and then 2-6 in the evening. Sounds tolerable, doesn't it? When he told me about it, it seemed like a good and fairly easy earning of money. I said we can try. But given that the neighbor and Andrei don't really like each other a lot, he said that we will find the same deal only with other people. I left that to him, and my task was to persuade my parents. To my great surprise, they let me go! So we set off for Italy. Before that we had a technical inspection of the car and we got hold up there because something was not right and we had to take care of if we want to go to Italy. We were able to solve the problem, the car had passed the technical, and we finally set off at 6 in the afternoon on 6-7 hour journey. It's not really a good idea to be solving important things at a day of the trip, believe me. Along the way we naturally took a few pictures, and when darkness fell exhaustion took hold and we had to drink a few strong coffees and RedBulls. To Italy we got half asleep.

Tamo smo odsjedali kod njegovog tate koji je ostao živjeti tamo s Andreovom mlađom sestrom, no s obzirom da on često ide i u Hrvatsku, u to vrijeme je bio tamo, a mi smo imali kuću za sebe. Kada smo stigli u gradić zvan Pedersano gdje je Andrei prije živio, iznijeli smo kofere i bacili se ravno u krevet. Po noći nisam uspjela ništa vidjeti tako da mi je jutro sa sobom donijelo neke stvarno predivne slike. Pogledajte čemu sam se probudila.
[ENG] In Italy we stayed with his father who lives there with Andrei's younger sister, but considering that he often goes to Croatia, at the time he wasn't there, and we had the house to ourselves. When we arrived to a small town called Pedersano where Andrei lived before, we threw our bags and jumped straight to bed. At night I couldn't see anything so in the morning I saw some really beautiful pictures. See to what I woke up to.



U Italiji smo namjeravali ostati tri tjedna te cijelo to vrijeme raditi. Trebali smo s radom početi par dana nakon našeg dolaska, no, cijelo vrijeme je padala kiša te nije bilo povoljno za berbu. Tako smo proveli tjedan dana doma, malo istražujući Pedersano i Rovereto, ali većinom brinući se hoćemo li uopće početi sa radom ili će nastaviti lijevati kiša. O, nismo ni znali koliko nam je bilo lijepo.
[ENG] In Italy we intended to stay for three weeks to work. We were supposed to start work a few days after our arrival, but all the time it was raining and it was not good weather for harvesting. So we spent a week at home, exploring Pedersano and Rovereto a little, but worrying whether we'll even start working or will it continue to rain. Oh, we did not know how much it was nice to sit home.



Nakon tjedan dana probudili smo se i vani je sijalo sunce. Bilo smo uzbuđeni jer ćemo napokon početi raditi. Nazvali smo naše poslodavce i saznali da sljedeći dan počinjemo sa radom. No, tada su nas zatekli kada su nam rekli da moramo doći ujutro u 6 na posao. Isprva smo mislili da je to zato jer se još moramo dogovoriti detalje, ali nismo ni znali koliko smo bili u krivu. Sljedeći dan pojavili smo se na poslu i upoznali se sa ostalim radnicima, među kojima su većina bili stranci. Tada smo saznali da do vinograda u kojem radimo moramo prijeći 30-ak kilometara. Sa sobom smo povezli još dvoje radnika jer nisu svi imali aute. Malo nam je zasmetalo što nemaju organiziran prijevoz radnika te moramo trošiti svoj benzin no, smatrali smo da će nam to na kraju biti plačeno. Kada smo sitgli, pred sobom smo vidjeli vinograd bez imalo hlada, na nizbrdici, ispod kojeg je bilo gradilište. Ni to nam se bas nije svidjelo no, šta sad, tu smo došli da bi radili. Krenuli smo sa poslom i sve je bilo u redu do ručka, za koji smo smatrali da će biti organiziran. No, dobro da smo si ponijeli nešto kruha i paštete jer bi ostali gladni. Jedino što su ovi ljudi imali za svoje radnike je bila voda, no i nje nam je ponestalo za samo par sati. Naime, ručali smo u sjeni bagera, na pijesku. Bilo je 12 sat, radili smo od 7, a imali smo samo pola sata pauze. Izmučeni suncem i umorni nastavili smo s radom koji je navodno trebao trajati do 6 sati. Naravno, trajao je i duže, bez obzira na to što se računalo do 6. Završili smo posao oko 7 sati, vratili njihove radnike gdje smo se prvotno okupili te otišli doma. Nakon što su nam se mišići opustili, cijelo tijelo počelo nas je nevjerojatno boljeti. Popili smo tablete protiv bolova i otišli spavati znajući kako sutra opet moramo opet proći kroz sve što smo proživjeli taj dan.
[ENG] After a week we woke up and the sun was shining outside. We were excited because we could finally start working. We called our employers and find out that we'restarting the next day. But then they caught us a little unprepared and told us we start at 6 in the morning. At first we thought it was because we still have to work out the details, but we did not know how wrong we were. The next day we appeared at work and met up with other workers, and the majority were foreigners. Then we learned that to vineyards we have to go to were 30 kilometers (one way!). We took two other workers in the car with us bacuse not everyone had cars. It bothered us that they do not have organized transport for their workers and we have to spend our gas but we felt that this will eventually be paid. When we arrived, we saw a vineyard without a shade, on a downhill slope, beneath which was a construction site. We didn't like that a lot but we couldn't do much about it – we came here to work. We started working and everything was fine until lunch, which we thought would be organized. Well, good that we brought some bread and pate because they didn't have any food for us. The only thing these people had for their workers was water, but we ran out of it in a few hours. In fact, we had lunch in the shadow of the excavator. It was exactly afternoon and we've been working from 7, with only half an hour break. The sun and the tireness was killing us, we continued with the work that was supposed to last until 6 in the afternoon. Of course, it lasted longer. We finished work at about 7, drove their workers to where we originally came together and went home. After our muscles relaxed, the whole body began to hurt. We took some painkillers and went to bed knowing that tomorrow we must relive this day again.

Keljavost, kukci i umor dočekali su nas i sutradan. Isti vinograd, isti ljudi, no ovaj put čak bez vode, koju su poslodavci zaboravili ponesti. Bez svoje vode od 2L ostali smo već nakon 2 sata rada i jedva smo čekali onu ako-to-možemo-zvati-pauzom pauzu. Kasnije su donijeli vodu no na nas 20tak radnika svatko je jedva dobio litru. Jučerašnji dan ponovio se; radili smo bez prestanka uz pola sata pauze. I opet – doma se vratili u ogromnim bolovima. Tada sam se ja raspala. Ležala sam na kauču i počela razmišljati kako mi nedostaje moja obitelj i kako ću ih razočarati ukoliko odustanem od ovog posla. Nakon što sam se dobrano isplakala, bilo je vrijeme da popričam s mamom, koja je to iznenađujuće dobro podnijela te me poduprijela i rekla da me čeka doma u Hrvatskoj ma što bilo. Tada smo počeli razmišljati o odustajanju, no ja sam odustajanje i dalje smatrala krivim odabirom. Tako smo i sutradan otišli na posao slomljena duha, a do kraja dana bili smo sigurni da to više ne vodi nikamo i da nećemo izdržati više ni dana. Po povratku sa posla, javili smo poslodavcima da više nećemo raditi i napokon u miru usnuli znajući da se od sutra nećemo više buditi u bolovima. Iako možda Andrei i ja nismo bili naviknuti na veliki rad, ipak je to bio preveliki zalogaj. No, kao iz svih ostalih iskustava, izvukli smo lekciju – prije rada u inozemstvu, dobro provjeri za koga ćeš zapravo raditi.
[ENG] Stickieness, insects and fatigue waited for us the next day. The same vineyard, the same people, but this time even without water, they forgot to bring it. We run out of our 2l water after 2 hours of work and we couldn't wait for that one if-you-can-call-a-break break . Later they brought us water, but on 20 workers, each barely got a liter. Yesterday was repeated; we have been working non-stop with a half hour break. And again - back home in huge pain. Then I broke down. I layed on the couch and started thinking about how I miss my family and that I will disappoint them if I give up this job. After I cried a good deal, it was time to talk to my mom, which she took surprisingly well and supported me and told me she was waiting for me at home in Croatia no matter what happens. Then we started thinking about giving up, but I still tought it would be wrong to give up. So we went to work the next day, broken spirits, and by the end of the day we were sure that it wasn't leading to anywhere and that we weren't going to endure one more day. After returning from work, we told the employers that we will no longer work and finally fell asleep in peace knowing that tomorrow we weren't going to wake up in pain. Although Andrei and I were not used to do hard work, we took a too big of a bite on this one. But, as from all other experiences, we got out with a lesson - before working abroad, be sure to check for whom you will actually work.

Iako smo se nam(učili), ovo nam je bila prilika da malo razgledamo po Pedersanu i okolici te smo odlučili ostati još barem tjedan dana da malo uživamo u Italiji kada smo već do nje i došli. Prvi izlazak bio nam je u centar Rovereta gdje me Andrei odveo na jedno od najboljih jela koje sam jela u zivotu – pravi indijski chicken curry. Restoran se nalazi odmah u centru. Posluga im je odlična, a hrana još bolja. Ukoliko idete jesti tamo, a toplo vam savjetujem da odete ukoliko se nađete u blizini Revereta, nemojte zaboraviti uz curry naručiti i indijski kruh ''pane nan''. Kombinacija za prste polizat! Još ako uz to naručite i ''tartuffo alla vanilia'' što je nešto u tipu sladoleda sa jezgrom okusa kave. Ajme, sve bih dala da sada mogu biti tamo i jesto to umjesto da ovdje pišem o tome!
[ENG] Although we had some infernal days, this was our chance to look around Pedersano and we decided to stay another week to enjoy Italy a little bit . The first trip was to the center of Rovereto where Andrei took me to one of the best meals I've ever had in my life - a real Indian chicken curry. The restaurant is located right in the center. The staff there is really polite and the food is even better. If you are going to eat there,and we strongly advise you do if you are someweher nea Rovereto, do not forget to order the Indian bread 'pane nan' with the curry. The combination is excellent ! For dessert we ordered '' tartuffo alla vanilia '' something like an ice cream with a core flavor of coffee. Oh, I'd give everything to be there and eat it instead here writing about it!



Nakon toga prošetali smo se centrom, upoznali vrlo zanimljive patke i vratili se u svoje dječje dane!
[ENG] After that we walked to the center, met very interesting ducks and returned to our children's days!



Ako se pitate gdje u Italiji jeftino kupovati EuroSpin je mjesto koje tražite. Za samo 8 eura kupili smo hranu koja nam je trajala sljedećih par dana stoga znate što vam je činiti. Ukoliko nismo jeli hranu iz dučana, radili smo odlične domaće pizze koje smo jeli uz još bolji pogled!
[ENG] The most of the time we spent in Italy, we bought food in Eurospin which for me was a revelation. If you're asking where to buy cheap in Italy Eurospin is the place you're looking for. For only 8 euros, we bought food that we took on for the next couple of days. When we didnt eat food from the store, we did great homemade pizza which we ate with an even better view!



Pedersano je gradić koji se nalazi u blizini većeg grada Rovereta (a Rovereto se nalazi blizu Verone). To je predivan gradić koji me malo podsjetio na naše dalmatinske gradove. Popločane ulice i kamene kuće dašak su tradicije, što čini Pedersano pravim malim romantičnim gradićem. Naravno i u Pedersanu našli smo odličnu pizzeriju ''La miniera'' u kojoj se cijene pizza vrte oko 5-7€. Jednom kad probate talijansku pizzu, zaboravit ćete na sve hrvatske pizze!
[ENG] Pedersano is a town located near the major city of Rovereto (Rovereto is located near Verona). It is a beautiful town that reminded me a little of our Dalmatian cities. Paved streets and stone houses are a breath of tradition, which makes Pedersano a real little romantic town. Of course, in Pedersano we found an excellent pizzeria 'La miniera' 'in which the price of pizza was spinning around € 5-7. Once you try the Italian pizza, you will forget all about Croatian pizza!

Nakon kiše koja nam je upropastila prvih tjedan dana našeg boravka i mučenja na iscrpljujućem poslu, došlo je vrijeme da uživamo u sunčanim danima koji su nam dolazili. Te dane iskoristili smo obilazeći ljepote okolice Pedersana. Jedna od tih ljepota je Lago di Cei koji se nalazi svega 15 minuta vožnje od Pedersana.
[ENG] After the rain that ruined the first week of our stay and the torture at the exhausting work, it was time to enjoy the sunny days that came to us. These days we took visiting beauty of the surroundings fo Pedersano. One of the beauties was the Lago di Cei, which is located only 15 minutes drive from Pedersano.



Nismo propustili ni priliku prošetati se kroz predivne vinograde koji su posvuda. Pritom smo ukrali i par jabuka, da procijenimo koja je vrsta bolja. ;) Pssst, nemojte nikome reći!
[ENG] We did not miss any opportunity to walk through the beautiful vineyards that are everywhere. In doing so we stole a couple of apples, to see what kind was better. ;) Shhh, don't tell anyone!



Sunčani dani nas nisu izdali, a mi smo ih i dalje provodili uživajući u prirodi. Posjetili smo ogroman kanjon zvan Lagghetti del Leno. Njime protječe istoimena rječica Leno, no po njezinoj veličini u tome dijelu kanjona rekla bih da je više potok. Ali potok koji je u nama probudio prave istraživače kako bismo ga prešli.
[ENG] Sunny days kept on going, and we still spent then enjoying nature.We visited a huge canyon called Laghetti del Leno. In that canion runs the river leno which by its size in that part of the canyon, I would say that is more a stream. But a stream that wakes up the explorers in us.



Jedan od dana proveli smo istražujući neimeni slap koji se nalazi u jednoj šumi u blizini, a do kojega je vrlo lako doći no potrebno je poznavati okolicu ukoliko biste došli do njega.
[ENG] One of the days we spent exploring an unamed waterfall located in a forest near us and to whom is very easy to get but it is necessary to know the surroundings to find it.



Ostatak našeg boravka u Italiji provodili smo u uživanju u ovoj predivnoj prirodi i druženju sa Andreovim prijateljima. Zadnji dan prije našeg odlaska odlučili smo se počastiti te zajedno s njima posjetiti Gardaland. Bilo je zaista zabavno te smo obišli mnoge vožnje, no većinom one koje nisu sadržavale puno okretanja i penjanja na velike visine s obzirom da nismo baš ljubitelji visina.
[ENG] The rest of our stay in Italy we spent in the enjoyment in this beautiful nature and having fun with Andrei's friends. The last day before we left we decided to visit Gardaland with them. It was really fun and we visited many rides, but the majority of those that did not contain a lot of turning and climbing to great heights since we are not fans of height.



Nakon Gardalanda čekao nas je velik put – bilo je vrijeme da se vratimo u Hrvatsku. Znali smo da neće biti lako s obzirom da je to put od 7-8 sati te da ćemo morati naći načina da ostanemo budni. No, nismo ni očekivali ono što će nam se uskoro dogoditi. Vozili smo se i zapričali se te smo primijetili da smo krivo skrenuli – umjesto pokraj Trsta, mi smo zaglibili u sami njegov centar. Andrei se koliko toliko znao snaći po Trstu, ali po noći je i njemu sve izgledalo strano. Počeli smo paničariti jer smo znali da se vozimo na malo goriva, koje smo planirali natočiti kada prijeđemo granicu. Tada smo napokon našli pravi put koji nas je trebao odvesti na onaj prema granici. Taj put je bio velika uzbrdica kojom smo se počeli penjati, ali uskoro nam se dogodilo ono najgore – auto je stao nasred ceste. Pokušali smo ga upaliti par puta, ali nije davao nikakve znakove života. Tada je počela prava panika. Bili smo na uzbrdici i bojala sam se da će auto krenuti nizbrdo i da ga nećemo moći zaustaviti. Andrei ga je nekako uspio uparkirati u dvorište manevrirajući ga unazad i tamo smo stali, izašli iz auta, pogledali se koji vrag da sada radimo pogledom i počeli pregledavati auto da možda shvatimo u čemu je problem. Nismo vidjeli ništa što bi nam dalo ikakvu ideju kako da se izvučemo odavde. Sjeli smo na rubnik ceste, očajni i zaglavljeni. Kroz glavu nam je prolazilo više stvari; u drugoj smo državi, daleko od doma, gdje je sve skupo, a mi imamo par desetaka eura u džepu, ne možemo zvati vučnu službu preko HAK-a jer nismo u Hrvatskoj, a vučna služba ovdje koštala bi nas stotinjak eura. Nismo znali što napraviti niti imali ikoga koga bismo pitali što da napravimo. Na glas sam razmišljala i tješila nas oboje: ''Jednog dana ćemo se smijati ovome.''
[ENG] After Gardaland a long trip was waiting for us - it was time to go back to Croatia. We knew it wouldn't be easy considering that the trip lasts 7-8 hours, and we'll have to find a way to stay awake. But we did not expect what was going to happen soon. We drove and chatted when we noticed that we took a wrong turn - instead of near Trieste, we ended up in it's center. Andrei knew a little about streets in Trieste, but at night it all seemed foreign to him too. We started to panic because we knew we were low on fuel, which we had planned to buy when we cross the border. Then we finally made our way on the road to the border. This road was a great climb, which we began to climb, but soon the worst thing that could happen, happened - the car stopped in the middle of the road. We tried to start it up a couple times, but it did not give any signs of life. Then we started to really panic. We were on the hill, and I was afraid that the car will go downhill and not stop. Andrei has somehow managed to park in a yard maneuvering it back and there we stopped, got out of the car and looked at what the hell do we do now. We have not seen anything that would give us any idea how to get out of here. We sat on the curb of the road, desperate and stuck. There were a few things on our minds; we are in another country far from home, where everything is expensive, and we have a few euros in our pockets, we can not call a tow truck over from HAK because we are not in Croatia, and a towing service would cost us hundreds of euros here. We did not know what to do, nor had anyone whom we could ask for help. I was thinking and comforting us out loud: ''Some day we will laugh at this.''

Izgleda da je Trst po noći grad duhova, jer je tada to sigurno bio. Nismo bili u centru grada već smo zapeli na uzbrdici iznad centra, što je još više otežavalo pronalaženje pomoći. Odlučili smo se prošetati do centra grada i možda naći pomoć ili barem pronaći mehaničara kojemu možemo otići sljedeći dan. Našli smo mehaničara koji je otvarao u 8 ujutro te nam je malo laknulo. No, postojao je još jedan problem – morali smo na WC, a sve je bilo zatvoreno u ovo gluho doba noći. Tada smo na trgu ugledali policajce te ih odlučili pitat za pomoć. Dobra stvar je bila što Andrei zna talijanski. Policajci su nam izašli u susret te nam savjetovali da bi bilo najbolje da prespavamo noć i ujutro odemo kod mehaničara te nam pokazali put do obližnjeg kafića koji bi sada trebao raditi. Našli smo ga, ali kafić se zatvarao. Nastavili smo istraživati centar te našli kafić koji radi 0-24h. Sjeli smo se i malo sagledali svoju situaciju. Kafić je imao i wifi te smo opalili jedan selfie koji sam poslala svojoj mami uz obrazloženje situacije. Nije bila toliko zabrinuta koliko sam mislila i čak je i rekla,ukoliko ne uspijemo srediti situaciju, da će ona doći po nas. Odlučili smo se vratiti do auta i odspavati ovih par sati koji su nam preostali. Na putu smo sreli i čovjeka na biciklu koji nam je prvo nudio ruže a potom ''svježe, hladno pivo''. Da baš, svježe i hladno sa bicikla u ovo doba noći. Vratili smo se do auta i ''odspavali'' do 7 ujutro kada smo se ustali i zaputili se do mehaničara kako bismo bili prvi koje će primiti toga jutra. Objasnili smo našu situaciju mehaničaru te je bio toliko dobar da nas je sa svojim autom dopeljao natrag na brdo gdje se nalazio naš kako bi ga pregledao. Uspio je izvući auto iz dvorišta i spustiti ga do radionice. Dogodilo se to da se auto na putu dolje normalno upalio. Stvar je bila u tome što smo imali premalo goriva i kad je auto bio na uzbrdici gorivo nije dolazilo do motora. Mehaničar nam je ulio gorivo, zamijenio filter za gorivo i mi smo bili spašeni, ali par desetaka eura kratki. S olakšanjem da nije bilo nešto ozbiljnije uputili smo se doma. Umorni, ali sretni što je ta cijela stvar iza nas. Sad kada se toga sijećamo, smijemo se cijelom iskustvu. Baš kao što sam rekla kada se to događalo. Pa, ako se i vi nađete u sličnoj situaciju, nemojte ju oplakivati, jer ćete se jednog dana sigurno smijati tome! Mi se već smijemo! :D
[ENG] It seems that Trieste is a ghost town at night, because at that time it really was. We were not in the city center but we got stuck on a hill above the town, from where it's even more difficult to find help. We decided to walk to the city center and maybe find help, or at least find a mechanic to which we can go to the next day. We found a mechanic shop that was opening at 8 o'clock and we were relieved a little. But, there was one more problem – we had to go to the bathroom and there was none open at this time fo night. The we spotted a couple of police offers in the middle of the square and decided to ask them for help. They were friendly and advised us it would be best if we slept through the night in out car and find a mechanic in the morning. They also gave us direction to the coffee shop that was supposed to be working at these late hours. We found the shop, but right at the time it was closing. We explored the center of Trieste a little bit more and run into a coffee shop that was working 24/7. We sat down and looked at our situation. The coffee shop had wifi so we shot a selfie that I sent to my mum explaining our situation and sending her our (lost) regards from Triest! She wasn't worried as I thought she would be and she even said she would come to pick us up if we don't find a solution. We decided to go back to the car and sleep through the hours we had left. On our way back we even ran into a man on bycicle that was trying to sell us roses and a ''fresh, cold beer''. Yeah right, fresh and cold right off of your bycicle in the middle of the night. We came back to the car and slept till 7 in the morning so we can be first at the mechanic's. We explained our situation to the mechanic and he was kind enough to drive us back to where our car was and look at it. He somehow got our car on the road and started rolling it downhill. What happened was that the car started normally when going downhill. The thing was – we ran on low fuel and that's why car wouldn't start when being uphill because the fuel couldn't come to the engine. The mechanic poured fuel into our car, exchanged the fuel filter and we were saved, but a few euros short. We started our journey back home with relief it wasn't something more serious. Tired, but happy this whole thing was behind us. Now, as we remeber it, we laugh at the whole experience. Just like I said right when it was happening. So, when something like this happens to you, don't cry over it, because some day you will be laughing at it! Cuz we sure are laughing at it now! :D


(selfie iz Trsta ; a selfie from being stuck in Trieste)

Oznake: italija, Italy, Pedersano, Rovereto, Lago di Cei, Gardaland

Dok sjedim ovdje, na krevetu punom papira, sa ispitom koji me već sutra očekuje, ne mogu se riješiti potrebe za svježim zrakom, za putovanjem, za otkrivanjem nečega novog i uzbudljivog. Kako bih barem malo utažila tu sveprisutnu želju za putovanjem, uhvatila sam se laptopa da vam dobacim novi post koji neće biti tako dug, ali je meni veoma važan. Bilo je to prije 3 godine, još dok sam bila u srednjoj školi, kada smo otišli na maturalac u predivan češki grad, Prag. Sjećam se dana kada sam sjedila sa curama na terasi našeg omiljenog kafića i radila listu stvari koje ćemo ponijeti na putovanje. Gledajući unatrag na ove slike, shvatila sam da sam prije na putovanjima jako malo u potpunosti uživala u njima. Zašto kaže u potpunosti i na što pritom mislim? Nisam to doživljavala kao ogromnu priliku i čast biti negdje drugdje izvan svoga doma, kao što na to gledam sada. Prije nisam toliko cijenila ono što me okružuje, već sam samo prolazila kroz nepoznate ulice, kraj ljudi čije životne priče ne poznajem, ne upijajući svaki detalj i miris iz okoline koji su mi bili točno pred nosom. Iskustva poput tih propuštala sam kroz svoje dlanove poput pijeska. Nemojte me krivo shvatiti, bio je to zaista predivan put sa divnim ljudima s kojima sam proživjela jedne od najzabavnijih trenutaka u svom životu. No, svejedno bih htjela vratiti vrijeme i ponovno proživjeti taj grad i sve osjećaje,ovaj put sa svježim očima, ALI sa istom količinom zabave koju smo i imali. Ništa ne bih mijenjala osim sebe i svog pogleda na svijet. Pa, draga 16-godišnja ja, počni primjećivati stvari oko sebe i upijaj sve trenutke koju su ti dani kao da ti je to zadnje što ćeš učiniti. No, mi ljudi običavamo hodati kroz život gledajući dolje, propuštajući ga da nas prijeđe i ostavi nas za sobom ni ne gledajući natrag. Na nama je da ga primimo za ruku i hodamo zajedno s njim.


[ENG] While I sit here, on my bed full of papers, with an exam that's waiting for me tomorrow, I can't get rid of this need for fresh air, for travelling, for discovering something new and exciting. To silence that need for travelling even just a bit, I took my laptop to write you a new blogpost that's not gonna be that long, but is very important to me. It was 3 years ago, when I was in highschool, when we went on a trip to a beautiful city of Prague. I remember the day I was sitting with my girls on the terace of our beloved caffe and writing down a list of things we were gonna take to our trip. Looking back at these pictures, I realized that, before, I wasn't enjoying trips to the fullest. You wonder what do I mean when I say to the fullest? I did't Think of it as a great opportunity to be somewhere other that at my home, the way I look at it now. I didn't appreciate what was surrounding me that much before, but I walked through unknown streets, and pass people whose life stories I don't know, not taking in every detail and every smell of the surroundings that were right in front of me. Now, don't get me wrong, it was a really beautiful trip with wonderful people whit whom I lived some of the most fun days of my life. But, I would still like to go back in time and relive that city and all of the feelings, with the same amount of fun we had only this time with some new pair of eyes. I wouldn't change a thing about this trip, except myself. Well, dear sixteenyearold me, start noticing things around you more and take in every moment that's handed to you as if it was the last thing you'll do. But, we as humans tend to go thorugh life looking down, letting it pass us by, leaving us beahind without even looking back. It is on us to take life by the hand and walk along with it.

Budimpešta [Budapest]


Telč


Prag [Prague]


Karlštejn


Kutná Hora


Beč [Vienna]

Oznake: maturalac, Beč Češka Republika, Prag, Telč, putovanje, Budimpešta

Što raditi a što NE RADITI kada putujete Slovenijom! [What to do and what NOT TO DO when you're traveling through Slovenia]

Da se malo odmaknemo od tema prošlih putovanja, ovaj post ću posvetiti jednom skorašnjem putovanju. Do sada sam, u ovo vrijeme Božića i raznih blagdana, svake godine sa srednjom školom odlazila na izlete u popularne adventske gradove. Od Salzburga, preko Budimpešte do Beča. Svatko tko me poznaje zna da sam veliki obožavatelj Božića i ugođaja blagdana te da sam kao malo dijete kada se nađem na okičenim ulicama i trgovima koji mirišu po kuhanom vinu i blistaju od raznih kuglica za bor i ostalih sitnica. Upravo zbog toga sam odlučila sama sa svojim dragim organizirati jednu malu adventsku pustolovinu. Još prije nego što mi je ideja adventskog putovanja pala na pamet htjela sam posjetiti Bled u Sloveniji na kojeg sam naletjela pretražujući slike o različitim lokacijama u blizini Hrvatske i dodavajući ih na ''Mjesta za posjetiti'' listu. Pa, ako ne znate što je i gdje je Bled ili čak Slovenija, nastavite čitati i saznat ćete.
[ENG] To get away from passed journeys a little, I dedicate this post to the latest one. Until now, during this time of Christmas holidays , I went on advent trips with my highschool to popular advent cities. From Salzburg and Budapest, to Vienna. Everyone that knows me, know that I am a huge fan of Christmas and the holiday spirit and that I'm like a child when it comes to sparkly streets and squares that smell of mulled wine and sparkle from all the ornaments and other little dangly things. That's the exact reason that I decided to organize a little advent adventure with my love, since I'm in college and there are no such trips. Even before this decision, I wanted to visit Bled in Slovenia ever since I ran into it searching pictures about various locations outside of Croatia and adding them to the ''Place to go'' list. Well, if you don't know what Bled is and even where Slovenia is. keep on reading and you'll find out.

Slovenija je država koja graniči sa Hrvatskom na njenom sjeverozapadu. Ima svega 2 000 000 stanovnika i prostire se na površini malo više od 20 000 kvadratnih kilometara. Najviše je poznata po Postojnskoj jami te NP Triglavu. Osobno nikad prije nisam posjetila Sloveniju, te sam bila spremna na novo upoznavanje. No, jesam li zaista BILA spremna?
Za put smo se probudili dosta kasno, oko pola 8 ujutro, što je bila prva naša pogreška. Naravno, morali smo uzeti nešto za popiti i pojesti (ništa pretjerano; naresci, kruh i radenska) te otići do mijenjačnice promijeniti svoju valutu tj. hrvatske kune (KN/HRK) u eure (€). Razmijenili smo si koliko smo smatrali da će nam biti dovoljno za sitnice koje bi mogle zatrebati usput ili pak pokoji suvenir koji bi mogli odnijeti doma, a sve ostalo utočili u auto. S obzirom da naš auto ide na plin, natočili smo jako malo za tako velik put. To je još jedna od prednosti naših samostalnih putovanja; ukoliko imate auto za koji znate da će vas služiti dosta dugo, a ujedno ste i gorljivi putnik – ugradite plin. Vjerujte, isplati se.
[ENG] Slovenia is a country that borders with Croatia on it's northeast. It has a population of 2 000 000 and covers more than 20 000 square kilometers. It is most known for it's Postojna cave and the Triglav National Park. I myself have never been to Slovenia
and I was ready to meet it and explore it. But, was I really?
We woke up kind of late, it was around 7.30 , which was our first mistake. Ofcourse, we had to get something to drink and eat and go to the exchange office to exchange our currency i.e. the croatian kunas (KN/HRK) to euros (€). We exchanged as much money as we thought we'll need for things that we will maybe need along the way or for a couple of souvenirs, and we put the rest of the money in our car. Considering our car runs on gas too we didn't have to pay much. That's one more advantage of our travels; if you have a car that you know will last you long and you are a passionate traveller - build in the gas. Trust us, it's worth it.
Dok smo mi to sve obavili bilo je već pola 9, a iz Karlovca još ni mrdnuli nismo. Izračunali smo da će nam do Bleda trebati otprilike 3 sata i mislili smo da čak ni nismo krenuli tako kasno te da ćemo uspjeti vidjeti sve što smo planirali. Naime, namjena puta je bila posjet Bledu, no već kad smo tamo odlučili smo posjetiti i Bohinjsko jezero, za koje smo čuli da je predivno, te na povratku stati u Ljubljani i posjetiti njihov advent taman kad se spusti noć. Jedva sam čekala da malo probazam kroz ulične štandove i kupim si onaj poseban suvenir.
[ENG] While we were done with our last-minute errands it was already 8.30 and we still haven't left Karlovac. We concluded that it will take us 3 hours to get to Bled and we thought we were already late and will not make it to see what else we planned to see. The climax of our trip was Bled but we wanted to see the Bohinj lake, of which we heard was beautiful, and stop in Ljubljana on our was back to visit their advent. I couldn't wait to stroll through alleys of little advent booths and buy myself that special souvenir.


Ulaskom u Sloveniju odmah smo primijetili da nam je nešto čudno. Ti Slovenci su očito zamijenili punu crtu za isprekidanu jer je moguće pretjecati u stvarno nepreklednim zavojima, a pune crte gotovo i nema. Andrei i ja smo se samo pogledavali i nismo mogli doći k sebi od tog laganog apsurda. No, ispalo je da je to tek početak. S obzirom da je Andrei čovjek s najboljim mogućim smislom za orijentaciju kojeg sam upoznala, njemu sam povjerila plan puta kuda moramo ići i time se više nisam zamarala. Druga greška koju smo napravili – odlaženje na put sa starom kartom države u koju idete. Naime, čini mi se da Slovenija ne želi baš na lijep način dočekati svoje turiste već im podvalit kako god mogu. Znate onu izrećicu ''Sve ceste vode u Rim.'' ? Pa, u Sloveniji je izrećica da ''Sve ceste vode na autoput''. Ovu izrećicu shvatite ozbiljno i nemojte misliti da se šalim. Pokušat će vas na onaj ili ovaj način odvesti na autocestu, i u tome će uspijeti ukoliko ne budete dovoljno pripremljeni. Što nas dovodi do SAVJETA br.1 – na put u Sloveniju idite sa što novijom kartom i do najmanjeg detalja isplanirajte put. Nas je to koštalo dobrih 5 sati vrzlanja po slovenskim cestama. Kako su Slovenci zamijenili punu crtu sa isprekidanom, tako su izgleda i daltonisti. Ono što oni rade, i što je bitna lekcija koju možete izvući iz naših iskustava, je da vas varaju znakovima. Opće tj. svjetski je poznato da ukoliko je znak žute boje cesta je obična državna cesta, a ukoliko je znak zelene boje to znači da ste na putu za autoput. No, ne u Sloveniji. Oni će vam prvo staviti žuti znak, a kada skrenete u tom pravcu naići ćete na zeleni znak bez ikakve mogućnosti za okretanjem i vračanjem natrag. Tako ćete se naći na njihovom autoputu htjeli to vi ili ne. Nas su uspjeli prevariti i odvesti na autoput no na sreću odmah smo našli silazak sa njega. Možda ima još nekih koji se pitaju zašto dižem toliku frku oko toga. Pa, upravo zbog toga jer u Sloveniji postoji jedna stvar koja se zove vinjeta. Vinjeta je sredstvo plačanja autoputa koja dolazi u obliku naljepnice za vjetrobransko staklo. No, poanta je u tome što, bez obzira na koliko kratku relaciju želiš prijeći autoputom, moraš platiti sedmodnevnu vinjetu koja će te koštati 15€. Sve to nas dovodi do SAVJETA br.2 – ne vjerujte slovenskim znakovima već slijedite onu ''uzdaj se u se i u svoje kljuse''. Ukoliko među vama ima onih koji ne gledaju na svaku kunu, vama neće biti problem platiti tih 15€ i na taj način si uštedjeti podosta vremena. No, sigurno ima i vas koji, poput nas, žele uštedjeti novac koji će kasnije potrošiti na neke druge, važnije stvari. Kad smo se vratili, guglali smo kaznu za vožnju bez vinjete te smo saznali da je kazna od 300-800€ koju morate platiti na mjestu. Ukoliko nemate za platiti na mjestu, oduzimaju vam vozačku, isprave od auta te vašu osobnu. Stoga je najbolje učiti iz naših iskustava i do detalja isplanirati put kroz Sloveniju. Ukoliko se izgubite, a 99% sam sigurna da hoćete, tu vam je moj SAVJET br.3 – ne bojte se pitati za smjer, svi ljudi koje smo mi pitali bili su sasvim ljubazni i puno nam pomogli. Također naglasite da tražite staru cestu i da NE ŽELITE ići autoputom.
[ENG] Entering Slovenia, we immediately noticed something was off to us. Those Slovenians obviously mixed their solid line with the broken one because it is allowed to cross the line in the most vast turnings, and there is almost no solid line. Andrei and I kept looking at each other and couldn't believer this little apsurdity. But, it turned out it was just the beginning. Considering Andrei is the man with the best sense of orientation that I've met I let him plan the trip. The second mistake we made - going on a trip with an old map of the state you are visiting. It seems that Slovenia doesn't want to greet their tourist in a good way but to set them up every way possible. You know that saying ''All roads lead to Rome.'' ? Well, in Slovenia it is ''All roads lead to highway.'' Take this seriously and don't think I'm joking. They will try to take you to the highway any wy they can, and they will succeed unless you're not prepared enough. Which leads us to the TIP nr.1 - go to Slovenia with the most recent map possible and a trip planned to the littlest detail. It cost us 5 hours of getting lost on their roads. Since Slovenians mixed the solid line with the broken one, they may as well also be daltonists. You see, what they do, and from what you can get out a valuable lesson, is that they cheat with road sings. It is well-known that a yellow sign means a simple state road and a green sign means highway. But, not in Slovenia. They will first put up a yellow sign and after you take a turn and follow it for a good couple of kilometers they will surprise you with a sudden green sign without the chance of turning back. You will find yourself on their higway whether you want it or not. They succeeded in tricking us and we were on a highway in no-time. Luckly, we found an exit soon and weren't stopped by the police. Maybe there are some of you that wonder why I make a big fuss about a simple highway. Well, exactly bacuse in Slovenia there is this thing called a ''vinjeta''. It is a highway paying agency that comes in a shape of a sticker for your windshield. But, the point is that no matter how short of a distance you want to cross by highway you have to buy a 7-day vinjeta that costs 15€. Which leads us to the TIP nr.2 - don't believe the Slovenian road signs. If among you are the ones that can afford the vinjeta, you will save a bunch of time. But, I'm sure there are those of you that want to use those 15€ way better then on some stupid sticker. When we got back from our trip, we googled the fine for driving without one and came to know that it is a 300-800€ fine that you have to pay on the spot, and if you don't they take away your driving licence, identity card and the car's documents. So, it is better to learn from our experiences and follow our tips to plan to the littlest details. If you get lost, and I'm 99% sure you will, there is my TIP nr.3 - don't be afraid to ask for directions, all the people we asked were kind and helped us a lot. Also stress out that you're looking for the old road and that you DON't WANT to use the highway.

Da bi došli do Bleda morali smo proći kroz Ljubljanu, do koje smo također jedva došli zbog loše prometne signalizacije, što je apsurdno jer im je to glavni grad, pobogu. No, pravi izazov nas je tek čekao. Izlaskom iz Ljubljane postali smo malo nervozni; jedva smo našli put do glavnog grada, kako ćemo sada naći put do malog mjesta poput Bleda. Jedino čime smo se tješili bile su reklame za advent na Bledu. Nakon što smo se na putu od Ljubljane do Bleda izgubili više puta nego što možemo izbrojiti, napokon smo našli dobru cestu za Bled, preko Višnje Gore pa kroz selo Naklo. Naravno, što se tiče prirode, nepogrešivo je reći da je predivna. Svo vrijeme smo se osijećali da smo došli u nekakvo alpsko selo upravo zbog toga jer su gradovi bili smješteni ispod predivnih planina, koje su nam malo uljepšale doživljaj Slovenije.
[ENG] To come to Bled we had to go through Ljubljana, to which we also hardly came because of bad road signs, which is absurd because it's their capital, for God's sake. But, the real challenge was still waiting for us. Exiting Ljubljana we became a little nervous; we barely found the way to the capital, how will we now find the way to the little place as Bled. The only thing we were holding onto were advertises of the advent on Bled. After we got lost more times than we can count on ur way from Ljubljana to Bled, we finally found the right road to it, over Višnja Gora and through the Naklo village. But, the nature is really beautiful. The whole time we were there we felt like we were in an alp village because the towns were situated just under their mountains which made our experience of Slovenia a little bit better.

Usput smo primijetili također da Slovenci očito ne vole reklamirati svoje atrakcije. Naravno da nije bilo nikakvih reklama za Bled niti natpisa sve dok nismo došli par kilometara od samog mjesta. S obzirom na sve što nas je zaprepastilo do tada, ni ovo nas nije ostavilo ravnodušnima, iako je trebalo. No, bez obzira na to, odahnuli smo shvativši da smo napokon došli na odredište i da sljedećih par sati ne moramo ulaziti u auto i u nedogled se gubiti po slovenskim cestama. Napravili smo krug oko jezera i jedva jedvice našli parking koji nas je koštao apsurdnih 5€. No, rekla sam da nisam došla ovdje da bi me parking od 5€ zaustavio. Platili smo parking i krenuli u razgledavanje. Bled nas je pridobio isti trenutak te smo se malo i oraspoložili. Ovdje počinje dobar dio ovog posta.
[ENG] We also noticed that Slovenians don't like to advertise their atractions. Ofcourse there were none advertises for nor signs until we got a couple of kilometers away from the town. But, regardless of it, we were relieved by realizing we finally got to our destination and by the fact that we are out of the car for the next few hours. We made a circle around the lake and barely found a parking lot that cost us absurd 5€. But, we didn't come all this way to get stopped by a 5€ parking ticket.We payed those 5€ and headed of to explore. Bled had us at first sight and cheered us up a little bit. This is where the good part of this post beginns.

Bled je grad koji se nalazi na istoimenom Bledskom jezeru, a u podnožju predivnih Julijskih Alpi. Najpoznatiji je po Bledskom otoku koji se nalazi u sredini jezera i koji je jedini pravi slovenski otok. Na njemu se nalazi crkva Marijina Uznesenja, koja je također jedna od bledskih znamenitosti. Ukoliko želite doći do otoka, to vam je omogućeno malim brodićima za koje platite ulaz 10€. Naravno, preporučujemo da to napravite za vrijeme toplijih dana, jedino ukoliko imate visok nivo tolerancije na hladnoću. Uz jezero se nalazi i veslački klub te su na njegovom podu uklesane godine svih olimpijskih igara održanih do sada.
[ENG] Bled is a town that lays on the same-named Bled lake, and in the base of the Julian Alps. It is most known for the Bled island that is standing right in the middle of the lake and which is the only real slovenian island. On the island is a chruch which is one of the notability of Bled. If you want to go visit the island, you can access it by boats that charge 10€ for a ride. Ofcourse, we recommend to do it during much warmer days, unless you have a high tolerance to cold. There is a boat club by the lake too and it has all the olimpic games that took place till now carved into it's ground.



Poznat je i po tisućljetnom Bledskom gradu koji nadgleda jezero sa svojih 130 metara. S obzirom da tamo stoji još od početka 11.stoljeća, najstariji je slovenski dvorac. Naravno da smo se mi popeli gore i možemo vam reći – nije baš da je lako. Stepenica do gore nema već je penjanje na vrh pravo malo planinarsko iskustvo. No, sva ta muka se isplati jedno kada ste se dovukli do gore jer je pogled na Bled i okolicu predivan. Ukoliko imate strah od visine preporučujemo da se pripremite ili bolje razmislite o odlasku na vrh s obzirom da je poprilično strmo. Nije ništa strašno, niti je toliko visoko, no Andrea je malo počeo hvatati strah kada bi se približio rubu. No, i ja malo imam fobiju od visine pa me nije toliko hvatalo koliko njega. Zato kažem, nije toliko strmo no ukoliko imate jače izražen strah od visine, razmislite prije odlaska skroz do vrha. Mi smo bili samo na jednoj strani grada, no može ga se obići sa svih strana. Ukoliko želite ući i razgledati dvorac iznutra ulaznica za odrasle je 9€, za studente 7€, a za djecu od 4-14 godina 4,50€.
[ENG] Bled is also known for a millennial Bled castle which overlooks the lake from it's 130 meters. Considering it stands there from the beginning of the 11th century, it is the oldest slovenian castle. Ofcourse we went up there and we can say - it is not that easy. There is no stairways or paths but it is a little hiking adventure. But, all that is payed off once you get to the top because the view on Bled and the lake is just breathtaking. The hight is not that scary but if you are easily afraid of hights, we recommend rethinking before you go up there. I have a fear of hights too and it's wasn't that scary but be prepared. We didn't get around the castle, which you can do,but we stayed on one side of it. If you want to explore the castle inside the ticket for grown-ups is 9€, for students 7€ and for children 4-14 is 4,50€.




Već je bilo 16h kada smo se spustili sa dvorca i sunce je polako počelo zalaziti. Požurili smo prema autu kako bismo se što prije po danu mogli vratiti doma s obzirom da smo se toliko puta gubili i tražili put. Baš kako smo se vračali, sunce ja bacilo predivne naranđasto-roze boje na planine, a izašao je i predivan okrugli mjesec. Ovakav prizor zaokružio nam je cijeli dan i s njima na umu
napustili smo Sloveniju.
[ENG] It was already 4 o'clock when we climbed down from the castle and the sun started to slowly set. We hurried towards the car so we could go home while there's still daylight outside. Just as we were going to our car, the setting sun shined down on the mountains in beautiful orange and pink colours, and a beautiful round moon also peeked out. With this sight we ended our day and , with it on our minds, we left Slovenia.



Put nam nije ispao kako smo planirali, a doma smo se vratili potpuno razočarani Slovenijom i njezinim cestama. No, najviše smo razočarani jer upravo zbog takvih gluposti nismo imali prilike vidjeti Ljubljanu i Bohinjsko jezero te se malo dulje diviti slovenskim ljepotama, koje su jedva popravile naš dojam o Sloveniji. No, ako ne putujes neces nista nauciti. Losa iskustva iza nas, jedna lokacija manje na listi, a sljedece pitanje je - WHERE DO WE GO NEXT?
[ENG] The trip didn't turn our as we planned, and we came back home totally disappointed by Slovenia and it's roads. But, we were most disappointed by the fact that because of that stupid nonsense we didn't have time to visit Ljubljana and see the Bohinj lake, and also admire the beauties of Slovenia a little bit more because they are the ones that fixed our impression of Slovenia.
But, if you don't travel, you won't learn a thing. Bad experiences behing us, one more location less on the list, and the next question is - WHERE DO WE GO NEXT?

Oznake: Bled; Slovenija; Stari grad; Bledski otok, Advent

GOING THROUGH HELL!! (NOT LITERALLY)

Nakon našeg odmora na Dugom otoku, ispred nas je bio još veliki dio ljeta. Nekoliko dana nakon što smo se vratili doma dobili smo poziv od Andreove mame, koja je u tom trenutku bila na ljetovanju u Crikvenici. Rekla nam je da u apartmanu imaju slobodnog prostora i pozvala nas da dođemo na par dana dolje. Naravno da smo rekli ''DA'' jos jednom, ovaj put plaćenom, odmoru! Spakirali smo se i krenuli no usput smo se zaustavili na jednom mjestu koje smo rekli da ćemo posjetiti još dok smo bili na Dugom otoku. Sjećate se Anteta i njegove knjižnice? Pa, upravo tamo dobili smo inspiraciju za svoju sljedeću avanturu! Bilo je to jednog lijepog sunčanog dana kada smo se u prolazu, privučeni glazbom koja je dopirala iz knjižnice, zaustavili da prisjednemo na jednu od fotelja koje su bile ispred. Tada smo uočili knjigu koja nam je odmah svojim naslovom privukla pozornost. Otvorili smo ''Prirodne ljepote Hrvatske'' i počeli listati. Naišli smo na jednu predivnu sliku koja je prikazivala ''Vražji prolaz''. Naziv je zanimljiv, zar ne? Pa, tada smo odlučili istražiti to mjesto i sliku, koju smo gledali, pretvoriti u stvarnost.
S obzirom da smo prema moru išli kroz Gorski kotar, gdje se Vražji prolaz i nalazio, naravno da nismo mogli propustiti priliku da si ovo ljeto učinimo još uzbudljivijim. Došli smo u grad Skrad te naišli na drvena tabla koja je ukazivala na izletište Zeleni vir u sklopu kojega se nalazio Vražji prolaz. Počeli smo slijediti znakove koji su nas na kraju doveli do užasno zavojitih, strmih, ali i uskih cestica. Stoga ukoliko se odlučite posjetiti ovo mjesto, najpoželjnije je da vozač ima par godina iskustva iza sebe. Nakon vrludanja po zavojitim cesticama počeli smo sumnjati da smo se izgubili, no u tom trenutku pred nama se ukazalo nešto što je naličilo na izletište. Samo izletište zove se Zeleni vir i to je zaštićeni krajolik. On se sastoji od 2 atrakcije koje možete pogledati. Desni put, kojim smo mi išli, vodi do Vražjeg prolaza, dok lijevi put vodi do vodopada koji se zove Zeleni vir. Pred sobom smo vidjeli par kuća, most i potok koji se valjao po kamenju ispod mosta. Zaustavili smo se uz cestu, uzeli sve potrebne stvari i počeli sa avanturom. Znali smo da se ulaz plača no nama nije bilo do plaćanja. Tada smo skovali plan. Ponašat ćemo se kao da smo došli malo vidjeti ulaz i kao da se premišljamo hoćemo li ili nećemo ući. Uz to, ponašali smo se kao talijanski turisti. Prošli smo blagajnu i polako odmicali sve dublje i dublje svako malo se osvrčući hoće li netko poletjeti za nama. Nikomu ni traga ni glasa. BINGO! Ušli smo i počeli istraživati. Uskoro smo se uvjerili da ovo doista je jedan od najljepših prizora u Hrvatskoj.

**Vražji prolaz je kanjon dugačak 800 m. Mnogi ga smatraju jednim od najljepših prizora u Hrvatskoj. Među stijenama, koje dosežu do 100 m visine, teče gorski potok Jasle, koji je milenijima oblikovao kamen zbog čega je na kraju nastao ovaj prekrasan kanjon. Nad kanjonom nalaze se drveni mostići koji vas prate diljem kanjona. No, nemojte misliti da ćete se izvući tako lako. Na mjestima gdje nema mostića, put je malo teži, no tu su planinarske žice u stijenama koje vam pomažu da se pridržite. Vražji prolaz je prije bio znan i kao Vražja provalija,a pjesnici su ga opisivali kao Danteov put u pakao. Na kraju Vražjeg prolaza nalazi se špilja zvana Muževa hižica, u koju se, prema narodnoj predaji, skrivalo lokalno stanovništvo za vrijeme najezdi Turaka 1525. Naziv je navodno dobila po muškarcu koji je predvodio grupu ljudi koja se ovdje skrivala. Špilja je dugačka 200 m, bogata sigama. Na kraju špilje, nalazi se jezerce koje još nije do kraja istraženo. Za istraživanje špilje biti će vam potrebna svjetiljka. Ulaz u prolaz naplaćuje se 15 kn, a ruta nije zahtjevna, pa je čak pogodna i za djecu.



[ENG] After our summer on Dugi otok we still had a pretty long summer ahead of us. A few days after we came back home we got a phonecall from Andrei's mom, who was, at that very moment, on a holiday in Crikvenica. She told us they had extra room for us and invited us to come over for a few days. Ofcourse we had to say yes to another, but this time, payed vacation! We packed our bags and left but along the way stopped at this place that we said we would visit when we were still on Dugi otok. Remember Ante and his library? Well, it was where we got the inspiration for our next adventure from! It was a sunny day on Dugi otok when we were passing by and,attracted by music from the library, decided we will sit down on one of the sofas in front. Then we spotted a book that immediately dragged our attention with it's title. We opened up ''Natural beauties of Croatia'' and started reading. We ran into a picture of ''Vražji prolaz'' (''Devils pass'').The name is interesting isn't it? That was when we decided we wanted to explore the place and bring that picture alive.
Considering we were going through Gorski kotar, where Devil's pass was situated, ofcourse we couldn't let the opportunity of making this summer even better escape. We came to the city of Skrad and found wooden signs of Zeleni vir where the Devil's pass was.We followed the signs that lead us to the curvy, downhill narrow roads. So, if you decide to visit this place, make sure the driver has a few years of experience behing him. After wandering through narrow streets we started to think we got lost, but then something similar to an excursion site appeared before us. The excursion site is called ''Zeleni vir'' and it's a protected area. It has two sites to see. The right way, where we went, leads to Devil's pass and the left way leads to Zeleni vir, which we still haven't gotten to exploring yet. We saw a few houses, a bridge and a stream that was rolling over the stones under the bridge. We parked by the side of the road , took necessary things and started the adventure. We knew you have to pay for an entrance ticket but we didn't feel like paying.Then we made a plan. We will act like we just want to see the entrance and that we were thinking about going in or not. AND we pretended to be italian tourists. We passed by the ticket office and slowely moved on forward deeper and deeper into the canyon, looking back from time to time to make sure nobody was chasing us. And nobody was. BINGO! We were soon certain that this really was one of the best sceneries in Croatia.

**The Devils's pass is a 800 m long canyon. It is known as one of the most beautiful sites in Croatia. Among the cliffs that are about 100 m high flows a stream called Jasle, that was shaping the rocks for milleniums. That's how Devil's pass was made. There are wooden bridges above the canyon that follow you along the way. But, don't think you've gotten away easy. It's a little bit harder to walk on places where there are no bridges but hiking ropes are here to help you hold yourself. Devil's pass was know before as Devil's chasm, and the poets used to call it Dante's way to hell. There is a cave at the end of the canyon called Muževa hižica, where, according to local legends, locals used to hide from Turks in the 1525. It was allegedly called after the man (husband) that lead the group of locals that were hiding there. The cave is 200 m long, rich with stalactites. At the end of the cave is a little lake that still hasn't been explored that much. For exploring the cave you will need a flashlight. The entrance ticket to the canyon is 15 kn, the route isn't demanding so it is also convenient for kids.

Definitivno se vračamo ovdje jer nas zanima kako Vražji prolaz izgleda zimi, sad prekriven snijegom! Vražji prolaze, do sljedećeg puta!
[ENG] We are definitively coming back because we wonder how the Devil's pass looks like during winter. Devil's pass, see you next time!

Oznake: Vražji prolaz, putovanje, Izleti u prirodu, Gorski

Hej društvo! Napokon ste docekali TAJ post! Danas vam otkrivam kako sam se zarazila groznicom putovanja i što je bio razlog tome. Naime, priča počinje u kolovozu 2014. kada smo Andrei, ja i naši najbolji prijatelji Branimir i Romana otišli na ljetovanje. Samo par mjeseci prije životi su nam bili u strci. To je bilo vrijeme polaganja ispita, mature i upisivanja na faks. Ona točka u životu za koju se kaže da je jedna od najtežih i najvažnijih. Mislim, ipak odlučujemo smjer svog života polaganjem mature s dobrim ocjenama i ''pravim'' odabirom faksa. Sada, godinu dana nakon toga, kada se prisjećam toga razdoblja, nije upola teško bilo kako smo si ga svi zamišljali. Barem meni. Nisam puno učila, nisam se pretrgala od rada...mislim da me je sami pojam MATURE prepao više od samih ispita. No, tu je i moj dobar uspjeh i praćenje nastave tijekom cijele srednje škole pa je valjda i to utjecalo na dobar ishod mature. Izgleda da sam malo previše zalutala u cijelu priču (i hvaljenje same sebe). No, da, gdje sam stala? Ah, da! Kolovoz 2014. Dakle, nakon što je prošlo odlučujuće razdoblje naših života, došlo je dugo očekivano ljeto. Ljeto i ljetni praznici za koje su nam govorili da će biti najdulje u našim životima i da ih dobro iskoristimo. I to smo namjeravali i učiniti! Rekli smo – ajmo zajedno na ljetovanje. I tako smo se jedno popodne skupili svi kod Branimira, upalili laptop i počeli istraživati. Kroz google su se provlačile pretrage poput ''najbolje plaže Hrvatske'' ili ''najbolja turistička mjesta Hrvatske''. Razmatrali smo svašta, od Crikvenice, Bola na Braču, Malog Lošinja do Selca. No, nismo htjeli ići negdje gdje sve vrvi turistima i nemaš svog mira. Tada je Andrei pustio ovu pjesmu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci3Jspvfk8E i ispričao nam o svojim ljetovanjima na Dugom otoku. Bili smo skeptični no čim nam je google pokazao slike Dugog otoka i njegovih plaža jednostavno nismo mogli odoljeti! Dogovor je pao - idemo na Dugi otok!

[ENG] Hey guys! You can finally read THE post! Today I'm telling you about how I got the travel bug and what was the reason. The story begins in august 2014. when Andrei, me and our two bestfriends, Branimir and Romana went on a summer holiday. Just a few months earlier our lives were a mess. It was the time of graduation and enrolling into college. That point in life for which is said is the most hard and important one. I mean, we do still set a direction of our lives with graduating with good grades and choosing ''the right college''. Now, looking back a year later, it wasn't as half as hard as we were told it would be. At least to me. I didn't study as much, I worked hard but it was nothing extraordinary...I think just the idea of EXAMS scared us more than the actual exams. But, I did do well in school and study regularly so that kind of affected my good results too. I think I went too deep into the story (and praising myself). Where was I? Oh, yes! The august of 2014.So, after our deciding point of life passed by, a long expected summer came. Summer breaks that were supposed to be the longest of our lives and that we were told to use well. And that's exactly what we were gonna do! We said – let's go on a vacation together. And so one afternoon we gathered at Branimir's, turned the laptop on and started searching. We googled things like ''best Croatian beaches'' or ''best tourist places in Croatia'' We looked at variety of things, from Crikvenica, Bol on the island of Brač, Mali Lošinj to Selce. But, we didin't want to go somewhere it was crowded with tourists and where there's no peace. That's when Andrei turned on this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci3Jspvfk8E and told us about his vacations on Dugi otok. We were sceptic at first but as soon as google showed us the pictures of the island and it's beaches we just couldn't withstand. The deal was on – we're going to Dugi otok!!!

DAY 1

Probuđeni uzbuđenjem zbog nadolazeče avanture, Andrei i ja spakirali smo torbe i našli se sa našim suputnicima. Gepek auta bio je krcat šatorima i vrečama za spavanje, a mi smo bili i više nego spremni za putovanje. Krenuli smo starom, plitvičkom cestom prema moru. No, na izlasku iz Karlovca shvatili smo da smo zaboravili nešto najvažnije – lonac. Jer ako na more ideš sa tendencijom kampiranja i trošenja što manje novaca, trebat će ti nešto u čemu ćeš si skuhat ručak. Izgleda da ipak nismo bili toliko spremni koliko smo mislili. Nakon okretanja i skupljanja pribora za jelo, napokon smo krenuli. Miris mora nam je vec ispunjavao nosnice a o uzbuđenju da ni ne pričam. Pao je naravno i jedan selfie.

[ENG] Woken up by the excitement because of the upcoming adventure, Andrei and myself packed our bags and met up with our fellow travelers. The back of the car was full tents and sleeping bags, and we were more then ready to start the journey. But, on the sole exit from Karlovac we figured out we forgot something really important – a pot. Because, if you're going traveling with the intention of sleeping in a tent and spending the least money possible, you're gonna need something too cook your food in. It turned out we weren't as ready as we thought. After turning around and gathering the eating gadgets, we finnaly got moving. The smell of the sea was already filling our nostrils, and don't get me started on the excitemet. We, ofcourse, took a selfie.



Nakon kratkog putovanja, došlo je vrijeme ručka. Sa sobom smo ponijeli i frižider s hranom u kojem je bilo nešto mesa. Odlučili smo naći osamljeno mjesto i improvizirati roštilj. Mjesto smo našli no previše je puhao vjetar i nismo uspjeli zapaliti vatru. Ipak ništa od našeg improviziranog roštilja. Na kraju smo našli jedan buffet i tamo si pojeli ni više ni manje nego čevape! Krenuli smo dalje, no uz put smo našli predivno mjesto na kojem bi bilo grijeh ne zaustaviti se. Pogled je bio predivan.

[ENG] After driving for a while, it was time for lunch. We brought a fridge with food with us. There was meat somewhere in there too. We decided to find a hidden place and improvize a barbecue. We found the place but it was too windy and the fire wouldn't burn. We then abandoned the idea of an improvized barbecue. At the end we found a little buffet where we, ofcourse, ate šiškebabs. We moved on, and then, along the way, found a rest stop where it would be a sin not to stop and look around. The view was breathtaking.



Stali smo i u Obrovcu jer smo uočili dvorac na brdu iznad grada, a putovanje ne bi bilo putovanje bez spontanih zaustavljanja. Ispostavilo se da su to ruševine utvrde knezova Kurjakovića, koji su navodno bili jedni od najboljih hrvatskih srednjovjekovnih velikaških rodova. Odlučili smo malo pronjuškati i evo što smo našli.

[ENG] We also stooped at the city called Obrovac as soon as we spotted some ruins at the top of the hill above the city. A travel wouldn't be a travel without spontaneous stops along the way. It turned out to be the ruins of a fortress of Kurjaković dukes that were one of the best Croatian medieval nobles. We decided to snoop around and this is what we found.



Nastavili smo putovanje i lagano se bližila noć. Došli smo do Maslenice i usput pozdravili Andreove daljnje rođake. S obzirom da imamo samo šator, a Zadar, u kojem smo se trebali ukrcati na trajekt, nije baš idealno mjesto za skriveno kampiranje, Andreovi rođaci uputili su nas u Rovanjsku u obližnji autokamp ''Tamaris''. Iznenadile su nas povoljne cijene i savršen položaj – 3 metra od mora. Ukoliko želite vidjeti cijene posjetite njihovu web stranicu. Toplo preporučamo ovaj kamp ukoliko ste na istoj ili sličnoj trasi putovanja kao mi i tražite savršeno i povoljno mjesto za noćenje s pogledom na more. Ušli smo u kamp i smjestili se. Dečki su se bacili na otvaranje šatora, a mi cure počele smo se spremati za prvo kupanje te sezone. Do obližnje plaže imali smo 5 minuta hoda. Nakon kupanja naravno da smo morali od Branimira napravit pješćanu mumiju.

[ENG] We continued with the trip and the night was slowly getting closer. We came to Maslenica and visited Andrei's relatives along the way. Considering we only had the tent to sleep in, and Zadar, where we had to board our ferry, isn't really the perfect place for secret camping, Andrei's relatives gave us directions to the near-by autocamp ''Tamaris'' in Rovanjska. As we arrived, we were surprised by the low prices and perfect location - barely 3 meters from the sea. If you want to check out the camp visit their website. I really reccomend this camp if you are on the same way as us and you're looking for a perfect and low-cost place with a sea view to camp in. We settled in the camp. The boys started setting up the tent, and us girls started to get ready for our first swim of the season. It's a five minute walk to the near-by beach, but there is also a pier in front of the camp where you can also take a swim. After our swim ofcourse we had to turn Branimir into a sand mummy.




Nakon kupanja vratili smo se u kamp i odlučili saprati sol sa sebe u kupaonicama koje nudi kamp, a koje se dodatno ne plačaju. Jedva smo dočekali topli tuš! Lagano je padala noć te smo odlučili večerati na molu uz zalazak sunca. Dan nije mogao završiti bolje.

[ENG] We then returned back to camp and decided to wash the salt off in the bathrooms that are available for you to use in the camp, and that you don't need to pay extra money for. We couldn't wait for the warm shower! The sun was slowely starting to set and we decided the pier was the perfect place to have dinner while looking at the sunset. The day couldn't end better.



DAY 2

Unatoč kiši koja nas je tijekom noći budila, proveli smo dosta dobru noć. Probudili smo se u 6 ujutro kako bi nastavili svoje putovanje. Sljedeća stanica – Zadar. Dok smo čekali trajekt za Dugi otok, malo smo istražili grad.

[ENG] Althought the rain woke us up in the middle of the night, we had a really good sleep. We woke up at 6 AM so we could continue our journey.Next stop – Zadar. While we waited for the ferry, we took a little walk around town.



Napokon je došao trajekt koje će nas uskoro odvesti na otok koji mi je promijenio život. Cijena trajekta nije bila toliko velika. Ovdje možete pogledati cijene linije tijekom sezone (gledajte trasu Zadar-Brbinj).
S dolaskom na otok dočekali su nas predivni prizori otoka Nacionalnog parka Kornati. Uz cestu smo se zaustavljali i upijali te prizore (koje smo naravno i slikali), a dečki su se tu i tamo zabavili na svoj jedinstven način.

[ENG] The ferry that will soon take us to Dugi otok finally arrived. The cost of the ferry wasn't that hight. You can check the prices of the ferry during season here . Make sure you're looking at the Zadar-Brbinj route.
Upon our arrival on the island we were greeted by the beautiful scenery of the National park Kornati's islands. We stopped by the road to take in those views (which we also took pitures of), and boys also stopped to have fun in their own way.




Iz Brbinja uputili smo se prema Velom Ratu, i mogu reći da mi je ovo najljepši dio otoka koji je definitivno vrijedan jednog vašeg popodneva. Na Velom Ratu nalazi se predivan svjetionik sa visinom od 42 m i to ga čini najvišim svjetionikom na Jadranu. Sad i to mogu sa ponosom prekrižiti sa svoje liste napravljenih stvari! U svjetioniku postoje apartmani koji se iznajmljuju pa ukoliko niste oni koji gledaju na cijenu, definitivno je preporučljivo da to i napravite. Zasigurno nećete zažaliti! Ovdje pogledajte cijene smještaja. Do svjetionika se može doći s autom, a zbog dobre pristupačnosti omogućena je i svakodnevna opskrba namirnicama te se ne morate brinuti da ćete ostati gladni. U svjetioniku je također smještena obitelj svjetioničara koji skrbe o svjetioniku i koju smo i osobno imali priliku upoznati. Kada smo stigli iz Brbinja, namjera nam je bila samo posjetiti Veli rat no uočili smo roštilj uz svjetionik. Tada smo, pitavši ih možemo li ga iskoristiti kako bi spremili ostatak mesa koje nam se sad već otapalo u frižideru, upoznali ovu srdačnu obitelj. Tako smo na roštilj bacili hrenovke i čevape (koje na kraju nismo pojeli jer su bili čudno zeleni) te tikvice. Tada smo uočili da ta ista obitelj pred svjetionikom prodaje povrće. I mogu vam reći da je to najfinije povrće koje sam ikad jela – točnije najfiniji PARADAJZ! Defiinitivno ga probajte ukoliko ga još budu prodavali kada dođete u posjetu. Inače, ima dakako i drugog povrća – krumpiri, paprike, luk itd.

[ENG] From Brbinj we headed off towards Veli rat, and I can easily say this is the most beautiful part of the island whish is definitely worth of your time. There is a big lighthouse which, with it's 42 m hight, makes the highest lighthouse on our coast, situated on Veli rat. Now I can scratch that off my bucketlist too. There are apartments in the lighthouse that are for rent, so if money isn't your worry I definitively recommed staying in the lighthouse. Especially if you're looking for a romantic getaway with your better-half. You definitively wont' regret it! You can check out the prices of accomodation here. You can get there by car, and, beacuse of good accessibilty, constant supply of groceries is assured. There is also always a family living there to take care of the lighthouse and that we had a chance to personally meet. When we arrived from Brbinj, our intention was to only look around Veli rat but we spotted a barbecue by the lighthouse. It was then, asking them if we can use the barbecue to cook the rest of the meat that was slowly melting in the fridge, when we met this lovely family. They let us use it and we barbecued hotdogs and šiškebabs (which we didn't eat at the end because they were weirdly green) and zucchinis. We realized that this family also sells vegetables in front of the lighhouse. I can safely say that this was the best vegetable I ate in my life – more exactly, the best tomato! Definitely try it if they will still be selling it when you come to visit. There is also other vegatables too –potatoes, paprikas, onion etc.



Isped svjetionika nalazi se i mala kapelica te je upravo zbog toga, a naravno i zbog svoje izvanredne ljepote, ovo mjesto savršena lokacija za vjenčanje. Ako ne, za moje, u svakom slučaju! Uz svjetionik nalazi se i veeelika ljuljačka na drvetu što još više pridodaje jedinstvenosti ovog mjesta. Ukoliko ipak gledate da uštedite koji novčić u blizini svjetionika također se nalazi i autokamp. Za više informacija pogledajte njihovu web stranicu. A sada se možete početi diviti ljepoti ovog mjesta.

[ENG] There is alo a little chapel in front of the lighthouse and because of that, and because of it's extraordinary beauty, this place is perfect for weddings. If not, then it's perfect for mine! There is also a biig tree swing in front which adds even more to the uniqueness of this place. If you do look to save a little bit of money there is also an autocamp near-by. For more information check out their website. Now, you can finally start admiring the beauty of this place.



Vratili smo se u Sali i namjestili šator uz plažu te usnuli uspavani valovima koji su se razbijali o stijene ispod nas.

[ENG] We came back to Sali, set up the tent at the beach and were slowely driven off to sleep by the sound of waves crashing into the shore.

DAY 3

Nakon prospavane noći u šatoru na lokalnoj plaži, odlučili smo se otići na izlet u Park prirode Telašćica koji se nalazi na jugoistočnom dijelu otoka te je parkom prirode proglašen 1988. godine. Ukoliko namjeravate posjetiti park imamo jedan savjet za vas, a to je da se ustanete rano (oko 6 ili 7) kako biste izbjegli plačanje ulaznice i još više uštedjeli na svom putu. To isto smo i mi napravili. Ulaznica je inače 25 kn. Nakon što smo ušli, naišli smo na mjesto na koje smo se sjeli i doručkovali.

[ENG] After sleeping the night off in the tent on the local beach, we decided to take a little trip to the Nature park Telašćica which is situated on the southeast part of the island and was announced with the title of nature park in the 1988. If you're planning to visit the park we have a little advice for you and that is to wake up early at around 6 or 7 am to avoid paying the ticket on the entrance and save even more on your trip. That's exactly what we did. The ticket is usually 25 kn. After we entered, we found a beautiful spot where we stopped and had breakfast.



Nakon toga otišli smo dalje autom te naišli na parkiralište za posjetioce parka. Od parkirališta ide se pješke po zemljanim putevima do male luk koj a služi tursitima ili turističkim agencijama koji do parka dolaze brodom. Uz luku je smješten i kafić. Proslijedili smo dalje popločanim putem do jezera Mir koji se nalazi usred otoka. Jezero Mir je svojom slanoćom ćak slanije od mora (zbog podvodnih kanalia kojima je povezano s njim) , no ujedno i toplije. Također ima ljekovita svojstva. Naravno, na njemu se možete okupati, što smo mi i napravili. Nakon kupanja legli smo pod krošnje mediteranskog drveća i usnuli uz zvuk morskih cvrčaka.

[ENG] After breakfast we drove further until we found a parking lot for the visitors. You have to go by foot from there on, along dirt roads, till you get to the little marine that is for tourists or tourist agencies that come with boats. There is also a cofee shop beside the marine. We went further, this time along the brick road, and ended up in front of lake ''Mir'' (''Peace'') that is situated in the center of the park. Lake Mir is with it's salinity even more saltier then the sea (because of underwater canals with which it is connected to the sea), but it is also warmer and it also has healing ability. Ofcourse, you can take a swim in it, which we did. After our swim, we lied down beneath the tree tops of mediteranian pine trees and fell asleep with the sound of sea crickets.



Dva su razloga zbog čega se isplati ustati ranije kako bi ušli u park. Prva je neplačanje ulaznice, a druga i najljepša je ta da ste potpuno sami u parku i da bez vrve turista možete mirno uživati u ljepotama i mirnoći parka, kao i jezera ;) (kužite?? Ime jezera je MIR) Nego, ajmo dalje. Put smo nastavili penjući se po stijenama do vrha litica parka. Litice parka dosežu i do 200 m visine, a ispod površine mora protežu se još 90 m. Ovdje savjetujemo da se pripremite na susrete s ogromnim paucima tj. nabavite štap kojim ćete se probijati kroz paučinu, da ne idete u japankama s obzirom na nezgrapnost/nespretnost stijena koje vode do vrha te da se definitivno prije namažete sa kremom protiv sunca i nosite bilo kakav šešir ili kapu kako ne bi dobili sunčanicu. No, vjerujte da se sva muka penjanja isplati s obzirom na pogled koji će vas dočekati na vrhu. Mi definitivno nismo zažalili. Uvjerite se sami.

[ENG] There are two reasons to enter the park in early hours. The first is not paying the entrance ticket, and the secone one, and the most satisfying one, is beacuse you're completely alone in the park without the tourists and crowd breathing on your neck so you can enjoy the beauty and peacefullness of the park and the lake ;) (get it?? The name of the lake is MIR/ PEACE). Alright then, moving along. We continued exploring the park and climbing rocks that lead to the top of the park's cliffs. The cliffs are up to 200 m hight and go about 90 m below the sea surfice. Here we advise you to be prepared for facing really big spiders, as in get a stick with which you will break through the spider-webs. Also, don't go wearing flipflops because climbing the rocks is a little bit trickier and also use sunscreen and a hat to protect yourself from the sun. But, believe me, climbing those rocks will be worth it considering the view that is waiting for you at the top. We definitely didn'r regret it. See for yourselves.



S vrha litica je i odličan pogled na jezero. Spuštali smo se suprotnim putem od kojeg smo došli tj uzduž litica i naletjeli na jedno veoma zanimljivo ''mjesto''. Naime, tamo se nalaze komadi stijena iz kojih ljudi rade male skulpture te smo i mi odlučili izgraditi naše. To je divna uspomena kojoj se možete vratiti kada ponovno posjetite otok. A vjerujte, to ćete htjeti učiniti. (Naša skulptura nalazi se na slici)

[ENG] There is also an excelent view of the lake from the top of the cliffs. We came down the opposite direction from which we came and ran into a really interesting ''place'' that consist of pieces of rocks from which people made various sculptures. We decided to build ours too. It is a great memory to come back to once you come to visit again. And believe me, you will want to. (Our sculpture is the one on the picture)



Šetanjem stazicama parka također možete vidjeti i njuške magaraca kako vas pozdravljaju.

[ENG] Walking through the park's paths you will see donkeys welcoming you to the park.



DAY 4

Naime, Dugi otok je dosta pust otok te ima jako malo ljudi i nema jako velikih naselja, što ga ćini savršenim ukoilko tražite mirno mjesto za uživanje. Mi smo bili pozicionirani u Saliju, tj. Sali je bio taj kojem smo se svaki dan vraćali i gdje smo spavali. Sali je grad-luka koji je najveći grad na otoku, a ime je diobio po proizvodnji soli. Nudi veoma bogatu ponudu kafića i restorana s obzirom na svoju veličinu, a u jednom od restorana smo i mi jeli. Također postoje i trgovinice uz rivu u kojima možete kupiti uobičajene ljetne stvari, ručnike, sunčane naočale, opremu za ronjenje, narukvice itd. S obzirom da smo kampirali i nismo imali wc ili kupaonicu gdje bi se otuširali nakon dugog dana, Sali nas je ovdje iznenadio. S obzirom da je to grad-luka gdje većina turista koji posjete Dugi otok parkiraju svoje divne jahte, Sali nudi i javne sanitarije tj. WC-e i tuševe. Upravo tamo smo se mi svaku večer tuširali. No, s obzirom da je to namjenjeno jahtašima, bilo bi dobro da ste i vi jahtaši, ili da se barem pravite da jeste. Pa smo tako i mi razgovarali na engleskom i crkavali od smijeha sami sebi. Dečki su čak, kad bi završili tuš do tuša, razgovarali o svojim jahtama i svojim ''ženama''. Bilo je urnebesno. Čovjek se mora snaći nekako, zar ne? :D

[ENG] Dugi otok is a waste island that has very little people and has no big cities, which makes it perfect if you're looking for a peacefull place to enjoy. We were situated in Sali, meaning Sali was the one we would come back to and sleep in. Sali is a marine-town which is the biggest town on the island and got it's name because of salt manufacture. It has a rich spectar of restaurants and coffee shops and in one of the restaurants we ate too. There are also little shops by the pier in which you can buy usual summer things such as towels, sunglasses, diving equipment, bracelets and more. Considering we camped during our stay and didn't have our own bathroom and toilet, Sali surprised us. Since it is a marine-town where tourists who come with boats tie their beautiful jachts , Sali offers public toilets and showers where we showered every night. But, since it is for the people from the jacht, it would be good that you have a jach too, or at least pretend that you do. That's why we talked on english and died out of laughter every time we did. The boys would, if they ended up shower by shower, talk about their jachts and wives. It was hilarious. A man has to get by somehow, right? :D



Nastavljamo sa četvrtim danom. S obzirom da smo se dosta kasno vratili u Sali sa svojeg izleta te bili umorni, nije nam se nikako dalo rasklapati šator. Tada nam je na pamet palo da pitamo Antu da nas pusti da spavamo u njegovoj knjižnici. Naime, za Antu vam još nisam rekla. Ante je jedan čovjek kojeg Andrei poznaje još odkad je sa svojim tatom posjećivao Dugi otok. I također čovjek koji drži naljepšu i najopušteniju knjižnicu na svijetu. Knjižnica se nalazi u sredini Salija, na rivi. Ispred knjižnice nalaze se razne fotelje i stolice koje te jednostavno mame da uzmeš knjigu, zavališ se iu njih i potratiš sve svoje preostale dane odmora na samo tom mjestu. Kad smo već kod uzimanja knjiga, ova knjižnica ne bilježi tko je posudio knjigu i kada ju je obavezan vratiti. Ova knjižnica ide na povjerenje. Dakle, kada uzimate knjigu, računaju na vaše poštenje i da ćete ju vratiti kada završite s čitanjem. I to mi se odmah svidjelo! Također imate besplatan pristup internetu i korištenju računala. Izbor knjiga je stvarno raznolik i smatram da si svatko može naći nešto za sebe. Također se održavaju raznovrsni programi i filmske večeri te i zabavne radionice za djecu. Postoji i klavir koji možete svirati ukoliko želite. Tako smo jedan dan Romana i ja ušetale u knjižnicu kako bi si uzele knjige za plažu i jedan dečko je počeo svirati na klaviru. Ja sam bila u sedmom nebu. Naježila sam se i njegovo sviranje me jednostavno ganulo. Znala sam da će mi ova knjižnica ostati u jako dragom sjećanju. Dakle, nakon što je završilo prikazivanje filma te večeri, pitali smo Antu možemo li prespavati u knjižnici. Na naše ugodno iznenađenje rekao je DA! Ušli smo, raspremili se na kaučima koji se nalaze u knjižnici i postavili laptop kako bi pogledati film prije nego što odemo na spavanje. Mogu reći da mi je to bilo jedno od najljepših iskustava života i ovim putem se zahvaljujem Anti ukoliko kojim slučajem naleti na naš blog i ovaj post. Ante, od srca ti hvala na predivnom iskustvu!!

[ENG] Continuing with day number 4. Since we came back to Sali from our trip in late hours, being as tired as we were, we just didn't feel like setting up the tent. Then an idea came to us – to ask Ante to let us sleep in his library. I still haven't told you about Ante. Ante is a man that Andrei knew from a few times he visited the island with his dad. And also a man that has the most beautiful and relaxing library in the world. The library is in the center of Sali, by the pier. There are all kinds of chairs and sofas in front of the library that just call your name so you can borrow a book, sit in them and waste the rest of your vacation days in one place. About the book borrowings, this library doesn't write down who borrowed the book and when is the book due to be returned back. The library works on mutual trust. So, when you take a book, they count on your honesty and that you will return it when you're done reading it. And that's what I liked the most! There is also access to free internet and use of computer. The variety of books is big and everyone can find something that suits them. There are also various programs and movie nights that are held at the library and also fun workshops for kids. Inside the library is a piano that is also there for you if you want to play. One day, Romana and I entered the library and there was this guy that started playing. I immediately got goosebumps and was moved by the sound of him playing. I knew this library will stay in my heart. So, after the movie ended that night we asked Ante if we can sleep over and, to our surprise, he said YES!!! We went in, settled on the sofas that were in the library and set up a laptop to watch a movie before we go to sleep. I can say it was one of the best experiences in my life and I wanna say thanks to Ante if he is somehow reading this post. Ante, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for this beautiful experience!



DAY 5

Sljedećeg dana ujutro morali smo se ustati dosta rano s obzirom da je Ante otvarao knjižnicu. Pospremili smo i sve vratili na mjesto te otišli doručkovati. Za vrijeme doručka odlučili smo da ćemo ovaj dan provesti u uživanju i malo usporiti ritam prethodnih par dana. Tako smo mi cure otišle posuditi knjige i sunčati se, a dečki su otišli u istraživanje ratnih tunela koje su uočili duž otoka.

[ENG] The next day we had to get up realy early since Ante was opening his library. We cleaned up and put everything back in place and went to have breakfast. As we ate we decided that today we'll slow down the pace of our vacation and just have a chill day. Romana and I went to borrow books and go sunbathe, and boys went on a little exploring trip because they spotted some war tunnels on the island.



U Saliju su plaže sve na 5-10 minuta hoda od centra no, ukoliko tražite pješćane plaže, ovdje ih nećete naći. Većina plaža je ili kamena ili umjetna. Nakon što su se dečki vratili iz svog istraživačkog pothvata , našli smo se s njima na rivi, kupili ručak i uputili se na obližnju plažu kako bi se svi zajedno malo opustiili.

[ENG] Most beaches in Sali are 5-10 min walk from the center but, if you're looking for sand beaches, you're not gonna find them here. Most beaches are either rock beaches or made by man. After returned from their exploring adventure , we met up on the pier, bought lunch and went to the beach together so we can all relax.



Nakon povratka sa plaže, iscrpljeni morem, naši trbusi su ogladnjeli. Ovaj put, umjesto kupovanja večere u lokalnom dućanu, odlučili smo se počastiti sa večerom na tursitički način. Pizza i pivo uz rivu. Obukli smo se i uputili prema rivi te uočili velike drvene stolove i stolice ispred jednog restorana. To je donijelo odluku umjesto nas. Mislim, zar ovo ne bi i vas privuklo??

[ENG] After we returned from the beach, exhhausted by the sea, our tummies got hungry. This time, instead of buying dinner in a local store, we decided to spoil ourselves in a tourist way. With pizza and beer by the pier. We got dresses and spotted some big chairs on the pier in front of a restaurant. That made the decision for us. I mean, would you be attracted by this too??



No, imajte na umu da se penjete na vlastitu odgovornost. ;)

[ENG] But, have in mind that you're climbing at your own risk. ;)



Dan smo završili opuštanjem na rivi do kasno u noć i gledanjem zvijezda na krovu jedne male kućice.

[ENG] We ended the day by relaxing on the pier and stargazing on the rooftop of a little house.



DAY 6

Pošto nam je zadnji dan prije nego što moramo krenuti doma i oprostit se sa ovim divnim otokom, odlučili smo se vratiti na mjesta koja su nas najviše usrećila. Saharun i Veli rat. Saharun je pješćana plaža na Dugom otoku koja je svojom ljepotom proglašena najljepšom plažom Hrvatske. I mislim da je definitivno jedna od najljepših. Jedini problem je pronalaženje parkinga ukoliko ga niste voljni plačati. Mi smo odlučili ne platit te jedva našli mjesto uz zemljanu cesticu koja vodi do plaže i koja je također krcata ljudima kojima nije do plačanja parkinga. Uzeli smo frižider i ručnike i krenuli na plažu. Plaža je na obali nasipana velikim oblim kamenjem no kada uđete u more pod nogama vas iznenadi sitan pjesak. U plićaku je dubina mora do koljena svega 10 m od obale te je time savršena za djecu ili neke vodene igre kao što su picigin i druge. Boja mora na ovoj plaži je nevjerojatna. Ova plaža su hrvatski Bali. Koliko god daleko od obale ideš, dno se vidi kristalno čisto. Najbolje za uživanje na luftićima. Ma, jednostavno med za oči. Uz plažu, u sjeni borova, nalazi se i kafić koji vam na raspolaganje nudi i svoj roštilj.??? Nakon što smo odložili svoje stvari, u kafiću smo zamolili konobare da nam led iz frižidera stave lediti kako bismo ih imali zaleđene i bar malo očuvali ostatak hrane koji nam je ostao. Tada smo se zatrčali u nebesko plavu vodu i pustili mozak na pašu jer smo znali da se tog istog dana odvajamo od ove predivne rajske plaže.

[ENG] Since it was our last day until we have to go home and say goodbye to this beautiful island, we decided to go back to the places that made us happy the most. Saharun and Veli rat. Saharun is a sand beach on Dugi otok that is, because of it's beauty, ofter reffered to as the most beautiful croatian beach. And I think it definitively deserves the title. The only problem was trying to find a parking spot, that is if you're not willing to pay for it. We didn't want to pay so we barely found a place by the dirt road that was already full with cars on the side. We took our fridge and towels and headed off to the beach. The beach is made of round stones but once you get into the water the sand will surprise you. 10 m from the shore the water is down to your knees which makes it perfect for kids or playing some kind of water sport. The color of the sea is beautiful. This beach is the croatian Bali. No matter how far you go from the shore, the water is so clean you can see the bottom. By the beach, in the shade of pine trees, there is a bar that also offers you their barbecue to use. After we put our stuff down, we asked the bartenders to freeze our ice cubes so we can save the rest of the food we had left in the fridge. Then we ran into sky-like-blue sea and relaxed because we knew that today we are saying goodbye to this beautiful heaven-like beach.



Ostali smo na plaži do otpilike 18 h i uputili se prema Velom ratu s naumom da dočekamo zalazak sunca. Otišli smo prvo do naslje Veli rat malo istražiti s obzirom da ga prije nismo posjetili

[ENG] We stayed on the beach till about 6 pm and then headed off to Veli rat with the idea of watching the sunset. We first went to the city of Veli rat since we didn't visit it before.



Tamo smo si kupili pizze za van u jednoj maloj pizzeriji i brzo krenul prema svjetioniku kako ne bismo zakasnili na zalazak sunca. Kada smo došli, vidjevši da nismo zakasnili, smjestili smo se na mol s najboljim pogledom prema horizontu i čekali. Dok smo čekali nagrizali smo pizze i uživali u zajedničkom društvu te lovili rakove po okolnom kamenju. Također smo, na klupi ispred svjetionika sreli našeg domaćeg glumca. Koja slučajnost!

[ENG] We bought ourselves pizzas in a little pizzeria and quickly headed back to the lighthouse so we don't miss out on the sunset. When we came and saw we didn't miss it, we sat down on the little pier that had the best view of the horizon and waited. While we waited we slowly ate our pizza, enjoyed each others company and chased little sea crabs. We also met our croatian actor on the bench in front of the lighthouse. What a coincidence!



Sunce se polako poćelo spuštati i došlo je još par ljudi i parova koji su također došli gledati zalazak sunca. Tada smo svi doživjeli nešto spektakularno. Boje su polako postajale tamnije, a sunce je polako odmicalo. Zalazak je pio predivan. Ganuo nas je do suza. Gledala sam zalazak i plakala od sreće što sam iskusila svoj prvi pravi zalazak sunca s najdražim ljudima na upravo ovom mjestu. Takav raspon osjećaja nisam uopće mogla predvidjeti. Razmišljala sam o svojoj obitelji i prijateljima i koliko sam zahvalna na svemu što imam, koliko je život divan i koliko volim ove ljudi koji sjede do mene. U tom trenu svi problemi su nestali, sve loše stvari bile su izbrisane jarkim bojama neba koje se prostiralo preda mnom kao slika na platnu. U tom trenutku osjetila sam sreću svijeta, osjetila sam posebnost i ljepotu života. U tom trenutku sam obečala sama sebi da ću jednom kad budem imala prilike dovesti svoju obitelj ovdje da i oni svjedoče onome čemu sam i ja svjedočila. Sjediliu smo tako u tišini, osjećajući slane suze i slani morski povjetarac koji nam je milovao obraze. Sjedili smo tako dok se nije smračilo. Pogledali smo jedni drugi i zagrlili se. Zagrljeni, smijali smo se i plakali u isto vrijeme, zahvalni što imamo jedni druge. Tada smo odlučili ostariti ideju koju želimo ostvariti još od prvog dana – popesti se na vrh svjetionika. Upitali smo obitelj koju smo prvi dan upoznali možemo li ući u svjetionik. Iako je već bio zatvoren i van radnog vremena, pustili su nas da se popnemo a vrh. Bili su i toliko dragi da nam nisu naplatili ulaz, koji je inače 20ak kn. Jedini problem je bio Andreov strah od visine. Mi ostali smo se penjali, dok je on četveronoške grabio prema vrhu. Na vrhu je bilo hladno i jako vjetrovito no predivno. Svjetla otoka obasjavala su noć.

[ENG] The sun was slowly setting and a few more people came that were also going to watch the sunset. Then we experienced something spectacular. The colors slowly began to get darker, and the sun was setting. The sunset was beautidul. It made us cry. I watched the sunset and cried happy tears because I was experiencing my first real sunset with my closest friend and at this exact place. I didn't even expect that spectar of feeling. I thought about my family and friends and how greatfull I was for everything I have, how life is wonderful and how much I love those people sitting beside me. In that moment all problems were gone, all of the bad stuff was erased by the beautiful colors of the sky that was laying in front of me like a painting on a canvas. In that moment I felt the world happiness, I felt the uniqueness and beauty of life. In that moment I promised myself I will bring my family to see what I saw. We sat there in silence, tasting the salty tears and the salty wind that touched our cheeks. We sat there until it got dark. We looked at each other and hugged. Hugging, we laughed and cried at the same time, gratefull that we have each other. Then we decided to make an idea that we were thinking of from the first day come true – go to the top of the lighthouse. We asked the family we met on the first day if we can enter the lighthouse. Although it was already closed and out of it's working hours, they let us in. They were nice enough to not charge us the entrance, that is usually about 20 kn. The only problem was Andrei's fear of hight. The rest of us climbed, while he was getting there on his fours. It was cold and windy at the top but very beautiful. The lights of the island were lighting up the night.



Nakon što su nam se emocije smirile, odlučili smo da je ovo mjesto mjesto gdje želimo provesti svoju posljednju noć. S obzirom da se bilo smračilo, otvaranje šatora nije dolazilo u obzir. Na plaži iza svjetionika rasprostrli smo vreće za spavanje i zaspali gledavši najljepše nebo koje smo vidjeli u životu i brojeći zvijezde padalice. Bio je to savršen kraj dana koji nitko od nas neće zaboraviti.

[ENG] After our emotions calmed down, we decided this place would be the place where we would spend our last night. Since it got dark, opening the tent wasn't an option. So, rolling out our sleeping bags on the beach by the lighthouse, we fell asleep watching the most beautiful sky we've ever seen and counting shooting stars. It was the perfect end of the day that none of us will forget.



DAY 7

Probudili smo se vrlooo rano kako bismo stigli na trajekt natrag za Zadar. Na trajektu smo šutjeli i razmišljali o utisku koji je prošli dan još uvijek imao na nas. Sa trajekta smo imali i priliku gledati izlazak sunca koji nas je pošastio svojom ljepotom i otpratio nas sa Dugog otoka.

[ENG] We woke up realyy early so we could catch our ferry back to Zadar. We were still under the impression that yesterday still had on us all through the ferry ride. We also had the opportunity to watch the sunrise that greeted us with it's beauty and slowly waved to us as we were leaving Dugi otok.



Na povratku u Zadar odlučili smo još malo obići grad, a nakon toga teških srca smo nastavili put doma. No, na putu smo odlučili stati u, već nam poznatom, Kuterevu kako bismo Branimiru i Romani pokazali utočište za medvjede. S obzirom da je bilo ljeto, ovoga puta dobrodošlicu su nam zaželjeli brojni volonteri i vodiči utočišta kojih nije bilo kada smo prošli put, u zimi,bili ovdje. Po ljeti nude i razne ličke domaće proizvode koje možete okusiti i razne suvenire koje možete kupiti za uspomenu. Ovaj put smo i vidjeli medu kako se kupa!

[ENG] Upon our return to Zadar we explored the city some more and after that continued our way home with aching hearts. But, on our way back we decided to stop at Kuterevo again to show Branimir and Romana the shelter. Since it was summer, this time we were greeted by numerous guides abd volunteers that weren't there the last time we were here, in the winter. In the summer they also offer various homemade products from Lika that you can try and souvenirs you can take home with you. This time we actually saw bears bathing!



Naravno da smo ih odveli i na izvor Gacke te se zaustavili kod dobro poznatog aviona.

[ENG] Ofcourse we took them to the source of Gacka and showed them, to us, a well-known plane.



Ovdje je našim avanturama bio kraj. (No ne zadugo!) To ljeto Dugi otok mi je ukrao komadić srca koji ću dobiti natrag svaki put kada ga ponovno posjetim. Mogu živjeti bez njega, no s njim mi je srce ispunjeno. Svi smo kući otišli sa predivnim uspomenama koje ćemo čuvati zauvijek. Dugi otok zaslužan je za moju promjenu. Za moje drugačije gledanje na svijet i shvaćanje da svrha života nije skupljati stvari već sječanja. Kada ostarimo, svi auti i sva roba neće ništa značiti ako nečemo imati nešto što bismo ispričali svojoj djecu ili unučadi. Od ljeta 2014. počela sam skupljati uspomene. I nastavit ću ih skupljati. I to je početak svega. Početak moje promjene. Početak mog drugačijeg gledanja na svijet. Ne kroz rutinu već kroz otkrivanja. Jer život nam je dan za otkrivanje.

Sa Dugog otoka, s ljubavlju.

[ENG] This was the end of our adventures. (But not for long!) That summer Dugi otok stole a piece of my heart that I will get back every time I visit it again. I can live without it, but with it my heart is fulfilled. We all went home with beautiful memories that we will keep forever. Dugi otok is the reason of my change. The reason of my different look on the world and figuring out that the point of life isn't collecting things but collecting memories. When we get old, all the cars and clothes won't be worth a thing if you won't have something to tell your kids or grandkids about. Since the summer of 2014 I started collecting memories. And I will keep collecting them. And that is the start of my different look on the world – not throught routine but throught discovering. Because life was given to us to discover.

From Long island, with love.

Oznake: Dugi otok. Veli rat, Saharun, ljetovalje, 2014

Evo nas, krečemo! Ne, nismo zaboravili na ovaj blog, samo ćemo u početku malo rijeđe objavljivati postove tj 1-2 puta tjedno. ;) Naime, u prošlom blogu smo vam rekli da ćemo vam u sljedećim postovima objasniti kako smo otkrili svijet. E pa, ovo je prvi korak koji je doveo to TOG trenutka. (to ćemo vam isto otkriti koji je to točno trenutak u sljedećim postovima :P ). Moramo vas malo ostaviti u iščekivanju! Kao poklon za moj 18. rođendan moj dragi me je odveo na put. Andrei je do sada već vidio puno više svijeta od mene. Zato sam se toga dana, 22.03.2014., vođena njegovom rukom, i sama otisnula u svijet, bez imalo pojma o tome kamo idemo.

[eng] Here we go! NO, we haven't forgotten about this blog. It's just that at first we'll be posting only 1-2 posts a week. So, in the last blog post we told you that in the next posts you'll see how we discovered the world. Well, this trip is the first step that led to THAT moment (we will tell you which exactly that moment later in the posts :P) We have to keep you on your toes! As a gift for my 18th birthday, my darling took me on a trip. Andrei has already seen so much of the ''world'' himself. So, that day, on March 22nd 2014, led by his hand, I myself set out to the wordl, with no idea about where we're going.



Probudili smo se ujutro oko 8 sati te prvo što smo napravili je doručkovali na njegovom suncem okupanom balkonu. Savršen početak dana! Nakon što smo nahranili svoje trbuhe, krenuli smo trbuhom za avanturom. Naravno, uz put smo stali nahraniti i svoj auto, jer će ovo biti dug put. Pod auto moram naznačiti da je to Volvo, Andrei inzistira! Ne možeš tog čovjeka od Volva odučit. Idemo dalje....Krenuli smo iz Karlovca, naravno, te preko Duga Rese, starom senjskom cestom.

[eng] We woke up at around 8 AM and the first thing we did was had breakfast on his sunbathed balcony. A perfect start of the day! After we fed out tummies, we set out on and adventure. Ofcourse, on our way we had to feed the car too, because this was going to be a long ride. By car I mean Volvo as Andrei insists I write. You can't separate that man from his Volvo! Let's move on...We started in Karlovac, ofcourse, across Duga Resa, along the old road to Senj.

Ne bi bili mi da nismo usput stali i razgledali i Tounj tj tounjski most. Most je izgrađen 1777. No od tada je promijenio svoj izgled koji je ostao do danas očuvan, osim kipova rimskih vojnika koji su u ratu pali u rijeku i kasnije iz iste izvađeni. Podno mosta se također mogu vidjeti ostatci starog mlina. Danas most predivno izgleda i definitivno je odmaralište koje se treba posjetiti. Uostalom, slika govori više od riječi. Uvjerite se sami.

[eng] It wouldn't be us if we hadn't stopped to look around Tounj bridge. The bridge was built in 1777. but since then it's look was changed to what it is today. Except the statues of the roman soldiers that fell into the river during war but were taken out after. By the bridge you can also find remains of the old threadmill. Today the bridge is in perfect shape and it makes a great rest-stop. Besides, pictures speak louder than words. See for yourselves.




Krenuli smo dalje uz dva obavezna suputnika na putovanju, prefine domaćice i karta! Usput smo još jednom stali na odmorištu uz cestu da se malo osvježimo izvorskom vodom.

[eng] We moved on with two indispensable accessories - yummy Domaćica and a map! We then stopped at a rest-stop along the way to freshen ourselves up with some fresh water.



Putujući dalje u zadnji tren uočavamo nekakvu utvrdu u Brinju. Uspostavilo se da je to bio Frankopanski plemićki grad. Parkirali smo auto i počeli se penjati. Što smo našli na vrhu vidjet ćete na slikama.

[eng] Traveling on, at the last minute we spotted some kind of fortress in Brinje. It turned out to be a Frankopan feudal town. Ofcourse we stopped, parked the car and started climbing up the hill. What we found at the top is on the next pictures.



Na putu prema velikom iznenađenju ovog puta, o kojem ja još uvijek nemam pojma, Andrei me odveo i na izvor rijeke Gacke. Iako je bio oblačan dan, to nije oduzelo od doživljaja Gacke s obzirom da je Gacka uvijek prekrasna, bez obzira kakvo je vrijeme ili koje je godišnje doba. Čamac u vodi je još više pridonio ugodnom seosko-riječnom ugođaju. Naravno, i ovdje smo popili izvorske vode iz veoma čudne ''pipe''. Ovdje se također nalazi i odličan vanjski roštilj te je savršeno za roštiljanje na lijepi sunčan dan. Znate onu: ''Moja draga i jaa, i gajbaa puna pivaa'' ;)

[eng] On the way to the big surprise of the trip which still I don't know nothing about, Andrei took me to the source of river Gacka. Although it was a cloudy day, it didn't ruin the experience of the river Gacka because Gacka is always beutiful, no matter the weather or the season. The boat in the water also added to the country mood. Ofcourse, we drank fresh water here too from a very unusual pipe. There is also a great outdoor barbecue perfect for sunny day burger flipping.



Zadnja postaja prije ''velikog iznenađenja'' je nešto što izgleda kao bivša vojna baza ili nešto slično tomu. Zaustavili smo se čim smo ga vidjeli i odlučili malo pronjuškati. Tada je ulaz bio ''dopušten'' , no danas više nije, a avion na slikama je potpuno restauriran. Čak smo se uspjeli i popesti unutar aviona i malo razgledati unutrašnjost. Bili smo čak i u pilotovoj kabini. Bilo je malo jezivo, no nadasve zanimljivo. To je također bio moj prvi put unutar aviona! IKAD.

[eng] The last stop before the big surprise was something like an abandoned military base. We stopped as soon as we spotted it and decided we wanted to explore. Then the entrance was allowed but today it isn't anymore and the plane that is on our pictures has been totally reconstructed. We even managed to climb into the plane and have a look around.
It was a bit scary but most of all interesting. After all, it was my first time in a plane. EVER.



Nastavili smo vožnju i došli u nekakvo malo seoce. Išli smo sve dalje i dalje i ja nisam mogla skužiti kamo idemo. No, tada se pojavio mali drveni znak u obliku medvjeda. Tada sam polako već počela nagađati kamo ta cesta vodi. I, naravno, moja nagađanja su se obistinila. Došli smo u utočište za medvjede u Kuterevu. Bilo je to divno iskustvo, no, s obzirom da je još uvijek trajala zima, posjetitelja baš i nije bilo te s obzirom da nije bila sezona nije bilo koji su nas mogli malo provesti kroz utočište i objasniti nam kako ono fukcionira. Iako je bilo lijepo vidjeti utočište izvan sezone, svejedno je puno ljepši doživljaj kada ste okruženi vodičima koje će vam malo pobliže objasniti sve što vas zanima. Stoga savjetujem da odete po ljeti jer ćete imati i mogućnost vidjeti medota kako se kupa, a tko to ne bi htio vidjeti? . Mislite da se nismo vratili tamo u ljeto? Naravno da jesmo! ;) Također, male stazice po cijelom utočištu i okolo njega daju vam mogućnost vidjeti medvjede sa svih strana i malo ih pobliže poslikati, dok se god, naravno, držite na sigurnoj udljenosti i ne ometate njihov mir.

[eng] After driving for a little bit more we came to a little village. We went further and further and I just couldn't figure out where we were going. But, then a little wooden bear shaped sign appeared. Then I started to make assumptions to where we are. And, ofcourse, my assumptions were true. We arrived at the bear shelter in Kuterevo. It was a wonderfull experience, but, considering it was still cold outside and it wasn't the season, there was no visitors and tour guides that could take us to look around and explain to us how the shelter works. Although it was nice seeing the shelter out of season, it's a better experience when you're surrounded with guides who will explain to you closely everything that you're interested in. So I advise you to go in the summer beacuse you'll also have an opportunity to see the bear bathing, and whou wouldn't want to see that? You think we didin't go there in the summer too? Of course we did! ;) Also, little pathways that lead all around the shelter give you the opportunity to see the bears from all angles and to get a good shot of them while, ofcourse, staying at the safe distance and not disturbing their peace.



Nakon pola data istraživanja i šetnje, ogladnjeli smo. Andrei je znao jedan dobar restoran tj buffet u kojem je već bio sa svojim tatom. Mogu vam reći da smo se okrijepili na najbolji mogući način i uživali u domaćoj ličkoj hrani! U obroku nisam nikad u životu više uživala. Naime buffet se zove Butina i nalazi se na samoj cesti koja vodi do utočišta stoga ne možete promašiti. Cijena obroka malo je na skupljoj strani no isplati se i svakako savjetujem posjet ovom slatkom buffet-u. Još jedan savjet: naručite njihov domaći kruh (kao na slici dolje) ! Stvarno je preukusan i unikatan. Pravo novo iskustvo! Tamo smo upoznali i gospođu koja posjeduje buffet i malo s njom porazgovarali te se slikali. Naravno, sjetila se i Andrea i njegovog tate! Jedna stvar koju volim kod putovanja je upoznavanje i razgovaranje s novim ljudima. Slušanje njihovih životnih priča i dijeljenje svoje.

[eng] After a half a day of exploring and walking, we got hungry. Andrei knew a good buffet that he already was in with his dad when he was younger. I can tell you that we ate the best way possible and enjoyed the traditional food from Lika. I haven't enjoyed a meal more in my life. The buffet's name is Butina and it is situated on the road that leads to the shelter so you can't miss it. The prices are a bit on the pricey side but it's deffinitively worrth it and I advise you to go on and visit it. One more advice: order their traditional homemade bread(on the picture below)! Although it looks like cheese it's really delicious and a totally new experience! We also met the lady owner of the buffet and had a little talk and took a few pictures. AND she remembered Andrei and his dad! That is also one thing that I love about traveling, meeting and talking with new people. Listening to their life stories and sharing your own.



Nakon što smo nahranili svoje trbuščiće, napravili smo ono što je jedino u Hrvatskoj moguće. Preko brda....
[eng] After we fed our bellies, we did something that you can only do in Croatia. Across the hills....


do mora.... u samo pola sata!!
[eng] to the sea....in only half an hour!!


Andrei je rekao ''Očemo svratit do Senja?'', a ja sam nonšalantno odgovorila ''DA!''. Na samom ulazu u Senj posjetili smo senjsku utvrdu Nehaj te nazočili predivnom pogledu na sunce koje se polako probijalo kroz oblake dok se spuštalo na počinak.

[eng] Andrei asked me ''Shall we pay a little visit to the Senj town?'' and I replied with a nonshalant ''YES!!'' On the sole entrance to Senj we visited the Nehaj fortress and experienced a wonderfull view on the sun that was slowly setting.



Nakon toga uputili smo se do senjske rive na piće te laganu šetnjicu i poljubac uz zalazeće sunce.
[eng] After that we took a little walk by the sea, had a drink and a little kiss in front of a setting sun.



Put smo završili groznim iskustvom probijanja kroz planinsku maglu koja je bilo toliko gusta da nismo vidjeli ni crtu na sredini ceste te sam ja glumila GPS dok je on pokušao skretati po mojim uputama i ne prijeći u drugi trak. Doslovno smo mislili da ćemo zapet u toj magli i nećemo moć nać put kući. Bili smo jedini na cesti, možda su prošla 2 ili 3 auta ako i toliko, a ljudi ni kilometrima daleko. No, uslijedio je happy ever after. Nakon sat i pol kretanja kroz najgušću maglu koju smo ikad vidjeli ( i iskusili ! ) došli smo do civilizacije i izvukli živu glavu. Kući smo se vratili u kasnim noćnim satima i utonuli u dobro zasluženi san.

[eng] We ended our trip with a horrible experience of struggling thorught mountain fog that was so thick that we didn't even see the middle line on the road. While I was playing a role of GPS, Andrei tried to take turns according to my directions and not cross to the other side of the road. We actually taught we will stay in this fog forever and not find our way home. We were the only ones on the road except a few cars that passed by, but people was nowhere to be seen for miles. But, happy ever after did follow. After an hour and a half of this mess we finally saw civilization and got out alive. We arrived home in the late hours and dived into a well deserved sleep.

Oznake: avanture, Putovanja, Lika

Hej! Kao prvo želimo vam poželjeti dobrodošlicu. Zahvaljujemo vam što ste bacili pogled na naš prvi službeni blog post.
Kako započeti? Pa drago nam je, mi smo Ivona i Andrei. U svojim smo dvadesetim godinama i prošle godine otkrili smo svijet. O tome kako pisat ćemo u sljedećim postovima pa, ukoliko ćete nas i dalje pratiti, vidjet ćete. A sada da se upoznamo. Ivona je studentica na Filozofskom fakultetu te studira češki i turski. Tko zna, možda vam u budućnosti bude pisala ne samo na engleskom. Andrei je iz Italije i trenutno u procesu ostvarivanja svojih snova. Upoznali smo se tako što je Andrei došao u Hrvatsku završiti zadnji razred srednje škole te tako ostao ovdje i živjeti. Kao da je bilo suđeno. Znate onaj citat od Paula Coelha: ''Volim te jer se cijeli svemir uročio da te nađem.''
Mladi smo i nemamo baš puno znanja i mudrosti podijeliti sa svijetom no, negdje treba početi, stoga ćemo ga pokušati steći dok u međuvremenu dijelimo s vama svoje pustolovine.

[eng] Hy! First, we'd like to welcome you. We thank you for checking out our first official blog post. How to start? Well, nice to meet you, we're Ivona and Andrei. We're in our twenties and last year we discovered the world. You'll read about that in next posts if you stay tuned. Ivona is a college student at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb and she is currently studying chech and turkish. So, who knows, maybe in the future she'll be writing on other languages than english. Andrei is from Italy and right know he is in process of making his dreams come true. We met because Andrei came to finish his last year of highschool in Croatia and stayed to live here. So, you know, it was kind of a destiny. You know that quote from Paulo Coelho: ''So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.''
We're young and we don't have much knowledge and wisdom to share with the world, but you have to start somewhere, so, we'll be gaining it along the way, as we share our adventures with you.



Lago di Cei, Italy

Nadamo se da ćete nas nastaviti pratiti na našim putovanjima i avanturama te ih proživiti skupa s nama. Hvala i uživajte u čitovanju! :) (čitanje+putovanje)

[eng] We hope you'll keep following us along our journeys and adventures and experience them with us. Thank you and enjoy the ride!! :)