Trieste, Italy to Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Wednesday, May 7

This post will be delayed, as we have no Internet access in our Wednesday night digs.

Again this morning, we were in three countries before 10:00, which sounds far more whirlwind than it was.  It was a very short distance from Trieste to the Slovenian border, which we crossed without even slowing down, as Slovenia is in the EU.  In a short while, we were processed out of Slovenia and into Croatia, which is en route to EU membership, but not yet there, so the formalities of passport stamping are observed. 

In the first Croatian town (and I use that designation generously) we entered, there were roadside signs touting at least three different offices offering dental implants!  We made note for future reference, as I'm sure the cost plus travel expenses would compare favorably with similar(??) services in the US, and the scenery is a bonus!

And what lovely scenery it was -- green mountains, early spring buds and blossoms, and, thanks to our unerring new best friend, quiet country roads lined with tiny villages, small farms, and the ruins of stone houses.  We wondered if they were remnants of the wars of the late 20th century.  We were particularly struck by the patchwork contrast of deep green evergreens and the light spring green of newly budding hardwoods blanketing the hillsides.

Our destination was Plitvice Lakes National Park, a very popular Croatian gem.  The park encompasses tiers of lakes, terraced on a mountainside.  Each one is fed by multiple waterfalls and, in turn, spills out in cascading waterfalls into the lakes below.  We walked (along with many other visitors) along uneven and irregular log paths beside and between the lakes and waterfalls, which thundered with spring abundance.  Though the afternoon was overcast,  we were able to see hints of the iridescence of the blue-green travertine pools that sunshine would reveal. 

This afternoon brought a great combination of exercise and natural beauty, along with renewed appreciation for our own beloved National Park System.  We'd normally be among the last to be accused of jingoism, but in terms of visitor-friendliness and ease-of-figuring-things-out, the US NPS has it nailed.