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Friday 28th
It was great to be back on the road again, not knowing what awaited us and Geoff managed to navigate our way out of Zagreb without a hiccup, with yours truly on the iPad and Google maps!
Slavonia is known as the food basket of Croatia and there is a standing joke that it is so flat that the largest hill is no bigger than a cabbage! That seems to be true as the drive through the Panonian Plains to Slavonski Brod took only two hours and we barely turned a corner. We passed endless fields of corn or maize and ploughed fields of fertile chocolate brown soil. Forests of beech lined the highway at times and everything is so lush. It reminds me a lot of New Zealand, except most of our trees are evergreen.
We couldn't believe our luck when we arrived - our accomodation is a one bedroom apartment inside a courtyard, right next to the river Sava. The walls are about two feet thick so it was really cool when we entered. The riverbank is lined by a promenade with huge plane trees which provide shade for walkers, bicyclists and people like me, sitting on the seats which dot the walkway. I am sitting here on the bank of this enormous river, trying to conjure up words to describe how beautiful it is... below me is a teenage boy casting his rods out into the gentle currents and there is steady crawl of cars on the bridge to my right, crossing into Bosnia, as the river is the border.
It is quite a lot hotter here than Zagreb (32-35) , there is a warm breeze but scarcely a ripple on the water. The little we have seen of the town seems to be a mixture of old and new, -we have some serious exploring to look foward to tomorrow. Our original plan of staying one night has well and truly gone out the window, we have extended it to three!!!
Sunday 30th
We continue to be enthralled with this area, it is magic, waking up and walking by the river. Yesterday we drove to Dakovo, a small town further inland to see the State Lippizaner Stud. The training facility was in the middle of the town where they keep nearly twenty young stallions. It was very laid back and several teenage boys and girls from the local pony club were washing and grooming the horses outside in the sun. The horses were stunning and so well behaved. The stallions are trained for a few years and then have a selection process where some are sold and some are kept for higher dressage training. I had my equine "fix" but was frustrated that we weren't allowed to pat them in their stalls...
There were no such restrictions when we drove a further 10 kms into the countryside to the breeding farm! We were the only people there and were waved on by a man pushing a wheelbarrow out of the stables... , saying how hot it was. "vruće!" It sure was- 35 degrees by this stage! We were given carte blanche and I was in my element patting the glorious breeding stallions who appreciated the scratches, angling their necks for better access. The weanling colts were next... Geoff and I picked grass from the lane ways and fed a very enthusiastic bunch!
It was so good to be with horses in the countryside amidst the peace and tranquility of a hot summer's afternoon.
Lunch was a fish platter for two which really should have been for four! Several different types of fresh and saltwater fish, served with blitva , homemade tartare sauce and olive oil with herbs and garlic and of course, fresh bread.
On our way back to Slavonski Brod, we detoured to a lake hidden in the beech forest and spent the afternoon swimming in the pristine waters,
-now that is relaxation!
Sundays in Croatia are similar to what I remember as a child, all the shops closed, except for some corner stores which open until midday. That is where the similarity ends. Cafés and bars are full of people dining al fresco and catching up with family and friends. We chose to follow the locals' example and have had a day of rest, strolling along the river promenade, drinking great coffee in the morning, chilled white wine in the afternoon and exploring the streets, sometimes to the strains of a violin drifting down from an apartment above...
and basically , just soaking up this wonderful part of the world....
- comments
glenlyonrach So evocative!! Xx