90 Days in Turkey Spring 2022

[frwjd]

Day 212

We left Camp Kalinovac early this morning, away by 9.10am having decided to have breakfast en route. We drove through the countryside with the road disintegrating beneath our wheels by the minute! By the time we stopped for breakfast the road was made up of more patches than actual road! It may sound picturesque but the reality is that John had to weave left, right and centre continually so as to try and not fall into the ruts and holes! We daren't build up any sort of speed in case we missed a hole and fell in it!
The setting was wonderful though! Absolute silence except for the birds and a faint hum from a red tractor in the distance. We could have been in Suffolk! Flat fields surrounding us, a tree shading us, blue sky above us - a perfect setting to start the day. However, as we sat back to enjoy it - a bug flew through the open window! It was large and appeared to have a "stinger" - John made a dive for the Bug Zapper, and after 4 zaps managed to dispatch it in a little puff of smoke!
Breakfast consumed, we continued along the patchwork road, zig-zagging between fields of leeks, wheat and 3 ft high sunflower plants. Soon after we passed 2 fields of just rubbish. Some bagged, most not, but a real eyesore!
A vast area of some sort of mining activity reared up to our right. Diggers, low loaders, bulldozers, enormous lengths of conveyor belt, clouds of dust billowing into the atmosphere. To our left was a railway line with open topped trucks waiting to be filled.
John tells me that we've just completed an enormous loop around Belgrade as we approach the motorway again. The scenery has moved from dust and dirt to roses in full bloom, larkspur dotted between the plants. The sky overhead is a grey/blue, the colour of slate. I grab the Toll ticket from the machine as we slow down and then we're on the A1/E75.
20 minutes later we pass an Army tank on a low loader. We saw one yesterday and I wonder if it's the same one, but with that thought - another one follows on! We reach the end of this stretch of motorway - the Toll cost was 280 Dinar - and turn off towards Izlaz.
We pass a logging camp that has logs piled more or less on the roadside! Several men with chainsaws are busy cutting it all into smaller chunks - right on the roadside! Sawdust and chips are flying everywhere! As we move away from there John tells me we're running parallel with the Bosnian border, just the other side of the hill.
At 12.18 we cross the wide River Danube and 15 minutes later we take another Toll ticket. The gloomy weather seems to be breaking and the first spits of rain hit the window soon after we stop for a quick drink. We pay the Toll ticket and cross the River Bosut where we come up on the rear of an enormous line of vehicles waiting to cross the Border. We need to pass them to join our own queue and I count 125 lorries!
The posters at the Serbian Border tell you that you MUST declare it if you have more than 50 Euros. You also need to declare if you have any alcohol etc.
Our passports are checked and then we're asked to pull up and the Guard comes in and checks inside the bathroom and inside the wardrobe, John lifts the bed so he can see under there too. I'm told they're looking for illegal immigrants! Up to this point no-one has actually entered and searched, usually they just lean in and look around.
We're waved through and enter Croatia, where our passports are checked and we're waved through with no queries. As we reach the next Toll station I have to dangle half out of the cab to reach the button to press for the Toll Ticket. The machines are designed for cars so are at the height of the driver's window - Dippy's a LOT taller!!!
Having topped up on fuel we set off to find our site for tonight. Sat Nav says we're here but it doesn't look right! As we're debating, I swing down from the cab and take a quick peek. There's an old red barn and some buildings plus a couple of modern houses - then a lady trots across the grass waving at me, phone to her ear. She tells me "The chef ist kummen - 10 minutes".
We wait, and sure enough, 10 minutes later a lady turns up. Not a chef but she IS the owner of the site. She's French so John manages the conversation and we're soon parked up.
The site is small and "in progress" is a good description! It's delightfully rustic. An ancient barn - being renovated - modern toilets and showers. Outside seating, with some lovely trees surrounding us. A small shop opposite gives us the basics so John enjoys some fish finger sandwiches tonight!
I've done some handwashing, and strung a washing line up from the ancient beams in the barn for it to drip dry overnight. I was caught in the act by the owner who declared it "Magnifique!" when I asked if it was ok to do that.
Time to stop for tonight. I had the very sad news this morning that my cousin, John Klugt, has died. My Aunt, Uncle and 5 cousins left for Australia on the SS Canberra when I was about 10 years old or thereabouts. It was under the Ten Pound Poms scheme - £10 per adult and children go free! John was - if I remember correctly - only 6 months old when he crossed the ocean to a new life. I barely knew him before he left England but was able to meet him on a trip to Australia many years ago. He loved reading my posts and we've stayed in touch. My heart goes out to all his family.

 

[frwjd]

Day 213

A Dutch couple arrived on site today.
They are going to join a convoy of motorhomers in South East Turkey then tour Iran, Armenia and Georgia!
What a fantastic trip I am rarely envious but those three countries are in my top five.

 

[frwjd]

Day 213

Just a short post this evening as we've had a rest day, also uncertain wifi connection!
A very hot day again, with no breeze to help cool John down - he's not a lover of hot weather, especially if it carries on through the night and stops him from sleeping!
The hand washing from last night - which included denims - was almost dry. Once I'd taken some of it from the temporary washing line slung under the barn roof and set it out on plastic chairs in the sunshine, you could see it steam! Interesting!
The barn is a delight in many ways! It's as if you'd gone for a day visit to a heritage setting! Leaning on it's end against one of the inside brick walls is an ancient farm cart. It's wheels and the wooden shafts to which the horse would be harnessed are missing but it's seats are still in place, cobwebs dangling from them, stirring in the breeze.
A massive crib is set against the whole of one end wall, full to brimming with decaying corn cobs. Scattered around are various farm implements, many of which would have been pulled along by horses rather than the modern versions which are now towed by tractors. A ancient rusty plough sits neglected in the grass, overgrown with weeds and grass.
Bricks are stacked around the perimeters, some fairly modern, others obviously old. All will be re-used, incorporated into the re-building of the barn. A stack of long timbers shows the silver-grey of old oak while newer planks are separate - their colour a honey gold hue.
There is an abundance of Butterflies and I wish I had an id chart to be able to tell what they are. I recognise some, Cabbage White, Tortoiseshell, there are some spectacular bright orange ones and lots that are red, black and white. Beautiful, but nameless. As I sat reading in the sunshine they would often land on me, and stay, opening and closing their wings gently until I moved.
We were joined late this afternoon by a Dutch couple who are here for a day or two. I won't elaborate as I know John's already posted about them! I will now keep my fingers crossed that this posts! The internet has dropped out several times whilst writing this!

 

[frwjd]

Day 214

WOW! What a night!
I went to bed with the sound of thunder in the distance, a gentle rumbling - the pitter patter of rain on the roof easing me gently towards sleep as I yawned over my Kindle. We had every available window open as the heat had been so intense all day and the 3 skylights had been cranked wide open too. We closed the skylights as the rain steadily increased, (one is directly over the bed!) still more of a heavy shower than anything else. It seemed to slowly ease away and settle down.
As my eyes grew heavy, I could hear the thunder getting closer again and then the flicker of lightning showed briefly through the skylight above me. I closed my Kindle and watched the lightshow above my head as it increased. The thunder was louder too - then the heavens opened and an absolute torrent of rain hit us!
Dippy started rocking as the wind increased, despite the fact that we were in quite a sheltered spot, a thick barrier of trees to one side and the ancient barn at our back. The lightning flashed across the sky and lit up the whole van as if the electric lights had been turned on, the crash of the thunder vibrated through us, making everything vibrate fiercely.
John was still up, not ready for bed yet and we watched from different ends of the van as Nature threw everything she'd got into a massive temper tantrum! Sheet lightning as well as forked lightning lit up the night sky in an almost endless searchlight of electricity! The thunder shook the very ground under us and the trees to our left whipped back and forth ferociously as if trying to rip themselves from the very ground they were rooted in! And then they stilled!
Another almighty crack of thunder, a flash of searing light, a massive bang and the van literally jumped! We're both sure we'd been hit!. The thunder and lightning carried on for about an hour before it very slowly eased away from us and we finally slept.
The next morning showed that our awning - which had been left up as the predicted "rain" hadn't been expected to amount to much until late morning/early afternoon - had collapsed! Was it that which had been hit? We're not sure, but it would explain why the van had "jumped"!
With the help of our kind Dutch "neighbours", we managed to get the awning back into place (I'm too short to be much help!) and were able to get stowed away and on the road, with a stop at the local shop for some supplies, by 11.am.
We're soon passing through farmland where harvesting is under way. Outside one house, an elderly man is using a scythe to cut the grass verges. My daughter and I used scythes for the same purpose in the Conservation Area in Eye, my home for 30+ years. There's something very satisfying about the slow, measured pace used to scythe. The slow march forward, the feel of the swing in the back and shoulders, the sigh of the grass as it falls under the sharp blade.
We pass several service stations which have been closed for buying fuel, refreshments and using toilets - the only open thing appears to be the parking! It's all due, evidently, to the continual miles of roadworks going on along this stretch of motorway. If you need fuel - you have a BIG problem!
The first Toll comes up - 14 Euros. Then we're off again, the skies above are dramatically heavy looking - but so far -dry! The sun pierces through occasionally, like a searchlight. We see the first Motorhomes of the day and pass a field with a herd of horses in it - black, chestnut and piebald. About half of them have foals at heel, kicking their heels up as they play.
We reach the next Toll booth and I nearly fall out of the cab again when retrieving the ticket, this one seems to be even lower down than usual! We soon stop for a quick snack and coffee and I note that I've seen 21 Motorhomes and 7 Caravans since we left just over 2 hours ago - Tourist season is ramping up!
The next Toll costs us a whopping 34Euros! Once off the motorway we pass through busy towns and villages, all affected by a massive amount of roadworks causing a big tailback. Another 7 Motorhomes are passed before we start to thread our way between quieter green fields and scattered houses. The route is lined mostly by Massive Rowan trees with their almost lime green leaves fluttering madly in the breeze.
At Niksic, the rain starts and down below us is a gorge with muddy water tumbling over rocks and weirs, gushing downwards in small waterfalls. A man stands on the verge taking a photograph of an old castle on the other side of the river.
We arrive at Plitvice Camping - we've stayed here before and it's a tad expensive but worth it! We're welcomed, and given a 20% discount for having used them before (November last year). The receptionist apologises profusely for the fact that they're having construction work done to extend the site so in the daytime it will be a bit noisy. She also books the Shuttle Bus for us to go to the Plitvice Lakes tomorrow morning at 8am..
Once settled in, we pop over to the restaurant for a drink and having looked at the menu, we decide to eat straight away as we need to be up early tomorrow for the Shuttle Bus. Chicken Tagliatelle in a tomato sauce for me and Grilled Trout for John. Both delicious but - Ouch. The prices are definitely different to Turkey! The meal plus 2 beers and 2 cokes was £38.95! That's with the 15% discount voucher too!
We're booked in for 7am breakfast before we go out!

 

[frwjd]

Day 215

I know John has posted masses of photos of our day at Plitvice Lakes - they will tell you much more eloquently than my words just how stunning and magical this place is.
We had a VERY early breakfast in the restaurant here, as we were booked to be taken to the Lakes at 8am. The early start was for two reasons - the first being that the weather, which at this point was dry but overcast, was due to deteriorate. The second reason was to beat the crowds!
The car drive was about 10-15 minutes and we were dropped at Gate 1. Tickets were bought for Route C, which involved walking then a boat ride across the Lake to the next stage, then back via the shuttle train. This is Croatia's largest National Park and covers a whopping 295sq kms. A total of 16 lakes cascade into each other, separated by travertine barriers that act as shallow bowls.
The boardwalks are in generally good condition, however you have to occasionally duck under overhanging trees! The trunks of many of them are at an angle across the boardwalk, their thick, twisted roots clinging precariously to the rock face. Sections of trees and bushes have been cropped so as to give as many vantage points for photos opportunities as possible!
The gentle incline takes us steadily downward, tantalising glimpses of the waterfalls teases us at each turn in the path. The water below is the most stunning shade of turquoise - the colours change depending on the level of minerals in the water and reflections from the sky. Today's cloud cover evidently mutes the colours.
Care needs to be taken as the depth of the water can be deceiving. Along the edges it seems to be quite shallow and clear, with a myriad of small fish darting about - and lots of mosquitos! Then, suddenly, the water is a beautiful colour - but impenetrable! Half-hidden amongst the reeds at the water's edge is a sunken rowing boat, it's outline barely showing.
As you look upwards the cascading waterfalls are stunningly beautiful! They arch out from the top of the cliffs as if they're high divers, spilling in white streams of icy water into the pools below.
The highest of these is the 78m high Veliki Slap, fed by the Plitviki Potoc river. In winter it's turned into a majestic ice sculpture!
We move onwards, looking up to see caves in the rock face, some just slits and some much larger.The smell of elderflowers and mint are all around us as we continue circling the boardwalk. We stop for photos and I realise that just a few feet away, where the cliff disappears into the water, there is the top arch of a cave protruding out of the water, the rest of it is visible below the surface - intriguing! A few steps on there is a sign pointing up some steep steps to where other caves are, but we move on as the tourists are now increasing in numbers and the paths are busy.
There's a boardwalk that takes you across the water, where off to the side you can watch layers of smaller waterfalls cascading into shallow basins of travertine rock. The boardwalk is narrow so you need to take care with other people coming towards you! A German woman has a Great Dane with her - the size of a small donkey!
The path twists and turns along the waters edge and we reach the Milka Ternina Falls, named after a famous Opera singer 1863-1941.They tumble over the tufa rock formations near the plaque naming her. A hazel tree overhangs the bench at the side , dripping rainwater as the weather deteriorates.
As we reach the end of the lake we circle it to the refreshments stand and grab some drinks. The weather is now against us, and the tourists have increased - the Guides with their little flags on sticks waving in the air as they walk, trying not to lose track of their group! One of the tourists is wearing a yellow Pacamac and tiny silver sandals! A decision is made to cut the day short and head back to Dippy. We don't have long to wait for the boat to make an appearance on the lake, pulling gently in to moor at the jetty.
The lake is as smooth as glass - I'm no sailor! In no time at all we're on the other side and walking up the hill to the exit, up a myriad of shallow steps - it's a long walk! We arrive at the top and find that we should have turned off - at the bottom of the hill rather than walking to the top! Oh No!
We decide to take the more level route and walk to the Exit at Gate 1 rather than Gate 2. Off we go! For a very long way! And a very long time! It was a very pretty route though, through the forest, so we just ambled along, passing Beech, Elder, Birch, Sycamore, Foxgloves, Harebells. Each side of us are sudden deep drops in the landscape as if a giant has taken an enormous spoon and gouged holes in the ground.
Eventually, the end is in sight and we reach the road and the pick up point for the Gate. A phone call to the Campsite to inform them we're here and ready and we sit under shelter to wait, the rain is now tipping down!
Once back on the site we check Google Fit - 4.57 miles, 11,326 steps - YES, it definitely felt like it was that!!
The rain has absolutely tipped down non-stop since then - which will - I imagine - make the waterfalls even more spectacular tomorrow!

We visited Plitvice Lakes in November but snowstorms cut the visit short, so pleased to have revisited......

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[3DOM]

Where are you?, hope all is well.

 

[frwjd]

Where are you?, hope all is well.

Sorry, had intermittent internet.
Half an hour from Calais, Chunnel to Folkestone tomorrow lunch

 

[frwjd]

Jeez, is it that long since I updated the page
We're back in the UK, I've had my operation and convalescing in Ingleton, North Yorkshire.
I must sort the Mifi out!