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| On the Jadrolinija car ferry |
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| Waiting for the car ferry |
Taking advantage of our work-a-day flexibility, we decided that since we have a hike planned for today (Saturday, gorgeous weather) with a friend and her dog, we would do our outing yesterday (Friday) since Sunday is supposed to rain. We grabbed a rental car and headed a little into Istria to catch a car ferry to the nearby island of Cres. Cres is famous for its gorgeous terrain, sheep (lamb and cheese), and ornithology (vultures in particular). As it turned out, we timed the car ferry terribly and we didn't have enough time to take the 3 1/2 hour hike -- the very thing we hoped to do. So we have to go back.
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| Griffons through a window |
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| Vulture Restaurant |
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| Whitefish |
Our destination was a little hilltop coastal village called Beli. The 6k road to Beli from the main highway was perilous. I swore we would never drive on the Amalfi coast because of the curvy single lane cliff roads, but this was just as difficult to navigate. Fortunately, we only crossed paths with another vehicle a couple times. In Beli, we stopped at the eco-center which rescues Griffon vultures. We got to see the vultures right before their dinner (a dead sheep), but they hadn't tucked in yet. Seeing this dead sheep laid out on a cement platform, you can't help but think of Deuteronomy. Lucky for our appetites, we found an open restaurant, sort of (it may have just been open for a prearranged group but we snuck in) before watching the sheep get consumed. At our restaurant, the waitress told us they only had fish, in probably in the hope that we would look for another restaurant. But we said that would be fine, and she then told us we could have whitefish, potatoes, and salad. No laboring over a menu necessary! Jonah liked the fish, despite the face he made at the fish carcass.
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| Beli trail |
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| Roman footbridge |
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| Olive tree with Beli in background |
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| Last summer's pomegranate |
After lunch, we walked on a rocky path just on the outskirts of Beli and saw some of the most gorgeous scenery we've seen yet. The climate was very different than on the mainland. We passed dozens of pomegranate and olive trees. In several places along the path, it was difficult to distinguish between the fallen black olives and the sheep doodoo. We crossed a complete footbridge constructed by the Romans and all along the path, heard sheep "baaing" in the background. The air was a little hazy, and since we didn't have time to walk the complete path, we decided we must return. We took a different route home, going through the island of Krk, and got back in time for Jonah's soccer practice.
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| Beli trail |
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| Road to Beli |
