We are incredibly lucky to have amazing parents that want to spend their vacation with us half way around the world! Last week, we met Adena’s mother and step-father at the Zagreb airport in Croatia after taking the night bus from Prague. From the airport we headed to Plitvice National Park, about 2 hours south of Zagreb by car. Residing in Colorado and having natural beauty in our backyard, we were hesitant about visiting a national park and not sure we would get the “wow” factor that most people feel when they see waterfalls and lakes.  However, we were completely surprised by Plitvice’s gorgeous flowing waterfalls and pristine lakes at every turn.  The lakes are situated like stair steps with waterfalls acting as connections to each lake. The park offers multiple wooded walking paths with variable difficulty and length. We chose to walk around the majority of the park, about 10km and 16 lakes. These paths are well marked and take you on winding routes under the waterfalls and over the lakes.  We spent a full day hiking through the park and taking in the beautiful landscapes. There is no real “town” near the national park, so be prepared for either the large scale, communist era hotels or small B&B’s as your accommodation of choice.

From Plitvice we drove west to Rovinj (pronounced Roh-veen) Croatia, a coastal town located on the Istrian peninsula situated across the Adriatic Sea from Venice.  Due to its close proximity to Italy, the Istrian region and more specifically Rovinj, have been heavily influenced by the Italians. You can see this in the architecture of the houses, layout of the piazzas, language and especially the food.  It was common to walk the street and hear a mix of Croatian and Italian being spoken in front of the mostly Italian restaurants. The Istrian region is also well known for its micro-climate and harvests very well-known truffles in the region.  Therefore, most of the meals we had involved some sort of delicious truffle oil or several other well-known products of the region, including cheese and honey. Thanks to Keith’s intensive researching skills, we had an ideal apartment located in the center of the city and close to the markets. It was great to shop for fresh produce for breakfast and lunch and enjoy copious amounts of local wine (filled up in our water bottle!) in the evening. We even picked up some fresh sardines from the fish market and fried them up, delicious! We spent our days roaming the windy cobblestone streets, window shopping, taking a boat ride, and sitting on the stone beaches in the nearby park. Rovinj “beaches” deserve a quick description- there was not a pinch of sand on the shores, which resulted in near crystal clear waters but very awkward beach setups. Towels and folding chairs laid on top of the various concrete alcoves that sun bathers used to soak in the rays. It was common for the women to be topless and the men to wear the infamous swimmers speedo.  Regardless, both of these sites were not that enjoyable to the apparently conservative American eye.

Buying local honey and cheese on the side of the road

Coliseum in Pula

Our last stop on our fun filled week with the parents was in Ljubljana, (pronounced Loobie-ahna) the capital of Slovenia.  Along with Budapest and Sarajevo, Ljubljana ranks in the top three of our favorite European cities thus far.  The smallish city of about 280,000 people, including 65,000 students could be the most pleasant city in Eastern Europe. With plentiful riverside cafes, fantastic architecture, a hillside castle, bike lanes and cheap wine, what’s not to love? On Sunday’s the entire city closes down and can feel very sleepy however, this doesn’t bother us; the city has a river running through the center and some amazing parks located just a few blocks outside the center. We went for a run through Tivoli Park, which has a legitimate forest with dirt paths; a truly unique green space not only for its proximity to the city center but also its landscape. The city also has a huge open air market everyday where local farmers come and sell their produce and handmade products.  We also took advantage of a free walking tour of the city with The Ljubljana Free Tour as well as a paid communist tour.  I would highly recommend the walking tour; it takes place each day at 11am.  We spent two nights with the ‘rents in an amazing apartment in Ljubljana, then headed to Lake Bled for the night where we said our goodbyes to Wendy and Keith.

Our walking tour with the Mayor of Ljubljana

Lake Bled is located a short drive north of Ljubljana and should be on any visitors hit list. The lake is not impressively big, but is quite beautiful. No personal watercrafts are allowed on the lake, so it can be a quiet and peaceful place. You can also join the locals and sunbath on a lakeside grassy knoll and swim to an island church in the middle of the lake. Lake Bled is located at the base of Triglav National Park, where you can find any adventure activity you can think up. We spent our time walking the lake and heading to Vintgar Gorge for a hike in Triglav National Park, which we would highly recommend.

With the parents gone, we are back in Ljubljana for three nights and then off to Maribor, Slovenia before heading to Austria to connect with Andy’s parents. I almost forgot to add, we celebrated our one year anniversary at an incredible 4 star boutique hotel in Ljubljana.  We have never slept in a bed so welcoming and sheets so soft. Even all the food and drink in the minibar was on the house. Did we mention the free fruit basket? We were treated like B-list celebrities by the staff, who makes an impeccable cappuccino. If you find yourself in Ljubljana and are looking for an upgrade, check out Hotel Cubo. Checking out of the hotel was legitimately depressing. Back to shared bathrooms and hostels!

*For updates on our culinary adventures, please check out our food blog at 3MealsOut*