Croatia

The joy of rekindling old friendships is something truly special, isn't it? Visiting friends was the real purpose of our recent holiday. The Rome part (previous post) was just a bonus.   :)

So: After being in Rome for three full days, we rose on Saturday morning during the darkness well before dawn and hastily packed. By 6:20 a.m., in a heavy mist as light began to glimmer, the four of us were hustling through the streets to the nearest metro station, each of us with a small roller case. We also had two car booster seats, my pocketbook, and the stroller...and as often as not, either Jesse or I was managing William's roller as well, so it wasn't the easiest going. (Yes, it would have been simpler to have packed into just one larger case, but checked bag fees is where these discount airlines make their money...)

We thus were already a bit weary by the time we climbed on the airplane a few hours later, and Jesse was—very uncharacteristically—fighting a headache that had begun the afternoon before. But, happily, the flight to Hungary was easy, we picked up our *miniscule* rental car without hassle, and we were on the open road by noon. 

We found ourselves at a Hungarian cafeteria for lunch. Jesse and the boys chose the fried chicken and fries they could see through the glass. On a whim, I uttered "goulash," since that's the one Hungarian word in my vocabulary, not that I had a clue what it would yield in this instance. The older lady behind the glass raised her eyebrows at me. "Goulash?" she questioned. "Goulash," I repeated. She gave a "huh, what d'ya know?" shrug, turned behind her, took the lid off of a stainless steel urn, and ladled some beefy broth and potatoes into a bowl. It was salty—heck, we were at a roadside caf—but not half bad.

By mid-afternoon we arrived in Zagreb, at the home of friends we hadn't laid eyes on in over 10 years. Who knew the last time we saw Dave and Betsy in Quincy, MA that the next time we'd have doubled in number (four kids among us now) and be standing in the capital of Croatia! What a treat it was to be with them and to build friendship for several days. The kids hit it off fast. Their son is just a little older than Josiah and a kindred Lego lover, so they spent hours and hours making creations together. Their 3-year-old daughter is adorable, and she loved chasing William in circles; he wasn't an unwilling participant! More adorable yet, she called Jesse 'nother daddy the entire time we were there. "Oh, hi 'nother daddy!" she'd exclaim when he walked into the room. Ridiculous cuteness.

Unfortunately, though, Jesse felt worse and worse as Saturday wore on. We kept telling ourselves it was just weariness and a bad headache, but then he started with chills at bedtime. In the middle of the night (as the clock ticked over to March 1, his birthday, of all inauspicious things), he began moaning and tossing in his sleep, feverish and out of it.  The flu.  Fortunately the boys slept through Daddy's unsettled night—they were on the floor—but I couldn't quit worrying about him, not to mention thinking about (a) all the water bottles and ice creams Jesse and I had shared during the previous days, and (b) how here we were, guests, bringing a full-on flu into the house!! Awful.

Morning came, and Dave and Betsy were awesome. That is to say, they adeptly squashed any urge to tell us to get the heck out and not come back for another decade!  :)  We rearranged plans and agreed to lay low for the time being. And, thankfully, in the end Jesse had a pretty quick run with the "Roman plague," as we took to calling it. With meds, he was able to be out and about for a few short hours on Monday afternoon, and by Tuesday we all took a proper day trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park. He didn't really eat for a few days and wasn't at 100% all week, which was a bummer, but it was a manageable and welcome outcome all things considered. And the rest of us never succumbed, hallelujah!

But that's where this narrative needs to end and photos need to begin. Plitvice Lakes, our destination on Tuesday, has to be one of the most beautiful places on the planet. We were stunned by the majesty and power of the lakes and waterfalls that are the main attraction. Unbelievable beauty.

This is the first glimpse you get of the lakes/waterfalls, after coming from the parking and the entry area. WOW!!

The extra person you see is a friend who works with Dave and Betsy; it was nice getting to know her on Tuesday too! And...um....yes, this is photographic evidence that we almost immediately chose the barricaded trail. 

Initially the walkways switchback down the cliffside. Then they turn into planked paths through the marshy areas.

Before you know it, you're over the open water. Given the time of year, the water was at its high, the falls crashing and coursing around the walkways!

In other places the water seemed so serene. The colors were amazing. 

We enjoyed a picnic along the way. The rest of us stayed on the plank path, but these two climbed over to their own perch.

I sure do love these guys. And hey! You'd never guess Jesse had been a quivering, fevered mess 48 hours before!

Jesse carried William on a few really steep/tricky bits. He required "kiss power" from William, who obligingly provided loud smooches the entire way down, pictured here.

On the way back up, there were caves to explore and woodlands to see. The view from above wasn't too shabby a reward.

We could have explored for hours more, but with four kids and a fading Jesse, we kept the visit pretty short. Next time!

On the 2+ hour drive back to Zagreb, we stopped in the town of Rastoke. It felt, just as Betsy had described, like it was torn from the Lord of the Rings. The town's homes and buildings are built directly on the waterfalls.

***

On a separate note: Dave and Betsy procured this lovely cake when they realized it was Jesse's birthday. Of course we were forced to eat it for him. Why the Lego dude with a tin foil crown, you ask? Why the door-looking cookies stuck on the side? Well, I had shared with them how this trip had gotten me out of making the "château gâteau" (castle cake) for Jesse that somehow had become a thing of grand anticipation in the family. Months ago, Jesse jokingly mentioned that he'd like a château gâteau for his birthday, just because of the silly rhyme. Well, the boys latched on (with Jesse's encouragement of course) and the cake requirements had proliferated with time...chocolate moat, working drawbridge, turrets and flags...  I laughed out loud when this appeared! Such a shame Jesse couldn't appreciate it himself.  

The kids were happy to be the candle blowers in Jesse's stead.

I'll just include a few "friend" shots to end this out. THANK YOU Dave and Betsy!!!