Walking on the Sun (Pula - Losinj Island - Zadar, Croatia)

Today is one of the longer legs cruising down the Croatian coast. Our destination is Losinj Island with the mandatory walk through the old town. We weighed anchor at 9am and headed south. The coast line is generally tree covered with the occasional settlement but most of the islands we pass are uninhabited. Sitting in the open area on the main deck is a wonderful way to while away the hours and just enjoy the coastal cruising. This was what I'd hoped for on the European river cruise a couple of years back. Instead we were on the go the whole time and cruised at night. To date we have been docked at night and cruise through the day.

So relaxing.

We stopped for our first swim in the Adriatic Sea, largely to break up the day. The water temperature was probably close to 25° and the level of salt in the water ensured that the less than confident swimmers did not require the noodles they had taken into the sea.

Daniel setting up the exclusion zone for the swimmers.

Jayne is naturally buoyant but appeared to be floating on a board in this super salty water. It was crystal clear and it was easy to see the limestone bottom some 5 or 6 metres below. There were a few small fish and a lot of jellyfish, the non-stinging variety.

We spent about 30 minutes there and were welcomed back on board with a shot of, well, I'm not sure, I think it was rum, curacao and pineapple juice. It looked toxic, a shade of green I can't really describe, but it tasted OK.

A lighthouse somewhere on the Adriatic Sea.

Then it was time for lunch and drinks on the back deck and some more cruising.

One of the many 'pirate' ships.

We docked on Losinj Island around 4pm and had an hour before the walking tour commenced. Much like the others, the old town is a maze of polished limestone streets and lanes that all lead up to the church on the hilltop. Also like Rovinj, the statue on top of the bell tower acts a weather forecaster and swivels with the wind. Once again she was looking out over the water, a good sign for us.

Another weathervane statue.

The town itself is built around the inlet and consists of numerous restaurants and cafés. There are a number of chapels dotted around the town, some with a specific purpose that is linked to a hospital. The population of 5,000 grows to around 25,000 in summer and there are 11 hospitals to cater to the surge in numbers.

The town square.

Following the guided walk, we strolled down the opposite side of the harbour, past the red submarine and the pirate ship. The touts from the restaurants were keen for our business until I told one of them we were from the ship. This information was relayed all the way down the line and no-one offered us a place to drink or dine again.

The chandelier in the church.

Back on board we prepared for another sumptuous dinner. Being a tourist is such hard work.

The moon rising over the island.

Lights across the water.

The routine has been established: we weighed anchor at 9am and left the port for Zadar. As with yesterday, we stopped en route for a swim. We pulled in to the lee on an island, reversed the ship close to shore and tied her off with one rope which also acts as a barrier.

Our swimming spot.

Once again the water was around 25°, crystal clear and heavy with salt. There was a bit more undersea action today. There were trepang, sea slugs if you prefer, sea urchins, numerous small fish and what appeared to be a lot of broken roofing tiles. No jelly fish this time and very little weed or seagrass.

The photos don't do the colours justice.

The shot glass that awaited our arrival back on deck was grappa. I passed and went straight to the bubbles. Some grappa found its way to the sea, I wonder if the fish appreciated it. Back to the cabin to rinse my board shorts and swimmers and then it was time for lunch. I won't bore you with details, dear reader, suffice to say it was as sumptuous as expected.

Zadar.

We arrived in Zadar around 4:30pm and moored on another ship, much we like we had to do on the European River cruise. Zadar is significantly larger than the other ports we've visited so far. The dock area is lined with restaurants on one side, the other has the walled old town, another relic of the Roman occupation.

Up close and personal.

The old town is similar to the others we have visited and is geared for tourism. Shops, cafés, restaurants and churches. There are churches everywhere, each with its own story in the history of Zadar. There are Roman ruins to explore and examples of the ingenuity of the locals where they have used Roman columns to provide the foundations for more recent buildings.

Roman ruins used as foundations.

Roman ruins.

A church tower with weathervane.

One of the gates into the old town.

Sections of the old town were completely rebuilt after the Second World War. Bombing by the Allies destroyed many of the old buildings. The steeple at the Cathedral was added 400 years after it was initially built.

On the waterfront just outside of the old town, there are three unique attractions. The first is a seating area that is constructed like the keys of a piano. It is a very popular place to sit and admire the view or listen to an art installation, the sea organ. The pipes themselves are under the water and a series of holes in the boardwalk allows the air to escape the pipes. The sound is produced by the water surging through the pipes and varies depending on the tide, size of the waves and passing watercraft. The swell was reasonably sized when we visited and the 'music' from the organ was loud and somewhat discordant.

The piano keyboard seating.

A yellow submarine.

One of the air holes for the sea organ.

The final attraction, Greeting the Sun, is visible during the day but it is special at night. It is a ground level installation that mirrors the solar system. It was installed in 2008 when Pluto had been relegated to dwarf planet status and so commences with Uranus down through the other planets to the sun. The sun is massive and contains an array of solar panels. You know it makes sense. At night the sun lights up, courtesy of the solar panels, remaining that way until dawn - the sun never sets in Zadar.

Disco time.

Back at the ship it was time for dinner, a traditional Croatian family barbeque. So much meat. Then we walked back to the organ and the sun. The sun looked like a disco floor from the '80s and changed colour every 30 seconds or so. There were plenty of people walking on the sun, ah yes, today's title dear reader. Smashmouth from 1997. There were also some disco aficionados dancing. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Even the two young boys who had bought a deck of cards to amuse themselves while their parents danced on the sun.

The Addams' family house.

Moonrise.

We walked on a little further to listen the sea organ now that the sea had calmed. It was much more melodic. The 10 minute stroll back along the boardwalk back to the ship was very pleasant. Time for a nightcap and bed. We are sailing at 7am tomorrow morning.

Until tomorrow.