(Okay I am apologising in advance if I go into a lot of detail - but I am also writing this website for people who haven't travelled that much - and to be honest things do change a lot - so please bear with me!)

Breakfast at the Pansion was good (8-10am)  - lots of bread, ham, cheese, eggs, juice everything you need to set you up for the day - plus some really cool little packets of stuff we'd never had before and that had Croatian writing - so of course we had to try it - turns out one was a Croatian Philadelphia, and the other was a pate - but probably more like Shippams meat paste - mmm....  I bet they thought we were funny, going crazy over their version of Shippams.  We also, and this is very naughty, took a few herbal teas to go - Croatian Blueberry Tea is very nice, but quite strong.

Although Leo was nowhere to be found we got some advice from the lady behind the desk, who gave us another map and told us that Biograd was nice - and on the way to Sibenik, where we would have to go to get to Krka - which apparently has some amazing waterfalls that you can swim near (Plitvice is the grandaddy of the waterfall national parks, but you're not allowed in the water apparently.)  We could also have headed over to Pag, which, although an island is connected by a bridge, so is "about an hour" from the Zadar bus station.  (Although time is a relative concept - 10 minutes can mean an hour, so an hour could be two I guess?)

We had a little wander round the Pansion - unfortunately their pool is still empty (according to Tripadvisor it has been forever, but it's not really why you stay there!)  we could have easily stayed another night, but in my head I had the idea of a simple little apartment overlooking the water, (and not one when you wake up, open your balcony and wander out in your PJs that you look down and see a delivery van!)

Then we stopped into the supermarket over the road to stock up on water - I really needed some ibuprofen at this point, but they didn't have it - but this is how nice they are there, the lady behind the counter insisted on walking me outside and showing me where the nearest pharmacy was - literally 50 yards down the road, even though she had customers waiting to be served.  In the pharmacy - another very helpful lady who spoke great English - and next door a little tourist company.  They do one day trips to Krka so we asked her about this "yes it is very easy - it goes on Tuesday."  Unfortunately our flight home was Monday!  This became our little slogan for Croatia, "Yes it is very easy - it goes on Tuesday."  It is easy to get around by bus, but you have to be wary of the 2-3 hour breaks in the heat of the day when nothing runs!

Anyway, we plopped ourselves down with our bags at the bus stop, and were chatting away when I realised the young couple were laughing at my jokes - "I guess you guys speak English" - they worked at the Falkensteiner complex next door - which they absolutely loved - but were heading up to Ziton, which apparently is a really crowded beach for the day - and where the other Falkensteiner hotels and apartments are (also called Punta Skala.)

We dumped our bags at the bus station - another nice lady put our bags together so we were only charged once - it's about 1.60 kuna an hour - about 20p - so we could go and have a good wander around Zadar without baggage.  First stop the tourist offices, although along the way we did get propositioned by a guy who was taking his boat out on Sunday to the Kornati Islands - there are quite a few of these trips - you leave fairly early in the morning - around 8.30am on a medium sized boat - and you spend all day sailing around the islands, stopping for a few hours to swim and have lunch - priced at around 35 euros, and including lunch and refreshments it's quite a good deal, but it does take the whole day - you get back around 6pm.  We said that we were really looking for a shorter excursion - he shrugged and said to have a look around, but asked us please not to go on a shorter excursion as it costs a lot and you don't see much.  The next guy was selling shorter trips, but when he showed us on the map you could see that the first guy was right - there really isn't time to get out to the real Kornati islands and you are paying around 90 Euro - for a much shorter trip.  Next time I go to Croatia I would definitely go for the full day Kornati excursion!

Anyhoo - we popped into the tourist office - but it turned out I'd walked into another individual company office - who didn't really know anything - the official tourist office is on the main square - the lady there was very helpful, and as we said we'd like to go on a ferry, suggested we took the ferry from Zadar to Preko - it's only a short journey, but it goes frequently all day long and costs about 18 kuna each - just over £2.

But before anything we had to try some pastries - there is a very good little bakery halfway down the Elizabete Kotromanic and it was here we stopped for some coffee (very strong!), apple strudel (absolutely out of this world) and some burek (little spinach and / or cheese pastries), which are just heavenly.  I really really recommend you try these in Croatia, we didn't see them anywhere else for breakfast so if you have to, come here for them - worth it!  Then using our trusty maps we found the loos, just along the sea front on our way back to the Sea Organ - free, clean and there was an attendant who didn't stop talking in Croatian the whole time we were there.  Then it was back to the Sea Organ to check it out in the daylight - much more fun - and to the Monument to the Sun - a lot less fun in daylight!

Then it was up the tower - not actually the doughnut, but the tower of the Cathedral of St Anastasia, beautiful curved stone stairs - check out the incredible view!  If you look on my photos page you can also see photos of guys working on St Donat - they tie themselves on and abseil down to deal with all the plants growing on it - how cool is that - much easier than scaffolding!

Anyway I left my beach bag with the guy at the bottom of the tower - there are very small stairs - although Ellie declined to leave hers, which I think offended him.  But she decided to go back down before me, not keen on the stairs, so when I cam back I went to pick it up.  “Yes” he said, “you can take it.”  “Okay” I replied, a little mystified.  “Your friend, she wanted to take it, but I told her no - I know that you were friends going up, but how do I know you are still friends coming down?  But I have explained to her where all the beaches are.”  I love Croatia!

After a clear cherry brandy over ice (11.30am but I had just climbed some very rickety stairs) we went looking for food, and our waiter - who unfortunately had only sweets sent us to a restaurant called Fosa, on the little marina of the same name at the bottom of the Zadar peninsular.  We wandered a little around the back of Zadar, past the five wells and a little garden - it’s very picturesque, and I was really hungry by the time we got to the restaurant.  But they were hosting a wedding - and we could only eat inside.  I have to say this is one of the nicest meals I have ever had - I’ve eaten in some wonderful restaurants in Italy, but honestly, this was as good as any of them - not least because of the ringside view of a musicians playing the groom into the reception and watching the whole united family leaving together, our waiter bringing us “spontaneous” appetisers to try, when we chose to share our food they split the portions in the kitchen, so instead of two mains to share we ended up having: our spontaneous appetisers, a small portion of black truffle risotto each, then a small portion of fried local fish each, then dessert, coffee.... we didn’t want to leave - and they made it even harder.  When we asked for the bill the waiter said, relax, and so we did...

I am now going to say something that could get me into actual physical danger, as one of my best friends is married to a Roman, and my sister-in-law is Sicilian.  My tiramisu... was the best I have ever had.  I almost didn’t let Ellie try any of it it was that good.  I apologise to all my Italian friends - this was creamier than most, less moist, so, so light, really, really, the kind of dessert that makes you want to cry when it’s over.  I felt very, very sad to leave this restaurant.  We also wandered out to the terrace as the wedding party had left, and the view.... Mamma Mia! If you know what I mean.

Well it was very sated and finding it hard to move that we wandered to the bus station - we actually walked - it was only about 10 minutes - and got put on the right path several times by passers by - they are just so helpful!

We were going to jump on a bus to Biograd and try to find a hotel there (let me just say this is about the most back packing I have ever done!)  I had a list of three fairly upscale hotels I had found online - one of which had a spa - so we figured we should be alright.  Except the next bus wasn’t until 16:20 - it was about 3pm - so we jumped in an old school cab - thinking the ride would be about 200 kuna - still a fair amount!  350 kuna later!!  We arrived at the Ilirija Hotel.  And quite frankly wanted to get right back on a bus.  Coaches and stacks of luggage, and a huge sound system on the waterfront blaring out tacky music - it was like the Radio One roadshow.  Without speaking we walked down the beach trying to get away from the music - this was not what we had planned on - where was our idyllic quiet hotel with the water lapping gently underneath our window?  It got worse as we passed a tacky Tiki style bar offering great deals on Orgasm and Viagra cocktails, were we in the middle of a club 18-30 nightmare?  We kept walking with our rucksacks, past all the playgrounds and kids, past the dive centre, until we saw a patch of rocky beach and made an important decision.  To go for a swim.

Leaving all our stuff on the beach, but putting on our swim shoes, we finally got properly wet.  Having a little float in the water, looking up at the beautiful pine trees, with speed boats flying by, it really wasn’t that bad - it just wasn’t what we had imagined when we set out.  Every so often a little frog man would pop up, or a pair of fins would fly up, it was a cute place.

Even though we were stressed about finding a place to sleep we weren’t that worried - as we could have slept on the beach quite safely - but we soon found that what we both really needed was a shower!