Over our third 'October holiday' in
Serbia, we chose to go to northern Croatia, an area not frequently visited
by tourists. We had lovely stays in Varazdin Toplice, Varazdin, Pregrada
and Miljana.
We left Belgrade Wednesday night and
blitzed to the border. We crossed with a minimum of construction
on the new I 70 and hit Varazdin Toplice by 9:00 - otherwise known as 21:00.
We stayed in a small hotel that had the looks of a reformed stable.
It was, actually, a huge night and a huge event because it was the first
time since that the Stutz family stayed in two rooms in one hotel!!
left - the view
out our hotel window, center - Alea explores the alleys, right
- entrance to a secret garden
The entrance to the
Varazdin Toplice Roman ruins are guarded by half-lion, half fish creatures.
Inside, remnants of modern water projects are on top of the extensive ancient
baths
Alea and Breck had a
blast exploring the super hot smelly sulfur water, and mom and dad grooved
on the old stuff scattered around. Breck had been talking about landforms
in his first grade class, so he was exceptionally pleased to delve into
the hot springs and their history.
We spent the next day
wandering around this lovely Croatian village. We enjoyed the winding
back lanes, the picturesque settings, and the colorful sights.
