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This morning we took the coast road to Brestova, so we could catch a ferry to Cres …

… and just when we thought half the cars wouldn’t fit, the flap opened to a lower level!

Just a 20 minute crossing took us to Porozina in the north of the island.

Long and skinny with a rocky terrain, it looks remote and unspoilt, but appearances can be deceptive. The introduction of wild boar by the Croatian hunting lobby has affected the balance. Tramuntana sheep are in decline, preyed on by the boar, and with less sheep carrion for the Griffon vultures, they too are in decline, barely surviving in a colony fed by volunteers. Nonetheless, we did spot a number of sheep and a vulture flying above this lookout.

Onwards to Cres Town, which looks very Italian, but that’s hardly surprising since this area was under Venetian rule for around 800 years.

We walked round the harbour and saw the Church of St Mary, City Gate and the Municipal Loggia where locals still sell their wares …

… and wandered round the back streets too.

We looked back for a great view of Cres, before making our way south.

Osor is now a sleepy little place but with some pretty grand buildings.

It was once the main town, standing guard over the narrow channel dug by the Romans to aid navigation and which divided what was once known as the Osor island into Cres and Lošinj.

Malaria became a problem and despite knocking down the city walls to improve air flow, thinking that was the cause of the sickness, in the end Osor was abandoned and Cres became the main town.

After a lovely lunch of pag cheese and salad in a shady taverna …

… we crossed the bridge.

Losinj was even longer, skinnier and more rocky. We skirted Mali Losinj which looked just too busy and found ourselves in the smaller and very beautiful Veli Losinji …

… before driving back up the island. When we reached Osor, the traffic lights stopped us at the bridge but we saw the barrier was down, so I went to look.

There was a party atmosphere as the swing bridge was open, allowing boats to cross from one side to the other, which apparently only happens twice a day…

… then it closed again …

… and we were on our way.

The descent to Valun was steep, with a fabulous viewpoint on the way down!

We reached B&B Palac just as the sun was sinking behind the hills and settled into to our attic room …

… with a porthole view of the sea.

Valun is a small village that is famous for the Valun Tablet from the 11th century; originally a gravestone, the tablet is inscribed in both Latin, old Croatian and Glagolitic script and marks the presence of the descdents of Romans on the island alongside Croatian families. Today, the Valun tablet is embedded in the wall of the Church of the Blessed Virgin.

We’ll hear more about Glagolitic script later, but it is the oldest known Slavic alphabet, believed to have been created by St Cyril, a Greek monk, in the C9th.

Having had our delicious lunch late, we weren’t hungry so we just sat on the harbour in the evening sipping wine, then went to sleep to the sound of the water lapping against the harbour.

The morning sun was lovely as we enjoyed breakfast, then moved on.

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The pilot said it was a little breezy but our stomachs turned somersaults with the strong sidewinds as we came to land at Rijeka airport, on the island of Krk in the Adriatic.

We were told the good wind was blowing, the bura, a dry wind from the north which keeps the day fine and cloudless. Fortunately we had no trouble crossing to the mainland as it can get so strong, the bridges have to be closed.

Rijeka, with a population of just over 200,000 people, is Croatia’s third largest city and the busiest port on the Adriatic. Throughout history, its strategic importance has made it fiercely contested between Hungary, Italy and Croatia.

Originally called Fiume, from the C18th, it was an enclave of Hungary, retaining some autonomy, but giving Hungary a seaport. By the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, most of the population were Italian, with some Hungarians and Croats and Fiume was to be declared a free port under international control. However, the Italian poet and writer Gabriele D’Annunzio marched into the city with his supporters and declared it a part of Italy. Rome was reluctant to accept this, so D’Annunzio declared Rijeka a city-state which it remained for four years until 1924 when it was annexed by Mussolini. In 1947, the city became Croatian again, as part of Yugoslavia and was renamed Rijeka.

This struck a particular chord as a few years ago, we visited Il Vittoriale degli Italiani, a villa on the edge of Lake Garda, given to Gabriele d’Annuncio by Mussolini to keep him away from politics! He built his mausoleum in the garden and filled the Italianate villa with a bizarre collection of stuff! https://offtravellingtogether.com/2015/09/23/desenzano-del-garda-and-the-lakeside-villas/

On the edge of the city is the C13th Trsat Castle, built by the Frankopan dukes of Krk as a watchtower on the site of a Roman fort then renovated in 1824 by an Irish count.

It gives stunning views of Rijeka and the Kvarner Bay …

… and the hills behind.

We could have explored the city, but a very early start meant that we were eager to move on so drove a few miles down the coast to Opatija, which was the most fashionable seaside resort and health spa during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It still retains much of its glamour with some fancy hotels, lovely belle époche villas and the lungomare, a 12km promenade beside the sea, initially built for physiotherapy.

We are staying for a couple of nights in Apartment Marina, up on the hill behind the town, but only a 5 minute walk to the sea. It is spacious and well equipped and even comes complete with sea view.

Having unpacked we made our way down towards the sea to explore. It was still breezy and there was plenty of spray as the waves hit the shore but the Opatija is very civilised, and has changed what must have been an inaccessible rocky shoreline into a series of convenient bathing platforms, complete with various man made sea pools to tame the waves for safe swimming.

We walked a short way along the Lungomare in the late afternoon sun and saw the statue of Maiden with the Seagull …

… and the tiny Portić harbour, where the traditional boatmen called barkajoli began their excursion trips along the Riviera.

A glass of wine watching the sea and an early dinner followed as our incredibly early start caught up with us.

There is a network of paths and steps which zig-zag their way down to the town, between the smart villas and newer buildings and every time we seemed to find a different route!

We spent the morning exploring and here is Villa Angiolina, built in 1844 and the first major building to be built in the resort of Opatija.

It is surrounded by a park filled with plants brought from India, China, Japan, South America and Australia.

There were other elegant buildings …

… including the Hotel Kvarner behind us, which was opened in 1884 as the first luxury property in Opatija and still looks pretty stylish today.

The main street in town has a ‘Walk of Fame’ on its pavement, modelled on Hollywood’s version and we spotted the tennis player Goran Ivanisevic inventor Nikola Tesla among the stars.

We walked along the Lungomare again …

… and it seems to cater for all, with some sea frontage reserved for residents of smart hotels and other parts free for all …

… with just a charge if you hire a sun lounger, which we did for the afternoon and caught some rays!

Roka have three restaurants and we chose the pizzeria the first night because it offered lots more besides, and we were able to get a table! The biggest hits were Chris’s platter of Pag cheese (followed by pasta with mushrooms & truffles) and my monkfish with capers & gnocchi! We also ordered grilled veg which was just one dish too many so we took them home for lunch the next day. Our meal was so good we booked a table for the next evening so Chris could actually have a pizza, while I enjoyed more fish, this time pan fried sea bass.

The choice between sweet or spicy schnapps got us chatting to the Smiths and Sherrys on the next table and we came away promising to share our experience in Albania and with Costa Rica even more firmly underlined on our wishlist.

With our trip off to a great start, omorrow we are moving on and off to the islands …

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We had over 300km to drive so took the péage – I’m not sure what was more unsettling, to see 130 on the speedo or the toll of £34! Nonetheless, by lunchtime we were in Livarot to visit a family run dairy in the heart of the Pays d’Auge.

We had missed most of the action as cheese is made in the morning, but saw cheeses ripening in cool rooms …

… and also the Livarot cheese being wrapped in reeds, originally done to stop the soft cheese collapsing when transported by train to Paris.

We had hoped their cheese bar might have been open, in order to enjoy a selection of cheese, but had to make to with tasters instead. It was interesting to compare cheese made from raw milk to pasteurised as see how much richer the flavour was and would have loved to bring some home but it needs to stay chilled.

We are spending our last night in Caen which features the last chateau on our list. It was built around 1060 by William the Conqueror and became one of the largest castles in Europe.

The walls, gatehouse and views are impressive but the grounds inside are undergoing renovation.

William also built his and hers abbeys, as penance for defying the pope and marrying his cousin Matilda of Flanders.

Here is Abbaye aux Hommes where William is buried …

… and Abbaye aux Dames where Matilda rests.

Our dinner at Le P’tit B that evening was excellent, everything from the amuse bouché to the last empty plate, thus bringing our trip to a lovely end.

That just left the journey home on this very ferry!

It’s been great, and all went smoothly, especially the driving as there wasn’t a pot hole to be seen and Chris loved taking his car on a trip! I loved being able to chuck stuff in the boot … and bring things home!

So here we are, sipping Crémant de Loire in the garden and reflecting that we visited only 8 of the 300 chateau in the Loire, so you never know, we might be back!

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Back in the car, we continued on the Monet trail …

It was an interesting drive as the plan was to avoid the toll road and take quieter roads instead, but they led through so many villages, we couldn’t keep up and the journey seemed to be taking longer and longer! In the end, we got on the peage and accepted this was probably a lesson learnt!

Finally we reached Vernon and parked up to visit the old mill, painted by many including Monet.

A bridge was built here in the C12th by King Philip II to move troops during the war against the English led by Richard I who reigned over half of France. The fortress was built to protect the bridge!

When the war was won, Philip recouped the cost of the bridge by selling rights to establish mills, although only one remains and slowly the bridge fell into disrepair and was later replaced by another nearby.

Continuing, we soon reached Giverney and stopped to check out the village.

It became obvious that it had been completely overtaken by the legacy of Claude Monet who settled here in 1883 with his companion Alice Hoschedé and their respective children, living in Clos Normand until his death in 1926.

The village is very picturesque but filled with galleries, cafes and shops and even a place offering painting classes.

We visited the church and saw Monet’s grave and saw the Museum of Impressionism, but it was too late in the day to want to visit.

Exploring done, we continued to La Ruche for the night. A Logis hotel and bakery, we had a delicious home cooked dinner overlooking the Seine, enjoying salad entrées – smoked salmon and lentil and Greek salad …

… then following with pollack and ratatouille for me and a veggie pizza for Chris.

… while a variety of boats chugged by.

After sampling the excellent bakery items further for breakfast, we returned to Giverney for our 10.30 entrance to Monet’s home and garden. We didn’t quite beat the crowds, but someone mentioned it was a quiet day and we took it all in our stride. The route led us first under the road to the extra piece of land Monet purchased in order to make his water garden. Immediately, there is a lushness and an oriental feel with bamboo and willow providing a background for vivid orange lilies …

… then there are roses …

… finally the lily pond!

At first glance, the planting looks uncontrived, but looking closer, the repeat of certain plants gave it a natural rhythm. The day lilies and roses give the most colour now, but it was obvious there would be a progression of blooms through the summer. The water lilies had only just started flowering, but there were just enough to make our day.

Monet’s bridge was overwhelmed by wisteria and visitors but then there was no chance that any image we could make would come close to Monet’s painting!

I did however stand on it!

A garden needs constant care and the pond was being tidied and several gardeners were busy adding trays of fresh plants to the beds.

The garden in front of the house is a riot of colour …

… with lots of roses many grown up supports to give height to the beds.

There was quite a queue to enter the house …

… and we started with Monet’s studio which has hardly changed and we even spotted a painting of Etratat on the wall!

The house was charming, bright and airy with paintings everywhere, most copies of originals that were known to have been in the house painted by his friends, as well as lots of Japanese prints which inspired both his painting and garden.

It had been hard to find a good angle to capture the garden and maybe from the house was best.

As we walked back to the car, we both agreed it was well worth a visit and even with the crowds, it was still possible to find tranquil corners.

We spent the afternoon driving to Chartres, picnicking on the way …

… and spent the night at The Boeuf Couronné, another hotel with a touch of French chic.

We took a turn round the cathedral, apparently France’s best preserved medieval cathedral.

The west entrance has a Romanesque bell tower on one side and a Gothic spire on the other and between some superb statues round the door.

Inside, the roof soars … the stained glass glistens and we noted the carving on the choir screens and the labyrinth on the floor.

Later we went for dinner at Cafe Bleu, on their terrace overlooking the cathedral before watching the free nightly light show.

Tomorrow, we reach the Loire …

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