Hej društvo! Napokon ste docekali TAJ post! Danas vam otkrivam kako sam se zarazila groznicom putovanja i što je bio razlog tome. Naime, priča počinje u kolovozu 2014. kada smo Andrei, ja i naši najbolji prijatelji Branimir i Romana otišli na ljetovanje. Samo par mjeseci prije životi su nam bili u strci. To je bilo vrijeme polaganja ispita, mature i upisivanja na faks. Ona točka u životu za koju se kaže da je jedna od najtežih i najvažnijih. Mislim, ipak odlučujemo smjer svog života polaganjem mature s dobrim ocjenama i ''pravim'' odabirom faksa. Sada, godinu dana nakon toga, kada se prisjećam toga razdoblja, nije upola teško bilo kako smo si ga svi zamišljali. Barem meni. Nisam puno učila, nisam se pretrgala od rada...mislim da me je sami pojam MATURE prepao više od samih ispita. No, tu je i moj dobar uspjeh i praćenje nastave tijekom cijele srednje škole pa je valjda i to utjecalo na dobar ishod mature. Izgleda da sam malo previše zalutala u cijelu priču (i hvaljenje same sebe). No, da, gdje sam stala? Ah, da! Kolovoz 2014. Dakle, nakon što je prošlo odlučujuće razdoblje naših života, došlo je dugo očekivano ljeto. Ljeto i ljetni praznici za koje su nam govorili da će biti najdulje u našim životima i da ih dobro iskoristimo. I to smo namjeravali i učiniti! Rekli smo – ajmo zajedno na ljetovanje. I tako smo se jedno popodne skupili svi kod Branimira, upalili laptop i počeli istraživati. Kroz google su se provlačile pretrage poput ''najbolje plaže Hrvatske'' ili ''najbolja turistička mjesta Hrvatske''. Razmatrali smo svašta, od Crikvenice, Bola na Braču, Malog Lošinja do Selca. No, nismo htjeli ići negdje gdje sve vrvi turistima i nemaš svog mira. Tada je Andrei pustio ovu pjesmu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci3Jspvfk8E i ispričao nam o svojim ljetovanjima na Dugom otoku. Bili smo skeptični no čim nam je google pokazao slike Dugog otoka i njegovih plaža jednostavno nismo mogli odoljeti! Dogovor je pao - idemo na Dugi otok!

[ENG] Hey guys! You can finally read THE post! Today I'm telling you about how I got the travel bug and what was the reason. The story begins in august 2014. when Andrei, me and our two bestfriends, Branimir and Romana went on a summer holiday. Just a few months earlier our lives were a mess. It was the time of graduation and enrolling into college. That point in life for which is said is the most hard and important one. I mean, we do still set a direction of our lives with graduating with good grades and choosing ''the right college''. Now, looking back a year later, it wasn't as half as hard as we were told it would be. At least to me. I didn't study as much, I worked hard but it was nothing extraordinary...I think just the idea of EXAMS scared us more than the actual exams. But, I did do well in school and study regularly so that kind of affected my good results too. I think I went too deep into the story (and praising myself). Where was I? Oh, yes! The august of 2014.So, after our deciding point of life passed by, a long expected summer came. Summer breaks that were supposed to be the longest of our lives and that we were told to use well. And that's exactly what we were gonna do! We said – let's go on a vacation together. And so one afternoon we gathered at Branimir's, turned the laptop on and started searching. We googled things like ''best Croatian beaches'' or ''best tourist places in Croatia'' We looked at variety of things, from Crikvenica, Bol on the island of Brač, Mali Lošinj to Selce. But, we didin't want to go somewhere it was crowded with tourists and where there's no peace. That's when Andrei turned on this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci3Jspvfk8E and told us about his vacations on Dugi otok. We were sceptic at first but as soon as google showed us the pictures of the island and it's beaches we just couldn't withstand. The deal was on – we're going to Dugi otok!!!

DAY 1

Probuđeni uzbuđenjem zbog nadolazeče avanture, Andrei i ja spakirali smo torbe i našli se sa našim suputnicima. Gepek auta bio je krcat šatorima i vrečama za spavanje, a mi smo bili i više nego spremni za putovanje. Krenuli smo starom, plitvičkom cestom prema moru. No, na izlasku iz Karlovca shvatili smo da smo zaboravili nešto najvažnije – lonac. Jer ako na more ideš sa tendencijom kampiranja i trošenja što manje novaca, trebat će ti nešto u čemu ćeš si skuhat ručak. Izgleda da ipak nismo bili toliko spremni koliko smo mislili. Nakon okretanja i skupljanja pribora za jelo, napokon smo krenuli. Miris mora nam je vec ispunjavao nosnice a o uzbuđenju da ni ne pričam. Pao je naravno i jedan selfie.

[ENG] Woken up by the excitement because of the upcoming adventure, Andrei and myself packed our bags and met up with our fellow travelers. The back of the car was full tents and sleeping bags, and we were more then ready to start the journey. But, on the sole exit from Karlovac we figured out we forgot something really important – a pot. Because, if you're going traveling with the intention of sleeping in a tent and spending the least money possible, you're gonna need something too cook your food in. It turned out we weren't as ready as we thought. After turning around and gathering the eating gadgets, we finnaly got moving. The smell of the sea was already filling our nostrils, and don't get me started on the excitemet. We, ofcourse, took a selfie.



Nakon kratkog putovanja, došlo je vrijeme ručka. Sa sobom smo ponijeli i frižider s hranom u kojem je bilo nešto mesa. Odlučili smo naći osamljeno mjesto i improvizirati roštilj. Mjesto smo našli no previše je puhao vjetar i nismo uspjeli zapaliti vatru. Ipak ništa od našeg improviziranog roštilja. Na kraju smo našli jedan buffet i tamo si pojeli ni više ni manje nego čevape! Krenuli smo dalje, no uz put smo našli predivno mjesto na kojem bi bilo grijeh ne zaustaviti se. Pogled je bio predivan.

[ENG] After driving for a while, it was time for lunch. We brought a fridge with food with us. There was meat somewhere in there too. We decided to find a hidden place and improvize a barbecue. We found the place but it was too windy and the fire wouldn't burn. We then abandoned the idea of an improvized barbecue. At the end we found a little buffet where we, ofcourse, ate šiškebabs. We moved on, and then, along the way, found a rest stop where it would be a sin not to stop and look around. The view was breathtaking.



Stali smo i u Obrovcu jer smo uočili dvorac na brdu iznad grada, a putovanje ne bi bilo putovanje bez spontanih zaustavljanja. Ispostavilo se da su to ruševine utvrde knezova Kurjakovića, koji su navodno bili jedni od najboljih hrvatskih srednjovjekovnih velikaških rodova. Odlučili smo malo pronjuškati i evo što smo našli.

[ENG] We also stooped at the city called Obrovac as soon as we spotted some ruins at the top of the hill above the city. A travel wouldn't be a travel without spontaneous stops along the way. It turned out to be the ruins of a fortress of Kurjaković dukes that were one of the best Croatian medieval nobles. We decided to snoop around and this is what we found.



Nastavili smo putovanje i lagano se bližila noć. Došli smo do Maslenice i usput pozdravili Andreove daljnje rođake. S obzirom da imamo samo šator, a Zadar, u kojem smo se trebali ukrcati na trajekt, nije baš idealno mjesto za skriveno kampiranje, Andreovi rođaci uputili su nas u Rovanjsku u obližnji autokamp ''Tamaris''. Iznenadile su nas povoljne cijene i savršen položaj – 3 metra od mora. Ukoliko želite vidjeti cijene posjetite njihovu web stranicu. Toplo preporučamo ovaj kamp ukoliko ste na istoj ili sličnoj trasi putovanja kao mi i tražite savršeno i povoljno mjesto za noćenje s pogledom na more. Ušli smo u kamp i smjestili se. Dečki su se bacili na otvaranje šatora, a mi cure počele smo se spremati za prvo kupanje te sezone. Do obližnje plaže imali smo 5 minuta hoda. Nakon kupanja naravno da smo morali od Branimira napravit pješćanu mumiju.

[ENG] We continued with the trip and the night was slowly getting closer. We came to Maslenica and visited Andrei's relatives along the way. Considering we only had the tent to sleep in, and Zadar, where we had to board our ferry, isn't really the perfect place for secret camping, Andrei's relatives gave us directions to the near-by autocamp ''Tamaris'' in Rovanjska. As we arrived, we were surprised by the low prices and perfect location - barely 3 meters from the sea. If you want to check out the camp visit their website. I really reccomend this camp if you are on the same way as us and you're looking for a perfect and low-cost place with a sea view to camp in. We settled in the camp. The boys started setting up the tent, and us girls started to get ready for our first swim of the season. It's a five minute walk to the near-by beach, but there is also a pier in front of the camp where you can also take a swim. After our swim ofcourse we had to turn Branimir into a sand mummy.




Nakon kupanja vratili smo se u kamp i odlučili saprati sol sa sebe u kupaonicama koje nudi kamp, a koje se dodatno ne plačaju. Jedva smo dočekali topli tuš! Lagano je padala noć te smo odlučili večerati na molu uz zalazak sunca. Dan nije mogao završiti bolje.

[ENG] We then returned back to camp and decided to wash the salt off in the bathrooms that are available for you to use in the camp, and that you don't need to pay extra money for. We couldn't wait for the warm shower! The sun was slowely starting to set and we decided the pier was the perfect place to have dinner while looking at the sunset. The day couldn't end better.



DAY 2

Unatoč kiši koja nas je tijekom noći budila, proveli smo dosta dobru noć. Probudili smo se u 6 ujutro kako bi nastavili svoje putovanje. Sljedeća stanica – Zadar. Dok smo čekali trajekt za Dugi otok, malo smo istražili grad.

[ENG] Althought the rain woke us up in the middle of the night, we had a really good sleep. We woke up at 6 AM so we could continue our journey.Next stop – Zadar. While we waited for the ferry, we took a little walk around town.



Napokon je došao trajekt koje će nas uskoro odvesti na otok koji mi je promijenio život. Cijena trajekta nije bila toliko velika. Ovdje možete pogledati cijene linije tijekom sezone (gledajte trasu Zadar-Brbinj).
S dolaskom na otok dočekali su nas predivni prizori otoka Nacionalnog parka Kornati. Uz cestu smo se zaustavljali i upijali te prizore (koje smo naravno i slikali), a dečki su se tu i tamo zabavili na svoj jedinstven način.

[ENG] The ferry that will soon take us to Dugi otok finally arrived. The cost of the ferry wasn't that hight. You can check the prices of the ferry during season here . Make sure you're looking at the Zadar-Brbinj route.
Upon our arrival on the island we were greeted by the beautiful scenery of the National park Kornati's islands. We stopped by the road to take in those views (which we also took pitures of), and boys also stopped to have fun in their own way.




Iz Brbinja uputili smo se prema Velom Ratu, i mogu reći da mi je ovo najljepši dio otoka koji je definitivno vrijedan jednog vašeg popodneva. Na Velom Ratu nalazi se predivan svjetionik sa visinom od 42 m i to ga čini najvišim svjetionikom na Jadranu. Sad i to mogu sa ponosom prekrižiti sa svoje liste napravljenih stvari! U svjetioniku postoje apartmani koji se iznajmljuju pa ukoliko niste oni koji gledaju na cijenu, definitivno je preporučljivo da to i napravite. Zasigurno nećete zažaliti! Ovdje pogledajte cijene smještaja. Do svjetionika se može doći s autom, a zbog dobre pristupačnosti omogućena je i svakodnevna opskrba namirnicama te se ne morate brinuti da ćete ostati gladni. U svjetioniku je također smještena obitelj svjetioničara koji skrbe o svjetioniku i koju smo i osobno imali priliku upoznati. Kada smo stigli iz Brbinja, namjera nam je bila samo posjetiti Veli rat no uočili smo roštilj uz svjetionik. Tada smo, pitavši ih možemo li ga iskoristiti kako bi spremili ostatak mesa koje nam se sad već otapalo u frižideru, upoznali ovu srdačnu obitelj. Tako smo na roštilj bacili hrenovke i čevape (koje na kraju nismo pojeli jer su bili čudno zeleni) te tikvice. Tada smo uočili da ta ista obitelj pred svjetionikom prodaje povrće. I mogu vam reći da je to najfinije povrće koje sam ikad jela – točnije najfiniji PARADAJZ! Defiinitivno ga probajte ukoliko ga još budu prodavali kada dođete u posjetu. Inače, ima dakako i drugog povrća – krumpiri, paprike, luk itd.

[ENG] From Brbinj we headed off towards Veli rat, and I can easily say this is the most beautiful part of the island whish is definitely worth of your time. There is a big lighthouse which, with it's 42 m hight, makes the highest lighthouse on our coast, situated on Veli rat. Now I can scratch that off my bucketlist too. There are apartments in the lighthouse that are for rent, so if money isn't your worry I definitively recommed staying in the lighthouse. Especially if you're looking for a romantic getaway with your better-half. You definitively wont' regret it! You can check out the prices of accomodation here. You can get there by car, and, beacuse of good accessibilty, constant supply of groceries is assured. There is also always a family living there to take care of the lighthouse and that we had a chance to personally meet. When we arrived from Brbinj, our intention was to only look around Veli rat but we spotted a barbecue by the lighthouse. It was then, asking them if we can use the barbecue to cook the rest of the meat that was slowly melting in the fridge, when we met this lovely family. They let us use it and we barbecued hotdogs and šiškebabs (which we didn't eat at the end because they were weirdly green) and zucchinis. We realized that this family also sells vegetables in front of the lighhouse. I can safely say that this was the best vegetable I ate in my life – more exactly, the best tomato! Definitely try it if they will still be selling it when you come to visit. There is also other vegatables too –potatoes, paprikas, onion etc.



Isped svjetionika nalazi se i mala kapelica te je upravo zbog toga, a naravno i zbog svoje izvanredne ljepote, ovo mjesto savršena lokacija za vjenčanje. Ako ne, za moje, u svakom slučaju! Uz svjetionik nalazi se i veeelika ljuljačka na drvetu što još više pridodaje jedinstvenosti ovog mjesta. Ukoliko ipak gledate da uštedite koji novčić u blizini svjetionika također se nalazi i autokamp. Za više informacija pogledajte njihovu web stranicu. A sada se možete početi diviti ljepoti ovog mjesta.

[ENG] There is alo a little chapel in front of the lighthouse and because of that, and because of it's extraordinary beauty, this place is perfect for weddings. If not, then it's perfect for mine! There is also a biig tree swing in front which adds even more to the uniqueness of this place. If you do look to save a little bit of money there is also an autocamp near-by. For more information check out their website. Now, you can finally start admiring the beauty of this place.



Vratili smo se u Sali i namjestili šator uz plažu te usnuli uspavani valovima koji su se razbijali o stijene ispod nas.

[ENG] We came back to Sali, set up the tent at the beach and were slowely driven off to sleep by the sound of waves crashing into the shore.

DAY 3

Nakon prospavane noći u šatoru na lokalnoj plaži, odlučili smo se otići na izlet u Park prirode Telašćica koji se nalazi na jugoistočnom dijelu otoka te je parkom prirode proglašen 1988. godine. Ukoliko namjeravate posjetiti park imamo jedan savjet za vas, a to je da se ustanete rano (oko 6 ili 7) kako biste izbjegli plačanje ulaznice i još više uštedjeli na svom putu. To isto smo i mi napravili. Ulaznica je inače 25 kn. Nakon što smo ušli, naišli smo na mjesto na koje smo se sjeli i doručkovali.

[ENG] After sleeping the night off in the tent on the local beach, we decided to take a little trip to the Nature park Telašćica which is situated on the southeast part of the island and was announced with the title of nature park in the 1988. If you're planning to visit the park we have a little advice for you and that is to wake up early at around 6 or 7 am to avoid paying the ticket on the entrance and save even more on your trip. That's exactly what we did. The ticket is usually 25 kn. After we entered, we found a beautiful spot where we stopped and had breakfast.



Nakon toga otišli smo dalje autom te naišli na parkiralište za posjetioce parka. Od parkirališta ide se pješke po zemljanim putevima do male luk koj a služi tursitima ili turističkim agencijama koji do parka dolaze brodom. Uz luku je smješten i kafić. Proslijedili smo dalje popločanim putem do jezera Mir koji se nalazi usred otoka. Jezero Mir je svojom slanoćom ćak slanije od mora (zbog podvodnih kanalia kojima je povezano s njim) , no ujedno i toplije. Također ima ljekovita svojstva. Naravno, na njemu se možete okupati, što smo mi i napravili. Nakon kupanja legli smo pod krošnje mediteranskog drveća i usnuli uz zvuk morskih cvrčaka.

[ENG] After breakfast we drove further until we found a parking lot for the visitors. You have to go by foot from there on, along dirt roads, till you get to the little marine that is for tourists or tourist agencies that come with boats. There is also a cofee shop beside the marine. We went further, this time along the brick road, and ended up in front of lake ''Mir'' (''Peace'') that is situated in the center of the park. Lake Mir is with it's salinity even more saltier then the sea (because of underwater canals with which it is connected to the sea), but it is also warmer and it also has healing ability. Ofcourse, you can take a swim in it, which we did. After our swim, we lied down beneath the tree tops of mediteranian pine trees and fell asleep with the sound of sea crickets.



Dva su razloga zbog čega se isplati ustati ranije kako bi ušli u park. Prva je neplačanje ulaznice, a druga i najljepša je ta da ste potpuno sami u parku i da bez vrve turista možete mirno uživati u ljepotama i mirnoći parka, kao i jezera ;) (kužite?? Ime jezera je MIR) Nego, ajmo dalje. Put smo nastavili penjući se po stijenama do vrha litica parka. Litice parka dosežu i do 200 m visine, a ispod površine mora protežu se još 90 m. Ovdje savjetujemo da se pripremite na susrete s ogromnim paucima tj. nabavite štap kojim ćete se probijati kroz paučinu, da ne idete u japankama s obzirom na nezgrapnost/nespretnost stijena koje vode do vrha te da se definitivno prije namažete sa kremom protiv sunca i nosite bilo kakav šešir ili kapu kako ne bi dobili sunčanicu. No, vjerujte da se sva muka penjanja isplati s obzirom na pogled koji će vas dočekati na vrhu. Mi definitivno nismo zažalili. Uvjerite se sami.

[ENG] There are two reasons to enter the park in early hours. The first is not paying the entrance ticket, and the secone one, and the most satisfying one, is beacuse you're completely alone in the park without the tourists and crowd breathing on your neck so you can enjoy the beauty and peacefullness of the park and the lake ;) (get it?? The name of the lake is MIR/ PEACE). Alright then, moving along. We continued exploring the park and climbing rocks that lead to the top of the park's cliffs. The cliffs are up to 200 m hight and go about 90 m below the sea surfice. Here we advise you to be prepared for facing really big spiders, as in get a stick with which you will break through the spider-webs. Also, don't go wearing flipflops because climbing the rocks is a little bit trickier and also use sunscreen and a hat to protect yourself from the sun. But, believe me, climbing those rocks will be worth it considering the view that is waiting for you at the top. We definitely didn'r regret it. See for yourselves.



S vrha litica je i odličan pogled na jezero. Spuštali smo se suprotnim putem od kojeg smo došli tj uzduž litica i naletjeli na jedno veoma zanimljivo ''mjesto''. Naime, tamo se nalaze komadi stijena iz kojih ljudi rade male skulpture te smo i mi odlučili izgraditi naše. To je divna uspomena kojoj se možete vratiti kada ponovno posjetite otok. A vjerujte, to ćete htjeti učiniti. (Naša skulptura nalazi se na slici)

[ENG] There is also an excelent view of the lake from the top of the cliffs. We came down the opposite direction from which we came and ran into a really interesting ''place'' that consist of pieces of rocks from which people made various sculptures. We decided to build ours too. It is a great memory to come back to once you come to visit again. And believe me, you will want to. (Our sculpture is the one on the picture)



Šetanjem stazicama parka također možete vidjeti i njuške magaraca kako vas pozdravljaju.

[ENG] Walking through the park's paths you will see donkeys welcoming you to the park.



DAY 4

Naime, Dugi otok je dosta pust otok te ima jako malo ljudi i nema jako velikih naselja, što ga ćini savršenim ukoilko tražite mirno mjesto za uživanje. Mi smo bili pozicionirani u Saliju, tj. Sali je bio taj kojem smo se svaki dan vraćali i gdje smo spavali. Sali je grad-luka koji je najveći grad na otoku, a ime je diobio po proizvodnji soli. Nudi veoma bogatu ponudu kafića i restorana s obzirom na svoju veličinu, a u jednom od restorana smo i mi jeli. Također postoje i trgovinice uz rivu u kojima možete kupiti uobičajene ljetne stvari, ručnike, sunčane naočale, opremu za ronjenje, narukvice itd. S obzirom da smo kampirali i nismo imali wc ili kupaonicu gdje bi se otuširali nakon dugog dana, Sali nas je ovdje iznenadio. S obzirom da je to grad-luka gdje većina turista koji posjete Dugi otok parkiraju svoje divne jahte, Sali nudi i javne sanitarije tj. WC-e i tuševe. Upravo tamo smo se mi svaku večer tuširali. No, s obzirom da je to namjenjeno jahtašima, bilo bi dobro da ste i vi jahtaši, ili da se barem pravite da jeste. Pa smo tako i mi razgovarali na engleskom i crkavali od smijeha sami sebi. Dečki su čak, kad bi završili tuš do tuša, razgovarali o svojim jahtama i svojim ''ženama''. Bilo je urnebesno. Čovjek se mora snaći nekako, zar ne? :D

[ENG] Dugi otok is a waste island that has very little people and has no big cities, which makes it perfect if you're looking for a peacefull place to enjoy. We were situated in Sali, meaning Sali was the one we would come back to and sleep in. Sali is a marine-town which is the biggest town on the island and got it's name because of salt manufacture. It has a rich spectar of restaurants and coffee shops and in one of the restaurants we ate too. There are also little shops by the pier in which you can buy usual summer things such as towels, sunglasses, diving equipment, bracelets and more. Considering we camped during our stay and didn't have our own bathroom and toilet, Sali surprised us. Since it is a marine-town where tourists who come with boats tie their beautiful jachts , Sali offers public toilets and showers where we showered every night. But, since it is for the people from the jacht, it would be good that you have a jach too, or at least pretend that you do. That's why we talked on english and died out of laughter every time we did. The boys would, if they ended up shower by shower, talk about their jachts and wives. It was hilarious. A man has to get by somehow, right? :D



Nastavljamo sa četvrtim danom. S obzirom da smo se dosta kasno vratili u Sali sa svojeg izleta te bili umorni, nije nam se nikako dalo rasklapati šator. Tada nam je na pamet palo da pitamo Antu da nas pusti da spavamo u njegovoj knjižnici. Naime, za Antu vam još nisam rekla. Ante je jedan čovjek kojeg Andrei poznaje još odkad je sa svojim tatom posjećivao Dugi otok. I također čovjek koji drži naljepšu i najopušteniju knjižnicu na svijetu. Knjižnica se nalazi u sredini Salija, na rivi. Ispred knjižnice nalaze se razne fotelje i stolice koje te jednostavno mame da uzmeš knjigu, zavališ se iu njih i potratiš sve svoje preostale dane odmora na samo tom mjestu. Kad smo već kod uzimanja knjiga, ova knjižnica ne bilježi tko je posudio knjigu i kada ju je obavezan vratiti. Ova knjižnica ide na povjerenje. Dakle, kada uzimate knjigu, računaju na vaše poštenje i da ćete ju vratiti kada završite s čitanjem. I to mi se odmah svidjelo! Također imate besplatan pristup internetu i korištenju računala. Izbor knjiga je stvarno raznolik i smatram da si svatko može naći nešto za sebe. Također se održavaju raznovrsni programi i filmske večeri te i zabavne radionice za djecu. Postoji i klavir koji možete svirati ukoliko želite. Tako smo jedan dan Romana i ja ušetale u knjižnicu kako bi si uzele knjige za plažu i jedan dečko je počeo svirati na klaviru. Ja sam bila u sedmom nebu. Naježila sam se i njegovo sviranje me jednostavno ganulo. Znala sam da će mi ova knjižnica ostati u jako dragom sjećanju. Dakle, nakon što je završilo prikazivanje filma te večeri, pitali smo Antu možemo li prespavati u knjižnici. Na naše ugodno iznenađenje rekao je DA! Ušli smo, raspremili se na kaučima koji se nalaze u knjižnici i postavili laptop kako bi pogledati film prije nego što odemo na spavanje. Mogu reći da mi je to bilo jedno od najljepših iskustava života i ovim putem se zahvaljujem Anti ukoliko kojim slučajem naleti na naš blog i ovaj post. Ante, od srca ti hvala na predivnom iskustvu!!

[ENG] Continuing with day number 4. Since we came back to Sali from our trip in late hours, being as tired as we were, we just didn't feel like setting up the tent. Then an idea came to us – to ask Ante to let us sleep in his library. I still haven't told you about Ante. Ante is a man that Andrei knew from a few times he visited the island with his dad. And also a man that has the most beautiful and relaxing library in the world. The library is in the center of Sali, by the pier. There are all kinds of chairs and sofas in front of the library that just call your name so you can borrow a book, sit in them and waste the rest of your vacation days in one place. About the book borrowings, this library doesn't write down who borrowed the book and when is the book due to be returned back. The library works on mutual trust. So, when you take a book, they count on your honesty and that you will return it when you're done reading it. And that's what I liked the most! There is also access to free internet and use of computer. The variety of books is big and everyone can find something that suits them. There are also various programs and movie nights that are held at the library and also fun workshops for kids. Inside the library is a piano that is also there for you if you want to play. One day, Romana and I entered the library and there was this guy that started playing. I immediately got goosebumps and was moved by the sound of him playing. I knew this library will stay in my heart. So, after the movie ended that night we asked Ante if we can sleep over and, to our surprise, he said YES!!! We went in, settled on the sofas that were in the library and set up a laptop to watch a movie before we go to sleep. I can say it was one of the best experiences in my life and I wanna say thanks to Ante if he is somehow reading this post. Ante, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for this beautiful experience!



DAY 5

Sljedećeg dana ujutro morali smo se ustati dosta rano s obzirom da je Ante otvarao knjižnicu. Pospremili smo i sve vratili na mjesto te otišli doručkovati. Za vrijeme doručka odlučili smo da ćemo ovaj dan provesti u uživanju i malo usporiti ritam prethodnih par dana. Tako smo mi cure otišle posuditi knjige i sunčati se, a dečki su otišli u istraživanje ratnih tunela koje su uočili duž otoka.

[ENG] The next day we had to get up realy early since Ante was opening his library. We cleaned up and put everything back in place and went to have breakfast. As we ate we decided that today we'll slow down the pace of our vacation and just have a chill day. Romana and I went to borrow books and go sunbathe, and boys went on a little exploring trip because they spotted some war tunnels on the island.



U Saliju su plaže sve na 5-10 minuta hoda od centra no, ukoliko tražite pješćane plaže, ovdje ih nećete naći. Većina plaža je ili kamena ili umjetna. Nakon što su se dečki vratili iz svog istraživačkog pothvata , našli smo se s njima na rivi, kupili ručak i uputili se na obližnju plažu kako bi se svi zajedno malo opustiili.

[ENG] Most beaches in Sali are 5-10 min walk from the center but, if you're looking for sand beaches, you're not gonna find them here. Most beaches are either rock beaches or made by man. After returned from their exploring adventure , we met up on the pier, bought lunch and went to the beach together so we can all relax.



Nakon povratka sa plaže, iscrpljeni morem, naši trbusi su ogladnjeli. Ovaj put, umjesto kupovanja večere u lokalnom dućanu, odlučili smo se počastiti sa večerom na tursitički način. Pizza i pivo uz rivu. Obukli smo se i uputili prema rivi te uočili velike drvene stolove i stolice ispred jednog restorana. To je donijelo odluku umjesto nas. Mislim, zar ovo ne bi i vas privuklo??

[ENG] After we returned from the beach, exhhausted by the sea, our tummies got hungry. This time, instead of buying dinner in a local store, we decided to spoil ourselves in a tourist way. With pizza and beer by the pier. We got dresses and spotted some big chairs on the pier in front of a restaurant. That made the decision for us. I mean, would you be attracted by this too??



No, imajte na umu da se penjete na vlastitu odgovornost. ;)

[ENG] But, have in mind that you're climbing at your own risk. ;)



Dan smo završili opuštanjem na rivi do kasno u noć i gledanjem zvijezda na krovu jedne male kućice.

[ENG] We ended the day by relaxing on the pier and stargazing on the rooftop of a little house.



DAY 6

Pošto nam je zadnji dan prije nego što moramo krenuti doma i oprostit se sa ovim divnim otokom, odlučili smo se vratiti na mjesta koja su nas najviše usrećila. Saharun i Veli rat. Saharun je pješćana plaža na Dugom otoku koja je svojom ljepotom proglašena najljepšom plažom Hrvatske. I mislim da je definitivno jedna od najljepših. Jedini problem je pronalaženje parkinga ukoliko ga niste voljni plačati. Mi smo odlučili ne platit te jedva našli mjesto uz zemljanu cesticu koja vodi do plaže i koja je također krcata ljudima kojima nije do plačanja parkinga. Uzeli smo frižider i ručnike i krenuli na plažu. Plaža je na obali nasipana velikim oblim kamenjem no kada uđete u more pod nogama vas iznenadi sitan pjesak. U plićaku je dubina mora do koljena svega 10 m od obale te je time savršena za djecu ili neke vodene igre kao što su picigin i druge. Boja mora na ovoj plaži je nevjerojatna. Ova plaža su hrvatski Bali. Koliko god daleko od obale ideš, dno se vidi kristalno čisto. Najbolje za uživanje na luftićima. Ma, jednostavno med za oči. Uz plažu, u sjeni borova, nalazi se i kafić koji vam na raspolaganje nudi i svoj roštilj.??? Nakon što smo odložili svoje stvari, u kafiću smo zamolili konobare da nam led iz frižidera stave lediti kako bismo ih imali zaleđene i bar malo očuvali ostatak hrane koji nam je ostao. Tada smo se zatrčali u nebesko plavu vodu i pustili mozak na pašu jer smo znali da se tog istog dana odvajamo od ove predivne rajske plaže.

[ENG] Since it was our last day until we have to go home and say goodbye to this beautiful island, we decided to go back to the places that made us happy the most. Saharun and Veli rat. Saharun is a sand beach on Dugi otok that is, because of it's beauty, ofter reffered to as the most beautiful croatian beach. And I think it definitively deserves the title. The only problem was trying to find a parking spot, that is if you're not willing to pay for it. We didn't want to pay so we barely found a place by the dirt road that was already full with cars on the side. We took our fridge and towels and headed off to the beach. The beach is made of round stones but once you get into the water the sand will surprise you. 10 m from the shore the water is down to your knees which makes it perfect for kids or playing some kind of water sport. The color of the sea is beautiful. This beach is the croatian Bali. No matter how far you go from the shore, the water is so clean you can see the bottom. By the beach, in the shade of pine trees, there is a bar that also offers you their barbecue to use. After we put our stuff down, we asked the bartenders to freeze our ice cubes so we can save the rest of the food we had left in the fridge. Then we ran into sky-like-blue sea and relaxed because we knew that today we are saying goodbye to this beautiful heaven-like beach.



Ostali smo na plaži do otpilike 18 h i uputili se prema Velom ratu s naumom da dočekamo zalazak sunca. Otišli smo prvo do naslje Veli rat malo istražiti s obzirom da ga prije nismo posjetili

[ENG] We stayed on the beach till about 6 pm and then headed off to Veli rat with the idea of watching the sunset. We first went to the city of Veli rat since we didn't visit it before.



Tamo smo si kupili pizze za van u jednoj maloj pizzeriji i brzo krenul prema svjetioniku kako ne bismo zakasnili na zalazak sunca. Kada smo došli, vidjevši da nismo zakasnili, smjestili smo se na mol s najboljim pogledom prema horizontu i čekali. Dok smo čekali nagrizali smo pizze i uživali u zajedničkom društvu te lovili rakove po okolnom kamenju. Također smo, na klupi ispred svjetionika sreli našeg domaćeg glumca. Koja slučajnost!

[ENG] We bought ourselves pizzas in a little pizzeria and quickly headed back to the lighthouse so we don't miss out on the sunset. When we came and saw we didn't miss it, we sat down on the little pier that had the best view of the horizon and waited. While we waited we slowly ate our pizza, enjoyed each others company and chased little sea crabs. We also met our croatian actor on the bench in front of the lighthouse. What a coincidence!



Sunce se polako poćelo spuštati i došlo je još par ljudi i parova koji su također došli gledati zalazak sunca. Tada smo svi doživjeli nešto spektakularno. Boje su polako postajale tamnije, a sunce je polako odmicalo. Zalazak je pio predivan. Ganuo nas je do suza. Gledala sam zalazak i plakala od sreće što sam iskusila svoj prvi pravi zalazak sunca s najdražim ljudima na upravo ovom mjestu. Takav raspon osjećaja nisam uopće mogla predvidjeti. Razmišljala sam o svojoj obitelji i prijateljima i koliko sam zahvalna na svemu što imam, koliko je život divan i koliko volim ove ljudi koji sjede do mene. U tom trenu svi problemi su nestali, sve loše stvari bile su izbrisane jarkim bojama neba koje se prostiralo preda mnom kao slika na platnu. U tom trenutku osjetila sam sreću svijeta, osjetila sam posebnost i ljepotu života. U tom trenutku sam obečala sama sebi da ću jednom kad budem imala prilike dovesti svoju obitelj ovdje da i oni svjedoče onome čemu sam i ja svjedočila. Sjediliu smo tako u tišini, osjećajući slane suze i slani morski povjetarac koji nam je milovao obraze. Sjedili smo tako dok se nije smračilo. Pogledali smo jedni drugi i zagrlili se. Zagrljeni, smijali smo se i plakali u isto vrijeme, zahvalni što imamo jedni druge. Tada smo odlučili ostariti ideju koju želimo ostvariti još od prvog dana – popesti se na vrh svjetionika. Upitali smo obitelj koju smo prvi dan upoznali možemo li ući u svjetionik. Iako je već bio zatvoren i van radnog vremena, pustili su nas da se popnemo a vrh. Bili su i toliko dragi da nam nisu naplatili ulaz, koji je inače 20ak kn. Jedini problem je bio Andreov strah od visine. Mi ostali smo se penjali, dok je on četveronoške grabio prema vrhu. Na vrhu je bilo hladno i jako vjetrovito no predivno. Svjetla otoka obasjavala su noć.

[ENG] The sun was slowly setting and a few more people came that were also going to watch the sunset. Then we experienced something spectacular. The colors slowly began to get darker, and the sun was setting. The sunset was beautidul. It made us cry. I watched the sunset and cried happy tears because I was experiencing my first real sunset with my closest friend and at this exact place. I didn't even expect that spectar of feeling. I thought about my family and friends and how greatfull I was for everything I have, how life is wonderful and how much I love those people sitting beside me. In that moment all problems were gone, all of the bad stuff was erased by the beautiful colors of the sky that was laying in front of me like a painting on a canvas. In that moment I felt the world happiness, I felt the uniqueness and beauty of life. In that moment I promised myself I will bring my family to see what I saw. We sat there in silence, tasting the salty tears and the salty wind that touched our cheeks. We sat there until it got dark. We looked at each other and hugged. Hugging, we laughed and cried at the same time, gratefull that we have each other. Then we decided to make an idea that we were thinking of from the first day come true – go to the top of the lighthouse. We asked the family we met on the first day if we can enter the lighthouse. Although it was already closed and out of it's working hours, they let us in. They were nice enough to not charge us the entrance, that is usually about 20 kn. The only problem was Andrei's fear of hight. The rest of us climbed, while he was getting there on his fours. It was cold and windy at the top but very beautiful. The lights of the island were lighting up the night.



Nakon što su nam se emocije smirile, odlučili smo da je ovo mjesto mjesto gdje želimo provesti svoju posljednju noć. S obzirom da se bilo smračilo, otvaranje šatora nije dolazilo u obzir. Na plaži iza svjetionika rasprostrli smo vreće za spavanje i zaspali gledavši najljepše nebo koje smo vidjeli u životu i brojeći zvijezde padalice. Bio je to savršen kraj dana koji nitko od nas neće zaboraviti.

[ENG] After our emotions calmed down, we decided this place would be the place where we would spend our last night. Since it got dark, opening the tent wasn't an option. So, rolling out our sleeping bags on the beach by the lighthouse, we fell asleep watching the most beautiful sky we've ever seen and counting shooting stars. It was the perfect end of the day that none of us will forget.



DAY 7

Probudili smo se vrlooo rano kako bismo stigli na trajekt natrag za Zadar. Na trajektu smo šutjeli i razmišljali o utisku koji je prošli dan još uvijek imao na nas. Sa trajekta smo imali i priliku gledati izlazak sunca koji nas je pošastio svojom ljepotom i otpratio nas sa Dugog otoka.

[ENG] We woke up realyy early so we could catch our ferry back to Zadar. We were still under the impression that yesterday still had on us all through the ferry ride. We also had the opportunity to watch the sunrise that greeted us with it's beauty and slowly waved to us as we were leaving Dugi otok.



Na povratku u Zadar odlučili smo još malo obići grad, a nakon toga teških srca smo nastavili put doma. No, na putu smo odlučili stati u, već nam poznatom, Kuterevu kako bismo Branimiru i Romani pokazali utočište za medvjede. S obzirom da je bilo ljeto, ovoga puta dobrodošlicu su nam zaželjeli brojni volonteri i vodiči utočišta kojih nije bilo kada smo prošli put, u zimi,bili ovdje. Po ljeti nude i razne ličke domaće proizvode koje možete okusiti i razne suvenire koje možete kupiti za uspomenu. Ovaj put smo i vidjeli medu kako se kupa!

[ENG] Upon our return to Zadar we explored the city some more and after that continued our way home with aching hearts. But, on our way back we decided to stop at Kuterevo again to show Branimir and Romana the shelter. Since it was summer, this time we were greeted by numerous guides abd volunteers that weren't there the last time we were here, in the winter. In the summer they also offer various homemade products from Lika that you can try and souvenirs you can take home with you. This time we actually saw bears bathing!



Naravno da smo ih odveli i na izvor Gacke te se zaustavili kod dobro poznatog aviona.

[ENG] Ofcourse we took them to the source of Gacka and showed them, to us, a well-known plane.



Ovdje je našim avanturama bio kraj. (No ne zadugo!) To ljeto Dugi otok mi je ukrao komadić srca koji ću dobiti natrag svaki put kada ga ponovno posjetim. Mogu živjeti bez njega, no s njim mi je srce ispunjeno. Svi smo kući otišli sa predivnim uspomenama koje ćemo čuvati zauvijek. Dugi otok zaslužan je za moju promjenu. Za moje drugačije gledanje na svijet i shvaćanje da svrha života nije skupljati stvari već sječanja. Kada ostarimo, svi auti i sva roba neće ništa značiti ako nečemo imati nešto što bismo ispričali svojoj djecu ili unučadi. Od ljeta 2014. počela sam skupljati uspomene. I nastavit ću ih skupljati. I to je početak svega. Početak moje promjene. Početak mog drugačijeg gledanja na svijet. Ne kroz rutinu već kroz otkrivanja. Jer život nam je dan za otkrivanje.

Sa Dugog otoka, s ljubavlju.

[ENG] This was the end of our adventures. (But not for long!) That summer Dugi otok stole a piece of my heart that I will get back every time I visit it again. I can live without it, but with it my heart is fulfilled. We all went home with beautiful memories that we will keep forever. Dugi otok is the reason of my change. The reason of my different look on the world and figuring out that the point of life isn't collecting things but collecting memories. When we get old, all the cars and clothes won't be worth a thing if you won't have something to tell your kids or grandkids about. Since the summer of 2014 I started collecting memories. And I will keep collecting them. And that is the start of my different look on the world – not throught routine but throught discovering. Because life was given to us to discover.

From Long island, with love.

Oznake: Dugi otok. Veli rat, Saharun, ljetovalje, 2014