Good Moring All

On the road again 

We are now crossing another border in to Austria, this is the toll booth and Mom stopped thinking they wanted to ask or see something, but the officer looked very bored and just waived us ahead

We definitely need to update Alice (GPS) because she took us through winding streets and little villages to get to the camp we asked for. It was probably much prettier than the highway but took a lot longer

After settling in and having a bite to eat we took the bus from our camp to Graz which is Austria’s second-largest city - and one of its hidden secrets. This historic city in the southern region of Styria has plenty to flaunt, and one of the most impressive things about Graz is its architecture. Indeed, the atmospheric Medieval center of the city, the largest in Europe, abounds in architectural marvels and opulent historic buildings evoking the grandeur and glory of Austria’s Imperial past.

Rathaus (Town Hall) – the history of this stunning Late Historicist-Old German-style edifice, completed in 1893, reflects how Graz has prospered over the centuries.

In the middle of this square were a lot of food carts and there was yummy food dropped everywhere but Mom didn't let me stop and eat. As a matter of fact, she was getting a little irritated to see all the trash people had left behind, 

The town hall was financed through a tax on wine. There are short corner towers on either side of the front of the four-level building. In the middle, the tall center tower has a dome and spire. Niches on the neoclassical facade hold statues of Austrians, emperors, and figures representing art, science, trade, and industry

The historic center was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999 due to the harmonious co-existence of typical buildings from different epochs and in different architectural styles. Situated in a cultural borderland between Central Europe, Italy, and the Balkan States, Graz absorbed various influences from the neighboring regions and thus received its exceptional townscape. Today the historic center consists of over 1,000 buildings, their age ranging from Gothic to contemporary 

Gemaltes Haus (Painted House) – one of the most popular Instagram-worthy spots in Graz; the colorful frescoes depict the hierarchy of Greco-Roman gods

The Painted House is first mentioned in 1360. In this house, the Dukes of Styria would give their subjects land for a fee and otherwise carry out their public business

Landhaus (Country House) – an excellent example of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, with several courtyards surrounded by elegant arches.

The Graz Art Museum was built as part of the European Capital of Culture celebrations in 2003 and has since become an architectural landmark and is the weirdest building we have ever seen. Its exhibition program specializes in contemporary art from the 1960s onwards. 

Here's another strange building, The Murinsel, which is an artificial floating "island" in the middle of the Mur River and links the two banks on both sides. At night the blue navigation lights that surround the structure light up. This landmark of Graz was designed by New York City artist Vito Acconci on the occasion of Graz becoming the 2003 European Capital of Culture.

Described by the artist as "A bowl that morphs into a dome that morphs into a bowl…Mur Island is in the form of a giant sea shell and measures 47 m (154 ft) in length. Two footbridges connect it with both banks of the Mur. The center of the platform forms an amphitheater. Below a twisted round dome, there is a café and a playground. We walked through it but the cafe was closed.

We found a different place to sit for a minute and Mom ordered an iced coffee and a brownie. The brownie looked good but tasted horrible according to Mom. I didn't get a taste, but I'm sure I would have liked it. (Mom claims chocolate would make me sick)

After a short break, we continued on to The Schlossberg, at 473 meters (1,552 ft) above sea level, is a tree-clad hill, and the site of a fortress. The hill is now a public park and enjoys extensive views of the city. It is the site of several entertainment venues, cafés, and restaurants.

Noway is Mom going to make it up all those stairs I thought, luckily there was an elevator and now I had to wear that stupid muzzle again. (Mom is very impressed that I don't protest much)

As we were getting into the elevator we noticed there was a slide coming down, and Mom looked at it in horror. We don't have to come down in that, are we? It was a spiral tube and you had to sit in something looking like a half of a sleeping bag. ...............Over my dead body, she said and I'm quite happy about that.

The fortification of the Schlossberg goes back to at least the 10th century. In the mid-16th century, a 400 m (1,300 ft) long fortress was constructed by architects from the north of Italy. There are records of a cable-hauled lift being in use between 1528 and 1595 to move construction materials for the fortifications. The castle was never conquered, but it was largely demolished by Napoleonic forces under the Treaty of Schönbrunn of 1809. The clock tower (the Uhrturm) and bell tower (the Glockenturm) were spared after the people of Graz paid a ransom for their preservation.

The view from up here was very impressive, and when finished looking we took the elevator down. puuh

this is the Lueggerhouse which was built in the early 16th century and rebuilt in the Baroque style at the end of the 17th. The tracks on the streets and all the viring for the cablecars kind of spoils the view a little 

Here's a true antique 

This city is beautiful but it could use a good scrubbing from so much graffiti and pee. I find every street corner and stairway full of interesting messages and wanted to "read" it all, but Mom hated it so all I got was a quick whiff here and there. I'm taught to never ever leave any messages behind on buildings, and I never do, so we always have to find a green spot for me when I have to go.

The Florida flamingos found a use here too

Many street musicians brighten up the place and Mom always have a coin for them 

we sat down on a bench to rest and listen for a while

and this lady came and joined us. At first, she ignored us and didn't look all that happy, so I decided to change that 

, and with my charm that quickly changed.

I gave her lots of kisses while Mom with her louse German and the lady with her lousy English had a conversation

Too bad they don't know our dog's universal language ............or not

There was this gorgeous pink house across the street, and the lady claimed that's where Napoleon was born. Must be a different Napoleon because the one we know of was born in Corsica

Entrance of the Styrian Armoury (German: Landeszeughaus), the world's largest historic armory holding approximately 32, 000 pieces of weaponry, tools, suits of armor for battle, and ones for parades.

During World War II, the entire contents were moved to safety in three castles in remote parts of Styria, and no losses were recorded. After the end of the war, the objects were brought back into the undamaged original building

There was so much to see so many statues in every building truly a very interesting day but I for one was quite happy when Mom decided to take the bus back to Lucy

The weather is great and soon we will drive off to the next city VIENNA 

Mom has great expectations about that city but if I had a choice I would go back to that national park 

All is great 

kisses Henry 

We spent two nights in a very relaxing place, with no screaming kids, no traffic noise, only birds and the wind. The best part was that I was allowed to roam free a little and I made a friend that stopped by and asked me to come out and play, which I did

I had to make sure I'm home for breakfast because Mom usually shares a little with me, I know she can't resist my begging face even if she tries to ignore me looking into that box.

Lucy is cleaned up and the laundry is done. Fresh sheets that have been dried in the wind. I thought Mom was going to inhale the sheets?

Now we were both well rested and off we went to the next stop which was Plitvice National Park. 

On the way there we saw many booths along the road which was selling local cheese and honey. Mom has really missed good cheese so we stopped and this old lady had her taste some really good homemade cheese. Mom said ok to buy one piece of cheese and a jar of honey for 20 euros, which she thought was way too much but ok. The lady wanted more money and Mom showed her all she has was credit cards and then she tried to poke her finger into the slot where money is kept.   Later when Mom opened the package she had somehow switched the cheese Mom picked into some old dried-up hard pieces haha haha. How could a sweet little old lady like this be dishonest Mom thought.

I stayed in Lucy the whole time so I take no responsibility ................The honey is delicious.

So we arrived at the park before noon and we were lucky to have nice cool weather for a hike.

Plitvice Lakes National Park is Croatia's largest national park covering almost 30,000 hectares. The lake system stands out, fascinating scientists and visitors alike. Interconnected by many waterfalls and watercourses above and below ground, the lakes are grouped into upper and lower lakes. The former is formed on dolomites, with mild relief, not-so-steep shores, and enclosed by thick forests, whereas the latter, smaller and shallower, are situated in limestone canyon with partially steep shores. The lake system is the result of millennia of ongoing geological and biochemical processes creating natural dams known as tufa barriers. These are formed by the deposition of calcium carbonate from the waters flowing through the property. this system is a geochemical process of tufa formation that interacts with living organisms, most importantly mosses, algae, and aquatic bacteria. The scale of the overall lake system and the natural barriers are an exceptional expression of the aesthetically stunning phenomenon, acknowledged since the late 19th century. The park area is mainly covered with very well-preserved forests essential for the continuity of geochemical processes in the water system (above and below ground), which include an area of 84 ha of old-growth forest of beech and fir. Besides the striking landscape beauty and the processes that continue to shape the lakes, the park is also home to noteworthy biodiversity. The tufa barriers themselves provide habitat for diverse and highly specialized communities of non-vascular plants. Brown bears, Grey Wolves, and Lynx along with many rare species roam the forests, while the meadows are known for their rich flora.

At the gate, we received a map of choices of paths to take, and Mom asked which one is most scenic. Girls response was "If you want to see it all it's the 12 km (8.5 miles) hike" OK, we want to see it all, and off we went.

I wasn't crazy about the bridges where water is rushing this close, but neither was Mom

This wasn't fun, we both got wet and the roar from the water is scary 

I heard Mom being upset with herself for not bringing the "real camera" instead of only her phone because pictures didn't come out as well.

It wasn't a very difficult walk and there were strict rules about staying on the paths and not to venture into the woods. 

Mom was so proud of me for not barking back at some dogs that didn't like me and walking along on my own most of the time. Sometimes the wood was spaced a little too far apart so it was hard to keep all four paws on top so Mom carried me through the worst parts.

The lakes are crystal clear and bluish green absolutely stunning At times it looked like the water is coming out of the trees 

We looked for wildlife and all we found was this frog and many small turquoise dragonflies (impossible to catch on phone) that swarmed the shallow part of the lakes.

This must be made by a sharp-toothed animal? beaver?

 Back to where we started, we had a steep 1-mile hill to get back to the parking space. You should have heard Mom's huffing and puffing. I thought this day was amazing we should do it more often I said to Mom,

sure, she said as soon as I recover from this.

At the parking place, it was a no dogs allowed store so I sat with this guy from Chicago while Mom went to get water and a snack for us

It's now 7.30 am and Mom is looking at a map to figure out where we'll go next. Sounds like a new country again?

The weather is great around 20-25 during the day and it drops to below 20 at night. (75F and below) can't get any better.

I'm feeling great this morning, but listening to Mom groaning I think her old body got a bit of a beating yesterday. She says it was all worth it though it was a gorgeous park well worth visiting again.

Wet  kisses to all

Henry

PS. Did I tell you that Mom is super duper proud of me?  

We are on our second day in Like camping not far from Plitvice Lakes National Park where were going next. 

Leaving Dubrovnik we spent one night at a very nice beach camp named Viter a few miles south of Makarska. Again we met up with our UK friends, and I just like me, the man didn't want to go near the water so we stayed together while the ladies went swimming.

It is hot and it's hard to sleep but the worst thing at this camp is playgrounds on either side of the camp. On one side it's a kid's camp, and in the evening there's some kind of loud game where the leader speaks on a megaphone. On the other side, it's basketball where the coach blows the whistle on and off...............nope nope, Mom does not have patience for it and to tell the truth, I'm not a big fan of it either 

This is pictures from an early morning walk, it's very pretty here.

The beach is covered in  pebbles shaped soft and round from the sea, but very difficult to walk on says Mom

I met a cat and a dog on this walk. It's funny how the cats in this country don't hiss at me, they are all more curious and like to meet me ...................I keep the distance though because you never know

We said goodbye to our friends and started the drive North and up into the mountains to get a little relief from the heat

What bother Mom even more was these prickly seeds that stuck to me everywhere we walked. I'm not very fond of them either because it means that Mom is constantly pulling my hair.

As we were getting away from the crowds (45 min. to get through Makarska) we saw this sign, and yes that's what we're doing I think. kind of rude though

Anyway, we stopped at the Walls of Ston which is a series of defensive stone walls that protected the city. They are featured as King's Landing's fortifications in Game of Thrones

The Walls of Ston are the longest complete fortress system in Europe (and second in the world behind the Great Wall of China) and they are known colloquially as ‘The Great Wall of Croatia‘. Reaching over 7 kilometers and date back to the 14th century.

The walls safeguarded the highly lucrative salt pans in the area which are still operational to this day. The salt produced in Ston is said to be the purest in the entire Mediterranean region.

Funny how Alice (The map lady) thinks a drive that takes 5 hours should have only taken 2 hours?

Oh well, Mom asked Alice for a campground on our route and told us about a forest camp by a lake, Perfect:Mom said and off we went.

The drive to get there was very nice.

When we got to the camp it wasn't what we expected, it was on a hill if you wanted to be on grass so we parked on the gravel

It was self-check-in 25 Euros

We went for a nice walk without those prickly things and Mom said she was longing to go for a swim. NOT ME.

Just we needed MOm said piece and quiet in the woods by a lake.

After a little while we heard drums, you know that donk donk donk that you hear from cars sometimes. More and more people were showing up and soon we found out that this particular weekend d it was a festival here, so we packed up and left.

 Alice didn't suggest any other camps on the route and we wouldn't; arrive at the park until 8.30 (so she said)

Mom is getting tired and pulled over at this beautiful lookout and said why not spend the night here? sure

But after we found out it was a 200 Euro fine for sleeping in parking spaces we kept on and so happen to find this fantastic camp called LIKE, and we do like it. Mom is doing laundry and I'm napping under Lucy. It's much cooler here and very windy. The best part is I'm allowed to run free. The owner loves me and has a girl lab that visits me and I her.

Mom said we should only post pictures because she was told nobody wants to read about the history of these countries anyway. it's ok with me, but maybe nobody wants to see the pictures either?

I'm ready for another nap WHAT? Mom said, you never stopped napping, I did too, didn't you hear me barking at that intruder on our space? yes  yes

Wet kisses to yaal

Henryl

As usual, we're up before the rooster crow...........not that I can hear a rooster here, but millions of pigeons that cooing and seagulls laughing. It's ok because it's too hot to sleep anyway.

Last night Mom decided it is time to head North to a cooler climate because it is getting way too hot to go sightseeing here now

It's a midsummer (solstice day) celebration in Sweden now and I wish all my Swedish friends a happy weekend.

Yesterday we took an early bus into the old town of Dubrovnik and I had to sit in a bag because no dogs on buses here.

I know how to keep quiet and hide so I'm ok with it, but Mom is surprised at how many places do not allow dogs here. 

In some places, like in this Game of Thrones shop everybody loved me and put me in their best seat 

they did have a scary dragon in there too

Dubrovnik is a fascinating city the narrow streets and small squares nestled within the city walls are alive with shops selling local goods, bars with live music entertainment, historical churches, and monasteries.

As soon as we entered through the  Pile Gate there was a large rounded polygonal shape structure with a cupola and 16 water taps. This is the well-known Onofrio Fountain designed in 1438 by the prominent Italian architect Onofrio di Giordano della Cava. He was an Italian architect from Napoli who got a job in the town to design the Towns waterworks and fountains. In the period from 1435 to 1442, he also designed and constructed a 12 km long water supply system that brought water from the Knežica spring, Šumet River in Rijeka Dubrovacka to the Old Town. The waterworks were in use by the end of the 19th century.

The fountain is embellished by 16 stone carved masks and a statue of a dog that adorns the top walls of the fountain. Locally called “kuchak” aka fountain dog,  the replica of the dog statue was reinstalled in 2016 as it was badly damaged. The whole fountain was badly damaged by the earthquake in 1667 and rebuild since.

In 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence, Dubrovnik was besieged by the Yugoslav People's Army for seven months and suffered significant damage from shelling. After undergoing repair and restoration works in the 1990s and early 2000s, it re-emerged as one of the Mediterranean's top tourist destinations, as well as a popular filming location. According to Statista, Dubrovnik is the most 'over-touristed' destination in Europe, with 36 tourists on one local resident

There's a discussion about limiting visitors to 8000 a day and charging people who don't stay inside the walls a fee, and 

forbid pulling your luggage since the wheels make a lot of noise on the streets.

We walked through to the big gate before 8 am so there wasn't a crowd yet, but by the time we left, you could hardly move on these streets. I got to wear my service vest but that didn't seem to make much of a difference here.

Under communism, Dubrovnik became part of SR Croatia within SFR Yugoslavia. After World War II, the city started to attract crowds of tourists–even more after 1979, when the city joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The growth of tourism also led to the decision to demilitarise the Dubrovnik Old Town. The income from tourism was pivotal in the post-war development of the city, including its airport. The Dubrovnik Summer Festival was founded in 1950. The Adriatic Highway was opened in 1965 after a decade of work, connecting Dubrovnik with Rijeka along the whole coastline, and giving a boost to the tourist development of the Croatian Riviera. 

It is a beautiful road with many many turns and steep cliffs

this is before the selling of boat tickets starts, and nope, I'm not allowed on a boat either?

Following the end of the war, damage caused by the shelling of the Old Town was repaired. Adhering to UNESCO guidelines, repairs were performed in the original style. Most of the reconstruction work was done between 1995 and 1999. The inflicted damage can be seen on a chart near the city gate, showing all artillery hits during the siege, and is clearly visible from high points around the city in the form of the more brightly colored new roofs.

We met Ivan who had an electric "Rolls Royce" who took us up to the top of the mountain. (I wasn't allowed on the gondola to get up there either)

Ivan was born here and was in kindergarten during the war and told me it was scary but as a child, he didn't know any other way of life. He drove us back to our campsite which we both were very grateful for. 

Ivan asked Mom if she wanted to go bungy jumping from the bridge, he knew the guys who arranged that. I could tell Mom thought about it for a moment, but this is where I put my paw down to a firm NO

You see that little spider thing hanging from a thread? and Mom had to THINK about it?

This is Orlando, and he is a well-known monument situated in the very heart of the old town right in front of St. Blaise's church. The column, erected in 1418, and according to the legend, helped the people of old Dubrovnik (Ragusa) to defeat invaders in the middle ages and therefore helped Dubrovnik to remain a free trade city-state.

 Orlando’s forearm, 51.25 centimeters long was also at the time the standard Dubrovnik measurement for fabric where local merchants were measuring, cutting, and selling fabric. Looks like he's getting a makeover now

The steep stairs are all around this fort so we think only the strongest of young athletes can live here but this little man seems to be doing ok living here.

I think this guy must have had a cold since he rubbed his nose raw 

Games of Thrones has been recorded here and I suppose Mom will have to watch that when we get back home

So many cats everywhere and they aren't super friendly but still they didn't hiss at me. I miss Lilly

Amazing how beautiful flowers can grow everywhere 

and orange trees

This man was feeding pigeons from his window on the top floor. I bet a lot of people would be upset about it, because there was a lot of pigeon poop on the steps

Is this lady strangeling a sheep or what?

This fountain was located in the shade where we sat and rested for a while away from most of the hustle and bustle,

and where I could find a green patch to relieve myself.

Well, Dubrovnik is the most interesting place we've seen so far and I'm sure there's plenty more but the heat is getting to both of us, So soon we'll start our journey north.

Happy Solstice from us 

and many wet kisses from me

Henry

Early this morning Mom packed up everything before anyone else was awake ready to leave and make it to Dubrovnik before the only camping there fills up. As it turned out there was plenty of space, and we arrived early and set up Lucy so we could rest. Mom didn't sleep very well last night I guess too much on her mind.

The drive getting here was gorgeous, but again many sharp curves and narrow passes without many places to pull over to take pictures. Mom gets annoyed because she says it's hard to take in all the beauty since she has to keep a keen eye on the road.

We are passing all these little villages nestled on the mountainside. Mom thinks the people here must have the strongest legs on earth since everywhere we go there are steep steps or roads.

Getting closer to Dubrovnik we see these giant cruise ships puffing out smoke for hours?  Much much more than Lilly does.

Our new British friends came here too, which made us both very happy, it's nice to have someone to have a chat and a beer with sometimes. They had noticed this sign and thought of me ............I like it a lot

There are many stands that sell gelato here and this Pistachio flavored one was delicious

So many yacht sailing on the gorgeous waters 

We had to get through town to get to the campsite and it was very crowded,

Arriving at Solitudo Sunny Camping I tried to make friends with this cute kitten, she was curious and didn't hiss at me, but I lost interest pretty quickly. She sure was cute though

After a homecooked meal and a walk, we are now ready for bed because we're getting up really early to see the town before the crowds and the heat.

To be continued.

Wet kisses Henry

Mom just got back from a swim and I told her "Enough procrastination of my story" so here it goes

We are very close to the Bosnia border and the closest town is named Ston.

 With the end of communism, Yugoslavia broke up into a bunch of independent nations, namely Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. Bosnia and Herzegovina retained its only access to the Adriatic Sea through the Neum corridor, which is 20 miles of coastline, and the newly independent Croatia was now split in two.

Croatia was left with an exclave surrounding Dubrovnik, and this caused some headaches for tourists wishing to visit this stunningly beautiful coastal city. To get to Dubrovnik, tourists have to cross two international borders and go through two customs checks and the associated security arrangements causing a lot of unwanted delays.

So Croatia built a bridge stretching over 2 kilometers, the bridge was funded by the EU and built by a Chinese firm. 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

   

Thursday morning it was time to leave this relaxing place and move on, and Mom decided we should drive along the coast because it's beautiful she said.

This looks quite exciting, doesn't it?

And yes it was beautiful but so many sharp curves that sometimes I think I saw Lucy's behind. Up and down and around the mountains and like that wasn't enough the wind was brutal and grabbed Lucy and kept trying to blow her off the road. I could tell Mom was concentrating on keeping Lucy on the road so she had to stop occasionally to admire the views.

I didn't want to go outside, but Mom made me, she said I had to take a whiz. I said If I can fly over the Atlantic without going so I can wait now too.

Can't she tell I'm holding on for dear life to the ground? Mom laughed  and took pictures, which wasn't nice

But then she carried me back to safety in Lucy, and she needed to use all her strength to shut the door.

The area where some of the strongest bora winds occur is the Velebit mountain range in Croatia. This seaside mountain chain, spanning 145 km, represents a vast weather and climatic divide between the sharp continental climate of the interior, characterized by significant day/night temperature differences throughout the year, and the Adriatic coast, with a Mediterranean climate. The bora occurs because these two divided weather systems meet and tend to equalize over the mountain range. 

After hours of driving, we happened to see this sign, so we had to stop.

Roads here are quite narrow so Lucy didn't fit in the parking space without having her rear sticking out, so the lady in the restaurant came out to help Mom park more on an angle which Mom tried to avoid since that meant we took up more than one spot, but that was ok lady said

Near the towns of Senj, and the southern portal of the Sveti Rok Tunnel in Croatia, it can reach speeds of up to 220 km/h. On 21 December 1998, the speed of a gust on the Maslenica Bridge (north of Zadar) was measured at a record speed of 69 m/s or 248 km/h

Mom needed a break from driving so we had lunch and relaxed for a bit

Mom had spaghetti and I'm an expert on how to eat them 

A little kitten saw me doing it so she came and wanted to try too 

She was a quick study and ate a few under my careful watch

After this stop, we continued on to Zadar where the famous sea organ is located............we did go to see it, but it was very disappointing, it made the same sound as when you blow in an empty bottle. and that was IT. This boat? or submarine? comes by to watch this? we weren't amused so we moved on

Many beautiful boats were anchored at the dock 

Many of the houses reminded us of the communist era, and that felt depressing

we walked through the old town and it looked similar to some other old towns in Croatia.

And yes Mom respected this sign so we didn't look inside, There was no sign about dogs though? like every other church we had seen.

Ladies are selling their crocheted items by the church wall

Dogs that didn't seem to have an owner came to greet me, but I guess they didn't like me, because they quickly moved on.

This town wasn't all that interesting so we rested for a while and had a drink. (no beer for Mom since she's still driving) but why didn't I get one, I said? 

Because codrivers can't drink either Mom says......

We left this town and continued on south, but this time Mom chose the highway so we'll get to the next destination faster.

As usual, when we are on highways Mom gets sleepy really fast so when we saw this bridge she pulled into the rest stop.

Sibenik Bridge 

It’s an arch bridge across the Krka River. The bridge is 391 meters long (669 feet) and is 65 meters high (213 feet).

It turned out to be a wonderful place to spend the night (for free) and there was a coffee shop that opened at 6 AM so we had a croissant for breakfast. (Mom is missing her rolls with cheese in the morning, but the cheese here is like plastic)

We watched a gorgeous sundown and had a peaceful night, maybe because this lady was watching over us?

It's now 6 am on Sunday. The WiFi slowed down to less speed than a snail has, so Mom lost patience to finish my story last night. 
We are now in a wonderful place close to Trogir and yesterday we took a water taxi into town and it was amazing according to Mom. For me, it's getting too hot and the tourists are invading every possible space here on the coast so I think Mom is replanning our route? 

We met a very nice  British couple in the town we were in before and they came here too so we had dinner together.

I don't know today's plans, but I did hear something about a boat ride? 

Mom went swimming yesterday and I think she may want to do that again at the blue lagoon. Fine! as long as she doesn't decide to get me in the water too. It's enough that I had to take a shower this morning. Mom said I was very dirty and there are a lot of prickly seeds, known as burrs or stickers, that latch on and become entangled in my hair, and If left they can cause irritation, pain, and infection and Mom is constantly picking them off me. When they stick to my toes I try to get them off myself, and according to Mom that leaves an even more difficult task to get them off.

Right now I'm taking a nap and hoping Mom will catch up on yesterday too.

Wet kisses to yall

Henry

It's Tuesday night at 10 pm and we're staying in a little fishing village named Senj. This is our second night here and from what I hear it sounds like we'll be here yet another night. Sounds good to me because this is a great place. Friendly people good restaurant gorgeous sunset, what else do we need asks Mom. Not much I say I'm mostly off-lead and ever so often I venture into the kitchen. Another dog lives there but he's ok with me visiting.

I do not like water that moves so I wasn't very happy when Mom made me wash my feet in it. I told her she can go, but no it was too cold for her feet.

Talk about feet, Mom has a very funny-looking toe now, and she blames it on her flip-flops from that day we walked so far. It's presently being healed with saltwater and beer.

A campers pedicure. 

Mom is dead tired now, so I'll continue this story in the morning.

Good night Henry  

WEDNESDAY MORNING 10AM

There's something very special to be parked right on the edge of the Adriatic Sea going to bed with windows open feeling the breeze listening to the seagulls and the waves breaking on the stonewall just outside the window.

That's Mom's thoughts about where we are now. I like it very much too but most for the close proximity to the restaurant.

 and they have great beer.

I take it for granted everybody is willing to share their beer, This almost cost Mom a pint hahahaha 

We are in a small town named Senj, it's a city that is more than 3000 years old and is one of the oldest cities in the northern Adriatic. Located by the sea, at the foot of the mountain of Kapela and Velebit which is the biggest mountain in Croatia.

We just happened to find this town and it's so relaxing away from the big city hustle and bustle.

This region was used to cross from the inland to the coastal area since ancient times. Greek and Roman geographers, as well as historians, mention a port named Senia where Senj stands today.

  History enthusiasts can visit the historic sights of the fortress Nehaj which is a medieval fortress from the 16th century, a symbol of the town of Senj.

We aren't going up there Mom said and she blamed it on her toe 

We did walk around in town which is built on a steep hill and has many narrow cobblestone streets 

In the fall of 1943, during WW II when Fascist Italy capitulated, the Partisans took control of Senj and used it as a supply port. Subsequently, the Luftwaffe started bombarding the town. By the end of the year they had demolished over half of the buildings in town and inflicted heavy civilian casualties.

Modern Senj is a seaside tourist town. Primary industries are fishing, boating, and tourism. The population in settlement of Senj had 4,810 inhabitants.

This is a very common sight here, especially in the mornings, a bunch of men getting together having their morning coffee, and smoke

Fishermen statue 

Back with Lucy, it was time to rest that toe 

In the evening we decided to try the restaurant and I'm always cool with that BUT TAKE A LOOK AT THIS !!!!!

And what the heck is this? where's the beef? 

SERIOUSLY Mom !!!!! What am I supposed to eat?

I did not get a taste of those scallops, Mom sucked up every single drop of that, but I did get to taste the squid and it wasn't bad at all, it had the same consistency as some of my chew toys.

In the evening people like to sit on the wall by the water and drink beer (a lot of it) and this time as I'm trying out last night's stunt, a lady gave me my own bowl

Well, it looks like we're staying here a third night.

Lazy days doing nothing is a little unusual when it comes to Mom but I'm perfectly fine with it. The water is too cold for Mom and I'm scared of it so there will be no swimming today we'll just lay around looking at the water meeting the mountain and a blue sky.

The temperature has not gone over the 80ies yet and its much cooler at night, in other words, perfect weather

Wet kisses to yaall

Henry