Plitvička Jezera (Which means the Plitvice Lakes)

I just retrieved my almost burnt re-heated coffee from a small pot on our stove and sat down to write this blog.  This is how I re-heat coffee in an apartment that doesn't have a microwave.  Sorry to my coffee shop barista friends who are reading this write now and probably cringing.

So, this morning I went online to do my morning internet routine: news, email, facebook, and sometimes blogs, and when I was on my first step, I saw an article about some of the most beautiful lakes in the world - and they happened to be in Croatia!  They also happen to be lakes we JUST visited.  So, I decided to throw together a quick post of the day we skipped school as a family and went to Plitvička Jezera (Eng - Plitvice Lakes).  And might I add...it was worth it!

We walked and we walked and we walked, and it seemed as we walked more, the beauty kept unfolding into more beautiful things.  It was more beautiful than words could describe.  We really had never seen anything like it.  JJ had a blast - running from bridge to bridge, letting the clear, pristine water wash over his little fingers whenever he could.

We decided to leave after a few hours because it was a hot hot day and Dave had really wanted to jump in the water, but it is forbidden to get in the water at Plitvice.  So, ahead of time I read of a nearby tiny village where we could swim in the river, which has the same beautiful clean water as the Plitvice lakes. 

We arrived in the very adorable tiny village, so tiny that as we were driving through it, it felt we were driving through peoples' backyards.  We stopped and I asked a man if we could swim somewhere there.  He said yes, and then very kindly offered for us to park on his private property.  He then told us to walk about 1 km "that" way and we would come to a small lake with a waterfall.

O.K. we thought, why not.  So, we started walking and made our way on this path...

...and eventually came to this!

Unfortunately it was a bit too cold to take full advantage of this gorgeous water, but that didn't stop Dave!!  He couldn't resist the waterfall.  And so with his son and wife cheering him on, he carefully walked across the top of the waterfall and...

jumped in!!

Well, the cold temperature of the water didn't really stop our son either, who LOVED wading in the cool water.  OK, so it was really just me that didn't go in the freezing cold water.  This is about as far as I got in. 

But I'm looking forward to going back to our secret little beautiful undisturbed piece of nature in the hot summer sun!!  So, for those who have asked, yes we have been to the lakes, and yes they are sooo beautiful!

And when you come visit, we'll take you there too!!  :)