Day 184: Thursday 18 September – Croatia: A Trip To Cres, by Ken

We were on the road in Smarty at 8:15 heading for Valbiska where we planned to take the 9:15 ferry to the island of Cres. We arrived in Valbiska in plenty of time, bought our tickets and took our place in the short queue waiting to board. The ferry was a Ro-Ro and one of those symmetrical vessels with a central bridge and capable of shuttling between ports without having to turn around.

We boarded and were directed down a central ramp to the lower deck where we parked Smarty close to the bows. We found ourselves seats in the sun on a deck facing forwards for the 25 minute crossing. It was another fine and warm day.

On The Ferry To Cres

The ferry docked at Merag which consisted of not much more than a jetty for the ferry, a parking are and a small café. We had to wait a while for the upper deck to disembark before the roof above the exit ramp opened up to allow us out. 

Waiting Our Turn To Disembark At Merag

The road from Merag served only the port and a few houses on the hillside and ran for about 5km before joining a road running along the spine of the long skinny island of Cres. All the vehicles ahead of us and behind turned left towards Cres town, we turned right heading north to the village of Beli where we wanted to visit the Caput Insulae Ecology Centre that monitors and protects the 70, or so, Griffon Vultures that exist on the island. The road was very narrow in places, that wasn’t a problem as there was hardly any traffic. 

On The Way To Beli

Beli

According to our guide book the ecology centre was at the end of a stoney road on the left on the outskirts of the village. Reaching Beli there was a sign for the centre, but it didn’t give any indication to where it was and we couldn’t find it. We drove through the village which is perched on a hilltop and down a steep hill to a small harbour with a camping ground beyond. It was a lovely spot, but still scarred by Mabel’s misadventure on a hill in Cappadocia, Jane was sceptical that Mabel could make the hill with Smarty in tow.

We parked on the edge of the village where there was a map showing the ecolgy centre on the fringe of the village. We walked through the village’s cobbled streets, the place was practically deserted – our guide book stated that many of the inhabitants had left in search of work. While it was undoubtedly a lovely place, we could see there would have been little work in the area and it was a long way from any shops.

Beli Street

We drove Smarty back to a turning that we thought led to the ecolgy centre and drove up a paved (not stoney) road. That did give way to a stoney track that we followed into the hills for a couple of kilometres. There was nothing there except trees and the track was probably for forestry use. We turned back to the main road to Beli and asked a man pushing a barrow if he could point us in the right direction. He couldn’t. Disappointed and thinking Croatia really needs to do something to improve signage for visitors we decided to abandon our search for vultures and head south.

We skirted around Cres town and its large harbour in which a floating dry dock was moored and on to Lubenice, a small village located on a ridge high above the island’s west coast. One of the villagers manned a small car park and collected a parking fee.

Hard Going Cycling In The Heat

Cres Town - Floating Dry Dock Painted With Semi-Circles

Ken and Smarty In Lubenice

Lubenice

We wandered around the village. Far below was a very attractive crescent shaped sandy beach which we didn’t walk down to. Instead, we walked through the village and out onto a rocky promontory on which a small church and beautifully tended graveyard was situated. The headstones all carried photographs of the deceased, often whole families were in a single grave. Nearly all the graves were decorated with fresh flowers.

Lubenice Houses

Lubenice Beach

Lubenice Church

Lubenice Churchyard

Cat Playing With Small Snake In Lubenice

From Lubenice we drove to Osor. It was lunchtime and our guide book recommended a restaurant there – Konoba Bonifačić and its Cres speciality dish of janjeći źgvacet –a complex translation of what is essentially lamb stew. Like a lot of things in Croatia Konoba Bonifačić wasn’t easy to find. But Jane wasn’t to be beaten and after a lot of toing and froing around the streets of Osor she found the place. Even when we reached the door it didn’t seem to be open, the door was closed and tables set out in the restaurant were deserted. Undaunted, Jane went in and found food was being served in a garden shaded by vines groaning with grapes behind the restaurant. The setting was delightful although marred somewhat by a young German boy whose parents seemed oblivious to him running around shouting and even banging in to a woman eating lunch on her own who was clearly annoyed by the lad.

We ordered Pag cheese as a starter, the hard and piquant cheese came with black olives and bread. A local cat had been tipped off that Jane was in town and came to visit, clearly hoping for a share of the cheese. It was disappointed. For mains we had the speciality janjeći źgvacet which was served with gnocchi and asparagus. It was very good indeed.

Lunch Break In Osor

Any Chance Of Some Cheese Jane?

 Konoba Bonifačić Garden

Osor Statue

Osor

From Osor we drove south over a swing bridge that separates Cres from the island of Lošinj and south to the town of Mali Lošinj. The town is a port and a busy tourist resort. We had planned on an 80 minute walk there, but feeling lazy we settled on a slow drive along the quayside lined with lots of restaurants and tourist shops. It looked, and felt, very similar to Baška that we had visited yesterday and we didn’t feel the need to get out and explore.

Mali Lošinj

From Mali Lošinj wed rove back to Merag and joined the short queue of vehicles waiting for the 17:30 ferry. It was interesting to see the incoming ferry arrive and moor – the landside operation was carried out by one of the crew who attached a bow line to a bollard while a winchman pulled the ship to the quay. The crewman on land walked to the stern and the operation was repeated for the stern line. When the time came for us to depart, the mooring operation was reversed except what had been the stern of the boat was now the bows.

Our Ferry Arriving In Merag

Smarty Second From Left On The Way Back To Valbiska 

Returning to Mabel we snacked on bananas and nuts. Our two games of Banagrams were tied one apiece and we averaged about 10/15 in the trivia quizzes. 

Checking my email I found one from Elite in response to the list of defects I had sent them. It didn’t inspire a lot of confidence and I decided to follow up with them in the morning.