Zadar - Day 3

Today we wake a little late and have missed breakfast again. It's already after 10am. We decide to go shopping to a big shopping center this morning to see what we can find. The centre is not huge, but is spread over two levels. We walk around, however are not impressed as the shopping was not what we expected. Marjan not very happy, really really struggling to find shoes, thongs, anything. Who would think, that in Croatia, with most men being tall, that they wouldn't have footwear to fit him. Also to make things worse, winter stuff has already hit the stores, so finding summer stuff is almost impossible. We do get a few things, so we shouldn't be to harsh. We decide to call it a day and are out of there as soon as we can. We get outside and it's hot. Temperature is 34 degrees.

We get back to the hotel just after 1pm, just in time for lunch. Off to lunch we go. We get our table sit down and go to get our meals, we look outside and all you can see is a bura (strong winds) blowing. Tree branches have snapped off trees, leaves are blowing everywhere, and all the people sitting/eating outside are running in for cover. We look outside and beach umbrellas have flown into the pool, towels and clothes that were on the beach chairs are scattered everywhere, beach chairs have up turned and the wind is still blowing.

We finish lunch and Emil decides that he wants to go to Falky land. So off to kids club he goes.

The wind has died down a little so Marjan and I decide to venture outside to see the carnage caused by the bura. We get outside and it is a mess. There is debris everywhere. People everywhere outside, looking just like us. We look out to the beach and the ocean is crazy. The waves are strong and smashing everywhere. However people are still in the water, making the most of it. We walk towards the beach just to have a look, only to be not allowed onto the beach by hotel security - being told that it is for our own safety. So we stay inside the hotel ground and watch the workers as they are running around everywhere. The pool hands are packing up all the beach chairs and umbrellas, while others are picking up all the bits and pieces that have flown around everywhere, while others are already starting to clean up all the debris. We also hear that no one is allowed in the pool until the wind dies down. Not the same resort we remember when we first arrived.

It's moments like this when we are glad for the kids club, otherwise what would we do with Emil, he would be so bored. The temperature has also dropped by about 10 degrees and is now 24 degrees. What a difference a few hours makes. It also has started to rain. Not a heavy rain, more a shower, but enough to cover the grounds and make it wet outside. So inside we must retreat. We sit inside at the inside/outside bar and Marjan orders a crna mala (espresso) and a shot of slijovica (schnapps - Croatian moonshine).
All up 10 kuna = $1.60.  As mentioned previously, all meals are included, but also most drinks seem to also be included. Marjan only payed for the coffee, the slijovica was free of charge. How bizarre that you need to pay for the coffee, but you have the spirit included in the food and drinks package.

The view from the inside/outside bar over the beach, a few hours after the bura finished.

We get a little bored so decide that we will go for a drive to Nin - this is the coastal town my mum and her family was born in. So we collect Emil from kids club, he is not very happy with that, but never mind, we get in the car and go for a drive. It's only about a 15 minute drive. We get there and realise that the bridge has been closed off and that you can't drive over it.  It's still raining so we decide that we don't really want to go for a walk, so we drive around to try and find another way onto Nin. We drive around and find another entry onto Nin. We drive down the streets and realise just how much everything has changed. We want to get out but it's still raining. So we decide that we will have to come back so that we can do it properly. So back to the hotel we go.
We get back freshen up and then go have dinner. Once again after dinner, back we go to the kids club for another kids disco. Emil is in his element, he is loving every minute.

After the disco we head back to room and then have a few games of Uno before we all head off to bed. An eventful day today we had. We wonder what tomorrow has in store for us.