Marshalls Abroad

croatia Life zagreb

Plitvice, Croatia

I finally found internet!! We still don’t have it at our house, which is why I haven’t been able to post anything — and I have so much to! It’s coming! I’m sitting at a cafe right by our house, on the terrace, sweating profusely (it’s around 100 degrees here!) and drinking my favorite biela kava (white coffee… in 100 degrees… do as the Croatians do, tacno!?) listening to the church bells ring next door. Our landlord’s sons told us this cafe has the best coffee in all of Zagreb, and my goodness, they were right. Cam and John Shea have been walking up here every morning to get us kava and we’ve been drinking it slowly, next to our pool in the morning, before the temperatures rise.

We’re still going through a rough transition with John Shea while he tries to adjust to the time zone, new house, big boy bed, since his crib and all of our things won’t be here for 1-3 months. It’s a lot for a little person! so there has been next to no sleep happening in our house since we arrived in Croatia. But we’ll get there. I’m really proud of how well he’s been doing on all of our daytrips we’ve been taking from Zagreb. Croatia is absolutely gorgeous. Driving places is half the fun because the countryside is so, so beautiful. You can’t go anywhere without seeing charming villages, vineyards, orchards, people selling homemade olive oil, honey and fruit on the side of the road. It seems like nearly everyone has fruit trees and grapevines.

The hike, waterfalls and colors in Plitvice are as breathtaking as we’d imagined. I wouldn’t recommend going during July and August though, if possible — it’s the busiest travel season in Croatia and the crowds take away from the peacefulness of the park. We’d also recommend going in the late afternoon when it’s cooler and quieter. It’s also not stroller-friendly. It’s only around an hour and a half drive from Zagreb, so we’ll be back…


Comments

  1. Stephanie says

    Beautiful pictures! When we moved with our then two year old to Amsterdam it was rough! When the shipments of all our belongings finally made it over it felt like Christmas! Having all the kiddos toys and books again was a game changer!

    • Amanda Marshall says

      I'm so excited for all of our stuff to get here just for that reason! Not that he needs his toys to be at home, but I know it'll make a difference for him!

  5. Jay says

    We went in April & it was still pretty busy. Unfortunately, we had a disastrous run in with a very, very bad storm an hour into the hike. We were freezing and soaked by the time we got back to the car and poor Jasper's arms and legs were blue. We also had to run by some of the most impressive waterfalls shielding ourselves from the hail, rain & snow. I'm determined to go back under better conditions!

    Also, loving that enthusiasm radiating from you as you explore your new home. It makes me excited for our next move – one of my favourite parts of moving all over the world are those initial months exploring the new home.

    • Amanda Marshall says

      Oh my goodness, there was still snow in April?! I think my southern california soul is going to get a shock come winter, haha! I'm excited for your move for you. I agree, the first months when everything is completely new is a wonderful time. I hope your little one adjusts well, too!

  6. Katie says

    Gorgeous!! I think this was one of my favorite places out of all our European travels…it was just so beautiful and unlike anything else we'd seen. Also, I feel your pain with a toddler, huge transition, and no stuff…we are going on month 3 without our things and it is a challenge! Hang in there 🙂

  7. Caravan Sonnet says

    AHH yea!! LOVE seeing these pictures and hearing how y'all are settling in!! Will be praying specifically for John Shea in this transition time (and SLEEP for y'all!!) Y'all are troopers!! Thank you so much for sharing this area of the world with us friend! It is gorgeous!! It is so interesting to hear and learn about Croatia. For some reason (not knowing anything about that area of the world!!) I thought that it would be mostly cooler!! So interesting! Praying for you sweet friend and sending hugs across the ocean!
    With Love, Rebecca
    p.s. Can you email me your new address when you get a chance? 🙂

    • Amanda Marshall says

      Thanks, Rebecca! I'm sorry the posts have been slow… they are taking their sweet time getting out to our house to install internet. Yes, will send you our addy!

  9. Colleen says

    Croatia looks stunning! Can not wait to see more. So excited that yall are finally there. Good luck with John Shea's transition. No sleep is brutal in any time zone. I can not even imagine how you are holding up without all your comforts of home. 1-3 months is long time to wait.

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