Exploring the Zadar Area

|
|
Updated On:

For our second day in Zadar, Miloš and I decided to walk back to the area of the bridge crossing, as we had seen a restaurant the night before that we thought we’d try out.  We walked the long way around through the marina.  The weather was hot, so we stopped briefly at a beach area along the way to cool off in the water.  We didn’t stay long however, and were soon arriving at the restaurant that would become our favorite pizza place: Giardin.  The outside dining area was covered with very large umbrella awnings, and looked out onto the water and the old town just across it.

Walking to lunch and posing by some boats!
Walking to lunch and posing by some boats!
We both enjoyed taking "stealth pictures" of eachother during the trip.
We both enjoyed taking “stealth pictures” of eachother during the trip.
The view from our table at Giardin
The view from our table at Giardin
Waiting for our food at Giardin, and apparently showing off our matching eyes... ;-)
Waiting for our food at Giardin, and apparently showing off our matching eyes… 😉
Enjoying our glass bottle Cokes!
Enjoying our glass bottle Cokes!

Our pizza was great.  Seriously – we really recommend the quattro formaggi pizza.  That’s damn good pizza!  Mmmmmm……  Just thinking about it makes me drool like Homer Simpson…

PIZZA!
PIZZA!

After our delicious lunch, we decided to walk north along the coast and see which beach we might like to try out.  We walked.  And walked.  We walked for quite some time.  We eventually came to the beach that was simply marked: “Beach for the Handicapped” (in Croatian), as it had two separate ramps so that those with mobility issues could get in and out of the water more easily.  The water was wonderful – the perfect temperature and so clear!  And I have to point out an observation I made, especially as a person who does a good deal of swimming in fresh water….  It’s SO true how salt water makes you more buoyant!  And the salt levels in this water are on the high side. You hardly had to do any work to tread water at all! I felt so… floaty!   So much more than what I’m used to at the beach on the east coast of the U.S.  And because of all the islands along the Croatian coastline, it doesn’t have that “open water” feeling, which I think helped exponentially with my shark phobia issues.  (I saw “Jaws” when I was too young and have been scarred for life ever since.)

After a few hours at the beach, I’m sure we went and got some ice cream nearby, as we pretty much got ice cream a few times a day the entire trip.  And dinner was a quick stop at the market to get some lunch meat for some sandwiches.  (We also picked up some wine and sparkling mineral water to enjoy that evening while sitting and enjoying some time over by the Greeting to the Sun.)

We spent some time back at the hotel for a bit before heading out to the Old Town part of Zadar.  Seeing the Greeting to the Sun for the first time was really an awesome thing.  As I mentioned in a previous blog post, the lights undulate like the waves of the sea – and all different colors too – blues and golds and purples and reds.  We sat for awhile along the edge of the grassy area just next to it.  (And quick reflexes saved us when the sprinkler system kicked on!)

Here are some fun pics of our evening at the Greeting to the Sun…

Dancing around on the Greeting to the Sun
Dancing around on the Greeting to the Sun
Jen and Miloš posing on the Greeting to the Sun
Jen and Miloš posing on the Greeting to the Sun
Greeting to the Sun
Greeting to the Sun
Greeting to the Sun
Greeting to the Sun

And we totally got photo-bombed in the most hilarious way…. by a drunk girl who looks like she had….um…. an accident……

Photo-bombed!
Photo-bombed!

We ended our evening by taking the bridge back to the mainland area and heading back…

Crossing the bridge from the old town peninsula to the mainland...
Crossing the bridge from the old town peninsula to the mainland…
Posing on the bridge!
Posing on the bridge!

Next up: trying fresh figs for the first time, and finding another favorite restaurant spot!  And of course, more beach!

Photo of author
Jennifer was initially drawn to Europe for two reasons: music and love.  She lived in Vienna for four years, and now calls Croatia home for much of each year, as she married a native Croatian. Since 2015, Jennifer has worked as a tour director and cruise director on European river cruises for a major American travel company, and has become an expert in all of the cities along her routes on the Danube, Rhine, and Main Rivers. She also has traveled to Disney World almost every year since 1985, and knows Disney World inside and out. As a travel agent, Disney World is her primary specialty, and she has helped many Disney newbies and veterans have amazing trips with her insider information.

1 thought on “Exploring the Zadar Area”

Leave a Comment

Want travel tips backed by 15 years of expat & travel industry experience?

Get my best tips and updates sent straight to you!

coming soon!