Sun 26.May.2013
Novalja, Pag Island, Croatia
A pretty sun this late afternoon in this tourist party town on an island just off shore. But
sun or not, everybody is still bundled up against the bite of the wind blowing down off the newly
snow-dusted mountains on the mainland. Welcome to Europe 2013, where austerity
includes deep cutbacks in the quality of the weather.
Over on the shore is Croatia's longest, though not highest mountain range, Velebit.
When I arrived here in Novalja last Wednesday, it was t-shirts and shorts time. This has
become a pattern this season; I seem to bring the cold with me. *grumble*
You reach the island of Pag from Rijeka by catamaran. Don't call it a ferry - you'll
confuse people. Ferries carry passengers and cars. Catamarans carry passengers only, and
sail considerably faster.
There is a glimpse of the Velebit range from my window.
Novalja apparently has a reputation as "Croatia's Ibiza", i.e. Fort Lauderdale. This
is not all bad; in shoulder season like now, there is plenty of accomodation. On t'other
hand, it was a tiny fishing village before the vacation party scene overwhelmed it. The
only places to sit out of the cold are disco dungeons along the harbor. My fellow
turistas strike me mostly as amiable football majors on vacation. I'm leaving Wednesday,
in no hurry, but with no regrets either.
The down side to using disco dungeons as your sitting room and internet connection,
is that the music has no variety, and the one thing it is gets old fast: sounds like a stamping
mill played at 78 r.p.m., and too loud.
If your digs have no kitchen, food here is either burgers 'n fries, or interchangeable
overpriced bland tourist restaurants. Where do the locals eat? They must have their well-hidden
options, but there aren't that many locals here. I expect they mainly cook at home.
I've becomme a regular dinner diner at a hole-in-the-wall kebap shop, staffed by a friendly
intelligent teenage girl and an older colleague. Looking forward to Zadar and real food, but
I'll miss the friendly teenager.
Language fun
Starac i More: "[something] and Ocean". What and Ocean? Hmm??? -ac is a person,
somebody who is or does something: somebody who "Stara"s. Hmm... Stari = "old"...
Bingo! Old Man and the Sea!
Symmetrically located at the other end of main street, more sea-themed literature!
This town is a (mostly) harmless waste of a dry, sparse, but beautiful island. It still
wouldn't be bad if there were a warn place to sit, and a net connection without ... yeesh,
I don't even know the name of this variety of junk music: an all-too-worthy descendant of
disco!
Looking forward to checking in From Zadar. Ciao!