May 30th is Statehood Day in Croatia, a day off work, except of course for coffee bars and restaurants, gas stations, emergency services, and the like.
We decided to go on a trip to Zadar, a city that is an hour away from us, specifically 75 kilometers.
In Zadar, we went to the old part of the city because that part is the most interesting, and we also visited the Sea Organ, which plays as the waves hit it, so the sound depends on the strength of the waves.
Of course, a must-see for anyone visiting Zadar is one of the most valuable monuments of the Middle Ages from the 9th century in Croatia and a symbol of the city of Zadar, the Church of St. Donatus. Because of its shape, it is one of the most significant of its kind in Europe. It is 27 meters high and 22 meters wide and is truly fascinating.
Naturally, there are also the famous City Gates, which are also one of the many historical monuments in Zadar, built back in 1543. They are decorated with the city's coat of arms of St. Krševan and the coat of arms of the Venetian Republic, which depicts the lion of St. Mark.
My son wanted to explore the lower part of the old city, with old stone monuments and ancient trees that have been broken by various storms. He decided to count the tree rings, as I had told him, to calculate how old they were, so we had some fun there too.
Walking along the waterfront in the lower part of the old town, we noticed something strange and unusual. Quite a few people had gathered and were looking at something while music played.
When we got closer, we saw what it was, and it made us laugh. There was a poodle lying perfectly still on a boat, enjoying the sun and the music, while tourists were tossing coins into a bowl in front of it.
When you put a coin in, you could take one of the gifts that were on the boat, such as various shells, sea sponges, and the like.
Overall, it was a clever and charming advertisement for the boat owner, and a way to earn a little money, at least enough to buy food for the lovely dog.
On the way back from Zadar, we passed the town of Biograd na Moru, where Fun Park Mirnovec is located, and we decided to stop and have some fun there.
We visited the haunted house, drove bumper cars, rode a train that goes through the dino park, went on the roller coaster, and played various other games.
Overall, it was wonderful to have fun and feel like a child. After several hours of fun, we sat down at a fast-food place there and had a burger.
After that, it was getting dark, so we headed home.
All in all, another day for beautiful memories.