Clearest water we've ever seen

There's something about water in Croatia. The Adriatic sea is ridiculously clear, which makes it very enjoyable for swimming. Apparently in WWII, navies stopped using the Adriatic as a battleground since the waters were so clear that planes flying overhead could see subs 55 meters down without any special equipment. Not much subterfuge there. Today we visited Plitvice Lakes inland, and the water in the lakes was somehow even clearer than the Adriatic.

The Lakes are a series of tiered lake, with waterfalls between each of them. The water apparently carries calcium carbonate with it, which deposits itself on the land, forming travertine stone. It's a truly unique and gorgeous site. The minerals in the water make it very basic (opposite of acidic), which prevents algae from forming. That helps lead to the clear water and the unique blue hue. We lucked out with low crowds (getting there early) and low humidity, so it was a very enjoyable morning hiking through the park.

We are now in Istria, the peninsula between Croatia and Italy. It's part of Croatia but historically had bounced between "owners" so it's a definite mix of cultures. All signs are in both Italian and Croatian, and both languages are taught in school. Perhaps the most famous person from Istria is Mario Andretti, the car racer. James Joyce also apparently vacationed/lived here for awhile.

After yet another delicious meal, Beth, Erin and I went for drinks at a bar along the coast (literally you sit on cushions on the rocks). As we were waiting for our drinks, a school of dolphins started jumping off shore celebrating the sunset. Welcome back to the Adriatic, Polichs!

(the picture with the boat is the Adriatic, and the others are at Plitvice Lakes)