Threave Castle, Castle Douglas.

Situated on an island in the middle of the River Dee, the remains of this ancient castle is only reachable by boat. It is accessed along a footpath skirting a bluebell wood.

The island would have supported subsidiary buildings, such as stores and workshops, as well as the castle. It became the stronghold of the Black Douglases and still today, round its base you can see the artillery fortification built before 1455 when James II besieged the castle.

In its long an illustrious career the Castle changed hands a number of times, until in 1640 it was laid siege. After holding out for 13 weeks, the garrison surrendered on the orders of King Charles. The opposing army ordered the buildings to be dismantled, and the materials to be disposed "to the use of the public". It was also later altered to house French POWs. 

In 1913 the ruins were given into state care and declared a scheduled monument in 1921.

Happy Zadar Birthday Jean

Zadar, a city on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, is known for the Roman and Venetian ruins of its peninsular Old Town. There are several Venetian gates in the city walls. Surrounding the Roman-era Forum is 11th-century St. Mary’s Convent, with religious art dating to the 8th century. There’s also the grand, 12th-century St. Anastasia’s Cathedral and the round, 9th-century pre-Romanesque Church of St. Donatus.

We managed to bag an apartment right on the coastal edge of the old town which was ideal for exploring, boat and people watching and ferry rides.

Its central location and an international airport have made Zadar a popular tourist centre. It also has two unique attractions – the sound-and-light spectacle of the Sea Organ and the Sun Salutation.

A walk through the Old Town

Takes you into Zadar Park 

 Zadar is also a key transport hub, with superb ferry connections to the surrounding islands.

We could see the island of Ugljan, which is part of the Zadar archipelago, from our apartment. The island is nearest to the mainland. There are numerous ferry lines from Zadar and the ride takes about 30 minutes. It is called the green island because it is covered with pine forests, olive groves and other Mediterranean vegetation.

On the north side of the island there are fishing villages, which are recently engaged in tourism. We landed at Preko a picturesque small town well worth a wander round, then walked the coastal path to the village of Kali. There are regular bus services that cover the island and are timed to coordinate with the ferries.

might've been on holiday but still had the laundry to do :)

On the Saturday Zadar seafront was bedecked in flowers for Zadar in Bloom.

Zadar also has a number of museums covering archaeology, history of glass and a quirky

something else you would not
expect to find in Croatia :)

The jewel in the crown was the trip to Plitvice Lakes National Park. An absolute must if you ever in the region. Pictures hardly capture the majesty of the place - but we'll try. 

Plitvice Lakes National Park is a 295-sq.-km forest reserve in central Croatia granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1979. It's known for a chain of 16 terraced lakes, joined by waterfalls, that extend into a limestone canyon. Walkways and hiking trails wind around and across the water, and an electric boat links the 12 upper and 4 lower lakes. The latter are the site of Veliki Slap, a 78m-high waterfall. 

There was transport to the top of the lakes

and an electric ferry across the lake

and the water was unbelievably pure and clear.

We also took local transport to the neighbouring old town of Nin. 

Nin was founded by the Ilyrian tribe of Liburnians in the 9th century BC and known by the name Aenona. A prosperous settlement on the small island was surrounded by walls, and the houses were built using the drystone- wall technique. During the Roman rule, Nin was an important town and sea port. In its long history Nin was destroyed several times, but it rose again, only to be completely destroyed in 1646 when Venice sacrificed it in order to save the fort of Zadar from Turkish invasion – but it rose again.

The smallest cathedral in the world is here and the coronation Church of St. Nicholas can be found here as well. Nin is also a European Destination of Excellence. It is well known for its medicinal mud and extensive saltworks.

Touching the big toe on the statue of Grgur Ninski 

tradition has it-brings good luck.