Wed 17 Sep - Plitvice Lakes National Park

Wed 17 Sep - after the included very nice buffet breakfast, we headed for Plitvice Lakes National Park (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plitvice_Lakes).
The lakes are on the Plitvice plateau, between the mountains of Lièka Plješevica, Mala Kapela and Medveðak.
'The Plitvice Lakes lie in a basin of karstic rock, mainly dolomite and limestone, which has given rise to their most distinctive feature. The lakes are separated by natural dams of travertine, which is deposited by the action of moss, algae and bacteria. The encrusted plants and bacteria accumulate on top of each other, forming travertine barriers which grow at the rate of about 1 cm per year. The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colors, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The colors change constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.'
As we were crossing the mountains, the Bura was still very strong, so warnings were posted for high wind conditions. It was a windy chilly cloudy day, 13-14 C, and the wind chill made it seem colder. Ivan had told us that the Park is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and is a UNESCO site. On the way, we stopped by the home of one of Ivan's friends who is an ambulance driver and raises trout in water from a spring in back of his house that dates from the time of Empress Maria Theresa. He gave us 3 live, fresh trout to try.
Admission to the park was $22/person; this included boat rides on the lakes and a bus ride back to the parking lot. We had coffee ($5.50 for the three of us), bought socks for warmth, wore our warmest clothes, and bought a snack of famous Plitvice pies. We took the trail to the lakes, and were amazed at the number and height of waterfalls and cascades. There is a lot of water flowing through the park, and this is the low season! We walked from lake to lake, each one higher than the other, which leads to the cascades as one lake overflows into the next. The water color also changes from lake to lake, beautiful shades of blues and greens. We were amazed at the variety vegetation, the incredible clarity and cleanliness of the water, the freshness of the air at 10-11 C, the number of fish (trout and others) visible from the trails, and the variety in coloration of the lakes. There is a lot of chemistry going on to create all the colors, and the formation of travertine.
After five hours of hiking, we headed back to 'Restoran Licka Kuca' for dinner: bread with fresh cheese spread; beer, broiled potatoes, grilled mushrooms, a platter of mixed grilled meat, for a total of $68 for the three of us. It was a delicious meal, and we were glad to be sitting near the grill where we could get warmed up after our hike.
As we returned 'home', we saw the outside temperature drop down to 1 C as we were in the valley between mountain ranges, but by the time we arrived in Kastav, it was up to about 12 C.