From Krk to Meteora: A Journey of Loss, Roads and 1001 Views

There are journeys you plan. And then there are the ones that slowly begin to shape themselves. Ours didn’t start on the road. It started on the island of Krk.

A Shirt That Disappeared

Just days before heading south, we were preparing for something entirely different, a meeting in the Croatian Parliament to talk about the development of the Transflorium project. After visiting the recycling yard Ponikve, we stopped for a simple moment, pizza, wind, and a view of the old Krk walls. I asked my partner to bring me my vest from the car. He did. But when we returned, my white shirt, the one I carefully hung underneath was gone. No explanation. No trace. Maybe the wind took it. Or maybe Krk has its own quiet magic. A small, invisible Bermuda triangle beneath ancient walls. I wasn’t happy. I needed that shirt. This time, I wanted to be prepared. But somewhere between frustration and laughter, something shifted.

“Then I’ll give you 1001 views instead,” he said, as we stood there, looking out over the landscape. And somehow, that stayed.

The Road Through Macedonia

Listening to Greek music, we drove through the vast Macedonian landscape. Endless plains stretched in front of us, surrounded by hills and distant mountains. The road curved gently through a landscape that felt both open and enclosed at the same time. In search of the highway, we followed old roads. Along the way, colourful flags marked the beginning and the unfinished reality of a new motorway still in the making. We kept wondering when those flags would disappear, and when the road would finally become what it was meant to be.The drive felt long. But it was worth it.

A Home on Wheels

Somewhere along that road, Benji began to understand. The car was no longer just a car.
It was a home. Long drives. Short stops. Water. Rest. And then back inside. A new rhythm. And as a guardian dog, he embraced his role fully. At every border crossing, if anyone came too close to the car, a clear message could be heard: “This is my territory.” Some people smiled. Some ignored it. But most understood. Because even on the road boundaries still matter.

Crossing Into Greece

And then, Greece. A land of olive groves, oranges, lemons, pistachios and almonds. The shift was immediate. The air felt lighter. The sky bluer. The fields greener. The mountains stronger. Even before the official border, there was a sense of change. We followed the road surrounded by trees, feeling as if we were slowly being absorbed into a different landscape. Until we reached our first destination.

Meteora: Between Earth and Sky

Meteora rises above the village of Kastraki in a way that feels almost unreal. Powerful. Dramatic.
Unavoidable. It doesn’t ask for your attention, it takes it. We stepped out of the car, drawn by something we couldn’t explain. A reminder of how precise and powerful nature can be. And yet, humans had added their own quiet layer, monasteries, carefully placed on top of the rocks, suspended between earth and sky. A dialogue between nature and spirituality.

Night at the Campsite

We stayed in a small campsite nearby, called The Cave, a place that felt like part of the landscape itself. While Benji explored his new world, meeting other dogs, adjusting, learning, we slowed down. A walk through the night. Dinner in a local taverna. Cats everywhere, moving silently between tables. It felt like stepping into another reality. That night, wrapped in the warmth of the tent, the silence was never fully silent. Dogs barking in the distance. Voices carried by the wind.
Bells from the monasteries above. Even Benji, usually the loudest one, stayed quiet. For the first time, he wasn’t the one setting the rules. He was listening. And learning.

Morning in Meteora

The next morning brought stillness. We set off on a small hiking trail through Meteora. Views opened slowly. Space widened. Silence deepened. It was a place where nature, wilderness and spirituality meet without conflict. A place that doesn’t need explanation. Only presence.

Another Step Into the Unknown

This journey was never just about reaching a destination. It was about everything that happens in between. A lost shirt. An unfinished road. A dog learning new rules. A landscape that changes you without asking. Another step into the unknown. Another 1001 view. Not every road leads somewhere. Some roads change you.

🌿 KroNland

Croatian version below

Od Krka do Meteore: Putovanje kroz gubitak, ceste i 1001 pogled

Postoje putovanja koja planiraš, a postoje i ona koja se polako počnu sama oblikovati. Naše nije započelo na cesti već je započelo na otoku Krku.

Košulja koja je nestala

Samo nekoliko dana prije nego što smo krenuli na jug, pripremali smo se za nešto sasvim drugo, sastanak u Hrvatskom saboru o razvoju projekta Transflorium. Nakon obilaska reciklažnog dvorišta Ponikve, stali smo na kratki predah, pizzu, vjetar i pogled na stare krčke zidine. Zamolila sam partnera da mi iz auta donese prsluk. Donio ga je. Ali kad smo se vratili… moje bijele košulje, one koju sam pažljivo objesila ispod više nije bilo. Bez objašnjenja. Bez traga. Možda ju je odnio vjetar. A možda Krk ima svoju tihu čaroliju. Mali, nevidljivi Bermudski trokut ispod drevnih zidina. Nisam bila sretna jer ta mi je košulja stvarno trebala. Ovaj put sam htjela biti spremna. Ali negdje između frustracije i smijeha, nešto se promijenilo. Neke stvari nestanu. Druge se pretvore u pogled koji ostaje s tobom.

„Onda ću ti pokloniti 1001 pogled“, rekao je, dok smo stajali i gledali krajolik. I nekako… to je ostalo.

Put kroz Makedoniju

Slušajući grčku glazbu, vozili smo kroz prostrani makedonski krajolik. Nepregledne ravnice pružale su se ispred nas, okružene brežuljcima i planinama u daljini. Cesta je lagano vijugala kroz prostor koji je istovremeno djelovao otvoreno i zatvoreno. U potrazi za autocestom, vozili smo starim cestama. Uz put su šarene zastavice označavale početak i nedovršenu stvarnost nove autoceste koja je još uvijek bila u nastajanju. Pitali smo se kada će te zastavice nestati,
i kada će cesta napokon postati ono što je trebala biti. Put se odužio. Ali vrijedilo je.

Dom na kotačima

Negdje na tom putu, Benji je počeo razumjeti. Auto više nije bio samo auto. Postao je dom. Duge vožnje. Kratka zaustavljanja. Voda. Odmor. I ponovno unutra. Novi ritam. Kao pas čuvar, brzo je prihvatio svoju ulogu. Na svakom graničnom prijelazu, ako bi se netko previše približio autu, mogla se čuti jasna poruka: „Ovo je moj teritorij.“ Neki su se nasmijali, neki ignorirali, ali većina je razumjela jer čak i na putu granice i dalje postoje.

Ulazak u Grčku

I onda Grčka. Zemlja maslina, naranči, limuna, pistacija i badema. Promjena je bila trenutna. Zrak je bio lakši, nebo plavlje, polja zelenija, planine snažnije. Čak i prije same granice, osjećala se promjena. Vozili smo cestom okruženom drvećem, kao da nas krajolik polako uvlači u sebe. Dok nismo stigli na prvo odredište.

Meteora: između zemlje i neba

Meteora se uzdiže iznad sela Kastraki na način koji djeluje gotovo nestvarno. Snažno.
Dramatično. Nezaobilazno. Ne traži pažnju, uzima je. Izašli smo iz auta, privučeni nečim što nismo mogli objasniti. Podsjetnik koliko priroda može biti precizna i moćna. A ljudi su dodali svoj tihi sloj, manastire, pažljivo smještene na vrhovima stijena, kao da lebde između zemlje i neba. Dijalog prirode i duhovnosti.

Noć u kampu

Odsjeli smo u malom kampu u blizini, The Cave, mjestu koje je djelovalo kao dio samog krajolika. Dok je Benji istraživao svoj novi svijet, upoznavao pse, prilagođavao se, učio, mi smo usporili. Noćna šetnja, večera u lokalnoj taverni, mačke posvuda, tiho se kreću između stolova. Kao da smo zakoračili u neku drugu stvarnost. Te noći, u toplini šatora, tišina nikada nije bila potpuno tiha. Lavež pasa u daljini, glasovi koje nosi vjetar, zvona s manastira iznad nas. Čak je i Benji, inače najglasniji, ostao tih. Po prvi put, nije on postavljao pravila. Slušao je i učio.

Jutro u Meteori

Sljedeće jutro donijelo je mir. Krenuli smo na kratku hiking turu kroz Meteoru. Pogledi su se polako otvarali, prostor se širio, tišina produbljivala. Mjesto gdje se priroda, divljina i duhovnost susreću bez sukoba. Mjesto koje ne traži objašnjenje. Samo prisutnost.

Još jedan korak u nepoznato

Ovo putovanje nikada nije bilo samo dolazak na odredište. Bilo je sve ono između. Izgubljena košulja. Nedovršena cesta. Pas koji uči nova pravila. Krajolik koji te mijenja bez pitanja. Još jedan korak u nepoznato. Još jedan od 1001 pogleda. Ne vodi svaka cesta nekamo. Neke ceste te promijene.

🌿 KroNland