The 'music' is still thumping above the traffic so we get ready and set off as soon as we can. We have about 30 miles of tollway to Korovac before taking the D1 south. It's another beautiful ride through small, alpine-like towns and hilly woodland until our lunch stop just outside Slunji, in a layby overlooking a river a few hundred feet below.

A short distance brings us to Rastoke a small village nesting at the bottom of the valley and surrounded by waterfalls and rivers. Tiny red house cling to the hillside as the water cascades over the limestone falls partially hidden by lush trees.

Around 14:30 we arrive at our stop, Camping Turist Grabovac in the Plitvicke National Park. We have a lazy afternoon around or in the pool, where the temperature is 30C, then go to the restaurant for dinner. The menus are listed in various languages and almost every meat dish comes with 'slice fried potato' [sic]. Pie with mangold cheese turns out to be spinach and cheese in a filo wrap, but it's all delicious a washed down with a litre of Merlot.

The cicadas are revving up and there is a cool evening breeze as we return to the vans for an early night.