Say Cheese! Gligora Cheese Factory, Pag
Zagan the motorhome is parked up under a fig tree, with the sound of the sea lapping on the shore at AutoKamp Selce in Selce, Croatia (N45.15214, E14.72229). He’s resting up after a busy driving day and a ferry ride which has seen us leave the island of Pag.
This morning we had to say a very sad farewell to Phil, Liz, Bridget the pooch and The Beast (aka the party bus), their route is taking them south to Greece, we’re heading north. It was very tempting to team up with them for a few more days, but our livers intervened. Feeling a bit down after saying goodbye (for now), we decided to cheer ourselves up and what better way to do it than to have a look around one of the eight Pag Cheese factories on the island?
We chose the award-winning Sirana Gligora factory because it had a fab write up on tripadvisor and we weren’t disappointed. We squeezed Zagan into the car park and headed for the main door, but it was closed – a note saying to ask at the shop if you want a tour. A lady walking past saw us reading the sign and phoned for the tour guide to come and meet us. A couple of minutes later a Swedish couple from another motorhome arrived at the door and, while we later found out they were only planning to come and buy some cheese, they joined us on the tour.
The milk man is here!
Donning silly hats, paper coats and shoe covers we headed into the production area where Rachel, our guide, talked us through the process of making the different types of cheeses. Paški Sir, the official Pag cheese, is only made at certain times of the year as it is made from the milk of sheep on the island, and they only produce milk at certain times. The rest of the year they import cow and goat’s milk from elsewhere in Croatia. Only sheep can survive the harsh conditions on the island, and make some wonderful cheeses which are flavoured by being wrapped while maturing in lavender, rosemary, olive, cherry and grape pulp (the latter being known in the factory as drunk cheese).
Making ricotta cheese from the leftover whey
After answering all our questions on the production side, we were then taken down into the maturing room where we were greeted with row upon row of cheese, silently getting stronger and a bit more mouldy (the mould is washed off before it is packaged). I winced at the price of the chunk of Paški Sir that we bought at the supermarket, and devoured with Phil and Liz after a few glasses of wine, but now I know why it is so expensive. The indigenous sheep are small and produce only a litre of milk each a day. To get that litre they are milked twice, by hand, by around 200 farmers who provide milk for the factory, some of it arriving in buckets in the back of the farmer’s car.
Say Cheese!
One very excited Jay
After the tour we were taken up to the tasting room, where Rachel turned from tour guide into waitress. The cost of the tour was 35kn each (about £3.50), but if we bought a cheese-tasting platter the cost of the tour was included in that. We opted for the platter for two, which was 120kn (roughly £12). This saw us get to taste most of their range from ricotta and one day old goat’s cheese that squeaked when you ate it (the cheese, the goat wasn’t there), to several of the flavoured cheeses and the famous Paški Sir. It was £6 each for a fab tour and a filling lunch – bargain.
As we ate we sat and chatted with our fellow tour takers who gave us some great hints and tips about motorhoming in Sweden – what surprised me is that they will be heading back in a week or so and have planned a week and a half to get a third of the way up Sweden to their home. We’d planned a month and a half. After seeing pictures of snow in Ljubliana from Ann and Martin though, we think we might stay in Croatia for a little while longer.
That’s right little sheep, keep eating the salty herbs to flavour the Paški Sir cheese
Cheesed-up, we headed off to the north of the island to catch the ferry to the mainland. The further north we got the more rocky the land became, until there was no sign of green to be seen. Arriving at the ferry port we were glad to see the ferry docked, they are running again after the bad weather of the weekend.
Pag rocks!
Being British we pulled up at the ticket office and started a queue as our Swedish friends pulled in behind us. After hanging around in front of the closed office for half an hour, the blinds opened and 188kn later (£19) we had our ticket to the mainland.
Another ferry pulled in and spilled out so many Slovenian cars, we wondered if they were somehow driving back on the rear of the boat! The school holidays have started in Slovenia! When it was our turn to board a tiny, distant arm was waved in our direction, and on we went. We got out and headed up to the deck, managing a quick walk around the boat, taking in the views of Pag, before we arrived at the mainland. The trip was less than 15 minutes. Disembarking we climbed up to the coast road past another queue of Slovenian cars – it looks like Pag is the place to be.
Jay skill fully manoeuvred Zagan along the coast road for a couple of hours until we reached the campsite. Parking up two pitches down from our Swedish friends (who clearly drive much faster than us so maybe we will need that month and a half to get to Finland), we had time to get the chairs out for a quick relax before the sun set and the rain started. Dinner is on and we’re planning on stopping for a couple of nights so we can explore the area tomorrow.
Amazing views from the windscreen of the islands
Charlie exploring Zagan’s home for the next few nights
Ju x
What pretty places you are exploring! enjoy. We are finally touring a bit too, a tiny tiny bit that is: just 10 days… Into France. And through the snow in the south of Belgium to get there!!! And it’s only two months away from summer!!!! But France is great, no rain so far, some sunshine, baguettes, croissants and nice sightseeing! So I am very, very happy! all the best!
Glad to hear it Chris, enjoy! Jay
Hi Julie & Jason
We are Örjan & Ann from Sweden. We met at the cheese factory on the island Pag some days ago.
Here is some nice places in Sweden and Norway worth visiting on your trip. Maybe they are not at the first places in the travelling guides, but they are what we really like.
Location: Kristinehamn
Name: Picassoskulpturen
Attraction: In our hometown, Kristinehamn, you will find a beautiful archipelago at Swedens biggest lake Vänern. You can drive along a (10km) narrow bay all the way out to a big sculpture designed by Pablo Picasso. Beside the road it is a lot of boats, like a marina. It is also a lot of free parkings there where it is possible to stay over night.
If it is nice weather you can take a boat “Mathilda”, almost frome the spot where the sculpure is situated, out in the archipelago. You will be amazed, the lake is big, like a sea, and the islands are nice to visit for a hike or bath. But bring food, you can’t buy anything there, it is pure nature!
Sometimes in the summer it is also possible to go by a big wooden ship called “Bojorten” from the town out through the narrow bay. To find out when, please contact the tourist information at (www.kristinehamn.se).
If you visit Kristinehamn you must contact us, if we are at home it would be nice to meet again.
Location: Karlskoga
Name: Nobelmuseumet
Attraction: Alfred Nobel is one of Swedens greatest inventors. He is also the author of the Nobel Price The museum of his life is great, worth seeing.
(www.nobelmuseum.se)
Location: Nora
Name: Nora (small city)
Attraction: Just a cosy small city with old wooden houses. The city slopes down to a lake. Down the lake you can find a small cafe in a garden where they serve greate locally produced icecreame.
In the summer it is sometimes possible to travel with steam locomotive from Nora to some other small villages and back again.
(www.nora.se)
Location: Near Ljungsbro
Name: Bergs slussar
Attraction: From the westcoast to the eastcoast of Sweden there is a canal for boats. The eastern part, from lake Vänern to the eastcoast was made by hand a long time ago. It is possible to drive close to that canal in some places and also to stay with a camper. The most spectacular part is “Bergs slussar” where it is a lot of locks like a step for the boats/ships. July an August is the most busy time with a lot of traffic in the channel and the locks.
(www.gotakanal.se)
Location: Falköping
Name: Falbygdens ost/ostbuffet
Attraction: A cheese factory that also have an restaurante where you can buy a cheese buffet as a lunch, ear as much as you want!
(www.falbygdensost.se)
Location: Stenstorp
Name: Gustav Dahlen museet
Attraction: Gustav Dahlen is another of Swedens famous inventors. One of his inventions was the automatic light houses (for sailors).
(www.dalenmuseet.se)
Location: Gränna
Name: Gränna (a small city)
Attraction: Famous for a specific kind of candy (polkagris). You can see the manufacturing of them at several places in the city. Interesting phenomenom.
(www.polkagris.com)
Location: Huskvarna
Name: Husqvarna Fabriksmuseum
Attraction: An museeum with all the products that Husqvarna have produced during 300 years. Stoves, motorcycles, lawn movers etc. We have not visited this by ourselves yet but we will as we have heard that it is great.
(www.husqvarnamuseum.se)
Location: Eksjö
Name: Eksjö gamla trädstad
Attraction: An old part of the city with only wooden houses. One of few in Sweden that have not been caught by fire during the history.
(www.visiteksjo.se)
Location: Leksand, Mora, Orsa
Name: Landscape “Dalarna”
Attraction: The right place to be at “Midsommar” (24 June 2016).
In the morning preparations for the party. In the afternoon you will se strange dancing around specially poles that have been rised during the day. In the evening pickled herring and shots will be consumed all over.
(www.dalarna.se, http://www.leksand.se, http://www.mora.se, http://www.orsa.se, http://www.siljan.se)
Norway
Preikestolen
Amazing natural rock above the fjord. Take a walk for some hours to reach it.
(www.visitnorway.no search for “Preikestolen”)
(www.preikestolen.no)
Hardanger/Hardangervidda
Great road, snow beside the roads in June.
(www.nasjonaleturistveger.no)
Trollstigen, Geiranger
Great road, amazing views.
(www.nasjonaleturistveger.no)
Atlanterhavsvegen
Amazing road on the coast.
(www.nasjonaleturistveger.no)
Röros – Gruvstad
UNESCO marked, old mining city.
(www.visitnorway.no search for “Røros”)
Wow, thanks Orjan! This information is priceless.
We’ll make sure to contact you if our route goes to Kristinehamn, it would be great to meet again in your home town.
Thanks again, Jason