They have been vacationing in the same campsite for half a century.

The Kvarner Island in Lošinj is known as the Vitality Island for its beautiful pine forests, abundant immortelle, lavender and rosemary, numerous bays and clear waters. All this also tempted the couple more than 50 years ago. church from Tržić. After their first visit, they developed a deep attachment to him and remained faithful to him for 52 years.

After retirement, they spend at least three months a year in their trailer at Rapoća Camping Village near Nerezineh. The longest-serving flat-rate members to date experienced a very special surprise these days, when they were visited by representatives of the company Lošinjska plovidba – turizam (Rapoća Camping Village) and the director of the Tourism Association of the town of Mali Lošinj, where they received special recognition, a gift bag and, most importantly, a cake in recognition of their loyalty.

Mr. and Mrs. Kapel (left) have been spending their holidays at Camp Rapoća in Lošinj for 52 years, Mr. and Mrs. Pukl have been spending their holidays at Camp Rapoća in Lošinj for 50 years. Photo: Visit Lošinj

Most of the time on the boat

“We’ve had a few breaks here in the 52 years we’ve been here, but we’re definitely the oldest affordable residents here now,” the 85-year-old said Ivan Kapell And ten years younger Alanka CapelBefore retirement, he worked in the personnel department of a construction company. Ivan, for a friend JohnHe was the mayor of Tržić, otherwise he was the head of the former Tržić company BPT refinery.

“Five of us families with children decided to go to the island of Lošinj with our tents. We were going to Camp Čikat near the town of Mali Lošinj, but our car broke down near Nerezine. The women were waiting on the roadside with the children, but the men found this great campsite by the way, and we still go there today with our families,” Alenka recalls the beginning of their camping.

Of course, when they came to the camp, everything was different than it is now. The journey to the island was already long, and you had to wait up to six hours for the ferry because there was only one and it was not as frequent as it is today. It was a very small camp with a stone well in the middle and a few toilets, and that was it. But other than that, they didn’t even need anything, Alenka said with a smile.

Rapoća is a small campsite on the edge of the town of Nerezine. Photo: Losinja

Over the years, the La Poca camp has become their second home and they never get tired of it. Every year, they look forward to a long summer at sea and always love to come back. “We don’t even think about going anywhere else. Here we are all friends, good company, good people. Quite a few of us come from Tržić and other places. We like to socialize, but most of all we love fishing, it is the greatest pleasure for both of us. Whenever possible, we have a boat and fish. We are on the boat most of the time,” says Alenka, explaining that they catch the most abun in the fall and lamprey in the fall. They haven’t caught toothfish yet, they say they have been waiting too long, but their main catch is a lamprey that was 60 centimeters long and weighed 3 kilograms, caught many years ago near Osor on the other side of the island. When the catch is particularly good, they share it with their friends in the camp.

She waited eleven hours for the ferry

The Kaplova family wasn’t the only one surprised. They were also honored again exist Janez Pukla They have been holidaying in this camp since 1974, that is, 50 years, and they follow them in order of seniority. The first time, they waited in their tent for 11 hours for the ferry, then took the wrong road and came to the wrong village. However, all this did not prevent them from finally settling in La Pocha, they said at the award ceremony, where they were also awarded delicious cakes.

There is a pleasant fishing town nearby. Photo: Tina Horvath

The Puckers also couldn’t get enough of Camp La Pocha. They calculated that they had spent more than 1,500 days there, and when asked how they could go to one place for so long, they said Losinj was just one of many, and it was their favorite. “The sea is so great, our children don’t want to go anywhere else. When we get here, we park the car and then don’t touch it until the end,” they told the gathered company.

At the end of the meeting, the director of the Tourism Association of Mali Losinj Dalibor Cvetkovic Thank the four guests for their loyalty and ask all tourist accommodation providers and tour staff to let them know if they have any particularly loyal guests so that they too can thank them for their presence.