Smooth Roads & Full-Service Campsites

16-18 Jun 2019 (Mlini – outside Dubrovnik)

It would be fair to say that we did not sleep especially well on the 11 hour crossing from Bari… probably because we didn’t pay for a cabin… and the floor was quite hard.  But arriving into Dubrovnik was a bit like arriving in a new world – as the setting is stunning.

Arriving into the ferry port in Dubrovnik

On our way to the camp site - a view along the highway.

It is quite hot in Dalmatia (southern Croatia)… so it was nice to have the sea nearby our campsite in Mlini – just south of Dubrovnik. Beautiful, azure blue, clear, warm, salty waters – where as I might have noted before – even I can float without having to add any additional energy. The only “down side” – was the 174 steps “down” to the beach, and a similar number back up. But this must be good for our health. During out time at Mlini – Karilyn made this journey 6 times, me one less – as I did not go on the reconnaissance mission! But camping in Croatia is quite a difference experience from that in Italy, e.g. the showers are free and modern (and large enough that your clothes don’t get wet), the toilets have toilet seats, and toilet paper… and the handbasins have hand washing liquid and towels!  What a revelation! And English is widely spoken… and understood, and the people friendly.

Mlini in the evening light.

The recital was in a small (ancient) church - that could seat perhaps 16 - 18 in the audience. A very intimate setting.

Monday was a rest day (too)… still struggling a little with sinusitis… but was good to finish off the successor to the book “The 100 year old man who climbed out the window and walked away”… it is almost as good… and the humour (in my opinion) – is somewhat similar to that of “My Grandmother sends her Regards and Apologies”. Fiat got another wash too – including the roof (very dirty!). And we made another excursion to the beach in the evening to “take in the night air”, and attend a classical guitar concert.  I’m not sure it was the performers best night (it was hot and sticky)… but still a memorable evening of classical music (the type that has a melody line, Andrew…!)

Tuesday was our day in Dubrovnik… we decided to arrive by boat – direct from Mlini (after another trip down the steps). We also decided to go “early” – to beat the heat. The boat we travelled in had an interesting history. Originally a high speed deep V hull boat used to smuggle cigarettes from Italy to Croatia (could cross the Adriatic in 2 hours, and apparently the profits were so high that after two trips all costs for the boat were paid off, and all remaining trips were profit, it could outrun any naval / coast guard vessel, but  broke down and was abandoned on one trip, recovered by the police, fixed up, then used in an anti-smuggling role until they got their own high speed boats… after which it was converted into a tourist boat for moving people (like us) around the coast at a sedate 18 km/h (Well I thought that this was interesting!).

Evidence of the 1991-Croatian War of Independence is everywhere, from buildings that lie abandoned... with irregularly shaped holes in them, to new roof tiles on what look like most of the buildings inside the wall… and new stonework on the walls and many buildings.  We did not see it as it was before the war – but I suspect that the restoration work done to date is remarkable.

One of a number of abandoned buildings along the way...

The old town from the highest point on the wall

Orange roof tiles almost everywhere... and just a few with an older colour. Perhaps they ate not all new... but I suspect that many are.

Yet another scenic spot along the wall

We enjoyed the walk around the walls – but it seemed very hot by the time we had finished!  Needless to say, we were willing to support the sellers of cold drinks strategically placed along the walls!  Inside the city…it seemed to us that it is mainly a place of restaurants, up-market stores, sellers of souvenirs, and a chain of shops selling an amazing selection of sweets!

Sweets, any one... 22Kuna / 100 grams (~3.8 Kuna per NZ$)

Then it was only a matter of getting the boat back to Mlini, and the steps again… At that point I suffered a minor (temperature) malfunction when after waiting ¾ of an hour for the boat… upon its arrival – there were enough people for 2 boat loads… and the next boat was another hour away… and it was hot! Fortunately a second boat was brought into action… and we got back at a reasonable time.

We do “fly” the NZ flag when at camp sites (hang it from the washing line etc.). While at Mlini, a young couple came over to talk to us… they said they liked the flag!  They were from Wellington. The husband (an Engineer) had been at a talk I gave at NIWA last year, and they both knew mutual friends at the Arise Church… small world!

19, 20-Jun-2019 (Mlini to Orebic)

Our next planned stop was Orebic – on the Adriatic, across from Korcula (no ferries needed).  The roads were smooth, and wide, and the traffic seemed to obey the road rules… and they also seem to understand what the markings on the road mean… lovely driving. The countryside is quite stunning too.

Descending to Camping Lavender - looking along the Peljesac Peninsula toward Orebic (in the middle distance).  

Fiat has a front row seat for the view...

A time to relax...

The camp site (Camping Lavender) was even better than Mlini.  The shower “block” looked like it had been extracted from an upmarket motel… even had a bath! And the laundry was free to use.  And as you can see – we were “beach side” too. A chance to relax, and restock (via a nearby supermarket) and take time to ride around Orebic on the bikes.

Friday, 21 Jun 2019 (Orebic  to Krka)

We had two options to get to Krka National Park… drive back along the Peljesac Penninsular to Ston, then along the Makarska Coast to Sibenik and onto Krka, or take the ferry from Trpanj to Ploce (50 minutes) saving a few hours of driving etc.  We opted for the latter, and arrived in Trpanj two minutes before the ferry was due to leave. We got on.  It was a bit like “cruising on the Interislander”, but warmer, and the “sounds” were a bit wider!

From the Trpanj - Ploce ferry (looking South-East)

Looking toward the cast near Maksarka

The coast line along this part of the country (Biokova  and the Bracki Kanal) is stunning… but we didn’t quite start out as planned. The GPS had plotted a nice fast route – over an almost deserted Motorway – that would “avoid” the coast.  We asked for, and were given an alternate route to get us back to the coast – which did lead to a quite long detour over local roads (still better than many Italian roads!). While “it” could have chosen a better route – it was interesting – and we got to see a little more of the Croatia that has perhaps been left behind by the advances of the last 30 years (or is yet to catch up).  It does seem to be a very stony (perhaps, “rocky” is better) countryside – so eking a living out of it must be a big challenge.

Enroute to the coast from the Motorway via Kozica and Zagvozd (courtesy of the GPS)

Saturday 22-Jun-2019 (Krka to Crvena Luka)

The reason for travelling away from the coast, and bypassing places such as Split (another largish city) and Trogir (another walled city on an island)… was in part because we feel we have seen enough of those for the moment, and we were looking for something more related to the natural world, and Krka National Park was within reach. The draw card – a kast river and travertine waterfalls. On arriving at our Camp site the previous evening – there was nothing about the countryside that looked at all interesting… rocks, olive trees and flat land.

On driving to the entrance – we passed what looked like a now disused industrial complex of some sort – which must have been important at some time, as it had a number of heavily constructed machine gun “pill boxes” around it. Wonder what it was…

Krka National Park is not cheap!  HRK200 (that is 200 Kuna, or NZD52 per person) entry fee and at the time we entered – there was a sign indicating that there were still 7500 tickets available (and by the time we left that number was down to 5000 left). We boarded a bus to “enter” the park… and within a few moments it seemed like we were in another world.  As we went over the rim of the gorge – a water world lay before us – in strong contrast to the arid land we had been in a few moments earlier (I compare it to the sense of getting off the train in Venice… (the normal world), to then be confronted by an entirely new “water world”.) 

Upon the descent into the water world that is Krka National Park

One of the very many waterfalls... and the site of one of the water driven mills on the river. 

The falls immediately above the "swimming hole"

Translucent water - and fish in every pool.

The "swimming hole"... lies to the left of the line of buoys.

It turns out that the park is a paradise of biodiversity – both flora and fauna.  Travertine “water falls” are particularly interesting in that they are self-constructing barriers to the flow (leading to dams as waterfalls) – arising from deposits of limestone in the water combined with mosses and algae. The area is also interesting becanse it was one of the first sites in the world to generate hydro power – and transmit it as AC (polyphase) to Sibenik. The claim is that they were beaten to “first” by the power scheme at Niagara by 2 days – as they lit the lights of Sibenek on 28^th August 1985 (the generators and transmission system was supplied by that Hungarian company, Ganz – well known to Wellingtonians (perhaps a strong assumption?).

Listening to the accents of people around us… we detected what seemed like NZ English… we asked… and where should they be from but, Westport and Charleston.  But we could not discover a common connection in the 10 minutes or so that we talked to Toby and Sam.

Next on our plan – was to find a campsite close to a Hotel where we could celebrate our 40^th Anniversary, or better still, a hotel (at least 4 star) that had a parking lot that could accommodate a 7.6 x 2.5 x 3.5m Motorhome.  We thought Zadar would provide this opportunity – as it had one hotel of the required “quality” – the “Crevena Luka Resort” – but we were unclear about the parking options. So our plan was to leave Fiat at a nearby camp site- and bike to the hotel.  We didn’t follow that plan… as while we were driving to Zadar, we came upon a sign for said hotel – so decided to go and see what we could see.  It turned out that it had a very large car park that could easily accommodate Fiat – though the man on the security gate did inform us that this was note a “site for camping”… we responded that this was how we were getting to the hotel!

So we did a cold-call on reception… sorry the hotel is fully booked.  But after some discsussion – a room was found “Superior, Sea view” for one night, and “Superior, no sea view” for the second night”.  Breakfast included … at a rack rate of “only” €260 per night (for the sea view room).  It turns out that the trees must have grown a bit in the last 30 years since this side of the hotel had a sea view!  But it is “cool” (too cool actually!), and the water is very near by – and its our anniversary so what does it matter that we have a lovely view of some trees!  We are happy.

We celebrated our 40th Anniversary with a dinner at Il Morro - only the second night after opening.  A beautiful evening, and a beautiful location... and the meal was really nice too.

Celebrating our 40th Wedding Anniversary.

Only thing missing, Lydia, family and friends... next year perhaps?