Our Big Adventure

CROATIA

DUBROVNIK

Our next stop Dubrovnik on the Adriatic Coast of Croatia is only a couple of hours drive from Mostar. The topography is incredibly diverse, plains and high mountain ranges, give way to the rugged Adriatic Coast.

We had met a nice young couple from Belgium, Aline and Jan camping at Blagaj. Both Archaeological students they have been back packing through Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina during their holidays. We find out that they are heading to Dubrovnik and offer to give them a ride with us, they accept and we drop them at the same campground in Dubrovnik as we are staying

The drive south along the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia is beautiful, the road follows the line of the coast, past many small un-spoilt fishing villages with scenic coves. There are over 1100 islands many un-inhabited, off this coast, some accessible by a land bridge, but most by vehicle and regular ferries.

This area also suffered damage during the war, although not a significant as their Bosnian neighbours.

DUBROVNIK, called ‘the pearl of the Adriatic’ by Lord Byron is not an overstatement. A magnificent two-kilometre curtain of stonewalls surround marble streets and buildings unchanged for centuries. In the evening, the luminosity from the moon and the old street lamps off the marble cobbles give the area a ‘pearly glow’. The Placa, the main pedestrian through-fare is lined with a melange of shops and restaurants, and leads to the harbour where many of the water taxis and island cruises leave from. We find a lovely café-bar, have a glass of surprisingly good Croatian red wine, enjoying the ambiance, and watch the people passing by

There is also a large port here, and during our stay here cruise ships seemed to come and go daily. The most extraordinary was one large cruise ship that passed between the town walls and the small island right opposite the city. It must have only been meters away from both, and we don’t envy the job of that captain.

We see Aline and Jan a couple of times during our stay at Solitude Camping in Dudrovnik, and the night before we are leaving, they drop to wish us well on our journey, and to give us a nice bottle of Croatian wine.

SPLIT-TROJIR

From busy Dubrovnik we travel a few hours north to stay on the beautiful Dalmatian Coast at Trogir, a medieval town surrounded by water with only a small pedestrian bridge to reach it.

We have the most spectacular terraced campsite overlooking the Adriatic Sea and it’s many islands, and the weather is just perfect. Warm sunny days and with nights that cool just enough for a great nights sleep.

We learn about a water taxi that runs every hour into the medieval town of Trogir, and plan our evening to start with a sunset cruise, then nice glass of wine overlooking the harbour and later to cruise back for a late supper, day’s don’t get much better than this.

Once in town we hear music playing and to our delight see folk dancers filling the square. The men and women dance in traditional costume, doing intricate moves winding around and under arms, and the crowd applauds in appreciation. This evenings presentation has to do with the grape harvest, and the local vineyards have free tastings of their wines, it just keeps getting better.

It is such a lovely spot we stay an extra couple of days and enjoy the great weather and scenery. Our friendly neighbours have told us about two National Parks with waterfalls and lakes that are worth seeing. Although it takes us away from the picturesque Croatian coast, we decide to head east and to KRKA and PLITVICE LAKES National Parks.

PLITVICE LAKES NATIONAL PARK

This is Croatia’s largest National Park, just under 300 sq km. It was made a UNESCO World heritage Site due to the calcium carbonate in the water forming barriers and sills that make the many waterfalls. There is also a dense beech-fir forest with lovely wild flowers, butterflies and orchids throughout. Brown bears have also been spotted here, but luckily none by us today.

We leave lovely Croatia and turn towards Hungary, spending a couple of days this time at a lake, the largest in Hungary, Lake Balaton before we reach Budapest.

posted by Brian and Julie @ 5:29:00 AM