On to Hungary for our last 11 days in Europe (for this trip)

17 September, 2015

We checked out of the Sheraton, Zagreb, loaded the car and consulted the Garmin for the road options to Harkany in Hungary. The plan is to avoid the freeway and travel on the Croatian side of the border until we get to the border crossing just below Pecs. Harkany is only 7 km inside the Hungarian border. We kept a few Kuna in change just in case we had to take a freeway but it was unnecessary as the road had been reasonably good despite not being a major highway. We managed to find the only petrol station in the Croatian border town of Donji Miholjac. We used our remaining Kuna and our credit card to buy fuel before we crossed the border to Hungary.

The border crossing was straight forward although for the first time in Europe we were asked to remove our sunglasses for identification by the Hungarian border guard and to open the car boot – searching for hidden refugees? There were no traffic jams… can you believe it?

On to our hotel in Harkany. We are staying at a 4 star “Wellness” hotel which seem to be very popular in this part of Europe. Harkany is a Spa town and we soon find out that there is little else in this tiny town. Not to worry, the hotel is very nice, very modern and amazingly a non-smoking hotel (if only the other guests on our floor would comply with the signs). We unpack and head downstairs to check out the facilities. We take a steam bath, sauna, jacuzzi, tropical shower and a swim in the small, indoor pool.

The piped music in the hotel for the first two days is a constantly repeating Michael Buble CD. It also includes a couple of his Christmas hits. At first we thought the Christmas songs were just part of his “Best of Michael Buble” CD but once they changed CDs we managed to get continuous Christmas songs from various artists…. and there are the odd Christmas decoration in the hotel…. All this and it is only September!

After we were all relaxed we decide to take a walk down the main street to check out restaurants and withdraw some HUFs from the ATM and get a few essentials from the supermarket. There are nearly 200 HUFs to the AUD so it takes a bit of getting used to when you see the prices. I bought a six pack of beer (6x 0.5 litres) for HUF 1,400 which is a bargain at A$7 for the six pack.

We had a reasonable dinner at Robinson Restaurant and then dropped in for ice cream at a very nice ice cream palour.

A little Banana Split for me.

18 September, 2015

Lynn’s cold is not getting much better so we head off to the Chemist for some cold tablets after breakfast. She is not up for a busy day so we take a small drive around the town and the adjoining town of Siklos in about half an hour. Not much to see here and Lynn just wants to rest up so we head back and spend some time in the Spa having a sauna etc. Lynn is happy to just enjoy the Wellness Centre and read her book. This gives me time to do the blog and check out cars to buy for when we return to Oz and hire cars until we buy the car. I hope she is feeling better tomorrow as we plan to head out to see the larger town of Pecs in the morning.

Storks will nest anywhere high.

There seems to be a lot of storks nests around the area. This one is on one of the typical church steeples in Harkany near our Wellness Hotel.

19 September, 2015

Today we take a short 25 km drive north of Harkany to the larger town of Pecs. It is a warm 34 deg C today so we will just stroll around the partially-walled old town. En route we see a sign that informs us that we have returned to a ‘civilised’ Europe – TESCO’S!

Pecs City Hall.

The main square is called Szechenyi Ter. It is Saturday and the square is buzzing with lots of shoppers and the loud music of a radio station set up in the square doing an outdoor broadcast.

Pecs County Hall.

There are some well-preserved buildings in the square and this town seems to have its share of churches, mosques, synagogues and official buildings.

The Mosque and statue of Janos Hunyadi on horseback in the central square.

After strolling up the centre of the town, we headed to the NW corner to the Dom Ter where the Cathedral is located and the city wall promenades.

Pecs is a town of many spires.

The walk on what is left of the town defense walls.

The impressive St. Peter and St. Paul Basilica.

There was a festival on in the town – lots of marquees set up in the various squares. This group below passed by and headed to the central square where a stage/radio station was set up.

Pecs is a University town so a group of weirdly dressed and chanting people in the street went unnoticed by the local townsfolk.

Kiraly Street is the main cafe and restaurant pedestrian mall in Pecs with some lovely preserved buildings, including the National Theatre.

Kiraly Street in Pecs.

After we walked the streets of the old town we drove up to the hills above the main town. Up here we stopped at the Tettye Ruins which were originally the summer palace of Bishop George Szathmary during the 16th Century. It has a commanding view of the city below and stands over an underground cave network that has been inhabited since the Stone Age.

16th century palace ruins in Tettye, above Pecs.

While reading the notice board about the ruins we were amused by a phrase in the description about the ruins being an ideal place to come for ‘jollities and summerings’ – something lost, or gained, in translation??

20 September, 2015

We woke to heavy rain this morning. Not sure that we would be surprised as this is exactly what was predicted by the weather forecasts this past week. By mid-morning it had stopped raining but it was going to be a dull day and a maximum of 20 deg C so we decided to take a drive in rural Hungary: to Villany, Mohacs, Dunaszekcso and Bataszek, across to Baja over the Duna River then back down the other side on top of the levee bank to the ferry at Mohacs, then return.

As we drove through Villany we noticed a number of wineries and wine shops that served food and various wines for tasting. The plan is to stop in for some tasting on our way back this afternoon.

Just before we arrived at Baja we drove through the National Park and saw lots of large eagles, some herons and a few deer. Our conclusion from driving through rural Hungary was:  no one should go hungry in Hungary.

The Duna River at Mohacs.

The river levee with a narrow road on top south of Baja.

Waiting for the car ferry across the river from Mohacs.

Back in Villany we stop at one of the numerous quaint wine shops in the main street, as planned, and together with a ‘cheese plate’ (cheese cubes and a toothpick, anyone?), enjoy 6 glasses of local wine (yes, that’s glasses and not tasting-sized ones, either): Reisling, Rose, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Capitalis, and Falka – a curious and complex combo of the previous 3 reds. All bar the Rose were very drinkable and we leave with a bottle of the Pinot Noir for later consumption.

Just a few reds and some cheese at Agancsos Pinceszet, Villany.

21 September, 2015

After all the hot weather lately we are glad of a cool, clear morning with an expected maximum of 20 deg C. We checked out of Xavin Wellness Hotel and head for another Wellness Hotel just SW of the Balaton Lakes not far from the Croatian, Slovenian and Austrian borders. After all these “Wellness Hotels” we should be pretty well by the time we fly out to Singapore in a week’s time.

There is no main road linking the two stops so today will be a cross country zig zag on the back roads of Hungary’s agricultural belt.

Back Roads Hungary.

We drove “cross country” on the back roads of Hungary and the area reminded me of country Victoria only with better roads.

Flat and boring farmlands around Kadarkut in Southern Hungary.

We arrived at Zalakomar and our hotel at about 12:30 and managed to check in without too much drama even though nobody seems to speak much English here.

Mandatory photo from the front window of our hotel room.

And our back window overlooks the lake in the back yard.

We are about 5 km from any serious town with restaurants so it’s lucky that we have a half-board package here. Or are we…? The hotel specialises in serving traditional Hungarian food. Lucky that we are only here for 3 days just in case the food is ordinary. (Originally we were booked for 4 days but last week we changed our plans so that we are now overnighting near Vienna airport, given the volume of refugees passing from Hungary to Austria). The hotel has a lovely lake right behind the hotel and we have a two-bedroom apartment on the top floor with a view of the lake on one side and across corn fields on the other.

Lynn wouldn’t take me for a row around the lake…

As soon as we unpack we head to the lakeside bar for a cool one and start planning the next three days of exploring the area.

Afternoon drinks at the hotel while planning excursions for the next 3 days.

Since it is only about half an hour drive to the main Balaton lake we decided to do a quick reccie to check out “little” Kis-Balaton lake and to see if there is a boat trip on the main lake.

We noticed on our map that there seems to be a ferry service on the full length of the lake (78km long) which looked like it started from Keszthely which is at our end (southern) of Balaton Lake. We found a sales desk for lake tours but they only did one or two hour tours this time of year and there was a wedding on the boat tomorrow so if we wanted to go the boat was leaving in 10 minutes. We grabbed our gear and handed over 3,200 HUF (about A$15) and jumped on board. The boat was a replica of the 1867-built  ‘Hableany’ (Mermaid) – a side-wheeler paddle steamer (now with a diesel engine) but it was a nice day for a doddle around the southern part of the lake. After all, there was a free cappuccino thrown in. Who could resist?

The original vessel had an interesting history, being the first vessel to travel by river from Budapest to Paris in 1867.

Like paddle steaming on the Murray only the width of the water is different.

The lake is a fresh water “puddle” with an average depth of only 3 meters but it is 78km long and an average of 4km wide. The lake is 28 deg C in summer and freezes over in winter. The summer season is drawing to a close so we enjoy a quiet trip with only about 10 people on board. The tourists have mostly headed home and just a few of us slow tourists left to enjoy the free space.

On the fresh water lake of Balaton.

Nice place for a coffee and a cruise.

Interesting little interlude to fill in the afternoon.

Tomorrow we plan to circumnavigate the entire lake by car in a clockwise direction.

22 September, 2015

Back to Keszthely to start our tour of the northern shore of the lake. First stop, Szigliget as the map indicates it has a ruin.  Sure enough, a fortress on top of the hill, but we are drawn to the lake and the Yacht Club and another ruin, of a 13th century church, with an unusual tower.

At the Szigliget Yacht Club on Lake Balaton.

Enjoying a coffee in the autumn sun at the Yacht Club.

The church of Avasi-Rehely ruins at Szigliget with its pyramidal tower.

Archaeological documents state that the church was partially built from the walls of an earlier Roman-age building. It was mentioned in a Papal register dated 1333 and it was destroyed by the Turks during 1544-1550.

Next stop, we divert off Route 71 to check out the town of Tihany on a headland that juts into the lake. The town itself features a number of ‘toot’ (tourist) shops, restaurants, bars and hotels.  A number of buildings feature thatched roofs which is the first we have seen, probably since Ireland. Heading down the road towards the lake we come to the place where the car ferry departs for Szantod on the opposite (southern) side of the lake as it is such a short distance between the two. Driving back to rejoin Route 71 we have lovely views towards the top half of the lake while driving along a shade-dappled road noticing that some autumnal colour is starting to appear in the foliage.

Nice view of the lake from up there.

Nice drive around the Tihany Headland.

Balatonfured is the next town along. The centre of town features quite splendid, multi-storied, 19th century buildings – both civic and domestic – reminiscent of a time when tourism was made possible with the advent of steam trains and boats.

As we continue right around the lake we conclude that the northern shore is the most picturesque. Except for a short stretch of exclusive lake shore just after Balatonvilagos, featuring luxury houses each with a mooring, the southern shore of the lake had the usual outdated high-rise hotels, most of which were closed or derelict; camping sites with exclusive access to the lake; most restaurants and bars closed for the winter; derelict holiday cottages interspersed with the occasional stunning home – of traditional or ultra modern design. Like Italy, the railway takes up prime space along the shore with towns bisected by it, the main road, Route 7, and bordered by the M7 motorway.

Houses in most of the villages in this part of Hungary either face the road, or are end-on to the road with the front door to the side with an alcove, sometimes with columns.  The ‘end-on’ houses take up half the block of land with the other half a drive way to a small holding making up the rest of the block with some crops or vegetables or orchards.  The main house is next to the road, with other buildings added on to its far end, such as other cottages, a barn, other out buildings.  Below is a sophisticated example of an’ end-on’ house in the nearby village.

A house in Zalakaros near our hotel.

23 September, 2015.

Our last day here, so we decide to drive through the countryside along the border with Croatia, Slovenia and Austria to the Orsegi Nemzeti Park, then circle back through Zalaegerszeg. We notice there is a schloss/manor house at Szecsisziget so that’s our first stop. When we arrive we find a substantial church, given the small number of dwellings in the village, and nearby a manor house which is now the office of the Nature Park. Over the road from the church is an old mill with not one, but three, water wheels.

A very sophisticated 3 wheel mill in the village of Szecsisziget.

Yesterday we saw lots of houses with thatched roofs, but only this one today, an historical example of a farm house.

A farmhouse museum in Csesztreg.

Detail of the thatched roof along the underside of the ‘verandah’.

The Park was quite disappointing dominated by farming land on either side of the road, interspersed with some small farming villages with any forests being far from the road. The rest of the drive was unremarkable and ‘samey’ as Jenny would say, with the afternoon becoming overcast. Time for a sauna back at the hotel before dinner.

We are off to Budapest in the morning for 3 nights. We have already booked the Big Bus tour, a walking tour, a river cruise and a Segway tour of Buda and Pest areas.

5 days in Zagreb, the Croatian capital

12 September, 2015

We checked out of the hotel at Bihac and as we were packing the car I noticed that the car had a new scratch on the front bumper. The local Bosnian drivers have little respect for cars and will have no second thoughts about backing up until they feel the bump of their neighbour’s car. Unfortunately Bosnia has not shaken off their Socialist history and attitudes towards work and other people’s property.

We cross the border back in to Croatia and head for Zagreb. We join the tollway and sit on the usual 130 kph speed limit until we are about 2 km from the toll gates. Yes, you guessed it…. we sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic just to pay the toll. Since we had the time to sit and contemplate life, I calculated that if they had just left a normal toll-free highway in place it would have been quicker to drive at 80kph on the old road and not queue for a toll than take the tollway. Guys, ever heard of e-pass? Or better still do like the Swiss and just tax each car a nominal fee (Eu20 pa.) for freeway building and maintenance irrespective of their country of origin. How hard can it be?

Yet another traffic jam in Croatia.

We are staying at the Sheraton Hotel in Zagreb by using the last of my SPG points that I collected during my 7 months’ living in the Four Points Sheraton in Sydney on the CBA project. Zagreb is a fairly large city but the drive in to town was easy and access to the Sheraton was simple. We unloaded (well a Sheraton staff member unloaded us) and the valet parking attendant took our car away for our five days in the hotel.

After we did the usual unpack, gathered information from the Concierge and asked where to find a laundromat, we took a walk to the town centre a couple of hundred meters away.

The very efficient trams in Zagreb.

Zagreb city centre has two distinct sections. The Upper Town which has two hills that made up the old town and the original two villages during medieval times and the Lower Town which was established in the 19th century. Most of the Upper Town is the typical tourist area of narrow, cobbled streets with restaurants, cafes, shops, historic sites and piazzas with churches and Government buildings. The Lower Town has wide boulevards, larger commercial buildings, large hotels, banks and shopping malls. The Lower Town has some very nice parks and is serviced by an extensive tram network.

Walking the Upper Town restaurant area of Zagreb.

St. George – the guy who made dragons extinct.

A walk in the Lower Town at the Croatian Academy of Sciences & Arts.

Under the Ban Josip Jelacic statue in the main square.

The King Tomislav Square.

King Tomislav Square.

Looking down the King Tomislav Square to his statue & the Main Railway Station.

13 September, 2015

Since it is Sunday today we plan to do parts of the Lower Town and finish off with a detailed tour of the Upper Town while the crowds are thin.

Marulic Square in the Lower Town in front of the State  Archives building.

At the State Archives building.

On Sundays there is a bric-a-brac market at the start of the Upper Town in the British Square. The usual second hand “junk” but I was surprised at the number of Nazi and Communist medals and war decorations available.

The Sunday markets in the British Square.

No kangaroos in Austria but here is one in Croatia.

The tramway on Jurlsiceva Street.

The short Funicular to the Lotrscak Tower in the Upper Town.

The Funicular is free if you present a tram ticket but it is not far up the hill so we decided to do some exercise and walk up. The Funicular was opened in 1890, when it was powered by steam, and it was the first-ever means of public transport to be used in Zagreb, pre-dating horse-drawn trams by a whole year.

Part of the Strossmayer Promenade to the Lotrscak Tower.

A surprise entrance by  the cavalry.

The noon-day cannon blast from the Tower.

We had a coffee and sat in the cafe at the base of the 13th Century Lotrscak Tower waiting to take a photo of the noon-day cannon blast. It was so loud that even though we were expecting it we both jumped about 6 feet. Hence the photo was about 1 second after the blast when we returned to earth.

The gardens behind the Tower.

Walking up Cirilometodska, flanked on either side by baroque palaces, the Old City Hall and the Croatian Museum of Naive Art, we arrive at St Mark’s Square.  Besides the church in the middle, the Square is bordered to the right by the Sabor (Parliament) where members voted in 1918 to sever ties with the Austro-Hungarian Empire and from Yugoslavia in 1991 and, to the left, Banksi Dvori (Governor’s Palace), the Prime Minister’s office.

The 13th Century Church of St. Mark with highly glazed tiles.

The roof tiles of St Mark’s are decorated with the coats of arms of the Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia and the city of Zagreb dating back to the 19th Century.

Guarding the church from the tourists?

Two of the four guys we saw ride by on horses on the Strossmayer Promenade for some unknown reason now appear standing outside the side door of St Mark’s Church.  Must be baking in those thick, woollen uniforms in 25 deg. C heat.

Now this is a Police car. Nice company car if you can get one.

Time for some culture, so we call into the Mestrovic Atelier behind St Mark’s Square, an art gallery with a difference – a small collection of the famous Croatian sculptor’s works, models and sketches displayed in the house he and his family lived in during 1922 to 1942.

The courtyard of Ivan Mestrovic’s house where some of his works are  displayed.

Inside we come across a small model of ‘Gregory of Ninn’, of which the final sculpture we saw in all its magnificence in Split.

Can I give you a hand? A model for the right hand of  ‘Gregory of Ninn’.

Below is the view from the hill of ‘Gradec’ to the opposite hill of ‘Kaptol’.

The twin towers of the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary undergoing restoration behind the green and gold  tower of St. Mary’s Church.

We cross the top of Opatovina via the Duha steps and walk down Kaptol to the Cathedral.

In front of the Cathedral with a tower from its defensive walls built during 1512-21 to the left.

And down Bakac to the Square.

Back down to Ban Jelacic Square with the sunken Mandusevac Fountain in the foreground.

You can even get a Big Mac here in Zagreb.

But Lynn preferred the local fare (Plum Dumplings) at the Food & Film Festival in Zrinjevac Park.

In the evening we walked back to the Upper Town for a light dinner at the famous “Rocket Burger” eatery in Tkalciceva Street. Everything is made in-house including the ketchup, pickles and burger buns. Very tasty.

14 September, 2015

It is supposed to be 29 deg C today and some clouds but it seems to be quite overcast. We will finish off exploring the Lower Town today and Lynn plans to make an appointment for a hair cut as she is getting a tad “woolly”.

The Croatian National Theatre with Ivan Mestrovic’s sculpture of The Well of Life in front.

St. George sending dragons to extinction near the Museum of Arts and Crafts.

A quick pit stop for a coffee and waffle… yummy!

We dropped in to a Canon dealership as my standard lens is having intermittent problems with the auto focus. No joy so I will have to tolerate it for another few weeks until we get home and I find a replacement.

Back to the Sheraton and Lynn goes for a gym session and we relax in the pool and sauna.

15 September, 2015

29 deg. C forecast for today so while Lynn gets her hair cut I sort out the washing at the local laundromat a couple of blocks from the Sheraton.  We meet up outside the beautiful Art Pavilion where we visit the Rodin Exhibition – pieces on loan from the Musee Rodin in Paris.

 

 

After a coffee outside the Hotel Esplanade, where Orient Express passengers used to stop between Paris and Istanbul, we return to the Sheraton so that Lynn can do the ironing while I sit and watch.

We were so enamoured by the “Rocket Burgers” we return to Tkalciceva Street to sample some more of their excellent fare.

A couple of hours later, at 20:41 (or 18:41:37.7 UTC to be precise) while sitting on the bed channel surfing we hear a rumble, an explosion and felt the bed buck for 2 seconds.  EARTHQUAKE! The epicentre was 3 km east of Zagreb at a depth of 2 km but only a magnitude of 2.3. Hate to experience anything higher! But the truly amazing thing, when we checked the Earthquake website, was just how many earthquakes are recorded each day around the world.

http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=459435

16 September, 2015

All the news on TV is about the refugees trying to cross in to Austria from Hungary and Serbia. Many of the borders are now closed and large fences have been erected. We are now starting to be concerned about our ability to complete the drive from Budapest to Vienna in time to get the hire car back by 11:30am on the 28th September. No issue about the flight as it doesn’t depart until 10:40 pm but it normally takes about 2.5 hours to drive to Vienna airport from Budapest without any possible border delays. Our current thinking is that we will do a test drive on the second day in Budapest and if it looks like we will experience extended delays then we may depart a day earlier and head back to Felix and Ingrid’s for one night (and great food).

Enough of the doom and gloom…. We survived Morocco, Egypt, Scotland summer, Italian drivers and Greece politics so crossing a border should be easy… Time for dinner so since this is our last night in Zagreb, and indeed, Croatia we plan to go to Zagreb’s highest Trip Advisor rated restaurant.

Dinner on our last night in Zagreb.

Capuciner restaurant has two parts. The street part is a Pizza and Pasta restaurant and out back is a steak and grill restaurant. We headed out back and instead of a specialty steak I had Mexican. It really was good food and at a reasonable price. We would probably have returned to eat here again if this were not our last dinner in Zagreb.

Visiting the Croatian Plitvicka Lakes and National Park

7 September, 2015

A very nice leisurely breakfast, pack the car and on the road again. This time we have a longer stay of 5 days in Bihac in Bosnia. The plan is to visit the Plitvicka Lakes which are actually in Croatia but close to the border. We had trouble finding reasonable accommodation near the lakes on the Croatian side so Bihac will have to do. Just as we pass the turnoff to the Lakes we hit road works on the road between Bihac and the Lakes. The poor Astra (and all of the other non-4WD cars) struggled with the 5 km of deep ruts. We will be looking for an alternative to this road for our day trip to the Lakes.

The border crossing is quick and easy. As we cross into Bosnia it feels like we have entered into an old Soviet state…. Oh, that’s right… we have – and definitely back in time.

Bihac is no better but out hotel is very nice, despite a neighbouring apartment block looking a little bullet ridden. Actually a number of buildings in the town still have some shrapnel and bullet holes.

The mandatory view from our hotel room – the Una River.

A walk through the small town park – fast flowing and clear waters of the Una River.

Little cascades all along the river through town.

Beer o’clock at our hotel restaurant terrace.

8 September, 2015

Today we are driving back over the border to Croatia to visit the Plitvicka National Park to trek the Plitvicka Lakes and waterfalls (16 lakes connected by 92 waterfalls). It’s about a 50 minute drive to the park and the border crossing is traffic free – although we had to stop 3 times in quick succession – 1 to leave Bosnia, 1 to enter Croatia and 1 for cigarettes and alcohol.

The Plitvicka Lakes National Park, Croatia.

Step out of the car in the car park and we really notice that autumn seems to have arrived almost overnight. 10 deg. C on the drive here and only 12 deg. now.

Plitvicka Lakes from Park Entrance 1.

The lakes are very pretty and the water is crystal clear with that blue-green colour of lake water in a limestone area.

The upper lakes at Plitvicka National Park.

The area is a series of lakes that feed into each other through a number of small waterfalls and cascades. The lake system falls over 100 meters from the upper lakes to the lower lakes.

Lakes full of trout but no fishing allowed!

Everywhere you walk there are vast quantities of trout just hanging around for the odd fly to land in the water. If the Scots ever see this they will give up fly fishing forever.

So close you could tickle them (also not allowed…).

Water flows everywhere.

Most of the cascades and lakes have a boardwalk installed so you can get up close and personal with the water. Unfortunately there are way too many tourists for the size of the infrastructure so we often found ourselves in single files of crowds shuffling along the walk ways. There were no laybys to pass the slowest of walkers or those stopping to take photos. I made the comment that these people would either drive a campervan, caravan or a Ford as they have no concept of standing aside to let others pass.

Upper cascades.

Waterfalls all along the canyon.

Going for a swim?

Midday and the temperature is more like 25 deg. C.

Dry season in Autumn but still plenty of water.

More cascades….

One of the options is to take a boat ride on the largest of the lakes. The boat ride is included in the admission price to the park. Our plan was to walk the 3 km to the boat then take the boat to the end and walk another 3 km to the free road train that brings you back to the entrance. However, once we arrived at the boat the queue was about an hour’s wait due to the crowds so we decided to do the hike around the large lake instead.

A long walk around the largest lake – and here comes the boat in the distance.

The boat that we could have taken.

We were told that it would take about 1.5 hours to walk the large lake but we managed it in an hour thanks to the crowds taking the boat and leaving the trails free. It was a lovely walk through sun-dappled deciduous forests and generally flat along the bank of the lake. Only once did we need to ‘walk the log’ through a boggy patch on the path. Our total walk for the day was just over 12 km which was generally enjoyable except for the parts near the boat that were very slow due to the “caravan” idlers.

The road train back to the park entrance however was very welcomed. Lucky Lynn is booked in for a massage tomorrow.

12 km later back at Entrance 1.

We were down there this morning.

The lake canyon.

We started out on trail “C” (4-6 hours) but ended up walking trail “K” in 3 hours…. not the 6-8 hours that they recommend.

There’s a bear in there…

We decided to eat in at the hotel tonight as we were in no mood for even a short walk to a restaurant. Our waiter this evening spoke very little English and when I received my order for some white wine (I was having trout based on the number of trout I’d seen today) it looked very suspiciously like red wine. Not sure that it tasted like any type of wine, really.

Bosnian white wine….

9 September, 2015

After our monumental effort yesterday we plan to have a quiet day to catch up on a few chores and clean up some photos. It is a very cool 12 deg. C by the time we finished breakfast so we take a short walk in to the village for a coffee basking in the sun by the river and pick up a few essentials at the supermarket. An apartment building just around the corner from the hotel still has a number of bullet holes from the Serb “ethnic cleansing” attempts.

Still evidence of bullet holes in the buildings.

Winter is coming but warm enough for a morning coffee outdoors.

After coffee we dropped into the Una National Park Information Centre to pick up some ideas for a trip tomorrow. Lynn is off to her massage at the small Wellness Centre at the hotel this afternoon.

We liked our coffee in the restaurant in the park so we returned for dinner. It was a bit like pub food but very reasonably priced. There were however, a few surprises. Lynn liked the idea of having Crepes with Spinach and Cheese but was a little surprised when they came out crumbed and deep fried. I had a good laugh as mine was a local Bosnian recipe of lamb stuffed with cheese and turkey ham which was very tasty.

Crepes, Jim, but not as we know it.

And we finally found some peanut butter in the supermarket. Lynn was amused by the local name for it.

Kikiriki Krem AKA Peanut Butter!

10 September, 2015

Today we plan to check out the Una National Park to the SE of Bihac. We were advised that the roads into the Park are mostly unpaved. The road to within about 5 km of Martin Brod is pretty good but the last 5 km is all dust and gravel. This is the furthest entrance (No. 5) and is unmanned so we get in for free.

The Ostrovica Fortress ruins above Kulen-Vakuf en route to Martin Brod.

The cascades at Martin Brod at the top end of the Una National Park.

After mid 30 deg C days it is now 10 deg and very chilly.

Overlooking the falls at Martin Brod.

On the outskirts of Martin Brod – no need to repair the bridge after the war of 1992, just put up a temporary repair permanently.

As we drive back through Martin Brod village we pass the Rmanj Monastery on our way back to Orasac to look for the No. 3 park entrance to Strbacki Buk. This gravel road makes the last one seem like a major highway. Apparently this is the “good” road and we will have to exit the same way unless we want to take the 15 km “bad” gravel road out to entrance No. 1.

We first saw these haystacks being formed in Austria and 2 months later we see a complete stack en route to Strbacki Buk.

This time the entrance gate to Strbacki Buk is manned but it only cost us 12 Km (Marka) and it is well worth both the effort and the cost.

The falls at Strbacki Buk in the Una National Park further down stream.

An overflow channel makes for lots of smaller waterfalls.

An old flour mill next to the river.

On the walk down below the falls.

No other tourists around to get in the way.

Looking further down the valley below the falls.

The clouds are starting to disburse so the light is improving and it is getting warmer.

Just down from this part of the river there is a white water rafting shop. I rather like the look of it but Lynn will not even consider the idea. It is a little cool but the rapids around here are a little more extreme than our last location in Slovenia.

White water rafting on the Una River? A definite ‘NO!” from Lynn – with the suspiciously muscular arms.

Just for fun we did the next best thing…. faked it, Jib Jab style….

The park “dunny” is very basic but has a great view down the valley.

Not a great coffee but certainly a great place to have one.

We arrived back at our hotel late afternoon and we were feeling a tad peckish. Since there is a bakery just around the corner from the hotel we decide to try their wares. We were amazed to find, what looked like, an Australian Lamington. The shopkeeper spoke no English so we took a punt and were very surprised to find out that they very much resembled the Ozzie fare.

Afternoon tea of local Lamingtons and the plum/pear liqueur we acquired in Zadar.

11 September, 2015

Lynn so enjoyed her massage the other day she has booked herself in for another this evening. This morning we plan to drive down to Bjelaj to look for the medieval ruins of the 15th century Great Fort. From there we also plan to go to Lohovo on the Croatian border to check out the Eco Village which is part of the Opal Group, which also owns our hotel.

We finally found Bjelaj village and saw the ruin in the distance. However access to the ruins was via a rough, dirt road so we decided to abandon this part of today’s quest. The last thing we need is a flat tire when we don’t have a spare!

Access to Lohovo is a lot easier but first we drove past to see if the border to Croatia on this back road is closed. The border turned out to be open and manned. Conspicuously, the area near the border is littered with abandoned mid-1990s cars. Perhaps these cars were left by their owners as they hotfooted it around the border as they fled from Bosnia to Croatia ahead of the Serbs in the 90s war?

The very still lake of Lohovo.

The director recommending a photo shoot….

…and the photo shoot, complete with water wheel.

Despite the cloudy weather these past few days we have had no rain. After driving the dusty, unpaved roads the poor Astra is filthy and I can no longer see out of the back window. On our way back to the hotel we drop in for a quick car wash. A$2 (equivalent) and the dust is removed.

3 days behind the walls of Zadar old town

4 September, 2015

We are again awoken at 5:30am by those bloody bells! Thank heavens we are moving on to Zadar today. Funny, I never thought that I would say that about moving to Zadar….

The Pillar of Shame which is located next door to our apartment in Zadar.

We are again staying inside an old walled town. The drive in was relatively easy and we find the apartment right alongside the old Roman Forum in Zadar. We have a view of the sea as well. It is hot this morning but we had some welcome showers on the drive here and it is starting to cloud over. We unpack and head downstairs for a coffee and a quick walk around the town. It seems like three days here will be too much to see this tiny old town. We decide to take a boat cruise around the nearby islands but it seems that there are storms and heavy rain forecast for tomorrow and possible storms on Sunday. We take a punt on the Sunday weather and book an all-day tour just as it starts to storm. We head back to the apartment to catch up on the blog and watch the thunder and lightning storm from our window overlooking the Forum.

St Elias’s bell tower, St Anastasia’s Cathedral bell tower and the Pillar of Shame bordering the old Roman Forum.

After we booked the boat tour we checked out a local restaurant (a konoba, a Croatian trattoria) which is only about 30 metres from our front door. The courtyard looks like it should be excavated for Roman ruins but the menu looks good and we are offered their homemade, deliciously smooth aperitif while we peruse the menu. It’s a combination of slivovitz (plum brandy) and a pear liqueur. How could we refuse to come here for dinner?

Our parking spot in Zadar – parking on Roman ruins! Doorway to Konoba Dalmacija courtyard/restaurant behind.

Parking is a bit of a premium in the old town of Zadar but we have access to private parking behind the apartment. It feels like we are parked among the Roman ruins with wall foundations, pathways and old roads underfoot. Only in Croatia….

The view from our apartment window in Zadar overlooking the Roman Forum with St Mary’s Church and bell tower to the left.

Again from our apartment but looking right to the sea with the island of Ugljan in the distance.

It is still very warm in the evening but it is between showers so we head off for a stroll of the pier near the apartment and back along the night markets.

Out for a night stroll in the Forum.

5 September, 2015

About 8:00 am we are awoken by heavy rain and a thunder storm. It is so nice to hear and watch the rain on the window so we stay in bed for another 45 minutes. Don’t you wish you could sleep in whenever you wanted? We did our time getting up to go to work for 36 years….ahhh, retirement.

The Sea Organ.

The storms have abated by the time we finish breakfast so we head out for a walk around the walled town of Zadar. Our first stop is at the “Sea Organ”…. No, it is not some mythical sea creature or an appendage! Some musician with too much time on his hands has designed a structure, in association with an engineer/water hydraulics expert, that looks like steps into the sea but plays chords. These chords depend on the size and velocity of the waves as the movement of the sea pushes air through a number of pipes with whistles with openings on the quayside above. In other words, the world’s first pipe organ that’s played by the sea. Very musical, random and quite fascinating.

Greeting to the Sun.

Near the Sea Organ is a large round solar panel built into the walkway, an architectural installation. Not sure of the purpose or what it powers but it is a little ironic that it is called “Greeting to the Sun” when it starts raining again.

The gardens on the fortified walls.

Half way around the outside of the walls and we find ourselves in a separate raised garden with its own walls.

Kresimira Cosica between the two walls.

It is starting to get very humid again so we suspect that a storm is coming. The gardens are very green and fresh smelling after this morning’s rain.

A Venetian well dated 1559 which served the Fort.

We come across a well and catchment area/cistern that was originally built by the Venetians to withstand Turkish sieges.

The Land Gate.

Heading back inside the main walls we pass through the “Land Gate”. This was originally the main gate and bridge over the town moat but the moat was filled in during the 18th Century.

A corinthian column near the Captain’s Tower with Roman ruins visible below the square’s paving through glass panels.

The corinthian column is located between the Rector’s Palace (damaged during the Croatian War of Independence and restoration due for completion in 2016) and the Five Wells Square. On the opposite side of town we come across another three wells side by side – again with ornamental wellheads.

The pedestrian bridge to the mainland as a storm approaches.

Time to head back to the apartment as another storm approaches.

6 September, 2015

Today we are going on a ferry cruise around the outer islands of 2 national parks -Telascica and Kornati – and a stop at the elevated salt lake called Silver Lake. The salt lake is popular with visitors as it is usually around 30 deg C in the summer and supposedly has healing properties. We start at the pier next to our apartment at 8:30 am and are due back at 5:30 pm. For some strange reason the Gilligan Island theme song keeps playing in my head and has done so since we booked the tour and read that there are storms due today.

We were given “Grappa” for breakfast at 8:30 am!

Since we had breakfast included in our room rate at Zadar and since our breakfast is one of the better ones that we have had in Europe, we decided to squeeze in breakfast before the boat trip. Breakfast didn’t start until 8:00 am but the boat departed at precisely 8:30am so it was going to need to be a well executed process. Breakfast is also included in the boat trip but their idea of breakfast and ours are very different. Who has a salami sandwich for breakfast? Instead of coffee they offer Grappa.

I hope our skipper doesn’t sample the Grappa.

MV “Minnow” …. I mean MV Vila Dalmatina is a well maintained timber vessel that gets along at a steady 12 knots.

Lost at sea? Or just lost in thought?

It is beautiful calm day so far so we just sit back and enjoy the ride. On our way back we were joined by a dolphin that rode our bow wave for about 10 minutes.

The barren outer islands – Kornati National Park – an archipelago of more than 130 islands and islets.

Apparently these islands only receive about half the rainfall of the mainland.

A stealth boat or just Italian design?

We arrived in the bay where we were to have lunch in a restaurant but since we arrived at about 11:45 am it was suggested that we do the 200 meters to the cliffs. After the lunch we have a couple of hours to take a swim in the lake or sea or do a hike around the lake.

The 160 meter high cliffs of Dugi Otok island.

A short walk to the cliff tops.

Is it time for lunch yet?

Perfect weather for a day on the Adriatic.

After a rather nice lunch of BBQ steak and fish we decided to do the walk around the lake and take in the view at the other end.

The Slano Jezero (Silver Lake) salt lake on Dugi Otok island.

At the sea entrance to the lake among the many cairns.

Walking right around the lake was about 2 km.

Lunch and then another swim in the crystal clear water.

Or what about an ice cream from the floating ice cream van?

Trogir and the Krka National Park

2 September, 2015

After a couple of very hot days laying by the pool or on the beach in Tucepi we continued northbound back up the coast road that we had to bypass on our way down due to traffic at Omis. Well, we managed to take a quick look at Omis which is quite pretty and we now understand why we sat in traffic for an hour on our way south east. Omis has the most stupid traffic configuration that I have ever seen. The main highway south had a major junction in the centre of town where two highways join. Just at the junction there is a small bridge followed by a number of pedestrian crossings without lights and the main town pedestrian mall. This makes Coffs Harbour traffic management look sophisticated! Luckily traffic is a lot lighter and the south bound traffic is only banked back about half a kilometre. We are OK going north west. It would have been nice to look around Omis but we can’t risk being stuck here for a few hours if the traffic again deteriorates.

We arrived at Trogir at about midday and find a place to stop near the old town wall to unload our luggage. Lynn has to carry the bags into the hotel (Palace Derossi) which is part of the old town wall, as I am stopped on a pedestrian crossing (this would not have been an issue in Italy). Parking for the hotel is about 250 meters away so I leave Lynn with the bags and head back into the traffic to park the car in a dusty vacant block in a tiny back street on the mainland.

The main square (St. Johns) and St. Lawrence Cathedral.

We had been offered an upgrade at Palace Derossi but it meant dragging the luggage up an additional four flights of stairs. We elected to stay with the apartment on the first floor which was quite large and seemed to be a little quieter than the rooms on the top floor.

We did the usual unpack and headed out to explore the tiny island town of Trogir. Trogir is only a few kilometers north west of Split so our plans for our two days here is to check out the walled island town and take a day to explore the Krka National Park and the towns in the hills to the north west, north and north east of Trogir.

The Trogir South Town Gate.

The Trogir old walled island town looks and feels much like Split and Dubrovnik. Lots of restaurants, cafes and shops. I think the only advantage that Trogir has over the other two places is that prices seem a little less touristy and the National Park is close by. The temperature has already reached 33 deg C by 1:00pm so we just do a quick walk around the island and a few of the main pedestrian streets in the centre.

The Loggia in St. John Square.

The usual churches in the main Piazza and vendors selling excursions to the National Park…..

On the Obala Bana Berislavica outside Lucic Palace.

Out on the promenade it is hot as hell so we take the usual couple of quick photos then head for the fortress  at the end of the island.

Kamerlengo Fortress.

Surely it must be beer o’clock in this heat!

On the main promenade.

The water around the island and in the canal is not as clean nor as clear as we are used to seeing.

The island side of the Fortress.

No shade around the fortress so we head back via the supermarket to pick up some drinks for our fridge in the apartment. How long will it take to chill a beer?

From the footbridge over the canal.

There was no need to take a photo out of our apartment window. Our window looks down over a tiny cobbled alley way in the old town. The Palace Derossi is a number of apartments that surround a courtyard where we have breakfast each day. It is a beautiful stone courtyard but we can’t see it directly from any of our windows. It is so hot out that we have shut all our shutters and turned up the air conditioner to full so that the room is cool by the time we go to bed.

Dinner at Restaurant Monika.

On our stroll around I found a restaurant that had a quiet courtyard so once the evening cooled a little we headed out for dinner. After dinner we completed our exploration of the old town. It is quite tiny so by mid-evening we realised that we need to go further afield tomorrow as there is not much more to do in town.

3 September, 2015

It is 5:30 am and some lunatic is ringing the church bells for at least 3 minutes. What is the deal here? You’re up, so the whole town has to be out of bed?! Even with her ear plugs in (supposedly to reduce my snoring noise), Lynn is wide awake. Why is this guy not lynched?

Today is going to be in the mid-30s again. The plan is to visit the Krka National Park to see the travertine cascades at Skradinski Buk and check out a few of the towns such as Skradin, Rupe, Drnis, Knin and Sinj.

We went directly to the closest entrance to the National Park but found that we had to take a bus into the park where we could hike around the 20 odd kilometres of trails through the cascades and small islands of the lakes. In 34 deg. C heat? I don’t think so! Back to the air conditioned car as we decided to drive to the top end of the park where you could see the lakes and at one entrance (near Skradin) there was a boat to the cascades (vs bus…). Sounds better at least.

Once we arrived at Skradin we felt like we had arrived at Disney World, only with too many slick spivs. Time to move on. I think that a nice drive in and around the park will do just fine, especially as we are staying near the Plitvica Lakes and falls next week. We find a nice drive around the lakes but to be honest it was as exciting as a drive around Warragamba Dam. The park has some interesting trails and hikes that would be very nice in the late Autumn or mid Spring but I have walked enough fire trails in summer heat for my lifetime.

The Visovac Lake in the Krka National Park.

We left the National Park to the concrete city dwellers and headed further up into the limestone hills. The roads were in good condition but the scenery was barren and filled with abandoned houses and half-finished buildings reminiscent of old towns in Italy. Nothing to see here people…. move along.

Knin Fortress.

We visited Rupe, Drnis, (via a village called Kosovo) Knin, Sinj and back to Trogir via Trolokve. Some nice back roads but we were glad we didn’t live here. No wonder some of the Croatians we have met think that Melbourne is nice!

Back to our cool apartment. Lynn will be doing the ironing tonight as our hosts, very generously, did our laundry for us for free! Tomorrow we head further north west to Zadar for three days. We drove through the outskirts of Zadar (new town) on our way south east and were not too impressed with the “burbs” but we are staying inside the old walled town which we hope is substantially better. On our way south east we drove the relatively unimpressive coast road so we are planning to head to Zadar on the freeway going north west.

Taking the car ferry to Ploce instead of crossing the Bosnian border (twice)

31 August, 2015

We enjoyed a couple of quiet days at Orebic. Just catching up and lazing in the sea and by the indoor pool. The original plan was to drive back down the Peljesac peninsula and head north again to Tucepi where we have booked another 4 star hotel by the water. After sitting in 2 traffic jams trying to cross the 2 borders in and out of Bosnia for a 5km strip driving south to Dubrovnik on 24th August, we decided to take the car ferry from Trpanj to Ploce for the return journey. Trpanj is only 9 km from our hotel and rejoins the mainland at Ploce. This ferry cuts off about an hour’s drive, the 2 border crossings and some very frustrating traffic. The crossing takes about an hour so we head off to Trpanj to get in the ferry queue, have a coffee and check out the little port.

Looking back to Orebic and Korcula Island.

Just before we head over the ridge towards Trpanj we stop to take a couple of photos back towards Orebic and Korcula island. Orebic was a very nice little seaside village and well worth the detour.

The Port of Trpanj.

We arrived about an hour before the scheduled ferry departure and purchased our ferry tickets. The price was about the cost of the fuel for the car to do the drive around so it was well worth it. The ferry queue was already starting to build but we were told that the ferry takes over 100 cars so we parked the car and went for a stroll around the pretty harbour of Trpanj.

The water here was very clear and it looked like another good place to spend some time to chill out.

The clear waters of Trpanj.

A fishing boat in Trpanj port.

The ferry was large and comfortable so we settled into our booth and relaxed for an hour. This suited Lynn as she had downloaded some new books and was keen to read. I just hung around and annoyed her as much as possible….

The lakes at Bacina.

We disembarked the ferry at the ugly coal-loading port town of Ploce (refer to 22nd August blog) where we refuelled on our way to Dubrovnik. We needed some more fuel so we refuelled at the same petrol station (a good price here), dropped in to the local market for a few supplies and headed back up the coast via the pretty lakes of Bacina and past the pension (Rooms Galeb) where we stayed on our way down.

The view from our balcony at Tucepi.

We are in this 4 star resort in Tucepi. We stayed at one of the Blue Sun resort chains in Starigrad earlier in the month but were not impressed. This one however seems a whole lot better. Possibly as the children are now heading back to school at the end of their summer break. Yay!!

2 days on the beach near Marco Polo’s alleged birthplace

29 August, 2015

After finding out last minute that our host at the Dubrovnik apartment only accepted Croatian cash (not debit cards) and an issue with an ATM we head back north west to Orebic on the Peljesic Peninsula. Yet another hot day but the hotel seems very good and it is right on the beach. A quick unpack and down for a swim. Very refreshing. This is a place that we could stay for a while in this weather.

The mandatory photo from the balcony of our hotel in Orebic.

Just across the water is the island where Marco Polo was born – allegedly. You thought that he was Italian and born in Venice, didn’t you? Well technically he was Venetian and although history has him being born to wealthy parents in Venice it seems that the Island of Korcula in Croatia makes claim to being his birth place. Now Korcula was, at the time of Marco Polo’s birth, part of the Venetian lands and it does seem viable that, indeed, his heritage is from Korcula. Believe what you will but I am sure that if he had been an anti-christ (such as Hitler) then nobody would care where he was born. Still, it makes for a good story and helps to increase revenue for Korcula when the winter temperatures don’t bring the tourists for the beaches.

The Island and town of Korcula, where the locals believe that Marco Polo was born.

Speaking of tourists…it seems that on Monday the schools in this part of Europe and in the UK start back after the summer holiday break. Yay!! Less screaming kids and many of the tourists will go home and maybe, just maybe, the Croatian traffic jams will reduce in number….. we live in hope.

The night stroll along the water’s edge in Orebic.

After dinner on our first night we decided that it was cool enough to take a stroll through town. It is quite busy on the esplanade now that it is a reasonable temperature. All the other tourists and locals are out enjoying the moonlit walk.

30 August, 2015

It seems like a pretty village so we decide to explore the place in daylight so we head out after breakfast and intend to go for a late morning coffee.

A blistering 34 deg C by late morning.

Our late morning stroll turns out to be a dash between patches of shade. It is already very hot by 10:30 am so we shorten our planned walk and head for a cool coffee shop. Lynn has a cappuccino and I elect ice cream. Fail on the idea of a town walk…. let’s head back to the hotel pool!

5 days with a view of the Dubrovnik old town

24 August, 2015

We departed Bacina (reluctantly) at about 10:30am and dropped in to fill up the fuel tank and check out Ploce which is only about 5 km down the coast. We thought that we may be very disappointed that we didn’t bother to drive down here yesterday and check out the town. Wrong! Ploce is an industrial town with a coal loading port. We were certainly glad we didn’t bother yesterday. We couldn’t get out of here fast enough!

Further down the coast Bosnia breaks Croatia in two so we have to enter and exit Bosnia (a non-EU country) in a distance of about 5km. Originally we thought that Bosnia was given this portion of coastline so that it had a deep sea port. No… the only things along this small piece of coast are holiday villas and beaches. Very nice but of no real economic value except that Bosnians can holiday in Bosnia rather than Croatia.

Still, the point of all this is that again, we sat in a traffic jam. This time for two very silly border crossings within 5 km of each other! Do the Croatians and Bosnians go out of their way to create traffic bedlam? Another hour of my life that I will never get back.

To make things worse, after we managed to slip in and out of Bosnia undetected we sat in a slow-moving line of traffic that struggled to get to 50 kph for over an hour on the open highway. I got within 5 cars of the culprit. Yes, you guessed it… not only a Pole but a Pole driving a Ford! I wanted to shove a pole where he had stuck his head. I wonder what was going through his mind? How could he NOT see the 3 km of traffic banked up behind him? RUDE GIT!

The bridge as we enter Dubrovnik.

After we de-poled ourselves we easily found our apartment which overlooks the old town of Dubrovnik. The apartment is a big one bedroom apartment with a very nice balcony and lovely view. It is another hot day so we turn on the air conditioning, unpack, drop in to the local supermarket across the road and fill the larder. When it cools down we are heading into the old town for a quick overview and find a restaurant by the water (and a cold one or two).

The view from our apartment in Dubrovnik.

By about 7pm it cooled down enough for a stroll down town. It is only about 400 meters walk down an easy walkway (a little more strenuous coming back up). We dropped in to the old Port area for a few photos and a walk along the Placa to search for a suitable restaurant for dinner.

The buildings inside the town walls are in remarkable shape. Unlike many other walled towns, the shops have no signs hanging off the outside walls so everything is very neat and tidy.

The old port at night.

Big Onofrio’s Fountain near the entrance to the old City Walls.

The Placa or main street that runs the length of the old town is paved in the usual limestone. These stones have been in place for so long that they are worn absolutely smooth. It may be a walking hazard in the wet for those people silly enough to wear thongs (flip flops for you poms).

The Dubrovnik Placa.

We hunted around for a suitable restaurant but were drawn to an Irish Pub. The last time that we dropped into an Irish Pub was in Lecce, Italy. The food was good and we didn’t have to compete with smokers blowing smoke in our face while we tried to eat.

Compared with all the other European countries that we have been visiting the last two years the food in Dubrovnik (and other parts of Croatia so far) is a bit ordinary and super expensive. It may be that prices are seasonally high for the tourists.

25 August, 2015 (only 6 weeks to Vegemite!)

We can’t believe that we will be back in Brisbane in 6 short weeks. How time flies.

After the frustrations of trying to book a sailing trip on the Dalmatian coast from Split, we found out that our host here in Dubrovnik has a brother with a sailing boat.  All the island tour boats out of Dubrovnik are packed to the gunnels with tourists and they are all at rip-off prices. There are traffic jams on the water as well as the roads in Croatia. Our host’s brother’s small sailing boat (about 7 meters) doesn’t appear to have any working sails but for Eu100 he will take us to 3 islands and we will be out and about on the water for over 8 hours. At least we will have the boat to ourselves even if it is just a diesel-powered sail boat.

Our “sailing” boat for the day.

We packed our swimming gear and a couple of bottles of water and our skipper picked us up on time from the Dubrovnik old port.

Not too bad so far even though Lynn didn’t take her sea sick tablets.

Just after we left port Lynn remembered that she hadn’t taken her sea sick tablets. I just rolled my eyes, then realised she was joking. It was however a bit bumpy (in Med terms) as we motored up the coast until we were in the lee of Kolocep Island.

Our “old sea dog” skipper.

Ah, life at sea…

After about 2 hours “sailing” we rounded the northern point of Lopud Island. The plan is to stop here for a couple of hours to have a swim on one of the few sandy beaches on the Med and have some lunch and drinks at one of the very nice waterside restaurants in Lopud village. We also had the option to walk to the top of the Island and visit the old fort but that was a bit physical on a hot afternoon. The idea of a cool swim and a cold drink was much more appealing.

The water was warm and very clear so we swam around for about an hour then dried off and headed for a sea side bar.

Lynn smiling now that she is on dry land.

While we were sipping on a cold milk shake (no not a cold beer…) a couple of very touristy looking Spanish Galleons motored up to the port. Even these “sailing” boats couldn’t raise a sail! Have Croatians lost the knowledge of how to sail? I am starting to feel like we are in the USA and doing a visit to Movie World.

The Spanish Armada?

Just replica tourist boats.

Back on board again – homeward bound.

Time to head back to Dubrovnik. Lynn takes her position as figure head on the bow of our “sailing” boat and our Skipper hands me the tiller. I steered us all the way back to just outside the old port and the skipper asked if we would like to drop on to the little island of Lokrum for another swim and a walk around the small island which is just off Dubrovnik.

We had planned to go to the island for a day so this was a good opportunity to see it while we were here. Lokrum was another fort which was converted to a Monastery. It is now a tourist island for day trippers to swim in protected sea coves or in the fresh water lake on the island. It also has a number of bars and restaurants as well as an extensive garden.

The “wild” life on Lokrum island.

The fresh water swimming hole on Lokrum.

It must be cocktail time…

We weren’t up for another swim but Lynn was keen to find a cocktail bar with a view.

26 August, 2015

Another hot day in Dubrovnik so we slept in and caught up on email, blog etc. As the cooler evening temperatures arrived we planned to do the 2 hour walk around the city wall. Unfortunately everybody else had the same idea and the queue was too long for us to bother. Instead we decided to do the cable car ride to the old fort above the town. During the Croatian war of Independence the old town of Dubrovnik was under siege by the Serbs and Montenegrins (JNL Army and Navy) from the fort on the hill and by sea.

Old Town of Dubrovnik and the Nature Reserve Island of Lokrum.

Since the old town was a UNESCO heritage site the UN were made quite irate by the JNL actions. Consequently there is now no Yugoslavia.

Overlooking Dubrovnik. About where the Serbs lobbed bombs back in the 1991 to 1995 Croatian War of Independence.

27 August, 2015

We are up early (well, at least early for us) to do the wall walk before it gets too hot. There are no queues but by 9:30am it is already well on the way to 30 deg C.

The changing of the guard. Not sure that these guys did anything to dissuade the Serbs in 1991.

How can we be lost on the wall? It just goes around the town…

The brass bell ringers in the tower.

Just another hole in the wall.

Already wet through. I don’t think we brought enough water.

No Great Wall… I think that I would rather be swimming.

The town well below the wall.

The Placa. We can see how shiny it is from up here.

The harbour from the fortress wall.

We completed our circumnavigation by midday and we were ringing wet. We went in search of a cool place for a cold lemonade and some ice cream before we attacked the hill back to the apartment. Time for a cool shower and some air conditioning.

After the sun set and it cooled down to the mid 20s we ventured out in search of a half-decent restaurant. Lynn had spotted a small place just outside the walled town called, surprisingly, “The Wall”. We checked out the menu and it seemed OK so we gave it a try. Our waiter, Boro, was good fun and was enjoying the 80s music playing on their speakers by dancing along as he delivered food to tables. The food was good, reasonably priced for Dubrovnik and there was a nice breeze cooling us off. We enjoyed the restaurant and staff so we made a booking to return tomorrow night. There were quite a few items on the menu that took our interest.

28 August, 2015

Today is going to be a hot one again but we spent the afternoon yesterday backing up the blog and doing email so we want to get out of the apartment. We decided that, as we had started at the very top end of Croatia, we would do the drive to the bottom end of Croatia to the Montenegro border.

Cavtat port.

About a third of the way from Dubrovnik to Point Ostri at the bottom of Croatia we came across the small village of Cavtat. It is a pretty little port and it appears that it is popular with yachties and large motor yachts. We parked the car and had a stroll around the port, the pine tree-shaded point walkway and back via the beautiful stone houses. Just as we were walking around the port the very large (59 metre) Kokomo yacht arrived in port to resupply. Kokomo had been moored at Woolloomooloo wharf for the last 2 years that I was in Sydney back in 2009 and 2010.

Kokomo motoring in to pick up supplies at Cavtat.

Walking around the point walkway at Cavtat.

Out on the point of Cavtat.

On the east side of Cavtat point.

It was over 30 deg C so we walked back via the centre of the town and stopped at a port side cafe for a nice cold milkshake and a pit stop before continuing our drive to the end of Croatia.

Montenegro border (foreground road as it goes around the hill) from Ostri Point at the bottom end of Croatia.

Not much down at the bottom end of Croatia but the little beach near the border check point looked cool and inviting.  I stepped out of the car air conditioning to take a couple of photos and decided that it was time to head back to Dubrovnik for a few cold ones.

The usual traffic jam in Croatia on our way back.

It wouldn’t be Croatia unless we saw a traffic jam. No problem. Thanks to a few poorly-placed construction vehicles the through traffic was again banked up. People! Think about how you do things. Surely, it can’t be that hard? Seems that the Italians aren’t the only ones to which this saying applies.

We get back in time for a cool shower, some refreshing air conditioning and a cool drink before we head out at sunset for another dinner at The Wall.

Our “usual” table at The Wall restaurant.

Dolores (The Wall owner) and Boro (our waiter).

The food was good again tonight and the staff were very entertaining. Probably one of the bright spots of Dubrovnik.

Tomorrow we head out to Orebic which is on the western end of the Peljesac peninsula, facing Korcula Island. We could see other side of this peninsula from our hotel in Bacina.

Further down the Croatian Coast to Bacina

22 August, 2015

We have been in Croatia 11 days now and every day that we drive anywhere we end up in a traffic jam! Some of the traffic jams are caused by pedestrian crossings at beach villages in the middle of nowhere but there are no pedestrian lights so the main highway down the coast is brought to a standstill.

We had the choice of taking the tollway to Bacina or the coast road which was shorter but slightly slower. We decide on the coast road for the view as the weather was good and we would probably take the tollway back as our hotels were further apart on the way back up. We were having a good run for the first 20 minutes of our drive down the coast road out of Split on our way to Bacina but the traffic in the opposite direction was banked up for over 10 kms and barely moving due to the pedestrian crossing at a tiny village about 5 km out of Split. Lynn made the comment that she was glad that we weren’t going the other way but about 2 km further on the traffic in our direction came to a sudden stop. We were 1.5km out of Omis. After about half an hour of only progressing about 200 metres we checked out the map and found that we could abandon the coast road at Omis and head up through the pass and get back on the tollway. The turn off was only 800 meters away but it took us another half an hour to reach it!

We have certainly seen the rough end of Croatia so far and my patience has been severely tested. Tell me again, why we only stayed in Austrian and Slovenia for a few weeks? Other than parts of Split and the hotel in Rijeka I fail to see why people like Croatia…… Fail so far!

Yet another traffic jam in Croatia. 1km in 1 hour!

We took the small back road called Highway 70 at Omis which climbed steeply to the top of the escarpment about the Cetina river. We find a layby so Lynn took a couple of photos of the river cutting through to the sea at Omis.

Omis from highway 70.

The tollway was quick and easy. We find our small hotel in Bacina easily (GPS co-ordinates put us right at the front door). Parking was easy and we bundled into our apartment and just sat and admired the view of the Adriatic Sea from our balcony. Things are looking up for Croatia at last.

View from our balcony at Rooms Galeb in Bacina.

Lynn looked and down and noticed that there were some fish jumping very near the shore below us. It was a school of fish and a number of large tuna having a great feed.

From our balcony across to Peljesac peninsula – where we’ll be staying next week.

An afternoon off to relax after the Croatian traffic jams.

The decision was made to spend the afternoon admiring the view and doing very little. After all, why waste this view?

Apparently the ‘beach’ is 50 metres away – 50 vertical metres, that is! If I had the energy I would walk down and have a swim…..

23 August, 2015

Next morning we thought we should at least check out the area so we decided to see if we could find a boat tour or sailing boat to see some of the islands. After the dismal attempt to find a non-mass market tour out of Split we will try to find a smaller one in one of the nearby villages.

We dropped in at Djvenik which is where the car ferry departs the mainland for Hvar (well, at least the shortest distance car ferry). Just as we arrived the ferry was about to depart so we quickly purchased a couple of return day tickets and got the last car spot on the small ferry. Unlucky for the car with a caravan and the tourist bus that were already waiting!

Our small ferry to and from the Island of Hvar.

The ferry trip was a short 35 minutes trip to Hvar Island. It may not be a sailing trip but at least we get to see the island.

Coming into the port of Sucuraj at the southern end of Hvar.

We arrived at the tiny port of Sucuraj and started what our GPS noted was a 2 hour drive the full length of the Island. 4 hour to Hvar Town and back, a 2 hour look around Hvar Town….. no problem to be back for dinner at the hotel by 7:30pm. As we disembarked the ferry we then noticed the 2 km queue for the returning cars! Why should this day be unlike all the rest in Croatia….. just another wasted day in a traffic jam!

The plan now was to be back in the ferry queue by no later than 4pm as the last ferry for the day runs at 10:00pm. Looks like we will be dining at the Sucuraj Cafe tonight.

The fort at Hvar Town on Hvar Island.

The road down the spine of the Island (only one road from end to end) was very narrow and there was no room for error as the edge of the road had a vertical drop off with no safety railing. The speed limit on the entire road was 40kph. No wonder the 73km takes 2 hours. We were right behind a large tour bus for the first half an hour which was quite good as the oncoming vehicles usually had to stop to allow the bus (and us) to pass. It was very slow going but I was happy to sit in behind and rubber neck at the scenery at these slow speeds. However, the bus found a lay-by and pulled over to let the traffic queue behind pass (too bad most of the Dutch, Polish and Bosnian drivers don’t notice traffic build up behind them). I digress. The drivers in Croatia must be the same ones who were in Scotland last summer… you know, the slow drivers who didn’t bother to buy a rear view mirror when they bought their cars.

We pick up speed now that we were released from behind the bus and reached Hvar Town in about 1.5 hours.

The old bell tower and church at the port of Hvar.

There is no free parking in Hvar. We were quite lucky to find a paid parking space within 150 meters of the old town. The town of Hvar was certainly worth the effort to get here. It did however make us feel a bit ripped off that we didn’t manage to get here by sail boat from Split. This place is the perfect yachtie anchor place.

The port at Hvar.

Very pretty town of Hvar.

Taking a stroll around the port.

We strolled around the port and dropped in to a cafe for a pit stop and I had a cold Lemon Beer. Very refreshing.

The National Geographic exhibition of stunning photos from all over Croatia.

After a few hours’ walking around the town we decided to head back to the ferry queue. We did however drop in to a couple of the other port towns on the island. Two of these villages are worth noting in case we ever manage to hire that yacht for a few weeks to sail around the Adriatic. We drove around the small port villages of Stari Grad (not to be confused with Starigrad near Zadar where we wasted two days between 15th and 17th August) and Vrboska. Don’t miss these places if you visit Hvar whether by car or by boat.

We arrive back in Sucuraj by 3:30pm thanks to some fine overtaking maneuvers on hairpin bends to get past slow mobile chicanes. The 3:30 ferry was just arriving so Lynn walked the car queue to count the cars to see how many ferries we would miss before we were homeward bound. With any luck (and Lynn’s correct calculations) we should be on the next ferry. We took the time to buy an ice cream (Kings – a poor imitation of Magnums) and check out the port. Not much to see here but we filled in an hour and a half until the next ferry arrived.

Our daily traffic jam. Only an hour and a half wait to get on the ferry. Things are looking up?

Crowded beach at Djvenik on the mainland as the ferry pulls in to unload.

By the time we arrived back at Bacina we were ready for some nice wine and dinner overlooking the Adriatic and some star gazing. Nice!

Split decision

17 August, 2015

After the rainy day yesterday, temperatures are a little more comfortable as we depart our Starigrad hotel. So far Croatia falls far short of our expectations and we are starting to wish that we had spent more time in Austria and Slovenia. Still, we hope that Split will support our decision to spend 5 weeks in Croatia.

We have taken the coast road from Starigrad to Split and decide to drop in on one of the small seaside towns just off the main road. Our first choice of a small town “coffee” stop was Biograd but the traffic was gridlocked (it does have a laundromat for future reference). No parking available here so we kept going south.

Our next attempt was a smaller village called Tribunj and although the traffic was still heavy we managed to find a parking space near some cafes. It seems that this little village is a favourite stopping off point for the Dalmatian Yachties to get their Cappucino fix. This place would be very nice once the summer season draws to a close. We find a nice little cafe on the waterfront that made a good coffee at a very reasonable price.

Tribunj – a yachtie harbour on the way to Split.

On the road again and we require a “pit stop” about an hour out of Split. This section of the coast is well sheltered and has beautiful calm and clear water. So calm in fact, that there is water skiing.

Another stop at Camp Tomas – just before Primosten on the way to Split.

The drive in to the outer area of Split is easy and we are on schedule for our arrival at our apartment where we have arranged to meet the owner. We are about 1 km from our destination and again we are in traffic gridlock! This last km takes us over half an hour and parking is a nightmare. We finally arrive, unload and have to move the car about 500 meters away from the apartment to find a parking space. It is a bit of a concern leaving the car in an unprotected parking spot on a side road but we have no choice. So much for the apartment advertising that free parking is available onsite! Lucky that we won’t need the car for the next 5 days as there is no way that we would find another spot.

18 August, 2015

To put Split old town into perspective, below is an artist’s impression of how the Roman Emperor Diocletian’s Palace looked at the time of its completion. It was divided into 2:  the top half which points north (the 2 cloistered rectangles) for servants and military barracks; the bottom half pointing south and fronting the sea the Emperor’s residence (right side) and religious area (left side) where the Jupiter Temple is located.  The dome was his mausoleum, today the cathedral. There were 4 gates into the Palace:  Golden Gate (north); Silver (east); Brass (south) and Iron (west).

An artist’s impression of the original Diocletian’s Palace built in the 3rd Century AD.

Our apartment faces the eastern wall of the Palace.

The mandatory view from our apartment at the Silver Gate of the Diocletian’s Palace in Split. The market in Hrvojeva Street on the eastern wall below our apartment.

Time to check out the places our host pointed out to us on the town map yesterday. We walk out the door, turn left past the markets, the Silver Gate and the end of the wall and arrive at the ‘Riva’ – the promenade in front of the harbour.

Split Harbour with the Marjan Hill in the background.

The plan is to take a sailing tour of one or more of the islands off the coast. We find a very suitable sailing tour but they require a minimum of four people to set sail (despite the brochure guaranteeing two trips per day). The sales desk suggest that we call in tomorrow to see if the tour is proceeding.

The Riva promenade at Split Harbour – kiosks selling boat tours on the left, cafes/restaurants on the right at the base of the Palace wall.

Not many people on the Promenade when it is over 30 Deg C. Marjan Hill is behind us.

Next stop, the lookout on Marjan Hill. Surprise, surprise. Look what we find on our way up the stairs!

I guess this is expected when one is on the Dalmatian Coast.

Fortunately the stairs to the lookout are shaded and we pass some lovely villas on either side.

The stairs leading up to the top of the Marjan Hill above Split.

Split from the lookout on Marjan Hill.

Hot walk up and a storm brewing in the afternoon. The island of Brac on the horizon.

The narrow roadway back down to the town centre where the Cathedral Bell Tower is located.

Given the town’s history, it exhibits various architectural styles side-by-side: Roman, Venetian, French, to name a few.

The Plaza Republike Prokurative. This area was built during the French occupation in the early 19th Century.

The Narodni Plaza just outside the original palace walls.

Through the Iron Gate and on to the central area of the Palace – the Peristyle.

The Peristyle outside the Palace Cathedral.

The Cathedral was originally the Emperor’s Mausoleum and features one of 20 sphinxes located in Split which Diocletian had transported to decorate his Palace. It is made of black granite and incredibly well preserved.  Its nose is missing and it has human hands, rather than paws, holding a bowl.  It was reportedly taken from Luxor.

A Sphinx imported from Egypt during the 3rd century AD.

The Sphinx is in good shape considering the Christian vandalism of the Roman Palace and pagan temples.

The Vestibule at the southern end of the Peristyle (original ‘roof’ or open ceiling these days).

The bell tower of the cathedral that dominates the old town landscape.

Evening time and our guide, Marijana, takes us on a tour of the Palace and Old Town.

Facing the the Roman temple of Jupiter. Another black granite sphinx behind us – decapitated.

Marijana, our Palace and Old Town guide.

The statue of Gregory of Nin (Grgur Ninski Statue) just outside the Golden Gate of the Palace.

The huge statue of Archbishop Grgur Ninski (Gregory of Nin) stands outside the northern walls of the palace, right in front of the Golden Gate. He was a medieval Croatian bishop who strongly opposed the Pope and introduced the Croatian language to religious services in 926. Until that time services were held only in Latin and therefore not understandable to the majority of the population. Last and not of less importance, the statue is the work of Ivan Mestrovic, the greatest and worldwide famous Croatian sculptor. The sculpture was originally located in the Peristyle but during WW II the statue was moved outside the city by Italian occupying forces.

Rub his toes for good fortune.

19 August, 2015

It is a bit cooler this morning and a bit cloudy. We manage to sleep in a while and take our time before we head out to finish off the town sight seeing. Just as we are about to head out it starts raining. Lightly at first but buckets down soon after. We decide to tour ‘indoor’ places while it rains, such as the Palace Substructure and the Jupiter Temple.

In the Substructure of Diocletian’s Palace.

The ornate ceiling of the Roman Temple of Jupiter.

The baptism tank in the Christian-converted Roman Temple of Jupiter. The sculpture behind depicts John the Baptist.

We returned to the sales desk again today but still the “guaranteed” sailing trip does not have enough people to go.

Now this is the type of yacht that we would like to have to sail down the Dalmatian Coast.

We try again on our last full day in Split to book a sailing trip without success. I made some comment about not being able to organise a drinking party in a brewery and left in disgust.