4. Krka National Park to Krk Island

Tuesday 12 May

We moved on to Murter Island which is connected to the mainland by a small bridge, think Selby Toll Bridge, which they open twice a day to let the boats through. 

So it is only just an island.    We looked at a couple of campsites and decided upon ‘Jezera Holiday Village’ which didn’t really live up to its own hype but was pleasant enough.   We ventured to Murter Town, only a few miles away, to see about booking a boat trip to see the Kornati Islands.  We were rather disappointed to find that there weren’t any.  There had been one earlier in the day but no one could tell us when there would be another. This is the price you pay for touring so early in the season.

View of Kornati Islands from Murter Town

We had dinner in the campsite restaurant where we were the only customers.  Sarah ordered grilled scampi.  When they came they were prawns the size of small lobsters and she was supplied with a pair of pliers to get through the shells.   She says they were delicious. I had steak which was mediocre.  

Wednesday 13 May

Sarah took the bedding to be washed – there was a lady there to do it for you.  It came back washed, dried and beautifully ironed.  We walked from the site around the bay to the town of Tisno.  Tisno straddles both sides of the bridge to the mainland and is a pleasant little town.  We had a coffee and then wandered back to the site.   In the evening we swapped notes on sites and things to do with another English couple.   They spend the winters in Spain and then spend about 3 months touring Europe before going home to the UK for July and August.

Thursday 14 May

As we couldn’t  visit the Kornati Islands we decided to move on.   We drove to a site about 6 miles from the town of Zadar and very close to the small town of Nin.   Zaton Holiday Village was huge and rather overwhelming to start with.  There is a large sandy beach (quite rare in Croatia), a swimming pool, about 6 restaurants, a number of shops and a supermarket. It does have an extensive entertainment programme but it is fairly low key at present.  I wouldn’t want to be here when it is full – there was a huge disco building!  We walked about 3 miles deciding on a pitch, there must be over a 1000 not to mention the hundreds of mobile homes and apartments.   It was relatively quiet so there was plenty to choose from.  The one we chose was huge, room for the caravan, awning and at least 2 cars.   
Different people have very different ideas about what to bring with them. Many Germans have huge camper vans which also tow a large trailer which usually contains a couple of motorbikes and a huge awning with patio furniture. The photo below shows what one Dutch couple thought was important. An average sized caravan but a fenced off patio area with a small pup tent. Which was for the dog.

We came across a couple we had met at Camping Marina.   In the evening we went out for a pizza which happened to be next to the kid’s disco which was very funny.  

The kids were mainly German plus one or two Dutch but all the records they played were English and included the Hokey Cokey and Black Lace. I often wonder how 3 to 10 year olds only know these songs because they hear them on holiday. Surely they can’t understand the words.  Take the Music Man by ‘Black Lace’ for example. Do they really appreciate the bit with the ‘Match of the Day’ theme? Also, what do the German adults make of the ‘Dambusters’ bit where the kids run around pretending to be a World War 2 allied bomber. Weird or what?

Friday 15 May

Visited Zadar today.  There was a fruit and veg market.  It seemed to be made up of small holders selling their produce. Judging by the amount of soil on their hands and in their finger nails they had wrenched most of it out of the ground that very morning. It certainly looked and smelt very fresh.   Sarah stocked up on, amongst other things, broad beans, peas and some of the most delicious strawberries I have ever had.   Having returned to the car with our purchases we then had a look around the town. 

This is another town that experienced a lot of damage during the 'Homeland War'. On this occasion however we saw several buildings that had not been rebuilt or repaired.  

It was also badly damaged during WW2 and in redeveloping they have included some interesting art installations on the sea front promenade.   Probably the biggest tourist attraction in the town is the sea organ which is a series of steps down to the sea. 

It doesn’t look much but it’s there to listen to not to look at. The waves push air through a series of underground pipes and up through holes in the steps.  The result is a cross between whale music and an orchestra tuning up.  The bigger the waves the louder the noise, it was quite hypnotic. 

Then there is an installation called ‘Greeting the Sun’.  This is a huge disc made up of light sensitive tiles which soaks up the sun during in the day and in the evening gives a coloured light show.  

We also discovered that you could take an excursion boat to the Kornati Islands from here.

A German couple arrived at the site who had been pitched next to us at Camping Kate in Dubrovnik.  He told us they were staying until Wednesday or Thursday but wanted to move on before the weekend.   The reason being that some Southern regions of Germany start a 2 week holiday on the Saturday and tend to head to the Northern part of Croatia, and he wanted to get ahead of them before the sites filled up.   The site here is predominately German.

Saturday 16 May

Grey and a bit drizzly today so had an admin day, updating the blog and doing the accounts.

Sunday 17 May

Another day, another National Park – Paklenica National Park which was about 35 miles from Zadar.   This park is very different to the others we have visited.  It is made up of two massive gorges.  
We visited the largest gorge, Velika Paklenica.  

We managed a 5 mile walk, starting along the river and climbing steeply up the gorge. The scenery is spectacular with huge cliffs rising up on either side.  A haven for climbers of all ages and abilities.  It was very hot so the walking was quite tough going but it was good to get some exercise.

Comment: I must congratulate the Croatians on their National Parks. Obviously they didn’t build them but they do manage them very well.  This one didn’t have the boats and buses for transport but what it did have was very well maintained footpaths and very detailed information boards and maps. On the day we visited there were dozens of climbers out. Clearly keen to manage the risk there was a mountain rescue team in residence plus 2 ambulances. Later in the day it seemed at least one of them was needed as we heard the sound of a siren disappearing down the valley towards the town.

Monday 18 May

Walked into Nin from the site. 

We had to walk about 0.8 of a mile to get out of the site.  Nin is a small, originally walled, Roman town with remains of a Roman temple and small Roman Church and some of the walls remain.  A very pleasant spot.   We spent the afternoon around the pool which seemed very cold at first but was ok when you got in.

Tuesday 19 May

Took a boat trip to the Kornati Islands and the Telascica Nature Park today.   There are around 90 Islands, largely bare of trees and mostly uninhabited.  The Islands are owned by the people of Murter and they use some of the islands in the summer.

We were entertained on the way out by the flying skills of the local seagulls. As the photo proved, they could probably give the Cornish pasty eating gulls of St Ives a run for their money.




The boat took us out through the islands, stopping at one for a couple of hours. 

Here we walked up to the cliff tops for the views and Sarah spotted a dolphin.  We then walked to a salt water lake where we had a swim.   The water was lovely but it was tricky getting in as it was quite rocky underfoot, we need to get some beach shoes.   We left at about 8.30am and got back just after five.   On the way back we spotted another dolphin.

Having decided we too should move on we took the awning down and went out for a pizza.  Tonight the kids disco was followed by karaoke!  Fortunately we had finished our meal before this really got going.

Comment: I was a bit wary about staying at this Zaton Holiday Village. As stated earlier there are over a thousand pitches, near to 500 static caravans and a few hundred apartments. However, we found it peaceful and relaxing. This might not be the case in July and August but it is very well managed and maintained with an army of cleaners and maintenance staff. If you have got kids who like the sun a pool and lots of sporty activities this is a good place.

Wednesday 20 May

Moved on to Krk Island.  This too is connected to the mainland by a bridge, but a much bigger bridge, think more along the lines of the Humber Bridge.  The Island is much bigger too.  We headed to the town of Krk and Camping Krk.  This is a lovely terraced site by the sea.  We managed to get a pitch at the top of the site with a sea view.   All the pitches next to the sea were pre-booked.  We are pitched next to a couple from Hull.   The chap came to say hello and my first question was “I hope you won’t be offended but which part of Hull are you from”.    They had hoped to go and live in Spain but came home after 16 months deciding it wasn’t for them.  Instead they bought a motorhome and now spend about 4 months a year touring.  They moved back to Burstwick near Hull.

Thursday 21 May

The weather is much cooler today and overcast.   There is a high wind warning and heavy rain forecast for tonight and tomorrow so decided that having put up the awning we had better take it down again so we didn’t have to worry about it blowing away.   In the afternoon we set out from the site for a walk around the headland.   We have noticed this in many places but it is really noticeable here. 

The land was originally divided up into small fields by stone walls, nothing unusual in that.  But these walls are massive, wide enough to defend a small town.

Friday 22 May

We have had heavy rain and strong winds in the night as predicted.   Forecast to rain all day so updating the blog and Sarah is going to dig out her jigsaw.    

2015 Croatia Tour Campsite Reviews

1. Camping Municipal de Troyes, Troyes, France

1st April, 2015

Site easy to find from A26 motorway, site well signposted.  We arrived a couple of days after the site had opened to find it unkempt and a bit of a mess.  Clearly no maintenance work had been done over the winter and when the manager was not in the reception office he was out on site with a rake clearing twigs and weeds.  The small toilet block was open but was very dated and not particularly clean. 

The pitches were of a good size with a few hardstanding. 

All this is a pity as Troyes is a very pretty medieval city. 

Ok for a night halt.

2 Camping Columbier, Neydens, France

2nd April 2015 - 2 nights

ACSI Site

Access is easy from the motorway.

The site is in a small village very near the Swiss border. In fact when you drive into Geneva Neydens feels like a suburb.

Visitors can use the sites indoor heated pool but about half a mile away there is a huge shopping and leisure complex with large swimming pools with slides.

We stayed for two nights at the beginning of April and found a really tidy and well maintained site.  We received a warm welcome from the owner who was very helpful and spoke good English.

The pitches are of a good size separated by hedging and are hardstanding, which was just as well as the grass was very soft underfoot.

There are views of the mountains towards Geneva.

Only one toilet block was open but it was heated and there was plenty of hot water.

The restaurant was open and although we didn’t eat there it had a good menu.

A lovely well managed site which I thoroughly recommend.

3 Camping Conca d’Ora, Verbania, Italy

4th April, 2015, 8 nights

ACSI site

Located on the West Bank of Lake Maggiore. Access is easy from the motorway but the road into the site from the main road is narrow with only one passing place.

Warm reception from staff and we were invited to select our own pitch. However there were only three vacant, which came as a bit of a shock. It was Easter but we have never found sites particularly full at this time of year. However, this area is very accessible from Germany and they had arrived in force. We arrived at 2pm. If we’d have been half an hour later we would not have secured a pitch.

The pitches are on sandy soil so well drained. We could easily get our caravan, car and awning onto the pitch with room to spare. A lot of people left on Easter Monday which resulted in better views of the nearby mountains. If you want a pitch on the first row adjacent to the lake it’ll cost you 28 euros in the low season. We were happy to use our ACSI card and pay 18 euros a night.

The site is very well maintained. The three toilet blocks look as though they have just been repainted and are very clean.

There is a well stocked shop selling goods at reasonable prices. The bar and restaurant are very popular so book a table. There is a varied menu which includes about 20 different varieties of pizza. Two pizza’s a small beer and a jug of house wine cost us 32 euro.

It is a short drive into Baveno where you can catch the ferry to the three islands or the ferry which sails the whole length of the lake.

Very nice site, well located, helpful staff happy to recommend.

4 Venezia Camping Village, Mestre, Italy

12 April, 2015 4 nights

ACSI Site

You will need to follow the directions to site very carefully as there are many opportunities to take a wrong turn and end up in Mestre as we did. 

The site is designed primarily for motorhomes, although caravans can easily be accommodated.  Most of the pitches are long and thin which means that you have to put your car in front of the caravan.  They are wide enough to accommodate a table and chairs but not an awning which isn’t a problem as most people seem to use the site for 3 or 4 days whilst visiting Venice. 

The sanitary facilities are exceptional.  More akin to a spa than a camp sanitary block.  They are heated, immaculately tiled and so clean you could eat your lunch off the floor.    There is also a spa and an indoor swimming pool that can be used for a small additional payment.     There is a small restaurant/bar which also does takeaway dishes. 

The bus stop for Venice is a 5min walk away and tickets can be purchased at reception.    The bus takes you right into the main terminal for the vaporetto.

Excellent site, highly recommend if you are visiting Venice for a few days.  

5 Autokamp Slapic. Duga Resa, Croatia

16 April, 2015. 4 nights

ACSI Site

Location: About 3 miles South of Duga Resa on the banks of a lovely river.  From the motorway be sure to take Exit 3.  Your sat nav may recommend taking Exit 4.  DO NOT follow this as you will end up on the equivalent of cart tracks.   Exit 3 through Karlovach and Duga Resa is straight forward and the site is well signposted. 

The site is quite large but when we were there at the beginning of April 2015 only a few pitches near the bar were open.  These were perfectly fine, on grass and with a 16 amp power supply.   Water taps seemed to be quite sparse within the main camping areas so you may have a walk on your hands.  Even in early April the bar was open serving food and drinks.  Whilst we were there it got quite busy at the weekend when locals use it as a meeting point.   This wasn’t a problem but you might like to know.  Reception have varies tourist information leaflets including a small booklet with local hiking trails.  The staff are all very friendly and speak excellent English.  

The facilities have been recently refitted and cleaned to a very high standard.   Regular trains stop in the village and will take you directly to Zagreb or you can take the car which is about a 1 hour drive.  Very nice, well managed and maintained site in a beautiful riverside location.

There is a small village shop a 5 min walk away selling daily essentials including bread.  

6 Camping Korana. Rakovica, Croatia

20 April, 2015. 3 nights

Location: Site well signposted from the D1.  

We had decided to stay at Camping Borje which is at the other side of the National Park but changed our minds after seeing both locations and deciding that the area around Camping Korana was much prettier in Spring, plus there are 2 or 3 restaurant and a small supermarket nearby. 

The site is very large and very hilly.  Whilst we were there every campervan and caravan was parked on the concrete areas of which there were several.  I would have found it difficult if not impossible to find a grass pitch on to which I could manoeuvre and level the caravan.  There are plenty of electrical supply bollards supplying 16 amps but fresh water taps are few and far between.   On the whole the site staff were friendly and spoke good English.  There are 3 toilet blocks but only one was open in early April and you could have a long walk to any of them from some pitches.  We found the toilet block to be modern, well fitted out and clean with plenty of hot water.  Washing machines were available.  There is a restaurant, café, bar and shop on site, although only the shop and restaurant were open when we visited.  There is a bus that leaves at 9.00am each day for the Plitvice Lakes National Park or you can make the 10 min drive yourself.  Parking costs 7Kn an hour.  Park admission is 110 Kn each (£11.00) which includes all bus and boat transport within the park. 

Given the number of tables and chairs around the bar and restaurant we got the impression that this site could be extremely busy during the high season.   We found the site to be well managed, well maintained and very clean and peaceful.   Happy to recommend.  

7 Camping Stobrec, Split, Croatia

23 April, 2015. 4 nights

ACSI and Camping Chq

Location:  This is a medium sized site situated in the village of Stobrec, about 4 miles from the centre of Split.  The pitches are all marked by shrubs and trees and are generally very generous in size.  We could have got our caravan, awning and two cars on to our pitch, in fact some pitches had two motorhomes on.  There are smaller pitches and, of course, a few that accommodate the odd tree (fewer after the storm).  The site faces directly onto the sea with its own stony beach.   It is tidy and well maintained.  At the time we were there it was undergoing some building work.  Apparently it had been hit by a 200 mile an hour wind in early 2015 and they are having to rebuild the beach bar and take down a number of trees.

The sanitary facilities are of a high standard and kept very clean, with plenty of hot water.   You are given a bracelet on arrival which you use to operate the barrier in and out of the site but also to operate the showers.  You hold the bracelet up to a reader and then press the button for the shower cubicle you are in.  You then get 7 minutes of hot water which was plenty.  You could have up to 3 showers a day.   This bracelet also operated the washing machine.  You got it charged up at reception and then used it in the same way as the showers for the machines and driers.

The site has a restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining area.  The outdoor being on a terrace overlooking the sea.   The food was good and very reasonably priced.  There are a number of other restaurants and bars in Stobrec just a short stroll away.   The reception staff speak good English and are very helpful.   There are two bus routes into Split running regularly.

Happy to recommend, well managed, well maintained and very clean facilities.

8 Camping Kate, Mlini, Dubrovnik, Croatia

27 April, 2015. 6 nights.

Location: About 5 miles South of Dubrovnik.  Easy access along the E65 from Northern Croatia.  Site well signposted in Mlini – it is on the right hand side if you are driving South and left hand vice versa.

We selected this site after reading other reviews but when we pulled in we were a little disappointed as it felt more like a rustic CL than a proper site. This could be that the sites we have stayed on thus far have been quite large with extensive facilities.  However, after just a few hours we have acclimatised and enjoy the peaceful nature of the site.  Some of the pitches are on hard standing, others on grass.  All have access to 10 amp electricity and 50% have water and drainage by the pitch.  The toilet block is small accommodating just 4 showers and 4 toilets.  However the facilities are very clean but be warned there is only a small hook outside the shower door on which to hang your clothes and only a curtain dividing the men’s from the women’s.  But they are very clean and there is plenty of hot water.   There is also a washing machine.  The site is located in what looks like a former orange and olive grove.  We are pitched on the lower tier within reaching distance of an orange tree and there even a small chapel to add to the quaintness. 

Following the steps directly from the site down towards the sea you come across a small beach front collection of restaurants and bars.  There is even a small beach and a swimming area.  You can also catch a boat directly to Dubrovnik from here.  There is also a frequent bus service which leaves from a stop 200 m from the site.     There is a little bit of road noise but you don’t really notice after a while.

Happy to recommend to anyone who doesn’t want 5* glamping luxury and is used to using CLs.  

9 Camping Palme, Orebic, Croatia

3 May 2015. 4 nights.

ACSI Site

Before going to this site we had planned to stay at Camping Nevio, but after having looked at the site we decided that the access roads were too steep and narrow for our 7.5m caravan.  It also felt a bit claustrophobic.

Camping Palme is East of Orebic and overlooks the sea.  We were lucky enough to get a pitch along the first row facing the sea.   It is a small site, just 50 pitches and when we were there in early May it was only about 20% full. 

The pitches are of varying sizes.  We managed to get one of the largest on which we could accommodate caravan, awning and car. 

The sanitary facilities are very clean, however the shower cubicles are very small and you have to hang your towel and clothes on a hook outside the cubicle.  This requires some planning on what and what not to take with you.

There is a small bar and restaurant which were not open while we were there.

Wi Fi is available at a cost of 1 Euro a day.  It is fast enough to stream audio.

Not the best site we have visited but the best view.

10 Camping Jure, Makarska, Croatia.

7 May 2015. 1 night

ACSI Site

Site well signposted on D8.

We decided to stay here as we had read good things about the area and it was also possible to get the car ferry to Brac. 

We were somewhat disappointed to find the access roads very steep, the pitches incredibly small and average sanitary facilities.

On the plus side the seafront walk is just 200 yards away and it is an easy 1 mile walk into the centre of Makarska past some impressive restaurants and the usual souvenir shops. 

The sanitary facilities are clean, however the shower cubicles are very small with curtains not doors and it is necessary to hang your towel and clothes on a hook outside the cubicle.

Shortly after our arrival we heard what sounded like teenagers cheering at some nearby sports event.  By 7pm all was quiet.  At 9pm the disco noise started, we expected it would finish about 11 pm.   Instead it went on until 7 am the following morning resulting in a sleepless night.  It turned out that the Hotel Riveria next door was jammed full of students who were clearly out to have a good time.  Fearing a repeat of the noise I spoke to the Site Manager and the Hotel Manager.  Neither could guarantee that we would not have a repeat of the sleepless night so I left.  The guidebook does say that the resort can get a bit lively in the peak summer months but I was not expecting his level of disturbance in mid May.     If you enjoy partying all night this is the place for you but if you do not I would stay clear.  

11 Camp Galeb, Ormis, Croatia

8 May, 2015. 1 night. 

Camping Cheque  and ACSI Site

Location: Site well signposted off the D8 close to the edge of Ormis.  Medium sized site with 350 pitches of varying sizes from 70 m sq to 120 m sq.

We used this as an overnight halt but didn’t want to stay for any longer.

Sanitary facilities are reasonably well fitted out but didn’t seem to be cleaned very often.  There is a bar and restaurant on site.

12 Camping Marina, Sibenik, Croatia

9 May 2015. 3 nights

Camping Cheque an ACSI Site

Site well signposted from the D8 and motorway.  It is located in Lozovac just 2.5 km from the Krka National Park. 

After a warm welcome from the owner we were shown to our pitch and advised where and how to locate the caravan and car.  There are no marked pitches and the site looks a bit haphazard but it works thanks to good management.    This is a very quiet site but seems to have a high turnover with motorhomes and caravans usually staying between 1 and 4 nights.  

Excursions are run from the site to the National Park or you can drive the short distance yourself.  The Park is stunning and well worth a visit. 

The site has a small restaurant and bar serving wholesome Croatian food mostly from the BBQ. 

The sanitary facilities are modern, and extremely clean. 

Happy to recommend.  A great base to tour the National Park and also visit Sibenik.

13 Holiday Village Jereza-Lovisca, Murter Island, Croatia

12 May 2015. 2 nights.

Site well signposted from the one and only road on Murter Island.

Large site but there are no marked pitches.  When we were there in mid May there were very few other campers so plenty of space to pitch a large caravan, awning and car.  The site overlooks the sea but it is very difficult to get a pitch on the front row due to the fact that these are occupied by semi static caravans.  Reception staff are warm and friendly and happy to provide you will local information on request.   There is a decent size supermarket on site and a fairly large restaurant.  If you have any laundry you can leave it with a laundry lady who washes, dries and irons it for you.  It is a short drive to Murter town and a 20 min walk into the main town on the Island, Tisneo. 

There are 3 toilet blocks.  The one we used was modern, well equipped and clean. 

There is not a lot to do in the area but it is a nice site in a good location.   Happy to recommend. 

14 Camping Zaton, Nin, Croatia

14 May, 2015. 7 nights

ACSI site.

This is a huge site with over a 1000 pitches, lots of statics and apartments.  We were there in the second half of May when the site was reasonably quiet.  Once again it is one of the sites that is very popular with the German and Dutch.  We were one of two English caravans. 

The pitches are mainly on the large side big enough for a large caravan, awning and a couple of cars.  Most seems to have their own water and drainage and there is a decent amount of shade provided by trees. 

It is possible to feel overwhelmed on arrival as the site is more like a village than a campsite with about 6 restaurants and coffee bars, supermarket, bakery, souvenir shops and a wine shop but you soon get acclimatise.  There is a large swimming pool and a huge sandy beach.  Seems extremely well suited for children and although it is only May the animation team are here and keen to involve you in their various games.  I am not sure I would like to be here in high season as I suspect it gets extremely lively and noisy in the evening.    If you like that sort of thing you will love it here.  We very much enjoyed the site during its quiet period.  Whilst we were there was a reasonable amount of building work going, seeming to involve installing new mobile homes, a new toilet block and annual maintenance.  I am sure this will all be complete by the end of June. 

Happy to recommend. 

3. Dubrovnik to Krka National Park

Tuesday 28 April

It rained heavily in the night and we awoke to a damp and dreary morning so had a housekeeping day.  In the evening we walked down to the harbour for dinner.   We both ordered a steak and when asked how we would like it cooked we said medium.  Sarah’s was on the rare side but mine was completely raw and there was what seemed like part of a metal scouring pad in my chips!  Not the best meal.   

Wednesday 29 April

Today is our Wedding Anniversary which I had remembered!  It was a beautiful morning with clear blue sky.  We took the bus into Dubrovnik. 

 We booked on to a walking tour at 12 noon and so had a bit of time to kill.  We wandered along a back street and came across a very old fashioned barbers shop, strangely filled with birds in cages.  So I decided to have a haircut which looked ok and cost me about £3.

The walking tour was excellent value at 90 kuna each (about £9.00).  I think our guide, Marko, was a resting actor.  A young man with a significant range in the tone of his voice who put his heart and soul into the tour.   He was born and bred in Dubrovnik and was clearly proud of that fact.  One of the stories he told us was about some graffiti carved into the side wall of a small church in Latin in the 16^th Century.  Apparently, the boys used to play football outside the Church, kicking the ball against the wall which annoyed the Priest and he, therefore, carved a curse on the boys into the wall. 

We also saw evidence of damage caused by mortar shells during the war in the 1990’s.   I’d forgotten that the town had been under siege by the Serbs and Montenegrins for 8 months before the Croatian army regained control.  About 70% of the buildings had taken hits from mortar shells or shrapnel. Many were burnt to the ground but you wouldn’t know it now apart from the odd bullet hole in a wall.

After lunch we walked the walls that surround the City.  You climb quite a way so get an impressive view over the largely new rooftops.  The City was quiet today as there were no cruise ships in.  

Thursday 30 April

From the old harbour in Dubrovnik we took the ferry across to the island of Lokrum which sits just off the coast.  We walked around the island which is largely wooded and populated by loads of peacocks, we even saw one up a tree.   Seemingly the locals flock here in hot weather to sunbathe and swim.  

We had lunch in the only café watched by 3 peahens.  It was a bit like trying not to let the seagulls nick your Cornish pasty in St Ives. We had to constantly shoo them away. 

Lokrum Fire Brigade

Whilst waiting for the ferry the fire brigade arrived in their all purpose fire fighting vehicle.

Friday 1 May

We booked a boat trip for today around the Elaphite Islands.  The boat left from the harbour at Mlini, where we were staying so was very convenient.  Whilst waiting in the harbour we got chatting to two English couples who were staying in a villa in the hills behind Dubrovnik.  They said that villa was new and very nice but appeared to be in no man’s land between the borders of Croatia and Bosnia.

Between Mlini and Dubrovnik we passed a number of derelict hotels and one completely abandoned resort.  The skipper told us that they had been occupied by Serb and Montenegrin troops in the war and then looted before they left. They have been left empty ever since.  The architecture leaves a lot to be desired, they look more like multi-storey car parks or prisons than hotels.  Anyone who has an interest in redeveloping them wants to buy the beachfront as well and the Government will not allow this so they are just left. 

The boat called at Dubrovnik and then motored on to Kolocep where we had about 30 mins to walk around the harbour.  After a good lunch of chicken and salad the next stop was Sipan which was once an important fishing port.   It is not a huge island and only has one road but appeared to warrant a car ferry as one was moored in the harbour.   Our last stop was the island of Lopud which is more developed with at least one hotel and a number of bars and restaurants.  It was a lovely island. We had 2 hours here so managed a 3 mile walk and still had time for an ice cream.   We made a mental note to consider this island for a short break in the future.

Despite it being a lovely sunny day the journey back was freezing so Sarah spent about 20 mins in the shower trying to get warm on our return.

Comment: I was very impressed by the various excursion boats we have seen. Ours was very well maintained and newly painted, not a sign of rust. Our skipper told us that this boat was painted twice a year. It is a former cargo boat and was used to ferry supplies to the islands and return with olive oil or whatever was grown on the islands.  The picture below is of one of two replica Galleons we have seen. It was a beautiful boat.

Saturday 2 May

During the night we think we experienced a minor earthquake.  About 11 pm there was quite a loud bang and then the caravan shook for a few seconds.  Apparently they happen quite often.  Had a fairly lazy day.  We drove along the coast to Cavtat, about 5 miles.  It is a very pretty small resort.  We had a wander and some lunch before returning the caravan.

Comment.  When we are driving along Sarah likes a play a version of I Spy.  How many different nationalities can she spot from the number plates.    We are used to the usual central European countries but around here they are quite different.   The most unusual we have spotted are Albanian and a number of Russian cars. 

Sunday 3 May

Began heading back today by moving on to The Peljasac Pennisular which is not far from Dubrovnik and is about 50 miles long.  We were going to stay at Camping Nevio as the reviews were so good but were not taken with it.  The site was very steep making you feel a bit hemmed in.  So we moved on to Camping Palme which a couple had told us about.  It is a small site right on the beach.  Sarah was not impressed at first as it had showers where there was nowhere to hang anything (again).  However, we got a pitch right on the front with a fabulous view towards the Island of Korcula and its main town.  You can sit and watch the many boats going by. 

Monday 4 May

Another lovely day so Sarah got down to some serious washing.  We ventured into the town of Orebic just a couple of miles away.  The town doesn’t have much to offer apart from the ferry port.  We enquired at the Tourist Office if we could get a ferry to the island of Mljet and were told “no”.  However, after a bit of research I found that a ferry was running from today from Korcula to Mljet and there was a regular ferry from Orebic to Korcula.  In the afternoon we had a walk along the coast.  Each house seems to have its own jetty or small harbour.  This area is completely unspoilt by tourism and very quiet.  Visitors seem to come mainly for the water sports.   It is a good wind surfing area.

Had our first evening meal outside!

Tuesday 5 May

Caught the 9 am Ferry to Korcula and then caught the catamaran that comes from Split via

Brac and Hvar to Korcula and on to Mjlet and Dubrovnik.  It took about 40 mins to reach Mjlet.  A large area of the Island is a National Park so you have to pay an entrance fee.  There are two salt water lakes connected to the sea by narrow channels.   There are many footpaths and in all we walked about 8 miles. Fortunately, there is a lot of shade.  One of the lakes had an island with a monastery on it which makes for an excellent picture opportunity.   

We decided we couldn’t walk any further and returned to the port.  We had some time to kill so sat in various bars around the bay.  Five small cruise ships had appeared and we asked the barman about them.   He said they operate out of Split doing 7 night island hopping cruises to Dubrovnik and back.   They were very well presented boats all run by a company called the Katarina Line, with passengers seeming to be mainly American and English.    Back in Korcula we had an hour to kill so had a look around the town.  It is like a mini Dubrovnik.  It seemed to be quite a lively town as there were a number of small cruise ships and yachts moored in the harbour.  We would have liked to stay for dinner but unfortunately the last boat back to Orebic is 7.30pm. 

Wednesday 6 May

Drove to Ston which is a small town near where the peninsular joins the mainland.  It is only a small town but it has the most impressive defensive walls you are likely to see. 

Built in the 14thC they surround the town but also rise up a very steep hillside and right around the hill to the next town of Mali Ston.  At the top of the hillside is a fortress.  Presumably this was so they could defend both sides of the peninsular.  We did walk around part of the walls but they were very steep and it was tough going.

Thursday 7 May

Moved on to the town of Makarska, heart of an area called the Makarska Riviera.  The drive from Orebic to Makarska was stunning. A bit like the French Riviera with a turquoise sea and pretty little towns along the way.  We were not very impressed with Camp Jure.  Very steep access and small pitches but within walking distance of the town. 

All along the sea front to the town are restaurants which looked really nice.  The town itself is quite pleasant.  While there we booked car ferry tickets for the following day for a day trip to Brac.  When we arrived we heard some sport being played with cheering and music playing and quite a few youth on the beach but didn’t think anything of it.  On returning to the caravan it was still going on and was coming from a hotel a short distance away.  Around 7pm the noise stopped and we thought they had gone home.  At 9pm the dance music started.  Sarah wondered if it had been a sports camp and this was the last night party!  We weren’t too concerned as we thought it would stop around 11pm or, at the latest, 1 am as in most resorts.     Listened to the start of the election night coverage on the radio and turned in about midnight – music still going.

Friday 8 May

Music stopped at 7am – just in time for our alarm to go off at 7.15am to get up for the ferry!  We might as well have stayed up all night and listened to the election coverage for all the sleep we got!

We got the ferry to Brac but it was rather a fractious day out as it was very hot and we were very tired.  Drove to the town of Bol which was very attractive and had an excellent beach.  We set off on a walk but turned back as there was no shade and it was just too hot.  Having done some research before we came I was expecting temperatures in their low 20’s. However, they are regularly hitting 25 and 26 deg C which is typical for June.

Aftr a drive across to the other side of the island to Supetar, another nice little town, we headed back for the return ferry.

On returning to the site the noise had increased further.  They were playing basketball but it was like being at an ice hockey match.  Every time they scored there were beating drums, cheering and loud music.  I complained at reception and they said they had called the police and the Head of Tourism but nothing happened.  I went round to the hotel where the receptionist said they were staying until Sunday and there was nothing she could do.  She said that they were University students and did have two professors travelling with them but they were not staying at the hotel.  She gave us the number for the police and suggested we rang them.  At this point we packed up and left.  We wouldn’t normally choose to move sites at 6pm but couldn’t face another night with no sleep.   Found a site in Ormis for the night.   Had a mediocre pizza in the site restaurant, listened to the news on the radio and went to bed.  (It seemed to have been a pretty momentous day at home!).

Saturday 9 May

Moved on to a site near the Krka National Park.  It is called Camping Marina and we were waved in the gate by Marina herself.  We had been stopped a little way back on the road by the police who allowed us through to the campsite but the road beyond the site was shut for a car race of some kind.   It is a small site but has a swimming pool and a restaurant and somewhere to hang your clothes while you have a shower – hurray!   There was already one English van on site and we were later joined by another.   Had a lazy afternoon as it was very hot.  We watched the cars,  some were pimped up production models others were very old Ladas making a very loud noise.  We couldn’t really fathom out the race they just seemed to drive up and down the road.  Apparently, this is just a practice session and the real race is tomorrow.

Sunday 10 May

Visited Krka NP today.  It is a little like Plitvice Lakes but on a smaller scale.  However, it was just as stunning.  We followed the boardwalks for about 2km, passing many small cascades of water before coming to the main event Stadinski Buk. 

This is a large series of waterfalls.  After lunch we drove on about 20 miles to another area of the Park called Raski Slap which has a section of small cascades and water meadows.  One area had high cliffs on either side and reminded us both of Dove Dale and Lathkill Dale in Derbyshire.

On returning to the site we found we had been invaded by the Dutch.   A group of about 20 vans touring together had checked in.  It seemed they were on their way to Corfu.  As the site was quite full the wi fi ground to a halt.  We had dinner in the restaurant and chatted with another English couple.  They live in Spain but still have a home in the UK.  They usually spend about 3 months each year touring with their van and gave us some very useful information on how to access our home TV via the internet. I would like a ‘Slingbox’ for Christmas.

Comment - WiFi. So far we have had access to free wifi on almost every site we have been on.......and in most cases the speed has been good enough to listen to BBC radio and in some cases stream live TV. The UK has some catching up to do.

Monday 11 May

We ventured to the town of Sibenik about 10 miles away on the coast.  The town was found in 1066 (busy year). 

The fort is now used as a music venue and has 1066 seats in commemoration.  There was a Thomson cruise ship in so the town was full of English voices.  They had started in Dubrovnik, called at Venice, Koper in Slovenia (no, we hadn’t heard of it either) and were going on to Korcula, Bari (in Italy) and back to Dubrovnik.     In the afternoon we drove on to Skradin which is a small village from where you can take a boat up to the Krka falls, it also has a huge marina and two men in an inflatable appeared to be on parking duty, directing the yachts to the appropriate berth.  

2. Duga Resa to Dubrovnik

Friday 17 April

Ventured into Zagreb today.  Weather was warm but cloudy. Tricky finding a car park, but once we did we discovered it was under a shopping centre.  Not the most sparkling City you have ever seen, especially for a Capital, but it did have quite a sophisticated air about it.  Coffee culture seems to be big in Croatia. We have seen lots of locals gathering for coffee outside in the squares even on the coldest days. 

The City has some attractive churches and old streets and a good market.   But we will not be recommending it for a weekend City break! 

The grey pictures reflect the grey city and the weather.

On the plus side the cost of coffee has come down a lot.  Paid about £1.30 for two coffees.  Supermarket bill was also a lot less.

In fact prices in general are much lower. Using my well and trusted cost of living barometer – a loaf costs 40p, a half litre bottle of local beer in a supermarket is 60p and a pizza is £5.

We have been eating out with a bottle of wine for less than £30.

The really big saver is diesel at 85p a litre.

Saturday 18 April

Bucketing it down with rain – our first really wet day!  Didn’t venture out anywhere.  Sarah spent the afternoon doing a jigsaw and I edited my photographs.

Sunday 19 April

Woke to a sparkling sunny morning so Sarah made use of the washing machine (also much cheaper in Croatia). 

After lunch we set off on a walk which followed the course of the river to the nearest town of Duga Resa.  The river is the most beautiful colour and this whole area is apparently very popular with locals who come to swim in the river. As it was a  bit cold at the moment we didn’t try it.  After a refreshing drink we walked back along a pretty country road on the other side of the river.  The countryside is very pretty, with trees covered in white blossom.   

The bar at the site was busy with locals most of the day.   A group of boys were playing football and amongst all the shouting you occasionally heard shouts of “Real Madrid” and “Ronaldo”.  Football really is a universal language.

An English couple arrived in a Land Rover Defender which had a tent that popped up out of a box on top.  They were on their way home having been down to Dubrovnik.    They have been to many out the way places over the years such as Mongolia and Uzebekistan, which makes our trip seem rather tame.

Monday 20 April

Moved on to Plitvice Lakes National Park.  We plumped for Camping Korana as the scenery was pleasant and there were restaurants nearby.   The site is in a lovely setting and is huge (only part of it was open) but pitching was a bit odd.  There were large areas of concrete with no pitches marked out.  More individually marked pitches were miles from the toilet block, and there was no grass area flat enough.   It was a bit like pitching on a car park, but the facilities are very good and the site has a good shop and large restaurant.   We ventured out to Restaurant Degenje about 10 mins walk away.  It had a pleasant atmosphere, with many different nationalities eating – German, Italian, Brazilian, American and us as the token Brits.  Food was good.

Comment: I had been a bit worried about a complete lack of knowledge of the Croatian language. I thought that I would be resorting to the old Google translate app on a regular basis. I needn’t have worried. Almost everyone we have come into contact with speaks English. Sometimes it’s just the basic stuff like hello and how much something costs but the majority of Croatians speak excellent English.  In fact in the restaurant mentioned above everyone ordered in English. It made me feel very guilty about not having a good grasp of a second language. I can just about get by in French but I wouldn’t pass an O level. Sarah was taken aback when she went to buy some bread in a small village shop in the middle of nowhere. She was greeted with “Can I help you”. Of course the downside to this is we obviously look English.

Tuesday 21 April

Beautiful sunny day and Sarah’s birthday.  We had croissants for breakfast to celebrate.  Not as good as French ones, but not bad.  After Sarah had opened her cards we drove up to the National Park Entrance 2.  Plitvice Lakes, as the name suggests is a series of 16 lakes connected by hundreds of cascades and waterfalls.  The landscape is created by the river picking up tavertine, calcium rich deposits, and depositing them downstream.  Over many millennia this process had produced barriers behind which lakes have formed.    The water is the most stunning  turquoise colour.  The Park is organised as well as any national park in the USA with boats and buses to ferry you around so you can walk as much or as little as you want.  To really see it you do need to walk.  There are high level paths, lake side paths, boardwalks up to and across the lakes and falls.  The boardwalks were flooded in places but we managed to navigate them.  The falls vary from a few inches to a 100ft.  Every time you turn a corner there is another fall and another view.  It really is a spectacular place. 

Went back to the same restaurant for Sarah’s birthday tea.

Many people have asked us why Croatia? Well here are a few reasons…..

Typical. You wait a whole year to see a decent waterfall and then.....

Wednesday 22 April

An English couple arrived this morning – very chatty.  They had been travelling with another couple but had a bit of a traumatic time which resulted in the other couple going home to get divorced! They had originally planned a trip through Croatia, Hungary and the Czech Repulic but were on a bit of a downer so were going to Italy to meet some friends. 

After lunch we drove to a town called Slunj about 10 miles away.  

We had passed through it on our way to the campsite and it looked pretty and as it got a mention in the guidebook we thought we would take a closer look.  There is an area of the town called Rastoke which is now virtually encircled by the main road.  However, the road is high above the village. Once again it is an area of waterfalls and cascades.  The village developed as they used the water for mills.  You can view the falls from the road but you can get more up close and personal from one of the B&B’s in the village. 

From here you can walk around the water meadows and see the streams burbling through the gardens.

Thursday 23 April

Drove to Split.  Straight forward journey to Camping Stobrec about 6km from Split.  Lovely site right by the sea with huge pitches.  

The site is undergoing some building work and remedial work after a 200 mile an hour wind swept through a couple of months ago.  They are having to trim a lot of trees due to unsafe branches and have had to take quite a few trees down.  Because of the work they were offering  a 10% discount.  In the evening we went to the site restaurant and my filling fell out!

Friday 24 April

Cloudy and damp and had been very windy in the night.   We hadn’t been disturbed by the building work as you couldn’t hear it for the wind!   Asked at Reception is there was a dentist nearby.  The receptionist said there were two very close by would we like her to ring for us.  She did and got an appointment for 11.30.  Very flash designer dental surgery with a dentist who spoke excellent English.  He explained that all he could do was smooth the tooth and put in a temporary filling as there was so little tooth left.   He did this and charged nothing – result.  However, a couple of hours later the filling came out again.   Apparently, Croatians do not generally have good teeth and once you started looking there were dental practices everywhere. 

We had a brief trip into the Split and booked a walking tour for tomorrow. 

Saturday 25 April

Despite conflicting bus timetables we did catch a bus into Split which took about 20 mins.  From the bus we walked through the daily fruit and veg market, all of which looked very inviting.  We sat in one the market cafes for a coffee. 

The café was largely occupied by groups of men presumably waiting for their wives to finish the shopping.  We then met up with our guide for the tour, ‘Duje’.   The tour cost about £20.00 and was for just the two of us.  He told us a little of the history of Split and showed us the main sites.  The City seems to have been occupied by everyone over the centuries, Romans, Venetians and Hungarians to name a few – it is a wonder they don’t have an identity crisis.  The main part of the City was originally built as a retirement palace for the Emperor Diocletian. 

After him it was occupied by various other Emperors and eventually was taken over by people from Salona fleeing the Barbarians.  They took refuge within the palace walls and started to build homes into the walls.  This continued over hundreds of years so that now you can still see parts of the original palace but it also incorporates many different styles of architecture and effectively holds a whole town rather than one residence.  The mausoleum where Diocletian was buried is now the Cathedral.  It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and they restore and maintain the public areas. 

The home owners are supposed to maintain their bit of it, which they do to a greater or lesser degree.   The Palace is built of stone from the nearby island of Brac and where is has been cleaned (with lasers apparently) it looks brand new not several thousand years old. 

Well this ones big enough for me
which one do you want.

After a lunch of traditional spinach pie (it was ok but won’t be bothering again) we ventured up the cathedral bell tower for an excellent view of the City.  

We also wondered along the Riva.  This is a  promenade on the sea front outside the City

Walls.   Packed with local people catching up after the working week and enjoying the sun.

Sunday 26 April

We trundled off to the small town of Trogir which is about 20km from Split.   It is a small town built in the 3^rd Century BC and beautifully preserved. Very much like Split but tiny.   We had a wander and some lunch.  Later in the day we joined Yvonne and Mike from Bexhill for a BBQ.   They have been away in their caravan for nearly 2 years.  They let out their house and off they went.  They have spent a lot of time in Spain, France and Italy.  They are on their way home now aiming to travel through Slovenia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland.   Sarah says she won’t contemplate going way for 2 years!

Comment: Another slight concern of mine before we left was the quality and width of the roads. Once again I needn’t have worried. With one or two minor exceptions the A type roads are better than In England and more than wide enough for a caravan. The motorways are toll roads but much cheaper than In France and relatively new with lots of fancy bridges and tunnels.

Monday 27 April

Set off for Dubrovnik.   We drove inland to join the motorway and were surprised by how mountainous the area is and how sparsely populated. As some of you will know, as we have told you at length, you have to drive through a small area of Bosnia which comes down to the coast.  I had to change car insurance companies before we left home to join one that would ensure us to drive through Bosnia (apparently because of the on-going risk of landmines).   The sat nav does not acknowledge the existence of Bosnia so suggested that we drive 821 miles to the foot of Italy to catch a ferry to Dubrovnik.   Needless to say we ignored that.  Set a course for the border.  When we arrived at the border there was a guard which is quite unusual but he wasn’t bothered about looking at our passports.  Whilst driving through Bosnia the Sat Nav was silent and there was cursor showing our position in the middle of a white screen.  It took all of 10 mins to drive along the coastal stretch.   As this is Bosnia’s only access to the coast it was quite built up so I am not sure where any landmines were meant to be hiding! So a lot of fuss and time for a 10 minute drive.

Arrived at Camping Kate in time for a late lunch.   The site is in a very small resort called Mlini (after the mills that used to be here) about 5 miles from Dubrovnik.  We were a little disappointed with the site initially as we have been spoilt by larger sites with great facilities. It is a bit rustic, a bit like an English CL but with toilets and showers which are clean but there’s nowhere to hang your clothes whilst you shower. However, we have got our own orange tree outside the door, a small chapel should we need someone else’s help and a glimpse of the sea.  We walked down (about 100 steps) to the harbour which has some very nice bars and restaurants and some smart looking hotels so we are staying for a few nights.

Comment: I have been pleasantly impressed by this country so far, stunning landscapes, friendly people and good food. Given the choice, I would now chose to visit this country rather than Northern Spain where to food is poor and the locals not very welcoming. A local gent came across to me a couple of days ago to ask where I was from and if I was enjoying my stay. He left saying that it was very good to see a car with a GB plate.