Tag: Croatia

SPLIT, SLOVENIA AND THE FERRY TO GREECE

Thursday 26th November

Wow 12.30 check out so a whole half day of luxury so we make the most of it. Vicki is into the gym by 8.00 and, because my back is still sore, I get to the pool at 8.30 and Vicki joins me after her workout. After a swim, sauna, shock pool and aroma steam ahhhh we are scoffing ourselves as if this is the last breakfast for a while which it probably will be. When we check out the price of the room has jumped from 717K to 792k so we argue that we had established the price and they say that maybe 717k sounded like 770k but this doesn’t gel cos it still doesn’t sound like 792k! So we get our way with no hostility as they really are a friendly hotel. We retrace our steps from the way up and make our way back to Trpanj along the coast but this time I am driving so Vicki can admire the scenery. We are travelling along the inside of the road so nowhere the edge so she is more comfortable. Even though we have been this way and recognise it is still feels different and you see different things travelling in the other direction. Along the way where there are wineries we see grapes still on the vine but not enough to harvest and make vino so even though I want to stop and taste them we can’t find a safe spot and any way it might be seen as stealing. (later on at a market in Split we see where they are selling slightly over ripe grapes sort of like plump raisons so maybe they weren’t ready for harvest and keep them for this). We arrive at the ferry port of Trpanj just on dark and it was rainy and blowing a gale. We were going to stay at a closed camp out of town but the town is safe and there is a good park next to a truck right next to where everybody lines up for the ferry and we are sure there will be no worries. We have a coffee at a small café with a fire going but everyone is smoking and for us not a great atmosphere so move on to a little bar just opening so no one has arrived so I have a beer with a clean atmosphere. Back to the van and watched the ferry come in and take away the last passengers for the nite. Early next morning the ferry wakes us (sort of) coming into port and we are loaded and away by 6.45am. A hot coffee/cappuccino for brekky  with a croissant and an hour later we are at Ploce.  It is cold and rainy and we enquire at the ferry office about getting the ferry from Split to Ancona. She says that the reservations are full but not everyone has paid so we should be able to get on. We ask if we can go on a reserve list but no. She says the best thing is to go to the office in Split when we get there. It won’t let Vicki do it on line so we hope for the best but we don’t really have a choice. We again drive the same route back to Split but it does feel different.  It is really blustery and we see small waterspouts out on the sea. The weather is clear so visibility is real good and the view is fantastic. The sight of huge rocky islands rising out of the sea is dramatic and it is what this part of the Adriatic is famous for. We stop at a new café/bakery and from inside we see the van rocking and rolling in the gusts outside and hope it doesn’t take of haha.

We have made good time and get into the campground around midday, park up in a place closer to the sea even though it is not in the sun and we get two loads of washing done. It is always a relief to do this and though Vicki I know is tempted to do it tomorrow as stripping the bed , washing, drying etc can take up a couple of hours for a change I say get it done then we have tomorrow with no plans other than to suss out ferry tickets.  When we were checking in a couple who were on the internet say hey is that an aussie or kiwi accent?’ We reply that we are kiwis as this has become a standard answer travelling but do say we are kiwaussies. We get a laugh and find they are from Northern NSW so we figure they are nearly Queenslanders. Vicki was later chatting to Garrie and found out they are also travelling for 12 months but have just started so she mentioned we had some maps we didn’t need any more so we took them over to him and his partner Julie along with books that we have both read as we know that it is neat to get English books. We ended up chatting till midnight with a couple of coffees and chippies and had a great chat. It is fantastic when you can meet people for the first time and hit it off as if you are old mates. I think we all have friends that remind us of other friends and being from the other side of the world we have a lot in common. It got real weird when we found out another couple that had left the day before knew Rob & Sue that we have befriended previously. A very small camping world indeed.

We had a bit of a sleep in and after brekky we caught up with Garrie and Julie who were also heading into Split so decided to go together on our bikes. We had a map but nothing is as easy as it seems and we ended having a pretty tough & hilly ride about 8-10ks to town. The weather was just beautiful with no wind and blue skies. Lots of families were out on their Saturday picnics and about a kilometre of seaside cafes, amusements and parks gave them the most beautiful setting.

We finally found our way to the port office to see if we could get on the ferry. They just told us to be there at 7.30pm the next nite in case there was a cancellation. She told us there was no standby list that it was just a case of turning up just before the ferry left to see if there was some extra room. So we all head over the old town and had a look around and a meal & bevvy at a small kebaby type café.  We thought Split would be a bit ‘cityish’ and busy but this part was really cool and we enjoyed an hour of wandering.  The town centre has quite a few ruins that look a little like they belong to Greece but they were definitely worth the look.  Garrie & Julie had explored the day before so it was great to have tour guides. We would have loved to look around further and especially to climb the Bell Tower but it was closed and, as it is winter it is best to not linger because it gets dark so quickly and early, so we got on our bikes to head home what seemed to be a  bit early. As it was we got back at 4pm and it was getting dark. Unfortunately the peddle on Vicki’s bike had come off and I tried to a quick fix and only succeeded in breaking the peddle so Vicki had to bike without a peddle which was a real pain in the butt. Hopefully we can get it fixed but really along with the rooted gears maybe better to trade or ditch. A very busy day and a good nights sleep awaits. Still up in the air about if we can get the ferry but tomorrow is another day.

In the morning and move our camper to a location that is right by the sea and has more sun to do a bit of a quick spring clean before we head off to the ferry.  We have a chat with our newly made friends and Scot decides he has to have a swim in the ocean before we head away.  The dust inside the camper builds up so quickly and is hard to keep away so it is always nice to see it fresh and dust free if only for a few hours.  The time flies by and before we know it the time is almost 3 and we need to pay and leave.  We say our goodbyes to Julie and Garrie and hope to catch up with them in Spain before they head to Morocco.  We drive to the ferry terminal where we were yesterday and try to figure out where we can park.  Scot stays in the van and I go in to find out if there are any cancellations yet.  A bitchface blonde (Scot’s words) wasn’t helpful at all and told me we had to come back at 7.45pm and no sooner so Scot went in another way and talked to another lady. He gave her the Hood charm and smiles and got a bit further but still was told to come back tonight at 7.00pm. He asks if we can put our names down as first cab on the rank but got the standard reply be there at 700pm. They tell Scot we can park in the queue through the gate behind the other camper which we recognise as one that left the camp ground earlier this afternoon.  Apparently they don’t have tickets either and we wonder now who has priority to get on first since we have been asking for 3 days but they got there first today?

Anyway, we have a walk around and about 6pm we see the other camper people sitting inside so we decide that we need to make ourselves seen inside too so head in.  Scot goes and asks if there is any change and she says no that we are first cab off the rank, until another lady tells her we are second not first.  About 7pm nothing is happening but I am getting pissed off that it appears that there are others now in the queue – that we were told didn’t exist – so I quiz the lady who then proceeds to tell me we are now 4th in line.  I can’t figure it out and express my dissatisfaction at being pushed down the queue when we have been asking for 3 days now – but I get the sense they think we are English and I feel there is some contempt there.

8pm and the ferry should be leaving and we hear ‘Cars, no campers’ called out.  The two car people are happy and get their tickets and head on board.  I am ‘Not Happy Jan’!!  However we had been talking and decided that since it didn’t look likely to get on it would actually be much cheaper for us to just get the ferry from Trieste like we had originally planned so that will be out next move.  As we left the other camper couple appeared to be trying to cajole the ladies into getting them on but we don’t know what happened.  We headed back to the camp for a last night.

We head out early as we want to try and get to Slovenia before night fall.  We take the opposite roads to how we travelled down which is what we were wanting to do originally, so we take the highway to Zadar which only costs only about 12euro which isn’t bad and then take the coast road all the way to Rjieke.  This road is a great drive, good road and only a little traffic and the best scenery in Croatia really.  It isn’t a fast drive as the road has lots of horseshoe bends with drops to the sea so slow and sure wins the day.  It doesn’t take long and as we near Rjieke some of the coastal mountains show snow on them down quite a reasonable way so it has obviously snowed along this stretch since we passed about 10 days ago.  As we head into Slovenia and drive off the highway onto a road that will take us back to Koper (to the great cheap campstop we previously stayed at before) the sun has gone and we can see snow and ice off to the side of the road.  It is cold here and there must have been a good snow fall for it to still be around.  I take it easy on the road as it almost looks a bit greasy or icy and we don’t think it has seen much sun.

We arrive at Koper.  We are very fond of this place and are quite pleased to have the opportunity to be back here again.  Although it is right on a very busy highway it hasn’t bothered us before and we don’t notice the traffic this time either.  The ferry from Trieste doesn’t leave until  the morning after tomorrow at 4.30am and we find out that the ticket office isn’t open until midnight so we don’t have to leave here early, but we want to arrive in daylight to make it easier so late afternoon will be fine.

We head into town next morning to a café we know does great coffee and have a bit of a wander.  We find a sports shop that is selling cheap runners and we know we will both need new ones soon so have a look.  We both manage to get a pair for about 40 euro – both asics that we know are around $220 in Aussie so a bargain.  Time is getting away so we head back to the van, pack up and off to Trieste.  As we head over the border the smog get worse and seemingly in typical Italian style that we have experience in that country there is heaps of pollution and it is awful.  We find the port and drive down to the office.  We are told it is closed until midnight, so we park in the queue and sit out the long 7 hour wait until we can buy tickets and then wait another 4 hours until we leave.

At midnight we head to the ticket office.  Our previous plan was to take a ferry from Split to Ancona, a ferry from Ancona to Patras and then another ferry from Patras back to Ancona ready to go to Spain.  The guy does us a fantastic deal where because we book an open ticket back to Ancona and because we have a camper we get a free room so we can sleep and 30% off any meals plus I can still use my uni student card and get a major discount for my ticket.  The total price of the return trip we pay for is 800euro less than we would have paid for the other 3 ferry trips – a massive aud1300 saving just by driving to Trieste.  I am happy with that as we are just a bit over budget so this saving is great. And we are also grateful we didn’t get on the ferry at Split.

We manage to stay awake until 3.30 when we board the ferry.  There are hardly any vehicles leaving from here and the ferry is very empty at this point.  We head to our room which is an inside cabin with shower and toilet and two single beds.  Fantastic, much better than sleeping in an aircraft seat which was our other option.  We hit the hay and at least manage a few hours sleep before announcements wake us to say we are in Ancona.  Eventually we get up and check out Ancona where we are docked for about 3 hours.  They must have loaded heaps of trucks as when we go to leave the ship the deck that we are parked on that was empty is chokka.  We have a smooth sailing which is great.  We head up on deck to check out the pool….lol.  It is empty and is dreadful looking so maybe it hasn’t been used for a while.  There isn’t anything happening on the boat other than a few people playing pokies and a limited menu put on in the café at meal times.  Staff are on a skeleton schedule by the limited amount we see.  We spend all day up in the lounge watching the scenery and reading until tea time.  The meals are unfortunately ordinary and expensive so we choose the best of it but wish we could get down to the campervan to cook our own.  They actually don’t allow you to go back to your vehicle during the voyage and I can understand why.  When we head to the van the next afternoon, just trying to slide between the trucks to get to our van is a nightmare.  Walking between the front and back of a truck is hairy as there is no room for movement or you would be crushed.  So if that happened whilst on the ocean you would be mince meat.  Unpleasant even when we are in dock.  They park the trucks so close that we can’t even slide between some of them.

We end our first night watching a movie on the laptop in our little cabin.  A reasonable nights sleep and we get up when we hit Igoumenitsa.  This place is difficult to remember at first so we nickname it ‘Eat all my pizza’ as it is similar and works for us.  We watch the first cars and trucks and a bunch of teenagers leave the ship and this little town actually looks really quite cute.  We may change our plans again and get back on the ferry here instead of Patras if we feel the roads are ok to travel on.  Woohoo, finally in Greece – country no. 24.

Our experience on this ship is a fairly ordinary one, but we know this company is owned by Grimaldi lines who are renowned for not great, dirty unkempt ships in Europe perhaps lacking a bit of safety.  Our room was ok, the beds clean, the bathroom clean but the common toilets were disgusting, the sofas uncomfortable and in bad shape and the staff really didn’t appear to be very happy at all, but hey we were only on there for 36 hours so it was fine.

After breakfast and another 5 hours and we dock in Patras.  We are almost last off our deck as there are heaps of trucks first.  Driving through Patras it appears as if it is a typical port town.  Dirty, rubbish everywhere and just a generally unkempt rundown city.  The countryside is similar to Croatia, not quite as rocky, but mountainous and barren.  The roads are badly in need of repair, that we have seen on our short time here so I doubt we will be travelling to all the places we have thought of.  We are still a little tired from our 4am morning so we decide it isn’t worth travelling too far so I have picked a small camp half an hour out of Patras where it will only take us a few hours to get to Athens tomorrow.  The camp has a few dogs that are very bark happy but the labby is a lovely girl despite her barking habits.  We sit and have a drink in the fading sun.  I do some research thinking maybe we could spend a couple of days on Santorini or Mikonos leaving the van at Athens but most places are closed and even those that are open I am not sure how you get meals as there are few taverns etc open.  I think it is too hard so we will have to come back to see the Greek Islands at a later date in our lives at a more suitable time, not in the summer and not in the winter!  We get wifi for the first time in a few days and we find out we have a new baby grandson born a few days before, how cool.  It’s times like this that it is a shame we are away from home, but we will see photos and hopefully Skype home so we can see our new Grandson.

We could have bought wifi on the ship but I am still in shock at how pathetic it was.  4euro for 4mb….yes 4 mb of data.  That wouldn’t even receive an email these days, I am in a WTF mode.  Or you can get 8mb of data for 8euro or for the princely sum of 11euro you can get 12mb of data.  I think this data must be from 10 years ago as no one in their right mind would pay that kind of money for that pittance of data, again I say WTF!!!

Oh dear we have just realised why we got the 3rd degree on the first border crossing between Slovenia and Croatia.  We had breached the Schengen agreement NZ has with Slovenia unknowingly but my innocent bluff (I didn’t know I was doing that at the time) meant they let us through, but we would have been classified as illegal overstayers in Schengen and then travelling back through Slovenia two days ago was another breach.  Thank goodness we are ok where we are now.  I thought I knew the rules thoroughly but I missed the rules of 4 countries that we should never have been allowed into.  Lucky!

DUBROVNIK, CROATIA

Saturday 21st November

For us we left early at 9.30 as we had to catch the 2.15 ferry at Ploce. It was a very peaceful and pleasant drive and the coast road was picturesque and as Vicki was driving I got to sit back and enjoy the scenery. There were little seaside villages along the way but we really only get to glimpse them as there is always a road going down to them as the main road travels above them on a higher ‘coast’ road. It is a bit annoying as we are sure they would be neat to look at but probably not much to see and too hard to get down to with the campervan. One place looked real neat at the start and I would have loved to stop for a coffee but too early. It is surrounded by huge mountains and a river and quite quaint, with a sort of a pass way gorge to the interior. Maybe we will stop there on the way back to split. We arrived into Ploce around lunchtime got our tickets for the ferry and had a coffee. Coming into Ploce we passed a bunch of lakes and I think this is a tourist attraction in the summer and the geography is interesting. But as we get close to Ploce it seems to contradict itself with, being a busy inland port, expectations of modern facilities and infrastructure but it is very dingy and run down. In fact there is a decidedly hideous and architecturally bizarre housing that looks like something out of Mad Max v Logans Run. Everything seems to smack of the old days but when you consider the hard times in the Yugoslav wars and the subsequent splitting of the countries it is understandable and a little sad but at least there seems to be happier times now even if some of the wealth hasn’t reached here yet.

We boarded the ferry which wasn’t full and a very modern and clean it was and we had a misty rainy trip for an hour to the peninsula port of Tripanj. Managed to have a cappuccino and a beer (no prizes to guess who had what). We got off the ferry and had a short stop to sort out our journey down to Dubrovnik(I will call Dub). Vicki’s original plan was to take the short 10k journey to Orebic where she had found a campsite but it was a little bit in reverse of the way to Dub but the weather was wet and windy and the roads were narrow and dodgy. Also we would have been travelling on the cliff side and the Armco barriers were very low and only bolts holding them in. I know it sounds paranoid but sometimes it is just not worth it, especially in inclement weather, and some risks are worth taking and some aren’t. Luckily we have the advantage of street view on the tablet with google maps so we can physically see them (along with potential parking places) and make a decision. Since it doesn’t really change any plans except make it easier as we are heading in the direction of Dub we decide to take the left and not the right turn. How this will influence our journey we will never know (sliding doors syndrome) but the decision is made and we continue in the rain and wind.

Again the afternoon is quickly coming to an end and by 4pm it is starting to get dark so we are on the lookout for a potential overnight stop. I have the advantage of Google and can see what is coming up and when you convert to satellite you can see the lay of the land which is fantastic finding carparks, forests and space to park up where it looks safe. So we turn into a small village called Drace and park in a carpark right on the small harbour. By this time it is really blustery and rainy, the little boats are bobbing like crazy in the water and all the houses, cafes and buildings are shuttered up and seem deserted. We take our bikes out and settle in for the night only disturbed by the comings and goings of a few locals checking on their boats but they seem oblivious to us. Funny enough we feel more content and safe here than some campgrounds and sleep well. We do feel very safe here in Croatia, I get the feeling that they are a respectful and proud people and despite or because of their past history and hardship are not a frivolous or false people and on the whole have better things to do than be petty criminals.

The weather is a little better in the morning and we continue on our way on the narrow roads across the peninsula where it changes from inland to seaside roads punctuated by lots of wineries which are closed except for a few. The land here is a harsh provider and the vines are very stunted and gnarly but I bet they provide the most tasty grapes and subsequent wine and liquors. The vineyards are situated on every available hillside that faces towards he most sun and are terraced using the abundant rocks which I feel make up 80% of the soil so can only imagine the amount of hard labour that goes into producing any small area of production. The villages are not always pretty but are functional and I understand that scarce money can’t always be spent to make the outside look ‘nice’ for us tourists. I get the feeling they are probably one hell of a lot more happy than kiwis & aussies that are obsessed with keeping up with the Jones’s and spending big for no real gain.

We continue the spectacular coast drive to Dub and look out over the Adriatic to the islands with the sea truly sparkling in the afternoon sun. It is beautiful and I can totally agree with the hype over this area and I am glad we have made the effort considering the difficulties getting here without going through Bosnia and the highway. We pass the most beautiful bays where the lucky few reside or can holiday at the huge resorts that seem to occupy a whole bay. I suspect that the locals may resent them but it does bring in $$ and employment.  We can only dream of staying at these but dream nevertheless. We approach Dub and the road looks down at the city and the huge suspension bridge that you have to enter by. We stop at the lookout to take the obligatory photos and as us hardcore campers do take the opportunity to empty the toilet at the portaloo as there is no camper horror more terrible than a full potty!! We also take the time to find the best route to the camping ground we are planning to stay outside even though they are closed.  In a place like Dub where parking is at an absolute premium even a closed ground is gold and after a disastrous attempt to get to the old town and see if there is a park (more chance of winning lotto) we get to Camp Solitudo which lives up to its name as there is no one here and we find a park outside in an actual new camping park. We figure that since there are no signs saying we are not allowed to stay during the closed season then we will find a pitch for the night.

We lock up and walk into the old town which is 4km way and a pleasant walk and being Sunday quiet with little traffic. The old town is surrounded by a wall and looks really cool and is small compared to others we have explored. Outside the walled city we are approached by a young chap who, with his band, are touring Europe and are selling their own CD to raise money to play in Vienna next month. We have a nice, informative chat (they are from Parnu in Estonia where we have been) and help their fundraising effort by buying one after hearing a song on their Samsung tablet. It sounds ok so hope the rest is good to listen to. We couldn’t resist asking how many tablets they have gone through given our experience! Entering the city we are surprised that it is not similar to others. It looks clean and new looking sought of like a theme park attraction but it is genuine so maybe they have done a lot of renovations. It has wide main thoroughfares and not as many shops but it is now the off season so to be expected. We wander around and there is evidence of buildings being reno’d and because all the buildings are beautiful stone and none are painted there is absolutely no shabbiness which adds to the unreal look for something so old. There are still cute alleyways where people live with a few shops and restaurants but maybe we were spoilt or influenced by Venice but all seems a tad sterile. Somehow now I appreciate the originality of the other old towns we have seen which at first impression I see as shabby and a bit rundown but reflect the real world. Maybe it is better when bustling in summer.

We find a small Cliffside bar and though a bit exy for Croatia it has the best view and the coast today is blustery so enjoy the waves crashing as we saviour our first drink of the day. On the way to the old town we have noticed a huge 5 star hotel which overlooks the bay and curls around it so nearly every room has a view like the ones we saw in the way in. We drool at the pool but today it has waves crashing into it and is now closed for winter. We end up getting the local bus back to base to save our legs for $6aud. We had decided not to eat out as we have food we have to cook as we do not waste anything if we can help it. Vicki gets on the net and checks out the Rixos hotel we saw just for fun and find out the reviews are really good and only 600kuna(about $120aud) for a night in the cheapest room including buffet breakfast and the use of indoor pool, sauna, shock pool, aroma steam room, gym and mineral pool. We look at our timetable and figure we can afford the time and $$ to spend a night and finally have our long awaited wedding anniversary that we have planned to have but have not found anywhere we hope it is worth it. We see other offers from different agencies but decide to go to the hotel in the morning see what they can offer and more importantly whether we can park our van there. It is no use getting a night then find there is no parking and no refunds.

We are pleasantly surprised when we can stay in a superior suite with king size bed and sea views for 700kuna ($140.00aud) and we can park out the front We accept and get our stuff from the van farewell Morrison the Van for the night happy in the knowledge that he is ritzing it as well! We are shown to our room on the 9th floor and the staff are exceptionally friendly and we are happy with our decision to have our first night out in Europe in 8 months. We are shown to our room which is beautiful and we look at each other with huge grins on our faces as we sit on the most comfy bed and look out over the Adriatic Sea to the old town and islands we saw yesterday from the Cliffside bar. And to top it off management send up a bottle of bubbly to celebrate our belated anniversary. What are wonderful gesture and makes spending a part of our careful budget on a bit of luxury. We spent a wonderful 2 hours in total swimming in the 36c pool followed by a 15 minute sauna, plunge cold pool, mineral pool then 20minutes in an aroma steam room another plunge and mineral swim then back to the room for a drink on the deck and a small snooze for me while Vicki takes advantage of the internet.

We decide to check out the buffet or A La Carte for dinner as a treat and though not expensive compared to anywhere else is still $40aud each but what the hell we deserve it and I for one gorge myself silly!! I wonder how they can have a buffet when there are only 8 people eating including us but halfway through a horde of inevitable tour bus Asians tramp in, take over and cough, hoik and talk loud so now we see why. It is interesting that the next night there is no buffet as there are no numbers to warrant it. We retire for the night and wake up not touching each other for the first time in ages in a bed the size of our van.

Vicki is totally refreshed and revelling in a real bed but funny enough I have woken up to a crook back which I get now and then usually being an idiot on the diving board or camp trampoline and ironic considering the bed but probably from the stretching and swimming from the water pools and sauna yesterday. So I take inflammatory pills after a mega buffet brekky which had fruit, cereals, hot and cold buffet, croissants, chocolate  pastries etc etc so had an hour relax then back to the pools for another two hours. Yes by now we had decided to rearrange our schedule and spend another 2 days as this is too good to leave and it doesn’t hurt our travels as we now realise we will probably be spending less time in Greece after research has shown a lot is closed and we will spend more time in Southern Spain. At 5.0 we head into town towards the old town to have pizza as they are so yummy over here, real crispy base and tasty at a good price as we share. We find a small pizzeria and have our favourite Capricciosa – tomato, cheese, ham and mushrooms, sometimes with artichokes- with a Greek salad wine and beer for $30.00aud. Back to our room watch tv as there are English channels have a drink then cuddle up away from each other due to the football field size bed. We wake refreshed but my back is still a little sore and not up to a gym session so I pursue a comfy position in the now my best friend bed and Vicki goes off in her Lorna Janes for a gym workout, the first in over 8 months. She comes back revitalised but at least I am sitting up by now watching BBC,CNN & Euronews as well as the odd roadrunner v wile e coyote cartoon. Today is a repeat of yesterday and as I write this we will be heading out to the pizzeria.  The only bit of excitement is when we left the sauna put on our bathrobes and slippers and went to the pool to leave our towels. Vicki commented that I was wearing her slippers but I said no as I hang my robe on the right and she on the left outside the sauna (this is our 3rd time and routine is important something we have learnt in the van) We don’t think much of it until we look at each other and her robe is to her ankles and mine is around my knees and I discover the door card in MY pocket! We try the door and our card doesn’t work and we can’t get into our room. Funny enough this is the first time that Vicki has taken both cards with her IN the cover that has our room number on it. She is so security conscious and normally she would take only the door card with no indication of what room we are in. We have visions of someone getting our card while we are relaxing and stripped our room then put the card (or different ones) back in the wrong robe pocket.  Somehow our robes have been switched on the hanger outside the sauna and now we can’t get into our rooms. Panic. I know it sounds a bit paranoid but in our room are our wallets, cards, Passports, Tablets and basically all our vital things and a robbery would mean the end of our travels.  We have felt that it is all secure as it is also the low season. We go to reception and they get us new cards and we reopen our room and everything is ok, what a relief. The only explanation is someone has gone to put our robes on thinking they are theirs (unusual considering we only saw one couple and a single guy use the facility), realise their mistake and put them back wrong, along with our card electronically failing at the same time. A relief but weird. Or someone was f**king with us and switched robes which is hard to fathom. Never mind all k in the end.  (Actually after Scot wrote this he realised that maybe he had picked up my robe by mistake after the pool so maybe it wasn’t someone switching our robes after all, but it was still strange that our cards didn’t work in the room.  We think they may have thought we were only staying 2 nights in total and not 3 and locked our cards out during the day).

I felt so silly going to reception in a bath robe and slippers to have to explain that our room cards weren’t working anymore and we were worried about what had happened at the spa, but since there essentially isn’t anyone else staying here other than 3 more couples it was ok and no one saw us.  After that episode we calmed down and I worked on some computer work I needed to get done and Scot sat outside with his pencils and did some sketching of the picturesque scenery from our room.  We went down to the same place for dinner to have pizza and Greek salad which was so nice.  we am looking forward to having some real Greek salads in Greece when we get there.

No one turned up to do a turn down and give us choccies tonight so I think they definitely think we have gone.  I can only hope they only charge us 2 nights stay as well – wouldn’t that be good!  Our last night of luxury.  In the morning it will be a reasonably early rise, off to the gym for a bit of a workout (mostly due to the large brekkies we are enjoying) then a swim, maybe a steam or quick sauna before showering, breakfast and off.  Don’t know what checkout time is but since no one is staying here I am sure they won’t mind if we leave a little late.

SLOVENIA AND ONTO CROATIA

Sunday 15 November

Up and organised and we buy some fresh veges from the camp owner who is such a lovely lady.  She makes us a coffee before we go and has a chat.  We feel they are very hospitable people here so we enjoy what they have to offer.  We decide that since it is Sunday we can drive on the yellow non highway roads so we have no tolls to pay.  We head out on the road and the fog has lifted a lot but not completely from when we arrived so we can see a little of the surrounds here.  We stop at a little supermarket on the way out to buy a couple of things and then continue on our way.  The roads are reasonably quiet which is good.  It takes us several hours before we reach Trieste which is right on the border of Italy and Slovenia.  It is an amazing place and as we drive along the esplanade approaching Trieste there are a number of campers parked along the water.  For a short moment we contemplate staying here tonight instead of continuing on but we really need to keep moving and get into Slovenia today.  As you drive out of Trieste you can look down the high cliffs at the many marinas that are featured around the coastline here.  It looks like an expensive part of the country and there is a very large port as well.  We head into a small town near the border of Slovenia called Koper which looks really nice.  The camp stop is right near the motorway so very easy to find as it is already getting dark (It starts to get dark now about 4pm especially when it is overcast).  The campstop is only 4 euro for the night and it has everything including toilets and showers, what a bonus.  Plus it is fully secure with a card to swipe for access in and out.  There are other campers here who are from Slovenia who help us to get our power connected as it is a little tricky.  I feel a little uncomfortable with a couple of them as I feel there is some judgement happening as they stare without emotion at us setting up.

We love the look of this place so decide we will stay for an extra night so we can explore the town tomorrow.  We ride our bikes into town as it’s flat and easy to get there with bike lanes.  The town is cute and ancient.  We stop our bikes and we spy a hairdresser.  Scot wants to have his hair cut again so he heads in and checks it out.  10euro for a cut, so cheap so he has his cut and we head to a café for coffee.  I would love to have my hair cut as it is getting too long but I can’t communicate adequately to any of these people so can’t tell them what I want so it is easier to just tie my hair up most days and forget about it.  Coffee is at a little café that is making chocolate as well and we find it is only 3euro for 2 cups and 2 rounds of chocolate, very cheap.  We head off around the little town again and come out at the shore where there is a marina.  There is also a big port here, the main one for Slovenia.  I need stamps and cards etc so we look for the post office which is apparently hard to find.  On the way we have pizza again and another coffee eventually finding the post office.

Afterwards we head back to find our bikes and go back to the van for some things we have forgotten and then head back into town.  We found a lovely café/restaurant on the waterfront so we find that again and sit and have a wine and beer – well several.  They also serve snacks with your drink so we have some pastry cheesy baked things.  It was dark when we left so we attach our lights and head back to the camper stop.

In the morning we need to do some laundry as it’s been over 2 weeks and there hasn’t been anywhere to do it, so I find a Laundromat in a small town down on the coast near the Croatian border.  It is difficult to find but eventually we find it and prepare for the 2 hour wait for the laundry to wash and dry.  We have our obligatory morning coffee and then sit and read whilst waiting for it to finish.  By midday we are all done and back on the road to Croatia.  We need to drive on the non highway roads as we haven’t bought a vignette for Slovenia and the fine is quite high.

As we leave Slovenia the police are on the border in the Slovenian side and they want our passports.  This is a first, we haven’t had anyone wanting to look at them on a border since we left England.  We confuse the hell out of the copper who has seen the GB number plate of the van and I then hand him NZ passports.  He looks at me and asks where we live.  Australia I say and he looks even more confused…lol.  Underneath I am a little concerned that he will not like the 3 things that don’t seem to add up so I fill him in on what we are doing.  I don’t think his English is all that good, but a lady copper sitting beside him seems to be nodding and smiling that all is ok.  After several minutes and a few cars lined up behind us he stamps the passports telling us it isn’t a good time to go to Greece and waves us along.  Then we are stopped at the Croatian border and have to show the passports again.  They are ok, stamp them and off we go.  Someone reminds us that as it isn’t usual to find police on the borders (actually the EU doesn’t allow this type of border control) it is likely due to the Paris bombings even though we aren’t near there.  We decide that this isn’t a country to try and drive off the highways, but first we have to buy a sim card for the tablet.  We get off the yellow road and head into the first little town on the seafront where I know there is a mobile phone shop.  We walk around town and look for the shop but then find that the shops here open from 9 until 1 and then reopen at 4 and close at 6 or 7.  It is about 1.15 so we have just missed the two shops we have come across, but thankfully we find another one that doesn’t close.  The lady that serves us says they have to work 12 hour days and seems quite unhappy about it.  I guess I would be too.  I buy the sim without all the security of other countries and we head out of the town and head back to a highway.

We want to get as far down Croatia as we can on the highway, even though it isn’t cheap driving on the highway.  The alternative isn’t pretty though, the ‘yellow’ roads as we call them as they show on the map as yellow are the next best thing to the highways but these ones go right over the mountains and we don’t know how good these roads will be in Croatia so we can’t risk it.  It is also getting late In the day and since it is starting to get dark at 4pm these days it is much better to be on the highways driving in the dark.  We have a small camperstop pegged out at Ogulin so as we approach the town we exit the highway and head towards where the camperstop is.  It is often funny when we find small places like this the roads are often very tiny and can only take one car at a time.  This is no exception and we head through these roads that are very narrow and appear to be in the middle of absolutely nowhere.

We contemplate stopping for the night at a little restaurant that we pass but then realise they also have rooms so will be a conflict them letting us stop in their carpark for the night even if we eat at their restaurant.  We eventually find the camperstop and there are a lot of people already staying there whom we are told are speleologists.  In fact the camp is called Spelio camp and they cater for up to 10 countries that come exploring caves in these areas.  They are very friendly and start chatting to us.  One guy we chat to had been to every other country except NZ where he plans to go in a couple of years time.  They are lovely people but we let them get on with their night and we check in and set up the van.  We have our washing to fix up and bed to make so before the bed is made we check to make sure that our hws leak is still ok and the van is dry under the bed, which thankfully it is all fine.  I make up the bed and it is a reasonably early night.

The Speleologists are up early and getting organised and we also get ourselves organised.  We want to get down to Zadar today.  The wind has been howling all night and was so strong that the van had one of it’s struts knocked away which we have never had before.  It is still blowing a gale and as I take a look at the weather forecast I see that someone was correct in telling us that the weather was about to change in a few days.  The good weather we have been having is coming to an end and the forecast for this current location is 4 days of snow with temperatures of 4 down to -4.  Oh shit we don’t need snow to travel in so we need to get away from this area real fast.   We head off out of the town on the little narrow alleyways we went in on and Scot spies several sellers, some selling large bags of cabbages (god who would buy 15 cabbages at a time?) and other veges but one is selling honey so we circle back and Scot jumps out to have a look.  He comes back after 5 minutes happy with his purchase but he has been severely ripped off.  The guy saw him coming and charged him 70kuna for a jar of honey (that’s aud15) which is a huge amount for someone to be selling on a little stall In this country. (however we see later where it costs this in the supermarket and it is delicious).  Anyway I guess it is probably the only sale he will make that day so if it buys him some groceries that is ok.

The landscape around this part of the country is barren, scrubby, rocky, nothingness.  Nothing grows and I guess you can really do nothing with the land either.  We head south and start discussing that maybe we need snow chains for the car as if the forecast is for snow in a couple of days we have summer tires and we could be in trouble.  So Scot checks the legal requirements of Croatia which we should have checked before now and finds that legally we need snow chains in our van if we are pulled over by the police who do random checks.  Along the sides of the highway they have many signs with tires with chains on as well as many signs showing snowflakes and reduced speeds in case there is snow.  As I am driving I am travelling very slow as the wind is severe and the wind socks are being blown sideways.  We travel over many viaducts and the wind blows the van around quite a bit.  I dislike driving in these types of conditions but I can only hope the wind eases at some stage.  Having said that strangely we head through a major tunnel through a mountain about 5.5km long and when we get to the other side it seems that the wind isn’t as strong and at the sun even starts to come out.  We decide that regardless of it all we need to find snow chains so stop at a couple of service stations on the highway to see what they have.  We eventually buy some – very much cheaper than other countries so at least we will have something for a worst case scenario.

As we near Zadar, we discuss what we are going to do after Croatia.  It has been a major problem as to whether we still go to Greece and how we get there since we can’t travel through Albania and Bosnia.  We make a decision to go back up the coast road a little since it is supposed to be the better scenery and there are multiple camping places there that we are likely to be able to stay at.  After half an hour driving up the coast which is just lovely we come across a little camp that we have seen on our map.  It is right on the sea front, no one is there and we know it will be incredibly cheap.  So we check it out.  110kuna, aud23 for the night and the lady has 13 cats.  I am in straight away.  We both still miss our little boy Freddy (I am the worst) so I take any opportunity to have pats and cuddles.  We set the van up and sit the chairs by the waterside and it is so pleasant and peaceful.  The cats eventually make their way over to check us out and before we know it, we have 13 cats hanging around in the hope of an offer of any food or titbit we have.  I get around this by feeding them my yoghurt and they all get to lick my fingers like cats around a cow teat. They all love this and are in cat heaven. There is nothing  else actually but maybe a lick of salt and a small piece of chip we are having with a wine but they hang around in hope.  Some are cuddlier than others and there is the littlest most adorable kitten that I just can’t resist.  As the night falls on us we don’t want to give up our little bit of waterside peace so we get out the blankets and stay where we are in the dark.  The cats are quite happy and I end up with two on my lap and two on the bottom of the blanket with the others quite close by.  I am in my element and would love to sneak just one of them in the van away with us, but the hassle would be more than it is worth.  Even Scot gets one on his knee for a cuddle.  Eventually it is tea time and I reluctantly move inside. Several of them stay outside our door all night and are still there in the morning.

Since this is a rare treat for me, I get up early with my tea and breakfast and blanket and sit back in my waterfront seat with the cats around me.  The morning is still and peaceful.  I even get Scot to come out and enjoy the morning much earlier than he likes to get out of bed.  After a couple of hours just sitting, being, enjoying the solitude and peace we need to get moving, so the cats that are now cuddled up on both laps are moved and we get organised to leave.

Last night we discussed our next moves.  Originally we were going to drive down to Dubrovnik in Croatia via the highway and then go back up by the coast road and take a ferry from Trieste down to Greece since we can’t drive through from Croatia (Our insurance won’t cover us if we do).  This was a good option as a lot of the ferries that sail in this area have stopped for the year due to lack of business.  In the summer you can take a ferry from Dubrovnik to Bari in Italy and then down to Greece which would have been ideal.  However our original idea of a ferry from Trieste has changed overnight.  Now we are going to take a ferry from Split to Ancona in Italy and then from Ancona down to Patras in Greece.  Although the cost of the ferries is high we take into consideration the cost of tolls, fuel, camps and the days travelling it will be if we have to drive all the way around from Croatia back to Italy and it will be almost as much and time will be getting away on us.  So ferries it has to be.  So now we have 1 week to get down to Dubrovnik and then back to Split so that we can get the ferry to Ancona and then down to Patras in Greece.  Great idea.  The only other issue we have is how to get across Bosnia Herzegovina down to Dubrovnik.  We aren’t allowed to drive the 10km stretch so we either don’t go or we take a ferry across to one of the islands so we can drive down there.  We don’t know yet.

It is so lovely on this part of the coast on the Adriatic sea that we decide to drive across to the next peninsula from where the cat camp is to a town called Pag and there is a huge camp there that is still open, but is very cheap at the moment and we can see that part of the country.  It doesn’t take us long to drive down that peninsula, but it is rocky, desolate and in most places totally deserted.  There are the occasional settlements, but it is funny.  There are hundreds of people who seem to be building their own little homes, but a lot of them look like they are never finished.  It seems as if people build until they can live in their small dwelling and that is where it stays.  The bricks look unfinished, there is no rendering, paint or even gutters or anything.  Even the windows look like they are just sitting in holes and haven’t been put in properly.  There seems to be a lot of people just sitting around, doing stuff around their properties, sitting drinking in cafes, bars etc.  We find out from the camp lady that when places close for the winter these people have nowhere to work and nowhere to go and life becomes very difficult for them.  Only the lucky ones keep working on through the quiet months.  We stop in Pag on the way and have a look around the town.  It is mostly closed down and a lot of the buildings are shuttered for the winter. It would be a bustling place in summer for sure.  We head out and over a large hill to a camp on the sea front which is huge but essentially deserted.  We do wonder why they have stayed open at all.  There are probably 1000 campsites plus cabins etc here but there is one other camper and us and perhaps a couple of people staying in cabins.  Not really worth being open for.

We park up and take a walk along the pebble beach which looks divine to swim in but for the temperature of the day which hasn’t really got over 14deg.  We suss out the camp and what is here and eventually Scot decides he is going to have a swim in the Adriatic sea come what may, so in he gets.  It isn’t really that cold, we have swum in colder but I decide it isn’t for me so I take the photos and watch the sunset that is developing.  I hate having to do paperwork but I have received an extra bill from the Swiss hospital which I am not going to pay and need to send to the insurance company.  So thankfully I have a printer and I can print out the claim forms etc and then scan the filled pages back in ready to email back off.  Yes it is strange having a printer in the van, but I don’t know what I would have done several times if I hadn’t had it.

We then decide to go to the restaurant we have been told is open (god knows why) so we can have a pre dinner drink, but find that it is in darkness.  After checking with reception they say it closed because no one came.  Hell I wonder why they even bothered to say they would open with 4 lots of people staying but we were a bit cranky that they didn’t bother to stay open when they said they would.  Never mind, money saved and dinner in the van.

The morning is pleasant and the bad weather that is supposed to arrive hasn’t come yet thank goodness.  We get organised and leave the camp heading for Split.  It is a long drive off this little peninsula that we are on so an hour and a half we are driving through Zadar and on our way on the coast road down to Split.  It is a great road and we get to see some of the lovely little settlements around the coastline that makes Croatia such a desirable place for the summer.  The houses are virtually the same in a lot of places, that cream colour with orange roof tiles – the real Mediterranean style look.  Lots of marinas & wineries we see around each bend in the road.  We find a little place to stop off the main road beside the sea in a small village and have our lunch.  The sun starts to shine and it would be a lovely location to stay in the summer, but we have to keep driving.  Eventually late in the day and just as it is getting dark we reach Split.  In the distance we can see the huge cream highrises all looking a mirror image of the other and so many of them it makes for an amazing site.  Shame it is getting dark so we have no photos and we can’t see how Split really looks.  There is a lot of road works going on as they need to widen the main road going by the outskirts of the city limits.  Scot is navigating and he finds it difficult to work out how to get to the camp place we are staying tonight.  He figures one way so we wind our way through these dreadful, narrow, badly surfaced back streets that supposedly lead to the camp.  I get the feeling that we are going to hit a dead end at any time as the roads do not seem like ones we should be travelling on, but we keep on going.  We do reach the camp and at a later stage realise there was a really easy way to get to the camp but on the map sometimes it seems like you can’t turn off the main road you are on so have to look for an alternative.  It does get us seeing some interesting roads I must say.  It will be an easy exit out in the morning thankfully and won’t be back via the strange roads we came in on.

This camp is on the river and security let us in and we find a spot.  We will check in and out at the same time in the morning when we leave.  We head out for a walk along the river front as there are a few bars close by and it would be nice to have a drink before dinner.  After checking out several of the bars we realise that everyone is smoking inside in all of them and we can’t handle that so it looks like all is lost, but we spy a little pizzeria close to the camp and give that a try.  It is fine and because it is so cheap we end up buying a pizza for dinner as well as having a drink.  The pizza is lovely and the guy serving is such a nice fella we end up leaving him a good tip for such great service.  They earn nothing here so he is so grateful but for us it was only about 7aud so would only be a glass of wine at home, but for him will pay for a few groceries.  We head home for an update to the blog since we have free wifi.

Oh and Croatia is our 23rd country.  We have just turned over 55,000 miles in the van which we have now done 22,000kms in our nearly 8 months travel.  With really only 3 months left and 3 countries left to visit we are very much on the tail end of our holiday.