WK6 - Krk Island and onto Slovenia

---

Well, after a very relaxing and hot week on Korcula, on Sunday it was time to pack up the tent and head for the ferry terminal, to catch the Marco Polo to Rijeka, and then on to Krk Island, in the north of Croatia. We got on the ferry ok, and as we had a cabin, we got the VIP treatment, escorted to our cabin, and we thought we were in for something special on this overnight ferry, maybe a last bastion of old-fashioned service and quality, in an age of fast food and faster service?

Alas, it was not to be - as the journey progressed, it became clear that like most ferries I’ve been on, the service provided seems to be offered on the basis that you’re on a boat, you can’t eat or drink anywhere else, so like it or lump it!! Depending on which bar you went to, you got a can or small bottle for the same price, depending on which barman was on, the advertised self service restaurant never opened, and the live entertainment room looked like it was the cleaners’ stockroom now. On the plus side, the cabin had a bed, so mustn’t grumble!!

After whiling away the day watching the amazing Croatian scenery go by, we decided to hit the restaurant for a bite to eat. It looked really nice, kind of a 70’s retro feel to it, with these cool low slung white leather(ette) swivel chairs (kind of Austin Powers-ish), a white jacketed steward to welcome you and seat you at your table, and then the fun really started!! I decided to play safe and go for the set menu, and Jen went for the fish, with potatoes. What was served up to us over the next few courses will I’m sure flash in front of my eyes again when I come to meet my maker - I didn’t think it was possible to make steak, fish, potatoes, spinach, sponge cake, chips, etc, all completely devoid of their natural flavours, but I’ve discovered the secret - coat them all in a liberal dose of tepid cooking oil, wait until cold, then serve - voila! Bon appétit!

At least we were spared the indignity a number of other people on tables around us had to endure. We all know that tables have to be cleaned between sittings, but I can honestly say I’ve never seen it done with an electric Dust Buster Hoover before, and definitely not while the diners were still sat at the table - they took it as a hint to b@gger off, although to be fair to the young lad wielding it, he did rev it a couple of times while stood by the table to give them fair warning - they’ll know next time!! Lesson learned: bring your own food on a Croatian ferry, unless you want to experience retro Communist dining at its worst...

Well, the night passed uneventfully, and we safely docked in Rijeka the next morning, hauled our bags across to the train station (actually, we got a porter to bring them on a luggage trolley for us!), and got the bus to Rijeka. A lovely drive ensued, lots of coastal roads on the way to Krk Island, across the bridge and soon we were at Krk town bus station, with just the walk to the campsite to do before we could relax for the day. Well, we dutifully followed the signs for the campsite, Camp Jezevac, up hill after hill, after hill, in 31 degree heat, until we eventually got to the crest of the third hill after 20min, and there was reception. Sweatily we checked in, walked the length of the site to find our pitch, got set up and went for a walk. Only to turn the corner and find the bus station pretty much right there!! Obviously the signs were all set up for people in cars and motorhomes - what fools would be arriving by bus or on foot!! Not impressed, but the rest of the campsite far exceeded our expectations. It was massive, with 600 pitches, and everything you could need - 2 bakeries, supermarket, restaurant, beach bar (with free wi-fi) - a great week of lazing, sunbathing, walking into Krk town for ice-creams, etc ensued. Part of the fun was also in wandering the site and looking at some of the set-ups people had. A lot of families had obviously decamped to Krk for the whole summer, and you could tell - they had brought their own decking, patio furniture, barbies, toasters, etc, etc. It actually made motorhomes look appealing (although caravans are still stupid, obviously), and certainly there are worse ways to spend your holidays than swimming and exploring Krk island.

And I’m afraid there is very little else to report from Krk - we didn’t do any sightseeing, as there was little to see, so just lazed, drank and ate I’m afraid, until it was time to move on again, and this time it was to Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia, for a few days, before we head onto Austria. Unfortunately you will have to wait a few more weeks for details and photos of Ljubljana, once Carrie & Debbie have been here and done it, but the next entry will be all about Austria - Vienna & Innsbruck here we come...

---