Croatia

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We began the Croatian leg of our journey by catching a train to Pula from Ljubljana. This short trip actually required three different trains, but we got there in the end and found some accommodation in the home of a local family! They were a friendly bunch who sat down with us for some tea and biscuits on the morning of our departure and despite the total lack of English on their behalf, along with the total lack of Croatian on our behalf, we had an entertaining and informative conversation. Pula itself is an old Roman city at the southern tip of Istria and there are some fine examples of Roman architecture in the heart of the city, such as the perfectly intact amphitheatre, which is somewhat reminiscent of a smaller version of the colosseum. The amphitheatre is still used as a concert venue to this day!

For our time in Croatia (Hrvatska in Croatian) we decided to hire a car so that we could drive down the Dalmatian coast and catch a car ferry to the islands at our leisure. This proved to be an inspired decision, as one of the highlights of our time in this country has definitely been the beautiful and dramatic scenery that runs the entire length of the coast. The mountains of rock that rise up from the shore provide a striking contrast with the shimmering blue of the crystal clear Adriatic Sea at their feet. Dotted along this coast are numerous little villages, many of which we had the freedom to visit as we had a car, rather than traveling by bus. One such town we spied on our first day of driving from the cliffs above was Bakar, which was positioned at the sharp hairpin of a narrow bay. We wound our way down the windy road, careful to avoid a shepherd and his meandering flock and found a pizzeria with tables down by the water.

During the drive on this day I saw a side of Croatia that I was not aware of from the photos I had seen, which all seemed to be of the beautiful islands. The land was incredibly dry and seemed to be entirely formed from rock, devoid of soil. As we drove along, I noticed many little crumbling shacks and cars being consumed by rust beside dry stone walls. I was reminded of the landscape in the film Babel where the two boys are wandering across the rocky and desolate mountains with their father's new gun.

By early evening we had made our way to the island of Pag and set up camp a stone's throw from the pebbled beach. We spent two nights here, unwinding with some dips in the ocean, marveling at all the fish that were swimming around our feet. From here we decided to drive along the coast of the mainland, stopping along the way at any place that looked worth a visit.

For our third night we decided to stay in another camping ground that was situated in a picturesque spot at the opening of a little bay. I was once again in a state of disbelief at the clarity of the water, as it even surpassed the incredible visibility of the Andaman Sea at places like Koh Lipe off the coast of southern Thailand. Taking a dip as the sun was coming to rest on the tops of the mountains jutting up from the nearby islands was a perfect way to end the day. This camping ground was just near the town of Primošten, which is built on a tiny piece of land jutting out in the shape of a light bulb, with a church spire rising from the highest point. Just about everyone driving past stopped to get a photo of this town (as did we), as it is quite unique.

From Primošten we decided to make our way to the islands off the coast south of Split. Along the way, we stopped for lunch in the town of Omiš, a quaint little town hugging the foot of a mountain between a river and the sea. The tree-lined main street was a pleasant spot to enjoy a meal and as we wandered through a few of the narrow alleys, I was shocked to see that the footpaths were made entirely of marble! This was to become a familiar sight at many of the old towns we visited, as they were once under Venetian rule and they were strategic points along the Adriatic used to maintain their control of maritime trade routes.

We had heard from a friend that Hvar was a beautiful spot, so we caught the ferry across, having no idea what sort of drive awaited. The road that ran from the southern port of the island to Jelsa (where we set up camp) consisted of fifty-three kilometres of snaking along a mountain range, with precipitous drops making us quite nervous as we encountered vehicles driving in the opposite direction along a road that was barely wide enough for a small car like our little Ford Fiesta. After a nerve-wracking couple of hours, we arrived at Camp Mina, which was situated between two bays. What the camp site lacked in facilities, it certainly made up for in location. The bay on the southern side of camp formed an enormous natural swimming pool, half of which was shallow enough to stand in. Jelsa is a delightful little fishing village which is peaceful and serene as night begins to fall. We found a restaurant situated by the water with a table looking out across the bay and decided to try the Croatian dish, Čivapčići, which is seasoned meat cooked in a small oblong shape. I found it was very much to my liking - as was the local island wine!

The next day we went to buy a ferry ticket to Korčula, only to discover that there wasn't a ferry until the following morning. This proved to be a blessing in disguise, as we got to spend some time in Hvar town, which was one of those old towns of marble pavements, no motor traffic, quaint laneways and restaurants by the harbour. This was a great place to visit for lunch and I couldn't believe that I was so privileged to be able to stop in such a place just to have lunch! Due to our inability to get a ferry earlier in the day, we headed back to Jelsa to set up camp again. Along the way we took the opportunity to further explore the northern part of the island, with the possibility of setting up camp in a new place if it was comparable with Jelsa. No such place was found along the narrow roads, although we did discover a nudist camp, but I was too confronted to be able to camp there.

So, we eventually caught our ferry to Korčula, which was yet another old walled city perched on the rocks that emerge from the shore. This is supposedly the town where Marco Polo was born (although Venice also makes this claim) and we decided to have lunch in the old town and then take a walk around the perimeter, strolling through the narrow alleys and looking out at the blue waters of the Adriatic. We spent the afternoon driving further south along the coast of the mainland before setting up camp yet again in a secluded little bay, near the village of Ston, which is where I saw an impressive castle wall that covered all sides of a mountain and must have been a daunting task to undertake.

For our final day of driving we headed for Dubrovnik, as this was yet another destination recommeded to us by family members. There are simply not enough superlatives for this incredible town. The 'Old Town' is completely enclosed within an immense city wall, protecting it from attack by sea or land. We walked along the top of this wall at dusk, which enabled us to see the town in its entirity. Wandering the streets and alleys of Dubrovnik was a joy in itself (not just because they were devoid of motor vehicles!) and you could easily be forgiven for thinking you have stepped back in time. There must have been a profusion of marble at the time of its construction, as I don't even think St Peter's Basilica contains as much marble as the pavements of Dubrovnik. I spent much of the afternoon swimming in the incredibly clear and warm water at one corner of the city wall - tough life! Once the sun dipped below the horizon, the streets of Dubrovnik came to life with minstrels, firelight and general good cheer. For dinner we ate at Pizzeria Šilok, which has a reputation as having the best carbonara in Dubrovnik. I can vouch that it has this reputation for a reason, for their carbonara is the best I have EVER eaten! Anyway, enough about my eating habits, but if you ever find yourself in Dubrovnik and have a hankering for some pasta, you should definitely try it out for yourself. During the evening, we decided to go to the open air cinema within the walls of the old town to watch 'The Dark Knight' before catching the last bus back to camp.

To finish our stay in Croatia we decided to catch a ferry from Dubrovnik to Rijeka and I am now faced with the bleak realisation that I will be standing in front of British school students again in a few days time.

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