Miles on trip: 9959 miles
Countries: 20 (+ Croatia)
Days on trip: 95
Number of time we got the tool box out: 3
Dashing through central Europe meant we would still make it to Croatia when it was nice and warm. And with highs of just under 30, we think we achieved that! Anything much higher would make camping pretty uncomfortable, and since Baloo doesn’t have air con, driving would also be a bit sweaty.
Our first stop in Croatia was on the Istria peninsular. We found quite a big camp site near the beach, relaxed a bit and then it was time to jump in to the water. Unfortunately, like most of Croatia, there are mainly pebble beaches. Not ideal but at least the water was nice and refreshing and we enjoyed a little swim – until it started to rain. It might still be warm but it was our first day in Croatia and the clouds opened on us. Luckily it didn’t last very long and whilst it kicked us out of the sea, by the time we were back at the car, the heat had pretty much dried us again.
The plan was to stay mainly along the coast, however, we heard great things about the Plitvica Lakes further inland. The road there was scenic, however, it was also quite narrow and windy so we started to wonder whether that trip inland to the lakes was really worth it. And yes, it totally was! The lakes were amazing! Granted, there were loads of tourists, but the blue and green colours were beautiful and the scenery was absolutely stunning. We had a lovely walk there, crossed part of the lake by boat and took the panorama bus. Since we had some time left we enjoyed a bottle of wine (hiding under our umbrella from the rain for a brief period) before taking the bus back to the campsite.
Next, we were heading to the island of Pag – back at the coast. This time it was bigger roads again leading us past some rocky cliffs, olive trees and pretty views. In the evening we enjoyed the sunset at the beach and discussed our route down from here. The aim was to get to Dubrovnik. However, that involves crossing the Neum corridor which is part of Bosnia & Herzegovina. The problem is that our car insurance isn’t valid for that section and whilst you can generally buy insurance at the borders, we would have to drive to a different border and pay for a week of insurance when we only need it for 20 minutes. A different option was to take the ferry to Peljesac, which is a Croatian peninsular that connects to Dubrovnik.
Since we thought it would be nice to see more of Croatia, we opted for the ferry and drove down to Kravica the next day. From here it was about 1h to the ferry and it was supposedly a place with a sandy beach. The drive down there was very pretty, along the Dalmatian coast. We got lovely coastal views and passed some pretty Croatian villages. However, when we got to the campsite in Kravica, there was no sandy beach. There was a nice pebble beach and a harbour but no sand. 😦 Nevermind, we made some dinner and then heard some music from the marina. Keen to find out what was going on, we headed back down to the harbour where we saw a Croatian band performing. With beers from our fridge we decided to crash the party and enjoy a mix of Croatian and English songs.
The next day we left it slightly late to get to the ferry. So instead of continuing along the coastal route we went inland, which was slightly faster but also more expensive with the toll. Turns out in the end, you didn’t have to get to the ferry any earlier than just before it leaves and the coastal route would have been fine but we really enjoyed some more inland scenery of mountains and forests.
The peninsula we were going to didn’t have many roads, which made it easy to choose the route. We drove up to the tip which led us past stunning views over Croatia on one side and the sea and on the other side. We also passed plenty of wine and cheese places, which this area is known for. As we got near to the end of the tip the road went uphill and we had an amazing view over the peninsula, and coming down an incredible view over the tip of the peninsula and the sea in the background. Unfortunately there was a lack of good places to stop to take photos but the view was more like what you might expect from a birds eye view.
On our way back along the peninsula we decided to stop just before Ston and who would believe it, we finally found a sandy beach and Martin raced to the water as soon as Baloo was parked.
We had a specific date when we had to be in Dubrovnik. Martin’s mum, June, booked flights to spend a lovely few days with us down there. So, as she got an early morning flight, we also got up early to finish the last few km to Dubrovnik to pick her up at the airport. Driving through Ston, we saw their city wall, and then driving past the coast we saw Dubrovnik from afar slowly getting closer and closer.
All safely arrived in Dubrovnik we checked out our air bnb. Close to the old town, but most notably, it had a Jacuzzi which we made the most of! Unfortunately, no washing machine, which we had been banking on. So first task was to find a launderette and have lunch.
With the essentials finished and wearing nice fresh clothes we headed back into town. It was sunny but the weather forecast for the next few days was thunder and rain. So we had to make the most whilst the sun was out. To start with we took the cable car to the top of Srd hill. From there we enjoyed a view over Dubrovnik but also all the nearby islands, giving a great overview of where we are, how the city is surrounded by the city wall and what else there is outside of the walls.
After taking the cable car back down we wandered around town along the cobble streets, through some narrow alleys and up and down steps. A few scenes of Game of Thrones were filmed here and we could certainly see why this city is such a fantastic place to film medieval films / series. Everything is kept to the old architecture style but in great condition and the city centre is simply charming.
As it got later and we enjoyed some dinner the first few rain drops appeared. However, given that we were under an umbrella at the restaurant, it didn’t bother us and we enjoyed our meal of lovely fish and sea food.
The next day, after a late start and June checking out the pomegranate tree outside the apartment, we went into town for some lunch and wandered around trying to find the way to the fortress. Unfortunately it wasn’t quite as obvious as we hoped and we ended up elsewhere with a nice view, but no fort. And then the rain came back. First a few drops but soon it was pouring it down. So we decided to run back to the apartment.
Andi went via a supermarket to find some Croatian cheese and meat for dinner. Whilst the lady at the cheese counter spoke no English and was not interested in trying to serve anybody, the guy at the bread counter was quite the opposite: very friendly, chatty and although he didn’t know lots about cheese, he was very interested in helping Andi find Croatian cheese. And not just cheese, he checked everything in the shopping basket as to whether it was Crotian. It was nice but slightly over the top when he questioned Andi’s choice of milka chocolate. Anyway, Andi finally got the cheese and also some burek, a local Balkan pastry – essentially a very nice sausage roll.
At the same time Martin put his mechanic hat on. After our light issues in Slovakia he figured out that the problem was that the master light switch has all the current going through it and therefore melted the connection. So he ordered a new switch and used the rainy weather to fit it. Taking off the cover under the steering wheel, exposing all the electric and swapping the switches all might sound easy but doing it for the first time still is a challenge. However, with the tool box out, some patience and a little swearing he successfully managed to get the lights to work again. Proud mechanic.
All back at the apartment, we dried out, relaxed and enjoyed a nice dinner of cheese, cheese, more cheese, oh and meats, burek, bread and some fruit, along with some lovely wine.
The next day, whilst still forecasted to have some rain, looked much brighter and we decided to go to Lukrum Island. The island is very close to the main land: A boat ride takes 10 minutes and almost gets you to the point furthest away from Dubrovnik. On the island there are nice walks along its cliffs, some beaches, a fort (although not the best preserved fort), a dead sea (which apparently is slightly saltier than the ocean), a Game of Thrones visitor centre (including a replica throne from Game of Thrones), a botanic garden and lots and lots of cute bunnies.
So far we had seen quite a lot of Dubrovnik and kept going in and out of the city through the city wall gates. However, we hadn’t been up the wall yet and so on our final day we decided to climb up the steep steps of the wall and walk around it. The wall was very well preserved (slash repaired), gave a beautiful view over the city and had a few nice turrets with more lookout points. After that we briefly went to the fort for another (although quite similar) view.
After a drink at an Irish pub (June’s first ever visit to an Irish pub!) and a nice last meal, this was almost the end of our time here with June. June got a flight back to the UK the following morning and we continued along the road attempting our first proper border – to Montenegro.
Road Monkeys 