Camping Solaris Sibenik

We really only meant to stay one night but when we leave tomorrow we will  have been 4 nights here. Great site. The weather continues to be really good with daytime temperatures in the mid 20's sorry that we are beginning to head further north where we can expect it to get a degree or two cooler but all good things must come to an end and we have to start heading home.

Thursday 27th Sibenik

We dropped Owen off and headed to Camping Solaris at Sibenik, an excellent site with good facilities, a beachside location with swimming pool and massive pitches. The campsite sits at the end of a long stretch of inlets and coves where quite a few hotels are positioned. We were therefore able to walk some distance along a promenade. On Saturday we jumped a mini bus into Sibenik. There wasn't an awful lot to see apart from The Cathedral of St James and St Michaels castle. However on arrival we discovered that it was the festival of St Michael and there was a large procession and ceremony in the cathedral. We managed to fill a bit of time watching the procession wind its way through the narrow ancient alleyways.

The early evening drink

Makarska

Zaostrog is a very beautiful little place but it was starting to close its bars and restaurants so we decided to go for the capital of the Makarska Riviera ...Makarska town.  The waterfront was as we remembered it from 1989 when we brought Tim here. But the outlying parts seem to be extended to the north. A really nice place. We pitched up at Camping Riviera, a non ACSI site that wasn't cheap at 35 euros a night but probably worth it with the excellent facilities and easy access to the beach. Owen went for a more expensive option paying 40 euros a night for really good apartment. The Bora wind swept down from the north bringing temperatures down to about 20c but a lot colder at night. However today (Wednesday) its picked up again to about 25c. Will probably drop Owen off at Split airport tomorrow and then head for Sibenik.

Owens gaff and mountain behind Zaostrog.

Monday 24th still in Zaostrog

The good weather continues although there may be some unsettled weather coming our way for the next two days. Another good meal on the waterfront. plenty of swims and short walks in the heat for Jonesy.

Trogir to Zaostrog

We had a great night with Owen in Trogir eating in one of the garden terrace restaurants. The following morning we packed him into the motorhome and headed back south along the motorway back to Zaostrog. With Trogir being so lovely we worried in case Owen didn't like Zaostrog but we needn't have been concerned as he acquired a fantastic apartment overlooking the sea for 35 euros and immediately fell in love with this picturesque town. We ate right on the sea front each night but Saturday night was the highlight of our stay. We booked a waterside table at one of the restaurants that had lights shining into the sea where we could see the fish swimming as we ate. We were approached by a very funny Serbian waiter who told us that the restaurant was closing and this was the last night so we could have a 2kg Sea Bass with all of the trimmings for 500 kunas as it would go to waste if nobody ate it. Such desperate times called for desperate measures so we offered 400k and after further haggles we got it for that price and it was up to now the best meal of the hols.

We don't know when we will leave Zaostrog but plan on having at least one night in Makarska before Owen leaves on Thursday.

Spent last night on the ACSI site at Stobrec close to Split nice site but we  had to leave to get to Trogir in time for Owens arrival. Really surprised...Trogir is even more attractive than I had imagined We last visited it in 1984, it wasn't as popular then but very pretty. We got a fantastic pitch at Camping Rozac, right on beach. Jonesy met up with Uno in Trogir as they were both howling at the church bells. Its very hot but we are getting a sea breeze onto our pitch.

View from pitch.

Trogir.

Jonesy meets Uno again, both were howling to the church bells at 12 noon.

Up early this morning for the 9am ferry from Trpanj. We were entertained again by the restaurant staff who took ages (about an hour to bring us our food) Fortunately we like a bit of time before our meals to get some drinks down us. The other night was funnier, the staff were rushed off their feet as it was very busy and after 30 minutes of ordering, the waitress came running to us to tell us that our food had been 'broken' . Good for her at least she could speak English, we speak no Serbo Croat. It transpired that she'd overlooked our order.
After getting off the ferry we had no idea where to head to so we just ambled along the beautiful coast road and then came off at Podgora. This was a place we used to stop off for a drink when returning to Makarska from the beach at Igrane where Tim had made friends with some Jugoslavian kids. That was 1989 and Tim was a little toddler. We still recognised the place although when we first visited the marina was new with very few boats

Looking down on Korcula and Orobic.

Podgora

Podgora.

Sunday 16th last day at Orebic, Camping Nevio

Really enjoyed our weeks stay at Nevio, an excellent site where we've been able to chill out but on occasions get to see the towns of Orobic and Korcula. The site has every facility here a small pool, its own beach, restaurant, games area , dog agility course...the list continues. It is a terraced site where you can choose to be totally in the shade or completely in the sun, the choice is yours. Its also easy to manoeuvre around the large pitches. Up to now this has been our best site in Croatia.

Spurs 1 Liverpool 2

Another great afternoon , great streaming quality, good result and with a sea view in the background.

Dutch Fire Engine

This is a Dutch fire engine owned by a dutch couple who have travelled extensively in it.. It was manufactured in 1952 and they bought it 30 years ago. They converted it and have now done 400,000 kilometres in it. The shipped it to Australia and New Zealand and travelled around those countries for about 14 months. They are presently in Orebic, Croatia and heading to Albania. The dog in the window is a Dutch Smous, a breed that is over 400 years old and bred to go for horses hooves.

Its funny who you meet in the Gents toilets.

This is Uno from Germany. So now on the same campsite we have Speedy from Austria, Uno from Germany and Jonesy from Wales. Whats the chances of that. Oh the Gents toilet? The flash on the camera wouldn't work so we took them for a liason in the loo.

Last nights ferry trip over to Korcula.

We've now visited Croatia and the former Yugoslavia about 8 times and so have covered most of its coastal areas. However on this trip I had wanted to visit Korcula, often described as a mini Dubrovnik. We weren't disappointed, it is a very beautiful town, despite being popular. We arrived about 5:45 and wandered around its quiet streets and alleyways however at around 7:30 it seemed to get quite busy so we sat down for our meal at a restaurant overlooking the sea. Pretty quickly the restaurants became busy with people waiting for tables. There seemed to be quite a few Americans about, perhaps they had come from their Dubrovnik docked Cruise ships to see this picturesque place. It seems strange that after a 15 minute ferry costing just £2 in Kuna' that the price of drinks should double but that's actually the case. A half litre beer costing 18 kuna over at Orebic became a 36 kuna necessity that had to be drunk in this heat. Not to worry still just over £4 and probably cheaper than London and Jersey.

The little foot passenger ferry as it leaves Orebic.

The little foot passenger ferry as it leaves Orebic.

The little foot passenger ferry as it leaves Orebic.

Korcula walls.

Lots of restaurants line the waterside streets

Lots of little side alleyways

Jonesy met a fellow Welshie from Vienna Austria.

Owner said it was his second Welshie but had to go all the way to Germany to buy him as they are so rare over there.

Monday 10th September.

Enjoyed our final night in Zaostrog. We were out early and able to catch a red hot beautiful sunset that lit up the horizon. Went to a restaurant and had a selection of fish. Today Monday we left for the 10.15 ferry from Ploce to Trpanj to get to the southern end of Croatia that is separated by Bosnia. Joined the queue and a fellow scouser from Anfield was directly behind me, had a good chat about everything from Norway to 2005 Champions League Final. Ferry took an hour and cost £50. Drove the 12 miles to Orebic a town that faces the island of Korcula.

Ploce

Arriving at Trpanj