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Friday 30 June 2017

A slice of culture...


Never tiring of the challenge of increasing Mr B’s cultural capital, Mrs B had spotted that the picturesque town of Cavtat (and long-time package destination for Brits) was home to a permanent exhibition of the Croatian artist Vlaho Bukovac, who painted in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th century.

No doubt encouraged by the positive response to a similar visit in France when we visited the town of Sant-Rémy-en-Provence to see where Van Gogh had produced some of his work (see the Jura to Provence blog entry in 2015), Mrs B had calculated that a visit to Cavtat may get a similar response. It’s easy to see why it’s long been a popular destination for tourists as it’s very difficult not to be wowed by the views all around the town and harbour.



And sure enough it did! Finding a space in the small municipal car park on the quayside was pretty easy, and the lovely tourist info staff just near there helpfully directed us to the building that shows some of Bukovac’s work. The gallery is actually the house where he grew up, and part of the fascination of the visit was being able to see not just a range of his paintings, but also where, as a young man, he had decorated the walls of his family home with a series of murals and stylised decorative techniques.



Mrs B was much taken by the paintings – some produced for wealthy clients, and some for his own pleasure. There were, we noted more than just a few self-portraits…



Mr B, whilst also enjoying the paintings, was as much taken by the range of everyday items that the exhibition’s curators had restored from the original house when he lived there.



It was certainly a unique experience to wander around not only the house where an internationally famous artist had lived and worked, but to also his studio, set up with a variety of paintings and a ‘working area’ as if Bukovac had just stepped outside to admire the view of his own town…



After a couple of hours of enjoying the exhibition it was time to head north back past Dubrovnik and onto the Pelješac peninsula – this time in search of a different type of culture – food and, more specifically, the wine for which this peninsula is famous!

S&J.

Monday 26 June 2017

In search of Daenerys - Klis and Dubrovnik


Our first chunk of Croatian motorway (autocesta, or more commonly ‘highway’ here) was a very easy and pleasant experience – a simple pay-as-you-go entry and exit model and for our short trip, fair prices. From Šibenik to Split (60km) it was only HRK 40 (about £4.73) for our class II camper. We plan to take the motorway on our way back from near Ploče (north of the Bosnian border) to Novigrad (south of the Slovenian border) – that’s about 600km so we’ll update on our value for money views then!

This portion of the trip is a section we weren’t sure we’d do, as it seemed a long way and required a transit through Bosnia/Herzegovina. However, as we’d arranged green card cover and had come to realise nowhere is very far in Croatia, we thought we’d give it a go. Unsure of how long the border crossing might take, (we’d read tales of long delays) we decided to break the journey near Split – giving us the chance to explore the fortress at Klis, one of the locations for Game of Thrones (Meereen, the slaver city, for any fellow fans!)

The fortress is visible from the Split road down from the motorway and before long we were parked up in the small carpark and working out how many litres of water might be required for the ascent! The views from just outside the fortress were reward enough though, and although we had been advised by some British travellers we’d met in the car park that it wasn’t worth the fee (HKR40 pp – double the usual fortress rate and no doubt a GoT premium) we decided to stump up, given our love of GoT – and Croatian fortresses!



Once through the gate, and without any CGI enhancement, we struggled just a little bit to see how the fortress had been used in the filming, but Mr B was sufficiently awestruck that he might be treading the same cobbles as Daenerys, we gave it the now customary thorough going over, enjoying the amazing views down to the coast and across Split.



Started by the Romans and expanded by Croatian Kings before falling to the Ottoman empire in the 16th C, like most other fortresses we’ve visited, it was updated by Venetians and Austro-Hungarians before falling into disrepair in the 20th C. Klis fortress is perhaps more in the style of English Heritage in that much of it is unrestored and indeed, a bit tatty and by Croatian standards, in need of a bit of TLC, in spite of its GoT heritage. It still managed to wow us though and certainly provided some amazing views.



With lunch calling and a short hop down the coast to our next site at Zaostrog, we headed off on the Jadranka magistrala again and were soon being wowed by a steady succession of incredible views as the road hugged the mountainous coast.



Arriving at Camp Viter we were immediately struck by the lovely low key nature of the site, its multinational guests in a range of older and more quirky campers, and the local feel of the village itself, nestling under the impressive mountains that provided an almost surreal backdrop. At certain times of day/in different light conditions, they looked like they had been superimposed.



Booking in for a couple of nights as we wanted to do some proper planning before heading for Dubrovnik, Mr B’s Hrvatski won some smiles from Monika and Katja at reception, with Katja commenting subsequently that he must have swallowed a Croatian language pill. Perhaps they’d probably just had fewer foreigners having a go this far south - but they were both very kind and patient in helping him learn a little bit more.



There are some good coastal walks out of Zaostrog and we took an early evening stroll to Drvenik up the coast, uncertain of the purpose of this isolated chair in one cove, but guessing it wasn’t for the same reason as we’ve seen them on Spanish roadsides…



After a couple of restful nights (we’d read that the adjacent monastery bells rang throughout the night – they actually stop at 7.00pm and start at 8.00am – phew!) and a very nice pizza from a wood fired oven in the little pizzeria next door to the campsite, we headed off for our next campsite that would allow us to get a bus into Dubrovnik.

The route towards the Bosnian border skirts the Neretva delta, a dramatically different landscape from anything we’ve seen to date in Croatia, with the fertile patchwork of irrigation canals producing citrus fruits and melons – as well as frogs and eels as a local delicacy. Apparently, the large number of houses we saw with boats moored outside reflects the main mode of transport to and from work for many locals.



Deciding that exploration of this stretch of coast all the way down from and including Split would have to wait for another visit, we approached the Bosnian border with some trepidation…



20 minutes later though we were on our way and like many first experiences, we decided that it wasn’t such a big deal and that maybe BiH itself might get included in a subsequent trip.

Arriving at our chosen campsite north of Dubrovnik, Pod Maslimom, we were offered a pitch in the shade (it was touching 32c), or one with an uninterrupted view of the sea and the Pelješac peninsular…

So this is what we ended up with…



And this was the view from our window in the morning…



And at sundown…



We had imagined that as the sea is only 300m from the campsite we might stay for a bit – but after a very hot and sweaty walk to and from the small beach via an incline that goats would have been wary of, we stuck to the original plan to use it just as a base for Dubrovnik!

With a good bus timetable and map of the city (both provided unprompted by the reception staff) we set off for a day of adventure. We got chatting to a lovely British couple on the bus, Doug and Jude, who like us, were travelling around by camper without a fixed itinerary. They were off to Italy/Sicily the next day and we were heading further south in Dalmatia – maybe our paths will cross again another day as it’s great to meet like-minded travellers.

Passing the city’s port just before the entrance to the old town, we were alarmed but not surprised to see three ‘super-cruisers’ moored up and no sign of any disembarkation in process. Each the size of a giant hotel, they dwarfed the boat we had seen at Šibenik, and sure enough, as we neared the entrance to the old town, we were greeted by a sea of humanity that, by the sound of the voices, probably represented visitors from all continents of the planet…

Even though we had been forewarned of the scale of visitor numbers, especially when cruise ships were docked, we did experience a momentary wobble and doubt about the wisdom of our timing… However, are we not Brits and possessed of stiff upper lips? So, teeth gritted and elbows at the ready, we wove our way between the organised groups and other bemused individuals and fought our way to the ticket booth for walking the old town walls..

At HRK150 pp it seems relatively pricey – but to experience such an iconic monument, it’s worth every Kuna!  The views of the city are quite simply stunning from up here and once we had slotted ourselves into the human escalator that was slowly climbing the staircase and emerged onto the wall itself, it wasn’t so bad at all, and we were able to pace ourselves as we navigated our way around the 25m high and 2km long ancient walls.



Struck by the combination of incredible views looking out as well as inside the walls, our eyes were soon drawn to the rich tapestry of roofing tiles that were set out before us. We’d read about the damage done to the city in the homeland war, and the difficulty the restorers had in finding tiles that would match the colour and patina of the remaining old ones, and sure enough, it was easy to see where newer tiles had been used. Cleverly, the remaining old tiles had been gathered and used to roof significant buildings, leaving houses and less important roofs to be bedecked in the much brighter, newer ones.



Dubrovnik was also a filming location for GoT, and tours were on offer everywhere, but we preferred to just soak up the atmosphere of the old city, although fibreglass Tyrions did pop up more than once!



After a welcome lunch break in one of the many narrow alleys that offered food and shade (and fresh sardines, yum), we steeled ourselves for the next part of our adventure in Dubrovnik – the ascent to Mount Srđ – towering above the city 412m above sea level. Famous for its resistance to the Serbian/Montenegrin siege in 1991 and the resupply of the troops in the old Napoleonic fort on its summit by donkey, we of course took the cable car! (130HRK pp return).



This is a fabulous way to see the city from above, and although it only took a few minutes, we were glad we took this way up as we looked down on the steep and zigzag nature of the donkey path!



There is a restaurant at the top where the outdoor area was being set up for a wedding ceremony – what an amazing venue, with the views across the coast as well as into the mountainous interior just breathtaking.



As regular readers of the blog will have come to learn, we love a visit to a homeland war museum and the one in Fort Imperial was calling us for its portrayal of the siege of Dubrovnik. Under siege from October ’91 until July ’92, and shelled for a considerable amount of time, the civilian population that had been swollen by refugees from the surrounding countryside, took refuge in the mediaeval fortifications.

The museum is a mixture of military detail and civilian experiences, with a good set of English language translations. The most harrowing bit for us though, was an old video clip of a then live broadcast by ITN of the shelling of the old city. Watching shells explode inside the walls – that we had just been walking, really brought home the horror of war on the one hand, and the embarrassing lack of a meaningful response from the European and International community in the early stages of the war.

Still mulling over the experiences of ordinary Dubrovniki as we walked out of the museum, we were immediately brought back into the present as a huge number of bikers raced up the hillside to gather outside the fort. We’d seen trestle tables being set up outside the museum as we left and as all the bikes had Dubrovnik plates, we guessed that this was very much a local gig and we made our way back to the cable car for the return trip.



Returning to the campsite in time to catch another lovely sunset, we rustled up some supper and admired our own private balcony view of the Pelješac peninsula – also on our list of places and famed for its wines and gastronomy.  Before the peninsula though, Mrs B had decided it was time for a different type of cultural experience, so our departure from the campsite had us heading back past Dubrovnik and heading for the small town of Cavtat and its famous Vlaho Bukovac exhibition…

S&J.

Wednesday 21 June 2017

Šibenik - seaside delight!


Arriving back on the coast at Šibenik, we wondered, given our recent experience at a very large campsite, whether ‘Holiday Resort Solaris’ might be another bridge too far in pursuit of a decent site close to a town we wanted to visit. Turning off the main road and heading past a series of Solaris branded hotels, an aqua park, low-rise apartment blocks, and eventually, the campsite (we missed it and had to turn back) it was the absence of a perimeter fence that swung it for Mrs B!

Once we had chatted to the reception staff (with Mr B’s Hrvatski winning some smiles) and waited for the now familiar count down of available ACSI pitches, we set off on foot to survey what was on offer. There weren’t many pitches available, we knew we were still in the two week German holiday period, and there were vans stacking up behind us at the reception area, so, keen to seek some shade as well as a pitch we could stay on for a few days if the urge took us, we opted for what is probably one of the most difficult access challenges so far: a pitch with trees in the middle and bounded by two cars – one of which was hanging over the boundary just to make it more interesting!

After a well-practised combo of hand signals and slow manoeuvres, and with a building crowd of onlookers and advice givers (a common feature of campsite life it seems), we managed to get in without any damage – phew!



The beach side site allowed us to kick back for a few days and continue to admire the amazing colours of the sea and the spectacular coastline – as well as swim and laze about in the toasty temperatures and cooling breezes, under the careful watch of the Croatian Navy one day!







And as if by some form of advance preparation for our trip to Dubrovnik, (still at the planning stage and where we had been warned of the impact of huge cruise liners mooring up and disgorging thousands of passengers at a go), a slightly smaller cruise liner (i.e. only 3 upper decks rather than 5 or more) hove into view one morning off the coast where we were camped and proceeded to shuttle boat, after boat, after boat of Šibenik-bound tourists around the headland and into town.



We’d opted to explore Šibenik as it offered a chance to wander round the old town, famous for being typically mediaeval, as well as more fortresses… But rather than follow the usual tourist trail of the three that lie behind the town, we decided to explore by bike the Venetian era St Nicholas fortress which, according to our Rough guide, was derelict but could be wandered around, after crossing a stone causeway…

Choosing a partly cloudy day as a good time for some exercise, we mounted up and cycled up the coast to explore. After a 45 minute ride through some lovely un-touristy old villages, some offering Peka (a sort of charcoal roast) which we were keen to try but which was only on offer for four or more people and needed to be ordered a day in advance, we arrived at a wooden causeway that led to a small island, with the fortress accessible via a very interesting causeway of boulders and stones…



Nearly turning back because of the sketchy nature of the stone link to the fortress and with the tide clearly rising, we were shamed into action as three elderly Dutch peeps hiked past and made it look (relatively) easy. After picking our way across the slippery boulders, we arrived at the impressive walls only to find that access was via a couple of planks arranged at rakish angles, leading to a scramble up through part of the battlements. Not to be put off by what would have looked more at home in an outdoor adventure park, Mr B valiantly had a go, but after sliding back down the first plank for the second time, we decided that this was one fortress that would remain unexplored for the moment!

The route to the fort was continued round the bay and into the St Anthony channel – the main shipping route into Šibenik, and from a bike, a beautiful succession of coves leading eventually to the viewpoint atop a hill that overlooks the channel and Šibenik itself. This was where we had to turn back though, as it would have been a challenge even on bikes with full sized wheels and three times as many gears!

One quirky part of the ride to the viewpoint was an abandoned barracks of the Yugoslav National Army (JNA) – stood down after the homeland war and a sight we are becoming familiar with in Croatia.



The barracks were not quite as quirky however as this ambiguous sign we saw along the mainly cobbled route we had taken…



The next day saw a return to the usual blue skies and rising temperatures, and with loins girded by our ride to St Nicholas Fort, we decided to cycle from the site into Šibenik. Arriving hot and sticky after 45 minutes of hilly terrain, we decided to simply wander around, with the only clear plan a visit to the St Lawrence’s monastery herb gardens. This is a small and orderly garden with aromatic and medicinal herbs, fruit trees and roses, and was recreated from plans of an original garden tended by the monks in mediaeval times. Apparently, it is now looked after by children from the local school… An oasis of shade and tranquillity, we decided to extend the sensory experience of herb sniffing by having lunch in the garden bistro – yum!



Having spotted the lower walls of the famous St Michael fort from our lunchtime vantage point, we decided to climb higher and see what views over Šibenik we might get. Unfortunately, the really panoramic views were the preserve of the fort and not having the time left to explore it properly, we turned around and made do with a series of less grand but still interesting views over the town as we made our way down.



It’s a lovely place to wander and somewhere we’d come back to – perhaps to see some live music in the St Michael Fort – and get those views at last!

Back at the campsite we decided to leap down the coast via the motorway the next morning, leaving Spilt for another visit and head instead for a visit to the fortress at Klis (the scene for some Game of Thrones filming), before heading into Dubrovnik.

S&J.