On an Island: Krk

Well, here we are on the Croatia's largest island, Krk. We don't even have to take a ferry - just roll along the nice long (toll) bridge and drive south to the town named Krk (is that a little confusing?).

We stay in a big seaside holiday type site within easy walking distance of the little town with the obligatory historic Cathedral. It's not normally our thing, this kind of site, but it's a complete change and quite fun. We walk in and have a drink at a great little beach bar after an exploration of the local sites and shops.

Yes, it's   r e l a x i n g   here on this warm Croatian Island.  How about a tenuous connection? David Gilmour

Krk marina

Roman Catholic Cathedral

From the fort

We're here...

After relaxing [😎😎] on the beach for a day we explore the island a little in the Treg, visiting tourist Baška, known for its beach surrounded by imposing limestone cliffs, and the little Stara Baška, which we much prefer; we eat a nice fish lunch here.

Baška beach

Baška café

Relaxing tomorrow [😎] then off to the Slovenian coast. That's another country, another post then.

Bye for now...

PS
I forgot to say how much we like Croatia: its people, its scenery, its roads, its drivers.... although, in some ways, of course, that's because it's familiar: more like the rest of the EU. We'll miss it.

Free to Roam: Trogir and Split

OK, I know it's been a while - we're recovering, you see.

Anyway, let's get on with the catch up...

We leave the group campsite early, taking an easy saunter down to Trogir - well, easy until the last couple of kilometres down a busy narrow road, over a narrow bridge with a hairpin bend for good measure. 'Wow, haven't seen such a long caravan before' says the campsite reception girl. Wonder why. Still, there are quite a few pretty big (mostly German) motorhomes here - and very nice indeed it is, too. The site has it own private (gravel) beach and a laid back air. Perfect for the relaxation we need for a few days.

Trogir itself is a lovely little town with an ancient walled part facing onto a modern harbour with a few superyachts for good measure; just in case we'd forgotten Croatia is in the EU and prospering.

The campsite's in the woods

Trogir

Bells, big bells

Museum of sculptures

Different takes on how to design a superyacht

We take the Touareg into Split and are surprised by it's size and very high density living - outside the old quarter, that is. We visit the must sees, including a climb up the bell-tower of the cathedral for a brilliant view of the city. We buy the all-in ticket for the Cathedral and associated parts including the crypt; it's surprisingly small as it started life as s mausoleum. After the best part of a day here, it's easy to see why people are captivated by this place. After being one of only two Brit units in the campsite, we're surprised by the large number of British in Split. There again, there have been a heck of a lot of Easyjets descending over the campsite...

The Cathedral in the old town, Split

His name is on the statue... Google!

 Through the city wall

Not sure John the Baptist is too pleased to see us in his Chapel... Take a closer look.

View from the Cathedral

Heading off to Krk on Sunday so next post from there, all being well.

Last Stop: Lakes

Can't stop time, unfortunately, so here we are at the last two-night stop with the group and, it has to be said, this has been a really good tour; great people - positive attitudes; great scenery; incredibly interesting history and culture and good tour leaders. More of this at the end of this blog....

...but, first, we have to mention the great (fathers') day we spend with new friends walking around 13km around the wonderful  Plitvice Lakes  National Park. We use the Touareg to get there early to avoid the crowds and find a really well developed, sympathetic, tourist attraction that doesn't unduly detract from the attraction, of you see what I mean. Top Marks Croatia.

Goodbye Bosnia and Herzogovena, Hello Again Croatia

The Plitvice Lakes

Thanks for the cards and good wishes from dear daughters, too...

And so to our (very nice) farewell meal; thanks from tour leaders and thanks from us (well done Karen). A very warm farewell to each other with lots of hugs and manly hand shakes. A bit sad, to be honest.

So, deep breath, we get ready for an early departure and finalise the route to our campsite by the sea at Trogir, which sounds a wonderful, historic, little town. It's just down the road from Split, too. Should be good, but we'll probably need to crash out for a while as the emotional crash that always follows a full-on tour kicks in: hence the beach...

Next post: next chapter in our adventure.

Jajce: Last stop in Bosnia and Herzegovina

An interesting drive today, to say the least. While we're almost forced off the road by a wildly driven HGV overtaking in traffic on a blind bend, at least there's no harm done, unlike our unfortunate tour leaders who suffer damage to their caravan through no fault of their own. Let's not beat about the bush: lots of Bosnian drivers are dangerous, which is a shame, as Bosnian people outside their vehicles are great, at least in our experience.

Poor WiFi around these parts so: a) this post is late and b) pictures are limited

We spend three relaxing nights here, exploring the local small lake and ingenious old mini watermills, one of which is in working order.

We get a guided tour of the local town, which turns out to be a political lecture from a local (very) left of centre local activist. It's fascinating non-the-less and it's illuminating to look through the eyes of these local guides and the (brutal) experiences that have shaped their thinking.

We view the 'birthplace of Yugoslavia' where Tito formed the agreement to unite the Balkan states under communism. Tito is revered by many today.

Gold plated TITO, which is how so many Bosnians think of him

On our last night here we eat together and get a free demonstration of local folk dancing, which is a real bonus and a hell of a lot better than the meal. Nice wine and beer, though.

So we're off to our final stop tomorrow. Oh dear.

Sarajevo: West meets East

We take another excellent drive to a campsite a few kilometres outside Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In many ways, Sarajevo symbolises religious tolerance; within the (mostly Moslem) population, there are orthodox Christians, Roman Catholics and a small number of Jews. There are Orthodox Christian churches of note, a small Synagogue and a Roman Catholic Cathedral in addition to the foremost Mosque in the country. The people and guides we have met here seem to mirror the tolerant attitudes we have already encountered in Mostar, with a pride in their multicultural stance - not fully tested that, of course.

Gazi Husrev Mosque

Synagogue

Roman Catholic Cathedral

Orthodox Church

And, of course, a London Bus masquerading as an Irish Pub...

We take both a group guided walking and coach tour of the city and a trip back in on our second day under our own steam, using the somewhat dilapidated but still functioning pre-(1991) war trams.

By far the most moving part of our tour is the explanation of the Siege_of_Sarajevo, when the Serbian army surrounded the city and continued to shell it while under UN supervision. The guide was ex police with scars to show for the horrendous experiences of risking life to bring in essential supplies to the beleaguered citizens. We see the tunnel under the UN held bridgehead that they constructed in order to achieve this. The death toll was extremely high and we wonder if the atrocities committed can ever be forgiven. It is almost as if the pride in tolerance and multicultural attitudes is seen here as a proud rebuttal of the genocide and torture so recently experienced.
The  stories of each country we visit are startlingly different; more on this later.

'Roses' .. grenade explosion site with red painted 'petals'

The tunnel of hope

We force ourselves to visit the Museum of Crimes against Humanity and Genocide to understand more. It is a deeply, deeply moving experience for us but something we are glad to have done.

.......

Stepping back from recent history, however difficult, we find a really relaxed city with a vibrant cafe culture that we really like. Yes, tourist shops abound but many of these are fed by workshops at the back, where goods such as Bosnian coffee sets are manufactured.

We have become somewhat addicted to these..

We spend some of our own time to see the Gazi Husrev Mosque and Museum, the Eternal Flame and the place where the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated (thus starting WW1) in addition to time spent browsing the shops, cafes and people watching. There is so much to do here, we are in danger of exhaustion..

WW1 started here

The Mosque at Ramadan

The Eternal Flame

OK, that will do, I think. We're moving on to Jajce tomorrow - still in Bosnia Herzegovina. That's another post then...

Into Bosnia and Herzegovina: Mostar

It's a short but beautiful drive into into Bosnia and Herzegovina as we head towards our camp at Blagaj, some 15km or so from Mostar. The border crossings around these parts are somewhat confusing as we cross and recross before we finish up in the right country.

We call in at Pocitelj  village with a fort and attractive mosque on the way, which makes a fitting introduction to this mainly Muslem country.

There's a more atmospheric 10 sec mini movie  HERE

We settle into camp and, the next day, we travel together into Mostar old town for a guided mini tour. The old town is both beautiful and fascinating, if a bit of a tourist haven.

Our first view of Mostar

This mosque was, at one time, used as a synagogue once a week. It still bears a Star of David (no prize for spotting).

 We stay on after the tour and venture into the main town and visit an additional 'Turkish house' dating from Ottoman times. 

Although Muslem, the town seems relaxed, with very few women covering their heads in any way. Our guide has a mixed faith marriage, which is certainty not unknown here. Despite the war and radical positions of recent leaders, it seems that the people, at least here, are far more enlightened. 

A privileged place to be.....

The old bridge, Mostar

There are signs of the war damage everywhere and we find it quite a moving experience walking down the main street between bullet-marked buildings, some still shells.

.......

The following day, we explore the local town with fellow travellers, climbing some 400m to see an old fort which provides a fantastic view of the valley.

After lunch, we motor on to see some local sights, including the pilgramage town of Međugorge and the falls at Kravice after which we return to Mostar for an excellent traditional meal to end the day before returning to camp.

Ready for the worshipping hoards

The Kravice Falls

Sarajevo tomorrow, so a new post. See you then.