Rod's Europe by Van : Summer 2015

10th to 13th June 2015

Trpanj

Three nights at Camping Vrila, about two kilometres from the small port of Trpanj. Basic campsite; but a gorgeous location in a small bay lined with palm trees while the campsite was mainly in an old olive grove. Only potential problems were snakes, two lived in trees on the site and scorpions No sign of the latter; but, the Germans next door woke one morning to find a 1.5m long snake basking on their ground sheet!

Pretty hot again low thirties by lunch time - cycled up to a church in the hills one morning and wandered around a coastal path to Trpanj a couple of times to take advantage of the beach on the way - well rocks and stones mainly. Even went in to the sea a couple of times!

Trpanj - Coastal Walk into the Port from the Campsite

Trpanj - Beach at Campsite

15th to 18th June 2015

Trpanj to Orebic
Section 14 miles
Total 3055 miles

A short drive across the northern part of the mountain spine of the Peljesac Peninsular to arrive at Orebic and setting up Camping Nevio, about two kilometres from the town centre and harbour. The campsite is steeply terraced above the sea well shaded by pines and olive trees. Good swimming pool, restaurant and perfectly clean sanitary blocks.

Took a half day trip boat trip across to Korcula Island, the campsite has its own jetty, to visit the old town there - traditionally the birth place of Marco Polo and where he started his long journey to China. Seems to be more Venetian influence here in windows and carvings of winged lions (like those in St Mark's Square in Venice). A a storm blew up at lunchtime and we could not land back at the jetty - but they kindly took us into the harbour and provided a free taxi back to the campsite. I can not imagine that being done in money grabbing UK.

Otherwise, apart from walking down to the town did not do very much. I can not understand why anyone wants to visit later in the summer - the temperatures must be intolerable.

The last couple of days were the first time I have spoken to any English people for weeks - a group of students from Wales and Cornwall and a couple from 'uddersfield. There are not many UK visitors in these parts in vans and caravans - goodness knows why not it's no further than

Spain

and probably cheaper too - certainly , for the most part more up market as well. Although, I did hear a number of English accents over in Korcula.

Orebic - Promenade

Orebic - Promenade (again)

Korcula - Old Town

Korcula - Old Town and Cathedral

Korcula - Town Gate

Korcula - Street Scene

18th to 21st June 2015

Orebic to Dubrovnik
Section 79 miles
Total 3143 miles

Another slow drive down the Peljesac Peninsular, avoiding Bosnia, to rejoin the southern part of the Croatian mainland at Ston. Just more island, mountains, blue sea and the slow winding coastal road. If any thing after a few weeks it becomes repetitive - no real variation in scene!

Ston is odd, it is just a small village, it may have been slightly larger historically, with a 5.5km wall that mainly seems just to go around a barren hill! Large salt pans adjacent; but, I am currently using salt from the pans on Pag.

Dubrovnik was my first city for ages - possibly since Edinburgh a couple of months ago! So much traffic, so many people! The old town is a picture perfect medieval and renaissance walled town - possibly too perfect. It was severely damaged by the Serbian army in 1991/1992. It is now fully restored - odd to see so many 'ancient buildings' having brand new roofs. The old city is preserved as it is mainly because due to complete economic declined following the French Napoleonic occupation and the annexation of Dalmatia and Croatia to the Austro-Hungarian Empire as part of the post Napoleonic settlement (Treaty of Vienna 1815). So nothing much changed from about 1790 - apart from bits falling down!

Stayed at Camping Solitudo at the western end of the Dubrovnik Peninsular - about a five kilometre walk to the old town. Spend a long half day doing the circuit of the walls and walking the streets. Unfortunately, it seemed like another ten thousand visitors had the same idea. The place was packed and only one cruise ship in on that day.

Dubrovnik is expensive - bus fares are the same as Edinburgh - £1.50 for a single ticket - I walked!

Odd behaviour at the beach near the campsite - most of the tourists leave at about 4pm to 5pm to be replaced by more sensible locals that turn up at that time and enjoy the less intense sun for a couple of hours. Often do the same myself as some days it's far too hot in the early afternoon

Retrospective - Korcula and Orebic

Stron - Five kilometres of town wall wandering around a barren hill!

Dubrovnik - Sunset from the beach near Camping Solitudo

Dubrovnik - Crowds fighting to get in through the main gate to the Old City

Dubrovnik- Man Street

Dubrovnik - Old City

Dubrovnik - Town Walls and Harbour

Dubrovnik - Cathedral and City Churches

19th to 21st June 2015
Dubrovnik to Split
Section 159 miles
Total 3293 miles

Back along the coast to Trapnj to get the ferry to Ploce: I just missed the 11:30 ferry - two hours to wait for the next one: no problem, no rush - cappuccino at a cafe, ice cream on the harbour front and lunch made in the van.

From Ploce I took the inland route north to Split via the motorway, mile after mile of nothing but generally wooded limestone hills and just the occasional village until about twenty miles south of Split. Although, there was the occasional gorge and wide flat bottomed valley for contrast. Signs of abandoned cultivation terraces and field walls.

Stopped at Stobrec, a small coastal resort and harbour, about seven kilometres south of Split. Splits a large city, about 200,000 people (second in Croatia after Zargreb) - so busy and sprawling compared to other places I have been here. Took the bus into the centre to visit Diocletian's Palace which he built after retiring as Roman Emperor around 290AD. It's more of a small walled city, now incorporated into the older area of the city. A lot has disappeared or been incorporated into other buildings over nearly two millennia; however, most of the external walls remain and the four gateways. Diocletian's octagonal mausoleum, and peripheral arcade, now forms the core of a small medieval cathedral - ironic as Diocletian was anti-Christian - seems to be more or less intact. Climbing the cathedral bell tower was scary. It comprises just four masonry walls, with a bloody great hole in the middle and an insubstantial steel staircase winding up, and up, the inside of the walls - felt very exposed!