Croatia Trip September 2015 Post 3

Sorry over a week between posts, Steve has been a bit preoccupied by Judy being ill again and not very good wifi when he has the chance to do the blog. Hope to get a few days and add some pictures in to the online blog page.

Day 6 Monday 14/09/2015 - 92,658 on Speedo

We left our camper stop but there was nobody in the office to pay and the barriers were up so presumably there is no charge out of season, so no complications with not having any Croatian money.

We had a very nice drive basically round the coast which went from flat to very hilly, but really nice views. From just south of Trieste at Umag  to Senj about 50 miles south of Rijeka. We stopped at a Camper Stop again from our database of places to stop. This was an organised business with marked out pitches which only left about 4ft between vehicles, a bit tight for our liking. The cost was 120 kuna a night about 16 euros with all facilities including good WiFi. Please excuse all the prices I am mentioning, it is for our Motorhome friends who will be reading this to take note if they come this way. The site only takes cash but the reception directed us to a nearby cash machine so the problem of not having any local currency is now solved. The only places we had seen cash machines, we were in traffic and unable to stop and didn't know the exchange rate to know how much to withdraw. Basically 7.5 kuna to the euro or roughly 10 to the pound. September 2015. As Croatia was in Europe I had naively thought they were in the Euro. ( note to self, check currency).  We had a nice stroll around the town which had a few resteraunt's and quite a nice feel about it.

Stopped at 18:00 - 92934 - 276km today - Autokamp Skver - 44.99376N, 14.90006E

Day 7 Tuesday 15/09/2015 - 92,934 on Speedo

Judy hadn't been feeling too good since brunch yesterday of a bacon sarnie she thinks that perhaps the home made brought from home may have started to go mouldy and perhaps after the Moroccan illness which we think was caused from nuts that may have started to get mildew, she may be a bit susceptible to mold. So we had a slow start, emptied down and filled up and left about ten straight to a petrol station across the road as the fuel light had come on just before we stopped last night. The fuel was slightly dearer than France but cheaper than the UK and definitely cheaper than Italy. Steve checked first that they took credit cards as there was no sign up.

It was a really nice drive today up and down the cliff edge road still basically following the coast. We found a Lidl at about 16:30 so stopped to get milk etc and bought a selection of their beer to see which we liked. They had the usual one we buy in France but also a few we didn't know. Their prices were similar to France perhaps a little cheaper.

Half an hour later we saw a camper stop so pulled in, the price was similar to last night right on the water's edge. But, park where you like. No electricity but everything else including free wifi at the office.

After setting up and sitting with a beer to get the last rays of sun we took a stroll and found a GB van, (Pete&lyn from MotorhomeFun) the first we had seen since Venice, had a good chat then back to the van for supper. Judy was feeling worse so had no supper.

Stopped at 18:00 - 93138 - 204km today - Kamp Kalebic - 43.84375N, 15.62022E

Day 8 Wednesday 16/09/2015

Judy was bad in the night, hopefully not a repeat of Marocco last year! So we decided to stay put to see if she can shake it off with sleep today. 

We couldn't pick up the wifi from the office with our special ariel so moved the van a bit closer so as not to have to stand outside the office to send or receive emails.

Day 9 Thursday 17/09/2015

Judy was slowly recovering so just stayed put. It was a nice spot but the Solar Panels which Steve wants to replace are obviously failing as they are only supplying about three amps in full sun. By the evening Judy felt like a stroll so we had a walk to a nearby resteraunt but Judy certainly didn't fancy the grilled fish which is the local speciality but a definite improvement. 

Day 10 Friday 18/09/2015 - Still 93138 on Speedo.

Judy felt well enough to move on today, so Steve filled and emptied and we got on our way just a short hop along the coast to just beyond Split and a site Pete had told us about but when we got to where we thought it was it all seemed a bit too industrial so we moved on to another he said was good about 30km further on in Omis this one was massive but reasonable sized pitches and ACSI price €16 per night. Certainly not whaIt we usually like but we have been advised that the Police here do not like any WildCamping and fine offenders on the spot so until we get clarification on that then sites it has to be. This site is close to the town so we can stop for a few days for Judy to get her strength back. She actually managed to cook  dinner tonight but not eat too much but a definite improvement again.

Stopped at 16:00 - 93264 - 126 km today - Camping Galeb, Omis - 43.44067N 16.68028E

Day 11 Saturday 19/09/2015 - Still 93264 on Speedo.

Judy woke up feeling much stronger so we walked into the town which was about a half hour stroll. A nice clean town fairly touristy with loads of restaurants, shame Judy is still not up to eating out. after a bit of shopping we just had a lazy day in the sun reading, with the odd stroll round the site, then as we were preparing to go in for the evening it started raining. We had heard cars driving round the town all afternoon honking their horns so probably a wedding or weddings, then at about six all the churches in the town started ringing their bells one after the other till about 8 o'clock then a disco or band started probably for one of the weddings. Judy woke at 4am and it had just stopped about then. It didn't keep us awake but I bet it did many light sleepers.

Day 12 Sunday/09/2015 - Still 93264 on Speedo.

We woke to the sound of rain still on the roof which stopped about nine so we decided that it would be best to move on if it was to be showers all day which the Meteo said.

Steve chatted to an English couple who told him about a good site near Dubrovnik with a bus outside for a visit to the city where they said they did a really good walking tour.  So we finished packing up and paid and moved off the site at 11:15 to a nearby garage to fill up with gas and check the tyres. The gas only took just over 5ltr which was very good  since we had retuned from the UK in late June and filled up we had four days in Spain then the eleven days this time with only three nights on electric and the fridge on maximum to beat the hot weather. Plus cooking and using the heating for hot water for showers. Very pleased and surprised with that considering the amount we usually use in Morocco. The price was just 39pence Sterling probably the lowest price we have ever paid.

The drive along the coast was exhilarating with massive mountains dominating the left while we clung to the edge of the cliffs with just a tiny strip of habited land before the sea,  Suddenly though the land changed to a wetland plain dominated by a large river which came straight from the mountains which had now receded to about fifteen miles from the sea. The road turned inland to run beside the river with very many stalls selling oranges, honey, many different bottled  fruits and vegetables and strings of various colours of chillies. We stopped and bought some honey from one of the stalls.

We were soon backinto the mountains and then  the boarder between Croatia and Bosnia was there.  Croatia is split in two by a small strip if Bosnia which reaches to the sea. The boarder was no problem, just a cursory glance at one of our passports and waved through. We soon fount our campsite which was amongst trees with a very nice friendly man at reception who showed us various pitches to take our pick from, where we could catch the bus to Dubrovnik and gave us a timetable and map of the city.

Stopped at 16:30 - 93438 - 174 km today - Auto-Camp Pod Maslinom, Orasac - 42.69859N 18.00559E