Leaving Croatia

Monday 5^th August

We packed our bags and enjoyed a last breakfast at Lady Pi Pi’s, making sandwiches with the “breakfast menu” to take on the long bus trip back to Split. We got the local bus to the terminal, excellent value at 12 kuna, which is about $2.

On board the bus we prepared for the 4 hour bus trip, which is actually 5, with litres of water, sandwiches, apples, and chips. Dick has discovered a brand of Croatian chips, which are paprika flavour. Between the paprika chips, the beer and the fabulous seafood, Dick’s Inner Balkan is coming out.

The drive from Dubrovnik to Split is sensational, including the half hour it takes to drive through Bosnia. The coastal road has the most stunning views all the way, the beautiful Adriatic on one side and the spectacular mountains on the other. Little seaside resorts line the roads. There is no more than a kilometre at most, between the sea and the mountains. We took a slightly different route, detouring through what seems to be the only arable land between the two cities. Vineyards, orange groves and market gardens are densely packed together in a valley in the midst of the mountain range.

But five hours is a long time on a bus on a 40⁰ day, even when the bus is air conditioned. It was a relief to arrive in Split and hang around for a couple of hours until we could board the ferry to go back to Italy.

Our cabin is very large – a bedroom, a lounge room and a bathroom. It would be great to have more time on board, to enjoy the extra space.

We have been away for two weeks, and have been to U.A.E., Italy, Croatia and Bosnia. We’ve eaten some of the best meals ever and climbed more stairs than I thought could be possible. My theory that to see anything great in Europe, it must involve a climb of at least 100 steps, has not yet been disproven.