Croatia

Well we’ve finally arrived after a rather convoluted journey.  After Meteora we drove north and camped at a beach ready to head to, Croatia travelling over the top of Albania as we’d done before.  It is impossible to get car or medical insurance for the Balkan states so we made a last minute decision and drove to the Ioumenitsa on the west coast and caught an overnight ferry to Italy and then another ferry to Dubrovnik.  A more expensive option but safer.

Dubrovnik is as beautiful as I remembered it but the hottest we’ve encountered yet due to the high humidity.  Everyone walking the walled city had clothing with tell-tale wet patches.  Even a young Aussie who works in the mines was struggling with the heat.  Apart from the spectacular views from the walls the two highlights for me were a wonderful little Ethnographic Museum we discovered as we explored the narrow streets.  It had all sorts of items and photos of everyday life and work and traditional dress and customs.  The second was two photographic exhibitions.  The first covered  the breakup of Yugoslavia, including the Srebrenica genocide.  The second was called ‘Bosnians’ and commemorated the 20^th anniversary of the beginning of the Bosnian war.  Very thought provoking especially as we were in Yugoslavia the year before war broke out .  Hard to comprehend the suffering endured by these people and how war drives ordinary men to turn on their neighbours and commit such monstrous actions.

The drive up the Dalmatian coastline is stunning. I’d forgotten how magnificent it is.  I am writing to you from the island of Hvar (yet another car ferry trip).  It is 9.30pm and I’ve spent the last half hour floating in the tepid waters of the Adriatic Sea watching the fiery red sun sink slowly behind a neighbouring island.  Only way to try and keep cool!  Off to explore the island tomorrow.