Over a pretty hectic three days we took in the Croatian cities of Dubrovnik and Split and made our way to the island Hvar and travelled the picturesque northern coastal route to Zadar before returning to London. Croatia offered the Medeteranian sea element to my big adventure but I was not as overwhelmed as I had anticipated. I had heard such rave reports about Croatia and despite it being beautiful I kept on comparing it to a blonde beauty of popular culture...its obvious but somehow it just didn't win me over. Or perhaps it just verified my revelation I am a lake girl!
Dubrovnik
With René already having been to Dubrovnik our fast shuffle into town was rather straight forward. He was able to guide us through the old city along with the hoards of tourists to the Old Town walls which we climbed dutifully in the searing summer heat. We were able to see the Old town from a the highest vantage points admiring the terracotta tiled UNESCO World Heritage site and the workers trying to maintain it. After admiring the view and stopping off in a classic tourist trap posh nosh shop, by a bunch of steps we still don't know the significance of we made our way for one of the two "hole in the wall" bars. René was craving the sea and wanted to dive into the cool water. After recent reports of several life threatening injuries he opted for a shorter jump over a 25m ledge boasted by this bar. Whilst I sipped happily on an apple juice worth £4 and nursed Ren's £5.50 beer! With the bar packed with Aussies on Busabout, lets just say it was just the one drink we stayed for.
Split
We arrived in Split late in the evening and took some dodgy accommodation near the train/bus/ferry station...the location was great but under no circumstances would I ever recommend this spot! We had a look around the city and enjoyed a delicious Italian feast in a piazza. The following morning we woke early to make our way to the island of Hvar which had been highly recommended to us as a great party town. We sadly missed the 11am ferry so opted for some of the concrete beach action to indulge in beach time and tried to relax. The heat was unbelievable and the water like a hike out at low tide in Kaka Point!
The following morning we made our way to the picturesque Diocletian Palace another UNISECO site. A stunning sea side Palace offering a great view from the rickety stairs of the bell tower. The Palace is an open air site with many nocks and crannies which make it a marvel. We took a tour of the underground section which until the 1950's had been used as a city sewer. It wasn't terribly remarkable.
Hvar
We took the ferry to Hvar at 3pm and made for the beach on arrival. To find a patch of beach to lie down on we ended up in a harbour of dingy's on our own. Not ideal but hey we had succomb to the idea that Hvar was not going to be what we had anticipated. We tried to make Hvar fun by having a delightful balcony drink as the sun set but the entire restaurant was full of twangy Ozzies and we felt like we should have been in the outback! With the ferry terminal on the other side of the island we got a bus to the port. Where we thought the party might have been...but no.
Maybe Croatia was a victim of my anticipation to return home to NZ and was just a bit of beetroot in the sandwich. Either way its pretty and touristy. I'm sure it'd be different from a boat too.
Dubrovnik
With René already having been to Dubrovnik our fast shuffle into town was rather straight forward. He was able to guide us through the old city along with the hoards of tourists to the Old Town walls which we climbed dutifully in the searing summer heat. We were able to see the Old town from a the highest vantage points admiring the terracotta tiled UNESCO World Heritage site and the workers trying to maintain it. After admiring the view and stopping off in a classic tourist trap posh nosh shop, by a bunch of steps we still don't know the significance of we made our way for one of the two "hole in the wall" bars. René was craving the sea and wanted to dive into the cool water. After recent reports of several life threatening injuries he opted for a shorter jump over a 25m ledge boasted by this bar. Whilst I sipped happily on an apple juice worth £4 and nursed Ren's £5.50 beer! With the bar packed with Aussies on Busabout, lets just say it was just the one drink we stayed for.
Split
We arrived in Split late in the evening and took some dodgy accommodation near the train/bus/ferry station...the location was great but under no circumstances would I ever recommend this spot! We had a look around the city and enjoyed a delicious Italian feast in a piazza. The following morning we woke early to make our way to the island of Hvar which had been highly recommended to us as a great party town. We sadly missed the 11am ferry so opted for some of the concrete beach action to indulge in beach time and tried to relax. The heat was unbelievable and the water like a hike out at low tide in Kaka Point!The following morning we made our way to the picturesque Diocletian Palace another UNISECO site. A stunning sea side Palace offering a great view from the rickety stairs of the bell tower. The Palace is an open air site with many nocks and crannies which make it a marvel. We took a tour of the underground section which until the 1950's had been used as a city sewer. It wasn't terribly remarkable.
Hvar
We took the ferry to Hvar at 3pm and made for the beach on arrival. To find a patch of beach to lie down on we ended up in a harbour of dingy's on our own. Not ideal but hey we had succomb to the idea that Hvar was not going to be what we had anticipated. We tried to make Hvar fun by having a delightful balcony drink as the sun set but the entire restaurant was full of twangy Ozzies and we felt like we should have been in the outback! With the ferry terminal on the other side of the island we got a bus to the port. Where we thought the party might have been...but no.Maybe Croatia was a victim of my anticipation to return home to NZ and was just a bit of beetroot in the sandwich. Either way its pretty and touristy. I'm sure it'd be different from a boat too.
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