Cliffandger Grand Tour

[cliffanger]

If you look closely you can see musicians accompanying the drunk brothers, and what happens when you don't pay the bill - as I said - a typical FUN day out!

It was absolutely brilliant - and I would go so far as to say it rivalled St Blaise's relics!

Cliff is buying a lottery ticket tomorrow - I resisted the urge to kiss it.....

What a day - I seriously can't believe we'll find anything to top this, but with six weeks to go....... Watch this space!!!

 

[Anthea M]

Oh how I laughed!!! Love those mini froggy tableaux ! So much nicer to look at then the relics!!
Thankyou but frogs scare me just a little!!

Enjoy your holiday we certainly all do !

 

[JockandRita]

If it's not on you list of places to visit Geraldine and Cliff, Torig is a really nice pleasant small town, with many nice sea going vessels for the "Island Hopping Tours" and relaxing places to sit and watch the world go by. The nearest ACSI site is Autocamp Rozac, No 1118.

The walking route (short cut) is not for the faint hearted, elderly, or infirm, but for a pair of sprightly walkers such as yourselves, it'll be a piece of cake.

1. The view on the way in.

The view of the way back.

Cheers,

Jock & Rita.

 

[cliffanger]

Hi @JockandRita Jock, thanks for that. I think we will go there and then onto Zadar on the way back up. We are just getting ourselves sorted and ready to move off to Dubrovnik. Your weather forecast site shows it to be a bit better than it was yesterday, so we've kept the macs handy, but stowed the umbrellas - fingers crossed!

 

[cliffanger]

Well we've walked around Dubrovnik in beautiful sunshine and are now chillin in a bar outside the city walls where wifi is free - the login was Kop and the password was Liverpool...... Cliff is happy even if both matches are from La Liga...... Will post photos when I get back to campsite - Camping Solitudo - non ACSI but the closest to the city and fine for one night! 38€ but if I can find the receipt from the site at Novigrad I get another discount (please let this be the time I am my usual slatternly self, and haven't consigned the receipt to the bin!)

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[cliffanger]

A few musings while Cliff is watching the match..... Croatian women wear FAR too much Panstick, lipstick and eyebrow pencil. Their skin as a result is mostly bad, which they hide with more Panstick!

Nobody smiles, but when you engage in conversation - in English I'm afraid, I can't get my head around Croatian - they are the most lovely, smiley people! Cliff complimented a waitress on her English and she said she learned it from watching films! She said the only language they are taught in school is French!

Nobody says please or thank you - every lone traveller sits on the outside seat on the bus, but when someone comes up to them, grunts and points to the empty seat next to them, they move to let them in whilst continuing to gaze into the middle distance - which they do A LOT!

They would ALL have to be forcibly removed from their mobiles - I think to be fair this is a world wide phenomenon, but it seems the whole population lives their life through their mobile - hence the 'gormless' stare into the middle distance!

Well - the match is over and we are off to catch the bus back to camp - so I'll sign off for now ....

 

[JockandRita]

@cliffandger.

Glad to read that you've been and done Dubrovnik.
We couldn't agree more with your observations Geraldine. Nearly every driver has a mobile stuck to their head. I even saw a coach driver on his mobile, whilst carrying passengers.

We have found the Croatians to be very polite, pleasant, and extremely helpful, with just about everyone speaking english. It has been a joy to holiday here. We have noticed several young people getting up on a bus, to let their elders sit down. We never saw that on any bus we travelled on in Italy.

We are hitting to road to Nim (Zadar) tomorrow afternoon, (ACSI No 1112 @ €13pn), and may stay there until Wednesday or Thursday, when we expect to hit the road for Italy again.

BTW, the weather is on the up after tomorrow. http://www.forecast.co.uk/zadar.html

Cheers for now,

Jock & Rita.

P.S. I got my dark beer.

 

[cliffanger]

Well we are back in the van after our Whistle-stop tour of Dubrovnik. I may upset a few people now, so feel free to slap me on the back of my head with a brick bat but - it was all a bit contrived!

I get the history and can see it was shelled mercilessly between 1991 and 1992, and then rebuilt, but as in every other 'historical' city, every spare alleyway and cobbled Street houses either a clothes shop / souvenir shop/lavender shop or restaurant!

I think we did the best thing there is to do - A walk around the walls. 120 kunas each (£12), and you get to see the Old Town from a really good vantage point - plenty of brilliant photo opportunities, and you can really see where the shelling of the city by the Yugoslav army, the Bosnian Serbs and Montenegrans took its toll, not by the destroyed buildings, but by the plethora of terracotta replacement tiled roofs!

We left the old town after our walk, in search of a bar that wasn't going to rip us off and we found one, mentioned earlier, a football bar with smoking allowed inside! A leisurely hour was spent there, watching Grenada -vs- FC Barcelona, (him) catching up with free WiFi (me), and we were even given a free blackcurrant liquor! The Spanish lads watching the match complained that they hadn't been given the same, but we're given short shrift by the bar man - we think it went along the lines of - if you hadn't all nursed a half pint each for THE WHOLE MATCH you might have got one!

Just back at the van now watching Eurovision! I asked the lad on reception which bar in Dubrovnik might be televising it, as I wanted to watch The UK win, and after laughing heartily he said he thought the Irish bars might show it, but he was sure the Croatian entry would win, as it was a song about home and was very sweet! I said I didn't think the Irish bars would televise it as they had been knocked out and he admitted that the Irish bars would probably be showing the football And that we should maybe get back to the van, hook up the t'internet and watch it in the safety of our own van - which we are doing!

Just watching last song now, so will post photos later! Come on the UK!!!

 

[cliffanger]

Whilst waiting for the (very political) votes to come out, some piccies of views of the old town of Dubrovnik....

Not too obvious......

A little clearer.....

A lovely panorama....

In Amongst the walls, the lads will always play kick about....

But back to the matter in hand..... remember - still within the walls....

Why have the trousers got to be so far away from the undies??!!!

Further along the walls......

All nice and white.... Must have used Ariel!!!

Still within the walls......

Wandering down the Alleyways breathing in the springtime fresh aroma..

Almost all the way round the walls.... And I have to say.....

WOMAN - GET A TUMBLE DRYER!!!!!!

 

[cliffanger]

We're losin !!!

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[Popeye]

Beautiful Ger but still better to approach on a 45 footer from the sea.....

The coastal areas didn't suffer anything like as much shell damage as the inland towns and cities...

Nice square Rigger in your 3rd photo.................. keep it coming Gal

 

[JockandRita]

And that we should maybe get back to the van, hook up the t'internet and watch it in the safety of our own van - which we are doing!

There wouldn't have been any chance of that happening on this WiFi at Camping Rozac. Even with my booster and a 100% signal strength pulling in 54Mbps, it kept dropping out every few minutes, and we'd have to log in again. A ploy by the site owners perhaps to deter excessive data usage from TV viewing. It was even like that when the site was empty on Friday

Anyway, re Eurowail or whatever it is called, who got the "political" win?

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[cliffanger]

Just about to set off for Orebic, which is all of 18km up the road, so I thought I would post some nicer photos of Dubrovnik before I go and while I still have wifi.

I bet they were happy to get through that passage and into safety!

The harbour on the other side of the walls.

One of Dubrovnik many many cats.

Even when I wasn't looking for washing, you can't escape it!

And the square rigger setting sail (especially for @Popeye !)

 

[Popeye]

My mistake then, it looked like a square rigger from a distance, that should be used for target practise by the Greek navy, I think it is one of the Windstar cruise ships built in the eighties and nineties.

Thanks anyway Ger xx

 

[Anthea M]

Lovely photos! Although I am partial to a bit of washing as it makes a place looked lived in, unlike French villages where you see no people and no washing!!!

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[cliffanger]

Dubrovnik definitely looked lived in @Anthea M! This was the only view without washing lines!

We are now in Orebic on the Peljesac peninsula, on a lovely site overlooking the sea. I could have sworn when I looked at Co Pilot this morning it said it was 18.5km away, but I must have put the wrong town in because we have just driven 118km - 50 of which were on windy roads!

It was all worth the trip though, as we think we will be staying here for a few days. The town is a 10 minute walk away and the whole region grows Croatia's best wine grapes!

On the way over we saw the devastation caused by forest fires last year - miles and miles of burnt trees. It was a horrible sight, apparently they had a heatwave with temperatures reaching 40 degrees last July.

Not much chance of a forest fire while we've been here - infact the waitress in the restaurant said they were all worried because they seemed to be getting the UK weather - I assured her that when the Unrighteous Cliff left in a couple of weeks the sun would come out again!

Oh, and this is the view from our door.....

Happy Daze........

 

[Anthea M]

Lovely photos thankyou! That sea looks so blue
Very sad about the burnt forest , it takes years to grow back as all wildlife and vegetation has suffered. Good job you have a lovely view!
Happy travels!

 

[JockandRita]

@cliffandger. Smashing photos. Your location looks lovely.

If thinking of calling in at Nin, and staying at Ninska Laguna, (ACSI No 1112), don't bother wasting your time. Compared to anywhere else we've stayed, it's a dump. I drove in, and turned round whilst Rita checked out the toilets and showers, knowing that this wasn't a goer. Two minutes later we were back on the road, and headed for Camping Strasko, Pag. (ACSI No 1114). It is absolutely huge. We are on pitch No 1588.

The sunset view on the pebble beach, is to die for. We'll be here until Wednesday morning.

Cheers for now,

Jock & Rita.

 

[cliffanger]

Well yesterday was a day of chilling and sun bathing - at last!!!! So nothing to report - we cycled down into the little harbour of Orebic when we got here, and it's very picturesque, but there was the hugest cloud sitting on top of Mount Ilija....

We are walking up it today - but as yet there are no clouds sitting on it! It's 926 metres high, so the photos should be good - once I've recovered enough from altitude sickness to take them!

On a different note - the site we are on is absolutely brilliant - Cliff went to empty the cassette this morning and it's fully automatic! He pressed a button, a door opened, he put the cassette in, it emptied it, swished it around, rinsed it, put chemical in it and then ejected it!

I must admit he was impressed! It meant nothing to me as I always thought it happened automatically anyway...... I've never emptied ours but it always seems fine......

The rest of Europe's campsites could learn a few lessons from the Croatian sites - admittedly this one is 4 star and has immaculate facilities - everything is automatic - from the cassette emptier, to the soap dispenser and paper towel machine, but all the other ones we've stayed at have had immaculate facilities, all with loo paper, soap and hand driers, or paper towels. All this and free WiFi!

Most of the French sites we've been on have one set of loos for both sexes, no seats, No paper, no soap, and no cleaning done!

As I said, we are just off for a walk up the mountain, with Paul and Vicky, a British couple we've met on the site - they aren't Funsters - yet - but they have two Springers, so the walk will bring back many happy memories....

It's been three years since we lost our Ginny.

Will check in later, have a lovely day all!

 

[Anthea M]

Lovely post again thank you! Hope the clouds don't come down on the mountain or we may think you are in Wales!!
That automatic cleaner should be 'the law"!!
What a beautiful dog is that Ginny I bet you miss her.
Get those newbie Funsters! Enroled!!

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[cliffanger]

Well friends, it took a little longer to get over the altitude sickness than I thought! We set off with Vicky and Paul, and we're headed for the signposted start of the walk, but very foolishly the campsite receptionist had told Paul that there was a start point closer to the site, but it wasn't as clearly marked - for 'not clearly' read 'not signposted at all'!

Cliff is the master of short cuts, so when this one was suggested he jumped at it - we have a map, what can go wrong........

The lane started off wide enough, but then there were junctions, of the T and right angled sort, and true to form we took the wrong one every time. The lane turned into a path, then a track, then a wild boar track, then a water course, ending up with impenetrable scrub of the meanest kind..... And all the while heading upwards at an almost vertical angle!

This was the view HALFWAY up the 'non' track...

They kept saying 'we'll turn West in a minute to meet the track', and eventually we did..... But before we met the track we had to clamber over razor sharp rocks, looking down (or not in my case) to that view, 100s of feet below us! We finally got onto the track, but it got a whole lot steeper, and I started to feel faint and had to keep stopping! Paul offered me a Mars bar and it'll show you just how ill I felt - I had to refuse it - which has never been known before!

We weren't sure how much farther it was to the top, but a gang of German blokes came past us on their way down - carrying various sized rocks...... (If I hadn't felt so ill I would have asked them why) but we did ask them how far to the top? They had no English but said 900 meters - now I'm no Carol Vordermann, but with the total height being 926, I was pretty bloody sure we had come more than 26 meters in the last 3 hours!

We couldn't make them understand the question so not knowing how much farther it was and Cliff beginning to worry that I would have to be carried - we made the unhappy decision to turn around and walk back down.

This was the view from near the top (maybe.......)

We walked down the main path and hit civilisation in double quick time!

If you look at the left side of the house you'll see the first marker which says the ascent should take 2 hours 45 minutes - we took over 3 hours to get as far as we got, which still seemed a long way from the summit!

Vicky and Paul did very well at hiding their disappointment at not getting to the top - they said they would have another go before they left later this week, now that they knew the way! They also let slip that they had trekked in Nepal and climbed Annapurna! No wonder he had water, eucalyptus sweets and Mars bars in his tucker bag!

We walked back into the village and stopped in a beachside bar for seafood risotto, and grilled Squid, all washed down with beer and Croatian wine, which I have to say I am getting a real taste for!

We walked back to the site and flaked out in the van, but I still felt pretty rough, not really feeling better until later that night. Vicky had mentioned at lunch time that they were hoping to go on a boat trip today, but they would only be going if the captain could get 10 people. I was still feeling sick at that stage so couldn't even contemplate a boat trip the next day. However by the time Paul came over and said they were going, I felt better and would have loved to have gone, but the boat was full!

So with them off for the day we thought we would move off and make for Makarska and Camping Jure - and we are here - nothing like Camping Niveo, although it still has immaculate facilities with seats, toilet paper, soap and towels, and a restaurant and Caffè bar, we are moving off tomorrow for pastures new.....

The view from our door - see, I don't only give you the good views to make you jealous........

But as us motorhomers know, if it's no good we can turn around and move off - unfortunately in Camp Jure, Frau Commandant was sitting at the top of the drive and had us checked in before we had a chance to do a rekkie and run!!!

There is a boulevard between the site and the town (once you pick your way through a building site) with bars and restaurants so I think we are wandering down there after a barby - one of the bars is showing Liverpool -v- Seville, hopefully they will also have wifi!

 

[cliffanger]

Ok - second half has just started and there's wifi - so Muse's Musings..... We have now crossed the Croatia/Bosnia border both ways with no problem at all. Germans, Dutch and Montenegrans seem to be questioned ahead of us, but we are waved through with a cheery Dobra Dan - OK, we have no insurance or breakdown cover, so it's 10km of holding your breath- but the Nuem Passage is beautiful. and I would love to holiday here if only I could get travel insurance for a war zone!

Croation people, as I have said before, are the smiliest people you can meet - but only after you have engaged in conversation. Before this they can do a REALLY good Andy Murray impression!

Sitting here watching the waiters duck and dive whilst serving, to watch the telly, makes me realise that ANY nationality will watch ANY match!

I am having a wonderful time - new places, same lovely van, site not so good tonight, but bar is good, wifi is free, Cliffs watching footie (Seville have just scored third gold so not sure he's ENJOYING it..,) and we move on to another place tomorrow.

The meat here is amazing - I bought the tastiest chicken and pork today for €3.50 - enough for two meals and no water injected into any of it. We are SOOOO ripped off at home - why isn't our food the same quality and price as the rest of the EU?....

To labour a point - if the whole of Croatian campsites can offer FREE wifi On all sites in Croatia - why can't EVERYONE else do the same - at home and abroad? I think for most of us wifi is now as expected as electricity. Just a thought.....

 

[Neilfg]

Glad to read you are enjoying yourselves and have recovered from your excursion. Am enjoying reading the blog, noting all those places we must see when we visit (froggyland), keep it going.

 

[JockandRita]

However by the time Paul came over and said they were going, I felt better and would have loved to have gone, but the boat was full!

Sorry to hear that you missed out on the boat trip Geraldine, but glad to hear that you recovered from feeling quite rough.
We hit the road big time yesterday, and arrived at Garda again to meet up with friends. 710kms (442 mls). ...................and it is persistently peeing down.

As usual, we are enjoying the blog (especially the musings) and the photos.

Stay safe,

Jock & Rita.

 

[cliffanger]

We've woken to the builders going full tilt on the hotel construction 30 yards away from our pitch so we is movin on PDQ! It seems that all over Croatia they have suddenly realised that the season kicks off big time in three days, so 'right lads, we'de better get this hotel built - get them foundations dug - now!'

As we left our beautiful campsite yesterday, we stopped off in the supermarket opposite the site to stock up on essentials (the wine cupboard has now been restocked) and look what I saw going on in the entrance - us girls of a certain age will now be smiling broadly....

A couple of snaps now of our trip to Bosnia Herzegovina - we had a lovely time and will be coming back soon....

Then we moved back into Croatia.....

We had to set another place for our unexpected dinner guest last night!

And there was a beautiful sunset, but we couldn't see it....

It was even reflected on the trees outside our door...

Right, the workmen have come back from their coffee break, the noise has started up again, so we are off!

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[Taran_Las]

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[scousebird]

Loving your pics and write up

 

[WynandJean]

I am really enjoying this blog. You sure have a way with words. Describing it all to a T.


Wyn

 

[Mousy]

Ah Ger that elastic takes me back I used to spend hours playing that, didn't we have songs to sing with the skipping? Definitely bringing some elastic to our next weekend away, would be great physiotherapy! and I reckon watching Martin and cliff jump about would be a great laugh.

Bosnia looks beautiful, dull question...can you fly on holiday there? Why can't you stay in Bosnia in the moho?

I can't believe the number of animals that come to your van...shades of Dr Dolittle?

Thank you for this blog, we are of course missing being with you both but really appreciate the time and effort you are putting into both the thread and your hols, keep up the good work. Maybe with less altitude remember we were not good at the top of Mont Blonc. Ha ha

 

[cliffanger]

This is our second day at Camping Galeb, 38km up the road from Makarska on a lovely site in Omis - which is a much larger town. The weather has taken a downward turn over the last couple of days, so we are staying here as there seems to be much more to do.

Camping Galeb is right in the town, by the side of a sandy beach. We cycled in yesterday and paid a visit to the fortress - which was very high up ...

The last section was reached by a metal ladder fixed to the wall, through a very small hole...

I didn't feel particularly safe at the top, I could swear the tower was moving! Cliff told me (as usual) 'don't be so bloody ridiculous', but look how low the wall was....

The whole tower had been reconstructed after it had been hit by a lightening bolt, and the space Cliff is standing in was the biggest bit of open ground, the rest was about a foot wide, with lightening conductors running everywhere just ready to trip you up and send you straight over the edge .... (Yea, I know - don't be so bloody ridiculous!). But look!!!

On the way up we saw lots of little plants which seemed to be growing out of pure rock - I think even I could make this plant last for longer than a week!

We came back down to terra ferma, and wandered the streets for an hour before cycling back to the site and dinner in the beach restaurant.

Post has moved on and Today - Friday:

Omis is a lovely town, with lots of alleyways and tiny 'Obe wans' (Konobas - geddit?!) which we will be sampling in the next couple of hours for lunch! They were originally traditional family run, rustic restaurants in cellars, but now I think the term is generic for low cost, home cooking as opposed to fine dining restaurants.

Before we left Makarska we walked down to the main plaza and there was another one of those 'rub me for luck' statues.....

I thought oh yea, nothing for us girls to rub for luck, but then I looked closer........ But still found nothing.. But then Cliff said, this must be what the ladies rub for luck,,,,,

We draw the short straw again girls!

While we were driving through the Makarska Riviera we saw what looked like a blinder of an event, But alas we came here a month too late

And in the interests of research and finding places for you men to visit on the beautiful Dalmatian coast, I really should read the guide book/Internet BEFORE we leave the van and not realise what we've missed when we get back!

'TOUR OF THE OMIS 'GALEB UNDERWEAR FACTORY MUSEUM'
Where the river meets the sea, the blue meets green, and the wilderness meets calmness, that's where you'll find the underwear factory „Galeb“ (meaning „sea-gull“). The factory was founded in 1951 and is today the biggest and most important producer of underwear in Croatia. Having its own knitting plant, as well as equipment for finishing and production of ready-to-wear items, the company is able to quickly respond to customer demands.

A sightseeing tour of the factory also includes a visit to the factory shops offering a wide selection of underwear, as well as a visit to the store „Klase“ where products are available at reduced prices.'

Oh well, I would say we can do it tomorrow, but the sun is meant to be out all day, the beach is 20 feet away, we have just bought a new beach brolly for 6 quid, so I ain't going anywhere!

@JockandRita - we had what you had last night - absolutely peed down through the night, it's been overcast and rainy today, but the weekend is supposed to be good. Hope you're enjoying the lakes xx

Dawn, @Mousy We miss you both too, we would have had some real laughs on this trip. The Bosnian situation, for the van anyway, is that Safeguard regard the country as a war zone, and they won't give you insurance for the time you are there. Cliff said if you are there for longer than 4 hours you are automatically enlisted into the Bosnia and Herzegovina army (not sure he can corroborate that, but I wouldn't hang around just in case)...

I don't know the history of it all, but when the countries were carved up, it seems that Bosnia were given a stretch of coastline, under 10km, that sits in the middle of the Croatian coast line. It seems as though they are desperately trying to develop it with new hotels and apartments springing up in a tiny little area. We wouldn't have known anything about it, but luckily your Phoebe mentioned it when she sent us an email suggesting places to visit!

Well, we are back in the van, the rain is starting to come down again, so it's back to the plucking exercises.....

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