The Big Little VW Camper Tour: Days 43 and 44 - Into Croatia - Dubrovnik

Days 43 & 44 Croatia

We pack the van up early, said good bye to our luxurious pad and we're off continuing our route north west up the Adriatic coast and only 30km later and we were over the border and into Croatia and by 11:00 a.m. we were installed again in our first near full campsite 7km south of Dubrovnik. Its full with mainly German and Dutch, who to date have dominated the motor-home travelers of Europe, but also the French and Austrian are about.

The beach is a 150 step climb down and is typical of what I had read of Croatian beaches - small and pebbly with crystal clear water - it all becomes clear why most people have a foam camping bed roll under their arm as we struggle to get comfortable lying on the stones...fantastic swimming and snorkeling

Back at the campsite Charlie and a blonde dutch girl ( a couple of years older than him) take a shine to each other and become inseparable - a little like watching a David Attenborough documentary. They do endless circuits of the campsite on their bikes and when they fall off they stand over each other not really doing much but looking duly concerned.

Next day we catch the crowded hot bus to Dubrovnik and it is heaving when we arrive such that getting in to the walled city is a full on scrum. It's another cruise liner stop off and obvious why.

I can just remember President Tito's ( of Yugoslavia) gradual death back in 1980 as what felt like a nightly BBC 9'oclock news update was given as to what new internal organ had been successfully removed as they attempted to stop the cancer spread. The division of Yugoslavia into its various parts was in the early 1990's and I remember much more of it - the close down of Tourism, Slobadan Milosovic, the Sarajevo siege and more so the geographical nearness of a war so close to Britain. Most of the orange pan-tile roofs in the Dubrovnik old city are less than 20 years old and once you notice it you realise just how few buildings were unaffected by the 6 month siege in 1991/92; many of the building facades in the city squares are also new as are many of the windows. Its been rebuilt carefully so unless you were looking for it you probably wouldn't see it.

Later in the day we catch the coastal ferry home and it passes close to a bay of abandonned hotels that were bombarded by shells from the Yugolsav Peoples Army some 20+ years ago. The shell hole damage is plain to see as they await the bulldozer and developer who will eventually come.

The 2km walk around the walls is impressive as is the interior - highly polished limestone streets from the many feet that have trodden them. The boy has been going on about a 'captain's' hat for a while so we find him one and he also gets a submarine ride out around the coast.

There are 'tours' of the city going on all around us....poor travel guides leading their pack from the front with some flag or number on a stick held high to keep the stragglers in touch. Most of them are 'wired up' to listen to the commentary that they no doubt have to run through day after day - they are clearly on a timescale as the pace is fairly quick. A Japanese tour unfortunately fulfilled their stereotype image by photographing anything and everything - the focus on their camera dominating what they were looking at and seeing as I am sometimes also guilty of.

The crowds start to dwindle mid afternoon as the cruise ships leave and the day trip coach tours depart and we have a couple of drinks by the harbour before heading back by sea to the van.