Into Croatia

So let’s just completely ignore the fact that I’ve not written a blog post for some time, I think it’s something we can just gloss over and forget about. However, if you do want more regular updates then you should check out my Instagram profile

As you can see from the map below things have moved on quite considerably since I last wrote. A lot has happened in my personal life too. Last month my sister gave birth to her first child, which makes me yet again a very proud uncle.

In the last 2 months, I’ve had some great experiences, but I’m going to jump forward and tell you about where I am now and what I’ve been up to over the last week. Perhaps I’ll fill you in with the blanks over a beer someday.

Today we finally made it back to the coast for the first time since Italy. This time it’s Croatia. Yes, that small country that came second in the World Cup just last Sunday. Well, I was there to cheer them on in a small town near the Hungarian border. Little good it did, mind you! losing the final, as they did 4-2. Now, I’m not a football fan in the slightest, but I often get drawn in by the big games. And they don’t get much bigger than this.

Despite the loss, the atmosphere was very upbeat and the parties went on long into the night. Nearly a week later and the flags are still hanging out of windows and flying on passing cars – the entire nation seems to be proud of their team’s efforts to reach that far (and knock out England on the way!).

From here we moved onto Zagreb for a few nights. It’s a cool city, and the old town has great charm and character. I spent quite a while just hanging out around the Dolac market. I love outdoor street markets like this, I could spend hours just people watching. Seeing other people going about their daily lives, their interactions with each other and just generally living.

The street market is bordered by several quaint little cafes, each with its own little terrace where they squeeze in as many chairs and tables as possible to serve the other people watchers. Here I became an observer of people watchers.

My first impressions of the Croatian coast are that it’s quite touristy. Obviously, this is peak season so I did expect it, but I still hope to find some hidden gems in this country. From here the plan is to head South, following the coast as much as possible. Then through Montenegro, Albania and into Greece.

So, my plan was to finish this post off with a photo of the motorhome parked on the beach where we planned to spend the night. But, since I started writing this post we have had a visit from a friendly policeman who asked us to move on. I was waiting for the light to improve before I took the shot. Another time.