14. Apr, 2016

FRIDAY 15-5-15

The weather today has not been as warm nor as sunny, which is absolutely typical. We had planned to travel back down the road for about 50 miles so that Rosina can get a better photo opportunity of the coastline as she will be right next to the crash barrier and the long drop down should we lurch too far to the right.

The Chef popped to the local supermarket for some fresh bread before paying our fees to the campsite. She came back saying that it had been an expensive stay. We'd had to pay €7 a night supplement on top of the fixed €16 nightly fee. She wasn't too sure what it was for, but thinks it was because we were on a better pitch with a sea view, rather than in the Long-term traveller area.

All rather naughty, but as a tourist you have to expect to get screwed by some people, the payback is in reviewing the campground on various websites and ensuring others that follow will either be aware of the sting or avoid the campground all together.

Back south we went along the coastal road. The Chef was using her weapon of choice. The compact camera which is kept up the front with us in the glove compartment rather than the bigger and heavier SLR.

Whenever I got the chance I would pull in to a lay-by for a few pictures, otherwise it was about enjoying the landscape driving along the twisting and turning road, with my accomplice snapping away out of her open side window.

There were an awful lot of bikers on the road today, travelling in both directions, but predominantly coming up behind us. At one point we'd had to slow right down and stop for traffic lights ahead of us, behind me were a bunch of bikers before one of them overtook me, only to discover that the reason I was a bit slow away was because I was letting a car in from a side turning, which then left the biker out in the middle of the road for a dangerous few seconds with a blind, sharp, hairpin bend ahead. After that act of stupidity I did nothing to help the rest of the Frankfurt Chapter get past me.

As we got closer to the turning up to Mostar we knew it was time to turn around. Having done so we pulled in to a lay-by for lunch. The Chef began rustling up 'the usual' - sandwiches made with fresh crusty bread if possible, crisps, low salt if possible, and a nice cold drink of orange juice, all served using disposable plates and cups, which then get thrown away avoiding  the need to either wash up or leave the dirty bits loose in the sink whilst we continue with the journey.

While she was making her daily contribution to the team effort I walked back up the road to take a couple of photographs and a video shot of the beach and community below. On the way back from a bit of a hike up the road I spotted some concrete steps leading to the beach, so down them I went. At the bottom, and to my left were a couple of nudists sunbathing. Why do they do that? Haven't they heard about the risks of skin cancer?

 I looked away before taking a few shots ahead and to my right. Yet at the same time I wanted to take a shot of the view to my left where the nudists were. I was after all in a public place, but I felt it was rather like wearing a thong weaved out of wire wool, or going down to the 'Fiddlers Arms'  for a pint of beer with Rolf Harris - you know you could, but it would feel rather uncomfortable to do so.

After 'the usual' we continued heading north, past Split, and onward on roads, frankly, not as nice as we'd enjoyed further south. Having had about enough for the day we referred to the ACSI book for another discounted campsite. With an out-of-date Satnav it is proving easier to put the latitude and longitude of a location in to it. So having gone to the trouble of doing so for a campground ahead of us I pressed 'GO' and pulled out of the lay-by. I was immediately told to make a 'U' turn - I'd selected a campground we'd already passed!

I asked The Chef to look in the book for a campground somewhere ahead of us, having done so she called out the co-ordinates which I punched in whilst driving along a winding road. A silly thing to do on reflection.

Camping Adriatic at Primosten (GPS: N43.603375 E15.921001) is where we've finished up. We've already been told that there are supplements to the €16 per night discounted rate, but we're not sure what they are.

Having sat at the laptop and downloaded all of The Chef’s pictures I am able to confirm that we are now in possession of what must surely be the most exhaustive collection of blurred-trees-and-bushes-in-foreground- with- water-or-buildings-of-some-sort-in-the-background in Croatia.

There's always tomorrow................

14. Apr, 2016

14. Apr, 2016

14. Apr, 2016

 THURSDAY 14-5-15 

This morning we were up in good time as there were chores to be done followed by some relaxation. I was the first out of the starting blocks and over to the showers only to come back with the news that there was no water supply anywhere on the site. Therefore it was on with our boiler and a shower indoors instead. Having done all that, about an hour's work by the time the boiler has heated the water to 60°C, and taking the showers themselves,  I popped out and was able to confirm that the water was now back on - typical. 

The one thing that we are very strict about is whatever the weather the vehicle is properly aired every morning. Both roof vents fully open and the door open.  If the weather is rough the vents aren't opened fully, but they're kept open for much longer. This morning bought the added bonus of getting the duvets outside to air in the glorious sunshine and warm breeze. To top it all we did our bits of washing including all of the bedding. There is no proper laundry on this site and so it was all done by hand and dried very quickly in the sunshine over the backs of the folding chairs and a clothes airer kindly loaned to us by a German neighbour who's travelling alone with his dog. When I returned it I took over a nice cold can of beer by way of a thank you. He thanked me anyway but said he didn't drink alcohol. Good - that’s more for me then. 

This evening’s fare was a fry-up, good English fare, and a chance to start working through some of the meat we are carrying in the freezer. 

We have been joined by new German neighbours, a young couple with a new-looking short wheel based motorhome. He's driving and she's seeing him back. Now on this campsite each pitch has at the head of it, a terracotta-coloured slab of concrete about 18" square set in to the grass with the pitch number painted on it. We're on pitch A14 and they were heading for A13. The concrete square on their pitch was raised a little, particularly on one corner, and so the young lass stood on the concrete square so that her partner could manoeuvre around her and in to the pitch thus avoiding the obstacle. Here’s a question for you now. Upon reversing did he: 

A. Keep an eye on her in the mirror whilst she stood on the concrete, slowly manoeuvring around her before lining the vehicle up within the pitch. 

B. Despite her gesturing to him to go around her followed by much shouting and arm waving, then her jumping off the concrete slab and move for her own safety, he reversed right over the slab, resulting in awful scraping and grinding noises as the raised corner on the slab scraped all along the underneath of the vehicle. 

Yup two points if you chose B. They spent about half an hour this evening under the rear of the vehicle inspecting the damage. 

14. Apr, 2016