Cruising Croatia.

Dubrovnik was not as unpleasant or as crowded as Kotor, even though it was busy. This magnificent walled city of monasteries , churches and palaces surrounded by the shimmering Adriatic sea.

I arrived by bus from Kotor which was an hour late due to the congestion and a charade at the Montenegro/Croatian border where we had to file, one by one on leaving Montenegro to get our passports stamped, get back on the bus which travelled 100 metres and to file off again,one by one, to repeat the process-and not a bathroom in sight!!

The bus did stop 15 minutes away from where the small cruise ship was moored and I was able to walk my big yellow case down the road, avoiding the crazy drivers.

The cruise is small -only about 30 passengers-most of whom are couples and groups who are old friends , which was not at all inclusive and who avoided me. The group has a very dominant,loud ‘blokey tradey’ vibe which is not what I had envisaged..(the rugby match was watched en masse!!) and surprisingly 3 young male teenagers. Lots of discussions about footy!!-and that was from the women. This would have been the worst travel experience ever for me and very alienating. Certainly not the positive independent female travellers that I often bond with. Where were they?? The common discussion point was grandchildren.

The cruise ship was like a school camp with very uncomfortable ‘dorm’ style beds and my room had a terrible smell of mould as I was down in the ‘bilge’ or steerage. I paid extra for a single supplement and was looking for the cheapest option- I should have gone more upmarket- and I was not impressed and would not recommend this particular cruise.. The noise in the dining area made it impossible to converse and made the bogans yell even louder-but, it was a great way to see the Croatian Islands-

The first night was at Slano then on to green and lush Mljet where we walked (uphill again) to 2 inland salt lakes and caught a shuttle ferry to another small island inside the island. The water was a stunning blue and there was the remains of a Benedictine monastery on the small island. Odysseus was supposedly marooned here too, and trapped by Calypso the beautiful nymph of Mljet. . The Pristine National Park is the highlight is the greenest of the Adriatic islands.

We the cruised to Korcula – a mini Dubrovnik with its huge medieval walls and well preserved old town which is really very gorgeous-. A glorious old town, and the supposed birthplace of Marco Polo.. who was a Venetian, when Korcula was under Venetian rule: Although his birthplace is disputed by Italians. Fabulous views on both sides of the island. Ancient limestone streets are set in an intricate herringbone pattern which allows the free circulation of air and reduces the impct of strong winds.

We were in luck as it was the feast of a saint, where the saint is dusted off for an excursion out of the church-as well as a performance in the square of Croatian Moreska Sword Dancing for Statehood Celebration- May 30th. The sword dance tells the story of the 7 sieges between the Ottomans and the Christians and involved 7 repetitive circles which was a tad tedious.

I was taken by surprise when the ‘lounge lizards’ hanging out in the bars leapt to their feet , hands on their hearts at the start of the performance, but it was actually for the Croatian National Anthem- a lilting melody, sung in a folkloric manner. It was moving, as the wounds from the war are still very raw. The sword dance was lost on the tourists as it was slow and repetitive followed by bursts of very active sword attacks. We could see the sparks fly and there were a few broken swords and a bit of blood

The next island was Vis a former secret Military base which had been out of bounds for tourists and surprisingly, it is now quite a hip, bohemian town-selling CBD oil and gluten free cakes!! It is also where some of the Mamma Mia film was shot according to the restaurant we ate at. I declined the tour of the military bunkers!?!

The seaways are becoming jammed with these small cruise ships which dock side by side and require clambering over to get onto land, which is challenging after a few drinks. The most difficult access was visiting the Blue Cave in Biševo with rough weather-we were the last boat in as it was becoming dangerous even by Croatian standards.. no life jackets here.

Biševo has many caves with the most famous being the Blue Cave. It has a white sandy floor which reflects the sunbeams that penetrate colouring the cave a wonderful aquamarine blue. It was a very rough sea as we entered- and they cancelled all the other boats as a result.. it was a strategic and undignified exit from the small craft back onto our boat.

The entrance to the Blue Cave–it was a squeeze..

Hvar was full of young party people, very very drunk party people, and posh yachties – and is more expensive than the other islands. It had one of the first theatres in Europe (1612) but I think Teatro Olimpico 1585 wins the prize. It is not a place I would come back to-unless I was 18.

Brac was a simple delightful island- home to the whitestone the the Diocletian Palace and an unusual art gallery of the artist Branislav Deskovic. All of the islands have a similar configuration and structure with limestone buildings and red roofs and a quaint castle in the old town.

Trogir was our last stop before Split-another walled old town with a castle.

Finally Split and the Diocletian Palace which was TOURIST central..they photobombed all my piccies.. Lots of pushing and horrendous tours winding and snaking around-I would love to go back without the tourists which I think would be impossible..The out came the Romans!!!!-and according to Life of Brian…”What have the Romans ever done for us!” They did not get rid of the tourists either..

It has been a mixed experience.. The islands are beautiful, my favourites being Korcula and Vis. The Diocletian Palace the most imposing Roman ruins with its original columns and arches facing the sea in Split was incredible. That is what I call a retirement home..Diocletian retired in AD 305.

Now on to Bulgaria.

• Croatia