899 – Wednesday 15th November 2017:  A Wet Trogir

Adieu to Marina Camping – Kh200 (£23.60 + wifi and electric)— for 2 nights – excellent value – recommended.  Trogir on our horizon – the weather Apps both said rain would ease – did it feck!  A drodential townpour instead….. a quick wetwalk around the town – lovely – nice photos, K… on the little camera.   We intended wilding along the beach road as others had – but we rather overhung on the sea side – and if there was a spring tide – Jez would have had a soggy bottom – no thanks.  South of Split we went to an ACSI campsite – they didn’t accept the card but are cheaper than ACSI – this sometimes happens. EUR12 per night for 3+ nights – gift horse?  

Positively stunning beachfront pitch – 3 Brit vans beside us – unusual…nice (full time) people, but two were travelling together and somewhat cliquey.

Other bloggers had raved abut Trogir, but not, I fancy, in the wet.  It is a small island sandwiched between the mainland and another island.  We parked up on the second island, with a view to overnighting there, as others had done before us.

The cathedral and square.

We’re getting rather good at spotting the Venetian windows.

What is that stuff falling on my head?

Pretty narrow alleys with worn cobbles.  And no cafe in sight where we could hunker down with Oscar.  We’re finding bars quite dog friendly, but away from the main tourist sites.

And onto our lovely campsite.  These are the views from our beach front pitch … 

 

899 – Thursday 16th November:  Split Day 1

Weather dry in the AM – brekkied up and ebiked towards Split mainly along the seafront – Oscar got out for a run for some of it.  We ‘coffee’d’ and walked around the outside of the old town to an amazing belvedere up top – panoramic views…  Hands up those who have had a “stropa opasnost” falling on yer heads?  Obvious when you see the photo?

We lock our bikes with so many chains and stuff that would deter any enthusiastic thief – but we neglected to padlock Oscar’s foam mattress!!!  No – we don’t want to hear from our readers who have padlocks on their mattresses – Oscar isn’t into MSBD (work it out, before the watershed…) – maybe a homeless person was in need? Good luck to them – we don’t think his nibs peed on it…

Split is growing on us – not just because of a nice sea promenade lunch with local wine – K was very impressed by the Swiss chard with garlic – yummy…

Homeward bound – K started clicking – no – there’s nothing wrong with her teeth!  Her gears were clicking – then they stopped working going uphill – not good – this is why we bought the machines, after all. Quick look – the chain was very slack and need retensioning – plus it kept slipping off the gear wheel – I put it back with oily fingers – several times until it stuck fast outside the gear wheel and wouldn’t budge. The only solution was to push the bike weight + 35 kgs of O and trailer up each steep hill!  Sense of humour failure beckoned. Need to talk to Boris Karkhoff or his manual. (Not a ‘Frankenstein’ moment – more a ‘frankenspanner’ issue).  There were several hills – K was tested – I offered to swop bikes but she persevered (K: penance for a good lunch). Thankfully, we were only 3 km from base and K could freewheel downwards… These bikes are brand new.  Techie time tomorrow…

Our morning view …. at least it’s dry!

5 sets of locks / chains but some bar-steward knicked Oscar’s 4” fitted mattress and the M&S shopping bag that I’d stowed underneath.  They’d left helmets, pannier bag and J’s dry clothes!

View along the front – Riva

Beware falling buildings!

Views from the top of the Marjan Peninsula…

And another view from our pitch … can you tell we’re rather taken with it?

900 – Friday 17th November:  Chores and Hair Matters

Leisurely start with tropical beach brekkietime… – see K with ‘her’ palm tree growing out of her right shoulder. When did we last brekkie on the beach in warm sunshine?  On a recommendation from our GB neighbours, K made an appointment for a hair chop and a colour ‘enhancement’.. Jez is the only ‘grey’ around here – and me, of course – greying old, disgracefully…  O and I tensioned the bike chain – Oscar rode it around the site and pronounced it fixed – we did some washing up and cleaning prep.  We settled looking cool to await K’s ‘enhanced’ return.  What a rehanced turnout indeed!  £30 for her hairdressing visit – £80-100 at home just for a cut?  

Not wishing to push the beach thing too far – late beach Bbq – until the sun went down…  As all fellow motorhomers know, we gallantly sacrifice ourselves to put up with this ‘difficult’ life… it’s hard.

 A leisurely breakfast on OUR beachfront.

901 – Saturday 18th November:  Doing the Split(s) – Day 2

Rebiked, same route to Split – should we coffee en route – yes!  Beachfront cafe – the whole world was out (Saturday) – millions of kids under the age of three…? Katherine’s teeth, sorry – gears were working – well, gears have teeth…  We bikelocked in a more conspicuous location – and started our tour of the Old Town/Diocletian’s Palace. This Roman Emperor was way ahead of his time – he delegated (some) powers to 3 colleagues, although some historians believe that this as the start of the Fall of the Roman Empire.  And he invented the concept of – wait for it – ‘early retirement’!!!  Who’s in favour of early retirement? Ouch – that was an avalanche of hands in the air!  Led by Diane and Grahame, of course… (K:  and I …retirement at 50 ain’t bad :))

Cathedral – previously Diocletion’s Mausoleum, Baptistry -previously Jupiter’s Temple… Big market in town – and lunch was the universal choice of Pizza – with wine. Neighbouring diner – lady admiring Oscar – gave him – doggy chews!   He replied – “hvala”.  

Originally, we weren’t going to visit Split – now delighted we did – it’s a real treat – well worth it.

Looking forward to the return cycle – unlocked the bikes – all stuff intact – my front wheel was as flat as a canpake/pakecan/pancake… in other words – it was empty of hot air – unlike me… Well, I got myself all pumped up – like Popeye (spinach is good for tyres) – and with my Olive Oyle – we recycled ourselves homeward bound. On one particular hill, K felt some clicking (the wine was really good) – no – gear clicking, again…   same hills – same pushing – same weight.. are we getting bored with the bike issues – Yes!  But, unadorned/undaunted, we pushed on through the same hills -well, K pushed and Oscar encouraged her from inside his chariot…  

Back to a glass of – Bovril? No – Croatian wine!

The weather gurus threatened rain and wind – so we wound in the awning and proceeded to collapse the Os-car – blimey – the (stolen, we thought) mattress had lodged itself in the roof!  Profuse apologies to all Splitians…

Entering Diocletian’s Palace  … leading to the original main square.  Could have paid to go under from here to the basements.

The Campanile and Cathedral … oringinally Diocletian’s Mausoleum.

Inside Diocletian’s Mausoleum ….

Inside the baptristy … A rather skinny St John the Baptist.

Narrow streets for skinny people.

Another old square.

Albus Dumbledore?  Still on book 7 of the Harry Potter series.

That’s us!

902 – Sunday 19th November:  A Leisurely Sunday

A ‘down’ day – sundry jobettes….hair cut for moi, pruning for Oscar, bank accounts, laun-dry. K booked a flight home in January to see Maddy – oh, and some Jezacleaning……

903 – Monday 20th November:  Cycling to the Cetina Gorge

A nice German lady on site had suggested a visit to Omis and the Cetina Gorge – our reception lady said it wasn’t too hilly – but she had only driven it……  We robed up – with spare layers for any colder weather – Oscar was ‘the sound of silence’ in his mini van (with thick foam mattress in place!) – lubberly stuff. We soon encountered a ‘long and winding road’ (John Lennon) – relatively steep uphill.  In the sun it was pleasant but in the shade – it was bitter!  Then fast z-bends downhill – the wind increasing the cold effect.  We dived into the nearest cafe – and demolished 2 quick cups of hot coffee (could have done with a shot of brandy).  Walked around the harbour to a small beach to give our young man a trot and to perform his ‘bizzies’.  The narrow streets of the old town are lovely – reminiscent of Italia….. Lunch indoors sounded like another good idea – so we found a welcoming restaurant that accepted dogs. A litre of good Croation vino on the table and a comprehensive menu. Seabass for my lady and breaded pork stuffed with ham and cheese for me – the helpings were ginormous indeed!

The trip home (K’s bike chain needed adjustment en route) was faster and warmer (the wine helped our circulation). A fellow motorhome lady from Finland joined us for drinks in Jez – we had tried to purchased the local equivalent of “Slipovitch” – a ‘bitch of a slip’ to drink – firewater with ‘erbs…. but nice local wine mad the evening very pleasant – we reminisced about our Finnish travels two years ago…rather too many ‘slippyvitzes’ of vino – resulted in a slight headache for K in the am…   (K:  vowing to be dry till the weekend!)

View at the start of the Z bends down to the gorge.  The path the other side of the river is in darkest, coldest shade.

Omis harbour.

Not one but two sea bass, beautifully cooked with a side of roasted veggies drizzled with some of the garlic and oil dressing … I drenched more on the fish and managed to eat the lot!  J did mention and odour of garlic in bed!

Oscar’s Diary

Hi K’niners, again… it’s me, Oscar. I believe we are in Croatia, in the sunshine (with previous drenching – has anyone seen Judy Drench on stage – she’s really cool). The usual tours/church visits – I sit outside with alternate owners while they ooh and ahh about old bricks and stones (The Rolling Stones are old brix – Hammersmith Palais 1962 – now, I heard that from James – he’s ancient). 

Today, as we were sedately sauntering through the Told Clown – Old Town, I heard an anguished cry from behind me “I scream!”  I whirled around (ballet style) and fared my bangs to protect K (you can’t beat an old bared fang). I was ready as always – I’m a pink belt in K’rate and Jujitso and a black belt in truffle digging   “I scream” again, we heard… really worried – J and I hurried to her assistance at once. Was it A&E time?  No, it was a scream for “Ice-cream”!!!  Blow me down with a feather boa (please – I’ve always fancied a boa – but not the conscriptor type) – all was well  when K was seated with 2 large dollops of mixed ice cream…

Enough – I plead – and then, my trip home was interrupted by K puffing up some small hills – that gal has some balls (of ice cream)…..

At last, I am home and have been fed…not a truffle sight, though – or a boa…

Another new training regime – yep…. my patience is being tested. K puts some nibbles in her fist – offers it to me – and promptly closes her hand around the goodies – saying “trust”!  Now, I’m not saying she’s ‘tight fisted’ at all… minutes elapse while I try to reason with her – then “paid for” and I get to nosh from the other hand … Where’s the point?

I did find a bone outside, though – a decent nibble… nighttime came – I didn’t mean to vomit ’slipovitzybonedrool’ all on the floor/rug – and it wasn’t me getting my own back, honestly 

It’s never dull here……

Oscar 

 

The Magic hand game.

Teaching me to read now!