A Mini Community in Okrug Gornji, Croatia
We’ve moved! Yes, Zagan’s wheels have turned, but only to shuffle us across to the the most coveted spot at Camping Rožac, after our Austrian neighbours left with a wave this morning (N43.50524, E16.25766). We’ve been here for 11 days, an All Time OurTour Record, and we’re not quite done yet. The 2016 ACSI book is winging its way down Europe towards us, but it’s not yet arrived. Once it does, we’re finally about ready to upsticks and commence the long drive north.
Team Zagan relaxing after a hard 1 minute commute to a new pitch
The days are merging. In another chance meeting with unusual weather in Croatia, it’s ten degrees warmer than the average here, which is just perfect (the last time, it cooked us, for much moaning look at posts like this one in Dubrovnik). As it’s still early in the season, the campsite here is running almost empty, just a few motorhomes, mainly spread on the south-facing beach. We’re looking across the bay to the small town of Okrug Gornji, which seems to stand on stilts of reflected light once the day’s sun’s done. Usual campsite rules about not occupying 3 pitches, not shifting about from pitch to pitch and not having a pooch wander about on the beach do not yet apply. Life is pretty sweet.
A dog’s life this motorhome malarkey, a dog’s life.
And to top it all off, we have company. Ann and Martin have been here a few days (well, Martin’s flown home for an RAF get-together, but Ann’s regaling us with tales of their 9 years of wandering). As have the fab, adventurous family behind lifeinourvan.com, Richard, Catherine, Libby and Lottie (well worth a look at their site, especially if you’re wondering about travelling with children – the girls will have visited over 40 countries by the time they’re teenagers – imagine it!). Between the lot of us we’ve wandered Trogir, supped the odd glass of Karlovačko, eaten cola-flavoured ice cream (OK, only I was daft enough to go for that one), played games, foraged for mussels, played in Bob the Kayak and talked about life on the road, the universe and everything.
As I write this, all of lifeinourvan.com are piling down a raging river to the south of us, having nipped out for the day to do some rafting. Ju and I were cordially invited, but seriously, we’re having trouble generating the momentum to fetch another beer from the supermarket. Frenetic Italy might just have done us in a bit, and we’re needing some time to recuperate, dunno.
Motorhome bloggers conference in Trogir, Croatia! Note: no Microsoft PowerPoint in sight!
Richard did a great job capturing footage of me splashing about in the Adriatic!
April evenings warm enough to sit outside and chow down, sweet.
A great way to pass an overcast day
A few clouds and an impish little shower have passed. The sun’s again glinting off the water filling our windscreen. Today’s lunch was cooked by a restaurant in town, pizza for me and pork skewers and fries for Ju. With a couple of drinks the bill came to £15, and they threw in some apricot jam crepes on the house, sneaking up behind Ju and flourishing them onto the table with a wink. The phrasebook came out and we managed a few words of Croatian; the already-friendly chef-combined-waiter beamed even more. As ever, more effort needed on language skills, even though all the locals we meet speak English (the place was Konoba Srdela if you make it this way, mucho recommended).
So, what’s next? Krka, we’re thinking. One of Croatia’s two famous locations for cascading waterfalls (Plitvice is the other, which two of us enjoyed a couple of years ago – Charlie not being a big fan of the wooden walkways!). But probably not until Tuesday. Or Wednesday maybe… Wooo, I really need to find some motivation to get shifting north…
One final challenge for any marine biologists out there. What’s this guys? I can’t work it out for the life of me. It’s clamped onto shallow rocks here, and is roughly fist-sized. Water seems to be ejected from the array of holes on its back, and there are a couple of these animals. I am quite clueless as to what they are, having never seen one before.
Right, that’s it, I’m off! Take it easy folks. Eh? Sorry? What’s that? Where’s my window/door photo? Oh, go on then, here’s my favourite window in Trogir, made so by the eruption of green from the winter-dead vine. Summer’s-a-coming.
My Favourite Window in Trogir
Cheers! Jay
We were in Krka in August last year and spent a couple of weeks based in the very reasonable Camping Marina http://www.camp-marina.hr/ for 12 euros. A good place for visiting the falls. It has a small pool if you need to cool off and a decent onsite bar/restaurant. Lovely family run site.
PS the mollusc looks like an ormer/abalone
Awesome, thanks very much guys! Jay
Hi Guys, what does it cost you to stay at a place like this ? We will be back touring next and plan on visiting Croatia.
thanks
Ray
Hi Ray, in low season with an ACSI card it’s €15 a night plus taxes, so about €16 a night, including electricity. Cheers, Jay
the unidentified marine creature is definitely abalone, or in NZ lingo – paua
Hi J,J&C,
My money is on abalone as they look just like their close relative Paua that are native to these fair New Zealand shores. Many chums like them but I find they tend to taste of toenails – that’s probably just me though!
Best,
Simon
Just keep on going you two and sending us regular blogs. Am off to Peterborough this week to see what I cannot afford!! Which type of camera are you using, the pics come out very well. Which means are you using to transfer them to your blog page.
Have a beer on us!!
Richard Weston
Hi Richard, we’re using a Sony bridge camera (our model has been superseded now) and just take the SD card out and pop it in the laptop. We had a DSLR on our first year out, which was a great camera, but the bulk of carrying two lenses meant we didn’t take it out anything like as much as we do with this one. We visited the northern edge of the Sahara with the DSLR too which was a big mistake. Dust specs on the sensor even though we thought we were careful. When we took the bridge camera (which doesn’t let you change the lens) to a similar environment, the sensor stayed clear but one of the buttons became jammed! Cheers, Jay
Looks like the shellfish is a type of abalone, we call it perlemoen here in RSA. Seen as a delicacy it is heavily poached here.
What a life! So happy for you!
Not only do you look, you also sound very! Relaxed in the video! Great!
If anything Chris, I’m too relaxed mate. Felt like this back in Greece, really didn’t want to move! Dolphin watching this morning from the van.
That pitch certainly looks worth a ten minute shuffle.
The shellfish is a Green Ormer.
The French are mad for them in Brittanny and Normandy..You have to cook them for quite a long time. I’ve never had one as they’re v.expensive in restaurants and I’ve not seen one in the wild.
Cycled past the farm where you keep Zagan,the other day in the cold wind and thought good on yer.
Korky
Top man Korky. I can’t bring myself to cleave them from the rocks. It’s been a fair few days with me hanging onto the rocks snorkeling trying to suss what they were. I feel attached to them. Thanks to you and everyone else who replied to identify the sea critters. Means a lot to me. Also, have a beer in the White Lion for me, going to be a few months before I can! Cheers, Jay