Lashing it Down on Selce, Croatia
Zagan the motorhome’s waterproof, thankfully. Croatia’s just remembered spring comes before summer, and has lashed it down all day. We’re up against the Adriatic still, at AutoKamp Selce in Selce, Croatia (N45.15214, E14.72229).
Zagan at AutoKamp Selce in Selce
Easy day today. Yeah, yeah, OK, they’re all easy days in Team Zagan, but sometimes we do stuff which isn’t quite so easy. Like what? Errrrm, driving? Hmmm, maybe not so hard most of the time. Ah, we did remove a horrible black tick from Charlie’s noggin earlier, filthy thing, carefully and slowly twisting it off with a hook the vet gave us years ago, making sure it’s head came out in one piece. Poor Mogawai.
Maybe we need to push ourselves a bit and do some more testing stuff. But not for the moment, we’re enjoying Croatia, the ease of it, the campsites, having access to electricity, cheap eating out and the see-through ocean, like freshly-poured bathwater.
Beautiful Adriatic in Croatia
As the rain eased off at one point this morning, we legged it from the van and took a short walk to Selce along the coast. It’s a tourist town, as in it looks a teeny bit like a coastal resort on the southern coast of England, and it’s just starting to open up like a flower. Wrapped-up locals braved it out on the beach, or hid under the canopies of still-dormant eateries along the sea front.
Croatia’s not quite awoken yet in late April
Beach bar in Selce
Wrapped up locals waiting for the Croatian summer
World war 2 memorial in Selce
I just looked up the history of Croatia in World War 2, and it’s pretty grim, effectively an invasion followed by a civil war mixed in with unbridled genocide and finally a massacre of folks associated with the wartime puppet regime. Hard to believe such things took place in such beautiful surroundings, but they of course did. It also seems to take countries decades to get to the point they can even start to discuss them again – time and again we see statues and plaques which only went up 50 years after the event. I wonder if ignorance of the past might actually be a boon, a way for new generations to escape the trap of old hatreds?
Not sure what this is in Selce – a giant death-defying diving ladder?
Charlie hogging the heater
Those dark things aside, we nipped into a bakery and snaffled a couple of cheese bureks – a scroll of filo pastry wrapped around white cheese (here’s how to make ’em), and some unidentified slices of sweet-sour cake. £3 and we were stuffed. After munching away Ju’s ploughed through a few hours of writing, after which we watched a film about Steve Jobs. Who was he? The film seemed to gradually erase his carefully-crafted image as it peered into his ethics and values, but I’m fairly sure another film-maker could just as easily present him as a misunderstood genius. All media in Team Zagan is, we hope, taken with a pinch of salt.
Cliffs running south of Selce
Compass on the small port near the campsite here
Ju’s know knocking up some spaghetti, and we’ve a plan to head for the island of Krk in the morning over the toll bridge just to the north of us here. Comparing Krk with Pag, by flying above them using Google Maps, the former looks mainly green and the latter white. It seems Pag takes the brunt of the Bura, the fierce North-Easterly winter wind in there here parts. The weather forecast on Krk will do us nicely, especially with reports of five inches of snow from Ann and Martin just a few hours north in Ljubljana…
Weather at Krk next few days
Cheers
Jay
We had snow last night!
Here in Greece we put flea collars on for 3/6 months and drops on the dogs neck, the minute Spring arrives, “Frontline” is a well known brand. I don’t know if you do this…but if not it could be worthwhile as Charlie is living closely with you….!
Thanks guys. He has his Advantix to keep them at bay, but occasionally one gets on him and seems immune. He had a collar when we were in Greece last time, might look to see if I can get one here – thanks for the reminder.
Snow last night and plenty of rain here too (Melton Mowbray) – can’t wait for our next foray into France at the end of May!!
Hope it dries up for you soon
:-)
Off to Keswick tomorrow in “Dion” weather doesn’t look too good though, might not get over the tops as up to 100mm snow forecast for the higher ground. Wish you could get some of that sunshine you’ve had recently sent over here. Great blog you have, looking forward to your travels to the Arctic Circle as that’s our plan next year when the boss retires
Blimey, it’s cold up there Eric! The sun’s made a re-appearance here, 21 degrees in the van at 8:52am. Have a fun trip, wrap up warm and believe me, I would send you some of this sunshine if I could. Cheers, Jay
Hi Jason and Julie (and Charlie) !!
I very much admire your adventurous travels, and your ability to break free from the “corporate cube life”. I am a 56 year Architect in US (wife is 48 y/o CPA) and look forward to similar travels when our son is done at University – 10 years away d:-( Regarding Charlie and his ticks, my Grandfather was a small animal vet and taught us that if you hold a burnt match (freshly extinguished – and still hot) to the rear of the tick – it will feel the “heat at his rear” and begin to release it’s grip into Charlie and back out – after three or four match applications – the tick will be much easier to remove. Just 2 cents form an envious “cuber” – very much enjoy your website – very well done !!! Cheers !!!
Thanks David! We have a couple of tick remover devices, different sizes to match the tick. Very slow revolutions remove them cleanly, but if we don’t have them available, we now have a back-up, many thanks, Jason
Hello from a freezing Scotland! We were wondering about all things dog related as we prepare for our own travels. How do you manage food for Charlie? Whilst our pooch Basil will happily eat all manner of things, his stomach is sadly a little more particular. Are you able to source similar brands of food on your travels or is Charlie able to adapt as he travels?
Love being able to travel vicariously through your various posts – it makes waiting for our new van both less and more painful!
Tam, Al and pooch Basil.
Hi Tam!
We had a similar problem, only ours was skin-related. Charlie would itch and scratch back in the UK until we changed him to food recommended by our vet, hypo-allergenic stuff you couldn’t get abroad. When we made the life change, we asked the vet about this. His answer: “oh, just get the cheapest stuff you can, there are few additives in the cheap stuff”. Since then Charlie gets whatever’s going. He loves it, all of it. Any change in food is taken in his stride, we hardly ever mix old and new foods, we just swap and he scoffs it, no ill effects.
Whether Basil would be the same, I have no idea. Only one way to find out I guess, unless you carry enough food for the whole trip.
Take it easy up there, sun’s out again here, cheers, Jay
Thanks, Jay – we’re planning shorter trips to start with so we’ll give it a go, I’m sure we’ll find something that will work!