The road to Dubrovnik

After saying farewell to Karen (who waited in Split by herself for 10 hours due to a cancelled ferry), we boarded the Jumper, a left-side-drive, 9 seater Citroën van and headed for Dubrovnik. The cliff top roads were daunting and exhausting (as the driver). But, thankfully, we made it no small thanks to my co-pilot the ever mindful Weisie!




Old Dubrovnik is exactly what you would expect. Picturesque (we took loads of photos) and on the cusp of being overrun with tourists. It took a long time for us to find a solitary corner not occupied by pizza restaurants or souvenir shops. Having said that, the people were friendly, the fortified walls were fantastic, and the cobbled streets were amazing (they were polished to the point of being slippery by thousands of shoes over the years). The pall of recent conflict had not lifted and there were many reminders of the damage and loss of life sustained most recently in the early 90’s.




On the way to Dubrovnik from Split, you have to cross a border into another country, and as true travelling Aussies, we wanted passport trophies. We crossed the border in question 6 times in the van (three times each way) during our trip and managed to only get stamps with “Republika Hrvatska”, until finally, we were rewarded with our stamps (after my suspicious dirty laundry was inspected by border patrol). The second time we passed into this country, we wanted a photo. Because the landscape was indistinguishable to most of southern Croatia, we decided to spell it out (if you cannot work it out, click here).




Trish left the party as planned after a night in Dubrovnik. Then there was six. We turned the Jumper around after a second night in Dubrovnik and made our way north. The landscape was extraordinarily rocky but became greener the farther north we travelled. Dave and I took shifts at the wheel. Dave, the better driver (and sailor) had no accidents. I only claimed two, both times I merely "kissed" the car in front or behind whilst parking. But, I would like to have seen anyone pull off the park I did in Rijeka outside the car hire office! Anyway, those that did not drive/navigate, took in the scenery and read. Speaking of reading, dare I mention The Da Vinci Code? In Dubrovnik, I snapped this of a large canvas in a Franciscan church in the old town (below). Any theories on why there might have been two ladies at the last supper (one of whom is getting the personal treatment by big J)?