Balkan invasion

It was a long late night drive from budapest by the time we reached Split in Croatia. Along the way we were able to gaze across the Hungarian sea. They call it a sea, but would the little land lubbers Know. It is 73km from end to end, and the water temperature gets up to 23 in the summer. (Freezes in winter). Pretty as a postcard as the sun set, casting a red haze, you could almost hear the hiss as its gleaming disk slipped behind the mountains.

Split

After some late night haggling at the local cassino, we found some accomidation in an apartment close to the centre of town. Dawn brought us a new day and a new country and a new city.

The town is a port on the mediterainean. the architecture is little changed from its Roman origins. the origonal Roman palace was altered in the 17th century to include castle walls, and then again in the 18th century to withstand cannon. Littel now remains of the outside wall, but much still remains of the Roman palace, whichj has been incorperated into the merchant's house. The entire facade facing the water is mostly 1000 year old roman remains, and the basmnents are quite well preserved, and a bit of a tourist trap. Apart from the interesting roman remains.. blah blah blah.. we were bored.. time to push on to the main event. Dubrovnik

Did I mention that Split is the home town of the craotian brothers who came second to gin and tompkins. Aparently the rowing clubhouse brags of its trophy collection, rivaling even that of the local tenis club which bosts Goran inavisich as a member.I was quite impressed to see that the brothers got a write up in the Local tourist mag.. and they only got silver!

Along the way to Dubrovnik we passed some unusual stalls. They were all selling watermellons and colourful bottles of olive oil. The mellons themselves were being kept cool from the scorchinh heat via water from agricultural pipes. Each stack of mellons had a fountain splashing over the top.
water mellons being kept cool by a flow of cold water. The road was norrow and windy, and the 200km trip took us a long time. lucky I was driving, as dim would be foaming at the mouth by now, yelling at the locals and telling em to git off thier flaming tractors and let her through.

Dubrovnik

OOOHHH! WOW!
very spectacular. As we entered a large luxury liner was leaving the port. The city itself before our eyes, and what a site. Mountainous, emerald blue waters and lost of trees and foliage. The rest of Croatia was struggling to find a tree. The hills looking rocky and barren, although not quite to the same extent as Oman.

Again we have had tremendous luck with our choice of lodging. We are sharing an apartment with three other couples ontop of a hill overlooking a cove to the west of the old city. The area seems more like that of the french riveara, with well dressed famous people all about... well aparently they are famous croatian celebretys?? But our accomdation is cheap and so is the food, now that we can cook for ourselves again.

The Old City

Again we took to our favorite form of transport. Hecates horse, our berkies getting a thorough workout again. The view across the mediterainean was splendid. Our destinatio, the old city. Aparently the best, most complete, example of a walled city in Europe. it was spectacular.

The complete circuit of wall is about 2km, and cost about $12 AUD to take the trip. The wall itself is 25m high in places and affords some spectacular views. Over the side you can glimpse tourists living it up on the rocks and narrow beach. much like a colourful seal colony. We were suprised to find a complete waterpolo court mored to thge right of the port's mouth. I doubt there are many swimming pools in this country.

Inside the city the streets are worn smooth. Polished limestone underfoot, and archaic architecture topped with a teracotta mantle. The city fountain still provides water, and many hotels and business still make their business form the city centre. Rather than being an archelogical museum, it is a thriving city, with even the origonal city fountain is still in use as a water supply. A gate in the southern wall puts you in a bar that clings to rocks just below the outer wall and above the waves of the sea below. Its narrow existance an excuse to reval in the mediteranean sun, with a cool breaze to boot. A sterling discovery which we have put to good use.



Tommorro we will catch a ferrry from here to Bari in Italy. Shame realy, we could easily spend extra time here. That will put us in the land of the IT's durimg the final of the world cup. I find myself baracking for them, but only because they are playing the dirty dirty dirty frenchmen.

plan in comming weeks: Bari, pompei, Rome and lodgingings with friends, and then onto france and Le tour!

will post the oDO reading later soon